#and that makes him such a target for malevolent people

[megaderping]

I feel like when people compare Akechi to Light Yagami, they fundamentally misunderstand his character. Their similarities really end at their designs, and Light is the kind of person Akechi would despise. Light Yagami lives a pretty privileged life at the start of Death Note. He has a stable home, with two parents and a sister who care about him. He's a successful student. There isn't really inherent tragedy to his life. The whole reason he starts using the Death Note is a mix of curiosity and a jaded worldview, and when it works it empowers him, very quickly goes to his head, as he believes he is one who can be a god of a "new world" once the shock of his initial kills wears off. While his first kill was to help someone, that altruism didn't last. He is in charge of his choices, while Ryuk mostly vibes and maybe eggs him on a little. Fundamentally, Light has something Akechi lacks: agency, and a comfortable life he took for granted. Meanwhile, Akechi is someone who lived on the bottom rung of Japanese society. His very existence is shameful there, between his mother being a sex worker, his status as an illegitimate/"throw away" child, and his mother's suicide. Years languishing in a foster system that is notoriously inhumane, in a country where 90% of the adoptions are grown men for inheritance and patriarchal reasons, while very few children in the system find permanent homes. When Akechi awakens his power, he approaches Shido not because he wants to kill people but for a stupid revenge plan cooked up by a traumatized child who's been nudged along by a malevolent god. He wants to build Shido up so that at the height of his power, he can expose him for the monster he really is, while another part of him genuinely wants to be useful to Shido, as Cogkechi later calls out. His feelings are a mess of contradictions, and so it's no surprise that Shido was able to mold him into his assassin at only 15 years old. It's also worth noting that Akechi only approaches Shido with his ability to cause psychotic breakdowns. Shido is the one who teaches and instructs him to do shutdowns. He's still complicit, very sunk cost with his revenge plan, but as I spoke of here, even if he wanted to quit, he couldn't alone. Shido's cleaner and control of the law and ability to effortlessly turn him in would render the Metaverse his only safe haven. I think people look at 11/20 Akechi and Akechi in the early parts of the engine room and assume that's just his "true self," when in reality it's another mask. Royal makes it very clear because in Rank 7, he outright warns Joker of what's to come via a pool metaphor and offers an out (though he's MUCH happier if you don't take it/stick to your principles), and in Rank 8, he goes on that big "I hate you" speech... while Sunset Bridge is playing. Y'know, the song that plays at the end of most confidants to reaffirm bonds. So when he smiles as he shoots what he assumes to be Joker, that doesn't mean he's genuinely happy. More likely, he's an emotional clusterfuck, given he also is disoriented enough to namedrop "Shido-san" over the phone, and in the subsequent meeting with Shido, tells him not to kill the Phantom Thieves and that Morgana is "just a cat." Yes, he says they'll make them fear for the rest of their lives, but remember, he's talking to Shido. The things he says are likely all incredibly calculated to sound appealing to Shido. And when you consider that he planned to utterly destroy Shido's reputation after the election, the "delay" makes even more sense.

Later, Akechi goes on about how the people he induced shutdowns on were deserving of their fates, but I don't think he believes it so much as it's the only way he could convince himself that it was worth it, and given how much society failed him, and given how many of the people he targeted were likely rivals/competitors or rich fucks, I think he'd be less inclined to assume good faith. Kunikazu Okumura was not an innocent little victim, after all. He was one of the people who requested breakdowns and shutdowns the most. I think Akechi enjoyed killing him not because of how it'd hurt Haru, but because of catharsis. Because Okumura is just as monstrous as Shido, so why should he feel remorse? However, I don't believe he feels the same about Wakaba, as when he discusses her with Shido, he mentions how her fate was because she refused to willingly work for him. It's another justification, but I personally think Wakaba's death was the most painful for him because he was effectively making Futaba just like him. That's why I think his reaction to Sae threatening Sojiro's custody was genuine. Anyway, evil grinning Akechi is just another mask, as I said. Keep in mind, this is someone who laments not meeting Joker years ago, someone who Morgana outright points out is lying about his hatred. And that's the thing. Light Yagami, while a really fascinating character, is not someone who had all this childhood suffering or lack of agency. He does not regret his actions in the slightest and goes down due to his own hubris in both the anime and the manga. While you can argue that Ryuk set him up by dropping the Death Note, Light was the one who picked it up and chose to use it. Any nudging from Ryuk didn't coerce Light into doing it because Light seized the opportunity. No, if Light Yagami is like anyone in Persona 5, it's Masayoshi Shido, not Goro Akechi. Both believe they are god/god's chosen, that they are the ones who will reshape the world to their ideals, and to be frank, both use and abuse women to serve their own purposes. Goro Akechi goes down sacrificing himself for the Thieves and pleading with them to stop his father and again in Maruki's reality when he refuses to let Joker accept a gilded prison of a world for his sake when he knows better than anyone what it's like to have no true freedom. If you max his confidant, you see him in the postcredits, leaving his survival entirely possible, and I think it works because at the end of the day, Akechi was meant to be a victim and a foil. Light is a villain protagonist and a cautionary tale. Though its his POV we follow, he isn't someone we're meant to root for, but I definitely don't think enjoying the character is a bad thing at all. He's really interesting! I just think that a lot of the Akechi and Light comparisons are surface level at best.

[bau-muffin]

“Pure Intentions”

Ship: Aaron Hotchner/Reader

Rating: E

Category: Fluff

Word Count: 1,162 Words

Summary: You are an agent who is also spiritual and loves crystals. So, you decide to give your favorite boss man, SSA Aaron Hotchner, black tourmaline.

Hotch really didn’t know why insomnia had chosen to haunt him on a Sunday night, but he felt the full extent of it when he stepped into the bullpen the next morning. He wasn’t really given to vanity, but he felt like his eyebags were eye-totes now, and even though he had downed a cup of coffee before leaving the house, he felt like if he was still for even a second, he’d fall asleep.

Of course the weekend he had off was when his mind barred him from a good night’s rest- the night before work, no less.

He had not been at his desk for more than ten minutes when you bustled into his office, your smile wide as usual despite being almost eight in the morning.

“Good morning! I was going to wait closer to lunch, but then Penelope told me a case came in, so I decided to give this-“ you stopped to actually look at him, and even though an amused smile was pulling at his lips, he looked so exhausted. “I’m so sorry, I should have asked how you were doing first.”

“I’m not sick, just tired,” Hotch said kindly, “what do you have?”

“Black tourmaline! I know you’re not much of a spiritualist, but the low down on it is that it sponges up negative energy! And I mean… I know you don’t exactly have a choice, you know, to be or not to be around negative energy but…” you shrugged before admitting, “It also reminded me of you too. Also, again I know you don’t put huge stock into it, but I also charged it for you.”

You put the shiny black chunk on his desk, almost shyly. He picked it up, studying it and turning it over in his hands. You half expected him to pull his reading glasses out to look at it, and if he had- well, you couldn’t rightly be held responsible for the noise you might have made.

“This reminds you of me?” Hotch asked skeptically, his brows knitted slightly.

“Mhm! It’s a bodyguard type crystal. And… I guess you have that sort of… vibe? To me anyways,” you added on a little less than tactfully as you were visibly becoming fidgety, your hands smoothing down your skirt.

“You see me as the bodyguard type.”

You put your hands on your hips, an eyebrow raising. “Did you or did you not become overprotective when I said that my car alarm was going off in the parking lot and you insisted on stealthily going towards the car first with your pistol? Or did I hallucinate that?”

“I’ve seen some things in my time, and I know malevolent people would target a woman who’s alone when she’s leaving her workplace,” Hotch said defensively. You only smiled.

“Whatever you say. Regardless, that’s for you. Maybe, one day, I’ll get a keychain for you.”

“Thank you, that was… actually thoughtful and sweet of you. You’re right that I don’t put a whole lot of stock into this… sort of thing,” he admitted as he turned the crystal over in his palm again, “but I think… I think the weight of intentions are real.”

“Maybe those intentions will carry you home safe from this case, then. Judging from the groaning sounds coming from Garcia’s cave, I’m thinking it’s a doozy. By the way…”

“Mm?”

“Do you want me to make you a cup of coffee before you go in to briefing?”

“That would be wonderful of you, thank you. One sugar-“

“-and no cream. I know how you make your coffee, Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner,” you teased.

Hotch shook his head. “The full government name.”

You turned to walk out when he called your name, and you turned back to him.

“Can you come to my desk for a second?”

You complied, going to his desk with a nervous giggle. You thought he was going to speak, but instead he simply rose from his seat and kissed your cheek.

You touched your flushing cheek with a slightly shaky hand. “What was that for?”

He shrugged. “Just a thank you for being as thoughtful as you are. Truly… you make working here a bit easier.”

“Aw, you’re going to make me cry, so I’ll laugh instead.” You were going to turn to flee, but boldness filled you and you leaned up to kiss his cheek, except he moved, and you kissed the corner of his stern lip.

“Uh-” you backed away from him.

