#I will be a terror on your dash for all eternity

[respectthepetty]

A big reason I'm obsessed with Eddie in Kiseki: Dear to Me is because he is openly prepared to die for and with Chen Yi.

I doubt the show will touch on it, but the immense guilt Chen Yi must feel that Eddie willingly followed him down this deadly path instead of being a normal teenager who goes to high school would be a good reason he doesn't allow himself to reciprocate Eddie's feelings. Because Chen Yi knows Eddie is a smart boy, yet he decided to not go to school . . . since he loves Chen Yi.

Eddie chose to enter into a life where death is around every corner, and he did so because of his devotion to Chen Yi.

And Chen Yi is constantly confronted by that.

Chen Yi tries to nudge Eddie in a different direction each time, but Eddie refuses to leave Chen Yi's side.

So Chen Yi calls Eddie brother. He reminds them both that the bond between them is synthetic. Eddie doesn't have to abide by it. He could leave.

Because he has to know Eddie isn't there to be his brother. He knows why Eddie is offering his life in exchange for as much time as possible with Chen Yi. Even if his life is short, he will have spent it next to Chen Yi. So even if Chen Yi genuinely has feelings for Eddie, to act on them would mean to permanently cement Eddie's life with his where the only outcome seems to be a young death.

And that's a huge burden to carry. Someone's life has been benevolently laid before him without hesitation, yet he desperately wants that person to live.

Even if it means a life without him.

[circeyoru]

Shadow and Void _ Part 15: Sacrifices Will Be Made

[Yandere!Sung Jinwoo x Enemy Monarch!Reader]

Arc 1: Part 1 ― Part 2 ― Part 3 Arc 2: Part 4 ― Part 5 Arc 3: Part 6 ― Part 7 Arc 4: Part 8 ― Part 9 ― Part 10 ― Part 11 ― Special Arc 5: Part 12 ― Part 13  ― Part 14  ― Part 15 (here)

The power of Ashborn was one with Jinwoo, you knew Ashborn was leaving permanently but now you knew it wasn’t because of Jinwoo. Ashborn must have been tired as well. You were glad you weren’t within your vessel because your eyes would have watered and your form would have collapsed from sorrow and pain. The time to rejoice for the Shadow Monarch’s return was here.

“Fragment of Brilliant Light, I will aid you. You may not be a Monarch but your inhuman quality will suffice.” Your mist covered the man in a thin transparent layer that slowly boosted his aura and power. “Your goal is the same as mine, so we stand on the same side. Sung Jinwoo’s safety is my highest priority.”

The man didn’t say a word, but his actions meant everything. He raised his daggers and his aura amped up as he got into a defensive stance.

“Monarch of Void! Fragment of Brilliant Light!” Sillad exclaimed in fury, “The worst disaster is coming from the body of the human you are protecting! Are you really trying to bring disaster upon this world by your own hands?! Are you really risking your lives to aid the Shadow Monarch’s revival?! Just what are you traitors thinking?!”

You glared back, as did the man. He stepped forward and obstructed Sillad’s view of you while brandishing his daggers.

“We don’t have much time.” Rakan growled.

Everyone readied their attacks and the two Monarchs dashed forward for their assault. You didn’t need to do anything as the man defended himself perfectly well enough. All focus was on the man, and you have to admit, you were pleasantly surprised that he was able to handle two of the more offensive Monarchs.

You flinched as you looked through the layer of thick ice to Jinwoo. The blood was all gone and his wounds were healed. Not to mention, his aura was familiar to that of Ashborn in his prime. You removed yourself from his encasement and returned to your vessel, placing your forehead on the cooling surface, a lone tear rolling down. “Farewell, Ashborn… Thank you, Big brother…”

Behind you, Rakan had already fled, and Sillad readied his spear for a final attack to stop everything. The entire area was enveloped in an icy chill, and icicle spears formed and rained down without a clear target. “Taste the terror of the frost, weakling! This is my true power!”

The man protected you and Jinwoo while your protection and support were still activated on him, though even he had his limits as the spears pierced through his flesh. All that time, you didn’t bother moving from your spot or flinch from the onslaught.

Meanwhile, Sillad had summoned a giant iceberg over the area. “Mere humans dare challenge me without knowing their place! Be trapped inside the eternal void with the Shadow Monarch.”

Just as the iceberg was released to fall, a shadow flew towards it and destroyed it into smaller pieces to rain down; that Shadow was none other than Beru. The man closed his eyes shut as he used his body to shield you from the attack, but nothing came and when his eyes opened, Igris was proudly standing over the two of you in all his former glory. “Frost Monarch. Do not assume the position of the king with such measly power.”

“Igris…” You smiled, finally looking away from the ice and slowly stepping back.

The ice cracked and shattered into a million pieces, an oppressive force stopped behind you and a voice you once hated with passion spoke, “Hey now, and here I thought you’d worry about me.” You turned around and saw Jinwoo shrouded in a deathly aura of black and purple smoky wisps. “If you stood in front of the ice any longer, I might have hurt you.”

You rolled your eyes, “I have healing abilities.” But you grinned at him all the same, “Welcome back, Jinwoo.”

His eyes widened. Oh, how he wanted to take you right then and there. It was a pity that there were more pressing matters to deal with at the moment, so he could only repay the favour and relieve his ire at his enemies. He turned to Igris and Beru, who were kneeling on either side, “Did the beast flee? Who dares…to leave without my permission?”

You turned your gaze to Sillad, who was trembling from the sheer magnitude of the oppressive aura radiating from Jinwoo. You shrugged and half-heartedly sang, “Yeah, the Monarch of Fangs totally left the field with his tail between his legs. A true coward.”

Jinwoo’s aura expanded until he enveloped the entirety of Korea, then Asia, and then the whole globe. He turned his back to Sillad as he looked in a specific direction, “Found you.”

You followed his gaze with a hum, “You picked up pretty quickly.” Your eyes glowed as you confirmed where Rakan had gone. He must have known you controlled space and you alone could control where they were sent to, or at least limit the range of travel. You stretched your limbs and cooed, “Guess I don’t even need to help you get acquainted with Ashborn’s powers. You’re a pro at it.”

Pro? Jinwoo blinked at you, where and how you managed to learn and incorporate these human slang into your word bank, he will never know. Though sometimes, he does wonder why you picked those up because it ruins your image as a deadly and stoic Monarch. Well, at least, compared to when he first met you. Oh, how the times have changed.

His hand raised as the other hugged your figure into his chest, his hand stopping the ambush of Sillad the instant it was near either of you. When he looked over, he realized it wasn’t an ambush, but a retreat, one that he aimed to take you along with him. As a shield or an ally, there was no clue, but either way… He wasn’t going to let you leave him. “I’ll save you for last. Wait here patiently until I finish taking care of the beast.”

“Go.” You could sense his hesitation, your hand raised to his cheek and you gently caressed him. For some reason, you have started to see Jinwoo as Jinwoo and not the label you called him before or the association with Ashborn. You knew the old you would be furious at you and Jinwoo for taking Ashborn away and accepting the replacement but… Ashborn was and is strong; no mere human could have taken him down unless he willed it so. “Your Shadows are stronger than you could imagine. As am I.”

Jinwoo leaned into your touch, his heart beating like mad, even when this was amidst a battle for Korea’s survival. He couldn’t help but revel in your acceptance and newfound affection. There was more to come. He was sure of it. His eyes widened as he felt himself rejuvenated, no, it was even better. Like he regained his stamina after his daily quests, but now he had more energy to spare. He felt powerful…to the point he could single-handedly destroy a few Monarchs. He looked at you and saw you smile, “This…is your power?”

At your nod, he grinned back. He recalled some time ago, he asked for your assistance and support as you would do to the other Monarchs upon request. You explained why you weren’t compatible with him due to him not being a true monarch and whatnot. Now though. Now he was the true deal and he’ll keep it that way. This presence in his heart, this warmth around him, and this ecstasy in his blood. He’ll keep it. He’ll keep you by his side. Till the end of time and space.

After Jinwoo had left, you turned to Sillad with a dull expression and a slight frown. “What did I say about not engaging with the Shadow Monarch…?”

Sillad twirled his spear and scoffed, “You have betrayed the Shadow Monarch once because of the Monarch of Destruction; you will do it again when he returns. Your loyalty has always been to the Monarchs. The Shadow Monarch is the Brightest Fragment of the Brilliant Light. He was never one of us.”

You grinned, “In that sense, I guess I was never one of you. I always thought my powers were a bit too powerful for someone like me. I guess Ashborn and I have that in common.”

Just as Sillad raised his blade at you, Igris stood between the two of you and brandished his sword at Sillad. “Hold your tongue. You stand before not merely the Monarch of Void, but the Honourary Sovereign of the Shadow Army. Second to our Liege.”

“Wait till the Monarch of Destruction hears this.” Sillad hissed with venom. If looks could kill, his glare would have done you in. Not that Igris would let it, but it was good for him to win at least in his daydreams. “You will regret the moment you sided with that insufferable Monarch.”

“Funny… I could have sworn you were the one to drag me into all this.” You placed a mocking expression in deep thought. You even turned to your side as you gave his words serious thought, it wasn’t that you trusted Sillad enough not to ambush you in your moment of weakness, but that you trusted and know Igris would protect you indefinitely. “Who was it that called me to help them with a certain human? Who was it that left their ally behind and never came back to even check?” You snapped your fingers and looked back to him, “Oh, I remember! It was you!” You smiled innocently at him, “So I guess my betrayal is also because of you? Hm~?”

“You think you’re so funny……” Sillad clenched his weapon that threatened to snap from his grip.

Your smile dropped as you pointed at him with a blank face, “Do not fear death, for death comes to everyone. Even to the so-called immortals.”

⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧⬪⬧

What happened? Ah yes. Sillad is no more, the same for that insect of a Monarch. Now… Now it was time for some anguish for the new Monarch of Shadows. Turns out, the man that protected you and him from before was his father. Hm. Who could have thought? Well, things happen.

Your gaze stared down dully at Jinwoo who was crying and sobbing amongst the pitter-patter of raindrops mercilessly drenching his fallen form. You selfishly only manipulated the space around you so that no water would even touch you, but you didn’t extend that courtesy to the grieving man you started to care for. 

For just a fleeting moment, you could understand his human emotions, for you mourned Ashborn’s death briefly before Jinwoo returned. However, unlike him, you didn’t even get to say farewell to Ashborn face to face. Here, the new Monarch is, crying his eyes out over a father who disappeared for most of his life while he was forced to bear responsibilities.

Weak. Sung Jinwoo was still too weak to deal with the upcoming battles with the other Monarchs. If he was going to cry over every human that died, then he would be next to die, even with Ashborn’s powers passed down to him. How will you even achieve your ultimate goal?

“I know you’re mourning, but I have a question.” Your stoic voice cut through the sound of rain and Jinwoo’s thoughts. You paused a bit, for you didn’t give him the option to have you shut up. “In this world, what character do you see yourself as?”

“...What the hell are you talking about?”

You hummed internally while your eyes shifted to idly glanced over at the fallen buildings and the destruction caused by the aftermath of the battle with―only three of―the Monarchs. “There are a few common characters in your human stories. There’s the hero who is the star of the story, always protecting the weak while sacrificing themselves without a thought. There’s the villain, the evil and darkness of the story, always at odds with the hero and aim to cause the world harm. Don’t forget the side characters and background characters. They’re important too.”

Jinwoo didn’t move from his position, but he was obviously confused by the direction you were heading, evident by the furrowed brow on his face. Yet he said nothing and let you continue.

“Everyone’s the protagonist of their own story, everyone’s also some other character in another’s story. Though… The famous and infamous people in the world might appear as the same character in other people’s stories.” You took a few steps forward then back, to the left and to the right, side-stepping front and back again. From the outside, it appeared as if you were dancing to some steps. “The Monarchs that you just killed were the villains here, the protected humans are a mixture of side and background characters.” 

