#and that's where he's wanting to go

[666writingcafe]

The Kingsblood Crucible

MC

I'm not gonna lie, I'm a bit annoyed. I get that Diavolo can't control the exact time of his trial, but did it really have to be mere moments after I woke up from the coma that Nightbringer put me in? It's almost like the universe is playing some sort of sick joke on me.

At least I'm able to eat the food Lucifer brought before Diavolo and I leave.

Once the two of us arrive at the royal tomb, we walk inside and go up to the statue of the Fairy King. According to the research I've done beforehand, the land that makes up the Devildom used to belong to him, but then one day a demon gave him some wine made from his own blood, putting the king into a deep sleep. The demon stole all of his land, thus becoming the first ever king of the Devildom.

Diavolo turns and gives me a ceremonial knife, and I draw a line on the palm of his hand.

"Fairy King, I present you with the blood that courses through my veins. My name is Diavolo, descendant of the rightful King of the Devildom and heir to the royal legacy."

The statue absorbs his blood, and its eyes remain closed. So far, so good.

Suddenly, the statue issues an order: prove thy virtue and thy destiny. The royal tomb is momentarily plunged into darkness before revealing...

Oh no. I've seen this before. Question is, why is the Fairy King showing us this particular memory?

"Oh, Lucifer," Diavolo whispers. "To think I'd have to see you like this again. The way you looked on this day..." He's holding back tears. I gently pat his shoulder as a way of letting him know that it's okay.

"I don't remember being so angry," he quietly observes.

"You weren't," I respond. After a brief moment of confusion, Diavolo nods his head.

"Of course. That makes a lot of sense. Do the others know?" He's referring to Barbatos and Thirteen being aware of my relation to Lilith.

"Yes. Lucifer suspects it, but I've been able to get him off my case for now."

"Good. He can't figure that out. Not yet, anyway."

"I am sure there could be no greater disgrace to one such as yourself, he who was once celebrated as the pride of the Celestial Realm," the memory of Barbatos states before turning to face the two of us. "However, it's far too little given the circumstances. Wouldn't you agree, Young Master?"

A shiver runs up my spine as Diavolo's eyes widen.

"This isn't how I remember it going--" he starts to tell me. Barbatos--or rather, a fake version of Barbatos--interrupts,

"The Celestial Realm has already rendered its judgement. Her punishment has been decided. If you willfully ignore that and choose to help her, it will mean war between the Devildom and Celestial Realm."

"I'm aware, but--"

"--but these dazzling jewels from the heavens have landed on your doorstep, and you must have them." The smile on fake Barbatos' face is rather eerie. If I didn't promise Diavolo to stay by his side through this trial, I'd start running.

"No matter the price, no matter how many demons must be sacrificed in exchange, you want these seven brothers for yourself," he continues. "And I know exactly why."

"Barbatos, stop. Don't do this." I see the fear in Diavolo's eyes, which means the illusion can, too.

And it will do anything in its power to use that fear against him.

I don't recall seeing anything about witnesses being allowed to help candidates pass the Kingsblood Crucible, but there also wasn't a rule prohibiting it, either. Should I take the risk?

"It's all about being a great demon, one who's worthy to call himself the Demon King's son. Isn't that right?"

Screw it. I'm not about to let an illusion lie to Diavolo like that.

"Don't listen to him," I tell the prince.

"They're so rare and beautiful. It's hard not to compare them to gemstones. If you were to command a group of demons like that, your esteemed father would surely be proud. All of this is so you can live up to his name."

"That isn't true!" I exclaim. Unfortunately, Diavolo doesn't seem to hear me. His eyes are glassy, like he's under a trance.

"I have to surpass him," he mumbles. "Otherwise, my life has no point."

Shit.

"Exactly, which is why you're willing to help this 'family in need', even though you know it entails far too great a risk. But ask yourself: is that really the sort of conduct you'd expect from a demon king?" Diavolo slowly shakes his head.

