#TIME TO DRAW HER TWISTED...HEH......

[brainrot-stitch]

WOOOO dandys world sona jumpscare....

[brainddeadd]

quinn’s gf coming to the lake house for the first time and coming a bit later than everyone else, quinn has been grumpier than usual and than he gets his gf and he’s so much happier

Quinn is pouting.

At least.. that's what Jack told Petey, who told Brock who told you.

"He's being pathetic. Tell her to hurry up." Are the exact words Jack used. Brock felt it was important that you knew exactly the type of bullying Quinn was being subjected to in your absence.

Luke was much more direct, sending you a message that simply said: "come fix him" followed by a picture of Quinn sitting outside, alone, shoulders hunched forwards, phone in hand.

This leads to where you are now: sitting in the airport waiting for Jack to come and pick you up to take you back to the lake house three days ahead of schedule.

"He's really missed you," Jack doesn't wait for you to settle into your seat. "And not in a 'heh, what a loser' kinda way. In a 'I think he'd leave if he had to spend another day without you' kinda way."

Looking over at the boy, you scrunch your eyebrows in confusion. "He wouldn't leave. He's got you guys."

"Yn," Jack sounds exasperated. "He misses you in a way I didn't know someone could miss another. In a way I cannot even begin to comprehend because I've never been in love the way he is with you. He would have left days ago if he didn't know you were coming to see him."

The rest of the drive is silent until he's pulling in the street that leads to the house.

"I missed him too." Your voice is quiet, and Jack almost misses your words. "My boss sent me home early yesterday because I was in such a bad mood. She told me to 'kiss my man or whatever I need to do' before I came back."

Jack chuckles at that. "Except you couldn't cause he was here and not there."

Nodding, he reaches over and taps your shoulder comfortingly before pulling into a parking space next to another car.

"Go see him, I'll get your bags." Rushing out a 'thank you', you're running into the house and past Trevor, who simply points out the back door.

Flinging the door open, you can see Quinn sitting down on the dock, shoulders slumped, and head hanging.

Your feet carry you quickly, and soon, your footsteps are thumping on the wooden dock, drawing Quinn's attention.

"Luke I swear-" Quinn cuts himself off when he sees it's you sprinting down the dock, barely having time to twist his body enough to catch you as you fling yourself into his arms, colliding with his body and sending Quinn toppling onto his back. His arms wind around your waist, a hand working its way into your hair as he presses you close to him, a happy sigh leaving his lips.

"What the fuck?" He doesn't dare pull away from you. "I thought you-"

"Boss let me come early. And Jack picked me up from the airport."

"Thank fuck for Jack," he pulls back just enough to capture your lips with his, body relaxing at the contact.

That night, as you're all sitting around the living room, his phone buzzes with a text from Trevor. It's a video of you running to him and your kiss on the dock and a photo of you sitting in his lap, wrapped up together in front of the bonfire from later in the evening.

[goodolddumbbanana]

[SUPERHERO AU] Pre Dazzle - A fight

Solar was pushed hard against the wall, his right shoulder was damaged to the point he was unable to move. He got stuck, with SUN's shadow pressed against him, leisurely like a cat playing with its prey.

That freaking bastard, they didn't even need to use their hands to hold down Solar. The villain hummed some silly tune, the sunlight vaguely drew gold streaks on SUN's face. Their hands waved, the metallic silver flashed, signaling to Solar that his future would be filled with pain.

"Torture me all you want, I won't tell you jack!"

Solar laughed, his whole body was filled with pain. It was hard for him to breathe, especially with the way SUN deliberately choked his airway while staring like an excited child who didn't want to break its toy, yet.

SUN's clown-like face twisted into a cruel expression. Theit voice hummed.

"Oh, I don't want you to tell me anything. No no no... Not yet..."

The sadistic excitement in their voices leaked into Solar's ears.

"I want you to beg, I want you to whimper, I want you to sing like I want you to talk."

SUN grabbed Solar's chin, forcing him to look into their eyes.

The distance between their faces became too close. Solar could see the sun-like rays of light from behind the glasses reflecting SUN's eyes.

A pair of long, curled, pale yellow eyelashes looks so gentle. Pupils like the rising golden sun should not appear so magnificent like that to a wicked person like them.

"I want to hurt you, and I want to enjoy it."

Their voice was too soft to make the monster's words into a promise.

Their eyes were bright, crescent moons, looking at him with the fondness of a madman who wanted nothing more than to see the world engulfed in fire and blood.

Moon had not yet responded, the transmitter they had created having been destroyed shortly after SUN had thrown him three blocks away.

Hopefully by the time he bought, Moon would have found where they were shipping the bombs.

"It's gonna take a lot to get me there. Maybe you can make your whole world believable happen in your dream, asshat."

Drawing the toughest smile on his face, Solar spat on SUN's shirt.

SUN wiped out the dirt, their faces twitched. Perhaps for the first time all afternoon, this was the first time he saw SUN express a little bit of annoy.

"Heh--" They laughed. The fire was burning bright in their hands. "I can't wait to hear you scream."

Solar almost wanted to close his eyes as the burning sensation threatened to melt the orange plating on his metal shell but then... That sly smile on that bastard's face... He couldn't let this asshat get the satisfaction.

Suddenly someone walked in. A petite girl who looked like she had no external strength with long green hair tied in two pigtails.

"Hey boss~~~ Bossue!!! Boss~~~ Baby boss~~~ Cutie Bosss~~~"

The girl without a trace of fear poked at SUN, who looked like he was trying hard to contain his anger.

"For Chris' sake, what is it, MIKU?"

'Uh, yeah, so I just have a question, me and for the big spaghetti boy over there, ya know~~"

"What, MIKU?! Just tell me quickly, don't you see I am a little busy here!?"

SUN pointed at Solar, which was honestly quite insulting, especially since the bastard was half a head shorter than him and always hovered in the air unconsciously.

"Oh right, so big boy and I are all back here and we are just wondering..."

Miku looked at her nails, there were some clicking sounds as if she was posing for the camera.

"Uh... When are you guys gonna fuck?"

Sometimes, there are words that can shock people's spirit, making them stand up to the challenges they face. Make them to not give up, even though they had been through a lot of hardship.

And sometimes, there are words that, when spoken, make Solar fall off the ground, and the person who tortured him is about 20 meters away from him.

"What?"

"Yeah... What?"

His head was still shaking, but he still had enough intelligence to understand what the fuck that henchman was saying.

"Like I get this is the torture session and all but sounds like y'all gonna bone or something."

SUN took a deep breath, and his voice hissed through his teeth.

"This is my ARCH NEMESIS, WHAT THE FUCK, MIKU!!!? WHAT WAS WRONG WITH YOU???"

"This isn't like an enemies slash lovers thing because I am down for that if you were--"

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE, MIKU!! IM BUSY!! DON'T INTERRUPT ME EVER AGAIN!!"

"Okay okay I'm sorry my bad. I will leave now. Don't be a bi-atch like that, boss."

"Jesus Miku!! I will be very honest. I will literally feed you to your pet tonight if you don't shut up and LEAVE!!! RIGHT NOW!!!"

The dizziness passed pretty quickly as you saw a miniature sun explode above your head.

SUN's entire body hissed angrily like a wet cat, before stopping and looking at Solar. It felt so awkward that neither of them could continue, and before he could say anything, SUN disappeared.

"Solar!!! Are you okay!!! I am sorry for fixing the walkie talkie too late. Where are you!!! Are you hurt!!!!"

Moon's voice came over the walkie-talkie in a completely anxious and terrifying tone.

Solar looked at the sunset and at the broken tiles at his feet.

He ignored the sharp pain in his ribs and shoulder blades, his voice rough as he replied.

" Yeah... I am okay..."

[help-im-a-gay-fish]

In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came...

That voice that comes to me, and speaks my name...

*inhales*

I am in love with his musical. I was very lucky to get to go and see The Phantom of The Opera at His Majesty's Royal Theatre in London.

