#and there's just like four times as many creatures as there are in survivor for instance ajgdsrjnfdk

[foxstens]

i once said spearmaster spawns aren't that bad... i was so wrong

[nothomegal]

HIII I MISS YOU :(( straight to the point, I need a yandere pyramid head fic!!

I´m sorry for the disappearance ;v; Can't post much due my studies.

Anyways, I ADORE your suggestion! And boy if our little (Y/N) is going to have a rough time with a yandere creature like Pyramid Head ._.)

Welp, let's start the story!

"Innocent lamb"

(Yandere!Pyramid Head x GN Reader)

Summary: the entity's realm was hell for some, heaven for others, and an inconvenience for the rest... But when one of the creatures encountered you, he made it everyone's problem, even the entity's that brough him there in the first place. But he meant no harm to you. He likes you. He wants you. He needs you. And he wͦ̀ͯi̸ll̩ͩ have Y̛̗̰͇͚͓͈̣͕̰͓̗͛ͤ̀̇̍ͥ͒̓͝Ơ̵̔_̰̅U̵̷̡̧̡̨͖̟̹͙̙͓̥̗̫̣̙͉͕͉̣̬̇ͭ͗̉͂̅̍͗̇̇́́̈͟͞

Warnings: yandere/obsessive behavior, violence and violent acts, quite angst(y) mood in general, (understandably) terrified reader darling :(.

Word count: 4.2k

The moment they entered the trial, all four survivors knew right away who the killer was. Either its the dread they all felt as soon as their feet made contact with the ground that gave it away, or the fact that the entity had placed all of them in the same spot next to two generators just to have any chances to make it out alive.

But they know it's in vain, they know they're doomed for a long long death by bleeding out.

They know it... Because (Y/N) is with them.

Said survivor had to bite their lip to avoid crying, as guilt and terror embraced them. Just because the monster had this unholy obsession with them it didn't mean they were okay with it, if anything it scared them more.

He, Pyramid Head, the Executioner... Or however you want to nickname him, is said to be one of the most powerful creatures the entity had the pleasure to bring, so powerful in fact that the spider-like being had to make a deal to bring him.

So it's not surprising that they are absolutely horrified, but who wouldn't? This monster, an embodiment of pain and punishment, almost a god, has been hunting them relentlessly ever since he laid his gaze or... Helmet? On them.

At first it was all jokes and gags;

'Aww look, (Y/N) has a boyfriend!'

'Watch out, here comes your crush (Y/N)!'

'Uh-oh, the triangle man seems jealous, look how pissed he is at Nea for healing you!'.

But the jokes stopped when it got clear how truly messed up and sinister said 'crush' is.

They still remember it, it was a regular match against that one masked knife wielding guy that runs a lot, he's called 'Legion' they think. The trial was going relatively well, just like many previous ones. Until it suddenly got an 180° turn when one of the walls to the realm was literally destroyed by a hulking mass of muscle and a giant knife. To say both (Y/N) and the killer nearly had a cardiac arrest was an understatement, things got so ugly that the entity had to intervene and cut the trial short.

That incident could be a fuel for a new wave of jokes, could... If it didn't happen again. And that next time was even worse, the beast nearly made his way into the survivor side of the realm, somehow bursting through the barrier the entity had created to keep the survivors separated from the killers to avoid any pity fights after trials.

Ever since that event, Pyramid Head was strictly kept in 'his' realm, aka Midwich Elementary School.

Sometimes, after escaping through the gates and running back into the camp through the fog, (Y/N) could swear they can hear the monster roar in the distance. Loud, distorted and fierce howls resonating somewhere behind the dense fog, as if the creature was desperately trying to yell out their name. Either to let them know how badly he wants them or a promise to break free and get them... Both possibilities giving them chills.

The entity of course wasn't okay with this, it was pissed! But it also could do so little... The great deal now had turned into a major curse. If the deal is broken, the Executioner won't hesitate to damage the realm to get what he wants. But if it remains, the monster will find new ways to bend the rules and make it everyone's problem.

Why the entity doesn't just give (Y/N) to the beast or gets rid of them ones for all? No one really has the answer. Some think it's due the entity's pride, or the possibility of the executioner going ballistic. For now, it's more of a silent (and petty) battle between two stubborn beings, each of them refusing to back away from their goal.

Goal. The entity's goal, though still confusing, is more or less clear; force people and creatures to play these twisted games and feed on those who get sacrificed. But the executioner's goal? It's straight up a mystery. (Y/N) know it has something to do with them, but... Why them exactly? Why not Cheryl? Didn't she come from the same place as that beast? What the monster even wants them for?

What will he do when he finally gets his hands on them? Wh-

A rough shake snapped (Y/N) out of their internal break down.

They blink a couple of times, tears of fear nearly sliding down their cheeks as their body shivers. They were scared, more than the other three survivors combined.

The survivor holding them by their shoulders, David, sighs when he finally notices them react.

—"Look, I know you're scared..."— he starts talking, his voice surprisingly calm.

—"I'm-... I- I'm sorry, I'm s-so sorry-..."— you choke out in a weak wobbly voice, guilt eating you from inside.

—"No no. Just listen for a sec. I... Well, we all can tell that you aren't enjoying it neither. So, let's not break down into a soap opera, okay? Don’t think of this as hopeless match, but as another chance to woop that asshole's ass and escape."—

—"And also leave him empty handed!"— Feng announces from her place while already working on a generator.

—"Yeah, screw that triangular piece of shit! Let's try out Dwight's strategy this time. You remember it, do you?"— he asks you, not letting go of your shoulders yet.

The surprisingly positive and reassuring words of their teammates towards them really soothed and even cheered (Y/N) a bit. With a small smile they quickly wipe their eyes before nodding.

—"Good, see? We're already starting on a good note!"— he lets go to then pat your back, basically pushing you forward. —"Now go help with a gen before putting the 'plan' into work."—

Though the push hurt a bit, (Y/N) didn't care at all about the pain, too focused on keepings all the negative and pessimistic thoughts away.

For the first minute and a half everything was going well, (Y/N) and Feng were working on one generator while David and Jonah were working on the other one. The four of them were dead silent, straining their ears for any of the sounds the creature makes, such as heavy footsteps, the scraping of his gigantic knife or their own heartbeat. Weirdly enough, everything was calm... Too calm.

(Y/N) nearly choked with air when a cold chill ran through their spine.

Spine Chill. The beast... Is watching them.

They attempt to subtly alert Feng by carefully tapping her leg, but as soon as their fingertips touched the other girl’s skin, their heartbeat started to get louder and louder, until…

—“WATCH OUT!”—

(Y/N) exclaimed as they pushed Feng, just in time to dodge a bunch of sharp and rusted metal pieces coming out the ground.

—“Holy-...”— she mutters.

Now that the monster is here, the four survivors decided to put in action the mentioned strategy.

They all let go of the generators and run away in different directions, (Y/N) being the most desperate while running since they know exactly who the beast is targeting.

His pattern is always the same; chase after until sending them into a cage to then down all of their teammates and then come straight back to all caged and helpless (Y/N) and then… Stare or touch them until the others bleed out or the entity has enough.

The difference in the current case, is that (Y/N) is not playing just cat and mouse. In fact, chasing them is the worst the killer can do. All of their abilities are chase oriented, another teammate lurking around has all the boon ones, while the last two have all is needed to rush through the generators. If everything works out, the monster will get himself in a situation where he's be forced to leave (Y/N) alone.

The chase was intense, at least for (Y/N). Despite never catching a clear view of the Executioner, they could feel him close behind, following them methodically like a wild animal on a hunt, waiting for the right moment to strike while keeping up the tension.

It was hard to maintain the focus, every single hallways in The Game looked the exact same. Did they vaulted that window already? Didn't they pre-dropped that palled over there? Did Feng placed it up again? Are the other two working on the generators? Have they taken this left path before?

So many questions where swarming their mind as their legs kept carrying them on, only momentarily relaxing when two generators finally made that distinguish noise.

Two done! Tree left.

A breathless laugh escaped from them. Great! This is already going better than all of their previous encounters with the Executioner, which would always end with the first generator barely reaching 30%.

However, their smile was quickly swept when they realized they no longer hear their heartbeat or thundering footsteps tailing behind. It was silent, dead silent, with no other sounds that their own breathing.

A wave of anxiety flushed through (Y/N) like a tsunami wave and started to drag and drown them deeper into their own worries.

What the?... Okay, this was not part of the plan. The Executioner had never left the chase with them, never. So the fact that he finally did, and apparently a while ago, made them shake.

With nothing else to do, they gather the courage to start moving again. Where? Somewhere! Anywhere but to stay in place and be an easy target to the beast that so desperately wants them.

They keep running, stopping only for a brief moment before turning a corner, making sure they don't hear any muffled breathing that at times resembled growls. They learned the hard way with the Shape that some killers like to wait around corners, and they don't want to commit the same mistake right now.

Their heart jerked when they heard a scream resonate from their left, and a faint reddish aura in the shape of a human gleamed for a second before disappearing.

David is down.

And it seems like he's not getting picked up, which could either mean that the monster is setting up a trap or chasing someone else. Whichever the case is, they shouldn't go-

They hear a bunch of footsteps come their way, and in a set of panic they crouch behind a bunch of boxes, silently praying that their disguise is mildly good.

They can't see much from their spot, but they can clearly recognize the shape of Jonah running away from something massive.

As soon as the two figures passed by, (Y/N) gets up and takes off running towards David to check on him.

After some wondering around the labyrinth-like place, they finally reach their injured teammate, who was still on the ground and groaning from pain.

—"{David!}"— you whisper-yell as you start running towards him.

He weakly lifts his head just enough to see them. When he recognized who it is, he starts to frantically shake his head.

—"NO! GET THE FUCK OUT!"—

Huh? What-

As (Y/N) is about to reach David, a path of sharp metal pieces and razor wires had emerged right in front of them, just when they're about to make contact with the floor again, making in impossible to dodge.

The second their leg got tangled into the sharp metallic mess, everything went too fast. They don't even have time to pull away as something sliced them on their side, sending them directly on the ground.

They send a guilty and ashamed glance to David, who had an frustrated expression.

—"{Sorry...}"— you mouth.

(Y/N) has no chance to see David's answer as a massive hand suddenly curled around their throat and forced them to look away from the other man.

Their eyes wide at the sight of the beast menacingly hovering over their helpless form, holding their body in place between him and the ground. The muscles of his extended arm were tense, his breathing heavy, almost like he's holding back the anger and displeasure caused by them giving attention to someone else.

Their heart skipped beats, their breath uneven, their eyes watered as they tightly closed them, not wanting to witness whatever this thing was about to do. They can feel the warmth coming from his body, his breathing slowly stabilizing, as if staring at them and watching them slowly submit was enough to calm the monster. Ironically, it did the complete opposite to (Y/N), as their own heartbeat raised from the anxiety of having to face the unknown, attempt to predict the unpredictable and prepare to witness another massacre unfold around them at any second... Just to then end up caged and at the mercy of this-

—"LEAVE THEM ALONE ASSHOLE!"— David angrily yells from his place, struggling and trying to stand up. —"You're fucking terrifying, of course they don't want to look at you!"—

They can feel Pyramid Head's hand tense and start shaking, his fingers twitching and pressing further into their skin. (Y/N) was beyond terrified now, just a little bit of pressure and the creature could crush their throat like a cardboard tube.

David, though clearly using all of his strength, ended up falling back on the ground, as if some invisible weigh is actively pushing him down.

—“You freak! Absolute sick fuck! Let them go already!”—

As the waterfall of profanities continues, (Y/N) slowly places their hands around the monster’s wrist to attempt to push his hand away, unfortunately he didn’t budge at all.

Suddenly, David’s stops screaming and the very next second (Y/N) feels something warm and slippery press against their cheek.

They jerk in place at the uncanny sensation and shoot open their eyes, a breathless gasp escaping them at the sight of a… Wh-What even is that? A freaking tentacle? A tongue?…

The dark pink muscle wiggles in front of their face for a moment before licking another stride, wiping some of their tears and blood in the process, making (Y/N) shiver in discomfort.

They shoot a confused glance to David, desperately wanting to know if he’s witnessing this too. The man had an expression of pure ‘what the fuck’; eyes narrowed, brows furrowed and mouth slightly gaping.

This eye contact was brief though. (Y/N) got startled for a loud growl that reverbed from the beast's chest and helmet. The hand finally leaves their throat as the beast stands up to his full height and starts making his way to David, leaving them alone, as well as his knife?

(Y/N) throws their teammate a scared look, but David responds with a forced smirk.

—"Ah, now you decide to drag your big ass towards me."— he mutters through gritted teeth.

The monster seem to not react to his taunts. With each step that he takes towards David, his mask of confidence seems to crack.

Nevertheless, the man didn’t back out from his insults, he never does.

—“What’s wrong? Why so pissy, huh?! Jealous that (Y/N) prefers us?!”—

Saying their name was a sore spot to hit, and the way Pyramid Head reacted confirmed that.

The monster roughly grabs David by the neck, completely ignoring the fact that he’s not even holding his weapon. Instead he uses his bare hands to silence him.

Nasty, wet and crunchy sounds resonated through the room and hallways as the creature began to tear the man’s body limb by limb, piece by peace, unbothered by the pained screams of his victim or the low groan of displeasure that resonated from above for again not playing by the rules.

(Y/N) froze in horror at the sight in front of them. Blood, chunks of flesh and bone pieces where flying everywhere, never before they’ve witnessed this type of gore, not even during the ‘mori’.

Though it felt like the massacre lasted hours, it was actually second. The monster threw the whatever remaining he had in his hands and slowly turned back to (Y/N), who was still frozen and unable to look away from what was left from David. They know they will meet again in the fire camp, in one piece and alive, but god they felt sick...

Their shock breaks only when the thundering footsteps began to resonate again, shaking the ground underneath them with each the creature took. He grew closer, and closer, with them being able to do absolutely nothing aside from attempting to crawl away.

But that pity attempt was stopped when the same sharp wires and rusty metal pieces emerged from the ground and wrapped around their body, pulling them slowly underneath and sinking them further into the ground. And before they realize it, their body is already trapped in that rotten metallic cage.

Cold metal spikes just inches away from their flesh, so close to penetrate their skin, a wrong move and they would undoubtedly get hurt. But even if they wanted to move, they couldn't really. The space in the structure was small, claustrophobic even, each spike perfectly adjusted to keep their form in place. In some twisted way, it felt like a hug, a very cold, unwelcoming and unnerving hug.

They flinch when they hear a scream resonate from somewhere, which was cut by a loud slam.

Feng was caught.

It seems like the Executioner didn't bother to down her, rather getting rid of her directly, most likely because he's aware that Jonah is not keen of going for rescues...

And speaking of the man, there is his aura flashing before (Y/N)'s eyes as his body fell on the floor.

He's down... Which means that-

Before they even finish their conclusion, the tall figure of the monster appeared. Just by looking at them his behavior seemed to change; movements more erratic and pace uneven, almost like he's hypnotized.

He makes his way to them, slowly, as if purposely building up the tension.

(Y/N) wanted to look away or close their eyes, but whenever they did so the cage felt painfully small. It hurt, literally, so they stare at that beast grow closer with wide shaky eyes that struggled to keep their focus on him. This is something Pyramid Head was always good at, he could always make you fear, even the toughest bravest ones would inevitably succumb to the terror his presence brings.

Ones in front of them, the creature stops in place and simply stares, like he always did.

(Y/N), though still scared, was a tiny bit relieved that this is what the rest of the trial would be; them being pinned like a butterfly with the monster observing.

It would be just that.

Just this bizarre staring contest.

...Right?

WRONG.

The creature suddenly let go of his weapon and grabs the edges of the cage with both hands quite violently.

Now the little hope and comfort (Y/N) had was thrown out the window, as now they realize they no longer have any idea of what will happen next.

And by what it looks like, the entity is not planning to intervene, as if curious itself to see what will happen next.

Pyramid Head remains like this, his big hands tightly squeezing the imperfect metal bars, bending them slightly and making the already miserable looking material groan from the pressure he was applying.

It looked like he wanted to destroy that cage, rip it apart and get to them, but didn't do it by holding himself back... Why? What's even the point of this build up? What's even the point in wanting them?!