"It's almost as though you don't even want to be king," the illusion adds. "You just want to earn your father's approval--nothing more."

"Diavolo!" I yell. Nothing.

"Lord Diavolo!" Still nothing.

"Goddammit, look at me!" That finally gets his attention.

"I'm not fit to be the demon king," he whispers.

"Are you seriously going to believe a fairy apparition?!" I don't mean to sound quite so angry, but him seemingly giving up like this is rather frustrating. If he fails this trial, I might as well kiss everything resembling my home goodbye, and I won't allow that to happen. Not on my watch.

"Look, maybe you've acted this way before," I add. "It's not like I knew you as you were growing up, so it's perfectly possible that your sole motivation was gaining your father's approval. But I can tell you this: the Diavolo I know cares deeply about others. Not just your people, but everyone you meet and befriend. You try your hardest to do what is right, even if it goes against popular opinion. You strive for a future where the three realms can live harmoniously, because you know your father's way of doing things was selfish and cruel. If anyone is fit to rule over the Devildom, it's you."

"Do you actually think I can be the sort of king everyone hopes for?" Diavolo asks. "Can I be proper and just?"

"Trust me: I'm one of the last people that will blow smoke up your ass. If I felt you weren't capable, I'd let you know in a heartbeat. Besides, you won't be doing this alone. You'll have others helping you."

"Including you?" I find myself smiling, recalling the time he once told me that he'd want me to rule beside him someday.

"Including me." Taking a deep breath, he steps forward and grabs my hand.

"Then maybe there really is hope." The scene around us disappears, and soon we find ourselves back inside the royal tomb. A note awaits us at the base of the Fairy King's statue.

𝔗𝔥𝔢 ℌ𝔬𝔲𝔰𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔏𝔬𝔯𝔡𝔰 𝔥𝔞𝔰 𝔡𝔢𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔪𝔦𝔫𝔢𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔭𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰𝔟𝔩𝔬𝔬𝔡 ℭ𝔯𝔲𝔠𝔦𝔟𝔩𝔢. 𝔑𝔬 𝔣𝔲𝔯𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯 𝔞𝔠𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔰𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔩 𝔟𝔢 𝔱𝔞𝔨𝔢𝔫 𝔞𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔱𝔦𝔪𝔢.

(Transcription: The House of Lords has determined that you have passed the Kingsblood Crucible. No further action shall be taken at this time.)

Once we're outside the tomb, Diavolo stops and looks at me.

"You know, I'm not sure if I'm ready to return just yet. I need some time away."

"Perfectly understandable," I reply. "You've just been through a rough experience."

"So have you." Wait a minute.

"You're not suggesting I join you, are you?"

"That's exactly what I'm doing." Well, damn. Didn't see that coming.

"Of course, it's fine if you don't want to. I can have Barbatos open a portal for you to return to the castle. I just..." He momentarily trails off. "I feel bad for not allowing you to properly recover, and I want to make it up to you."

"Got somewhere in mind?" He grins at me

"Of course. I think you'll like it. It's nice and quiet, and the view is absolutely breathtaking."

Taglist: @lost-in-time-wanderer, @fuzztacular, @dianedancer18, @sweetbrier2908, @flare-love, @completelyshatteredbrokenmschf, @thunderlightning351, @l3v1chan, @anxious-chick, @5mary5, @expressionless-fr, @tenkobitch, @interconnectedmatrix

[lgbtlunaverse]

"How did Shuro think he could marry Falin when he hated her brother?" you have to understand. Toshiro is from a whole different country. In his head he and Falin would move back to the Eastern Archipelago and they'd see Laios twice a year tops. You can pretend to get along with in-laws you don't like for a few days a year, people do that all the time.

The actual flaw in his plan– which shows he doesn't really understand either of the Touden siblings– is the fact that if the plot hadn't happened and Falin had for some reason said yes to his proposal, Laios would have packed his bags and moved away with them instantly.

