#and the way they all fight tooth and nail to also keep each other alive is even better

[skiitter]

One of my favorite things about The Magnus Archives fics is the implication that any of these people like each other in literally any way whatsoever.

[sepublic]

You've gotta wonder what kind of person Manny Noceda was; He's one of two people who informed so much of Luz's character, her grief and posthumous relationship with her father is reflective of the creator's own experiences, it's foundational to the story itself in how Luz chooses to honor her parent and keep his memory alive as she learns to keep living for herself, too.

I already wrote a fic briefly exploring on that, but let's talk about it more: Obviously it's not always so clear-cut between parents and children in real life, but I guess you could see Luz as the culmination of Camila and Manny. So one could use this as a means to work backwards with Manny, to see what parts of Luz she didn't get from Camila, but from her father.

I imagine Manny as someone very confident, brash; He doesn't back down from a challenge. Maybe Manny immigrated to the U.S. to boldly pursue the American Dream, and didn’t give up when it hadn’t immediately paid off, just as his daughter embraced the Boiling Isles. But I also think a part of him doesn't want to be seen as weak, less capable, conceding to others. Manny isn't going to let other people bully him around and he doesn't want Luz or Camila to be hurt that way either. If Camila passed down her fear to Luz, Manny passed down his thoughtlessness; So he might have that same headstrong tendency to sweep others along in his need to prove himself, and in his well-meaning need to help them prove themselves.

Did it ever frustrate Camila, who would sometimes be more worried about just surviving by fitting in? Maybe they both balanced each other out, just as Luz balances out these different, seemingly paradoxical parts of herself. Did he not want to appear weak like Luz, particularly with the context of his illness? Did Manny try and hide that, prioritize his loved ones, just as Luz later did, maybe even internalized from him?

I can't imagine how scared he was, slowly dying; Particularly when it comes to his wife and daughter. He's going to leave them behind. He wants them to be safe so badly. He wants to see Luz grow up and become the person she wants to be. He wants his family to know that it's okay to be themselves, that they're everything. But Manny isn't sure if he's getting it across in the right words, if he's saying it properly. He needs to make the most of his time.

I can see Manny as someone loud, energetic. Eccentric. Luz gets her odder mannerisms from him, he's brimming with this earnest, delightful energy that's so hard not to like. Did he immigrate to the U.S., or was he the child of immigrants? Grandchild, even? Did he and Camila resonate together over their ancestry as another reason for feeling alienated from the majority, where they were? How did they feel about their own families, did they also worry about having to choose between two worlds? Did Manny desperately fight tooth and nail to survive, because us weirdoes have to stick together?

Did Manny have anyone else to tell him to stick up for himself, or did he have to figure it out himself? Was Camila one of those people who helped, and vice-versa, did they both reassure one another? And when Manny was gone, Camila just didn't have the heart and confidence to keep saying that to herself. Was Manny still scared for his wife and daughter when he died, or did he dare hope in his final moments, just as he always dared to live as himself in life? I wish Manny could’ve gotten to see how his loved ones would thrive, and all of the people they’d meet and befriend.

[poisonousroxstar]

Imagine:

Yandere Sayaka Miki

Contains: character death (not reader), yandere themes, spoilers for Madoka Magica.

Sayaka is a devoted yandere. Above all else, she cares about you, and goes out of her way to please you and/or make you happy. But she's also a delusional yandere, having unrealistic expectations of you and your relationship.

She spends almost all her time with you. It can be listening to music, drawing, doing things that only interest you. Even doing nothing at all is enough for her, just being in your presence is fulfilling.

Sayaka acts first, thinks later. Any wish Sayaka makes will be centered around you, something that'll make you happy or beneficial. She'll say to herself that it was only to make you happy. But deep down, Sayaka craves your gratitude. She wants you to notice her, to acknowledge her as your best friend... Or more.

Once she becomes a magical girl, Sayaka automatically becomes your white knight. She was already dedicated to you, but now, she's invested her entire new life into keeping you safe and sound - she wants to be your hero. Your only hero.

Even if you're a Magical Person yourself, she'll fight tooth and nail so you won't get hurt. She gets especially antsy and reactive when Kyoko comes into the picture, since she loves to target you just so she can get under Sayaka's skin. It's during one of these sessions with Kyoko that Sayaka displays her less 'heroic' side, aiming to kill Kyoko for even touching you. She'll recognise afterwards that what she did isn't what a true hero would do, but quickly justify it by saying to herself that it was to keep you safe.

After the truth of being a magical girl is revealed, Sayaka spirals. It's small at first, with her frustrations and questions aimed at Kyubey. Then her doubts begin to bubble to the surface, bringing forth newfound insecurities and strengthening old ones - eventually, she just sees herself as a corpse pretending to be alive, and she isn't worthy of being around you.

Even if you're another magical person, it won't stop her belief. If anything, it only makes things worse for her; you're both undead, how could you two ever love each other? Wouldn't it be wrong? It has to be.

In the time it takes for all her grief and sorrows to build up, she may even end up hurting you in the process - never physically, but verbally. It happens one day, when her soul gem is dark and her body is haggard from fighting witches, that you ask her if she's alright, and she tells you tiredly she is. But you press on, calling her out on her bluff and asks her what's really going on, and that's when it all goes down.

She bitterly replies that what happened to her, what she's become, was done in your name, for your happiness. She loves you, she loves you so much... But you couldn't love her the same way she loves you. She gave you her entire being, but you couldn't do the same. And now you go around the place, so freely and carelessly, while she suffers alone, without you.

Her verbal lashing is even more intense if you're a magical person yourself. Why didn't you say anything about this? How could you let her become a zombie? Could you become a living corpse?

Only after what she's said, so meanly and so unwarranted, that she runs away from her, demanding you don't follow her. And in her head, she's tearing into herself.

"How could I say that?!" "To the one I loved the most?!" "I really am a monster now!!"

As she sits in the train station by herself, soul gem in hand, you approach her, finding her alone. She apologizes, yet refuses to look up at you, eyes fixed to the ground.

She confesses, to everything; she confesses what she wished for was something for you, she confesses her deep insecurities and the despair and rage and jealousy that grew within her watching you be with others or others who hurt you in some way; she confesses her unyielding love for you, and how she knows you could never truly love her the same way she loves you. No matter what, it just wasn't meant to be.

And she turns to you, her eyes wet with tears of heartache, her soul gem in hand, blackened by despair, she offers you a weak smile...

"I was stupid... So stupid..."

And Oktavia von Seckendorff is born, Sayaka's witch. Sayaka's despair.

If you're a human, there's no way for you to escape. Oktavia will keep you in her labyrinth forever and ever, an endless melody that you two loved playing in the background; her minions, disturbing resembling you in a twisted manner, spin and dance and keep you in place, pushing you down whenever you try to leave.

If you're a magical person, you'll notice Oktavia is bizarrely more refrain from directly attacking you, although her rage is blinding and indiscriminate if she sees another next to you. You are the only one who can quickly dispatch Oktavia without severe sacrifice, but her downfall doesn't make her passing easier.

As her grief seed falls to the ground, your reward for defeating the witch, the harsh reality of Sayaka's death makes the fruit of your labour less sweet then it was.

Despite her despair, despite her crushed dreams and ideals, Sayaka loved you more than you know. In another, ideal life, maybe you both could've thrived together. You both could've been the heroes of hope for all magical people across the world.

In another life...

[fizziepopangel]

Helluva Holiday

Christmas is huge for the IMP gang.It’s both Millay and Blitz’s favorite holiday, so they go all out, meaning that by default, Moxie and Loona go all out too. ALL OUT.

The office is decorated, and so are their apartments. We’re talking boxes upon boxes or lights, ornaments, and a disgusting amount of tinsel and garland, and stockings hung in the office.

Moxxie goes with it, singing along to the songs, wearing the embarrassing sweaters, hats, and scarves because Millie absolutely lights up when he does…. Loona fights it all tooth and nail but eventually gives in.

Loona would never admit it, but christmas is her favorite holiday and she loves all the dorky things Blitz does to make it special for her every year.

Don't get me wrong, they do go to the mortal world and cause havoc, but it's very festive holiday havoc.

Every year, Blitz dresses as santa. There’s no real reason to, but he does.

