#cause he's immortal so it doesn't matter if he takes care of himself or not

[maxphilippa]

Lyric Analysis of "The Future Is So Yesterday".

so. i want to talk about cobs' song and how there's a lot of hints there in which they're basically telling you to not trust him. lyrics were provided by @tdutb.

The first verse introduces you to a basic idea of what Cobs' character is as a whole. The opening with his catchphrase, and then the continuation in which he says "when everything is run your way/your influence is everywhere", it hints at the fact of how Meeple is a big monopoly of a company, showing that it is most likely the only place where people can get technology at. This can also be interpretated at how much control Cobs has over the show. "You tell me I'm too ambitious/I say I don't care!" is pretty much what happens with 3gs after the song is done. Cobs doesn't care about morale or about stopping, as 3gs says, he just wants the best of THE BEST, "anything that falls short of that doesn't matter".

The way Cobs treats the audience is quite... strange. He doesn't get too much into the coorporate bussiness, since he knows that they don't care for that. A big thing about Cobs' character (alongside the whole Twitter Takeover as well) is that he KNOWS his clients will take anything they can get along as they understand what it does. However this verse can be interpretated in another way: it can also be talking to the us, the audience, itself. It can be about Cobs doing what the audience wants. It could be Cobs saying what the audience wants to believe. "When everything is run your way" can be taken as "When everything is in your way" too.

"I'll never lose if you keep letting me win" is the part that sets off all alarms. This could be directed at Mephone4 and the contestants themselves, who are scared of Cobs, therefore giving him power, never allowing themselves to have a chance at winning.

"But with the good that I do, is that such a sin?" It is very clear that the only actions Cobs has taken in the whole show were meant to hurt Mephone4, and to hurt people by all means possible. However, he's convinced, or believes, that it is all for a greater good. For the greater good of innovating and producing, to keep his empire running forever and ever. I wouldn't be surprised if II ends with an immortal technological version of himself of some sorts.

"I created all that you believe! You gave me power you can't relieve!"

These lines are very very important to his character, and they also go back to 3GS and II as a show. Mephone4 has said that Cobs has had control of it the whole time despite the fact that it was a show Mephone4 made. The power that can't be relieved is The Shimmer Egg.

This shows how much power he has over everyone.

This is Cobs being dismissive once again, because he doesn't think about what he has made lately, but about what he can do now at that moment. "Did I leave you in the past?" Could be a reference to perhaps 3GS or the other phones, who Cobs dismissed as quickly as 3GS didn't complete the mission accordingly.

It can also be him being private about MephoneX.

Cobs is once again, dismissive about people wanting to know his intentions or goals. But we know already what he has in mind, he wants to take more and more.

"But if I've caused suspicion, hey! Take my apology!" Is a very insincere line that shows how quick he is to disregard people's views on him, this was also noticeable on his debut episode, when Microphone called him out for creating the mephones that tried to kill Mephone4. This is just pretty much telling you that you shouldn't trust him but, it gets worse.

This is pretty much confirmation of Cobs having something much more sinistier going on. Of course he's not going to say anything about it. We know how secretive he is. It's almost him laughing at our faces.

"No doy!" means "I don't give!" on spanish, although I'm not sure if that's meant to have any deeper meaning as of now. However,

"I mean, you always think I've got something to hide, and this is no different, you've implied!" Is pretty telling on it's own. Cobs is a known liar.

Again. His debut episode is proof of this.

and again, just another reminder of how much power cobs has now. how he's everywhere and how much damage he can cause.

and how he doesn't care.

the song was kind of brainwashy, wasn't it

[carlyraejepsans]

I don't know how you can look at sans' pacifist arc which is all about letting himself care about the future again and rekindling that ember of hope he never truly lost in the shape of this tiny, sensational, cosmically terrifying human kid in order to finally move on from his past life and fully live the life he has NOW with his new friends, trusting said kid with his story, letting them know it's okay (sans with a lot of people you don't recognize. you and sans with all of your friends. it doesn't matter, he looks happy)

...and then go "i think post pacifist frisk would hate him".

that adds nothing to the characters and it's so needlessly mean spirited it becomes straight up cheap. hate him for what? not keeping his promise in full? letting them die? this kid fought a god and won, frisk doesn't give a crap about dying! the only times they react to death in any capacity in canon it's:

1) someone else's death (which they caused)

2) a way to make their opponent feel bad and stop fighting

3) after flowey takes their SAVE powers.

this kid gets beaten to death by asgore an uncountable number of times and they still trot over to gerson in the epilogue to be like "is he a goat? is he immortal? okay but what if he adopted me, could he adopt me? i'm very adoptable you know". be real now.

[reotheworld]

Do you take requests or not and if you do take requests can you please write abt Karasu Tabito, Hiori Yo, Otoya Eita, Aryu Jubei, Raichi Jingo, Nanase Nijiro

I think these boys need some attention cause they are underrated asf. So please can you write smth abt them?

I mean you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Just wanted to ask

let's show off our chemistry

❝ i will do you tonight, private special ❞

➜ their kinks | ft. karasu, hiori, otoya, aryu, raichi & nanase

➜ fem!reader

sugar level: 100% | mdni!

an: i haven't exactly established writing for them. i wanted to give this a try and see how it goes from here on.

karasu tabito:

• pictures are something that karasu fondly looks at. pictures have a way of immortalizing memories, moments, the person captured on it. they aren't just pictures; it's pictures of you in compromising positions, pictures of you in the prettiest silk or lace lingeries, pictures of you covered in purple and red colored hickeys. it's these pictures that helps him get by when his schedule parts him from you. • as mentioned above, seeing you in lingerie has karasu placing his hands on you. he can't keep them to himself! it doesn't matter what color nor design you wear, doesn't matter what the fabric is made out of, doesn't matter if he rips them off you. you look prettier without it too! • is a giver and receiver of praises. he loves giving and receiving them while doing the deed. "you can take it, baby", "just like that...you're doing so good", "you're mine and i'm gonna show you off to everyone"

hiori yo:

• physical touch is a very affectionate gesture. more so, hiori loves it when you touch him or vice versa! hiding his face on your neck, holding hands, spooning, stroking each other's arm or leg, gripping each other's thighs. it's the sensual touches that makes up the mood. • he isn't into rough ones, he prefer slow sex. it enables him to be more emotional and sensual with you. enables him to stare into your eyes as he moves his hips slow yet deep inside of you. • smaller than him? taller than him? hiori doesn't care. he's still wanting you to ride his thigh. would love to see you come undone while he does the bare minimum.

eita otoya:

• foreplay plays an important role to him. with his partner, he would want the foreplay to last for quite some time, teasing each other until the first one breaks and begs. • isn't opposed nor shy-es away from the idea of adding toys into the deed. he'd rather use them on you, watch you brim to the edge with a smirk on his lips. "you wish it's my cock inside you, don't you, sweetheart?" • anything related to booty, he goes all out. spanking, anal, kneading and biting the cheeks and eating out. otoya goes all in for butt play.

aryu jyubei:

• the thought of having his hair pulled makes him shudder but in a good way. a tingly sensation on his scalp brought by his partner feels like having a burst of reward hormone. • to tease his partner by denying their orgasm is something aryu takes pleasure in. no, you don't get to cum yet until he feels like so, or until he feels like you've worked hard and deserve to do so. • just like karasu, he loves to see pretty and revealing lingeries on you. you're so pretty for him and he can't just ignore that! pounds his hips into you because you look so pretty and so dirty for him!

raichi jingo:

• he has power play but to a certain extent. though there are certain limitation as he doesn't want to hurt you, he definitely loves having power and control over you! raichi wants to show you how strong he can be not only while playing soccer but also when it comes to the strength of his thrusts and the positions he puts you. and if you allow him, he'll fuck you senseless. • if asked how he wants to die, it'd be when he has you sitting on his face. it seems like a plausible, valiant and blissful way to him! connected to power play, he wants to let you know that through his tongue alone, he can have you come to him undone. • has somewhat of an oral fixation. sure he loves putting his fingers inside your mouth but the sight of his cock inside your mouth is the cherry on top. loving how your mouth wraps around his length, watching you suck him off.

nanase nijiro:

• baby doesn't want to hurt you! he's down for nibbling, gentle biting and a bit of spanking here and there but that's there all to is! doesn't ever want to hurt you unless you assure him. • worships your body especially your breasts! with that, titty fucking isn't a question! especially likes how they bounce up and down when he pounds and drill his cock deep inside of you. it's so lewd yet so arousing to look at! • is probably into creampie! loves seeing you be filled to the brim and gets off to that sight.