—"{Wh-...Why?...}"— you choke out in a very quiet voice. —"{Why a-are you d-... doing this?...}"—

(Y/N) knows is stupid to ask, Pyramid Head can't even speak! But they can't help themselves, they're too scared, their anxiety is unbearable and their thoughts are too out of control. They need answers, anything that could even hint for a possible explanation of the killer's intentions.

They began to second guess their decision to speak when the creature froze in place, even his breath was now inaudible. This was the first time (Y/N) spoke directly to the monster, but they didn't expect him to react at this fact, not like this, or at all.

But he did, he did acknowledged that little detail, and he will make sure they acknowledge it too.

The creature soon moves again, by slowly leaning closer and slightly tilting his head to the side, almost like trying to get a better look at them.

His breathing got heavier, low huffs and growls resonating from that metallic helmet of his. It really looked like he was actively holding back some major urge or desire, but what it is?

(Y/N) wanted to ask again, but decided against it as there is little Pyramid Head could do to answer, and even if he could, why should he? Maybe it's more amusing to him to see them helplessly wondering in the dark and unable to comprehend what's going on.

Or maybe, there is simply nothing to explain?... Maybe he does what he does just because? Human mind is way too used to seek for reasons and explanations for anything and everything, often forgetting that sometimes the answer is way too simple or straight up null, could that be the case?

The same groan coming from the cage bars pulled (Y/N) out of their thoughts. They forget how to breathe at the sight of the structure slowly collapsing as the monster starts to rip the bars with his raw strength.

A scared yelp escaped them as they try to back further into the cage as much as they can, ignoring the sharp edges that scratched or pierced their body. They barely felt pain, none at all actually, the adrenaline and basic survival instincts keeping their body resilient and ready to run. The sad part is, is that there is nowhere to run, nothing to do. It's sweet that their body tries so desperately to keep their hopes up and reassure their survival, but their mind is more than aware of the cold desolated reality...

The front part of the cage was eventually ripped off and thrown against the floor violently. (Y/N) can only cover their eyes with their hands and quietly sob as they wait for whatever the monster had planned to do next.

Even when no further actions are made, they refuse to look. They no longer want to face this thing, they no longer want to suffer this torment. Regardless if they believed in any religion or no, they mutter silent prayers under their breath, but not no save them, but to make it end and to know how sorry they are for any evil or harm they've did in their life that leaded to such tragic conclusion.

But this is where the catch is... They've committed none. At least from the Executioner's perspective.

Despite their whispers being so silent to a non-existent point, Pyramid Head heard them loud and clear. And the more he heard their voice, the more he felt the inside of his chest burn and the desire for them grow even more. (Y/N) is not perfect, they're human after all, and all humans have their fair share of flaws and defects... But unlike the rest, (Y/N) has the ability to acknowledge said imperfections and genuinely try to make up for them, to fix them... Regardless if they get something in return or not.

This, this is the true purity in a human being. An innocence and kindness so genuine that it would be a sin not to worship and protect... And who is a best fit to take care of it other than the fearsome Pyramid Head?

(Y/N)... So pure... So innocent... So kind... He must keep them save.

He must keep them...

He wants them...

W̴͕̳͈͔̭̝͠ͅ a̶̩̰̲̎̓͊̈̓̕ ǹ̴̢͇̬̘̗̯̜̍̋͊͠͝͠ ṭ̶͇̃̔͝ s̶̭̩͔̹̝̼̅̍̆̉͌͝

As the monster is about to reach them, a spider like legs burst out through the floor and wrap themselves around (Y/N).

The trial... Is over.

And while the absolutely livid roar gets overshadowed by the groans of the entity as the black fog surrounds the whole place. (Y/N) only keeps quietly sobbing as they cling to the spider leg sticking out of their chest. And though they knew the entity is the main responsible of their current torment, they were too overwhelmed with emotions to properly process their actions.

Surprisingly, the spider-like being didn't disappear right away, probably feeling pity for their situation and allowing them to cry for a brief moment, most likely to compensate this unplanned mess they have to deal with.

To everyone's surprise in the camp, when (Y/N) finally arrived they where unconscious, either passed out after such emotional roller coaster or the entity wants them take some genuine rest. Whatever the case it, it didn't matter, what matters is that their fellow friend is back save and sound, right?

As one of the survivors decided to take them closer to the bonfire for warmth and comfort, they could swear they heard some weird noises from afar.

It resembled a demonic cry filler with rage, so distant yet menacing. Everyone instinctively shivered.

And though (Y/N) successfully 'survived' yet another trial with the executioner, almost everyone had the gut feeling that the next encounter they have with the beast, it will not end good...

They all take a glance at their still unconscious form.

Poor (Y/N)...

[postmoe]

MORE OBEY ME FICS!! PLS I BEG!! PERERABLY ONE WITH DIAVOLO IN IT PLEASEEE MY LIFE IS YOURS!!!

I LOVE THEM SO MUCH Let's do a little world building

sex for favour, contracts, apocolypse au, religious references, yandere

You really, really, really hate using your contracts. Not only does it take a toll on your body, a part of your soul being syphoned out each time but, the aftermath is also unpleasant.

Your story is typical, home demolished by Angelic monsters, rejects cast down from Heaven that didn't quite make it to Hell. Family and friends gone, only some survivors remained that were either not in your village or left with less body parts. The killing blow to your ideals was learning that the Capital had denied help from Exterminators, their best exorcist too far away and no one else willing to fight against a Throne of all creatures. No one even came to look for survivors since it was a waste of resources on a gamble not worth betting on.

Angels trudged all along the Earth, the lowest orders scattered around like pests. Middle orders tend to be the 'boss' of these groups. The highest order, Thrones, were much like natural disasters; sudden, with little warning.

It wasn't easy, and though many still prayed to the Heavens for help and despised any anti-religious behaviour, you had separated long ago from that group. An outcast of an exorcist, making deals with demons to gain enough power to kill angels. Years have gone by and no one knows how you manage to keep Avatars of Sin on your side.

No one knows you've had to sell yourself to young King of the Devildom, either.

You can harness their powers into your weapons, your soul used as fuel for very powerful attacks. To bring of them to aid you in battle, however, costs a little bit more.

.

Your arm is torn at the shoulder, fingers on your right hand bent backwards, broken. Your right eye was swollen shut, and your left leg had a flag pole through the thigh.

Ribs broken, blood coughing from your mouth, this Throne was more powerful than any other you've faced. You wonder if Lucifer could handle it, already knowing he requires your help with Thrones alone. Or maybe that was just him being a nuisance to you? You're not sure, and you're not really in a position to risk it now.

The angel before you rises, a dark mass covered in mouths, constantly laughing as you had sliced and cut through its body. When you thought you were doing well, it had suddenly stopped its incessant cackle, the hundreds of mouths on the castle-like mass opening wider than any creature you know, red veined eyes appearing and staring at you unblinkingly. Pure horror had struck you, though you were still able to force yourself to fight. Lucifer's power had damaged it enough, you really did think you won.

... Until it shed it's crust. Wet, tar-covered wings rose from the inside, two, four, eight, sixteen in all sorts of directions. You were lucky to not be hit, the tar latching to any living thing it flicked to and devouring it, turning it to a walking corpse. You were blinded by a golden light, more cracking of the crust, dust shredding once it finally propelled out. Your jaw slacked, it was somehow even bigger, the carnage of a mansion, houses, farmlands, all nothing but a playmat below it. Four of its wings dragged on the ground, the feathery limbs surrounding wheels of golden wings, mouths laughing at you, eyes unblinking and twitching in every direction. The very middle was a pair of black lips, human teeth like eyelashes over the outside of a giant, weeping eye.

You wonder if you can even pull this off?

Exhaling all your nerves, trying your best to focus as you sit slumped in the mud against a cracked boulder, you close your good eyes murmur under your breath, the words bubbling through blood, "In the name of the Exterminator, (Y/n), I call upon the aid of the demon monarch. Come forth, please, Diavolo."

Silence follows, as though a rushing river is hit with a sudden calm. When you finally open your good eye, you see Diavolo in all his glory, a low whistle reaching your hearing as he places his hand on his hips and admired the creature before you, "Just what have you gotten yourself into this time, Miss (Y/n)?"

You open your mouth to speak, only for your lungs to concave and more blood pushing up your oesophagus. The spell was apparently too much.

Diavolo smiles kindly at you, holding one of his hands up, a soft light from his palm sending all the aches and pains away, "Rest now, Miss (Y/n). You've done well to get this far."

If it weren't for the serene spell he used, you would have felt scared to become so vulnerable before a demon and an angel, contrarily you were all but eager to rest your head against the boulder and sleep.

.

When you next awoke, you were tucked into bed. Your fingers were back in place, you had bandages around your legs, arms, torso and neck. What was broken and out of place had been promptly fixed and the terrible, hellish pain you endured was now dull compared before.

You also didn't miss the way the demon lord was lapping his wet tongue between your legs, giving kisses to your clit before making out with your pussy.

His eyes met yours as his tongue delved deeper, an appreciative moan eliciting from him as you clenched around his tongue. Another kiss before he pulls away enough to talk, "Apologies, you weren't waking up and it's almost been 24 hours."

As much as you want to bark at him to get off, you recognise the pact. You needed to provide some sexual favour for the demons within 24 hours of summoning. It was embarrassing, demeaning, you felt horrible about it. They seemed to thrive off of all these feelings.

If you didn't do it, the energy depleted from the experience would double each hour, putting you out of commission for a longer time.

"I'm surprised you didn't wait," you croak, jerking when he goes back to tonguing your insides like a creature in love, "You would have gained more... food. Or, whatever it is you get out of this."

He chuckles and moves up, your thighs going over his own so he could take out his thick, throbbing cock and smack the fat of it against your stomach, "Believe it or not, I don't want to make you suffer just yet, I'll wait until I have you in my castle for that. Besides, I'm quite busy as the King." Your lips part when he nudges the head between your lips, rubbing up and down to gather your slick so he can push in nicer. The smile on his lips was too nice for a demon, "I'm quite surprised you lasted that long before summoning help, though."

Your stomach bulges from the length of his cock, humping into you upwards to really feel your body around him. His large hands graze over your hips, squeezing the flesh of your stomach before coming to cup your cheeks in a gentle embrace. Your tits rub against his pecs, and though it feels really good, you keep talking about what just happened, "It wasn't like any other Throne I've fought, hah... I think they're getting stronger."

"Throne?" He laughs, kissing you deeply, tongue tasting before his lips retreat with a wet smack, "That was no mere Ophanim, dearest. You were up against a creature on par with the Cherubim."

Of course, you knew the rankings of angels in the Celestial realm, everyone who has been forced into this situation does. It was just easier to name the monsters after those rankings. A lot of people didn't like it, though it didn't stop anyone. "Ngnn~" You move your hands to his shoulders, looking for purchase as his cock rubs deliciously inside you. You can feel your energy draining, the way Lord Diavolo holding you was like he was trying to cage you to him. "I thought only Throne rankings had made it to earth?"

"Cum for me, dearest. Only think about the pleasure you're feeling right now," he orders, biting into your neck and sucking on your skin. His lips move to below your ear, tickling you with a light flick of his tongue. One of his hands had trailed over your ribs, past your belly button and began circling and pinching your clit. Your toes curl before stretching out in pleasure, panting while you clench down around his cock, feeling the weight of his balls push into you as he empties his cum as deep as he can. You feel the trickle of your own fluid down your thighs from your orgasm.

His lips are panting over your own, though you know he isn't anywhere near as out of breath as you are. "Should I be worried?" You questioned, wishing he would avert his loving gaze from your own tired eyes.

Lord Diavolo gives you one more kiss, his cock slipping out and letting his cum overflow onto the sheets, "I have it on good intel that something big is coming. If you come across another Ophanim you must call one of us, if not multiple. And be careful..." he ominously states, standing to fix his regale, tucking away his satisfied dick, "I think a Seraphim might be visiting soon."

[lukasdoodles]

Wanted to talk abt some of my Jesse headcanons bc they r creatures to me (General hcs bc they have slightly different stuff depending on the Jesse)

All the Jesse's play different routes to me, with slightly different choices and experiences. But they're all a little aware that their actions are not their own, some more so than others. Green suspenders/red hair clip are the most in tune with that awareness, so they're a lil more messed up/unhinged than the rest. (Plus they've done multiple playthroughs to me, and while no one remembers the playthroughs they DO have an odd sense of deja-vu) and all the jesse's r he/they/she with no particular preference

Green suspenders Jesse (my fav and the one ill prolly talk abt the most lol) has a LOT of scars but hides them under his clothes. The only one he cant hide is the one across his nose, that he got from Aiden during sky city, but he breaks Aiden's nose in return so its all good :3 Other scars come from various random enemies/mobs, but most of them come from failed quicktime events or the witherstorm. ill prolly doodle it out sometime :)

Some of the Jesse's have tattoos! Navy/purple suspenders Jesse has a red witherstorm tattooed on their back, Pink suspenders has misc sleeves and a love for rhinestone/gem-like art, Yellow hair clip has black flowers on her shoulder/back, and Blue hair clip has white doves on her wrists (matching with Petra, who has black crows :3)

After the events of season two, Jesse becomes a bit of a shut in. They still hang out with friends and make public appearances for Beacon town, but the admin left them with a bad reputation, and many people are still mad at Jesse for things they never did. Jesse prefers to stay inside and work on paperwork, have Radar make the public appearances and all that. Lukas is the one who shows up to pull Jesse away and make them rest most of the time, with Jack and Nurm showing up as well as Ivor and Harper visiting every now and then to make Jesse rest.

Jesse doesn't forgive any of their enemies that easily. He gets along with Ivor slowly, building trust and finally *really* trusting him only in episode seven. They start to trust Lukas more in episode four. Aiden isn't forgiven easily, Jesse more-so puts up with him bc Aiden is trying to better himself on his own accord, and Olivia is giving him a chance to change (Aiden comes back to the homeworld and becomes Olivia's apprentice on accident and also they r in love) But its easier for Jesse to forgive Maya and Gill bc they were just loyal to a fault, and are trying to be better people after it all (Plus Jesse grows a soft spot for Maya when he sees the way Radar looks at her [they r also in love]). Jesse has mixed feelings for Cassie Rose, understanding the sentiment and wanting to go home, but despising her for murdering innocent people/trying to kill their friends. Cassie sends Jesse threats every now and then, Jesse almost wishes they could reach out and help Cassie somehow, but at the same time they wouldn't care if Cassie had died in that pit oh so long ago. Jesse used to have mixed feelings about Harper, but Harper risked everything and wasn't REALLY meaning for Pama to go beserk the way it did. Jesse forgives her easily, but is hesitant when she reveals Pama V2 lol. Hadrian and Mevia aren't forgiven. Simple as that lol Jesse hates them. Stella was a rival, but not really an enemy, more so just an annoyance. Jesse doesn't hate her, she does some bad things but comes thru in the end to help. Jesse would've taken her in as a second secretary had she not gone out to work first-hand and help salvage Champion City/help rebuild for the few survivors. He still appoints her as an ambassador and welcomes the survivors to beacontown while they rebuild. Romeo doesn't get forgiveness, most Jesse's will try and leave him to die but those that save him will make him work for redemption, borderline bullying Romeo to be better.

Jesse is a silly lil guy, no matter what :3

[vividsmashing-exploration]

So, I was watching a Youtube video on how Humans came to be Human. It never really clicked that the other species that died out while we survived were... well, Human too. Homo-Erectus, Neanderthal, Denicovin, all humans, but we are the survivors, Homo-Sapiens.

But what if this wasn't the case for alien species? They may have come together in mind, with the same goals, but their biology never homogenized. The multiple species that made up the intelligent life on a planet coexisted, or at least didn't outright murder one another. Would these species find our existence sad? Or maybe they'd be fascinated by that.

Credit where it's due, this is what I was watching: https://youtu.be/wzwXGD_C4P0

In any case, it inspired me to write my first entry to the Humans are Space Orcs Category. Enjoy.

