#AND IN HIS NON-EVIL TIMELINES
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what-if-inc · 1 year ago
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realizing my friend's oc is a "mad horticulturist" is going to ruin me
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faestunna · 1 month ago
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before reading the rot of my blood
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It is highly important you read this note before reading the series.
series masterlist
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I want to note, as a non-Black writer, that Sinners is a movie by and for Black people. The purpose of this fic is not to divert any focus from that.
In the film, Ryan Coogler uses vampirism as a metaphor for colonization. Despite being colonized, Remmick inflicts the same oppression on another group of people without even realizing it. Here is a post with a better, brief summary of his character if you’d like to know more.
I came up with the idea for this series because I wanted to expand on the idea of vampirism according to Coogler. Without giving too much about the series away, Remmick’s journey as a vampire throughout the years is to show how he isnïżœïżœt inherently evil, but his vampirism—centuries of seeing oppression and hate throughout the world—ignites the evil we see in Sinners.
In this series, he suffers what we’d think of as unimaginable loss. There are moments where you might even feel sorry for him, but please note that I didn’t write this to sympathize with him.
This series is not meant to be in defense of Remmick. It will not highlight him as a hero or a protagonist. You will see that I initially write him as a good person—the point of this fic is to show how he changes. This series should serve as insight into Remmick’s early life as a vampire so that we can see his progression into evil.
All that being said, this fic might be historically inaccurate simply because of timelines. I’ve added different elements to this form of vampirism (daylight rings, slow aging, etc). The events of Sinners still take place. There will be religious language and dark content in the chapters. There will be smut and sexual themes and content.
The reader insert I use will remain as general as possible. The series takes place in a different time period, but I want to note that the reader is not AT ALL written to be white. This is to ensure that anyone can read and enjoy the series.
Lastly, a reminder that any hate or negative comments will be blocked. Anyone is more than welcome to message me, and I am more than open to any way I can make my writing better.
Of course, all of my writing is my own work and is not available for use. Do not upload my writing anywhere else.
- sab ♡
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© faestunna 2025.
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thatneoncrisis · 4 months ago
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ok so im not going to directly reblog that john post with my rebuttal because it is. very long. but i will link to that post for context
here are all the reasons people feel very strongly about john being a shithead, and while reducing him to merely Flat Out On Purpose Evil flattens him as he is an incredibly complex character, the man does cartoonishly evil shit on the daily. it cannot be more obvious, in fact. and if he did all of this with good intentions, we cannot forget what the road to hell is paved with. john has been hurting people for ten thousand years
i cant entirely tell if this is a legitimate defense of him, but im going to treat it as such and offer a good faith rebuttal
"they were already going to die" is not a defense of his actions. it is an excuse. a very poor one in fact. i can recognize the amount of stress he was under, but killing every living person on the planet in the pursuit of revenge- because thats what this is about to him, revenge- is not something you can handwave away. would it be fair if someones entire family was gunned down because they happened to be in the same building as a very bad man? john has a very extremist way of thinking, and often conflates his sense of morality with the only way that is correct
you can recognize that he wants to be good, but wanting to be good and doing good are two entirely separate things. plenty of actual evil is committed in the name of "protecting children," however we can plainly see many cases of bigotry and abuse happen under the umbrella of that supposed cause. if john says he wants to protect the earth and saves humanity, and is directly the thing that kills them, not only with nukes but by snapping the necks of everyone the bombs didnt kill first, is that not antithetical to his entire mission? he killed the entire solar system just to fail to even kill his targets
additionally, he was granted great power by alecto. we see that not only can he prevent the rot of bodies and puppet them among other things, such as curing cancer and other illnesses, he grows roses for his friends wedding. he can manipulate plant matter. he could solve the food shortage if he wanted. he could do any number of constructive things, but instead the only thing he could keep his attention on was what bad people were doing, and how to hurt them the most.
later on in the timeline, we are plainly shown the world hes made when hes left to his own devices. hes crafted a feudalistic system powered by the death of his own people. his armies employ child soldiers, some as young as 11. there is a severe population crisis, many people suffer from furtility issues, the sixth house has to keep close records of their geneology just to prevent too much inbreeding. as a reminder, john has a stash of the dead from earth he kept tucked away, and gave some to harrow when she asked him to renew her house. he could fix this problem at any time, but he doesnt
planets outside the nine houses are routinely killed just so his necromantic soldiers have more fuel for this power. this is is shown to have devestating ecological consequences- every plant, animal and microorganism sentenced to death because necromancy eats through it so quickly. this also results in any people living on those planets to have to relocate quickly, or face starvation or any other number of horrors from one mans actions. oh, and speaking of the people
corona mentions in nona the ninth that she finds it odd that john does not integrate any of the non house people or their resources into their empire. it has been ten thousand years. BOE has guns, cars, televised announcements. our main characters grew up in a world where paper and real wood were expensive novelties because john keeps killing everything that can sustain a renewable resource. in the john chapters of nona the ninth, he makes a glib joke about how him destroying the internet was a good thing, but isnt it strange that in a world with spaceships capable of travel between planets in a matter of hours, no one in the in houses has found a way to wirelessly transfer digitized information? they still have to send letters on shuttles to communicate from planet to planet
with BOE mentioned, his treatment of them is particularly vile. they are a small, disorganized resistance group trying to unclench the fist that has been choking non house people for ten thousand years. the ones we meet on a personal level (mostly wake and pash) are vicious and uncompromising in their methodology- namely reducing necromancers and those who collaborate with them to non people, zombies, but the fact of the matter is they have to be. there is no polite way to resist fascism. there is no asking John to pretty please stop killing planets and illegally occupying our settlements to declare his authority that is only recognized bc he has the history and manpower to back it up. they are fighting an enemy that literally gets stronger the more of them they kill. they are fighting someone who can puppet the corpse of your friend and use it to attack you, or even blow you up. their extremism doesn't exist in a vacuum, and johns dislike of persists because they 1. undermine his authority and 2. are, in the haziest sense of the word, possibly kind of connected to the trillionaires he was mad at a myriad ago. people who are literally fucking dust. their wealth was not passed down to their descendants, their wealth means absolutely jack in the current situation. John is literally the rich powerhungry self preserving asshole he was pissed at when earth was alive. speaking of earth
John has been hoarding the planet earth for ten thousand years. obviously we never saw much of it due to everyone on the first in Gideon the ninth being confined to Canaan House, but it appears hospitable to life. no extreme temperatures, no food shortage, cythereas sitting under a tree outside so there appears to be no issue with vegetation growing. at any point, John could stop having his long suffering populace living in holes on Pluto and space stations next to the sun move to earth and live out more humane lives and he just doesn't. he keeps it as a holy ground. a place he himself doesn't even live on. he hoards it, this innate object, its soul kept trapped in a body it hates billions of miles away, and we can't even say why. given everything else he's done, im not inclined to believe he has a good reason for this, or even a particularly rational one. some people just like squirreling away their favorite things where no one else can touch
the handwaving of johns treatment of the cavaliers leapt out to me as very strange. it is that very lie that condemns him to death in Augustine and mercymorns eyes, his oldest and closest friends besides g1deon (who was dead at that part of the grand reveal, who knows how he would hav reacted). its not just a lie, it is The lie, a lie that exposes how expendable he sees the people around him. based on harrow the ninth alone, its pretty clear John is a terrible friend and mentor. his advice to harrow having a months long break in her sanity is to tell her to get a hobby and some rest. he is interested in the idea of her, but puts no effort into materially helping her (does his empire even have antipsychotics?) she is left alone and terrified for ten months, everyone around her assuming shell die in the conflict with the ressurection beast and he makes it all the worse with g1deon. not only telling him to kill her, but denying any involvement to her face
as for his other new Lyctor, he all but neglects Ianthe, abandoning her to augustines clear contempt. as vile and weird as Ianthe is, she has also experienced a pretty severe trauma. she has no clue where her sister is, is losing her sense of self after the consumption of her cavalier causes him to slowly start integrate into her personality (again, her own fault, but I imagine it feels weird) and she had her arm cut off by a woman who was driven half mad by johns apathy towards any of his lyctors suffering. he may claim to care for his friends, but it is entirely possible he just resurrected them to have some people from his old life to talk to, or to have powerful soldiers to fight his battles, or to have some scientists on hand help him workshop the early days of necromancy. we can never be sure, but what we can see is that he allowed seven people to be killed and eaten when he knew he had achieved the same result in a way that preserved both souls, and told none of them. its possible he thought he was doing this for their own good, whatever that means in this circumstance, but they were all adults, and should have been given all information possible before making their choice
even the way he treats his daughter is very. earnestly misguided. he immediately appoints her to be a soldier and sends her off on the front lines to fight the soul infecting devils crawling up form hell. he(allegedly, kirionas words) also tells her to open the tomb and kill Alecto, thus making her her fathers new cavalier. we have seen extensive treatment of cavaliers in this series- pack mules, batteries, body guards, even partners, but it is usually understood that the life of the necromancy is prioritized even at the cost of the cavalier. it is the foundation upon which lyctorhood is built, why Gideon killed herself in the first place. if he was serious about making her his cavalier, he's allowing his daughter to enter a very dangerous and potentially fatal position for no particular reason. he of course can resurrect her, but using your own kid as a regenerating meat shield is what some may consider scummy. on the other end, there is the possibility he was lying, he just wanted Gideon to open the tomb and face the very real possibility of Alecto killing her on sight. which there is a good chance of- johns power is borrowed from her, we have no clue what she can really do.
so three options here, two John is endangering his long lost daughter, one she was lying about what he said or if they even talked about it and just wanted a go at Alecto. while I do find the third option to be the most incharacter for Kiriona at this point, we've already seen he's named her and ianthe his tower princes and basically have them act as his proxies. he really really doesn't seem to care about actually protecting her
overall. John is certainly a guy who talks about doing things the right way, about caring for people and the world. and in every instance where he was given the chance to, he immediately hard pivots into the most destructive, manipulative route possible. everyone who has ever been close to him is either dead or has attempted to kill him or both. he committed an extinction event on a scale that is unheard of in human history. he gaslit and lied to harrow when he was the only authority she could appeal to, while being hunted by a man John told to kill her. he took the soul of a planet, wrapped it in the skin of some random childhood object, and shut her off and packed her away on a cold dark distant planet to be forgotten about until the end of time because she was too inhuman to control. he's declared a never ending war against people who died thousands of years ago, the now living people who have grown up only knowing the horror of undead soldiers and planets dying under their feet. he's cultivated a culture that disrespects the dead, that cannibalizes it, that uses the bones of its people for free labor
people are harsh on John because John does harsh things, and thats putting it lightly. he IS a deeply complex character, and I think the odd time I see someone trying to reduce what he's doing to basic heteronormative white supremacist ideals is uh. tone deaf. lets not call him a white guy just because he sucks thats insane. but many of the points you make in your post either take what he says about his motivations at face value, when he is a known liar, or presume good will on his behalf.
or the whole "they would have died anyway" defense which is uniquely terrible. you can say that about anyone, were all dying all the time. is it cool if someone kills the elderly or a cancer patient because they were already going to die and the rich people hoarding the resources such as affordable healthcare and housing are really to blame because it could have bought them more time? no. you stabbed a guy, thats murder. John killed ten billion people, most of whom are either stuck in a permanent sleep until he decides to defrost them so his empire can have more people, or who's souls are literally trapped because as htn and ntn heavily imply/straight up show, something is wrong with the river. this is an objectively bad and his motivations for his actions will never outweigh the ten billion he sacrificed while blinded by his own rage. this makes him an interesting character, not a good person
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werezmastarbucks · 2 months ago
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f!8th member x yoongi timeline: bulletpoints pt1
protective!bts, brothers!bts. feral, bold! emotional!reader
wc: 5115
part two
part three
routine and relationship dynamic description. very gradual, turned out long. mentions of the harsh idol life, harassment, hints at sexual advances; jaded view of idol life. 8th member might be a tired concept but guys i haven't been here back in January so i am tapping into eve-ry-thing
you are added to the group the last
it's a controversial experiment for Big Hit. debuting a boy band with exactly one female member. they do not hold their breath: they believe in the failure. nobody expects BTS to actually succeed.
as the decision to add a girl is made much later, they are faced with the question whether to change the name of the band from "bulletproof boys" to "bulletproof youth". and they decide against it because of how little they care about the whole group
the bangtan trainees mostly oppose the idea, not only because it's a late addition, but also because it's a girl
they are told that they have to go on living all together, but with a girl. train as usual, but with a girl. share food and allowance, but with a girl
"that wasn't in the contract" - "none of this was in the contract"
the boys are terrified thinking of how this is going to shift things completely
Yoongi is one of the most opposing members, bringing up good points and complaining about it, but there's not much he can do.
a couple of days before you arrive the boys have a meeting with the management. they are told that the girl (you) is coming and there's one rule
no hookups or relationships. it should be clean, friendly and disciplined. if there's even a whiff of anything similar to attraction or flirting, or drama, the member caught is out without the second warning
at the time the members do not see it as a problem, in fact, they do not even consider it a danger because of how preoccupied they are. they don't want to mess with anybody; they don't want anybody
actually they mostly see you as an enemy and an obstacle because they believe you will be a bad addition. nobody's even thinking about the funny stuff; they are cautious, unsure and reserved
when you arrive, you try to be cool and calm, and they try to be polite and non-hostile
the first person you notice is Namjoon: he is going to be your roommate, your companion and most likely your best friend (you couldn't be further from the truth: they will all become your friends soon)
you speak good English, so Namjoon is naturally drawn to you and you click in spite of his initial unwillingness. "hey, that might actually work..."
first impressions:
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Namjoon: mature, normal guy, too burdened by his leader role, super focused, kind, helpful. will not make you uncomfortable even if he tries. feels like he is already your friend. you are born in the same year, several months apart, the same zodiac, the same introversion deep down under ambiversion.
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Hoseok: painfully shy, glaring at you curiously from a distance. you can see instantly that a smile is his natural reaction to everything, and you actually flinch when the teacher snarls at him, and he smiles. this is the first of many times you get an urge to protect. he seems kinda small, fragile, and only relaxes when he is dancing or sleeping
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Jimin: seems like a menace. his smile is too oily, and yet he shifts from being flirty to completely closed down. he seems like somebody you want to know better because at first you can't figure out his role in the group: is he the main dancer or the vocal? or the visual?
