#everything about it screams tragic ghost story

[pharawee]

People say that if you hold your breath, ghosts won't be able to see you.

—THE HIDDEN MOON · เดือนพราง · Episode 01

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

What if Harry did kill Draco in the bathroom? (other than malfoy wealth getting bagged by ministry, supposedly)

Mostly nothing.

Specifically, What Happens?

Snape, who comes rushing in when Myrtle starts screaming murder, immediately starts to work trying to save Draco and kicks Harry out. Harry walks out in a daze, as he did in canon, and everything's the same--except that Draco doesn't make it.

Harry, panicking, wonders what's going to happen to him now. Will he be put on trial? Is he a murderer? But he didn't mean it and he didn't know what, specifically, that spell did. Draco had just cast an unforgivable at Harry and Harry had unthinkingly used a spell 'for enemies' whose exact effects he didn't know.

I imagine Harry confesses to Ron and Hermione, and while they're both sympathetic and don't blame him... Hermione can't help her "I told you so" moment where she had told him, months ago, that he shouldn't have been using spells in a book written by a malcontent whose effects he didn't fully know himself. And it turns out she was right, and Harry has now used Dark Magic to murder Draco Malfoy.

Harry waits on pins and needles and is called into Dumbledore's office. I imagine it's just him and Dumbledore, while Snape would love to be present, I imagine Dumbledore says no as it would only... aggravate things.

Dumbledore tells Harry that they're going to cover this up to the Ministry.

This was an accident, a horrible accident, and as far as the outside world is concerned, Draco died via some horrible unintended accident and Harry had nothing to do with it.

Harry has mixed feelings about this, as that's not what happened, but is guiltily relieved that this won't be taken to the Ministry.

Dumbledore assuages this by reminding him that it was an accident. It was a heated duel that shouldn't have happened, but duels do happen between boys. Draco had cast an unforgivable first, Harry had panicked and reached into his arsenal for something more than disarming spells. Yes, Harry shouldn't have used that spell, especially not knowing what it did, but he didn't intend for Draco to die. This was hardly a calculated murder.

The events are simply... unfortunate.

"But what about Myrtle?" Harry asks, as Myrtle had immediately alerted the entire fucking school that Harry had been the one responsible.

Dumbledore has had a word with Myrtle, and as for everyone else, they only have the word of a ghost who is... how shall we say "not known for being particularly reliable". Right now, this is just a rumor, the only real witness is Snape who has been given instructions to say absolutely nothing.

Now, Harry blows his lid at that because you can't trust Snape at all, but Dumbledore tells him to shut the fuck up, Harry, you just killed a boy.

Also, Dumbledore sure hopes Harry didn't tell Ron and Hermione. Oh, you did? Immediately? Well, they won't tell anyone.

Point is, Harry, that Myrtle's immediately changed her story and is now saying she was being "dramatic", no one witnessed it, and this will just be a dumb rumor that no one can ever prove. All Harry has to do is say he was not there (and why would he be in the empty Myrtle bathroom right then anyway?) and no one will ever know.

But shouldn't Harry tell people what happened? It's true he didn't mean it, and that he's innocent of intending murder, but shouldn't he tell everyone?

Dumbledore gives Harry a whole speech on "sometimes, you do a very bad thing, after doing a series of very bad things, and somebody dies, and it might have even been you who killed your sister er Draco, then what you have to do is live the rest of your life knowing this and never tell a fucking soul."

Harry's still very :/ about this but then Dumbledore reminds him "Harry, you have shit to do". Harry has to defeat Voldemort, sending Harry to Azkaban for an unintended death, tragic as it is, is only a boon to Voldemort and the Death Eaters. It accomplishes nothing. Moreover, no one wants the Boy Who Lived to have murdered a young boy in Hogwarts. Like it or not, Harry, you're a symbol and right now the hope of the wizarding world rests on your head. If Harry Potter murdered a boy, then the wizarding world will lose everything they ever held hope in and the war will have been lost before it could even begin.

Harry's punishment will be having to live with this for the rest of his life.

This also sets Harry off again, as this is more or less what Scrimgeour told him a few months prior: that Harry, as a symbol, owes it to the people to bolster their spirits through propaganda. Harry doesn't want to be a symbol! He isn't a symbol!

And here Dumbledore has to admit what he... really... didn't want to. Harry, he knew Draco was trying to assassinate him. Cue Harry's shocked Pikachu face. But Dumbledore admits he's been fully aware of every single attempt Draco has ever made, but did not intervene because to do so would be to have Draco and his family executed by the Dark Lord. Dumbledore was hoping Draco would come to Dumbledore of his own accord for protection for him and his mother. Now, because of this... a few... students... may have been hurt and now Draco himself is dead in an entirely preventable manner.

But why didn't he tell Harry?!

Really wasn't your fucking business, Harry.

But if Harry had known--

Harry, you would have either a) acted extremely suspicious as you suddenly stopped harassing Draco out of nowhere for no reason or b) crowed to the rooftops that Draco really is a Death Eater and caused him to become even more desperate.

Harry has now completely forgotten that propaganda bit and is livid that, yet again, Dumbledore didn't fucking trust him with anything and this is just his fifth year all over again. And every time he tried to tell Dumbledore that something was wrong, Dumbledore was internally laughing in his face.

And here, Harry had been so anxious and horrified, when it turns out he'd just killed a fucking Death Eater. Just like he'd thought.

(Dumbledore acknowledges this pep talk could be going better...)

Regardless, with a final, "er, don't do anything stupid and I hope you've understood all of this", Dumbledore sends him back to bed and tells him all will be well.

After the Meeting

And all is...

Not well.

It's true, the Ministry doesn't come for him. The Prophet releases an article that Draco Malfoy suffered a horrible fatal accident, he was eaten by--plants! Evil plants! That's why his face is so cut up (and I imagine new damage was done to the body, by a very pissed off Snape, who now has to cover for fucking Harry Potter's murders).

Harry realizes that everyone fully suspects him of the murder, and they're clearly avoiding him, but no one's accusing him outright. But this is more or less what happened in canon when Draco had only been attacked.

Harry's very pissed about this, and probably has come around to believing "well, it wasn't intentional, and he might as well have been eaten by plants, and he was a Death Eater anyway, so I did no wrong". Though he agrees the book was bad idea.

As a result--

Harry probably still ends up in his Ginny fling.

He's also invited Horcrux hunting, with the same result, only the key difference here is that Draco hasn't let Death Eaters into the castle. The wardrobe was never finished and Rosmerta is no longer under the Imperius.

So, Harry reluctantly instead has to take Dumbledore to Snape, and he's very upset about this as Snape also, clearly, knew what Draco was up to the entire time and Harry still doesn't trust him even if Dumbledore thinks he was giving him everything.

"I'm dying again, tee-hee" Dumbledore says to Snape, and Snape just looks at Harry and--on the one hand, Dumbledore probably did this to himself, on the other hand, how big is Harry's body count going to become.

Snape throws Harry out of his office.

Now, what happens next depends how lethal that green juice really was.

If Snape knows Dumbledore's organs are melting and there's nothing he can do to stop it, then Snape's got a problem. See, Dumbledore wants the wand to pass on to someone unexpected. Specifically, he wanted it to go to Draco, with Snape taking the fall. Well, Draco's dead. On the other hand, if Snape just lets Dumbledore die of poison... does Voldemort get the wand because he brewed it and placed it there? Snape, in that case, hating everything, has to kill Dumbledore himself and then come out "woops, he died of poison", with Harry immediately suspecting (rightly so) that Snape killed him and telling the entire fucking castle "SNAPE KILLED DUMBLEDORE", even though Snape's been covering for his sorry ass for weeks. The difference being that this time, Snape's cover isn't blown so he just sits there and takes it.

(Another irony being that Harry was the one who went out with Dumbledore under mysterious circumstances, where Dumbledore returned clearly poisoned, and now it sounds like he's shifting the blame onto someone else after Harry is already rumored to have brutally killed Draco Malfoy.

But this was also in canon, as Harry was shocked and appalled that, a few weeks later, Harry was being openly suspected and to be arrested for the murder of Albus Dumbledore.)

If Dumbledore survives--I imagine he's even more cursed looking than before, and is very sad as he thinks about all the Horcruxes left to go. "Dumbledore, do you want to put a more effective plan in action and actually tell anyone anything?" No. No, he doesn't. He's just going to continue to pretend he's going to live forever (and Voldemort, I imagine, finds this too hilarious to do anything about. This sad old man just keeps getting more and more feeble with every passing day. What happened to "death is the next great adventure?")

Deathly Hallows and Beyond

If Dumbledore dies, then Deathly Hallows likely still happens relatively unchanged. Harry breaks things off with Ginny, decides Snape is the devil, and realizes that he has to leave Hogwarts to hunt Horcruxes. Ron and Hermione offer to go with him.

Snape still feeds him information, but has a much easier time of it as the Order doesn't think he's a traitor for all Harry keeps shouting it from the rooftops.

Snape likely still gets killed by Voldemort who realizes "oh, you probably killed him in his final moments, lol lol lol, eat him Nagini." Harry may or may not be there to see his final memories and realize "Oh, I am a Horcrux" and go to the woods to die.

Afterwards--Narcissa won't be covering for Harry, as Harry fucking murdered her son, but that could just mean that he and Voldemort get into their final duel before the Great Hall and that the curse just rebounds in the woods. Though Voldemort may just choose to knock Harry out, pretend he's dead, then imprison him, or have Bellatrix do it.

But it's possible canon just happens as it does.

If Dumbledore survives, Harry goes to Hogwarts for his seventh year where he and Dumbledore continue to review weird memories and occasionally, Harry gets to go Horcrux hunting with him. Occasionally, being only after Dumbledore has scoped out said location, decided there's a Horcrux there, figured out most of the traps, and so on.

Dumbledore also investigates the RAB thing (because who fucking got there before them?!) but, depending on if Harry remembers seeing that locket in Grimmuald Place, may or may not lead them to Kreacher. Though perhaps they'll see Umbridge wearing the locket around her neck.

And Harry harasses Snape as often as he can, telling Snape he's guilty of everything. Snape just reminds him, "I covered up your murder, bitch" which Harry does not appreciate.

Voldemort still tours Europe trying to get a wand that can end Harry, and eventually concludes "Oh, Dumbledore has it" and then comes to Hogwarts to finish the man himself once and for all. And then Dumbledore starts sweating because... he's in bad shape, Tom now knows, but if Dumbledore has someone else kill him first then Tom will know to find that person, or kills himself because Tom is coming for him then does it default to Tom being his murderer? Oh boy.

"Um, Harry, kill me, take this wand, and run."

[marlsswrites]

Summer camp AU, part 30!!

July 30th <3

Enter - @jegulus-microfic - words: 1275

First part Previous part

The night sky was a beautiful blossoming colour of dark blue, the stars shone almost as bright as James Potter's eyes right now. The constellations stood out in the sky, it was loud, busy, sweaty - everything Regulus hated. Whenever something got too much, Regulus would just tip his head to the sky and trace the flowing, sharp edged shapes through the sheet of ever dark silk.

Parties weren't exactly Regulus' forte, but there wasn't too many people here, and he knew most of them. Still, it didn't stop him from taking a few breaths, in and out, look up, breathe out.

He nursed a plastic cup of whatever soft drink had been spiked with vodka, he'd taken a cup to quench his thirst, but it smelled far too sweet and tasted like straight vodka with the amount that had been added.

There it is, he admired the sparkling orbs in the sky, the Leo constellation. His star was a part of it, the constellation took the form of a lion. Regal, fierce, brave and loving, people have always told him that the lion reflects his personality, but he's not so sure. A lion to him is sunny, protective, strong yet sweet, sharp yet soft. Doesn't that remind you of someone?

The thought dashed through his head, the singular mention of James that made his mind spiral and his leg bounce up and down as he leant against the cold, wooden wall outside the cabin.

One glimpse of that face, all he needed was that, just to see the brunettes face. On thought, he hadn't seem him in a while, he'd disappeared from the party about an hour ago. None of his friends seemed to notice, or even care. That set off a whole new string of worries in his head, one side of him hissed at him to stay put, to not worry so much, to act normal for once. What if James thinks he's being clingy, what if he's with a girl? Because of course Regulus just wasn't enough, he didn't quite meet the standards that someone had to hold to be with a man such as James Potter. 

The other side was screaming at him to go, to find him, to check on him and make sure his James was alright. The thought that he was hurt, pained, upset - anything that wiped that smile away from his gorgeous, light filled face - was something that clearly doesn't deserve to walk this earth.

He took a long swig from his drink, the burning in his throat taking away from the rotten flood that was his mind. Then he pushed himself away from the wall, placed the almost empty cup into one of his friends hands - he doesn't quite recall who - and shot off towards his cabin.

-

Within enter, he saw James curled up on the bed, book in hand and tired eyes. Normally he has so much energy, he always has smiling cheeks and crinkled, loving eyes. But now those eyes seemed to glaze lazily over the book, his cheeks no longer looking warm, Regulus always imagined they'd be warm under his icy fingers that would trace his skin with touch as light as a shivering ghost.

"James?" He shut the door with a quiet click behind him.

As if in an instant, James' tired eyes, which were now alight with curiosity, lifted up from his book - it was actually Regulus' book - oh god no. That was Regulus' book, the one he'd made notes in, his copy of 'The Song Of Achilles'. He'd made specific notes in the book about James, about how much Achilles reminded him of the brunette. When the two shared their first kiss in the book, the tear wrenching, forbidden, heart breaking love story, he could rant for hours about that is what he longed to have with James.

