#but not the journey inbetween

[almondes]

ENDWALKER

Me and the bois are finally here!! :D

[hcdragonwrites]

Letters (a @journey-to-the-au Drabble)

I made another thing (yeah I couldn’t help myself but this one is shorter I think. I hope you like it!) I just. Brain fire.

Inspired by <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/journey-to-the-au/722003448742248448/may-we-hear-about-the-yaogui-attack-0-apologies" >This Post </a>

(Also I suck at linking things I’m so sorry.)

Liu crossed out the line on the parchment before him, splashing ink onto the stone beneath his feet in an frustrated spray.

“No that doesn’t sound right either!” He gritted his teeth, growing frustrated. General Liu, one of the Four great Generals of Flower- Fruit mountain and friend to its King Sun Wukong, had a dilemma.

He set the brush down, still getting used to holding it in his hands. Wukong makes this look so easy! But things of the unmonkey nature came easily to Wukong- how could they not ? He had mastered the mysterious arts that had given him such power, had defeated the demon who had first claimed Water- Curtain Cave in his absence (and more beside.) Wukong had walked among the men of the world and had claimed treasure from dragons.

Wukong would be able to hold a brush with ease and write words with a steady hand. The general tugged at his fur and looked about himself. Rolls of parchment lay about him like discarded rinds of watermelons. All the failed attempts to transcribe what his heart was trying to speak. He tugged more, hairs coming free.

When Wukong spoke of his experience in the world abroad their mountain, he had mentioned how the important people within that strange world of mortals and immortals would communicate through scrolls and parchment.

“It was too quiet at times for my liking!” He reminisced once, splashing some wine as he gesticulated upon his throne. “What silence! What needed to be written that couldn’t be communicated with a clear voice?” He would then call for one of the troop of his subjects to retell a story, for Wukong loved the telling of a yarn through voice and act.

Liu had understood why one would want words written down however. The things he wanted to say- to tell- either fled him like mist before the sun or stuck in his throat like a peach stone. The Marshal scratched behind his ear, brushing the notched edge and remembering. Remembering her.

Rin Rin.

Liu had never been one for such deep hesitation as he was now. In all the Aolai country, among and betwixt the unicorns and the phoenixes who preened and called themselves the most beautiful, where the leopards and the tigers roamed and boasted their own majesty, Liu had faced all that threatened his home with bravery. He loved this mountain, from every blade of grass to every luminous stone deep in Water-Curtain Cave. He thought none of the beasts or birds or celestial bodies in Heaven was more beautiful than his home.

Except Her.

He wanted to tell her. Tell Rin Rin how she rivaled all the clouds in heaven for her softness. How no flower could compare to her eyes and how they shined like the sea when the sun hit it. Her smile could make the trees cry and her anger could chase the stripes off a tiger.

Liu was afraid. Not afraid of her. Afraid to miss this opportunity! His tail lashed and sent a bit of paper skittering over the stone floor, knocking into several stone bowls of almonds.

The mountain was a paradise. The waterfall that crashed beyond, the pine forests that dotted the slopes where their needles spiced the air. He had faced tigers and demons, fought and thrown himself into situation after situation of danger without a second thought for himself.

Now he was hesitant. He acted as he had on that day Wukong had found Water- Curtain cave: hesitant. Marshal Liu had not been hesitant since that time- so why had he returned to this state ?

Liu looked down at the paper and groaned.

“I just want to tell her how beautiful she is…”

Steps approached from outside Liu’s room.

“So this is where you’ve been!” Wukong called, stepping into the room with a frown on his face. “I have been waiting for you in the Throne room for hours! Sentries have spotted what look to be the makings of a camp. We have a troop of creatures lurking in the shadow of our mountain and I need my Generals— what is all this stuff ?”

Liu didn’t bother to cover up his failings- he just lay his head on the stone table and glared at the brush.

“You only called for a meeting a few minutes ago, my king.” He replied from the table.

“Minutes- hours. It has been too long! What have you been up to in here?”Wukong picked up a paper scroll, the feathered crown on his head bobbing.

“You are as pretty as a … hmm. You never finished this one Liu!”

Liu moved his face to flatten into the stone table, feeling his cheeks burn and his ears itch. Of course my king would start reading them.

Shuffling paper noises sounded again as Wukong picked another scroll up.

“My heart becomes a candle when you are near—“ he frowned. “You crossed out the rest in a mess of black.”

Liu wished he could dissolve into the stone.

“You smell as sweet as a magnolia flower- your eyes are the shape of stars —“

“Please My King.” He begged. “Spare me.”

“You wrote them Liu! I am only reading.”

“And I ask for mercy, please.”

“Seems you’ve had trouble finishing whatever you were trying to say.” Mused the Sage.

“None of the words formed well enough on the paper.” Marshal Liu sighed. There came a shuffle and a brush beside him. He lifted his head to see Wukong had crossed his legs beside him, a shoulder companionably against Lius. The Monkey King twirled the brush between his fingers, unrolling a new scroll of parchment.

“If I help you Write your love poem to Rin, Will you stop mooning so sadly ?” Wukong cocked a brow at his general, side eyeing him in a way only a friend could.

Marshal Liu felt his pride pricked, just a bit. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Liu- you have been my friend for countless years. Longer than most monkeys usually live.” Wukong dipped the brush into the inkwell, checking the ink stone and grimacing at its diminished size. “I know you from the tips of your ears to the ends of your fur. We have fought and bled side by side. You may be a master at strategy and planning but. My friend.”

Wukong turned his whole face to stare at Liu. “You suck at hiding how in love you are with Rin Rin.”

The Marshal sat up, opened his mouth to defend, to deflect —

Wukong, Great Sage Equal to Heaven, waited. His face set in a neutral and very are you really going to argue with me? expression.

Liu closed his mouth, tugged at his fur and set his chin on the stone table. “She makes me feel so—-“

“Mhm.”

“She’s so—!”

“Mhm…”

“I just can’t get the words out!” The Marshal admitted finally. “Each time I start to tell her, I freeze. I’ve tried so many times!”

When Rin and He had shared a sweet patch of strawberries he had tried to say how he loved her.

When Rin had been tending to a scratch on his face, chiding and reprimanding him for his recklessness again. Her anger had made him want to hold her and reassure her that he was fine.

When they had decided to stay out late, tails curled together as they counted the stars. Liu had wanted to compare her to each one.

And each of these times his words had either fled him or had refused to come out.

“And you thought to write them out because they keep getting stuck.”

Liu nodded.

“Give me the words and I’ll write them down.” Wukong set the tip, ready. “If I write this for you, then will come and put your mind back to keeping our mountain safe?”

Guilt itched beneath his fur. “My King i'm sorry—“

A affectionate rub of Wukongs head against his own shut the general up as the king tugged at his ear in play.

“Liu. I may not understand the power of what you are feeling,” Wukong cut off, tail thumping against the Marshals “but that doesn’t mean your feelings aren’t important. And … seeing you so distressed makes me distressed. I can help my friend in this simple task at least.”

Liu felt a warmth well from him. For all his Kings boasting and prideful proclamations, Wukong cared for each of his subjects - even in the face of his incomprehension. He would do what he could to ease his friends, his subjects, his families struggles. Wukong began to write as Liu began to speak, his face warm and his hands slowly beginning uncurl from his fur.

After just an hour with Wukongs transcribing and Liu describing, the confession was complete. Liu clutched the scroll and strapped it to his side.

He had been able to attend the Council with a lighter heart and a smile on his face. The discussion and the plans to increase patrols along the pine forest to the west of Flower Fruit Mountain had been unanimously agreed upon as the troubling information came to light.

The scouts' reports had indicated that there had been activity - a half made campfire kicked over and cold with bones from what looked like a small deer- not a few leaps and bounds from the slopes. Liu had frowned at the description of the tracks- five footed, fur and the scent of musk in the air. Another band of Monkeys … but they seem to be scouting us as well.

When Liu had this brought to attention, an immediate patrol had been sent out to gain more information on how many may be circling their home. The unspoken kept being danced around but all in that council chamber had a suspicion. Demon Monkeys….

Until they knew further who and what they were facing, Wukong wouldn’t risk a war troop to prowl the nearby hills and leave the rest of his family and people exposed.

Liu had a bit of time beneath the growing moon of night to find Rin Rin now. Before his nerves left him. Wukongs handwriting had made the words look better, flow better, feel better to the Marshals eyes. His King had sat through his flowery language, and had written it all diligently if with a little bit of snorting at times. (“Don’t compare her to pine nuts!” “But she smells of the pines and the wood and everything I love!” “…. But pine nuts ?”)

If his words failed him, Liu had them written down. If they stuck in his throat, he could pull them apart with the help of his letter. His heart was thumping, his fur was sticking out a bit as electric nerves rolled on his skin. Liu was in full armor having come from council, and it jangled softly in the night air. But it was a comforting jangle- a separate staccato rhythm against his body.

