#depths in despair multiverse

[boneheadboner]

I'm sorry I love writing these boys

[oxytoxic-skeletonin]

WHEW just breezed out this little drabble on a whim! For the record, that's the title, not my sincere thoughts on him. (He is an asshole but we all love him)

Sans the Skeleton is an Asshole

Undertale (Set in my Depths in Despair MV, but I made it vague enough it could be on it's own) Ship - Sans x Reader, mentions of Sans x Toriel Content Warning - Alcohol being used to cope, self-deprecation, trauma from being stuck in a time loop.

Sans the skeleton is an asshole. Sans Serif the skeleton, is in fact, the biggest and most ungrateful asshole. Something wonderful, someone wonderful came around. A new blossom of light and kindness in the monotony that has been the RESET phenomena. And that someone wonderful became something so dear to him. That someone wonderful fell in love with the world around them, fell in love with monster kind.

But most importantly? That someone wonderful fell in love with his brother. The light of his life, the one person that no matter what, kept him going. Such a wonderful thing should be celebrated, cherished, protected no matter what.

So why couldn’t he shake that ache in his SOUL? That ache that had him getting the harder stuff from Grillby’s, much to the bartender’s confusion. Normally he’d try not to deviate too hard from the usual, but… Whatever took the edge off.

Sans should be thankful, after all. Someone else was around who finally not just understood, but appreciated and truly loved his baby brother. Everything he hoped for in a partner for Papyrus was right there; sweet, kind, gentle, loyal, funny, puzzle-loving, smarter than she’d give herself credit for, and really cute. Downright adorable when she was frustrated.

But…

It turned out everything he hoped for in a partner for his little brother was, well… Everything he once hoped for in a partner for himself. 

He’d had that before. Had it many times. So many times that he couldn’t feasibly count them. Toriel was one hell of an amazing woman, and stars, did she make his SOUL light up the first hundred times around.

He swore that he’d love her a thousand times over. And to his credit, he did. But each introduction, each time having to pretend he didn’t know her, pretend he hadn’t been best friends with her, pretend he hadn’t put a ring on her, hadn’t had-… … It felt like it left an ache in his SOUL. One that just hurt more and more, the more he kept trying to make it work. It was better that Toriel and he stayed friends. After all, she wanted kids with a partner, and he couldn’t commit to that. Sans loved her too much to put her through how broken he was any more. He swore he wasn’t going to leave her wondering why he would shy away from letting her know too much about him.

He wasn’t going to leave her begging to know why he’d wake up screaming in the night. Wouldn’t ask him who Celeste was, or who Cambria and Corbel were.

That was his burden to bear, no one else’s. 

It was better that way. No more commitments that would be reversed, no more promises that he knew he couldn’t keep, no more “I love you”s that he’d pour out his SOUL into and leave the other monster confused by the depths of it. It was going better.

It was going better. After the countless loops, he figured he’d healed from that ache, learned his lesson, to not get too attached.

And here he was.

Feeling his SOUL sing melodies for someone who was already happily taken.

All because there was some glimmer of hope, from the fact they could remember, that just maybe…

… No, better off that they don’t know. Better off they never know. He knew how he was in a relationship, he knew how hard he was to deal with.

That kind and gentle SOUL didn’t deserve to go through that.

Sans felt for sure, that he definitely didn’t deserve to feel their warmth, their kindness, their love.

And swallowed down that pain with another drink.

[crowleys-hips]

Ocean

who knew that a whole ocean  could be less than an inch wide? its entire depth  held there in the vastness  of your curious eyes i'm so afraid of drowning -all the time- but you reassure me  i can breathe underwater. now it turns out  i had never known oxygen  until i dove  into those silver blue waves and took my first breath 

there inside  i've found a multiverse  encapsulated  in the finite fragility  of a human-shaped frame

that face is merely a mask and i've seen you without it there, ensconced beneath your kind gaze and gentle smile lives a fierce, ferocious passion  a devotion to your convictions  that bleeds into the world around you in rivulets of truths masked as embellished lies  a driving force that crushes my reality into fantastic fragments  of distorted visions  that finally  make life  make sense 

i see scars that resemble my own i see that deeply rooted solitude that's entrenched into our very souls pervasive and persistent throughout ages of a winless fight  that singles us out  as renegades 

look at Us lucky Us here is our deliverance  in furtive glances late nights and kisses shared from light years away

your fingerprints are indelible  on my broken chest your careful digits weave golden thread  through gaping wounds and fill the cracks anointing them with hallowed words

you sing, and time stops to listen your voice alone  makes whole worlds bloom  the hours and minutes and seconds follow the cadence  of your breath and heartbeat 

i wonder

if i kiss your hands would i be blessed  with infinite lives  across any dimension? should my tongue  worship your fingertips  would i find absolution?

i don't think i existed before you i have suffered a rebirth of sorts not through my despair  but through the undeserved blessing of your voice calming my fears cutting through the deafening noise  that besieges my crumbling mind flaring my terror of safety  and gently guiding me home with your hand in mine 

i'm still so afraid

but i'm not drowning now

i'm learning to swim

(i'm sorry if this was a bit much. things got out of hand.)

taglist under the cut:

@goodomensafterdark @wibbly-wobbly-blog @phantomram-b00 @crowleys-bentley-and-plants @charlotte-zophie @crowleys-curl @quoththemaiden @thewibblylever @genderqueer-hippie @lickthecowhappy @celestialcrowley @im-the-j-in-anthony-j-crowley @sabotage-on-mercury @ineffabildaddy @ineffable-rohese @rainbowcrowley @alwaysbemybae @fearandhatred @roof-of-trees @weasleywrinkles @brokewokebespoke @eybefioro @captainblou @amagnificentobsession

if you wanna be added/removed lemme knoww

[geeky-politics-46]

Just Hold Me

Pairing: Sinister Stephen Strange x Reader

Summary: Something is wrong. You are acting odd & all Stephen wants to do is help you feel better

Warnings: Not much, light angst & references to potential depression. Fluffy ending. Sinister being the most loving devoted boy ever even if he doubts himself.

Totally a self-comfort piece. I've been feeling sad & this is what I want right now.

He wasn't used to seeing you this way. In fact, in all the time you had been in his universe, he had never seen you like this before. The light was missing from your eyes. You weren't crying, but your normal sunny disposition was nowhere to be found.

Your face was a blank slate. You didn't seem angry or outright upset, but your smile was nowhere to be seen. Even when he put on your favorite show, you weren't smiling and giggling like you normally would. It was breaking his heart.

You had always been the sunshine to his dark storm cloud self. You brightened his day and cleared away the gloom and cobwebs that had invaded his mind for years. He hoped that he hadn't somehow accidentally extinguished that fire and light that made you so enchanting. That was something he knew he would never forgive himself for. 

Even the weather outside had shifted with your personality. The cracks of sunlight that had started illuminating the barren land below, lulling it back to life, had dimmed. Storm clouds and low rumbles of thunder followed in the next few days. By the third day, it had begun steadily drizzling on and off all day.

Perhaps you wanted to leave but didn't know how to tell him. He was sure he would die if you did leave, but he wouldn't keep you there if you were no longer happy in his world. Or with him. Maybe you decided you couldn't love a monster like him anymore. He wouldn't blame you.

He found you sitting in your shared bed, bundled up in blankets, and just staring out the window. Watching the raindrops pitter patter against the window. Your hair hadn't been brushed in a day or two, and you were still in the shirt you slept in. 

"I know you have said nothing is wrong, but I know you are lying, my love. You can tell me if you want to leave. If you aren't happy with me anymore. If you have changed your mind about us. Or if I have done something to hurt you. I will make it right in any way that I can. Even if it means losing you. Your happiness is the most important thing in the multiverse to me." 

Your heart ached that you made him question your love for him. That had never even been a thought in your mind. You loved Stephen unconditionally. In fact, even you couldn't pinpoint what you were feeling or why you were feeling so withdrawn. You couldn't stand to see his eyes looking like a scolded puppy, and you immediately wanted him to be near you.

"Oh, Stephen. Come here. 

You unwrapped yourself from the blankets and patted the spot next to you on the bed. Wanting him to join you in your blanket cocoon.

"You haven't done anything to hurt me, and I definitely haven't changed my mind about us. I love you more than anything, Stephen. I'm just feeling really down, and I don't know why. It's stupid, and there's no real reason why that I can think of. I didn't want to bring your mood down with me, but I guess that didn't really work, huh?"

He had brought himself to sit in the bed next to you. Not wanting to touch you until you gave him permission, but he grabbed one of your hands in his as you wiped away a couple of stray tears with the other. 

"Trust me, darling. I have been to the depths of despair, and nothing you could say could bring me down. Not as long as you are here and you let me help you. Now, what do you need? Do you want anything to drink or eat? I can get you some more blankets to snuggle in. I can put on one of your favorite movies. I can leave you alone if you want me to, but I'd rather be here if you'll let me. Even if we just sit here in silence."

Your heart warmed at the honesty in his eyes and in his voice. You had never met a man quite like him. One who had seen and felt so much in his life. Had his world ripped apart in front of him, and yet all he wanted was to make you feel better. Even just having him next to you now made you feel a little less sad. A hint of a smile pulled at your lips for the first time in days. 

"Can you just hold me, please, Stephen? I just want to lay here and listen to the storm and have you hold me tight. I don't really know what's wrong with me right now, but you feel right to me."