A sad, beautiful, tragic love affair.

He wanted to be graced with a happy ending, but knowing his luck, he'll get pushed to second choice, like he has been his entire life. 

Not quite good enough.

'He's half my soul as the poets say.' 

Is he though?

"How much of that have you read?" He managed to get out, surprised that he could even open his mouth in his mortified state. His feet stayed glued to the floor, still light enough to run if he felt the need to. He hovered there, staring at James with such fright in his eyes while the older boy only put the book down slowly and stood from the bed.

He never got an answer from James, the next few moments felt so fast, so quick, so blurred, yet the memory would be tattooed in it's full, beautiful, alluring details behind his wide eyes until the day that he goes to his grave.

Hot lips were pressed against his own parted ones, eyelashes fluttered against his concerningly hot cheeks, warm, raspy breaths broke through his ears and his eyes fluttered shut under the comfort of strong hands curling around his waist and tracing patterns into the bare skin of his waist with skilled fingers.

Regulus reached one hand into his very favourite brunette hair, weaving the soft hair through his almost trembling hands. His other hand came up to the boys now smiling face, oh thank the gods he was smiling, Regulus would burn the entire world down just to keep James looking at him. Just like that, all the time. His perfect hands, the hands that seemed to fit around Regulus' waist like that was their only purpose, to hold Regulus, to protect him, to keep him safe, to touch and feel and love and admire.

His face was warm, flushed and smiling under his sweet touch.

Oh.

He really was just made for Regulus, all of those long lost fantasies he ran over and over in his head came to be true and far better than he could've ever imagined. They really did fit together like jigsaw pieces, two very stark different pieces, yet they fit, and it worked ever so well. Everything was playing through his mind like a movie, everything finally worked his way, he finally got the one thing that he'd ever desired.

His hands looped around James' neck, pulling him closer into him as James' comforting, healing, safe scent surrounded him. The other boy steadied himself as he took a few steps forward, caging Regulus between slightly tattooed, tanned arms and the wooden surface behind his bag. 

Tongues collided, breaths mixed, hands fumbled and groans echoed. Both taking breaths for air, but keeping their hands on each other the entire time. One of James' hands always stayed planted on Regulus' waist, gripping onto it as if somebody was going to steal him, as if Regulus wasn't always his.

"I'm yours." Regulus reassured him with a quiet, low whisper.

That was all it took for James to moan, dipping his head back downwards to kiss Regulus, now rough and desperate, needy and lustful - and Regulus loved it. All of the sounds he made, all of the touches and the praise that spilled from James' mouth as they kept within inches of each other.

The same hands that he has always longed to touch him, hooked under his legs, lifting him from the floor as he automatically looped his legs around James' waist, kissing his neck and whispering every sinful thought he had into the other mans ear. While being pulled away from the door and towards the same bed that they would watch movies on every single night, he couldn't help but smile into James' lips as he released a hot, heavy breath.

All of those nights he longed for more, and now he finally had it.

Next and final part

[writingsfrombeyondthegrave]

The Tears of The Damned

Dennis Rafkin x Fem!Ghost!Reader

Warnings- Reader committed S*icide, ghosts, kidnapping souls, detailed descriptions of death(nothing too graphic), panic attacks, angst, cursing, non-canon reader insert (obviously), no happy ending (will be a happy/bittersweet ending if I do a part 2), blood

A/N- I never post the authors note before the fic but please PLEASE seek help if you're depressed. You are loved and worthy of living <3. I want to see you strive.

The Crickets were the loudest thing heard on the empty street. Dennis sat in a parked car, overlooking his next job location. He hated this more than anything, scoping out the area to report back to his boss. The dense forest obscured the view of the bridge beyond.

The tortured souls he helped capture for money weighed heavily on his conscience. It was wrong, but living on the street with constant migraines caused by spirits outweighed his guilt.

The bridge stood still, the wind seemingly avoiding the area at all costs tonight. It was deathly silent, and even the wildlife seemed to be absent.

There was nothing out of the ordinary about the bridge, except for the tragic event that happened in 1944. A young woman plummeted to her death, and there were stories about her crying at the dead of night. The town of Warrington stood domestically, without issues except for this one blemish on its otherwise clean slate.

His stomach twisted, and he swore that he could hear something in the water below. Splashing, wailing, crying out in pain. Opening the car door to check it out for himself, he slowly made his way out. The instant his shoe hit the cobblestone path, it went silent again. Maybe it was just his imagination.

The hairs standing on end at the back of his neck were definitely not imagined, though. His body reacted as if being hunted by an unseen force. The atmosphere shifted around him, whether it was a warning to leave or hesitance to the new soul trespassing in the area, he didn’t know.

Locals in the town warned him on his way up the mountain.

“I swear I feel the urge to jump off that damned bridge every time I hike there”

“She was so helpless, poor dear.”

“The kids in town think she might’ve been pregnant. Maybe the father killed her”

The townspeople’s words echoed inside his head like alarms bells. Rumors, that’s all they really were. He didn’t need to know anything about the ghost, just that she was here. The less he knows the better.

After a few deep breaths, he gained the courage to move towards the bridge. The old wooden boards creaked beneath his weight. The beams overhead swung dangerously as if threatening to cause him harm.

His movements were slow and precise, trying not to set off the balance of everything around him. With his hands firmly secured in his pockets, he moved over to the railing and peaked over the edge.

The water below was eerily still, not a disturbance in sight. Confusion racked him as he stared aimlessly, trying to find anything that could have made those noises. While leaning over the railing, his hand graced the wooden post.

Racked with a searing pain, Dennis threw his head back towards the night sky as visions plagued him. They moved by fast, fractured, and barely any valuable information came to him.

There was screaming, crying, and anxiety squeezed his heart in a death grip as his heart threatened to break through his fragile rib cage. The visions made no sense at first, but he felt his body move on its own.

He was sprinting, determination rushing through him as he ran towards the railing. He jumped off and suddenly he jolted back into the position he was in prior. He hadn’t moved at all, instead firmly planted at the railing, looking over the edge.

The vision showed him the perspective of the ghost. The anxiety, the fear, the anger, it must’ve been what she felt before she jumped.

In his peripheral vision, a flash of a blue gown glittered up from within the water. But when he turned to track it, it was gone.

A few moments passed as he tried to regain his composure. Before he wanted no part in knowing what happened here, but now he was more than invested.

After going back and forth with his thoughts, he finally decided to speak. “Show me” Dennis whispered under his breath, closing his eyes. His head hung low as he kept his breathing as steady as possible.

A chilled hand caressed his cheek with the lightest touch but it was enough to send him back into another vision. The young woman stood in front of him a few feet further down the bridge, taking a few steps back as if to gain momentum. She hesitated, gripping the edge of her powder blue nightgown tightly between her fists.

Dennis looked closer at her face and saw fresh tears cascading down her soft cheeks. Her body racked with sobs as she contemplated her fate. She was shaking, and for a moment he even felt the urge to reach out and comfort the spirit. But this wasn’t happening now, he knew he wasn’t there when it happened, so he remained frozen in place, not interfering.

Her head turned to look down the path. Her blurry gaze looked right through him, and for once he felt what the spirits might feel every day. Why did he want to be seen by her?

Seemingly making up her mind, she threw down the edges of her gown once more and sprinted towards the railing, leaping off and into the water.

He expected to hear the water first, but instead heard a sickening crack. Hesitantly he made his way to the railing, daring to look at what had become of her.

Her spine cracked in the middle of her back, draping her body in an uncomfortable position on the jagged rocks she collided with. Half of her body was submerged in the unforgiving waves, eventually sweeping her fully into its depths.

He came to and panted. His skin slicked with a cold sweat as he looked in every direction. Tears slipped from the corners of his eyes as he frantically patted his right pocket for his prescribed medicine. It fell to the ground with a light clink, the pills spilled out of the container, rolling between the cracks of the floorboards and into the water below.

It was tragic having the only comfort in his life washed away from his grasp. Especially in the midst of a raging panic attack brewing deep within him. His heart once more pounded against his rib cage and he clutched his shirt in his fist, dropping to his knees.

A figure approached from his left, but went unnoticed through his tears. Turning his eyes to look at the ground beside him, a single pill remained unmoving on the ground. He could’ve sworn they had all been wasted and gone.

“Why?” A breathless whisper from his cracked lips. Not speaking to anyone in particular as he picked up the pill and placed it in his shaky palm.

The wind hushed him comfortingly as it went past, the first calm feeling of the night washing over him as he looked up to see he was once more alone on the bridge.

The team arrived on scene in heaps. The night before was quiet, and at one point Dennis would've even called it slightly peaceful, despite the events. This, however, was chaos.

Trucks drove without regard onto the previously barren path and men piled out of them with determination. Shouting of directions was heard as Cyrus Kriticos waved his hand in the direction of the bridge. An authoritative aura surrounded him.

"I want men at the bottom of the river and up on the bridge. We leave no room for the ghost to escape, do you understand me? I won't accept any mistakes!"

Dennis arrived a moment after, looking around the area cautiously. "What's with the extra help? I told you this would be an easy catch"

Cyrus turned to him with a raised brow, completely disregarding his words. "I told you to be here on time. You may be valuable to me but that doesn't mean you get an exception in tardiness."

He let out an awkward laugh, clearly intimidated by the man Infront of him. "I needed a refill on my meds, you see I-"

Cyrus groaned and turned around. "I never asked to hear about your issues. Just do your job and keep those mind-altering drugs of yours out of it, I need you ready for this, understand?"

All he could muster in reply was a nod of his head, not willing to overstep and lose this job. Once a safe few feet away from the working men and his boss, he took a deep breath before putting on the clear glasses. The only way he could see the spirits clearly. All of the other workers already wore them, along with Cyrus himself. Closing his eyes, he felt out your energy by placing his palm firmly against the wood of the old bridge.

In return he felt...nothing. It was so quiet in fact that he feared you might've moved on overnight. But then he heard it in the distance, the quiet sobbing coming from below the bridge. Making his way down the narrow rocky path to underneath the bridge he spotted you.

Flashes of your figure beamed in and out of his sight. Your hunched over frame sat underneath the bridge in the dark corner. Your nightgown stuck to you, dripping against the dirt as your hair hung wetly Infront of your eyes in strands. He supposed this was the only spot to hide from the prying eyes of everyone here.

Somehow despite this, he found himself in awe of you. Your beauty transcended, even past death. For a split second he regretted taking this job in the first place. He let out a deep sigh, alerting you of his presence.

Your eyes widened in fear, beginning to stand up to leave quickly. Only then did he realize the obscure curvature of your spine. It twisted backwards, which made sense considering how you landed on the rocks. Even still, he thought nothing of it as he searched for your face. His hands raised in defense to show he meant no harm.

Your torso swayed unnaturally as you moved to cover yourself, hands clutching your hips as you backed further into the darkness. "Traitor"

The words echoed in his mind like a scratched tape recording. It was breathy and barely audible but luckily, he heard it.

"Traitor? No, I'm just doing my job" He tried to defend himself, waving his hand up towards where the men gathered on the bridge.

"Sellout" you spit out with the same scratchy tone as before. Your words, though hurtful to him, made him much less anxious than he had been on the previous jobs he works with Cyrus. This seemed different. No other spirits ever bothered to communicate with him. Hell, most of them tried to kill him.

You weren't violent like the others, and he found himself contemplating his next move. Again, the guilt crept into his heart, tightening around it like a vise. The banging of the men working overhead seemed to startle you as you took a step further back. For a moment he feared you'd flee completely or vanish.

"Wait! let me help you, alright? Spirits are sometimes connected to objects. If I can find yours, I can get you out of here." Dennis managed a smile, slowly lowering his hands back to his sides.

A long moment of silence passed between you both. You analyzed his every move to find any ounce of a lie behind his gaze. Seemingly finding none, you slowly moved over to the side, arms wrapped tightly around your broken midsection. A gentle tilt of your head led his gaze to a thorny rose bush.

Twisted deep in the stems was a small gleam from the reflected moonlight. Easily missed if one didn't know where to look. He got closer and surprisingly you didn't move far from where you stood. Your eyes tracked him like a hawk as he moved to kneel by the bush.

The pants bunched at his knees quickly absorbed the mud from the wet earth beneath him. Reaching into the bush, he flinched as the thorns cut into his flesh. Still, he prevailed in his mission and got the object out from its confines. Opening his bloody palm to inspect it finally, he discovered that it was a small golden heart locket. It seemed rusted at the hinges through years of neglect and constant flowing water from the stream.

Dennis looked up from the locket and his eyes crinkled with confusion as he looked around and realized that you had once more, vanished from sight.

After coming back up to the top of the bridge, he stood alongside Cyrus with his arms crossed. He hated the amount of guilt that had gained exponentially by that point. It hurt him to go along with this still.

The large glass enclosure being lowered by the crane hit the ground with a loud thud, dusting the entire area around it in a thick cloud.

Like clockwork the Latin words spoke through the speaker from the truck. It tore you from your hiding place, and you were pulled violently towards the noise. Fear instantly came back, and fresh tears gathered in your eyes.

An ear-splitting scream erupted from your lips as your legs moved on their own towards the containment unit. Your nails clawed at your dress, trying to gain composure over yourself once more. Your ghostly form enslaved to the cryptic language being spoken into the air.

The workers covered their ears, their eyes squinted in pain as many of them tried to get as far away from the noise as possible.

