#Death themes

[mrssimply]

Kings of Death

[note: Johnny Silverhand is dead, and I thought you might need something to make this day sadder so here it is. You're welcome]

[copiousloverofcopia]

Its been a long time coming but here is the NEXT chapter of Death & Flowers. Im trying something new with posting the chapters on Tumblr as well as AO3 with a small descriptions so anyone new can check things out!

Let me know if you guys like that in the comments!

Death & Flowers

Chapter 10: More Secrets

Also available HERE on AO3! Haven't started? Check out the beginning HERE!

Below the cut for space!

September 13, 1969

It was a warm September night and the city of Angels was thriving. Traffic, still steadily flowing outside the building sitting on the corner of Sunset and Clark. Just behind the closed doors was the sound of rock music heard billowing out from inside. The room was dark, lit with only the help of stage lights and tall black candelabras that boasted triplet candles on their tops. The crowd, waiting anxiously as they were surrounded in a cascade of smoke that no one seemed to come from nowhere. The head of an ominous ram staring out of over the crowd as the last evening’s band prepared to play. 

The patrons of the Whiskey a Go-Go were still cheering for the previous act as a man in skull paint walked out onto the stage. He looked magnificent in his clerical collar and fur-lined leather coat. The mysterious men behind him, shrouded in silver masks quickly began to play. The song was Kiss the Go-Goat and Papa Nihil, their suave leader, was the man. Belting out the lyrics as the crowd swooned with his dark charm. 

Ghost was playing their first night at the venue. There were go-go dancers a plenty and a palpable energy among the crowd that was now bathed in red light. Nihil was ready to rock and roll, knowing just how to work the crowd. Oozing sexual charisma and mystery, everyone entranced by him as he moved and sang—exactly what the Ministry asked for. 

Then there was her—breath held tight within her chest as she watched them from the balcony. Fingers tracing the rail as her lover performed for the masses. Spreading the word of the dark lord as he went. She was so excited for this first night. Wearing her favorite dress and her golden blonde hair pulled back behind a headband, and the dangling earrings that danced on her shoulders when she moved. 

She looked like danger, and she was—only soft for him. Her eyes locked on Nihil with an intense hunger and lust. He was her lover, despite some of the Ministry's best efforts to keep them apart. She couldn't help but fall for him, just as his audience did. "A lamb led willingly to slaughter" they told her. She didn't care, she was in love.  

She watched him work his magic. Hanging on every word, tightly gripped to the railing as he sang. Her heart pounding away in her chest as her hand traveled along her dress, the black sequin pattern feeling rough against her fingertips as she went. Her hand found its place to settle, resting gently atop her inconspicuous lower belly. She fanned out her fingers over it, as if she were protecting it from the outside world. 

She'd only known for a short time but was already well into the first trimester of her pregnancy. Delighted in the small life growing inside her. Elizabeth, still ever so anxious to tell Nihil that he was to be a father—again. As Papa and head of the Ministry, he had been made to produce heirs before. Ones he had spent maybe all of 5 minutes with at a time throughout their lives. 

He was never around for them. The still young, and hopeful, sister of sin convincing herself that it was because he needed to keep to his Papal duties. That things would be different when the child was theirs. She felt the warmth radiating from inside her, knowing that she already loved Nihil's baby more than anything and if the Ministry wouldn't let them be together, well then, they'd run away. Just the two of them and start over far from pious eyes.

Elizabeth came back to reality as another woman approached the rail. She didn’t give her much credence. As with most others, she was ambivalent unless it were someone needed to further her own aspiration. That was until the smell of smoke wafted over in her direction. Her rage, beginning to overwhelm her better judgment. Angry that her child was being subjected to this vile, disgusting habit—and she snapped. 

While her exterior remained cool and collected, she very calmly took the cigarette from its perch between the woman’s two fingers. The poor woman, having only barely noticed before Elizabeth had pressed the hot embers into her face. Teeth clenched tight and fury burning inside the sister’s veins as the woman struggled against her. Pulling and tearing at the feathers of her sleeves. 

She had managed to get a hit across Elizabeth’s bottom lip, only enraging her more as she fired back, lunging at her with full force. Her actions, causing them both to tumble on the floor. Elizabeth straightened herself up, finding that the woman had been knocked out cold. She was quick, shoving the evidence into a back storage closet before turning to watch her lover on the stage. Her demeanor, appearing as if nothing had happened. A way of carrying herself that would suit her well in her lifetime.

