#by which i mean all but one of the attacks i received were revenges so ig it doesn't actually prove my own revenge record

[beneathsilverstars]

new Naiakiir ref for art fight!!

here's my profile if anyone's interested in drawing her this year or just following me <3

[bellepeppergirl]

Marika Was the Gloam-Eyed Queen

So, the most popular theory regarding the GEQ was that it was Melina. This does make sense; in the Flame of Frenzy ending, she promises to deliver Destined Death to us and reveals her sealed eye, which is gloam colored. Case solved? I don't think so.

As stated in the title, I believe Marika was the GEQ.

We know Marika comes from the Shaman/Miko Village and that her people were horrifically abducted and crammed into jars into to create "saints." This was likely a part of the Hornsent religion, whatever that may have been, likely relating to the Crucible. I feel like it would be understandable to wish to get revenge on whoever the god of the Hornsent may be, so she creates the Godskin Covenant.

The idea of taking the skin of the gods and melding them together to create clothes is very similar to what happened to the Shamans in the jars; a fitting way to seek retribution I think.

We can also see that the Rune of Death is an inverse of Marika's rune.

Interestingly, the statues of Marika that we can find in the Lands of Shadow, while initially looking identical to those from the Lands Between, albeit headless, are actually forming the shape of the Rune of Death, while those we were originally familiar with form Marika's rune.

On top of that, there is another statue we can find of Marika in the Lands of Shadow. This one is located in Messmer's arena and depicts Marika swaddling a baby.

Now, off the top of my head, there is only one other place that we see imagery like this and that is the Godskin Swaddling Cloth.

It mentions that she cradles the newborn apostles that were swaddled in this godly flesh and that they would eventually be raised to fight the gods. It is interesting then that these are the only two mentions of holding a baby in game, and it just so happens to be the place where Marika's statues happen to resemble the Rune of Death. Additionally, the Swaddling Cloth causes successive attacks to restore HP. Now, this could be a stretch, but Marika is also associated with healing. After all, it's her tears that increase the amount of HP we receive from a flask and we can find a healing incantation in her chambers.

Now, the trailers mention the Shadow Lands as the birthplace of Light and Shadow, and something about "the seduction and the betrayal." When it says this, we see Marika holding up a strand of hair at the Divine Gate and, as Quelaag pointed out in her videos, while she does this, we see light through the gate while a gloam-y sky is seen everywhere else.

What I personally think this means is that Marika was seduced by the Greater Will and the prospect of becoming a god, thus betraying the covenant that she herself formed and becoming what they swore to destroy. Furthermore, she continued the cycle of suffering by enacting the same cruelties performed on her people on those like the Omen, the Demihumans, and the Misbegotten.

I believe she then gave her Great Rune to Malekith, who hid it away while Marika pretended to be a completely different person. She would also hide away any signs of her past identity; the Shadowlands, for various reasons, would be sealed away, thus also hiding her past, and her firstborn daughter, Melina, was locked away in the Forbidden Lands. She was likely imprisoned because she bore the same power that Marika once had; the power of Death. Just like she did with the rest of her children, anything that reminded her of the past would be hidden away and forgotten.

The Godskins, feeling betrayed, have come the the Lands Between in order to enact that which they were quite literally born for. After all, the swaddling cloth essentially says that the GEQ raised them, acting as their mother, and teaching them to kill the gods. To have the person who you saw as a mother betray you by becoming what you were raised to hate would be a devastating blow and, of course, this would not be the only time Marika does this. In the Lands Between, the Godskins are seeking out that which they've lost; the sword that was once Marika's, the Rune that was given to Malekith, and the God-Devouring Serpent so that they may continue their goals.

And I believe that Marika shattered the Elden Ring because she realized what was happening; she understood that the past was coming back, no matter what she did. That her goals to create the "perfect world" by killing everyone she didn't like was a failure. She removed death so everyone could be happy and sing kumbaya around the Erdtree forever, but guess what. Her son STILL DIED despite death not even existing anymore. People are miserable being unable to die.

I think she also realizes that, not only was her plans a failure cuz the people she didn't like kept being born, but she was feeding this cycle of hatred. She fucked people over and now they're revolting against her. Why did she fuck them over? Because she was fucked over. And you know what, the Hornsent were probably also fucked over at some point, maybe by the people of Rauh.

I think her shattering the Elden Ring is akin to suicide; we never see her alive, never hear her speak, nothing. She is in pieces, just like the Elden Ring is. She is also impaled with a red spike, which looks oddly similar to the Rune of Death. If all I have said is true, then I believe the implication is she gave into despair, destroyed everything, and then killed herself.

Nothing changed. Nothing ever changed. And she was part of the problem this whole time, but by the time she realized, it was all too late.

But despite everything, hope persists. Despite the horrors inflicted upon Marika's people, Marika persisted. Despite the horrors Marika inflicted upon others, they persisted and continue to be born. As Melina says, the world is full of horrible things, and yet birth and life persists, and there's beauty in that. One day, the cycle will break.

[mylo-space]

Welcome to Your Future

Summary: After a ritual goes awry, MK finds a memory-impaired Macaque in his dojo. Macaque, confused and more than a little overwhelmed by the changes, seeks out the one person he finds most familiar in the hopes that he can get some answers. And Wukong, faced with a Macaque unburdened by their millennia of rivalry, realizes there are some pretty complicated emotions resurfacing, and he's not sure he can bury them a second time.

Completed on Ao3: 2024-06-24 Word Count: 81,428 Chapters: 11

Chapter 1: Lost Memories, Found Names >> Chapter 2

-

If MK were to have any fatal flaw at all, it would probably be that he was a tad more trusting than he should be, considering he was in a position to make a lot of very powerful enemies. On the bright side, his optimism usually convinced people not to kill him. In the year or so since receiving the Monkey King’s powers, most of the people who’d attacked him, usually for some revenge plot or another, ended up becoming allies. Some of them had even become good friends.

Others became mentors.

MK considered himself a very enthusiastic student, and Macaque was by no means a reluctant mentor, but their lessons typically weren’t very substantial. They mostly just hung out, and Macaque occasionally offered up some advice, but it was an unspoken rule that the physical training got left to Monkey King.

It wasn’t that MK didn’t trust Macaque to do some combat training with him, it just brought up a lot of memories that they’d both rather forget. That, and MK had a sneaking suspicion that he still reminded Macaque of Monkey King. Which seemed to be a pretty common problem among most of the people Monkey King used to call his friends.

So, they didn’t do much training, but Macaque was still content to call himself MK’s mentor, if only because it annoyed Monkey King to no end. And MK was content to let him, only because he knew Monkey King wasn’t actually as annoyed by it as he pretended to be.

Truthfully, neither one of them seemed to hate each other nearly as much as their bantering would suggest. MK never got an answer about it, no matter how much he asked, but he’d learned that immortals were just strange that way. They had all the time in the world to work out their issues, and refused.

He considered asking Macaque again, maybe in a slightly roundabout way. Macaque generally saw through that kind of thing, but it never stopped MK from trying. And, maybe, MK mused as he pulled up to his co-mentor’s dojo, recent events might encourage the reserved Mystic Monkey to open up.

Long shot, probably. But MK was optimistic.

MK knocked on Macaque’s door, humming a jingle he’d heard from a commercial on TV while he waited. He’d finished delivering noodles for the day, and figured it wouldn’t hurt stopping in a little earlier than usual for his ‘training’ with Macaque.

After a few moments of no answer, MK knocked again. “Hey, Macaque!” he called. “Open up, man, I know you can hear me!”

It crossed his mind briefly that maybe Macaque was just out roaming the city. MK had shown up a couple hours early, it was possible Macaque would show if he waited around long enough. Only odd thing about it was that Macaque didn’t usually just ‘roam the city’, or roam much of anywhere, for that matter. It wasn’t the first time MK had shown up early, and Macaque was always home.

“Hey, uh-” MK knocked on the door, deliberate and loud, “Macaque? You’re kinda weirding me out here, so… I’m just gonna open the door, if that’s cool.”

The door creaked as it opened, and MK was met with a poorly lit room. Not that Macaque’s dojo was particularly bright on any given day, which was sometimes a nice change from the glaring, neon city, but it was especially dim. MK tried to convince himself that it wasn’t as concerning as the fluttering in his chest insisted it was.

Pulling out his staff, MK tentatively closed the door behind him and walked through Macaque’s dojo. “Hello?” he said loudly, a reluctant shout. “You in here, Macaque?” A noise caught him off guard, a strangled gasp escaping him as he moved to press himself against the nearest wall.

He had half a mind to be embarrassed. The noise was hardly a threatening sounding thing, just the wisp of magic, a glimmer of power. It would have been nearly indiscernible anywhere else, but in Macaque’s near silent dojo, it may as well have been an explosion. It’d always been quiet at Macaque’s place, which was kind of impressive, considering it stood in the middle of a bustling city.

Fortunately, the quiet energy was familiar. After a few steadying breaths, MK recognized Macaque’s magic hovering in the air. He hadn’t quite figured out how that worked, sensing other people’s magic, but he assumed it was another weird 'Mystic Monkey’ thing that he’d have to learn. Just when he’d thought he’d gotten things down, there was always something new.

In any case, the magic was warm. Not as warm as Monkey King’s, a near constant heat buried under stone skin, embers in the aftermath of a fire, eager to relight. Macaque’s magic was a subtle warmth, a patch of grass warmed by sunlight, a heat soothed by shade and a cool breeze.

It took a moment of searching, but he traced the magic to a room near the back of Macaque’s dojo. The door was left slightly ajar, and a light spilled through the crack. “Macaque?” MK said quietly, pushing open the door. “Macaque, are you…” He trailed off at the sight of Macaque sitting in the room, cross-legged with his hands on his knees, eyes closed and face passive.

MK, thinking perhaps Macaque was just meditating, knocked on the open door to get his attention. It almost looked like Monkey King’s transcendental meditation, but the magic around him looked different. Macaque didn’t glow like Monkey King had, there was just a steady swirl of soft blue around his head, two streams of magic that flowed in steady circles around his ears.

When knocking didn’t snap Macaque out of whatever was happening, MK walked into the room. “What kind of meditation is this?” he asked aloud, not bothering to wait for an answer as he gingerly poked Macaque’s arm with his staff. “Hey, Macaque,” he sang quietly, as though trying to wake a child from their nap. “Wakey, wakey.”

Macaque’s tail flicked, which MK took as a good sign, and moved to shake his shoulder. The magic stuttered, the flow breaking apart a bit, and Macaque’s face scrunched in discomfort.

“Macaque?” MK took a step back as the magic began to flicker, expanding and contracting erratically. It crackled, until the steady streams were jagged bolts of energy. “Macaque!” MK tried, abandoning the staff to grab Macaque by both shoulders and shake him.

The magic around Macaque didn’t feel threatening, but the whispers hadn’t seemed so dangerous, either, until the Lady Bone Demon had overtaken some of the strongest fighters he knew. She’d stolen away his mentor and his best friend, shards of ice wreaking havoc in the city, destroying the world. And even Azure had seemed harmless, until he wasn’t, until he’d revealed his true intentions, until he’d almost dissolved the universe to achieve his goals, so maybe MK had been wrong to assume that the magic surrounding Macaque was innocuous.

“Macaque!” MK demanded. He had been certain Macaque was past trying to hurt him to get to Monkey King, things had been relatively peaceful for a few months, but now there was frostbite in his ears and shadows on the walls, and his heart raced with the possibility that maybe Macaque’s need for a fight hadn’t been satiated, after all. ”Wake up!”

At that, Macaque’s eyes snapped open, inhaling sharply as though pulled from underwater. MK had just a breath to be relieved, until he saw Macaque’s violet irises. The magic turned one vicious circle around the shadow before surging outward, a ring of energy knocking MK back into the wall behind him.

MK scrabbled to grab his staff and staggered to his feet on unsteady legs, his vision blurred from the impact. He blinked against light that surrounded Macaque, watching warily until it faded. “Okay,” he breathed, “this is probably fine, uh-” He cleared his throat, his gaze finally focusing on the crumpled form of Macaque. “Are you okay? Macaque?”

All Macaque gave in response was a groan, pushing himself up off the ground and shaking his head. Purple wisps dissipated as he stood, looking just as unsteady as MK. “What’s happening?” he finally managed, turning to MK with confusion etched into his features. “How did you…” His gaze drifted to MK’s staff, “Why do you have-”

“Macaque?” MK said slowly, “Is everything okay? We were- we had training today, remember?”

“Training?” Macaque asked, looking bewildered, which was not an expression MK was used to seeing. “Kid, I don’t even… who are you?”

MK blanched at that. “Who- what the donk are you talking about?” he asked. “Is this a joke?” He lowered the staff to the ground, setting his free hand disapprovingly on his hip. “We need to work on your sense of humor, man. I’m fine with you scheming and pulling pranks and- you know, being a general menace, but giving me a heart attack does not give off the ‘cool mentor’ vibes you think it does.”