[atalana]

but seriously i do find it so funny that ford was like OH GOD MY PRECIOUS REPUTATION after bill possessed him around other people for all of one night

and then he gets back to this dimension after thirty years and this is now the photo the press associates with his name

[garbagequeer]

hilarious man (The National Play “Sorrow” for Six Hours at MoMA PS1)

[egophiliac]

tsum events really are just the best, huh

[artkaninchenbau]

People keep on asking for more Baby Robin and Papadile so here is more Baby Robin and Papadile. Now never ask anything from me ever again

[bluerosefox]

Always Favors You

Another Sibling Danny and Jason idea!!

"Are you Jason Peter Todd?!" demanded a deep and commanding tone from the strange glowing being in front of them.

All the Bats stiffened and tensed, no doubt gearing up for a fight against the being that somehow knew Red Hood's full name.

Jason, Red Hood, decided to put on a brave front despite no doubt cursing in his head and wondering how the heck did this thing know his full freaking name.

"Whose asking." he snarled out, his hands twitching for his gun when the huge glowing knight with purple flames coming out of his helmet and cape, who was riding on a nightmare looking horse while they all had been in the cave going over tonight's patrol.

The Knight didn't seemed bothered by his response nor did he even seem to care or flinch when Batman made his own demand on 'Why was he there and who was he' or when Damian unsheathed his sword and pointed it towards him. Instead the strange glowing Knight reached to it side and pulled out... A glowing scroll? Huh. (Also he completely unnerved everyone in the room when the Knight didn't even react when Batman had tossed a Baterang when he reached for his side)

The Knight opened the scroll and spoke clearly with purpose.

"Jason Peter Todd,

You are hereby invited as a special guest of honor to the crowning of our future King of the Infinite Realms.

Daniel Phantom, once Daniel Jackson Fenton, and once Daniel Austen Todd.

Prince of the Infinite Realms, the Keeper of Balance, The Peacekeeping Halfa, the Defeater of the Tyrant King Pariah Dark, The Great One, Youngest of the Ancients, Ancient of Space, The Bridge between Life and Death.

You, the half-brother of our King, have been given the highest of honors for your past actions and will be given housing and food in the Realms and Phantom's Keep, for the week long event. Personal servants and attendants will be at your disposable and a seamstress will be on hand to tailor make your attire for the Coronation.

Signed: Clockwork. Ancient of Time. Watcher of the Infinite Timeline. Kronos. Mentor and Adviser.

PS: I shall have Fright Knight ("Me" the Knight bluntly said for a second) leave this scroll along with a personal one for you from Daniel to read over and once you make up your mind sign the bottom of the scroll.

I do hope in time you will pick the right choice Jason Todd, we of the Infinite Realms would like to reward you for your actions. After all, if you hadn't gotten young Daniel away from your father that night all those years ago, we would never had gained our Prince nor be free from our once Tyrant King.

Ah, one more thing.

The Infinite Realms will always favor you Jason."

Jason felt like he couldn't breath as Fright Knight? Rolled up the scroll, pulled a letter from his side, and held out the two items for him to take.

[tagerrkix]

Eden was their ✨disney princess era✨

[platoapproved]

armand + a few offhand lines that give some insight into how he thinks (imho)

[lazylittledragon]

dood dump <33

[humbuns]

please never go away

[savanir]

DP x DC prompt [3]

during one of the final psych evals at Arkham right before he gets to be released, the whole thing wrapped up so tidy, just a little relapse which involved a robbery. Getting sent back to Arkham, but he got to stay at the asylum so long that he no longer has to serve a prison sentence, score!

But during that eval his overseeing psychiatrist recommended him to have a change of scenery, some fresh non polluted air.