I LOVED IT.

I have been listening to this sound track on repeat all week, I have been so invested in this story, I just had to cross over it. So this is a crossover of the musical, not the movie, very important distinction because the musical is different, and better

Honestly I have a lot to say but I'll ramble in the tags heh.

Some more charactersssss!!

Dream is going to be left gender ambiguous here, so if you want them to be a he like regular Dream you can, but if you want them to be a she like Christine then you can!

Also Cross' scar is only present for some of these drawings, because I decided he gets it from broken glass coming off the falling chandelier.

A kind of more detailed synopsis of how the Crossover lore works. And my concept art :)

In this Cross over, Dream and Nightmare were twins, but from babyhood, Nightmare had a strange mass of gloop around his eye. First covered with a small mask, the mass grew more over time. He ran away from home at age 6 and was taken by a circus to become the star of a freakshow attraction.

Over his travels he learned a lot and was proven to be a musical prodigy, but the mass grew. Soon wrecking one side of his face and covering one side of his body, that's why he wears one glove, and has the tendrils, hiddenunderneathhis cloak.

Eventually he found himself at the opera house, and lived there secretly, living as the oprea ghost.

And then who should turn up, but Dream, moving in with the other dancers after their mother's death. It didn’t take long for Night to recognise their twin, and seek to keep on eye on them from a distance. To protect them, but also teach them to sing.

Protecting to be an angel of music, and instructing Dream from the shadows. And Dream growing convinced that he's the spirit of their 'dead' brother, and they were kind right.

And in a true dreammare fashion, some of this sibling protectiveness turned into a bit of a more twisted obsessive love in Nightmare...

And that's most of the stuff that is changed, the rest stays mostly the same.

:)

Original cross jakei95

Original nightmare and Dream by jokublog

Original ccino belongs to black-nyanko

Original ink by comyet

Original error by crayonqueen.

original lust by nsfwshamecave

@zu-is-here asked me to tag her in this post.

And I also want to bring some attention to this work, as well :)

Concept art! <3

Thank you so much!

[crisiscutie]

Sephiroth using his tentacles to bind his darling and having them penetrate her nipples?

OG/Jenova!Sephy prompt time? Yes! HoS episode.

Content Warning: NSFW. Dubcon. Tentacles. Voice Kink. Milk Kink. Deepthroating. Cumflation. Nipple Penetration. Breast Play/Breast Expansion. Fisting. And some other kinks at play. This Sephy is his own warning, okay? Long headcanons below.

You sought him out, the leader Sephiroth. You've been feeling unwell.

You constantly felt as if you were being wrapped in a cocoon. You knew it was Jenova's energy surrounding you.

You felt so overwhelmed. All you want is to recall your memories and break the amnesia. Maybe she can have you then...

This Sephiroth always seems to do wonders when making you feel relaxed and better.

You used your free time to feel out for him, following the clues he may have left behind.

He wasn't in his quarters, so you followed the sound of murmured voices down to the basement.

There he was, rambling incoherently in front of his true, mangled body in the crystal.

You stifled your sobs upon seeing his true body. You were going to wait until he finished his rant, but this may be too much to bear...

Suddenly, his broad, muscular chest was in your view, his firm hand gripping your delicate wrist.

A warm, twisted smile appeared on his face.

"Heh... what do you have to be sad about?" He cooed, cupping your cheek with his gloved hand.

You nuzzled your cheek into his hand. Even if this Sephiroth is using a Jenova meat puppet, you still love his touch. You wonder how better his actual touch is.

As he tilted his head at you, his warm smile became a sly smirk, and his eyes narrowed.

"Hmph, still doing that. Just like back in the crater..."

You looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. You don't know what he meant by that.

What crater? As far as you could tell, there were no craters in the house or its surroundings.

His mako slit eyes then shone with a radiance that seemed to draw you in and wrap you in a spell.

Familiar pink-red tentacles had a distinct, sweet scent as they slithered around you, caressing your body before lifting you up into a supine position a few feet off the ground.

You moaned in relaxation as you felt a warm, veiny tentacle caress the small of your back.

Two skinny tentacles drifted upwards to gently stroke your breasts, eliciting a shiver of delight from you. They teased your nipples, trying to secrete your milk.

"Sephiroth, is now the time..."

You choked on your next words as you felt other tentacles prying your folds open, exposing your gushing, quivering wetness to Sephiroth.

A mini sucker tentacle singled out your clit, giving it a brief, teasing suck and then flicking it at Sephiroth.

The skinny tentacles on your tits became more aggressive.

They're squeezing your tits tightly as they coiled around them and tugged them.

"I don't have any... m-milk. The other Sephiroth drained me..." You murmured in pain, as the tentacles continued their ruthless assault.

"That's too bad." His stoic words hid his irritation and disappointment.

"You will have much more to spare after this, my love," his velvety, husky voice had a sudden, seductive edge to it.

His voice vibrated in your ears, causing a surge of heat that made your clit fully stand up.

The mini sucker tentacle that had been toying with your clit suddenly latched onto it with an intense force. You yelped in response.

You got slight relief when the tentacles abusing your poor tits halted their assault.

But that relief was quickly replaced with unease when you observed two larger tentacles lining up, hovering above you. They're wriggling with anticipation.

They're cock tentacles, accentuated with pleasure bumps. Clearly meant to penetrate your holes. What is he trying to do?

No, No, NO he can't possibly think...

Your unease became terror as the cock tentacles struck, just stopping when they managed to make your nipples bulge slightly.

The tentacles weren't in your tits, yet. Your eyes widened, seeing how your nipples became more distended as the cock tentacles slowly forced themselves in.

You pleaded with Sephiroth to end this, your words ridden with terror and desperation. Your nipples are NOT meant to be penetrated. This is too much, even for your durable body.

Your desperate pleas went unheard. He was in a trance, his gaze on you. He raised a hand to your cunt.

"Your eyes. Mother..."

With that, he plunged his hand into the depths of your moistness, synchronized with the tentacles that fully forced their way into your nipples.

Your tits became distended as the frenzied tentacles fucked them.

You drooled, gritting your teeth. You can't see it, but can feel the outline of the cock tentacles and their pleasure bumps within your tits.

The full length of the tentacles wasn't inside your tits. Not even at half length. Yet, your tits are already so full.

That's not even mentioning your stomach bulge. Courtesy of Sephiroth languidly fisting you, rambling about your eyes and Jenova.

The thickest cock tentacle yet moved closer to your wide-open mouth, its girth and weight pressing down on your lips.

It lacked any pleasure bumps, but it had a pronounced vein pattern and a flared tip.

It plunged itself into your mouth, making your head jerk back as it stretched every corner of your lips. And this is the cock head, not even the rest of the tentacle.

It eventually stuffed your tight throat, continuing its brutal thrusts. Your tongue could feel every vein of the threatening tentacle.

You don't know how you are enduring this. With your tits being brutalized, the bulge in your throat from the cock tentacle fucking it and Sephiroth's hand prodding your cervix, there has to be a limit, right?

Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as your climax approaches. Sephiroth's dark chuckles fill your ears when your walls tightened around his hand.

Your body would've gone limp if it hadn't for the lesser tentacles holding you up.

Your muffled scream was loud, even with the tentacle stuffed in your throat when you reached your climax.

Sephiroth withdrew his hand from your wet depths, briefly licking your juices off it.

The three cock tentacles came inside you, their corrupted fluid filling your tits and belly.

The tentacles in your breasts withdrew themselves gently, your nipples giving their exit no trouble.

Unlike the cock tentacle in your throat, who roughly jerked your head back and forth to get itself out. Your involuntary throat muscles were resilient in keeping it.

The tentacle's veins bulged as it used its mighty strength to finally withdraw itself from your throat and mouth, and your abused and exhausted body was shifted to sit in Sephiroth's lap.

He placed a soft, affectionate kiss on your neck while his gloved hand massaged your swollen belly, it making you appear as if you were heavily pregnant.

