#i know its devastating but come on this could be cool as hell

[mangotelevision]

In my mcd season 3 rewrite I have a scene planned out where the gang gets caught and imprisoned like they always do and they have to fight their way to freedom in like a gladiatorial combat sort of thing. In the end katelyn unknowingly kills her brother because it's been so long and she doesn't recognize him. Kacey at the end thought his mother killed him because Katelyn looks so much like Elizabeth. Katelyn doesn't know she killed Kasey until weeks later

[adventures-in-mangaland]

Dead Boy Detectives Fic Recs Part 7

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

So I hear there's been some fandom drama? Guess it's time for another fic rec list! This fandom is so lovely, so let's focus on the positive and give all the love to our writers and artists. You guys are so talented. ♥️

Work It Harder, Make it Better by dear_monday, two_ravens

Olympics AU! And kind of Sk8er Boi? Charles is an Olympic skateboarder at the end of his competitive career and Edwin is a rising star in the world of dressage. They fall in love at Paris 2024. Amazing writing, as always, and I also enjoyed Niko and Crystal as members of the skateboarding and equestrian teams having their own Olympics Romance and Jenny as Charles' world-weary coach.

Twin Flame by Leandra

Another "He was a punk, he did ballet" romance! This time, everyone is alive and the boys meet when Charles watches Edwin perform at his little sister's ballet recital. The romance and Charles as a big brother are very sweet, which is great as this fic also covers some heavy themes. It's set in the 90s so there's discussion of homophobia, the AIDs crisis and Charles' canon child abuse. Suffice to say, his bisexual awakening is quite fraught. Recommended!

Love for Hire by lucrow

Edwin hires Charles to freak out his parents with his obnoxious fake boyfriend. What could possible haaappeeen? And yes, it's a ballet/punk romance too. 😅 Anyway, it's giving fantastic banter, lots of emotions and great use of trope! I also enjoyed Edwin's relationship with his mum in this fic, excellent parental feels.

so I try to talk refined by shadowquill17

Charles finds out about the Cat King taking on his appearance and (somehow) arrives at the conclusion that Edwin isn't attracted to him. Charles having body image as well as chronic self-esteem issues was interesting but kind of heartbreaking. Read it for Edwin's agonised attempts to verbalise his sexual attraction to Charles without exploding. That's love right there.

A Royal Pain(e) (series) by handwrittenhello

Royalty AU! I love a bodyguard romance from time to time and this one is lovely. Lots of yearning.

Turnabout's Fair Play by Like MmmCookies

Edwin enlists Niko and Crystal to teach him how to flirt with Charles. It starts off cute and awkward and ends up Master Of All He Surveys, which is very Edwin.

I will love you (I really love you) by ghostinthelibrary

Charles has a feelings realization and tries to confess to Edwin. Repeatedly. From a cock-blocking enchanted statue to a Hellhound, it's farcical and fun. This fic has been living in my head rent free for months.

seasons of mists by laiqualaurelote

Edwin hires Charles to be the barista in his book shop's cafe. Two cosy AUs in one! And it even comes (appropriately) with its own reading list and fanart! Very cute, excellent autumnal vibes and a superb imaginary book shop. I'm genuinely so devastated it's not a real place. 😭

Ariadne's Thread by hobbitsdoitbetter

In which Edwin is demisexual and trying to make it work with Charles. Love to see some ace spectrum representation!

you know the problem with history (it keeps coming back like weeds) by aletterinthenameofsanity

Amnesia AU! And kind of Secret Relationship? Edwin has Not So Temporary Amnesia that made him forget a whole romantic relationship with Charles early in their partnership. And Charles never told him... Surely this will have no impact on the events of canon?? 😬 I loved this twist on the trope!

scraped to the marrow by Anonymous

Edwin learned black magic in Hell and kind of went to the Dark Side. I love the trope of "Everyone thinks Character avoids violence because they're scared/weak/nice/bad at it, but actually they're a bit too good at it" and this fic does it well. I love regular Edwin, but Lord Bone was also pretty cool.

To Walk Back Into Hell by Asidian

Charles goes to Hell in Edwin's place, so naturally Edwin needs to find a way to rescue him! Interesting Hell lore and I loved all the Charles love in this.

It does not stop by williamvapespeare

Now he's safe from Hell, Edwin finally works through his PTSD. Emotional, but peak Emotional Support Charles for the win!

signed, sealed, delivered by sulfuric

Outsider PoV of the boys and the agency through the years from the perspective of the Ghost Postman. He's kind of underrated as a side character, but there are so many Implications about the Dead Letter Office, so I enjoyed the worldbuilding. And the supernatural community of London gossiping about/shipping the boys (they're just like us, for real). Love that trope.

not so secret by lola_prongs

Social Media/Celebrity AU! In which they're both actors and Charles relentlessly thirsts after Edwin on Twitter. Great use of social media/epistolary storytelling.

Like a record, baby by singtome

Another celebrity/social media AU, but this time Charles and Crystal are budding rock stars and Edwin is their manager. Also Edwin goes viral as the mysterious #HotGuyatUnity after his picture's taken at an event and Charles *tries* to set the record straight. This one's funny, generous with the yearning and UST and is part of a series that also touches on the darker side of the music industry/celebrity, which I appreciated. And it also has this excellent visual representation of the online drama.

@ghostinthelibrarywrites @tumblerislovetumblerislife @shadowquill17 @neurodivergent-fangirling @whatthehorsedoicallthisblog @shazziez @many-gay-magpies @extremely-eager-reader @atariakana @guardianspirits13 @colourmornings @herebehunters @avoiceofnerat @littlepocketuniverse @overlord-of-chaos @fairandfatalasfair @handwrittenhello @every-moment-a-different-sound @williamvapespeare @laiqualaurelote @dear-monday @dear-lucrow @aletterinthenameofsanity @likemmmcookies @bibliomancer7 @c-rowland @nobledragonflying @hobbitsdoitbetter

I've tagged some people again. Let me know if you'd like to be added to the tag list!

[arthur-lesters-middle-c-key]

I’ll forever be annoyed that Malevolent doesn’t stop to recognize the significance of a PIANIST choosing to bite off part of his PINKIE FINGER. No matter the hand, the pinkie is maybe the second most important digit for piano playing, behind the thumb. (Second and third fingers, SIT BACK DOWN.)

Your pinkies are hyper-attuned to hit the right notes in a root chord, pick out an overall melody while the rest of your hand is playing a harmony, hell, it’s the start of most scales. As a pianist, I’ve put years of procedural memory into training just my pinkie fingers to do their jobs and if I lost part of one I would be devastated, even as a hobbyist.

There’s so much symbolism potential there, too! I love that John in general has control of Arthur’s left hand, which on piano controls the low notes, the accompaniment to the melody, and the root and stability of almost anything you play. It mostly supports, though can sometimes intertwine with the right hand or branch off into cello-like melody of its own (chopin does this a lot it’s great). That conceptually fits John SO WELL. Not to mention the idea of Arthur being so guilt-ridden with Faroe’s death that he distances himself from being a pianist at any opportunity, only to be reeled in by an Eldritch force that explains EVERYTHING to him as piano… the possibilities make me scream.

…Unfortunately though, I don’t buy the ‘the symbolism is there’ argument for this one, it’s FAR too niche to expect the average audience to know what exactly a professional pianist would value (besides the ~oooooo no don’t break my hands~ beat that every pianist character in a thriller/horror/action story ever seems to have gone through at some point), and malevolent goes out of its way so often to explain symbolism.

I think my frustration is that Arthur having trauma surrounding piano, losing direct control of his left hand, and losing/replacing his top pinkie joint, doesn’t have many narrative consequences. (Didn’t even talk about how a wooden pinkie would probably fundamentally change the sound/timbre of your playing, which would be cool to see reflected.) Arthur seems to be able to play piano fine even with John controlling his hand, and enthusiastically does so at several points post- starting to process Faroe’s death in the dreamlands. It’s fine as a narrative choice, there’s a story to tell after all, but I’ll always miss the character intricacy that could come from exploring these consequences and backstory specifics.