[ruthariandbluecookies]

~DiScUsSiOn TiMe!~

I know how people are voicing speculation and concepts and stuff about how Leola might come back because of how Startouch Elves are "immortal beings of the cosmos" and just, like, exploded.

Like, IF she did come back, would she fall out of the sky like a shooting star and her star, the brightest star in the sky, "Leola's Last Wish" would just... disappear? 'Cause that'd be a catastrophe for navigation. Or would she just appear/spawn like... BAM! Would Aaravos sense if she came back or be entirely ignorant to it?

On the topic of Aaravos, if Startouch Elves DO come back, why wouldn't he want to join her in the stars so that they could rejoin the world together? Why wouldn't he spare himself having to mourn his literal CHILD? Because he doesn't want her to be forgotten? Because he wants to AVENGE her? He could do that even if he came back with her, so I don't know.

Back to her coming back, wouldn't it be funny if she just-so-happened to come back, say, near The Silvergrove. And Ethari, who had been going to pick moonberries or something, just-so-happened to find her?

So, we have a lost little Startouch Elf and a depressed Moonshadow elf who thinks his husband is dead and all he knows about his daughter in all but blood is that she's alive (because of the lotus). Obviously, he'd take her in, he's ETHARI.

Would he tell the rest of the village or hide her away? That, I don't have an answer to.

If he told the village, I doubt they would do anything besides kill her or something. I mean, look what they did to Rayla. They GHOSTED (a fate worse than death to them, I'm sure) a fifteen year old with no clear evidence besides the fact that she was the only one alive from a practically SUICIDAL mission (it definitely goes deeper than that and I might make a post about it, but don't count on it). I wouldn't call people like that the voice of reason.

So, it'd probably be better if he didn't tell them and instead hid her away.

However long he takes care of her, I'm sure they talk and grow closer. Leola comes to see him as at least a bit like her father after getting over her panic of appearing in an unknown place, which was definitely by no means terrifying.

And Ethari? He has something to live for again. A person to take care of. And maybe Leola reminds him a bit of little Rayla (minus all the sharp bits).

Meanwhile? If Aaravos CAN sense Leola, then let's say he can also sense where she is. After finding out his little girl, the whole reason he's doing all of this is alive, I'm sure he drops everything and goes after her (of course, Claudia and Terry will go to).

Once he gets there, since he's a Startouch Elf, and one of the "Great/First Ones", he'll easily get past the illusion shielding The Silvergrove.

With Claudia, he probably razes down The Silvergrove, kills some elves until he finds her. When he does find her? He sees a Moonshadow Elf standing over/shielding her. I doubt that goes over well. To Claudia, it'll probably look like the Moonshadow Elves kidnapped her, so she'll 100% be on Aaravos's side.

Anyways, since Claudia is a dark mage what if she puts them all into a coma or sleeping trance, or turns them to stone, or they just all evacuate and no one knows what happened to them, or something else entirely?

Staying true to the "turning your enemies to stone" thing, after Aaravos gets Leola, wouldn't it be cool if Claudia turned all the elves to stone like her father did to Avizandum? And Ethari, while turning to stone, brings a hand to the sky and casts a spell that's like a flashbang that brings attention, and promptly turns to stone completely while a singular tear falls from his eye (Avizandum parallels, anyone?).

After that, they leave to continue the plan (no matter how much Leola pleads for them not to and tries to stop them even though she doesn't really know what's going on because that's her DAD).

Then, when Rayla and Runaan are close to The Silvergrove to tell Ethari that Runaan is alive (which they won't get the chance to do now), they see the words "Silvergrove has fallen" blazed into the ground (because Aaravos is dramatic) and are both horrified. Then they get there and see Ethari's statue (and just AAAAAGGHHHH). I need to see their faces and how they'd react to that.

They both think in their own ways. Rayla probably blames herself (she just lost one of the two parental figures she has left after saying goodbye to the other two and most likely thinks this happened because Aaravos and Claudia were trying to get at her (maybe Runaan even blames her a little, if subconsciously).

Runaan on the other hand? It's terrifying for him. HE'S the assassin, Ethari knew when he married him that Runaan would probably die on a mission. But Runaan? It's HIS job to be in danger. ETHARI'S supposed to be SAFE in The Silvergrove. Runaan's not prepared to lose Ethari because he always knew/thought that he'd be the first to die. He's not prepared to live in a world without him (so now he's going through the grief of his partner dying, the exact same thing Ethari was/is, but Ethari had been prepared for it (not that it made it hurt any less)).

Obviously, they're frustrated because they can't do anything right now because of Aaravos and swear to find something to free him and everyone else afterwards (maybe even get so angry that they try to do/do something rash like go after Aaravos?).

And that isn't even going into how Terry feels when Aaravos and his girlfriend raze a whole VILLAGE to the ground and turn EVERY ELF into stone, including the CHILDREN. That's bound to make him think over some things and which side he should really be on.

Or, what if we move onto a new concept. Everything still happens like this, except Leola's not in it. Like, Aaravos burned down Katolis, which was Callum and Ezran's home, so what if he tries to burn down The Silvergrove since it's Rayla's home (even if it's not really anymore, she'd still be devastated). I doubt he knows that she comes from specifically The Silvergrove, but he's Aaravos, so I'm sure he'd find out easily, adding the fact that he has a dark mage on his side? Piece of cake (now I want cake, specifically chocolate).

Anyway, I know this definitely won't happen in season 7, but, it IS a cool concept, at least to me (and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!).

[linkspooky]

Hello linkspooky I really like your posts and analysis especially your analysis they are really very thought-provoking even for minor details of a manga so I really want to know your thoughts regarding jujutsu kaisen ch 160 you know right Kenjaku when meeting yuji's old friends said 'thank you for getting along with my son' so I thought was Kenjaku caring about yuji ? I really wanted know your thoughts regarding this it my request! Thank you

Thank you for the compliments. Kenjaku is a bit tricky to analyze but I'll do my best. One thing I question about the scene right away is if Kenjaku escorted everyone out of the barrier who wished to leave one by one, or the rest were teleported out and Kenjaku escorted her by hand BECAUSE she was a friend of Yuji's. That would be an interesting personal touch on his end to go out of his way to do that when he's usually so flippant about everyone and everything.

As for whether or not Kenjaku has any real affection for Yuji when he's shown not to care about the rest of his "Sons" the death painting siblings that's another tricky one to answer. It requires diving into Kenjaku's head a little bit.

Kenjaku takes the position of a neutral third party observer. He's like a scientist and the rest of the world is his petri dishes. Scientists set up the conditions for the experiment, but they're not supposed to meddle with the results. His position is always that of an outsider, which is why his personality is again, defined by how flippant he is to everyone and everything. No matter what situation he is he just jokes around and laughs and seems aloof and rarely shows any real emotion at all.

Kenjaku's stated reason for his apathy towards the death painting siblings is that he beleives hecause they came from him, they don't have the kind of chaotic potential he's looking for. Once again scientists aren't supposed to interfere with the experiment. Not only does Kenjaku observe the world like it's one big experiment and people like they're his lab rats, he has the specific goal that he wanted to be surprised by the result.

The death painting siblings were a predictable result and not the chaos he was looking for, so he got bored of them and just abandoned them. Which is a petty motivation but something that someone so distanced from his own humanity, a body hopping immortal that's lived for over a thousand years would do. Kenjaku himself says to Choso that he wants to be surprised, that's all he's looking for he doesn't really care what he sees.

He doesn't like the death painting siblings because they're too normal, and therefore boring, he wants a result with unpredictable and limitless possibilities.He's going along with the plan of merging tengen with humanity because he doesn't know what will happen from them.

This is also probably the reason why Kenjaku seems more interested in Yuji than the other Death Painting Sibs. Yuji wasn't a boring result, because Yuji is serving as the vessel of Sukuna he's got more potential to cause chaos than any of his brothers.

The fact that Kenjaku doesn't have anything in mind for Yuji is probably what stokes his interest, Yuji still has the possibility of surprising him because Yuji's existence causes conflict and chaos around him. Not only that but he's something Kenjaku cannot totally control which gives him even more of a chance of giving a surprising result.

So there you have my reasoning, number one Kenjaku's interest is based upon how unpredictable the subject he's experimenting with is, and number two he's probably vain enough to pat himself on the back for doing a good job creating Yuji.

If Choso and his brothers are failures, then Yuji still has the potential to be a success for whatever purpose Kenjaku created him. Therefore he remains interested in Yuji, while being apathetic to Choso and the rest.