======================================

Field Medic Dana Ortigez was finishing up a report in the crew mess hall of the GFS Tortuga. Her meal had long gone cold as she considered how to write her statement in a way that would be translated favorably for other species to read. A few more agonizing minutes thinking on that sent her off to the Engineering wing. Since she still had difficulty remembering proper grammar for Rhyashaz, perhaps talking through it with one of her nonhuman crewmates could help.

The Tortuga was a human designed research vessel, made for deep space exploration and experimentation. As one of the newest races, the humans had no end of alien coworkers to help man the ship. Conversation was still spotty at times, but there was a certain harmony that overcame these obstacles. The alien Dana was looking for now was a Cryys-Tretchan, a bipedal insectoid species that had also come from a Death World.

Arriving in the center of the ship, Dana confidently strode through an automated door and bumped into a small group of Engineers she had wanted to find.

"Oh- Hi, sorry. Do you um... know where Tchyyk is?"

They were all Cryys, but each one had a tweaked morphology, beyond small changes like height or build. The clicking and chattering coming from their mandibles forced Dana's translator to take a moment, but after a few seconds, the conversation began flowing.

"Xey are... nearby. Xe can tell you, but xe have a question that must be answered." The statement had come from the smallest of the Cryys, a ladybug-adjacent creature with a vibrant, metallic purple carapace. Dana looked down at the Cryys, internally panicking, trying to remember a name. Nothing was coming. She smiled awkwardly, a tight-lipped, toothless affair as she nodded.

"Alright, I guess I have time for that. What do you want to know?"

The chittering comes through, and the translation follows close behind. "Where are the rest of you?"

Dana blinks slowly. "I don't think I understand."

"We were told much of humans, like that they were different shapes and sizes and colors. But all of you look the same. Some different color, all the same."

Dana's confusion only grew, until it dawned on her. Her Medical briefing had touched on how the Cryys were a multispecies spacefaring part of the Federation. Her heart sank.

"You mean, why aren't there more kinds of humans?"

The bug's clacking mandibles clearly signaled confirmation of her statement. "Yes. Do they have special roles in Human colonies?"

Dana shook her head. "No. We don't have them anymore. We're the only species of human."

"Anymore? What happened to them?"

Dana could feel her cheeks redden in shame as she considered the best answer.

"We don't know. There were many different kinds of humans once, before farming was ever an idea in our mind. Neanderthals are the most well known, but there were at least four other species. We have theories on how they disappeared. Everything from natural selection, to our species murdering them. We just... don't know."

The translation took a few seconds. The curious chirping and chittering gave way to cryys noises of shock and awe... as well as disgust.

"How did you come this far?"

To that, Dana smiled sadly.

"Because we're too stubborn to die. Because we overtook everything. Because war. There are so many possible factors, and there could be things that we don't know about today. What we do know is that we were close enough biologically to reproduce. We still have a large percentage of their DNA swimming around inside us. That's all that's left of our sibling species."

The chittering had long gone quiet, allowing Dana to finish to a silent hallway. Clearing her throat, she nodded to the smallest Cryys.

"So, uh, where's Taaniks?"

----

When human-Dana finally walked away, Dres-Gryyk clicked Xer mandibles together slowly, indicating xer sadness.

The smallest Cryys, Roniks-Maar, looked back to Dres with a confused posture.

"What is wrong, Dres-gryyk? Biologist Dana answered your questions."

"She did. It makes me wonder if we had the kinder death world... to think they killed their sister species."

"Humans are odd. She was likely making her kind sound more ferocious, it is nothing to worry about."

In truth, though, it worried Roniks greatly. Xey would be writing a report to Xer superior about it soon.

[strangersteddierthings]

No Regrets - Part Two

TW: OC Character Death (dude doesn't even get a name). Steve reflects on killing both demo-creatures and humans with detachment. Mentions of Major Character Deaths but as a reminder, they don't stay dead! (Well, Chrissy and Fred do)

Part One🦇 Part Two🦇Part Three🦇Part Four🦇Part Five🦇Part Six

Maybe he should feel bad about watching Robin grow smaller in the rear-view mirror, her face a mixture of disbelief and anger. Maybe he should feel regret for his actions, for the betrayal Robin probably feels right now.

He doesn't.

Looking at the bigger picture, at the regrets he actually does have in the waking world, this is small potatoes. A non-issue. Robin will forgive him in the end.

War Zone is like a ghost town compared to the first time Steve was here. Though, that should have been expected. The panic hasn't swept through town yet. So far, it's just one dead girl. Fred'll join her sometime this afternoon. Evening? Sometime later today.

Nineteen-year-old Steve would hate himself for not trying to help. For not doing his best to save Fred.

But.

Well, Fred dying will help Dustin, in the long run. Will help Eddie. And that's more important. That's the goal. The dream, if he's allowing himself to be cheeky in his own mind.

Steve's not heartless, or anything like that. Robin, his Robin in the waking world, still calls him a softy and worries his kindness will get him killed on the daily. He always puts the safety of the group above himself. The first to volunteer on supply runs or for scouting or taking watch through the night. He knows he can run on empty for much longer than anyone else he knows.

The end of the world has a way of skewing what kindness and softness are, though. Those first few months were the hardest. Steve wanted to save everyone they came across. Help as many people as possible, but rations run dangerously low that way. Clean water can become contaminated quickly by ignorant people. Not everyone handled the apocalypse with grace.

The first harsh lesson Steve had learned was two months into the end of the world. They'd ventured to Indy to find supplies. Medicines. Try and stock up on things they didn't need yet but wanted around for the just in case of it all. They'd found some survivors, which wasn't surprising in itself. The surprising bit was that these guys had made it on complete luck it seemed. They were loud. Jumpy. Panicky.

When Lucas and Mike, on scout duty, had reported back demogorgon activities nearby, one guy started to panic. Got loud and couldn't bring himself back down. Steve was closest, tried to shush him but he wouldn't be quiet.

"Move," Murray (may he rest in peace) whispered, seeming to have appeared from nowhere, shoving Steve away, nudging him out of the way. Murray stepped behind the guy, one hand covering his nose and mouth, the other arm around his neck. It made the guy panic more, fighting Murray and then Murray just-

Steve remembers he flinched at the noise, turning away to cover his mouth and calm his own panic. The noises stopped though. Steve had shot a horrified look to Hopper, but Hopper wasn't looking at Steve. He was looking beyond, at Murray and what he'd done, nodding his approval.

The demogorgons didn't find them that day.

"You can't help everyone, Steve," Murray said, once they'd started the trek back to Hawkins. "The safety of the group comes first, over just one person."

Lesson heard. Lesson learned. Lesson put to use four months later.

So. Fred must die, for the good of the group. Patrick, too, if Steve can't get to Vecna in time. He should be able to. Vecna will try and take Max first, tomorrow. Patrick the day after. If everything stays the same.

The clerk doesn't even blink at what Steve buys, or the quantity of what he buys, but his eyebrows do go up a little at the total.

Steve hesitates just a bit over the checkbook his parents gave him the first time they'd left him home alone at fourteen. For emergencies only, Steven. It's been sitting in his glove box, unused, since he turned sixteen. He's never wanted to have to explain what he'd used it for. Nothing had ever seemed like enough of an emergency to warrant explaining it to Richard Harrington.

He does find it a little odd that his mind is conjuring up the concept of money. Of all the little things to think about while he sleeps, he really didn't think his subconscious would bring capitalism back.

Steve rips the little check out of the booklet and hands it over. The clerk looks it over before giving a nod and finishing the cash out. Steve takes the receipt when it's offered, shoving it into the checkbook before shoving that into his back pocket.

The parking lot has one other person in it, who Steve is aware of the entire time he's loading the trunk of his car with gallons of lighter fluid, weapons, and padded camouflage. It's only after Steve's slammed the trunk closed and shoved the cart back towards the front of the store that the guy watching him speaks.

"Must be some bonfire you're planning."

Steve rounds his car and opens the door before answering. "It's spring break, man." He slides in, the door falling closed after him. He buckles up, starts the car, and heads home. The house will be empty, he knows.

He works in silence, unloading the car and organizing his haul in the dining room, eyes flicking to the clock. There's still a couple of hours before dark. Before he should go check if Eddie's still in the boathouse, or if the police did go find him.

He sets the timer on the stove for an hour and flops onto his couch and sighs. Just as comfy as he remembers. He can have a nap before making sure Eddie's in jail. Surely his dream will allow him that?

-

"Mmhm," Steve mumbles as his neck protests movement. He's slow to wake. His head feels like white noise. He thinks he was dreaming but he can't quite grasp at what it was... oh. Family Video and War Zone. Reliving a memory. He wonders if Robin is still mad at him for that day, ditching her with Dustin and Max. It'd been for a good reason and- Steve wrinkles his nose as he sits up, head still static-y. Was it for a good reason? He can't remember what else happened after that....

"He rises," Robin whispers next to him, spooking him. She comes into focus as he sits up straight, leaning out of her space to look at her. She gives him a smile, judging by the crinkle around her eyes and her cheeks rounding. The gas mask prevents him seeing her real smile and he misses it. He thinks about his dream, and getting to see all of Robin's face again.

Dreaming is bittersweet.

"I miss anything?" He asks, because it's a safe question.

"Scouts radioed. The way should be clear in another," Robin grabs his wrist and twists so she can see the time on his watch, "another twenty minutes or so."

The mention of the radio makes him think of Dustin, and how much he misses him. And thinking of Dustin makes him think of Eddie. Steve knows it's irrational for him to miss someone he never knew but that doesn't stop the ache. The almost of it all sits heavy in his chest.

"Right," Steve says. "Want to see how many rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors we can get through in twenty minutes?"

Robin shuffles sideways to be facing him and holds her hands up. "You always lose but okay."

They get about twelve rounds into it before Steve finds himself asking, "Hey Robbie. Do you remember Spring Break?"

Her hands freeze in the air, an aborted motion to make paper to beat Steve's rock. She locks eyes with him for a moment and he can see the worry there. "I- Steve. Is it- did you take a hit? Is it your head? Should I not have let you nap?"

No. No, he doesn't think he got hurt on this run. Well, his shoulder hurts from when he stumbled and slammed into wall during the last loading of the truck, but he hadn't hit his head. He thinks. "I don't know... I hit the wall hard, shoulder hurts, but I didn't hit my head. I don't remember hitting my head."

Robin stands immediately and begins jabbing her fingers around his skull. "Anything tender?"

"Nope. Just a messed up hairdo," Steve swats her hands away.

"Well, you can never be too sure. You are precious cargo. Why did you ask about the start of the apocalypse?"

Steve shrugs. What can he say? That he's forgetting the start of all their horrors? He can't say that, not without coming across like he's either crazy or bragging. Remember the week that ruined our lives and gave us all enough trauma to fill an ocean? Yeah, well, I don't so ha!

He can't be sure but he thinks Robin frowns beneath her mask. "We'll have to have someone look you over when we get back. Steve, if you're losing your memories..."

"I'm not losing memories," Steve lies. Head trauma is serious and he knows he can't take one more hit to the head. He won't be able to continue helping with supply runs or patrols if he is getting worse. If he starts getting migraines, they'll reassign him for sure. Something that doesn't let him leave the safety of their home base at the high school.

"Steve," she warns. He knows it's a warning.

He shakes his head. "I just. I had a dream about Saturday. Very vivid. Just made me think about it, is all."

Robin softens, sinking back down to sit beside him. She finally answers, "yeah. I remember Spring Break."

"I miss everyone," he confesses, because it's true. Because it's safe.

"Me too," Robin says, leaning her mask against his.

They wait in silence until the scouts call the all clear and they can head back home.

They make it back to Hawkins before night falls but just barely. The gates get rolled shut behind them and the unpacking gets started. The whole community has gathered for their return. This is their longest run to date with how far they had to go this time and Steve doesn't blame anyone for needing to see their loved ones as soon as possible.

"Robin!"

Steve turns just in time to watch Vickie launch herself at Robin. Robin must have seen her running, though, because she's already braced for impact and catches Vickie easily, arms grabbing at Vickie's thighs to support her weight as she wraps them around Robin's waist. Vickie places her forehead to Robin's as their excitement switches to tenderness and Steve averts his eyes to give them privacy in this moment.

"Steve, here," Ted Wheeler offers up a box to Steve, who takes it without question. "For the Daycare."

"You got it."

The Daycare is actually a wing of the school that used to be where the language arts classes were held. Daycare doesn't quite sum up what they use the area for, but calling it the Orphanage was too dark. Steve waits through the decontamination process. Once through, he takes the time to pull his mask off and enjoy the feeling of an artificial breeze on his face before heading to the Daycare.

"Please tell me there's something useful in that box," Annie Click says when Steve pushes his way into one of the rooms they use for school. Another room is dedicated to being a daycare, kids too little for learning, another is schooling for kids who would be in middle school, and the last room is lines with beds.

"Sorry, Mrs. Click, but I didn't pack it," Steve says apologetically.

"My problem to sort out then," she stands and Steve can see the determination in her through the weariness. She'd been a bitter old lady as his teacher but the world ending must have shifted her priorities. There's no one better suited to look after the kids than her, here.

Except maybe Joyce, but she's got bigger things to deal with.

He heads for the door when Annie calls out to him, "Since you're here, would you mind checking on the kids for me? Holly's supervising bedtime but she's lenient with her friends."

"Will do."

He heads across the hall and down a door to the sleeping room. The lights are dimmed and peeking in he sees a lot of kids sleeping, or pretending their best to be. Holly is sitting in a rolling chair near the door, one leg bend and pulled up on the seat as she rests her head on it.

Steve clears his throat to get her attention. She must have heard his footsteps because she doesn't spook. Just uses the foot on the ground to spin the chair to face the door. "Oh. Hi Steve."

"All good here?" He whispers.

"Yeah. Everyone's asleep."

"You can probably head home now. Your dad's back."

Holly shrugs one shoulder at him, spinning the chair back away. "Maybe later."

Steve takes the hint and backs away. His chest aches for Holly. All the kids had to grow up fast, given the state of the world, but Holly's hurts him most. He knew her in the Before, and she was there when Karen... Well, she's got a lot of weight on her shoulders at barely eleven years old.

To think. If they'd have been faster on that Spring Break. More diligent, thorough. Holly might have never known about the Upside Down at all.

More regret he can carry, he thinks, as he shoves his mask back on and heads back to the truck. There's more to be unloaded, and always work around to keep him so busy he doesn't have to think of the regrets.

He works so late into the night that once he gets back to his cot and collapses into it, there are no thoughts let in his mind as sleep claims him.

-

@i-less-than-three-you @nburkhardt @afewproblems @skepsiss @music9009 @apomaro-mellow @soaringornithopter @reighnofdreams @eddie-munsons-lunchbox @sirsnacksalot @livelifeliketheresnotomorow @sageclipse @schnukiputz @mbloggotdeletedsothisismybackup @lumoschildextra @juleswashere3 @yet-still-more-banched @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @yearningagain @starlight-archer @andrew-mini-ard @chaosgremlinmunson @aol19 @goodolefashionedloverboi @gutterflower77 @moomkin77

[ancha-aus]

SansNautica Sneak Peak - The Escape of the Dunes

Here is another small sneak peak drabble for the gang pov from my Sansnautica project :3 @0p1er0 as promised a tag for you :3

*--------------------------------------*

Killer yelps as he barely manages to dodge a swipe from another Warper.

He turns back and growls at the mess of weird metal and biology that always makes him unnerved. They always smell of rot and disease.

The warper speaks in its gargled voice “Level of intelligence. Recognised. Mode: Bargaining. Return stolen sample.”

Killer glares “Go die in the lava river you freak!” and he rushes as more show up. Damnit damnit!

It speaks again as Killer tries to swim further away and escape “One of four stolen samples. Found. Status. Stolen. Return sample.”

Killer glares and sticks out his tongue as he changes directions again “No you weirdo! Those eggs aren’t your samples!” the egg Little Flipper had found. It was a cuddlefish egg. One of the fish that Cross’s species had been mimicking.

The biology between the mers and the fishes looking like them is slightly weird. In a way they could lay eggs that could birth the fishes instead of mers. Thought it would take a lot os specified intent and magic to accomplish.

Cross however hadn’t been able to do this and had been so sad. Believing everything related to his species had been extinct. Killer by the very beings who had held Cross captive. The very beings who made these warpers.