Your eyes landed on Dennis, and he actually shivered at the hateful gaze you sent his way. Your screams continued to echo as you were forced into the glass box by the workers who chanted loudly to capture you between their stances. The room you had to move slowly grew lesser and lesser as you walked backwards. You tried swatting at one of the men, actually managing to tear through his shirt. Your fighting stopped momentarily as your back hit the inside of the cage.

Turning frantically around to look at what you hit, the doors suddenly closed, locking you inside firmly.

"NO!" You yelled, banging your fists over and over against the glass. "I TRUSTED YOU!"

Dennis felt tears begin to form as he watched your form. Your aggression slowly turned to sobs as you dropped to your knees, clutching your gown. "I trusted you" You whispered, far breathier and more exhausted than he had ever heard in his life. Finally looking down at the glass floor beneath you, you cried softly.

"I guess we won't be needing this after all" Cyrus lifted an old worn letter between his fingers.

"What is that exactly?"

"I was going to use it as a trigger object to lure her out. Took it from that abandoned house over on Old Mill rd. Can you believe they sent a letter to inform her of her husband's death in the war?" He had the audacity to laugh as if the story was an old joke between friends. "Didn't have the decency to do it in person, I guess. How pathetic he must've been"

Your eyes darkened at that comment, a moment of anger settling deep between your bones. How could someone be so heartless?

A/N- Now I know damn well this won't see the light of day for many people but that doesn't lessen my love for this movie at all. It has a special place in my heart. Again, please do not take the warnings at the beginning lightly. I know that S*icide is a serious trigger and I don't want to offend anyone in any way. I care about each and every single one of you very deeply.

If by some way this does get a bit of attention, I am very willing to do a part 2 where the reader is brought back to the mansion.

Also, yes, I am working on the other Fics, this one just plagued my dreams in the dead of night, and I had to write it

Taglist- @zeroisreallygood @mirage018

Credit:

Black drip Divider - @saradika

Green forest divider- @firefly-graphics

Header- Me

[changbeansss]

The weight of forever

Pairings : Lee Know x reader

Genre : Angst

Warnings : Mentions of break up, refusal and running away

The evening air was crisp and cold, the kind that hinted at the first whispers of winter. Minho had planned everything meticulously. The restaurant's ambiance was perfect, filled with the soft hum of conversations and the gentle clinking of glasses. Candles flickered on each table, casting a warm glow that made everything seem ethereal. He held onto the small velvet box in his pocket, feeling its weight with every heartbeat. Tonight was the night he would ask you to marry him.

You sat across from him, trying to focus on the present moment, but your thoughts were clouded with self-doubt. The weight of your insecurities felt unbearable. You loved Minho deeply, but the idea of forever with him seemed like a dream you didn't deserve. You were convinced that he deserved someone better, someone who could match his brilliance in every way.

Minho reached across the table, taking your hand in his. "You okay?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern.

You forced a smile, nodding. "Yeah, just a bit overwhelmed, I guess."

The night wore on, and as dessert was served, Minho felt the nerves rise within him. He glanced around the room, making sure everything was perfect. When he looked back at you, he saw the flicker of something in your eyes—hesitation, perhaps even fear.

Taking a deep breath, he got down on one knee and pulled out the box. The restaurant fell silent, all eyes on the two of you. "Y/N," he began, his voice trembling slightly, "you are everything to me. I can't imagine my life without you. Will you marry me?"

Your heart shattered at the sight of him kneeling before you, love and hope shining in his eyes. You wanted to say yes, you wanted to believe that you were enough for him, but the doubts screamed louder. Tears welled up in your eyes as you shook your head, backing away.

"Minho, I... I can't," you whispered, your voice breaking. "I'm not good enough for you. You deserve someone better."

Confusion and hurt flashed across his face. "What are you talking about? You're more than enough for me. I love you."

But you couldn't stay. You turned and fled from the restaurant, leaving Minho kneeling there, broken and bewildered. Outside, the cold air hit your face, mingling with your tears. You ran until you couldn't breathe, collapsing onto a park bench as sobs wracked your body.

Minho was left in the restaurant, the ring still in his hand, the reality of your rejection sinking in. He returned home that night, the emptiness of the apartment suffocating. Every corner held a memory of you, every silence was filled with the ghost of your laughter.

Days turned into weeks, and both of you lived in a daze of heartache. Minho tried to move on, but the wound was too fresh, too deep. He threw himself into his work, trying to bury the pain, but nothing could fill the void you left behind.

As for you, the regret and guilt were constant companions. You had convinced yourself that leaving was the right choice, that you were sparing him from a life of disappointment. But the loneliness was unbearable, and the nights were the worst, filled with dreams of what could have been.

Months later, Minho heard through mutual friends that you had moved away, trying to start anew. He wished you the best, but the pain lingered, a dull ache that never truly went away. He often found himself wondering what might have happened if you had said yes, if you had believed in your worth.

In the end, your love story remained a tragic memory, a testament to what happens when fear and self-doubt overpower love. Both of you lived with the ghosts of what could have been, forever haunted by your decisions.

[thesnazzysharky]

Ranking the specimens based on how tragic they are (2/2)

Annnnd we're back! Make sure to check out part 1 before this one. Let's get right back to ranking some specimens.

12. Body Bag

For a long while, not much was known about this undead corpse. People had their guesses and theories about who this man previously was; such as some speculating that he could have possibly been a body builder or prisoner of war due to how oddly fit his body is for a corpse. But as for what killed him? The dent in his head could give some implications, but anything could have killed really.

He does have two lines of text that show up before you face him or get hit from him.

"Why did you leave your soul behind?"

"The worm feeds from you."

Assuming that the first line of text is a genuine question coming from him and that he mentions Ghost Cow (the worm) as a way of trying to warn the player. The implication is that he's being possessed by Ghost Cow like the other monsters, which does add some tragedy. Still, not a whole lot to work with here.

That is until a certain chandelure created a fan story for him which was later made canon. That story being that he was once an average dude who worked at 7/11. He seemed to be a pretty good guy, but unfortunately life is often unfair to those who are innocent. His job didn't pay him one day, his health insurance ran out, and he was destined to die due to living in the hellhole that is America and its non-free health care environment.

He then essentially attempted suicide by buying a body bog, crawling into it, and I guess just sitting there until he died from starvation or thirst. This attempt would be unsuccessful as the body bog he bought turned out to be parasitic and paranormal in nature. Making his body decompose, stripping him of any autonomy, yet still keeping him alive. A fate worse than death.

Even when he was found and brought to Karamari Hospital, he could not scream for help. He could not move. He couldn't do anything. So nobody was able to help or save him before he was thrown down in the morgue with the rest of the corpses. Where he would lay dormant there before being used as a puppet by Ghost Cow years later.

Ignoring the obviously silly aspects of the story, it is pretty damn sad. To see someone suffer a fate even though they clearly didn't deserve it is always painful. The fact that his first course of action was to kill himself after realizing he was doomed once his health insurance ran out doesn't help matters and I wouldn't be surprised if something similar has happened in real life before.

Also the part where he can't scream for help once he arrives at the hospital? A specific fear of mine. That is fucked up and tragic. Although the silly parts of the story can undermine the horror and tragedy of it, I think the Body Bag deserves this place on the list.

11. Subject 5

You don't like starving do you? Of course you don't. Nobody does. It's uncomfortable, unpleasant, and when things get really bad? It's downright painful.

Now imagine starving daily and I mean 24/7. You try to eat and eat as much as you can, but it's never enough. It will never be enough. You're still hungry. You still feel empty. You're still in pain. Sounds like a living hell right? That's what Subject 5 has to go through. Subject 5's death screen is pretty easy to understand and tells us everything we need to know. While it was in its test tube, it dreamed of being free from it. It wanted to see what the outside world was like. It was a curious creature that hoped that one day it could learn more about its environment. But once it was free and broke out? It was no longer being fed food from its tube. So it began to starve... constantly.

Subject 5 is just an animal. A scared and confused animal in either a great amount of discomfort or pain. Its freedom turned out to be a curse as its constant hunger would never be satisfied now that it was free. This is probably why the creature stays in the mansion. In the mansion there is an infinite amount of rooms. Plenty of wood, stone, and other materials that it could snack on. Maybe not the best meal, but it's something. Because if it made it out into the wild? It would have starved to death either from either not being able to find enough food or overeating its prey and leaving it in a foodless environment.

These creatures, as there are three of them, will never experience the joy of exploring the world they live in and they never will. They'll forever be stuck in the mansion. Constantly hungry and in misery.

All of that just from one single death screen. Jesus... I think we're starting to enter the "just downright depressing" territory...

10. Gel

Once a human who through unknown means encountered a strange green substance that took over their body. A note that was written by this victim goes into some detail.

"Spouting, Splashing, Soaking. Innards, Ingest, Invoking. Nailing, Never, Stops the Choking"

As described in this note and in its death screen, the Gel absorbs you into itself, which is a very painful and horrifying process. But it doesn't fully kill you by doing this. You're presumably still conscious and most likely in a great amount misery or pain while being trapped within in it. Another fate worse than death scenario here.

The real unnerving part is that it's implied that there are multiple people within Gel as it states "We are one but I am many...". The death quote is presumably coming not from one of the many victims within Gel, but the green substance, the actual specimen, itself. implying that it's sapient to some degree.

Around 100 people are in there. In a hivemind that they did not want to be apart of. Do they hear the voices of all the others? Can they even hear or speak while inside Gel? One of Gel's voice lines sounds like someone within it is trying to say "let me out!". It seems these people can try to call for help, but can't do anything besides that, as the slime they're trapped in is the main one in control.

Gel is an odd case as not much is known about him compared to other specimens, which does bring him down a bit. He still makes it pretty high on this list as the note and death quote does give us enough to work with and it is tragic and unnerving.

9. Deer Lord

Similar to Body Bag, Deer Lord originally was pretty cool but otherwise pretty unknown when it came to what his origins were. Luckily Lost in Vivo was released and explained some things.

He was once a young boy who lived in a poor and struggling family. His family could not find any good or affordable food, so out of desperation, they prayed and called out to Bayagototh. Bayagototh responded by giving them an infinite amount of trees made out of meat, but in exchange, took away the boy from his family. Later being turned into what he is now.

The boy was taken away from his family and had his humanity stripped away from him. The worst part? Some lines of text in his death screens in both the main game and Dollhouse show us what was going through the boy's mind while transforming into his current deer form. Perhaps implying that he still remembers his past humanity in one way or another.

"And I saw, from eyes that were not mine.

And I felt, with a fear I could not reason."

The boy waking up and being filled with fear upon realizing the body he woke up in is completely different.

"And as I slept, and as I grew.

Something stirred, both root and sinew.

I cannot eat, nor can I starve."

The boy getting used to his new body.

"A face on the great tree did I carve.

It spoke to me, it whispered things.

It demands more life, demands more rings."

The boy, now known as Deer Lord, grew to become a great asset in Bayagototh's eyes. Whispering things in the demigod's ear, wanting the him to bring them more victims that he absorbed into his torso. Making him their obedient and excellent servant.

That is all Deer Lord's existence comes to. Serving for some sort of demonic entity instead of being a kid who enjoys playing games or spending time with his family. Does make you question how much free will Deer Lord has exactly.

It also makes you question if Deer Lord even remembers his family. If he does, did he ever try going back to them? Or did he not try due to the fear of no longer being seen as a son to his parents and instead as a horrific monster? No answer to these questions, but it's still pretty sad to think about.

The only thing that could hold Deer Lord back a bit is that he does kill people. Or rather puts them in fate worse than death scenario. Although it is implied he only targets those with and/or a history of aggressive behavior. That and considering the last line in his death screen in Dollhouse, he may be killing others out of obligation more than anything. Doesn't exactly make it better, but there is some reasoning to it.

Either way, I think Deer Lord deserves his spot on this list.

8. The Old Man

What at first seems like some random psycho residing in Specimen 12, turns out to be a pretty depressing character in SJSM. One of the most indepth characters in the game in fact.

The notes in Specimen 12 tell us a story of a man who wandered into the paranormal structure; thinking it was a resting place. He unfortunately ends up falling into the paranormal mansion's schemes. Becoming delusional, paranoid, and soon to be violent. As he runs away and hides from the mansion's previous host, he then comes to the conclusion that he'll kill his stalker so that he can finally be safe and at peace.

He unknowingly doomed himself by doing this. Now he was the mansion's new host and became the exact thing that he was trying to run away from.

We get to know more about this man in Endless Mode. Originally a vlogger who wanted to explore the mansion for his urban exploration channel, only to find himself permanently stuck there. Which adds even more tragedy to his situation. Especially considering that he seemed to be a pretty chill and relaxed dude before we see how paranoid and scared he was in the notes we find in Specimen 12.

The Old Man is parallel to the protagonist. Both went to the mansion to fill their interests. Both wield weapons that they obtained from Deer Lord's forest. Both can end up turning into paranoid, mindless, ruthless monsters if they end up falling into their madness and delusion. The Old Man is a warning to the protagonist about what they could become. Considering that he was a vlogger that ran his own channel, the Old Man most likely wasn't always an old man. He was once a young man, just like what is implied to be the case with the protagonist. A dude who just wanted to share some urban exploration videos to the world because that was his passion. But now he's stuck in the mansion. A mansion within said mansion nonetheless. He has grown old, lost all of his free will, and has become a monster through no choice of his own.

It's awful to think about what his family and the fans of his channel must have felt when he suddenly disappeared one day. Even more awful to think that thousands of people have met a similar fate to him. Really reminds you of just how horrifying and sad it would be to be trapped within the mansion. Not even because of all the monsters that will be chasing and trying to kill you, but because of how much mental damage you would receive just from being in a situation like that. To the point that your mind will break altogether.

