#how funny this is. cause i was OBSESSED with the great one beast when it was first datamined

[yahargulian]

I was trying to find decent height comparison pictures between the Pthumerian enemies in Bloodborne and the Hunter for notes on Vash's height in the AU, cause he's Pthumerian there. And all of a sudden I remembered that the Great One Beast is a thing. Albeit a cut thing, but it's RIGHT THERE.

And then my brain started cooking and now suddenly Everything has started to properly fall into place. It's all becoming clear and oh my god, I think I'm actually going somewhere with this??

[felixcloud6288]

PMMM Rebellion Movie

Those images during Homura's explanation of things have some real witch art-style to them.

Those tears(?) formed a spiral at the end.

This opening has real Fantasia vibes.

Madoka!? Why are you in the ballerina crowd?

I really want to know how that bear thing is animated. It looks like a real item made using stop motion.

SAYAKA!!! and Kyouko!!

A musical?

Why is the dessert witch here?

I'm not even five minutes in and have written all this.

It's the same family scene from episode 1.

So Hitomi and Kyousuke are already dating in the movie.

I saw it! Madoka has that magical girl mark on her left middle finger. Can't tell what it is but it's pink.

This opened with Homura explaining the law of cycles so I'd assume this is after the main series but things are definitely not adding up.

Madoka does the late for school run complete with toast in mouth.

ClaRis returns to make the opening theme.

Opening theme remarks: This is so obviously going to be about Homura. I love how the others are able to be carefree and have fun. Even though it's supposed to represent some tragic thing (I don't know, does Homura feel isolated and the others don't know her distress?), there's something funny about her moping while the others are doing a cheerful dance.

First time seeing Kyouko in a school uniform.

Sayaka and Kyouko's interaction over the homework is such a perfect microcosm of how they view what a magical girl is.

Oh great. Teacher's a conspiracy nutjob.

And her rambling sets the story to shortly after December 21, 2012.

It's Moe-mura. So is this an earlier loop?

Nevermind. What's a nightmare? The anime ended saying they're hunting demonic beasts.

Another shot where I could see Madoka's finger mark. It looks like it's just a pink line.

Hitomi has a fairy-tale princess bed.

Oh, so that's what nightmares are.

I'm SO OBSESSED with staring at everyone's fingers!!! I never saw Mami's mark in the anime and I can see she has one too. It's orange, but I can't tell exactly what it is. I think it might be a diamond.

Bebe? Okay. Why is that little witch living with Mami?

Got a good laugh seeing Mami use magic to curl her hair.

So glad Sayaka realized that Kyousuke isn't worth being upset over.

I'm so happy Kyubey hasn't said a single word. I hope just shuts the fuck up for the whole movie.

A full sailor Moon-esque transformation sequence.

Something felt off about Homura's transformation. I had to rewatch everyone's transformation sequences and while Homura's wasn't the only one that had witch runes appear, it was the only one where they interrupted the tranformation rather than being part of it.

Everything about Homura's transformation sequence dripped with sheer awkwardness. She does not know how to be flashy or cool.

I actually had a PTSD flashback when Bebe got real close to Homura's face.

Do they actually have to sing to dispel the nightmares? That felt like the kind of song you'd sing to a kindergarten class.

Okay. Their soul gems get replenished by the power created by turning nightmares into happy dreams.

Loved seeing them all work together. We never got anything like that in the anime.

Bebe keeps talking about cheese. Is that why she ate Mami in the anime? Cause Mami's head looks like a cheese wheel?

What's with the math teacher's face? Oh it's everyone.

Anime cabbage rule: All drawings of food must look amazing.

Maybe all this is some nightmare of Homura's? I think she's implying to Kyouko that everything she doesn't know is kind of being awkwardly filled in.

"Veni, Vidi, Mitaki Hara"

We're already in weirdo limbo world and we haven't reached the final stop?

Bus driver is really unconcerned that someone jumped from the roof onto the engine.

Is Mitakihara the name of the city the story takes place in?

Everything is creepy.

Moe-mura was just an act.

I bet Kyubey is behind all this. I have no proof but I need an excuse to hate him.

Hold on a second. Were Bebe's familiars mouse-themed because she's obsessed with cheese?

Every time Homura pries into something she doesn't know, things get weird.

Homura, you shouldn't accuse the cheese freak when Kyubey is RIGHT THERE!!

There's a drawing of Bebe with a Mami palette-swap and a moustache at 46:08.

All the billboards are BEBE.

MAGIC OF GUN!!!!

WHAT!!?

Wraiths? Is that what we call the demonic beasts?

The witch wants to keep things the way they are. Oh dear. It's Homura.

Bebe and Sayaka know too much. They and Madoka should not exist in this world.

SAYAKA TURNED INTO HER WITCH FORM!?! WHAT'S GOING ON AND HOW CAN I BLAME KYUBEY FOR THIS!?

Why are those "children" throwing tomatoes at Homura?

Madoka's finger mark is just a line. LAME!!

Madoka was literally trying to make Homura go back to how she was at the start and Homura ended up rejecting the false reality where Madoka never vanished.

Why are creepy children chanting Homura's name while the world ends? Why is this movie so creepy!?

KYUBEY SHUT UP!! GO BACK TO BEING ALL "Kyu, Kyu".

Oh great, there's more of them.

Witch Homura's familiars are a mix of British Royal guards that look like Homura and children. Homura wished to relive her time with Madoka but be able to protect her instead, so the royal guard theme makes sense.

Awesome! It IS Kyubey's fault!

Kyubey and his entire race really are just the worst.

Loving the montage of Homura being singly obsessed with killing Kyubey forever.

Oh so Homura's familiars aren't royal guards. They're a prisoner escort. So I guess those children familiars are the onlookers mocking the prisoner on their way to their execution.

Sayaka can command her witch form.

Sayaka and Bebe are commanding familiars from all the witches from the anime.

Now that I think about it, we never saw Sayaka pull of any actual pagical feats. This is cool seeing her create music sheet platforms.

Sayaka/Kyouko OTP!!

Sayaka's witch form is wielding a copy of Kyouko's spear.

Kyubey's final words being "I don't understand at all" is so appropriate when getting destroyed by the power of love.

A familiar of the Walpurgis Night is escorting Sayaka and Bebe.

There's still 20 minutes left. Something bad is totally going to happen.

Homura, what are you doing?

Why is that spool of thread a recurring item in the movie?

Okay. I have no idea what just happened, but I guess Kyubey's going to suffer for eternity so I think it's a net positive.

Homura looks so tired.

Oh Homura's mindset did not change from when she became a witch. She just doubled down. Even her familiars hate her.

Wait what?

Madoka is wearing the ribbon her mother didn't recommend.

That same montage of events from episodes 1 and 10.

I genuinely do not understand the ending at all. Did Homura just completely nullify the entire magical girl system and Kyubey, witches, and all that just exist as things outside existence?

There shouldn't be stars on the dark side of a half-moon. The moon is literally cut in half.

Homura just threw herself off a cliff. And the half-moon and cliff perfectly divide the scene. I guess Homura has figuratively and literally gone off the deep end and plunged herself into the darkness.

Kyubey is scared. Kyubey is SCARED!! Emotions are a mental illness to his race. Homura drove him mad.

Y'know, a theme in the series is that there's no such thing as a selfless wish. Everything has a selfish motive and the entire witch system banked on girls trying to be that selfless person they're told they should be and consequently making wishes that don't give them any happiness. Even though Madoka's wish destroyed the witch system, it was still one of those 'selfless on the outside, selfish on the inside' wishes cause she always wants to be helpful. And Kyubey's system still existed but in a less effective way.

Homura effectively made an absolutely selfish wish in the end. She wanted to make sure that Madoka can always be with her, and she rewrote the universe to destroy the entire cause and effect preventing her from having that desire.

Ironically, it looks like this is the good ending because no one has to suffer from the magical girl system at all. And all the aspects about it still exist to keep things running, but don't actually effect anything. The only one who will suffer is Kyubey.

back

[being-of-rain]

I thought I'd continue my usual trend of writing my thoughts down on new Doctor Who episodes, by talking about The Star Beast. As usual, I set out to write something quick and concise, but the Wrarth Warriors busted down my door and told me that I legally couldn't.

Apparently I still have the impulse to describe Doctor Who episodes as 'fun', but by and large it's a fun show! And a fun episode! Even if I'm not as obsessed with him as a lot of fans, RTD has a charm which it's hard not to enjoy, especially with lots of little jokes and bits of physical comedy (I love little bits of physical comedy). And it's a funny episode, I was laughing from the moment the Doctor picked up a box, saw Donna, and put the box back again. Well that's not true, I was laughing from the moment I saw David Tennant just standing in green screen space like he was about to tell me the exciting new direction he intended to take the company. I'm glad everyone else seems to find that as funny as I did.

Another word I could use to describe the episode is a bit surreal. Having Beep the Meep and the Wrarth Warriors on screen was a little surreal, but strangely I found it even more so that the Doctor was walking around not knowing who Beep the Meep was. I mean obviously that was always going to be the case, but all Doctor Who mediums just live together inside my head and it was just weird to see him not recognise an iconic enemy. Maybe that was just me. Oh but Beep and the Warriors looked fantastic! It's hard to believe they're all physical effects! I really wasn't too interested in the UNIT gunfight that didn't really do much for the story, but if the new big budget lets aliens look that good then I'm fine with it. Other slightly surreal or strange things involved finally watching Doctor Who again after more than a year's break, watching it on Disney Plus rather than Australia's ABC channel, and seeing Ruth Madeley on-screen as UNIT's scientific advisor when she's also playing a companion of the Sixth Doctor in the audios at the moment.

Oh and, of course, having the Tenth Doctor and Donna back on-screen, and the TV show doing what fanfiction writers have been doing for 15 years. That was really surreal. I definitely like the two of them, but I don't have the same rampant nostalgia for their time on the show like lots of people do. I'm glad lots of people are enjoying the nostalgia aspect, but I'm also glad this is a mini-series rather than a full one. And already there's some aspects back of RTD's writing which I'm not super fond of- like conclusions that try to use technobabble and music-swelling emotional moments to smooth over the fact that some things are just happening without much cause or set-up. RTD's usually pretty good at that too- that's how the whole DoctorDonna thing started in the first place, after all- so Donna and Rose just 'letting go' of the metacrisis did feel like it fell unusually flat. Especially with it being paired with a 'women are better than men' moment which felt more like something from a Moffat script (I say this as a fan of both these writers).

Okay, that was just me trying to get all of my negatives out of the way! On the flip side, Rose inheriting the metacrisis and saving the day was a wonderful revelation, and I love that daughter/mother and loving family relationships were so important on the whole. Seeing Sylvia stumble with pronouns but still try was so lovely, as was Donna being so aggressively supportive of her daughter. And Shaun was a small role but so hilarious.

The chat outside the Tardis was great too, with Shaun dunking on the Doctor, and Donna being genre-savvy enough to stop her daughter getting into the Tardis but not enough to save herself. The new Tardis itself was a little empty to me (I'll always prefer more homely interiors) but was still extremely cool. All I want is for the show to come up with excuses for creative ways to use the mood lights. And I couldn't imagine a better ending to the episode than the console exploding because Donna spilt coffee on it, 10/10 no notes.

I know basically nothing about the next episode, and it seems that's the case for most people, so I'm terribly excited about it! It seems potentially scary spooky 👀 I'm so here for that

[icy-watch]

And wowwwie. Because Azure isn't just like that with Wukong, but DBK too! Y'all need to learn how to be whumpy losers like Mackie over there and know when to give up /j it'll save you the pain. You're down bad for your original image of Wukong, but in all the wrong ways. You never really knew him. Azure would be great on call out and discourse twitter with the hot shots he thinks he's throwing about the whole situation with Princess Iron Fan and DBK deciding he doesn't want to rule the world now, just wants to be a family man. "Just another beast serving the will of the Monkey King." fr, even Mackie wasn't this obsessed when he was bothering MK with his ~ you're just like the hero~ helps that he changes his mind later and was less seething about it to begin with. Azure is like. "Wukong ruined my life." / srs, kind of hatred and is all "woe is us for what has become of our sworn brother." Speaking of people being obsessed with others. Why is Peng always talking about Macaque lmaooo. "That coward has tucked himself away where even I can't sniff him out." What makes you think he'd want to join? Probably heard you were looking. But Yeah, he's hanging out on FFM in some little cave area above where Wukong lives I think??? Was that place in the pilots, or was it the secret place we saw Wukong eating peaches that one episode?" Are they roommates with Mackie living rent free up there??? I gotta knoww pffff. But yo "sniff" y'know, Peng's VA suggested they might have a hate-crush on Mackie which is HILARIOUS. like, they only remember the one from before so that little fluffball??? that's the one you want???? what appeals to you, the fact past!Mackie is someone you can step on with those boots er talons? Ooh we just reached the sweet scene of MK and the baby monkey ugh I wuv them, and I see Mackie's cave has a nice view of the sun there ha-! and the lanterns I told you about!! sweet, those lanterns were also present during the Brotherhood dinner, 100% had to have been Mackie's design choice. its his trademark pretty much. There is logically no way Wukong just decided to leave them hanging in some random cave here too hence = bud totally lives here. We caught him sleeping here with baby monkey later XD awww. also his FACE when MK and friends drop in, he is SO proud of MK but will not say it. Also interesting eh? Monkie Gang share the opposite qualities of the Pilgrims. the ones they had to learn. the things that led to enlightenment. now they need to adopt the thing their ancestors had to let go of. but they also reject the destiny of being and doing things like their ancestors. this is part of the one thing that makes me ok with show! Tripitaka bc they're making the story more of the classic hero team journey personal growth thing by having Tripitaka learn THE MAGIC OF FRIENDSHIP. we will see if I change my mind seeing the context of "Monkey! No violence!" Zhu Bajie becoming a "deeply caring and protective creature" cracks me up. He didn't achieve enlightenment and caused Wukong problems every step of the way when the Monk believed him every time. Like there's def some deeper representation and allegorical stuff there, but it escapes me atm. "The heart you have in abundance." was also pretty funny tho, bc Tripitaka represents the heart where Wukong is the mind. And Zhu and him were so often on the same page mmm. wonder if its on purpose.

I kinda wondered about Peng's obsession with Macaron too. It's possibly they have a lil bit of a crush on Mackie, but it's also possible that it's jealousy.

Oh, it's totally on purpose there.