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Jungkook: b a b y. you drop one look at him and, even though he is already your height, you get motivated to stand on his side. his round cheeks and still childish eyes make you question why the hell the company would hire such small kids. he is already sixteen, but he feels younger, he is super sweet and you do not feel threatened at all
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Yoongi: the quiet ghost in the corner of the room giving you contemplating, evil looks. sharp jaw and the eyes that are too expressive. however, once he opens his mouth, he turns out to be polite and balanced. he gives you the trustworthy quiet helper vibe. it feels like acting on camera during making the content drains the energy from him
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Jin: sage. he is so tall and adult that you unintentionally keep your back more straight in his presence. you passionately want to earn his respect because you see how he is soft and helpful with the guys but cautious with you. to you, he shows his colder side, and it kicks in the natural instinct of winning him over
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Taehyung: soulmate. you click immediately. you joke at the same time, then start laughing, and your laughing voices harmonize, and you look at each other surprised. at the very beginning, he is on par with Namjoon the closest person who provides the initial comfort in a highly uncomfortable situation
you look at them seven and the hammer strikes. if you can't match them, you must at least do everything not to hold them back as a team. they are already familiar with each other, and now your job is to force them to accept you and see you as equal. it's going to be brutal
the first genuine contact:
you help Jungkook with his English homework. and by helping, you mean do it for him. he sits next to you at the desk, clicking the pen on it, while you write and try explaining things to him simultaneously
the first week you feel super lonely in the dorm because you and the SEVEN BOYS you live with walk around each other like wild animals, sniffing. all interactions are awkward: reaching for something in the cupboard at the same time and flinching like the hands touching is the worst thing that's happened in the last hundred years
blushing when you meet each other in the vicinity of the bathroom
you don't even pee when someone is nearby
you have a lot of stuff and sometimes it gets mixed up with the boys' things, and they get confused whose towel or shirt it is
the first week, in fact, is wildly stressful, because it's like jumping into ice-cold water while surrounded by sharks who don't bite but give you weird, awkward side eyes. Namjoon is too nerdy to provide insightful comfort, and Taehyung gets flustered in others' presence so he starts saying stupid shit
however the ice starts melting when you find Jungkook sobbing at that tiny desk punctured in between the clothes rack and the dinner table
it's about homework, but also his leg hurts, but also he misses his mum, and he is behind on his studies, and his voice isn't working properly
he's telling you all this with his head turned around, red like an apple, and you open up and decide that you aren't going anywhere anyway, and these boys aren't either
you hold him the way only a woman can hold a child. the other boys take really good care of Jungkook: he is fed, dressed, he is mostly comfortable and generally happy all the time. but the friendly and protective touch of a woman's hand makes sixteen-yeard old Jungkook break down and cry on your shoulder, while you stroke his head and tell him that he is safe
you try to make it very clear that he is safe with you and you won't tell anybody. try to tell him that getting tired is fine and the best thing he can do is break down when he feels like it
Yoongi witnesses the end of it, when Jungkook is already wiping his nose, and your hand is still on his head, stroking him like a kitten
this incident facilitates the eventual onset of closeness
suppose Yoongi clocks a certain feature in you, that he himself also has: the impulse to protect and comfort, and it makes him a little relieved
the hyung line starts taking care of you subtly: first of all, the boys get rid of the habit of avoiding eye contact. then you start smiling at each other.
a week later you have a collective conversation in the kitchen at night, warming up to each other
who initially has a crush on you
everybody
for most of them (6/7) it's short, the shortest for Namjoon because you're not his type. instead, he amalgamates into the older brother persona with quite a lot of satisfaction about it. he already has a younger sister and has experience, he is familiar with the problems that arise with having one, and sees that you need him in that way
Jimin drops it when he sees you aren't the ideal girl he has been picturing you as. as he knows you more, his infatuation dissipates into respect and reliability. he relies on you in many things because he has that childish persona and really likes to be taken care of. he actually exploits this quality of yours a little bit, seeing that, in the impulse to be perceived as good, you go out of your way to help them
Taehyung isn't even sure if he had a crush on you, he hadn't noticed. he just knows you're cool and he was the one who opposed the girl member addition the least of them all. he was never fully against it
Jungkook has a crush on you in a surprisingly innocent way even though he is almost an adult. he knows it's more of an awe because he just imprinted slightly when you love-bombed him in the very beginning. he grows fiercely protective of you and is the first of all the boys to start calling you sister
Hoseok's crush dies quietly when he reminds himself of the rule that management enforced on them. he understands why it's there and totally agrees with it. he is an incredibly focused and motivated person, so he takes a second look at you, and goes, no, and switches it off for good. he is cautious and quiet around you, and for the longest time you feel like a wild nature photographer that is chilling on the ground, waiting until the antelope loses alert
Jin's crush was more out of curiosity and the whiplash of change. it doesn't last and wouldn't have even if all of a sudden you told him you liked him. instead, he gains respect for you when he sees your striving to work as much as they do and even more. Jin ends up being the most perceptive protector of yours, who clocks your exhaustion first. he approaches you very soon into the shared living and working, and tells you not to run too fast, or you'll burn out
Yoongi doesn't do anything about his crush and isn't alarmed when it doesn't cease. he thinks it's irrelevant. two things are unchangeable: you are not going away. and second: you are off limits. coexisting with his liking of you is easy because he sees you literally every waking minute
actually for the longest time he believes that all the other members are in love with you and it's a norm, and is very surprised when they talk about it and say, uh, no, not really
then he's like, uh oh. while Hoseok's crush floats up and bursts like a bubble, Yoongi's feeling suddenly sinks down and cements itself somewhere deep
you don't call the older ones oppas: you absorb their habit and call them hyungs
the first year together:
you debut all together, after some time during which you grow close and start trusting each other. the first year is tough because it's still friction. would've been much easier if you were a boy, of course.
there are inconveniences, awkwardness and surprises in every aspect of your lives
they need to adjust choreo for you because it needs to reflect on the female presence and make it your collective IT factor
the boys need to kiss all their previous concepts goodbye: that they will be a boy band; that they will all be equal (now there's this 'we have a special factor' dynamic); that they will do exactly what they were promised; that they can fart into each other's faces in the morning as a method of waking up those who don't hear the alarm clock
for some reason they cannot see themselves farting into your face
you prove to become spicy if tackled.
people aren't having it at all. BTS are bullied, ridiculed, ignored and talked down to all the time
the boys gather around Jungkook and focus on the work, trying to ignore the negativity
they are surprised when they find out yet another feature of yours
you laugh off the hate towards you, which you get a lot, but become feral when someone insults them
you hesitate whether to accept me? well, tough luck, i accepted you
because you told yourself "we are stuck together, so I'll better make the most of it" and now you live by this
you feel so lonely; the only girl, the weakest one, the shortest one, different dancing style, different voice, different rhythm, different low points. in order to survive this loneliness, you shut your feelings off and concentrate on getting them on your side
also, that one time you comforted Jungkook gave you an idea that boys are just that - boys, and not stone-cold machines, and might even react positively to your friendly attitude
long story short, you start releasing your tension out on people who dare to insult them
you lash out at radio hosts who speak to them in a condescending way
"you think you guys can be rappers?" "they already are. care to explain your problem with it?"
you bite back at the people who don't believe in them and ridicule them: "let's take it outside? or you just gonna pick on an eighteen year old boy?"
"so, how's that Korean rap boy band going?" - "it's going super well, and not sideways, but your jaw will"
a couple of times the hyung line has to restrict you physically
Seokjin realizes these reactions may be a problem
Namjoon indulges your temper because for the first time, he is partially relieved of his weight. he isn't the only one who speaks English; he isn't the only one who is in the avant-garde
Yoongi sees through your anger and the short fuse and is like, oh shit. she is going to snap sooner or later. he understands this aggression is a response to the tension this work puts on you
he starts taking care of you little by little, like a doctor, but not medically
he does it humanly. a coffee. brings you the hoodie you'd forgotten at the studio. surrenders the window seat to you. pushes you behind when the reporters or staff are male and look at you for too long
you start associating Yoongi with safety
there's a talk about you having to visit a certain hotel to meet a certain "business partner", and before you can respond, the boys go "no" in unison
you realize, even if you aren't all best pals yet, and you've only been with them for six months, and debuted like two months ago, they will protect you at least on the very basic level
it finally kills your stress-induced insomnia
you start feeling like a team
you harmonize the best with Jimin and Taehyung
you start training even more, running yourself into the ground, to prove to them that you have earned your spot here; that they won't regret standing up for you; that they won't have to pull their punches because you're a girl
exhaustion blackouts for which you feel very guilty
your periods sometimes don't come for months because of the stress
you have a specific conversation between the eight of you, where you discuss the situation the company put you in. it was an experiment. it also felt like they were setting you up for failure from the beginning. trying to clash you and them. inconveniencing them by bringing a girl. antagonizing you.
you all look at each other and decide to succeed in spite of the company
from then on, you begin to intentionally learn to live together
"good morning", "how are you?" "did you sleep well?" "let's do it" "you go first please" "you did great". positive sabotage
they start saying "pads" without fainting. start living with the idea that the shower cabin where they stand naked, is the same spot where you also stand naked
they become more okay with touching you when it's not during the training and not a part of choreo
hugs
they do not let you do the dishes or clean the bathroom. for the whole first year you do not do either of those things; they take turns instead of you
how they deal with your stress:
Jungkook is the sweetest and is direct. "What can I do? Why are you crying?" and you cry A LOT. after some time, you stop hiding when you feel like crying, and stop feeling guilty when you get injured. there's no way to escape them anyway. there's SEVEN of them. at any given point of time, you're bound to be walked in on by a member.
Jin talks to you like a wise elder, providing practical advice
Jimin is the fairy that flaps around and tries to distract you or make you laugh so that you stop crying
Taehyung cries with you and offers his shoulder. he is the first who invents the lifehack: how to stop Y/N from crying. he begins sharing his own troubles, and you switch immediately and forget about yours
Hoseok tries to make himself scarce, hoping that someone else will handle you. when there's no other choice, he just sits next to you quietly, horrified
Yoongi provides efficient physical comfort; when there are other people around while you're in tears, he pulls the hood onto your head; if it's due to an injury, he caters to it; if it's just stress and loneliness, he elects to call Jungkook or Namjoon because he himself avoids hugging you
and it's not even embarrassment (sometimes he is so tired that he doesn't even get a boner); he is just distant like that
Namjoon = bear hugs. he is the authentic older brother who lets you cry on his chest
Yoongi is the only one who isn't affected by your rage. when you snap, whether it's at a person, or at an object that inconvenienced you, he doesn't get scared like the others. he is the mediator who pulls you away or picks the broken parts of a chair, and his silent courtesy makes you feel very guilty for the outbursts
his gentle acceptance of your character is the factor that pushes you to practice better control of your emotions
Seokjin also tells you that it's super nice that you are ready to murder people to protect the boys, but it has to stop, because it only creates more trouble
you become known as, at best, the wild card of the band
at worst, you're the attention seeker
in truth, you are in the inherently losing position. no matter what you do, you will be the scapegoat and the target. a girl in a boy group
as the fandom gradually grows, many of the fans see you as the red cloth. if you're quiet, you're boring. if you're loud, you're trying to get attention. if you're smart, you're a know-it-all. if you act silly, you're flirting with your mates. you're ugly. you're too pretty. you're fat. you're too thin. you dance too girly. you sing too high. you eat too funny. you speak too loud. you sleep wrong.
the boys gradually understand that this is your designated spot, and this is the weight you take upon yourself. as they get familiarized with the public and how it perceives you, their love for you grows
what unites you with each of them:
Namjoon: shares everything with you. you are the two smart ones who speak good English. you are also roommates and he is the last person you see before you go to sleep
Seokjin: at the moments of lethal social exhaustion, when you are both drained to zero, you sit in the kitchen with glassy eyes and chew on cornflakes straight out of the pack, without speaking. you are the only one who understands the visceral hatred for people he sometimes has; you recharge off of each other a little
Jimin: similar voices. you are paired for the performances often; and your roles are playful mates. you joke a lot together. with time, you start mimicking his uninhibited charisma, and he starts mimicking your dry, zero-bullshit snappy attitude
Taehyung: he feels like a soulmate. you like the same movies, the same books. he has impressive emotional vulnerability coupled with purely artistic selfishness, and you instinctively want to keep it alive in him. he appreaciates your attention and the fact that you forgive him for anything he does. he feels you treat him like a piece of art
Jungkook: becomes loyal to you. where you go, he goes. what you eat, he wants a bite of. when you fall down, he is on the spot in a flash, picking you up. when you're sick, he is the first to puff his chest and argue with the management to get you at least one day off
Hoseok: for the longest time, you just coexist together, trying to find common things. until you catch him in the kitchen one night, watching youtube and sobbing. he has soft, vulnerable darkness to him. you don't dare to wrap your arms around him like you do with Jungkook as he guards his personal space. the thing that unites you is the mutual respect of people who start growing similar habits. you start eating at the same time. you have similar headaches and both become sadder in November.
Yoongi: is a mystery to you. he is like the mountain that provides you haven when you need it. he has that dry laughter that betrays his maturity. he is ready to give you the shirt off his back, but doesn't let you in. he'll be like, eat my portion and go away ok? you both like your alone time and often prefer to stay in the dorm during the free hours, so you end up in the different corners of the rooms. clashing in the kitchen. you develop huge respect for him because you write a lot of lyrics, and he writes music. you think you should bond about it. Yoongi really starts looking you in the eye after you begin bringing your prose to him, asking to take a look
how you inconvenience them:
the thing that irritates them the most is crying. each member reacts differently to it: Hobi and Seokjin are almost openly annoyed when they realize that you cry too often. Jungkook is always wounded by it. Namjoon isn't very annoyed, neither is Taehyung. Taehuyng also cries often, so he isn't affected by it. Yoongi is always trying to get to the root of the problem. studies your reactions like a scientist. he is the first one to clock your heightened emotional reactivity. he tells the others about it and they ask well, how do we cure it. Yoongi laughs and says, we don't. we deal with it
you are a little messy and even though you work on it, sometimes the natural forgetfulness makes you leave things untidy or your things scattered. Hoseok and Jin are usually the ones to yell about it
loud singing in the shower. you and Namjoon are the main perpetrators
"you are supposed to be the vocalist, not the dying alpaca"
you get stress-induced insomnia and sometimes wander around at night. the only one who isn't mad about it is Yoongi because he works at nights
you get periods (when you do). sometimes you get tired more than them. you are physically weaker, and no matter what you do, or how much you strain yourself, you will never have their stamina. they never show it, but you know they do not run as fast as they could have without you, and it actually becomes a very, very deep sore in you and creates this sort of trauma and complex in you. coupled with the public reactions, it cements the perception of yourself: you're the weak point of the band. the members don't think that. in the second year they realize the concept grows on them. they stand out among mono-gender groups. they are easily recognizable. they have a draw of male fans because of you. in a twist of irony, the more they like your presence, the less you like it.
sooner rather than later you decide to make them get used to your body. you are, after all, bound to get revealing outfits for performances, as well. in the dorm, when it's hot, you walk around in shorts. you don't hide. sometimes you might walk around in the towel after the shower, looking for something. they know they need to get accustomed to it
hair everywhere
the female energy. you chat during breakfast. yelp about things. nag to keep the movie on and not switch the channel
low pain limit
they sometimes fight about 'spoiling you'. "you only bought this xyz food because you know Y/N likes it. but we are all going to eat it!"
trying not to exploit their natural male impulses to give in to you. if they want to ride bikes along the river, and you want to go to the park, they are inclined to go to the park. you start demanding they do what they want
trying to kill the 'it's okay, she's a girl' ideology. it means you bear the same responsibility but also the same agency. you start doing dishes and cleaning the bathroom in the second year.
you are delicate. they are boys. you get blisters on your feet - you do not hide it and whine about it
hair ties everywhere
how they inconvenience you:
brutal jokes that they need to tone down sometimes
pranks aren't always pleasant
SEVEN LOUD BOYS
feet into your face. rude nudging to wake you up (they do not see it as rude. it's just "gentle" wake up shove)
bring you all the wrong food when you're on your period or sick. for some reason, their brains (except Yoongi who seems to be a professional at caring for a woman) switch off like they think girls eat inherently different foods
their FUCKING UNDERWEAR in the shower
SPITTING IN THE MIRRORS AND TOOTHPASTE IN THE SINK
kicking the garbage away from sight: "i tidied up"
burping
shorter hair everywhere
"can you pluck my armpit"
they leave the mess after themselves way more often than you
you can't cope with them when they start playing games or mess around
sometimes they eat too much too fast
"Y/N'll deal with it" because you are tough in public/speak English/read books/are witty/can communicate with women/pretty/a girl
if you do something funny, they never let go of it. now it's the butt of the joke forever
you mention a celebrity crush once and now you're doomed
SNORING
if Seokjin accidentally pushes Hobi, he sways a little. if Seokjin accidentally pushes you, you fly over and crash into the floor. if Namjoon accidentally slaps you during the change of position, your head hoots for the rest of the night. if Jimin wants to catch and tickle Yoongi, Yoongi smacks him and it's over before it began. if Jimin wants to do that to you, he simply lifts you above the ground and you have no way of escaping
"you won't get it, you're a girl"
"sorry, this is balls only zone"
they watch MMA and SCREAM
one day you're the group princess, the other day you're the punching bag
you start boxing because sometimes it's impossible to break out when they get agitated, they forget that even the smallest of them is still very big and heavy against you
how they protect you:
at the airport, they quickly learn that sweeping you off your feet is too easy. they invent the oval walk. they form an oval around you and you walk all together, you hidden by their shoulders from the cameras and hands. you witness Jungkook's cheek getting scratched once, and he just shrugs it off with the most loving look
NO. Y/N isn't going to a "meeting" in a "hotel".
they check the fanmail and remove the creepy letters that are addressed to you. for the first couple of years, while the mail is handled within the group personally, you have no idea what male fans want to do to you. after, as the amounts of mail begin to overflow, and it is delegated to managers, you are left in the state of shock
"this whole time they have been writing poems about my tits??"
they do not expect you to perform on a male level. sometimes you do and they don't mention it either. they treat you as an equal.
