#horror as I progress down the timeline

[arolesbianism]

I am rotating Light so hard in my head rn girlies who just straight up fucking torture ppl cause she can

[0809sysblings]

the council has assembled

@0809sysblings mentioning myself so I can reblog lol

the council has spoken

[redhoodinternaldialectical]

Every time I learn something new about Batman: War Games I lose my mind a little bit more cause just, just fuckin, look okay so here's the thing:

Stephanie Brown tries to implement a contingency plan of Bruce's just after he fires her from being Robin and because of that gets tortured to (almost) death and no one knows she survived.

THIS STORY RUNS IN THE NEWS:

So, you know, anyone who might be paying even half a fucking ounce of attention to news about ROBINS would definitely absolutely notice this!!!

And then very very soon afterwards Jason comes back and specifically targets Black Mask to ruin the criminal empire he tortured Stephanie to get

As a way to torment Bruce about the fact that he doesn't take care of the nastiest criminals and they continue killing people

And how Jason should have been the last to die

and SOMEHOW

these two things are in no way related and Jason has nothing to do with or say about Stephanie Brown, fellow Robin, fellow martyred soldier, fellow child dead due to Bruce related villains.

HOLY DEAD SIDEKICKS BATMAN, DO YOU COMPREHEND THE MAGNITUDE OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES HERE????

please walk with me down a timeline in which:

Lost Days Jason at first just tries to go after the Joker and can't because who he's really mad at is Bruce.

Then he sees Who Really Killed Stephanie Brown and the utter horror of another Robin dying on Bruce's watch (not just dying, but tortured to death!) is what convinces him to try to straight up kill Bruce via car bomb

Roman Sionis is no longer merely a tool against Batman, but another figure to demand vengeance be brought upon, another attempt to give Bruce a chance to right his wrongs and do what needs to be done

The confrontation with him and the Joker being all the more tragic due to how obvious Bruce's answer would have to be once Jason knows Bruce isn't going to avenge Stephanie either

Does Jason, once he escapes the rubble after UtRH is over, kill Black Mask anyways? Does he decide to avenge her himself? Or does he think that she too would demand that of Bruce, and find his death by a different hand unsatisfactory?

If he doesn't kill Black Mask, then when Steph is back, I feel confident he approaches her, tries to reach out to the other dead Robin, almost certainly makes the offer now that he can ask her. Does she take him up on it, gaining an ally and slipping into a far darker role? Does she instead refuse, either appealing to forgiveness or far more interestingly refusing both vengeance and forgiveness? How would Jason handle a refusal, which I gut instinct feel is more likely?

If he does kill Black Mask, then when Steph is back Jason drops his corpse at her feet like a loving housecat with a dead lizard and she has to grapple with her feelings about having someone really and truly avenge her!!! Like how DO you react to someone who you have been warned is wildly dangerous and mentally unstable coming up to you and saying, "I'm glad you're back, like me. I'm sorry you're back, like me. I made sure you could rest knowing he was dead, because I know what it feels like."

Like no matter how each character reacted to this happening there would be so much high stakes emotional shit to explore with both of them!! Revenge I feel like is such a pivotal thing for both characters, they mirror each other in so so many ways, they could be really interesting together if DC would just fucking let them!!!

Jason had a criminal father who he missed and wanted to avenge. Stephanie had a criminal father who she wanted vengeance on.

Jason started off as a fairly gentle soul who progressively became more violent and more hopeless as he was exposed to genuine horrors during his time as Robin. Stephanie starts off violent, angry and rash and finds her own courage and hope through her time as a crime fighter despite of the horrors she's been through.

Jason went to Africa and died there after Bruce failed to save him. Stephanie was taken to Africa via a fake death in order to save her from Bruce and the vigilante lifestyle.

I just...

There's just...

There's SO MUCH HERE I am genuinely fucking confused as to how this is not all deliberate?? And it's all just left on the cutting room floor because for no reason apparent to me they all just decided Stephanie and Jason were not gonna interact!

AAGHHHH!

[motherofdogs1010]

Letters to Juliet & Romeo I (Thomas Shelby x Reader)

Summary: Heartbroken and in the midst of the Great War as a nurse, Y/N L/N writes to a person she never expected to write to before... her brother's friend, Thomas Shelby... But the war's over now and it is time to face the letters...

Warnings: wartime angst, talks of wartime violence, pre-Peaky Blinder Tommy, soldier Tommy

Italics: content of the letters

A/N: Inspired by the movie 'Letters to Juliet', also there is no real timeline of when Tommy goes into the tunnels in France

January 1916, 2 Years into the Great War (WW1)

"L/N, you got a letter."

Looking up from the book she was reading, Y/N set it to the side as one of the soldiers came in, handing her a envelope that was a little dirty, had seen a little wear and tear but she recognized the hand writing on it.

She recognized his handwriting after months of writing to Tommy, Y/N remembered the first time she had written Tommy; it came after months of not hearing from her brother when he had left to France with the rest of the men in Small Heath. Y/N had made the decision to join in as a nurse with the Red Cross and maybe it was foolish, but she remembered the night before leaving on the train, when her nursing uniform was on her bed as the nerves were coursing through her that she grabbed a piece a paper and began to write.

Dear Thomas that letter began, she poured out everything about how Small Heath was, how she had signed up as a nurse and how she prayed she wouldn't find any of them in the camp hospital she was going to be. She had written how she barely had made the qualifications of being a nurse for the Red Cross with her just having turned 25 and such.

"Who keeps writing you, F/N?" one of her fellow nurses teased.

"Don't you know that's her boyfriend?" another responded.

"He's not my boyfriend", she denied, feeling a heat go through her.

"Sure he isn't."

The letters have begun as something innocent when Tommy had responded back to her first letter, she could sense the shock in his letter about her writing him but as the letters progressed, so did their relationship through their letters.

Opening the newest letter, Y/N felt a sense of anxiety in her as she remembered having had the courage to send Tommy a picture of her in her uniform; she remembered taking the picture once her training had been done, having donned the periwinkle, long-sleeve floor-length dress with the white apron that wrapped around her and went down to the ground. She had to tightly wrapped her back back into the white cap like habit.

A big red cross over the chest of her apron, she had sent the photo off with her letter and prayed that he didn't dislike it.

Reading the letter, she traced over his handwriting, feeling where he pressed hard on the paper as he wrote as she read how he found her to be beautiful in her photo.

You look even more beautiful than when I last saw you...

It made her heart clench as she saw how he wrote how he hid the photo in his service jacket from the others, that he didn't want them to see the lovely girl that kept writing him letters because he felt possessive over this same piece of heaven that was keeping him sane.

Y/N could picture Tommy in the trenches, covered in grime and dirt as he had to listen to the horrors of the wartime. She read how he longed for the war to be over, how he was fortunate enough to be with people that he knew, but he was terrified.

They're sending me to the underground soon. They want me and the others to be sappers, dig in the tunnels under No Man's Land

Y/N felt her heart drop at the prospect of Tommy going into the tunnels, having to dig with shovels under the handles broke and he would be forced to dig with his hands. She had seen some soldiers came in, having treated their hands for digging under the trenches and dealing with the explosives.

My only comfort is you, being able to bring the picture you sent me down in the ground where death might be waiting for me... the only thing that has gotten me through this damned war is you...

"Ladies, we got mass casualties coming in!" their head nurse shouted into the tent. "Look alive, ladies!"

Y/N tucked the newest letter into her pillowcase, knowing she was once again about to face the horrors of the war as she reminisced on Tommy's smile, she knew he smiled a lot.

But now, she had a feeling he didn't smile as much.

Dear Thomas,

I'm sure you're curious as to why you received a letter from B/N's litter sister. Frankly, I'm a little shocked I'm writing to you, I've not heard from my brother no matter the amount of letters I've sent.

That was how the first letter started, Tommy sometimes would re-read the letter when he couldn't sleep amongst the noises of screaming soldiers and anxiety.

"Shelby, ya girl's sent another letter", one of his fellow soldiers said as he held out a envelope.

Tommy grabbed the envelope, none of his brothers were around as he opened the letter; he remembers the shy smiles Y/N would send him when he would see her as she visited her brother, the little nose wrinkle she got when she would laugh a loud, deep belly laugh (one that he knew others called unladylike, but that he remembered fondly).

He felt the smooth texture of a photo in the letter, pulling the picture to his eyes and he felt a sense of... love come over him as he saw the picture of her in her nursing ward uniform. A small smile on her full lips, the roundness of her cheeks that only made her look younger, he could see in her eyes the nerves of everything. The cap hid her hair from view and he wondered if she had cut it short like other nurses were forced to do because of sanitation and he was curious if she still smiled.

He hoped she did because the only time he smiled was when he got her letters...

[kingprinceleo]

Find my Aus sorted by category here: https://deviantart.com/kingprinceleo

Where to find me: Complete List

Ao3 (home to one [1] fic): https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kingprinceleo

Updates:

Vampire au is in overhaul progress ! Updated Masterpost (WIP) here

Ships present:

1000 Years Bound-None

Happy Auau- No active ships during the story but hints of Blazamy (married) and Knuxouge (flirting) from a hundreds of years ago. Sonic and Shadow have their typical weird tension with no clear definition as to what they are. (though i may draw non canon fluff art with them)

Fire n Water- None

Vampire Au- Sonadow (Eventual marriage + LOTS of non canon fluff), Blazamy, Knuxouge (flirting), Geraldoom

Desert Vampires Au- Wavouge (exes)

Tag method: Cw (blank)

General/Frequent Content Warnings for my art- Blood, injury, violence, horror themes, body horror, drowning, cannibalism (mostly depicting the urges, minimal straight up gore), gore (very rare, and never extreme)

1000 Years Bound Summary- 500 years into the future, Miles finds himself at the mysterious kingdom of Solar Sanctum, ruled by the long absent King Shadow. Shadow invites Miles to stay as a collaboration of great minds to try and solve the murky state their world has fallen into. It isnt long before Miles starts to realize Shadow is no longer the man he remembers, and starts to get tangled up in his web of madness.

Happy Auau Summary- An au of an au branching off the 1000 Years Bound timeline, or perhaps it's the original…

Sonic the Hedgehog, immortalized by extended use of the chaos emeralds, is alive and well 500 years into the future. His latest adventure leads him to taking down a tyrant king and he finds himself thrust into power when the people of the struggling kingdom declare him to be their next leader. Realizing he's absolutely boned, he calls upon his old friends for help.

Fire and Water Au Summary- Thousands of years ago, the Sol dimension and Mobius had become one planet after a catastrophic event caused by Solaris. After hundreds of years of research and splitting the beast into two halves, Iblis reeked havoc on the planet and threatened to destroy it once again.

Under a time limit and the constant threat of Solaris's return, a baby Sonic was chosen by the royal family to be the vessel to inhabit the flames of disaster.

Present day, Sonic and Blaze's parents have mysteriously passed away and Sonic's coronation is closing in. Desperate, he escapes the castle to pursue a life of freedom as a pirate.