"I must make sure my darling is well-fed..."

His other hand slithered up to your breasts, now heavier and fuller than before.

"You should have a significant increase in your milk production now," He whispered.

He teased your nipples. They are not gaping as they quickly bounced back from the brutal penetration.

Sephiroth noted the growth of your areola, and how your nipples become larger.

The holes of your nipples are somewhat larger now too, inviting for a nice suckling or any type of penetration.

He forced two of his large fingers into a now fuckable nipple, smiling at how the hole quickly adjusted to his fingers.

You giggled, feeling rushes of delight and joy as he continued to tug at your remodeled pleasure centers.

You forgot who's supposed to be the next Sephiroth to have you. You hoped it wasn't the youngest one.

...Because C.C might be over-enjoyed at the darling's upgraded attributes. Thanks for the prompt!

[lefetellc]

✨🌈💖Doodles n Ocs !!!!!! 🌈🌈💖

I was energized yesterday, so I grabbed my pencil and started looking around for interesting ocs lol

(( @minoru-eno // Idk what Kitty's @ is.... ))

First and foremost was this booger

Cant remember what his name was... But I really loved his zombie//rotting body

If I have a second chance, I'd draw a bit more gorey or twisted poses with him, since he can just regen himself>>

Have to say, this sketch turned out the BEST purely bc at a character standpoint, its amazing cough

Second is how well he can integrate himself in the detailed, Jmilo style

And also cus he's a cutie patootie...

And well, most of my energy was really put into this sketch

I had a lot of fun with him!!

MINORU IF YOURE LISTENING GIVE ME MORE CRUMBS STOP GATEKEEPING GRRRRR

.

.

.

HONESTLY after drawing 'experiment boy,' I knew that I wanted to do KittyLilyHeart's oc, Amcy, next

I wasnt certain what kind of pose I wanted

So, in the heat of the momment, I kinda... Redrew her refrence pose..

IN HINDSIGHT i could've just read her lore ((bc im a sucker for transmigration stories, my pfp boy is LITERALLY from one + 1 Lefe Lore point))

I think that she looks so much more... savage-like? An almost fox-like slyness...

What really stood out to me was her wide smile

It would be a dishonor!! Of me to make it smaller

Soo...

Nayway! I wished I leaned more into her transmigration plotpoint

Maybe a high tech panel to her sides, showcasing profiles of her 'units' and current progression eithin each story ...

Ah, but from my own speculation, she doesn't necessarily like or want to do it, huh?

Her dialogue on her refrence sheet is strange; "HELP" written in a light blood, red handprints on her shaded figure, a glitched and foreboding scream "GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!"

I like this aspect of her; it seems to me that she doesn't wanna be in this endless loop of romancing pointless people in a pointless story

If I had understood this earlier on, I would e implied ot better with the sketch

Hmm... Maybe a disgruntled expression while staring at a True Milo? A bit complicated... Ahh

I do like her though. I'm not fond of many characters, but shes got a place somewhere here

.

.

.

OK AT LONG LAST

Eerie Day

EERIE DAY, THAT ONE PL G*N OC

who happened to win a "whos the most unhinged" poll, cant forget that!!

Im surprised that he... Well, whatever

Pretty boy smh

Im showing his ugly picture, just for his humiliation fun!!

I

Actually liked drawing him again

.

Just kidding he needs to go back to jail

Stupid

ugly

Get in there, pretty face!!

Heh

One bad thing, put behind bars

Speaking of metal things, remember Opal? Yeah uhm. He's here too...

It seems like all my ocs are making a reappearance after weeks!! (R.i.p Cherry...)

Its been TOO LONG

and frankly I

Opal isnt suited for Jmilo style tbh

For one; no nose, no eyebrows, big boba eyes, unrealistic hair details

Ahh

Hes always meant for Jchan style I guess

Cutesy, big eyes, unrealistic hair

ehe, Speaking of Jchan style ...

Ta-da!!! A little present for coming down this far

Long road of me yapping

I like to yap. Just that nobody is here to listen.

Nayway!!!

Theres a few (ton) more ocs/characters I want to draw

Lots

All the milos, for one

And maybe another Pl oc? Ehe

Oh well~ Ill get to a certain nredeacterjecjevavtsbrsvg eventually

Anyway!! Heres a small sketch of myself!

My persona tbh... Same thing! Person! Same person!

Ahh

Thats all the tumblr images can handle

Thanks for seeing them all! I wish more people could tell me that I didnt waste my time, more often

Cya tmr! Or today? Its 2am... Ahhh

*falls backwards into coffin

[theflagscene]

Are u ok? Not to be nosy but that commentary about Non’s ma was something, made my stomach twist up.

Oh I’m sorry I gave you a twisty tummy! I did not mean to make anyone uncomfortable with my comments about the actresses performance. I will preface this with; yes, I am okay.

I typically take very close notice of actors who play parents of children who die in media because I am firstly a trained actor myself, but secondly and more importantly, someone who has seen that type of loss very up close. When I was a teenager my younger sister was murdered, I was the one who told my parents what had happened. I phoned my mother and then she and I were taken to the hospital where my sister was pronounced dead, then I was the one who met my father at intake while my mother was with my sister’s body and I told him as well. I was sixteen, my sister was six.

So I know what that loss looks like on a parent’s face, what it sounds like, how it sits on their body and changes their movements. Especially when the death is a violent death, a sudden unexpected death. I always watch closely actors in scenes where they must mimic those emotions, especially right after they’re told. Because—god willing—the actors in these scenes have not gone through this type of situation before, so they have nothing personal to draw from. And sometimes it’s terrible, just horrible acting lol. It’s over the top, melodramatic, laughable even. But when an actor gets it, really gets it, when they manage to lock into that moment—and it’s a moment that only happens once, never again—that their child, their baby, is dead and they’re never going to see them again. When an actor manages to lock onto that single moment where it hits in you in the chest, it’s completely new information that you hadn’t even considered before and now you’ll never be able to not know it again, I notice it. I always notice it when an actor connects with that moment, I can see it so clearly and when it’s good it’s so good.

The actress who plays Non’s mom (I cannot find her name, I’m sorry) she did so fantastic in that moment, you could see it in her face exactly when she realized Non wasn’t missing, that he was dead, her baby was dead. And even if later in the series it turns out that Non is still alive, it doesn’t matter, because now she’s dead, his mother is dead and she died with the belief—not even a belief— the visceral knowledge that her youngest born was dead. So for her, he will always be dead.

So yeah, heh, sorry about that dark realness. I just, I always notice those scenes, especially when they’re well done. And I respect the actors who are able to do it well, because it’s not an easy mindset to find, there are multiple emotions involved in it and it’s commendable when an actor hits all of the emotions exactly right.

But again, I am okay! Lol, I feel like I should reiterate that. I’m in my thirties now, this happened a long time ago. I’m okay, thanks for your concern ☺️

[linesonscreens]

Let's Read Peanuts (Yes, all of it) - December 1952

There are lots of great strips I just don't have room to comment on. I strongly encourage everybody to read the full month at the official GoComics page. Today's month starts HERE.

Dec 6, 1952

Heh.

Dec 8, 1952

Honestly it's not a bad look.

Dec 9, 1952

Did that just make him cry?

Dec 11, 1952

Gah! Please never do that again!

Dec 19, 1952

No no no! If you just outright lie then of course he will brush you off without a second thought. You've got to start with something somewhat true and then slowly work in the bullshit over time. Maybe throw in a death threat and a passive aggressive snipe at his sexuality to twist the knife a little.

God, it's like you four year olds from 1952 have never even been on social media.

Dec 21, 1952

I mean, it's more than I've gotten this year.

Dec 23, 1952

One of many things that I think sets Peanuts apart from other strips is how well Schulz depicts depression (probably because he almost certainly suffered from it). You might think depression is just a sad feeling similar to grief but it's actually more of an irrational pessimism coupled with a persistent sense dread. Your brain doesn't exactly lie to you but instead tells you the most negative version of the truth possible which can lead you to some very irrational conclusions. You feel fine, it's the ~world~ that's broken (and keeps giving you these useless pennies).