7. The Parasite

This is an interesting one. Because the tragedy doesn't exactly come from the specimen itself, but through other elements. Because the specimen itself is obviously downright malicious at worst or just an animal acting on instinct at best. Similar to Gel in a way.

There is one thing that the Parasite represents: Sheer and utter dread and hopelessness.

While in the old GL Labs, you read about an unfortunate GL Assistant who succumbed to this thing. Left in an abandoned facility, frantically trying tear off the parasite as it spreads over their body, all to no avail. There was no chance of escape the moment they came into contact with it. They only thing they could do was leave behind a note warning the next victim. You can't outrun the Parasite. You have to stay close to it.

That brings me to its chase theme. "Getting there", as some have described it, is downright dreadful, hopeless, and depressing. I would save this for a post where I talk about the soundtracks of SJSM, but I might as well talk about what comes to my mind when I hear this soundtrack to drive in my point.

This soundtrack is exactly what I would imagine when you take the word "hopeless" and put it into a track. I imagine this is what was going through the GL Assistant's head as their body was being taken over by the Parasite. Trying to scratch and claw the thing off, only hurting themselves in the process, and soon realizing that there really is no escape from this thing. Dropping to their knees and silently crying to themselves as they accept that there's nothing they can do.

Another thing I imagine is that this is what is going through the protagonist's head upon seeing the creature and having to keep away from it while keeping it close at the same time. A mix between disgust and fear of having to even look at the alien thing and sorrow for the worker who turned into that. They hate what they're looking at, they fear that they could succumb to the same dreadful fate that the assistant went through, but they have to keep it close. Otherwise? They're dead.

Finally, its death screen. Specifically what the binary code states which translates to this.

"You are more than just an animal.

Use the soul you've been given.

And be responsible for your actions."

This could represent 2 things. 1. This is the protagonists fading humanity trying to reach out to them. To no avail, as the Parasite has already taken full effect, thus it comes out in binary code that the protagonist can't understand. 2. This is the previous victim of the Parasite trying to reach out to you, again, to no avail for the same reasons I stated before. Both options are sad. This specimen is just fucked up really.

6 & 5. The Husks and Woormy Charles

I think it's easy to understand why these guys are so high on the list. They're literal children.

Not just that, but these poor kids were stripped of their afterlife, forced to inhabit small and lifeless dolls against their will, were treated terribly in unethical experimentation, punished through inflicted pressure to keep them "in check", and weren't even seen as people by the workers who kidnapped them. And when GL Labs didn't have a use for them anymore? They were just abandoned and left to rot in the Dollhouse.

Woormy Charles rubs some salt in the wound by his note informing us just how much the workers at GL Labs were assholes. He was summoned and kept in a doll, but he broke out of it due to trying to stretch in it and finding it to be too small for him. Instead of just leaving the guy alone or try to give him a bigger doll to inhabit, they just tried the same thing over and over again, leading to more discomfort and pain for Charles. Eventually they chose to lock him behind a steel door, not wanting to deal with him. Disgusting and sad shit.

To add some more tragedy to Charles, it's implied by his death screen, particularly the lines "From these small holes the tendrils of bone finally escape. You are finally free of this constricted bag of flesh." that Charles kills you out of wanting to help you. Making the misunderstanding that you're trapped within a small body just like him. Even in his pain and discomfort, he's a precious little guy who doesn't mind trying to help others, even if his "help" results in unintentional death.

Everything about the Husks and Woormy Charles is sad. Imagine being a child who died early in their life. That's already depressing and sad enough, but at the very least you get to have some peace in afterlife. An afterlife where these kids got to spend some time with their ancestors presumably. That is until suddenly you wake up one day and you're in a strange facility surrounded by people you don't recognize. You're back on Earth, but you're stuck as a helpless doll now. A doll that can and will be used like an object and nothing else.

The concept of having you're afterlife taken away is such a unique and horrifying concept that I'm honestly disappointed that the dlc didn't expand or address it more. These kids most likely already suffered enough from whatever caused their deaths and no longer being able to live with their still living family and now they have to suffer again.

4. Hooked Doll

Everything that I just said prior also applies to Hooked Doll. Although she may have had it even worse. As the quote from her death screen goes into depth about what she went through.

"A 'wicked nasty' child was thrown into a pit.

No food, light or water was ever given to it.

Punishment was dealt, without mercy or hesitation.

As if justified by faith, or ownership from creation.

It was no righteous act, it was hellish, demon sent.

Eventually all will find out, in eternal torment."

It's pretty clear that this is mentioning the Hooked Doll directly. She was punished by being thrown down into the root cellar where she had hooks inserted into her as punishment for being a "wicked nasty" child. With the ones abusing her having no hesitation or guilt about it as the dolls are not "real people".

This traumatized and caused severe pain to the girl and turned her into a dangerous being as a result. The fact that "wicked nasty" is in quotation marks in the original quote implies that she wasn't all that bad as the GL Labs workers thought. She was abused and traumatized for some petty shit most likely. Making it all the more worse. Just horrible.

3. The Hanged Man

This poor guy. He was originally a regular patient at Karamari Hospital and from what we learn from one of Dr. Hamada's notes, he suffered from depression. Something that became worse when he learned about his terminal disease and how he was destined to die.

Things would only become worse once Ghost Cow popped up in the hospital and started possessing the doctors and nurses. The man's antidepressants would be cancelled and he would later be given doses of hallucinogenics which worsened his depression even more and made him become constantly paranoid.

At some point he would end up in the secret laboratory where he most likely went through more pain and torment, through experimentation, before finally committing suicide. That wouldn't end his hell however. Not one bit.

Being the awful hellspawn he is, Ghost Cow did something petty. He just... didn't allow the man to die.

As implied by these two hidden quotes, not only is the man forced to be kept alive by Ghost Cow, but he's fully aware that he's being controlled too. Unfortunately being unable to do anything about it.

The quotes shown above even seem to suggest that the man takes part of self harm or self cannibalism; since Ghost Cow enjoys and feeds off the self inflicted pain and torture the man is doing to himself. Getting a kick out of the man not being able to die despite their attempts at doing so.

This makes the encounter you have with him in the secret laboratory all the more sadder. Like the other monsters, he's not even in control of his own actions. He most likely wouldn't have harmed the player at all if it weren't for Ghost Cow puppeteering him.

The Hanged Man tells the story of a guy who was already having it pretty horrible in life. He was going to die soon thanks to his disease after all. Although it doesn't exactly make things better, he at the very least would be able to achieve peace in death. That and maybe right before his death he would have those he cares dearly about surrounding and comforting him. People that he would never forget even after being trapped infinite loop of suffering. His family.

But he couldn't even have that. He couldn't even enjoy an eternal sleep. He couldn't catch a break. Instead he would be tormented and toyed with. Despite his desperate attempt at suicide, Ghost Cow just brought him back, so he could played around with over and over again. In eternal suffering. If that doesn't sound like a horrifying and depressing living hell, then I don't know what does.

The Hanged Man and the kids mentioned prior are very close to each other in terms of how tragic they are and could easily swap places depending on how you look at it. The Hanged Man gets put just slightly higher than them for me because at least the kids don't have the deal with a demonic entity controlling them, leading to uncontrollable self harm, all while being unable to end the agonizing pain.

2. Baby Face

One of the most bizarre creatures in the game. Yet at the same time one of the most tragic.

Doesn't seem like there's much to talk about on the surface, but there is a very fucked up realization you'll have when picking up one single but major clue. "Old Experiments" is the theme that plays in the secret laboratory in Karamari Hospital. It seems to be more or less associated with Baby Face specifically; as this theme is heard in its Endless Mode chase in the OG version of SJSM.

The title of the theme explains everything you need to know. Baby Face was once an infant who was horrifically experimented on by Ghost Cow. Even if we don't know what experiments the infant went through, let alone how the end of those experiments resulted in the creation of that floating head in a cube thing; we do know that it most likely wasn't pretty or quick.

This is Ghost Cow we're talking about. The same monster who possessed staff and made them kill their patients, tortured a victim of depression, and did all of that with a grin on his face.

An infant. Not even a child. A literal infant who possibly couldn't even walk or talk ended up in the hands of that thing. The thought of it alone and what Ghost Cow could have did in those experiments is incredibly disturbing.

Yet it's still alive as seen ingame... presumably. Rotting down in a basement. Crying and wailing, most likely in pain and misery, to parents that it will never be able to hold it ever again.

1. Taker

TW: Mentions and descriptions of murder, torture, and rape. This is real life stuff we're going to be talking about here and what happened all those years ago was beyond awful. Just a heads up. Similar to how nobody was surprised at seeing Ghost Cow at the bottom of the list, I'm sure nobody is surprised that Taker is at the very top of this list. For some very good reasons.

Through an easter egg, the game pretty much tells you exactly what Taker's deal is.

Unit 731, directed by Shirō Ishii, and where the most horrific, awful, and downright disgusting war crimes you could imagine were committed during WW2. Unit 731 and the other unit locations associated with it have committed all of, but not limited to, the listed atrocities such as...

Use of biological and chemical warfare. Such as the use of rats and fleas infected with diseases which then were spread over Chinese cities (and they were even planning to attack the west coast of the United States with this warfare). Killing thousands. Contaminated food would be developed and used as well.

Victims ranging from the usual man and woman, to literal children, babies, and pregnant woman, were all subjected to the confined walls and cells of Unit 731 and the experiments within it. Where they either faced death or were in a great amount of pain and misery afterwards. Some children in question even grew up and spent most of their lives inside Unit 731, infected with diseases. And when they did die and had no use anymore? Their corpses were incinerated.

Speaking of those experiments, they included things like dangerous or lethal injections, dehydration, starvation, the draining of blood, standard and biological weapons testing, pressure chambers, gas chambers, crushing, burning, electrocution, injection of animal blood or seawater, spinning until death, organ harvesting, removal and reattachment of limbs, and vivisection.

Whenever victims were vivisected, they were not under any anesthetic. So when they were cut open? They felt every bit of it.

Frostbite experiments where victims were taken outside in cold weather and had their limbs frozen from being dipped in water. Ice was chipped away afterwards so the area could be further studied. Sometimes victims would just be thrown out naked in the cold until they died.

Forcing victims into having sex with each other so diseases could be transmitted. Said victims were later vivisected after infection.

Rape was common to force female victims to become pregnant. Children of these rape victims were presumably killed after birth or aborted. Once again to test how diseases like syphilis worked. Even then, rape would usually be committed for no real purpose by the staff other than being bored and having time to kill.

After WW2 ended, the "people" behind these experiments tried to cover their tracks by getting rid of all of their victims and any other evidence. These prisoners were killed either through injection, poisoned food, gas, guns, or being given the option of suicide. Thus there were no survivors and around 14,000 people were killed. Most likely a bit more if we take account of the other unit facilities.

Their prisoners were completely dehumanized. Often being referred to as "logs" and even the facilities they were trapped in were called "log cabins". Originating from a morbid joke among staff due to the cover up story for Unit 731 being a regular lumber mill. Doesn't help that they were also referred to as nothing more than "monkeys" in some of the journals of the "researchers" there.

Even the staff working at these facilities weren't safe. Sometimes they would get sick with the diseases they were trying to experiment with. When that happened? It was off to the operating table where they would be cut open, with no anesthetic, and would experience excruciating pain before dying just like everyone else. The people working in these facilities truly were uncaring, sadistic, and downright demonic, even to their coworkers.

Completely nightmare fuel inducing shit, as you can see. This gives a lot of tragic depth to Taker.

Firstly, the fact that Taker was once a regular human being who even had to go through that horrific shit at all. Being locked in a small cell, being dehumanized, hearing the screams of others, being deprived of food and water, most likely going through severe depression, experiencing agonizing pain before dying through experimentation, ect. Only to become the odd clay being that he currently is now afterwards. Now far removed from being human anymore.

Secondly, the fact that Taker wouldn't even be able to have some peace and quiet after he escaped from Unit 731. He had ran all the to Russia and was "hiding", as CAT-DOS puts it, inside an abandoned farmhouse. Presumably, he was hiding himself away from the world and wanted to be left completely alone. Most likely just wanting to have some kind of peace after all the trauma he experienced. But he couldn't even have that thanks to GL Labs. The most awful thing about his capture from GL Labs was that he was basically going through the same thing again. He had been taken from what he most likely viewed as his home, again. He was put into a science facility where he had little freedom and was under the control of the scientists working there, again. And he would be killed (at least temporarily) when he no longer had any use to the ones trying to control him, again.

Even if GL Labs isn't as disgustingly atrocious as Unit 731, it still is pretty fucking bad (remember the dolls?). One could only imagine the amount of PTSD or burning rage Taker felt once he realized he had ended up in the same position twice.

This is most likely why Taker was very hard to contain for GL Labs to the point where they temporarily killed him altogether. He really didn't want to be there and made multiple attempts at escape.

This brings me to my final point about Taker. What is his motive exactly? Well, he just wants to be human again. Or at least something close to one. He stalks the player the moment they go through the first door. Waiting for the moment where he can "take" them. He wants to "take the dead to take the dead...", as in he wants to take dead bodies so he can take more dead bodies. The final result being having his human body and powers back. So that way he can escape the mansion for good.

At the end of the game, Taker isn't able to succeed in his plan of taking the player, but he does find enough mass from corpses that we can see him absorbing before the start of his boss fight. He can finally try to make his escape, once he deals with and finishes off the pest in front of him.

