#and I want to rewrite how the seasons interact with humans

[leobashi]

I am about to either completely revamp the Winter AU or make one hell of an AU of an AU hElp

[bloop-bl00p]

Rewriting Hellaverse Heaven

Welcome to Heaven

We all know that Vivienne's worldbuilding skills are terrible, I’ve been pointing out a few issues so it’s not a new concept. I don’t want her to butcher Heaven in the second season, I know she will so I did something myself.

Anyway, I’ll start with the lowest in the hierarchy and gradually start climbing higher, it’s not 100% accurate to the angelic hierarchy we all know but where’s the fun in taking the accurate text without making any changes?

I. Humans:

Different ranks

Humans, while mostly there to rest after their death, can access more important ranks that are essential for Heavens to keep working. It’s based on how they lived on Earth.

Venerable: Venerable is the title given to a deceased person recognized as having lived a virtuous life, they sinned but it wasn't that bad and their good doing overcame their bad deeds. They are very common.

Blessed: To be beatified and recognized as Blessed, you must die because you accomplished a virtuous act based on the 7 Capital Virtues. A Blessed has the opportunity to assist a Saint in their daily routine and help welcome new souls in Heaven, making them visit different places and integrate them into the communities.

Saint: Sainthood requires a heroically virtuous and borderline sinless life, which means they dedicated their entire life to helping others and the world around them. A soul who accessed sainthood has the opportunity to further participate in the maintenance of Heaven. Saint Peter has the keys to open the Gates and knows which souls can have access to it.

The Choirs

Venerables can be part of a Choir since they have the most free time. The main style is currently Gospel and Acapella but Gospel Rock with Christian Symphonic Metal recently added themselves with new generations.

If I had to rewrite “Welcome to Heaven” it would probably be like “Gospel True” from Hercules.

II. Earthly Messengers

In other terms, those angels interact the most with humans whether it’s on Earth, in Heaven, or in Hell.

“Common” Angels

a. Overall:

That’s what they are called in the scripture and honestly, I was too tired to find another name. They are mostly pacifists avoiding confrontation and only carrying action and the words of God for the Greater Good. “Common” Angels take humans' appearance to blend in to spread good morals and values to inspire others.

They have to protect mortals from demonic influence, AKA identify and either repel the demon or slay it in extreme circumstances. They are my replacements for the Cherub in Helluva Boss and the reason IMP and other needs humans disguise.

b. Guardian Angels:

A guardian angel is assigned to protect and guide a particular person. You can't see them but their advice manifests as your internal monologue. It's up to you if you want to listen to it. They are the reason you think twice before willingly making bad decisions.

Principalities

If the “Common” Angels take care of individuals person, Principalities take care of kingdoms and large communities focusing mainly on the chiefs so they rule fairly over their people.

Unfortunately, most Principalities fell with Lucifer and the Fallen currently use their skills to manipulate rulers for the benefit of Hells.

Powers

a. Overall:

Powers heavily partake in Heaven’s army and it’s not rare to see them roaming around with a sword and armor, I mean, it’s their duty to protect the place. Once a year they descend to Hell in order to kill as many sinners as possible.

While it’s still a hazard as demons in general have varieties of powers that can make a fight difficult they do it nonetheless. During the war against Lucifer, their loyalty was such that no Powers fell which not only boosted their ego but also made them loathe those who turned against the Almighty.

Archangel Michael is the leader of the army but since Lucifer obliviously does not want the guy near Pentagram City Misael, his best soldier and lieutenant, takes the lead once in Hell.

b. Context around Exterminations:

The Examination was set up when Samael stopped torturing sinners and established a semblance of society to gain more power. Misael proposed it, not only to stop the Fallen Angel from harvesting strength but to regulate the number of souls in Hell. Which got accepted.

After each Extermination, soldiers have prayer duties where they need a few days to demand forgiveness after each extermination because of the arms procured.

Sinning gives more power to the Seven Deadly Sins, so each Power chooses their victims wisely specifically targeting sinners classified, in their own terms, as Overlords since they massively perpetuate immoral behaviors in others. They know exactly who targets thanks to Adam and Eve.

The first humans were sent to Hell because they doomed humanity except that not only did they keep their human appearance but they got a pardon from the wrath of Samael. Sealed away from the chaos of Hell, they stay in contact with Heaven and inform them of news deemed as important like the rise in power of a sinner.

III. Heavenly Rulers

While they rarely venture among humans, the actions they take can affect life on Earth.

The Archangels

The Archangels have been given the monumental task of managing life in Heaven for humans and the travel between Heaven and Earth/Hell. Each one of them has a different area of expertise translated by the etymology of their name.

They take care of the “Common” Angels and Power's activities making sure everything goes accordingly. They make sure everyone follows the rules, arresting/killing those that don't, and assigning the proper sentence when ordered to by God or the Dominions. They can be sent to Earth to deliver very important messages and are responsible for miracles, you know, people magically getting their visions back or limbs suddenly growing back, yeah, it’s them.

Dominions

Dominions rule over the Angels under them in the hierarchy, they monitor their activities making sure everything is fine. They solve arguments and grant intelligence with their immense wisdom and, like judges, give verdicts and penalties to criminals often helping God himself when faced with dilemmas, they were the ones who proposed the flood and helped God make his 10 Commandments.

The Ophamins

They are eyed wheels inside eyed wheels that contain fire whiting them, don’t try to visualize that.

Whenever Gods ask for a place to be blessed they will take the fire from them and spread it around making mere earthly houses holy. When that happens Hellborns (imps, succubus, or else) cannot approach these areas, unless they wanna die. You see this fire doesn't just repel sin it cleanses it completely and since Hellborn creatures are physical manifestations of sins they die the second they get close to the fire.

The fire is used to make angelic weapons.

IV. God’s Attendance

They can get physically close to the Almighty and help Him by carrying His orders or even replacing Him in some cases.

The Cherubims

Cherubims are armed with a sword whose warmth rivals the sun, it’s directly made from the fire of the Ophamin. One became the Guardian of Eden after Adam and Eve ate the Defended fruits (A pomegranate in my rewrite) Two also stand beside Saint Peter protecting the gates of Heaven.

Their duty is to protect sacred places, If God sends them to Earth it’s to protect a zone, Noah was asked to build the status of two Cherubim on his arch to ensure its protection, The same goes for Solomon who built temples with sculptures of Cherubim inside.

The Sheraphim

The closest to God physically, Seraphim cover their body with one of their three pairs of wings to not blind people and avoid outshining the Heavenly Father. Their love is so grand they burn, it doesn’t hurt them.

They essentially have endless creativity, not unlimited like God but pretty close, they helped him when creating the universe and its rules.

The Seven Holly Virtues

Uriel, Raphael, Michael, Saraquel, Gabriel, and Remiel.

Also called the Council of Seven, these angels are the most powerful of their type and take charge of Heaven when God is unavailable. Each of them represents a Virtue and they are the ones you’ll see when you’re dead.

Each evaluates your entire life before your eyes and decides whether you go to Hell or not, the process lasts a few seconds from your perspective, hence why you feel like your life flashes before your eyes.

V. More informations

1. Angelic weapons:

Their making always involves the fire of the Ophamins, whether it’s a literal flaming sword or used to melt metals. Ophamins are the only ones able to touch this divine fire, they are literally made from it, Angels above them can be hurted by it but they are allowed to have flaming weapons because of their much more important status and their experiences. Those below are given metallic weapons melted with the fire to give a tier of its properties but it’s less powerful, nonetheless, it is still effective against low-tier demons.

→ A flaming sword kills Angels (fallen or not).

→ A simple blade can only kill the offspring of the Goetia (in my rewrite the 72 Goestia are Fallen Angels that had children in Hell), Hellborns, and sinners.

2. What are they made of?:

Angels were created the second God asked for Light, as they are part of it. They have free will and autonomy but choose to serve their Creator as it seems like the most logical thing to do. They are sinless beings living in another plane of existence. Usually, when angels fall off of grace they shapeshift because they don’t want to be associated with Heaven, only taking a more “holly” appearance to trick humans.

This shapeshifting ability is flawed for both species because their natural eye colors cannot change. You know what they said “Eyes are the window of the soul.”

3. Morality and the importance of ethics:

Angels are moral beings and have free wills, they know ultimately what is really good and what is really wrong and that’s how they base their judgment upon humans.

There’s one flaw in this system, however.

They live in an alien-perfect environment. Everyone knows their place and carries their very specific duties, they don’t question rules because why would a perfect God would create imperfect rules? The last time someone tried to drastically change everything they lost a tier of their friends and witnessing what they are doing now reinforces that feeling that their sense of morality is ultimately right.

Ethics is many things and I still struggle to fully grasp what it is despite the little research I made, what I understand is that it helps in understanding people's behavior and giving fair judgments in court. What is morally wrong can be ethically right, there’s a huge difference between robbing a bank because you want to get rich and being a pickpocket because you have children to feed. Angels don't understand that, they don't understand humans and that’s why so many people end up in Hell without really deserving it.

4. These have nothing to do with the rewrite:

The way I suffered to write this is unreal. I have a bad habit of doing research and writing at the same time! Don’t be like me… because the number of time I had ideas and decided to scrap them because the results of my research made more sense makes me want to cry. I didn't but I was close.

You can also count me not saving my progress and accidentally closing Tumblr so I had to rewrite paragraphs. Anyway, the pain is over and I‘m glad the final result.

[eahtheramblings]

Something I really want to explore more in my rewrite is Ashlynn and Apple’s relationship, or more so why Apple doesn’t understand why she’s rebelling.

While the canon version of eah uses the perrault version of the story, i like the idea of using the versions where the mother of cinderella dies and becomes the tree instead for two reasons. Firstly because it can be twisted to fit the whole happily ever after narrative. If a story ends with someone getting a happily ever after but then the person dies when the next generation plays out the story, it becomes hard in universe to view that as an actual happy ending. But if every Cinderella becomes a tree? Then that can be twisted into seeming like one.

Picture this, Cinderella’s kingdom is a heavily forested, nature invested one, who’s main exports are agriculture/lumber and whose art often revolves around natural subjects like plants and the seasons. Nature is practically worshiped here. And in this kingdom you have your queen who just had a child, and you all know that in 15-20 years she’s going to die. But it’s ok, because her soul will go on to nurture and inhabit a tree! A plant that can live for literal centuries. And it’s not like she’ll be truly isolated, her daughter and her will be able to interact on some level, and since the cinderella story has been told so many times she’ll be buried in a specially guarded graveyard near the castle, that looks like a lush enchanted forest with all the tree’s of the past Cinderella’s to keep her company. Most royal celebrations like weddings take place here, so neither mother or daughter will have to think about how she’s missing her daughter's big life events. And truly, isn’t it an honor? To become a tree in a kingdom where they are the main progenitors of its way of life, to deliberately sign your death warrant to insure that the kingdom will always have a fair and healthy queen, saving them from the risk of having a ruler who can die at any time? For CInderella to join the nature that she so loved in life? A truly happy end, yes?

And secondly, when you take into account Apple's fear of the unknown/death, this becomes all the more extreme. In Apple's eyes, Ashlynn lucked out when it comes to having a destiny with no loose ends. Sure, Apples going to live happily ever after, but she doesn’t know when she’s going to die or how, as some Snow whites in the past have lived long lives and died of old age whereas others have died early into their reign, happy, but early. Ashlynn on the other hand has her entire life mapped out for her. She knows exactly how long she’s going to live, and when she ‘dies’ she gets to inhabit a tree for what could be thousands of years. There is no uncertainty with Ashlynn’s life, she will be a servant, she will go to the ball, she will live happily ever after and she will die in a known time span of 15-20 years and become a tree who then helps her daughter achieve happily ever after. For someone with control issues like Apple, this is an ideal scenario.

Heck,, I could also see this playing into Duchess’s hatred of Ashlynn, because they're like 2 sides of the same coin. Sure, they both become something non-human because of their destinies but Ashlynn gets time before that. Ashlynn gets a prince and the ability to raise her daughter to adulthood if she holds on long enough. Duchess ends her story as the swan, and will have to leave her daughter to be raised by the grandparents of her dead prince. She is lucky in Duchess’s eyes, because she gets the family and future that Duchess is doomed to never truly have.