[weebsinstash]

People keep asking me if I have any 'yandere Alastor vs. yandere Lucifer fighting over Reader' ideas, and I gotta say one of my favorite ones is uh

Ok so I just am trying to kick myself in the ass to write this in of itself, but, I really like the idea of Alastor just straight up tricking you into giving him your soul. "Oh what if Reader takes a deal from him" no what if he makes a deal for your soul and you don't even fucking realize what you're doing and it's completely unintentional. I'm talking, my specific idea, is that after a prolonged series of events where you both gain and then lose Alastor's respect, he then approaches you when you're just like DRUNK DRUNK and, you're being all social and slurring and honestly he's embarrassed for you but at least you're talking to him, and, he sets his trap: making it seem like just an innocent little game, Alastor suggests you two have some kind of drinking game, and the winner can take ANY ONE THING from the other, and he's even all "oh, you don't even have to bother yourself with thinking about it! I could simply JUST TAKE IT and not even inform you, so then you wouldn't even have to worry yourself about whatever it is I decided to... acquire for myself :)"

And here's your drunken delusionally confident ass, thinking YOU'RE gonna pull one over on HIM, YOU trick ALASTOR "oh haha there's definitely nothing I have he wants lol, what would he do, take my cellphone or some of my shitty clothes or collectibles, lmao, I'm gonna win and I'm gonna ask him for some sort of special power or cool thing or gossip, this is low stakes high reward for sure"

Cue you like IMMEDIATELY losing his challenge, and even then, you're all smiles and laughs, "aww, I thought I had you there! So what are you taking?" And he just "Ohhhh, nothing :) actually I... even already took it from you!" And he starts LAUGHING laughing and you're just like "oh, you bastard, you got me! >u< more drinks, yay!"

I like the idea that Reader wakes up the next morning STILL in compete ignorance but uh, eventually you find out exactly how terrifying having someone else own your soul is when Alastor gives you some sort of command of something you REALLY do not want to do and you can't even control your own body to stop yourself from doing it anyways. Just the... violations of privacy, the loss of autonomy. He can force every thought and secret out of your mouth, your head, and move your body to the best of its abilities, and also just, PLUCK you to his location at will

So. Lucifer finds you just absolutely BROKEN in bed, like emotionally devastated, you are as close to suicidal as you can be for someone who cannot die, and, maybe you've even self-harmed. And after some gentle prodding from the Devil, you reveal what Alastor did, but, even more than that, how it made you FEEL. Alastor had approached you as some kind of friend, then started to want to exert some kind of ... control over you, commenting on your lifestyle choices, wanting you to do things with him in HIS way, and then when you resisted, he acted like you were a disappointment, even stopped spending time with you, and THEN, after you thought he was done with you, TRICKS YOU into giving him YOUR SOUL. It's just completely destroyed your psyche. It's reinforced horrible things you've thought about yourself your entire life. It made you feel alone, and now, you don't even have your soul anymore

So naturally Lucifer is like, "That's horrible! I'm so sorry he hurt you like that, I won't let him do this!" AND JUST FUCKING UNDOES IT. Contract WHAT? Radio Demon WHO? this is HELL and Lucifer is, you know, THE DEVIL FROM UH, THE BIBLE, and he's just snapping his fingers and you FEEL your soul come back to you and now you're breaking down crying for entirely different reasons while Lucifer holds you

MEANWHILE ALASTOR, who is fucking off elsewhere, may or may not be lovingly gazing at whatever form your soul is taking within his grasp, HAS IT RIPPED AWAY FROM HIM AND STARTS LOSING HIS MIND. Some "Wait, what just happened? Ffffuck." shit for real, he's, abruptly jerking out of his chair so hard it's sliding across the floor and he's racing back to the Hotel. Charlie stands up for him and shouts down her father that he has no right to ask the Radio Demon to leave, but, Charlie "attempts" to give Alastor "a stern talking to" about how "friends don't take other friend's souls, taking other people's souls is not how we get into Heaven" which, of course, falls on deaf ears, but Charlie isn't the Morningstar Alastor is wanting to concern himself with

And of course, there's Lucifer, making sure he's standing close to you, maybe even between you and Alastor, standing in front of you protectively, MAYBE EVEN HOLDING YOUR HAND TO COMFORT YOU. Alastor just immediately putting two and two together what happened and all but grinding his teeth into dust. Not only has Lucifer interfered and taken something IRREPLACEABLE from him(which was something he took from YOU lol), but, Lucifer has driven a wedge between you ans the Radio Demon. Alastor is watching you regard him with nothing but anger and sadness and fear while clinging to the tiny fallen angel and just, ohhhh, if looks could kill, the staredown these two are having with each other over you...

You've got one yandere who had your soul within his hands and had it taken back before he even got to enjoy having it, didn't get to DO anything with it, and another yandere who, quite understandably, feels that it isn't safe to let you leave from under his protective wing, and BOTH of them are convinced you have to be protected from the other while ALSO being super powerful

You know, the perfect combination of dangerous abilities and dangerous minds :) obviously our favorite Appletini is the more powerful one, but I think our Bambi could give him a good run for his money through sheer trickery alone. If you thought it was annoying getting pulled into antagonistic musicals BEFORE--

[neeeeeoposts]

i know i keep ranting about fusionfall but DUDE ITS SUCH A COOL CONCEPT AND WHY THE FUCK WAS THE GAME CANCELLED I STILL WANNA PLAY IT😭😭😭

but if u didnt know, fusionfall is a game based around an alien invasion involving cartoon network characters of the 2000s or somewhere around that time frame (if i am correct tho, the academy storyline has characters from some 2010s shows?)

by the way, major spoilers for the game ahead

but what is interesting about that is the fact on who is participating in the game. because fusionfall is a story based around the concept of an alien planet invading earth, it causes a life threatening situation for the characters we are introduced to and basically placing them into a war

AND DO YOU KNOW WHO IS IN THAT WAR??? LITERAL CHILDREN. mostly. what i want to mean by that is when you play the game or at least watch playthroughs of it, there are not adults that you meet at first, the only few adults i can count is Prof. Utonium and Father but there's probably more. Instead when you first join, youre met with younger people (depending on whether youre playing on the future or academy version, it really doesnt matter because either way youre meeting someone younger than the age of 20 when you first boot up the game)

this is interesting to me because, once again, think about who's participating in the war against Fusion. its actual kids, like the KND is actually the main supplier or weapons and transport throughout the entire game, and there are literally so many more examples i could give but i wont

but thinking about it from their persepctive, its fucking terrifying. its a literal war theyre in right now, and half of the population of Townsville (or wherever the game takes place) is either dead or somewhere else because nobody is there but them. for all they know, kids could be thinking that their parents or friends died in the invasion, or vice versa.

also, these characters had to take on a huge role at such a younge age. another example, but in the game (for the future version) once you complete the first quarter of the game and are sent back to the past you have to choose a guide to help you advance in your story. for those who dont know, guides are characters that lead four different story lines rhat can be a potential way to help you defeat Fuse at rhe end. The four guides consist of Dexter, Ben 10, Mojo Jojo and Double D.

Out of the four, double d stands out the most since for one, ben 10 and mojo jojo are like superpowered or something cause they feel actually qualified to be leaders in a war. Dexter is like the main reason that FusionFall takes place so he also makes sense to be a guide. Double D however is most likely still 12 years old (or older), still a genius n inventor, but he's just a normal kid here. you could argue that Dexter is just a kid as well, but he has such advanced technology that basically cancels that out.

what im trying to get at here, double d is literally just an average child with nothing but extra braincells he stole from his friends and more resources than usual that made him a guide. at 12. and is participating in a war. just. idk its probably that its horrifying to be a war general at such a young age??