“Don’t panic,” Hotch ordered calmly- almost too calmly- “it’s not your fault, it was mine for reacting too quickly.”

Your cheeks flushed hot red and despite his command to not panic, you immediately fled the scene, leaving behind a confused but slightly amused Aaron.

A few minutes later, JJ entered his office with his cup of coffee in one hand and sat it on his desk, the other arm full of file folders. She gestured with her head towards the bullpen, “Hey, um, Agent-“

“I know,” Hotch said with a minuscule smirk, sipping the coffee, and almost immediately moaned aloud. True to your word, you knew exactly how he takes his coffee. He kept glancing towards the crystal sitting on his desk, and when Garcia called for him to come to the briefing room, he carefully slid it in his pocket.

On the jet, after all the details of the case had been discussed, Hotch leaned back in the chair, his fourth cup of coffee of the day in his hand. Even though he made his coffee exactly the same as always, it didn’t taste nearly as good as the one you made for him. He took the black tourmaline out of his pocket and held it in his hand. It works on a jet, right? It’s closer to the sun, it has to be like the best charging method.

“What do you have there?” Rossi asked from across him, looking up from a book- a compilation of Garfield comic strips over the years.

“A crystal. I think it’s… black tourmaline?”

Reid, of course, overheard this and had to jump in with, “you know, within pagan and spiritual circles, black tourmaline has protective properties, banishing negative vibrations, and it’s also supposed to be grounding.” He looked at the crystal in Hotch’s hand. “Oh yeah, I’ve seen this crystal on that agent’s desk. She and Anderson talk about them all the time, and apparently she keeps some of them in her desk, as does Anderson.”

“She and Anderson are good friends,” Hotch volunteered. “She’s the one who gave this to me.”

“She’s a sweet girl,” Rossi commented, sounding too innocent for Hotch’s liking.

“She is,” Hotch agreed simply, not taking the bait.

He and “that agent” were going to have to have a conversation when he got back home- he was entirely too intrigued by you. Perhaps he could ask you what crystal was the best for asking someone on a date.

[akitasimblr]

oooh nooo!! malevolent god has spoken! you may be wondering who is the target of malevolent god's wrath?

well... araminta had the highest level of friendship so... 🫤 but she is okay!!!

yes, sierra, the gods are not happy with you. and HEY! BO! you're dead, so stop worrying about 'dying', gotcha? plus... we'll be having a cursed lot for 24 hours, my face exactly, araminta!

my heart aches staring at bo's contemplation of his own urn 💔💔💔 anselme is still learning to live with a ghost, but he is not particularly startled.

okay, emotions are all over the place today. sierra and araminta are becoming besties. anselme is - weirdly - happy with the fact that they angered the gods...??? in one minute, dodo is laughing out loud with bo's jokes; and the next, he is feeling guilty for not being able to save bo's life... and guess who's RIGHT THERE to comfort him??? lucian, my friends, LUCIAN <33

valerie is sick of chitchat. let's get some work done, contestants!!!

bo, the farmer; lyric, the cleaner; lucian, the miner; valerie, the treasure hunter!

there's a real friendship growing here, people... 😉

and another one building here too ❤️❤️❤️

but no one makes dodo laugh like bo or anselme do *winks, winks* see you tomorrow ;)

🌴previous | next🌴

bo cash by @ravingsockmonkey sierra mitchell by @tipsy-clouds anselme parmentier by @agena87 valerie queens by @enchanting-whim araminta hearst-irsay by @ethicaltreatmentofcowplants lyric cross by @micrathene-w lucian vinca by @jonquilyst

[charliedawn]

I had an idea…

What if the slashers had medieval classes ?

Michael Myers: The Silent Knight (Paladin/Death Knight)

Michael would likely take on the role of a Paladin or Death Knight, a silent and relentless force, protecting or hunting those he sees as connected to his past. His stoic demeanor and indomitable strength fit well with a character bound by a code or curse. Wielding a large, unholy blade or a dark relic, he would move silently through the battlefield, unstoppable in his pursuit.

His nickname: THE BOOGEYMAN

Jason Voorhees: The Berserker (Barbarian)

Jason would be a Barbarian, a raging warrior who channels his deep-seated trauma into overwhelming strength. Unstoppable in combat, his fury would make him a terrifying force on the battlefield. His connection to nature and water could give him druidic or ranger-like powers, drawing energy from the lake he protects. His armor would be rough and battle-worn, a reminder of his tragic past.

His nickname: THE GREAT SENTINEL

Freddy Krueger: The Trickster Mage (Illusionist/Warlock)

Freddy would be a Trickster Mage or Illusionist, using dark magic and mind-bending tricks to torment his enemies. His power over dreams would translate into casting illusions and manipulating reality itself. As a warlock, he would be bound to some dark, dream-dwelling entity, granting him power over nightmares and subconscious fears. His ability to deceive and create horror would make him a formidable opponent.

His nickname: THE DREAM DEMON

Chucky: The Rogue (Assassin)

Chucky would definitely be a Rogue, specifically an Assassin. His small size, agility, and cunning nature would make him a deadly opponent who strikes from the shadows. He’s quick, ruthless, and deceptive, slipping into places unnoticed and finishing his targets with precision. He might wield daggers or short swords, and his roguish personality would make him both deadly and unpredictable.

His nickname: THE CHUCK

Leatherface (Barbarian/Fighter)

Leatherface would be a hybrid class of Barbarian and Fighter, specializing in brute strength and close-quarters combat. As a hulking warrior, he would wield massive cleavers or axes, cutting down foes with brutal efficiency. His knowledge of flesh and anatomy would make him particularly horrifying in battle, and his chaotic nature would lean toward the frenzy of a berserker.

He would also collect the faces of his victims.

His nickname: THE BUTCHER

Norman Bates: The Haunted Scholar (Cleric/Necromancer)

Norman would be a Cleric, but with a twist toward the darker side—perhaps even a Necromancer. His deep-seated connection to his "Mother" would translate into a religious devotion or a spiritual connection with the dead. He’d be torn between his desire to heal and protect and his darker impulses to manipulate life and death. He might summon spirits or act as a vessel for his mother's spirit to protect or haunt those around him.

His first try as a Necromancer was to revive his mother.

It didn’t end well.

His nickname: THE DEATH WIELDER

The Penny Brothers: The Eldritch Jesters (Warlocks)

The Penny Brothers would be Eldritch Jesters, Warlocks bound to some horrifying, ancient force. Their ability to shapeshift, manipulate, and terrify would be channeled through their connection to an eldritch being—Maturin—who would grant they their reality-warping abilities. Their playful yet malevolent personalities would thrive as they toy with their enemies, using their fears and illusions to break their minds before devouring them.

Their nickname: THE HELL BROTHERS

Brahms: The Possessed Doll (Warlock)

Brahms would fit as a Warlock, whose powers come from his pact with a dark or cursed force. His doll-like nature would translate into some kind of possession or spiritual bond that grants him control over objects or people. He would be a mix of stealth and manipulation, haunting his enemies from the shadows, using enchantments or summoning powers to influence others and protect his secretive existence.

His nickname: THE SHADOW/THE DOLL

Bo Sinclair: The Cunning Fighter (Rogue/Fighter)

Bo would be a Rogue-Fighter hybrid, relying on cunning, deception, and brute strength. His charming Southern accent would serve as a disarming tactic, luring enemies into traps, while his fighter abilities would make him lethal in combat. He’d have a natural charisma that draws people in, only for them to realize too late that he’s set them up for their demise. He’d likely wield traps or intricate weapons that reflect his tactical mind.

His nickname: BO THE TORTURER

Vincent Sinclair: The Sculptor (Artificer)

Vincent would be an Artificer, crafting horrific "art" from his enemies. His quiet and methodical nature would lend itself to crafting traps, weapons, and even using alchemy or magic to mold and shape his surroundings. He’d specialize in creating deadly sculptures or golems from the remains of his enemies, fitting with his obsession with artistic perfection. His silence would make him an elusive and mysterious figure in battle.

His nickname: THE ARTIST

Ghostface: The Shadowy Stalker (Rogue/Ranger)

Ghostface would be a Rogue-Ranger, a stalker who uses stealth and precision to track down his targets. With a preference for knives and ranged attacks, he’d be adept at hiding in plain sight and striking from the shadows. His mask would make him a symbol of fear, and his quick wit would give him an edge in both intelligence and combat.

His nickname: THE BLOODY SOLDIER

Jack Torrance (Berserker/Warlock)

In a medieval setting, Jack would be the type of warrior who once upheld order but has now been corrupted by darker forces. His axe would become a symbol of his madness, and his warlock abilities could manifest as hallucinations or eldritch whispers, pushing him further into insanity. His unpredictability and violent outbursts would make him as dangerous to his allies as to his enemies, and his descent into madness would reflect the darker elements of his personality.

His nickname: THE CURSED/FALLEN KNIGHT

[reverieparacosm]

Could i perhaps request what it would be like to be in a relationship with the witch-king during his reign of Angmar? F!Reader please! (Also hello hope you are well!)