[manawari]

SOLO LEVELING VAMPIRES AU!

a world where vampires live among the society, but only a few attain the power of immortality. Sung Jin-woo lives a simple life with his family until his father disappears all of a sudden. No body is found, thus leaving the family to mourn as if Ill-hwang is dead, but people believe that Ill-hwang had fallen into a prey for the vampires, which causes Kyung-hye, Jin-ah, and Jin-woo to believe in it and grieve even more.

Kyung-hye tries on various jobs, Jin-ah is trying hard to focus on her school and has been forbidden from stopping just to find a job, and Jin-woo is doing everything he can to support his family.

But until one night. . . Jin-woo finds himself encountering a small group of vampires feeding on an innocent human. Shocked, he slowly backs away, but his scent still manages to steal the vampires' attention. They growl with their chins coated in crimson and chase Jin-woo for his blood.

Not long after, Jin-woo gets injured and loses a lot of blood. The vampires inch closer, and Jin-woo is prepared for the end of the line and waits whether his blood loss will kill him or the vampires, but— unbeknownst to him, someone rushes in and rips the vampires into pieces.

Jin-woo wakes up in the same location, but this time, he's still alive. His shirt is torn and bloodied. He wonders what could've possibly happened to him.

One afternoon, he notices something strange. Jin-woo starts to smell blood even more just a few meters away. His stomach is empty as if he hadn't been eaten in months. And most of all, he's starting to find raw meat delicious. But the worst part is— he almost attacks Jin-ah and scares the heck out of his mother.

Frightened, Jin-woo runs away into the streets. However, with the amount of people around, his hunger starts to become stronger. Jin-woo fights against the urge, his gums aching at the sensation of his teeth growing sharper and his nails growing into claws.

Suddenly, someone covers his mouth and drags him away into a deep alley. Jin-woo finally gets to breathe and meets a young woman around his age, with short blonde hair and glowing golden eyes; she introduces herself as Cha Hae-in and reveals that she's the one who stopped his death by turning him into a vampire.

Jin-woo gets instantly mad and blames her for turning him into a monster. Hae-in justifies that she's just trying to save his life. But eventually, Jin-woo calms down and suddenly remembers his dad, who has been presumed dead and believed to be killed by vampires.

With this, he realizes that he can bring justice to his father's disappearance by hunting down each vampire in the country until he finds his answer.

Cha Hae-in — the one who saved Jin-woo by turning him into a vampire, had been a vampire for six years after an unknown vampire broke into her house and killed her family, yet took pity on her and forced her into becoming a bloodthirsty monster.

Choi Jong-in — the only person in his family who got turned into a vampire, but keeps it as a secret from them for the sake of protecting them. He's one of the richest vampires and knows how to control his urges for a long period of time.

Woo Jin-chul — a vampire who has immortality and has been known for maintaining order between vampirism and humanism.

Baek Yoon-ho — a vampire who only feasts on criminals.

Lim Tae-gyu — a vampire with immense speed and is also an immortal.

Min Byung-gyu — a vampire who doesn't actually like drinking on people and prefers to drink on bags instead, but in vampire society, only drinking on blood bags is unhealthy unless it's new, so no matter how he's against it, Byung-gyu is forced to feed on people, whether it's criminals or not. Most vampires think that he's weak.

Lee Ju-hee — one of Jin-woo's closest friends and the person whom Jin-woo entrusts to take care of his family while he's gone.

Yoo Jin-ho — also Jin-woo's closest friend and volunteers to watch over Kyung-hye and Jin-ah.

[postmortemscandala]

Jeffery Woods

Classification: Affected Human

Behaviour:

impulsive & dangerous

is not in touch with reality

takes pride in what he does: keeps recordings of news reports, newspaper clippings

likes to keep photos of his victims & show them off to people

poses the bodies in dehumanising ways: usually in a kneeling position because it puts him in a higher position to them

never hides his tracks because he uses the gateway system to run/hide

doesn't plan his kills but often goes after families because of a deep-rooted jealousy

Likes to kill in the most painful ways possible: strangulation, bleeding to death etc

Solipsism:

reality is not 'real' in the sense of being external to him

thinks of himself as 'God' and the only real thing

"They're not real so it doesn't matter"

Relationships:

love and friendships are like a game to him

it's funny to have someone follow him around like a dog & worship the ground he walks on

likes to manipulate people into staying with him, often trying to get pity for his face

The Operator is interested in him, but Jeff dismisses him

doesn't use the term 'friend' with people, just views them as entertainment and satisfaction for himself

as for Nina, he doesn't care for her. She feeds his ego and acts as a way to let his anger out. Also views her as a means to dispose of bodies when he needs to

Past:

similar to the 2011 storyline

but he pushed the bullies to light him on fire

doesn't regret what he did - both the fire and his parents - and would probably do it again

used to kill animals when he was younger: performed 'autopsies' on them and kept the remains in a box hidden in the yard

growing up, would do anything to get his own way

often physically & emotionally abuse Liu just because he was bored.

is 27 years old

5'7"

American

has a lean figure

has hardly any eyebrows (they're slowly growing back)

does have eyelids, just prefers to not blink a lot (enjoys the sting)

has thin & greasy hair

Burn:

the burn would not have been caused by bleach because bleach isn't flammable

most likely, strong alcohol would have been used (e.g. gin, vodka, rum, tequila, whiskey etc)

Face/smile scars:

would use them for pity points & manipulation

is proud of them, did them because he survived the fire which fed his delusion of being a God

Affected Human:

every wound heals at a quicker rate than normal and have no chance of being infected - but is not completely immortal though

only his burns and face scars stay because they were inflicted before he was exposed to the energy

[gear-project]

So, in Slayer's Arcade. Slayer has told Nagoriyuki that he (Slayer) has centuries more experience than Nagoriyuki. I get that this is true, but isn't the main reason why Slayer is stronger than Nagoriyuki is because of Sharon? Slayer has an unlimited source of energy to keep himself at his peak while Nagoriyuki is starving and dealing with his vampiric impulses, which can affect his fighting prowess.

In terms of resources, Sharon isn't the only immortal in existence that Vampires can drink blood from.

And it's much more common for Vampires to use Humans (though this has caused many a conflict, based on past history).

In matter of fact, Slayer's Assassins Organization (i.e. the Guild) was founded based on the idea that they would be able to procure Slayer (and other Vampires) a certain levy of Blood for their personal needs.

Even if Blood was something Vampires had access to, some other factors have been causing the race to die out, though Guilty Gear itself doesn't go in to full details on what that cause might be.

Blood, however, isn't the actual source of a Vampire's Power, as Slayer has revealed in the past that drinking blood only enhances that strength, it is not the source of it. Slayer has also sworn to only regularly drink Sharon's blood as a promise in Marriage to her, as well (barring the instances where he bites opponents during a battle, that is).

It's also a misnomer to say that drinking blood from Immortals is "unlimited energy", as even Immortality can be drained and takes time to regenerate. (For example: Sol can burn Raven to ash, but Raven's body doesn't regenerate instantaneously... it takes a while.)

While it can still be said that drinking Sharon's Blood is a luxury unique to Slayer's situation... In emergencies, I doubt he'd let his own kin starve to death for their own sake (depending on the circumstances, that is).

In addition to all this, Nagoriyuki is a unique type of Vampire: a Nightless... this is different from what Slayer refers to himself as (an Ishu/Irregular type Vampire).

Most likely Nagoriyuki's need for Blood is also proportional to the powers he gained from becoming a Vampire via Slayer, and he was given the Oni Mask and Katana to help facilitate and manage his need for Blood in that regard.

In other words, Nagoriyuki's "Bloodlust" is probably higher than that of a normal Vampire's because of that power he gained, though it is not entirely Slayer's responsibility to take care of him in that regard.

It's more accurate to say that Nagoriyuki simply needs "more time" to get a handle on both his powers and bloodlust, perhaps even more time than Slayer took to master his own strength (which could potentially mean Nagoriyuki's strength can potentially surpass Slayer's, given time!)

Of course, regardless of the purpose or their power, they both STILL need Blood... though it's not fully clear if a Vampire starves from lack of Blood, or even can die from the lack of it... that information is still VERY unclear.

What appears to be true, however, is that Slayer has done what he can to support his kin in various ways, be it working as Assassins, or a means to manage their powers and bloodlust through various ways (through weapons and other advanced technology).

There is still a concern for the remainder of Vampire-Kind, as it has been remarked that they could be deemed an Endangered Species, though it's unclear if Humans can help manage that aspect of Vampire-Kind.

