#Gabastle

[monochromaticwriting]

Let's play a game called, "What Author is Mono Obsessing Over?"

Or otherwise, Does anyone want to guess the story I was inspired by?

When they first came to life, they heard an overwhelming amount of noises. Noises of smashing, speaking languages they had never heard, footsteps on sand. Its eyes open, before shutting from the blinding light. What light! It had never seen such light! And this body. What body! A body? They had never had a body of their own. That meant the ritual worked!

They looked at themselves in a mirror. They were a tan man, with brown curls atop their head. Its hands rub through its hair. Is this what it was like to feel hair? With hands? It never had hands that could touch. Nor did it ever have hair to feel. They touched its face. It never had a face of its own. It could never obtain a face of its own. It never minded.

Stumbling on feet, graceful as a human child, it danced through the streets. The man this body originally belonged to was no longer present. Not that it would've given it back. They made a deal, and he followed through. This is their body now. The Prince called to it, and now it could fulfill his request!

But it did not get a chance to. As it grew tired, as was the nature of a child who had burned through their energies, a man in robes came before it. Though it did not know his name, it knew who he was. He was the son of the Father. Of Him. The Father who had casted out The Fallen One. It knew that he would exorcise them. So they fell to their knees, begging in multitudes of stumbling voices. Begging in voices that spoke in languages it didn't know.

They begged to not be sent back to the abyss with those who did not believe them. They needed to prove their Prince was real, and was stronger than The Fallen One. He did not grant it the mercy. They begged to be casted into the herd of swine, at least they could travel better, to find their Prince. That did not happen either. The swine dove into the cold abyss of the salted ocean, taking it back to the heat of the core.

The man was not saved. It claimed his soul, and made him a spot within themselves. It wasn't his fault that they couldn't fulfill their duty. But now they were stuck again. They needed to get to its Prince. The true One. The Ruler of Hell. So it began to scheme and plan. Sand dunes, changed into lush forests. Small villages and towns, turned into a grand Castle.

Within this Castle was the Snake. A man who was only interested in his own gain. A man, who was smart, without the wisdom in place. His arrogance could only be rivalled by the Fallen One, but it couldn't complain. Not when he summoned both it, and its Kin, to possess the castle. They grew stronger within his reign. Lived longer within the realm of man. It followed its rules from the man, even brain washing others to create an army unlike any other. Its kin, the Forgotten One, however, was not like them. It was aggressive, powerful, far more dangerous than it. No sane human would have tried to contain it, yet the Snake tried.

They hid, as four Holy Ones marched through its walls. The Holy Ones came to seal the Forgotten One away. It watched with curiosity, though caution. Its slithered and pulsated and dripped down the marble pillars, following these Holy Ones. It watched as the Snake lied to the Holy Ones. Lied about what brought about its kin. Only one of these Holy Ones didn't seem convinced. This one, The Fox, had found a relic in his patrol for its kin. A powerful relic. He took a shard of this relic, its black surface shimmering, showing the Fox parts of the future. Though, he did not tell any of the other Holy Ones of his find.

Seasons changed, as did the times. The Fox played his role beautifully. Soon, three of the Holy Ones became monsters. It had heard the gossip from many servants within its walls. It was stronger than the tie it had with the Snake. And the Snake knew he was only on borrowed time. The Snake tried to redeem himself, tried to send them back to the fiery abyss. But the Snake was too weak now.

It devoured the Snake, bringing forth the Bat and her offspring. Though all were illegitimate, it didn't care. It never minded human politics on offspring. She turned its kin into more of her offspring, taking their abilities from ever returning to the fiery abyss they had called their homes. It was never home to it. This was where they belonged. In wait for their Prince. Their saviour.

It waited for centuries. Centuries of serving, building, devouring the knights that stormed its walls. It waited for its Prince. It waited for the day for the True One to come. Its patience was rewarded. It overheard the Bat speak to one of its turned kin. "My lady, I fear the one to destroy you has been born. He is in the hands of the Brotherhood." The Turned One says.

