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itsagrimm · 2 years ago

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He Who Comes from Under the Water

Chapter 7 - The Knife

Monster!König X she/her afab Reader

CN Pressure of having children, emotional midlife crisis of a dead woman (it sounds funny, but I made myself cry writing that part), grieving dead family members. Discussions of female* relationship issues in hetero relationships, implied talk of rape, implied forced pregnancy, talk of sexual assault and rape in relationships, talk of forced marriage, mentions of drowning and past trauma, pregnancy as body horror. Implications of potential abortions using herbs (don’t try this at home).

eventual smut.

Notes for better understanding at the bottom!

Beta-read by @queenquazar. thanks having me despite my extreme questioning if this is actually good. I wrote half of this while having a slight fever and it shows.

5k words

Masterlist

You remembered your mother as a beautiful woman. The edge of life and age had polished her, making her shine brighter year by year, until the day she died. With her back to you, she stood in the kitchen, working on something as you entered the room as you had so many times before.

“Is it you, daughter?”

You missed her voice. She sounded so real, the memories coming back as those words rang bright and happy, while she turned to greet you.

“Dear, we haven’t seen each other for too long.”

Her face was like you remembered it. Maybe.

“Let me look at you. Are you eating well? Sleeping well? You need to take breaks in the sun. Soon, it will be too cold to stay out again.”

You nodded to the beautiful, kind, stranger called mother.

“Sit down, daughter. Tell me, have you found a husband? Is he treating you well? A good young man from the village or maybe from a bit further away?”

You let yourself get pushed onto one of the familiar chairs, the wood of the rest pushing into your back, and a cup of tea being placed before you.

“I’m about to be married. I… he… he is good to me.”

“And what does he do?” A friendly but practical look danced over ‘Mothers’ face.

Nervously, you fumbled with the tablecloth before placing your hands flat on the table, “Uhm- he is really good at fishing, and currently he is building a new home.”

'Mother' nodded.

“A fisherman and carpenter. Hm. Hm. It’s good to have a capable man in the family. He better give you beautiful children or I’ll haunt him.”

“Uhm- I’m not sure that will happen.”

“Of course, it will. You will love it,” The stranger chuckled. “Or more like you will be loved. For a while at least.”

“And then what?”

The stranger shrugged her shoulders.

“Then you turn older. And wiser, so you will know what you want. And stronger, so you will ask for it. And then you know how to move or dress to feel beautiful. And he will hate it. You will be loved no more, except by your children and the other women. So have children. And friends.” ‘Mother’ nodded. “That’s how it goes, daughter. You say he is a good man?”

“Yes?” A strange feeling weighed you down deep in your stomach. A feeling of doubt, despite your decision to stay with König. “Are you saying he isn’t?”

“How should I know? I am dead. Just do what I did. It wasn’t too bad. Right? I had you. And I loved you until I died.”

You looked across the table. ‘Mother’ smiled softly, looking down at her hands like a shy girl admitting a secret. She was a stranger. She had lived with you in this house, every day you could recall. And yet you had hardly known her. Was that what she had wanted? Staying in the house and watching her children grow, only to have them leave one day when they did not need her anymore? Or had she stayed because she could not imagine anything else? Because she did not dare to leave?

You could not help but reach over the table, taking your mothers’ hands.

There was not a thing in the world you would back down from to protect the woman that had given you a life. And your heart ached with the realisation that it was too late for her.

But maybe not for you.

“Right, mother. I love you too.”

You opened your eyes, staring at the familiar ceiling. Getting up was out of the question. Instead you laid there, tears filling up your eyes before slowly running down to the side of your face.

The dream felt too real to simply brush it aside. Instead, you wanted nothing more than to have your mother back, hold her, talk to her, and give her all the things she had ever wanted from life. It was unfair how she had given you so much and all you could give her was … what exactly? Your mother was dead. It mattered little what she had expected of you, wished for you… or herself. You could do how you pleased; the villagers had shunned you anyways. That freedom however, felt hollow without the woman who had sacrificed so much for you.

And was it wise to use that freedom for König?

Doubt crept up in you, the possibility of death and sadness, present once more.

Was there a life without marriage?

Where you could leave, live, and maybe love, how you wanted, without fear or fighting to survive?

A knock woke you from your melancholy thoughts.

“Who is it?” You called as you sat up and wiped away your tears while turning to the door.

“Wrong direction, darling. Check the window!” A stranger’s voice called out.

Confused, your head whipped around. A woman was before your window, staring directly at you.

How is that possible? You could not help yourself but wonder at the sight of someone peeking through your upstairs window.

The woman waved at you.

“Hi, People call me Baba Yaga but I prefer Farah. That no-good-wet-little-king-and-fiancé-of-yours asked me to come here to help.”

You rushed to get dressed while König, always on guard these days, waited for you downstairs. As you finished braiding your hair, you stumbled downwards. You knew of Baba Yaga. She was no one to anger or to leave waiting. There were guards and gods out there in the world, elders to be respected and traditions to be followed. And then there was her, putting all of them to shame.

She was the maiden, the mother, the old one to turn to when cursing a former lover or in need of help when slaying a monster. Baba Yaga was the knife - ready to make a pleasant meal or spill blood.

You did not know what to make of Königs decision to call Baba Yaga for help. Was it wise? Or was the price for her help higher than you could afford?

“I’m ready,” You called out as you entered the kitchen. “Oh, wait!” You grabbed a bowl of collected berries, “Can’t go into a house without a present,” You explained.

That would be rude. No one gets away with being rude to Baba Yaga.

König nodded before getting up from his seat, a chair this time.

For a brief moment you saw his eyes wander to his axe leaning at the wall, before he moved on.

He is nervous too.

“It’s gonna be fine.” You tried to reassure him. Or yourself.

König managed a smile before reaching for your hand and holding it, his large clawed hands clasping carefully around yours.

“I know, Bride. We can do this.”

Together, you stepped out of your home only to see a wooden house on chicken legs in your garden trampling over your sorry attempts of growing buckwheat.

“Great,” You could not help but comment dryly. “How do we move it?”

“Allow me,” König declared before loudly calling out to the house. “Избушка, избушка, повернись ко мне передом, к лесу — задом!”

The house stilled in its light swaying, like a cat that got reprimanded for what it planned on doing.

“Пожалуйста!” König added pleadingly and the house trotted around and tilted forward, appearing oddly unwilling about it.

“Thank you for moving from the field,” you mumbled.

König stepped up to the Chicken-legged-house and knocked on the door while you lingered beside him.

“Honourable Elder, please let us in and hear our words.”

“You made it,” Was all the answer you got before the door flung open. “Finally. I hate waiting.”

In the doorway before you stood Baba Yaga, the woman who had waved at you in the window. Now you knew she had done it from her unusually high and walking house.

“Honourable Elder sounds lovely, but Farah is enough,” She noted and stepped aside. ��Come on in. I made tea.”

Carefully you followed König’s soft tug as he helped you up to the high door, lifting you like you weighed as little as the logs he brought you.

Inside, it was just like any other house you had seen. There was a large oven, a table, jars with pickled contents and marmalade everywhere, and a beautiful tapestry with symmetrical flowers on the wall.

“Welcome to my home,” Farah declared and motioned to the table and a few chairs for you to sit.

“Thank you for having us,” You replied politely and passed her the bowl of berries. “I am sorry. It’s not much. But I hope our little gift pleases you.”

“It does. Sit, sister.” Farah gave you an approving nod.

And so you did, taking a spot next to König, who had chosen one of the chairs which protested loudly, with troubling creaks as he sat down.

Waiting for Farah to finish setting the table, you studied her. She was beautiful and carried herself with confidence. Farah appeared maybe a bit older than you. But you felt like a child getting a visit from an aunt, not some years, but centuries between you two.

“Thank you for having us,” You said with a timid nod as Farah finally sat, intimidated by the powerful stranger. It had been so long since someone new was barely passing the threshold of being just nice to you.

König looked stoically like nothing was out of the ordinary, the little cup of tea looking ridiculously tiny in his massive hands. Being in the presence of powerful beings was nothing unusual for him, you reminded yourself, no matter what - he was one of them.

Farah tugged at her scarf as she sipped from her tea while eyeing the berries before finally releasing you from the awkward silence your words had left in the air.

“You are welcome. It’s a pleasure meeting you.” She reached for a spoon to casually stir her tea, while avoiding your careful yet curious gaze. “So, you are König’s fiancé? The rumoured Bride of the Vodyanoy?”

“Yes,” You answered plainly.

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

She looked up from her cup, her dark eyes finding yours and pinning you to your seat with unforgiving kindness before switching over to König, like a blade slashing around.

“Lovely. What business do I have with that?”

“Oh, none at all,” König interjected smoothly like an eel slipping over wet stones. “We want no trouble with you. Just your blessings.”

