#Outcasts of the Rift

[magenta-fantasies-illustrations]

Happy New Year! Enjoy your first glimpse into Book 2 and the Kikusekin Empire!

The first sunrise of 2025 brings hope that this will be a year to make steps forward, to right wrongs from previous years and work for peace and restoration. Look to the light ahead and have a happy 2025!

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Outcasts of the Rift is a story-driven, art-focused RPG combining strategy RPG combat with adventure game-style puzzles and exploration. Learn more here!

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[deakyjoe]

Crave

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Category: angst with a happy ending, friends to lovers, idiots in love

Summary: An unknown problem causes tension between you and Bucky. He’s desperate to know what.

Warnings: Thunderbolts* spoilers, angst, but a happy ending, past parental death, the winter soldier committed atrocities, Bucky did nothing wrong, allusions to past smut, kissing, idiots in love, nickname "doll"

Word count: 2.8k

A/N: Throwback to the Bucky Barnes fics I was writing on Wattpad when I was 14.

You hadn't looked Bucky in the eye for four days, six hours, twenty three minutes and fifty six seconds.

And it was starting to frustrate him.

Bucky was short on people he trusted, even shorter on people he considered friends. And now, with Steve gone and a rift between him and Sam, you were pretty much all he had left. He couldn't bare the thought of losing you, and something was clearly bothering you. Just what, he didn't know. So it was his mission to find out. 

Cornering you in the kitchen was a bad idea. He realised that as soon as he did it.

The apartment you and Bucky had shared for the past couple of years had been a genius idea at first. You'd both been outcasts, understood each other to a certain degree, and enjoyed your solitude. The apartment stayed quiet the majority of the time, the both of you finding comfort in no company other than your own. You'd pass each other briefly sometimes, but would rarely linger. An occasional conversation would happen, but nothing too serious. 

It was prime for what you both needed.

Until Bucky noticed that you were avoiding him. You were still talking to him when necessary but ever since the whole thing had happened with Val and Bob and the rest of the New Avengers, as they were now being referred to, you hadn't looked him in the eyes. 

Trying to get you to hang around to tell him what was wrong was more difficult than he'd anticipated. He should've known, the apartment was home to two of the best trained assassins in the world. Evading him was easy when you would simply dip under his arm and slip out of the room whenever he walked in.

So, he cornered you in the kitchen.

You were in the middle of cooking dinner for yourself, head down as you hummed along to whatever was playing on the radio. Peaceful. You looked peaceful, Bucky noted. That changed as soon as you sensed his presence.

You tensed but didn't leave the room, just continued chopping vegetables. "Hey, do you want me to cook you something?"

One of the many things Bucky appreciated about you was your ability to try to pretend like everything was okay. Something was clearly wrong and yet you were still offering to make him dinner. It was almost admirable.

He stood firmly in the doorway, blocking it in case you decided to make a speedy escape. "No, no. I, uh... I wanted to talk to you about something."

The movement of the knife in your hand paused momentarily before you kept going. "Oh?"

Bucky scratched the back of his neck with nerves. How was he supposed to ask? So, he avoided the real topic for a moment and strayed to something else that he'd also been meaning to talk to you about as well. "Valentina mentioned us moving into the old Stark Tower."

This time you stopped, putting the knife down on the cutting board. But you still didn't look at him. "Really?"

"Yeah. Yelena, Alexei and Bob have already moved in. Ava's in the process and Walker's planning on it in the next couple of weeks." Bucky watched as you took that in, he could practically hear the cogs turning in your head. "We don't have to."

You shrugged, turning to the pan that was sizzling next to you and turning down the heat. The room smelled strongly of garlic and onion and Bucky was starting to regret the offer of you cooking him dinner as his stomach started growling.

"Maybe we should." You replied finally.

Bucky's heart started racing. 

"Some more space, y'know? Might be good." You added on.

His heart stopped altogether. 

"Space?" He repeated and you nodded. "You want space?"

You sighed and sprinkled some salt in the pan. "I didn't say that. But this is a small apartment for one person, let alone two. Tower's got more room." 

He could only watch as you continued to refuse to look at him, feeling his world crumbling. You wanted more space, away from him. He was losing the closest person in his life. The one thing he didn't think he'd be able to survive. So all filters in his brain disappeared.

"Is that really the reason? Or does it have something to do with why you haven't been able to look at me the past few days?"

Your hands clenched into fists, nails scraping against the granite counter top. "What- what are you talking about?"

"It's times like these that I appreciate the fact that I'm the only person you can't seem to lie to." Bucky rolled his shoulders back, trying to gain the confidence to ask you, to hear the answer that could change everything between you. "I'm not stupid either, doll. I notice when you don't look me in the eye. Especially for days on end."

You covered your eyes with your hands, massaging your temples with your fingers and thumb. "I- I don't know what to say."

There was no point denying it, he'd caught on and there was no way out now. You had hoped that you'd been more subtle about it but nothing got by him it seemed. And now you felt bad. But how were you supposed to tell him?

"Just tell me what's wrong and I'll fix it." Bucky was desperate. The loneliness he'd experienced for years was slowly creeping back in and he hadn't even lost you yet. He was just predicting it. 

"It's not something that can be fixed."

The onions were burning, the smell of it filling the kitchen. Both of you were unaware as you battled the emotions you were both feeling.

"Then what is it?"

You dropped your hand from your face, looking at Bucky for a split second before averting your gaze away. Guilt washed through you but you couldn't help it. Looking at him made you feel sick.

Inhaling deeply, you decided to just drop the bomb. "What I saw."

That statement only confused Bucky even more. "What you saw?"

"When... when we were in there." Nothing more needed to be said. The implication was clear based on your emphasis on the word there. You both knew where you were referring to.

He stayed silent, he had his suspicions and he didn't want them to be true. What you saw in the void was something he feared because, deep down, he knew exactly what you'd seen.

You didn't stop. "I saw my parents dying."

An ache rippled through his chest as he felt his heart crack in two. It wasn't something the two of you ever spoke about, your parents' death. It had been brushed aside years ago when the two of you had properly met for the first time. But Bucky had always had the sense it had been an underlying tension between the two of you. After all, how couldn't it be? The Winter Solider had killed your parents.

"Oh." It was all he could offer. What else was he supposed to say? He was the cause of your pain.

"And I know- I know that it technically wasn't you who did it. But he had your face. So it's been a little difficult looking at you. I'm sorry." You suddenly seemed to remember the onions, taking a spoon and stirring them to prevent them sticking to the pan. It was only a momentary distraction.

"Why are you-" He swallowed the lump in his throat, staring you down as you still refused to look at him. "Why are you apologising?"

"Because I'm treating you like shit even though it's not your fault." Your voice cracked, running a distressed hand down your face. 

"It- it techni-"

"No." You cut him off sharply, picking up the knife again. "It's not. So don't you dare say it."

He said it anyway. "I killed them."

The knife was slammed back onto the counter, the clatter echoing around the room. Bucky watched the inner turmoil you were going through, trying to argue against him when maybe, inside you somewhere, you actually believed it. 

"It's okay. I understand." He whispered and then he left the kitchen, disappearing through the door and retreating to his bedroom for the night. 

It was too early to go to bed but, not knowing what else to do, Bucky did it anyway. After changing into his pyjamas, he crawled under the covers and switched the light off. The room was plunged into darkness, the only sounds being of you distantly moving around in the kitchen. He was left with nothing but his own thoughts, spiralling for hours as he contemplated what would happen next. Would you leave him? Would you move into the old Avengers Tower and solidify the separation between you? He couldn't stand the idea of that. What would he do without you?

Eventually, the apartment went silent. Bucky had assumed you'd gone to bed yourself after hearing the muffled sound of your voice on the phone to someone for the last thirty minutes. You were probably arranging your moving plans, looking forward to the quick escape.

But then his door creaked open, light footsteps making their way towards his bed. Then the blankets were thrown back, the mattress dipped and you were suddenly curling yourself into Bucky's side, resting your head on his metal shoulder.

"Hi."

Your voice was tender, breathy, and Bucky felt the rigidity of his muscles melting from his body. 

"Hi." He responded, wrapping his metal arm around you and letting his hand rest on your hip. His body called to you, needing it near, and having you in his bed was heaven for him.

It had happened once, the two of you. Pretty soon after the whole deal with Thanos and Steve leaving. You'd just tumbled into bed together one night, the both of you needing the intimacy and comfort of someone you trusted. You hadn't spoken of it since, too scared to address whatever it had been. But Bucky often found himself craving that closeness with you again. 