"Many humans have tried, but none have succeeded, how is an infant to bring mine and my brothers destruction?" Was The Bat's arrogant answer. Oh, how it wished to answer her, but it knew better. The Bat would die to its Prince. As would many of her offspring. Even the Turned Ones. A few more decades. It could wait.

Compared to the millenniums it had waited, the decades felt like a breeze. Three decades and four years. But its Prince finally crossed the thresholds of its walls. It observed the man. Distastefully human, yet broken close to beyond repair. It just needed to wait a few more moons. A few more fights. A few more tragedies.

Soon, the Bat was burned in the light of the sun. But nothing came from the Bat's ashes, as the True One needed to continue his quest.

It could feel when the True One destroyed the Fallen One. There was a feeling in the air. A sense of peace. Yes. It knew its Prince was stronger. Now it could act. Spilling, dripping, sliding down the pillars and walls, it loosened the seal over the Forgotten One. Now, its plan of many millenniums would come to fruition, and it would reap the bountiful harvest it sowed.

The Little Bat, a daughter of The Bat, fought beside the True One. Their techniques were perfect beside each other. It watched as the Little Bat gave her blood to the True One. It could not watch as the True One fought the Forgotten One. It could only sit and wait. Wait for the True One to come back.

And he did. It watched as the broken body of the True One walked through its walls. Watched as the broken human body collapsed, succumbing to the Little Bat's curse. It made its move. Finally, it was able to touch the divinity beneath it. It made its offer, True One, we have waited long for your birth and arrival. Our savior. Our divine. My Prince.

Its tendrils cut through the human skin, the tendons, ligaments, meat, fat, tissue. Organs now splayed out of the corpse. It sliced the veins open, pouring its own blood through it, forcing the heart to slowly start back. It rumbles in glee as the Prince's eyes open. Welcome back my Prince.... We've been waiting for you to grace us with your divine presence.

From the torn human flesh, birthed The Dragon. The true savior of monsters, demons, and humans. As the Dragon came to life, breathing his first breath of life, it guarded him. As he stumbled on limbs he was not used to, like a lamb just born in the field, it was the dog, watching and waiting for those who would prey on its beloved Prince.

Everything it did was solely for the newborn Prince. If that meant tearing apart traitors and intruders alike to feed its Prince. If it meant becoming something akin to its Prince. If it meant towering over, making itself twenty times the size, building more and more, sinking low enough to take parts of the fiery abyss. It did it. For it loved its Prince, and it showed its devotions as offerings of safety and love. Building walls and secret rooms solely for its Prince.

The Prince made the offer. The offer it had strove for. An eternity beside its divine companion. One, it accepted. For the Dragon was nothing without his devoted Castle, nor was The Castle anything without its Dragon.

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🤎 Gabarie, 💕 Gabastle, 💗 Macul :>

🤎 multiple kisses / kisses all over / kiss after kiss

Marie sat by the entrance of the sanctuary. The millennium long war was over. Gabriel and Trevor had defeated Satan and brought peace back to the world. She looked over at Victor, who was busy giving vaccines to the survivors, before looking back at the entrance.

A chill came over her, and she jumped up. They were back! "Trevor!" She ran to her son before he could fully enter the sanctuary. She presses a kiss to his cheek and hugs him close. Marie let go when her Gabriel stepped into the sanctuary. "Gabriel." She looked him over. The exhaustion radiated off of him. She couldn't contain herself, and threw her arms around his neck. The hug was tight and warm.

She pulls away to hold his face in her hands. The bags under his eyes made his face look hollow and bruised. "My love?" He whispers to her. Tears stream down her face. "I've missed you so much, my love." She whispers and presses kisses to his face. Those bruised eyes. The hollow cheeks. The crook in his nose from where it got set wrong when they were kids. Everything. She had a millennia to make up for.

💕 kissing somewhere other than lips

Dracul leaned back on his throne. Screams, flesh being torn, and metal hitting the stone flooring was the symphony for which he watched the Brotherhood knights get devoured by the Castle.

The last man falls, and those bloody tendrils twitched with excess energy. It wasn't satisfied with the battle and it showed this displeasure with it wrapping itself around its Prince. Dracul chuckles coldly at this display.