Farah leaned back and put down her cup, her eyes piercing through the air like you and König were made out of nothing but thin skin and brittle bone, ready to be dissected and studied. Under her gaze, that likely was true.

“Don’t waste daylight, slime king. I could have spent my time other than coming here.”

“My utmost apologies, honourable Farah,” König continued with a most charming smile. “There is just the issue of my bride's possible death by drowning when she becomes my wife and queen. Do you, by any chance, maybe, possibly-”

“Cut it, König. You want me to waterproof your bride like she is some kind of unsinkable boat. Got it.”

He stilled in his movements before replying, “Yes. Can you do that?”

The honourable Farah sighed as if she had heard that request several times this morning already.

“Is that all? What else do you want me to do, hm? Make the fish sing and dance at your wedding? Build that new palace of yours in one night? Make her a wedding dress while I’m at it?”

“I wouldn’t be opposed,” König snapped back, his charming smile now more frozen than friendly in his face.

“Listen, König. I never took you as wanting to marry. You always looked so content with splashing around the ponds on your own. You did not even care much for the company of your own kin. Why not marry a rusalka? At least they can not drown.”

Uncomfortably, you looked at the cup in your hands, trying to be as invisible from the conversation as possible while gathering as much as you could. The idea of König being with someone else, a beautiful watery creature like himself, shifted something inside you and you did not know where to put it.

“No. I want to marry her. She is my Bride. I promised it.”

His words pearled down like warm summer rain.

He was so sure of it.

“To whom did you promise that?” Farah inquired further.

“Her grandfather. He used to fish at my pond.”

For a brief moment it was silent as you stared into the dark liquid in your cup as if it held the secrets of the universe.

Then Farah broke out laughing.

“That sounds more like you, König.” She gasped. “Acquiring a bride from a fisherman. Alright, that sounds precisely how the King of everything From Under the Water would get married.”

Amused, Farah looked back at you. “Are you happy with that, dear?”

You blinked, like a deer that got stuck between two rivalling wolves. Your eyes wandered to König who had the most trying neutral expression on his face somewhere under all that tangled hair.

“Uhm. I suppose,” You answered, dumbfoundedly. Since when did your happiness and not just your survival matter?

Farah raised one of her eyebrows.

“You suppose…” She repeated and grabbed her cup and spoon. “Get out.”

It was on you to raise your eyebrows.

“I’m sorry?” You questioned, a little fire in you giving you strength. You might have been just a tiny little human with brittle bones and thin skin, but you had tasted kindness again and you weren’t ready to give up on that yet.

“Not you.” Farah waved at you dismissively, “You, yes you heard me, König. Get out before I turn you into a frog. I need to talk to her alone.”

For a moment König stared angrily at Farah to be kicked out of the house like an unwelcome guest.

Then he turned his head and looked at you.

It was terrifying to be alone with Baba Yaga, may she call herself Farah and talk like a pleasant relative coming by for a visit, or not. The woman was powerful. But she had treated you kindly so far. And you needed her. Maybe this was for the better? Perhaps you could convince the powerful Baba Yaga to help you on your own, where König was failing. You could do this.

Smiling the most reassuring smile you could muster, you nodded.

“I will be fine, König. Can you stay close please?”

König grumbled a ‘of course’ before getting up and exiting the house, leaving you and the Baba Yaga alone.

“They say it’s magic what I do, but most of my craft is giving stern looks and straight words,” Farah smiled deviously.

“Tell you what, sister,” She paused. “You don’t sound unsure about this marriage. König might be a king, but I never paid attention to titles anyway. They are all the same sorry puffed up men to me. If you want to get away from him, I can help you. It would be fun to have someone willing to learn the craft from me. You could be like a sister to me. I will not do that unkempt king's bidding, enable or convince you to marry, if you don’t want to.”

You looked away. An offering to stay by the Baba Yaga herself.

She is a knife, you remembered, she cares but she cuts too. I do not want to be cut no more.

“That is kind of you, Farah. I am humbled by your offering. But even if it’s complicated, I want to stay.”

“Foolish girl,” She said with a tone that did not mean it. “How is it complicated, sister? Do you not love him then?”

You took a sip from the cup. The tea tasted like nothing in your mouth, but you hardly paid attention.

Would there be a point in lying? You knew the stories of the powerful and clever Baba Yaga. And you had met speaking animals and beings you only knew from tales. Farah would have her ways to find out if she truly wanted the truth. And she likely would not appreciate being lied to.

You swallowed and decided to play it safe.

“My family is dead. All of them. The village shunned me because they thought I was cursed, and one of them repeatedly berated and even attacked me,” You explained. “König is fine. I don’t know him very well, yet. But he looks out for me, he really does. And he does not expect me to do anything more … physically - He promised. And he never forced himself closer to me even if he certainly had the chance and strength to do so. He just needs a queen to show around. And I need a protector. It is … okay. I have made my peace with it… so I thought. But … I had a bad dream. And it confused me. And König told me I might be in danger from drowning because I am human, and he is not. I nearly drowned already. I fear the water since I know him. Can’t stand being deeper in it than to my ankles. That’s why he sent out for you to maybe help with that. So that I will not die in the water by being with him.”

Farah slowly blinked, inhaling and exhaling before leading back in her chair.

“That’s a lot,” Farah finally spoke. “And they say a maiden’s life is light.”

You huffed. “Do they?”

“Older men in taverns do - talk like they know of the world while sitting around.”

“If you say so. I have never been to a tavern. Never left the village.” You answered, feeling foolish now like you knew nothing of the world.

Farah only hummed, closing her eyes as if in deep thought.

“Tell you what, sister,” She opened her eyes. “I will give you knowledge to protect yourself from death by that wet boy of yours.”

Farah got up and started cutting and mixing dried herbs in a large mortar.

“Like most men out there, he probably never even considered that a suffering. Acting like his presence is a gift to the world. You say he does not touch you? Fine. Here, take this.”

You stretched out your hands over the table and she passed you a pouch of the herbal mixture.

“Have you paid attention to what and how much I put in it?”

“Yes.”

“Good. As long as you want, you shall be barren. There will be no child coming from your womb. Just drink a cup of tea made from this mixture every day. Even if that wet-rag-king breaks his promise or you two might change your mind, you shall choose your fate. Quite frankly, without some intervention and knowledge, his dick is more likely to cause you harm than any water ever could. Drowning is faster than carrying a child you don’t want. If your mother were still alive, I’m sure she would tell her beloved daughter all her secrets.”

You looked at the pouch in your hands.

A knife, you thought, a knife to care and cut. Is that a betrayal? To König? To my family? To Mother?

“I don’t know if my mother would have ever told me.”

Farah crossed her arms, grumbling disapprovingly.

“Who knows. But I did. Your choice now. You can always just not drink the tea, right?”

You thought about it. Your mother haunting your dreams and speaking as if having children was the only path to happiness out there. And then you thought of König, his careful act towards you, his hand holding yours, his chest pressing against you, and how observant he was of what you need. How he asked and listened to you. How he would be towards a child. And then you thought of his size and what kind of child from him could grow in your tiny body. If that even was possible. Instinctively your hand closed around the little pouch.

Maybe no one but me is truly looking out for me. Maybe that’s all I am doing? Since when is that a betrayal?

“Right. Thank you,” You mumbled.

“If he ever does break his promise, you are welcome to live with me, and I will boil that fishy king in one of his ponds,” Farah continued as she returned to her seat at the table, sipping from her tea and smiling with glee, “As a little sign of gratitude for my wisdom, entertain me and tell me all about that village of yours and what gossip came from it. I want to know about those who think they can recognize a curse where there is none.”

A knife to cut and care. But not me. Not today.

You leaned back and started telling the stories and lies about you.

And Baba Yaga listened.

You stepped out of Baba Yaga's door and the chicken legged house titled forward to help you walk down the steps to the ground. König was sitting there in the grass, waiting for you.

“Is everything alright, Bride?” He asked while he got up and helped you down.

“Yes.”

You nodded, the herbal pouch hidden between your fingers. It felt exciting to have it there, hold it in your fingers, scary to go against what you had been taught since you were a little girl, mischievous, guilty, fun, safe.

You did not know exactly how to feel about it yet, but you did not let go either. Farah might not have turned you into an unsinkable boat, but she did give you an anchor.

“Hey, walking puddle!” Farah called out behind you from her house. It straightened up again as you reached the grass, acting like a proud pet imitating its keeper.

“I gave your problem a bit of thought and I think you yourself can solve it, oh mighty king of smelly bogs.” She declared. “Sacrifice something you hold dear. Give it to your bride. Coming from a being so tied to the waters should do the job better than any curse or wisdom I could come up with.”

“And what exactly should that sacrifice be?” König grumbled.