[crooked-wasteland]

I just saw your essay on the codependency of FizzOzzie and it cleared up a lot of things I've been thinking about this ship and to be honest, I myself thought it was the most healthiest ship in the whole show even better than the trash that Stoliz is but well... (btw, I was trying to scroll through tumblr to find it but can you just link it for me so I coud read it again)?

It also brings me to an idea of the possibility brung up in two fics each with different ideas:

#1 if Hazbin's events every leak in Helluva's since they're the same universe, there's a possibility that Lucifer would want to have precautionary heirs for the defense of Hell and outright force Ozzie and any other relationships with lowerclass apart since it's "not compatible with angelic DNA" or some thing, so Ozzie could in fact leave Fizz because of his status

#2 Ozzie getting tired of Fizz... Ozzie is the sin of Lust after all and Lust can be ever-changing and capricious in its nature as a sin. Ozzie’s character, embodying Lust, might lead to a fluctuating commitment level, influencing his interactions and relationships. In biblical lore, he did end up causing a lot of sinful things like fucking a human named Sarah or so I remember?

Again this is the same guy who humiliated Blitzø in Ozzie, S2 just rewrote him completely (btw, in my rewrite I'mma change him to be more evil and instead give the whole "lovey-dovey Sin" idea to Satan who is female and thinks Asmodeu's "fake-love" is like a slap in the fact to her idea of realistic and true romance)

I'd just feel like Fizz would be better off with Blitzø tbh or Striker or all in a threesome... the possibilities are endless, and why is the show making love seem too fairytale and unrealistic?! Like Blitzø shouldn't have to fuck Stolas just because he was his arranged playmate for just one day??? The show did the childhood friends trope dirty and would be better if Stoliz was a thing until mid-teens broke up for [insert reason] and reconnect but honestly, Stolas should've had his own seperate season/arc dedicared to himself if HB was an anthology show

Also the fact that Asmodeus couldn't just burn the contract, one-shot the lawyer and go on a rampage to save Fizz is just beyond me... the Sins are supposed to be these scary demon lords so why aren't they, hm?

Sorry for rambling and what do you think or want to add?

Absolutely here you go.

The consistent failure of Vivziepop is to commit to a mature story. She describes her own protagonists as "Deeply flawed but understandably traumatized people who just need love to fix them" while the villains of her shows are "irredeemable" (and women, but that's a tangent).

I mentioned before that trying to use the excuse of the setting being Hell and playing that out to the logical conclusion would end up exactly like Good Omens. The whole moral of said show being that imperfect humanity is worth saving, that life is worthy and beautiful for its own sake of existence. That is why the story of Good Omens uses the Bible, angels, and demons to tell it's story, to make that point.

Why is Helluva Boss/Hazbin Hotel set in Hell? What is being said by the plot, themes and story? So far we have that demons are better people than the Angels in Hazbin. That sacrifice is the only virtue worthy of redemption and thus reinforces backwards Christian ideals of penance.

Personally, I would have made Hell less absurd. Less a place of debauchery and chaos and more a mere continuation of life. We see in the Hazbin Pilot a character falls from the sky and says "I'm alive?" Before being hot by Travis' car. The point being that people just transition from one life to the next and in that they keep living life the way they always have.

My personal criticisms of the series' use of Hell is that it established this idea that people only behave if they have a god to fear. Once in Hell, there is no salvation, so why bother. It's like a Christian asking an atheist why they wouldn't commit murder if they don't believe in God. The answer is that people like order and security. People dying would seek to maintain their status quo from life. A lack of salvation wouldn't change that for them.

And frankly, I wouldn't have redemption be a thing. This story and its messages are actively devalued by the act of redeeming sinners when the Angels are just the same as them. By having Hell just be a warped continuation of life on Earth, it makes the message more universal: Life is Hell. Life is suffering in a way Hell can never hope to be. Physical anguish and torment for all eternity can never amount to the pain of the fleeting and the terror of change and uncertainty.

I would have made it impossible to be redeemed because the fact is, regardless what you believe happens after death, what we know we have is life. We fear death so much we have created salvation throughout history, the wish to keep living forever in some way. But, especially for young people, life is harder now than ever before. It's more terrifying and uncertain and cruel and uncaring.

So if life is Hell, how do you be happy?

That would have been my thesis for the show. The message underneath is all about finding happiness in the absence of salvation. Even the idea that maybe salvation is something we should reject to really feel what it means to be alive. Giving up on our deaths and seeking our own fulfillment, and in that finding community, love, and hope. To see true humanity as something selfish and kind at the same time.

That's how I would have taken the concept.

[mysteryanimator]

I love your animations, but I'm still struggling to view them without thinking about their last canon interaction. Can you tell me what you envision their makeup would be like?

(Lol I’m so sorry to all the ppl who work on Nocturne reading this 💀 and just generally everyone)

Thank you so much that means a lot! But now, you’ve unveiled my trap card and given me an excuse to write my thoughts on Mizrak and Olrox, so this will get pretty long. Also, this may end up being very subjective/personal taste in some parts so I hope everyone doesn’t mind (and hope you don't mind the funky grammar!) This is an open discussion too, I’d like to hear everyone’s thoughts! 

Now with that out of the way here we go!

(This is old unfinished storyboards for a previous iteration of their makeup scene I did back in jan, never finished them due to uni/another project, I'd like to someday tho because guh the themes.)

Now first of all, I’d like to think that a proper makeup/conversation wouldn’t happen for a bit and would be drawn out because they’re both still hurt, angry, sad, and confused at not only each other but themselves. They’re not the type to get into loud verbal arguments for this, definitely some verbal jabs at each other though. Mean petty comments, oh absolutely. I’d like to personally believe they’d still yearn for each other, perhaps even more so after Olrox indirectly confessed and Mizrak practically turned it down. 

Now, there are soooo many different ways that they’d even see each other again, many different ways it could come to that initial point where they’ve made up. Though I’ll go with one of my personal idea (which people keep egging me on to animate WHICH… I dunno I don’t have free time rn so I’m just blurting it out into written format while I can 😭 I want to though, maybe later in the year for fun if season 2 doesn’t beat me to it). 

Have to establish my vision, but I’d think that Richter, Maria, Annette, Alucard and Mizrak are hopping from abandoned town to abandoned town due to the inability to return to Macheoul for the time being. While Olrox has been on his own (doing what, I’m not even sure my personal headcanon for this.) I think Alucard and Mizrak have a conversation about Alucard’s past in a group setting and it strikes a chord with the monk- since after all, Alucard’s dad is THE Dracula, and his mother (bless her, I miss her) is human. You know how that whole backstory goes, and it parallels Olrox a lot. Also Mizrak and Annette will absolutely have a deep conversation too. Just solely from the comment that was made: 

“We’re all descended from gods, we just have to learn how to draw their power.” Nocturne s1 ep 2

Annette clearly having powers from Haitian gods, absolutely challenging how Mizrak was only certain of one God. Yes, Mizrak is extremely stubborn and it will take him a bit, but he’s different from the Abott in the sense that he will not let religion blind his path to good. He ‘uses his head’ as said before, not god, not the church- his head. Mizrak’s idea of the church and his faith is now a mess and it’s up to him on how he interprets it and rewrites it knowing what he knows now (this is important I swear when it comes to the makeup scene).

Now we’re at the actual scene at hand: Olrox and Mizrak making up.

Side note: oh god I’m practically writing this whole thing as if its going to be played out for an episode, but that’s how it works in my brain LOL but you asked so you shall receive. I am so sorry HAHA

There’s been a lot of build up from this point where they have been meeting up here and there by themselves, but you can clearly tell whenever they do they both hurt and yearn- which would lead to their proper makeup scene. I’m just inserting this for fun, but I’d imagine this would take place in an abandoned church in the town they’re camping in for the night. For a lot of symbolic reasons; devotion, sacrifice, forgiveness, gathering. This along with the simple fact, Mizrak’s relationship to the church has changed completely from here. I’d like to think that even when he’s trying to rekindle that connection with God, it leaves that icky overcoat on his skin. 

“Faith is a company in the hardest of times, when the world abandons you.” Nocturne ep 3

The church indeed had saved him from whatever terrible horrific thing happened to him in the past, however whatever saved him can still be horrible and terrible too. It is infallible.  It is cruel in an attempt to gather community and peace. So, yes- faith can be company when the world abandoned him, but his faith is no longer with the church. He’s taking it back and finding some place else to rest it. (Olrox, it’s Olrox, probably ooc but I’m making it Olrox). 

In this church, the conversation between them will initially start as a discussion about religion, faith and that whole sort of deal. It’ll open up about Mizrak exact struggles from his mouth and how he particularly feels about it, then we get more insight onto Olrox’s thoughts, his perception of the church and perhaps even a deep dive into Aztec history again. Maybe even talk about Olrox’s Quetzalcoatl form, though really this is self indulgent. It’s an aspect I’d absolutely love to be explored and I think it being discussed in revere in a Catholic Church,  with Mizrak actually being open to it due to his new perspective? Oh my god, sign me up. Regardless, it would hold similar energy to episode 6: Gulity Men to be Judged. There’s a weight to it. 

Then it gets heavier when the conversation pivots.  

Mizrak’s attachment in the church was due to him caring about people and, hypothetically, to save him from whatever detriment came for him in the past. The last canon interaction, their falling out they had in season 1 was because he cared about others. To a fault. Now, here he is, standing in front of someone he cares about. It’s going to open a conversation between what’s happening between them and finally properly discuss what happened from their last canon interaction in nocturne season 1. 

A lot of finger and hand brushing from Olrox, which at first I’d think gets no reaction as an attempt for restraint before Mizrak warms up to it and even reciprocates by doing the same thing. All of this is very gentle in my opinion. It’s slow, tender, and most importantly vulnerable. It has the physical contact reminiscent of their first fast rough and tug in the courtyard and piggybacks off the vulnerability they both have when they both stand next to the window in episode 6. They probably also just physically get closer to each other at the moment. Just gradually though. The distance gets closer and closer until their foreheads are practically touching without them realizing it. They’re comfortable though, they don’t want to leave. 

They absolutely get to a point where they both admit to saying “I love you” without straight up saying “I love you” because that’s just a very them thing. Or maybe they do straight up state because Olrox does admit he was in love (with his partner) and doesn’t shy from that fact. It’s a nice conversion of the trope and great to hear from a mlm couple to say I love you… but man do I do love when characters get all poetic-y when their profess their devotion to each other by literally talking in prose, so maybe with good writing both can be done and still be quite powerful but still be gentle. 

In my interpretation YEAH I’LL MAKE THEM KISS AFTER THIS, this is my vision after all. Also, yeah they’re gonna fuck. In the church? Perhaps. Is it a tad OOC, maybe. HOWEVER, consider imagery and symbolism. I just think the image of it would be great, even if it was censored to hell and back, it can be so artistically done. Just imagine the implication alone with me for a second. I think the whole concept of doing it in a church is an interesting build upon the quotes from the show;

“God is not here. This church is an empty box.” From the first Castlevania series.

“House of God? This place is just a heap of bricks and stone.” From Nocturne said by Maria. 

The church is a husk, especially having it abandoned- it’s rather what you do with that box that makes all the difference. The people inside are the driving force, so I think it’s both poetic and funny to have Mizrak and Olrox fucking in an abandoned church. Surface level: fuck you god I’m fucking my hot vampire boyfriend in your house. Deeper level: I could write a whole thing on this but I’ll refrain. You can get the gist of breaking free of restraint, and devotion and letting himself be human, rather than a soldier (which he already slowly does). 

Though also this sex scene isn’t necessary, I just like exploring explicit content in artistic ways, especially if I can throw in religious symbols and heighten that hunger/devotion to a person- but the “I love you” in the church is pretty powerful already.  

Then after all of this they take it at their own pace. However, they only live life once and continue together like that- they both know this concept very well because of the very nature of who they are, so they spend it in each other’s company. 

