#i am lethal and dangerou s

[flagellant]

Hey! Please correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem like you actually know things about wend*gos and I genuinely want to have a better understanding.

Based on my limited understanding, the association with deer and wend*gos is more of a pop culture thing and the original concept of wend*gos arent like that at all. They're regular humans who got cursed for being cannibals, right?

Dont get me wrong, youre completely right in saying that people need to stop associating deer imagery with cannibalism as pop culture doesnt erase appropriation, but am I at least right on the history?

No pressure to answer if you dont want to, thanks for taking time to read this regardless.

Alright, it's been a while since I've spoken about the winter hunger so it's time for the perennial disclaimer: I am not Anishinaabe, and I cannot be considered a true authority on their practices and beliefs. Native America is, after all, not a monolith, and I can only speak for what I know through research and seeking to learn about this topic in order to be more respectful of them and advocate for that respect due to my audience's size.

With that said: You're correct. There is absolutely no deer imagery aligned with the Anishinaabe culture's portrayals and understanding of the being in question. I'm not 100% sure on its origins, but I'd be willing to bet that much of the inspiration would come from the Witcher 3's depictions of leshy--they click all of the buttons through visual language, and I can see why people would see that sort of iconography and begin applying it disrespectfully. Like I keep saying--fucked up deers are cool and spooky as hell! It's not a shock that through law-of-large-numbers and a history of oppression and thievery that the horror genre can often be anti-indigenous bc of that!

For clarification of the most commonly understood appearance of the winter hunger--and this is not so that you can more accurately use it, it is so you can more accurately defend against racist and inaccurate depictions--it takes the shape of humans. Often of people you know. There are sometimes qualifiers like frostbite or lack of feet but at the very root of it, it is supposed to look like a human being.

Further disclaimer: What I'm about to say may be an entirely wrong interpretation of the winter hunger, but it is rooted in my culture's understanding of a very similar evil being which exists in Dine and other desert-dwelling native tribes such as mine. It's further rooted in my specific understanding of religion through anthropological lenses, since that's why I love studying religion so much--because it doesn't exist in a vacuum it is defined by our understanding of our surroundings.

Picture it this way: Both the Anishinaabe and my own people are in some way considered extremophilic cultures. We both live in an environment which reliably becomes lethally dangerous to exist within if you aren't prepared, willing to sacrifice your own comfort for the survival of everyone, and combines a level of isolation during those extreme climates with a need to be able to trust those around you implicitly because you all want to survive. Deserts, be they snow or sand, are difficult places to live within. There are enough resources to go around, but it's not exactly uncommon for there to be enough to go around and that's all. You're surviving because you and everyone around you are putting the survival of everyone over individualist comforts.

The winter hunger and the desert swallowing you whole are always taught as something which looks like a human. Which sounds like a human. Which can trick others into thinking it is human. Beings which have the shape of a person, but have no humanity--they lost it or they never had it. And both of them are things which gain power over you when spoken of and thought of--they're a type of memetophage. They feed on people who know about them, so you're forced to balance "aware that this danger exists" with "need to know what the danger is". They often will try and trick you into evil deeds or danger yourself by wearing the face and voice of family and loved ones. People you know well to let your guard down.

Now remember that you are a culture which needs to prepare itself for extreme climate survival. Everyone has to rely on everyone else. But sometimes people aren't going to like the people they're surviving with. People will resent other people for whatever reasons they choose, justified or not. Living so close together and in such tight quarters can be stressful and bring out the absolute worst in us.

Imagine, for a moment, going out into a snowstorm or the bitter desert night, looking for food for everyone else, sent with someone you hate. It's a harsh life. Even at your safest you are at risk of death for whatever reason--getting lost, being attacked by an animal, taking a bad fall. It happens. It's a fact of life. It's horribly tragic but it's acknowledged as inevitable.

Imagine the knowledge of how dangerous what you two are doing worming its way into your head during this time. If you were willing to hate this person enough to kill them...it wouldn't be hard to convince everyone it was just an accident. Just something which happens. Kill a stag, then kill them and jam the stag's antlers through the wound. Or just disable them somehow and leave them to freeze in the snowdrifts and say they got lost. Or push them down a ravine. There are so many possibilities and all of them exonerate you of any complicity, because yeah, you didn't like them...

...but you trust each other to survive. You trust that you're all willing to give up things to make sure everyone is able to survive and get through these things. You trust that when you are in danger, you don't need to worry about it coming from someone you know. And so why would anyone suspect you? And maybe you convince yourself that what you did was good, actually. One less mouth to feed. More food for everyone. Or it's just easier for you--someone who you hated so much, and now you never need to worry about them again.

Imagine the way that knowledge that you've done it once would show up again and again. Anyone and everyone is now in danger because you've become aware of the benefits of being greedy. Of choosing to hurt and kill other people to further your own goals and desires. Of deciding that the sacrosanct ties of the whole community's survival is not a priority over your own violent impulses. The knowledge of what you can do to other people is, itself, a danger. You put the idea of it, the possibility, in someone's head, and there is every chance that it could start dwelling in there and taking root, changing them from a good person, someone you know, a member of the community, into an evil, selfish monster which has lost its humanity and merely wears that person's face. Uses its voice to lie to you. Wants you all to have your guards down around it. Something waiting to strike where it can.

Now remember that we turn rainbows into the bridges of gods because we needed to create a reason for them. That's the history of magic: we don't know how to explain something, or we don't know how to process it, or we do and need to obfuscate that knowledge through a layer of fiction to cope with it. We don't invent the divine for no reason, on instinct, without thinking. We do it because there is something that creating it offers us as a species and culture that would otherwise be lacked. So think: Why would tribal cultures who need everyone to be willing to set aside personal wants and grievances to ensure that everyone survives through harsh climates need to have something like the winter hunger or the desert swallowing you whole? What benefit does it offer the community? What is the purpose of sharing knowledge about this monster? Where would it fit into that culture's way of life and philosophies?

The answer becomes self-evident soon enough. We all know what it looks like when one person decides they can sacrifice other humans for their own personal greed. We call them oligarchs.

[hexlenx]

TANGERINE — hp, bt [ crossover ]

Part 1.

Tangerine and Lemon were offered a contract. Save the White Death's son and recover a silver briefcase with a ransom money in it and give it to the White Death. Bara-bing bara-boom, they get the ten mil. Sounds easy, innit?

note: I do not own Harry Potter nor Bullet train, this is made purely for entertainment purposes. English is also not my language so apologies for typos as well as wrong grammar.

warnings!!: violence, vulgar language, r-rated content, lethal weapons and gore.

__________________

"What the fu—do you mind?" Tangerine said in annoyance as the man passing by bumped into him while said man also bumped into the woman employee pushing a cart full of food and drinks.

"Fuckin' blind or something?" He continued before his eyes landed on a snack from the cart and subconsciously took it before he knew what he was doing. Making the dark skinned man in front of him roll his eyes at his antics.

"Oh Tangerine—oh man stop it." Lemon said to his brother when he saw him stealing a small snack from the cart. Said brother looked at the snack in his hand frowning as if he was scolding his own hand for doing such a thing before putting it in one of his chest pockets inside his suit.

"Why did I do that? It's like I got fucking compulsion or something, I have to take it if I see it. " Tangerine said as he then fixed his suit. "Goldfish biscuits, I don't—i don't understand." He continues before fixing his composure along with his brother Lemon when the Japanese woman employee passed by them, greeting them.

"You alright, love?" Lemon asked the woman who only nodded with a lovely smile.

"Ye' fuckin' arsehole, am I right?" Tangerine said to the woman as well before exchanging blank looks with his brother when the woman left.

Tangerine's phone rang making him take it out of his chest pocket, smiling when he saw the caller's id. Clearing his throat, he then answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey, I'm about to board the train. In the second VIP car, so unfortunately it's the only thing available last minute." A woman's melodic voice spoke out of his phone's speaker making Tangerine relax in his seat. Oh, how he loved just hearing his wife's voice. Call him whipped but this is his wife we're talking about.

"That Poppet?" Lemon asked his brother when he noticed him smile making said brother nod.

"'s long as you're here, love. Sorry we had to tell you abruptly, I know you don't like being rushed but we also know you wouldn't want us to leave you behind." Tangerine said to his wife, he knew his wife didn't like the rush since it's going to be a hassle to get things done on such short notice. It's why he also likes to be early but this job was dangerous, more dangerous than the Bolivia job and he didn't want to put his wife in that kind of danger. But he also knew if he didn't tell her and also left her behind. He'll be sleeping outside for two weeks, and a happy wife means a happy life.

"It's fine, Hon'. I have to keep an eye on both of you before you do something stupid like in Johannesburg." The woman chuckled in the call making Tangerine groan at the mention of that place.

"It was one time, love. One fucking time!"

"Still doesn't excuse you for doing something stupid for the second time."

"Ye' but you know what I'll do for the second time today?" Tangerine lowered his voice in a husky manner making Lemon, who was in front of him frown in disgust.

"What?" His wife breathed out from the call making Tangerine sigh from the tone of her voice. Fuck, this woman is going to be the death of him.

"Why don't I come there and let you find out?"

Silence.

Suddenly Tangerine's phone got taken by his brother. Lemon who now has his phone out it on his ear and began to talk to the woman.

"Hey there, Dolly! Everything good on your side?"

"Oh Lemon! Yes, everything's good I just got back from stashing my luggage. Other than that everything's fine!" She said enthusiastically as Tangerine glared at his brother in annoyance who only silently chuckled at him smugly.

"Ye' well we got to go now. We'll watch the kid and the case over here, so don't worry 'bout it for now 'cuz it's safe." Lemon reassured his sister-in-law before bidding her goodbye and ending the call.

"You gotta stop talking with your dick, mate. We're on a mission." Lemon grumbled towards his brother who only rolled his eyes nonchalantly.

"Ye' well technically I'm talking using my mouth so it ain't my dick now, is it?"

"So why am I Lemon?" Lemon asked his brother who immediately responded.

"'cuz you're sour and nobody likes lemons."

"That's bullocks, mate. Everyone likes lemons. Lemonade, lemon drops—"

"—you got a sore throat?"

"Lemon meringue pie."

"When was the last time you ate a meringue pie?"

"Last week when Doll made it for me and lemons don't bleed." This made Tangerine snap his head towards his brother when he heard his wife's codename.

"You made my wife bake you a pie?"

"Then why are you Tangerine?"

"Because it's sophisticated, like me."

Lemon groaned out in annoyance. Tangerine was about to chuckle in amusement before his brows furrowed noticing something red on his brother's shirt.

"Oh, Lemon."

"Tangerine."

"You're bleeding, mate." Tangerine pointed out to Lemon who looked on himself before cursing when he did saw a couple of red spots on the right side of his shirt.

"What—oh fuck. Oh shit, mate! Who the fuck did I kill?"

"Get a wet one on it or something." Tangerine said to his brother, worried that he got injured without him knowing.

"Oh nah, man. It's not mine."

"It's not yours?"

"Nah, man. I don't bleed."

"Ye' well in that case leave your jacket open, so everyone can see."

"Oh ye' I want everyone to see my yellow tie—" Lemon agreed as he slowly went to open his jacket more.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Cover that shit up before anyone sees that!" Tangerine cut him off making his brother frown.

A groan stopped their bickering making them look at the twenty years old man on the seat across them.

"Well looks like sleeping beauty has woken up." Tangerine mockingly said as he and his brother looked at the man.

"Wakey wakey." Lemon playfully said with tangerine following his statement.

"Eggs and bakey."

With a deep sigh, a woman with blonde shoulder-length could be seen looking at her phone fondly. This woman was known as Sophia Potter neé Von Clairé, codename Doll. Yes, she was now Mrs. Potter after marrying her husband James Potter at twenty-one. There wasn't really a wedding when they married, they only signed a contract for it since they wanted it to be in secret knowing their identities in both the muggle and wizarding world would be in shambles if it was publicized.

Why the codename though? Well you see both her and her husband are contractors. Assassin contractors. Something they've hidden very securely in their time in Hogwarts. Seeing as there is no news about them in the Daily Prophet, it's safe to say that no one knew about their secret other than their brother, Lemon.

Right now, they were in a mission well it was the brother's mission and she was just a backup as well as a plus one since she knew if she wasn't here with them, they'll fuck up and her intuition is never wrong. Retouching her makeup, she noticed a man in a brown jacket, a white bucket hat, black trousers and a big black reading glasses on his face was walking rather suspiciously as he passed by her car.

It looked like he was hiding something until he took out something big from his jacket. The silver briefcase with a blue train sticker on the handle as well as to it's sides. Shit. The case is safe my ass, Doll internally rolled her eyes before snapping close her makeup powder that had a mirror on its cover.