Riddler was rather convinced the guy was making this recommendation to everyone in Arkham in their own weird way to convince them to just leave Gotham and become someone else's problem. should he notify Batman about it somehow? nah, it’ll be more interesting to see how this is gonna turn out in the long run.

But can he leave the state? Can he even leave the city? he never really bothered to look into it, at least not legally, up until now if he felt he needed to leave for one of his plans he just did it.

Turns out he can, it’s a whole hassle and a half though, first a judge and then a probation officer and he’s pretty sure both were like “what the hell is this psychiatrist guy thinking!?” but at the same time, shrink probably knows what he’s doing (WRONG) so he’s allowed to go visit out of state family or whatever.

he had to wear this nice ankle monitor though, Wayne Enterprises™ tech, not overly bulky but still very present. real fancy, and a fun extra challenge heh.

now as for a good reason to leave New Jersey he’s going to need distant relatives, and he finds some, great grandpa walker also has a son, who had a son who had a daughter Madeline, who married some guy Jack Fenton, and she lives somewhere out in the boonies Illinois. great he’ll visit her.

far enough away in all sense of the word that there is no way she knows anything about him. it would be best to call her first though, be polite about it.

“hello, you have reached Fenton works, this is Maddie speaking” 

“Riddle me this-” ah whoops, habit, oh whatever, “we don’t share parents, but certainly a part of your life, from laughter to strife. Who am I?”

there is a pause …  he’s going to be a bit disappointed if she hangs up if he’s honest.

“cousins~” comes the cheery reply.

“correct! the name is Edward Nygma, we are distantly related you and I and well-”

“oh you simply must come visit!” 

well this was rather easy, perhaps a little too easy, but she lives in the midwest so maybe just going with whatever some guy says over the phone is normal there? stranger danger not really a thing in a small town where everyone knows everyone?

things start to make a little more sense once he gets there and he’s starting to think some things might run in the family. like a preference for the colour green and weird hyperfixations and genius bordering on insanity. Though that remains to be seen, Jack does not seem like a very bright light after his very enthusiastic welcome.

their kids however are observant and sharp. young Jasmine is wasting no time trying to psychoanalyze him. and the boy, Danny, he had not really meant to and he swears he’s sticking with calling the kid Danny so he wouldn’t seem overly familiar, but he might have called him little bird a couple times now.

but that’s all whatever, he’s playing nice here. and he doesn’t even have to worry about his eccentricities tripping him up because this place is insane.

There actually is a local teen vigilante active but he seems about as loved as he’s disliked. and the ghost boy’s enemies are basically all his own kind, which another crazy thing to now know about. ghost. they are real actually, how is Gotham not completely overrun? and how do they even work? and where do they keep coming from?

Edward might be getting a little sidetracked here. He had fully intended to sneakily get his next big game plan underway all the way out here, ankle monitor be damned. but he hasn’t made any progress at all.

Instead he’s been listening to Madeline and Jack to maybe figure out what the deal is with these ectoplasmic entities, he has to know, at this point he might go crazier if he doesn’t. 

He’s making Jasmine promise him not to get her doctorate in Gotham, he’s going back and forth with space riddles with Danny.

so yeah the whole thing kinda just became a vacation, maybe the psychiatrist had the right idea after all? hmm nah, probably not. but this is fun. He’s thinking about recommending this place to some of the others.

It's different enough to get the vacation feel, but enough crazy shit happens to make it all feel like home.

it is not until Maddie wants to talk with him about potentially switching the position of godfather of Danny to him rather than some weird rich friend of theirs that Edward realizes he might have lost the plot somewhere

Apparently the little bird basically begged them with a powerpoint presentation on how he likes Edward so much more than that Vladimir guy. 

And honestly, the fellow sounds like a Dracula Lutho so even if it’s kinda sad Edward can understand why he’d be considered a better option. Even if the guy has more money and a huge company that makes him said money. And it’s not like the Fentons know about his Riddler activities.

