#WE’VE BEEN HERE FOREVER AND HERES THE FROZEN PROOF I COULD SCREAM FOREVER WE ARE THE POISONED YOUTH

[andoutofharm]

idk man i’m just saying. centuries is an INCREDIBLE song and if you think it’s bad because it’s “overplayed” that is on you. kill the “if it gets played a lot it is bad” creature in your head

[thekidsarentalright]

so anyways some legends are told some turn to dust or to gold but you will remember me, remember me for centuries, and just one mistake is all it will take, we’ll go down in history, remember me for centuries, remember me for centuries. Mummified my teenage dreams, no it’s nothing wrong with me, the kids are all wrong, the story’s all off, heavy metal broke my heart. come on, come on and let me in, bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints- and this is supposed to match, the darkness that you felt, i never meant for you to fix yourself. some legends are told some turn to dust or to gold but you will remember me, remember me for centuries, and just one mistake is all it will take, we’ll go down in history, remember me for centuries, remember me for centuries. And i can’t stop till the whole world knows my name, ‘cause i was only born inside my dreams. Until you die for me, as long as there’s a light, my shadow’s over you ‘cause I am the opposite of amnesia. And you’re a cherry blossom, you’re about to bloom, you look so pretty but you’re gone so soon. some legends are told some turn to dust or to gold but you will remember me, remember me for centuries, and just one mistake is all it will take, we’ll go down in history, remember me for centuries, remember me for centuries. We’ve been here forever, and here’s the frozen proof, I could scream forever, we are the poisoned youth. some legends are told some turn to dust or to gold but you will remember me, remember me for centuries, and just one mistake is all it will take, we’ll go down in history, remember me for centuries, remember me for centuries.

[aneurinallday]

Blood and Bark

3. Skin

That night, I cried for the first time in years. I cried in a way that I hadn’t since burying my infant sister, since hearing my mother’s final cough, since trying to push my brother’s protruding innards back into his gunshot wound, since seeing my father drown.

As I lay curled on the bed, I remembered crying as I tried to crack the frozen soil with a stick to dig a grave. Crying as I tried to wash the endless blood from under my nails. Crying as I waded up and down the riverbank, the icy cold water rushing past my legs, my numb hands groping hopelessly for any trace of a corpse. And now I cried once more, because Hamish was gone, and he’d taken with him any delusions that God may have finally blessed me with companion.

I was alone again, and would remain so forever.

As the days passed, I began to wonder if he’d even been real. If my lonely and love-starved brain had conjured him out of thin air. If the forest had played another cruel joke on me. But the proof of his existence was everywhere and undeniable: his boot-prints in the dirt, the dried venison from the deer he’d caught, the scars on the chopping block from the powerful swings of his axe. He was everywhere and nowhere.

One cold night in late October, I was roused from an uneasy sleep by the distant sound of men’s voices. I rose in my nightgown and walked to the window, drawing back the ragged, threadbare cloths that served as curtains. I could see the shapes of people in the darkness, lit torches dancing between the trees, advancing towards me.

I should’ve run, but my tired brain was unsure if I was awake or dreaming, so I simply stood there and watched as the mob reached my doorstep. The resounding thud as my door was kicked open dispelled any last remnants of sleep.

I had no weapon. I grabbed for my small fishing spear, but it was knocked from my grasp and clattered to the floor. I found myself backed into the corner of the cabin, surrounded.

“What do you want?” I demanded.

“Are you Marianne the orphan?”

“I am.”

“We’ve heard rumours about you - devilish rumours. We are here to learn if they are true or not.”

My arms were grabbed and I was hauled out of the cabin into the night air. Darkness and firelight swirled around me, and angry French voices bombarded me from all directions.

“Satan’s whore!” someone yelled.

We came to a halt. In front of me stood the leader of the mob, a bearded man holding a long rifle, who looked me up and down.

“They say that these woods are cursed - that any Christian soul who enters here dies a ghastly death,” he said, “They also say that a strange woman lives alone here, with no husband, no child…nobody but herself and the wild animals for company. Are you that woman?”

“If I am, what does it matter? I harm no-one!”

“A woman alone is unnatural. Without a husband’s guidance, she soon succumbs to her own corruption and ungodly desires. Tell me, is it you who placed the curse on this forest?”

“No.”

“Do you consort with Lucifer?”

“No.”

“Have you borne his child?”

“No!”

“She’s lying,” said another voice, “Examine her. The devil will have left his mark on her, somewhere or other.”

Rough hands began to pull up my nightgown. I struggled. The mob jeered at me, and I yelled back in helpless fury.

The bearded leader smiled. Suddenly, he was wrenched away from me with a force that sent him staggering. His rifle fell to the ground, and so did I.

In front of me, Hamish Goames rose to his feet like a revenant from its grave. His face was pale, and his eyes were wild, and his long dark hair was in disarray.

“Who are you?” exclaimed one of the men.

Hamish stared back at him, unblinking. Then he trembled, and his face contorted, and the feral rage he’d been suppressing came boiling to the surface. What left his mouth wasn’t words, but a scream.

With his scream ringing in my ears, I squeezed my eyes shut and willed myself to wake from this nightmare. I heard a pained grunt, followed by a wet splatter and an awful gurgling. Men began to run about in panic. A flaming torch fell near me, so close I could feel its heat on my skin, and was extinguished by the damp dirt. A booted foot struck my face, and another kicked my thigh. I curled up in the dirt, covering my head, until the chaos had moved away from me.

Lowering my hands, I crawled to where the rifle lay. I grabbed it, scrambled to my feet, and looked around.

The bearded man lay a stone’s throw away. He had been eviscerated - I could see his entrails emerging from his belly, glistening wetly upon the ground. Above him crouched Hamish, his dark head bent low over the open stomach, his face buried in the viscera. From the small, rhythmic movements of his head, I knew he was eating.

I did not move, struggling to wrap my mind around the scene in front of me. Finally, Hamish rolled off the corpse and lay sprawled on his back, exhausted and gorged, gasping for air through a bloody mouth. His eyes locked upon mine, and in that moment, I knew that he was no longer Hamish Goames.

The rifle fell from my numb hand. I turned and ran as fast as I could back to the cabin. Never in my life had I achieved that speed. I didn’t dare look back, expecting at any second to feel clawed hands grabbing at my bare ankles.

As soon as I’d passed the threshold, I slammed the door shut and began constructing a desperate barricade. I dragged the bed across the room until it blocked the doorway, then piled the chair and table on top of it, and retreated to the far corner of the cabin. There I crouched, clutched my mother’s rosary, the little cross biting into my palm as I squeezed it tight.

I heard the chaos outside reach a crescendo, shouts of confusion turning to wordless screams and then to frantic shrieks. In a fit of panic, I began to pray loudly, trying to drown out the noise with my voice. One by one, the screams fell silent. I stopped praying and listened, but all I could hear was the forest.

It was over.

As slowly and quietly as possible, I crawled across the floor of the cabin, and squirmed underneath the bed which stood blocking the door. Holding my breath, I peered with one eye through the narrow crack between the door and the door-frame.

I saw the black sky, a suggestion of trees, the sullen glow of a dying flame as it flickered out. Then my gaze adjusted to the darkness, and I noticed what was directly in front of me. Leaning on the ground was a pair of hands - a man’s hands, pale and bloodstained. The shape of the fingers and nails was familiar. With a jolt of horror, I realised that Hamish was on all fours outside the cabin.

I lay utterly frozen. I didn’t move, didn’t breathe, and willed my body to silence. Every noise I made seemed painfully loud - the thump of my heart, the blood rushing in my ears, the whisper of air in and out of my lungs.

Only a few wooden planks separated me from Hamish, or from whatever creature he had become. I could hear his breathing on the other side of the door, but it sounded different. Heavier, deeper, wet, as if he were panting through a mouthful of blood. He stayed as motionless as I, as if waiting for me to move first. Then, with an inhuman swiftness that explained the gutted carcasses he’d brought home bare-handed, he withdrew, disappearing from sight.

Never had the night felt so long. I lay under the bed until dawn, too afraid to move, as the world slowly lightened around me. An unnatural hush lay over the forest. The birds sang timidly, as if afraid to raise their voices, and few animals scurried in the undergrowth. Even the branches of the trees seemed still, with little wind to rustle their leaves.

I crawled out from under the bed, wincing as my stiff limbs and aching spine complained. Slowly, I took apart the barricade, opened the door, and walked barefoot out into the early morning blue. There wasn’t a soul in sight, nor a corpse. Churned soil and large, heavy drag marks were the only indicators of last night’s carnage. Hamish had dragged the men away, but whether it was to devour them or to spare me the sight of their remains, I had no idea.

I lifted my gaze from the ground to see Hamish walking towards me. He looked tired and drained, but decidedly ordinary. No blood stained his person, though I could see where he’d had to scrub it out of his white neckerchief.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, breaking the silence of the forest.

I shook my head.

“Where are the men?”

“You needn’t worry about them. The ones who fought are dead, and the ones who fled are long gone. Pay them no mind.”

Moving in a daze, I lifted my hand to his face and touched his pale cheek.

“You are here,” I whispered. “You came back.”

“I did.”

“How did this happen? What did you turn into? When I looked at you, it was as if your face was worn by someone else…or something else…I recognised your features, yet I was in the presence of a stranger…”

“Marianne, slow down,” he said gently, and only then did I realise that I’d lapsed into French.

“What are you?”

“You know what I am. Even if you don’t want to utter it.”

“Loup-garou.”

“Yes.”

Having ascertained that he was flesh and blood, not a phantom of the woods, I lowered my hand to my side.

“I thought I was going to die last night. I thought you were going to kill me like you killed the others.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I was terrified of you,” I rebuked him, “I hid under the bed.”

“I’m sorry. I won’t ask for your forgiveness, but I am sorry.”

“Tell me how it came to this. At long last, tell me the truth.”

“Very well.” He took a moment to gather himself. “I was a valued employee of the Hudson’s Bay Fur Company for many years. Eventually, my work took me to a village called Wobik, in Québec. There, I met a girl…Renardette. She was alone in the woods, her people dead around her, and I cared for her like my own child. But one day, I was shot.”

He placed his hand on his stomach, where I knew the scar lay.

“I was dying - we couldn’t stop the bleeding. She said she knew a way to help me. She said it would hurt a little, but it would make me better. By that point, I was too weak to stop her, so I said yes. And then she bit me. My senses deserted me. When I regained them, she was gone, and I was…changed. I knew I was a danger to others. I dared not return to civilisation, so I hid…Perhaps she left me for the same reason.”

“And that was when Yvon found you? When you attacked him?”

“Yes. He did his best not to hurt me, but I cannot say the same. In my guilt and shame, I fled. I heard of a forest where nobody dared venture, and I sought refuge there, hoping to lose myself in the wilderness. Instead, I lost myself in you.”

“But then you left.”

“I did. I thought it was for your own good - for everyone’s good.”

“Why did you come back?”

“Because I was a fool to leave. I planned to ask you if you would come with me, so that we could build a new home together, but then I saw the mob and…”

I closed my eyes. I could still feel their rough touch upon my arms.

“I need to bathe,” I said. “I know you’ve just come from there, but would you accompany me to the river?”

“Of course.” He hesitated. “But are you certain? You - ”

“Yes. I would feel safer. I don’t want to go alone.”

“Very well. I’ll fetch some clean clothes from inside.”