Er, not that I know anything about all that.

Anyways, Schulz perfectly captures this in a way that's honest and sincere but also entertaining and kid-friendly. Which is pretty damn impressive when you think about it.

Thoughts:

End of the year character design recap time!

Again, not doing every character every year for my own sanity since the cast will be getting very large. CB and Snoopy will be constants but the rest will get rotated in/out:

Charlie Brown

October 1950

December 1950

December 1951

December 1952

Snoopy

October 1950

December 1950

December 1951

December 1952

Lucy

March 1952

December 1952

(why can't I make this one picture smaller? Am I doing something wrong?)

Linus

September 1952

December 1952

Schroeder

May 1951

December 1951

December 1952

The main thing I'm noticing is that everybody looks twice as old as they did last year while the expression work is getting a bit more complex and nuanced. Charlie Brown's head is literally half the size it was in 1950, Schroeder has aged up into an actual character and has shed a lot of his UPA stylization, Snoopy's face is becoming a bit more blocky and angular, and Lucy's eyes no longer make her look like some kind of cursed doll. Big improvements all around I think.

Linus... got a shirt. Look it's only been 3 months what do you want from me?

There's also a lot more detail in the backgrounds now which is creating a wonderful sense of these characters existing in an actual environment. Schulz is also surprisingly good at drawing plants and nature which adds a nice organic softness to his world. It's all actually making me kind of annoyed at the animated adaptations because they always go for something loose and minimalistic for their backgrounds and I think they would have really benefited form the contrast something more solid and detailed would have provided.

Finally his paneling and compositions are god tier. I mean, god damn.

Anyways that's it for 1952, I hope you all enjoyed it. Next up: 1953!

[asha-mage]

AU where Moiraine balefired Lanfear

[Send me a potential AU and I'll answer with five things from that story!]

Heh. This one is interesting (and a touch less fraught then the last one)-

Timing is a big thing. I could see it happen at the docks in place of the Tackle Lanfear Into Fairy Hell plan. Thought it's also possible it could have gone horribly awry as well (given that it apparently wasn't viable enough for Moiraine to consider in canon). I could see a concentrated effort by Moiraine to assassinate her earlier via Balefire, possibly during the Aiel Waste Arc, if she managed to put the pieces together regarding Lanfear's identity.

Either way I don't think Rand Reacts Well. He's already got a lot of Issues TM regarding taking responsibility for the actions of others, and a lot of issues regarding Moiraine's trust to work through. For sake of AU I'll say it comes after they've had their turning point at Rhudiean, and Rand has started to trust her again: the twin thoughts twisting at his gut are 'I'm still responsible because Moiraine was doing because she swore to protect me' and 'if I had just been better this woudn't been necessary'. But the only way for Rand to deal with that anger it to externalize it- direct it a Moiraine, and yet that comes across as being angry at her for killing one of the Forsaken, which probably justifies Moiraine's choice to do so in her own mind. One immediate effect is that I think she gets left out of the raid on Camelyn

A rift reopens between them either way- Rand drawing away and Moiraine refusing to bend on the point that it was necessary and right. Which of course leaves Rand open to manipulation by his his enemies- Alviarian, Elaida, etc, who would all take advantage of the rift between them to drive that trust further apart, further isolate Rand.

Ironically, though it saves her life, I think it still dooms her as Rand's councilor, and probably damages the mission long term in ways that are pretty hard to retract or recover from. And just as ironically, I think it would take a big act of trust- probably rescuing Rand at Dumai's Wells, taking up arms against other Aes Sedai, to win back that trust.

Which conversely I think is an easy choice for Moiraine to make when the time comes. I could see her going to the Black Tower even before the Aiel, under cold brutal pragmatism - the Aiel might hesitate still to slay Aes Sedai. Men who can channel, men who can channel lead by Mazrim Taim no less, would have no such compunction.

[tumbleofdorks]

Personal take, as much as I enjoy the aesthetic I don't really get why so many people draw the Magnus Protocol characters so punk/alt and cool looking.

I've worked both night-shift computer jobs AND in small government and the only flavors those comes in are definitely "do not perceive me", "respectable comfy", and "I am very Important."

Alice is the comfy type, she's been in this job so long she doesn't care and is focused on being comfy. The most fashionable I can imagine her getting is tucking her over-sized sweater in to her jeans. Probably wears converse. I could see her being a fun makeup type girl though, a pop of color smudged on her eyelids with her ring finger on her commute ride on the tube.

Sam is new, he's still at least trying but this is still a polo and slacks type situation. Clean tennis shoes at best after wearing his good leather shoes on his first day. His hair is neatly combed, but not what one would call "styled."

Collin is late night IT. I have been late night IT specifically. He is the most likely to be wearing a t-shirt with a dumb phrase on it and get away with it. Hoodies. Jeans with faded knees from crawling under desks. Occasionally sweatpants if he's having a real bad day. Hair long enough for a ponytail, or messy and short. Dirty sneakers.

Now Gwen is a climber. She over-dresses. She has simple jewelry, but it is real gold. Her hair is tied tightly back in a bun, french-twist, or mid-height ponytail. She wears sensible, but high quality shoes, occasionally a small heel. Skirts, slacks, button down shirts and form-fitting sweaters. You wouldn't catch her dead without her no-makeup makeup.

Lena is government management, even if she is night shift. Business casual all day every day. Voted most likely to wear a blazer. She doesn't wear much jewelry, but that is most definitely an expensive watch on her wrist and it is set to International Atomic Time. I personally imagine her with glasses, but that's mostly so I can picture her staring down Gwen while looking over them.

I guess these designs maybe aren't as fun? But a lot of the more flamboyant designs would totally break my immersion, cause having been there, no one in those jobs dresses like that heh...

[snailsrneat]

"Oh, You came to tell me happy birthday?..Heh, thank you for your consideration."

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

-----------------------------

HII EVERYONE! So since it's Twyla's Birthday today I thought I'd give everyone a little treat and show off what I've been working on behind the scenes the last couple weeks.

-----------------------------

-----------------------------

The prefect of Ramshackle, popular amongst her peers for her laid back demeanor. She loves the arts and expressing herself through multiple mediums. Specifically through fashion, often choosing to dress in alternative clothing styles. Despite the visual difference, she blends in quite well among the other students. Even with her temperamental companions.

-----------------------------

This is Twyla's new (and final) design! Let's talk about her little bit.

She's technically twisted from two different characters. Them being Bruno, from Encanto, and the three Fates from Hercules.

The three Fates are actually where I got the idea to give her the hobby of sewing, because I wanted her to have an association with string. Also they inspired the name of her unique magic magic.

Bruno mostly inspired her unique magic (like how it works and what it does) as well as parts of her personality and design.

Specifically he inspired her hoodie.

Aside from that though, design wise I also was inspire by other popular cartoon characters like The Hex Girls from Scooby-Doo, and Gwen from Total Drama.

I specifically wanted to go with a more grunge or goth aesthetic, mostly because we don't really see said aesthetics explored much through the canon cast, so it would give a good visual difference. Also she just matched ramshackle more.

But let's get to some actual character facts shall we?

Twyla is left-handed, but is slightly ambidextrous when it comes to using her hands for anything other than writing.

Her favorite food is pancakes, when asked why she just blinked and shrugged. "I dunno' know. Just make me feel like a little kid again."

Her least favorite food is Brussel-Sprouts, which she also allergic to.

She's been known to have several hobbies including sewing, drawing, designing, reading, writing, scrapbooking, photography, gaming, and baking.

It is also good to note that she has ADHD and it's hard to keep her attention one thing for long periods of time.

Atleast when it comes to things like school work. Her hobbies take up most of her free time.

She has lilapsiphobia, or the intense fear of tornadoes and hurricanes. She developed it due to a traumatic event during her childhood.

She is an orphan with a deceased mother and a "missing" father.