Yoongi is the one who fences sexist questions with the sharpness of an assassin. he doesn't smile about it either, doesn't try to turn it into a joke.
"so, Y/N, which member do you find the most attractive?" Yoongi: "why didn't you ask me this question? i have a favourite one, it's Jimin". "Y/N, what diets are you on to keep that pretty body of yours?" Yoongi: "she only consumes human male meat". he makes a point to mention that you write a lot of lyrics, all the time. after Yoongi, the others pick up on this habit and try to focus on your lyrical and artistic input more than your looks and 'female presence'.
Seokjin's version: "y/n, so do you cook for the boys?" he snorts loudly. "you should see the attempts. no-no-no"
covering you when you're in revealing outfits. Hoseok will pretend to suddenly get very interested in the camera lense when you are in a short skirt and need to do splits on a variety show. Jungkook will outstretch his arm point at something for the other members if your top is revealing too much of your cleavage. Namjoon will put a towel on your knees
when the outfits get ridiculous, they won't wait for your protests. Yoongi will be like: is that for Seokjin? no? huh
giving deadly looks to people who clearly try to get too close to you
they secretly enjoy being the 'go through us first' bunch for you. each of them has this soft, gender-bending persona to some extent. but they switch back to very manly when there's a need to keep an eye on you
adjusting their whole existence to your presence: you are never the tail of the walk. at least one pair of eyes is on you when you're not at the dorm
Jungkook definitely jumps a guy at least once to protect you.
when the hopes are low:
while you are still struggling to lure people to your shows, you blame yourself for being the dragging factor. you always think that if they were a purely boyband, they would already be successful. after all, they are called "bulletproof boys", not "bulletproof boys and Y/N".
you express this self-doubt rarely because you don't want to be an even bigger burden. the response is always the same:
yah! who put this nonsense into your head? you shut up, you write like 50% of the songs! what are we supposed to do without you? sing na-na-na for three hours straight?
Jungkook won't find his shoes without you
don't say that, i just learnt to tie a ponytail!
sharing modest dinners
them secretly deciding to eat less; if each of them gives up just one spoonful of soup, you will get more. they see you are growing thin; they gaslight you by saying you're imagining things and the portions are absolutely identical. in fact, they say, you're undereating
sharing clothes, painkillers and bandaids. emergency muscle rubs. incredible survival-level health hacks to stay conscious learnt from great-grandmothers. carrying each other literally. "hold on one more hour, okay?" drinking one can of red bull all together
you teaching Jungkook to sew the holes closed. Yoongi teaching you to fix your night stand. you teaching Jimin to stop the nose bleed. Seokjin teaching you to make a sustainable meal out of two noodles, an egg and a pepper with salt. you teaching Namjoon to pick the lock. Hoseok teaching you to cover the cuts with foundation. you teaching Taehyung to sleep in sitting position. amalgamating into each other.
by the third year they know how many pairs of underwear you have and which colours can't be washed together. you know which foods upset their stomachs and read their exhaustion from the hum
the only time they come even close to exploiting you is when you wander around the city in America, handing out flyers to your show, and they notice that guys accept them eagerly from you. they ask you to tell the passersby that it's a girl group. you agree.
sleeping together on the dance studio floor, only to discover they had huddled around you, warming you with their bodies like badgers. even Hobi and Yoongi.
by the time you finally make it, you eight know each other and trust each other with your lives. you conduct a thought experiment: you imagine you collapsed in the shower naked and need assistance. which one are you comfortable with helping you? the answer for you now is any one of them.
191 notes · View notes
3d-wifey · 2 years ago
Note
This is such a niche ask, but I saw that you do Mortal Kombat. Can I ask for some flirty intro dialogue? You know like the conversation the characters have b4 the fight? But like with a Goddess!reader who's basically Hecate? like a Nyx/Hecate fusion if that makes sense. Oh and can you do what some of her taunts would be? I feel like those and her fatalities would be illusion and tarot based :)))
Flirty Intro Dialogue
Pairings: Johnny Cage x Reader; Noob Saibot x Reader; Erron Black x Reader; Dark Raiden x Reader; Cassie Cage x Reader; Shang Tsung x Reader
A/N: (Back to using gifs for headcanons). This is just for the MK 11 timeline. Once MK 1 comes out, I'll do new ones. Had to do a little research fan fiction-wise for this one, but I got a good amount out (plus some taunts the reader would say during the fight). I put a lot of thought into the reader's backstory in the MK universe, even though it'll never be used lol. Please, feel free to request more of these characters or some intros for different characters. Maybe even request a one-shot? Who knows ;)
Behind the Scenes: You know how when Erron Black shows up in the intro, he's looking at a Wanted poster of his opponent? I feel like Goddess!reader has something like that where she's looking at a tarot card that's different for each character before it disappears into mist. Another opening is the reader strutting in shapeshifted into her opponent, before turning back. Her friendship fatality has her stirring a comically large witch's caldron and Noob Saibot pops out in a cloud of mist.
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You: Jonathan Carlton
Johnny Cage: Sexy witch goddess.
You: I
Hmm.
-
You: I can feel the magic coursing through your veins. You are one of my Night children, Jonathan.
Johnny Cage: You don’t mean that literally, right? Because it would suck to have the hots for my mom.
You: (sighs)  And what a waste.
-
Johnny Cage: Somebody pinch me, I must be dreaming.
You: Do you dream of me often, Mortal?
Johnny Cage: Ohho, absolutely.
-
Johnny Cage: Somebody pinch me, I must be dreaming.
You: (sighs) How many times must you make that joke?
Johnny Cage: You know you love it!
-
Johnny Cage: So
what are my chances of getting you into my next movie?
You: I’ve told you. I have no desire to appear on your “big screen”.
Johnny Cage: I was thinking we’d make a different kind of movie.
-
Johnny Cage: Goddess of dreams, huh? Can I call you Sandman?
You: You may call me whatever you please, dear mortal.
Johnny Cage: Oh, you do not wanna give me that kind of power.
-
Johnny Cage: Heard you and Shinnok had a thing.
You: A
thing?
Johnny Cage: You two boned! Get it? Cuz he’s a skeleton.
-
Johnny Cage: Tarot, huh? Card tricks are cool and all, but do you got any other witchy gimmicks?
You: I'm particularly fond of palm reading.
Johnny Cage: ...So what I'm hearing is, you're good with your hands?
-
Johnny Cage: You, Fujin, and Raiden go way back, huh?
You: Since the dawn of time.
Johnny Cage: (grimace) Yeesh, they've been friend zoned that long?
-
Johnny Cage: Not so fast, Hermonie.
You: Must you always spout such inane drivel?
Johnny Cage: Someone's been using their word-a-day calendar!
-
Johnny Cage: I've never met a non-evil Eldar God.
You: Evil is quite subjective.
Johnny Cage: I'll remember that next time I'm kicking one's ass.
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Noob Saibot: My Goddess.
You: Bi-Han.
Noob Saibot: The shadows cling to your presence. 
-
Noob Saibot: Many have wanted me to yield to their command.
You: Oh?
Noob Saibot: Only you have succeeded, My Goddess.
-
You: You are not touched by the Night, dear Bi-Han. You are shrouded in it.
Noob Saibot: What better way to show that I belong to you?
You: It certainly seems that way, doesn’t it?
-
Noob Saibot: The shadows whisper your name.
You: (smiles) What do they say about me?
Noob Saibot: That your beauty is combated by no other. They speak only the truth for their Goddess.
-
You: You have been a steadfast worshiper, Bi-Han. How shall I reward your loyalty?
Noob Saibot: I only ask for one thing: to be your consort.
You: Hmm. That could be arranged.
-
Noob Saibot: I do not want you to be upset with me, but I will not take back what I said.
You: Your brother cares for you, Bi-Han.
Noob Saibot: Yet, here we are.
-
You: Why must we fight?
Noob Saibot: I wish to prove to you my might, My Goddess.
You: Oh, dear wraith. For you, my love is freely given. You have already earned it.
-
Noob Saibot: You're different than the other Eldar Gods. You...care.
You: Do you think me weak?
Noob Saibot: Never.
-
You: Care to spar?
Noob Saibot: I'd be honored.
You: Then don't take it personally when I beat you.
-
Noob Saibot: The shadows crave your touch.
You: Only the shadows?
Noob Saibot: I'll always long for you, My Goddess.
-
You: Do you fear me, dear Bi-Han?
Noob Saibot: I respect you.
You: (sigh) That wasn't a no.
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Erron Black: You've got quite the pretty penny on your head.
You: Are you here to kill me then, Erron Black?
Erron Black: With a face like that, I wouldn’t dream of it.
-
Erron Black: You got any love spells up your sleeve, witchy? I swear ’m good for it.
You: Love is not something to take lightly. Who do you have in mind?
Erron Black: (smirks)  Look in a mirror, darlin’. 
-
Erron Black: You the Goddess of lust, by any chance?
You: That is not a purpose I was created to serve.
Erron Black: Pity. You’d certainly suit it.
-
Erron Black: You had something to ask me, beautiful?
You: Yes. What is “reverse cowgirl”?
Erron Black: (smirks) How ‘bout I show you the ins and outs after this?
-
Erron Black: ’M not usually one for marriage, darlin’.
You: Neither am I.
Erron Black: I don’t have to be the only one, as long as I’m your favorite.
-
Erron Black: You ever find out why Shinnok offed you?
You: I believe he wanted to turn me into his revenant bride. He became rather desperate after I declined his proposal.
Erron Black: (chuckle) Well, I guess I can’t blame the guy.
-
Erron Black: Why don’t you take a peek into ol’ Erron’s dreams? Swear you won’t be disappointed.
You: I’ve seen your dreams. I must say, you give me very generous proportions.
Erron Black: Then you must know I’m a very generous lover.
-
Erron Black: I've struck gold
You: How so?
Erron Black: Well, you're here, ain'tcha?
-
Erron Black: You cast a spell on me, Goddess?
You: I have not, Erron Black.
Erron Black: Do you want to?
-
Erron Black: How 'bout you and I see where the night takes us?
You: Do you think you can keep up?
Erron Black: Trust me. I may be fast on the quick draw, but I don't shoot quick.
-
Erron Black: You've got the magic touch.
You: A good deal of my powers flow through my hands.
Erron Black: I want 'em on me.
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You: I’ve heard of how you
disposed of Shinnok.
Dark Raiden: After what he did to you, after how I mourned, I would behead him a hundred times over.
You: It isn’t judgment you sense in my voice. I would have killed him myself if you hadn’t beat me to it.
-
You: Do you still desire me, even as you are now?
Dark Raiden: If you need to ask, then I have failed to show you my devotion.
You: Hmph.
-
Dark Raiden: Will you abandon me too, my love?
You: It is not in my nature.
Dark Raiden: They do not deserve your blessings.
-
Dark Raiden: How have you
How are you here?
You: I sensed my presence was needed and returned to my corporal form just in time to be put in Kronika's void.
Dark Raiden: You could not sense how much I needed you, how much I mourned?
-
You: We are in such uncertain times, my vision is clouded.
Dark Raiden: I’m sorry for the part I play in your duress, my love.
You: You are only doing your duty. It’s how you’re going about it that leaves me weary.
-
Dark Raiden: How can you find such beauty in their shortcomings?
You: The Night welcomes all into her shadowed embrace.
Dark Raiden: You are wasted on them!
-
Dark Raiden: I was so lost without your guidance.
You: When I died?
Dark Raiden: When you were taken from me!
-
Dark Radien: How did Shinnok do it?
You: He lied to me and attacked me when I let my guard down.
Dark Raiden: (growls) If I could, I would bring him back to enact justice upon him once more.
-
You: I have but one wish.
Dark Raiden: Anything.
You: I wish for you to come back to me.
-
You: Is it true? What you've done?
Dark Radien: It was the only way.
You: You have lost yourself.
-
You: We've never fought before, have we?
Dark Radien: We never needed to for me to know you're the stronger between us.
You: Flattery will not save you.
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Cassie Cage: You know, I think I’m finally understanding why Raiden lost his marbles.
You: How so?
Cassie Cage: I think I’d lose my shit too if someone like you was taken from me.
-
Cassie Cage: Are you a good witch or a bad witch?
You: I’m
afraid I do not understand.
Cassie Cage: Oh, you have got to let me take you on a movie date.
-
Cassie Cage: Who’s your favorite: Fujin or Raiden? Come on. You can tell me.
You: I’m a Goddess. Why would I limit myself to one lover?
Cassie Cage: You dirty girl.
-
Cassie Cage: What are you the Goddess of again?
You: (hesitates) 
It would be easier to list what I am not the Goddess of.
Cassie Cage: (whistles) And I thought my parents expected a lot of me.
-
Cassie Cage: Come on, just one kiss!
You: I am older than you could possibly imagine.
Cassie Cage: An older woman. What’s not to love?
-
Cassie Cage: I heard you died. So, how are you standing here in all your godly beauty?
You: I have much power over death and the comings and goings of the Underworld. My soul simply dispersed there.
Cassie Cage: Yep. That’ll do it.
-
Cassie Cage: So
You didn’t happen to see that one dream, did you?
You: I’ve seen all your dreams, Cassandra. And I’m flattered.
Cassie Cage: (clears throat) 
Right.
-
Cassie Cage: It’s a full moon
You: She calls to me and all who feel her light.
Cassie Cage:
You’re not gonna turn into a werewolf, are you?
-
Cassie Cage: You gonna turn me into a frog, Goddess?
You: It’s a possibility.
Cassie Cage: (shrugs) As long as you change me back with a kiss.
-
Cassie Cage: Heard you hung out with Jacqui.