Puckering up her lips, she stood up and patted down her long blue coat, courtesy of matching with her husband, and left her seat with her bag on it before following the suspicious man discreetly.

The man stopped in front of the Train's door that now opened when it stopped on the station letting in and out some people as they reached their destinations.

Doll stopped in the space in between the cars as she had a feeling something was going to happen to the man so she decided to wait. And boy was she right.

The whole fight baffled her as she watched the blonde man dodged and try to save himself. It also baffles her that no one ever bothered to take a look at the car next to them when the way their fighting was quite loud. Becoming even more baffled when she saw that the blonde man killed the other just by luck itself. That is going to be a problem, she thought.

After watching the man clean the whole car and decided sit himself in front of the dead man she decided it was time to reveal herself. Stepping into the car, the man was startled before straightening himself up.

"Oh, excuse me I was only on my way to grab a few drinks and snacks." Doll casually said, completely fooling the blonde man who only chuckled sheepishly at her.

"Oh yea, sure. Was just here looking out for my friend, he kinda drank too much." The man explained before continuing to eat his wasabi crackers.

"Oh that's fine, had a rough day huh?" She said as she went towards behind the counter grabbing a bottle of whiskey before pouring one in a shot glass. The smell of it reminded her of her husband which made her sigh fondly.

The blonde man continued to watch her awkwardly while glancing at the dead body beside him occasionally. Before observing her once more, that's where he noticed a glint on her finger.

"Married?" He asked the woman who hummed in question before chuckling when she noticed him looking at her hand with a ring on it.

"Yea, been for eight years now." Doll chuckled softly realizing it's been a long time in her marriage.

"Must be a very great partner to be able to last that long." The man said before grimacing when he realized it sounded a bit rude. "Sorry, sorry that was kinda rude of me—"

"Oh no that's fine, it's not that common for marriage to last that long these days now and I'm just one of the few that's been lucky, I guess." Which was true, some married couples get a divorce after two or three years or even shorter than that so she doesn't blame him for thinking that. But she and her husband would have to die first to even think of divorcing.

"So are you just going to leave the dead body there?" Doll said making the man silently stare at her in shock with his man agape.

"I'm sorry—what now?"

"I would also like to take the briefcase, if you don't mind. You see, my husband's mission is to recover the briefcase with the client's son and give it to his client. Since you stole it, I would like to take it back." She said in a casual tone as she took a sip on her drink while eating a goldfish biscuit. She hummed as she looked at the food in thought, this is quite good her husband might like it.

"I'm sorry—but how did you.."

"Know that man is dead? You weren't quite silent with the fighting so I came to check and lo' and behold! Accidentally killing the man. Now, the briefcase please." Doll explained giving the man a charming smile.

"Look lady, I don't know who you are but that case is kinda my mission. If I don't get it back, I'll be dead." The blonde man said as he hugged the case closer to himself.

"Well that case is for the White Death so either way, you'll be dead." Doll said while keeping her smile knowing she got him in checkmate. No matter how hard he'd try to deny it, she was right. It's the White Death, the man that basically controlled the whole underworld of the whole planet so either way he chooses he's dead.

"Ugh, fine." He sighed before giving her the case which she happily took before walking out of the car with a wave of her hand.

"Fucking shit fuck." The man cursed.

Getting back in her seat, she then took out her phone to text her husband who was in the train.

My wife: I have the case, you idiots.

[fieldofdaisiies]

Eris x Reader | Warming You

type: fluff warning(s): non-sexual nudity word count: 1,5k words summary: after returning from the Winter Court, Eris helps you warm up again

- all rights reserved -

Eris’ heart is rapidly beating in his chest. He is pacing in his study, his gaze straying to the window behind his desk, frost spiderwebbed across it. It is cold, a very cold autumn day, but not nearly as cold as it gets in the Winter Court. The Winter Court, the coldest place in all of Prythian and the place where you currently are. The place you should have left hours ago, but you haven’t returned. Still haven’t come home to your mate. To say he is nervous would be an understatement. His heartbeat increases, his palms turning clammy from the sweat that comes with the rising fear. Where the hell are you?

Eris does not want to over-react, does not want to freak out, but when it comes to his mate, to his High Lady, that alarm bells start ringing much earlier than any other time. He is a nervous wreck whenever you are gone for too long, because, even though he still feels you through the bond, danger is lurking around every corner, just getting read to strike. It is this uncertainty, this unpredictability about what could maybe happen when you go on a mission for him, that makes him lose his mind. Eris nervously taps his index finger against his thigh, inhaling a deep breath. His hand comes up, he brushes it through his hair, removing the leather strap, and untangles his silken strands. Then he brushes his hand through his hair once again and releases a low groan of frustration. He is only going to wait a little longer and then he will leave…leave for the Winter Court, or he might flip. 

Eris walks up to the window, his hands braced on the cold window sill. The wind is howling outside, blowing leaves in all the colours of autumn around in the air and scattering them across the floor. He can hardly make out the colours and shades of orange, red and yellow because the sun has nearly fully set and darkness and night start to fall over the land. It is becoming night not only in the Autumn Court — in every court by now. And being outside, a this time, in the Winter Court is lethal. You are dressed well, but your body not made for the low temperature. Eris does not let himself think further about that, he closes his eyes for a brief moment, inhales a breath and slowly blinks his eyes open again. He squints, his gaze narrowing in on movement in the distance. 

Luckily it is then that the gates on the east side of the estate start to open and once glimpse at the figure staggering into the court yard is enough to calm his heart a little. He swiftly turns on his heels, dashing out of his study, heading for the foyer to wait for you there. Almost like winnowing he runs to the big entrance doors, hoping to arrive there before you.

You are shuddering, your fingers numb from the biting cold, when you push open the big oak doors and stumble inside. Eris is already there to catch you, having rushed down the hallway and the broad staircase to get to you in time. “My darling,” he says, his own rapid heartbeat matching yours. His strong arms sling around your middle and he pulls you to him, the warmth his skin radiates making the slightest bit of cold already disappear from your body. Eris holds you close to his body, idly stroking your back and your side. He leans in, his cheek pressing against the side of your head. “I was worried,” he breathes into your hair. You curl your own arms tighter around him, holding him tightly and letting his warmth seep into you. “I am sorry, I got hold up. Then it started to get dark, a snow storm started  and the journey took longer than expected.”

Eris gives you a tight squeeze and breathes in deeply, drawing in your scent. “Don’t apologise. It is all good now.” He kisses the side of your head, leaning back the slightest bit to catch a glimpse of your face. “Shall we take a bath, my darling?”

You incline your head a little, your chin brushing Eris’ chest. A small smile appears on his lips, simultaneously on yours and in the next moment his arm moves under your knees and he picks you up, carefully carrying you upstairs to the large bathroom. It is all brown marble, even the bathtub in the middle of the room which is magically already filled with water. A few candles are burning, otherwise the room is dim. Eris has prepared this for you. 

He places your down on the floor, turning you so you face him again and he can start to undress you. Eris skillfully makes work of the button of your jacket, helping you slip out of it. Your thick sweater, the warm trousers as well as shoes and socks follow. The High Lord of Autumn takes his time helping you get rid of your undergarments and neatly folds everything on a stool next to the sink. You are still cold, shivering a little but the bathroom is warm, is heated. 

Standing nude in front of him for probably the 500 time, he still looks at you like he sees you for the very first time. Eris is ogling your body in a sensual way, there is nothing unpleasant or uncomfortable about it. No male has ever made you feel as seen and respected as Eris does. His gaze leaves warmth in every place it touches and a bright smile spreads over his face. “Even shaking like a leave in the wind you are the most breathtaking female I have ever seen.” The High Lord pulls his lower lip between his teeth, opening his own shirt. He strips out of his clothes and then extends his hand to you. You take it and he brings your body close to his, kissing you softly when your lips finally connect, your chest pressed against his. His solid body is warm, the fine dusting of red hair tingling your skin the tiniest bit. You revel into the kiss, in the feel of his body against yours. 

Eris leads you to the bath, carefully getting in first and helping you step over the edge. The hot liquid feels like balm to your soul and a soft moan slips through lips which has Eris’ blood rushing to one specific body part. He groans a little when he sits down, helping you down as well and lets you fit in between his legs, your back against his chest. You perfectly fit, leaning onto him, the bubbles surrounding you. The scent of honey, cinnamon and forest surrounds and you let your eye lids fall close, relishing in the warmth that slowly seeps into every fiber of your body. Eris’ fingers dance over your arms, idly stroking up and down, barely even touching you, but it feels incredibly. You sigh audibly, your hand falling to Eris’ thigh, you draw small circles to his skin. 

“How was your day, my love?” you whisper into the silence of the room. Blinking your eyes open, you watch the shadows of the flames dance on the wall opposite of you. “Very calm,” Eris answers and you know he is lying. Since becoming a High Lord he hasn’t had one single calm day. There is always a lot to do. 

“And now an honest answer?” you softly pinch the skin on his inner thigh and a little yelp leaves him. “You cruel thing.” Eris chuckles a little and you feel him shift behind you. He kisses your head and then sinks into the water again. “It was quite stressful. I had many talks with lords, they were alright, but you know how this males are.”

You give his knee a gentle squeeze and turn your head a little so you can look up at him. “I am sorry to hear this,” you say and add, “did they take you serious this time or to I have to punch someone really hard?”

Eris chest rumbles with laughter, brushing against your back. “My lovely and violent mate.” He grins brightly and lets his hand travel to yours, holding it firmly in his. “It was really alright and they also took me serious. We had interesting talks, it was just exhausting. I didn’t really have a break.” Eris lifts your arm, bringing your hand to his mouth and he kisses your knuckles, smiling against your skin. “How was the Winter Court?”

You tell him about the talks you had with Viviane and Kallias, about the trades and treaties you talked about and also about the situation in Prythian.” Eris listens to every word you say, bound to your lips. He loves when you do diplomacy, loves listening to you when you talk about. 

Using his magic Eris warms the water from time to time so you can stay in as long as you want, finally enjoying some peaceful rest and calm after a very exhausting day. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

tags: @sunshinebingo@tarataraaaa@brekkershadowsinger@azriels-mate123 @mandziaaa@cosmic-whispers @mali22@elsie-bells@imma-too-many-fandoms@kuraikei@ginnyweasley06@bubnix@powerfulpantera @a-frog-with-a-laptop

[aspens-dragons]

Off Screen Post

heat abnormal - Part Three (Final Part)

Content Warning(s): Post-apocalyptic themes/imagery, possession/mind control, parasitism, non-lethal injury.

//If the the Pokemon Sun and Moon main story makes you uncomfortable, it is recommended that you do not read this post.

The Beast runs. How long has it been running? Who knows; maybe five minutes, or ten, or maybe it’s been hours. It doesn’t particularly care; it is a Beast. An amalgamation, a manmade horror easily comprehended; It is a jacked fucking attempt at making God, having horribly failed in the process. It is nothing more than a consequence, just like how the battlefield that surrounds it is nothing more than a consequence.

04 stares into the sky; the dark, gelled mass that holds the boy is massive. He looks so small compared to it; compared to both of them. He floats, limp in it’s hold, scowling down at the chaos. 04 can vaguely feel the heat of electricity crackling in the distance behind, a flash of purple is the venom of a lethal Poison Jab. Maybe it should stop, maybe it should focus less on avoiding the attacks and maybe even help their recipients, but it doesn’t, because up in the sky is it’s goal and it’s purpose. Up in the sky is the very creature it was born to kill and the boy it has tasked itself with protecting.

As it runs, the mask cuts into 04’s neck; it hurts. It can’t remember the last time it felt air on it’s face. It would all be easier without it, but there’s no way for it’s chains to crack, so it howls instead as it races towards it’s trainer.

---

Aspen stares down at the battlefield, at the people and Pokemon and the orange flash of what he feels must be called the Blade. Something courses through his veins, something that pricks in his mind as something Wrong, as Something dangerous and noxious, but the Something is too blissful, too numb for him to particularly care. All these different battles seem so meaningless, so… small to him, but he doesn’t know where the thought comes from.

I’m so tired.

I might as well…

He wants to close his eyes, to relax, to let the bittersweet taste in on his tongue and the pleasant paralysis take hold of him forever. His vision blurs, and his eyes grow all the more dead until an unholy screech of a howl cuts into his hearing. It’s so loud, it’s louder than Miguel was, and it’s absolutely ear-grating. His eyes snap open, his exhaustion forgotten as he lets out a pained, strangled scream at the sound, excruciating and familiar in a way he can’t name.

NO-

NO-

The bliss, the paralysis, the numbness that brough him such relief is ripped from him as he screams again, the sound of that sacreligious cacophony of pure desperation reaching his ears and making him feel as though they are bleeding.