As a side note: several Immortals have been semi-confirmed in GG Lore besides Sharon: Raven, Axl Low, Most Gears to a certain extent (particularly Testament, Dizzy, etc), I-No is also technically an Immortal, though her body was destroyed by Sol, and of course Happy Chaos.

[dusted-star]

My Analysis of Mori Ougai, Part One

I'm writing this mostly because I think a lot of people miss the point about him. I've been seeing a lot more character studies and "deep dives" recently but I honestly think many people are too blinded by their hatred of him to see the full picture. I'm not out here claiming I'm an unbiased person, but I've spent quite a lot of time thinking about him and his actions, so here's what I've come up with.

Mori Ougai does everything for Yokohama. Every decision he makes is for the greater good. He doesn't care about what happens to himself, the people close to him, or anything like that. The greater good is all that has ever mattered to him.

We first see this through his usage of Yosano to try to create the Immortal Unit. The "Greater Good" in this case was abilities being used in warfare by the Japanese. The Great War had been brought down to a single island with "primative battle[s] fought in close combat." Both the manga and anime describe how in this war, the Japanese are losing, badly. They're outnumbered and outgunned, and they don't even have the firepower to reach a trench close enough to theirs to be called "mocking."

Mori wants to prove that special abilities are useful in war, which would greatly assist the Japanese in winning if more ability users were drafted. His own ability, Elise, while strong (ish) would not be helpful in this case. We've already seen that she can be destroyed (Fukuzawa and Mori's fight during the cannibalism virus arc) and while it seems she can be remade, not much is known about the specifics of that. Elise, since her destruction, has only been seen once. Besides that, since she has been destroyed, it's an easy enough conclusion to come to that the firepower the European side had would be enough to kill her.

Therefore, Mori needed an ability that would not only prove to the Japanese government that abilities were worth something in a fight, but also win the battle of Tokoyami Island. Those two things go hand in hand, but they're not the same. Winning the battle would prove to the Japanese government abilities were worth something in battle, but only if the battle was won using an ability. And, in my opinion, a singular ability. He meant to show the government just how powerful one ability can be.

There's where Yosano came in. One person can be injured in battle, and killed. Even an ability user. But Yosano, who can keep a whole squadron alive forever? She was the ultimate weapon. Nevermind her age, nevermind her willingness, she was the key to the Greater Good. So he used her. It's cold, ruthless, and wrong, sure, but in a war? Wars do not care for wrong, ruthless and cold.

That's not to say that he wasn't affected by the war, though. During young Yosano's introduction, he's seen smiling and joking. Although it may not have come across that way in the English translation, the lines where he calls Yosano "his" is teasing. He ends his sentence in "だよ" which is the informal or friendly ending to a sentence. (Fun fact! adding "よ" after "だ" is like adding a "you know?" to the end of your sentence, so even more friendly.)

((Also… don't take "My Yosano" out of context. Yosano is described as a "sponsored medical student." Mori is her sponsor, most likely. She's his student and responsibility. That's all ya weirdos.))

When Yosano starts breaking down, Mori also has a personality shift. He goes from finding her antics cute, to being even colder and more ruthless. He went from threatening the soldiers to shooting one of them in the stomach. He was, at this point, obsessed with getting his Immortal Regiment to work. It doesn't, and while we don't really see how that affects him, it's a probable cause to his wanting to get Yosano back after the war, and subsequent fight on the rooftop with Fukuzawa.

Now, let's move onto the Underground Clinic Arc. While this arc is very short, it's another look into his what he's willing to do to achieve his goals. I mentioned at the very beginning his self-sacrificial nature. This is proven when he allows himself to be captured and beaten up by a group. Their goal was to get information out of him, and he knew that it would happen. Still, he allowed it to happen because he wanted to know where their base was so he could launch "retribution and [a] counter attack". He did this while putting himself at great risk.

(Alternatively, he could just be a masochist.) ((this is a joke ignore this))

That too was for the Greater Good, although this time, the Greater Good was acquiring a reputation as both a reputable underground doctor and as someone who knew everything. Both of which would be required to become the Port Mafia Boss' doctor, which was his "in" to becoming Boss himself. In doing that, he fulfilled his part of the Tripartite Tactic, which assured a safer city.

As for being the Port Mafia Boss, he does it well. He secured a successor, someone he could train from a young age to be the next Boss, leading him to continue keeping the city safe in the way the Port Mafia does best. He secured loyalty, which is one of his greatest strengths, in almost every single member of the Port Mafia. Every Mafia member we've interacted with so far has an incredible respect for Mori, barring Dazing, of course.

Even with Dazai, I'd argue he respects him.

I've heard people say that Oda was Mori's great failing and I disagree. Mori did know exactly what he was doing in killing Oda. There were two possible outcomes to the scenario: Oda dies, killing Gide in the process, the Port Mafia gains the Gifted Business Permit, and Dazai toughens up, learning that nothing but the Greater Good mattered, or Oda dies, killing Gide in the process, the Port Mafia gains the Gifted Business Permit, and Dazai leaves, too "soft" to be the next Port Mafia boss.

All for the Greater Good.

He took an organization, which was, for all intents and purposes, a terrorist group, and turned it into one of Yokohama's protectors. Yes, he is a bad person. His individual morality is horrifically dark. However, as a leader, he does what is best for the organization and city.

Everything for the Greater Good.

[morgana-ren]

So, I'm, how would the The Bastard Three (or Four)™ deal with a sick plaything? Especially if it's something you just have to ride out, where a quick cure isn't really an option.

As someone with the constitution of a destitute Victorian child myself, I actually have put some thought into this. My family is notoriously sickly (and it causes problems) so obviously I had to think about what it's going to be like when I inevitably fall ill.

Reaver... is bad at it. Horrible, actually. He's going to realize he can't pay your sickness to go away and that sends him for a ride. Keep in mind, he doesn't really get sick himself, so he's probably forgotten what it's like. He.. um.. also isn't willing to forgo sex. At all. He's going to whine and mope about.

He's going to demand the finest doctor in the land show up (and they will immediately or they will be found dead) to try to cure you. Or he's going to call and whine and complain to Nightmare who is the equivalent of a magic doctor to come and 'fix you' so things can 'get back to normal.

This is if you have, like, a flu or something that is keeping you down temporarily. He will have his servants flutter about the house bringing soups and medicines, and he will stay in the room with you-- albeit making fun of you for your fragile mortal constitution. He won't do anything himself most likely, but it will get done. It bothers him he can't throw money at sickness to fuck off.

If it's something more serious, there's going to be a lot of underhanded money being funneled and changing hands to get his filthy paws on whatever cure there is hidden away from the general public. If even that isn't enough to net him a cure, he's going to... do to you what he did to himself. I very much meant it when I said he isn't losing you. You're getting carried to the Shadow Court, and it doesn't matter who is dying in your place each year. It isn't going to be you. So, two people have to die each year so you both can maintain immortality? So be it.

He's not losing you. No matter what your thoughts on the matter are.

Nightmare is actually the best. He's very good at caring for things, despite being one of the cruelest bastards to walk the Hells. He's a powerful cleric and essentially a doctor, and he's quite good at what he does. He can usually just heal whatever is wrong with you, and if for whatever reason he can't, he's going to take absolutely incredible care of you. He's going to bring you soups, and medicine, and make sure you're tucked and taken care of and your needs met to the letter.

He won't even make you have sex with him! Isn't he so kind?

And then he is going to hold that over your head the second you are better. You will pamper him, prepare him dinner, manicure his nails, wax his horns, massage his back, be a good little wife because he was such a good husband. Not that you weren't doing that anyway, but he's extra annoying about it.

He's not too worried about illness. If you're like me and you have some.. uh.. seriously wrong shit with you, he's going to look into trying to fix it. He actually has a rare level of empathy for you if you do. It's one thing he won't torture you over and will ease up a bit. For example, if you have endometriosis, he's going to ease up during that time and he is going to try to ease your torment-- and he will do it secretly and quietly. That's not the kind of pain he revels in. He doesn't suddenly turn into a sweet little honey-bunny or anything, but you'll notice a difference for a short time.

As for if you're very dangerously ill, much like Reaver, it's not happening. Doesn't matter how many villages have to be burned in Bane's name. Doesn't matter how many people have to die. Ironically enough, he doesn't see the irony in killing hundreds of people to save one that is important to him. He will offer up anything to his God if it spares you. If it's King of Hell Nightmare, he can literally pluck your soul from the ether of eternity-- most likely. It might be different if another God was willing to go to bat for your soul, but chances are, Nightmare is going to make you sign it away to him when he starts to care about you just to ensure you cannot leave him. Your body, your mind, your soul belong to him. Even in death.