Blaze, with no one left, sets out to retrieve him at any cost.

Vampire Au Summary- Angel Island is the only life Sonic has ever known. Being trapped within the permanent barrier encasing the 8 islands isnt quite his style, so finding a way to destroy it and explore the world below has been his goal for as long as he can remember. Hes got a number of other things keeping him occupied however, trying to prevent the Robotnik Family from taking over total control of the islands. 

When he isnt fighting them off, hes hanging out with his friends, living his best life being a vampire both day and night. When he wants to get everyone off his back, and feed from his favorite vampire hater, Shadow, he uses his magic staff to change his appearance into an alter ego, Hoax the "Tenrec."

Desert Vampire Au Hook- People are going missing in the desert...

[osleeplessflowero]

-🎃Scares and a Sudden Friendship🪓-

yes i am aware it is no longer halloween and it is now december. after this oneshot i will exclusively focus on winter themes, but i just HAD to get this idea out. Horror belongs to Sour Apple Studios. Reader goes by They/Them pronouns as always. 🧡 Warning for swearing! Horror goes by Sans here since this is in a Horrortale Post-Pacifist exclusive timeline.

It's a cold Halloween night.

You and your boyfriend decided to go to a Haunted House for the occasion after you finally managed to pester him enough.

"C'mon, c'mon! Hurry up!" You walk hurriedly along the sidewalk in your shark onesie, spotting the closest Haunted House that's covered in decorations, lights, and signs. Your boyfriend following slowly behind.

"I'm coming, jeez. I don't get why you get so excited over all this. We're grown now. This is kid stuff." He looks bored, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He didn't even dress up for the occasion, just wearing his normal fall clothes to keep warm.

"Hey, Halloween is fun for all ages." You point at him accusingly. "Besides, we can finally have some fun together tonight! You've been so busy doing your own stuff and I've missed you a lot, so this is a perfect chance to-"

"Yeah yeah..let's just get this over with. Maybe if we're lucky we can get some candy little kids dropped." He stomps on some old wrappers. Jeez..such a buzzkill. Oh well, he won't ruin your fun in here! You're sure his mood will turn around once you both get inside.

You both reach the entrance, you practically bouncing with excitement while your boyfriend seems to be distracted by some of the scare actors passing by.

You're both eventually let in after signing a slightly concerning waiver, walking inside. You admire the decorations and care put into the environments, occasionally having little jumps when animatronics pop out at you which just results in laughter afterwards. Your boyfriend on the other hand looks like he'd rather be anywhere but here, rolling his eyes at some of the scares and pulling out his phone at one point.

Truth be told, the last few months haven't been..ideal with him. You've hardly had any time together and when you finally do he just ignores you or seems like he doesn't want to be there. You've started to wonder if he even really wants to be your partner anymore..

You shake your head. Now is not the right place to be thinking about that. You should be having fun!

You greet some of the scare actors, having more fun than fear. You assume this is what happens to most people with Bravery souls. There's a large variety of them, some monsters, some humans. All of them doing a very good job!

You both make your way through an escape room section, you doing most of the work. You finally find the key, unlocking the door.

"Here we gooo, next room, woo!" "Yaaay."

The next room you enter is filled with props like mannequins and hanging objects that are meant to look like ghosts.

You cling to your boyfriend's arm, feeling unsettled as you both progress. He actually seems to tense up this time as well, looking around. It's quiet in the room..you feel a chill go down your spine.

You make your way down a small hallway that leads into the next area, jolting when a tall monster jumps out at you both with a fake hatchet. You jump back, your boyfriend screams, pushes you aside and..runs off. Without you.

You stare in the direction he ran off in, eyes wide in disbelief.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?" You put your hands on your head, feeling tears start to prick at the corners of your eyes.

He just..left you.

He ran off without you in a scary unfamiliar location.

He abandoned you.

You try to hold back your tears when a bony hand rests on your shoulder. You look up to see the scare actor lifting up his mask, revealing eyelights with one empty and the other having a bright red circle in it, focusing on you.

"...don't waste your tears over that guy. 's okay." His voice is deep, a comforting sound to hear in a way. It's oddly soft despite his sharp appearance. You try not to look at that large cracked hole in his head. He probably appreciates that.

He raises up the other hand, wiping your tears away.

"I am so breaking up with him." "yikes. that guy's your boyfriend? some partner, leaving your datemate in an unfamiliar place alone." "Not anymore. I'm dumping him." "good call." "..Could you maybe..show me where the exit is? I don't really have the drive to go through here all by myself." You hold your arm shyly.

"i'll do you one better." He holds out his prop hatchet, handing it to you.

You look at it then at him, raising a brow.

"let's go scare the shit out of him."

You grin wide, taking the hatchet from him as he goes to pull his mask back down.

The two of you run out of the room and the moment you spot him you start SPRINTING, the skeleton following close behind.

The moment he finds the exit the two of you burst out laughing, taking a few seconds to compose yourselves.

"So..I'm gonna be removing his number from my phone..any chance I could have yours, stranger?" You point finger guns at him.

He seems surprised for a moment, before simply lifting his mask back up and smiling.

"just call me sans. nice to meet'cha." He gives you his number and you make sure to save it. "You too, Sans. Would you like to..I dunno, go get coffee or something? I'd like to get to know you." "i wouldn't mind. how does tomorrow sound?" "Great."

The two of you smile at each other before Sans' boss tells him to get back to work, and you wave goodbye before sending a text to your boyfriend to tell him you want to talk.

Part 2

[bluginkgo]

Welp, ep7 didn't kill me! ... the depression post ep might- (Theories/Rambles)

Anyways! Ep7 oh boy, it was full of surprises even for me. The animation, the intense battle scenes, everything about it was AMAZING! Of course, that's just my opinion :3 (feel free to yeet it into the stratosphere)

Get ready for word diarrhea and some shaky and loose thoughts on the ending and what may happen next. Fair warning, my theories are pretty wacky, so somethings may sound way out there. XD

Spoilers duh, oh and gore warning? Kinda?

I mean... that scary *ss mother facking thing towards the end- you know what I'm talking about if you watched the ep 😅

This puzzled me a bit, but the more I thought about it, I suppose the more it makes sense (give me a hot minute, I'm slow ok 😅).

The lockers act as a storage container for the solver drones. But what about the image from ep6? It seemed like they had free reign over the office and could come and go. Even as far as a sentinel cuddling up to Nori. But that's the thing. Later we see that Nori and Yeva were the only ones that have been the MOST successful with the absolute solver experimentation. The others, were either corrupted or were unaffected.

That means, in the time that the patches were given to the drones experimented on, was the time that they were allowed to be in the office. But as the patches and experimentation progressed, they were moved down for more security.

Soooo V. What are my thoughts on her and her whereabouts? The shot of the hall with the sentinels did not make it into the ep. Sure, it is probably fairly easy for them to get that shot. Especially if they kept the rig of the hall, throw around some sentinel bodies, and make the light go out. But this lack of V is what's making me still believe she's out there. Delusional, I know. But we don't get to see her eldrich form. This is the Absolute Solver that has been chilling in the labs, and simply recreates the hologram of all the drones it was ever a part of.

If V does not return by ep8, then I will lay her to rest properly. Until then, I'm marking her as MIA. She may be out there, she may not.

Alright, so the crucifix is also recounted as "failsafe USB (606b)" or at least that's how I see it, given the crucifix is just one fancy usb.

Now, the other time we did see the 606 was in the beginning of ep5.

wdOS_606 is basically the code that kills the drone and its core. So, effectively, that crucifix works as a kill code for the absolute solver. The timeline of events probably happened like this: Nori was showing signs of the Absolute Solver progressing much faster than any other drone the teams have worked with. One time, Nori went Absolute Solver crazy, the placement of the image that is also seen in ep6 suggests that this was the first or one of the first times Nori went rogue. The teams then decided to contain her better and suspended her by the chains, all the while waiting for the failsafe USB to be completed. At least, that was the plan. "Don't all die and almost let it out again lol. We're pretty mad but mostly scared about that." subtitle backs it up.

Now this.

This entire sequence seems rather interesting. Absolute Solver, at its best, understands emotions on logical level. Its more like a math equation for it. As in: Bad things happen = changed and more subdued personalities. But with N, I suppose it found it rather interesting to watch him. Despite all of the bad experiences he may have had, he remained his happy self. The solver even went as far as quoting him.

That type of innocence, despite the horrors he has seen and committed, most likely amused the solver. So it allowed the team to retain those personalities and traits- also knowing that it could easily get rid of them if it really wanted to.

Uzi's administration rights still hold up. It seems that in this moment, the solver attempted to completely corrupt N and have him as a mindless drone that followed orders. Buuuut Uzi's admin rights denied that, saving him from becoming the solver's puppet and being what he was back on Earth during the massacre of humans.

Eating is often referred to in this episode. Seems that I was somewhat right in regards to the Absolute Solver being the core of Copper-9 now. It has grown rather large, and taken possession of the entire planet. To maintain that, it needs sustenance. Be it in form of biological and mechanical life, or the planet itself.

So J destroyed the only means of getting off the planet, and the possibility of saving themselves or the planets for the gang- of course there's still the pod that J is using, but that will not be given up without a fight.

The issue here I have is... to whom did J give her loyalty to? Couple theories:

To Tessa- J has NO idea this is not Tessa, and is following her old boss just like in the days of the manor.

To Absolute Solver- J knows this is not Tessa, but still is loyal to it.

Issue: If number 1 is correct, then why follow through the plan with destroying the pod? It seems that was the case all along when Tessa told J to "mind her ship." Furthermore confusing to me is her comment.

Tessa: Her (Cyn) last known act was siccing you lot on other human exo-planets.

N: But why?

J: That's what we're trying to figure out, bozo.

J's line can be taken both ways. As 1- J is actually trying to figure out why Cyn is acting up. As for 2- this was simply a cover up for the whole plot.

It seems here that the drones that were previously worked on simply stayed in their lockers and their corrupted form. But that was something that made me wonder. The drones were all corrupted with the Absolute Solver to some degree. They were all given patches of the solver- some had effect and others didn't. But that still means that there were a lot of drones that had their cores corrupted and look like Heart. Here's the question.

Why didn't they simply leave? Nori's corrupted core is fully sentient, despite being possessed by the solver the most. Of course, there is the possibility that whatever Nori created in the cathedral simply took those cores and dragged them into the center. Further growing itself. Ah, well I kind of answered my own question there.

So the largest number I could count was 129 on this list. Meaning, there were at least 129 drones experimented on. Seems to follow the crazy theory I had of the Absolute Solver taking control of the core. 129 minus 2 (Nori and Yeva) cores will definitely make a great impact/engrave itself into the planet in such a way and thus manifest the corridors of flesh and hands that go all to the way to Cabin Fevers camp ground.