You: Yes, though she didn’t mention you at all.
Cassie Cage: She is the worst wing woman.
-
You: You’ve come to my crossroads. Do you need my guidance?
Cassie Cage: Just wondering if you could teach me a trick or two.
You: So it’s my protection you seek.
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Shang Tsung: Your beauty entices me
You: My power entices you.
Shang Tsung: Two things can be true at once.
-
Shang Tsung: Soon, you shall be my bride.
You: You cannot tie down a Goddess; you cannot tie down the Night.
Shang Tsung: I can try.
-
Shang Tsung: Do my powers impress you, Goddess of magic?
You: They certainly intrigue me, Sorcerer.
Shang Tsung: Allow me to give you a closer look.
-
Shang Tsung: Every time I invoke my magic, I do so in your name.
You: Your loyalty changes with the moon’s phases.
Shang Tsung: I devote myself to you, my Goddess.
-
Shang Tsung: I want something more valuable than your soul.
You: Such as?
Shang Tsung: Your love.
-
Shang Tsung: You forgave Shinnok, but not I?
You: I did not forgive him. He killed me when I refused to be his bride.
Shang Tsung: I will succeed where he has failed.
-
Shang Tsung: I kneel at your altar, my Goddess.
You: You needn’t prostrate yourself before me.
Shang Tsung: It is never a hardship to be on my knees for you.
-
You: Do you fear me?
Shang Tsung: I’d be a fool not to.
You: Then why challenge me?
-
Shang Tsung: You have the godly brothers on quite a tight leash.
You: I demand no loyalty from them.
Shang Tsung: It’s doubtful that they stray far from you.
-
You: Kronika spared me in hopes of using my powers. When I refused, she cast me into the void.
Shang Tsung: We have been similarly wronged by her.
You: That is why we must aid Luai Kang in defeating her.
-
Shang Tsung: You are the last Eldar God.
You: Yes. And I shall help Luai Kang in his creation of the new timeline.
Shang Tsung: Then this will be goodbye for now.
Taunts
You: The Wheel of Fortune comes for us all. You: Your future is uncertain. You: You cannot hide from the Night’s embrace. You: Knell in repentance. You: Your path ends here. You: You are lost. You: It is simply an illusion. You: You challenge an Eldar God? You: Will you make an offering? You: You are forgiven. You: I will lead your spirit through the gates of the Netherrealm. You: You shall not pass. You: Are you seeing double? You: Allow me to guide you.
4K notes · View notes
alexiroflife · 2 months ago
Text
"power"
MDNI, fluff in a sick way, suggestive themes, true form!sukuna, just another late night sukuna thought sigh... he's evil as fuck
ryomen sukuna x reader
Synopsis: sukuna is a being that encapsulates the very essence of power, and you are smitten.
to sum it up: a brief overview of how intoxicating sukuna's power can be
WC: 2,177
Warning(s): romanticization of evildoings, a splash of freakuna smut, the reader is morally nutty, vulgar / slightly gory themes
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There is a reason why Sukuna is crowned as The King of Curses. The, with a Capital, emboldened, italicized T.
The salmon-haired demon is a vessel for unimaginable, indescribable power, for the sample of just one of his twenty fingers is enough to attract hoards of curses within a one-hundred-mile radius and inspire mass chaos.
Sukuna is the evil of all evil, the very incarnation of wickedness and arrogance and death and destruction. With the snap of his fingers, at the very height of his strength, cities cave in and civilians burn. Streams of fire and flame reign down atop dismantled rubble and debris. Sukuna may swipe his hand swiftly to the left, and a head will sever itself with an invisible wire, toppling down from the victim's neck and rolling in a blood-splattered path to the devil's feet.
And as the horrified screams of witnesses arise, a dastardly smile curls its way onto his lips, twisting his features and baring his sharp canine teeth.
He revels in it. He revels in the raw, unbridled thrill that his actions inspire. The shrill cry of the mourning, the shrunken, shaky pupils of the petrified, the showers of blood that rain down over city streets at his will. He breathes it in, savors it, basks in the glow of his carnage, and finds himself vainly proud of his work.
He will take a bow for his audience of toppling skyscrapers and shrieking air raid sirens, a rumble of unhinged laughter fluttering through the smoggy air from his throat. His crimson eyes will glow, shining with enchantment and hunger for more disaster, more destruction, more of him strewn about the atmosphere. Sukuna basks in the aftermath of his rampages, soaking in the immense and almost unfathomable damage that he causes. That he has the ability to cause.
The salmon haired curse will breathe in deeply, sucking in all the air, and exhale in satisfaction of his unfathomable power.
There is nothing in this life or any other without power, and Sukuna faithfully believes in this sentiment. He admires strength, he seeks strength, and he embodies strength as well as the control that comes with remarkable levels of it.
And with this control, with this strength, and with this power comes those who envy it, those who fear it, and those who worship it. The latter is the very reason as to why Sukuna's name has reached every corner of the earth in every timeline. In his prime, Sukuna was a ruler, a king, Power incarnate. He is the curse of all curses, and because there can never be another Ryomen Sukuna, those who either lust over or quiver under his skill flock to serve him.
Sukuna remembers the rule of court, the vast number of servants and concubines at his disposal. Hell, to this day, he still looks to Uraume and sees what unyielding loyalty and respect can come from the power that he harbors. Sukuna could not ever possibly forget the influence of his skill, for it follows him into every time and into every place and into every stunned reaction he gets when sorcerers or non-sorcerers alike bear witness to his greatness.
A being like this has no humility, no empathy. Sukuna does not know what it is to lose, what it is to feel small, for he is by far one of the most powerful entities to roam the earth. He knows no struggle to survive.
And above all, a being like this does not know what it means to be undesired.
Women especially adore Sukuna for his talents, for power is an incredible aphrodisiac. It inspires the feminine urge to be dominated, to be led, to be protected. It breeds fantasies of lavish lives spent by his side, of living worry-free, solely to cater to a king's demands. Sukuna is attractive in an intimidating way, for his true presence is alien-like and massive yet enticing and intriguing. He is all muscle, strange, alluring demonic marks imprinted about his tan skin, and piercing eyes red as blood. He is wild hair, doubled limbs, and a seductive horror to look at but it is impossible to look away.
Back in the Heian Era, Sukuna had his fun with countless groveling, needy women. He would use them, soak up their lascivious affections, then throw them to the side to make room for more. To be a concubine for Ryomen Sukuna a millennium ago was considered a prize, but now, he does not think of them. For no amount of drooling from women could amount to the way you treat him.
And you... well, how would Sukuna describe you.
You are just as desperate as his old concubines, he would say, but you are proud in your desperation. The demon, in all his years, has never encountered a woman so devoted, so attached, so completely intoxicated with her love for him. Uraume would even agree, for you are head over heels enamored with the King of Curses, and he is sure that his power is one of many reasons to blame for your obsession.
And yes, you would admit so freely. There is something about his otherwordly spirit that draws you to him like a moth to a flame. You should have been scared of him after witnessing the horrors that he can commit, but instead, you would watch him lay siege to an entire city and feel your knees wobble in response.
Not out of fear, but of astonishment and hunger. He possesses skill that you have never seen anywhere before in your entire life, and though he puts that skill to heinous use, you don't care. You fawn over him, his mercilessness, how he can wipe out buildings and people alike with such ease, how a simple look into a victim's direction can send them screaming and begging for mercy, how even against the mightiest foe, he prevails, unscathed, undefeated.
God, you ache for it - for the most powerful of all time to tame you, to rattle you, to bore his eyes into your very soul and pick you apart from the inside. You want him to toss you about with his four burly arms yet seize you possessively as you watch the world burn at his hand. You want the thrill, the uncertainty, the flutter in your stomach paired with the anxious thumping of your heart when he'd gather you up with one hand and throw you over his shoulder, carrying you to your fate of punishment. You want him to put you in a your place, you want to please him, you want to stick beside him as his power reigns down over everyone beneath him.
How you love his strength, how you love his indifference, how you love the thought that he could break you at any second but would never dare to, not the way he would do so to others in an instant.
Sukuna, in turn, takes you very seriously because you do the same to him. You are his one. You exhibit fierce loyalty to him as if it's your calling, and Sukuna applauds that about you. In fact, it turns him on. The way you stare up at him with those big (e/c) eyes as bloody hands tug you to his chest by your waist, orbs twinkling with delight in awe. The way you praise him, follow him around, touch his arm, his face, and whatever it is he has resembling a soul.
You are stupid in loving him, and he likes it. He likes how unapologetic it makes you, how beautiful you look adoring him.
Fire rages in the background, sirens wailing and civilians sobbing as the two of you sway in each other's arms on the highest rooftop of the one tall building still standing.
You giggle as Sukuna raises your hand high in his to twirl you about, catching you by the small of your back and dipping you over the ledge. You squeal with glee, hair whipping about in the wind as lights the size of dots dance beneath you from the streets. Sukuna surveys you in this position, how close you are to death, safe only by his hold, and how you do not mind.
You look thrilled, a beam as bright as the sun gracing your face and your neck craning to tilt your head back even further, a freeing energy capturing your essence as your thigh hikes up to hook over his torso. He catches it, and bubbly laughter sprinkles from you again. You lift your hands from his shoulders and into the sky, closing your eyes and taking in the high breeze.
You're crazy, Sukuna thinks to himself as his lidded eyes mull you over. You are absolutely insane, inching yourself closer to a more than deathly fall by placing all of your trust in him, but it's not just that. You love this feeling, the risk of a lethal fate. You love the notion that it would only take one wrong move to let you go flying, plummeting down for what would feel like decades toward the concrete. You especially love that it is Sukuna controlling these stakes, holding you, dangling you, and god, you are fucking crazy but that is exactly what the demon loves about you.
He loves your nonsensical sense of adventure, your carelessness of death or life, your eagerness to place your life in such tainted hands. He loves how twisted your desires are, how you so long to be dominated by such an evil presence, to be enveloped into his chaos. It makes him yearn. It makes him crave you. And he does not know why, what it is about you that numbs him in turn.
Silently, slowly, like the tail of a venomous snake slipping around the abdomen tightly, Sukuna swoops his neck down to capture your lips in his. You immediately moan sweetly, flinging your arms up around his neck as he suspends you into the air, a pair of arms keeping you close to his bare chest and the other gripping your head. Your legs are around his side, locking as he ravages your mouth, slipping his tongue into your own and swirling about. You let it overpower yours as you let him take you in this kiss, his leg propping onto the ledge as he holds you for dear life over it.
You feel as though you are floating, gliding through the clouds as your lips tango with hell, and oh, how your heart lurches, your stomach flutters, and your legs shake. You are pathetic with desperation as Sukuna's teeth clash into yours, as a hand moves around your neck to keep your lips connected, to allow him to tilt his head and smother his lips into yours deeper, harder.
Clouds of smoke and the scent of ash dance around you, distant screams filling the tragic ambience. Both of you swoon.
It does not take long before Sukuna's lips are crushing down over your neck and ripping into your chest once they pop free from yours. Your jaw falls open as you help him tear your shirt apart as best as you can. Hot red marks sear into your skin, and Sukuna makes you hold his gaze as his fingers rush to your pants.
"Hold on as tight as you possibly can," he says, one set of arms holding you while the other strips you free. "Do not dare look away from me."
You nod dumbly, cloudy eyes stuck to his. You're so obedient. Desperately, dementedly compliant and Sukuna feels himself fall for you all the more, the animalistic urge to take and own you surging through his veins and down to his crotch.
You blink and suddenly, you're rounds of pounding in, head flopping about as Sukuna slams up into you, bouncing your body down onto his cocks mid-air. Your nails dig into his skin hard enough to draw the blood trickling down his back, your brows pinch upward, and your teary eyes hold his just like he had ordered them to. He growls, grunts, fucking tears his eyes away to duck down into you and bite down onto your neck. You scream, your cries of pleasure surging into the night sky above you and out across the wasted city, and you chant his name like it's the only prayer you know, leaking and clenching tightly around his monstrous girths.
Power. It is a dangerous thing. The power Sukuna holds over the world, over you, and the power you in turn have over him.
You would let Sukuna doom you, having spent a happy life of being in his presence. You would let him ruin your life, curse you, kill you, and you don't mind. You love him like he hung the moon and the stars, like he granted you life itself.
And Sukuna, the most powerful curse to inhabit the planet, the most evil entity that this universe could conjure, loves you and your fierce, brainless allegiance all the same.
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thenationofzaun · 7 months ago
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Arcane Season 2: Episode 7 rant
"Arcane Season 2 may have been rushed but episode 7 was the best of the series!" "Arcane 2x7 was so beautiful and the closest to Season 1's vibes!" "Episode 7 was the only good part of Season 2!"
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Anyway, Episode 7 was terrible and here's why:
- Multiverses are a sign of creative bankruptcy. Leave shit like that for fanfiction. Or at the very least, non-canon supplementary material. Highjacking an entire episode of the FINAL act for an AU "what if?" in an already rushed and overstuffed season was an idiotic choice. They essentially left only 2 episodes for Act 3 to resolve a multitude of different plotlines, character arcs, and relationships. All for "alternate timeline" drivel that caters to the lowest common denominator.
- The Piltover/Zaun conflict resolution shown in this episode is incredibly insulting. The way a show writer explains it (1:49:00), Vi's death and martyrdom makes people from both cities reevaluate their lives and come together to build a better future. This is implied by Marcus's devastated face when he finds Powder crying over Vi's dead body. This tragedy apparently made Piltover see the error of their ways and decide to turn over a new leaf. In this timeline, Silco also found the apology letter Vander wrote him and forgave Vander. Let's break down why this is insulting. The very first scene of the series shows enforcers brutally killing Zaunites on the bridge without any remorse, and in front of their children. When the kids blow up Jayce's lab, the enforcers chase them down and attempt to arrest them, despite them being kids. Later, Marcus and his enforcers ruthlessly abuse and threaten Zaunites while looking for the children, whom he refers to as "four sump rats". Piltover's Council have no problem with this, as every single one of them bar Heimerdinger urges the enforcers to "turn the Undercity upside down". Marcus later throws Vi into a horrible dark shithole of a prison where she is tortured for years while he lives a cushy life as Sheriff in Piltover. Yeah. So the idea that the death of one "sump rat" would make this 200-year old corrupt, classist, authoritarian and evil government who, up till now, have never given a single fuck about the children of Zaun, turn a new leaf is laughable. Remember when Aang suggested showing Firelord Ozai baby photos to make him good again and everyone rightfully laughed at him? How is a show for 7 year olds more mature than this so-called adult show? This isn't even touching how offensive it is that the lesbian kid's death makes the world a paradise. It was not intentionally homophobic as this plotline was the lesbian writer, Amanda Overton's idea (she said so in the video I linked). But lesbian writer or not, intentional or not, this shit is so sloppy and insulting. Embarrassing that she didn't realize how this would come across in the show.