The song had come to its end, the sound beginning to die off, leaving nothing but a hum from the amplifiers as Elizabeth watched Nihil toss the mic stand to the side. Dropping to his knees as he reached out into the crowd and took hold of a woman, one he’d been eye fucking the whole song. He kissed her passionately as the set lights dimmed. Elizabeth was stunned—crushed. Her heart sank deep inside her chest, now just a battered piece of flesh that no longer wished to continue on. 

Nihil had only caught a glimpse of her as she stormed off. Knowing that he had done more damage than he could undo, he chose to finish his set before attempting to follow her out. One of many idiotic mistakes he'd made in his life. Elizabeth wasted no time in heading back to the California Ministry. Tears flowing freely as they painted her face in ribbons of black. The mascara, spelling out the pain she felt inside. 

There it was—they were right. She’d made a mistake thinking he could ever love her. She would never forgive herself and now there was a child. She walked inside, trying desperately to stifle her tears, quietly closing up the door behind her as she managed the noise of her heels on the title, but the sounds of her efforts alerted a shadowy figure that approached from the front office. 

“Well seems I ventured downstairs at just the right time Eliza. What’s got you all worked up at this hour?” Mr. Saltarian huffed, trying his best to appear unbothered. 

“Oh, shut up Abel.” she snapped at him, growling as if she were a wounded animal—cornered in her pain. Ready to lash out and anyone who dare approach her. The man softened, dropping his shoulders and his eyes now holding concern—this had been no regular fight. 

“What happened? Tell me?” he asked her, wrapping his arm around her as she wept. She was shaking, and clearly more hurt than he’d ever seen her. Elizabeth was a dangerous woman, especially when wronged—he had a mind to remind her of the position of her transgressor when she spoke. 

“You were right…he’s a fucking letch! I should have known. It's not like he didn’t have a reputation. Going through women like tissue, but—but I thought this was different.” she cried.   

“I warned you…we all did. He's reckless Elizabeth, and I tried to keep you away from him. Don’t you know that you could do so much better. Don’t you realize how much I lov—”

“I'm pregnant.” she blurted out. A secret that ripped a hole wide into Saltarian’s heart. He wasted no time in pulling her close, Elizabeth crying against his chest as he took in a deep breath.  

“Are you sure?” he asked her, fingers gliding over her hair as he held her close to him. 

“Yes, It was confirmed. I’m already almost in my second trimester.” she explained. Saltarian pulled back in haste, rubbing his head in his hands and pacing. 

“Sweet Lucifer Eliza—” 

“I would have told him tonight, but he… he…well let's just say his reputation was well upheld. I should have never…”

“Are you keeping it?” he asked her point blank. No sugar-coating or gentle tone. Just the harsh matter of fact words spilling from his mouth. Saltarian, tasting the poison of them on his lips as they left him. 

“It’s an heir to the Emeritus bloodline. What do you think the Ministry would do to me if I didn’t.” Elizabeth barked back. Angry for him even having asked. While she was right that the child had a rightful claim to the miter, she still wanted it regardless, but now she didn’t want anything to do with Nihil and having his child would make her bound to him for life.”

“We can make this go away Eliza. You’ve worked too hard for what you have here to throw it all away for some sorry excuse for a man whose only claim to power was because of blood and nothing else. Don’t do this to yourself…no one ever has to know—”

“I will know.” she said, her tone and the look in her eye explaining everything Saltarian needed to know. “I don’t want Nihil to have anything to do with him.” 

“Then we must send you back to Italy. He won’t know if you are out of sight. You can have the child and be back to do your duties before you know it. Nihil none the wiser.”

“What will come of him? I can’t raise him. Not at the risk of being stuck with that pathetic asshole. Please, I must know what we can do. You can NEVER tell Nihil.” Elizabeth begged. The first time Saltarian had ever seen her look so desperate. He held her face in his hands, watching as the fear in her eyes grew. 

“It’s going to be ok Eliza. I have an idea.” 

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

Present Day

Ollie had been quiet for days. A cold silence, filling the large Papal suite that her and her Cardinal now shared. She had seen the letter from the Keeper and Copia had confessed his sins. Her heart felt shattered for him having not only kept this from her, but from the realization that the nightmare of her circumstances was far from over. 

She was trapped in their bed. Forbidden to leave lest she take the chance of her child paying the price. All the comforts the Ministry could offer, only serving to feel like a prison. Unable to move like a sitting duck, waiting for the Keeper or whomever was responsible for Terzo’s death to get her and her child. The pied piper, coming to collect his dues. 

Copia had buried himself in his work. Choosing to give her space and not push her. He left early that morning, choosing not to wake Ollie. Though she wouldn’t acknowledge him even if he did. 