OH AND I DIDNT EVEN BRING THIS UP YET BUT FUSIONFALL SURE AS HELL AINT AFRAID TO LET CHARACTERS DIE

in one of the versions of fusionfall, maybe the academy version?? Buttercup is presumed dead after one of the ppg fights against mojo jojo and she is shot into the sea and disappeared for like a bunch of years. Blossom and bubbles obviously had no idea shes still alive, and spent almost everyday trying to search for her until they had to give up and accept her sisters presumed death and THEN get burdened with an alien invasion (buttercup does come back tho, sorry for spoilers)

and in the future version where your character is accidentially sent far into the future where youre able to see the devastating amount of destruction the invasion can bring, you meet a lot less characters than you do when you travel back to the past. the past part of the game probably has at least over 50 characters or less im not sure, but when youre in the future theres at least 10 characters left

now im not totally sure if every character died or not, but considering the change in environment from the future and past, its not that far off from a possibility. though, it could jist be a personal headcanon for me.

but if this were true, then the game just killed off like the majority of their cast, including the main ones like Dexter and left some behind, obviously so you know what to do in the game but like imagine it from one of the characters perspectives??

eduardo is the only imaginary friend we meet in the future, so he's all alone with none of his friends there

eddy's the only kid left from the cul-de-sac like dude what

numbuh 2 and 5 are probably the only KND members we meet

Ben is still there

basically, everyone left had to watch their family and friends die and thats a little idk dark maybe for a cartoon network game?? i mean just a little-

anywho i love fusionfall its a lovely concept and i really want to talk to people about it but NONE OF MY FROENDS KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CARTOON NETWORK AND IM GETTING SAD OF TALKING TO MYSLEF

goodbye

[anxiousalene]

MY THOUGHTS ON THE WISDOM SAGA ⌛️

USUALLY, I PUT THIS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER BUT WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL THERE IS NO WAY ATHENA JUST DIED. I REFUSE IT HOW DARE ZEUS SHE WAS MY FAVORITE WHAT THE HELL. (That was me last night) OKAY SO I LOVE MICO’S VOICE ITS SO ADORABLE AND IN THE ANIMATIC WE GET TO SEE ARGOS! I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN SAID BEFORE BUT I LOVE THE FACT THAT WHEN TELEMACHUS SOMEONE SEND ME A SIGN WE HEAR ATHENA’S MOTIF. ALSO ANTINOUS CAN MEET ME IN THE PARKING LOT IF HE KEEPS TALKING ABOUT PENELOPE LIKE THAT. DONT YOU DARE DISRESPECT MY GIRL. ALSO WE FINALLY GET TO HEAR THE “Whatchu gonna do about it champ?” AND ITS SO GOOD. ALSO THE FACT THAT TELEMACHUS SAYS “IF I FIGHT THIS MONSTER IS IT YOU I’LL FIND” BECAUSE HIM AND ODYSSEUS GET REUNITED WHEN THEY ARE SLAUGHTERING THE SUITORS AND BECAUSE ODYSSEUS HAS BECOME THE MONSTER THAT TELEMACHUS WILL FIND. I LOVE THE VIDEO GAME FEELS WITH LITTLE WOLF, ANTINOUS BEATING THE CRAP OUT OF TELEMACHUS AND ATHENA BEING LIKE NAHHH AND JUMPING IN AND ATHENA TEACHING HIM TO FIGHT WITH QUICK THOUGHT IS SO CUTE. THE DUET BETWEEN MICHO AND TEAGAN IS GOOD LIKE HOW ARE THEY HITTING THOSE NOTES??? The fact that Athena is still so upset about the whole Odysseus thing is heartbreaking 💔. ITS SO COOL TO SEE HER GO THROUGH THE PAST SAGAS and then we see…CALYPSO! Barbara Wangui’s voice is just so vibey like THE CAST FOR THIS SHOW IS JUST PERFECT. Poor Odysseus being stuck with Calypso and literally just suffering. That man is TRAUMATIZED. ALSO IS POLITIES EVER GOING TO STOP HAUNTING ODYSSEUS AND THE NARRATIVE LIKE I DONT NEED THAT GUT PUNCH EVERY SAGA. AND THE FACT ODYSSEUS CALLED OUT FOR ATHENA IS JUST AHHHHH. Then the one I have been waiting for GOD GAMES! I Love how Apollo and Hephaestus are both like he did this thing and I’m like kinda upset and Athenas like nah he didn’t mean it, and they’re like Okay!! He can go! I CANNOT GET OVER ALL THE THOUGHT THAT GOES BEHIND THE MUSIC ITS SELF, LIKE THE TINKERING IN THE BACKGROUND FOR HEPHAESTUS AND THE FACT THAT ITS JORGE’S DAD ITS JUST AGHHH. THEN J. MAYA COOKING AS APHRODITE, HER VOICE JUST SOOTHES MY BRAIN. AND THEN ARES COMING IN AND ATHENA BEATING HIM AND THEY BOTH BEGRUDGINGLY LET HIM GO, love how Jay paired them up. Hera’s music is so like funky and fun and Athena knows EXACTLY how to get her stepmom to pick her side in the father-daughter argument. BUT BECAUSE ZEUS IS SUCH A SORE FREAKING LOSER AND HE CANT ACCEPT THAT HIS DAUGHTER WON FAIR AND SQUARE…HE ATTACKS HER, Like Holt’s voice is GENUINELY terrifying, you can get the rumbling in his voice like THUNDER. I LITERALLY STARTED CRYING WHEN I SAW ATHENA GETTING HANDED A BABY TELEMACHUS AND THE WARRIOR OF THE MIND MELODY PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND AND THE FACT THAT ATHENAS (ALLEGED) LAST WORDS WERE HER BEGGING ZEUS TO LET ODYSSEUS FREE. LIKE HOW COULD JAY DO THAT TO ME. THIS SAGA WAS DEVASTATING BUT ABSOLUTELY AMAZING PER USUAL. I APPRECIATE THE CAST AND THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES SO MUCH

[hi-i-love-u-bitch]

I have a kind of funny/kind of tragic AU idea bubbling in my head for the past few weeks.

So like in this AU Alastor isn't under a contract/deal, he's still insane and wants to cause chaos BUT ALSO he's lonely and wants to make friends. He's still very much AroAce in this AU so no romance or sex but that doesn't mean he doesn't want an honest connection with people. But he's also a psychotic serial killer with a very warped sense of morality which most people tend to find very creepy, so it's very difficult for him to actually get to know people when they don't want to approach you. Mimzy he's known since he was alive while Rosie and Zestiel have been in hell much longer and have seen and done shit much worse so its easy for Alastor to make friends with them.

Like he genuinely had a very close friendship with Vox up until Vox confessed his feelings and asked Alastor to join the Vees. Alastor of course said no but since he still wanted to be friends with Vox he tried to reject him as nicely as possible. Vox of course DID NOT take that well and a fight ensues between them. He considered Vox his best friend and was absolutely devastating when it all went down. That of course did not help with his already waning sanity.

When Alastor met Niffty he was overall charmed by her eccentric and chaotic nature. They got along like a house on fire, sometimes literally. She wasn't even offended when Alastor rejected her romantic advances, cheerfully stating that it was fine as long as she could stay by his side. "You wouldn't be able to get rid of me anyways!" A statement that would strike fear onto even the bravest of men but instead brought Alastor immense amounts of comfort and relief. Even so, he needed to assure that Niffty would never leave him, so he offered a contract. Alastor didn't even need to do all that much convincing to get her to sign, just say that as long as her soul was his they'd be together forever. Niffty was lonely too, an outsider even amongst the dammed of hell itself. Kindred spirits now forever intertwined by soul and contract.

Alastor didn't think much of Husk when they first met, just another pompous overlord drunk off power. In some ways he was right but also Husk was witty and charming and liked jazz and wasn't at all startled by Alastor's creepy demeanor and "unique" hobbies. He laughed at Alastor's jokes even if he said they were god awful, was probably the only other person living or dead that could drink Alastor under a table, and he didn't at all mind Alastor's distaste for technology passed the 1930s. Niffty liked him too which was a pretty good sign in Alastor's book and they got along swimmingly. The void that Vox left when they had inevitably parted ways was beginning to fill itself with whiskey, smoke, and card games. Alastor was determined NOT to lose it this time.

Alastor cheated of course, there was no way in hell he'd beat the gambling overlord fairly. He disguised his plan with a few stiff drinks and a seemingly playfully bet not ment to mean anything more than a joke. Husk was furious, if Alastor hadn't had him chained down he was sure the cat man would have shreded him to ribbons. He let Husk have a bit of space after that, let him cool down a bit, and it nearly made Alastor regret the whole thing because Husk refused to talk to him for MONTHS. Alastor did feel a bit guilty, not for tricking Husk into a contract but for cheating. Because Husk cheated all the time with anything and everything, from the most innocent card game between acquaintances to soul deals and contracts, but he never once cheated Alastor ever.

Husk did come around eventually, reluctantly, in that way people usually do when they finally give up and find they're in a situation they can't get out of. He was bitter, grumpy, and still incredibly pissed off about everything but at least he as talking to Alastor again. Albeit if only just to tell him off, but Alastor took it as a win anyway. He's lucky that he's Alastor's best friend (again, not by choice) because if anyone else were to speak to him like that they'd be dinner.