Thinking it over, Edward does think that Danny would like Gotham and Wayne has that space program thing right? The kid is definitely smart enough for that (Nygma certified), and yeah Edward does quite like their space themed back and forth. So, fuck it, why not, what is the worst that could happen?

He doubts Maddie and Jack are gonna kick it any time soon anyway out here in the boonies, it’s just a title thing, a stamp of approval or something.

he should have known he was going to eat those words later… he had this whole beautifully elaborate trap set up for the whole Batclan, and he was just getting to the good part when his phone went off.

Had to put the whole thing on pause cause that particular contact wasn’t gonna get ignored. He did promise to be available.

If the whole thing he had planned now went tits up he could at the very least laugh later at the reactions of the bats as he told them to “hold up one second, I have to take this.” while they were all in various perilous positions. 

Sadly he did have to go, he had a very distressed godson to pick up.

[gumdefense]

We have moved past Maya and Franziska wingmanning narumitsu as a society. They would not fucking do that. We need to realise the truth which is that Larry and Gumshoe would try to wingman them and only succeed through failure

[mingyusbinch]

REST IN PEACE, DEAR MOONBIN (1998-2023)

[emacrow]

Constantine is noping this situation, you can't make hi-..ah fucking damn it

John was already paled when Kronos got revived, but seeing the eyes scalding blinding Fear of God staring into your very soul and judgment every inch power that was in that godlinng babe was enough for him to started drinking his emergency booze.

He is not dealing with Greek Gods bullshits, especially if that what he puzzling in the pieces together Then Kronos's story was becoming twisted all together. Nope, he isn't. Batman can bribe him all he wants. He is fucking leaving now!!

Fucking with THAT right there especially with the contract he still owed Kronos for, he rather suffered the complete obliteration of his soul being torn to shreds once he dies then have that god find him. He is escaping of here before She even noticed that he is Here with her ol time relic still in his pocket.

Before he can even get one step in the portal ready, he already felt his chest tightening as if his entire chest was being squeezed like a kid's teething toy.

Fucking dammit, he should've left right when Kronos was still having that psychic backlash, he knew he should've trusted his gut, fucking time Goddess and her all knowing of when and where.

Part 6 << >> Offical Quiz that Decision the Fate of this continuing fic >>> Fic Released

[asha-mage]

A SVSSS fic I want to write one day is Airplane and Shen Yuan being ejected from the System and sent back to the mundane world, but with the difference that Shen Yuan's 'edits' to the story have been retroactively applied to PiDW and as a result it's gone from 'top story in a hyper specific web culture niche' to 'international sensation with a Netflix adaption in the works'.

Keyly, PiDW is still told largely from the PoV of Luo Binghe- so neither he nor the audience is at all aware that it's now Isekai story. Instead it's billed as this heady romantic drama about prejudice, the passage of time, and redemption- where a big part of the appeal is trying to piece together the otherwise enigmatic Shen Qingqiu's motives.

Was he harsh on Binghe initially because of he sensed/knew about Binghe's demon heritage (as it's now possible to find hints that he may have in fact known all along)? Or because he saw Binghe's potential and wanted to do the tough-love training thing? Or was it because he was trying to chase Binghe away from Cultivation because he knew it would lead Binghe to misery one day? Did he throw Binghe into the Abyss because he was genuinely shocked and disgusted by the Demon reveal? Or because he knew Binghe would be killed if he stayed and he was trying to 'protect' him? Or was it because he genuinely wanted Binghe to fulfill his demon Emperor destiny and thought a clean break would do it? The fandom has no idea but lovvvvvves arguing about it.

This all leads to things coming full circle, as Cucumber, sounding like an absolute insane person, is left to rant online about how the obvious answer is that Shen Qingqiu was Isekai'd earlier in the story and replaced by a completely different person- a theory which is mocked to the point of memery, and leads to Cucumber being dunked on endlessly, no matter how much evidence he brings up or how many essays he writes.