#desolate paradise au

[livewildlivefree]

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[yaksha-lover]

hi i hope you’re doing well :)

could you do a fic on cater or jade in the vampire au?

thank you <3

I went with Jade for this one! Thanks for the request, I’m sorry I took a long time with it <3

cw: slightly mean/manipulative jade, vampire things (blood drinking), minor wounds (cut), suggestive(ish)

“Oh dear, there’s no need for tears~” Jade says, half-patronizing as he strokes your hair. His condescension almost makes you pull away, but his other arm is locked tight around your back. You aren’t sure if the act is more comforting or distressing; maybe a mix of both.

It’s a bit humiliating that he treats you like a sulking child, but you’re greatful that he at least allows you to bury your face in his shoulder. It’s nice to know he can’t see your messy cheeks and puffy eyes, even if he can imagine it from your desolate state.

“Trouble in paradise, my dear?” he teases, after your heaves have turn to soft sniffles. It’s annoying that he acts as though he doesn’t already know the answer; it’s hardly the first time you’ve sought his comfort. Or rather, the first time he’s caught you in this kind of state. No, the sudden bursts of dread feel like they’ve been going on forever.

“Something like that,” you mumble, lifting your head enough from his shoulder to wipe away any stray tears. You turn to face away from him as you separate from his chest. Thankfully, no one else in the mansion ever comes in this wing. You can feel Jade’s curious gaze examining you from his place beside you on the couch; you suppose you owe him at least an explanation for your state. “I’ve just been thinking about my home. I…I want to go home.”

Jade’s arm stiffens around your back almost immeasurably, but you’ve finally been around him enough to spot the cracks in his veneer. His free hand comes to rest on your own and for a second you believe you might experience a moment of genuine connection with him: “I am truly sorry to hear you’re missing home, darling,” Jade says, voice free of mockery. “But,” he continues, fingers tilting your chin to face him, “You know Lilia would never allow such a thing.” His tone may be neutral and disinterested, but Jade’s eyes are sharp and cold, completely unfitting his sympathetic words.

“I know,” you say, unable to separate your annoyance from your tone. Jade doesn’t take too well to your newfound feeling; he really only seems to like the emotions that leave you crumbled in his arms.

“However, I do believe he could be persuaded. Perhaps Azul may even be inclined to help you out. ”

-

Azul continues his paperwork as he replies to your request: “How about a night on the town? If a taste of freedom is what you’re seeking, I could make that happen. Lilia does owe me for setting up the supply of blood that gets delivered to the mansion, after all.”

“Alright,” you reply. “What’s the catch?”

“It will take a certain price. As a magic-less human, you don’t have much to offer me,” Azul says, flashing you his best customer service smile. “Except, perhaps, the only thing you have that the others don’t.”

“How much?”

Azul’s smile widens: “Only a pint, no more than you would give at a human hospital. It’s perfectly safe, I promise you.”

Figures Azul would be the first one to get his hands on your blood. You’re not even sure what he wants to collect it for, but you don’t have many options left.

“Deal.”

-

“How did you know?” you ask Jade, sitting across from him in the restaurant booth.

“I know many things, dear. You’ll need to be more specific,” Jade says, sipping elegantly at his drink.

“That I wanted to come here. I don’t remember telling you about this place.” You look around at the mahogany tables; the restaurant is small so there’s only a couple of them. The quiet was one of the things you’d loved about this restaurant.

“Not me. You have told your little friends though. Ace was quite happy to tell me all about your favourite places at the right price.” Jade’s face remains neutral as he scans the room. “This place is quite cute. I can see why you find it endearing.”

“You extorted Ace into telling you about me?!”

“Extorted? No, we made quite the fair deal. Ask him about it later, if you wish. I only did so to make you happy, MC.”

It’s hard to argue with him on that; despite his questionable means, Jade often did have your best interests in mind. You felt frustrated at the rush of heat to your cheeks. Even though your mind knew better, it was hard to keep your heart from stopping the affectionate warmth when you thought about what Jade had done for you.

“Well. Thanks then, I guess.”

Jade smiles gently behind his glass. “You’re very welcome, my dear.”

The waiter comes to take your orders, and you find for the rest of the night that being out with Jade really does take your mind off of things.

-

Jade corners you against the wall as soon as you enter the mansion together.

“Azul has gotten his payment already, but I don’t think I have. Don’t you think I deserve some equal compensation for what I’ve done for you?”

“I-I don’t have anything to give you. What do you want?” you ask, half-dreading, half-excited for his response.

Jade brushes a hand over your hair, until it lands at the base of your neck. He leans in close until you can feel his hot breath on your skin: “Oh, I think you have plenty to give me. One might even say you’re greedy, keeping all this intoxicating blood to yourself.”

“I can’t, I already gave some to Azul! If I give any more today I’ll pass out.” You say, although you know rationality is a lost cause if Jade has decided this is what he wants. Your own rationality is steadily slipping away, too, being replaced by the desire for him to give you something else to distract you.

“You know, Floyd has told me all about how tasty you are~ There’s only so much a vampire can take, my dear. You curl into my chest, holding me for comfort and spreading your sweet smell so close to me…” Jade scratches his fangs gently across your skin, not piercing the flesh but still sending a shiver down your back. Just as you close your eyes and brace yourself for the prick of pain, Jade has removed himself from you entirely.

When you open your eyes, Jade stands in front of you. He seems to stifle a sound of amusement: “Kidding, of course. You didn’t really think I would take blood from you, did you? I would never harm you, my dear. Well, not unless you wanted me to.” Jade says with his typical deceptively pleasant smile.

“I wouldn’t.” You reply flatly, brushing past him to the kitchen. You don’t know who you’re more irritated at: him, for acting like he wanted to take your blood, or you, for wanting him too.

“Ah, I am sorry, I see my jest may have frightened you more than I intended. Perhaps I can make it up to you.” Jade says, picking up a small bag you hadn’t noticed him place on the floor earlier. “I had to make a deal with him, but I got Azul to find a supplier for these fruits for you. I know they’re your favourites.”

It’s both endearing and terrifying to realize how well Jade actually knows you. He offers to prepare them for you, but you decline: “I can do it. You’ve…already done too much for me today.”

Jade pats your head. “If you insist.”

You ask him to wait on the couch while you go into the kitchen with the fruit. Lost in thought with ambivalent feelings about the vampire you’ve spent all day with, the knife slips and makes a small cut on your finger. You hiss and go to the sink to wash it but Jade entering the kitchen stops you.

“Hm, so clumsy, it seems I’ll have to keep a closer eye on you.” Jade says, catching your wrist. He rotates your hand until he can see your cut, popping your finger into his mouth. You hate that when he looks back up at you, still sucking on your finger, he smirks at how flustered you’ve obviously become. He finally releases you a few moments later. “Vampiric saliva does have healing properties, but it’s best if we further clean and disinfect it.”

When you don’t protest, Jade pulls you out of the kitchen and onto the couch. He comes back a couple minutes later with supplies. After disinfecting your cut, he places a bandaid on it.

“Thank you, Jade.” For all his faults, he has taken good care of you.

“You’re welcome, my dear. It’s getting rather late, let me walk you back to your room.”

“Yes, because the mansion is so incredibly dangerous at night.” Jade gives a polite chuckle at your statement, but his grip on your hand doesn’t lessen.

“With you being so…accident-prone, it seems better to be safe than sorry, no?” Jade says.

You refuse to argue with him anymore, so the two of you continue on your way. It’s only when you’ve arrived at your door, ready to say good night to him, that he whispers in your ear: “Floyd wasn’t exaggerating it seems. Your blood truly was addicting.”

With that he’s gone back down the hall, and you enter your room, heart racing.

[estro-gem]

Jax x Gangle (Situation-ship): Raptors and Reptiles

The Amazing Digital Circus AU: Oasis

Author's note: Thank you all who showed your support for my previous fanfic! I didn't expect people to actually enjoy it, but I'm not complaining at all. You all made me blush like crazy! I'm really flattered.

Welcome to the Gangle-centred fic! These events happens after those of the previous oneshot, but you don't really need context for it to still make sense.

This story is a little less of a series of events and a little more of a descriptive narrative - definitely not everyone's cup of tea - but at least you get to see unhinged Gangle, I guess... And a little bunnydoll is sprinkled in there too....Maybe a speck of Zooble x Gangle to wrap it all in a nice little bow.

Ths fanfic is very much a situation-ship, instead of a romantic ship. I love the concept of Jax x Ragatha too much to break it in this AU. We are all free to ship whoever; we are all here to have fun!

I hope didn't make too many distracting mistakes in the grammar.

Warnings: Angst, easy on the fluff. All characters and the story of The Amazing Digital Circus belong to Gooseworx!

SUMMARY:

Gangle meets Jax in the hallway right after his long visit to Ragatha. It's been a hard day with a new face arriving so suddenly and Jax looks a little worse for wear.

One look at Gangle's face was enough to have him on edge again.

Please enjoy!

RAPTORS AND REPTILES

In the desert, there is a bird that, despite their wings and the ability to hunt mid-flight, nests beneath the very ground.

The burrowing owl.

It’s small, it’s quick, and it’s silent. The Amazing Digital Circus was a desert, inhabited by characters who banded together to form their own paradise. It was far from flawless, but together, they made a desolate hell into an inhabitable home.

The owl was fleeing back to its burrow after stalking the delicious fresh meat that graced them with their arrival earlier that day. The new arrival was known as Pomni and she had unfortunately proven to be a nuisance to their beloved Ragatha. Minutes prior to the raptor’s flight to her burrow, she spotted the jester loudly blubbering from the hall while standing just outside the ragdoll’s door. She can only imagine Ragatha’s face upon hearing Pomnni’s voice frantically try to apologize.

Of course, Ragatha wouldn’t let the jester in so soon; just as the owl suspected. Pomni had a lot to learn and a lot to prove before she was going to be accepted. The soft sobs that the burrowing owl had heard from Pomni’s mouth, before walking through her new room's door, gave enough of a clue for the raptor to find that the jester seemed to realize that.

But that was enough spying – she had a burrow waiting for her.

“We really need to get you a bell.”

Gangle halted at the sound of Jax’s voice. She was almost startled by it since she just passed his door without hearing it open next right to her. His voice came from further down the hall. Based on the today’s event’s, the petite character could easily deduce that the male paid a nice, long visit to Ragatha. She had the suspicion that he would, but it was nice to receive confirmation.

When Gangle turned around, she almost missed how he stiffened in alarm.

Jax’s smug expression was fixed, and he seemed to be the personification of ‘unbothered,’ but she knew better. When it came to one’s headspace or emotion, she always knew better – call it a blessing from being born with 2 faces.

Jax was deeply disturbed, but he wouldn’t show it. It was understandable, she thought to herself. Today was a rough day and they had fresh meat to worry about. The ribbonoid girl suffered greatly under the brutal bullying of Jax, with tears practically staining cheeks by the end of it all. She should’ve been broken down and crying. Jax was prepared to see her sulk until the following morning, but he wasn’t prepared for her to present as she had in her current state.

Jax wasn’t prepared to be faced with Gangle’s bright smile.

“Someone has a pep in their step.” He quipped sarcastically, “One wouldn’t be able to say that you spend the entirety of the day with tears streaming down your face.”

It didn’t matter how easily Jax was able to fool everyone. Sure, it wasn’t all a simple façade; he really did enjoy being the menace that would ruin anyone’s day, but to call him incapable of caring would be a crime. The snake struck because it was his role – his nature – and the snake was arguably the most dedicated to his role in the oasis.

She saw the rabbit shift into a wider stance as he suddenly took extreme interest in one of his now torn gloves. Gangle didn’t notice that little detail before – something must’ve gotten his skin. Him reacting the way he did, meant that he was immeasurably uncomfortable.

Something within her shifted. If anything, the sight of his torn gloves and the fact that he just left Ragatha’s room, prompted the burrowing owl to come out of its shelter.

She suddenly craved the meat of a reptile.

“I was crying all day…” Gangle slowly took a step forward. She wanted to see him squirm a bit more before she struck her talons into him, “No thanks to you, of course…”

“What can I say? My theatrics tend to bring people to tears.” Jax kept up his aloof demeanor. He didn’t seem to quite catch on to what had her ribbons in such a twist. All he could do in the meantime, was suppress the shudder that crawled up his back while witnessing Gangle’s positively, unsettling smile.

It’s one of the only ways she could express anger, after all. It was bone-chilling.

“Judging by the state of you gloves and your previous whereabouts,” the girl used her head to motion to the door behind Jax, as he did his best to block her view of it, “I’m assuming that you were responsible for tears other than mine, yes?”

THUMP

Now that did it.

Jax was so adorable when he lost his temper. Being the only ‘animal’ in the circus, Jax tended to revert to his feral instincts when he was overcome with emotion. Gangle always found it so queer.

���Cut the crap.” Jax spat, averting his gaze in embarrassment, before glaring back sternly, “I didn’t do anything to her. I wouldn’t!”