It also seems that the Absolute Solver, instead of being injected straight into the drones, was done in patches. Now, my knowledge in computer language and science is non-existent, but it does make me wonder. Yeva has 2.1.8 patch, while Nori was still "in progress." This either implies:

Nori had a newer patch and this was the one that caused her to go so berserk they had to restrain her in the cathedral.

Nori did not have a new patch, the one that Yeva has was the latest one and Nori simply was not faring well in the transition.

Something I noticed/finally grasped on my 3rd watch through:

Who the hell is "they?" Well, my tired brain finally decided to kick in and work. "They" were the scientists. So the crucifix was something that the humans only now figured out how to make. The kill code that would put the Absolute Solver down. That was why the Solver was on Copper-9. It needed that crucifix, so it could get rid of it. "They kept cutting my feed." Most likely referred to when the hosts would become possessed by the solver. Just as seen with Nori, the second they went crazy, it was a quick shut down, thus cutting the feed for the Absolute Solver as it tried to figure out what they were doing.

So, just as many have theorized, Nori did cause the core collapse, but not in the way that I expected it. It's rather funny that instead of this being like a full Absolute Solver possession that caused this on purpose, was simply one bad event after another. And I love the show for this. Despite having the route that the Absolute Solver could have just imploded the planet on purpose and on its own (by possessing a host), it was instead a sequence of events that is similar to humans and their downfall. Nothing orchestrated, but just a compiling effect that created one huge problematic black hole.

So this page does give some insight. The Absolute Solver sent DDs to wipe out the other solver hosts. (I'll touch on this in a different post) And the DDs were either referred to as "pets" by the Absolute Solver (which is more likely, as it called Uzi a "puppet") or a term that Nori coined. "Puppet hosts with nerfed ___ the entity-ensures control" The nerfed ___ is most likely their cores/thought process. As in, Administration CYN is what nerfed their abilities to remember anything regarding their past, and used that to control the DDs.

This was something I couldn't kind of settle with. Events wise, it can be assumed this is all happening at the same time. Just as Uzi is getting through the mine shafts and picking up the lantern, Tessa is blowing up the computer and nomming on Doll, and N is being dragged through corpse walls and being saved by Heart.

It was Doll- Although, the more I looked at this thought, the less likely this became. Doll's was intact when she came to warn Uzi, and stayed there until Tessa entity ate it towards the end of the episode. We have yet to see an instance where a core entered the Absolute Solver form and returned back to the core form without taking any damage. Specifically in J's case, the solver form was blown up and only then returned to the core form. Nothing was in the mine shafts that could have possibly injured it enough to go back to the core form and sneak back into Doll's body.

Tessa...uhh whatever the fack she is- Based off of Doll's getting attacked scene, the entity seems to have a rather quick ability in switching forms. So I wouldn't put past it that the entity attacked Doll, saw that another part of the Absolute Solver was trying to chase N down, and just went along with the rest of the solver to hunt him down.

On my first watch through, I was worried that N would go crazy from breaking rule 1 of robotics: Not to injure humans. Granted, in the first watch through, everything went so fast that I barely had any time to grasp anything. After the second watch through, it becomes quite clear and apparent. The Absolute Solver took the rules of robotics out of the DDs. I mean, how else were they supposed to attack and kill the humans back on Earth. Furthermore, Tessa was not a human. So even if N did still have the rules of robotics programmed into him, they might not have set off. Why the "might not?" Because of the sentinel. Perhaps because the sentinels were created by humans, their ai is much simpler, but when that dingo bit Tessa, it had an aneurysm. It detected blood, and thus, the ai deduced that the sentinel just injured a human and decided to alt f4 itself. Would the same happen with N? I'm not quite sure. Given that the solver programmed the DDs, it could be either instance: Take the rules out completely or enhance the rules so that blood isn't what triggers the rule breaking.

This is something that made me wonder. Did the DD trio go to any other exo-planets previously? I took this scene in two ways:

This has happened before. The solver knows that N will continue to forgive the Absolute Solver because something similar has happened before. As in, the solver is out to kill a planet, it does that, but in return sacrifices any DDs that might have been there to get rid of the potential solver hosts. The backups are booted and sent to a new planet.

This is the first time this happened, but the solver has previous experiences. Just as the solver had made N forget about his time in the mansion and the bloodbath of killing humans, it can do the same thing. Kill N, and make his backup version forget this ever happened.

This one single frame made me wonder a bit too hard. The little nulls I assumed to be miniature and contained blackholes. But then when N dove under one... there was collision? A black hole, as far as I understand (which isn't very much ;w;), is something that cannot be touched. It warps time and space, so how are you supposed to be able to touch it? But I'm quite sure my tired brain is just thinking too much about simple details.

For some odd reason, I always thought that the solver wings were more flesh, and thus couldn't take too much damage. Proven wrong again! Uzi withstood N's firing and her wings came out undamaged.

Main question for me: Why would the Absolute Solver eat the core? Specifically in drone form/possessing a host. If it was the hole that's in the cathedral, I can understand that somewhat better. But what does a solver drone gain from eating another corrupted core?

Perhaps acts as a power boost? Whatever the corrupted core can do, the powers are transfered uhh... somehow?

Simply sustenance, and a way to get rid of Heart, you're thinking too deep into this Ginkgo (more likely option) Plus, backed up by Tessa entity eating Doll's core and being unaffected. Perhaps it just remains in the body as a source of energy.

IC-0n IS THAT YOU?! XD But in all seriousness, this scene was intense. The animation, the music and sound effects, the lines, everything was executed perfectly and created the monstrosity that may or may not haunt my nightmare tonight :3

My first thought was, "OH YOU! YOU FINALLY SHOWED UP! ...... GO AWAY!" This entity... uh I'm not quite sure what to call it yet, has been teased all the way back to the poster. And I would like to bring back something I said a bit while back. "What if the double x'ed character is someone we already know... but is dead? A character that is confirmed/somewhat confirmed to be dead can return back to life, and their body forced to move by the absolute solver." (I will be delving deeper into debunking this in another post.) Welp, that does it. I had the idea, just didn't know who the fack it was. XD So we get a drone, wearing Tessa's skin.

In hindsight, there was a big fat foreshadowing that I took for granted. This thing.

The drone body is a WD, and clear as day 1001 written on the core. What does it mean? Ah well, I'm actually not too sure. Going with the 002, 048, 029, etc. numbers, I can only assume 1001 is something the Absolute Solver made and gave it that number, possibly suggesting that there is more of these monstrosities out there.

So. Another "sacrifice." Why the quotation marks? Well... the first "sacrifice" was V and I'm still calling her MIA. Ginkgo, its clearly shown Uzi is most likely not gonna make it out of this one- shhhhhhhh, there is no war in Ba Sing Se. I will call Uzi MIA as well.

She's dead. The core was charging up behind her, much like it did when Nori's null hand fell, and when IC-0n- I MEAN- Tessa? The entity, jumped in. Uzi might just be the thing that sets the next core collapse- even the planet collapse- off. What Uzi is seeing, is just something that the Absolute Solver might have conjured up as her last memories before the imminent shut down.

She isn't dead. You see, this entire shot has me puzzled (nothing new lol). Your evidence for this one Ginkgo? Two images.

These scenes might not be much, but I will try to grasp at air here. It's unclear where Heart goes to. I mean there are two routes, one of which sounds more likely. First, she's going into the core because it connects to the entirety of the mine shafts and the core. Second, she's gonna use a door off to the side to go to the mine shafts and the same place that N gets dragged through. Why am I using these as poor evidence? Well, we've had 2 characters enter dark spaces full fo solver flesh and still make it out. Ginkgo, Uzi is literally falling in that scene, there is nothing to stop her fall. Yeah I know, like I said, I'm grasping at air with this one. Buuuut, the mind scape theories sound more fun, promise! ^w^

First off, where the HELL could this possibly be?

A memory/mind scape the Absolute Solver created: This has to be Copper-9, based off of the two iconic moons to the top right. A memory, because this could be either the first core collapse, or Uzi viewing the destruction of Copper-9 from another solver entity's point of view. Mind scape as in this is where the solver drone minds go to. Every solver drone that has been consumed by the large Absolute Solver in the cathedral, had their own personalities and thoughts. To keep them all from clashing and acting out, perhaps the solver takes the hive-mind plane and creates spaces that the solver drones can warp through.

The "ascension" plane: Ginkgo, that's it, to the hospital you go chop chop. /j Anyways, why am I even bringing something like this up? Well, Uzi's mural says this.

There are two routes here: succumb to be the host of eternal entity, or ascend. Ascend to... where? And how? Here is where the more intense crack theories enter (or at least for me). This space is the hive-mind of the solver, yes, but this is where Uzi's internal battle against the Absolute Solver will happen. We all know that the last mural will be of N fighting off the Absolute Solver (most likely). But what if he had outside (inside technically?) help. While N may hold out against the solver, he may need help to finally break through and finish it off. Who would be a better candidate than Uzi? She has now, for better or worse, become part of the large amalgamation that sits in the core. Perhaps with the strongest hosts in the hive-mind: Uzi, Nori, Yeva (maybe, I'm not quite settled on her yet), and Cyn, they will all be able to stop the solver for good on Copper-9. This process is the ascension. Instead of succumbing to the Absolute Solver within the hive-mind scape, she will fight once again. This time around, coming out victorious and ascending to uhh... I'm not quite sure yet? Robo-heaven? Returning back into her corporal body? Becoming the next Absolute Solver but with less need to rule the world? (Ah, well she might still actually rule the world just for the fun of it XD) Honestly, it's far too late for me to be thinking any more. I might add on to this later on.

Is it a rather optimistic take on the ending? Perhaps, but I need a little optimism right about now. ;w;

Want more of my stupid rambles? This has 3 other parts! ;w;

[doofus-and-dragons]

Thoughts on Malevolent e1:

Starting off strong with amnesia

Who is this echoed robo Stanley parable mother fucker I like him?

Rip Arthur

"What is it?" "A book" Thank you Narator who's voice keeps getting progressively deeper

Arthur seems pathetic little man he's cute

WHO IS THIS ANGRY ROBO BITCH GODDAMN THE MAN HAS NO MEMORIES CHILLAX

"Your whimpering is awfully distracting" Maybe don't posses a pathetic little bitch (lovingly)

Bound? Seems kind of gay if you ask me

WHO ARE YOU GAY ROBO BITCH

Watch it there's a... piano? Angry keyboard dog?

I need Arthur carnaly. First episode and he whimpers. WHIMPERS WHILE BEING TOLD WHAT TO DO BY AN AGRESSIVE VOICE

AND HE PLAYS PIANO

HE WILL BE MY WIFE

Ah yes, best first date idea: hide the body of your busniess partner and best friend while plotting a possible murder together.

Eddie is fair. I would also be suspicious of this whimpering buffoon.

Who the hell is this demon robo dude? He's kind of toxic and I love him.

"Look at him" "I cant" Dude forgot he took Arthur's eyes XD

Arthur baby I love you so much please don't let Eddie beat you up

"Look in the mirror I want to look at you." Kinda gay bro

"I do not like to be pushed around." Sound like something a guy who likes to be pushed around would say

"...noted." note the sarcasm in that echoed tone.