Astarion tries his best. He really does. He's a vampire and doesn't really remember the follies and fragility of a mortal form. He's going to consult Nightmare and try to take care of you as best as he can, but his efforts can best be described as fumbling.

He's going to kind of flutter about and do what he can. He will let you lay up in the palace and will also have his servants take care of you and have a doctor on call, but it's kind of... unnerving. He will just kind of sit there and... watch you. Feel your forehead. Use his body as a cooling mat for you if you're too hot. Basic things.

His intentions are good. They really are. Like Nightmare, it's not the kind of pain he enjoys. He doesn't like seeing you sick and weak and on the brink of collapse. He's going to sit there and watch and ensure that you heal. He's not going anywhere.

If it's something that can endanger your life, then he will do whatever he needs to do. If it means turning you into a vampire against your will (and everyone else's, frankly) then too bad. It's happening. Come to peace with it. It won't be his first fallback, but if it boils down to it, he will do it.

Nightmare will beat his unholy ass, but if he panics? He will do it in an undead heartbeat. Anything to keep you near him.

Ilya is going to do for you what his mother used to do for him. He's a good caretaker, but he's not a doctor, though he will try his hardest. He will look into his books and remember ancient remedies and anything he can to try and get you healthy again. Seeing you low energy and miserable like that isn't fun, so he's going to back the hell off and become something of a caretaker. He will make you homemade soup (that is actually pretty incredible) and medicines as well as herbs he knows to be helpful from his youth.

Think of a father figure trying his best to take care of your health, even though they aren't an expert. They revert to what they know, and so too does Ilya. He's quiet and throrough. He will read to you, talk with you, watch tv with you, but he's going to be stern about the fact that you rest. He's literally going to act like a father figure, chiding you if you push yourself. He's going to treat you like a fragile wife. If you have something reoccuring, he's going to take note of the patterns so that he will know it is coming likely before even you do. The second he sees them, into bed you go, medicine already on the table, room all made up to ensure your comfort.

He'll bring you a new stuffed animal for you to cuddle with, and quietly sit in the room and read or simply lie next to you. He will leave you alone for the most part unless you bid him to your side, but if you do, he will happily do whatever you need, whether it's getting you things, bringing you something, and just keeping you company.

He will take on whatever chores or duties that you have for his own quietly and without mentioning it later. His butler will be ringing Nightmare to come and take a look to ensure it's nothing serious and tell him that he's his brother and he loves him but if he lays a hand on you, he will cut his face off. Politely, of course.

It it's something very serious, he's going to call Nightmare and it's time to strike a bargain. Whatever he wants for your life. Anything. Like the others, you dying isn't an option. If he has to let Astarion turn you, so be it. If he has to consort with Reaver to strike a deal with the shadows, so be it. If he has to sign your soul to himself and take responsibility for it in its entirety, he will. Ilya is quite powerful, so something has to be very wrong for this to be the situation. He's not a cleric like Nighty, but he knows a bit about medical procedure and has a network of people he has maintained to meet his ends (his specialty as a webspinner.)

[savage-rhi]

From your latest prompt list “here, let me help you” and could it be Ardyn x reader please 💙

@blossom-adventures thank you for being patient with me on this 💙 hope it turned out okay!

"That...doesn't look good, Ardyn." Y/N knew they should've kept their mouth shut, but they could no longer ignore the massive blood stain that was seeping through the white material of Ardyn's overshirt. The crimson spot took up a huge section of his waist.

"Here, let me help you." Y/N offered, approaching his side only to be waved off. Y/N watched while Ardyn turned and scooted away from them.

"Save your pity for another," Ardyn sighed. "I need rest. There's no need to fret on my behalf."

Y/N was surprised. His tone was cold and unwelcoming, yet there was no malice held in his words. Not like earlier when Ardyn was berating them. Y/N made a face, recalling how they got from point A to point B in this mess.

Lucian troops didn't know when to mind their business. Much less offer peace to someone who was afflicted by the scourge. Once they caught wind Y/N had it, the harassment never ceased. It escalated to the point where the soldiers debated about turning Y/N in to quarantine or shooting them on the spot, to save the trouble. That's when Ardyn intervened after being away for an hour.

At first he tried the diplomatic approach. He was cordial, and flexed his status as Niflheim's chancellor to get the group to back off but either it was a bad day, a full moon, or something was in the air. Because with every life saving option Ardyn gave, the Lucians tossed back. Enough to trigger a fight.

Ardyn made short work of them, but not without a price. He had been cut deeply by one of their blades. Slicing near the left side of his waist. It was in a vain attempt to make the structure of his body collapse, obviously it didn't pave out as intended. For most humans, this was a guaranteed slow death especially with no medical aid being in close proximity. For an immortal such as Ardyn, it was an annoyance for sure, but nothing worth crying about.

While Ardyn's thoughts wandered while he rested against a boulder near the fire pit, he did a double take upon seeing Y/N reaching for his clothes. No doubt to assess the damage. He quickly grabbed their hand, feeling a sense of pride swell in himself for making them gasp out in a panic before he glared.

"Do you take pleasure in touching people's bodies without prior consent?" Ardyn mocked.

"No, I just--" Y/N felt Ardyn's fingers squeeze tight around their hand, causing them to wince. Ardyn raised a brow.

"Well?"

"Look," Y/N swallowed. "I know you told me not to fret, but I can't help myself. You got hurt because of me."

"You're right about that." Ardyn said as a matter of fact. His features softened when he saw the guilt that began to seep into Y/N's eyes. He made a disproving face.

"I may be unwell for a few days, but the scourges healing factor will take care of it. I assure you. It's not the first time I've been impaled, nor do I anticipate it will be my last."

"Its easy for you to be nonchalant about it considering what you are, but I'm scared that you--"

Ardyn let go of Y/N's hand and put a finger to their lips. He was surprised at how effective the gesture was at getting them to stop talking. Scared on my behalf? He nearly balked at the idea until he scanned over Y/N's face longer than intended. He could see it all. The worry. The care. The fear. Being someone who prided himself on seeing through people quite well, Ardyn was taken back. This was...too genuine for his liking.

"You're quite an odd thing..."

Ardyn held Y/N's gaze, his amber eyes searching theirs for any sort of trickery before he let out a breath and retreated his hand away.

"I guess if you're so inclined, you may look." He carefully began to unbutton his vest, discarding it nearby then began repeating the motions with his shirt. Grabbing a hold of the stained portion of the material, he scrunched it up to reveal his body and the wound.

"Shit..." Y/N whispered. Their eyes traveled over the gash. It wasn't bleeding profusely like before and had scabbed over rather quick, but there were pockets of blood pooling from cracked bits of flesh. It certainly explained why his shirt was turning red.

"See? No need for worry. It's healing." Ardyn reassured. He pulled his shirt back down then furrowed his brows. He watched Y/N rummage through their small pack, taking out a salve.

"I'm afraid that won't be of much assistance." Ardyn tried to be gentle with them on this fact. He felt irate, watching Y/N uncap the blasted ointment anyway, preparing to administer it without approval.

"I'm warning you, Y/N--"

"Ardyn,"

Their eyes met and there was a silent battle of wills that traveled between the two. Either of them felt unsteady by the tension that grew. Ardyn tilted his head curiously, but kept the firmness of his gaze poised. A small smirk traveled across his lips.

"Tell me, what do you get out of this?"

"Pardon?"

"By helping me out in this fashion, what do you get out of it?" Ardyn mused. His smile widened, seeing Y/N's face tint with pink. There was no way the campfire's heat was having that effect on them. "There's always a catch with every transaction, dear one. "

"This isn't a transaction, and I don't need anything from you. I'm being nice." Y/N countered. Y/N felt their heart in their throat when suddenly Ardyn adjusted. He was so close that Y/N could see the tiny needles of his scruff and his pulse thudding gently in his neck.

"You're being coy, and your eyes give everything away." Ardyn mused darkly.

"Yours do too."

Ardyn chuckled, shaking his head. He knew Y/N had them there, but he was too prideful to admit it.

"Tell me, what is it that you desire by performing this little act of compassion? You must want something from me. Many try to get in my good graces for a favor."

"I can assure you my desire is not whatever you're thinking." Y/N swallowed, but held their ground. The double take Ardyn did had Y/N briefly smile triumphantly, able to knock him down a peg with something suggestive.