Macaque blinked at MK like he’d spoken a different language. “Okay, well… that didn’t make any sense,” he said. “So, I’m gonna ask this again,” he lifted his hands placatingly, “and I need you to stick with me on this.” His gaze flicked around the room. “Who are you, and–while I’m asking questions–where am I?” Eyes narrowing on the staff, Macaque added, “And, uh… how did you get that?”

Uneasiness settled in MK’s chest at the questions. Macaque’s voice lacked the playful lilt it usually had when he teased MK, and the confusion on his face was so genuine, so much more vulnerable than the shadow would allow under normal circumstances. “You’re freaking me out,” MK said.

“I’m standing in a room I’ve never seen before with a kid I’ve never met,” Macaque replied shortly. “Not to mention you’re holding a staff that doesn’t belong to you.” MK flinched back at the clipped tone, and Macaque seemed to realize how sharp his voice was, because he took a step back, face softening. “Look, I- you seem like a nice kid, and I don’t want to hurt you if I don’t have to.” He gestured to the staff. “But I need to know why you have that.”

MK hesitated for a moment. “I’m… okay, let’s start over.” He shrank the staff and tucked it away, startling Macaque, as though he hadn’t expected MK to actually be able to wield the weapon. “My name is MK,” he started. “I’m the Monkey King’s successor, and I-”

“Successor?” Macaque interrupted incredulously.

“Uh… well, that’s- that is what I said, yeah.”

Macaque let out a startled laugh. “How long has Wukong had a student? He should have told me that he was-” His smile faltered. “He should’ve… he would have told me if he had a student.” He studied MK carefully. “And your clothes look strange.”

Looking down in surprise, MK tugged at his jacket, inspecting the white shirt underneath. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”

“What was I doing when you came in?”

MK turned to check the back of his jacket. “No, seriously, what’s wrong with my clothes?”

“Hey, kiddo,” Macaque insisted, “I really need you to focus, okay?”

“Right!” MK straightened, nodding quickly. “Right, sorry, totally focused. What’s the question? Hit me with it.” Macaque opened his mouth to answer, just as it occurred to MK that he’d already asked the question. “Oh, yeah! So, uh- I don’t really know what you were doing in here?” he said. “Some kind of magic ritual thingie, maybe. It kinda looked like you were meditating?”

Macaque frowned. “Meditating?” He gestured to the sides of his head. “There wasn’t any magic going on up here, was there?”

“There was, yeah,” MK told him. “I didn’t know what was happening, and I panicked, so I just…” he shrugged helplessly, “I tried to wake you up.” Dread pooled in his stomach, hoping that his decision hadn’t just irreversibly messed something up. “Why? Was that- is that bad? Did I do a bad?”

Inhaling sharply through his teeth, Macaque replied, “Maybe? I don’t know, honestly, I just… well, I’ve never had this problem before.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Ah, Wukong is going to kill me when he finds out.”

MK scowled. “That’s not funny, dude.”

His reprimand was met with a confused tilt of Macaque’s head. “What isn’t?” His focus flitted away before MK could answer, looking around the room curiously. “Wait, where are we again?”

“This is your place,” MK replied. “Well, it’s a room in your place.” He waved for Macaque to follow him. “Come on, maybe seeing your stuff will, uh… I don’t know, jog your memory or something.” Macaque cautiously followed him out of the room and into the dim dojo. “Forgot how dark it was in here, one second,” he moved to the lightswitch on the wall, “lemme just get this-”

Macaque made a noise of surprise as the dojo’s overhead lights kicked on. They weren’t terribly bright, but the shadow recoiled from them all the same. “What is that?” He reached up gingerly, hand hovering around a lightbulb like it might burn him. “Did you do this? Doesn’t look like any kind of magic I’ve ever seen.”

MK shook his head. “It’s just a lightbulb, dude. It’s like, you know, electricity? Pretty much every house in the city has some.” His brow furrowed as Macaque continued to marvel at incredibly mundane things around the dojo. “So, uh… you recognize anything?”

“Huh?” Macaque said absently, “Uh, yeah, some of this… it’s definitely my stuff.” He ran a hand over the weapons rack. “I just don’t know why it’s here, and not on Flower Fruit Mountain.”

“I mean, probably because you live here?” MK offered.

Macaque whirled on him at that, eyes wide with shock. “I live here?” His hands flailed a bit, gesturing around the dojo. “Why do I live here?” He demanded, “What happened to Flower Fruit Mountain?”

Lifting his hands in surrender, hoping that it’d placate the panicking immortal, MK quickly explained, “Monkey King still lives on Flower Fruit Mountain, nothing happened to it, you guys just-”

“Then I need to get back,” Macaque said, breezing past MK and towards the door. “How far is it from here?”

“Uh- hold on!” MK wasn’t sure what he was dealing with, but if Macaque was startled by a lightbulb, the city was going to be a whole different kind of shock. “Let’s just- uh, hang on a second-”

But Macaque had already thrown open the door, barely taking one step outside before he was reeling. “What the hell is that?” His hands clapped over his ears as he stumbled back into the dojo. “What is-”

MK rushed forward to slam the door shut. “Okay! So, just to explain some stuff here, you live in the city,” he explained. Macaque reluctantly moved his hands, the outside noise banished with the closed door. “And it’s a pretty big city. There’s lots of people, lots of cars, lots of… lots of everything, really.”

“Right,” Macaque nodded, blinking owlishly. “Can I just-” His body dropped until he was crouched on the ground, resting on the balls of his feet. “Could you give me a second, kid?” He asked, lacing together his fingers and pressing them against his forehead. “Processing some stuff here.”

All things considered, MK was having a pretty weird day, but it occurred to him suddenly that Macaque was probably having a way weirder day than he was. “Yeah, that was probably a lot.” He gave Macaque’s shoulder a reluctant pat. The Macaque he knew probably wouldn’t have accepted any kind of reassurance, but this Macaque looked like he needed it.  “You, uh… you good?

“Probably,” Macaque mumbled. “Just gotta get ahold of myself.” He took a deep breath, the shoulder under MK’s hand trembling on the exhale. “What century is this?”

“I think we’re somewhere in the 21st century?” MK replied, “Probably. It’s not super clear.” He cleared his throat. “I’m guessing things are a little different than you remember?”

Macaque hummed. “Pretty much everything.” He stood and brushed off his shirt. “Okay, let’s try that-” He paused, looking down at himself with an odd expression. “That… that’s not right.”

“What isn’t? Your shirt?” MK shrugged. “You wear that thing all the time.”

“Do I wear it wrong all the time?” Macaque asked. “Because it’s folded-” He shook his head. “Whatever. I’ll worry about it later.” He looked back to MK. “So, about getting to Flower Fruit Mountain.”

MK clapped his hands together. “Yes! Flower Fruit Mountain, can do.” The issue with that was the Monkey King himself. MK was sure that Macaque wasn’t trying to pull anything, but he doubted his mentor would feel the same. If MK enlisted the help of Monkey King, there was a pretty high chance that he’d taunt the shadow rather than help. “There might be, uh- a slight problem with that, actually.”

“What?” Macaque crossed his arms. “Why?”

“Well-” MK was saved from having to say anything else by his phone, which exploded with sound. “Uh, hold that thought.” MK pulled his phone out of his pocket and fumbled with it for a moment. “I gotta take this.” And he did, not just because it served as a good distraction, but because MK had learned that if he missed a few calls from his friends, they would assume another world-destroying threat had appeared and start panicking.

Macaque frowned at MK’s phone. “What is that?”

MK made a vague gesture for him to wait as he answered the phone, quickly glancing at the caller ID before putting it to his ear. “Hey, Mei! Now isn’t really a good time, if I could just call you back-”

“MK!” Mei interrupted. “They fixed the Monkey Mech game at the arcade,” she informed him cheerfully, “and I owe you about two weeks of butt-kicking.”

“That’s great, Mei,” MK said, “but I kinda got a situation here, so-”

“Who are you talking to?” Macaque asked, tilting his head curiously at MK’s phone, like the device might somehow make more sense at forty-five degrees. “Is the talking box magic? Or is this another lightbulb situation?”

Shooing Macaque away, MK replied, “It’s another lightbulb thing, don’t worry about it.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway! Mei, I really-”

“Is that Macaque?” Mei gasped, “Oh, you should totally invite him to the arcade! Then I can kick both your butts at Monkey Mech. That counts as training, right? I feel like that should count as training.”

Macaque waved as though Mei could see him. “Hello, girl in MK’s talking box,” he greeted awkwardly, clearly unsure what to make of the phone. “What’s an arcade?”

Mei winced, “How out of touch is this guy?” she asked quietly. “Even Monkey King knows what a videogame is.”

“Does Wukong know her?” Macaque leaned closer to MK’s phone. “Girl in the talking box! Do you know Wukong?”

MK gently shoved Macaque away from his ear. “It’s called a phone, Macaque, would you just- Mei, I’m putting you on speaker.” He pulled the phone away from his head to find whatever button would play Mei’s voice aloud, so that Macaque didn’t have to talk in his ear to be part of the conversation. “There! Okay, um- Mei? I have a serious situation here, and it’s not a ‘go to the arcade now and fix it later’ kind of problem.”

“Macaque isn’t trying anything, is he?” Mei demanded, her voice suddenly taking on a low, dangerous tone. “MK, what did he do?”

“I just met MK five minutes ago, why would I do anything?” Macaque exclaimed, looking bewildered at the very notion. “And how did you get inside this box?”

“No, Mei, Macaque didn’t do anything this time,” MK told her quickly, and Macaque looked disturbed by the phrase this time. MK hoped that they’d figure out how to fix Macaque before he had to explain what had happened. “Macaque is the situation, he’s… I don’t know, he’s stuck. And I don’t know how to fix him.”

“Stuck how?”

Macaque made an unsure noise. “Yeah, we’re still trying to figure that out, too.”

“Hence, ‘the situation’.” MK pinched the bridge of his nose. “He doesn’t remember a lot of stuff right now, and I don’t know how to make him unforget. And, no, before you ask,” MK interjected before Mei could, “he’s not faking it. He’s a good actor, but he’s not this good.”

“Thank you,” Macaque said brightly. “I think. Have you seen me perform?”

“You’re absolutely sure this isn’t a trick?” Mei asked skeptically.

MK hummed. “Mm-hm, like, ninety-nine point nine percent sure.” He sighed, “But I have no idea how to fix it, and I’m not sure I can bring him to Monkey King-”

Macaque straightened at that. “Wait, why can’t we go to Wukong for help?”

“Uh- he’s busy,” MK said quickly. “Doing Mystic Monkey business, probably.” It was a lie, but it was easier than explaining the long, complicated history between them. Especially since MK didn’t actually know a lot about what happened. Macaque didn’t look very satisfied with the answer, but he didn’t press.

There was something garbled on Mei’s end of the line, a gruff voice that MK could recognize anywhere, even if he couldn’t hear the words. “Yeah, so,” Mei said, “Piggy is saying to bring him here? He and Tang think they might know what’s happening.”

“Really?” MK asked. “That’s great! We’ll meet you guys over there.” He hung up the phone, turning to Macaque with a grin. “Okay, change of plans. How do you feel about noodles?”

Macaque gave a half-hearted shrug. “I mean, they’re fine, I guess?” He fidgeted with his scarf, tugging at the red fabric with a crinkled nose. “Why? Are there noodles where we’re going?”

“Pigsy will probably have some ready when we get over there. He owns a noodle shop, and I work as his delivery boy,” MK explained while Macaque turned in a circle, staring at the tail end of his scarf as though baffled by it. “Did you- do you wanna change before we head out?”

“Can I?” Macaque swatted at the flowing scarf in irritation. “This stupid hanfu is driving me insane, and the scarf isn’t much better. It wasn’t even cold outside.” He started wrestling the red fabric over his head as he walked to the back of the dojo. “I’m gonna go look around this… whatever this is, and find something sensible to wear. I’ll be right back.”

MK wondered if Macaque would be insulted by himself when he got back to normal, taking jabs at his own fashion choice. He couldn’t wait to relay everything that had happened to the shadow when his memories came back, exposing the edgy lord of shadows for the softie he was, because MK did genuinely believe, somewhere deep down, that Macaque was still this soft.

But in order to tease Macaque about his long-buried softness, they’d have to fix him first. And MK figured Macaque would probably take a while with the wardrobe change–he could hear the shadow opening and closing doors, apparently having trouble figuring out which room might have some spare clothes–so he leaned against the nearest wall and scrolled through his phone. While he waited, he looked up the proper way to wear a hanfu. He wasn’t super familiar with traditional clothing, but Macaque seemed adamant that it was wrong, and MK was curious.

The results he got were a little more off-putting than he had anticipated. A hanfu wasn’t supposed to be folded the way Macaque’s had been, right over left, unless it was on a corpse, which had a pretty disturbing implication that MK didn’t want to think too hard about, even if it was just symbolism. He shoved his phone and his pocket and resolved to scold Macaque for his dramatics later.

“Hey, kid,” Macaque called, stepping back into the dojo, wearing what looked like a simpler version of the hanfu he’d taken off, folded left over right and accessorized with a red bandana. He looked nearly identical to the memories MK had seen in the Scroll. “I’m pretty sure that city outside is pretty difficult to navigate if you're a millennia behind the times. How are we getting to this noodle shop?”