Blitz starts prepping for christmas in January, stockpiling gifts for everyone he knows he’ll be celebrating with year round so each person has a mountain of gifts. He refuses to let anyone feel left out.

Once he and Fizz started rebuilding their friendship, it was an automatic invite for him and Ozzie to come to all I.M.P. celebrations.

Ozzie loves it cause Blitz somehow convinces Fizz to dress as the elf to his santa.... And the man does it, unaware that it would only be him and his dumbass friend in costume..... Does he take off the costume? No. No he does not.

Fizz carries around a mistle toe and hangs it over Ozzie just to get a kiss. He also every so often hangs it over Blitz and Stolas.

Moxxie tries to get one good gift for everyone, though he usually buys two or three smaller gifts so there’s multiple for everyone.

Loona isn’t much of a gift giver, or so everyone thinks. She prefers to slip things into everyone’s stockings rather than do big gifts, though she does always try to give Blitz something nice.

Blitz doesn’t know the words to any christmas songs, so he tends to scream the wrong lyrics when singing along to the radio as they decorate.

Although he can’t spell for shit and is borderline illiterate when it comes to anything written down, Blitz is in charge of the christmas baking because that man can bake like nobody’s business….. He has most of his favorite recipes from childhood memorized, but if he has to follow a recipe, he usually has someone who can read better than he can in the kitchen with him.

While staying with Blitz and Loona, Stolas would sink into a deeper depression as the holiday approached because christmas was Via’s favorite… This would not stand for the IMP crew and they would find some way to kidnap Via so that she could see her dad for the holiday (lowkey doubt her mom would notice for a hot minute)

Stolas would actually have what he would call his first real christmas celebration with Blitz and the others, something he didn’t really expect to have in his lifetime when he was with Stella. This is the kind of homey holiday that he always wanted Octavia to have.

Octavia had a gift for her dad picked out and wrapped months before christmas. She’s absolutely ecstatic when she finds out her dad is alive, and that when she was “kidnapped”, the gift was too so she still got to give it to him.

Blitz would suggest they all go ice skating.... Fun fact: Blitz cannot ice skate to save his life.

Asmodeus is actually a surprisingly good ice skater. Via, being taught by Asmodeus and her father when she was young is great at it and she and Loona skate circles around their dads, laughing like sisters.

Millie would struggle a little on the ice at first, but Moxxie would be there to hold her steady until she was confident. She would also end up skating circles around Blitz. He doesn't get how anyone is doing it since he keeps ending up on his ass.

There would be a holiday movie marathon where everyone gets to pick a holiday movie that they all have to sit through. Loona would choose holiday horror movies.

Loona would get Stolas and Blitz both shadow-work journals as gifts. Stolas is actually really excited to start it after skimming through a few of the prompts, but Loona knows Blitz’s will likely sit in his room and gather dust until he’s ready to process some of the emotions the prompts will likely bring up. She’s only just started hers after the almost execution of her adoptive father, and she’s had it for months.

Moxxie, the overly prepared man that he is would absolutely have a thoughtful gift for everyone that was super tailored to them, even Stolas (though he had to scramble for that one since he hadn’t expected the extra person at their christmas this year).

The I.M.P. family always celebrates their christmas a day or two early because Moxxie and Millie always spend christmas day with Millie’s family.

While Blitz does most of the baking for christmas, Moxxie is still in charge of dinner.

Stolas would spend most of his time with Blitz while he did the baking. He would offer help, but mostly he would sit and watch him, sipping wine and enjoying the warmth all around him.

Millie gets everyone a santa hat to wear. She’s always the jolliest of the bunch.

After being stripped of everything he had,Stolas wouldn’t be able to afford much of anything in the way of gifts, and he would feel pretty awful about it because of the kindness he was receiving from everyone. Millie would try to cheer him up, telling him that no one expected him to get them anything and that this was all just part of being a family.

Yes, Stolas would cry when no one corrected Millie, because he wasn’t used to having a family like this.

Via would take so many pictures. She doesn’t post them because she’d be afraid of them causing more issues for Blitz and her father, but she keeps them as a memory of what she still thinks is her favorite christmas

The I.M.P. crew always takes a christmas photo together. Stolas and Octavia are in the latest one…. And Blitz may or may not have a second photo of just him, Stolas, and their daughters that Millie took when they were too busy laughing to notice. It sits on his desk and it helps him when he’s struggling at work.

[ssphiree]

not to dsmp post in the year 2025 but ive been sitting on this take for 4 years and i have to get it out of my system. i never joined the fandom online back then when it was all happening bc of how wild the community could be sometimes but ive been sitting on this for SO long n its been long enough i think

c!ranboo was one of my absolute favourites and i loved him SO much but heavily disagreed with one thing from him

on doomsday (one of the doomsdays bc there were like 3 or something) he had that moment where he ended up yelling at everyone over taking 'sides' and why they all had to be fighting & why couldnt we all just be neutral and peaceful instead of splitting into separate distinct opposing teams etc etc etc and i can almost kind of see how hed have a point - however there are issues with that standpoint SUCH AS -

lets look at the two sides: on one you have the strongest most skilled people decked out head to toe in the most absolute top of the chain gear - c!dream, c!techno & c!phil, whose aim is to absolutely and completely decimate l'manberg with their withers and obsidian bomb dispenser they have spanning across the entirety of the whole place

on the other side you have the people who have nothing. those were just kids trying to keep their homes, and they had nothing to fight with after the other side raided all their gear and got rid of it all. they fought tooth and nail to keep their homes time and time again with the odds stacked higher and higher against them each time

imo l'manberg had 3 main people involved that really contributed to its downfall, & only one was there on doomsday - c!dream. the other two were c!wilbur & c!schlatt. they were the big 3 involved in the l'manberg politics who were adults & not children following orders/defending themselves (which is why i dont include c!tommy/c!tubbo etc in that list). they were the corrupt power hungry quote unquote "politicians" (for lack of a better word) that projected all their issues onto everyone else and dragged them all into it

(if you squint you could technically include c!eret in that list, but imo in reality they were really only just another pawn for c!dreams big game of chess as a way to pitt the opposition against each other & gain power over them, c!eret never really had actual power/rule over anyone or anything they just lived in a castle and took c!dreams word for it. also they redeemed themselves and rejoined the freedom side anyway)

lets start with c!wilbur - he was very manipulative, he liked having control & he craved power but there wasnt really an opportunity for it, so he built the van and attempted to start a potion 'empire' by seizing control over a commonly used item (brewing stands) to gain leverage over the more powerful players. he dragged other vulnerable & generally powerless people (yknow, like children) into it & used them as his building blocks to the top. c!tommy is the biggest victim of this from him. once the potion empire thing stopped working out thats when he shifted the narrative to the freedom-fighting-rebellious nation we came to know l'manberg for. he sparked that (he sparked it & the others kept it alive because they really believed in it and really believed in him) and at first i think he to an extent genuinely did believe in it and really did want freedom for him and his people with little to no other conscious intentions, but the subconscious want for power was always there and bubbled to the surface as he spiralled really far into corruption in the pogtopia arc (what started as "a special place where men can go and emancipate the brutality and the tyranny of their rulers" became "IF I CANT HAVE L'MANBERG NO ONE CAN PHIL")

then c!dream - even from before l'manberg he was fighting c!tommy over his music discs, & i guess that just cemented c!tommy as the no1 enemy in his brain for the rest of time even though c!tommy was really just a loud kid trying to get by. he was also power hungry and wanted to keep all the power he had so he felt threatened by the formation of l'manberg. other less powerful people taking some level of control & separating themselves from him startled him, especially with c!tommy involved in the opposition. he knew he was the most powerful on the server & didnt want anyone else to forget that so he consistently used fear and force to remind the others how much stronger he was than them, the main victims being l'manberg and its citizens as they were the first and biggest group to rebel against him (and the group with c!tommy in it but thats neither here nor there). he struggled to accept the idea of people having some kind of autonomy to lead a life separate from the server he ruled over (he even said blatantly he would never think of l'manberg as free, only that he would let them delusionally believe they were free in his discussion with c!tommy)