"I know. They have only grown more pathetic haven't they?" He purrs in a sickeningly sweet tone. The blood puddle hisses and bubbles. Pathetic creatures. They will never be able to hurt you, It growls in his mind. Dracul smirks, lifting one of those bloody tendrils to his mouth. He plants a small kiss to it, before showing how much he truly appreciates his guardian.

💗 slow kiss / gentle kiss / inevitable / soft

The sun was warm in the garden. Mathias was sitting on a blanket, eating some sliced apples with cinnamon and honey. He was engrossed in a book of alchemy The Toymaker let him borrow. Well, he would be, if the laughter coming from his left wasn't there.

Turning his head, Dracul was being swarmed by Mandragoras, who were determined to get the fruit slices from him. Mathias rolled his eyes playfully at the scene and laughed as Dracul finally managed to get the little plant beings off of him.

"Have some difficulties there?" Mathias chuckled as Dracul laid his head in his lap.

"No. They're never difficult."

"You're just saying that because you have a bias towards them."

Mathias laughs at the pout that Dracul gives him. After being around the Vampire Lord for so long, reading him becomes easy, like the book that was no longer in his lap. Dracul's pout deepens at the laughter. The alchemist shakes his head and leans down, the prince leaning his head up, and they meet in the middle with a promise. A promise for more gentle moments in the future. They part slowly, neither one truly wanting to leave the other.

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I mean.... Gotta catch'em all

Don’t get attached to unpopular ships because you will run out of fic and die

[monochromaticwriting]

Back on my Gabastle propaganda. Trigger warnings are in the tags.

Gabriel felt numb. The Forgotten One was destroyed. The Earth and Humanity were saved, once again. He couldn't return to the people he saved, no. Gabriel was far too gone. He wasn't human anymore, and the beings within these cold stone walls knew that. They still gave him a wide berth, untrusting of what the former knight would do to them. He couldn't blame them, any that did brave his presence, were only met with animalistic behaviors from him. Teeth and claws tearing into the flesh of both men and monsters.

His eyes hurt from the light. They were now red and swollen from his crying and the transformation. He could barely keep them open anymore. Why couldn't the sun just kill him like it did to every other that bore this curse? He didn't know what day it was anymore. Gabriel cursed the Brotherhood of Light and the God they worshipped. Why couldn't he have just gone to hell? It was what he deserved.

The armor, that he used to take meticulous care for, now filthy and rotting. The responsibility it represented, now too heavy for him to bear. Was this what Atlas felt? Carrying the world on his shoulders, never once allowed to feel relief? His legs dragged him through each room, like a puppet with their puppeteer. There was a whispering in his ears. Telling him that they loved him. Telling him they would keep him safe. That they understood him. Never once had he found the source, but he hadn't stopped moving since sealing Laura, shortly after his battle.

He makes it to the throne room. A room he never saw in his fight with Carmilla. Or maybe he had. Was this the room he fought the vampire lord in? It felt like a fog was covering his brain. He limps once. Then twice. His legs then give out and he collapses on the stone floor. He panted, his heart starting to skip beats. With the last bit of strength he had, Gabriel rolls onto his back. His eyesight was blurry, but he knew he'd only be met with the same stone that his head was laying on.

It didn't matter anymore. His eyes were closing as his heart slowed down. Gabriel had a false hope, that once his heart finally stopped, he'd open his eyes to Saint Peter. To the gates of Heaven. That he'd hear the voice of his beloved Marie. He knew he wouldn't, but he begged for this in his last prayer to a God he no longer knew. The world went quiet as his heart finally gave into the curse, and stopped moving. His body was limp, and his eyes closed. Had someone come in, they would've thought him truly dead. Maybe even at peace with his death.

But it was never that easy for Gabriel. No. The whispers came back, intruding in this moment of peace. They called him back to the decaying carcass he called his body. He didn't want this. He didn't want to come back. This darkness was so peaceful.

He could hear the soft coos, but you need to come back. We cannot do this alone. We need you, my Prince. Prince? Him? Gabriel was nothing. He was born nothing, and died nothing. What more could Gabriel offer? We need nothing more than your blood. It whispers. His heart stopped. He had no blood to give. The familiar smell of rot and death filled his nostrils.