As the moon rose outside of Water-Curtain Cave casting the spray in silver light, Liu gazed out. Some other monkeys mingled in the cooling air enjoying the clear night. Tending to loved ones by either grooming fur, sharing ripening fruits from the many orchards across the vast mountain, or cuddling down in the soft grasses to gaze upward. Liu greeted each in turn, butting heads or brushing hands. Pride welled in him, making Liu stand taller. This was his home- his family. The peace they lived in was hard won and protected by their King and his Marshals- and that peace was precious.

A small bundle of babes shot past, one carrying a lychee fruit as a prize to be kept from the others. A pair of older simians gazed into the waters of the pool, leaning into each other. Liu would fight a thousand demons, all the celestial beings in the world, to keep this peace. He would tame dragons and pull the moon down from its boughs in Heaven to preserve this peace.

Liu turned, green eyes seeking. There, just beneath the pomegranate tree overlooking a mossy spray of water, he spotted the cloud gray of Rin Rin. Even in the shadow of the tree he could see her moon flower perched behind her ear, the fur perfectly groomed in wonderous swirls. He wished he had a bouquet of moonflowers to bring her or a cup of tea to present to her. He wanted to come bearing gifts and to tend and tidy her hair and weave flowers throughout it.

He came bearing his heart instead.

Said heart thumped against his chest. Steady Liu.

Liu took a moment to groom his finger through his fur, his tail, and to dust at his armor. He grabbed at a small patch of pine needles, snapping them between fingers and briefly rubbing the tips over his fur. He wanted to look his best to smell his best to be his best.

Then, gathering himself and tapping the scroll's top at his hip, Liu straightened and stepped forward.

He would tell her how much she meant to him. He would show her how much she was worth to him- between the words he had been able to wrangle and place onto a page.

Liu would never get the chance to unwind that scroll however. The night air that had been full of gentle chatter and warm conversation was broken by screams as the mountain's peace was shattered into a thousand screams of fury and fear rang off the mountain.

[lightningbig]

death family space exploration not-fic rambling under the cut. bc this au wouldn't leave me alone and i need to talk about it Immediately or else i'll explode

(loosely inspired by games like no man's sky & mass effect: andromeda & jedi: fallen order. my love letter to planet exploration games and the stories they tell <3)

philza is an explorer in a beat up ship who is existing on spite and stubbornness. he's fine he's doing fine and he just wants to explore in peace. he doesn't need much - just his ship and his wits and a star map. fit owed him a favor and gave him some upgrades, a better drive so he can jump faster, and that's all he needs. really.

he finds missa by accident. literally finds. and unearths, sort of? missa tells him it had been a sort of voluntary underground coma. phil despairs that he accidentally grave robbed him. either way - phil had landed planet side on an icy, ringed void and he had stumbled upon some old ruins. crumbling archways and faded slabs, the classic things. except while exploring the grounds he touched one of the rock faces and it opened like a door and missa had fallen out, confused and bleary eyed and half asleep still. with nowhere to go, missa joins phil on his ship, and on his journey.

chayanne finds them at a refuel station, a few jumps down the line. phil clocks himself getting robbed, curses and whips around to scuff whoever did it, and instead ends up chasing a gods damned kid around the port. chayanne finds missa first, before phil can catch him, and then phil has to stare down the satisfied conviction of a kid who knows he's won and missa’s unruly puppy dog eyes. so of course chayanne joins them.

missa has improved the ship much already, in his own ways. he cleaned up the on board terrarium that Phil had left empty to gather dust, and he's got seedlings growing steady in some of the plots already. hes gotten more use out of the little kitchenette in his short time on board than phil has in his whole time flying. and chayanne takes an immediate interest in helping, and in finding new ingredients wherever they land. it's a good routine they fall into - philza scouts ahead while missa circuits about, slow, building up a camp around wherever they've landed. exploring the flora and fauna at his own rate while phil drives towards anomalies, ruins, mob hot spots. and chayanne bounces between the two of them, an ever rebounding force of energy and curiosity always.

chayanne is the one who finds lullah, in the collapse of some long run down storage facility on a planet at the edges of the core. phil looks between the two of them, when chayanne leads her back, and then squints at his old, small ship. he spares a thought, quick and fleeting, that maybe fit had been right when he suggested phil trade in for something bigger. roomier. but it had always been just him and he's never thought he'd need anything more. but. but.

lullah is quiet for only a short amount of time and then she is loud, there, always, at his heels, in missa's shadow, learning and doing and seeing. she takes to everything so fast, even when she's not the best at it at first try. it makes his heart clench to think about how little she had for so long but they've found her now, and she'll never go without again, not as long as he has anything to say about it. her and chayanne are a terror together, joined at the hip, and phil can feel his hair graying with the stress they give him but he couldn’t imagine his life being anything else but this.

the stars and his beat up ship and his family.  

[huffle-dork]

Glitch into the Hufflverse Chapter 18: The In-Between

Read Swapboys | Read Crystal’s AUs

Read SITCV | Read SATCV | GITHV Masterpost

It’s a short fall- but confusing and filled with glitching that leaves the 5 of them breathless and dizzy as they collapse on the solid black mass that is the ground. But- it’s hard to actually tell that it’s the floor- everything around them is just… black. A void. With small balls of green light, popping around like fireflies. Alt collapses and then doesn’t move, his body jittering but also limp as the leftover magic crackles around him.

JJ gapes at the unusual surroundings for just a moment. Then Alt collapses and he instantly turns his attention to him, checking him over. Maybe--maybe if this is dark magic he can purify it again? But he's running out of magic.

"W-woah..." Jackie looks around. "Uh... Schneep? I think we're in that... that space you talked about..."

"Hah?" Schneep blinks.

"The dark place with balls of green light. We're there." Jackie frowns. "I, uh... don't think... we're supposed to be here."

Bro pushes himself up, wincing as he takes in all the cuts and wounds he got from trying to get to Glitch. He gasps as he sees the space and looks around in confusion. “This… is that in between space… the one with Sam! M-Maybe we can find them…!”

The hero then gasps again as he sees Alt and quickly scrambles over to kneel by him. “A-Alt?!”

Alt is pale and shaking a bit, his veins pulsing a bit with green and blue. He blearily opens his eyes and then smiles weakly at the others. “‘M okay… just- d-drained… t-that took a lot of p-power…”

It certainly looked like it did, JJ agrees, nodding. Perhaps we could rest a little? After all... I don't... see anything... He looks around.

"Y-yeah... it's just... blackness forever," Jackie mutters. "And that green light."

"I do not sense anything," Schneep says. "It is just us within my range... but then again, perhaps this Sam could appear suddenly?"

Idly, JJ reaches out to one of the smaller green orbs. As his fingertips brush against it, he feels a slight jolt of energy.

“Rest… y-yeah rest sounds good… don’t think this place is… d-dangerous…” Alt mumbles sleepily, his eyes threatening to shut again.

Bro’s stomach churns anxiously though, looking around them with a nervous gaze. It… certainly seems harmless. Did Anti ever try to warn them about this place? He can’t remember…

"Well... if you guys don't think it's dangerous, then... it's probably okay to rest for a while," Jackie says. "I just... don't like feeling exposed. It's like I might get jumped at any moment."

Think of it like this, JJ says. You'll probably see anything coming.

Jackie nods slowly.

"If this is the same place I ended up, then I only spent a few minutes here, certainly not enough to judge its safety," Schneep says. "But... I'm sure Jamie is right, we will see things coming."

As they say this- it seems like those glowing green lights have started to appear more and more- filling the void with its light. It’s almost calming-

Then, some of the lights begin to rotate- and reveal that they’re eyes. Hundreds of various sized eyes- honing in on the group.

Bro shudders and starts to back away towards the others, holding the delirious Alt close. “Ummmm t-that didn’t happen last time…???!”

Jackie stumbles back. "Whaaaat the fuuuuuck???"

JJ gasps. Eyes?!

"Eyes?!" Schneep repeats. "Please tell me that the translation spell is wearing off and Jameson did not just say 'eyes.'"

"Uhhh... nope, sorry." Jackie clutches his staff defensively.

"Well--then let's get out of here! Away from them!" Schneep tries to hide his panic. He can't sense anything! What's happening?!

‘Run’ whispers start to say, echoing in the air around them as the eyes float towards them. ‘Run. ɾմղ. яυи. ᖇᘎﬡ. ℝ.un ’ Different pitches and voices echo towards the boys before one even clearer whispers louder into each of their ears, almost directly in their minds. JJ shivers, going pale as the voices increase and the eyes just—stare at them. 

“R̶̓̄U̶̍̎Ñ̷͋” 

The closest eyeballs to them seem to spilt in half with a squelchy rip, goop falling off as it reveals rows of razor sharp teeth that immediately try to attack all the boys.