Headcanons what it would be like to be in a relationship with the Witch-King of Angmar

Witch-King of Angmar (Lord of the Rings) x F!Reader

Warnings: manipulative behavior, toxic relationship, possessive behaviors, worshipping

Note: Hiii! I am fine. :D I am happy that someone finally wants a Witch-King fanfic! There are not enough fanfics about him! :3

Living in Angmar, you would be surrounded by a desolate and barren landscape. The realm itself reflects the Witch-King's malevolent influence, adding to the overall sense of despair and hopelessness

You become a source of light and hope for the Witch-King

You see beyond his dark exterior and recognize the flicker of humanity that still resides within him. Your presence challenges his beliefs and makes him question his allegiance to Sauron

"You are mine, body and soul. No one else shall lay claim to what belongs to me."

His possessive and manipulative nature would drive him to do anything to have you and keep you away from others

You would be the first person to evoke unfamiliar emotions within him, and he would be determined not to let you slip away easily

The Witch-King has high expectations regarding your appearance in public. He will not tolerate you dressing like a slob, and he will react strongly if you challenge him on this matter

Prepare to be lavished with an extravagant amount of jewelry. The Witch-King will spare no expense in adorning you with opulent accessories

He would give you your own servants

His love language for him can be quality time together, although sometimes he can leave his comfort zone and be affectionate with physical contact

Despite the darkness that surrounds him, the Witch-King has an insatiable desire to make you happy

"In my arms, you shall find ecstasy that transcends the mortal realm. I will show you pleasures beyond your wildest imagination."

He may go to great lengths to fulfill your desires and shower you with extravagant gifts and grand gestures

He treats you like an absolute Queen

Living with the Witch-King would likely require you to isolate yourself from the outside world

Your relationship would need to be kept secret, and your interactions with others would be limited to ensure your safety and the preservation of the Witch-King's image

The halls of Angmar would be populated by monsters, serving as the Witch-King's loyal minions. These monsters would add to the sense of dread and foreboding within the realm

Being in a relationship with the Witch-King would expose you to constant fear and danger. His enemies would view you as a potential weakness to exploit, making you a target for their attacks

A deep sense of loyalty binds you to the Witch-King. Despite the challenges and dangers, you find yourself drawn to him, captivated by his enigmatic presence and the intensity of your connection

He is quite interested in what you like, and he is willing to learn things you like just for the fun of it

Occasionally, he may refer to you as his pet. However, it is crucial to note that anyone else who dares to use that term in reference to you will face a painful death

"My love for you is an eternal flame, burning brighter with each passing moment. No distance or obstacle can extinguish it."

Having the Witch-King as your protector ensures that no one with a functioning brain would dare to mess with you. The mere thought of crossing him fills people with unimaginable fear, and some individuals are even afraid to look in your direction due to the consequences they may face

He becomes fiercely protective of you, willing to defy Sauron's orders to keep you safe

Sauron would be jealous of the Witch-King's divided attention and suspicious of your influence on his most trusted servant. He would closely monitor your interactions, trying to discern any signs of disloyalty or betrayal

"I am the shadow that protects you, my love. With a single command, I can bring kingdoms to their knees and shape the world to our whims."

[bestworstcase]

Salem isn't really the "evil" fairy godmother in my opinion.

I think it'd be more accurate to say that she's the fairy godmother who just gives you EXACTLY what you asked for, but the consequences of that desire are always still there good, bad and everything in between.

You want revenge for your sister? Okay, Salem'll let you beat her to death, but she's still immortal and will come back eventually.

You want to destroy your former home? Okay she'll help you do that, but it's your problem if you end up pissing off someone else and they decide to kill you because of your decisions.

Basically, she'd do exactly as the contract asks of her so long as you're handling it in good faith, but it's your job to read the fine print.

i mean

just because salem doesn’t operate like the villainous archetype she presents as (i.e. malevolently making promises she has no intention of honoring, stabbing her people in the back for no reason once they’ve "outlived their usefulness," generally having no understanding of human motivations aside from fear, etc) doesn’t mean she doesn’t actively hurt people.

she keeps her word unless the other party breaks their end of the bargain first (this is true even of lionheart; she asks him a question, waits for his answer, doesn’t turn to violence until he attacks the seer and tries to make a break for it) – and she deliberately, consistently utilizes fear and pain as tools of control. these things can coexist.

and with regard to cinder specifically, salem is in no way just sitting on her hands and allowing cinder to experience the natural consequences of getting what she asks for; she doesn’t want to keep her promise to cinder and she’s been throwing everything at a wall since v4 to see what will stick to wean cinder off wanting the other maidens – and when that fails she brings the hammer down and that’s the impetuous for the power struggle in v8. salem only budges on this because cinder demonstrates with terrifying effectiveness that she IS willing to literally die on this hill, and afterward falls over herself to praise cinder for showing a smidge of restraint in choosing not to obsessively pursue winter.

the whole multivolume conflict between cinder and salem is predicated on salem trying to wriggle out of the deal, by means that include intimidation and violence.

and like yeah she doesn’t lift a finger to spare people the natural consequences of their choices unless your name is cinder fall. but that’s. pretty secondary to the part where she hurts people if they don’t do as she says – whether physically (hazel, lionheart) or emotionally (tyrian). she is cruel. it’s evil to treat people the way salem treats her own followers. that she is, broadly, right about the gods, and correct in her condemnation of the huntsmen system as a vehicle for enacting the divine plan, does not and should not negate her abusing her associates.

that’s one of the central conceits of the story, that someone can be right and also do horrifically evil things in service of a just cause. rwby is far more unflinching in its commitment to this idea than most stories but it’s not like this is a novel concept. let’s not defang the narrative by ignoring salem’s literal on-screen actions.

like. the reason i argue that 1. salem hasn’t ever gone to war like this before and has in fact mostly not dignified ozma’s shadow war with her participation, and 2. has not made a systematic effort to wipe out silver-eyes as opposed to taking out a single very high-profile target who went around calling herself ‘the grimm reaper’ fifty or so years ago, is because both of these ideas—that salem has been warring with oz all this time and that silver eyes are rare because salem hunts them down—are unsubstantiated beliefs asserted by characters who expressly do not have all the facts, and do not really hold up to close examination.

(ozpin was at the highest point ozma has ever achieved when salem utterly, completely thrashed him, and she’s wiped two kingdoms off the map in less than two years, and she made it look effortless. ozma hasn’t been successful in fending her off for thousands of years; she simply hasn’t been trying. likewise, silver-eyed warriors are culturally expected to devote their lives to fighting grimm until they die, of course the trait is rare, and there is zero indication so far that salem made any attempts on summer’s life—you know, the silver-eyed warrior who worked for ozpin?—prior to summer deliberately seeking her out. it makes far more sense to conclude that salem is indifferent to silver-eyes as a class and picks off specific individual silver-eyed warriors who threaten her interests. also they’re supposed to be VANISHINGLY RARE, i promise salem does not have a cellar full of dozens of silver-eyed victims floating in vats of grimm goo, where would she even find them all.)

arguing that she Doesn’t Do things we literally see her do on screen numerous times is just flatly countertextual. we can acknowledge that her evil actions are in fact evil. it’s fine

[princess-of-the-corner]

Heading out to the shops, but with what mindriz said regarding Cortivcal Cocoon in mind here's a quick rundown:

1: It can be connected to these two fics:

No One Misses You & Chrysididae

2: it was initially inspired by:

Trying to explain stuff like Lila's shift from lying teen to malevolent supervillain & what seemed to be certain other potential targets personality shifts in later seasons. Though the latter is more vague.

3: It grapples with:

Themes of identity, the self, infections parasites and more.

4: It relies heavily on analyzing Akuma, IE:

Akuma can clearly reproduce and self power on their on given what we saw in Origins, both with the Akuma making an army & Hawk Moth not needing to become Scarlet for it to work.

Akuma clearly have some degree of will of their own but how much will varies wildly, with some being rather subservient to Hawk Moth & others like Robustus outright betraying him.

Akuma and their victims blur the lines of identity & influence. With Mylene only having a subconscious influence on the Akuma to like Ivan. While Style Queen basically subjugates her Akuma & is the one calling the shots, it only serving to make her slightly more unhinged. While people like Nathanial are more fifty fifty.

Akuma are a corruptive force given the emphasis on purification, which indicates not purifying or not purifying properly can have consequences.

5: This all leads to the concept of infestation/corruption & the creation of Imago.

Imago being the name for a being that was once an Akuma (Or Akuma essence) acting as a parasite on a person but has now essentially evolved, hatch from a cocoon, shed its shells, ETC, into a permanently new creature. This cannot be undone by purification anymore than aging can.

6: There's tons of ways to become an Imago

From simply being stuck as an Akuma long enough that the transformation becomes permanent.

To being so lost that one's transformation into an Akuma skips the Akuma phase entirely.

To willingly using the Akuma as a sort of means of reincarnation of ascension.

To subjugating the Akuma and essentially absorbing it into one's self.

To the most sinister method, corruption & infestation.