Together we walked to the river, treading the same path where it had all began, passing the white pine tree where I’d saved his life. I was slower than usual, but he waited patiently for me, and let me lean upon his arm when I felt unsteady. Reaching the river’s edge, I stripped naked without a word, and waded into the cold greenish water, letting the brisk chill wash away the lingering memory of unwelcome hands.

Hamish stood with his back to me, scanning the trees for any sign of life. As I bathed, I stared at the back of his head, half-expecting him to steal a glance at me, some part of me wishing he would - but his back remained firmly turned. He never looked at me.

When I was dry, we began the walk home. As the dead leaves crunched under my feet, I remembered how the screams had turned to silence. I thought of blood soaking into the earth, and teeth sinking into viscera.

Without warning, my knees buckled. He caught me as if I were weightless, scooped me up, and bore me back to the cabin. I had seen his strength before, but this was the first time I’d felt it. He carried me safely over my threshold, sat me in the chair by the unlit fireplace, and carefully draped a blanket about my shoulders. He reached for my hand, but I tucked it away firmly, drawing the blanket close around myself.

“I’ll light a fire,” he said quietly.

I nodded. Little by little, the birds began to sing again.

I was surprised by how easily Hamish slipped back into my life. He picked up my unfinished errands where I’d left off, and looked after the cabin in my stead, chopping firewood, tending the hearth, and sweeping the dirt. He kept us fed - hunting and fishing and foraging, roasting venison and stewing rabbit and grinding acorns. I fell asleep each night to the sound of his pencil scratching against the pages of his journal.

It was as if he’d never left, yet somehow everything had changed.

The night when we came together was the first of November. La Toussaint, a night of remembrance for saints and dead loved ones. A night when souls walked among us unseen, and when the veil between worlds was at its thinnest. I was lying on the bed while he sat gazing into the fire, lost in thought.

As I looked at him, the yearning I’d felt for the past month grew to an unbearable degree. I was tired of fantasising, of dreaming from a distance, of feeling arrested by every accidental brush of our hands. I wanted to feel something real.

“Hamish,” I said softly.

“Yes?”

“Come to me.”

He obeyed, crossing the room to sit on the bed at my side. The mattress dipped and the wooden frame creaked beneath his weight.

“What is it you need?” he asked.

I kissed him, savouring the feel of his lips, the taste of his mouth. His hand rose to caress my face. Then we pulled apart, and I looked into his green eyes, which were filled with a mixture of surprise and excitement.

“I’m here,” I breathed.

I unlaced the closure of my nightgown and carefully spread it open, revealing my neck and collarbone. As if drawn to them, he reached out and, with the back of his forefinger, stroked the front of my nightgown, admiring the smoothness of the fabric and the shape of my chest behind it. I knew that he could feel my nipples through the cloth. I clasped his hand and guided it inside my gown, until my breast was cupped in his warm palm.

“Can you feel it?” I asked, “I can. I’ve felt it for a long time.”

“So have I. But I didn’t dare believe…”

I kissed him again. He undid the rest of my laces, slowly exposing more of me to the firelight. Carefully, he slipped down the shoulders of my white nightdress, baring me. He laid me back on the bed, and leaned in; his long hair tickled me before his lips met my skin. The feeling was new, strange, and delicious.

He lazily swirled his tongue over my breasts, tracing slow, concentric circles around my nipples. I felt a strange jolt in my lower belly, a tightening, as if something had stirred within me. It was a pain, but a good pain. My skin prickled as if all the tiny hairs were standing on end, and every sensation seemed heightened. He teased my nipples until they were hard and erect, then gently sucked on them, treasuring them in his mouth. I realised he’d been hungering for my taste as much as I’d been hungering for his.

“Let me see you,” I said, “Show me.”

He quickly shed his white shirt, and uncovered himself. At the sight of his naked body, the tightness inside me grew, and with it grew my impatience. I could wait no longer. I needed him now. I pulled him closer, and kissed him once more, deeper and more forcefully than before. Our breathing had become heavy and laboured.

As he lay on top of me, I ran my hands over him - his strong shoulders, his broad back, the valley of his spine. I could feel his erection swelling between us. My left hand clenched in his dark hair, and I held on for dear life, eliciting a guttural grunt of pain. My right hand slipped downwards to pull up my skirt, blindly grabbing handfuls of fabric and shoving them aside. Touching myself, I found a dampness and an unfamiliar viscosity which clung smooth as honey to my fingers. I was ready. I was aching.

“Hamish…” I gasped.

When he entered me, I was gripped by an indescribable sense of awakeness, of being present only in that moment, as if no past had ever existed and no future would ever exist. Both my mind and my body were wide awake. I could feel everything: his breath, his pulse, his enveloping heat, the contours of his body and how perfectly they fit into mine.

Later, when he lay beneath me and I mounted him, our fingers entwined as if we would never let go of each other, I felt as if I was meant to be there. That night, beneath the gaze of all the saints, I took the devil in my arms and loved him. Whether I woke up tomorrow with him still in my arms, or if he disappeared like mist in the morning light, I didn’t care. All that mattered was that he was here, and he was inside me, and nothing could part us before the dawn.

~ excerpt from the memoirs of Marianne Goames, c. 1699

[jacobscursebreakerlilsis]

MC and the cursed vault gang

“Some Legends are told”

“Some turn to dust or to gold”

“But you will remember me”

“Remember me, for centuries”

“We’ll go down in history”

“Remember me for centuries”

“We’ve been here forever”

“And here’s the frozen proof”

“I could scream forever”

“We are the poisoned youth”

By Fall Out Boy -Centuries

[music-in-my-veins14]

We've been here forever And here's the frozen proof I could scream forever We are the poisoned youth

[ceescedasticity]

I have now planned out the epic, overly complicated "Centuries" Noldolantë illustrated music I would make if I had a lot more time and energy than I really have and also had learned to draw at some point.

Image 1:

Top: Du du du-du, du du du-du

Body of image -- title, maybe?

Bottom: Du du du-du, du du du-du

Image 2:

Text: Some legends are told

Picture: Music of the Ainur, maybe?

Image 3:

Text: Some turn to dust or to gold

Picture on left ('dust'): The dead Trees

Picture on right ('gold'): The Silmarils

Image 4:

Top: But you will remember me

Picture: Fëanor giving a speech to a crowd, very dramatically -- inciting a revolt, making an oath, something like that

Bottom: Remember me for centuries

Image 5:

Text in top left: And just one mistake

Picture in bottom left: Fiery whip(s)

Picture in center: Námo issuing the Doom

Picture in top right: Ice breaking underfoot

Text in bottom right: Is all it will take

Image 6:

Top: We'll go down in history

Pictures: Small, disconnected portraits of Fëanor, Fingolfin, Finarfin, Maedhros, Fingon, Turgon, Finrod, Galadriel, Aredhel, Celegorm, Curufin

Bottom: Remember me for centuries

Image 7:

Text across center: Hey! Hey! Hey!

Pictures, distributed both above and below text: Small disconnected portraits of Maglor, Caranthir, Amrod&Amras, Aredhel, Argon, Angrod, Aegnor, Orodreth, Lalwen, Celebrimbor, Idril, Finduilas, Maeglin, Gil-Galad, Eärendil, Elrond, maybe Celebrian, did I forget anyone

Image 8:

Top: Remember me for centuries

Picture: Map of Beleriand

Image 9:

Text 1: Mummified my teenage dreams

Picture: Maedhros captive, could be on Thangorodrim or earlier

Text 2: No, it's nothing wrong with me

Image 10:

Top: The kids are all wrong

Still top, slightly shifted right: The story's all off

Picture: Fingon to the rescue, maybe sneaking away

Image 11:

Top: Heavy metal broke my

Picture: Rescue/amputation

Bottom right: heart

Image 12:

Top: Come on, come on and let me in

Picture: Aredhel and Eöl

Bottom: The bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints

Image 13:

Top: And this is supposed to match

Still top, shifted slightly right: The darkness that you felt

Picture: Aredhel's death protecting Maeglin

Image 14:

Text (somewhere): I never meant for you to fix yourself

Picture: Galadriel dodging Melian's questions

Image 15:

Text 1: Du du du-du, du du du-du

Text 2: Du du du-du, du du du-du

Picture: Map of Beleriand drawn with fiery cracks spreading down it, or other representation of Dagor Bragollach

Image 16:

Top: Some legends are told

Picture: Fingolfin fighting Morgoth

Bottom: Some turn to dust or to gold

(Fingolfin is representing both dust and gold here)

Image 17:

Text 1: But you will remember me

Not sure what picture here. Burned wasteland? Eagle carrying Fingolfin's body? Distance image of Gondolin or other fortress?

Text 2: Remember me for centuries

Image 18:

Text 1: And just one mistake

Text 2: Is all it will take

Picture: Finrod dying in the dungeon post-wolf, Beren trying to help

Image 19:

Text 1: We'll go down in history

Text 2: Remember me for centuries

Picture: Something triumphant from Lay of Leithian -- Luthien defeating Sauron; them getting the Silmaril; Luthien convincing Mandos; or just Beren and Luthien revived, with Silmaril

Image 20:

Text: Hey! Hey! Hey!

Picture: Forces rallying for Union of Maedhros

Image 21:

Text: Remember me for centuries

Picture: Fingon's death/Nirnaeth Arnoediad in general

Image 22:

Text: And I can't stop 'til the whole world knows my name

Picture: Glaurung and ruin of Nargothrond

Image 23:

Text: 'Cause I was only born inside my dreams

Picture: Thingol dead, Melian leaving

Image 24:

Text: Until you die for me, as long as there's a light, my shadow's over you

Picture: Fëanor, the Silmarils, some kind of representation of the Oath?

Image 25:

Text: 'Cause I, I am the opposite of amnesia

Picture: The Sons of Fëanor heading for the moral event horizon, and maybe some sort of representation of the Oath

Image 26:

Text 1: And you're a cherry blossom

Text 2: You're about to bloom

Picture: Tuor and Idril

Image 27:

Text: You look so pretty, but you're gone so soon

Picture: Fall of Gondolin

Image 28:

Top: Du du du-du, du du du-du

Picture: Second Kinslaying, probably

Bottom: Du du du-du, du du du-du

Image 29:

Text 1: Some legends are told

Text 2: Some turn to dust or to gold

Picture on left: Dead Celegorm, Curufin, and Caranthir

Picture on right: Turgon about to get hit by his disintegrating city

Image 30:

Text 1: But you will remember me

Picture: Tuor and Idril leaving Sirion, Eärendil and Elwing seeing them off

Text 2: Remember me for centuries

Image 31:

Text 1: And just one mistake

Text 2: Is all it will take

Picture: Third Kinslaying -- Elwing jumping? dead Amrod&Amras? general murderness?

Image 32:

Text 1: We'll go down in history

Picture: Eärendil and Elwing either sailing with the Silmaril or pleading with the Valar

Text 2: Remember me for centuries

Image 33:

Top: Hey! Hey! Hey!

Bottom: Remember me for centuries

Picture: In center; Silmaril as evening star; surrounding it, vignettes of people in Beleriand looking at it (could include any of Gil-Galad, Galadriel, Maedhros&Maglor, Elrond&Elros, Cirdan, Celebrimbor, misc civillians)

Image 34:

Text: We've been here forever

Picture: Halls of Mandos. Finwë is standing in the center, Fëanor near him, Argon farther away. The idea for this sequence is we are adding people to a big group portrait of dead Finwions.