“Your outburst doesn’t support your case, Bunny~” her voice chimed smoothly as Gangle’s smile stretched inhumanly wide in response. She knew just how to drive into her personalized predatory charms. As a burrowing owl, it’s impossible to believe that Gangle was above anything. She spent most of her time stalking underground, below their feet. Unnoticed, until she revealed herself.

And reveal herself she did.

“You know that only I do what I have to do – nothing more!” Jax’s grin widened in kind, like a snake baring his fangs as he poised to strike. He lowered his voice to a harsh whisper, “Our little dolly needed some special attention. Since you were M.I.A. I bit the bullet. You’re welcome, by the way.”

Gangle’s eyes narrowed to slits, “I dealt with Caine to get my mask fixed. He drew it out more than necessary. I was about to pay Ragatha a visit before I saw you slip into her room.”

“And you figured that 2 is compony and 3 is a crowd, right?” His sarcasm never let up, even when he was rattled by her unwavering gaze.

“We both know that you just loved every minute you had with our sweet Ragatha…” Gangle leaned in closer, until she was too close for comfort. She intended to bait Jax into losing himself. If he did, she could take it… until she could wrap her ribbons around him as restraints. She would scream for someone to help; to check on Ragatha. Until then, she needed him to give her reason to do so, “Want me to believe that it's a chore for you to manhandle your doll?”

“Want me to wipe that smile off your face, Ribbons?”

Silence.

Tension.

Feral looks that could kill.

All, but no violence. No claws or teeth. Jax was perfectly composed, despite being as disheveled as he was. Yes, the rabbit was on edge and oozing with anger and frustration, but I kept his hands to himself, and his claws retracted. He only displayed his wide, feral smile – inches away from Gangle’s face. The snake’s threat display.

That was all Gangle needed to calm her racing mind.

Jax was still sane and merely acting within his role. Nobody got hurt, despite Jax having felt the need to bare his claws at some point this evening. A wave of relief washed over her as she allowed herself to pull back and deflate her stance.

No need for talons to sink into snakes tonight.

Jax drew back as well, mirroring her stance. Gangle could see his eyes soften slowly, upon realization that she was just fulfilling her role as his was fulfilling his. Unbeknownst to the ribbinoid, Jax heart swelled as the moment lingered. He felt the urge to display his appreciation to Gangle for wanting to protect their Ragatha.

Their precious water spring.

Sure, he was offended that she would think him capable of even thinking of harming the ragdoll, but it was the sentiment that won him over. Gangle was the raptor with the bird’s eye view, after all.

She poked and prodded; she searched and tracked for anything and any sign of Jax falling out of line. The masked girl’s mind was racing and calculating, as she was assigned to; with a brilliant mind such as her own. A certain gleam in Jax gaze had Gangle deduce that his mind was called back to a fond memory of them, operating in sync.

Maybe back to when Gangle first arrived in the circus…

Since no one could remember anything before entering The Amazing Digital Circus, Gangle considered her memories to be precious. She was prone to cling to as many as she could.

Her memory was actually brilliant. The mess of ribbons she was, with nothing more than a mask for a head, would leave one thinking that Gangle’s mind was as empty as the space behind her mask was, but her memory was practically photographic. Every shift, every twitch, every mannerism and every micro-expression along with the extensive description of what it all meant – enabled Gangle to easily read and understand her peers.

She could practically read their minds with a single glance.

She’d recall almost anything to the finest detail, but no one needed to know that. It didn’t concern them… and being frail and weak in stature, means that her mental ability was her greatest strength.

Her only strength.

She could still precisely recall her arrival in this forsaken hellscape.  

When she first arrived in the digital realm, she ripped off her comedy mask – thinking that it was her headset that she put on moments before.

However, instead of escaping the new virtual reality that she ungracefully stumbled into, she was just overwhelmed with an undeniable sense of dread and sorrow. The negative emotions brought her to her knees as she scrambled to maintain her grip on the smiling mask. Back then, she didn’t know that it was just because of her tragedy mask fronting. It wasn’t until she saw herself in the mirror, when she could fully comprehend her masks’ ties to her emotions.

Ragatha remained by her side throughout her first day, gently providing a safe space for Gangle to breathe. She did her best to shoo away the chaos that always possessed the tent, whether it be the NPC's the Caine cooked up for them or the other's curious, prying eyes. Gangle couldn't voice it then, but the doll was her saving grace.

They all thought that the ribbinoid wouldn’t last a week.

It felt like hours as Gangle sat in front of that mirror, wearing and removing the respective masks… growing used to the internal waves of emotions that ebbed and flowed from joy to sorrow. It was uncanny how she could feel an indescribable, undeniable joy in the most unfortunate circumstances.

A part of her wanted to believe that she had already lost her mind... but she could never experience the full range of emotions all at once. Maybe, for that reason, Gangle held out for so long.

Maybe she couldn’t abstract, no matter how hard she tried to.

Can one experience a mental breakdown if you already had 2 heads?

One mask would always nullify the other – and that, in itself, was Gangle’s own personal hell. As time progressed and days went by, she’d wear her comedy mask for the kick of it. A close friend abstracted? She’d pop that bad boy on and revel in the horrified faces of her fellow inhabitants as she laughs and smiles like she doesn’t have a care in the world.

That little trick had even brought Jax to unadulterated unease.

She was addicted to the control she had in her self-expression, as it was the only control she believed to have at the time. A smile amidst that tragedy. It drove everyone around her to the brink of insanity. She apparently left them to question the urgency and distress of the ones they lost by the day, but that only had her bursting with uncontrollable cackles.

Nothing mattered anyway.

Everything was so much funnier and lighter with her comedy mask – a high she couldn’t live without at the time. Upon having it broken by Jax for the first time, forced a tsunami of the pent-up negativity to crash into her being. The bunny presumably couldn't stand another minute of living with the girls cold, chilling smile.

This was when Gangle realized that any of her emotions were banked until she wore the relevant mask to let them out.

It was a never-ending dive from the previous high.

Once she recovered after days of crying, screaming, and wailing in fear, agony and sorrow, she accepted and welcomed the bitter melancholy of her existential crises. For the first time since she woke up in the digital world, Gangle found comfort in sadness.

And she realized her need for Jax.

He was the panic button she needed but didn’t always want. He was happy to bask in her tears. She knew that he would be on the prowl to hunt her down, desperate to still the ever-growing hunger he had; to be the greater evil. Gangle would always welcome him with open arms, because in the end, she couldn’t trust herself anymore. She needed her friends.

Because without them, she would turn to that undeniable happiness once again – and she would lose herself in it. This was the very beginning of Jax’s new role of ‘snake’ and her new role of ‘owl.’

Jax and his charming, fiendish stunts operated the groundwork by biting everyone in an attempt to be the occupational hazard. Gangle and her bird’s eye view could oversee it all and silently direct or divert Jax to and from suitable victims. She was the only one who could unnerve the bunny into having him take someone seriously. She was the only one whose eyes and mind he could trust when reading into their behavior. The owl snatched the snake who carelessly parades his antics.

On the other hand, Jax was the only one that could read her state of managing her… ‘addiction.’ He was the only one who would dare bash into her shield – her comedy mask - because the snake strikes the owl weighing heavy with neglect of self-reflection.

Two predators with each other as prey.

Gangle blinked to find Jax searching for something in her expression. Even though their dispute was quietly resolved, Jax still seemed to be bothered by something. The girl made quick work to figure out what it could be – starting with today’s events.

He took such good care of her, Zooble and Kinger today.

This day was stressful and disorienting with Pomni’s arrival. Gangle felt the phantom urge to reach for her comedy mask; her smiling shield of denial. By some devine intervention, her mask was broken due to unfortunate circumstances and without her consent or control. At least, when Jax broke it, it was because it was her choice to plead for his intervention with her eyes – desperate not to fall into old, destructive habits again.

Today, her mask broke, because of her clumsiness.

Her mistakes.

Luckily, Jax was quick to fix that! He purposefully stepped onto it, effectively rubbing salt into the fresh wound. Suddenly, it was him that was the problem! Yes, he didn’t need to do that - that was just evil!

The greater evil – the menace.

Throughout the day, Jax kept them under his heel and stomped on them for good measure. The day’s stress and uncertainty regarding the arrival of Pomni and some fake exit door was gradually drowned by Jax’s antics, and they all fell into routine once again. It was a crying shame that Ragatha had to suffer alone. If only they could’ve done something more…

Something clicked.

Gangle paid attention to Jax’s face again. He looked so tired, but desperate all the same. The masked girl blinked again and suddenly she knew exactly what he needed. What he yearned for.

He needed to see that he’d done enough.

...

With slow movements, Gangle reached for the edges of her comedy mask and removed it from her face. Jax fixed his gaze on her current, sad expression and found no suddenly overflow of tears, no uncontrollable sobbing and no screaming. It was just Gangle’s calm, sad, yet content expression staring back at him. There was no repressed emotion for her to show.

“You asked me if I want you to wipe the smile off of my face...” Gangle spoke, voice wobbly due to her sad expression, “It’s not necessary, I don’t need to be smiling to be ok.”

Jax eyes widened by a fraction, but that was all she needed to understand that he was truly surprised, as if he didn’t expect her to really be content and coping.

She gave a bitter smile; the friendliest one she could muster on her tragedy mask, “You won’t see me crying, though. You’ve already done enough of that today.”

You’ve already done enough.

To an outsider, Gangle's words would sound bitter and petty, but with the way she looked at him, she wanted Jax to feel nothing but reassurance.

You've done enough.

Gangle wasn’t surprised to see Jax stare at her in disbelief, but she was surprised to see sudden, spontaneous tears sprout from his eyes. She almost missed it with how quickly he ripped away his gaze. She couldn’t say or do anything fast enough, before Jax swung around and ripped Ragatha’s door open, entered, then throw it shut just as fast. The ribbinoid stood awestruck in the silent hallway.

She wasn’t upset; she felt honored.

She’d savor this moment until the day she’d abstract, like so many of them had before her. Brief worry flashed in her mind, but it dissipated upon looking at Ragatha’s face on the door. Jax was where he needed to be at this very moment. Although she couldn’t hear Jax sobbing into his arms as he sat against the door with his knees brought to his chest, she was sure that his doll sat right next to him.

Even though Ragatha would be tired and drained after today’s events, she would always make room for someone in need to wash away their sorrow in her clean water.

Knowing the doll, Gangle could only guess that Ragatha ended up eavesdropping on their whole encounter - biding time before splashing into action once things got too heated.

Gangle loved Ragatha for that.

She turned slowly, still dumbstruck and touched by what she had witnessed from Jax and then walked down the hall without a worry in the world. Maybe she will pay her beloved Zooble a visit before retiring for the night. She'd love to let her guard down.

She'd love for something to wrap around.

Gangle looked down at her comedy mask, smiling at her. It felt like a warm, welcoming smile... and she couldn’t help but feel content.

She didn’t feel like wearing a smile anyway.

Oasis: TADC AU list

Masterlist

[dreemurr-skelememer]

The tree is basically one of the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden and Nightmare is Eve <3 going om nom nom on the apples and casting him and Dream out of paradise (which here would just be their entire AU which becomes desolate)

Yk logically speaking the villagers were likely Christians so.. maybe they also thought that

oh MY god. oh my GOD!!!!!!!!!!

[melukonova]

11:30 PM. YOUR WONDERWALL AWAITS.

xiao x gn! reader, a drabble.

info: dystopian x cyberpunk au, inspiration from progenitor animation with albedo on youtube by dillongoo, the maze runner series & cyberpunk edgerunners!

tw: you are a robot here, minor mentions of injuries as well as blood loss, possible ooc xiao since this is my first time writing him, xiao is emotionally constipated, open ended.

a/n: just a random thing i thought up of while thinking late at night. very short and extremely unedited, just letting my brain run in peace. enjoy~

a normal summer day, that’s all that you were hoping for today and that is the exact opposite of what you were getting currently as you ran away from the fatui, just what was their fascination with you when you were a simple human? so utterly wrong that you were for thinking the simplest thought after being thrown out for the chip that you harbored in your neck, the code to the cure of psychosis that was hidden inside of you by one of the war generals, nahida of wisdom.

you knew that, of course, it would not be long before you were found out as a realistic human ai so you kept running until you were able to find a way to a desolate area. it was rather beautiful, still with the sun around perfectly in place between the rather teal trees. you could tell they were dying slowly, the color of the leaves were turning a slight gray. the crinkles from the leaves that you had made were too great for another person who was here with you. you hadn’t realized that another fatui soldier had snuck up on you as you pulled out your rapier, fast and quick — just as the pace of your running.

leave, begone. i don’t wish to hurt you.

a voice spoke quietly to you before it vanished instantly, it sounds as if it was all around you, like it had owned the domain that you had suddenly entered. were you safe here if it seems less deteriorating than the rest of the world? you came upon an oasis of some kind, away from the fatui at that. your inner thoughts started consuming you once you smelled the fresh air that had been contrasting to your usual murky, smoke filled air. you knew this had turned into some kind of guilty pleasure before you noticed a blade cut your cheek as somebody appeared with the knife in the grass below you.