“How should I know what you care about?” Farah hit back as her house started to turn away and back to the forest. “Give her your favourite frog? Share an algae salad? But be nice. I like her well enough to return and teach you a lesson if you are not, fish head.”

“That’s it!” König called over to Baba Yaga and her chicken legged house. “You are not invited to the wedding. What kind of help is that? And will you stop it with the names?!”

Farah laughed. “Now I definitely will show up. You will repay me for my wisdom then and give my home a good bath. So long!”

And with her house having finally turned away from you, it started walking off into the forest under Königs loud protests.

Finally, he gave up and sighed.

“Well, at least we have a clue now. Even if it is a riddle.” He turned to you. “Are you sure you are alright? She is a dangerous woman.”

“I am,” You grinned. “We talked about the villagers. I told her everything.”

Königs concerned look turned into a grin as well.

“You are a dangerous woman too, dear Bride.” He nodded approvingly while he giggled. “She hates people who lie and they tell a lot of lies about you.”

“They sure do.”

“I don’t even want to imagine what she will do to them.”

“I do.”

König laughed and took you by the hand. Quickly you hid the pouch in the other behind your back.

“Good thing I am not planning on getting on your bad side, Bride.”

A strange kind of relief washed over you, taking away a tension you did not know you had held. Baba Yaga had given you as many fears as she had given you assurances.

A knife. A knife. A knife.

“Are you afraid I will tell Farah if you did?” You teased, stepping closer into his reach and decided to leave all worry behind you for now.

“No.” He paused, his watery eyes wandering over your form and you suddenly felt very aware that no one, not even the Fox or Heron, was around. Just you and your fiancé. And day time left to explore what that could mean.

“Alright, maybe. A little bit. She is terrifying,” König admitted, breaking the spell that had captured you.

You smiled and stepped away from him. “She is. Next time, please tell me who you invite over so I can brace myself. I like her but she is a force to be reckoned with. Can’t wait for the wedding to see her again.”

“Can’t wait for the wedding too, my beloved Bride.”

You paused, considering telling König about the pouch in your fingers and what that could mean for you - both of you - on your wedding night.

He probably does not even want me like that. I am no powerful being, no rusalka, no Baba Yaga with eyes that pierce everything. Just me. You thought to yourself. Why even give me the pouch when it will never be used? I was foolish enough for a day. No more of it.

“When will we marry, König?” you asked instead.

“When the palace is finished,” He replied. “Come. There is much to be done today. While you tell me what you need, we can think of what Baba Yaga had meant by sacrifice.”

“Good idea. But for today, a sacrifice of fish for lunch will do it for me.”

König chuckled.

“Of course, dear.”

XXX

Cultural Context Notes

Maybe this is a very personal observation but the relationships and friendships among eastern European women* or the dynamic between mothers and daughters is much more important and closer than it is in central Europe or the US. Correct me if I am wrong.

Another more personal observation: I am very cut off from my Russian roots basically since the annexation of Crimea and lost on how queer joy and life can look like ‘back home’. This bleeds into the text, reading very hetero. Since queerphobia is rampant in Russia where my family is from, I’m lost on how to depict eastern european/slavic queerness in my stories. I did not want to replace those gaps by just making a central european take on queerness so this is how it is. But I am a queer writer. And the lack of queerness in my story steeped in eastern european/slavic culture in itself feels like an accidental metaphor and I wish I could change that.

Many are somewhat familiar with Baba Yaga as a powerful evil witch since that is her most present depiction in international media post-Christianisation. But that simplifies her complex character. Some stories hint at her being a goddess of the earth or a similarly powerful being. Other stories describe her as one of three immortal sisters: the maid, the mother, and the crone in which Baba Yaga tends to be the crone. That too makes her an immensely powerful sorceress who reigns over death, life, and rebirth. Depicting her as just an evil witch in the western-European tradition clashes with stories about her being wise and helpful even if she is dangerous and unpredictable. And unlike many classical images of witches from more western parts of Europe Baba Yaga originally had no pointy hat, no black cat, or a broom to ride on. Instead, Baba Yaga appears to have no unusual dress from her peers. Nor does she have a side-kick except for maybe the woodhouse on chicken legs she lives in. And depending on the story Baba Yaga rides an oven, a large mortar, or just walks incredibly fast, which stresses that she is not an old hag in all her depictions but can be of different age and agility depending on the story. Baba Yaga is also associated with bones and death. In some stories she is the mother of the царь кощей / кощей Бессмертный - (Translation from russian) “undead king”/ “The one of bones and who can not die”. I decided to place Farah in the story as Baba Yaga because (I can and) Farah comes off as a reasonable wild card in the CoD franchise which is parallel enough to some Baba Yaga interpretations. Since the character Farah and the creation of a fake middle eastern country just to have that Orientalist theme in the CoD MW plot reads incredibly insensitive and racist to me, I’m making Farah the most powerful being in my story just out of spite. Also, Eastern Europe and Russia is not just Christians but has a lot of other religious influences too, the biggest one being Islam. Farah my beloved and everyone who identifies with her, this is for you. <3

Baba Yaga’s house in many tales is a wooden house on chicken legs that can walk wherever it wishes. To enter the house one needs to call out for it and ask it to turn around. There are several versions on what to say and I’m sure there are other variants in other languages. I used this one because I grew up with it: “Избушка, избушка, повернись ко мне передом, к лесу — задом” - translation from Russian: “Hut, dear hut. Please turn around towards me and with your back to the forest.” The added “Пожалуйста” is also Russian and means “Please”. I wanted to write this phrase in Old Church Slavonic but could not find the right words for it in the dictionaries so I had to stick with what I could execute, sorry. If there is a motivated linguist out there to research this, I’m absolutely willing to edit it and learn more about Old Church Slavonic or other fitting phrases. The origin of this house tale might come from the practice of building stilted houses in swampy regions. To keep the houses from rotting they were built on stilts, which got charred to avoid mould and rot. In some tales Baba Yaga is bound to the house and can not leave. In others she is not. Obviously, I understand staying in such a cool house forever anyway.

Is it possible to use herbs as contraception and abortion remedies? Likely. And there is historical evidence that several remedies had been used in the past to do so with differing success. HOWEVER! Do not try to replicate this at home. This is a fictional story and not medical advice. I know abortion and access to contraceptives are under attack in several parts of the world. It’s important to fight that and guarantee everyone dignity and bodily autonomy. But playing around with herbs you just googled or heard from a friend, is not the solution and can kill you. This part of the story is vague for a reason.

Buckwheat grows in colder climates and on poor soils. It’s a staple food in many eastern European and central Asian regions.

Rusalka (singular), rusalki (Plural) don’t have a good translations. In some sense they are mermaids but for inland water, since there are a handful of stories that describe them as having fish tales. But I think the best translation to give a picture of the rusalki is that they are more akin to nymphs like those from Greek myths. Rusalkis are female. In some regions they are supposed to look like old women, in others they are tall and stern looking. I grew up with the Russian tales of Rusalkis being pretty girls or women, playing in or around the water. They can be benevolent, especially to kids and women by helping out with washing clothes, playing or just friendly chatting. But they also can be a threat, predominantly for men whom they trick, drown and eat. It’s fascinating how gendered that image of the rusalka is, as if it fits the same entity but from two binary gendered points of view with the “female” one seeing the rusalka as a free spirit who does as she pleases, and the patriarchal “male” being threatened by that. The stories I know of the rusalka associate her with maidenhood or at least younger women, which ties to the idea that rusalkis are young women who committed suicide by drowning due to being pregnant out wedlock, dying before / around her wedding night or while giving birth. Essentially there is a lot of sexuality coded in the figure of the rusalka. If anyone knows or writes a queer take on it, please tag me. I need a break from those harsh binaries. Also, in some stories Rusalkis serve the Vodyanoy. I don’t really buy that and interpret it as a possible later addition to the fairy tale canon to depict the rusalka as subservient to at least one male master to be honest. Rusalkis are as governable as a storm.

XXX

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philomenie · 3 months ago

Text

KILLING ME SOFTLY

Hitman!Jolly - Part 1

CN murder, violence, sex, organized crime, blood, angst, 18+

@jilliemiw86 @nojoyontheburn @reyadawn @dsireland86 @aubrey-melinoe

for @nojoyontheburn

EPILOGUE

Nadja and Alexej stare in horror at the collapsing building, which is being shaken by explosions. Alexei grabs Nadja by the arm and drags her into the small shielded courtyard, which is surrounded by a high wall, to get her to safety. “JOLLY!!!” rings out through the smoke-filled air and Alexei has to hold Nadja tightly so that she doesn't run back and give herself up to certain death. “He sent you away!” he gulps as he holds the crying and screaming Nadja in his arms, ”He wanted you to live......”