This can start or function in several ways but the basic idea is someone is either Akumatized & then released with no purification happening. Or Akuma energies are transmitted into them, usually while asleep or by an Akumatized item they don't know they are wearing. Or even by particles of energy falling off the Akuma, or partial transformations done by assailing them with butterflies while they sleep, usually causing nightmares.

These all serve to foster the beginning of an infection/infestation in the subjects as the newly born entity slowly spreads its metaphorical tendrils through the subject, feeding on their negative emotions & then fostering them over time. Instinctively at first but an identity distinct but based on the host will emerge with time and success.

Eventually it will seek to either absorb the host or outright shed them, usually at the hosts expense. Though some can fuse with them if they are aligned enough. Some will ne outright hostile to their host to even their own detriment, usually due to said host not cooperating but being unable to evict them.

These elements will lead to steady shifts in personality, IE, Lila becoming more malevolent as the Imago influences her, with intent to eventually subsume or shed her like an old shell, leaving only an echo behind.

Or in the latter case, leads to a tug of war going on subconsciously between host & parasite, often having detrimental affects on the hosts personality & mental health regardless of their success, IE, Chloe.

These can avoid being purified by proximity to a Miracle Cure by how they slowly intertwine with the host, becoming part of them in essence, and by not being directly targeted by it. Though proximity to a Miracle Cure can undo some degree of recent work that has not yet stabilized.

Also being Akumatized & then purified does not necessarily free one from the Imago unless it was done intentionally. (Usually very hard). Reason being the Imago usually keeps itself distinct from the Akuma while using it and the time Akumatized to hasten its work. The Imago's presence can make it both easier to be Akumatized and hasten the process of Imagoization.

They can be exorcised but its a painful and hard process if its been going on long enough & can lead to varying degrees ague memories & the sense of one having been trapped in a nightmare.

7: The Butterfly has zero power over Imago

IE, they are their own beings, though this does mean they often lose some of their extraneous powers. Or that sad powers become more subtle and take longer to work.

IE, without the connection to the butterfly, transmitting one's energies and or transforming someone like Darkblade did or Syren wanted to do with Kim becomes a much more drawn out process or near impossible as its simply not in their power set.

8: Conclusion

So yeah its a bit grim but fascinating.

Also I call the "Take control of Akuma" method of becoming an Imago the "No U" method cos I think that's fun. Its basically raw willpower and sheer force of personality. Hence why people like Chloe & Audrey don't change much when Akumatized, for good and ill in both cases:

IE Chloe as Antibug just wants to prove a point but not kill anyone while Audrey already so awful giving her power & a slight slip in control means she goes to mass murder on a whim.

Both fascinating and terrifying!

[libellule-ao3]

The Snake's Duality

🔞 | One-Shot | 2 049 words

Also on AO3

Summary: Sebastian has just been released from Azkaban after more than three years in prison. 1 223 days to be exact.

His first instinct is to find Ominis, whose weekly letters rekinkled in extremis his desire to live, drained by the dementors, and he realise that a shadow reeking of malevolence is following him like a shadow.

Relationships: Ominis Gaunt/Sebastian Sallow => Friendship/love

⚠️ This story is rated 🔞. It contains graphic descriptions of violence & torture (Cruciatus curse, torture method inspired by lingchi, also known as "death by a thousand cuts", etc.), dark themes that may be disturbing to some readers.

Dark!Sebastian deserves his own warning: ⚠️

tags: ambiguous relationships, dark drama, sebinis, gauntlow, Sebastian is so protective he's dark, if that makes sense, POV Sebastian, Ominis Gaunt's father mentioned

Masterlist

Sebastian's wand whips through the air and an orange flash of magic strikes this bastard full force, his legs collapsing as if made of jelly. Then ropes spring from the end of his wand and bind him tightly. Sebastian glances furtively towards the entrance to this dark cul-de-sac that leads into Knockturn Alley, barely lit by the yellowish streetlamps that turn onlookers into shadowy silhouettes. None of them notice them. Proof of the effectiveness of his magical protection. Then, with unhealthy glee, the wizard watches the agony and contained rage wring his prisoner's bruised face.

This guy should have known better than to bother Ominis Gaunt.

An unbearable image of his oldest friend being followed down Diagon Alley by that dark wizard flashes through his agitated mind. He saw Ominis' haunted eyes again, tense with the anguish of feeling spied on, stalked like a beast. Unable to bear the situation any longer, the blind wizard probed his immediate surroundings with his echolocation magic and flushed out this invisible predator. For a moment, hope lit up his face as he muttered the name "Sebastian", before fading away as he realized that the man following him was not the one he had hoped for. The stunning spell he cast missed its target but offered him the opportunity to flee into a dark vortex of transport magic without being followed.

Sebastian clenches his fist around his aspen wand as it whips through the air again, letting the anger of this image perforate every nerve ending nestled in his target's tender flesh, like a thousand incandescent needles. Screams more excruciating than those of a prisoner tasting a dementor's kiss tear through the night and pierce the hermetic bubble of magic surrounding them.

"What did you intend to do? Why were you following him?" growls Sebastian for the third time.

Part of him doesn't give a damn about his motives, which he guesses effortlessly, but another, far more fearsome part yearns for them. Sebastian needs to hear the aims of this nuisance, so that they fuel his hatred even more. So that they give this destructive feeling a solid reason to exist!

"I don't know what you're talking about," replies his prisoner, denying any involvement in malicious schemes.

Sebastian's freckled face cracks into that boyish grin that makes some people want to kiss him, and others want to uppercut him. The anticipated pleasure of breaking through that resistance spreads like an oil slick through every cell of his being.

"Don't take me for a moron. Did you think you were being discreet? You've been following him around for at least a week. At work, on walks, at the opera... everywhere!"

Sebastian knows all about it. On his release from Azkaban, his first instinct was to find Ominis, whose weekly letters rekindled, in extremis, his desire to live, dried up by the dementors, and he realised that a shadow reeking of malevolence was following him like a shadow.

First flaw. The man turns deathly pale as he realizes the implications of his words..

“What do you want with him? Who sent you?" insists Sebastian.

The prisoner's stubborn silence is broken by a succession of cracking bones, then by the inhuman-sounding howls that emerge from his throat. This guy doesn't know that the sharp pain of fractures is nothing compared to the pain of their healing - the paradox of a pain as sharp as it is stabbing brought to a climax. That's why the bone-healing potion is always accompanied by powerful analgesics, of which this bastard will of course be deprived.

The nobility of his cause legitimizes all the dark, unhealthy tendencies of a sorcerer overtaxed by years of imprisonment in Azkaban and who has only managed to preserve a few remnants of benevolence from the dementors.

Sebastian grabs hold of his captive's hair, pulls his head back and shoves the vile contents of a vial of Skel-gro into his mouth. He then rubs his throat to force the swallowing reflex, keeping his mouth closed as he would with a small, recalcitrant animal.

Then he waits patiently for the potion to work on his broken skeleton. Beneath the skin, the bones realign, then re-solder. Inconvenienced by the unpleasant noise, Sebastian winces, without looking away.

The man is tough. Despite the excruciating pain, he still finds the courage to spit in his face.

"How could you know I was spying on him if you weren't spying on me? Me, I'm acting on the orders of a powerful person, but you... Look at yourself, boy! You're just another maniac on the streets of London..."

A punch shatters the man's jaw.

"It was Charon* Gaunt who commissioned you, wasn't it? Why? What does he want with Ominis?"

The man spews unintelligible insults and spits out a molar amid bloody mucus. Right on Sebastian's shoes!

The Gaunt name sends shivers down everyone's spine. It's a name synonymous with mysterious disappearances, Dark Arts and atrocities beyond imagination. The head of this family, Charon Gaunt, is a cold, ruthless man. The king of pure-blooded wizards and the dark arts. The one no one dares defy. Except his own son, Ominis, whom Charon wants at his command... And by extension, Sebastian Sallow.

"What did the dead man on probation say?" asks Sebastian, lifting his prisoner's chin with the luminescent end of his wand.

If Sebastian wasn't there, this guy would have hurt Ominis. Too bad for this guy, now that the gates of Azkaban have opened on his freedom, the wizard will always be there. And like all those who tried to hinder the well-being of his loved ones, this man will die under his wand.

But this one is a privileged one who will receive special treatment.

An invisible fire devours the prisoner's clothes with a crackle of sparks, then a severing charm sharper than a scalpel incises his naked body. Then another... The cuts are clean, precise. Superficial. His hand doesn't tremble, the fruit of inflexible determination. The blood beads, then trickles, creating a crimson lace against the pale skin.

At first, the man threatens, curses, promises a thousand abuses in retaliation for standing in the Gaunts' glorious way. But nothing works. As the incisions follow one another, relentless, his pride disintegrates and fear seeps through his bloody wounds.

The wizard doesn't stop as this henchman pisses piteously on himself, mingling the acrid smell of his urine with that of hemoglobin. His bloody agony feeds the relentless monster that consumes every cell of Sebastian Sallow.