When Alastor hears about the hotel he thinks its the stupidest idea anybody has ever come up with. When he heard that it came from the princess of hell herself it made it that much funnier to him. Alastor loved messing around with people, his favorite kind being powerful people that were too much of a doormat to realize how powerful they actually are. That's what Charlie was to Alastor: a powerful being reduced to a meek and naive girl. At least, at first. Charlie was...kind. Far too kind for someone born and raised in hell. She genuinely cared and worried for the dirty filth of this wretched land as if there was actually something to save. That is to say: she was kind to him. She was still slightly creeped out by his overall demeanor but she was still kind and sweet and caring. She liked to talk to him even though Alastor would sometimes say some disturbing shit, she thanked him for his help even though he told her to her face that he thought her dreams where foolish, and she overall seemed to actually enjoy his company.

She reminded him of his mother.

That's it! That's all I'm giving you guys because if I keep going I'm gunna end up writing a whole fic about it 😅

[moondust-imagines]

Who gets the girl? (Adam Copeland x Fem!reader)

Reader isn’t the nicest person in this one :)

2000 Backstage at Monday Night Raw

Adam’s hands felt heavy on your hips as he guided you to grind on his jean clad thigh. His lips captured yours in a steamy kiss to dampen your quiet moans. The cool wall behind you was almost a welcome contrast to the heat radiating from you. Neither of you had time for this, someone was bound to be looking for one of you by now. He just couldn’t help himself.

“Adam!? Where the fuck are you we need to get ready” Christian called

Adam pulled away from you reluctantly. You instantly missed the warmth of him pressing against your body. He threw you a quick wink before disappearing around the corner, hopefully to divert Christian long enough to let you tidy up your dishevelled appearance before he suspected something.

Adam reappeared with Christian in tow not long after. You were touching up your lip gloss in the mirror, Adam caught your eye in the reflection and flashed you a grin.

“Think you can fix his ugly mug?” Adam joked as Christian sat in your make-up chair.

“Not a miracle worker I’m afraid but I’ll see what I can do” You teased, earning a playful glare from the man. You attempted to run your fingers through his hair to get it out of his face but got tangled in the knots.

“What have I told you about using conditioner? You’ve got a damn birds nest up here” You scolded

“Maybe you should shower with me to remind me” He replied quietly. You gave him a gentle slap to the shoulder, hoping Adam hadn’t heard his flirtatious comment.

“You’ve got the Hardys tonight right?” You asked while searching for your comb in the slightly organised chaos of your table.

“We sure do, speaking of which I should go find them while you’re dealing with bird brain here” Adam said, making a quick exit.

“He’s going to get suspicious if he hears you say stuff like that” You chastised Christian quietly, trying to brush through his hair as gently as you could

“So what? He’d probably congratulate me on following in his womanising footsteps” He joked “You know I’d tell the whole damn roster about us if you’d let me”

“I don’t get involved with co-workers Christian, you know that” You sighed

“Yeah? You seemed pretty involved with me in the locker room shower last week” He replied with a grin

-

You hadn’t meant to hurt Christian, you were young and too wrapped up in your own feelings to think about what you were doing to him. He was devastated when he had finally caught you and Adam. His sadness had quickly turned to rage then simmered to resentment over the years. You thought they had mended bridges a few years ago, Christian had been one of the groomsmen at your wedding.

Then Adam made his debut in AEW a few years later and that resentment reared its ugly head once more.

-

“I should go out there and talk to him” Your husband muttered. You were clutching his bicep while watching a monitor. Christian was running his mouth in the ring and you could feel the agitation rolling from Adam.

“You’re not going to change his mind Adam” You sighed “If you go out there, all that bad feeling is going to be out in the open again”

You shuddered at the memory of the harsh promos he had cut on you and Adam when the wound of your betrayal was still fresh. Being put on blast in public like that wasn’t fun, but maybe it was what you deserved.

“Baby, we have a whole life together! We’ve been married for years, we’ve got two beautiful girls. If he can’t see that we were meant to be, then he’s no longer the man I grew up with” Adam exclaimed

So Adam went to the ring and confronted him. And you watched on anxiously.

“You think you get to come out here and give me the big nostalgia speech? One last run? Hell no. You’ve taken everything from me: championships, recognition, you even got the girl! This is my turn, my turn to get my flowers!”

You squeezed your eyes shut, willing the tears not to run. You knew he was right, he deserved his time in the sun. You just wished he didn’t feel the need to step on his best friend to get it.

[radama-zard]

For snuggles and hugs: back hugs and everthing inbetween with Ashton and FCG?

From This Prompt List!

Fresh Cut Grass wasn't used to being this… fragile.

Their chassis had been sturdy; thick and solid in its design. A body made to soak up damage, to hit and be hit, with little worry for any serious damage.

Well, in most circumstances, at least. The last blow taken had been devastating to say the least, obliterating them down to the wires. What little remained barely felt fit to be called scrap, molten metal utterly unrecognizable.

Robotic viscera, an image burned deep in the nightmares of Bells Hells.

And yet, he couldn't really bring himself to regret it.

Better himself than his friends!

No, this was fine. Everything was fine.

Even with the searing pain and the horrified, devastated screams of the Hells, muted only by the strange, untethered peace of death’s warm embrace.

Of course they were fine!! The heart wrenching begging, the desperate tugs upon their weary soul, and the waking… oh the waking.

Not to come back online, to switch from one mode to another. No, they well and truly AWOKE, eyes blinking wearily as Fresh Cut Grass took a raspy, shuddering breath.

Breath falling from dark, quivering lips, dampened by some kind of liquid, running hot down their face.

Even as panic sunk it’s gnarled claws deep into his flesh- oh dear Changebringer above, he had flesh now, how in the hay did he have flesh?!

As their body started to shake, without rattles and clangs, all quiet and soft and and wrong, this was wrong, why was everything wro-

Arms.

Strong.

Solid.

Safe.

A chest like rock, pressing against their back, rising and falling rhythmically, a soothing, steady pulse that Fresh Cut Grass tried desperately to match. Breaths, with something… muttered. Low, a tad gravely. Rough, yet undeniably warm.

A voice that felt like home.

“A… Ashton?” they croaked on out, vocal chords just barely cooperating; new and yet already frazzled, knotted by the waves of overwhelming… well, everything.

Everything but Ashton, who held them close, their grip firm and yet undeniably gentle. As though Fresh Cut Grass were but a kitten, terrified and so unimaginably tiny, in danger of being crushed by their hulking, harshened form.

Not that Ashton was any of those things to them!

No, his friend was like a bastion of safety, a shield of protection and defense. Rock solid and reliable. A beacon of loyalty and warmth, hidden behind a jagged, sharp exterior.

And that warmth was bleeding through, seeping into Fresh Cut Grass’ newly formed bones, even as they quivered, shaken by a sobbing they barely took note of, thrown into a pile of muddled blurs, much like their friends who surrounded them.

Unnoticed, like the sympathetic figure that stood above him, her red hair and autumnal cape flowing in the breeze as she took a few steps back, her job now complete.

All that mattered in this moment was Ashton, who curled protectively around their newly Reincarnated friend, as they felt Fresh Cut Grass cling weakly to their forearms, stuttering out barely comprehensible apologies.

“S-Sorry, I- T-Touchin’, I… I know it- it h-hurt-”

“Quit apologizing. I don’t give a rat’s ass about my pain right now, you hear me? It doesn't fuckin’ matter. What matters to me right now is you, you hear me, Grass? You fuckin’ matter, so much more than any gods forsaken pain!”

What could they even say to that right now?

Nothing, apparently. Nothing but a torrent of tears, hot and heavy and oh so disgustingly fluid-y. A mess of disjointed sobs that filled the cool afternoon air, as Ashton pulled him in impossibly closer, the only thing keeping Fresh Cut Grass grounded in this new and overwhelming reality.

Yes, they were far too fragile now; a soft, trembling mess of elven limbs, far too alive for their own comfort.

And okay, maybe they weren't fine. Maybe everything was too much, a cocophy of tastes and smells and sensations and organic functions that all just felt like so, so much.

But Ashton was here, and with their all encompassing embrace, they didn't need to worry about falling apart. Just like the day they’d first met, Fresh Cut Grass trusted Ashton to pick up their broken pieces, and with scarred, yet gentle hands, put him back together again.

((Went a lil off the beaten path here, having a bit of fun with Keyleth and the spell Reincarnate~))

[steviewashere]

Steddie Fic Recommendations Part 4!