Nadja is barely able to listen to Alexei's words, pure despair and grief race through her, in her head it echoes again and again, No, No, No.... This can't happen, he can't just die, not like this.... He can't be dead. “Nadja, we have to get out of here!” Alexei urges gently but firmly, wanting to pull her with him. But Nadja shakes her head resolutely, “No, I'm staying here until I find out WHAT happened to him!” “Nadja... no human being could have survived that! He's dead, just like everyone else!” Alexei explains sadly. “No... I must have seen it with my own eyes, I don't believe it!” Nadja chokes out and tries to free herself from Alexei's grip, but he holds her tightly. “Don't be stupid, it's still far too dangerous at the moment! Wait.... Then we can go and see!” he swallows with a big lump in his throat.

Alexei doesn't know what to think or feel at the moment, but he does know one thing: if Jolly hadn't sent Nadja and him away, they would both be lying shattered under the rubble of the club. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Olivia's shrill scream rings in Nobu's ears as he activates the detonation of the bombs in the basement of Kolja's nightclub with his cell phone. Jolly had sent him the detonation codes in case he wasn't able to activate them. And that's exactly what he's done now, after Jolly told him to..... He stares at his cell phone with a petrified expression, knowing that he has not only caused Kolja's death and that of his men, but also that of Jolly. Damn it! He hadn't planned it that way. Olivia writhes and cries in Nicholas' arms, who tries his best to comfort her, but his gentle words go unheard. Olivia is beside herself with despair and anger. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? WHERE IS JOAKIM?” she cries out to Nobu, who is unable to look her in the eye. “WHERE IS HE?! I HAVE TO GET TO HIM!” Olivia tears herself away from Nicholas and is at Nobu's side, desperately beating his chest and face with her fists. Motionless, he endures it until she sinks powerlessly against him. Nobu gently wraps his arms around Olivia, holding her sobbing body against him. “I have to go to him....” she whimpers again and again. Nicholas gives Nobu a stunned, even angry look and shakes his head with a grim expression, which Nobu also tries to ignore. “He asked for it....” he starts, which startles Olivia, who pushes Nobu away with all her might. He looks at her in irritation. Sheer hatred flashes in her eyes, “HE WANTED IT THAT WAY?!” she yells at him and slaps him hard across the face, “WHAT?? WHAT DID HE WANT? DIE?” “No... but he sent me the activation codes for the bombs so I could remotely detonate them if he couldn't.” Nobu explains quietly. “Bombs.....” Olivia swallows and goes white as a sheet, staggering. Nicholas is with her immediately and supports her so that she doesn't fall over. “Then.....” horrified, Olivia looks at Nobu, ”Where is he? Is he really..... dead?” she whispers chokingly. “Probably” Nobu nods and looks to the ground. “Oh God... oh dear God.....” Olivia begins to hyperventilate, pressing her hands against her head which threatens to burst, “No, No, No, NO!!!! NO!!!!!” she screams again. Nobu closes his eyes and presses his jaws together. Nicholas holds Olivia tightly in his arms, resting his head against hers, trying to calm her down. “Please... I have to see him, I have to see.....” Olivia begs in a panic.

“It's too dangerous!” Doi decides, ”I gave Karlsson my word that I would protect you, that nothing would happen to you, that you would be safe, that you would survive!” “I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT AT ALL! I WILL GO TO HIM!” Olivia yells at Doi again, but he shakes his head, ”No, I will stick to our agreement!”

Olivia feels like she's going crazy, the only thing she feels is despair, panic and utter hopelessness. Joakim... her Joakim is really supposed to be dead? Just the thought of it chokes her throat and makes her heart race. It simply can't be. He promised to come back to her, that he would always come back to her.... Olivia feels herself getting dizzy and her legs buckle. Luckily Nicholas is already holding her in his arms, otherwise Olivia would have hit the floor hard as she passes out. “FUCK!” gasps Nicholas as he holds her limp body. Nobu is immediately at his side and together they carry Olivia to the large couch and lay her down on it. Nicholas gently brushes her hair out of her face before standing up in a rage and grabbing Nobu by the arm, pulling him away from Olivia. “THAT was the plan? Really?” he growls at Nobu. “Karlsson wasn't supposed to be in the building anymore. Something's gone wrong!” hisses Nobu, running his fingers through his hair.

“SOMETHING?! I think EVERYTHING went wrong!” growls Nicholas, ”And then you just blow up the building with HIM in it? Seriously?!” “Jesus, he wanted it that way!” hisses Nobu angrily. “No, I really don't think he wanted THAT... he may not have seen any other way out, but you could have sent your men to get him the hell out of there! You gave him your word, I gave him my word! Why was he in that fucking club with the bombs?” Nicholas wants to know angrily. “We had another deal!” sighs Nobu, ”Semjon, Inga, Kolja for the safety of her and him... the protection of me and the Yakuza!” “God, Nobu....” Nicholas shakes his head contemptuously, ”Sometimes you're such a fucking asshole! You let him do the dirty work and didn't care about his safety! I told him you were a man of honor....” “LORD GOD NO WAY!” hisses Nobu, ”Several birds with one stone... as if you wouldn't have done the same!” “When I give my word, I stand by it!” growls Nicholas, ”I thought you held that sacred too.” Nobu rolls his eyes, exasperated. “At least send men there now, let them see if anyone is still alive.... Maybe.....” Nicholas demands coolly. “Nick.... The police, fire department, I don't know, are already there!” growls Nobu. “You owe him that!” Nicholas doesn't let up, looks at Olivia, who is still unconscious on the couch, “And her too! Besides... fire department, police.... Like you don't have them in your hands. Make a few calls so they don't interfere and you're good. Jesus Christ, it seems to me like you really want him dead!” Nobu's gaze flickers to her and Nicholas narrows his eyes, “Don't tell me you left Karlsson to his fate because of HER.....”

“WHAT?” irritated, Nobu looks at his friend, ”No.....” “Nobu, I know you... she's a beautiful woman, a very beautiful woman.... Please don't tell me you wanted her for yourself!” Nicholas is stunned. “No....” Nobu's gaze flickers back to Olivia. “Jesus, you can't be serious!” Nicholas shakes his head, stunned. “Christ, no....” Nobu hisses, rubbing his face, ”I'll send men to the fucking club, maybe they can do something there.... Find him....” “You should have sent them right away, not blown up the fucking club first....” growls Nicholas. “OH... and then what would have happened if my men had stormed the club? Karlsson would have been just as dead as he is now! Do you really think that little wanker would have left him alive? Karlsson would have been the first to die! You didn't hear him... He must have been injured. Maybe badly, maybe he couldn't walk anymore, maybe he couldn't get out of the club on his own and that's why he decided to die there!” Nobu hisses.

“Maybe, but you don't know for sure. You're just guessing!” growls Nicholas, ”He was a man of honor and you didn't prove yourself worthy of him, you just let him die!” “God, Nicholas!” Nobu rubs his face again, then makes a call, sends men to the club, then looks up. “Happy?” he wants to know from Nicholas. He shakes his head, “You're an asshole!” he growls, “I'm going there with your men. I owe him that!” “Nick... it's too dangerous. We don't know if the Russians aren't there by now... the police certainly are!” explains Doi. “A manageable risk! I want to see for myself on site. You can hardly stop me! Besides, as I said, call your friends at the police station, fire station and wherever else. Sort it out so that they leave us alone,” Nicholas explains coolly. “I can only ask you not to do it!” nods Nobu. “I'll go with your men!” explains Ruffilo firmly, ”In the meantime, keep an eye on her and don't touch her!”

Stunned, Nobu stares after Nicholas, then looks at Olivia. Nicholas is right, he does have a weakness for women like Olivia.... Nobu ponders whether Nicholas might not be so wrong after all in his assumption that he has willingly sacrificed Karlsson in order to get his girlfriend.

However, Nobu also knows that Olivia must love Karlsson more than anything to make this sacrifice for him. To give up everything, to go away with him into an uncertain future. FUCK... shouldn't he have sent his men? Nobu doesn't usually tend to doubt, but now, here he feels he's done the wrong thing.... Damn!

Nadja and Alexei wait for the smoke to clear. Fortunately, the club is located in a rather remote industrial area and not in the middle of the city, where they would have long been surrounded by onlookers. There are no sirens yet, but that could change in a flash. “Are you really going to look for him in the rubble?” Alexei asks Nadja quietly. “Yes!” she nods firmly and sets off, then stops and stares speechlessly into the dust fog in front of her as a figure emerges from it.

Alexei must have seen them too, because he immediately draws his pistol. Coughing and gasping, the figure comes closer, stumbles again and again, falls, then gets up again. Nadja can't make out who it is because the person is covered in dust, dirt and blood. “Alex....” the man gasps, coughing, and Alexei goes to meet him, supports him and takes him into the shielded courtyard where he and Nadja had taken refuge when the bombs went off, letting him slide to the ground.

