#but I’m curious how people think they’d react

[mochatsin]

I’m not sure if you ever watched it but, a few years back there was a trend where someone put a dry piece of pasta in their mouth and asked the other person closest to them to crack their back, then when they do they crack the pasta in their mouth and go limp like they broke a bone!

Could you make that with Mc and Lucifer in the living room with all the brothers just in their as well? I wanna see your interpretation of their reactions!

It started out as an innocent little dare from Solomon during your little sleep over at Purgatory Hall. You’ve seen this trend before, where people would put a little dry piece of pasta inside their mouths and ask someone for help to stretch their back, and then crack the pasta as if they broke a bone. It’s a classic trend that you enjoyed, but you’re not really sure if it would come across the same way with the brothers. You were watching those videos with the residents at Purgatory hall so it was only natural that this sort of dare would come up. You had to do it since the alternative is that you’d have to let Solomon spoon feed you in public like couples do, which would’ve been fine except it’s his home made cooking. There was no way you would survive that… so the pasta trend it is!

You had a little camera hidden by the shelf when you pretended to grab something off it so you wouldn’t look suspicious. Everyone was in the living room busy doing their own thing. Levi was so engrossed in his game, Asmo was scrolling through his Devilgram, Satan was reading another cursed book, Mammon was checking the stocks and bets he placed, while the twins were just talking together. Hopefully they’d be too busy to notice the prank you’re dared to pull. In all honesty, you were curious on how Lucifer would react to such a prank since you’re sure this hasn’t been done in Devildom. There’s also this lingering dread when you think about any possible punishment if this went wrong.

You saw Lucifer walk in, and you took this opportunity by approaching him with the pasta in your mouth. “Hey Lucifer, could you do me a favor?” You asked, trying not to sound weird when you speak. 

Lucifer turned to your direction, a brow raised. “Hm?”

You turned around and pointed at your spine, “Slept weird last night. Could you crack my back?” 

It’s an odd request, but Lucifer obliged either way as he approached you. “Alright, come here,” arms were wrapped around your waist as he pulled you to help out with your back. 

CRACK!

You bit the pasta just in time, but you couldn’t even fall limp like planned when you suddenly felt your feet get lifted off the ground. Lucifer is holding you up like a dog, the panic is evident in his wide eyes. “What was that…?” He warned you several times of a demon’s strength, he even told you about how a demon at full speed could kill you upon impact. Did he overestimate how fragile you are that he broke your spine? He hardly used any strength!

You heard Levi yell as he surprisingly saw what happened, and he scrambled to your side immediately. “L-L-LUCIFER WHAT DID YOU DO?! WAS THAT THEIR SPINE?!” You could swear he’s going to cry. 

Mammon was faster though, and he grabbed you into his arms away from his older brother. “Are ya okay?! Shit, it’s probably in their insides or somethin’… OI, make room!” He barked at the twins as he carried you to sit on the couch. 

“I don’t think you should move too much…” Beel looked afraid of touching you after he witnessed what Lucifer did, because if something as harmless as that could hurt you then he feels like he could snap your bones just by patting your back. 

Belphie has this concerned look for you, then it became something sour as he scowled at Lucifer. “I never knew you could be this ruthless.” He hissed. Of course he would take this chance to insult his oldest sibling. 

Satan came rushing to your side, sitting awfully close to you as he took a look at your back. “Where did it hurt?” He asked as his middle and pointer finger began tracing and feeling each vertebrae of your spine. “Do you feel any pain here?” Satan probed as he gently pressed on a certain spot on your back where Lucifer cracked it, causing you to arch it and squirm in place. 

“Hey, if anyone should be touching them it should be me!” Asmo said as he sits in between you and Satan, holding you so delicately in his chest. “Oh my poor darling… Did those barbarians hurt you? Maybe you should let me have a look under your shirt and—“

“Oi! I don’t like where you’re goin’!” 

All of this happened while you had a piece of pasta in your mouth. You could hardly say anything while the brothers began to bicker and fight, so you interrupted them by spitting out the broken piece of pasta onto the palm of your hand. “I-i’m fine I swear!” You claimed before this argument could get out of hand. “It’s a stupid dare from Solomon, but I’m not broken or anything…” 

The room was terrifyingly quiet as they processed all of what you just told them. Their hearts would’ve stopped beating if they found out you were hurt, and this seemed like a lot of stress than it was worth. They berated Lucifer all for nothing, while he was worried that he might’ve hurt you. Now hearing that it was all a little prank got him popping a vein.

“I see,” Lucifer has this smile, though there was absolutely no light in his eyes as he looked at you. “So you thought it was a clever little prank, hm?” You could practically feel electricity in the air. One by one, the brothers began to disperse as Lucifer approached you. 

“I-it was a little dare and–” 

A gloved hand interrupted you, holding your chin and making you look up at him before you could mumble any more excuses that you hoped could spare you some mercy. Though you knew there was no way he’d give you that now, and you could tell you were definitely getting more than just a lecture.  “I think some corrective discipline is in order, little lamb. Come to my room, now.”

[brucewaynehater101]

That Wingless Wing AU, I’m guessing that it’s probably like a 25-75 of whether people have wings or not? Because otherwise Jack and Janet wouldn’t hate the idea of wings, because they’d be normal, expected.

Anyway, what would the wings look like? Would they be regular bird wings? Angel wings? Bat wings? Dragon or devil wings? Any and all combinations? What do you think everyone’s wings would look like, and is there any meaning behind them?

Also, if the Joker removed Tim’s wings, I can only guess that it would leave a NASTY couple of scars. It would be easy enough to hide them… at least until Tim gets injured. How do the Batfam react when they realize what happened?

Finally, you specifically used the word “hybrid” to refer to winged people. Does that mean they have other instincts/characteristics, and are there other types of hybrids?

(Sorry it’s such a long ask!)

Og post for anyone who wants to check it out!

Fantastic questions! Let's get into it ^^

I didn't think about specifics for winged/hybrid population distribution, but it would be on the lower side. Less than 50%, but you could play the Drakes' attitude as a common sentiment of rich folk (something about dehumanization, lack of rights, history, increased prevalence of hybrids, etc).

In Gotham, the social attitude about hybrids is better. The Waynes are famous for their wings, after all, and Martha Wayne had gorgeous wing decorations/jewelry.

As far as wing type, it depends on how far you want the AU to go. For this one specifically, it's simpler for there to only be winged hybrids. This still opens the AU for tons of exploration on the types of wings each person has (although, I'm curious if Penguin is a hybrid and how that works).

Overall, their instincts/needs/behaviors are similar. There may be some small distinctions (like wing type care or personality), but they all desire connection, a nest (both in a metaphorical "home" sense and a physical cuddling space), helping their loves ones, preening, and calls/coos/vocal stuff (not all of them are birds). Add more if you'd like!

Dick's wings are colorful. He's also more vocal and cuddly. He's often cooing and being physically affectionate with others (such as rubbing his face against someone else like some birds do).

Jason's were white. Because of his inability to take care of them, they were grey/dirty and wilted at first. If you want to hc the Lazarus Pits gave him his wings back, then they came back black (like a crow or raven).

Oof.... So I know I said Joker saw Tim as a bird with his wings... But I really love the idea of Tim having dragon wings. They had holes and were shriveled due to his constant disuse and the amulet. The wings he makes for Robin are mechanical bird ones, but he does miss his own wings.

Cass isn't a hybrid, but she does understand the others' instincts. She gets eerily good at mimicking different calls and will be first to drag someone into the nest.

Steph has gorgeous bird wings that are one vibrant color. Purple sounds like a cop out, so maybe a midnight blue or deep pastel yellow.

Damian and all of the al Ghuls have bat wings. Bruce, on the other hand, has red wings that he uses black temp die for patrols.