Previous Recommendations: Part One Part Two Part Three

Okay, there's a lot of new people who follow me since I last did this. But I'm here to bring you some more recommendations! Last week, I did explicit only fics in anticipation for Valentine's Day (not that sex equals like love or whatever). There's no theme for this one, but I hope these reads treat you well!

Also, any Tumblr blogs that may be tagged, feel free to reach out for me to remove the tag. I have no qualms doing so!

As always, the tags and themes vary on all of these fics. Heed all tags, ratings, and archive warnings with caution.

it’s tactless, it’s a test (it’s just therese) by a_pleasure_to_burn

“Steve hasn't been the same since that night nearly a month ago when Eddie reinvented him in an Indianapolis drag club. A new piece of his puzzle has been added - or perhaps, it was there the entire time, embedded in Peggy Lee songs and navy blue dresses.

Or - Steve Harrington has a gender crisis on Eddie's floor. Cuddles and sweaters ensue.”

Chapters: 1/1, WC: 5,179, Rating: General no Archive Warnings Apply

Part of a Series: Steddie Drag Queen AU Canon Divergence AU Genderfluid/Genderqueer Steve Harrington

—————

2. The Only Living Ghost in New York by beetlesandstars @beetlesandstarss

“‘Eddie?’ Steve sounds sleep-rough even to his own ears. ‘What’s up, man? It’s like, midnight.’

‘I know, I know, sorry, just—’ Eddie takes a breath. ‘David proposed to me.’

Steve feels the world tilt on its axis. ‘Oh.’

‘Aren’t you gonna ask me what I said?’

Softly, Steve asks, ‘What did you say?’

‘I said yes.’

(Or, Steve and Eddie navigate their twenties together and apart. Eventually, something has to give.)”

Chapters: 1/1, WC: 8,065, Rating: Mature no Archive Warnings apply Modern Setting AU

—————

3. don’t you (forget about me) by brokenfandoms @steddiehyperfixation

“A scared and confused Eddie wakes up in the hospital missing 11 months of his memory, with no idea what landed him in there or why Steve Harrington is at his bedside holding his hand.

A devastated and heartbroken Steve wrestles with the unprecedented grief that comes from the realization that the man he loves no longer knows him.”

Chapters: 8/8, WC: 22, 305, Rating: Teen and Up no Archive Warnings apply Canon Divergence AU

—————

4. steve’s secret munson mixtape by everythingwasragtime

“Steve could play it cool during his shifts and hell, he’d even manage to distract himself whenever him and Robin were frolicking around town, getting Slurpees and talking about her love life. When he was alone was where the trouble started. He would hang his keys up on the hook next to the front door and the silence would immediately bombard him with echoes of ‘don’t ya, big boy?’ the very words that made his brain short circuit.

(In which Steve Harrington unknowingly begins to make a mixtape for whenever he finds himself thinking about a certain metalhead)”

Chapters: 16/16, WC: 35,000, Rating: Teen and Up without using Archive Warnings

[teddymoon06]

Close to the edge

Chapter Four: The Weight of Loss

The silence in the storeroom was suffocating. Y/N sat on the cold floor, her arms wrapped around her knees, staring blankly at the wall in front of her. The image of Ji-su—twisted, broken, and lost—was burned into her mind. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake it. She had faced loss before—her family, her friends, her world—but this felt different. More personal. More devastating.

Ji-su had been her strength, her hope in the darkest moments. Now, that light was snuffed out, and in its place was only the gnawing emptiness that threatened to pull her under.

“You should rest,” Yeonghu said softly from his place near the door. His bat rested against the wall, ready to strike at any moment. He never let his guard down, not even now. His face, as always, was unreadable, but Y/N could sense the weight he was carrying too. She wasn’t the only one who had lost someone.

“I can’t,” Y/N whispered, her voice hoarse. “Every time I close my eyes, I see her.”

Yeonghu glanced at her, his expression softening for a fraction of a second before he looked away. “You can’t keep going like this. If you don’t rest, it’ll only get worse. You’ll make mistakes.”

“I know,” Y/N murmured, though the thought of sleeping—of letting her mind drift back to Ji-su’s final moments—made her stomach twist with dread. She didn’t want to see her friend’s lifeless body. She didn’t want to relive that horror.

But Yeonghu was right. If she didn’t rest, she’d be a liability. She’d slow him down. And in a place like Green Home, a single mistake could mean death.

With a heavy sigh, Y/N shifted her position, resting her head against the wall. Her body ached with exhaustion, the pain in her leg throbbing beneath the bandage. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the steady rhythm of her breathing instead of the chaos swirling in her mind.

But sleep didn’t come.

Instead, her thoughts wandered back to the group. They had lost Ji-su, but what about the others? Hyun-su, Jae-heon, and the rest of them—were they still alive, fighting somewhere in this hell? Or had the monsters taken them too? The uncertainty gnawed at her insides, filling her with a restless desperation. She wanted to go back out there, to search for them, to make sure they were safe.

But she wasn’t strong enough right now. She wasn’t ready.

“We’ll find them,” Yeonghu said quietly, as if reading her thoughts. His voice was low, but there was a certainty in it that Y/N clung to.

“You don’t know that,” Y/N replied, her voice shaking slightly. She hated how weak she sounded, how hopeless. “We don’t even know if they’re still alive.”

Yeonghu turned to her, his dark eyes locking onto hers. “I know they’re fighters. Just like us. And as long as they’re out there, they’ll keep fighting.”

His words didn’t erase the fear, but they did provide a small flicker of hope. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to help her breathe a little easier.

“They need us to stay alive too,” he added, his voice softer now. “We’re not doing them any favors if we get ourselves killed.”

Y/N nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. He was right. They couldn’t give up. Not yet. Not while there was still a chance that someone else was out there, waiting for them.

After a few more minutes of silence, Yeonghu stood and crossed the room. He knelt beside her, his presence calm but steady. “Here,” he said, offering her a small canteen of water. “Drink something. It’ll help.”

Y/N took the canteen gratefully, her hands shaking slightly as she unscrewed the cap and took a small sip. The cool water soothed her parched throat, offering a momentary distraction from the turmoil inside her.

“Thanks,” she murmured, handing the canteen back.

Yeonghu nodded, standing up and returning to his spot near the door. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest as he scanned the small room, his gaze never resting in one place for too long. It was clear that he never truly let his guard down, even in moments like this.

“How do you do it?” Y/N asked suddenly, her voice breaking the silence. “How do you… keep going? After everything?”

Yeonghu glanced at her, his expression unreadable. For a moment, he didn’t answer, as if he were weighing his words carefully.

“I don’t have a choice,” he said finally, his voice steady. “In a world like this, if you stop, you die. I’m not ready to die yet.”

The simplicity of his words struck her. It wasn’t about hope or heroism—it was about survival. In this twisted, broken world, there was no room for anything else.

“I’m not either,” Y/N whispered, though part of her felt like she had already died a little inside. Losing Ji-su had taken a piece of her she wasn’t sure she’d ever get back.

Yeonghu’s gaze softened for a brief moment. “We’ve all lost people, Y/N. It doesn’t get easier. But we keep going because that’s the only way to honor them. By surviving.”

Y/N nodded, letting his words sink in. Maybe he was right. Maybe surviving was all they had left. And maybe, if they could make it through this nightmare, there would be something worth living for on the other side.

But for now, all they could do was survive.

The hours passed slowly. Y/N eventually drifted into a light sleep, though her dreams were plagued with images of Ji-su and the other monsters that haunted Green Home. Every creak of the building, every distant growl, jerked her back to wakefulness, her heart racing.

Yeonghu hadn’t slept at all. He remained a silent sentinel at the door, his eyes scanning the hallway beyond for any sign of movement. His face was drawn, the lines of exhaustion evident, but he never wavered. His focus was unrelenting, his determination as solid as the bat he held in his hand.

When Y/N finally sat up, her body stiff and sore, she found Yeonghu watching her with a quiet intensity.

“We need to move soon,” he said, his voice low. “The monsters will be more active at night. We have a better chance of getting out now.”

Y/N rubbed the sleep from her eyes, nodding in agreement. “Where do we go?”

“There’s another stairwell on the west side of the building,” Yeonghu explained. “It should lead us down to the ground floor. From there, we can try to find the others.”

Y/N’s stomach twisted at the thought of going back out into the darkness, but she knew they couldn’t stay here. Not forever. They had to keep moving.

“We’ll be careful,” Yeonghu added, as if sensing her hesitation. “But we have to try.”

