#anyway this scene OBLITERATES me

[indistinctchatt3r]

The way Sol can't bring himself to believe that Osha killed Indara, even with the overwhelming amount of evidence. The way he knew with such certainty that she was alive, because he would've felt it somewhere and somehow if she had died. The way he couldn't believe the little girl he'd saved, raised, and fought for had killed someone. The way he interferes because he can't handle her being treated like a criminal. The way he initially refuses to consider the idea that Mae was alive, but as soon as Osha proposes the same theory, he instantly believes her. The way his face breaks with relief and he can't help but smile at the sight of her. The way he would rather blame himself for Osha's circumstance rather than let her in any way blame herself. The way he can't help but stare and reminisce and regret. The way his heart would so clearly do anything for her but that's the one thing he's forbidden from doing.

[tsunagite]

WV’s least proudest moment pt.3.5/THE ACTUAL FINAL

[nerdyqueerr]

Ok done Knightriders posting for tn. You all need to stop thirsting over that background clown acrobat guy btw what the hell is wrong with you people

[chantryexplosion]

they <3

[savagewildnerness]

Let’s breakdown this scene…

Lestat, playing piano: bent over, lost in the world of the music - out of this world entirely. Louis sees a broken thing playing a plank of wood. A far cry from the proud, splendid creature he once knew.

(From Interview with the Vampire) "My eyes widened as I studied this stooped and shivering vampire whose rich blonde hair hung down in loose waves covering his face.”

Side note from me, as I love to talk about things that make The Vampire Chronicles appealing to me. Some people seem to be of the view that they wouldn’t desire immortality, only to be these sad, lonely, melancholic creatures… but I have always felt this way myself - even when I was a tiny child, long before I read The Vampire Chronicles. There has always been an innate loneliness and isolation to me deep inside. I don’t think you’d necessarily know it to meet me, mind! I am a smiley person! I like to do childlike, fun things. I try to bring happiness, not gloom to the world.

However, my instinct has always been to retreat into my own, wordless, unbound imagination, and to feel entirely alone, in truth. And still, I am. As a child, I felt more the weight of the world as if I were already 1000 years old. Now, loss of hope that comes with time is both sadder, scarier and, in its way, more freeing.

Anyway - imagine having infinite time and so being able to truly drift out of existence for decades. It’s such an appealing concept to me. I know Lestat is very sad here, but the idea of this kind of true escape… oh how I yearn for it. To let the world crumble around me. To step out of existence for some decades, with the possibility of return, not the reality as it is in mortal life that that is you falling through cracks you’ll never crawl out of ever again…

Lestat names Louis, reflexively when asked who said “hello”. He hasn’t turned to see Louis yet. To Lestat, Louis died 50 years ago. He is a ghost, surely? Lestat’s voice has a flat affect here. He isn’t thinking. He is merely reacting.

When Lestat first looks at Louis, I see fear:

- Does Louis really exist?

- What will Louis do?

- Must Lestat be drawn back into the world here? To acknowledge reality?

(From IWTV) “`I've dreamed of your coming . . . coming. . ' he said.”

Lestat asks Louis if he’d like a rat, as if he were a hallucination still, more than real-Louis. I think Lestat knows Louis is real when he speaks, but he’s still only half in reality himself.

Louis says “I’ve come to see you”, but Lestat is still half in his own constructed world with his music and Argerich… I love how Lestat hugs and caresses his plank-piano, drawing it into himself, as if drawing music in to himself. Me too, Lestat. Me too. I adore how Rolin and all added music to this scene. It isn’t there in the books. Of course it makes a through-line for rock star Lestat, but it is a deep love of Lestat’s and I am SO HAPPY with this addition!

I know a lot of people find “Siri, pause…” funny, but I must be a weird human, as I just find it oddly poignant. Like did people watch and laugh at this moment? This feels like when I go to see a play and people all laugh at something and I don’t laugh, then some other thing I laugh out loud at, but nobody else is laughing. And this is why I can’t do memes or any popular thing. SIGH. ANYWAY!!!

The way Lestat puts the keyboard up on front of himself, like a shield as Louis moves closer, his breathing growing ragged. Lestat genuinely scared… as though Louis’ mere presence might obliterate him if he gets too close. And of course, he does not know why Louis is there. Is he there to kill him? Does it matter if he is? He should kill him. He could too, right now. The emotional support piano becomes a protective plank.

But what Lestat is not expecting is Louis’ kindness, care, worry and empathy.

“Did you save my life in Paris?”

And now we get the first glimmer of the old Lestat as Lestat lifts his chin, shakes his head, tries to be nonchalant and to muster up his old pride, maintain any pride he still possesses. He immediately dismisses Louis’ niceness with a self-criticism as he truly perceives that he put Louis in danger by not protecting him from Armand. Responsibility in Nicolas’ death, and, he thinks, in Louis’.

Lestat is defensive. His unspoken mantra, “Don’t see me. Don’t see the real me, Louis. I cannot take it. Not right now.” Lestat is almost begging Louis to tell him he hates him, as he’s imagined Louis’ hate all these years… I fear halluci-Louis may not have been the kind, loving vision for Lestat that DreamStat was for Louis…?

A side note again: Lestat’s “All hail me” gave me a full-on spontaneous existential crisis. Folks, does Lestat say “All hail me” in the books? I hope not! Because for as long as I remember, in appropriate circumstances, I say “All hail me” and obviously it’s a turn of phrase, but I had a sudden heart stopping moment where, with a chill, I thought *Did I get that from Lestat?!* Am I entirely even my self at all?! Am I merely a manifestation of all the art I have ever consumed? Am… I… Armand!?!?!??!! Oh MY! I don’t think Lestat says this in the books though, right? Right!?!?

Well, Lestat puts his piano-plank down, terrified Louis might show him love. Craving it. Fearing it.

“Been enduring here?” Lestat is truly proud now. He will not admit his pain. As if not speaking it could make it invisible when it’s plain all about - from within him and without. It is *very* Lestat when questioned on the pain in his soul or shown that it has been seen to be like “I am FINE” & to think that’s how he comes across to others, when really of COURSE they see how broken he is. And then he bemoans that nobody will let him be broken, when he himself struggles to be broken other than when alone or on the page.

“I didn’t know it was a gift.” - Lestat is still wary. Still expecting hate from Louis here… unable yet to fully accept and understand…

Then Louis begins to say the only things Lestat has ever wanted to hear and know from Louis - thanking Lestat for the gift of vampiric immortality, showing he understands the beauty of it and intends to value that and use it… & Lestat is done for; broken open from here. He still, for a moment tries to fight back with “Shall we list all the ways we have wronged each other…” etc. But really, Lestat can now no longer maintain ay facade. Louis has opened him up.

And now we are open to Lestat’s thoughts for the last half-century. Armand erases Louis’ suicide attempt from his mind, but it is the first thing Lestat asks about. In his mind he has replayed for 5 decades how Louis is dead and it is his fault.

Sam and Jacob are so brilliant and beautiful as they open to each other in this scene. Claudia. Grief. Pain. Then, love. Broken-Lestat is particularly too much - holding on to responsibility over Claudia’s fate and how she looked at him at the end and he did nothing… and Louis, trying to take away and share the burden. Louis - so empathetic… and as they move through grief to love, words fall away (or become too personal to matter) and the storm outside echoes the storm of their hearts and their love.