"I'm sorry about the last few days." You sighed, turning your face into his neck and skating an arm over his chest to hold him closer.

Your breath fanned over his skin, making it prickle and he suppressed a shiver. 

"It's okay. I do understand." He did, he really did. Honestly, what he didn't understand was how it seemed so easy for you to live with the man who had murdered your parents. It just didn't make it hurt any less when it did seem to bother you.

The topic lingered between you for a few seconds, neither of you knowing where else to take it. You were just going to keep going in circles. You were sorry. He understood. But you were still sorry. It wasn't going to get you anywhere. So you broached the other subject that was causing tension.

"I spoke to Yelena. About the logistics of us moving in. She said that me and you can have our own floor to ourselves. So it'd still be like us living in an apartment together. If you'd like." Your voice was shy, uncertain of what he'd say.

"Is that something you'd like?" His metal fingers flexed against your hip, flesh hand clenching on his other side. 

"Of course. You're my..." You trailed off, letting it hang in the air. There was no appropriate term to accurately describe what you and Bucky were. More than friends but not quite the next level. You just hovered somewhere in between. "You're the most important person in my life."

Sweat prickled at the surface of his skin, creating a slick sheen that he was worried you could feel. If you did, you didn't seem to care. Pressing your nose into his jawline, he could feel your eyelashes fluttering against his cheek.

Your voice was shaky as you kept talking. "I don't care where we are. Here, the tower, wherever. As long as we're together. I can't survive without you."

He turned to face you, lips brushing against yours with the ghost of a touch. So close to colliding, but so far from actually happening. All it would take would be the slightest tilt of his head and Bucky would be kissing you. It was all he wanted to do. But he needed confirmation first. "Really?"

You smiled against his mouth. "Yes, really."

There was a moment of silence, a second where Bucky convinced himself to just do it, to kiss you. But then you spoke again.

"You don't need to worry about losing me. I'm never going to leave your side."

That one simple statement meant more to him than you could ever possibly understand. He didn't necessarily blame Steve for what he'd done but he did hate him for it sometimes. And Sam... his relationship with Sam was more complex than he'd like to admit so he wasn't entirely surprised that they were clashing at the moment. That didn't mean he was anymore okay with it. So you simply telling him that you never planned to leave his side was all the reassurance he needed from you. 

So he kissed you.

It was soft, cautious. Bucky wasn't entirely sure if it was what you wanted. But then you made a satisfied hum against his mouth, as if you'd been waiting for him to make the move. The kiss heated a little, moving away from being careful but stayed gentle. 

Bucky didn't dare move, worried about scaring you off. Maybe he was imagining this, what if he wasn't really kissing you and it was just the desires of his mind torturing him. But then your hand moved from his chest to cup his cheek, keeping him in place as you pushed your lips against him harder.

There was a purity to it, neither of you pushing for the next step. Open mouthed kisses were exchanged but nothing more.

Something was plaguing him still, so he asked when the two of you broke away for air.

"What if you still can't look at me in the morning?"

"That's not an issue anymore." You assured him, thumb stroking along the scruff of his jaw. There was no hesitation in your voice, no matter how much it ached hearing him ask that question. "The knowledge of your pain hurts more than my own. Besides, you're Bucky. My Bucky. Not the man who killed my parents."

"It doesn't bother you? I always thought that maybe..." He didn't know how to word it exactly. Maybe you secretly hated him for what he'd done. Maybe you wanted him dead. Maybe you were plotting against him. Maybe you only stayed with him out of obligation to Steve.

"It's never bothered me. Steve was clear before he introduced us. And he clearly trusted you more than anyone else in the world." You planted a kiss on the corner of his mouth. "And it didn't take long for me to feel the same."

His eyes fluttered shut. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. I know better than anyone the power of HYDRA's brainwashing. And when we met... I knew you weren't the same man who killed them. The detached look in your eyes was gone and filled with something else. Something warmer, but also tinged with guilt and regret." You nudged your nose against his. "And then I saw how far you went to protect the ones you loved and what they did to keep you safe. It was inevitable that I'd eventually love you too."

The use of the word love tipped him over the edge. So he kissed you again, this time pushing for the next step. You were all too happy to comply.

A month later, when the two of you had moved into the tower with the rest of your new team, Yelena had asked you how your new bedroom was.

"It's bigger than your old one in that tiny little apartment, isn't it?" She'd been very proud when she'd shown it to you. She was convinced it was the reason you had decided to move in.

You shrugged. "Haven't been using it."

"Wha-?" Yelena cut herself off when she saw the way you glanced at Bucky next to you, a smirk on both of your mouths. "Ohh..."

She got it then. You'd been staying in the same room. She had been curious why the two of you didn't share a room beforehand, having assumed you were a couple. Apparently she was wrong and it was only a new development. As much as she was happy for her two new friends, she was pissed that she'd agreed to let the two of you have a whole floor to yourselves when you were only using one room.

When she brought that up, you and Bucky both agreed that you didn't care where you were living. As long as you were together, nothing else mattered.

[uno-san]

Bill Cipher Vs. Self-Hatred

Howdy y'all! Today I just wanted to go over some thoughts I had over everybody's favorite triangle that may or may not have occurred to some of you already. Naturally this will contain Book of Bill Spoilers.

To start off our little essay I thought it would be important to first sum up my thoughts on one of Bill's more complicated relationships: Stanford

Now we've all seen his dynamic with Stanford plenty of times in the show but with recent information coming from both the Book of Bill and thisisnotawebsitedotcom.com more light has been shed on the subject from both Bill's perspective and Ford's.

There's more than meets the eye when it comes to dissecting Bill's interactions and thoughts on Stanford, with the ever enlightening "EVEN HIS LIES ARE LIES" making theorists scratch their heads. Within the Book of Bill are these codes and their meanings: hbh grfwru ri d gliihuhqw nlqg/ zkr zdqw wr pdnh klv sdwlhqw eolqg

eye doctor of a different kind/ who wants to make his patient blind

Qeb alzqlo pxvp/ qeobb pfmp x axv/ tfii jxhb qeb sfpflkp/ dl xtxv

The doctor says/ three sips a day/ will make the visions/ go away

Ixvvb hdwhu/ edeb eloob/ zrxogq'w gulqn/ xqohvv lwv vloob

Fussy eater/ baby billy/ wouldn't drink/ unless its silly

As well as:

Finding out that both Stanford and Bill have a genetic mutation that made them Black Sheep suggests the possibility that Bill saw a kinship within Stanford. After all, he did make the offer for Stanford to join him. No doubt being able to sympathize with Stanford's situation yet misreading his motivations, causing the rift in their once savable relationship once Bill's lies were uncovered.

Now I'll admit it was others who came up with this theory in particular, especially when drawing comparisons of how Stanford was treated and how Bill allegedly was for having a strange eye. Stanford, in some form of other, might represent how Bill was before he saw the destruction of his world by his hands. A mere outcast looking for his place in the world. To be believed rather than ridiculed or "fixed".

Self-Hatred

And now we get to the Bill we all know today:

The chaos loving and nightmare inducing three-sided maniac, who may be hiding more insecurities than he ever let on in the show, thanks to the Theraprism.

Someone far more traumatized

Who's had to convince himself to fully be the bastard he is today

But if the theory that Bill had a type of kinship with Stanford thanks to their mutations was true, then wouldn't it be possible that his relationship with someone else might represent the inner struggle with himself?

For you see, the original title of this post was...

Bill Cipher Vs. Stanley Pines

As my own theory is that Stanley Pines is what Bill decided to project his self-hatred on. Nobody can doubt that the two have similar qualities, yet as I read the Book of Bill and thisisnotawebsitedotcom I couldn't help but notice the absolute malice that Bill has for Stanley whenever he's mentioned.

There have been many opponents before that have strived to take Bill down. Whether that was the Shaman, the Anti-Cipher Society, or Time Baby, none of his interactions with them have appeared as vitriol as compared to Stanley.

Not even Stanford has this same reaction, who, by really no contest, was the closest to ever defeating Cipher by himself. Both with the gun that he near successfully killed Bill with and the secret of the barrier of Gravity Falls he refused to give up. Bill didn't even have a real interaction with Stanley until the last episode.

Yet it isn't Stanford that causes Bill to break while he's in the Theraprism. It's Stanley.

"-A resume-inflating, cheap trick loving, past-denying overgrown child protected from failure only by a force field of DENIAL AND shamelessness!"