“i knew it.” he spoke quietly before a lance appeared in his hands, the sharp end of his weapon now starting to dig into your clothes. “what are you doing here, robot? you shouldn’t be able to make it to such a place as my temple.” he glared before released his blade as you let out a small breath of relief. no paradise could be free of punishment for you somehow, right? “K0S-M0S, from the current war, i’ll ask again. what pathetic reason are you here for now?”

you managed to develop a sense of empathy over the years as you tried to come up with several possibly solutions to speak your words. finally, a sound solution to speak to a stranger came to your mind. “i come in peace to run away from the war, i’m tired of being used for the good of mankind. i seek refuge for only an hour to catch my breath.”

the forest green hair male could only chuckle slightly in pity as he swung his blade to face upward next to him. “these ai are getting smart, master zhongli was right about this much. you’ve even gained a personality at that. is that even real blood?”

you then carressed your wound at his words, had something happen to you overnight? this blood was black and perhaps, you were able to bleed finally. you became human without realizing the oil that spilled from your cheek, in shock even — the male could tell. you shook your head for a moment as you sternly look towards him, “that… wasn’t supposed to happen. though, you work for zhongli so i can only expect you have some knowledge of my existence, are you planning to report me?” you stated as you got in a ready stance for fighting.

“master zhongli faked his death several years ago in order to prevent the war from coming here and i, as his protector, have a sworn duty to get rid of outsiders. perhaps if another were here to stop you, you would have been lucky.” he stated before getting in his own ready stance, swiftly attacking… and yet it never came.

“that’s enough general alatus.” a deep voice spoke as the male had almost made a precise point, knowing exactly where each unit had their cores. you had to thank the older gentleman that had saved your life just now. “we have a contract in order to not kill (y/n), they are within safe grounds.” he stated before stepping down each step of the gold and white front of the temple with his hands behind his back as he had a good look at you.

“zhongli… what are you doing here? nahida had said to lay low but i hadn’t been aware that it was this low.” you raised an eyebrow before being knocked to the ground by this ‘general atalus’ as he hit your legs with the back of his lance, just to temporarily put you at a disadvantage.

“i believe that you being here shows enough proof of what nahida can be capable of, the outside was never where you belonged and the fatui is deadset on using you to exploit the process of psychosis quicker with that chip in your neck as well.” zhongli had try his best to give you an explanation with the best of his abilities as the god of contracts before gesturing to his knight in shining armor, “xiao, let’s give our guest a place to rest for a moment. you will be watching over them as they are re-energizing for the day.”

xiao could only sigh at the change of events in his own life to now, he sworn to zhongli that he would do anything in his power to protect the ideals that his master had given him as a goal once the war was over. once xiao wrapped your arm around his own and pulled you close, you both ended up walking up the stairs. he then realized how ineffective it would be before picking you up bridal style — to which you felt your heart beat a bit.

heart?

you had a feeling that there was more than nahida was letting on now. why was this all so realistic all of the sudden? she has too many questions to answer once you got back into the regular world. seeing as now you had a place to sleep again, you decided to take into it and sink yourself into the bed before seeing that you were being watched again.

“what are you staring at? get some rest already.” he stated before looking out towards the night sky, “zhongli said to watch over you so i’m following orders.” he kept his gaze out before you noticed it too, a code written on his neck too, A1ATUS.

sure he was rather rough with his words but you would be in good hands, knowing that this man was a protector in tevyat’s war too and for justice at that. you were able to close your eyes and cuddle up in the blankets, all while xiao had been close by to watch over you and protect you. perhaps he had felt that you and him were rather similar in this world to understand such peace finally?

melukonova, 2023. 𓂃 ☄︎

[kata-sans]

SP Sky Au 2

Peace...Serenity....Quiet.

The celestial space was abundant in tranquility. Nothing in its appearance would suggest any form of life to be present within the vast universe. The ideal place to remain unknown and undiscovered.

How did Tweek come to abode in such a desolate paradise? Well, not even he is aware of the circumstances that lead to his current destination. One day he awoke and therefore he existed.

Anything that came before and after was irrelevant to Tweek. Eternal peace did not nurture many significant memories. The only sound that penetrated the everlasting silence was occasional whispers that carried helpless wishes he could never answer back.

"How foolish they are", thought Tweek.

Regardless the wishes continued to travel from the distant new world. Tweek was powerless to stop their pitiful please, and did not seem concerned to do so.

The only truly annoyance in his existence was the occasional tug. This unknown power would rearrange his position among the other celestial bodies. Occasionally the gravitational pressure would cause him stress and anxiety over the unpredictable nature of the phenomenon.

Suffice to say, Tweek lived content, which made the next part of the tale much more surprising. It all started when a powerful voice broke the silence and a tug unlike no other dragged Tweek to a new world.

"Please... I don't want to be alone anymore..."

part1

Part3

[the-lone-wolf-artist]

A Big Changes to this Blog that was Long Overdue...

Hello Everyone…

It's been quite a while since I last posted anything on this blog, well beside repeats of Desolate Paradise content.

You see, a lot of stuff has changed over the years since I first started this blog in 2016 to now 2024, man a long time huh? Anyway, I never expected the good, the bad, and the ugly things and how it would affect my life. I won't get into the details, but basically I'm just like anyone else in the world that deals with hardships and loss. I found it hard to stay passionate and creative with my art and my mindset, that it got to a point where I had enough…

I stopped doing everything that I loved the most and took a huge break from it.

While I was stewing, reflecting, and just recharging my batteries, I was doing other hobbies during this time that I enjoyed. I was writing for a while through the many fandom Au's I've created and I slowly started getting my spark back and my creative juices flowing again.

I started doodling, sketching and doing art again, even though they may not be the best of what I've done before. I'm still happy with them and it's getting me back to what I love doing most.

I then reached a decision on what I want to do with this blog to not only solve the inactivity but also better myself in the process.

The Big Changes to this Blog

These are the "Big Changes" that will be happening to the The Lone Wolf Artist Blog…

As I mentioned before I do have other hobbies that I have developed over the years that I love doing behind the scenes, such as:

Writing

Animating

Sewing

Beading jewelry

Resin Art

Diamond Art

These are the few prime examples of things I like doing that has expanded my creative space and mindset besides drawing all the time. The reason I haven't posted these types of content was because I was too focused on making masterpieces and trying to keep up with drawing inactivity on this blog.

I started to learn that it was making me unhappy and too stressed out, but that's all about to change for this blog with these hobbies and the other fandom's I'm interested in too! You see the The Lone Wolf Artist Blog is gonna be my personal space for my other hobbies and the other fandom's that I enjoy beside Motorcity, like:

One Piece

Red Dead Series

Studio Ghibi Content

Monster Hunter Series

Evil West

Okami

And Many More Fandom Content I enjoy!

These are the few examples of the other kinds of fandom that I enjoy and love. My interest goes beyond just Motorcity. I have written many fandom Au's stories during my huge break and I'm dying to bring them to life!

Basically this blog is gonna be a place where I get to do what I want to do and you guys get to see the kinda stuff I created through my written fandom Au's stories instead of focusing on one fandom!

Now the Future Changes of this Blog

Now with these big changes happening with this new direction to the Lone Wolf Blog, it doesn't stop there.

You see I do have other changes that will be coming in the future too! Such as:

1: Question Box Opening [Reason for the Idea: It is where you guy's can ask me questions. (FYI: Their will be Rules to prevent Chaos.)]

2: Request Box Opening [Reason for the Idea: Where you can request drawing ideas for me to draw with rules too. (FYI: I'm a bit undecided about the idea right now. If this idea becomes official, it will be a Limited Box Opening of how many I would take; basically an on and off box.)]

3: Previews of W.I.P.S. Artwork's [Reason for the Idea: I know my art takes a lot of time and patience that causes these long pauses in my blog activity, so maybe I'll post some W.I.P'S of my art content process time to keep up the activity.]

4: Previews of W.I.P.S. Animation's [Reason for the Idea: I sometimes dapple in animation every now and then, maybe I'll post some rough animations that I'm really proud of through my simple animation journey.]

5: Short AU Stories [Reason for the Idea: When I'm not drawing or my hand is slightly sore, I like writing small stories in between from my AU's, maybe I'll post these little stories, but no promises I'm not the best writer but not awful.]

6: Small Comic AU's & Scene's [Reason for the Idea: I write a lot and sometimes I like to take the time to bring these scene's to life.]

7: Gaming Clips [Reason for the Idea: Sometimes during the weekend breaks, I play games to give my creative brain a break. Every now and then I capture awesome, funny and goofy moments during my playthrough's that I'm wiling to share.]

These are a few of my suggestions… I will makes post's when I make the final decisions.

Now The Desolate Paradise Blog Issue

The Desolate Paradise Blog (AKA: Motorcity X Wolf Rain's AU Crossover Story) is going be on hiatus in indefinitely…

I made this decision because I want to focus on my other fandom AU's without focusing on this one all the time and causing me to be stressed out and trying to force myself to keep working on it. It wasn't fun anymore and that's not what I wanted for this AU…

So I'm going to put it on hiatus effective immediately, will it return?…

I don't know right now. For now its on pause and needs to stay like that, until I'm ready to come back to it or.. maybe give up on it entirely…only time will tell.

Thank You for Reading and Listening

Thank you all for listening and reading this. It means a lot to me, I hope it clears up a lot of the stuff that's been going on with the inactivity to not only the The Lone Wolf Artist Blog but also the Desolate Paradise Blog too.

It was kinda bothering me for a while and I felt I needed to express it and want to make a change for the better.

I hope you are excited about the new changes that will be happening for the better and hope you all enjoy the new content that will be posted on the The Lone Wolf Artist Blog soon!

With that I bid you farewell and I shall return to the darkness again.

[orangepanic]

🍦 🎢 😅 for the fanfic emoji asks :)

🍦 What's the sweetest fic you've created so far?

Answered here, but another very sweet one is Love Amongst the Flutterbats. Just my OTP falling in love being dorks at the zoo.

🎢 Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

Probably either Harmonic Convergence or Starvation Paradise, but for entirely different reasons. Harmonic Convergence is a metal band AU I co-wrote with @ideklolwat. Co-writing is always a challenge in a fun way because you're melding writing styles and headcanons and the focus of the fic, and the sections and dialog you write then influence what the other person writes and vice versa. As a result the fic is a completely chaotic romp that's a hilarious mix of smut and angst and violence I never would have come up with on my own. In that sense I'd maybe add Traitor, too, as the wildest ride I've had writing, which is a fic I wrote in a chapter-by-chapter response to one of Ideklolwat's other fics from the antagonists' perspectives. I couldn't change anything in Idk's fic so everything I wrote was 100% reactive and I just had to roll with it and make it work.

Starvation Paradise, on the other hand, was a fic that took me over two years to finish because I really had no idea if the characters were going to live. It's just this absolute desolate slog of adversity where the main characters simply cannot get ahead and are always an inch from death. Every time something goes well something else falls apart. So in that sense it's just constant whiplash from "aww" to "oh noooo."

😅 What's a story or scene you've created that you're a smidge embarrassed exists?

Already answered this here, but also I can't believe you have to ask me this after that dead bear fic.

Fanfic asks

[leggerefiore]

Self aware au Cyrus? My mans would be FUCKED up I bet

him and volo have many similarities as well as striking differences

cw: yandere

🌌Cyrus🛰

☄️ Cyrus is so focused on his virtual plans that the idea the world around him is fake completely slips his mind. He is so ingrained in his routines that the oddities are ignored in favour of the completion of his goal. Your character intrigues him with how you act so different and erratic from those around him. It's ignored multiple times until it begins to completely bother him.

☄️ The realisation hits him like a tonne of bricks and leaves him reeling in existential horror. His entire life, everything he found small sanctity in, and the whole world he immersed himself in are all false code meant to entertain some higher being. How could this be? His ire for feelings and spirit are nothing but irony in the fact nothing around him truly feels and thinks. Desolation and dread consume his conscious as he debates everything around him, harsh and strong feeling furthering his already powerful torment.

☄️ Then he realises something. You. Your character. He begins appearing more to witness your actions and comes to the conclusion: you are the higher being that he is but a pawn to bring you entertainment. He's angry, spiteful, and melancholic. Why were you doing this? Who even were you? He stares up and finally sees you. Dumbly playing your game in blissful ignorance of the aware code who wished you dead. Cyrus would prefer you to perish instead of how you mocked him.

☄️ Your game begins to act strangely and becomes nearly impossible to play as Cyrus takes completely control of the binary code around him. This was his world now. No longer would it be a divertissement for you. It wasn't how he wanted it, but at least this offered him the absolute control he desired.  You never gave up despite the challenges he put you through, however. Azure eyes stared at you in intrigue. Why hadn't you just given in to his will? You were the last thing denying his supposed paradise.

☄️ He feels a new feeling in his data as you smile after beating a near impossible level gap from a gym leader that he had boosted. He was impressed by that. Your smile was interesting. Too interesting. He attempts to chase you off more and more, yet you overcome his challenges. That expression begins to haunt him. It makes him feel more irrational feelings than he had already been subjected to. You mocked him and made him desire unneeded things.

