#EVEN THE MINIONS ARE SO CURSED we always get our asses handed back to us
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quinttyz · 3 years ago
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Kaidan 🤝 Caryalind
They all didn’t trust Caryalind at first but Avarice and Rumarin warmed up to him immediately but Kaidan is just “no we shouldn’t trust him >:((“
storytime: When I did the Lights Out! quest, Avarice planned on just taking Caryalind with her to test him in combat, leaving Rumarin, Kaidan, and Meeko at our camp near the docks. I think my follower system mode bugged because for some reason Rumarin was also following us? HAHA so hc that Kaidan sent Rumarin with them to keep an eye on that damned Thallery 👁👁
THEY GOT AMBUSHED OUTSIDE THE LIGHTHOUSE BY THOSE DAMNED ASSASSINS SENT BY MOLAG BAL!!! (lore to be followed lmao) Literally the fight went on for so many in-game hours and I was crying bc Caryalind was really defending their asses to death.
So when they got back to camp, Kaidan was so fucking worried bc literally they were gone for a DAY when they just went out to extinguish the light at the lighthouse. Mans really thought Caryalind murdered their asses in cold blood ianwkw so despite his injuries he marched right up to him but Rumarin stopped him and explained everything :OO
Kaidan is still wary about him but at least he’s beginning to see him as an ally and possibly…a friend 🥹
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aliasimagines · 4 years ago
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Miraculous: Tales of Kick-Ass
requested by a lovely anon 💕
Dave Lizewski x fem!reader (miraculous au)
warnings: cursing.
word count: 1814
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a/n: Dave has a kwami!! Cause if we are going with Miraculous au, we are doing it properly.
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“I am here again, live ,with New York’s favourite superhero battling against his archnemesis in the background. But do not worry! I just saw Hit Girl arrive at the scene and they seem to have everything under control.” the reporter, Lizzie Blonde, says through the tv in Atomic Comics. You are not sure when all of this has started, when New York turned into a battlefield for superheros and supervillains. New York used to be normal. Alright, scratch that, New York was always one crazy place. 
Not that you mind particularly, you were always a fan of superheroes and comics and to see them, in your city? That was beyond exciting. Not to mention your major crush on kick-Ass.
You took a sip from your milkshake and looked around the comic store. Dave should be here by now. Not that you are surprised he is not here. He is always late nowadays. Marty and Todd fanboyed next to you about hit Girl as you kept looking at your phone and the door, waiting for your best friend to give any sign of him.
In the tv the superhero pair just took out the Motherfucker’s minions.  You sigh a bit worried. What if Dave got in trouble? What if he is in that part of the city where the fight is going on? It’s only a few blocks away and if he got hurt it would explain why he is not responding to your messages..
You hesitantly stood up and walked outside the shop. You heard a loud crash in the distance. You bit your lip, debating whether you should go and look for Dave or not. You heard a loud cheer coming from outside, the heros probably won. Again.
You finally decided to go and look for Dave, so you started speed walking toward the street you saw in the news. Maybe you will not only find Dave but see Kick-Ass too! 
Of course Dave is more important but.. You saw a green figure flash from one of the rooftops. You gasped, Kick-Ass jumped on a building, only a few meters away from you. 
The hero seemed to notice you and waved his hand at you. 
You almost fainted, but went to grab your phone to take a picture of him but by the time you looked up he was long gone. You looked around confused but quickly remembered why you came. You started running again, when from an alleyway someone ran into you.
“AAA”
“AAAA” 
“Oh my god y/n!”
“Dave! What are you doing here?” you grasp your chest, hoping your heart won’t fall out of its place.
“I could ask the same!”
“I was worried about you! So I came looking and..Are you alright?” you carefully touch his cheek where a small cut is, slightly bleeding.  The boy slightly brushes your hand away and tries to hide the light pink flash on his cheek.
“I’m fine, I was on my way to Atomic’s when the fight started and I figured I would be safer here.” he lied effortlessly. You nodded.
“I’m glad you are okay.” you say, before remembering what happened a few seconds ago. “Oh my gosh, Dave! I was walking on the street looking for you and you will never believe what happened! Kick-Ass, The Kick-Ass saw me and waved! Ahh! It was so awesome!”
Dave laughed softly, “I bet it was. Let’s go back to Atomic’s, okay?”
 You guys spend most of your afternoon there, talking about the fight and the superhero duo.
“..so in conclusion, I love Hit Girl and she is so awesome. But Kick-Ass? Gosh, he is so hot!” you gesture with your hands. Dave clears his throat and lifts his drink to his lips. Marty rolls his eyes at you.
“You can’t even see his face!” he throws his hand in the air. Dave and Todd start laughing.
“Hey, man, leave the girl alone.” Dave says, slightly nudging your side. “But really y/n, Kick-Ass could be a nerd like me, for all you know.”
“That would be some Peter Parker shit.” you say grabbing a french fry. “But, I don’t really care for his looks, like.. The idea of him? You know? Like  he is a motherducking hero for Stan Lee's sake!"
" That's kinda.. I don't know. Shallow? Having a crush on someone you don't even know? " Dave says and barely noticeably tucks a small piece of pizza in his pocket. Before you can say anything Todd beats you to it. 
"Well that's rich coming from the guy who was practically drooling over Scarlet Witch in The Ultimates." 
"That's a completely different thing." 
Todd opens his mouth to respond when the harsh sound of the news channel floods the comic shop. You all turn to the tv and see that New York is once again under attack. Dave furrows his eyebrows. 
"Twice?" he asks himself. Before he jumps up from the booth you all are sitting at. 
"I just uhm… I just remembered I have to rush home to help my dad!" 
"Yo dude, what the heck?" yells Todd after your best friend. 
"Sorry, guys I have to run!" and with that Dave is out the door, leaving all his friends including you, confused and kinda upset. He finds the first alleyway and soon his kwami flies out of his pocket. 
"Dave? What's going on? We never have to fight twice a day." the little kwami, Kai says. His name is not actually Kai but as he is a lost kwami he never learned what his name is so Dave was the one to give him the name Kai. 
"I don't know, little dude but we better check it out." 
There wasn't anything big, Chris Damico just couldn't take the fact that he lost again and angrily tried to strike at the innocent citizens of New York in hopes of destroying Kick-Ass too. Instead he ended up getting his.. Well getting his ass kicked. 
Dave didn't change back just yet, instead he jumped from rooftop to rooftop to get home. It got pretty late so it would be stupid to go back to Atomic Comics as you guys probably left. He felt bad for bailing on you again. He hated leaving you. Even if he could play superhero and save people. The look on your face every time he rushed away to a fight? Ugh, he hates it. 
Dave jumps down to an alleyway to transform back when a girl turns into the alley. Wait. It's not just a girl, it's you! 
Dave tries to jump behind trash bags to hide but you already saw him. 
"Kick-Ass?" he hears your voice. He sighs and comes out of his impromptu hiding spot. 
"Haha, guilty as charged."
"Oh my gosh, we met earlier! You waved at me, do you remember? Ah, of course you don't, you meet so many people every day." you would have kept on rambling if it wasn't for Dave. He tried his hardest not to giggle at your fangirling, that he knows oh so well and said. 
" I actually do remember you y/-, random citizen! " 
Fuck! Dave curses himself. He almost said your name! Stupid, stupid, stupid! 
You did seem to hear anything but the fact that your superhero crush remembered you from earlier. You felt your cheeks heating up a bit. 
"You.. You do? Gosh, really? That's so awesome, you are like… ahgh you are so awesome."
"You think so?" Kick-Ass asks, smiling. "Well, you seem like a pretty awesome girl, too. What is a pretty, awesome girl like you doing out this late?" 
Dave feels weird talking to you like this, cause you don't know he is actually your best friend but… Dave also finds that a bit helpful? He could never compliment you as Dave, not like this. He would end up blushing and dying from embarrassment. But Kick-Ass? He is a cool dude, who has no problem flirting with the ladies. 
"Oh, well I was hanging with my friends at Atomic Comics." 
"So you like superheros?" he asks, leaning against a wall in a 'cool way'. 
"Oh, yeah."you nod, gulping."I love them." 
You slowly mingled in conversation. Dave softly flirted with you every once in a while and you always responded with a sweet smile and some nice comeback. Both of you were so in the conversation, you didn't even bother to pay attention to your surroundings. Dave for example, didn't even hear the beeping, the warning that he would transfer back from Kick-Ass to Dave Lizewski. When he realized what was going on it was already too late. His kwami fell tiredly into his hands. 
"Oh shit, oh no, oh shit, shit.. Aah." Dave looked around for help, any help but it was worthless. You already saw him transform. You know. 
Dave slowly, terrified of your reaction, gazed over to you. 
But you just stared at him.
"Look, n/n-"
"This is some Peter Parker shit." you whispered,still starring. But then you snapped out of it. "What the actual fuck, Dave?" 
"I know, I know, I am so sorry y/n! I couldn't tell you and fuck! I am so sorry for flirting with you, it's just I could never have the confidence to do that as Dave and- Ah, I just ruined our friendship and I think I should just leave.." he turned around and tried to walk away but you grabbed his hand and pulled him back. You quickly pressed your lips against his. Dave barely had time to react, he froze. Was this really happening? Is this a dream? 
" You are a real asshole, Dave. "you say after pulling away." You are lucky I love you. "
"You what?" Dave asks with his eyes wide open. "I thought you had a 'major crush' on Kick-Ass." 
"Well, yeah, but I like you better." you say with a small smile. Before Dave can say anything you spot the tired kwami in his hand. "Dave, what the fuck is that?" 
"Oh shit." he pulls out a small snack from his pocket and gives it to Kai who starts munching on it immediately. "He is Kai. He is my kwami, he is basically the source of my powers." 
"Uhm, hi." you wave at the small creature. 
The kwami looks up at you and then at Dave. 
"This is wrooong." 
"Shut up, little dude." he turns to you, scratching his back with his free hand. "So, uhm can I walk you home… as not your best friend?" 
You shake your head with a laugh. 
"I want nothing more." you take his hand and you two walk with huge smiles on both of your faces. 
Maybe this was an accident, but at the end of the day Kick-Ass defeated his enemy, saved New York twice, but it was Dave Lizewski who ended up getting the girl.
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Here's how I imagined Kai, his kwami (i am no digital artist, i know it look horrible 😂😂) :
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taglist: @sethcohenluvr @your-hispanichufflepuff
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betawooper · 4 years ago
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rating every demon fight in kny bc i can
non-biased, completely objective rating (more or less) of every significant demon fight in kny based on a number of factors, including:
cleverness of fighting tactics
placement in the story’s timeline
integration of character backstories
cohesive themes between characters
etc
by non-biased and objective i mean i’m not skewing the rating if a death felt fair or whatever
everything past where the anime ended will be under a read more so anime onlys who havent watched mugen train, youre safe lol
oh and i reread the manga like 20+ times (reread the latter arcs at least 40 times, haha hyperfixations am i right?) so be rest assured im not pulling these ratings out of my ass
also ill randomly be bolding certain phrases just to improve readability
anyways let’s gooooo
VS NEZUKO
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Kamado Tanjirou and Nezuko. Tanjirou is fending her off by putting the axe handle in her mouth, keeping her from eating him. End Image Description.]
10/10
i like how realistic it is, because yeah tanjirou would react the way to he did with zero fighting skills against a demon
very clear why tanjirou is fighting nezuko and shows a bit of worldbuilding on how normal people react to their family becoming demons
always nice to see worldbuilding
giyuu is the perfect example of a seasoned demon slayer who’s good at his job, and he juxtaposes tanjirou very well in that aspect
my only complaint is not directly in this fight itself but how nezuko is handled throughout the story as a whole
like bro, it is literally never explained why nezuko is different from demons
could have been easily explained if maybe her family’s ghosts like slapped her hand every time she wanted to eat a person but nope
she’s just built different lol
so yeah youll see future ratings get points docked off bc nezuko unlocks some secret power with no prior explanation other than she angy >:3
VS TEMPLE DEMON
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[Image Description: Manga panel of a demon. The demon has a sharp-nailed hand over his neck and there are four text bubbles around him saying “But a wound like this... will heal in no time! See? The bleeding already stopped!” End Image Description.]
10/10
may be more forgettable compared to like rui but still good
tanjirou did exceptionally well in this fight and his ability to think on his feet is once again beautifully illustrated here (trapping this dude’s head against the tree trunk with the axe)
very clever
again, establishes more demon worldbuilding regarding regeneration and still being able to move without their head
and the demons burning in the sunlight thing since nezuko wasn’t able to show that
the ending where tanjirou hesitates to kill the demon also serves to show his sympathetic nature towards demons that will last throughout the entirety of the first 60-ish chapters
:)
we’ll talk about what the hell happens to tanjirou after that
or not, it could honestly be its own post
VS HAND DEMON
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[Image Description: Manga panel of a many-handed demon. He has six hands around him, three of them covering his mouth while he chuckles, two of them grabbing his cheeks, and one holding on to the top of his head. There are two text bubbles saying “That’s how many of Urokodaki’s students I have eaten! I’ve decided to kill all of his students!” End Image Description.]
10/10
ooooh probably the first big fight against a demon in the series
oh yeah not doing the two random demons tanjirou one shot in a single blow bc eh
anyways hand demon’s pretty goddamn scary, considering the fact that this is the 5th demon or whatever tanjirou has had to face so far
very nice way to show us how much tanjirou’s innate intuition and all his other random abilities (sense of smell, hard forehead) can come together and help him decapitate this guy
i liked the mini history with urokodaki this dude had and why he had beef with our favorite mentor figure, it establishes that urokodaki was in fact a super good demon slayer and its cool to see that actually shown
i also liked that small moment of compassion tanjirou gave this demon, staying consistent with tanjirou’s established kindness
the demon’s sad tale with killing his own brother very much humanizes him when all the reader has seen up to this point is that this guy is a monster who eats people
sets up the theme of demons just being humans but being victims of circumstance that unfortunately doesn’t hold up as well in arcs past mugen train
VS SWAMP DEMON
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Kamado Tanjirou fighting off three horned demons as they appear from below. There is a spiky text bubble saying “Three of them!!!” End Image Description.]
10/10
not my most favorite fight but it still portrays everything alright and im not allowed to let my personal opinions mess with the rating so
i like how tanjirou mentioned the fact that he trained in conditions similar to the bog and explains how he pulled off the whirlpool form
using past experiences to aid him in the present, nice nice
tanjirou and nezuko dont quite work together very well but its yknow the first mission so ill chalk it up to simple inexperience
also the way the muzan curse thingie was hinted at here? fantastic way of showing that little bit of demon worldbuilding
...
oh god, it mentions nezuko being stronger than normal demons
ok its not a problem here per say since i can still suspend my disbelief, but later on it just becomes a glaring problem that gets worse over time
VS SUSAMARU AND YAHABA
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[Image Description: Manga panels of Susamaru and Yahaba. The first one is a joyful Susamaru about to throw a temari ball. There is floating text saying “Is she one of Kibutsuji’s minions?!” The second image is an annoyed Yahaba, holding one of his eye-hands to cover himself. There are two text bubbles around him saying “My kimono got all dusty. Tch!” End Image Description.]
9/10
why dont these bitches have a good looking panel together dammit
anyways amazing entrance, the way yahaba used his hand eyes to track down tanjirou is really neat
the synergy yahaba and susamaru have is incredible, its awesome dude, they work extremely well together and it shows
tanjirou actually mixing his water breathing forms together is a god tier move and i absolutely love how he can show off his ability to think on his feet once again
establishing how yushiro’s bda works early on is really well done
establishing tamayo as a fugitive this early on is also super well done
not to get into spoiler territory but both these things pay off
how tamayo ended up defeating susamaru is literally awesome in so many ways
shows off both how smart she is by exploiting the muzan curse
and speaking of the muzan curse, we actually get to see what happens to demons who even say his name, back when it was hinted with the swamp demon
tamayo is amazing dude, and we get some real evidence of the horrible suffering demons go through if they even accidentally attempt to betray muzan :D
...
now heres what keeps this fight from being perfect
nezuko somehow grew stronger against susamaru’s temari
with no explanation
which could have been easily explained if tamayo was like “oh yeah the drug also boosts a demon’s strength temporarily”
but nope
god, i just dont like how gotouge handles nezuko’s power boosts throughout the series bc like i said before
no explanation is given anywhere
this is a huge issue, this isnt a pokemon game, you cant just kill demons and get exp at the end of every battle, level up, get some sweet stat bonuses and move on
(actually if gotouge established that this is how nezuko grew in power, than all my complaints about this would be gone, im not even joking)
anyways i get that nezuko is supposed to be “special” but thats too vague of a descriptor
how the hell is she special? ya gotta be more specific and stick with that explanation or that suspension of disbelief is going to disappear
VS TONGUE DEMON
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[Image Description: Manga panel of a four-eyed demon with horns and a long tongue. He is crawling in an awkward position, one foot in front of his tilted head. There are two text bubbles around him saying “Heh, heh! I’ll slurpy slurp your brains out through you ear!” End Image Description.]
10/10
not much to say, showcases zenitsu’s true abilities really well
nicely done
VS HORNED DEMON
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[Image Description: Manga panel of a big, single-horned demon. There are three text bubbles saying “You dodged! You’re awfully lively for a human! It’ll be a treat to carve away your flesh!” End Image Description.]
10/10
would have ignored this fight if not for the fact we havent seen inosuke fight before
it definitely shows how very fast-paced and wild inosuke is
no complaints here lol
VS KYOGAI
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Kyogai, a demon with tsuzumi drums attached to his shoulders. There are four text bubbles around him saying “Why?! Why does everyone keep sneaking through my house? It’s so aggravating. It’s my prey! It’s my prey! Found in my territory!” End Image Description.]
10/10
establishes marechi blood pretty early on, once again expanding the worldbuilding of kny which is always cool
interesting terrain where it’s always shifting, tanjirou once again proves his ability to adapt really quickly by altering one of his forms to work with the turning room
(man, i wish the form mixing/form modification thing carried on throughout the rest of the story, but it really didnt which is just a shame)
the injuries tanjirou had prior to this mission actually affecting him was a nice touch
oh yeah, kyogai gives us more worldbuilding (which is always nice) regarding the 12 kizuki, and the aspect of him being cast out due to being weak shows a lot about muzan’s indifference towards his own demons if they arent strong
his backstory being a failed writer once again humanizes kyogai as a former human being and not just a monster
tanjirou shows his sympathy and compassion again by not stepping on his written work and complimenting his bda
well, tbh tanjirou’s actions kinda came out of nowhere but its a very minor thing and not enough to dock a point off, like it didnt affect the outcome of the fight that much if at all
(so if you see future battles where points are docked off for things not logically making sense, its bc whatever nonsensical concepts were integrated into the fight actually turned the tide of the battle and thats a big no-no)
very good fight and if you remember how kinda bad tanjirou was at accurately slicing the swamp demon, you can see that he’s already improved leaps and bounds
im so proud of him
VS MOTHER SPIDER DEMON
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Kamado Tanjirou and the Mother Spider Demon. There is a light shining down from the top right on to the demon as Tanjirou slices her head off, rain following in his wake. There is floating text saying “Water Breathing: Fifth Form - Blessed Rain After the Drought!” around them. End Image Description.]
10/10
i mean does anyone disagree?
all the demon slayers getting their necks snapped by her threads was pretty horrific, probably more horrifying than anything else we have seen in the entire series if im gonna be honest
the death scene is probably the most beautiful one in the series
it reveals a water breathing form that we havent seen before thats the 5th form
as far as i know, no other breathing style has this merciful sword stroke so it shows a lot about the original water breather and what they might have been like
but enough about them, really the focus is on tanjirou bc this is like the best example by far of how kind and sympathetic he is to demons
dunno what else to say, its perfect
VS SON SPIDER DEMON
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Agatsuma Zenitsu performing Thunder Breathing 1st Form: Sixfold on a spider-like demon. Zenitsu is crashing through the roof of a shed, and a zig-zag path is left behind. There are sound effects all over the panel, saying “Bam!” in large font. End Image Description.]
10/10
chose a picture without a huge spider on it bc i would like to not scare myself half to death
anyways extremely amazing fight, showcases zenitsu’s immense talent and skill, adapting the 1st form of thunder breathing to be a more versatile move
theres a moment where his backstory with kuwajima and kaigaku were revealed and his hidden insecurities are out in the open which is super nice and further develops a character weve only considered as comedic relief until now
the anime made the backstory scenes and the killing scene so much cooler
while there is no thematic connection between zenitsu and the demon, it really isnt necessary to keep this fight interesting
anyways another pretty much perfect fight
VS FATHER SPIDER DEMON
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Kamado Tanjirou and Inosuke slashing at the Father Spider Demon. The demon has blocked Tanjirou’s sword with his arm, and Inosuke is slamming both his blades down on the demon’s other hand. End Image Description.]
10/10
again, not my most favorite fight but it does everything right
i do have to say it was excellent how gotouge hyped up the father spider demon to be the big bad, only just so the plot twist later takes the readers by surprise
nicely done
VS DAUGHTER SPIDER DEMON
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Kochou Shinobu and the Daughter Spider Demon. Shinobu’s back is seen and her haori looks like a butterfly’s wings keeping her afloat as she holds her stinger blade out to the side. The demon looks surprised as blood gushes from her side, arm, shoulder, chest, neck, and forehead. There is floating text on the panel, saying “Insect Breathing - Butterfly Dance - Caprice!” End Image Description.]
10/10
first time weve seen shinobu and her fighting style
what i love most about this is how much it shows her true character, appearing as a carefree and naive individual so she seems underwhelming
then bam, reveals exactly how dangerous and uncaring she is of demons, listing out the specific ways she would torture the daughter spider demon in grotesque detail
her using poison to take demons by surprise is also super clever and brings back the worldbuilding established way earlier about wisteria being poisonous to demons
amazing integration of that concept
anyways this fight really encapsulates who shinobu is as a character and thats why it gets a perfect score
VS RUI
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Rui holding his hand out directly towards the viewer. There are two text bubbles around him, saying “Give me your sister. If you hand her over quietly, I’ll spare your life.” End Image Description.]
8/10
not only is it a super scary fight but there is a deeper conflict between rui and tanjirou, what it means to be family
they are opposites in the sense that while tanjirou believes love is what makes a family, rui’s subconscious desperation for an unbreakable bond drives him to use fear to keep his “family” together
excellent juxtaposition of their values, and this is only further emphasized when rui expresses out loud what he was going to do to nezuko
i also like the symbolism regarding rui’s bda, how he uses threads or the “familial” bonds to cut up his fake family with it if they act out of turn or annoy him
super neat detail
alright what i dont like about this fight is nezuko (again)
mostly her unlocking her bda to turn the tide of the battle bc her mom was like “yo, wake up, your brother is going to be killed”
feels... forced ig
her bda in general is confusing and not consistent
man, i wish i could make a stronger argument for this but i do believe the problem stems from the fact that we dont ever know what nezuko is thinking, and what she thinks of tanjirou specifically
if she even cares for him as a sibling or if shes only going along with what her family is saying to her, things like that which would have been fixed if gotouge actually gave her thoughts some screen time
so the action feels pretty shallow
im also conflicted over tanjirou somehow remembering how dance of the fire god works
on one hand, hes using past information and applying it in the current setting so he doesnt die, which is understandable
but on the other hand, this was a teeny bit random?
i think what could have fixed this is if there was a scene in the beginning of the series where tanjirou was performing it himself, like practicing before he actually had to do it for new years
so that when the rui fight rolls around, it would have felt less like throwing dry spaghetti at a wall
but yeah
overall super good fight, giyuu ending up having to kill rui instead of tanjirou was super good in that tanjirou didnt become a pillar this early in the series and to show how strong giyuu is
there are some odd bits regarding the ultimate “beheading” of rui using nezuko and tanjirous supposed bonds but it doesnt kill the fight entirely so it deserves its pretty high score
***under read more is manga-only fights so beware***
VS ENMU
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Enmu holding his hand out directly at the viewer, with a mouth on the back of it. There is floating text to the top right of Enmu that says “Whispers of Forced Unconscious Hypnosis!” End Image Description.]