He unfortunately never achieves such a thing though. Dying in all of the endings. At the very least, the good ending of the Dollhouse DLC implies that he can finally rest in peace. Still, everything I have stated prior about Taker is heartbreaking.

With that wrapped up, I do want to mention 3 more things about Unit 731. Part because I just think they're interesting and part because I think they add all the more to the tragedy behind Taker

1. Unit 731 was ultimately pointless

Whenever Unit 731 is brought up, some people like to point out that "yeah everything that went down there was horrible, but the science we gained is very important!" This is not true.

Frostbite or the "humans are made up of 60-70% water" thing is brought up for example, but it's generally agreed that a lot of the "science" and "research" done by Unit 731 was useless and unprofessional. The unit simply lacked adequate scientific and engineering foundations.

This most likely has to do with Unit 731 focusing mostly on bioweapons and chemical research that they could use for warfare than any real "science". Though it also has to do with a lot of the "research" at Unit 731 being done out of curiosity/sadism. A professor who watched footage of the experiments done at Unit 731 noted that "What medical purpose was served by performing and studying beheadings? None at all. That was just playing around. Professional people, too, like to play."

Was there maybe some findings from Unit 731 that were useful? Yes, but the large majority of it was either useless or could have been found out through more ethical means. Even the humans being made up of a specific percentage of water thing that people point to as being something that Unit 731 specifically discovered, has conflicting sources with how we found that out if you just do one simple Google search and some scrolling.

No matter how much you try to sugarcoat it, Unit 731 was just torture for the sake of torture. Nothing more. Those people died for nothing.

2. The war criminals behind these experiments were let go and didn't suffer any consequences

"Surely these researchers suffered some kind of punishment for what they did right?" Is what most would think upon hearing about Unit 731 at first. It seemed like that was going to be the case at first, but nope. The demented pricks were granted immunity by the government of the United States. Why? Because they wanted their oh so useful research of course!

These guys, including Shirō Ishii who was behind the whole thing, then went on to live pretty regular lives. Some however continued to perform unethical and atrocious human experiments, even receiving some secret funding from the U.S. government. A whole entire pound of salt dumped on the wide open wound there.

3. Japan's government has yet to apologize for or acknowledge Unit 731

Unit 731 and all of the other war crimes from Imperial Japan were, and still are, being treated as if they don't exist. Even when they are acknowledged in history books for example, they are very sugar coated and many details are left out.

It wasn't until 2002 when one of Japan's district courts acknowledged that, yes, Japan has done some very bad stuff in terms of Unit 731 and biological warfare. Since then though? Barely anything, if not, straight up nothing.

This is extremely bad for a simple reason. Why do history classes exist and why are they so important? So we don't repeat past mistakes and learn from those before our time who were much more flawed. What happens when history classes don't acknowledge an important part of history, or worse, sugarcoat or give misinformation about it? Mistakes are going to be repeated, people won't learn, and this will most likely create a snowball effect that will just get worse as time goes on.

The citizens of Japan either know very little or nothing at all about all of the horrible things Imperial Japan did during WW2. Instead of learning about these things and how they could not repeat them in the future; Japan's Government instead wants to put the idea of their country being heroic or being an unfortunate victim of WW2 (the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki for example) into the head of their citizens. No fault of the citizens of course, but it is absurd.

Japan wants to forget about its history and make others in the process also forget about it. The sad part? It's working. Not just with their citizens, but in general. If you go up to the average joe schmoe and ask them about Nazi Germany or the Holocaust they'll most likely go "Oh yeah! I know about them!". Ask them about Imperial Japan or Unit 731 however and you'll most likely be met with silent confusion.

It's interesting yet confusing. You would think Imperial Japan would talked about just as much as Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union when being used as an example of evil and what not to do, yet it seems like it's barely talked about. Even stranger how Japan is often idolized nowadays (to weird degrees) compared to Germany or Russia.

Everything about this is just fucked up, disgusting, and honestly frustrating. Past, present, future, it doesn't matter. It's just horrible.

Apologies for all the history talk, but I really wanted to drive in the point and make it clear on why Taker is at the very top of this list. Unlike all the specimens listed prior, who have tragic backstories, but said backstories are fictional, Taker's origins are based on real events. Real and awful events that to this day have an effect on this world.

Taker shows us how truly horrifying the world we live in can be. Sure, we don't live in a world with ghosts, strange monsters, or aliens looking to terrorize us; but we do live in a world with murderers, psychos, weirdos, and all the other deranged and creepy people you can think of that have some oddities going on in their mind.

Where are all the monsters in our world? They're all around you.

Conclusion

So um... yeah this took awhile lmao

I mean, I knew this would take awhile but damn.

I'm glad that I took my time with this though. This whole project was tiring at times but was still very fun! I'm glad with how this turned out. For now, I'm pretty satisfied with this ranking/tier list.

As for closing thoughts? Well, I will say this. A question that popped into my head while writing out all of this was "Y'know... what makes the specimens so likeable or unique compared to some other antagonists in horror media?". I'm sure many people will have many different answers to that question. For me personally, now that I'm done with this, I would say a factor that makes them likeable and interesting is this.

Often times in horror media the monster/monsters either have nothing explained about them or have a lot explanations and depth to them. If executed right, either option can be great and lead to interesting results. There's something that feels a bit different about the specimens though. They hit this middle ground that feels just right for me and makes them unique in my eyes.

Some information is given about the majority of the specimens in the form of CAT-DOS or notes, but the information given is just the right amount. You may know a few things about a certain specimen that make them stand out to you, but if you dig deeper and analyze the little details, you will come out looking at the specimen a bit differently. You can pinpoint and theorize certain things like what their motives are or why they behave in a certain way. Sometimes, you will view something about that specimen in a different way compared to others.

This is what make theorizing and analyzing these characters (and honestly just this game in general) so fun. Kira gave us some stuff that are made out to be pretty clear, but also some stuff that can be analyzed further or are interpretive by design. The universe of SJSM is like a sandbox. A good chunk of headcanons or theories can be made within it, but the sandbox isn't too big or deep to the point where it feels overwhelming or not fun like FNaF for example.

The specimens are interesting in that the game gives them character without explicitly giving them character... if that makes sense. It's this perfect middle ground between not knowing too much but not knowing too little either.

I don't know. I may just be yapping at this point lol. But I think it's interesting.

Anyways, thank you for reading! For my followers, I have a very small but important announcement that I'll be posting tomorrow, so stay on the lookout for that. Have a snazzy day peeps!

[charleecat-bat]

Horror/Slasher AU designs for Mighty, Matilda and Ray!

Mighty and Ray are ghosts, while Matilda is alive but is seen as a creepy and offputting girl or as a bad omen, as death seems to follow her—and that's mostly thanks to the two ghosts that are attached to her.

Some notes on the designs and then backstory below the cut:

-Mighty appears like this when 'calm' but when Angry, he appears like a large fiery almost demon like being. The gaping hole in his chest ignites into flames when he's angry, as well as his eyes and even develops horns along his shell. When he appears in a non-threatening look he takes a lot of punk rock sort of look. He doesn't know why he looks like this...

-Matilda actually dyes/paints her shell green. Her natural colour is brown. At first she chose to dress in all dark and gloomy emo clothes and now it's just all she has since sh'es constantly on the move and only could pack a few things.

-Ray's eyes are sunken in, and his tail is similar to what roadkill would look like. His Poncho is supposed to be similar to the flying squirrel skin and also like the typical sheet ghost look. He's also missing a shoe and his ear is almost torn off his head.

The backstory is very tragic but i'll try to keep it as short as possible.

The Armadillo siblings had a rough family life. In this AU, their mother wasn't around, and they had their awful father, who was a very abusive sheriff-type figure. He only really cared about his reputation, so while he'd act 'decent' in front of others, to the kids, he was abusive. Especially to Mighty, he and Mighty would frequently get into fights.Their father was the one man that Mighty would lose his temper at.

Their closest friend was a lone neighbourhood kid, Ray, who had a rough situation himself that mostly involved him being heavily neglected so he just wound up playing and wondering around alone. He and Matilda are actually the same age as teenagers but Ray's growth was stunted due to his neglect so he just looks smaller...

At some point, Ray just... vanished. He stopped showing up to hangout with the siblings and it got to a point even his family noticed. They found his body in the forest and assumed it was some accident despite the injuries looking suspicious. The real story of Rays death was that he was walking alone in the rain and was struck by a car, being driven by Mighty and Matilda's father. While it was unclear if it was an accident or a malicious act, his selfish act of dumping ray's body in the nearby woods instead of taking him to a hospital to get help still solidified his awfulness.

During this time of grief, Matilda started to see Ray around. At first she was scared but then would start trying to talk to him, and even try to convince Mighty of what she was being told. Mighty was reluctant to believe her but soon started to when she said details that seemed too specific to be made up... as well as weird happenings starting to occur.

Soon, though, another fight broke out in the Armadillo household. Matilda cowering a distance away while Mighty fought his father. Now, due to his position, of course, the father had a gun and would threaten them with it or even shoot close to them to scare them. This had become an unfortunate norm. This time, the fight was particularly bad, and Mighty had dared to try and take the gun off of him.

Everything froze when a loud bang was heard. The gun had gone off when their father had attempted to take it off of his son and accidentally pulled the trigger.

Before he could even say a single word, Mighty had already dropped to the floor, his eyes wide and bleeding badly through a hole in his chest. It was Matilda's screaming and cries that triggered their father in action and he fled to the phone while Matilda was left trying to help her brother despite not knowing what to do... the bleeding wouldn't stop and he was barely breathing. It wouldn't take long for him to go completely still.

Her brother was gone...

What put the nail in the coffin for her, though, was what her father did as a selfish attempt to cover his own precious reputation. He said Mighty did it to himself. A suicide, right in front of them. She was threatened to keep quiet, but that didn't stop her from letting her rage simmer quietly. Her only company was Ray's spirit, who stayed alongside her... and then it eventually hit her. If Ray had died and somehow returned to her, maybe her brother could do the same. But she couldn't leave it up to chance, she wanted to make sure it happened.

So then began Matildas obsessive research into the occult, including getting her hands on an old worn book.

And despite her inexperience in performing anything like the book asked, she tried anyway. She didn't care what happened at this point, all she knew was that she despised her father with all her heart and wanted the one member off her family back in her life. miraculously, it worked... but not like she intended.

Due to her inexperience, as far as she believes, Mighty had come back, but... he wasn't quite himself. He looked, scarier? Like Ray but he didn't appear just as how he died. He covered in spikes, a dark gaping hole in his chest. Fiery coloured eyes and sharp jagged teeth. He almost looked like a demon.

Matilda was scared of her course but what she tried had technically worked, she had her brother back... but something didn't feel right. Despite all this... he didn't seem angry at her, he looked more sad, or confused. And for that moment, it felt like everything might be okay.

And then her father showed up. Hearing that distant angry yell made the spirit of her brother contort in anger and his form started to change. Almost appearing demonic, the hole in his chest igniting a flame and his eyes doing a similar act. He appeared larger and more monsterous as he quickly went to attack him.

At first Matilda had no remorse, she hated her father and her brother was getting revenge.

But the coming bloodbath was too much for even her to bare. Not even her own brother was capable of something like that... not the one she knew. He would never do something like this spirit did, not even to their own father.

It scared her.

It went quiet again shortly. The fire spirit of her brother fading into the form he had before, no longer angry.

He could tell she was scared, he didn't understand why he did what he did. But he was just trying to protect his sister.

That night, she left, as shellshocked and scared as she was. She took her brothers hand and left that home.

And since then, she's been from town to town, trying to deal with these two spirits now attached to her and being her ghostly bodyguards. While she's happy she still has them... she can't help but be scared and stressed when the news gets around to towns that she seems to be an omen of death...

[senseandaccountability]

Sorry for a question out of nowhere but! Who are your favourite writers? What genre do you read the most? Do you have a favourite book of all time? I’m interested in my favourite fic writer’s faves! :)

Yay, more literature questions! I answered a related ask some months ago, but I am a librarian by trade after all, so I love to talk about these things and will try to rotate my faves a bit. Right now, for example, I’m reading a folkloristic book about the forest in Swedish mythology and culture, L’autre fille by Annie Ernaux and A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa.  I try to read from various genres all the time because it keeps the analytical skill going. And because the whole finding your genre is a trap when it comes to fiction, lol. The brain is not meant to be that narrow-minded in its scope, it wants to stretch. I just finished a very moving children's book about grief and friendship, for example, that absolutely made me cry because of how factually and devastatingly it painted the immense confusion after someone you love dies. And the gorgeous thing is that since this is aimed at kids, you can show grief as a huge owl that moves in. Just like that. It's blue and it doesn't say anything, but it doesn't want to harm you, either. It watches as you make coffee and forget that you only need to make coffee for one now. You can scream at the owl that it should go away, but it doesn't. It sits there, huge and blue, in your house. The nerve! You will have to find a way to co-exist with it. In time, it may shrink and you may think it disappears but it just takes on another shape and starts wearing your loved one's clothes and help you clean your house and one day, when the sun shines again, you open your door and find another person there, who asks if you maybe want to hang out for a while. And the owl nods.