Now you also get the squad’s reactions, well namely because I do not think this would be an easily hidden thing. Like absolutely could get away with it in season 1, but everyone will know something is up for sure in my iteration. The 'hypothetical' Mystery Animator season 2 iteration. As subtle as their longing stares and quiet hand touches may be reserved for just them- those little interactions are loud.

Richter would absolutely be in shambles over Olrox, the killer of his mother, and Mizrak being a thing. Both in a “this is the most horrible thing that’s happened in my life” and also a he’s going to be an absolute shithead to Mizrak and make fun of him, lightheartedly of course. Alucard would absolutely have an interesting perspective because again, his parents. Maria already has disdain for the church plus the “vampires are evil… and evil has to be fought.” However, in the presence of Alucard, I think a lot will change because he’s half-vampire. Annette, I’m unsure of what her reaction would be, because I’m very sure she’d be receptive to Alucard being a vampire and then would appreciate Olrox’s mindset and values. However, gonna keep hammering, Olrox killed Julia Belmont which I feel will be comedically hammered in if Olrox decides to hang around the squad occasionally. 

And with that, we’re done! (I think)

Thank you for reading 🫶 this probably will not happen in cv s2 but it’s fun blurting out my hc. I’m really excited to see what they do, and even perhaps even go in the opposite direction due to episode limitations… maybe a season 3 👀 who knows.

[saltywinteradult]

How would you have written 2x08 to be both pro Rhaenicent and pro Alicent/Team Green?

Gonna focus on the writing of Alicent here, as the show's treatment of the greens is such a big issue that I don't really have the spoons for right now. For the record, my issues with s2 in general and how Alicent and Rhaenicent were handled would unfortunately not be entirely solved by only rewriting 2x08. I'd need to rewrite every episode starting with 1x08.

If I were to only rewrite 2x08, well, first of all I would not make Alicent say she was "very fond" of her rapist husband. That line alone is... well, it's up there with Sansa crediting her abusers for making her strong 🤢 Removing that line alone would do a lot to make Alicent retain some agency and dignity.

I also just... would not have Alicent defect from the greens at all. I'd have her decide that the misunderstanding over the prophecy (which was a stupid and unnecessary plot point to begin with) doesn't matter. Even if this was all a misunderstanding it's too late to turn back and her family’s in danger, so she decides she's gonna do everything she can to protect her family instead of sacrificing one of her kids to save the others. Seriously, the real Alicent, the Alicent who violently attacked the love of her life on Driftmark in anger over her son's maiming would die before betraying her family like that. I will die mad about this character assassination. (Please do not try to convince me that this was not a character assassination - I've had it up to here with people trying to convince me that making Alicent betray her family was A Brilliant And Feminist Storytelling Choice, Actually.)

At this point in the story Alicent and Rhaenyra should be sworn enemies - sworn enemies who still miss each other deep down to be sure, but sworn enemies all the same. So I wouldn't make Alicent go meet Rhaenyra at all. I love seeing Emma and Olivia on screen together as much as anyone, but I don’t think the show is in danger of being cancelled anytime soon, so I don’t see anything wrong with putting that off until next season. Here's how I'd like that to go - book spoilers ahead.

Having Rhaenyra and Alicent remain enemies by the end of s2 would make their reunion when Rhaenyra takes King’s Landing hit all the harder, even moreso if we also remove the sept scene from episode 3. Like, they haven’t seen each other in a long time and they thought they hated each other, only to come face to face again and have a total ”oh fuck” moment in which they both realise that to some extent they do hate each other, and yet they still miss each other. They still love each other, but with so many war crimes and murdered children in the baggage, neither of them can forgive the other. Isn't that just so deliciously tragic?

Much like in the book I'd like for Rhaenyra to execute the rest of the greens but spare Alicent. In the book she said that was for the sake of Viserys's love for Alicent; she could say that in the show too, only it's really because she can't bear to execute Alicent. (It's hardly the first time one of these two used Viserys as a shield: "Your husband? Or you, his daughter's childhood companion?") But Rhaenyra also can’t set her enemy free, so she takes Alicent prisoner and hates every minute of it. Like @standbehindhousestark put it so brilliantly here, "imagine the queen in chains arc with the canon hostility mixed with their queer past." Can you imagine what incredible toxic homoerotic interactions we could get out of that? Maybe even have them on the brink of actually getting together, only for Helaena's death to drive them apart once and for all as Alicent blames Rhaenyra for it? I don't know exactly how I'd want it to play out, but as I have repeated ad nauseam, due to the story itself being a tragedy I think a tragic ending to their relationship would be more satisfying than a happy one. What can I say, I'm a tragedy enjoyer first and a human being second.

[melishade]

I love the way you wrote the latest chapter. It feels less like Eren and Zeke are being judged by gods, and more like the AOT fans are finally giving these two self-righteous idiots a piece of their mind. It's very satisfying!

Despite me liking Attack on Titan, I still have quite a few issues with it, and I've said it quite a few times, either on Ao3 or on this blog. One of the major things being season 4 was rushed and because it was rushed, there were many character moments and build up that Isayama completely missed out on, like the Marleyans and their dynamics or Eren's descent into madness. I think that an extra season would have help a lot of the stuff that Isayama intended for season 4.

That being said:

I've have to really break down, edit and rewrite Primus' interactions with Zeke and Eren multiple times, and I'll elaborate on that in an AOP alternate scene. Primus has also withheld his identity from Eren and Zeke in order to determine their character. If Primus had said that he's Optimus' god, obviously they're going to treat him differently and hide stuff from him, so keeping his origins a secret benefitted him long term. And he was glad that he did considering what he ends up learning about the brothers.

So when Primus does confront them with his identity revealed, he's really just watching them scramble trying to come up with excuses for their plans. Both involve genocide, which he obviously doesn't agree with as a being of creation, which is why Primus removes Zeke's ability to communicate with Ymir, both as a punishment for his crimes, and so he doesn't enact his plan.

Still, Primus does feel pity for Zeke, understands his plight, and considering the other alternative being Eren's plan, he does believe Zeke's plan is the better option. Zeke's plan doesn't kill off the current living Eldians. It just stops them from having children. Which is still a genocide, the Eldian people will die out, but it's a small price to pay for the future of the AOT world. However Primus has seen Zeke show no remorse in his actions when it came to killing for Marley's empire and didn't truly value life and the actual points of living. Zeke's plan simply reflected a deep-seated issue within himself: that he just wanted to die.

However, there's also the issue of Zeke not getting the actual results he wants with his plan, because people are going to be people and will abuse power. From a historical standpoint, I don't think that Zeke's plan would have achieved world peace. It simply would have caused a power vacuum that would have been replaced by another, possibly crueler, power.

Now, I know that people bag on Zeke a lot, and I've done that too, but Zeke has still been dealt a really bad hand, and that is something I have to acknowledge. Zeke's ultimate purpose in living essentially boiled down to wanting to die while also fulfilling Ksaver's plan. But because Primus told and showed him that his future was not possible, he loses any real will to live. At least that's how I saw it, especially since in the main AOT timeline, Zeke didn't really fight his way out of the Paths and made sandcastles until Armin showed up. Zeke had to really be broken down emotionally in order for Primus to consider him a non-threat, and all he had to do was show Zeke the futility of his plans.

Eren however-!

So imagine this from Primus' perspective: you wake up after the war is over and have been revived. You hear a cry from across the universe in an alternate dimension and go searching for it in said alternate dimension. You travel through years worth of memories without having the ability to really interact with the outside world. But then a miracle happens: you meet two humans that can see you completely! One of them is wary of him, but the other is willing to speak with him. He's rather quiet, but he's polite and considerate or Primus' situation. The two even bond for about seven years of searching through Grisha's memories, so much so that Primus even reveals his name to Eren.

But then Primus finds out that Eren had been withholding information that he clearly knew, actively attacked him with he tried to create a peaceful solution, and spoke of his disciple, Optimus, in such a vile and twisted manner even though Optimus wasn't supposed to be here in the first place. And then you find out, through searching through memories, much to the behest of the Primes to not do that, that this teenager not only wants to destroy the world, but kills one of your very first creations in the process.

Obviously, Primus is very pissed off at Eren more than he is at Zeke.

One of the few things that genuinely frustrated me when the final manga chapter of AOT came out was that Eren's friends were still treating him with kindness, respect, and even love, even though he tried to kill them and wiped out 80% of humanity. Eren destroyed the world and put many survivors of the massacre in desolate situations. The anime does improve on this a little bit, with Armin having a much more visceral reaction to being told that 80% of humanity is dead. However, what Eren did was genocide to a massive degree, and it clearly wasn't to protect his friends or even the island. It was for his own selfish gain of fulfilling a wish that never really existed. I implore you to watch this video:

Because it provides a really great breakdown of Eren's overall character which is that his main, selfish, desire, is freedom, and he will do everything and anything to get it. Even if it meant his friends and family got caught in the crossfires, even if he understood the struggles of the Eldians outside of the walls, he rejected all of that in order to fulfill his selfish wish.

And this breakdown really helped me write Eren's interactions with Primus a lot more fluidly. Because Primus has seen the goodness within Eren. He knows the good things that Eren is capable of doing, so he's so confused as to why Eren devolved into madness and death in such a short amount of time in his eyes. Primus brings up the fall of Shinganshina and the death of his mother, but Primus knows deep down that doesn't address the issue of Eren's motivation. He feels as though it is something else. So he brings up his friends, Armin, Mikasa, and Optimus to try and figure out the underlying issue. (I'll also break down the Prime voices in another ask and how each of them, and Primus, react to Eren's answers because that deserves it's own post). But Primus just sees Eren dodging the question, refusing to stand down when it came to the concern and safety of the people he cared about. He justifies his actions as protecting them, but Primus knows that none of them wanted this.

It's only when Primus threatens Eren's freedom that Eren confesses his truth:

“I WON’T LET YOU! THAT FREEDOM IS MINE!” Eren screamed in anger, “AND THE WORLD KEEPS TRYING TO TAKE IT! THE OUTSIDE WORLD IS JUST LIKE HUMANITY IN THE WALLS! THE WORLDS BEYOND IT ARE ALL JUST THE SAME! I HATE IT! WHAT’S THE POINT OF ANY OF IT?! EVERYONE IS JUST SELFISH AND I JUST WANT TO SEE IT GONE!”

Eren just wants to see the world burn and achieve the freedom he so desired as a child, and Primus reacts appropriately by calling him out for his childishness and nearly ends his life over it. Because like the video said, Eren hasn't grown or changed. He's rejected the growth that's he's been confronted with and has always been the same person since season 1.

There's a lot more that I can talk about, and this definitely feels like it's me rambling. I'm certain I did repeat some points. However, I don't mind asks regarding chapter 90 and 91 because I really want to provide my breakdowns even further on the topics and ideas I've had.

[therealslimshakespeare]

What got you into writing/how long have you been writing?

What’s your writing inspiration?

Do you write in silence or need background sounds? Like music?

Do you struggle more with dialogue or detail?

Any tips for someone who wants to write fanfiction?

How do you differ all your OC’s so you don’t rewrite the same characters over and over?

Do you do research?

— from someone who would love to write their own stories lol but yours are great!

My darling. So many apologies for how tardy I’ve been in replying to this, I really wanted to give it due thought because I’m quite touched you’d even ask.

1: I’ve been writing since I was little, my mama was always reading me classics and my greatest ambition was to be some kind of author every bit as colorful as their characters, a la Oscar Wilde. 🥳

2. Writing inspiration? Oh that’s a hard one only in that I could cite a million things and chat your poor ear off, but to be boring and also frank -I just love stories. I think they’re so inspiring and healing and necessary for making sense of things, or else resigning to things that can’t be explained. I love to study love and how very human and fallible and also indestructible it is in its many forms. I love to dig through tragedy and find the refining purpose of it, I love to take characters through hells I’ve been through so that I can imagine their triumphs, too, and my own through them. If this can happen to -name your hero- then I’m no smaller for it happening to me, if -name your hero- can get through it and be loved and admired by a whole fandom? -I deserve the same commendation from myself at the very least. Stories are essential and fun and I never ever imagined I’d have a little group one day liking my own where we could all scream about these things together. I’m legit so humbled each time I log on here and find y’all ready and waiting and interactive. The community of it, that’s the biggest drive right now, tbh. What a sweet season.