Image 35:

Text: And here's the frozen proof

Picture: Same scene, but add Aredhel, Angrod, Aegnor, Fingolfin, Finrod.

Image 36:

Text: I could scream forever

Picture: Same scene, but add Fingon, Orodreth, Finduilas, Celegorm, Curufin, Caranthir, Turgon, Maeglin.

Image 37:

Text: We are the poisoned youth

Picture: Same scene, but add Amrod&Amras, Maedhros.

Image 38:

Top: Du du du-du, du du du-du

Picture: War of Wrath -- big montage? Angband coming down? Beleriand going down?

Bottom: Du du du-du, du du du-du

Image 39:

Text 1: Some legends are told

Text 2: Some turn to dust or to gold

Picture on left: Maedhros with Silmaril going for the lava

Picture on right: Either Eärendil again or Finarfin looking somber

Image 40:

Text 1: But you will remember me

Picture: Elrond and Elros parting.

Text 2: Remember me for centuries

Image 41:

Text: And just one mistake

Picture: Celebrimbor welcoming Annatar

Image 42:

Text: Is all it will take

Picture: Last Alliance, Gil-Galad falling

Image 43:

Text: We'll go down in history

Picture: Elrond writing chronicles in Imladris

Image 44:

Text: Remember me for centuries

Picture: Galadriel looking at her Mirror

Image 45:

Text 1: Hey! Hey!

Text 2: We'll go down in history

Text 3 (small): Hey!

Picture: Maybe a LOTR vignette or two? But definitely a gray ship sailing West.

Image 46:

Text: Remember me for centuries

Picture: Maglor on the shore.

...I don't think I could handle all that even if I did know how to draw. Looks like a multi-person project??? haha jk... unless...

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Code: Light

Part of my Series based on the in game dungeons lol. Just for fun.

In fact… there was a boy who lived here… 20 years ago…

The words echoed in Lu Mingfei’s mind as he looked over the rundown landscape in front of him. He was sitting on a dirty pillow on a broken, rotted out porch, rain pouring down on his head through the holes in the overhang. Spiders skittered about and made him pull his feet in. In front of him was a table of rice, vegetables and tea. Outside the porch was a small garden with a pond, green and overgrown with algae. It was pouring down rain as it had been all day. The pond was at capacity and it would soon overflow its banks. From the gloomy surroundings, frogs creeled out a constant serenade.

He was led there by a woman, an elder in that particular village, who had first reported what turned out to be dragon activity in this small town. Lu Mingfei, Chu Zihang, and Caesar Gattuso were called to investigate. According to the report on the dossier, a young child in a red coat, carrying a red balloon could be seen standing at the edge of the village. His face was impossible to make out. Japanese towns could be full of local ghost tales, but this one occurred with disturbing regularity. EVA, the Cassell Supercomputer then detected an elemental anomaly. Plants seemed to be growing at such an incredible rate, that the rain clouds over this small area of Japan never seemed to stop. The rain would fall, the plants would soak it up and transpire the water again. It was as if the Amazon Rainforest took up residence in the far East.

After explaining about the child, the old woman took them out to that ramshackle ruin of a place. “If it’s that boy you’re seeking, why not try making him something to eat?”

Then she left.

“Guys I’m so over this ghost hunt. This is so creepy and the lower the sun gets the more I want to leave.” He said. He was wearing his usual combat suit, that skin tight but extremely durable wear that was close enough to the body to avoid catching on anything, but strong enough to withstand the cut of a knife. But was it ghost proof? Who was to say they wouldn’t get eaten by this ghost and the rice be left cold and moldy with no sign of them?

“Are you excited to be on an actual ghost hunt? It’s a shame that the ghost is a boy though.” Caesar sat smoking his cigar and looking out over the grey sheet of rain in front of him. He was dressed similarly, with his Desert Eagles at his side. Of course, he made a much more handsome figure in the muscle-hugging suit.

Lu Mingfei wanted to pull his hair out. “You’re engaged! Don’t lust after the dead you freak!”

Chu Zihang slid his sword part way out of his sheath to check his equipment. “There’s no such thing as the dead coming back to life, unless it’s a dragon. And dragons don’t really die. They just sleep until they can be reborn. What we’re looking for is not a real ghost… but something that has the properties of a dragon.”

“Ghost… dragon… whatever. Do we even know if it’s attracted to rice?”

“It’s not about the rice, Lu Mingfei, it’s the routine. If the boy had a family or cared for anyone at all, wouldn’t it miss sitting at a table with a family meal?” Caesar bit his cigar, 

“And we’re supposed to be its family huh? Who are you? The mom?” Mingfei shot back.

“Well…” Caesar looked down at the food. “I cooked it.”

Lu Mingfei opened his mouth to say something else but Zihang suddenly tensed. His golden eyes stared into another pair of golden eyes. A boy in a red raincoat, stood at the edge of the mossy pond. He was holding a red balloon. Only those glowing eyes were visible under the red hood. It didn’t seem to have a face.

Lu Mingfei’s face went white and then grey with terror. He shook so hard his teeth chattered “G-ghost!”

A small child’s voice echoed clear despite the pounding rain. “Outsiders. I need your help. Come with me.”

The rain suddenly stopped but the sky grew darker, like a great shadow from something large coming over head. The air suddenly cooled. They were still in front of the table but the garden was replaced by sand. The sand was grooved in artistic circles, like an elegant Japanese rock garden. Looking around, they seemed to be in a ruined ancient village. The piece of land they were standing on was floating in mid air, like it had been torn from the earth. There was no sun. The way was lit by ominous paper lanterns that floated in place, painted with a red swirl pattern. In the distance an ancient Japanese castle tower rose out of the misty horizon.

Torii gates were seen floating in the grey, foggy surroundings. Most were shattered. They seemed frozen in the middle of being demolished, their broken pieces spraying at odd angles, their elegant cross bars tilted, but they never collapsed. 

What was most noticeable about this place however, was the sudden sense of crushing sorrow. The feeling one got when they received some sort of horrible news. Like a loved one had just died. It hit Mingfei in the chest and took his breath away.  “Guys. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to …” Mingfei eyes filled with tears. “What’s happening. I’m so scared.” He hugged his own arms and tried to stop the tears from falling. “We’ve got to get out!” 

He turned to Chu Zihang who always knew what to do in times like this. But the man was frozen, his jaw tense and locked, staring at the ground in a trance, trying to control his out of control emotions. He was breathing fast and trying to swallow the lump in his throat.

Apparently, sorrow drove Caesar Gattuso to action. He drew Dictator and pointed it up towards some broken stairs framed by a bright red Torii gate. Caesar suddenly roared. “This place sucks! Let’s get out of here as soon as we can. The only way out is up!”

His sudden yell seemed to break whatever emotional spell had been cast on the other two teammates. Lu Mingfei wiped his face. “What was that all about?”

“I’m not sure. Likely the owner of this place had a terrible life.” Chu Zihang said gravely. “I’ve heard of Longwei, the natural fear that dragons give off to other creatures, but I’ve never heard of a Dragon’s sorrow being projected like this.”

The stairs were floating over empty air, made of uneven, ancient grey limestone. There were dozens of stairs leading up into the ominous grey sky with broken Torii gates at intervals every twenty steps. Chu Zihang held up his hand to catch what appeared to be snow flying in the air. He sniffed at it. “Ash. Like something is burning. This must be some sort of Nibelungen. But I’ve never seen anything like it.” Chu Zihang said. “We should watch out. Where there’s a Nibelungen, there’s always…”

A sudden loud screeching interrupted him. A flock of bats the size of geese suddenly dislodged from under the stairs.  A whole flock of them swept forward in a single black cloud mass. Lu Mingfei ducked his head as the claws and teeth scraped at him. “I hate this place already!”

Caesar drew his pistols and fired. The bats were flapping and tilting and whirling, but he just needed to aim for just a moment before shooting one out of the air without missing. Likewise, Chu Zihang quickly slashed once and twice, neatly severing their bodies in two without trouble.

“Bats are better than snakes!” Caesar yelled, reloading his Desert Eagles.

“At least Snakes don’t fly!” Lu Mingfei yelled.

 As they climbed the stairs, they stayed back to the back, firing and slicing through the endless swarm of screaming bats. The sound of it was like a constant siren. Mingfei held his hands to his ears and allowed himself to be shielded by his two older students. He could hardly see anything between the endless assault of black bodies.

Caesar’s eyes glowed yellow. “There’s something big at the top of the stairs. That’s where they’re coming from!” He had sent out his Scythe Itachi and they returned with a huge heartbeat up ahead. “Chu Zihang, get rid of these things!”

“Get down.”  Chu Zihang closed his eyes for just a moment and then an evil snarl emanated from his throat. Black waves of heat drove back the bats and then exploded outward into violent flames. The bats were instantly set alight and hundreds of burning bodies folded their wings and fell into the endless pit below. Lu Mingfei didn’t even want to think of what it meant to fall down into that grey void. Would he just continue to fall forever?

“Eugh…” Caesar pinched his nose to escape the smell of burning flesh and hair.  “Good.” He said, reaching down at pulling Mingfei to his feet.

A loud roar shook the stairs and cracked them.  Then the stairs started to crumble, starting from the bottom. If they didn’t hurry, they would be the ones falling. “Run! Run!” Caesar yelled. 

Ahead of them was a large gap. The stairs were falling apart around them, coming to pieces, like the mortar that held them together suddenly lost all its strength. “We’ll have to jump it!”

It looked to be ten feet across over the nothingness. They’d never make a jump that far. But it was either try to jump or fall to their deaths anyway. Chu Zihang suddenly grabbed Lu Mingfei’s arm and without explanation took a leap and dragged him with him. For a moment, there was nothing but empty air under him. And then a sudden blast of heat and a loud boom! Chu Zihang used Royal Fire to blast himself over the gap, dragging the terrified Lu Mingfei the extra few feet needed. They landed and Lu Mingfei collapsed on shaky legs. “Are you out of your mind? You could have at least told me!” He gasped.

Chu Zihang looked at him with no expression. “You would have hesitated.”

Lu Mingfei froze. “I- n.- No…” Lu Mingfei looked away and then looked around. “Where’s Caesar?”

Caesar pulled himself up onto his arms. He was hanging from the ledge, having barely made the jump himself. He looked at Chu Zihang, annoyed. “Sure. Don’t mind me. I’ll just help myself up.”

His eyes suddenly widened at something behind Chu Zihang and Lu Mingfei. They turned around and saw a looming snake with a thick human-like torso and bulging human arms. It glared at them with yellow eyes shining from the skull of an ancient predator it wore as a mask. It brandished a spear as long as a car with a sharp bone tip.

[sainedeparam]

okay so: one book and one song for 7 oc's your choice and why!!!

Flor i am so sorry because this took me forever to answer 😭😭😭 i really had to think about what fit best and i ended up changing the “one book” to “one quote from a book” since i struggled with that but here we go. Under the cut because it ended up being too long akshsjsksl

One Song

Tate Cerati • Believer by Imagine Dragons

First things first // I'ma say all the words inside my head // I'm fired up and tired of the way that things have been, oh-ooh // The way that things have been, oh-ooh // Second thing second // Don't you tell me what you think that I could be // I'm the one at the sail, I'm the master of my sea, oh-ooh // The master of my sea, oh-ooh

No thoughts, just vibes with this song. I don’t really have a reason why I chose this for Tate other than vibes. It just felt so… him, if that makes sense.