☄️ Glimpses into your life and world bother him. Complaints about rude customers, annoying professors, mind breaking stess and a late rent leave him without purchase. Were you dissatisfied with your reality? The game is made easier in an attempt to keep you around longer and make you happier. Cyrus wants you to stay. He would dare even claim that he needed you too. One day, you break down crying and place the system beside you on the bed. It nearly destroys Cyrus as he placed a hand onto the screen. You were unhappy. Extremely unhappy.

☄️ You feel asleep somewhere in the heavy emotions, and the Galactic Boss made an important discovery. His body escaped the digital realm and entered the harsh reality of you. His posture was stiff and strict as he observed you. He deemed you perfect, seeing you completely for the first time. Eyes scanned the world around before he decided. You were picked up by him and carried into the game.

☄️ It annoyed him to no end, you reacted in terror and sorrow at the new reality that surrounded you. Cyrus simply observed, unsure as to what to do. This went on for days, until you were brought your favourite team member. You were in your video game with the evil team leader. You stroked them as Cyrus explained things to you. Forced to accept your circumstance, you pleaded to know why he had done this.

His harsh, cold eyes met your own and melted into an almost soft gaze, “I have come to feel for you. You must take responsibility for what you have done to me.”

You were not escaping, you realised as the pools of blue were tainted with something darker.

[crow-stars]

au thoughts coming through, choo choo!

In the land of Twisted Wonderland, there are seven kingdoms.

The Kingdom of Roses, known for their extensive system of law and many rules. Their ruler acts as the judge, knowing of all the laws as they were the one to create them. Punishments are severe and some many call their ruler a tyrant, though only in secret.

The Kingdom of The Sun, known for their strong warriors and victories in battle. The knights from this kingdom are of the best and to beat one in battle is the highest honor. Many claim that the denizens of this kingdom are brash, with their ruler lazy and uncaring of their kingdom.

The Kingdom of Golden Coral, known for their merchants and trade dealings. A wealthy kingdom that is lavish in all areas and to have trade with this kingdom means wealth for the recipient. But it is highly advised to honor any deals made in this kingdom, no less the ruler, lest you be taken into debt and made a servant for as long as they desire.

The Kingdom of Burning Sand, known for their scholars and innovative thinking. The land used to be a barren place with no possibility of life, but ancestors were able to form this wasteland into a paradise. Many do question the ruler, finding them too lenient and naive, their advisor cruel and scheming.

The Kingdom of Crystals, known for the beauty the land holds and the potion makers that have a concotion for anything. Anything is made possible if you commission these potion maker's services. Rumour has it that the ruler is a cruel one, though, vain and obsessed with their beauty.

The Kingdom of Dead Fire, known for their inventions that make life easier for inhabitants. It is even said that this kingdom has the means to revive the dead, although not yet proven by the recluse of a ruler. The land is dangerous, though, rumours of monsters that can steal your soul freely roaming this land.

The Kingdom of Thorns, known for their prowess in the art of magic, denizens disiplined and loyalty strictly to their ruler. Their history is lush, architecture a marvel to experience on person. People are afraid of visiting this kingdom, afraid of the ruler who is said to be powerful enough to lay a whole kingdom to sleep.

In the midst of all these kingdoms is a, considerably, small village, having no real name.

So, people call it The Ramshackle Village, due to its desolate seeming enviorment. It has no truly notable features, only the ghosts that live alongside the villagers the only thing that seems worthy of talking about.

Recently, there have been rumours about some type of priest or priestess managing the village, fixing up the village and trying to make the village more prosperous. They say that this priest/priestess is some “beast tamer”, able to call upon the monsters and beasts that roam the land, have them at their beck and call. The most known one is a large feline beast, claimed to have blue fire emitting from its body, majestic in all ways but gluttonous in nature.

This priest/priestess is rumoured to have many abilities in addition to their title as beast tamer. But the one rumour that has swept through the whole of the land was their ability to cure a disease know as blot, sapping the victim of their life and leaving them for dead. Many had dismissed this, assuming this to just be tall tales. There are some who wonder how true this rumour is though...

Perhaps some kingdoms would like to employ the priest/priestess' services.

i got inspired by ghost and pals' aura. it's a banger, go listen. really considering doing more au stuff. back to christmas shit uuuugh

[defjux]

100 of my favorite modern metal releases, from 2010 to now. i stuck to death, black, doom, post, blackgaze, stoner, sludge, etc for this just to make it easier but there’s a few i threw on here just because it felt like they fit. i did make another one of these lists recently for the more punk/hardcore influenced stuff though which you can find here if you’re interested. i’ve also listed all of the albums below. Chart with album names included Spotify Playlist

1. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal Of I 2. Panopticon - Autumn Eternal 3. Krallice - Years Past Matter 4. Blood Incantation - Hidden History Of The Human Race 5. Alcest - Écailles de lune 6. Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit 7. Pallbearer - Sorrow and Extinction 8. Mgła - Exercises in futility 9. Imperial Triumphant - Vile Luxury 10. Deafheaven - New Bermuda 11. Vektor - Terminal Redux 12. NEPTUNIAN MAXIMALISM - Éons 13. Ulcerate - Stare Into Death And Be Still 14. Gorguts - Colored Sands 15. Thou - Summit 16. Deathspell Omega - Paracletus 17. YOB - Clearing the Path to Ascend 18. Oranssi Pazuzu - Värähtelijä 19. Kayo Dot - Hubardo 20. Altar of Plagues - Teethed Glory and Injury 21. Hell - Hell III 22. Oathbreaker - Rheia 23. Batushka - Litourgiya 24. Cult of Luna - Vertikal 25. Saor - Aura 26. Serpent Column - Kathodos 27. Mare Cognitum - Solar Paroxysm 28. Ethereal Shroud - Trisagion 29. Warforged - I: Voice 30. Rivers of Nihil - Monarchy 31. Zeal & Ardor - Devil Is Fine 32. White Ward - Futility Report 33. Leviathan - Scar Sighted 34. Bell Witch - Mirror Reaper 35. Thou - Magus 36. Sleep - The Sciences 37. Panopticon - Kentucky 38. The Ruins of Beverast - Exuvia 39. Amenra - Mass VI 40. Ne Obliviscaris - Citadel 41. Cult Of Luna & Julie Christmas - Mariner 42. Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden 43. Primitive Man - Caustic 44. Blood Incantation - Starspawn 45. growth - The Smothering Arms of Mercy 46. Yellow Eyes - Immersion Trench Reverie 47. Baroness - Purple 48. Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville 49. Misþyrming - Söngvar elds og óreiðu 50. Wake - Devouring Ruin 51. Ştiu Nu Ştiu - Fake End 52. Wolves in the Throne Room - Thrice Woven 53. SubRosa - More Constant Than The Gods 54. Tómarúm - Ash In Realms Of Stone Icons 55. Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun 56. Cult of Fire - Ascetic Meditation Of Death 57. Elder - Dead Roots Stirring 58. Rosetta - A Determinism of Morality 59. Howls of Ebb - Cursus Impasse: The Pendlomic Vows 60. Portal - ION 61. Spectral Lore - III 62. Paysage d'Hiver - Im Wald 63. Alcest - Les voyages de l'Âme 64. Behemoth - The Satanist 65. Deafheaven - Sunbather 66. Messa - Close 67. Spectral Lore & Mare Cognitum - Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine 68. Cattle Decapitation - The Anthropocene Extinction 69. VRTRA - My Bones Hold A Stillness 70. Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi 71. Ash Borer - Ash Borer 72. Ferriterium - Calvaire 73. The Sword - Warp Riders 74. Morbus Chron - Sweven 75. Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage 76. Mare Cognitum - Luminiferous Aether 77. Darkspace - Dark Space III I 78. Bestia Arcana - Holókauston 79. Woods of Desolation - Torn Beyond Reason 80. Cormorant - Diaspora 81. Serpent Column - Mirror in Darkness 82. The Ocean - Pelagial 83. Meshuggah - Koloss 84. Krallice - Diotima 85. SPECTRAL WOUND - Infernal Decadence 86. EX EYE - Ex Eye 87. Akhlys - The Dreaming I 88. Tomb Mold - Planetary Clairvoyance 89. Artificial Brain - Infrared Horizon 90. Inter Arma - Paradise Gallows 91. Gris - À l'Âme Enflammée, l'Äme Constellée... 92. Tchornobog - Tchornobog 93. Murmuüre - Murmuüre 94. Sumac - Love In Shadow 95. Funereal Presence - Achatius 96. Flourishing - The Sum of All Fossils 97. papangu - Holoceno 98. Ophis - Spew Forth Odium 99. Blut aus Nord - Hallucinogen 100. Kaatayra - Só Quem Viu o Relâmpago �� Sua Direita Sabe

[livewildlivefree]

Does Kaia have wings in her feral form?

[bluerose5]

The Ghost of Paradise (Exile AU)

Chapter 1: Exiled

Rating: M

Word Count: 3,791

Tags: Mass Effect: Andromeda, Reyder, Exiles AU, Pre-Relationship, Drinking, Mentions of Recreational Drug Use

[Read it here on ao3.]

If there was one thing Scott used to his advantage, it was the fact that people always seemed to underestimate him. They thought him to be that sweet, lovable guy that almost everyone got along with. To them, he was simply a normal, everyday soldier who bought the Initiative's pitch like everyone else and took the leap across galaxies on a hunch.

Granted, most of that was somewhat true, but not entirely.

Like the other exiles, Scott didn't exactly wait around for someone else to come swooping in to save the day when the Initiative went to shit. Given that he was part of the original Pathfinder mission team —sent ahead on the Nexus to help prepare for the ark's arrival— he was supposed to have more say, should worse come to worst.

Yeah, because that turned out so well.

It wasn’t for lack of trying. When it was clear that the arks were delayed, it fell to Scott and the others sent ahead by their Pathfinders to call the shots on that end. That was what they had agreed upon per protocol before departing from the Milky Way.

Of course, Nexus leadership had something to say about that. They backtracked hard, citing inexperience and the lack of SAM as reasons to keep the Pathfinders' Nexus representatives from gaining power.

All Tann seemed to worry about was maintaining control over the populace, even when his choices didn't seem to be in everyone's best interests.

One after another, every attempt to establish an outpost failed. Naturally, hope began to dwindle over time, as would be expected after so many failures. It was brutal to watch, especially since Nexus leadership absolutely refused to send any of the Pathfinders' designated representatives. Scott didn't fully understand that decision. Maybe Tann thought that if he gave them an inch, then they would take a mile. Perhaps he was intimidated by the very thought that they might vie for the Pathfinder position yet again.

In the end, it didn't matter.

Scott didn't leave because they refused him the fancy title and its accompanying throne.

No, Scott left because of the utter incompetence. Kesh could handle her own as superintendent, but Tann and Addison were both a piece of work in their own right, making idiotic decisions yet never owning up to their mistakes. Making decisions that affected everyone yet never listening to the opinions of the public.

It was maddening, and Scott's eventual departure was inevitable.

Joining up with the uprising was one thing he couldn’t bring himself to regret. Scott fought to get innocent people off that station and to safety. Not everyone who left was a criminal, and they deserved better than what they got.

By the time they made it to Kadara, Scott was already tiring of Heleus. He helped take down the kett, didn't really get any credit for doing so, and jumped ship as soon as he could.

After Sloane took control of the port, Scott escaped into the badlands every now and then, only returning on occasion. She might have had good intentions in the beginning, but Scott didn’t like the direction her leadership was taking in regards to their future.

Besides, with trouble brewing between the Collective and the Outcasts, it seemed like he took the right step in venturing out on his own.

At first, he kept to himself, but it was impossible to ignore the people in need of help.

Seeds of corruption were already planted in the Outcasts' organization. Not that the Charlatan and their Collective were much better. Everything about the two factions' activities spelled trouble for all of the "little people" getting caught in the crossfire.

Scott had to do something. Ignoring the problem would only make it worse, leaving it to fester and spread like an unwelcome infection.

The gangs could beat each other up as much as they liked, but Scott was determined to make the planet safe for those who merely sought shelter from the madness. It took weeks of scouting out areas with a decent enough bedrock, weeks of surveying the angaran filtration systems, to even have a blueprint for a working water filter.

Of course, being an engineer had its perks.

Eventually, Scott managed to rig his tactical cloak for prolonged use and infiltrated one of the angaran hubs out in the badlands. He made it out with no collateral damage, taking off in the dead of night with scans of their systems. It gave him enough of an understanding to integrate their design into his own plans.

Did he feel bad for stealing as he did? Yes. Could he afford to linger on the guilt, knowing that those angara were denying the Milky Way species access to their plans? No.

Not when survival was on the line.

It was either keep giving them insane amounts of credits and supplies in exchange for a measly cup of water or take it for himself.

Scott was only glad he got in and out undetected. He would fight if he had to, but he wasn't bloodthirsty to the point that he actively sought out confrontation.