One of my absolute favourite genres is any kind of collective novel, which is often a combination of two things I adore: proletarian literature and modernist fiction. Novels or series of novels telling the tale of a city or a war or the fates of a huge family through the ages, mmmm. I also enjoy narrative history - Peter Englund (see image above) is a very literary historian, writes beautifully about little slices of life during wartimes which is right up my alley. Other than that, I read a lot of literary fiction (whatever that is), poetry and a very specific genre of gothic/dark academia that’s best represented by the early novels of Carol Goodman, I guess. There are a lot of books like that but so very few I truly like. Crime works best for me when I listen to it and then I typically pick something easy-to-digest read by actors I enjoy listening to (unfortunately I’m picky and elitist when it comes to narration) but there is one Swedish crime author whose books I devour the moment they are released and that’s Christoffer Carlsson. Introspective broody angst about tiny rural places in Sweden during the 1980-90s, anyone? Yeah, it might not translate super well, I don't know. I love him. I also enjoy Tana French though I haven't read that many of her latest. I don't want spies or cool agents or high stakes or serial killers or international crime syndicates, I just want gritty bleak accidental violence or authors who use the crime format to tell a story about something else. One novel that I always kept putting on top of my favourites list back when I did those is Possession: A Romance by A.S Byatt. I read that one while studying literature at Uni so it meshed well with everything for me and for that reason I’m not sure I’d love the book as much now. I’ve never read anything else by Byatt that has moved me. Around that time I also read What a Carve Up! by Jonathan Coe and adored it, but same disclaimer for that. As a teen, I would have put Wuthering Heights there, for sure and I mean, a gothic novel about class and prejudice dressed as a tragic love story with ghosts, what's not to love?

And finally, two books that made me look at things differently after reading them. Giovanni's room hurts in my soul still, and I think I must have read everything I could find by Jean Rhys after she tore Mr Rochester a new one in Wide Sargasso Sea.

[salvadorbonaparte]

2023 in Films

I watched way too many films this year. Here are my opinions on some of them

January

Las Cosas Del Querer (1989) - Amazing if you love sad hot people and flamenco

Canadian Bacon (1995) - Incredibly silly and Alan Alda plays the US president

Nope (2022) - A highlight of the year

February

Hellraiser (1987) - This film is actually about miscommunication in this essay I will-

Predestination (2014) - Time Travel and Gender Moments

Malignant (2021) - Camp horror masterwork

Late Phases (2014) - Mediocre werewolf film with some really interesting comments on ageism, ableism, suburbia and religion

March

Sterne (1959) - Plays into some problematic stereotypes from today's perspective but revolutionary for its time, first German film to address the Holocaust

Major League (1989) - A film I only watched to confirm that it uses a weird phrase I also found in my thesis project

Carry On Screaming (1966) - Camp. Gay. Horror. Parody.

Glen or Glenda (1953) - A product of its time and no longer up to date in its understanding of gender but surprisingly revolutionary in its compassion and earnestness despite the bad reviews

April

Taxi Driver (1976) - Isn't it frustrating when annoying people tell you a film is good and then it's actually good?

June

Mr Deeds Goes To Town (1936) - Mr Deeds has autism swag

El Espíritu de la Colmena (1973) - I really wanted to like this because civil war era Spain and Frankenstein are super up my alley but unfortunately it was so much slower than expected

Das Boot (1981) - Very long and claustrophobic but holds up to the hype

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022) - RIP King

July

Nimona (2023) - His big wet eyes bewitched me

First Blood (1982) - You're telling me the film is about Americans fighting an enemy they view as simultaneously weak and dangerous, escalating the situation, and then sending more and more men into a rainforest to die through guerilla warfare after being warned again and again they can't win this? sounds familiar

Barbie (2023) - Insert a bunch of pink emojis

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) - Made me crave bagels

Jojo Rabbit (2019) - God I love war satires

Sweet Liberty (1986) - Alan Alda having fun and also using his own film as a therapy session

The Majestic (2001) - A rewatch but it's so tragically underrated, Jim Carrey is very good in dramatic roles and McCarthy-era media is like catnip for me

Joker (2019) - This is just Taxi Driver with extra steps

August

Tin & Tina (2023) - Probably one of the worst films I have seen in a while

Battle of the Sexes (2017) - I love women

Four Lions (2010) - The ending really got me, I love when satire gets serious

The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid (1979) - Can we talk about how the theme song is just going "I'm the sheriff" "yes you're the sheriff"

Happiness (1998) - Nauseating but in a "good film but what the fuck" way

They Call Him Bulldozer (1978) - Italian Lagaan

The Talented Mr Ripley (1999) - Sad and Gay

Twister (1996) - So much better than expected

Magnolia (1999) - Cloudy with a chance of frogs, a really long but really good film and I'm not entirely sure I got it

Doubt (2008) - Somehow I watched 5 films with Philip Seymour Hoffman that month because I was haunted by his ghost or something

September

The Terminal (2004) - I assumed this to be more of a classic romcom but the whole concept (based on a true story) is so terrifying and tragic that it made me feel all emotions at once

Apocalypse Now (1979) - I knew a lot of trivia about the film but for some reason I didn't know anything about the cast so every single actor was a surprise and made me go "!!!", Also I kinda wanna write an essay about it

October

Bloodbath at the House of Death (1984) - Some of the gay jokes absolutely killed me

Last Night in Soho (2021) - I'm Not Like the Other Girls to Time Travel Murder Nightmare Pipeline, actually I really enjoyed this one but it's also super silly

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) - How do you say poor little meow meow in gaeilge

The Menu (2022) - I go to the murder restaurant I order the beesechurger, I was super surprised there's no cannibalism but tbh that would have been low hanging fruit

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021) - Explains a lot about religion in the US, I love that she was pro lgbt, also I googled her ex husband and he has a prepper/survivalist thing going on now and scams more people

The Darjeeling Limited (2007) - we can't eat pray love ourselves out of this one boys

Holes (2003) - Hated the book as a teenager for school reasons but gave the film a try and really enjoyed it

Renfield (2023) - I expected werewolves but I enjoyed it nevertheless, My Chemical Romance is on the soundtrack, it's very silly, the effects are great

Interview with the Vampire (1994) - Oh people weren't lying about it being homoerotic

The Big Lebowski (1998) - I've had days that feel like that

November

Pappa ante Portas (1991) - Funnier now that I'm an adult, basically half the jokes my mum makes are from this film

The Meg 2: The Trench (2023) - I watched this while sick and really wanted to see a giant shark fight a giant octopus and boy did it deliver

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - Very nice animation style

JFK (1991) - I actually fell asleep halfway through because it's so long but can we talk about how this film is just A-listers but has some of the worst wigs and makeup I've seen

Bottoms (2023) - A spiritual sequel to Heathers

December

When Harry Met Sally (1989) - They deserve each other (derogatory) but that one restaurant scene was pretty funny

The Royal Nanny (2022) - one of the many Hallmark films my mum made me watch and this is perhaps the worst one, incredibly sexist even for a Hallmark film and they clearly mean Mi5 but say Mi7 which was a WW2 propaganda service? Also they really want me to believe there is a British prince called Colin and that he doesn't look like his family tree is a circle?

I forgot the title but there was also the one where two people get stuck in a time loop while trying to make a sponsored youtube video about baking and I didn't really pay attention much but man that was bad

[jisungsdaydreamer]

Ghost of You

«GENERAL M.LIST» · «NAVIGATION» · «TALK TO ME» · «TAGLIST»

SYNOPSIS He’s gone from your dimension now, but there’s nothing stopping him from finding his own world.

Pairing: Han Jisung x fem!reader Genre: angst, horror, supernatural au Warnings: swearing, death, brief depiction of murder, ghosts, betrayal, mentions of cheating Word Count: 1.3k

NOTE: Images are from this moodboard by the amazing @jinniebit

P.S. ♡ If you like my work, please consider giving me feedback in the form of reblogs, comments, and asks! ♡

Jisung doesn’t remember dying. 

The day it happened had been normal, like any other. He had woken up in the morning late, some time past noon, after another long night of staying up to finish a college term paper. He had scrolled through his phone while eating his makeshift breakfast of coffee and half a pack of M&Ms. He had hunted around for his keys for twenty minutes before realizing they were in his pocket the entire time and deciding to leave his criminally cramped apartment for a brief outing.

It was a sunny day, he remembers that. A rare respite from the unforgivingly frigid climate of his city, he had felt the rays of warmth kissing his cheeks and the gusts of gentle breeze ruffling his hair. Even thinking about everything going wrong in his life, from school to his relationship with you, as he did on walks like these, he could feel the stress melting away like the light sweat dampening his skin. There was nothing but him and the idyllic suburbia around him. 

He remembers being lost in his own thoughts, admiring the uniform rows of the prim little houses, the matching sets of leafy oak trees that adorned them, and the robin’s egg blue shade of the sky. He also remembers preparing to cross the street before he felt someone’s hands exerting pressure on his back, propelling him forward. He remembers the faint roar of the approaching engine above the unsuspecting beat of his frightened heart. He remembers getting the breath knocked out of him, the flash of searing pain, and then everything going black.

But he doesn’t remember dying. He can’t picture being surrounded by his friends and family, all of them there as he stills on his bed. He can’t collect the sensation of life slowly fading out of his limbs gnarled with age. He can’t collect the feeling of leaving with a smile on his face, content with a life long lived and loved. He can’t summon the idea of the death that he had always imagined he would meet, because he was never done. Jisung’s story was unfinished, cruelly ripped from him. And it would stay that way, a tragically youthful face of the past, never to have another word written about it.

The first thing Jisung does remember is how fucking cold it was. He had sat up on the sidewalk, knees drawn to his chest as he curiously watched the agitated scene unfold in front of him, the uncertain bystanders gathering around in some sort of spectacle and the paramedics arriving, shouting for everyone to get out of the way. Jisung was about to move aside to allow them room, before he realized that he didn’t have to. Because the rigid body being zipped up into a depressing black cover was his. The limp arm hanging out of the bag, before being tucked in, was his. The discarded pair of keys on the ground that no one paid any attention to was his. 

So he was dead now. Great.

Then he saw his best friend, screaming in horror and being held back by a neighbor, before being allowed to talk to the police officers that had appeared. The confusion Jisung initially felt upon seeing him dissolved into excruciating grief, the kind induced only by being stabbed in the back. Or rather, being pushed into a speeding bus by the man he once called his own brother.

Having heard enough of his lies, Jisung turned and walked away. He witnessed everyone in his life receive the news of his death— the shock, the crying, the collapses on the floor. But he didn’t feel particularly moved, because at least in death, he didn’t have to worry about all of the incoming deadlines, the stern and loveless family dinners he was forced to attend, and the calls that his merciless landlord kept spamming him with. And best of all, he didn’t have to be the unsuspecting idiot killed by his best friend. Instead, he could just be another friendly ghost watching the world turn without him.

But Jisung still carries a portion of the sentiment he lauded when he was alive, so that’s why he makes his way up the steps to the church. He enters the cemetery like the guest of honor he is, holding his head up high and strolling in with his arms folded expectantly. There’s the headstone framed with fucking gardenias, the one flower he was allergic to, freshly erected in front of the ditch where his coffin is being lowered into. He had always wished to be cremated, not buried in the ground as if in a crime, but then again, someone at his funeral did have a reason to feel guilty.

Jisung watches that person of interest, the sobbing Judas, the Brutus to his Caesar, deliver his eulogy. The lines are tasteful, poignant yet affectionate, as anyone would expect, but all Jisung can think of is how good of an actor his best friend is. He wants to be able to eat again, so he can hold a bucket of popcorn and enjoy the damn show. And then he sees you.

Beautiful as ever, you’re dressed in a black silk dress and a matching netting veil that does a crappy job of concealing your delicately contorted features. The large, expressive eyes that Jisung fell in love with are filled with tears, and the lips he’d kissed so many times are pressed into a tight line. And watching your misery, he almost forgives you for everything you had put him through, for all of the canceled dates that he painstakingly made time for, the unwarranted fights and emotional abuse, the failure that you constantly deemed him to be. He almost forgives you, but then his best friend pulls you aside during the reception indoors, taking it upon himself to comfort you in the darkened corridor where no one else strays. 

And what ample consolation it is, with its breathless whispers of relief and stifled sighs of sin fulfilled, and Jisung wonders if both his girlfriend and best friend missed their respective callings at drama school. He doesn’t stay there long, fucking off to find somewhere he doesn’t have to hear the two people he loved the most in his life gloat about making their fantastic getaway in cheating and murdering him.

Jisung leaves both that hallway and his shattered heart behind him, walking on. He blankly goes past all of the inconsequential people and problems in the world, meandering until he reaches the edge of a dense thicket. He recalls his childhood fears of the malevolent forest entities in his grandmother’s stories. But then he just laughs, a pure, hearty sound, because he’s dead. He has no reason to be afraid, because that’s the role of the living.

He steps into the forest with a new spring to his step; there’s no one else nearby for miles, but he feels no fatigue. As the brush around him grows even thicker when he passes through a strange shrine, Jisung feels a sudden chill spread throughout himself. He looks up to see numerous pale apparitions floating around him in the fog. 

Some of them look almost like people, while others are indiscernible, glowing shapes among the darkening trees. They do not approach him, but they do not disturb him either, merely alerting him of their presence. The iciness has faded into a strange warmth, a feeling of security, of home. For the first time in a long while, Jisung feels not so lonely, for these are his fellow tortured spirits, devastated specters, and longing phantoms. They are his kind, the beings with no belonging, the ones who traded the trials of being mortal for mortality. He has left his corporeal form, cast into this dimension for the spurned in-between. He has purpose here, in this forest of lost souls. And he shall stay here, dancing with the undead and gleefully awaiting the day when he’ll be able to exact his sinister revenge.