Brynn Delvaux • Born Ready by Zayde Wølf

I don't believe in no devil // 'Cause I done raised this hell // Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh // I've been the last one standing // When all the giants fell // Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh // I won't shiver // I won't shake // I'm made of stone // I don't break // Start me up // Open my eyes // Turn me loose and you'll see why // I was born, born ready // I was born, born ready // Staring at the pressure now // I won't quit, not backing down // I was born, born ready // I was born, born ready

I like powerful women. The type of women that are feared by everyone. And this song best describes the kind of vibe I was going for when playing her route in WTNC.

Ryder Vesta • Centuries by Fall Out Boy

And I can't stop 'til the whole world knows my name // 'Cause I was only born inside my dreams // Until you die for me, as long as there's a light // My shadow's over you 'cause I am the opposite of amnesia // … // Some legends are told // Some turn to dust or to gold // But you will remember me // Remember me for centuries // And just one mistake // Is all it will take // We'll go down in history // Remember me for centuries // (Hey yeah, oh hey, hey yeah) // Remember me for centuries // We've been here forever // And here's the frozen proof // I could scream forever // We are the poisoned youth

In my head this is a Villain Theme Song and he’s cocky enough for this to fit him. And this is also to implement the fact that Ryder could never really become a Vigilante, let alone a Hero. Even if he’s dating a Hero, he will always will be a Villain and I love that for him.

Amaris Voight • Control by Halsey

I'm well acquainted with villains that live in my head // They beg me to write them so they'll never die when I'm dead // And I've grown familiar with villains that live in my head // They beg me to write them so I'll never die when I'm dead // I'm bigger than my body // I'm colder than this home // I'm meaner than my demons // I'm bigger than these bones // And all the kids cried out, "Please stop, you're scaring me" // I can't help this awful energy // God damn right, you should be scared of me // Who is in control?

I was listening to this song while I was thinking about what I wanted to do for Amaris’ future. There is sort of a complexity of whether this means her talking to the citizens she’s meant to protect, her talking to Nathaniel + Areum or just her talking to herself. You can’t just have the amount of power she does while not being able to fully control it and not be wary of her.

Kavan Vekany • Stronger by The Score

Set me on fire // Set me on, set me on fire (whoa, whoa-oh) // I'm still alive // I'm still ali- I'm still alive (whoa) // Bet you didn't think that I'd come back to life // Higher, faster, everlasting // Bet you didn't think that I'd come back to life // Higher, faster, never-crashing // Bet you didn't think that I'd come back to life // Stronger // (Stronger, stronger, stronger, stronger) // Bet you didn't think that I'd come back to life // Stronger // (Stronger, stronger, stronger, stronger) // Bet you didn't think that I'd come back to life // I do this with conviction // I write truths and never fiction // My disease is what you fed // I can't stop with my ambition // Like a missile on a mission // I'm a force that you will dread-ead

If The Exile was a series or movie, I can envision this song being played while at the end of Chapter 3, or maybe Chapter 4 since that’s when we maybe talk to Syfin + Trystan + Our Family.

Benjamin Blackwood • My Demons by STARSET

Mayday, mayday // The ship is slowly sinking // They think I'm crazy but they don't know the feeling // They're all around me circling like vultures // They wanna break me and wash away my colors // Wash away my colors // Take me high and I'll sing // Oh, you make everything okay, okay, okay (okay, okay, okay) // We are one and the same // Oh, you take all of the pain away, away, away (away, away, away) // Save me if I become // My demons

This is just basically him asking for help, I just haven’t decided if I want this to be romantic or platonic in terms of he’s asking for help from.

Kai Morgenstern • Lovely by Billie Eilish & Khalid

Thought I found a way // Thought I found a way out (found) // But you never go away (never go away) // So I guess I gotta stay now // Oh, I hope some day I'll make it out of here // Even if it takes all night or a hundred years // Need a place to hide, but I can't find one near // Wanna feel alive, outside I can't fight my fear // Isn't it lovely, all alone // Heart made of glass, my mind of stone // Tear me to pieces, skin to bone // Hello, welcome home

Kai and her complicated one-sided relationship with the supernatural world. There’s a reason why she has a really high Resistance Stat.

One Quote

Tate Cerati • Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

“Another secret of the universe: Sometimes pain was like a storm that came out of nowhere. The clearest summer could end in a downpour. Could end in lightning and thunder.”

This ties to the moment he found out the truth about Daphne, and Alex. How everything just shattered for him in the blink of an eye. It also ties to other events, like finding out what happened to his mother and during the battle when Daphne dies trying to save him. It's just him not expecting an outcome that would destroy his life, in a sense. The kind of outcome where he has to live with that knowledge knowing there is nothing he could have done to change it.

Brynn Delvaux • They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

“Sometimes the truth is a secret you're keeping from yourself because living a lie is easier.”

I headcanon that she had her suspicions about what Hunters really were. I mean you can't really be that strong and still be human. But keeping it to herself and not investigating further was better than to face the truth because being just like the kind of creatures she was taught to hunt was too much for her to handle. Even after she learns the truth during the story she is still in a bit of denial.

Ryder Vesta • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

“Usually we walk around constantly believing ourselves. 'I'm okay' we say. 'I'm alright'. But sometimes the truth arrives on you and you can't get it off. That's when you realize that sometimes it isn't even an answer--it's a question. Even now, I wonder how much of my life is convinced.”

I told you about what his childhood, and how he came to be working for the Phoenix Organization, so this fits into him questioning Phoenix and his upbringing. Trying to figure out whether what he was told about his parents abandoning him were true or not, and thinking about what he would do if it weren't. The slow process of finding the truth, thinking that he's okay until it hits the point where he realizes he's actually not okay and not knowing if he is actually strong enough to go against the person he was loyal to.

Amaris Voight • Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

“Sometimes, you do things and you do them not because you're thinking but because you're feeling. Because you're feeling too much. And you can't always control the things you do when you're feeling too much.”

Every decision she made after waking up were based on feelings so they are a bit questionable even if they're not exactly bad, like not reaching out to Nathaniel and Areum. But it also fits in terms of her abilities. She has sort of learned how to use her abilities and has trained in order to be able to control her powers but she still doesn’t know the extent to what she can do so sometimes when she’s feeling too much, she can’t really control her abilities and the outcome of that is not always pretty :(

Kavan Vekany • The Burning Maze (The Trials of Apollo, #3) by Rick Riordan

“Pain is an interesting thing. You think you have reached your limit and you can’t possibly feel more tortured. Then you discover there is still another level of agony. And another level after that.”

After reading the new update, this just fits him so much. Everything he had to go through after [redacted], especially whatever they did in order for him to not be able to fully transform anymore? He’s known pain like never before, and you know it’s bad when even i think it’s too much lmao.

Benjamin Blackwood • Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

“He was not happy. He was not happy. He said the words to himself. He recognized this as the true state of affairs. He wore his happiness like a mask and the girl had run off across the lawn with the mask and there was no way of going to knock on her door and ask for it back.”

He grew up thinking that there was only one way of doing things, his father’s way. It never really hit him until he got older. For the majority of his life he just kept on doing what he was told because he thought it was the right thing to do and because he wanted his father to be proud but he was never truly happy. He never stopped to think about that feeling until later on.

Kai Morgenstern • They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

“I've spent years living safely to secure a longer life, and look where that's gotten me. I'm at the finish line but I never ran the race.”

My favorite girl, who hates life in NMC and being a Keeper in general. She wasn’t exactly “safe” or “cautious” when doing things before the events of kotsam but her life was never in danger, she had everything she wanted. And then, in the form of one car crash and almost being killed, he future just went down the drain and in the span of 2 years (so far) she has had so many near death experiences. She’s just so tired at this point.

[starscheme]

Only You

Chapter Twenty: Whites Unwelcome Solution

Steven left his mothers room to find Lars standing in the middle of the disheveled living room.

"...you guys should think about cleaning..." Suggested Lars, trying to make light of the situation to start with. Steven hadn't really been himself for a while.

"Been busy," stated Steven evenly.

Lars took that short reply as a sign that Steven wasn't yet in the mood for jokes. "So, where is Sodalite?"

"Probably with Garnet. She's not allowed to leave the house alone."

Lars bristled a bit, "allowed?" He repeated. "...Steven...just because she agreed to help doesn't mean you can order her around."

"She's the only real weapon we have against that thing," replied Steven irately, "and she doesn't exactly fight well on her own. So Garnet needs to be with her if she leaves the house."

Lars sighed. He didn't like the way Steven was going about this, but at least Sodalite was being kept safe. However he could only imagine how scared she was right now. "Okay, yeah, I get it. Let's just contact Garnet. I promised Sodalite that I'd spend some time with her after the bakery closed."

Before Steven could answer, the warp activated and in a stream of light, Garnet appeared, carrying a limp, sickly looking Sodalite by the waist with an annoyed Amethyst beside them.

"Sodalite? What's wrong with her?" Asked Lars in alarm. The fusion was holding her like a sack and Sodalite looked as if she might throw up, her dizzy eyes flooding with tears. Each Gem was covered in dirt and they had small tears in their clothes which revealed tiny scratches on their bodies.

Amethyst appeared rather run down and annoyed, even Garnet looked as if she could use a break. Clearly their outing with Sodalite had been a bit vexing for them. "She panicked when we got too high and then screamed all the way down the cliff clinging to Garnet before everything went dark. When I could finally see again, we were all in different locations and it took forever to find her because she was clinging to the top of a tall tree and wouldn't jump down!"

"...to be fair, you cutting down the tree didn't help much," added Garnet.

"Yeah..." agreed Amethyst with an annoyed sigh. "Especially since all she did was scream all the way down and then everything went dark again. It's really starting to mess with my eyes."

"But did you find anything?" Asked Steven, uninterested in what caused their appearance.

Garnet shook her head and Steven felt his stomach drop. He said nothing and placed his hand over his heart where the locket was hidden beneath his shirt.

"But I'm sure we'll find something tomorrow!" Amethyst insisted with a forced smile. "We just need to cover more ground!"

Sodalite finally looked up, ready to apologize for not having any positive results for her Diamond, but when she spotted an irritated Lars beside him, she instead began to squirm in Garnets grip.

Garnet dropped the freckled Gem who face planted on the warp pad with an 'oomph.'

"H-hey, careful!" Lars groaned anxiously.

However, the fall didn't seem to bother Sodalite. She quickly scrambled to her feet and leapt at Lars in tears. "Lars, Lars! It-it was horrible! That Amethyst is-is out of control!"

Lars was nearly pushed down when Sodalite ran to hug him, but he steadily kept his balance and pat her head. "It's okay. You're fine now."

"Hey! I'm not out of control," argued Amethyst. "She's the one that just kept crying in that tree. What was I supposed to do? Just wait until she finished crying?! She cries all the time! We'd have been there all night!"

Sodalite spun herself to hide behind Lars' back, gripping at his jacket as she peeked over his shoulder. "...see?" Sodalite whimpered.

"We're all just a little impatient right now..." said Garnet, reaching over to place her hand at the top of Amethysts head to calm her. "Things will go better tomorrow."

"I want to go out there! I'm sick of sitting here and waiting!" Steven shouted with tears in his eyes.