His eyes focus and they feel wet. His face feels wet.

What is this? Where am I? What’s going-

Everything is fine. I am fine.

That ever familiar pinch in his neck suddenly comes back, and everything goes dark.

---

04’s howl and Aspen’s scream both echo throughout the ruined city, and suddenly all eyes are up towards the sky and every gaze focuses on the gelatinous monster holding him in it’s grasp.

There he is; there is the boy they came in searching for, kicking and screaming, in what can only be the worst pain he’s experienced in his life.

His eyes are filled with tears.

Aspen’s eyes are filled with tears.

He is alive until he isn’t; as quickly as life returned to him, it leaves, and he goes fully limp.

The Beast, the [DATA EXPUNGED] makes a quiet sound and only runs faster, despite the surging pain every step brings. There he is, there is it’s trainer, so close yet so far. It runs and runs and it keeps running; that’s all it can do, that’s all it’s ever known, yet as it runs, not away from the boy but towards him, it can’t help but grow more and more aware of the sound of something cracking in it’s ear and the near blinding light that emanates from it’s chest.

Memories race through the beast’s mind, as though being sorted into files, into a new system; memories of joy and laughter, of pain and accidents, of quiet, winced affection and gentle, calloused hands.

As the light grows brighter and the cracking grows louder, 04 can think of nothing but it’s trainer and-

For just a moment, everything goes dark.

It can hear Aspen’s voice.

What do you say, bud?

The setting comes back as quickly as it left; everything is the same. The sun is still that wretched scarlet, the sounds of every battle in the ruin forming a horrid, terrifying symphony of desperation, the smell of chalky ash and bone and faint blood seeping into it’s nose and the overbearing, overwhelming suffocating heat continues to bare down on it’s talons and body and face–

It feels the air on it’s face. Everything is clearer, it’s senses are sharper, it no longer hurts and suddenly, 04 understands what the cracking noise and light was.

Leaving the remnants of the mask behind, 04 sprints with a newfound vigor; energy seeps into it’s bones as it locks onto it’s target.

Information about the dark, gelatinous mass that’s kept it’s trainer trapped in this hell comes to it naturally, memories of fights in never partook in playing in it’s mind like there’s no tomorrow, because there isn’t a tomorrow if it can’t get him back.

The Silvally runs, and it runs, and it runs, and it runs, and without an ounce of hesitation, it leaps into the air, eyes trained, not on the Infection, but on Aspen.

Talons and fangs and a crest rip through gelatin, the attack unleashed with every ounce of strength in it’s body; it near-tackles the Infection to the ground, ripping it away from it’s trainer; as they hit the ground, it resists the urge to continue to tear at the monster that took Aspen, but turns back to see him falling to the ground, all alone.

He looks so small; he seems to float in mid-air for just a moment, and for that moment, haloed by the sun, Aspen looks nearly divine.

04 runs towards him again, reaching him just in time to catch the boy, unconscious and limp on it’s back.

It wastes no time, sprinting through the wreckage, straight towards the Ultra Wormhole–straight towards home. 

"Aw shit,” says Miguel, watching it all. Below them Celcity shifts uncomfortably.

"Everyone, we gotta get outta here now,” they look around at the rest of them.

Esper stands stock still, her head swiveling around as she speaks in a panicked tone, "What? Why? What's happening? I can't see anything out of my range. what's happening??"

"Aspen's fuckass thing is running back to the portal," Maple says, pulling herself over a ledge.

She lets out a sharp whistle, and Dash wastes no time trotting over to his rider. As he moves past Maple, she grabs a hold of him and pulls herself up onto him, the Cyclizar not slowing to a stop until they've both made it back to everyone else.

Jaime does a quick glance at everyone in the group to ensure that they’re all present and accounted for. Returning his Indeedee and his Croagunk to their Pokeballs, he says, “I think it’s time we did the same.” 

He doesn’t want to spend another minute in this hell, not with the sounds of Ultra Beast cries beginning to surround the city.

The boy whistles for Momoto and Estrella to come to his side. The Cyclizar and the Espathra are both quite bruised and battered from their respective fights, but they trot to his side with newfound vigor and determination. They’re getting out of here alive.

“Momoto,” Jaime turns to his Cyclizar, “Help Esper and Victoria onto your saddle,” he moves to mount his Espathra, “I’ll take Estrella.”

Momoto nods and leaps to the girls’ side, and Victoria grabs Esper’s wrist to help lead her to Momoto, “Let’s go.”

Miguel looks around, trotting over to Maple and Dash while the others get situated, "Hey, Maple, what do you say to some good ol' distraction tactics? Keep the Beasts busy while everyone makes a break for it?"

Maple looks at everyone then back to Miguel with a smile, "I'm up for the world's first Cyclizar race to involve Ultra Beasts if you're up for it."

Miguel reaches down into their saddle bag and winces for a moment. Damn wound. Gonna have to get that one patched up. They pull out two rods, and throw one to Maple. 

"Here, catch," They extend out their own with a smirk, electricity crackling off the end, "Extendable cattle prods."

Jaime glances back at Maple and Miguel, hesitation etched onto his face. “Right… well, if you two are doing that, then I’ll be taking the girls back to safety.”

He adjusted the hat on his head and said to them, “Don’t fall too far behind.”

And with that, Estrella and Momoto dashed off to the distance, taking Jaime, Esper, and Victoria with them.

Maple watches the others leave, taking a few test swings of the cattle prod. She'd ask where Miguel got this, but she's pretty sure she doesn't want to know.

"Well, wouldn't want to keep them waiting, would we?" She asks Miguel, a smirk forming on her face. Maple doesn't give Miguel a chance to respond before she sends Dash running in the opposite direction from the portal, loudly hollering to get any remaining Ultra Beasts attention.

Joy lights up in Miguel's chest even despite the shit situation, thinking to themselves, Oh, we are so fucking back.

Sprinting across the battlefield, 04 finds the weight of Aspen across its back to be almost comforting.

It can hear Jaime, Victoria, and Esper following behind them on the Espathra and the other Cyclizar. It trusts that Maple and Miguel will follow behind them.

As the Beast Type: Null Type: Full Silvally reaches the Wormhole, it can feel white hot warmth pulsing from it.

This is it.

It looks back, gazing at the five of them, who’d come into the Ruin to get Aspen. It glances at the boy on its back, just to make sure he’s still there. He looks better; his skin’s already gained some warmth to it. That’s good, isn’t it?

…

04 steps into the Wormhole.

It’s time to go home.

[worldwidewandress]

the artist

The artist is an explorer. A wanderer through the unknown. A discoverer of the inner world.

We traverse the globe to dive deeper inside. Our innate curiosity is the engine and our adventures spike the process within.

“Traveling - leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”

Art is a journey of a curious soul, wandering through unbeaten paths, fearlessly embracing the flow, while finding beauty in ordinary and meaning in the unknown.

The creative process is a journey into the unbeaten path - an act of perpetual discovery. Imagine it as going for a midnight walk in a dark forest with a flashlight and no map. You can't see the end from the beginning. Each turn reveals a new mystery, a new surprise.

"If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine - it's lethal." - Paulo Coelho

At times, you may feel lost or afraid. That's okay. Getting lost is part of the process. Let yourself wander. Wandering leads to wondering. And wondering leads to revelation.

“Not all those who wander are lost.”

All art is a work in progress. Just like you. You don't have to have it all figured out. The path is revealed as you stumble forward one step at a time.

"It's hard to get lost if you don't know where you're going." - Jim Jarmusch

Art has no right or wrong answers, no predetermined path. Just like life itself, we're all making it up as we go: trying, failing, experimenting, and learning lessons along the way. The deeper we explore, the more we discover.

If you keep doing the same thing over and over again, you'll keep getting the same results. If you want to reach a new destination, you must be willing to sail off into the unknown and lose sight of the shore.

"In my writing I am acting as a map maker, an explorer of psychic areas, a cosmonaut of inner space. And I see no point in exploring areas that have already been thoroughly surveyed." - William S. Burroughs

An artist doesn't need a map. It's the detours and missteps that lead to the most profound discoveries. To make art is to wander without destination, letting the work lead you to where it wants to go.

The greatest enemy of creativity is an environment dominated by rigid rules and strict schedules - where the path is set and determined. True artistic expression requires freedom - space to flow with your thoughts and emotions as they come and go, to explore and express without constraint.

Art is a journey of a brave spirit, fearlessly diving into the depths of their psyche and emotions to discover insights through feeling and intuition, then process and transmute trauma, stuck emotions, and life experiences through creative expression.

We create to express, not to impress. A true artist does not seek approval; what he truly aims is to share his gift - a selfless act of deliberate freedom. Artistic work is the alchemy of the soul, immortalizing the beauty of the artist's inner world while inspiring others to connect with their own.

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” - Pablo Picasso

[xetlynn]

Twilight- Youngest Shadow: Chapter Nine, Memories

(Alice X Reader X Jasper)

[Eight] [Nine] [Ten]

“He’ll forgive you two.” Edward was at Bella’s side of the window, startling both of us. “Scoot over.” She listens, sliding over and I try to make as much room as possible. He takes over the wheel. “His face… I said the same words my mother used when she left him.” She slumped and slowly took my hand in hers. I stared out the window but still listened to them talk. “It was the only way he’d let you guys go.” Edward then floors it and it makes me wonder if this truck can even handle that. “Your father’s safe now Bella. The tracker is following us.” 

It feels as if I can breathe lighter but at the same time, I’m scared of what’s going to happen. Then a dark figure jumps onto the bed of Bella’s truck. Bella screams as I let out a tiny noise, gripping her. I think her scream scared me more than what jumped onto the truck. “It’s alright, it’s just Emmett. Alice is in the car behind us.” He informs us, I look back to see Emmett standing there, he gives me a smile, waving and I do the same. Well, I tried to.

Arriving at their house Edward, Emmett, and Alice rush us to get inside but we all came to a harsh stop when the door opened and it is revealed to be Laurent. “He came to warn us. About James,” Carlisle announces and they back down from their attacking posture. “I’ve grown tired of his games. But he’s got unparalleled senses. Absolutely lethal. I’ve never seen anything like him in three hundred years. And the woman, Victoria will back him. Don’t underestimate her.” Laurent is warning them, trying to tell them this won’t be a normal fight even if he’s cornered or one against all of them.

He then turns to Edward. “I’m truly sorry for what’s been unleashed here.”

He walks off disappearing into the woods. We’re now in a garage with the Volvo, a red BMW, a black Mercedes Sedan, and an SUV. Rosalie was grabbing everything, cell phones, extra batteries, maps, portable GPS units, change of clothes, cans of gasoline and so many other things. 

“I’ve had to fight our kind before. We’re hard to kill.” Jasper says while standing beside me. “But not impossible, We’ll tear him up,” Edward says as if to reassure us. “We'll rip him apart with our hands then burn the pieces.” Emmett joins in with blood lust and it almost made me want to laugh but of course, under the circumstance, I’ll look psychotic. “I don’t relish killing another creature. Even a sadistic one like James.” Carlisle deadpans. 

“If he doesn’t get to one of us first,” Rosalie says and I glance over to Bella who had a horrified expression. “This is insane. You can’t put yourselves in danger like this for me.” She tells all of them and I sort of sit there for a moment not understanding why she only said it for her like I’m not a part of it as well. “Too late.” Rosalie rolls her eyes. “And it’s not just for you. [Name]’s in this too.” She sticks up for me but I notice Edward shoot her a look. He grabs two sets of keys, throwing one at Carlisle.

“I’ll run Bella and [Name] south, while you lead the tracker away.” He says but his foster dad disagrees. “No, Edward. The tracker thinks you won’t leave Bella. He’ll follow you. His main focus was how you reacted to him sniffing out Bella.” Again this feels off, it really feels like they’re only worry is Bella and if that’s the case why am I a part of this. Then Alice steps up.

“I’ll go with them. Jasper and I will drive them south. I’ll keep her safe Edward.” 

Edward looks frustrated, Alice steps one closer. “Can you keep your thoughts to yourself?” Edward studies her, obviously torn. She nods and the two have an unspoken agreement. He surrenders the keys to her and then goes to Bella and Mine’s suitcase. 

“Esme, Rosalie put these on so the tracker will pick up their scent, mainly Bella’s.” I was slumped once again, I felt Jasper tense but not saying anything. “Why should I? What is Bella to me? [Name] I understand she’s been in the family for years but Bella’s just a danger you’ve inflicted on us.” Rosalie was man, not understanding this at all if that wasn’t obvious. “Rosalie, Bella is with Edward she’s a part of this family now. And we protect the family.” Carlisle was strong with his words and the blonde listens, resistently picking up the clothes. He then hits a button and the large metal doors open. 