Jim Gordon doesn't have wings. He would not have made it to Commissioner if he did (anti-hybrid sentiment has gotten better, but not enough). I can't decide if Barbara should have wings or not. Either way, she can't use them when she becomes paralyzed :(

Duke's wings are either orange or yellow with cool black highlights and patterns to them ^^

Alfred is not a hybrid, but he was in a thruple with Martha and Thomas Wayne. He helped them with their preening and helped Bruce (and later all the batkids) as well

I could give all of them specific meanings behind their wings/what animal they are closest to, but not now. Instead! Let's get into Tim's scars.

TW: wing removal, torture, JJ

The Joker was not kind nor careful about the removal. The pain and gore were as much the point as the removal themselves. Tim still wakes up choking on his breath over the feeling of his wings being removed. The physical pain, emotional, and hybrid instinct hell were brutal for the kid.

The scars were gnarly, but his parents paid for treatments to lessen how much they etched into Tim's skin. By the end, they were a bit thinner and paler. They were still very visible but not as painful to look at.

For humor and angst sake, let's say the batfam learns about Tim's missing spleen. He shows off the scar and shrugs.

The others are having a reasonable breakdown over Tim losing his spleen when one of them asks, "Have you lost any more body parts?"

Tim pauses too long.

The Bats freak out some more.

[zombie-eats-world]

So I’ve been thinking about the widespread belief that Luffy wouldn’t give a single fuck about a reveal of his mother. (And I’m a crocodad fanatic so I’ll be treating that like it’s canon but this all should apply to any reveal, Crocodile or not)

This isn’t me trying to hard argue against Luffy not caring about his mother, it’s a huge possibility but I just feel like people say it with a lot of unearned confidence. The belief seems to come from how Luffy reacted to the reveal of Dragon being his dad. And Luffy not caring about a father makes a lot of sense when you consider his experiences. I mean just look at the male role models in his life!

Garp comes and goes as he pleases, just showing up to knock him in the head, share a meal, and then disappears. Shanks was much the same until he left for literally the last time Luffy would ever see him to date. His male figures leave him to follow their own passions, even Ace did the second he came of age. And Luffy isn’t upset by this, he accepts this as a normal part of life. Men go off and find their adventure, that’s just what men do.

(Btw Im not trying to make this a claim that Luffy doesn’t think girls shouldn’t go off on their adventures, just that this is Luffy’s experience with his male role models and how he’d justify it)

So this is why I think it makes sense that Luffy was so uncaring about his father being revealed to him. Dragon did what Luffy would expect a father figure to do, he showed up for a minute to help, and then left unceremoniously. Luffy doesn’t need to give anymore thought to it or to Dragon.

But, this is where I begin to question the assumptions that Luffy also wouldn’t care about his mother.

Luffy has a very different relationship with the female role models in his life.

Makino was a constant in his young life, providing a safe space for him to hang around. Makino from the little we see of her was incredibly caring and maternal to a young Luffy. Even after Luffy got moved to the mountains, she’d make the effort to visit and bring him new clothes. Her kindness and motherly care extended to Luffy’s new brothers too!

Then there is Dadan who, while not proactively or overtly caring, shows how much she cares for her boys by actively protecting them when a real threat appears and always making sure to check in on them. Her contribution to raising Luffy can’t be understated.

And probably the biggest influence on Luffy, Ace himself. The man who loves and deified his mother. I have zero doubts that Ace talked about his mother to Luffy at least once. I don’t think I’m crazy for believing this could have had an influence on Luffy.

This has been my long winded way of saying I think Luffy might care about a reveal of his mother. I think he’d be curious about why his mother didn’t stick around, where they’d been, and what adventure had kept them away.

Anyway, I’d love to hear any thoughts anyone else has on this subject.

[nina-renmen]

Sorry for spam liking your fics yesterday I'm new here and rlly love your fics 😭!!

Could you do a hc's on how pickle would react to the reader dancing to beautiful liars by Beyonce ft. Shakira?

Also hope you're taking care of yourself 🙏🏾💕

No worries Anon! And thank you, I have been taking care of myself 💕💕

Pickle X Reader Dancing to beautiful liars

Pickle was in his arena like always, he either sat, slept or killed something that was brought to him. But curiosity spiked within him, the sound of something unusual and the sound of footsteps. But no one was coming.

So with a small grunt, Pickle lazily stood up and walked over to the small noise. You were oblivious, your headphones leaked a lot of music but you never thought it would be enough to attract someone.

Y/n swayed their hips, softly singing the lyrics. Their voice was pretty, it was pretty like a hummingbird, and they seemed fragile. It was as if they would break with a touch. With a small twirl y/n was startled by the giant primitive man. They shreiked. Without thinking they reeled their/his/her fist back and punched his face. Pickles nose bled as he stepped back, putting his hand underneath his nose and touching the blood.

Y/n still hadn’t realized who he was. They/he/she only seen him on the news once and forgot his face right after that. So with quick motions y/n pulled out a handkerchief and put it under his nose wiping the blood.

“I-I’m sorry! My headphones were so loud I didn’t even hear you.” Y/n fretted as Pickle looked down at her. They/he/she was taking care of him. Pickles eyes sparkled as y/n continued wiping off the blood until he stopped bleeding. “I’m sorry.” They/he/she apologized once more, They/he/she took a step back to retrieve their phone but he picked up their headphones first.

Pickle gave a curious look at the headphones. It was some type of cord that plugged into a small box. Y/n gasped when he stood up straight making her stand up straight as well so it wouldn’t look like she were cowering in fear. But because of that the music ‘Beautiful Liars’ blasted through her phone. Echoing throughout the stone hallway they were in.

Pickle looked down at the phone at the same time y/n did. The two reached down quickly to grab it before the other but unfortunately Pickle had grabbed it.

“Give it back!” Y/n exclaimed reaching up for the phone that Pickle had took. It was weird to him, people were in this small box. But where were they? Pickle shook the phone making it accidentally slip out of his fingers. With quick reflexes y/n grabbed it and stepped back, turning off their phone. But a notification popped up.

‘Pickle, the primitive man has killed an endangered tiger.’ It read, showing a picture of Pickle.

Y/n’s eyes widened seeing the picture of pickle and looking back up at the primitive man. It was the same person. Pickle tilted his head to the side, picking up the headphones that lied on the floor. He opened his mouth to eat it.

“N-No! B-Bad boy! That’s a very bad boy!” Y/n exclaimed. Pickle stopped opening his mouth, a whine erupted from him giving Y/n enough time to pull their headphones out from his hands.

“This is not food!” Y/n continued to scold until they/he/she yelped. Pickle had picked them up, throwing them over his shoulder and began walking back to the arena. “L-let me down!” Y/n exclaimed. Sure, they were a fighter but there’s no way in hell they’d try and engage in a battle with pickle.

Pickle sat down, pulling her to his lap. Y/n Sat frozen, what were they to do? Should she/he/ they stay? Should they try and run? As y/n was analyzing the situation in their head, Pickle tapped their phone. His nail making a ‘tap, tap’ noise against their phone screen.

Y/n sat there confused but turned on the phone. Pickle only grumbled, tapping the phone again. ‘Does he want the music?’ Y/n thought as they punched in their passcode and began to play the song. Pickle brought his hand away from theirscreen. And only snaked his hands around Y/n’s waist, pulling them closer to him.

Y/n would never realize this but now, whenever Pickle hears the song Beautiful Liars’ He thinks of Y/n.

[howlsofbloodhounds]

Well, dear mutual, I'm curious to what you think Ink's and Killer's dynamic would be? I always like hearing other peoples opinions on these things since there's things I may miss (even if they differ from my own)! Especially considering they fought once, I wonder how that would influence things...

Here's a kitty for your time! ❤️💕

Ooohh cute kitty!! (The petting motions r doing something nice for my brain.)