"...Steven, we've been over this. It's not safe. Spinel wouldn't want to use you as bait." Garnet explained.

Sodalite whimpered once again and hid her face in Lars back, her hands trembling as she held tight to his jacket. Lars took this as a sign that things were about to get much worse. A gut feeling that was quickly confirmed when Steven turned pink and the house began to shake.

"What Spinel wanted?!" Steven repeated in a tearful rage. "Stop trying to speak for her! That thing made it clear that it wants ME! The best way to draw it out is for me to go-"

Suddenly, Pearl burst in through the front door in a panic. At first they thought she had seen the house shaking, but she didn't seemed concerned about that as she rushed inside. "Steven! The Diamonds, they're all here! They're landing right now! I thought you only asked for Yellows soldiers."

His pink glow slowly dimmed and Steven looked confused. "I did..." he answered, wondering why all of them would show up.

"Th-the Diamonds...? E-even...even Bl-Blue?" Asked Sodalite, frozen in fear. Blue was the one that made her and also the one that ordered her shattering. What would Blue Diamond do if she saw that she was still in one piece?

"You don't have to meet her," Lars said quickly. "Just stay in the house with me."

Steven was clearly agitated with the Diamonds arrival and honestly, seeing Sodalite and Lars was not helping his mood. Anything that resembled a couple annoyed him right now. Without waiting for anyone's opinions, Steven stomped out of the house to go and see just what they had all decided to gather here for.

The Diamonds were being lowered by a platform when Steven walked onto the beach, followed by the Crystal Gems.

"Steven!" White Diamond greeted with her usual delighted smile, always seemingly obtuse to his agitation. "It's been so long!"

"...what do you guys want?" He asked bluntly. Not in the mood to deal with them all at once. At least with Yellow it was straight to the point.

"Well, I brought the troops as we discussed, Steven," announced Yellow proudly, "but they insisted on coming along."

"Because it's not just Yellow that can help you," insisted Blue with an eager and hopeful smile as she leaned down a bit. "I have plenty of Gems that can help you too. Surely, my Gem would be better suited to searching for this strange creature of yours."

"He doesn't need your Gems when he can use mine," argued Yellow in a huff. "My Gems are precise and officiant. Why, if my troops had been deployed from the start we would have already found the thing."

"You're both going about this all wrong," interjected White, pushing her way between the other two Diamonds to get on her knees in front of Steven and his family. "Steven, I came because I thought of something that will definitely make you feel all better!" White seemed rather pleased with herself as she opened her hand and held it to Stevens eye level. Standing in the middle of her palm was a cute, noodle limbed, pink Spinel. Her Gem was cut in the shape of a heart and was displayed at the top of her right, gloved hand. She was in a pink and white overalled dress with large pink, Mary Jane shoes that squeaked when she walked, her curled heart pigtails bouncing with each step.

"I'm so excited to meet you!" The Spinel chirped out happily, hopping from Whites hand to greet Steven on the sand.

Pearl quickly clapped her hand over her mouth to muffle the sob that threatened to spill out. They had only just lost Spinel and this one very much reminded Pearl of how she used to be. As Pearl turned away from the Spinel, Garnet stepped forward with clenched fists.

"You can't just replace someone that's precious!" Demanded the fusion angrily.

"What? But of course you can replace a Gem," replied White with a straight face. "All Spinels are made for entertainment. Pink adored hers and since Steven was so upset that his got broken, I made him a new one. Now he won't have to be lonely."

Steven couldn't believe what was happening. For several minutes now, he'd been silent, simply staring down at this new Spinel in disbelief. Had White really come here thinking this Gem could simply take Spinels place?

"Oh no..." Lars mumbled, staring down at the awkward scene from the beach house window, Sodalite still hiding behind his back.

"So Steven, what do you think? She isn't exactly like the old one, but if she had never broken, she would have looked like this the whole time," explained White happily.

Garnet was practically trembling in anger. That White Diamond would dare to try something like this was proof of how little she still cared for individual life. "You—!"

Though Garnet was prepared to tell White off, she and the other Gems were distracted when Steven began to laugh. A bitter, angry, empty laugh.

Pearl wiped her eyes and turned back to Steven in concern, "Steven..."

"You...you really think...I'd be happy with this?" Growled Steven through gritted teeth now, making it a point not to look at the Diamonds.

White seemed confused as she lowered herself further to get a closer look at Stevens expression. "You're not? I thought you wanted a Spinel to replace—"

"YOU CAN'T REPLACE HER! NO ONE CAN!" Steven screamed, lifting his head to reveal the river of tears flowing down his cheeks. His body turned pink instantly and his eyes nearly glowed as a shockwave was formed from his voice, pushing the Diamonds back slightly. Yellow and Blue were immediately concerned at Stevens very 'Pink' like outburst, but White only frowned, almost offended that he had so harshly rejected her gift.

"Spinels are rather rare to make you know," replied White, "but I guess if you really don't like her, I can make you a different Gem as a playmate. Oh! Perhaps something-"

"Spinel wasn't a 'playmate.' She was...she's my best friend..." seethed Steven.

"Well of course, that's what Spinels are made for." White Diamond shrugged, still confused. She honestly didn't see the difference between this Spinel and the old one besides that this one wasn't broken.

Blue stepped forward and shook her head, "White...perhaps you shouldn't press the issue so much..."

Steven hates feeling this way. He hated feeling so much anger towards someone. How dare she come here and mock his feelings for Spinel as if they meant nothing at all. As if another Spinel could step in and Steven would just fall in line like his love never existed or was so easily broken.

"Don't be sad," pleaded the new Spinel with a smile as she reached for him.

"DONT TOUCH ME!" Steven demanded in disgust. His voice booming once again, this time causing the Spinels Gem to crack from the pressure of the sound.

At once, Steven gasped, staring wide eyed at the innocent Gem, now trying to maintain her form. He cracked her. Hurt her. None of this was her fault. If anyone deserved it, he'd have preferred White be the one to suffer.

"Arrrgh!" Steven groaned, closing his eyes tight. These hateful thoughts that plagued him only seemed to be getting worse. Spinel was gone...and he was just angry that the world had to keep turning as if she was never here. He knew it didn't make sense to be spiteful of everyone, but it wasn't fair that she was gone. Why did it have to be Spinel? "It's my fault! I'm sorry!" Shouted Steven as broken pieces of his own shield began to form around him.

It's true. Steven knew it. If anyone was to blame for all this. It was him. That creature picked Spinel because of him. It chose her because he loved her. Pearl was right, they never should have tried to be together. He never should have realized how he felt. If anything, he should have kept his feelings locked away. At least then Spinel would still be here with him. Even if he could never be with her as a lover, he just wanted her back. His love for her had only caused her pain. How was he supposed to live with himself knowing that?

The ground was turning into a crater beneath his feet and though everyone was inclined to help him, they were held up in doing so when everything went pitch black around them.

Steven flinched at the sudden blanket of darkness. His heart was beating so fast, it was now the only sound to fill the void.

"So-Sodalite?" He began, sure that this was her doing.

Though he couldn't see anything, he felt a small, trembling hand push against his chest, pressing firmly over his heart.

"I-I'm sorry..." wept Sodalite, slowly taking in all the terrible feelings that Steven had raging inside of him. All that pain was now hers for the moment and it hurt so much. The mere pressure of it threatened to weigh her down. "This is-it's all I can do..."

Steven's heart rate began to even out and his tears finally stopped. Sodalite's purification didn't exactly make him feel better, just numb, but it was still better than the agony from before. "...thanks..."

Sodalite was happy to be of use, but it was hard to smile through the pain that she took from Steven. His empathic abilities surely didn't help when he was feeling like this. She kept her hand to his chest even after it was done, just to make sure he didn't fly off the handle once again. However, perhaps it was because she was close to Steven, or the fact that she was touching him, Sodalite felt something familiar.

"Spinel?" Sodalite questioned aloud.

"What?" Asked Steven before the darkness lifted and he was suddenly standing back on the beach with Sodalite nowhere to be found.

[midnightactual]

Some legends are told Some turn to dust or to gold But you will remember me Remember me for Centuries And just one mistake Is all it will take We’ll go down in history Remember me for Centuries Hey-ya, uh hey, hey-ya Remember me for Centuries

Mummified my teenage dreams No, it’s nothing wrong with me The kids are all wrong, the story’s all off Heavy metal broke my heart Come on, come on, and let me in Bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints And this is supposed to match The darkness that you felt I never meant for you to fix yourself

Some le— Some le—

But you will remember me Remember me for Centuries

Remember me for Centuries

And I can’t stop 'til the whole world knows my name Cause I was only born inside my dreams Until you die for me, as long as there’s a light, my shadow’s over you ’Cause I, I am the opposite of amnesia And you’re a cherry blossom You’re about to bloom You look so pretty, but you're gone so soon

Some legends are told Some turn to dust or to gold But you will remember me Remember me for Centuries And just one mistake Is all it will take We’ll go down in history Remember me for Centuries hey-ya Remember me for Centuries

But you will remember me Remember me for Centuries

Remember me for Centuries

We’ve been here forever And here’s the frozen proof I could scream forever We are the poisoned youth

But you will remember me Remember me for Centuries And just one mistake Is all it will take We’ll go down in history Remember me for Centuries

[three-bunnies-in-a-trenchcoat]

More of my bad writing

Title: Legends Are Told

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus

Characters: the seven, Nico, Reyna, various Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter campers

Tags: songfic, light angst (I guess?), hopeful-ish ending

Words: 1,032

Summary:

Heracles, Achilles, Theseus, Perseus, Jason, they all got their stories told.

They told their stories to their kids, and their kids told their kids, each time with less and less detail, until there is no story to tell.

The seven are forgotten as if they didn't save them all.

Some legends are told

Heracles, Achilles, Daphne, Perseus, Jason, they all got their stories told.

They weren't so lucky.

Some turn to dust or to gold

Percy's first monster, a Fury, and King Midas, who Jason, Piper, and Leo faced on their quest to free Hera.

They told those stories to their kids, and their kids told their kids, each time with less and less detail, until there is no story to tell. All that remains of their sacrifices is dust and ungrateful children who don't realize that the reason they have a cabin or an eagle to turn and look at is because of the bravery of Percy Jackson, of Hazel Levesque, of Annabeth Chase and Frank Zhang, and countless others.

But you will remember me

Remember me for centuries

Chiron will occasionally tell campers of their deeds. He will tell them how Percy Jackson reclaimed Zeus's lightning bolt and of how Thalia Grace stood on Half-Blood Hill, where the pine tree she was turned into after defending two other demigods from a pack of hellhounds still stands.

And just one mistake

Is all it will take

We'll go down in history

Percy actually does get into history books, as the kid who went missing, blew up the St. Louis Arch, reappeared in Los Angeles after a devastating earthquake, and claimed to have fought to get away from his kidnapper.

They still don't know what really happened.

Remember me for centuries

He's soon replaced by more interesting topics, like the first woman on Mars.

Mummified my teenage dreams

No, it's nothing wrong with me

The kids are all wrong

The story's all off

They twist the details, not giving credit to the real heroes.

It was Clarisse who slayed the drakon, not Percy or Annabeth or anybody else in the Battle of Manhattan. They don't remember her, though.

The glory is given to those who don't want it, instead of the ones who actually did it.

Heavy metal broke my heart

She dies a few years afterward. A fight with a dracaena. A sword right through the heart.