"Perhaps you are looking too deep in places you shouldn't."

Everything about Ardyn's sentence should've come off as he held no interest in that sort of thing, but his smile and the teasing tone of his voice suggested otherwise. Y/N felt put on the spot. With Ardyn, it was always a mystery at what his true intentions were. He loved spinning people one direction, only to pull them in another.

"I--"

"Yes?"

"It'll give me peace of mind. I get it, you're all powerful and can heal on your own but for my sake just--" Y/N handed the ointment to Ardyn, shoving the bottle in his hands. "Put it on so I can sleep at night not feeling like shit you got hurt protecting me."

"There now," Ardyn mused. He looked down at the bottle before his gaze returned to Y/N. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Pest."

"Prude." Ardyn scoffed. He leaned away, and made himself comfortable while getting ready to go through with Y/N's request. He normally wasn't one to offer compliance of this sort, but decided it was for the best. It would get Y/N to quit doting on him. The attention or warmth of it was something he wasn't accustomed to. Not in several thousand years.

While Y/N went over to the fire and Ardyn prepared a small amount of the substance on his fingers to dab at his skin, he paused. Glancing between his fingers and the injury, he felt a compulsion begin to rise. His hand trembled while he mentally debated with himself. The impulse was ridiculous, but he kept coming back to it.

"Y/N,"

"You okay?" Y/N turned around, seeing Ardyn briefly smile before he gestured at his wound.

"Will you do the honors?"

"Putting the medicine on for you?"

Ardyn nodded.

"You're more than capable of doing this on your--"

"I don't know how much to administer," Ardyn interrupted. "It's been centuries. Enlighten an old fool. I'd so hate to screw up."

It was a piss poor excuse at getting the opportunity to be touched by another, but gods he took it. Ardyn had no doubt Y/N saw through his crap to boot. He averted his gaze, keeping himself emotionless.

Ardyn was surprised to see Y/N return, taking the bait. He side eyed them, watching while they carefully took the salve and thoroughly applied it to their hand. He made a fist with his left hand, and his body froze. He couldn't look Y/N in the eye.

The initial contact stung as if he had been shocked. The salve irritated the wound and what remained exposed. Ardyn let out a hiss, gritting his teeth. After a few deep breaths, the stinging subsided. A cold numbness began to sweep around the injury. He let out a sigh, and relaxed. That's when Ardyn registered Y/N's fingertips working away from the center of the gash, caressing the skin around the wounds area and moving toward flesh that hadn't been touched by blood.

There were no words. The only thing he felt was warmth. As if his whole body had been imbued by the sun. Ardyn felt foolish enjoying something so simple; a basic act of affection that many took for granted. He couldn't believe he was getting euphoria from this.

Touch starvation was a concept Ardyn thought of as humorous. He didn't believe in it, chalked the idea up to people making a problem out of nothing for the sake of drama. It was an experience the Adagium should've been incapable of feeling, but he had been proven wrong. He felt embarrassed at the desperation his body endured with each soft pass from Y/N.

Ardyn could see it so clearly when he closed his eyes. Aera's hands caressing his cheek, playing with his stubble before reassuring him that the pain of taking the scourge into himself would end eventually. Her touch had been one of the few things that kept him stable as Ardyn traveled the Lucian kingdom healing the afflicted. Something he couldn't do for Y/N. Not in this life.

As Ardyn snapped out of his thoughts, his gaze traveled to Y/N. His eyes caught wind of the scourge upon the crook of Y/N's neck. He cringed at seeing the black and purple web like pattern; the signature of the curse.

It would be so simple to reach over and allow his own darkness to envelop them. Ardyn could feel the temptation rise just as bad as he wanted Y/N's hand to remain on him. The conflict of consuming Y/N and wishing to heal them had his mind unfolding.

"You're all done. Let it dry a bit before you move around. I use this stuff on my scourge spots. I can barely feel them at all afterward so hopefully you get the same benefit." Y/N said. As soon as they began to move their hand away, they felt Ardyn grab their wrist. He held an intense stare. Conflict grew in his golden eyes, and Y/N was dumbfounded.

"Ardyn--!"

His movement was so fast that Y/N didn't have time to register what happened. Suddenly they felt the heaviness of Ardyn's head pressed to their own. Their foreheads met in the middle and Y/N heard Ardyn let out a shaky breath. His grip on their arm tightened. His thumb quickly smoothed over Y/N's skin out of vague reassurance not to be scared.

"What's going through your head?" Y/N murmured. They were frozen in place at this point, unsure of what was happening. The only thing Y/N was certain of, was that Ardyn had a malfunction. Some part of his façade broke just now and he was in a vulnerable place.

"Angelgard," Ardyn swallowed. His eyes were tightly shut. He drowned out the compulsion to daemonify Y/N by focusing on their touch. How he had been deprived of the most basic of humanity's affections. Touch was his tool for healing the sick. It was yet another thing taken from him all those years ago. He be damned to be without it right now.

"It's been a long time." He finally finished his thoughts. "I know this is peculiar, but remain with me. Stay as you are."

"Okay," Y/N nodded against him, feeling Ardyn in turn mimic their motion. It was as if he attempted to nuzzle, but held himself back. Y/N decided not to question it. Nor did they decide to pry further where this all was coming from. Y/N knew Ardyn had deep traumas. He had hinted at it many a time. Knowing he was the Adagium was a mere fraction of the whole. As strange as this was, Y/N wanted to be here for him. Having the scourge themselves, they knew all too well what it was like to be battling a disease no one understood.

"Take as long as you need. It's okay."

Y/N truly didn't understand the danger they were in, and Ardyn intended to keep it that way. There would come a time where Y/N would no longer be of use to him, but not now. Not when he was reminded briefly of who he once was, and how much he missed his old life. Not when something so basic as holding an arm felt like heaven.

If you like my work and feel generous, feel free to donate to my ko-fi account or my cash app account!

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[mrdrhenwardhykle]

I was in a silly goofy mood, so here’s a Bad End/Goons Dragon’s Lair AU +drawings c:

(Body horror, blood, rotting flesh, +kinda sad tw ig)

Idk, this may be set up like partially disorganized DND stats

Hollow:

Alrightly, so the first one we're talking about is more of a remake/redesign on an established character in the franchise. 'Hollow' is a character from the possibly non-canon 3D game, and is like the evil Dirk or something (idk-I tried to look into it, but looking at this game for too long makes me cringe)

Yeah, this guy.

But instead of just being a recolor and a copy of whatever Space Ace did that one time, in my version he's just Dirk from an alternate timeline.

So basically, in this timeline either a. this follows one of the deaths where it doesn't fully show him die/just shows him fail and get stuck somewhere, or b. a timeline where Mordroc and his goons take another route and attack him all at once when he first enters

Anyways, Mordroc (with intention of getting another servant to his castle) gets to Dirk and places an amulet over his neck, explaining he just gave him the 'gift' of immortality; confusing Dirk, wondering why he just did that in the first place. In a turn of events Mordroc stands back and allows his goons to tear Dirk's eyes out and throw him in a random room.

With the amulet, the victim cannot remove it themselves- but have to rely one someone else taking it off for them. You can gain fatal injuries with the amulet and not die, but the injury will likely never heal (other than maybe bleeding stopping), and the one who wears the amulet will never have the pain ease.

'Hollow', as the inhabitants of the Dragon's Lair have come to name him, isn't inherently evil; nor has any forced villainy caused by the amulet, and is still just normal Dirk- but cannot hear or see, and is thriving off of desperation to leave the castle without adding anything else to his anguish. Having a good intuition at first, he has forced himself to concentrate enough so his instincts can help him 'survive'. But no matter who you may be, good or bad, Hollow takes no chances and swings first.

To survive, remember to be smooth and agile in your movements if you see freshly killed goons/knights, smell old blood and rotting flesh approaching, or hear a man crying, screaming in anguish, or calling out 'Daphne' or help. Remember that harming him only makes him more desperate and hostile. If you have his well being in mind, avoid harming him at all costs and just sneak and dodge- and barricade the nearest door if possible.

If you don't care and just need to get closer to saving the princess, just disarm him by cutting off his arms and/or legs but that's pretty cruel. It's actually frowned upon to do that and should only be the last resort.

You can actually befriend Hollow, and it's one of the most recommended routes (other than taking the amulet off yourself). To do this, you need to dodge his attacks, and reassure through some way of touch or presence to show you are a friend or to reassure that he's safe. Show though grabbing his hand or arm that you're going to be guiding him, and just stay in literal touch or out of range when enemies are near-and he should take care of the issue. If you are able to lead him out, let him know he's safe and comfortable before paying your debt by taking the amulet off.