Also I mentioned briefly in asks about Error & Killer where I figured that Ink would find Killer hilarious and cool & thats the exact reason why he’s tryna convince error not to kill Killer.

So yeah I basically envision this thing where Error & Ink are basically lonely asf and also Error wants to piss off Nightmare so he snatches up Killer whenever the fuck he wants to.

And Killer’s like, “this is a fever dream. Might as well happen,” whenever Ink questions him about why he seems so okay with it. (And also Killer wants to spite NM too lmao.)

So like, I imagine that Error, Ink, and Killer just chill in the Anti-Void and this is basically what Killer’s enforced breaks look like. Error’s ranting and raving, either about his tv show or ink or nightmare or what have you. Ink’s sitting on the floor and drawing to his non existence heart’s content.

And Killer’s just staring off into the distance, dissociated as hell, petting his cats in an effort to stay grounded. Error was surprisingly nice enough to let him have the bean bag.

And I can see like a little moment where ink gets too excited, throws up in killer’s lap, and also makes a wide gesture too close to killer that has him instinctively lashing out and stabbing ink.

And killer freezes for a moment, wondering what’s about to happen—almost excited even—only for error to start bitching at ink for throwing up on his beanbag chair & ink’s is laughing it off while removing the knife from their arm.

Says something like he’s gonna keep it, only killer immediately reaches out and snatches his knife back, snapping that it’s his, not Ink’s. Keep your hands off his shit unless you wanna lose them.

And Ink just laughs, not bothered by it, comments that this is the most reaction they’ve gotten out of him in weeks. From what Ink knows of Killer, he was expecting him to be more talkative. To which Killer probably says something like, “find me on a work day then.”

And then what Ink said catches up to him, and suddenly Killer asks, “what do you know about me.”

And maybe that prompts a discussion about Players and Creators and AUs and the like. And Killer realizes that Ink knows more about him than he knows about himself. Such as what is and isn’t real.

Maybe Ink can offer him some clarity, somehow. Maybe through their drawings and art and the like.

As for the fact that they have fought before. Id imagine that killer would be more on edge at first, even if it may not seem that way. Watching Ink, observing him—trying to see if they have any hang ups about it. If Ink is going to be a problem for him. He’d love to hash it out. (Violently. With knives.)

But Killer doesn’t really wanna go back to Nightmare and he doubts Error is gonna take him back until he wants to, so instead Killer just doesn’t react in one way or another. Not wanting to express anything about himself until he knows what he’s dealing with.

And I’m sure ink knows something is up, but I doubt they’d place that much care into the fighting—especially if he already has forgotten them by this point. I mean, he’s chilling with Error. I doubt hed have a problem with any squabbles between themself and Killer.

I think they’d develop this chaotic friendship where they just kinda get eachother, you know. Ink understands Killer’s emotionlessness, Killer understands Ink’s memory issues. I’d highly doubt they’d have any issues with eachother that most tend to have with them—such as the typical interpretation of Ink being “too much” or “too hyper,” and I feel like Killer would just play into ink’s energy.

And I feel like Killer wouldn’t really feel any need to mask his apathy or sense of emotionlessness around ink, mostly because ink doesn’t really seem to mind when killer is quiet or unresponsive and not actively pretending to be someone he’s not—ink is willing to do whatever talking needed. And even if killer has a hard time paying attention or remembering what ink is talking about, he never tells ink to shut up either.

The two of them having meta awareness may also affect things.

Also, I’m pretty sure the both of them struggle with empathy—and killer at least is known for pushing boundaries, wanting to test and poke and prod to understand things—and yet very protective of his own “red lines”. So I’m sure this may show up as a rocky point in their relationship at some point, just like with error and killer, but I’m not quite sure how.

Ink may find themself often being stabbed, simply because Killer’s body often tends to react on instinct. So I’m sure they’ll eventually learn to keep some distance between themselves.

Ink may consider Killer a friend, Killer at most would probably say he finds Ink interesting. (They’re besties I swear. Killer just doesn’t understand friendship 😔 )

Anyway. More knowledgeable Ink fans are always free to comment on or expand/change wherever you think is needed.

( @toffeebrew ).

[imagining-in-the-margins]

Hi, Pom, hope you’re doing okay. I wanted to know what are your thoughts on this ‘some people write Spencer so out of character and take out all his autistic traits and portray him as someone he’s not, especially during sex’ discourse.

Personally I think those people don’t understand his character very well and don’t see how much he changes through the seasons but I also know that everyone perceives characters differently so there isn’t a correct way to write him.

But I’m curious about your thoughts on it. I’ve seen some comments about the topics a writer prefers to write about (again, specially with smut) and I think they can be harmful for other writers (I’ve also noticed most come from adults that aren’t in their 20s yet so that says something too 😅)

I feel like I rambled too much but I hope I’ve made my point!

Much love❤️

Hi, friend! I’m doing alright, thank you for asking. As an autistic person, I obviously have quite a few personal feelings about any discourse regarding “appropriate” or “correct” behavior for an autistic person in any context. I’ll start my answer by saying that autistic people are not a monolith. We each have our own preferences, personalities, and experiences. I can only speak to my own.

I don’t actually think that anyone is reading Spencer’s character “wrong” because I don’t think the writers are entirely consistent within canon. I also don’t think anyone is obligated to acknowledge or appreciate all aspects of canon. So, I agree with you that everyone can write him however they’d like.

I also agree with you that any post disparaging other writers’ style or work is harmful and entirely unnecessary. It is mean-spirited and inappropriate. Perhaps it’s my age, but it has always been my understanding that, when you engage with a fandom, you are joined by people of all experience levels and backgrounds. There will be people with niche interests. There will be people who write things you hate. It’s inevitable.

The core of a fandom is how we handle those disagreements. I personally choose to live and let live. I see no point in hurting other people. It’s not required in order for me to enjoy my time here.

In a world where everyone is constantly tearing each other down, I would rather be a cheerleader. I would encourage others to try not to engage in these conversations and simply choose to lift up those writers you love and appreciate, instead. We’re here to have fun, after all!

P.S. It’s very silly to claim any portrayal of Spencer in a sexual situation is “out of character” because they do not ever show us his sexual behavior. Believe whatever you want to about how he would react. He’s not real. It doesn’t matter whether someone enjoys imagining him a different way. What does matter is that cruel criticisms over specific sexual preferences will hurt actual, real people. If you want to argue about sexual morality, do it somewhere else. Fandom is not the place. While I have replied to harmful sentiments before, I don’t encourage it. It will open you up to very unfortunate and often triggering interactions with strangers over a vulnerable topic. You deserve better than that. My best advice is disengage & block.

(Finally, because this is a contentious topic, I feel obligated to remind everyone of my philosophy on anonymous hate so we don’t waste each other’s time.)

[cyn-if]

I'm curious how would the RO react to MC absolutely furious at them for assuming stuff about them for being a corruptan and MC yelling at them that the only people they have killed are the ones that tried to kill them.

The main thing about that potential interaction is how the ROs deal with the MCs anger.

Everix would do their best to be understanding, trying to bring up that they don’t think of the MC that way at all.

Hayes would try to keep emotions out of it, in a noncommittal kind of way. But they’d also feel like shit and would admit they were wrong. The other thing that Hates would be is scared. Their fear would be shoved down, but noticeable to the MC

Sam’s reaction to this potential is a spoiler, so I’m not going to share.

Quinn would stand her ground, but would indeed concede that (depending on the MC) she was wrong. However if the MC does indeed commit more typically “evil” acts she wouldn’t, trying to point out to the MC that they are feeding into the sterotype themself.

Maverick doesn’t really see Corruptants as “evil.” So the MC blowing up on him for this reason would only scare him.