Demon voice, you seem like you keep forgetting Arthur is a very good detective.

Oh? Lore drop already? Fucking awesome

YES INTRODUCING ALTERNATE TIMELINES ALREADY! IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS SHIT!

DEAD VOICE GUY YEEEAH

ITS 1934!?!? FUCK YEAH!!!!

Someone is avoiding the questioooon

Mayhaps it is because ye voice has trauma?

Oh yeah. Trauma dump already.

It must be 1934, taxi fair is less than 3 bucks. Damn

"Describe everything to me." Arthur you are so cute.

Yessss 1934 music! I love it.

This voice guy is really trying to push his emotions down and it isn't working that well. Babygirl we can all tell you're troubled. Do you need a hug? A cup of cocoa?

"Crouch low and put your back against the ckunter." "Arthur: *old man groaning sounds*" babygirl that's not very sneaky

"Relax. That was a close call. it won't be the last." That's reassuring.

That "well done arthur" sounded awfully suspicious

Arthur is so smart and this traumatized voice keeps forgetting that.

Oh shit he already has an enemy he doesn't know. This escalated quite quickly

These two are already bickering.

This guy is surprisingly angry about him not helping the police investigate a murder he was already investigating the disappearance of the victim. Chill out dude he's a PI not a criminal investigator.

"Arthur it's another small room!" It sounded so aggressively excited that I had to stop because I started laughing that was so cute what.

Hm. Sounds creepy...and hot.

What was that name again??? Asking for a friend ofc.

Dint turn random stones have you learned nothing from horror movies? Oh, wait, 1934. Right.

Arthur would be the horror movie girl who survives because she wants nothing to do with the stupid false solutions.

PORTAL TO HELL PORTAL TO HELL PORTAL TO HELL!!!

AAAHH THAT WAS SO FUCKING GOOD!! HELL YEAH!!!

[cerulean-crow]

I was a creepypasta and mlp grimdark kid- I absolutely loved them and they definitely shaped my interests in horror and gore that I have now! I am not immune to the nostalgia of these infection au’s, and honestly I am thriving. I love reading everyone’s ideas and seeing everyone’s art, and I got inspired to try my own hand at one!

I’ve been calling it the Crystal Heart Contagion. I am not sure how far I’ll take this but it’s fun to draw and think about. I considered going a bit crazy with actual gore, but this was just supposed to be a concept page and I wanted to keep it simple and just flesh out some ideas I had bouncing around in my head. Besides, I actually really like body horror that doesn’t involve a ton of gore- and like that note says, has an air of beauty alongside the disturbing elements.

Again, not sure how far I’ll take this- so I’m just gonna jot down some thoughts and notes! I’ll put ‘em under the cut because I am very wordy <3

Also I try to tag my stuff as best as possible because I know not everyone loves horror and these Mlp horror au’s as much as I do! I don’t want people to interact with my posts if it makes them uncomfortable, so if I miss a tag please let me know.

The Crystal Heart Contagion is transmitted when infected crystals come into contact with one’s bloodstream. The afflicted will experience body pains and stiffness at first, hemophilia, and symptoms like lethargy and migraines. The crystals will begin to form in clusters on the skeletal system, eventually breaking through the skin and, after a long enough period of time, will completely petrify the afflicted in solid crystal.

I imagine that one’s teeth, hooves, and horns are where crystals will begin to break through first. I like the idea of stylizing manes as they crystalize- but that’s exploration for another day!

I am currently thinking of the infection more like a parasite of some kind. Parasitic crystals that feed on magic and rely on living creatures to carry them farther in order to spread themselves.

The infection originally didn’t do much to change one’s personality, they would just get weaker and weaker as they were overtaken by the crystals. It was only when the infection started again, when Equestria was home to many more different species and overflowing with way more magic, that the crystals would begin to mutate at a rapid rate. Those afflicted would begin to show signs of aggression that would have them attacking others, thus leading to further spreading.

Some physical details I like is the eyes hollowing out and resembling geodes! Crystals emerging from the spines, horns becoming crystallized, and crystals forming over teeth and jaw to create fangs are all stuff I would love to flesh out in further detail.

I also love the idea of the chest ripping open to reveal a crystal heart held in a crystallized ribcage! I think I will forever be influenced by the Angel Trap in Saw 3

The idea of this infection is still developing and I’m still doing a lot of research and thinking on the words to describe it. My original thoughts took inspiration from a parasitic infection and rabies. My brain also likes thinking of it like a mold in how it spreads or thinking of the crystals like a coral reef (mostly as a visual inspiration)

The background and timeline is all still a work in progress. I haven’t rewatched the full series in so long and I’m implementing plenty of my own headcanons- so it’s all very vague right now.

The original idea is that the infection started during King Sombra’s reign. He created these parasitic crystals and unleashed them upon Celelstia and Luna’s army with the hopes of dwindling their numbers and expanding the reach of the Crystal Empire further through the Frozen North. When he was sealed away, Celestia and Luna would bring several of the infected back to Equestria for study. They would hide them away deep underground beneath a mountain, where the lack of nutrients in the rock would eventually cause the crystals to stop forming and enter some kind of hibernation.

Celestia would later build Canterlot after the banishment of Nightmare Moon, and she would use the very kingdom itself to block off the caverns and keep them hidden for everyone’s safety.

The Crystal Caverns would become known again during the Canterlot Wedding when Cadance and Twilight escaped from them. However, nothing would ever happen after the fact, and Celestia and Luna would continue to hope that with Sombra sealed away and the crystals dormant for so long, that this infection was truly no more.

When I first got this all in my head, the idea was that Flurry Heart’s Crystalling was what caused the parasitic-crystals to get a kickstart of energy and begin spreading again.

That is the part where the timeline starts getting really wonky. Cause I think I’d want Twilight to be running her school and have the young six around, but that’s in season 8 and the crystalling was in season 6. But I can honestly fudge the timeline however I want, it’s an alternate universe after all.

I think that Celestia sacrifices herself in order to save Luna and help as many people flee Canterlot as possible. This was when I still very early into thinking this au through and a potential story that could be told with it- and with the worldbuilding I’ve been doing over the last few days I don’t entirely know if it still fits. I love the scene in my head that comes from it though- so I decided to keep the sketch of crystallized Celestia in the end.

I love the idea of crystals on her head mimicking sun rays! And her forelegs and wings becoming one so she staggers around like a wyvern. That’s definitely a design I would love to flesh out if I get the time.

I am having fun!

[little-lost-lamb]

Barbatos' New Blend

CW: GN!MC, a bit of self-deprecation, a bit of angst, and a lot of fluff.

You take a moment to allow the fragrant steam to permeate your sinuses as you peer into the light-green liquid. Once satisfied, you let your eyelids flutter shut. With your vision dampened and your other senses heightened, you deeply inhale the floral aroma, allowing the entirety of your lungs to expand in the process. A satisfied hum escapes your lips, and you bring the ornate, porcelain cup up to rest upon them. You gently tilt it, willing the perfectly hot liquid to trickle over your taste buds and down your throat. The subtle sweetness at the top, the floral base, and the earthy top notes tingle your tongue and send shivers of pleasure down your spine.

“Incredible. As always, of course.” You sigh contentedly, eyes opening to gaze up at the brewer of your tea. The Demon Prince’s butler smiles back at you.

“I am pleased to hear that you like it. I created this blend from teas we have enjoyed together during past tea times, specifically the ones you had an affinity for. Henceforth, I have named this blend, ‘MC’s Delight.’” Barbatos smiles pleasantly back at you, satisfaction flashing in his eyes, before taking a mindful sip of his own steaming cup.

“Mmm…” You hear a subtle slurp and his sound of approval echo from within the cup. He gently places it back onto its saucer with a clink and nods. “I am quite fond of this one. I think I’ll add it to my typical arsenal.”

The warmth in your chest was matched only by the warmth of the tea in your belly. You avert your gaze, taking a moment to soak in the view. You peer out fondly over the serene and soothing presence of the starlit lake by the Castle Gardens, absorbing the beautiful surreality of it all; the perpetual night, the foreign flora blooming with new and unfamiliar flowers, and of course, the company of a powerful, immortal time lord. The two of you savor the sensation of the gentle breeze drifting off the lake and tickling your cheeks, the hair framing your respective faces dance in the wind. Barbatos perches, spine erect and proper, in the garden chair, comfortably sipping tea with you as if he were any other human. He notices your empty plate and serves you a delicate finger sandwich stuffed with cream and unfamiliar fruits. The butler takes another from the ornate, silver tray for himself, respecting you as if you were any other demon. 

“Thank you.” You smile as he takes a small bite of his sandwich, as delicate as the demon himself. “Barbatos? Did you ever see yourself casually having tea with some silly little human one day?” You inquire, mostly in jest, before taking another sip of your namesake tea. 

Barbatos sets his snack down and ponders this a moment, taking his chin between his thumb and knuckle. “I did see the possibility long ago, actually. Around the time of my pact with Solomon, I believe. That is when the timelines with my future involvement with humans began dominating the others.” He lowers his hand from his face and uses it to bring his teacup to his lips. “Uncoincidentally, that was the day I lost my stomach for dishes prepared with human meat.” He teases and takes a sip of his drink. He gazes from his tea back to you, and notes your poorly hidden horror. Barbatos softly chortles.

“Worry not. Human meat has been outlawed since the early days of Lord Diavolo’s rule. He is truly a progressive prince.”

“Thank Diavolo.” You croak.

“Thank Diavolo indeed.” Barbatos reiterates, closing his eyes and savoring his tea for a moment.

“Having such a power…” You muse, “must be exhilarating, yet excruciating.” 

Barbatos opens one eye to peer at you curiously, then both to look at you in earnest. He lowers his tea cup. “Most who know about my power think it’s an incredible feat with limitless potential, yet they often fail to recognize how it is also a curse. That is part of why the Young Master has strict limitations on how I use that aspect of my abilities. A humane restriction, really. Moreover,” Barbatos sighs, “he is also correct in saying it can take the surprise and joy out of life. In my younger days, I spoiled more than a few sweet surprises, accidentally or otherwise.”

Your brows furrow in sympathy, but your curiosity piques. “Like…what, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“Not at all. Hmm…” He searches his memory for a few moments before his eyes widen upon its recovery. “Oh!” His mouth widens into a gentle smile. “Well, for instance, I once saw the individual who I would one day consider my soul mate, if you will. This one was accidental. However, the tragedy of this is that I would not have the fortune of crossing paths with them for millenia.”

“That…sounds awful. It must be so hard to wait for them.” You feel a whirlwind of emotions upon hearing his premonition. It made sense that in Barbatos’ infinite lifespan, he would eventually find one being that he loves most out of everyone in his immortal life. What must this person be like? Attractive? Kind? Funny? Intelligent? Powerful? For someone to capture the heart of Barbatos, Lord of Time, they must be an absolute glittering gem of a demon – he was not an easy one to impress. But you said it just a moment ago yourself, you are just a silly little human. Your heart practically plummets to your toes at the realization that it would never be you.