Y/N took a deep breath, steeling herself. “Alright. Let’s go.”

They gathered their limited supplies—mostly makeshift weapons and the few remaining bottles of water they had found along the way—and headed for the door. Y/N’s leg still throbbed, but the rest had helped ease some of the pain. She could manage for now.

As they stepped into the hallway, the cold air hit her like a wave, chilling her to the bone. The building was eerily quiet, the oppressive silence only broken by the occasional distant scream or the low groans of the structure settling. Every shadow seemed to hold a hidden danger, every corner a potential deathtrap.

Yeonghu took the lead, his bat held tightly in his hand, his footsteps silent as he moved with practiced precision. Y/N followed closely, her heart pounding in her chest, her senses on high alert.

The stairwell wasn’t far, but every step felt like a lifetime. Y/N’s breath came in shallow gasps, her mind racing as she tried to focus on the task at hand. They had to make it to the others. They had to survive.

When they finally reached the stairwell, Yeonghu paused, listening intently for any signs of movement below. The darkness stretched down into the abyss, and Y/N could barely make out the faint outlines of the steps.

“It’s clear,” Yeonghu whispered, motioning for her to follow.

They descended the stairs slowly, their movements cautious and deliberate. The air grew colder the further they went, the musty stench of decay growing stronger.

As they reached the next landing, a sudden noise stopped them in their tracks.

A low growl echoed from the shadows below, followed by the unmistakable sound of shuffling footsteps.

Y/N’s heart leapt into her throat as she gripped her weapon tighter, her pulse racing. They weren’t alone.

Yeonghu’s eyes flicked to her, his expression grim.

“Get ready,” he whispered.

The fight for survival was far from over.

The silence in the storeroom was suffocating. Y/N sat on the cold floor, her arms wrapped around her knees, staring blankly at the wall in front of her. The image of Ji-su—twisted, broken, and lost—was burned into her mind. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake it. She had faced loss before—her family, her friends, her world—but this felt different. More personal. More devastating.

Ji-su had been her strength, her hope in the darkest moments. Now, that light was snuffed out, and in its place was only the gnawing emptiness that threatened to pull her under.

“You should rest,” Yeonghu said softly from his place near the door. His bat rested against the wall, ready to strike at any moment. He never let his guard down, not even now. His face, as always, was unreadable, but Y/N could sense the weight he was carrying too. She wasn’t the only one who had lost someone.

“I can’t,” Y/N whispered, her voice hoarse. “Every time I close my eyes, I see her.”

Yeonghu glanced at her, his expression softening for a fraction of a second before he looked away. “You can’t keep going like this. If you don’t rest, it’ll only get worse. You’ll make mistakes.”

“I know,” Y/N murmured, though the thought of sleeping—of letting her mind drift back to Ji-su’s final moments—made her stomach twist with dread. She didn’t want to see her friend’s lifeless body. She didn’t want to relive that horror.

But Yeonghu was right. If she didn’t rest, she’d be a liability. She’d slow him down. And in a place like Green Home, a single mistake could mean death.

With a heavy sigh, Y/N shifted her position, resting her head against the wall. Her body ached with exhaustion, the pain in her leg throbbing beneath the bandage. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the steady rhythm of her breathing instead of the chaos swirling in her mind.

But sleep didn’t come.

Instead, her thoughts wandered back to the group. They had lost Ji-su, but what about the others? Hyun-su, Jae-heon, and the rest of them—were they still alive, fighting somewhere in this hell? Or had the monsters taken them too? The uncertainty gnawed at her insides, filling her with a restless desperation. She wanted to go back out there, to search for them, to make sure they were safe.

But she wasn’t strong enough right now. She wasn’t ready.

“We’ll find them,” Yeonghu said quietly, as if reading her thoughts. His voice was low, but there was a certainty in it that Y/N clung to.

“You don’t know that,” Y/N replied, her voice shaking slightly. She hated how weak she sounded, how hopeless. “We don’t even know if they’re still alive.”

Yeonghu turned to her, his dark eyes locking onto hers. “I know they’re fighters. Just like us. And as long as they’re out there, they’ll keep fighting.”

His words didn’t erase the fear, but they did provide a small flicker of hope. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to help her breathe a little easier.

“They need us to stay alive too,” he added, his voice softer now. “We’re not doing them any favors if we get ourselves killed.”

Y/N nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. He was right. They couldn’t give up. Not yet. Not while there was still a chance that someone else was out there, waiting for them.

After a few more minutes of silence, Yeonghu stood and crossed the room. He knelt beside her, his presence calm but steady. “Here,” he said, offering her a small canteen of water. “Drink something. It’ll help.”

Y/N took the canteen gratefully, her hands shaking slightly as she unscrewed the cap and took a small sip. The cool water soothed her parched throat, offering a momentary distraction from the turmoil inside her.

“Thanks,” she murmured, handing the canteen back.

Yeonghu nodded, standing up and returning to his spot near the door. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest as he scanned the small room, his gaze never resting in one place for too long. It was clear that he never truly let his guard down, even in moments like this.

“How do you do it?” Y/N asked suddenly, her voice breaking the silence. “How do you… keep going? After everything?”

Yeonghu glanced at her, his expression unreadable. For a moment, he didn’t answer, as if he were weighing his words carefully.

“I don’t have a choice,” he said finally, his voice steady. “In a world like this, if you stop, you die. I’m not ready to die yet.”

The simplicity of his words struck her. It wasn’t about hope or heroism—it was about survival. In this twisted, broken world, there was no room for anything else.

“I’m not either,” Y/N whispered, though part of her felt like she had already died a little inside. Losing Ji-su had taken a piece of her she wasn’t sure she’d ever get back.

Yeonghu’s gaze softened for a brief moment. “We’ve all lost people, Y/N. It doesn’t get easier. But we keep going because that’s the only way to honor them. By surviving.”

Y/N nodded, letting his words sink in. Maybe he was right. Maybe surviving was all they had left. And maybe, if they could make it through this nightmare, there would be something worth living for on the other side.

But for now, all they could do was survive.

The hours passed slowly. Y/N eventually drifted into a light sleep, though her dreams were plagued with images of Ji-su and the other monsters that haunted Green Home. Every creak of the building, every distant growl, jerked her back to wakefulness, her heart racing.

Yeonghu hadn’t slept at all. He remained a silent sentinel at the door, his eyes scanning the hallway beyond for any sign of movement. His face was drawn, the lines of exhaustion evident, but he never wavered. His focus was unrelenting, his determination as solid as the bat he held in his hand.

When Y/N finally sat up, her body stiff and sore, she found Yeonghu watching her with a quiet intensity.

“We need to move soon,” he said, his voice low. “The monsters will be more active at night. We have a better chance of getting out now.”

Y/N rubbed the sleep from her eyes, nodding in agreement. “Where do we go?”

“There’s another stairwell on the west side of the building,” Yeonghu explained. “It should lead us down to the ground floor. From there, we can try to find the others.”

Y/N’s stomach twisted at the thought of going back out into the darkness, but she knew they couldn’t stay here. Not forever. They had to keep moving.

“We’ll be careful,” Yeonghu added, as if sensing her hesitation. “But we have to try.”

Y/N took a deep breath, steeling herself. “Alright. Let’s go.”

They gathered their limited supplies—mostly makeshift weapons and the few remaining bottles of water they had found along the way—and headed for the door. Y/N’s leg still throbbed, but the rest had helped ease some of the pain. She could manage for now.

As they stepped into the hallway, the cold air hit her like a wave, chilling her to the bone. The building was eerily quiet, the oppressive silence only broken by the occasional distant scream or the low groans of the structure settling. Every shadow seemed to hold a hidden danger, every corner a potential deathtrap.

Yeonghu took the lead, his bat held tightly in his hand, his footsteps silent as he moved with practiced precision. Y/N followed closely, her heart pounding in her chest, her senses on high alert.

The stairwell wasn’t far, but every step felt like a lifetime. Y/N’s breath came in shallow gasps, her mind racing as she tried to focus on the task at hand. They had to make it to the others. They had to survive.

When they finally reached the stairwell, Yeonghu paused, listening intently for any signs of movement below. The darkness stretched down into the abyss, and Y/N could barely make out the faint outlines of the steps.

“It’s clear,” Yeonghu whispered, motioning for her to follow.

They descended the stairs slowly, their movements cautious and deliberate. The air grew colder the further they went, the musty stench of decay growing stronger.