She use to work many different jobs when in the foster care system, ranging from an unground boxer to maid at a maid cafe.

She was in the fostercare system for a long time, until she turned sixteen. Which is when her inheritance kicked in and allowed her to move back in to her childhood home.

Until 6 months later when she was transported into Twst.

Her favorite flowers are Holly-Hocks.

She has been given many different nicknames by the rest of the cast bit to her the strangest happens to be what Vil calls her "French Fry#1"

Speaking of nicknames, Floyd often refers to her as "Manatee" or "Manny-Chan".

Let's hear some of her homescreen voicelines.

"Oh, hey, you look tired. Do you need take a break in the guest room?"

"OH! Shit. Forgot that I had homework for Trein today. *Sigh* I guess I'll just have to do it during Alchemy today."

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm just drawing while waiting for class to start. You can join me if you'd like!"

"*Huff* *Huff*, huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just, uhm, got distracted watching the squirrels and I had to run to make sure I wasn't late is all. Don't worry."

"Where's Grim? I don't know, probably off committing crimes against humanity...AGAIN."

"Uuuuugh, Crowley keeps bugging me about some stupid fight between a Pomefiore and Savannaclaw student. Why can't people at this school just learn to make up on their own?"

"Ramshackle dorm actually has some pretty neat history if you can find some of the old N.R.C. school books. Did you know that Ramshackle has never had a housewarden? Only ever Prefects."

"Man, if I have to hear Ace and Deuce bicker about something dumb one more time I think I might actually commit murder."

"Heh, Azuls flustered face is so funny. He's makes it so easy to want to bully him I almost can't stop myself."

"Leona I swear to fu- Oh! You're not Leona...don't worry about what I was just about to say, okay?"

-----------------------------

*flops down face down on mattress*

Ahdhskahsshskajsjakshdbxhsusa..

Idk man my brain is tired and overworked. Also say happy birthday to me, it's my birthday I've been working hard.

[sanddusted-wisteria]

A Builder, a Researcher, and a Rooftop, Ch. 19: Laceration

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Also on AO3

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Qi sat on the roof with his hands in his lap, antsy fingers twitching idly.

The builder was late. Significantly late. And he’d gotten no word from them.

A part of him chastised himself for thinking about it so intensely. They were just busy. They were more than capable of handling themself. There was no need to obsess over their every activity.

…So why was his stomach so unsettled?

He already knew the reason.

------------

“You went to the fireside?”

“Yeah, it was, uh…well. Let’s just say I wanted the ground to tear asunder and swallow me whole at least once or twice,” the builder said as they sipped their tea.

“Ah, yes. Most social engagements are like that.”

“Heh. Well, this one felt even more like that.” They sighed. “I just feel bad for Trudy. She makes these huge trips out there all alone, and when she doesn’t get anything right away, everyone just dogpiles on her.”

Qi hummed. “Well, the complaints of the townsfolk are not totally unfounded, I suppose. Trudy has been making these expeditions for longer than I’ve resided in this town, and every time has been fruitless.”

“Even so,” the builder grimaced. “Wouldn’t kill anyone to at least show a little appreciation for her efforts…”

“Efforts are one thing. Being able to produce data is another. Such as it is in the scientific world. No amount of ‘hope’ can be an adequate substitute for results,” Qi shrugged.

The builder bristled. “Wh– Okay, but still. Even if something fails, it’s still useful to know, isn’t it?”

Qi raised an eyebrow at their tense expression. “It is in a sense…but nowhere near as valuable as a tangible result.”

The look on the builder’s face twisted a bit more as they stared at him for a moment. Then they let out a huff. “Sure. Next time one of your experiments fail, don’t come crying to me, then.”

There’s no such thing as a failed experiment, only hypotheses you fail to prove, Qi almost said. But he clamped his tongue down at the near-scowl threatening to break out onto their face.

The builder took one last sip of their tea and stood up. “Well, I gotta head out. Thanks. Bye.”

“O-oh, um. Right,” Qi said weakly. “See you later.”

The door to the research center closed behind them.

Qi felt a shift in his stomach.

They hadn’t even finished their tea.

------------

That was two days ago. And Qi hadn’t heard from them since.

He still stood by what he said. It was backed up with years of experience in dealing with the sometimes-cutthroat nature of research publication. But even so…drawing their ire had more of an effect on him than he realized. Even though he really shouldn’t have been surprised. That wasn’t the first time that happened.

He’d been hoping for them to at least stop by a little later and have an insightful follow-up conversation on the topic, but—

His thoughts were suddenly cut off by the sound of footsteps from below.

His head snapped over to the rooftop landing. The weight was familiar…but the rhythm sounded a bit sluggish and uneven.

Suddenly, the builder’s head poked up from over the roof’s edge. A bruise darkened their cheek.

“Hey,” they waved with a sheepish grin. “Sorry I’m late.” Their steps were heavy and plodding, dragging them up slowly. Their hand had several bandaged cuts. Their forearm was bandaged.

Qi sucked in a sharp breath, pushing himself up and moving to meet them halfway. “What happened?!” he hissed, putting steadying hands on their shoulders and scanning the rest of their body. Their other arm looked just as scuffed. It looked like there were some bandages on their legs, too. Their eyes looked tired, but otherwise okay.

“Wellll…” they hummed, almost oblivious to their injuries. Not a symptom of shock…right? “Technically, I’m not supposed to tell anyone yet. But I trust you so…you know that massive sub ruin thing out past Gecko Station?”

“…The inaccessible one? The one the Civil Corps hasn’t scouted out yet?!”

“Yeah, that one. Well, me, Trudy, and Mi-an all went exploring it, since Trudy saw a bunch of algae growing in it. And there were a ton of monsters in there. Little bastards were pretty tough. And I had to fend ‘em off in a bulky hazmat suit.”

Qi had no words.

“And guess what? We got some cool old algae growing machines from it. Well, after beating up a giant octopus bot.” They let out a haggard chuckle. “You see? Trudy got results!”

Qi’s hands tensed, squeezing their shoulders. “And…was it worth it?” he muttered.

The delirious smile faded from the builder’s face. “Huh? I mean, yeah, why wouldn’t it be?”

Qi sighed, his head drooping. “How did the mayor get you to agree to this…secret expedition?”

“Oh, well, she showed up to my workshop yesterday and told me about it. She had a diagram ready for the hazmat suits and told me to keep it a secret between us.”

“And you agreed.”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Immediately.”

“Yeah?”

“Despite the obvious and indeterminate danger.”

“Uh-huh…?”

Qi let out another huff, turning to help them sit down. “You’re not normally this reckless.”

“Aw come on, I don’t go down that easy. Were you worried about me?” The cheeky lilt in their voice was back as they leaned their head against his shoulder.

“Of course,” he said, shoulders and voice tense. “Of course I was, I…” He trailed off, feeling a familiar twist in his gut.

I always am.

He felt the builder pick their head up, looking at him blankly.

They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment. Qi could feel their gaze trying to prod at the depths of his emotions.

“Oh…” the builder whispered. They looked down. “I…I’m sorry.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Um. It was stupid. I would’ve gone with Trudy either way, but…a good part of it was because I wanted to stick it to you.”

“Er—‘stick it to me’…?”

“I wanted to prove you wrong. Show you that Trudy’s expeditions aren’t pointless at all. …Didn’t realize you already felt a bit torn up about it.”

“I…I’m just glad you’re alright,” Qi murmured, gently rubbing their shoulder. “And…I never said—I never thought your point was invalid. It wasn’t. Truly.”

The builder shrugged, glancing back with a half-hearted smile. “I mean, neither was yours. All the effort is great and all, but when you actually get something…even if it’s just a tiny little bit…it feels so different.”

Qi felt his mouth quirk up just a little. “And that’s the wonder of science.”

“Yeah. Again…I’m sorry. I was just so sick of everyone just glossing over Trudy’s work.”