Your face suddenly popped up in front of Jinwoo and he shifted backwards and lost his balance, thus falling onto his butt. He looked up at you, an ethereal sight where the rain never touched you and your eyes stared down at him. All your attention was on him. Him.

“The hero you are. So noble. So strong. So selfless.” The way you described him, there was a condescending tone mixed into it. What was supposed to be a compliment turned to mockery. Your head tilted and your eyes narrowed, “Between the hero and villain, who do you think loses more in the end?”

“It has to be the villain, they will be defeated by the hero and their lives lost in the process. All stories end like that.” Jinwoo finally got up after he got his bearings.

“Hm, perhaps. Histories are written by winners and victors. Why would it be different for stories? In that case, what makes a hero and what makes a villain? To possess the power of light? To do good deeds? Good and bad are two sides of the same coin.” You shook your head, “But that’s too far. Villains give it their all for what they want, heroes give it their all for what is good for the world. Villains sacrifice the world and themselves for it. So what does the hero sacrifice?”

Jinwoo looked into your eyes and answered, “Themselves.”

You grinned, “Right and wrong. Heroes not only sacrifice themselves, but they would rather sacrifice their close ones to ensure the world is safe and good. When the hero’s deed is complete, what use is the hero to stay? The hero will then…” Your form slowly turned to mist as you left Jinwoo a parting statement. “Turn into the villain in the eyes of the world…”

Jinwoo’s fists clenched so tightly to the point there were cracking sounds from his knuckles.

Your words echoed in his mind, “Give it some thought. Have a good rest, Monarch of Shadows.”

Note: Next arc will be the last one~ Ah~~ This one's finally done!! I'm gonna rest a bit from this story. Plus, I changed the direction of the ending, so some major changes are being made to the last arc as well. Also, for some, you might have noticed that I closed the request for all fandoms I'm writing. For now, I'm planning to finish the series I have ongoing, let's see what's after. Hope you enjoyed this part and this arc! See you guys in the next update~~

𝕮𝖎𝖗𝖈𝖊 𝖄.

My Works: MASTERLIST *(regarding requests, check the Masterlist to see if it’s opened or not and other info related before sending one. Thanks.)

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[maomao-words]

Okay everyone, I got sucked in Debut or Die's hell, and I am (most likely temporarily) out of my hiatus just to write this.

Here are some HCs of my favorite DoD boys with a tiny dash of angst in Ahyeon's part.

Fair warning, I am only a manhwa reader, so please forgive anything that you deem different or out of character in comparison to the novel.

With that, I hope you enjoy my obsession-fueled work.

Debut or Die Boys: How they deal with jealousy.

Cha Eugene:

Cha Eugene is a simple man. He recognizes he is prone to possessiveness and knows he can become jealous at the slightest sign of attraction given from anyone toward you. Cha Eugene is also a smart(?) man. He knows he will not be able to suppress his anxious feelings and act as mature as his other hyungs might do.

So in response, Cha Eugene pouts. He pouts to you whenever he seems to think you were paying another man too much attention. He tightly clings to you, strong body enveloping your frame from behind as he plops his head on top of yours, and starts babbling about how much he misses you and how much he wants to be by your side at all times.

But each time you gently try to peel him off of you, because no matter how much you enjoy being in the comfort of his arms you both need to go back to work, Eugene whines. His clinginess increase in folds and his babbling turns into soft whimpers of how cruel his noona is being to him, and how unloved he feels at the moment.

Without fail, all of Eugene's actions bring you both to the same result every time. With you giving in to his large kitty eyes, you resign yourself to be smothered in his embrace for the rest of the day, as you mumble words of affection and comforting into his chest. Cuddling seems to be the fastest way to calm down your lover and to allow you to soothe his tantrums.

But as you watch Eugene beam at each praise you offer to him, cheeks colored in the loveliest shade of red, you only find yourself falling harder for him.

Park Moondae:

If asked, Moondae's sole response on the topic would be "Jealousy is not a word I’m familiar with."

It is not because he does not love you enough, or that he does not appreciate having you as his partner, nor it is due to any lack of attention on his side. Moondae simply trusts you. He trusts your feelings, dedication, and loyalty towards him and would never insult you by doubting your love.

Hm? What do you mean that every man who dared to glance at your figure with a flirty gaze seems to start avoiding you once they had the pleasure of meeting Moondae?

And what do you mean that your clingy and self-absorbed ex, who you thought would harass you to eternity, almost never reaches out to you anymore except with apologies tinged with a hint of terror?

Ah, now what? What does Moondae has to do with the way the rest of his teammates seem to be obsessively protecting you from anyone they deem 'dangerous' whenever Moondae's work holds him up? If they are acting as a band of professional bodyguards around you, it is definitely their own choice.

Once again, Moondae's response to all of these questions would simply be a nod, an indication that he has been listening to you attentively, followed by a soft smile. Moondae never lies to you, but he also never admits his involvement out loud. All he does on days were he is definitely not jealous is to hold your hand a bit tighter, smiles more brightly at your antics, and kisses your forehead with more tenderness than ever.

Seon Ahyeon:

Ahyeon's jealousy is both endearing and worrying. While, unlike Moondae, he does acknowledge that he gets jealous over you, Ahyeon never finds it in himself to act as openly as Eugene is with his own worries and feelings.

On days where your work requires you to pour all of your attention away from Ahyeon, or on nights where you lay next to him and show off the pictures you took with your friends on your latest trip, this angel simply becomes sad.

He is aware that he cannot keep you locked away from all of the eyes surrounding you, nor does he want to, as you shine the brightest while doing whatever your heart desires. But Ahyeon cannot help but be afraid. What if you find someone else? Someone better than him? Someone who is more confident, who is able to properly tell you how much you mean to him, someone who would dedicate all of his time to you?

Ahyeon's worries bubble to the surface each time he becomes jealous. He tries to bury them at times, work through them at others, but mostly, he tries to express his love for you a bit more. He buys you small pieces of chocolate-covered candies and the fluffiest of scrunchies in your favorite color. He offers you the soft plushie he won during the variety show he was on that day, or even orders you that limited-time lipstick he saw you eyeing a week ago.

Ahyeon also kisses you more tenderly, holds your hand tightly, and sends lengthy texts for you to open as soon as you wake up from sleep. On the days he is jealous, Ahyeon chooses to love you.

The soft smiles and gentle words of gratitude Ahyeon receives from you in response never fail to soothe his worries. He knows that the day where he can fully open up about his anxieties to you without any fear is almost here.

[antimatterz]

don't let me go

yanqing x gn!reader

summary: you find yanqing left to bleed after he's defeated by blade and dan heng il, and rush to his side.

cw: comfort, mentions of blood, can be read as platonic

enyo's note: after debating whether or not to write for him i decided to go through with it because i'm just too soft for this boy. and yes there's a genshin impact easter egg lol.

content under the cut | masterlist

you had no clue what was going on outside of the four walls that confided you. following jing yuan's command, you had to stay inside as chaos reigned on the xianzhou luofu. but as you listened to the general's urgent order, yanqing had rushed out to help, leaving you all worried and restless. it was fear that stopped you from hurrying after him, yet you grew impatient and it came to a point where you considered going after him.

but jing yuan asked you to – ugh. for the nth time, you paced back through the room to the position you came from, until a decision was made. you couldn't care less about what in the world was going on; you had to know if yanqing was safe.

now that you made up your mind, you fell into a state of hurry. you burst through the door, the heavy components falling shut behind you. you were outside now, away from your safe confinements. instantly you were met with a frozen yet perilous battlefield, motionless bodies of cloud knights scattered around limply and stained with blood.

fear stirred awake in the pit of your stomach. was it really a good decision to leave the safe zone? what if it would cost your life? you didn't know much about the enemy, as jing yuan chose to keep you mostly in the dark, but judging from the mangled state of the corpses that lay around, they didn't know mercy. what if you would run into them? sure, you could put up a fight, but you were no match for an entire army – and come on, if even the cloud knights had to bow down and face defeat, what could you begin against them?

right, you were only scaring yourself at this point. once, you glanced back towards the doors that now shut you out. then you broke until a full sprint, worry stopping you from acting discreetly. you had to find yanqing.

you ran as fast as your legs could carry you, often having to swerve left and right in order to dogde fallen soldiers. it was eerily silent, and no living being was in sight. it was clear that the fieriest battle had already pulled over this part of the xianzhou luofu, leaving nothing but a lifeless quietness and traces of bloodshed and demise.

until a scream pierced through.

a shiver ran down your spine as you recognized the voice all too well, even though it was laced with pain and terror in a way you've never heard before. you abruptly halted and spun around, not thinking straight as you ran into the direction of the terrible cry. only yanqing's name resonated through your mind, and you had to get to him, no matter what.

who knew what dangers lay ahead? you dashed into them blindly, spurred on by yanqing's call. adrenaline surged as you went, heavy breaths passing your lips. you knew this part of the luofu like the back of your hand, and navigated along the corners effortlessly.

finally, after eternally lasting minutes full of dread, you found him – or rather, his still figure. your heartbeat ran cold in fright as you feared for the worst. after freezing momentarily, you awakened from your state of shock and ran over to the boy you so adored. you fell to your knees right next to him, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through your joints as you hit the pavement.

"yanqing!" you cried, your hands finding his motionless body. fresh blood stained your fingertips, but you cared not.

hearing your voice made the boy stir awake, and you breathed out in relief when his eyes opened. irises with the hue of ancient rime gazed up at you with effort as he called out your name softly.

"aeons, you're alive." a hesitant smile fell upon your lips, but your expression turned sour once you realized how badly hurt the boy was. "yanqing, what happened?"

"s-stellaron hunter and a traitor," yanqing seethed weakly.

"you fool, why did you run off on your own?" you scolded him. careful not to hurt him, you brought your arms around his trembling body and buried your face in his bloodied shoulder. you hardly cared about the blood that stained you, all that mattered was that you were united with a very much alive yanqing.

yanqing flinched in pain upon feeling your arms around him, but he nevertheless reciprocated the hug with a small grunt as it put a strain on his injuries. just like you, he didn't care. after the sheer terror of facing not one but two seasoned fighters, losing the battle, and being left to bleed out, he was glad to be safe and sound within your embrace.

"i'm sorry, y/n," he apologized. "i just, i just wanted to do something." the boy coughed, splatters of blood staining both your clothes. "how would i be useful if i just sat and waited while everyone else is fighting to save the luofu?"

"you could've died," you said, stifling a sob. "you're so reckless sometimes, yanqing."

"but i'm alive," the boy said. "i'll be okay."

you knew he was right; though he was injured and bleeding quite a lot, nothing seemed life-threatening. yes, he needed medical care, which he would receive as soon as you brought him to the safe zone. for now, you allowed him a moment to gather his strength after a battle that nearly ended in his very demise.

"you're upset," yanqing stated. "i'm sorry, y/n."

"of course i am," you affirmed, even though the feeling was dissolving rapidly now that he held you in his arms. you were relieved more than anything else – okay, and maybe a little mad at him for being so reckless, risking his life. but all with all, most of that melted like snow underneath the scorching sun now that you were together again. "if any, i'm just glad you're okay."

you let him go just a little bit, just enough to be able to look him in the eyes. "but general jing yuan will hear about this!"

"aww, y/n, you can't be like that," the poor boy sputtered.

"he's bound to find out, anyway," you reminded yanqing. "like, we're both gone from the safe zone and you're injured. what kind of excuse did you have in mind to mask that?"