(From IWTV) ““…And as I looked down at him, as I saw his yellow hair pressed against my coat, I had a vision of him from long ago, that tall, stately gentleman in the swirling black cape, with his head thrown back, his rich, flawless voice singing the lilting air of the opera from which we'd only just come, his walking stick tapping the cobblestones in time with the music, his large, sparkling eye catching the young woman who stood by, enrapt, so that a smile spread over his face as the song died on his lips; and for one moment, that one moment when his eye met hers, all evil seemed obliterated in that flush of pleasure, that passion for merely being alive.

" Was this the price of that involvement? A sensibility shocked by change, shrivelling from fear? I thought quietly of all the things I might say to him, how I might remind him that he was immortal, that nothing condemned him to this retreat save himself, and that he was surrounded with the unmistakable signs of inevitable death. But I did not say these things, and I knew that I would not.

" It seemed the silence of the room rushed back around us, like a dark sea…””

Bonus: misprint in my TVL copy!

(From TVL) “Louis had come finally to this very place and seen me through the windows. I tried to imagine it. Louis alive. Louis here, so close, and I had not even know it. I think I laughed a little. I couldn’t keep it clear in my mind that Louis wasn’t burnt up. But it was really wonderful that Louis still lived. It was wonderful that there existed still that handsome face, that poignant expression, that tender and faintly imploring voice. My beautiful Louis surviving, instead of dead and gone with Claudia and Nick.

But then maybe he was dead. Why should I believe Armand?”

[yanderecrazysie]

Explosive (Yandere Bakugou)

Another commission! Thank you again and again!

Title: Explosive

Pairings: Bakugou Katsuki x Reader

WARNINGS: yandere themes, lots of swearing, NSFW, NON-CON, rough treatment of reader, chubby reader, villain reader, spoiler of Bakugou’s hero name, a little angst maybe?

Description: You’re a villain with an annoyingly familiar quirk- why would he fall for someone like you?

“On my way,” Bakugou confirmed to the digital hero support system as it pulled up the address of a nearby gas station. A simple robbery, sure, but there had been a lot of those lately. A lot.

He’d been hoping to take down the trio that was robbing all these places under the cover of night on his own, but so far this was the first time he got lucky enough to deal with them. The news hadn’t given them a name- at least, not yet. It was only a matter of time before these criminals got their fame.

Unless Bakugou could stop them first.

BANG

Bakugou’s foot slammed open the door to the store and he quickly took in the scene: a frightened shopkeeper with his hands up, two men in all black… wait, only two?

He felt a pressure on his head and, after a few confused seconds, realized that the third robber was doing a one-handed headstand on top of his own head! “Get off me you fucking rat!”

You giggled, cartwheeling in the air and landing, cat-like, on your feet. You stared at him with interest. “Oooh, Dynamight's here! Aren’t we lucky, boys?”

Bakugou’s face contorted with anger as the two men chuckled, apparently unconcerned with his arrival. He turned back to you and lifted up one hand, a manic grin on his face as he yelled, “DIE!”

You simply ducked and the explosion shot over your head, hitting a rack of CDs and obliterating them. You giggled again, “Oh come on, that was my favorite band!”

Before he could react, you held up your own hand and, to his horror, an explosion shot out. Taken by surprise, he received the full blast to his chest. Thankfully, it was barely enough to make him stumble.

You pouted and looked at your hand curiously, “I’m not experienced enough with this quirk yet…” then, you smiled, “But I bet I can cause chaos with it anyways!”

A copy quirk? Bakugou groaned internally. That Monoma guy was always so annoying, and now he had to deal with his long lost sister or whatever. 

Your sweet voice cried out, “Let’s dance, Dynamight!” Explosions came from your hand as you spun around, catching some things on fire and making others explode. Chaos was an understatement- you were going to end up killing all five of the people inside if he didn’t stop you.

The other two robbers seemed content to stay out of your way, filling up their bags with lots of money. You, on the other hand, sent shelves flying, continuing to twirl around.

“Get serious, you lunatic!” Bakugou roared, lunging at you.

You sidestepped him, the flames in the store only illuminating your wild grin, “Serious? But where’s the fun in that?”

You hopped onto the counter like it was a stage and you were the star, “Besides, it’s hard to take a predictable person seriously.”

“Predictable?!” Bakugou snarled, aiming his next blast at the floor below the counter. The force made you tumble off and land on your back amidst the rubble. For a moment, you laid there, stunned, staring up at the ceiling lights. But then you laughed- a high, melodic sound that surprised Bakugou.

“You got me!” you said, slowly standing up, “But that’s not enough to stop me!”

“Keep spouting that bullshit and I’ll rip your lips off,” Bakugou snapped. He couldn’t let you get the upper hand again, not when your chaotic use of his quirk was putting everyone in danger.

You brushed off your black clothes that fit loosely on your chubby form and smiled at Bakugou, “I think I like you, Dynamite, you’re just my type!”

Bakugou froze, caught off-guard. Then, he snarled, “What the hell are you talking about, psycho bitch?”

You sautered towards him, “Oh, don’t be shy, it’s cute!”

Before you could get too close, Bakugou unleashed a quick series of small explosions. You tried to dart backwards, but he was on you in an instant, twisting your arm behind your back, “Enough of your bullshit. You’re done.”

“Wow,” you gasped, more surprised than in pain, “You’re stronger than I thought.” Then, you giggled breathlessly, “I think I like you even more.”

“Shut up, you freak!”

The two other robbers finally made a break for it, their bags filled to the brim. Bakugou whipped his head around and, taking advantage of the distraction, you twisted in his grip with surprising ease. You gave him a wink and blew him a kiss, running after the robbers while shouting behind you, “Don’t worry, Dynamight, I’ll see you again!”

Bakugou launched a blast at your retreating form but you dodged with a laugh, disappearing around the corner with your accomplices.

Bakugou stood in the wrecked store, seething. Your infuriating grin, your playfulness, the way you’d looked at him… he felt something alongside the anger pulsing through him. He shook his head and muttered, “Stupid villain,” before storming out of the store.

A nagging voice in the back of his mind told him this wasn’t the last he’d see of you. And deep down, he wasn’t sure he wanted it to be.

—---------------------------------------------

“Judging by the fact that the suspects took off on foot, I’d say they live in this area. All the robberies took place not too far from this triangle,” the tech had informed Bakugou, “Now, do you need backup?”

“No,” Bakugou had said, voice tight.

Now, as he approached the tent set up in the homeless camp that someone had indicated belonged to “a pretty girl”, he knew why he didn’t want backup. It was because he wanted something mixed with revenge. 

He wanted to hurt you like he hurt. He wanted to feel your heart burst with emotions whenever you saw his face, like his always did.

Bakugou was not okay, practically hyperventilating as he pulled open the curtain of what was hopefully your tent. Sure enough, there you were, except you were completely naked- how were you so sure of your privacy in a camp full of men?

He wanted to teach you a lesson.

The gloves he had decided to wear were a great help in silencing you with one hand and twisting your wrists behind your back. He made extra care to make sure your skin didn’t touch his. He let go of your mouth and handcuffed you.

