#5. human/monster resources

[kagoutiss]

“what does sheik actually do in this au” fair question. everything

[yanphobia]

Athazagoraphobia - Chapter 4

Athazagoraphobia: The fear of forgetting, and being forgotten.

Pairing: Yandere Male Merman OC x Reader

Warnings (for the entire story): Yandere, Horror, Graphic Discriptions of Injury and Death, The Ocean, Body Horror, NonCon Touching, Dubcon, Female Reader, Extreme Dead Dove Do Not Eat

Chapter 3 Index Chapter 5

Author's Note: next chapter chumssss @creepysweetie @my2phetaliaheadcanons @smolnuggie911 @spicylove4ever @acaribeau @mel-vaz

You laid there; face pressed against the cold, rocky sea floor as you squeezed your eyes shut in a meagre attempt to block out the world around you. Each breath you took, you could feel saltwater filtering through those things on your torso. Each time you tried to adjust your position you could feel that horrendous tail moving along with you. The rough ground scraped against your new talons, and every second you spent awake you were reminded of what had happened. 

That creature – merman – had left you alone, having realized that his presence was adding to your panic. And panic you did; crying, screaming, and thrashing around like a mental case as you begged for someone – anyone – to help you. You weren’t sure how long this lasted, time simultaneously speeding and crawling by, but it continued until you were exhausted, both in mind and body. 

You were beginning to dose off now, when a clammy hand on your shoulder jerked you awake. You weren’t brave enough to turn around. 

“Please,” you said, “change me back.” 

“[Y/N]... that’s not possible.”  

Your chest tightened at his words. It was all so unfair – you never had a say in any of this. You gained control of your breathing and composed yourself enough to look at him. He had given you his name before, but until now you had refused to use it. 

Lotan. 

“Please...” 

You forced yourself to meet his eyes. They were so milky, so soulless, and you had hoped he might show you some sympathy. But the longer you looked at him, the more you noticed how he seemed to look past you.  

“It’s okay...” he said. “I’m not going to hurt you.” 

“I... I don’t understand...” 

“You were the first.” he said. “Not the first human I’d ever seen... I had seen many of you, you know, from a distance, but you were the first one I had ever touched...” 

He must’ve taken your shocked silence as a cue to elaborate. 

“With my people, you know... It’s forbidden. Humans and merfolk have such a bloody history. But with you... You were so sweet, back then, so innocent...” His hand reached towards your face, and immediately retracted it when you flinched. “I just had to have you.” 

You remembered the last time you had been in the ocean before this. All those years ago... when you were only a child. You remembered the way something had grabbed onto your ankle, dragging you into the water... you remembered the terror that you had felt. Your hand instinctively went to touch the scars that had been left on your leg, only to draw them away when you felt the sharp, piscine scales that now took their place. 

“...And so, I studied,” he continued, “I devoured every resource that I could, everything that could tell me how to make you one of our kind, because I knew that you, [Y/N], you were the one that was meant to be here, with me...” 

He dared to get closer.   “Don’t you understand?” he said, “I broke my people’s taboos so that we could be together...!” 

He spoke so passionately as though it were the world’s most beloved love story. And with each second that passed, you only felt more ill. You tried to push him away. 

“No, no, please, just... please, leave me alone...!” 

His hands were surprisingly strong when they grabbed your forearms. 

“No.” 

You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him, at the monster that had stolen your humanity away.  

“Come now,” he said. “It’s time that you learned how to swim.” 

How pathetic you had to have looked, struggling to move your newfound tail and begging for mercy. The next few hours were ones that you would try as hard as you could to block from your memory. Of course you were bad at it – you couldn’t swim before, but now you were trapped in a foreign body, with appendages and muscles that you didn’t know how to use. You had to check out, mentally – anything to help you get through these strange exercises to the point that Lotan deemed you good enough. 

“It’s time,” he said, finally, after what felt like an eternity. “I must present you to the colony.” 

He took you, then, holding you close as he knew that you were still unable to swim gracefully or quickly enough. It was... honestly, it was disgusting, really, feeling his chest pressed against yours as he made his way to his people.  

You really had no choice in the matter. You had to let him lead you deeper into the depths of the sea, far, far away from any shore that may have lead you back to humanity. 

[belovedstill]

svsss 10th anniversary snippets ◀ [ 2/7 ] ▶ fan art @ ao3 | bingqiu | post-canon, married, sqq paints himself some merch

If there was one thing the original goods could do well, it was painting.

He was, of course, also well-versed in subterfuge, angry hatred, and attracting 'scheming bastard!' flags left and right. And in making the Sect Leader look like a kicked dog. And in raising everybody's blood pressure. And in avoiding any shred of human kindness. And in—

Anyway. He was good in many things that currently don't serve Shen Qingqiu well, but at least his muscles remembering the movements and amount of pressure to put on a paintbrush for quality paintwork is quite neat!

In his past life, Shen Yuan couldn't draw for shit. His only genuine attempt at an illustration for his then-5-year-old sister's favourite fairy tale was met with frightened sobbing and countless nights spent sharing his bed with her whenever she woke up from yet another nightmare induced by his terrible scribbles. (In his defense, the monster terrorising the town was the coolest thing in that story.)

Having his disciples ohh and ahh at the simple scrolls he paints is quite the difference from terrified tears. If you ask him, he quite enjoys it! The best thing about being able to draw well, though, is getting to finally draw his own fanart—

"What's Shizun painting?"

—away from where anybody can see!

He very gracefully slams his hand over the scroll, completely intentionally smudging the dash of diluted red ink he's just applied to the smiling lips of the pained Luo Binghe as his husband looks over his shoulder. He hasn't even heard him come in!

"Is that...?"

"No," Shen Qingqiu says immediately and for a good measure flips the page over. The small bowl with red ink topples over and spills.

Binghe's breath hitches next to his ear.

Despite being the Peak Lord of the Qing Jing Peak, or maybe exactly because of it, Shen Qingqiu has always been aware that scroll paper is a finite resource and shouldn't be wasted. That's why when he draws in private he uses up every blank spot. The other side of the painting is filled with countless sketches of Luo Binghe in various poses and states of undress. Sleeping. Cooking. Fighting. Commanding. With a laugh on his lips, or tears in his eyes, or suggestive tension rising in the arch of his eyebrows.

"Shizun..."

Shen Qingqiu slowly reaches for his fan, unfolds it, and presses his entire face against it.

Binghe lays his gentle hands on Shen Qingqiu's tense shoulders and presses his forehead against his temple.

"Is this how Husband sees me?"

Any answer would be damning! No, this husband does not see Luo Binghe, the man above all men, as a mess of rough, imperfect, rushed lines! Yes, he does look close enough to commit every minor detail to memory! Anybody would!

For some reason, that final thought settles heavily in his stomach. He turns his head slightly, so his forehead rests against Binghe's.

"Mn."

"Does he, really?" There's a teasing edge in Luo Binghe's voice and Shen Qingqiu knows, even with his eyes closed, that the look on his face must be truly ungodly. "Husband should look whenever he likes."

"...Mn."

"He should open his eyes and look now, too."

Not a chance! Shen Qingqiu does the only thing that ever truly distracts the tempting husband of his: he leans in and steals his lips in a kiss, and holds them captive until they yield in sweet surprised surrender.

The scroll paper gets torn, the fan forgotten aside, and both of them end up with red-ink fingerprints all over their skin.

[stacytea]

Maedhros during the War of Wrath

I've been thinking a lot about it lately. Here comes a big hc drop: For starters let me say, I imagine the War of Wrath as maybe not a really long conflict, at least not very long for elvish standards, but a very devastating one. Beleriand was hardly liveable at this point, so I imagine that most of the supplies they had was what the host of Aman had brought with them. Considering that, they probably started running out of things after the first couple of years of war effort. Yes, the Balar island was still functioning at this point, but I don't think they had strong enough economy to do much more than sustain themselves and I think maybe there were some rare deliveries from Valinor from time to time, but I have this idea that it wasn't nearly enough. The war was consuming way more resources than could've been provided and as the time was going on it was getting gradually worse. Like I think that at the most critical point there were deficiencies of literally everything, from food & medical supplies to clothes & weapons. They stopped sending archers to fight, because there was no material to make arrows anymore, thousands of soldiers were dying from curable injuries, because the healers (there was a very strong shortcoming of them as well) didn't even have things as basic as bandages & maintaining hygiene was nearly impossible ( don't get me started on how it impacted Elrond who I headcanon to be one of the healers there and only something like 18 in human years and had to witness something like 5 out of 6 of his patients die and there was no time to even sleep, not to mention rest, because every wasted second is a lost life and there was just an overwhelming amount of death and despair all around him, and he wasn't able to do anything about it, wasn't able to really help) So let's imagine these thousands of exhausted, underfed, miserable, war-worn, I would even dare to say - halfway dead people, who just want this horror to end.... and then there's Maedhros. Maedhros, who had survived horrors far worse back when he had been a prisoner in angband, had survived hunger that could never be compared by any means to these little food deficiencies he had to deal with now, yeah, he didn't get to eat anything in three days, so what? This guy had watched his own downfall from the front row, had slayed civilians in Doriath and Sirion instead of fighting Morgoth... And now he was back where he belonged. On the frontlines. Leading armies against the enemy. Once again doing what he knew he should've been doing all that time. I believe during the War of Wrath Maedhros was more alive than he ever had been since his husband's Fingon's death. He was literally radiating energy and charisma, his mental state was very much improved. Once again he was Maedhros the tall, the Lord of Himring a Noldorin Warlord, not some heinous murderer, not a monster. For the first time in many years he was doing something that actually felt right.

[sugarlywhispers]

Pairing: Bakugou Katsuki x Reader (fem) x Midoriya Izuku. 

WARNINGS: TRIO RELATIONSHIP, adult sexual content, angst and fluff, penetrative sex, oral sex, unprotected sex (USE GLOBOS, GUYS, preferably, pink ones lol😉), yandere themes –toxic/possessive behavior, mention of blood and violence, swearing lots of it thanks to bakugou lol

Summary: After several disasters that happened around the country, the government had no other choice but to enact a new law that would mostly shock every single person, including heroes. 

"Please, please…Order in the room! I know," he says to someone that it's asking something but it's mostly impossible to actually understand for viewers like you who are not–were not present at the conference. "But, please, believe me when I say we have exhausted every possibility there is for this. This law was our very last resource." 

By the tired tone in this man's voice and expression, you believe him. And you hate that you do, because that means you have no other choice. No one does.

A/N: lol this is a monster chapter, 5+k, you have been warned ✌🏼🙈 enjoy🤍

Chapter Two: Donde comen dos, comen tres.

This is it, you thought, taking a deep breath before your hand grabs the doorknob. This was the door of a new beginning, a new life that even though it was not of your choosing, you'll have to live and make it work. Behind those doors were the person you would have to share a life with, or at least try to, considering you were about to create a new little being together.

That thought made you smile. You really haven't considered being a mom, but you haven't disregarded the thought either.

You finally open the door, but what greets you behind is a scenery you were not expecting nor prepared for.

Mr. Takashi, the governor representative the letter said was in charge of your contracts, was standing behind a desk, where in front of it three chairs were positioned one next to the other and two of them were already occupied. The two men sitting turn around when you open the door, and you never hated being the center of attention more in your life.

You take a step back to look again at the number in the door; 705. The same number the letter said you were expected on that day.

"Did-... Sorry, did I get the right room?" You ask, still perplexed by how many people are in this little room.

"Yes. Yes, you did, Miss Y/L/N." 

The cogs start to whirl in your head and it doesn't take a minute for you to understand what this means.

The two of them. These two men are going to marry you.

You gulp as you walk towards the unused chair and sit there stiffly and dropping your bag next to you on the floor, hands holding each other strongly over your lap almost to the point where your fingers turn white thanks to the strength. The silence is piercing and so tense it can definitely be cut with a knife.