Impotence now overwhelms the bastard, smothering his last glimmer of hope. He begins to beg for mercy through his tears, his nose full of snot. This predictable change of attitude stretches Sebastian's lips into a sinister smile. Let him take it out on himself and face the consequences of his actions with dignity, as Sebastian has done by facing each day for three long years. It was his punishment for killing Uncle Salomon, driven by rage against an intransigent authority figure who had dashed all his hopes of curing his sick sister. A man devoid of any understanding when it came to his rebellious nephew.

When he's finished, the guy is unrecognizable, bloodless, lying on the cobblestones draped in his own blood. Inert. Death has reaped him. Or rather, it has ripped his life from him, shred by shred, without anesthetic.

Sebastian turns away from his abominable creation, cleans his soiled shoes with a spell and brings the tip of his wand up to his own temple. Then he gently pulls it apart to extract a luminescent trickle of the last few hours' memories, which the sorcerer deposits in a vial destined for the Gaunt household. A warning that Charon Gaunt could fully appreciate in the Hogwarts pensine, providing him with a pretext to invite himself between the asses of the Headmaster, Phineas Black, unbeknownst to their respective wives.

Most people would probably feel guilt or disgust after torturing this man the way he just did, but Sebastian feels nothing. Or rather, he simplifies things by choosing to feel nothing.

Nothing except relief.

The wizard sighs, his chest lighter with the disappearance of this threat. Ominis is much safer now that Sebastian has annihilated him. And that's all that matters.

Although a reunion is impossible due to a soul too dark, intoxicated by the blackness of Azkaban, the wizard makes sure no one harms the only lingering light in his dull, dreary world. Not even him!

This scum deserves no burial, so Sebastian makes the body disappear into nothingness and leaves the scene.

He reappears on the outskirts of a modest residence, in the heart of a large clearing, surrounded by tall trees. Powerful protective spells surround the building, but they have never hindered Sebastian's incursions as he wraps this cocoon in his own magical shields. From the edge of the adjoining wood, he watches the room glow with a warm light and Ominis' silhouette, against the light, stops in front of the window, his face pressed against the glass and his blind gaze fixed on him.

It's as if he knows...

The thought fills him with emotion and his throat knots.

How long can Sebastian watch him live before desire consumes him? Every day, the wizard must fight against the intense need to find him again, which eats away at his every rational thought.

Forcing these impulses to recede before they take root, he looks up at the stars hanging from the velvet of the night, lingering on the gibbous moon slowly gliding across the sky. Then he turns his attention back to the house, where all the lights are now out.

Taking a few steps towards the building, he almost gives in to the urge to sneak inside, but as always, he clenches his fists to prevent himself from joining in and contaminating him with this gnawing darkness. It takes a Herculean effort!

Ominis is pure and vibrant, even though his family has long since stripped him of his innocence. Sebastian's darkness could dull his light, suffocate him... and that reminder alone keeps him away, but never too far. He remains in the shadow of Ominis Gaunt.

It's the only place where the sorcerer can be himself without harming him.

With a flick of his wand, he wraps himself in a veil of magic to conceal his presence and approaches his bedroom window, plunged in half-light. Moonlight caresses his sleeping figure. His gaze wanders over his pale face, where long black eyelashes spread like crescent moons over his prominent cheekbones. His lips, pink and dry from nervous nibbling, are parted in sleep. Looking at him like that, you'd think he was an angel. Sebastian doesn't know how much longer he stays watching Ominis Gaunt, looking at his forehead wrinkle in thought. He turns onto his other side, his back to Sebastian. The position reminds him of the time long ago when they slept together, curled up in the same bed at Uncle Solomon's, nestled innocently together like two spoons.

Every cell, every atom, in Sebastian is drawn towards his latest friend, and when he can't bear the tension any longer, when the pain in his chest becomes too overwhelming, he gently places his hand on the cold glass and steps aside. Even when everything inside him is screaming to satisfy his instincts.

It's a torture he submits himself to almost every night.

Ever since his dear sister died without having forgiven him for killing their uncle, his affection for Ominis Gaunt is the last good thing left in his life. So Sebastian will never again cause him the slightest grief by involving him in his criminal sins. Because if he ever did, he would lose Ominis forever - in the same way as if he let his sinister family target him. Then there would be no light left in Sebastian and darkness would engulf his whole soul.

Without a sound, the wizard leaves. Each step heavier than the last.

His best friend deserves a peaceful life, the carefree existence he's always been deprived of.

For that, someone has to protect him from the malevolent family he can't see. Wizards who won't bow to reason, let alone morality. Only to an implacable power that outclasses them.

And who better than Sebastian to fight evil with evil?

A/N: Charon was the ferryman of the Underworld in Greek mythology, so he's linked to the passage from one state to another. Considering that in my HC, the birth of Ominis' father marks the decline of the Gaunt family, this name is almost metaphorical, hence my choice of naming him so.

Thank you for reading!

[lomappreciationblog]

Been a while since I did an actual proper version of these kinds of posts - but it's character art appreciation time! Featuring Miss Crystalle from "Can't Look Back," who is not an ice witch. She's kinda pissed off at Mephianse for that.

As far as I know she only appears in this one quest, but I'm sure a lot of people remember her appearance - I know I do. I think there is one other quest involving the pirates in Fieg Snowfields, but I don't think Crystalle appears in that one.

She really just pops up once and never comes up again lol, but she's a strongly established character via her design elements and personality.

The Character Tome is actually the only thing that reveals more actual information about her: mainly, it gives her name, and it also reveals she's a "Snow Faerie." Which is an odd detail, since for starters she looks nothing like the typical Faerie we see in the game.

All the Faerie we see appear like this, with recolored sprites and portraits distinguishing them, but only a little.

Another oddity of her being named the "Snow Faerie who guards the Garden of Icicle Flowers' has to do with "Can't Look Back," wherein Crystalle herself says the reason why Nakratos became a snow beast was because he intended to ambush and capture a Faerie at the said location.

This kinda makes it ambiguous if Crystalle was actually Nakratos's target and so it's why she kept an eye on him while keeping her distance, or if her being the guardian Faerie of the Garden of Icicle Flowers means she was just doing her duty when she witnessed his transformation. Crystalle herself doesn't show any fighting ability in the quest, despite what Mephianse said about her, but Crystalle does seem to indicate Nakratos has failed to capture even a single Faerie, so it's possible that has to do with her, perhaps she had some sort of restrictive measures put over him but was unable to defeat him herself. Again, it's all a bit ambiguous, but I imagine Crystalle would have been mightily pissed off at Mephianse slandering her if the case really was that she had been Nakratos's target.

...this is a character art appreciation post, not analysis, so moving on - well, Crystalle actually has a detailed entry in the "Art of Mana" book, made again by character artist Nao Ikeda!

I wonder if there's some sort of change or translation slip because the art book introduces Crystalle as "Enchantress of the Snow Fields". Nothing about her entry mentions her being a Faerie, which might be the reason why she doesn't really share any characteristics with them, it seems like she wasn't even meant to be one. In fact, one of the notes even says she's "more like a demon" though it could just be visual description rather than character lore.

Here's the all the notes typed up:

Here's the note to the right of the chibi illustration:

"In contrast to her fluffy cotton hat, her hair is like columnar joints and her kimono sleeves use crystals to convey a sharp look."

Here's the note in the middle of the ink drawings:

"More like a demon than a magical being. She might have a horn growing under her bridal hood."

The bottom note:

"She's the enchantress of the snow fields, so for her design I included things like a cotton hat that looks like piles of snow and hair that hangs like icicles. In the story, she's also like the old Japanese folklore tale of the snow woman (Yuki-onna), so her bangs and clothes have a somewhat Japanese look to them. (Ikeda)"

These notes do confirm that Crystalle's similarities to the Yuki-onna are deliberate, and Nao Ikeda speculating she might have a horn under her "bridal hood" also gives her the flavor of an oni. Interestingly, despite these motifs of more frightful yokai, in the final game Crystalle doesn't seem to be malevolent at all. She just sounds harsh towards Mephianse, but can you blame her after he misunderstood what happened?

Here's close-ups of the concept art:

Nao Ikeda likes making chibi illustrations of her characters - it's really cute! It does seem like she was rather fond of Crystalle to draw her this much, but I'm just speculating.

The Crystalle art we see in game dropped the detailing of the pattern on her robes - the shape of the clothes is actually quite different too, in Mr. Kameoka's official art for LOM. In Nao Ikeda's work, it seems like Crystalle wears some sort of ice-like stockings, but in-game she looks like she has furry legs.

I think this one is still Nao Ikeda's work, but she did draw Crystalle here in a way that's more similar to Mr. Kameoka's work. The eyes, especially.

Another chibi on top, but these bottom two ink drawings remind me of Final Fantasy art. I can't quite put my finger on why, but the way Crystalle looks her reminds of Ultimecia from FF 8.

Hope this was interesting! Sources for the art are screenshots from the HD version of Legend of Mana on the switch, and the concept art are pictures I took from the Art of Mana book.