“I’ve always wondered if jail would be better than this tent,” you said cheerfully. Bakugou hated that cheerfulness. He was going to crush that out of you.

You tried to kick him in the crotch, but he caught your leg in between his own, before allowing himself to grind on your leg a little, letting you feel the bulge you had created.

“Feel that? Feel what you do to me?” he groaned.

You looked up at him in sheer horror and disgust, pulling your leg away quickly. Bakugou grabbed it with one hand and began to undo his zipper with his other.

You let out a scream, but no one came running. Bakugou pulled his cock out of his underwear and hissed. It was hard, long, and girthy with a red, angry tip. He felt near-pained as he pushed it inside, seeing as you were not wet in the slightest.

You could have used his explosions against him now that you were skin-on-skin, but poor little you were crying your eyes out. You couldn’t control yourself, shaking in terror and writhing in pain as he entered you inch by inch, so how could you hope to control your quirk?

Bakugou began to thrust roughly, “Fucking bitch, you said you liked me, but that was just a lie, huh?”

There was something off about his voice. It was almost as if he wanted you to tell him he was wrong. To tell him that you did like him.

No reassurances came as you helplessly cried. Bakugou began to feel a little bad, but that just made him angrier, “This is what criminals get!”

He slowed down, unable to finish when you were crying so hard. The guilt was eating him up inside and that was a bit of a turn-off.

He wrapped you up in a nearby blanket and picked you up like a firefighter would. You sniffled, probably thinking he was taking you to jail. You probably thought that would be better than being with him.

Too bad that wasn’t your destination.

[waltricia]

Bridgerton season 2 episode 3, “A Bee in Your Bonnet” is ✨magic✨ and let me tell you why.

For those of us who didn’t read the book and knew nothing of what was going to happen, we truly went on an incredible and surprising roller coaster of an experience.

We start the episode with seeing the guy from Hellboy and being like ‘oh yay, it’s the guy from Hellboy!’

… only for him to die three minutes later. And that scene is rough. It’s sudden and abrasive. And the sounds are jarring. The death is scored by tense strings. Then a moment of quiet. Then the AMAZING Ruth Gemmell begins taking us on Violet’s traumatic grief journey, which starts with her jolting Anthony (and us) out of the quiet.

And a thunderous heartbeat threatens him as he walks toward this entirely altered, unwanted life path. And that’s obviously the beginning of his PTSD.

In the other flashbacks throughout the episode, we continue to hear horrific, heart-rending pain radiate out of Violet while Anthony must not only attempt to endure it, but cover his own grief. Anthony and his siblings (and again, we the audience) all have to listen to Violet grieve while she’s giving birth! Screams on top of screams.

And the last flashback is technically quiet, but just as devastating because, like the moment of Edmund’s death, the quiet is weaponized. It signifies the death inside Violet.

It should go without saying that Jonathan Bailey is also a brilliant actor, but I’ll say it now anyway. Damn, he good! He and Ruth partnered perfectly in this grief journey. Serious props to them both because I felt this shit.

And then finally we come to the end. We had been immersed in the horrible aftermath of that striking tragedy. Between the flashbacks- in the present day- we had followed Anthony through the rooms and grounds where he had suffered silently. We had seen Edmund’s grave. We had learned that Anthony’s greatest fears and insecurities all stemmed from that tragic event ten years prior.

And then another fucking bee comes along.

And I swear to god, the first time I watched this, when Kate got stung, my heart was pounding, I was terrified, and my instinctive reaction was “oh my god, is she going to die?!” In hindsight, it’s obviously insane to think that she would be killed off at all, let alone in this scene. But the very fact that, for a moment, that was a legitimate fear I had is exactly why this episode is so god damn brilliant. I felt what Anthony felt. And I’m not the only one! I’ve seen other people’s similar reactions to this scene. The episode really is a roller coaster; easy, lighthearted moments (pall mall, drug tea), interspersed with the terrifying drops and loops that are Anthony’s painful memories which constantly haunt him. And then it brought us right back to that first traumatic moment. Because Anthony has PTSD! And that’s what PTSD does. Anthony is right back where he was, literally not far from the same spot outside Aubrey Hall, standing in front of a person he loves, watching them get stung by a bee on almost the same spot on their body. The tense string scoring comes back and Anthony panics because he’s completely helpless again.

And all of those elements- the setting, the scoring, the acting- combined to terrify us and make us forget something critical: most people don’t die from beestings.

And here’s where it gets really profound for me. Because it’s not just about how we feel Anthony’s fear. It’s also about how Kate completely obliterates it. Without knowing that history and without realizing the full extent of what her actions would mean, she does exactly the right thing. Rather than die and rather than also panic or shy away from his vulnerability, she meets it with her own in the form of care and steady assurance, which is true strength. And in so doing, she stops this cyclical moment in its tracks and completely alters the trauma. She puts his hand on her heart, and the heartbeat comes back. But this time, it’s not threatening. It’s inviting.

And just like in the first scene, the moment is over all too quickly. Just like in that scene, Anthony is thrust onto a new path. But where that moment was damaging, this one is healing. And we feel that too. And it’s the greatest experience that art can give us.

It’s catharsis.

And that’s why this episode is magic. 🐝✨

[a-lesbianshadowinthenight]

i don’t think this scene will ever stop emotionally obliterating me. there’s so much that builds up to this moment, you can almost see the moment lupe knows that she has to talk about it, and you can see how painful it is, how it’s still painful to think about her daughter, so much so that she pushes away and dismisses esti because she reminds lupe of her.

in the earlier car scene, before esti crashes, it’s like lupe finally sees how much she’s been contributing to esti feeling alone, that it’s been hurting her. she seems surprised to even learn that esti just turned 17, and you can see the moment it clicks for her. she could have been thinking about herself at 17—how much she needed someone the way she could have been there for esti. but it was too painful for her, it might have felt easier to pretend she didn’t care, to keep her distance, to hide away her pain behind anger.

but she realises the impact that it’s had, how esti had to grow up too fast just like she did, but she’s still a kid who just wanted to feel less alone. who saw lupe and thought lupe would be just as excited to have someone on the team who speaks spanish. except she ends up feeling more alone because lupe brushes her off time and time again, even when esti is trying to help her.

“it’s like seeing her and not seeing her.” is the most gut wrenching line—she’s reminded of alma but simultaneously reminded that she can’t see her. having that reminder be constantly present would have been hard to handle, how difficult it must have been, to be expected to care for and be the sole person responsible for esti when she was told by her parents that she would screw up her own kid, when esti’s a reminder of that child that got taken away.

the way lupe looks at her kills me, because it’s like she finally lets herself feel the pain of it, without the anger, without the defence mechanisms that she normally uses to disguise it.

then esti hugs her and lupe doesn’t expect it but she realises how much she needed it. it shifts something, because she immediately jumps into caring mode when esti is cold, and you see so clearly the change in their dynamic. the start teaming up with each other, lupe looking at esti like a proud dad when she does her pep talk.

anyways, this scene is as beautiful as it is devastating, and i think just a really important moment for both lupe and esti. roberta and priscilla’s acting is just perfect in this scene, they both have such good control of their micro expressions. roberta conveys such deep pain and sadness with very subtle facial acting, priscilla crushing your heart without a word of dialogue is mind blowing. i wish we got to see more of their dynamic as it changed