“Damn it, Yuri... how can you be alive?” Alexei wants to know. “No... idea!” gasps the man, breathing heavily, ”Luck?!” “Bloody luck, if you ask me!” nods Alexei. Nadja crouches down next to Yuri and grabs him by the collar, “WHERE were you? Were you upstairs with all the others? Is anyone else alive? Where was Jolly when this happened?” “What?” Yuri looks at her, irritated. “Bloody hell, is Jolly still alive?” she hisses at him. “I don't know... I was pissing.....” gasps Yuri and Nadja lets go of him in frustration and stands up. “I'm going to look for him now!” she declares sternly and walks towards the former building. Alexei catches up with her, trying to hold her back, “You can break more if you clamber around in there!” “Damn it, I'm not going to wait any longer! I have to find him!” Nadja tears herself away, takes off her stilettos and scrambles over the rubble. Cursing, Alexei watches her until he climbs in after her to help her, but also to make sure that nothing happens to her. Because Alexei has just realized that Nadja is now the heir to the throne and only has to take it now that Kolja is dead. “Help me!” Nadja hisses, trying to move the massive chunks of stone that were once walls, ceilings and floors out of the way. “Damn it, Nadja, it's not going to work.... It's all just going to collapse even more... If anyone is still alive underneath, you're putting them in danger!” Alexei points out. “Are you going to call the fire department and the cops?” Nadja hisses at him, ”What do you think they'll do with Jolly if he's still alive?” “If he's still alive....” Alexei quietly adds what Nadja has heard. She glares angrily at him, “He's alive.... You know him!”

“Fuck... Nadja.... He was already spitting up blood before the explosion...” Alexei shakes his head. “As long as he's not dead in front of me, he's alive!” growls Nadja and maneuvers the next chunk to the side, reaching a hollow space. She looks triumphantly at Alexei, “See? He MAY have survived!” “OK... but we need more men here.... But the collapse won't go unnoticed for long!” growls Alexei, reaching for his cell phone, ”Besides, Yuri needs medical help.... Jolly certainly does! How are you going to arrange that?”

“His girlfriend.... She's a doctor!” swallows Nadja. “Hmm” nods Alexei, ”She's not a cover for him, isn't she.....” “No,” Nadja shakes her head, tears shimmering in her eyes, ”He loves her, more than anything.... She probably love him too!” “He wasn't an informer for Doi, was he.....” Alexei asks. “No.... He wanted to get out. Doi was supposed to help him.” Nadja nods. “Fuck... then he really killed everyone?” Alexei realizes, stunned. “Yes, he did! And he was right!” growls Nadja, ”Semjon would have died soon anyway, my father was a pig, Kolja was incompetent, would have thrown everything into chaos and Inga was a cold bitch!” “You knew everything....” Alexei is not surprised. “Not everything and not from the beginning, but yes, I was in on it and I'm in contact with Doi, he supports me!” Nadja explains calmly. “Chapeau Nadja, you always knew how to play your cards right and act at the right time! You'll be a worthy successor!” smiles Alexei. “You're on my side?” Nadja wants to know. “Of course I am! And I've always been on Jolly's side too.... And I really hope that bastard is still alive... he deserves his happy ending!” Alexei explains seriously. “Then help me find him!” Nadja hisses and shines her cell phone flashlight into the cavity, then squeezes herself in. “FUCK, what are you going to do?” Alexei wants to know in horror. “Find him!” growls Nadja and wriggles all the way in.

Alexei shakes his head, but his respect for Nadja is growing by the second, so he shines his light into the cavity to get a better look. “So, is anyone there?” he wants to know from Nadja. “I can't get any further!” it hisses from the dusty cave, Nadja is barely recognizable. “Come out again!” Alexei explains and offers Nadja his hand, which she accepts and allows herself to be pulled out of the cave. “There's a slab blocking my way.... There's something underneath it!” Nadja hisses. “We should inform the authorities... if he or anyone else is still alive, we'll never manage to get them out on our own!” explains Alexei. “I don't give a shit about the others! I want to find Jolly!” growls Nadja, raising her head in astonishment as four dark SUVs roll towards her.

Alexei jumps up in alarm, stands protectively in front of Nadja and draws his pistol, “Take cover!” he growls, The four SUVs stop one after the other in front of the collapsed building and switch off their engines. Alexei is tense to the extreme, Nadja looks at the cars, frowning. A door opens and a handsome, dark-haired man, his long raven-black hair in a bun, gets out. His gray-blue eyes flash like steel and Nadja's knees go weak as his gaze seems to pierce her. He raises his hands placatingly and nods to Alexei, “We know each other!” “Cuban.... What are YOU doing here?” Alexei growls dangerously. “Well, I'm looking for a mutual friend!” he explains seriously, ”And from the looks of it, you could do with our help!” “We can do it on our own!” hisses Alexei. “Oh, don't be stupid!” Nadja hisses and pushes past Alexei, ‘We can use ANY help!’ she pauses briefly as the other men get out of the car, ”Even if it's the fucking Yakuza!”

“Enchante Madame!” smiles Ruffilo and bows slightly to Nadja, ”I am Nicholas Ruffilo and I owe my life to the Swede, I am in his debt and I want to help where I can! So....” “Nadja..... Nadja Petrowa!” Nadja nods briefly, but her eyes wander admiringly along his figure. He may be shorter than Jolly, but he radiates a tremendous self-confidence and power, which makes him seem taller. Nadja shakes herself briefly, fuck, pull yourself together, bitch, she thinks to herself, now it's about Jolly.

So she pulls herself together, raises an eyebrow, “So, what's.... Are we going to start now, or are we going to continue wasting valuable time here?” Nicholas laughs softly, “No, we shouldn't! Let's get started!”

The men carefully begin to lift the heavy boulders one by one and clear them out of the way. Ruffilo looks on skeptically until he shakes his head and lends a hand himself to make things go faster. Nadja also helps where she can. “He could have survived that!” she keeps growling, more to herself. “How do you know that?” Ruffilo asks gently. “Because they were all on the top floor and the top concrete ceiling isn't as thick as the other ceilings,” Nadja explains to him and when she sees his uncomprehending face, she rolls her eyes and continues, ”My father's construction company built the building... He wanted to save money and materials....that's how I know!” “He sort of botched it....” Ruffilo shakes his head with a laugh, ”That could have really saved Karlsson's life under certain circumstances...” “I know, so let's keep going until we find him!” Nadja snaps at him and lifts the next concrete slab.

They all continue to work stoically until one of the men cries out, “I've got something here!” Nadja goes cold, frightened and yet full of hope, she crawls over to the man, where others have already gathered to help. Together they lift another piece of concrete and a body emerges from underneath.

Nadja gasps, firstly because she recognized the person immediately, and secondly because this person, or rather Kolja, is dead as a doornail, half his head having been crushed by the falling chunks of concrete. “Fuck.... He's definitely over!” gasps one of the men. “It's definitely not a pity about him either!” growls Nadja, who has regained her composure, ”Just get him to the side and let him rot there for all I care!” Partly grinning, partly shaking their heads, the men lift Kolja and are about to take him away when Nadja's gaze falls on what lies beneath Kolja. Jolly. With a hoarse cry, she rushes to him, wipes the dirt and blood from his face, searches for a pulse, a heartbeat. In all the excitement, she can't find one and tears stream down her face. “I can't find anything....” she sobs, until Ruffilo kneels down next to her, ”Let me look!” He routinely feels Jolly's neck until he finds the right spot and closes his eyes. “I feel something.... There's actually a pulse... that fucking motherfucker is actually still alive!” he whispers in amazement. “He's alive?!” Nadja cries and wipes Jolly's face again, noticing that his left cheek is torn open from his temple to his cheekbone to his chin. She stares at it and at her bloody hand in horror.

“He needs to go to hospital immediately!” she gulps. “I'm on it!” growls Ruffilo, who is already on his cell phone, ”Doi has a private clinic, I'll have him taken there. No questions asked there!” “Thanks!” Nadja whispers harshly and turns back to Jolly. “You're alive....” she whispers lovingly, ”And you'll go on living, did you hear me? Don't give up now and just die. You have to fight now! Do you understand that! Fight for your fucking life!!! Just like you've always done!”