«GENERAL M.LIST» · «NAVIGATION» · «TALK TO ME» · «TAGLIST»

TAGLIST @hamburgers101 @chansburgah @hee0soo @ajxreads @anyamaris @hash2013 @pixigreen @ohish @ana-marais98 @chizumiyoshi @lilydaisyyy @jetblackbelle

©jisungsdaydreamer 2023 | All rights reserved. I do not condone translations or transfers of my work onto other platforms such as Wattpad, AO3, etc. Tumblr is my only platform. Acts of plagiarism are strictly prohibited.

[florawrites-blog]

Who you gonna call - ghost lovers enhyepn hyung line

sci-fi/romance/fantasy/ ghost x human - week one halloween sparkle

Story is mainly focused around heeseung and is written in story form

Heeseung, Jay, Jake, and Sunghoon had started their ghost-busting business with high hopes, but lately, business was failing miserably. Calls had dwindled, and the team had been sitting in their office for weeks without any major leads. But then, one late evening, the phone rang.

Jay picked up. His face lit up as he spoke. "Guys! There’s something big. A mansion on the outskirts of town… strange things have been happening there. Men go in, and they never come out the same. Someone said it’s the work of a ghost, a woman who seduces men and steals their souls."

It was the break they needed.

Within the hour, the four of them were geared up, their ghost-hunting equipment in tow. Radioactive sensors, thermal scanners, and containment units—they had it all. The mansion, shrouded in mist, stood tall and eerie against the moonlit sky. As they entered, a cold shiver ran down their spines. The atmosphere was heavy, almost alive, and the scent of old wood and forgotten memories filled the air.

“Stay sharp, guys,” Heeseung warned. They could feel it—the presence. Something was lurking, watching them.

They split up to cover more ground, each taking a different part of the mansion. Jay, always the tactical one, went to the basement. Jake explored the dining area. Sunghoon took the attic. And Heeseung… Heeseung headed to the main bedroom.

This bedroom had once belonged to the ghost, a woman who was brutally betrayed by a man she had loved. He had taken everything from her—her wealth, her trust, her life. Now, she roamed these halls, luring men with her beauty, only to drain their very souls.

As Heeseung stepped inside, he felt a strange pull. The room was eerily beautiful, frozen in time, with a massive bed and old vanity mirror. He sensed her before he saw her.

There she was—sitting by the vanity, combing her long hair, her figure bathed in soft moonlight. She looked human, almost too human. Her eyes, deep and sorrowful, locked with his, and for a moment, Heeseung forgot why he was there.

“You…” Her voice was soft, barely a whisper. “You remind me of someone.”

Heeseung couldn’t move. His heart pounded in his chest, not from fear, but from something else. She stood, slowly approaching him, her gaze never leaving his.

“I wasn’t always like this,” she said, sadness thick in her voice. “I was betrayed. I was used. But you… you’re different.”

Heeseung felt like he was in a trance, his mind clouded by her presence. For a split second, she didn’t seem like a ghost, but a woman—one who had been wronged, just like anyone else.

“You don’t have to fear me,” she whispered, her fingers gently grazing his arm. “I won’t hurt you.”

And he believed her. Somehow, in that moment, he knew he didn’t want to capture her. He didn’t want to see her vanish into the ghost traps they had prepared. But his mind screamed at him, reminding him of why he was there, who she really was.

Heeseung blinked, snapping out of it. "She’s not real. This is the ghost," he told himself, but something in him refused to let her go. So, when Jay’s voice crackled over the radio asking for a status update, Heeseung lied.

“Nothing here,” he said, his voice steady, even though his heart raced. “She’s not here.”

The others believed him. Jake, Jay, and Sunghoon scoured the mansion but found nothing. They eventually left, chalking it up to rumors and leaving Heeseung behind.

But Heeseung stayed.

Night after night, he would return to the mansion. He couldn’t explain why—there was just something about her. The more time he spent with her, the more he understood her pain, her loneliness. Each night, she would appear in human form, and they would talk. Heeseung found himself drawn to her in a way he had never expected, as if her tragic story had intertwined with his own.

Yet, Heeseung knew this couldn’t go on forever. The others would eventually catch on. And so came the day—the day the Ghostbusters were scheduled to return, to finish the job for real this time.

As the day approached, the ghost grew more distant, her eyes filled with sorrow whenever she looked at him.

“It’s time, isn’t it?” she whispered one night, as Heeseung sat beside her on the bed.

He nodded, though his heart clenched at the thought of losing her.

“I don’t want to go,” she confessed, her voice trembling. “But maybe it’s better this way. I’ve been here for so long… maybe I’m just holding on to nothing.”

Heeseung took her hand, his touch warm against the cold of her skin. “I’ll stop them,” he promised. “I’ll find a way.”

But they both knew it was impossible.

The final night came. Jay, Jake, and Sunghoon arrived at the mansion, ready for battle. Heeseung, conflicted, led them in, but his heart wasn’t in it. As they set up their equipment and prepared to capture her, Heeseung found her one last time in the bedroom.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

She smiled, a sad, knowing smile. “It’s okay. Maybe this is how it was always meant to end.”

And then, she disappeared into the shadows, leaving Heeseung standing alone in the cold, empty room.

When the team swept the house again, there was no sign of her. No ghost, no spirit. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

Heeseung never told the others what really happened that night. To them, it was just another failed mission. But deep down, he knew the truth.

And every so often, late at night, he would find himself standing outside that mansion, wondering if she was still there, waiting for him.

[heavenlytouches]

Kit Walker- nightmare realm

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

GN reader

<3 (SFW)

TW- sad-comfort (HAPPY END)

Kit Walker has nightmares :(

SECRET JOURNALIST! reader

Kit Walker

The corridor of Briarcliff Manor felt unearthly, its walls peeling with age and its shadows stretched long and menacing. You had ventured into the depths of the asylum under the pretense of an investigative journalist.

In truth, the overriding motive was curiosity and something akin to an internal pull. The rumors about Kit Walker circulated like wisps of ghost stories, and despite warnings etched in the eyes of those who knew him, you found yourself drawn to his tale.

The air was stale, infused with a scent of damp plaster and remnants of despair. You crept quietly past rows of heavy doors, each locking away some piece of tragic history.

As you walked, the echo of your footsteps felt like an intrusion—a reminder to the souls trapped inside their own private hells.

Then you heard it—a muffled sound, a plea lost in the void. It was haunting, resonating deep within you. You pressed your ear against one of the heavy doors.

That sound, a vulnerable whimper, ricocheted off the walls.

"Kit..."

You whispered to yourself, heart racing. The name was practically a spell, summoning you forward.

To your astonishment, the door to his cell creaked open, seemingly of its own accord. It wasn’t locked.

Everything inside you screamed for caution, but curiosity proved too strong a force. Stepping inside, you were greeted by the dim light filtering through the iron-barred window.

The atmosphere was suffocating—heavy with unspoken secrets and regret.

Kit lay thrashing on the small bed, trapped in the claws of a nightmare.

"No! Don’t—"

He shouted, voice laced with terror. Sweat glistened on his pale forehead, his disheveled hair sticking to his face. He looked tormented, and your heart broke at the sight.

You stepped closer, an overwhelming instinct to comfort washing over you.

"Kit. It’s me. It’s okay-"

You said softly, hoping the sound of your voice would pierce through the shadows suffocating him. But as you approached, the nightmare morphed into reality. His eyes snapped open, glassy and wild.

In that moment, it felt as if everything was suspended in time. Kit surged up from the bed, wide-eyed, ready to attack, driven by that primal fear he often portrayed—a fear triggered by the memories of violence that haunted him.

"No!"

You exclaimed, raising your hands in a gesture of peace.

“I’m not here to hurt you!”

He hesitated, eyes searching for a threat that wasn’t there. Recognition washed over him when he realized it was you, the faceless stranger who had dared to enter his world.

All at once, the feral edge faded from his expression. Kit crumpled back onto the bed, hands tangling in his hair, and you could hear the tremors of his despair.

“I… I thought it was her,.."

He whispered, voice breaking, despair pouring from him like a river’s overflow.

“I thought it was the thing that took her from me!”

You rushed to his side, instinct driving you to comfort him. This man, burdened by a weight no one else could understand, needed a lifeline.

“It’s okay. I’m here. You’re safe.”

Your voice was soothing, like a balm against the wounds of his past.

It felt surreal, kneeling beside him on the cold stone floor, torn between fear for your own safety and the instinct to hold him close. He looked so small, so lost. The bravado of his earlier fight drained from him, leaving behind a hollow shell wrapped in grief.

"I didn’t do it… I swear to you. I loved her.."

He murmured, desperation painting his words.

“They don’t believe me. Not anywhere.”

You could feel the tears pricking at your own eyes.

"I believe you, Kit. I believe you."

You said, leaning in closer, your heart aching at the fear displayed on his face. You rested a gentle hand on his back, and he flinched initially, but your touch seemed to diffuse some of the chaos swirling around him.

His body shook, and you watched helplessly as he broke down, tears finally spilling over.

This stricken man—the one rumored to be a killer, the one the world had turned its back on—was just a boy who had lost everything.

You wrapped your arms around him, allowing him to melt against you, creating a fragile sanctuary in the midst of madness.

“Why didn’t I save her?”

He gasped, voice muffled against your shoulder.

“Why didn’t I see it coming?”

You didn’t have the answers—to do so would be to delve into the realm of the unspeakable. But you held him tighter, sharing your warmth, a flicker of hope amid the despair of Briarcliff.

“You can’t blame yourself for what happened, Kit. You’re not a monster. The world is monstrous sometimes.”

His breath slowed, and silence wrapped around you both, a quiet comfort amidst the cacophony of the asylum.

The weight of your roles—journalist and accused—faded away in that moment, leaving only two souls navigating through the darkness together.

“What if I am?”

He murmured, a hint of vulnerability shivering through his voice.

You pulled back slightly, meeting his gaze.

“You’re not. You’re kind and frightened… just like the rest of us. This place makes it hard to be anything else.”

The words hung between you, tender and raw, and you could see a flicker of understanding in his eyes.

Time slipped away as you both remained there, cocooned in shared solace amidst the chaos.

It may have been a fleeting moment, a fragile connection in a cruel environment, but it shimmered with possibility—a promise to find truth, to heal, and perhaps, amid the shadows of a forsaken asylum, to find love.

In the depths of despair, a new chapter began, one that seemed impossible just moments before.

Together, you would confront the darkness, and perhaps, together, you would emerge into the light.

Whenever I watch AHS Asylum I just want to comfort Kit TwT I hope you liked it anyway <3

Don’t forget, requests are always open and I can write for any character you’d like!

I love you guys so much <33

El <3

(all images were made by: El via canva & paint)

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

So as I was just chilling being bored when all of a sudden it hit me. Soulmate aus are sweet and all, but what about a darker soulmate au? Here are the some I think would be most interesting + the pairing I'd want to see them used on (some are my own brain children, others are ones I mixed and matched with the a few I saw):

(Also there are NO LOOPHOLES here at all for those of you who are weak of will and like to try and find ways to weasel in a happy ending. That's right, I see you out there already concocting a bunch of would-be happily-ever-afters smh just let the people suffer.)

Soulmates share the same soul and this soul is split in two. However, souls must be whole, therefore one soulmate must kill the other before their 20th birthday or else both will die. I'm going Ao'nung and Rotxo for this one because HEAR ME OUT they are literally joined at the hip imagine the person you're closest to being the one you'll have to kill. Either them or Kiri and Spider.

Alternatively, soulmates share the same souls (again, split in two) but unlike the first one in this one after they touch each other for the first time they cannot be more than certain distance away from one another or else they will both die. For this one I'm thinking Norm and Tsu'tey because I say so. These two are so different I'm loving the potential. The whole Norm-is-a-human thing would be fun in this one because his avatar does not count. His soul is not moving anywhere, he's just controlling a system of nerves from inside a link.

I really liked this idea I saw about how your soulmate is actually your worst enemy and so I decided to tweak it to where not only are they your worst enemy but also the person you love and hate the most, and the irrational urge to kill them and protect them intensifies with age due to the soul's inability to tell emotions as powerful as love and hate apart with reliable accuracy. Romantic soulmates are nothing but a fairytale. I nominate Neteyam and Lo'ak for this one your honor, no questions asked. However, I also nominate Ao'nung and Tsireya. Both Neteyam and Tsireya are everything Lo'ak and Ao'nung aren not; everything they are compared to and can never be as good as. Love the potential for this one as well. Bonus points if the story chooses both pairs of siblings and each pair handles it differently with one ending up tragic and the other ending happily (or, staying closer to the theme, at least bitter-sweetly).

An au where you can dream your soulmate's memories, but only the memories in which they have killed someone or others are being killed. Neytiri and Jake for this one 100%. The idea of Neytiri screaming awake in the dead of night with Jake's memories of war back on earth still fresh in her mind. I love this especially because Jake is 22 before kyro (and I guess mentally still pretty much when he wakes up) which would make Neytiri around 12 at that time, so imagine the horror.

Soulmate au where a version of hanahaki disease does in fact exist, but only soulmates can catch it---and this is only if your soulmate hates you or does not love you to any extent after a certain amount of time, be it platonic or romantic. I'm feeling Tsu'tey and Jake for this one. This is another darker soulmate au that could have a happy ending, but where's the fun in that?

An au where there is no way to tell who your soulmate is unless one of you dies a horrible or unfortunate death. Suicides count. In honor of Ghost Neteyam, I raise my hand in favor of Neteyam and Spider for this one, but I'll also take some platonic soulmate Spider and Neytiri as well.