It was a death she would have wanted. An honorable one, one where she fought to defend her and her family, Chris and her daughter Silena.

Hardly anyone who didn't know her even knows that she did all that. Come on, come on and let me in

The bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints

And this is supposed to match

The darkness that you felt

No one remembers Nico and Reyna's journey through the shadows to bring the statue that now stands guard over camp and New Athens. No one remembers how he nearly faded away, lost to memories and darkness.

The strength it took, the courage, to fight them off and prevent a war is lost to time.

I never meant for you to fix yourself

And I can't stop 'til the whole world knows my name

'Cause I was only born inside my dreams

No one remembers Octavian, flawed as he was. No one remembers that although he seemed crazy, he was trying to do the best for his people, pushing for a new leader and to attack before they did. Reyna wasn't replacing Jason after months of him being missing, then they elect a kid they knew for all of two days. Then his friends bomb the city.

No one, of course, realizes this. For all that he's remembered, he remembered as a power hungry villain.

Until you die for me, as long as there's a light, my shadow's over you

'Cause I, I am the opposite of amnesia

And you're a cherry blossom

You're about to bloom

You look so pretty, but you're gone so soon

Who could forget Piper McLean, the daughter of Aphrodite strong enough to charm a primordial goddess to sleep, to make a automaton come to life.

Why should we remember? They say. She was just another weak, stuck up child of Aphrodite. Clearly someone else did it. Someone stronger, someone who could save their friends instead of someone who faints at the sight of blood.

As she cries over Jason's body, killed by a monster on his yacht, she vows never to let that happen again. She would rather die than watch someone else she loves die before her eyes.

No one bothers to remember the sacrifice she made for her younger siblings.

No one bothers to remember any of their stories.

We've been here forever

The gods, the gods could lift a finger to help them be remembered.

They don't.

They're gone so quickly, after all...

And here's the frozen proof

Khione comes after Leo one last time, freezing him before he can even notice the goddess behind him.

I could scream forever

Hazel dies screaming as her own tunnel collapses on her and Frank.

We are the poisoned youth

All demigods are. Because of who their parents are, they will live in fear for their whole life.

Annabeth and Nico both die to actual poison. Annabeth from a two headed snake bite, Nico from giving into the whispers of shadow travel.

Some legends are told

Atalanta and Theseus', yes, but not the ones about Annabeth Chase, architect of Olympus, Frank Zhang, praetor of the Twelfth Legion, or Zoe Nightshade.

Some turn to dust or to gold

Percy is the only one who dies a peaceful death, going in his sleep.

But you will remember me

Their children try to hold on, and Thalia tells everyone stories about them whenever she, Reyna and the rest of the Hunters are at camp.

Remember me for centuries

The hippocampi still hang in the Poseidon cabin.

And just one mistake

Is all it will take

We'll go down in history

Remember me for centuries

But they don't.

We'll go down in history

Remember me for centuries

One day, a camper finds ten handwritten books, in Ancient Greek and Latin, in the Big House attic. The Lightning Thief, the first one reads.

She opens the book. A picture of nine laughing teenagers falls out. She picks it up and sets it aside before turning to the first page.

Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood...

[randomgooberness]

We’ve been here forever. And here’s the frozen proof I could scream forever We are the poisoned youth.

Some legends are told, some turn to dust or to gold But you will remember me Remember me, for centuries Just one mistake Is all it will take We'll go down in history Remember me for centuries!

HAPPY TRANS DAY OF VISIBILITY! I really, really hope all trans individuals out there are having a good day despite all that’s going on in the world!! Here’s all the (canon) trans characters in Kill Count!! Headcanons on the gender identities of all other characters are, as always VERY valid!!!!

BONUS:

This is my first year out as nonbinary, and I quickly found myself getting very emotional today!! I genuinely adore this community so much. I hope you all have a wonderful day! <3

[x-cherrymoon-x]

Centuries by Fall Out Boy

Some legends are told Some turn to dust or to gold But you will remember me Remember me for centuries

And just one mistake Is all it will take We'll go down in history Remember me for centuries Hey-hey-hey Remember me for centuries

Mummified my teenage dreams No it's nothing wrong with me The kids are all wrong The story's all off Heavy metal broke my (bam bam) heart Come on, come on and let me in The bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints And this is supposed to match The darkness that you felt. I never meant for you to fix yourself

Some legends are told Some turn to dust or to gold But you will remember me Remember me for centuries

And just one mistake Is all it will take Well go down in history Remember me for centuries Hey-hey-hey Remember me for centuries

I can't stop till the whole world knows my name Cuz I was only born inside my dreams Until you die for me As long as there's a light My shadows over you Cuz I I am the opposite of amnesia And your a cherry blossom Your about to bloom You look so pretty but your gone so soon

Some legends are told Some turn to dust or to gold But you will remember me Remember me for centuries

And just one mistake Is all it will take Well go down in history Remember me for Centuries Hey-hey-hey Remember me for centuries

We've been here forever And here's the frozen proof I could scream forever We are the poisoned youth

Some legends are told Some turn to dust or to gold But you will remember me Remember me for centuries

And just one mistake Is all it will take Will go down in history Remember me for ventures Hey-hey-hey Remember me for centuries

—

Ooh I actually didn’t expect to get a song when I rebloged this, so thank you!!!!!

[musingsfromalily]

American Beauty/American Psycho Lyric Starters (Warning, some NSFW)

Irresistible

“I just followed your scent, you can just follow my smile.”

“All of your flaws are aligned with this mood of mine.”

“You ought to keep me concealed just like I was a weapon.”

“I didn’t come for a fight, but I will fight till the end.”

“And this one might be a battle might not turn out okay.”

“And I love the way you hurt me.”

“It’s irresistible.”

“I’m gonna get you to burst just like you were a bubble.

“Frame me up on your wall just to keep me out of trouble.”

“Too many war wounds, but not enough wars.”

“Too many sharks, not enough blood in the waves.”

“You know I give my love a four letter name.”

“You’re second hand smoke.”

“I breath you in, but honey, I don’t know what you’re doing to me.”

“But the truth catches up with us eventually.”

“Try to say lie, live and let live.”

“I’m no good at lip service, except when they’re yours.”

“I’m coming for you, and I’m making war.”

American Beauty / American Psycho

“I think I fell in love again.”

“Maybe I just took too much cough medicine.”

“I’m the best worst thing that hasn’t happened to you yet.”

“You take a full truth, and you pour some out.”

“And you can kill me, or let God sort ‘em out.”

“I wish I dreamt in the shape of your mouth.”

“All those dirty thoughts of me, they were never yours to keep.”

“We’re the things that love destroys.”

“Us, we were only meant to make you live again.”

“Us, we were pity sex.”

Centuries

“Some legends are told, some turn to dust or to gold.”

“But you will remember me; remember me for centuries.”

“Just one mistake is all it will take.”

“We’ll go down in history.”

“No, it’s nothing wrong with me.”

“The kids are all wrong, the story’s all off.”

“Heavy metal broke my heart.”

“Come on, and let me in.”

“The bruises on your thighs like my fingertips.”

“And this is supposed to match the darkness that you felt.”

“I never meant for you to fix yourself.”

“And I can’t stop ‘til the whole world knows my name.”

“ ‘Cause I was only born inside my dreams.”

“As long as there’s a light, my shadow’s over you.”

“I am the opposite of amnesia.”

“And you’re a cherry blossom, you’re about to bloom.”

“You look so pretty, but you’re gone so soon.”

“We’ve been here forever, and here’s the frozen proof.”

“I could scream forever.”

The Kids Aren’t Alright

“Maybe I bit off more than I could chew.”

“Fall to your knees, bring on the rapture.”

“Blessed be the boys time can’t capture.”

“On film, or between the sheets.”

“I always fall from your window to the pitch black streets.”

“And in the end, I’d do it all again.”

“I think you’re my best friend.”

“Don’t you know that the kids aren’t alright?”

“I’ll be yours.”

“When it rains, it pours.”

“I’m not passive, but aggressive.”

“Take note, it’s not impressive.”

“Empty your sadness like you’re dumping your purse on my bedroom floor.”

“We put your curse in reverse.”

“And it’s our time now if you want it to be.”

“Maul the world like a carnival bear set free.”

“Your love is anemic.”

“I can’t believe that you couldn’t see it coming for me.”

“And I still feel that rush in my veins, twists my head just a bit too thin.”

“All those people in those old photographs I’ve seen are dead.”

“Sometimes I just wanna sit down and gaze at my shoes.”

“Let your dirty sadness fill me up just like a balloon.”

Uma Thurman

“I can move mountains.”

“I can work a miracle.”

“I’ll keep you like an oath, may nothing but death do us part.”

“Bury me ‘till I confess.”

“I can’t get you out of my head.”

“Divide me down to the smallest I can be.”

“Put your venom in me.”

“The blood of the lamb is worth two lions, but here I am.”

“I slept in last night’s clothes and tomorrow’s dreams, but they’re not quite what they seem.”

“You’ll find your way, and may death find you alive.”

“Take me down the line.”

“We turned the tide.”

Jet Pack Blues

“I’m the last one that you’ll ever remember.”

“I’m trying to find my peace of mind behind these two white highway lines.”

“When the city goes silent, the ringing in my ears gets violent.”

“She’s in a long black coat tonight, waiting for me in the downpour outside.”

“She’s singing ‘Baby, come home’ in a melody of tears while the rhythm of the rain keeps time.”

“I remember.”

“Baby, come home.”

“Did you ever love her, do you know?” “Or did you never want to be alone?”

“Fight off the lights tonight, and just stay with me.”

“Honey, don’t you leave.”

“Do you remember how we used to split a drink?”

“It never mattered what it was.”

“I think our heads were just that close.”

“The sweetness never lasts, you know.”

Novocaine

“This is a black ski mask song.”

“So put all of your anger on.”

“In the truly gruesome do we trust.”

“I will always land on you like a sucker punch.”

“I am your worst nightmare.”

“If you knew what the bluebirds sang at you, you would never sing along.”

“Cast them out cause this is our culture.”

“These new flocks are nothing but vultures.”

“They took our love, and they filled it up.”

“Now I’m just numb.”

“I don’t feel a thing for you.”

“I’m just a problem that doesn’t want to be solved.”

“So, could you please hold your applause.”

“I said one day this valley’s gonna swallow me whole.”

“I feel like a photo that’s been overexposed.”

Fourth of July

“It was the fourth of July.”

“You and I were fireworks that went off too soon.”

“And I miss you in the June gloom too.”

“I said I’d never miss, but I guess you never know.”

“May the bridges I have burned light my way back home.”

“I’ll be honest as you let me.”

“I miss your early morning company.”

“You are my favorite ‘what if’. “

“You are the best ‘I’ll never know.’ “

“I’m starting to forget what summer meant to you.”

“What did it ever mean to you?”

“Oh, I’m sorry--I didn’t mean any of it.”

“I just got too lonely.”

“In between being young and being right, you were my Versailles at night.”

“Again and again till I’m stuck in your head.”

“Had my doubts, but I let them out.”

“You are the drought, and I’m the holy water you have been without.”

“All my thoughts of you, they could heat or cool the room.”

“No, don’t tell me you cried. Oh, honey--You don’t have to lie.”

“I wish I’d known how much you loved me.”

“I wish I’d cared enough to know.”

“I’m sorry every song’s about you.”