3. I usually write in silence, or else at any chance where I have a moment, so that could be public transport or lunch breaks or in the loo during family holidays, ha. However I do find music to be an inspiring mood setter for writing later that day. Especially as i juggle many ongoing projects at once, the genre im listening to before may very well influence what gets worked on.

4. Detail!! Dialogue can be challenging but I hear it so clearly in my head most of the time that it’s not hard. Details can devastate me.

5. Ooof, I still feel like I’m a baby at it, this is only my second fandom to dare for. I’d say for sure write what you find inspiring instead of what appears to be wanted, i firmly believe that’s the only sure way to keep up any inspiration and the niche will draw its own crowd, one’s who will like it all the better for its specially crafted world. Also, for dialogue -replay and replay dialogue from the character before you write. Are they terse or do they ramble? Are they sarcastic or earnest? Do they have a word they repeat often? -I noticed the other day how Rosenthal uses “you know?” often in the show. Also, sometimes switch up sentence structure from character to character, it helps feel like hopping brains without a fully jarring POV change. All these are things I’m currently working at myself, but that’s the best I’ve got for advice.

6. Oh boy I’m still figuring this out myself. Three things come to mind as little helps I use- first off, read real biographies, it helps tremendously with crafting fully dimensional fictional people. Two -have a maturing arc for your OC during the story, separate from whatever adventure or romance that occurs, this will make it feel less like a inserted person into the broader story. Three, choose a personality type or something similar to both keep them separate from the next but also to ensure their virtues have corresponding vices.

7. I do research a lot. But I find that it’s a fine line for myself of when that drains all creativity or bravery. Im massively indebted to so many mutuals who generously share their own with me.

[justsquibby]

Got my ass handed to me in ranked zero builds so

I think it’s time to finally write my Madoka magica movie four theory thoughts

MxSquibby's Walpurgisnacht Rising theory thoughts

(Thoughts are based off my knowledge of the franchise so I could be missing vital info)

I think the big premise for this movie is showing off Walpurgisnacht’s lore or some info about her. and like usual she is going to disrupt Homura’s wish. Or In this case her world and probably force homura to make a choice.

by the logic of Homura’s wish.

Three peoples karmic destiny should have been cranked up to a billion since the timelines always converged the most around 3 people.

Madoka(who the wish was for) and her amount karmic destiny is why she was able to make the ultimate wish and become the law of cycles for magical girl kind.

Homura (who made the wish) increased her own amount of karmic destiny which is why she was able to split apart Madoka (and take her memories?) and rewrite the universe to her liking which essentially just what she did in her labyrinth, but with more production value and can change the entire universe and not limited within the confines of her labyrinth and witch magic.

I’m guessing Homura’s got Madoka in what I like to call “The Good Place Season 2”

Which light spoilers for that show ahead but

One of the main characters, Michael, traps Eleanor and the other humans within a time loop. Erasing their memories every time Eleanor figures out what Michael is doing to them. Repeating this over and over. Over 800(0?) times, with each time him slightly tweaking and changing things to try and get a different outcome of her not figuring it out.

I think this what Homura’s doing to an extent. We saw at the end of rebellion, how fragile Homura’s hold on Madoka’s memories was. However all homura really has to do is ground Madoka back down to homura’s rewritten reality and since a part of Madoka does want to stay on earth and live a normal life this helps her forget easily of her god hood. However this very fact is what will always make her remember in the end. If madoka truly starts to enjoy her life on earth, She knows deep in her SOUL that she sacrificed her normal human life for a cosmic duty of Saving magical girls so anytime she thinks to hard about it or just kind of realizes she should only being viewing the lives of normal people not interacting with them she will start to remember and become magical girl god again but homura will just grab her again and reset her memories and then rewrite the timeline. Starting once again… essentially... ANOTHER TIME LOOP. Homura’s favorite thing 😂😭

And I’m guessing Homura’s got to do this a lot. Like hundreds of times. And if sayakas around during one these moments she sure as hell is also going to remember homura being a “devil” so homura will have no choice but to rewrite the timeline again and again. With each time she’s most likely going to make slight changes to the world in attempt to make Madoka not remember. I think it’s why she remembers so easily at first. It was waaaay to similar to the thousands of timelines her and homura lived through (ultimate Madoka is aware of all the timeloops homura and her went through so following that similar time loop structure will probably make her remember faster so Homura is going to start changing things. Which is whyyy we see the girls in different costumes at one point in the trailer. (I think this is why in that old ass concept trailer we saw Madoka being a ballerina, one to resemble Madoka just being part of Homura’s elaborate play now but to show her trying normal human things. Homura's going to help her find her human dreams. Maybe madoka wanted to be a dancer. Then after that fails Homura probaby thinks if she can find a perfect scenario where Madoka find some sense of self on earth maybe she will stop remembering her godhood. Maybe Homura can finally live a full human life with her and watch her grow. Maybe Madoka being a dancer, a painter, a musician, a celebrity. Something right? Will stop Madoka from reaching her magical girl potential. Homura’s so obsessed with giving Madoka the life she shouldn’t have had to sacrifice. So she will try over and over to make her happy. To find the one scenario...timeline if you will, where Madoka will be truly happy within her rewritten world.

Which will be a fun way to show the girls in different scenarios that we usually wouldn’t see them in. So like cool new costumes!!! Like cool bandage sayaka is just one of Homura’s AU’s or a by product of one of the new timelines she has rewritten. And sayaka is probably going to have a bigger part. Idk why I just feeeel it. She has special secretary powers. I believe in her. We saw all that special treatment they gave her in S2E1 of the anime timeline of magia record. Bitches love Sayaka. And like Bebe also has secretary powers I guess lol. But she just wants to hangout with mami and eat cheeeeeeese (yoooo plagg and bebe would be besties)

but This movie is just explaining the 3rd girl who’s karmic destiny was increased by this wish and then background info cause we know like nothing about her…

Walpurgisnacht (the reason homura HAD to repeat timelines)

Walpy (for short) is going to put an end to this loop homura and Madoka are trapped in. Or at least change or add to it.

what is concerning is that Walpy’s karmic destiny was already extremely high to begin with for her to end up looking like that. So logically she should be stronger than devil homura, and the only reason she isn’t stronger than ultimate Madoka is because of the wish of Ultimate Madoka made to erase witches. But since madoka’s slightly nerfed at the moment trapped in Homura’s rewritten reality, no one’s actively checking on the law of cycles. Sure girls don’t turn into witches but without Madoka actively monitoring the cycle this might have given some version of Walpy enough time or power to form or to come back and interfere. So I’m guessing homura might have to choose between keeping her time loop safe (and live her fantasy life with madoka) or let Madoka out so she can defeat Walpurgisnacht from destroying the universe homura has tried gone so far to get control of…. Cause homura, at least historically can not beat Walpy lol. So i'm guessing Walpy will always come back to cause universal destruction unless madoka is back. So will Homura be able to let go of her love for sake of the universe? a choice between keeping her love down on earth with her or letting her go and accepting that she’s nothing more than a universal concept. But like Homura’s crafty. She could weasel her way out of this

I will say a crack in this theory is from my own understanding that Walpy is made up of many magical girls? So either we are dealing with many girls coming in or some fusion magical girl perhaps? Or I guess just one of the girls from Walpy would do right? Perhaps the first girl? Though we don’t know if this was an individual wish, and then she absorbed other magical girls/witches or like a group wish? Kind of like the hospital trio. Like you can do a group wishes I suppose.

ALSO another addition to my thoughts. Homura isn’t the Antagonist. Should state that. Kyubey is. And like i haven’t even talked about this fucker yet. (Well in terms of the franchise as a whole, guessing for movie 4 Walpy is our more traditinal antagonist (She also probably takes the form of homura at first to fuck with her, Why we see two homura's in the Movie Poster but thats just a theory lol) but He? little rat noy. Within Homura’s new world order. He’s Most likely just collecting all despair and probably just collecting and suffering with the weight of all negative human emotions and curses within a labyrinth. Like. She probably just making him and the hive mind know what it’s life to feel emotions, specifically all those negative ones you’ve been putting magical girls through for hundreds of years. But like he could be up to some fuck shit. He technically is like a robot made by an alien race, right? So like they could finally pull up on us or something and be like “what have you done to my robo rat sons, you fucks”

But anyway I’m rambling a bit now but homura isn't the antagonist because she pulls Madoka from the law of cycles for a multitude of reasons, she states it’s for her love for Madoka. Which yes that is true but homura also understands Madoka should have never had to make this wish. The flower field scene conversation in rebellion is what makes homura realize this. Madoka is a normal girl, she just never got the time to figure herself out or to figure out normal human dreams. She was a young naive girl, where in many timelines used her wish to save a cat or make a cake. Because at first glance being a magical girl is a once in a lifetime opportunity, you don’t pass up. So she never got a shot at a real life when she should have. Madoka never wanted to leave behind her friends and family. She loves them. Like the girl don’t got much That’s like one of her core traits, she loves her friends, is a great daughter, and a great big sister, love cute things, is pink like 😭😭 But Madoka was just another cog in the magical girl machine but because of Homura’s wish it gave a Madoka a chance to look at the whole machine and see what the fuck has been going on. So Madoka, with no real dreams or goals, but is given the opportunity and explicitly told by the evil rat himself that she could make literally ANY wish. So when she sees everything and realizes she has the unique opportunity to save all magical girl kind from their souls being tortured for all eternity until murdered by another magical girl well no shit she HAS to make this wish. She doesn’t have any other choice in her eyes. To badly paraphrase Kyoko. "Something something if you have a loving family and good food on the table why on earth would you sacrifice that to be a magical girl? but who knows maybe one day you’ll be backed into a corner and you’ll HAVE to make a wish. If that day comes something something I guess i can approve of you being a magical lass"

So like. Is it fair? Ya know. All this is Kyubey and some alien race’s fault. Why should these girls have to suffer because of him. Who cares about the heat death of the universe. Let it burn, because if torturing magical girls is the only way of keeping it alive then fuck the universe. Like Madoka shouldn’t have to sacrifice her human life to save all these girls from suffering because they shouldn’t be suffering. They shouldn’t be turning into witches. Like 😭 and homura doesn’t think it’s fair that Madoka should be the one to make this sacrifice to save magical girls because Madoka wouldn’t have even been able to make the ultimate wish if not for homura’s wish but like also homura shouldn’t have been turned into a magical girl herself like it’s all fucked and idk what the end would even look like?

So Like a happy ending would be getting revenge on the RAT kyubey… and like idk. I don’t think that’s happening. Like if you want a happy ending for these girls I believe it falls within our little anomaly timeline. Which I like to believe the magia record game timeline is held within a phone. (Cause get it, it’s like a gacha game we play on our phones lol.) and when Madoka touched the anomaly timeline at the end of arc 1? Now the record phone screen is cracked 🫨🫨

I don’t think we’ll get a horrific or completely tragic ending but it will probably be bittersweet or mixed emotions. (Would LOVE TO BE WRONG, GIMMIE HAPPY) But also we won’t see the end end to this franchise for a hot minute lol. Like I’m pretty sure this is technically be advertised as the 4th movie. Though more like the second movie but I guess the movie versions of the anime do count I guess. Idk. The first two movies are fine, best part is just some updated animation and new yuki Kajiura tracks… but yeah i don’t think it’s the final movie.

Now what like actually happens? Fuck if I know. I’m still half expecting mayabu to find infinite iroha and make her pop in to save everyone cause idk. Is homura realllllly gonna let Madoka go. Ya know? Like she’ll probably try to control Walpy or fight her for a hot minute before even considering of letting Madoka go again.

And ALSO.

Okay I feel like I covered all my brain theories about the movie... for now… Idk if I explored or finished every thought. I know I be yapping. And I have adhd so And I can YAP about Madoka and then immediately forget where exactly I was at in my Madoka thoughts.