To have Little Flipper manage to find one. In one of the other visitors bases no less! The fact he had given the little precious thing back to them.

Cross had been very protective of the small egg but been anxious about where to leave it to hatch. Scared to leave it to hatch and be hurt by the environment.

Nightmare had taken the time to check the small egg before speaking in a calming voice to their newest mate. That the egg was in hibernation and some gentle healing would help the egg get ready to hatch.

Then came the discussion of where to leave the egg to hatch. As Cross didn’t feel okay with it being near the warpers. Scared they would try to capture the new fishes and hurt them as was their mission. Nightmare had nodded and agreed as well. He offered to call for his brother to bring the newly found egg to a safer area beyond the void. Or even to call Reaper to do so for them.

Cross had looked unsure but nodded. Saying it would be best for the little egg. Give it a chance.

At the moment it was safely hidden in the underwater caverns. A large space that the other survivors and most other creatures hadn’t found quite yet. Hidden deep deep under water. Lower than even the lava lakes. The very place that their shiver called home which they had secret tunnels to lead up and down into.

Nightmare had used some of his magic to make a special cradle of plants for the small egg to keep safe and nurture. Cross had been anxious and watching the egg as much as he could.

Which just makes Killer all the madder that these rotting things wanted to take it away from Cross!

Crossy has already gone through so much and they dare to even try to take the egg?! Killer is furious.

Killer hisses at the warper “It isn’t yours!”

The warpers gargle more weird sounds that irritate his hearing before speaking “Negotiation failed. Changing modes. Hunting.” And those sharp slashing arms gleam as they rush him.

Killer yelps as he manages to twist and twirl around them as he rips one of their heads off along the way.

Killer pants as he rushes and swims away as fast as he can. Trying to twist around as many obstacles as possible but those things keep disappearing and appearing right in front of him forcing him to change directions.

Killer gets in the rhythm as he searches for the way down to safety when it happens. A warper appears from a side he didn’t expect and he feels it hit his tail.

It hurts so badly but he can’t stop swimming. He forces himself to keep swimming as he rushes out of the area. Then he sees the area change to just sand and more sand. But Killer has to keep swimming as those thing blast out those balls which make him appear somewhere else.

He keeps swimming when he notices that the warpers aren’t following him anymore. Or at least not as fast anymore.

Killer pants as he slowly slows down. Oh thank fuck. Okay. Where does he need to go down? He is bleeding quite heavily and his tail hurts so bad. He needs to get down and relax in their nest as his mates help him relax after Nightmare took care of his wounds.

He glances around when he realises where he is.

Only to hear a loud roar behind him.

Killer gulps as he turns around and sees a large reaper leviathan. The large maw coming straight for him!

Killer rushes off again as he ignores the pain “Shit shit shit! Don’t you stupid fuck smell Nightmare’s claim on me?! Leave me alone!” he keeps rushing deeper into the dunes feeling more and more nervous as he hears more roars.

He of course knows that the reaper leviathans are very territorial in this area. Seeing as there are many here they tend to get braver and bolder even with the mark of a mer leviathan on Killer.

It could also be the scent of blood.

Now that Killer thinks about it? It is totally the blood.

Killer keeps rushing and pushing his body as he keeps trying to outmanoeuvre the coming attacks.

It doesn’t take long before he is trying to outswim four of them. His body hurts and he is so tired. What does he do?

Something shoots passed him and Killer can’t help but stare. It is small but has a little light that blinks and he wants to rush after it. Two of the attacking reaper rush after it and struggling between them to get to it first.

Another reaper rushes him before something nearly white hits it and it… freezes? It doesn’t move anymore.

Something touches him and he turns to snap his own jaws on it only to stare.

Why is Little Flippers in this area?!

Then Little Flippers just flips upside down and tugs Killer with him downwards. Killer watches back in shock as the fourth and last reaper swims right into the frozen one and it starts struggling and fighting it instead.

Killer isn’t even sure what to make of this!! Why is Little Flipper here?! Killer wants to push him away. Get him to run. For the little guy has a tight grip on him as they swim down.

A loud roar in the distance.

Oh shit that is number five.

Killer tries to help them swim and speed up but his tail just hurts to much and he groans. Shit. He is going to slow Little Flipper down too much.

Little Flipper moves his hands around and Killer honestly wants to make sure to keep a tight hold on the other. If worse comes to worse one may bite him and maybe taste the claim of Nightmare on Killer but Little Flipper doesn’t have this security. Little Flipper will be eaten in a bite with no hesitation!

Little Flipper aims a tool towards the leviathans and it blasts more of the mostly white with a little blue blasts and those cause the reapers to freeze in place for a short while. He grabs one little device from his belt and lets it fly and Killer gasps. It is another one of those little floating lights!

Little Flipper had been exploring the dunes on his own… with tools to freeze and distract the reapers as he made his escape…

And Killer was slowing him down. Killer could see it. They aren’t going nearly fast enough to escape together.

Little Flipper is going to die because he tried to help Killer.

Little Flipper starts messing with the thing on his back that makes him able to swim as the reapers slowly start to be able to move again. Killer is very aware that the thing that made them freeze had sputtered and the lights of it had gone out.

Little Flipper takes out a weird little cylinder before taking a much bigger one out of some weird patch on his skin. Killer decides to push that terror and crisis down for now.

The little alien selkie puts the bigger one into the thing on his back and the little information giver he carries with him makes a sound. Killer doesn’t think it was a good sound as Little Flipper frowns before putting the acquired cylinder into the tool that made everything slow down and stop. Which lights up again as Little Flipper takes aim and shoots more of those blasts at the reapers.

And Killer thought Little Flipper had good aim with peepers. He is much better with this thing than just throwing stuff apparently.

As Little Flipper tries to slow their hunters down Killer bties through the pain to try and get them both to safety.

It is little use though as the reapers keep getting closer. Killer tries to get Little Flipper to just go. He will be fine which he mutters to him “It is okay. I swear I will be fine! Just go.” he tries to let go and push the other away but as said before.

Little Flipper had a very tight grip and he glares at him with barely contained rage. He puts Killer’s hand on his shoulder and points to it with the sign for Stay. Which honestly seems more like an order than a suggestion.

Killer feels terrible as he keeps holding onto the other. Maybe he can transfer some of the claim over? Make them both smell of Nightmare? Maybe that will give him a little bit of safety?

That information giver makes another sound and Little Flipper looks beyond excited. Killer doesn’t feel very sure however as the thing on his back sounds mad at this point. It rumbles and seems to growl.

Little Flipper shoots one big blast at the group of reapers before he motions for Killer to hold on tight again. Killer does as ordered when Little Flippers hits the thing on his back and they just get launched.

Little Flipper makes a tiny noise of distress and Killer is quick to try and direct them better. Little Flipper is clearly not used to this kinda speed and Killer is! He can help direct them!

Killer sees the mushroom forest in the distance and cheers once they enter it. Only to feel Little Flipper push him off and Killer watches confused. Only to see Little Flipper look slightly panicked as he twists and turns with zero control of his direction or speed as he unclips his swimming helper. It shoots off as Little Flipper is left twirling without control.

Killer rushes to his side and grabs him and rights him. He looks to the side to see where the swimming helper went only to see it explode and Killer holds unto the other tighter. That thing had been stuck to him! Had Little Flipper noticed it getting close to hurting them?!

Had Little Flipper made him let go first in case he couldn’t undo it himself in time?!

Killer can’t keep the hiss of pain in as he tries to stay level and is forced to let them sink. Little Flipper looks at him with those pick sockets before pointing towards one of the mushroom tops. Killer nods “Yeah. You are right… It is best if we take a moment.”

Killer makes sure to be careful and gentle when he puts Little Flipper down on the surface of one of the mushroom tops. The mushroom forest should generally be safe as long as they don’t go to the edges too much.

And then Little Flipper pulls him down next to him and Killer stares as Little Flipper looks so worried at his tail. Killer laughs “It is okay… yeah it hurts but the shiver will be great at helping me! We just need to relax and let them find us.” His shiver will find him quickly enough.

Killer watches as Little Flipper turns to his skin as he taps something near his hips. It lights up and he pulls out somekind of pack or something.

Right! Because apparently the aliens that had the little selkie decided to not just brand him?! But also mess with it to make him able to store things in his skin with magic?! Killer had seem some stuff which did this with Farm but those were boxes! Farm called them dimension boxes and they hold a lot of space.

What kind of freaks would force a selkie to use their skin for that?!

Little Flippers doesn’t seem bothered as he pulls out some gel or something and nears his tail. He shoots him a nervous look but Killer isn’t worried. It is Little Flipper! He may be a spitfire but he is a little sweety.

He relaxes and puts the gel on his tail and oh… that is actually really nice? It numbs the overheated feeling and the pain gets less obvious. Some soft cloths or something are wrapped tightly around the wounds and Little Flipper nods before putting the little pack he had pulled out back into his suit.

Killer makes sure to slowly move his tail before pushing off with a grin as it is easier to swim again! He can make sharp turns! Somethings are still harder to do but this is amazing! He can swim!

The ache slowly returns and Killer is quick to slow down. Okay. So. Maybe not healed but enough to help and support him.

Killer makes his way slowly back to Little Flipper to see him just laying on the mushroom and he feels guilty. The other is probably tired and scared and doesn’t even know what to do as he can’t swim… and Killer just left him alone to enjoy a swim. He is such an asshole. Wait!

Killer grins as he quickly swims to where he saw the swimming helper go. It looks back and broken but maybe Little Flipper can fix it?

Killer inches closer “Hey… Little Flipper?” he hangs over the other and Little Flipper just tilts his skull at him as he holds up the swim helped. Little Flipper takes the thing with a smile. He turns it around being he starts to frown at it. After it he just shakes his skull, he points towards the item and signs No.

Oh shit it can’t help him anymore! Little Flipper needs that to swim! All because Killer got himself into a mess and couldn’t… Killer feels so guilty before realising it is already getting dark.

Killer looks up and around as he tries to think.

Little Flipper looks up before pushing himself up. He walks towards the edge of the mushroom and looks down with a frown.

Killer rushes to his side and stops him. Little Flipper looks at him confused and blinks with those big sockets. Killer makes sure to point to him and then the mushroom top. He signs Stay and waits for a moment. Little Flipper looks curious but sits back down. Waiting.

Perfect!

Killer grins as he rushes off. He used to make nests in the mushroom forest all the time! He considers which one would work well for him before deciding on one that is only a little bit bigger than he used to pick out. He goes to where it connects to the rest of the plant before he gets to work on clawing the side, just under the hard shell on top. He works quickly as he makes a small opening before starting to hallow it out to form a small nest.

If they need to stay here to wait for the rest of the shiver to find them he needs to make sure they have a comfortable little spot. Show Little Flipper that Killer can 100% keep him safe and comfortable.

That the whole reaper attack thing was a happening and NOT the normal!

Killer works quickly as he cleans it out and tests it to make sure it is still sturdy and comfortable. The inside is still soft to the touch and perfect to rest is tail on. The hole is just big enough to let Killer crawl into and the mushroom scent will hide them from most predators!

It is perfect.

It is already dark and Killer rushes back to the spot where Little Flipper should still be waiting and there he is and Killer feels himself coo. The little selkie is asleep. Good thing Killer made a comfortable space for them!

He gets to his side and Killer carefully grabs him. Little Flipper is awake immediately and turns and pushes himself away from him before he seems to realise it is just Killer.

Killer feels sheepish as he makes grabby hands at Little Flipper “I am so sorry. I just got excited. I promise it is okay.” Little Flipper lets out a tiny snort and Killer feels so happy. He is slowly adapting back to fit into the water! He is healing! Then the little selkie nods and waits as he looks at him with a smile. He is trusting him.

Killer purrs deep in his chest as he carefully picks the other up and takes them to his newly made nest. He takes Little Flipper to the stem holding the mushroom top and points him towards the hole. He looks curious enough at it but checks with him. Killer grins and motions him towards the hole with the Go sign.

Little Flipper blinks at the hole before shrugging and crawling into the nest. Killer feels his soul speed up as he watches the other touch and explore the tiny nest. Feeling proud that the tiny nest was accepted. So this is how Dust and Cross felt when Little Flipper accepted the metal and kelp nest they made.

Killer crawls in after and puts an arm around Little Flipper to help him deeper into the mushroom nest. Killer rolls up around Little Flipper and sighs happily. There. Safe and comfy.

Killer glances and snorts at the shocked and confused look on the alien selkies face. Killer purrs and coos “Comfy? We can just sleep in here and we will be safe. I promise!”

Little Flipper looks at how they are laying. Looks at the exit hole for a moment. Before sighing as he wiggles in place and pushes deeper into the soft mushroom texture as he closes his sockets.

Killer is sad to not be able to see those eye lights. Those are the easiest way to get an idea for how the other feels but it is alright.

He falls asleep really quickly. The soft breathing evening out as exhaustion of the day tugs at him.

Killer just keeps holding the other close. He nuzzles the smaller skull and purrs loudly. Their tiny little selkie. Killer would love to mark and scent him already but he won’t.

Crossy would be so sad if Killer tried to take the next step before him. So Killer won’t.

But holding and cuddling the other is allowed. And Killer sighs as he feels sleep tug at him as well.

Killer is comfortable and he has a tiny body to snuggle and hold close as he sleeps. His tail is patched up and feels a lot better than before and they are safely hidden away.

They will wait for the shiver to find them and make sure to take Little Flipper with them back to their own nest. Hide him away with the rest of them.

Killer sighs as he falls asleep. Making sure to keep a tight hold on the other as he breaths in his scent mixing with his own in the safety of the nest.

[sevendeadlywhispers]

7Seals

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Chapter 1

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• Previous Chapter: Prologue Next Chapter: Chapter 2

•Chapter List

•Content: Levi Ackerman x OC Fem! Canon Verse! Slow Burn!

• Word Count: 1.2k

"Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, 'Come and see.' And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer."

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In the regiment's relentless rhythm, my days blurred together over six unchanging years. The routine was our relentless master – wake, eat, train, meetings, eat again, and sleep. The mundane melody was occasionally disrupted by Shadis' whims, granting us a fleeting taste of the world beyond the towering Walls.

Our morning table, a sanctuary for the seasoned veterans, bore witness to comrades dropping like autumn leaves. The unspoken question lingered: when would our turn come? While many saw luck in our continued survival, I saw a darker twist. Fate, I believed, lurked patiently, biding its time until we felt secure, ready to shatter the false reality we'd constructed in this hellish existence.

Today, the cruel hand of fate played its cards, mocking our comfort.

"The boys aren't here yet?" Petra's radiant smile broke the morning's routine as she settled across from me.

"Nah," I replied, absentmindedly tearing at my morning bread. "Just Hange and I, probably still asleep."

Petra's grin widened, cheeks tinted with a hint of mischief. "Thank the Wall."

Hange, always perceptive, caught the unspoken secret in Petra's expression.

"I know that look," they squealed with infectious excitement. "Spill."

"Have you guys seen the new recruit?" Petra's playful voice danced through the room.

"Have I?!" Hange's response, a lively squeal, prompted a shared effort between Petra and me to hush them. Yet, if anything, their voice only seemed to gain volume.

"He's a menace! Have you guys seen him in action? He's truly set to revolutionize the Scouts."

One person expected to revolutionize the regiment was a wild accusation, not only wild but big shoes to fill.

"I thought all the recruits died."

"He's the sole survivor. Goes by Levi," Petra disclosed in a hushed tone leaning towards me. "Word has it his entire wing was taken out on the last expedition. Rumor even suggests he took down five titans single-handedly."

"Five?" My surprise echoed throughout the mess hall, louder than Hange had earlier.

"Who is this guy?"

A recruit taking out more than one Titan on their first journey outside the Walls was unheard of. The recruit surviving a Titan encounter was impressive enough, but taking down five was a whole other game.

Petra gestured subtly towards the corner, where Levi sat alone. "A short fella," Hange added with a playful smile.

"But undeniably handsome," Petra remarked.

My curiosity ignited and my intrusive thoughts won as I nudged Petra.

"Go talk to him."

"I'd only fool myself," she sighed. "He keeps to himself, speaks only with section leaders and the commander."