"Holy shit!" Jackie jumps out of the way. JJ shrieks and conjures up a shield that the eyeball bounces off. Schneep manages to dodge, going by the squelchy sounds it makes. "Yeah, fucking run! Chase, bring Alt!"

The three of them immediately break out into a run in a random direction.

Bro startles back with a yell and Alt wakes up enough to see the eyeball try to take a bite out of him. He screams and glitches both him and Chase away from them.

The eyes all turn in random directions- finding a target and swarming after them, some weird eyes just staring, some these teeth monstrosities.

Bro quickly slings Alt better into his arms and then runs. “T-Try to keep each other in sight!” Bro calls out.

"Yeah, stick together!" Jackie shouts. JJ puts on a bit of speed and grabs onto the back of Jackie's hoodie, eyes darting wildly around at these—these fucking—what are they?!

"Get! Away! From! Me!" Schneep shouts, grabbing his cane for the range and swiping at the eyes. Jackie, seeing this, does the same with his staff. Alt tries to blast some back but his magic fizzles. 

The eyes swarm past though, and Schneep cries out in surprise and pain as teeth sink into his shoulder. Jackie trips for a moment as these monsters bite his legs. JJ tries conjuring a shield but he doesn't cover all angles and a couple of the things manage to sneak through. He spins back around, sending out a spray of magic. But one goes past and bites Alt’s shoulder. Bro tries to punch at them but they just bite straight onto his hand. 

And soon enough, the sharp-toothed eyeballs close in. Once they’ve drawn blood… it’s like everything else has disappeared. The swarm- the lights, the others.

They’re all gone. Each one of them finds themselves completely alone. Schneep can’t sense anyone near- just… nothingness.

Alt falls to his knees without Bro’s support and shakily tries to push himself up. “C-Chase?! Guys?? W-Where are you?!”

"H-huh?" Jackie stops running. "Guys? Wh-where the fuck did you go?" He looks around, but--nothing. "Guys?! What happened?!"

JJ gasps and skids to a halt out of sheer confusion. It's all dark now. Did those creatures teleport him somewhere? He conjures up a bit of blue light, sending it into the distance. Maybe it'll light up the area? Or... maybe it could be a signal to the others?

Bro looks around wildly once he sees he’s alone, looping around back and forth. He cups his hands over his mouth and tries to yell, “Guys?! Hello?? C-Can you hear me?!”

"H-huh?" Schneep pauses, slowing down. "Hello? Where are the rest of you?" When there's no answer, he stops entirely. "Hello?! Did you all leave me?! That—that is fucking rude!" He turns his head wildly, trying to catch any sounds.

There’s no answer.

Alt shrinks in on himself, curling up as small as he can. “G-Guys…?”

Then the space around him flares completely into static. He yells as he covers his ears, squeezing his eyes shut. When he tries to open them- he gasps as one by one… the evil versions of him glitch and flicker onto the static around him, facing him like he’s looking in a mirror. He staggers back- but finds he’s in the center of a circle- all eyes staring at him. Always there… always watching. 

“No- nnonono-“ Alt whimpers as he slowly curls up into a ball and holds arms over his head, “G-Go away! I- I don’t want to think about all you anymore! L-Leave me alone! Just let us go home p-please!” 

=========

Jackie hears something shuffle around him, and when he turns around… he’s met with a version of himself. And not the multiverse versions of himself. This was him before…. Before Marvin.

The other Jackie looks up at Jackie with an empty gaze. He opens his mouth and doesn’t move it but his voice echoes out around him.

“…do you think we deserved it?”

"H-huh?" Jackie backs away, eyes wide. This... this can't be real. This can't be real. There's no reason why some—some other version of himself would be here. That's impossible. "I... G-get away!" He holds his staff defensively. "I-I don't know—wh-who or what you are, but—but y-you can't get to me!" And yet... that simple question pierces deep to his core.

Jackie’s other self doesn’t move, doesn’t even flinch as Jackie holds his staff out. He just barely tilts his head before droning out, “Do you think we deserved it? That year… the burning, the torture. Do you think it redeemed us?” 

Jackie's hands shake, causing his staff to tremble as he points it at his other self. "I..." he breathes. "Th-that's not... I-it wasn't... It's more... c-complicated than that. No one... deserved this." It feels like his scars are aching again. "No one deserves that." That's true, right? That's... what he thinks. Right?

Jackie’s copy doesn’t emote at all- just staring at him with that blank stare. Then, he lashes out and seems to sink something into Jackie’s stomach- a knife. Now his copy is covered in blood as it stoically stands and towers over him, blood dripping from his hair and hands and off his vigilante clothes. “Do you think our pain absolved us of our sins? Did it wipe the blood clean? How many oceans worth of blood have you spilled, Jackie Parker?” 

Jackie cries out, staggering backwards and falling to his knees. "I-I—I'm not the worst! And I—I'm t-trying to be better! I—I—" He closes his eyes for a moment, but then his eyelids shoot open again, unwilling to risk being snuck up on. "I—I know I've—d-done bad things, but..."

That was an understatement. He may not have personally killed as many people as others, but he's done so much damage indirectly. The people he handed over to Marvin, Jameson—and Schneep, especially Schneep. God, how could he put that blood on Schneep's hands? How could he have done that when he knew full well the problems Schneep suffered from? He should have helped him through that instead of enabling him.

"I..." Jackie shakes his head. "I-I'm trying... It's..." It's not enough, is it, though? "I'm... trying. I-I'm... trying."

“You’re not the worst but we were compliant.” Jackie’s clone says, his voice starting to echo around them like there’s a jury judging him for what he’s done. “Your actions took innocent lives. How can you think yourself a hero? Trying doesn’t undo the blood you have shed. The blood that was your doing.” 

Below Jackie- it’s like a water level is rising- but it’s not water. It’s thick and smells awful- blood. 

=========

The blue light at first doesn’t reveal anything to Jameson, but then… it reveals the shapes and sights of a moving crowd- a rush of sound assaulting his ears. They’re jeering at him, laughing, poking, prodding.

He hears the familiar sounds of his feet clicking on a stage- feels the sweltering heat of the stage lights on him. But all he can see in the mass of darkness that is the crowd, bathed in eerie blue.

“Dance for us!”

“Yes put on a show!”

“Don’t just stand there! Show us some magic!”

“Dance puppet boy dance!”

JJ gasps, stumbling back. A stage? How did he get on a stage?! And these voices—He didn't ask for this audience. He didn't ask for this audience! What do they want?! His head darts wildly around, looking for some way out. There—there has to be a backstage, right?! 

Strings whip out from every direction and catch onto every one of JJ’s limbs and turns him back towards the crowd. 

“Nice try, Jameson. But the show’s not over yet. In fact! It’s only just begun~!” 

JJ yelps, struggling against the strings. Where did these come from?! He tries to sign to let him go, but they prevent him from moving his arms in that way. God, no, don't panic. Don't panic! He's not going to dance for these strangers. He's not going to perform on cue! Don't panic! Don't panic! But his breathing starts to speed up, edging into hyperventilating. Tears threaten to spill over from the back of his eyes. 

Distorter’s laugh echoes around JJ like a reverb. “About to cry already? Aw poor Jackson~! Want to cry to your good friend, Marvin? Because believe me-” Distorter sounds like he’s right next to him now, right in his ear, “He’s next” 

Fear shoots through JJ's heart. His eyes dart around looking for Distorter, and he flinches as he gets closer. No! Shut up about Marvin! Stop talking about—about how—his friends need him. It's not his fault he got sucked into a rift! But still—what if it's true? What if Distorter really struck while he's been wandering other worlds?

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. He can't let this get to him. If he lets it get to him... then... then...

But it's hard to take deep breaths.

Distorter laughs, “Won’t it be great Jackson? Two puppets together- playing- having fun with me~! You won’t have a care in the world! And isn’t that gonna be such a relief for you- after everything that IRIS did to you.” As he says this Distorter’s grinning face is in front of his, his dead hand gripping JJ’s chin. “Really the least you can do is suffer with Marvin~ after you left him all alone… waiting for his best friend to return. Seems like you’re on the path to replacing him, huh?” he giggles. The crowd boos and jeers behind him. The strings feel taut and tight and cut into JJ’s skin. 

=========

Bro pants out in panic and is about to burst into the air to try to look for everyone when he’s grabbed and dragged to the floor. Leather straps lash out and tie him down and Bro panics, trying to pull himself free. “W-What?! H-Hey! Let me go!”

Bro struggles more and then a couple familiar faces all crouch down over him: Overdose, Dr. Cornelius and… Demerci- his mother. He squeaks a bit in fear and tries to scramble away but he’s stuck, “N-No- what the hell?!”