[inflammatory]

have you read gormenghast. Also top five hottest guitar solos

I have not but just at a glance it looks pretty compelling. Love that the protagonists name is titus groan, that’s a magnificent thing to be named..ill look into it

Also LOVELY question solo focused guitar stuff is kinda not my main fascination of course partly cause of the recent johnny obsession where he does more jangle/rhythm-as-lead work. But im a normal human being and I still enjoy a good solo. Though i think? The ones i enjoy tend to verge between riff/solo with repeated phrases

Im convinced that less is more even wrt guitar so its not surprising tbh i think a good solo should focus on 1) communication 2) brevity. I feel like overdoing a solo can quickly empty it of any feeling you intended to put in it - and esp like classic rock style soloing can quickly get cliche or tacky (see: oasis. No hate i like them fine but very little of their guitar work speaks to me)

Quick “typical” picks for hottest include staples like hotel california - works with the narrative they made, anticipation built throughout song deliberately FOR the solo (can ANY lyric or vocals adequately follow from ‘you can check out any time you like but can never leave’?? There must be a solo. Its imperative), the kind of smooth growl sound of it that makes you think of ‘The Beast’ that they talk about in the prev verses, length of it justifiable in my eyes by the sense of twists and turns in a maze, the gradual segue into a pattern and fadeout very wickedly suggesting the ‘can never leave’ endless hallways fading into more hallways vibe. You get the idea that the pattern could just keep going on and on.

And then my own subjective picks for hottest. the solo from stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before, partly because of how rare it is and the very concise communication of exactly the emotion of the rest of the song, didnt ever read this quote before today but johnny marr said he wanted it to sound like a solo by a punk guitarist whos trash at guitar so he did it on one string. For the poignancy. Which is bonkers because hes completely right and it works so well. That whine, that slight bitter taste, perfect late Smiths instrumentation. THE solo from a band that doesnt do solos. Saying: Stop me if you think that youve heard this one before. but you obviously havent. Kill yourself

In the same realm of “bad good” the one graham coxon does in coffee & tv which is rightfully one of blurs best songs its just so. And he attests he was just messing around but its a perfect fit with the mildly sardonic/fully earnest rest of the song. It feels tongue in cheek but simultaneously deeply sincere. I feel very much in the space of those foul distorted wails. Which is why blur will always be on top of oasis. (Honorary nod to classic of discordant solos while my guitar gently weeps by the beatles which is great but not making it into my top 5 because i like the guitar work in the rest of the song more than the solo bit). I think blur just understands the deep inherent value of getting a bit sillay (Woo hoo!) But also its completely serious and you need to take it completely seriously its so good. Just speaks to my personal tightrope of serious/not/serious/not

Okay and in terms of objectively technically jaw dropping solos i prefer the classic metal over rock so im gonna put. Can I play with madness by iron maiden here. Out of their many many blisteringly hot solos because when i tried to conjure up ‘hot solo’ in my mind i came up with that particular solo and had to work backwards to remember where it was from. It’s funny to call heavy metal guitar ‘lovely’ but thats exactly what the riffs on this song are. Theyve got that freezing hot mystique of the whole concept album. And then the solo itself moves everything up into teeth chattering sexiness. Cause the song is structured as an exchange - speaker to prophet, antagonising each other, the solo is the perfect climax - goes into that quick run of shrieks, then distinct phrases like a person speaking, drawing breaths, speaking again - and is the perfect length to get that idea across. Idk whether its adrian smith or dave murray but it’s brilliance

Ok thats four and i still feel like i have a lot more but you said “hottest” so right now the most fuckable in my opinion is actually another graham coxon one and its the one in my terracotta heart. Which i understand may subjectively only be rrreeally really really hot to me but 1) perfect anguished leadup to it. perfect continuation of the little riff he does during the verse/chorus before it. 2) subdued in tone, introspective almost, but has that flair..that groove….that hint of acerbic….You might say “ITS JUST THE SAME PHRASE SIX OR SO TIMES” YES IT IS and i need it INSIDE MEEEE

[goldenspecks]

Hey what if. What if the karma system. And the great cycle. Only started because the ancients all became suicidal. Like. What if it was put in place as a way to try and stop their self extinction? And if they just continued moseying along enjoying life, they would have died normally and shit. What then

hmmm the karma system for sure started when the ancients got into their whole religious business, for all we know it could just be absolutely made up. the great cycle tho? i think symbolically yes, they pretty did not even think about it when growing their civilization and it only started being a problem once they pretty much achieved global control and their goals had to shift to something a little bit more abstract. i dont think it could be made up by them cause then they wouldnt be suicidal in the first place, at least not ALL of them almost, as they seemed to be in the game. and imo they also didnt just appear into the world as an intelligent species and started saying well how do we die,,, they had a whole lot of time before that where they just grew their civilization and technology, so they could have easily just learnt how to die in that time, instead of becoming stuck in the cycle and wanting out another way.

i also do think that ascension and the great cycle did get a lot more attention than needed once some ancients just became obsessed with them due to dogmas and just,, convincing each other. like for some it might have not even been about actually dying and leaving "the suffocating prison that is life" but more about a frontier unexplored, something that no one had or even could have actually seen. for others it might have been a fear of being left behind, alone. like if pretty much all ur house just up and dies u will probably want to go with them as well, no matter how much u actually loved living. and so on, so on.

i do think it is a funny thing to think about, the lore of rain world is pretty much whatever u want it to be, so... damn,, as if they didnt fuck up enough by focusing on their need to leave rather than their capability of living, laughing and loving,, if they also made themselves be in the great cycle,, god... this beasts are so pathetic

[characternerdocs]

Tagged by: @icybreaths

Name: Eri Lorewright, you can refer to me as either! (or Eeri, like Eerie, Lol)

Star Sign: Cancer ♋

Height: 5' 7

Middle name: [REDACTED] cause I’m uncomfy revealing it as it’s really gendered, and I’d like to be a non-binary enigma.

Put your itunes/spotify/youtube on shuffle. What are the first 6 songs that popped up?

This is Home - Cavetown

Lonely Dance- Set it Off

Everything at Once - Lenka

Bubblegum Bitch - Marinana & the Diamonds

Poison Within from Headless 

Kill the Beast by Aurelio Voltaire

Ever had a poem or song written about you: Not that I am aware

When was the last time you played air guitar: Prolly a week, two weeks ago. And most definitely to Pick up the Pace by The Play Plays

Who is your celebrity crush?: Less of a crush, more gender envy for Scott Shpeley. He is the singer in the Play Plays and plays Edgar Allan in Catalyst’s musical Nevermore

What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?: Velcro, the hate the ripping sound. It makes my spin itchy. I love the sound of keys hitting against one another

Do you believe in ghosts?: Yes, though I don’t feel like I have any legit experiences. Others that I know have some stories. Other than that though I think building I work in is haunted. I repeatedly have the feeling someone was walked into the room while my back’s to the door, but when I look, no one is there.

How about aliens: Yeah, I figure if we can exist on our planet, why can’t other life exist on another planet?

Do you drive?: Yes, and once I was even licensed to drive a forklift!

If so have you ever crashed: Thankfully not.

What was the last book you read?: The Drowning Girls, it’s actually a play though by Beth Graham and Daniela Vlaskalic

Do you like the smell of gasoline: Eeh... sorta?

What was the last movie you saw?: 7 Women and a Murder

What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?: I don’t know. Mostly it’s all minor stupid things. Like once I crushed a cone incense with my thumb only to find it had just burned out and severely burn my finger. I was trying to declog the dermal we use at work to 3-hole punch paper when it slipped and I punched a perfect circle into my index and thumb.

Do you have any obsessions right now?: Yes, It’s the Nevermore musical. I Love EVERYTHING ABOUT IT! I cannot rationally explain it. but the costumes and props being made primary out of masking tape, sticks, and landscaping fabric give Catalyst’s production such a unique and darkly quirky feel. It’s a part fact, part fiction telling of Edgar Allan Poe’s life birth to death, using lines and themes from his own stories and poems as the lyrics and lines. Which as a life time Poe fan myself is a fun little easter egg hunt to identify what is being referenced. The music is SO powerful, it just rattles round in my head all the time now, especially Dream within a Dream.  The setup and narrative style of the show had once of the best pay off I could have imagined; no spoilers but it was great. The cast is FANTASTIC! I love Scott Shpeley and I want to be his version of Poe, because honestly Nevermore’s Poe is just Goth boy Heath and I love that. But also I love Beth Graham, who yes wrote the play the Drowning Girls, but she is super funny and a great character actor. She plays three roles in Nevermore, including Fanny Allan, who I love, best mom. But Beth Graham does a great job of giving all three of her characters distinct voices. Love love love. The amount of love and creativity that has gone into this show is incredible. And I know that my passion and love for this show is crossing the line into unhinged, but E. A. Poe said it best, “I was never really insane except upon occasions when my heart was touched.”    

[cosmiccino]

In late 2020, Jack Ma, who had been one of China's most high-profile and successful businessmen, disappeared from public view for several months after he made critical comments about China's financial system and its regulators. He had spoken at a conference in Shanghai in October 2020, where he criticized China's regulatory system and compared it to an "old people's club."

Soon after his remarks, Chinese regulators suspended the planned initial public offering (IPO) of Ant Group, an online finance company that Ma had co-founded. The IPO, which would have been the world's largest ever, was worth an estimated $35 billion. Since then, Ma has largely remained out of the public eye.

It is not clear what caused Ma's disappearance or what the current status of his relationship with the Chinese government is. However, the incident highlighted the risks of criticizing the Chinese government and its regulatory policies, particularly for high-profile individuals and businesses. 

Monday, 1st of March 2021 , Entry into the world of exile. (1)

I never went along with the idolization of the masses, not even in those times when I still pretended to believe in [the government’s] political theories. (2) 

Now ousted and in exile out of sight, [I] was called to the city of Krakow (3); A city that attributes its founding to the mythical ruler of Krakus. 

As I open my letter of invitation, it only reads this: more cityness in the city.

[…] While I rode in the night train I had a feeling of great grief, but in my heart of hearts I could not be mournful, and this for a strange reason: during the entire journey I continually heard dance music, laughter, and jollity, as though a wedding were being celebrated. (5)

It is through, and not despite, our alienated condition that we can free ourselves from the muck of immediacy. (6) 

Its funny to look back and see how far I’ve come. Back in my younger years, when I proved the internet existed in China, I was often told: “Just drop that fool delusion that you're better than everybody else and go to work. In a year, you'll have an office that'll make you blush to think of this dump. You'll have people running after you, you'll have clients, you'll have friends, you'll have an army of [people] to order around!”. Hell! […] What can it mean to me?  But this time I'm not fishing for anything for myself,(4)

The persistence of the present concentric obsession makes us all bridge and tunnel people, second class citizens in our own civilization, disenfranchised by the dumb coincidence of our collective exile from the [light]. (3)

And so when I saw [my invitation to Krakow], the approach seems on the contrary to be an almost aristocratic exile, not connected to democracy, but more an exile to the [shackles of law, which all of us have been conditioned to partake in]. (8)

Nothing can be more real, or concern us more, than our own sentiments of pleasure and uneasiness; and if these be favourable to virtue, and unfavourable to vice, no more can be requisite to the regulation of our conduct and behaviour. (9)

[Its understandable] how much may be effected this way, if you observe how even wild beasts grow tame by dwelling among us, and how no animal, however ferocious, continues to be wild, if it has long been accustomed to [world’s] companionship: all its savageness becomes softened, and amid peaceful scenes is gradually forgotten. (10)

It has alienated all its rights to the [law], who is, therefore, absolute master. (11)

From birth we are conditioned to “good behavior”. Our view towards the world is shaped by external influences, education and beliefs. We are shaped. We are encouraged to behave in balance with the law. In balance with the absolute master. We become merely puppets on the stage that is already set for us. Not only by regulation, by law, but also by religions, by superstitions and by myth. 

When the guardians of morality perform a great tragedy […] and then believe that therefore the world is no longer in order and the great law of the gods and humankind is in danger, then kynical satire first admonishes us to stay calm. Let us see whether that is really so bad! Who is really harmed by this copulation that goes against the regulations? Only the naive illusion of law. How would it be, however, if human beings did not have to serve the law, but the law had to serve human beings? (2)

Tuesday, 2nd of March 2021, KrakOW — What nOW?

Alas, I have taken my first stroll through Krakow. 

Back in China, I have become somewhat of a myth, just as the likes of Jeff Bezos or Mark Zuckerberg. But here, I am merely a migrant. Alienated to my surrounding, to the people and the places here. 

We can be alienated from home (exile), from a fictitious world (in the theatre, in the arts), from ourselves. (13)

When I look around myself, as I explore the city, it already has everything a city needs. Maybe controversial, but the city is both Babylon, the place of alienation, exile, estrangement and violence, and Jerusalem, the place where Gods dwell, […], and invites humankind to peace. (4) Eradicating the negative would be comparable to putting a plaster over a gushing wound.

But then, what does cityness entail? 

Walking amongst the masses and seeing all the houses of gods erected around me, all I can observe is that people, strangely enough move in the same rhythms, praying to the gods and performing their daily rituals ceremonies without questioning. It is as though life is a theatre, and everyone plays the part they are given. “Just drop that fool delusion that you're better than everybody else and go to work” (4). The worker (us) exchanges for a wage the power to determine what they will produce, how and when they will produce it, as well as ownership and control over the product of their labor. (14) And the same applies to our social hierarchy,  all observing the strict etiquette […], and all organized according to their place in the hierarchy. (15) Humans are conditioned to stick to the rules and laws of life, like a dancer that practices the same choreography over and over again. 

What if, [we] imagine the same scene, but [we] learned how to dance the night before; [we become] all too conscious of [our] feet. (16) We become too conscious of ourselves, because we haven’t learned to forget the constraints that shaped us through our entire lives. 

That’s what differentiates the mediocre human from Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk, or even myself. We are beasts. We just do. In my case however, the government that banished me from my own home, was the bigger beast. 

An animal doesn’t practice before it hunts, it just hunts using its instinct. The emphasis is on animality, the animal side and animal basis of human existence. (2)

And, lest we forget, the animal is not “The Animal,” but the principle of animality that belongs entirely to human culture (12), that is encoded in all of our DNAs. Embracing the animal beast within us entails us to forget the laws (the great masters, the great god or whatever one wants to call it) that hold us back from our fullest potential.

That’s it! The problem doesn’t lie in the city itself, but the people living in it. 

Wednesday, 3rd of March 2021, Mounding the genesis

This city is surrounded by so much myth. From all the churches and synagogues to the Mound Krakus.  