As they reached the next landing, a sudden noise stopped them in their tracks.

A low growl echoed from the shadows below, followed by the unmistakable sound of shuffling footsteps.

Y/N’s heart leapt into her throat as she gripped her weapon tighter, her pulse racing. They weren’t alone.

Yeonghu’s eyes flicked to her, his expression grim.

“Get ready,” he whispered.

The fight for survival was far from over.

The sound of shuffling footsteps grew louder, echoing off the cracked walls of the stairwell. Y/N’s heartbeat thundered in her ears as she tightened her grip on the weapon in her hand, her pulse quickening with every step they took. The darkness ahead seemed alive, shifting and breathing with unseen danger, and for a moment, she felt the overwhelming urge to run.

But there was nowhere to go. They were trapped in this building, just as much prey as anyone else who had ever wandered inside.

Yeonghu motioned for Y/N to stop, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the shadows ahead. He moved like a predator himself, silent and calculated, his focus razor-sharp. Y/N held her breath, trusting his instincts.

The growling grew closer.

Without warning, a figure lurched out from the stairwell below them, its pale, distorted face illuminated in the dim light. The creature, once human but now twisted and monstrous, snarled as it charged toward them, its eyes wild with hunger.

Yeonghu reacted instantly, swinging his bat with lethal precision. The blunt force connected with the monster’s head, the sickening sound of bone cracking reverberating through the air. The creature collapsed in a heap at his feet, twitching for a moment before going still.

But the noise had attracted more.

From the darkness below, a chorus of growls and guttural shrieks echoed back, growing louder by the second. Y/N felt her stomach twist as the unmistakable sound of footsteps—many footsteps—grew closer. She glanced at Yeonghu, panic flashing in her eyes.

“There’s more of them,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

“I know,” Yeonghu muttered, his jaw clenched. “We have to move. Now.”

They turned and sprinted down the stairwell, their footsteps echoing off the walls as they descended as fast as they could. Y/N’s leg burned with pain, but she forced herself to push through it. She couldn’t afford to slow down. Not now.

As they reached the next floor, Yeonghu pushed open the door and they stumbled into another dimly lit hallway. The walls here were damp, mold creeping up from the floor, and the air was thick with the stench of decay. But it was quiet—too quiet. The only sounds were the distant growls of the monsters they had left behind and the rapid thudding of Y/N’s own heartbeat.

For a moment, they stood in the middle of the hallway, trying to catch their breath. Y/N leaned against the wall, wincing as she gingerly touched her injured leg. The pain was getting worse, and she knew she couldn’t keep up this pace for much longer.

“How much farther?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Yeonghu glanced around, his eyes darting between the rooms and doorways. “We’re close,” he said, though his tone held little reassurance. “If we can make it through this wing, we should reach the west exit. After that, we can find the others.”

Y/N nodded, though doubt gnawed at her insides. The building felt like a maze, each floor a mirror image of the last, and every turn seemed to lead them deeper into the heart of this nightmare. But what choice did they have? The monsters were closing in, and the longer they stayed here, the more dangerous it would become.

Yeonghu moved forward, his bat held at the ready, his eyes scanning the darkened corridors for any sign of movement. Y/N followed closely, her weapon gripped tightly in her hands. She forced herself to focus on the task at hand—on surviving. But the weight of Ji-su’s loss still clung to her like a shroud, making every step feel heavier than the last.

As they turned a corner, a sudden crash echoed from behind them.

Y/N’s breath hitched in her throat as she spun around, her eyes widening in fear. From the far end of the hallway, a group of monsters—at least four or five—came barreling toward them, their grotesque faces twisted in rage. Their bodies were disfigured, bloated and warped beyond recognition, and their eyes gleamed with a hunger that sent chills down Y/N’s spine.

“Run!” Yeonghu barked, his voice urgent.

Without hesitation, they bolted down the corridor, their feet pounding against the floor as the creatures chased after them. Y/N’s lungs burned, her injured leg protesting with every step, but she couldn’t stop. She couldn’t slow down.

Yeonghu led the way, his movements swift and agile despite the danger closing in on them. He glanced back at her, his face set with grim determination. “There’s a stairwell up ahead,” he shouted. “We can lose them there!”

Y/N nodded, though her breath came in ragged gasps. The monsters were getting closer, their guttural growls filling the hallway, and she could feel the cold grip of fear tightening around her heart. But she kept running, pushing herself harder, ignoring the pain that threatened to drag her down.

Finally, they reached the stairwell. Yeonghu threw open the door, and they stumbled inside, slamming it shut behind them. The creatures crashed against the door a moment later, their furious snarls echoing through the narrow space.

Yeonghu leaned against the door, bracing it with his weight as the monsters clawed at the other side, their growls growing more frantic.

“They won’t hold for long,” he muttered, his voice strained.

Y/N nodded, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Her mind raced, searching for a way out, but the stairwell was narrow, the walls lined with rusted pipes and debris. There was no other exit.

“What do we do?” she asked, panic creeping into her voice.

Yeonghu looked at her, his eyes dark and focused. “We make a stand.”

Before she could protest, the door buckled under the force of the monsters’ assault, and with a deafening crash, it gave way. The creatures spilled into the stairwell, their snarls filling the air as they charged toward them.

Yeonghu moved first, swinging his bat with deadly precision. The first monster fell, its skull caving in under the blow, but there were too many. They kept coming, their numbers overwhelming.

Y/N raised her weapon, her heart pounding as she prepared to fight.

This was it. There was no escape.

The fight for survival had begun.

Y/N’s heart raced as the monsters burst through the broken door, their snarls reverberating in the narrow stairwell. Her grip tightened around the makeshift weapon in her hand—an old metal pipe she had picked up earlier. The overwhelming fear clawed at her insides, but she forced herself to focus on the immediate threat in front of her.

Yeonghu had already taken down two of the creatures, his bat swinging with brutal efficiency, but more kept coming. Their twisted forms lunged toward them with animalistic hunger, teeth bared and eyes wide with rage.

“Stay behind me!” Yeonghu shouted over the chaos, his voice sharp and commanding. He moved like a force of nature, blocking the stairwell with his body as he swung at anything that got too close. His movements were quick and calculated, but even he couldn’t fight forever.

Y/N steeled herself, forcing her legs to move despite the searing pain shooting through her injured one. She wasn’t about to let him fight alone—not after everything they had been through.

One of the monsters lunged toward her, its grotesque face twisted with rage. Y/N swung the pipe as hard as she could, the impact jarring her arms as it connected with the creature’s head. It stumbled back, dazed, but before she could react, another monster closed in from her right.

She barely had time to dodge, stumbling back against the wall as it swiped at her with clawed hands. A sharp pain shot through her side as its nails grazed her skin, tearing through her shirt.

“Damn it!” Y/N gasped, her breath hitching in her throat. She swung again, this time aiming for its legs, hoping to knock it off balance. The creature let out a guttural snarl as it collapsed to the floor, but more were coming.

“Y/N!” Yeonghu’s voice cut through the noise as he slammed his bat into another monster’s chest, sending it sprawling down the stairs. His eyes locked on hers, filled with urgency. “We can’t hold them off here. We need to move!”

Y/N nodded, her breathing ragged as she wiped the blood from her face. There was no way they could keep fighting in such a confined space. They were trapped in the stairwell, and the longer they stayed, the worse their chances of survival became.

Yeonghu scanned the area quickly, his mind racing. “There’s a fire escape on the other side of the building,” he said, his voice tight with urgency. “If we can get there, we might have a chance.”

The monsters were closing in, their snarls growing louder, and Y/N knew they didn’t have time to hesitate. With one last swing, she took down the creature closest to her and made a break for the door at the bottom of the stairwell.

Yeonghu followed, his bat raised as he fended off the remaining monsters. They pushed through the doorway, slamming it shut behind them, but they both knew it wouldn’t hold for long. The creatures on the other side were relentless, their heavy bodies crashing against the door as they tried to break through.

“This way,” Yeonghu said, grabbing her arm and pulling her forward.

They stumbled into another hallway, the air thick with the stench of decay and mildew. The dim, flickering lights cast eerie shadows on the cracked walls, and the floor was littered with debris—broken furniture, shattered glass, and old bloodstains.

The fire escape was at the far end of the hallway, but it felt impossibly far away. Y/N’s leg throbbed with every step, the pain almost unbearable, but she kept moving. She had to.