and c!schlatt was just your run of the mill big bad in your face power hungry corrupt politician. he wasnt super manipulative or anything similar to the other two, he was just an evil dude that, again, was power hungry and corrupt like c!wilbur and c!dream. he dragged others into it by using c!quackity to gain leverage in the election via votes, and by keeping the citizens of l'manberg manberg under his crazy authoritarian control and he did that pretty much mostly out of enjoyment and greed. he liked that he intimidated the people around him and frequently used that to his advantage because it amused him

it was those 3 that created the us vs them dynamic & pitted everyone else against each other by creating 'sides' because they were the ones who wanted the power, and they were the ones who dragged everyone else into their conflicts. they were greedy and self centred and made that everyones problem

ones like c!techno & c!phil arent included in that list because they were never greedy for power over other people, they were just people who happened to be powerful. they mostly just kept to themselves in their little cottages but because of the perceived rivalry that was created by the Big 3 and then projected onto everyone else, they declared l'manberg to be the problem. even though c!schlatt and c!wilbur were out of the picture by that point, their actions had left the repuatation of l'manberg tainted from the perspective of those outwith the country itself, whereas the people left behind in it (like c!tommy & c!tubbo etc etc) just saw it as their home, just the place that they lived in and had built their lives. the others outside had grown to view l'manberg as the cause for all the servers problems because of the way it separated itself from the rest of the server and was another thing, and because of the actions of the corrupted leaders itd began with (and also - l'manberg was really the only place for people to fight for power over with the political system it had set up, no one really ever challenged c!dreams position of power over the rest of the server, only within l'manberg at least until that final disc battle)

it was very much a punch up vs punch down dynamic that people like c!techno and c!phil and even c!ranboo couldnt really see, because they all lived comfortably with powerful top of the chain gear far away from all the main conflict, and none of them were actually present for the beginnings of the conflict. none of them were present to witness the disc war or the formation of l'manberg, they were never there to hear c!dream tell c!tommy that hed never see them as free from him as c!tommy handed him the disc. they joined at the height of it all where the two "sides" were already very distinct and at war with each other

c!techno joined at the point of c!schlatt being in charge of l'manberg and at that point he was helping the underdogs because in that moment c!tommy and c!wilbur asked for his help and shared his goals - to overthrow a tyrannical corrupt government. then c!wilbur, knowing full well he was right about to blow up the country within the next few minutes, shoveled all the power and responsibility of the country over onto a kid (c!tommy, who then immediately handed it back to him & then he immediately handed it over to c!tubbo). by the time c!phil joined c!tubbo was already president (& had only been for like five minutes) and c!wilbur was in the midst of blowing up the country (note - c!wilbur had the presidency and had l'manberg under his rule again, he chose to hand it off to c!tubbo and then carry out his plan to blow it up while telling c!phil "if i cant have this no one can")

c!techno was never there to see the way l'manberg itself began as a challenge to a tyrannical rule (because although c!wilbur was manipulative and corrupt and power hungry, ultimately he did have a leg to stand on with his methods which is why it worked so well for him and why he was so easily able to paint that picture of oppression - the canvas was already sketched and lined) and continued to exist as a rebellion against an even worse system than itself. at that point c!wilbur was still seen as the 'good guy' who just wanted freedom for his nation from the tyrannical authoritarian rule of c!dream, so c!schlatt suddenly coming into power was a sharp left turn government wise, and c!techno just joined right at that sharp left turn moment where the big bad evil government had just came in and made some significant differences. differences not only in the economic system of l'manberg but also tainting the core values that once held the citizens of it so high and hopeful against corruption. so c!techno never saw that rebellious freedom fighting nation that l'manberg started off as and was supposed to always be, he only saw it as the nation with the corrupt government

c!phil was in a similar situation, he also never saw it as that rebellious freedom fighting nation and only saw the damage that the power hungry corrupt people had done to it. he joined right at the crucial moment and only saw the conflict and damage surrounding the country of l'manberg. because of this he ended up adopting the perception that the place itself was the problem if it was causing this many issues this severe. he failed to notice that after c!wilbur and c!schlatt were both out of the picture the problems between l'manberg specifically and the rest of the server were only being revived on c!dreams end, and c!tubbo as the new leader of l'manberg did not start conflicts (although the butchers army is a whooole other ballgame but thats not what this post is about - that was mainly spearheaded by c!quackity- who is again a whooooole other post)

if c!tommy hadnt declined the presidency then c!dream wouldve been slightly more justified in having a go at l'manberg as a whole for the whole burning-down-c!georges-house-thing, but ultimately it seemed more like he just wanted to flex his power over them even more. just as another reminder he could tear them down any moment he wanted to without a single second thought- he used it as A. another opportunity to keep the citizens of l'manberg fearful of him (almost like a kind of "remember whos really in charge here" type deal - again think back to he & c!tommys original negotiations of freedom in the og revolution) and B. another opportunity to punch down on c!tommy specifically (exile arc is another whooooole other post), he was given an inch and he took a mile. c!tommy explicitly stated that the reason he did not take the presidency was specifically so that any business/issues with c!dream would stay exclusively between him and c!dream without dragging the rest of l'manberg into it but c!dream ignored that entirely

c!ranboo joined right at that moment, of c!dream enforcing his power over l'manberg, but he saw c!tommy technically strike first with burning down c!georges house. he didnt see all the previous strikes c!dream had made on c!tommy & l'manberg. he just saw c!tommy make a move and then saw c!dream make a move back, therefore creating a back and forth rivalry dynamic which, in his eyes, could easily just cease if theyd stop pitting against each other and lived peacefully. he doesnt seem to notice just quite how corrupt and power hungry c!dream really is especially when it comes to c!tommy and l'manberg, he only notices different people teaming up to fight against each other & not a case of oppressed vs oppressor. c!ranboo, like c!phil and c!techno has never really had too much of an issue with getting a hold of good armour and weapons and equipment, and hasnt really had anyone like c!dream stand in his way to take everything from him the way everyone in l'manberg has. c!ranboo has had issues with c!dream and has been used by him (another whooooole separate post), but he seemed to focus slightly less on the 'c!dream using any tactic available to him to enforce his power on everyone' side of things and moreso the 'what is wrong with me i need to figure out why this is possible for him to do this to me' side of things

theyve all heard about all the wars and conflicts etc from before they all joined, but they struggled to fully really empathise and actually see it from the others perspectives. this is why c!ranboo was wrong in his view on 'taking sides' on doomsday

[cosmicourple]

random stuff 4 the Apocalypse A.U w/ feral pregnant Ody’ (that I am wholeheartedly jst making up along the way :))

—Greece’s whole landscape / look is obviously all Fucked Up, with dark blue forests moving along the hills like Giant Octopus’s covered in bark, cities melted into simple burning metal structures, laughter & / or crying echoing from the dark insides, The Sea has split into areas of certain liquids (ex coasts filled w/ salty blood(?), open oceans being a mix of permanently dark water, vinegar n fog, eternal storms having wine or acidic water swishing thru them etc), all that wacky, unnatural phenomenon stuff blended with other Folklore Inspired things there as well :D

—Almost everyone is 4 for themselves now, bc, unfortunately, Chaós’ Sway, as most now call it, has had the worst possible effect on the Greek Pantheon & all the Magical Creatures n Beings that surround it,,,

Meanwhile :D-

—Odysseus, Abandoned King of Ithaca, along with his gaggle of feral brats, is trekking across a shadowed mountain, looking 4 another possible place to rest 4 a long time. The baby is coming closer and close w/ each passing minute, so he’s in a bit of a rush to find somewhere while also taking care of his already existing children,,,

At least their excitement towards their approaching sibling means their all more attuned to their Parent’s suffering, taking charge to pick out routes with the least potential fight(s) on them, staying very close to Odysseus as the patches of forest speckled on This Mountain sing eerily, beckoning calls of song coming from the woods,,,

(,,Odysseus is so proud of his young, when they hiss and bare their teeth at the trees, protective of him and ready to fight tooth and nail to keep each other safe,,,)

And now, back to World Building :D🎉—

—Like I mentioned before, The Gods n in general The World of Higher Beings. Is. Not doing well. If, bodies cracked & changed to become consumed by their own Domains / their sins / Chaós’ overbearing energy is an appropriate way to describe ‘not doing well’ lol

—Haven’t rlly figured a lot out about wtf I’m doing w/ these Corrupted Silly’s, but I can guarantee Broken / Fucked Up Mental State Angst involving Ody’ n the kids,,,,,

—For the few Mortal’s that r still alive, (mostly) sane enough, and willing 2 corporate w/ others, it’s a guarantee that you’ll grow easily attached to whoever ur with, with most of the time them clinging to u as well. It’s Apocalypse Times & ppl become very touch starved very quickly, so no one can resist the Space Orca Found Family Urges 🥰🥰,,,

Most of the time, it’s unfortunately sometimes ruined by Mortals who can’t let go of the Old Greece’s Ways, if they did, then we’d have probably found a solution to this shite already, so thanks a lot arseholes ):n

,,,lmao that’s it 4 now :D

[lycianlynx]

Al's seen better days. He's definitely seen worse ones, too. Being caked in mud wasn't awfully out of the ordinary. Being bruised, nicked, and battered was only a little less common. The twisted ankle is pretty annoying, but he's not moving that much slower for it, so it's tolerable. And he hasn't noticed anything of his missing, either, so that's a plus.