[hikariyuushiart]

Elevator Girl and Mr. Scarletella

Another rainy day. It was the only time she could come here. Sometimes she hoped things would go smoothly. Sometimes she hoped that people would be smart enough to stay away from the mysterious decrepit building that seems to appear out of nowhere on a rainy day.

Especially when it was so dark, so late.

But there would always be idiots, drunks, and the easily influenced. And tonight, was one of those very gruesome nights.

The Elevator Girl had just finished piling up her deliveries right beside the elevator door, her clear raincoat still dripping with raindrops when she heard something that made her skin crawl.

Footsteps. Someone else was here.

She gasped, wheeling around to see down the hall, a stumbling large shadow approaching.

"I know you're in here you freak! Come out here where I can--!" The angry voice halted as the man turned the corner to spot the Elevator Girl, beer bottle in hand.

"Oh... oh you're not him. Hey... you haven't seen a creep in all red, have you? Freakin' weirdo... What's a cute little thing like you even doing here?" he asked with a malicious smirk on his face, as if he'd just found a new target.

Her light blue eyes widened in fear.

No. No, no, not like this. I don't need to do this again. Please don't make me do it.

"St-stay back! I'm warning you! Don't come any closer! Just leave! Go away!" she practically screamed, backing away as the larger man drew closer.

"Aww, no need to be scared. Just wanna have a little talk--"

He didn't get to finish his sentence before he noticed something was immediately different in the woman's stance. Behind her dark bangs, her previously light blue eyes had turned a bright red. And out from underneath her coat she pulled out a crowbar, whipping it around and smacking him straight across the face.

She didn't hold back, no matter how much he screamed, no matter how much he begged. Her feelings of self-preservation and fear had turned into gleeful malevolence. A grin plastered onto her face as she continued to hit the body long after it had stopped moving. It was only after the edges of her raincoat were stained with blood that she let out a loud maniacal laugh up to the heavens, eyes wide with a madness and bloodlust.

But it wasn't long before she suddenly stopped, slowly turning to see him.

'The Man with the Red Umbrella'.

Even though his eyes were hidden, she could see his pleased smile from where she stood. She slowly took a few steps towards him, her own maniacal grin slowly calming to more of a smirk.

"Cheeky... you led him right here, didn't you? I guess I should thank you. I haven't had this much fun in a looong time... Goody-Two Shoes has been making sure of that. But maybe next time... pick someone who'll actually struggle, okay?"

Mr. Scarletella let out a soft, distorted chuckle at the bloodthirsty woman's request, teleporting closer so that their noses were nearly touching.

"Understood. You like. I happy. Give name?"

She scoffed, not even flinching when he stood there, his void-like eyes filling her vision.

"You mistake me for someone who can easily be swayed. It's gonna take more than a few fun targets to get me to give my name to you. Maybe if you had asked the 'other me', she would've given in. Not me, though." She'd finally step back, turning her back to him as she opened up the elevator and started to pull the red wagon inside.

"As usual, the body's all yours. Pleasure doing business with you."

She'd turn to face the doors as she went to press the button. Mr. Scarletella would only tilt his head ever so slightly as the elevator door closed between them.

Only a few seconds later did her eyes turn light blue, letting out a gasp as if she'd been holding her breath and she leaned against the wall of the elevator for support. Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes as she stared at nothing.

There's no escaping it is there? He won't let me back in unless I pay that fee. That's why he led him here. He knew I wouldn't be able to resist as soon as I was in peril. He knew I had to. I just can't...

I can't escape.

[solreads]

A World Worth Saving - Review

Title: A World Worth Saving

Author: Kyle Lukoff

Genre: Fantasy

Sub-Genres: Mythology

Audience: Middle Grade

Format: Novel

Representation: Trans Boy POV character 

Trans girl and nonbinary supporting characters

Summary: Since coming out to his parents, fourteen-year-old trans boy A Izenson’s life has grown increasingly bleak and confined as his parents force him to attend Save Our Sons and Daughters, a “support group” for victims of the “transgender craze,” cut him off from his friends, and subject him to constant misgendering and deadnaming. His holding pattern, trying to keep his head above the water until he can escape his parent’s household, finally breaks when his friend Yarrow, a fellow forced attendee of SOSAD, disappears, and A’s attempts to get answers instead reveal a world of supernatural threats.

Demons fuel the fight against trans rights to feed on the suffering it brings. All around him, A begins to see the malevolent sheydim swaying the people’s minds towards hatred. And a strange golem made of wind and trash follows him with cryptic messages about his part to play in an ancient struggle.

Thrust into the fight and forced on the run, A and Sal, a trans girl from SOSAD, must figure out how to survive, much less take on threats from both the mundane and supernatural worlds at once.

Reflections: A was such a frustrating character at times. There’s a secondary focus on intra-community issues, specifically the ways we can get caught up in our own struggles or those of our sub-groups and not be good allies to other (often more vulnerable) members of our community. The story explores this by making A increasingly self-absorbed and unempathetic towards his friend Sal in very overt ways. Obviously, it’s to serve a purpose, but, man, does it get frustrating. As an adult, I think I have more sympathy for A being a fourteen-year-old in a truly miserable, stressful situation, but also find the way his flaws are portrayed to be sort of heavy-handed. I wonder how I would have taken it when I was in the target audience, if I would have found him too irritating (and, ironically, not have had much empathy for him), or if I wouldn’t have noticed/minded the blunt approach as much.

I enjoyed how Jewish mythology was incorporated and how A’s kind-of, sort-of chosen one schtick was written.

There was plentiful discussion of different beliefs within Judaism and how they do and don’t fit with everything A is discovering. It meshed real-world beliefs with the interpretations and choices that fit the story. The golem manifests this in a fun way, starting as a very unconventional iteration of a golem and eventually coming to understand that it only latched on to that identity and might be something entirely new. It was an interesting way to address the fact that the myth did not quite fit what the author needed and it was sweet to see a couple of trans kids help an ancient, inhuman being start to realize it can define itself.

A being chosen but not The Chosen One was a good choice for his character and the book's themes led him to have some arrogance and bull-headed tendencies while at the same time feeding his insecurities and providing a way to wrap it all up nicely. He isn't special except in the ways that everyone is. He's chosen, but so were others before him and so could others replace him. It fits.

Warnings: Frequent depictions of transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming, dysphoria, intracommunity transphobia. Depictions of conversion therapy, both realistic and fantasy versions. 

Notes on Rep: MC identifies explicitly, on-page as a transgender boy. 

[chaitantei-ao3]

6.

Mac marches towards them, “I didn’t clear you. You’re not cleared.” He looks in between them wild eyed. “Not-not-not cleared!” Dennis takes a reassuring breath, the fog clearing from his mind. “Shut up, Mac. Stop harassing the customers.”

“No, he’s not. I did not clear him. So he’s not-” Mac stares between them, his jaw hardening. “Would you step away sir!”

“…Uh.” Roy looks at Dennis, “Did something-”

Dennis taps his hand, “Don’t worry, this is just for show, he just wants attention it’s honestly quite pathe-”

Mac takes a running start, twisting his foot and kicks wildly off target.

“What is happening?” Roy hiccups.

Mac rubs his back, gets up and lunges at Roy, “This is a security threat of the highest level. Code Alpha. Code Yellow. Code Orange. Immediate elimination. Charlie, I need backup!”

“Mac what are you-! Let him go.” The goddamn moron is going to make me lose all the customers.

Dennis rounds the counter but Mac is quicker, dragging a helpless Roy by his armpits to the door, the scotch is too much for him to do anything about it. By the time he reaches, Mac has pushed him out on the footpath, “Do not come here ever again!” He shuts the door on his face, turns back, his hair in a disarray.

“Dennis. You-you’re fine, yeah?”

“Of course I’m-” Mac looks at him, his mouth slightly open. Dennis looks down and sees he’s clenching his fingers hard into a fist.

“…I-I’m fine!” Dennis releases his grip, feeling his palm ache.

“Oh my god, Dennis.” Mac reaches for his hand, pressing his fingers on the crescent marks. Dennis feels a gentle warmth seep into him, overflowing from Mac’s gaze down to the way he rubs his knuckles and the knot inside him eases. Mac presses his hands together on his, sliding his thumb between his index. Dennis feels a frisson of electricity down his spine.

Mac licks his bottom lip, crossing himself, “I can’t believe he came right in and-” He looks at Dennis, his mouth trembling. “I could sense his malevolent intentions toward you right away, Dennis. Don’t you worry now.” Mac shakes his head, “Didn’t he read the goddamn sign, Jesus Christ.”

“You- you were the one who-! What the fuck Mac. People are walking past the bar you idiot!”

“I got to know that they’ve organised a pub crawl in the gay bars in Philly.”

“Did they? How do you know that?”

“I happened to be passing by the Rainbow. ”

“Passing by.” Dennis says, dryly.

“And-and I heard about it so I came back to make sure that they don’t include Paddy’s in it.” Mac says, shaking his head in horror. “We are not a gay bar, Dennis. It’s-it’s wrong, it’s not allowed .”

Dennis shakes his head and slaps Mac’s hand away. Mac looks at his hand, opening and closing his fist.