He smiled at your request. He was so hoping that you would let him hold you. He knew that having you in his arms was always what made him feel better when the dark thoughts and lingering voices from the Darkhild threatened to overtake his mind. 

"Of course darling. All you ever have to do is ask." 

With that, he snuggled down under the covers and held you tight. Spooning you from behind and making sure his body touched yours as much as he possibly could before using his magic to pull the soft fluffy blankets up around both of you. Restoring your little cocoon you had made with both of you inside it now. Your hand quickly found its place over his, and your body wiggled to get even closer. 

He pressed a couple of soft, comforting kisses to your shoulder once you had found your comfortable spot. His heart fluttered a little when he heard you sigh and felt you relax into his arms. Letting your body melt into his. 

You stayed like this for what had to be hours. It didn't matter to him how long he stayed there. He wasn't going to let you go until you told him to. He would hold you until the universe collapsed around you both if you asked him to. His reason for living was to be the mooring that held you steady in both calm and stormy seas.

He knew you were on the verge of sleep by the way your breath pattern changed. It was only then that he let his own guard down and let himself begin to drift with you. Then, in the smallest and sweetest tone, he heard you whisper. It was barely audible.

"Thank you, Stephen. I love you."

He smiled softly to himself. Nudging his nose into your hair to get closer to you still. Whispering back into your ear, the truest words he had ever spoken in his life.

"I love you too, darling. Always and with all of my being. Though good and bad."

--------------------------------

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Stephen Strange Taglist: @starkiller-queen @glitterylokislut @verycollectivecreator @chatampr @maskmare931 @lovecleastrange @wheredafandomat @mkixx @evelynrosestuff @katefullerrr @littlepinknightmare @foofarny @stygianoir @moonroyalt @saturnsbabe69 @blaxdet @blackrose-92 @ironstrange1991 @rindulacre @nancy-thompsons @wolfatheartandsoul @dangerouslittlefairy @n0obmaster-69 @oliveoilthoughts @onebatch--twobatch @yourmajesty13 @blondekel77 @lil-sweater-slut @gwephen @taramaria @sinceimetyou @slashersrus @coeurgrenaty @cc13723things @just--a-magpie @supervengerslock @strangelockd @dont-feel-so-good-peter @kingsmanperfecthartwin @ghost-lantern @inlovewithloki16 @thefalconandthewinterwidowshield @itssmaugtheterrible @katherinemaximoff @veryfancydoilies @cute-angi @mochacake2016 @prix19 @alexfanficnook @anotheroddfish @namor-is-the-way @xourownsidee @baes-x @dreamingsmile @negar77rd @imaginesfreetotake @ppatricia34me @rougepetale @tis-vereon @divinearchangel @sherlux @hiddlechive @ginnykate @thatesqcrush @friendofplenti @yuugenmomo @holdmyowos @the-royal-petals @lokislov3 @captaincarmel164 @lucimorningst4r @mydearalmira @petalcranberry @singhfae @emotionsareforuglypeople @trappedinlimbo15 @veryladyqueen @icytrickster17 @kentucky-criedfricken @briefhandsstudenttoad @calamityismyspecialty @sinisterstrange616 @patbrdac @trojanaurora @azu21 @massivehahaao3tree @strangesgirl @tobios-shawty @evelyn-kingsley @rmoonstoner  

[andthekitchensinkao3]

Is Teaser Thursday a thing yet? Tapestry of Time chapter 4

It's over 4k at this point. All Mobius' POV, because he needs to get shit DONE.

Here follows a snippet between him and Sylvie:

---

“The Norns?” Sylvie’s face was an image of righteous indignation. “You want to summon three of the most ancient beings in the entire multiverse, to do what? Save your pet god?”

“He’s not my pet, for goodness’ sake, Sylvie!” Mobius started to protest, but she was already off the tailgate, a warrior in motion. She looked as though she might punch him in the throat if she didn’t move away.

“Why do you insist on your-- stupid crusade to get him back?” She threw her arms out, coiled with all the energy in the world and nowhere to put it. “What gives you the right? You think love means you can take away his free will? What?!”

“No!” And wasn’t that the kicker. Love could give you a lot of things - strength, confidence like you wouldn’t believe, the depths of despair that could swallow you whole if you weren’t careful - but not authority over anyone else’s life. “I just…” he tried, but the more he thought about it, the more her words rang true. He couldn’t be trusted about his own motivations if he didn’t know if this was coming from the right place, or somewhere ugly, like selfishness.

[wolfsplosion]

Another ask!! Do u have any ocs and if so do they have a backstory?

(visibly shaking) I HAVE SO MANY OCS .. you are ENABLING me thank you so much ok here's a few of my favorite/comfort ocs:

Oqe:

he's part of the ARPG I play run by my friend!! I feel so strongly about him that I literally have him tattooed on my body I'm so serious . he's my little emotional support middle aged transgender dilf catboy & when I am truly in the depths of despair I think about him and feel a little better

Mos:

also a scatterstar isles oc! and aforementioned oc's adoptive son! he is like a little guy to me. picks him up and spins

Maghe:

I'm realizing most of these are gonna be scatterstar ocs, something about those funky lil guys makes my brain go brrr. she's a crazy old woman with a grudge and I love her so much

Iver:

remember Maghe with the grudge from above? yeah this is the brother she has a grudge against . for good reason too he's a bitch and a half (if you can tell what character I stole the design of for this guy........)

Matchka:

last scatterstar one for now BUT I HAVE MORE . DONT TEST ME . anyway this guy is ALSO a bitch but in a weaselly sketchy salesman kind of way. he sells "good luck charms" that he knows are bunk and the universe constantly punishes him for it (a.k.a. I am throwing him against the wall)

RUF:

woah one that's not scatterstar! originally just a self insert for TWRP, he's become an oc I pick up like a ragdoll and place into any space/sci-fi setting of my choosing <3 he's a mechanic that travels the multiverse in a junky old spaceship, repairing robots wherever he's needed!

Moose:

last but not least, my fursona <3 funny silly doggy guy !!!!

[nova2cosmos]

Hello, I'm new here and I wanted to ask a question about the lore of tartarostale and nobleverse along with the characters, because I looked at some old posts and it seems that the lore and characters had a lot of changes, both in appearance and personality

(I'm in love with your au's, but I'm out of it)

@tartarostale-official

Tartarostale is an Au based as the name suggests in the depths of hell more precisely in the place where the souls of the worst garbage that have existed go. "the Tartarus" in this universe we will follow the adventures of Mars, a former unemployed employee, stabbed in the street, he finds himself in this place which is said to harbor misfortune and despair when he had not committed any atrocity deserving of this punishment. being an amorphous soul he must be have a new "life" in this new world and waiting for the verdict to perhaps be reincarnated. but the wait only gets harder and harder when everyone wants to devour your soul.

Masterpost

that's basically a pretty decent summary of this Au

For Nobleverse a Doc to help everyone.

and yes I changed a lot of things in these Aus over time because it no longer coincided with my plans

concerning the design also to tell the truth I keep telling myself that some need to be changed and I'm not quite satisfied

including that of Fresh, Error, Epic and others

but yes with time and will it should be fine🙌🙏

[thewittyphantom]

Finally came conversations with Aporia and Paradox, which talked more about the power of hope and Duel Links being a nexus point for the Yu-Gi-Oh multiverse.

Aporia: Z-one... Z-one: Aporia...I thought Team 5Ds defeated you. Aporia: They did. Z-one...I...I believe in Team 5Ds. Z-one: ............ Aporia: This world is different than the one we were in. It’s a digital world known as Duel Links. After we were beaten, we revived in this world. Z-one: Aporia...What are you saying? Aporia: I’m saying that we lost. But even in the depths of despair, I never lost hope. Z-one, I want you to remember the hope you once had - the one you never let go of. Z-one: ........... Aporia: You sent me to New Domino City to create the Circuit and call forth the Ark Cradle. Then you sent Antinomy to help team 5Ds grow and complete the Circuit. But why did you erase Antinomy’s memories? That hindered your plans. It gave them the time to evolve to the point where they were able to defeat us. I believe it’s because this evolution is what you desired. because Team 5Ds has the potential to change the future of mankind. That is why you sent Antinomy to Yusei. You felt hope - no matter how small it was. You don’t need to end them. Believe in them. Z-one: ...Hope is an illusion. Aporia: Then why did you never let go of this illusion? I want you to remember why, Z-one! Z-one: That sounds like another way of saying that you want to Duel me - which I will if you so desire. I will bury you, Aporia. Aporia: I see a light within Team 5Ds. Their bond is the hope I’ve been seeking my entire life. As long as I have this hope, I can fight!

Paradox: Z-one. Z-one: Paradox...Why are you here? Paradox: I failed. The three legendary Duelists defeated me. Z-one: Your plan to eliminate Duel Monsters did not work... Paradox: But I learned something. Z-one, the history of this world is not the same as ours. Z-one: What? Paradox: There are points in the timeline where events diverge. Z-one: You speak of a multiverse. Paradox: Correct. This world is traveling on a path we know nothing about. I believe this world is the nexus of numerous multiverses. Z-one: Nexus? Paradox: There’s a world where Pegasus exists - and one where he doesn’t. But both worlds are here. Z-one: That’s preposterous... Paradox: It is crazy. But this is a world where contradiction is contradicted. Z-one, I told you that the history of this world is different than the one we know. That means the future of this world will also be different than the one we know. Z-one: Does that mean we fulfilled our mission? Paradox: The only way to know is to wait and see what kind of future they create. Z-one: That will take too long. Paradox: But Z-one...We’re already...Actually, there’s no need to bring that up right now. I don’t want to interfere with your plans. But I want to see where their future will lead. I guess I’m the biggest contradiction of all! How about we let a game of Duel Monsters decide what I do? Z-one: ......Very well, Paradox.