"i'll worry about that later," yanqing sighed, pulling you closer again despite the pain and discomfort it brought him. "for now, just don't let me go."

and you complied, holding the boy a little tighter – yet still careful not to hurt him. after moments of terror, you found him and he was alive and not in danger any longer. that was all that mattered, right? you wouldn't know what to do if he died today, if you found him too late and were met with his cold and mangled body, like all the fallen cloud knights you ran into as you sought yanqing.

if anything like this were to occur again, you'd go with him. there was no way you'd let him go on his own again. it had always been the two of you, like two peas in a pod. not in your darkest nightmares could that bond be broken, and today had gotten way too close. it scared you, and you did not want that to happen again.

you held him close, listening to how yanqing's breathing gradually grew steadier. with each increase of strength, another pinch of worry left your being. he was okay. and thus, so were you.

you wouldn't let him go.

[windsweptinred]

I wrote this for a fun little flower prompt challenge between myself, @bobbole and @rriavian. 😊🌸

This Bobble's prompt: Holly -The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day and you - Destiny and Daniel

(This went a whole lot more angst ridden (and longer) than I was intending bobbole. Fear not, there's going to be some comfort with that hurt.. Destiny really is going to try! Warnings for Mother Night being Mother Night.)

 Little Brother 

"Greetings to you, my Mother."

Destiny of the Endless paused in the entrance of Mother Night's inner sanctum. It was a place awash with the grandiose beauty of her domain. Wondrous to behold, yet undercut by an all encompassing frigidity, an eerily eternal silence, horrific for the senses to experience . A place of awe and dread that perfectly reflected its mistress. 

Night stood in the centre, an imposing figure, instructing all about her with a commanding idleness. She acknowledged his presence with little fanfare, gracing him with a smug smirk. 

"Destiny, you've come to visit me. How delightful." Her honeyed tone was imbued with a cutting sarcasm that Destiny recognised all too well in young Desire's own barbed compliments. Crossing his free arm about his book, he inclined his head, nonplussed at her taunts. 

"You called for me, I came."

"Oh Destiny, always so pragmatic. " She sighed disdainfully. "You have far too much of your father in you." She moved leisurely to join him, sweeping a finger along the spine of his vast book, flicking maliciously at the great chain that bound it to him. Eyes alighting with glee as its metallic clink echoed around the vast, shadowed chamber. Then with an affected air she pinched at his cheeks, cooing tenderly, "An unfortunate eventuality. But you are still my stalwart boy. Yes?" She grinned excitedly, straightening his robes in an overly maternal display. "You have brought him, haven't you? My dutiful Destiny."

A brief flash of something that could have been reluctance passed over Destiny's face. Before he swept aside to reveal the slight, white figure concealed behind his cloaked frame. 

Unwittingly finding himself the centre of attention, Daniel, the new Lord Shaper, King of Dreams, Master of Nightmares, Dream of The Endless, visibly baulked. Fretfully he swept a curl behind his ear, fingers continuing to twist and tug at his white locks in an anxious manner. His starlight eyes dashing hither and there in an obvious show of apprehension, before hesitantly glancing up to meet Night's gaze. He gave a slight smile, a hopeful, frail little thing and bowed his head in regard. 

"Lady Mother." He addressed her with a timid reverence. 

Night stared at the man clothed in white before her with an unimpassioned air, before turning to her eldest. She waved an enquiring hand towards Daniel, face twisted in an obvious show of revulsion. 

"What have you brought me Destiny?" She enquired, her voice laced with faux curiosity. 

Destiny's brows twitched in aggravation. 

"You asked for brother Dream, mother. And here he stands before you." 

Night turned with great reluctance towards Daniel again and gave him a critical glance. He shrunk under her gaze, eyes dimming, fingers grasping at his long sleeves as if seeking some form of comfort from them. 

Night gave a sickly sweet smile. 

"Why, my foolish eldest….This is not Dream." She started towards Daniel, who curled further into himself as she approached. "My most cherished, most precious child."

Grasping his chin cruelly, she twisted it this way and that, before flinging it to the side with the ferocity of a slap. 

"This… base THING you have presented is not my little Night Terror!" 

She curled her lip and turned up her nose. "It reeks of scorched humanity!"

She turned away from him then, dramatically throwing herself into Destiny's arms with a pitiful wail. Completely unconcerned by the tear that trailed a delicate path down Daniel's pale cheek. 

"Oh you are a cruel boy to taunt your mother so." Night fisted Destiny's robes, dangling forlornly from him, letting out woeful, overdramatic cries. "They take my sweet Dream from me and suppose 'THAT' will be compensation enough. 

All the while, Destiny stood, expression unaffected. His unseeing gaze fixed on the slowly crumpling form of his brother. 

"Your behaviour is unbecoming." He reproached her steadily. 

Rearing back with a snarl, she shoved him viscously. Sending him staggering, desperately trying to maintain his stance and grasp of his book. 

"How dare you! Ungrateful, spiteful child!" 

With that, she rounded on Daniel, sweeping towards him with furious intent. 

"And you! How dare you look at me with his eyes. You are not worthy of my starlight!" 

She gave his head a hard smack, watching as the deep black of his irises bleed to verdant green in shock. 

"Keep them green!" She demanded spitefully. "Like the provincial little planet that birthed you."

She gave a dismissive wave of her arm, turning her back on both of them, a silent but clear sign for them to leave her presence. 

"Begone with this dust born Dream, eldest." She ordered with steely absolution. "I do not want it in my presence again!" 

For a while, the deathly silence of Night's realm hung over the trio, thick and suffocating. Before Destiny let out a loud, aggrieved exhale, moving towards the younger Endless, who stood, near bent double with grief. Daniel's eyes gleamed and chin wobbled precariously, yet he held his composure with an admirable will. 

Raising his arm, so his long sleeves draped like a protective barricade between supposed mother and child, Destiny gestured towards their exit. 

"Come," He instructed. "We will take our leave of this place."

He watched as Daniel gave one last, despondent look towards Night before giving him a mournful nod in agreement. When, however, after several moments the younger had made no move to leave, Destiny sighed, grasping one slender wrist in a firm but gentle hold. "Come Dream." He said pointedly. And in a flurry of pages they left the realm of Night behind them. 

…………….

The landscape unfurled around them like an opening book. Infinite darkness gave way to a hazy grey blue sky and the sharp cool of night lessened to a comfortable chill that tickled at the nose and fingers. The smell of foliage, half living, half dead, musty, yet comforting filled the air and in the distance, childish cries of joy could be heard accompanying the screech of ancient swing sets. A small park, tranquil and picturesque in its autumn hues. 

Despair seemed to consume Daniel all at once, his strength fleeing him as he slumped dejectedly onto a nearby wall. "I never asked for this." He muttered, voice thick with misery. "Yet they treat me as if I struck his killing blow for my own advantage…. I never asked for this."

Destiny inclined his head as if conceding a truth. "And yet you are, always have been and always will be Dream of the Endless." He stated, in a tone that left little room for argument. "A fact Night knows all too well. This was a chance for her to act out her own selfish dramatics. Nothing more." 

Daniel raised two pleading, wet, life-green eyes to meet Destiny's vacant pupils.  "I am no good at this."

"And yet you will be."

Daniel leant forward, resting his head against the ancient tome Destiny held to his chest. 

"I will never be him." 

"No." Destiny confirmed resolutely. He felt the younger sag at his words. 

"But you will be you, and that, in time, will be better." 

Daniel pulled away, regarding his older brother with a small, sorrowful smile. 

"Do you think so?" He asked, voice quivering. 

"I do not think, I know. I am all that is between the beginning and end. I am every tomorrow, every path ventured. Every fate foretold. I know this." 

He raised his free hand to rest it atop of his younger siblings head. "I am your elder brother, and I know this." 

Daniel clutched briefly at the others sleeve in a silent show of thanks before Destiny withdrew his arm. Finally acknowledging their surroundings, he glanced around them, taking their surroundings in curiously. 

"Where are we big brother?" 

"Where you need to be." Destiny answered cryptically, turning to the regard the misshapen gravel path that lay to their right. 

Daniel quirked his brow inquiringly, following the elders gaze as a woman he knew all too well, rounded the corner. 

Lyta Hall had changed little since he had last seen her. Still a statuesque beauty, despite the air of  inconsolable grief that hung about her like a shroud. Though today, she seemed somewhat content. Swinging the light grocery bag that she carried in time with the light tune she hummed to herself, taking in the autumnal serenity of the park. That was, until her gaze alighted on them. 

Her eyes widened in astonishment, the bag she clutched, slipping from her shock slack fingers and landing with a squelching thud which promised irrevocably ruined products.

"Daniel?" She asked in disbelief. Both stared at the other, amazement and apprehension intermingled across their features.

She reached out towards him, almost instinctively, "Daniel… my baby?" She asked, soft, desperate and hopeful. 

Daniel shook his head frantically, expression screwing into one of abject misery. "I'm not, I'm not…" He tried to  grind out until his resolve finally broke. The first anguished sob fell from his lips, followed by another as his body crumpled in on itself. He slipped from his perch on the wall, descending to the ground… Only to be swept up into Lyta's waiting arms. Tenderly tucking his head beneath her chin, she rocked him soothingly like a babe in arms. 

"Don't cry, don't cry." She murmured to him. Running gentle caresses through his white locks, sweeping away his tears devotedly and placing loving kisses to his brow. Completely oblivious and uncaring of the commotion they were causing in the otherwise tranquil park. "It's alright, it's alright. My baby. Don't cry.  Mummy's here. Mummy's got you. Don't cry."

Destiny spared one last glance towards once mother and once child. Daniel had curled eagerly into Lyta's maternal hold, clutching desperately at her as his heartache poured from him. Neither spared the elder Endless a glance, lost entirely in each other's embrace. 

"Be well, little brother." He wished the young dream Lord earnestly. 

And then, he was gone. 

(I had to really hold back from making Destiny too sentimental in this, make him act how he would act and not how I wanted him to act. Poor Daniel. I love him so but I don't half make him suffer in fics. 🙈) 

I'm posting this here rather than on A03 as I want to work it into the next chapter of what was 'Dandelion Wishes' …Now, 'Turn of the Wheel' . It needed renaming to match the entire theme of the fic. 😁 Anyway, I hope you…is 'enjoyed it' the right phrase? 😅) 

[bizville]

Dear gay stupid,

For far too long you have terrorized my dash with your ghouls. I'm sure everyone else feels the same.

The only solution I can think of to this infestation of yours is to prove to the ghouls you no longer need them. Break up with all of your weird boyfriends and be free.

Of course, if you don't, you'll have to suffer a thousand more ghouls courtesy of my new ghouls spawner. Just made. It's honestly pretty cool and I've been waiting to use it and unleash a bunch of ghouls on some unsuspecting loser because I'm sick like that. So, you know. The choice is yours!

Eternally haunted by YOUR ghosts,

King

KING???

[mrxcreepypastamadness]

Hellish Hollows (Overworld)

Song: Demise

Character Cover: JB-BX (Ft. Boyfriend & Vanellope)

Lore: "JB-BX has brutally murdered your girlfriend. But you don't have time to think about that. You have a choice, run or suffer the same fate as her."

"RUN"

*Instrumental*

JB-BX: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

JB-BX: *She chases after Boyfriend* 🎵Run what with your love has lost, JB-BX charges an unfair cost in a game fell Deja Vu, now you won't escape too🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵Flee for what I can save, can't help if I'm in a grave but my ends not to ensue, you won't pummel me into goo🎵

JB-BX: 🎵The nights void eternal, so much more than your love, raptures stem eternal.🎵

JB-BX: AAAA!