"I don't buy it," I chuckled, glancing in Levi's direction. There he was, absorbed in the morning paper, sipping tea in that peculiar way of his—hand over the rim, neglecting the perfectly good handle on the side of the cup.

"Go see for yourself," Petra challenged with a smug grin.

"I will," I declared, sticking my tongue out playfully before confidently striding towards Levi's table.

He was a recluse no doubt about it. From the moment Petra pointed him out to me, not once has he looked up from his morning paper. I know that nothing that interesting happened in these three walls to keep his attention that long.

Undeterred by Levi's icy reception, I took a seat without awaiting permission. The mess hall seemed to hold its breath, the world stopped moving around me as I gathered the courage to speak.

"What's your name?" I probed, met only with the continued rustle of his morning paper and the measured sip of his tea.

"Not a big talker, huh?" I teased, maintaining a resilient grin. "Well, I'm Iris, been with the scouts for six years now. Sorry for the tardy introduction—"

"Are you a section leader?" he interrupted.

"Oh, no, I'm just—" Again, his interruption cut me off.

"Until you become a captain or commander, don't talk to me unless ordered to," he snapped, his eyes still glued to the paper.

"Until you become captain or commander, don't tell me what to do," I retorted, my smile unwavering. "Until then, I'll talk your ear off as much as I want to."

Finally, he set aside his papers and looked up. His midwinter eyes jabbed at me as they locked onto my own.

"If you're trying to make a friend, save your breath and look elsewhere," he groaned, his gaze cold. "Tell your friends it's rude to stare."

I rose from the table, maintaining my cheerful facade. "Congrats on the five Titans. Until next time, Mr. Grumps."

"Tch," escaped Levi's lips as I walked away, his grumbling fading into the background as I navigated back to my comrades.

Miche Oluo and Alexander awaited my return at the breakfast table. All eyes were on me, especially Alexander's, his light brown gaze burning into mine. There was an unspoken tension, a silent exchange between us that spoke of disapproval and lingering questions.

As I settled beside Alexander, his disapproving gaze burned into my being. "What were you doing with that little freak?" he sneered.

"Hey, don't call him that," I retorted, nudging him playfully.

"What? Freak?" He laughed with a harsh edge. "He's just another underground sewage rat. Nothing but a freak." The disdain lingered on his tongue.

"Kid has a death wish," Miche chimed in.

"I think that kid is older than all of us," Hange interjected.

"There's no way that puny little thing is older than me," Alexander scoffed, dismissing Levi as if he were insignificant. "Just look at him. Nothing but bones under that uniform."

"Now now, Alexander," Hange teased. "I'd think you're jealous of him passing you up."

"Me jealous of that freak? Never," Alexander laughed, a defensive edge in his voice.

"Really? Because he's already at five Titans for his first expedition. I recall you earning three on our first mission," Hange pointed out with a mischievous giggle.

"Listen here, you little shit" Alexander's frustration surged, and he aimed his words at Hange. "I earned my way into the Scouts. That guy is only here to kill Erwin. He's nothing but a thug."

"Alexander, calm down," I attempted to defuse the tension, but his anger was worked up. Hange's teasing had struck a nerve, a fact known to everyone at the table.

"What?" Alexander groaned at me. "Don't tell me you have a soft spot for the freak already."

"Calm down. Hange is just teasing, and we all know it," I laughed lightly, attempting to ease the situation.

The table fell into an uneasy silence as Levi strolled by, his steel-grey eyes fixed ahead with unwavering confidence.

"Freak," Alexander muttered under his breath as Levi passed.

Alexander's sharp words lingered in the air as a bitter aftertaste, and a knot of worry tightened in my stomach. The casual disdain he threw toward Levi struck a nerve, leaving me both surprised and uneasy.

The recruit's gaze met Alexander's, offering an unfazed look. However, Levi's eyes then locked onto mine. I felt a shiver down my spine as his gaze traveled, time seemingly slowing down at that moment.

At that moment, I couldn't shake the feeling that fate itself had chuckled at us, reveling in the disruption Levi brought to our routine. The mess hall buzzed with the usual noise, but an undercurrent of change hummed beneath it all. It was as if Levi's mere presence had punctured the veil of our ordinary existence, inviting uncertainty and curiosity. It was a curiosity I wanted to explore, boundaries I wanted to see be pushed.

If only then I knew how much he would change our little world inside these three walls.

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[g0blintears]

Dark Devotion [Yandere! Dead By Daylight x Reader]

Summary: You are a mystery to both the survivors and killers within the fog. A servant of darkness, a creature created by the entity itself, you are the shadow behind the scenes that provides the survivors with the necessities they need to survive, while also assisting killers with the weapons they need to sacrifice. You are a servant void of humanity, but not one that seeks out despair. An empty slate that perhaps just needs to be taught a little bit of hope and empathy to help the survivors escape once and for all.

Three. Prove Thyself

The trial at Ormond was a close call. The last gen had popped. Dwight, along with Claudette and Steve, were all on their last hooks, and the killer had placed the hex: "no one escapes death" somewhere on the map. Fortunately the new killer wasn't good, however, he wasn't exactly terrible either. Those knives he carries around were easy enough to dodge, especially when looping, but the trial was still difficult with Yun-Jin still learning the ropes of survival.

Still, despite all odds Dwight was still able to escape with Yun-Jin and Steve. Unfortunately he couldn't say the same for Claudette. Although three escapes counts as a win, he still felt like it was a loss. The male hated when someone would die in the trials. Being the smart one, and one of the first to arrive in the fog, he was always seen as the leader. So if anyone died during his trial, he felt like he let his teammates down.

Obviously Claudette knew the risks of taking the killer off of him so he could help the generators progress just a little bit faster, but he still felt responsible for her death. Hopefully in the next trial all four survivors can escape.

Dwight cringed in pain.

"Ow!" He hissed, one hand cradled his wounded stomach while the other fiddled through the medical cabinet. Right. He was still injured. Just before exiting through the portal, the killer managed to get one last hit on him, resulting in Dwight appearing in the medical cabin to deal with his injuries.

As he hurriedly took out items, Dwight wondered where you were. Usually when survivors escaped the trials with an injury, you would be waiting for them in the medical cabin to heal their wounds for the next trial, however, you were nowhere to be seen. So Dwight took it upon himself to at least stop the bleeding before he passed out.

Pressing a wet rag against his torso, Dwight took out a few gauzes, towels, and disinfecting sprays. His dark brown eyes searched for the pain medication, but as he gazed up at the shelves, he felt a wave of dizziness wash over. Gripping the counter, the male took a few shaky deep breaths. His eyes moved back to the shelf full of pills.

Reaching up, the male felt more blood seep out of his stomach, causing him to let out a sharp yelp. His grip loosened on the counter and he felt his body stumble back.

The male was about to hit the floor until he felt firm arms wrap around his torso. Dwight's eyes widened. The feeling of the stranger's arms, it was familiar.

He looked over his shoulder. To his relief, his dark brown eyes met your chilly [eye color] stare.

"H-hi."

"Hello."

The male tried to smile, but the pain in his stomach felt unbearable. "Agh!" He grunted, his hand gripping at his blood stained shirt.

Looking over at the closest empty bed, you firmly held onto the man and guided him over to the rows of cots just right of the medical cabinets. Helping him sit upright, you took a seat on the rolling chair beside the bed, and faced him.

"Could you take off your shirt?"

Dwight's face flushed, but he gave a curt nod and began to unbutton his shirt. As he took off his tie and shook off the white collared shirt, the male couldn't help but nervously gaze over at you as you took off your glove. No matter how many times he's been through the healing process, Dwight could never get used to your touch.

Dwight wasn't sure when exactly his feelings began to blossom into a crush. Was it before Feng showed up? Or after David's arrival? Time was nonexistent in the fog, and when he didn't remember his many deaths from the trials, his memories and feelings just meshed into a blur. Although he couldn't remember when his feelings developed, Dwight did know why.

The male watched as your hand began to glow. Although your expression was void of emotion, he could still see the focus in your eyes. Those eyes that were always vacant of expression, were pools of [eye color] that he always found to be a beautiful safe haven from all of his anxieties.

You were a being created from the darkness of the fog. A creature that served the very entity that would bring him and his friends despair, but despite all that, you always held such a peaceful aura around you that Dwight felt himself attracted to.

In his life before the fog, Dwight was always the punchline to someone's shitty joke. The smart one that people took advantage of. The one people looked at with eyes filled with arrogance and disgust. But you? Your eyes were always empty. You never once showed him hostility or looked to him for advice. You never once mocked him or asked him for favors with a fake smile and a sickly sweet voice. You were always real with him.

Around you, Dwight felt free of judgment and responsibility. Your presence was always calm, and your emotions always transparent. Of course, it was transparent because you didn't seem to have the capability to feel, but nonetheless he liked that you were always honest and that he could just be himself without worry.

He did have to admit though, he wished you were able to show emotions and thought. What sort of things would you like and dislike? What did you look like when you smiled or cried? What would you take interest in?

Who would you take an interest in?

Dwight's face heated up at the thought. No, he couldn't think like that. He had been in the fog long enough to know you held little to no regard for him or any of the other survivors. Your loyalty remained with the entity.

Dwight's eyes watched as you pressed a cold hand to his wound. His breath hitched in his throat and a low hiss left his lips. An icy yet soothing energy flowed into his open flesh. It was a sharp burning feeling that melted at his insides, but it slowly eased away the pain.

Dwight let out a shaky breath. His wound hurt like hell, but he couldn't fight off the blush that rose to his cheeks. Your fingers pressed against his skin felt good in the most shameful way. He had to admit, he wasn't proud of how happy he was by a simple skin-to-skin contact, but when it comes to you, healing was the only way he'd ever get to feel close to you.

It was a cruel reality Dwight had to face, but one that he's learned to live with. You couldn't possibly harbor his mutual feelings for you, but that wouldn't stop him from crushing on you, and with that, Dwight took any interaction with you to heart.

"So how has your day been?" He asked in an attempt to break from his thoughts.

Peering up, you glanced at Dwight briefly before moving back at your glowing grey hand, "It's been well. I've been busy assisting the two new additions get familiar with the camp. They both seem to be adjusting well to their surroundings."

Dwight nodded, "That's good. The new killer is, um, interesting."

"Indeed. He has yet to get a 4K, but his progress has been better than other killers in the past." Shifting your hand, you applied pressure to his wound once more; causing the male to flinch. "Proceeding with the outer healing process. Please don't move."

Dwight nodded, his eyes observing as your hand glowed and continued to mend his wounds.

"It's amazing how fast you can heal others." He commented, his eyes moving over to meet your eyes.

You looked at him briefly before turning back to his wound, "Compared to the natural human regeneration process, I suppose it seems quick, but for me it takes time. I need to disinfect the wound on the inside, restore cells, and use my own stored energy to speed up time and heal your body from the inside-out."

"That sounds complicated."

"Not at all. It's what I was made to do. I need to ensure all survivors are healthy to continue on in the trials otherwise the entity will be displeased with the sacrifice." Removing your hand from his body, you swiveled your chair away from the bed. "You are healed." You stated, before making your way to the medical cabinet to put away all of the stuff Dwight had previously pulled out.

As you cleaned up, Dwight glanced down at where your hand once laid. Instead of a bleeding wound, the male found nothing but clear skin. Placing a hand where his injury was, Dwight strained a smile. Yeah, it's what you were made to do.

"But still, you work hard, and I think it's really admirable how much energy you use just to keep me- I mean, everyone, alive."

You looked over your shoulder, your eyes meeting Dwight's gaze. The male pursed his lips, but didn't shy away from looking at you.

"You're just so calm and straightforward. Always doing so much for the other survivors even if not all of them are nice to you. Compared to someone like me, I think you're amazing."

Dwight looked at you with sincerity. He wanted you to know how much he appreciated you, even if you were just doing the bare minimum, even if you literally hold no emotions for him or the others, he wanted you to know he genuinely liked you and the presence you had in the fog.

But as he predicted, you didn't seem to understand.

"It's not hard work at all. It's what I was made to do."

Dwight sighed, but he nodded. Yeah, he figured as much, but he still hoped that you may have understood him by some miracle. But miracles didn't happen in the fog.

The two of you continued to stand in silence for a moment. Dwight, looking down defeated in thought, and you, staring at him with a nonchalant expression. All was silent until you decided to speak.

"You may put your shirt back on."

Turning back to you, Dwight's face flushed red, "R-right. Sorry."

Putting on his shirt and tie, Dwight got off the bed and followed you to the door. Stepping out onto the porch, the male scratched the back of his head and let out a nervous chuckle.

"So, umm...thank you. For, you know, healing me."

"It is not a problem. If you have any other injuries or concerns, don't hesitate to contact me. If I am not available, you can always wait for me at the survivor's main hall cabin."

"Right."

Taking a few steps back, Dwight allowed you to exit the medical cabin. He watched as you gently closed the door behind you and turned to face him.

"Did you still need something?"

Dwight let out a cough.

"If you need any help, I wouldn't mind helping you restock the store again."

The male fidgeted with his fingers as he looked at you thoughtfully. Although you may not understand his feelings, he still enjoyed being around you. He wanted to spend more time with you. To say he was desperate was an understatement. Dwight enjoyed your presence and wanted to be with you every chance he got.

So when he looked deeply into your vacant [eye color] eyes, Dwight already knew what you were going to say.

"Today I'm going to the killer's shack to restock merchandise, so your assistance will not be needed."

Dwight's smile faded, but he expected as much. Those hollow orbs of [eye color] were like an empty shell of a person. You couldn't and wouldn't ever understand him. That's where Dwight would always snap out of his own fantasies. You weren't human. You couldn't reciprocate his feelings no matter how many times he stayed by your side.

Dwight forced out a strained smile. "Alright. Some other time then."

You gave a curt nod and headed for the forest; making your way to the killer's side of the camp.

Dwight could only watch longingly as you walked away, his eyes trailed after you until you disappeared within the trees.

With a sigh, the male turned around and walked down the porch steps, making his way to his own cabin. As he walked down the pebbled path, Dwight heard a voice call out to him.

"Hey, Dwight!"

The male snapped his attention forward, his eyes moving over to the group of survivors sitting by the campfire. The one who called out to him was Zarina. With a grin, the Lebanese woman motioned for the man to come closer.

"Hey, come sit with us."

Dwight's eyes widened a bit in surprise. It wasn't like the survivors here were mean or two-faced to him like the people back in his life before the fog, but the survivors didn't really call out to him too often unless they needed advice or help.

Dwight purses his lips. Yeah, they most definitely wanted something from him. Why else would they call for him? The male wanted to just shake his head and continue walking, but he knew as the leader he couldn't just up and abandon the others when they needed him.

Letting out a small sigh, Dwight reluctantly walked up to the group and sat beside Adam.

Dwight looked at the group with a nervous smile. His eyes went around the campfire to the different survivors sitting in a circle until his vision focused on Yun-Jin Lee.

"Oh, hey again." Dwight acknowledged, a bit surprised to see her within the group. "I see you've met the others."

Yun-Jin smiled softly, her eyes moving to the other survivors who had welcomed her with open arms. "Yes, everyone's been very kind to me."

Dwight nodded. "That's good. How've you been holding up in the trials? Our last trial I've been focused on looping so I couldn't really help guide you through the gens as I promised." Dwight then grimaced at the memory of the killer setting his goal primarily on him, leaving Yun-Jin to fend for herself on an unknown map. Turning to look at Yun-Jin, the male sent her an apologetic frown, "I'm sorry about that."

At his words, Yun-Jin's eyes widened and she was quick to shake her head, "No, it's fine. I understand. I'm still not good with the generators, but I'm learning with time."

"That's good."

Dwight nodded, his eyes then wandered over the group. The entire circle was quiet, all of them looking at one another as though they were having some kind of telepathic conversation. It made Dwight worry. What was going on?

Among the silence, Zarina was the first to speak.

"So, Dwight, how have you been?"

The male looked at her in confusion, "Um, okay? I guess." He then shook his head, "Is there something you guys needed, or...?"

Min groaned. "Look, let's cut to the chase. How well do you know the entity's servant?"

Dwight looked at her in surprise. You? Why did they want to know about you?

The male scratched his cheek, "Pretty well, I guess? I sometimes help them with restocking and we have small talk, usually on my end, but that's about it. Why?"