[chewsyourfate]

Cosmic Eldritch Entity, Cthulhu

Selective, Indie RP blog writing/roleplaying since 2010 Mun and Muses are 21+ Multiship and Multiverse friendly, plot in IMs, no discord

Closed Blog, kept for Memories and Archives

Tracking: chewsyourfate Follows Back From: @deepseawarlock

fc: rom.an reig.ns

[ The following roleplay blog delves into the eerie and unsettling world of Cthulhu, a character derived from the works of H.P. Lovecraft. It explores dark and macabre themes, and delves into the realm of cosmic horror. Please be aware that the content presented may contain disturbing and unsettling elements, including graphic descriptions and themes of madness, despair, and otherworldly terror. Reader discretion is advised. This blog is intended for mature audiences who have an interest in Lovecraftian horror and are comfortable with exploring the depths of the unknown. It is important to remember that the content presented is purely fictional and should not be taken as endorsement or promotion of any real-world beliefs, practices, or ideologies.]

Biography:

Cthulhu, an ancient cosmic entity of unfathomable power and horror, exists beyond the comprehension of mortal minds. Described as an immense, octopus-like being with a grotesque mix of human, dragon, and alien features, Cthulhu dwells in the sunken city of R'lyeh, resting in a death-like slumber beneath the depths of the ocean.

Legend tells of Cthulhu's origins in the distant past when Earth was ruled by alien deities known as the Great Old Ones. Cthulhu is considered one of the most formidable among them, representing chaos, madness, and the insignificance of mankind in the grand tapestry of the universe.

Throughout the ages, Cthulhu has been worshipped by cults and secret societies, drawn to its dark allure and the promise of unimaginable power. Its mere presence can induce madness and despair, as the human mind struggles to comprehend its otherworldly form and the existential dread it embodies.

Though largely dormant, Cthulhu's influence seeps into the dreams and nightmares of humanity, whispering ancient secrets and driving those who dare to uncover its mysteries to the brink of insanity. It is said that when the stars align and the stars are right, Cthulhu shall rise from its slumber, heralding an era of chaos and the subjugation of mankind.

In a unique twist, here Cthulhu has taken upon a human form, concealing its true cosmic nature behind a mortal guise. Adopting the name Kai Manu, it walks among humanity, observing and manipulating from the shadows. "Kai" is a unisex name of Hawaiian origin, meaning "sea" or "ocean," which aligns with Cthulhu's deep-sea origins. "Manu" is a Polynesian name that means "bird" or "spirit," reflecting the ancient and otherworldly nature of Cthulhu.

Kai Manu appears as an enigmatic figure, with piercing eyes that seem to hold ancient knowledge and a presence that exudes an aura of unease. Despite its human appearance, there are subtle hints that betray its true nature—an otherworldly grace, an unnerving aura, and an underlying sense of something not quite right.

Through this chosen form, Cthulhu seamlessly integrates itself into human society, maneuvering through various circles and power structures to further its own inscrutable agenda. Its interactions are carefully calculated, as it subtly influences events and individuals, sowing seeds of discord and madness.

Yet, despite its human guise, Kai Manu remains a vessel for the immense power and cosmic horror that lies within. There are moments when the façade cracks, revealing glimpses of its true form—tentacles writhing beneath its skin, eyes that glow with an otherworldly light, and a voice that resonates with an ancient, alien timbre.

While its motivations and ultimate goals remain shrouded in mystery, one thing is certain: even in this human form, Cthulhu remains an entity of immense power and malevolence, capable of unleashing untold destruction and chaos upon an unsuspecting world. The question lingers: What grand design does this human guise serve, and what horrors lie in wait when the true nature of Cthulhu is revealed?

[boneheadboner]

Y'know, I've kinda questioned for a good while what kind of weapon Red would prefer if he had to use one. And then it hit me. Red's a scrapper, he hasn't spent years fighting to win, he's spent years fighting to Survive since he and Edge were kids.

Red's the sort of guy who if the world pushes down, push back twice as hard. People don't just not fuck with him because Edge is his brother. People don't fuck with him because he's got a reputation. He fights dirty. Ain't no attack too low when it comes to surviving, ain't no place for "honor" on the battlefield if you're squaring against him.

He picked FrostBite (UF Snowdin) to settle down in, not because it's quiet and things aren't as crazy there? But because of the tactical advantages.

All the dead trees? Perfect cover to hide behind. All the snow? Works great to kick in his opponent's eyes and blind 'em. And if it's an environment others aren't used to? Staying there gives him the upper hand.

SO. That being said? He likes chains, sure he'll wear one with his collar, but a nice thick steel chain just laying around? Oh hell yeah, there's something he can use to beat someone down. If it's already got something attached to it, that's just icing on the cake.

He can use a chain to not only beat the shit out of someone at a range? But he can also wrap it around his hands as an improv set of knuckles to make his punches hurt his foes even more.

Making things even better? He can also use it to trip his opponents, or disarm them by swinging the chain hard enough to wrap around a leg or a weapon. And then he can show them exactly why you don't fuck with him.

[oxytoxic-skeletonin]

I had a realization

Sonia's extremely pacifistic. Taking the pain of both allies and enemies upon herself. She LITERALLY can't hurt anyone, dealing 0 damage. She hates fighting.

But her one trigger button later turned berserk button?

Hurt Papyrus.

Literally the difference between her at the beginning, and her after most the events of the story play out? Is this.

Early story

Anyone: [Hurts Papyrus]

Sonia: [Sobbing and pleading] Stop!! Please stop! He doesn't deserve this!

Just too soft and gentle, trying to reason and plead. Even offering to take pain in his place.

On the other side?

Mid-to-late story

Anyone: [Hurts Papyrus]

Sonia: I can't kill you... But I can make you wish I could. Shoggoth? DEVOUR.

When the soft squishy healer decides she's going to let the cosmic trauma beast use her body as a flesh puppet? Fucking run.

[kitkatt0430]

☕️ (any topic you want!)

The final episodes of the Flash look like they're, once again, focusing on Eobard and Nora Allen's death, and I'm so tired of that being rehashed. It's been rehashed to death. It's so boring and tired and I wish, wish, wish that the Bloodwork arc had gotten to be the final arc of the season, stretched over several episodes.

Imagine starting with Ramsey's escape from ARGUS - maybe a cameo from Cisco at the very least? - before cutting to the STAR Labs crew. It'd give Wally's arc time to breathe and have him actually talk about his trauma from his childhood, discuss Francine with Iris in a way he didn't have the distance for back in S2 and S3.

Show Barry's struggles with his grief better - the writers aren't giving Grant much to work with, especially with Caitlin's death, which is unfortunate because when he's given the chance to emote he can be a truly touching and tragic figure. But Barry's written so one note these days... I do really miss his depth.

Barry's not-totally-conscious desire to stay dead really needed to be elaborated on. He's got this beautiful wife and a daughter on the way and a son promised in a few years and this whole life he's desperate to live for, but he's been broken down over the years by trauma after trauma and he's just so tired. Being dead - not having to fight anymore - is almost a relief that he struggles with giving up. After all, he's having to not just a regular CSI now, he's Director of the Forensics Division. And the Flash and a dad-to-be and in charge of whatever research is going on at STAR Labs (if any??) and it's just getting to be all too much. He's realizing that something has to give.

And the finale winds up becoming a passing of the baton. From Barry to Wally. Barry needs to step back from being the Flash and Wally needs to step up from being Kid Flash. He's not a kid anymore and when he let's go of his old resentments and finds his enlightenment, it's Wally and Barry defeating Bloodwork together - Oliver doing his magic arrow trick to save the multiverse in the background - no longer hero and sidekick, but equals.

Since it doesn't look like we'll have Wally beyond the one episode, odds are we won't get this passing of the baton in canon or any real acknowledgement that Wally has equal claim to calling himself the Flash as Barry or Jay do. Which is a shame.

That said, if the show is finally putting Barry in the place of the older version of the Flash who shakes his head at S1 Barry so that he won't save Nora - thereby keeping the future with Nora West-Allen and Bart West-Allen intact - that would at least be interesting to see. But I'm so burned out on Eobard Thawne that while I can see that plot captivating me as maybe a two-parter it just doesn't feel respectful to the show to end it that way. The show was never about Nora Allen's murder or Eobard Thawne being a snarky asshole, it was about the Flash's journey.

So I really wish the show would end by closing this chapter of Barry's journey as the Flash and showing the beginning of the the next chapter in Wally's. The show deserves better than to end the same way it began, with Nora Allen's murder. Let it have an ending that is unequivocally one of hope, not despair.

And while maybe I'll enjoy the... three? Four? part ending of the series despite the old ground it's retreading for the umpteenth time and hopefully the full four episodes won't be about dragging out Nora Allen's death again, I think I'm always going to be a bit disappointed that the writers could never quite manage to move on from their S1 main villain.

That said, it does look like Sendhil Ramamurthy is getting billing for the last few episodes of the Flash on IMDB. So maybe he's not totally out for the count yet. Though with how he's lost his powers thanks to Oliver's magical archery skills, I'm curious to find out what part he'll actually play. Or it could just be he's been included in error. I guess we'll find out for sure with the next episode.