2 WEEKS LATER

Blinded by tears, Olivia stares at the lavishly decorated coffin in front of her. She is numb. Unable to feel, to think, to sense, to live... she exists only to have to endure the raging pain inside her. She would prefer to be dead, to lie next to him in this cursed coffin.... To be reunited with him, even if that meant that she would die too. But she is condemned to live... Olivia doesn't know how long she can bear it without him. She feels the strong arm around her, squeezing her, which brings her back to her senses. Confused, she looks up. The cursed priest has finished his speech, of which Olivia has heard absolutely nothing. Was Joakim even a believer? Olivia is suddenly sure that he wouldn't be thrilled about spiritual help. What the hell is she doing here..... The fog in her head clears slightly, the medication seems to be wearing off. On the one hand, she is grateful for this, as it allows her to consciously say goodbye, but on the other, the clarity of the situation is tearing her apart again. Olivia is certain that she will never heal again in her life... so why not die now.…

But she knows that this is not what Joakim wanted for her. He wanted her to live, he sacrificed himself for her so that she would be safe, so that she could live.... God, a wave of panic hits her again and she breathes in and out frantically. Nobu, who has his arm firmly around her, notices it immediately, pulls her close and Olivia sobs. He strokes her back reassuringly and feels the eyes of Nadja, Nicholas and Alexei on him. Angry, hateful.... He knows he has to deal with this. The coffin is slowly lowered into the ground and Olivia feels the immense urge to scream, to simply scream, to shout out all her pain and despair. The injustice of having lost him. But she remains silent, dying inside a little more with every centimeter that the coffin disappears into the cold earth in front of her. And when he has reached the depths, she knows that she is also dead inside, only her shell is still alive.

6 MONTHS LATER

Smiling, Doi enters the room, “Oh I see you're making progress!” “Hmm” Jolly grumbles and flops back onto the bed, exhausted. His body still doesn't really want to obey him. It's a miracle that he's still alive at all and that he can stand on his own two feet again, considering that there's hardly a healthy bone left in his body. Kolja, that obnoxious little wanker, actually saved his life. Plus the fact that that asshole Oleg didn't install a standard ceiling in the club, but one that was far too thin. Nevertheless, his body is scarred by the explosion, countless scars cover his skin, especially the conspicuous one on his face, so that he avoids looking in a mirror.

“I'm really glad you're feeling better!” Doi explains seriously, ”You were in a coma for a long time.... Nobody knew if and how you would wake up again!” “Hmm,” nods Jolly, not looking up. “You had a nice funeral, by the way!” Doi continues, ”Lots of tears.....” Immediately Jolly's head goes up, his eyes narrowed to slits, “Olivia....” he growls. “Yeah.... She was devastated!” nods Doi, ”Though even that's an understatement.....” Jolly has to grit his teeth, clenches his fists. “She's still in pretty bad shape... but she's back at work... at that research institute I told you about!” continues Doi, ”Well at MY research institute. I wanted her safe and out of this town!” “Why.....” Jolly swallows the question, having to restrain herself from lashing out at Doi. “She was at the end of her tether, no one knew if you'd survive... that's why! I've explained that to you so many times!” sighs Doi. “And that's why you told her I was dead?” Jolly hisses through clenched teeth. “You WERE as good as dead... No one, not even the doctors, expected you to survive. You're tougher than any son of a bitch I know!” nods Doi. “You had no right....” growls Jolly, looking accusingly at Doi. “Olivia was unconscious when you were found. One of my doctors took care of her, gave her a sedative to get her through it!” Doi explains sharply, ”So I'm supposed to throw her from one emotional chaos to the next and then you die?” “I didn't die!” growls Jolly dangerously quietly. “I know that... but your funeral was just there. Nadja also agreed to it to protect you, to give you a way out. When everyone thinks you're dead, you can start a new life, just like you wanted!” Doi explains, shaking her head. “Yes, a new life WITH Olivia!” hisses Jolly angrily, ”The one you took from me by telling her I was dead! I still can't believe that Nadja, Alexej.... played along!” “Well, Alexei wasn't asked and Nadja.... Well, in the end, she had no other choice. She also realized that it's better for you if the world thinks you're dead!” sighs Doi. “You're a son of a bitch!” growls Jolly. “Well, let's leave my mother out of this, please!” declares Doi coolly, ”I've created a perfect fresh start for you! That with Olivia was necessary to make it look real. EVERYONE bought it that you died!” “I'm going to repeat it to myself!” growls Jolly, ”Olivia!” “Well, you should think twice about that. She's perfectly protected at the moment, even with your death!” Doi explains coolly, ”Do you really want to risk it?” “You promised us both a new life!” growls Jolly. “Yes, and I'm a man of my word! But you should think about whether you really want to involve Olivia in all this again. That way she can lead a normal life!” Doi explains seriously. Jolly has to clench his jaw again to keep from exploding.

“Here, I've got something for you!” Doi nods and hands Jolly a tablet. “What do you want me to do with this?” he wants to know. “Well, turn it on. It's a present from me. Only you have the access codes for the cameras!” smiles Doi and leaves the room. With trembling fingers, Jolly switches on the tablet and various images pop up in front of him, taking his breath away. A tear runs down his cheek and he has to swallow. With trembling fingers, he strokes one of the pictures. They show Olivia at her desk, looking intently at examination images. Jolly's breath catches. She has become thin, really fragile, the sparkle in her eyes is missing. Immense longing spreads through Jolly as he stares at the screen. What Doi has said gnaws at him. Could he be right? Is it safer for Olivia this way? Better?

But if he looks at her the way she looks, it can't be better for her. She is suffering, just as he is suffering, and Jolly is determined that as soon as he is fitter again, he will go and get her. He swears to himself right now. He will go back to his North Star, just as he swore to her, and get her back. And woe betide anyone who dares to stand between him and his Liv! .....

#bad omens band #bad omens cult #bad omens #joakim jolly karlsson #joakim karlsson #jolly #jolly karlsson #jolly fanfiction #bad omens fanfiction #joakim karlsson fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic

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trashcanwithsprinkles · 1 year ago

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Now that CN is over I need more fics to read (I say as if I'm not in the middle of rereading CN and plan to reread ITYSG(AINLY) again because I'm literally obsessed with your fics). Do you have an recs? Also what's your favorite fics/comfort fics (you can include your own)? I always find it interesting to know what the authors of my favorite fics like to read when they aren't writing.

other than my other fics (babysitting in the apocalypse is my other zhongchi fic), i do have a some zhongchi recomendations! sadly i cannot actually go to my bookmarks atm nor provide direct links. i also don't really remember the authors' names of most of them? and you'd have to like.... save them for later, what with ao3 being down and all;; but here are some off the top of my head if you want to get planning:

(once ao3 gets back up i'll update this list with proper links and the authors' names and maybe more recomendations since i do have many more i just can't remember,,)

○ entirely out of spite by Bgtea - i generally assume everyone's already reading this one given how big it is (and how it was kind of my inspiration for cyanide even tho i never said it), but if you're not, holy shit are you in for a good one. literally anything bgtea makes is wonderful. this one is an au based on the premise of a different story, but you don't need any knowledge whatsoever of it to enjoy and understand eoos (tho consider it if you like the premise, bc it's also really good). the rundown is- a mondern ajax dies and wakes up in the body of tartaglia, the antagonist of genshin impact, a game he'd been playing before kicking the bucket. he is tasked by a weird isekai-anime looking menu to fill in the shoes of the antagonist or else, but he's not technically stopped from altering the story just a tiny bit or being ooc, so he goes about trying to play the tartaglia role without meeting the same end as tartaglia (who dies ingame). it's such a good fic i cannot recommend it enough - it's not complete yet, but the wait for each chapter is more than worth it, and bgtea always does an insane amount of research for everything they post.

○ literally any other zhongchi fic by Bgtea. there's this short one about pulcinella or capitano (i can't remember, it might've been pantalone) selling pictures of childe to increase morale in the fatui (something something pr strategies), that one is hilarious. there's another one about zhongli getting stuck as a dragon and childe taking care of him as the world slowly goes to shit from rex lapis being missing (a comment pointed out it might be called "ajax' adventure with dog-lizard" and it sounds about right for me). another one they have is the autumn winds are sighing i think. that one was posted WAY back, some of the info is a bit outdated, but it's still so, so good. i can't remember what it was all about, but i do remember it involves zhongli going to snezhnaya to meet childe's siblings. the pining and tension on that one is off the roof. i should read it again,,,

○ after everything by Amanveth (i think that's how their username is written,,) - literally palate cleansing fluff. there's really good angst as well but it's overall just very sweet and soft, very much a feel-good fic. it's about zhongli and childe going back to being friends after the events of the archon quest and slowly realizing they're in love. it's still ongoing but it updates shockingly fast, and it's a nice little thing to read before going to sleep.

○ the white cicada society by clementinesgulag. still ongoing i think, but i have paused reading it for reasons unrelated to the fic itself, so i can only really atest to the frist arc of it? but holy fuck is the first arc good. the angst is godly in this one, and i'm always a sucker for a good horror mystery. this one is about the gritty and slow reconciliation of post-archon quest zhongli and childe as they investigate a series of awful murders and terrifying paranormal shit (i'm pretty sure) going on in the city. (it might be revealed to not be paranromal later in the fic as that partiuclar plotpoint hadn't yet resolved when i paused it at the end of the first arc, but i wouldn't know. wouldn't make it any less good if it wasn't tho)

○ death became him by Merianon. also still ongoing i think, but part of the many fics i have paused reading for reasons unrelated to them (i have... way too many saved,,,). this one is about childe going back in time after dying and waking up as a god, and the fic starts there, so it's about how the events of the game go with childe as a god and not in the fatui. i can't remember all that much about it tbh, but i remember i really liked it, the concept was so interesting. i'm waiting for it to end.