It all also means there's little distraction from what all's happened. There's no time to slow down, so he makes his way through the halls, finding who he can so he knows who he needs to look for when he heads back out. Each familiar face—

"Chad!"

—lessens the pressure in his chest a little.

Al's voice is loud enough that he can be heard from across the room, but he's quick enough that the distance is closed in no time flat.

"You're here too." Well, duh. Obviously. Or maybe not so obvious—he wouldn't have been surprised if Chad had still been out there fighting tooth and nail by himself, given his track record. But he's glad he's not. "What the hell happened out there? Did you see the kinda weapons they were packing?"

(He himself hadn't, actually. But he'd felt what'd hit their bridge, and that'd been enough to know this was a different ballgame.)

He looks the other boy head to toe. It's not subtle.

"They didn't get you too bad, did they?"

"Al," Chad breathes. Somehow, they hadn't been too worried about him for even a second. He could wind up in Hell and claw his way out, they think. Something about the guy... Mm. Nothing short of death, if it could even catch him, would keep him from keeping on, tooth and nail— They feel stupid just thinking it, but he makes them think that way, for once. Fuckin' maniac.

Still, he's alive, too. And they're so, so relieved.

"'I'm alive," Chad offers in return, which should be enough— Though they're too tired to attempt to inject any mirth or bite, leaving their tone hollow. Can't shake off the old dark hound that looms larger than ever, latched firmly now onto their leg, jaws locked and unrelenting to try for more. It's all they can offer, at all. Hours in the Goddess' Throat, of fighting their way towards any sliver of hope, of finding nothing and having to flee, of hiding, left them just as hollowed-out and aching.

Brown eyes fix on blue, like looking for a lodestar. Al is still bright, vibrant even in the dim light of the cave. It's hard not to look to him in the moment. They are so goddamned relieved. And still...

"The flash, right?" they grimace. "Everything was shaking. And the— There were monsters like husks and rocks..."

A huff, curt, bitten. "—Fuck do you even do against something like that?"

[rebo-chan]

I think one of my favourite moments in the series is the end of the storm battle. for one i am a die hard gokudera fan and in my opinion only the gamma fight surpasses it. And on the other-

The fact tsuna who is usually so reserved and just lets dera do his thing despite telling him quietly "you really don't have to"

Gets SO pissed at Gokudera for DARING to put his life on the line for this. A piece of jewelery and an empty title..

He calls it all meaningless if that means they cant just hang out together anymore.

Dera who links his own worth as a human being to his usefulness and position as a mafiosi is told "I just want you alive and by my side" in i think one of the most direct "this is the core of the whole series" moments we get.

When yamamoto faces ken he still holds back bc he doesnt want to get injured but as soon as TSUNA is in danger he says "fuck it" and gets serious.

In the shimon arc hibari picks up on tsunas depressive state and it annoys him so he changes that in his own way.

Its how mukuro in the rainbow trials cares for a tired fran.

Its how during the ring battles the girls and mama Sawada CONSTANTLY visit Lambo to make sure he is okay.

Its also how tsuna saves him in the first place. Fuck the rings, fuck the position, fuck this whole stupid arangement of fights- he has to save his family.

These people often get violent with each other and agressive, they bicker and they fight, but when the chips are down, all they care about is each other.

Most shounen protags have some kind of dream or goal, Tsuna just really really wants a quiet life and to spend that with his friends and family. The whole mafia buisness is just what he needs to do to keep that family he gained safe. Nothing tsuna EVER does is motivated by some ulterior motive for fame or riches. Its either him being FORCED into action bc he was literally kicked into it by reborn, or its because he has to resolve the situation to keep his friends and family safe.

The Caallone has a FUCKTON of members and so does the vongola and Tsuna really really really really REALLY doesnt care for any of that because in the end his own world is very small compared to the mafia.

I have to think of that one quote "why do you want to save this planet?" -"Because I live here!" for tsuna it would be "because my family lives here."

I mean be Tsuna isn't "heroic". Yeah he cares about other people and strangers, he helps old ladies, but when something is going on his go to isn't "I have to do something!" it's uauslly "man I hope SOMEONE does something. Not gonna be me tho!"

Sorry for the long ask i just wanted to rephrase what you said basically and send it back to you

HELLO AGAIN, thank you for the ask. Don't apologize at all for length, I'm absolutely foaming reading this.

I'm so glad you get what I was going for in the post. Those moments drive me insane. "They bicker and they fight but when the chips are down, all they care about is each other" and "Because my family lives here" I FEEL ABSOLUTELY INSANE ABOUT THESE LINES. You're so so right!!! The Vongola kids bully and tease and are nasty to each other, until it comes down to it and they fight tooth and nail for each other. Exactly what I was going for. The series doesn't need those scenes where Tsuna tells Gokudera he cares about him and they're warm and cuddly towards each other, bc it comes through in his words when meek and reserved Tsuna yells at him and tells him to stop trying to die for him or for some stupid ring. And I think that's so fun!! All the other stuff you listed also drives me so insane. For yamamoto, him letting himself get injured for Tsuna's sake was so good and Tsuna's love for Yamamoto shone through there too because Tsuna saw the injury and felt such immense guilt only apologizing for ruining everything for Yamamoto. Only for Yamamoto to go "No, I'm fine. As long as YOU'RE safe" like that's so good???

The Hibari thing?? How he sees Tsuna's depressed state over it all and all he says to comfort him is "Watch me." because that's all he could understand about the situation. That if he wins his fight, somehow Tsuna will cheer up. and its just so???? GOD ITS JUST SO FULL OF LOVE. Every character in this series shows love in their own ways and it drives me maddd

Mukuro taking care of a tired child too doesn't surprise me with his backstory. He's so gentle with people that are in "his care" even if he won't actively admit it.

The girls as well I'm so glad you pointed them out!! We so like to ignore them in this fandom and thats so sad bc the series makes it really clear that they are part of this equation too. That without their support, the fighters would not have made it. Tsuna could relax knowing Mama Sawada and the girls were watching Lambo and focus on his fight. And during future, he could focus on his training. Not to mention, they're just so supportive especially after they find out what's going on. The boycott episode and its resolution are some of my favorite scenes in Future, it makes me insane that the show gave the girls a Moment to remind us that they too are both deeply loved and ALSO love the boys just the same.

You're so right about Tsuna not being heroic, hell even in Shimon arc Enma is being bullied right infront of him and its Reborn that has to be like "STOP OR SAWADA TSUNAYOSHI WILL HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!!" He's kindhearted and he's got a good moral compass.. It's hard to explain, but you basically have to be IN Tsuna's circle for you to get that sort of "I will die for you" behavior kksjng otherwise he sorta reverts back to his "who me? im just a 14 yr old boy im nobody"

Thank you for sharing Lou (Or eternitas, whatever you'd prefer!) Spreading my own brain rot back at me very nice :^)

[fablecore]

i absolutely ADORE your “her bombastic materials” series! I only discovered it a little bit ago and it has completely nestled into the creases of my brain.

