#Eldridge AU

[cryptidwithaninternetconnection]

[Who she knows to be the kid she’s been trying to find for weeks is.. barely recognizable, their hair is shorter and a more vibrant shade of pink, their rounder with wire glasses, a black hoodie and Brown pants, with a brown bag with a multitude of pins on it. Their happy.. happy and chatting with a woman much older than her, she has long brown hair pulled back in a claw clip, a blue shirt that says “mom hugs” on it, and blue jeans, and a an old brown dog lounging across Casper’s lap, Casper is happy..]

@sagehyperfixates @the-excellent-papyru @vaporeon2010317

Granted some things are missing/Different, like my bag, and Annie being next to my mom instead of being across Casper’s lap, but this is essentially what Claire is seeing!

[hauntingmiser]

[ ⚠️ GLITCH & BODY HORROR AND EYES]

Hello. [ Scott Pilgrim versus the world ] [ Fandom ]

"Ramona?"

*Ramona's body distorts into a hell-like nightmare and begins to walk aimlessly*

"§¢œ++?"

"H3lp me..."

( Scott ? )

( help me. )

*She beguns to distort into a unlovable mess*

[lass-us-slay]

Alr so I was watching edits and came across Arlecchino and an idea popped into my head!

Danny Phantom as Arlecchino in DC also know as: Phantom the Knave Sovereign

(Still working on the name- Before we start I wanna say, I’m just trouble shooting rn and seeing what new ideas I could add with your guys input too. But so far this is what I have)

———

Ok so plot points:

Somehow Pariah Dark gets free of the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep, either because of Vlad or the Observants

Pariah seeing potential in Danny (and cause he was already dubbed to take Pariahs place after he was old enough) starts trying to become Danny’s parental model (much like Vlad. But Worse.)

It was annoying at first, but slowly over time, Pariah started taking his role as Danny’s “Father” too far and twisted. Wanting to make Danny strong, stronger than he ever will be.

Then one thing leads to another and an identity reveal happens. Except the Fentons now pretend Danny Fenton no longer exists, and it’s just Danny Phantom that is an after image of their boy. Which pains them so they keep their distance, but still help what they think is left of their boy.

Danny is sad about that- but he has his sister Jazz and his two best friends! He can live with his parents pretending he doesn’t exist, atleast not as Danny Fenton no he can’t- he really can’t-

Then shit hits the fan, resulting in Danny’s home dimension into imploding into itself. (Which may or may not be the fault of Pariah Dark)

Luckily Danny is able to get out with Jazz!

But he’s too angry to rationalize himself after the death of his Haunt and almost all his fraid dying. He attacks and attacks Pariah and observers and whoever that threatens his last family at every turn.

More shit hits the fan, resulting in Danny getting cursed, which really hurts Danny. Enough to do weird ghost shenanigans to his biology, (via curse), and Jazz gets caught up.

Pariah sees a golden opportunity to use this to get Danny stronger to become the next king.

But Clockwork has had enough and steps in. Only to be promptly sealed away by the still acting king; Pariah Dark. Which Danny not even knowing as he’s out for the count thanks to the curse. (Jazz is the only witness. But Pariah can’t kill her because of Danny.)

More stuff happens and now Pariah is the acting Father of Danny and Jazz (with amnesia) who are in a ghost normal(?) orphanage with other kids.

Basically Arlecchino’s childhood happens to Danny and Jazz. Just that Pariah has decided to false make Jazz his “bio” kid to mentally fuck with Danny (smol child, and poor Jazz).

Danny still sees Jazz as his sis even if he doesn’t remember

After Jazz sadly doesn’t make it, Danny faces off Pariah once more for the first time. And consumes Pariahs Core into his, eating him alive so no more Pariah for the rest or eternity.

Then remembers- holy shit his names Danny! Not Peruere, which ew- (kidding I love the name-)

Anyways Danny gets mad at Clockwork only to find him sealed and the timelines fucked- and with Clockwork being so weak since the seal-ment, it’s up to Danny to fix the mess (and the one that was caused by the Observants once more with no one on the throne)

And so now Danny travels around timelines, picking up strays and adopting them (much like Batman, but better)

That there is the rough outline of the story!! I probably will make more but I just need to organize my thoughts before going into finer things (and art!)

Also I’d like to mention- while in the orphanage, Danny’s human side takes on more physical characteristics of his ghost form. Sorta merging the two forms into one? Not sure about it.

But Danny’s human form has definitely changed, and the curse is the same as Arlecchinos from Genshin (although would be nice if someone actually explained the curse to me fully- cause I don’t get it at all 😭)

Anyways that’s it- im thinking about interactions with the kids Danny Adopts and such but that’s for another time 💀

Aight peace ✌️

[boa35]

I kind of thought that with how big UT's tail is, he could wrap people around it and restrain them.

Which is why this came to mind.

UT belongs to @cherry-blossom-qf

Cyn has a big obsession with bows. Srry, UT. ^^;

[biginkyboyo13]

Hiding behind the demon mask, are we?