“No harm done.” Qi shook his head. “I believe I can assist her efforts now, as well. I assume you’ll want me to take a look at that machine?”

“Oh yeah. Zeke’s got it down at the Moisture Farm, so whenever you’re ready…”

Qi nodded. “First thing tomorrow, then.”

“Sounds good.” The smile on the builder’s face brightened a little. Qi felt the knot in his stomach loosen up. He simply nodded, not sure what else to say.

The builder turned to look up at the stars, but Qi kept his gaze fixed on them, and the bandages dotting their hands.

“You…should rest,” he murmured. “You’re still injured.”

“I know…but I can rest here, can’t I?

“I wouldn’t feel confident letting you sleep like this on my couch.”

“Well…I don’t need the couch, do I—?”

“And my bed is not large enough to accommodate both of us while you’re injured.”

“Awww,” they pouted. They snuggled back into his side, one arm wrapped around his back. “Ten more minutes, at least?”

Qi was no stranger to this kind of closeness by now, but it still made his stomach flip and his heart race nonetheless. Somehow, even this close emotionally, the builder would always find a way to pull him even deeper into their irresistible gravity. A singularity with no end.

Well. If he was resigned to falling head-first into the black hole of their affection, he might as well embrace it.

He reached his arm out and wrapped it around them. His lips brushed the top of their head.

“Alright,” he whispered, closing his eyes. “Ten more minutes.”

------------

A/N: in this house we love and respect trudy

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[liverpool-enjoyer]

random ask since i'm in a pokemon mood: have you played any rom hacks? if so, which ones are your favorites?

DAIHSAKAFFOOOOOOH V I CAN TALK ALL DAY ABT ROM HACKS!!! I AM CACKLING LIKE A MANIAC RN THIS IS MY CHANCE

okokok ik you asked abt rom hacks but im gonna include hacks AND fangames cause tbh i always put em in the same category (illegal pokemon games)

the best, most top tier, most BRILLIANT fangame of all time is a game by ekat n michael called pokemon ashen frost. bestie @frostbite-yinny can vouch for how amazing this game is. basically its a crime noir pokemon game that takes place in one huge ass city. you play as a detective with a swinub as a partner n the game is split into cases rather than gyms. my words arent enough to describe how high quality and genuis this game is. the story is deep n intricate n so beautifully told. n ohmygosh the SETTING. the city of riverview feels so,,, real. like i literally miss being there. the MUSIC too!!! its so jazzy n compliments the setting n story so well. n dont even get me STARTED on those CHARACTERS,,, you will get ATTATCHED. n i mean it. the end a the latest demo literally had me WEEPING. it features a talking protagonist which rlly helps you bond w the other characters. basically, ashen frost is a story abt people that takes place in the pokemon world, n thats what i adore abt it. i IMPLORE anyone who likes pokemon to play this game. im not saying that cause its my favorite, but bc to not play this game is literally a disservice to yourself. in fact i'll even give you a download link,,, here ya go

ahem. anywho. as for actual rom hacks, my favorite is easily pokemon fire red rocket edition. pokemon but you play as a member a team rocket!!! its such a breath a fresh air. a fun way to play through kanto, which is definitely needed seeing as most ppl have played through kanto 53629523 times. n the STORY??? goes HARD. theres a twist at the end that changes the way you see the story of red n blue. it takes the game from really great to fuckin BRILLIANT.

special shoutout to my first rom hack n the one that got me into all this,,, its a fire red hack by @shima-draws n its basically the story of fire red but your rival has a crush on you n flirts w you throughout the course a the game. my gateway drug n the reason i was able to play through kanto <3 her post abt it is here

another special special game is pokemon legends of the arena. another BRILLIANT n unique fangame that has you travelling the region while participating in a tournament rather than a gym challenge. amazing characters, a talking protagonist which is AWESOME, n an amazing soundtrack!!! the story is absolutely FANTASTIC too. n theres a breathtaking sidequest too. n theres like three different endings!!! which i love!! i got the true ending on the first try hehe ;))

i also cant help but love pokemon insurgence. as my first fangame i have a lotta nostalgia for it. look man, this ones FUN. its got super cool delta pokemon which are essentially regional forms before regional forms were regional forms. the story is a fun level of over the top n i love the inclusion of some a my favorite canon pokemon characters. also, this game made me cry. not bc a the story, but bc its fuckin HARD. n my ass was playing on NORMAL difficulty.

some other rom hacks ive played are pokemon gaia n pokemon glazed but tbh its been so long i dont remember much abt em,,, heh.

[inswisswetrust]

Raindrops

Okay, I just did this. I don't know what's going to happen with it, but I'm posting it here first. Follow me and give me feedback so I know if I should post it to AO3 or not. I'm really feeling the wine and sleeping pills right now (kids don't try this at home).

Working Title: Raindrops

Rating: Mature for now (no under 18 dammit!)

Synopsis: Rain falls for the mermaid that lives in the lake in the abbey. Rain falls for the lady in the lake (heh heh)

Warnings: This is my first Rain-centric fic. I have no idea where it's gonna go but I was watching Sirens and suddenly Rainy was in my head screaming "I WANT ONE!!" So here I am, at 2am, fuckin' drunk and trying something weird. Rainy, Imma give you the drivers seat shortly, just let me get a little sleep first, yeah?

Couple paragraphs below the cut..

It was well known throughout the abbey that a mermaid resided in the lake beyond the abbey grounds. The lake itself was so monstrously large, that you couldn’t even see the far bank from the abbey’s edge and with the twists and turns it made, the ghouls section was quite secluded. A small island sat off to the middle, barely large enough for a few copse of trees and the birds that flittered here and there, some building nests while others just used it as a stop off to their next location. Beyond that, the only sign of life on the island was the bugs, the creepy crawlies that made it home.

No humans ever dared explore the island, having grown up on the tales of the vicious sirens who would lure them to their death if they went out into the middle of the lake, despite sirens being inhabitants of the oceans and not lakes. Still, the surrounding towns held a healthy respect for the lake and aside from mild boating and fishing, left it alone. Our ghouls, however, knew of the single inhabitant of the lake who got a bad rap due to her cousin’s reputations, and thus chose to dwell in the shadows, interacting with few. 

Mist had been able to draw the mermaid out of her hiding places a few times, Mist’s water elemental nature intriguing the creature and they’d formed a wary friendship. The other ghouls kept their distance, knowing how shy the mermaid Indra was around non-sea creatures. When Dewdrop was summoned and Mist took a more mentorship role, Indra also disappeared again for a while. Dew, being a water ghoul, spent plenty of time at the lake, but try as he might, he just couldn’t draw the mermaid to him.

In the end, it was Rain who intrigued Indra the most. Once Mist was gone, Indra spent long times away from the lake near the abbey, choosing instead to follow the inlets out to the open sea. Occasionally she’d venture back to check on the ghouls until one day she knew none of them who’d gathered on the shore. There was one, though, that dove into the water with carefree abandon, slithering down to the bottom as though he owned the lake. The day she’d returned to find that ghoul taking over her lake was the day she stopped sneaking off to the open oceans. 

To be continued?

[convxction]

RESTRAIN

"YOU BASTARD--!"

His raged shout echoed through the hallway. Castle staff, knights and anyone nearby heard the loud shout and were on the ready for an attack. It was not anyone who just yelled--it was the king himself. Only few things can make him mad--especially now that he assumed the position--well, only by name so far. He's just Ylisse's representative until he earns the title of the king fair and square.

"Hold your tongue or I'll cut it for you! Don't think because you are a messenger I won't make an example out of you!" he threatened the messenger from one of the noble houses who obviously weren't thrilled to have the crazed late king's son take over the ruling. They weren't happy with Emmeryn but they got things done behind her back, abusing her kindness. Little did they know she was aware of everything but needed proof--thus compiling everything since the beginning of her ruling till that ...day. She knew whatever she unearth would come in handy in the future, for her or for whoever will come after her. Hence, why Chrom was up to speed on who actually has their best of Ylisse's interest or not.