You take another deep breath and look up, Mr. Takashi is smiling at you with a smile that only makes a cold chill run down your back, so you look elsewhere. That elsewhere turns out to be the other two people present and sitting at your right.

The man sitting next to you has greenish hair; actually it looks more like black with green highlights. Because of the distance, you can also see the many freckles over his nose and high cheekbones. His face suddenly looks kind of familiar. A Hero maybe? You weren't that into them to know, but Tora would probably know for sure. He slightly smiles at you and nods in greeting. You nod too, realizing how disgustingly cute this man is.

The man sitting next to this disgustingly cute human being is blond, his arms are crossed over his chest and he looks at you like you're an annoying gum stuck under his feet. That surprises you a bit, but when your eyes find his vermillion ones you can clearly see how unease he is with all of this, so you decide not to take it personal.

The both of them are big; buffy, strong men that clearly hit the gym at least five days a week, if not more. You hope they are not the superficial type.

You hear as Mr. Takashi moves papers and more papers, like looking for something as silence reigns in that room. Now it's not completely uncomfortable, but it makes you a bit nervous, so you distract yourself looking back at the green haired guy next to you.

He looks skittish and ready to jump out of his seat at any moment as he smiles timidly at you. But it doesn't look like he wanted to get away from you or even approach you, he simply looked ready. For what? You don't know. But he was ready to even fly if he could. Could he though?

That would be awesome!, you thought excited. Not that you particularly care about what types of Quirks these men have, but having one that is mostly useless makes you admire every single one, no matter how simple or boring they could be considered.

"Miss Y/L/N, may I introduce you to your future spouses," Mr. Takashi says as he signals with his hands at each man as he says their names, "Mr. Bakugou Katsuki," the blond only slightly bows and hufs in your direction, his angry expression still on his face, which amuses you a bit, "and Mr. Midoriya Izuku," the greenette guy also bows, before closing his eyes and smiling big at you, perfect and white teeth only making him even cuter.

Mr. Takashi then looks at them and says, "Gentlemen, may I introduce your future spouse, Miss Y/L/N Y/N."

You bow two times in each of their directions.

"Each of your test results show a high compatibility between you three, so we are glad to announce the exception of the Rule in this Paring."

Yep, I had to be the lucky one, you think sardonically looking down at your hands.

"Now, I will proceed to read again the law and what it entails and then I'll leave you three to get to know each other," the cheerful tone in Mr. Takashi's voice makes you want to vomit.

"We are signing the contract today?" The green haired guy asks, his right leg beginning to move rapidly up and down.

"No, Mr. Midoriya. Today is only the introduction, so you get to know each other and-..."

"How thoughtful of you."

You don't take into consideration that in a room as small as that one, your murmur wouldn't get as indiscret as you thought. So when you look up, Mr. Takashi is looking at you over his small glasses, and the way he feels annoyed by you is palpable through his eyes. Yet he smiles, fakingly fondly. You should have felt intimidated by him, right now he has the power to make your life as miserable as probably his own is. However, the amused snort that comes from the blond at your right gives you a bit of reassurance that you're not the only one thinking it.

Mr. Takashi lets it slide as he begins with the clearly bad acted courtesy while reading the law again. You don't pay attention, it's clearly a protocol action of repeating the law like a trained parrot. When he finishes, he explains the next step, "Now, I'll prepare your contracts for each of you to sign. Any more idems you want to add?"

That immediately makes you sit straight as you look at the old man in front of you, "Idems? Nobody said we could add anything."

He sighs and looks at you like you're an annoying child. You frown, already the anger rising. This man was really toying with your patience. "This is a special case, Ms. Y/L/N."

"Special? Why? If they get to add idems into this stupid thing then I get to do it too." You cross your arms like a petulant child.

If he was going to treat you like a child, then you might as well act like one.

"Ms. Y/L/N…"

"No. It's already not fair that your misogynistic asses get to pair women to men as they are just reproductive systems just because you failed as a government, and now men get special treatment again-..."

He interrupts you mid sentence, "Miss Y/L/N! I don't think you understand the situation we are in right now." The stress he puts over his last two words makes you frown, to which he sighs. "These men are heroes. You do not recognize them?"

You look at them, still frowning, "No?" 

The two men look at you actually perplexed, and they look at each other to see if they are feeling the same.

"Y/N, these are the heroes Deku and Dynamight." The old man introduces them again, saying their names as they are sitting next to you.

Of course you recognize these names. Thanks to the kids at school but more specifically thanks to your friends, underline stressfully the names Tora and Kira, you–oh. OH. You open your eyes wide. These are the actual heroes, the men that fight against villains and everybody loves and they appear on the TV that you turn off whenever a Hero is on and the ones your friends thirst over whenever they can.

Fucking ooohh.

You avoid looking at them. All you can think about is your friends and their suggestive commentary about how big Dynamight's biceps are and how Tora would love to lick every drop of sweat from them, or how Kira would let Deku smash her ass to Detroit.

You feel your cheeks hot as you look everywhere but them. Because now, in your head, the imagery isn't your friends anymore, but you.

You clear your throat in a failed attempt to gather yourself together. "S-sorry, I don't watch much TV." That's all the apology you offer them. "My point still stands that it's not fair-..."

Mr. Takashi doesn't even pretend to hear you out, he bluntly ignores you as he says, "Well, I'm going to go now. Have a good day you three. I expect you on the first of November to sign your contracts." With that he stands and walks out of the room, leaving you alone with the two most famous Pro Heroes of your generation.

You feel outraged by everything. By this stupid governor in charge of your contracts; by his stupid machism that he clearly didn't intend to hide; by having not one, but two Pro Heroes as future husbands.

The greenette guy, famously known as Pro Hero Deku, civilian name Midoriya Izuku, hmms as he turns a bit in your direction. He looks a bit nervous as he scratches the back of his neck and looks apologetically in your eyes.

"If it helps, the only thing that they let us add is a Confidentiality point." He smiles timidly, and you can see he's trying to cheer you up.

You frown though.

"It doesn't help, Deku." The blond says, crossing his arms again over his chest.

"Confidentiality? What do you think I am going to do? Post pictures on Twiber of either of you in your underwear?" You're angry, and you know it's not fair that you take it on them, but the whole situation it's frustrating.

"It could surprise you how many would even sell our used underwear." 

You look at Pro Hero Dynamight directly in the eyes as he speaks. The thought of it is preposterous, yet the seriousness in his face tells you he's not joking. 

And then Tora and Kira invade your mind. Yep, they would probably buy those.

You make a face as you relax on your chair looking forward, "That's disgusting."

Midoriya Izuku exhales a timid laugh through his nose. "It is." You look back at him and he's smiling at you again. "I'm sorry about it, but we needed to add the idem."

In a certain way, you get it. You understand the need to keep their lives private, considering how famous they actually are. They didn't know who they were going to end up paired with, just like you didn't either. They don't know you, and you really can't blame them for taking care of their own selves. You could have been one of those crazy ass fans that followed them everywhere and purposely put themselves in danger just to get their attention. 

You suddenly feel thankful that your friends, even though they were a bit obsessed over Heroes, to them it was just the fanaticism and dream desires. You knew they weren't that obsessed or crazy to the point of putting themselves purposely in danger just to get a 'hello' from them.

You sigh. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-... I'm not angry with you."

"Oh, no, it's okay–" the green haired guy says, but the blond suddenly interrupts.

"You're not the only one angry with this law." Bakugou says matter of factly; you don't know him, but you would bet he was trying to make you feel better, in his own way.

Midoriya nods in agreement.

You look at them. Really look at them. Damn, they are truly handsome. Now that you pay attention, they both have scars on their faces, some more visible than others. Bakugou has one in particular that starts from somewhere under his chin and goes up from the right side of his cheek to almost under his eye. Shit, that must have hurt. Midoriya has small ones around his face. However, none of their scars make them look bad or ugly, on the contrary. It adds to their strong, powerful semblance. Both of them radiate a strong confidence, a secure aura that makes you feel so safe. It's strange, new. A feeling you weren't used to. 

A feeling it died the day they died.

You look elsewhere; both their stares make you feel overwhelmed. They are evaluating you probably the same way you are.

You suddenly gather the entire situation in you. Two men are your Pairings. Two men who are real Pro Heroes. Pro Heroes Deku and Dynamight, to be more specific. The two Pro Heroes that hold the entire country, if not the world, on their backs. The two Pro Heroes every woman in this society could only dream for. The two Pro Heroes you were one hundred percent safer with, making you mostly untouchable to any civilian or villain alive. And they are, from this day onwards, the future fathers of your children. Two Pro Heroes are going to be your husbands.

In another circumstance, you would have refrained yourself from reacting in any way, but you can not contain the laugh that possesses your being. It's loud, and so funny. This whole situation is.

You, probably the only woman in this world who does not want anything to do with Heroes, are going to marry not one but two Pro Heroes. The most famous ones of all of them.

It's absurdly funny. So you laugh, under their perplexed expression.

"What's so fuckin' funny?" Bakugou asks, scowl on his face that only makes you laugh harder.

Midoriya looks everywhere but you, trying to avoid laughing alongside you. Probably not because of the same reasons, but you're glad he finds your laugh funny and contagious. That only infuriates Bakugou even more.

"S-sorry…" You say once you're calmed enough. "Umm, I never, in a million years, thought I would end up with two Pro Heroes as husbands," you offer as an explanation.

Bakugou tenses, holding his crossed arms over his chest tighter. "Got a problem with it?" Asks defensively, but also curious. Midoriya definitely looks curious at you, waiting for your answer.

You snort, "About you both being Heroes? No, not at all. It's just… I'm simply not interested in the whole Hero thing."

Bakugou raises a brow, "You do know the society you live in today has a bunch of them, right?" He feigns the worried tone he uses, you know he's just mocking you. Midoriya elbows him in reprimand. 

"I know," you simply answer before sticking out your tongue at him. Bakugou smiles to the side, a bit surprised by your action.

You stand up, ready to leave this odious room as soon as possible. A light sound that only you are able to hear from your stomach reminds you haven't eaten anything since the quick and small lunch you had early that day during the school break. Maybe it would be a good idea to invite them to have dinner with you; but before you get the chance to say anything, Midoriya stands next to you and faces you a bit abruptly. He reminds you of an eager puppy, ready to be as close to its master as physically possible and ready to do whatever its master asks of it. It's kind of cute, but it still takes you by surprise.

"Would you like to have dinner with us? Our favorite restaurant it's just a few blocks away and they serve the most delicious ramen and katsudon–oh, Kacchan can cook too, his katsudon it's even better, but we could have that another day and‐…"

You watch amused Midoriya's word-vomit as you lean back a bit from him. It doesn't bother you, his proximity, but you are realizing how big he actually is now that he's standing. He didn't look like it while sitting next to you a few seconds ago, and especially next to Bakugou. But damn, he is big. Wide shoulders that probably hide the entirety of your body, strong arms that suddenly remind you hold the entire force that protects this country in one smooth punch.

Number one Pro Hero Deku looks exactly like what a number one Pro Hero would look like in anyone's mind.

Bakugou stands up then and sighs, putting one hand on Midoriya's shoulder and pulling him back, away from you.

Holy. Shit.

Bakugou is even bigger than Midoriya. Freaking big arms and body that is enlightening a size kink you didn't know you had until now, with these two gods standing right in front of you as prove to your eyes that men like this freaking exist.

"Who fucking said I'm gonna cook for you two, nerd?"

The scowl on his face and his vermilion eyes looking from Midoriya to you suddenly feels like a slap of realization. You gasp loudly, which makes them look in surprise at you. 

"You are the asshole from the hospital!" Your finger pointing at Bakugou only makes him frown in confusion, but then he pulls his eyebrows up in recognition, a side smirk appearing in his face. His forearm then rests on Midoriya's shoulder.

"Hey, little grub," you can swear the tone in his voice decreases lower as he speaks with cockiness.

"Oh, you're lucky there were people around, or I would have kicked your ass to Sunday," your threat only makes him laugh.