Sophie is such an interesting oc, from her origins to her character development to her personality and mannerisms there’s just something about her that makes her feel so well rounded and complex and ALIVE!

and your take on female pirates in the OP universe was such a cool route to explore in your story! it’s such a gut wrenching reflection of real world news and how the world treats women and seeing Sophie become a victim of that and become forcefully villainized by everyone is so devastating bc the world will believe what it wants even if it’s wrong especially if it’s being pushed into their faces every day and i JUST WANT MY SWEET LITTLE WEIRDO TO BE HAPPY! 😭😭😭

and the interactions between sophie and law in CBA have simultaneously given me butterflies and made me so UTTERLY DEVASTATED! watching these two people who obviously love each other so much just keep having this hang up about how to protect one another makes my wanna gnaw on the bars of my enclosure. but there’s something about them that’s just so fascinating bc they compliment each other so well despite the fact that Sophie thinks Law doesn’t love her more than his revenge and Law thinks that Sophie (and basically everything else) is too good for someone like him to ever truly deserve.

AND THEIR SIGN LANGUAGE CONVERSATION IN THE MOST RECENT UPDATE ACTUALLY MADE ME TEAR UP. the way you balance the goofy dialogue with her serious internal monologue and the serious events of the story is so *chefs kiss* and so OP it’s insane.

you have such a way with words watching you slowly build up Sophie through not only the things she’s gone through and the characters she’s met but also the environment around her makes this story feel so rich and full of life.

sophie’s just a kid who knew too little and now she’s trying to know so much to compensate for her past mistakes and she is so compassionate and forgiving to everyone but herself. she is hard and soft and cautious and reckless and trying so hard not to care while caring SO MUCH she has been fighting tooth and nail ever since she escaped G-13 and the world keeps pushing her down and she has no choice other than to get back up again even if no one else wants her to.

anyway sorry for kind of blowing up your inbox lol. thank you for blessing the world with your writing and i greatly look forward to seeing what comes next! 💛💛💛

have a lovely day!!!

what a sweet letter...! i'm so moved by how deeply you've been thinking about sophie. thank you very much for enjoying the story and the worldbuilding and my writing, i really appreciate it 🤍

her happiness will come and go like all of us, but you're correct in observing that she's got no choice but to keep getting up!

i hope you have a lovely day too 💐

[evita-shelby]

🕯️🕯️🕯️(I feel like I already have a pretty good idea based on Look Both Ways and Venor but I'm greedy and want more lol)

imma probably send something in return

So Eva at first doesn't really seem to care that much about Lucy, like they are okayish friends but because Lucy is almost always with Tommy they wouldn't have interacted much if at all since Eva doesn’t officially meet Tommy until like maybe after John's wedding(i figure it happened late summer) when Grace tampers with a shipment of booze Eva’s family had in a Birmingham warehouse headed for the US(this was after eye fucking each other whenever Eva passed Tommy's window for most of 1919).

they have such an interesting dynamic because while Eva can be friends with just about anyone, the fact that both are paired with the same man immediately puts them at odds with each other because Eva is incredibly possessive of her partners especially Tommy.

And then Eva and Lucy we know have rather different personalities, and probably butt heads over things but get along well as long as there is some distance between them(because both women still have their issues and eventually Eva would revert to her mean girl phase over a disagreement). We've talked about how Eva having issues with how devoted Lucy is to Tommy and how it would interfere with Eva advising Tommy away from his worst decisions or Eva taking matters in her own hands and going behind Tommy's back to save their asses, Lucy’s self-esteem issues and propensity for violence would irritate Eva sometimes because Eva (despite being subjected to colorism and racism in mexico, especially upperclass mexico) uses her beauty and confidence as a sword and shield as she rebuilds her life exiled from her country. plus Eva prefers to use her wits ans win with the least blood possible(even if she has killed people when Charlie was in danger) as she has always hated the killing part of spying

Maybe without the element of Tommy they'd be friends amd have no issues, but in Venor! it takes Eva a while to stop seeing Lucy as the obstacle to her happiness with Tommy and try to be friends again(as she first befriended her assuming Tommy would break up with Lucy before Eva became fed up with the two of them). Venor!Eva tries so hard to not give into her darker self especially after Tommy accuses her of Lucy’s murder.

But i do get the feeling Eva would never let them forget they kinda owe Eva Lucy’s life and will not move a finger when Charlie learns why his parents marriage failed(cuz she still wants Tommy to suffer for both not choosing her in the first place and also accusing her of murder despite claiming to trust and know Eva) plus i think Eva's miffed about Lucy still getting back together with Tommy but because she thinks Lucy deserves a husband who won't accuse his pregnant wife of murdering his lover.

in other aus, i don't think they go beyond very loose aquintances but in Venor, they wouldn’t be extremely close (she trusts Lucy to keep Charlie alive and well during the times Tommy gets to have him, but probably not much beyond that) Eva is very Tommy and the Shelbys are your problem now, please only speak to me if its a matter about Charlie's safety, if you want to consult me come to my house as i vowed to never set foot in Birmingham until the day Tommy's will is read(because she will absolutely fight tooth and nail for Charlie to inherit everything as they agreed on their divorce)

[turtlethebean]

JoMarina Week Day 6: Battles

Also available on AO3: The Invisible Battles - Turtle_The_Bean - Criminal Case (Video Game) [Archive of Our Own]

TW: Depression, references to suicide, self-doubt.

Marina hated feeling this way. The constant low mood that couldn’t be solved by doing anything she typically enjoyed. That was even if she had the motivation to do anything other than work. Even at work, she sat in her office, trying to stop herself from snapping at anyone who came into her office, especially unexpectedly. These days made work feel monotonous, and she couldn’t get any enjoyment out of it, even when she knew she was helping others.

These types of days were physically painful too. From her joints aching and the constant cramps from constipation to the lack of energy that wasn’t helped by her inability to sleep at night, it was painful to be awake in this state.

She didn’t want to be awake right now. She didn’t even want to be alive right now.

She pushed those thoughts away for now. She was at work. She had to be professional. She couldn’t make things about herself, only serve others. Her feelings were something she could bring up with other people in her own time, but she shouldn’t do anything like that during work. She was a psychologist. Someone who fought invisible battles to keep others safe by keeping an eye out for people who were at risk of hurting themselves or others.

If only there were someone here who could do the same for her, someone who could aid her in her invisible battle. She was tired of fighting this battle alone.

So goddamn tired.

---

Jonah was familiar with the weapons and techniques used in battle. He knew how to defend himself and others from any sort of threat. He had spent years, almost the entirety of his life, perfecting these techniques. He swore to protect the people he loved, and he would do so until the day he died.

But some battles couldn’t be fought with weapons or even hand-to-hand combat. Those invisible battles that take place inside of a mind. He didn’t know how to fight those types of battles. He wasn’t even sure about how to recognise them in himself or others.

He admired Marina for being a master of those invisible battles. He watched for months now as she fought tooth and nail to protect those around her from their invisible battles. He often heard or saw people crying in her office, but she was always right beside them, offering her support and comfort. She knew how to make everything feel better, whether it was something as simple as a hug or starting a new form of therapy to help them cope.

He always wished he could be as comforting as her. He knew he had an intimidating appearance, but the people here at the Bureau had taken the time to understand him. He was forever grateful to have friends like them, but he still felt guilty for not being able to do anything when they were struggling. He didn’t know the right words to say or the right actions to take. He still tried, but each time he tried, he could sense that he had failed, even if nobody said anything to him.

He knew that people probably weren’t angry with him for his clumsy way of handling other people’s mental states, but he couldn’t stop guilt-tripping himself. He wanted to help them so badly. He wanted to keep them all safe. He wanted everyone to be okay. But this was the real world, and he didn’t know how to fight those invisible battles, even alongside those who were fighting them.

Right now was making him feel more guilty than ever. He watched as his girlfriend sat in her office, looking like she wasn’t really all there. She moved so slowly and barely said a word or even smiled. It was like someone had taken her and replaced her with a barely functional robot.

He could see the dark circles under her eyes, a sign that she had been lying to him about sleeping well the past few nights. He could tell she had lost a bit of weight as well. She wasn’t taking care of herself, but Jonah didn’t want to force her to do anything. He didn’t want to seem like a toxic or manipulative boyfriend just to make his girlfriend take care of herself.

Well, if he couldn’t force her to care for herself, he was going to have to help her, whether she wanted it or not.