- People like this episode for Ekko/Jinx shipping fanservice, but their relationship isn't even explored in the main story. This girl Ekko is making out with isn't Jinx. She has been stripped of everything unique about Jinx that actually make her who she is. This is Powder, who's somehow perfectly sane and normal, who has fuckall to do with the Jinx we actually know. Ekko's relationship with our Jinx has zero organic or believable development. He never reacts to her becoming a symbol for Zaun. He never reacts to his Firelight lieutenant's change of heart towards Jinx. He and all the Firelights just suddenly have no problem teaming up with Jinx despite her spending years murdering them and their friends. Jinx never even spared a single thought for Ekko throughout the entire show. She blows him up in 1x07, then never mentions nor thinks about him again until 2x09. If she thinks he's dead, she sure shows zero guilt about it. She doesn't seem to give a fuck about that boy lol. The writers did not have the talent to explore the complexities of this relationship within the main universe, so they crafted a convenient alternate universe where nothing went wrong and absolutely nothing too dark or complicated stands in the way of an Ekko/Jinx romance. Because who needs writing that actually grapples with the complexity of a broken friendship and two people who have hurt each other irreparably, when you can just make them kiss in an uncomplicated, unchallenging, unserious lighthearted AU? This is supposed to be the tragic romance everyone's raving about? "Ekko/Jinx would work so well if Jinx wasn't Jinx and was a completely different character😍" Lol.
- "Didn't he try to kill you?!" Who are you talking to Ekko? If you are talking to Silco, then this is a massive plot hole. Ekko shouldn't know that Vander tried to kill Silco. According to Season 1, that shit took place in the far past and Vander never told anyone about it, owing to the fact that the kids had no idea who Silco was. Season 2 retcons that and says that Vander tried to kill Silco after the bridge incident and the kids all knew Silco, which is a blatant plot hole that contradicts Season 1. If Ekko's talking to Vander and Silco just assumed he was talking to him, that makes a bit more sense. But it doesn't explain why none of the characters question why this kid who's known them for years is asking bizarre offensive questions that he should already know the answers to. Instead of "the greatest thing we can do in life is find the power to forgive" corny ass bullshit line, Silco should have said "Excuse me? We've been together for years and you've never had an issue before. Why bring up such a thing now? Is there something wrong, Ekko?" Same goes for Powder forgiving Ekko so quick after the horribly offensive shit he said to her for no reason, that he didn't give any explanation for ("Vi's dead? Was it you??!!!").
- Powder being revealed to still have the Hex crystals at the end of the episode. Let me get this straight: Powder accidentally drops a Hex crystal that explodes the building. This gets Vi killed. Enforcers arrive at the scene and find all the kids. Presumably, they know that the kids were there robbing the place. They never search the kids and confiscate the other crystals from Powder? What do they even think caused the explosion? Do they never investigate? Why are the remnants of the exploded crystal STILL embedded into the wall for Ekko to find? If the enforcers found it, they would surely have removed it right? You mean to tell me they either knowingly left that extremely dangerous shit there, or they never even found them in the first place? 100/10 logic.
- Powder being a perfectly healthy and sane girl despite growing up in Zaun, witnessing the death of her parents, and inadvertently causing the death of her beloved sister (remember, it was Powder who accidentally dropped the crystal which then exploded). This is a Powder who was already very insecure, already being belittled by Mylo, and already desperately attached to her sister. Powder who was already having hallucinations on the bridge as a toddler, and then in episode 3 when she's left alone in the Last Drop, before accidentally killing Mylo and Claggor. You're telling me this Powder accidentally kills HER SISTER VI, and she grows up fine with no guilt? Her guilt over killing Mylo and Claggor was crippling. You could argue that Mylo learned the error of his ways and comforted Powder, no one disparagingly called her a "jinx" ever again, and everyone raised her with love. Except...... Silco did all of those things in Season 1, and she still struggled with guilt and psychosis. Damn, I guess it really was The Big Bad Man at the root of all her mental health problems. Fuck complex gray writing I guess. Season 1 shows us that she already had hallucinations as a small child and in episode 3 before the deaths of Mylo and Claggor. But here in this AU she has none? I guess there really were anti-psychotic drugs and therapy in Piltover all along, which they generously shared with the sump rat who exploded a building instead of throwing her in jail like their pre-character assassination Season 1 selves would have done. And Vander, Silco, Mylo, and Claggor all somehow gained amazing skills at raising a traumatized mentally ill child riddled with guilt from accidentally killing her sister, and their combined efforts with the help of Piltovian Mental Health Awareness campaigns cured all of Powder's mental problems. Hurrah.
- Heimerdinger's pointless death that nobody ever mentions or cares about ever again. Jayce and Viktor never find out about it. He was their mentor for years. The character assassination of Heimerdinger in general was insane. In Season 1, he was staunchly against the Hexcore and wanted to destroy it, citing the devastating Rune Wars that he is a traumatized survivor of. Just seeing the Hexcore was enough to give him flashbacks. He pointed out the danger of the Hextech gemstone. He was booted off the Council by Jayce, which was a huge dramatic betrayal, and prompted him to travel to the Undercity and face the product of his failings as a ruler. And in Season 2? He never reacts to the Council's death who were bombed WITH THE HEXTECH GEMSTONE. Three of his colleagues fucking died and he's cracking shitty jokes. (Who even found it funny when Heimerdinger snuck into the lab then kept dropping shit and saying "ball sockets!" Who is this humour for? Three year olds?) He doesn't have any opinions on Jayce using the Hexcore, the thing he was so terrified of, to save Viktor's life. His reaction to Viktor now being fused with the Hexcore is non-existent. He and Jayce never discuss the betrayal nor the Council nor the current political situation between Piltover and Zaun. Viktor ascends to godhood and looks very reminiscent of the destructive mages in Heimer's flashbacks, but Heimer never reacts to this either. What a fucking waste. His death in episode 7 was contrived and meaningless.
- Mage Viktor letting Jayce suffer and go insane for weeks surviving off scraps, then walk for miles and climb up to the top of the Hexgate on a broken leg, all to meet Mage Viktor anyway. Why didn't this mf just immediately reveal himself to Jayce, tell him everything, help him up to the top of the Hexgate and show him all the petrified bodies, and give him the Mercury Hammer? He needed Jayce to do all that shit by himself because? I swear Mage Viktor's convoluted time-travelling plan makes less sense the more you think about it.
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clownakai · 8 months ago
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Hi! Let's talk about: Conan's terribly kept secret, and how come he doesn't seem to mind that Akai has pretty much figured it out (and teases him about it)
I'm not going to lie, I think about this a lot and I've wanted to make a post dissecting the whole thing for a while. It's one of those details within two characters' relationship that says a lot about their overall dynamic, in my opinion.
So, to start off, let's address the secret in question and what it means to Conan. Basic stuff, but it's a useful starting point.
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The first and greatest motivation behind Shinichi's efforts to keep his situation a secret from Ran is that he doesn't want to endanger her (good idea in theory, not so easy in practice, but this post isn't about that).
In time, this also becomes valid for everyone who associates with Kudou Shinichi and/or Edogawa Conan, given all the stunts he pulls as the latter. Just to be on the safer side, those two identities should remain separate.
Now, here's the first real "outsider" who figures out Conan is Shinichi.
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I'm kind of reading this as Conan attempting to call Hattori's bluff, but as soon as he realizes that the guy is serious about telling Ran everything, he drops all pretenses and comes clean about the APTX.
Now, since this is still pretty early on in the manga, we can argue that Conan's identity hasn't been solidified just yet and Shinichi doesn't know how dangerous the Organization actually is, and combining that with the fact that Hattori is pretty much a stranger, the pros of conceding defeat on the matter and explaining himself to a fellow detective definitely outweigh the cons.
(This also gifts us with the funniest swaggest most whimsical duo ever, but I digress /silly)
And after Heiji, we have the man, the myth, the legend. Hondou Eisuke. His case is kind of particular, in that he doesn't really try to get the secret out of Conan. The truth is presented to him due to something unrelated (asking Ran out), which is apparently reason enough for Shinichi to out himself.
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I do believe that Shinichi felt secure enough in doing this for a couple reasons: first and foremost, Eisuke is at least marginally aware of the Organization and the danger it represents, and he knows the importance of keeping secrets given both his sister's situation and his career choice. Secondly, Eisuke is leaving Japan: sure, there's a chance he might stay in contact with his friends via text, but he has no reason to tell Ran about Conan's real identity in the first place.
The real "danger" here was the possibility (very, very small. Basically non-existent, to be honest) that Ran would say yes to Eisuke's proposal to go to the States together (where, in Shinichi's mind, he wouldn't be able to follow, where he wouldn't be able to watch over her, where he felt he would lose her in every way that matters), and that chance, no matter how small, warranted an intervention. Not exactly pure logic, but that's teenagers for you (affectionate).
Alright, so what about people like Masumi? She even has an advantage in that she already knows about the existence of a drug that makes people shrink: her own mom looks like a middle schooler because of that. She's in danger no matter how you look at it, and she's clearly been keeping that secret the same way Agasa, Hattori, and the Kudous have for a good while. So how come she doesn't get to join the club?
The answer is, of course, the risk factor.
Masumi, as we all know, wouldn't know the meaning of subtlety if it hit her in the face with a baseball bat. We love and cherish her regardless, but admittedly, that's not a trait that would inspire trust in a pair of teenagers hiding their continued existence from an evil syndicate.
That's right! We have her timing to keep in mind as well. Masumi is added to the scene well into the main timeline's events, which means multiple things:
Conan's identity is finally well-established and separate from Shinichi's. Ran has had her suspicions in multiple instances, but they've been assuaged every time. Still, that balance is hard to maintain.
Shinichi is now fully aware of just how dangerous the Organization is: he's now much more reluctant to just share his secret willy-nilly with random strangers, even though they might prove to be useful allies in the long run.
Conan isn't the only shrunk teenager running around anymore: Haibara has just as much reason as him, if not more, to want to keep the number of people in the know as low as possible. By revealing his own secret, there would be virtually no way for Shinichi to keep Haibara out of the metaphorical line of fire.
Therefore, a variable that behaves like this...
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Or this...
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Isn't very likely to garner much favor from either of these two.
Something to take note of, though, is the fact that Conan pretty much only ever panics when Masumi brings up his identity if she's making an active effort to also bring the matter up with people who are firmly on the "Absolutely Cannot Find Out" list (Ran especially).
In multiple other instances, when Masumi alludes to being aware of Conan's ruse but talks to him one-on-one and makes it clear that the comment is a one-off occasion (and that she's not going to push it this time), Shinichi doesn't really lose his cool.
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He may stumble over his words a bit, but the moment isn't played as dramatic or high-risk, per se. It's more as if he were being privately teased about his situation— sort of like as inside joke. It's not exactly welcome, but it also doesn't raise any alarm bells since it stays between him and Masumi.
Now, would Conan's problems with Masumi's nosiness be solved if he gave up and admitted the truth she already knows? Of course, but that's not really the point.
The issue is that this wouldn't be happening on his terms. He would be giving in to someone's else's demands, and in addition to that, Masumi has been asking non-stop about the antidote that Shinichi intermittently uses to get back to normal.
That, above all else, is what makes the endless dance of denial necessary, I think: admitting the truth also means outright admitting that prototypes of an antidote exist, and that means exposing Haibara (both her past work and therefore criminal background, and what she's been working on these past few months: letting Masumi have even a single pill would mean the MI6 getting their hands on it in turn, and that's pretty much not something anyone wants), which in turn would probably set off a very unpleasant chain reaction for everyone involved.
When Shinichi conceded defeat with Hattori, it wasn't on his terms either, but at least he knew the guy didn't really have any ulterior motive apart from his one-sided beef with the Detective of the East.
With Masumi there is no such certainty— quite the opposite, in fact, which is why I think this is the reason he's been so insistent on denying the truth even when he now knows full well that Masumi's can be no mere suspicions.
With all that said, let's get to the point of this bad boy! (I did not think this analysis would get so long. Holy shit)
Let's start with the fact that Akai operates on a pretty simple need-to-know basis. If something isn't relevant to what he's trying to do, he tends not to mention it. Still, he's not exactly strict about this: when Conan mentions Akai and Masumi's familial relation, he takes it in stride and gives his own confirmation because he sees no reason not to.
Now, this of course doesn't mean that he can't get curious about things himself, or that he won't conduct his own investigations on said things. His M.O., however, is very different from that of, say, Hattori or Masumi. It can probably be chalked up to maturity and years of experience, along with the simple matter of his personality, but Akai doesn't exactly make a spectacle of things.
He knows when to push and when to let go in a manner that still gives him the answers he seeks. He easily manipulates Conan into giving himself away as Shinichi while still making sure to be the only one witnessing that moment.
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And then he decides to be a bastard and give Conan a heart attack... for about a tenth of a second, since as he does that he also carefully words things in order to give the kid an easy out.
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All Akai wanted was to figure out the mystery in front of him (he's by admission a curious guy. He likes solving puzzles): now that he has his answers, he's not really going to do anything with them because he has no reason to— Conan is already willing to cooperate with him and the FBI (and has already done so before), after all. They already share intel more or less freely. He's literally living in the kid's house. For free. Why would he jeopardize any of that by falling out of favor with him?
This, I think, is a pretty solid basis upon which I can build my beautiful sandcastle.
Of the couple times in which Akai respectively asks Conan about his identity outright and mildly teases him about his circumstances, the context always plays a huge role.
In the first scenario, the two are speaking in public, yes, but at the same time the conversation is:
Pretty much kept private
Initiated by Conan (he asked for information first!)
Framed as a proposal of a mutual exchange by Akai, who also backs off immediately as soon as Conan turns him down
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Of course, Shinichi is already reasonably sure Akai has him figured out anyway, so the point is moot, but it's still nice to get plausible deniability and still be somewhat in control of when he's going to come clean to the guy of his own volition.
In the second scenario, the situation is even more "secure" so to speak, as:
They're sitting in Okiya Subaru's car
They're completely alone
They're in a hurry to do something else (God fucking dammit, Shuukichi)
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In this case, Conan doesn't outright react to the jab. Maybe it's because he doesn't really know what to say, or maybe it's just that he doesn't have enough time to come up with a reply before Shuukichi picks up the call. Either way, he does perhaps look a little put on the spot, but there's no real panicked reaction, no telltale change in what Conan's pupils look like in true DetCo fashion, which I'd say confirms he doesn't feel threatened at the moment.
(If we really must give it a critical interpretation, maybe the bit feels a little like a joke falling flat because it was made during an otherwise tense moment and it has nothing to do with the bigger issue.)
It's also worth noting how Akai's dig directly ties into his own circumstances, which possibly helps with lowering the "offensive" charge of the words. It's not a direct accusation, but rather a mildly humorous, harmless observation about their shared status (presumed dead by the enemy).
The biggest thing about both scenes is still, however, the fact that Akai unfailingly frames the subject in a way that leaves the choice of whether to actually talk about it completely up to Conan. He definitely recognizes his position as privileged/advantaged, but actively chooses not to make use of that, and he hasn't treated Conan any differently ever since verifying his suspicions either.
(Sidenote: I do believe that keeping the kid's identity from his own colleagues is also a strategic choice. Like I mentioned before, outing Conan would mean outing Haibara, and I do believe Akai's promise to protect Shiho also includes keeping her far away from any government agency who may be interested in what she knows— and what she's done.)
In conclusion: I am extremely normal about random interactions between these two and also I think that Conan's unshakeable trust in Akai stems from how the guy has been treating him ever since they started collaborating— with genuine respect (and even admiration) and never actually making him feel cornered the way so many others do, whether intentionally or not. This results in occasional sillygoofy privileges because Akai can recognize the time and the place in which it's acceptable to tease the Cone.