“You know what Mac? You are a goddamn moron.” Dennis says. “You have customers literally walking into the bar and you’re turning them away?! Do you even remember we have a serious problem at our hands? Frank has basically written us off. Now that guy, the guy you just threw out on the road was a customer .”

Mac glares at him, “A customer, huh.”

Dennis narrows his gaze, “A paying customer and practically the only one in sight.”

“Oh right, he’s so important. He’s going to give us money, he’s going to save Paddy’s.” Mac scoffs.

“That’s what customers do! He was also going to get his friends over. And you know what that means? More-”

“Oh my god.” Mac says. “More of-” He shudders, “Absolutely not.”

“First.” Dennis pinches the bridge of his nose, “They were his buddies from the place he works . He’s got a job in construction. Maybe they are gay, maybe they’re not. Who gives a shit?”

“Oh.” Mac says, scratching his neck, “Looks like I interrupted a reunion between best friends now. You know all about him.”

“A friendship is clearly not what he was looking for, in case you didn’t notice Mac.” Dennis says, satisfied seeing the blood rush to his face. “Second, I’ve really had enough of this incredibly homophobic- ”

Mac clicks his tongue, “That’s what the liberals are up to these days huh. Good old God fearing men are being called names. No wonder we’re living in such dark times I-” Dennis tunes him out, walking toward the entrance, peering into the night. The broken street lamp round the street corner flickers and illuminates it in brief flashes.

“Are you listening to me Dennis! What are you-” Mac takes quick steps toward the door, putting a hand on his shoulder. Sighing, he switches the ‘Closed’ sign to ‘Open’. “He left.” Dennis crosses his arms on his chest. “All thanks to you, just fucking great. I worked so hard and-”

“Dennis you didn’t actually want him to -” Dennis watches a look of absolute disgust envelop Mac’s face. “You didn’t want-”

“I don’t see how it’s any concern of yours.” Dennis bites out.

Mac looks at him, jaw dropping. Shaking his head vigorously, he says. “That’s not true!” Mac’s fingers curl on his shoulder, moving up to caress the back of his neck. Dennis raises a brow, feeling tiny hairs stand up. “You’re my No.1 concern! Always! And I saw you right now. You were all- you looked so out of it. You were not yourself!”

“Right-” Dennis shakes his head, “Mac, you see. That’s a classic case of projection making you see such things.”

“I know what I saw.” Mac rolls his eyes. “I know you , Dennis. You- you” Mac swallows, his gaze settling on him. “You are my… partner .” Dennis suppresses a sliver of electricity crackling up and down his spine where his fingers are still touching his neck. “You are…” Mac’s gaze lands on his mouth.

“ Nein got you sir. Mac!” They hear Charlie exiting the basement. Mac’s eyes widen and he drops his hand. Taking a step away he scratches the back of his neck. “And as partners we run this business together. We decide things together . You agreed, Dennis.” Mac looks at him, “We all agreed that we won’t be a gay bar and so that’s that.” Mac says.

Dennis snorts, ignoring the tingle on his shoulder. “There won’t be a bar to run anymore with the way we’re going. Throwing away potential customers and-”

“Not when I’m done.” Mac says, looking at him. “Charlie you got it?”

“If that’s going to stop you from putting up that thing.”

“It’s not- I just don’t think we have the money. And I think I’ve found a much better answer to our problems.”

“What the hell is this?” Dennis says.

“Pull up your sleeves, gentlemen.” Mac says, picking on the ends of his frayed shirt. “We’ve got ourselves an exorcism.”

Read more

[nights-nonsensical-ramblings]

Hi :) got any knuckles headcanons? (or sonic hc in general)

Alright, buckle up cuz I’m about to live up to the third part of my name

Knuckles may have a short temper but He’s super chill and calm most of the time, Sonic is just exceptionally good at pressing his buttons.

He may act all rough and tough but he’s a huge softie and once you get to know him you’ll see his kind and gentle side.

he’s so good with small creatures and knows how to restrain his strength so he doesn’t hurt them.

Chao really, really like him. He grew up around them and know how to look after them.

It is not rare for Knux to end up in a pile chao. Especially on colder nights.

Since he can sense chaos he’s able to recognize all of his friends chaos signatures and he can tell exactly who’s on Angel Island. (It is possible for him to miss someone in the same way you can miss someone calling your name if you’re really focused on something)

It also means he gets an early warning for any chaos based moves and attacks.

His strong connection to chaos also leads to him being a target for things like ghosts.

He’s able to sense them, but they’re able to sense him. Malevolent ghosts will attack him first most of the time and ones without any true goal will follow around after him.

Knuckles’ Guardianship starts to apply to the people he cares about and anyone who hurts them will have an angry Guardian to deal with. (But he’s still willing to beat his friends up for fun because that’s a way sonic characters bond.)

He plays the aloof card, but he gets super worried when a friend is injured. Being a protector is a huge part of him and he doesn’t like to see what he protects in danger.

Less of a headcannon and more of an idea I like. (Although, with the Master Emerald this is possible.) But Knuckles with healing powers speaks to me, him being a skilled warrior who most people only see when he’s riled up for a fight, but also a gentle and kind healer that very few people ever get a chance to see.

and the idea of him being a grumpy healer who will yell at you for getting yourself into danger has plenty of entertainment value.

I love it when Knuckles get to have echidna traits. They’re such a cool animal an I think that should be acknowledged. Knuckles has big long claws like a real echidna does perfect for digging.

digging is a relaxing activity for him and he’s accidentally scared his friends many times by popping out of the ground with zero warning.

Also Since he’s an echidna he’s electroreceptive

the first time he was in a modern house he was so confused. He could sense electricity everywhere but no one else had any clue what he was talking about.

thats also another reason why he hates wearing communicators. He’s constantly able to feel electricity moving through it and it feels uncomfortable. (Tails is working on one with a lower electrical output for him)

It also means he’s the go to for finding faulty wiring. Tails just points out a room and asks him if the electricity feels weird.

The Master Emerald raised him and used its power to guide and teach him.

His ability to glide has a level of m.e influence to it. I’m not set on how much, but his gliding working the way it does can’t be 100% natural.

knuckles’ connection with the Master Emerald means that if he chose to fully tap into the Master Emerald’s power he’d have the potential to be one of the most powerful and dangerous creatures on the planet. The Master Emerald has been able to mess with time and space like it was nothing. It breaks the rules of gravity on a daily basis. It can make the chaos emeralds useless.

But Knuckles doesn’t believe the power is his to use and believes he is only there to guard it.

a situation would have to be truly, truly dire for him to choose to wield it.

Okay I still have a lot more than this, but I’m gonna cut it off here before I go on forever.

[jacqcrisis]

I’ve had this idea stuck in my craw that I've been bothering collaborating with @clinic-crew of a BG3 modern AU, but by modern AU, I mean it’s the same fucking fantasy everything as baldur’s gate, but now the world is somewhat equivalent to the late 1980’s/early 1990’s. Cars are everywhere. Computers are happening. Capitalism and consumerism are tightening their grasp on the willing yet helpless public. Fantasy pacman is a thing.

The story centers around Caedis, the world’s worst police officer who also happens to be Bhaal’s flesh made manifest into a tiefling who looks like the devil and probably is him as well. Caedis is unnecessarily cruel, malevolent, sadistic, gleefully abusing every ounce of his power at every conceivable moment as he knows he’ll get away with it because half of the police force is his fellow Bhaalists and also he and the high-ranking politician Gortash are in both metaphorical and literal bed together. They have a plan to essentially seize control of the city’s government through an infiltration of the police force, the introduction of the Steel Watch, targeted assassinations of Gortash’s political opponents, and a bunch of other gears that are already in motion.

Life for Caedis is great. He lives in a miasma of Bhaal approval, can do whatever the fuck he wants, and the second this plan all comes together, he’s going to murder Gortash and raze the city in the name of dear old daddy. Things could not be going better.

And then he fucks a vampire against his police car when he’s supposed to be aiding in burning down the Szarr Palace to take out another one of Gortash’s political opponents and a series of dominoes fall down from there. This ends in a coup where Orin, jealous of daddy’s approval and mad at her brother-uncle once again ignoring responsibilities to go be The Worst, ambushes him en route to Gortash’s estate, shoots him in the head with an enchanted gun, and leaves him for dead in a ditch.

Eighteen hours later, Caedis wakes up covered in dirt as the last vestiges of a dream consisting of a gold laden ghoul with a book and quill asking him ‘what is the worth of single mortal life’ fades from his mind's eye. He’s alive. The fog of Bhaal’s influence is gone for the first time since he was a child and there’s only one thing that’s crystal clear in his fucked up brain now:

He’s got to go fucking murder Orin.

What happens next in a tale as old as time: Murder Man Mcstabface has to go obtain a crew and a fuckload of magical weapons to stand a chance against Orin as he slowly regains his semblance of humanity under the extreme guilt and despair at his horrible actions now allowed to manifest in his brain post-bulletfication while also fighting the Urges that keep cropping up. He makes friends with people… somehow. He becomes a person. He regrets and wants to stop this evil plan he secretly put into motion.