“Now Chase, dear,” Demerci tuts, “You should know by now that struggling doesn’t help.”

“Does our little lab rat need more lessons?” Overdose giggles.

“Hold still now, Chase… this won’t hurt a bit.” Dr. Cornelius grins.

Bro screams as Overdose puts a gag in his mouth and he tries to fight as much as he can but whatever has him down is strong. Did they find out his weakness? He doesn’t want to be that- that mindless thing they turned him into! Dr. Cornelius is lowering down, turning his head to inject something into his spinal column- Bro is panicking, fearful tears falling down his face.

=========

Schneep can’t sense anything around. Then, there’s bone chilling laughter. It sounds familiar… it’s.. it’s his Anti. The one they got rid of when they saved Marvin and Jackie. 

His voice giggles so close to Schneep’s ear, “Well… isn’t this a sight? Oh oops- that’s rude of me. You can’t even see it.” He laughs cruelly and then Schneep feels sharp nails digging into his shoulders, the sound of their glitches sharp and distinct. “You’ve finally been abandoned by all your friends, huh, Henrik? Took too long if you ask me… so much time wasted, carrying your dead weight.”

Schneep yelps. He spins around, trying to yank himself free. "N-nei—no! Y-you are not real! We—we got rid of you!" He leaps away. He's not sure how far he leapt, but it feels like it's not far enough. He can still hear that static.

The voice of Anti doesn’t even skip a beat- now sounding like he’s in front of Schneep. “Did you, Henrik? Did you really? Because… I’m still here. In fact- can you ever be sure I really left at all~?” he giggles. 

"No!" Schneep slashes his scissors wildly. "You are gone! I did it myself! Then we—we threw the strings away! J-Jackie and Marvin are back!" But—what if this is true? What if he was making up everything? Their whole triumphant defeat—just a delusion?

He shakes his head. "Y-you are gone!" he shouts, voice cracking. "We are safe! Wh-whatever you are, you cannot trick me!"

Anti cackles and grips onto Schneep’s shoulders again, “This isn’t a trick, Schneep! I never left you~! How could I? When I’m the one that took your EYES!”

There’s a sound like the eyeballs ripping apart and Schneep is then pushed to the ground, a snarling maw full of dripping razor sharp teeth are lashing out to try to bite his face, fingers trying to dig around his eyes. 

Schneep screams. He squeezes his eyes shut, heart pounding, adrenaline spiking. No! He won't lie down and let this happen! Where did Anti go?! If he can take him out again—but he can't sense him anymore! He can't—

He... couldn't sense him at all during this encounter. Despite... being able to sense his strange soul in the past...

The monster laughs with Anti’s laugh- laughs with Schneep’s own insane laughter from when Anti controlled him. They overlap, making a horrible grating but somewhat coherent laugh. The teeth get closer, spittle dripping onto his face. It’s hot breath on him- whispers and voices of things he can’t understand mingling in his ears. The fingers near his eyes pull the skin around them taut. “Don't stop those lovely screams for me yet!! I want to make this last~ like you made my death last so agonizingly long.” 

Yet, he’s right- there’s no souls here he can sense. Even the thing that might be Anti- it has no soul. It’s as if he’s still completely alone. Why is that? 

=========

Alt heaves breath after ragged breath and then finally looks back at the reflections. And something catches his eye- something only a very trained illusionist can see. The faint splitting of colors and blurring of edges where the eye strains to look. “A-An illusion… this- this isn’t real-!” He breathes and then laughs and stands up taller.

He smirks at his reflections. “…there’s one thing that sets me apart from all of you! I’m Alt Brody, the illusionist!” He then closes his eyes and walks forward- even as things feel like they grab him and screech and claw at him he just keeps pushing forward, focusing his magic on breaking through this- then something snaps and he’s free- taking ragged deep breaths like he ran a marathon. White light fades from his eyes as he sees he’s back in the black void with the green lights. He clumsily stumbles forward, calling for the others- maybe he can help them break through the illusions. “Hen! Jay!! Jackie!! Chase!!” 

=========

Jackie looks down and immediately starts to panic. No! No, this is impossible! He scrambles to his feet again, not wanting to drown! Not in blood! How is this happening?!

"—ay!! Jackie!! Ch—”

...huh?

That was... Alt. Where is he? Where did his voice come from? Jackie spins around, looking for him, but he can't see him! Is he invisible?

Or... is it that... he can't see him?

Jackie looks down again at the blood. He looks at this other version of himself. He said it was impossible. And it is. "This... this isn't real," he breathes. "This isn't real at all, is it?" He grabs his staff again. "Y-you're not real! So—don't talk like you know me! I'm not a hero. But I'm trying!" He swings the staff down on his other self's head. "And that's enough!"

=========

JJ's vision starts to blur as tears fill his eyes and pour out. He shakes his head, trying to break Distorter's grip on him. He doesn't want to think about IRIS. He doesn't want to think about Marvin. He's not failing him! It's not his fault he got caught up in all this. The sound of the crowd drives into his ears. "L-leave... me... alone," he gasps out. "Please..."

But his pleas are for nothing. Distorter has no mercy, and neither does IRIS.

The panic filling his heart makes it hard for him to concentrate. The jeers—Distorter's laughter—it's all so loud.

But...

"—ay!"

Huh? What was that?

He tries to blink his tears away, looking for that voice. Who was that? That... was Alt, wasn't it?"

Alt...

He... needs to get to Alt. He needs to get to the others. They—they wouldn't want him to suffer like this. They would...they'd tell him to fight back.

He takes a shuddering breath, drawing his magic into himself—and then expels it in a sudden, blizzardly blast.

=========

Schneep struggles, throwing his head around, trying to push through the fear that the laughter inspires in him. He has to hold onto that! He's alone—it makes no sense that he's alone! Think through this!

"Hen! Jay!! Jackie!! Chase!!"

That's not Anti. That's—that's Alt.

And yet, he doesn't sense Alt anywhere nearby.

That settles it. Something unusual is going on here. "I will not... be taken... by fear again!" Schneep shouts, stabbing forward with his scissors. "And you will not hurt us anymore!"

=========

“It’s an illusion! You all can beat this!” Alt calls out- still hoping he can reach one of them. All he hears is his voice echoing back at him. Still… he believes in the others- he closes his eyes and sends out some magic- hoping it finds a way to them.

=========

Bro squeezes his eyes shut, trembling and bracing for that horrible liquid to go in a steal his mind again. …wait- again? This.. this already happened- he forgot he- 

“Chase!!” he hears a voice echo- Alt! He kicks and struggles more, head butting Dr. Cornelius and kicking Overdose in the face as he rolls himself away and starts to break out of his bonds. He yanks the gag from his mouth, his eyes burning blue. “I-I’m more than just a lab rat- I’m not your plaything! I’m Bro Fantastic!” 

“That’s it Chase!” Jackieboy’s voice grins, “Give em all a punch in the nose! No one keeps bro fantastic in a cage!” 

Another presence grabs Chase’s hand and starts to pull him away, “This way, Chase!” Alt’s voice says, “I got you this time-” 

=========

The Jackie clone doesn’t react- but when the staff is brought down on his head, it erupts into just- viscera and blood-joining the rising tide of blood around him. But he can hear Alt’s voice a bit clearer. And a new voice- one he’s been longing to hear, gentle and kind- feeling as if it’s holding his hand. “It’s enough. You’re enough, Jackie. Keep trying. Keep moving… come home.” Fredrick’s voice whispers. 

Jackie starts to tear up a little. "It's enough," he repeats. "Keep going." He walks forward, reaching out towards the voice. "I—I'm coming, angel. I-I'll get back to you guys."

Fredrick’s voice chuckles, “I know you will… me and Chase are waiting for you. You’ve fought so hard- just a bit more, Jackieboy. The presence takes his hand and interlocks their fingers, pulling him forward. They feel resistance- they feel like claws and hands and water is trying to drag them down- horrible screeching words and insults and things Jackie hates about himself trying to pull him back. But, Fredrick’s voice keeps him grounded, giving him strength. 

Jackie grits his teeth. "No more. No more. You can't pull me back down there!" He follows Frederick's voice, thinking about his Chase, thinking about Bro and Alt and Schneep and JJ—all the others he'd met on this way. And then—SNAP! 

=========

Distorter yells in surprise as the magic hits him and he falls flat on his back. He growls and barks out a cruel laugh that echoes with the crowd. “That touchy about your new friends, Jackson? How ya gonna break the news to Marvin that you replaced his crippled ass?” 

But, there’s a presence of comfort and warmth behind him, supporting him and helping it loosen the strings. “Dun’ listen ta him, Jems.” Marvin’s voice says gently, “Ya can throw his gray arse across tis void without blinkin’! Yer almost home, Jems- give ‘im a show he won’t forget!” 

