#Mal's AU Rambles

[trashpandaperson]

so i had an idea for an AO3 fic. Modern superhero/villan/superpowers AU where Owen, Krow, and Apo are roommates. Owen has the power of metal manipulation, Apo can control plants, and Krow has two powers; one being the ability to control and travel through shadows and be able to hide its demon features [horns, claws, tail] which most people assume the opposite of; that it’s second power is to turn into a demon. Apo is a vigilante, Owen is a hero, and Krow is kind of a morally grey character; it helps people in need but also does small crimes like theft and arson on abandoned buildings; the hero organization classifies it as a vigilante tho. they all try (and fail) to hide their identities from each other, so it’s very comical how sus one of them can act and the other two are way too tired to notice. more later, is getting late. byeeee o/

[deadly-glamourtail]

(Spoilers, I mean it!) Wouldn't be a crossover between In Stars and Time and Hollow Knight without doing at least some bosses.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 with the team.

These eight drawings were super fun! Maybe I'll do actual ISAT art later, or Art Fight will take my entire free art time, who knows.

Bigfrin was why I kept going in the first place, and Mal Du Pays was such a lightbulb moment. Details and rambling about crossover lore below!

Remember me rambling about using Nightmare as a replacement for the color Red in the first part? Well, there it is. Hallownest or not, the lore is still clear that the Dream and Nightmare realms were separated long ago, so Siffrin's wish connecting them and putting non-Grimm related Nightmare Essence into the waking world is still, uh, pretty huge.

Between regular Grimm and NKG, it felt right to take inspiration from the latter to do The Playing One. Because they'd be a huge boss in this crossover too, the dagger would also transform into something inspired by the Coliseum Fools' weapons, for visibility. And, since Dream Essence appears as Whispering Roots in the waking world, the best equivalent I could get for Sif's hat was a Nightmare Lantern, though much simpler.

With Mal Du Pays... It took a while to work out.

The first thing that comes to mind would be using Void, but that seems to be something too intrinsic to Hallownest (we know anywhere deep enough could hold Void and worshippers, but ISAT's plot isn't going down, but up). So I thought of regular Dream spirits, didn't seem to work, until a wiki dive got me in the perfect place.

Nosk can read minds and craft perfect facsimiles of important bugs found in memories, and shapeshift arms or wings as necessary to bring down their prey - maybe it's even smarter if not Infected. It was perfect! If they are a well known species, I'd probably follow the nomenclature from HK and call it Repeating Nosk, instead, but let's go with the Sadness for clarity.

Nosk is simultaneously Mal Du Pays and the ghosts in the House. In every loop, they take notice of the group, and put in fake Siffrins in their path to try and separate them. Because this never works, either because they're careful or the whole Memory of Ghosts scene, it goes on just as unexplained, since Nosk can just shred the disguise and blend perfectly into the black walls.

Until, of course, Act 5. There's no team, and now there's a single living bug other than the King for Nosk to prey on. But, since this is Act 5, Nosk reading into Siffrin's mind and becoming aware of all the loops, all the self-hatred, an incomprehensible stretch of extremely similar time breaks it bad.

Sif never notices that the ghosts are now really messed up, with stained clothes, broken masks and barely an attempt to use the same shape. In turn, Mal Du Pays won't strike because it's now aware that it wouldn't work, so, they wait.

Not sure how the fight would happen in the waking world in this crossover, but I wanna say the King sees it coming and lets it happen because he's an asshole like that. Mal Du Pays can't defeat Siffrin in a fight, so it waits until they're too exhausted, and does its thing.

Does it have a voice? Or does Sif take one look at the shells moving around and hallucinates the rest? Could go either way.

Either way, the team would have one hell of a fight in this version.

[greenapplebling]

Continuing with the rambling over the descendants x twst AU I talked about in this post (more specifically in the tags)

Evie and Carlos have the easiest time bonding with Vil and Professor Crewel. With Crewel, everyone finds the way he talks to his students weird but it was really easy to clock him as Cruella's reincarnation. As a teacher, it's easier to go to him with the excuse of asking for advice and help without feeling out of place, so definitely more approachable

With Vil, it kinda depends if Evie is sorted in Pomefiore (which I'm going with lol), if she is then Vil as the Housewarden of Pomefiore automatically becomes more approachable to her. I feel like they'll clash a little when it comes to tastes in fashion but Evie is eager to learn everything she can from Vil, about skin & hair care, makeup, hairstyling, etc, etc... Vil will also teach her about Magical Potions and maybe they'll create the deadliest poison together (and the cure, per Evie's request)

[kanzakurawrites]

Well, the Descendants Hunger Games Au won't leave my mind so here's more on Gil, and the year he and Mal were in the games:

WARNING: While I'm not going into major detail, this is still a bit gory.