Imagine how more I could yap if I read the wraith arc. (It’s truly laughable how I’ve read all of arc 1 and the other story with it, most of arc 2 (I skimmed early bits so I could catch up faster, then end of arc 2 was happening and I wanted to be a cool kid and read it asap) quite a few events, and the early chapters of scene 0 (now behind lol) BUT NOT the wraith arc. And I know I could pull it up so easily lol. Hell I read the event where ui went back in time to see fart but not the wraith arc I- I read Christmas strings but i wont take my lazy butt to read manga of my fave series within like kind of main timeline. Like i know i dont need to read but I need to read it. cause having a better understanding of Ultimate Madoka's universe and how wraiths work would be cool. and maybe one of these days ill read another story but idk... Think id rather read tart or Oriko first lol

but yeah i've got to stop myself of this post will never end. I'll prpbably re-read it tomorrow and add edits lol

ALSO one last thought this is a theory I could be Super fucking wrong about everything. Like maybe sayaka looking like that cause of her secretary powers and not homura's universe rewriting at play? like there's so much i don't know haha

and again my theory could fall apart with like new info i didn't know about. there's a lot of content madoka content out there ya know

[leatafandom]

So, for the WIP Title Tag Game, I want I know more about the following:

Pinocchio and the Trickster Roleplay movie rewrite with spideypool VHS Cannibalism/Hunting Horror OG Story The Witch King Chronicles OG Water Dragon Horror OG Story Vessel Fic Trek-Expanse Verse

that’s a lot but I’m very curious. @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes

Hiii

Thanks so much for asking, I love talking about my WIPs especially my original works!

Pinocchio and the Trickster

This is a really new WIP that came out of a soulless Sam and Gabe smut fic I wrote, Choke Me Like It Matters, where Sam and Gabe have a history of being lets say frenemies with benefits. During Choke Me Gabe takes to calling Sam Pinocchio which is where I got the title and also suggests that he's sticking around for a while because he doesn't really have anywhere to go and a less uppity Sam is more fun even if he thinks he's an ass without his soul. Soulless Sam agrees if only for the fact that Gabe is better with humans and could make interactions easier. I haven't written much more than a diner scene where the two finally talk for more than an five seconds. Throughout writing it I really enjoyed playing a very morally flexible Gabriel who was a little dark, but still not too dark, and was much more Trickster than Archangel and Soulless Sam. Its been really fun to play around with, but I'm not a 100% where its going.

Role Play movie rewrite with spideypool

Oh yesss, this one, I am very excited for this one. I love spideypool. I just have a special place in my heart forever more. I miss writing them and when I watched Role Play (which I recommend if you want some fun, Kaley Cuoco was great) I instantly thought of Spideypool. The movie's about a family, where the mother has a secret job as an assassin who's went out on her own but wants to get out more and gets her cover blown, everything kinda spirals from there. It's funny, its cute, there is a lot of action, and I adore their relationship throughout the movie. There was this one part that just reminded me of Peter so much about how "killing is bad, and you should definitely not do that anymore... after we get out of this alive." Doing a rewrite with them has been slowly simmering in the background of my thoughts and hopefully, I'll have time to write it soon. It would be so nice to write for them again.

VHS Cannibalism/Hunting Horror OG Story

Thank you for asking about this one! I don't often get to talk about my horror stuff. This is an original short story idea that my friend asked me to write and I just haven't finished it yet. Maybe for the spooky season. She wanted a story about a woman who's father died. As she's cleaning up his hunting cabin, deciding what to do with it, and she finds a bunch of old tapes labeled hunting trips with a few years marked on them. She of course misses her father greatly and watches them. The more she watches, the more she realizes that all of those wonderful dinners with her father and his hunting buddies weren't the meals she thought they were. It's probably gonna be grisly especially since she said she didn't care if the woman lived at the end.

The Witch King Chronicles OG

Thank you for asking about Witch King, I need to find more time to flush this out. I originally planned it to be a fanfic but the more I worked on the lore, backstory, characters, and moral of the story, the more I realized it was its own thing. Its a bit of horror, dystopia, fantasy, and sci-fi. I'm pretty sure if I ever get it published it would be a series or a very long book, but it spans a very very long time and begins with the focus on a cursed spellbook found on a planet that seems to be driving the new colonist mad. No one really remembers who owned it, there are rumors since it's such a powerful book, but too much time passed, and it was originally made light years away from where its found. This is where everything starts, Terrence, one of the main characters, does remember and makes sure he is the one tasked with removing the book and taking it to the Collective for "safe keeping". He doesn't, and it starts a very long journey to find out how to properly destroy it relying on legends, old stories, and trusting an old alien he really probably shouldn't.

Water Dragon Horror OG Story

Oh I wish I had gotten further with this one. I'm pretty sure this one started based off a conversation on my discord server with @lucathepanman and @huntressandlioness1 maybe? It was about the biggest lake in the world that is so large and that there weren't enough water dragon stories out there. The doc is a lot of notes about lore for the lake, lore about water dragons, and the beginning of mapping out a story for a sacrifice gone wrong, but I really haven't had a lot of time to work on it >>"

Vessel Fic

This is a fun one! I answered an ask about this one, which you can find here. Hopefully I'll write some more on it soon since I've been fiddling around with it more lately or at least give it a proper title.

Trek-Expanse Verse

Oh, this one I haven't touched in so long, honestly kinda forgot about it. This is one I was working on with my husband, its a bit of mash up of the expanse and trek universes. I think the last time we sat down and worked on it we figured out the adjusted timeline for things and the ships we both wanted to see between both verses, and what people we really wanted to see, since I wasn't sure how many I would write of it and there are so many great star trek characters.

Thanks again for asking, it was wonderful to talk about these. <3

For WIP Title Tag/Ask Game

[lokiinmediasideblog]

If you were to rewrite Season 2 how would you do it?

I'd include drugged addictive pie that alters the TVA employee's moods in there and makes them more compliant. Wasted opportunity!

Sylvie would have fucked off to another planet and stolen a bunch of shit, not that megacorp's fast food restaurant. And I'd have included aliens that don't look human in there (another wasted opportunity that was probably wasted to save on the budget...).

Having Loki want to see his family again and actually make Loki's attachment to the TVA crew believable. For better or for worse. I know Loki left on bad terms with them, but it is WEIRD that he doesn't bring them up often and people he seems more attached to people he just met or captured him. Also please actually mention B-15's name and have her interact with Loki. The BTS stuff with the actors talking seemed more in-character than the actual series.

I think it'd have been very cool if they applied the concept of archetypal bias in the TVA's policing of the timelines. And they should have brought up more Loki variants, and even other villains that are over-represented. And it'd have added more weight to Miss Minutes telling Victor Timely "You'll never be him."

I think it should have been brought up more that Sylvie's eaten people many times before. Have her say incredibly unhinged shit out of nowhere. Also, let her cuss people out!

It's low on my list because I don't trust Disney with it, and I have a very specific HC about Loki's time in the Void and with Thanos. Basically dying in the void and being brought back by the Black Order, cultivating some fucked up sense of gratitude enmeshed with coercion (because they could take it away). I dig the thematic resurrection thing, and Loki and Thanos kept mentioning resurrections in all the movies and even in the series. And ok, on Thanos thing, I am team coercion and manipulation was involved (particularly when it came to the Cube because it'd hurt Asgard), but it's not like Loki was very attached to Earth in the first place or cared for human lives.

I'd have explored Ravonna's mysterious origins more because they didn't answer any questions in S2. Why the hell was she a school principal in S1 but also HWR's right hand woman? I'd have made HWR grieve her death (she was a school principal and his wife), and trap a variant of her forever within the TVA. Unable to let her go.

It'd be funny if they drop hints that Asgard's pretty fucked up. Like Loki not being bothered by the TVA's surveillance because "We have that on Asgard."

Dark-haired Sylvie like in that concept art! And IDK better costumes for Loki and Sylvie.

The series ending with the TVA burning to the ground as everyone discovers it's all a lie and the staff stop eating the pie (look at my rhymes!).

Also, have Loki variants ask each other about their pronouns while introducing themselves as [adjective]!Loki or any chosen name. Or remark that though they may be surrounded by lying thieving Lokis, at least they know they won't get shit about their personal pronouns because they understand each other in that regard.

[karahalloway]

Devil You Know

Fandom: Heaven’s Secret (Book 1: Season 1)

Pairing: Lucifer x F!OC (Devon Hart)

Series: Oh, So Devilish

Chapter summary: Devon and Lucifer end up in Hell...

Word count: 4,500

Warnings: M (swearing, aggro, blood, toxic behaviour, forced imprisonment, references to death, physical violence... we're really on the Highway to Hell now, folks! 😆)

Chapter theme song:

A/N1: As promised, here is the follow-up instalment to Devil May Care, which reworks the start of HS S1E6 (because - again - I was dissatisfied with the way the majority of the interactions went down in canon 😅).

A/N2: As mentioned previously, I will only be tagging those people who specifically asked to be tagged after reading the previous part. So, if you want in on any future instalments featuring this pairing (I am definitely planning more rewrites for this universe!), do let me know in the comments! Otherwise, happy reading! 🤗

Devil You Know

Biting down on my tongue, I scrunch my eyes shut in consternation.

I kissed him… I kissed Lucifer…! 

On the cheek, but still. 

I crossed an unspoken line and thrust our relationship (…for lack of a better word) into a hitherto unconscionable realm of intimacy.

And there’s no way that contrary ass is not going to rub this in my face the first chance he gets.

I swallow a groan. What the hell possessed me to do something like that? I don’t even like the guy…

But I’m not given the chance to come up with any kind of answer, for in the next instant, a strong gust of wind whips through my hair, and I feel my skin come alive with an unmistakable zap of energy as the vortex opens up above us once again.

So much for flying under the radar…

But playing hooky had been worth it. I am now one step closer to solving the puzzle of my death, and finding some much-needed closure… even though my unexpected side-trip ended up raising more questions than it has solved.

Who is Amidi Laurent? Why did he ram me off the road? Was it really an accident, or something more sinister? And — perhaps more importantly — why did Lucifer stick his neck out for me?

I catch the demon’s eye from across the opposite end of the funnel. There is something flickering in the embers of his gaze, but before I have a chance to try and decipher it, he’s jumped into the eye of the storm.

Heaving a resigned breath, I leap after him, fully expecting to have to navigate an excruciatingly awkward flight back to the Academy in the wake of my momentary lapse of judgment.

But, instead of snide comments, or shifty glances, I am greeted by something completely unexpected. Lucifer is up in front of me, eyes closed and arms folded behind his head, coasting the currents as if he were laid out on a sun-soaked beach, rather than hurtling through the planes of the cosmos at break-neck speed. But maybe this is his idea of a vacation. Suspended weightless in a vacuum, floating effortlessly along the periphery of the here and now like a mere after-thought, without any responsibilities or obligations…

I can certainly see how the temporary liminality offered by the vortex could be a welcome escape for someone like him.

That said, I still find this method of travel somewhat unnerving, and the constantly shifting kaleidoscope of colours have a tendency to make me queasy. So, I’m not about to imitate Lucifer’s travel habits.

Luckily, I don’t have to battle with the motion sickness for long, and before I know it, we are both being lowered back onto solid ground.

“Dammit!” 

Lucifer’s outburst startles me with its vehemence.

Glancing around, I quickly spot the reason for his aggravation. As, yet again, we have been diverted…

…this time, to the Gates of Hell.

I whirl on him. “Why are we here?”

Lucifer — once again fully winged and tattooed as a result of having shed the cloak of his human skin — responds to my question by pulverizing a mid-sized boulder with his fist. “Why the fuck do you think, Unclaimed?”

I fold my arms defensively. “If you’re implying that I—"

“Do not try to wriggle out of this,” he snarls, crimson feathers flaring as he rounds on me. “The only reason we are here is because of you.”

“Me?” I gasp in disbelief. “Why the hell would I—?”

“Father found out about our little side-trip,” he grits, the wildfire raging in his gaze on the verge of consuming him completely. “Which means he knows we broke a rule. And he hates being kept waiting.”

I take an involuntary step back. “Wha—?"