[drmarune]

Tzubaki yami

Warning:spicy

Summary

Tzubaki hear what he’s voices have to tell him about Johan and other

—————————————————————

Tzubaki :well if I get it right after the Lucius war all came together and my father where not this stupid and talk whit mother and then it’s happened finally and Onkel Nacht and all other needed therapy?

Voices:(yes yes yes yes lol your parents are stupidly in this point yes you mom is a tzundere and you father is dense as fuc€ yes yes Nacht needed therapy like all other oh Johan where there born in this mess and he’s father considered to hold Morgan alive to get Lucifugus even considered to pressure Morgan’s body in mating and so but luckily it didn’t happen year sweet home Alabama ho yes….)

Johan:okay……Johan’s fathers where always um…..not like other but this? Hell….he is a old man but this? So……what doing Johan now?

Voices(yes lol lol lol W W W Lol lol oh he is reading now gay love and is right now horny as fuc€ this what you call second puberty oh yes….. …… …… ….. Devils have tow puberty‘s and are horny if they have human blood as fare I know…..what really?! Wow don’t know you are smart 67qlili€ year thanks guy’s ^^)

Tzubaki going red a the thought of Johan and how he….no no pervert thought‘s Johan is a person he loved respectfully…..but he going hot

Voices(lol you horny year sad dude but are we gona tell him he’ll no no no no yes no no yes ok we are not telling him the mots will kick wo tell him L L L )

Tzubaki:great thank your all……well my hand it will be…….hopefully mother will not come in again….“going red

Voices(year whas bad last time nobody wanted to be catch from there mother even my as a woman year my to I’m a guy too year year yes Jo w L L yes yes)

Tzubaki is zero proud of what he is doing he thinking how he and Johan would doing it…….

Voices(well you know Johan wants to fuc€ you mainly whit he’s di€k if it’s came to this no Ban ban this guy you get banned Milfforlife345 no sexual comments here yes L L L L L Lol get what he deserves Johan is a innocent Emo but year he whas right though……L L L W)

Tzubaki is out of guard I’m going deep red and screaming in he’s pillow

[marune2]

Tzubaki yami

Summary

The voice’s in tzubaki head are something else and charlotte don’t know why he have them but they are not Norma they tell him stuff he can’t know and other stuff and Owen can’t tell what’s wrong they are just there and yami don’t know eather what to do

If the voice’s are people out of ur wold and they are like a Eldridge behind wo see everything like YouTube

—————————————————

As tzubaki is 10 year’s old

Charlotte: tzubaki my dear can you help my whit the roses? You father will coming lead at home

Tzubaki:uh ok mom(voices : oh he is whit Magna gambling again for sure oh year she is right he is gambling of curse so know you dum fu€k hey not swearing in front of the child you get’s banded Here lol year lol big L) shake he’s head

Charlotte:what’s wrong darling?

Tzubaki: oh nothing mom they did just tell my dad is whit Onkel Magna araund again

Charlotte:they? Sweetie are it’s the voice’s again? What they tell you again

Tzubaki: oh right now want they just banned one of my voice’s because he say fuc€ and now talk they how you look’s like Morgan after he see Onkel Nacht is hurt again but wo is Morgan? And now they call for play Minecraft and one person wo is called Loo telling abaut dusk daddy issues

Charlotte:oh ok Sweetie come just let’s do work

Tzubaki: oh ok mom

————————-

After sukehiro is home

Sukehiro: why the long face pecky Quinn?

Charlotte: It’s are the voices again……..

Sukehiro looking serious: what’s this time?

Charlotte: as fare I understand they did tell him what you did again what I’m not happy abaut anyway and abaut Morgan He didn’t even know wo he is

Sukehiro looks concerned : ha all we can do is helping at least they don’t want arson

Then came tzubaki in : mom!!! Oh hey father….

Sukihero: oh what is son?

Charlotte: what is sweetie?

Tzubaki: can I go to Onkel Nacht? I wana play whit Sterling and johan

Sukehiro: how you know johan is there?

Tzubaki: oh they told my can I?

Sukehiro: year sure why not I just want to go anyway to him

Tzubaki: nice I make my ready!!!“run of

Charlotte: It’s a good Idea?

Sukehiro: the voices are peaceful araund the other children so why not and I want too ask Nacht abaut the voices wo know the guy can help

Charlotte: Sound after a good plan

[itsartlee]

Currently working on a eldridge design for my COTL Oc. My friend sent this

I'm so cooking

[cryptidwithaninternetconnection]

@cats-and-confusion @vaporeon2010317 @sagehyperfixates @the-excellent-papyru

Thinking about a LATEOTW Au where Casper decides to not go down into the basement if the hospital, instead keeping quiet to not alert whoever or whatever was down there, grabbing supplies, and moving on to find some kind of camp, eventually meeting another teen, possibly Beetle. The two wander around before meeting a few other team, eventually meeting a few other teens and forming a Squad/qpr, Beetle having their phone being able to take pictures and post them to the internet of various shenanigans

The Squads story would revolve around the apocalypse, it would be funnier yet similarly dark, as the middle point between LATEOTW and PI, having the dry humor of LATEOTW, and the dark undertones of PI

The Squad eventually sneak into the greenhouse after seeing it and Casper wanted to explore, soon just. joining in the battle against Gaia, Casper never meets Claire and Akiva or any of the others, seeing a glimpse of Akiva verbally battling Gaia on Kaos’ hand, and not thinking a second thought, just joking around with a few beyonders and Casper’s friends, picking up another Beyonder to join their team, and moving on when the apocalypse ends to help rebuild the world, the Squad just being a group of bystanders, an outsider POV

Also Casper finally gets romance-

And this AU’s name? Im thinking something like Alternative Outsiders!