JJ takes a deep breath. He nods slowly. This monster wants a show? He'll give him a show. And he feels the same power he felt back on the roof in the last world. The flurry around him grows and he breaks free.

The strings break easily and it feels as easy to use that magic here as it is to breathe. Distorter tries to yell- but he gets frozen solid. Marvin’s voice laughs breathlessly, “Wow Jems! Now- let’s get out of here! Mister is waitin’ to give ya some much needed cuddles!” He chuckles. The presence tugs on his arm and starts to lead him away. The illusion tries to grab JJ over and over- more strings, more laughter, more jeers and taunts and the feeling of hundreds of eyes on him. But, Marvin is here. And he feels other support with him too. 

“C’mon Jackson- tough it out. Don’t give that freaky bastard the satisfaction of being scared.” Anti smirks.

“You’re almost there, JJ.” Jackie’s gentle voice encourages. “We’ll make sure you get some proper rest. You look so tired…”

“But you are braving it all so well, my friend.” Volt says, clapping him on the back. “We all survived IRIS, you can brave this and return home.”

“We believe in ya, Jems.” Marvin‘s voice says as he leads him to break through.

JJ shakes his head, pushing back the strings and trying to shut out all the noise. The others are with him. The others are waiting for him. Thank you, he signs. He keeps walking, pushing against the edge of this world... until it breaks. 

=========

The monster shrieks in pain as it’s stabbed- Schneep can feel blood pelting his face from the wound. It scrambles back and shakes its head- monstrous growls crackling with loud static. 

Then, it feels like a force is helping him up- two pairs of hands, helping him up by each arm. “That’s supposed to be an impression of us? Terrible performance if you ask me.” Marvin’s voice says haltingly. 

Jackie’s voice laughs, “Honestly. Felt like we were spookier. This guy’s got nothin’ on you Schneep!” 

A hand grabs his, “We’ll guide you back, Henrik,” Jack’s voice says gently. 

“We’re right here,” Jameson’s voice says, he can hear it like before those awful strings were put in his mouth. 

“We don’t have to be scared anymore, Hen,” Chase’s voice says, “We’re here- all of us, and we’ll see you soon. We’re here- just as much as they claim to be.” 

And the gentle voices and warm bodies start to lead Schneep away from the awful static screams- their presence bright enough to keep the darkness away. 

Schneep nods. He leans for support on the others. On his friends, who he went through so much with. "I-I will be back soon, my friends," he whispers. "I will be back soon."

“We’ll be waiting, Schneep,” Jack says gently, “You’ve done amazing.” 

The static grows louder- trying to keep Schneep here. Gnashing teeth trying to tear at skin and clothes, noise so loud it make him want to curl up into a ball. But- his friend supporting him makes it easy. He can feel the end- he can break free. One final push.

"One final push," Schneep says out loud. He takes a deep breath and lunges for the wall of this fake world filled with fake sounds and sensations. 

=========

White light fades away and Jackie’s back in the place in between worlds. "H-hello?"

JJ gasps, blinking away the light too, and looks around.

Bro has been following after Alt’s voice- hearing his friends cheering him on. He rips through the pulls at his clothes, the jabs, the condescending laughter. He’s not gonna give up and take this! His friends need him!

Bro soon bursts through the darkness and stumbles into view with the others, white light fading completely from his eyes. 

And suddenly, Schneep can feel the others again! His friends from his world are gone—they were never there in the first place—but now the others are back. "M-my friends!"

Alt startles as the others all burst back into the space but then he grins wide, looking relieved. “You guys heard…! You’re okay!”

Bro blinks a bit in confusion and then turns to look behind him before pointing at Alt- “what? I… y-you were just in there? How are you here?!”

Alt blinks back in confusion. “…I tried to send out a spell to help you- but it was… desperate and random, chaos magic- I-I’m not sure what I cast exactly.”

Jackie laughs. "Y-yeah. Well I... heard your voice. So... that's what you did." He looks around. "Those freaky eye things are gone. That's good."

Thank you, Alt, JJ says, smiling. I probably would have been stuck in there for a while without someone reaching out to me.

"Were we all just... lying on the floor?" Schneep mutters. "Or did they take us into a different world? A world in the space between worlds?" He shakes his head. "Ah. Confusing. But thank you so much, Alt."

“Yeah I don’t get it either-“ Bro laughs.

Alt flushes and timidly ruffles his hair, “Y-You’re welcome… I-I’m just glad I had enough magic to help…!” He laughs a bit then looks around, “I… d-don’t know where we go from here… k-keep walking I guess? Sam’s pretty big so…”

“Give me a minute, man, I just experienced some trippy fucking… mental thing.” Jackie takes a deep breath, leaning on his staff.

“I-I get it,” Alt says quietly. “I-If you guys saw anything like what I saw then…”

I do agree though. JJ looks around uneasily. We don’t want those horrors to find us again. We shouldn’t wait around.

Bro shudders and holds his arms. “They’re right- c-c’mon…”

Jackie winces. “Good point… Okay, let’s keep going.”

[realjem-art]

Finally added a little hood to my cloak!

[andyridgeley]

[astral-from-afar]

If I had a nickel for an immortal character in Yuhki Kamatani’s work I would have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice

[phanagoria]

the fact that you can no longer follow reblog chains :| staff really saw ppl go "prev tags! ^^" and said not on my watch

[knifeofthestanleyvariety]

Cherish the memories from when you were connected as one, forfeit the future for the happiness of those moments to live on🖤

[oogaboogaspookyman]

So this turned into a vent somehow!

[enwoso]

POST MATCH — alessia russo x child!reader

grumpy masterlist

alessia and the rest of the lionesses had done their rounds of the pitch signing things, taking photos. you alongside your mummy the entire time as you were clad in your little england shirt which was now underneath a t-shirt the whole team was wearing saying you were heading for switzerland next year.

you however had been having a lot more fun with the black sharpie you had been given to sign something for a fan but instead had run off with it afterwards, instead having fun drawing on the shoulder of your mummys top as she carried you down the sideline but also chasing ella up and down the touchline.

ella having black lines covering the bottom of her shirt as you chased her with loud giggles coming from you each time you managed to successfully draw on ella's shirt, your mummy just dissmissing the whole thing with a shake of the head, you were having fun so why would she tell you to stop.

you were now being led by your mummy down the tunnel and into a room with a long table and lots of people stood in front with books as they looked on towards the table, "tiny which one do you want? this one or that one?" your mummy asked you as she pointed between the two seats in front of the table.

you pointed to the one on the left as your mummy nodded lifting you onto the seat before taking her seat on the right of you. one of the england staff memebrs off to the side handing alessia a bottle of water as alessia greets the journalists.

"tiny, we good to go?" the england staff member asks you as you nod very slowly, before the staff member gestures for the first question to be asked.

"hi alessia. congratulations on the great game, how are you feeling after that one? has it sunk in what you have achieved"

alessia smiling on as you looked around cluelessly to what was going on, most likely wondering who on earth these people were on the other side of the table but also where had they came from as you sat on the side of you chair as the question was being asked.

"hiya, um no not really. obviously there has been a few weeks inbetween games. they were obviously big games for us and it's always nice to win in front of a home crowd. i don't think it'll really sink into until we really start preparing" alessia explained as you played with your elephant stuffed teddy in your lap, along with you arm being full of colourful friendship bracelets that fans had given you.

"it's such a special occasion to qualify and to be able to celebrate in front of a sold out crowd it special and something that never grows old. but now this is where the hard work starts" alessia continued but moving an arm out to hold you as you began to climb up onto the top of the table.

"talking about celebrating with the fans, your obviously celebrating with your family. what is it like to be able to share these moments and celebrate with your family?" another journalist asked as a big grin came across alessia's face at the mention of her family, the blonde being a big home girl.

"yeah, it's been incredible. the journey has been best thing in the world and to have my own little world crawling around-" alessia stops to let out a laugh some of the journalists joining in as she gestured over to you as you were crawling along the table top with you elephant, bumping the other microphone with your tiny feet.

"no, but having her by my side is honestly the best thing ever. she keeps everything happy for me. and being able to go off the field to her is pretty special no matter if the team wins or lose or draw" alessia talked out as you were in your own little world, sitting on the table top — your little elephant teddy tucked udder you arm as you tapped the mic on your side of the table.

tapping away and moving the muff that had been placed on top of it. as you moved back to sit proudly on top of the table, looking out at the sea of faces in front of you.