Jasper and Alice lead me to the car, Edward and Bella have their own little moment together before we have to leave. I lean against the car. “You’re confused.” Jasper quietly says and I shrug. “I’m not understanding why I’m here if you guys are only really worried about Bella. The tracker doesn’t seem to want me.” I cross my arms, and they both stared at me. “What?” Alice raises an eyebrow. “James doesn’t want you dead. He wants to torture you.” Jasper informs me and my eyes widen, not expecting that. “He knows of your past lives he wants to hurt you enough to where you remember him.” He tells me and I think back to Esme and Carlisle’s conversation. “A near-death experience.” I think out loud, their eyes shoot up at me. “I uh I overheard Esme and Carlisle talking the night you invited me over to meet them. That’s what I was panicking about.” I sigh, they don’t say anything at first.

“I kind of came to comfort with it but I am scared nonetheless.” I laugh nervously, Alice was hard in thought as Jasper seemed saddened by what I said. “I think what really bothered me was you two wouldn’t warn me.” That was all I told them as I got into the car after I noticed Bella was coming towards the car. 

Jasper has been driving as Alice was in the passenger seat. Bella had just stopped crying, her eyes were red and puffy. “Mom, it’s me again. You must have let your phone die. Anyway, [Name] and I are not in Forks anymore but we’re okay. I’ll explain everything when you call.” She hangs up the phone and looks out the window right as we pass the Olympic Peninsula sign.

Now in a hotel room, I sit on Jasper’s lap as the three of us stare at the t.v. screen. They haven’t brought up our conversation from before the drive and honestly, I’m a little grateful. I’m not in much of a mood to talk about any of it. They bought a ton of food too and I don’t think they realize with our lives on the line there isn’t much of an appetite to be had. “I wish he’d call.” Bella suddenly says as she enters the room we’re in. “You two should eat.” Alice ignored her words, her hand has been laid on my knee. I shrug, leaning back onto Jasper. Bella flops down to see. “They could get hurt, it’s not worth it.” She insists and I hum in agreement.

“Yes, it is.” Jasper disagrees and Bella is shocked as he doesn’t really engage with her often due to his thirst troubles. “Edward’s changed since he found you. And none of us want to look into his eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you.” He turns back to the t.v. his hand now rubbing the outside of my thigh. “It’s worth it.” 

Then Alice goes blank, Jasper and I stand up immediately and he goes up to her. “What do you see?” He asks her and her face is full of deep worry. “The tracker, he just changed course.” She tells us and I glance over to see a pencil and a pad of paper. I grab it, handing it over to Jasper who gives it to Alice. “Where will it take him, Alice?”

“Mirrors, it’s a room full of mirrors.” She begins to draw at lightning speed, her eyes shut to help her remember perfectly. “How do the visions work? Edward said they weren’t always certain.” Bella questions, standing behind the two of them as I’m kind of off to the side. 

“She sees the course people are on, while they’re on it. If they change their minds the visions change.” Jasper explains and Bella looks over at the drawing. “So, the course James is on now will lead him to a ballet studio?” 

Alice snaps her head to look over at her. “You’ve been here?”

“No. I don’t know. We used to take ballet lessons as kids. The school had an arch like that.” She points to the room and now that I take a look I remember the room. “Was your school here, in Phoenix?” I nod but don’t speak up. “Yeah, around the corner from our house, but we haven’t been there in ten years.” Bella was confused about why he was going there. “Do you have any reason to go now?” He questions but it was mainly for her as he knows I would have no interest in going to a dance studio. 

“No. Hell no. I hated that place.” 

Alice and Jasper share a look right when a cell phone rings. Bella jumps but picks it up, I watch relief fall over her once she sees the caller's I.D. “Edward. Are you alright?” 

“I’m coming to get you. We lost the tracker. The woman is still in the area. Rosalie and Esme are protecting your father.” We could hear him as he spoke through the phone. “This is my fault. You warned me, I didn’t think. I just-: He cuts her off. “Bella we’re in too deep. We can’t change how we feel.”No, we can’t. When will you get here?” She was antsy to see him again. “In a couple hours. Then you and I will go somewhere. Together. The others will keep hunting. Bella, I swear to you I’ll do whatever it takes to make you safe again.”

 

They hang up the phone and everything else moves quick as Alice and Jasper left us in the room to go check out.  Bella and I gather our things, then her phone rings again and I go over to her to look over her shoulder. It was mom. “Mom, I’m so glad you got my-” “Bella,  Where are you and your sister?” She was panicked and I hold onto my sister. “Calm down mom. Everything is fine, okay? I’ll explain every-” Then it sounds like the phone drops as we hear rustling in the background. “Mom? Are you there?” 

“Nice house you have here. Not the best on the black but comfortable.” A voice we did not want to hear, my eyes widened and I hear Bella shiver. “I was prepared to wait for you two. But then mom came home after she received a very worried phone call from your dad. It all worked out quite well.” He tells us and I squeeze my eyes shut and lean my head down. “I must say, Forks High School doesn’t protect its students' privacy very well. It was just too easy for Victoria to find your previous address.” James was mocking us. 

“Bella? [Name]?” 

“Leave our mother out of this,” I say. “You’re protective of her. That’s nice. You can still save her. But you’ll need to get away from the other two lovers. Can you two do that?” 

“I don’t think so.” Bella sighs. “If your mother's life depends on it?” And it looked like we didn’t have much of a choice here. “Where should we meet you?” 

“The old ballet school around the corner. And I’ll know if yo bring anyone. Poor mommy would pay the price for that mistake.”We then hear him sniff the air. “She smells like you, Bella. Delicious.” He taunts but she hands up the phone, both of us now freaking out.  

I watch her look around in the drawers searching for something then closes them, rushing to her purse and dumping everything that was in it out. Grabbing her pepper spray. “You have yours?” She asks and I lift mine up from my pocket, she gets all her stuff back into the purse, grabs it, and then we lock hands and run out of the room. Once we get to the lobby we scan for Jasper and Alice. I point outside where they’re under the Porte Cacher. We slip out the opposite door getting into a taxi, this older lady in the driver's seat. “8th and Palo Verde, please.” 

Instead of a near-death experience, it’s just death with my sister.

Not the way I had thought we’d go. 

At least we’re together in this life.

My next one will be alone, but I’ll find the love of my existence once again.

Getting to the dance school, we rush out of the taxi. It pulls away and it doesn’t feel like I’m about to be tortured just for living so many lives. It makes me reminisce about the feeling of me being here as a kid with Bella. She absolutely hated it, the kids making fun of her and me hitting a kid is what got us kicked out. I take a deep breath through my nose as Bella reaches for her spray as mine was already in my hand. I think back to Alice and Jasper knowing they probably just realized we are missing and my heart physically hurts having to go behind them. We walk closer and we hear our mom's voice. “Bella? Where are you and your sister?” We get through the doors that were already unlocked, the room full of mirrors that Alice had drawn out earlier. 

“Bella? [Name]?” We search for where her voice is coming from and we land upon the door to a closet. Bella throws the door open. It was a t.v. screen and a video is playing of Bella and me at the ages 7 and 6. Little Bella looks up as I was hugging her. It was in this exact closet too. “Don’t you want to dance, baby?” Little Bella shakes her head as little me pushes away gently but I was visibly angry. “Everyone makes fun of me.” Bella cried out. “I’ll fight them all, Mom! I will!” Little me says and Rene laughs, giving the camera to someone else, she kneels down to both of us. “[Name], no violence.” Then she looks right at Bella. “But you’re a wonderful dancer.” She tries to encourage her. “Mom, I suck.” Then laughter emits from behind us, and we spin locating James in the mirrors.

“That’s my favorite part. Stubborn children weren’t you both?” Bella steps closer to him with rage but then has a feeling of relief shower through both of us as we realized he never had our mom captive.”She’s not here.” Bella mutters.

“Sorry, but you two really made it too easy.” He sighs, disappointed then he gets walks to us, pointing with a camera at us. “So to make things more entertaining, I’m going to make a little film of our time together. Borrowed this from your house, hope you guys don’t mind.” He turns it on. “And… Action!” Bella flings her purse at him, gripping my arm to make a run for it. It was no use as he was right behind us. “Excellent! An escape attempt!” He was excited about this and it made me sick. “It’ll break Edwards's little heart.” He smells her hair, touching her hair. 

“Edward has nothing to do with this.” She angrily states as I slowly back up he ends up snatching my other wrist that wasn’t taken by Bella. “He will, His rage will ake for more interesting sport than his feeble attempt to protect you. And not only him but Alice and Jasper? They think I just want you to remember me, don’t they?” He laughs, having too much fun to notice Bella take out her pepper spray, spraying him. He only backs away for a brief moment but doesn’t let me go. She makes another run for it, he lifts me up over his shoulder and jumps right in front of her. I struggle against him, kicking my legs. He throws me into one of the main mirrors causing it to shatter over me. He does the same thing to Bella and she smashes into one of the mirrored columns. He captured it all on film too. “Beautiful, a very visual dynamic I chose my stage well.” He advances over to her as I try to sit myself up feeling every bone in my sides and back. “Still stubborn, aren’t you? Is that what makes you special because frankly, I don’t see it.” He inhales as if he’s already tasting her. He walks in my direction as Bella is slightly dazed and I push back further into the wall as if that will do anything. 

“See I thought you were unkillable when I first met you. It was maybe your second or third life. Did you know that none of them last over 22 years? Crazy huh?” He rubs his lips together, remembering all the times he’s seen me. “This is probably your sixth life and I’ve got you two times already! Of course, your little lovers didn’t know that until Edward told them!” He laughs like an insane person… which he is. “What.. what are you going to do this time?” I whimper from the pain in my sides. 

“Hmm, I could do this.” He raises his foot to stomp on my leg and I flinch, squeezing my eyes shut as I wait for the pain but instead of the pain sensation in my leg it’s on my shoulder. My eyes pop open and I scream in agony. “I want you to change for good. So when I do kill you for the last time, it will be the last time.” He laughs, picking me up and placing me right in the closet from before where the t.v. was. 

I can still hear him speak but my shoulder was burning, I start breathing heavily, trying to get up. “Too bad he didn’t have the strength to turn you. Instead, he kept you as this fragile little human. It’s cruel really.” There’s a moment of silence and due to the door shut in front of me, I can’t see what’s going on. “Well done! You’ve succeeded in annoying me.” Seconds later I hear Bella scream and a crunch sound, and if I wasn’t already groaning in pain I would’ve gasped at the sound. “Tell Edward how much it hurts.” He tells her. “Tell him to avenge you.” 

“No, Edward. Don’t!” She hisses, I feel the burning sensation start to grow further down my arm and to my chest. I couldn’t even speak if I wanted to. “Cut! The end!” I then hear a loud bang, and moments hit. “You’re alone because you’re faster than the others but not stronger,” James shouts, I hear another thump. I try not to focus on the burning, pulling out the pepper spray. I grunt, kicking at the door repeatedly. I hear a voice say something but nothing was clear enough anymore. Hearing loud movements and a body drop to the ground along with Bella’s voice clearly distressed, he did something to her, worse than the other thing. 

I get a hole through the door and I hear multiple other people. “Her femoral artery has been severed. She’s losing too much blood.” It was Carlisle, I hear him. “It’s burning! My hand!” Bella cried out, grunting. I try to kick at the door even more, not being able to move my torso. The adrenaline in my body sort of soothed the excruciating pain in my shoulder. I felt like at any moment the pain could paralyze me as it grew larger and larger. “You have a choice to make either let the change happen-” “No!”

“It’s going to happen anyway. I’ve seen it”

Alice, that’s Alice. I try to shout out her name but it goes out as just a loud scream. But I got someone's attention as the door opens. “It’s [Name]!” Emmett yells, he bends down and I look over his shoulder to see fire. Jasper was keeping it going before he heard my name being called out. I hum out suffering. “He, hah, he got me.” I grip the pepper spray in my hand and now Emmett’s arm. “He got you?” His face was panicked and I grit my teeth. “My shoulder, my shoulder.” I tilt my head to the shoulder he bit me on and he pulls me out of the closet to put me on a flat surface in a bigger space. Jasper and Alice surrounded me, “Help her!” I scream out as the pain shot through my body. “No, we can help you too!” Alice tells me, she rips my shirt where the bite was being covered. I hear Carlisle say something about it killing her and I look over to Edward hovered over Bella. 

“It reached her heart, Alice. It’s too late.” I listen to Jasper speak, I am still gripping onto Emmett’s arm but he hasn’t even tried to take it back. “It’s… it’s okay.” it calms down for a second and I stare up at Alice trying to reassure her but she shakes her head. “We have to try!” She exclaims. “No.. no!” I shout as it was in waves, my nails digging into what felt like glass but was still Emmett. 