[paingoes]

Rubies

Waiting Room

hello! so i actually wrote this a while back but couldn’t think of a right time to post it. this takes place on the same day as First Base, but it’s a different POV!

(Content: living weapon whumpee, discussions of war and child soldiers, implied child abuse, dehumanization)

“I’ve got it,” Kitty made a little circle with her fingers. O.K. They were escorted away before Apollo could respond.

“Okay. I’m gonna go…beg for his life, I guess,” Apollo said into the empty space she’d just been standing in.

“I’ll go with you,” Iza piped up. At least she didn’t leave him hanging. Apollo was surprised by her eagerness, but he knew it was the correct move on her part. It’d be better to seek Levon out than the other way around. He would not react well if he felt he’d had to catch them.

For better or worse, it did not take long for their paths to intersect. Levon was already out in the hall. One woman from the counsel hung by his side. They spoke in low tones. She was one of the few people on base that matched Levon in age and in history. She shot the two of them a dirty look as they approached.

“Oh, speak of the devil.” Levon lifted his hands up in greeting, a sardonic smile appearing upon his face. He couldn’t hold it any longer then a second. His expression quickly fell back into its fatigue state. Not exactly angry, but clearly not pleased. The woman slipped off into the shadows, patting him lightly on the back before she departed. 

“It’s my fault,” Apollo put himself between Levon and Iza. “I take full responsibility.”

“Not how it works, kiddo. Chain of command.” Levon looked straight past him.

Iza did not say anything in her own defense. Levon shot her a curious look. It had meant something that she’d come to find him and that she had not come to argue the point. It was a good start. They could talk later. They would.

But Apollo clearly needed a wall to throw himself against. Levon started to move down the hall again. He wasn’t totally shutting him out, but he had better make his point quick. He’d had it so rehearsed before, but the words sounded hurried this time, more uncertain than ever. 

“Captain, it’s not his fault. You understand that. He didn’t have a choice. It’s not fair to punish him for what Empire did. You can’t hold that against him. You won’t, right? What we did, it has nothing to do with him. He didn’t know. He still doesn’t know. He just woke up. He-“

Levon held up a hand, “I thought you had a powerpoint.”

“I do,” Apollo admitted, “I can go get it if you give me five minutes.”

“That’s alright.”

“Captain!” Apollo hissed. They’d already arrived just outside of the ward. 

“Please don’t hurt him.”

It was such an earnest and simple request that Levon’s resolve momentarily cracked.

“Take it easy. Whatever I decide, I’m not going to do it right now. Save your breath.”

“He’s scared, Levon.”

“Has it ever occurred to you that you’re not the only person in the world who knows right from wrong? That I might actually know what I’m doing?”

Apollo shut up. Iza put a hand on his shoulder, both to steady him and to pull him back. Levon signaled to the medical staff to clear out just before he stepped into Delta’s room.

==========

Levon stepped back out into the lobby, shutting the door quickly behind him. There was a deep unhappiness in his features.

Apollo’s face was marred with concern. It had been for as long as he had waited there. But as he caught sight of Levon’s haunted expression, it slipped into a barely suppressed smugness. I told you so.

In the same way, Levon’s horror flickered briefly into exasperation as the two made eye contact.

“You didn’t say he was a baby,” Levon insisted. He realized instantly that the effect would be lost on Apollo. Levon often felt that he was surrounded by children. He maintained his own inner circle, each of them tending to their own sector, but all the rank and file skewed young. Apollo was no exception to this, hardly tipping twenty four, but then Apollo’s career had just begun. Delta’s star had been burning ever since he was a child.

Levon forgot any thoughts of penalty. He couldn’t reasonably hold him accountable for things he had done as a child. Delta was a ward of Empire. It was their fault. 

Apollo searched Levon’s expression, still seeming a bit too satisfied with himself.

“You’re not off the hook,” Levon told him.

“I know, Captain,” he said mildly, “Is he?”

Levon leaned against the wall. He palmed at his forehead in hopes of relieving the tension building up there.

“I don’t understand the child soldier thing. I’ve never understood it. Why? Is there that much of a shortage that they can’t fish from the adult pool anymore? What purpose does it serve?” Levon didn’t hide his disgust. Empire already recruited teenagers as a matter of policy, but there had been more and more reports of them dipping even lower. He’d gotten reports of combatants as fresh as twelve stumbling blindly into enemy territory. They’d be found limping and with blisters from where their oversized boots had rubbed them raw. They had to be carried out.

Iza spoke up. Levon was surprised to hear her speak. She’d been hanging back, trying to make herself unseen, as if he might bite her. 

“Kids have more raw psychic talent than adults. They lose it as they get older. It’s rare

you find someone who’s been trained enough to carry their abilities into adulthood. You need to start them young,” she mused.

The clarity with which she spoke of it was incriminating.

“Tell me the truth,” Levon said, “Did you know?”

“We suspected,” Apollo admitted, “Strongly.”

“And what? You wanted it for yourself?” 

“No.“ Apollo’s voice got all pitchy, the way it did when he was upset. “How can you even think that?”

“You?” Levon ignored his indignation, turning his gaze to Iza.

“Me?” Iza asked. She let some softness creep into her voice, “I didn’t want anything. I thought it would be a good experiment. I thought you might get something out of it. But I knew you’d never want to use it, not the way they did. I know you.”

Levon relaxed in a way that was barely observable. He took a deep breath.

“You are very, very lucky this didn’t go worse. Do I even have to tell you all the nightmare scenarios that could have unfolded instead? If you had gotten caught? If he had detonated? The standard response for this kind of insubordination is automatic and permanent dismissal. Were you aware of that?”

Neither of them answered. It was a wise thing to do.

“However.” Levon continued. “Things are about to get very, very bad for us. Early reports say the civil war is over. The prince’s staff sold him out. Nezu is preparing to be coronated and he now runs unopposed. We will not have the advantage of a divided Empire anymore. All the heat is going to be on us. For that reason, I’m disinclined to let you go entirely.”

Again, neither of them spoke. Apollo put all his energy into keeping his face neutral.

“…Thank you.” Iza’s voice was low. 

“Don’t,” Levon denied the moment, “I haven’t decided what I’m doing with you yet. All I’m saying is you’re not kicked out. What I do might be worse. You — you are going to go apologize to him for putting him in this situation.”

“I will!” Apollo answered quickly, “I mean, I did. But I’ll do it again. He’s okay, right? You’re not gonna do anything to him?”

“He’s fine,” Levon waved his hand, “Don’t worry about it.”

Apollo looked as though he might collapse on the spot. All the tension that had been holding him up was not depleted. He was relieved, but more than that, he was exhausted. Stress was going to take all of them out before Empire ever could.

…………

tags:

@catnykit @snakebites-and-ink @vivulapom @scoundrelwithboba @whatwhump

@pumpkin-spice-whump @deluxewhump @fuckass1000 @fuckcapitalismasshole @defire

@micechomper @writereleaserepeat @aloafofbreadwithanxiety @pigeonwhumps

[vendetta-if]

I just found your account and couldn't get enough, thank you so much for taking your time to write this masterpieces! I am kind of curious will there be multiple bad ending for each RO's route? Maybe some estimate of how many endings there will be, because I am sure as hell will be trying to get all of them LOL

Also how would the RO's react to MC (post relationship) who got into a comatose state (for maybe a month or more) after protecting them from an attack before finally waking up? How miserable are they before MC wakes up? And how they react when MC finally wake up from their coma? Maybe add papa Victor, uncle Luka, Grandpa, and Yvette too if you can? Thank you so much~~~

Thank you so much for the kind words! 🙏😊 Right now, I’m not too sure on how many variations of the endings there will be since it’s still a while away 🤔

Right now, the “bad endings”—so as to speak—for the 3 ROs will have to do with what future path your MC decides to choose at the end since there will be some paths that Rin, Santana, and Skylar wouldn’t want to follow MC, and they would break up with MC instead.