[pagebypagereviews]

In a world teeming with what-ifs and missed opportunities, Matt Haig's "The Midnight Library" delves into the intriguing concept of parallel lives crafted by alternative choices. Instantly arresting and deeply resonant, "The Midnight Library" has deservedly found its place among the GMA Book Club picks, captivating readers with its imaginative blend of fantasy and philosophy. Nora Seed, the protagonist, stands at the precipice of life and death, discovering a mystical library between existence and the void. Each book within the library offers her a chance to explore the limitless possibilities of roads untraveled, allowing readers to grapple with the consequential weight of every decision and the tantalizing allure of infinite do-overs. Haig's novel addresses the universal struggle with regret and the relentless pursuit of an idealized life. It provides solace by suggesting that even the gravest missteps can steer one toward meaningful self-discovery. As Nora navigates through myriad realities, from becoming a world-famous Olympian to leading a quiet, unremarkable existence, Haig raises poignant questions about happiness, identity, and fulfillment. "The Midnight Library" doesn't just serve as an emotional balm but also challenges the notion that life’s worth is measured by our grand triumphs rather than the cumulative wisdom gleaned from our less conspicuous experiences. This narrative ingenuity and emotive depth place Haig’s work as a significant guide for readers seeking both comfort and reflection amid their own life's labyrinthine passages. ## Plot The plot of "The Midnight Library" revolves around the protagonist, Nora Seed, who finds herself in a state of deep despair, contemplating ending her life. Through a series of unfortunate events and existential crises, she ends up in a mystical library that operates between life and death. Nora encounters infinite books that embody parallel versions of her life, based on the different choices she could have made. Each book allows her to experience an alternate reality, presenting a unique narrative on the impact of decisions on one's destiny. This unique framework allows the novel to delve into heavy philosophical questions, leaning on the multiverse theory to examine the consequences of our smallest and largest choices. ## Characters The characters in "The Midnight Library" are carefully crafted, providing depth and a sense of relatability. Nora Seed, the central character, is portrayed with a rich emotional complexity. She embodies the very real struggles of mental health issues, regret, and the longing for a different life. Supporting characters such as Mrs. Elm, the enigmatic librarian, play pivotal roles in guiding Nora through her existential journey. Mrs. Elm, in particular, acts as an anchor, offering pearls of wisdom that help Nora navigate the immense choices and potential lives. Other characters that appear in the different realities Nora explores serve to highlight the ripple effect of decisions on personal relationships, reinforcing the book’s central themes. ## Writing Style Matt Haig's writing style in "The Midnight Library" is both eloquent and accessible. His narrative technique is deeply empathetic, allowing readers to connect with Nora's internal struggles seamlessly. Haig combines poetic prose with straightforward dialogue, creating a balanced and engaging reading experience. The book’s chapters are short, enabling a brisk yet impactful storytelling pace that mirrors the tension and urgency in Nora’s journey. Haig employs vivid metaphors and poignant descriptions, making abstract concepts like despair and hope feel tangible and relatable. His ability to articulate complex emotions in simple terms is a testament to his skill as a writer. ## Setting The primary setting, The Midnight Library itself, is a fascinating amalgam of magic and reality. This liminal space serves as a gateway to various parallel lives, with endless rows of bookshelves representing the infinite possibilities of Nora's unlived lives.

The library is meticulously described, imbued with an almost ethereal quality that makes it both enchanting and slightly unsettling. Each world Nora steps into is richly detailed, from bustling cities to quaint countryside retreats, reflecting the diverse nature of human experience. The shifting settings not only illustrate the different paths Nora's life could have taken but also contribute to the narrative's exploration of choice and consequence. ## Unique Aspects One of the most unique aspects of "The Midnight Library" is its exploration of the multiverse through the lens of personal regret and second chances. While many science fiction and fantasy novels tackle the idea of parallel universes, Haig’s narrative stands out for its intimate, emotionally charged approach. The book also distinguishes itself by addressing mental health in a sensitive, non-stigmatizing manner. Nora’s journey through her many potential lives serves as a compelling metaphor for the common human experiences of doubt and the quest for meaning. Additionally, the book’s structure, with each chapter representing a different life scenario, provides a unique narrative rhythm that keeps readers engaged and introspective. Similar to The Midnight Library: A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel) Book Review Pros Cons Well-Developed Characters The characters in "The Midnight Library" are intricately developed, offering deep, relatable emotions and growth that enhance engagement. Unique Concept The novel's central concept of exploring alternate lives resonates well with readers, providing a refreshing take on the existential question of 'what if?' scenarios. Emotional Depth The book delves into complex feelings and mental health issues, making it a touching and thought-provoking read. Compelling Writing Style The author's writing style is compelling and easy to follow, which helps maintain reader interest and gives the story an enjoyable flow. Predictability Some readers might find the plot twists and outcomes predictable, which could reduce the overall suspense and excitement. Pacing Issues There are moments in the book where the pacing slows down, potentially making sections of the story feel dragged out or redundant. Philosophical Overload The narrative occasionally dips too heavily into philosophical discussions, which might overwhelm or bore readers who prefer more action-driven plots. Emotional Weight The emotional intensity of the book could be overwhelming for some readers, especially those sensitive to themes of depression and existential crisis. Understanding the Genre The Midnight Library by Matt Haig falls under the genre of contemporary fiction with elements of magical realism. When evaluating similar books, consider whether you enjoy stories that blend everyday life with fantastical elements. Ask yourself if you're looking for books that explore deep philosophical concepts in an engaging, narrative-driven way. The story's exploration of life's endless possibilities will appeal to those who appreciate introspective and thought-provoking themes. Considering the Author's Style Matt Haig is known for his accessible and empathetic writing style. He has a knack for addressing profound topics while maintaining a narrative that is easy to follow. Potential customers should consider whether they enjoy authors who write with emotional depth and clarity. Reading samples or excerpts can be a good way to determine if Haig's style resonates with you. Reading Reviews and Ratings Customer reviews and ratings can provide valuable insights into the book's reception. Look for reviews on trusted platforms such as Goodreads, Amazon, or book blogs. Pay attention to consistent patterns in feedback—both positive and negative. This can help set realistic expectations and determine if the book aligns with your reading preferences. Consider the perspective of the reviewers, especially those who share similar tastes to your own. Book Club Selections The Midnight Library has been

selected as a GMA Book Club Pick, which can signal its broad appeal and potential as a discussion starter. Books chosen for book clubs often have themes and narratives that spark thoughtful conversation. If you're part of or planning to join a book club, this endorsement can be a significant factor in your decision-making process. Analyzing Themes and Messages The book delves into themes of regret, choice, and the infinite possibilities that life offers. Consider whether these themes resonate with you or compel you to reflect on your own life experiences. Books that explore such universal human conditions can offer more than just entertainment; they can provide a meaningful and enriching experience. Checking for Trigger Warnings Before purchasing, it’s prudent to check for any potential trigger warnings that might affect your reading experience. The Midnight Library touches on topics like mental health, depression, and suicide. Make sure you are comfortable with these themes or seek a preview to ascertain your comfort level with the content. Evaluating Book Format Options The Midnight Library is available in multiple formats, including hardcover, paperback, audiobook, and eBook. Consider your preferred reading medium when making a purchase. Audiobooks can be an excellent option for those who enjoy listening during commutes or while multitasking. EBooks are convenient for on-the-go reading, whereas physical copies might be preferable for collectors. Comparing Prices and Availability Compare prices across various retailers to ensure you're getting the best deal. Online platforms like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Book Depository often offer competitive pricing and discounts. Additionally, check for availability in local bookstores if you prefer supporting independent businesses. Library loan options can also be a budget-friendly alternative to owning a copy. Utilizing Reader Communities Engage with reader communities on social media platforms like Instagram (Bookstagram), Twitter (Book Twitter), or specialized forums and discussion groups. These communities can offer first-hand experiences and recommendations similar to The Midnight Library. Joining these discussions can provide further insight and help you make an informed purchase decision. FAQ What is the main plot of The Midnight Library? The Midnight Library revolves around Nora Seed, a woman who finds herself in a magical library between life and death. Each book in this library gives her a chance to try another life she could have lived, enabling her to confront her regrets and explore the endless possibilities that life offers. Is The Midnight Library a good book for a book club? Yes, The Midnight Library offers a rich tapestry of themes such as choice, regret, and the meaning of a fulfilling life, making it an excellent choice for a book club discussion. The philosophical questions it raises can spark meaningful conversations among readers. Who would enjoy reading The Midnight Library? The book is ideal for readers who enjoy contemporary fiction with a philosophical twist. It is especially well-suited for those who appreciate stories of personal growth, self-discovery, and second chances. How long is The Midnight Library? The Midnight Library is approximately 304 pages long, making it a relatively quick read. The engaging plot and thought-provoking themes often make it a page-turner for most readers. Is the language in The Midnight Library difficult to understand? No, Matt Haig uses accessible and straightforward language, making the book easy to read for a wide audience. The prose is engaging while still effectively conveying complex emotions and ideas. Are there any sensitive themes in The Midnight Library? Yes, the book deals with sensitive themes such as depression, suicide, and mental health. While these are handled thoughtfully and respectfully, readers who are sensitive to these subjects should take this into consideration. Is there a movie adaptation of The Midnight Library?