And like waves soon came back my memories that I have never seen before. 

I see a desert and I’m with Jasper on two separate horses, then it cuts to me searching for Jasper. He’s gone. And I get shot in the middle of a field, left behind by what look like soldiers. Left to bleed out. Now I’m in a hospital wearing a hospital gown. In a different life. I go into a room to see Alice for the first time. I’m giving her something then it cuts to me out of the hospital and with a man… James! He attacked me while I had walked out of my car. 

Now at a party, I’m talking to the Cullens, every single one of them as if I have known them my whole life. Partying with Rosalie and dancing beside Alice. But I don’t seem to be in love with Jasper or Alice as there’s another man by my side. A man I don’t recognize. There’s a ring on my finger and it looks like this is my bachelorette party or something. We go into a bathroom and I tell the girls something that makes them cheer for me. I don’t hear anything though. It just cuts to a memory of me in the hospital room and Rosalie is holding my baby. But I’m sleeping? I’m dead? How am I seeing this if I’m dead? 

In my next life and I see extremely peppy, I’m wearing a bunch of colors but I’m only a child. I’m around the age of 8 and I’m in the forest with a woman who is holding my hand. Before it even goes far into this life it cuts to James once again attacking me and who I believe is my mother. The second time he’s killed me in one of my lives. 

Then my fifth life, the one before this one, and it looks like the late 70s or real early 80s and I’m at a school dance with Alice, people making fun of us as they pass by but I seem happy, she seems happy. I also have a tube that goes onto my nose. I look down to see an oxygen tank. Later that night after the dance I died from an asthma attack. 

And now this life. I don’t see any memories flash back to it. And my body shoots up awake, I go to gasp for air but it feels different. “You’re up.” A voice spoke up, I look around and it looks like a hotel. “What?”

“Lovebug, look at me.” Alice comes into my vision as Jasper stood right behind her.

“Did I die?” I glance around, sitting up against a wall. “No, not necessarily.” Alice frowns, “I changed? I’m one of you guys.” I state out loud and all they could do was nod.

4100 words bitches and I am fucking tired but the last chapter for this movie won't be as long I think. I don't know yet I still have to figure out some things for that. If you have any things you'd like to see or want to know for the story just comment and I'll try to reach back. I've been sleeping a lot lately and I do not know why. I'm going to work on the requests I was given tonight but I can tell anyone for sure when they will be out because even with sleeping I've been busy for no reason. I just already have most of the chapters for this story written out lol.

[ebonysplendor]

TOUCHSTARVED (Demo) 💔🫴

TL;DR: People are always saying "Touch grass" but even that might be dangerous in this scenario. If you thought Mike Tyson's hands were lethal, wait until you find out how our hands work.

Game Link: https://redspringstudio.itch.io/touchstarved

Notable features: Self-Insert, Multiple LIs, DnD vibe, MC backstory selection, Multiple endings/routes, Choice-Heavy Spiciness: 3.5/5 -- Nothing too explicit and no sex scenes or anything like that, but it does get pretty suggestive and there's some flirty jokes and comments here and there, especially with one particular LI LI(s) Red Flags: ...I mean, aside from one of them being a suspiciously smooth talker and the other essentially implying that they'd corrupt us, the biggest red flag is one of them having the cleanest pickpocket skill in history

Wanna know more? Meh, there's not an age limit, but the game pages does say it's for older audiences so, me personally, ... I'd say at least sixteen, but the older, the better. Anyways, let's get into it!

Okay, I'm sorry, but I have been coming across some damned gems lately!

Once again, this was one of the visual novels I downloaded forever ago, and what the heeeeeell, this was so good! Like, no, it was REALLY damned good. I'm not going to get into my ranting and raving like I tend to do because then the intro will get all long, but just know that, once again, I am geeked. Like, why have these game developers been going in so hard lately?!

I honestly have so much more to say, but I really want to get to the summary and the review portion, so I'm going to half-ass this intro and leave it here. That being said, this is NOT a yandere visual novel; however, it is a dark romance visual novel, so, it's still not the super teeth-rotting, cutesy, fluffy stuff.

Anyways, I'm going to tell you as much about the game as possible without ruining the game itself (like usual). Be mindful that, because it's a demo, there's not really an "end" nor is it even leading up to the end. The best way that I can qualify the demo is deadass...a demo. Like, it's a literal introduction and acts as a showcase to the rest of the game. More accurately, it flows exactly like how you'd think the prologue to a story would, "Chapter 0", honestly speaking.

Anyways, I'm done yapping; let's summarize. Just a heads up, though, it's gonna be a little lengthy, so...get comfy. All right, now let's get into it.

So boom.

In the spirit of keeping things as brief as possible: We're cursed, and that curse flows throughout our hands, front and back; it is for this reason that we keep them completely bandaged to ensure our own safety (kinda) and for everyone else's sanity. We believe that we can find a cure in this city called "Eridia", which is known to be this city of vast knowledge, and within this city of vast knowledge is this place called "Senobium". Senobium is where we're hoping our answers lie.

Lmao, I know that's a hell of an opener, but that's quite literally what's going on. We have been cursed since the start of forever, and we're essentially tired of feeling no sense of belonging anywhere, so we're trying to fix that; however, shit goes very left, very fast.

As we're on the way to this oh so great city of knowledge, we get hit with this ominous fog, and everyone who's travelling with us immediately knows: this is not good. No sooner than later, we're pretty certain that we hear someone getting killed nearby and the carriage that we were in is suddenly flipped over and blood gets shed very quickly. As expected, and for plot purposes, when the carriage got flipped over, our ankle took some extra damage which makes running a very unlikely option. Because of this, this terrifyingly dangerous creature wastes no time approaching us. Wanna see what it looks like?

That, my friends, is what is referred to as a "soulless", and it can rip you to literal shreds within seconds.

For whatever reason, this thing darts past us and disappears into the mist, but we don't ask questions; we just bolt behind the carriage for cover, and we're thankful that there is still someone alive after the attack. It would be much more comforting, though, if the guy wasn't praying, because that meant either one of two things:

We were very much so fucked, and he was trying to put in a good word for himself real quick before he potentially met his maker

or 2. We are very much so fucked, and the only thing that is applicable in this scenario is to pray and hope it disappears

but either way, we are very much so fucked.

That being said, we simply can't accept that. We don't pray, because we don't have the time. We've literally come too far to get taken out right outside the very city that holds our salvation, and that's all the reminder that we need when we see those city lights through the haze.

That reminder doesn't last long, though, because remember that soulless that vanished? Well, it came back, and the guy that was praying essentially brushed up against our hand, trying to get us to dip out with him because, duh, situation kind've popping off. Now, you remember that curse I mentioned? Well, our bandages kind've tore off during all of this ruckus, and all it takes is the slightest touch to make a person go from this

to this.

Yeah, so...not good.

Anyways, the situation essentially keeps escalating until we're one hit point away from death...but it never happens, because the next time we open our eyes, we see him.

Maybe we are dead, because hello~! Lookin' like an ethereal being in all of that white and attractive features! Like, gyatt DAMN. That is one fine ass angel!

Honestly, there are a lot of guys, and a lot of swooning, and a lot of introductions, so I'm going to kind've rush through those parts, especially since I don't want to ruin too much.

So, to get back on topic, essentially what goes down is that he -- his name is Kuras, by the way -- found us pretty much dead where the attack went down and brought us into the city to treat us. Now, this isn't because he's a hero or anything, but because he's a doctor and helping and healing is quite literally his entire thing, and damn, did he heal the hell out of us...suspiciously so.

Kuras tells us that, in Eridia, knowledge and secrets are what really fuels the area because it's so valuable. That being said, he can't get into exactly how he healed us so damn near perfectly. That also being said, he pretty much implies that the Senobium isn't all that's cracked up to be and that we aren't likely to find what we need there. Now although, we aren't fully believing of this due to desperation, he does point us in the direction of someone else. Some guy named Leander that we can find in some place called "The Wet Wick".

We follow Kuras' directions...but who the hell is--

--LEANDEEEEEEER~! HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~! ...Yeeeeah, this is the one I'm gonna romance first lol. Kuras is gonna have to chill for a second.

Anyways, we're here with Leander, and what happens here is...he is so obviously a playboy, but the man is smooth as shit. I mean, damn, the man gave us flowers as soon as he laid eyes on us and was talking about some "New here? I'm certain I would've remembered a face as lovely as yours". A classic playboy line, a fuckboy move, possibly, and I always manage to gravitate towards/pick them in these damn multi-LIs stories. Back on topic though, we ask Leander about the Senobium, and, much like with Kuras, he tells us that it's not only a taboo topic, but that the place is bad news.

That being said though, he's pretty confident that he's able to find an alternative to our ailment, but that we'd have to be willing to trust him a bit, which is a tall order considering the backstory we may have chosen. We bite the bullet though, because we discovered earlier that he was a pretty damn good mage, and we're really desperate. We give into his confidence...and it actually panned out well. So well, in fact, this man, once again, takes the opportunity to spit game and puts the gold in our hands next to the gold on his coat and be like "Look, we match". That man is smoother than damned butter, and I'm down bad.

Anyways, he gets us a room to sleep in for the night, and tells us to go explore, but be careful. So we do, and we run into this guy.

Yeah, so, remember that room that Leander got for us? This guy, monster, thing just swiped the key. Lol here we go...

The thing is, we could easily get it back, but something feels...off...about him. So, we play along with his game for a bit before we're just like "A'ight, can I just get my damn key?" but he kind've avoids the topic and, of course, our desire to reach the Senobium comes up. As expected at this point, he's flatly like "It's overrated" and to simply forget about it. Well, damn...

The encounter goes for a bit more before Vere -- we finally got his name after someone called him out for causing trouble -- leaves with the someone who called after him. Despite all that we've heard about the Senobium, we can't help but see it up close and in person to at least make the journey and trials and suffering worth it.

And we do, we make it there, and we see this figure there.

But when someone calls after us for gawking at the building, the figure disappears as quickly as we saw it. Aside from this though, a feeling of hopeless kind've takes hold and we're just...it's just like damn at this point, ya know? But then something kind've weird happens.

This red-eyed woman, who is clearly supposed to be dead as apparent from this gaping hole that she showed us on her body -- no, you don't get it. It was a literal hole that you could see through -- spoke of this seaspring that could cure, quite literally, anything. Not having much faith in the Senobium anymore, but still desperate for a cure, we follow the woman and receive directions to this mysterious seaspring and are told about some gang leader named Ais.

We get there, and we come to the conclusion that someone probably lives here. We call out, there's no answer...you already know where this is going.

BUT I DID NOT EXPECT THIS MAN TO BE THIS DAMN FINE. AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~! Okay, okay, okay, okay, so I'm going to romance Leander first, DEFINITELY this daddy second, and Kuras is gonna be my solid third. Okay, moving on...

He -- this is Ais, by the way -- pops up and scares the shit out of us. Actually, it wasn't him that scared us, it's his loyal pack of red-eyed soulless that scares the shit out of us, and for obvious reasons. Anyways, for the sake of trying to keep this from being longer than it already is, he's actually a pretty chill dude. Once again, he is also anti-Senobium, but he is straightforward in that, "Yes, that seaspring will literally clear up whatever you've got going on, but boy, is it going to drive you batshit crazy". Well, not batshit, but it makes you a part of this thing called a "groupmind"; that explained the red-eyes. Ais described it as "one big happy family in your head". Oh...okay, so...not a good idea. Guess we weren't as desperate as we thought. He gets one of his trained soulless to take us back towards the city.

After everything that had went down today, we decided that we should officially call it a night. On our way to the room Leander funded for us, we run into some...complications.

Ah, yes. Why would we have been able to just walk across the city and to our room? That would've been too easy. Any chance that this one is tamed, too, and Ais is just messing with us again?

Oh...oh wait...this one doesn't have the red eyes. ...Yeah, we bolt. What makes this whole situation worse though? As fast as we are running, this soulless is keeping up pretty damn easily. Also, did I say that this was the worst of it? It's not, it gets so much worse actually. Tell me why, in our panic, we literally ran ourselves into a dead end. Beautiful. What are the odds we'll survive this thing a second time around?

Pretty damn high apparently. Bless this person because we were about to get one-hit'ed!

They help us up and...wait...didn't we...?

Oh yeeeeeeah! This was the person from the Senobium! ...Damn, they're short lmao. That being said, we were all:

"Yo, you were at the Senobium!"

And they were all:

"So what if I was?"

Mmm...a feisty lil stallion. Big sass. I would be, too, if I was that short. Like, damn, they are not as tall as the baes. Kuras could take their ass out with one stomp if he really wanted to.