[epicfirestormer]

Okay look, I've never really read Greek mythology (my only exposure is EPIC the musical and I've never read The Odyssey or The Illiad so bear with me) but I feel like Odysseus is cursed to always suffer. Not in the same sense Cassandra or Sisyphus are actually cursed, but in an almost unwritten rule sort of thing. Like, how much of an unlucky bastard do you gotta be to constantly be thrown around by one god to another. How are the gods so involved in his life. First is Athena, which fair enough, she chose him as her champion. That one wasn't a problem. But then he runs into Polyphemus, who is POSEIDON'S SON. which, talk about unlucky. then he runs into Aeolus, which also wasn't actually a problem until the crew fucked around and found out with the wind bag, then he runs into Actual Poseidon, gets most of his crew obliterated and then yeeted to CIRCE'S island after that, because of course he does. Only after he found out his leftover crew ran into Circe of all people and was about to go confront her, does he run into Hermes who genuinely has no reason to be here and doing all this besides maybe helping his great grandson and also for entertainment purposes. Then he runs into Circe and it turns out she's pretty chill actually when she realized that he really just wants to go home and not stick around to do anything bad. Anyway, they don't run into any gods for like a saga and a half, which is a new record really, but shit still goes wrong because Of Course It Does and THEN Eurylochus tries to kill one of Helios' cows and then fucking ZEUS comes in to chime in and give Ody the illusion of choice (where he'll suffer no matter what he chooses). Zeus is literally just taking the piss out of this whole thing, and when Odysseus makes his choice, he STILL gets fucked over by being sent to CALYPSO'S island and being stuck there for SEVEN YEARS. Like, at that point it's just Zeus being petty. I'm more surprised that we don't have more scenes of Odysseus breaking down in tears during the entire musical. He's just being used like a ragdoll and thrown around.

Like. Odysseus' story is only a tragedy for everyone involved. It's actually a comedy of error for all the gods who are watching.

[xxx-theartofsuicide-xxx]

It occured to me that Astrid's demonic birthing scene, while rife with symbolism and references, doubles as a political statement to the question of whether or not it's okay to sexualize fictional characters. Whether or not Lydia is allowed to age has been and still is a huge point of contention among fans. We have new babes coming in every day trying to lay down rules for shipping beetlebabes, adamant that underage content is. Idk. Distasteful? Idk how these babes think, I've been here for too long and I have good taste.

Anyway, in one fell swoop Tim obliterated the absurd idea that Astrid isn't allowed to age or fuck or give birth. And I think that was really cool.

[crayonsquadlilac]

I had to scribble out his ending dialogue. I just couldn't lose this image i had in my head, of this poor charachter who tried his best still (for lack of a better word) dying, and not screaming or crying when it's happening but instead saying this and then gently apologizing, like it's his fault, and that's the last he ever says. I think this scene's gonna stick with me for a while.

I'm actually so sick about him like god like "I've wasted my whole life hiding, I think I should try saying hello." God. Me when the character is kind and well meaning and funny and silly and yet tragic by nature. Me when the character never gets the good ending they deserved (in a well written way.). What the Hell. God

Super Ultra Rambling under the readmore if you're curious about my elaborate Thoughts;

Ik is my favorite charachter because he is very silly and my best friend ever in the world but also because of the Tragedies. He's a person used to fear, a people pleaser, who let mr. Sob manipulate him and turn his hotel into something he never wanted, simply pretending it was still the same, who spends the whole game trying so hard to keep you in high spirits and unworried even when he himself is terrified. Someone who cares too much and tries so hard and probably never even gave nearly as much to himself as he did to others. Even at the end, as he describes to you all the horrors that unfolded on earth, he makes jokes and quips and keeps up his goofy manner of speaking despite the information clearly disturbing him.

When he tells you the story of his death, he never once mentions anything about how sad it is, and if you respond with "I'm sorry," he says like basically "oh it's fine," before hesitating with a concerned look on his face. His death may be something he avoids thinking about a lot.

And describing him, i can't help but relate to him, understand him, perhaps that's why I am so Insane about him right now.

I think this game is about, no matter what happens, at the end of it all it will still be the end. It may even end sooner than you'd expect. The human race before dying out solved all their problems and created a perfect world, Ik tried hard to do good and make people happy, Mr. Sob gained his own twisted control over many souls of the afterlife, you the player just kept going onward as much you could, but they all came to the same unceremonious end. I suppose it all matters on your perspective- do you focus on the ending, or how you got there?

When Ik tells you about his death, he describes how he saw the stars, and the view of his town from all the way high up, how he stopped and looked for a long time. But he couldn't stay forever, he had to keep moving. I think that's the part that mattered most. Even in so terrible a situation, he got something beautiful out of it. And like i guess part of the game is, "we can't stop what's coming, there's no use hiding, so we may as well face it with a smile and a greeting." Or maybe more like "the time will pass anyways" type of thing. If that makes sense.

I've seen some people interpret the Morning as everyone is brought to a final resting place peacefully. And of course, it's wide open for everyone to interpret it however, but for me personally I thiiiink Ik was probably right about it being the end of time. The thing seemed a little bit too obliterating-you-type-deal in the final cutscene. All the humans are dead and it's time for their afterlife to go too now. Maybe it's to make room for something that'll replace us, or to start over from scratch with everything, but for all the human souls, it's the end.

Maybe the sole survivor of all existence is Shrimp, in the afterlife, always running from the Morning, wandering for eternity. Which i say to be silly but also that would be really sad actually. He'd be alone... he'd get hungry and there'd be no one there to feed him lounge chairs and tables and glass vases..... poor shrimp..........

I don't know if it would have been better or worse if you could just find his abandoned collar on the ground somewhere before that last lantern. Probably worse actually. Yeah no I'm glad that's not a thing. I'm sorry for saying that.

But anyway, what a damn good game. I'm sad it didn't get more attention when it came out, it feels like such a passion project. I feel bad for only finding out it exists recently. I'll try my best with telling all my friends to play it too though. Cause like oh man. Good god. It made me laugh, it made me scared, and now it's made me cry, drawing and typing this post. It's a thinker. I love existential wonder in media, but this one is more like, existential indifference or something. but it doesn't feel cynical at all, i don't know. I like it a lot. Putting it right up there with my favorites.

also actually nevermind fuck all that noise good ending where the morning never comes and they just wander the woods forever together yippee wahoo!! who needs themes and messages and meanings !!!! when The Characters could be happy !!!!!!!

jtjfjfjdhdjskfskdkdsfdhdhsfjcjdhfhshsfhd everything is fine i am Fine definitely not Crying More why would you think that

[morningstarwrites]

I love your work so much, all the scenes are so wonderfully written. So if I may ask, how do you do it? Keep writing vastly worded elegant chapters with authentic emotions in a week? How do you keep yourself motivated and managed?

Omg thank you, you are too sweet 😭 The short answer is:

Binge-write like a possessed person

Doubt everything I type

Post it anyway

And the long(er) answer is:

Organization: I have an outline for each chapter, and I'm not afraid to delete stuff if it's not flowing well. I've legit obliterated hundreds of pages at this point LOL

Writing elegantly: I think a lot of it just boils down to I LOVE READING/WRITING AND I LOVE ENGLISH!!! I'm basically always at the library reading something

Emotions: I pull from real life experiences. If I'm not certain, I research about it. Also, I'm a huge romantic, which goes without saying amirite??