"Self-pitying"

"Stupid"

"Smug"

"Hack Jokes"

"UNWORTHY"

Now it could be just me, but those are a lot of specific insults to fling somebody's way that you've barely interacted with. Especially if Bill credits the Twin Swap to Stanford entirely as opposed to allowing Stanley the credit.

"STEP RIGHT UP, it's time to play my FAVORITE GAME!! BOOTLEG SIXER over HERE spent a LIFETIME trying to hide his humiliations, BUT I'VE BEEN INSIDE HIS MIND, so NOW they’re ALL YOURS for the low low price of BEING MY NEW PAL! ITS SHOWTIME FOLKS, AND THE ONLY WAY TO LOSE IS TO BE NAMED STANLEY PINES!"

“SHAME:TM - IT'S THE ONE FRIEND WHO NEVER LEAVES!”

This out-of-character hatred doesn't come from the fact that Bill thought Stanley wasn't worthy, it comes from the fact that Bill sees himself in Stan. Who by all means is a lying and conniving screw up. Somebody who let his family down.

This could possibly be proven by the poem Bill had wrote about Stanley:

The whole poem suits my point but I decided to highlight the sections that caught my eye specifically. That when you put into consideration Bill's clear trauma and regret about the Euclidian Massacre, his own words can clearly be flipped back on him.

That he sees himself as a curse and a mistake. A self-made monster. Someone who's left the past behind when the loss of his home is still on his mind.

And what truly gets under Bill's skin about Stanley Pines?

"He got his life and family back.

His big break, it finally came,

Redemption from a life of shame"

Stanley got back what Bill can't.

[designing-witch-forms-4-ur-faves]

So uh.. Can you make a witch Design for bayonetta? I mean she's already a witch But I mean Make her a witch forn from madoka magica

Bayonetta/cereza's History

Cereza was born as the forbidden child between a Lumen Sage and an Umbra Witch. Her birth caused a rift between the two clans due to a tenet claiming that "the intersection of light of dark will bring calamity to this earth". In turn, her father was exiled and her mother was imprisoned. She was originally prohibited from learning magic and grew up an outcast among the witches; despite this, Cereza met Jeanne and formed a strong friendship with her, often playing together as children and later forming a friendly rivalry. As a child, the little comfort Cereza had were the times she could sneak into her mother's cell. Her mother would try to express her affection despite her confinement, creating Cereza's Cheshire doll and often singing Fly Me To The Moon to her every night. Cereza was later given her Umbran Watch as a birthday present from her mother.

Bayonetta Origins:

On the eve of Cereza's tenth birthday, Rosa was to be moved to an even more solitary cell with no hope of seeing daylight again. The girl tried to stage a rescue, but her lack of strength and ability in the dark arts meant it was doomed to end in failure.

Turning her back on the clan, Cereza travelled to the outskirts of town where she met Morgana, another exiled witch who lived in isolation. Sympathizing with the girl's plight, Morgana began to strictly train Cereza in using magic so that she could one day be strong enough to rescue her mother from her fate

Adulthood:

After the Clan Wars, the Witch Hunts began. Around this time, Jeanne was chosen to be the next leader of the Umbra Witches, and in her final test to prove her worth, she chose Cereza as her opponent due to being perhaps the most powerful witch in the clan, despite the Umbran Elder insisting that it was forbidden. Their battle was interrupted as the Angels attacked; unaware of the true mastermind behind the attack, the Umbra Witches, including Cereza, were led to believe that her father, Balder, had initiated the Witch Hunts and attack. After finding her slain mother, Cereza lost her will to fight; Jeanne, understanding Balder's plot to resurrect Jubileus by obtaining the Left Eye, sealed away Cereza in a special ritual which imparted her into her Umbran Watch's red jewel and was hidden inside a coffin at the bottom of a lake

Five hundred years later, she is promptly found by Antonio Redgrave, who was hired by Balder to investigate her whereabouts. Shortly after being found, he is killed by Balder and his angels. His son, Luka, looks beyond and, due to being unable to see into Purgatorio, mistakes her for being the one that killed his father. Unable to remember much of her life, she retains that she is one of the last surviving Umbra Witches and dedicates her life to killing angels and regaining her memories.

Altered History:

Due to Balder's manipulations by bringing forth a younger version of herself from the past, Bayonetta inadvertently changed her own past and history.[1] Although the changes made in her past do not affect her history in this world overall and instead spawned another, the Left Eye of Darkness would open in both the main universe and the parallel universe because of it.

Bayonetta, working as a nun, acts out a funeral ceremony to summon the angels of Paradiso to her in order to fulfill her contract with Inferno. Casting aside her nun clothes, she is able to subdue them with ease with the help of Rodin. After her skirmish, Bayonetta travels with Enzo, a black market information broker, back to Rodin's bar in hopes of getting some answers regarding the Eyes of the World and the half that she carries in her watch. However, during the drive, the pair are ambushed by the crashing of a military plane and Bayonetta promptly takes to battle. There, she comes face to face with a mysterious woman who possesses similar weaponry and magical abilities to her. Despite the two of them working together in order to fend off the angels, the stranger disappears without an answer, though Bayonetta remarks that she seems to remember her from somewhere.

(And also sorry if this is too long!! Really sorry)

No need to apologize for the long post, I appreciate all the information I can get in an ask. Really helps!

The moment I saw she had different designs, I knew I wanted to combine elements of all three of her designs into this.

I remember watching a playthrough of Bayonetta 1 a long time ago but I never finished it. I think the last thing I remember was cereza emerging from a lake??

I might try and finish watching that playthrough sometime in the future after all these years (adding it to my long list of media to consume later)

Hildrun : the crescent moon witch

[questionablecuttlefish]

Why Lux would get along with Jinx's PnZ circles:

Some super easy headcanons:

Vi - Is an overprotective but well meaning big sibling. Familiar! Lux has one of those too. I think Lux would find the deep, painful rift between the sisters horrifying on a deeply personal level for her, because she would be imagining what it would take to push her and Garen to that place and it'd scare her to her core. I think she would be invested in helping Jinx heal her bond with her sister, for Jinx's sake above all else. She'd make it a mission.

Ekko - is a forthright, compassionate community leader of a group of outcasts, just like her. When the Baron war heats up in S2, he takes in refugees, just like Lux did with Terbisia during the Mage Rebellion. They both care deeply about Jinx and have very similar moral compasses. Lux's rich girl status might initially put Ekko off but he's easily mature enough to see past it - she's not a Piltie or an Enforcer - and Lux is mature enough to see that Jinx would benefit greatly from repairing her relationships with friends who genuinely care about her despite the wounds.

Caitlyn - Is the only daughter of a proud aristocratic lineage, just like Lux. These two have a lot in common, and Lux would understand the weight of The Family Name and The Legacy intimately. I think Lux would see a lot of Jarvan IV in Season Two Caitlyn's spiral to authoritarianism - like Jarvan, she lost a parent and it pushed her to punish and persecute a minority in response. Both had their grief and rage manipulated by a third party and both had second thoughts when they realized how far off the edge they'd leapt.

She was able to keep a cordial political relationship with Jarvan after the events of the Mageseeker, to the benefit of her community, and I could see her wielding similar diplomacy to build a bridge with Caitlyn from a POV as Jinx's partner.

Mel - Yep, a lot of the above also applies to Mel, but even more so with Mel being a mage (with Light-adjacent magic no less!) and one whose authoritarian matriarchal figure (Ambessa/Tianna) went to some grim extremes trying to cover up her magical talent to protect her from a sinister organization trying to destroy/exploit her for it (Mageseekers/Black Rose). They have similar complex relationships with family, preference for diplomacy over violence, and innate compassion. A lot of Mel's story is almost a Noxian mirror of Lux's own. They would have a LOT of common ground and a lot to talk about.

Seraphine - Going outside Arcane canon, Seraphine's just a giant sweetheart and a very easy best friend for Lux and Jinx as a couple. I think Lux would see a lot of her own somewhat naive but heartfelt wish to end conflict and persecution through nonviolent means reflected in Seraphine. It might unsettle or inspire her.

Zeri - A fellow mage whose powers Lux might try to help her develop, Zeri's going to remind her a lot of Jinx, just as reckless, maybe a little less volatile. But she's got a big heart, and wants to fight to protect her vulnerable community, what's not to like?

Ezreal - Including him because wanderer though he is, he's a Piltover boy. as i've said before I don't think this works as a ship, because they don't really have compatible personalities for a romance and their narratives are going in different directions, but as a friendship, once Ez actually stops pedestaling her from afar and gets to know her, there's a lot of fun dynamics to work with, particularly if you have Jinx around for Ez to bicker with and get into shenanigans.