This time, Adam cut in.

"Have they ever shown you emotion?"

Dwight furrowed his brows, "Not really. They're usually neutral to everything. Whenever I ask how they're doing they always give the same response."

Min looked at him to elaborate.

"Which is...?"

"They say 'well,' usually. But wait, why are you guys asking me all of these questions? What's going on? Is there a problem with them?"

The group looked at one another. Upon making eye contact with each other, they all seemed to have come to agreement to tell the anxious leader their plans.

"We think we might be able to change them." Zarina answered, causing Dwight's eyes to widen in shock.

Wait, what?

"Change them? What do you mean? How?"

Min shrugged her shoulders, "Being friendly, I guess. Sharing our emotions, thoughts, basically teaching them how to be more human."

"I don't think it'll work, but the others think it's worth a shot." Adam shrugged.

"What made you guys come to this conclusion?"

Min pointed to the silver haired newcomer, "Yun-Jin actually brought up a pretty good point about them. They don't hate us- actually, let me rephrase that. They don't gain anything from us. So, why not take their neutral stance to our advantage?"

"So we decided to come up with a plan to change them into being more human, or at the very least have some connection so we can persuade them to help us." Zarina added. "Since you're the leader and have been here the longest, we figured we'd ask you to help us with this experiment."

Dwight looked at the group in bewilderment. A chance to change you? Was that even possible? Ever since his feelings for you had bloomed, the male had taken any chance he got to spend it with you, but you never seemed to change. You were always stoic. You never gave your thoughts or opinions on anything, always leaving Dwight to fill in the blanks.

But maybe that's where he's been going about it all wrong.

Dwight's eyes widened in thought. He then moved his attention over to the group. "Are you guys sure you want to go through with this plan, and that it will work?"

Zarina pursed her lips. "We don't know, that's why we're asking you. We figured we would ask you since you seem to have the most experience with them."

"We did plan on asking you, then Claudette, Jake, and Meg to help as well." Felix added, "But we wanted to hear from you first."

Dwight bit his lower lip. A chance to get closer to you, to make an actual connection.

If what they said was true, that you had no gain from hurting them and simple existed on a neutral stance, then perhaps it wouldn't hurt to try. But first, they needed proof that you had the capability to learn empathy and adapt into human nature.

The male straightened up in his seat.

"Well, if this plan of yours is going to be in motion, first you need to reconsider the people who have been here the longest. Claudette is a good idea since she's very understanding and patient by nature, but Jake is more neutral with them and he is kind of hard to get through. As for Meg, that's just a bad idea. If anything it should be people who have a better relationship with them, or at least a more neutral stance."

Zarina nodded. "That makes sense."

Min then raised a brow, "So does that mean you're in?"

Dwight smiled, a light of determination flickered in his dark brown eyes. "I will try my best."

[kemendin]

Dhamari's 'Significant Four'

My brain decided to go off on an interesting little tangent about Dhamari and his dynamic with certain companions, namely the ones who have had the greatest impact on his character and story. Not entirely sure where this angle of analysis came from, but hey - it works!

Astarion is associated with Dhamari’s body. Which is ironic, in a way, because Dhamari spends a long time being deeply uncomfortable whenever Astarion gets too close. But it’s also helpful, because it gives Dhamari the opportunity to set firm physical boundaries in a way he hasn’t done before - either because he’s always kept himself far enough away that it didn’t matter, or because he didn’t have agency, and he simply couldn’t. It’s hard to say they ever like each other much, but they come to respect each other through this slow, mutual exercise in establishing boundaries and consent. And like Dhamari, Astarion knows experiences of deep physical trauma. It’s something they understand about each other, and it’s something Dhamari eventually finds himself able to share with Astarion, when he feels that nobody else in the party truly comprehends what he’s gone through.

Jaheira is associated with Dhamari’s mind. Dhamari is often not the brightest bulb, and rarely overthinks things, preferring instinctive action over consideration. But Jaheira has the ability to condense complex moral concepts down to simple terms, and actually makes Dhamari stop and think for a change. She challenges him to consider his choices, what he’s doing and why; to look at the big picture in a way that’s unmuddied with too many details. Jaheira, like Dhamari, is a stubborn survivor, and yet she offers him a view that is about more than just survival. She helps him understand that like it or not, he will leave a mark on the world, and it’s up to him to decide what sort of mark it will be.

Wyll is associated with Dhamari’s heart. (And you’re thinking ‘wait, shouldn’t it be Gale??’ But nope. It’s Wyll.) It’s Wyll who shows Dhamari the importance of selflessness and compassion, concepts to which Dhamari has had very little exposure as a drow. It's Wyll who shows him that not everyone has to stay an enemy, even if they start out as one. And it’s through Wyll that Dhamari learns to care about people other than himself, and to strive to do the right thing - as he sees it, anyway - even when it’s against seemingly insurmountable odds. To have courage, and to take a stand for what he believes in, because if he won’t, then who Wyll will?

And finally, Gale is associated with Dhamari’s soul. Their bond is about transcendence, about intimacy beyond the physical realm, and about moving past the limitations that once chained them. Both of them are beings of magic - together they learn how to bond through the sharing of it, but they also unlearn the idea that their magic is the entirety of their worth. Gale shows Dhamari the freedom that comes with letting go of his wards and his walls, the wonder and delight of allowing someone to actually, truly know him. And this is why Gale’s astral motif is so apt for their relationship, because Dhamari, too, finds both comfort and ecstasy in the expanse of the night sky - vast and unconfined, where he can forget he is a physical creature and just be the storm of magic that is his soul.

[clemblog]

Caine’s Lesson - Part 9

•

Pomni was finally setting out on her first adventure with Gummigoo, Max and Chad. It was a big day!!

She sat atop her horse, Jingles with a small belt around her waist to support her pistol which was in its holster. Gummigoo was beside her, fussing over his horse Tang. The pair were waiting for Max and Chad to get their steeds ready. Max’s was named Sour and Chad’s was named Horse. Very fitting.

“Sooo.” Began Pomni, sheepishly. “What exactly are we doing on today’s ride?”

“We’re gonna be scouting for resources and citizens if all goes well Poms.” Hummed Gummigoo, giving Tang some affectionate pats from where he sat in his saddle.

“R-Right, I remember now-“ She nodded with a hum. “That’s why me and you have saddle bags, mhm? And why Max and Chad don’t?”

“You’d be correct, we never know what you’ll find out there in terms of resources. We learned the hard way back along when we found our first bunch of citizens and Chad had to leave his saddlebag at the location. Unfortunately, loosing said bag in the process. Usually it’d be just me with the bags, but now that you’re joining we’ll get twice as many supplies!”

Pomni nodded at this again with a smile.

“Y’know… The more I talk to you guys the less you seem like Bandits-“

“Huh, I guess you’re right there.” Mused Gummigoo. “It’s just what people have always called us.”

“How about, we just refer to our little four as… The Scouting Saviours? Cus you know- We go out for supplies, sometimes we come back with people too- So, The Scouting Saviours!”

“The Scouting Saviours, huh~? I like how you think Pommy! We’ll have to engrave it on our bags or something-“

Pomni snickered at this, rolling her eyes softly.

“I don’t know about that-“

“Nope, it’s happening. You’ll see!”

“Uh huh-“

Max and Chad were soon ready and the four headed out!

Pomni found it refreshing to be up so high and going so fast! Her new body from the circus had her feeling kind of small… In the sense that she was feeling a lot shorter and smaller now- But also in the sense that she felt helpless- But look at her now! She was out on a horse wielding a gun with her three buddies! They were helping people! Going on adventures!

Everything you’d want to see from a digital world! If you asked her-

Eventually Gummigoo, waved her to slow down, the four arriving at what looked to be an old run down orchard. It wasn’t far from the Candy Kingdom, so Pomni had to guess it was where a large portion of the kingdoms food came from.

“Alright lads, Pommy, you know what to do.” Grinned Gummigoo, chucking a saddle bag to Max and Chad. “Fill up on food and anything else that might be useful.”

“You got it boss!”

“Off we go!”

The two scrambled off to fill up on supplies.

“And we’ll cover over here, that alright with you Pommy?” Hummed Gummigoo, gesturing to a green house like building.

“Sounds good to me! Let’s get finding!”

It was a successful trip! Everyone had found a large collection of resources which were easily taken back home to be used by Ma and the Candy Kingdom Survivors. Max had only pierced himself a few times when picking the fruits, which luckily could be fixed with a smear of syrup! Apparently, syrup was the main medicine for the candy based creatures.

On the journey back Gummigoo explained how their skin was made from gelatine and that it only really got torn or pierced in most cases of injury. Which meant in most cases, maple syrup and the odd bandage or two would be used to patch up the injury and hold it together to heal. It was certainly an interesting mechanic! Pomni was curious to if it would work on her. She knew she couldn’t get hurt in the circus, but since she’d been here so long, that may change-

She’d just have to wait and see-

•

Ragatha, Gangle, Kinger and Zooble were interrupted in their little happy get together. By one of Caine’s adventure portals dropping Jax right into the centre of it.

“Ughh.. Something is definitely wrong with Caine.” Grumbled Jax, rolling onto his back.

“JAX!- What happened?” Spoke Kinger, making everyone jump with his initial yell.

“I don’t know- He sent me on a solo adventure- It was [————-] awful. I can’t count on my two hands how many times the adventure restarted because I almost died-“

“That’s no good.” Frowned Zooble.

“Y-You sound exhausted Jax, you should lie down.” Spoke Gangle, shying into Zooble’s side.

“For once ribbons, I agree with you.” Muttered Jax, dragging himself over to a bean bag near the group.

“J-Just shout if you need us!” Hummed Ragatha, anxiety clearly back on her mind. WAS POMNI OKAY???

“Take a deep breath Ragatha, I’m sure Pomni is fine.” Spoke Kinger, in another moment of clarity. He put his hands around her side, pulling her to rest her head on his shoulder. He hoped the gesture would make her sleepy enough to go to sleep. A break from the worry. Another building block between her and falling into insanity. From her and abstraction.

Gangle looked to Zooble with worry, slowly shuffling closer to sit by her and continue with her doodles. The almighty Jax knocked off his feet by one solo adventure courtesy of Caine. A Caine who definitely didn’t seem sound of mind at the slightest. Gangle really hoped Pomni would be okay- Maybe she’d ask Jax what kind of adventure Caine sent him on- And why it was so bad- Hopefully… he wouldn’t be a [——] about her trying to care.. Although… Zooble had been super helpful in talking to her about how to deal with Jax’s general sass and sense of human. Aka being a giant [——-]. So, hopefully it’d be easier to talk to him!

That’s why Gangle liked Zooble so much- She was helpful and fun to talk with!! All in all, she was just the best~

Wait a minute it kinda sounded like she was starting have feelings for-

Oh no-

Part 10

[silverstagspirit]

Survivor of Ramshackle -part 4

This chapter doesn't feature the twst boys, but the next chapter probably will.

Warnings: violence, death, corruption by dark magic, bodies, massacre, body horror, insanity.

--

Yuu and Doom had buried an entire field of graves. Yuu had even got sticks and poles from the rubble along with some twine to make crosses for each of the graves. There were so many they stretched to the horizon. A lot could be completed when you had nothing else to do. Yuu didn't even feel hungry anymore. And when they tried to relieve themselves, nothing came out ever. It was as if the blot had dissolved anything inside them. That made things easier because Yuu was not that particularly fond of going in the bushes.

Yuu was burying the last batch of bodies that they had managed to find when they saw something in the distance. It was some sort of flying vehicle. And it was approaching where they were.

Doom looked up at the thing and roared angrily. He looked just about ready to tear it apart. Before Yuu knew it, Doom was already going off to intercept whatever that thing was. Yuu also had the desire to get rid of any people nearby due to their overblotted state. So they went along. However, they kept in mind to stay completely out of sight. The rubble around them served as good hiding spots for them to conceal themselves in the shadows.

The thing landed in a clearing nearby. It had two wings and four engines attached to them. It opened up to form a staircase to the ground. This thing was a spaceship of some kind. Yuu was amazed by this. 'Aliens are real??!!' They thought. It would explain the insignia from before on the flag. They could see the exact same symbol on the side of the ship. These were not their friends. Not like Overblotted Yuu would let anyone near them, but these guys were on the top of their list.

Yuu's glowing eyes leered at the persons leading down the staircase. They slunk back into the shadows to observe closer. The alien leaving the ship had two pairs of arms. One pair was holding a large gun nearly the same size as Yuu, the other pair holding something like a tablet. They were typing on it whilst observing the environment. This alien was three times their size. Swiftly after the big one left the ship, his subordinates followed him. They all had a hunch to them, but they still only stood slightly lower than the average human. Overall, they were much smaller than the big one, which was probably their leader. They were talking in a foreign language that was hard to pinpoint. But Yuu could tell that they weren't here for good intentions. This was a recon team. They tried listening to what they were saying.

["Spread out and search the area! We need to find the source of that disturbance."] The large alien ordered.

["These graves are fresh. Whatever went out of its way to do this couldn't be too far away."] One of the subordinates added.

["Whatever did this is dead meat when I find them!"]

Yuu noticed that some of those smaller aliens had only one pair of arms, wielded one-handed guns, and held knives in the other hand.

Close combat soldiers.

Yuu took mental note to take extra care whilst around those ones.

*Fwoosh*

["Uuaaggh!!!"]

Yuu popped out of their skin when they saw Doom come down on these aliens hard. How did something that huge manage to sneak up on them? That is some stone-cold plot convenience if they've ever seen it. All the aliens stood to attention. Guns pointed to the sky at the massive draconic figure cackling down at them with hunger evident in its invisible eyes.

["What the flack is that thing??!!!"]

["How did it sneak up on us?!"]

Opening fire did nothing against this creature, for instead of bullets, there were swift little pulses of energy coming from the barrels. Which could do some damage against Yuu but couldn't do much harm against a creature like a phantom. Something that was made almost entirely of ink.

The soldiers seemed to point it out because before Yuu knew it, they were bringing grappling hooks into the mix. Yuu sighed to themselves when the aliens got together and were managing to get the upper hand on Doom. For something made of ink, cables worked surprisingly well against him. It was time to step in. But they didn't know what to do. They've never been to battle before. Only during overblots. They can not afford to lose Doom. He was the only thing they had left. Being stranded here without their power would be a death sentence. Yuu was on the ropes of having a panic attack during their overblot. Everything was so loud and confusing. Looking down at their hands helped them grind back to reality during times like this. To their horror, however, they spotted streams of black ink flowing to their fingertips and slowly but surely forming long, sharp appendages on the tips of each one. The long nails got bigger and bigger until they moved to cover their whole hands in a sticky, void-like gauntlet of sickle shaped claws. The ink went and filled their eyes and ears. Blocking out all sound, sight, and thought of what they were about to do next.

-

"Let's take it in to study it. This could be valuable for future invasions." The Captain told his men. Eyeing the giant black liquid monster. The creature had a head made of glass. Three heads, actually. All of them held a bloodlust in them that was fitting for a profession such as their own. A creature like this shouldn't even be alive, yet here they stood. Did the humans once own this thing? Did they make it? That could be a possibility with the way there were seams and stitches running all throughout its gray, scaly hide.

"But sir! How are we going to transport it back to base?"

"Just tie it up until it's able to fit in the cargo hold. Chop off one of its heads if you have to- "

Clang!

Looking back at his subordinate, the captain found that the only thing left of him was a piece of armor rattling on the ground.

"Sargent? Hey!... Sargent!?"

The captain heard a screech behind him.

Turning around, he saw that his men were being picked off one by one by a shadow that was moving too fast to identify. Swiftly silencing their cries of agony. Carving through flesh, metal, and bone. The captain faced many beasts during his time in the emperor's fleet. But this one felt like it had fought and bested creatures like itself before. It had an otherworldly essence flowing from it. A darkness that could only compare to his own ambitions.

Another scream on the left. Four men down. A scream to the right. A man cleaved neatly in half all the way down the middle. A scream from up above. The monster had bitten someone in half with its jaws. The multicolored blood dripping from the teeth of broken glass. The captain fought with everything he had left in him. He would not die today. One shot at the shadow. Two shots at the shadow. Five shots at the shadow were not enough to take it down. He might have thrown his knife at it, but he's not sure. Survival is the only thing on his mind right now.