Motivation: I work best with a deadline, which is why I set Fridays as my posting day, TBH if I didn't, I don't think I could have written so much!

Special shout out to: MY READERS! It makes me happy that somewhere out there, someone wants to read my writing. So I persist!

[devilart2199-aibi]

IDW collection reading update! :D 📖 (Fixed!)

Phase 2 volume 4 done! This volume included: Monstrosity, RID issues 12-18 and MTMTE issues 14-16!

I ended up reading all the way to Phase 2 volume 6 before finishing this update so my notes are a bit scattered! Anyway! As usual my thoughts are below :3 ⤵️

Monstrosity:

This story is set in the past, when Optimus has assumed leadership on Cybertron after the senate and pervious primes were killed.

This story is, I dunno... For some reason I can't really get into these?? It feels... edgy?? Idk, I feel like that's not the best way to describe it. But there's something about the vibe with these ones in the past (like Autocracy and this one).

Of course everyone is becoming the characters we know since this is in the past. So there is going to be a lot of fumbling and growing from them and things that seem out of character. But given their situation at the time, i can't be super harsh on odd decisions.

They have to deal with the senate and their corruption, as well as that from the previous primes, the Decepticons uprising and wanting to take over, Cybertron running out of resources aaaaand I feel like something else I can't remember rn 🤔 but a lot is going on!! Haha.

There is a scene that references the OG animated movie where they toss Megatron out of Astrotrain and he goes "I still function...!" Which was a pretty cool homage tho.

But this kinda felt like a whole way to just show how badass Megs is meanwhile Optimus is going through it on Cybertron 😂 It was entertaining and interesting at parts, but some things I was 'eh' about

RID: 12-16:

Before i go on, I'm sorry, but... this Megs panel is giving me the same energy as that little alien guy that was in the news months ago 🤣 Now actually⤵️

Megatron returns!! This story was very entertaining!! I feel like I can usually guess where something is going, but I was surprised by a lot of the twists here! There was so many!

The character deaths had me shook! 😭 Wheeljack ahhhh!!! Metalhawk!! Also everything with Prowl and the Constructions! O_O;

I'm sorry Prowl 😔 I was pretty surprised when they started killing off the Decepticons at first, but then went: "Well, I guess he's being super ruthless now" I couldn't see you were brainwashed!! 😭🗿To my defense, him teaming up with Arcee and given Arcee's record, it kinda seemed like the natural progression of things lol 💀

Two things I kinda have mixed feelings about tho are:

1. Arcee just casually being part of the Decepticon gang and no one questioning her being there?? She then easily kills the guy controlling Devastator and that was like... Megatron's big plan. Why didn't she do it sooner? I imagine it was to draw out Meg's, but still it seemed weird.

2. Starscream killing Metalhawk after Metalhawk came to save Starscream. It's in his character and everything, and I'm happy that he did it bc it shows who he is. But OOF I thought he was leaning a different way for a bit and that I had Starscream wrong, But no, he's greedy boy. (I was starting to like Metalhawk T_T)

Anyway! Good guy Swindle!! 🥹

MTMTE 14-16:

💀💀💀💀💀 BIG SAD. But!!! It was a super interesting story!! I really enjoyed learning about Overlord and Chromedome.

Chromedome becoming Trepan's apprentice in the past was crazy!! :O And the whole scene with him and Prowl in Prowl's office. When Prowl asks/threatens Chromedome to go into Overlord's mind 😙👌 *chef's kiss* GET 'EM CHROMEDOME!! 💪👊🔪

The whole thing about how the Phase Sixers are made was very interesting too!! This frame ⤵️ Meg's saying this made me lmao 😂 I can now see the thing between him and Overlord better now.

As for Overlord getting out and obliterating some of the crew... ughhhhh 😭😭😭 Pipes man!! Ratchet protecting the medibay was awesome. Best doctor 🚑😌

I was shocked during the fight with Overlord that Magnus got so injured!! I've read ahead already, but I was sweating it, I thought he was gonna die too 😭😭 Overlord goes right for your spark man 💀

Luckily they got Overlord back to his containment cell, but- 😭😭😭😭 LITTLE MAN 😭😭😭 Why'd he have to hop in there to get the sword??? OTL

Then Chromedome blowing it up once the cell disengaged from the ship 😭 It was a perfectly painful sequence! 👏

When I saw the scene with Whirl and the cannon/ blaster shooting asteroids, I knew it would come around 😔

Also!! Learning that Chromedome has had other deep connections with bots (idk if Brainstorm meant Conjunx' specifically) and given them his innermost energon before and that's why he's dry!! Excuse me as I sob 🤧🤧🤧🤧😭😭😭😭 and then he makes himself forget!!! UGHH OTL My heart man!

The tape that Rewind made too!! 😭🤧

Drift taking one for the team too by getting banished 😔 he's a real one. Also pls come back.

RID 17-18:

We got more Shockwave lore here and I'm a big Shockwave enjoyer so I was very happy!! More heartache of course tho 😢

Him pitching/making the Jhiaxian academy of advanced technology is huge. Then all the experiments he did once he was turned purple 💀💀💀

Him going to Dai Atlas and injuring him before the attack on the senate so that he would escape death was a cool surprise. He's still in there ;_; ahhhh.

There is another story that happens in current time where Bee gets turned into Goldbug, but I think he's called "Goldfire" here? 🤔 He really got injured during the whole thing with Meg's so they had to fix him up with pieces of his old earth form.

It was cool to see included in the story :3

Final Random Thoughts:

This volume had a bunch of great stories in it! And I learned quite a bit about characters I like!

Though it was sad, I'd say my favorite story was the mtmte one with Overlord (The Overlord arc?). The art is always fantastic and so is the story!

I look forward to reading more and I'll be making another reading update very soon since I'm already on volume 6!

I didn't want to lump them all together bc I like using images as the story breaks and Tumblr only let's you use 10 per post 😔 Also... I ramble quite a lot haha, so 3 volumes worth would definitely be too much! 😂

Anyway! See you next time! 👋

[candy8448]

Previous post

Oooooh man im watching the end:

Part 1 feels so sad, raven trying to do all the things for her friends on their last day is honestly so so so sad

This projection thing is sick

Them making her the bunker behind her back because she probably would have opposed to it

Beast boy quickly giving her the penny is the most sweetest things ever im actually gonna cry, and every time they did a close up on it

It makes me so sad that she doesnt even try to fight back despite if she goes the end is innevitable. I guess she just wanted to get it over with so her friends dont need to spend any moore time of their ladt moments fighting for her :((((

Raerae my babyyyyyy

"Stay safe" 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Her absolutely obliterating Slade with words is so amazing i cant even-

The raven leading them all together, their hands in the middle, the hope 😭

Im so happy with this little call back to season 1's "switched" where raven and star switched bodues and learned how to use their powers, its so good and im glad star remembered that because she would

Her giving them a bit of her power is so sick and them all saying "azarath metrion zinthos" is so so sick