“I’ll drive us there,” MK replied, “but we should probably head out now before traffic gets bad.” He started for the door, but stopped with his hand on the door handle. “Uh… is there any kind of- like, a magic thing you can do? So the city doesn’t hurt your ears so much?”

Macaque made an unsure noise. “I can keep them hidden, but there’s not much I can do for the sound.”

“Sorry, hidden?” MK clarified, confused by the statement as Macaque’s ears were clearly in plain view. Though, when MK thought about it, his full name was the ‘Six-Eared Macaque’. He hadn’t ever considered that the name was literal, but Macaque was capable of creating some pretty powerful illusions. MK knew about the scar he kept hidden, it was reasonable to assume that the shadow might keep a couple extra sets of ears hidden, too.

“Uh-huh,” Macaque replied absently. “Wukong usually handles the noise when I need it, but he’s not here… for some reason.” He looked around, like something in the four walls might have more answers if he looked hard enough. “I don’t know why I’d be doing this without Wukong around,” the shadow muttered quietly. “We must have become morons in the future.”

“You mean the present,” MK corrected. “Right? This is still the present? You’re morons in the present.”

“Technically, yeah,” Macaque conceded. “But my memories are stuck in the past somehow, so to me? It’s the future, and I’m not an idiot yet.”

“You know, fair enough!” MK replied, opening the door and letting the city noise back into the dojo. “Let me know if the city gets too loud for you, I’ll let you borrow my headphones.”

Macaque followed MK outside with a barely audible wince. “Your what phone? The box you were talking into?”

MK took the blue headphones off of his neck. “Put these over your ears,” he instructed, hopping in the driver side of his tuk-tuk and putting his key in the ignition. “They’re noise canceling, and I can play some music if you want.”

“No, it’s…” Macaque slipped the headphones over his ears, looking pleasantly surprised at the lack of noise. “This is great, actually.” He slid into the passenger seat of the tuk-tuk, looking around the city in amazement. “The mortals have gotten creative over the years.”

“Yup!” MK drove slower than he usually would, letting Macaque take in the sights as they made their way across the city. “Nothing like good ol’ human ingenuity.” He turned onto a busy street, watching in amusement as Macaque marveled at the skyscrapers and buses and neon signs. “It’s weird seeing you like this, you know? You’re not usually this enthusiastic.”

“Really?” Macaque asked. “What am I usually like?”

MK hummed. “You sorta got this… like, a slightly edgier vibe going on? Kinda broody, a little mean-ish.” Macaque looked concerned at that, so MK quickly amended with, “I think you have good- like, mostly good intentions, you’re just not always the nicest person, you know?”

“Mean, huh?” Macaque mumbled. “Wonder when that started happening.” MK had a few guesses, most of them involving a fight he saw, one deep below a mountain, but he kept that to himself. “I’m sure Wukong will know what’s going on. Whenever he gets back from his… what’d you call it? ‘Mystic Monkey’ business? I’m gonna need him to fill me in on a few things.”

“Well, hopefully we can get you fixed before he has to explain anything,” MK said. “No ‘filling you in’ required, because there’s, like, hundreds of years worth of stuff to tell you, and I don’t think Monkey King would have the patience.”

Macaque chuckled. “Fair enough.” He leaned back in his seat. “I can’t wait to tell him all about this when I see him again.” MK stopped at a red light, turning to watch Macaque. It was odd seeing an almost child-like wonder from the otherwise cynical shadow. It was easy to see how Monkey King had gotten along with Macaque in the past, if this was the Macaque he’d befriended.

But it made a small, anxious pit in MK’s stomach, knowing that this Macaque was also, somehow, the same Macaque that stripped him of his powers and pinned him to a mountain. The Macaque so eager to see Monkey King had grown to be someone who’d go to unfathomable lengths just to provoke his former friend into fighting him. MK had seen some pieces of their past, a peach-scented promise on a beach and a vicious, scathing fight from under a mountain, but it still seemed so surreal, that two people who cared about each other so much could become such bitter enemies.

MK shook his head as the light above him turned green. Macaque lurched a bit as MK hit the gas, and he put his hand out to brace himself on the dash. “So,” the shadow asked, “how far are we from this noodle shop?”

“It’s right up ahead,” MK told him, turning down familiar streets. “Oh, and just a heads up, I guess, because you don’t… you don’t remember it, but you don’t always get along with my friends. So, if everyone’s a little on edge, don’t take it personally.”

“Huh,” Macaque frowned as MK pulled up alongside the shop. “Well, I guess that’s not a surprise. I don’t get along with a lot of people in the past, either.” He pulled the headphones off his ears and handed them back to MK. “Maybe I can win them over. I don’t know what I did to make them mad at me, but I probably shouldn’t be on bad terms with your friends if you’re Wukong’s successor.”

“I mean, yeah,” MK said, hoping he sounded more optimistic than he felt, “maybe we can, uh- we can put in a good word for future you. Present you. Whichever you it is.” He cleared his throat and hopped out of the vehicle. “Come on! I’m sure Mr. Tang is pacing a track in the floor trying to figure out what’s wrong with you.”

Macaque slid out of the passenger seat and followed MK to the door. “Is this Mr. Tang guy familiar with my kind of magic?”

“He’s familiar with some magic,” MK supplied. “He’s still learning. And you’re a little cagey about your, uh… whatever you got going on.”

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I don’t even understand my powers half the time.” Macaque’s hand trailed to his chest, like he had something to protect there. “Hopefully, we won’t have to pry at anything to figure this out.”  He grasped the knot of his bandana as MK parted the wooden curtain leading inside.

Everyone was waiting, heads snapping to the door as MK entered. “MK!” Mei gasped, jumping from her chair and grabbing MK by the shoulders. “Are you okay? Where is-”

“Macaque!” Tang, half-hidden by a pile of books, yelped as the shadow slipped in the door behind MK. “He’s here!”

Pigsy’s eyes narrowed. “He didn’t try anything, did he?” He jabbed an accusing ladle in Macaque’s direction. “I better not find out that this is some trick of yours, ‘cause I have a pot of boiling water with your name on it.”

Macaque crossed his arms, looking self-conscious under Pigsy’s scrutinizing stare. “Alright, yeah, I see what you mean,” he told MK. “These guys do not like me. Which,” he lifted his hands placatingly, “I’m sure you all have perfectly good reasons for! So, I’m just gonna sit over here,” he moved to a table in the corner of the shop and pulled out a chair, “and, uh… be very quiet.”

While everyone else in the noodle shop seemed surprised by the complacency, Sandy waved from across the room. “Hello, Mr. Maquack,” he greeted warmly. “I heard you’re having some memory trouble.” He held up a book full of flowers and plants, “I’ve been looking for some cures; I’ll let you know if I find anything.”

The shadow gave a hesitant smile. “Maquack?” he asked.

Sandy shrugged. “You never corrected me.”

“Fair enough,” Macaque replied.

Tang squinted at Macaque, readjusting his glasses. “You know, I had my doubts about Macaque’s amnesia before, but… he’s like an entirely different person.” He pulled a book from his pile and flipped through the pages. “I’m not exactly sure what to do about this.”

“You think this is like the Monkey King’s amnesia thing?” Pigsy asked.

Mei clambered onto a barstool and leaned against the counter. “Uh- question?” she said curiously. “What amnesia thing are you guys talking about?”

“Yeah,” MK agreed. “Just a recap for, you know, anyone that didn’t see what happened.”

“Well, someone woke Monkey King from his transcendental meditation,” Tang said, glaring pointedly at Pigsy, whose only response was a huff and an eyeroll. “We were dealing with a much younger Monkey King for a while, and he seemed convinced that Mo, Pigsy, and I were his friends from the Journey.”

Macaque, from across the room, asked, “What journey?”

“But Macaque doesn’t think we’re anyone else,” Mei pointed out. “He just doesn’t know who we are.”

“And I don’t think he was meditating when I found him,” MK added. “I mean, it looked similar, I guess, but we're still not really sure what happened.”

Pigsy idly stirred his pot of noodles. “Well, it’s still amnesia, ain’t it? Let’s just find a big rock and have MK chuck it at his head. It fixed Monkey King just fine.”

“Sorry,” Macaque interjected. “Did you, uh- did you say that you threw a rock at Wukong? Because I find that both hilarious and mildly concerning.”

Sandy scratched his head in thought. “I’m sure there’s a better solution than that,” he insisted. “Throwing a rock at him seems like such a violent way to solve a medical emergency.”

Tang made an unsure noise. “Are we sure that this is a medical emergency? MK said that Macaque was doing something with his magic. If this is some kind of mystical interference, there might not be a lot of mortal remedies that can help.” He gestured to Macaque. “We don’t even know if Macaque is as indestructible as Monkey King is. Throwing a rock at him might actually make this worse.”

Mei hummed in thought. “Remind me again why we’re not asking Monkey King for help?” She placed her chin in her hand. “I mean, he’d know Macaque better than any of us, right? Maybe Monkey King has seen this before, even if this Macaque doesn’t remember it.”

“Even if this Macaque doesn’t remember anything, Monkey King does,” Tang pointed out. “Would he even be willing to help Macaque?”

“I mean…” MK started reluctantly, “they have been on better terms since the Scroll of Memory.” He fiddled with the zipper of his jacket, dragging it up and down anxiously. Just because Macaque had helped with the Scroll, didn’t mean the shadow and the king were on good terms. Their whole situation was too difficult to navigate. “Monkey King might be willing to help, probably.”

Pigsy raised an eyebrow. “Then why didn’t you call him,” he asked, and the question made MK shrink a little, because Pigsy never asked questions like that unless he already knew the answer. And, the truth was, MK wasn’t sure if Monkey King would help.

There were centuries of distance between Monkey King and Macaque, and MK was certain that the gentle exchange of glances he’d seen in the Scroll was only a mere dent in the walls they’d created around each other. Even with Macaque out of the loop, MK honestly wouldn’t put it past his mentor to heckle the oblivious shadow, anyway, just for the fun of it. And not only would that be incredibly unhelpful, it also wasn’t particularly fair to the memory-impaired Macaque.

“You know I can still hear you guys, right?” Macaque said from across the room, not looking particularly happy about what he was hearing. “I’m not called the Six-Eared Macaque for nothing.”

At that, Tang’s head snapped up, staring Macaque down with an odd look. “Six-Eared Macaque,” he repeated slowly.

Macaque nodded. “Uh… yeah, that’s- is that news to you?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe I should have introduced myself. MK seemed to know who I was, I guess I just assumed his friends would, too.”

“The Six-Eared Macaque?” Tang clarified.

“Well, I assume it’s the Six-Eared Macaque,” the shadow replied, sounding vaguely amused. “Unless that’s somehow become a common name in the last few hundred years.”

That didn’t seem to soothe Tang’s confusion, his brow furrowing as he turned to MK. “Did you know that was his full name this whole time?”

MK shifted nervously. “I mean, yeah, he mentioned it when we first met, but I didn’t think anything of it. He introduced himself as Macaque, so that’s what I called him.”

“That can’t be right, I thought…” Tang grabbed a book, a familiar one, worn with age and use. MK leaned over his shoulder as he flipped through the ‘Journey to the West’. “I didn’t think you were-” He snapped the book shut before MK could get a good look at what chapter he was reading. “How did I not see it before?”

Tilting his head, Macaque asked, “Sorry, what can’t be right? I’m still new here, so-”

“He was part of the Brotherhood,” Tang scolded himself. “The Macaque Spirit King, the Six-Eared Macaque, it’s Macaque, it all seems so obvious now.” He slipped a hand under his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Monkey King has a thousand titles; he’s Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the Protector of Celestial Horses-”

“Oh!” MK interjected, “I asked him about the horse thing one time? He does not like that title, like, at all.”

Pigsy shook his head. “I don’t have the slightest clue what either of you are talking about.”

Mei hummed in agreement, “Join the club.”

“I mean, in my defense, people called Monkey King ‘macaque’ all the time!” Tang continued. “They called him ‘monkey’ and ‘simian’ and,” he turned to Macaque, “you’re a- like, a monkey demon thing, right? I thought ‘Macaque’ was just a name you got… stuck with.”

“Well, I’m- I think I’m technically celestial,” Macaque said. “And I don’t really see what my name has to do with anything.” He squinted at Tang’s copy of the Journey. “And I definitely don’t see what it has to do with that book, that’s… did someone write a book about Wukong? Am I in it?” He smiled, a fond looking thing. “Aw, he’s probably insufferable about that. His very own book.”

MK had been made acutely aware that he should have read the ‘Journey to the West’, Macaque had said as much at least three times in the Scroll. And, in hindsight, it would have been useful to have some information about Monkey King’s old enemies, but never had MK been quite so annoyed with himself for not actually sitting down and reading the Journey cover to cover. Of course, Macaque was in the book. He’d been trying to pry the information out of the two immortals for months, and he could have just read the book.