“End of the road, angel,” he proclaims, closing the gap between us with a serpentine smile. “It’s judgement hour.”

Before I have a chance to blink, he’s shoved me into the mouth of the gaping chasm that is the Gates.

A petrified scream erupts from my throat as I go plummeting into the dark depths, the stinging smell of the sulphur burning my nose, the sharpness of the rocks grazing my wings.

My wings!

Twisting myself around in the choking blackness — at the expense of a motley of bruises on my knees and elbows — I manage to level myself out in time to spot the rapidly approaching speck of light at the bottom of the crevice. Spreading my wings as much as I can within the confines of the space, I try to convert my freefall into something resembling a controlled descent.

But given that I am still very much a noob when it comes to flying — having not quite gotten the handle on my latest set of wings yet — I end up hitting the ground will all the inherent grace of a sack of potatoes.

“Ow…” I groan, the acrid taste of iron welling in my mouth.

I may now be an immortal, but that doesn’t mean that I am completely invulnerable. The latest itineration in a growing slew of unsuccessful landings being a painful case in point. But, at least I heal relatively quickly… even from a fall that would’ve killed my former human self.

Raising my head to hawk the blood out, I am met by the sinister-looking toe of Lucifer’s boot.

“Welcome to Hell,” he drawls, yanking me up off the ground by the scruff of my leather jacket.

“You’re a real piece of shit,” I gripe, launching a blood-infused glob of spittle at his feet.

He sidesteps it easily. “Pain trains willpower and character. Both of which you lack. Now, get moving.”

I’m shoved unceremoniously forward. “Where are we going?”

“To the Pits.”

His answer hits me like a bucket of cold water. “Wait… You can’t be—”

“Oh, I’m dead fucking serious,” he confirms, grabbing me by the arm to haul me after him.

I struggle against him. “No. Lucifer… Stop!”

But my protests — and desperate kicks to his shins — bounce off him like cotton balls as he drags me down the length of the cavern against my will.

“You are vile…” I spit.

“Actions have consequences, darling,” he deadpans. “Both Upstairs and Downstairs. You just happened to draw the short straw.”

“But why does your dad even care?” I cry, trying to tamp down the naked fear that is roiling in the pit of my guts. Because while I’ve certainly heard of Satan — I mean, who hasn’t? — I never thought I might actually end up meeting the arch-demon who’s been putting the fear of God into people for the better part of four millennia.

Lucifer’s teeth flash in dark. “Let’s find out, shall we?”

We cross the same expansive courtyard that we traversed during my first visit to Hell on our way to the library. Only this time, instead of moving towards the steps that lead up to the subterranean citadel, Lucifer yanks me in the opposite direction towards a smaller, narrower set of stairs that instantly gives me the creeps.

“Ladies first,” he declares, thrusting me forward.

My hands fly out to find purchase on the roughness of the stone walls in a bid stop myself from tripping head-first down the perilous-looking steps. I stare down into the murkiness that is barely being kept at bay by the flicking light of the torches lining the path of the curved stairwell.

“Can’t we just—?"

But my feeble protest falls on deaf ears as Lucifer gives me an uncompromising shove from behind, nearly causing me to twist my ankle as the heel of my boot scrapes over the lip of the first step.

I throw the demon a dirty look as I begin the trudge down into the bowls of this fetid place.

I should never have trusted him… Much less thanked him for anything.

Not only is he a volatile, exploitative dick, but he is also a lying sack of shit. Because why else would he drag me down here against my will, if not to hang me out to dry in a bid to save his own neck? Knowing that he managed to find himself on Daddy's shitlist?

And if that’s true, then the line he tried to foist onto me earlier about this whole thing being my fault is clearly a masterful attempt at Machiavellian manipulation. As why the hell would Satan be interested in me? A literal nobody who only joined the ranks of the immortals a few weeks ago, and has yet to choose a side?

The answer is, he wouldn’t be. Unless his prodigal son somehow manages to convince him that I’m the deviant wildcard.

I scoff derisively as we descend lower. So much for me being a liability…

But if Lucifer wants to play dirty, then I’ll dive right into the mud with him. Because I’m not about to take whatever kind of fall he’s trying to set me up for… I’m not that stupid.

The air becomes staler and mustier the further down we trek. Dampness drips from the walls above our heads, and the feel of the vastness of the earth pressing in around us starts to make my skin crawl, despite the fact that I didn’t think I suffered from claustrophobia. But Hell has a weird way of playing on your anxieties — no matter how latent — and it’s clear that even my new-found immortality cannot shield me completely from the torments of this place.

Clearing the last of the jagged steps, we arrive in what can only be described as a gaol…

…and I’m immediately sick to my stomach all over again.

Long rows of cells line the black passageway that stretches before us. Upon the sound of our arrival, dozens of emaciated arms reach through the rusty-looking metal bars, begging for release as clanks and moans rise up from the depths of the prison, punctuated by the occasional shriek of anguish.

But the stench… The stench permeating every inch of this hellhole is worse than anything I have ever encountered before. Rotting flesh combined with stale urine and putrid sweat boxed up in a dank space that’s never seen the light of day… and never will. All underlain by an abject miasma of despair so thick that you can taste it on your tongue — the reek of eternal damnation.

I clamp my hands over my nose and mouth in an attempt to stop myself from throwing up. “What is this place?”

“A holding area,” Lucifer replies nonchalantly, grabbing my arm again to pull me after him, seemingly obviously to the toe-curling wretchedness spread around him. “Where the damned await their eternal punishment.”

“Jesus Christ…” I breathe, stumbling after the demon as the full implication of his words filters through me.

This isn’t even Hell… the real Hell with its nine circles of fire and brimstone. This is merely a waiting room. But even it is soul crushing enough to make you want to abandon all semblance of hope. 

I shudder involuntarily. God knows what the rest of the place is like…

“That name means nothing down here,” Lucifer grunts, as if reading my thoughts. “Don’t waste your breath.”

“How much further…?” I manage to choke out as I cringe closer to his side on instinct, trying to dodge the grasping reach of the skeletal hands.

“We’re here.”

“Huh?”

I face-plant into Lucifer’s shoulder as he comes to an abrupt stop.

“What th—?”

“Get in,” he orders, wrenching the door of an empty cell open.

I recoil in horror. “No way.”

His jaw tenses. “This isn’t a negotiation.”

“Damn right, it isn’t!” I retort. “Because you’re not locking me up in here!”

“I don’t fucking have time for this, Devon,” he grits, pulling me forward. “Just take the damn hint and—“

“Like hell…” I grate, fighting him.

His red eyes flare in the murk. “Poor choice of words.”

He wrenches me violently forward, nearly ripping my shoulder from its socket in the process. I sail past him and into the cell, the edges of my wings clipping the metal bars on my way through. And by the time I manage to find my footing, he’s shut the door on me with a decisive clang.

“You’re a sadistic bastard…” I spit through the bars as he secures the convoluted-looking lock.

“And you’re a fiendish pain in the ass,” he hits back, scorching me with his gaze. “So, be a good girl for once and—“

I slap him — hard — my eyes blazing with fury. “Fuck you.”

He stills, the sharp sound of flesh-on-flesh rendering him motionless… like a bull that’s caught sight of the red flag.

I stare at him, chest heaving, the unspoken tension roiling between us.

He licks his lips. “You got teeth, angel… I’ll give you that.”

“Bite me,” I snarl, meeting the conflagration raging in his eyes with own wall of hellfire. Because I’m not letting him get away with this.

He leans in close, his mouth almost brushing mine through the bars. “Make it a wish and I will…”

I scoff at him. “In your dreams, demon.”

Something flashes in his gaze. “Immortals don’t dream, darling.”

He begins to turn away…

…and my stomach drops as I suddenly realise that maybe this isn’t some kind of twisted game.

I grab for his arm. “Lucifer! Wai— Argh!”

“Careful with the bars, Unclaimed…” he throws flippantly over his shoulder as he strides off. “You don’t want to hurt yourself.”

“Lucifer!” I gasp, hand pressed against my side where a metal barb had dug against me. “Stop! Come back! This isn’t funny!”

But he’s already gone, swallowed up by the darkness.

“Lucifer!” I shriek, all vestiges of my former bravado vanishing in a puff of smoke as real terror splices through me. “LUCIFER! Don’t you dare leave me here!”

Silence. Except for the wails of the damned.

A choked sob escapes me. “Please don’t leave me here…”

But my cowed plea receives no answer. No crooked smile flashes in the shadows, no crimson feathers rustle in the depths to give any indication that this is all just some kind of sinister prank, and the joke’s on me for falling for it.

I swallow against the panic that’s threatening to choke me. He left me… The bastard really left me…

Which means that I’m on my own.

And as petrified as I am, I flat out refuse to spend the rest of my newly-immortal life trapped in this hole. I wasn’t given a second chance at existence by God… Sepha… whoever decides these things… just to end up as another nameless, faceless soul that got press-ganged into Satan’s receiving line.

Wiping the wetness from my face, I step up to the cell doors with renewed determination.

There must be a way to pick that lock.

Reaching carefully through the bars, I try to feel out the mechanism. But given that I cannot push my head through the gaps of the barbed metal, or contort myself in such a way to be able to see what I’m supposed to be working with without shredding myself to pieces, I quickly realise that I need a different angle of attack.

Stepping back slightly, I focus everything that I have inside of myself, trying to dredge up something that can help me. But if I have any as-yet undiscovered magical ability, I cannot find it. No spark… no buzz… nothing. Just an empty void staring back at me.

Shit…

I throw my hands out sharply, hoping that if I’m feeling desperate enough, a wave of energy will miraculously shoot from my fingertips to blast the door off its hinges…

…but I have no such luck.

I reel away from the bars with gritted teeth. I will not rot here… I will not!

Casting my eyes around the confines of the cell in search of anything that I can use to jimmy the lock with — a sharp stone, a scrap of metal, even the forgotten fibula of a previous occupant — I spot what looks like a break in the bars.

Stepping towards it, I realise that the end of one of the rungs had rusted away, disconnecting it from its neighbour. Which means it may be possible to snap it off completely.

I have no idea how an immortal’s strength measures up in comparison to an average human’s, but I’ve heard that people finding themselves in life-or-death situations are capable of almost miraculous feats of strength and bravery. So, maybe true grit can save me where magic ended up falling short.

In any event, I’ve got to try.

It’s not like anyone is coming to save me — as even if Mimi, Dino, or anyone else were to raise the alarm at my unexplained absence, there is no guarantee that (a) any of the instructors actually care enough about me to launch a search, and (b) they would find me anyway. Hell is a vast place, and no one would have a reason to look for me down here to begin with. They’d probably just assume that I’m still playing hooky back on Earth. And given that he’s the one who ditched me here, Lucifer will be the last person to point them in my direction.

Which makes me doubly determined to break out of here. Even if just for the fleeting satisfaction of getting to spit in that smug demon’s face. 

Grasping the aging piece of metal, careful to avoid the spikes protruding from it, I give it a couple of experimental tugs. It holds strong, but I managed to bend it towards me somewhat.

Feeling a rush of hope well in my chest, I plant a foot on one of the lower bars to give myself some added leverage…

…and nearly jump out of my skin when the darkness next to me moves.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a sunken, leathery face appear beside mine, its features grotesque in its distortions... its skin reeking of death.

"Hello, doll..."

A hysterical scream erupts from my mouth.

I heave myself backwards without any rational thought, trying to get away from whatever the hell this thing is, even if it’s stuck on the other side of the cell. 

But the ghoul is faster. Its four-fingered hand shoots through the gap in the bars, clamping onto my wrist like the fangs of a serpent.

“You’re fresh…” it observes gleefully, pulling back its bloodless lips to reveal a row of shark-like teeth.

I struggle against it viciously. “Let me go, you freak!”

It yanks me against the bars with a snarl.

Thrown off balance, I crash against the rusty metal, the protruding barbs ripping into my face and chest.

The sharpness of the pain brings fresh tears to my eyes. But some deeper instinct tells me not to show fear, not to show weakness. So, with supreme effort, I force myself to tamp down the terrified whimper that’s clawing at the tip of my tongue.