"and im pretty lucky to have my parents and my brothers by my side for when i need them and yeah it's been a pretty special few weeks" alessia smiled softly before moving her arm out to lift you up from the table seeing as you were just fidgeting on with the muff of the microphone.

your mummy moving you more into the middle of the table but closer to her, as you picked up your elephant teddy sitting it in your lap as you carried on the sit on the table crossed legged.

alessia carrying on to answer questions about the team performance as you moved immediately from where your mummy had sat you to play with the microphone on the other side of the table. you with your back to the sea of faves as alessia held a hand in your knee to stop you falling just in case of you did. as you danced your elephant teddy on top of the microphone making your own fun out of anything.

the interview finally coming to and end after what felt like forever, your energy levels had dropped after being in such a low vibed room. your mummy getting up from her seat, "can you say thank you to everyone lovie?" she asked.

you beginning to take the t-shirt off from over your little jersey, as you looked at everyone in the room mumbling your thank you which the small microphone in front of you was just about to pick up you saying.

your mummy beginning to lift you up out the seat as the next player was coming in for their post match interview which so happened to be ella.

"no no" you mumbled as you struggled to get the t-shirt off the top of your head. your mummy trying to place your arm back in the arm hole as you shook your head.

"no i no wan it on-" you whined as mummy quickly nodded and lifted the shirt off your head to reveal your white england jersey a big number 23 in the middle of the shirt.

you began to pick up your little brackets as ella walked in taking the seat your mummy had just been in. "say bye bye" your mummy smiled as she moved the microphone closer to you.

"bye bye" you smiled proudly into the microphone, as the room lit up with your infectious energy as awh could be heard around the room from your sweet little accent.

"bye tiny!" ella called out as she waved at you beginning to climb down from the chair but you were clearly on in a hurry as you lifted up the bracelet you had in your hand to show ella. a gasp coming from the girl before you dumped the crackers back on the table top.

"c'mon lovie it's tooney's turn!" your mummy said quickly grabbing the bracelets and you as she began to carry you out the room.

"bye tiny" ella smiled once again as alessia moved towards the exit, your say another bye in your grumpy voice. upset you were leaving you had been having fun for the past few minutes sitting on top of a table very proudly.

ella let out a loud laugh as she watched as alessia exited the room, imitating your bye in a similar tone of voice before getting herself settled back in the seat.

"sorry i'm not as cute as her!"

[lilmcttens]

👻⊱ When someone has been neglecting her sleep again. Amity groggily looks at things around her surroundings almost zombie-like. How long has it been since she’s slept? Who can say?

She’s about to fall asleep just walking through the woods. It’s been a long journey. Ghost is keeping her eye on her, but it’s only a matter of time.

[devnmon]

dating sweet boy astarion core

SFW/NSFW

Astarion is one to always make sure you have the things you need to be comfortable on your travels. He even slips any extra scrolls he know will benefit you into your pack when you're not looking. And always reminds you how he admires you for making the hard choices on your journey together.

Your star learns how to appreciate a true loving touch because of you. Since then, he's grown touchy more than ever, practically craves it more than a fresh drink of blood.

When he feels safe with you, it's easier for him to be himself and that includes making skin to skin contact with you whenever he can. It's a type of security for him. To make it known how much trust he’s put into you.

Truly enjoys the moments at night before he rests his eyes, the domesticity of how calm and quiet you become when falling into a restful state.

He listens, intently. So intently that the minute you begin to open up to him he holds every detail close to his heart. everything you tell him about your past, the inbetween parts of your life leading up to where you were in that current moment with him. He feels luckier than life to be the individual you entrust with this part of you, with your love, with your life even at times. You're assured he has your back against everything the adventure throws at you. You just didn’t think one of the things thrown at you would be him.

He gets really flustered when you compliment him out of the blue. As in his cheeks turn pink and he brushes it off like nothing. But you reassure him no matter how many compliments it takes.

One thing I fully believe is that he would definitely be the type to pay close attention to what fabrics you admire in the many shops you pass through, only wishing you had enough gold to pay for something nice for yourself. Only to surprise you with a custom made outfit with precisely picked fabrics and tones for you.

Absolutely loves when you read to him in camp; not only does he love to listen to your voice, but he could just about sit there forever until you get tired.

Most definitely takes pride in watching you fight, whether that's speaking an incantation perfectly for a spell or striking a foe with your weapon, he's always one to shower you with praise afterwards.

Astarion is totally sure he's unworthy of your affection after everything he's done. You make him aware of the fact that he deserves you even so.

You first asked him if it was okay to play with his hair while you rested together after a battle. It was then you found the elf to absolutely melt under your soft touches. you're also the only person he allows to play with or touch it.

When you accidentally brushed against his ever so sensitive ears, he just about whined with a desire to chase more of the sensation from you. But in turn… you found out how riled up he could get from it and had to pick and choose when you'd take advantage of it. [more on this later tehe]

He loves to kiss your neck, but what he was surprised to learn is that he loves when his is kissed as well. Especially when you run your fingers over his adams apple. Just him learning how to accept a new form of touch that makes the hair on his skin stand tall.

He was always on the giving end of affection when he was forced to lure pretty things back for his master, but now that he's free, he learns to welcome your touches and receive them without hesitation.

When you wear rings for whatever reason, whether because you like them or for their arcane abilities, he loves to slip them off by way of his rogue skill, playing with them on his own fingers before you even notice. You usually have to give him a few kisses to get him to give them back.

Speaking of rings, once he realizes how much you mean to him, he slips away from camp and finds a jewelry shop, choosing a ring he felt would compliment your style and one he knew he'd love to see you wear for him every day. Like a reminder of the bond you two share. Once he gifts it to you, you're so enthralled that you take off one of your random ones you thought was pretty, and give it to him without hesitation. Perhaps it was one that could always locate him or give him an extra boost in battle. Either way, he would never take it off.

You like to make silly jokes about vampire myths, like ones about garlic and crucifixes to make him chuckle.

Astarion adores the little nicknames you give him, whether theyre a sweet petname or a non-serious one that you knew he liked to laugh with you at.

Always makes sure you're tucked into his body when you fall asleep next to him in camp. But when he's the one to fall asleep first, he wakes the next morning to your arms wrapped around his waist, making sure he's close to you.

Loves giving you forehead kisses. especially after battle when you run to his arms to make sure he's alright, nothing bruised, broken or cursed.

Astarion definitely has some very severe abandonment issues, so if you wander too far from him he's the first to reach out through the tadpole and ask where you've gone. When he does find you again he sticks to your side like glue, lacing your fingers together.

NSFW

Astarion would be the type to worry he wouldn't be able to hold out long enough in bed for you both to be satisfied. It's in the moment you both decide to take it slow during your first time. With you, Astarion learns how to control his body and hold out for as long as you needed him to. Because. He reaaallyyy likes you. He wouldn't want to get all worked up and expend himself before he'd even gotten the chance to touch you.

Considering Astarion's history, he would want to be dominant in the bedroom after not having control over his life and decisions for years. He takes pride in being in control and you simply let him because not only does it look good on him, but there's a certain flair in the way he smiles when you do exactly as he says.

Though after a while he finds being in charge most of the time gets him pent up in ways he can't begin to imagine. The two of you are intimate enough that he finds himself wanting you to take pleasure from him. He desires your dominating touch over him and hopes you'll agree when he asks you about it. So when you do, he's enthralled with excitement and practically itches with anticipation at first sight of dominance from you.

Astarion's ears are sensitive. It's not just the elven shape or vampiric hearing that makes them so, but he quite enjoys the way you softly touch and kiss them that it gets him riled up more than he can fathom. He once dreamt of you touching them during sex and woke up in cold sweats with a raging hard on.

Thus, he absolutely will whine involuntarily when you brush your fingers over them, either on accident while you're touching his curls or purposely.

He hasn't had someone touch him in a loving way in so long, and the first time you decide to have sex, it's an emotional and vulnerable thing for him. He may shed more than a few tears during and after, a statement that shows how his vulnerability shines through when he trusts someone enough.

Each thrust fills you with the devotion he carries in his heart, pledging himself to you over and over. When you praise as he brings you to the peak of your pleasure, it’s enough to make him moan just from that.

He tells you "i love you" when he comes, breathlessly as he ties your soul to his in an everlasting knot.

One night if you've indulged on a bottle of wine or two, he'll drink from you to quite literally get drunk off your blood. Not only does the closeness and intimacy of the act turn you on, but the way his lips suck against your neck has you grinding up against his thigh. He takes so much pride in the way your body responds to him.

The first night you touch him intimately, he's brazen with the sounds he makes since he's still trying to make sense of the fact that you want him like this… And it's because you love him that you want him to know how much you adore and see the good in him. It's something sentimental and sensual to you both at the same time.

You take your time when touching him not just because dragging it out pulls more godly sounds from him, but because you know the second he comes it's over for you. Astarion is of course going to tease and relentlessly drag your pleasure out the same way you've done for him.

On the terms of aftercare, Astarion strokes your hair and is one to ask if everything he did was alright with you. If he was rougher on you during sex, he would make sure you know he didn't mean any of the vulgar things he's said. That also goes along the lines of when he punishes you for teasing him or being reckless during battle. He's always concerned about your wellbeing and state in your afterglow. It looks exceptionally good on you when you know how much he loves and adores you.