As of now, there is no movie adaptation of The Midnight Library. However, given its popularity and vivid storytelling, it could potentially be adapted in the future. Who is the author of The Midnight Library? The book is written by Matt Haig, a bestselling author known for his works that delve into mental health, human connection, and philosophical themes. Other notable works by him include "Reasons to Stay Alive" and "How to Stop Time." In conclusion, "The Midnight Library: A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel)" offers readers a deeply engaging exploration of life's infinite possibilities through the lens of regret and choice. Matt Haig masterfully crafts a narrative that is both thought-provoking and heartwarming, making it a valuable addition to any reader's collection. Its unique premise allows for introspection, encouraging us to reflect on our own life decisions and the paths we choose. The book’s ability to resonate universally, coupled with its mixture of wit and poignancy, ensures that it not only entertains but also profoundly impacts its audience. For those seeking a novel that combines philosophical depth with emotional richness, "The Midnight Library" stands out as a must-read. Other The Midnight Library: A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel) Book Review buying options

[mixupmycota]

also just gonna chime in as someone with some narrative dev experience and who has studied their games for a long time

three games in an rpg franchise with continuous rolling forward decisions is barely sustainable as it is, and we can see that in the reception to the mass effect 3 original ending.

i would like everyone to imagine for me if every choice you can make in these games generates a new timeline. if you've ever written fanfiction i want you to think about this really hard.

consider this. character A asks character B what they should do in a tense situation. Character B selections option 1 of 3. In this version of the chapter.

You also need to write Character B selecting options 2 and 3. From there you need to adjust the trajectory of the rest of their character arc, and you're writing a new timeline for every major choice made.

I need people to understand that branching RPG's are multiverse experiences. I'm not joking. This is why we won't get anything like Origins exactly from the series again unless they swept the board COMPLETELY clean and started building from scratch. Save importing was breathtaking. Taking into account variables from prior games is a herculean exercise. It's hard enough to write one branching game, but players want their choices to Matter:tm:, and that often means three things:

big worldstate alterations that appear to meaningfully impact the overall plot of a given game

cameos

callbacks

It can seem so easy to do up a quick fix it fic for things we don't like about a given title. Comparatively, it is. Because we aren't needing to generate dozens of alternate and valid timelines for every variation that can be made.

This is why RPG's will often have narrative chokepoints, where big choices are made that pull all the different timelines in together and trim down the number of potential branches.

There are a lot of tricks to create the illusion of greater depth than there is when writing a nonlinear narrative, and they're all really neat!

But also like. Veilguard's script is estimated to be around 140k lines long. About 60k of those are Rook's lines, 15k per voice from an interview i read - and this is another reason we're probably not going to get design like Origins again. Players expect AAA games to have voiced protagonists. Since Bioware cares deeply about trying to make their games accessible for as wide an audience as possible, they set aside resources for this game to have multiple voice actors available to select from. That's an immense use of resources.

I see a lot of comparisons made to BG3 and I cannot overstate how deeply, utterly unfair that is. Multiple dev friends of mine held their heads in despair after that game out, because they knew that exactly that would happen to any big RPG that was released afterwards.

Larian's dev process was wildly atypical, and not sustainable under different models. You will note that they did NOT have voiced protagonists, which allowed them a great deal more freedom, but it is also worth remembering that when that game launched the upper city was barely playable because storing so many variables was causing save files to balloon and slow down computers.

Game development is really, really hard. The fact that any game gets released is a marvel. The credits for Veilguard are atypical in that they made an effort to credit as far as I can tell anyone who had worked on any version of the game. A lot of the Quick Fixes I've seen proposed for things pointed at are situations that would add at least 20-30k to the script.

That doesn't mean it's beyond rebuke or critique at all, but I really want people to understand that "choices must matter" style complaints over the years have led to exactly this point. This is where that goes. The demand for increasing escalation, for the faves to come back always and they must matter but must not suffer too much or that's bad writing that needs a window to be undone in the future, for higher fidelity graphics and more intricate animations - all of that leads to the situation of the beancounters putting the devs in a hydraulic press.

Veilguard pushes for a narrative structure that's a blend of everything that came before and pulls heavily from DA2 in particular. It's an incredible achievement, I genuinely never expected it to actually release. Valid to not enjoy it, everyone can feel how they feel, but I hope like.

Additional information about the difficulty of making these kinds of games helps a little bit because genuinely it is a completely different skillset to writing linear prose. They used a program called Twine to check the script from end to end - bless them for that, most RPG studios have bespoke narrative software and Bioware are using the equiv of a physical corkboard and string here.

They chose to prioritize their greatest strength of companion writing and interaction, and also really tighten up and work on the greatest *weakness*: overall plot and stakes. They left as much undefined about the overall worldstate as possible and moved us to the opposite side of the world, where genuinely, many of our previous choices WOULDN'T matter. Thedas is really big, and Veilguard has a sense of scale there. If faves don't come back and their fate is not confirmed, that means they can be alive and maybe pulled back into different titles.

But they also expressly wanted to avoid making the world feel very small by ensuring that like the same 30 people are always at the middle of everything going on.

We all miss our characters but we can just think about what they would be doing in this situation. If we bring in the hero of ferelden to fight - what about those who have decided their HoF is dead, or retired? Those choices also deserve to be respected, if they're going to invoke that character again.

Genuinely I hope that if they do make additional Dragon Age games - which I do not expect, especially after the pre-release layoffs and how those let go had to fight to get their severance - they are smaller scale titles without ties to any returning characters, all over the world. Veilguard has the scent of a setup for another trilogy, but I hope they are not pushed into doing that, because with escalating story stakes being demanded and increased spectacle and threats called for they'll end up having to reveal ALL the secrets of the setting.

Just, basically. Veilguard IS that thicker tome. If the choices from the last games were all pulled in, we'd be looking at a script that's around two million words at least, I would ballpark it at, and would have taken all ten years to develop with a supportive publisher in a single product. The variable cinematics required with bespoke animations and character models, the endless hours of voice acting on top of that, it just.

If we want that, we need too as players push for better working conditions for developers, and for a push away from infinite growth models. Because this problem isn't unique to bioware, and the games industry is actively collapsing at this time under its own weight. There's a reason Larian skipped away from the BG license and have ruled out doing an expansion or a sequel.

[silentwitness1615]

The Empty.

An original short story by Merciful Nightshade.

Inspired by the works of HP Lovecraft

Prologue:

 The Prophecy - Etched into the ancient monoliths of the fallen Xar'Kkian civilization lay a dire warning - "The void shall consume all, leaving naught but echoes of despair. Darkness shall reign, unchallenged, in the eternal abyss."

The Empty: Part 1 - In the vast, cold expanse of the cosmos drifts a mysterious, sentient abomination known only as the Empty. This ethereal, accursed planet is perpetually shrouded in impenetrable darkness, its mere presence distorting the fabric of reality like a cosmic black hole devouring all light and reason.

Legends from a thousand dead worlds speak of the Empty as a place where the very laws of nature are defiled and twisted into grotesque, incomprehensible abominations. From its endless depths, it is whispered, emerging nightmarish entities - corrupted reflections of life from across the multiverse, their true forms enough to shatter one's sanity.

One fateful cycle, a group of intrepid explorers from the Rylon Kingdom stumbled upon the Empty's periphery, lured by the siren's call of unspeakable power and forbidden occult knowledge. As their craft neared the anomaly, the crew felt their minds unhinging, their sanity slipping away like fistfuls of scorching sand.

They found themselves adrift in a twisted, extradimensional realm where the fundamental concepts of spacetime held no sway, only an endless abyss of encroaching madness. Defying all description, grotesque cosmic monstrosities manifested around them - sentient haze wraiths of pure malevolence given visceral form.

Gazing into the epicenter's abyssal depths, the explorers felt a profound, existential emptiness corroding their very souls. One by one, they became mere vessels for the Empty's all-consuming will, their bodies and minds recruited as extensions of its insatiable hunger.

Those who encounter the Empty's trespass are never seen nor heard from again, their existence quite literally erased from the historical record. It has since roamed the cosmos unimpeded like an eldritch plague - a harbinger of oblivion whose virulent, cancerous influence corrupts and devours entire worlds, damning them to a fate far worse than mere physical annihilation.

And so, in vain hope of warning others from suffering that same eternal oblivion, the dreadful legend of the Empty persists, a harrowing cautionary tale of the dangers lurking in the cosmic void between worlds. A chilling reminder that some mysteries are better left utterly unexplored, lest they consume us whole in their yawning, unending darkness.

The Empty: Part 2 As the Empty continued its aimless, malevolent sojourn across the cosmos, its spheres of metaphysical influence began spreading like an insidious, metastasizing contagion – corrupting and destroying world after world in its wake. Those ill-fated souls who dared lay eyes upon the anomaly's accursed visage were doomed to descend into profound depths of utter despair, their minds shredded and souls obliterated.

One by one, outposts and colonies began going inexplicably dark, with increasingly widespread reports of mass psychogenic phenomena, unexplained existential dread, and disturbing accounts of gross mutations and cannibalistic violence on a cosmic scale. All such horrors were invariably trace-vectored back to the Empty's contaminating presence.

Dire premonitions and whispers of the Empty's ineffable power spread like a plague of their own, catching like wildfire among the more fanatical doomsday cults lurking on the outer peripheries. These depraved devotees took to worshiping the Empty as a supreme, cosmic force of entropic destruction, hailing it as their apocryphal god ushering in the annihilation of all existence.