The first step of his plan was probably the hardest one of all – convincing Ingrid to let him have the rest of the day off. Things were in his favour – there wasn’t a case to be solved, nobody was in immediate danger, and it was only one hour until they were due to get off work anyway – but everyone knew how strict Ingrid could be with things like punctuality and attendance. Sometimes, he could’ve sworn that woman worked in a school in her past life.

Still, he needed to get off work if he wanted to help Marina take care of herself.

“Hey, Ingrid,” He greeted, trying to keep positive despite the unlikely outcome he wished to achieve, “Can I ask you something?”

Ingrid looked up at him over her glasses and simply replied with, “Go on.”.

“So, uh, Marina hasn’t been feeling the best lately, and I want to surprise her by helping her take care of herself a little bit. So, I was wondering if it would be okay to go home early so that I could get things ready for when she gets off work.”

“Alright.”

“Wait…you’re going to let me go just like that? No asking if I finished all my work or anything? Not even a little bit of yelling?”

“Jonah,” Ingrid sighed and closed her laptop, “As the administrative assistant here in the Bureau, I have to keep an eye on everyone here, and I’ve noticed that she hasn’t been herself lately. So, yes, I’m giving you the rest of the day off so you can help set things up to let her take care of herself.”

“Oh, thanks so much, Ingrid. I owe you one.”

“You can make it up to me by putting in some extra work tomorrow.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

---

One hour to get everything ready for her. One hour until she comes back from work.

Thankfully, Jonah managed to come up with a plan while he was driving to the Bureau’s accommodation.

His first course of action was to tell Marina to meet him at his place after she finished work. That only required a simple text message to be sent. He then needed to do a bit more on his phone before he could get anything else ready.

First, he researched what things usually made for a calming bath. He then quickly made a run to the store to buy a few items, such as a lavender bubble bath and a camomile bath bomb.

Once he had everything he needed for the bath, he started searching through his tea cupboard to find a nice, relaxing tea for her to enjoy. He managed to find some camomile and honey tea and figured it would do the trick. He popped two tea bags into individual cups and turned on the kettle while completing the final task of the night before Marina got there.

He opened up a food delivery app and started scrolling through the options. While it was difficult to find anywhere that sold Russian foods, he decided to find somewhere that served one of her non-Russian favourites, sushi. He ordered a couple of things the two could share, as well as a little dessert for afterwards, and paid for the food plus delivery.

Finally, with fifteen minutes to spare, he could relax.

After a few minutes of relaxation, Jonah heard the familiar clacking of heels against the wooden floor. By then, the kettle had just finished boiling, and he made sure to pour the tea before she got to his door.

“Hey, Honey Muffin,” He greeted with a big smile on his face, “I made us tea.”

“Oh, thank you.” Marina smiled back.

“Now, sit tight. Dinner is on its way. I ordered sushi, one of your favourites.”

“Jonah, you didn’t have to.”

“I’m doing this because I love you, and I’ve noticed that you haven’t been yourself lately.”

“I’m glad you noticed,” Marina looked down at her tea, “I’ve been having these…depressive episodes since I was a teenager. I remember when I thought they would go away with time, but they never did. I’m sorry to place such a burden like this on you.”

“You’re not a burden, sweetheart. I promise I’m going to love you even with these episodes. And when they happen, I’ll help you take care of yourself if you can’t find the strength to do it on your own. I may not be an expert in fighting any battles that don’t involve physical combat, but I want to help you fight this invisible battle.”

“Thank you. That…that’s what I really needed to hear.” Marina sniffled, feeling tears prickling in her eyes.

“Oop sounds like dinner’s here,” Jonah started walking towards the door before turning back to Marina to say one more thing, “By the way, I’m going to draw you a bath after dinner to help you relax and sleep tonight.”

“Do I get to sleep in your big, warm arms to help me sleep as well?”

“Whatever you need, sugar cube.”

[jade-of-mourning]

heyyy it’s snailon,,,

brain juice isn’t really braining rn but I saw your super cool girl makorra post and just wanted to tell you I giggled to myself about that. fem mako I will always love you… you’re real in my heart… lesbians makorra you are famous to me… I’m literally going insane HA

🐌

hey snailon <3 ngl my week has been genuinely insane so sorry it took a long minute to respond! (i spent roughly 40 hours at percussion in the last seven days in addition to school :P to overshare: i got second place in a marimba solo comp and the highest score from my school!) okay moving on to your ask —

lesbian makorra is kind of my favorite tbh. ik people always justly mock That One Post but also there's something inherently sapphic about them that is absolutely unshakeable in my delusional affections for these two characters. this is the post that has permenantly ingrained itself into my brain and fundamentally changed how i will ever read mako because i like canon mako but i actually like fem mako even more. he just kinda deserves to be a girl yknow,,, oh and also the flavor of Trauma:tm:.

i also really like canon makorra (yes ik they fucked up and i do like korrasami, but i'm a firm believer that they always meant the world to each other no matter how it manifested. s4 makorra could've been so much,,) BUT lesbian makorra is actually kind of like. um. holy.

conceptually, 17 year old brash-unapologetic-wholeheartedly-passionate avatar korra seeing the world for the first time and falling fast in love with some insanely-tall deeply-repressed-stoic firebender girl with insurmountable trauma from fighting tooth and nail to keep herself and her little brother alive since the age of eight,,, that turns the wheels in my brain SO MUCH. mako's an asshole to her, the first person to really treat korra that way, because she doesn't care if she's the avatar or not — she's going to treat people based on how she perceives their own merit because titles have never meant anything on the streets. they argue because they're both self-righteous but they fight together so well like they've known each other for lives before. mako has never had time in her life or space in her heart for more than one other, yet still; slowly and slowly she falls for this bright-determined-brave-incredible girl who loves with all her heart. it's not something she's used to with how her own love has been weathered away by this blasted world, but maybe she could get used to this. ANYWAY makorra could just be so girl for girl.

(side note, mako as a girl is absolutely lesbian as hell but in canon i honestly really like aro mako loll. idk how to express it; they fundamentally should be the same two people, but also the energy is just so different in some inexplicable way. side note on shipping: i like korrasami but i like like makorra and i really like makorrasami because i'm one of those three people who actually likes masami too for just-trust-me-bro reasons haha)

[cosmos-coma]

Prey of the Hunt- Chapter 9

A/N: Listen this is among my first times writing combat scenes and I’m not great at it. also please I’m begging you to READ THE WARNINGS.

Pairing: Eskel x Reader

Words: ~1.7k

Summary: The battle has begun and as all fights are it isn't pretty, nor is it completely noble, but you will fight tooth and nail for this family you've found. 

Warnings: Violence (Canon level), Death (minor characters only), Injury, general dreary times with war and all.

This chapter has DARK themes and is not pretty. The reader is NOT going to be morally noble and this chapter contains SPOILERS for the battle of Kaer Morhen in TW3 (in most aspects, I’m editing the ending a bit). you have been warned.

Chapter 10

_____________________________

You and Eskel bolted out of bed, feet running to the great hall where you made quick work of your weighty armor and grabbed your staff. Everyone had a sachet of potions and/or bombs to use at their discretion and as they passed by the hall towards their stations each one was scooped up.

You followed the crowd out the large doors, the two of you heading towards the courtyard as the group gradually diffused and everyone went their separate ways. As the two of you reached the end of your joined road and you knew you had to split from here on out you paused for a moment, grabbing his hand instead.

“You have to come back, do you hear me?” You said to him, your voice already threatening to quiver with the first words you’ve spoken that day. “I need you to come back, okay?” you repeated as a couple of tears fell freely.

Eskel nodded and kissed your knuckles as he gave your hand a hearty squeeze in return. “I’ll come back to you. Wherever you go I’ll follow, remember?”

You nodded, satisfied with his words, but a kiss on the knuckles was not going to cut it today. You grabbed his tunic and pulled him close to give him what would undoubtedly be the most passionate and meaningful kiss of your life. You poured all that you had into that simple kiss so that no matter if you got separated or killed he would always know.

“I love you, Okay? I love you…” you spoke, desperately wanting to pull him closer only to turn instead and run to your position.

Despite the circumstances you all beheld Eskel’s face split into the widest grin he had ever had. “I love you too..!” he shouted as he ran to his spot, his yell just loud enough for you to hear as you left each other behind. If there had ever been a reason to fight tooth and nail to stay alive, this was it.