But he hadn’t, and maybe it was because some part of him didn’t really want to know the extent of the damage Monkey King had caused, or maybe he was afraid some of the enemies he’d fought had real reasons to hate the Great Sage. In any case, MK didn’t like the expression on Tang’s face as he looked at Macaque. “You know what? Maybe I should get Monkey King,” he said quickly. “I can try astral projecting, see if he’ll come to the noodle shop and help us brainstorm. Or I can bring Macaque to him! Maybe he’ll have something in the cave that can help.”

“He has always been a bit of a hoarder,” Macaque mused. “And if he’s been collecting for a thousand years, maybe he does have something.” Confusion creased his brow. “But I thought he was busy.”

Mei snorted. “Busy eating peaches, maybe,” she joked. “It’s his day off. MK had training with you today, so I doubt Monkey King is doing much of anything.”

Macaque glanced at MK, raising an eyebrow, “Mystic Monkey business, huh?”

MK gave a sheepish smile. “Yeah, so…” He ducked away and scurried to the stairs that led up to his apartment. “I’m gonna go call Monkey King! Be back in a minute.” He bolted up to his room, eager to escape Macaque’s prying gaze, shutting the door firmly behind him and slumping against the nearest wall, dragging his hands down his face with an exasperated groan.

As much as MK wanted to avoid a fight between the mystic monkeys, he’d reached a point that he was flailing for answers. And Macaque was behaving himself, if only because he didn’t remember how to be bitter, so if Monkey King was willing to call a truce long enough to help, maybe–just maybe –MK wouldn’t have to deal with them fighting like children.

He sighed and pushed himself off the wall, closing his eyes and summoning the focus to project himself outwards in search of Monkey King. If there was anything optimistic to be found in the ruins of his training session, it was that dealing with his two emotionally incompetent mentors would, at the very least, be a fantastic exercise in patience.

[seriousbrat]

imo it's not so hard to accept that SWM takes place after the prank. I mean it is canon so too bad but it makes complete sense to me. there's no evidence the prank was some big life-altering character development moment for any of the characters involved and that they all learnt their various lessons. in fact we see that they don't. in SWM the marauders are clearly still tormenting Sev. In Sev's conversation with Lily post-prank he's still just as obsessed with the marauders and exposing their secrets as ever, if not more. he doesn't consider what lily's saying at all because he's too focused on his hatred towards them.

my hc is that sirius (rather masterfully) used reverse psychology on sev to get him to go down the willow. Sev isn't stupid, he wouldn't have let himself willingly be led into a trap by his worst enemies. I think Sirius probably "let it slip" and then "backtracked" and acted like Snape wouldn't be brave enough to go down there anyway and that he should just forget it. I doubt Sirius directly told him to go down the willow, I think cleverly he told him not to, knowing that Sev would do so anyway (not that this makes a difference ethically bc his intent is still clear, but anyway. this isn't about who is morally better because idgaf honestly lol, I'm just trying to work through their mindsets)

the marauders received no real consequences for the prank, so why would they learn their lesson? Objectively you can't really punish someone for telling someone not to do something if they do it anyway. Not particularly fair, but still. Which brings me to Sev's responsibility in the matter (which yes, does exist imo) we're shown that he was obsessed with finding out what the marauders were up to and particularly obsessed with Remus's secret. Yes, this is understandable given how they treated him, but absolutely not healthy and he still chose to go down there, whether out of pride, greed, curiousity, vindictiveness. He obv was manipulated but there's a reason he was so easily manipulated. As I said previously, his obsession with revenge is what causes him to be blind to lily's feelings.

James rescuing him wasn't some moment of epiphany about how bullying is bad actually. It was just a fundamental part of James's character already. He would never have let him die regardless of how he felt about him.

All of this makes SWM the PEAK moment of hatred between Sev and the Marauders, which explains a lot of their responses. Sirius and James hate Sev more than ever for trying to expose Remus. Sev, justifiably, hates them more than ever for trying to kill him (and he ropes James into this, which is incorrect but understandable in his position)

James "deflating his head" probably wasn't just based on one event in particular. He just grew up and learned what was more important- being a good person, fighting against voldemort. But Sev also had growing up to do of his own during this time. As I talked about in in this post yesterday I think post-swm Sev was beginning to realise that his lack of control over his emotional responses (calling lily a mudblood out of humiliation, for example) was dangerous both to lily and to himself.

Yeah they still hated each other and attacked each other in seventh year. There's too much bad blood there to do anything else. I've talked about the dynamic between Sev and James here and how that might have developed as they grew older. I honestly find it extremely interesting, I could go on about these two for hours rip. My point is that the development of these characters into adults wasn't instant or linear, it was messy and rough. people don't usually change overnight, it happens slowly over time because they have to.

[girlactionfigure]

🟠 SUN morning - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

( 1 of 2 )

▪️A HERO SOLIDER HAS FALLEN.. in battle in Gaza: Yakir Shmuel Tatelbaum, 21, from Ma’ale Adumim.  May his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem, and may G-d avenge his blood!

.. A MESSAGE FROM THE MOTHER OF YAIR AVITAN - who was reported fallen last night:

I received the messengers of Iyov (Job) at my door last night around 5:00 PM.  I received the difficult news in silence just like Aharon HaCohen, who learned about his 2 sons who died. "Vidom Aharon".

On this occasion, I want to hug and strengthen first and foremost the commanders and fighters, your beloved children, who today are also mine.   Raise your head! Don't cry! Don't lose heart! This is the last war. Fight the enemy without mercy, for the sake of all the people of Israel!

We will win and in a big way only in one way - if we love each other, embrace and hold each other. We will not hate, we will not take revenge and we will not review one another.

My son died a martyr's death. He is now sitting under the kisay hakavod, under the holy throne of the creator of the world, watching over us from the best place a soul can reach and asking you one thing - don't be sad.

I personally do not intend to leave the battle, on the contrary, I AM ENLISTING IN PLACE OF MY SON.

I will continue to assist the boys in everything and anything until victory. 

All hope that my son will be the last sacrifice.

The enemy made a grave mistake, he didn't know what kind of mother he was dealing with.  I have very strong ties with the Creator of the world and I assure you that the revenge on the part of the Almighty will be so severe from now on that even the enemy will not understand from where it fell on him. 

Am Yisroel Chai - The nation of Israel lives. 🇮🇱

▪️PROTEST LAST NIGHT - ANTI-GOVT.. Kaplan area, Tel Aviv, which became violent as police tried to arrest someone who set a fire by the Histadrut building and a Member of Knesset (conflicting stories) either interfered with the arrest or was assaulted by police as she tried to observe.

▪️(SOME) HOSTAGE FAMILIES SAY.. Statement by representatives of some of the families of the abductees outside Kirya in Tel Aviv:  "We have been informed that the Biden administration is working to renew negotiations for a deal. What stands between us and our loved ones is Netanyahu's insistence on not ending the war as part of a deal. The continuation of the war means the murder of the hostages.”  (( The moral situation becomes clear - Israel failed in keeping its citizens safe. But it cannot allow Hamas to survive after what Hamas did - or Israel will not survive. The families are doing what they should be - advocating for their loved ones at all cost.  But Israel can’t pay all costs without putting millions of people at risk. ))

♦️IDF EXTRACTING BODIES.. from the a-Tawansi cemetery in Shejaiya, east Gaza City.  Why?  Checking for dead hostages.

♦️RAFAH DEMOLITION.. Rafah central square demolished by IDF.

♦️US/UK ATTACK HOUTHIS.. attacking the airport of the city of Hodeidah.  And the Saudi’s attacked a Houthi site near the Saudi-Yemen border.

🔺RED ON RED - GAZA.. armed clashes between the residents of the Bureij camp in the center of the Gaza Strip and the security forces of Hamas.

🔺RED ON RED - TULKARM.. Palestinian Authority's security forces surrounded a building where 3 armed men wanted by Israel were staying.  Firefight, wanted men injured.  Later, Tulkarm terrorists opened fire at the PA headquarters in the city.

⭕ HEZBOLLAH FIRES ANTI-AIR.. over Lebanon, surface-to-air missiles were launched toward IAF aircraft.  IDF struck back at Jabal Safi area.

⭕ HOUTHIS ATTACK.. another cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden.

🟠 SUN morning - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

( 2 of 2 )

▪️JEWISH DRIVER ACCIDENTALLY ENTERED KALANDIA.. Arab town north of Jerusalem, attacked, attempted murder, car destroyed, car lit on fire - escaped to the checkpoint.

▪️US ASKS IRAQ TO BLOCK IRAN OVERFLIGHTS TO SYRIA.. which are bringing weapons to Hezbollah.  (( Why only now??? ))

▪️DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS.. "We are not looking for war but we are ready for it. And we will reach a junction, it will be a T junction both for the enemy and for us. If [Hezbollah] chooses to go to war, we will know what to do. If it chooses to go to an agreement, we will respond in this matter.”  (( Terrifying!  That the DM is hearing threats of complete destruction from Iran, mass destruction, murder and rape from Hezbollah, and is giving out statements like this. ))

▪️FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS.. “If Hezbollah does not stop firing and does not withdraw from southern Lebanon, we will act against it with all our might until security is restored and the residents return to their homes.”  (( This is what we expect to hear and our enemies to hear, given the cultural environment. ))

▪️TURKISH ARMY MOVING TOWARDS SYRIAN BORDER by eastern Aleppo.

▪️UK: LABOR THREAT TO STOP ALL ARMS TO ISRAEL AND SAUDI ARABIA?   Fabian Hamilton, a senior member of the Labor Party, said during a political event at a mosque in Leeds that "Britain will immediately stop all arms sales to Israel as soon as we come to power." He also added that the Labor government would stop all arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

▪️SOCIETY.. Director General of the National Civil Service: the ultra-Orthodox are gifted with special tools due to their study of the Gemara, in Lahav 433 (Israel police serious crime investigation unit) they are enthusiastic and want them for crime solving.

▪️ECONOMY.. Senior Israeli at Salesforce returns to “prepare company for AI”.  Conversely, Google biotech company Verily is closing its Israeli office “not related to the war”.

▪️ISIS???  ISIS attacks in Syria this year have increased by 250% compared to last year.  ISIS terrorists are active in at least 28 countries across the African continent as well as Syria.

♦️IDF forces returned this morning to the al-Barazil neighborhood of Rafah while firing heavy artillery.  There is heavy equipment in the area, and the IDF is conducting excavation operations throughout the neighborhood.

♦️IDF ATTACKS LEBANON.. Hermes, north east Lebanon.

♦️COUNTER-TERROR OPERATIONS - SHECHEM.. overnight.

⭕ HAMAS ROCKETS overnight, short range, at Holit & Sufa, near the Egyptian border.

[a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all]

Joel Kinnaman Masterlist

Rick Flag

Takeshi Kovacs

Stephen Holder

Ed Baldwin

🌟= new post

🤕= Whump 😥 = Angst 😘= Fluff/ Relationship

✍= reader insert ✉️ = ask/ request

Main Masterlist

Fics:

Schrodinger’s Cat (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 😥 ✍

Rick is about to leave on his next mission with Task Force X, and you have a bad feeling about it….

Bleeding Heart Masterlist (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 🤕 😥 ✍

Rick has a mysterious new recruit on Task Force X. Without being provided any information, Rick will have to learn about this new team member on the job.

Surprise! (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 ✍

Rick loves sneaking up and scaring you when you least expect it. But turnabout is fair play….

The Colonel and the Sergeant Masterlist (Rick Flag x Reader, Past Bucky Barnes x Reader) 😘 🤕 😥 ✍

When you and your boyfriend Rick Flag bump into your ex, Bucky Barnes, at a bar one night, things get a bit awkward. But how will revelations about your past relationship affect your current one?

A Christmas Miracle (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 😥 ✍ ✉️

When you are in an accident and forced to stay in the hospital for Christmas, will your partner Rick Flag be his normal pain in the ass self, or will he surprise you?

Up in Smoke (Hurt/Comfort Edition) (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 🤕 😥 ✍

Rick feels terrible when he has to work late and misses dinner with you, but he is in for a terrible surprise when he gets home.

Up in Smoke (Pure Angst Edition) (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 🤕 😥 ✍

Rick feels terrible when he has to work late and misses dinner with you, but he is in for a deadly surprise when he gets home.

Since That Day (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 😥 ✍

Since the day you lost Rick in Corto Maltese, you have been planning your revenge. And now, the time has come…

Break the Ice (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 😥 ✍ ✉️

When his best friend falls through the ice when skating, Rick tries to save you. But pulling you out of the water might just be the start of things….

All I Want for Christmas is You (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 😥 ✍

Last Christmas Eve, Rick had a special surprise for you. This Christmas Eve, another big event is happening as well.

Christmas is for Friends and Family (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 😥 ✍

When you tell Rick that you don’t do Christmas because it is a time for family and friends, neither of which you have, he makes it his mission to prove you wrong.

Whatever You Need (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 🤕 😥 ✍

When his friend calls him late at night to say you were attacked and needs his help, Rick races to your aid immediately.

The Person I’ve Become (Dark!Rick Flag x Reader) 🤕 😥 ✍ ✉️

After he returned from Corto Maltese, Rick thought his life was over. Until, that is, he is reunited with an old acquaintance. But what happens when the truth comes out and it appears he might lose everything once again?