[cy-lindric]

bonjour cy-lindric, j'ai une petite question. when I was a young person, I read The Three Musketeers and then eagerly started to read Twenty Years After and was so upset at what had happened to my beloved young heroes that I put the book down and never picked it up. what do you think, should I try again?

Bonjour !

After reading The Three Musketeers, I also wasn't sure I wanted to read Twenty Years After, and I took a break inbetween both to read something entirely different (The Locked Tomb, iirc). I think my reason for that was kind of the opposite of yours ; I enjoyed T3M a lot and loved the characters, flaws and all, but by the end they had somewhat crossed over the line into being Too Awful and the lack of retribution left me a bit frustrated. I didn't see it as a failing of the story - on the contrary, their strong character flaws and downfall in the conflict with Milady is one of the most emotionally intense and compelling parts imo - but I wasn't sure I felt like hanging out with these guys for a few hundred more pages at that point.

If your vision of the characters as a young reader was a very positive and perhaps idealized one, I can imagine why you might not have enjoyed entering into Twenty Years after. The illusion of glory has worn off ; the characters have separated, they live unremarkable lives, and their personalities have evolved drastically with the passing of time. It's almost a brutal return to reality.

For me though, it added layers of characterization to the point where now it's clear to me that this version of the Inseparables is by far the one I prefer.

I hope it's ok if I take the opportunity to talk at length about what I like about TYA below the cut. TL;DR : I love that Twenty Years After is a more realistic look at the big four's personalities and how they evolved while still keeping them thematically coherent, and that TYA makes them confront the reckless and cruel shit they did in their youth.

Spoilers ahead obviously.

We've often talked about how T3M is at its core a story about the end of knighthood. It's a tongue-in-cheek approach at chivalrous initiation, set at edge of the modern world, inbetween the time of ballads about knights in armor and that of adventures about journeying gunmen and soldiers. I think TYA embodies that particularly ; the story of people who have carried the last of these intense, dangerous chivalric ideals in their youths, and who have now grown into middle aged adults who need to find their place in the world.

For a good chunk of the book, the big four are separated into two teams ; that in of itself might discourage some, but imo it's genius. Instead of the natural two-by-pairings, Dumas goes for a d'Artagnan+ Porthos and Athos + Aramis split on opposite sides, which makes for good drama and develops lesser explored dynamics. D'Artagnan and Porthos form a scrappy team of opportunists with money on their minds, and Athos and Aramis a more idealistic duo fighting for a noble lost cause. I think it's a bold choice but also premium sequel writing.

I also love the way the young and wild characters we knew evolve into middle aged men ; at their core, they're still the same, but they've all changed and struggled against the sunset of the golden age in their own ways.

D'Artagnan, after knowing such adventures and subsequent rapid social ascension in his teenage years, has been met in his adult life with the harsh reality that he is, in fact, not a noble knight but a soldier on payroll. His modest origins give him little hope for any further career advancement, and he takes on a new mission in his early 40s for a man he has no devotion for and a cause he doesn't care about, simply because he is bored and broke. D'Artagnan still has his quick wits, his strategic talent, his fencing skills, but he has grown out of the excesses of pride of his teenage years. I loved meeting him again in TYA, and it made so much sense to me that his bouts of anger and aggressivity would be a youthful trait that he'd ended up taming. He also realizes now a lot of what seemed like funny adventures and necessary violence was actually kind of fucked up ; that was a shock to me, as their shenanigans are treated so lightly in T3M, and tbh it healed me a little. Grown up d'Artagnan is cunning, calculating, down to earth and realistic. My foxy little man. I love him.

Porthos, likewise, has been struck by the weight of reality. He has made the sensible choice and got married to the rich widow who sugar mommied him in the first book. Now she's passed, he is rich, but he still fails to earn the respect of the high society he evolves in because he's not high born enough. Like d'Artagnan, he's stagnating and bored and now that he goes back adventuring it has nothing to do with the queen or the kingdom or honour ; it's about getting his damn nobility title.

Athos, on the other hand, is the eternal knight : the only truly high born of the four, and still hopelessly holding on to a time gone by. It's no surprise imo that his storyline brings him into the english civil war, doomed to fail at saving a king who'll end up executed right in front of him. TYA acknowledges more clearly than ever that at 28 yo, Athos was a depressed alcoholic, and an embodiment of what an excess of aristocratic righteousness can do. In TYA, he is sober and moisturized and a DILF, and now he's running around frantically looking for absolution for his numerous crimes. It's delicious.

Aramis is maybe the hardest pill to swallow. TYA confirms the T3M hints that he isn't really the prim and proper romantic boy he acts like he is, and that he's possibly the most hypocritical and ruthless of the four. It might be a harsh one for Aramis fans who like him better as a cute bean, but I love the early onset of remorseless conniving bloodthirsty ambitious Aramis. Another harsh bit might be the evolution of Aramis and d'Artagnan not really liking each other ; they were always the least close combination, and imo it makes sense that their personalities would clash. I think it's clever and compelling conflict.

Now, obviously, if you've cared enough to read all this and if you know me a little, you know that a huge highlight of the book for me was its late-appearing antagonist, Mordaunt. Mordaunt is the son Milady had with her english husband. Because of the Musketeers' intervention, he's grown up in poverty and has been denied his father's inheritance. He's now a Roundhead working for Cromwell, and set on avenging his mother at all costs. Mordaunt, unlike his mother who was this beautiful and dangerous force of nature, is very uncool and pathetic. She was the primordial snake, he's the gutter rat. Obviously, I love that in and of itself, but it's also kind of striking image of the wretchedness of what they've done to her, a fucked up little goblin ghost come back to haunt them as they're trying to make their life worth living again. This time, their enemy is not a cunning political rival with a flamboyance of body and mind akin to their own ; it's a shitty little guy with bad skin who wants to kill the king and punish the murderers. Watch out babes, it's the modern world coming for you.

Of course, they're the Four Musketeers, and they did what they had to do, so they get together again and swear friendship and keep going their way. But they're also old guys with difficult personalities in a world that's never going to be the same. I think it's a cool book.

[twelve-forfend]

Well, I did say this was a multi-fandom blog... Alright, let's do this.

The Qing Jing Peak Lord's Bamboo House

(and the symbolism therein, as recorded in the donghua)

I was snooping through the establishing shots of the Qing Jing Peak Lord's Bamboo House, and had to laugh as I always do at all the gay symbolism that managed to sneak its way inside. But then I looked a little closer, and was floored by just how much passive storytelling was packed into background assets. I talked about it at length over discord, and at the urging of others decided to make a shareable post on social media as well.

First, the shots which first piqued my interest in this topic years ago:

Shen Yuan transmigrates into the stallion-genre webnovel entitled 狂傲仙魔途 (translated as Proud Immortal Demon Way). The author's and his own usernames are dick jokes.

Notice the chrysanthemum vase, the cock vase, and the stallion statuette.

The stallion and cock are obvious nods to these jokes on their own, but for the uninitiated, the chrysanthemum is a symbol of gay sex between men, as the asshole itself is often euphemistically referred to as a chrysanthemum. This should have been Shen Yuan's first clue that not all is as it seems here! These are the personal quarters of Shen Jiu — the original Shen Qingqiu!

But let's move to the main room you first walk into upon entering the bamboo house.

There it is: the writing on the wall.

As the Peak Lord of strategy and the scholarly arts, Shen Qingqiu would naturally have calligraphy and paintings hanging everywhere! So let's break it down.

On the top we have 道㳒自然 ("Dao Follows Nature"), which comes from a Dao teaching by Laozi (founder of Daoism) meaning that life, death, the entire universe, the heavens and earth and everything outside and inbetween, all follow a set of laws referred to as the nature of things. Although unrelated to the Buddhist couplet below, it's certainly relevant!

Originally hanging in right-to-left order, I've arranged them to read left to right here to make things easier to keep track of. The calligraphy reads 西方竹葉千年翠；南海蓮九品香 and is a couplet commonly found in Guanyin temples. My classical chinese is not as strong as I'd like, but this translates roughly to "The bamboo leaves in Paradise are green for a thousand years / The fragrance of lotus flowers in the South China Sea is as thick as 9 sticks of incense."

The character 西 for West is used to denote the destination of enlightenment/purity: the buddhist Paradise (think Journey to the West). The South China Sea is where Guanyin was born. Upon the Lotus flowers is where Guanyin is commonly depicted as sitting. The "9 sticks of incense" though literal can also refer to the 9 tiers/grades of reincarnation lotuses with the 9th tier being the lowest, meant for those who in life committed the most evil of crimes — the 4 parajikas — and who can only manage a sincere Amitabha recitation 10 times and no more than this.