Gil has grown up knowing that he'd likely end up in the games. Most VK's do, with only a few never making it in, generally by bribery, running away, or just being extremely lucky.

He knows that his father has bribed people to make sure that the few girls Gaston has claimed never made it onto the Isle of Doom. Not for their safety, but so they can continue to care for Gaston and his sons.

Just like he knows his father has made bribes to make sure that the twins will never have to compete against boys a lot stronger than them.

Gil can be naive, but he's not naive enough to believe his father would do the same for him.

So, he's trained for his entire life. When it's finally his turn, he breathes a sigh of relief that he's not up against Harry.

He knows the general rules of the game, the main being to come out alive. He also knows that usually the boys hunt the other boys, and the girls hunt each other. Although, the games are also used to get rid of the people you hate regardless of their gender.

It was a few days into the games, and he had already taken some others out (which he was trying not to think about), when he heard bloodcurdling screams, screams that didn't match up to the ones he had already heard. While he knew it would be smarter to go away from them, he went towards them anyways.

He found a group of boys and girls surrounding Mal, using chains to cut her wings and wrap her body.

He didn't care that it was dumb, all he knew was that Mal and Uma were once close and Mal helped slip food to his sisters, so he jumped in.

The fight was going against them, and he was getting closer to Mal when purple flames shot from the ground, taking the vk's around them.

Not knowing what they were, Gil dragged Mal out of the chains and got her out of there, her wings had gotten caught on rocks during the fight and fell into the sea.

They hid in the ruins of a castle over the next few days, while Gil did his best to care for Mal. This is when he finds out about Hades, and Mal makes him swear to never tell anyone. She can barely stand, barely breathe, let alone try to force him to do anything, but he agrees because for once in his life he saw fear in Mal's eyes.

Eventually, over the course week, a few kids make their way to the castle and one by one Gil and Mal take them out, despite Mal growing weaker and weaker. By the end, they can't wait anymore and they leave the ruins during a thunderstorm.

The remaining four people ambush them, and Gil gets stabbed. Mal is barely holding on, but Gil watches as she raises her arms and screams, flames circling them. Unlike the last time he saw the flames, where they seemed out of control and actively protecting Mal, these go straight to their targets.

Gil doesn't pay attention to the screams, he can't or he'd go insane. Instead, he catches Mal as she faints and he rushes her towards the boats.

It's another day before the goblins come. Mal is fighting to stay conscious and doing her best to walk on her own. Wounds aside, she has to relearn to walk now that she no longer has wings.

The goblins aren't surprised that they made it out. At least, they aren't surprised that Mal made it out, neither one seemed to recognize Gil.

On the boat ride back to the main island, Mal reminds Gil of his promise, and he once again swears he won't tell. Neither acknowledge how Mal leans into him, or how he's shielding her.

Once they reach the Isle, multiple VK's rush to the boat, with some curious adults following. There are screams and cries as always, but no one tries to attack them or take revenge. At least, not now.

Gil knows that he should let Jay take over, he knows that he should walk to Uma and Harry, but instead he continues to help Mal. He stays close even when Jay pulls her into his arms.

More surprising to the three, Mal pulls Gil along as Jay helps her away from the crowd.

This was the start of the two crews alliance. Because just like many of the previous "winners", Gil and Mal formed a bond on that island, and it wasn't one that was going to easily break.

[callinskiiscalling88]

Can we start a drawing trend where Princess Celestia summons Twilight to do the wackiest stuff claiming it's a Friendship lesson

"Twilight go kidnap Mal from Descendants for me"

"What? Why?"

"Friendship Twilight, Friendship. "

@ me if you do this

[arolesbianism]

Thinking abt Sif Odile duo looping au again and I wanna be able to plot everything out more coherently but act 5 eternally looms overhead and boy I do not wanna look up

[thanks-obillma]

songs on my td playlist that make me feel emotions again aka a chance to rant about my intricate headcanons for their adult lives

bad idea from waitress

both Mal and Zoey because they're way more similar than they'd ever admit

more shippy than I personally headcanon

"I know what's right for me, it's the only thing (I've ever) (I've never) done."

Mal knowing that the system will be safe and happy with Zoey and Cam but pulling away anyways to satisfy his need to be in absolute control to feel safe

(he knows he's being selfish) (he doesn't care) (he's the protector, he's the hero) (he's the villain) (he'll keep them all safe) (he's hurting them for his own sake) (he can't stop) (he's got everything under absolute control) (he's terrible) (he's the best thing that ever happened to them) (like it or not)

*slaps roof* this bad boy can fit so much cognitive dissonance in him, I love him

she's not a person anymore, she's a ghost, a shape a piece of clay for everyone to shove in their gaps, she's a stand in and a crutch and nothing and nobody and she's only the praise everyone else gives her, she doesn't even exist, she's a ghost she can't leave she's a terrible person for being a person she's not a person and this isn't a problem no she's being good so good and everyone loves her she's a person she has a body (she's just a shell)

and then it just goes straight into:

"what if I never see myself ever be anything more than what I've already become"

hoo boy

they can grow so much (they will grow so much) but god they can't see it right now they don't even know where to look how can they ever get there if the future is just wind in their hands

jealousy jealousy

once again Mal and Zoey

she doesn't exist outside other people, of course she struggles with being jealous of everyone somehow

she's jealous of their personhood, but that's too abstract so it's just their looks and accomplishments and belongings and life

and him? why him? why did it have to be him what did he ever do to deserve this? look at them. they're happy why the hell do they get to be happy??