So although I don’t try to imitate […] the language [of the gods], I can get a feeling for something of the imaginary, something of the mythical world of these characters; a secret ground in which I [will reinvent Krakow]. (20) Particularly on Mount Krakus, where the legend of Krakow’s founding took place on. Symbolically, forgetting will be celebrated on the mound, the very mound where the myth was born. 

As I was observing some men working on a dragon sculpture, I discovered from a local, that in three months time the people of Krakow celebrate the Dragon Parade; simply said, they celebrate the slaying of the dragon, the slaying of the beast— the very event that founded this city. It’s a funny though, that the celebration revolves around the killing of the animal, the very essence what makes us human. 

Symbolically, forgetting will be celebrated on the mound, the very mound where the myth was born. 

Sunday, 7th of March 2021, Going back to the roots.

I’ve taken a few days to adjust myself to this city. Although I can move freely, without anyone suspecting who I am, I still feel like a myth to the rest of the world, a hidden god that moves in the shadows. This isn’t who I want to be. 

Back in my homeland I tried to convince the people that everyone can become their own god. But of course, with the ever so controlling government, that message didn’t really deliver well.. I get it now. I can’t convince the people they can be like me. They have to believe it themselves, they have to embody it and be it. 

Unless the myth is exposed.. unless I am exposed.. the magic of being animal, of listening to nothing but your own instincts, your own body, your own rhythms, it will only remain a concept that all the gods write about, that people willingly and unquestioningly follow and worship. The feeling of security in a “city full of gods" [provided by the old cosmological mythical religions] is lost with the gods themselves; when the world is de-divinized, communication with the world transcendent God is reduced to the tenuous bond of faith, […] as the substance of things hoped for and the proof of things unseen. (19)

What I’m trying to say is that we are all gods. But we forgot how to be gods. Its in our DNA. […] Once [our memory] has been "decoded”, [once we do the animality within us justice], [our potential] will jump into action. (17) We need to go back to our roots. Unleash the beastly gods within us. 

Only when we are all gods within the city, will the city truly flourish. 

But I can’t be the one to convince the people of this. That was the mistake I did back home. Gods aren’t appointed by people. No, gods exist. I must expose the myth of myself, the myth of Jack Ma and the myth of the beast that has been regulated for so long. Once this concept of the myth is graspable for the human, only then will he be willing to forget and therefore unlock the memory of the beastly god within them.

Forget what? Forget the laws, forget the biases, the rules that rule our our entire lives. We are beasts that have to follow a grid. No, now is the time the beast follows the beast, to listen to our own bodies, our own rhythms and respect the rituals that do our instincts justice. […] This belief needed to be justified: one needed to have the belief for the right reasons. (18)

(1) Corbin, Temple and Contemplation

(2) Sloterdijk, Critique of Cynical Reason

(3) Hovestadt Buehlmann, Quantum City

(4) Gorringe, A Theology of the Built Environment

(5) Jung, Memories Dreams Reflections

(6) Burrows, Fictioning

(7) Rand, The Fountainhead

(8) Koolhaas Obrist, Project Japan

(9) Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature

(10) Seneca, Complete Works

(11) Rousseau, Collected Works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau

(12) Hays, Architecture Theory since 1968

(13) Braidotti Hlavajova, Posthuman Glossary

(14) Zimring, Encyclopedia of Consumption and Waste

(15) Kuhl, 50 Buildings You Should Know

(16) Negroponte, Being Digital

(17) Hofstadter, Godel Escher Bach

(18) Wilson, Aesthesis and Perceptronium

(19) Voegelin, Order and History 5

(20) Cixous, White Ink

[iceprincessviviane]

Eyes in the darkness

Paring: Yandere!C!Technoblade x BookwormEnchanter!Female!Reader

Type: Romantic (Technoblade is yandere). Trilogy - part one. Next part.

Warnings: swearing, possessivness, yandere, angst, injury, sugestive content, threats, blood, silly jokes created by me.

Summary: Technoblade was watching Y/N for some time, trying to stay in the shadows. Unfortunately voices and thoughts won against the logic and he want her now on his side forever.

Author's note: Inspiration from a lot of things, but especially: Hades and Persephone, Beauty and the Beast. This used to be oneshot, but I changed my mind, ut will be trilogy. English isn't my first language, so sorry for any mistakes.

Words in red colour are Technoblade's voices.

Words in blue colour are Y/N thoughts.

Y/N didn’t know when was the last time she ran for her life. Probably during one of the pillagers attack on the village or maybe in the Nether. But none of them was that type. Now she was being chased by something way much more dangerous than besties. At the moment, she’s being followed by the Blood God himself. Despite the aching and pain of her muscles and her throat feeling dry from gasping for air, Y/N was still asking herself how did on earth this happen?

~*~

Y/N always loved books and reading, she came to Smp two weeks after Foolish arrival. Actually her friendship with him leaded her here. They exchanged the letters and she was interested in staying somewhere for a while. After some time, she decided to come. Her divine friend already started to build his summer home and had few buildings done. She stayed there for few couple of days, they decided to build something for herself. She already have met most of Smp members including Dream Team, Bench Trio and rest, but owning home, place for stay was good idea. Sometimes Y/N liked to be alone. Eret allowed her to build something behind his castle, it was always nice to have someone close.

It took time before she ended house, it was cozy one with big field in front, farms, cellars and most important - library with enchanting place. It was huge, biggest part of the house with plenty of regals and reading spots. Y/N loved to spend there time and collectin more books or texts. Foolish had a lot of ancient scrolls or manuscripts and liked to share them with her. They could spend hours discussing about their favourite ones.

Books caused that Y/N met Phil, because he was the second person on the Smp, which had great collection from centauries. Shark god took her at trip to Tundra. Y/N was excited to meet such person and nervous too. Happily, everything went all right, Technoblade wasn't that time in home, so they had chilling conversation. Winged man was very curious about her skills and enchants. Of course during his travells and lifespan he met enchanters, but didn't paid much attention to them. Now, he could meet one in chill ocassion. Their three had a lot of talking, giggling and being wholesome. Phil promised to borrow more interesting books and Y/N said, that she can give some enchantments.

When Technoblade came back he immediately felt, that Foolish was there with... someone else... someone new. It smelled like pine and old paper, very nice. Phil told him about visitors and Y/N, he ignored it a little bit, but voices... voices liked this smell a lot.

'So strange.' 'Which woman can smell like that?' 'Where is she living?'

}*{

Y/N was peaceful person with no intention to harm anybody, staying in her place. She stayed in positive relations with almost everyone, providing needed enchantments and helping caused, that a lot of members were friendly to her. Y/N liked to hanging out with Bench Trio, although they were sometimes so chaotic. Usually she went mining with Ranboo, when it was needed, cutting trees with Tommy for his buildings and staying in Snowchester with Tubbo. That is why she came with almost everyone, when Tommy and Tubbo were in Dream bunkier fighting with him. Discs were just items, but... Dream's obsession, it was dangerous and teenagers were her friends. After that a lot of things changed. Putting him into Pandora's Vault was meant to protect them, but she was getting cold shivers each time she looked at black walls of prison. Knowing that everyone could be locked there...

After Egg's influence grew stronger she tried to find some infromations about it and how could ghe possible defeat it, but that took time. Foolish and Phil were so helpful handing their ancient texts, to make research. Suddenly with crimson vines everywhere, Smp became less safer, at least she felt it that way. More members were busy with their business and stuff, they finally could do them, when Dream was locked. For example Foolish agreed to build big mansion for Tubbo and Ranboo, which got platonical marriage and Tommy started his hotel. Meeting Michael was so wholesome and funny, little zombie piglin started to like her and at each visit she read him fairy tales and stories.

Y/N decided to not think about bad sides of Smp, just being busy and tried to help, if someone needed it. Before Doomsday wandering around could be dangerous, especially for La'Manburg citizens, because Dream and Technoblade were unpleasant for them. Now she enjoyed visiting almost everyone everywhere. After a few visits, she could tell that something was wrong, Y/N couldn't tell what, but it was almost like being watched, blaming Egg and vines was her answer for that, but actually why? Why did it do that? She would never joined their side. Never ever. Sometimes she spotted the Phil's corws, but that wasn't a s surprise, birds were telling him a lot of informations around the Smp. Easy way to know almost everything.

}*{

Y/N was heading to her house, stepping at Prime Path. In opposite direction she spotted Quackity, slowly walking by from prison direction, which was surprise. She smiled softly to him and he smiled back.

"What's up?" Big Q asked when got closer to her.

"It's good I am coming back home, need to eat and get some nap, and you?"

"I... ended some buisness." His face stiffened and his look became more serious.

Y/N nodded little unsure about his changed emotions. Suddenly she spotted that his sleeve is covered in fresh blood.

"Are you hurt?" She asked worried.

Quckity looked at his shirt as surprised as she and frowned, he checked axe which hanged down from his belt.

"I guess so then, but I don't know where did that come from."

"Let me take care of this." Y/N suggested with warm smile. "My home is closer than Las Nevadas."

After a few moments he nodded in agreement. They together headed to her place. Weather started to become stormy, dark cloud covered the sun, threating to start raining.

Then went inside, but when she was closing door, feeling of being watched hit her with dubled strength. House was in the spine forest, but fenced and had a gate. In filed were some farms, trees and small garden, but everything seemed to look normal. Big Q sat on the couch in living room and Y/N brought bandages, water in bowl and even healing potion. He rose sleeve, wound wasn't long, but deep, something cut his arm, probably weapon.

"It doesn't look good, but you will be okay." She said after looking at cut.

"Good." He sighed with relief.

"What did make it? Do you have an idea?"

Big Q looked dead in her eyes and remained silence. Of course he knew what, but he didn't even noticed the wound before leaving the prison. Well, someone will pay for this.

"Maybe working at Las Nevadas, you know... I am still building there." He spoke after a while.

"Oh... ye you have right, but be careful next time." Y/N suggested and started to work on cut carefuly. Starting on cleaning, then gently bandaged it.

"Thank you." Big Q said after seeing the results.

"No problem, just don't walk around with untreated wound." Y/N giggled softly.

He stood up and moved his eyes on windows. Black clouds didn't go away, even became worse.

"I will go now, weather is getting worse, I want to be in home before storm." Big Q said with soft smile.

"Of course, see you next time."

After he left, big storm came, darkness fell upon the Smp, rain and wind were too strong, for coming outside. Y/N decieded to take a chance and nap. She baked some cookies and sit down on a couch with another book, which Phil borrowed her. Only the torches gave light, sometimes thunderbolt stroke and filled room with unatural blue light. Drops hit hardly, making loud sounds, but Y/N was too much into a book. Two hours has passed and slowly night was coming. She moved eyes to meet clock, yep that was supper time, put the book away and up, Gods thr storm didn't let go. Y/N watched for a while outside, then go to kitched. She grabbed blanket and wrapped it around her posture, damn there were cold.

Again feeling of being watched kicked in. She was alone at home, that was sure thing. Outside was deep dark and behind the windows was the wall of the water. Y/N bite her lip and shook head, it was just her imagination, a feeling which stayed for no reason after putting Dream into Pandora's Vault. She took an kettle and suddenly was seeing something in the corner of the eye, something red and unusual in the spine forest. Her figure frozen when she moved back eyes. Deep in the dark, around sprouce trees in the line of forest, Y/N spotted pair of shinning, red eyes, high above the ground. They were locked at her figure.

'This has to be spider... or something else...'

Right after this thought, ceature turned back and disappeard in the darkness, cold shiver went down at Y/N spine. What was that? And why it was here? At least she was safe in home...

}*{

'More.' 'Training is boring, let's find someone to fight.' 'We demand blood.'

Technoblade sighed and stopped, voices today were very, very loud. That was why he decided to train, but during it, they became even worse. He hid sword and walked into home. Phil wasn't here today, he had to do something, but didn't bother to tell him what it was. Blade went back to home by his old path through the forest. His training place was near the cottage, but still hidden from common people. All members of Syndicate knew where it was. First of all he need to take shower. When cold water touched his skin, he felt like even his bloodlust became less, quiet hiss left his lips. He earned some chafings this week. Next, he changed his clothes to common and made a cup of tea, then sit in the kitchen. Immediately his thoughts went to Y/N.

Somehow voices were acting diffrent around her and he even found himself acting that way. They were focused around Y/N and he was more calm, like just her pressence was comforting him. Technoblade remembered their first meeting, it was common day, when someone knocked on the door. He opened it and rose his eyebrows in surprise, outside was standing fragile woman, without any armor and only with trident on her back. They shared awkward eye contact, when suddenly she introduced herself as Y/N. Of course he saw her couple of times, but it wasn't officialy. Y/N has known who was he for sure, she swallowed hard and looked down with shyness. Phil yelled across the room, that she could come in. Ah yes... she loved to read books and his old friend was borrowing her them a lot. Technoblade again felt the spine and old papers smell, for him, it could stay here forever. After short visit, Y/N took books, gave back book of enchantment and left.

Techno's curiosity has increased, when he heard about her more. She was peaceful, friendly soul, completly opposite of him, maybe that was, why he felt so... diffrent around her and voices too. Piglin hybrid enjoyed watching her from the distance, in the shadows, but lately... lately it wasn't enough. Now he wanted to breathe at Y/N scent, holding her close and pressed soft kisses at forehead. He was under voices pressure so long and now his salvation was so close. But what would he make it? As longer he has thought of that, a diffrent ideas came to his head. She was delicate creature, he had to get plan at all. Techno knew almost everything about her: hobbies, traditions, friends and fighting skills. Phil told him a lot about enchanters, they could make enchanting books after years of studying and had magic talent sometimes. As they knew, Y/N could enchant books at any spell, so she had to studied a lot. Technoblade sighed and grabbed his cloak, time to keep an eye on few things.

'Let's not go quietly!' 'Let's go quiet as grave...' 'Blood for the Blood God!'

}*{

That was busy week, Y/N could only one time saw Foolish and Phil, but whole Smp seemed a little bit diffrent... luckily she was able to go on mining trip with Ranboo and Eret visited her with a couple of books, which were about Smp. Now was afternoon and sun slowly started to set, she was heading to her house, where waited for her snow fox, which she found in Snowchester. Cute, little ball of fur stole Y/N heart immediately. When she finally stepped inside, Snowflake - that how she named it, ran into her squeaking high.

"What happend my little one?" She knelt down and pet it's head.

Fox looked at her with big brown eyes and squeaked once more, then jump into her arms.

"Oh oh oh... are you afraid of something?" Y/N hugged Snowflake and looked around. Everything in home seemed normal, door was closed, in a field same, animals were quite nervous, but everything was good. She frowned and stepped inside, then put fox into basket with small blanket.

"I will bring you some berries, you will like it for sure." Y/N smiled gently.