A lot of this has found its way into the Ill-Omen's Series and my other fanfics. The more I write the more they all grow on me.

[seung185]

So I made this post on Reddit some time ago and I'mma just transfer it here to Tumblr to see if it gets any more results… Also—

HEAVY SPOILERS FOR THE MAIN STORY, THE LI'S MYTHS, AND MANY OTHER MEMORIES!!!

The Many Lives and/or Incarnations (Future, Past, Alternate, etc.) of the MC:

I was just wondering if anyone has a comprehensive list of all the different versions/lives/incarnations of the MC?

I mean, we have the big ones, like the Myths, but then there are also the lives only mentioned in the Anecdotes and Secret Times/Tender Moments/other 5-or-4-star cards.

Also, was there a version that "stole" Rafayel's scales? And one who lived on an island in a hut "doing the same thing over and over again"?

Anyways, this is my list so far (not all of these are official/proper titles—some of them I simply assigned based on context so if anything on the list is wrong, please correct me!):

Modified Combat Android A-01 (Decoherence: Ultimate Weapon X-02)

The Dragon Fiend's Soulmate (Beyond Cloudfall: Abysm Sovereign)

Queen (Regent?) of Philos (Shooting Stars: Lightseeker)

Terminally Ill High School Student (Xavier's Anecdotes: When Shooting Stars Fall)

The Foreseer's Eternal Jasmine Bud (Tower of Secrets: Foreseer)

Honorary "Trophy" Princess of Philos (Sea of Golden Sand: Abysswalker)

Nebula Arena Gladiator Fighter Slave (Main Story: All From Deepspace)

The RoseFlower of the Little Prince (Xavier Memoria: Horizon's Pulse)

Enforcer of the LCBI (Savage Overture: Tomorrow's Catch-22)

Most Devout Human Follower (Forgotten Sea: God of the Tides)

Village Outcast/"Disciple" of the MoF (Snow's Embrace: Master of Fate)

Abyssal Witch of the Deep Sea (Fragrant Dream: Witch of the Abyssal Rift)

Tyrannical Runaway Desert Princess (Rafayel Memoria: Gem Affection)

Beloved Bride of the Sea God (Submerged Eclipse: Lemurian Sea God)

Please help me fill out/add to the list!

Edit: since this was a copy-paste of my original Reddit post, the first part might be a bit wonky since at the time I hadn't played a lot of content… thx to the anon who still answered the questions and made me realize I should cut some parts 😂👍🏻

[valrayne-faeu]

Hi! The brain rot for this AU is still going strong and I have another question. So, we know that Nightmare and Dream don't really get along now, but was there ever a time when they did? How would they have acted with each other when they were younger/before the curse?

they were incredibly close when they were younger! they did everything together up until they were young adults. as their ideas for how they would rule the Seasonal Court started to differ, and the factions of courtiers’ manipulations increased, they started to drift apart. they began to disagree on many things but still got along for the most part, though tensions ran high and they began to argue often.

when Nightmare realised just how far the courtiers were going to maintain their power, even planning to use Dream and himself as puppet rulers, is when things came to a head. Dream didn’t take Nightmare’s concerns seriously, only seeing the courtiers as the fae that raised them and looking out for their best interests. he couldn’t yet see how far the courtiers had influenced his thinking and even his relationship with his brother.

this resulted in Nightmare trying to claim his half of the previous Queen’s power (by eating a fruit of her tree) and prove that he could be a capable king on his own… to disastrous results. only the true ruler(s) of the Court could claim her power, and as he wasn’t a crowned king yet he was afflicted with a curse, and Dream accidentally shot both him and the tree with an arrow. this is when the conflict really escalated.

Dream had badly hurt his brother and split the tree in twain, symbolising the rift in their relationship and also splitting the Court’s magic; in the coming years eventually the magic would settle as Summer and Winter. Nightmare left with those fae loyal to him, killing or banishing the courtiers closest to him and leaving to settle in the castle furthest from the Seasonal Court as he could— this would eventually become the Winter Castle.

by the time Dream realised the extent of the courtiers’ manipulation and outcast them, it was too late. Nightmare asserted himself as a king in need of a kingdom and established harsh borders. unable to compromise with him, Dream was similarly crowned king and the war began. it took centuries of fighting over territory and resources before a truce was established, and centuries still for tensions to calm and peace to reign.

now there is casual movement across borders, Summer/Spring fae living peacefully in Winter/Autumn and vice versa, and even some tourism. every 5 years there’s a big party to celebrate the peace; the Courts alternate between who hosts, with the fae of the other travelling and staying in the host court for weeks of revelry.

Dream and Nightmare’s relationship never really recovered. they’ll be vaguely civil with each other during events and send letters back and forth every so often to keep each other updated on important matters, but they haven’t been friends since that arrow was fired. still, sometimes Nightmare will find himself chuckling at a funny remark Dream makes during a gala, and it feels like maybe someday they can be brothers again.

[lucisfavoritedemon]

Through The Portal: Chapter 4

Series Masterlist

Chapter Summary: Ford must talk Y/n down from making a rash decision. Both must face their tormentor head on.

Pairing(s): Stan x reader (platonic present, romantic past), Ford x reader, Dipper x best friend!reader, Mabel x best friend!reader Bill x reader

Warnings: angst, fluff, mentions of hopelessness, torture, mental manipulation, PTSD, unrequited love, flashbacks.

A/N: The events and ideas are based on a theory I have about the Nightmare Realm. This is in no way canonically true, just my theories based on what we canonically know about the Nightmare Realm.

“What!? Are you crazy? I would never even think about doing that to you!” Ford was frantic, he really couldn’t believe I just blurted that out so casually.

“Using the memory gun and erasing the thoughts of Bill, and what I saw and went through in the Night Realm, it might just work. I’m willing to make that sacrifice if it means keeping the rift safe.”

“No! That’s not even an option on my radar.”

“I’m aware, that’s why I’m making it an option.”

“No. I’m not doing that. I care about you too much to erase your memories all willy-nilly like that.”

“It’s not willy-nilly, Ford. I know what I’m asking of you and I know it’s a hard decision but…”

“A hard decision!? It’s an impossible decision that I am refusing to make. I’m not gonna do it, and neither are you. End of discussion.”

I sigh, “may I ask why?”

“Because, if I erased your memory of your time in there and your memories of Bill…you’d forget who I am.”

His words struck me. Was this Ford’s weird way of hinting at something? I shook the thoughts away. Ford and I had been through a lot when it came to Bill, and maybe he finally felt like someone truly understood him fully. He wouldn’t come out and say it, but he was scared of being the outcast he felt he always was.

“Okay, I’m sorry I asked.”

“It’s okay. As long as you promise never ask me to do that again.”

I nod, “is there anything else you need from me?”

Ford shook his head, “you can head back upstairs. I just felt like you should know what I found. You and I are of like minds and we both know how evil Bill truly is.”

I nod, “okay, if you need anything from me, you know where to find me.”

We shared an understanding look for each other before I walked back upstairs where the twins started to bombard me with questions and stories again. It felt nice that they were accepting of me into their life.

The next couple of weeks were interesting. Dipper and Ford told me about their adventure playing Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons that was then brought to life because Stan had thrown their dice, making the infinity sided die to roll out of its case. I enjoyed them sharing their adventure with me as I tried to make sense of my night terrors as Mabel called them.

The following week I helped the twins help Stan run for Mayor of Gravity Falls. I supported him 100% as the Stan I knew back in 1973 would have made a great mayor. I didn’t realise how much he had changed, or what little knowledge he had on politics. Still, I was happy to support him no matter what. After saving the kids, he was elected mayor by getting the birdly kiss from the mayor picking eagle. Little did I know Stan had a very extensive criminal record. I guess people do really change more than you realize.

I knew the adventure this week, though, was going to be interesting. I was fast asleep when all of a sudden I was in the middle of the nightmare realm. I feared it was another nightmare, then suddenly it morphed to where I was standing in the middle of a field.

“Y/n?” I heard Ford’s voice call out.

I turned around and saw him standing there, “Ford?”

“Wh-what are you doing here?”

That’s when we heard the malicious laugh of Bill Cipher. It was no coincidence Ford and I were here. Bill had a plan for us. Big plans.

“Well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, aren’t you two a sight for sore eye. Stanford Filbrick Pines, my ol’ pal. And, could this be, my sweetheart? Y/n? I think it is.”