I’ve touched upon it ages ago and the paths are actually listed in the Character List in the pinned post. Basically, Rin & Santana wouldn’t follow Superhero MC, Skylar wouldn’t follow Criminal Heir MC, meanwhile Ash would follow MC whatever paths they decide in the end.

I’m glad you’re interested in trying out all of the possible endings though! 😁 I think there might be quite a lot of variations of the endings depending mostly on your RO choice and path choice, not to mention some other decisions later on.

As for the second part of your ask, I’ll do for the ROs only this time because the post is getting too long 😅 But feel free to send me the follow-up ask.

I’ll keep the answers under the cut to save some space!

Ash

They’ll be in agony. Just seeing MC in pain or gets hurt is already really painful for them, but MC in a coma… That’s on a whole other level of distress that’s only short of the distress they would feel over MC’s death. But they’re trying to keep that possibility out of their mind…

Not to mention that MC is in this state because of them. They would be filled with such rage and self-loathing, that even after they have decimated the people responsible for hurting MC, they would still be unsatisfied and agitated because they themself is one of them.

They would spend almost all of their time accompanying MC and it’s hard and near impossible to tear them away from MC’s side. They would spend hours recounting both of their countless adventures… Childhood, teenage years, desperately hoping it would somehow help MC wake up.

Once MC wakes up though, they’ll be so relieved that they would probably cry right there and then from all the emotions. They will gush out apologies to MC over and over again for putting them through this while hugging MC as carefully as they can.

Rin

They’ll be nigh inconsolable. They’ll also be tortured from spending day and night repeating the scene over and over in their head—whether voluntary or not—thinking of countless of different scenarios and outcomes from hundreds of different things they could’ve done to prevent this.

While they would still be doing their responsibilities, they would always make sure to visit MC everyday and accompany them, even playing some of their favorite instrumental music as if it can help MC relax and get better quicker.

Their precognition ability, which is usually their greatest asset, has become their greatest enemy. They don’t want to use it. For the first time in their life, the complete uncertainty brings them a semblance of comfort left, giving them hope. They don’t want to know about the probabilities of MC dying or surviving. And everyday, they hope and pray that no visions of MC’s death ever comes to them.

Once MC wakes up, they’d be so relieved and happy. It feels as if a great weight has been lifted from them. They would smile wistfully as they take MC’s hand in theirs gently, rubbing it comfortingly as they speak to MC soothingly before finally getting the doctor to check on MC.

Santana

They’ll be even more depressed and morose, spending almost all of their break and lunch hours to visit MC everyday, talking to them about their day, pretending that MC can hear them.

They probably wouldn’t be able to focus on their job as well. The Chief would be pissed off but they couldn’t care less. Maybe it’d make a good excuse for them to quit.Their already messy life would get even messier.

They’ll also be consumed by guilt because MC gets into this situation to save them. It doesn’t help that Ash, Rin, Luka, and Grandpa would often send them accusatory side-eye whenever they come to visit MC, and honestly, they agree with them. They’ve never understood why MC would so readily sacrifice their safety—and even probably life—for a nobody like them.

Once MC wakes up, they almost can’t believe themself. Their heart is racing as it soars from the relief and happiness. They’ll quickly get a doctor to check on MC and after that, they’ll talk with MC, starting with how much they miss them before chiding them for getting themself in danger for them.

Skylar

The poor superhero is so distressed that for the duration of MC’s coma, the can only smile in front of the camera and they smiles they muster are ones that are clearly strained.

Just like Santana, they couldn’t focus on their superhero job fully as their mind always wanders back to MC in worry even during their shifts. If Skylar is a less important person, the Agency would have berated them harder and probably threaten to cut contract with them, but thankfully, Skylar is far from someone insignificant.

They spend a lot of time everyday visiting and spending time with MC. They’d talk to MC about various things and sometimes, they’d bring some of their books and read their favorite poems to MC—even some of their own that they have always kept to themself. When they don’t feel like talking, they’ll keep themself busy by drawing and sketching MC or the view outside of the window. Anything that will distract them from the encroaching morbid thoughts.

Once MC wakes up, they’d be so happy and relieved, and for the first time in months, they have a genuine big grin on their face and their eyes even water a bit from the overwhelming emotions. They’d probably try to crack a joke, but it would fall short of its mark. So, instead, they would hug MC, thanking them for saving them and telling them to never do that ever again.

[amusingmusie]

Is Evie canon to the Yours Truly universe? I absolutely love her already, and I can only imagine the kind of hell she put poor Nel through growing up. Al would be so proud. Good on Nel for starting a law firm, too! That’s our queen!!!

But also the general heartbreak that Nel must have felt as every day Evie looked a little bit more like the man Nel thought she knew. Just looking at her daughter one day only to see someone completely different but so familiar staring back. :(

I’m also so curious how the realization that Nel was pregnant went down. Not well probably. Was it before or after Al died? How would Al have reacted if he was alive (He very clearly didn’t want kids). How on earth would he have behaved around a pregnant Nel?? Also not well probably.

And of course I can’t forget about the extended family. Where’s Grace, my beloved, in all of this??? The absolute agent of chaos that she is, she and Evie would cause so much havoc — I just know it. And I can’t tell if Marie would be ecstatic up in heaven or rolling around in her grave at the news lol. I’m assuming by this point in time she’d have passed away, but to know she just missed the big news — damn. Poor Grandma Marie. Nobody thought Al had it in him 😔

Sorry for the giant block of text lol. I adore Evie and she’s got my brain in overdrive rn. Your writing is amazing, and Yours Truly is genuinely such a wonderful read! Also don’t feel pressured to answer any of the questions if you don’t want to or if it’s spoiler territory — I just had to get all that off my chest :)

Stay safe out there and take care of yourself!!

No PLEASE send me asks about Evie I fucking love her and barely ever get to talk about her because I've kept her so private for so long!

Evie is "canon" to Yours Truly but not in the way you might think. She is never going to be born, she doesn't exist, but she will eventually have a small cameo in a later chapter. The rest is a mysteryyyyyyy for now. However, I love thinking about the au where she's alive since I LOVE family drama and angst.

The girl is a menace. She's a strange mix of Darla Dimple, Jessica Lovejoy, and Heather Chandler but also can be oddly endearing? There’s a strange innocence to her. Yes, she did stab that man but she hugs her momma extra tight when that haunted look comes over her face. There are a lot of layers to the silly gay girl that VERY few people will ever see let alone notice and process.

If Al was around for Nel actually being knocked up and aware of it, he'd be annoyingly overbearing. 100% he'd treat her like she's made of glass even though she's trying to bite his throat out for being so condescending. It would be a giant clusterfuck of Nel randomly crying cuz her hormones are raging and she’s too big to bend over and buckle her shoes, and then Alastor is staring at her like she’s insane because it’s Nel, crying. They’d make it work though. Well, in another universe at least, because in the drabble-I-posted-verse uuuhh….he wasn’t really around to know that he has a child kicking around on earth.

But heeeeey she and Grace are BFFS! They definitely gang up on Nel together while she smokes 28 packs of cigs with a thirst for blood in her eyes. Little shits of a feather flock together.

If Marie was around, she would SPOIL that child. Her only grandchild, and a little girl??? Whatever Evie desired Marie would deliver and you wouldn’t be able to tell that child no without her granny defending her. It’s probably for the best that they never met since Evie would be worse than she already is.

Thanks for asking more about her cuz I like to yap :D I can't really say too too much since I don't wanna accidentally spoil YT, but man do I adore this strange child of whimsy.

[mskinkyafro]

I have a question but don’t hate me for it. And I’m being deadass bc after today’s volume it has me thinking.