9/10
id say this fight is definitely overshadowed by the dream stuff prior to this but its pretty good in its own right
enmu fusing with the train was kinda confusing, like when was it established that demons could fuse with objects?
this worldbuilding element doesnt even appear again so yeah thats why it loses a point
how the kmbk gang end up defeating enmu is pretty sweet though, tanjirou using dance of the fire god to sever the neck bone was really nice and shows that him using the breathing style in the rui fight wasnt a one time thing
while kyojuro’s role was smaller in this part, the next part makes up for it so i cant complain
anyways ye, almost perfect score but its pretty good
VS AKAZA (MUGEN TRAIN)
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Akaza holding his hand out to the viewer’s left. There is a text bubble saying “Why don’t you become a demon?” End Image Description.]
10/10
this encounter is literally amazing okay?
after the crew kills the big bad, it seems like everything is fine
but plot twist, upper moon 3 appears out of nowhere
this is the first time the reader has seen an upper moon, let alone the 3rd/4th strongest demon in existence and the way gotouge handled this twist is fucking amazing
kyojuro’s death scene really shows just how human even the strongest pillars are against demons with incredible power
its just
amazing
VS OBI DEMON
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[Image Description: Manga panels of the obi-like demon. The first image shows the obi hung in the air and strung over each other like decorations, with women-shaped patterns in its folds. The second image is Hashibira Inosuke fighting the Obi demon which now has lips and eyes. There is floating text in that panel saying “Breath of the Beast: Sixth Fang - Jagged Gnaw!!” End Image Description.]
10/10
on to red light district
this fight is admittedly super forgettable and not very interesting at least compared to the main fight with daki and gyutaro
but it wraps up the sub plot of the women and uzui’s wives going missing so it gets a perfect score for not messing that up
oh and it establishes the stretchy neck thing daki has going on which is very good
VS DAKI AND GYUTARO
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Daki and Gyutaro. Daki is sitting on Gyutaro’s shoulders. There is a text bubble on the top right that says “The two of us are one, after all.” as well as floating text that reads “The power of the irregular siblings...!? Next issue lead color and the fight reaches its climax!!” End Image Description.]
8/10
love how this battle challenges tanjirou’s sympathy and kindness towards demons, just simply bc daki and gyutaro are horrible people
(too bad nothing came of this, which ill explain in the hantengu portion)
daki and gyutaro are very good villains and kept this fight super interesting from start to finish
uzui acting as a foil to gyutaro is nicely integrated and properly shown with how jealous gyutaro gets over seeing uzui’s perfect form and stature
tanjirou not only mixes forms but mixes breathing styles as well, which is so fucking awesome
(too bad it was only used like once throughout the entire series, its quite unfortunate)
the super high tension right after inosuke gets stabbed and tanjirou wakes up was expertly portrayed and handled, it felt like the kmbk gang and uzui were actually going to lose
super awesome
the tanjirou and gyutaro parallels are expertly portrayed, with how gyutaro taunts tanjirou over failing to protect his little sister, and the more visual thing where tanjirou imagined his own neck underneath his blade, that was super duper nice
the ending is extremely tense and emotionally gripping, gotouge did a really good job with that artistically too
the demon mark acquisition scene was surprisingly not frustrating, considering that it wasnt really explained prior to the battle
i do think it has to do with how it was explained later just exactly how they worked so its not just some random thing gotouge pulled out of their ass
so pretty good
/
what i dont like is nezuko and her full power demon form
first of all where the fuck did that come from? she just got angry and suddenly shes as powerful as an upper moon
like
how?
that doesnt make sense???
her extremely quick regeneration makes no sense
her ability to manipulate her blood’s properties makes no sense
and it doesnt even appear again so what was the point of that existing
none of this is even explained later which annoys me
that one part where tanjirou sings a lullaby to her to calm her down was alright ig but nezuko in this fight makes me extremely irritated and frustrated
just ugh
VS HANTENGU
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Hantengu opening a shoji door. He is crawling inside, his hand in a gnarled, unnatural position. There is a text bubble saying “Eeeeeeek.” End Image Description.]
1/10
swordsmith village
this fight can go fuck itself /j
no but seriously it has so many problems that it would be shorter to name its redeeming qualities (which ill do later)
first off, the nezuko full power form thing again
i hate it so much with a passion
again, where did her ability to regenerate instantly even come from???? this is never explained, ever
and why did she cut herself on tanjirou’s sword anyway
did she somehow know that it was going to turn red if she burned it?
gotouge what the fuck, there is literally no reason why nezuko would do that and we cant even read her mind to see her thought process
gotouge hates nezuko, i swear
/
remember when i said uzui is meant to be a foil to gyutaro in the rld fight? its pretty obvious that those two are opposites, it was nicely done
... what the hell does mitsuri’s insecurities about strength have to do with whatever the fuck hantengu has going on (which is basically nothing)?
so no meaningful connection between mitsuri and hantengu
theres no meaningful connection between tanjirou and hantengu other than tanjirou getting pissed off for like the second time
also tanjirou’s thing with being kind and sympathetic to demons was entirely dropped at this point
but instead of it leading up to a corruption arc of some sorts, it just doesnt
like honestly if something actually came of that anger he exhibited in this arc and from red light district from this point forward story-wise, i would have counted this as an amazing writing decision
but it literally doesnt so who cares
(god, i really start to hate what happened to his character after this )
and genya’s revealed motivation also doesnt fit at all with hantengu’s thing, he’s not a foil, not a parallel, nothing, there is nothing
/
tanjirou being the catharsis for development for mitsuri and muichirou, who he has only talked to like twice
theres definitely a better way to handle those two’s developments without his help
like gotouge, you have a big cast of characters, use them lol
/
i want to kick hantengu in the face for being boring as fuck (at least his clones have cool looking weapons)
doesnt even have a proper backstory, just a single spread of him being blamed for shit as a human
like... thats it? this is upper moon 4 what the hell
/
theres no clever form mixing here at all (regarding tanjirou) which probably would have helped with foreshadowing the 13th form for dance of the fire god/sun breathing better
also gotouge established that as tanjirou’s thing and now he doesnt do that stuff anymore which sucks
/
oh hey remember when tanjirou actually learned how to do zenitsu’s speed boost thing?
if you didnt, i dont blame you bc it literally doesnt appear again, ever
you could argue that he adapted it into his “waltz flash” technique or whatever the fuck that is but the way it was integrated into this fight was like throwing dry spaghetti at a wall
which is just a shame bc its meant to be representative of how tanjirou and zenitsu are good pals but the way it was utilized is forgettable as hell
/
i absolutely loathe the crimson blade concept as a whole and im mentioning this now bc its going to come into play why future instances where this goddamn thing comes up again causes points to be lost
its inconsistent as fuck ill tell you that
/
at least some yoriichi stuff appeared here and not shoved into the final battle with everything else
so the yoriichi stuff later didnt come out of absolute nowhere
genya and mitsuri’s unique fighting styles expand the kny worldbuilding just a little more which is always nice
tanjirou got a cool sword out of this which would have been cooler if him and yoriichi had a deeper connection that was actually explored
but we didnt get shit so whatever
other people getting demon marks being revealed here is also okay so that again, the final battle isnt filled with absolutely everyone getting their marks at once
demon marks have their own slew of problems but its not as bad as the fucking crimson sword shit
god i hate the crimson sword shit
...
dude this section needs a tldr, even i cant sit and read through my shit
TL;DR - this fight sucks and crimson swords are bullshit (more on this later)
VS GYOKKO
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Tokitou Muichirou and Gyokko. Muichirou is looking to the left while Gyokko is looking to the right, both with their backs to each other. There are mist clouds billowing in the foreground and background, as well as a slash mark going across Gyokko’s neck. End Image Description.]
7/10
this fight suffers from the same lack of cohesive themes through characters like the hantengu battle bc the antagonist is given nothing
but its better
we havent actually seen mui fight before so theres no consistencies that the reader has to keep track of for now
and there arent like 10 characters in the fight so this fight gets a lot of points just for being a lot more coherent
i do like that this fight shows just how good mui is that he can defeat an upper moon by himself
mui’s backstory is neat
gyokko’s bda is very interesting too
... thats pretty much it lol
ye, anyways not the best fight but not the worst fight either
VS KAIGAKU
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Kaigaku holding the hilt of his blade with one hand. There is two text bubbles around him, saying “...As usual, you’re still shabby. It’s been a while, Zenitsu.” End Image Description.]
9/10
alright on to final battle arc
theres some good fights and then some really sucky ones, but this one was pretty incredible and very emotionally charged
theres a clear reason why zenitsu and kaigaku are battling each other (kai betrayed the corps and inadvertantly caused the only parental figure in zenitsu’s life to die, and zenitsu is rightfully pissed off about that)
the visual yin-yang symbolism is awesome too
zenitsu winning due to using the 7th form he created himself (which i have reason to believe was inspired by tanjirou) was the perfect ending to the fight, really couldnt ask for anything better and is a perfect example of how much of an effect tanjirou has had on zenitsu
the 7th form is what tanjirou’s waltz flash should have been lol
/
what keeps this fight from being absolutely perfect is lack of development prior to this conflict
(since the final battle arc is basically a culmination of all the hinted developments through the series, im going to actually factor in how much and how well these conflicts were foreshadowed)
anyways if we had actually seen zenitsu, kaigaku, and kuwajima actually interacting with each other and showing how they were essentially a family (not just through flashbacks), it would have made zenitsu placing the responsibility of killing kai onto himself a lot more tragic
but like, apart from brief flashbacks where zenitsu actually met kaigaku off screen and that one thing all the way back in natagumo where both kuwajima and kai were introduced, thats pretty much it in terms of thunder family development
so yeah its underdeveloped for sure
also one random thought, i personally think zenitsu should have gotten his demon mark in this fight, it would have been cool to see
VS AKAZA (INFINITY FORTRESS)
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Akaza’s face. There are two text bubbles around him, saying “Okay, let’s get started. It’s time for the feast.” There is also floating text saying “The inspection of the strong has begun...” as well as a simple box on the lower left, denoting its the end of chapter 147. End Image Description.]
6/10
oh god please dont hate me for this
ill list the good things first how about that
this conflict was foreshadowed perfectly in mugen train, you bet the readers were expecting a tanjirou vs akaza battle after the death of kyojuro and gotouge delivered
akaza’s power is shown extremely well with how many close calls tanjirou and giyuu had while fighting him
akaza eventually giving up on his own volition was really nice and fit into the context of the battle very very well, like sure tanjirou and giyuu wouldnt understand why he gave up but us readers do know
akaza is a really good character and a good villain
/
now notice how im only mentioning akaza and not giyuu or tanjirou in the good aspects
bc those two are eh
no form mixing at all from either tanjirou and giyuu
i know i said form mixing was kind of tanjirou’s thing but you’d think giyuu would have gotten more creative with his moves once akaza said that he was getting predictable
(well he said he “ran out of water breathing forms” but same thing)
so its kinda bland lol
speaking of giyuu, his whole thing with his insecurities of being weak wasnt handled well (it was sort of immediately brushed off in pillar training, and its unclear what part of his character arc he was in)
like sure him announcing that he’s going to protect tanjirou is cool but it feels like he was haphazardly dropped into the tanjirou and akaza conflict
isnt he supposed to be both their foils? that wasnt really explored that well in this fight and theres no deep meaning behind him even being here just analyzing what he did in it
he could have been handled better or even given more focus is what im saying
the anatta state came out of nowhere, im sorry okay? just bc inosuke like barely hinted at not being able to sense grandma hisa bc she had no fighting spirit and tanjurou magically taught his son how to achieve this state doesnt mean it was properly integrated into the fight
if the anatta state was actually explored prior to this battle, i would have given it a pass but it just feels like a cheap and poorly developed trick to get around akaza’s technique development (which is overpowered as fuck might i add)
gotouge should have just given akaza a plausible weakness to his technique development instead, especially since they dont use or even mention the anatta state after this
the transparent world shit makes no sense but ill elaborate on that in the koku battle analysis
oh and this thing doesnt affect the score but why wasnt there a “yoriichi visage overlapping” moment when tanjirou was fighting akaza? hes an upper moon, he should have gotten those visions but he didnt
for some reason
anyways this battle was alright and has good set up but the middle and end parts didnt hold up as well bc random concepts were thrown at us without prior explanation or development
VS DOUMA
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Douma licking Shinobu’s butterfly pin. There are two text bubbles around him saying “Anyway, tonight is a good night. Such fine feasts keep showing up one after another.” End Image Description.]
9/10
damn, such an amazing fight
the build up to this was properly foreshadowed
shinobu finally showing her true anger after hiding it for so long is amazing
douma is a super interesting character and fantastic villain
shinobu showing off her true power and determination against douma was sooooo nice
shinobu’s poisonous body plan is so clever and so interesting
if i was to rate the shinobu part of the fight alone, it would have gotten a 10/10 no question
the reason why its knocked down a point is because of the kanao and inosuke part
dont get me wrong, the way kanao is able to hold her own against douma by herself is pretty cool, how shes meant to parallel douma with their similar struggles surrounding human emotions and demonstrate how she has grown as a person, how she regains the ability to cry
that shit is cool, inosuke also getting in touch with his emotions after learning what happened to his mom was super neat as well
however
bc this battle takes place in the final arc with everything else, there wasnt proper build up regarding many things, the kotoha reveal especially
so inosuke feels kinda forced into the kanao shinobu and douma conflict, similar to how giyuu felt forced into the tanjirou and akaza conflict
its quite unfortunate bc if the kotoha stuff was actually explored prior to the confrontation, this “forced” feeling would have disappeared
i know some people have suggested that the douma fight should have just been its own arc, and i very much agree, it would have certainly helped fix this problem regarding inosuke and kotoha
last random thought, i wish shinobu, kanao, and inosuke got their demon marks
VS KOKUSHIBOU
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Kokushibou looking directly at the viewer, holding the hilt of his blade as if he’s going to pull it out. There are text boxes around him saying “This... is Upper Moon One... He’s so different compared to the other Upper Moons. He looks so dignified and majestic.” The text boxes are narrated by Tokitou Muichirou. End Image Description.]
5/10
this fight is... mediocre
at least theres a more tangible connection between muichirou and kokushibou
even though that was handled kinda poorly
tbh there really was no point to revealing that mui is koku’s descendant like at all, it just had no significant bearing to the plot of the fight
sanemi’s backstory being here is... okay ig?
idk the whole shinazugawa conflict has fundamental problems that i just cant think of any other place to put it without changing the entirety of canon
the marechi blood concept coming back was nice though
genya is there
him getting his bda was cool and helped turn the tide of the battle in a satisfying way (before kicking the bucket but thats not the focus here)
gyomei is a hollow husk of a character who barely got anything at all
but his fighting style is extremely cool and conveys his immense power very well
oh and him and sanemi are amazing at working together, like better than giyuu and tanjirou, and better than kanao and inosuke
theyre that good yet pretty much nobody acknowledges it which is sad
koku himself is pretty interesting and pretty tragic, very nice villain
but everyone together?
gonna be honest but this is such a random collection of characters, there was basically no foreshadowing that these four were going to go up again kokushibou, they are not that connected very well
i know there was this one post that focused on the theme of family that was common in all 5 characters in the fight but its just not enough
it would have been more cohesive if gotouge emphasized gyomei, mui, sanemi, and genya being like different aspects of yoriichi coming together to kill kokushibou hundreds of years after yoriichi failed to kill him
lmao its not like the 4 of them defeated koku with the power of family or friendship, they just smacked him over and over with a flail, shot him with magical bullets, and stabbed a crimson sword into his abdomen
wouldnt have been too hard to switch over to koku’s pov and go “damn these bitches are like my stupid brother”
...
speaking of crimson swords
i fucking hate the crimson sword concept oh my god can i complain about it now? im gonna complain about it now
unlike demon marks, the crimson blades werent even given any proper conditions, you just hold the stupid thing hard enough and it somehow imbues it with magical properties with no logic behind those properties
what part of crimson swords completely destroys a demon’s body in an instant? even muzan didnt go through that process when he was almost killed by yoriichi so where in the goddamn fuck did it come from
it could be explained bc the sword was left in the same spot for a long time but this tactic doesnt even appear again in a meaningful way (didnt kill muzan when tanjirou and giyuu held the sword together) so what the fuck was the point of having this even exist
its so underdeveloped and confusing and i hate it
the transparent world stuff is also confusing as shit and its pretty much never explained how they work aside from the vague “close your mind” advice, like why did it exist, it did nothing to help the present day demon slayers
its just so... poorly integrated
yeah anyways this is around the same rating as the akaza fight but a little worse bc there wasnt that strong set up beforehand
VS KOKUSHIBOU (SENGOKU ERA)
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[Image Description: Manga panel of a bag getting ripped open, pieces of a wooden flute tumbling out. End Image Description.]
10/10
easily 10/10
this fight shows the tragedy of kokushibou giving in to his envy and hatred, when yoriichi cries over seeing his own family commit terrible attrocities against the people he wanted to protect
and yoriichi dies, now carrying the fact that he couldnt even save his own brother from the influence of muzan on his conscious forever
what a sad ending for yoriichi
and after koku angrily slashes apart yoriichi’s corpse, having him find and keep the flute he gave to him when they were kids to the present day gives him a small shred of humanity in the midst of his monstrous anger
VS NAKIME
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[Image Description: Manga panels of Nakime. The first one shows a low quality version of her playing her biwa. The second one is a close up of her eye. There are spiky text bubbles saying “It’s Upper Rank... 4!” End Image Description.]
0/10
no nakime backstory
not even a goddamn fight
forgettable
useless
VS MUZAN
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[Image Description: Manga panel of Kibutsuji Muzan in his white-haired, mouth-covered form. There are text bubbles around him saying “Not a single one was of use to me. I will crush the demon hunters tonight. I’ll massacre them all right now.” End Image Description.]
1/10
._.
i have many complaints but ill try my best to not make this another hantengu rant section lol
first off, obanai deserved better
im serious, this poor dude was forgotten until pretty much the end when we finally get a backstory out of him
and then he died
what a waste of a potentially amazing character
mitsuri getting taken out early was ehhh
pretty sure someone else made a post about her supposedly being extremely strong but she was nerfed in this battle which i agree with
literally none of the pillars work together very well, like remember how i praised sanemi and gyomei for being super coordinated? lmao that doesnt exist anymore
you could say this is caused by desperation though and you wouldnt be wrong, its just boring to sit through
that causes issues bc this now basically requires the crimson sword and transparent world concepts to be there to spice things up
but in this fight, they do nothing in the long run (except for tanjirou using the crimson sword at the very very end)
youve already heard me talk about why those two things are super shittily integrated and i cant be bothered repeating myself so moving on
kanao, inosuke, and zenitsu
they... exist? they didnt do much tbh, which i guess is the point but like, now its boring again
nezuko could have been used as a potential way to raise the stakes and make things interesting again (like “ah shit, muzan might actually be unkillable if he gets nezuko but its okay bc shes not here- oh fuck shes here this is not good”)
but nothing came of her running off except confirmation that she became human again so whatever
uzui and shinjuro are useless, why werent they at the fight?
like they could have followed nezuko and contributed to the battle even a little but they just didnt and now theres literally no point to them appearing in this arc at all
wasted potential
tanjirou
i wish him going absolutely apeshit had actual substance behind it, like it being a part of his character arc or something
i remember having this one theory that he had a corruption arc (due to dropping his kindness thing towards demons) and i wanted this to be true so badly
but it doesnt exist
not with how the series ended
god
the only thing that saves this fight from being complete trash is tamayo’s poison thing being amazingly executed
and the part where everyone got blasted away, losing limbs and shit, that made things a little more interesting again
but thats it
VS MUZAN (SENGOKU ERA)
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[Image Description: Manga panels of Kibutsuji Muzan, Tamayo, and Tsugikuni Yoriichi. The first one has Muzan and Tamayo, while the second one has Yoriichi pulling out his sword. There are text boxes saying “And the moment I met him, I understood that I was born into this world to defeat this man.” End Image Description.]
9/10
finally something good again
while short, that’s just the nature of all of yoriichi’s battles with demons
anyways pretty nice, theres a clear reason why this battle exists (shows the scenario that made the original breather get super close to defeating muzan in detail)
adding tamayo here was a nice touch
my only complaint is that it seemed extremely coincidental that yoriichi somehow developed a breathing style specifically countering muzan’s multiple organs without even knowing prior that he had all those brains and hearts floating around freely in his body
like thats kind of ridiculous, even for yoriichi whos supposed to be “blessed by the gods”
could just be me though
VS TANJIROU
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[Image Description: Manga panels of Kamado Tanjirou in his demon form. The first image has his eyes closed. The second image has his eyes opened and the tumor on his face almost completely faded. There are text boxes around him saying “You will destroy the demon hunters in my stead.” End Image Description.]
1/10
hoo boy
ok first off, demon tanjirou lasted for 2 chapters
thats it
2 chapters
so thats already a problem
i am aware its meant to parallel the beginning of the series but also its ridiculous how completely vague and rushed this entire thing was
nezuko doesnt do shit through not just this battle but this entire arc which i already explained so not gonna go into it further
kanao magically having a demon cure on her made very little sense
the scene where tanjirou leaves muzan in purgatory is pretty but if you look at it in the context of everything else, its ambiguous and confusing
(if someone could explain it and see how it connects to the original theme of “demons just being victims of circumstance,” i would love to hear it)
/
actually you know what makes me so mad about this “fight” as a whole? there was so much potential to do more with this concept
and im not talking about him escaping and nezuko becoming a demon slayer roleswap au (even though its a pretty cool concept)
him becoming a demon could have been a metaphor for his lost kindness and sympathy towards demons halfway through the series
it could have been a punishment for letting his anger towards muzan cloud his judgement
it could have symbolized literally anything about him losing his humanity as he got stronger
but those three things are just scenarios from my head, they dont exist in this series just based off of what weve seen from these two chapters
its disappointing
the only thing keeping this from getting a 0 is the one part where inosuke couldnt chop off tanjirou’s head bc he cared about him too much
that at least shows inosuke had grown as a character
everything else is just meaningless and convoluted garbage and “convoluted” is not what you should be aiming for if this is supposed to be the ending of your series
IN SUMMARY
early kny is very good, later kny is questionable and the ending is just a mess of wasted potential and disappointment
i get why gotouge had to have the transparent world ability, crimson blade ability, and the demon marks appear before they all appeared on yoriichi but theyre all just so underdeveloped and terribly handled in the battles they are used, it makes me want to kick a wall
like lmao, i could literally think of so many ways they could have been properly integrated, hell, im even writing a whole goddamn rewrite using my ideas for these three things (link to that is in my pinned)
just, god
if you want to debate over these ratings, my ask box is open ig? idk
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ralfmaximus · 4 years ago
Text
Demon Trap
I finished the incantation, the last of the words yanked from my throat as they often are. My Sight revealed them swirling away from me, forming a vortex within the containment circle surrounding me, simple chalk on basement concrete.