“Bill Cipher. What do you want from us?” Ford asked, pulling me behind him.

“Oh quit playing dumb, IQ. You two knew I’d be back. You think shutting down that portal can stop what I have planned. I’ve been making deals, chatting with old friends, preparing for the big day. You can’t keep that rift safe forever. You’ll slip up and when you do…” Bill then shows us a tear leading from our world to the nightmare realm, and I feel like I’m gonna puke.

“Get out of here! You have no dominion in our world!” Ford yelled at Bill, keeping a protective hand on me.”

“Maybe not right now, but things change, Stanford Pines,” Bill’s voice morphs into a creepy deep one, “things change.” He then rises into the tears laughing maniacally.

I shoot up screaming. Scared out of my mind. Bill was coming, and I was utterly terrified. The thought of actually facing Bill scared the shit out of me. Bill was someone I never wanted to actually face ever again. The fact that he appeared to Ford and I meant he was growing stronger and stronger with each passing day. That was the thing that scared me the most.

The next morning I could barely get out of bed. I sat there lost in thought, I was unable to fall back asleep after our meeting with Bill. I heard Ford call for a family meeting and I gathered all the courage I could muster and walked downstairs.

“Y-Y/n? Are you alright?” Ford asked, looking at me concerned.

“I’m scared, worried, I didn’t go back to sleep last night if that’s what you mean.” I stated.

Ford felt terrible I had gotten dragged into this, but little does he know I did it to myself. Bill’s infatuation with us was no coincidence.

“Ooh, mysterious scrolls and potions. Are you going to tell us we’re finally of age to go to wizard school? Is there an owl in this bag?” Mabel asked hopping in a chair and started to go through the bag Ford had on the table.

“No, I assure you if there is an owl in this bag, he’s long dead.” Ford took the bag from her.

Dipper and her sat down as I stood behind Ford. He pulled out a scroll paper and showed it to the kids, “Now, tell me children, do any of you recognize this symbol?” He holds up a scroll with Bill on it.

They both gasp before Dipper speaks, “Bill.”

“Y-You know him?” Ford was shocked, and so was I.

“Know him!? He’s been terrorizing us all summer. I have so many questions and theories.” Dipper spoke frantically.

“Dipper’s been pretty paranoid since Bill turned him into a living sock puppet.” Mabel added.

“The important thing is, we defeated him twice.” Dipper interjected.

“Once with kittens, and once with tickles.”

“It was a lot more heroic than it sounds.”

I looked at Ford concerned about the kids. This was serious, the fact they have faced Bill. It means he now has access to their minds, especially Dipper. Ford looked back at me with the same concerned look.

“The fact you have dealt with Bill is gravely serious.” Ford spoke up.

“So, how do you know Bill?” Dipper questioned. I knew I wasn’t ready to talk about that yet, and I knew Ford wasn’t ready either.

“Y/n and I have encountered many dark beings in our time, Dipper. What matters now is, his powers are growing stronger, and if he pulls off his plans, no one in this family will be safe.”

I wanted to punch Ford for confirming my suspicions. He was never good at comforting, so I don’t blame him entirely, but I didn’t want those to be confirmed. Neither did the kids as they gasped at what Ford just stated.

“Fortunately there should be a way to shield us from his mental tricks.” He unrolls a map onto the table, and grabs a marker, “a way to Bill-proof the shack. All I have to do is place moonstones here, here, here, and here, “he draws circles on the map, “sprinkle some mercury, and let’s see. I always forget the last ingredient.” He flips through Journal 1, “ugh. unicorn hair.”

“That’s not, like, rare, is it?” Dipper asks.

“It’s hopeless. Unicorns reside deep within an enchanted glade, and their hairs can only be obtained by a pure, good-hearted person who goes on a magical quest to find them.”

Mabel began screaming at the top of her lungs. She begged Ford to let her go on this quest to get the hair. Naming everything she has done that proves that she is obsessed with unicorns. Then she mentions that she is probably the most good-hearted person in the room. No one argues with her about that. Ford agrees to let her go, giving her the journal and a crossbow.

“Y/n, you wanna come with me and the girls on this quest?”

“I actually need Y/n here with Dipper and I.” Ford answers before I can say anything.

Mabel shrugs and calls her friends and sets off on the quest for unicorn hair. Ford leads Dipper and I down to the second floor of the basement. A place neither of us have seen yet.

“If we can’t Bill-proof the shack, we’re going to have to do the next best thing. We’re gonna have to Bill-proof our minds.” Ford pulls out a device that strangely looks like a torture device.

Ford begins to turn the machine on and places the metal helmet on Dipper’s head. This must have been the device Ford wanted to use on me a couple weeks ago, but worried my mind would still be vulnerable to his torment because of my dreams.

“So, what is Bill exactly?” Dipper questions.

“No one knows for sure. Accounts differ of his true motivations and origins. I know he is older than our galaxy, and far more twisted.”

“No kidding…” I mumble, still traumatized from my extra time with him in the nightmare realm.

Ford gives a sympathetic look before he continues, “not a physical form, he can only project himself through our thoughts through the mindscape. That’s why he wants this.” Ford holds up the rift, “I dismantled the portal, but with this tear, Bill still has a way into our reality. To get his hands on this rift, he would trick or possess anyone.”

“So how do we keep Bill out of our minds?” Dipper inquired.

“There are a number of ways I personally had a metal plate installed in my head.” Dipper doesn’t believe him, so Ford taps his head proving he does, “but this machine is safer. It will scan your mind, biologically encrypting your thoughts so Bill can’t read them.” Ford switches the screen on, “now, say hello to your thoughts.”

Dipper thoughts play across the screen. Some are interesting, others are utterly embarrassing. I felt bad that his poor thoughts were on display for us.

“By the way, you two never told me what your history with Bill was.”

“Dipper, do you trust us?” Ford asks, and he nods, “then you’ll trust that’s not important. Now, focus. It's time to strengthen your mind.”

The three of us sit there for hours as the machine slowly encrypts Dipper’s thoughts. I look over at Ford who has fallen asleep at his desk. “Must be nice to be able to sleep anywhere…or at all…”

“What’s been going on with you lately by the way? You’re more distant and paranoid, especially today.”

“It’s Bill. He scares the heck out of me. The thought of coming face to face with him in a physical form terrifies me.”

“S-so you had a bad experience with Bill too, huh?”

“I-it wasn’t always like that, Dipper…Bill and I were actually very close…then I got a true peak at what he really wanted…on the other side of my portal…he tortured me…Ford and Stan won’t be happy I am telling you this, but you and Mabel were going to find out eventually…”

“W-Wait, your portal? Y-you didn’t go through with Great Uncle Ford?”

I shake my head, “no…I had made my own. I found an old book in my parents' attic. They used to be Anti-Cipherites, or descendants of some. A group looking to take down Bill. It had an encryption on how to summon him. I did, and that night he appeared to me. He showed me his equation, he tricked me with his flattery, saying I didn’t need school or friends. Helping him would give me everything I ever wanted. Including helping my friend so he could finally go home before his brother left for college….that friend was your Uncle Stan…”

Dipper's eyes widened, “h-how old are you then?”

“Technically 61, but the place I was stuck in has no concept of time, so I never really aged…”

Dipper’s jaw dropped, “s-so you knew Grunkle Stan before he was banned from New Jersey?”

I nodded, “Stan lived with me.”

[fear-theories]

The Isolation

Other names : Utstött, It is crowded and I am Alone Classification : Intersection of The Lonely and The Eye

The Isolation exists as an intersection of The Lonely and The Eye, representing not just a fear of isolation but also a fear of the ability to have no observable impact with your disappearance from society. It is not just being afraid to walk this world alone, but the distinct fear of the knowledge that you are an outcast, completely exterior to the world in which you might exist. It is not just a fear one develops from exposure to being alone, but one that is forced upon the victim.

As a fear that is deeply focused on personal connection, this fear presents mostly in the form of avatars. The path to becoming one is astoundingly simple, though quite long. The most important factor is a consistent, profound shunning of the victim, usually by a social or workplace group, though it can occur in family units as well. Aside from the need for long term exposure, the victim needs to accept the isolation, willingly choosing to continue separating oneself from the whole even after the social rift may have been removed. This choice is usually followed by a descent into inflicting such shunning as they have experienced onto others.