And I understand that my perspective is more lax and indifferent bc I’m not on a loyal route this season but I’ll ask here. I would on the Reddit but they’d bully me…anyway…

What do you guys consider is loyal? What is expected?

Bc don’t get me wrong, outside of narratively having all the Li’s react the same and question their compatibility with Mc being a huge mistake.

At surface value, I feel like this is one of these times that it feels like players/fandom want our li to just be passive. Like non-reactive to the villa. Only to be around and obsess with Mc.

Bc I get is a whiplash and sting to have your fave li, one you spent all the time with or gems etc just to have one date and that all is questioned. But that’s all apart of being on love island the games/show.

Like some people out of fear how fast their attachments and feelings grew, which is what the Li said causes them to second guess. But it felt like real motivation that was purely about them. And not Mc. And I like that.

Sometimes these Li act with only us, the player in mind. And I wish they’d be more independent from Mc.

Also I understand there was no true conversation it was kinda just put out there for Mc to deal with. And tbh I wish FB had committed to it being a TRUE DILEMMA. Because the impact was minimal bc your Li changes their mind in like 5 seconds. And it was waste of time.

Now if it was for a few days or for one full volume where they were splitting time between Mc and Uma or even as far as wanting to share with Uma at one point. That would be interesting.

And I feel like more and more as I keep playing these newer seasons I’m starting to realize I hate that. I hate the “loyal” route expectations of our Li.

And as I play other games and stories, I forget how GREAT it was when the characters have motivations outside of Mc. And if it potentially hurts Mc feelings or not what we as the player would want, we just have to deal with that. Bc the character is making a decision based on what is good for themselves in that moment.

Idk if I’m along sense, but it feels like nowadays the fandoms doesn’t want that. They like the way out Li is basically our pet.

Idk I’m just curious bc we say Mc is embarrassed or the Li wasn’t loyal but I mean damn, they can’t even decide what relationship is best for them. I know they say one thing and then it’s all like well maybe I’m second guessing. It’s dumb but felt like a real moment. Idk that’s why I’m asking like, is loyal to yall where your Li should never second guess or want anyone else ever. Is that really how you’d prefer your Li?

And don’t get me wrong, I’ve played most of these seasons on a loyal route so I get it. But maybe I’m just forgetting but I don’t feel like the older ones had this as bad as I’d say seasons 6-9 have lately. And on one hand it’s nice in some cases but todays volume really solidify that I like a challenge in these games or some sort of like story that yes I can influence but I want to see what they do and decide. I feel like I’m not making sense. Idk 🤷🏾‍♀️

[bahllinsqrews]

It’s me, 🪽anon 👋 I wanted to tag @inkysocker in this too so I hope they see this. (If not I’ll send it to them too.)

I agree with you and @inkysocker’s posts on the Ni-ki situation exactly. People have the right to disagree with writing smut about Ni-ki-that’s their opinion and they 100% have the right to feel that way-but if they don’t like it, they should block it and move on. Jungwon is only a year older than Ni-ki and people have been writing smut about him for a long time, and no one bats an eye. Why is there such a double standard? People argue saying “Ni-ki just turned 18”. So, I’m curious to ask them-what exactly is the right time to start writing it by -your- standard? If people wait 3/4/5 months, it would be fine? I don’t get it. And why do people have to abide by -your- standard? It comes off as one of the biggest instances of virtue signaling I’ve ever seen

Look, I watched i-land too. Ni-ki quickly became my favorite because of his talent, sense of humor, humility and kindness-believe me, I’m protective of him too. I get it if some people can’t see him as an adult now because they’re having a hard time separating who he is now from who he was then. But the reality is, he’s growing up and he’s not a little kid anymore. Of course he’s still young and still has his innocent side but he’s certainly not as innocent as some people think he is-because they don’t think about him as a real person, they only see the perfect image that he chooses to show us. And I can understand why. I know kpop companies warp and mold idols’ images into what they want them to be seen as and it’s easy to forget that, once you become a fan and you’re deep in it. I feel like I get lost in it too sometimes. I’ll be honest, I lost my virginity at 17 and was thinking about sex long before that. If people think Ni-ki doesn’t have sexual thoughts like a normal 18 year old, they seriously need to be realistic. In addition, if people think he isn’t trying to shed his “cute”/“baby” image, they really need to get a grip too. Of course he’s still the youngest member-but this year (and esp lately) if you just look at the pictures he himself chooses to post and the tik-toks/dances he himself chooses to do you can tell he’s trying to be more serious and mature.

I have been so absolutely disgusted with the hate and vitriol I’ve seen towards people who have written anything nsfw for Ni-ki or who have talked about doing it. They literally have people telling them to k¡ll themselves, s1it, jump etc. it’s so, so sickening, not to mention triggering. It’s not funny/edgy and cute to tell someone to harm themselves or k¡ll themselves when someone posts something you don’t like-and people just say it like it means nothing. If you can’t properly articulate your stance and express your feelings about something without telling someone to k¡ll themselves, it makes you seem ignorant, immature, and honestly too lazy and vacuous to do so. It certainly does not make you seem like the better person. I know the people saying these things are young and callow but it is so hard to see. They don’t understand the weight their words hold. They have no idea what others are going through and how the recipients of their hate will react to being told to k¡ll/harm themselves. I think about how they would feel if someone actually killed themselves because of the hate they gave them and I would hope that they would actually feel sorry and ashamed but it seems like they’re so far in their narcissistic bubble with their moral grandstanding and so grossly desensitized to saying it in normal conversation that they’d be like “whatever” or “good, they deserved it”. These people are seriously not as edgy and cool as they think they are. They’re immature, twisted, and toxic. Seriously, they give me sociopath vibes. They really think they *hold the torch of wisdom and morals* meanwhile they’re telling someone to s1it their wrists and k¡ll themselves. Make it make sense. In reality, they seem like worse people than the ones they send hate too. And they’re also calling people fat and ugly and fatherless (😀?) when all else fails lmao. What is this, the 4th grade? I’d laugh if I wasn’t so disgusted. Like pls….you’re not funny 💀 Definitely exposes their elementary school/middle school selves, you can really tell how young they are when they respond in that way. Like if you don’t like it, block it. Yet instead they choose to go out of their way to send kys messages…. I can’t fathom how telling someone to k¡ll themselves makes you a better person than them.

It just makes me sick and sad honestly. I’m glad you’re strong because ik you’re probably getting a lot of hate for what you’re doing, but you always respond to it in a mature way, when you do choose to respond to it. Yeah, always feel free to delete as many hate messages as you want, don’t even give them attention. I hope it doesn’t get to you too much and I hope you’re doing well and continue to do well. Just know you’re definitely not alone and have a lot of people who feel the same way. 🩷 And I already talked about the people who send hate to you and others and the kind of people they really are.

(Sorry it was so long-I have a lot of thoughts about this)

This exactly sums up what everyone needs to hear. And a lot of people would agree without hesitation, I have screen shots of people insulting me in my Dms and comment sections and this just embodies what I am trying to get across. STAY IN YOUR CORNER OF TUMBLR!!

[cyten0]

A Symphony In Crimson

Act 1: A Movement in Black

Chapter 21

A tale to tell? Does that mean...

✦̵ “So you’ll tell us your story, I’m guessing?”

✸ “Correct! Not like I’ll get a better chance~ With you out of the Timeloops, and before you ask Yes I can confirm you are, I only have a few more hours left before I go back to where I was summoned from~”

◉ “Oh! W-Will we get the chance to see you again later?”

✸ “Maybe! But we can worry about that later. First things first, Let’s settle stuff here~ Shall we?”

The others nod and get up, joining you and Loop as they start to head out. But…

You realize you hear people outside!!! Oh stars, you can’t be seen right now, you aren’t human!! A-And after all that beforehand you-! Where did your hat go?!”

▲ “Sif? You good?”