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starry-bi-sky · 1 year ago
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DPxDC Masterpost
Almost all of my DPDC posts have the #Danny Fenton is Not the Ghost King tags, barring perhaps my earliest aus like my Thomas Wayne Au (which will be included in the post). This tag includes art i've made, asks i've answered, and non-fic au posts I've created. This is my main tag!
DPxDC posts under the main tag that don't have their own tag: Danny's Life-Changing Cross-Dimensional Roadtrip with A De-Aged Batman Danny is also Bruce Wayne (Starry goes back to their middle school roots) Danny being the first batkid (if i can get the creative juices flowing I will expand on this. mark my words) There is a Damian clone LOOSE in Amity Park. Oh wait, Danny's got him.
My Biggest DPxDC Aus #Danny Fenton is a Clone: all my posts talking about clone!Danny.
Clone Danny Masterpost: previously my pinned post. A no-powers au where Danny is also a clone of Bruce Wayne, also includes some clone^2
#Clone^2: Clone Damian + Clone Danny au combined, explores themes like identity, found family, and growing into your own as a person. Starting post Here.
#Childhood Friends Au or #Cfau: A childhood friends dead on main au that explores grief, how it may change a person, and how growing up in Crime Alley changed Danny. Contains heavier themes like smoking and mild violence.
#Danyal Al Ghul Au: No longer just my "older brother danyal" au, instead it hosts all of my Danyal Al Ghul aus! An excuse for me to delve into the psychological effects that growing up in the League would have on Danny that I don't really see in other DAG aus. Putting the 'assassin' in 'raised by assassins'. Now with a secondary masterpost listing all of my DAG aus!
My Minor DPxDC Aus Danny Fenton is Thomas Wayne: an oldie but a goodie! An reveal gone wrong au where Danny decides to go by his middle name 'Thomas' shortly after the events of TUE, and leaves Amity Park two years later. He finds out that Vlad cloned him again and finds an infant in the lab. Danny takes the baby, names him Bruce, and ends up adopted by the Waynes.
#Danny Fenton is Jason Todd au: An au where Danny is Jason Todd! He was adopted by the Fentons shortly after the events of the carjacking.
#Older Brother Danny: contains all of my aus where Danny is an Older Brother. This currently includes only my DAG posts but it's not limited to Danyal Al Ghul.
#Changeling Danny: a half-ghost? oh, wait, no. that's a changeling. even worse! Danny's got latent fey blood from a Fenton getting freaky with a faerie some dozen generations ago, and it reactivated with a fervor when he had his accident! Instead of a halfa, he became one of the Fair Folk.
#Blood blossom au: currently the name for the time being. A Nightingale/First Batkid au where Vlad poisons Danny with blood blossom extract, and it results in Danny running to Batman! Currently only one post, but it has a lot of branching pathways in the reblogs. Batdad centered! Now comes with its own fanfic!
#tales of the passerine: the official au name for my "Danny being the first batkid" post! This au is what inspired changeling Danny. It's the idea that Danny was the first to be adopted by Bruce, and features me favoring batdad over "lmfao Danny goes fuck you bruce and adopts the other kids" au. Because I want batdad.
(Nightingale is, so far, the official vigilante name for the Eldest Batkid Danny concept on my blog.)
#mother of monsters danny: specifically its mother of monsters dan but i digress. I was messing around with my fem!Danyal au and boom! Her evil timeline self is Layal, the terrifying Mother of Monsters who raises any manner of monstrous beasts. I love her <3
#martha knight au same song, different dance! This is a fem danny version of my aforementioned "Danny is Thomas Wayne" au. Except this time around, Danny is Martha! Arguably my favorite between the two, I feel like I'm able to do more with her than Thomas. Her au's vibe is After All by Christine Ebersole
Bonus Excerpt: a ficlet I made in response to a DPxDC Dead on Main prompt! It's not under the main tag as I didn't make the post, however it can be found if you search #fem danny fenton on my blog. I actually really love this idea so I may make it its own tag in the future.
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incorrectsmashbrosquotes · 9 months ago
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Rating Non-Zelink and Non-BotW Link Ships in Legend of Zelda Games because they don't get enough love
Malink; Malon x Link: Adorable and somewhat canon depending on who you think TP Link's parents are and what timeline shenanigans you subscribe to. Link's first non-Kokiri friend turning into his soulmate is cute and finding peace after the craziness of OoT is beautiful. Also, Malon is cute as a button. 11/10, love you, funky Horsegirl.
Ilia x Link: Pretty good but feels too much like a reskin of Malink to be really fun. People give Ilia grief for freaking out about Epona but it really isn't fucking deserved. Girl get's done dirty by the narrative and the fandom and she deserves better. Also, memory loss and falling in love all over again is absolute peak. 9/10, you deserve better, baby.
Marin x Link: A child's first taste of tragic ending and hot girls being doomed by the narrative. Very child friendly "Calypso and Odysseus" feel to this one. Still, Marin is absolutely adorable and the idea of falling in love with a literal dream is heartbreaking. 10/10, would cry like a little kid again.
Link x Ruto: Okay, hear me out, this one isn't terrible. Ruto's chld-like crush on the guy who saved her life is pretty cute and being a haughty teenager about it is pretty funny. Also, she understands they can't be together, and sends him off with her love and good wishes, which is surprisingly mature of her. I'm just saying, Ruto isn't the weirdo people make her out to be. 7/10, it still feels like entrapment
Midlink; Midna x Link: TOP TIER! BEST OF THE BEST! ABSOLUTE PEAK ROMANCE! Romeo and Juliet style star-crossed lovers from literal opposing sides of reality. Allies of convenience to friends to soulmates?! PEAK! Adorable evil goblin design for most of the game and then complete knockout reveal at the end?! ROMANCE DOOMED BY THE NARRATIVE?! PEAK, I TELL YOU! PEAK! (Also I headcannon that because Midna looks like a Hylian she's considered ugly by Twili standards so Link finding her beautiful warms her heart). 20/10, best ship, best girl, best love story.
Ganlink; Ganondorf x Link: Objectively the funniest Legend of Zelda ship in existence and I will take no arguments on that. Destined enemies giving the middle finger to fate and falling in love instead? Amazing. Ganondorf hates every minute of it but he's also the happiest he's ever been with this stupid twink and he hates that too. 10/10, something something the Grinch's heart grew three sizes that day.
Link x Zant: Objectively hilarious as Link is seducing his enemies into submission yet again, like any self-respecting bard, but this one feels a little too Batman x Joker like for my liking. I really ship Zant x Therapy but Midna watching her rival give up his conquering ambitions for a twink is objectively hilarious. 8/10, not great but not bad.
Got others you want me to rate? Let me know! Or better yet, rate them yourself and I'll tell you if I agree or not.
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meggahamicide · 1 year ago
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Okay, i've decided that i'm just gonna drop/dump some lore on Vermin, so if you're interested, read below! It's really long!
...o.0.O.0.o...
Personality:
Like canon-Leo's head-cannons, Vermin hides his true emotions behind a smile, but their differences are in the execution. Vermin's smiles are more wicked, more cruel, and he find amusement in making people fear him, having experience in getting people to listen to him by intimidating them.
He pretends to be indifferent to how the brothers act around him, but always keeps an eye out for any signs that they aren't as they say they are. Donnie specifically.
Big emotions are a no-no, so he hides them behind a passive face, empty of anything he's feeling so he can convince those he's talking with that he feels nothing, that he is unaffected by any stressors and anxiety. If anything get's too overwhelming, he retreats to a hidden corner to wait it out and tries not to remember how Draxum treated him when he let his emotions get the better of him.
Because he was raise without certain privileges, he gets extremely giddy around new experiences, such as sampling new foods and trying out video games and skateboarding. It's probably the only time he lets his guard down because he's so entranced by whatever is happening he forgets that he's not supposed to be showing emotion.
...o.0.O.0.o...
Relationships:
Raphael:
With Raph, Vermin just doesn't know how to deal with him. An injury brings Vermin to the lair and Raph is the one who heals him, but Vermin in uncertain whether or not he can trust someone with such obvious strength he can easily use to harm Vermin. He doesn't understand why Raph is so kind nervous when he could dominate his enemies.
Michelangelo:
Mikey is the one Vermin accepts the easiest other than April. Mikey has a way to handle Vermin without being too invasive and without threatening the slider in any way shape or form and eventually shows Vermin that there is kindness that is not expected to be repaid. He also helps Vermin lean into his chaotic mindset without it becoming harmful to others, like teaching him how to prank the other brothers.
And of course, Vermin loves trying his food, so Mikey basically tempts the slider like he might a feral cat.
Donatello:
Donnie is the one Vermin has the hardest time accepting. He's convinced he can easily beat the soft-shell in a fight, but once he discovers that Donnie is a scientist, he becomes wary of him, skittish and uncomfortable whenever he's around. He knows that there are other ways to get someone to obey than simply fighting.
It takes Donnie being patient and showing him that he means no harm over time that earns his trust. The softshell just has to break through the notion that all scientist are evil and only seek to destroy that which is closest to them. Donnie even goes as far as to promise to never let anything happen to Vermin ever again.
April O'Neil:
The first one to show kindness when Vermin leaves Draxum's lab. She shows the slider a side of society that he was being deprived of when he was with Draxum, helping him see that there is a place for everyone, that things don't need to hurt to be beneficial. She pretty much forcefully adopts him as her little brother and is even protective of him when he interacts with her other brothers.
Baron Draxum:
Was raised by Draxum. More info in the timeline.
...o.0.O.0.o...
Timeline:
Content Warnings: blood and injury, references to child abuse, loss of limb, needles, non-consensual drug use (kind of), non-consensual experimentation and surgery.
It gets dark, so be cautious of the warnings!
Age 0-4:
In the beginning, Lou Jitsu, later known as Splinter, only rescues three of the turtles, who eventually go by the name Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo. The remaining turtle, identified by his red markings, is picked up by Baron Draxum before the lab explodes, destroying his life work. The only remaining bit of his research is the tiny creature small enough in the palm of his hand.
Quick to find a place to stay and recover, the Baron begins working to piece together his research using his subject. He starts a book, scribbling down anything worth noting and refraining from any larger tests besides bloodwork and skin-scraping until the subject is larger, better able to withstand any more intrusive tests.
He begins raising the creature, claiming it as his own.
Age 5-8:
Called by the title Red, the slider reaches acceptable cognizance to begin training by the age of five. He is small, just below the Baron's knee, but he is intelligent enough to understand complex problem solving and language. Weapons training is less successful than desired, but that could be related to the subject's weaker limbs and child-like nature.
Baron Draxum is relentless in his education, always prepared to deliver swift punishment should Red be unable to comply with his desires. Red hates the punishment, often times covered in bruises from the extra training or with a headache from spending his nights in 'The Room,' but he is just as stubborn as his guardian, if not more so. He always seeks to make his boss proud, ignoring the voice that always tells him he's not strong enough, not good enough. Baron Draxum always has a reason for saying things like that, so Red knows he just has to try harder.
He's not exactly sure what a human is, but the Baron is convinced that he needs to kill them all.
Every other week, the Baron brings Red to another room where he 'collects samples.' Red doesn't know what they're for, but he's seen the elder gather some of his freshly peeled chutes and teeth when they fall off, always writing in that journal with a little turtle drawn on the front.
One night, when he's just turned eight, Baron Draxum leaves in a hurry. He's gone for hours, leaving Red to his own devices and wondering if maybe the yokai had finally got bored of him, wondering if he just left him behind because he couldn't satisfy him. Red tries not to listen to the little voice in his head that says maybe that's a good thing, maybe it's better if he stays gone.
Red doesn't see him until the next day, well into the night, and suddenly, he regrets ever thinking those nasty things of his guardian. The yokai is hunched by the door, missing an arm and looking very tired. Red runs to him, but the Baron doesn't even acknowledge him, holding a towel to his stump.
Red is crying. He knows he shouldn't, knows that tears mean weakness, but he's afraid for his boss, afraid of what is happening, because that's a lot of blood. He feels something well up in his chest as he sits next to his guardian, the feeling swelling into his lungs and arms, weaving through his bones and into his fingers, bright, blue light zapping over his fingers. Something guides his hand, pressing them against the yokai's injury and forcing the light into him.
He heals Baron Draxum.
Baron Draxum looks at him like he's solved the world's problems.
Age 9-10:
Test after test after test. Red is sure he's never been through so many tests, but he finally sees the Baron's pride and he wants to impress him, so he doesn't complain when the needle digs too far, or when the scalpel scrapes a little to much skin. This new power is good, that's all he knows. Baron Draxum calls it mystic energy, says that it was a power he was seeking all along, so Red doesn't complain when all of the test make him tired enough to pass out, or make him cry himself to sleep because his chest aches from how long he had to work. Baron Draxum is proud, proud enough to give him a portal sword and teach him how to use it, proud enough to hand him a pair of tonfa and guide him through the motions of building a shield, proud enough to smile when Red uses the kusari-fundo for the first time.
Red trains his new skill until he's sick, until he can't stand, until he can't feel the first time Baron Draxum uses that strange, green liquid on him.
Baron Draxum was proud.
Age 11-13:
Red is pretty sure his name isn't Red any more. It's Vermin. At least, that's what the Baron has started to call him.
Ever since he stopped being able to use mystic energy without fainting, Baron Draxum has stopped using that old name. Now he was a pest, a creature incapable of healing, or portaling, or simply making things float. He is weak.
Baron did something while he was sedated; took apart his plastron and looked around inside. Vermin thinks he was looking for what was so wrong with him, why everything the slider does ends up in failure. He now has a shiny new plate of metal on his chest and a paranoia of falling asleep.
He lost count the amount of times he was put to sleep, but every time he woke to something different, and injection of mutagen transforming his body while he was so out of it he couldn't even open his eyes. His toes and fingers become more flexible, grow sharp talons attributed to some sort of owl. His tongue becomes forked, able to scent things by merely breathing. His hearing and eyesight become sharper, a fox's DNA granting him night vision. He becomes stronger, faster, more agile, but it's never enough.
Vermin's starting to think that it never was going to be enough.
Vermin is awake when Baran Draxum puts in the ports, ignoring how painful it is and preferring to strap Vermin to a table while he digs into the slider's neck and arms, leaving six, shiny new devices embedded in his skin. The Baron has Vermin carry around a canister of green liquid on his back, a 'empyrean variant' he said, and with a click of a button, the canister sprouts tubes that dig into his ports, releasing the substance into his bloodstream. It hurts, floods his system with fire, but Vermin was used to pain. Now he just has a few more scars to show for it.
The substance grants him more power, more strength, more speed. His senses, already sharp, become that much more, overwhelming his sensory intake, but he learns how to fight past the side-effects. Missions outside of the lab become easier, training obstacles the Baron create become simple to dispatch, he always hurts but there is no other option.
It's always been the Baron and him, but maybe... maybe it doesn't have to be.
He's tired of hurting, tired to running himself to the ground, tired of covert missions that paint Baron Draxum as the ultimate threat when he's doing all the work, tired to sneaking around New York City in a futile attempt of gathering information that will likely never be useful. He tired of being compared to the experiments that didn't live through the first test, he tired of living up to a trio of dead beings that weren't even strong enough to compete with him. He tired to the punishments, of the bruises, of the empty room, of the nightmares, of the expectations.
He's just tired.
On the morning of his fourteenth year, Vermin comes to the conclusion that Baron Draxum isn't the be-all-end-all, that his ideals do not have to be his own. It fills him with a giddiness that leaves him trembling, his heart pounding.