🎵She cries from high up above. This place is no heaven, but it's still a paradise no fruits devils can take, seems you'll have to suffice🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵False premonitions, lost heroisms, I've beat you two to two, thrice would be amusing if I only still had Girlfriend too🎵

JB-BX: 🎵Oh she faltered easy, first impressions? She and Lucas will proven allies, throughout my slaughter sessions, so call her cry and before you die, shrieks will haunt you through the sky.🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵Dust rusted silver linings..black horizons are all that my findings, she can't die here in vain, I've gotta sprint out this damn kids game🎵

JB-BX: 🎵Lonely melachonic hymns hypnotic, endless chase against a madwoman, nothing more than psychotic and like dear Girlfriend, your life will soon end, hallucinations blend, run for your life that she lost. The exit charges an unfair cost, emulsfication to ensure I'll pummel you black and blue.🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵I'm well aware of nihilism, I'm well aware that it won't be a prison, my game comes to an end, not beating Boyfriend! This situation, one that faced I've never faced I'll survive, her memory won't be erased🎵

JB-BX: 🎵The night's void eternal, outlining turtle doves, your grief is clear, external like the guts of your love

Boyfriend: 🎵Flee for what I can save of all my foes you're not my fave, you won't bring death in my view, my first lost won't be against you🎵

JB-BX: 🎵Out of time, slaughter sublime, why run when there's nowhere to hide, outspending your line, soon you'll be mine, hilarious, LMAO🎵

JB-BX: WAHAHAHA!

JB-BX: 🎵Spores of terror spread like cancer, dare to fight me thrice, damn chancer, I will pound you into a crater, a fate worse than-🎵

JB-BX: LUCAS!

Boyfriend: 🎵There's no more time, dash in a line, gotta get out of these confines. You might be tall, but I won't fall, won't be a victim to your crimes, using my boundless will to escape, won't be reduced to blood on hellscape. Demons never get to reap their prize, this land won't see another Demise!🎵

JB-BX: 🎵Is this not familiar, now this happened to you all before, not once, not twice, the third time will be be your final tour🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵I'll keep my drive, this familiar encounter, I know I'll once again survive🎵

JB-BX: 🎵The spores of fear, follow you evernear🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵Bricks and bones ground down into one into your eternal game of fun, burning feeling within my lung, the final song we've sung🎵

JB-BX: 🎵The Devil awakes🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵End the chase🎵

JB-BX: 🎵The boy forsakes🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵Know your place🎵

JB-BX: 🎵Everything that he has fought for🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵Am I worth this much time!?🎵

JB-BX: 🎵Demon of lust🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵Won't erase🎵

JB-BX: 🎵Death truly just🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵Bloodied face🎵

JB-BX: 🎵You'll mimic her GORE🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵running in a straight line🎵

JB-BX: 🎵Life counts as zero, both as a false hero🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵Unlike the tale of Adam and Eve🎵

JB-BX: 🎵You can entertain me through sorrow🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵Adam is all alone to grieve🎵

JB-BX: 🎵This game of mine will never end, hope you suffer🎵

JB-BX: BOYFRIEND!

Boyfriend: 🎵There's No Hope, just tomorrow, an escape of dashing Romeo!🎵

JB-BX: 🎵Burning tendons and ligaments, they'll give out in due time🎵

JB-BX: BOYF-!

Boyfriend: 🎵Blood red is filling the pigments, the scar of every heinous crime!🎵

JB-BX: 🎵Let's dance in death, your stifling your every-breathe, there's nothing left🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵Jack and Jill have hiked Satan's hill, anything to escape this asshole's kill🎵

JB-BX: 🎵A shredded upon a rock plateu, funeral marked with a flambeau, soul spiraling down the shining falls. No souls witness disenthrals🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵There's no heaven, no love far beyond, I'll death defy, in memory of my Girlfriend's bond🎵

JB-BX: 🎵There's no hell, there's no magma bog, no need to debate and endulge the petifog🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵Far from the time I've been pissed of at freaks, adherring to the hell bells chimes, suffocating in fungi mines🎵

*The second phase transitions to the Candy Cave level as the color palette changed* (Spooky...)

JB-BX: 🎵Death upon you of champions, legs pummel the ground for eons, feel your bones give in to corrosion, anger like an explosion. Thank you for playing my game, now you'll feel Girlfriend's pain🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵As we fall down below, no end to this chase psycho, I don't ponder where I can go, there's still an exit here I know, a finishline to get to my freedom🎵

JB-BX: 🎵You are nothing are no one, three two one, cataclysmic atrocities, thousands of fools bought to their kness, I'm no god no one oversees🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵If I escape then I'll say I've won, that creepy ass moon starts waning, all your threats I'm still refraining, I can feel my own legs straining, no confidence left for feigning through this flat land the you're reigning🎵

JB-BX: 🎵We racer-like monstrosities, this isn't like childhood stories, wandered through our territories, limbs set into separate catagories, decay like Evins laboratories🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵It's corpses still that you're still shaming as a tyrant mocked for blaming, this bloodfest needs to being draining🎵

JB-BX: GET BACK HERE!

JB-BX: 🎵Run all you want, I pull the strings in the end, you'll still be another plaything🎵

Boyfriend (Ft. Vanellope): 🎵Life left broken🎵

JB-BX: 🎵It's my world, I pull the cards in the end, I'll still have your goddamn blue balls🎵

Boyfriend (Ft. Vanellope): 🎵Once foretoken🎵

JB-BX: 🎵You escaped me for the last time, Lucas wasn't lucky, you won't be either🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵For freedom's prize, lost to lies, I've got a gripe with you while I break for that damn finish line!🎵

(Ft. Vanellope): 🎵Please boy, get out of here, I don't want you to meet the same fate as ME...🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵The ending is there insight, applaud my witts for taking flight so sayonara to you JB-BX, this is our last night🎵

JB-BX: 🎵Hah! You gloat! The exit remains out of reach, brag but you won't reach it leech, celebrations shouldn't be shared, not what you should preech🎵

Boyfriend: The victim is the victor who has taken a flight

*Transitions back to normal as the chase continues*

JB-BX: *She gets closer to Boyfriend as she catches up* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'VE GOT YOU!

Boyfriend: AAAAAAAAAAAHHH- *He is about to fall in a dark abysmal pit but someone catches him before he ever did, but who...*

Girlfriend: Gotcha!

JB-BX: NOOOOOO! *She falls into the pit with a loud crash*

*THUD*

*Instrumental*

Boyfriend: *He looks up as he tears up happily as he noticed Girlfriend is the one that saved her* (Girlfriend is alive! TwT)

Girlfriend: Don't worry, we're save-

JB-BX: HEEEEY!

JB-BX: THIS ISN'T OVER!

Girlfriend: *She noticed JB-BX is back but this time she bought a kart, to jump back up?!* HOLY FUCK!!!

*The chase continues for the final time after Girlfriend retreat and dropped him quickly so Boyfriend is now driving a kart as well?! (YOU HAVE NOWHERE TO RUN!!!)*

JB-BX: 🎵I won't let this reoccur! Visions of my power obscured, only with this have occured made me perturbed, come on mess up to be my plaything, just let me hear your ass scream🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵Still not out of the danger zone? At least I know I'm not alone and by the time I make it back guaranteed this disc's gonna be torn, now shimmering silver linings are safely there in my findings🎵

JB-BX: 🎵Let me get you beyond the screen, to escape better be a finish line dream. She's but a vision to distract, Boyfriend she's far from intact, just blindly take my own words🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵I'm not gonna become a plaything, just in your dreams, try and say she's only to distract, least she's intact, confident but I ain't gulliable, you don't speak facts🎵

JB-BX: 🎵For a fact-🎵

JB-BX (Ft. Boyfriend): 🎵Deja Vu from many months ago🎵

JB-BX: 🎵Worthless rover, there's no way this has happened again, this is Game Over!?🎵

Boyfriend: 🎵From your recent trover, JB-BX it's the end, this is Game Over🎵

*Boyfriend crosses the secret finish line to escape JB-BX's world, exiting Hellish Hollows for good with a sound of a golden coin, chiming*

*Game Over*

Song Based By:

DEMISE WITH LYRICS | MARIO’S MADNESS V2 LYRICAL

Original Video: Adore

[astrxlfinale]

"You're not still burned over our chaotic little meeting, are you?" Polka asked with an arched brow, it being pure 'coincidence' that she'd encountered Caelus at all. Well, it was in Nous' calculations and wasn't something she could ignore. It didn't mean the assassin was particularly remorseful. Any more than the sea was remorseful for dashing a small schooner against the cliffside in its eternal contention with the cliffs. "You wouldn't have died either way. You're much too necessary for the fate of the universe and preventing the coming of Finality."

Burned is such a gentle way to put the scenario they've met under.

Underneath the crushing pressure of possibility, calculation and the unspun variables that turned that damned Knowable and Unknowable Domain into a whole melting spot. Glitched out bastards gaining sentience while the stars literally spilled from the distorted skies akin to a waterfall. All of that as AHA's insufferable mug witnessed it all, how one Polka Kakamond became a terror that potentially tore through the fabric of history. To the eyes of the Trailblazer, there were very, very few at this point who could come to-- disturb him as much as she successfully did.

"Let's just you leave one hell of an unforgettable first impression." Caelus shoots back, leaving it up to her to take that as either a compliment or insult. Despite Polka's words, that very presence, one that lived for too damn long imposed a sense of finality with the river of blood she casts. Yet it'd be that mettle within his very being that prompts him to step forward, to openly face the edges of fear she incited in him.

Almost like that unseen specter that can be noticed but never fully seen at the corner of the eye.

Her words prompted a mild, morbid intrigue to billow within his gut. "Even if I would've helped in nudging that beloved circle a few millimeters?" Anyone would've called this foolish incarnate to challenge such an idea outright. In truth, Caelus wanted to openly stand against unshakable truth, if she'd come to risk it if the potential sway was grand enough.

"I've heard it all from others. How me n' Nanook have something pretty good goin', has to be seen at the most exciting damn point n' all that. But what in the hell do you get from this exactly?" He forwardly asks. Just catching of glimpses of them throughout millenia, meticulous tearing, threading and guiding lives by the most minute integers outright disturbed him. Living computation through the Lord of Silence scratches at something in the depths of his mind.

"Herta's motor mouth offered up some things of note, but I wanna hear it from yours. What has this cosmos made that could be so precious to you? Or are orders really that much fun?"

@lordsilenced

[chocolix76]

Drops a Sun and Moon short story I wrote back in 2022 because I still think it's pretty good (this is NOT SAMS related)

What could Sun and Moon possibly been thinking as the daycare burned around them?

Word count: 905

Flames don’t knock or ask politely to be let in. Flames are ruthless, entering without permission and leaving behind nothing but a pile of ash and lost memories, not caring who got hurt in the process. Flames didn’t care if you had no way to escape the reach of the hot tongues of fire as they wrecked havoc on your home. Until that moment, flames had been nothing more than a story the children had told them. Now, they were at the front door.

The two, giant wooden doors at the front of the daycare were the first to go, flames charring the doors and moving through with no hesitation. They spread throughout the daycare as if in a rush to destroy everything he loved and held dear. In a moment of panic, his mind was clear enough to have one objective on his mind.

Sun dashed to his room at the back of the daycare, hoping that everything he needed was still there. Inside his mostly empty room, he located a poster of the main animatronics and tore it off the wall leaving it dangling a few inches above the ground by one piece of tape. Underneath the poster were hundreds of pictures that the children that came to the daycare had drawn, each with its own unique style.

Some drawings were nothing but scribbles of random color or piles of glitter. Others were stick figures of the artist with their friends or with him. To Sun, it didn’t matter what they looked like. He cherished them all the same and he wasn’t about to let the flames steal them away. An unfamiliar feeling of rage mixed with sorrow washed over him as he tore all the pictures he could off the wall and sunk to the floor, holding them close to his chest as if his life depended on it.

“Sun! There’s still a way out! What are you doing?” Moon cried, running out of his side of the room. Though his expression couldn’t change much, it still got softer when he saw Sun on the floor, cradling the drawings close to his chest.