Lemme know what you think! Maybe once PI ends and we get a break we could try this! :DD

[purifiedcorruption]

the eepy.

[sarcki]

No because actually @endermagpie

I have an AU in my head where bills original plan was to do the same thing he does in the show but he genuinely falls in love with Stanford. At first he tries to convince him that taking over the world together would be great but Ford doesn’t like it (of course) and bills like “…fineseeee 🙄” and just … doesn’t, because bae said no.

Ford still has a hard time trusting him after he finds out but he eventually learns Bill is being for real about the whole giving up his plans to take over the world thing. (Somewhere along here bill tells ford his real backstory) And ford decides to finish building the portal so Bill can have a new home and they can start a real relationship together.

Bill learning to be a be a better person decides that Stanford should try and reconnect with his twin, (“I lost my family trying to do something great. I can’t see it happened to you too”)

when the young mystery twins are born Bill immediately falls in love with the little gremlins (he sings the lullaby his mother used to sing to him to them)

Bill says once everyone he loves in this dimension dies he’s going to take over the world, (he says it to Cope with the thought of ford dying) but it never happens because even though ford and the twins did eventually die the pines family keeps living on And Bill can no longer find it in himself to destroy something that once was “his” (fords)

Although Bill no longer closely interacts with the Pines after so many generations, everyone in the family knows that there is a Guardian watching over them ⭐️

I just love Eldridge horror that can destroy the world x random mortal that makes them not want to ❤️

[hello-eden]

I have a whole diner Au planned out

Danny owns a diary for the dead, the liminals, and other magical creatures

It started off as a way to feed weaker ghosts ectoplasm so they would be able to succeed being in the infinite realms and then after a while just turned into an actual diner to feed the people

Like demons ,fae, gods or goddesses they all go to Danny's restaurant

At Phantom's Dinner you can pay for your meal with physical money, diamonds, runestones, anything even including soul contracts that's how Danny ended up getting all of Constantine soul contracts

I want Constantine to find out in Justice League Dark growing up there to demand by Constantine's soul

After busting and every being there finds what they did very disrespectful so Justice League have to wait to get a table get seated at that table

Only server that's would like to actually serve them is Klarion and he wears a diner uniform that's always changing different colors in a pair of roller skates he's the only one that's willing to deal with the Justice League

And why he's doing so he's also got to bring with the regulars about like their humans and stuff like talking about the new Bruce Wayne rumor like they're all just gossiping with each other about the human world

After a while Dr Fate demands to see Danny and they find out that Danny is like the 17 year old boy who decided to open up a diner for the Dead, The Liminals, and The Undecided

I just find the idea of Danny owning a diner and then hiring Klarion and the rest of his friends to help him run the diner also the fact that he immediately as soon as he gets Constantine he sometimes asked him to be busboy when work service is really high and they need dishes clean

I hope you like my idea I love your Talia as Danny content so much

╰⁠(⁠⸝⁠⸝⁠⸝⁠´⁠꒳⁠`⁠⸝⁠⸝⁠⸝⁠)⁠╯

I love Klarion working there. Sam probably works with sourcing ingredients.  half of the Justice League probably thinks Danny is an Eldridge being with an undetermined age and the other half thinks he's a kid with good intentions.

I love the idea. Thank you :)

[sapphiresaphics]

Okay, after seeing a bunch of WILD takes on Arcane (and specifically season 2), I feel like I need to educate you guys on some deep Arcane Lore to understand why some things are happening in Arcane.

Magic in League of Legends is kinda a curse. It’s a gift from the gods, but the gods are also cosmic Eldridge Horror H.P.Lovecraft style deities of malevolence. The more you use the magic, the more corrupted you’ll become.

And rest assured… Magic WANTS to be used, just like the One Ring in Lord of the Rings WANTS to be found. When people use magic in League of Legends it’s very easy for the power to corrupt in unusual ways as the magic flows through them and convinces them that their way is the right way.

Heimerdinger actually calls this out:

“I've seen miracles spring from the hands of mages many times, but so often they turned to horrors. I'd always presumed it was due to mankind's turbulent relationship with power.. but perhaps it is a property of the Arcane itself.”

This is explained by Rise in League of Legends lore:

"Magic wants to be used," said the sorcerer. "It is all around us, emanating from the first fragments of creation. It wants to be wielded. And that is the true challenge on the path we both walk. When you realize what the magic wants, how eager it is... Well, then the difficulty isn't how to begin wielding it. It's knowing when to stop."