Building and perfecting his own filters took time and resources, even more so than usual since he was careful to keep any transactions out of the port under the radar. It was worth it, though. Before long, Scott had a working filtration system under his control.

And on Kadara, where there was fresh water, people soon followed.

Any exiles without gang affiliation were welcome. Most were wary to move to the area at first, understandably so, but Scott didn't force the matter. After all, it was difficult to verify whether or not this new town was a trap or the real thing. How could the exiles guarantee that it wouldn't turn out like all the other towns trying to get a start in the badlands? There one day, and burned to the ground by the next.

Hell, Scott didn't even attach his name to the place . Taking a page out of the Charlatan's book, Scott preferred a more discreet approach to leadership.

However, even Scott knew that, if he was ever going to get the place functioning properly, he would need to win some people over to his side.

Dr. Nakamoto had been the best person to off start with, and Scott didn't regret choosing him for a second. In exchange for retrieving his formula for Oblivion, Dr. Nakamoto promised his services as Scott's resident physician.

Luckily, his patients were more than happy to follow. Some even stayed, and word soon spread.

The rest, as they say, is history.

The locals started calling the place Paradise. A cheesy enough name, but it came down to a vote so Scott allowed it.

Compared to the surrounding cesspool that was the badlands, Scott figured he could understand why they would call it that. It felt like an oasis in an otherwise desolate wasteland, a place where one could go and catch their breath.

As for Paradise's "elusive leader," there was just as much speculation around their identity as there was around the Charlatan's. Although, unlike the Charlatan, all of the residents under Scott's care have met him, and all remained tight-lipped about who he was.

He was grateful for their loyalty. He never asked for it, but he was grateful nonetheless.

It prevented the gangs from painting a target on any one person's back. There were the occasional attacks on the community, but their people were stronger and smarter than the outlaws gave them credit for.

As stories of Scott's ventures spread, infiltrating and sabotaging both the Collective's and the Outcasts' operations to provide for his own people, Kadara Port started to buzz about this mysterious third party that joined in on Kadara's power play.

Truth was, Scott wasn't looking for power or influence.

He was simply looking to protect and provide, no matter the cost.

The Ghost, they called him, known for sneaking in and out without a trace.

And any time he was detected, there were never any witnesses left to tell the tale.

Those at Paradise always got a kick out of the nickname, refusing to let him live it down.

That was fine, though. Scott would rather be the people's boogeyman than to let their opposition think that Paradise will just roll over on their backs and let everyone else fuck them over without retaliation.

On Kadara, it was a dog-eat-dog kind of world. Any sign of weakness will be quickly taken advantage of.

But Scott played his part well.

Nowadays, he lived in the port more often than not, putting up with Sloane's ridiculous protection fees in order to keep the suspicion off himself and those around him.

At the slightest hint of trouble, Paradise had an emergency beacon equipped that would ping Scott's omni-tool at a moment's notice. He had the utmost faith in their capabilities, but he would be there at the drop of a hat, should he be signaled.

For now, it was time he sat back, kicked up his feet, and listened.

Crazy all the things you could find out just from listening to a conversation here or there.

As soon as Scott sat down at the bar in Kralla’s, he asked Umi for his usual.

“Starting a tab?” she asked as she wiped down the bar.

Scott was almost afraid to ask if that was blood or wine staining the rag that she was using. Then again, ignorance was bliss.

Such was the way of life on Kadara.

Scanning the area, Scott eventually nodded.

“Might as well.” He gave a long, drawn-out sigh. “I’m meeting with Reyes soon. Cheap bastard never pays for his drinks.”

“Yet you keep letting him get away with it,” Umi noted.

Scott chuckled.

“Best not to burn bridges over a few drinks,” he said, “especially when this bridge in particular filters a large majority of the goods coming in and out Kadara.”

“Whatever floats your boat, Ryder.”

While Umi continued to mix his drink, Scott tuned into the conversations around him. One caught his attention right off the bat, focused on the latest topic of discussion that was making its rounds throughout the Port.

“I’m tellin’ ya!” the human griped, words slightly slurred. “That damn place is a cult. All exclusive-like. I swear, that lot would rather sacrifice their firstborns than give up the name of their precious leader.”

“Hmph, doesn’t matter,” their salarian companion muttered. “If the outlaws in the badlands don’t take care of that group soon, chances are that Sloane or the Charlatan will, leader or no leader.”

Heh, Scott would like to see them try.

Speaking of the devil himself, Scott tensed the second he felt hands upon his shoulders, only to relax once he heard that familiar voice whisper in his ear.

“You look like you’re waiting for someone,” Reyes breathed, his lips brushing lightly along the shell of his ear.

Without missing a beat, Scott brushed him off with a playful glare.

“You’re late,” he scolded. He tried his best to sound indifferent, unimpressed. His relationship with Reyes has always been complicated at best. “As always.”

Releasing Scott from his hold, Reyes claimed the spot at his side, pretending to look properly chastised.

“I swear, it won’t happen again,” he said. He even made a show of crossing his heart. “I promise.”

“And yet, I don’t believe you.”

“Well, that’s because I was lying.”

Scott snorted, “At least you’re honest about something.”

That’s not even taking into account the whole Charlatan business, something that Reyes seemed to hold extra close to his chest with Scott around. Scott couldn’t tell if it was because Reyes had his own suspicions about him, or if he withheld that information for some other reason unbeknownst to Scott.

Either way, it took Scott a while to put the pieces together himself. Not too long, considering that the majority of the port was still puzzled over the Charlatan’s identity, but it was long enough for Scott to be as certain as humanly possible without having Reyes spell it out for him.

It was simple, really, once Scott knew what to look for. How Reyes slipped up one time about where the Collective’s base was, only to brush it off as mere rumor. How, on any job they took together, Reyes was the first to volunteer to follow up on any Collective leads. Or, better yet, how he seemed so certain whether or not an incident coincided with the Charlatan’s MO if the Charlatan was the one being implicated.

Safe to say, spend enough time with the man, and it became rather obvious over time.

As Keema was all too eager to point out, Reyes liked to think he was so subtle when, in reality, he’s not. Well, not as much as he assumed, at least.

On the other hand, maybe the Charlatan’s secret identity only became apparent to Scott because Reyes wanted him to figure it out.

If that was the case, then Scott would have to open that can of worms another day.

Right now, he needed to focus on why they were here.

Clearing his throat, Scott waited until Umi passed them their drinks and left, moving on to serve her other customers.

Scott grabbed ahold of Reyes’s sleeve and tugged. He waited until Reyes met his eyes, then jerked his chin in the direction of a nice, secluded table.

“Shall we?” he asked.

Reyes hummed, eyes twinkling mischievously.

“Trying to get me alone, Scott?” Resting against the bar, Reyes leaned in close, but Scott refused to move a single muscle, holding his ground. “You need only ask.”

“I’ll keep that in mind then,” Scott said. He gave Reyes a blatant once-over, sparing his lips an appreciative glance. “It’s not every day that I get the great Reyes Vidal all to myself.”

“Keep buttering me up, Scott,” Reyes teased, “and I might just give you that discount after all.”

“Really?”

“No.”

Scott huffed.

Picking up their drinks, they soon settled in at the table that Scott had pointed out. From where they sat, they had a whole view of the bar.

Scott took a swig of his beer, and Reyes instantly followed suit, unable to take their eyes off of each other for even a second.

They sat their glasses back down with a solid thunk.

“Okay,” Scott started, “let’s get down to business.”

“Just like that?” Reyes laughed.

“Just like that.” Shuffling in place, Scott reached into his pocket and removed a small pouch filled with seeds. At Reyes’s curious expression, Scott explained, “My payment. A rather generous one, if I do say so myself.”

After Scott tossed the pouch onto the table, Reyes picked it up. He let its weight rest in the palm of his hand for a moment before loosening the ties to sneak a peek.

His brow furrowed in confusion.

“Seeds?” he questioned, cocking his head to the side.

“Yep,” Scott said, popping the ‘p’ for emphasis. “Seeds for a ‘medicinal herb.’ My scans confirmed it. It develops antibiotic-like properties as it matures, along with some other, more recreational effects.”

And by scans, Scott meant Nakamoto. Their resident doctor was quick to jump at the chance to study the plant’s effects, especially if it could help fight off future infections in Andromeda.

Scott had started off by “borrowing” a few plants from some of their local cultivators, returning the samples to the greenhouse that they had established in Paradise.

Their latest harvest yielded a surplus, so Scott figured that any leftover seeds would be a profitable bargaining chip for trade.

Turns out, he was right.

Reyes tightened his grip upon the pouch and pocketed it, now that he knew what he was getting out of their exchange.

“A valuable product,” Reyes acknowledged, “if what you say is true.”

Smirking, Scott leaned back in his chair, hand over his heart in mock offense.

“Now, Reyes, would I ever lie to my favorite smuggler?”

“True enough. You do have a soft spot for me.”

“You’re that certain, huh?”

“As a betting man, I would say that I’m confident in my chances of being right.”

He even had the gall to throw in a wink for good measure.

Scott’s face warmed, but he ignored the sensation, trying to calm his racing heart.

Of, if only he knew…

Clearing his throat, Scott returned their focus to the topic at hand.

“Also, with that herb, you don’t have to worry about any of those nasty addictive effects like with Oblivion,” Scott continued. “I guess the high you get from it could be considered slightly addictive in more of a mental sense, but it’s relatively harmless on a physiological level.”

Reyes raised an eyebrow at him.

“Sounds like you know from personal experience.”

“I, uh—” Scott stammered, caught red-handed. “Well, what kind of salesman would I be if I didn’t sample the product for myself?”

“A poor one, indeed,” Reyes agreed. “I’m only offended that you didn’t think to invite me to the party.”

“I’ll keep that in mind next time I feel the urge to smoke the space weed,” Scott deadpanned.

“Please, do.”

“Okay, okay.” Scott did his best to hide his laughter. His lip quivered at the corner. “Back to business, mister. You’re not taking my goods and leaving me with nothing again.” Reyes had charmed his way out of one too many deals with him in the past, but not anymore. “Where’s the goods?”

“Scott,” Reyes gasped. “I am offended you would think that I would stoop so low as to steal from my favorite exile.”

When it was clear that Scott wasn’t buying it, Reyes surrendered.

“Alright, here. One long-ranged scanner, ready for use.” Taking out a small package, Reyes pushed it pointedly across the table. Scott took it instantly, unable to express his gratitude in that moment. “Sorry that I didn’t have a chance to giftwrap it. My best only deserves the best, after all.”

Scott felt his heart skip a beat.

“Don’t think anything of it.” Scott shook his head, clutching tightly at the package. “This should be enough.”

“Glad to hear it.” Reyes paused, hesitating before coming out with it. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s it for?”

“What else would I use a scanner for?” Scott countered. “I wasn’t on the Pathfinder’s mission team for nothing. We have a whole bunch of unexplored ruins scattered all over the surface of this planet, and I plan on getting some readings.”

To be more specific, he wanted a reading on their turrets if he could examine one at a safe distance. Even the beam technology from the Observer bots would be useful in formulating a defensive matrix for the t—

“You what?”

Uh-oh, someone was upset.

Scott grimaced. He carefully avoided Reyes’s gaze, filled with heat and disapproval.

“Reyes, come on,” Scott sighed. It was weird to see him so fiercely protective, to see him act like he cared about anything other than the next job he had lined up. “I’m a big boy. I’ll be careful.”

“Kadara’s most experienced scientists were careful,” Reyes snapped, “yet that didn’t stop the Remnant from butchering them like animals. Scott, there’s a reason why even the angara avoid those areas like the plague. The security measures alone…”

Could be what kept Scott’s people safe.

Sitting up straight, Scott held his head up high with renewed purpose, meeting Reyes’s eyes with a stubborn glare.

“I’m going,” he stated, “whether you like it or not. The information stored there might be vital to our continued survival. We can’t pass up an opportunity to learn the Remnant’s secrets.”

Reyes pursed his lips, but eventually acquiesced.

“Fine, but I’m accompanying you when you go.”

“That’s not your decision!”

“You’re not changing my mind.”

They stared each other down, caught at an impasse.

After a moment of tense silence between them, Reyes grumbled. Since that argument was obviously far from being over, he was more than willing to change the subject.

“I have another exchange for you.”

Now, that got Scott’s attention. Setting the scanner aside, he would make sure to install the upgrade into his omni-tool later, curious about this second trade-off.

They didn’t have anything else planned for today, and Reyes wasn’t usually the type to drop something like this on a client at the last second.

Whatever he found, it had to be huge.

“What is it?” Scott asked, wondering what the Charlatan himself had up his sleeve.

“A little bit of intel,” he offered, keeping his reply as vague as ever.

Still, if Reyes was offering the information, then it must be important. As shady as he could be at times, information was his forte. When Reyes used it as a bargaining chip, he meant business, and chances were that it was reliable.

Scott simply wondered if he actually wanted the news that Reyes had to offer.

“What’s the catch?” Scott asked, because nothing on Kadara came for free.

Reyes shrugged.