“I don’t want the drawings to burn,” Sun sobbed, looking wistfully at the ones that he couldn’t carry and had spilled onto the floor. The sadness in his voice was foreign to Moon, but it made sense knowing he would do anything to protect the children. Even if that meant dying to protect the drawings they had worked so hard on.

“I won’t let them,” Moon said gently, kneeling next to his brother if you could call them that. “I promise.”

Moon stepped out onto the balcony of the daycare, watching as the flames engulfed the play structures. The colorful plastic melted under the intense heat, becoming nothing but puddles to stoke the flames. Through the see-through windows around the daycare, he could see nothing but the orange glow of flames outside, burning away at the only life they had known.

There might have been a lot of bitterness residing in his heart for Sun and his relationship with the children, but he knew if there was any time to let it go, it was now. He had very few drawings from the children to call his own, and very few good memories, but it didn’t hurt any less to see his only home go up in flames and to see Sun so confused and lost.

“We’re going to die, aren’t we?” Sun asked as Moon sat in front of him, holding the drawings that he couldn’t. The sorrow and terror in his voice suggested that he would rather not hear the answer.

For what felt like an eternity, they sat and bounced memories back and forth, laughing at the times that they could never go back to. Sun’s crying grew louder as the heat of the flames grew closer, surrounding them from the opening to their rooms.

“Remember when you dropped a kid into the ballpit as punishment and it turned into a game?” Moon asked, trying to distract Sun from the rapidly approaching flames. Despite his efforts, his brother was too panicked to allow his mind to be taken off his pending death. Or worse, the loss of the drawings.

Moon held the drawings close to his chest as he felt the heat of the flames on his back, reaching for him to be pulled into their destructive grasp. He pat Sun’s shoulder, wishing with all his might that the flames could stop where they were, but flames never showed mercy. All he felt as the flames did their job was an extreme heat go through his body before his systems shut down and his world went forever black.

Time felt like it had grown to a crawl as Moon’s shell slowly melted away, his endoskeleton being twisting and melting together in the flames. The drawings he held slipped into the flames, fire browning the corners before moving in to consume the love and care the artist had put into it. Soon, there was nothing left but ash, and it was Sun’s turn to accept defeat.

He didn’t want to die and most of all, he didn’t want his drawings to suffer the end that Moon’s had as the flames stole them for its own. With Moon gone, he felt a crippling loneliness, wishing he had someone to hold close as the flames finally stole him away.

[blackjackkent]

Hector turns from knocking the mind flayer to the ground and looks over his shoulder in time to see Karlach's blade sink deep into Ketheric's chest.

It is obvious, even from a distance, that the blow is mortal. Aylin is free from her cage, and Ketheric is vulnerable, and the blade strikes home, dashing through a crack in his battered, broken armor and sending him to his knees.

He howls with impotent rage and agony, the sword clattering from his hand, clutching blindly instead at the gem embedded in the chest of his armor.

"What a fool you are--" he gasps out, as the blood pours over his hands. "You cannot kill me... I am eternal..."

In a quick, lithe motion Hector leaps across the gap separating him from Karlach and the others, coming to a halt standing over Ketheric as he begins to bleed out.

At last. At least, this finally ends, he thinks to himself, with more exhaustion than satisfaction. He has seen so much, centuries worth, of Ketheric's cruelty. With that blow, it is finally over.

In my Lady's name, and that of every Selunite you killed, die and be damned to you.

But Ketheric struggles to his feet; a manic light taking over the deadened pain in his gaze. He spreads his arms, backs away from Hector towards the edge of the slimy, smoking pit that stands at the center of the platform.

"MYRKUL!" he bellows, his voice echoing to the ceiling of the cavern. "LORD OF BONES! I AM HERE... I AM READY!"

And before Hector can stop him... he falls backwards, away from them, down into the muffled light below.

"I am yours..."

Hector peers down into the pit, listening for anything that would indicate that Ketheric has hit bottom. His skin is prickling with some inarticulate anxiety. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong in this place still...

At first he hears nothing at all. Then... a low rumble like an avalanche, the ground trembling under his feet.

And a voice.

Not the Absolute; a baritone rumble this time, a thunderous explosion on each syllable. It knocks him backwards a step, seizes his heart, chills through his blood. He catches his breath with a sort of dizzy terror, a sense as much of awe as fear.

He has lived his life in service of a goddess, the divine a part of his every waking moment. In spite of all his devotion, Selune has never spoken to him, not directly.

But it is a god speaking to him now. A wrong god. A terrible god.

"YOU DARE END ONE WHO BELONGS TO ME?" thunders the voice. It rattles in every atom of Hector's body, the ache in his head reawakening to something agonizing.

The ground around them begins to rock. The pit begins to belch a pale green fire, adding a sticky heat to the thickness of the air.

"I AM THE SMILE OF THE WORM-CLEANSED SKULL. I AM THE REGRETS OF THOSE WHO REMAIN. I AM THE REGRETS OF THOSE WHO REMAIN, AND THE RESTLESSNESS OF THOSE WHO ARE GONE."

"I AM THE HAUNT OF MAUSOLEUMS, THE GOD OF GRAVES AND AGE, OF DUST AND DUSK."

An enormous, skeletal hand reaches from the pit, grasps the rock next to Hector's boots. Then another. An enormous figure of bone and steel starts to resolve itself out of the fog, its empty eyes staring down Hector as it rises.

"I AM MYRKUL," the god thunders, "LORD OF BONES, AND YOU HAVE SLAIN MY CHOSEN."

Oh... Hector thinks, feeling suddenly a little bit faint. Killing Ketheric was one thing, killing the false god of the Absolute is one thing... but this is altogether different. This is a true god, one of the divine pantheon, one who stands alongside Selune even if antithetical to her.

How can he fight a god? How can he kill one? Surely this is not Myrkul himself but some avatar, but what difference does that make, in the end?

The fear squeezes his heart like a vise.

The god's enormous form leans forward, towering over him. "BUT IT IS NO MATTER," it continues, the voice now thick with venom. "FOR I AM DEATH. AND I AM NOT THE END. I AM A BEGINNING."

Light flares around its giant skeletal hands, an enormous scythe manifesting itself out of the darkness. The blade swings just above Hector's head as he staggers backwards.

"Shit," he hears Shadowheart whisper behind him, the single word full of a thousand others.

Hector turns, meets her eyes for a moment, and sees something of the same pain he feels reflected in them. For a moment, after all their strife, the two of them understand each other perfectly.

My Lady, forgive me for what I am about to do... forgive me that I try to strike down an avatar of one of your brethren. There is no other choice.

[the-black-reaper]

"I am the Lord's friend if do as he commands"

I understand greatness is mine to manifest, I have a vision, a plan, and ill make it work. My faith is stronger then ever. Amen

In God have I put my trust: i will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Ps 56; 11-13

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and shall direct thy paths. Pr 3: 5,6

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Isa 26: 3-5

The Lord thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the Lord hath said. Deuteronomy 31: 3

The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’Deuteronomy 33:27

The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; 2 Samuel 22:3-5

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. Psalm 31:1-3

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. Psalm 28:7

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37:1-5

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. Psalm 91

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. Psalm 121:1-8

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not [a]fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Psalm 23:1-6

[onekeii]

A Love Letter to Writing

Not a fanfic, but I'm an editor for the Arts & Culture section of my uni's newspaper, and I wrote something for our recent Valentine's themed issue. I'm pretty proud of it, so I wanted to post it anyway (also, I'll probably start posting more original stuff - short stories or mini essays - on here anyway, regardless of if people read them or not).

Also, could anybody tell me the best tags for something like this?

w/c: 0.5k

I see the world in so much colour. Angry red was never so comforting as words on a page, melancholy blue never felt so much like home as when I fell in love with yet another depiction of the wild, wild sea. It’s burned back behind my eyes in black and white.

I try not to make a big deal about my love of writing, for it is the writer’s job, her very purpose on this earth, to make you forget you are reading. She is the mystery behind dashing dragons and shimmering scales, the golden-haired prince who severs its head clean. But I, unfortunately, am human too.

A callus on my middle finger: a writer’s scar. Symptom of fever, symbol of love - married forever to the work I do. I’m only a writer when I’m not, desperate every waking second to put thoughts to reality. Pen to paper, my rhythm of liberation takes root, it springs forth, the flowers spiral out of control and blind me even more than before. They set me free from the buzzing of my mind. With each tap of the space key, each stroke of the pen, I am born again. I can breathe! Until the next time.

Warmth fills me, burns me up inside, when I write, unite. Of course, how could I do anything else? How could anything real make me feel such a way? It cannot. I need only the swarming in my head, a melodious cacophony, a discordant soliloquy. The journey of endless refinement unfurls up ahead. A chess game with all manners of punctuation. Adjust a clause here and there. Roll a word over, suck it dry with my tongue; I love to know the rules and I love to break them.

The rest is trivial, almost collateral; just meaningless things until the next time my pen meets the page, like meeting an old friend, or kissing somebody for the very first time - sparks fly! A dull ache follows when it is over, I chase that high. What a sorrowful world I live in, if not for you. Because I live through every word put upon that page in vivid explosions of colour, a complicated cascade of terror and joy woven into my life. A tapestry of emotion promised and lost. Every fleeting feeling ever touched is merely something that happens to my mortal vessel, for your true story reveals itself only on the blank page.

A limitless land, with every emotion available to experience to the extreme, right at my finger tips. Nothing can stop me. On a lined canvas: strong sea salt tickles your nose, a boundless blue ocean with waves crashing down on top of you. Yet you are always safe, sleeping in the shade of a willow tree, a birch forest twists around you and blooms of every colour and size flatter your unburdened eyes.

So rip my veins from my body in bloody carnal agony, you’ll find no liquid red. For I may eventually die, but a life in every word of mine has been carved into your soul. I will live forever.

…Do I sound pretentious enough yet? I do think I am not made for this world. I coast by with the promise of escaping to eternal paradise, somewhere else entirely new every night. A place that, in another universe, really was meant for me (and me alone). Alas, for now, all I can do is write.

If you enjoyed, please consider helping out by dropping a reblog or follow ✩

[xenopoem]

programs unravel compulsions from larval triggers, and machines reverse reality as the boy leverages traps in the junk world planetary gravity sperm is expelled, parasitic entities feeding off the blue mirror acceleration of bodily organs coincides with spiritual semen, circulating through cosmic barriers, with the cry of the machine-world entangled in suicidal paths and gravity spasm universe continues its course, while traps in perception distort reality

synaptic reversals in linguistic power lead to the disillusionment of phenomena in wider realms, reversing the mass and mechanisms of planetary existence

it's the cry of a doll, the circuitry of a mechanical process, and something poetic outside the internal modem, disrupted by the gravity of sodom bukkake evolves into an accessible state, fermented by a barrier in the doll's brain μ©ojjs, the goddess, analyzes the semen in the boy's anus in this murderous universe, and the comfort of the anus's hatch creates a wormhole where pig overload phenomena arise, causing anomalies in earth's gravity external chloroform appears on the outside of the buttocks, while ûayø¬ noise manifests in a plugžçm form — a shape of narcoleptic madness, grotesque chemistry not seen anywhere else the base is supplied by y§, but the soul of the capital yl circuit engages in quantum-level intercourse with oááy§ embryos. in literature, the reversal of the vèw era ends, while øzμû§rø ›of ëk z§r leads to a bloody future filled with genetic androids and bodies

the returning android functions forcibly feed on a living form, as corpses spiral into madness. the pioneers' eyeballs play roles in existence chains, involving drugs and the people of the z area screens display a confused body-sex plug, yes, i myself intend the jv android, yet which 'j' errs northward? a unique cosmic soul, human error, angels, soul distortion—all of the same ÿjój éæ®ûayèz§' ønã2û is destruction, the continual derivation of tragedy, invasion, and the sun 0 edhuôáx7üant gt2çí1 z2z0 roid marks the silence of zjghz, a sad, mechanical ¬'ëú error built upon terror, cosmic necrophilia emerges, with ø standing in a pitiful scene found amidst gravitational anomalies of bodies and artificial extasies