So like… THIS is why Hextech is so dangerous. Hextech isn’t just like nuclear power being introduced into the world, but like a version of nuclear power that ITSELF wants to destroy the world and will possess and corrupt anyone it can reach around them to achieve its goals.

And THIS is why when Viktor is fused with Hextech he starts seeing Sky and being led down to the undercity to “heal” all the shimmer addicts and become a hive mind community. Viktor THINKS he’s doing something good, but all along hes being guided and manipulated by the powers of cosmic magic.

And THIS is why he needs to be snapped out of it to realize what he’s done. He is NOT himself when he’s manipulating and controlling everyone. The Arcane has been guiding him there so it can be used and achieve what it wants.

Magic isn’t progress. It isn’t beneficial to the world by and large. It’s DANGEROUS and CORRUPTING.

Just think about this too: in areas where the Arcane seeps into the world, it corrupts the world around it. What do you think is making those toxic caves under Zaun? What do you think is in Shimmer? Why do you think Jayce was being corrupted in the AU world when he fell down into that cave? Why do you think that AU works was so bleak and moldy and gross?

You guys need to understand the role of Magic in League of Legends lore to understand WHY the show LITERALLY CALLED ARCANE is about the dangers of magic and how it manipulated and corrupts people to spur the cycle of violence until it destroys everything.

If you were ever confused about why the show that SEEMS to start as a commentary on systemic oppression ends with a giant cosmic marvel style battle, THIS is why. The Arcane is waking up. It’s heard it’s masters call. It WANTS to be used. And it’ll use ANYONE it can find to achieve its goals. Zaunites and Pilties alike.

Every one of you who’s like “oh but shimmer is Zaun’s only form of medicine! It’s bad Piltover tried to snuff it out!” is REALLY missing the forest for the trees.

When you stop trying to compare Arcane’s storyline to that of real world conflicts and history and instead engage with Arcane on its own terms with its own lore, a lot of what you might think are weird choices start to make a lot of sense.

Arcane can be enjoyed by everyone but it was made for the fans of League of Legends first and foremost. Maybe brush up on some of the lore and you’ll start to see what the writers were ACTUALLY trying to say.

[covermysticart]

A Radioapple Beauty and the Beast AU.

Alastor just want to keep his prisoner but Lucifer being the spitfire he is doesn’t really do well with being told what to do. He is a small human who has no concept of the fact that he is small and thus should fear big strong opponents,

 Thus the tiny human toy maker with no magical powers decides to be a pain in the ass for his local area’s Eldridge horror beast.

Said beast just need to get an honest love confession out of the guy in order for him to transform back to being the prince next in line to the throne.

If he can’t do it in time he will lose his claim as many people believe that Alastor the Crown prince is dead.

Alastor has run out of options because everyone is too scared, thus when he located Lucifer (a previous advisor to the king, who had fallen from grace becoming a famous toy maker) who is not at all afraid of Alastor, he knows that all this is improbable to go right for him, but not impossible.

And if he gains that love declaration and the other advices don’t except Lucifer then Alastor can toss him aside.

Or at least so he thinks. But something changes and the two will have to go and dramatically challenge the newly appointed queen for her title.

Idk I just came up with all of this sitting on the spot. 😆 if any fanfic writer finds it interesting you can go ahead 🥲

On a second note, I should give Lucifer a nose in this AU, but I just really got inspired by other artists to draw Luci like this. And was so proud of how I drew him and didn’t want to add a nose yet. 🥹

[hauntingmiser]

Whoever took his child must have ...

Good hands

( this was supposed to be a pun or a joke but I flunked famously )

🌒💀HALLOWEEN SELF AWARE AU SNIPPET💀🌒

Hiii!! This'll be the first post of my Persona 5 self aware au, which I have been cooking up for a WHILE now. I hope you enjoy, and mind the warnings for the following:

Near mind breaking, repetitive capitalized text, mentioned kidnapping, and an intense eldritch horror scene.

Anyways, I hope you like it!

The first time Zenkichi met Dr. Maruki in the cognitive realm, things were far from pleasant. That bleached, bright white lab, filled with hollow reflections of people and Shadows for doctors, imagery of hearts and brains and sappy wellness. The overly calm piano score playing all around them contrasted with the hurried footsteps of the group. He’d never been in a place like this before, a Palace, the kids called it. Sure, the place was big, but compared to the open city streets in the Jails, the walls began to crawl with claustrophobia. The mission they had called him for didn’t help, either. 

“We need your help! Everything was fine until Player stopped showing up. We haven’t seen them since last week, but time’s been moving completely normal! We have two days until we send the calling card!” He heard from Ann over the phone.

Even today, the reality of his situation still seemed to scramble Zenkichi’s brain. Everything, the whole world around him that he had spent his entire life in, was just a video game. And right now, he wasn’t even in the game he was made for! He was just grateful that the games were compatible somehow, being the same series and all. But the player, they were no older than the Phantom Thieves the games were centered around. Just a kid, really. All of them were just kids. 