All people have more than one soulmate. On its own this is no big deal. However, the soul can only be split two ways. Soulmate groups must kill until there are only two of them left. I'll give this one to all of the locorro people out there. No particular reason. Just like the idea of Lo'ak and Spider having their Last Survivors moment. I'd also take some Jake/Tsu'tey/Neytiri or even the mind-bending Jake/Neytiri/Tonowari/Ronal thing I've seen every now and then. Interpret the circumstances in whatever way you want. Tsu'tey could be the lone survivor of his own soulmate battle after something went wrong who just kind of latches onto Jake (and platonically Neytiri); Ronal and Tonowari and Jake and Neytiri could be survivors of their own separate soulmate battles who find that there's been a glitch, who can say.

At birth all soulmate pairs are given all of their traits unevenly. Some of these traits or small like one getting all of the ability to see color while the other has to see in monochrome, or one being able to smell but the other not. However, sometimes it can be far worse, such as in our pairing's case: one being able to feel emotions and the other not, and one being able to feel physical sensations and the other not. For this one I'm thinking either Ao'nung and Rotxo (I think I may be entering an Ao'nung/Rotxo phase and I legit don't know why like there's no reason) or maybe Ao'nung and Neteyam (just to appease all of the aonete*?* people out there), but I also like the idea of it being platonic soulmates Neteyam and Tuk because why not.

And that's all for now, folks! Boredom Anon out.

Hey Boredom Anon, that's me trying to finagle the happy endings fuck off it's hurt/COMFORT not hurt/NO COMFORT in this house. This is pretty fucked up of you, okay. I'm thrilled we are still on our soulmate au shit, though. I'm swamped with edits for my final portfolios for my two workshop classes rn lol. I should give you all snippets but tweak them for Avatar :).

-Ao'nung and Rotxo is pretty fucking sad, bUT KIRI AND SPIDER? You can't convince me that Spider wouldn't be happily planning to die for Kiri his whole fucking life. He has a purpose and he's thrilled to fulfill it.

-I like the distance one because it does have some comedic elements. Norm and Tsu'tey get into an argument and they just have to sit as far as possible facing the other direction like glaring away from each other lol. Like, if this is the way the world is then people have probably adapted pretty well to handle it. I think I understand you correctly about it being Norm's human form that has to be close. This doesn't make full sense to me, because it seems like the soul is what transfers between bodies. If thats the case though, I would just assume that Norm would have to pass through the eye of Eywa pretty quick lol. I did immediately picture the image of them having sex with Norm's human body like in a corner cause we need that nearby and that made me cackle unreasonably I'm so sorry.

-Sibling pair angst I can totally get behind. I mean, one already did end tragically lol. I like the idea of things settling eventually for Ao'nung and Tsireya, but Neteyam dies before Lo'ak was able to work out their emotions. That is essentially the truth.

-Dream one is pretty good, I feel like it has such empath potential. Adult Neytiri then seeing Jake has been haunted by his memories of war trauma as much as he's been haunted by hers of Sylwanin's death. I think you've accidentally made them closer from the get go lol, because they See each other sooner. It would be hard not to talk about these things they've seen, and hard not to understand where the other is coming from when you've seen their most traumatic moments. I actually really love this one. @dinas-bracelet work it into the dream one.

-THE FUN IS IN THE COMFORT YOU SOCIOPATH. I wasn't going to rat you out for this but guys, Boredom Anon sent me three long asks in like less than an hour. Mhm, see, we all know now. I actually have never vibed with Hanahaki, it's one of the tropes I've learned about the latest in life. I love the Jake and Tsu'tey idea though. Jake would be the one to get it, because I don't think he ever hates Tsu'tey. I think he'd forbid Neytiri from telling Tsu'tey, and eventually she'd crack when he started to get really sick.

-I will get on board for Ghost Neteyam for this one because I am DETERMINED that Spider and Ghost Neteyam can have a happy ending, okay? I have yet to figure out how. But they can.

-This idea is like the fucking Hunger Games, dude. I'm picturing like a government conspiracy where thy say the soul can only be split two ways so they Hunger Games you and locorro, who've known and loved each other their whole lives, are determined to win. But everyone else in their group are so good as well, and idk, I'm thinking it's all a lie and the government just hates poly people. Doesn't want those soulmates too powerful, Sense8 style. Very tragic, very cool, we are writing our lgbtq rep dystopian novel rn.

-Lol we love an Ao'nung and Rotxo phase frfr. If you want it to be like a goddamn superpower mix it with those au's where they can take each others pain and injuries. Once they meet, they can swap sensations, right? Like they pass the colors back and forth, as well as pain and certain emotions. It's kind of creepy because it makes them like, not real people to an extent.

Anyways, always fun to discuss soulmate aus Boredom Anon. We all love you but fuck you for this one!

[darkyouthgentlemen]

arcane's final

Well, well, well... it’s the finale, and I’m not okay. Let’s break it down.

BE AWARE: SPOILERS AHEAD! (and srry for my english)

Ramblings about the last 3 episodes in the chronological order:

Vi seeing Lois as a Wander figure was gut-wrenching (especially considering what is going to happen in the last episode 😢)

Caitlyn’s brutality on Maddi oh ... for a moment I felt bad for her but as turned out, Catelyn's attitude got justified.

Jinx apologizing for C's mom? Meanwhile, Piltover soldiers — and Caitlyn herself — choose blood and felt that means justify the goal. The layers of moral grayness are SO much.

Jayce’s thinking: "Magic = Hextech = Arcane = Doom." Does he think all magic users are destined to destroy the world? And wait—could Mel somehow be tied to Arcane? (I’m spiraling.)

Powder/Jinx is the same across universes: pouring into others cups but never for themselves. Always feeling unworthy. It HURTS.

Silco hallucination: “Walking away” doesn’t HAVE to mean suicide, girl! And the glowing Hextech-blue eye? WHAT IF Silco is more than a hallucination—a ghost, maybe tied to the Arcane underworld? That scene gutted me. Silco comforting Jinx in his own twisted way even from underworld—I NEED TO BELIEVE THIS.

she just kept them there all this time…. Girl don’t close it!!!! you can do so much more

Viktor’s transformation into the Herald: it was terrifying. And overall this transition? From him wanting to create a perfect world, where the whole world being his some creepy doll-house and now he wants to eliminate the whole world.... it escalated pretty quickly (sure your lover not being very accepting of your new life direction and wanting to assasinate you isnt very motivating thing but still Viktor’s journey hauntingly tragic).

Oh and Zahnites’ epic entrance: ICONIC. It felt like there wasn't enough accent given to this moment or it can be my own feelings but still, it would hve been great to see more interactions about it. And Viktor’s entrance? Literal angelic imagery. His design is nightmare fuel in the best way.

Remember when Jinx dreamed of flying in the first episode? she made it evetually. Those days feel peaceful now

Sour Honey Iced Tea: What even was that?! Will it matter in the future? like getting your mind prepared to get wiped out? I NEED ANSWERS.

Ekko’s so much MC and the way writers implemented the time-travel ability was so beautiful. and those 4 seconds mattering so much in the finale.

I love the artists behind this design...

First time deing his eyes with the not-blurred pupil in forever, and he looks utterly shocked. My BABY

“Now all I want is my partner back.” Girl, I’m crying on the floor o(TヘTo).

"Why do you persist after everything Ive done?" his face is just

Victor and the Void: So the Void wasn’t manipulating him? It was all his choice?! or no??? a little confused by this part. But if it really was all Voctors choice the I guess friendship and forgiveness are a real thing that saved him? MY HEART.

Meanwhile, girls are in PTSD spiral. 💔

oh that hurt

Oh, and they DARED. Of course, they gave us another bittersweet trauma-filled father-daughter moment. Thanks for the tears.

Pretty much represents how we all felt at that moment

A season ago, who would have thought

In these series everyone's story gets to be told. You made it Singe,

What is this???

Caitlyn calling Jinx by her name? It’s a turning point for her and for us—an acknowledgment. Girls have a lot of stuff to do

I could keep screaming, but yeah. This finale hit like a freight train. Bittersweet, devastating, and absolutely perfect.... They are not going to leave us without any continuation, right???

[illegally-blind-and-deaf]

PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT THE AFFAIR WITH THE TEDDY BEAR I AM INTRIGUED

OK SO

It's a Tintin and Hercule Poirot crossover because we need our two Belgians with a thing for mysteries and weird hair features and excellent grey cells to come together and collaborate on solving a mystery.

What's even better is that we have absolutely no information on Tintin's backstory, other than he is Belgian. Zero, zilch, nyet, nada. None whatsoever.

Soooooo what if he was the son of important diplomats and government agents? What if they tragically died in a murder and house fire?

What if he survived?

What if the detective the Belgian police sent to solve the mystery was none other than the great Hercule Poirot?

And what happened when their paths cross, twelve years later?

My favourite scene is when the bellboy (the one with very blue eyes, but one of them is slightly more green,) is being questioned at a police station for having an important piece of evidence in his pocket, and he is promising that he would never, ever be involved in a murder because he hates murderers, but Inspector Japp doesn't believe him, so Poirot pulls out the little teddy bear... and the boy's eyes go wide, says some things that are spoilerrrrrs and then they realise they're been looking st this murder mystery from the wrong end and BOOM everything starts to for into place and it's time Poirot look at that case from 12 years ago that went cold.

He solves it, obviously.

Other fabourite scene is when Poirot is doing his dramatic "reveal the murderer thing" and he has the Teddy Bear retell the story from 12 years ago when the original murders occurred. (The voice of the teddy bear is actually Hubert Valentine who's death was staged because Hubert isn't his actual name and also he's the main target but that's literally what this story is about so um not saying any more because spoilers.) Then the lights go out and suddenly there's a figure in the window. He steps forwards, the sheer curtains blowing around him as he enters the moonlight where two scars (one on his forehead and the other on his neck) are apparent on his pale skin and everyone screams because IT'S THE GHOST OF HUBERT VALENTINE and Poirot asks who killed him and he looks at the murderer and points and everyone is going feral and the murderer is restrained by the police while Poirot turns on the lights and explains everything and Hubert is setting himself laughing at everyone's reactions

I have had many thoughts

Also, not that this will mean too much because you're not in the Tintin fandom, but the Chinese boy with a French accent is Chang Chong-Cheng. Why does he have a French accent? Because the person who helped him with English was also teaching him French at the same time and is also Belgian. So, do what you will with that

[breakaway71]

ANIJATP PLEASE

aaaaaaaahhhh I love this fic SO MUCH but I uuuuhhhh legitimately sort of forgot it existed until like a week ago when I found it on my flashdrive and was like DID I WRITE THIS IN A FEVER DREAM OR SOMETHING?? So this is my JATP/Animorphs crossover, which is mostly canon-compliant for both universes, except the Yeerk war ended more quietly than in the books, so they were still secret at the end. Essentially, Reggie was also an Animorph, getting caught up in it by virtue of being Marco's older cousin, who was visiting when Elfangor crashed in the construction site. The war ended, and a couple months later Reggie ate a bad hot dog and died anyway. (Yup I managed to make hot dog death even more ironic and tragic.) The story picks up post-S1, and Reggie is struggling because his friends still don't know his secret, and he also misses his other team and wants to know that they made it, that they're okay, that they recovered from the war and losing Rachel everything else that happened to them. Also I accidentally made it Marco/Ax :D snippet:

“Reg?” he hears from far away. “Dude, what’s wrong?”

“I…” Reggie shakes his head, coming back to himself all at once to find that he’s shaking all over, jaw clenched around a scream. “No, I’m, um. I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine,” Alex says, and Reggie turns to find him hovering at his other shoulder, looking worried.

“Bad dream,” Reggie mumbles, and can’t miss the look Luke and Alex exchange. Because, yeah, they’ve seen him zone out before, but it doesn’t happen to them. He doesn’t know if it’s a trauma thing or just a himthing, and honestly doesn’t want to know. “Look, it’s fine. I’m all good.” He tries for a smile and knows it falls short when Luke crowds in closer, reaching out to grab Reggie’s shoulders.

“Hey,” he says. “You know you can talk to us, right?”

Reggie just barely stops himself from snorting. Yeah, he can talk to them. He can tell them all his wartime trauma stories, and then wave goodbye as they cart him off to a rubber room for ghosts. Sounds fun.

“I…”

“Whatever stupid thing you’re about to say,” Alex says, “don’t.” He nudges Reggie’s side. “Come on, you think we didn’t notice all those times you disappeared on us? We knew something was going on. You don’t have to tell us what it was, but it’s obviously still bugging you, dude. We’re your best friends. We’ll listen if you want us to. You know that, right?”

Reggie shakes his head, not because he doesn’t know, and not because he doesn’t want to talk to them, but because he promised. Because even if he could tell them everything (and he can, he knows he can, they’re ghosts now and even if the Yeerks were still on Earth, his friends would be safe by default because they don’t have bodies to infest), he wouldn’t know where to start.

Once upon a time, I was visiting my cousin, and he and his best friend and a few other kids dragged me through this construction site on our way home from the mall. A dying alien crash landed his ship right in front of us, and suddenly playing bass with you guys wasn’t the most important thing in my world, no matter how much I still wanted it to be.

“I can’t…I…” Reggie swallows. In a much smaller voice, he says, “I promised. A long time ago.” It’s the only excuse he has. “I’m sorry.”

Another look is exchanged, but then Luke and Alex are hugging him, one on either side, and for a little while, that’s the only thing that matters.