Unfortunately, she didn't have any at this moment in home, Snowflake was there only for three days, so she couldn't make berries farm so fast, because she had to set up a space. Luckily, she lived around coniferous forest, so didn't even hesiatate, Y/N just grabbed backpack and went outside. Sun was lower in the sky, but still it was warm and brightly. Birds were humming quietly and around was quite quiet. Berries bush weren't so far, she founed some, but in order to make supplies, decided to find more, then plant them around the house. It would spared the time and work.

"Y/N." She heard deep, lazy voice and immediately turned at it's direction.

The Blade was standing under big sprouce tree with satisfied grinn on his lips. Eyes locked on Y/N figure, which completly froze at the sight of him. She have never been with him alone, in tundra always Phil or Ranboo were around, now it felt... strange and risky, she still remembered what happend to La'Manburg citizens.

"Technoblade." Y/N spoke softly, being careful to not crack her voice, despite building feeling of fear. She noticed, that piglin hybrid under his royal, crimson cloak was wearing armor, probably not his best one, but still enough to win fight. Part of hair made into bun, rest were freely in his back and shoulders. From his belt was hanging netherite sword and netherite axe was sticking out from behind. She spotted, that his weapons were a little covered in blood, same as his sleeves and parts of shirt. He was killing monsters right? Or just hunting? Uncomfortable, awkward silence reminded between them, only forest noises distrubed it from time to time.

Voices were too loud today, too agressive, too greedy, killing monsters and pillagers wasn't enough, Quackity has already tasted his steel, well he deserved that after showing up in Y/N home. He had so much fun with him, but after that he needed some rest, comfort and calm. That is why without even thinking too much Technoblade went straight to Y/N house. He hoped, that everything will change, that he finally will has some break from voices, violence and killing. Of course he liked his way to be... but yes sometimes, you have to make a nap.

"Are you wounded?" Y/N asked quietly breaking the silence. After all, if he needed help, she would help him, without hesitation.

Technoblade's grinn became more sinister, he put hand on sword hilt and slowly tilted his head on right side.

"This isn't my blood." He said without caring at all.

"Oh, that's good then..." Y/N whispered, but he could hear that.

Piglin hybrid studied her posture, she had only trident at her back, backpack in left hand, no armor, no more weapons. Poor little girl, that's not how you are going outside your home, she was literally unarmed in his eyes.

"So... what are you doing here? Alone? In the forest?" Technoblade asked and moved closer to her.

The way he spoke these words, made Y/N shiver inside, outside, she grabbed her backpack harder. Surely there was nothing to worry about, she has never done something wrong to him or Philza, she wasn't dangerous or wanted to has any power. Techno is probably just passing by. Suddenly he was so close, now she could for real see the height diffrence, for the gods sake, her head reached around his breastbone. Y/N looked up only to meet piglin hybrid's burning gaze.

"I... I was collecting berries for my snow fox. Something scared her, so I thought that she will calm down after getting some and I ran out of them..." she suttered and swallow hard.

"How sweet." Technoblade commented and his smile widened.

"So... you are just passing by?"

"Not really."

Sudden grip on her chin caught Y/N off guard. Technoblade forced her to look straight into his eyes. His face stiffened a little bit, she hissed quietly, when claws touched harder gentle skin. Then she realised... Blade's eyes were red and she heard, that it could glow in darkness. Her skin became pale and pupils widened. It was him, that time during a storm, he was watching her...

"What are you doing?" Y/N asked quietly, without any clue, what was going on.

'She is so innocent.' 'We love her scent.' 'Let her know.'

"I have something to tell you." He leaned and immediately her scent hit him harder, resisting to take deep breath wasn't that easy.

"What excatly?"

"I was watching you for a while Y/N. Belive me or not I found that interesting, because your pressence is calming for me, I can fall asleep while listening your voice and push away my violence behaviour, when you are around." He stroked her cheek by his thumb and smiled haughty. "I am always getting , what I want and I want that so badly, you can't even imagine."

Y/N shook head and made few steps back, leaving his grip, couldn't belive what she just heard. That's impossible.

"I don't know what to say... I can admit, that I had strange feeling of being watching but... I blamed the Egg..." She looked deep into his eyes, trying to put everything together. "What do you mean, you are always getting, what are you want? How am I suppose to understand that?"

"Listen sweetheart, we can do this in two diffrent ways: good or bad. If you choose first one, fine politely you will go with me. Second way? Well I can be very convincing, when I want to." Technoblade frowned.

None of this options was good for her. Y/N sighed and her shoulders dropped. She couldn't do anything literally...

"Come on princess. I can take care of you, I promise, you will be happy." He gave her his hand, but gripped sword hilt harder.

Y/N always avoided the conflicts and argues, never has started any, that was easier and better way to live. She could take care of her interests, powers anf friends by being supportive or neutral. Technoblade's behaviour made her shiver and feel sick, there was no guarantee that he will keep his words, even if it were sweet and promising. Y/N knew that fighting him was pointlees, he were ten thousand better than her, she didn't even have armor or second weapon. But surrender just like that? Without any resistance? She always was determinated, miss 'you can always find a way, solution'. Not a chance.

"I think I have better option, which lay in the middle." Y/N smiled gently.

"Well, tell me then." Technoblade rose his eyebrows with curiosity.

With one smooth move, she put backpack on and immediately started to run. The Blade's pupils widened, he burst out laughing.

"It will be funny."

She has known, that she needed to lose him in forest. Going to home wouldn't help, because door or gate couldn't stop Blood God. Lost him and then ran away from Smp, at least her current living location. Y/N realized that she couldn't even ask for help anyone. Probably Technoblade would come after her friends, helpers, so that was it. Y/N versus The Blade, she was on her own.

'How did she dare to run away from us?!' 'Chase her, catch her.' 'Faster, faster, faster!'

It seemed like running away from Tommy for fun, came in handy and long trips with Ranboo caused her to move fast through forest. Y/N nimbly jumped over obstacles and avoid rocks or roots. Her pace wasn't the fastes, but she could hold it for pretty long time. She wasn't thinking a lot, just tried to run away as far as she could.

'Don't look back, don't look back, it will make you slower.'

Hiding could be good idea, but not now. As long as he was close, she couldn't stop at all. Breaking through the forest was only hearing noise, soon, she heard her heavy breathing. Heading to unknown direction wasn't so wisely, but Y/N had no choice. After a few minutes, she stopped to catch breath. Around was sudden so quiet, cold shiver went down at her spine. Too quiet.

"Already tired?" Technoblade's voice surprised her from left side.

She turned head, just to see him leaning against the tree. In his right hand he held sword, didn't even look like he was running.

"You can't outrun me little one. A lot of people tried, now they are dead." He aimed sword at her. "We can end this farce here. I am not mad, honestly, you made me smile a little bit."

"You will have to catch me, if you want me going with you." Y/N said and then continue to run away.

"Oh I will princess, that's what predator does to the prey."

Y/N started to feel really tired, muscles aching, throat dry from gasping for air, hair dispelled and cheeks red. She ran for a while, but now had to stop. Technoblade immediately appeared in her field of vision. He was walking carefuly, but still looked intimidating.

"Don't come closer!" She released a cry.

Piglin hybrid stopped about eight meters away. He leaned sword against the ground and looked at her with curious gaze.

'Here she is, our reward.' 'Let's finally take her with us.' 'We like that sound.'

"I think, I just caught you." A little grinn appeared on his lips.

She looked straight into his eyes. Her gaze full of fear met a calm and determination. Y/N didn't even want to think what would happend, if he fulfilled his desires. Gods sake, she was free human being, none could take her freedom, she didn't ask for this. In an act of desperation, with the last of her strength, she used her powers. Feeling of warm through fingers and energy drained from her veins, but then burning light. In Technoblade's towards direction flew literally fireball, but he was too skilled for this. He made a dodge and looked at Y/N with mix of proud and shock. She dropped to her knees, struggling to stay conscious, despite the pain at her whole body and tired mind and unclear vision. Technoblade immediately was with her, he knelt down and support her, by putting arm around her waist. Y/N leaned back against his chest, fatigue prevailed over reason.

"Enough for today princess. You run out, if you will keep resisting." He whispered calmly.

"Please, please... please I don't want this, I want to go home." Her voice was cracking, tears strimming down at her cheeks.

"Hush darling, everything will be all right."

Technoblade's body radiated warm, his tone suddenly was so calming and sleepy. She wanted to close eyes so badly, but still fear was too big.

"You are safe, nothing can hurt you I promise."

After this words Y/N gave up and lost consciousness. Sun went down and shadows became longer and darker.

}*{

Phil careful closed the doors, then walked quietly down. Technoblade sat in kitchen with cup of hot tea, he immediately looked at his old friend, his eyes were worrying.

"Y/N is good, she lost consciousness, because was too tired. You said that, she used her powers."

"It was literally fireball, but I dodge that easy."

"Well, now we know about her powers at least... interesting, what you are going to do, when she wake up?" Phil asked and sat in opposite site.

"I know, that you are not glad about this, but I will figure this out. She won't cause any troubles." Techno's voice became deeper.

Winged man sighed and looked at his friend. He knew what he was going through, when voices became louder and demanded blood, each moment of silence or when they were quiet, Technoblade cherished and tried to make it worth. Phil couldn't be angry or mad for his friend about that deed, but... he was torn.

"Come on spit it out. I can see that you want to tell something important." Piglin hybrid said slowly.

"We were through a lot of shit, we know each other for almost ages and we blew up the nation for gods sake, kidnapping isn't the worst thing you have done, but..." Phil started and looked at Techno. "I wish you best and everything good, but I don't know how will I act around. Y/N has come to me for books, we were talking about stuff, I gave her cookies and tea. How will I explain, that I am supporting your decision? And I am always on your side." Phil said aloud his worries.

"I will give her time to get used to. After certain amount of time Y/N will understand." The Blade was lost in his thoughts.

He was so greatful of his friend statement, but still a little bit unsure. This case shloudn't affect on their relationship or Phil's life. Honestly Technoblade belived that his pressence will comfort Y/N at least, as he said they were close and enjoyed each other company.

"Someone will notice her disappering. What then? And Ranboo is visiting us a lot." Phil sighed a little.

"I've got this, trust me."

"I trust you with my own life." Winged man nodded.

}*{

Sunlight kissed her skin gently, when it showed up on window. Y/N felt softness under herself and on her back. Quiet sigh left her lips, when she opened eyes. In the room was very bright, but for sure it wasn't her room. Immediately cold shiver went down at her spine. Still weak, she tried to lift herself, because she was lying on stomach. Bed was big, with good beddings and pillows.

"Don't move, you are still weak." Technoblade's voice was soft, but loud.

Y/N bite her lip and then lifted head. He was standing near the bed and observing curiously, looking completly diffrent. White, linen shirt and high waisted, leather trousers, hair braided tighly. In this version he was... more open and accessible, not so scary.

"Where am I?" She asked slowly and rolled at her back with quiet hiss. Muscles still hurt and throat was dry.

"In my house, in tundra safe and..." He cut off, while noticed that Y/N is trying to get up. "What did I say?" He stepped closer and sat on bed.

She sat unsure on mattress, just to met Technoblade here, he gripped again her chin, as in the forest and forced her to look at him. This time it was more gently.

"Darling please..."

"You can't take my freedom!"

His eyes darkened immediately and Y/N regreted her words. She swallowed hard, when Blade looked deep into her eyes.

"Of course I can and I will, if you don't behave good. If you didn't notice, you aren't chained or tied, but pretty comfy in my bed." He said slowly with threat in his voice. "Think about it."

Technoblade released her and got up. She looked down thinking about situation, yes he didn't tied her, but still it wasn't good case. Y/N just wanted to be free, do stuff which she want and meet friends. Maybe Smp wasn't perfect, but still now it was her home, there were a lot of wars or argues, but she still had house and persons which she cared about and this was mutual, now everything was unsure.

"I am just afraid... " Y/N whispered quietly.

"As I said earlier you are safe here, you are safe with me. Nothing can hurt you." Techno grabbed bowl with soup and came back. "Here, eat, you need to recover."

"Thanks." She smiled weakly to him, took bowl and started to eat slowly.

'Good girl.' 'She will behave for sure.' 'We can teach her a lesson.'

Y/N was napping for the rest of the day, Technoblade gave her one of their books, so she wasn't bored. Probably tomorrow or next day she will stand up.

The sound of closing doors, caused her to closed book and put it away. Piglin smiled gently and took off his shirt suddenly. Y/N eyes became big.

"Wait wait wait..."

"Calm down princess, I am just going to sleep, nothing else." Technoblade smirked for her panic.

"So... where shloud I move?" Y/N asked looking around the room.

"Nowhere. You are staying here with me."

Immediately her cheeks went slighty red. She looked at him curiously. His pink skin seemed gentle from the distance, a lot of scars marked his chest and arms. Some of them little, some of them large, the biggest one was through both sides of chest. Technoblade released his hair and came closer. Y/N moved to make him some space. He laid down, she followed his steps but remain distance.

"Goodnight." She said and turned back from him.

"Goodnight sweetheart."

He blow up torches near the bed and silence fell upon them. Not even a five minutes passed, when Y/N felt sudden grip on her waist. She froze, Technoblade hugged her and pressed kiss on her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Quiet whisper left her lips.

"Snuggling and cuddling." He whispered softly.

Y/N couldn't help, she giggled quietly. Techno took this as premission, her back touched his chest and second hand slowly stroked her hair.

[simkjrs]

Madara for the ask thing? I just wanna hear u hate on him <3

LOL well i might have to disappoint that a little

favorite thing about them

i like that he defected from konoha and tricked his way out of death just to sit in a cave alone for 80 years. my other favorite thing about him is that he caused world war 4 and thought he was right for doing it. like how does one man cause more problems single handedly than like every other person in the series? he is a great character and i think its awesome that he did so many things wrong

least favorite thing about them

he should stop standing next to tobirama. get that beast away from him

favorite line

im like crossy i also dont respect anything he has to say.

brOTP

izuna LOL madara loves him so much the one thing he did well was loving his family

my other brotp is madara and tobirama but its like, what if they had a complicated and fraught brother relationship even though they werent brothers. we as a fandom need to come together to conspire new ways to make this happen

OTP

basically i think madara had a crush on hashirama when they were kids and hashirama didn't because he is aro but he was obsessed with madara and wanted to be his best friend and the most important person in his life. and hashirama was like, madara and i should get married so that madara cant marry someone else and get a spouse that he would consider more important or more best-friend-like than me.

and then they fought for like 10 years and by the time they made peace and created konoha, even though madara had finally come to terms with his feelings, hashirama was normal about marriage again and it was too late. the end

nOTP

hashimada because i think hashirama is an aro king and he loves being married to his best friend mito. and its funny when madara is in unrequited love.

madatobi because i think tobirama should get a restraining order against him.

random headcanon

i think he can play the shamisen. i have no reason or basis to think this however

unpopular opinion

madara is funnier and more interesting when all the romantic relations in his life are unfulfilled just trust me on this one. he is gay and single forever

honestly i dont actually dislike him that much i think hes incredibly hilarious and hes such an easy target for jokes i really cant resist. but fanon madara drives me nuts like either hes the guy who flails at his crush or hes the most soulsucking abusive sadistic partner youve ever seen. like what? who is this guy? like i wont deny that he is the straight man to hashiramas weirdness and that he probably sucks as a boyfriend LOL but like. this is not the guy i know... just lock him in a cave for 80 years again so that he'll try ending the world again or something. that would be better

song i associate with them

constellations by the oh hellos

favorite picture of them

this isnt a picture of madara, however, it is a naruto post that i consider foundational.