Midoriya only looks confused and surprised at the same time, eyes traveling from you to the man leaning on his shoulder next to him. "You two know each other?"

"I wish we didn't," you spit and Bakugou laughs again before walking to the door of that office.

"Let's go, nerds," he simply calls you and Midoriya, and you definitely want to kick his ass.

Regardless, you both follow, Midoriya not being able to take his big and expressive eyes from you as you walk.

The walk towards the restaurant was… interesting. While Bakugou kept quiet, walking next to you with his hands inside his pockets, Midoriya couldn't stop talking while walking on the other side –you did notice how they strategically guided you to the middle though. That was kind of thoughtful of them. But you did wonder if they did that on purpose or by mere unconscious protectiveness.

Midoriya spoke about the weather, how cold the wind was getting but the sun made it all better  even though it was already starting to hide in the horizon. How nice it would be to go trekking to the mountains with a weather like this one. Or how cool it would be to go to an amusement park. He kept talking and talking, and you understood he was only like that because of how nervous he actually felt. So you simply smile, and nod, and agree with whatever he is saying, trying to ease him a bit.

When the three of you arrive at the restaurant, Midoriya is the one who approaches the receptionist to ask for a table, Bakugou and you stay a bit behind.

"You don't have to agree to everything he says, you know." He says, not looking at you, but definitely talking to you. It takes you a second to understand what he is saying.

You smile then, and you do look at him. "If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be. I don't care if you're even more famous than the president himself, I know how to say no."

Bakugou then looks at you, and you can see the little smirk that wants to appear on his face. He opens his mouth to say something, but he's cut off by your phone ringing.

You pull it out from your bag, and the name Tora shines on the screen.

"Sorry, I have to take this."

Bakugou nods, looking back at where Midoriya is standing in waiting, looking in your direction. 

When you answer, you don't get to say anything or properly place it by your ear that you hear the screaming.

Tora is screaming something like "put that down, now!", and Kira's response is "fuck you, fuck everything!"

Bakugou then looks at you frowning, which means he can even hear the screaming too. 

"Tora?" You ask. You don't know how to feel. The amount of time those two call you screaming is uncountable, you're used to their dramatics.

"Y/N, please, come to the apartment, please." Tora begs, and she usually never begs like that unless it's something that surpasses even her patience.

With 'the apartment', you know she means the one that used to be you three's. During the last two years of college, the three of you lived together because none could afford to live alone or on campus anymore. This apartment had been inherited from your father, and it was too big just for yourself, so you invited them to live there with you. After all of you moved out, this place had become somewhat like headquarters when something shocking happened or simply when one looked for a space to be alone for a while. Which means, if they were there at the moment, something stressful might have happened.

"What happened?" You ask worried.

"Kira has been Paired."

"Right… I forgot it was today too." A crashing sound is heard from Tora's side of the line. "I guess it didn't go well?"

Tora snorts. "Just come, please. I don't know how to handle her like this…"

"Alright, I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Thanks." Another crashing sound and a yelp was heard, and you know you have to hurry up.

You look up at the same time Midoriya appears next to you, looking a bit worried. "Everything okay?"

You look at them for a second, they both look worried, even though Bakugou has a frown on his face as he watches you.

You sigh. "I don't know. One of my friends was Paired today too, and from what I could hear, it wasn't good."

Midoriya nods in understanding while Bakugou just looks elsewhere.

"I'm sorry, I have to go."

The greenette simply smiles sadly, he's definitely too good of a person. So understandable and kind, it kind of makes you want to hug him and protect him at all costs, which is very amusing considering he is freaking Pro Hero Deku, the Symbol of Hope for everyone in this country, if not the world. The blond simply nods, avoiding any eye contact with you and looking –or pretending?– like he's bored by this whole conversation. By the way he moves his hands inside the pockets of his jacket he is more nervous than he lets it show. Like as if he wanted to say something, but was holding himself back.

These two men… They were completely different from one another. Yet so much alike.

You gulp. Damn, it's too soon to do what you're about to do. But considering how fast everything is already going, may as well just do it.

"Umm, if you want… you can come with me?" You clear your throat looking down at your hands. "You're gonna meet my friends one day either way." You smile. "We can eat something there."

"Are you sure? We don't want to impose or‐" Midoriya looks at Bakugou, who looks ready to start the walk out of the restaurant.

"Oh no. You're not imposing anything… Just," you breath out a laugh, "Get ready to meet two weirdos."

Bakugou snorts and Midoriya smiles.

Exactly twelve minutes later, you open the door of the apartment. Everything it's upside down and you instantly regret having invited them now.

"Where the hell were you?!" Tora suddenly appears in front of you, getting out from her hidding inside the closet right at entrance. Of course you scream a curse. This woman was a freaking ghost when she wanted to be.

"Are you fucking trying to give me a heart attack?!"

Tora chuckles. "You deserve that. You left me with the devil's tantrum."

"I'm just two minutes late, you asshole." You try to normalize your breath, hand over your heart.

"Oh, I am the ass-..." Tora suddenly quiets, and you look at her wide opened eyes looking at the two mountains behind you.

"Umm, Tora, these are… my Pairings, Midoriya Izuku and Bakugou Katsuki." You look back at them then, "Guys, this is Tora, one of my bests friends."

Bakugou nods in greeting and Midoriya nods and smiles. Tora nods stiffly, her eyes still wide and weird over them. You roll your eyes smiling, she's so weird. You love her.

"Where's Kira?"

A crashing sound again, this time louder than the ones you heard over the phone. At that moment, Bakugou and Midoriya react, both of them putting themselves in front of each of you and Tora protectively. You want to laugh at Tora's eyes getting cartoonish wider than before, realizing how big these two men are.

"Don't worry," you say immediately to them. "That's Kira."

You walk inside the apartment, Tora following you, but her eyes kept on them, which makes her bump into you when you suddenly stop.

Kira is sitting on the floor in the middle of the living room riping apart one of the sofa's pillows, angrily. The frustration is clear in every faction of her face. Pieces of glass around the floor, broken windows and mirrors, that clearly cut her here and there thanks to her own self actions.

You sigh. You have only once seen her this mad, and it was when she discovered his dad had been cheating on her mom for years. This same apartment had suffered the outcome of her anger. Mostly the same as this one happening right now.

More than feeling annoyed that she again broke everything here, you felt sad for her. Kira hadn't had the best life before. When she told you her history, you understood perfectly the way she walked through this life. She had to be strong, she had to fight, or life would chew you like a bubblegum and spit you out–at least, that's what Kira always said. Somehow, you understood way more than you wish you did.

You want to approach her, but knowing your best friend, it was like getting yourself into the mouth of a lion. So you take a deep breath to concentrate and then project an image of you walking closer to Kira and kneeling in front of her. You hear Midoriya's gasp as he takes a step closer so he can look better. That made you smile, so your own copy smiles too.

"Don't fucking smile at me, sunshine." Kira barks at you, and you chuckle. That makes her punch the pillow harder.

"Thank you for the nickname, demon," while the image you project moves its mouth as if it's talking, you actually have to speak louder so she can heat you from where you're actually standing. "Want to explain what happened to make you this mad?"

Kira growls in frustration. "Todoroki fucking Shouto." 

You rise one of your eyebrows in confusion. You had heard that name before, in two ways. In a dreamy, horny way from Tora and in an annoyed and angry way from Kira.

"Oohh, no..." Tora cries as she runs back inside the closet, for protection.

"Todoroki-kun? They know each other?" Midoriya whispers to Bakugou, who shrugs in confusion.

You see it, the small things that levitate in the air and suddenly fly around the room in speed and collide against the walls. You, Midoriya and Bakugou have to actually kneel down when some pencils and small decoration items fly your way.

"Sorry," Kira says, but she's still taking her anger on the pillow. You know it hadn't been intentional. When Kira has very strong feelings or emotions taking over, her Quirk just gets out of control.

"What did he do now?" You sigh, preparing yourself for the next hour listening to this frustration Kira and said man have been having since they met.

Kira suddenly stops and looks up at you. Not at your projection of yourself who is in front of her, but you. You gulp in understanding and sigh, pulling your hair back with the fingers of one of your hands.

"Well, fuck…" You simply say, and a glass breaking again is heard at the distance in another room.

"What? What happened?" Midoriya asks, and it's Bakugou's turn to sigh annoyed.

"She has been Paired with half and half bastard." Bakugou explains, and the way he calls the Ice and Fire Pro Hero makes Kira snort a laugh.

"A fucking bastard indeed." Kira punches the pillow again angrily, wich makes you three grimace at watching her abuse the poor pillow. "Do you want to know what the fucker said, after they told us we were a Pair?" She looks up at you again, and you wince at the anger in her eyes.

"Something tells me you're gonna tell me even if I told you no," you whisper, afraid of what could happen next. And you literally take one step back, colliding slightly with Bakugou behind you. He instinctively interlace two of your fingers with one of his, promising protection in that simple hold. Midoriya gets closer to you on your side, ready to put himself in between you and whatever may come towards you.

"He said, and I fucking quote, 'I expected more'."

Midoriya gasps and Bakugou sighs loudly. "He's such a jerk." The latter says, but Midoriya shakes his head.

"I don't think that's exactly what he meant. Todoroki-kun isn't-..."

"What?!" Kira's shriek as she stood up made you instantly stand in front of Midoriya, releasing Bakugou's hold in your fingers.

Your projection immediately stands in between the real you and her, its hands holding Kira's shoulders. "Love, please calm down…"

"Do you know him? Who are you?" She barks at Midoriya, completely ignoring you and your projection, and you sigh.

"Yes, they know him," you clear your throat as she frowns suspiciously at you three. "The were classmates. They are friends."

Kira crosses her arms, still looking suspicious. You're not going to tell her who they really are. You decided that you wanted to respect their privacy as much as you could, even from your bests friends. These two men were going to make a family with you, so you were going to defend that privacy with teeth and nails.

"You don't look like models," Kira analyze them from up and down, trying to decide if she could trust them.

"Hate those..." Bakugou simply says, and Midoriya sushs him with a whispered, "Kacchan!"

Then Kira open her eyes wide, "Two?"

You sigh nodding. "Yeah… These are Midoriya Izuku and Bakugou Katsuki, my Pairs."

You can feel them moving a bit behind you, probably greeting Kira from that distance.

Kira observes them for a while, maybe a couple of minutes, before she lets out an oh, my God and laughs her heart out. She laughs and laughs and you feel worried about her, you literally consider the possibility on getting her a bed on a psychic ward at the hospital.

"Does she know?" She suddenly says, a playful smirk igniting her face.

You immediately know Kira knows. Of course she would, she freaking works with Heroes most of the time! So you ran towards her, your projection doing what you were about to do in copying mechanism. It puts its right hand over her mouth to shut her up, but because it's an image, Kira doesn't feel anything more than a light breeze, so she smiles wider. Then comes your real hand, stopping her chuckles.

"Shut up!" You whisper loud, looking back at where Tora is hidding in the closet. She still hasn't come out of there, good.

When your eyes look at the two men standing there perplexed, you roll your eyes. "Kira knows. Tora doesn't."

Bakugou frowns, "How?"

Kira then bites your hand making you yelp and scowl at her, she simply smirks. "I'm Tomotsu Kira."

They both nodded knowingly. Just like you said before, everyone on the fashion industry knew her. And Heroes did too, because she sometimes had to dress them for photo shooting publicities or shows, yada yada.

"You looked familiar." Bakugou says shrugging.

"I have to admit, it took me a while to recognize you both without your costumes or masks." Kira chuckles, looking back at you. "You lucky bitch…"

The two men look ready to defend you, but you beat them punching Kira on one of her shoulders, making her yelp just like you did when she bit you.

"I hate you." 

"You love me."