Other victims that choose not to accept the isolation may also experience phenomena such as people failing to perceive them in unavoidable settings, inanimate objects that typically have some response to a human presence not activating, such as automatic doors or security alarms. Reports have been provided by victims of statues and other objects with faces losing their eyes, and thus their ability to "perceive" in the victims presence. It is not uncommon for victims that do not succumb to the power of this fear to simply disappear from all social records, save for record of their birth.

Classic behaviour of an avatar on the hunt may include inserting themselves into a social group likely to have vulnerable or outcast members of society and ingratiating themselves with their chosen target. They will then earn the trust of the individual, and encourage them to cut off most, if not all other social interaction in the victims life, creating a total dependency and insulating the victim from their support network. At this point the avatar will typically orchestrate some form of personal tragedy, or a series therein, in the victims life and cut all forms of contact, fully isolating the victim. The acute fear from such "projects" can be quite powerful, and avatars of this fear can be quite formidable.

Overall, this fear is a semi common subset of the Lonely, as the experiences required to become marked by it are disturbingly common. Should you encounter this fear, it is essential to your survival that you remember the love in your life. The connections that make you whole are your only recourse. Stay safe out there.

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Thanks for reading guys! This first fear, The Isolation, is a personal head canon fleshed out that was inspired by some of the content i have seen around tumblr already from the fandom regarding Martin, and I feel that it really fits his story line a little better than just a generic avatar of The Lonely. My boys life is too complicated for the answer to be that simple and unpoetic C'mon!! Anyways, if you're reading this you are a real one comrade! Thank you ! Stay Tuned for more!

-G

[magenta-fantasies-illustrations]

Outcasts of the Rift is a story-driven, art-focused RPG combining strategy RPG combat with adventure game-style puzzles and exploration. Learn more here!

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This Saturday, Outcasts of the Rift will appear for the first time at 1Upstate in Albany, New York! 1Upstate is not a traditional gaming convention, and focuses heavily on game development and game developers. I’m looking forward to what I’ll learn! Of course, I will have the demo and other usual items with me as well.

[daughterofevil158]

“that snake is gonna bite Wolfgang in the ass hard” LMAO WE’RE REALLY COMING FOR WOLFGANGS HEAD HERE 😭😭 This is what he gets for outcasting his soulmate. Have fun groveling loser lol

ANOTHER BELIEVER!! That man is autistic as hell. His name is literally autism but scrambled. You can’t get more autistic than that

Do you think he spent a long time hiding his soulmarks so he doesn’t hear bullying about it??

Hell, do you think that could be his blackmail if he did try hiding it? Tozu said it himself, he’s not perfect, and we see with Kai that he gets things wrong. Maybe he saw Damon hiding all his soulmarks and thought he was ashamed of them and made it his blackmail

I’m just imagining Cassidy hugs him after meeting him and Damon freezes and bluescreens, you can see on his face he’s not comprehending what’s happening lol

His trust issues must be even worse because of Wolfie’s attempted murder. How is he able to trust his soulmates when one of them almost just tried to have him killed?

I feel like he would be more closer to Ulysses here because of them talking before the kg

I can see his logic for it being that It’s easier to trust him since they already “knew” each other and so it would be harder to betray each other

Now I have the cute image in my head of them knowing small things about each other and doing small things for them

Like Damon knowing how Uly makes his coffee and making him a cup in the morning, and Uly doing the same for him (Although I’m a big believer of Damon preferring tea)

I feel like they deserve some peace and happiness in the middle of this chaos

While I adore Wolfgang and understand where he's coming from, literally being inside Damon's head throughout the game makes me sympathize with him more. Sorry sheep man, but I'm #petty like that

In most soulmate AUs where the soulmark is important phrasing (ex: first words said to each other), there tends to be some skin-colored band-like products to help cover it up either for privacy or so people don't try faking being someone's soulmate. Damon was probably more open with his soulmarks as a kid, but after getting bullied for them in middle school, he's definitely covered them up by the time he enters high school (not that it really helps since now he's getting mocked for other things, but at least it isn't about his soulmates). He has all the phrasings memorized anyway, and he can feel when his writer soulmate sends him a message, so it's not a big deal (insert expertly written metaphor about how, contrasting how a snake sheds its skin, instead he's now wrapping himself in it as a means of defense)

Partial believer of "Damon's blackmail holder doesn't realize it's him cuz he isn't blonde in the picture," but I also feel that Tozu would clarify it's him on the back statement if it was really that vague. Incorporating your idea of Tozu using Damon hiding his soulmarks as his blackmail into the AU. If he intends to give it to a soulmate to cause a rift, it likely went to one that could be positively identified by a physical and permanent soulmark (Toshiko or Cassidy). Eva probably covers up her soulmark as well, and the other body soulmarks are either temporary (Ulysses) or weren't apparent until after arriving (Kai, Desmond, and Diana). But considering how the girls go to Damon to clear up the air before the blackmail gets sent out, it could also be up in the air who got it (imagine if Desmond or Ulysses got it lmao). Tozu definitely words it as vaguely as possible since he...isn't 100% sure (tho he does correctly guess that Damon hid his soulmarks because kids are mean, he's trying to put everyone in the worst light possible anyway).

I said here that soulmates with each other's names would almost certainly search the other online at least once. So I'm imagining Cassidy doing so, finding an article about Damon winning one of his earliest debates, and the picture has him smiling big with his parents hugging him and everything. "Aw, he's just a little guy!" And while she does try to respect his privacy, she'll still search him up every once in a while. And she sees more pictures, always of success, but with fewer and fewer smiles, until they just don't appear anymore. So yeah, she definitely hugs the hell out of him when they meet in person, but it's disguised as a friendly "Nice to finally match a face to the name!" (And yes, Damon is very Error. Does Not Compute. "Nice to...meet you...too?")

Evamon divorce arc. It's so bad because Damon knows that if he hadn't unintentionally blurted his thoughts out to Wolfgang, she would've gone through with her plan knowing one of them would die from it. No matter how this situation ended up, Damon would be getting emotionally devastated. Even tho no one did end up dead, it's just as bad as the canon trust issues will be because of the soulmate factor. The soulmates he hadn't really interacted with as much get their trust levels reset to zero, the others are only a little higher than that, and Eva's straight in the negatives after that. The only ones he'd act mostly the same around for a good while are Toshiko and Ulysses.

Because yep, like you said, they knew each other as personally as they could without getting the other's name before entering the KG (Ulysses...just forgot to ask throughout their several years of communicating, and Damon didn't wanna be the one asking first lol). Also a big agree on Damon disguising his trust as a pragmatic "It would be harder to hurt someone you have such personal ties to."

Ulysses has a green notebook that he got as soon as he found out his soulmate's favorite color and transferred all soulmate-related notes into it. Birthdays, favorite foods, milestones, preferred toothpaste brand, if Damon mentioned it in passing, it's going in the notebook, which Ulysses goes through again every time he makes a new entry (admittedly, it does sounds kinda super creepy out of context. But Ulysses doesn't want to forget a single detail about his soulmate, and so Damon's mostly flattered when he finds out). Imagine younger Damon writes encouraging little messages every day for Ulysses after learning that This Is What You Should Do with this kind of soulmark, and Ulysses very awkwardly and flustered-ly returns the favor with some short poems he enjoys (and asks Damon if he's okay on the days he doesn't write anything). And yeah they're somehow at the "memorized how you make your drink" stage before ever meeting face to face, and they definitely do it for each other in the mornings at EGA (it's to prevent their drinks from being tampered with, Damon swears).

[spiribia]

my OLD werewolf lore from my mid teens that I frankensteined together out of so many disparate pieces of my other stories that I eventually gave up on it because I realized I had made an untenable monster

- near the beginning of time, Life (represented by the elk) and Death (represented by the raven) warred with one another over a neutral territory between their domains. to settle with a bet, they created a third, neutral entity between them called Nocturne (represented by the wolf) to guard this unclaimed domain. should Nocturne choose willingly to be a living entity in the world, the territory would be ceded to Life - should Nocturne choose instead to die, the territory would belong to Death. Nocturne scandalized both primal forces by choosing neither, yet yearning for the experiences of both. forever occupying the narrow corridor between Life and Death, Nocturne reached to live vicariously through the living, viewing the world through the eyes of countless human hosts. this pact was the origin of lycanthropy. therefore, werewolves are shunned by both Life and Death, perpetual outcast to all things.

- people are born werewolves when their parents are werewolves. because they are fragments of Nocturne borrowing time on earth, werewolves reach a point in their human midlife where they feel a primal instinct calling them home. they journey to a rift in the world, open a gateway, and disappear back to the neutral realm between life and death, entirely vanishing, and leaving behind any children they may have had at the time, usually to be raised by other late-staying werewolves, or by human allies in the loop.