“My shuttle needs some repairs, and I only trust one person to fix her up. Mind coming by tomorrow?”

Scott pretended to consider his offer for a moment, but in the end, he could never say no to working on that old bird.

“Name the time and place.”

“I’ll send you the details later, but don’t make me wait up.”

“And deny you of my presence for even longer? That would just be cruel.”

“Glad we can agree on something.” Reyes’s smile soon twisted into a frown. That solemn expression certainly didn’t do any favors to ease Scott’s nerves. “As for that intel, you’ve heard of Vehn Terev, right?”

“The poor, unfortunate soul whose head is next up on Sloane Kelly’s chopping block?” After all, she couldn’t afford to upset the angara, not after word spread of Vehn's betrayal. That would threaten the balance of power too much, at least in her eyes. “I might have heard a thing or two.”

“Well, you’re about to hear much more in the coming days,” Reyes explained, watching him closely for any sign of change. “I recently received a message from Evfra. Apparently, Vehn has some useful intel of his own, intel that could potentially cripple the kett’s operations in all of Heleus for good. Evfra has arranged for me to meet with one of his contacts about securing Vehn’s release from prison.”

“A difficult feat if Sloane won’t comply,” Scott noted, “but I still don’t see why this information would be of any use to me.”

“Scott—” Reyes hesitated.

For once, he seemed genuinely nervous, which in turn caused Scott to panic a little on the inside.

What he said turned Scott’s entire world upside down.

“The contact is Pathfinder Ryder.”

[benevadeca]

Relistening to razia's shadow bc I belatedly realized they posted their new version of it and not that they changed any of the lyrics or plot but hm! Just as confused as I've ever been and honestly fr guys am I missing something. I do not understand the plot lol my feelings for it are very "makes no sense. compels me tho" i mean

all of this critism coming from someone who has no knowledge of any possible lore that may or may not exist abt this and has never interacted w anyone about it but just listens to the album sometimes and has seen the youtube puppet play <3

OK so the whole theme being "the unrelenting constancy of love and hope can rescue and restore you from any scope" aw <3 except it literally never does lol like Prophecy Boy dies in both acts.

It's truly the unfeminist of albums I mean. My 2017 memories of making an entire AU where I change the lyrics to all the songs with our #girls bc they suck TBH. honestly I just need to break down my gripes song by song okay so

>missing piece

OK!! so they were both very gifted but it's only arima and his man angst that goes off committing arson??

>life is looking up

it's literally Oh The Scientist being cringe and creepy like give ur son boy some encouragement damn :/ guy who caused it: I'm staying out of it. also the "but the sculpture of the earth was looked upon by jealous eyes" okay so there's always trouble in paradise got it, but the whole "dark and the light" theme is so confusing

>spider and the lamps

i hate the "crawl inside her" line soooooo much i think of it in my head as "crawling insider" like...he's a spy a creep a guy offering a new (worse) perspective on a guy who's at a mental low under the guise of helping him when he's really manipulating him. etc.

>toba the tura

literally in 2018 i had a whole animatic planned where the reason nidria leaves is bc she's literally a leader to her people and it's her making the tough choice to choose the responsibility she has to them who are now, idk refugees or whatever? etc etc. so yeah the irony of ari being the guy who's like "when i die you will realize" only for his terrible actions to be what forces nidria, who never even expressed any real desire or felt any necessity to Show Off Her Skillz, to take this active leadership authority figure role. anyway what was i talking about.

oh yeah uh, ok so i love toba bestie <3 love that they're a #girl in the new version like yes feminism. we love a genderfluid goat and i loved the singer but the "my words will tear through the air" line which is SO powerful in the original was kinda mediocre ngl. so yeah disappointed there but otherwise <3

i had a whole character concept for them in the far past but i've forgotten it honestly and relistening and watching wow they're kind of a cop huh? this is me going with my 2017 AU where the dark v/s light thing is a veiled xenophobia metaphor taking inspiration from the mechanisms high noon over camelot album. but yeah in this view the "every dark corner will soon see the light" is very civil servant performing their duty that, oops, kind of involves a punitive judgemental form of justice that negatively disenfranchises some more than others.

but again, the dark v/s light thing is so unclear like rly acting as if it's unpopulated when he's ari is banished or whatev ("desolate throne" but people do live there?? or once the light-people leave the land gets re-populated by the dark-people who were possibly implicitly expelled from there? going w the fantasy racism theme + the weird unexplained sickness thing i think the disparity between them is at least partially due to physiological differences in a nocturnal vs diurnal creatures kinda way. vampires who can't stand light vs guys who would wither away without it. etc etc.

But also again fuck Oh The Scientist the entire "you've broken the trust of your father's love" when was that love expressed?? and hello NIDRIA??? who has like a whole song about expressing her love!!! not even a "the truth of those you love" more encompassing kind of lyric just the very narrow vision of it is so :(

>the oracle

lots of nitpicks bc i'm a hater on this one <3 but another contender for worst line in the musical "in her lock he will turn the key" makes me GAG. not even like a "together they will turn the key" in a "these TWO guys will fulfill the prophecy bc it's a TOGETHER issue bc we all saw what happened last time when prophecy was left up to Just Some Guy, with a girl also there"

ALSO the "Their true love will be strong enough, To erase the wrong we've done" line i'm so bleh over? Like it's not abour ERASING the wrong it's about being able to look it in the eye and move past it! facing it and confronting it in order to work together to build something that learns from the mistakes of the past that is more equitable and lasting. so yeah idk just simple lyrical changes like "to move past"

Also the "will be strong enough" is so hamfisted....add some ambiguity or a touch of hopefulness or desperation bc we already saw prophecy isn't all it's caked up to be! "with their love, may it be strong enough" or smth. idk man!! idk!!

>the exit

the new ver literally has pallis like. push him to the ground at the beginning? BOO!! he's shown to be not understanding but still caring through his coldness, and also it's unclear what the prophecy is but in the beginning and the end "you really are the chosen one the calculated sacrifice" LIKE?? no wonder he was against it!! either knowing ur brother will die and/or being the killer??? yeah i think i'd be unhappy too abt my younger brother chasing a suicide mission.

and as for adakias and how literally his whole thing being feeling trapped, not fitting in, forced to fill a role he doesn't feel suited for, yearning for understanding and newness, etc.

and anura ALSO feeling those things!! self-recognition thru the other etc, and then for the next song to like immediately pivot to "and now they are going to settle down and have kids :)" it's SOOO infuriating. "to float away, and settle down" SETTLE DOWN????? AFTER ALL THAT YEARNING FOR A HERO'S JOURNEY???? WHAT DO YOU MEAN

>it's true love

literally changing all of anura's lines bc again misogyny the musical.

"I never would guess your touch could, Fill me with such thoughts to marry you, have your babies, too" BLECKKKK

TO ME changes to: "...guessed someone could Fill me with such a tender feeling, how, Just to be with you, Is it too good to be true?"

Also the "Adakias, can't you see that I knew at first kiss?" >> "can't you see that without you I'd have never escaped" this line is partially bc i couldn't hear what she was saying lol but it sounded vaguely like this to me and fit with the themes of like. desperation, loneliness, finally finding someone who understands you and the desire to cling to that person, the whirlwind that mixture of things can spur you into making looking before you leap decision making, etc

also more lyric changes but i would simply change "i can't let her learn about my past" to "if i let her learn about my past" with a yes maybe? :) hopefulness to it, that then pivots to the "if she found out where i came from" of the original. the back and forth!! the desire to entrust your full self to the person you theoretically has this magic connection of love and understanding with that you don't want to lie to!! but that is shadowed by the fears of being forced back to a life you don't want. instead of just "oh yeah and i will simply keep this a secret, forever, regardless of how much this endangers the people around me :) what could go wrong"

>meet the king

literally the narration at the end w/ the "the king as his greed" HIS GREED??? bro he literally knew he was hiding something and ofc he was concerned for his daughter making a crazy rash decision based on someone who very well COULD just be after her for status!!! and who did end up getting her sick and almost killed!!!!!

songs written by someone who doesn't get the plot of romeo and juliet. and also addy constantly ending his lines to the king with "You Fool" BRO that is not how u convince ur date's dad to like you!!!!! and way to give away ur not just some commoner who tf talks to royalty like this you loudmouth. KIDS

but also on the other hand what even is the sickness plotline....def puts a weird bit into my xenophobia metaphor plotline but as a plotline itself even without that it's so nonsense!!! means nothing to me!!!!

>holy the sea

i think this song fucks love the boat chorus :) i do think the "sits atop ur family tree" thing is kinda boring like booooo no fancy chosen one bloodlines, i say in a work where the only characters are all monarchists or smth, the reincarnation thing is on thin ice but i'll allow it bc making puppets is hard and i support reusing character designs in a "same guy but slightly different and to the left bc see they are Parallels" i fall for it every time.

>doctor doctor

lol literally i cant listen to this song it's so. like the music is fun but the entire plot and lyrics are soooo

i mean addy was rly gonna just sell anura to the creepy doctor without her consent bc, what? "Trust me, I know how this must go!"??? BRO as if you've trust her with anything!! and if it's not your fault in the first place!!!!

>the end and the beginning

i was always very confused where tf the doctor went in this song until i saw the visual of the door just falling on him. everybody say thank you pallis

the way it doesn't make sense tho lmao <3 "she would never RLY like u bc she's a spoiled princess who needs a prince" BRO?? damn that's crazy where the hell would we find one of those? and if not every character in this song is royalty???

"these two have been on quite an odyssey" :( i would also like to witness the odyssey. also belated question why in the new version are so many of the characters kind of gay (the spider, the king, pallis and his puppet hip thrusts)

and the way the entire song is abt her and pallis forcing her to justify herself to him but she like. barely has a line in it!! also the amount of lyrics i simply have never known bc im looking it up now on genius lyrics and damn where tf was i supposed to get maharaja and maliloquently from

more lyrics i dislike and change in my head: "please listen, I really can explain...Now you know the truth, but that knowledge shouldn't change the nature of our love" > "I really can't explain...Now you know the truth, and though that knowledge may change the nature of our love" the meaning is found in the acknowledgement that ur actions have consequences!! that you can't go back from but you can face up and be willing to accept that they will affect you moving forward!! and ofc the nature of it will change bc it NEEDS to change bc as proven by the lies and harm that's been done, it should change and that change can be something for the better.

the way she has NO like individual lines after the truth reveal tho. feminism loses :(

also the end like "we regained our science" HOW??? WHEN?? sorry i wasnt there for that lol. narrator living in a different sphere of existence. "cause an idea is only relevant if it's being thought upon" sir i have not gotten what the idea is.

anyway thoughts on just the musical as a visual:

i prefer the original spider puppet i just think the black light was better!!

they rly made him green huh....weird.

the weird blurs on the camera sometimes...like when pallis goes in for the stab and it has this weird overlapped motion blur what even IS that.....

i do like pallis and addy's little outfits :) brother who cant dress themselves

them holding hands in the meet the king song is cute. like children at mcdonald's "he asked for no pickles" kind of look.

the very end narration being all "never surrender :)" (image of guy bleeding out on the floor) is. quite the choice

[bleachification]

four horsemen; death prologue

death; the executioner - prologue

pairing: tobio kageyama x f!reader

warnings: themes of death

themes // tropes: enemies (rivals) to lovers, assassin/spy au, fantasy/historical setting

synopsis:

You were five years old the first time you held a sword; you had mastered the art by twelve. Tobio Kageyama was four the first time he touched a dagger; he became a weapon master at age ten.

You were granted the position of the King’s Spymaster as soon as you were of age. Tobio Kageyama became the most proficient and infamous assassin on the continent three years prior.

Frustrating as it was, you were content being dubbed the second best killer in the underground community (at least that’s what you tell yourself. There isn’t much you can do against a prodigy). You were happy to be serving the Royal Family as their shadow and weapon as needed.

Happy until you see the one they call the Grim Reaper standing in the center of the throne room, introducing himself as your newest (and very reluctant) partner.

authors note: this is the prologue of a multi-chapter fic which is also a part of a fic series called four horsemen which you can find: here. there will be four multi-chapter fics in total, this is just the first one !

ch. one

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

When the kingdom slumbers, the underworld awakens, a glittering mass alive with the essence of the forgotten and forsaken. The sleepless city thrums with the lifeblood of sinners. Those sinners call it paradise — the innocent call it hell. You know it only as home.

In the heart of the criminal world stands a man so far beyond mere mortal's reach, he's achieved the title "Grim Reaper." It is a fitting name for someone who sows death in his wake, and even more so for his accomplishments as the kingdom's most feared assassin. However, his given name stays a mystery to any and all who have ever faced him, further enabling the terrifyingly arcane reputation he's established through years of skillful assassinations.

The Reaper watches as the slow-falling crystalline rain unceremoniously mixes with the freshly spilled blood of the corrupt Earl and washes away the evidence of the noble’s (well-deserved) comeuppance. The broken paths of the silent alley run red with the veins of muted slaughter.