The worry sank to the bottom of his stomach. All the times he had seen Player, he just knew that nothing was alright with them. They were like if you took a very tiny and shaky puppy dog in a cardboard box in the rain, kicked it, took all its little kibbles away, kicked it again, and then turned it into a person, that was about the best he could describe them. Everything his time in Public Security taught him screamed at Zenkichi that Player couldn't possibly be safe at home, but what all could he do? Crawl out of their screen like some horror monster?

Well, someone else might have had that bright idea as well, since the Thieves had triangulated their location inside this very Palace. It was something that made Zenkichi's stomach churn, picturing them trapped in a place like this. This was a laboratory, some weird, twisted vision of a researcher's paradise, not a safe, warm home for an abused teenager. This wasn’t a safe, warm home for any child. Some terrible fate probably awaited them here, devised by this unknowable Doctor Maruki to protect whatever sick experiments he had going on here. He’d seen it a million times, the minds of people whose idle passing thoughts were enough to make any sane man shudder- DEAR GOD WHAT WAS THAT.

Zenkichi repressed a near wail as something big bounded in front of them, giggling like a schoolgirl. Black stockings, pink fur, white, tongue-tipped rabbit tail, it was… Alice? 

“Wait!! You can’t see your present yet!” she chimed in, uncharacteristically chipper. 

“W-What the…?! Her presence wasn’t on the radar at all!” Futaba cried from her UFO, “What’s happening?!?”

The Mad Rabbit hopped along the hallway without even the slightest hint of trying to attack. Her voice echoed through the halls, calling back “Catch me! Catch me!” as she rounded a corner. Ryuji was about to do just that, with agreeing chatter from the rest of the group, but Makoto held out her hands to stop them. “Wait!” shouted the strategist, causing everyone to pause, “She wasn’t on the radar! Maruki’s reality is basically just one big illusion, so this could easily be a trap. We have to keep moving, for Player’s sake.”

Yusuke nodded sagely, “You’re right. Besides, she didn’t quite seem herself. We must- Madarame?!?”

The whole group turned to stare with wide eyes as the sentient quartet of paintings swirled into their path, the Shadow of Yusuke’s old mentor laughing with an out of place merriment. Madarame’s Shadow disappeared down an adjacent hallway, followed by the echo of his voice, “Follow me!”

Yusuke stared slack-jawed at the entrance to the hallway, and Zenkichi scowled, “It’s all distractions! You see a big Shadow, ignore it!”

The Thieves all nodded, rushing forward and staunchly ignoring the calls of their former foes. It seemed odd how friendly and chipper they all seemed, like the cast of a kid’s cartoon, rather than the living manifestations of criminals’ hearts. Some of them could only stare with wide eyes at the familiar faces smiling and waving at them, trying to lead them astray. Zenkichi himself even had to do a double take once or twice. One question lingered on Zenkichi’s mind. If Maruki knew what all of these people meant to the Phantom Thieves, why use their Shadows? To tempt them into a fight? It seemed to be the only logical answer…

They came to a door labeled “Operating Theater” at the end of the hallway. Zenkichi’s brow furrowed behind his mask, flashes of horror movie hospitals and sharp, unfeeling surgical tools going through his mind, the image of hundreds, no, thousands of creepy doctors all staring down the raised platforms at an unwilling patient with their guts split open under a bright light. 

“Do we go in?” one of them asked as they stopped. 

“Everybody ready for a potential fight?” Ren asked, adjusting his glove. There was a murmur of agreement, and he nodded, “Alright, then. Let’s go.” 

They pushed the door open, and when they entered, they found a wide, open space. It was clean and peaceful like the rest of the Palace, and on the center platform was an operating table. Someone was lying there, and Zenkichi could realize only by stepping closer that it must be Player. They were held down by strange clawed hands, and seemed to be dead asleep. The unconscious teen looked just as small and underfed as Zenkichi remembered, but their bandages seemed fresh, and looked like they were applied with better skill and a gentle hand. 

“There they are. Everybody, watch out for traps,” Morgana urged, the little cat-creature stepping forward toward the platform. Zenkichi followed, quickly reaching the bedside. He tried to pry off the blue and black claws that gripped Player’s limbs, which gave way with far too much ease to really be restraints. 

"Something's coming! It's REALLY strong!!" Futaba warned, and Zenkichi cursed under his breath. He reached across the table, the claws coming loose with the slightest prod. Hooking one arm under their knees and the other under the small of their back, the PubSec agent held their all too light form protectively close to his chest. He was gentle with their bruises, and his voice was soft and low. 

"Whoever this doctor is, he's not gonna hurt you anymore... I promise." 

The doors suddenly slammed open, and Zenkichi turned to face the intruder. A tall man about Zenkichi's age with slicked back hair and a suit that once was just as pristine as his surroundings stood in the doorway, hunched over and panting like a panicked animal. 

"Phantom Thieves!" he gasped, with tears streaking down his face, "K-Kids, you've- You've got to help me, I-" 

The doctor looked up through off-kilter glasses, one gloved hand clutched tightly over his heart and creasing his suit as he leaned against the doorframe for support. He was… shaking? 