- werewolves are considered a sort of bogeyman by society. I was using it as a closeted gay metaphor, but by the end of 'development' I was really second guessing whether it was suitable as one because of the muddled messaging my 'toss everything into the soup pot' worldbuilding style was creating.

- an environmental apocalypse occurs when a protagonist is a child, ravaging north america in floodwater. an isolated city is the only known major settlement. the protag transforms into a wolf for the first time in the water, almost drowning to the current. she had no prior introduction to what she was.

- the city blames the werewolves for the apocalypse, considering the apocalypse divine punishment. meanwhile, werewolves are forcibly being taken into custody to be exposed to treatments to be 'cured'. many of them die in this process.

- the protagonist discovers that the president of the city is not actually trying to cure werewolves, but knows of their ability to vanish into the rift. The president believes that this dimension that the werewolves vanish to is the only piece of the old world that remains, as it must have been untouched by the apocalypse. Wanting the old world back, the president is conducting distressing experiments on werewolves to try to force them to open the portal so enormously that the realms will converge. The protagonist discovers a vast machine in the heart of the city, fueled by Nocturne's energy, that was constructed to try to bring about this rejoining.

- the protagonist realizes that the rift has opened by the president's activities. As it stands, all werewolves in the massive radius will be returned before they are ready to be. Humans that are not werewolves will simply be incinerated by the portal.

- the protagonist walks the Nocturne energy trapped in the machine all the way through the forest to the rift. The rift is like drowning under the sea. here, having a near-death experience from the stress of the ordeal, the protagonist would speak to the raven avatar of Death and discover that the known conception was wrong. werewolves were actually beloved in origin, of the two oldest gods' affection for each other and for the intentional child they made together. Nocturne was made by weaving the elk and the raven together, creating a dark gray, densely feathered quadruped that over time iterated further into its own being. wolves are guided by ravens and sustained by the bodies of elk. they lead life to death and vice versa, bridging their domains. they were always on purpose designed to be a part of earth.

- the massive wound threatening to swallow North America closes

[anonymousreader4d7]

hiiii so what did you mean in the tags of that gladiator post recently???? (re: RMAU-verse Imp and Skizz backstory) because i am Looking 👀

*bouncing SUPER excitedly* OKAY! Okay, okay, so! First off, thank you SO much for asking!!! I was hoping someone would!!! Second! Let's preface the full answer with a little bit of RMAU-Verse timeline lore! (Yes I have a timeline Doc that starts from the beginning of the universe/multiverse in the RMAU-Verse... No, you don't need the whole thing for this... ...I don't think you realize the can of worms you opened here, lol. I could ramble about the RMAU-Verse all day, but I will restrain myself for now!)

So! Quick and dirty RMAU timeline that's important to this ask! Before Notch created the first world, the Primordials existed in the Abyss (sort of a... First and True Void). After most of the universe building has happened and most species have come into existence in their various ways, and Notch has stepped back and let the Pantheon of Developers take over "management" of his worlds, the Primordials in the Abyss that are like, the most stereotypically "Eldritch" (mindlessly hungry/destructive), begin to creep out of the Abyss and into the Worlds, leading to a Developer decreed and Admin led Hunt of Primordials. The banishment of the final Primordials at the end of the Hunt led to a Rift being torn into the Abyss and Deep Void (the void between the Abyss and basically the in-game Void, where RMAU-Verse Voidwalkers reside) - this Rift caused the spawning of the first Demons, and in response to their spawning comes the spawning of the first Angels - one Angel for each of the first seven Demons, the origin of each subclass/subspecies of Demon. These first Demons are, because of the Rift being the cause of their spawning, are particularly chaotic, it's literally encoded into them. So, the Angels vow to balance the chaos of their corresponding Demons - which leads to the Cosmic War between (mostly) them that is only de-escalated ages later after much negotiation between both sides AND the Devs and Admins. (There is a LOT more going on during this timeframe but it's more Xisuma centered than Imp and Skizz relevant, lol.) But anyways, after the... Essentially cease-fire, the vow of the Angels shifts from a "I will balance the chaos of MY demon" to "WE will balance the chaos of ALL demons", which leads to a lot of, like, placid-ness and self-isolation in both races, and even via elemental alignment in each individual race. Another thing that came from the train of Primordial Hunt to Demon Hunt was the creation of Hunters as a group - first to hunt Primordials, then many switched to hunting demons during the Cosmic War, and after that, eventually Hybrid Hunters evolved out of them. Hybrid Hunters are... Pretty much what they sound like - mercenaries that hunt hybrids, usually whether they've done anything wrong or not. (By the time of the main timeframe of RMAU, most groups of Hybrid Hunters have either been disbanded, are very small and minor, have been repurposed into an official, Dev over-seen sheriff's/ranger's-like office that hunt hackers and such no matter species, or have hunkered down so deep in the underworld/black market that no one really sees them or sees them coming.)

ANYWAYS, all that to preface what you were REALLY asking - Imp and Skizz, gladiators??? So! Both Impulse and Skizz are... On the young side of their species, but more than that, they're each... Odd. They don't fit the usual mindsets and views of Angels and Demons - Skizz being not very "submissive" to the "Universe" and his element as Angels "should be" according to his Garrison, while Impulse is too... "passive" in his use of his element and a little to interested in things other than pranks for his Troupe - and so they're left on the outskirts of their respective (and separate) groups, a little shunned and outcast. So, when they're each individually captured by Hybrid Hunters, and a powerful group at that, no rescue attempts are made - and they each know that. There is no rescue coming for them.

This particular band of Hunters runs a major underground fighting ring (think a cross between illegal dogfighting and a gladiatorial arena but with hybrids). So, they're each individually brought to the ring - and then they're locked in cages next to each other. A situation where the presence of the other species locks their instincts into a haywire aggressive state… Or it would if it were any other demon or angel… But they're Antipodes. (If you haven't seen my Antipodes lore, it's an Angel and a Demon who shared a moment of spawn/spawned because of each other, perfect opposites - I have a more detailed explanation in my Angels and Demons species notes which you can find from my master post in my pinned post) And because they're Antipodes, while they do feel the aggressive fighting instinct of proximity with their opposite species, it's not to the point of irrationality and they're able to push through it, especially the longer they spend in proximity.

Over time, they begin warming up to and talking to each other, comforting each other between fights and learning about each other. And eventually, as the fights get worse and they slowly get a creeping feeling of dread, that things are about to get so so much worse, they decide they won't stay here any longer, that they have to escape. So they start discussing plans to escape, but it all hinges on them being able to be out at the same time, which never happens.

Until one day, they're both grabbed, and they're shoved into the ring across from each other. The announcer’s voice rings out above them, hyping the crowd for a fight between an Angel and a Demon, a fight that's supposed to be to the death…

While they never had the chance to discuss this scenario, somehow, they just know what the plan is. They put on a good show, an excellent one, and yet, somehow they just know exactly what the other is about to do, and how to avoid the most damage while still being completely convincing, they just know what the other is about to do and how to react… And when the show has gone on long enough, they fake a win. Everyone expects the demon to be the more dangerous one, the one to win, the one to watch out for, so that's what they play up. Because Skizz is tired of this, and angels weren't always peaceful beings - they came into existence to balance and control the demons, they're warriors at their cores no matter how long it's been since they were truly called to fight…

So they pretend that Impulse defeated Skizz, and Skizz plays dead - so that when the Hunters come into the ring to recapture Impulse and clear the sand, they don't expect Skizz's attack. The Angel is fierce, teetering on the edge of bloodlust as he starts their fight for freedom - Impulse is only a beat behind him, waiting just long enough for their attention to be drawn away from him so he has an opening. And they do fight their way out, having learned from their time in the ring, their time as captives, both how to fight and how the Hunters work, letting them not only escape, but collapse the ring from the inside and free the other captive hybrids.

When the dust settles after their escape, it's just the two of them. They each know there's no point going back to their respective kinds, and they each couldn't bear to be parted now. Besides, as Skizz says, they made a great team… so they decide to stick together, and see where the world takes them.

So, to sum all of that up in a quick sentence: They, after being captured, met in basically a gladiatorial ring, and escaped when they were forced to fight each other.