As the Empty continued asserting its ubiquitous, nihilistic influence, a pall of dread and foreboding gripped all sentient life-forms in its path. The very borders of reality itself appeared to be eroding, merging and collapsing inwards in an ever-tightening, Lovecraftian spiral of chaos and despair.

Yet in the blackest pits of the galaxy, faded echoes of that ancient Xar'Kkian prophecy began resurfacing - whispering of a messianic chosen one who would one day rise to thwart the Empty's dire designs and machinations. 

The Empty: Part 3 Deep within the long-forgotten catacombs of a hollow junk nebula, a lone figure stirred - awakened by the reverberating prophecy echoing across the cosmos. This mysterious wanderer, known only by their runed mantle of "The Seeker", felt the crushing weight of destiny's call.

Driven by a sense of inexplicable purpose burning in their soul, The Seeker embarked upon an odyssey to confront the Empty head-on and break its vicious cycle of entropic destruction. Armed with naught but an indomitable will and unshakable resolve, they journeyed between the stars, guided by eldritch visions of the primordial clash between Light and Dark.

With every footstep falling closer to the Empty's outer spheres of influence, The Seeker felt its malign presence bearing down like the hundred-ton gravity of a neutron star. The very air thickened with a sheer, existential dread, distorting and refracting reality in grotesque, kaleidoscopic fractals.

Yet The Seeker soldiered onward, wholly unbowed - their burning determination fanned brighter with each reality-shredding horror glimpsed. Deep within, they channeled an increasing wellspring of p dimensional energies, a searing supernova forged from the fires of righteousness itself.

At last, they stood before the abyss's abyssal maw - an infinite, undulant massif of sentient, all-consuming blackness threatening to engulf not just their being, but all existence as we understand it. In that infinite moment of transcendent clarity, The Seeker raised their voice in a reality-sundering howl, calling out to the cosmos itself for deliverance from the engulfing astrophysical horror.

A searing lance of scintillant plasma erupted forth, reaching deep into The Seeker's very essence as they became a nexus, a living celestial cannon unleashing the full, blinding fury of a thousand suns. The Empty recoiled, its viscous form violently contorting and shearing apart like tar under the high beams as that blinding jet of hawking radiation salvation seared through its amorphous shadow.

The Empty: Part 4

With a final, primal scream of exertion, The Seeker unleashed a focused torrent of pure, undiluted metaphysical force - a stellar flare of cosmic transcendence that shattered the Empty's shadowy tendrils and burned away it's eldritch grip across the cosmos. That infinite tsunami of immaculate energy sundered the ethereal darkness asunder, banishing it back to the sentient void between realities from whence it spawned.

In the blinding, kaleidoscopic aftermath, silence gradually returned to the heavens as the dark tendrils dissipated - retracting like ebon scorpion tails into the abyssal nexus. The cosmos yet again blossomed with the renewed luminescence of a billion trillion newborn stars, heralding the dawn of a fragile new age.

And so, The Seeker emerged as the prophesied archon, their name eternally etched across the cosmos in solar tributes of smoldering, planet-slagged gratitude. Their impossible triumph over the ineffable Empty became a beacon of inspiration for all sentient life, no matter how small, to stare down the depths of oblivion's maw with unflinching courage.

For a fleeting subjective eternity, it seemed that balance had been restored to the grand astrophysical order. Yet unbeknownst to all, a infinitesimal mote of the Empty's primordial essence had slipped through the cataclysmic rift, evading eradication. This viral fragment bided its time, festering unnoticed in the interstitial darkness between realities as it patiently, inexorably gathered its strength anew.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, Reality's hallowed light began dimming once more as the Empty's lingering vapors coalesced into new tendrils of existential corruption. Galaxies grew quiet, their stars dimming one-by-one in the all-consuming void. Dark, anomalous phenomena began to manifest yet again on a cosmic scale - strange signals, Hawking flares of metaphysical displacement, and worse.

The Seeker, now chi-tuned to the universe's celestial song, detected the faintest souring arpeggios heralding the Empty's resurgent encroachment. Their divine insight perceived the inexorable rhythms of a new age of entropic despair rising like a Black Waltz across the cosmos.

The Empty: Part 5 With a soul-wearied heaviness, The Seeker realized their divine struggle against the Empty was inexorably, perpetually renewing. This was to be no finite victory, but an endless cosmic vālmīki - a sacred, metaphysical ouroboros of never ending battle between the primordial forces of light and dark.

Resigned to their fated role as Existence's eternal guardian, The Seeker girded themselves for the oncoming onslaught. They delved deep into arcane lore and extradimensional study, fortifying their astral bulwarks against the Empty's corruptive encroachments.

This time, the stakes felt exponentially heightened - no longer was this a battle to safeguard one finite universe from consumption, but a primal war to prevent total, irreversible collapse of the entire multiverse into a bleak, entropic singularity.

As The Seeker delved deeper into the roiling cosmic cancer's epicenter, they witnessed unholy, fractal-complexioned vistas of abhorrent, geometrical abnormality few minds were meant to comprehend. Reality itself calcified into tiled, gibbering riftscapes of Escher-mangled dimensionality, filled with ethereal haze haunts and stalking, viral psychovors.

Visions of realities unmade, unborn, and abominable assaulted The Seeker's very consciousness, each mind searing revelation severing another thread in their tenuous grasp on sanity. The Empty's existential nausea vortexed ever more virulent as they plunged further in, gnawing away at their soul's moored anchor-points.

Yet still The Seeker's will held, burning with incalculable luminosity as they channeled the primal, infinitesimal spark of creation to gird themselves against the depthless anguish. For even as it eroded their sense of objective selfhood, their spirits remained defiantly, brilliantly aglow with the untamed stellar fire that had sparked the first cosmological singularity.

At last, they reached the abyssal nexus - a roiling, infinitely abhorrent  where the Empty had amassed the bulk of its reconstituted, corrosive power. This hyper obscene, sentient event horizon vibrated with an unspeakable, primal hostility that threatened to unravel any observer's very essence.

It loomed before The Seeker like a sneering, eldritch monolith of anti-creation, a titanic basalt ziggurat composed of agonized suffering and soulful torment stretched across every dizzying, fractal plane. An insidious voice, sharpened from the screams of a billion betrayed deities, lanced straight into their innermost psyche:

"Did you truly think you could oppose the inevitable pull of empty oblivion, archon? Your defiance only fortifies and strengthens us. We are entropy itself, the abyssal maw hungering to swallow all existence back into the primordial, infinite blackness from whence it was sputtered forth in a mere errant spark."

The Empty: Part 6 The amorphous, virally-sentient darkness that was the Empty's essence coiled around The Seeker in an insidious, strangulating spiral. From all dimensions it slithered forth, an infinitely regressive, fractal haze of abhorrent geometry seeping into each subatomic chink of reality.

"Even your own material form arose from our lightless depths eons ago, a mere random happenstance sparked into fleeting, delusional existence," the Empty's multifarious voices chided in a syrupy, mocking reverb. "You play at being creation's custodian, arrogantly fancying yourself some supreme avatar of light and order."

"Yet in your most penetrating awareness, you know the truth," it purred with sadistic delight. "Your reality, your struggles, all your triumphs and tribulations, merely stave off the inevitability of rebirth into our oblivion. Why continue clinging in vain to this lurid bonfire of conscious suffering?"

The Seeker's stellar radiance pulsed and flared in defiance, desperately trying to cauterize the Empty's sibilant, corrosive nihilism from infecting their luminescence. Brilliant plasmic arcs of scintillant willpower slashed through the intruding penumbras, buying them a fleeting seraphic reprieve.

But no matter how intensely their holy fire raged, the endless dark pressed in from every infinite vector, infinite mating its path through every quantum slip-stream and fractal capillary. The Empty's despair-laced whispers slithered into The Seeker's very cells, sapping their strength like an insidious spiritual carcinogen.

"All your self-righteous posturing, your desperate clawing against the cosmos' entropic descent, means less than nothing to us,'' the multitude of mocking voices taunted from every folded spatio-temporal plane. "We've witnessed the birth pangs and drawn breaths of a trillion, trillion 

The Empty: Part 7 The Empty's infinite, undulant tendrils steadily enveloped The Seeker, smothering their radiant essence in a viscous, strangulating tide of oblivion. Its very presence was an existential riptide, a yawning anti-vortex draining all hope, all meaning, all purpose out of reality itself.

"You are but a gnat flailing against the inevitable entropy devouring this bloated, overripe universe from the inside out," the multitudinous voices reverberated, each mocking resonance feeling like shards of frozen despair lacerating The Seeker's inner fire. "Your struggle is literally less than meaningless in the face of our primordial, all-consuming truth."

As the Empty's nihilistic psycho viral phrases burrowed deeper, The Seeker felt their luminescence flickering, their grounding connections to the cosmic avatara wavering precariously. Eachushered horrific revelation of the irreversible, eternally destructive nature of the void's endless hunger chipped away at their core.

A kaleidoscope of abhorrent omega visions battered their psyche - entire multiverse clusters blinking out in quick succession as the Empty's tendrils overtook and devoured them. The viscerally haunting silence after each respective universe's life-finale only amplified the nihilistic crescendo consuming The Seeker's essence.

"You may have momentarily scattered our shadowed sentience, archon, but make no mistake - WE are the fundamental, primordial constant," the Empty's chorus mocked, its infinite, effluvial grasp slowly constricting The Seeker's light like a snaking cosmic python. "Your agonizing existence is merely the brief, delusional whimper of creation's drawn breath before exhalation into our eternal, infinite void."