“Oh, it has been agony. But I am nothing if not patient.” Despite this, Barbatos’ smile widens. “I have finally met them at this point, however. Unfortunately, we do not get to see each other as often as I would like due to mutual busy schedules.”

Your eyes flit up to his, the tint of your cheeks betraying your private thoughts. You futilely attempt to hide at least a portion of your face with the small teacup in your grasp. For a moment, you wondered if…

‘Don’t be delusional, MC.’ You think to yourself. 

“That’s great!” Your voice betrays you too, your tone poorly feigning a supportive lilt and dripping with disappointment. “I-I mean…not about the schedules, but about the meeting, I mean!”

You attempt to break eye contact. Barbatos’ gaze bores into your soul and leaves your heart bare and vulnerable beneath its scrutiny. Something about those glimmering emeralds holds your attention and remains unyielding. Finally, the tension is broken by the deep rumbles of a soft laugh in his chest.

“I am truly grateful for our meeting, MC.” You should have regulated your facial expressions better, and now he must realize you hoped it could be you. How embarrassing. 

Here it comes. 

You wait, but the anticipated ‘but…’ never comes. 

Barbatos observes you as your gears turn, and your mind continues its mental gymnastics to keep you from understanding the glaring double meaning of the butler’s words. 

“MC.” Barbatos finally breaks your thought loops by politely extending a hand for your own from across the table. Your eyes widen and you cautiously rest your free hand in his upturned palm, his warmth radiating from beneath the fabric of his tailor-made gloves.

“It has been three weeks, six days, eight hours, and thirty one minutes since our last tea time. A long time for a human to wait. However, it has been approximately two thousand ninety eight hundred and…” He briefly searches his memory. “…four….years since I fortuitously witnessed the day of my own coupling ceremony.” He mused. He leaned in ever so slightly, and conspiratorially added, “With a human sorcerer, no less.”

Your breath hitches and your mouth hangs stupidly agape. Babatos’ smile widens, revealing two sharp, pearly, rarely seen fangs. The sincerity of his smile and the affection and softness in his eyes overwhelms you. Your heart pounds so thunderously you can audibly hear it; your pulse so quick you can feel the circulation of your entire body. Barbatos elegantly lifts the back of your hand to his lips, planting a soft, lingering kiss upon it.

“MC’s Delight, to me, has the warmth of the human realm’s sunshine. The floral notes drift over one’s tongue like the scent of wildflowers waft in the summer breeze. The honeyed sweetness at the front reminds me of the scent of your soul. Sweet. Gentle. Light. Well rounded and satisfying. The overall flavor profile is inspired by my feelings for you. Though I have not peered into our future since we met, I still foresee us enjoying this blend many times together in our future. Including the day of our ceremony.”

You nearly drop your cup, the sweet and satisfying tea he lovingly prepared sticking in your throat and threatening to erupt from your nostrils. You struggle to breathe, coughing a few times to ease the choke in your lungs. Barbatos laughs. Genuinely, beautifully, clear as day. You could die happily to the sound - and you just might with the way you struggle. Barbatos hands a thick, white handkerchief over the table to you, the phthalo “B” embroidery revealed on the front of it. You grab it, desperate to cover your choking face from his sight. 

“Forgive me. I sometimes forget the impact my premonitions can have on those who do not have the power of divination.” The amusement dances in his eyes, and he continues to chuckle. “Perhaps I shall rename the blend, ‘MC’s Demise.’”

You dab the tears from your eyes with the fabric and begin to laugh right along with him, honking out an unsettling yet amusing mixture of chuckles and chokes. 

“Come now, My Love, it is not that funny.”

You nearly choke again. 

Happy birthday to our fictional, 2D soulmate!

[justherefortua]

rewrite while changing as little as possible

this is my crack at tweaking some things while mostly working within the bounds of canon, with only 6 episodes, keeping most of the scenes, setting, side characters the same… What would you have changed about my or the original plot’s plan?

Spoilers for all of season 4 under the cut

- first of all. squids. tentacles. body horror with the black goo thingy. fleshy goo monster. decaying the earth. eating the earth up. The antagonist of this season should be THE HORROR, the extra-dimensional creature inside of Ben Hargreeves. This will save money on reshooting cgi scenes plus make it specific to both sparrow and umbrella ben for a Ben-centric season, rather than anyone with Marigold + Jennifer destroys the world

- Maybe it’s made of Durango or something, the antithesis of the Marigold, but Ben’s power is to keep it sealed, and occasionally hold power over it. Maybe it is Durango. Whatever it is, it was made when Abigail made the Marigold, and it seeks to consume and make everyone like it. It exists across all the timelines and over the seasons has become smarter and smarter. Not even Reginald and Abigail can understand or control it—maybe it destroyed their original planet, and snuck into the Reginald marigold release thing and got into Ben somehow. To tie in Season 3, The Hotel Oblivion was maybe built to nerf it/hold it? (I heard this was true in the comics since the hotel was used to keep villians? This could be hearsay, haven’t confirmed.) When Hotel Oblivion got used with the reset button, the protections went too which is why the Horror has more influence and was able to alter the new timeline to have the Keepers and Jennifer to set up the conditions for the Cleanse aka its takeover of the world and all the timelines.

- Jennifer as an agent of the Horror, unknowing or innocent maybe. Or knowing—she already wasn’t normal in that tv squid moment and in the shipping container and as a girl being Truman Showed by everyone else around her. A culmination of everything it’s learned about human nature, a lure of sorts for Ben and the rest of the Academy who generally like to save people. An eldritch horror of a regular girl? That would be so cool, just a normal girl with a normal life until it all turns upside down with the introduction of Hargreeves and Marigold and all that stuff. The acting direction could be good to have her be just a little bit off…

- instead of just Five and Lila, EVERYBODY should get in that subway. The subway is so cool. The other timelines are so cool. No one would be mad at a montage if it’s a family bonding montage. It leaves imagination for the family to grow closer together over a short period of screen time. This could be a whole season in itself and would honestly be a wonderful callback to other seasons and possibilities for the final season.

- AT MINIMUM, I think just adding Diego to the getting-lost-in-the-subway-for-seven-years plot would be amazing. He wants to live larger than life, be cool and rugged, and gets monkey’s pawed. Yeah you’re child-free with your wife doing cool action macho survival things every day but guess what? Subway Rats. He and Lila could hit rock bottom, let out all their anger, and then progressively make up over that 7 year montage and resolve to appreciate their kids, the in-laws, and the life they’ve built together. Alternatively, they could decide that their relationship really doesn’t work out and split up. Either way, it’ll be a mutual decision.

- As for Five, he won’t be going through an apocalypse alone and that is interesting in itself. He could bond more with Diego, find himself losing hope and finding it again, suffer complete burnout but be supported, finally work through Apocalypse-Commission-Handler trauma with Diego and Lila. Face the same choice of going back to The Cleanse (of course Diego and Lila are going back for their kids) or staying in safe Strawberry Land away from everything or until everything ends, true retirement. In the end, I think he chooses family.

- For Lila, I think she’s pretty good and principled towards her family aside from THE THING in the scenes we see her in, I’d like to know more about her family, her relationship with her kids, and develop her relationships with the siblings more as well. We got some moments with Allison as fellow moms, but what about Luther, Ben, and Viktor? I think she needs more specificity on how jarring the switch from assassin life is to family life is. Maybe she can open up in that 7 year montage somehow.

- In at least one of the numerous moments that Klaus died and could have went to the void. A moment with Umbrella Ben is all I ask, acknowledging that Klaus is with Allison and Claire now but also seeing how Klaus has essentially locked himself in and is very afraid of the world. 😭 he’d be so proud of Klaus though. ):: i know he’d punch Quinn in the face so hard 🙏 I’ll leave the aus where he’s totally back for the other than very close to canon rewrites

- Because I actually liked the Five Restaurant scene, I think it would be really meaningful for all those Fives to see a complete whole family and band together to help our Five and our family. Bonus if some of the Fives get hugs and tears and breakdowns because of the horrible apocalypses their siblings and families had to go through.

- this is just an overall thing but I think to help their motivation to save Ben everyone should at least elaborate on their past relationship with him, get to know Sparrow Ben as somebody other than a snarky guy, or make an appeal to him at the end when they’re trying to negotiate, even if it is a mix of Umbrella Ben nostalgia… ok this is getting into wishful thinking territory but i think it would have helped LMAO

- Methinks. I actually liked Luther a lot this season, with the stripper job he seems passionate enough about (yeah my man! own that!) and the run down Hargreeves Boy Home he lives in. (he never left the house… 😭) I feel he should have been given more to do. Maybe bonded with Derek and the non-Keeper people in the CIA, i bet they wouldn’t turn down someone with his powers. Maybe followed Klaus along and absolutely tear the motorcycle bike gang to bits for their not safe or consensual sex work shenanigans in comparison to his job. Maybe bond with Diego’s kids since he and Sloane never got to have kids themselves, a parallel he sets up first episode. Actually help Lila with childcare since she seems to be struggling;;

- Viktor and Reginald were fun. You could also add Luther here and it’d be fun too since they’d both advocate for Ben—Luther in particular was the most inclined to accepting Sparrow Ben.

- actually, Luther and Abigail bonding (she’s very nice and he likes validation) and pulling off a double cross with the Gene skinsuit thing would be a good idea until she double crosses him again with helping along the Cleanse instead of trying to stop it. Betrayed by your dad and your mom YAY

- I realize I didn’t suggest stuff for Allison but I liked her this season with Klaus and Claire, all she needed was to get more one on one scenes with siblings or lila, and that pretty much goes for every sibling i just need them hanging out with other siblings ❤️ actually ideally Sparrow Ben I feel like she’d call him out on stuff and be the one to level with when it came to big mistakes, lashing out, being selfish—and afterwards trying to say sorry and be better moving forward. Maybe she rumors him to stop seeing Jennifer to give more plot room for the siblings while keeping the “I can’t stop thinking about you let’s MERGE” idea but he finds a loophole like the sneaky little weasel guy he is (i love him) or Allison let’s it go in order to let him help her when she’s in danger or something idk

- I also like the keepers, very fun seeing everyday people and places repurposed to just have a bunch of guns. Gene and Jean were great, and Sy, guy pretending to be Jennifer’s dad. Fake Jennifer? Amazing. Bud I loved, what a guy!