You shake your head before hugging her, and she returns it instantly and strongly. You stand there for a while, one of your hands caressing her back up and down and telling her everything's going to be fine in reassurance. You know what she's thinking, it was easy for you to say that, you have just been Paired with the two most wanted men on Earth. And at that, knowing well how this hatred between Kira and her Paired Pro Hero had developed and grew throughout the past three years, you simply don't know what to say.

It's surprises you when Midoriya is the one who breaks the silence.

"I don't know much about you, but I know Todoroki-kun. And I know he is very difficult, but once you get to actually know him, he's not a bad guy..."

Kira stiffens a bit, but nods and sighs, completely relaxing and calming down.

"Sorry… about this mess," she says to you once she lets you go, her hands squeezing your shoulders a bit. You smile and shake your head.

"It's okay… What is this place if not for letting us have our tantrums and existential crisis for a while before going back to reality?"

You feel the two men eyes on you, but you don't look back at them.

"Has the demon been put to sleep?" All of you hear Tora's voice inside the closet.

Kira laughs alongside you.

Oh. A totally normal day for you. Not a big deal.

[oldschoolfrp]

The firefriend, or giant firefly, is an intelligent insect that forms bonds with people and can learn to speak the common tongue. Despite its small size it can emit a very powerful beam of light as a weapon. (AD&D Monster Manual II, TSR, 1983) I skimmed past the giant firefly entry many times without realizing there was more to it. These could be valuable companions to a party, even better than the irascible fire beetles, especially in the era of dungeon crawls with precise resource management when adventurers tracked the use of each torch and flask of oil as time passed.

The firefriend, or giant firefly, is a well-regarded but rarely encountered creature found in temperate climes. Although this giant insect has only low intelligence by human standards, it is clever and shuns obvious enemies. Humans and demihumans of friendly disposition are sought as companions, however, for firefriends love to converse with them and to hear stories of a fanciful nature. A firefriend has small but sharp mandibles with which to protect itself. In addition, its glowing abdominal light, normally equal in luminosity to a torch, can be brightened and concentrated once every turn. A beam of greenish light about 3 inches in diameter and up to 14 feet long can be shot forth. Flesh struck will suffer 5-20 points of damage, one-half damage if a saving throw vs wands is successful. These creatures are not harmed by electricity or fire. Firefriends speak their own language as well as the common tongue in most cases. They hatch in spring, grow to maturity by age 2, and live about 10 years or so. By age 1 or 2 they learn to converse with humans.

[satoshi-mochida]

ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist launches January 22, 2025 - Gematsu

Dark 2D Metroidvania RPG ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist will leave Early Access and launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC via Steam on January 22, 2025, publisher Binary Haze Interactive and developers Live Wire and Adglobe announced. Pre-orders for physical editions will begin soon in Japan, with information on physical editions for other regions to be announced at a later date.

ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist first launched for PC via Steam on March 25.

Here is an overview of the game, via Binary Haze Interactive:

About

Venture through a dark 2D Metroidvania RPG that takes place in a dying world where sorrowful artificial life forms called homunculi run rampant. As hybrid beings turn on humanity, cleanse corruption from their weary souls and uncover the source of their oppression in a journey of salvation for both man and machine. Taking place decades after “The Rain of Death” in ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights, which sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide, ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist promises 35 hours of content coming to 1.0 with all-new bosses to purify, fresh abilities to combine for custom playstyles, and mysterious biomes to explore. Each boss defeated joins Lilac‘s cause, adding ten abilities (each with three alt-fires), totaling 30 new abilities to Lilac’s repertoire. Equip up to four abilities at once to create a custom fighting style with a mixture of short-range attacks, long-range projectiles, lock-on auto-attacks, and much more. Explore a vast open world full of relics offering insight into ENDER MAGNOLIA‘s rich lore and access previously unreachable areas as Lilac’s skills increase over time. Gather gold and machine parts, then exchange them for items and upgrades at the Blacksmith’s storefront. Locate Lilac’s lost memories and piece together the tragic story of the fall of the Land of Fumes. International indie band Mili returns to the series to compose the melancholy yet whimsical soundtrack for ENDER MAGNOLIA‘s setting.

Story

Set in the Land of Fumes, this prosperous magical superpower is home to vast quantities of magical resources lurking underneath the surface. In hopes of advancing their kingdom’s development, artificial life forms known as Homunculi came into being. Regrettably, toxic Fumes from the underground drove the Homunculi to madness, turning them into feral monsters. Lilac, an “Attuner” possessing the power to save the Homunculi, finds herself in a laboratory deep underground. Become acquainted with the Homunculi who have been closely involved in the kingdom’s downfall. Set out in search of both Lilac’s lost memories and precious friends in the Land of Fumes on a journey of destruction and rebirth in a hand-drawn, post-apocalyptic world.

Scenario

ENDER MAGNOLIA is a dark fantasy 2D side-scrolling action RPG where you venture through the desolate Land of Fumes trying to save both humans and Homunculi. At the forefront of magical and mechanical development, the kingdom comprises a hierarchical societal structure. Here, you’ll come across abandoned cities, and discover laboratories oozing with heinous mysteries, a grand Sorcerer’s Academy, colossal factories, and much more. The hauntingly beautiful yet gruesome world of ENDER MAGNOLIA will unfold before you. Journey with Homunculi and help those who have lost their minds to the Fumes. Fight fearsome, powerful enemies, purify their souls, and rally your companions. Who will you save at the end of your quest—humans or Homunculi?

Watch a new trailer below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.

Version 1.0 Release Date Trailer

[rubberduckyrye]

I really wanna hear your thoughts on the racism with Angie, I may not have been in the fandom for like 5 years now, but I have ALWAYS been so bothered by how she and Gonta are treated by the narrative and fandom back then but nobody wanted to talk about that back then too, so it's been refreshing seeing it brought up by you.

Honestly I've been screaming about Gonta ever since I got into the fandom--like, back in 2018? Angie I've known for a while her story was a bunch of racist stereotypes but as a pastey pastey white person, I wasn't sure how much I should speak on it. I started talking about it more casually on my blog at first, and now I'm just screaming it into the void because everyone keeps ignoring or dismissing me about it.

I'll start off by saying that the extent of her racist caricature was really brought to my attention by my partner Celest, and she pointed out the initial stereotypes that lead me to further researching on Pacific Islander cultures, Indigenous cultures, and the stereotypes that are associated with them. Even the use of "Atua", while at first glance seems to be more accurate and inclusive, is incredibly inaccurate at best, and racist at worst.

But I'm getting ahead of myself--time to wipe my hands of this once and for all and talk about the thing that the fandom doesn't want to talk about--how Angie is a racist stereotype of Indigenous and Pacific Islander cultures.

I'm gonna need a lot of resources for this one.

So the biggest problem with Angie is how she is characterized/heavily coded to be Native Hawaiian/an indigenous Polynesian young woman. While I can't find any specific articles about specifically Indigenous Polynesian stereotypes regarding it, I know for a fact that the "Merciless Indian Savage" applies heavily to native/indigenous Polynesian cultures just from the horrible media I was subjected to as a child by my own father. Of course I was never taught about how racist it was until I learned it for myself, but I've seen many a movie where Pacific Islanders, specifically indigenous, were portrayed as savage, violent subhuman cultures that horrifically sacrificed human lives and blood.

I can't tell if this just, isn't well documented or I'm bad at finding research material, but I have first hand experience seeing this stereotype in modern media, so I know it's a thing. Like in King Kong movies--I remember those older movies being especially bad about it. This movie was made in 2005 and is one of the most racist depictions I've ever seen and be warned this is quite disgusting to watch with the context of this being incredibly fucking racist.

(Please remember that King Kong's island is, well, an uncharted island called Skull Island. It's an island in the middle of the ocean. Do I need to say any more as to why this is a huge problem.)

The top comments on this video are also incredibly fucking racist too:

"The natives are scarier than the big scary monster" "I would be scared of directing this scene" like Jesus fucking Christ do you people even hear yourselves.

Anyway. Yeah this movie's depiction of natives is incredibly racist and I'm sorry to subject you to this scene. I just want to specify what I mean though when I say I've seen this shit so much in media and yet I'm struggling to find people talking about it. Like, I'm not going crazy, right?

Still.

The fact that in Angie's FTEs, she bluntly describes blood and even implies human sacrifices is enough to invoke such horrible cringe from me, but the fact that her "native island" is referred to as "strange" with fauna that attack humans is also reminiscent of the racism presented for specifically Pacific Islander stereotypes.

This specific instance is especially telling, because--

If this "DeepSea" shipping service can ship just about anything--including organ meat, children, and blood--then what on earth is Angie talking about when she says they don't stock "Offerings"?

The likelihood is that she's referring to adult humans--as these children from this "shipping" company are clearly trafficking human children, blood, and organ meat. Since we know blood offerings are something from "Angie's culture", it can't be blood offering's she's referring to. Since it only lacks those two things according to Angie, that's the only thing that can be really inferred/implied--adult human sacrifices.

This is also shown here in Kaede's second FTE with her:

Angie is having a nightmare about the blood/human sacrifices necessary for her "culture" and "island", and is clearly struggling and horrified with it. This also plays into the racist stereotype in that Angie is Not Like the Other Savages and condemns her people's practices, even if only internally/privately, and portrays her as a victim of something almost cult-like--which from the clip you saw above, is still a heavily racist stereotype of indigenous cultures due to how the "Merciless Violent Savage" appears cult-like when you involve human sacrifices.

So let's talk about Atua.

This is very much only in the english version, but the use of Atua to replace "god" in a more singular fashion is incredibly inaccurate. From my understanding, "Atua" more so refers to the gods of Māori mythology. The way Angie refers to Atua in canon is more like how one would refer to a singular god. The Hawaiian Kupua, something that wikipedia seems to suggest is the Native Hawaiian version of Atua, also expresses polytheistic customs.

So yeah. the English dub made it worse.

But wait, there's more!

Now I have. No idea where this "custom" came from, as when I looked it up I just got a whole lot of nothing--but notice how Shuichi is reacting to it. The custom presented is supposed to be extremely weird and even terrifying, invoking the reader to see Angie as strange/abnormal. She continues on talking about her "island's customs", and--

The sexuality presented here is very obvious--presenting the fluidity of sexuality one might see in Pacific Islander cultures as abnormal, bizarre, or down-right wrong. A small article for this one because I cannot find the other one I originally read: 1 but the general idea is that Christan/Conservative ideology has oppressed the gender and sexuality of a lot of Polynesian cultures. To express that Angie's culture is "exotic" and "strange" for its fluid sexuality is inherently racist in nature. I don't think this is an intended character flaw--this is blatantly the bias of the writers for V3.

Now for this specific one, I've completely lost the article I read it on, so take my words with a grain of salt. However, a big stereotype of Polynesian cultures is that they are extremely carefree--something that we see Angie being in canon without her FTEs. This is portrayed as a mask by the fandom, however, so it's a bit of a sketchy one to include. Still wanted to mention it though.

Anyway--these are all things I've learned from doing research, and I still can't find a lot of information about it. Pacific Islanders/Polynesians/Native Hawaiian people are often incredibly silenced and spoken over, which is why writing this post up was so incredibly frustrating to me.

I know these stereotypes exists for these cultures--but I cannot find many resources on the subject matter.

As someone who is trying their hardest to be racially aware and sensitive, it is very frustrating to try and comb the internet to find resources to reference, and the best thing you can find is a god-damn Wikipedia page. No, really. I could not find any reliable sources on anything outside of Wikipedia. Again I could just be really bad at finding research material/it could also be that the internet is getting so much worse about finding articles on subjects like this, but I digress. The fact that it's this difficult to find things--and then to re-find things, as I mentioned earlier, some of the articles I found are just, gone now--is a testament to how much of a problem this really is.

And it's so frustrating that I keep getting silenced/ignored about the matter because I want to learn. I want to learn what stereotypes to avoid for this demographic of people and their culture. I want to learn how I can fix a character like Angie--who I DO like, by the way--and make her much less of a stereotype in my own AU. I want to learn if the Atua and the Kupua are interchangeable words like Wikipedia suggests. I want to learn for my own Native Hawaiian OC so I can write him correctly. I, as a white person who doesn't have access to this culture, want to learn about it so I can accurately portray it and help fight against the negative stereotypes that people 5 years ago thought was "great storytelling."