Zenkichi locked eyes with the man who was quite obviously Maruki from halfway across the room. The other man's breathing steadied as confusion crossed his features. His gaze turned to Sophia, but before he could fully look at her, his frantic gaze snapped back to Player, unconscious in Zenkichi's arms. There was a moment of pause as the doctor seemed to take a breath in. The air went cold. Distantly, the wail of a baby’s cry could be heard, causing some of the Thieves to flinch and look around with wide eyes. Maruki’s voice was thin and strained. 

“What. Are. You. Doing…?”

The inspector wasted no time. He turned heel towards the door at the other side of the room, yelling “C’mon!” for the rest of the team to follow. A few looked back with worried eyes as they began their escape, knowing as they watched his expression turned to sheer shock that this was far from how Maruki usually operated. Actually, kidnapping at all seemed way off from his MO to begin with.

Kasumi was the last to turn away from the man who had helped her while she was grieving her sister, but as she did, she turned back once she saw him move from the corner of her vision. Her eyes widened and fear overtook her expression. 

“WE NEVER AGREED TO THIS!” he all but roared, falling to his knees with his hands over his glasses. Something in his body seemed to twist horrifically sideways in a motion Kasumi couldn’t even fathom, much less remember being something that was supposed to happen. Maruki’s head twisted to the side with a horrible cracking sound, jutting forward in a way his neck should not have been able to support. His back arched like a cat’s, and two sets of arms tore out through the sides of his suit, a set of sharp, blue-tipped spikes sticking out from each of the vertebrae in his spine. Maruki let out a sound that could only resemble a scream, echoing sharply through the operating theater. 

The unseen baby shrieked as if it were dying. 

With a mix of fearful cries and curses, the Phantom Thieves scrambled to the exit, only to be stopped by a hand like the claws on the things that had been holding Player slamming it shut. They all looked up, only to see what Maruki had become clinging to the wall, his body curved in an arc above the double doors. 

His spine was stretched beyond what could be human proportions, all to support a total of six arms dispersed in pairs along his extended torso. His white dress shoes were gone, replaced by another set of hands, making it eight in total. Two extra pairs of eyes were evenly divided amongst his shoulders and hips, staring down at them with a wrath incomprehensible in comparison to the awkward counselor’s usual doe-eyed disposition. A long tail like the tentacles that were scattered around the laboratory lashed angrily in front of the doors like one of Ann’s whips. 

With another bone-chilling roar, Maruki rushed Zenkichi, his front arms extended to try to swipe Player from his protective hold. He dodged, lifting one leg to deliver a swift back-kick to the maw full of sharp, snapping teeth headed toward him, knocking Maruki’s glasses off as he backpedaled. The teens all drew their weapons, each one more than ready than the last for a fight to protect their friend. Maruki’s gaze flitted between all of them, but he only had eyes for Zenkichi. 

Jumping off from the wall and neatly clearing everyone else, he landed behind Zenkichi, trying to slash at the other man’s legs to knock him to the floor. Sophia’s yo-yo and Haru’s axe came swiftly to their teammate’s defense, but it was no use. Maruki dodged, and Zenkichi moved in time with him to avoid any chance of being hit. Midway through his attempt to charge, Makoto drifted in front of Zenkichi on Johanna, causing Maruki to skid to a halt and jump back with a growl. Confusion registered on her expression, and Akechi and Ren shared a glance. 

Deciding to test his theory, Akechi charged forward with a loud cry. Ann’s whip cracked near Maruki, but he remained focused enough while on the defensive to still whirl around and catch and toss Akechi to the side. The young detective rolled with his landing, ultimately unharmed. His eyes glinted, and he yelled to the rest of the Thieves, “Coward! He’s not attacking!”

The misshapen doctor’s eyes widened, watching all of them ready to attack, knowing he wouldn’t do anything to hurt them. His tail flicked, and all six eyes latched onto Zenkichi as he gave an eye contact signal to Ren before turning towards the door and trying to escape again. He was covered by the rest of them, and Maruki scowled to himself. He turned, and Makoto revved her Persona before giving chase. Maruki, despite his newly inhuman form, was only a bit faster than Johanna, but he was running directly toward the wall. She braced herself, turning at the last second, expecting to clip her adversary with the back tire, only to see him go… up?

Like some unearthly spider, he went directly up the wall, not breaking his momentum for a second. All eyes were on the arching path of the room’s domed ceiling, waiting for Maruki to land and continue trying to attack. Springing off from the door when he finally got close enough, he jumped at Zenkichi, only to be hit with multiple bursts of different magics. Psycho Force, Inferno, Panta Rei, Diamond Dust, Thunder Reign, Atomic Flare, Hamaon, Demonic Decree, Mudoon, and Kougaon, all flying toward him at once.