Though the messenger was clear on his hostile towards the king, not only that he so brazenly called Emmeryn names. The only thing that stopped Chrom from running his sword into his heart was Isaac. He came in time to stop Chrom from doing something he will regret later on--not that he minded killing the guy himself, but the thought of someone running with the news and painting Chrom in a bad light.

Isaac had placed one hand over the hilt of Falchion when Chrom tried to draw it, and the other over his shoulder to push him back. He looked him in the eyes and reminded him he is doing the same mistake again.

Same ..mistake...?

Chrom froze in his place, recalling one of the worst decisions he had made but in hindsight, he would do it again. He did nothing wrong. Gangrel had planned it from the beginning, and even if Chrom had not defended it his sister, there will be another way for that clown of a king to call war on the country ...

damn it ..... damn it!!! damn it al!!

Isaac pushed Chrom a little back, not in a manner to disrespect him, but quite gently to the side, nodding to Frederick to keep an eye on him while he take care of this ... guy. He was leaving yes? He wouldn't mind Isaac escorting him outside, yes?

Some time passed and Isaac came back to Chrom's study room where he was lost in thoughts. His face was all twisted in pain and agony. He wanted to change--he thought he had changed but he is still easily to get riled up when ...when she is mentioned.

A tap on his shoulder and Isaac was smiling down at him. "--! ... Isaac ... Apologies my friend ... you had to deal with that. Sorry for always showing you the lamest side of me ..." Isaac laughed and commented that he feels special that he gets to see that side of Chrom. He wonders if Anna would pay him a lot if he shares his knowledge.

"heh...haha... yeah, well, you better believe she might try to sap your memories if she can." the two laughs quietly.

things done while sparring / fighting || accepting if u wanna send || @isaaccecilbryant

[ RESTRAIN ]:    sender physically restrains the receiver from attacking someone else.

[stop-pressing-e]

The Lost Swan - Chapter 14

Prev chapter | New chapter Prologue

/Lovers are reunited but not how it suppose to go heh. Dullahan’s new outfit is here at the far right [X]/

Enjoy reading!/

Mentions of: Blood, gore, character’s death, and just plain ol’ angst.

A song played in her head. It was an odd tune; she doesn’t recall anyone singing that kind of song in the building. Not even from a radio. And yet, it was an oddly familiar song. More like a tune that someone whistles. The pitch was there, a nice low tune. She tried to mimic it but it didn't match the tune in her head. It sounded like it was done by a man with a lovely and deep voice compared to Rothbart’s attempted suave in his voice.

There was that fog again. The shape of his figure is there and that blonde hair, but she can’t see his face. She could feel his large hands holding her. It felt different to Rothbart’s grip when he held her.

“Clara.” Caraboose’s voice snapped her out from her trance. She hardly heard him speak due to his scratchy rough voice. It sounded like sandpaper and god can’t imagine how his throat feels like all the time, especially when he chooses to talk. “Stop whistling.”

She blinked, slowly tilting her head in his direction. “I…was?” 

He gave a grunt in response instead, choosing to reduce the severity for his poor throat. His head jerked towards the back door, indicating her to enter and collect the necessities for Rothbart, and as for him, he stood guard by the door. His hand resting over his revolver while he rolled his shoulders back, the effects in his veins waiting. Twitching. The itch at the back of his throat was tempting to crawl out from smelling new blood.

An arrow shot out of nowhere, striking Caraboose in the chest. It didn’t hit his heart or a lung and soon another arrow hit him just above where the other arrow was. Caraboose had taken a few stumbles back from the impact, he pulled out his revolver and fired his entire chamber towards the direction the arrows came from at rapid speed. At the same speed he had ejected out the bullets and inserted fresh ones. The third arrow struck him through both of his wrists, forcing him to drop his gun and a guttural scream out from his mouth. 

Krauser jumped down from his position with his bow and arrow, drawing back the string to shoot his fourth arrow if Caraboose makes another move.

“Tell me which floor she’s on and maybe I won’t kill you.” He was clearly lying. He’ll kill Caraboose once he has extracted enough information before he goes inside and rescues Dullahan. 

Caraboose shook his head before he let out a harsh wheezing laugh. Slowly he pulled his hands apart, not caring if the pain was excruciating, as long he’s doing it right before Krauser’s eyes. Once his hands were far apart, he twisted them, breaking the metal arrow apart, and pulled the arrow out of his wrists and soon from his chest.

The sight of the other man’s action bewildered the mercenary. This was no ordinary man he’s dealing with now. This was either one of R.A.S former experiments or a new kind of B.O.Ws. Either way, it was bad news for him. 

Krauser let go of the arrow, aiming it for his heart this time. Caraboose was faster however. He quickly picked up his gun and fired at the arrow, witnessing it explode before his face.

“Naughty naughty…” Caraboose said with the wag of his finger. “I can’t allow you to take Clara away, Nutcracker...”

“Clara?” Nutcracker? He was starting to hate the names Dr. Rowland was giving to everyone. More importantly for him and Dullahan. “Her name is not Clara. Her name is Dullahan.”

“She will cease to exist.” Those words chilled Krauser’s spine. Caraboose was wheezing from the talking, black and red goo escaped his mouth. The remaining dripped from his chin and stained his teeth when he grinned, madness shining in his eyes. “Bye-bye Headless Horseman.”

“To hell with you.” Krauser cursed himself and fired his fifth arrow at his feet. The arrow exploded upon contact and he watched Caraboose fly back, missing a foot or two of them. He switched his weapon for his trusty knife, stalking towards the other man with determination and anger burning in his eyes. He pinned Caraboose down with his foot, his hand twirling his knife between his fingers as he knelt down. “Now tell me which floor and I’ll give you a better death than your buddy Benno had.” A painful and agonising death.

Caraboose was heaving because of Krauser’s weight pressed on him. More black and red blood spilled from his mouth and from his wounds. If he was human, or still is, he would die within minutes. However, he showed no signs of near dying from the amount of blood he was going to lose after the explosion. 

“Let her go.” Out of anything from begging for his life or giving him actual answers, this was what Caraboose chose to say instead to Krauser. “She’s one of us now and belongs to Rothbart.” Those words were enough for his face to twist into pure anger and he was seeing red. Pure blood red.

He raised his arm up, his knife glinting in the light, and threw his hand down to stab him straight in the heart. But before he threw a killing blow, a knife was thrust between them and a hand grabbed hold of his wrist, blocking Krauser from killing Caraboose. One of the red sleeves was pulled back, revealing a familiar sheen of metallic black. Krauser turned his head and he was met with a woman in a red short dress and a brown corset like sleeveless coat. The hood, goggles, and red mask concealed her face but he instantly knew who the woman was.

His heart sank. “Dullahan…”

Clara tilted her head, her expression hidden away by the tinted goggles and the mask, but he knew. He could tell her mouth parted slightly and her eye had blinked once, twice maybe. “My name is Clara.” Her voice was flat and devoid of emotions when she spoke to him, his heart slowly breaking by what was becoming of her before his eyes. “Nice to meet you.” The hand that held his wrist from stabbing Caraboose was pulled away, putting her full strength to backhanding Krauser off her teammate, watching him fly back and hit the ground. 

The smack was strong, and painful admittedly, having encountered her super strength before but never experienced it fully first hand. He swore he tasted blood inside his mouth, spitting it out while he watched Clara help reattach Caraboose’s feet back on and in no time he was back on his feet and moving about without any pain. 

“Clara, let’s go.” Caraboose coughed out the remaining blood. “He needs us back.” He clamped a bloody hand over his chest where the arrow shots were, trudging his way where their transportation was. Clara remained in her place, staring at Krauser who was getting up and making his way towards them with his knife in hand.

“Clara… Don’t-”

She approached Krauser and made a charge at him. Her knife swung for his neck and he blocked it with his knife. 