But I can't learn anything if the fandom keeps ignoring me because they're too afraid to acknowledge the racism is there at all, in fear that them liking a racist caricature of a character makes them racist.

And to that, I say: Please stop ignoring me. I want to learn. I want to talk to people about the subject. I want to find someone willing to talk about the culture and educate me. I can't do that if I am constantly ignored.

So. Yeah.

Sorry if this is a little haphazard, my brain died halfway through making it because finding the research materials to showcase my points was incredibly difficult. Literally have been here for hours.

I hope this can be spread around though--so people understand why it's important to have this discussion, why it's important to acknowledge the racism, and why it's so frustrating to feel silenced/ignored when all you want to do is better yourself and your own knowledge.

So... let's talk. Let's talk about the racism in Angie's character--and how we, as a fandom, can address it.

[exiledelle]

so ever since i saw undertale yellows merciless route, ive been having a thought about it:

which is also helped by me having had a big interest in undertale aus back in the day dfhjkg

UNDERTALE YELLOW MERCILESS SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

what would happen afterward in that timeline? what happens to the underground after asgore is killed, and theyre shot back to square one?

what would happen if frisk still fell down in that timeline?

so if youll excuse my still-practicing pixel art (i did end up grabbing the hat and pistol off a clover spritesheet on spriters resource though, and the pose and poncho were built off a couple kris sprites), a small sprite edit, and a maybe-meh teen clover design:

for right now im calling this Vengeance AU for a lack of a better name that wouldnt just be [blank]tale or under[blank], with or without a "yellow" attached

also i made clover a teen just to set this version of them apart, plus a blue, starry poncho instead of their usual bandana, and spurs on their boots

(IF ANYONE PICKS THIS AU UP FOR ANTHING, CLOVER AND FRISK (and chara, if included) USE THEY/THEM PRONOUNS!!)

an au where after the events of yellows merciless run, frisk still falls down mt ebott, whether because of clover, or their own reason,

but clover, who once made the climb themself to get vengeance for the other 5 fallen humans, isnt about to let yet another go missing under their watch, and decides to chase after them, and bring them back home. by force, if necessary.

so it ends up with frisks journey through the underground being constantly chased by clover. and while clover doesnt want to intentionally hurt frisk, since their motivation is the "protection" of humankind, it would still no doubt be terrifying for frisk, and clover WILL hurt the monsters.

ruins end up being mostly the same, minus clovers pursuit. toriel, still locked in the ruins, probably wouldnt have heard about asgores death, and would only realize upon seeing clover, grown up, covered in dust, and detached from the world around them.

outside though, things would take a much more bleak turn.

the royal guard is more present after a surge of recruitment, monsters have mostly accepted that theyre stuck down there for eternity, some making the most of it and trying to live happily, others not so much. and when it comes to humans, monsterkind is just a little more on-edge.

papyrus also ends up being recruited, however hes only a lookout/watchman, and not a fully-fledged guardsman, due to undynes biases. she WOULD have preferred he wasnt hired at all, but the guard was desperate, and didnt have many other volunteers

also due to hotlands evacuation at the time, martlets final stand is mostly forgotten, only seen as a rumor with little ground. the only thing people know of is that there was a strange withered flower on the roof of the apartments, but no one thinks anything of it. there is, however, still a lingering resentment in the air around it that makes monsters uneasy, but also weirdly enough, like theres someone watching over all of them

other than that, im not too sure where this au would go, how frisk would end up dealing with clover by the end, or even if frisk would end up in places like the dunes or steamworks, or if theyd stick to roughly the same areas.

i mostly just thought itd be interesting to start to imagine how different things would be, and considering clovers personality and motivations in merciless, i thought itd be interesting if they became an antagonist, following frisk down to drag them back

i might think more on this and add stuff onto it in the future, but for right now this is all there is, but people are free to build on it in their own ways, if they like!! (and/or send an ask and i can TRY to think of an answer, but knowing myself i cant promise anything)

[weirdsht]

This is a fic idea I've been conjuring in my head for TOCF x reader thingy. So reader is from this messed up dimensions were the monsters couldn't be defeated and instead they become stronger. The situation only became worse as humans were forced to become monsters including you. So you've been on your own for Lord knows how long then all of a sudden you wake in this odd dimension with someone staring at you. So you attack them but the problem is that you might have attacked Cale Henituse.

Disorientated - lotcf & reader

notes: I forgot how I used to write so idk if I got worse or better lmaooo. also this is the last ask on my inbox but ik there was more a year ago, i think tumblr deleted it lol. Oh also I took humans becoming monsters metaphorically and not literally 😅

tags: novel spoilers (late part of book 1), no romance, gn!reader

English isn’t my first language so there will be grammatical errors

Pls don't repost my work anywhere without my permission

Constructive criticisms and any kind of interaction are more than welcome

Requests are open and welcome

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8 years

It has been 8 years since the world has fallen into chaos. 8 years since the apocalypse happened. Monsters that looked as though they came from storybooks started roaming around as if they owned the place. No one could figure out how or why. All everyone knew was that one day these things appeared and killed masses.

5 years

It has been 5 years since everyone lost hope. At first, factions were formed and everyone had hoped to either get rid of the monsters or find a way to survive against them. However, it looks like the universe has forsaken your world and the people in it.

Not only did no one find the weakness of these monsters, but they also somehow grew stronger. They destroyed everything. From houses to food; every resource you could think of is now facing a scarcity. 

That was why humans decided to forego their last remaining humanity and let their selfish natures take over. People started betraying their factions, sacrificing their friends and family to get food, killing fellow humans for a place to sleep in, and many more atrocities.

You were no exception to this rule. You were far from selfless and goody-two-shoes. The things that you have done did not sit right with you. In fact, sometimes nightmares and hallucinations haunt you. However, you were more afraid to die than whatever else hardship you had to experience to survive.

So you do everything to survive. If this time it means sleeping in a scary forest with nothing but the clothes on your back and a measly dagger in your hand? Then that’s what you’ll do.

3 seconds

It has been 3 seconds since you woke up after sleeping in an unknown forest. You didn’t know if you were still in the same forest because your view was being blocked by a guy staring at you. It had been a while since you’d seen a fellow human, the last one you had to kill before they could kill you.

So you try to attack the unknown guy with your dagger. 

Before you can even blink, the dagger had flung out of your hands and a new person had come into view. This surprised you, last time you recalled people didn’t team up anymore. All of them afraid of being betrayed, of being killed. Sometimes the thought of being killed by another human sounds scarier than being eaten by a monster.

“What the hell, people still team up in this day and age? And what’s up with the redhead’s clothes… wait where the hell am I?”

Your voice was hoarse from not being used for a long time. However, you didn’t care as confusion piled like a Lego tower when you noticed more and more abnormalities. First were the clothes of the redhead man. It looks too luxurious, something that’s impossible to get in your ruined world. The next thing was the forest itself. At first glance, it looks similar to where you were last night. However you know better, the plants look different, and the noises of the monsters from a distance are also unfamiliar to you.

“Cale-nim, based on their clothes they seem to be like me and got transported here.”

The man named Cale examined you from head to toe. As he did you can feel the pressure at his gaze. He wasn’t looking down at you, but there was still this aura around him that made you feel as though you were looking at a ruler.

“That seems to be the case. Who are you and where did you come from? Earth 1? Earth 2?”

“Neither, I’m from a place called Earth Zero. A land forsaken by everyone.”

You still don’t know whether you can trust these people. Somewhere in your heart was fervently hoping this world to be different from the one you were in. The rational side of you reasoned that it’s unlikely.

“...That’s something I’ve never heard of before, and I do not wish to hear about it. I don’t have any interest in hearing your story let’s just go.”

That’s easy enough to do so you followed him. The three of you spent a few minutes walking and soon you reached an underground villa.

Lively. 

That was the only way you can describe this place. Many people were doing their own thing. Knights training, servants running around, there were even kittens pawing Cale’s legs as soon as you arrived. It had been too long since you’ve seen this many people together, and even longer since you’ve seen harmony in one place.

“Amazing isn’t it? I was also shocked when I saw people for the first time after spending a lot of time in the Forest of Darkness.”

“Forest of Darkness… so that’s what it’s called. You seem to have gotten things wrong though Choi Han-nim. I had just arrived in that forest when you guys first saw me. Also, I’m more surprised at the fact that you guys aren’t killing each other.”

2 days

It has now been 2 days since you started lodging at this villa. Everyone treated you nicely. Well, some were more wary than others but it’s nothing compared to your world. No one asked you questions and they respected the fact that you're guarded against other people.

That was why you have decided to finally share information with Cale. These past 2 days were the most peaceful days you have experienced in a very long time. You didn't have to struggle to get food and lodging, you didn't have to be as afraid that you'd be killed in your sleep. That's why you only deemed it right that you share your knowledge with your benefactor.

“Um Choi Han-nim, is it possible to talk to young master-nim? I have something to share with him.”

Choi Han was the only one you were kind of comfortable with as he helped you adjust to this new world and taught you the things you needed to know. Meanwhile, the sword master was happy because it looked like you were finally opening up. He too knows the struggle of being unable to trust people easily.

During lunchtime that day you were invited to eat a meal with Cale in his room. When you arrive he has a gaze that seems to tell you to say whatever you want and say it fast.

“Young master-nim”

“Just call me Cale. You’re from Earth, I’m sure you aren’t used to calling someone young master.”

“...then Cale-nim”

During the two days you were here, you have learned that Cale prefers things to get to the point. Luckily, you’re the same.

“I feel like I have to share this information with you. Do you know why my world was called Earth Zero? It was because that world is terrible. If higher entities are real, then I think it’s safe to say that we have been abandoned by them.”

Cale looks interested as you tell the story of your world. Not you, but just your world as that is more significant during these trying times.

“That world is like a world that was beta-tested on and then left to rot as the player had no interest in it anymore. It is a world where monsters are the new humans, and the humans have become the insects.

We aren’t like the other Earths who have found ways to live and thrive even with the monsters. The monsters back there were on a different scale, we couldn’t figure out how to defeat a single one of them. Even with extensive research, we have failed to do what the other world has done.”

You peek at Cale who seems a bit confused as to why you’re telling him all these things.

“Transmigrators are not a thing in my world, I don’t know how I got here. But me being able to go here probably means that those indestructible monsters in my world could too.”

“Explain. How are you so sure of this?”

“Back when people in my world still had some hope and humanity in them, we had a research company that tried to find out how to deal with those things. I was one of the head researchers there.”

Cale pushes his hair back out of stress and you ignore the gesture as you continue to explain.

“I didn’t find out anything that could take the monsters down. However, I found out about other worlds. The other Earths. With that, I found out about transmigrators.

And I have found out that our world is incapable of having those kinds of people.

The same way we don’t have ability users… The main reason why we couldn’t fight and is now facing extinction.”

As Cale seems stressed enough already, you ask through your eyes if he wants you to continue speaking. He responded by gulping the tea he was drinking before nodding his head.

“As head researcher my previous knowledge, as well as my honed instincts are telling me that there is a portal of some sort involved. I’ve been investigating the Forest of Darkness the past two days and found no trace whatsoever.”

“So you’re telling me there’s a big chance that those monsters might crossover here?”

“Yes sir. There’s also a chance that the portal was an ability of one of the monsters. The monsters in my world have abilities and are constantly evolving.”

At this point, both of you have lost your appetite to eat. The same thing could be said for the children who had been quietly listening from the start.

Soon lunch ended along with your conversation with Cale. The young master has promised to look into it. He even said he would help you get materials to conduct proper research.

However…

18 Days and 7 Hours

That’s what a small timer says back at Earth Zero. This timer, as small as a finger, was attached to the ground where you were sleeping just 3 days ago.