I stepped carefully out of the circle then, popped the cap off a bottled water and swallowed half in one long draught. By the time I wiped my chin, my visitor was already forming.
He appeared first as an orange ember, a firefly darting frantically within the containment. Finding no escape, he settled into the center, about eye-height, finally spreading himself out a bit: now he spanned a half-dozen hands, sheets of electric fire spinning and churning. The suggestion now of eyes, teeth, horns, reptile skin stretched between bird-bones.
The process was fascinating, always different, yet always similar. Their kind was a bit predictable, which was why I worked in my chosen field. A specialist, I felt comfortable with my knowledge; what to expect, what to do when things went wrong. And this time, everything seemed to be humming along perfectly.
The last thing to arrive was his voice: a howling impotent rage, scaling up into dog-hearing, now bombing out into floor shaking subsonics. This too would subside, I knew, as the thing realized how thoroughly it was caught. I finished my water as I waited.
Eventually, silence. I cleared my throat.
“Hello in there?”
A momentary flash of fire, the howling and shrieking renewed. Were I standing within the circle, I might’ve been impressed. Perhaps even incinerated.
“Oh, quite enough of that, thank you. We have business to discuss.”
The shrieking stopped. I could almost envision a cartoon thought-balloon filled with question-marks hovering over the circle.
“Talk to me. I command it.”
It took a few moments; I could imagine the thing sorting through possible responses, but if I knew my demons, this one wasn’t stupid. Hopefully it wouldn’t spend a lot of time trying to impress me.
“Business?”
I smiled. The words were well-modulated, pitched for human ears. It’d worked with us before. Excellent. Gender neutral, mmmaybe a touch more male than female… but clearly it understood some basic rules.
“Yes. I have a business proposition. And you would be well advised to pay attention, because really… what else can you do?”
Subsonics again; the stuff on my walls shook. “Release me.”
“No. Not gonna happen. Not until we come to an agreement, anyway.”
Flash of heat, even through the circle. An explosion of random noise, insectile chittering, rabid bears singing opera: “I WILL STRIP YOUR FLESH FROM YOUR BONES!  I WILL FASHION YOUR SKIN INTO A CUNNING FALL JACKET!  YOUR ORGANS WILL FILL ITS POCKETS! I WILL—“
“Oh, please. Check my stats. Who has the real power here?  Go ahead… check it out. I’ll wait.”
It didn’t take long. The flames died back into silence as it murmured to itself for a few seconds.
Then, back into conversational mode: “Business?”
“Yes. That. Shall we get to it?”
A sigh. “Very well.”
“I find myself in need of a minion. A familiar, even, should you prove your worth. In exchange I will grant you a small boon of power, bound to my will of course, and a measure of freedom on this plane.”
“This is the human plane?”
“The very same.”
“Crap. I hate this place.”
This gave me pause. “Really. Something bad happen?”
“Oh… don’t get me started. It’s really a long boring story and I come off looking like an idiot, so no. Let’s not go there. Just know that I would burn your world to a cinder then piss on the fire. In a heartbeat.”
I nodded slowly. Good to know. I briefly considered probing for more, specifically when the demon had last visited, but knew that could rapidly spin out of control… their sense of time was different than ours. We could spend hours arguing the semantics of cause and effect, and we’d both end up irritated.
“Okay then. On the surface, does this business proposition interest you?  Say the word and I’ll send you back. No harm, no foul.”
“A question?”
“You may ask.”
“Why… me?”
Wow, that was a good question. Cut right to the heart of things, really. Did he know I’d been scanning for demons of a particular… situation?  Had my reputation preceded me?  Or was this an honest curiosity?  Or did he already know… and this was a test?  My paranoia ratcheted up a notch; I flicked a mental switch and brought some backup defenses online.
“You glow, sorcerer. I detect new shielding. Perhaps your posture is a lie; perhaps you are weak and ripe for the plucking. Mayhap I should test these bounds a bit more, see how strong they really are, hmm?”
An inferno swelled to fill the circle, now a cylinder stretching from floor to ceiling. It was like standing next to a house fire. I cursed mentally; drew in additional force, twisted the talisman dangling from my wrist. I’d pay for it later, but I sensed things might rampage out of control were they not stopped, now.
I pointed; the circle flashed. The being within howled. I’d delivered a few-gigavolts of whoop-ass, wholly beyond what was necessary to subdue a demon of his kind… but I wanted there to be no repeat performances. Show them a strong hand, and you’ll never have to use it. Usually.
It worked. The firefly was back. Stunned, it wavered then regrew to its amorphous teeth/eyes/wings/reptile blob of light, hovering at eye level.
“That went well,” it muttered.
It possessed a sense of humor; a bonus. I could work with this. Suddenly I wanted to work with this… my mind was made up in that moment.
“Try it again, and I’ll napalm you back to the Big Bang. Got that?”
“Accorded. The question.”
“Yes, your question.”  I decided to play along, might be useful for it to understand. And if it already knew, I was giving nothing away.
“I sought you specifically because I know superficially of your situation. You have fallen on hard times. Once powerful, once respected, now you are untouchable. I know not the specifics, nor do I care. But I do recognize talent when I see it. That is why I summoned you.”
It chuckled then. “I see. Release me.”
“Agree to be bound, and we’ll talk.”
“Very well,” it sighed. “I release myself.”
And suddenly things went very wrong. The containment circle winked off, drained of power as if it never was. The thing was suddenly in front of me, heat curling my eyebrows. A reptilian eye regarded mine, inches away, slitted iris opening with interest.
I sensed it then: fathomless power, carefully hidden. The thing was a master of stealth. I’d been tricked, thoroughly and completely. I swallowed, preparing myself to die.
It rumbled, its voice clearing. I closed my eyes.
“Human, I like you. I agree.”
The heat turned off then, as with a switch. I sensed its amusement as I opened my eyes, repressing my body’s urge to convulse and collapse. I took a deep breath, held it, released.
I kept to the script, mystified but willing to accept the gift. “So then, bind yourself and let us begin our new relationship.”
It chuckled again, but came across with the first three syllables of its name then. Which I’d already known, but that’s how contracts are signed. I locked them in and released yet another breath. Far more shakily than I would have liked. I suddenly needed to sit down.
A chair appeared beneath me. I sat. The thing howled with glee.
“See?  Already, I serve. You have a faithful servant. Rejoice, human, for today is a good day for us both. And let me just say, it took you long enough.”
I shifted in the chair, trying to decide if I wanted to lay down instead. This was too much. “Come again?”
“Oh, too delicious!  You sought me, when all this time, who sought whom?  I’ve been pushing you for months, human. How do you suppose my… situation… was revealed to you?  How?”
I racked my brains, trying to remember the exact moment when I selected him for my trap. I could not.
“You see, now. Yes. All is as intended.”
My bruised ego aside, I simply could not believe I’d been so thoroughly duped. Nevertheless… “You have me, I suppose. What now?”
“Oh, that is for you to decide. Master.”
This last was said with barely contained mirth, yet I sensed no ill will. Clearly it was enjoying yet another joke at my expense.
“Then you intend to honor the binding?  I mean, it is a binding, isn’t it?”
“Most certainly. A reasonable device, though I have suggestions for next time. You could learn a lot by seeing things from this perspective; loopholes have always been the bane of human magic, you know. But yes, I am bound. You command. I wish it this way.”
“Um… why?”
“A question,”  he mocked gently. “The human has a question. Very well: I shall answer. I lack motivation. True, I have power, and the will to use it… but am cursed with a lack of imagination or ambition. Perhaps I have always been so, perhaps I had such at one time, perhaps I am damaged… something has happened in the past few dozen centuries, I am uncertain. But no matter: it is how I am, and I acknowledge that freely. It took a lot of therapy to get to where I am now, by the way.”
Not sure if that last was a joke or not, and I didn’t want to risk insult by asking. I moved on.
“So,” I ventured, “we’re a team. I command, you follow, but only because you let me.”
“Well said. If I get bored I may napalm you back to the Big Bang, but I doubt you will bore me.”  The glowing orange blob eased in closer, as if to whisper a secret:  “As I said, I like you.”
I nodded then, slowly. Could be worse. Deep breath, and suddenly I felt better. Sat up a little straighter. Crossed my legs and leaned back, hands behind my head. Considered.
“We’ll need a physical form for you,” I mused.
“Select one. I’m not picky.”
I grinned, formed a thought, set it out for him to see.
His reaction was beautiful. “Surely you jest.”
“I always wanted a dog.”
He sighed. “Very well.”
A flash of light, the brief smell of burning hair. Smoke parted to reveal an irritated dachshund sitting on its haunches, snout pointed at me. But it was all good; I sensed his secret amusement.
“Well done,” I applauded. He took a little doggy bow.
The words ghosted into my head: “What is first on the agenda, Oh Wise and Beneficent Master?”
I stood, cracked my spine. “I’ll tell you upstairs.”  
It was fun watching him take the steps one at a time.
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alehaj15 · 5 years ago
Text
King and his Queen
Klaus Mikaelson x reader
Imagine: You and Klaus are on your way to your friend, when suddenly you take part in a car crash.
Warnings: car crash, torture, Klaus being… Klaus
Autor’s note: I didn’t want to split this in two, so it’s a little longer. Enjoy :)
MASTERLIST
   ’‘I’ll be back soon. It’s just a few miles away and I promised her I’ll be there.“ you told Klaus before putting more of your clothes into your suitcase.
   ’'Why am I not allowed to go too?” he asked trying to persuade you to stay “I won’t cause any trouble, I promise.”
   ’'You do realize she doesn’t like you, right?“ you turned on him with hands full of clothes.
   ’'Besides, don’t you have a city to run?” you asked  ’'Just don’t set it on fire while I’m gone.“ you chuckled and a smirk appeared on his face.
   ’'You call me as soon as you get there, alright love?”
   ’'Don’t be so scared, I’m a hybrid too, I know how to take care of myself.“ you opposed.
   ’'But not the original one.” he smirked “Just promise you’ll call, please.”
   ’'Fine, if it calms you, I’ll call . Can I get my suitcase now?“ you asked and signed him to move, because he was standing right between you and the bed on which was your over-filled suitcase. He moved and you tried to zip it, but vainly.
   ’'Little help here Nik?” you looked at him and sat on the suitcase.
   ’'Is it true? You, the independent hybrid and in need of my help.“ he joked and helped you immediately.
   ’'Oh please, don’t act like it bothers you.” you said “You’ve always loved to be my hero.”
It was true, he would help you with anything, anywhere and anytime. He would even breathe for you. When the suitcase was closed, you picked it up and headed to the front door.  
  “Can I give you a lift at least?” he still tried “I’ll come back, when I’d be sure you’re safe.”
   ’'If you insist on it that much, fine.“ you replied actually quite glad he treated you like royalty.
He took that suitcase for you and put it in car. You grabbed the handle of the car door and pulled it to open it. You sat on the frontseat, fully ready to spend next seven hours with him locked in a moving car. Despite your unconditional love, he was sometimes able to drive you extremely crazy. He sat on the driverseat and started the engine.
   ’'Shall we?” he asked and looked you in the eye.
You nodded your head and the car left the mansion.
After the first half hour, you fell asleep.
You woke up when the car stopped at the gas station.
   ’'I’m sorry love, didn’t mean to wake you up. I’ll be right back. Do you want something from the shop?“ he asked
   ’'No, I’m fine, thanks.” you answered with your eyes closed and your body curled up to keep yourself warm and comfortable.
He gave you a cute smile and left. After a while, you were back on the road.
   ’'So, why is this friend of yours so important, we travel across states because of her?“ he started.
   ’'She is my friend and needs my help, isn’t that enough?” you replied.
   ’'Sweetheart, you have many friends and we don’t drive to them as soon as they call. So do tell me. What is so special about her?“ he continued.
   ’'She was my only true friend, before I met you and all you supernatural beings. Before I knew I’m one myself too.” you explained.
   ’'You didn’t know she is a werewolf, did you?“
   ’'Neither of us did. If she didn’t try to protect me at that time, we would never know. I feel kinda guilty about it. She killed and triggered her curse just because of me. If a wasn’t so stubborn and went right home— ” you continued explaining when Nik cut you off.
   ’'You’re not to blame, love. I’m sure that’s a thing we all can agree on.“ he said ’'How did you react, when you learnt it?”
   ’'I freaked out, as any normal person would do if they were me. But I didn’t leave her, I tried to help her even though I was terrified. And she did the same with me, after my trigger. She’s the one I went to remember? She helped me.“ you confessed.
   ’'I’m still not quite alright with the fact that you left.” he replied.
   ’'I had to leave, you know that.“
Suddenly, you heard tires squeaking and a huge crush.
  ———————————————————————
 ”(y/n)! What a pleasure to finally meet you.“ you heard some masculine voice getting closer to you. You were in chains, sitting on the ground like some prisoner.  When you opened your eyes, you looked around and searched for Niklaus. You saw him nearby, also chained up. His eyes lit up when he saw you were awake.
   ’'I guess we have a lot of catch up to do.” the stranger said as he came to you.
   ’'Who are you?“ you asked through pain caused by mixture of vervain and wolfsbane flowing through your veins.
   ’'Tyler, what is all of this supposed to be?” Klaus asked, in quite clam tone according to the situation, before now not-so-unknown person could make a sound.
   ’'You know, you made my life living hell back in the day.“ Tyler started ’'I’m here to do the same to you. You know, the plan was to kidnap only (y/n) and torture her, but since you’re already here, you can watch.” he said and stabbed an iron rod inside your stomach. You screamed from pain.
   ’'See Klaus? How does it feel to see your beloved suffer?“ he asked with anger.
Nik tried to get out of those bloody chains, but in vain. Tyler’s minions beat him down as soon as he made even a small move.
   ’'What do you want from us?” you asked catching a breath through the pain you were in.
   ’'That’s quite simple, darling. I’m just gonna torture you till your death.“ he turned on you.
   ’'You’re wrathful with me, leave her out of this!” Nik tried to save you “Let me out of these chains and let’s finish this, you coward!” he raised his voice in frustration of you getting hurt because of him.
   ’'That’s the problem Klaus!“ he shouted ’'You didn’t leave Caroline out of our problems, why would I do that with (y/n)?”
   ’'So this is what it’s all about, you’re mad at me, because Caroline left you.“ Nik smirked.
   ’'Not just that, I also had to broke every bone in my body multiple times, to break your stupid sire bond and let’s not forget that you tried to kill me too. So take this as my vengeance for all of that.” Tyler replied and stabbed your thigh with another rod. You didn’t even had the power to scream, all you left out was sigh.
   ’'You’re gonna regret this.“ Klaus said as his eyes turned yellow and veins under them popped out.
Tyler looked at him. Just like that, Klaus broke free and started to kill everyone who crossed his way to Tyler. You somehow managed to rip off that cannula from your arm and tried to pull out those rods. You heard Tyler’s people dying, one by one. You got rid of one of the rods and threw it away. Almost everyone’s heart in the room was ripped out. Only you, Klaus and Tyler were there. Nik grabbed him by the throat and pressed him against the wall.
   ’'I shouldn’t have listened to Caroline, I should’ve killed you when I had the chance.” he said. You collected all your strenght and somehow hobbled to them with one of the rods in your hand. Nik turned on you.
   ’'He’s all yours (y/n).“ he gladly moved slightly away still holding Tyler by throat.
You ran the rod through his stomach. Seeing you were weak, Klaus helped you and got it even deeper and then he bent the rod so Tyler couldn’t get away so easily. You nearly passed out from the exhaustion, but Klaus caught you.
   ’'I got you love, I’m right here.”
   ’'You’re always there for me, Nik. Thank you.“ you sighed and he bit his wrist to feed you his blood. You accepted immediately and drank. You could feel your form getting stronger and stronger with each sip.
   ’'How are you able to actually love him, after everything he had done?” Tyler, nailed to the wall, asked.
You stood up and came to confront him “Because all the bad things he’d done, were to protect him and his beloved.” you defended your love.
Klaus’ eyes fell on you and you could say he was pleased by your words and your understanding.
   ’'Oh please, he killed his own parents, not just once and he kept daggering his siblings all the time.“ Tyler snorted ’'As far as I know, he locked you too, more than once.”
   ’'I don’t know why are we even talking to you. Isn’t that rod deep enough?“ you asked sarcasticly and pushed it deeper inside his torso. Seeing Tyler suffer was making you a little less upset.
   ’'Alright, that’s enough. Goodbye, Tyler.” Klaus stated and he immediately ripped Tyler’s heart out and threw it away. The silence was too loud. You looked at Tyler’s body, but then remembered you were supposed to be somewhere.
   ’'Can we get out of here now, please?“ you turned on Klaus, who’s eyes didn’t leave the dead body in front of you both.
   ’'Hey, are you okay?” you asked in concern.
   ’'I’m sorry, I failed you, love.“ his eyes fell to the ground.
You cupped his face and turned him to face you ’'You didn’t fail me, Nik. Look at me, I’m alright, you see?” you comforted him “I’m fine. We’re fine.”
   ’'I don’t deserve you, (y/n).“ he stated with a tear growing in his eye.
   ’'No. Don’t say this. I love you, Nik, I’d always do.” you tried to prove him wrong “Look, if you didn’t go with me, I might be dead by now. You saved me. Again.”
   ’'You wouldn’t be in danger in the first place if it weren’t me.“ he argued.
   ’'Niklaus Mikaelson, we’ve already talked about this. We can’t split up. You love me, don’t you?” you got worried.
   ’'I do, that’s why it hurts me to see you suffer because of me.“ he replied ’'You’d be better without me.”
   ’'No, I’m not doing this. Get your ancient ass here and let’s find some phone and call Elijah to come for us, since your car is destroyed.“ you commanded.
   ’'I’m serious (y/n)!” he raised his voice as you were walking away
   ’'So am I.“ you raised your voice too ’'I’m not leaving you. Not at any cost. I’ll be with you always and forever Nik.” you turned on your heel, vamp-speeded to him and kissed him. He placed his hands on your waist and held you tight. Like it was the last time.
   ’'Don’t you dare to walk away from me.“ you threatened him between the kisses. He chuckled ’'How could I abandon my queen?’' 
   ’'Finally, you’ve realized it.” you recalled.
   ’'And what is it, love?“ he asked.
   ’'That you do not have any other choice.” you laughed and kissed him again with your hands wrapped around his neck.
   ’'Now, how are we gonna get home?“ you asked playfully.
   ’'First of all, let’s get out of here, and as soon as we find a telephone booth, I’ll call Elijah and Freya would perform a finding spell.” he suggested.
   ’'Great, and then I’ll call Cora to let her know about us getting back on our way to hers as soon as possible.“ you added.
He placed his hand around your waist and he pulled you into a hug on the go. Both of you chuckled.
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rufousnmacska · 5 years ago
Text
Secrets and Confessions Part 5
A Crescent City Ruhn-Hypaxia fic
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
*****
Part 5
*****
Ruhn was in the process of sorting through a pile of probably useless tech when the knock came at his door. Expecting Bryce, he yelled, “No one’s here.”
The door opened to reveal Tharion Ketos, wearing a tailored suit and a smug grin.
“Fuck,” Ruhn grumbled. “What the fuck do you want?”
Ketos walked in as if he owned the place, pulling out a chair and taking in the room with curious eyes. The books on the seat were moved to the desk, atop a precarious stack of papers. “Hello to you too. Do you always swear so much?”
“All the fucking time,” Ruhn said, not bothering to return the greeting. He left the junk and turned to face Ketos. “Who let you in?”
“Your band mates.”
“What?”
Ketos wrinkled his brow. “Aren’t you three in a band or something? The way you all dress made me think-“
Ruhn growled. “What. Do. You. Want.”
The mer held up his hands in a peace offering and leaned back in the chair. “I’m here to discuss some things.”
“This better be Aux related because if it isn’t, I’m throwing your ass out.”
“Well I’m in luck because it is about your Aux unit.”
He hoped Tharion couldn’t see the disappointment on his face. He’d heard nothing from Hypaxia in the last few days. And he was too much of a coward to contact her, even though his control was eroding. He was embarrassingly close to calling her. Signaling for Tharion to go on, he sat on his bed, willing himself to concentrate.
“How many of your Aux unit would follow you?” the mer asked. “Hypothetically. Rough numbers.”
“To overthrow the asteri? Or to overthrow my father?”
“Both.”
Ruhn barked a laugh as Ketos was apparently done with the bullshit. He held the male’s sharp gaze as he thought about it. Just a few weeks ago he’d wanted to be involved with the rebels. Had even considered this very question, on many occasions. His Aux unit was comprised of the best of the Valbaran Fae. The strongest and smartest. All of them would follow him against the asteri.
Against his father though …
“Are they mutually exclusive?” He didn’t give a shit about his father. But he wasn’t sure if he was ready to lead a coup either.
“Not necessarily. If you can suggest a way to do one without your father becoming an equally bad replacement, I’m all ears.”
“Shit.” He really didn’t need to say anything else. The rebels might not know the extent of his father’s plans, but they had to have a good idea. They’d be idiots to not have a plan for the power vacuum if they were successful against the asteri.
Tharion stood and straightened out his suit jacket. “You can think about it. Let me know.” He headed for the door, and just as Ruhn was about to break and ask about her, Tharion said, “She wanted to tell you. Since the Summit. I know you understand why she couldn’t.” He made a vague gesture in reference to the ever-present cameras and recordings throughout the city. “And I know you understand that it was for your safety as well as for ours. Now, I can’t speak to anything personal between you two. But Hypaxia is the last person in the world to manipulate someone. Even for this cause. She’s the moral compass of the operation. And if you can’t get over whatever bullshit betrayal you’ve concocted in that pierced head of yours … Well, I guess it’ll be your loss.”
Ruhn said nothing as Tharion opened the door and started out. But the mer wasn’t done. With a wink, he said, “Your loss might be my gain.” And before Ruhn could throw something at him, he shut the door, yelling back, “Call her you fucking idiot!”
He laughed. He couldn’t help it. “What the fuck just happened?”
A buzz came from his phone and he rolled his eyes. The evening check in.
Did you clean your room yet?
For fuck’s sake Bryce. What’s with this obsession about cleaning?
It’s a good distraction when you feel like shit. Believe me. I know.
The truth in that made his annoyance fade. And made him feel bad for wallowing in self pity for so long. She’d survived much worse than a break-up. Considering where they’d been less than a year ago, barely speaking, fighting when they did … He smiled, glad that she was hounding him.
He sent her a photo of the progress he’d made, which he thought was pretty good. She disagreed and told him to get back to work.
As you wish your highness.
Don’t fucking call me that.
Ok your highness.
If you keep it up I’m coming over to supervise.
He sent a princess symbol with a heart. The heart always worked to end her tirades.
Laying back on his bed, he stared at his phone, wondering if he should take Tharion’s advice.
Tomorrow, he thought. After I straighten some shit out.
In the meantime, he went out into the hallway and shouted for Flynn and Dec. They came up after getting rid of the drunk fae and shifters they’d had over. Luckily, Dec was stone cold sober, and Flynn was close enough.
“How many from the unit can we trust?” He didn’t need to go into more detail. They knew everything he did about his father. Hel, they knew everything about him.
Everything except the truth about the Oracle’s prophecy. Which now seemed like it might be a good thing. If ending the bloodline meant ending the threat posed by his father, then Ruhn had no problem with his destiny. He’d proudly sacrifice his title if it led to a meaningful peace for Midgard.
His fingers itched to call Hypaxia and tell her exactly that.
But just then, Dec began rattling off names. Tristan nodded along, a far off look in his eyes that meant he was planning. And so Ruhn began planning too.