- I realize I didn’t suggest stuff for Allison but I liked her this season with Klaus and Claire, all she needed was to get more one on one scenes with siblings or lila, and that pretty much goes for every sibling i just need them hanging out with other siblings ❤️ actually ideally Sparrow Ben I feel like she’d call him out on stuff and be the one to level with when it came to big mistakes, lashing out, being selfish—and afterwards trying to say sorry and be better moving forward. Maybe she rumors him to stop seeing Jennifer to give more plot room for the siblings while keeping the “I can’t stop thinking about you let’s MERGE” idea but he finds a loophole like the sneaky little weasel guy he is (i love him) or Allison let’s it go in order to let him help her when she’s in danger or something idk

- The Cleanse. Sparrow Ben and Jennifer have morphed into Goop Monster. The horror has almost won. It is all powerful, it has taken over everything else. It is just the Hargreeves and them in the former wreckage of the mansion, filling with goop. It fills with goop up to their necks and gets into their brains. All it needs is their Marigold, but they have to give it willingly. Taunt all of them with visions of their birth parents, the normal lives they could’ve had but even better, Luther with Sloane and dog and kids, Diego with Lila and his kids, Allison with Claire and Ray and her hairstylist crew, Klaus with Dave, Five with Delores, Viktor with Sissy and Harlan.

- Instead, family chooses their siblings and also the world. They use their powers at the same time and hold hands with Viktor or something at the center because he deserves to save the world instead of end it, combining Marigold or something in a blast that whites out the screen and presumably saves the world.

- Same sequence of the alternate timelines being destroyed. Same park scenes with all the cameos from previous seasons and the post credit marigold sprouting, except Sparrow Ben and Jennifer are also walking in the park at the end because they are technically also victims of the Hargreeves and the original Marigold fiasco. Boom. They sacrificed themselves. 🙏 RIP the end

OPTIONAL SELF-INDULGENT ALIVE ENDING (because I want them to be happy)

- Umbrella Ben and the family in the void and they get a tearful reunion and group hug.

- Klaus and Little Girl on Bike have some banter before she’s like fine. An exception for you all. She holds out the marigolds since her whole thing is flowers in her bike basket. Klaus gets to save the family yaaay

- Replace the marigold cutscene with a scene of all of them joining the family reunion in the park with Lila’s family and the kids

- Open ending to if they find those perfect lives or not in the reconstructed timeline, (Sloane Sissy Dave Ray etc) but at least they are together 👍

Things That Should Be More Well Thought Out And Go Through Sensitivity Readers And Be Addressed But I Dont Feel Personally Qualified to Address:

- luther and allison after that scene in s3. also the murder stuff but mostly that. delicately executed apology instead of willfully ignoring it

- klaus after suffering very bad relapse and sex trafficking during his arc and also being buried alive🙏 thats a lot.. to handle

- I feel adding Diego to the 7-years-montage plot would make it so that he and others appreciated a healthy weight for him in comparison to going through malnourishment to at least divert the fatphobic jokes a bit?? idk or we could just cut those jokes in general there’s nothing wrong with having a dad bod

- probably other stuff but thats the big ones that stood out to me

[storiesbyrhi]

Witch!Reader x Bat/Vampire!Eddie Munson Series Masterlist The Grimoire The Timeline

Warnings: canon typical violence, horror genre typical violence/some infrequent gore, swearing, animal death, no beta, death in childbirth (mentioned, not described), abusive parents, suicide, spiders/bugs, grief/mourning; warnings updated each chapter.

Synopsis: No witch has stepped foot in Hawkins since 1845, but when Vecna opens the ground and poisons the town, a voice begins to call to you. Have you been brought back to this cursed place to heal the townspeople’s wounds, to save a hexed bat that always finds its way to you, or to redefine your history with a reunion 150 years in the making?

Chapter Summary: Magic for magic. 2552 words.

1986

Aeschylus, often considered the father of Greek tragedy, once said that, “He who learns must suffer.” In your experience, learning was a good and pure thing. Though, since coming to Hawkins, all you had learned only served to cause you pain. Aeschylus continued, “And even in our sleep, pain that cannot forgot falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God.”

So, sleep you did.

Once the grieving teens had left the trailer, you were left alone with your thoughts. Eddie hadn’t come out of the bedroom, and you suspected he wouldn’t until he was invited to. You curled up on the couch, felt the warmth left in the wake of Steve Harrington’s ghost dissipate, and napped.

From the bedroom, Eddie listened to your breathing even out. He smiled at the small snores and sounds of your sleep; those, he remembered, he knew well. He remembered how you slept and how you woke. How you walked and talked. Thought and felt. He remembered falling in love with you then, and now. He’d stay in that bedroom for as long as you needed him to.

An hour later, you woke hungry and sad. Sleep, though, did as Aeschylus had said. It allowed what you had learned and all your pain to be distilled into a strange sort of wisdom. There was only one question that mattered in the moment. Did you want Eddie to tell the story of your history, or did you want to recover your memories first through magic?

With your plate piled with fruit and cheese, you made your way down the hall and into the bedroom. It was still equipped to block out the sun. Dark as dark could be.

“I’m turning the light on.”

Eddie was sitting on the floor next to the bed, on the opposite side to you. He’d picked up your copy of The Lord of the Rings and was making good progress. He stood up.

“Didn’t know vampires like to read,”

“I don’t know about the others. But I do. It slows time down. I can’t read any faster than a human can.”

He was different. He held himself different now that he knew who he was.

You sat cross-legged on the bed and began to eat.

“It was the blood from your lip,” he told. You still tasted how you did then, on the banks of the stream.

You nodded. “I figured. I didn’t think it would be that easy though,”

“I would not call any of this easy.” There was an innocence or naivety that came with having no memories, and it had often manifested in Eddie’s tone and speech pattern. It was gone now.

“Were we right? All our guesses about what happened?”

Eddie sat on the bed, his back to the wall and legs stretched out in front of him. He clasped his hands together and blinked slowly. When he looked at you, you were overwhelmed by the expression. You crumpled, lost under the weight of Eddie’s gaze.

“My love,” he murmured, reaching out to move your plate and pull you into his lap.

You curled your arms between your body and his, letting him hold you, enclosing you entirely. When you cried, it wasn’t just out of frustration at Eddie keeping the truth from you. It was a release of all the tension. It was grief for Steve and the teenage soldiers. It was anger on behalf of Hawkins, the decades it had spent suffering with the plagues unleashed by the lab. The horror of knowing your memories had been tinkered with by the people who were meant to protect you. The loneliness in that. And, the pain of betrayal.

The shame of being a bad witch and wrong on some deep subatomic level. The longing for love. The fear of everything to come.

Your emotions were making you feel claustrophobic. Paranoid. Disorientated.

“My little witch. My love…” Eddie struggled with what to say, for he knew that whatever picture you were painting in your mind, the truth was worse. Although he didn’t know what happened to you after he sunk to the bottom of the stream, transformed into the bat, it did not take much thought to finish your story. Sally, Gillian, and Penelope, stripping you of your memories.

Eddie held you tighter, let you sob until you ran dry. Dehydrated and with a pounding headache, you sat up with a blurry expression.

“My apple’s gone brown,” you pouted.

Eddie laughed, feeling himself come alive with love.

“You keep looking at me like that,” you said, rubbing your face with your hands.

“Like what?”

“Like I’m… a little mewling kitten… or… I don’t know…”

He knew what you meant. He was looking at you like he knew you and was devastatingly in love with you and could watch you pout about apples forever.

“Sorry,” Eddie replied.

You narrowed your eyes at him. “You’re not sorry,”

“No,” he agreed. “But I will try not to think of you as a mewling kitten. Would you prefer to be an ally cat or-” He was cut off when you threw a piece of brie at him. Eddie laughed again.

You shuffled around to sit cross-legged again. Breathing in deeply, you let it out and decided. “I don’t want you to tell me everything. I don’t want to feel like it’s all just… theory… You know? I’m real. I’m here. But I was there and that was real, and I need to feel it. I need to remember it for myself.”

Eddie nodded. “I understand,”

“Do you know anything specific about how the memories were taken? Like, the spell?”

“No. Just that… I believe they were taken against your will,”

“Yeah. They were. A witch would never give up a part of herself like that…”

It was a solemn conclusion, but the conversation had a glimmer of hope. You were a spell away from your memories, so close to that pain falling drop by drop into your heart until it turned to wisdom.

…

“You can send me away,” Eddie offered from where he sat on the kitchen bench, his legs swinging. “I won’t be offended,”

“Mmm. Because not offending you is at the top of my list of concerns right now.”

He held in a smirk. Even without your memories and with a new name, you were still his little witch.

“I was simply offering privacy,”

“I’d prefer if you’d offer to go and pick some chicory flowers. They’re the blue-”

“Blue flowers on long stems. I know. Not native to this area but grow where it is hot and dry.”

You blinked at him, taken aback by his knowledge of wildflowers.

He liked the surprised look on your face. “Shall I continue? The plant can be used for a variety of magic purposes. European folklore claims it can open locked doors. This belief has also been traced to Ancient Egypt. Chicory root can be used as an amplifier, while the rest of the plant has its uses in spells relating to time, curses, and invisibility.”

Eddie watched your lips part as you breathed out. The craft was your love language, and your blown pupils were evidence that he was fluent enough.  

“Forgive me for revealing this, but you used to teach me things. Not everything. Nothing that could be dangerous for a vampire to know. But when you did teach, I listened.” He slid from the bench and moved towards the door. “Chicory awaits.”

You stood for a moment, unsure how to disentangle all the emotions, waiting for one of them to dominate and guide your mood. Grief. It was always grief. And the knowledge that memories like teaching Eddie about the natural world had been taken from you was sharpening that grief into a blade.

Eddie had left just as the sun had set, returning within the hour. You had expected him to be back in the blink of an eye, but he’d moved slowly, giving you some time in private, regardless of what you’d said about needing it.

As he came to sit at the alter opposite you, he frowned. The bowl of syrupy black liquid looked evil. You ignored his expression and took the chicory from him.

“What are you to do with that?” he asked when you didn’t volunteer the information.

You quirked an eyebrow. “I’m to drink it.”

He nodded. “As I feared.”

Laughing at his intensity, you shook your head and began to weave a crown from the chicory. “This spell will put me to sleep. Not long. I don’t think,”

“You don’t think?!”

“Magic is not an exact science,”

“Yes, but still… Can you not find a way to be more sure?” He just got you back; he could not fathom losing you again.

“No. Now if you don’t mind-”

“What’s in it?” Eddie interrupted.

While you agreed the potion did not look safe, let alone appetising, it was the only way forward. You had consulted the grimoires and had done your best work. Maybe the coven would have a better spell, but you were on your own.

“Rosemary,” you answered.

“Black… sludge… rosemary?”

“Do you really want one of your special lessons right now?”

“I want you to remember the special lessons,”

“Okay, then stop-” You waved your hand around. “-all this and be quiet. Please.”

Eddie put his hands up in surrender and moved away from the altar. You looked from him back to the chicory crown you were making.

“In our memories,

Our magic is stored.

And of mine,

An act abhorred.

Petals blue.

Night new.

Remember me,

As I remember you.”

Shaking hands held the completed crown but you mustered as much bravery as possible and put it on your head. You took the potion bowl and held it to your lips.

“In our memories,

Our self is forged.

And of mine,

Let them be restored.