And just underneath…

Lays a ruin of what looks like a temple. Despite being a ruin it still gives off a holy vibe and is made of white marble. Then a little bit above it is a floating broken sphere that looks like an orb.

[cyberpunkonline]

The Top 10 Spooky Cyberpunk Movies and TV Shows: Neon, Fear, and Dystopia for #CyberSamhain

Alright, my fellow netrunners and glitch enthusiasts, it’s time to jack into the grid and merge two of the best genres around: cyberpunk and horror. You know the deal—neon-lit cities crawling with tech, corporate overlords doing shady things, and a constant feeling that you're being watched. Now throw in a healthy dose of spine-chilling terror, and you've got the perfect setup for #CyberSamhain. We’re talking about movies and shows that don’t just make you question your reality—they make you afraid of what’s lurking in the dark corners of the digital world.

So, buckle up, because we’re about to run through the top 10 spooky cyberpunk movies and TV shows of all time. Get ready for creepy androids, mind-bending AIs, and dystopian nightmares that’ll leave you sleeping with the lights on… and your computer turned off. You know, just in case.

1. Blade Runner (1982) Spooky Level: "I think that neon sign is watching me." If we’re talking spooky cyberpunk, Blade Runner has to sit at the top of the list. Sure, it’s more of a slow-burn than in-your-face horror, but the eerie, rain-drenched streets of future LA? They’re pure cyberpunk nightmare fuel. Deckard's hunt for rogue replicants isn’t just an action-packed mystery—it’s full of existential dread, identity crises, and the looming question of what it means to be human. Plus, Rutger Hauer’s “Tears in Rain” speech? Goosebumps.

Resource: The Nerdist has a deep dive into how Blade Runner paved the way for dystopian cyberpunk horror.

2. Ghost in the Shell (1995) Spooky Level: "Am I real or just code?" No list is complete without Ghost in the Shell. This anime flick is a straight-up mind-bender that’ll make you question your own existence. Major Kusanagi, a cyborg cop, is chasing a mysterious hacker who’s messing with people’s memories—creepy enough, right? But when you start pondering whether you even have a soul, that’s when the real chills kick in. It’s got a cold, digital aesthetic, filled with philosophical dread that’ll leave you staring at your reflection, wondering if there’s anything organic left inside you.

Resource: Collider has a killer write-up on why Ghost in the Shell remains a staple of spooky cyberpunk perfection.

3. Akira (1988) Spooky Level: "I don’t want to become a tech monster, thanks." Want to see what happens when body horror meets cyberpunk? Look no further than Akira. This anime classic brings you a futuristic Tokyo, biker gangs, government conspiracies, and mutated psychic powers. The result? An out-of-control cyberpunk nightmare that gets creepier by the minute as Tetsuo’s powers spiral into grotesque body horror. The neon-lit streets and apocalyptic vibes are what dystopian dreams (or nightmares) are made of.

Resource: IGN has an in-depth feature on how Akira shaped the cyberpunk genre and our collective nightmares.

4. Altered Carbon (2018–2020) Spooky Level: "Body-swapping freaks me out." This Netflix series threw us headfirst into a cyberpunk world where consciousness can be transferred between bodies—or "sleeves"—so death is more of a suggestion than a rule. The spooky vibes come from the whole immortality for the rich, dystopia for the poor thing. The first season especially gives off some dark, existential fear—imagine waking up in a body that isn’t yours, with no idea how you got there. There’s action, mystery, and just the right amount of creepy tech horror to make you rethink that new VR headset you just bought.

Resource: The Verge has a solid breakdown on why Altered Carbon brings fresh cyberpunk horror to the screen.

5. The Matrix (1999) Spooky Level: "What if this is all just a simulation?" Look, if the idea of living inside a computer simulation where machines are harvesting your body for energy doesn’t freak you out, then you’re tougher than most. The Matrix took cyberpunk and cranked up the paranoia, making everyone question reality for a solid decade. Sure, Neo’s kung-fu is slick, but it’s the spooky concept of being trapped in a digital prison that makes this one so chilling. The machines run everything, and humans? Just disposable batteries.

Resource: Vulture has a deep dive into the philosophy and horror of The Matrix and how it made us all low-key paranoid.

6. Videodrome (1983) Spooky Level: "Body horror and TV mind control? Sign me up!" If you want a straight-up creepy trip through a cyberpunk-esque world where TV and tech meld with the human body in the most disturbing ways possible, Videodrome is your ticket. Directed by the king of body horror himself, David Cronenberg, this film dives into the concept of tech-induced hallucinations, mind control, and some seriously weird flesh transformations. You’ll never look at your TV the same way again. Long live the new flesh, am I right?

Resource: Den of Geek does an excellent job dissecting the chilling horror behind Videodrome.

7. Dredd (2012) Spooky Level: "Trapped in a megacity with psychos and drug dealers." While Dredd might lean more towards action than traditional horror, the dystopian setting of Mega-City One is creepy as hell. The movie focuses on Judge Dredd and his rookie partner, Anderson, as they fight their way through a skyscraper controlled by a brutal drug lord. The Slo-Mo drug scenes, where time is slowed to a crawl, are unsettlingly beautiful and grotesque, and the entire setting just screams cyberpunk dystopia. The violence, the dark atmosphere, the claustrophobic tension—it’s all there.

Resource: Empire has a fantastic retrospective on why Dredd became a cult classic and hit all the right cyberpunk notes.

8. Ex Machina (2014) Spooky Level: "Are AIs gonna kill us all or just manipulate us?" Here’s the deal with Ex Machina—it’s quiet, subtle, and so unnerving. The movie follows a programmer who’s invited to test an advanced AI named Ava, and let's just say things get complicated. The spooky part? Watching an AI learn to manipulate and deceive with an intelligence that’s almost human, but not quite. The claustrophobic setting, the slow-burn tension, and the underlying theme of humans creating monsters through tech? Yeah, this one will mess with your head.

Resource: Wired has a fantastic exploration of the AI horror in Ex Machina and why it feels so real.

9. Black Mirror (2011–present) Spooky Level: "Welcome to your tech-fueled nightmares." If you’ve watched Black Mirror, you already know why it’s on this list. Every episode is its own spooky cyberpunk horror story—whether it’s the dark side of social media, virtual reality, or AI gone rogue. "San Junipero" might be a more feel-good episode, but "Playtest", "White Christmas", and "Metalhead" will have you questioning whether we’ve gone too far with tech. It’s cyberpunk horror, but with that all-too-real edge that makes you want to smash your phone and go live in the woods.

Resource: The Guardian does a killer analysis on the most terrifying episodes of Black Mirror and why the show taps into modern-day fears.

10. Upgrade (2018) Spooky Level: "When your body fights back." In Upgrade, a guy gets an AI implant that controls his body after he’s paralyzed in a brutal attack. But this isn’t your average tech-upgrade story—soon, he’s dealing with an AI that’s starting to take control in very disturbing ways. The film’s got that cyberpunk dystopian vibe down, with a gritty future setting and a tech-horror concept that feels way too close for comfort. It’s violent, it’s slick, and it’s got enough body horror to satisfy your spooky cravings this #CyberSamhain.

Resource: SlashFilm has a great breakdown on Upgrade and why it’s one of the most underrated cyberpunk horrors in recent memory.

Final Thoughts From existential AI crises to body horror nightmares, cyberpunk and horror go together like neon and rain. This #CyberSamhain, grab one (or all) of these movies and shows, switch off your phone (because, y’know, Black Mirror), and get ready to dive into some of the creepiest, most unsettling cyberpunk worlds ever imagined. Just remember—whether it's rogue AIs, mind control tech, or creepy robots, it’s all fun and games until the machines start thinking for themselves. Sleep tight, netrunners!

[sleeplesssmoll]

The Poussiere: A town reclaimed by by Critters

There is a story in the stage descriptions. I summarized it and added the original text under "Keep reading." Note: the Dust mentioned in the story is this:

Once upon this time, there was a town that specialized in broom-making. The brooms were used to sweep away high concentrations of Dust and chase away Critters attracted to the Dust. However, everything changed when the youngest son of one of the workshops built a flying taxi out of scraps. He sold it and made a fortune. The town shifted its priorities. Over 253,000 vehicles were sold globally every year. However, because the town switched to manufacturing flying vehicles instead of brooms, Dust accumulated and the Critters returned. The town ignored them and focused their resources on making more profit. Eventually, the Critters grew strong enough to conquer the town. Now They live as royalty among the rubble. They took no interest in the finer things left behind and like to wear rubbish.

You can actually see the abandoned vehicles and a TRAIN trying to escape the wilds that reclaimed them.

I interpret this story as being led astray by greed and losing sight of the important things. Ignoring problems doesn't make them go away and money can't solve everything. Original text below.

LP 1 (stages are labeled LP for some reason)

This was a paradise for humans. I remember its glory was as dazzling as a sun that drops to the ground.

LP 2

A broom-making town. Brooms are made to sweep the high concentrations of Dust as well as the constant skirmishes from the critters attracted by the Dust.

LP 3

Changes always arrive out of the blue. The youngest son of the broom workshop's made a flying taxi with a pile of scraps and sold it for a whole bucket of gold coins.

LP 4

Over 253,000 vehicles leave this place every year for various destinations around the world without coming back.

LP 5

No one cares how those little monsters stuff their bellies with stolen Dust. You can see how common they are.

LP 6 (Final Stage)

Now it belongs to them. These filthy, crazy little things dropped the fancy dresses and jewelry and put on abandoned cans and tires. They are squeaking aloud, like a king and a queen.

[rainbow-wolf120]

The RayClone Theory: Why It Could Be Possible

(Massive Spoilers for CLH below) Tw: Ab//se, Imprisonment, D3ath, Really Bad Pacing on My Part <3

With me thinking about this way too much, I’ve come up with a thought. Have you ever wondered why the CLH Rayman is so… different from his in-game persona?

No, it’s not because it's a remix. Think deeper. Examine them under a microscope.

It could be because… they’re not the same person.

Now, this may sound like another silly cartoon theory, but hear me out. I have… proof. Aka overanalyzing, but school taught me to do that.

So, what is the RayClone Theory? Well, to put it simple, the Rayman we see in the show isn't the ‘first’ Rayman. There’s been many in the past. Many, as in 5 or so. How? That’s what this post is for. So, let's go back to the beginning. Mushing both Rayman and CLH lore alike.

To make this simpler, we’re gonna establish a rule. Referring to all the Raymen in the show as ‘Rayman’ is very, very confusing. So I will make a list:

OG Rayman - Rayman CLH Rayman - Ramon Rayplacement - Fakeman

Get it? Got it? Good. Let’s start.

According to the Rayman lore, Rayman was created with one purpose in mind: To protect the Glade (or, in this case, Dimension X). He was created for one thing only. To protect. To be the ‘hero’.

In the games, he’s never failed before. He thrives and beats the bad guy. But remember, this isn’t the games. It’s a remix. A what-if. This leads into:

What if Rayman failed? What does he do then?

And not like, fails as in Rayman 2, fail as in royally fucked up. Fail as in, the closest one to him dies by ‘his hand’. No, not Globox, he was considered alive by Adi. But you know who he didn’t confirm?

Betilla the Fairy.

You could be thinking: “Duh, of course she wasn’t mentioned. He was being broad.”, but he mentioned Razorbeard. His ass wasn’t relevant since Rayman M. So why mention him, but not Rayman’s literal mom??

Because she's not alive. 

Eden (and America) has always been a resource hungry society. It’s human nature. In this timeline, society progresses much quicker than in the real world (flying cars in 1992). Progress needs resources. Have you ever noticed that Eden is barren of all plant life? It’s because Eden (or America) used it all for industrialization.

How does this relate to Rayman? You know how the Glade of Dreams is a lush forest? Resources from massive jungles to deep oceans to towering mountains? Imagine what a power-hungry company (or companies) would do if they discovered this.