Not So Friendly Fire (Rick Flag x Reader) 🤕 😥 ✍

When you are captured, Rick Flag will do whatever it takes to get you back.

It’ll Be Okay (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 🤕 😥 ✍ ✉️

Rick and you are captured on a mission by a man looking for information. And he is willing to use any means necessary to get the answers he is looking for.

Promises Masterlist (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 🤕 😥 ✍

Rick has promised you time and time again that he would leave Task Force X, but yet again he has failed to keep his word. And this time you have finally had enough.

Being Afraid Doesn’t Make You Weak Masterlist (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 🤕 😥 ✍

Rick has known about your fear of flying for a while. So when your plane heads directly into a storm on the way to a mission, he tries his best to make you as comfortable as possible. And the flight is just the start of the troubles….

Partners (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 😥 ✍

You and Rick have been partners in DC for years. But when you hear a rumor he might be getting transferred, you can’t help but wonder what this will mean for your friendship.

This Means War (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 😥 ✍

After receiving new commands from Waller, you have no choice but the lead the Suicide Squad into battle against ARGUS. But to make it to the end of the fight, what are you willing to do? And are you willing to take out anyone who stands in your way?

Let Me Teach You (Rick Flag & gn!Reader) 😘 ✍ ✉️

When Rick finds out he has to go to a big military ball, he is horrified. Dancing is definitely not one of his many skills. So, you offer to teach him.

Breakfast For Two (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 😥 ✍

On your first anniversary, Rick tries to surprise you by making eggs for breakfast. While it doesn’t go as planned, you keep up that tradition years later.

Hello Darlin’ (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 😥 ✍ ✉️

Your ex-boyfriend, Rick, broke your heart when he left town months ago. But when he suddenly reappears and wants to talk, can you find a way to forgive him?

Presumed Dead Masterlist (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 🤕 😥 ✍

Rick Flag watched the love of his life fall to her death three months ago. However, when he is captured by the same enemy that stole you from him, he discovers things aren't always what they seem.

Thank You, Colonel Flag (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 ✍

On the one-year anniversary of his near-death experience on Corto Maltese, Rick Flag is left reflecting on the disaster his life has become. But a chance encounter with a familiar stranger may change his perspective.

Eternally Yours Masterlist (Vampire!Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 🤕 😥 ✍

As a vampire, you have walked the Earth alone for thousands of years, resigned to the fact that everyone you ever meet will perish in what seems like a blink of an eye. That is until you find the one person who you can't bear to lose….

I’d Catch a Grenade For You (Rick Flag x Reader) 🤕 😥 ✍

When a mission goes wrong, Rick makes the ultimate sacrifice to protect you.

I Got You (Rick Flag x Reader) 😘 🤕 😥 ✍

The mission went from bad to worse. After you are injured, Rick manages to get you to the safe house. However, after an infection sets in, is there anything else he can do?

Drabbles:

"Where does it hurt?” = Rick Flag x Female!Reader

“You’re so stubborn!”

“All I ever wanted was for you to see me.”

Shielding the other with their body to save/protect them

Person A finding a hand-sketched photo of them on Person B’s desk

A Hand-Sketched Photo (Alternate POV)

Fics:

It’s Still You and It’s Still Me (Takeshi Kovacs x Envoy!Reader) 😘 ✍

You were once an Envoy and lover of Takeshi Kovacs. 250 years ago, you were both killed. Now after a mix up, you are resleeved and alone. That is, until you run across a familiar stranger…..

Eternity (Hades!Takeshi Kovacs x Persephone!Reader) 😘 😥 ✍

A Hades & Persephone AU: Takeshi Kovacs and you are as different as night and day. Yet somehow your relationship works. However, when his lifestyle catches up with you, the two of you must deal with the consequences.

Don’t Hide From Me (Takeshi Kovacs x Reader) 😘 😥 ✍ ✉️

When Takeshi is targeted, you get caught in the crossfire.

Never Threaten a Man’s Profit Margin (Takeshi Kovacs x Reader) 🤕 😥 ✍

Takeshi Kovacs and you go to track down a suspect at Fightdrome. But when you disappear, Tak is in for a terrible surprise.

Sleep is For the Weak (Takeshi Kovacs x F!Reader) 😘 ✍ ✉️

You and Takeshi are trying to track down the suspect in your latest case. But sometimes Tak forgets you are not as unstoppable as you try to make yourself seem.

Impossible Situation (Takeshi Kovacs x Reader) 😘 😥 ✍

When you ran away from your abusive family of criminals, you met Tak and everything seemed perfect. But major crime syndicates will do whatever it takes to reclaim what they view is theirs, leaving Tak with an impossible choice.

Drabbles:

“How did you get in here?”

“It’s alright to feel broken every once in a while. And it’s alright to take time to heal.”

As you begin to fall asleep, you feel a gentle kiss pressed to your temple and a blanket draped over you.

A kisses B, but A can tell there is no feeling behind it anymore.

Fics:

Christmas Magic (Stephen Holder x Reader) 😘 ✍

When you and your partner Holder are forced to go out of town Christmas Eve for a case, you try to find a way to reveal to him your feelings. But when one thing after another goes wrong, can either one of you salvage things?

Someone Always Gets Hurt (Stephen Holder x Reader) 😘 😥 ✍

It was only supposed to be a friends-with-benefits arrangement between you and Holder, but when one of you develops real feelings, things get complicated.

Please Wake Up (Stephen Holder x Reader) 😘 😥 ✍

Stephen goes missing in the middle of a case so you join the search party even though you ended things with him a few weeks ago. However, as you search, some revelations make you rethink your decision to break up with him.

Clowns (Stephen Holder x Reader) 😘 🤕 😥 ✍

Holder and you are trying to track down a suspect, but something about him is making Holder uncomfortable.

My Favorite Song (Stephen Holder x Reader) 😘 😥 ✍

When your boyfriend starts avoiding you, you try everything to figure out what went wrong.

Santa and His Elf (Stephen Holder x Reader) 😘 ✍

Holder signs the two of you up to play Santa and his elf at the local Christmas Village only to show up late. While initially furious with him, things soon take an unexpected turn….

Drabbles:

“Why would you even care?” = Stephen Holder x Female!Reader

“Bake me a cake and we’ll talk.” = Stephen Holder x Female!Reader

“Don’t go on that date.” “Why?” “You know why.” = Stephen Holder x Female!Reader

Surprise Sunday morning breakfast. = Stephen Holder x Female!Reader

Fics:

History Repeats Itself (Ed Baldwin x Reader) 😘 🤕 😥 ✍

When Ed receives a call, he has to experience one of the worst experiences in his life all over again.

You're Going to Be Fine Masterlist (Ed Baldwin x Reader) 😘 🤕 😥 ✍

When things go wrong in space, you only have your other crew member to be there for you. And you will always have Ed Baldwin’s back. Even if that means putting his health and safety before your own.

Distress Call (Ed Baldwin) 😥 ✍

Ed managed to be the last survivor after Jamestown was attacked. But for how much longer?

Focus on Your Next Breath (Ed Baldwin x Reader) 😘 😥 ✍

Set between Seasons 1 and 2 of For All Mankind, Ed has returned from the moon yet he is still dealing with everything that happened to him in the past 6 months: Physically, mentally, and emotionally. Good thing he has his old friend to help talk him through it.

Drabbles:

The Only Way

[amazingmsme]

im just imagining ted trying to mess with pete and tickle him only for pete to rebel for the first time and discover how ticklish ted really is ‼️

KDVAMSVFKSV ABSO FUCKIN’ LUTELY!!! While they did have a ton of tickle fights growing up, the large age gap meant Ted always had the upper hand, & he was a bastard even back then so he never let Pete win unless he EARNED it, which was basically never

So what I’m saying is yeah Peter knows Ted’s ticklish to some degree, but always had the tables turned on him before he could get any proper revenge

Fast forward to when Peter’s in high school, & Ted starts hanging around more. He’s hit his growth spurt & is now just as tall as his older brother, & the idea of revenge has crossed his mind, but he is not too keen on being on the receiving end of Ted’s mischief

Ted has really missed annoying Peter & remembers how damn ticklish that kid is & can’t help himself! He traps him in a headlock & tickles his ribs & armpit with his free hand until he gets bored & lets him go

& of course he doesn’t expect any retaliation, I mean, why should he? He’s never been able to get him back before, so why should now be any different?

But then he feels a hand on his shoulder & is spun around & Peter’s looking at him with fire in his eyes & goes “payback’s a bitch” & before he can even question him he’s cackling

He’s been waiting forever for this opportunity & wastes no time in finding all the spots he remembers working back when they were kids (it helps that they share similar tickle spots)

Ted CANNOT take what he dishes out & is flailing around begging for mercy & Peter’s just like “tough shit, I don’t recall getting any mercy when I asked for it!”

He doesn’t stop until Ted is wheezing & literally taps out & then he’s so damn smug for the rest of the day & now Ted has to watch out for random tickle attacks when he least expects it

Finally gets a taste of his own damn medicine, no one feels sorry for him

Ok but imagine Ted has the office crew over for a lil get together, maybe a superbowl party or something & Peter decides to wreck him in front of his friends just like how he likes to do to him!

They all think it’s hilarious & join in on the teasing & encourage Pete from the sidelines & meanwhile Charlotte is absolutely smitten

Paul & Bill can’t help but join the fun because they’ve dealt with enough of Ted’s shenanigans to warrant a bit of payback

[silyabeeodess]

What headcannons do you have on Derrick Arden? I saw your post while back. What would've happened in an AU, everything is the same, except Derrick lives? What would he do after graduation? Both as a job and in private?

Been a long time since I've talked about anything Kuroshitsuji related! Sadly, with the amount of pull Derrick has at school, I just don't see him changing if he survived. More than likely, he'll follow a victim mentality where he'd think he's completely innocent and would ignore all the abuse he himself has done to other students leading up to Greenhill attacking him and the vice headmaster. The reason Derrick was able to get away with everything he has throughout his life is because he's never had to face any true consequences for his actions up until that point. His only consequences prior were responsibilities he did not earn and then just passed on to other people. Moreover, however strict his family his, they've apparently never caught Derrick in his lies, so not even his parents will punish him properly. They'll more than likely just back Derrick as "their poor son attacked by four prefects gone mad."

The thing is though, despite what all of these students, and people like them in the real world, think... School isn't everything. It's a closed environment that means absolutely nothing except what you take with you once you step out of it. I once had bully who ruled over my first elementary school because her mom was a teacher. Everyone followed her like a bunch of mindless sheep, but the instant we got to high school, those connections broke. At this same school, I had a lunch monitor that was so vile she wouldn't let anyone, not even a student with Down Syndrome, get up from their table to get a fork if they forgot it: We were basically told to eat with our hands or starve. She was eventually fired, not for those actions, but (according to rumor anyway) because she refused to help a student who needed to use a urinary catheter (which she legally could not do). She had to work at a gas station after that, along with receiving some other karma that is so dark a fate that I don't feel comfortable sharing it online. In a school's hierarchy, people like those two women, or Derrick and the vice headmaster, get on a power trip, but the instant they step away from that environment... they're nobody.

What would Derrick take with him when he'd graduate? Knowledge? He never put any effort into his studies. Connections? He's got his small circle of nobles, but the prefects and Derrick's victims are a much bigger one--not to mention they're a part of other powerful families like the Druitts that could both figuratively and literally bury him without anyone batting an eye. The prefects would more than likely end up expelled after the event, but all that free time would just give them plenty of opportunities to build up a grudge and cook up revenge. And when things get tough, chances are, those so-called friends of Derrick's that are just as morally bankrupt and follow him around for money are going to kick him to the side.

Derrick's a noble and the family heir at that, so it's unlikely he'd go for a traditional job. More than likely, as soon as he got out of Weston, his family would start pushing him into more adult social circles and prepare him to take over as the next Marques. Here though is where the true consequences of his actions would take over. Because with the prefects expelled, they'll have likely already been in those same circles. Even if his social standing wasn't destroyed, barring him and potentially his family as a whole from things like business deals or marriages... Derrick would by no means be fit to run his family's household. He'd either drag his entire family to ruin; end up revealing his lies to his parents, who'd then strip him of his status as the heir; or both. Even if his family still keeps him afloat with their wealth, if he doesn't know how to manage it, he'll still end up destitute or dead.

Could he grow after that? Maybe. People can change. However, given how many people he's hurt and the severity of his actions, it's not easy to say that others would be willing to give him a second chance.