Can i say the ost for this show as a whole in EVERY episode is absolutely sick and sounds so good i would listen to it on its own, but they also know how to dial it down and turn off the music for so much inpact its crazy, they did it with some apprentice arc scenes and haunted and such and it works so well to hear the atmosphere and suspense is perfect, i also like the ost that plays when the "dark versions" of star, cy and BB appear, its so minimal and impactful (i also like the konochrome no shading look they have) them talking is also pretty creepy

BB going inside trigon's ear and turning into a whale is so smart and also the "wet willie" he said he would give trigon XD

I knew slade teams up with them in this episode but it still feels weird! Also rob volunteered tovfind rae but honestly i think that BB has the closest bond with her and the little things he does through the series, and the penny he gave her, i dont ship them really at all but i feel like he has the closer bond and whole robin is my favorite and the leader, it would have made more sense for BB to go, and more emotionally impactful

Also dont say robin cant stay cuz he would easily beat the shadow titans but they could have done that and nobody would really care too much, they were defeated before by that robot that tried to beat cy in "only human" so shadows of themselves could definetly still proviide a problem with robin there, and it would have made no difference to how that scene could have went

Slade has a point, uf he gets a thing he wants and the end of the world is gonna happen anyway, he might as well take the deal.

Also i thought this whole time that "what he had lost" was gonna be his son or something cuz i didnt have any clue what it could be and drew on the tiny bit of deathstroke comic lore i knew but i was still skeptical, i was NOT expecting the skeleton tho, that seriously shocked me.

Him saying "The fringe benifits were quite enjoyable" and then panning on this scene is just:

Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew no no no no no no no no no no no no

Knowing what that episode implied and then this line is just ewwwwwwwwwww 😭

Slade and robin being mirrors while fighting litterally on the same wavelength and same split second is more of a testament to how alike they are 0.0

"Im here to save you too" robin saying about slade is 0.0 D: as well

AHA I KNEW THEY HAD TO FIGHT EACH OTHER'S SHADOW TO DEFEAT THEM!!!

BB's saying that terra was right to dump him is just vile

Still think that BB going after raven would have felt more impactful, like sure, robin and raven have been in each other's minds or something and i feel like them being the main two in "birthmark" makes so much sense, but for this, i feel like it makes more sense for BB to go, he's spent the entire show getting to understand raven more deeply than any other character, and he has littlerally been inside her mind. I dont ship them at all but their strong platonic bond would have been perfect for this

Baby rae sounds so weird her voice like that lol

SO. SMALL.

The big white projection raven is so sick lookin. You go girl!!

BB what do you mean raven giving hugs is weird? She litterally gave you a hug at the end of "spellbound"!

Maaann i love them so much.

Something i love about this show is that the titans' friendships is strong and genuine, they care deeply for eachother, truly want to connect to eachother, make sure each ither is okay, they believe wachother instantly when something us wrong and dint disregard eachother's feelings, nobody is ever the butt of the joke and nobody is made to feel bad on purpose by the others, even if they are all completely different from one another, and if it happens then they do their best to make the sincerest of apologies. Them being mad at each other is always coming from a place of frustration from wanting to hang out and enjoy each other's company but just not understanding how

Many kids shows make friends kinda hate eachother, always get on their bad sides, cant seem to stand each other, and always have one of the others as the butt of jokes (even teen titans go does this! D:) so i really love this show for that

"We'll be ready for him" is what cyborg said at the end of "haunted" which i guess goes to show the hope and trust they have in themselves and eachother

Again i would say BB would have worked a lot better for this last scene with raven instead of robin, since BB while being a bit childish, is still really emotionally intellegent! (I mean look at all his interactions with raven and terra!) And this little speach about raven having the most hope does sound like something beast boy would say more than robin (yes he is the leader, but it sounds more right in BB's voice), like, i can imagine vividly what it would be like with bb in robin's place and it makes so much more sense. I honestly wanna draw a version of the same events but with bb instead but thats so hard to do and would take forever sooo :/ thats only a maybe few pannels kinda thing MAYBE

This is a sick arc, the music again was so cool,

I think my favorite part was part 1 tbh, before any of the world taking over takes place

Next post

[cyb-by-lang]

Deluge Scrapped Scene

As a reminder, Deluge is the branch in the timeline where Shinso is the bonus hostage picked up by the League of Villains instead of Kei.

I cut this scene for redundancy, but it's fun on its own for being in Midnight's POV.

Kayama Nemuri jolted up when her phone vibrated on her desk, dislodging a pile of paperwork tall enough to form an avalanche. After a couple seconds to find the purple liquid glitter case amid the disaster, she flipped her phone upright and blinked at the caller ID. 

Giving out her working phone number to her homeroom was one of those choices Nemuri didn’t make lightly, but she was determined to be available in a crisis like any hero. She carried it into the field during nighttime patrols, which meant she might respond even faster than police in some cases. Knowing that one of her students was a disaffected child soldier had, if anything, reinforced her belief that making time for them was vital. Plus Ultra, after all. 

“Midnight speaking. Gekkō-san, is everything all right?” 

“No, Kayama-sensei,” was said in such a wretched tone that Nemuri shot to her feet and grabbed her whip off the rack on her desk. Someone was going to feel the business end of it by the end of the night. 

Transferring the call to her wireless headphones and then tucking her phone into her costume, Nemuri said, “Talk to me, Gekkō-san. What’s wrong?” 

While staying late at UA wasn’t solving any problems, Nemuri hadn’t felt comfortable heading home while her friend was preparing to be lambasted by the press. Shōta waved off her offer of assistance with his damned tie, again, but she’d been among the teachers who waved him and Nezu into their chartered car to the broadcast studio. Sekijirō, Power Loader, Cementoss, and All Might were all still active, according to the teacher group chat, but she was pretty sure that no one was about to visit the staff room and interrupt her attempt to keep busy. 

And now she was headed for Power Loader’s most ambitious portal experiment like that’d give her a leg up on the situation. She wasn’t sure whether to thank or curse her sense of impending doom for giving her the option now. 

“I was just on a call with Shinsō-kun,” Gekkō mumbled, her voice tinny as Nemuri descended the nearly-empty building. 

Howling wind on Gekkō’s side obliterated any detail Nemuri might otherwise be able to get from listening to background noises on the call. Was her student out in public this late? Given the number of highly publicized villain attacks, Nemuri expected even Gekkō to be staying safe indoors. She was supposed to be avoiding any more stress. Every single red flag in Nemuri’s head was waving. 

The explanation surpassed all expectations, despite being relayed in Gekkō’s low, upset voice: “The League of Villains grabbed him.” 

Nemuri stumbled down the last two steps, one hand lashing out immediately to grab the handrail. Muffling a vicious curse against her whip, she took a breath to steady herself and then said, “You’re sure?” 

“Unless the League got rid of Compress and Toga Himiko and Kurogiri.” Gekkō let out a bitter laugh as cold as winter. It sounded like defeat. “I muted my phone when I realized what was going on. They…I heard them talking.” 

In what felt like a different life, Nemuri encouraged Shōta to join her in teaching at UA. As the homeroom teacher for 1-A, she’d been sure he’d train any student who showed promise into a real hero. His pragmatic views weren’t something Nemuri’s classes had time for, but she knew their value. And she’d winced when 1-A this year ran into villain after villain like some brutal carnival game, patterns emerging from effectively nowhere. It was brutal, unfair, and yet—some part of Nemuri was quietly, pathetically grateful that her students didn’t attract that level of attention. No more than the rest of UA. 