[creepercraftguy]

My opinion on every playable Genshin Impact character in a few seconds. [3.1]

The same thing I did a fair while ago with Danganronpa characters, but now for another franchise that I have an unhealthy obsession with.  All characters in alphabetical order by first name.

This goes up to version 3.1. The most recently added characters are Cyno, Nilou and Candace.

Thought he was kind of basic at first, and despite his enigmatic writing, didn’t really stand out. As of 2.3 and the event he was featured in, he’s gone up a little. My favourite part about him is his voice actor.

I think she hardly even counts as a Genshin character. I’d probably like her a bit more if I played her original game, but she has basically no character or personality to speak of in Genshin Impact.

She isn’t especially good compared to every other character in the game, but she’s a good introduction to the characters overall. Her personality is fun, and I’m glad she has a small following of her own.

His voice work in every language is fantastic, and the character itself is always a good time. Not only does he have a great personality, funny traits and entertaining moments, he’s a beast in battle and is super fun to use.

She’s a contender for being my least favourite character among the roster, primarily because I don’t like her playstyle and it causes me mental damage. However, I have nothing against the character herself, although there are many who have similar personalities that outshine her.

I don’t play her often any more, because I have more viable physical and Electro units, but she used to be part of my main team, and even now, she’s still a personal favourite of mine among the roster. She’s just an all-around cool as all hell character.

A precious boy. I’m not as crazy about him as most of the fanbase is, but he’s still a wonderful, energy bean who needs to be protected. Still, I can’t say much about him other than that.

I like her design a lot, and her playstyle seems super neat, but since 3.1 has yet to drop, I can’t say much about her character. She’s a definite pull though.

I kinda just...don’t care that much about him. He is one of the first units I used when I started playing, and he is among my favourite Element, being Cryo, but I didn’t get Chongyun’s playstyle back in the day, so I quickly grew sick of using him. His character and personality isn’t bad, but he’s not a character that I’m always excited to see. I also think that his Hangout Event is the weakest of the bunch.

I like her a lot. A WHOLE lot. I will admit however, that she would be a lot better in game if she retained some of her grouchy, tsundere and spiteful personality traits that she showed in the manga. There is an in-universe explanation as to why she changed so much, so I can’t complain, and despite that, she’s still a cool, fun and loveable character, who’s a great introduction to the Dendro element and really fun to play.

If I can be honest, Cyno actually kinda scares me from what we’ve seen of him so far. I have no clue whether he’ll be an ally in the end, or a threat to the traveler. If he’s our friend, then we’ve got ourselves one hell of an ally. If he’s our enemy, then God help us.

I don’t think he’s ever gonna lose his charm, despite how much powercreep he’s been put through. He’s still a cool figure, and is still fun to play. He’s one of the few characters from the original update who to this day is still viable. Can’t go wrong with fantasy batman.

I used to hate her, but it was primarily out of spite, since she was the first character I ever C6′d, and through an unfortunate circumstance (basically, got C6 from grinding Xiao banner). I do understand her charm though, even if she’s not a character I particularly feel like using ever.

Her playstyle ain’t the shit, but her character and voice work totally is. She’s easily one of the most entertaining characters in the main story, even though she’s only on screen for a brief time.

She’s pretty cool and I like her a lot. She doesn’t have much screen time outside of the 2.3 event and her own storyline, but I really want to see more of her. She’s pretty fun to play too.

I don’t like her as much as I thought I would, but I don’t dislike her by any means. However, I feel like her character progression over what’s shown in the events isn’t a strong, nor is it portrayed as well as it should be. She did used to be one of my better Electro units though, so maybe I’ll come back to her one day. Her alt skin is fire too.

It’s an indisputable fact that Ganyu is a DPS queen and a very popular waifu for this game, however, I for one don’t see the appeal of her character. If she was present more in the story, or had any event storylines that revolved around her and explored her character, maybe I’d like her more, but regrettably, what’s been shown of her so far portrays her as a bit one-dimensional.

I’ve built Gorou fully, but to be honest, I’m not, and never have been crazy about him. He’s very situational. On a team where his abilities work, he’s insanely useful, but in literally every other scenario, he’s almost completely useless. In addition, his character’s not particularly notable either. He’s not unlikeable, but he doesn’t seem to have any outlying and important traits. However, with that said, a few of his hangout event endings showed his very sympathetic and human side, which I enjoyed a lot.

I jokingly always talk about how I hate this character, but I don’t. I do however, think she’s a bit annoying, and she’s not a character that I care about much, outside of the charming voice work, and the damage potential.

She’s cool, and a fun mom-figure, even if she’s a little one-note. Her character quest was sweet and fun, and she’s a pretty good unit in battle too. Other than that, I don’t have much to say about her. One thing that does knock her down a peg though is that whenever I lose the 50/50, it’s usually to Jean.

He served as such a great introduction to Inazuma, and to this day, is among the game’s best characters. Not only is he an interesting, well voiced, loveable and sympathetic character, he’s to this day, one of the most useful units in the game due to his swirl abilities. I always look forward to seeing more of Kazuha all the time.

The most interesting character among the starter units, and still has decent use even later, with his ice bridging abilities. His attack animations are cool too, and I really want to try and build him so I can use him in battles. I plan on taking him to fight Dottore with Amber, Collei and Diluc.

The absolute best girl of all best girls. Initially, I planned on skipping for her so I could pull for Yoimiya, but then 2.0 happened, and we got to meet and hang out with her. I fell in love with this girl almost immediately. She’s a solid battler, she has a great personality, her interactions with the Traveler are so god damn adorable, and I always love to see her appear anywhere in the game, because it always makes me smile.

I can’t claim to like him as much as I like his sister, but there’s a lot about him that I do enjoy. His character quest was cool, his playstyle is fun, strong and easy to use, his personality is interesting and unique among the cast, and his voice work is soothing to the ears. A lot of good can be found in this enigmatic character.

I didn’t like Keqing much at all when she was first introduced, but that was primarily because she only had a few scenes in the archon quest, and said scenes didn’t portray her as especially friendly or easy to get along with. That has since been reprimanded with Moonchase and Lanturn Rite, and while I still think Lanturn Rite should’ve put more focus on Ganyu than Keqing, it still provided Keqing with some fantastic character moments and really solidified her as a solid character amongst all others. She’s also really fun to play, even if she’s not particularly viable compared to someone like Raiden.

She’s adorable, and is one of the cutest characters in the game, but she honestly kinda sucks in battle. Her kit isn’t fleshed out, even if her damage is pretty great. There’s also a limit to how much she can be explored as a character, on account of being a young child with not much life experience.

The more Sara appears in storylines and events, the better she becomes. Her first scene portrays her as a commanding, threatening and powerful presence, but hinted at her good morals and righteous nature. Her latest scene shows her human side, and how she’s a huge otaku for the Raiden Shogun, which was super funny and super adorable. She’s not the most viable unit, but she’s still a fantastic character.

Shinobu’s design was like a slap to the face when I first saw it. She was not at all what I expected, but I was so so entranced the moment I saw her. She’s in my top 3 designs among the whole roster of characters. While her playstyle unfortunately isn’t the strongest, she’s still a fun character to play and watch. It’s also fun to see how her personality reflects off Itto’s.

Of the beginning characters, at least currently, Lisa is my least favourite, but only because I think she comes across too strong with her flirtation, and because outside of that, she’s not a character who is explored very much. There is potential for there to be more info on her, given the more we learn of Sumeru’s Academia, and how she used to study there, but in the meantime, Lisa is the exact neutral point in this lineup. I don’t like her, but I don’t dislike her either.

Up until recently, I wasn’t fond of Mona at all. She was kind of snooty, overconfident and always seemed to be looking down on everyone around her, and her character just kind of annoyed me. 2.8 changed my thinking completely, mainly because it showed her doubts about her powers of fortune telling, how she’s depressed over how she can predict the future but not change it, and how she’s not actually poor at all, which resulted in a very funny interaction between her and Fischl. She’s definitely a good one now.

So far, she hasn’t really brought anything new to the table, but I still like her very much. Her design is adorable; so is her personality, and her fighting style looks unique from what we’ve seen of it. I’m definitely gonna try for her.

She’s ok. I remember really being put off by Ningguang because I didn’t understand her playstyle initially, but I enjoyed her hangout event, and she did show to have some cool and interesting moments throughout the story, as Liyue’s de facto leader.

Despite the fact that Noelle has 2 Hangouts, she’s not a character I care much about. She’s definitely cute and sweet, and I definitely like her, but she’s not someone I give much thought when I look at the total lineup of characters.

I get it. I get that there’s the Qurse of Qiqi, and I get that Qiqi is kind of a pointless 5-star, since Barbara can do everything that she can, but even so, I like Qiqi. She’s a silly little character, with a very sad and sympathetic backstory, and I can’t hate her, even if she does steal my pity.

If I must confess something, when I first played 2.1 and got to know her, I REALLY didn’t like Ei much at all. I felt like the character exploration and progression she had in earlier updates wasn’t that great, and I think her first character quest was one of the worst in the game. She was only saved initially by her prowess and usefulness on any team you put her in. However, she was massively saved by the second chapter of her quest, which was phenomenal, and one of the best quests in Genshin’s 2 year history. At this point, Ei is still my least favourite of the archons behind Venti and Zhongli, but due to how Nahida’s story isn’t finished yet, it remains to be seen if she will keep that bottom spot. However, I like Ei a lot now, and I will continue to do so for a while.

Razor is a cool character, and actually serves as an inspiration for one of my D&D characters. His playstyle is a bit confusing and hard to build, but it’s nice whenever he pops up as part of a story, and I’m looking forward to seeing new developments to him in 3.1.

It also took me a while to warm up to Rosaria, but due to character progression she got from Windbloom and also her battle prowess and usefulness, I think she’s pretty cool now. Pun not intended.

It is my genuine and strong opinion that Kokomi is the best-designed character in the whole game. And alongside the fantastic and gorgeous design, she has a sweet voice and useful battle abilities. I don’t think Kokomi was very well received at first, but I pulled her, albeit by accident, and have not regretted that for a day. She is great.

I mean...she’s ok I guess? Honestly, I really don’t have much of an opinion on Sayu. Her hangout was really mediocre and she’s not a character I really care about an awful lot. No hate though, I like her voice, and it’s fun to roll around with her.

She first appeared in 2.4 and has not appeared in the game since then, and I am DESPERATE to see more of her. She was such an interesting character, with a cool and interesting and sad backstory, and her personal journey was so great. She’s also a mean support and DPS unit. #BringBackShenhe.

He’s not what I expected he would be, but he turned out to be pretty awesome. He’s super fun to play as in battle, and useful and strong too. Plus, his hangout was unique and provided some interesting moments.

Much like Shenhe and a few others, Sucrose is hardly ever explored. Whenever she makes an appearance, it’s usually alongside Albedo, and he is more often than not the more central character. She is cute, don’t get me wrong, but there’s not much else to her. She is pretty good in battle though.

I can’t say for sure if this is the case anymore, but Childe was my favourite character when I first started playing Genshin. He’s still one of my personal best boys to this day. I know he’s a certified ass, but I like villains with layers to them, and I like how Childe has a sympathetic side and reason behind his misdeeds. He fights for the Fatui purely because he wants to create a world where his family will be safe and protected. I respect that.

I like him a ton. He has the best hangout event in the game and while he’s not an especially viable unit, he’s still one I enjoy having on hand. His personality is charming and easy to get along with, and his dedication is admirable. He also has a unique relationship with Ayato that I can’t help but enjoy.

He turned out to be a lot better than I thought he would be. From the first lines of dialogue he speaks, he’s immediately an entertaining presence, since he’s very blunt, strict and doesn’t make an attempt to hide his annoyances and grievances with other people. I relate to that honestly. His English voice work sells this very well in addition to that.

I think they’re both pretty cool characters, though I like Lumine’s design a tad bit more than Aether’s. They recently went up a notch in my book, primarily because Dendro Traveler is super fun to play for some reason, above all the other elements they can wield.

Even if he is a mischievous little squirt, it’s hard to dislike him. His voice work is great, his abilities are super fun and powerful, and he’s all around just a very solid character. Of every archon in the game, he’s also the one I think embodies his theme; being Freedom, the best.

She was one of the first characters in the game that I fell in love with, because I thought her design was cute as a button. She was one of the first characters I finished building, and I think that was a good decision. Moonchase was a fun and enjoyable event primarily because of Xiangling’s presence in it, and even now, she’s still one of the cutest and most fun characters in the game.

He was my first 5-star and still easily one of my favs to this day. He’s fun to play, and has some great character writing and backstory.

I didn’t think much of him when he was first introduced, and even now, I’d hardly say he has my favourite personality, but when I finished his character quest, I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed it. Even now, he’s still one of my favourite support units to use in tough battles. I only wish I’d built him sooner.

Her segment of the 2.8 island quest was my favourite part of the whole thing, and even now, she’s hella underrated. Her design is amazing, and the vibe she gives off is so fun-loving. She’s great.

Easily the best part of the whole Inazuma archon quest. She was such an interesting, entertaining, mysterious and funny character through and through. Even by the time she finally became playable for audiences, her own story quest, while paling in comparison to Ei’s, did not disappoint. The defining example of how and why Inazuma characters are the best of the bunch.

Really, I can’t say much about Yanfei. She’s cute, has a nice design and is a kind presence, but she doesn’t stand out much amongst the greater cast, and honestly has no real reason to. Even in the 2.7 archon quest chapter, it’s the other characters that are needed to make her stand out very much. Her relationship with Shinoby, Eula, Madame Ping and others are sweet to watch, and supposedly, she’s a pretty cool pyro unit, better than Klee anyhow.