He falls in love with the vampire he inexplicably saved from being burned alive in the Szarr Palace by fucking him against his car with whom he has an extremely fucked up relationship with and who he desperately wants to kill.

It’s a lot. There’s a lot more. But that’s the long and the short of it. If I knew how to write it, I would cause it’s stuck in my brain and I need this horrible, angry, emotionally stunted durge man to not be in my brain anymore.

[tumblingxelian]

Chrysididae 

The Birth of the Hero Chrysididae!

A student film premiers, a lost heiress in enraged at the perceived betrayal of her sponsor, classmates, family and even oldest friend.

Why she wonders, why do these things keep happening to me?

It is a question she had wondered before but only rarely, too often it was too easy to find some enemy to blame, or her own lack of exceptional talent.

But on this day, when she reflects on Gabriel Agreste's souless stare from the tablet, something clicks.

He did this on purpose.

Like one domino hitting another, it sets off a chain of memories and with them a realization.

On what was to be Adrien's first day of school, the first Akuma appears, despite the fact that surely other teenagers were embarrassed or angered.

This should have scared Adrien and compelled him to stay home, but no.

So it is again with Stoneheart, but somehow, for some reason he chooses Chloe as a victim despite nearly every member of class being terrified and enraged, despite his intent to be to confess his love to Mylene.

He still takes the time to kidnap Chloe, who was the instigator of Adrien's rebellion.

This would be her first near death, but not the last.

Lady Wifi would come next, suitably aggrieved perhaps but to what purpose? Hawk Moth of all people should know Chloe could not have been Ladybug, so there needs to be another motive, one to target the girl and not a presumed hero.

Ah yes, punishing her for helping Adrien slip his grasp.

Evilillustrator, would be next, neglecting the humiliation and abuse his teacher subjected him to in favor or murdering a girl for a snide comment regarding his crush.

Now you might say, what of Roger, Rose, Juleka and Kim?

But remember, even an Akuma will not go against the deep and abiding instincts of its source human. Their loved one's may be in endangered on accident or in a deranged bit to assist them.

But never would they be intentionally harmed.

In this same vain, a man who believes wholeheartedly in his duty to be of service to the community, a girl whose most malevolent self only wanted a dream wedding, a girl who wished to be seen and a boy who wished for love to disappear.

All Akuma that either would not or could not kill by their nature or that of their powers. They would be insufficient for breaking the girl who defied him.

Antibug is where things begin to change.

Convinced that her beloved idol hated her just as her mother always had, Chloe began to break. So much so she could not avoid his Akuma this time.

Able to defeat Chat Noir and a fair match for Ladybug she was one of the stronger Aluma. Not in the upper echelons like Style Queen or Sanboy, but worth stoking over the coals for an even greater reaction.

Speaking of Style Queen, you may question why Gabriel would allow his son, who has so far avoided all harm from any Akuma to be struck low.

I remind you that while his control is great it is not infinite. I would add that not only does Hawk Moth's ego outstrip his control but so too does his scheming.

Why snub the notoriously angry Style Queen? Why would Nathalie, an otherwise sensible woman go along with the insult. Only to see him retract it the next day? Why was Gabriel who has refused to leave his manor in all other attacks absent when the Style Queen invaded his home?

Why if not for the fact he sought to make Style Queen and with Mayura's help could do so. But she was not enough alone, but her presence would bring about inspiration for his newest scheme.

It would bring about Queen Wasp.

But first, you may question why Gabriel would allow his son, who has so far avoided all harm from any Akuma to be struck low. I remind you that while his control is great it is not infinite, and would go further and note how strange it is that Gabriel would be absent from his manor.

He would not leave during any other Akuma attack, yet the this one? How odd, lest

Murdered by her mother the day before, then rejected by her yet again, mind on the edge of snapping she orchestrated her own self destruction and from the wreckage crawled the first Akumatized Miraculous User.

For we cannot call her a hero.

Who was the next Akuma, but her own father. His intent with her just as it was with his wife, to keep her in Paris for his own pleasure at her expense. Conveniently ensuring Hawk Moth's new muse could not slip the leash she did not even know was fastening around her neck.

Just as hoped it would see, she was chosen this time to wield a Miraculous and she would be chosen again on Heroes' Day. Hawk Moth's only known effort to Akumatize others rather than letting the people of Paris do his work for him.

This was where we first saw sign of Mayura and to any who have been wondering. Yes, this is why The Collector & Simon Says mean so little. There was always a hidden second who could have commanded the Akuma, and if not, paint a target on his back from a target so far away that the here's would surely arrive in time.

With Mayura's arrival came a new wave of terror, not just for Paris but Chloe in particular.

Don't believe me, I do not blame you, but it is the truth.

Over the months following Heroes Day, battle after battle would be fought before the former Miraculous Holder. Always in front of her home where the Bee Signal shone, always to see her rejected by her idol.

From this came Miracular.

Close, but not close enough, Chloe resister the Akum, but Sabrina could not and within moments of Chat's arrival Mayura was upon them.

The villains had been waiting, a clear signal they had been observing her for sometimes, a clear signal of their continued interest.

Especially given, despite the months of absence, the moment it was necessary, Queen Bee flew again. Even as Ladybug swore this would be the last time as she doubtlessly had done for the last two months of battle.

Only to change her mind as needs demanded it.

But do not think her egotistical my witnesses. It was not merely Chloe who was targeted but another as well.

Marinette Dupain Cheng. A girl who has yet to be Akumatized, who holds a disdain for liars and seeks truth. Such an ideal recipe for an Akuma that could force Ladybug & Chat Noir into the light.

Thus it was, she'd be framed for cheating, theft and assault before her classmates by one Lila Rossi. Perhaps this would not convince you alone but I ask.

How did Hawk Moth know the class he has so often predated on, the class which contains Adrien Agrest, if he did not have a hand in this event?

This was not the first time Lila was used as such. Whispering sweet lies into Chloe's ears about how to summon Ladybug but leaving her humiliated instead.

Has she not done the same with others? Kagami for instances.

Decaying day by day, and nightmare by nightmare, Miracle Queen approached and this is where it all comes together.

Her feuding parents presenting with a garment both ugly and enraging that binds them together by a man who proclaims himself a designer.

An Akuma on the scene in mere moments, to combine them into one. The parents turned against the child enough to harm her yet again, but kept from devouring her. Finally, the Bee Signal sabotaged.

Why this family, why this girl even before the Miraculous? Who would know her well enough to orchestrate such targeted strikes against her psyche? What man has the motive, resources and insight to break Chloe Bourgeois?

Why its the same man whose beloved assistant fell ill at the same time as Mayura vanished from the field of battle. Its the same man who had a hand in the transformation of Style Queen & Heart Hunter. It is the same man who promised a desperate girl a movie, only to rip it away with a subtle smile. Knowing his Akuma would find her soon.

But he was not ready for me, or in a way, for her.

Chloe Bourgeois, the girl you knew, no longer exists. She had no desire to anymore, more than Hawk Moth saw to that.

What she did desire was to prove she was more than a Super Disaster and means by which to free her from the role long since assigned to her.

For the latter, came a Sentimonster not long for this world. Its power exorcising that malevolent miasma of Hawk Moth. But even as it was destroyed the creatures magic did as it was bid.

For his voice had gone silent, the rage faded and the Akuma was taken into more than this mere suit but into the skin, to course through her blood and bury itself in her marrow.

Now I emerge from the girl that was once Chloe Bourgeois with three purposes.

To tell the world of Gabriel's crimes, to defeat Hawk Moth, and be an exceptional Hero.

I am Chrysididae and for what its worth, I am sorry.

[roobylavender]

What do you think Jason’s morals should develop into in your Jason-retires-and-becomes-a-medic AU? Would he still kill people? Would he refuse to aid people who he believes don’t deserve it?

i think these are precisely the impulses that he would have to fight giving into. the problem with his prior ideology is not only that it had a tendency to target innocent people who were merely cogs in a machine but also that it involved him speaking for others when they never asked him to. so it's less that he can't kill bad guys at all and more that he can't kill people's bad guys for them. at least not all of the time like there can be exceptions (eg in lost days when he killed the guy running that child sex trafficking ring). ultimately he has to focus on providing people with the support and the strength to take ownership of their own life so that they can make that decision for themselves. like when we talk about abolition sometimes we tend to cut the conversation short at "the prison system is bad and does not work to address abusers in society" even though what goes hand-in-hand with that is the notion that "the prison system is bad and punishes women for acting in self-defense against their abusers". abolition is not only about abolishing the prison system for its arbitrary categorization of criminals but also its malevolent treatment of civilians who merely try to protect themselves from oppressive aspects of the state and its accessories. jason has to shift his focus towards helping the marginalized operate as a block that is entitled to defend its own when it is intentionally attacked but also deserves material support otherwise because that will diminish the need to retaliate to begin with. he has to help people build the life that he wants for them rather than expect to only save them when circumstances are dire