Only when all of his men were deceased and he was all out of ammunition did he flee. His boots pounded on the earth as his heart rates picked up and ulcers formed in his stomach. He could hear every twig snap in the wind and the blowing leaves. They didn't stray too far from their landing zone. So why was the ship so far away? That's when it dawned on him. The crushing realization that he was running away from his ship. The only escape out of this place of death was cut off from him. Tripping and falling whilst running led him to fall down a bank into a clearing in the forest that had survived the invasion. Standing up, he reached for his knife only to find nothing. His gun long since abandoned at the previous battlefield. A distorted laugh emanated behind him. Mocking him of his helplessness.

Now facing the fool. He spotted someone in the shadows. A bipedal figure with large claws, streaming tendrils, and a flaming eye. It stepped into the light slowly, as if silently beckoning him to take a good look. Its eyes never leave him for a second. The light emanating through the dark, ash choked skies illuminated the figure to reveal something he thought they had managed to completely destroy not too long ago.

'A human?'

Well, it was once. This thing was certainly not one anymore. The last time he checked; humans did not have sharp claws, ink stained skin, vanta black eyes with glowing gold pupils in them, and wear seemingly sentient clothing. The eyes freaked him out the most. It was as thought darkness itself had manifested within its sockets, then placed two golden orbs floating within the pools of black. He could feel the anger. The loss. The hopelessness emanating from it. The next moment. It smiled. Those were very much human teeth aside from the two elongated canines on the top front row. The same tar-like substance coating them. This was a smile of crazed malice. The straps all over the clothing made jingling noises with every movement made. The sleeves rippled in the wind. Those were the clothes worn by someone who had gone insane. There was no reasoning with this entity. The product of a survivor blinded by grief at the loss of everything they had ever known. And he had helped make it.

The last thing the captain saw before it was all over was that mad smile inches away from his face and sharp claws descending onto him.

---

Ṫ̷̜̗̻̍͒͝h̶̹̑̂a̶̛̤̰̗̕t̷͕͚̣̮̑͋̋̄ ̶̪̤̥͓̽́͑w̶̧̬͇͐͒̍̽à̸͇̣s̵̤͙̎ ̶̠̊͌a̴̩͔̐̓̚ͅ ̵̲̔̓̽̄ş̷̯̠͔̄͊p̸̤̳͆̅l̴̛̳͜ẻ̷̞͛̇̎n̵̨̢͛̚d̵̪͛̒i̸͕̝̝̊̍͑d̷̡̲̱̓̾̈́͝ ̴̼͉̅̏j̴̘͌́͋o̴̟̲͔͆̂b̴̧͍̯͗̀̓

K̶̢̗͋̾e̴̙̜͇̅ė̷͖͕̅͘p̶̱͌̐̓ĭ̴̞̖͇̇̓̃n̴͉͘g̶͎̩̊͑͘ ̶̨͉̍̽̚t̴̲̉̈̕͘h̷̺͉̯̳̽̏̒̐e̷̺̬͙̲̎m̶͚͓͈̏ ̶̩̦͒͑̃͠a̴̫̩͂r̵͕̽͒͛͠o̷̥̍ǘ̷̩̲ņ̵̱͚͓̍̾̉͝d̶̺͔͕̀ ̵̥̎p̷̠̎ȃ̸̲̘͌i̴͙̺̦̽̔͝d̷͚͖͎̥͗̀ ̷̧̻̈͜o̷͎̜̬̿f̵̩̖̿f̵̦̟̯̖̓̇͋͠ ̸̈́��a̵͉͋f̸̨̲̓ṫ̸̻è̶̮̮̲r̵̖͇̕ ̵̭͛̓̌a̶̞̿̄͝ḻ̸͓̻̖̽l̶̘̦̤̮͆̚

Ḃ̸̟͋u̶͔̭̼͆͊̎͝t̵̬̒͑̕͘ ̶͖̍̍̂͘Ï̶̫͂͝'̴̦͓̈͑m̷̅͋ͅ ̶̫͆s̶͖̺͎̈͗̚͝ẗ̷͇̼ǐ̶̙͔̻͈͛l̴͍͂͋ĺ̶̝̓͒ ̶͓̒͝h̴̡͖͔̠̃̅̅̏u̴̢̥͆̐n̵̛̪g̸̲̻̤̐͊͜ř̵̪͎̫̖͆͝y̶̞̦̋͐̑͒!̸̪̦͚̒̀

What was that?

Three distorted voices were conversing amongst one another whilst Yuu was still floating in the dark void. It was the only thing they could focus on. All other senses were blocked out. The emptiness feeling warm and calming. Yuu had finally got a chance for the world to just... stop. Part of them desired for this to last forever. But that was shut down after the ghostly chatter intervened.

T̵̡͇̝̦̼̖̗̙͕̂̾͊͐͋̑̒̾̊̀̔̎h̸̲̖͉̳̩̜͔̝̍͐̄̏̎̾͆é̸͓̣͕͔̼̯̖͎͛̏͐͂͋̈́͐́́̀̓͝͝͠y̴̢̢̛̺̫̦͎͈̦͆̀̌̄͂̄̄̑̀̐̎͊͝ ̸̧̯͑̔̔̂͆ḁ̴̡̝̫̪̀̎̔͑͊̈̚ŕ̶̨͓͈͇͔͍̰̲̰̰͙͖͗̂̾͊͋̀͆̾̊̈́͘ȩ̵̛̟̼̱̉̃̅̊̒̅̏͌̋͐̕n̶̨̨̨͉̘̩̺͖̯̭̲̮͚͑͑̔͋̇̂̈̈͆͜'̸̢̠͆̍͗̈̀̍́̂̕̕͝t̴̢̨̜͚̳̰̟̪̠̪̒̇̾̽̄̉̓̑͝ ̶͖͔̪̽̈̓͑́̄͒̚͝r̸̤͕̝͔̗̘͍̲̫̉̒͝ë̶̥̫̤̬̯͉̖̻͚̖́̾͑̂͊̅͐̔͒͌̈́͐͠͠͝s̸̢̛̳͔̱̺̱̩̘͇̯̲̞͛̏̀̓p̶͕̰̫̻͙̓̓ȯ̶̧͙͔̘̳̻͈̞̰͓̤̰̔̊͆̽͝n̸̦͇̭̖̥̗̟͚̈́̀͐̇͐͑̅̓ͅd̶̗̹̲̈͆̾i̸̧̟̳͉̠̟̯̪̦̺̘͔̯̊̉̽̅͋̒͜n̴̼͖̈́̾g̸̜̳͐̏ ̷̡̧̹̭͖̻͖̘̼̄͐̾̓͌̃̕̚

D̵̨̡͙̖̘̦͙͙̹́̀͋̓͊o̷̧̺̬̫͚̖̩̙̠̖̮͈̹͛̀̓̄̍̒̇̿͗͒̇̇͛̕ ̸͕̭̻̦͈̙̳̣̟̲̦̮̖̥͗̌͂̈́͛̈́͋̾w̸͎͖̳̱̹̫̎̒̾̑͠͝ͅȩ̵̞͚̝̘̩̹̩̲̲͍̻͍̼̥̋͗͝ ̷̛̛̙̄̇̄͐͗͐̿́͝w̵̧̧͖͉̞̥̝͈͖̗̦̒̆͂̍͗̃̕ä̶̧̢̨̡̨̡̗̺̘̙̮̜̣͉́̒͗́̉̀̾̉̈́̏͐̕̕̚͝ķ̸̨̫͍̻̺̤͉̭̙̜͗͗͑͌̂̒̆̋̐̔̕͝͝͝e̸̢̧̗̺̱̠͈̹̺̝͖̠͙͆̓͐̔̓̓̑͂̑̆͘̚̕͝ ̵̣͍̖̾ţ̶͓̝̹̫̯̙͕̫͔̦̤͓͊̈́̏̈͒͌͌͘͘̕h̴̡͎̭͊̇͋̈́̀͝͝ͅe̴̮̱͉͚͒̎͗̄̍̏͆͠͠m̷̧̺͍̪̩̝̥̙̎͑͗̌͐̌̀͆̌̿̽͘̕ ̷̢̦͉̦̖̥̝̇̽̎́͊̐͂͛͐͒̈́͆̚͝ư̵̡̡̬͕͕̲͔̳̤͎͙̥͂̆̄͛͊͂̈̈͆͗͘ͅp̷͚̘̾͝?̴̖̻̟̩̥͕̘̥͔͕͍̫͂

C̶̫̣̹̘͗̔̌͊̑͆̄ẖ̷̨̡͉̳̥̻̗̤̗̜̐̂̃̈́̓̓̐̎̀͂̈́̽̿i̴̇͌͋̎̓́̎͘͜l̷̫͓̲̱̺͍̉̄̆̋̐͆̀͋̒͘d̶̡̛͉̯̥̟̜̾͒͂͐͋͌̊̊̀̍̓̍͜͠?̴̮͇̮̱̞̞̊ ̶̨̭̮̹́́̈͘ͅͅC̶͖͔̰̮͖̤̟͌̏ͅͅa̶̢̧̡̧̛̬͍̲̥̰̼̣̞̤͍͜n̷͙̞̈́̽̅̊̌̍̈́͑̅ ̴̢̧̻̻̦̝͎̝́ͅy̵̛̳̮͉͗̒̋͆̄͑��͚̱̱͍̖͉͕̲o̷̹͙͎͋̿̎͂̀̐͒̓̎́͐͂̇͐͘ụ̶̌̑̇͗̌ ̵̧̙̦͖̹͖̰̟̀͒͛̄̿̎͜͠ȟ̸̨̢̛̯̬̥͍̺̼͙̹̺̭̺̐̈́̈́́͒̊̓̀̈́̑̋͘͜ͅe̷͍͆̈̈́̈́̓͘̚a̶̙̖͌r̵̘̦̣̀̅͗̆̎͆̌͗́̇̊͝ ̸̱̩̞̻̞̱̤̅̄̍͐̂͒̚ǘ̷̝̬̝͕̣̀̅́͑̐̈́͠ş̶̢̼͇͉̝͙͕̹̺̗̹̗͕̣̈̎͆̊̔̔̏̃̕̚?̴̢̱̹̰͈͇̼̼͙̲̦̳̒̄̽̒͌́͑̑̉̿́̊͜

Yuu feels a pressure on their torso. It bumps them gently until the darkness around them recesses. They find themselves standing in a clearing. One far away from before. Stepping forward, they felt and heard something sticky. Confused, they looked down. Covering most of their clothes was a sticky, multicolored substance. This stuff was drying at some parts and was beginning to flake off. It smelled like copper. Was this blood? But blood doesn't look like this. It must be something else. They focused on their magic and thought of a spell from Trien's practical magic class, one used to clean stains off clothes. They focused and cast the spell. The sticky substance dissolved off of their clothes like seafoam in an ocean. Leaving the clothes as clean as they were before.

They couldn't remember why they were in a clearing, though. Yuu gazed around the plot of land and saw the same spaceship from before. Now abandoned. 'The Aliens must be somewhere around here', they thought. 'I should steal their ship before they come back'. So up to the ship, they approached. Climbing the ramp into the cockpit. Looking at the myriad of buttons and levers on the dashboard discouraged them from piloting it. 'Good GOD! How would one even fly this thing?' They didn't even dwell on it. They knew right off the bat that they would never be able to fly a ship like this. So they consulted their knowledge of magic from watching the others at Night Raven.

Yuu thought back to one time they saw Azul mold a controller to fit Grim's paws for a video game match at the board game club. Reciting the words he said in their head, Yuu cast the spell on the ship. It began to morph and change to a more fitting style to them. The controls were changed to be piloted by someone with two arms instead of four. The walls of the ship were coated with the ink flowing off Yuu. The exterior even began to change.

It took 30 seconds for the spell to finish.

Yuu was admiring their handywork when they heard a noise by the entrance of the ship. Walking down the platform. The phantom was making itself smaller. They weren't sure how, but the creature was using magic to shrink it's body into a small enough figure to fit it the ships hull.

Yuu just stood there for a moment before the three-headed dragon was shoving them out of the way to get on board. They just shrugged it off after some time and went inside.

-

Thanks for reading. No proofread again. Comments are always appreciated. Have a good day <3.

Taglist: @kami-kun1003 @lemonandlime22

[angelofchaos001]

Meet Monk and Survivor

The Wings of Rain beans hehe

Note: Most information is given out at the current place in time the characters themselves are at, though some is from future things that will happen. (Namely, just clarifying which ending they'll end up getting)

Let's start with their overall family!

Their family was one of the many slugcat units living in the largest scav/scug camp within Pebbles and Moon's region. Originally, it was a pretty normal family with their mom, dad, and the three kids (a son and two daughters). Survivor is the oldest sibling, and gained massive popularity with the camp due to their potential and the promise they showed. Their first raid was a small one, just Survivor, their father, a few other slugs, and a squad of scabbies. The raid was meant to be nothing more than a quick in and out, but it was miscalculated and Pebbles decimated the raid, killing nearly the entire group. Survivor was caught on the edge of a blast of fire and likely would have died without the help of a scavenger trio hauling them away. They were the only four to survive the raid.

When they came back, fatherless and badly burned, Survivor spent a long time with the medics of the camp (aka make you more comfy and tell people to fuck off while you're healing). Their mother was left alone to take care of two young pups (Monk and the other pup being ~12 in human terms). A mother scavenger with a single young pup who lost her mate in the same raid took pity on Survivor's family and offered to help raise them. To clarify, though, they are not lesbians. (The scav does have feelings for momma scug tho so it might happen)

Quick family doodle lol ^

After they recovered from their burns and a long time later (Few years, like 4) Survivor, Monk, three other young adult/adolescent scugs, and a scav squad went out hunting. As the rain picked up, however, Survivor's scars acted up on them and combined with the slippery pole, they fell. Not wanting to lose a valuable member, half the scavengers jumped in after them. Emboldened by this, Monk also jumped, despite being weak and not fully grown.

So that's their backstory.

Survivor

Survivor's name is Stormcloud, and he is an adult slugcat searching for a way back home after falling deeper into Pebbles' region. His equipment/skills include a belt to store rocks, grenades, and other small objects, and he is an excellent hunter. He comes short in that 1) he's (rightfully) terrified of Five Pebbles and assume any flying creature far above is him, running at the sight or sound of wings 2) his burn scar sometimes acts up, just causing slight irritation and pain.

The pearl necklace is one of the highest honors a slugcat can get, considering how Scavengers are mostly in charge. It demonstrates someone with skill, ferocity, determination, and potential. His large burn scar is from the previously mentioned raid, but the scar across his face came from a dispute with other slugcats in the camp.

Stormcloud is loyal and lethal, adept at using whatever tools he has to end a bitch's life. He often plays defender to less capable creatures being attacked, such as yeeks, but doesn't hesitate to eat whatever is an option to him. He's also quite resilient, never losing hope.

He cares for his friends and family dearly, notably preventing other slugcats or scavengers from being mean to his younger siblings and mother, and in general hates to see any kind of abuse of power. He has big dreams, and hopes to one day slay Five Pebbles the same way some defeated Moon.

Currently, Stormcloud is still searching for his way back home, though he has met enough echoes that ascension would be an option. (Storm will make it home at some point)

Monk

Monk's name is Ray (Like a ray of sunshine, hehe), and she is a adolescent slugcat searching for her brother and a way back home. She has very little going for her, her only skills being that she is good at cultivating plants (Specifically, karma flowers and mushrooms), and that she is nimble. She has a similar belt to her brother, but Ray is very weak and easily scared. Lucky for her, some predators don't attack her due to her small size, and other prey often draws attention away.

Her feathers are plucked from various vultures that the camp defeated for masks. She just thinks they're pretty, hehe. Her pearl string is a similar reason, she thinks it's pretty, and even found a unique colored pearl. Stormcloud made sure nobody fussed over her use of pearls. The scars across her stomach are actually from leaping after her brother. Rough landing.

Ray is shy and nervous. She's easily spooked and runs from problems, or freezes in fear. She's very used to Stormcloud being there to protect her, and without him, she is practically defenseless.