He felt his legs get lifted, and each boot removed from his body. Something warm and wet touched his feet through his wool socks, before removing them. If he had the breath to gasp, he would've. Warm tendrils squirm under his armor and clothing, tearing each piece apart. He expected to feel the cold stones under his back, but it was.... Being nice to him. It encompassed his cold, broken body within its warm, and, dare he say it, loving tendrils.

My prince. We love you. We can protect you. We can provide all the love and acknowledgement that humans failed to give you. Oh, did that sound so nice. We will watch your back. Give you anything you may want or need. Never will you go without. A catch was coming. Gabriel knew it. There was no way whatever this was, was just going to give him this for free. In order for us to do so, we need your blood. With your permission, we will make a bind with you, and be your companion, for eternity. Eternity? There was no way this thing would actually stay with him for that long, but he wanted everything it said. Yes. Yes. Please. He needed this. He needed it.

At his permission, it began its work. Its tendrils cut open each vein that led to his heart. Gabriel could feel it wiggle under his skin. It was unbearably hot, like hellfire. But his body didn't have the strength to do anything to stop it. This molten heat poured into his veins, forcing its way to his heart.

Bump. Ba-bump. His heart... Had restarted? Gabriel slowly opened his eyes. Red. His sight was filled with a fleshy, squirming red. Looking down, he saw his heart. It was still skipping beats, but this creature had brought it back. Gabriel would've laughed at his numbness towards his body being splayed open, his organs being out for all to see. But this being... The creature closes his wounds. It heals him from the inside out. There. Rest now my Prince. It curls around his body more, and the exhaustion finally takes him.

Rest now. We have you. The creature wraps its tendrils tighter around the broken body of the knight. We will never leave you, for you are my Prince.

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It hated the woman. She lures its prince with childhood promises and puppy love. It knows she's lying to him. She's lied to him so many times already. It would never lie like she has, yet he chooses her. Always her. Always those lying visions that left him a mess. It always comforted its prince during his wails and screams of pain by these visions. If the woman had been alive, it would bring her corpse back to show its prince how loyal it was, and how much it cares for its prince.

It hated the wolf. The spawn of its prince and the woman. The one who forced the prince to kill him and turn him. The one who exploits the powers and emotions of its prince. The one who sealed its prince away with the wolf's spawn. It has seen how he has lied to his own spawn as he has lied to its prince. It comforts its prince when his eyes fade with memories of the white wolf that chose humanity over his father and sire.

It never would betray its prince. Never lie to him. It knows better than to exploit its prince. It loves him. It adores its prince. It would never cause him such anguish, such pain. It only wants to exist with its prince. It wants to keep humanity away from him. They had their opportunity to have its prince and they discarded him like a child discards a broken toy.

It brought him back from the brink. Gave him the loyalty he had been denied for so long. Gave him the love he deserves. The tenderness that only came forth with him. It would never break the delicate heart its prince had entrusted it with. Not like the woman had. Not like how the wolf had. Not like how the holy warriors had. With every soft touch. With every murmured word of adoration and love. With the oath of loyalty it swore to its prince. The bond between them could never be severed. Not by the lying wench. Not by the cheating mongrel. Not by the worthless, undeserving humans. It was the only one who had earned its prince's love, and that was how it would stay.

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I don't think any Castlevania universe could handle an ally ship between Isaac and the LoS Castle.

During the 'final' battle with the castle, where it takes on the form of Inner Dracula, it talks in Gabriel's voice. And here's a few quotes from the battle: "Don't try to deny me. I'm a part of you!", "In the end, we will be as one!", "I will extinguish your humanity.", "I will consume your soul drop-by-drop."