Rosemary green.

Witch blood clean.

What has come to pass,

Let it now be seen.”

The blackness tasted of nothing. It coated your mouth the nothingness. It pulled you into a void by the teeth and within seconds, you’d fallen into a magically induced sleep, Eddie moving to catch your head from hitting the floor. He placed a pillow in his lap, then rested your head on top. By what alchemy your memories were taken, Eddie didn’t know, but he hoped it had been as peaceful a process as this.

…

The apple almost sparkled as it flew through the air. You watched mesmerised by the red as it spun and hit its peak. It followed the laws of gravity down, down, and into the hands of a man.

“I do not agree to that.”

Your voice had changed since 1836. Small tweaks in accent and enunciation. Just enough to continue to blend in with an ever-changing society. You wondered if you still had that righteous tone.

“Then name your price.”

Eddie. Eddie, remarkable from the very first moment you met him.

From across the stream, you saw Eddie watching you. You looked so small, hunched by the water, cleansing crystals like it was of epic importance. He emerged from the darkness and spoke in a lowered voice. Then, milkweed silk and doe with soft fur and long lashes. Building a forest gate.

You witnessed it all as if you were a fly on the wall, a ghost in the memory.

“This comes with warning, Amabel. What you have done is beyond comprehension and reason. You are escaping due punishment. This is mercy at best. Nepotism at worst. The creature will be taken now and you will not see it again.”

The claustrophobia of Penelope’s hut made you ache and itch. It all played out before your eyes, a replication of 1836. It was agony. First, the horror of what happened. Then, having to bear witness. Finally, the recollection firing in your brain, all your emotions and muscles searing with re-traumatisation.

There was doubt written on Sally’s face that you could not see then but could now. She poured the potion into your mouth, believing that regardless of whether cursing the vampire was the right thing to do or not, taking your heartache away was as much mercy as a mother could show.

As your recovered memories aligned with what you remembered, you saw yourself sitting by Penelope’s fire, an emptiness opening up inside you. You would try to fill it with the bloody and sacred duty of protecting humans from vampires. You’d try to fill it with magic and music and everything the twentieth century had to offer. It never went away. It was a dark thing that hibernated until destiny saw Henry Creel. Saw the potential in a hexed creature sitting in the treetops of Hawkins. Saw the love in your heart sealed over by what you’d forgotten.

Destiny saw you, and you… you saw it all.

…

In the Catskills, the cold had claws. Gillian had pulled on her thickest pair of socks that morning, before brewing a fresh pot of tea. She could feel it coming, though she wasn’t quite ready to admit that she didn’t know what exactly ‘it’ was.

Sally emerged from her bedroom not long after her sister. She wore the same sad expression she had ever since you packed up and left for Hawkins. Gillian tracked her slow movements to the tea, and then the small round kitchen table they shared.

“I haven’t seen Kelsey around in a little while. Do you think she’s avoiding us?”

Sally sighed and looked at her sister with weary. “I would think after this many lifetimes, you would just state your business.”

Gillian smiled. It wasn’t just you and Kelsey who were changed in 1836. Sally never fully recovered from what had happened. She was more inclined to being blunt, and often it walked over the line into the realm of callousness. Gillian though, forgave her sister. She owed her at least that.

“Fine. She is avoiding us. She is the only one in contact with-”

“I know,” Sally interrupted on cue – she hated hearing your name out loud. “So?”

“So… They are up to something. Or, at least, one of them is… And we know which one.”

Sally considered her sister’s theory. She’d grown tired of her sister’s theories though. Really, she’d grown tired of a lot of things. When they left Hawkins, she wouldn’t bother with another lustrating ritual and didn’t argue when Gillian kept her own name too. Sally hardly got involved with the coven’s comings and goings. She simply set up her cabin in the mountains and let everyone buzz around her like happy little bees.

“Let them be up to something,” Sally finally said.

Gillian had known the reply would be worth waiting for. She smiled at her sister again and nodded.

They would go about their day as usual. They would tend to their garden and the patches of magical herbs and flowers they had planted all around the forest. They would brew potions and read books. Talk to bobcats and watch the sun set. They would go about their day as usual, but both sisters felt it coming.

The day of judgment was upon them.  

End Note: This one is for @chestylarouxx, who helped me find a home for the coven.

Aeschylus lived in fear of a prophecy that foretold his death would come at the hands of a falling object. He figured something heavy falling from a shelf or a roof caving in. So, he spent much time outdoors in the countryside. Legend goes, he died when an eagle mistook his bald head for a rock, and dropped a turtle on him from a great height. Can you fucking imagine if this is true? That the father of the Greek tragedy died like this? I hope it is.

As always, super keen to hear your thoughts and feelings!

Fic Taglist:  @paranoidmunson  @idkidknemore @paprikaquinn @stardustworlds @loz-brooke @wyverntatty @vintagehellfire @dark-academia-slut @scarletwitchwhore @becks1002 @mrsdollardog @heyndrix @luceneraium @rosaline-black @devilinthepalemoonlite @goldencherriess @iamwhisperingstars @wiltedwonderland @blueywrites @breezybeesposts @jadehowlettthewolf @spikesvamp79 @foreveranexpatsposts @tortoiseshellspells @wingedpeachjudgegiant @stardustmunson @live-love-be-unique @fangirling-4-ever @reanimated-alice @b-irock @gh0stlybunnie @myown-worstenemy-2003 @woozzz @cyberxlust @hiscrimsonangel @buckysbarne @m00nlight101 @word-wytch @spicysix @briasnow-blog @goth-cowgirl-03

All Eddie Taglist: @solomons-finest-rum @ruinedbythehobbit @sweetpeapod @thorfemmes  @corrodedhawkins @grungegrrrl @lilzabob  @averagemisfit03 @ches-86 @ilovecupcakesandtea @onehotgreasymechanic @hazydespair @mel-the-fangirl @eddies-hid3out @siren-lungs @aheadfullofsteverogers @hiscrimsonangel

[rivetgoth]

I have definitely talked about this song before on here but I've been having a bit of a Greater Wrong of the Right moment. Oldschool Charheads know that this is one of my all-time favorite albums and has been for the better part of a decade, but I genuinely feel like Goneja is like, one of the top 10, maybe even top 5, Skuppy tracks ever, which I think (?) is a pretty esoteric opinion, since the post-Doomsday stuff doesn't tend to get nearly as much love.

Buuut it's just so good man. It's like, for lack of a better word I'd call it the thesis of the album. This might be a kinda scattered "analysis" but I think GWOTR is an album that reflects a lot of growth and maturity from Ogre (and cEv, but I'm talking lyrically right now so sorry lol)--That isn't to say that the pre-Doomsday stuff is "immature," but I think there's a kind of normal timeline of human experience and psychology present in the evolution of Ogre's lyrics and demeanor over time, with the early Skuppy stuff being much more proactive and angry, and later Skuppy stuff being much more reflective. Like, lyrics that go from "This thing sucks" to "What can be done about this thing, how do we react to it, what does this say about the world."

Anyway, I think GWOTR spends a lot of time reflecting on this change as lyrics span across a bunch of the songs about sitting there, literally sitting, and sort of acknowledging or not acknowledging the horrors of the world: "Sit and feel absolutely zero suffering / A condition worth denying," "In the place of safety I am fortunate to be alive." A lot of this is (and the album title evokes this too, and the stage show) implicitly about the state of international affairs in the US at the time, post 9/11, the Bush Administration, and the horrors taking place overseas by hand and dollar of the US militia. Reflecting on the helplessness of being within the country of origin, far away from the actual traumas taking place. To return to what I said above about that "proactive and angry" vs "reflective" statement, consider the lyrics of songs like VX Gas Attack or Second Tooth versus lyrics like Use Less or DaddyuWarbash, where we shift from talking about the war itself to talking about being a citizen of the country propagating it: "Doesn't concern me / Under a flag free / Are we all completely useless?," "We remove ourselves from the war / Looking from a distance, sanitized / Wash your hands and feel it / The dirt is down the drain."

I also don't think it's coincidence that this album and all that it represents and speaks on was the first Skinny Puppy album since both Ogre and cEvin got clean from harder drugs and got more into weed. I think this album sonically has this sort of long, winding, whirring sound I'd associate specifically with a weed high, and obviously Goneja by name is a play on ganja (though as a SoCal resident I used to try to read it as go-neigh-ha until I realized, LMAO), so it's asking you to be aware of the presence of marijuana within the song and the album as a whole. So I think Goneja kind of is a coalescence of the impact weed has on the album and the larger themes of the lyrics of the album, and serves as probably the most personal, or introspective track on the album, with this kind of dreamlike, erratic sound, simultaneously slow and mellow but with scattered, jumbled, almost-nonsense lyrics that shift into one another as the song progresses. I always felt the song was representational of getting way too high and way too stuck in your own head, and the way your thoughts start to warp, and you start thinking about all of these terrible things, and all of these dark moments in your own life, and these dark moments in history, and become wrapped up in how weird and fucked up the world is. "I wish I wouldn't live in newspapers" is one of the final statements of the song and I think THAT is kind of the thesis of the album right there. That feeling trapped by the world, the news, the information being fed to you, all of the horrors, how much bigger it is than you, how helpless and oppressive it feels. For Ogre, he'd spent, what, 20 years at this point making a career of speaking on all of those horrors? And to what end? Has anything changed for the better? Is there a point to this at all? Are we all completely useless?

[sunny-porridge]

fics that held me softly in July

the depths - by @bahbahhh

I don’t even know how to begin describing this. I have to frequently put the phone down to let the words sink in. The prose is so beautiful, the emotions are so raw, the relationships (specially between Link and Tulin) are so profound, and the plot is developing into one of the most intriguing and fascinating takes I’ve ever read. This is truly a piece of art - and it has visual art, too! Give the comic a shot and prepare for a ride > the depths au (tumblr.com)

--

Frenetīk - by @not-freyja

If I ever do one of these rec lists and not include my dear Freyja, call the guards. I’ve been kidnapped and replaced with my evil twin sister, brand new hair band. 

It’s hard to put into words what this story made me feel. Our most beloved soft boy is dealing with grief, and what’s left after the loss.

Frenetik is, once again, part of the Concatenation series, but I think this one stands alone on its own as a truly rich exploration of Sky. Of course, it will make a lot more sense if you’ve read This is an Adjuration (how many times will I have to tell you to go read it?), but the thing that stands out the most about this story is the powerful emotion surrounding love, and loss, and change – a change that you can’t outrun, or escape, or stop, because it’s happening inside of you.

It's something that feels undescribable, and yet... It's here.

--

The Inn at the End of Time - by @musical-chan

If I were to choose one word for this story it would be haunting. It’s a very intriguing concept, sort of a Links meet, except these are all based on the one guy who broke the timeline... Several times.

Yeah, several Times.

Anyways, the execution is wonderful, mixing a sort of muted fridge horror and a levity that has left me thinking about this story from several different angles. 