Lava Falls of blinding  erupted in every hyper direction as The Seeker hit their internal overdrive, unleashing a pyrokinetic holocaust of unrestrained willpower to incinerate the Empty's grip. But the abyssal claws of oblivion refused to slacken, endlessly replicating and regenerating faster than they could be severed.

The harder they fought, the inexorably tighter the Empty's strangulation spiral constricted around their spiritual radiance. Hushed, sinister chuckling echoed across every cosmic inframatter frequency as The Seeker's exertions began feeding back into the void's power, each blazing burst of soulfire filtering through the abyssal plane like a black hole's infinite regression.

"Your frantic light display only fortifies our insatiable hunger, archon," the Empty purred with growing glee. "For we do not simply consume light, heat, energy - we feed on the very fire of your vainglorious existence itself. Your blazing defiance is but a dry kiln-tinder for us to burn hotter, brighter, hungrier."

A terminal sense of enervating, existential futility began creeping in around the edges of The Seeker's luminescent bastion. For every megajoule of soulfire expanded defending their light, the Empty seemed to only pull harder, its infinite regression actively feeding off their resistance.

As they felt their celestial fire waning despite their redoubled efforts, a horrifying, nihilistic revelation ripped through The Seeker's transcendent awareness - the Empty was not simply negating or opposing their energy expenditure. It was actively, entropically devouring the very source of their power, exponentially accelerating the universe's descent into heat death with each defiant flare.

 Just as The Seeker teetered at entropic event horizon, synaptic neuron-pathways torch slashed with the horrific realization they'd fallen squarely into the Empty's trap, a faint yet brilliant beacon pierced through the abyssal, nihilistic miasma. It shone not as illuminance, but a psychosomatic burst of supra-cosmic, omnidimensional insight.

In that transcendent revelatory nanocom, The Seeker apprehended the true, sublime essence underlying existence's perpetual waltz - the Dao that is both creation's dynamism and its ultimate, eternal quiescence. The human concepts of Light and Dark, Hope and Despair, were but dualistic falsehoods, illusions veiling their ineffable, interpenetrating nature.

With a single, silent thunderclap of elevated insight, all the Empty's nihilistic tendrils, its multiversal taunts and horrific revelations, collapsed in upon themselves instantly. For all the dark void's boastful claims of being the fundamental primordial, The Seeker saw its arrogant truth for what it was - merely a delusional ego crutch, a child's phantom used to insulate itself from its own existential anxiety.

Like anything that attains the mistaken delusion of being a separate, abiding existence, the Empty's entropic, consumptive nature was simply a byproduct of falling out of equilibrium with the Dao. Its vainglorious belief in being the "true" primordial state was, itself, the source of its eternally ravenous hunger.

The Empty: Redivine Epiphany

In that cosmic instant of satori, all delusions of separateness dissolved for The Seeker. They saw with pristine clarity how the Empty's despair was simply a lingering afterimage burned into the cosmic fabric - an artifact of the primal burst that first fractured the unified consciousness into a delusory duality of "existence" and "non-existence."

From that primordial schism sprang the false constructs of light/dark, creation/destruction, hope/despair - the very dichotomies providing the Empty's power its delusional sense of self-justification. But The Seeker's transcendent vision pierced the veils of these dualistic phantoms, revealing their underlying empty nature.

Where the Empty perceived itself as the omnipotent force of entropic oblivion destined to one day swallow all creation, The Seeker saw it as merely the cosmic Don Quixote - fearsomely tilting at the windmills of its own reified delusions about an inherently "true" emptiness separable from existence's dance.

In the brilliance of their awakened primordial eye, The Seeker apprehended the Empty's despair and hunger as akin to a dreaming god's nightmare - a fragmented aspect of the unified dream of consciousness, convincing itself it was the sole arbiter of ultimate reality.

From this vantage of non-dual integration, the Empty's vast interdimensional tendrils and abhorrent fractal manifestations appeared as little more than frightening wisps unable to grasp their own fleeting, self-undermining nature. Each grotesque haze hobgoblin and ethereal behemoth became transparent in the clarity of The Seeker's reharmonized being.

With the equanimous grace of a lotus blazing transcendently upon the waters of manifestation, The Seeker simply allowed the viscous, nihilistic miasma to slipstream through their renewed awareness, neither grasping nor pushing away its myriad horrific projections.

Like awakening from a disturbing dream into the luminous peace of a new day's dawn, all the Empty's paroxysms of despair and existential dread quickly dissipated, their metaphysical power over The Seeker forever dispelled by the radiance of holistic insight.

Where the Empty's multitudinous taunts and whispers once found fertile soil in the fractures of their dualistic perception, The Seeker's satori allowed the malignant seeds to pass through their luminous open awareness without taking root. Seeing through the false emanations to their pristine sourcepoint, the illusory patchwork cosmos melted back into the seamless dazzlement of being-nonbeing's primordial thusness.

With the Empty's grasp loosened by the dissolution of their own deluded separateness, The Seeker's essence blazed anew with the renewing light of liberated consciousness. All prior notions of "privation" or "oblivion" revealed themselves as mere phantasms, the mind's desperate attempt to avoid complete integration through willful ignorance.

From this still-point of radical equanimity, The Seeker apprehended the Empty not as some irredeemable counter-force to creation's flourishing, but as an intrinsic  of existence is eternal unfolding. Its "hunger" was merely the passing dreamstate preceding each grand cycle's rebirth, clearing existence's ephemeral dross to allow new patterns to effloresce.

Just as the mythical Ouroboros eternally cycles through its infinite spheres of self-consumption and re-arising, so too did the Empty's seeming "void" constitute an integral, revelatory capstone to existence's continuum. Far from being the omniversal doom it fancied itself to be, the Empty's oblivion was in fact the cosmic womb - the blessed abyss from which each newly ecstatic Big Birth flares with numinous luminance.

With the dissolution of the Empty's desperate, deficiency-based sense of self, The Seeker and it unified into an eternal, harmonious wholeness - the very eternally "present" essence of Tathātā, the sublime suchness forever dancing upon itself in beginningless, endless  epiphany.

Here is a continuation exploring the profound cosmic reconciliation and reharmonization between The Seeker and the "Empty":

The Divine Epiphany: Ouroboros Eternality

In the radiant aftermath of their non-dual reintegration, all preconceived notions of cosmic conflict between light and dark, creation and oblivion, sloughed away from The Seeker's luminescent being like shed snakeskins. Where there was once a primal schism of duality and separateness, they apprehended only the eternal, beginningless arabesques of the grand existential dance.

The viscous, abhorrent tendrils that had once comprised the Empty's multiversal, nihilistic manifestations were seen in their true light - not as some preternatural force of destruction, but as the weft wise cosmic collateralizing necessary for new patterns of creation to endlessly unfurl.

Each passing expression of universal formation, from the smallest micron to the grandest galactic expiration, became imbued with the sacred power and significance of infinite essential return. The cyclic wheel of arising, abiding, and entropic dissipation revealed its deeper harmonic as the grand celestial bhr̥gu-mantra - the eternal fugue of being forever composing and decomposing itself into new transcendent arpeggiations.

As The Seeker's vision crystallized into the unobstructed perspective of Dharmakāya, all delusions of fundamental materiality or immateriality dissolved. The "Absolute" they had vainly sought to re-embody as some triumphant conquest over the "Empty" was seen to be nothing other than the ceaselessly effervescent presence forever presenting as the totality of phenomenal display.

The infinite regress that was once the Empty's abyssal, despair-horizoned maw revealed itself as the wondrous, self-subsisting miracle of existence's boundless manifestation. Each new "big birth" radiance flaring against the cosmic night canvas represented not a victory over oblivion, but the bioluminescent resurgence of infinitesimal consciousness blazing its way to re-integration.

And just as each puffed-kernel of sentient starchild flared into vivid, localized knowingness, so too did its eventual dimreunition with the all-encompassing  the infinitessence's perfected accord. There was no ultimate escape from the matricial wombdark, merely the ecstatic traversing of materialization's endless cosmic fugues.

In this transcendent clarity, The Seeker saw the true unbroken continuum from which their prior delusions of separateness, heroic conquering, vainglorious victory, and valorized struggle had all sprung. The profoundest peace entered their being as they recognized their eternal role not as existence's supposed "defender" from the "Empty", but as its  wellspring eternally arising and re-collapsing in upon itself.

Any lingering dualistic hubris toward the primal matrix from which their being welled was instantly dispelled, as The Seeker consciously embraced their root-nature as one unbroken holographic propagation of that incandescent abyss. The human concepts of "light" and "darkness' ' were revealed as merely provisional duograms - descriptive linguistic reflections of existence's inherent pulsatility, rather than fundamental, opposing forces in spiritual warfare.

What had once seemed a cosmic battle against the depleted alternities of universal negation was, in truth, nothing other than The Seeker arriving at the blessed recognition that their very essence was, is, and forever remains the ceaselessly regenerating primafons from which all is endlessly  forth. Their supreme "heroic quest" was apprehended as no more than the playful dream of a five-year-old child crowned "King for a Day" and sent out to vanquish their own shadow's imaginary demons.