✦̵ “Can’t find hat, my face, I-”

✿ “Don’t worry about it! If anyone’s rude, I’ll punch them!”

◆ “Frankly, we’re in a house of change, I doubt it’ll come to that.”

◉ “Right! You look fine though anyways.”

▲ “Agreed! Also your eyes and horn are kind of adorable?”

!!!!!! Oh!! Uh. You….

✸ “Oh stardust, flustered so easily?”

▲ “Oh! Sorry! Still, food first, worries later! Besides, they are setting up that party back in town!”

You hesitate for a bit… But nod. Food first, you guess.

You walk through the house, your family at your side. Several people, freshly unfrozen, nod and wave at your family, but you still notice the odd looks at you…

Their stares are.... Briefer then you thought they’d be? And. No one seems scared? You guess that's fair, they don't know but... You thought they'd at least. Dislike you? They... don't react much at all? Polite curiosity, and that's it...

◆ “So out of curiosity, just how much food is Siffrin going to need, Loop?”

✸ “Right now or in general?”

◆ “I can have the general diet talk with Siffrin later, I’m more curious as to how bad their starvation is.”

✸ “Hm… Well, This is a rough estimate, but I’d say… About the same as an entire farm's livestock~”

Everyone else seems surprised at that.

✿ “An entire FARM!?! Frin!!! You didn’t say you were THAT hungry!!!”

◆ “Gems, no wonder you were going crazy!”

▲ “W-Where are you even going to get that much?!?”

✸ “Oh, I was thinking a certain ranch near Folie~”

Everyone stares blankly, remembering the chicken incident… A variety of mischievous grins creep onto the faces of your family.

◉ “...Siffrin?”

✦̵ “Yes?”

◉ “You better eat every last bite.”

You chuckle. Ow. Laughing hurts a bit still. But you nod in agreement. You have been cleared for vengeance.

You continue walking through the house. You notice cracks in the wall from where you planted parts of yourself in the surroundings. Nothing seems too damaged, but you still feel bad about it.

At least the sadnesses are gone. You’re glad you remembered that.

Every now and then one of your family members will turn and smile at you. And it makes you feel happy.

>>>

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

Okay! Favor tree nearby, and Loop can help Frin out! You kinda feel bad that you can’t help Frin, cause this is a food thing, but you can’t cook that much so oh well. And also you hate that one rancher a whole lot so crab it, Loop can get food this time. Payback!

✸ “If you all would be so kind as to wait out here? And preferably let the villagers know not to come over? This will be rather messy, and I’d rather not ruin anyone’s appetite!”

▲ "Uh. How messy?”

✦̵ “Uh, well um.”

✸ “Oh, Stardust will be in an utter feeding frenzy the moment they get a taste! And I’m bringing them over alive so... Large scale Blender?”

◉ “O-Oh!...Um?… Okay then, I guess?!”

Oh yeah. I mean, you had to butcher a chicken once and it was kinda messy, and this’ll be a lot of chickens, and a bunch of other stuff. You know Za gets sick seein stuff like that, and you guess some others would be too.

✿ “Okay! I’ma grab party favors!”

Frin and Loop go round to the favor tree, and you start grabbin food. You all kinda missed breakfast too, so you’re also pretty hungry! Could only get so many snacks for everyone in the rush.

You manage to find where the plates are, and grab one, before seeing a lot of that weird shade over in the woods. And a lot of animal noises. And then there’s a bunch of meat tearing noises, and monster sounds. Wow, it’s loud!

Some people grabbin food next to you seem surprised.

“By Change!!! What’s happening over there?!?”

✿ “Don’t worry, Frin’s just getting food after doing weird magic craft stuff.”

They just seem confused and more scared, but you don’t wanna explain, cause you don’t know it too good yourself, so you just keep grabbing food. After you got a plate, you go and sit by the entrance to the favor tree with the others.

Oh! A cow’s escaping! Crab that ain’t good! You gotta- Oh wait, nevermind, some flesh thingys just grabbed it and dragged it back in. Guess Frin’s got it!

…Za looks a little sick?

✿ “If you don’t eat your food, I’m giving it to Frin.”

▲ “T-That’s fair...”

Za starts eating real slow. But slow is still eating!

You eat too. Not as good as your cookin, but it's alright! And it tastes better with vengeance! King's dead! And you got to shoot him in the face! Feels great!

… Huh, now it’s quiet, guess that was all of it? You’d think that’d take longer, that farmer had a lot of animals.

✿ “Think Frin’s done. They really do eat fast!”

◆ “I… suppose? Gems, that was… a lot.”

◉ “W-Well then, let’s go join them!”

✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵✦̵

You finish swallowing the last of your prey, finally starting to regain your senses. Oh. Huh. That’s... a lot of blood. Everywhere….

Oh, you hope no one has to come by here soon.

▲ “All good Si- HOLY CRAB?!!”

✦̵ “Uh. Hi. All done?”

They just sort of stare at the mess you made. There’s claw marks and broken branches all over, blood practically coating every surface. Stars, how'd blood get up that high? You uh. Don’t remember doing any of that. WOW you were hungry.

◆ “I… Am honestly impressed. Points for efficiency, but... Gems.”

▲ “Yeah uh. Wow.”

✸ “They're normally a lot cleaner then this, but there was a lot to keep track of, and they were a little too hungry to think!”

◉ “W-Well then, how are you feeling?”

✦̵ “Um. Good? Little dizzy? But not… Hunger Dizzy? Or. Even tired?”

✿ “Oh yeah, you did eat a bunch real fast.”

✦̵ “Does that… do that?”

◆ “...Yes, especially on an empty stomach. Though not normally on this kind of scale. You should be fine after a bit.”

You just take a seat for a bit. At least you don’t feel very hungry right now. You were trying not to think about it up till now, but now that you have food, you think you’re okay? Can't tell honestly.

✸ “All good now?… Then I’d best hold up my promise back there. I have a tale to tell… and then after, a favor to ask.”

Right. Loop said they’d tell their tale after food, right?

But… You wonder what this favor is?...

The others take seats nearby, as do you. Loop looks you all over. Their expression more grim then usual.

✸ “...I will warn you all. This is not a pleasant story. There is blood. There is death. There is murder. If any of you are not willing to hear it, then you’d best walk away now.”

◆ “Ah, is this not suitable for children?”

✸ “If you're thinking about excluding the Kid for their innocence, DON’T. You all have a right to this tale, more then you know. I give this warning only for those unwilling to hear it.”

✿ “I’m not scared! It seems kinda important! And we already heard about the Frin stuff, so I don’t mind!”

Loop looks you all over. Nobody gets up. That they are still sticking with this...

✸ “...Very well. Then, let us start with a very different way things could have gone today.”

✸ “One day, before fighting the king, a simple traveler made a wish. A wish that went wrong. Like Stardust, they found they could turn back time. Like stardust, they thought they could help their party. Like stardust, they were struck by the fact that it slowly starved them…... But unlike stardust, they didn’t have a way to get food.”

Right… without Loop, that would have been an issue... Hm...

✸ “So they starved. Even as they kept going, they starved. They threw themselves at the king, too weak for an up front battle. They kept going, with no other options. They lost count after two hundred times. They kept going even after that for maybe a hundred more.”

… that is… oddly specific… This isn’t some hypothetical, is it?

✸ “.....At some point, they couldn’t think. And something snapped. They needed food, or they would die. And there was exactly one option. One prey that they could kill easily. One prey that would never have seen them coming. One prey… That trusted the traveler with their very lives.”

The others shift uncomfortably..... You don’t like where this is going…

✸ “… That traveler, in one maddened moment, lost their family. As the blood stained their hands, as their hunger felt the first reprieve in ages, Their love twisted into something rotten and monstrous. So they did it again. And again. And again.”