[the-whispers-of-death]

AHHSGHD pleasantly surprised that the random loosely connected thoughts are well received lmao, considering the way i write is all over the place and very very loosey goosey (esp at 2am... which was the time i sent that ask in)

anyways the thoughts be thoughting right now and. hm. yknow the whole concept of "human ascends into godhood"? what if that happened to mafia!reader? that'd be a cool concept to play around with i think

maybe this happens after criminal!stone has already gotten overly attached to reader and basically worships him as is. and then the reader doesnt show up in the office space of the compound one morning... strange, right?

maybe stone kicks down the door after not getting any response, just barely hearing pained gasps. probably thinks this is like a heart attack, with reader sweating and clutching at his body.

i feel like the transformation is painful. its unnatural, it isnt *supposed* to happen to humans. to *anyone*

maybe reader made like a deal with a demon, maybe it was some other forces. or maybe its a sick type of revenge by the ghosts that haunt him daily. but no matter whats the cause, it *hurts* and it *burns* and its completely changing the body and the mind.

maybe reader is rushed to the medbay on the property. maybe *nothing* is helping, nothing is going the way it should, no painkillers can help, they cant even put him in a medical coma to soothe the pain that way

maybe it last a day, a week. month, maybe? doesnt really matter. but during this time, reader changes so much hes unrecognizable.

im fond of the idea of reader maybe being around 5'9ish, so stone is the taller one. but that suddenly changing after this. what if hes ridiculously tall after this. 7 feet, maybe? i dunno.

how do we feel about hooves? fangs and claws? maybe a tail and horns? just small changes to the body to symbolize the loss of his humanity. reader cant easily hide this now, so he has to face it head on. face that he now stands out *so* much in a crowd. face how the reflection isnt *him* anymore

id love to know how stone would feel, but i struggle to get into his mind in this scenario. guilt, maybe? i mean, yeah, probably guilt. he cant do anything! his dearly beloved is in inhuman amounts of pain and he cant do anything!

the existence of godhood implies magic, and magic implies a LOT of fun stuff. maybe reader uses a cloaking spell to at least *look* human. to look like how he used to. but like all magic, its draining. even gods get tired. it takes a lot more for it to happen, but it still does

in short what im saying is hurt/comfort but taken to the next level. how does our dearly beloved worshiper comfort a *god*? what works? what *helps*? massaging the base of the horns? oh fuck nope thats a growl directed at him, onto the next thing we go.

maybe reader turns the entire compound into his temple, all of the goons his worshipers, but stone at the very forefront of it all? yeah. YEAHHH i like that a lot actually

idk i just think humans becoming inhuman is neat :) esp when its awful and suffering-inducing :3

~ xoxo, rusty (he/him)

These were truly such an amazing, magical thoughts to read. Forget Criminal!Stone worshipping Mafia Boss!Reader, I'm worshipping you.

Criminal!Stone would still worship you, hell he'd be like "Your newly divine form is testament to the fact that you were, are, and will always be a god." It was painful to watch you go through that transformation and not be able to do anything, but now he's working on ways to become an even better worshipper.

Stone figures out how to comfort you in this divine form, he ensures the compound, your temple, is taken care of and is fit for the god you are. He ensures the rest of your followers (your goons) are just as reverent as he is, that they stay in line. No one dares to oppose you now.

And he adores how you're taller than him now.

[prince-honeypaw]

IM HERE

Ok with those many jobs, you KNOW Hizashi is incredibly overworked. Baby time is super important in making sure he doesn't crash, but sometimes it's hard to find a spare moment; there's just so much to do!

I'd love to see CG Aizawa noticing when Hizashi has put off regressing for just a little too long and helping his baby down for some rest - 🎧

♡ Sure thing! I know you said CG Aizawa and all, but I made them both flips for this one! It maaay have gotten away from me a bit as well... >w>; ♡ Hope you enjoy it!

♡ Not everyone has the luxury of saying that they're married to their best friend, and even fewer can say that they're married to their caregiver. Though that's not the case for Hizashi and Shouta! They got married not long after Shouta started working at UA as a teacher, though they'd been regressing since the loss of their friend, Oboro.

♡ Normally they would either regress together or take turns with being one another's caregiver–Hizashi is very meticulous when it comes to setting away time to regress. But, Shouta notices that recently Hizashi hasn't been regressing with him lately–or regressing at all!–and it annoys him.

♡ They are both rather overworked individuals, but Hizashi has to manage his radio show on top of being a teacher and a hero! Shouta isn't one for being hero complexed over... But, he's also not exactly the most vocal about his feelings.

♡ So, rather than talking to his husband like a proper adult, Shouta lays a trap on the night that Hizashi set aside for them. He'd said that he was going to take care of Shouta tonight, so he just had to go change into something more comfortable! What Hizashi did not know was that Shouta would not be changing. If Shouta knew his husband as well as he thought he did, he knew that it would only take fifteen minutes before he came to check on him.

♡ Like clockwork, Shouta's husband comes looking for him and asks if he needs help. Only, Hizashi finds that instead of Shouta getting ready, the baby blue knitted jumper his mother gifted him for his birthday and a pair of pink joggers he'd stolen from Nemuri. Those were not the clothes he had put out for Shouta and Shouta was no where to be found, "Baby, I told you we're not doing this tonight-"

♡ Hizashi is ambushed by his husband and unceremoniously tossed on their bed, squawking, "Did you seriously THROW me?!" Only to receive a silent nod in response. Naturally, that means they have to wrestle about it.

♡ Mostly they roll over on each other, tangle the bed sheets, and knock Hizashi's glasses to the wayside, but Hizashi is not above biting and does so to get the upper hand, to which Shouta incredulously asks, "Did you really just bite me?" And retorts by licking Hizashi's eye, making him shriek.

♡ "You are acting like such a child!" Hizashi shouts and tosses Shouta off of himself and springs on top like a weird little rat beast. Shouta goes quiet for another moment, looking up at him and saying in a soft voice, "And you're not. That's the problem..."

♡ The confession is at least enough to stop Hizashi from revenge licking Shouta, though he does have to sit their with his tongue blepped out while his husband reluctantly elaborates, "Since the attack on USJ, you haven't regressed with me in months. You always take care of me and never let me do the same. I'm not fragile, Hizashi, I can still take care of you."

♡ Having it brought directly to his attention does force Hizashi to recognize what he was doing. He had been avoiding his headspace since nearly losing Shouta and–unintentionally–pushed Shouta away in some ways. He didn't even notice how much it hurt Shouta to not be trusted that way. "I... Didn't notice, angel. I'm sorry."

♡ They'd definitely have to talk more about it later on, but for now they had the night together and time to make up for. Shouta insisted that he could be the caregiver for the night, but Hizashi also insisted that he would not mind at all if Shou slipped as well. After some wet wipes and compromising, they both changed into pajamas and took out the toy box strategically hidden in the hall closet, (See: absolutely covered in winter wear.), setting up for a night off.

♡ Where Shouta can slip into headspace with incredible ease, Hizashi is much more particular about how he regresses. He cannot have his hair up too tight or it feels too much like work, he HAS to have his glasses–not contacts!–if he needs to see, he can only wear soft fabrics that don't cling too hard unless they are leggings with a fun pattern, and he simply MUST have at least three kandi bracelets on. He can't help being a high maintenance baby, it's just how he likes to be!

♡ Shouta actually learned how to braid to try and help take one of the steps out of Hizashi's regression routine, but he is not exactly the greatest at braiding Hizashi's hair. Eri's hair? Absolutely. Hitoshi's hair? Carefully, but yes! Nemuri's hair? Certainly. He can even braid his own hair rather well, but Hizashi's hair? So slippery. It likes to escape from him until he gives up and surrenders to a low ponytail.

♡ Hizashi appreciates the effort and says that it would just inevitably get messed up anyway. Even the low pony that Shouta manages his hair into gets ruffled up! Though, Shouta is entirely to blame for that. Says if he's going to be the big spoon during the third showing of Webkinz Hit Single: Mustache Louie then he gets to use the baby as a chin scratcher. The baby screams about it.

♡ One of the most demanded activities of little Hizashi is absolutely arts and crafts, specifically anything to do with beads! Every kandi bracelet he owns he has either made himself or traded for with one of his own creations. He's always drawn to beads with fun shapes, like stars and hearts, but they'll always be brightly colored! Shouta usually ends up having an armful of bracelets before the night is over because Hizashi will say, "Up" and he'll just hold his arm out without a second thought. It's just pavlovian at this point!

♡ Hizashi's shapes and colors appreciation also extends over to food! He'll usually gravitate towards things like tri-color rotini pasta, smiley fries, and dinosaur nuggets! Shouta will occasionally use cookie cutters to slice fruit just to see what kind of mangled shapes will come of it, and Hizashi is always fascinated and/or horrified by the results.

♡ He still eats it regardless of initial reaction.

♡ However they spend the night, Hizashi forgets about why he'd been so hesitant to be small for so long. He'd missed this, he'd missed this side of his husband so dearly! Even when Shouta eventually regresses with him, Hizashi still missed being with him like this, being so small and so safe, but most of all just being together.

♡ Because that was all he really wanted and was so scared to lose.

♡ They may not be perfect, and they'd surely still have bumps in the road ahead, but they promise to do right by one another in the future. And they most certainly don't have anymore wrestling matches about regression... For a few weeks.

[pqrachel]

Art Fight 2024 Final Thoughts

I'm working on probably my last Art Fight attack for the season. If I get an attack during the extension period I'll still try to revenge but if not I want to be done with Art Fight by the end of the month.

Overall I'm currently at 12 attacks given and only 3 defenses received. Which is an 80% attack rate.

EDIT: Since this post I've done another two attacks and gotten 2 more back so my rate is around 75% now, which is awesome. Late attacks weren't something I was expecting but they mean so much to me.

I definitely still had fun despite the attack ratio, lots of great art came out of this month thanks to the event. I'm pretty sure the lower number of attacks received is because I don't have any specific references for any of my characters (only art that I've done of them in other contexts) and the characters that I want attacks for the most (that are at the top of my profile page) aren't the same as the ones others want to draw so they skip my page after looking at my first row. The attacks I did receive were amazing don't get me wrong but they were all from characters on my 3rd row or below so they had to actually go into my characters page and find something, so I know there's a bit of a mismatch there and maybe I could have gotten more attacks if I put my more unique characters up front for more people to see.

And yeah I wanted to compile all my attacks in one place too so here goes.

My favs are probably these 3, the poses were fun and the non-human elements let me leave me comfort zone but like just barely, they're still very much my style.

This year I did a couple sketchy attacks too which was nice. Some started out sketchy but I colored them and did some minor changes after and they still looked good. Definitely gonna start with a sketch and just go from there more often after this Art Fight. I barely did any separate sketch and line layers at all and it was so nice not having to do that step.

And yeah overall I really enjoyed this year's Art Fight. Definitely made me think about my style a bit. Even though I didn't experiment outside of my style too much this year other than trying some animals and a couple unique BGs which I don't usually do, I kind of got into the flow of it and just kept going. I got to a dozen or so attacks done that I'm super happy with overall.

Here's my attack page if you want to check out any of the people who made the characters or anything like that.

[randomnumbers751650]

I reached the most recent chapter of Oshi no Ko and I have to say it’s quite the trip. The way the author mixes so many things in a huge pot, wildly different things, creates a unique experience. The 2.5D play was really the highest point of the first part, because it played just like a standard shonen tournament arc, but a good one, where acting techniques were like signature attacks. But the real plot really starts after the Miyazaki trip, with the change in Ruby’s character. There will be spoilers in these unedited thoughts, so I'm just writing right from the brain.

I feel what attracts everyone most is that, in the end, it’s a tragedy. Aqua/Goro was born as an idol’s son, but one thing that always bothered me is how, in spite of being mentally a middle-aged man, Aqua acted like a child. He wasted his entire (second) childhood being obsessed with vengeance. It’s clear that he’s not well in the head. Seeing his half-brother calling him out so that he stop toying with Kana and Akane and he even realizes that he has nothing to live for but vengeance.

And then we learn why he acts like that. He didn’t really have a family, in spite of his grandma loving him and trying to help others in a way he was denied when he was a kid. It always bothered me how much Goro was a nobody; he was infatuated with Ai (in a meaning more ample than just “romantic”) in a situation that the term “idolatry” is more than fitting, in terms of character and I still think some of those things could be better foreshadowed. Revenge stories don’t tend to interest me, so I continued following his arc in spite of that, that’s why the Miyazaki arc was such a shock. I don’t take back what I said about him, especially because chapters later, he’s back on his thing. But his “adultness” showed when you compare to what happened with Ruby. A strange character that both pushes the plot forward and is pulled by it.

Her character arc was better foreshadowed. Her sharp tongue discussing in twitter in the beginning hits different after Miyazaki. In a short time, she goes from innocent to master manipulator and the public notices something changed and they love it – the idea that a girl must lose her innocence to be loved by all isn’t something new (does anyone remember Perfect Blue?), but they executed here in a quite somber way. This is girl having a nuclear, non-instantaneous emotional breakdown and everyone can’t just take their eyes.

It's also showing how it’s not just Aqua and Ruby that want to kill the one who killed Ai – Kamiki – but a lot of people. But the guy is really a serial killer. So the scale of the plan to get him is really impressive, to make a successful movie, mobilizing a massive quantity of resources, in which all the promises and compromises are being paid, sometimes with interest. And, as any tragedy goes, you can expect things aren’t going the way they’re expecting.