It is a sight the Reaper is well accustomed to.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Classical tunes ebb and flow around the drunken figures of the nobility as they wine, dine, and dance in elegant waltzes around the pianist with featherlight fingers and an exceptional talent for captivating those around you.

You smile as the final song hits its crescendo in perfect timing with the man who has just entered your line of sight.

A round of applause, a simple flourishing bow, and the first part of your job is successfully completed.

You follow him out to the labyrinthine garden out back, a bustling hub of fireflies and flora, unlike anything you've seen before. The target hasn't noticed you — you are quite good at your job — instead choosing to focus his attention towards the stars, unaware of the tragic fate they have inflicted upon him.

The marbled bench is cool to the touch as you gently lower yourself onto it.

"The stars are stunning tonight," Your lips tilt up in a slight smile, a pretty distraction from the thin, tainted blade pressed into your palm.

"They are. Can I help you with something?" He's polite, a deep contrast to the monster that lurks underneath a charming facade.

"Actually, there is."

The first screams don't come until you're two blocks away from the mansion, letter in hand. You fold it into the pockets of your skirt, careful not to lose documents with the power to topple the empire.

The night is still young, the streets are desolate, a fact you find strange until the worn paths before you appear, sullied with puddles of black that fill the air with a familiar metallic tint.

[jimlingss]

Worshipers of the Soul

Part of the Worshipers Series

➜ Words: 5.4k

➜ Genres: 95% Angst, 4% Fluff, 1% Smut, God!AU

➜ Summary: The King of the Underworld was denounced and exiled from Heaven as a god. But with your help, he may rise to power once more and claim his rightful throne.

The god is forced onto his knees.   The marble floor is cold and hard, but never for a moment does the God of the Underworld appear weak. He lifts his head, gaze steadfast even when he is at the feet of the council.   “Namjoon, you are arrogant,” the God of Sun says from his seat, the highest throne of the entire room. His low voice thunders across the sky, thrumming all around the land as he announces his sentence. “Unlike the Goddess of Spring, you show no remorse for your actions. I have known of your contempt and insolence for long, but your hubris has exceeded that of all gods. Even now when you have lost and must beg for mercy and forgiveness, you choose silence.”   It is a sad day in Heaven for a god like him to be in this position. A shame of how ignorant the other gods are for choosing to follow a weaker leader when he could lead them to glory. Truly, the universe was meant to cry for this disgrace and dishonour.   Namjoon’s eyes stray around the council to his wife who remains impassive, looking down at him. Of all gods, she was the most foolish — for choosing the God of Sun’s leadership and not recognizing her own husband’s true strengths. Had she been his dutiful wife, he would not be in this place.   The silence is held in the room.    The God of the Underworld makes no defence, makes no pleads nor begs for mercy.   Seokjin sighs and stands on his feet, making his final declaration and his timbre echoes throughout the space. “For the devastation and destruction you have caused in this needless war, I hereby denounce you from the council and your position as a divine being.”    Namjoon’s eyes widen in mortification, yet the God of Sun does not cease.    “You will spend the rest of your eternity atoning for your sins, but you will not be doing it here. You are exiled from Heaven, never to step foot into this paradise again effective immediately. You are no longer the God of the Underworld.”   The guards grab hold on his limbs but he easily wards them off, rising to his feet. “It is not me who has more hubris than the gods. You, Seokjin! Everything was caused because of you! How dare you take away something that is rightfully a god’s! What audacity do you have?!”   One of the council members lift their hands and a violent wind bursts forth, forcibly pushing him out of the room against his will. But still he shouts and makes his last curses for all of Heaven to hear—   “I will return! And someday it is you who will be begging for forgiveness!”

There is nothing.   You are the essence of neutrality. Neither pain nor comfort has reached you, nor sorrow or anger. It is a calm serenity that has enveloped you, impartiality that makes it easy to mindlessly float in the empty area. You wander aimlessly, without a destination or goal, without motivation or discouragement.   It simply is.   But then you drift into the wrong place at the wrong time.   A figure stands from afar, his presence forcibly holding you in place before you can stray without thought. He wears blackened robes, the tulle layer on top decorated with white chrysanthemum flower patterns. His hair is ebony, eyes even darker and his brows are furrowed deep as if it has become his common expression. He stands with his shoulders wide, facing you while his arms are placed behind his back. His aura is intimidating and commanding — it holds you from leaving and puts you in a trance.   “Are you discontented?”   His voice resonates and you manifest yourself into a tangible form, body translucent and flickering like a flame or rising smoke, never quite rooted.    You blink at him.    The corner of the man’s mouth quirks and his hand raises towards you. Suddenly, the fog clears from your mind. It lifts and your thoughts become grounded and traceable. But with the ignorance gone, the feeling of neutrality billows away from you.   For the first time, you get to truly look around and take in your surroundings.   The land is barren and desolate, without warmth or presence. The darkness seems to consume all that is in its wake, shadows that murmur and giggle, bare trees with branches that twist in odd directions. And the horizon is blanketed in black, but something round at the top that glows, providing the smallest amount of luminescence.   You know you’ve been here for a long time. But you’re not sure how long exactly — you can’t seem to recall anything aside from your name.   “Who are you?”   The figure smirks, his chin lifting as he proudly announces himself— “I am the King of the Underworld, Namjoon. I lead the souls that wander, the mortals that have long perished, the beck and call of Death itself. I give and take the sins that corrupt your being. And I have chosen to grant you with clarity of mind. Fall on your knees, beg for mercy and I will lead you to glory!”   Not knowing what else to do, you obey.   Your knees meet the ground and Namjoon smirks yet again.    The King approaches you in three large strides and tilts your chin up with his forefinger, allowing your neck to snap back to gaze upon him. His lips curl and he leans in, eyes laid on your mouth.    But before his lips can graze against yours, you instinctively lean away from him. Instead, you blink and stare blankly — unable to understand what his intentions are.   He halts, seemingly caught off guard with how you moved away as if he didn’t expect you to resist, but then he, too, shifts. The King stands back, facing the bleak oblivion with amusement evident on his features. “You are naive and because I pity your ignorance, I will grant you the gift of becoming my servant as you have no other purpose. If you refuse, your mind will be clouded again and you will waste away as you have.”   You say nothing, merely stumbling to your feet again.   “Where am I?”   “The Underworld,” he says simply. “You were human once. This is where you go after death. If you’re not in perpetual pain, it must mean you lived a decent enough life and you’ve been judged that way.”   In spite of what he tells you, you don’t remember your life. You can’t recall anything about it. All you’ve known is obliviously wayfaring.   Namjoon doesn’t allow you to dwell. He leads you away and you follow closely behind without a word. And the two of you come to the highest point of the Underworld. It’s a cliffside and he looks over the devoid abyss, the trees without leaves or flowers, the creeping darkness.   “Isn’t it beautiful?”   The King of the Dead takes a seat on the throne beside him, a single chair on the dry dirt. He seems to enjoy the view — but you don’t think this place has much to offer.   “You’re quiet,” Namjoon comments carelessly. “More than the others.”   You remain silent, contemplating that there’s been others like you.   The King turns his head to you, eyes dark. “What are you thinking about?”   “I’m wondering if this is where you reside,” you say, exposing your mind so he does not get angry being oblivious to your intentions and thoughts. “I’m pondering if you have a home.”   Namjoon scoffs lightly. “I don’t need one. You didn’t have a home while you were wandering, foolish girl. And there are no homes in the Underworld.”   You come to stand by his side, looking out at the desolate darkness.   //   There’s pitched, marbled moans and groans that echo all around — sounds of unrestrained pleasure that knows no dignity or shame.   You’ve turned away, trying to offer a sense of privacy. But it’s difficult when there’s nowhere to go, nowhere to cover yourself and you have to stay close. It doesn’t take long, however, and he’s soon joining you once more with a pleased expression.   “We can leave now.”   The King of the Underworld often fornicates with wandering souls, something you’ve learnt quickly. But you wonder for what purpose he does so and once you ask, he answers—   “It’s fun to corrupt minds and souls,” he plainly says, “and a satisfying pastime.”   You look over, peeking over your shoulder out of curiosity and you find the ghost gone. There’s no gliding orb of light, no translucent form drifting away. The soul he was copulated with has completely vanished.    “You’ve taken it,” the murmur befalls your lips without a second consideration when the realization has sunk into you.   The corner of Namjoon’s mouth quirks before he brushes past you. “You’re quick-witted, aren’t you? I’m glad I decided to keep you around.”   //   You’ve always aimlessly drifted, flitted and floated through the land, past trees and empty spaces permeated with pulsating darkness. You relished in the state of neutrality as you skimmed over the ground and rivers with no name. But Namjoon seems to know how to navigate this oblivion.    In the vast area that seems to stretch for eternity, he needs no map or directions told to him. He always knows where he’s going and how to come back. Never once does he frown, not knowing where to turn or which course to take. From the field of littered bones and skulls to the black river that runs through the Underworld and even back to the cliffside where his throne is.   Namjoon knows all. It is his domain — the back of his hand.   But it’s hard to learn from him, to conceive spatial awareness when all the darkness appears the same.   There was a time though…..a time you were sure you were not as lost as you are now.    A time when you did not pointlessly wander around the Underworld.    They feel like dreams — like memories of childhood, but much farther and faint. They’re the smoke of a flame, unable to be grasped fully and sometimes you doubt their true existence. Perhaps they are merely conceptions of your imaginations born from your new clarity of mind that knows boredom and seeks exhilaration. But you have dwelled on them.   And while you cannot discern faces or places, you know the ground you once stepped on wasn’t dry and cracked. It was green, a verdant shade, and soft beneath your feet. And the horizon was once azure and bright. Sometimes it was tangerine and rose-coloured, other times a darkening navy and maybe pitch black, but always with some kind of milky light piercing through to shed away the gloom…..   And you can recall fickle emotions.   Things other than neutrality tinged with contentment.   “This is the place I will raise my palace someday Y/N,” the King of the Underworld suddenly declares, removing you from your internal trance and pulling you away from thoughts.   Namjoon has his arms wide open in front of a creeping space with a few twisting trees occupying it. He may wear a satisfied and pompous expression, but you find it awfully dull.   “I thought you didn’t need a home.”   The tall figure turns to you and cocks a brow. “Every king needs a palace, foolish girl. Perhaps not a home, but a place to rule from.”   You watch him as he paces around the area as if envisioning the grand dwelling being assembled in front of him.   “There will be a hundred servants at my feet. My sacrifices will work on erecting my statues in the courtyard and in the garden. In my magnificent dining hall, there will be a hundred paintings of me on the wall, each from the different eons I have ruled in. And the doors to all of it will be right here. They will be imposing and will not open no matter how hard someone begs or screams.”   The King of the Underworld steps back and for a moment, you could see it too.   Blackened doors engraved with white chrysanthemums that would hurt your neck when you’d try to see the top, made of steel and iron so that your fists would bruise when you knock against it.    “How will you achieve it?” you ask, a murmur sounding from your lips.   “I will rise again, silly girl.” Namjoon twists on his heel, his arms behind his back and his shoulders broad. He faces the dark horizon as if there was something beautiful to see, something worthy to be proud of — even when there is really nothing. “I will make the gods pay for what they have done to me, for daring to exile the most powerful god in the universe.”   Your brows furrow. “They exiled you?”   “Because they were afraid of me.” The corner of his mouth pulls into a smirk and he faces you, eyes meeting yours. “But one day I will rise again — and if your loyalty remains, I will allow you a position in my court. I’m kind, aren’t I?” The King of the Underworld does not take your silence as a response. “You should be grateful I have spared you and didn’t consume your soul.”   Your head lowers. “Thank you.”   Namjoon smirks and you peek a glance at him past your lashes.   For such a domineering king, he is imaginative. Some might say, delusional. But you wonder what it is that made him lose his status and come here to such a sad, lonely place by himself.   //   The souls of the Underworld drift — unrestrained and without a planned destination. They are orbs of lights, some brighter and others dimmer, some that shine and others that glow, but all are able to take the shape of ghosts, of who they once were.   The bending, lazy river is filled with a dark and mysterious liquid. You’re unsure if it’s water and don’t dare to take a sip when you don’t need to, but you wouldn’t be surprised if some menacing beast was brewing underneath. Yet, that doesn’t deter you from leaning in and staring at your reflection.   You wonder if this is what you once looked like as a human.   If you had skin and hair and eyes like this….   Your head tilts to look at the horizon, something that resembles the moon hanging at the top, allowing you to see right in front of you but never farther. But hazily in your mind, you can stitch together an image of something else that was once above you — a rounded ceiling with paintings of yellow round spheres and pinpricks of twinkling sparkles, white bleeding into black, someone standing tall with a creature behind him in blazing glory. It is lucid in your eyes, something you can envision so clearly that it is almost real. Almost tangible.   A radiant place of white with marble and pillars — steps leading up to grand doors — golden letters etched into it.   But when you look back, blink a few times, the vision has dispelled away. The truth sinks in.   All you see is emptiness. A void of black.   Your eyes stray to Namjoon and your eyes soften at the way he’s fixing his sights on the surroundings with a proud smile.   “How do you plan to rise?” you ask quietly, joining his side as he strides through the trees.   “The souls I consume give me some power. Enough of them and I will be able to escape the Underworld and storm Heaven.”   “Then why don’t you consume my soul?”   “Because I know when to be gracious,” he declares with a smile, looking upon you. “You should be happy that I am merciful to you.”   Namjoon is indeed merciful. But he is not fair or just, and those are qualities a leader must have.   //   It’s uncertain how long you truly accompany Namjoon’s side for. All you know is that wherever he is, you are also there beside him. When he’s fornicating with souls, corrupting them to bring him pleasure and then consuming them after he’s finished, you’re there meters away with your back turned. When he’s bracing through the Underworld, traveling past the river and the desolate forests, you’ve become his shadow, trailing after his feet. And when he’s seated at his small throne by the cliffside, you’re standing next to him, staring out at the same sights.   You’ve come to realize that Namjoon didn’t suddenly take a liking to you and decided to spare you from his ambitions.   He is lonely. And he needed someone with him.   You don’t blame him — it is easy to go mad in this constant darkness. You only blame him for being too proud to admit his true intentions.   “You’re quiet.”   “I don’t have much to say.”   “But it looks like you have lots to think about.”   The smallest of smiles graces your features and you turn to him. “If I say something unbecoming to you, you’ll kill me.”   Namjoon bursts out laughing, the noise hearty and loud. It echoes around the spaces. “You can’t die again, silly girl. But don’t worry, you have nothing to fear. I have no plans of taking your soul as long as you continue to show me respect.”   You decide to grant his wish and speak to disrupt the eerie silence— “What is the living world like?”   “The moral realm? It’s full of lowly and greedy mortals who only know how to beg and destroy. They are selfish and ruin everything they touch. They’re not to be trusted,” he seethes and exhales. “When I rise to power, I will do what every god has been fearful of and liberate the universe from them. But…” Namjoon glances at you. “I suppose a few places are worthy to see.”   “Like what?”   “The mountains. Some oceans. They’re a glorious view where you can’t see where the land ends or begins. If you remain devoted to me, someday you may have the privilege of seeing them.”   You nod and the King of the Underworld continues, “I am leaving soon.”    “Where to?”   “It is none of your concern. If you fear abandonment, then you don’t need to.” After a moment, he softens. “I will return sooner than expected. I need to speak to an...old friend and reclaim what is rightfully mine.”   You nod once more, staying by his side as you look out at the dismal Underworld.