Lidless eyes glint at me mordantly through the slits in the bars. “Not nice…”

It tightens its grip, and I gasp as a sudden chill shoots up my veins to slice into my heart like a dagger.

“Mmm…” the creature purrs, darting its blackened tongue out to lick its lips. “Sweet…”

A million shards of ice explode across my chest as I feel the warmth get sucked from my bones like juice through a straw... my life-force along with it.

Knowing in the back of my mind that I don’t have much time before this thing renders me into a slobbering, vegetative mess, I gather up what’s left of my rapidly ebbing strength to plant both of my feet against the foot of the bars…

…and yank myself from backwards with a primal cry.

The ghoul shrieks in rage as my wrist snaps free of its clammy hold, sending me flying backwards to land in a shivering heap on the floor of the cell.

Wrapping my arms and wings around myself in a bid to stop my chattering teeth from biting into my tongue, I try to stoke up what residual heat is left in my body in the wake of whatever it is that that thing tried to do to me.

Suck my soul dry, by the feel of it…

I have no idea how long I lie there, curled up like a gutted fish on the grimy stones, but eventually I feel some semblance of warmth return to my chilled extremities as my heart begins to beat with vigour again.

Rolling gingerly onto my side, every inch of me aching, I find the ghoul glaring at me with undisguised hatred from the other side of the bars.

“Nasty doll…” it spits, pacing back and forth, like a beast trapped in a cage. “Doesn’t want to play…”

“No shit,” I retort, pushing myself back onto slightly wobbly feet. “I’m not your fucking toy!”

Why every immortal insists on slapping me with patronising labels, I have no clue. But it’s really starting to grate on my nerves!

The ghoul comes to an abrupt halt and cocks its head to an unnatural angle. “Fierce.”

I force myself to meet its gaze, even as I feel a shudder run down my spine at the sight of the soulless void I find staring back at me. “I like to beat expectations…”

The ghoul’s mouth draws back into a horrible grin. “You cannot beat Him…”

I frown. “You mean Lucifer?”

A strangled wheeze claws itself out of the brute’s throat, and it takes me a second to realise that it’s laughing. “Stupid doll… The Son of Satan is a mere worm! No match for Him!”

“Must be doing something right if he managed to lock you up in here…” I counter dryly.

I must’ve struck a nerve because the ghoul’s humour vanishes with a hiss. “This cell is fleeting! He freed one… He will free more! He will free me!”

My eyes widen in sudden realisation. “He… You mean—?"

“Mal…bon…te…!” the ghoul cackles.

I suck in a breath. He does exist! Which means— 

“And Zizga will wait,” the creature continues, running its tongue over its teeth with zealous conviction. “Because I know your taste now, doll… And you cannot—“

Bang!

Metal crashes against metal as the door of the cell flies open behind me.

Whirling around, I find Lucifer standing in the gap between the bars, head bowed and knuckles fisted around the rungs on either side of him.

“Crawl back into your fucking hole, Zizga,” he orders, lobbing a wad of spit onto the floor.

Zizga hisses at him like a defiant cobra. “Your pitiful threats mean nothing, Son of Satan! You will be first to—“

“Last warning,” growls Lucifer, raising his head to torch the ghoul with a baleful glare.

It is then that I notice the state of the demon’s face…the blackened eye… the bruised jaw… the blood matting his shirt. “Oh, my God! What happened to you?”

Lucifer’s humourless scoff turns into a hack as he pushes himself away from the doorway. “Just another meeting… with the old… Reaper.”

My eyes widen in disbelief. “Satan… He did this to you?”

“He doesn’t like… to be kept waiting…” he grits, clutching his side as he stumbles into the cell.  

“Jesus…” I rasp, taking in the full, macabre sight of the Devil’s handiwork.

“…doesn’t give a shit,” Lucifer spits through broken lips. “And neither should—“

His knees buckle.

I dive forward on instinct to catch him. “Luci—!”

But no sooner does my hand brush his shoulder than I find myself shoved up against the bars of the cell, with his fist crushing my windpipe.

“Save your damn sympathy, Unclaimed!” Lucifer snaps, hellish eyes blazing. “I don’t fucking need it!”

I struggle for breath as the barbs bite into my wings. “I was just—“

“This is all your fault,” he growls through bared and blood-stained teeth. “You and your pathetic need for answers… About a death that was just as meaningless as your life.”

“You… wouldn’t… understand…” I choke out bitterly, tears stinging the corners of my eyes.

“No,” he grits, face inches from mine. “I wouldn’t. Because I know the rules. Yet here I am taking the fucking fall for you anyway.”

I gasp as he tightens his hold on my neck. “I never… asked you to…”

“No…” he agrees, his gaze scorching contemptuously over me. “So, don’t expect me to make this mistake again.”

“I won’t,” I tell him tightly, feeling a lone tear escape to skid down my cheek.

I’m such an idiot… For ever thinking that—

His eyes suddenly narrow. “The hell is that?”

“Nothing…” I sniff, turning my head to hide the embarrassing crack in my composure.

His hand shoots up to grab the underside of my jaw, forcing me to look back the other way.

I grit my teeth, but he ignores my discomfort, the heat of his gaze raking over me like a laser, taking in every cut and scrape decorating my face, before sliding down the side of my neck to rest of the exposed part of my chest above my ruined top.

“You can’t be left alone for five minutes, can you?” he derides… though I feel his hold on me loosen slightly.

I scoff vindictively. “Says the asshole who locked me in a cell.”

He snaps my head back to face him again. “I told you to keep away from the bars.”

“Maybe I was looking for a shank to stick you with,” I snip up at him.

“Liar,” he indicts, his hot breath coasting my lips as his nails dig against my skin once more. “Who did this?”

I stare back at him scornfully. “Like you even care.”

“I’ll wring it from you, angel…” he warns. “One way or another.”

“You’re such an ass…” I gripe…

…but my gaze shifts to the left nevertheless.

Lucifer’s nostrils flare with rancour as he whirls away from me. “You like the bite of steel, do you, Zizga?”

The ghoul screeches in strife. “No! Do not listen to it! She is nasty and full of lies!”

Lucifer crosses the open space in two strides to grab the disgusting creature by the front of his tattered robe, and wrenches him against the bars. “Doesn’t feel great, does it?”

The ghoul twists and spits like a viscous barn cat, trying to free himself. “Malbonte will clip your wings, puny Son of Satan! He’ll—“

“Eat shit and choke, leech,” Lucifer snaps, shoving Zizga roughly away. “And don’t threaten me with fairytales.”

The ghoul cracks out a laugh as it stumbles backwards. “Your world will burn, demon! Ashes and dust! You’ll see!”

Lucifer lunges at the bars again, but the creature scuttles off into the shadows with a raspy cackle.

I straighten back up, rubbing my neck. “What is that thing?”

“Why the fuck are you still here?” Lucifer glowers without turning around.

“I—“

“Get out!”

I jolt at the naked fury in his voice. But I don’t need telling twice.

Spinning on my heel, I dash out of that nightmarish cell, and down the dank hall, all the way back to the stairwell, as if the very Hounds of Hell were chasing me. 

But instead of relief, it is a quagmire of confusion that suffuses my guts.

What the hell just happened?

Tags

@angelasscribbles @aussiegurl1234 @kingliam2019 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @hotkingu @0shewrites0 @tessa-liam

[bonefall]

Creation Myth; Afterlives

I wonder how humans fit in with your rewrite's mythology with the four gods and stuff, like there is this whole other sapient species running around, how much does someone like Midnight have to do with them? Do they have a known afterlife?

@halogenwarrior

I have a rough draft, but I haven't committed to it yet because I go back and forth on how powerful the Gods of the Seasons (Sharptooth, Sol, Midnight, and Rock for the newcomers) should be.

But here's my thoughts,

The Origin Story

Midnight scoured the island from the sea and crafted the mountains, the hills, the forests, and for each predator, she created a partner. The fox and the badger hunt the rabbits above and below the ground. The wolf chases the sheep and the twoleg is there to catch it. The owl flies by night and the hawk flies by day.

But when she came to the cat, it was too perfect to pair. She could create no equal-- it was her finest work.

So she gave them a special task; to appreciate the world for what it is, to rest and to sample all the pleasures of creation. It's why cats are so hedonistic and think they're so perfect.

But Sol was BORED. There was harmony and nothing ever went wrong, it was too easy. So he gathered up the twolegs and the dogs and taught them about games, and the silly, arbitrary rules that come with them.

They had so much fun they made more and more rules, more and more games, until they couldn't tell their rules from their reality. It's why twolegs seem so crazy, and why dogs don't know how to stop playing.

Midnight was MORTIFIED. He RUINED her hard work with silly lies like money, and politics, and not-England! But worse... there was joy in these new concepts. Cats did the task they were assigned to do and they sampled the pleasures of creation. Midnight has never forgiven her brother Sol for what he's done.

Cats are on the same level as humans-but-not-quite. They have the capacity they need to enjoy the world to its fullest, whatever happens to be IN the world at the time.

So... other answers;

Do humans have an afterlife?

I think all the animals do, but I'm not sure how it works for them since Warriors is about the cats. At the very least, dogs and humans are able to become ghosts.

I go back and forth on how powerful I want the gods to be and how their shifting power works. @troutfur gave me a suggestion a while back about the idea that there is a 'veil' that shifts, and whichever god is in control during that shift has more power than its siblings.

But I do also know that I want gods to be able to easily conjure up "pocket dimensions". Like the Dark Forest, which Sharptooth created while he was One-eye.

Additionally, the human afterlife isn't nearly as powerful as the cat one. That's a given I'm working with. StarClan can make trees grow fast, chase clouds, and make new spirits... but wherever they go, humans don't get to do that.

How much do the four gods interact with humans?

As a result of the story being focused on cats, there has to be some reason why they don't care much about them, right?

The simplest and funniest reason I can imagine is that they just don't like them. They just like cats more. Or, in One-eye's case, he got roped into a bloodfeud with this specific group of cats and he won't just give up because his pride is wounded.

Sol probably plays with humans a lot, but when he met Harry it was just. Magic.

I also go back and forth on how powerful these four really are, if they're truly CREATION GODS or just demigods, like Hercules. If it's just these four, or if there's more beyond this particular landmass.

In any case it's beyond the scope of my rewrite, lmao.

[goldensmilingbird]

What would the ML show have to do in order to meet your Adrien/Felix/senticousins needs? As in what direction would the story have taken or what conflicts/resolutions would have to appear? Your perfect Felix/Adrien rewrite, so to speak (゜▽゜*)

Hmm, this is a hard question. At this point I'm not expecting anything from the show but I still hope to just see more interactions between them. I don't know how relevant Felix will be after this arc had ended but if he and Amelie could live in the Agreste mansion that'd be nice...

As for a perfect rewrite, I don't have one. I'm not in any way a writer 🥲 I feel like Felix should've been introduced earlier though. Maybe then we'd get to know him more outside of him showing up to progress the plot and then disappearing again for most of the season (and I would like to see more of Amelie too). It just doesn't feel right to introduce such a plot-relevant character at the end of season 3 when you got a 5-season arc.

One of the criticisms I saw of Felix's intro episode is that it feels disconnected from the rest of his arc. Like: "If he cares about Adrien, why is ruining his friendships the first thing he does?" "Why is him trying to kiss Ladybug never brought up again?" "Why does Felix blame Adrien for not standing up to his father if he knows Adrien literally can't?" and so on. And I kinda agree. Maybe one of the reasons is that the show is written to be both serialised and episodic at the same time, maybe writers didn't quite know what to do with him yet and were figuring it out on the fly. But yeah, it's strange.

I think I'd keep some of the interactions between the boys from the initial script, they were cute and give a bit more insight into their relationship, and I'd just get rid of the kiss-punch scene entirely. Also Chat going "bet you don't have a lot of friends" feels uncharacteristically mean of him? (especially because Adrien was also not allowed to make other friends until recently) Even when Chloe almost caused a train crash in Queen Wasp, he was still gentle with her. But here he goes from "Felix's not being himself because he lost his dad" to this really quickly.