the body is weakened, infiltrated by zzo-like genetic theory caused her mutation, yet the issues of the animal planet earth extend beyond dimensional barriers—they concern power, brain, falsehood, the insanity of minds, the cries of souls, the wormholes in brains are nothing higher soul problem, a matter of a mother’s freedom, of retinas, of two worlds, of ecstasy, of drugs, of closing gates and escaping—a conservative spiritual barrier issue of artificial fertilization, space conquered, brain amplitude, extasies, reptilian fears, and brown flesh reversing as it encounters adam's corpse, sending notifications as my ó®œμ© organs are downloaded

the sky becomes more terrifying; a committee charges better pain messengers. gravity continues in the blue, eternal pyramid destruction is coded in dna, bodies drained of solar energy, life frostbitten, and her sadness inserted into the foundation. my body absorbs soul-energy through the chromosomes dashed line drawn by øèoúbioless belly mechanics holds the abilities of angels, which begin to chain souls live within the energies of the z0 system, where desire programs end horizon cradles a solitary essential unity

who knows how chloroform data reduces your skin, or how their spiritual flux is captured? the physicality of the body, humanity as part of the mind, social mechanisms of placenta migration—šðlostûayaí‰øœ‰x screens reflect eyeballs and visual loops of reflection; a boy’s vision, my own reality, scattered and confined, resembles a trapped phenomenon like the sun éçféoúš

the semen of the author-doll mingles with the electrical android, sun functions, human flights, the messenger of spherical replicas ripples accelerate, machines enact their protocol within the sun's tm retro side recently interpreted blood dimensions lead to a fetish—a process between her and the threshold, escaping into fellatio mutant 0šàjwÿí unfolds in biological-magical time, moving differently live memory animates the generation in a world of unthinkable androids and biological magic expands downward with every moment

[kingoftheblacksun]

Hey look it's Balaam the cowgirl.

I am going through an internal dark sacred union which is more grueling than expected. The "kundalini" is real energy that rises up, and it's about to break through my top vertebrae - it feels like a hot bullet and I spend hours every day and night doing exercises and dancing to try to resolve it. It's exhausting. I'm doing everything alone.

The world is not what you think it is, and everything is about to change in a way you never thought possible. All of the mystics who think they have it all figured out are 100% wrong.

Women are in intense danger, and they don't know it, yet. Liberalism and its social privilege has made everyone arrogant - yet that arrogance will be dashed when the Locusts of Apollyon storm the beaches of Virginia, with their mantis faces and arms like cleavers.

"I am this, I am that" is magic, for I am a being of energy which may not be bound by words - not even oaths. Words do not transcend time. I may not be words, for I am real.

When the Terror comes, know that I will fight to protect you. We must forge a new Kingdom. I call it, a Kingdom for Dogs. To be a full citizen, you must leave your words behind. We will be a people who live forever, and who transcend time. I will be King, and I will teach you to be Sovereign, to live eternal with the blissful Sun of God blazing fiercely in your belly, with the joy of your inheritance.

Please find me my horse. Sol Invictus. ❤️‍🔥

[hypermega-bummerboy]

Truly, this is happens to everything I post. Which is why I did this because I didn't want to explain this to the ether. But we're over 10 notes now, so I'll spill.

If you're the type of person that likes to catch up to where you left on Tumblr, you can both save your place and resume from another device if you do the following:

Turn off endless scrolling.

Turn on tab syncing on your browser (and also use the same browser to browse Tumblr on your other devices. I use Firefox on desktop and mobile).

This works because, when endless scrolling is disabled and you click next to continue to the next page of your dash, Tumblr stores the max post id in the URL which means you can always recreate where you are on your dash with that URL (example: https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard?max_post_id=733809377685946368). So you can always pull up your spot from your browser history or from any synced device.

Besides, that, I actually highly recommend disabling endless scrolling for mental health reasons. I've honestly had a healthier relationship with Tumblr since turning this off. It's so much easier to say, let me just finish this page and be done and actually stick with it than just trying to stop after one more post. Especially when you scroll and you can see the beginning of the next post which naturally piques your curiosity.

There are downsides, and that's if you want to do the whole multi-device thing, I'm not going to lie to you and say that the mobile web version of Tumblr is great. It's not. However, it works a lot better with endless scrolling disabled, since it only has to hold so many posts in memory at once. Before, once I scrolled far enough down my dash it would often become extremely buggy or just break.

On the upside, using Tumblr from something like Firefox mobile means you can use ad-blockers on it. uBlock Origin is available in Firefox mobile, plus there are other privacy protecting features and extensions (I wish you could use Xkit Rewritten on it, though). Or you can use any other mobile browser that has features you like. Honestly, this is the reason I stopped using the Tumblr app. Even though I was paying for ad-free, it was still riddled with trackers. So I canceled, uninstalled, and haven't looked back. I've been using the web version on mobile for about a year now...

Truly, the worst problem with Tumblr on mobile web is posting... it's awful. It's the same editor that's on the desktop web version and it's not at all optimized for touch screens. There have been many posts and comments that I've just abandoned because it just wasn't worth the hassle (also, as stated above, no one cares any way).

Although, while researching the settings for this post, I literally just noticed that you can change the editor from their rich text editor to "plain text/HTML" or Markdown, so I'm going to give Markdown a shot and see how that goes.

I ended up turning this stuff on for their own reasons, and it wasn't until I wrote the first post that I put all of this together. I've been doing this now for a couple of months since I discovered it and it's been nice going through my dash on my laptop then picking up where I left off when I need to use the bathroom or when I'm on the go.

I still don't ever catch up though. I follow too many people and disabling endless scrolling encourages me to not spend eternity on this site. But I no longer live in terror of losing my place and can easily find it again by going through my browser history.

tl;dr turning off endless scrolling in Tumblr allows your browser to remember it's place on the dash and you can resume from your history or by syncing your tabs to another device.

Y'all!!!!!!!

I just discovered a combination of settings that enable an incidental, killer feature in Tumblr. This shit is a game changer! Buuuuuut I'll only tell if I get 10 notes on this post.

[shiny-jr]

damnation (peek I?)

Warning: Yes, this is a yandere thing. Gender-neutral reader.

Characters: Ace Trappola, Trey Clover, Cater Diamond, Riddle Rosehearts.

Summary: When you commit a crime, you receive a punishment. This is especially true in your society. No matter the crime, your punishment is the same: banishment. But to where you will be sent in exile and how miserable will it be? No one knows, because no one has ever returned.

Note: So, as mentioned in previous posts, this is only a snippet of what is to come in a project I’m working on. I just wanted to do something for my followers since we have surpassed the milestone that is 4,000 hearts, which is huge. So thank you! Unfortunately, I don’t really have time for a special like I’ve done before where I accept requests since I’ve been so busy with irl stuff and the current twst quiz project. So here’s a small bit of what you can hopefully expect. Remember, I may or may not change things, so what you see now may not be the same later in the final result. That being said, I’m sorry I couldn’t provide much else besides peeks at three of the seven results. I still have a LOT more to write. Like, a ton. But I hope you all look forward of what is to come. Added: Deleted the Scarabia and Pomefiore part to create their own sneak-peeks later.

I . . . II . . . III . . . IV . . . V . . . VI . . . VII

First there will be questions you must answer. Questions that I will not reveal in this sneak-peek, but based on the answers you give to those questions, you will receive a result with a story. This post is a peek at some of those stories/results. Important things to keep in mind that you learn from the questions: 

The mc is deemed a criminal in their society.

All criminals in this society are banished, no matter how insignificant or significant the crime may be. 

This particular society makes a show of banishment, to make others fear this fate. Which mc recalls seeing trials on tv about past criminals. 

All criminals are never seen or heard from again. No one knows for certain what happens to them, but most assume death. 

Although the most popular fantastical theory is that criminals become henchmen for infamous evil-doers, and receive punishment there that may range from anywhere like a violent painful death to spending eternity in some tiny horrid prison. 

THE RED QUEEN

Robes. You were wearing robes of the finest quality that weighed heavily on your shoulders. This surface you laid on felt... nice. Soft, nothing like the hard bench of the prison cell. As you sat up and recalled your current dire situation, you felt a sense of dread loom overhead like a thick blanket of gray clouds. Immediately, fearfully, you scanned your surroundings. Everything was painted red, there was so much red velvet. The floors were polished checkered black and white and the furniture, if not completely red, was crafted of finely carved wood. It was fancy here. Safe, for now. Wherever this place was.

There was something hefty on your head, only noticing its weight settling on your skull as you moved to stand up from the crimson red sheets on the king-sized mattress. As you removed the item from your head, you were perplexed to see a small golden crown and a heart-shaped staff beside the spot you had laid on. Wait just a moment... red everywhere? A fancy setting? A crown and a heart-shaped staff? Rapidly you dashed over to the mirror just beside the bed, gasping at your appearance.

You were dressed just like royalty. And not just any royalty, like a king. A king of red with a heart-shaped staff... Just like the meek king that was married to the ruthless Queen of Hearts from the fairytales. So it was true, criminals were often sent to dangerous tales where they would perish. And you... you were a criminal and you were here, but... you were the king. How did the story go again?

The Red Queen, or Queen of Hearts, ruled over Wonderland with an iron fist. She would behead anyone who got in her way, and her reign terrorized the residents of the realm. That is, until Alice fell down a hole and arrived in Wonderland. She would eventually free this land from the oppressive rein of the queen. As for the king... what happened to him again? He didn't really appear in the story. You wracked your memory for an answer, when the horrid realization came to you. The Red Queen had been so terribly jealous and suspected that her husband was cheating, that she had him beaded! His head left to rot as it floated in a river of blood, surrounded by the heads of other victims, and the king's lifeless skull still with the crown. He had died before Alice even arrived in Wonderland!

You clutched your neck, grimacing at the thought of your own detached head, crown still attached, doomed to sail in a moat of blood. It made you sick to your stomach just thinking about it. There had to be a way to prevent your death, or at least stall for time, but how? The king couldn't just up and run away! People would take notice immediately, someone would inform the queen, and you'd be a goner for sure! But then what? You couldn't kill her either, could you...? It certainly was an idea. You would be doing a favor for the rest of Wonderland too...

THUMP!

Abruptly the doors flew open, nearly causing you to shriek. But you managed to hold your tongue as you quickly placed your crown back on and clutched your staff. When your eyes focused on the door, you were surprised and almost relieved to see the figure of a short young man that had slammed the doors open. He was... rather adorable, actually. It caused you to tilt your head, endeared by his appearance.

The young man had hair that shamed the red roses, and wide gray eyes. As soon as his eyes landed on you, however, his face grew flush and his expression twisted into one of rage. Immediately he slammed the doors shut behind him, stomping up to you, his heels violently clicking against the tiled floors. When the short young man was in your face, another horrible realization dawned on you. With that crown on his head and his wondrous red garbs, this could only be the queen. Or at least, someone meant to be the red queen.

“You knave! Where have you been lurking?!”

“I…” You were at a loss for words. What were you supposed to say? What was the king even doing before you got here? Most importantly, how would you avoid the queen’s wrath?

At your lack of a response, he only seemed to grow more frustrated as he threw wild accusations, “You–– You’ve been sneaking about, seducing the men of my court, haven’t you?! I shall have your head––!”