*Insert How Bad Can I Be Here*

The creation of the Super-Scope must’ve been revolutionary. The ability to travel to other dimensions with one click of a trigger. Resources galore.

Sarah Fisher mentions in ep2 that the Golder Super-Scope was stolen from Eden’s labs. So, what’s stopping Eden from creating this material? Nothing. That’s what.

Eden, still a sorta underground company, creates this gun and finds Dimension X. Filled with lush resources ripe for the picking. The critters of the Glade don’t know their ‘bad guys’. They don’t look inherently bad. So they leave them be.

Rabbids. The little bunny fellas.

The Kaiju monsters in the show. How does that become a monster? It’s easy. Toxic chemicals. Not just any toxic chemicals, but Eden’s toxic chemicals from polluting the Glade.

I’m getting distracted, back to Rayman.

Kaiju Rabbids started popping around Dimension X. They started small and inefficient until they got bigger and bigger. Rayman took care of them, yes, but one day, he got absolutely bombarded by a hoard of Rabbids.

A massive war broke out between the citizens of the Dimension and the Rabbids. No one knows how it started because Eden left after it got all it needed.

Rayman, having ‘hero-ing’ literally coded into him, fights back. Others help, yes, but it’s mostly Rayman doing the fighting. 

This leads into Betilla, and how she died.

Rayman was getting jumped by Rabbids, so she came in to save him, risking her life as a result. Yes, her sacrifice did stun the Rabbids and cause them to flee into the depths of Dimension X, but Rayman feels like he’s one to blame.

No one really fully ‘died’ in the games. Sure, they got kidnapped, possessed, you name it. But no explicit deaths besides villains.

So, imagine what that does to a guy when his first, full on death witness was with his creator, his mother.

He doesn’t take it too well.

Yes. Rayman was a hero and drove out the Rabbids, but he didn’t save everybody. He couldn’t save his mom.

He failed.

Lost and confused, Rayman runs to find… something. He runs away, something he’s never done before. He never backed down from a fight. So why is he now?

Well, because he’s scared. Scared for his life and others.

Betilla saved him with her own life. She died because of him. Heroes are supposed to be giving the sacrifice. Not receiving it.

Rayman blames himself. If he’s out of the picture, then no one else would risk their life for his.

The art book says that they destroyed the dimension, but Globox, the Teensies, and even Razorbeard are alive, so the dimension can’t be unlivable. So what if this use of ‘dimension’ was less literal?

This may sound far-off, but Rayman’s “dimension” could be talking about Betilla. She created him, so she is his ‘dimension’.

This transition into Eden! Or, America currently.

Rayman goes into America looking for a fresh start. To find his purpose. He failed his original purpose (which was to be a hero and save everybody), so he blocked out everything that happened originally to start a fresh start.

Or, every immigration story ever. Leaving behind what you loved for a better start.

He needed a new purpose. And that purpose is to be an entertainer!

His origin in America is the same as the show. He goes to college, gets outcasted, and rises with Eden.

Things are different here than with Ramon. Rayman is… less constricted here.

Back when Eden was new (most likely had good intentions), they weren’t worried about Rayman finding the truth. There was no truth to find. So Rayman was allowed to explore, make friends, talk to people and hybrids below his social class.

One day, he met a hybrid journalist. One of the lower-income hybrids, but a very strong writer. Rayman admired their work, being a news reporter and all, and the two became really good friends, even with him getting them a job at Eden.

Then, the journalist goes snooping. Eden wasn’t as terrible as it is in the present day, but it still did bad things. The hybrid craves justice (like any other journalist) and stations a revolt. It affects Eden, but nothing major except getting the journalist put in jail.

Rayman finds out and goes to give his buddy a visit and to ask what happened. Rayman (still under the influence of Eden) explains that they shouldn’t have revolted and that Eden is great. The hybrid shows him the articles and photos (which were disapproved by Eden so they weren’t published) and explains their side of the story. Since the journalist was low-income, they experienced the biases and issues of Eden first hand.

Rayman obviously seeks the truth as well, promising that he could save the journalist. He goes to the Board of the Directors with the proof and articles, demanding an explanation. Not in a violent way like Ramon, but in a diplomatic manner.

(Keep in mind, Rayman has been questioning Eden in recent weeks from folks he’s talked with in his downtime)

Sound familiar? Of course it does. It happens in the show. Clones are still clones, y’know?

The Board, unsure on how to react with their poster boy finding their fucked up ways, tells Rayman that they’ll explain tomorrow.

Rayman, still trusting of the Board, agrees and waits it out. The next day, he awakens, chained in a dingy room.

Why? Well, the Board knew that Rayman’s act wouldn’t be as efficient if he knew what he was saying was bullshit. Think Disney’s Bolt. So what do they do?

Try out their latest technology, of course. And that was a cloning device.

Now, you can’t just clone Rayman. He’s an alien. Not an organic lifeform. So, how did Eden approach it?

Lums. Take bits of Rayman, combine it with various animals, and boom. Almost perfect Rayman clone.

Clones are never perfect. Each one has an imperfection, little or big. And the Lums is what gives Rayman his main form.

So, chain him to the basement so he’s always on hand. Duh.

Rayman stays in that basement for at least 10 years. Sad, alone, and going insane. He can’t die; he’s immortal. Eden goes through at least 4 or 5 different RayClones before landing on Ramon. I’ll go into Ramon in a bit.

When a RayClone is too imperfect or steps out of line, the Board sends one of the Niji 6 to eliminate them. This is shown by this line of dialogue:

“Taking care of”? What do they imply by that? Maybe it implies that they were sent to assassinate Rayman, or in this case, Ramon. 

So, RayClone bodies can’t exactly decompose. Yes, they can die and lose consciousness, but those Lums inside them don’t allow the body to rot. So what happened to those bodies? Leave them in the depths of Eden to rot.

Back to Rayman, one day, he manages to slip his hand loose from the chains and free him. This happens when Ramon is just made. The Board orders the Niji 6 to hunt and bring back Rayman. During his escape attempt, Rayman accidentally causes an explosion ‘killing him’.

We’re gonna pause his story and shift to Ramon.

Now, I wanna talk about his reaction to Red in ep3. Clones share the same memories as the original, but they don’t experience it the same. It’s like knowing something and actually being there.

The Rabbids attack, but Ramon isn’t really stressed about them attacking. Was he that faithful in the Niji 6? Or was it something else?

Was it because he doesn’t have that trauma about them?

When Red calls Ramon an “interdimensional alien scum," Ramon bursts? Why? Because he experienced it. He experienced being belittled and talked down by his colleagues at work. He knows how it feels, so he’s pissed.

If Rayman was in his place, Rayman would be fidgety and panicky about the Rabbids and brush over Red insulting him. If anything, Rayman would be thanking Red for stopping them. Yes, Rayman was talked down in college and his early days, but the Rabbids changed his life.

You could argue that it’s because he had his cry before the cameras were running, but he shows no sign of that. No voice cracks or eye twitches. And the fight just happened, which explains the presence of Red.

Going back in time for a moment-

Ramon was the latest RayClone and the last one with the ‘death’ of Rayman. This makes Eden super protective over him and his opinion on Eden. Other RayClones in the past were either too disfigured to seamlessly become Rayman, or found / was close to the truth. They need to keep Ramon pure.

How does one keep something pure and untouched? Isolated them, of course!

(Note the use of the word ‘illusory’ here)

This also explains the ‘Eden-generated’ scripts. Rayman wrote his own scripts. Rayman said his own opinion. Now, 10+ years later, Eden writes Ramon’s scripts. Ramon says Eden’s opinion.

If he was stripped of his freedom, then how would he be infected with the truth?

If he wasn’t needed anymore.

This is where Fakeman comes in. I think Fakeman is Raymesis, due to those yellow eye highlights you can see in a split second.

The Board wasn’t as faithful in Ramon as they were previously. He might’ve had some outbursts before ep3. They needed a backup. They can’t clone him, the clone would be to fucked up. They needed another Rayman.

Remember the Rabbid invasion in ep2 / 3? While the Niji 6 was dealing with the kaijus, guess who was snooping around the Glade for a Rayplacement?

Raymesis was kidnapped and forced to work for Eden if he liked it or not. They weren’t going to clone him yet, but to keep him in line, instead of acceptance (like they did with Rayman), they used threats.

This explains Fakeman’s uneasiness in ep6 with Retribution Day. That was his first big acting event, and the one Eden decided if he’s replacing Rayman on stage or in the basement.

Look at his face when it’s canceled. Bro looks scared shitless.

But Fakeman and his lore / personality is a whole ‘nother post.

Ramon follows the same path as Rayman. Seeing something unfair (Rayman’s friend getting arrested and Ramon losing his job), and doing something about it.

It’s that Ramon is filled with vengeance and anger because his whole life was a lie.

Rayman is filled with doubt and confusion because he just refound his purpose, and that was a lie.

Rayman’s whole journey throughout this is finding his purpose. His original purpose was to ‘save everybody’, and that failed. He went to America to find a purpose and did with Eden. In his character bio in the art book mentions this purpose line.

“Even happier that Eden gave him purpose”. Why? Because he lost his original purpose! He felt he was nothing before Eden gave him everything. He’s under the mindset that Eden gave him his meaning of life again.

They quite literally saved his life.

Anyway, what does Rayman do after his ‘death’? Have an identity crisis of course! He was locked up for over 10 years, his brain is scrambled eggs at this point!

He failed his purpose for Eden, so he resorts back to his original purpose: Be a Hero.

But, what about the Rayman on TV? Is he the real one?

Rayman’s mindset is that he was created to be a hero. Heroes are brave, speak the truth, and rise up against bad. What is the Rayman on TV doing?

He’s being brave, speaking the ‘truth’, and rising up against ‘bad’.

What’s the real Rayman doing?

He’s being a coward, secret about what he knows and saw, and hiding against the bad.

Heroes don’t do that. So Rayman must be a fake. He must be the RayClone. He’s the mistake. At least, that’s what he made himself think.

Now, I won’t get into my ideas for Season 2. If people want it, sure. I will. But for now, I’ll leave it at that. This is 2200+ words, and I’m grasping at the air at this point.

If you disagree? Great! If you don’t? Great! Tell me your own thoughts / theories then!

[tam-ezrac]

[Re:conceptualizing LoR and LCB Systems] Part 2!!

Part 1 - For convenience

My procrastination strikes again, tho this time it's only a month. In that time I realized that, I'm not making a game, I don't need to worry about every detail, as long as it's believable, you guys can fill in the details.

That means I can be both John Limbus AND John Ruina!! Let's fuckin GGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

also I'm separating all this in multiple parts before combining everything into a mega post on Reddit, so look forward to that.

Partie 2: Identities, E.G.Os & Panic

Here is the reference image for your sanity, looks cool right?

–Keypage/Core ID

Your bread & butter equipement for your Librarian/Sinner(I'll refer to them as Nuggets from now on), obtained either from the Gacha/Book Burning or as story rewards.

They determine your HP, TP, Speed range, Weapon Resistance, Sanity and what Core Skills you have.

They come in 3 main Rarities with 2 extra ones, which are:

Base(0): Default ID for every Nugget, most of the stats are determined by the skills & passives it is equipped with, or story progression

Ain(0̸): Filler IDs, cannot be equipped as a Keypage, but does provide general skills and passives for an associated faction

Soph(0̸0̸): Can be used as a Keypage by all Nuggets, generally not the strongest or most unique IDs but provide a good support for other IDs

Aur(0̸0̸0̸): Core part of most teams, can only be equipped by a select few, usually has a unique gimmick or playstyle and teams are built around them

Unique(✦): Reserved for select few like Colors/EGOs/Distortions, Deck cannot be changed and you can only bring 1 Unique per team

They can also be Levelled up and Uptied, but I'm leaving it to your discretion for how that works.

–Core Skills

Are the minimum skills that an ID needs in order for it to work. By default the skills that are associated for that ID are equipped but can be swapped out if they met the requirement.