Anyways, they scold us about being alone at night and how it's not safe and all that. We follow them for a bit, and granted, we saw that they meant business, but it's still weird that if it's so dangerous, why were they travelling alone and why did they stop to help us?

"There was a bounty on that Soulless; you were just in the way. Not killing you isn't the same as helping you." Wha--?

Well, fuck you, too then! You get romanced last, Shorty McDouche.

We essentially get spicy back, and now, they're all blushy and shit as they start walking us back to our room. Yeah, take that shit, Mhin -- their name is Mhin, by the by -- but we don't have to deal with their sass for much longer because guess who comes along?!

IT'S BAAAAAAAE!!!! .....gyatt DAYUM Mhin is short. Then again, they could be taller than or the same height as us, but we did mention that everyone was significantly taller while Mhin was "Huh...they're shorter than I thought".

Anyways, they both escort us back to the Wet Wick, and wouldn't you know it?

Not only are all the baes here, but they all apparently know each other! All those different personalities hanging out together? Well, isn't that a wild concept. Even still, since they're all here...

Maybe we can get to know one of them a little better...

END OF DEMO LOL. Well...actually there's more after this, but of course, it depends on who you go to talk to. This is definitely long enough, though, lol; you'll have to play the game yourself to find out more, not to mention all the details I left out.

Whoo, FINALLY. The summary was long, but that was because the demo was long, and it had a lot going on. I swear I excluded so much detail, you have no idea, but guys...

When I tell you that this game was so good.

When I tell you that this game was so good.

FRIENDS. When I tell you. That this game. Was so. Good.

I don't think I can emphasize that enough, and I'm not even going to lie to you, at first, I was not feeling it. It's crazy to say that now, but I swear, I was not feeling this game at first, because it was feeling real Dungeons and Dragons, and as much I want to get into that...I can't. It just never vibes with me, and it's like I can't ever effectively get into it. That being said, it was rough at first, but then--!!

Listen. The story started storying, and the baes were baeing, and I was like, there is a visual novel to be played here. I knew it was a demo when I had started it, but when I tell you that I was legitimately upset when that "Thanks for playing!" message came up? DISTRAUGHT.

Anyways, my take on the game (as if it wasn't clear enough): it was great. Fantastic, even. It's just really odd how it flows like a fantasy story book but a DnD map at the same time, and yet they made it work so beautifully. The art style; those of you that have been rocking with me know how I feel about art style. Absolutely enthralled with the art. It looks straight out of one of those DnD campaign or character books. The baes! Don't get me wrong, all of them aren't my cup of tea, but the baes that I'm feening for?! Even the ones that I'm not feening for, honestly. They are sooooo handsome. Like, I want them al-- well, I want like 3 of them, to be best friends with 1 of them, and to throw hands with the other one lol. I mean, like, they're a'ight; I'm gonna have to get to know them because they a lil' too slick at the mouth lmao, but we all know that's probably going to be the sweetest of the bunch.

But yeah, this game is legit. Again, absolutely going to spend money on this one, if that's what the full version will entail. Now, just to add a bit of degeneracy...

IF THE DEVS MAKE THIS INTO AN 18+ GAME WITH A SPICY SCENE. MY SOUL. WILL BE THEIRS.

Okay, okay, okay, anyways, but like, the game really does have mad potential. Like, look at this:

You can pick your back story, and look at what it looks like when you pick your LI!

There are routes! You pick your LI by route! Can you imagine how huge this game is going to be if there are routes for each character and choices within those routes? I am literally so excited! Run me the full release, dev(s)!

Anywho, this post is waaaaaay long, and I could ramble way more about this game, but I shall not. If you'd like to give this game a playthrough yourself -- and I'm telling you that you need to -- I'll put a link to it right here for ya. If you'd also like, you can give the dev(s) that ever desperate "Please. I need more. This game is so good. I will literally sell you my lung and both of my kneecaps. I beg" and let them know what it is! Donations are also super helpful should you be in a position and mindset to do so!

All righty, that's finally all from me! Sorry about the length on this one, but there was so much that needed to be said, and I could honestly say more. For the sake of length though, I'll leave you with this:

Play this game, but also, please remember to drink water, don't be dumb, and hope to see you around~!

TOUCHSTARVED (Demo)

[strangeshoepatrolbandit]

"Brotherly Love" announcement.

~☆~

Hi, I'm here to talk about my short series, Brotherly Love. As we know, it has been finished, but I am going to write short stories about reader, following the events of the last chapter. So please take your liking of a prompt and who you want in the story, and I will try my best to write it. You can choose more than one prompt, and I would like it if you sent a request rather than a comment if you do decide to participate.

Main-characters: Y/N(obviously), Jason Todd, Damian Al-Ghul/Wayne.

Side/minor-charecters: Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Kon Kent, Jon Kent, Talia Al-Ghul, Roy Harper, Clark Kent, Alfred Pennyworth.

Minor OC characters: Reign, Penelope, Haven, Arkin.

Series Masterlist

If a prompt is crossed out, it has already been used.

~☆~

1. "You interrupt my reading once more, and this book will become a lethal weapon."

2. "We have a problem." "And it's another Tuesday, what's your point?"

3. "There's will always be a home for you here."

4. "Oh, I'm sorry is the sound of me winning too loud for you?"

5. "It's nothing, just a scratch."

6. "I'm a monster." "No, you're not."

7. "I'm listening to you, I'm just not paying attention."

8. "Insanity runs in my family, it practically gallops."

9. "Somebody's cranky." "Somebody needs to shut up."

10. "Hey, I just wanted to check if your okay, you've been listening to SexyBack on repeat for an hour."

11. "Sleep at my place tonight."

12. "One more chapter."

13. "Can you pass me the s-" "No." "...At what point do you become mature?"

14. "Do I look good?" "No." "Very funny."

~☆~

None of these prompts are mine. If you know the original creators of some of them, please mention them in the comments.

Taglist: @sanjanapm

@unofficial-jaytodd-wife

@texaschainslvt

@godknows-shetried

@wendds

@celestair

@lorosette

@knoxx-seresinbradshaw

@agent-nobody-knows

@5sos-wdw

@lil-baby-nor

@simligul

@luvly-writer

@neptunesdreams2007

@zonked-times

@i-3at-kidz

@myxticmoon

@xxgrimripp3rxx

@samstersv

@vanessa-boo

@greengarsstuff

@illya-roma

@luna025

@fruittiest-of-loops

@classymusicgalaxy

@randomlyappearingartist

@bluejay390

@venomsvl

@marvelworldlover

@ceshacat

@killercranberries

@hypnobanditprofessorhorse-blog

@greenkiki

@herascave

@cryinghotmess

@ladyagagaslefttoe

@b-barnes04

@theitchbbbb

@theclassicvinyldragon

@loxbbg

@tami123

@lunalixya

@randobeetlehouse

@1lovehotmoms

@esposadomd

@american-idiot21

@mildvalue506

@ziaphene

@cryinghotmess

@persephil

@ya-mya-22u

@lilylovelyxo

@soupasses

@dnarez

@mandyboolove

@scorpionmotordemon

@dangerous-girls-world

@darkfaethedestroyer

@violet2507

@urminebutidontwantyou

@d3m0nch1ld

@mxtokko

@thereeallink

@venezsuwayla

@im-in-too-much-fandom-help

@cherry-peach-flavored

@kerosene-demon

@serendippindots

@bluerasberryfairyland

[voidscarredadjudicator]

Random question, but what Ink weapons do you think would do the most damage/be lethal if any to Kaleb? I feel like an E-litre and Explosher would be nasty, especially at close range

Both of those would put the hurt on big time for sure, but as far as the most lethal out of anything?

Without a doubt, it's actually Splatoon 2's Sting Ray (and by extension, the Stingers in Salmon Run). These things shoot ink with enough force to just pierce any and all map geometry - and I'd like to think that implies that it's literally cutting through these things to be able to do that (obviously not represented in gameplay bc it's impractical to reflect that on many different levels). Waterjets are a real thing, and waterjet injuries are incredibly dangerous because of how water being forced through a tiny hole at incredibly high pressures reacts when hitting soft, spongey material such as flesh.

This click-baity ass video does actually do a pretty decent job at showing the kind of damage you could expect. Imagine this cranked up to eleven if it was being shot by a Sting Ray. Kaleb would actually just fucking explode in a red mist. And yes, I am thinking about this for Act 2.

(if you wanna skip the setup they start testing it around 5:10)

I'd imagine the Sting Ray being removed in Splatoon 3 can have a very plausible explanation in canon that's basically just, "we got sued into the ground because of Sting Ray damages"; which would also explain why the Salmonids are still using it, as they do not give a shit about that.

All of that said, honorable mentions to the Killer Wail (both OG and 5.1) for similar reasons. Apparently, sound can cause damage to internal organs at above 185 dB (for comparison, the sound of a jet engine is about 140 dB). It's 3am right now and I'm a little too sleepy to go on a Matpat tier mathing spree taking cartoon logic realistically and determining that the fuckin princess cannon is ten gorillion decibels loud or some shit because it had enough force to stop Tartar's ink death ray, but the standard Killer Wails are probably powerful enough to make Kaleb receive permanent hearing damage, if not outright making him go deaf.

...Crab tank could probably also kill him with focus fire at full windup if aiming at the head. Most weapons probably could, in the sense that hitting someone in the head enough times with a blunt object will eventually crack the skull.

[talesofsonicasura]

Insomnia was being a bitch last night and kept me up. So here's an idea for a self insert that those in the Creepypasta's Sonic Exe section would like.

Self Insert where Reader is transported into a different series, knowledge may vary, and stuck in the Sonic form of Fatal Error.

This fucker right here! Tetrabrachial sadistic computer virus who wears the body of Sonic 3's blue blur and made his debut in Friday Night Funkin.

Yup. Poor Reader is gonna be stuck looking like a 7 ft twisted hedgehog monster with the voice of a S.A.M generator. They hate it especially when the issue lands them in other people's radar. And Reader is gonna be a snarky bitch about it.

This is a free prompt so anyone can try their own take. Here's some of my ideas.

Fatal Error of Cybertronian Proportions

Yup. Kicking things off with Transformers specifically Prime as I need to rewatch Bayverse.

Fatal Error!Reader manifest in Memorial High School's computer classroom at the dead of night. A shared fright with the school janitor leads to an accidental county wide internet crash. This includes two particular Cybertronian bases nearby.

Autobots and Decepticons look into the source of the crash. Knockout beats the Autobot opposition to the punch in finding the cause. Unfortunately for him, Reader shares how lethal a sentient computer virus can be and crashes his system(don't worry he recovers). A wild goose chase ensues as both sides try to catch Reader.

This continues until an encounter with Optimus Prime goes wrong. An attempt to crash his systems is to met with resistance by the Matrix of Leadership. It results in Reader and Optimus being tethered to their respective core. Neither can be too far from the other unless they wish to get snap back together like a rubber band. Or if one dies so will the other.

Now Team Prime has to break the data bond while the Decepticons continue to hunt down Reader. Oh and their four armed companion is a complete snarky smartass about the whole thing. Good luck with being their guardian Optimus.

Ratchet: Why are you always smiling? It looks haunting.

Fatal Error!Reader: Similar to your metallic ass with that control console, my face's stuck. Now let me sleep ye giant bucket of bitchy bolts.

Optimus: Please behave the both of you.

Fatal Error!Reader: Tell that to the bucket headed yandere with a stalking kink. Your former friend clearly escape the funny farm and needs to take his Xanax.

Optimus: *google searches the medicine and strange term* I am very concerned about your opinion of Megatron.

Impossible Curse Statistics

For this scenario, we're diving into the realm of Jujutsu Kaisen specifically five years before the show's events.

Fatal Error!Reader manifests inside Yuji's home through the power lines. The ten year child is accidentally spooked by the hedgehog like virus at first. Well, until Yuji sees how concerned the 'scary oni' is about his living conditions.

Fatal Error!Reader: Um...where are your parents??? Folks usually come down swinging with a bat by now if their kids in danger.

Yuji: My parents passed away some time ago and Oji-san is hospitalized.

Fatal Error!Reader: ... seriously? That's not only depressing but very morally questionable on why someone would leave a child all alone. Okay kid, guess I'm your caretaker now.

Yuji is taken in and raised by hedgehog shaped virus. His fate changing as Reader bound themselves to him through a pseudo Binding Contract. They protect each other whether it be malicious hackers to dangerous curses.

Life has been good until a certain cursed finger comes into play. Now Reader has to defend Yuji from evil trying to bring the King of Curses back to his full power. At the same time, dodge a weakened Sukuna who has too much interest in the virus and the Jujutsu Sorcerers who want to ensare both.

Neither members of this strange found family are gonna take this lying down. There's a reason why you don't mess with a virus. One wrong is enough for a fatal error to occur. And Reader will be happy to teach that lesson personally.