The oppressing silence filled your ears as you looked around at your allies from your position on the upper wall. Some spoke quietly to themselves, others were taking deep breaths, and some you didn’t even know to be religious were praying in the quiet before the storm to any god that would hear them.

A frigid and familiar blast of wind swept through the grounds of the keep, causing everyone to brace themselves against a wall lest they be swept away. A warped BOOM of crackling energy came from overhead as Yennefer expanded her magical barrier around the keep. It spread into much of the surrounding woods and let off low-resounding vibrations that you tried to use as a comfort.

As the clinking of metal armor alerted you, you looked into the woods to see a troop of lower-level riders. Green clouds of shimmering smoke exploded in the woods, letting you know that Geralt, Letho,  and Lambert were working hard down there to take out as many portals and riders as they could. But despite their valiant efforts down there, pale blue portals began appearing around the courtyard and the upper walls. 

It was no time at all before you all were preoccupied dealing with the hounds and riders that showed up here and there that you almost missed the flashes of greenish-blue light as Ciri warped through the crowd, taking down enemies as she went.

“Ciri!” you chided, whether she didn’t hear you or just didn’t stop to listen you weren’t sure, but she continued her onslaught just the same. You should have known that she would never stay in hiding, even if her life depended on it.

Out of nowhere, a heavy weight slammed into your back, taking your breath and probably a part of your soul with the sheer force of it. You had been so caught up on other people in that moment that you had forgotten to watch your own back. 

You turned and came face to face with a rider of the Hunt, someone you surely would have called your sibling in arms a mere month and a half ago. You coughed as your lungs desperately searched for the air that was knocked from them and searched over the helmet’s face for a moment to see if you knew who it was.

 ‘It’s… mine? They gave my helmet away…’

A red-hot rage raced through your veins as you took in the sight before you. All the other noises of the battle faded away, your ears filled only by your heaving breath and your racing heart. With an impulse so animalistic you found your shoulders tense as you rushed towards them, ducking to the left as they swung aimlessly for you. Your own staff came out low to sweep them off their feet, following up with an arm against their back to slam them face down into the ground.

“Do you even know whose mask you wear?” you screamed as their body hit the ground with a loud THUD. “DO YOU KNOW?” you screamed again, as you brought up your staff- but like the rest of them they did not answer. They were just another faceless body of violence, flesh with no conviction but that of their superiors and you would not have it.

“It’s fucking MINE” you yelled a final time as you brought your staff down on them, the anger and rage at seeing your own mask, your own self in a way, commit these acts against the family you had found gave you the strength to drive it through their back and to the concrete below, killing them instantly. The wooden staff splintered and broke apart as it met the stone beneath you and you dropped to your knees as your support gave out.

“It’s mine…” you whispered this time, as you pulled the helmet from their body, holding its cold heavy weight once again. But there was no time to be sentimental now, there was still a battle going on and you were as much a part of it as any. You rose to your feet and grabbed the metal staff from them before running back into the fray. 

The outer positions had all begun retreating into the inner walls as more and more of the Wild Hunt approached and you could hear them yelling about how Eskel had yet to open the door.

“Y/N! what’s going on? Why hasn’t Eskel opened the gates?” Vesemir yelled up to you over the commotion, surrounded by Geralt, Letho, and many others. 

You glanced into the Courtyard where you knew Eskel was and your heart nearly seized at the sight. “Eskel’s in trouble, I’m going to help him…!” you shouted back, your body kicking in automatically as your feet frantically made their way down to your beloved Witcher.

A general of the Hunt and his small troop stepped out in front of Eskel, easily making it 1 against 6 as Eskel steadied himself for the fight. His breath puffed out in wispy clouds as his sword slowly twirled in his hand. You had never seen Eskel in battle before, having come in between seasons, but his whole demeanor had changed. His eyes were cold and his pupils thinly slit; His jaw clenched and each movement seemed to become more precise as his foe got closer. 

The hard clash of metal echoed throughout the courtyard, undoubtedly heard by even those beyond the keep’s dense walls. By the time you had made it down to the courtyard, the general had Eskel on his back, his entire troop watching on at the spectacle. The general’s icy gauntlets lifted his metal staff- intending to end it there and then. 

When you took it all in you saw nothing but red; ire and instinct screaming through your veins as you dashed forward and tackled the general shoulder first. A sickening crack rattled from your bones as you made contact, your momentum carrying you both tumbling to the ground. 

“Y/n, get out of here…” Eskel grunted, holding his ribs as he pulled himself to his feet. “I’ve got this, go on.”  he tried to urge you. 

“I’m not... I’m not leaving you...”, pain tore itself through your shoulder as you dragged yourself to your feet. Your arm felt heavier than lead, laying limp and dragging like dead weight as you scraped your way back to your Witcher. 

The general’s elder speech came out garbled through his helmet as he stood, but his troop all knew what it meant, their clinking footsteps coming closer. That is until flashes of greenish-blue ribbon themselves around them, taking out riders left and right. Thank all the gods that Ciri didn’t stay put, and thank god her intervention had the general retreating… for now.

“The door… “ you groaned as your adrenaline finally waned and the pain of your dead arm pulling on your shoulder came to blinding light. “You need to open the door… They’re retreating.” 

“I’m on it..” Quickly he ran over and lifted the lever to let everyone begin to retreat. Vesemir shouted out several orders and many began to reposition. “Darling are you okay..?” Eskel’s voice was calm and soft, attempting to hide the strain as he moved closer to you once again. 

You shook your head, “I can’t lift my arm…”, your body was bruised and beaten and the battle was beginning to take a toll on you. 

“Just a little more, Y/n. then we can rest..” 

Another BOOM sounded as Yennefer’s barrier began to dissolve and break apart. The temperature dropped 20 degrees in an instant as a harsh wind rushed through the Keep, encroaching closer and closer.

“Eskel!” You yelled, knowing exactly what was coming. Your arms wrapping tight around your beloved witcher was the last thing you felt before it all went cold.

________________

Taglist: @writingmysanity @open--till--midnight @dark-academia-slut @weaponizedvirtue @madamemelancholysstuff

[spookyserenades]

i don’t even know what to say after that chapter!!!! first off i started rereading from chapter 1 on the 6th and i didn’t finish until this morning (the 9th) 😭 girl you’ve written so much i’m just/// HOW? ALSO i had just finished rereading ch8 when you posted the new chapter and i had a genuine debate with myself about continuing in order or going right to 14 and i was alllmost good but i had just waited a month you know???? a girl’s gotta eat.

i honestly knocked right out after reading it, as much as i love mess i was NOT ready to process it and just went straight back to reading in the correct order the next morning. and now i’m here and i’ve read it a second time and Fuck.

my first semi-coherent thought is yoongi with his dark long hair in just sweatpants and a chain necklace is absolutely sinful i almost can’t breathe picturing it 😮‍💨 also he was Not on his best behavior this chapter lmaooo i love how confident and hot he is like MC is his girl but right in front of poor tae!!!!?! and then seokjin in the first half of the chapter (before my poor lovebug disappeared 🥺) was 🔥🔥. we’ve seen little sneak peaks of this side of him before but omg when he called her pretty girl i was like yes! jin i’m your pretty girl 💀

also much more tame but i love LOVE the mystery van duo they’re just so cute in there and i giggle at the jokes made at their expense. and i’m so excited to see joon and ggukie spend more time with mc (mayyyybe in dangerous situations where they mayyyybe feel protective of her idk idk) also this line: “Namjoon froze, before his expression dissolved into pure excitement, something Y/N hardly ever saw on his face unless there was some kind of pastry in front of him.” i snorted let the poor boy live?? joon was really just an overgrown puppy that scene.

and then my gentle cowboy (sorry jimin)!!!!! i’ve missed him so much. i loved the time him and mc spent with the horses and i’m reallyyy curious to know how he feels about mc and yoongi being together. like he was distancing himself bc he had a feeling but why? bc it made him uncomfortable? was it really just bc he was sad mc didn’t trust him? i know you can’t really answer but like i’m shaking my little coin can at you and asking humbly.

then there’s foxy who’s good at pretending like nothing bothers him but he definitely Seemed bothered when he first found out even if he covered it up and is going about like nothing’s different. which brings me to my baby bear!!!! 😭😭😭 oh taehyung :( what a way to end the chapter, if didn’t live for drama i’d be blocking you and throwing my phone 😅 i just need it to be march already, like thank god this is the shortest month lol —🪶

fjkdslafjda Hello love!!! LMAO You're right I've written so much I can hardly believe it,,, usually I'm one who struggles to finish my WIPs so I'm amazed that I've written this much for one story 💀

AHH I can't believe you read through all the chapters before the latest update oh my goodness!! I admire your speedy reading bestie ✨ OOF YEAH the visual of long haired Yoongi.. chain, sweats, no shirt... My new Roman Empire tbh. I'd totally eat him alive. He's also definitely eating up the fact that he's the only one who gets to kiss her (amongst other things lol) Poor Jin. I think he was gearing up to confess to her, and now he doesn't know WHAT to do 😭 But besides that, mmm the "pretty girl" term of endearment reallllyyyy does it for me, too. Especially hearing it from Seokjin.