I criticized OnK before because, as well-written as it is, it cannot be free from the stereotype of “anime is for weird people”, with all those incest jokes. And then, in chapter 123, it surprisingly “pays off” (notice quotation marks). Serina falls in love with Goro because…honestly, she’s just a teenager who never loved and didn’t receive love from her parents since she was 4. Due to her terminal disease, she’d never have a significant one, that’s why I understand she had a crush on Goro, he’s the only one who showed affection for her. A “normal” girl would be like “oh, I said that when I was young, haha, that was a weird thing”, but Ruby isn’t a “normal” girl, because there was nobody to talk with her about these things – especially because Aqua was, again, manipulating people (I mean, it was obvious, right? To make her have a great performance as Ai, right?), just to get his objects. Even the Girl of Crows said “wow, this is going to my cringe compilation”, it’s obvious that this will be a wrench tossed in his plans, everything was going too smooth to be good.

But as someone said in this site, OnK is a story about how far the unloved would go. Ai, Aqua, Ruby, almost every named character has some degree of “unlovedness”.

And yet, one thing that I enjoyed how the characters are unique in the sense of how unrelatable they are. I think “unrelatable” might not be the best word, but we make a big deal of how characters should be relatable, but some of the most interesting characters are completely unrelatable. I recently played Project Wingman and why did Crimson 1 do what he did in the last mission? If you were playing attention to the plot, you'd know no one but Crimson 1 could’ve done that.

The things Aqua did aren’t things a normal person would do, but nobody in the world but him would do. We talk about “resist temptation”, but in reality it’s not hard for us to “resist the temptation”, but this temptation is made that no one in the world would fall, but them. I feel this is a path to make a character, especially a villain or an antihero, unique. Like Aqua, you can say “if I was in Aqua’s place, I’d do different” – even if the phrase may sound sanctimonious, that’s exactly the point! But then, it wouldn’t be the same story. Still, the characters make sense given the circumstance they’re given, that’s the sense of realistic a writer should aim – consistence in-universe.

Given the plot points, we’re approaching the end, I think. Personally, if the Girl of Crows (I also love how youkai/fair folk she is, she's there to make the plot happen and I say this in the best way possible) doesn’t end saying “humans are a bunch of bastards who can't live without drama”, I’ll be disappointed.

[a-mess-of-a-crow]

RED MASS

This post will explain a bit about the lore of my undertale AU Red Mass.

((and long))

So. Here we go.

Red Mass is a fictional horror fan game where the war between monsters and humans has not happened yet, but it is on the edge to.

_____________________________________________

It is a cold war, fights between smaller human and monster groups happen on the daily, humans build weapons against monsters in secret, and the fear of an attack causes monsters to try and find something stronger to defeat them instead.

Gaster, at the time a renounced scientist, a Prodigy of his time, was tasked to invent a weapon, strong enough to defeat humanity when they attacked monster kind. And after humans presumably killed his wife, he was more than willing to eradicate them all.

It has been said that when a human and a monster soul combined, they will become a god.

And so, it was Gasters mission to create this god.

But first he has to find suitable souls.

The game would have begone with the player playing frisk, a human, who was captured by Gaster for their magic, they possessed fire AND metal magic, which was something he has never experienced before. Frisk was captured as a child, but over the years grew into an adult.

They are trapped in the underground facility, forced to fight and strengthen themselves, to level up, not just their stats but also to raise their LOVE.

But at one point in the game, you switched position.

With sans (in this AU he is Gasters son), who somehow got stuck in this dilemma, with a father who is more than mentally unstable, seeking unreasonable revenge for the death of his wife.

Papyrus, his younger brother, willingly agreed to help his father achieve his dream. He becomes obsessed with gaining power and becoming the god who slaughters human kind.

In the game, as you play to try and escape, encountering horrible failed experiences, misshapen creatures, not human or monster, you discover a way out as Frisk and sans.

Throughout the endless torture, Sans has gained the ability to eat dust and souls, temporarily receiving the power of the soul he ate.

That would help him escape.

Frisk however could use sans as leverage against his father to hold him hostage and secure their own freedom.

Neither of them know that the plans wouldn't have worked. The facility is highly secured, anti-magic security embedded everywhere.

And Gaster is too cruel to let one human escape, cause a commotion and perhaps even starting the war if the humans would find out what is happening.

The game would have had multiple endings.

In the fight between them, they accidentally free the monstrous creatures that were held captive who destroy the facility, Frisk, Sans and Gaster and everyone with them. Everyone there is dead but everyone else would continue off living.

It would have been the best ending.

But that is not what happened.

Gaster has created a God. But it wasn't part of the game and that god wasn't a god that is easily influencable.

Red Mass was a God of pure determination. Who experienced FEAR and HATE.

They FEARS all the suffering and pain is could get, the consequences of their actions.

They HATES everyone responsible for its suffering. And they will make sure that there is noone left to hurt them.

In a mixture of blind rage and absolute terror, the Game was no more. But that wasn't enough.

There was nothing but HATE AND FEAR inside them.

And so one timeline after the the other dissappeared. Until there was nothing left.

No AU. Nothing.

Just a void.

Where Frisk and Sans wake up in. With nothing but confusion of how they got there.

_____________________________________________

And that's basically the extremely cut introduction of the prequel!

And with extremely cut I mean EXTREMELY CUT.

So after that whole wacky mess, Frisk and Sans explore the Multiverse, meet other undertale AU characters, completely different Universes with their own stories to tell and people to meet.

After plenty of wandering around in the wide space of everything, Frisk decided to settle down and build themselves a home in the Anti-void. 'A canvas of infinite possibilities' they said.

Sans helped them build a city, for others who were lost without a home. Refugees, misfits and other people of all color and shape gathered to create a place to call home.

((cringe name incoming))

The city of 'Paradise' as the citizens named it, is a symbol of hope for those who try and find an answer of what they can do with their life.

It's also a place to live without discrimination or judgement. A place to gather knowledge and share it.

Of course taking care of literally millions of people isn't a job for 2 people alone.

So Sans, who has been so incredibly bored with everything and has been building little machines in his free time, decides to build some robots to help them.

And his endless creativity gave them names.

Vera, Bun, Cupcake, Celery, Zinc, Kat (Copy cat) And Shade.

((Quick description))

Vera (Aloe Vera) He takes care of the foraging and food supply

Bun (Bunny) He takes care of animals and also food supply

Cupcake He is responsible for processing the food, he is a baker

Celery She is the cook

Zinc She is responsible for constructions, science and engineering

Kat (Copy cat) She is a social worker, as her name indicates, she is actually a hive mind and has multiple bodies all working in the social aspect of the city

And Shade. He is the right hand of both Frisk and Sans, he has been programmed to help the both in improving their fighting skills, but also he is responsible for outside ordeals, such as trading with other parties

So those were like, the main side characters.

If you are STILL INTERESTED after all of this, then please leave a comment if you got questions or ask directly, but I will make more posts explaining Frisk and Sans and the main World building and what the fuck kinda bullshit this is.

Oh and why Dee is named Dee and has an obsession with rubber ducks and why Frisk hates it when Dee called them Bee.

Beedee hehe

I hope you had Fun btw :)

[rosetintedgunman]

AU Verse Setting: The Intended Timeline

OCTOBER 12th, 19XX

Detective Lincoln's valiant confrontation with the heartless murderer of beloved actor Mark I.plier led to the killer's untimely demise, unable to face proper consequences before a court of law.

The disgraced soldier - Colonel W.illiam Jackson Barnum - was confirmed dead on the scene after receiving a fatal gunshot wound to the neck, despite attempts by the manor's cook to keep him from bleeding out. All witnesses were brought outside while waiting for the paramedics to take the body.

But in the time between them leaving, with everyone accounted for, and the paramedics arriving, the body disappeared. Despite a thorough search of the residence, it was nowhere to be seen.

JANUARY 4th, 19XX

M.arkiplier Manor, a place that had been left untouched following the actor's murder last October, was set alight in a suspected arson attack. No witnesses could confirm seeing anyone come or go. The fire was successfully contained before it could spread to the garden or nearby buildings, but it is likely the building will need to be demolished if no one is willing to undertake the costly reparations.

Firefighters at the scene confirmed the source of the fire was in a small study, where a small movie projector had been damaged by a bottle of alcohol. Nothing unusual was discovered, aside from a cracked pair of round glasses with peculiar lenses attached. The public is advised to contact the authorities if these curious spectacles sound familiar.

-

As the 'villain' of the timeline, Liam Jackson is out for revenge on those who wronged him, just like the Actor would have expected. The Manor has been dealt with. He's not too keen on long monologues and idle chitchat, but if he is neutral toward you, that's currently the closest he's able to get to liking someone, and he'll make sure to inform you about the stories that the Actor may be trying to weave.

He doesn't want connections. He doesn't want bonds. He's been working alone for YEARS in the Void prior to his escape. But deep in his core, he's a soldier, and he knows he needs to do the right thing to protect the innocent... Even if that means being the villain that is so desperately desired.

So.... If you survived this fateful weekend... How are you going to handle seeing the figure of a man you saw die?

Further guidance/headcanons, if needed, under the read-more.

-

Liam, like he did in life, bases his trust of people on those he knows. While he himself may not be able to feel that sense of loyalty or camaraderie, he knows people like Damien and the Attorney didn't actively contribute to his demise. As such, he will be neutral (which is positive, all things considered) toward them, and he will even try to offer advice while keeping you at arm's length.

However, if he meets Mark, or someone openly associated with him, his walls shoot straight up, and he will have little time for you. He will be the villain if he has to be. Shoot him, stab him, do whatever you want. Just be ready to run when you realise that won't stop him. He could block pain in life, and in death it's even easier. Even if you do kill him... He'll remember. He'll find you. :)

If he meets Celine... It will be somewhere in between this. By default (ie, not taking particular interpretations into account), he knows the relationship was loveless, and he was the fool for letting it happen on the pretence of playing along and acting like it was something that could have been genuine. In a way, his death was partially because of her.

-

The entire of his left arm is paralysed, hence the droop in his shoulder. He uses his abilities to manipulate it, but it is still limp. I will explain more if needed, but consider it more like unseen hands maneuvering a doll's arm rather than magically having a way to 'overcome' it. The movements aren't natural, almost like how one pretends to move when they act like a robot. Practice has made the movements more fluid, but a watchful eye will notice it's still slightly 'off'. He's been doing it for so long that it's habit. Unfortunately, it can still tire him out if he over-exerts himself. If you ask him about this, he will flat-out lie about it and blame the stuttering movement on the fact that he's dead. (Side note: Liam willingly confessing his arm is paralysed is a sign that he trusts you. Liam willingly not using his powers - removing the red glow - and letting the arm fall fully limp is him showing complete trust in you.)

-

He's blunt. He may insult a muse directly when making a point. I do apologise in advance for this.

-

Powers include: using doorways to teleport, use of his energy to manipulate an item (only used on his arm), the creation and use of pocket dimensions, ability to conjure knives out of thin air, unlimited bullets in his gun of choice. (note: this may be added as I've had more time to think.)

[msommers]

⚰️ 🧸🌱 🏆 💍 for Riya, Jorina, and Lysandra!!

took me 3 years to get here but what can ya do when the brain shuts off. ANYWAY substituted lysandra out after a die roll of other kids bc i have literally zero braincells for that ice witch she’s up on the shelf with wheezy rn // prompts i’d like to receive

[ ⚰️ ] what are your muse’s greatest regrets? what would flash before their eyes when they’re on their deathbed?

RIYA — she would say that she has no regrets and believe it because she's lived such a fun, dramatic and privileged life. but. at this point if she was in a deathbed, she'd honestly probably start crying over her late partner. sobbing about how she should have stuck by his side, wondering if that would have made any difference at all in his fate. 

JORINA — not begging for her mother to stay with the family during arl howe’s purge of the alienage, snapping at her father one too many times during the worst of his depression (her stress levels were so incredibly high but years later she doesn’t see that as a good excuse), not finding the courage to express her feelings to aleksi earlier. she spends so much time overthinking the negative in her life that i like to think on her deathbed she’d be focused on the positive, looking back on all the memories that bring her peace and love and joy and blah blah.

MEREDITH — mostly her regrets have to do with the night howe betrayed her family and attacked the castle. not telling her father that she felt something was off after speaking with rendon and his men, not waking up earlier to protect oriana and oren or anybody else she might have been able to save, not trying to locate nathaniel after so she could explain to him what had happened before the word of others painted a different tale. images of her family would be the last things she sees in her deathbed, the members who were taken from her long ago and the ones she made across the years.

[ 🧸 ] does your muse keep anything sentimental? if so, what do they keep and why?

RIYA — a necklace from her late love, a ring from her mother and a pair of gloves from her father. she had no idea they were sentimental until she was on the run and found herself desperate to keep them protected, clinging onto the feelings of affection and comfort that they brought her.

JORINA — a dagger that her brother crafted and sent to her at skyhold (it’s dinky and not usable in any way but still means the world to her), every letter her family sent her during her time with the inquisition, the first flowers aleksi gave to her pressed into the pages of a sketchbook, her mother's favorite shawl wrap. i don't think she'd be able to explain why she holds onto these things, she simply does. (it’s the Love of it all, she’s just dumb.)