And now this. 

“Multiple pro heroes have been organized into strike teams on the League’s known bases,” Nemuri told Gekkō anyway, because she wasn’t supposed to encourage vigilantism even from her most wayward student. Even if she understood the impulse. Her heels clacked on the floor as she proceeded down the hall. “We’ll get him back.” 

Shinsō was Nemuri’s as much as he was Shōta’s, and fuck if Nemuri wouldn’t find out exactly when and where to crack some skulls. 

Toga Himiko, Compress, and Kurogiri. Nemuri didn’t need much of an imagination to work out how they might have worked together to kidnap Shinsō. With the Sports Festival as reference, it would have been as straightforward as stopping his Quirk—possibly with a knife to his throat or in his mouth—and shoving him through a portal, as long as they had the element of surprise. 

None of them were heavy hitters, but they didn’t have to be. 

And Nemuri was out of position and off the roster to help. Between that and their lived experiences, her reassurances to Gekkō rang utterly hollow even to her own ears.

“That’s assuming the League wants to recruit him,” Gekkō pointed out, sensing that doubt and seizing it. “And I don’t trust that. I can’t.” 

Nemuri’s heart went out to her class’s self-proclaimed misfit—who’d genuinely latched onto Shinsō like a mother bear with a new cub—and still, Nemuri didn’t want to risk her. They’d all just agreed to let Gekkō sit this fight out. This was too much. But at the same time, Gekkō’s brutal upbringing made basic considerations like “laws” hard to get through her skull on a good day. She understood them, but she didn’t prioritize in a way that let anyone rest easy once they knew about her motives. Nemuri’s contacts—specifically Nezu—left no ambiguity there, nor did Stain’s hypothermia. 

What Nemuri wouldn’t give to just let these kids be kids. 

“I already called Sensei,” Gekkō continued quietly, with just a touch of steel entering her voice. “I’m done sitting and waiting for things to get done.” 

Nemuri, opening the door at the exact moment Power Loader looked up at the powered-up portal generator, managed to avoid Gekkō’s mysterious “Sensei” by sheer chance. One moment there was empty air, and the next there was a man in grayscale standing between her and Power Loader. Only the faintest whisper of moving fabric served as a warning, and Nemuri suspected it was a courtesy to offer even that much. 

“Good evening, Power Loader and Midnight.” The stylized fox mask turned Nemuri’s way. In that same polite, upbeat tone, Gekkō’s nightmare teacher went on, “Or is it Maijima Higari-san and Kayama Nemuri-san when it’s this late?”

Clearly wrong-footed, Power Loader managed, “Who are you and how did you get in here?”

“I’m a teleporter and I’m a teleporter,” he replied, deadpan. The masked face turned toward Nemuri. “And I was looking for Kayama-san.” 

“Hero names will do,” Nemuri said firmly, before Power Loader could trip over himself figuratively while literally doing so. Again. “Though we don’t have one for you, at least not in that getup.” 

“‘Fox’ will do.” He bowed, just a fraction. “I’m sorry to interrupt your evening, and I doubt All Might or Principal Nezu are currently available, given the circumstances,” said Fox. That masked face dipped a little, with the lip of the hood shadowing its top half with a palpable air of menace. “But my student called for help. What kind of teacher would I be if I refused?”  

“Agreed.” Nemuri tapped her earpiece, drawing Fox’s attention to it, and added, “My question is if you’ll follow our lead,” Nemuri said, waving her free hand to indicate UA and maybe this world in general, “or if you plan to tear off on your own.” 

“Good question,” Gekkō muttered in Nemuri’s ear. 

“Hm. Well, I’ll be right back with an answer.” With a quick salute, Fox vanished between one blink and the next. 

Dammit. 

There was a quiet beep as Nemuri’s call with Gekkō disconnected, which probably sufficed as an indicator of Fox’s teleportation range. From what Nemuri remembered, she lived within the city. They’d have to come up with something to augment that, or this mission was getting nowhere fast. 

Gekkō didn’t talk to the adults at UA about anything if she could avoid it. Even Gekkō’s consultations with Nezu and All Might were more mission-focused, from Nemuri’s understanding. She probably barely understood that the point of high school was to get an education and make friends. All of the trust prerequisite to that experience was lying broken on the floor long before UA.  

And now her best friend was missing. Kidnapped. Any faith that pro heroes could handle the situation just fine was dead on arrival, probably made even worse by the recent failure at the training camp.

God dammit.

“Midnight. Exactly how involved have you been in all of this?” Power Loader asked, once it was clear that Fox would not be coming back instantly. 

“His kid’s in my homeroom.” 

“Ah.” And with that, Power Loader clearly decided that more information was for people whose department budget wasn’t going violently up in flames every other day. 

With that, she pulled out her phone and scrolled down her contacts list until she found Eyesore Goggles, clicking the green call button. 

Shōta answered on the third ring. If her guess was right, he was either backstage or regretting his life choices or both. He was a multitasker.

“Nemuri, what—?”

“Is Principal Nezu next to you right now?” Nemuri asked sharply. “Because I have an update for the strike teams.” And, with the most gentle tone she could manage amid this new hell, she added, “The League attacked again. It’s Shinsō.” 

[solarissttee]

04 | THE LEGENDS REAWAKENED

summary ; in the face of danger, elizabeth loses all hope of going forward with her mission. however, the sins make their appearance and save the day. the only downside is, hardship will only come first them and the princess from there on out.

wc ; 1.7k

tags ; attempted murder / treason, abuse of power, slight dialogue change, use of profanity.

notes ; happy new year everyone!! i thought i’d give you all a treat, so here’s the fourth chapter :3! also i suck at writing fight scenes so please don’t kill me for how that fight turned out :c

catalogue

“but sir twigo, allioni is down there as well! he’ll die!!”

the ridiculously huge knight, assumingely twigo, merely waves off the concerns of the lower ranking knights, indifferent to fact that his subordinate might be as good as dead. “then i guess that makes four deaths.”

“sir twigo—“

“stop your incessant whining at once! if you’re so worried about that fool, why not join him and those others in the afterlife? i can provide assistance with that!” the bigger knight snaps, a scowl on his face. the threatening glare that sits upon his features successfully intimidates the lesser ranked knights into silence.

“now, now,” you click your tongue as you hop off your snake and back onto the cliffside, “that’s no way to talk to your subordinates! they’ll grow to resent you if you keep that attitude up!”

the python had played a significant role in ensuring your safety as well as that of the others. what kind of guardian would he be if he didn’t?

perched atop your shoulder is an unconscious allioni while a trembling hawk is tucked safely underneath your other arm. meanwhile, the silver-haired girl is in the safe embrace of meliodas, who gently sets her back onto her feet, inquiring if she’s okay.

“you there! how dare you survive without my leave?!” twigo’s voice carries a tone of displeasure and irritation at failing to get the job done. a frown creases at his forehead, obviously fuming at the fact that you guys had managed to survive his attack. “I shan’t revise my death tally conclusion!”