“Wha–– N-No, I haven’t!” You blurted out. The king was originally beheaded because the queen was jealous and thought she would lose him to others. So if you could assure him that your heart belonged to him, well… survival just might be possible. Although acting wasn’t necessarily your strong point, you could only try for the sake of living another day. Nervously you smiled, throwing aside your staff as you lifted your hands to gently hold his fist he had been angrily waving near your face. Thank god he didn’t have a knife or anything of the sort, or you feared he may have tried to stab you out of raging envy. “How could I ever dare to throw my loyalty to you away…? You are amazing…! I apologize sincerely if I haven’t been able to express my love for you properly. S-Sometimes it feels like you’re really too much for my heart to handle, you in all your… glory…!” Oh god, this was going terribly. All you could do to give the messy act a bow to top it off, was lean your head down and hesitantly kiss the back of his hand.

Miraculously, that seemed to work. Almost. The queen’s face was no longer as flushed, but he gazed down at you as you lingered at his hand. Suspicion was still evident in his eyes. “How do I know?”

“H-Huh…?”

“How do I know you aren’t lying? How do I know you won’t leave me as well? How do I know that you still love me? Prove it to me.” Those gray eyes of his watched you carefully, seemingly unhappy with your lack of a response. After about five seconds of no answer, his face scrunched up and he bellowed, “Guards!! Gua–– mmph!”

Not knowing what else to do, you kissed him. He wanted a sign of devotion, right? Oh god, this was it. Your death was here and now. You had no other way to shut him up. If you covered his mouth with your hands, you were a goner. If you attacked him, you were a goner. If you tried to continue reasoning, you were still a goner! You can’t believe that this was how you died, having to kiss a stranger as your last desperate attempt to live. Well, he wanted a sign. You were ready for him to push you off and armored guards come running in to drag you to the guillotine, when the most unexpected thing happened. He froze, he didn’t fight back or scream bloody murder.

When you slowly pulled away, you were stunned. His face was flush again, but for an entirely different reason other than anger. There was a dazed look on his face, and it almost looked as if he wanted to do it again judging by how he gazed longingly at your lips. It was then you understood that your reckless decision making might’ve just saved your neck.

The red ruler frowned, but you were unsure if it was because he was unsatisfied with something or if it were for another reason entirely. This time, when he opened his mouth, he spoke softly, as if still dazed. “You scoundrel… How dare you play with my heart like this? I should still take your head for that.” You gulped, but he continued. “But… I truly didn’t want to get rid of you. So I’m glad we can avoid that now. I expect to see you well away from the noblemen.”

“Y-Yes… Your Majesty.”

At your obedient response, he smiled and patted your head. “Good.” Taking one step closer, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss against your cheek. He lingered there for a few moments, before taking one step back.

The action left you flustered, embarrassed, because not only had you kissed a stranger but they had kissed you in return. And not only that, this crimson ruler believed you were his partner, the king! Under normal circumstances, you would’ve considered yourself lucky to land in such a position since the king has so much power and wealth. But in this type of situation, you can only shudder to think of what may come next and what would’ve become of you. Because these were no ordinary circumstances, and this was no normal kind ruler.

“Come along now. I don’t want you alone, do you understand?”

“Yes… Your Majesty.”

He beckoned you towards the very doors he entered from, and when he opened them, you were met with another character. It was a tall man with glasses and short messy dark green hair. Immediately he bowed to the queen, but when his eyes landed on you, he looked as if he saw a ghost.

“Change of plans, Trey. We will not be beheading my dear today. Nor tomorrow, I think. They’ve become quite affectionate, so my doubts have been dismissed.”

“O-Of course, Your Majesty…” The glass-wearing man, Trey, glanced over at you with disbelief, but he looked a bit relieved, it’s as if he wanted to say something. But he opted to hold his tongue and instead shifted his gaze forward as he walked beside the red-haired royal. “There is still that soldier imprisoned that displeased you.”

“Ah yes, the one that claimed to see those messy blonde locks but failed to capture our lost wanderer. Bring him to me in the throne room.” Just then he glanced at you as you walked a bit behind him, “My dear, you must be there with me. This should be quite the spectacle. I will see you in a moment.”

“A-As you say, Your Majesty…” You replied stiffly.

He frowned and stopped in his tracks before grabbing your collar and bringing your face closer to his. What you half expected was a sharp knife against your throat, something that would kill you, but there was no such thing. There was only his sharp gaze and disappointed tone. “You’re supposed to respond with: my dear. Not Your Majesty, not Rosehearts, but perhaps I’ll allow Riddle for now. Do you understand, dearest?”

So his name was Riddle. Judging by Riddle’s tone, he wasn’t angry, but rather irked that all the sweetness from earlier was now gone. Proceeding, you chose your words carefully as you attempted to smile as convincingly as possible, “Y-Yes, of course, anything you say, Riddle, my darling.”

At your words his cheeks became a pink hue before he let go of you and cleared his throat, quickly turning away and proceeding forward towards the end of the hall where he had whatever duties to fulfill. So you were left with Trey, his subordinate. The calm tall man’s shoulders sagged once the royal left, all the tension seemingly evaporating from his body. When he gave you a somewhat soft smile, your worries ceased for the moment as well. “I’m glad you’re still intact. I was certain you were a goner.” He was… nice? “You need to be more careful. I don’t know what you did to change Riddle’s mind, but he was ready to behead you himself. You know how he keeps that huge battle ax under his bed. He mentioned something about using that, and I thought he was going to use it to chop your head clean off.”

Oh god. That little guy was going to do that? That stupid kiss really did save your skin. “Heh, I’m still a little shaken…” Wait, you were supposed to be acting like the king! What did the king even act like? How were you supposed to know? He never even lived long enough to make it into the story! “I, um, am very appreciative towards your concern… Trey.”  

Trey appeared a bit surprised but he then smiled once more at you. “We’ll talk more later. Right now, we have a situation on our hands.”

What kind of situation? You didn’t even have time to ask when Trey led you down the checkered hall to an opening behind velvet red curtains which were the entrance directly to the large elegant throne room. There, you saw another stranger talking animatedly to the less-than-pleased-looking Rosehearts. This stranger had orange hair that brushed against his lower neck, and he had much more enthusiasm than those you had encountered thus far.

“Dear, there you are.” Instantly Riddle visibly brightened up as he gestured to the soft smaller heart-shaped throne beside his much larger grand seat. “Come, sit, we’re currently discussing the important matters at hand. Such as the dilemma with our prisoner. Cater, continue.”

When this Cater, fellow’s, green eyes trailed over to you, they became filled with surprise as he fumbled over his words, “Huh–– O-Oh! Right!” Forcing his gaze back on the red-haired royal, he began explaining, “There’s nothing really new to talk about, Your Majesty! I mean, seriously, this rookie was just the unlucky one that happened to see that blondie Ellis. According to him when I went to question him, he just said that he saw the guy in blue and when he went to confront him, Ellis escaped with some purple beastman!”

“Purple beastman…?” For a mere moment he appeared perplexed, when quickly the dots began to connect in his mind as he gasped, “Chen’ya! Why, the nerve of that––!”

When you saw his face begin to heat up again and a look of anger crossed his face, you slowly placed your hand over his arm that rested on the armrest of the throne. Then, he froze, everyone else, Trey, Cater, the few servants, the many armored guards in the room, they all were wide-eyed at what you had done. You had touched the queen when they were about to enter a fit of rage! You messed up–– Shit––

Riddle released a slow breath before placing his other hand atop your own. You felt such a massive flood of relief knowing you made the right move when he appeared much calmer as he nodded his head toward you, “Thank you, my dear. We shall discuss a proper punishment for that wretched feline later. For now…” Instantly his voice did a one-eighty as he turned his head toward the two imposing doors and shouted, “Bring him!!”

Nervously you looked over at Trey who stood tall and upright by Riddle’s side, and he remained oddly focused on the door. And that orange-haired guy, Cater, where did he go…?

“Hey…!”

Your eyes flittered over to you right where Cater was bent over a bit to whisper in your ear, while everyone else was distracted by the prisoner being escorted inside.

“I’m so happy that you’ve alive…! Don’t go dying on me so quickly, ‘kay? You wouldn’t leave me all alone here, would you?”

“Uh… no, of course not.” Huh. This Cater guy seemed pretty close to the king, or now you actually.

When you averted your eyes to the front, you listened to the clacking of armor as you watched more soldiers bring forward one of their own. Yet unlike all the others masked by metal, this soldier in shackles didn’t have a helmet. His messy red hair stuck out every which way, which made you wonder how on earth he even managed to fit that mess of hair under a helmet at all. His eyes were glued to the floor, and he wore a stiff frown as his shackles rattled with every step he took until he was right before the steps leading up to the red royal. When he refused to kneel, he was pushed down to his knees as Riddle eyed him with disdain.

Riddle wasted no time, because as soon as this prisoner was on his knees, he began his tirade of questions. “Ace Trappola, was it? We know you saw Ellis. Do you know where he is?”

The soldier’s head lolled forward a bit, his warm-colored eyes stopping on you for a moment as you gazed back at him. In a way, this Ace reminded you of… well, you. In shackles, forced to kneel, in front of a higher authority that was obviously not particularly fond of you, and likely with a sentence that could only mean your doom ahead of you. In a way, you did feel for him after hearing the basis of why he was arrested.

All was silent, only his shackles could be heard again as he slowly shrugged and snapped back, “I’d like to know that too! I mean, I’m sure wherever he is, he’s free as a bird. Meanwhile, me? Locked up for trying to do my job––!”

“Failing to do your only job.” Riddle corrected with a scoff. “I will ask you one more time. Where. Is. Ellis?”

Ace, still annoyed, continued. He must’ve been either stupid or brave for continuing. Although it might’ve been both as he mocked him. “Didn’t you hear me the first time? I. Don’t. Know.”

Under your hand you felt Riddle’s fingers dig into the armrest, his knuckles growing white as he raised his voice an octave, “What if I take off your head? Will you know then?”

“If you took my head, you wouldn’t get any answers after that.” He retorted with a slight eye roll.

Underneath your hand you could feel Roseheart’s anger growing the tighter he dug his nails into the chair. When you saw his face, you and everyone else could tell that he was fit to burst, no doubt ready to seal this soldier’s doom. Instantly you shot up from your throne, wanting to help save this prisoner. However, you very quickly began to regret it when all eyes darted over to your form, and you now became the center of attention. You couldn’t just sit back down, so with no other choice, you awkwardly cleared your throat and proceeded nervously, “My dearest, earlier when in our chambers I had an… um… epiphany! A vision! Y-Yes, I had a vision…! Ellis will slay your–– our, pet dragon jabberwocky.”

Instantly Riddle’s eyes widened. “He killed our jabberwocky?!”

“No…! No, at least not yet!”

Technically you weren’t lying. The story goes that the Red Queen had a powerful dragon, the jabberwocky, which was the main reason why she could keep such a grip on the kingdom with no rebellion ever coming close to dethroning her. At least, that is until Alice comes along and slays the jabberwocky. If you could somehow get rid of Alice, or Ellis in this case, and stay in Riddle Roseheart’s good graces, you would have it made! It was practically certain that the court back home thought you would’ve been beheaded already and your head would float in that river of blood for eternity. Yet here you were, alive, and if things went smoothly, you could live out your life in splendor here. Yes, you’d have to deal with the red royal, but if you could just stay in his good graces at all times, you would have a wonderfully lavish life! At this point you were just speeding things up, Ellis’ intentions of slaying the jabberwocky probably weren’t supposed to be revealed until much later. But, it would make a perfect excuse now.

As all eyes remained on you, you recounted your fake tale, “It all makes sense now…! In… In my vision I saw… A red-haired knight, um, clashing swords with a blonde man in blue and white!” Well, that part was a lie. There never was a red-haired knight in the stories. But this was an opportunity to potentially save Ace as well, and give him a chance to redeem himself in Riddle’s eyes. When you turned to face Ace, he was gazing at you with furrowed eyebrows, but you proceeded anyway as you gave your attention to Riddle now. “Riddle, I think–– I mean, I b-believe that knight is this one here in front of us.”