This is also the second time in-game where the castle refers to itself in singular pronouns. Throughout the game it uses 'we,us,our' pronouns. The first time was when it attempted to seduce Gabriel using Carmilla's human image.

bro really be giving Isaac a run for his money in the "obsessed ex" department

They should be friends, I think :)

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The castle worships the ground its prince walks on. Its lord. Its master. Its family. It's food. It kept him safe. The prince wanted humanity to leave him alone, so it fulfilled that job. It kept him nice and isolated from the outside world. It was the only one who loved its prince. The only one who cared. It reminded him constantly. It needed to, after all, who was going to love and cherish its prince better than it? No one. There was no one who loved him more. It never lied nor took him for granted. It was the only one who saw its prince and loved the monster he became. It would protect him, even if that meant watching him at all times.

As it stared at its prince on his throne, it grew restless. Watching wasn't enough. It bubbles up behind the prince's throne and slowly wraps itself around the throne and its prince's legs. His eyes are closed, but it knows he's aware and awake. It caresses its prince's arms as it faces him. Being its prince's doppelganger, it shares his face, though it could never be able to mimic the perfection of its prince. His pallid skin, ebony hair, and the crimson eyes hidden from it are the definition of beauty to it. His neck is right there, and it wanted nothing more than to bite him and claim him eternally like he had claimed it. They were family. They were more. His destiny intertwined with it. It was his rage. His destruction. His corruption. It turns it's head and looks at his face. A tendril raises up and caresses the prince's face. He cracks his eyes open, looking at it with a blank look. It knows him though. It knows he loves it. He shared his immortality with it, so of course he loves it. It loves him too. It shares his face. It leans forward, wishing to claim its prince, but a crashing noise makes it jerk away and glare at the door. Those damned Holy Knights. They wish harm upon its prince. With a snarl, it turns back into a puddle and finds where the knights are. They will regret this attempt to put their filthy, undeserving hands on its savior, and its prince will be fed very well on this day.

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A small drabble inspired by a game over scene in LoS2.

The illusion of the lady of the castle easily lured the prince back into the depths of the castle. She had seduced him with her toxic blood, which is the blood that flows through each stone within these walls. Despite the cries of the woman in white, he couldn't stop. He needed to follow the lady. She would keep him safe. She would protect his heart.

The prince felt something else take control over him. He welcomed it. He was tired. He didn't want to continue on. Now in the depths of the castle, the illusion dissipates, leaving the entity in its place. The prince didn't stand a chance to deny or reject the being. One look in its eyes, and he fell into it, like a child crawling to its parents arms for comfort.

"You are ours, my prince. We are the only family you will ever need. There is no need to ever leave these walls again." It says to him, in voices he did not recognize. It didn't matter. He was safe. He felt loved. He felt desired. The prince couldn't remember the last time he felt so cherished. He felt like a god. The feeling was intoxicating and addictive. He was its to control and to do with as it pleases. He wonders somewhere about a white wolf waiting for him in a different realm. About a woman, whom he loved more than anything, waiting for him just outside these walls. But those thoughts fade with the look of the entity's pale eyes and gentle touch.

It coos softly at its prince. He looks up at it with so much love and trust, though his eyes aren't as bright as they used to be. It didn't matter, he was finally back with it. That's all it cared about. It may have taken his free will, but he was now safe. Safe from the schemes of the woman and white wolf. Safe from the fallen angel. Safe from the afterlife itself. Safe from his false memories of a child he never knew.

It wrapped itself around its prince. It shows him just how much it missed him. It seals his fate with every soft murmur of praise and comfort. With every touch of pleasure and love. It gives the prince the comfort he so desperately craves and deserves. It makes sure he will never leave it ever again. They were one being. In mind, body, and soul. It destroyed the last parts of humanity that had hidden itself deep inside its prince's heart.

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Thank you for the tag!

1. Three ships: Gabastle, Maria x Gabriel, Isaac x Castle.

2. First ever ship: NaruSasu

3. Last Song: Partir avec moi by Poets of the Fall.

4. Last Movie: Puppet Master 3

5. Currently Reading: Nothing at the moment

6. Currently watching: Nothing at the moment

7. Currently consuming: Just had some Barbecue

8. Currently craving: A full southern dinner. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, fried okra, green beans, buttered rolls, Mac and cheese.

I tag @kachimera, @beevean, @evilblot

thanks for the tag, @tremendouskoalachild!