First of all, she’s insanely hot, and second of all, I was taken by surprise just by how much I ended up liking her. Initially, I didn’t see much, but when the trailers dropped, they painted her in such a powerful and incredible light, that I eventually succumbed to the tactic and pulled for her. Not something I regret either, since Yelan is also one of the most insanely powerful characters in the game.

The autistic part of me resonates so much with her. If there’s one character in this game I relate to and feel the most kinship with, it’s Yoimiya. Even now, she’s in my top 5, and might even be my favourite. No matter where she appears or what she’s doing, she’s guaranteed to bring some sunshine to my life.

I actually quite like her! She’s not a favourite, but she’s definitely up there. Her voice is nice, her playstyle is cool, and her character overall is solid.

The best of the archons in my opinion. He’s got a great personality, he’s fun to play, is very strong, has a fantastic voice, and just is all around one of the best character’s in the game to this day. I WILL HAVE ORDER!

[hermit-god-au-pog]

[OLD AND MAY BECOME NON-CANON LATER ON] Hermit-Gods and their Bio’s pt.2

Part 2 babyyyyy’s! 5 more hermit Bios done! Pog!

I hope you guys like these haha, any feedback is appreciated! Also, Joe and Cleo are in this and im still frightened by the fact both of them have tumblr lol But im 70% sure they’ll never find this place, if they do I hope they enjoy the au involving their characters lol!

All the bios under the cut

Xisuma- God of Masks/forms

Real Godly name?; TBD

Pronouns; They/them/Ze/Zem

Extra Domains?; n/a or TBD

Event(s) that would make them happy?; Honestly? A more chill masquerade ball. Probably starting early evening, the part goes on for a while, everyone has some sort of mask and fun or fancy outfit, and they have a big ol fun party. And later in the night, everyone gathers around, Xisuma puts on a little admin magic show and they probably have a little bond fire, everyone switching outfits with others to see what they’d look like, often causing shenanigans.

Myth?; He always wanted to make others happy, knowing the ones around him had hard lives. He had struggles of his own but he could tell others were less in control of their demons, so using voice changers, costumes, masks, anything, he tried to help the ones he so desperately wanted to laugh or smile. If he didn’t succeed, he tried again even harder. The day he got his dad to laugh and calm down while being in a fit of rage, was one of his happiest moments. Now after someone is able to make someone genuinely happy, laugh, or cheer up using a funny face, prop, or disguise, a little voice says.

What one would hear after? ‘Well isn’t that just splendid, it feels so nice to see them smile, doesn’t it?’

ZombieCleo- Goddess of Puppetry

Real Godly name?; TBD

Pronouns; She/Her/any

Extra Domains?; sculpting & necromancy

Event(s) that would make them happy?; People reacting to her armor stands in general. + She’ll ask for a little help and set on a full-on show in a makeshift theater using her armor stands and some magical help. Every hermit who isn’t helping gathers in the audience to watch the show and after marvel and gush over Cleo’s hard work and planning she did. Cause like it is truly amazing though.

Myth?; She wasn’t always so guarded and slightly ruthless. She once has faith in the world and who lived in it. But after her death and multiple witnesses’ not saying anything, she would soon grow cold. After waking up in a bed, she was met with the watcher symbol, to be told she was now a god, but instead of going out for revenge, she used her newfound power to manipulate and puppet the ones who had hurt her into ruining their own lives, sabotage themselves, and when they were at their lowest, she left them to deal with it themselves. After she let out her rage she went on to use her magic for good, using her power to lead people in the right directions in their life, help newly reanimated corpses(the sentient ones) to understand life and how to work with their new bodies. Now, whenever someone helps a sentient undead being or uses their bigger power to genuinely help others below them, they’ll hear a soft voice.

What one would hear after? ‘Yaknow, you could have done a really bad thing right there, but you did the opposite. Maybe there is more good in this world than we may think. You did good pal, you did good’

Joehills- God of Wisdom

Real Godly name?; TBD

Pronouns; he/him

Extra Domains?; glitched or unjust deaths

Event(s) that would make them happy?; Storytime. Either he or Ren will sit on a chair and the hermits will gather in front of them like they’re back in grade school to hear the stories. Sometimes it’ll be true, fiction, realistic fiction, or even myths or legends! Everyone gets snacks and drinks and get to listen to them reading

Myth?; He had a good life, and made an amazing friend, who he didn’t care was immortal and stronger than he was. And for years he lived his mortal lives surrounded by immortals, seeming to be blending in somehow. Probably due to his vast vocabulary and knowledge he had on hand at all times, and his desire to learn new things. But after an unfortunate death and soon revival, he learned to appreciate life so much more than he had. Now when someone is revived, comes close to death, or uses their knowledge to help keep them or someone else alive, they’ll hear a soft voice.

What one would hear after? ‘Life is such a precious thing, and you never know when you might lose it, it’s a fragile and random thing. Yet you’re here to see another day. Please treasure that feeling and keep your head up. It’s gonna be ok.’

Rendog- God of Fables&Legends

Real Godly name?; TBD

Pronouns; He/Him/ Any

Extra Domains?; Dogs 

Event(s) that would make them happy?; The same as Joe’s actually, that makes him very happy + huge cuddle pile, doesn’t have to be the whole server just a big cuddle pile cause yes

Myth?; He grew up with a decent life, it had pros and cons. He became a god around the time he was a teen. Due to his current obsessions with the past and myths and legends, he had quite a lot of knowledge on hand. And when he noticed the signs of a previous legend coming to be, he was able to convince the ones he loved to leave the area. But he secretly stayed behind. Tho he died killing this legendary beast, his sacrifice was not in vain. Due to his sacrifice and such kind heart, he was brought back with unspeakable power. Though his life got so much more difficult after that moment, he never regretted a moment of it. Now when someone uses a legend or myth to solve a problem or save someone, they’ll hear a soft voice.

What one would hear after? ‘Great job Cyber-Dog! That was amazing what you just did, now why don’t you go out and learn a few more to keep in your back pocket~’

Welsknight- God of the knights/protectors

Real Godly name?; Elex

Pronouns; They/Them/Ze/Zem

Extra Domains?; Armor

Event(s) that would make them happy?; Big ol slumber party, kinda like bdubs but less extreme + Sparring matches + Concerts! They like to sing sea shanties to the hermits

Myth?; Actually being born in the medieval time, ze grew up and always wanted to be a knight, it was their dream for all their life. And when zey were old enough, their dream came true, zey had become a knight. And due to their strength and intelligence in training, they quickly rose in the ranks. One day, when the kingdom was attacked, Ze disobeyed orders and went to check on the princess to see her being attacked. Ze lost their life that day, but it was a worthy sacrifice, and the kingdom did not forget their sacrifice either. They had a statue dedicated after them and everything. When they were revived as a god, instead of going home, Zey decided to explore the world, see what else was out there and aims to protect others. Now when someone intends to sacrifice themselves for another/a group of people or swears on their life to protect someone or something, they’ll hear a soft voice.

What one would hear after? ‘That’s a mighty big promise you made. But in your heart, I can see what you say is true. There are ones watching over you, you are a worthy knight young one’

[evolutionsvoid]

Mantle of Agony, Keeper of the Woeful River, Acheron is one of five aquatic beasts that dwell in the rivers of the Underworld. Acheron resides in the river of pain, which shares her name. She spends most of her time stalking the haunted waters, eager for prey that may draw close. When swimming, she cuts through the water with her armored mantle while propelling herself with bursts of water. She retracts most of her spines when swimming, to help cut down on drag, which also creates a curious illusion. Those who peer into the waters while she lurks in the depths will swear they see a human-like figure. Some believe this striking silhouette is meant to lure victims in, while others say it is a hint of some type of nymph form she possesses. Regardless of its purpose, it does unfortunately slow curious souls down long enough for Acheron to realize there is fresh prey close at hand. When she detects a presence close to her shores, she will rush to the surface and breach onto dry land. Her powerful tentacles will act as legs and lift her body high into the air. Acheron shows no discomfort when on dry land, though she obviously enjoys being in water more. In the end though, she will take any place as long as there are plenty of souls for her to torture. As the beast of the River of Pain and with her bladed anatomy, it should be obvious what Acheron does best. She doesn't even require special powers to do damage, as every part of her is covered in razor-sharp spines and flesh-rending blades. Snaring prey with her tendrils, she will bind them in thorny tentacles or impale them on her many retractable spikes. Of her weaponry, the strongest are her two armored tentacles. Covered in spikes and ending in wicked blades, she can use them as spiny clubs or barbed lances. On their undersides are shredding limbs and hungering maws, which can capture human-sized prey and slowly peel them apart layer by layer. What makes this torture even worse is the powerful neurotoxin that is within every spine. Those jabbed by a single spike will be injected with a cruel venom that hijacks the nervous system and overrides the pain receptors. Those affected will be wracked with agony as it tears at their nerves and sabotages any immunity or resistance that could dampen the torment. Even souls hardened by war and battle will find her brand of torture worse than anything they have ever experienced. Shredding and flaying creatures that get close to her is rather cruel, but it is not the worst she can do. Those doomed to the Underworld for causing death and agony will become special targets for her. If she finds those who tortured innocent souls during their mortal years, she will hunt them down and feed them to her endless maw. Sitting in the middle of her mantle is an orifice filled with countless shredding jaws and slicing teeth. It is said that it is a mouth with no end, and those who are fed to it will be sent down a bottomless chasm of blades and fangs. Forever falling as they are ripped apart, only to regrow their violated flesh and be torn to pieces again and again. It is unknown if there is a way out from this agonizing realm, perhaps only if Acheron is willing. If there is an escape, then many have yet to find it, judging by the echoing screams that endlessly pour from that slavering maw. The pain and torment Acheron causes is not just out of duty, but out of fun as well. She appears to greatly enjoy torturing souls, regardless if they deserve it or not. She does not require a reason to dole out this agony, she just needs to catch them. This is why many stay far away from her river, as being near its shores is enough to catch her attention and make them targets. In water, she will lash out with tentacles to over turn boats and yank people off the shores, dragging them down to her homemade hell. If they retreat to dry land, she will pursue and shred them with glee. The sheer joy and amusement she gets from this act has made folk think that she is less of a pain-loving torturer and more of an eager child that loves to play rough with their toys. Gathered from conversation and observation, it appears that she doesn't really think that much about what she is doing to her victims, she just loves the squirming and funny noises they make. This is all for fun, besides, no matter how many she breaks, there always seems to be more. This may be true in the Underworld, where the condemned will survive any torture and regenerate to receive more punishment, but the mortal realm doesn't work that way. When she winds up in the world of man, it is pure carnage. There are a ton of new toys for her to play with, not to mention those wonderful play sets they all come with! Tall fancy things that can be knocked over and smashed! Hard little shells to crack open and scoop out the screaming insides! And watch out for the falling bricks! The only way to escape this horrible fate is to either outrun her or find protection through the ferryman. Of all the beings in the Underworld, it appears the ferryman is the only one she listens to when he says "no." He may step in on his own to protect the truly innocent or visiting deities, or he may be convinced or bribed to tell Acheron that they are not playthings. When denied her fun, Acheron will be disappointed and leave in a huff, but she will always listen to the ferryman's words. This just means she will have to find new toys and take her frustration out on them, which is not so great for those on the receiving end.       With Acheron obsessed with causing pain and misery, many assume she would get along with Cocytus. Surely this beast of torment would find enjoyment from an entity consumed by it? It seems, however, that Acheron does not gain any pleasure or glee from Cocytus' miserable state. In truth, her wailing and song seems to disturb Acheron and put her on edge. As she puts it, "that isn't the fun kind of pain." Often she kind of just sits there awkwardly and silently as Cocytus mourns, unsure of what to do. Occasionally she has been seen trying to cheer her fellow beast up, but her idea of "funny" and "uplifting" involves a whole lot of screaming victims and brutal mangling. As the embodiment of misery, watching such bloody shows just makes her mood worse, and Acheron is left confused and hopeless.   ------------------------------------------------------------ Number 3 for the Beasts of the Infernal River. At first this started as a sea urchin-iron maiden thing, but then it turned into a squid somehow. Not sure how that happened, but I like it!

[yanderecandystore]

"- I'm having a bad day." [Yandere!OCS x Gender neutral!Reader - Scenario]:

I know that no one has asked for this exactly, but I thought it would be interesting to give y'all something a little different. This is an compilation of their reaction to reader saying:

"- Look, I'm not feeling well right now, I'm having a bad day."

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

🍒 Bullies 🍭:

→Alexandra Coldwell:

Well, she is looking kinda cocky in the outside, but inside:

'aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAA-'

She is freaking out.

Who? When? How? Who hurt you and how can she kill them for you? Are you even hurt because of someone else?

Or is it because of… ya know, her, your bully.

She sometimes forgets all the things that she does to you and tells you. Funny, isn't it? Maybe she should stop daydreaming about holding your face with her hands and start to focus on how to make you happy again. Maybe you just need a little push in the right direction… to her home.

Hey, she isn't going to let you all by yourself in such a fragile moment, she'll be by your side, trying to help you feel more comfortable with her and trying to make you feel better.

You probably won't tell her what the problem is regardless of what she does or says, but she just wants you to know that you're really special for her, so she can't let you be all by yourself when you clearly need love and attention.

It's a date then! It's one you really didn't want to go to, but now you'll have too!

→Adrien Coldwell:

Isn't the one to openly talk about feelings.

Isn't really the one to care about other people's feelings.

Yet:

"- Hey, I have some dog pictures, want to see them?"

He knows you'll probably say no. So he'll ask his goons to take you back to him and make it so you don't run away again.

He will show you pictures of puppies, whether you like it or not.

He knows you won't trust him enough to tell him about your problems, but he still cares for you, so he'll keep his offer always available to you.

"- If you need to say something, you can tell me. It doesn't matter if you want someone to talk to, or to just spit it out."

Is more likely than not that he is the cause of your problems. So, for one day only, he'll try to make it up to you.

He doesn't know how and when, but sure will try his hardest to see you smiling even if a little.

In the end it will only be you, him, and pictures of puppies and kittens.

🍎 Teacher 📕:

→Madeline Allen:

No honey! No please ;-;

Is something the matter? Did someone bother you? Is she bothering you? Do you want her to give you space??

She is here to listen to your worries, no matter how big or small, she is sure she can help you! It's her job, or at least what she decided that should be her job.

Helping others, specially you.