“Trish…it’s me.” He hissed at her. “Krauser. Remember me?” In his heart it was begging for her to do so. “Come back to me.” It was hard to read her emotions and he couldn't tell what she could be thinking. Admittedly, he was afraid of the situation he’s in, unsure of what to say to snap her out of her trance or accidentally trigger her badly. He has done things without a second thought or with no remorse, especially when he fought with Leon. But with his lover, he couldn’t hurt her.

Her head jerked in response. Not good. “My name is Clara. I don’t know who you are.” She pulled back to take a stab at his stomach and he deflected the blade away creating sparks between the two blades. It seems Krauser has no choice but to fight his lover. Wounding her was the best option he could do while he tries to push her buttons to react.

“Come on, angel. You gotta remember.” He took a swipe at her arm to force her to drop her weapon but she made a quick swap of her knife to her robotic hand, quickly slicing his arm in return. It wasn’t deep and not enough to produce a cry from him. “You are Dullahan! Not Clara!” His knife swung a few times and threw in a kick at her stomach to get her off balance and watched her fall on her butt. 

Air left her lungs and a grunt escaped her throat. Clara had no chance of getting up or grabbing her weapon that laid a few inches away from her as Krauser kicked the knife away. His foot pinned her arm down and put his whole strength into holding her down. His free hand that held the knife hovered over her, shaking very faintly. 

He can’t do it. He can’t hurt her. He’s not going to lose her after spending so long searching for her.

“My name is Jack Krauser.” He whispered to her, a silent plea in his eyes to hers. “Remember my name. Come back to me.”

It felt like an eternity for her to say something. He didn’t see Caraboose in his sight. Unless he actually passed out or died from his wounds in the background, proving to be good news for Krauser but still has to deal with the problem underneath him. Her mind was still a fog and there was that odd clawing at the back of her brain. The name sounded familiar along with his voice. He kept calling her Dullahan too. Another thing that sounds familiar but she doesn’t know what and why to all. Clara tilted her head back, exposing the decapitation scar to him, and offered her life to him to take.

“Dull, this is not you.” It was barely a whisper as he spoke, a sense of urgency in his voice that he was almost begging her. “Snap out of this.” 

“My name is Clara.” She said, lowering her head down to face him, the rose tinted lens staring into those blue eyes. While Krauser was distracted, the talons popped out from her fingers and she stabbed them into his abdomen. She took in his reaction from being stabbed all of the sudden and his grip loosening around his knife. She clenched her fingers together to dig her claws deeper and then pushed himself off her but carefully laid him down. “I don’t know who Dullahan is, but it seems you are confusing me for her.” 

Caraboose approached them, alive, cleaned off the strange blood, and no sight of the wounds on him. ��Clara.” He hissed. “We need to go. Kill him now.”

Krauser could have fought back despite the wound on his side. He could have easily overpower her and stop her from grabbing his knife. Yet he never made those moves, allowing her a chance to tilt his head back to expose his throat to her, mimicking what she did not too long ago, as those words echoed into his head. All the anger that he’s been building up for three weeks, the determination to find her, the fear that was itching to crawl out, all washed away by the sight of what she has become. She doesn’t know who she is anymore, who he is to her, and she’s going to kill him like a pest.

Clara brought the knife down.

Krauser decided to say those three words. “I love you.” 

The tip of the knife was centimetres away from piercing his throat. She looked at him with the tilt of her head, almost alien by the confession. “What…?” “You heard me.” “Say it again.”

“Clara, no, this is a trap.” Caraboose hissed at her once more to the point of almost coughing from overdoing on his voice. “Kill him now or else I’ll tell Rothbart that you’re delaying our chances.” “Don’t listen to him, Dullahan.” Krauser argued back. “He’s trying to scare you.” “This Nutcracker is trying to stop us. He’s trying to take you away from him!” Caraboose snapped at her. 

Both arguments were starting to create a headache for Clara, she pressed the heels of her hands to her head, clutching the knife tightly in her grasp.

“Shut up. Both of you.” She said as she stood up. “Just shut up!”

“No! This needs to end!” The more Caraboose was yelling his voice was getting hard to understand what he was saying. It was becoming hoarse and it sounded like he couldn’t take another breath as he continued. He stomped his foot on Krauser’s stomach, pinning him down, and picked up Clara’s knife. This was starting to feel like his last fight with Leon five years ago, only he had accepted his death back then. Here, he was not. 

“He needs to die!”

Krauser can only look at the woman, almost accepting his fate while at the same time he’s rejecting what was going to happen to him. All because of her. “I love you.” He said it again to her. This time, something snapped inside her head.

Caraboose threw the knife down and right before it could pierce Krauser’s heart, Clara was faster. She stabbed her own teammate through the heart from behind, letting out a guttural scream as she pulled out the knife and stabbed him again. “Don’t you dare kill him!” Krauser can only watch in dismay, almost overjoyed that he was seeing the return of his lover’s character, his heart racing against his ribcage.

 She pulled the man off Krauser, tilting his head back as he gasped and coughed out the dark blood. “Clara…” “Shut up!” She screamed, raising the bloody knife in the air and thrust it into his neck, soon she was dragging the blade across to sever his jugular and deep to kill the man instantly. Caraboose was dead, his blood coating the knife, part of her sleeves, and her mask. She let go of both the body and the knife right as her hands started to shake, staring at the bloody mess she had created. Tinted goggles looked at Krauser who was slowly getting up and approaching her. 

“Trish…Trish it’s okay.” Krauser whispered to assure her. “You’re safe. I’m here now.”

“No, stop.” Her hands were pressed against her head again. “Don’t come any closer.” She was shaking her head. “I…I don’t know why I did that. He shouldn’t have…I was…”

His heart was this close to dropping from seeing her current state. She still believed she was Clara and she had killed her teammate from killing him. It shouldn’t have happened, she would think that, but he knew it was going to happen. “Trish look at me.” He said. His hand stretched out to her. “Take my hand and I’ll take you away from here.”

Her heart was pounding in her ears, confused, scared by the outcome. Her teammate, dead, the enemy, still alive, and her head in pain. Something inside was screaming right in her brain, a familiar voice, yelling at her to free her. To talk to the Nutcracker. “She…I, a message.” Her body was jerking unnaturally, almost shaking. “Krauser, I don’t have time.”

“Trish!” His large hands grabbed Dullahan’s arms to stop her shaking, soon pushing up the goggles to look into her scared brown eye. “I’m here. You’re alright now.” His words were full of assurance and tenderness. His eyes were overjoyed to see her face after three weeks and how he could hold her head in his hands. Despite it, she was shaking her head. “No, no. I don’t have much time. He did something with my head, giving me something, and it hurts so much if I keep fighting. Krauser, you have to let me go.”

“That is out of the question, Trish!” He yelled. “I’m not allowing that!”

“And you have too!” She yelled back. “He’ll make me kill you if you bring me back home. I’m not right in the head.” Dullahan pulled away to pull out something from her pocket and it into his hands. “Take it! This will help you.” Soon, she was clutching her head. “Oh god, it’s happening. Krauser, you have to do this when we meet again.” Her voice shuddered, cold sweat was forming on her forehead, and her pupil was dilating. 

Krauser swore his heart had dropped from what he heard. “Kill me. You have to kill me if I cannot be saved.” He shook his head. “No. NO! I won’t do that!” He couldn’t do that. Not even if he has a gun pointed to his head, he won’t do it. “I can’t kill you!”

“You have too!” She was nodding her head towards him, trying to force him to take the order. “You can do it.” Dullahan’s whole body language has changed, from being scared and in pain to being still and confused. “What…? What has…Caraboose!” She gasped from seeing the dead body, then the knife on the ground, and soon her bloody hands. “Oh no, I did this…He won’t be happy…” Her eye looked at Krauser, concerned on his end. “You…No, no, no…” 

“Trish…” He was stepping forward again but she stepped back.

“Get away!” She yelled. “You did this! He’ll make you pay for what you made me do to him!” She turned around to run off as fast as she could away from Krauser without looking back, leaving behind the mercenary heartbroken once again.