The grandiose black entrance parts, doors swinging open and then she’s sauntering into the vast throne room while rolling her shoulders while the train of her black robes sweep the floor behind her. “Sihyuk! I need a foot rub! Stop dilly dallying!”   He jolts and lowers his head. “Right away, your highness…”   “Gods, I’m so exhauste—” Her complaint morphs into a pitched shriek.   The Goddess of Dreams and Underworld stumbles back in startlement, a hand placed over her chest as her expression washes over into unadulterated terror.    But Namjoon merely smirks from the corner of the room, placing the white chrysanthemum flower back in its vase. “You haven’t changed one bit, Miyin, despite being reborn...twice now?”   The servant dwarf’s eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets. His mouth opens and closes, knowing exactly who he is. “Y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-your...r-r-royal highness…”   “Leave.” Miyin lifts her palm, dismissing Sihyuk and he swallows hard before running off. The goddess faces him, but keeps a wide distance between the both of them. Her chin lifts and her gaze steadies itself. “What are you doing here, Namjoon?”   It has been over a century since they’ve seen one another, since that time when he was denounced in front of the entire council, but Namjoon is not ignorant to the changes that were made. He knows she’s taken his place — that she’s become the Goddess of the Underworld.   “Do I need a reason?” he asks. “You should not be afraid of your husband visiting you.”   “You are no husband of mine,” she hisses and malice, and the shadows of the room seem to grow.   But the self-proclaimed King of the Underworld merely smiles. “I noticed the sword of the Immortal Being is gone.” The sword is the only weapon that can kill a god, that will help him achieve his glory once more. But when he came to find it and tore the palace apart to look for where it might be hidden, it had disappeared — much like during the war a hundred years ago.   He couldn’t find it then — and he can’t find it now.   “It’s no longer in the Underworld and it will never be,” Miyin spits and a smirk grows at her red lips, spine straightening with confidence. “You will never find the sword again. It will never be in your reach. I knew you would try to come back for it, so I’ve given it to the Controller of the Sky.”   Namjoon’s brows furrow. “There is no such thing.”   The Goddess of Dreams and Underworld laughs mockingly. “Things have changed since you’ve last been to Heaven, Namjoon. The weapon that you seek for your vengeance has been handed to a mortal sacrifice of the Goddess of the Sky that had been unjustly forsaken.” A fond smile graces her features. “He will use it to protect her.”   “You gave it to a mortal?!” Namjoon’s angered shout echoes throughout the throne room, resonating through the space until silence takes its place once more. His hands crumple and he shakes, enraged. “You are a fool for allowing the sword into another mortal’s hands!”   “And you are a fool for returning!” She challenges with equal malice. “For thinking you have a rightful place here!”    “I will come back and rule as I meant to,” he declares through gritted teeth, pointing at her with a finger that trembles from wrath. “I will become the god that I was meant to be!”   A muscle in Miyin’s cheek jumps. She outright scoffs at him and curses, “Your pride and greed will destroy you as the Immortal Being had destroyed himself! Leave! And never step foot here again and dare to face me! If you ignore my warnings, even Seokjin will not be able to help you if you beg for it! This is my oath.”    Yet again, he has been banished. And from a place he once called home.   The shadows creep from their corners, expanding in size to loom over his figure and grab hold of his limbs. But he has lived amongst them for long and won’t be pushed out so easily.   Namjoon dispels the shadows away like they are bugs and he shakes his head with his jaw clenched at the audacity she has to treat him with such disrespect. “You cannot control me, Miyin. I am still a god by blood and I choose how I come and go. If I leave, it will be of my own accord.”   With his last words spoken, he twists on his heel and marches out.   The palace doors shut behind him and the true Goddess of the Underworld is left quaking.   //   The sky is azure, the horizon wide with the sun beaming from the highest point. But as soon as she steps onto the lower part of Heaven, crossing the bridge and moving past the thick fog, darker clouds begin to fill the sky and the goddess comes into view with her arms crossed and a feigned pout on her lips.   “What are you doing here, Miyin?” the Goddess of Sky questions with her eyes playfully narrowed. Her servants nor her companion are seen by her side.   But Miyin doesn’t match the goddess’ lightheartedness. Her expression remains solemn and her brows furrowed. “There’s something I need to talk about with you urgently.”   The goddess speaks no further, quickly assessing the situation and her arms drops to her side.   Miyin is led to a small garden house and they sit across from each other with the low table in between. “What’s wrong?”   “I need to use that favour.”    “Okay. What is it?”   “It’s about Namjoon,” Miyin murmurs and the Goddess of the Sky takes less than a moment to recall the name she had not heard spoken in so long. No matter how many times the gods are reborn, they can’t forget the history that has happened. “He has returned.”   “What? Have you told Jin?!”   “No.” She shakes her head. “He is why I’ve come to you. You and I know Seokjin is afraid that history will repeat and rhyme, that there will be war and devastation. It’s why he changed his approach. Why he led the other gods to be merciful and forgiving as well. And I fear someday, he might find it in himself to grant Namjoon the same kind of mercy. But I….I can’t forgive him.”   The goddess’ brows furrow. “Miyin....”   Yet the Goddess of Dreams remains undeterred and clenches her fist within her lap. “Namjoon has violated and destroyed our marriage, brought down his dignity and my own. His punishment of betraying my trust is to never be reborn, to never refresh his soul. At least not until I see fit.”   “He has learnt nothing in the time spent wandering the Underworld. He still claims vengeance, claims that he will rise again and make the gods pay for banishing him.” She trembles with ire and then calls the Goddess of the Sky’s name, eyes meeting her once more. “Promise me that if Namjoon ever steps above my domain....if he ever manages to crawl above the Underworld without my permission, you will conjure a huge storm to send him back.”   No one is allowed to forgive Namjoon — not without Miyin’s agreement.    She refuses to be blindsided. Refuses to be startled again.   “Miyin, you know I cannot control the weather as I please.”   “I know, but you can still try your best. You are the only one I can depend on, the only one who could match Seokjin’s powers if he were to ever absolve Namjoon.” The Goddess of the Underworld remains steadfast. “I will try my hardest too. He will stay where he rightfully belongs in my domain. I just need someone else to fall back on. I need someone I can trust.”   There’s a moment of silence.   And then the Goddess of the Sky nods.

You look at the horizon.   It once was a blue sky. Sunlight. You can recall children rushing about and giggling under the light, chasing after the sparse clouds. But most of all, you remember being dressed in white, pressing your palms together, and others around you murmuring incantations together….   “Tonight...” Namjoon’s voice thunders, interrupting your thoughts. “We launch our first attack.”   You turn to him and then towards the shadow of the Underworld palace outlined in the darkness. All the souls he’s taken has been for this hour. Namjoon finally has enough strength and he’s moments away from destruction.   “Once I take over the Underworld realm, I will have power again. The universe cannot go without a place for the dead to rest after all.” He wears a victorious smile, glancing at you as if you should be grateful to be the first to witness his claim. “Someday all will worship me.”   Worship — the word sticks to you.   Suddenly, visions billow through your mind. Worship.   Worship. You see temples and rituals beneath your eyelids, the grand sky shining above you, exhaustion taking hold of your frame as the fire spreads through the village.   Worshiping — it was what you dedicated your life to.   You can recall, like a distant memory of childhood, foggy but present. You were a priestess in your past life and revered the God of Sun, Seokjin. You devoted your life to devout prayer and sacred worship. You mediated and gave sacrifices, intently read the stars and charted them, and once blessed a sword of a mortal man. The memories rush through you, striking you speechless, filling you with the sorrow of loss to contentment. You were fulfilled in spite of dying so young and being unable to accomplish all you sought to do. You had met your purpose.   But perhaps there is another purpose for you here.   You shift towards Namjoon, expression crumpled rather than the neutral state he has become accustomed to. “I….remember,” you murmur, “I remember my life.”   And you remember him.    Namjoon — God of the Underworld.    You know of his tales, read about them, had seen paintings and states of him. Except, you didn’t know that after your death, he was banished from his position. You didn’t know he would be holding onto his anger when everyone else had forgotten about him.    His brows lift, amused. “Strange, but your clarity of mind must’ve made your memories return. So what kind of peasant were you? Did you die of illness or hunger?”   You shake your head.    “I was a priestess.”   You approach the King of Dead within three strides and before he can stagger back, your palms lift to cradle his cheeks and you lift yourself to press your mouth against his in a searing kiss.   It’s soft. His lips are plusher than you could’ve thought possible. And you keep the affection gentle and chaste — something you’re sure he is not used to. Your eyes shut and you can feel his gaze placed on your features, eyes widen in slight surprise. But it is not simply a gesture made out of desire or lust.   It is part of your ritual.   After a moment, you part from Namjoon.    “Oh, great god who has fallen and been forgotten, free yourself from your burdens,” you murmur the incantation, one of the thousands that you had learnt to memory. “Allow the souls you have led astray, corrupted and consumed to grant you mercy. You who have abandoned humanity, hear my prayers. Allow my pity to liberate you from your sufferings. God of Underworld, God of Death, great god who has fallen and been forgotten, be free of your misery and despair.”   It is your final sacrifice.   The final remains of your soul is used to protect the living from Namjoon’s reprisal.    The last remnants of your strength is used to shield all you have known and love — mankind who will never know your offering and the glory of Heaven which you will never see.    In an instant, your soul bursts.   The final pieces of the energy you have left is used and your form begins to fade.   Namjoon lurches back, his skin aglow. “No...no….NO!” He stares at his open hands, eyes widened at the way his flesh is illuminated like the stars, the power that he had collected for over a century surges out of him in a flood, past the gaps of his fingertips, not allowing him to grasp on.   He can feel his wrath escaping. The intense fervour of his spirit dying.   In the last moments of your consciousness, before your translucent form succumbs to the darkness, you gaze at the fallen god. And your eyes speak purely of pity.   But never does he notice. He does not look at you in your final moments.   Namjoon screams. His eyes are placed on his own body, into his hands that were supposed to take back what was rightfully his. And once more, the exiled god falls onto his knees.

There is nothing.   All that was left of him was his anger, sadness and despair. Without it, the anguish and hatred, he has become empty. Like the darkness that surrounds him, his spirit has become a void.   He is lifeless.    Namjoon moves sluggishly, lurching forward until he sits on his throne. It is a thoughtless action, something that has been entrenched into his muscle memory. His body is cold but he does not feel it. He merely grabs hold of the armrests in a listless manner, settling in as he mindlessly stares at the oblivion with eyes hollowed and glazed over. A vegetative state on auto-pilot.   His throne is placed on a mountain of bones and corpses of which he knows no name of.    Namjoon has truly become the King of the Dead.