She was hurt and he knew that it was his fault. What comfort could he possibly offer her now? Watching idly by and unable to provide the protection she so desperately needed. If he could only find out who was behind it all—he’d kill them himself. 

He sat himself down at his desk, the chair letting out a creak as he got comfortable. Drinking from his cup of coffee, while attempting to finish up some work on the lyrics for the final song of the new album. He was proud of it, but he knew he had so much more to give. For now this will have to do, he thought knowing his heart ached too much to be giving it his all. 

As the morning dragged on, he felt his head begin to droop—repeatedly waking himself from the pull of sleep.  He surely wasn’t sleeping at night, worried that someone would come for Ollie and the baby in their slumber. The endless flow of caffeine, however, could no longer sustain him. Despite his efforts, he succumbed, dozing off at his desk. Awaking only to the familiar sound of a throat being cleared. 

“Seems someone has been burning the midnight oil.” Sister Imperator commented. Copia, quickly straightening himself out and wiping the spittle from his lip.  

“Sister! Oh, I am so sorry I—”

“It’s alright Cardinal at ease.” she smiled, placing her hand on his shoulder to encourage him back into his chair. Copia smiled back, nervous that her kind response was only a front, and that his infraction would be used against him at an undisclosed time. 

“Again, your Eminence I must apologize.” Copia began, Sister quickly cutting him off once more with the wave of her hand. She always had a way about her that both frightened and intrigued him, but something about her today was different. She had never been quite so—informal before. Even as a child, she spoke to him as if he were another adult, choosing only very rare moments to show a slight tenderness towards him he could never quite place. She sat down in front of him, making herself comfortable in the chair and crossing one leg over the other as she could see his discomfort growing. 

“How are you holding up Cardi? I mean with all this?” she asked him—from her lips a nickname he hadn’t heard in years. Copia tried to find his words. While the Sister was foreboding to be sure, he wished he had someone like her to confide in at a time like this. Someone who had real power within the Ministry, someone who might be able to help keep Ollie safe—but who could he trust? 

“I’m doing my best. Just worried about…well you know.”

“Of course, a man should always have his family on his mind. That is after all the most important thing—family.”

“Si, I will be happy when things are…uh…over.” Copia replied, forcing a smile. Sister placed her hand over his, the Cardinal looking up at her in confusion. 

“I want you to know, the Ministry and I are very proud of the work you have been doing on Prequelle. I truly believe that it will rival anything that has come before it.” she smiled, Copia’s face dropping down to his lap.  “I expect no less from you, you know? After all, you will soon become Papa.”

“Papa!” Copia exclaimed, the word leaving him faster than he could think it through. He could feel the cold sweat collecting in the small of his back, his heart pounding, the nerves firing off inside him. It had been one thing when Saltarian had hinted but this was Sister and what she said was as good as gospel. 

“Cardi…you deserve it. After everything I have seen so far…your album, the tour—I can’t see it not being a great success. Nihil of course would have to be on board, but I believe once he sees what you are capable of, then he won’t have any other choice.”

“Sister that is all well and good…but I am not his son. I am just a Cardinal in his clergy who happens to be able to sing. Had it not been for their death’s then I’d still be lucky to be Employee of the Month!” 

“No, Copia you are far more than that. Trust me on this. Don’t rest your worry on the fetid rotting course of your predecessors. They are gone, now nothing's standing in your way.” Sister Imperator explained. Copia suddenly felt an unease falling over him. Swallowing back hard as pieces of a puzzle he had been slowly working out, were beginning to fall in place. Creating a picture of which he couldn’t quite make out, but the possibilities were nothing if not horrifying. 

“Sister, what do you mean?” he asked her. His heart, continuing to pound as he waited for her answer. The glare he sent her, filled with curiosity and terror. His mismatched gaze, striking her with amusement as she began to speak.

“There is something I need to tell you.”

[koinotfish]

[bamsara]

Clearing out all the concept scene doodles I've made the last couple months, here's this possible scene(s) for Trod au later

This is during the pre-Shamura / sleeping in the same room part of the timeline so far. My Lamb doesn't like having their neck touched (save for someone) and Narinder knows that.

They are best friends again here but also they are incredibly stupid

[windows-dial-up-sound]

Epic the musical where everything is the same except he just fucking. Keeps the baby. Carries it around in a sling. Fights monsters with a baby on his back. Sorry Circe can you chill with the sex stuff, there's a toddler present. Eurylochus you're shouting "Captain" too loud and you'll wake the baby. Hey do you guys think Penelope will mind if I bring back a baby from war? Give Telemachus a little brother, you know?