Currently, Ray is heading towards the void sea on recommendation from Moon after mistakenly believing Stormcloud to have done the same. (Ray will eventually ascend)

By the way, for those curious why Moon recommended it: In her ruined state, stuck in the land below and terrified that she could be killed for good by slugcats or scavengers, Moon can't do much. She did initially try to kill Ray, since it's a single slugcat, but as Ray started to cry out, Moon stopped and quieted her. Moon then offered the helpful advice that, with Ray having met echoes and reaching a higher attunement, she should head west and find the void sea to escape. Ray was worried for Stormcloud, and Moon offered that she had met another slugcat and given the same advice (that other slugcat was not, in fact, Stormcloud). Ray believes Stormcloud went there and now wants to follow their brother. (Ray also didn't want to return to the camp without Stormcloud for fear of being blamed for his loss)

[imtooscaredforthis]

So Two Murderers Walk Into A Room…

Chapter Four: Home Sweet Home

Mentions of: Homicidal Tendencies, Flirting, Ghostie being the narcissistic prick he is, etc.

A/N: My first update in a while…but dw, there’s more coming soon!

Tags: @dead-bxxxtch-walking @vandeaad @moonshineinasippycup @stwbwwychan @mama-miya

“So, every killer has a realm they stay in while waiting between trials. You can do that, or you can watch the survivors at the campfire.” Ghostface told you, as he led you through the woods.

“Campfire?” You repeated, seeming puzzled. “Like the Killers, the survivors have a place to stay between trials. A campfire, where they sit, socialize, and do…whatever. Us killers watching them are a reminder of their impending doom, and not to go too far, or else we can get them.”

“Have you caught anyone?” You asked him. He shrugged in response. “Occasionally. It only really happens with the dumb naive newbies.”

He pulled back a few branches, gesturing for you to walk past. “After you.” You smirked to yourself, rolling your eyes at him.

“I don’t get it, what’s the fun in-” You turned your head, looking at the various survivors in front of you, sitting around the campfire.

There were so many, so many that you could pick and choose from. Maybe you could even find a few favorites. You glanced around the campfire, studying their expressions and mannerism. Many looked afraid, others looked numb, and some even looked hopeful.

“You don’t see the fun in it? Don’t enjoy the exhilarating feeling of stalking your prey? Watching, waiting, plotting, getting that perfect moment where you can hunt them down and kill them.” His voice grew dark and sadistic, and he leaned over your shoulder and pressed his mask to your ear.

His body was pressing against you, and you shivered slightly at the idea. No, you liked it. You liked it a lot.

He moved his hands to your hips, snapping you out of your sadistic fantasy. While the thought of plotting and hunting turned you on, Ghostface did not. You slipped out of his grasp, pushing his hands away.

“So, are you going to show me around or what?”

–

“And here’s the Grave of Glendale. A spooky cowboy-themed ghost town, but it has a great sunset. I’ll have to show you more of the sights when you and I go on a date.” He said as he led you through the town, leading you into an old saloon.

“Woah, woah, woah. You and I are not going on a date. We are never going on a date. I just met you, and I don’t even like you. Not even as a friend.” You rejected him almost immediately.

“Never say never. And if you hate me that much, why are you still here? Why have you been letting me show you around?” He asked. “Well, I haven’t. You never really let me leave.”

“I haven’t let you? Or have you chosen not to? If you’re so strong and fearless, then why don’t you just walk away now? Why didn’t you walk away before?” Shit, he got you.

“I- uh- I-” You couldn’t come up with anything. “Like it or not, you appreciate my company. Humans are cruel and lonely creatures. They need attention and intimacy, and whether it’s as a friend or as something more, you need me. Or you’re going to, at least.”

“I’m pretty sure you need me more than I need you. You’re the one who got all territorial when that Trickster guy went to talk to me. And by the way, I’m not yours. I don’t belong to anyone.” You shot back.

“And yet you’re still standing here, talking to me. Trust me, sweetheart. This place fucks with your mind, and you’re in desperate need of guidance. So whether you like it or not, you need me, and you’re going to need me for a long, long, time.”

You hated how arrogant he sounded. You opened your mouth to speak up and tell him off, but just as you did, a throbbing pain came to your head, and that familiar pull was back.

“Looks like you’re getting called to another trial. Leaving so soon, huh? It’s a shame. Things were just getting good. Don’t worry, I’m sure we can continue when you get back.” He told you.

You gritted your teeth, feeling your eyes flutter, and the next thing you knew, everything was dark.

–

After a few trials, you were exhausted and satisfied with the hunt. Most had been a success, with only a few (if any) escaping. Once again, you were in that limbo between trials, but this time, you weren’t in the woods.

This time, you were in front of your old bakery. Of course, it was typically in town, but it was like a part of the corner where your bakery was torn off, with only a few strips of road and sidewalk around it remaining. The sky was painted a dusk color, a lamppost at the end of the corner giving you some light like it would on typical evenings at the bakery.

This must be your realm.

Letting out a long sigh, you entered the bakery. A familiar jingling of bells rang as the door shut behind you, and you turned to the light switch, flicking the lights on.

It was almost as if everything was normal. It looked just like your old bakery. The pastries, muffins, and donuts were all in the display case, right where you last left them, all your ingredients and supplies intact, and your ovens still worked too.

As you walked towards the edge of the bakery, you found another door..one you recognized. It was the door to your room. Due to the instability of your life, you lived in a lot of different places. This was by far your favorite.

The bed was big and comfortable, with multiple blankets on it, and a few pillows as well. There were also the rather big windows, which had a perfect view of the city…when you went to check the blinds for that view, you were disappointed to find that there was nothing but darkness outside the windows. The Entity must have limits when it comes to recreating these places.

You walked over to the bathroom, flicking on the light. You stared at your reflection, caressing your face softly. You were relieved that you still looked like yourself and not like one of those monsters. Well, you didn’t look like that on the outside, at least.

Unfortunately, your bathroom didn’t have a tub, but it did have a shower, which you desperately needed. You didn’t smell or anything, and you weren’t dirty, but it would be a nice way to relax.

You turned on the lever, started the water, and put your hand under it, waiting until the water got steaming hot. Then, you stripped your clothes off and stepped in.

After a long and relaxing shower, you toweled off and slipped your clothes back on. Unfortunately, you didn’t have anything else to wear…hopefully, The Entity will give you something new soon.

You climbed into bed, pulling the covers up high and snuggling against your pillows, falling into a deep sleep.

[grubloved]

A couple of summers ago I was walking along the edge of the island to see what I could see in the water, and mainly to scare frogs. Frogs have an inelegant way of taking off from invisible positions on the bank just ahead of your feet, in dire panic, emitting a froggy "Yike!" and splashing into the water. Incredibly, this amused me, and, incredibly, it amuses me still. As I walked along the grassy edge of the island, I got better and better at seeing frogs both in and out of the water. I learned to recognize, slowing down, the difference in texture of the light reflected from mud bank, water, grass, or frog. Frogs were flying all around me. At the end of the island I noticed a small green frog. He was exactly half in and half out of the water, looking like a schematic diagram of an amphibian, and he didn't jump.

He didn't jump; I crept closer. At last I knelt on the island's winter killed grass, lost, dumbstruck, staring at the frog in the creek just four feet away. He was a very small frog with wide, dull eyes. And just as I looked at him, he slowly crumpled and began to sag. The spirit vanished from his eyes as if snuffed. His skin emptied and drooped; his very skull seemed to collapse and settle like a kicked tent. He was shrinking before my eyes like a deflating football. I watched the taut, glistening skin on his shoulders ruck, and rumple, and fall. Soon, part of his skin, formless as a pricked balloon, lay in floating folds like bright scum on top of the water: it was a monstrous and terrifying thing. I gaped bewildered, appalled. An oval shadow hung in the water behind the drained frog; then the shadow glided away. The frog skin bag started to sink.

I had read about the giant water bug, but never seen one. "Giant water bug" is really the name of the creature, which is an enormous, heavy-bodied brown bug. It eats insects, tadpoles, fish, and frogs. Its grasping forelegs are mighty and hooked inward. It seizes a victim with these legs, hugs it tight, and paralyzes it with enzymes injected during a vicious bite. That one bite is the only bite it ever takes. Through the puncture shoot the poisons that dissolve the victim's muscles and bones and organs-all but the skin-and through it the giant water bug sucks out the victim's body, reduced to a juice. This event is quite common in warm fresh water. The frog I saw was being sucked by a giant water bug. I had been kneeling on the island grass; when the unrecognizable flap of frog skin settled on the creek bottom, swaying, I stood up and brushed the knees of my pants. I couldn't catch my breath.

Of course, many carnivorous animals devour their prey alive. The usual method seems to be to subdue the victim by downing or grasping it so it can't flee, then eating it whole or in a series of bloody bites. Frogs eat everything whole, stuffing prey into their mouths with their thumbs. People have seen frogs with their wide jaws so full of live dragonflies they couldn't close them. Ants don't even have to catch their prey: in the spring they swarm over newly hatched, featherless birds in the nest and eat them tiny bite by bite.

That it's rough out there and chancy is no surprise. Every live thing is a survivor on a kind of extended emergency bivouac. But at the same time we are also created. In the Koran, Allah asks, "The heaven and the earth and all in between, thinkest thou I made them in jest?" It's a good question. What do we think of the created universe, spanning an unthinkable void with an unthinkable profusion of forms? Or what do we think of nothingness, those sickening reaches of time in either direction? If the giant water bug was not made in jest, was it then made in earnest? Pascal uses a nice term to describe the notion of the creator's, once having called forth the universe, turning his back to it: Deus Absconditus. Is this what we think happened? Was the sense of it there, and God absconded with it, ate it, like a wolf who disappears round the edge of the house with the Thanksgiving turkey? "God is subtle," Einstein said, "but not malicious." Again, Einstein said that "nature conceals her mystery by means of her essential grandeur, not by her cunning." It could be that God has not absconded but spread, as our vision and understanding of the universe have spread, to a fabric of spirit and sense so grand and subtle, so powerful in a new way, that we can only feel blindly of its hem. In making the thick darkness a swaddling band for the sea, God "set bars and doors" and said, "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further." But have we come even that far? Have we rowed out to the thick darkness, or are we all playing pinochle in the bottom of the boat?

Cruelty is a mystery, and the waste of pain. But if we describe a world to compass these things, a world that is a long, brute game, then we bump against another mystery: the inrush of power and light, the canary that sings on the skull. Unless all ages and races of men have been deluded by the same mass hypnotist (who?), there seems to be such a thing as beauty, a grace wholly gratuitous. About five years ago I saw a mockingbird make a straight vertical descent from the roof gutter of a four-story building. It was an act as careless and spontaneous as the curl of a stem or the kindling of a star.

The mockingbird took a single step into the air and dropped. His wings were still folded against his sides as though he were singing from a limb and not falling, accelerating thirty-two feet per second per second, through empty air. Just a breath before he would have been dashed to the ground, he unfurled his wings with exact, deliberate care, revealing the broad bars of white, spread his elegant, white-banded tail, and so floated onto the grass. I had just rounded a corner when his insouciant step caught my eye; there was no one else in sight. The fact of his free fall was like the old philosophical conundrum about the tree that falls in the forest. The answer must be, I think, that beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will or sense them. The least we can do is try to be there.

Another time I saw another wonder: sharks off the Atlantic coast of Florida. There is a way a wave rises above the ocean horizon, a triangular wedge against the sky. If you stand where the ocean breaks on a shallow beach, you see the raised water in a wave is translucent, shot with lights. One late afternoon at low tide a hundred big sharks passed the beach near the mouth of a tidal river in a feeding frenzy. As each green wave rose from the churning water, it illuminated within itself the six-or eight-foot-long bodies of twisting sharks. The sharks disappeared as each wave rolled toward me; then a new wave would swell above the horizon, containing in it, like scorpions in amber, sharks that roiled and heaved. The sight held awesome wonders: power and beauty, grace tangled in a rapture with violence.

We don't know what's going on here. If these tremendous events are random combinations of matter run amok, the yield of millions of monkeys at millions of typewriters, then what is it in us, hammered out of those same typewriters, that they ignite? We don't know. Our life is a faint tracing on the surface of mystery, like the idle, curved tunnels of leaf miners on the face of a leaf. We must somehow take a wider view, look at the whole landscape, really see it, and describe what's going on here. Then we can at least wail the right question into the swaddling band of darkness, or, if it comes to that, choir the proper praise.

At the time of Lewis and Clark, setting the prairies on fire was a well-known signal that meant, "Come down to the water." It was an extravagant gesture, but we can't do less. If the landscape reveals one certainty, it is that the extravagant gesture is the very stuff of creation. After the one extravagant gesture of creation in the first place, the universe has continued to deal exclusively in extravagances, flinging intricacies and colossi down aeons of emptiness, heaping profusions on profligacies with ever-fresh vigor. The whole show has been on fire from the word go. I come down to the water to cool my eyes. But everywhere I look I see fire; that which isn't flint is tinder, and the whole world sparks and flames.

Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

[separatist-apologist]

I didn't want to hijack someone else's post, but an anon sent @booknerd87 an ask about lightsingers HERE and I wanted to add something to it (given I, too, was sent an anon about SA and Gwyn today).

The thing about the lightsinger theory is that a lightsinger itself isn't problematic by itself. Creatures who lure unsuspecting victims to their deaths is nothing new in mythology, and if SJM wanted to inject this into her narrative seriously, she certainly would have a lot to draw from.

The theory become inherently problematic AND harmful when two things get connected that in the source material, have no connection. Gwyn, a survivor of brutal sexual assault, gets connected to a creature that lures people with its beauty/voice/whatever. This connection is made because Nesta is drawn to the beauty of her voice. You could say, "Oh. Well Gwyn is a beautiful singer and Nesta love hers AND Nesta loves music, and in this moment the two things are converging for her. Nesta has denied herself any and all things that bring her joy all through ACOSF, and in this moment she's indulging in new friendship and the sound of something beautiful, and this moment is meaningful toward Nesta's journey toward self-forgiveness."

Which, I'd argue, was the point of that scene.

Or you could say, "the sexual assault survivor is using her sexy magic to lure people for nefarious purposes, regardless if she means to or not."

When this theory first popped up, it WAS intentional- and then the backlash came and it was softened to, well maybe she doesn't even realize it, but she is probably still doing it, as explanation for why Azriel finds her interesting or is drawn to her. Ignoring all the convoluted plot twists needed to make this theory exist outside of AO3- it plays on the real life stereotype of the too-sexy survivor asking for it.

This is where fantasy and real-life intersect. In our current society, the question is too often, what did they do to bring this on themselves? What were they wearing? Drinking? Why were they out so late, why didn't they scream/yell- and because they didn't do things exactly right, well...maybe they lured this person into thinking it was wanted. Their clothes signaled something. Or maybe their expression, the way their body is shaped, etc. Their attacker couldn't help themselves, they were powerless in the wake of their victims tight jeans.

And now you've got people constructing a villain narrative around this trope. People wonder (out loud) if it even happened (despite both Azriel and Mor walking in on it, and Rhys believing her- a dude who can read minds), and then also wonder if she isn't luring Nesta and Azriel toward some nefarious end game goal. And lets be clear- this is an opinion borne of a shipping war and not canon text or four intelligent brain cells. SJM has stated Gwyn is based on her real life friend, and ya'll think she'd borrow her friends story of SA and triumph and then turn around and make that friend her villain? When SJM has NEVER ONCE written a two-dimensional villain?

Get real. I'm begging this fandom to grow up and chill out. Ya'll weaponize real life issues and no matter how many times I keep breaking this down and reminding people that just because you hate a character doesn't mean you get to invalidate the sexual assault they experience AND that when you do this, you harm REAL LIFE PEOPLE REAL PEOPLE WHO ARE REAL AND HAVE ACTUAL FEELINGS, someone shows up to argue that actually, it's okay for THEM to do this because their masters degree from Clown University makes them an expert.

No one gives a shit if you don't like characters from a book, and no one cares about your ship. There are tons of reason to prefer a one character over another and like- learn how to just say "I don't like them" and move on with your life. You don't need 500 essays moralizing your opinion to give you some kind of high ground which is, frankly at this point, embarrassing (for you).