The idea of them being captured and forced to fight in a gladiator arena being how they met is actually inspired by a Team TIES Fantasy AU I read called "tying down friendships" by @stormsaia... I loved the premise and got MAJORLY hit with inspiration for my own AU after/while reading it... (And also, as I've said before, my Primordials and thus also some of my Xisuma stuff is heavily inspired by @mawofthemagnetar's Eldritch Horror Keralis series.) (hopefully neither of you mind being tagged here as my inspirations!!!)

And so, that's more or less the answer to your question! Thank you again SO much for asking, I LOVED getting to ramble about this idea I have for how they met and part of why they are the way they are... (especially in their main fic I'm working on; it's prequel which would actually come not too long after this instance, actually; a piece I started during Skizz Week 2 ages ago but haven't finished; and also a... fic that has them facing... metaphorical "demons" from their past... *wink wink*) I'm always happy to answer questions about the RMAU-Verse (especially Imp and Skizz centric ones) so again, thank you so much for asking, I hope you enjoyed the answer!!!

[snackleggg]

Heart pirates headcanons + one piece world headcanon/possible theory(?)

I really like the headcanon that Shachi & Penguin are part fishman and that got me overthinking about why fishmen would be in the North blue since we've seen them pretty much exclusively in the grandline (with the exception of pirate crews & slaves)

The obvious answer is that their family members were either pirates or escaped slaves but I don't like obvious answers so I thought about it some more.

It doesn't really make sense that on a world mostly made of water, communities of fishmen & mermaids seem to be found exclusively in the grandline, so what if before the void century they were a lot more wide spread across the world, with communities even adapting to the certain conditions of where they lived. Then the void century happened and for whatever reason alot of these communities were wiped out or migrated to the grandline/fishmen Island. Except some communities in the north(and possibly the south).

Because the north is so cold and the conditions are a lot more treacherous & unpredictable it could've been harder for whatever conflict happened to reach the fishmen & mermaids that lived there, especially since they'd be adapted to thrive in those conditions. So some small communities may have survived and continued interacting with the human communities.

Of course the world governments reach, and subsequent propaganda, caused tensions & rift between fishmen & human so those communities either slowly died out/pushed to migrate or became secluded away from humans. Though there are some small groups that still interact with humans, especially in the remote places the government doesn't have as much reach (like swallow Island).

This results, of course, in quite a few of fishmen & human relationships, though due to the WG it is rare nowadays and its more common to find people who might have one or two fishmen ancestors a few generations back rather than being direct hybrids (these people typically only expressing that relation through being strong swimmers)

So now to the heart pirates.

I headcanon that Shachi & Penguin are both 1st generation hybrids (50% fishmen & 50% human) and that there probably is a community of northern fishmen that live close to swallow Island & interact w/ them.

I also headcanon multiple others of Law's crew are of fishmen descent just more distant (it's made a point that they are very strong fighters in the water & nearly all of Law's crew seems to be from the north blue with the exception of Bepo & Jean Bart)

Uni is a 2nd generation hybrid, while others like Ikkaku & Hakugan are 4th or 5th generation. This could also give reason for why some of them became pirates since family histories are probably well known on small island communities and they could be seen as outcasts for that.

[evilasiangenius]

A starling flew down, and once more landed on Crowley’s hand.

“I thought you told me to fuck off,” Crowley said to the bird. But then the white-speckled starling began to sing.

The bird had no words for this song, just a melody, but it was one that Crowley had not heard in a long time. The last time he had heard this song of Euripides, Aziraphale had played him a snippet as a quote at supper but then stopped because he said it was too sad and didn’t want to continue. They had ended the evening together as they usually did, talking until past dawn or maybe that was a different night or a different one and did it matter which night it was, when it was with Aziraphale?

Ten years behind, ten years athwart his way Waiting and home, lost and unfriended…

The two angels, fallen and otherwise, gave each other startled looks as the bird sang. It was joined by other birds, slowly, until a great murmuration descended down upon them from the skies, huddled under the protective cover of the courtyard corridor, warbling snippets and pieces of the song from garbled memory. Lost notes, added beats. The trill of a robin, the tap of the chisel upon wood, the rasp of a saw, the liquid burble of water. The chatter of a squirrel. A note, two notes, all a semitone off, the tuning of the scale that the song would have originally been in set adrift upon a heaving sea of sound, sliding on and off its tonal base as if the foundation was cracked and crumbling but the heart of the song remained recognizable.

As the starlings continued to sing it was as if he could feel at once all the words upon his lips.

A rift of the hills, raging with winter rain, Dead and outcast and naked. It is I beside my bridegroom And the wild beasts cry…

Crowley flinched; he had not heard this song in centuries and never this much of it, not since he first saw the play in Athens in the year of the Herm-breaking (which by the way was not his doing, not in the slightest, though he had received commendations for it later). Aziraphale had been there too, they had watched it together in the great theatre in Athens and they had long conversations about this particular play, until Crowley had not wanted to talk about it anymore.

“I think…” Aziraphale began.

“No, it’s fine. I should leave. I’m going to leave.” Crowley moved to duck out from under the corridor, but the starlings did not scatter. They stayed stubborn, blocking his path. The demon snarled in annoyance and threw up his hands, unwilling to exert his infernal will upon the birds to force them to leave.

“It’s still raining,” Aziraphale ventured, though he did not move from where he was standing, white speckled starlings perched all about him, some upon his shoulders, some fluttering in his curling hair as if nesting, another perched on his outstretched hand.

“So? Why is that a problem?”

“Because…because you should stay until the rain stops and things dry out a little. I know you don’t like being cold and wet.”

“Does it matter? Why would it matter?”

“It matters to m–” Aziraphale said, but then paused to think. “It should matter to you. You…should take better care of yourself.”

“Why?”

“B-because it’s virtuous!” Aziraphale exclaimed. “It’s virtuous to take care of oneself!”

“I don’t care about being manly or good or ethical or whatever that word means now.”

“Then…then because otherwise you scare cats. And people,” Aziraphale said.

“Why should I care if I scare cats or people?”

“You scare me too!”

The silence between them was not even broken by the birds who watched them with curious eyes, but slowly, as the two angels fallen and otherwise stood there, unable to find the words with which to address each other, the birds began to leave, one by one, fluttering off in a great white-speckled cloud.

more

[lonelydarknessblog]

Hello, can I be 💚 anon? Also I have a possibly stupid question. In the meeting their soulmate fic you said something about the town acknowledging the pack and letting them live in the forest. So does that mean there’s no bad stereotypes about the werewolves? Like the town doesn’t think they’re monsters? Also here’s a second question: was this inspired by Twilight? Or something else?

Hello 💚! Welcome to the pack, you are claimed and a part of this world!

First off, no question is stupid. Any question is worth asking so please please ask. Ask anytime. Ask anything. I will answer. Also, your question is actually great because it allows me to elaborate on the social dynamics of the world!

I'll answer your second question first and then delve into society.

So I have always been into werewolves. This obsession kind of began when I was in grade 7, and surprisingly, not from Twilight. My first foray into werewolves was a book series called The Wolf of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater. After that, I got a bit into Twilight, but then I went down a dark dark dark rabbit hole called Wattpad.

I guess the long story short is, I have been inspired by many different worlds and lores and at the same time, as a creator, I have the urge to diverge away from the more common ideas and lore. It can get tough, but it is also fun!

And now... to the...

S O C I A L D Y N A M I C S!

In this world, the races mingle freely. There really isn't a distinction between humans and weres and fae and vampires and other races.

However, like in every society, there is racism, there is stereotyping, there are historical rifts and there are communal clashes. And while mingling freely is fine, relationships between races are a taboo (however, you are human. Do with that information what you will😈).

The reason relationships between races is considered a taboo is because of power dynamics. Specially for humans, who have no visible powers, it can be dangerous. In a relationship between a magical race and a human, the human will always be more vulnerable, both to magic and physically. Now if interracial relationships weren't taboo, and someone wanted to mess with someone else, if that someone else had a human partner, the easiest way would be to hurt the human. A human would not be able to defend themselves against a magical being and consequently, they would become a liability.

There is also the question of procreation, and the dangers of beings who are interracial (I will direct you to Minho's character file). Because genetics is unpredictable, and what is unknown is feared, offspring from interracial conjugations are, from birth, considered dangerous. Often, neither of the parental races will accept them, making them outcasts.

Some of the races in this lore, apart from humans and werewolves, are dark fae and light fae, vampires, imps, pixies, dwarves and goblins. They all exist freely.

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I feel like I rambled a lot with this one, but thank you once again, sweet anon 💚 for this ask, because it has become part of the structure of the world!