[kathaynesart]

REPLICA PLAYLIST

MUSIC UNDER CUT

I have been receiving requests for any songs that inspired Replica, so here, have my personal playlist. Sorry it’s not Spotify/Soundcloud but they don’t have some of these songs available so uh… guess you’re stuck with YouTube vids. For fun I'll include my personal titles for them (which might give a few hints of what to expect in the future/end).

Replica Main Theme - “Die for You” by Grabbitz Like Father Like Son Like Brother (Omega and Shelldon) - "As Above So Below" by Alistair Lindsay Mikey's Theme / The 1st Vision - "Suzume no Tojimari" by Nanoka Hara Military (Mad) Dogs / Central Park Colony - "Imperium" by Madeon Shanghai - "Icarus" by Madeon Boom Goes the Donnie-mite (Mikey/Donnie vs the Sweeper) - "The Red Zone" by Mitsuoto Suzuki The Day the Sky Bled Red - "7 Seconds Till the End" by Nobuo Uematsu Going Out Like a Boss (Raph and Leo) - "Agape" by Nicholas Britell Remembering the Right Way (Mikey and Leo) - "The Souls of Many" - by Alistair Lindsay Mystic Hands / The 2nd Vision - "Am I Dreaming" by Metro Boomin x A$AP Book 2 Trailer - "Sea Dragon" by Covet 7 Years Later - "Iron" by Woodkid Leo's Theme / Attack on the Labor Camp - "Ego Death" by Polyphia Omega's Theme - "Touch" by Daft Punk Flat Lines (Omega Alone) - "Die Toteninsel Emptiness" by 1000 Eyes Spear - "Monsters" by Tommee Profitt Final Protocol - "The Kraken" by Katie Dey Rise / Epilogue - "Close in the Distance" by Masayoshi Soken & Tom Mills

I will admit, it's a little embarrassing since you can easily see the patterns of what I've been listening to for the past year or two. I swear I listen to more than just videogame OSTs, these songs just jive well with the story and I often find lyrics distracting when brainstorming scenes. Regardless, the music I listen to is such an important part of my creative process and some of these songs really defined the scenes I now have locked in my head. So I figured it was only fair to give them the credit they're due.

I will continue to add to this playlist, and will note in comic updates when one of these songs is applicable!

[shepscapades]

[Pt 1] [Pt 2] [Pt 3] [Pt 4] [Pt 5] [Pt 6] [PART 7] [Don’t Let it Reach the Heart]

Nobody Anymore Nobody Anymore

[This comic is part of my dbhc au, following the chaos and panic that ensues after Doc and Xisuma try to get Etho back online at the start of s9 after a very rough s8 finale that leaves him a little. broken. It's set to the vibes of Joywave's Destruction. This part concludes this comic, but this moment doesn't end here: Don't Let it Reach the Heart will be the title of the fic that will follow the end of Destruction!]

[doe-prince]

Now finished below!

[obsessedobsesser]

Okay but can we talk about how Carla Sunday said "It's The Beast" when responding to what the shadowy figure surrounding the TARDIS was.

And then... the voice playing Sutekh was actually "The Beast" in The Satan's Pit & The Impossible Planet.

Which was the vibes I was getting as soon as Harriet started being possessed and speaking.

God, I missed Doctor Who.

[willowser]

once you and katsuki discover you're expecting, you agree to keep it to yourselves for a little while.

you can't hide forever, but you want the chance to bask in the excitement of what's to come, together, away from outside eyes prying in. and you do: there's an immediate difference in the way you touch each other, how often, with katsuki even shifting coverage for patrol just so he can cling to your side for an extra day or two. it's like a honeymoon, almost, and you take the time to enjoy it like one.

but of course he wants to tell his parents as soon as he can, though he doesn't outright admit it; as soon as you start pushing the boundary of your waistband, he finds time in his schedule to see his dad—and then mitsuki makes time for him to see her.

katsuki tells toshinori next, who becomes quite emotional at the sight of your ultrasound, which in turn makes katsuki surprisingly emotional, too. there's much that they say and even more that they don't, but it's all communicated, regardless.

and lastly—he has to tell his nerd-ass friends.

it happens on one of their bi-monthly outings—that katsuki has consecutively been skipping for a little while, for obvious reasons. and it's like the minute he sits down in his seat and orders his food and one beer, everything he'd planned to say dissolves in his head.

despite wanting to keep quiet, he's been trying to plot out his announcement to these exact shit heads since the moment you found out. it's just so personal, and even after everything, katsuki's still discovering how to share those parts of his life with others, still coming to terms with the fact that he wants to.