Favorite Record

“Do you remember when we drove through the night?”

“We danced.”

“And I confessed to you, riding shotgun underneath the purple skies.

“We danced with the windows down.”

“You were the song stuck in my, every song that I’ve ever loved.”

“You can get what you want, but it’s never enough.”

“And I spin for you like your favorite records used to.”

“I can’t remember just how to forget the way we danced.”

Immortals

“They say we are what we are, but we don’t have to be.”

“I’m bad behavior, but I do it in the best way.”

“I’ll be the watcher of the eternal flame.”

“I’ll be the guard dog of all your fever dreams.”

“I am the sand in the bottom half of the hourglass.”

“I try to picture me without you; But I can’t.”

“We could be immortals, just not for long.”

“Live with me forever now.”

“You pull the blackout curtains down.”

“Sometimes the payoff for having any faith is when it’s tested again and again every day.”

“I’m still comparing your past to my future.”

“It might be your wound, but they’re my sutures.”

Twin Skeletons (Hotel in NYC)

“I don’t want to remember it all.”

“Hold on.”

“I just need enough of you to dull the pain.”

“ ‘Till we’re stripped down to our skeletons again.”

“ We’re saints just swimming in our sins again.”

“And there’s a jet black crow droning on and on.”

“Keep making trouble ‘till you find what you live.”

“I need a new partner in crime.”

“And you shrug.”

“A birth and a death on the same day.”

“I only appeared so I can fade away.”

“I wanna throw my hands in the air and scream.”

“I could just die laughing on your spiral of shame.”

“Hit it, never quit it.”

“I have been through the wreck.”

“I can string enough to show my face in the light again.”

[caecilius-est-pater]

♪

You lucked (?) out anon, no Caramelldansen this time!

We’ve been here forever and here’s the frozen proof I could scream forever, we are the poisoned youth

Centuries, Fall Out Boy

(honorable mention goes to Heavy metal broke my BONK BONK heart)

Context

[angelofthequeers]

Ladybug and Reine Nuit: Chapter 3

Origins III

Disclaimer: I don’t own ML.

I didn’t think I needed to change much about the battle side of Origins because the important stuff is in the character interactions rather than the fighting, especially since this is only episode 1 and I have to set up the changes for the rest of the story. But I do try and deviate in later battles.

I’m also going to try posting this without the AO3 link just to test if external links are messing with my reach somehow.

Part 2 | Part 4

“The stone beings are scattered all over Paris, and for the time being, they are showing no signs of movement!” reports Nadja Chamack from the television. Marinette’s frozen in place, her heart in her throat, wondering if she’s got enough time to make it to the bathroom before she’s sick. “Police have cordoned off the area.”

The TV flicks to display the mayor, André Bourgeois. “We won’t stop until we find a way to get these people to their normal selves! But for now…we’re not making much headway.”

Then it’s back to Nadja, this time with a picture of Ladybug and Reine Nuit. “Paris is relying on our new guardian angels, Ladybug and Reine Nuit, to save us all. Our lives depend on them!”

Okay. That…doesn’t make Marinette feel much better about her complete and utter failure yesterday in not capturing the akuma, allowing it to multiply and infect more innocent people. She’d known she’d mess up, she’d just known it, she’d tried to warn Tikki…and the tiny kwami’s faith in her has proven to be their downfall. How can clumsy, awkward Marinette possibly be a superhero? Sure, Reine Nuit had messed up, but at least she seems to have the confidence to carry her. She’d been the one to jump in and get stuff done, after all.

Marinette jumps when a large arm lands around her shoulders, snapping her out of her thoughts, but it just turns out to be her father.

“Listen, I know how upsetting and scary this is,” Tom says, clearly having misinterpreted Marinette’s look of dread. “But don’t worry, sweetie; we’ve got two superheroes looking out for Paris, and the best way of helping them is to show them that we’re not scared, because we trust them!”

Ordinarily, Tom’s exaggerated fist-shaking would have made Marinette laugh; instead, she just looks down in shame.

“But what if Ladybug fails?” she mumbles.

“Then I’d come and save you!” Tom hefts a long baguette as a sword. “Super Baker to the rescue!”

Marinette giggles and leans up to kiss her father on the cheek. “Thanks, Super Dad!” she says before darting up to her bedroom to grab her purse. She pauses, looking at the vanity where she’s stored the earrings, and she takes the box out of the drawer, chews her lip, then nods and stashes the box in her purse.

She’s made her decision. She’s giving the earrings to Alya; the superhero enthusiast will do a much better job at being a hero than Marinette ever could. Tikki might be disappointed, but she’ll soon see that it’s for the best.

.

“Ladybug is just so cool!” Alya gushes to Marinette, who just stares down glumly as they turn into the school’s street. How Alya has this much faith in her, Marinette has no clue. But that faith should serve her well as the new Ladybug. “I saw her yesterday! I was so close to her! Uh…hiding! At the stadium!”

“That’s cool…” Marinette says, handing Alya back her phone. Alya doesn’t seem to notice her mood. “But why do you trust Ladybug so much? All these stone beings…and what about Reine Nuit?”

“Oh, of course I love Reine Nuit too.” Alya swells when she says the cat superhero’s name. “But Ladybug’s just so amazing and – and just – aaaaah, I can’t even! A real live superhero! I think she’s totally my gay thing.”

“But what if she’s not really cut out to be a superhero even though everyone thinks she is?” Marinette argues.

“What are you talking about, girl?” Alya squints at Marinette, leans in close, then snaps her fingers. “Oh, wait. I know what this is about!”

Marinette gulps. Does Alya know? How can she know?

“You’re scared!” Alya nudges Marinette. “But don’t be! I just know that Ladybug is a true superheroine! She’s going to protect us all! I believe in her. And I believe in Reine Nuit.”

If Marinette needed any more proof that she’s made the right choice, this is it.

“Please, Nathalie!” pleads a familiar voice as Marinette and Alya draw level with the school gates. To Marinette’s surprise, Adrien is being cornered by a woman with a dark pantsuit and dark hair pulled back in a tight bun, along with a gorilla-like man who could rival Marinette’s father in size.

“Wow, what’s going on with Adrien?” Alya says.

“You had your fun yesterday,” the woman says calmly. “Your father is furious that you disobeyed him. Please don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

“I just want to go to school like a normal kid! Is that too much to ask for?”

The woman sighs. “According to your father, yes. Come on, Adrien.”

Adrien’s dejected face is such a stark contrast to his wide-eyed, innocent hope from yesterday that something hot settles in Marinette’s belly. Before she knows what she’s doing, she’s storming over and planting herself in front of Adrien, hands on her hips, glaring at the woman and the thickset man.

“Listen here!” Marinette declares. “Adrien deserves to go to school just as much as anybody else! And if that makes his father mad then too bad!” She grabs Adrien’s wrist. “Come on, Adrien. You’re going to class and no one’s going to stop you.”

Adrien offers no resistance as Marinette tugs him inside the school, Alya rushing to catch up. Undoubtedly, the only reason that the woman and thickset man don’t come after them is due to the utter shock plastered across their faces, but Marinette still wants to make sure that they’re well within the school grounds so as not to tempt the two. Once they’re in the courtyard, she lets go of Adrien and jumps away.

“Sorry if I was out of line!” she says. Adrien just stares at her with an open mouth. “But it’s not fair that you shouldn’t be allowed to go to school just because you’re famous!”

“Oh – uh – no, apologise – don’t apologise!” Adrien’s cheeks pinken and he scratches the back of his head. “Actually…that’s the first time someone’s stood up for me. Thanks, Marinette. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

Marinette beams at him. Next to her, Alya is smirking at Adrien, but Marinette can’t possibly begin to figure out why.

“Once a monster, always a monster!” Chloé’s annoying voice declares from the other side of the courtyard. Marinette turns just in time to see Ivan storming off. “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!”

Marinette and Alya exchange furious looks. Before they can confront Chloé, however, Adrien gets in first.

“Chloé!” He storms over, fists clenched, but Chloé’s whole demeanour changes and she immediately latches on to him like an octopus.

“Adrikins!” she squeals. Their other classmates don’t exactly look all that impressed with Adrien, but their faces shift when he detaches himself from Chloé and steps away.

“That was totally uncool,” he says, crossing his arms. “You should be nicer to people, Chloé.”

“Pfft,” Chloé scoffs. “We don’t need to be nice to these peasants. You need to learn how to command respect!” Her face falls when Adrien turns and storms off. “Wait! Adrikins!”

“I thought he was her bestie,” Alix comments as Marinette and Alya draw level with them.

“Only because she was never mean around him,” Marinette says. “I talked to him yesterday. He’s actually really nice once you get to know him.”

“Huh,” Juleka says. “Who would’ve thought?”

“Maybe I should be his friend,” Nino says. “If he’s gonna sit near Chloé, I reckon he’ll need me to keep him sane.”

Marinette grins at Alya. “That’s a great idea, Nino. You guys should get to class. I’m going to go and find Ivan.”

With a little searching, Marinette manages to track down Ivan in the locker room, listening to music. After saving him yesterday and realising that his akuma had been a teasing note from Kim about his feelings for Mylène, Marinette had realised that he just needed a little push to confess to her, and she intends to give that push now and prevent him from giving in to negative emotions and being akumatised again.

“I’m no good with words, though,” Ivan mumbles.

“Who needs words?” Marinette says. “You could draw her a picture, send her flowers…”

“I could…write her a song?” Ivan says. Marinette beams.

“That’s a great idea! What girl wouldn’t want a love song written especially for her? Go for it, Ivan, and stay positive!”

.

“Hey, Alya, wouldn’t you want to be a superhero and go out and fight monsters and villains?” Marinette says when she and Alya have taken their seats in class. Her heart deflates at Alya’s response.

“Eh, not really. I’m more of a Lois Lane than a Clark Kent, you know? Why?”

“Oh…no reason.” Marinette stares down at her purse. Who else can she give the earrings to? She was so sure that Alya would be the right choice!

“You can’t ignore me forever, Adrikins,” Chloé sings. In front of her, Adrien doesn’t react. “Don’t worry, you’ll come crawling back to me soon enough when you realise that the riff-raff here aren’t worth it.”

“Shut up, Chloé,” Adrien growls.

“Hmm…” Marinette once again looks at her purse. If Alya doesn’t want to be a superhero, well, Adrien might be a great second choice. But how to get the earrings into his bag? Before she can figure it out, however, Stoneheart comes crashing into the classroom and grabs Mylène and Chloé amidst the screams of the other students.

“Gotta go! Need a close-up!” Alya bolts out of the classroom like her pants are on fire. Marinette dives under the table and starts to shimmy towards Adrien’s bag so that she can hide the earrings inside, but she’s thwarted when he whoops and jumps to his feet.

“Come on, Nino!” Adrien exclaims, his eyes wide and glittering. “We should go after him!”

“Uh…are you crazy, dude?” Nino says.

“Following him ��� seeing Ladybug and Reine Nuit – I’ve never felt so alive! I nearly got crushed to death yesterday!”

“That’s…not a good thing…?”

“Whatever! I’m following Stoneheart!”

“Wait!” Marinette cries. “Come back! You need –”

Adrien’s gone before she can even finish her sentence. With a groan, Marinette takes off after him, not quite managing to keep up as he runs through the streets after Stoneheart but managing to keep him in sight. When she rounds the corner, Marinette instinctively takes in the situation: multiple stone monsters, one of which has Reine Nuit clutched tightly in its fist, while she screams curses at it that have Marinette wincing.