And small thing, maybe, but I wish Ladynoir post-Strikeback remembered that Felix already tried to make a deal with Hawkmoth "for a piece of jewelry" before.

Felix being against Adrien's friends... I feel like maybe it would make more sense if it was more about Felix being jealous that he was "replaced" with Adrien's new friends + being generally distrustful of humans? Idk. (I checked the transcript again and it's interesting that Adrien calls the video unforgivable but Felix says he doesn't deserve to be forgiven for putting his cousin in danger. Says nothing about insulting Adrien's friends. Hmm)

One of my friends had an idea that Felix used to think Gabriel was a good or at least decent parent, before he realised he was wrong and he's no better than Colt. That'd be fascinating. Then Felix could be jealous of Adrien because he thinks Adrien "got it better" than him, only to find out the truth and decide he must save Adrien from Gabriel.

But anyway, moving on, I don't have any big complaints about "Gabriel Agreste". I just wish he and Adrien could at least have one interaction here, and Marinette's plot feels kinda pointless. "Risk"-"Strikeback" - again, I don't have much to complain about Felix's plot here, but I still think he didn't need to give Gabriel Adrien's amok back. Maybe if he was planning to do Red Moon almost right after, instead of leaving Adrien to be controlled by Gabriel for a while (weeks maybe?), I'd understand it better. But would Gabriel really refuse a deal without the amok? Eh.

And Emotion... I loved it a lot but I still have gripes with it. One of the things that bothers me the most is that Ladybug confronts both Felix and Gabriel alone. I feel like Chat really should've been there - it's his family, after all. Maybe I just want to see Felix saying all of that about how he cares about Adrien and doesn't want to hurt him while literally fighting him. And I was still kinda on the fence about Feligami being canon when watching "Emotion" but "Pretension" really made me dislike their relationship. Again, if Felix was introduced earlier, perhaps it wouldn't be so rushed. And I would find it more interesting if Kagami wasn't a senti - then Felix would have to change his attitude towards humans first, and there could be more of a slowburn with them slowly gaining respect for each other. Or maybe if I was writing I wouldn't give him a love interest at all and focus more on their friendships. Either way, with Felix and Adrien being the only sentikids, the focus would be more on the Graham de Vanily family.

And I think I talked a lot already about how I hate s5 finale and Adrien being kept in the dark. If we could just... not do all of that, that'd be great. But if I had to keep the finale the same, I would still want to give Adrien some resolution. Let him find out and have a conflict with Felix because Felix genuinely thought Adrien would be happier not knowing (maybe he was even a bit jealous Adrien was so "blissfully" unaware). Maybe let him communicate with Emilie and/or Gabriel through Felix's kwagatama, or let him talk to Amelie and Nathalie about his mom (they both got grief as well). I hope Adrien and Felix get to mend their relationship and be close again, but if it happens too fast (like with Feligami), then that might not be satisfying either. Give it time.

That's all I have to say for now.

[astrobei]

Hello Suni astrobei. For end of year asks, I ask you 2 and 12

hi abby strangeswift !! ok so i got a couple asks for 2 so i’m going to answer that one elsewhere so i can focus my full attention on Gushing !

12. talk about a new friend you made this year

ok i’m about to get seriously so sappy so if you don’t feel like reading through all this feel free to Leave (no hard feelings LOL)

i’m someone who has a pretty small social circle irl so i never thought i’d meet so many wonderful ppl this year, and definitely not online and definitely not because i started writing fanfiction again LOL like if u told january suni this she’d look at u like 👁👁 on a more serious note though this year was insane for me. so much changed really quickly in my life and i’m so beyond grateful that amidst all the chaos i was led to all of u guys ! literally if we’ve had even one conversation on here there’s a very high chance i’ve referred to u as a friend irl so. do with that what u will.

abby and ella (@elekinetic) and sierra (@finalgirlbyers) i want u guys to know that i treasure u all So Much. like even if our convos are sporadic or if we talk exclusively through asks ur presence on my dash brings me so much joy and i look forward to each post u make and each message and each ask and each incoherent ramble in the tags !! i don’t have Favorite Mutuals but if i did it would be u guys because it’s insane how much i light up seeing ur urls ! i hope 2023 brings so many more wonderful interactions w u guys, u rly make my mindless scrolling on tumblr 100x more fun

yvie @nnilkyway HELLO i am so so beyond grateful i met them this year ! what a strange stroke of luck too bc i was so obsessed w their art before we met and hearing him say he was a big fan of my work was like. mind boggling. anyways yvie is literally one of the funniest people i have ever met in my life oh my god it’s so rare for me to find people whose sense of humor just Clicks with mine but like. four messages in and we were sending each other memes and becoming best friends and it was fantastic! i have never once felt weird or intimidated talking to them which is crazy for me, a person who feels weird and intimidated a Lot, and also need i reiterate his INSANE TALENT !! like holy shit ! my go to person for talking about gf mike wheeler or mitski or literally just anything and everything. yvie if you’re reading this i am putting u in my pocket and holding u so close. mwah. also we are married, btw. if anyone cares.

haven @bookinit02 OK. you all have heard me gush about haven a million and one times on this blog and i’m sure you’ve seen her gush about me because she’s (rightfully) obsessed with me (/j. kind of) but haven was the first friend i ever made in the byler community which is so so beyond insane to me. i fell in love with her writing so instantaneously and you guys should’ve been there to see my reaction when i saw her leave her first comment on my fic. literally screamed it was so embarrassing 😭 we talked exclusively through ao3 comments for a while because she’d yell every time i updated ihcisc and i’d yell every time she updated her season 2 rewrite and then one day she dm’d me asking me to make a twt to add me to a byler gc and the rest was History. anyways haven is one of the most talented most creative people i’ve ever met BUT she’s also one of the sweetest and most compassionate people on the face of this planet and deserves nothing but good things always ! she’s one of those people that i need to talk to every day or i’ll go insane and i love how our convos can speedrun the entire human spectrum of emotions within like. 5 minutes. she’s so incredibly supportive and my #1 hype girl and she has the freaky ability to entirely turn my mood around on a bad day in less than 20 seconds. she literally managed to sleuth around and find my venmo just to send me soup money. if i could buy her Everything then i literally would. i would eat cilantro for her. i would watch the mlvn makeout scene for her. i would get my socks wet for her. literally i would do anything for her and i can’t wait until i see her in june and i chase her in circles around the airport and then we kiss👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏽 and we Hug so tight and platonically 🫂

thea @wiseatom u already know. i tell her every day that i would do literally anything she asked of me and it’s true! literally 2 minutes ago she said “suni u should dye ur hair green” and for a moment i seriously considered it. anyways thea is objectively the funniest fucking person i have ever met in my life and is also my twin. if my twin were blond and taller and also a different age. in all seriousness though thea feels like the world’s most insane older sister to me and as an Actual older sister i’m really loving the feral little sibling treatment. she’s so insane easy to talk to (probably bc our brains work in the exact same way) and Oozes talent from literally every single cell in her body. she sends me a snippet of her work and i spend the next 10 minutes rolling on the floor trying not to SCREAM. there are so few people who can make me laugh as much as she does but also turn me into a blubbering mess of a baby with her Evil Cruel Prose 2 seconds later but thea wiseatom has been put on this planet to achieve the impossible. i have rarely felt so seen as i do when i talk to her, whether it’s for advice or Wallowing or complaining about our disproportionately large heads together, she is so kind and supportive and one of my favorite people Ever. i can’t believe the universe put her 3000 miles away from me because i Need to be a menace to her in person but we’ll make it work. every day i say goodnight to her at 8 pm my time and then say good morning to her at 2 am my time and then i go to bed <3 thea if you’re reading this (and u better be. i tagged u) i hope u know that u are the light of my life and i am packing my bindle as we speak to begin the cross country trek. mwah.

@andiwriteordie ANDI ! i miss talking to u every day but u are so busy with ur big girl job and cranking out quality fics at light speed so i’ll give u a pass 😔 andi is literally a legend in the byler fic community so when i found out she Knew Who I Was,,, i died. i literally died. even when we haven’t talked in a while i love how we can pick up a convo like nothing has changed or send posts that remind us of each other or go crazy apeshit in each others tags like there’s no tomorrow !! andi is so so inspirational to me, she is so kind and creative and full of positivity (even if her writing is mean and full of Sadness and Misery. still haven’t forgiven u for descent, btw) she feels like my other older sister and she has such an insane way with words that i will never understand ! thank u for singlehandedly keeping byler tumblr going, i hope 2023 is so kind to u and u get ultra promoted and have so much fun at the eras tour like u deserve <3

moon aka @smoosnoom omg ok not only is moon so crazy talented but she is such! a sweet person! back when i started writing for byler she was such an enigma to me, an ao3 user and a total Mystery, so i never expected us to actually talk and now! here we are! she is so uplifting and supportive and i’ve loved getting to know her over the past few months, whether it’s bonding over our shared hatred (affectionate. mostly) of finn wolfhard or bawling our eyes out to everything everywhere (oh my god.) seeing her comment on my first fic literally made my heart stop dead in my chest. she has such a gift for making everyone feel so immediately accepted and welcome in any space, and i will spend the rest of my life stewing in anger that she’s taller than me. that feels extremely, unfathomably illegal. anyway moon if ur reading this (and u also better be! bc i tagged u!!) i hope the new year is so good to u <3 mwah ily

[dipstar1489]

Disney Hot Take and Rewrite

Encanto should have been a series, not a movie.

Do note, I do like the movie, but there are just some things that make the story feel weird to me.

Slight Encanto spoiler mentions, references to abuse, and broken family dynamics.

In the movie, we have so many characters that have little impact to the narrative and certain scenes feel out of order. For example, you could easily cut out Camilo altogether and the story wouldn’t change. Also, the order of scenes just felt off. Like, I had watched clips before the movie and I was expecting Luisa’s Under Pressure to be played around the same time as Isabella’s What Else Can I Do, and I’m not exactly a fan of how they treated Bruno since despite the whole family sang a song named after him, he translates a prophecy and stops showing up.

If I were to rewrite it as a series, the pilot would establish dynamics, and each episode would center Mirabel and one of her relatives, with the relative in question giving pieces of information about Bruno. The series should probably start on Pepa’s family for the first half and Julieta’s family for the second half, though Dolores’s episode should be one of the last, with her revealing Bruno’s location.

I DEFINITELY want Felix or Agustin to defend Mirable at some point considering they are ALSO giftless, but that point NEVER comes up. I know people love Bruno, but make him a dick to people. Like, the family sang a song dedicated to how off putting they guy is, and he ISN’T some flavor of asshole? Yeah, no. I want Bruno to come off as a jerk during his introduction to give the idea the family was right, but slowly we realize the guy does care about the family through his rebuilding of Casita and interacting with the rats, and the asshole front is either a front to avoid hurting people, or he’s just REALLY bad with human contact.

Season two would have Mirabel trying to heal family dynamics and question if Bruno was actually that bad to be kicked out, but unfortunately some of them will take years to mend, if ever. Also, we start getting information about the triplets’ childhood, each story being more fucked up than the last and revealing that Alma might not be a saint. Bruno and Dolores would be dragged into Mirabel’s plan, Dolores overhearing secrets and Bruno letting his rats dig up vital information.

The final should have the family divided, with those trying to heal on one side, and those unable to recognize the issue on the other. Then, Alma buts in to defuse the situation, when Mirabel starts to interrogate Alma on what HER gift is. Now, Alma would hide she was giftless to everyone, including her own family, and with Alma being speechless, THAT’S when the family realizes Alma has been using and criticizing their gifts, when she herself never had any, and all respect is lost.

On the last half of the final, Alma and Mirabel go to the waterside where Pedro died, and there we get to see Pedro and Alma’s relationship, how they planned their future and just characterizing Pedro and young Alma. Mirabel will feel sympathetic, but able to recognize that she can’t help Alma because she has refused to change. I’m not certain if I want Alma to be accepted by the family again or not, for I don’t want her actions to be hand waved away by trauma, but her redemption would be her accepting the trauma and stop afflicting it onto others.