MEREDITH — everything she was able to take from castle cousland before fleeing. she couldn’t bring herself to get rid of any of it, and for most of her journey whenever she looked at the family blade she would hear her mother’s voice saying that it should be used to sever howe’s treacherous head (which it did, in the end). she’s grateful for taking everything some years later after the blight, knowing she was able to save part of the family’s history at the very least. it’s not a very big comfort, but it’s one nonetheless. it took a lot of convincing from fergus for her to hand them over to be returned to highever years later.

[ 🌱 ] what themes are relevant to your muse?

RIYA —answered here!

JORINA — childhood trauma and how it shapes you, the unlearning of harmful coping mechanisms, learning to trust and open up easier, the little guy rising in the ranks, discovering a new wanderlust, dumbass who has repressed emotions for too long finally letting them in and not being able to put them to words.

MEREDITH — “sometimes there’s honor in revenge”, being slandered and mislabeled by enemies, struggling with a deep intrinsic rage for life, extremely slow and never fully complete healing of the soul, love in a hopeless place :’), royal who actually does stuff and interacts with their people.

[ 🏆 ] is your muse multitalented? what are their hobbies, and why did they pick up these hobbies? if they don’t have hobbies, why don’t they?

RIYA — yes she’s good at being cute And being a brat <3 tbh i think what she’s got going for her is her fighting capability, dancing and dramatic tendencies. is attending social events considered a hobby?? that’s pretty much it, she just enjoys having fun at galas, hanging out with her friends/lovers and participating in tourneys or displays of magic. kinda lazy outside of that lmao

JORINA — i'd say so, yeah. archery, crafting arrows for said archery, cartography, art, dance, paper making, parkour, cooking, maybe one or two other things i'm forgetting. dancing came from her mother and art came from her dad, cartography from the royal lessons, and the rest were out of necessity mostly.

MEREDITH — not as experienced as jorina, but meredith is into cartography as well. it was something she picked up to aid in her geography and history lessons, helped her commit things to memory. outside of that, some talents and hobbies: proficiency in most weaponry, dueling, dancing, singing, politicking, embroidering, reading. the embroidery came after the blight, when she desperately needed something quiet and time-consuming to do when she was feeling too stressed, others began pre-blight for some reason or other (usually #JustNobleThings).

[ 💍 ] does your muse have a “type” of people that they prefer to enter relationships with? is their type generally compatible with them, or does the dynamic tend to be toxic?

RIYA — people who enjoy treating her like a princess and just wanna have a good time. she’s really not that deep…and neither are any of her former partners lmfao one or two of them wanted something more than the casual "just here to fuck around, party and vibe" thing that riya was there for and she kicked them to the curb quick after that, but mostly they're compatible matches.

JORINA — yeah, none. zero. doesn't want to enter a relationship, thank you, but a certain half-qunari fucking tricked her into it by being hot and slowly pulling her out of her shell.

MEREDITH — i don’t think she has a particular type?? loyal is the sole Requirement for her tbh. she’s attracted to somebody with charm, whether it be the type that comes from good humor, poise or a good flirt. a nice smile never hurt either.

[lairofdragonagelore]

Arbor Wilds: Altar of Mythal

Main Quest: The Final Piece

A lot of information given in this part of the main quest is repeated from the Flemeth’s Fade: Part 1, Part 2 if Kieran does not exist. For completion’s sake I will add small details that may have different connotations when reaching this altar.

[Index page of Dragon Age Lore]

Since I have no time nor patience to play all these variations, I watched one of the videos of DanaDuchy’s to work on the details of this scene.

If Morrigan drinks from the well and didn’t have Kieran, she reveals some facts before going to the Altar that we can assume have some degree of certainty since the voices of the Well speak about it:

The common knowledge said that eluvians were considered lost after Tevinter conquered Arlathan. However, the truth is that the ancient elves have closed all paths to the crossroads long before. We can assume this in The Masked Empire, when we see the skeletons of servants who had been tending those in uthenera. They seemed to have died while crossing eluvians in order to escape, but none of the mirrors sent them to the surface. The evanuris warred with each other, so they sealed the eluvians to prevent an enemy from using them to attack. This means that the eluvians, at least some of them, have been locked even before the creation of the Veil.

When we reach to the Altar, the zone is a small region that looks like Wild Arbour. It has several statues of Dragon Mythal and Howling Fen'Harel around.

The altar is focused on her humanoid form, flanked by two  statues of her dragon form, which are a bit bigger. At the sides of the altar, always in a protecting/guardian stance, we see Howling Fen'Harel statues.

It's interesting to notice that Fen'Harel's statue details imply swirls over his body but also coming out from its mouth. On the back, he has some triangles too. These swirls are quite chaotic and drawn in a more random style in comparison with the ones on the dragon

which are more regular, and seems to follow a pattern: a swirl and then three lines extended. This dragon form, so far I checked, has no triangle patterns. Only swirls. 

Which is something curious if we remember Solas’ murals in which the spaces related to the Fade are represented with inverted triangles. 

The one who drank from the Well will know an old incantation:

“We few who travel far, call to me, and I will come. Without mercy, without fear.”

The lines is completed only if Solas is present, adding: 

"Cry Havoc in the moonlight, let the fire of vengeance burn, the cause is clear"

[video] When Morrigan is the one who drank from the well, she invokes Mythal using the same line “We few who travel far, call to me, and I will come. Without mercy, without fear.” The inquisitor claims that “without mercy” sounds ominous. In any case, the line, specially when it’s completed by Solas, shows the usual “rough” aspect of Mythal. Mythal helps but you need to “earn” it. Abuse of her care, and she will strike. Try to fool her, and she will attack. Only the just who asks for her help will receive it, even those who call for her in order to have a vengeance from their foes. All these ideas are exactly the same ones we perceived in her Temple, through codices and Abelas’ words. 

It’s also curious how these lines, for an altar of Mythal where you can come here and talk to her, seems to be quite revenge-focused. It feels like a place a follower could come to ask for vengeance, mostly. Once more, we see here, that vengeance is related to Mythal originally, not only now that she has been betrayed and survived inside Flemeth.

When questioning about why there was not an altar like this in the temple of Mythal, the inquisitor concludes what that previous line gave us as a vibe: her temple was a place of Justice, while this altar is different. Here is where the elves call her, spoke to her, and most of the time, asked for vengeance and retribution. Until one day she disappeared and there was no one with whom to speak. The elves had no tool to ask for help against the abuses they endured, and that was when Fen’Harel decided to create the Veil and bound the remaining Evanuris. 

[video] When Morrigan summons her, she adds a line that the inquisitor doesn't say: she includes herself, if I’m not misunderstanding English, in all the previous people related to the well: all were high priests.

“You know who I am. From high priest to high priest, I am the last to drink of sorrows. Come to us, Mythal. Whatever you are, whatever remains, I invoke your name and your power.” 

However, it's a line that could be understood as if she were talking to Mythal as  if Mythal were another high priest.

The fact that the Inquisitor doesn’t invoke this line could mean that the Inquisitor did not have the same preparation that Morrigan had. We saw that Calpenia/Samson had to prepare themselves to become Vessels and understand the Well. And this is the main justification why an inquisitor who drank from the Well has so little use of it. They never understand it. 

But the most interesting thing is the meaning. It could mean the collective group of the high priests that left their wills in the Well, but it could also mean that Mythal was a high priest of another entity we don’t know about [most likely greater dragons, according to Yavana’s words]. So a high priest of Mythal speaks to her in the same conditions, in the same level, when they speak in this altar. It’s about a conversation of “equals”, of “priests”. This idea comes to my mind mostly because we know via Solas’ words that the Evanuris were generals and nobles, that worshipped entities which were honoured through the symbols their used in the Vallaslins to brand their slaves. They were not gods, but at some point, before claiming divinity, they worshipped ancient entities we have no idea about. 

The appearance of Flemeth is done with dark smoke effects, which are the same ones we see in Abelas when he tries to destroy the Well.

Flemeth reaction to disrespectful behaviour is quite chill and calm for an Evanuris, while a gesture of respect is also very appreciated [”those are manners”]. It seems to show in this scene that she is still in her core an evanuris who likes respect and veneration, but she doesn’t rage if she doesn’t receive it.

It’s also interesting that she appears in this altar at a lower level than the petitioners: the invokers are several steps higher than her.

[video] A lot of lines and information we obtained in Flemeth's Fade: Part 1, Part 2 are repeated here if the player doesn't have Kieran in their world-state.

What it's interesting is that Flemeth, through different lines, keeps telling the player that they should question the nature of Mythal: 

“What was she? A legend with a name made a god or "something else"?”

To an elven inquisitor she reveals gently why she did not appeared to the elves these last past ages. To another inquisitor, she  reacts with bitterness:

Flemeth: And to whom should I reveal myself? Inquisitor: To the elves, to Everyone Flemeth: I knew the hearts of men even before Mythal came to me. It is why she came to me. They do not want the truth, and I … I am but a shadow, lingering in the sun.

This feeling she shares is very similar to Solas’ when, in the first minutes of the game, he explains why he dislikes Dalish, since he was rejected and even attacked by clans when he tried to share his knowledge, real truth, of what was the History of the elves. They did not want the truth.

Depending on the world state, and the option you pick and the race of your inquisitor, Flemeth will recognise the problem you are facing [Corypheus] as something she knows deeply [hinting us that she may have known people like him from ages, as she does in Flemeth's Fade:  Part 2. Or maybe this is just a hint about what we are revealed at the end: that Solas gave the orb to Corypheus, and she is very aware of it before Solas tells her anything.]

Another interesting and curious interaction is in here, which reveals that nothing of what we had done is accident. Everything has been planned by Flemeth since the beginning.

Inquisitor: This meeting was not accident, wasn’t it? Flemeth: Clever lad. Morrigan: The voices came … from you? Flemeth: The price of the Well seemed no dire thing when you saw so much gain, hmn?

If the inquisitor drank from the Well:

Inquisitor: This meeting was not accident, wasn’t it? The voices from the Well directed me here, and you direct them. Flemeth: Clever lad.

This means that The Well is manipulated by Flemeth. The Will of all those priests and servants of Mythal serve her still, even after death. 

In the case of Morrigan drinking from the well, Flemeth and she have some secret understanding when Flemeth places her hand on her and transmits her knowledge of the “sacred shape”.

I find this so important in terms of Lore: If the inquisitor is the one who drank from the Well, they should fight the dragon-guardian of the altar and use this dragon against Corypheus’. However, if it’s Morrigan, Flemeth shares the secret of the “divine shape”. It’s true that along the codices of Temple of Mythal and of Vir Dirthara, we know that there is a shape reserved only for gods, which involves wings, leading us to conclude that it had to be a dragon due to the great importance that these creatures have along the franchise [from being Gods for Tevinters, to being creators of the world itself, as Yavana implies].

It’s in this moment where, for the first time, we see a magical effect that is not the dark smoke we have been seeing so far. Instead, it’s an orange, flame-like effect, that reminds us the shape of the orange-spirits we see around the game. And for the first time, Flemeth calls Morrigan “child”.

If the inquisitor drank from the Well, they have to master and control the dragon

We see one of the typical General glyphs and magical symbols glow on the Inquisitor’s face, exactly the same mark that we saw Flemeth activate in them when asking them to control Morrigan. It’s also the same mark we saw glowing when drinking from the Well. This reused asset works like a brand. The whole process involves effects that are the same as the ones used by Flemeth and Abelas: dark smoke and blue sparkles.

As an update of the last moment, I would like to show the dev’s notes collected by Corseque which seem to confirm part of our suspicions during this scene: The Well of Sorrows is and artefact that contains hundreds of elvhen priest’s essences, and it’s voiced by the same actress who gives her voice to Flemeth. This seems to confirm a bit more that the Well of Sorrows is a tool instrumented by Flemeth herself.

Another bit that confirms what we have just concluded in this post is also provided by Corseque, in an unique conversation with Morrigan that seems to be hard to trigger.

Morrigan: An interesting inscription: “Submit to law unyielding.” Inquisitor: “Law unyielding”? Morrigan: Perhaps this was some manner of courtroom? I cannot say. Morrigan: The ancient elves considered Mythal a god of justice. Solas: To call it “justice” is simplistic. Mythal was properly invoked by those seeking vengeance. Morrigan: Oh? Are they truly so different? Solas: To those who followed her, yes.

Mythal was more an entity of Vengeance than Justice. However, Solas insists that the nature of the Elvhen was more complex than the mono-purposed spirits. So, even if the elvhen were fluid entities, they embodied more aspects than just one.  

The interesting thing about this concept is that, then, Elgar’nan, as a god who embodies revenge, may have had a different concept associated with him? Since Elgar’nan was the one imparting Justice until Mythal asked him permission to do it herself to avoid his Fury that endangered the People [The Judgement of Mythal], I wonder if their roles were not inverted, and Elgar’nan was meant for Justice, while Mythal was for Revenge. Still I think the elvhen nature is more complex than that, Solas keeps repeating it all the time, and we know with Dirthamen and Falon’Din that they were complex entities that we probably can’t understand fully in the present. Saying elvhen were mono-purposed spirits will always be an oversimplification according to him.