○ a sight for sore eyes by ToumeiKyoudai. still ongoing afaik, but i paused reading it as of very recently (again for reasons outside of the fic). this one is the events of the game except childe is legally blind. you have no idea how interesting and hilarious this fic is, the premise is so simple but it's so nicely executed. i can't really say all that much more about it since it's basically just that- it's a retelling but childe's blind. and he's so fucking funny. it's all so fucking funny, and the worldbuilding is stellar, and i just really really like it i can't explain why exactly. it's not a comedy! but fuck it's so entertaining.

i have so many more that i wish i could put here but i'm not 100% confident in their titles nor which fic was which (happens when you have a ton bookmarked but have paused reading a lot of them), so i don't want to risk saying this fic is one thing when in reality it's something else completely different,,,

these last two i put below for reasons i'll explain in each of their blurbs, but they're still as recomended as those above!

○ lungs full of roses, by SecretlyACatLady. if this is the title (and i'm 99% certain it is, but i can't check), then this is hands down the BEST hanahaki angst i've ever read. i'm not kidding. this one is very specific in its angst tho, and i gather likely not what everyone is looking for in a hanahaki fic, but holy fuck. basically childe gets hanahaki here but knows he cannot afford to have anyone find out he has it (bc fatui) and also not that he died from it, i think? might be mistaking that particular plotpoint for another fic. anyway- he leaves liyue but zhongli goes to look for him bc he's confused and just wants to apologize for the whole tsaritsa's contract and all. it gets out of hand real quick when the ppl of mondstadt try to help by acting as pushy wingmen and it's so GOOD holy fuck. i've never liked when other characters try to push the main pair together and act all 'just kiss already we all know!' around them, and seeing it backfire as horribly as it could if it were a realistic scenario (tho enhanced bc childe) is so incredibly satisfying. the reason why i put it down here is 1) i'm not 100% sure that's the title and 2) if it hasn't been abandoned, it's been in hiatus for a while now. which is hearbreaking, but it's also such a good fic that i'd honestly recommend it regardless if only for the angst at the start. but i understand not everyone is in for something like that if it doesn't resolve/likely won't resolve (idk if it's abandoned tho but i understand that if a fic takes too long to update, people will fear the worst). so yeah,,

○ non-playable character, by Jouicifer. this one is here exclusively because i'm a sucker for horror mystery - it doesn't mean the zhongchi isn't good, but it's not as prevalent in the plot as in white cicada (another horror mystery), so i can't exactly put it with the other more zhongchi-centric fics? not that the zhongchi isn't here, but. hard to explain. this one is also hard to explain in general, i'm not sure if it's based on the premise of another story or if this is a highly-secific trope/sub-genre in china (i think?), but the author refers to it as 'unlimited flow', so look it up if you want to be sure. either way, much like with eoos, it doesn't matter if you know anything about whatever that might be to enjoy and understand the story. the rundown is childe and a bunch of other people are players in this sort of virtual-reality scenario hopper, where they get put in 'games' with other players where they can die (tho idk if die die irl as well). basically, in the newest scenario they get thrown into, it's a horror murder mystery about a haunted mansion, and their guiding npc is zhongli, whom childe has met in another scenario and whom he is an absolute simp for. god idk how to explain it, it's just so good; but you need to be there for the plot first and the ship second. the ship is there! it's just the plot takes presedence. but holy fuck is the plot good. the reason why it's down here, like lungs full of roses, isn't bc of the plot or the ship being secondary, but... well, it's also been in hiatus for a long while now. to this fic's credit in particular, it was in a long hiatus before, but updated! out of nowhere! and then it went into its current hiatus, so. again, i understand people don't like that, but i'm a patient person so i'm willing to keep it in my bookmarks for as long as it takes (and forever if it gets abandoned). it's just THAT good. and since there's not much horror murder mystery in this fandom (or in fics in general), i'll take whatever i can get. the mystery is good in this one, so it helps.

(edit: added some authors and a fic title, thank you archon-of-chaos and redwormonastring!)

#as soon as ao3 is up i'll look thru my bookmarks and correct anything i got wrong #and also add some more fics #i have a ton more that i really really like #i just can't remember their names with as much clarity as these ones #idk why it's not like i like these particularly more than some of those #i enjoy all equally #except non-playable character that one's probably my favorite #and eoos #anyway #thank you!#always happy to recomend fics

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artistictentacles · 1 year ago

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Waited until I had both of them to post them together. A pair of spooky illustrations I did over the last few weeks on and off.

On the left is @slgma's OC Leonard on the right is Cortez. Love the subject of knighthood and armors so you might see more of that soon.

#heirs of the veil #hotv #illustration #myart #horror #horrorart #artistontumblr #CN visible bones #bones #body horror

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heirsoftheveil · 7 months ago

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Update! More on what happened to Eleven and Cort in the past!

CN for nudity (on website) and body horror

Read here!

First Current Tapas

#heirs of the veil #hotv #webcomic #queercomic #spiderforest #body horror #eldrich horror #urban fantasy #queer webcomic

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alterchaos · 5 months ago

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SONIC'S SCREAM TEAM

Not so long ago in a spooky haunted castle there was a group of friends out to enjoy the...movie set? Wait...CUT! Cut! Let's roll that back! Ghosts surely aren't real, except, maybe the ones haunting our past mistakes...

inspired by: SONIC X EPISODE 19

PREVIOUS CHAPTER: THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR

NEXT CHAPTER: CRUISE BLUES

(cn: part of this chapter was drawn before being finished in written format)

Amy breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of their approaching friend, “Oooh…She’s just running away from some ghosts…

...

Wait.”

The boy and the hedgehog joined their friend, screaming as they worked to flee the terrifying spirits chasing them from behind. After a few moments, Amy took note of a side room they could duck in quickly approaching.

“Quick! This way!”

The trio of friends threw themselves to the side just as the ghosts attempted to swipe. They tumbled down a few steps before landing on the stone, cold floor of the castle’s inner chamber. The three of them gasped for air a few moments until all fell quiet. Chris pushed himself up onto his feet, regaining his stamina.

“Phew! I think…I think we finally lost them…”

The girl with the fluffy, golden hair flipped onto her back, gasping in shock as her eyes focused on the strange sight above her, “G-G-Guys…I-I think we have bigger things to worry about!!!”

The older of the Thorndyke siblings followed his sister’s frightened gaze, equally shocked as his eyes fell upon the sight of their friends and family trapped between some dark, purple barrier and the ceiling above. He locked eyes with his worried mother a moment before shifting his gaze to meet Sonic’s, equally as worried for their predicament.

So that was where they’d all ended up.

“H-How did they get up THERE!?”

“That’s easy…”

The Thorndyke siblings watched in horror as their pink friend turned her head, her eyes now reflecting those of the psychotic ghosts who’d stolen their friends. Her mouth cracked into an equally unsettling smile as she tilted her head in a creepy and unnatural fashion, her quills turning upward slightly as large, dark claws broke through the tips of her gloves.

“WE PHASED THEM INTO THE WALLS THE SAME AS US!!!!”

Amy dropped her hammer as the siblings screamed.

“EVE, WE HAVE TO MOVE!!!” Chris tried to pull his sister off the floor and away from the possessed hedgehog but it was no use.

“YOU…”

The little girl froze, unable to will herself to move as her precious friend lunged at her. Claws stretched wide, she grabbed the small girl by the collar of her dress, paying no mind to the boy next to her as she dragged her along in malice. Her back hit the far wall with a loud crash, as the possessed hedgehog continued to pin her there with her elbow.

“CEASE IT!!! CEASE IT AT ONCE!!!”

The small, winded girl continued to stare at her friend with wide, terrified eyes, confused at what the spirit within meant.

“A-A-Amy…?”

She threw the girl to the side in one, swift motion. Eve tumbled a few feet backward, skidding to a halt near the far wall. Apart from a few bruises and scrapes, she was uninjured, though she didn’t know how long that would last as her friend approached her once more, cornering her like prey. Amy’s body knelt down, the pink in her now-rounded irises glowing with hatred and a thirst for vengeance.

“STOP PERSISTING!!! CEASE IT!!! CEASE THAT BLINDING LIGHT!!! YOU AND YOUR LIGHT SHOULD SIMPLY CEASE TO EXIST!!!”

Eve brought up an arm, shielding herself as the spirit laughed menacingly, preparing to strike.

“DROWN IN THE SHADOWS OF DARKNESS!!!”