THE MYSTERY GANG! I'm so excited for their upcoming adventures. I've wanted to get to this plot arc for so so so long, and finally it's here! I love the interactions between JK and Joon sm, too, they tick each other off but I think they're comfortable with one another. OO you BET they'll find themselves in dangerous situations, and between JK and wolf Joon, they'll fight tooth and nail to keep Y/N safe (hot). Joon loves his sweets, in Trouvaille and in IRL!!!

Jimin 🥺 He finally got a good scene this past update, I've missed him too! I said in a previous ask that when springtime rolls around, there will definitely be more scenes with him outside. They have to plant their little garden, and go for rides around the property! As for him with Yoongi/Y/N, I think Jimin was a little disappointed that he wasn't confided in, and perhaps thought that Y/N did deem him as trustworthy with that information :(

Oh yeah, Hoseok was definitely clocked! He's used to being so quick and clever, so I think him not being able to figure out that they were sneaking around made him feel weird. That said, Hoseok is quick to recover and roll with the punches. I think his friendship with Y/N is too important to him to risk being outwardly upset.... which leads me to Tae. Poor bastard 💀 He's totally one of the more jealous ones, and I think like Jimin, was disturbed that he wasn't told right away. I live for drama, too bestie!!! Wouldn't be Trouvaille if there weren't cliffhangers every update!

Thank you for reading the newest update and sending me your love and thoughts, I loved hearing all of your theories 🥺💜

[deltaclaws]

Writing Scraps- Creature’s Comfort

I’ve found as I’ve started writing again that I go through two different openings before finding one that sticks, and I keep those on the doc in case I liked the previous one better.

Because I think these things are neat and it’s not quite the same as posting a sketch dump, I’m gonna share the stuff I don’t use and label them Writing Scraps for easier reference. With that, here’s two intros for an upcoming fic that I didn’t like as much but thought they’d be fun to share.

Opening #1-

Sun Wukong had seen sick mortals before. Seen sick immortals too- he himself had been severely under the weather several times in his very long life. The king could tell when a cold was from natural causes or a curse inflicted on somebody. Sun Wukong had also had front row seats for sicknesses that, to this day, leave him wanting to drag his eyes through dirt as some sort of solace to the disgusting images burned into his brain.

A thought that had only crossed his mind once in the past year was what would happen if his successor-turned-kid got ill, and that potentially disastrous line of intrusive thoughts only came about because MK told him of the cursed meatballs he ate when Wukong was away.

“So, did you actually win anything, or was that stunt purely for bragging rights?” he drawled as he leaned against a recently pulverized rock, one eyebrow quirked in a way that said 'This is hilarious and I am never letting you forget it’.

MK tapped his staff down firmly and squared up his shoulders, looking prouder than he had any right to be. “Well I had to set a new record!” he stated, before the proud stance melted into a more humbled slouch, and his student brought his hand up to rub the side of his face sheepishly. “Definitely not worth the city-shaking hiccups, or making Sandy go on a conveniently timed quest for the cure…”

Opening #2-

Sun Wukong liked keeping the technology he used limited. Not for any “The good old days were better” reasons, because indoor plumbing, WiFi, and video games are easily in his Top 5 list of best innovations and no one will ever pry those from his cold, stone hands.

It was strictly for his privacy. His lawyer had to fight him literally tooth and nail to get another computer- too many instances of people finding his one and only personal email years back had led to some very interesting letters. Letters that some lower deities would consider curses to the eyes for their content.

Because no, Sun Wukong will not be sending pictures of any kind to anyone, he will not look at any pictures his weirder fans send him, and he’d prefer to be stewed alive before he read another story that shared waaaay too much personal information.

Even with those very good reasons presented in a very professional manner to his lawyer, he was shot down.

“Handwritten letters from your Fortress of Solitude take ages to get here Wukong. I’m tired of playing Heavenly Messenger to get your approval for these licenses, Wukong.”. While he could’ve argued with that, after getting a new laptop and seeing how fast communication had gotten with computers, he conceded that it was a solid investment alone for getting his lawyer off his back. Now he just needed to answer those emails.

A laptop, a TV, and a gaming console were all he wanted. It was simple! Three easy outlets to enjoy the near infinite library of digital media, and an avenue for his contacts to message him and be promptly ignored.

Then MK became a part of his life again, almost two years went by, and now he had a phone. Arguments of ‘It’s helpful! We can contact each other without using monkey mind powers! I can send you all my favorite memes!’ wore him down faster than anything. Possibly because the kid also used the underhanded move of the puppy dog face combined with a little guilt tripping. Just dusted on top, like some guilty sugar.

[wafflesetc]

I've been wondering a lot if there is a way out of here where Upstead would be okay. Gwen has been saying that it's important we keep loving them, that they are loves of each other's lives, how what they have is true and so on. She has spoken a lot about that even after Jay left. I'd also like to think that if they wanted them to be over, they would have done it already in 10x03 because who likes if it's being dragged on for the entire season.

I mean the ball is in Hailey's court right now. I wonder if her love for him will ultimately come out on top. She will obviously question everything at first. She will want to give up because seemingly Jay did so. She'll try to let go of him and be happy alone. But something happens where she hits a turning point. That she decides to wait for him. And after he comes home they would do the real work. It would be slow but they would do it together. (And Jay would grovel the shit out of him.) They could do that in a way where Jay is home but offscreen. Little mentions here and there. It's terrifying to expect her to carry their marriage but maybe she will. Maybe they will come on top. Maybe she will realise while she can live without him, she doesn't want to. Because Jay has been a big part of her life. He is a big reason she was able to move on and win her demons. I'd like to hope that in the end she can't just forget him.

On the other hand, Hailey's trust and heart has been shattered. She's got a difficult past and Jay was supposed to be the one person who would never break it. He promised so multiple times. So I don't know. Hailey fought tooth and nail to get to a happy place.

I guess we'll have to wait and see though I really don't want to sit through them dragging Upstead more through the mud.

The beautiful thing about television is there is always a way out of a scenario. Look at Tiva - how Ziva "died" and then suddenly she's alive and Tony has a child. That didn't happen until years after she had left the series.

I do find it odd, how much Gwen has gushed about them being the loves of each other's lives and then this is where they have taken them. I'm not arguing if I think they love each other or not, I firmly believe that Jay and Hailey are IT for each other. Which, since they are, I can see why the writers may feel the need to drag them through the mud like this. Even though it is painful to watch, in some capacity it may make it seem more "realistic" to them (the writers) to drag it out this long. However, I disagree, I'm just trying to find some kind of logic in the nonsense we've been given.

I agree with most of your second paragraph, mostly. The only slight thing I disagree on is the ball being Hailey's court - marriage is teamwork. I think they are both trying to make it work, figure things out, do what they can for the other while also trying to heal themselves. I have said this a couple of times BUT growth has to happen with each individual in order for the relationship to grow. It's painful, messy, and not always black and white, but it takes two to tango. Jay is just as culpable as Hailey is in all of this. I think the process for each of them is different, but I do believe they would fight to the ends of earth to preserve their marriage because that's the kind of people they are.

I think the thing I am trying to remember right now is that we are only on episode 12 of 22/24 episodes for the season. There is still a lot of time to watch, a lot of the story left to unfold, and I don't think we've seen the end of Upstead yet. Only time will tell, but I think by the end of the season we will have a more clear picture of where they are taking this.