In the middle of his fourteenth year, Vermin leaves.
Age 14:
The first person Vermin officially meets a human named April O'Neil.
Age 16:
...Vermin is starting to think his name was meant to be Leonardo all along.
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mintmoth · 3 months ago
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Alright I'm gonna ramble about my Bad End AU finally lmao, basically it's a Lusamine Wins/Ultra Beast Fusion style au thing lmao I'll put it under a readmore
Essentially this is a Bad End AU, in the vein of What If Lusamine Won? The main group goes to ultra space but Lusamine wins the battle and the Nihilego descend upon the cast.
I do have Zia managing to try to protect Lillie, though the quick separation of the Nihilego from the host leaves Lillie in a fairy princess like coma for angst reasons sorry Lillie 😔 she gets added to the display of creepy crystalized pokemon. BUT Lusamine herself, Guzma, and Zia are parasitized and essentially fused with Nihilego, making them somewhere between Pokemon and human. They now are full of toxins and have some similar abilities to the Nihilego a la the Lusamine battle, but they also have Standby and Active states aka just when they're more visually human or not. Typically they look more human and are all kind of weirdly emotionally numb due to the overflow of toxins in their bodies, but sometimes will get moments of clarity, like coming out of a long dissociative episode and they're filled with panic at the realization of everything before Nihilego pick up on their heightened emotions and head over to "help" them.
Because I'm taking a page from the manga handbook and Lusamine has taken over Poni island with ultra beasts but also I've added aether paradise to this as the main hub base, with various aether employees who are still loyal to her. Guzma and Zia are also there because something in them feels weirdly loyal to her- same with the Nihilego that just roam the halls, like they have their natural defensive instincts but also pack instincts with each other. REGARDLESS this leaves them at her side as I have affectionately come to refer to them as her guard dogs.
They're both basically left with their worst negative traits heightened, making Guzma more irritable and aggressive, but willing to push himself to the breaking point for praise. He takes on a more active role with Lusamine being approached by various other evil team crap due to how successful she was and Guzma sometimes goes on loan to help when people schmooze up to Lusamine right and need some muscle. This Guzma has definely killed people rip. He has more muscle to him and can use the toxins within him and their natural ability to heighten the host's mood and own abilities to go into an almost berserker state. On the flip side Zia got the Nihilego's ability to look into people's memories and create illusions to make her a more distance based non physical combatant, so she typically stays by Lusamine's side and as such has become this like, weird new surrogate extension of Lusamine's self. Her more negative traits are being very passive and obedient and avoidant because she was raised on the "be seen and not heard" method and that leaves her in a more "you're so well behaved, unlike my unruly children" position with Lusamine.
ON THE FLIP SIDE Hau and Gladion are working together and with the adult cast to try to put an end to Lusamine bringing all this out of control bullshit to Alola and eventually Gladion will be able to at least save Lillie so they can work on figuring out how to wake her up. Honestly I don't have a lot of timeline stuff figured out outside of the premise LMAO
Also to explain the hair color changed real quick- it's another visual signifier for a loss of self as well as just another instance of Lusamine's penchant for prioritizing aesthetics. Zia's hair is naturally white so it's easy to just dye over in more of that weird element of Lusamine regarding her almost like a new well behaved child of hers- while Guzma within all my Zia stuff does have naturally two toned hair that he just dyes and bleaches in spots to make it looks more like an intentional style, so it's easy to dye over in black to unify it, which also shows a loss of his own personality in all this
BUT YEAH it's not super fleshed out but I've been having fun with the idea since it's so different than the normal story for these two
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stu-dyingstudent · 11 months ago
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Sakura Haruno fanfiction recs: ANBU
AHHHH!!!! I love ANBU fics, especially when they involve Sakura. It was such a cool concept, which was unfortunately never fully expanded upon. However, our lack of knowledge regarding the shadow corps allows for some really cool fic ideas since authors can take creative liberty on the structure and workings of the division.
In my opinion, Sakura had the most potential out of team 7 to join ANBU (at least more than Naruto). It's all about being discreet and efficient and although she wasn't strong during og, she possessed abilities that would be valuable for this. Her clever mind, chakra control, and genjutsu potential would've made her a good fit. Naruto was too flamboyant and Sasuke was too reckless and cocky, but this is just my take. However, with her new skill set from her training with Tsunade, I don't think she would be able to go down that path anymore.
Also, try out my ANBU ROOT list (some overlap).
Started: 2024.08.06
Last Updated: 2024.08.29
note: feel free to check out my master list which has a bunch of Sakura Haruno fic recs (all organized)!
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Masks by mads999 || ao3 || kakasaku || E || canon divergent || complete
1. Sakura's Inner is far more diabolical than anyone ever expected 2. Crows prove to be cruel mentors 3. Sakura comes to learn exactly how much she hates Kakashi (as well as how alike they are, in the most terrible of ways)
Kakashi is a hateful turd and Sakura is spiteful! One of the best character developments I've read for Sakura and she certainly becomes of force to be reconned with. The ANBU lore in Masks is absolutely phenomenal and I love the whole system that is put into place as it adds for some drama (lol). Also, can we talk about how awesome crow summons are????
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Five Kingdoms for the Dead - Evil Is A Relative Term || ffn || M || canon divergence || complete
After the Forest of Death, Sakura comes to realize that being weak is no longer an option. However, she finds that change is sometimes painful and that truth doesn't always come easy. Luckily, she'll have some help along the way.
It's been a while since I've read Five Kingdoms for the Dead, but I just remember it being absolutely great! I'll be honest, I found a lot of the mind stuff pretty confusing at times, but it was still enjoyable. Also, some great characters are utilized in this fic such as Neji, Sai, and Itachi. Makes me really wish that we saw more of Sakura and Neji working together in Naruto since I think they compliment each other quite well.
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Trials of Change - Espoiretreves || ao3 || gen || time travel AU || complete
Haruno Sakura made a promise. Looking in the eyes of her Shisou and the reanimated Hokage, she took on the most important mission of her life. Go back in time and try to prevent the 4th Shinobi War. Now, Sakura is back to her 5-year-old body, with all the knowledge and haunting memories of the future. She vows to keep her precious people safe and stop certain events from happening, without altering the timeline too much. The trials her emotions and logic put her through have her questioning her very existence, but for the sake of peace, she has to push forward. No matter what.
Trials of Change is actually apart of a time travel series and I have to say that it is probably one of the best of the genre! Now, Sakura is not in ANBU here, but she works very closely with team Ro (Kakashi's ANBU team) and it's a huge part of the story, so I'm choosing to count it anyway. I really adore all of the worldbuilding and backstories going on here in addition to the fact that there are breaks. Yes, the story keeps moving, but there are other things going on, like playdates, and not just Sakura trying to save the world. Also, if you love Shisui then definitely check this out since he has a huge role and his and Sakura's friendship is just so precious.
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bite me and see, said the fly to the spider - MirrorImage003 || ao3 || itasaku || T || non-massacre AU || ongoing
In which Sakura is not initially a part of Team 7. In which she wears her failures like armor and brandishes her fears like her most trusted weapons. In which I do what hundreds of other authors have done before me, and rewrite Sakura's story. Non-massacre AU. Canon Divergent. Slow-burn.
After Sakura's first team, consisting of the graduating class's "expendables," dies, she joins team 7 and faces backlash along her shinobi journey. Sakura doesn't join ANBU until the later chapters so fair warning that there isn't too much content in that regards (unless it updates). Nonetheless, Sakura views ANBU as vital to her career as it offers her the highest clearance she can get. Gaining her opportunities for information her civilian-born status didn't allow her privy to.
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The Sixth Shadow - thinknicht || ao3 || kakasaku || M || canon divergent - eventual time travel AU || ongoing
No one seemed to find it odd when little Haruno Sakura threw herself smack dab in front of a Chidori and Rasengan. Not even Kakashi stopped to wonder.(He really should have.)
The story of how Sakura came to be the sixth hogake despite all of the challenges thrown her way. I especially love Sakura's drive in addition to the political aspects. However, be warned that Kakashi is an absolute HATER (in the beginning), but he gets better! The Sixth Shadow is extremely long and I only just recently got to Sakura's introduction to ANBU, so I can't say too much in that regard.
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Daughter of Fire - justjstuff || ao3 || kakasaku || E || canon divergence || incomplete (maybe ongoing)
Sakura got up and didn’t bother brushing the dirt from her dress. She had a feeling she was about to get even dirtier.She looked at the memorial stone one last time, memorizing the characters without even realizing she was doing it. It would serve from that moment on as a reminder of her determination. She wouldn’t let Naruto and Sasuke join the names carved on that stone.That was her nindo.
Sakura's growth throughout Daughter of Fire is great and realistic all while pointing out aspects from the original series which were flawed and dare I say misogynistic. I struggled a bit in the beginning to justify her abilities, but overall the story is really well done and the ANBU aspects are quite intriguing.
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cut the head off the snake - itsthechocopuff || ao3 || T || time travel AU || complete
when eighteen-year-old, post-war Sakura is thrown back into her tiny, pre-Academy body, she makes a decision. she'd had a childhood once already, and this time, she's more interested in Not Dying when the inevitable shit hits the proverbial fan. so she will work harder, care less, kill more, and smile when she's done.and hey, if she ends up reviving an extinct nature transformation to attract the most corrupt, power-hungry man from her timeline, all the better for her, right?
Such a unique take on a time travel AU and Cut the Head Off the Snake executes it perfectly. Sakura decides that her first order of business is to infiltrate ROOT and that's exactly what she does. Sai, Shin, and Shisui are all great characters and team Ro is present as well. Very good!
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Flowers - Idunmy || ao3 || E || kakasaku || canon divergence || ongoing
Flowers only bloom just before they wilt When Sakura loses her fight against Ino in her Chuunin exams, she questions her ability to ever become a kunoichi, too weak to protect herself, let alone her village One wrongful promotion later and Sakura gets a second chance in the shape of a mysterious new teacher who against all odds is willing to put her faith in a young girl with potential and a willingness to fight. Or- a fix-it inspired fic where Sakura grows to be the powerhouse she was destined to become.
Flowers is a newer series (which has recent updates) and I love it! Critiques are made towards the medical ninja training, which I believe needed to be discussed and it's refreshing to see. In most ANBU fics I've read, Sakura is immediately put onto the strongest team, but here it's a bit different. She begins on a demolition squad, which not only suits her skill set quite well, but is a realistic approach to how she would be introduced to the corps. Anyway, it's one of my favorite reads at the moment and I really like where the story is going.
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names. - waterpllar || ao3 || T || gen || canon divergence || complete
There are no names or faces in ANBU. Everything is designed to be strictly formal, efficient and professional. A recently orphaned Sakura, however, learns that some regulations aren't meant to be followed, and finds a place in Team Ro after being shunned from her former teammates. (fic prompt from anon on tumblr: orphaned sakura in anbu with yamato, genma, and team ro.)
AHHHH poor Sakura. After her parents' death Sakura seeks Tsunade's help out of desperation to become useful. Under recommendation, Sakura's new goal is to make it into ANBU.
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Equinox - FM_White || ao3 || itasaku || M || anbu AU || complete
ItaSaku (Post Uchiha Massacre) AU: Climbing through the ranks of Konoha, Sakura finds herself with the invitation to join ANBU and a chance to learn from one of the most renowned and legendary ninja in the world. Despite her efforts to grow stronger however, she finds the world isn't as black and white as it looks and that some truths are easier to hide than others.
I don't remember Equinox very well, but I love most works by this author sooo. Anyway, Itachi stays in Konoha and instead it's Sasuke that goes rougue. Sakura, Naruto, and Shikamaru are newly joined ANBU members and all placed on a team with Itachi and things go from there.
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stars in our eyes as we dream of the heavens (the gods walk among us, sweet child, do not forget) - snickiebear || ao3 || kakasaku || T || age-swap AU || oneshot complete
“Kakashi-sensei,” Naruto whispered, staring at his teacher, horror plain on his face. “You’re married?” Lazily, Kakashi looked down at his gloveless hand where his ring rested, “It would appear so.”
Sakura is born in the same generation as Kakashi and turns out as a badass ANBU married to him. This is super wholesome as it's a lot of the two of them bonding with Kakashi's genin team (Sai makes three) in an effort to help them out. It's a series so you can read more of the events taking place prior to the fic.
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Anachronistic Drift  - Elesrea  || ffn || gen || T || time travel AU || incomplete
Her plan was flawless. Save Shisui. Save the world. Time-travel, Sakura-centric AU
Sakura spends years training to be sent back in time and save the world from Sasuke. She isn't in ANBU, but rather poses as one in order to keep an anonymous status on her doings both in and out of the village.
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Sakura - lilac haze || ffn/ao3 || M || minasaku || time travel AU || complete
AU. Non-Canon. Time Travel. Please see inside for full warnings. Cross posted on Ao3. On his deathbed he was granted eternal peace and place to rest for all of time. Of course that was not appealing to him. Ever unpredictable to the end he had a counter offer. One that the Sage had to consider. In which Sakura's going to have a rough time. A really rough time.
Sakura is probably one of my all time favorite fics because the emotions are just spectacular. The story is pretty heavy on ANBU and ROOT aspects, which I always enjoy, but I wouldn't say it's a major focus. However, there is an emphasis on the unfair treatment towards kunoichi. Anyway, the characterizations and storytelling are beautifully done. Please share this author some love.
Check TWs before hand!!
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Hope y'all enjoy these recs, and please feel free to send me some if you have any!!!! I really appreciate when you do :)
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cavernsandcod · 4 months ago
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BELLADONNA - I
SERIES M.L | AO3 VERSION | NEXT CHAPTER
Johnny hasn't been the same since the tunnel. Life became hopeless, nothing left for him if not his team. Following the months of medical leave, evaluations, and therapy, he forced his way back in. But he's starved.
(It doesn't take long for him to develop a taste for someone his, and only his.)
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CONTENT WARNINGS: fem!reader, stalking, obsession, invasion of privacy, violent ideations, strong language, elements of non/dub-con, but no smut, POV switching, reader is implied to be curvy, TBI johnny; a.k.a MWIII spoilers by default, not proofread. (stalker!soap x reader)
WC: 3.1k
AUTHOR'S NOTE: i apologize if this chapter has a lot of yapping and not a lot of action; there is a plan in place. i'm rusty, verging on new writing territory, this is my first attempt at a longfic in months, and believe it or not, i have not written that much Soap on this blog. anyhow, enjoy! if you like this fic, please consider reblogging it (as well as other creators!) since tumblr's algorithm is buns <3 // divider credit @/cafekitsune
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The man is back.
In the third month of silence and less checking your shadow, you assumed it was all over.
He’d moved on, found some other sod to stalk, ended up liking her more than you. The thought alone was cruel, but you were just glad it wasn’t you anymore. It had been weeks of endless torment, and then nothing at all. Habitually there, but never in your line of sight. The sudden punch of cologne that makes your nostrils flare and burn—always ceasing with afternotes of leather and sweat. As if he was restless or something.
Strangely, you wonder what he looks like. If he is as ruffled as his aroma leads you to believe. On the move. Flighty. But never enough to be caught.
How many times had he stood inches from you, in the dark corners of your flat, studying your every edge? Has he touched you yet? Did you notice? You can’t tell if you’re dreaming when there’s warm breath ghosting over your lips, down your sternum. He sucks in deep before exhaling again. Finishes with a soft nudge on your temple, and then it’s gone.