It's unclear if you can save Hollow, as taking off the amulet will just let his fatal wounds catch up to him and instantly kill him (Aka the amulet keeps him alive). Asking most guides, they would just tell you that yanking the amulet off is the best you can do, as he's 'cheating' death and won't suffer any longer- but there may be a 1% in reversing it. That is, to begin the route; take Hollow out and find the best healing mange you can. It's hard to say if healing magic or medical attention can actually 100% help him out, as there's plenty of issues causing him anguish, and either magic or medical care can miss that. And that being said, it's likely difficult to find a good mange in the kingdom, and an even better mange to cure full blown missing eyeballs and other organs- and he might still live with difficulty. This isn't the most recommended route to deal with Hollow, but taking the chance is by no means frowned upon.

Any time Hollow gets close to the exit, a goon is sent to pull him back to another room to screw him up again. It's unknown if they would do this if he got close to the gold room. They've lost a few goons while doing this, but Mordroc insists in keeping him as a guard and a good selection to his 'collection' of knights.

Anyways, ignore the quality of my horrible colored pencil drawings

The Banshee Princess:

After Dirk's 'failure' to save her, Daphne officially became another new 'toy' to Mordroc's collection. Mordroc basically went through the same ritual as seen in the second game, and casted the Banshee curse on her through marriage. The Banshee curse itself forms out of loss and grief, and being that Daphne was in a slightly different position of grief (Aka, no children or husband to lose-but rather just a whole kingdom and boyfriend((?)) ) her form composed into a different and lesser variation.

After she was let out of the bubble, she claimed Singe's room-even to the point of becoming to agitated with him to the point that she killed him by eating him from the inside-out while he was sleeping.

This rendition of the banshee is smaller and more agile like a lizard; and can be found mostly at the back end of the castle. She can crawl on walls, and uses that to her advantage to sneak on her prey. While she can attack goons, she mainly aims for and lives off of knights (as Mordroc won't announce her change to the kingdom and also won't bother to come close enough to feed her).

Her scream is loud and shrill enough that it instantly paralyzes her victims- however she only does this at a very close perimeter.

Look for signs of the Banshee once you enter this area. Keep alert if you feel like your eyes are making up something crawling on the wall beside you. Don't follow if you hear a woman's voice crying out anything like 'help me!', 'save me!', 'mom!' or 'Dirk!'.

Unlike Hollow, there's more of a chance to save Daphne from this fate (albeit she will revert back due to fatal injuries). The one and only cure is a kiss of true love (maybe where befriending Hollow comes in,, but you can try if you wanted to ig)- but the issue with that would be in getting her to remember who she was before so she could stop attacking. Memories are quite rare to get, but it's at least worth the try. Memories are also quite temporary, and she'll just quickly revert back to her animalistic instinct if you're not quick enough to communicate to her.

The ring is no longer there, and the deadline for the ring to enact the curse is long past due. She ripped it off herself while she still had a little bit of control at some point.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed the random angst

:3

[paragonrobits]

What are your thoughts on hulk putting a guy in a coma in the first issue of immortal hulk?

Given hulk has a specific hatred of the system later on, and becomes a pseudo champion for the downtrodden, it seems him not on,y ruining this man’s life, but the lives of his family as well was excessively cruel

Tho that may have intentional, devil hulk is not a morally pure character by any means and is meant to be questionable at times, but it clashes with his later actions,

And hell, what about dr mcgowen? She worked in an MGH lab, hurting mutants like glow boy, she wants the active cause but she still participated

But we understand she was driven to these things by poverty, but the gas station robber was as well?

We know dr mcgowen is respected because she stands up,to hulk, but we see the gas station robber apologizing profusely, admitting he’d been done wrong and wanting to do better,

Ultimately it boils down to a few important character details. The first is the thought of "He was a murderer who just could not WAIT to kill someone with that gun despite his protestations to the contrary, kills a little girl for startling him and Banner for being in the wrong place, and the cashier"

When the Devil Hulk lays out everything he did wrong and taunts him with the knowledge of what's going on in that guy's mind, its delivered with the attitude that he is exactly correct. Devil Hulk just KNOWS stuff about people, just as he is a mirror of all the aspects of human nature that Banner desperately doesn't want to admit are part of himself, and always WERE part of himself. The Devil Hulk shows you two things; the you that is seen in the mirror, and the you that you DON'T want to see.

In this case, its that this desperate, poverty-stricken family man with a child and another child on the way also really wanted to kill other people, relished in the power over life and death that having a gun offered him, and given the chance, he didn't hesitate to murder.

He regretted it, sure. He was motivated by money to keep the gangs off him and support his family. He still did it. And the thing about Devil Hulk is that he does not care about extenuating circumstances. If he thinks you deserve to die, than by all that you hold holy he is absolutely going to kill you, regardless of why.

Contrast with Charlene Mcgowan, who is also in a very bad position; she's implied to have been stuck working for supervillains and other morally unspeakable employers because she had no other options and was stuck in a bad place with no alternative. The distinction here is that, contrasted with her mad scientist counterparts in the same organization, she is actively trying to alievate the pain of an undying gamma mutate who is in constant suffering, and the other doctors want to dissect him.

She didn't have to try, but she did. She puts herself at SERIOUS risk trying to make it easier on him, time and again, taking his pain away; Fortean has a guy demoted for simply expressing basic human compassion for someone Fortean terms an enemy, so just imagine what he would do if he realized how extensively she was going out of her way to help a gamma mutate?

So gas station robber dude didn't have to kill anyone, but he wanted to, and did it even when he didn't do anything. He claimed remorse, and might have meant it, but Devil Hulk didn't care, as he seems to value actions over desire. Macgowan, conversely, put herself at serious risk to make Glowboy's pain stop. She didn't have to, but she did.

Robber-guy felt bad for it, but again, that doesn't seem to matter much to Devil Hulk.

There are two further possibilities to consider, here. The first is that er willing to stand up to him and defend herself while Robber Guy immediately started making excuses while begging and pleading led to his different decisions. making excuses or refusing to acknowledge that you had a choice in the matter REALLY sets him off. Standing up to him and making a case for yourself as honestly as possible, conversely, tends to gain... not leniency, but he will at least hear you out.

This leads into the second interpretation to think about; that Devil Hulk during the Hulk In Hell arc is explicitly compared as a Satanic figure, but NOT a Christian one. He better fits the Jewish conception of it less as a specific figure and more as a broad office of a divine prosecutor, demanding humanity account for its innumerable crimes to itself and others. Devil Hulk demands that the people he encounters explain themselves, and give a defense for their crimes. This is by FAR the single most consistent aspect of his character, and the bit that ultimately separates him the most from any other incarnation or depiction of the Hulk.

He is a judge. He has implicitly judged all humanity for its crimes. In the face of blood on your hands, doing it for you family doesn't matter much to him. There was, he might say, always a choice. You might die or something worse happen to you, but then you wouldn't be guilty of what you DID do. It is his purpose to judge all the world, and in his judgements, we see a microcosm of what he may one do to humanity as a whole.

Macgowan accepted what she did was wrong, and didn't make excuses, but tried to help out another person in misery. Bank Robber Guy murdered people on an impulse and when he realized how deep he was, he mostly comes off as scared and upset these things are happening to him, but he doesn't come off as genuinely remorseful to a meaningful degree. Sure, what Devil Hulk did was fucked up, but 'fucked up' is what Devil Hulk IS.

The robber really doesn't seem to WANT to do better, he just doesn't want to suffer for the things he did; he killed three people in cold blood (panic, perhaps, but cold blood all the same, and as Hulk infers, he WANTED to do something like that the whole time, just because he could) so its hard to feel any pity for him.

(I would also note that bad men doing bad things and being excused from the consequences because they had a family would probably sit very poorly with Devil Hulk, given that he exists specifically as a protector alter to an abused child. He might say something along the lines of lots of people having families, and it doesn't make them special or deserve anything more than what they get.)