To put this in context with Shen Jiu (the same jiu as in 9/九), the 4 parajikas committed by the 9th Tier Lotuses Reborn (officially entitled the Lowest of the Low) are:

Sexual Intercourse

Stealing

Murder

Claiming attainments of stages of pure mental concentration that have not been achieved (in other words, rushing or lying about your cultivation/enlightenment, or maybe even becoming a Peak Lord without having formed a golden core beforehand).

From what we know in the context of the novel, Shen Jiu is innocent of at least the first of this parajikas, but the overall view of Shen Jiu in the eyes of others in the story is that he is guilty of them all. This calligraphy can be seen as a condemnation or a reminder for the character Shen Jiu, who even as the Peak Lord Shen Qingqiu is widely thought of as a scum villain and the lowest of the low.

Phew! That's a lot to unpack.

But if you turn your gaze to the original screenshot, you'll see to the right that there's a vase painted with a blue bird. This vase appears in several rooms of the bamboo house, and seems to be the image of a qingniao (青鸟; lit: Qing bird, wherein 青 can mean blue/green/clear-but-brackish black).

These qing-coloured birds are messengers and foragers of the Goddess-Mother of Paradise (Xiwang-mu 西王母, the "west/paradise" character from before, lit West-King(unisex)-Mother). They're a highly intelligent species who are exceptional in song (a good representative for Qing Jing's scholarly arts and pursuit of qin!), and the older ones might learn to speak human tongue. As a subspecies of luanniao (鸾鸟 lit: luan bird), they're thought to be related to The Phoenix and indeed thought to be the lifetime/samsara just before being reborn as a Phoenix.

If given to a "master" they don't like, the qingniao may refuse to pass messages or sing until they're set free, but if they do get along with you then they're loyal to the end.

As a point of interest, the Qing generation of Peak Lords uses the character 清, which is 青 ("colour of nature; brackish black, blue, green; young) + the radical for "water," resulting in the meaning of clear (as in water or heart; see-through); distinct; quiet (as in still); just and honest; pure; to settle or clear up; to clean up, expunge, or purge.

And as a bit of trivia, Liu Qingge's sword Cheng Luan 乘鸾 means "to ride the luan, take flight on the back of a luan." (Relevant, because the qingniao is considered a subspecies of luanniao).

With the Lords of both Qing Jing and Bai Zhan referencing this bird, I really wonder about its significance! It's spawning plenty of theories and headcanons for me.

Heading back outside for a moment, you'll find that in the Quiet Pool (清静小池 qingjing xiaochi (yes, the same Qing Jing the peak is named for)), there are lotuses, and on land there are flower shrubs which are either wide-petaled chrysanthemums (gay bottom jokes ahoy), or a type of peony, the king of flowers demarcating wealth and prosperity. Either way, a blossom fitting of our Qing Jing Peak Lord Shen Qingqiu!

My one regret is that I cannot get a clear shot of the fan hanging on the wall to try and translate the calligraphy on it. If anyone can snag one, please tag me! I also couldn't translate the paintings with poems hanging in Shen Qingqiu's bedroom (it's just too small and blurry for my bad eyes to make out). If I make another post attempting these things, I'll append them to this initial post in an edit afterwards.

[woso-dreamzzz]

Barcelona

Hardersson x Daughter!Reader

Part of The Big Adventures Universe

Summary: Your first day at Barcelona

Your first day at Barcelona starts a week after Momma and Morsa give you Prins. He's an absolute sweetheart and you coo softly at him after getting back from your morning run.

You're trying to get yourself into a routine so a morning run was what you settled on - even though you weren't really a morning person.

Prins' tail wags happily as you unclip his leash and he runs off to lap at his water bowl.

You check your phone as you go to grab your training bag.

There's a few texts from Tia Tana and Alexia, both wishing you good luck on your first day that you shoot off thank yous to before you crouch down to run a hand through Prins' fur.

"I'll be home soon," You promise him," Don't tear apart my stuff."

He yips at you and you take that as agreement, slipping out the front door.

You live close to the training ground and take a deep breath. You've already signed your contract and done the media commitments so this is your first day actually training with the team.

You stand outside the changing room and take a deep breath to calm your nerves, clenching your fist to steel yourself as you head inside.

There's blur in front of you and suddenly you feel like you're being crushed. You recognise this feeling though and hug back, resting your head in her neck.

"I've missed you," Natalia says, pulling back to cup your face.

You feel your cheeks go red and hope she doesn't notice. "I missed you too," Is what you say back.

She pulls you in for another hug, kisses raining down on your head inbetween a desperate slur of English and Spanish.

Natalia keeps chattering away to you as you change. You think her eyes linger a little bit when you've got your top off but you don't want to give yourself hope so you try to ignore it.

Natalia's just a touchy person. Whatever feelings you have for her shouldn't be projected onto what she may feel for you.

Her hand grips yours as she pulls you out onto the pitch, making brief introductions to everyone for you.

"I don't know how you expect me to get to know everyone if you keep dragging me away," You laugh.

"I want to keep you all to myself for a little bit longer," She says, her eyes boring into yours like there's something else she wants to say," Is that so wrong?"

You shake your head, lacing your fingers with hers. "No. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Good." Natalia steps further into your space until you're close enough to feel her breath on your lips.

It takes you back to your first kiss with her, when the Spain team had made the journey all the way over to Denmark again and you took her to a little café after the match. You had a nice afternoon snack and then walked with her to the park where you confessed you had never kissed someone before. She had pressed her lips to yours in that instant.

Because she was a good friend and good friends helped their friends when they're feeling nervous.

Your heart had sped up in that moment just like it was speeding up now.

"I'm selfish," Natalia continues," I like having you all to myself. The others can have you next week. This week you're mine."

You smile at her shyly as her own grin widens and she tugs you over to where the manager is gathering everyone around.

Barcelona training is a bit more intense than Arsenal training but you're still running off your World Cup fitness so you adapt pretty quickly. Your Momma said once that you're good like that, that you can adapt to anything and blend in with a group like a little chameleon.

Admittedly, she said that to you when you were a lot younger but you're happy to keep the comparison even now.

There's only a few breaks in the pace of training and, every time, Natalia comes back into your orbit. She's always touching you in some way but her preferred position is standing behind you, arms wrapped around your waist and chin hooked around your shoulder.

Having her so close makes goosebumps rise on your body and your heart thumps so hard that you're a little bit scared she's going to hear it.

You write it all off as her being Spanish though, even as soft little kisses are pressed to your neck. They're a bit ticklish and you flinch away.

"Stop it! I'm sensitive!"

"Oh?" Natalia quirks a brow, smiling like a wolf," You're sensitive, are you? That's nice to know."

Like usual whenever Natalia's around, your face burns red and you distract yourself by chugging half of your water in one go. But, despite your embarrassment, you lean back into her body, allowing her to support most of your weight as you both sway slightly as you wait around for the gym equipment to be set up.

"Hey," Natalia says softly, directly in your ear like you're the only two out on the pitch," Do you want to go to dinner tonight? There's this nice place near my apartment."

"What did I do to deserve dinner?"

"Survived your first day?" Natalia teases," Pulled of an incredible save against a goal that should have been mine?"

You laugh. "I'm wise to your tricks. You're not putting one past me."

"Oh, come on! Not even a little one?"

"No chance."

"Fine. But, really, dinner?"

"I would," You say," But Prins-"

"Bring him with. I'd love to meet him in person. Come on, what have I got to say to get you to agree?"

"Fine," You say," Dinner with you and Prins. Send me the address."

"I'll pick you up," Natalia replies with a wink," Can't have such a pretty girl walking around alone."

That moment, along with many others, get captured by the media team documenting your first day.

When Magda wakes up the next morning, it's to notifications from the Barcelona Instagram page and she scrolls through it to see if you're featured.

She doesn't know if it's anger or relief that bubbles up in when she sees your face in the pictures but it's definitely anger when she spots Natalia holding you tight against her body.

Your head is tilted back on the other's girl shoulder and you're beaming up at her as one of her hands is under your arm, holding your shoulder and pressing you back against her while the other is splayed out on your hip.

You're both smiling.

She flicks to the next picture and the next, each of them showing you and Natalia in various positions, curled around each other like you're the only two people there.

"Hmm," Pernille says as she rolls over and begins to wake up," Magda? What is it? Has something happened?"

"Is Natalia sleeping with our daughter?

"Huh? What?"

"Is Natalia planning on sleeping with our daughter? I mean, look!" She shoves the phone into Pernille's face.

"I won't lie but she's probably thought about it before. You know what Natalia's like. She's smitten."

"Smitten?" Magda scoffs," That's what you're going with?!"

"I could say patient as well," Pernille replies," I don't know many girls who would pine over someone for so long." She sits up and properly looks at the photos. "Although, I don't think she'll have to wait much longer. Princesse is smitten too."