That ritual is never often enough for you to figure out its validity. So you decide not to. To overlook it, like every other awful thing in your life.
But this, you can’t. He’s getting worse.
Your possessions are being moved overnight. Dressers and doors are wide open when you return from work. The gifts are the hardest to ignore because they force you to acknowledge that this is real. Not an evil spirit or bad karma. Perfume, candies, feathers, lockets—all undeniably worldly and passed from his hands to your doorstep.
Tonight is all the same. Another unmarked box sits on the mat, begging you to peel it open. It’s small, standard cardboard, and frayed twine replaces a decorative ribbon.
It’s slightly damp when it makes contact with your fingers, and it smells strongly of petrichor. Considering the dark, grey clouds that have persisted all day long, it’s not surprising. It’s been coming down all day. On your drive home, you could only see the sleek streets during a well-timed beam of lighting since, apparently, streetlights aren’t in your tax bracket.
You’re frozen in time as you gaze down at the gift. Something feels
 off about it. This has to be the precipice to His next big thing, right? That’s how these things work.
If they don’t get bored of you, they get bored of your monotony. And if you were an outsider studying the timeline of your life thus far, it’s unremarkably monotonous, inclusive of the unwanted admirer cramming himself into it.
The constant patter of raindrops against your roof echoes like fingertips. A fervent man looming over you, waiting, and waiting.
The soggy flap wilts when you pull at the twine and peer inside. Spritz marks bleed into the weathered pages inside, distorting the lead and ink strokes. Instantly, the notable scent of His cologne overpowers the room, and you know you’re looking directly at the root of it. You thumb over the contents cautiously, prepared to spend another sleepless night decoding them in your head.
The foremost in the stack is what looks like a poem, but it’s been long distorted by the moisture. Too damaged to make any of it out, so you set it aside; it’s doubtful he’d make any more sense putting pen to paper, anyhow.
By the second, third, and fourth, you’re beginning to feel like you’re wasting your time. Nothing in here has enough substance to understand. It’s all tawdry.
Of course, you’re sick to your stomach—but you’ve allocated a special tolerance to His bullshit. From where your shaky knees are standing, this is nothing. He’s not standing in front of you, near you, brandishing a weapon. This is just
 another senseless care package that’ll end up in the back of your closet. Nothing he sends is ever enough for you to report, and it’s quite obvious your admirer knows that. Without a threat or hard proof, the police won’t do shit. Going to a station with a collection of soggy sonnets would be a waste of time and downright embarrassing.
“Oh—? Another poem?” You grit your teeth as you rashly hold the next one to the light and squint at it. “Real fucking original.”
The box clatters onto the counter when you toss it aside, scrubbing a hand over your face.
But then it clinks. Like soft wind chimes tinkling through night air, subtle. You don’t know why, but you’re willing to see past your frustrations and give it another go. You’d missed something at the bottom.
The stack sits unevenly atop something round and glass, a small jar that makes your head tilt. 
Muted violaceous petals curve inward, concealing the glistening bulb in the center of the flower, which takes after a dark, tart berry. Your face would scrunch from the punch of it, no doubt, before the earthy aftertaste soothes the tongue. The petals have already started to wither, not likely to survive in their crystal confines more than a day. It doesn’t help that they’ve been manhandled into the small space with what you assume were meaty, brutish fingers.
After staring at the blossom for so long, you almost forgot who sent it. Your throat bobs as you swallow dryly, and suddenly, it isn’t so pretty anymore. Rather than tasteful, the tucked and jagged edges remind you of your own.
All the feelings and suspicions you’ve been hiding from every person in your life, how you haven’t had a proper wink of sleep in months—
Whatever, you think. Spiraling won’t help you. You set the jar down and move on, brows knitted together. The drawings aren’t as damaged, though they aren’t any easier to understand. Part of you has to admit He’s got some talent for capturing your likeness.
There aren’t just one or two in here, it’s
 several. Some are of only your face, and others, your body. Parts of you only you or someone that’s gotten too close would remember. Your bust. The flare of your ribcage while you sleep. How your thighs crease when you lounge. Your head tipped back against the ledge of your tub.
The final picture makes your skin crawl. An illustration of you sitting on the train, in the very same outfit you’d worn to work today. Every wrinkle, all the posters, and strangers beside you are uncanny in their authenticity. Like the artist was sitting directly across from you as his gifted hands traced it into the sketchbook.
It dawns on you, arguably too late, that He was sitting directly in front of you today on the train while you obliviously stared out the window, watching the city pass. Your stomach gnaws, twisting and churning at the horrid scenarios your mind is running through. Had you unconsciously met his eye? Did that give him more fuel? The air is thick, coating your tongue with the unmistakable taste of dread.
This isn’t a gift. This is a warning; how many of those will you get?
Get out. Get out now. The thought hammers into the side of your head like a nail until it penetrates the thickness of your skull.
It ebbs and throbs until you obey.
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This is his favorite spot: the rooftop across the street that gives a direct view of his beloved girl.
His jeans are soaked on the knees from crouching, arthritis screaming in protest from the positioning. But the discomfort didn’t matter while he was watching you. He had a new purpose now. Didn’t have anything to live for before you.
The soldier shifts slightly, squinting his eyes to savor every detail through the lens. You dropped the box, letting the pages fly around you like a deviant snowstorm. The pages scattered across your floor were his masterpiece—weeks of careful dogging, planning, and crafting the perfect pieces. Some were taken from afar; others... well, he'd gotten much closer than you'd ever realized. Too netted in your head to see what was in front of you. Your sleeping form had made for particularly beautiful subjects.
His bird seems to catch her breath after standing frozen for a bit, shaking, because she disappears from view in a flash.
“Just where are ye off to?” Johnny grimaces, smearing the rain from his cheek.
She passes by the window again, chewing on her cuticles with her phone in hand. Probably thinking about dialing 9-9-9 and barricading in the bedroom. Stupid fucking move. As fun as he imagines that to be, the last thing he needs is some uniformed do-gooder sniffing about. Handing you his card and ‘checking in’ on you. Fuck that.
By some miracle, she lowers the phone and stuffs it into her pocket. But her face looks anything but defeated, rather, resolute. She knows where she’s going, albeit clumsily, as she sifts through the hall closet and pulls out a bag.
His blood rushed with anticipation when she stepped before each window, tugging the latches and yanking the drapes to a close, killing his view of the entire flat. Johnny lowered the binocs, relying on muscle memory alone to disassemble and return them to his pack. As he descended each step of the fire escape, his boots squealed against the dowsed, rusty surface.
Scarred fingers drummed against his thigh as he navigated between the dark high-rises, brows furrowed. The play was changing—and while he loved a good chase, this wasn’t part of his plan. Not yet.
The shrill vibration of his cell willed his pace to a halt. He didn’t need to look at the Caller ID to guess who it was. “Christ,” Johnny snarls, swiping his thumb across the screen to answer the call.
“What? Now? Fer fucks sake—” His throat bobs as he takes in the information on the other line. Price has the worst timing known to man, but this takes the cake. Still, Johnny reminds himself that he’s got a place, and he needs to mind it. Being out here, tailing her, isn’t something he wants anyone to know about. He can’t risk any suspicions, especially from the Cap.
Traffic buzzes by as he makes it to the sidewalk, squinting at her building one more time before driving himself to turn away.
“Yes, Sir.” The words taste like poison on his silver tongue. “I’ll be there.”
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You figure it's best to stop when the symptoms of white line fever start surfacing. Everything looks the same out here, so far from the dense smog of civilization. Hills, mud, and years of unmanicured brush. Clotted trees confine the sparse buildings out here, as if suffocating the folk scaping by along the outskirts.
You just need to get out of the city for a while, get your bearings, and hope that this all blows over. It’s not smart, and you know that—but damage control is the only card you have to play right now.
After killing the engine, you take a look at the place. It’s not much. Just some shithole motel. Perfect for lying low and figuring out what the hell your plan is. Which was the absence of one entirely.
The clerk doesn’t bat an eye from her magazine when you ask about a room, just lulls her head toward the faded signage. That’s what you need, though. Someone tepid enough to not ask questions or remember you were here.
 £215 - Single Lodging.
It’s tempting to scoff at the rate, but you’re in no position. Your eyes slice over your shoulder once more before flipping through the cash you packed with you. You have enough to stay here at least a week, but moving in the morning seems best. Some sleep and a vending machine dinner will set you straight. When you set the bills down in front of her, she digs through a drawer beside her, fishing out a key with a number chip on it.
“Thanks.” You mutter, and all she does is hum apathetically.
The neon sign casts a luminous green over the entire lot that flickers and strobes irregularly, making you rub your eyes. Your head is on a perpetual swivel as you head for your room, walking along the wall of doors until you reach the same faded number as on the key. 
This is for the best. No one is following you that you can see. He’s not here. You’re safe.
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Of course, he knew where she was; he’s not a fool. He’d planned everything the first night he saw her. In hindsight, the airtag in her wallet was proving to be his best idea yet. But, with his team inches away, he hasn’t had time to check it.
Johnny’s leg bounced impatiently under the meeting table, bottom lip between his teeth as he gnawed at it until it was raw.
His mind was running a mile a minute, more than usual, now that she had run off. What if she’d run her mouth?  Decided to stay with friends, family? That would complicate everything. Force him to approach the situation completely differently.
Before the tunnel, he would have adapted however he needed to. Come up with a rational, calculated plan to see this through. Now, changes are agonizing; his head is too scrambled for it.
Price’s mouth was moving, but Johnny wasn’t sure he’d heard anything since he sat down. Garrick could fill him in on the details later. As long as he wasn’t being shipped off today, he could keep his mind on something better: her.
It seemed like the clock hadn’t changed in hours, but by some miracle, it did when Johnny looked up from his lap again. The shuffle of papers and feet finally means that he’s leaps and bounds closer to sneaking out of here. It proves more difficult than ever with all of them breathing down his neck, always checking in.
He’s got his phone in hand as soon as there’s room for him to squeeze into the hall. Head down, eyes pinned, he studies every movement of the small dot. His free fingers play with the scar tissue on his temple, tapping and digging on it with his nail until his ears stop ringing. Something he finds himself doing a lot whenever there aren’t eyes on him.
She’s further out than a few hours ago, but this is doable. This. Is. Fine. He’ll just have to
 expedite his process, maybe find a way to—
“Soap.” The voice grunts, familiar and cavernous.
Johnny tucks his tail and turns to face it. “Lt?” He presses the off button on his phone and pockets it, hands at his sides stiffly.
“Forgot your book.” Ghost holds up the small notepad between two thick fingers, gaze uninterested. That alone makes Johnny let out a sigh of relief and reach for it. If he’d been caught glued to his phone, surely his Lieutenant would’ve been more direct about it. Forceful, probably.
As soon as his fingers brush against the leather, it gets jerked away from him, held above his head. “Ah-ah.” Simon needles, the fabric of his mask wrinkling from what Johnny assumes is a glare. The younger soldier parts his lips and reaches for it again, but it’s pointless. Ghost is a dog with a bone between his teeth ever since the tunnel.
“You’ve been in your head all day. Didn’t look up from the fucking table once.” He lowers the book slightly, but the conversation won’t be over until he gets a proper response. There’s no way to weasel away from Simon.
Johnny blinks, gesturing and picking at his crown again for effect. “I know, Lt. It’s just my bloody head— Can’t
 I’ll—”
“Fix it.” There’s no question in his tone, nor his demeanor. “Fix it—” He finally lowers the pad and allows his Sergeant to reach for it, still leaning close, as if he gave a damn about who could hear him, “—or I will.”
The brute is gone before Johnny can figure out a way to save his arse. He truly believed he had been hiding it better than this, that nobody would notice how glum he’s been. But, on the bright side, he didn’t question the phone or the why of it all.
He could handle all this later. For now, though, there was a flighty, imprudent lass he needed to see about.
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You aren’t sure you’re going to get any sleep here. Or that you should at all.
There’s no way this place is secure, either. The deadbolt is worn just like all the hinges, and the cheap plastic blinds are barely holding on. The place stinks of mildew and old cigarettes, the neighbors are less than considerate about going at it, and the TV only has three unamusing channels.
Only after you’ve double-checked everything else, and the mattress a third, do you decide to lay down. You peek at the grainy screen through heavy eyes, fighting the exhaustion of the long drive today.
The screen flickers, casting a cool glow across the room that highlights the corners, which gives your paranoid thoughts some ease. If someone was in here, you’d see them, hear them, smell them. The lumpy mattress digs into your flesh when you curl onto your side, tuck in your knees,  and face the blank, cream plaster. You can’t stop your lids from closing.
Everything is serene where your brain is. No rush—no pressure for anything here. You’re back in your apartment, cooking a warm dinner for yourself. The lights are warm and so is your flesh, like the perpetual hug of a soft blanket that’s just come from the dryer.
Someone is there with you, but you can’t see their face. They say something that makes you toss your head back and cackle, but the language is nonsensical. A sense of peace, the first in months, seeped through your chest. You belong here; you want to stay here until the end of time.
When you turn away from the stove, that person is close. It’s a man; you know it without being able to make out his features. His breath fans across your face, mint and tobacco. The fingers on your sides are hardening, beginning to shift to bite into your soft hips.
You part your lips to reply to his mutterings, and suddenly, this all feels real. A presence, a man.
Something is close—
The hand clamped over your mouth startles you awake.
Stocky fingers splay wide across your lips, thumb digging in beneath your ear until you let out a minuscule, pathetic noise against the smothering hold. Your wide eyes adjust to the figure hovering over you, knees bordering each side of your waist.
He leans forward to purr his words directly into your ear.
“Mornin’, bonnie.”
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dangerdazee · 11 months ago
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headcanon:
despite his mother, Morgie isn't actually evil at all. he just wants to be liked and wants to fit in and have friends and he ended up falling victim to Uliana and that whole crew.
if non-villains had gotten to him first, he would be the nicest kid in the school even rivaling Bridget's sweetness. but the non-villains mostly avoided him simply because of his mother being evil. they assumed Morgie was too.
Bridget tried, but she only met him after Uliana did, so it was a bit too late.
Morgie doesn't really like being mean, but he follows whatever the others do and tries to be like them so they'll be his friends.
he's a victim of his circumstances and insecurities, and thus (in the original timeline) the banned cookbook recognizes the good in his soul. so, he was able to open it and find the recipe. Uliana made him tell her, even though he had his hesitations.
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sunlit-mess · 10 months ago
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WHAT’S YOUR ELDRITCH LUCIFER’S PERSONALITY LIKE?? Sorry if this question makes no sense
Tbh I cooked up a whole narrative for it (because I'm dying to fill non-existent lore)... But it's so long and scattered so I'll yap about it someday.
Anyway, here are the ideas I revolve with:
All of these are just from random thoughts focusing on the ' BAD ' side + curiosity idk " my physical shell can be torn apart, smothered, stretched, bent by my own mind " (Angel Lucifer): Innocent face, underlying horror. (Canon/demon Lucifer): One body, that feels like two souls.
- somehow I can connect this with the ideas in Angel Luci's behavior LOL im too sleepy to fix a timeline for it atm.
Evil is a part of him that can't be erased so he learned to overcome it, but never fully accepted it. So upon his silly demeanor, beneath are the true reasons why he is banished from heaven. Sob story? Yeah, that's what they believe in...
Bro lives with this eternal punishment and I'm about to make that reason worse.
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