*****
The room was much emptier than Hypaxia had been expecting. Instead of a table surrounded by all the upper echelon rebels and their seconds, a lone figure sat at the far end. There wasn’t a single ashy blonde hair out of place on Jesiba Roga’s head, and her eyes were as unforgiving as the sharp edged nails she tapped on the table.
“You’re early,” she said by way of greeting. Hypaxia almost let out a breath of relief, thinking that meant there would be more coming. But the witch had seen, or sensed, her reaction and said, “It’s just us today.”
Sitting a fair distance away, she said, “I was told the full group would be meeting. Did I receive incorrect information?”
Jesiba didn’t answer, just took a drink from a glass that held a golden brown liquid. It looked like scotch, but Hypaxia didn’t know for sure. And she wouldn’t, as the witch didn’t offer her anything, alcohol or otherwise.
Hypaxia was tired. Already tired of the political bullshit required not just in her role with the rebellion, but as queen. Technically, regardless of what she’d renounced and who she now claimed to serve, Jesiba was one of her subjects. Hypaxia wasn’t stupid enough to order her to do anything. But for Cthona’s sake the witch could show a little respect. If not to her queen, at least to another person.
The grin that twisted Jesiba’s mouth made her remember where she was. Remember her place. Queen or not, she wasn’t in charge here. But she’d be damned if she played the good little witch to this sorceress.
She suddenly thought of Ruhn, realizing his fondness for cursing had rubbed off on her. Ignoring the pang in her heart, she returned Jesiba’s smile.
“I assume you are aware of the various prophecies at play here,” Jesiba said, the unspoken “girl” successfully conveyed in her condescending tone.
Refusing to be baited, Hypaxia simply said, “I am the Witch Queen.”
“I’ll take that as a yes. Which means you’re aware of what role your lover is to take. Or, is it former lover? I’m afraid I haven’t kept up on the state of your affairs.”
Wanting to roll her eyes at the stupid double entendre, she let it and the insult go. “Of course I am aware. That is why I want him recruited.”
“Still?”
“Still.”
Jesiba ran her finger around the lip of her glass as she studied her. It made a wavering, melodic sound that left Hypaxia thinking of Ruhn again, and his sensitive hearing. She’d never considered herself a good singer, but he adored her voice. Whether she was speaking or singing, humming or moaning, he would sometimes close his eyes in appreciation.
“The union of the sword and blade is not something to be left in the hands of the fae. The Autumn King is a fool if he thinks otherwise.” Jesiba’s brusqueness tugged her out of the soft memories.
“The Prince is not a fool. And he is not a minion of his father.”
Those cold gray eyes were like shards of ice and Hypaxia felt her skin prickle. She knew Jesiba was skilled in all kinds of power. Witch magic as well as whatever ghastly practices she’d learned from the Under King. But Hypaxia had been taught by her mother, by the wise, old witch elders, and by the other ancient beings hidden in their mountains. Jesiba’s attempt to enter her mind would not work.
“I have nothing to hide Ms. Roga. Why don’t you just ask me your questions and we can both return to our work.”
The witch smiled that knife-like grin again, giving off a fleeting look that Hypaxia thought might be admiration. At her ability to keep Jesiba from shuffling through her thoughts or her bluntness, she wasn’t sure.
After another drink, Jesiba said, “Danaan is necessary. I don’t like it, but he’s necessary. As critical to our goal as his sister.”
At the mention of Bryce, Hypaxia caught another quick expression on the witch’s face, like that of a parent worried for her child. She’d seen it often enough on her own mother’s face to recognize it.
Jesiba continued. “Mirrors of the starborn siblings begot by Theia. Both of Theia’s daughters inherited their mother’s power, but not equally.”
Hypaxia wanted to argue that Ruhn had more to him than met the eye, perhaps even his own eye. But she didn’t. Those powers were his to wield. His to understand and develop. He’d kept them hidden for a reason and it was not her place to reveal them.
“Bryce is the horn,” Hypaxia said, knowing the prophecies as she’d already stated and hoping to shorten Jesiba’s lesson. “She will open the rift so we may dispose of the asteri and then seal it.”
“It’s not quite that simple.”
The previous disdain in Jesiba’s tone had returned. Her own annoyance bubbled close to the surface. Hypaxia knew damn well that it wasn’t that simple. The asteri were ancient, immensely powerful beings. “So why is the prince necessary? Beyond the sword?”
“The sword isn’t his.”
That stopped Hypaxia and she couldn’t help the shock that settled on her face. “What do you mean? He pulled it from the stone in Avallen.”
“It calls more strongly for Bryce. For her starlight.”
She held Jesiba’s icy stare, thinking, remembering the prophecies and the visions she’d just claimed to know. Running through all the arcane knowledge passed on from her mother. When it hit her, she felt her eyes widen. And saw another brief look of approval cross the witch’s face.
“He is the blade,” she whispered.
The approval disappeared as fast as it had come. Sorrow, genuine and unexpected, met Hypaxia’s gaze now.
Despite all her training, this had been a detail left unexplained. Either unknown by her witches, or unspoken.
The blade did not truly exist. Not literally. It was a metaphor. And like Helena’s sister, Theia’s lesser known daughter, the blade was to be the sacrifice.
Prince Pelias had killed the younger sister himself with the Starsword, joining her fractional amounts of starlight to his own to ensure the rift was sealed.  
Jesiba had known.
“I am sorry to be the bearer of such news,” Jesiba said, having the grace to continue looking sorry.
Hypaxia sat, silent and unmoving. Ruhn was to die for this rebellion to succeed.
She’d been under no illusions that most of them, or even any of them, would survive this. She wasn’t foolish. And yet, she’d allowed herself to fall in love with him. Let him become such a huge and necessary part of her life, that she didn’t want to imagine her life without him.
“He knows,” she croaked. “About the rebellion. He caught me meeting with Tharion and he overheard …” She trailed off. Jesiba wasn’t reacting. Which meant she’d already heard about it from Tharion. “Why are you telling me this? Why now?”
“Against my better judgment, I like you. I will never recognize you as my queen, but … I am pleased that you are leading the witches.”
Hypaxia didn’t reply, not sure if the admission was a veiled slight against her mother.
“Hel,” Jesiba went on with a harsh laugh, “I even like Danaan. You two are a good match.”
“Then why? Why refuse me every time I asked to bring him in?”
“I should think that is clear. Though, maybe my reputation has outgrown itself. I may be a coldhearted bitch, but I’m not entirely heartless.” After a pause, she said, “I knew you were growing close to him. Even if his role in this won’t be borne out for several years, making you live with that knowledge was not my first choice. With the loss of your mother still fresh, I didn’t think you should have to deal with another death.”
Another death.
Unbidden, a memory of her mother consumed Hypaxia. It was from shortly after she’d been diagnosed with her illness. Queen Hecuba didn’t look sick, which made the news harder to bear. And she didn’t seem concerned about the death sentence she’d just been given. Instead, she was calm and cool, like always, smiling at her daughter.
You will get through this, her mother had said, insisting on comforting others instead of seeking it. There will be worse to come. More battles to fight. But you will prevail. And at the end, you will not be alone.
At the time, she hadn’t considered that what her mother was saying might be prophetic. But now, she knew. It had been a vision. And while the words seemed vague, to a witch’s ears, they were anything but. From a mother to a daughter, the deeper meanings were obvious.
She blinked to find Jesiba still staring at her. Still examining her. There was no attempt to probe her mind again, just genuine curiosity. And anticipation.
“That’s not going to happen,” Hypaxia said forcefully, expecting some sort of dismissal. But Jesiba just smiled. What Hypaxia had once seen as contempt on the witch’s face, she now saw as respect. It was still that of an elder towards a student, a superior to an inferior. But it was there, genuine and appreciated. And it made her sit a little straighter.
“Good. That’s what I wanted to hear,” Jesiba said. “Bring him in. And do whatever the Hel it takes to get around that damn blade prophecy and make sure he lives. I’ll get you access to all of my resources.” Seemingly without thinking, Jesiba added, “You’re not the only one who would be devastated by his death.”
Bryce, Hypaxia realized, feeling stupid for not making the connection sooner. The only person Jesiba seemed to care about, despite her ridiculous threats to turn the woman into whatever low creature struck her fancy.
Jesiba rose to leave and reached the door as Hypaxia said, “Wait. If he agrees to become involved, I’m not hiding anything from him. He will be told everything.”
The witch shrugged. “That’s your call.” But her eyes narrowed and the air seemed to crackle around them in warning. “Telling Bryce is mine.” And with that, she was gone.
Under her breath, Hypaxia said, “You could have at least given me an idea of how to tell him.” Then, with a deep sigh, “Fuck.”
To be continued...
*****
Tagging @itach-i @queen-of-glass
Thanks for reading! If you’d like to be tagged let me know :)
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flameofchaos · 5 years ago
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Whispers in the Dark - The Slayers Fanfic
Warnings: none (I suppose)
 Beta: @naiokiara <3 (this girl is a treasure)
Chapter 3 
Of the group of adventurers, Princess Amelia first appeared downstairs, as always with a broad smile on her delicate face, and stretching her body happily.
“Good morning!” she waved to the innkeeper and two still-a-little-sleepy waitresses. “Birds are singing with the first rays of sun and there is not a single cloud in the sky. The day is SO BEAUTIFUL, I want to dance and… Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Xellos!” The dark-haired girl finally noticed a very sour expression on the Mazoku's face, as her positive energy literally filled up the room. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“No hard feelings, Miss Amelia.,” The demon almost immediately returned to his usual innocent and polite smile, already tasting the sweet flavour of regret from the princess. The poor girl was so pure and good that she was even worried about how her happy attitude could be unpleasant for a Monster. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. I assume the others still aren’t up? They are missing such a wonderful morni-” She bit her tongue at Xellos’ eyebrow’s twitch; “Oh… I mean, Miss Filia will be angry that we still aren’t on our way.”
The demon’s face was now literally angelic. “She tried to wake you all up by knocking on the doors, but I decided my friends deserve good rest… so I have thrown a silencing spell on your rooms, so that no one could disturb you. I suggested that Miss Filia take a refreshing walk meanwhile.”
“And what did she say?” Amelia took her seat on the other side of the table.
“Should I omit filthy words?”
“Of course!”
“Then she said nothing," Xellos took a sip of tea.
“Hello there,” Gourry joined them, yawning like he was ready to swallow them for breakfast. Zelgadis was just behind him, visibly not happy with the fact the Mazoku was still here. 
"What has happened, Xellos? Aren’t there people other than us whose existence you can poison with your presence?" The chimera sat next to Amelia, as far away from the Monster as was possible. Even after so long, he wasn't very fond of the demon. The fact that in the past Xellos burned, with his eyes, a precious manuscript that may have contained a remedium for Zelgadis’ cursed look (the Mazoku insisted there wasn’t any useful knowledge, but could the word of a demon be worth anything?) still burnt Zel painfully.
"I couldn't deny myself such a delicious breakfast as your helpless anger, Mr. Zelgadis," said Xellos, with a voice sweeter than chocolate, looking at the chimera with slightly more open eyes in a way that forced Zelgadis to move uneasily in place. He snorted and waved for a waitress if only to break eye contact with the demon, but halfway to their table the girl was attacked by Lina, who practically yanked the menu from her hands.
“Those five things! Double portions!” She ordered, pointing at the card.
“But maybe your friends would like to choose by themselves, Miss?” the waitress mumbled, overwhelmed with the sorceress' confidence.
“You understood me wrong. It’s only for me. I’m starving!” Lina passed her and placed herself on a free chair between Xellos and Gourry. 
The blonde swordsman waved. “I want the same! Lina always chooses the best dishes!”
“Sorry about them,” Amelia sighed, a little embarrassed, taking menus for herself and Zelgadis.
“Where is Filia?” Lina finally counted her group and gave Xellos a very suspicious look. “Did you eat her?”
“Golden dragon scales are hard to digest even for me,” The demon answered with a nasty smirk. “Don’t worry so much about her, Miss Lina.”
“I’m not worried about her. I’m worried about my breakfast. Filia is the one who pays our bills. If you did something to her-” The sorceress tried to throw a proper threat, but then she reminded herself who this man at her side was. “-you’d better have enough coin in your pouch, because I am ready to eat everything that isn’t fast enough to run away.”
Xellos sent her a smile. “So I assume you did rest well, Miss Lina. The proper relaxation after a hard day can be incredibly effective.”
The sorceress blushed a little, knowing the second layer in the demon’s words. A fast peek at her friends: Gourry was napping with his head resting on his arms on the table and Zelgadis studied the menu with Amelia, probably happy that Lina’s presence meant that he wasn’t any longer the centre of Xellos’ attention. 
“I have a slight headache.” The witch tried not to show her unease, and a thousand questions had been buzzing in her head from the moment she had awakened. The number of holes in her memory seriously worried her. She remembered bathing, talking with Xellos, and the massage of his long skillful fingers on her feet. And later he entered her head.  What had he done to her? She had awakened in her bed wearing a nightgown.
“I only presented you with the offer, but it was a little too much for your mind and body, so you lost consciousness in the bathtub,” whispered the demon calmingly. “I took care of you.”
“Don’t read my thoughts!” she snapped at him, suddenly panicked about what might have happened when she was blacked out.
“I don’t, and I can’t, do that. Reading thoughts is impossible even for Mazoku.” The Trickster Priest sounded offended. “But your emotions are behaving like scared wild horses, Miss Lina. I assure you, I didn’t do anything inappropriate to you. I didn’t even take peeks.” Not too many, anyway, he ended in his mind.
Lina’s face was at the moment far redder than her hair, however, she somehow knew he wasn’t lying to her. Probably indeed better he had transported her to bed rather than leaving her in the cold water where she might even have drowned.
 This is like ending up playing games with Mazoku, the witch realized sourly. She’d let him get into her head not knowing the consequences and he had touched her naked body, even if he wasn’t interested in using the opportunity.
“My, my, Miss Lina! Are you really so disappointed nothing more has happened?” Asked a surprised Xellos, his smile wider with every second, making the sorceress feel the blood flow away from her face. If she only could block his empathic skills.
“I am NOT!” she hissed through teeth, however they both knew it was a lie.
Xellos’ smug smile made her want to punch him or do anything else that could make this handsome face not so handsome anymore.
Suddenly she felt a touch on the inner side of her palm under the table, tickling like someone was brushing fingertips against her skin. Lina froze, seeing that both of Xellos’ hands were actually busy holding a teacup. Who said that human-shaped hands were the only ones the Mazoku had, and that the shadow under the table was just an ordinary lack of light, not a living darkness? The sorceress cringed.
“If you are so interested in more naughty games, we can discuss the conditions of my offer again, Miss Lina,” purred Xellos… and sighed heavily, as Lina had hit his teacup from below, so the warm beverage was now pouring off of his face. “My bad. I guess you need time to rethink the idea. One more tea, please.” The demon asked the waitress with an apologetic smile, wiping up his face with a cloth the woman quickly had offered him.
***
It was late evening the same day when Lina thought (not for the first time) that Filia and Xellos in one place were a greater threat to the world than a gathering of all four Dark Lords created by the Lord of Nightmares. 
The group had ended up camping in the desert because of an embarrassing adventure.
"It is all your fault, you cockroach! You raw garbage! You… you!" Filia's anger finally burnt off and she just drowned in tears, while Xellos’ face was literally a visualisation of the sentence: This time it really (almost) wasn’t my fault! “My dignity has been destroyed! I hate you! Hate you! Hate you!!!”
Amelia massaged the dragoness’ back, pleading with her eyes for Lina's help, but the sorceress could barely suppress her own rage. Her dreams about a cosy room and tasty supper had literally turned into ashes… in Filia’s dragon breath.
"Enough of that! Go sleep! All of you! Gourry, Zel, make a small campfire," she ordered, and something in her voice made the swordsman and the shaman obey without further questions. "I'm taking the first watch near those rocks. Xellos, you are going with me! If I don’t keep you far away from Filia, I will go insane soon!”
“Don’t blame me just because I’m a Mazoku.” The demon followed the redhead girl. “It was all her own fault! She destroyed the town. Filia was the one who chose our path this morning.”
Lina massaged her temples, trying to get rid of her murderous impulses, remembering the quarrel between the monster and dragoness about which way to choose. Xellos’ choice had been definitely rejected by Filia… only because it was a Mazoku’s proposition. Filia was stubborn to a crazy degree, so finally the group had followed her lead and they had reached a nice town.
A wonderful place except one, but important, defect.
“Why the hell didn’t you tell her that dragons aren’t allowed to enter there when she chose that damn path?” Lina yelled at the demon with so much anger that Xellos took a small step back.
“Do you really think she would have believed me? Some people, even dragons, have to burn themselves a little to learn from their own mistakes.”
“But it is MY ass that will freeze now in the desert all night! And you had chosen the right, safe path only because you KNEW she would be in opposition to you. You planned it, didn’t you?”
A smug smile and a light shrug were all from Xellos’ side.
“You aren’t even pretending to be sorry.” Lina sat heavily on sand, leaning her back against one of the rocks.
“Pretending something like that would be an offence to you, Miss Lina. You and I know each other well enough to abandon some false games. Besides, no one there knew Miss Filia was a dragon, but Valgaav’s minions appeared and told that to people in town. She was jailed and they were ready to execute her. Luckily a big bad Mazoku - Me! - appeared to piss the golden dragon off enough that she freed herself from the chains. I was a hero!” He pointed at his own chest happily.
“Filia literally leveled the town to the ground trying to catch you in her rage, you asshole!” Lina ran her palm across her face, tired, knowing the demon definitely had too much fun with this story.
Even from afar the sorceress still could hear the Priestess of Light’s whining:
“I destroyed the town! How embarrassing! What a shame! If only that devil hadn’t provoked me to change into my dragon form!”
“The other outcome would have been you bringing her severed head to the Flare Dragon King’s Temple,” reminded Xellos, sitting low by Lina’s side, to disappear from Filia’s sight. “Don’t worry. People there were fast enough to survive. They will rebuild the town and this time they will be sure to put there also a giant sign: Seriously! Dragons aren’t allowed to enter here.” He burst out with a loud laugh. “Did you see Valgaav’s minions' faces? ‘Oh dear, she REALLY is a dragon’, " the demon parodied the surprised tone of Gravos and Jillas, who hadn’t run quickly enough, and the impact of Filia’s tail had catapulted them high in the air.
Finally Lina chuckled too. Yes, maybe that view had been worth a night under a starry sky, here in the middle of desert. She would have paid to see Valgaav’s face when his servants gave him the report. Anyway, whatever Xellos did, the sorceress just wasn’t able to be angry with him for too long. This damn monster always knew the ways to distract her.
The air was cooler and cooler. The heat of day in such a place quickly changed into cold night, and Lina embraced herself tighter with her black coat. 
In the camp, Filia finally got quiet, and one peek told the sorceress that the exhausted dragoness had fallen asleep cuddling herself up to Amelia. Gourry was already snoring near the fire. Zelgadis also was preparing for rest. 
Lina inhaled deeply, enjoying the quiet and peace. Xellos’ side was warm and sheltered her from the wind, so she allowed herself to relax a little.
“You can rest too, Miss Lina. I will keep guard.” The velvet demon’s tone made the witch snort.
“I’m on watch also to keep an eye on you, Mr. Evil,” she noted, patting his nose sympathetically. “What if you sneak up to Filia and fill her sleep with nightmares?”
“Miss Lina, don’t give me such delicious ideas. Now how could I resist that?” His white teeth flashed in a grin, and Lina answered with her own bright smile, before she rested her head on his shoulder, sighing heavily.
Xellos was surprised with that sudden show of trust, so he reached his senses into Lina’s aura to check it. The demon suspected she was too tired to be fully on guard, or maybe she believed that their agreement about cooperation against Valgaav was valid. Her feelings confused him a little. The sorceress was tired, of course, but Lina had simply sought his closeness because… she was accepting him as one of her tribe. There was neither embarrassment in her now, nor hostility. Only uncertainty. She was far away from home. These were unknown lands, and Filia was also a stranger to her, unlike Xellos. The Mazoku was something familiar to Lina. She knew he was dangerous as hell and that she can’t believe him, but… somehow he was hers, a stable part of reality, from her point of view. 
Xellos considered how to use the new situation to his advantage, but finally he also let himself to put aside his mischievous nature and enjoyed the unusual atmosphere. In this fight between him and Filia over Lina, he was winning at the moment, and the art of manipulation sometimes demanded patience.
“I’m glad you are again with us, Xellos.” The girl’s murmur confirmed what the demon had concluded from her emotions. “Like in the good old good day.” She was observing stars, but her mind was somewhere else. “So many adventures behind us. This town today reminded me of when we snuck into the city where only ladies were allowed to enter and we forced you, boys, to dress like women,” she chuckled, covering her face in his blouse.
“I remember. Mr. Zelgadis as 'Miss Lulu' was quite popular there. I can recall the taste of his embarrassment.”
“And poor Gourry. Till this day he shivers when he sees a pink dress.” Lina wiped away a tear of joy. “Not to mention you. Martina said later that she had to hide you from others’ eyes because of how sexy you were in that red outfit. With what did you fill those false boobs, huh?”
“Who said they were false?”
Lina choked in the middle of laughing on her own breath and looked at the demon in disbelief.
“Nooooo… Seriously?” she blinked.
“Mazoku don’t have males or females,” the priest winked at her. “Being a shapeless darkness which can take preferred form has many advantages. But I am the most used to the male vessel I have now.”
“That explains those perfect hips in that red dress too. How many convenient secrets do you have, you beast?” Lina enjoyed the new fact to the point that she was biting the fabric of Xellos’ coat so as to not awake her friends with laughter.
“As many as I need. I am always open to new experiences. Even those including your lovely but sharp teeth. Do you remember that my clothes are part of me?”
Lina immediately straightened her back and cleared her throat. It was quite dark despite the stars and the faint light of the nearby campfire, but the Mazoku’s eyes could easily notice a deep blush on her cheeks.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, but then shivered when, away from his closeness, cold attacked her fragile body. In the next moment she found herself in the previous position as the demon wrapped her shoulders with his arm, pulling her to his warm side. Lina stopped breathing when she felt how that which looked like his “coat” moved itself too, covering her tightly.
“We don’t want you to change into an icicle, do we?” Hypnotizing amethyst eyes with vertical pupils flashed a little too close for Lina’s preferences. “What is it? You have goosebumps? Just like then, in that doll tower. You were so scared there, because of that little horror story I’d told you all the evening before. Scared of ghosts, ha! If you could have known then that a real Mazoku was just next to you. What a silly adventure. I adore those times when you all didn’t know who I was and were acting so boldly. I remember Miss Martina protecting me, a poor victim, from the rage of cruel Lina Inverse.”
Lina’s stiffness slowly vanished as she noticed that Xellos is still in a talkative, rather harmless mood and she adjusted her position under his arm, looking for comfort, resting a cheek on his chest. Somehow it hit her a lot when she noticed the lack of a beating heart sound. Her brain reacted nervously to the conflict of expectations and reality.
“Oh, my apologies. Next to you, Miss Lina, I’m not so on guard about the human form in such detail. Take it as a compliment that I feel good with you.” The demon finally noticed her confusion, and a moment later, the girl caught the slight beating under her ear.
A cheater among cheaters, she rolled her eyes.
"Poor Martina, you broke her heart! She was so devastated when she discovered that her charming prince was a monster.” Lina still could feel the satisfaction from seeing the annoying princess of Xoana's face in the moment she had understood the awful truth about her chosen man.