“EVE!!!”

Just as her hand went to strike, Chris grabbed hold of it, using its momentum to throw off her attack. He tumbled on top of his friend, his wrist bending unnaturally as the ghost fought back, wrangling Amy’s hand free.

“GNH!!!”

“CHRIS!!!!”

He didn’t give up though, continuing to wrestle against the hedgehog’s immense strength despite his sprained wrist. Whether through sheer willpower or Amy somehow fighting back against the spirit, Chris managed to force his way between her and his sister, their hands locked in struggle as they stared each other down.

“Enough…You want to hurt my little sister?”

Chris threw his arms up with all his strength before letting go of her hands, throwing Amy’s body off guard. Though it felt wrong, he took the opportunity to punch Amy in the face, knocking her backwards and giving him the chance to rise to his feet. The ghost jumped onto the hedgehog’s feet, crouching down like an animal ready to pounce. Chris took a readied stance, pointing to himself with a thumbs up for a moment as he stared the spirit down with fury and determination.

“THEN YOU’LL HAVE TO GO THROUGH ME!!!”

Though worried for his friends’ safety, the blue hedgehog couldn’t help but smile proudly from above as he watched his dear friend stand strong, fearlessly defending his little sister without hesitation. The blonde woman next to him watched the hedgehog a moment before looking back to her son with wide eyes.

He’d grown so much in such a short time.

How had she missed it?

Amy’s body continued to lunge in a similar fashion, though now targeting the boy who had landed a hit on her. She would have to take him out first if she wanted to reach the small girl who was now running to the large hammer on the ground. She grabbed the handle, attempting to lift it to no avail and resorting to dragging it along the ground slightly with each tug.

“C-Come on! If only…If only I could throw it up there…”

She continued to tug, useless to the battle at hand.

“...I could break the wall and release everyone!”

But she was weak.

Amy landed a slash on Chris’s right arm, causing him to stumble and cry out in pain. She then grabbed him and threw him into the far wall, his forearm meeting the full force of the impact under his weight with a loud crack.

“GAAAAH!!!”

“CHRIIIISS!!!!”

Her body turned back to the frightened girl and began approaching, a sinister series of cackles escaping her. She paused, however, as the figure of a bruised, spiky-haired boy slid into her path once more, now holding his fractured arm with care.

“F-Family…is supposed to BE THERE for each other!!! A-And I…I REFUSE TO KEEP ABANDONING MINE!!!”

plip

The girl clutched the hammer close as tears began falling from her eyes, her mother above watching in a similar fashion as she recalled the disappointment in her daughter’s voice over the phone.

So…

That was why he’d been so upset…

Lindsey clenched her fists in frustration, guilt crossing her expression.

Of course she’d missed it.

She’d always missed it.

Even now as she tried to include them both following the world-wide discovery of Sonic after his fight with the evil Dr. Eggman…

The girl continued to clutch the hammer for support as she watched her brother fight tirelessly to protect her with wet eyes.

“C-Chris…”

plip

Both Thorndyke kids’ eyes widened at the sight of their possessed friend, trembling as a few tears fell from her eyes. She suddenly gripped her head as she stumbled away from them a few steps.

“GRRRR!!! NO!!! YOU ARE UNDER OUR CONTROL!!!”

“Amy!!”

She continued fighting it another moment before throwing Chris aside and lunging at Eve in a swift motion. There was nothing the girl with the golden hair could do but shut her eyes as she prepared to meet her fate.

This…was the end…

…

The girl slowly opened her aqua eyes just in time to feel the hammer be yanked from her grasp. She looked to Amy, a sincere yet still-creepy grin crossing her muzzle as she momentarily regained control. The sight made the girl’s skin crawl though she listened at the hedgehog’s painfully forced words.

“...Q-Quick! Take…cover!!”

Eve ducked and covered her head as Amy used the last of her consciousness and momentum to launch her hammer at the ceiling barrier. She smiled weakly before losing herself once more.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”

But it was too late.

CRASH!!!

The ghost fled his vessel as it attempted to save the barrier, Amy falling to the floor unconscious as a result. Everyone who was captured fell the short distance, bracing for impact.

All, that is, except Sonic.

The spirit barely had a chance to react before the hedgehog’s emerald gaze locked on in fury, revving into a spindash and attacking over and over with his unrelenting wrath. The ghost screamed with each rapid strike, unable to maintain its physical form for much longer against such power.

However…

The ghost smiled.

Finally…

The perfect vessel.

It entered the hedgehog’s mind, ready to consume such raw strength as its own.

Darkness surrounded the spirit…

It should have been comforting…

And yet…

Glowing eyes pierced the spirit, shaking it to its core.

This…

This…is…

The ghost fled the hedgehog’s body before he even had a chance to process its entry. He continued to attack, the spirit relenting and disappearing from the scene. Sonic landed with a resounding huff, quelling the boiling rage within him as the ghost’s presence vanished. He quickly turned to the direction of the unconscious hedgehog with panic.

“AMY!!!”

“CHRIS!!!”

The famous actress ran to her injured son, embracing him much to his dismay, though he was too exhausted to fight against it.

“I know…I’m sorry…I won’t act so recklessly again…”

“I’m proud of you, son.”

Chris’s eyes widened.

“W-What? You aren’t upset with me?”

“No. You’ve grown up so fast and I…I can’t wait to see how you continue to grow…both of you…I know I’ve missed so much but I…I hope I can-”

“Of course you can…” Chris smiled, releasing a few tears, “...Mom.”

Eve smiled happily as Ella placed a tender and knowing hand on her shoulder.

Chartreuse eyes slowly blinked open, meeting those of an emerald hue.

“S-Sonic…?”

The blue hedgehog quickly hugged her in a trembling embrace, his typically cool demeanor slipping as panic overtook his voice.

“Amy, thank goodness you’re okay…”

The pink hedgehog blushed, having never seen such a side to him before. Sonic equally realized his slipup, his face turning bright red as he frantically scooped the pink hedgehog into his arms like any other friend and smiled comically.

“UUUUH! Y-You did great out there, Ames! You really showed that ghost who was boss! Heh heh heh!”

“Y-Yeah…” She looked to the bruised and battered Thorndyke siblings, a deep and unsettling wave of guilt washing over her.

Sonic noticed her shift in demeanor, “Amy?”

She continued to stare at Chris, watching as he winced in pain from the small fracture in his arm, “I-I…” She fought back a few tears.

Sonic followed her gaze, smiling gently when he realized what had to be going through her mind, “Hey…Chin up, Ames. He’ll be okay.” The boy in question turned to face the duo, having realized he was being stared at, “Chris is super strong, after all.” He offered the pained boy a wink, Chris returning one of his own with a sincere smile. Amy smiled tiredly before shifting her gaze from his and turning back towards Sonic’s chest to hide her face.

“Okay…”

Sonic turned to the group, offering his most-joyful demeanor to help lighten the mood, “Come on, gang! Let’s head back! I’m starved for more of Ella’s world-class chilidogs after all that!”

Ella chuckled before offering a flashy smile, “As soon as I find some staff and get these kids bandaged up, let’s have ourselves a real family meal made by yours truly!” She looked to the closer-than-ever siblings with a warm smile as they checked each other over for injuries, “I think we’ve earned it…”

“Oh! I would love to help, Ella!” The actress's eyes sparkled in anticipation, “I can make the kids’ favorites just like I used to!”

Chris and Eve began to sweat, preferring not to remember how their “favorites” turned out last time.

Ella knew better as well, “Er…yes…well…You can be my official assistant! Every great chef needs one, Lindsey! Ha ha ha!”

Lindsey gasped, “You. Are. Absolutely right, Ella! It’ll be just like when we were kids!” Her eyes sparkled more.

The Thorndyke siblings wiped the sweat from their brows, safe for now.

Tails began to drool just thinking about it, “Man, I could really go for some more of your mints…”

“...We’ve gotta work on your diet, Lil’ Bro…” The pair of brothers took up the rear as the group exited the castle chamber.

The young fox blushed, “I-I eat other things too!”

“Yeah…a small meal and five empty mint tins is not what I would call ‘healthy’...”

“Oh and like ten chilidogs is?”

“Hey! At least it’s actually food!”

The human girl helping her brother along up head giggled at their banter, none of them aware of the ghosts appearing behind them as they left.

“Fools…ghosts. Don’t. DIE.”

The malevolent spirits laughed, though none ever dared to challenge the hedgehog or his comrades ever again.

CHAPTER END

#alter chaos #tails has a mint addiction #sonic the hedgehog #sonic au #sth #sonic oc #sonic fanart #sth au #sonic fancomic #sth fandom #sth fanart #sonic fanfiction #sonic x #sonamy #amy rose #miles tails prower #chris thorndyke #alter chaos alter earth saga #cream the rabbit

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