“Hey! Let her go!” Adrien jumps onto the monster from on top of a car and kicks its fist. Although he doesn’t manage to hurt it, his kick makes it reflexively let go of Reine Nuit, who falls to the road with a groan and bounds back to her feet. But she’s not quick enough to save Adrien from being snatched up by the stone monster, which then heads after Stoneheart with Adrien squirming and shouting in its grip.

“Adrien!” Marinette shrieks. Reine Nuit barely spares her a glance.

“Get to safety!” the superhero orders her, leaping off after the stone beings. “Ladybug, where are you?”

Marinette’s frozen to the spot. Reine Nuit is alone – Adrien’s in danger – there are three innocent people being held captive – her fault, her fault, her fault –

“Gah!” Marinette fumbles for the box in her purse and inserts the earrings as quickly as she can. Tikki once again appears in a swirl of red light, beaming. “I need Ladybug!”

“I knew you’d come around!” Tikki says. Marinette sighs.

“I’m still not sure I’m up for this, but Adrien’s in danger. I can’t sit back and do nothing. Tikki, spots on!”

.

“Finally!” Reine Nuit could cry tears of joy when a familiar red figure lands on the monster that’s got Adrien in its grip.

“Reine Nuit, your staff!” Ladybug calls. Reine Nuit immediately springs to join Ladybug, using her staff to pry open the monster’s fist while Ladybug yanks Adrien out. Then they’re off, jumping through the streets in the direction of the Eiffel Tower, Reine Nuit using her baton as aid while Ladybug swings with her yo-yo, Adrien in her arms.

“Wow! I got rescued by Ladybug!” Adrien pulls out his phone and starts recording the instant Ladybug sets him down on the ground.

“Damn, this kid has no survival instincts whatsoever,” Reine Nuit comments. Ladybug snorts.

“Stay safe,” she says to Adrien. “Now we need to rescue the other two and take down the source.”

“Do we have to rescue Chloé?” Reine Nuit complains. To her surprise, Ladybug giggles.

“Afraid so, kitty cat,” she says. “We have to save everyone, even the civilians who don’t deserve it.”

“You hate Chloé too?” Reine Nuit high-fives Ladybug. “Awesome!”

“Uh,” says Adrien, “as much as I’m angry at Chloé, I do still care about her.”

“Fine, fine, we’ll save her,” Reine Nuit says. “But only ‘cause you asked so nicely. Let’s go, Ladybug!”

They arrive at the base of the Eiffel Tower near André Bourgeois and the police just as Stoneheart hurls Chloé at the ground. Although it pains her to do so, Ladybug swings in and snatches Chloé out of the air before she can become a yellow stain on the stone ground.

“I didn’t promise!” Chloé wails. Ladybug blinks.

“Huh?”

Now that Chloé’s out of the way and safely in her father’s arms, any concern on the police’s part seems to vanish; Officer Roger orders them to attack despite Stoneheart still having another captive.

“I have a new plan, unlike you!” Roger says when Ladybug protests. “Move aside and let the pros do their thing. You’ve already failed once!”

Ladybug deflates and looks down. “…He’s right, you know. If I’d captured Stoneheart’s akuma the first time around, none of this would have happened! I knew I wasn’t the right one for this job…”

“Oh, no you don’t.” Reine Nuit storms over to Roger and jabs a finger at him. “If it wasn’t for Ladybug, Chloé would’ve splattered just then! And if it wasn’t for Ladybug, Stoneheart wouldn’t have been defeated the first time around! Where were you guys? Oh, that’s right, cowering while we took care of it and I nearly got my spine broken!”

“Reine Nuit!” Ladybug dashes to pull Reine Nuit away from Roger, whose eye is twitching.

“You know I’m right!” Reine Nuit says. “Like you haven’t ever made a mistake before!”

“Hey!” Ladybug grabs Reine Nuit by the shoulders. “I appreciate the support. Really, I do! But maybe we should focus on the akuma rather than antagonising the police?”

Reine Nuit huffs and crosses her arms. “Fine. Only for you.”

“People of Paris, listen carefully!” announces a deep voice. Ladybug and Reine Nuit whirl around to find a swarm of purple butterflies hovering above a prone Stoneheart, in the shape of a face. Reine Nuit is keenly aware of Adrien skidding to a stop behind them, and she notices him raise his phone at the akuma swam. “I am Hawkmoth.”

“Hawkmoth?” Ladybug and Reine Nuit repeat together. Reine Nuit gasps. This must be the supervillain behind turning Ivan into Stoneheart! Oooh, now she knows who the true mastermind is! Her final archnemesis!

“Ladybug, Reine Nuit, give me the ladybug earrings and the cat ring now,” Hawkmoth says. “You’ve done enough damage to these innocent people!”

“Nice try, Hawkmoth, but we know who the bad guy is,” Ladybug drawls, clapping slowly as she approaches the akuma cloud. “Let's not reverse the roles here. Without you, none of these innocent victims would be transformed into villains. Hawkmoth, no matter how long it takes, we will find you, and you will hand us your Miraculous!”

With a cry, Ladybug throws her yo-yo at the cloud again and again, capturing akuma after akuma until the Hawkmoth face screams and explodes into purple butterflies. There’s not another sound anywhere; everyone is dead silent, staring at Ladybug as she lands on the Eiffel Tower and turns to face the helicopters in the air and people on the ground.

“Let me make this promise to you,” she announces. “No matter who wants to harm you, Ladybug and Reine Nuit will do everything in our power to keep you safe!” She opens her yo-yo and a cloud of pure white butterflies stream out, enveloping the Eiffel Tower before dissipating. All Reine Nuit can do is watch, her mouth wide open, her stomach twisting, her heart pounding, because this is so far from the timid Ladybug from yesterday and…wow. She’s always had a thing for strong girls who take no shit.

“I think I love her,” Reine Nuit murmurs.

“I think I’d love her if Marinette didn’t come along first,” Adrien adds, looking just as shocked as Reine Nuit feels.

All of a sudden, Stoneheart jumps to his feet. Reine Nuit jolts into action, leaping up to join Ladybug on the Eiffel Tower as Mylène screams for help, but Stoneheart just growls, “You’ll never take Mylène from me!” and starts climbing further up the Tower. Crashing sounds alert Reine Nuit and Ladybug to the fact that the other stone monsters are also climbing the Tower.

“We’re surrounded!” Reine Nuit announces. Her stomach churns at the sight of the monsters climbing on all sides, keeping her and her partner trapped where they are. “What do we do, Ladybug? If we attack him, he just grows bigger.”

“But we do know where his akuma is,” Ladybug points out.

“Yeah, in the fist with Mylène. He’s never gonna let her go.”

Ladybug frowns up at Stoneheart, then her face clears. “That’s it! If Stoneheart’s in love with Mylène, then we don’t separate them! We bring them closer together!”

“Uh…okay?” Reine Nuit says. “I mean, I don’t get it, but you sound like you know what you’re doing. I’ll just ruin whatever you tell me to ruin.” God, it’s only been a day and she’d follow this girl anywhere, and she proves this by bounding up the Tower with a swinging Ladybug to where Stoneheart and Mylène are.

Surrounded by stone monsters, with Stoneheart not letting Mylène or the akuma go any time soon and Reine Nuit getting slapped around from monster to monster like a game of volleyball, Ladybug finally ends up summoning her Lucky Charm.

“A parachute?” she exclaims. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

“Hurry up and figure it out!” Reine Nuit calls as another monster slams her into the cool metal of the Tower. “Owww…I’m gonna feel this in the morning…”

“His hand! Get ready!”

Reine Nuit rolls to dodge the next attack, then looks up in time to see Ladybug manipulate Stoneheart into kissing Mylène with her yo-yo like a puppeteer. In shock, Stoneheart drops Mylène, who screams and clings to his gigantic pinky finger, while Reine Nuit flings herself off the Tower to bat the little purple wad of paper up at Ladybug before using her baton to anchor herself against the Tower.

“Woo!” she cheers. “Forget drugs, this is the best rush I’ll ever need!” Maybe she should become an anti-drugs spokesperson on the side. Gotta use her powers for good, right?

However, this presents another problem: as soon as Ladybug frees the akuma, Stoneheart turns back into Ivan and both he and Mylène go plummeting towards the ground. At Ladybug’s order to save Ivan, Reine Nuit says, “Cataclysm!” and black sparks of power rush to her ring, fizzing, making her hand tingle with the same cold power as when she transforms from Alya into Reine Nuit. She uses her baton as a spring to leap up towards Ivan, slamming her hand against the Tower and gasping when the metal under her palm immediately rusts and ages.

Whoa. This is so cool.

A long shard of corroded metal splits and falls away to jut out into the air, giving Reine Nuit the perfect leverage to swing out and grab Ivan by the back of the shirt before he falls past her. A moment later, Ladybug’s yo-yo zips past her and back up to where they just were.

“Gotcha!” she hears Ladybug cry. Wow. She was totally right about Ladybug being so awesome. Okay, so she’s Reine Nuit and she’s a superhero, but – but Ladybug is Ladybug! Reine Nuit keeps hanging with Ivan, unsure of how exactly to get down, until Ladybug calls, “Miraculous Ladybug!” and a swarm of red and black ladybugs swirl around the Tower, righting everything that’s been wronged. One of these wrongs includes depositing Reine Nuit and Ivan on the ground and restoring Reine Nuit’s baton to its usual place at the small of her back, along with draining away all the aches and pains she’s accumulated over the course of the battle.

“Whoa,” an awestruck Adrien says from nearby, trying to get as much of the healing swarm on camera as he can. “Are you guys seeing what I’m seeing?”

“Yeah!” Ladybug gasps. “It’s beautiful! And amazing! It’s – it’s miraculous!”

.

Although Marinette’s heart is pounding as she sits down in her usual seat with Alya rather than at the front, she can’t deny that it’s totally worth it to see the look of sheer apoplectic rage on Chloé’s face when she tells the blonde to get lost because she sure as hell isn’t moving and “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing”. Alya grins at her.

“Good job,” Alya says, fist-bumping her. Adrien enters the classroom at that moment, and his face lights up when he sees that Marinette and Alya are sitting behind him and Nino.

“You guys missed the best action!” he says, pulling his phone out. “I was there! So close to the action that I actually got grabbed trying to help Reine Nuit!”

“Dude,” Nino gasps. “Really?”

“Yeah!” Adrien’s grin widens. “But Ladybug saved me! Look!” He plays them the footage of the battle at the Eiffel Tower, and Marinette’s a little astounded at how clear the video is. Then again, it is a very good quality phone that Adrien has.

“I bet your father was happy that you went running after an akuma,” Alya smirks.

“Oh, he was furious,” Adrien says cheerfully. “But it was such an adrenaline rush! After years of being cooped up in my own house, it was like I was alive for the first time! Man, it would’ve been so cool to be a hero.” He pouts at his phone and says, “Guess I’ll have to settle for being Lois Lane. But I still don’t know what to even do with these videos.”

“Why not post them online?” Alya says. “People would kill to see that kind of footage.”

“True,” Adrien says. “Now I just need a catchy YouTube name.”

“And I can edit the videos for you if you need,” Nino says. “I love filmmaking, man.”

“Sweet!” Adrien high-fives Nino. “This is gonna be awesome!”