Glitch In The Relics

We're diving into the world of Knack for this last one.

Fatal Error!Reader emerges from within one of Viktor's security robots during his issued challenge against the relic bound golem. Their appearance causes panic amongst the many attendants except for our main characters. Reader's obliviousness and absolute confusion of their surroundings is enough to have Doctor Vargas protect them.

To prove they aren't a threat, the virus reluctantly joins the expedition. A kinship forms between Reader and Knack about being 'monsters'. Can't forget their habit of accidentally breaking stuff. Well crash in the former's case.

Fatal Error!Reader: *stares at Ryder's unresponsive car* Oops.

Ryder: At least it wasn't my plane.

Knack: *slips and accidentally leaves a large gash on said plane*

Fatal Error!Reader: Congratulations, you just jinxed yourself.

Other than the shared mishaps, both learn and grow as a simple expedition evolves into a grand adventure. A snarky virus once human become comfortable about their strange predicament. Meanwhile Knack gains self confidence about himself alongside Reader and co.

Sometimes all you need is a friend to help find your place in the world. For a certain virus and relic golem, that's the way they like it. Even if a lot of stuff gets smashed in the progress.

That's it for now! Until next time folks, I'll see you later. Before I go, enjoy this song I been listening to.

[i-eat-worlds]

worlds I need your medical knowledge. possible long-term symptoms of repeated non-lethal electrical shock to the body? would nerve damage and numbness be reasonable? what are your thoughts?

- @whump-kia

thanks for the ask, Kia!

quick disclaimer: I am not medical professional. Take all this with a grain of salt. Or like, 110% of your daily sodium intake.

So, electrical injury severity and pattern is influenced by a couple of different factors. The voltage of the current, weather it’s AC or DC, the surface area the current made contact with, and pathway the current took through the body all play a role in how your character would be injured.

One of the most dangerous things that electrical shocks cause are Arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms). Some arrhythmias can cause cardiac arrest, but you’ll need a voltage higher than 50 volts if you want to go down that route. Cardiac arrest can have all sorts of complications, but that’s out of the scope of this post lol.

Electrical injuries also cause electrical burns. The burns will be visible at both contact points: where the current entered the body, and where it exited into the ground. There will be a trail of damage following the path the current took to the ground. Electricity doesn’t necessarily have to travel far to hurt, and cause a lot of damage. The burns can get infected, leading to sepsis, and significant electrical damage to muscles can cause rhabdomyolysis and compartment syndrome. Both rhabdo and compartment syndrome can cause an acute kidney injury (AKI), which could definitely affect someone long term.

DC current is normally a single shock (through I assume yours is a little more intentional than usually) that throws someone and can cause blunt trauma.

AC current causes tetany, or involuntary muscle contractions. These are very painful and can lead to muscle damage. AC injuries have a higher complication rate than compared to DC injuries.

On the neuro side, we’ve got peripheral neuropathy. This occurs in about 17% of electrical burn cases, so it’s fairly common. Symptoms include muscle weakness, paralysis, atrophy, and tingling, pain and numbness in the affected limb(s).

As long as your current passed through the limb you want to injure, nerve damage is absolutely in the cards for your poor fictional characters. Repeated current applied to a limb would also likely lead to muscle damage as well, particularly at the joints, on top the nervous system damage.

Sources:

Overview of peripheral neuropathy

More in depth about neurological injuries associated with electrical burns (plus fun case study)

Overview of electrical burns and the factors that effect them

In depth article about electrical injuries

In depth article about electrical burns

If anyone has more to add, please do!

[tricitymonsters]

Day 10 - Choking

Raath x Saikhnaa (@b00k3t 's very sweet big man who I am always horrible to out of love I'm sorry)

Content Warning: Fighting to fucking, general Raath Content Warning, erotic asyphxiation, violence, dominance struggles

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Saikhnaa is a giant but that only makes Raath want to smear his face in the dirt more. They weren’t necessarily enemies but Raath was so enamored by glimpses of immense violence Saikhnaa was capable of that when they crossed paths he usually went way out of his way to try and start a fight.

And Saikhnaa’s capabilities- even when he was trying not to kill you- were intense. Maybe the most intense Raath had ever seen. He miscalculated a punch range one of the first times they’d tangled and that one single hit had cracked Raath’s skull and probably would have killed a lesser man on the spot.

But that was exhilarating. The most potent high. The most elevated kind of worship there is- spilling blood.

Raath stalked Saikhnaa down a grimy alley, watching from the line of rooftops as the large figure hunched against the rain, hands jammed in his pockets. At the intersection of another cramped through space, he couldn’t hold himself back any longer and pounced, throwing his whole body weight at Saikhnaa in an effort to take the much larger man to the ground.

Saikhnaa grunted in shock but didn’t go down- to Raath’s delight. Unable to keep from upping the ante at every possible junction, Raath flipped out a small knife from his belt and jammed it directly into Saikhnaa’s muscular chest. The blade was barely over an inch or so, nowhere NEAR big enough to hit anything important or do serious damage but the pain was enraging and that’s what Raath wanted.

Saikhnaa roared in fury and lurched backwards, slamming Raath into the brick wall behind them with the force of a small bus and then reached clumsily behind him to seize Raath by the back of his neck and a harness strap. With one powerful motion, Saikhnaa hurled Raath off him and into the wet ground so hard he bounced on impact, coming up in a roll and bleeding from the mouth.

Raath let out a breathless noise. “I hope you missed me as much as I missed you,” he growled, grinning wildly.

Saikhnaa glowered defiantly. He could be a man of few words sometimes but the look of danger in his light eyes warned that he wasn’t going to suffer being accosted gladly. “Thought I told you not to come back here,” he snapped back combatively. “Get lost or I’ll bury you.”

Raath’s jaw ached with bloodlust, his mouth watering at the sight of Saikhnaa’s huge, powerful body and the hand clenched around his knife tightened instinctively. “Give me a fight, a real fight, and I’ll consider it. I’ve seen what you can do in that sad little excuse for a fight club. Give it to me.”

Saikhnaa spat to the side and made to walk past, though he didn’t turn his back on Raath. “I don’t fight for fun or for free, get fucked,” he snarled, wiping his hand across the sluggishly oozing knifewound on his chest, barely bothered by it at all.

Raath dropped lower, like an ambush predator about to make a lethal lunge and it made Saikhnaa tense up in automatic response. “You’ll have to convince me to leave, sweetheart, I don’t really respond to blubbering.” Without waiting for more threats he wasn’t interested in hearing, Raath shot forward.

Saikhnaa might be over seven feet tall and built like a tank but he was still fast as hell despite his imposing size. Raath, of course, found this incredibly engaging and quite possibly one of his favorite things about Saikhna- except perhaps how much Saikhnaa could endure.

Raath couldn’t match Saikhnaa in raw power, not even close, but while Saikhnaa was fast as hell for his size, Raath was faster. Lethally so.

Saikhnaa bared his teeth and raised his fists but Raath’s blood was singing with the threat of a real, honest to god fight. He sprinted straight at the larger man but at the last second he dropped and slid on his hip between Saiknaa’s legs, coming up behind him to stomp on the back of his knee to drop him into a painful kneeling position. Raath wasted none of his momentum and used the alley wall to vault upwards, twisting with a brutal kind of grace to hook his leg around Saikhnaa’s neck and lock them together tightly. The momentum took them both to the pavement but Raath kept his legs locked as tightly as he could, even as Saikhnaa managed to get some incredibly heavy blows in while they struggled.

Raath couldn’t be unseated easily and after a second, forced his way on top, using as much of his body weight as possible in addition to his muscular thighs in choking the everloving christ out of Saikhnaa. Raath fought off Saikhna’s hands, blindly trying to grab and crush his face and bludgeon the shit out of him. Saiknaa arched wildly, trying to fling Raath off him but the assassin knew that the inevitable countdown had already started its irrevocable march.

Raath rode Saikhnaa’s body like a mechanical bull, keeping his thighs as tight as possible. He laughed breathlessly, staring at Saikhnaa’s reddening face with sadistic delight. “That’s it baby boy, give it up,” he leered. “I can feel you getting slow and stupid.”

Saikhnaa let out a vicious fucking noise but it it was muffled and Raath twisted his body weight sinuously, smashing Saikhnaa’s skull back into the ground hard enough to make his eyes glaze even as they watered with the suffocation. Over the course of the next handful of seconds, Saikhnaa’s throes grew clumsier and heavier.

Raath hissed and ground forward, pushing his cock against Saikhnaa’s face roughly, fucking up against his scarred face while he laughed breathlessly. The heat of Saiikhnaa's blood flushed face made Raath’s cock hard to the point of aching in a matter of seconds and he brought one of Saikhnaa's scarred hands in to drag his tongue up the calloused palm from heel to the tips of his numbed fingers.

Saikhnaa writhed beneath his weight but it had taken on another quality. It was still clumsy and torpid as he clung to consciousness but the arch of his hips and the bulge in the front of his jeans were undeniable. Raath rutted hungrily against Saikhnaa's face again but put his flexibility on display arching backwards to roughly grab Saikhnaa's hard cock through his pants and let out a hungry, horny noise at the feel of him throbbing.

The motion let Saikhnaa get another half lung full of air down but instead of using his sudden ability to coordinate it to throw raath off him, he grabbed Raaths belt and I pulled him in harder, his lips parted to slot around Raaths clothed erection.

“See, I'm always willing to negotiate,” raath sneered, breath hitching with the wet heat of Saikhnaa's breath.

[reikane-enthusiast]

erm, a compiled list of all the notes I have on paper and all the notes in my brain for an upcoming..project.

(( TECHNICALLY THIS ENTIRE POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE DRA DEATHS..BUT. I don’t specify anything ))

gameplay notes..but I can’t code :

from hours 8 AM to 11 PM no anomalies will or can occur. ( unless glitched )

12:00 PM exact is lunchtime and is the only time when other students can appear in the library. Lunchtime can also have a triggered cut scene of either of the two ( image under writing but not here for sillies ) sitting with *.

Once the distraction meter ( during daytime only ) gets to middle point * will have the ability to ‘shoo’ or just get the distraction away. ( this will trigger the dialogue of “ get out, I’m studying. “ )

a distraction is a student outside of the library either trying to form a conversation with * , talking at her, or being ‘loud’. Certain students will not do normal actions, but have special dialogue instead.

if the distraction meter fills all the way up, * will get up and yell at the distraction / student. This will cause a game over.

during 12 AM to 8 AM anomalies will occur.

what are anomalies? :

Short : corpses

Long : Manifestations of *’s PTSD, possibly ghosts?..but that’s unlikely. They’re also kind of like hallucinations however *SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER*

anomalies :

( no data found for #1. )

#2, (( she really only hangs from the ceiling and is..almost non lethal. She cries out for help a lot, for someone to save her, for her brother…I’ll have to tell him sometime, not now though. Maybe it’s her ghostly wails or whatever that kills me..

#3,(( I..don’t remember what happened to her but I don’t really want to, she’s only ever in the hallways..running. I can hear her. Is it the sound? Maybe.. Maybe it’s the ringing in my ears.

#4 (( you were a bitch. However..I..don’t think you deserved that. She sits next to me a lot. I can smell the blood and the metal. She wouldn’t be dangerous if she didn’t kill with her touch, however, unfortunately she does.

#5 (( He’s on the walls, literally. and of course the wood is rotting. His blood always finds its way to me somehow, it works like acid once it hits me.

#6 (( This one is barely threatening, I think he’s just upset. He doesn’t try to hurt me , I know that, but whenever he gets close to me it hurts. It’s like I’m being repeatedly stabbed in the neck.

#7 (( I can hear her screams, constantly. I can hear the electric shocks. She reaches out her hand and then it’s just.. pain. The shocks..she’s sharing them. like the other one..she’s not trying to hurt me actively. none of them are, really.

#8 (( Idiot.. that doesn’t feel right to say though. You were stupid, but in that trial..you were just so— … She doesn’t seem sad unlike the others, she sits next to me too..trying to make me laugh. But when I look at her..when I finally see her face again..it’s over.

#9 (( You were also stupid. I knew what you were hiding, but outing you wouldn’t make me feel better. You were..kind of gross, but trying to fit in wasn’t easy..was it? I’m sorry you went out that way. Sometimes him and * are together, I can’t look at them either..despite how happy it appears they are together. Even if it was just a facade he needed to keep up during that time, I think they’re better off because they’re actual friends now.

#10 (( The blood from her mouth and her eyes gets on me even though shes far away, it seeps into my skin, her words seep into my brain..my own blood..everything. I’m sorry *. Sometimes she stands over me. Watching my every move..then the blood really hurts.