“nobody asked you to conclude anything, you fucking nut job!” hawk refutes, snorting in annoyance. “who the hell do you think you are, anyway?!”

twigo takes big strides towards your group with an evil grin playing on his lips. you feel a sense of unease when you notice that his gaze is locked onto the girl rather than you or meliodas. “hah! it seems that fate is smiling upon me today! the crest on that earring, girl… is that of the liones royal family. meaning that you... conclusion! you are princess elizabeth!”

a moment of silence passes over you all until hawk breaks it. “...princess elizabeth? as in the country’s third princess? that elizabeth!?”

by this point, the princess had broken out into a cold sweat. ‘damn it, my cover’s been blown. not good… this is not good…!’

    

“an official decree has been issued to locate you. the order was to capture you alive, but...” twigo pauses, his grin stretching into a mischievous smirk, “...if you were to die in an incredibly tragic accident, that would be regrettable but unavoidable."

that sentence immediately sets off warning bells in your heady. taking a protective stance in front of elizabeth, you make sure to obscure her from his view. “woah there, buddy! aren’t you supposed to be protecting the royal family? killing the princess would be an act of treason!”

twigo ignores you and sends a horizontal slash your way, the force of his magical power much greater than you’d expected. “conclusion: accidental death!”

“oh, for fuck’s sake!” you hear meliodas yell out. he grabs elizabeth and pushes her in the direction of the forest. “run, woman! run!”

you tighten your hold on allioni and go after them, however, twigo’s attack came faster than any of you had anticipated.

“damn it! lucifer!”

in an instant the entire forest is obliterated, leaving only tree stumps behind. lucifer had his body curled around you and the others, acting as a shield. his scales had absorbed the mana from the attack. when he uncoiled, you sit up, clicking your tongue at the damage your clothes had taken.

 “man, lucifer’s always coming in clutch for us, huh, n/n?” meliodas mused, sitting up slowly. “everyone okay?”

you give him a thumbs up as you move to sit upright. hawk wails something unintelligible and runs off, crying out for his mother which stunned twigo for a moment before he regained his focus.

just then, elizabeth gets onto her feet, almost stumbling as she trudged over to the larger man, looking resigned. you and meliodas exchange a look of confusion and get up as well.

“what the hell are you doing, princess? don’t go near him!”

“there’s no escaping him,” she replies, not sparing either of you a glance. “for me anyway… this just means i’ll have to go back to square one.”

“square one!? woman, he’s trying to kill you! have you been listening to this conversation with your ears closed?!”

“i’m well aware of that! even so, if i surrender myself peacefully, that should keep him from killing you two in cold blood. get out of here and don’t look back.”

“in the name of all the stars, why do you have to be so damn stubborn!?” meliodas groans in exasperation as he tackles the princess to the side so she isn’t hurt by twigo’s upward slash.

you roll out of the range of the attack, but in the process of avoiding getting skewered, the right arm of your uniform sleeve gets completely destroyed, exposing the skin under it.

“you’re one to talk about stubbornness! i’m trying to protect you both, so please, escape!” elizabeth tries to force meliodas off her but he doesn’t budge an inch, keeping a tight hold of her so she doesn’t walk back into danger.

“i don’t know about that, princess. he seems pretty intent on killing us regardless. there’s no way he’s going to let two bystanders get away,” you scratch at you nape, propping a still unconscious allioni against a tree stump. you admired his ability to remain incapacitated in such a precarious situation.

“why?” she wails, “why is this happening..? all i wanted to do was find the eight deadly sins so that i could end the suffering of my people. i even walked around in that clunky piece of armour for months without any leads… i don’t want to give up and surrender… but i don’t want to put you guys in total danger..! not when you’ve been so kind…”

meliodas sighs, rolling off her. “man, this is such a pain. i was hoping that we could keep this facade up for a little longer, but there isn’t much of a choice left.”

elizabeth sniffles, looking at him with confusion. “facade? what’re you talking about?”

meliodas simply ruffles her hair and walks over to twigo, twirling around the broken dragon blade with a bored expression. “n/n, keep the princess from running head first into trouble like an idiot while i take care of this guy.”

elizabeth’s eyes widen when she catches a glimpse of the red splotch of ink on the blond’s left arm. “no way… that tattoo, i don’t believe it... you can’t be!” she stammers, looking between the both of you. “th—there’s no way...!”

allioni, now surrounded by his comrades, sits up with a start, cold beads of sweat decorating his forehead, his eyes wide with fear. “where is she!?”

    

the other knights are stunned. “woah, calm down, man. you’re safe—“

“i asked where she is! that girl... the one that came out to meet us! where the hell is she!?”

“take it easy, allioni. sir twigo has her and the other two on the ropes.”

“when she saved me, i saw them! the tattoos on their arms prove that those two are the real things! both of them are the most dangerous of them all! the symbols on their arms, they were—“

elizabeth’s gaze drifts to your right arm where the tattoo of a python inked in crimson curls around your shoulder and ends at your forearm. “a python… and his is a dragon… don’t tell me that you two really are them…”

twigo swings his sword downwards at meliodas, however, a cut appears on his cheek instead. meliodas brushes off his outfit, looking disinterested with the whole situation.

“how can this be? i’m certain that my blade struck you! but the one who felt the blow... was me?!” his eyes then flit down to the sword in meliodas’ hand, causing his brows to crease as they furrow. “what is that?! a sword with a broken blade? you think you can defeat me with that!?”

“oh, please,” meliodas rolled his eyes, “i could beat you barehanded.”

“you insolent little brat!”

you move elizabeth away from the two males who had started fighting, having her sit next to lucifer who curls around her protectively. you place a hand on her cheek, letting a warm, pink light envelop your palm and heal the injuries she had sustained from twigo’s earlier onslaughts.

“meliodas? y/n? it wasn’t a coincidence, was it? are you two really…?” the princess stares at you with hope swirling in the pools of her pale blue eyes. there’re streaks of gold in them, but it’s more noticeable in her right eye.

“shh..” you smile, gently patting her face.

“hold on, your face seems familiar...” twigo narrows his eyes, scrutinizing meliodas’ appearance before a flicker of recognition passes over his face. “wait… but if you are him, how is it that you look almost exactly the same as you did all those years ago!?”

“so, have you finally figured out who I am, hm? man, you holy knights sure are slow,” meliodas drawls, outstretching his left arm.

“i—it can’t be! it truly is you!” the knight yells, bringing his blade downwards again.

in retaliation, meliodas swings his arm to the side, deflecting the attack back to twigo, increasing its force as well. the shockwave makes the latter tremble.

“c—conclusion,” twigo stutters as the situation he’s in finally dawns on him. the effects of meliodas’ full counter hitting him all at once. “these extraordinary powers are those of the legends!”

with that, he’s sent flying away, and the both of you take it as your cues to introduce yourselves formally. meliodas walks back over to you both and extends his hand to her.

“let’s do this whole introduction thing again, yeah? the name’s meliodas. i’m the captain of the eight deadly sins. it’s a pleasure to be in your presence, your highness.���

[ THE EIGHT DEADLY SINS : THE DRAGON SIN OF WRATH, MELIODAS ]

“and i’m y/n. the sins’ vice captain. i offer my most humble greetings.”

[ THE EIGHT DEADLY SINS : THE PYTHON SIN OF DECEPTION, Y/N ]

elizabeth sits there in stunned silence with her mouth agape. “oh, my god…”