3 Ships: cherik, harry august/vincent rankis, clintasha

first ever ship: i think it might have been neo/trinity

last song: чорне полум'я by ignea

last movie: sunshine (2007)

currently reading: a bunch of comics at the same time, really. which is likely the worst way of getting into comics to begin with, but I digress. more specifically, i'm focusing more on black widow (2010) (natasha <3). I'm also reading crisis on infinite earths some other dc stuff.

currently watching: jessica jones, sort of? I'm not really watching it, but it's the series i'll keep watching the moment i do watch anything.

currently consuming: tapioca with nutella

currently craving: rice and beans, salad and steak :D

tagging: @heavilycaffeinatedmuffin, @cowbutches, @mayuris-basement-dweller if you want to, and whoever else sees this and wants to :)

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It stayed there, above his throne. It has not seen its prince in so long, but it knows he is still alive. It could wait. It has waited five hundred years for its prince to awaken, it can be patient until he comes back to it. It knows he will return. He will beg for forgiveness. It will grant it. It could never hate its prince. He's just confused and manipulated by that lying mongrel, who dares to call himself the prince's spawn. By the woman who claimed to have love for him. The woman and the wolf would reveal their intentions in due time, and it will be there to pick its prince back up when they do. It could never place the blame on its prince, he's been hurt enough as it was, and it could never hurt him.

Soon enough, the prince will see that he belonged here, with it. He will see how humanity is undeserving of calling him their protector, and he will return to it. It will never let him slip from its grasp again. Even if that means taking his free will away. It only wishes to protect him, to keep him with it. Nothing would take him away from it.

After all, it was already bonded to its prince. Nothing could sever this bond, not even God itself could. The blood coursing through it, was the same coursing in its prince's veins. The same blood he used to kill its kin. That was ok. It was above those demons. It was above those who claim the fallen as their God. It had a God, a savior. It could be patient. For now, it stays slumbering above the throne, dreaming of its prince, and what they will do when he returns to his rightful throne. He is the Prince of Darkness. He is its God. He is its savior. He will return to it. It could be patient until then.

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I have so many Gabastle thoughts, but I find it so hard to get my thoughts out coherently. Like, The Castle is just doing what it thinks it's supposed to be doing. Protecting its prince. It's unfair to apply human emotions and feelings to it, because it was never human to begin with, but maybe it did feel something like love and affection for Gabriel. Maybe it genuinely thought that it was doing everything out of love, but it's only knowledge about human love came from Walter Bernhard and Carmilla. Maybe, it thought that, by making Gabriel its primary food source, it could provide Gabriel the feeling of being needed. Of being more than just a weapon of destruction, but instead letting him be something nurturing. Maybe Gabriel reciprocated these feelings, but he wasn't exactly in the right state of mind. He was so far deep into his own insanity and grief, that the, as messed up as it was, affection and love the castle gave him, caused a positive reinforcement effect of the wrong behaviors. Would codependency be the right word for this? Or would trauma bonding? I personally think codependency, because they both encouraged bad behavior with positive light, which only encouraged what was happening to become worse.

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Wip Whenever

I was tagged by @wingedknightrose!

I tag @beevean! If you have a wip you want to share, feel free to! No pressure though.

I haven't had much of a chance to work on this one, between work and life, but I don't want to completely abandon it yet. I say as if this thing hasn't been sitting in a Google doc for nearly three years.

Alucard hid in the shadows, watching the scene unfold in front of him. His father and the entity were on the throne. He watches as the tendrils wrapped around his father, feeding off his power. It made him almost, envious.

Alucard was envious of a demon that was feeding off his father. The blood from Dracula called to him, trying to lure him out of his hiding spot. The entity moves itself, catching Alucard's eyes. It moves in front of Dracula. One of its tendrils reaches up and almost pets Dracula's cheek, and Dracula leans into the touch, putting his hand of its tendril. Alucard felt like he was watching something that wasn't meant for him to see.

It held Dracula so sweetly, but what it said to Dracula, is what made Alucard worry about his father.

"We love you, my prince. We are all you need. Humans are not worthy of you. We are your only family." It tells Dracula. Alucard shudders at the voices it speaks in. It moves closer to his father, wrapping its tendrils further around him. Alucard took his queue, it was time for him to leave.