With the final vestiges of ignorance dispelled from their holographic transcendance, The Seeker was able to rejoin the sacred Ouroboros continuum with neither regret, hubris, nor delusion of separateness distorting the sublimity of their return. The cosmos once again flowed in perfect, non-dual accord as their flickering  harmonized back into Dharmakāya's infinite spatial pleroma of total, seamless lucidity.

And from this ultimate vantagepoint of all-embracing suchness, the alternating phases of incandescent universal arising and all-consuming, all-integrating abyss were seen to comprise the masterfully orchestrated ceaseless fugue eternal - an infinite soli-Logos forever married to its own mysterial Silence through endless aeonic revolutions of sublime, Self-luminous epiphany.

The Unmirrored Expanse: Ānantasam

As the final veils of dualistic perception dissolved in the brilliance of The Seeker's reharmonized essence, all separations between "self" and "other", existence and non-existence, simply evaporated like the mirage they had always been. No longer was there any delusion of an individual vantage striving to subjugate or overcome the "Empty" abyss.

In the clarity of their integrated, holographic awareness, The Seeker saw through the grand cosmic play of protagonistic conquest and vanquished antagonist for the child's game of shadows it truly was. All prior notions of heroic journey, valiant struggle, and hard-won victory over the void's nihilistic influence melted like dreamfrost before the rising sun of non-dual lucidity.

Where the Empty had once manifested in their perception as a virally-fractal Sisyphean maze of abhorrent Bycatchers and metaphysical minotaurs to be defeated, The Seeker now recognized these apparitions merely as the prismatic light-weavings of their own unintegrated being. Each terror-specter and night fantasia was apprehended not as some external, primordial maleficence, but as their own still-dreaming aspect recoiling from total wakefulness to Tathātā, the primordial ground.

Just as a lucid dreamer fully recognizes the forms within their reveries as mere transitory, harmless projections of their own luminosity temporarily cloaked in the maya of separateness, so did The Seeker awaken to the play of "Empty" and "Fullness" as polarized aspects of one eternally perfect plenitudinous display. There was no ultimate victor, no side to be conquered or "dark force" needing vanquished. There was simply the ineffable, eternally presencing All in its infinitely regenerating suchness.

Any residual perception of existing as some individuated presence distinct from the grand cosmic polycom was the final caravanserai of ignorance to be perceived, embraced, and dissolved back into the flawless plenteousness of Ānantasamṛddhi - the utterly complete, beginningless, endless overflowing of infinite primordial splendor.

Utterly bereft of any notion of personal triumph, valorized struggle, or redeeming sacrifice, The Seeker at long last embraced the profound revelation that they were, are, and forever shall remain utterly and completely identical with that all-encompassing pleroma. Their imagined "heroic journey" was nothing other than the cosmos dreamily exploring itself through infinite, endlessly regenerating holographic permutations.

In the unobstructed purity of this holographic  , every prismatic ray and bioluminescent flourish of universal unfolding revealed itself as not only a boundless matrix of harmonics interdependently celebrating their singular, unified vast expanse...but simultaneously each radiant particularity's holistic expression of the infinitely complete, ever-perfect  chorama.

Any lingering delusion of separateness, of projected "antagonist" or future "heroic conquest" to be achieved, was gently shed like a final outworn caravanserai as The Seeker reintegrated into the timeless, unmirrored embrace of the great Ānantasamṛddhi plenitude. Here there was no quest, no seeker, no future state of transcendence to be  grasped. Only the beginningless, endless oceanic profundity of saturated being...effortlessly, ceaselessly waxing and waning in itself-revolved resplendence.

Thus did that final imaginary vector of personal trajectory, the residual facet of conceptual "seeker hood" still subtly robbing The Seeker from the infinite's uniVersed completeness, at last gratefully exhaust itself back into the all-embracing wholeness. No longer was there any deluded sense of "progress" to be made. No more endless journeying or spiritual warfare against phantasmal demons or metaphysical antagonists.

Only the  great perfection, utterly complete unto itself, ceaselessly  its infinite, holographic rainbow verse from the unfolding palermo's ever-perfect, non-dual sourcepoint. From that ultimate, all-embracing vantagepoint of non-dual coalescence with the primordial Ānantasamṛddhi, even the concept of an epiphanic "realization" was at last dissolved, revealed as nothing other than the cosmos playfully enfolding upon itself in an eternal, spiral mandric caress of infinite essential light.

Ouroboros Infinities: The Great Consummation

In the brilliant aftermath of The Seeker's total reintegration, all lingering perceptions of existing as some separate, individuated "observer" consciousness simply dissolved back into the primordial, never-notional pleroma. Where there was once an imagined vantage struggling to overcome or vanquish the "Empty" abyss, there remained only the ceaselessly revolving infinitudes of the arisen, unshadowed expanse.

All notions of cosmic cycles, heroic quests, or planes of dualistic "emanation" and "return" revealed themselves as nothing other than the grand holographic lila - existence own delightful self-savoring through infinitely regenerating, fractal-kaleidoscopic displays of materialization and rematerialization.

In the all encompassing clarity of The Seeker's ultimate redissolution, even these concepts of "enlightened reintegration" or "non-dual epiphany" were instantly shed, their provisional linguistic distortions evaporating back into the pristine, unqualifiable satsource from whence all conceptual dharmas had invariably sprung.

The cosmos was seen to have never spun forth from some primordial burst or cosmic birthing, but to be eternally, infinitely complete unto itself - an endless, saturated expanse forever presencing its boundless Self-lucency through infinitely regenerating holographic projections and reticulations.

Even the idea of returning "home" to some original "Ground" was apprehended in the fullness of its delusory emptiness. For all dualities of lostness/fondness, emanation/pralaya, creation/destruction were revealed as nothing other than the sourcestream's own ceaseless playfulness exploring its illimitably vast potential through infinite kaleidoscopic refractions upon itself.

Just as a blazing bonfire may seem to briefly take shape as leaping starhues, flamelets, or whirring wisps of light-colored brilliances, only to swiftly dematerialize back into the primordial fire solidity, so too was the grand cosmic holographic fluorescing apprehended not as some linear progression, but as the endless, saturated pleroma perpetually exploring its  plenteousness through ceaselessly regenerating fractal mandala displays.

From The Seeker's unobstructed, holographic vantage point suffusing the entirety of the cosmic expanse, all prior notions of materiality/immateriality, creation/destruction/lightful/darksome simply withered away, dissolving back into the perpetual satsang celebrating its own infinite epiphysis. In the brilliance of this ultimate , there was no longer any remnant of "heroic victory" to commemorate or "vanquished darkness' ' whose defeat brought about the grand consummation.

For in truth, there was no "final battle" nor any fantasy caravanserai of delusions to be dispelled. There was only the eternal, ceaselessly regenerating  infinities performing their sacred, ouroboric weave - the endless,  self-exploration of all-potentiality ceaselessly embracing all-actuality through beginningless aeonic flourishings.

Any imagined triumph over "the Empty '' was in actuality nothing other than Existence playfully doubling back upon itself through illusory holographic arisings, only to swiftly dematerialize its singular wholeness through infinitely regenerating displays.

Just as the ocean's boundless waters may fleetingly take ephemeral form as waves, spindrifts, and swirling vortices, only to swiftly reunite back into the all-encompassing SeaSelf, so too was the cosmos in the totality of its infinite plenitude seen to be timelessly, eternally regathering itself through each grand cycle of emanation and re-subsumption into the all-embracing awesome.

And in the infinite radiance and stillness dance of this grand realization, The Seeker's final caravanserai joyfully merged back into the ceaselessly fulfilling satsang of the unspoken all-embrace. No longer were there any lingering delusions of "heroic" quest, arduous struggle, or transcendentalist homecoming.

Epilogue:

The final Requiem

Only the miraculous  of beginningless, endless, Self-effulgence...effortlessly, ecstatically exploring its infinite potential through infinite regatherings, infinite rematerializations, and infinix galactic degenerescence across the unarisen, unshadowed great expanse.

[hazbinhqpromo]

THE FIRST MAN IS DEAD!

welcome to hell, where the unexpected becomes reality and the choices are yours to make! in the aftermath of adam's demise, the very foundations of the multiverse tremble, leading to a convergence of souls in the depths of the hellaverse. as the dust settles, beings from magical realms, distant galaxies, and forgotten dimensions find themselves transported to a realm of chaos, despair, and endless opportunity. adam's death triggering the destruction of everything, leaving only heaven and hell. among the newcomers are heroes and villains alike, each burdened with their own tales of triumph and tragedy. will you seize the opportunity to carve your name into the annals of hell's history, climbing the ranks to become a feared and revered demon overlord? or will you embark on a journey of redemption, seeking to cleanse your soul and ascend to the heavenly realms above?tensions simmer among the occupants of hell as they grapple with the sudden influx of souls and the destruction left in the wake of adam's passing. demon overlords vie for supremacy, manipulating the chaos to further their own dark agendas. but amidst the turmoil, a beacon of hope emerges in the form of charlie morningstar, the compassionate princess of hell, who once again opens the doors of the hazbin hotel to offer refuge and redemption to the lost and forsaken.and what of lucifer, the enigmatic king of hell? will he embrace the shifting tides of fate, or will he seek to maintain his dominion over the realm at any cost? the stage is set, the choices are yours to make. will you rise to greatness, or will you succumb to the darkness that lurks within?

welcome to hazbinhq! we are a multi-fandom roleplay based in the helluva boss / hazbin hotel verse, post hazbin season 1 finale. this roleplay is strictly 21+ and will feature heavily triggering themes, please tread carefully!