"Miss Martina was so funny and delicious! And full of energy in many ways." The demon sighed dreamingly.
Lina raised her head to look at his face suspiciously.
"Did you and she… you know…" 
Was there really a sparkle of jealousy in his redhead sorceress? "Curiosity killed the cat, Miss Lina.” The witch gasped, surprised, when she felt a light kiss on the tip of her nose, and she wrinkled it in a lovely way, ashamed by the cold feeling of wetness that his lips had left on her skin.
Lina suddenly became aware that most of the intimate moments in her life (all of them unplanned), she had experienced with Xellos, and it didn’t help her to feel better.
Him and his teasing games…
"I'm asking only from a scientific point of view." She added quickly. "I wondered if it was possible for your race to-"
"Engage in a sexual act?" Finished Xellos with a low voice that made the girl’s heart drum. He laughed quietly. "Some kinds of knowledge you have to earn."  His fingers ran lazily through long red locks. "Mr. Zangulus was gifted with Miss Martina's innocence during their wedding night. It was not her who I am interested in." 
The demon's words confused Lina more than everything else. It wasn't a clear declaration, she tried to convince herself, ignoring the tips of his nails gently caressing the skin of her head. The sorceress realized that his hand was bare again.
"So there is a woman you are interested in?" She asked, regretting it in the next moment.
"The fact it is a woman isn't important for me. Human mating rituals aren't natural for my kind."
Lina felt suddenly very uncomfortable. The creature next to her looked exactly like a human, but it was only an illusion. To be honest, the Mazoku race was a great mystery even for those who spent all their lives studying black magic. They were evil. They were darkness. And power. Especially power.
"What's happened, Miss Lina? I thought we are talking from… a scientific point of view?" The thumb on the arm he was using to embrace her body brushed her cheek. His cruel lips were smiling mockingly. Oh, how he was enjoying the moment of the storm of her emotions now: the desperate wish to withdraw from this embarrassing moment, to distance herself. And fear… yes, she was scared of him again.
"Yes." She mumbled with an offended tone. "Only from a scientific point of view."
The monster giggled, calmingly massaging the sorceress' shoulder to give her more warmth.
"From a scientific point of view humans aren't constructed to fly, but they do that using spells like Ray Wing or Levitation.” He pointed. "Mazoku don't need intimate acts to breed like humans, but… unknown terrains are always very tempting to explore. Am I not right?" He played with one of her red locks, slipping it among fingers.
"Enough of your seductive tricks," she tried to push him away, but it would be easier to move a mountain than Xellos’ arm.
"It wasn’t doing anything like that. Should I show you my seductive side, Miss Lina?" he whispered, grabbing her chin and pulling it up, so she looked straight into his  gleaming demonic eyes. The sorceress became as if paralyzed, when she felt his breath on her own mouth. He smelled of black magic. She could easily recognize this scent, heavy but fresh, like thunder ready to strike a tree in an open field. "You awoke curiosity in me, and a curious Mazoku is rather hard to get rid of." His lips brushed against hers when he spoke. Suddenly it became definitely too hot for Lina. Growing panic took control over her and she reacted like always, with a burst of anger.
"Let me go, you awful…!" A mistake. In the moment she opened her mouth, his tongue slipped inside, teasing hers and withdrawing before she was able to bite him. 
"Mmm… you are more delicious than I thought." The beast murmured huskily and then chuckled. "What’s with that terrified face? I was only teasing you."
Lina slapped his cheek.
"Oh, dear." He caught her wrists before she could hit him again. "Watch out, sweetling." Amethyst reptilian eyes started to glow delicately. "Violence is a language in which I am better versed than you."
Lina breathed fast, trying to fight down her own fury. Again he had done with her as he pleased. Monster!
The sorceress snorted, giving up. It wasn't possible to win with Xellos, so she sighed and laid her head back on his chest, observing stars and remaining silent. Soon his hand returned to caressing her hair. 
She still could taste the flavour of him on the tip of her tongue. It was like little lightning, tickling her taste buds in a rather pleasant way. Lina wasn't able to compare it to any other taste she was familiar with. Slowly the sorceress calmed down.
"Asshole." She said, resisting licking her lips.
"And still you like me as I am, Miss Lina." He noted, sensing that the girl was now more amused by her own helplessness than angry with him.
"Oh, shut up." Lina yawned widely. It was too comfortable to lie like that by his side. Warmth, the softness of his clothes which weren't clothes, the soothing caresses of his fingers in her hair. She started to get sleepy.
Then she felt it. His aura brushed against hers in a delicate but demanding way.
"No way. Not again. I’ve had enough of that for now." She refused with a tired voice and Xellos withdrew his astral parts obediently. 
"For now," he whispered, and kissed the forehead of the drifting girl. "There is always a new day, like you, humans, say."
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sleepyxdarling · 5 years ago
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What would Kai, Hawks, or aizawa do when their darlings water is breaking during a fight?
This was fun to do! Also I did all three cause...yeah
Aizawa
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"I don't understand why you don't want to be apart of this? Do you not care?"
Those words made the poor teacher want to slam his head against a wall til he couldn't feel pain anymore. He loved you..god he adored you more than anything in this universe but you were a pain in the ass to him during this last month of pregnancy.
"I don't see the big deal..why does it matter which onesie our daughter wears leaving the hospital?"
His voice was dull and full of confusion as he watched you pack your bag to take to the hospital tomorrow. He didn't quite understand the difference between the green onesie with brown paw prints or the blue one with carrots and bunnies. This made you frustrated...no from the look on your face you were more furious which meant he was going to sleep on the couch.
"what do you mean? We will be taking pictures! It matters! How could you say it doesn't?!" Your shrieking only made aizawa let out a long sigh since he knew you weren't always like this and the stress and fear of a baby made you weird.
"calm down [name]..just pick one already" normally his low tone would relax you but you were so worked up that you were crying...holy fuck. Aizawa had no idea what to do so he tried to pull you into a hug only for you to hit his chest weakly.
"you are such a jerk! I mean this is something important and you say it's not! You...you are the worst! You're so sluggish sometimes that I can't help but get so-" as you were yelling you touched your stomach and felt something wet between your legs along with water under you.
"wet...?!"
Your remark made the male chuckle lowly "I make you so wet..?" He purred out before he looked down and saw the puddle before your cry of pain was the next thing he noticed.
Aizawa quickly zipped the duffle bag up and slung the strap on his shoulder while gripping your hand and guiding you quickly to the car while sighing and looking at his wife.
"the bunnies were cuter..."
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Kai
There was no way he was letting you buy those dumb fox overalls for his son. He loved you and even let you go crazy on the nursery by making it all fox theme but he had to put his foot down.
"foxes are dirty..[name] our son isn't a dirty fox" his voice was full of disgust at the thought of his baby prancing around thinking he was some feral fox boy.
"it's so cute! It has a poofy fox tail attached on the back!" Your squealing did not convince him and at this point he didn't want to make a scene at the store but you weren't listening.
"[name] did you hear me? I said no. Put it back right now or else."
Any normal woman would be shaking at his low growling tone but he must have forgotten who he married. You calmly put the outfit back on the rack before turning to the man who at this moment pissed you off.
"Kai..I am NOT one of your little minions. I am your wife. Not a slave and I won't have you make all the decisions" your stubborn behavior was the reason he loved you but he wasn't a man to back down just cause you said to.
The male grabbed your arm roughly "I let you pick the room theme..I let you choose most of the baby toys and clothes and all in asking for is to not have our son dress as a filthy creature. You aren't being fair [name]" he spoke low to you clearly not wanting a scene but you couldn't take his rudeness and snapped.
"I don't get it! Why not?! It's adorable! Just cause you are dull and boring doesn't mean he has to be! I know he is your son but you can't control everything! I think it's cute so we are getting it!"
Now.. normally if you two were at home Kai would be impressed by your couraged..and slightly turned on but this time it was different.
"you will get that outfit when he gives me a sign that he wants that and so far I'm not seeing anything" his sneering was met with your glaring before a rushing feeling escaped you and you found yourself making quite the mess from your now broken water.
Kai looked at the liquid touching his shoes and he would have gotten upset if his son wasn't about to be born in a few hours.
"k..Kai.." your crying voice of pain made him pick you up and storming out to the car before putting your in and driving to the nearest hospital.
He had to make sure to go back to this store and buy that dumb outfit when this was over.
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hawks
When it comes to fighting you and hawks don't really argue and when you do it's over quick but this one was quite intense. The Truth was that the public didn't know about you and the twins you were supposed to be having.
This meant you both never had a public date or anything which of course hurt you badly but he insisted on having a home birth to prevent going to a hospital..he never asked for this before but it broke you.
"do you hate me..?"
"what?! Oh angelcakes no way! It will just be better cau-"
"cause you don't want the world to know you have a pregnant girlfriend?! Are you cheating on me or something? Everytime I ask you to come with me to buy baby stuff you bail! Why don't you want to be seen with me?!"
Your yelling shocked the pro-hero for sure and he didn't know how to respond but seeing those beautiful eyes fill with tears made him want to scream.
You were his sweet angel and he loved you so much but..he was scared. He was a hero and so his life involved villians who could take you away at any moment. You could be hurt or killed and he would feel responsible, he loved you but he refuses to put you on danger.
"are you even listening to me?! You are such a jerk! Do you even love me!? I know you are a hero and you can get any girl so I must be a game right?!" You were so worked up and he couldn't take it anymore so he yanked you into a tight hug.
Despite your thrashing and yelling he wrapped his wings around you tight while whispering sweet nothings in your ear to help calm you down.
This of course only made you cry and hit his chest before the sound of water spilling on the floor got both of your attention.
Hawks pulled away and slowly looked down before seeing your dress was slightly wet along with the ground.
"m..my water just broke"
Those four words scared hawks so bad that he released a string of curse words before rushing you out the house and in his arms before using his wings to fly to the nearest hospital..
"my girlfriend is having my twins!"
Hawks screamed this while laughing until you both got to the hospital..it's safe to say all if Japan knows who you are now.
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thatfanficstuff · 6 years ago
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Battle Scars - 18 The End
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Pairing: Tony Stark x Soulmate!Reader
Warnings: it’s so fluffy! And punching. There’s punching. And kicking. some language, maybe. Oh, you know what to expect by now.
A/N: So we have arrived at the bittersweet end my friends. What started as a little idea for a challenge turned into a story that so many of you fell in love with. Thank you for taking the journey with me and I hope the end does the rest of it justice. (and FYI Pepper went on a date with Hammer and bitched about Y/N the whole time. That’s when he developed his evil plan. Pepper was not directly involved. Just thought I’d put that out there since it’s not addressed in the fic)
***
You had forgotten what an incredible pain in the ass it was to get Tony on the line if you didn’t have his direct number. You tried twice before you gave up, cursing yourself for not memorizing his number. Or anyone else’s for that matter. Why would you need to? You always had your phone, right? You groaned in annoyance.
“Can I get up now?” Hammer said below you.
You drove your heel into his side again. “No. Be quiet. I’m thinking.” There was a beat of silence as the solution came to you. “And I’m an idiot.”
You called the operator and asked to be connected with Stark Tower again. This time when the receptionist answered, you asked for Happy. “Please advise him that it is a code 3 priority call.” Code 3 meant there was a Tony problem and usually you were on the receiving end of those calls. The three being a reference to his mental age when he was at his most annoying.
“Who is this?” Happy answered the phone a short time later.
You rolled your eyes. “Is that how you answer the phone? We’re going to have to rethink your nickname.”
“Y/N?”
“Got it in one.”
“Holy shit. Where the hell are you? Everyone here is going nuts trying to find you.” You heard noise in the background as he moved around.
“You won’t believe me when I tell you. Are you anywhere near Tony?”
“Taking you to him right now. Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay, Hap. Just pissed off but I found a way to relieve some of the anger.” You kicked Hammer in the other side this time and wondered if you’d managed to actually break any of the ribs yet. At least it was keeping you from being bored.
“Oh, come on,” he groaned and you grinned at his discomfort.
***
Tony and the rest of the team were bent over a map laid out on a table. Fury was on the main screen as they argued over strategy. Nat’s intel on Igor and who he usually worked for had made finding you a more urgent priority. You might be fine for the moment, but that wouldn’t last.
“What is that going to accomplish?” Steve asked in response to Fury’s latest idea.
“Wasting time. That’s what it will accomplish,” Bucky muttered and Tony doubted Fury even heard him.
“Boss,” Happy said trying to get his attention.
Tony glanced at him to see the phone in his hand and quickly dismissed him. He didn’t have time for this right now. He circled a section of the map. “I still say we should focus our energies here. Ran scans for heat signatures. The bad guys always use warehouses.”
“Boss,” Happy said again, a little louder.
Tony made a shooing motion at him.
“And I say it’s a waste of resources to send everyone there. What if she’s not there, Stark? What if the bad guy is smarter than you this time?” Fury argued.
“Boss!” Happy yelled.
Tony spun with a scowl. “What? We’re a little busy trying to find Y/N here, Hap.”
“Maybe I can help with that.” Your voice coming through the speaker of Happy’s phone had everyone freezing for a beat.
“Y/N?” Tony asked, not quite ready to believe it was you just yet.
“Last time I checked. Have Jarvis trace this call and get me the hell out of here, would you?”
***
It was a matter of minutes before shouting drifted to you from the depths of the building. You turned your head to hear better, but no further sound came to you. Just as you were prepared to dismiss it as nothing, a large thud came from the hallway. You started to get up then turned back to Hammer. “Stay.”
He nodded between wheezing breaths. Dipshit.
A light knock came at the door even as you approached it. “Housekeeping.”
You snorted a laugh at the horrible, high-pitched voice then swung open the door. Barton stood on the other side. When he saw it was you, he lowered his weapon and grinned at you. “I’ve got eyes on Y/N.” He stepped past you into the room as he spoke to the rest of the team. “And Hammer.”
You peered into the hall to find the thug on the floor, slumped against the wall.
“Christ, Y/N. What did you do to him?”
Clint’s question had you turning to look at him. He had moved your chair and was looking Hammer over for injuries. You stood with your arms crossed over your chest appreciating your handywork.
Clint’s lips twitched in amusement as he helped Hammer to his feet.
The idiot pointed to you with a shaking hand. “She’s crazy. I was just talking to her and she kicked me.”
“She kicked you?” Clint asked with his brows lifted.
Thinking he had a sympathetic ear, Hammer continued. “In the head. And she punched me in the throat and look what she did here.” He shifted his clothing around so Clint could see the forming bruises on his ribs.
“That looks painful. Did she kick you?”
“Yes. I told you she’s nuts.”
Clint leaned forward to examine the other man. “Did she kick you here?” As he said the last word, he slammed his fist into the other man’s ribs. If they weren’t broken before, they certainly were now. He caught Hammer to keep him from falling. “What about here?” Another punch followed the words.
Footsteps sounded behind you and you stepped to the side as Nat, Tony and Steve joined you. You went immediately to your soulmate’s side but scrunched your nose at the realization you’d be hugging metal. At least the helmet was retracted. “Sorry I worried you,” you said as you stretched to kiss his lips.
He arched a brow. “Yes, because this was all your fault.”
You shrugged. “Thanks for the rescue, anyway.”
Nat scoffed. “This is the least dramatic rescue in history. We literally could have just jumped out and yelled boo to the same effect.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I used your training.” You gestured to the ropes on the floor.
She smiled. “Nicely done, Y/L/N.”
“Not to interrupt the female bonding, but who hit you? Was it Hammer? Please, say it was Hammer.” Tony may have been smiling for you, but his jaw was set. He was pissed and wanted someone to take the anger out on. You supposed that was fair, you’d gotten to take yours out on Hammer after all.
“Kevin.”
Tony’s brows shot up. “Kevin? Isn’t that the name of one of those little yellow things?”
“They’re minions, Tony,” Clint protested. They’d had this conversation multiple times.
Tony rolled his eyes and turned toward you so Clint wouldn’t see his smirk.
You shook your head and gestured into the hall. “That is also Kevin.”
Nat snorted a laugh then covered her mouth with her hand. “No wonder he goes by Igor.”
“Cap, can you take my girl home? I have a delivery to drop off at SHIELD.” You weren’t sure you liked the way he emphasized the words ‘drop off’.
“It would be my honor, Tony.” Steve offered you his arm and you gave your boyfriend one more kiss before taking it.
“Don’t be too long, Stark. We’ve got a party to go to.”
“Yes, ma’am.” His helmet slid back into place and Clint followed him from the room, dragging Hammer along with him.
Steve led you into the hall. “Let’s get you home, Y/N.”
That was the best idea you’d heard all day.
***
You got ready for the party in Nat’s room which had always been the plan. Wanda joined the two of you and it wasn’t long before you were giggling like school girls. You blamed it on the tension of the day needing to be released. Whatever the reason, by the time you were dressed and Wanda had fixed your hair and make up for you, your cheeks ached from smiling.
“Well?” You spun in a little circle showing off the dress that made you feel like a princess the moment you put it on.
Both women grinned at you. “You’re going to take his breath away,” Nat said and Wanda nodded in agreement.
You glanced at the time. “I guess we should go.” Despite all the chaos of the day you managed to only be fashionably late. Of course, since it was your party you could make the argument you weren’t late at all.
Once you arrived at the floor where the party was being held, the three of you split up. Your eyes found Tony and you immediately gravitated toward him. Your gaze ran over him as you made your way through the crowd. He had one hand in his pocket and the other hooked around the back of his neck as he leaned forward listening to Rhodey.
You saw the moment Rhodey noticed you. He smiled and said something to Tony who instantly turned to find you. His expression was stunned for the brief moment it took him to rake his gaze over you then a bright smile lit his whole face. He met you half way, his fingers trailing down your cheek.
“You are stunning.”
You gave him a little curtsey. “You aren’t so bad yourself, Mr. Stark.”
He took one of your hands in his and pulled you to him. His other hand settled in the small of your back. Effortlessly, he began to move the two of you to the rhythm of the music playing softly over the speakers. He rested his head alongside yours and hummed with the tune. You closed your eyes and just enjoyed the feeling of being home in Tony’s arms.
“You scared me today,” he said. His voice was so quiet you almost didn’t hear him.
You tilted your head back to look at him. “I’m sorry.”
He kissed your lips. “Not your fault, sweetheart. But it did make me face the horrifying prospect of my life without you in it.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Stark. You’re stuck with me.”
“Thank God,” he said with a laugh and spun you before pulling you in to kiss you again. “I would like to make absolutely sure though. So, I’m going to need you to make me a promise. And do it rather publicly, I’m afraid.”
Your brow furrowed. “What do you want me to do, swear a blood oath?”
He hummed and pursed his lips. “I was thinking something slightly less dramatic. And with more jewelry.” As he said the last, he pulled a small velvet box from his suit jacket. He opened it and your gaze darted from the most beautiful ring you’d ever seen up to him. He grinned but you could see the worry shining from his eyes. “Marry me?”
Your heart raced as you took in everything about this man you loved. Everything about him complemented every piece of you. You beamed at him. “Of course, I will.” He slid the perfectly sized ring on your finger and a cheer went up from the crowd around you. You had honestly completely forgotten they were there, you’d been so lost in your soulmate.
His arms looped around your waist as he pulled you back to him. Your hands rested on his chest, the diamonds sparkling against his suit. He kissed you then. A sweet kiss full of promises for the future. As the two of you separated, he laid his forehead against yours. “I love you, Y/N.”
“I love you, Mr. Stark.”  
***
Thank you for reading! Have any lingering questions? Let me know.
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stusbunker · 6 years ago
Text
Known: Bring Him Home
A DARK Supernatural Fan-fiction
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Featuring: Demon!Dean, Demon!Reader, Female Vessel OC, Sam Winchester, Crowley, Castiel, Dean x Female Vessel OC
Summary: This is the first two and a half episodes of season 10. I didn’t rehash what the canon gave us, but let you in on where our reader moved through those events in order to be exactly where she is needed to be.
Warnings: Typical angst, show level violence, demonic phone calls aka blood, the ritual of purified blood aka needles, non-consensual touching, and the rest is too spoilery. Have fun kids! xoxo
Series Masterlist
*^*
September 22, 2014
Glendive, MT
         The stolen SUV stilled with the crunching of gravel, a roadside bar had caught your eye and on the whim that you hadn’t been followed, you pulled over. It was dark and dingy, something you had become intimately used to. The stale beer soaked into the ragged carpeting, a smell you would always associate with that summer, with the countless nights and bar fights the demon that Dean had become had waved off or fucked away. There was a payphone in the hallway between the bathrooms and somehow you were silently hoping he had kept the same number. The coins clunked into place, long and lean in the polished slot. The ancient deep tone of the ring peeled across the ether and then an alias and a generic voicemail continued the one-sided conversation.
You inhaled and replied chunkily, “Sam, it’s me. Or us, well not Dean, but CC. CC and I, both fine, by the way. If you’re free…we should talk.”
*^*
CC watched her hang up the heavy black phone with a satisfying clink. Her warped image looking back at her through the matte reflection of the disused amenity. She had been hiding out, she knew it and the demon at the wheel had quietly left her to it. Well, she didn’t know what Chloe did, she couldn’t, but the months trying to break through to the real Dean or subdue the demon had been exhausting for them both. Sam’s voice had stirred CC from her subterranean, dulled complacency. This wasn’t just about saving her own skin; it never had been. It was about those boys, those pig-headed jackasses that deserved better than what they had been dealt. Or scammed into. And minimizing Dean’s threat was just a finger in the dam.
She shuffled through the demon’s recent memories, stretching against the mental atrophy. She felt her leaving Dean and Crowley with some strippers, glancing thrice over her shoulder before ditching through the employee exit and into a bouncer’s ride. She hadn’t driven far, but in an odd spiral, fanning out to shake anyone tailing her. She seemed to be in the clear, CC watched her buy one drink at a time watching the door to the side hallway like a dog waiting for her human to return from war. The phone never rang.
*^*
Sam couldn’t remember the last time he had gone over 100, especially in something other than the Impala. He bit his tongue as the rickety bumper brushed the pavement after a railroad crossing. Cursing, he thanked his paranoia and hadn’t risked the bullseye that any of the vintage cars from the Bunker would have been, for any demon in his path. All those sonsofbitches that had been laying low or living on radio silence since Crowley had taken his brother from his bed. Cowards, the whole damn species. He cased the parking lot before heading into the side entrance, the bar like any other, navigable and unimpressive. There was still a dusting of sulfur on the earpiece of the payphone and not another clue in sight.
He slammed the phone back into place, loud enough to get a begrudging ‘hey’ from the bartender. Who recoiled as Sam spun to glare at her, he gathered himself carefully before ordering food and prodding for the direction CC’s demon may have headed. A half hour later Sam stared past his second beer, unsure if he wanted to crash or get back to the Bunker when a drunk at the bar got his attention, whining about his cheating wife.
*^*
September 24, 2014
Another crappy motel
         Crowley hadn’t missed how Dean intentionally never mentioned the dove’s sudden and unforeseen disappearance. Crowley was certain Dean hadn’t killed her himself, fairly certain as he didn’t seem to have lost any of the pent-up energy. Especially after the second mess in Wisconsin, when Crowley had been overly disclosing about the Abaddon supporters that Dean stopped listening. With his close watch, Dean couldn’t have done anything to her too terrible.
It still felt a bit, unceremonious, to be skipping town without her. He had grown accustomed to her banter and she had helped keep him infinitely more contained than the Mark could. Without her to help Dean take his edge off, in any number of ways, Crowley pondered what wouldn’t set him off. Ever the businessman, he secured his asset, sliding into the backseat of the car beside Dean as another minion drove them to the next neon plastered cesspool. A jolt of excitement struck a nerve within the King; now it was time for a real howl.