he'd considered doing it slowly, rather than all at once in front of all of them, but he very quickly realized how terrible of a plan that was; deku would not physically be able to contain such knowledge in his body for any period of time, kirishima is a notorious fucking gossip, and if shouto had given him some kind of shit ass, wrinkled-nose look, he would have had to howitzer him through a building.

so he just says it, because he's never really been one for subtlety.

right after everyone's received their food and started to take their first bites, denki makes a point to ask,

"how's things with your honeybun, kacchan?"

and normally he'd have a fit at the nickname, but instead he hears bun and feels his stomach flip like it does when he remembers, when silly little things remind him of what the two of you have made together, and into his food, he simply says,

"we're havin' a baby."

the expected silence falls over all of them, save for the scaping of utensils against katsuki's bowl. he's damn good at feigning nonchalance, but food is getting stuck in his throat and his heart is beating so hard that he can hear it deep in his eardrums. of course he knows, but it dawns on him again, how overrun he is with excitement.

across the table, denki takes his turn to speak again. "you're...what?"

and then the whole room is erupting into a mass of chaos, moving in pieces like a riot of unrefined children, and even though he's being hounded with a million questions and being shaken around by his shoulders and some of these assholes are crying—katsuki graces them all with a big, fat grin.

[loudclan-clangen]

Loudclan - Moon 29: Part 3

Things are gonna get a bit darker than they have been in the second half of this moon. Be warned and check the tags! Happy Spooky Season!

The sun is ever-present in the summer sky. It sits vigil alongside the clan. Soon after the bodies arrive at camp a patrol sets out to track the rogues, but finding that they have already crossed Shadedclan's territory, it is decided that the opportunity for revenge has passed. They'll double patrols and wait to see if the murders try to cross the territory on their way home. Many are upset, but few argue. As the sky begins to lose it's duskiness, the vigil is ended, the bodies buried, and the clan cats left to filter back into camp at their own pace. Wildfirecry excuses himself to clear his head, while Dancepaw attempts to bridge the gap with the only brother he has left.

Seeing Rosehiptree will be left alone in the burial place, Songpaw decides to stay for a while.

It takes Wildfirecry three days to find the farm cats.

There are Forestclan traditions that were never passed on to Loudclan. Rites that were deemed too dark to touch the newborn clan and thus were cast aside. But here, miles past the valley territories, they live on.

Wildfirecry returns to Loudclan's camp a week after the vigil having lost two lives. No one questions where he has been. The scent of rancid dried blood still lingers despite a fresh coat of oil, and his wounds, while closed, are unmistakably fresh. The clan returns to an uneasy normalcy.

[Whoo! I did it! This moon was INCREDIBLY hard for me. The first part relies so much on my dialogue skills, which, is the part of comic-making that comes least easily to me, and the second part is super experimental, which was so much fun, but also mentally tiring. (On that note please let me know if it's like impossible to see. I meant for it to be a bit difficult to make out, but it's hard to gage between my ipad and my laptop whether it will be readable for all of you. I can fiddle with the color grading tomorrow if necessary.) And finally, Rosehip's experience here is really, really close to my heart. That means that her scenes here are ones that I really wanted to write, but also that I had to take a couple of breaks to make sure that I wasn't wearing myself down too much, so sorry that it took longer than I thought and I haven't been able to answer as many asks as I had hoped to. Anyway, despite early difficulty I had a GREAT time finishing this moon up and I'm happy with how it turned out! Songpaw and Rosehiptree are keeping the trauma dump to best friends pipeline alive and I love them for it. Erminekit is kinda being a brat but he really just wants to be there for his best friend and everyone is getting in the way! He doesn't really get the concept of "giving someone space". As far as Moon 30 I have a science class that I'd like to get finished by the end of the month, so it will probably be a minute. Hope you guys enjoy!]

First Moon

Next Moon

[crescentfool]

reunion 🌸

[luciuscodedswedeboy]

[bamsara]

suggestive narilamb doodles, mainly memes/shitposts. some of this is not trod au canon and/or out-of-context on the timeline. Part 1/?

[brokenxheart]

If they only knew....

[valtsv]

"how did the guy with no friends win" is fucking me up because. that's the point. that's the truth that lies at the centre of the life series. if you want to win, you can't let yourself get too attached to anyone, because you'll just have to kill them anyway. that's the pact that was made in the very first season in a bloody circle on the sand. you can't bring anyone with you, not unless you want to look in their eyes and see the betrayal - or, perhaps worse, understanding - there when you kill them. nobody wins the life series with friends. nobody wins the life series.