[empiriical]

thinking about berga. thinking about how at first glance he's closest to your stereotypical mafia thug. broad-shouldered, angry, prone to violence, not that smart. thinking about how he his heart is so big and everything he does — the only reason he's in this business — is out of love for his family and a desire to protect them. thinking about how even when he's stomping a guy to death he tells him "don't you make my brothers any sadder". thinking about how he loves to cook. thinking about how his wife was the one to ask him out. thinking about how he's the most willing to talk about his feelings && encourages it from the people around him. thinking about how at the end of the day, he has the best work-life balance && is able to hang up the job at the door when he goes home.

thinking about czes. thinking about how although he's hundreds of years old, with centuries of life experience, he maintains much of the mental && emotional capacity of a ten year old. despite this, he's more grown up than most of the other immortals who were older than him from the start. thinking about how he's changed drastically while they haven't. thinking about how he literally made explosives. thinking about how his fear of being devoured wasn't for the end of his life but for others finding out how much pleasure his abuser got from torturing him. thinking about how he promised himself he'd never trust anyone again, but caved as soon as he saw maiza.

&& actually, thinking about maiza. thinking about how he was in a gang as a kid, unruly && rude && causing trouble. thinking about how his introduction to alchemy gave him the chance to turn his life around. thinking about how he took the responsibility of summoning the "demon" that would grant them all immortality. thinking about how he lost his brother because of his unwillingness to spread the knowledge he was given. thinking about how he fell into a 200+ year depression, wanting only to kill the man responsible for his brother's death && then end his own life. thinking about how he found a home with a camorra family && became one of their most respected members. thinking about how an all-powerful being — the "demon" — stuck by his side just because. thinking about how he drove a car off a cliff because yolo. thinking about how he's kind && soft-spoken && trustworthy && ripped a man's ear off.

thinking about elmer. thinking about how his seemingly altruistic goal of bringing about universal happiness is incredibly selfish. thinking about how he wants people to smile only so that maybe one day he'll know how to himself. thinking about how he has no object permanence && doesn't care about the dead because they're incapable of smiling. thinking about how he was offered literally any power or wish in the world && his first instinct was to ask an all-powerful being to smile. thinking about how he still calls huey his best friend despite not having seen him in almost 300 years. thinking about how he would help anyone smile, no matter what it takes or what kind of person they are. thinking about how his cheerful demeanor && strange mannerisms were so unsettling that the most vile character in the series called him evil && was terrified of him.

thinking about ladd. thinking about how he loves to kill but has a very strict moral code about it. thinking about how he won't kill anyone who is important to the people he loves, no matter how bad he wants them dead. thinking about how the people he's attracted to are people he wants to kill. thinking about how he is the most ride-or-die friend but if you make an enemy out of him he's an absolute terror. thinking about how friendly && chatty he is. thinking about how he loves && respects lua && even though he wants to kill her, && she wants to die, he won't do it yet because he loves her too much && isn't ready to lose her yet.

thinking about jacuzzi. thinking about how he got a tattoo of a sword on his face at age fourteen so his best friend could always pick him out of a crowd with her vision impairment. thinking about how he cries at literally everything but only so that when it really matters, he can be dry-eyed && brave. thinking about how he knows crying isn't a sign of weakness, && proves it to everyone every day. thinking about how he apologizes for everything. thinking about how clear-headed he can be. thinking about how he gunned down eighteen speakeasies in a day all by himself as revenge for the deaths of his friends. thinking about how his gang sticks with him because he's just that kind of guy. thinking about how claire stanfield, describes him as having the strong, kind eyes of a hero.

[mythvoiced]

" hey, can you deliver this important letter to Hermes? " she asks of the God himself, passing him a note with 'FUCK YOU' written in bold and all caps.

@astremourante | IM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

---

He brought this onto himself, you might argue.

And you'd be absolutely right.

Serves him right for engaging with mortals beyond what is traditional, orthodox to pursue for an Olympian.

He's not the first one (nor will he be the last) to entangle himself into human affairs and grow intrigued enough by someone who isn't an Olympian to know them by name, by the taste of their lips even.

The only difference is that... no one does it quite as well as Hermes.

Although he's the busiest among the Olympians, he'd argue and defend with ichor-blood, he's also the one who has most to do with mortals. And he's also the one most intrigued by just about anyone the sky and the earth, immortals and mortals, deem worthy of being shunned.

Nay, he is particularly fond of those others feel justified in shunning, othering, forgetting about, banishing.

One of his favourites among the fine people he's laid his eyes on had been Circe, after all, loathed by her entire family, a witch who turned vile men into pigs and cared for the nymphs on her prison island with the kind of care Greek mythological figures are not used to receiving from children of Titans: benevolent.

Snide tongue, sharp eye, witty mind, a good lay, even.

He has a type.

So, knowing full well who he's up against, that he's always enjoyed surrounding himself with people, mortals, who portray his favourites of mortal traits, the wit, the cunning, the raw ugliness of being anything but holy (that same ugliness he is the only one to recognise within his family), the bite, the ferocity of fighting because a mortal's life is so very short it makes it so very valuable to them especially, does he have any right to be surprised here?

No.

Which is why he isn't.

For a brief moment, a flash of something infinitesimal in contrast to a second, he'd been excited at the prospect that she'd have any interest in any aspect of who he actually is. They don't talk about divinity, his role. He doesn't even know if she knows he carries souls of the damned within his bag at times, that he's closely (closely, even) associated with the ferryman of the underworld, that he truly is the fastest among the God and can get her to anywhere in the world in the bat of an eye.

Then he hears his own name and reads the note.

There's another brief moment he dedicates to the shudder giggling along his spine, hidden beneath the mask of careless maniacal superiority, at hearing his name on her lips, so rarely used (especially in contrast to how often he'd like to hear it.

Then he bursts out laughing.

Because... because of everything described above and because of how none of the above truly matters, because the true reason he should have known better, the true reason he still takes it and laughs is because Amelia dug herself like a hook into his core and he'd probably find ways to fuck it all up, for the skies, the earth, the oceans, if she asked him just often enough.

He wouldn't right away, because he's smarter than that, God of Cunning and all that.

But he'd entertain it, entertain it in earnest.

A good idea.

Cause a war for Amelia Sinclair?

A good idea.

"Will do," he responds, with the glee of a flirty inside joke, smiling, all teeth, all a mollified cat just a nudge too enamoured with his Alice. "That will cost you, though. I don't do deliveries for free. Can you pay, miss?"

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

skull - mortality for alee?

"What's mortality but a fleeting reminder of what those who are not granted it have lost?"

1 - Does your OC often reflect upon their own mortality? Is it something which they fear?

Alee, from a young age, was guaranteed safety. Even before coming into his immortality, as the Fates' designated prophet, it was a surefire thing that no harm would come to him. Alee's reflection in regards to his mortality is more on his lack of choice in regards to his immortality. He is not, under any circumstances, allowed to negate his immortality and embrace mortality. It is not death that he fears. 2 - Does your OC have a "bucket list" of things they would like to do (or places they would like to see) before they die?

He has failed the only item on his bucket list. It is now an impossible task to do. Alee does not grant himself the kindness to see her death as a freedom, and so he has failed. 3 - Who is the most significant person your OC has lost? Have they fully processed their grief? Or can certain things trigger a flood of emotions?

(lane looks into the camera) Alee keeps his pain close to his chest, any and every attempt to divulge it has only ended in pain for him. So he keeps it to himself. On the surface, he's processed as well as anybody can when they lose their first love, the first meaningful connection they ever made, a person whose death was caused by him himself.

He doesn't talk about Sienna, which is reasonable. But his silence on the matter is a shield for his grief. Alee was not allowed to mourn her when she died, and continues to not allow himself to properly mourn her. His grief is an endless pit with no way out, no light.

He doesn't know who he is without her, even in this wonderful relationship and with friends and people who care about him. Alee's grief is so deep, it takes over a decade before he even is able to consider that he isn't living a lie.

4 - Is there a person who your OC cannot bear the thought of losing? What lengths would they go to in order to keep them safe?

The two people closest to Alee are immortal. They cannot die. As such, there's technically nobody he's afraid of losing. Because he can't lose them. They can leave him, decide he's right and he's a horrible person and decide to finally cast him aside. But he would never lose them the way he lost her. And he secures himself with that, in some twisted way. 5 - Does your OC observe any ceremonies or festivals of remembrance? Who do they memorialise? How does your OC feel on these occasions?

As a religious man, albeit somewhat quieter in his belief. Alee observes the Finalist holiday of Dies Animarum, which is the Finalist Celebration of Death & Life. He uses the holiday to memorialize all those he knows didn't make it from his time on the streets. And he uses it for her, too. She is the centre of his shrine.

Alee feels.. Bad. The guilt eats at him. He suffers from a critical lack of empathy, and as such every action he does, even in genuine remembrance, feels like a hollow attempt. He feels dampened underneath the crushing weight of snow, even in earnest.