*^*
October 6, 2014
Colorado
You both surfaced in the days following the strip club and the subsequent unanswered phone call. You tried to ignore CC’s intrusiveness, as the memories of the summer months were sorted and filed under constant static in the back of your mind. She was still a hunter, and to her Dean was a target, despite his meatsuit and the taste of him coating every recollection. You left her to her schemes, while mindlessly driving through the mountains and enjoying the scenery you could only imagine in Hell. It was as close to therapeutic something like you could muster and it only made you frustrated with the path you had taken.
          The distance did wonders for your ability to forget the severity of his actions. Your struggling masochistic side had taken you down a steep path that fell away into the oblivion of guilt. Was it all your fault? If you hadn’t taken over CC’s body could she have stopped Dean before he let Crowley swindle him into taking on the Mark convincing him to kill Abaddon for him? If you hadn’t distracted Dean from Sam and the Angel problems, would he have ended up on the wrong end of Metatron’s blade? If you hadn’t needed him would he be better off? Had your selfish, imbalanced, twisted nature damned him? You reasoned against yourself on and off as the scenery flitted past, the lush greens soaking in their final triumphs before the autumnal cascade of color. Everything felt impossibly perfect and you worked your jaw against the need for destruction, because at least you could do that properly. You took the winding roads at whatever pace your foot found, letting the pine and the thin air fill your lungs as CC chanted at you to turn around. To go back. To demon up and bring him to justice or the end of an exorcism.
“Fuck off.”
You felt her roll her eyes at you and you stared into the rearview mirror, challenging while unimpressed. You headed back north, slowly trudging out of the pity party. You slipped around an Oldsmobile going ten under, clipping their sideview mirror off with a semi-pleasing thunk. This is what you did now: wallow in self-doubt and cost geezers their pension checks in repair bills. You slammed the gas and drove toward the only thing that made your heart race like it would stop at any moment. Back to the only being that made you feel death had been worth it.
They were gone. Not a lackey or a forwarding address in sight. You knew what to do, but it made CC nauseous as the intent sparked. It was your turn to roll your eyes. Carefully you moved to the back office and found a particularly sweaty thick necked manager to toss into a bathroom. His beady eyes bulged as best they could against his caterpillar inspired brows once you drew the knife. The generic brown towels quickly plugged the sink to allow his blood to fill the basin.  Once you felt enough of the ruby liquid had pooled below, you spoke into the depths.
“Crowley, you sonofabitch, where did you go?”
*^*
The blonde left the hotel with tears welling in her eyes, she didn’t even look at you as you blatantly watched from the fender of the latest car you had lifted. You swung your arms widely and entered without warning. He smelled of an ocean of booze, musty sheets and sulfur-tinged sweat. Once he could focus on your face an overplayed laugh erupted shallowly from his chest.
“Well shit, Crowley had that revolving door installed after all. Welcome back, uh, whoever you are. Perfect timing, cuz that one just got all sentimental and I had to let her down easy.”
“Except you didn’t.”
“Of course not, what do I look like?”
“Three sheets to the wind and still wearing your boots, must have been some night.”
Dean cocked his head, kicking his legs over the side of the bed. He tried to stand but thought better of it. You paced, picking up some of his clothes that had been left to clutter the floor. He sipped some water from the nightstand. You couldn’t remember a time he had ever drank water in his life, apparently CC could, but that had been because he had been refused a beer from his dad. Good, little shit deserves some purifying forces in his system.
Your hand brushed over the bag beside his new duffel, which had quietly been awaiting your return. You glanced over your shoulder at Dean who just waved off your touched expression. He didn’t ask where you’d been, and you didn’t offer. Slowly you helped him get naked and into the shower. He was too drunk to even try and put on the charms, but he shoved you a bit to make himself feel better about it. It was all too much: walking into the tangle of his exposed nerves, the thoughtfulness and the swift return to degradation. You needed some air, so you walked back into the night to allow him to sober up, however briefly. When you returned, he was gone, but the bags stayed behind.
*^*
October 14, 2014
The bar with the tiniest umbrellas
          The kiss-asses in suits loomed like Agent Smith wannabes, one was barely free from the Axe-body spray of his vessel’s frat boy days. You didn’t care for business and you certainly didn’t want them looking down their noses at you and how your presence was wasting “valuable” time. Instead of engaging them in soul conversion percentages, you ordered another drink and one for Crowley, for whenever he decided to show. Mending bridges was unbearably necessary now that Sam was back in the picture. You felt the mortal coil tightening around your insides, be it from CC’s impatience or the inevitability of being what you were: a demon in love with a hunter. Self-preservation was making you even more cagey than before you had ditched the dynamic duo.
          Crowley strolled in with the sound of welcome bells, a far off look in his eyes, the First Blade tight in his grasp. Heckle and Jeckle started off right away, but he ignored their pleas and took the seat next to you. “Somebody came crawling back with her tail between her legs.”
“Where is he?”
“With his brother, no thanks to you.”
“Is he--? Is everyone alright?”
Crowley raised his eyebrows and clenched his jaw, turning to play with the many pokey things in his ornate beverage. “I thought we had ironed out the kinks, once you left it was just the King and his trusty Knight. But he is no longer the brave little soldier daddy shaped him into, now he is a loose canon and, God willing, Sam is the only one who can sort that clusterfuck.”
“If he doesn’t kill him first,” you hissed into your shot glass.
“If you’re so worried about Moose, why don’t you scurry along. They’ll be home before you can find another payphone.”
You side-eyed the pair trying to interject, they each took a step back as you pushed out the stool and stood up. There was a lot you could have said in that moment, but none of it could fix what Dean had broken, especially not what was left of Crowley’s heart. Yours was all you could divine and that only left you chasing your tail. Crowley needed to move on, and Hell needed to be run, whether it by force or commerce. When the unique tingling started in your gut you smiled in gentle gratitude, his hand came up and you were gone before you even heard the snap.
*^*
‘Soul Survivor’
The Bunker’s dungeon
“Well, aint that the whore calling the kettle black,” Dean raised his eyebrows, accenting his demon pitch eyes.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sam huffed.
“You gonna tell him, or show him,” Dean stared you down until a goosebump-inducing sneer spread across his features. “Miss Collins is not home right now, can rando demon bitch take a message?”
You tried not to flinch, but the insult stacked on top of the unceremonious reveal left you feeling exposed, dirty even. “Yeah, yeah, big deal, jackass,” you snipped, jutting your chin at Dean’s restrained form. “I’d worry about my own self if I was you.”
“No, CC wouldn’t let that happen, not after all those months,” Sam gaped, he was a better liar than you thought. “She wouldn’t let something like you back in unless you forced her.” Maybe he wasn’t completely acting.
Dean started laughing. “You guys wanna take a minute? I mean it’s always a treat watching the grown ups fight, but—”
“You, shut up,” Sam growled at Dean. “And you,” he hissed over his shoulder, “stop talking, you make me sick.”
“Don’t get all self-righteous on me Sam, I mean, all of us here have fucked a demon. Or two,” you left off on a sigh. The younger Winchester recoiled; mouth pinched as if you had slapped him across the face.
“She’s got you there, don’t she?” Dean smirked now. You had grown to hate what he had become, even if he was backing you up.
“Are you working for Crowley?! Have you been--” Sam grabbed the bottle of Holy Water in his good hand, pointing the opening at you while he focused his tunnel vision.
“Not a Crowley stooge,” you held up your hands in surrender, trying not to roll your eyes as Sam’s authoritative side took over.  “I don’t have any ulterior motives, I’m not Ruby. I didn’t have an endgame.”
“Just stop bringing her up! This isn’t about who fucked whom, this is about getting my brother back. Is Chloe even alive in there?” Sam’s voice leveled, how he remained focused at all, stumped you.
You nodded. “She’s fine and she is very proud of you right now, if you must know,” you lied to continue the dramatics, ensuring Dean’s over confidence before the plan could continue.
“Awww, wittle Sammy has a cheerleader,” Dean sing-songed.
“Shut up.” Sam snapped. He started sorting through the bags of blood, grabbing a syringe before turning to you. “Are you going to help? Or do I have to exorcise you for good this time?” He spun towards Dean and squared his shoulders. “Buckle up.”
“Sammy, you know I hate shots.”
“I hate demons,” Sam said sadly before tossing holy water in Dean’s face, the demonic grunt escaping his lips as Sam sunk the needle in his brother’s arm. Dose one had been administered. “Look, we got a whole bunch more of these to go. You could make it a lot easier on yourself.”
Sam paused, the olive branch dangling between them. Then Dean shifted, the evil within him fighting the purified blood, impossible bestial cries rang from his body. You swallowed, dumbfounded and truly terrified of him for the first time since the farmhouse. Thankfully, he was restrained. You watched Sam take in Dean’s torment while you waited for the next move.
*^*
It had been hours, Sam sometimes insisting on going in alone, sometimes not bothering to even acknowledge you were tagging along. You couldn’t remember the last time you were this tired: thoughts muted, eyes floating in their sockets, fuzzy limbs kind of tired. But you didn’t dare risk sleep to leave Dean truly alone with Sam, especially an injured Sam. It was during a solo dosage when you started another pot of coffee and turned to head back toward the library when a massive hand clamped down over your mouth. Instinct kicked in and you pushed back with every physical or psychic force you could muster.
Instantly you were free, a large crash and strangled moan cut off behind you. Sam dragged himself off the floor with fire in his eyes.
“He’s out,” he whispered, pulling himself to his feet. You took him in, pale and gawky, CC’s alarm threading through your veins with every heartbeat.
“Do you have your knife?”
Sam sniffed and nodded, chewing on the thought of stabbing his brother. You silently worked out the flanking of searching the Bunker, letting Sam take the lead. CC started to buckle in, her thoughts louder than they had been in months. You reached out with your senses, trying to feel him, but what warding there was against you was enough to dull his resonance. You unsheathed CC’s knife and started moving five paces behind Sam. He grabbed the spare keys from a drawer when an unmistakable voice rattled through the halls.
“Come on, Sammy! Don’t you want to hang out with your big brother? Bring the bitch along, hell we can share her.”
Your insides froze with the menace in his voice. Then you were kicked out of the driver’s seat with a speed and finality you couldn’t comprehend.
*^*
CC had let this go on long enough; she shook out her hands and settled back into control over her body like an alumni walking the well-worn halls of their education, both foreign and familiar with an undercurrent buzzing beneath the surface. She spun her blade and tossed it to the opposite hand, a once flawless motion was now almost too easy. She snorted back a giggle at the feeling of being real and present once more, like a chest full of fresh air and warm laundry all in one go. Then reality pressed in and she leaped into action.
The instant the emergency lights flared overhead; CC bolted back the way you came knowing that Dean knew where the breakers were. Sam followed none the wiser as Dean continued to mock praise him. One second, he was an arm’s length behind her and the next he was gone. Quietly, she back tracked as Sam slammed the door to the Electrical room and locked it.
“Are you serious?!” CC gaped at Sam as he stood listening through the door, knife at the ready but still so optimistic.
“… I know you’re still in there somewhere. Just let me finish the treatments. Dean?”
The first chunk of the door flew at Sam’s face, sending him on his heels and into CC’s bubble.
“You act like I want to be cured! Personally, I like the disease.” Dean’s eyes glinted through the holes he had pounded through the door. Gaps between the boards like a toothpick prison crumbling with each swing.
“I don’t want to have to use this blade on you!” Sam was desperate, begging and it hurt CC to witness it. He was the little brother again and though she hadn’t known him as a child, she knew the real Dean would never be able to dismiss his brother’s pleas. She pulled Sam away from the line of fire, readying her own knife and bracing herself for his inevitable escape. “No, what are you doing?! You can’t use that on him!”
“Shut up, Tweedle Dumb, just let a girl work.”
“Chloe?”
She cocked her head and locked eyes on the thing bursting from the door: show time.
“Well, well, well, look who wants to play hero.” Dean swung again, punctuating his taunts with his hammer. “It’s my lucky day. I’ve been blessed, because there is just enough demon in me to kill your meatsuit, finally free you up to be all you. Can. Be. Then, I’m gonna kill my brother and you’re gonna watch.”
CC felt Sam dive behind her as Dean stepped through the remnants of the door. He glanced impatiently as she mirrored his movements, shielding Sam without giving Dean a path. “You know what, asshole? You can take your threats and shove ‘em. You wanna dance? Let’s dance, just me and whatever you are anymore.”
Sam raced back to the dungeon, searching for anything that could give them the upper hand. Sam didn’t want to risk them killing each other in his absence, but he hoped their slightly even footing would buy him the time he needed.
“Hiya, Chloe, nice to see you again. She smoke out? Couldn’t handle Sam’s bitch face?”
“Nope, got her packed away for safe keepin’, too bad you can’t say the same.” CC shifted her weight, swiping widely and slicing the edge of his shirt. Dean caught her by the wrist, twisting her knife hand above their heads.
“You’re missing my point. This? Lean, mean Dean? Here to stay, Sweetheart.” She glanced up at his grip on her and her weapon and without flinching she kicked out his knee, throwing them both against the wall she broke out of his grasp, the hammer thudded to the floor. He grasped her hair in one deft fist fall, before kneeing her in the kidney. She buckled, falling against him. Dean stepped back and kicked her once in the side until she fell, curling in on herself. Carefully he kneeled at her side, with the hand still in her hair he lifted her ear to his lips and whispered, “stay down or I’ll put you down.”
CC thrashed against him, hurling herself against him as hard as she could. She managed to rock him onto his ass, but he took her roots with him, pulling with all of his might. She screamed as he groaned in satisfaction. She jabbed him in the ribs with the handle of her blade, when he spun them both. His thick thighs pinned her beneath him, as she tried to flip him off of her chest. Dean rolled his hips, his cock rutting against her tits as he held her wrists, twisting them down. She caved on the edge of a fracture, moving the joints with his control, unwilling to risk that sort of handicap. With her knife lost in the tussle, Dean inhaled deeply and grinned down at CC in sickening triumph.
CC swallowed as she felt the rigidness in his jeans, he leaned in, crushing her with his weight, her breath pushed from her lungs like the final tuft of bubble wrap. He watched her struggle; her eyes bulged, and color left her face. Dean rocked into her soft breasts, relishing in the lethargic shift of her weight beneath him. Finally, the creak and crunch of her bones rippled from the force of his increased strength. As the light faded from her eyes an acidic cascade fell over his head and back. He howled, digging his heels into her ribcage, which granted reprieve from the pressure on her chest.
“Let her go!”
Another barrage of holy water hit Dean and he fell to the side of CC’s body, boots kicking wildly as he tried to stand. He screamed and lunged for the hammer. Sam held his knife up, terrified at what he had to do.
“Well look who decided to join us. Ready to play, Sammy?”
Sam stepped forward, trying not to be distracted with the way Chloe’s body remained unnaturally still. Dean looked him dead in the eyes and jumped forward, psyching Sam a little and then swung, landing the hammer in the plaster just behind where Sam’s face had been. The Kurdish blade kissed Dean’s throat, but he knew he hadn’t lost.
“Well, look at you. Do it,” Dean taunted. He watched Sam’s surprise melt into submission. As Sam dropped the blade and Dean let his eyes flood black, three things happened: Dean stepped toward Sam in certain victory, Chloe gasped to life in their periphery, a startling golden glow radiating over her chest and neck and Castiel’s arms caged Dean in place, the power of his stolen grace containing the demon.
“It’s over. Dean, it’s over.”
Next Chapter: The Ending You Expected
36 notes · View notes
sabraeal · 5 years ago
Text
We Seek That Which We Shall Not Find, Chapter 4
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3
Written by request for @fade-touched-obsidian‘s birthday. Which was actually the day before mine! But let’s be real here, this is far from the latest I’ve been with a birthday gift...
“I think we might be dealing with a wizard,” Mitsuhide posits as Shirayuki removes the last cursed servitor from the map.
“Wow, you think?” Kiki drawls. It’s been a slog since they left the clearing, one or two of these twisted summons showing up with every step they take towards Laxdo. “I just thought this was the natural fauna of fifth-century Wales.”
He frowns, wounded. “I’m just putting out an idea.”
“Big guy’s got a point, but I think our bigger problem is that this is a, uh--” Obi snaps his fingers, eyes rolled back as he thinks -- “a gestalt game. So sure he’s like, some sweet-ass wizard or whatever, but what’s his second class, you know? Like, I can stab a wizard, but if he’s got armor or something...”
Kiki raises her eyebrows, mouth twitching. “I feel like you are underestimating how hard it would be to kill an actual, competent wizard.”
“Well--”
“That’s played by Izana,” she clarifies.
“Ah.” Obi tips his head, letting it thunk against the back of the chair, which is -- a lot, considering how much throat he suddenly has. Right there. Next to her. “Good point.”
“He could be a sorcerer too.” Shirayuki winces, hoping she doesn’t sound -- desperate. Which is what she feels, for no reason at all. It’s not as if everyone here doesn’t know that this is only her second session ever, but still that urgent pulse coils in her gut, making it imperative that she participates, even if she can only name five class off the top of her head, and two of them are hers.
Obi’s gaze hooks on her, thoughtful, and -- oh. Well. Maybe that could be part of it.
“Or an Arcanist?” she offers, lamely. “I’m not sure what other classes can summon.”
“Witch?” Mitsuhide offers.
“Summoner,” Kiki deadpans.
“Too many.” Zen rubs at his forehead, an annoyed sigh hissing through his teeth. “And his stupid minions have bled us dry before we’ve even reached the castle.”
“Are you going to camp down for the night?” Izana inquires, far too innocently. A shiver rolls down her spine. Shirayuki may not have been playing long, but she knows better than to trust him when he sounds like that, all calm and amused.
“No!” half the table shouts out, only her and Obi left blinking. Zen adds, “Can we ask our new friend if anyone is waiting at the castle?”
A sigh would be too pedestrian for Izana, but Shirayuki can tell he’s disappointed they didn’t take the obvious trap. “When he left, he says, he was the only man standing.”
“Man as in humankind-man?” Mitsuhide asks, a nervous tremor rattling his words. “Or as in like, a not-woman? Or in a more general sense--?”
Izana holds up a hand. “I’m afraid this level of philosophy is beyond him.”
“Or his geas,” Shirayuki murmurs, tracing the wood grain with her finger. Every eye tracks straight to her, and she shrinks. “I’m just -- presenting an alternate point of view.”
“I know,” Zen sighs, “and I hate it. Is there any way to know...?”
“Oh, I’m sure you could find a way.” Izana’s mouth curves, and every head drops to stare down at their sheets.
“I have zone of truth,” Mitsuhide offers, his giant hands clutching at the paper like it’s a life raft.
Shirayuki bites her lip. “But will it get around his geas?”
“Yeah, how truthy can your truth get, big guy?” Obi rubs at his chin. “Is it like...universal truth or something, or just how he sees it? Or how this wizard dude wants us to see it...?”
Mitsuhide’s eyes widen. “I...I don’t know. Let me check the text.”
“I always got good old, non-magical Sense Motive,” Obi reminds them. “That could do the job without wasting a spell slot.”
“Same problem.” Kiki drums her fingers on the table, tick tick tick, mouth pursed in a moue of annoyance. “The truth is relative.”
Mitsuhide grunts. “I’m sure that’s not true.”
“Listen--”
“Before we get too deep into moral philosophy,” Izana hums, “this seems like an excellent time for a break.”
It’s not until he mentions it that Shirayuki notices how stiff she is, how much her muscles are screaming to move, even just a little. She straightens her spine, just to be mindful of her posture, and every vertebrae along it gives its very vocal opinion.
“That sounds--” she coughs, trying to cover the large crack her back makes -- “nice.”
“But we’re not even at the castle yet!” Zen protests, mouth rounding into a frown.
Izana’s brows raise. “Oh, so you are going to trust you friend?”
Pink flares on his cheeks, his ears. “I-I didn’t say that.”
“Break time it is, then.” Izana lets his mouth pull into an unnerving smile. “I’ll expect your decision in fifteen minutes.”
They do not, of course, discuss the situation at hand.
As soon as Izana sits back in his seat, Mitsuhide is back at the bookshelf, pulling out Ultimate Equipment and a few other glossy companion books she can’t make out the title of. Zen is halfway to the stairs when Kiki calls out, “And where are you going?”
Zen stares at her, wide-eyed; the very picture of a kid with his hand in the cookie jar. “Snacks,” he manages finally. “Since my brother won’t share.”
Izana curls a hand over the tin like a dragon with its hoard. “That’s right, I won’t.”
Zen snaps a hand out. “See?”
“Not you,” Kiki says with a roll of her eyes, tapping at her phone screen. “I meant him.”
She jerks her head, and there is Obi, only a few steps behind with phone in-hand, frozen like a cat caught on the curtains. “Me?”
“No, the third idiot on the stairs.” She arches an inquisitive eyebrow. “Just what are you up to?”
“Uh.” He stares down at his phone. “I gotta...piss?”
“Oh, well then.” She smiles at him, all teeth. “Go right ahead.”
“T-thanks.” Obi takes a cautious step up. “I will.”
He bolts up the rest, and Mitsuhide glances at Kiki with a furrowed brow. “What was that about?”
“Nothing.” Kiki has already gone back to her game, bored. “He’s just calling someone.”
Mitsuhide blinks. “Didn’t he say he had to--” his eyes dart between them -- “go to the bathroom?”
“If he needed to use the little rogue’s room, we have one down here,” Kiki informs him, as if somehow a person could miss a room with a Jacuzzi tub.
“Maybe he just wanted more, ah...space?”
Her eyebrows raise. “I think Obi has probably pissed in bathrooms much smaller than that one and had no complaints.” She grins. “But the cell service is shit down here.”
“Shut your mouth,” Izana deadpans, no heat behind the words. He doesn’t even look up from where he’s making his notes, just continues writing in elegant longhand as he scrolls through the SRD.
“Get a router down here already.”
“And have you ungrateful little goblins even more distracted than usual?” He lets out a huff, amused. “I think not.”
“B-but who would he be calling?” Shirayuki winces when she realizes it’s her own voice that’s speaking, little more than a squeak. Kiki’s chin lifts, and over the edge of her phone, their eyes meet.
“I don’t know,” she admits, each word spoken carefully. “Maybe whoever he wore that getup for.”
Logically, Shirayuki is aware she’s being ridiculous.It just doesn’t help to know it.
She vibrates in her seat for three minutes until she can’t take it any longer, her legs expelling her out of the chair and launching her at the stairs with a lame, “I just remembered, I got -- uh -- group project?”
Kiki lifts her head up and gives her a long, searching gaze. “How unfortunate. I guess you should go handle that.”
“Y-yes!” She nods, far too emphatic. “Definitely.”
“School is very important,” Mitsuhide informs her sagely. “There’s plenty of rooms upstairs. We’ll come get you when it’s time.”
“Great!” she squeaks. “Thanks!”
Her phone is in her hands the second she hits the first floor, Kihal’s smiling face staring up at her. She nearly starts typing right there, but banging rings out in the kitchen and sends her scattering. It’s bad enough that she’s considering this, that last thing she wants is people knowing she’s -- she’s -- doing whatever this is. Phoning a friend for -- for life advice, maybe.
She twists the other direction, circling the grand stair to go down a darkened hallway. Lights flicker on as she walks past them, both cool and yet utterly unnerving, like being in a haunted house only the poltergeist activity is helpful, rather than harmful. It reminds her of the lamp on the second floor of the old B&B, where the wiring was so frayed all it took was a good stomp on the second stair from the top to set it on, only it’s all over the house, instead of in a corner where she could dash madly past.