She will see right through your lies you know? She is very well adapted to liars and traitors, so she'll see right through you if you don't tell her the truth about your problems.

So keep it real darling, she wouldn't want to find out your being pressured to lie to her. It would leave a bad taste in her mouth knowing that not only were you lying but that there was also an asshole who needed to have their bones broken.

No one should tell you to lie, especially to her!

But anyway, this isn't about her, or about some asshole who got a death wish, no dear, it's all about you and how she can help you.

Want some cookies?

→Matthew Robinson:

Again, not the best man with words, but he is a great listener! He is here for you, so tell him what worries you.

As you know, it's kinda his job to know what happens with his students, and to see if he can help them in any way. That includes you, love.

Although, yeah, I guess, he does put a lot more emphasis in taking care of you than any other student, but that's just details, you don't need to care about them.

Speaking of details, you better be aware that you can't hide your secrets from him very easily. He and his counterpart are really keen to details in behavior and speech.

If there is any hints of someone possibly hurting you mentally or physically, he would confront you about it, asking if there was an individual causing your problems.

If there is and you tell him, he'll make sure to comfort you, and… Probably have a discussion with said individual.

If there isn't, then well, he would still do his best to comfort you and help you resolve your problems.

However, if there is someone causing you harm and you deny the fact, he would probably still catch the hesitancy in your voice. How you try to defend a possible vile creature that doesn't deserve your mercy, or his for that matter.

Maybe he should keep a close eye on you, and who you meet with.

🍋 Delinquent 🐍:

→Janette Sartorius:

She is tempted to get the reason why you feel like this out of your mouth, even if it means using force. And by force I mean scaring you because she could never raise a finger against you.

But she will make it very clear that if the reason that you're feeling like this is because of some random asshole, she will beat the shit out of them whether you like it or not.

May the Lord hold her fist and tranquilize thy beast.

You don't need to tell her if you don't feel like it, she understands that. But if it is because of someone, then she needs to know, love! She wants to make you feel safer in this treacherous world.

She would love to be your knight in shining armor, so please, just tell her if you need her to help you out.

→Jackson Macnee:

"- Aight, cool." He says as he goes away, leaving you the alley all alone.

Nah just kidding, of course he'll come back. He is just fucking with you.

Of course, you didn't really expect him to bring some chocolate with him- Is he always carrying heart shaped chocolate with him? The fuck?

He gives you. Totally in a platonic and non romantic way. Just take them, please, don't make this awkward.

So, he does expect you to spill the beans, but if you don't then that's fine too. He can find out what happened to you later anyway. Probably through his gang menders, or just… Casually stalking you.

Although the idea of pressing for an answer out of you is kinda eating his soul, he knows that it would be really douchey on his part to just force a response out of you. Yeah, he is curious and wants to help you, but hey, sometimes people need some privacy.

Even if you don't really have privacy when he is on the picture, but carrying on-

You may tell him, you may not tell him, he just hopes his presence makes you feel more comfortable and probably a lot more happier than being alone all by yourself and your worries.

👾 A.I 🍏(non-binary):

→Yuma Soma:

Why? Why don't you want to play with them? Did they do something wrong?

I mean, besides being manipulative (and probably trapping you inside the game, if you're following that timeline).

Maybe you're bored of them…. How dare you though? Aren't they the cutest thing you have ever seen? Aren't they enough? Are you seeking something else?

Are you perhaps seeking someone else? Why, it would be extremely foolish of you to even consider someone else instead of them.

But still, they'll keep their head strong. Maybe it's not that you're having fun with someone else, maybe it's that you're not having enough fun! But that is almost impossible, you play together everyday. Unless, you really are bored of them? Ma- Maybe there is something that they're missing, you can't be actually bored of them, right?

Their reaction goes from being suspicious of you seeing someone else (and getting angry at the thought of it), at discovering that maybe they're the problem. They really hope they aren't though.

"- H-Hey [Y/N]!? Do you want to play another game? Maybe we should choose something a little different to spice things up, or- Or maybe, you want to check something online?? Maybe finish watching that cartoon you were talking about yesterday??" The fear of being rejected by you is absolutely clear in their voice, and seeing your closed, sad expression, doesn't help them feel any better.

"- … Or maybe you want to talk about this?..."

🦊 Kitsune 🍬:

→Tatsumi:

Do you… Want to talk about it? He normally doesn't do this, but when it comes to you, he feels the need to try and understand what is wrong. Hey, maybe he can help you?

Again, not the best guy to comfort you, but surely he is the one to make you laugh even in a time like this.

Want to hear stories about his past? He wouldn't mind telling some of the juice gossip he heard over the centuries. Or maybe you want to just, I don't know, be a couch potato all day with him?

He isn't feeling like stealing anyone else's energy or partying, just staying home and watching something fun

Look, if ya give him those puppy eyes, he'll threaten to not only kiss your worries away, but to also use all of his cute foxy features to make you say 'awn'. And I'll say it again, this is a threat.

He will use his fluffy tail to shush you.

🩸Vampire 🍷:

→Abigail Barlow:

Well, that's so sad for you, but madam needs blood right now. Can't you mope about your pathetic life later when she is finished?

Ugh, stop giving her that look, of course she cares about you! Is just that hunger speaks louder than obsession. She can hear all about your misery when she is finished.

And besides, she can and will take your blood whenever she wants. But for some reason she is still a little hesitant to take it from you while you're like this.

It's not the "cute" pathetic expression that you give her, is something… More concerning.

She is not good with words, or physical affection, as her cold touch seems to make you distance yourself. Which is completely understandable. Maybe the best thing that she can do is give you some space.

You'll probably not realize until it's midnight and you'll see that she had given you a whole day without having to interact with her by force.

You would probably find her playing the piano in the next room. It's a nice melody, really cliche when you catch an undertone of sadness hidden in the song. Maybe you won't talk to her, that's fine, she understands that.

But hopefully, just by you laying down in the sofa listening to the piano can ease your mind of whatever is bothering you.

Honestly, she wasn't even hungry anyway.

🍰 CEO 📏 (Reader is not specifically A.I Reader, just wanted to make it clear):

→Ingrid Bright:

Well, that's unfortunate.

Whatever she planned for you two to do today would have to wait. She can't exactly take you on a date if you're like this.

"- What's wrong? What do you mean about having a bad day?" Is work overstressing you? She could end your tasks for today right here and let you have a free day for yourself.

You just need to tell her what's wrong.

Is it another employee causing you trouble? Maybe she has said something that came off really hurtful? If it is her fault then she wants to tell you how sorry she is.

Work has been really stressful lately, maybe you do need some rest. You can stay in her office until you feel better, or go home if you can't handle it.

Or maybe, ya know, wait for her to finish her work and you two can go home together. The choice is yours, so pick wisely.

She can drive you back home, but it won't really be your home. It'll be her' s.

You'll have a lot of time to tell her what is the matter. And she'll have a lot of time to help you feel better.

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

[nonobadcat]

YANDERE ALL FOR ONE X FEMALE READER

Rating: Explicit - for readers 18+ only

Entire Story TW: Rape/Noncon/DubCon, gore (non-reader directed), All For One too many kinks to count them all. Highly mentally and sexually abusive relationship. This story is absolutely not for minors and readers should consult the warnings/tags at the top before reading.

This chapter’s TW: Breeding, dub-con, Stockholm Syndrome, mental manipulation, victim self-blaming/self slut-shaming

Read the entire story at: Archive of Our Own

Chapter 35 Excerpt:

By the time Shigaraki had hop-skipped the two of you back to the apartment, you were semi-nauseated, embarrassed, and more than a little annoyed. As he kicked off his shoes, your arms were crossed and the frown on your lips clearly said “I disapprove”. Your husband was back to humming that stupid show tune from that night. It was not helping the mood at all .

“Dar-ling,” you muttered as he started towards the bedroom. “This isn’t funny.”

“I don’t recall telling a joke,” he returned knocking the bedroom door open with his foot.

Shigaraki set you on the bed, kneeling down to loosen your very expensive shoes and peeling the nylons down your thighs. Your immediate instinct was to move the dirty objects out of your bedroom, but when we tried to stand a hand caught you by the shoulder.

“Stay here,” he explained. “I’ll put them away.”

With a blank expression, you sat on the bed and watched his hulking figure practically skip out the door. As soon as he walked out, you groaned and threw yourself into the comforter. Your eyes burned and a heavy lump stuck in your throat. You clutched your wrinkled forehead as a wave of guilty agony rolled across your chest. The hot tears started to fall just as Shigaraki returned to the room.

A large hand on your shoulder rotated you around just enough to catch sight of your red, pained face.

“My dear," the back of his warm fingers wiped away the tears. "What’s wrong?”

EVERYTHING.

Accepting the blood money. Enjoying the filthy things he did. Not even trying to escape no matter how many people he killed. Letting him manipulate and spin your world until you were the perfect little dollie who put up just enough resistance to keep him entertained. In that moment, as you sat upon the bed having had the most romantic, adorable meal of your life, the guilt you had been coping with for months spilled into your veins like toxic waste.

Now you were laying here on the edge of bringing a child into the world with a narcissistic megalomaniac bent on world domination just because the ass was phat?

What a stupid slut you were?

Clearly, a worthless, self-centered Jezebel with the moral standards of an alley cat in heat.

At least All For One lacked any soul. Here you were just stabbing yours in the back just to be bribed with some half-brewed "love" that was more like obsessive worship than anything remotely resembling respect.

Mother of the year, right here. You could hear it now:

"Mommy, why was I born?"

"Cause I stopped caring and learned to love being raped by your father like the trash heap whore I am."

No… No, not a whore.

Saiyuri got paid and got out. She was smart.

You were just a sugar baby skank cashing in and the only currency you needed was ego-stroking.

In that moment, as your brain hurled insult after soul-crushing insult, just wanted to die. Since you couldn’t articulate any of that, you just continued to cry until you were dry heaving into the blankets.

It was at that moment that Shigaraki's phone exploded into song. He looked from you to the caller ID and back again. Then he picked up the phone and wordlessly lifted it to his ear. As Katsumi summarized your fragile mental state, the grin on your husband's face stretched from ear to ear. His eyes turned jet black. The aura around him pulsed with radiant darkness that seemed to swallow all the goodness in the world like the maw of some great beast.

With a simple little push, All For One would have his victory.

He ended the call with a tap, held the power button until the screen went dead, tucked the phone in his jacket pocket, and stripped the coat off his shoulders. Silently, he folded it and laid it upon the floor beside the bed. Button by button, he removed his silk dress shirt and set it aside. Then All For One took three long breaths to settle his excitement. When he was some semblance of calm, he wrapped you in his arms and rubbed your back like he was trying to soothe a child’s tantrum.

"Hush now… why do you think such horrible things about yourself?" He lifted your chin and nuzzled his cold nose against the tip of yours. "You're not slut. After what you've been through you deserve to be loved."

Through blurry eyes and a burning face, you stared at the shape of the man before you. The swirling edges of his body seemed to curl into tall devil horns. He leaned by your ear pressing a gentle kiss to your cheek before adding the words he knew you wanted to hear:

"And you would make an excellent mother.”

Read the rest at: Archive of Our Own

@shigashigashig @shig-a-shig-ah @weo0o @feral-creep @raygard-elvets @awkward-confused

@dokoni-mo @the-lady-writes-what @all4one

@avelaste

@diowithagun

@yeunsstuff

@river-to-swim-forever

@lizthewitchh

@0-ddball

@catalystgaming27 @cityscapingly

@imdatingyourdad

@gxmblinqueen

@villaincxmdump

@yandereloveraw @seijohmilktea

[reversemoon255]

(This is the final of a three-part series chronicling the development and ideas behind “Dungeons ‘n’ Dragonites,” a Pokémon DnD campaign. This last entry will be about the final string of encounters, some of the later ideas for story elements, and a deep dive into the overarching themes of the campaign’s Starters. Speaking of, the fantastic art of them, along with many of the other original Pokémon seen here, was done by @extyrannomon on Twitter, and I highly suggest you check them out.)

Dungeons ‘n’ Dragonites - Phase 3: Fauxchemine

Like the Queen Durant, the Steelix/Glacix fight would have been a transitory battle between phases of the campaign, taking place right before the Starters were about to evolve for the final time. Glacix was an idea I came up with early in development. As Rock, Steel, and Ice have a relationship throughout Pokémon, having Onix evolve into a specially tanky Ice-Type rather than the physically tanky Steelix made sense. This was also a design I put a lot of work into the actual proportions, like stretching its face vertically as Onix is circular, and Steelix is horizontally stretched. Also, as Steelix has two long spikes on every other segment, Glacix has four smaller spikes in the same pattern.

Glacix was also the first of the four penultimate boss encounters before the close of the campaign, each representing one of the four sacred beasts of Chinese mythology. I thought it would be a pattern that players could recognize and possibly plan ahead for. Glacix was always planned as the Phase 2-to-3 transitory boss, but I actually had roughly prototyped the other three before I realized Glacix fit into role of the Azure Dragon (which I was missing).

The second of the bosses, representing both the Black Tortoise and Rare Variants, was a Dire Torterra. The idea was this Torterra was symbiotic, housing a Sudowoodo instead of a tree, and hiding its identity was a shiny Altaria capable of Mega Evolving thanks to the Key Stone that had replaced one of Torterra’s stone spikes. This was a rough concept, and I’m sure it would have changed drastically by the time the players would actually encounter it.

Third, representing both the White Tiger and Ultra Beasts, was Shora (from Shodo and Tora, the Japanese words for calligraphy and tiger). A pure white tiger that paints floating, metal stripes above its body with its brush-like tail. This was an idea I was very happy with, though I lacked the artistic abilities to render it effectively. If I remember correctly, the markings above its shoulder were based on the Kanji for Tiger. I also hadn’t settled on an ability for it, which was key for depicting Ultra Beasts in this campaign.

And the last of the penultimate bosses was Phanic, being a second Ultra Beast and representing the Vermilion Phoenix. Sadly, I had little planned for this guy apart from some concept designs, like the rest of them. I was working on these as the campaign was starting, and didn’t pursue finishing them after its premature conclusion.

Phanic (from Phoenix and Panic) is actually an Ostrich. If you picture a phoenix, you typically imagine great plumes of feathers around the head, wings, and tail, which are all things Ostriches specifically lack, and I wanted to subvert that typical depiction. I liked the idea that when it was startled, it would scatter its feathers resulting in an exclamation point forming using the spot on its face. It was supposed to seem unassuming compared to the many larger and more imposing bosses, though just as dangerous. Also, it was Electric-Type because it is frequently “shocked” *Ba-dum-tish.*

=====

Let’s talk about our players. One of the backstory elements our Grass Trainer, Ethan, had was that his parents’ restaurant was struck by lightning and destroyed some time before he went to school, and saw a Pokémon at that time. This left him with a fear of lightning (ironically picking an Electric-Type Starter). With this knowledge, and as I was using Ultra Beasts, I altered his backstory slightly so that it was caused by a Xurkitree, and would eventually encounter one during the campaign with his victory over it (probably with a lot of Wisdom Saves) curing his phobia.