The ice trapped him in place, melting and boiling at the touch of the flame, fanned by the whipping winds. A swirling flurry of ofuda paper flew around him and stuck to his clothes from the gust, disintegrating instantly from the nuclear blast igniting under him, reaching up and around him toward the blast of lightning striking down from above. Something like a gavel hit him from overhead, destroying a piece of him somewhere as the full force of shimmering light and cackling dark engulfed the perimeter of the targeted explosion while he felt like his brain was suddenly being mashed inside his skull like a mortar and pestle. The game’s flashy graphics circled around him. Red and white words, TECHNICAL, CRITICAL, WEAK, MISS, NULL, BLOCK, numbers and glitching images of a heart filled in with blue coloring. Curling in on himself amidst the pain, something that could not be called a scream left him. It sounded more like a dying star’s last cry, or a falling building, or breaking glass. He looked up, his movements slowed by the torrent of everything around him, and Zenkichi’s gaze caught with his. His eyes were not human, filled with tears, and it felt like being ambushed by static. It wrapped around him, a transfer of a momentary internal death from one to another, and it was a painful one. 

Behind his mask, Zenkichi’s eyes widened. It was cold, everything was cold, and there were three people there with him. Two were standing outside, on the other side of the doorway. All he could see of them was their withered old hands reaching out to the one in front of him, facing away. The pair received something. They turned to leave. A cry left him, loud and shredding at the back of his throat, as two figures retreated into the snow, away from the door. Something lit up in his chest, a flaring pain from being shoved backward, as the sound of the last apparition’s yelling nearly deafened him. They had taken something. They wouldn’t give it back. He had to get it back. He had to get him back. 

Give him back. 

GIVE HIM BACK.

GIVE ME BACK MY BABY.

His arms now empty, he fell back onto the floor, and the baby cry roared through the room. It was so much louder to him now, hearing it twice over. The entire Palace seemed to shake, and when Zenkichi snapped to his senses, he was being pulled backwards by the arms. He no longer had Player, looking around for them with residual panic as his mind still spun. They were all in the hallway now, his boots dragging against the polished floors. The lights shut off behind them as they ran, Zenkichi’s vision illuminated by cracks in the porcelain tiles that only barely gained ground on them as they fled, bursting with bright white light. Faintly glowing blue eyes and the tips of claws seemed to be chasing them, and Zenkichi scrabbled to stand up. He felt his own panic well up inside him. The realization that Player was nowhere to be seen settled into him. No no no- they had come all this way, endured all THAT, and Player was still trapped in the den of that psychotic monster doctor?!

They were all the way back at the entrance now, the doors to the elevator blasting open as if the entire Palace wanted them out. He looked back one last time, seeing Maruki come to a stop, panting and haggard, with his suit ruined and his chest heaving with soft sobs. He turned back as they all crammed into the elevator, and the doors slammed shut. As they were taken back down to the entrance of the Palace, they could see through the glass. The whole place had harsh red searchlights swiveling around the perimeter, and it was snowing like they had landed in the Arctic. 

The moment they all settled, Zenkichi nearly collapsed. 

"W-What… what WAS that?!?" he cried, "We've gotta go back-" 

"With THAT kinda scream? No effin' way!" Ryuji objected, one hand over the aching spot in his leg. 

"The way you howled after touching the trauma cell was humorous at best, but… There can be no comparison. That was pure agony of the human heart," added Yusuke. 

Akechi crossed his arms, leaning against the clear wall, "Besides, we have no clue what just happened back there. The Palace security must be astronomical right about now." 

Zenkichi's mind tried to recall what he had bore witness to in Maruki's eyes. He'd seen less desperation and terror in people who were about to die than there was in that man at that moment. And that weird, painful vision… It seemed to claw the back of his eyes. He remembered touching the door to Konoe’s trauma cell back in Osaka, maybe that was what happened? “Gramps-san,” he heard Haru prod from beside him, “Are you alright? What happened to you?” Zenkichi looked around, just now noticing that the rest of the team was staring at him. He looked at Ren, a sort of dazed confusion on his face, ”Was that some sorta trauma cell?” he asked, “Do these places have that?” 

Equal confusion rippled throughout the group, and a few of them glanced at each other. That… can’t be good. His fingertips pressed against his mask, “It wasn’t just words this time… I could see things. Something about snow and a baby?” 

They looked around at the blizzard just now starting to calm around them, the sounds of the baby’s cries now making some sort of sense to them. Akechi scoffed and crossed his arms, “Of course, something relating to trauma and we’ve only seen it from Maruki. What tricks doesn’t he have?”

Zenkichi raised a brow, “But you said Palaces aren’t traumagenic like Jails. What happened?”

“Well… not necessarily, at least,” Futaba chimed guiltily from her UFO, “I had one. That was how I joined.”

The others nodded like this was common knowledge, but he was surprised, “So… not everybody with a Palace is bad then?” 

“It is only a distortion of perception,” Yusuke chimed, “The distortion itself simply has to be strong enough.” 