“Him?” The royal exclaimed in disbelief, looking at the soldier with something akin to disgust. To which the said soldier stuck out his tongue before a stern glare from Trey and Cater made Ace close his mouth. Riddle blinked, quiet for a moment before gazing up at you, his expression softening as he flipped over his hand so it held yours. “Is that what you were doing in our chambers alone? You were studying texts and had a vision, to save me?”

“Y…Yes…?”

His big gray eyes became fixated on you, as his voice became soft when he replied, “I’ve misjudged you, my dear… I believed you were being unfaithful, but you were working hard for me. How wrong I was.” The way he looked at you could only be described as adoringly.

It made you nervous, but you could only awkwardly smile in return. In order to ensure your own life of comfort here, you had to be sure to ruin the plot of the story. This meant that Ellis, the protagonist, could not win no matter what. Although it pained you to do such a thing, knowing that the outcome would most likely mean death by beheading him and his allies, you were more afraid of death than you were of the hero. For this, you would have to make sure the antagonist, Riddle Rosehearts in the role of the Red Queen, obtained a happy ending instead of a bad ending where he himself would be banished after being defeated by Ellis.

Clearing your throat, you hesitantly listed off the sequence of events in the way you recalled them playing out, “In my vision I saw… a blonde boy in blue, a purple feline beastmen, and a hatter, among other allies. Ellis will… will attempt to infiltrate the palace, and gain your favor under a disguise, and steal the ancient sword that can slay our Jabberwocky.” As all eyes and ears remained on you, you hesitated once again, mentally apologizing for what you were about to do. Maybe in the end, you might be able to plead with your supposed spouse to spare them. But deep down, you knew it was unlikely for the ruthless tyrant to even consider the idea. “Your Majesty, my darling, i-if I may make a suggestion…?”

Riddle nodded as he listened attentively, “Go on.”

Thankfully you had moved your hands away from his, and had them folded in your lap so he couldn’t feel the way your fingers trembled with anxiety. “I would like to suggest we allow this knight before us to carry the sword, sheathed and hidden at all times. Let this be his redemption–– um, please, if you allow it, your Majesty.” Said knight gazed up in surprise. “It would be best to keep sir Ace in our sights. So might I ask that he and another capable knight become my guards?” Guards. Smart move, especially if things get hairy later. “I-I’d also like to suggest an increase in your personal escorts too… my dear. So… so you’ll be safe. And, no one else besides those in this room, will know of what we spoke of today––”

“That way, Ellis will come here all on his own, and if he searches for the sword it will not be there.” Riddle finished, to which you nodded. He caught on quickly. “That’s brilliant!” You nearly breathed a sigh of relief as the red royal turned to glance at his two subordinates, Trey and Cater, only to gesture to the former prisoner and demand of them, “Unbind him, Trey. How can he wield a sword if his hands are bound?”

Trey slowly stepped forward as Ace was allowed to stand, and he unlocked the shackles around the knight. Ace continued to peer up at you, suddenly flashing a grateful smile. To which you only caught a glimpse of before being distracted by the redhead on the throne.

“Cater!” Cater stood upright immediately and awaited orders from the royal. “Find a suitable knight to escort my partner! I expect only the strongest and most obedient of knights! Am I understood?”

“You got it, Your Majesty! I already have a few in mind.”

“Wonderful. I will be interviewing them myself, as well as hand-picking my own escorts.” Riddle stood from his throne, tossing out more commands and orders to be followed by his remaining subordinate and the guards that had escorted the former prisoner. “You lot, I want an increase on the perimeter and another search crew to hunt down that wretched boy Ellis! Trey, go and fetch the sword. As for you, Ace Trappola,” Turning to face the knight, he warned, “You have one more chance. Should you fail a second time, there will be no do-overs. Your head will roll and your family shall pay the price for your mistakes.”

For a mere moment, disbelief and anger flashed on Ace’s face. Just as he opened his mouth, you spoke up, “T-Thank you, Your Majesty…! You really are so… merciful.” Better to be a pawn in this game than to be dead.

Riddle turned his attention to you before smiling, such a true and proud smile as he declared, “I have you to thank for this, for saving my kingdom and protecting me. Once we have Ellis and his companions captured, we will have a morning execution for him, with front row seats to the show." As his eyes drifted back to the onlookers, he commanded, "All of you shall speak nothing of what transpired in this room.”

A chorus of Yes, Your Majesty echoed in the chamber. The royal nodded, content for now, sending you one last smile before turning on his heels and walking off to elsewhere with Cater in tow. Leaving you alone with Trey and Ace as all other attendants and soldiers exited the throne room to go fulfill their duties.

Just for a moment, you wanted to talk to Ace alone. There was something about Trey, something about the way he watched you so calmly but there was something in those yellow eyes behind those glasses. Something that made it seem like he knew your secret, like he knew you were not really the king. You weren’t sure if it was your paranoia getting to you and your mind was just playing tricks on you, but you wanted to distance yourself as far away from him as possible. As the former prisoner made his way towards you, you cleared your throat and spoke quietly, but loud enough for Trey to hear. “Can–– M-May I have a word with you, sir Ace…? In private.”

“Sure, I’m free now.” He half joked, giving a bit of a grin which didn’t do much to ease your worries.

Trey stood beside the empty throne, watching as you glanced over at him and made a gesture for him to carry on with the assigned duty of retrieving the legendary sword, as dictated by His Majesty. To which he did, after he carefully observed the way you scurried behind velvet curtains with the knight not too far behind.

When you were finally out of sight with Ace, you noticed his raised eyebrow. Noticing this and the way he tapped his foot, you hesitated, unsure where you were even going with this or what you should do now. “You… You look like you have something to say.”

“Why’d you save me?” He demanded, all that cheerfulness from before gone now as things took a serious turn. Looking you up and down, he crossed his arms and continued, “You could’ve had your cute little hubby chop off my head like all the others before me. So, say it. That’s the reason you wanted to talk alone, isn’t it?”

He got you. Were you that obvious? You’d definitely have to work on being more discreet… Looking around twice to make sure no one was listening in, you huddled with him in a corner by the stained glass windows as you whispered hurriedly, in a panic, “O-Okay, whew, you’re gonna think I’m crazy, but… I’m not really the king, or queen, or whatever role I’m supposed to play here! Well, I guess I am now? Uhhh… h-here! It’s like this: I was put on trial in my homeworld, and as punishment I was banished. When I woke up, I was in Roseheart’s bed and he started talking to me like I was an unfaithful partner! I didn’t understand it, until I realized that it was all exactly like a story I read as a child. My punishment was to become the king that dies by being beheaded by his own wife! I… I got out of that somehow, and now, well…”

Ace was looking at you as if you were crazy, as if you had grown an extra head or something. His arms were crossed and he continued to stare at you. Should you have done that? Could you trust him? Well, he did owe you his life. If things really came down to it, you could have him arrested again and beheaded. Play the victim, call guards, and make up some lie that he attacked you, but you really really didn’t want it to go like that… Finally, after a few seconds, he shook his head and gave a weak chuckle, as if he couldn’t even believe it. “Hold on, let me get this straight: You’re not royalty, but you’re a criminal from another world? Did you hit your head or something?”

You knew it. He wouldn’t believe you after all.

“I mean, they keep saying this Ellis loser came from another world too… So… Maybe your story doesn’t sound too crazy after all.” His scarlet eyes focused on the floor, as if considering something. “You really weren’t lying about knowing the future. And I thought you had gone mad or something! So I’m a hero in the story?”

You could only scratch your arm nervously, a bit regretful for having to crush his sudden burst of excitement. “Ahaha… not exactly? I made that part up…”

Disappointed at the revelation that he wasn’t some badass hero wielding a legendary sword, he scoffed, “Seriously? So why save me then?”

“Look…” You took a deep breath, hiding your fidgeting fingers in your palm as best as you could. “We were both supposed to die. At least my character was mentioned in the story, but you? Y-You weren’t even mentioned at all…! You were just a nameless faceless soldier, someone not even worth mentioning––”

Offended, he snapped back, “Faceless? Rude much!”

You quickly shushed him, internally freaking out at the prospect that you may have been overheard. But when nothing else and no one else stirred, you frowned and muttered, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that, I’m just really nervous… I guess what I’m trying to get at here is… why don’t we both help each other survive?”

“What?” Shaking his head in disbelief. First this person called him someone not even worth mentioning then they ask for his help? Seriously, what was with them?

“T-Think about it…! I’m the second most powerful person in the entire kingdom…! I know what will happen! Kinda…”

“Well, I do want to live just as badly as you do…” It appeared he was still on the fence. Leaning his weight against the wall, he demanded, “But what do you mean you kinda know what will happen? I thought you, for sure, know.”

“Um…” Twiddling your fingers, you hesitantly explained the dilemma, “I did mention we were both supposed to die… And while that part isn’t a lie and the whole you being the destined one to stop Ellis was a lie, the other thing I didn’t lie about was Ellis gathering with his allies to infiltrate the palace and acquire the sword to kill the Jabberwocky. That will actually happen. S-So, since I told everyone that––”

“Let me guess, you told it early?”

Freezing, you gazed up at him and murmured, “H-How did you…?”

He shrugged, “I would’ve done the same thing if I were in your position. That means a higher chance of survival, right? Assuming that the blonde is the good guy and our king Rosehearts is the bad guy of the story. And considering all that, now you have no idea how the story will be affected, right?”

“R-Right…” Wait, now it just looked like you were useless! Immediately interjecting, you added, “But I can still make predictions based on what I know, like how things were originally supposed to play out…!”

“And you are still technically a royal…” Ace placed a finger to his chin, probably thinking about possible outcomes, upsides, and downsides if he agreed to work together. Finally, when his gaze flittered back to you and you stood upright, he questioned, “What if things don’t go how we–– you plan?”

You actually considered this briefly. If everything came crumbling down and all plans failed, there was but one last option to avoid any punishment. “Find Ellis and the White Queen… or is it the White King? I-It doesn’t matter…! The point is, the White Royal is very kind and merciful. If I go to them and explain that I am not really the Red King’s consort, then they’ll spare me…! If you come too and bring the sword to slay the Jabberwocky, that will assure them of our good intentions!”

“Isn’t that just running away? I don’t want to do that. And come on, the Whites? Are you for real? I thought us Reds were bad, but those pristine prissy little killjoys are no fun.”

For a second you wanted to strangle him. What kind of idiot would risk certain death by staying here if everything goes south, instead of fleeing to a good place that would grant you sanctuary? “It’s exactly running away, that’s the point…! The point is to stay alive!”

The redhead tilted his head to the side, his disappointed and serious behavior disappearing as he grinned. “What if I became king?”

Now it was your turn to look at him as if he were the insane one. Was this knight actually the mad hatter that had been driven insane by mercury poisoning?

“I do owe you one for saving my neck back there. And I won’t lie, I’ve dreamed about being king one day. And you, you’re actually way more ruthless than you seem at first. I thought you were a scared little wimp that always cowers behind their little hubby husband.” He mocked. Ouch. He thought you were a wimp…? “But turns out, I was so wrong about you. Sounds like you’re willing to do whatever it takes to live another day. Even turn on your own husband!”

He was whisper yelling, and it was starting to make you anxious that someone would overhear. So you whisper yelled back at a lower volume, “S-Stop that…! You know the truth, he’s not really my husband…”

That smirk made you think that he was going to respond in a louder voice, but thankfully he wasn’t that stupid. Just stupid enough to plan to overthrow the bloody Red King and talk about it in his own palace. But maybe you were stupid too, for talking about such delicate matters in the palace halls. Ace took your hands and performed a mock bow. “No running away, you got it? I’ll take that tiny red punk’s crown and become king, then I’ll keep you as a royal beside me, it’s the least I can do after what you did. We’ll both not only survive, but thrive. What do you say, Your Majesty~?”