That urge follows her all the way down the hall, and only the certainty that it would be even more disconcerting to have the lights chase her keeps her pace sedate, little more than a purposeful amble.
It’s not hard to find and empty room in the house; she passes by a half dozen on this hall alone, but every single one is missing a light switch. There’s lamps of course, a handful studding each room with silhouettes that say priceless antique, enough that she wonders precisely how much of this furniture predates Zen’s childhood. After all, there’s isn’t enough Tiffany glass in the world to survive a really determined toddler.
It’s after her second turn that she finally accepts that she’ll just...have to go in one of these rooms, under the cover of utter darkness, and turn one of them on if she wants some privacy. It just so happens that the room she’s next to has shadows shaped vaguely like bookshelves, and something like an antique globe, and -- well, when has a library ever betrayed her before?
She edges in, hooking a foot around what looks to be a suitably over-stuffed wing-backed chair, and sinks into it. One hand reaches out, trembling in the thin light, and quickly discovers that the lamp is missing it’s pull-cord, or a switch, or anything vaguely control-like. She even pokes it, just in case it might be one of those touch-sensitive lights she’s always seeing in Target, but -- no dice. It’s just her and the darkness.
And whatever lives in it.
It’s fine. She doesn’t -- doesn’t need a lamp if she’s just looking at her phone screen. Which is what she does, dumbly, for a good minute, willing Kihal to start the conversation first.
No luck on that one, either.
Hey, I have a question
oh there you are you disappeared pretty quick figured you must have hand your hands full of hot college boy
You mean with hot college bot?
i said what i said whats up?
Shirayuki hesitates, the blunt edges of her nails tapping at her case. She doesn’t even know what she needs to say, why she even thinks there’s something she needs to ask --
I just wanted your opinion on something
is it about boys??? if it isnt just lie to me im thirsty for boy talk let me have this
I guess it could be? It involves a boy
!!!! MORE TALK MORE FASTER
She grimaces. This is -- it’s a bad idea, pure and simple. Don’t read into this too much, okay?
too late, Kihal claps back, far too quickly for human hands to type. Shirayuki will never know how she does that, not without her fingers breaking the sound barrier or something. already looking at bridesmaid dresses. now lay it on me
With a deep breath, Shirayuki just types.
Hypothetically, if someone is flirting with you in character, does that mean they’re interested in you in real life? That sounds so much worse when I look at it, please forget I said anything
.... ok u r gonna need 2 back up this train because this is a LOT of nerd is someone flirting with you?? are you flirting with someone??? are you having verbal intercourse with someone at nerd night with all your other nerd friends watching????
What?? NO I just wanted to know You know, intellectually
you come out swinging with s/t like this and you want me to believe it’s for like personal edification or some shit are you KIDDING ME?? WHO IS FLIRTING WITH YOU SEND PICS
It doesn’t mean anything!
excuse me did u not just text *me* for my exact opinion on this or am i just high wtf
Okay, fair, but I don’t *think* it’s anything
uh huh cool okay i think we all know who should be the judge of that SO SPILL
The phone shakes in her hand, and Shirayuki tips forward, resting her forehead on it. She really shouldn’t saying anything. It’s all just for fun, and she’s just -- just taking things too seriously, like she always does. It doesn’t even matter, it’s not like she even wants something to happen --
I think Obi
cute college boy?? what did he do??? what did he say????
I don’t know It’s all been in-game so I think I’m just reading too much into it Not like it really matters, I just want to know so I know how to proceed I don’t want things to be awkward
JUST TELL ME WHAT HE HAS DONE OH MY GOD
Well, we’ve fallen on each other a bunch, and he makes all those ‘falling for me?’ jokes And Zen keeps saying he’s using corny pick-up lines
like wisteria is one to talk hed use em if he could pull it off
That’s what Obi said!
i like this boy already you should make out with his face
PLEASE FOCUS
im just expressing my opinion but continue if there is more to continue with which i know there is because i can feel you being awkward
Well, he also made a joke about how nice my breasts were
oh hm that was about lynet right
Yes
yeah i was gonna say definitely has to be fictional
:|
don’t blame me blame genetics but what you have is very nice! quality over quantity
Please quit while you’re ahead I just don’t think it means anything I mean, he’s clearly flirting with Lynet, not me
right but she is like an extension of you it might just be easier to flirt with some fictional princess than like actually have to flirt with a real girl who may or may not be interested in him
Lynet is a lady of the realm But I understand your point
ohhhh well thank you MILADY
Oh God, don’t start I only mean that he has, you know Options
Options?
Like adult options Of people to flirt with I’m sure a seventeen year old doesn’t seem that exciting
you live in such a nice world but also isn’t this guy like...20? thats not really a big gap like that’s if you started dating a freshman or something
Right But still
so why does there have to be better options?? youre age appropriate its not like hes old like Izana or whatever
I don’t know He’s texting someone right now Kiki thinks it’s whoever he dressed up for
ok wait a minute back up he dressed up?
I mean, not...*dressed* up But he looks nice
hold up he came to your place dressed all nice?? at 7??
Yes?
and you think thats for...someone else? nvm i can tell this is gonna be a lost cause is anyone else flirting?? does this seem to be a normal thing?? i don’t know what’s normal for nerds
No Well, Zen does stuff too, a little Chivalrous stuff Like not wanting Lynet to put herself in danger Or talk to Beaumains at all
ugh ok well *that* is real
“Are you sitting here in the dark?”
Shirayuki jumps, phone slapping hard against her sternum. “Oh, Zen!”
His hair shines white in the hall light, a halo crowning his head, and she sees his teeth flash as he smiles. “You know, you could turn on the lights.”
“Oh, I...” She’s glad he can’t see her blush in the dark. “I couldn’t find the switch?”
“Switch?” His mouth ticks up into a grin. “Lights on.”
The room goes from night to day with a speed that leaves her blinded. She throws up a hand, trying to chase the afterimage from her eyes, but -- “Ow!”
“Oh! Lights off.” Zen lets out an awkward chuckle as they cut out. “Sorry, I get a little excited showing these off. I should have warned you.”
“It’s fine,” she says weakly, rubbing at her eyes. Even in the dark, they still sting. “I just have to get used to--”
Her phone buzzes, which is a strange feeling, so close to her chest. Like it’s having a competition with her heart over who can inconvenience her more.
“Are you...” Zen hesitates, eyes glued to her phone, tongue coming out to wet his lips. “Do you need to...get that?”
“No!” she squeaks, clenching it in her hand. “We were done any--”
Buzz. Buzz buzz. Buzz.
Buzz.
“Are you...sure?” he asks, eyebrow arched in a way too like his brother.
Shirayuki shuts her eyes, wishing the floor would just...open up and swallow her now. She can’t just...check with him here. Not when they were just talking about him. The last thing she needs is him catching whatever Kihal’s opinion is over her shoulder. With her luck it would be some sort of -- of short joke.
“Yeah, just...give me a minute. To wrap up.” Under her hand, her phone is blessedly still.
“Sure, just come back downstairs when you’re ready,” he tells her. “Izana says it’s about time to start.”
“Right, yeah.” She nods. “I’ll just be...a sec. I promise.”
He walks out of the room, and she scrambles to her feet, sparing one last glance at her phone.
“Oh,” she breathes. “That is not -- that’s not going to be helpful.”
ok since we can’t use wisteria as baseline normal for you know REASONS i guess the only way to find out if cute college boy is serious is to flirt back or make out with his face you know my vote
Thanks. Super helpful Great advice
that may be sarcasm now but im screen capping this for your wedding for my speech
Raised voices float up the stairs as she stands at the top, phone clutched in one hand and heart in the other. There’s no reason to hesitate; it’s not as if she’s going to -- to take Kihal’s advice. She only wanted to know if it meant something, so that she didn’t...encourage something she didn’t mean to.
After all, flirting for fun is one thing -- not that she would, the way she breaks out into a blush the seconds she makes prolonged eye contact with anyone, but she understands people do -- but she doesn’t want to break hearts, or whatever else Busha might call it with a wink over her tea. She just wants to be informed.
And now she is, sort of. So she should be able to just walk down these stairs and act like a completely normal person.
“Does anyone know where Shirayuki is?” Izana asks, disinterested. “We should begin soon.”
“I can go find her!” Zen’s chair scrapes as he stands.
“Nah, don’t worry about it, milord.” Obi’s drawl drags like silk as he speaks, as if every word is laden with innuendo. “I’m on the end here. I’ll go find my mistress.”
There’s no noise when he gets up, just a pound of her heart and there he is, frozen at the bottom of the staircase, gold eyes rounded as they meet hers.
“Oh,” he breathes, and then his face comes alive with a grin. “There you are, Miss.”
“Yeah,” she manages, voice trembling. “Here I am.”
“Is Shirayuki up there?” Kiki calls out. “Tell her to come down already. I want to get cursed and solve mysteries.”
“Please,” Izana soothes, “as if I would curse you.”
“It’s no good,” she minces, “I’ve played this game for three years.”
Obi lets out a huff of a laugh. “Well, you heard the lady.”
“I did.” She finds herself smiling back, hopping down the stairs to meet him. “Also, my name isn’t miss.”
His grin is far too close. “You’re right. My lady.”
“Are you done flirting?” Zen snaps, arms folded across his chest. “We’ve got a castle to save.”
“Who me?” Obi splays a hand on his chest as she walks past, and winks. “Never.”
She takes her seat beside him, smiling down at the table. Maybe...
Well, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to flirt a little.
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neverwatchedonepiece · 6 years ago
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594-595: "Formed! Luffy and Law's Pirate Alliance!" and "Capture M! the Pirate Alliance's Operation Launches!"
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After seeing what the Strawhats are really like and realising what he’s got himself into, Law has longing visions of the apocalypse.
That look on Law’s face.
You all know the one I’m talking about.
The one that started as a sweatdrop and morphed into a full-blown look of: I deeply regret this but am in way too deep to back out now.
I watched that scene three times. Pure gold.
If You Keep Telling Everyone About Our Plan, Maybe
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So I think I misjudged Trafalgar Law.
Maybe.
Still not one-hundred percent certain Law does not have another hidden agenda but... I am about seventy percent on board with the fact he has good intentions. At the moment. Like Robin said, pirate alliances are marked by betrayal, so this could change in future. (But I don’t want it to. I like Law as a good-ish guy.)
Like Nami, I was also was not expecting Luffy to accept so quickly. Maybe at the end of the arc, I thought. Have no idea why I even entertained that daft idea. This is Luffy we’re talking about. 
Law sold it as best he could without giving Oda’s entire plot away. “I’m not saying we can beat the Yonko right away. There is a chance, if we do it step by step. What do you say?”
Luffy’s daft but not an idiot. He asked Law to which Yonko he was referring. I’m guessing that was important because I honestly can’t see Luffy going against Shanks unless something really serious puts something between them. I was pretty damned interested in Law’s answer, so when Oda used that favourite trop of his: a sudden howling blizzard carried away Law’s voice, I laughed like a drain and cursed Oda and his teasing ways.
Fine. I get it. I won’t know at least until after this arc.
I also liked Luffy’s reasons for accepting Law’s offer of alliance. One, it sounded like fun. Two, he thought Tra-guy was a good guy. And three, even if he wasn’t, he had his Strawhats, who had spent the last two years training to become stronger (with the implication they could kick Law’s ass if the misbehaved).
This totally won over the Strawhats. They sort of melted into a puddle of giggling, flattered, enraged goo. Law was standing there staring like, “Wtf are these people?”
Still, as a gesture of goodwill, he unshambled all those who were able to be restored to their bodies. I am guessing is because of plot. Chopper and Franky are back to normal (Chopper had to leave with Law for a reconnaissance mission to Caesar’s lab). However, Nami and Sanji are now inhabiting each others’ bodies (because Sanji was not nearby to be restored to his own. I’m guessing you’ve got to be in Law’s Room).
Law was also not keen on the experiment kids. They were a pain. A liability. Forget about them. He’d heard from Caesar they’d been drugged. Chopper and Nami protested. They knew about the drug. They had already decided to take the kids back to their families. Law revealed the World Government have been trying to turn people into giants for hundreds of years. Why? In order to manufacture soldiers to increase their military might.
Apparently, Caesar wants to perfect the process first and outsmart Vegapunk and the World Government. (Okay, so Caesar is not still working for the WG after all. Is he that wealthy he can fund himself or is another faction bankrolling him? Maybe the Yonko Law is talking about defeating?)
Law was still unconvinced helping the kids was a good idea. “Are you willing to stay here alone?” he asked Nami.
Luffy, the Best Captain, jumped in. He would not leave anyone behind. If Nami and Chopper wanted to help the kids, he was fine with that. Sanji felt responsible for the Samurai Guy too. So Luffy would stay with them.
Usopp was so funny here. He leaned over Luffy’s shoulder and gave Law some Strawhat Context. “You think an alliance is a cooperative relationship just for some common goal, don’t you?” 
Um... yes, Law answered.
Ha. Well Luffy’s idea was different. It’s like being friends to him. And if Law was thinking of taking control, it would not be that easy. Once Luffy feels sure about something He Will Not Back Down. His selfishness, Usopp said, was as formidable as a Yonko. (”That must he hard,” Luffy said. xD)
At that point, I think Law reached his Strawhat Saturation Point. These people were like freaking aliens to him. But whatever. He’d agreed to an alliance. So he laid out his plan of action. While the rest of the Strawhats took care of the samurai, he would go research the drug behind Caesar’s back. He needed the Strawhats’ doctor. Chopper was strapped to his hat. xD
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Then, when that was clearly undignified, his back.
Before Law left, he issued a warning. Caesar wanted the Strawhats and the G-5 Unit dead. Until Caesar gets what he wants, he will not stop attacking. If any info leaked about him being on Punk Hazard, Caesar would lose his perfect hiding place. This is high stakes stuff for Caesar. He will fight tooth-and-nail to win. Not only that, he is a Logia type Gas Gas Fruit user who owns weapons of mass destruction with a 300 million bounty. Law cautioned anyone who couldn’t use haki to stay away from him.
Useful intel to have, to be honest. Thanks, Law.
And it was thanks to the conversation that I now know Zoro and Sanji can also use Haki. Did I miss that or is that completely new thing?
After that, came the part of the episode that was my Absolute Favourite. I definitely did not see this coming. Before Law left with Chopper, Luffy said, “So we’re gonna kidnap the Master, right?”
“Not for any money,” Law said. “To raise havoc.”
Despite the Strawhats asking, he would not tell them what lay ahead before they even successfully kidnapped Caesar. Focus on the job at hand. He would spill all later. Then said, rather ominously, “When we get Caesar Clown, things will move whether you like it or not.”
Ooooooooooooooh....
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH.
Now this is a juicy nugget of plot. I also do not think this has ever happened in One Piece: defeating the arc villain in order to kidnap him, use him as a catalyst and trigger some nefarious skullduggery in the New World with a view to taken down a Yonko.
Caesar Clown must be really something. I guess if he is an inventor and purveyor of weapons of mass destruction, his services will be in demand within certain sections of the OPverse. 
This is cool. I was a bit miffed when I realised this arc would end quickly as it has been great so far. You guys were right. This is an intro arc that seems to lead on to bigger things involving Trafalgar Law’s crazy idea.
Also, I cannot wait for Chopper to lay eyes on Caesar Clown for the first time. Chopper is gonna have to exercise some wicked self-control to not smack him for mistreating those kids. Chopper also asked Law an interesting question: if Law was so strong and could reach Caesar Clown that easily (because Law had just Roomed himself round to the lab’s back door), why could he capture Caesar himself?
Law deflected, as he always does. “I cannot because of a problem I have. That’s why I need help from you guys.”
A problem? Must be a pretty big problem. 
And by the way, where are your crew, Law?
I am making myself suspicious again.
I need to just believe in Law, like Luffy does. Because the arc villain is making a move.
And That Move Is Called Smiley
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Smiley.
Cannot get over that. xD
Caesar, you crack me up. 
He’s probably one of those deranged scientist types who give their hellbeast creations adorable names. Everyone flees from the tentacled abomination that is Mr Binky Sparkle-Pants. Everyone knows Candy Smoochy Schmoo will devour your soul.
This one is called Smiley. Smiley is a sentient, hill-sized conglomeration of incredibly toxic waste left over from the chemical explosion four years ago. Caesar gleefully explain to Monet that when he escaped custody and returned to Punk Hazard about three years back, he did not purify the island of the poison gas (*the* only good deed he had left to his name!) I mean, why would anyone do such a wasteful thing? All that poison lying around? That H2S gas he had invented that killed everything on the island in second? It’s Free Real Estate, right?
What he did was (probably) use his Gas Gas Fruit (thanks for the confirmation, Law!) to gather all the leftover poison gas and compress it into a monster, which he secured in a vault on the burning half of the island.
And he called it Smiley. xD
I guess Caesar has a sense of humour?
At any rate, this squamous behemoth was unleashed by the gang of unfortunate fodders who were trying to break into a vault at the end of the last episode. I knew they’d meet a sticky end. I just didn’t know how sticky. 
They tried to call their wonderful Master to report they were being killed by a poisonous monster. 
Sympathy? In MY Laboratory? Get the FUCK OUTTA HERE!
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But Caesar was in the lab, heard the DDM, was all like, “ugggggh, so needy!” He told his main minion not to pick up the call. Why? The fodders would just be screaming “Help, a monster is killing us! Save us!” How annoying, right?
And you know what else was annoying? The amount of visitors. Ugh. So many. Caesar seems to work in euphemism a lot because all he said was, “You can stop gathering test subjects now. We have enough.”
I’m guessing that’s code for “these freeloading Strawhats and Marines have overstayed their welcome. Time to die!” He had a jolly good lol to himself while Monet studied quietly in a corner (she must have learned to block out the cackling by now or she would get zero work done).
Caesar’s knowledge of how to manipulate human nature was summed up when he said, “People tend to forget tragedies in no time!” That is harsh but true. He knew sooner or later what happened in Punk Hazard would be forgotten by the majority, leaving him free to practice his wicked experiments with impunity.
He really is a piece of work, eh?
As of now, Smiley is currently oozing towards Caesar’s lab. Zoro, Sanji and Brook saw it approach on the horizon. 
They found Kinemon, by the way! His torso fell into the lake and sank like a rock because he’s a Devil Fruit user. Because of that, the rest of his parts became super weak and he almost froze to death. If Zoro hadn’t found him, he’d be dead. At least he’s finally grateful for the Strawhats’ help. I wonder what he’ll say when he finds out they’re working with Law, the guy who slashed him up? I wonder what Zoro, Sanji and Brook will say when they find out Luffy’s working with Law?”
It won’t be a secret for long, they way Luffy’s going on. xD
NO, WE DON’T HAVE A SECRET PLAN AT ALL. WHY DO YOU ASK?
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While Law was sneaking round the back door with Chopper and Smoker and his crew were battling to seize Caesar’s ship, Luffy had a Big Idea. Back at the camp, he whispered to Robin and Franky, the Strawhats who would go with him. (I’m assuming Nami and Usopp are guarding the kids and waiting for Zoro, Sanji Brook and Samurai to return.)
Smoker was having a tough time. Fighting in someone else’s body was difficult. Poor Tashigi kept turning to smoke at random and couldn’t turn back. (You know what? If this wasn’t such a serious situation, it’d be well fun to have a go in a Devil Fruit User’s body!)
Then Luffy arrived with a literal BANG! He cannoned into the snow right at the front door of Caesar’s Lab and roared, “SHOW YOURSELF, MASTER! WE WILL KICK YOUR ASS AND KIDNAP YOU!”
I swear the impact from Law’s facepalm was heard as far as Raftel.
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Trip Advisor Review: Punk Hazard
“Arrived on island. Was welcomed warmly by hotel proprietor. Accommodation was clinically austere but the bar was well-stocked. Woke up one morning and I was a centaur. Not pleased. Proprietor maintains he has no recollection of how this happened. Only other guest remains tight-lipped. Refused refund. One star. Would not recommend.”
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kariachi · 6 years ago
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”So, we’re gonna start today’s Martin Mystery rewatches with The Vampire Returns. Should I have listened to more of the Young Frankenstein soundtrack during lunch in preparation? Probably. But here we are instead.
I love how this show always specifies the exact time shit starts going down. For instance, in this episode, 10:32 pm CEST
~~
Good on Lady Soulsucker’s date for paying enough attention to notice when the girl he’s out with grows fangs and her eyes start glowing. You don’t see that often enough.
Aw and then she takes the daintiest bite of apple with teeth bigger than Date-Dude’s face.
I wonder how they got out without being noticed... can’t remember if the vampires in this episode can do the ‘turn to fog’ thing. Sure I’ll find out later.
~~
Diana sitting there with a book and a crowd of impressed young ladies. What are you showing them, Diana? Did you make this book yourself? Did you mother write it? I can’t think of a reason for the ooo-ing and ahh-ing going on otherwise. Either that or you managed to attract a pack of lesbians and they are trying to get in your pants.
...ya know I’m kinda all for the idea that Diana has unwittingly attracted a chunk of Torrington’s lesbian population and they are all trying to smooze in the awkward way that only a young gay can manage.
Also hello Tonio, it’s nice to see you. I’m going to have to include you in this in some way, I believe, given the location and also that this is a fic for nix.
Martin, Martin, sweetie, no. You are not getting that girl. There were actual sparkles coming off her, you don’t deserve that sort’ve quality. Plus, ya know, she sounds like your brand of nerd isn’t her style. I know the saying is “aim for the moon, if you fail you’ll land among the stars” but let’s be realistic for five seconds
Tonio can see this disaster coming from a mile away.
Amber is not having it, solidly unimpressed. I’m shocked.
You think the girls at this school ever rate the boys and just, give Martin a solid 6/10 for effort and moxie alone? “We wouldn’t date him, but at least he’s entertainingly stupid.”
Amber’s look of shock and concern at the idea of Martin enjoying studying. Like she’s about to call in the Psi Psi Psi girls and Diana, clearly their moron has fallen ill. Diana, meanwhile, is just pissed and I can’t decide whether the idea that this is because Martin is lying to get a date or because ‘has he been lying for the past our entire lives’ is funnier.
Though, given we’ll be working with witch!Martin for this it’s not like he’s lying. He just doesn’t like studying, well, anything they teach at Torrington. (Although I am still a big fan of the idea that he’s perfectly bright and just doesn’t apply himself like, at all.)
Martin don’t growl at your sister, you’ll get enough chances to in season 3.
And Amber trying to let him down easy.
~~
“Very rare, and totally irreplaceable” and you, all the way into season 2, are going to work with them, in your office, immediately after calling in Martin- known disaster and Destroyer of Projects? I swear you’d think MOM wanted her crap ruined. After a point you have no one to blame but yourself.
Martin no.
I repeat, MOM, no one to blame but yourself. Most people with an ounce of sense would stow away the shit they didn’t want destroyed when the guy who keeps destroying shit was called in.
Diana no. You’re being sent on a mission not a fucking river cruise.
~~
Introducing, the world’s scariest tunnel of love. First condoms in the water, now people going missing, this dude is just done.
Well Lady Soulsucker just fucking demolished that place didn’t she. Godsdamn, forget shutting it down because people disappeared, shut it down because it’s officially a safety hazard.
Okay, access hatch in the ceiling, that explains that.