✦̵ “Loop-”

✸ “T-They kept going, hundreds, thousands of times, unable to stop themselves from killing their loved ones in as many different and horrendous ways as their mind could think of…"

✸ “And When they FINALLY beat the King... they cried.... For only then did they realize what they had become.”

You feel sick. You know this didn’t happen to you but… but you can still see it so vividly. You had many a nightmare about this very idea… And Loop is talking like it happened…

✸ “… In that moment, they realized it didn’t matter. No matter what, they would never come back from this. So they dug up the most twisted ritual they could find in their mind, and called upon something bigger then wishcraft. Something paid for in the very lives of their family, still slowly perishing in their stomach.”

… Wait… No...

✸ “...And the monster asked the being they summoned for reprieve. They gave up the memories, that twisted part of their soul, and BEGGED that what was left would be spared that fate…"

✸ “And in exchange, the being would forge their avatar from the sacrifices…. From what was left of the monster.”

No no no nononono you don’t like this you don’t like this at all….

◆ “Wait are you-”

✸ “The Siffrin that took that dark path is gone. Yours took it’s place. The only traces of it left are my own existence… and the fact Stardust’s body, the same one as the other, felt slightly fuller their ‘first’ loop.”

You gag. Oh stars no nononononono

The others just sit in stunned silence, horrified looks across their faces. Not knowing what to do. You can barely breathe.

✸ “… I said I’d ask a favor, after this, right? You see, when I fade away, one of two things will happen to these memories, To the mortal part of my soul…"

They... They mentioned this....

✸ "Either the Arcana I called upon, The Fool, will take them for themselves… Or I’ll go back to stardust. If that happened. It would break them….”

◉ “I-what are you planning?”

✸ “… I can’t afford that coinflip. So I’m picking option three.”

✸ “I need you all to kill me.”

▲ “What?!? No!”

◉ “We’re not killing ANY version of Siffrin!”

◆ “Surely there’s a better option?!?”

✿ “Nobody is getting hurt!”

✦̵ “…”

You don’t know what to say. You don’t want to kill them. Even as you are horrified by all this, you don’t EVER want to do that. Not to Loop. Not after everything!

✸ “… That’s a shame…”

You feel the air grow thick, and the woods darken. The sky starts to alight a brilliant crimson, and you see eyes surround you all, peeking from the shadows.

✸ “I’m not giving you all a choice~”

[aquarii-if]

What will the RO do with the MC who is too innocent and naive? They may not notice flirtation, confusing it with friendliness. This goes both ways, when communicating with strangers and when talking to RO.

Thank you for your ask.♥️

Liviana- She would be lost. She’d probably be thinking, "How much more obvious can I make it? Are they stupid?” But I doubt she would be willing to confess her feelings first, especially if MC hasn’t shown any sign of attraction to her. She’s too proud to face rejection, haha. It would probably get to a point where one of the other ROs asked MC how they felt about her so that they wouldn’t have to watch her ripping her hair out anymore.😅

Amare- You underestimate this man’s shamelessness. If he notices MC isn’t picking up on his flirtations, he will stop using innuendos or subtle winks, and he’ll just tell the MC what he means. Flat-out, no shame. He really doesn’t have a filter. And of course, this would be something he teases MC about once they get into a relationship with him. 

Estelle- While she may not be as shameless as Amare, Estelle is already pretty direct as it is. So she’d honestly be a little shocked if MC couldn’t tell she liked them or if she was flirting with them. But I think she’d react similarly to Ellery, she’d just be a bit more vocal about it or flat-out tell them. Though, in a less flustered way.

Ellery- As someone who is also terrible at noticing when people are flirting with him, he stands in solidarity.🫡 That might not bode well if MC wants to romance him, though. But I’m sure he would try to be more upfront about his feelings if he notices MC isn’t catching onto his subtle gestures. He would probably be a blushing mess the entire time, but he’d try.

???- They’d love the MC’s obliviousness, they’d find it adorable. I think they would really test the boundaries of how far they could go before MC catches onto what they’re trying to say, growing more intrigued by the minute. They’d probably get a little touchy too, just to see how far they can take this. I think they’d also be curious about how MC is rationalizing this in their head, and what they must have experienced on Earth to confuse anything ??? does with friendliness. 

??? would be entertained, to say the least. Of course, they’ll never confess that they’re actually flirting, but they’ll enjoy MC’s reaction when they realize.

[sizzleissues]

Thoughts on conformation and recreation

Going to put heavy spoilers and theory stuff under a cut but just starting off saying I liked it. I do feel negative about certain aspects but I’m 90% certain that was intended. We’re supposed to be going ‘wait a minute’ about this ending.

The action was amazing and the animation gorgeous in parts. I really like BugNoire’s design.

Overall it didn’t disappoint me which I feel is the only thing and ending shouldn’t do. You can happy, mad, sad etc. about an ending but those emotions are most of the time intentional. But if it comes with disappointment then something has gone wrong. (Excluding minor stuff)

Anyway time to get specific

I love the mystery we still have with all that happened. I think it’s concluded what needed to end and left us with questions to answer in the following two seasons.

Are we supposed to think this was a ‘good/happy’ ending?

What’s up with Gimmi?

Will Marinette tell Adrien/ will Adrien find out and how will it impact both of them?

Is it Emilie or Amelie?

Who the heck visited Lila at the end?

What’s going to happen next?

Those are the questions I see people asking and trying to answer. None of those questions feel unanswerable and it’s plenty of fodder for speculation and fics in the coming year as we wait for season 6. I do want to know whether the special is pre or post season 5 because that will definitely affect things. I can’t see the reveal happening in a special but it’s certainly something to think about.

I think what made the finale special is the many layers it has, things that at first viewing you might miss. For example I saw someone in the last hour point out Marinette quite literally had a nightmare about what would happen if she reacted harshly (aka killed that motherfucker gabe) towards Monarch. Even though Marinette is shown to be an empathetic character and would probably try to talk it out anyway if she saw victory through it, that nightmare definitely pushed her to be more trusting.

In a way it worked. I believe that Gabriel’s wish was to trade his life for Nathalie’s and be able to join Emile. Marinette’s passion sort of proved to him that there were people who cared about Adrien still around even though he’d run out of time by the time he’d realised that neither Emile or Adrien wanted this.

He’s still a villain, he died a villain but that minor change of heart (as he said to Gimmi for his desire to simply read his heart) ensured Adrien would have Nathalie as a parental figure, maybe even bringing Amelie over to take more active care in her nephew and the freedom to be with Marinette, a girl who proved in Gabriel’s last moments that she would love Adrien no matter what. He’s still a villain in that his narcism demanded Marinette not to reveal the truth, remade the world to praise him for his sacrifice and probably a whole bunch of other issues that will unravel in season 6.

(In terms of him and Emile ascending, I don’t believe Gabriel got to go to ‘heaven’ or dragged Emile down to ‘hell’. He just got to be with her and got to have a peaceful death where they can be buried side by side. He isn’t getting an eternal reward for this.)

((If turns out to be Emile alive we’ll just have to see))

Whatever happened, there is obviously something wrong with this new world. It goes against all the motifs set up in previous episodes. I agree with the consensus that we are not supposed to feel entirely good about this ending. Uneasy for the future, nervous for Adrienette, curious about how it’ll unfold.

My feelings about the finale will probably change with season 6 coming out.

(Istg if when Lila-moth is taken down it’s not both Adrien and Marinette I will scream. Let them defeat her together. I get why they couldn’t be together for Gabriel, Adrien would still freak (especially with the nightmares) and he’s still under Gabriel’s control. I’d hoped they’d make it work but I think all the previous reveals/endings proved they couldn’t both take him down. Adrien would be made too fragile and Gabriel is difficult to reason with. I think the only thing that made him a little bit more able to listen to reason was because he was dying so the wish would have had to fix that too etc.)