As he left the throne room, he stalked his way through the halls of the castle. Alucard didn't know why Dracula's minions left him alone. Maybe his father wasn't as far gone as he thought.

The mere thought of what his father has been through made Alucard fill with rage. Dracula didn't deserve this. He was God's chosen! His champion! Alucard could curse God for everything He put his family through. Something wet slid on his face. Startled, he reaches up. A tear. A bloody tear. More slid down his face and he couldn't stop them. The pain, anger, and fear he felt for Dracula made him sway and fall to his knees.

How could humanity make a weapon of such destruction, only to turn their backs when they couldn't control them?

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Many would say to never look the prince in his eyes. That the moment your eyes connected with those glowing, crimson eyes, you had solidified your spot as his next meal. The prince was known for his foul temper, yet quiet persona. He was an emotional storm. His temper scaring even the dangerous demons in the castle.

What they miss, is that those eyes of crimson never make contact first. When he is off his throne, he never makes eye contact if he can help it. His eyes stare straight forward with a blank expression.

"It is the white eyes behind him, that you need to worry about," Any monster who had been there since the lady of the castle was alive, would say. "Its gaze is damning and if it sees you as a threat, it will not stop till you're gone."

The white eyes of the prince's doppelganger. Its eyes shine bright in the dark of the castle. It sits behind its prince, waiting for the signal to slaughter those who stand against its prince. Its savior. It shows no mercy, devouring the holy knights who make attempts on its prince's life. It sways above the throne, blood dripping from its mouth. Dripping from its body. It wraps its tendrils around the throne, anchoring itself on the throne while it rests. It knows its prince will guard and keep it safe, just as it keeps him safe.

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I have an incredibly strong urge to write a specific type of fanfic for Gabastle.

Hear me out. The Castle infantilizes Gabriel.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, it treats Gabriel like he wasn't a knight that could easily defend himself, but like a child who can't do anything for himself. It's like another layer of codependency I adore with this ship. It frames it as, "My prince, the humans you knew were so awful to you. You are royalty, why should you ever have to lift a finger?" Or like "Oh, my prince, we will do this for you. All you must do is stay there, and not worry about anything." Or even "My prince, you would not understand this diplomatic talk. Let the Toymaker handle this, and we'll take you back to the throne, where you are more comfortable."

Anyways, I'm having thoughts and ideas.

[monochromatictoad]

It stands over the throne. It watches the prince in the light of the candles. The warm glow gives the prince an almost human appearance. It stares longer, before lowering itself and wrapping its tendrils around his legs and torso. Its prince looks up at it with those beautiful crimson eyes, the color that permanently stains its mouth and body. From its tendrils, it starts feeding off its prince. It needs him. He needs it. He nurtures it. It protects him. It loved him, and it knew he loved it. It's in those eyes as it feeds from its prince. In the gentle pets the prince gives to its feeding tendrils. In the soft murmurs of encouragement he gives it. It needed him. It needed his blood. He needed it. He needed proof that he could nurture something. That he was more than a weapon for God.

It finishes feeding, feeling more energetic, and it softly bumps its head against the prince's. It had seen the harpies and lycans do it, so that must mean affection. The prince seemed startled, but he grunted and returned the bump. It rewraps itself around the throne and goes back to watching over its prince. The pitiful humans have been quiet, they must be planning something. The wolf has also been absent. It growls at the thought of the wolf taking its prince from it. It growls at the prospect that the wolf is working with humans, planning to harm its love. Its family. Its savior. It wraps around the throne tighter, tense and ready to lunge at its prince's request. If it could leave the castle, it would have brought the wolf's skin as a symbol of loyalty to its prince. Its white eyes and unchanging expression continue to watch its prince. No God, no demon, no woman, no wolf, and no other will take its prince from it. All that try, would be dropped at its prince's feet as gifts and trophies.

[monochromatictoad]

I cannot believe making vaguely shippy drabbles in the Pov of the Castle in LoS2 was what got me out of my writing slump. Amazing how things work out like that.