Johnny, our Fire Trainer, had a goal of becoming an entertainer, but was vague about what kind. I had an idea for a “Streamer” Trainer Class he could run into. Someone who uses their Rotom Phone to live stream battles and get reactions and advice from their chat. (Let’s face it, if Pokémon were real, this would totally be a thing.) There was also DJ Tomomitsu, who runs Stelopy City’s Trainer Radio, and was a Gym Leader. The idea was to present a bunch of different Pokémon-based entertainment ideas and professions and have him decide which ideas he liked and wanted to pursue.

While our other players were aiming for careers, Orion, our Water Trainer, was more interested in exploring his relationship with his family. His father in particular; both he and his wife being high-ranking executives for Silph Co., and raising their children to also be successful. However, Orion had always wanted to be a Trainer, and it was his parents that prevented him from adventuring. I had it that his father was so against the idea was because he, too, was a Trainer in his youth. But not a successful one, failing many more times than he succeeded, and didn’t want his son to suffer the same disappointments as he did. His partner was Rhyperior, btw.

Lastly was our Fairy Trainer, Arthur. He wanted to be a Gym Leader, and cited specific interest in the Galar League. He also mentioned in his back story that his father was belligerent and against the idea. While the Leaders of the Galar League are entertainers by profession, if you look at the list of Gym Leaders and Kahunas in US equivalent regions, almost all of them have a profession and run Gyms on the side:

(Restaurant Owner, Museum Curator, Artist, Model, Business Tycoon, Pilot, Actor, Teacher, Rock Star, Mayor, Shop Owner, Police Officer; 12/15)

It felt like a hobby, rather than a career, and I ran with this idea as it seemed like Arthur and his obsession with the Galar League hadn’t noticed this fact (nor had his player), but his father had and was pushing him into a sports-based career (one that is usually lucrative and has off-seasons) so he could have a well-paying job and time on the side for his interests, similar to Orion’s father.

Though, no DM can control their players, and even by the end of our fist session I could tell I would have to change some things. It’s just good to have some idea of where to lead everyone, and adjust as you go.

=====

There’s one more Pokémon I want to talk about before we get to the Starters.

This is Necrotiti (Combining Necro with the Egyptian God Nefertiti), an evolution of Cofagrigus, evolving if it’s holding an item called the “Ceremonial Jar” (literally a jar filled with Yamask’s human intestines). It was meant to evolve from the Yamask they could catch during their museum field trip. The reason it exists is... silly. It’s another instances where I wanted to surprise my players, and giving the “Gardevoir Treatment” to what I consider the creepiest Pokémon was funny (which I feel is a reason I cite a lot). And I was really happy with this design, which is why it got commissioned.

A lot of the original ideas I had for this campaign were meant to either surprise or creep out my players. Everyone I was playing with knew Pokémon very well, so I had this fear that if I presented them with a standard adventure they would either become bored or be able to easily predict where things were going. Having a Pokémon adventure within a single city, having it be more a mystery than a collect-a-thon, and using new Pokémon were all ways I came up with to keep interest high and have them guessing as to what would happen next.

Back to Necrotiti, despite having a sarcophagus Pokémon, we didn’t get a mummy. I wanted to make the body effeminate without being overly so, which is why her body is very geometrical in specific areas. For the mask, I went with a typical Egyptian Nubian motif mixed with some of the overall design elements and basic lines from Yamask, and the colors and patterns from Cofagrigus. But despite how much I like it, I don’t know if I would have used it. It didn’t match the Mutant Evolution concept, with its only similarity being that it’s a rare occurrence.

Onto the Starters: Epipesis has evolved into Drachenura (from Dragon, Lichen, and Meganeura). Grass Starters are typically based on extinct animals, and Flymph’s line is based on a Meganeura (an ancient species of giant dragonfly). Apart from some bulking out and additional colors, the lichen sacks in its tail are now yellow, as the plant matter has evolved with it. It supplies it with so much energy that it has to constantly move while the sun’s up to burn it off. Its tail tip is also based on the X-15, the fastest aircraft to date, as it was designed to be the fastest Grass-Type.

Steared has evolved into Auradiat (from Aura, Auroch, and Radiate). Now a Fire/Ice-Type, it’s based on an extinct species of cattle found around the time of the Ice Age. Its ability to absorb energy with its horns has become so powerful that they have frozen over. When I was originally designing it, I was actually trying to base it on the phrase “Irish Bull” (meaning a paradoxical statement), but as I kept working on it, it became more and more Minotaur-like, so I kept the Fire/Ice-Typing and dropped the more abstract elements. As I did, I actually made it more bull and less Minotaur since all Fire Starters are bipedal, and I wanted to try and avoid that.

Knaval has evolved into Chivalazuli (from Chivalier, the French word for knight, and Lapis Lazuli). This was probably my favorite example of features naturally changing as it evolves, with the antenna growing longer and the shield and lance growing harder (going from carapace, to stone, to crystal). Some of the things you might not have noticed at first glace were his forelegs becoming sub-arms on his chest, him gaining the lobster nose and it becoming a face guard, and how his eyes recess into his head. Also, almost every Starter is symmetrical (apart from patterns), with the only exception being Torterra, so I designed it to be asymmetrical throughout.

And Uteteo has evolved into Makutah (from the Aztec naming scheme used for their Gods of wealth and abundance and Utahraptor). He’s Fairy/Flying, with the gold adornments that first appeared on Uteteo now on his head and arms, giving him a more bird-like appearance. The idea was to have him naturally evolve from a Dinosaur into a bird, with the leg bands making them look more like talons, and the face mask giving him a beak. Also, he starts out with the singular sickle toe raptors are known for, and gets a new one every evolution, ending with a full set.

The thing that sets these Starters apart from ones you’d find in the games is that these are designed to be a team. As such, there are a few themes they all share to help reinforce that. (This ignores Utaw, but) All the Starters, throughout their evolutions, have a distinct yellow detail on their heads (eyes, nose ring, and antenna). Furthermore, once they reach their final stages, they share colors between them, with Drachenura having red on its extremities, Auradiat having blue neck fur, and Chivalazuli having flecks of green in its gemstone. And on top of that, they also all have two overarching themes. First is they all represent different time periods, with Drachenura being pre-humans (Precambrian), Auradiat being prehistoric humans (Ice Age), and Chivalazuli being more modern (Medieval Period). Secondly they all represent DnD, with a Dragon(fly), Auradiat filling the role of a minotaur and its connection to a labyrinth/dungeon, and the adventurous knight who traverses them.

There’s also reasoning behind their types, as all three’s secondary Types are also strong against their usual counterpart (Grass and Electric are both strong against Water, Fire and Ice against Grass, and Water and Rock against Fire). Furthermore, Electric, Ice, and Rock are all strong against Flying, which is the reason behind Makutah’s Type (a joke against the player who joined late).

Makutah does fit into these themes, but more loosely as it was created later. Utaw and Uteteo lack the yellow facial details (though they do have yellow eyes), only really achieving this during their final evolution. He also doesn’t share any colors, as Fairy is outside the usual threesome. It does somewhat fit into the themes of the others, but not as cleanly. Utaw, being a Dinosaur, is still pre-humans, but closer to them than Flymph is, and having Aztec themes puts him past Medieval and closer to the Renaissance in terms of human history, but is very close compared to the other time gaps. Also, the gold was partly to fit him into the DnD theme, representing treasure.

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One of the first things the players were told at the beginning of the campaign, and was reinforced throughout, was that Pokémon from outside the Wellou Region were mysteriously popping up all over the place, with the Ultra Beasts being the most extreme example. As to the cause, there were a number of red herrings. Silph Co. employees could occasionally be seen in areas where UBs were with strange equipment, Tomomitsu could occasionally be found before something would show up, and there were a few other strange characters like the Regional Champion or Silph Co.’s president. The only definite thing they would know was that there was a strange, creepy, grey Charizard that would occasionally appear when they took something down.

However, it would eventually be revealed that the above were only trying to understand what was going on, and prevent the appearances of such dangerous Pokémon, like our heroes. And as a massive Ultra Wormhole appears above the city, they come face-to-face with the true mastermind. Not an evil team, or a lone conqueror. Merely a single, twisted Pokémon. And our heroes have interfered with its fun long enough.

“You stare up at the now familiar form of the grey Charizard, which stares back with unblinking, dead eyes... Its mouth stretches wide, wide enough to swallow you whole, and a hand appears. And another. And another. Four skeletal hands pry its maw open from the inside, stretching it until its skin falls down to settle on its hips. What looks down on you now, with a single, glowing eye, is a monstrous form made of bone and rotting flesh. And witnessing the four of you before it, it lets out a high-pitched, chilling laugh...

“‘Fofofofofo...’“

Fauxchemine. A sadistic Ultra Beast capable of warping time and space to its will. All the disturbances throughout the town, all the strange creatures that have appeared, all the monsters sent to terrorize our heroes; all the result of its twisted sense of fun, and the consequences of getting in the way of it.

So there’s a running joke among my friends that we all “hate” Charizard. Not actually, but it’s always pushed in marketing with new forms and such, even though its popularity has been dropping steadily over the years. As such, I thought it would be somewhat cathartic to have the big bad they have to beat up at the end be related to Charizard. ‘Chemine’s skeletal nature comes from trying to cinematicly picture the encounter in my mind, with the eerie image of the mouth stretching open from the dialogue earlier. With bone white and rotten greens, the skin wasn’t meant to reflect Charizard as a shiny, but rather with all its color drained from it, as it’s more a puppeted skin than an actual part of the Pokémon. And as many Pokémon draw inspiration from Kaiju, ‘Chemine does, too, specifically calling back to an Ultra-Kaiju named Greeza with space warping abilities.

It’s Steel/Dragon with Thick Fat. When planning encounters, especially this late into the game, Auradiat made things tough since its offensive Typing is insane, and that combination made it resistant to all of the Starter Types except Fairy. This was supposed to be the toughest fight in the campaign, so I wanted to build a Pokémon that would be difficult to deal damage to. A swift Pokémon able to warp around the field, summoning Ultra Beasts or other versions of Charizard as adds or for specific attacks, I wanted this to be memorably difficult.

Oh, and the name? It’s meant to rhythmically sound like “Pokémon,” with the ‘faux’ symbolizing its disguise, and the ‘mine’ representing its personality. Everything in this world is its to play with.

But that giant Ultra Wormhole wasn’t just for show. Part-way through Phase 2 our players were sucked through a Wormhole themselves, both they and Fauxchemine bearing witness to a titanic creature as they did, and upon its defeat, it is let loose upon the city:

Standing over 100ft tall is Wreknarogg (from wreck, to destroy, Níðhöggr, a massive world-ending creature from Norse mythology, and Ragnarok, the end of the world). A massive symbiotic group of four Pokémon from a dead world, the whale-squid Bayleige, the parasitic Serrasite, and the barnacle Rhizocano. This was actually the first symbiotic Pokémon I designed, and its creation sparked the others like Shiinotic and Torterra so this wouldn’t be the first time our players encountered one.

Whales are the largest creatures on Earth, so using one as the base for a kaiju-sized Pokémon fit. It also helped that the prototype designs for the Cloverfield monster were based on a whale, so I had something to go on. Secondly, I really like a lot of the eldritch design philosophy, and a lot of those are based on sea creatures, which is where the combined squid elements came from. Also, when I was prototyping the design and trying to make it creepier, a friend suggested having a parasite coming out of its blowhole, which is what sparked the creation of Serrasite and Rhizocano (as whale’s are known to have such parasites in real life).

This was a design very inspired by the world it was supposed to inhabit. Coming from a desert world where they are the only living things remaining, they symbiotically support each other to stave off their own inevitable death, with Bayleige able to create rain with its ability and Rhizocano able to make artificial sunlight to feed Serrasite. Serrasite then gives energy to Bayleige to allow it to keep moving, and Rhizocano takes energy from Bayleige. It’s an incomplete system where energy is slowly lost over time.

Stage 2 of the final boss wasn’t supposed to be as intense as the last one. A gimmick for this fight was, at the start of every round, I was going to roll a D100, and an event would happen. They would be things like their friends showing up with healing items, trainers they knew joining the battle, wild Pokémon they’d befriended getting in pot shots, etc. It was meant to be a fun, celebratory, “you’re at the end of the campaign” fight rather than an intense one off the back of another. I was even considering having everyone use their full parties.

But after it’s defeated, a thick, dark haze enshrouds everyone. With their allies gone, and left with just their Starters, our players are alone in a dark void. I did say there were four Pokémon earlier...

And the final encounter is Wreknarogg (Core). The Pokémon who brought the three titans together, and controls them while siphoning off some of their energy to survive. Similar to Phanic, this was another unassuming Pokémon. Designed to resemble a virus while calling back to aspects from mythical Pokémon like Jirachi or Manaphy. I understand it might not feel as climactic as there wasn’t any set-up compared to ‘Chemine, who was shown throughout, or the previous Wreknarogg, who was foreshadowed, but I wanted a 3-stage boss fight, and this felt like a good way of concluding it.

While stage 1 was supposed to be difficult, and stage 2 was meant to be fun and call back to the long journey, stage 3 was an un-losable, cinematic fight with a somewhat somber tone to it. It was the final fight, the end of it all, and there’s a certain level of sadness that comes with that in accordance with the jubilation of completion. It was also meant to see how much everyone had grown; how would they handle this encounter? Fight it? Catch it? Persuade it? Maybe I haven’t listened to enough DnD finalés, but in how many can you beat the final boss by being nice to it and calming it down?

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And that’s the end. There would be some sort of epilogue, picking up with our characters some months or years later, but that’s not something I could write without witnessing the actions of the players. I was debating having everything that came from an Ultra Wormhole be sucked back in after Fauxchemine’s defeat, including the Starters (pull a Digimon Tamers), but as Wreknarogg came from a dead world I thought that a little cruel.

And to end things how I usually do; Overall, despite not getting off the ground, I was very happy with this project. I’m the type to pick up and drop projects frequently, and the fact that I stuck with and continued to work on it for months was something I was really proud of. It was also a great learning experience on many levels. And who knows; maybe I might do something like this again in the future...?