Zenkichi nodded, letting this new information sink in. He didn’t land a position in Public Security for ignoring potential clues. He opened his mouth to speak, but a loud droning noise encircled them, and the searchlights fizzled out. The elevator came to a stop in its destination, and they all filed out before all of the lights followed suit. The Palace was plunged into sheer darkness, only illuminated by the surrounding illusions of streetlights, which began to dim. Everyone drew their weapons on instinct, and the music itself seemed to stutter before shutting off completely. All of the Phantom Thieves snapped their attention to Futaba, who practically spluttered out a yell. “Powerful reading!! Brace yours-” Futaba’s voice was immediately drowned out by a shockwave that knocked some of them off their feet, accompanied by a sound that seemed to shake their rib cages in unison. It was like the Earth was about to shatter, becoming deafening to the point where all their minds could do to protect themselves was to refuse to acknowledge it. The swirls of stringy golden wires around the Palace coiled and writhed upward as the ground shook violently in its terror. 

The huge, glowing orb at the very top of the Palace went from brightness to almost a void, dark enough to put the night sky above to shame as it sucked in what little light the stars had to give. A massive crack suddenly split its shell, and all the glass below it shattered, sending shards flying floor by floor, as the sound became closer and closer. It began to grate as it tapered, like somehow, a human voice had produced it. The elevator was crushed by something slamming its way down the shaft like it was nothing. No one could hear Zenkichi scream as something grabbed hold of him, snatching him back upward faster than his mind could compute. The surroundings were a blur of darkness, broken glass, and shadows collapsing into wisps of dead smoke. Reality bent backwards, and before he knew anything, he was back in the operating theater. Zenkichi tried to see what was in front of him, but when he tried he didn’t register his own voice peaking as it felt like his entire brain was electrocuted on the spot. 

DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM?!?”

DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT DON’T LOOK AT IT

Through the sheer mind-killing fear, he managed to hoarsely cry, “STOP! STOP IT! STOP! I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING, STOP IT!!!”

He heard a monstrous, screeching growl like metal being mashed together.

“YOU’RE LYING! GIVE THEM BACK TO ME!!”

He tried to hold his arms up to defend against the horror above him, at every side, all around him. His eyes latched onto the operating table, seeing that it was empty. Seeing some sort of normal object was almost nearly enough to restore his mind to order from the scrambling, scrabbling malfunction. Zenkichi gasped for breath as everything seemed to bend again, and he was in what looked to be a surveillance room. He was stood on his feet and shoved into a chair. He stared forward, his brain coming into focus again.

On the screen was that horrible theater again, before anything happened. The room seemed mostly empty, except for Player on the table. The doors slammed shut, but after a few seconds, what looked like Zenkichi walked into the room, completely alone. He looked around, before simply strolling up to the table and scooping Player up with no specific gentleness, all in one efficient motion, before strolling out again with no opposition. One hand out of many grabbed the back of Zenkichi’s head, forcing him forward for emphasis on the point being made. He caught his breath, shuddering from the indescribable feeling of physical contact with this thing. As he readjusted, his voice was weak and shaky from panic, “H-Hey! That wasn’t me!” 

His eyes flickered around the camera feeds, half of them reduced to static. His gaze caught on one feed in particular, showing what was frankly just as scary to watch from a camera as it was to experience, the moment when they all were being chased out into the elevator. He looked at the times on both, seeing that they matched. “W-Wait! Wait, let go of me!! Look!” Zenkichi pointed, bringing the attention off of him for just a moment. 

For a few seconds, he could feel the creature shift, silent. There was a gasp, a small, human sound. He was released. Slow, uneven footsteps retreated from behind Zenkichi. Eyes became fewer, 58, 25, 12, 8, 6… 2. Limbs began to shrink back into normal lengths and numbers, and what had been looming over him shrank back into the shape of a man. A broken, terrified, defeated man.

Maruki sank to the floor as the lights turned back on. There was a whimper, and a hiccup. His voice no longer shook the earth, or shattered his surroundings, and he could barely manage to say “No… No… Not again, please, god, not again… No…”

Hesitantly, Zenkichi turned around, his mind practically shutting down to recover from what he had just been through. Maruki looked nothing like he had first imagined him. The man was taller than he was, but he was curled in on himself so much, his hands clutching the fabric over his stomach, that it was almost like one would need a microscope to see him properly. Tears, heavy streams of unrelenting tears, were pouring from his eyes. Despite all the horrors he had just witnessed, something in Zenkichi’s heart whispered that this was not a man who would hurt that child, that maybe, this madman was truly more gentle than the horrors implied. 

Maruki looked up at him, begging, pleading with his eyes, “If it wasn’t you… who has my baby…?”

Dull surprise registered on Zenkichi’s face. He looked back, seeing the footage again. Who was that?

And why did they look like him? 

[michainabox]

Modern day ISAT au where Siffrin is the host of a radio show in Vangarde where strange things start to happen, and suddenly finds himself trapped in a time loop because the party is in danger and they wish to save them.

Oh. And for each loop a new eldridge type horror appears because the wish is actively breaking with each loop, and so that messes with the reality.

No loop is the same. No horror is the same. But the root cause is always the same.

Literally thought of this yesterday when I was thinking about Welcome to Nightvale, while also playing Killer Frequency.