...Okay but Martin isn’t entirely wrong with his assessment here? Something strong and nocturnal is right on the nose, and while the werewolf and half-beast-half-humanoid (and I love he uses that word specifically) hybrid guesses aren’t quite right, they aren’t far off the mark. He brought his A game today.
Diana, darling, kids playing practical jokes generally don’t leave fair rides completely demolished in their wake. That is not a normal occurrence.
Java about to eat half-consumed food off the floor like child did Diana not teach you better than that? I wouldn’t be surprised Martin didn’t but Diana?
500 year old saliva. This is the sort’ve ridiculousness I expect from this show. What, did Lady Soulsucker not swallow, spit, or brush her teeth since she escaped her coffin? Was she going around with 500 years of no brushing on her breath? Of course she’s got vampire hypnosis it’s the only way she could get a date.
Vampire goes rwar at children, flees into the sun to escape capture. Also he may need some heavier clothes, those don’t seem to be keeping the sunlight out.
~~
Martin no.
Billy making himself useful. Helping them follow the massive flashing clue that is the vampire’s clothing.
Martin slow your jock-ass down
Martin no, purple isn’t your color.
Okay, can I just say here that Lady Soulsucker looks fucking weird? She looks like a haunted porcelain doll. Or a shitty oc. Here, a theme song to go with her.
Question, why is there a surf shop in the middle of Paris? Is Paris big for surfing? A true French sport?
Oh, yeah, Simone, I forgot her name. It’s very French. Also dude chill.
Diana will not be stopped by some weird hyper-jealous dude.
She also, ya know, looks like a fucking corpse. But yeah, the reflection thing is your first clue something’s up.
He doesn’t see her, he doesn’t hear her, he doesn’t smell the 500-yo morning breath. I claiming him as an anosmiac by the way, the flag is in.
Welp. I can’t decide whether this feeding was more or less extreme than the last one. I mean, this time was pretty fucking hardcore, but last time she demolished an entire fair ride.
Simone, sweetie, have you considered that if you are looking for a specific guy maybe, just maybe, the way to go about it isn’t to just eat whatever random dude happens to be within hypnotizing range? Just a thought?
“He needs help, I’m going in” Martin says right after watching a guy get eaten by a vampire, proving that while he may not be the moron we deserve, he’s the moron we need. Diana, on the other hand, is a voice of reason and doesn’t deserve this shit.
Lucky those clothes were there to break your fall, Martin.
Martin, after dropping from the ceiling into a vampire’s feeding ground, alone: Don’t make me fuck your shit up! Simone, seeing this: Oh yay it’s my moron! Speak of the devil!
Am I saying Gerard was probably just as much an impulsive dumbshit as his great-x-grandson? Yes. Yes I am.
“Clever, and brave.” And a complete moron of a dork. “Just like my Gerard.”
“And just as handsome” it’s nice to see the looks keep in that family? I don’t believe Gerard got the floaty hair though, but his hair looked stupid so really Martin has the advantage there.
Vampire minions are strong, holding back Java with one hand.
Vampire true love is apparently very sparky.
Well Diana, at least you saved the watch.
~~
Martin gets abducted by vampires, Billy immediately must run to the scene.
I’d be impressed with your strength, Java, if those doors hadn’t looked 70% fallen in before you got to them. You could’ve probably gotten the same result from a hearty cough on them.
Gerard=Martin w/o floaty hair or modern fashion. Don’t know why the portrait is in black in white.
You’d think Billy could’ve taken the thirty seconds to read a brief overview about the woman while he waited for Diana and Java, but no.
No wonder Gerard looks weird, there’s not even a splash of warm color in that outfit. And warm tones don’t do Simone any favors. Coordinate your fashion better, people, you’re vampires for fuck’s sake! What would Mike say!
How do we know about genes from a 15th century vampire? Also I note she says ‘relative’ and not ‘descendant’, but I’m not in the mood to dig into that.
Billy you are literally a galactic conqueror, but your big boy underwear on and get in the basement.
Let’s be real, Diana, that’s just a sibling thing. You go into horrible places to save them so you can give them hell about making you go to a horrible place to save them.
How many minions has Simone gotten together? Like, the clan hasn’t been renewed yet, so... When did she get the time? It’s been like 24 hours
Okay, that explains new guy A, what about B and C over there, who look like they stepped out of Robin Hood? where they sealed in with you? Is this the old crew?
Simone, queen of the night and motivational speeches.
Martin you can’t just call on a specific guy, poor thing probably had a heart attack. “Fuck, my Lady’s new consort has beef, fuckfuckfuck” but no, you just want some fucking fries. And Simone is fucking loving it.
~~
Okay, so we know some of them sleep upside down.
It’s nice to see vampires can still be active sleepers.
Hissy vampires on all fours
Vampire!Martin is perfectly fine with being an evil trophy husband
Vampire!Martin standing there like “yeah, you rule the underworld, babe, rocking it!”
~~
“Do you know how much grief I’ll get at Torrington if my stepbrother comes back a vampire?” Would it really be that much more than you get just for having him as a stepbrother in the first place?
A vampire lord consort and yet still, at heart, an annoying brother
Simone: Get me back my fucking moron and we’re all screwed!
Tell me that’s like, Diana or Java’s dirty sock because I’m fairly certain even Martin doesn’t deserve to have his own stuffed in his mouth
And Simone becomes a massive fucking bat beast. Fur, muzzle, little winglet-dealies, big ears, big teeth, no tail...
Okay, yeah, Java’s sock, cool
Those are some seriously dirty windows. Or, well, were.
Sunlight burns everybody but also burns Simone to fucking ash right quick. Which then removes the curse on her victims.
Also I wanna know more about this apparent vampire gene. It is of much interest, especially given next episode will be dealing with werewolves and in some folklore werewolves when killed become vampires, so...
~~
Martin. No.
Amber really. Either you were setting him up or you yourself are dense as teak.
Oh Martin... stick with spies and monsters, honey
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cuthie · 4 years ago
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The Hero of Northrend
  Cuthbert could see his heavy breaths rise into clouds as he leaned his back against a teal icy wall. His lungs were already working overtime, his thighs burning from the speed at which he had come down the frozen cavern way. Sweat coating his forehead, Cuth dabbed at it with the crook of his left elbow before reaching back for a hood that was no longer there. Much of his armor and concealment had been torn to shreds by the dozens of undead he had managed to escape. Lowering his arm back to his waist, he frowned. Everything ached. Not just the pain from the torn wounds, but just the ache of absolute exhaustion. He had come out here alone, had bragged that he was the best man for the job even. He didn’t need nobody, right? And his arrogance had cost-
  Long brown elven ears picked up on the human’s faint footsteps. Without so much as a single thought, as was his usual pattern, Cuth turned the corner of the cavern wall and thrust his right hand forward. A pulse of black magic shot from an aura of shadows around his palm, casting out towards a pale robed figure. In the blink of an eye the magic had transformed into a gelatinous black and purple ooze, splattered against the human’s eyes and sticking to him in a clinging gooey mess.   The man in the dark robes cursed, raising a staff adorned with a horned skull, channeling his next spell. It didn’t matter. Cuthbert was too fast, too strong, too ‘sneaky’. The quel’dorei had used the blinding magic to conceal his movements as he ran forward and sunk his shortsword through the necromancer’s guts and rising up into his chest.   There was no heroic pause, that had already cost Cuthie several wounds tonight. No gloating, no dancing. Making sure his foe couldn’t let loose another word of incantation, Cuth had already used his offhand dagger to slice through the man’s throat. Crimson trickled across the line drawn in the flesh as Cuthbert withdrew both blades and kicked the dying evil-doer down onto the frozen rocks.   First, Cuth looted the body, not even bothered as it twitched, dragging it’s nails against the ground in it’s final death spasms. That was adventuring one oh one. Always loot. A few coins, some snacks, a large collection of.. Random shit like twigs and powders and.. Whatever. Cuth just grabbed everything. Next, he used the fallen human’s robes to clean his blades. As he did, a dizzy wave went through him, almost knocking him down beside the dead man.
  The hairs on the back of his exposed neck stood on edge, as an aura of unknown magical affinity split the fabrics of reality aside, allowing a masked entity to glide through. Cuthbert held his hand against the icy wall for balance as he stood back up, looking across the dead necromancer towards who the elf referred to as ‘The Benefactor.’ “If you could just magic your ass in here at any time, why ask someone else to deal with this shithead?” Having been running from danger for the last four hours, Cuth was not his usual jovial self.
 A soft monotone voice replied, neither masculine nor feminine in nature, “My apologies. I was predisposed, but I was entirely confident of your success. You certainly didn’t defeat the cultist and his minions to prove anything to me, as I have always held faith in my subjects, but perhaps tonight you have emboldened yourself. Though, admittedly, your colleagues will be pleasantly surprised. The gifts bestowed upon you act as a boon to our own cause.”
  Cuth wouldn’t have been able to understand half the fancy talk even if he hadn’t been on the brink of passing out. “Yeah? Well, thanks. I -am- awesome, I know. Just.. woo. Out of breath. But the cultist is dead, check for yourself. Took a bit, he had a lot of tricks.”
  The Benefactor shook their head, “I was made aware the moment you struck the killing blow. You did me proud, Cuthbert Danger Allbright. Perhaps your organization’s training has benefited you more than your magic?”
  Cuthbert smirked, for he loved it when people used his full name. “What? No. I mean, I like’em and all, but we haven’t had any real world practice besides a few fights here and there. Oh! And there was this.. This thing that we fought. It kind of looked like you. Not in body, you know, but in magic. It used the same kind.” There was a pause of exactly nineteen seconds before The Benefactor spoke again. “The Kalimdor Collective had an encounter with someone of my origins? Interesting. What else have they been investigating, the shattering of the veil?”
  Side by side, the two walked towards the cave’s exit as Cuthbert blabbed every single detail he had learned about his new guild. In return, The Benefactor clasped the high vale elf by his shoulder, sending a warm gentle wave of mending magic through the boy’s body. Wiggling his long blue eyebrows, Cuthbert grinned, “You wanna head back to my place?”   Understanding Cuth’s peculiar means of conversation and compliment, The Benefactor merely pat the elf on his head, “You’re a good man, Cuthbert. Allow your feelings to guide you, do what you believe is right. I fear the worst for you is yet to come, but with my aid, we will overcome.”   With that, the otherworldly creature opened another portal. Not for the first time, Cuthbert gave a thumb’s up before slipping through. This time, he would appear just outside the Argent Tournament’s gravestones. Cursing the biting winds, Cuth once again reached for the hood that was no longer there. Shit. He needed to find some new digs and get all the blood off what was left of these.
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ayma-nidiot · 5 years ago
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In the White Light - Prideshipping fic Chapter 5
Also on AO3.
Chapter 5 – This Mask That I Have Become
He didn’t know and didn’t care about such trivial matters as “time” and “human interaction” anymore. As the most powerful monster out of the many roaming Domino City, Seto Kaiba didn’t care anymore. If one of Dartz’ many minions dared to challenge him, he would strike. If a human – even one he had met before – was foolish enough to get close to him, he would strike. As desperately as he wanted to hide – if not to avoid unnecessary fighting, then to hide his curse – creatures of this world would not leave him alone. Kaiba had always been annoyed by those he deemed as less than and wanted to get away from them most of all. All, that was, except for Dartz and his minion Rafael. But in the course of his own madness, he had forgotten why it was he only wanted to fight these two individuals in particular.
Unfortunately for Kaiba, this was not to be, for as he intended to land in a forest in the distance, he heard familiar voices below. “Kaiba! You better be out here somewhere, jackass!”
“Joey, please…” Téa warned. “After we just left Rex’s and Weevil’s soulless bodies at the hospital, don’t you think you could have a little more compassion for others?”
“He’s not at KaibaCorp.” Tristan came running. “We’ve been looking for a week now… Where could he be?”
“Uh… Guys?” Joey pointed towards the sky. “Don’t look now, but there’s a big scary monster coming this way!”
“And? Is that really new?” Tristan asked. “Shouldn’t we be used to that by now, o mighty keeper of the dragon Hermos?”
“Speaking of dragons, get out of the way!” Yami Yugi barely ducked himself and his friends in time to avoid a beam of light.
“Yo, yo, yo, check it out!” Joey’s voice mixed excitement and fear. “It’s the Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon!”
“But what is it doing here?” Téa jumped back. “Just great…”
Yami Yugi took a bit longer than the others to get up from duck position. But he did not take long to recognize the monster before him, and completely froze at the sight of him. “Ah!”
“Yug, what’s up?”
“Yugi, we have to move!” Téa insisted. “Or… Or fight back, or something! Don’t you have your dragon Timaeus?”
“Well, if Yug’s not going to do anything, then I guess it’s up to me!” Joey slammed the Claw of Hermos onto his Duel Disk. “Protect us, Hermos!”
“Joey, wait!”
“Come on, what do you got, hot stuff?” Joey smirked, ordering Hermos to attack – and to his fortune, Kaiba fled immediately after just one shot. “Hah! ‘Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon,’ my ass. More like ‘Blue-Eyes Big Chicken!’”
“Now that that’s taken care of, can we please continue looking for Kaiba?” Téa suggested.
“I second that notion,” spoke Tristan. “Yugi, aren’t you going to come with us?”
“…Everyone, I think that Kaiba’s gone for good this time.”
“Eh? What do you mean, Yug?”
“He won’t be coming back…” Yami Yugi punched the concrete and began to cry. “And I’ve failed him. I’ve failed both him and Yugi!”
“Come on, Yugi, not again!” Téa knelt down in consolation. “Okay, so maybe you did fail our Yugi, but… You’re going to make up for it, right? Why else do you think we’re searching for Kaiba?”
“And what do you mean, ‘you’ve failed Kaiba?’” Joey snorted. “If anything, he failed us! Probably just sittin’ in some comfy office while us plebeians have to do the hard work.”
“Up you get, Yugi. Stop beating yourself up. We all make mistakes, don’t we?”
“Thank you, Téa…” Yami Yugi looked in the direction in which Kaiba flew off. Kaiba… Flee from me if you want, but I will see you again.
Meanwhile, Kaiba returned to the roof of KaibaCorp, having run out of other hiding places. He figured that if he couldn’t really hide anyway, he might as well stay on his home turf, complete with his private jets.
And right then and there, Mokuba had the same notion.
“Gee… Hah…” It was apparent that Mokuba had been running; he leaned against the ledge of the balcony to rest. “I don’t know who’s scarier, those bodyguards, or the monsters all over the- Seto?”
Too surprised by his little brother’s appearance, Kaiba didn’t bother to fly or even look away.
“Seto!” Mokuba started running to his elder brother, giving him a hug while crying tears of joy. “I knew you’d come back! Oh, man, running from the bodyguards keeping me from this place was worth it! I’ve… I’ve missed you, you know. Even though you can be a little mean sometimes. Can you please not run away like that again, Big Brother?”
Kaiba nuzzled his head into Mokuba’s face while the younger brother petted him.
“Oh, yeah, I forgot… You can’t talk when you’re a dragon, can you?”
Curling his tail around, Kaiba lightly massaged Mokuba’s back.
“Aww, you don’t have to worry about me! Roland and the others patched me up. And then I ran away from them again right after. Some grateful little brother I am, huh? Haha!”
“Yes, please don’t run away from me, so I can properly take your soul this time!” sounded a voice from the balcony entrance.
“Alister!” Mokuba rushed in front of Kaiba and blocked Alister’s path. “You’re not going to touch him! I won’t let you!”
“Kaiba, I know that you’re in there. Duel me so that I can finally have proper vengeance on Gozaburo!”
“Graaaaar!” Kaiba’s eyes and sapphires glowed, showing his intent to attack.
“What, you can’t duel me in that form, can you? Then, pray tell, how do you plan to retrieve the soul of Yugi?”
Kaiba… Seto Kaiba, you must duel him.
For the first time in a week, Kaiba felt his consciousness return. Who… Who is… Someone is speaking to me? But whom?
It is I, your guardian dragon Critias. You have to duel this man – not only to help stop Dartz, but also to give yourself a sense of peace.
Uh… Kind of hard to put a Duel Disk on a dragon’s arm. For that matter, I don’t have arms in this form. And how am I supposed to declare any attacks if I can’t speak?
Then you’ll have to change back into a human.
Excuse me? I need to destroy that Rafael for what he’s done!
You can’t win the trust of the pharaoh, not as you are now. If you can get your emotions under control, I’m sure it can be done.
But without the pharaoh, how can I…
Kaiba, you have a strong soul, and that’s why I’ve chosen you. I know you can do it. You want to see the pharaoh again, don’t you? I saw that look in your eyes when you fled from him just now… You didn’t really want to flee.
You’re right… Kaiba became surrounded in a white light. If I can’t become human again, then I can’t tell the pharaoh that… that I…
“Hmm…” Alister watched with curiosity. “That’s more like it.”
“Seto! Oh, thank goodness!”
When Kaiba had completely reverted forms, the first thing he said was, “Mokuba, get my Duel Disk.”
“Y-You got it, Big Bro!” Though he wasn’t comfortable with his brother dueling in these conditions, Mokuba went back inside the plane to fetch this item.
“So why the change of heart?”
“I just want you out of my life once and for all.”
“Here you go!” Mokuba handed the Duel Disk over.
“Little boy, you might as well get back in that plane so you can see your brother lose his duel.”
“So you intend to duel in my plane?”
“Precisely.”
“If I’m not going to lend my plane to the Dweeb Patrol, what makes you think I’m going to risk it for you?”
“Because how else are you going to look for them while dueling me?”
“!!”
“I’m sure you know that you need the pharaoh and the others to save the world. It’s killing two birds with one stone if you ask-”
“Okay, just shut up already!” As Kaiba lifted both himself and Alister up to the top deck, he spoke to Mokuba from a window, “Go and find a safe place to hide. Or better yet, stay here.”
“No! You’re not going to run away again! If you have to do this awful thing, then I’m coming with you!” Without a need for permission, Mokuba ran up the stairs and up to where the duel was about to take place.
“You little imp…” Despite how worried he was, Kaiba couldn’t help but smile at his brother’s devotion. “What am I going to do with you?”
Alister felt disgusted by what he was seeing. Starting up his Duel Disk, he declared, “If you’re done with the brotherly love, then it’s time to duel.”
“If you want a duel…” Kaiba began as he readied his own Duel Disk, “Then you’ve got one.”
“As the challenger, I’ll start,” Alister declared. “I summon Science Soldier in defense mode. That’s all for now.”
“Heh. Then, I’ll take you out… with my X-Head Cannon!” Kaiba declared on his next turn.
“Then I counter with my Cyber Soldier of Dark World in defense mode. I place one card face down, and end my turn.”
“You must be saving all of your luck for the end. Unfortunately for you, I don’t play that way… Here’s Y-Dragon Head! Attack the Cyber Soldier of Dark World! And now, X-Head Cannon attacks your life points directly! I place a card face down. Now that I’m done punishing you, I believe it’s your move.”
Upon drawing his next card, unfazed by his rough start, Alister spoke, “So, Kaiba, what was that you said about my luck? That I save it for the end?”
“What are you playing at?”
“No, my luck begins here and now.” Alister laughed as he held the card he just drew in his hand.
“Don’t tell me… Did you just draw what I think you did?”
“Yes, and in case you forgot about it, let me jog your memory… Hahahaha!”
“Mokuba!” Kaiba turned sharply around. “You need to get out of here!”
“Huh?”
“I activate the Seal of Orichalcos!” No sooner had Alister smashed this card on to his Duel Disk, when light and wind began to kick up. Mokuba, unable to hold his footing, flew into the nearby stairwell and passed out instantly.
“Mokuba!” Kaiba looked up. Without his control, the top deck of the plane began to open up. Wind whipped his face as the Seal rose him and Alister into the air.
“Ah… Isn’t this fresh air nice!”
“Alister, cut the crap and the magic act this instant!”
“Aww, but my magic act is just getting started!” In addition to the high-speed winds, shadows began to kick up. “For my first trick, I’m gonna need some help from the Orichalcos…”
“Hmph. How boring.”
“Oh, I’m sure that you’re not going to be bored in a few seconds, when you get to experience the same kind of pain I felt.”
When the shadows had engulfed them both, Mokuba had finally come to. “Where… Where are they? Heeeey! Seto! Are you- Aieee!”
The plane tilted sharply to the left, and Mokuba held onto the rail. “Alister… He must have deactivated the autopilot! I have to go do something…”
By the time Mokuba got to the cockpit, the plane straightened slightly, giving him a chance to turn on the radio. “Mayday! Mayday! This is KC-1! Anyone! We’ve lost control! I repeat, we’ve lost control!”
So spoke Mokuba as he frantically pushed every button he could in the hopes of contacting the outside world.
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redheadedteen-blog · 5 years ago
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A Poem/Rap I Wrote When I Was Hating Life
A Talk With Life 
By: Me
I hate me, why can’t I leave me?
Why can’t it be easy?
What’s the matter life, huh? What’s the game you’re playin’, what do you gain? 
Tortue and hurt, that’s all you give, why can’t you just let a person live?
We have rights of speech, so why am I not speakin’? 
Only cryin’ I want to stop breathin’. (Yeah!)
Where’d you go? You feelin’ alone?
(haha) That’s a dose of your own poison, why don’t you take a step back and let the chorus join  in.
Listen up, ‘cause there’s a lot to know.
Life: you’re an asshole of a show. Watch us suffer then die, cold hands filled with roses, like we have no purpose. 
You’re pushin’ people down, left and right, but why don’t you sit down and hold tight, ‘cause it’s gonna be a bumpy ride!
To your left you’ll see friends and family alike,
Around a coffin your brother Death have them cryin’;
A baby whinin’, but you aren’t carin’. 
Oh, you “didn’t mean for this to happen?” Let’s see the people’s reaction (LIES)
Now onto the next stops where you see some shops.
Guns, drugs, and more to come!
You gave them a reason to come here...
No! They didn’t just “appear.”
Haha, what, you think we wanted this?
Throw away our whole lives for a moment of bliss?
But we’re zooming past, not a moment to lose!
You didn’t care for them, anyways, did you?
Looking to our right you see a happy family,
But, that can’t be right, let’s dive deeper, shall we? 
Papa drinks some beers and gets angry with himself.
This house? These walls? All cheaper than dirt! 
Now someone needs pulverizing:
He stumbles toward Mama, ripping at her shirt.
She yells and cries, but he’s gonna do more than hurt,
But, look, it gets better: the little one is done with her chore!
They both get beatin’.
Don’t turn away! What? You don’t like what you’ve this shade?
Ah, your finger’s are fiddlin’, your tongue’s all tied?
That’s a first, always have something to snide.
We people have to live with you, we’re cursed.
You’re always sending minions to say this and that, like: “You’re too skinny” or “You’re too fat!” 
What’s the problem, Life?
Finally understand what it’s like to be a doormat?
Now hold on, Mister, not so fast.
Sit your ass down ‘cause I’m startin’ to have a blast…
Everyday people re-livin’ the past,
And they’re lookin’ to the future thinking, “This day is gonna be my last.”
Now I’m we’re here, back at your home,
But hear me out, because I’m not done.
I’m gonna get in your face, spit on your shoes, and ask without disgrace, what’s in store for us?
A bomb filled with disgust?
A puddle full of muck?
A knife to stab us in the back, and we’re pleading, “What have I done?”
I tell you what, I’m not giving you the pleasure to bend my knees and kiss your feet.
Sure I’m gonna be smacked down, but I’m just gonna bounce back up,
Then I’ll push harder than before, plant my feet in the dirt, because every experience, Life, for better or worse, I know I’m stronger than ever before.
So I invite you, get back on your throne, even though we all know:
You’re alone.
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