Ex: W-Corp ID(s) would have Core Skills that gains and or use charge but can be swapped out for those that do the same.

–Skills

The details can be found in Part 3 but the general gist is:

You can equip up to 9 skills(incl. Core)

They come in 4 rarities: Paperback(no Sin Affinity), Hardcover(S1), Limited(S2) and Object D'art(S3)

You have an infinite Defensive Skill associated with your Keypage and may gain more depending on what you have equipped

–Passives & Attribution

Each Keypage as atleast one Passive on them which can be triggered through EGO Resources.

You can equip more through passive attribution, each of em cost as much as the rarity of it's associated ID (I.e Ain(0̸) Passive cost 1 point, Soph(0̸0̸) cost 2, etc.) You cannot attribute passives of Unique IDs.

Fuckin hell that was a lot to type, go grab a bottle water if you haven't already, cause that means you've made it through 1/3 of this post! ...yippie

Ah– we will now begin

The E.G.O Section!

Abnormalities... Monsters beyond human comprehension... representing different aspects of blah blash blegh! You already what they are!

And neither of us care about that lore(rn) what we want is to harness they're power in combat

And! Uh, I have some good news and bad news about that.

Let's start with the bad, you may only equip 5 Abnos(1 for each Risk Lv) per team

I know kinda shitty, good news it's a Fusion Between LoR's Abno Page and LCB's EGO Skills, which is the entire point of this series thing...

Can you tell I'm Tired? Cause I've been sitting here for like 6~8 hours as I'm typing this line. And this one is after another 3 hours, 38 minutes, 14 second yea I came back just to type that, what of it??!

...for the sake of my sanity we will be using Telepole/Alleyway Watchdog(O-02-11-26) and the associated Sinners for the majority of this section.

–EGO Skills

Starting off, Abno EGOs acts as both your special moves and additional passives(for that encounter) and they come in 4 different flavors.

First and foremost is Dormant EGO Skills, only those who can not Resonate with an Abno can use these. They do not trigger the Abnos Passives, roll lower and deal less damage, But they also cost less SP and Sin Resources than other version(s) of the EGO

Awakening & Corrosion(Overclock too) are Exclusive to those who are able resonate with the Abno(Faust, Don and Heathcliff in our case), I.e if you played Limbus you know what they do.

However, before moving to Synchronization let's talk about—

–EGO Passives

After using an Awakening or Corrosion Skill, at the beginning of the next turn, you are able to pick 1 passive from the Abno EGO you used.

In our case it would be between Faust's [Adaptive Release], Don's [Haphazard Discharge] and Heathcliff's [Roar], after which depending on the passive, you may(or may not) select who gets the passive.

This can range from random, 1 unit, multiple units, anyone who isn't the user, everyone on the field, only your enemies, etc, etc.

If you want another passive from the same Abno you have to use a different version of the Abno EGO I.e if you used Don then you have to use either Faust or Heathcliff

There's also a limit to the amount of Abno passive you can have per Nugget but I'll cover that in the last section.

–Synchronization

Upon meeting all criteria and using an Overclocked EGO the selected Nugget Synchronizes with the used Abno and is overwritten with a Unique ID for the rest of the Encounter *Conditions may apply.

The secret? Well, you don't know what the criteria is of course! It could be a 13 step plan, maybe you need to not bring something, maybe you just need 100 EGO resources or vice-versa!

In the end, it will stay an enigma until you use it for the first time, of course I'm a benevolent moron so I'll atleast give you an example.

We'll be Taking Little Red(F-01-57) for our test drive. Now using our knowledge of the Abno's Story what they represent, in this case revenge, we can deduce that it probably has something to do with the Bad Wolf(F-02-58).

I'll expedite it a bit here, but either have the Bad wolf on the Field or someone who used it's EGO Skill last Turn, pay the toll(Resources) and unleashing the Skill will have the Nugget Sync with Red Hood! Of course you made sure to read the fine print right? ....right??

sigh, alright I'll tell you about the added conditions too, in our case it requires Red hood to land the finishing blow on our To be Bad Wolf fail to do so and the Synced unit turns Indiscriminate, if you kill all the enemies but fail to suppress them, then you lose. Ah–, btw you can Sync with Every Abno if you wanted to, it's not always the best choice let alone a plausible one so be careful of that.

You can Obtain Abno Skills has Story Rewards, Side Content or through the Gacha, and their passives through Uptie and or Supressions (again up to your discretion)

NOW we finally made it the homestretch the final section(of this post)

–Panic/Mental Types!!

You gain different effects depending on how high or low you SP is, hitting either extremes results in a Panic/Bliss state where you(usually) can't control that unit.

Mental types are determined by what Keypage you have equipped but can be changed under certain conditions.

–SP Gain & Loss

Winning/Losing a Clash

Max/Min Rolling

Enemy Kill/Ally Death

Skill Effects

Or Keypage specific thing

–ID Possesion

It's quite literally the opposite of Corrosion, but with IDs instead. I.e, when you hit max positive SP a wheel is turned based on Nuggets currently equipped Skill.

Let's say it's a 3-way split between W-corp, 7-Assoc and The Ring. So it would be a 30%:30%:30% for any of them to be chosen with the remaining 10% being nothing happening

Once something is chosen, all of your skill will be turned into a skill from that faction that is of the same rarity and is then shuffled.

After 1 turn has pass in that state your SP resets to 0 and you turn back to normal, the catch here is that you don't know which one of your skills you've used until the Possession is over, making it act as a punishment or reward depending on how you use it.

And with that...

IT"S THE END FINAALLLY!!

it took so, so damn long!!!! Im never doing this ever again(in one sitting)

I still have part 3 to do so i'll crawl towards that eventually with that I Hoped you enjoyed reading my ramblings

Until next time,

Toodaa loo!!

oh am i kidding

SANITY II: EMOTIONAL BOOGALOO!!

yeah...! YEAH!!!

YOU TOUGHT THIS WAS OVER DIDN'T YoU?? Well, its not, so strAP THE FUCK IN!

Here's the emotion bars reds negative greens positive

Number in the middle is the Emotion Level, you increase it by using EGOs in ascending order(1=Zayin, 2=Teth, etc.) up to a Max of 5. In normal gameplay. it can go up to 6 if you use a Unique IDs mechanic or EGO Sync, and 7 if you do both, good luck with that one

What does it do? Buffs you obviously, Action Slots, Card Draws, Number of Abno Passives, ID Mechanics.

Really whaterver the fuck you can think of, and I already did my share so show some of your creativity

See the Yellow bar on top? that's Grace, your max SP(- & +). If the colored bars reach it, shit happens, I think you can figure what.

you can also sSSSssPppiIiIiiInNnN it with Sinking&Floating(counterpart) so watch for that.

that does it im not writting anyomre of this, part 3 the finale where ill covver encounters skills, clasehed skill check resources status effects, gachaas SIN realixataon your mu,m UUUUUUUOO OOOOOOGGHH HHHGGH KANI REoRoEoRoEoRoER EREoooooREoRoERoEoRoEoRoEoRoeoroEoReooroEoRoeorEoRoeoroEoRooerooER thisisthisthatisthat youmustJUDGEMENT likeihave PALpalpALPlapLAPlapLAPlaplPALpalPALpalpALPalpA getgETperebhzcbcdGetwkjofndjlnklwdfgETGETGewjfdbu bfjwdtgeTEGte baitused tobelivable*giutar riff*HoLydhItisT HtAA ThE rEd MiRsTtHk

[ceph-the-ghost-writer]

WIP Questions Tag

Rules : Answer as many (or as few) of the questions about your WIP as you can.

Tagged by @drawnecromancy! Read their answers for Le Prix du Sang here.

1. What was the first part of your WIP that you created?

Apophenia was originally a short story called "Dysthanasia" I wrote for an event on Ao3. Now Dysthanasia is the name of the series overall, and the story's a novel-length rough draft in the process of being rewritten.

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the intro song be?

Something short, instrumental, and spooky but with a touch of whimsy. Gotta have that little spark of fun or it'd wind up taking itself too seriously.

3. Who are your favourite character(s) and why?

I'm in love with all of them, but I have to stand by my protagonist, Isaac. He's a squishy human nerd, with no supernatural powers to speak of, but through being resourceful and more than a little lucky manages to survive awful situations. A lot of his characterization has to do with principles and compassion, but not quite in the soft or naive way readers might expect. His enemies repeatedly try to buy or break him, punishing him every time he does what he feels is right, but Isaac remains defiant, refusing to become jaded or take the easy way out. Is he destined to become a martyr? A monster? Stay tuned.

4. What other pieces of media could share a fan base with your WIP?

I'd hope The Vampire Chronicles fans would get into it. Maybe The Witcher fans, as far as characters relying on each other in an unjust world goes? Possibly readers of Octavia Butler, whose work I enjoy. I guess anyone who likes fictional organizations and the paranormal might see the appeal.

5. What has been your biggest struggle while writing your WIP?

Juggling all the backstory and worldbuilding that influences the characters and plot. So much happens before the actual story even starts. The death of Isaac's family. Renato becoming a bloodborn and his eroding loyalty to his sire. A cataclysm that reshaped the map. I'm doing my best to make these come through the text without hitting the reader with a wall of exposition.

6. Are there any animals in your story?

Living and undead! There's Renato's beloved goldfish, Tesoro. The elk, coyote, and bear Motley transforms into. Likewise the species of sharks that some of the good people of Eureka, Nevada can turn into. Or the livestock they raise, mainly sheep, goats, and chickens.

7. How do your characters get around?

Electric cars, horses, trains, or by turning into a much quicker animal.

8. What part of your WIP are you working on right now?

I think I'm almost halfway through the outline for the rewrite? Isaac is getting to know the supernatural locals of America's friendliest town on its loneliest road, and they him.

9. What aspects of your WIP do you think will draw people in?

Renato being a hot vampire, and there being different factions to identify with will probably lure some in. Hopefully they decide to stay for the characters, emotional arcs, and end of the world too.

Dysthanasia Taglist (Sign up or ask to be +/-): @thecyrulik @thatndginger @sunset-a-story @space-writes @scoundrelwithboba (feel free to consider this a tag for the game itself too)

Additionally @izzyspussy @wintherlywords @authoralexharvey @chauceryfairytales @autumnalwalker @revenantlore @captain-kraken @angsty-prompt-hole

Blank questions beneath the cut

1. What was the first part of your WIP that you created?

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the intro song be?

3. Who are your favourite character(s) and why?

4. What other pieces of media could share a fan base with your WIP?

5. What has been your biggest struggle while writing your WIP?

6. Are there any animals in your story?

7. How do your characters get around?

8. What part of your WIP are you working on right now?

9. What aspects of your WIP do you think will draw people in?

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Molly Sprayregen at LGBTQ Nation:

Donald Trump campaign staffer Johnny McEntee has been slammed for a recent TikTok video in which he proudly explains how he gives fake money to homeless people so that they will get arrested when they try to use it. “So I always keep this fake Hollywood money in my car so when a homeless person asks for money, then I give him like a fake $5 bill, so I feel good about myself, they feel good,” McEntee explains in the clip. “And then, when they go to use it, they get arrested so I’m actually like helping clean up the community. You know, getting them off the street.” McEntee was a personal aide to the president and headed the White House Presidential Personnel Office during the Trump administration. He currently works in human resources on Trump’s presidential campaign and is also a senior advisor on The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 – a far-right wish list laying out policy positions for the next Republican president, which include several viciously anti-LGBTQ+ proposals.

[...] The TikTok video was originally posted to the account of the right-wing dating app, The Right Stuff, co-founded by McEntee, but it has since been re-posted across the Internet. The caption on the original clip reads, “Just a joke. Everyone calm down,” but it was not enough to appease folks who know how dangerous rhetoric like this can be, serious or not. Additionally, many did not seem convinced it wasn’t a legitimate confession of his actions.

John McEntee is a soulless monster and a wanker.