I think he's jealous of Mike (I have a whole nother ramble locked and loaded for that) so the bridge is all his

anyways I think they should bond over being jealous of everyone and everything and Zoey should get to be bitter and embrace being an outcast a little more, you don't have to be perfect girly

keep an eye on dan-- abba

haunting sorta song about parenting separately

and Vito and Anne Maria are already my designated abba bitches sooo

they get kids but Vito's part of the system and the others have their own things going on so he's really only out a day and a half or so a week

so Anne Maria is basically raising the kids by herself with him as unreliable back up

(she's got a good support system and she wanted kids regardless of whether she had a coparent or not so it works for them pretty well but like angst potential here)

(I'll post more details about the kids later)

Vito strikes me as the type of guy to want a couple kids running around but he's also terrified of having kids because look how they (the system) turned out, how can he break that huge of a chain?he cries a lot the first time he holds his daughter because he finally got his dream and it's so fragile in his hands

(he's a great parent, he does good. she's a great parent, she does good. they do good, they do it.)

they all get their happy endings. they fight tooth and nail for it and they get it.

[mal-zero-solo]

Goddamn I'm way to deep in this fandom. Not that it's a bad thing.

Probably have some disorganised stuff about making an AU called 'Splash Stars'

Eh, time would tell.

[doom-cookie1]

More Vampire AU thought, this time on possible backstory.

I'm thinking established Malina seek out the mysterious Lord Aleksander Morozova a la Castlevania for. . . Some reason? General knowledge seeking? Maybe they're healers or something. Like a strange illness is sweeping through their village and they need a way to stop it.

Or maybe help in fighting a war more Dracula Untold sort of vibes? Maybe mutually pining Malina where Alina is the princess of a Shu Han vassal state that borders Ravka and Mal is her personal guard. War threatens and without an army, her people stand no chance of surviving so they decide to sell their souls to the devil. Only they get there and it turns out the devil is 1. Super Hot and 2. Very Reluctant to damn these brave beautiful souls for all eternity, even if it means he'd no longer be alone.

I think I like that better, Dracula Untold vibes it is!

[zestyderg]

Who would win?

Primal (Primordial) Malzeno or Corrupted Joe?

HMMMMMM

Corrupted Joe.... he's fucking strong, ok? I haven't really showed this off yet but he CAN fight off vivosaurs with his bare hands.

Not sure if it would be enough to kill PriMal though. That thing fucking teleports, it's combo game is WILD and it hits hard. I don't think Joe is winning this one, even in his corrupted state.

(He also doesn't have a giant ass weapon to help him)

However, PriMal would not go unscathed. Joe will get at least one good hit before he goes down.

IF HE HAS HIS VIVOS THO THEN THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.

[seasaltandcopper]

characters who think they aren’t smart because they struggle with traditional schooling. characters who think their intelligence is defined by whether or not they graduated college or high school, or how well they read, or how articulate they are when they speak. characters with undiagnosed learning disabilities who never got the help they needed

just, characters who’ve been told they were stupid over and over again for not meeting certain milestones until they start to believe it too, my beloved

[daughterofhecata]

ÖPNV-Planung vom Feinsten:

In die eine Richtung fährt der SEV so, dass er die Anschluss-Tram (wohlgemerkt, die einzige Tram ab der Haltestelle!) um planmäßig exakt eine Minute verpasst.

In die andere Richtung fährt er so, dass ich meinen Anschluss (den ich mit der Tram in 90% der Fälle bekomme) zwangsläufig verpassen muss.

Und das die nächsten ZWEI MONATE lang.

[tragedykery]

would it barely have effect on the fic? yes. am I thinking about how kataang’s kids would call their aunts & uncles (and especially which language they would use) in this au instead of actually writing said au? also yes

[mediocremxm]

So I just finished reading the Crow Strider au for the first time. Is it wrong to want to consider a piece of fanwork as better than the official ending of something?

I love happy endings I’m sorry.

[crazy-fruit]

Es ist schön, wenn die eigene Uni ihr verwalterisches Chaos auch bei der Einreichung einer Masterarbeit noch einmal bestätigt wird.

[tvrningout-a]

i meant for this hc to be two paragraphs, not 4 and counting