#11 (( I didn’t know you then, I didn’t remember you then, but now I do. You were a good brother from what I heard. I remember how * talked about you, how she was always wondering about your inventions.. I know you pushed her away when you guys were kids too. I can hear you making fun of her somehow, teasing her, bullying her around.. and it burns my ears sometimes. I don’t know how I hear it..but..it’s something to hold on to. He never shows up visually, but I feel his presence. I’ve never..seen you.

#0 (( She’s the closest to me always, she only shows up in the end. She grabs me by the face and forces me to look at her, shes crying..she’s grinning too though. ..But she doesn’t look injured, dead, none of that. I don’t think we ever confirmed she was dead, we just assumed she had drowned or bled out because that made the most sense. But now that I think of it, maybe you aren’t.

#0.1 (( *’s not really an anomaly..since..he can’t hurt me and he’s not dead. He’s more like protection. He keeps the actual anomalies away , I don’t really know how.. I guess **** made it up so that I could finally study.

extras! ,, based on the unused executions. :

#12 (( I remember watching you die. I thought it was kind of funny how you went out, getting arrested and all. Then you blew up.. that was..less funny. He smells like sulfur and ash..sometimes cement, sometimes he smells like burnt plastic. when he touches me it burns my flesh, I guess he wants me to feel the pain too.

#13 (( He’s connected by veins , almost like a fleshy spider. His blood unlike *’s isn’t acidic, but is definitely venomous. I hate looking at him, but it’s the only way to keep him away. I’ve only ever had one question.. Why? , Why’d you do it *? You were an idiot..but I didn’t think you were that afraid..and that fucking stupid. Then again, we we’re kids..so..I can’t entirely blame you for letting your fear take over.

[kajinovaa]

If you don't mind me askinggg what brush did you use on that recent art you posted? Because damn that's a good brush (also i am in love with the whole morally grey concept please talk about it more..) (alsoo ... mooba squimsh.... I am lookign )

yeye, i don't mind at all! [HERE]'s the google drive to brushes i personally like, and anyone else can take whichever brushes they want too! just keep in mind these brushes only work for Clip Studio Paint. it's the one titled "MADK丸". ngl, it's a tad funky to use at first, but feel free to mess with its settings however you'd like :>

--------

also- YES. antihero!Dynamight who takes things a bit too far sometimes, has actual innocent blood caked under his nails from accidents he could've prevented and the PR worked their asses off to keep that disaster's details under a tight lock- Dynamight, the walking nuclear tank of a man who knows the power he holds behind each stride, using his size to figuratively and literally bully his way outta any situation he deems a threat... Dynamight, this towering near 7ft tall smolderingly handsome embodiment of destruction who just so happens to cross paths with you on an unfortunate night, because he "needed to keep his idle hands busy, even if it means picking up shitty gravel off of these streets...

Dynamight, a super nova reincarnated into the mortal realm now staring you down with hot coals for irises, his massive figure cornering you easily into a corner in some gunky damp alley...

Dynamight, a devil in the flesh who cracks a dangerously lethal smirk across his flawless features, the chuckles that escape resounding like his own ear-deafening explosions when muffled in the far distance, and purrs out in a too-saccharine tone, "You poor, pathetic excuse of a villain... Shakin' like a damn leaf in the fucking wind, right beneath me... Now tell me... What do you think I should do with scum like you?"

... all the while the glove that pins your wrist to the cold wall starts reaching temperatures that brand your skin in his personal marks. --------

mooba big... mooba...... hot....... OO

[sirjuggles]

Worm Reading - Part 3, Arc 3 Agitation

This naming convention seems a little repetitive but I assume at some point I'm going to post an update that doesn't coincide with the same Arc number and then I'll be glad I did it this way to keep track.

Notes I took along the way while reading Arc 3 (this one got long sorry):

I forgot to mention last time, but Rachel's dogs are all Good Puppers who listen to their momma and I hope nothing bad happens to them! (something bad will almost assuredly happen to them and I'm gonna be unhappy about it when it does)

I keep forgetting the Undersiders are just high school kids. Gah reading YA fiction is weird beyond a certain point, because I remember when I felt like "yeah it makes sense for kids this age to be having adventures" but now I'm at the point of like "When I was five years older than you I still lived with my parents and borrowed the car when I needed to go somewhere, you are a child what are you doing robbing banks??" (that's more an issue of lived experience on my part but still)

Taylor keeps talking about "oh this is just an undercover operation I'm not really a member of this team of villains" girl you are PLANNING A HEIST ROBBERY. You spoke to one of the big superheroes once and he was a little skeptical on how you looked like a bad guy. The Good Guys do not think you are a Good Guy, and nothing you have done would convince them convince them otherwise!

Ooh ok we get some info on the Protectorate Youth League. Aegis seems basic, though tough to deal with in a hand-to-hand fight. Clockblocker is MUCH more interesting, because I firmly believe any time shenanigans can be broken with the right application. Vista is a reality warper, and even worse a YOUNG reality warper, so the potential for horrifying power is there. Kid Win is a nerd on a flying skateboard, I hope he has dumb 90's catchphrases. I'm actually really curious about Gallant, he's got a relationship with Glory Girl who we already saw is not to be trifled with, plus emotion-manipulating blasts are a great story mechanic for adding chaos. Shadow Stalker VS. Grue nemesis showdown I am totally here for it! I already kinda don't like Brian so I hope she's super catty and causes him a ton of trouble.

Worldbuilding tidbit! Manton Effect! So most powers aren't able to affect living beings, unless it's a power that specifically affects living beings? That seems... arbitrary. That does remind me of a question I had earlier about Alec's power, and how delicate his control over it is. So far he doesn't seem interested in things like practice, but I wonder if given practice he could, say, control people's fingers with enough precision to make them type out a message? Or, more to the point, if he could send a nerve signal to send someone's heart into a lethal rhythm or trigger a seizure?

Have I mentioned I don't like Brian? It was implied that he's abusive towards Rachel, and beyond that he's just got an all-too-familiar energy of "I know you want me to like you" and he is smart enough to use it to manipulate the people around him. When Alec was training with him, Alec pointed out that the example Brian was referencing didn't happen the way he said it did, and he just brushed it off. He seems to be in the habit of reinterpreting events the way he wants them to be, in a way that is often referred to as gaslighting (though isn't technically in line with the original usage of that term).

Oh Taylor talking to her dad before going out for the night was heartbreaking. God this is so hard for both of them, but that conversation was actually kind of a step in the right direction? Shame it had to be brought about because it's actually a cover story for this whole new bunch of dangerous trust-violating stuff that's probably about to blow up in her face.

OH SNAP SHE'S MEETING ARMSMASTER I DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING

#ArmsmasterWasRight

Hm who are the two murderers on the team? I seem to remember Rachel basically blew up her foster home when she bailed, so that wouldn't surprise me. It could honestly be any of the other three... I think Lisa has the bloodthirsty streak but I don't think she's physical enough. I don't like Brian and I could see him killing someone in the dark. Honestly though I suspect it's Alec! He's been noted to have a sadistic streak about using his power, and we haven't actually seen him in action.

God Taylor's gotta come up with a better cape name than Bug. It's so bad.

Holy jeez I cannot overstate how horrific what she just did to Clockblocker is. Bugs under eyelids and in nose arghhhhh no no no no no.

Whole fight scene is great, I will refrain from commenting on every bit.

Yeah I definitely still love Tattletale. Her work on the GG sisters was beautiful.

Interlude 3 - Wards: Hahaha after all that chaos nice to see that the corporate heroes don't just get to brush off all the property damage they caused.

Huh. Aegis actually seems cooler than I thought. His power basically makes him an invincible punching bag, but he seems to do a pretty reasonable job of making leadership calls for the team and also brushing off holes in his lungs and detached retinas.

Hm. There's some of the stuff around the weight of obligation on Panacea that I was expecting. Yeah. That sucks and there's not a good answer.

I keep going back and forth on Gallant. I see him as sort of a Bruce Wayne rich handsome playboy who's also a superhero. Except he's ALSO got awesome emotion-reading powers. He was a little awkward with Panacea, but I can't decide if he's trying to flirt with her or just trying to be kind. Feels like he's got a bigger role to play here, but I'm not yet sure in what capacity.

Side note, I do sorta love the implication that there's this big fancy high school where all these superpowered kids go on the other side of town from what we've seen so far. I bet there's fanfic out there of the social scene drama that goes on at that school that we just don't see in Worm. What would life have been like if Taylor had been able to transfer over there to get away from her bullies? Might she have fallen in with the Wards? This all could have gone so different....

[fortycumber]

so having read @mindmeltonabun-blog 's analysis of the plagiarism in My Demon, I felt strangely compelled to give my own review, since I have been pondering on it for quite some time now ever since I've finished it.

In short, my opinion would be, that the drama is a rather shallow, superficial, but visually stunning rendition of a popular trope that has been done a gazillion times before. It leaves a lot to the viewer's interpretation and their imagination due to the lack of proper explanation of major events in the plot. Think, an adaptation of a popular teen novel from the 2010s- short on everything but chemistry between the main actors (Fallen from 2016, The Mortal Instruments from 2013, heck even Twilight as the post stated as well and many more). The author laid out a nice blue print of a story that could have worked, had it been better researched and had she paid more attention to details. My particular problem with this drama was Gu Won's obvious identity crisis, which stems mainly from the fact that the author herself didn't really know what he was supposed to be. Like is he a demon, plucked from the many or is he the devil himself? He calls himself a demon, then then devil, he often claims that God's his boss, God herself says that she sent him there among humans, because she needed a "worker", which to me heavily implies that he's an angel..? Am I the only one who couldn't quite understand that part? And after the small discussion I had with certain commenters on Mydramalist, I guess I agree with the fact that he's supposed to be some kind of a fallen angel, mirroring the real devil, but that still doesn't explain as to why God called him "her worker". I guess, everything's part of the author's scarcely explained lore.

The Christian elements of the story, especially the Joseon Era part, were interesting (like I would totally watch a standalone drama following only that arc of the story, it's ten times more original than the main one), but totally lacked in execution and research which made a complete jumbled mess of the whole story, I did catch a few references to the Bible here and there, dunno if they were intentional or not.

Do Do Hee, to me, seemed like an even more washed out replica of Nam Ji Ah from The Tale of the Nine Tailed, mainly in how she was structured: she was strong, independent and formidable until she met her male lead and in a way she served as a feisty enigma for him to solve throughout the first few episodes, until he did and she fell flat, constantly in a need of his protection and reassurance. The "Succession" part of the show was an absolute chaos, it was obvious from the beginning who the culprit was and his tactics were honestly laughable, he wasn't terrifying at all, yet alone secretive and elusive, his whole character seemed to have escaped from a makjang if you ask me. There was no real fight, no palpable hatred and conflict between Do Do Hee and him, he spent strategically more time stroking Gu Won's magical book and chatting up the maniac he hired in sketchy chatrooms, instead of doing evil things. I would so have preferred if the guy who was obsessed with Do Do Hee (for whichever reason we'll never find out btw or maybe I missed it, dunno) was the real villain instead of Noh Suk Min, he at least, evoked pure disgust and uneasiness in me, while Noh Suk Min made me laugh, literally. Oh and what a marvelous waste of Lee Sang Yi, his role was literally useless he was just there to be pretty (I love you boo <333333). Let's not forget the detectives please- they were even more useless, they just existed to be clueless about their jobs and look raggedy and lost most of the time.

The whole tone of the drama should have been different and more graphic. For a drama that deals with such heavy topics, it should've been darker, grittier, scarier, Gu Won should have been more dangerous, bolder, more seductive, sexier and more lethal, I mean he's a literal demon and given his tragic backstory he should have been truly ruthless, preying on people's misfortunes and feasting on the terrible outcome, in fact I think I would prefer for him to have been a libertine living an absolutely lavish and debauched life in the human underworld, where he would find most of his potential clients instead of the doleful theatre owner who mopes around clock towers looking for "his next victim", it just doesn't match the person he became after seeing Do Do Hee's past version dead and killing all of those people because of it (I mean Song Kang is more than a capable actor to do such a character, I wanna cry thinking what we've been deprived of seriously). For someone who boldly exclaims his hatred of people, he seems quite timid in hurting them, he should have been shown literally torturing people who didn't adhere to the contract and who wanted to escape it, instead he is just stuck in a dress up game with a plot that progresses nowhere and most of the time selectively "borrows" elements from other famous dramas. In fact the same thing could be said for Do Do Hee as well; as much as I liked most of her outfits, she was presented as this notorious business woman in episode one, but all she ever does in the rest of the episodes is just drive around town, looking like a Barbie doll.

I'm sure there were more things that irked me, but I just can't remember at the moment so I'll just stop here. The sole thing that saved this show was the chemistry between the leads.