Idolatry - by @tashacee and @a-manicured-lawn

After the War, The Captain is the cornerstone of progress in his era, helping rebuild his town stone by stone, but lately he has hit rock bottom. Iconic as he is to his people, it’s easy to take a hero for granted. Fortunately, the Chain has just arrived at his era, but will they be able to help him before he crumbles? Will he become a hollow monument, or are there precious stones hidden deep within his core?

Tash, Lawn, take the wheel. I’ll go where you go. And I have so many more rock puns.

The Fairy Dance - FilipaMariaKerachitomene

This series is another one of my regulars in my lists. I truly love the setting and the connections it makes between every era, every Hero and Princess, and even side characters. The main story is very plot driven and touches on heavier subjects, but The Fairy Dance is a sweeter side story set in Hyrule’s childhood, and it really sets the scene for who Hyrule is and how he makes sense of the world around him and his Princesses.

NSFW ZONE !!

The Obligatory Beach Episode - Anonymous

Listen, I don’t know what to tell you. This series made me who I am, and this entry has been nothing but high notes. Solid character development? Check. Carefully crafted worldbuilding? Check. Interesting plot? Check. Are you wondering how the mailing system works, or why the heroes can use their rupees interchangeably? The answers are all here.

And of course, well… You know what you’re here for. Truly wonderful sex scenes that go beyond the merely physical and really show how intimacy and love are some of the most powerful drivers of a hero’s journey.

Beach Episode also features a guest star that is absolutely stealing the show - not without her introducing a fair share of unexpected changes and complicated feelings. Bah.

one night / all night / every night - ocean__blue

Link and Impa, rivals as sworn protectors of the crown, both want to go after Zelda, but neither of them has any practice in the matters of love. So, they make a deal to set aside their differences and help each other out to learn together. What could possibly go wrong?

Featuring Zelda/Impa/Link from an unknown era - loosely based on the era of the Wild, but with some original spins that make it completely unique. It’s a fresh story with humor, heart and a lot of heat.

[gingerbravecookie]

devlog 1 - cursor and the horrors of game making. the agony and such of making a rewrite fangame

hello!! name's cursor/siffrin and i'm a poor loser making a fangame!! why did i commit to this i could have just made a fic but noooo i gotta pick up rpgmaker again

this devlog is made because. well. all devs do one ithink. also to write down my ocasional progress in this project!! this won't be monthly but whenever i have the time and got something to report yay. spare me from this hellhole

we begin 💥

ever since cookie run the darkest night got cancelled a few months ago and left us with only chapter 1 i did feel sad!! i liked the story!!! gingerbrave cool and fucking awesome moments. BUT!! because i am mentally ill,, i decided to rewrite the game myself and give it the ending it deserved to have!! will the ending be proper i dunno. i am still writing this stuff waugh. but hey it will have an ending at least

to gamedev stuff proper. i got rpgmaker mz around 2022 for the purpose of making a cr game still. an original one!! however after making a few stuff i left it in hiatus bc i had to focus on school (i still do. college is breathing on my neck dear lord). i still plan to continue that one but it will be after i'm done with this rewrite. in either way. i've been changing placeholder stuff for now,, such as menu icons and figuring out how to make the party have five members. also re learning how to use aseprite because i gotta make all sprites haha (breaks down)

i should remind folks that i am an artist/writer first and foremost. i will very likely go through pure trial and error while making and 'coding' all of this (why did i plan 14 chapters oh my godddd),, though i do have notes i took from the rpgmaker tutorial so i can refer to when i'm stuck whenever and hey!! forums are always a thing!! i wouldn't have figured how to have 5 party members if they weren't!!

to writing stuff. i've been planning the prologue and the locations of the first 3 chapters so far. as well as a vague idea of chapter 12 and the epilogue. with point A and point B set,, now i just gotta make the middle point. aka the rest of the game</3

the main party and a few relevant npcs and characters have already been set. as well as brainstoming stuff and showing said stuff to the gingerbrave council (personal friend server) for approval of sillyness. you guys are fucking awesome btw if you're reading this. also hi chat

mentally i've been setting a timeline of events. i plan to write these in a notebook so i can have them at anytime and not have to open my laptop whenever i get a cool idea. or dig through thousands of discord messages just to find an idea i wrote down in the moment. overall i believe writing (in comparison to art making and the game making process) will be the easier part for me. also i gotta decide for a proper name for the rewrite. naming it the same as the og is lame. i need something with more sauce. i'll figure it out. in the meantime. have this goober

i'm sure this should be it for this devlog!! hooray!! what have i gotten myself into!!!

in all seriousness i'm honestly pretty excited,, i really want to make this game work and for people to play it!! even if it might be a bit of a pain i really wanna finish this project so there's tgat

that's all. see you all in the next devlog whenever that might be 💥

[nodawnesperia]

Character Profile: Orthros

The second character from the first ask is here! Orthros and Zolrath are interesting with how interconnected they are and this is adding stuff further into Orthros' past as well so not just the last 15 years are affected by it. Zolrath's story may have already suggested as much though so I hope you'll learn something new here! TW for torture, gore, body horror, slight trypophobia, and desecration of a corpse.

Name: Orthros

Age at the time of the Barred Gate breaking: ???

Current age: ???

Affiliation: Celestials

Appearance: While the base of his appearance is the same, Orthros has undergone huge changes. His helmet has been cracked, the feathers on his shoulder guards have been ripped out, his clothes are dirty, and the large clock once a part of his back is now completely missing. The floating arms on its sides are still with him but severely cracked and damaged.

Personality: According to the priestess, Orthros is steadfast and vigilant in his guard of Esperia's timeline. However, he has allowed a certain evil influence to mess with it for a while, hoping their paths would cross naturally when the right time came. Whether it actually did or not is unknown as well as most other things about the god. But according to the priestess, he is still out there trying his best to put together the pieces of Esperia's shattered future.

Backstory: Glorimon 12th 1703 I have been deemed unfit for work in the mines. The Hypogeans have assigned me to their magical research division as a test subject. I've been given a diary to keep so that they may better monitor my progress. My name is Asha, my family is unimportant. I am a priestess of the Church of Light, a follower of the god of time. I have been given visions by my god. I will detail them more later.

Glorimon 15th 1703 The first phase of the experiment is now underway. For the last three days, I have been administered a potion with each meal. It tastes gross and feels as though something thick and slimy slides down my throat every time. There are no side effects as of yet. The first time I received a vision was years before the Barred Gate broke. I was but a child back then, but I remember it as clearly and vividly as if I saw it every day since then. In my vision, the great god Orthros was fighting with a serpent-like Hypogean across Esperian history. I could recognize some events while others were completely foreign. The serpent demon got the upper hand, tearing the clock from the great Orthros' back but in return took a mighty blow that sent him careening through time and space. It was a vision so powerful that I ran to my mother and cried until she took me to see a priest.

Glorimon 25th 1703 The first phase is progressing well according to the mages who come to check on me. I'm not sure if that is good or bad but the amount of potion I have to drink has been increased. I noticed strange bruises appearing on my body during the night but none of them ever hurt even when I touched them. I hope this is all the potion will do but I worry. The second vision I received happened after I became an ordained priestess. In this vision, I saw the mighty goddess Dura and the god-crafter Ansiel creating a giant celestial clock that took up the sky. It started spinning backward and all of Esperia reversed. Trees shrunk into saplings and seeds, the elderly became young, then children, the land changed with the seasons until there were only summer and autumn left. The clock has exhausted all of its power and finally came to a stop at a time I didn't recognize. Then it stood, and I somehow knew it was gathering power to become active again. It was a vision equal parts hopeful and frightening.

Calimon 2nd 1703 My whole body is covered in bruises and welts, yet none of them hurt. I look into my reflection on the spoon they give me to feed myself with and I cannot recognize the person I see. My face is swollen, I can barely see. Most days, I am so tired that even lifting a pen is a problem. I don't know for how much longer I will be able to write. When the Barred Gate broke, I was already nearing my fifties, and I hadn't seen a vision in decades. But that night, I saw a vision so horrifying, so terrible, that it's been keeping me up at night ever since then every time I remember it. I saw Esperia with rivers flowing with blood instead of water, with human skins strewn around trees as if growing on them, and with every land animal and every bird and every fish covered in eyes, all looking at me. The image flickered like a torch in a windstorm, then changed into the exact opposite. A peaceful world where children played happily and trees bore fruit three times the normal amount. The images kept switching as if two forces were fighting over showing them to me. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to see any more.

Calimon 30th 1703 I can feel movement inside the welts on my body. The mages said the second stage of the experiment is progressing well. I don't know what they're doing to me. I don't want to drink any more potions but they are even more adamant about it now. They say my affinity for the Divine Light – my faith! – is what makes me such a perfect test subject. I can barely see. Something is crawling, scuttling about INSIDE me! I received another vision, just a few days ago. I saw myself. Young, happy. I wasn't a priestess in my vision. I had a husband, a child. I don't know what the great Orthros is trying to tell me with that vision but it gave me peace during my sleep.

Duramon 26th 1703 They are ready to burst. All the pain I never felt before came back tenfold. The mages had to cast multiple pain-relieving spells on me for it to become somewhat manageable. I heard them talking about other test subjects who went mad with agony. The welts and swells on my body are full to bursting and yet, my skin holds. I wish it didn't. I wish I could claw whatever is inside there out but my hands have been restrained to the point where even writing is an issue. Another vision came to mind, one that happened a long time ago. I'm not sure why I didn't remember it before. I saw the serpent-like Hypogean again, weaving what looked like streams of water. Every move he made sent a ripple through the whole tapestry. And the tapestry he was making was terrible. I cannot remember why. I cannot remember any details of it. All I know is that it filled me with dread. And then, above the tapestry, I saw my great god Orthros, hanging by those same strands of water the Hypogean was weaving together. He was motionless. He was dead.

Luxmon 13th? Creatures are ripping through my skin, crawling out, and then devouring what they just ripped up. I asked one of the mages to write in my diary for me. I have been given so many potions and so much relieving magic... that I cannot even feel it. I can only see as grotesque monsters come from my arms and my legs and my face, Hypogeans the lot of them. Does this mean the experiment was a success? Will they finally kill me? Request denied. Subject will continue to be monitored, healed, and readied for another delivery. A vision came to me again today. My god hasn't forgotten me and hasn't died. The celestial clock I've seen all those decades ago appeared again. Smaller, cracked, but definitely still powerful. It was sitting, biding its time, gathering its power. Inside its body, I saw my great god Orthros, recovering. He will fight the serpent demon yet again, in due time. I cannot wait to see his glory return.

Auramon? My wounds have mostly healed, with great aid of magic. I suppose I am valuable enough to them to keep around. That is a little worrying... I would do anything not to have to go through that agony again. I don't know how much more my body can take. I don't know what day it is anymore.

??? Subject has been terminated due to poor health conditions and inability to perform another delivery. This diary and the attached research notes are the property of the Temple of Death and its associated magical researchers. Glory be to Annih and his many many children!