“Keep going,” Yeonghu urged, glancing over his shoulder. The pounding on the stairwell door was growing louder, more frantic. It wouldn’t hold much longer.

They reached the end of the hallway, and Yeonghu pushed open the door to the fire escape. The cold night air rushed in, a stark contrast to the oppressive heat inside the building. Y/N gasped for breath, relief flooding through her as she stepped onto the metal platform. They had made it—at least for now.

The fire escape was narrow and rickety, its metal rails rusted from years of neglect. Below them, the darkened streets of Seoul stretched out like a desolate wasteland, the city once bustling with life now eerily silent and empty.

Yeonghu peered over the edge, scanning the area below for any sign of movement. “Looks clear,” he muttered, his eyes narrowing. “But we need to move fast. There could be more of them.”

Y/N nodded, her heart still racing from the adrenaline. She followed Yeonghu down the fire escape, the metal creaking under their weight as they descended. Every step felt treacherous, but the further they got from the building, the more she allowed herself to hope. Maybe they could make it out of this after all.

When they finally reached the ground, the quiet felt unnerving. The oppressive atmosphere of Green Home had become so familiar that the open space, even tainted by darkness, felt disorienting.

“We can rest here for a moment,” Yeonghu said, scanning their surroundings. “But not for long. We’re too exposed.”

Y/N leaned against the cold brick wall, her entire body aching from the fight. She winced as she touched the wound on her side, feeling the warm stickiness of blood. “I’m fine,” she muttered, more to herself than to Yeonghu.

He turned to her, his dark eyes narrowing. “Let me see.”

Y/N reluctantly pulled up her shirt, revealing the jagged wound on her side. The scratches weren’t deep, but they were painful, and blood had already soaked through the torn fabric.

“Damn it,” Yeonghu cursed under his breath, pulling a small medical kit from his bag. “This’ll sting.”

Y/N nodded, biting her lip as he cleaned the wound. The sting was sharp, but she kept her focus on the horizon, trying to block out the pain. It was nothing compared to the terror they had just escaped from.

Once he was finished, Yeonghu bandaged the wound as best he could. “You’ll be okay for now,” he said, his voice steady. “But we need to find somewhere safe soon. You won’t last long if you keep pushing yourself like this.”

Y/N glanced up at him, a mixture of gratitude and frustration bubbling up inside her. She hated feeling like a burden, but she knew he was right. Her body was reaching its limit.

“We’ll find them,” Yeonghu said quietly, as if sensing her thoughts. “The others. We’ll get through this.”

Y/N looked into his eyes and saw something she hadn’t expected—hope. Despite everything they had lost, despite the hell they were living in, Yeonghu still believed they had a chance. And for the first time in what felt like forever, Y/N allowed herself to believe it too.

She nodded, determination hardening inside her. “Let’s go.”

They pushed off from the wall and disappeared into the darkened streets, the weight of loss heavy on their shoulders but not enough to break them. There was still more to fight for.

And the fight was far from over.

End of chapter four

Next | Previous

[kunikloj]

I think Petscop is really cool because it doesn’t have an explanation. Or at least, not one that we’ll ever be given in full likelihood. After all, wouldn’t doing so defeat the purpose of the series itself?

At the end of the day, we are spectators to something that does not concern us. The only people Petscop is concerned with are those who receive the disk: the people who Rainer desperately needs—or needed—to contact. These are the people who know the family, can solve puzzles based on their family knowledge, and who could possibly save others from enduring the tragedies that befell Michael and Care.

For Tony to explain any of it to us in detail would be counter to the narrative of the series. Even if Paul wanted to explain the reasoning behind his decisions in the videos, he can’t. The family doesn’t want him to, and go so far as to censor vital clues that would help solve this immense puzzle.

It’s important to remember that Petscop is an unfiction series, not an ARG. Throughout its original run, the community had zero bearing on the events of the story, and nothing was ever confirmed aside from a few tiny details Tony wanted to clarify (such as his regret surrounding the Candace Newmaker reference.)

ARGs have clues. They demand viewer involvement to uncover the full narrative. Coming hot off the heels of game a series like FNaF, which DID have ARG elements, led viewers of Petscop to think this puzzle had a solution.

In truth, everything was already set in stone. After all, some things you can’t rewrite.

I’ve watched through the entirety of Petscop so many times that I’ve lost count. But in my frustration over failing to solve it, I found beauty in its mystery. Is it an analogy for being trans? For child abuse and indoctrination? For gaslighting? For DID, and the complex trauma that caused it? For separating yourself from a family that could only do you harm? For the devastating power of delusion in the mind of a caretaker? Hell, was Paul even meant to find the disk to begin with?

We don’t know the answers to any of these questions, and that’s okay. If Petscop resonated with you on any of those fronts, or even some that I haven’t considered myself, then I think that’s a good thing.

As far as I’m concerned, unless I have a sudden epiphany, the answer doesn’t matter. I’ll just try to take any lesson from it that I can.

[cookinguptales]

OH right, Blue Beetle!

I really enjoyed it! I've been a fan of Jaime Reyes for a long time and I honestly never believed he'd get his own movie. And?? Such a good one???

I worried going into it that he looked too cool in the trailers. Is that weird to say? I loved dorky baby teenager Jaime when I was a kid. He felt like One Of Us, y'know? And then I watched the trailers and I was like "hmmmmmm."

But even though he's a bit older in this movie and has his shit together a little more, he's still very much Jaime Reyes at heart. 💙 Love that weird little dork of a man that always means so well, even if he doesn't always know what to do. And I found myself rooting for him so hard!

The movie was overall just really charming and fun and occasionally emotionally devastating. A good mixture of action, character relationships, humor, and politics, imo. The characters were so endearing, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how things develop going forward.

A few more thoughts (with spoilers) beneath the cut.

I was actually a little surprised by how sad parts of the movie were, but it felt right, too. The heart of the movie really was the simultaneous power of familial love and horror of family separation. Family separation really seemed to affect all the characters in their own ways, whether that was due to corporate greed, politics, war, racism, or just good-old-fashioned horrific US policy.

Like... You come to realize that it really permeated every part of the movie. Alberto's devotion to his family, the years he put into bringing them all to Palmera City. The very real fear that going to the cops would invite an unfair immigration investigation into their household. Jenny losing her parents at such a young age, and the sharp divide between her and her aunt. Jaime's family loss as well. Carapax's truly fucked-up backstory. Hell, even divisions being sown between Victoria Kord and her brother when her father gave the company to Ted instead of the person who'd built it.

(Don't get me wrong, Victoria Kord was truly evil, child soldiers and all. I was not rooting for her. But lbr, that doesn't seem to be why her equally war-mongering father cut her out of the company. You have to wonder if she would have done quite so much damage in the end if she hadn't felt such a virulent need to prove herself and destroy her brother's pacifistic legacy. But! Who knows? She might have been even worse if she'd had all that power from the beginning.)

And, y'know, all of the characters deal with the horror of family separation in different ways. Carapax became weaponized by an imperialistic power that didn't give one shit about him. Victoria became embittered, violent, and downright brutal. And Jaime could have gone the same way, so furious over the loss of his own family that he gave into wanton destruction as well -- but Khaji Da didn't let him. (WAILING.) Instead, he managed to take the same route as Jenny: transmuting his rage into a need for justice, into a passion for making the world better so no one else would lose their loved ones the same way.

Y'all, I was in there crying at a superhero movie!!! IT'S FINE, I'm FINE.

I heard that the creator of the movie hadn't actually initially intended for Alberto to die (which I understand, tbh) but I did think it was really beautiful the way it was incorporated into the movie. Bringing Mexican culture to the foreground yet again in its discussions about and attitudes toward death. God, those candles were beautiful. ;;

I mean -- as someone who literally dropped all of my DC subs the day they "fixed" Oracle and never gave DC another cent until this movie came out, I really am passionate about the need for diverse heroes. Part of the reason I felt like I was getting emotional in that theater was because I remembered how much Oracle meant to me as a young disabled teen who couldn't make sense of her trauma or her disability or her inherent power. I remember how much losing the only positive role model I had devastated me.

And like... I want kids with the same background as Jaime to see themselves in him. I want them to be able to feel the way I felt back then. Honestly, that was a lot of why I finally broke my boycott. I think characters like Jaime, while brilliant in their own right, are also important, and I want to support them.

So when I realized how raucously, joyously, passionately this movie was gonna depict Latino culture and its own diversity within the US, I was thrilled! And I cried lmao.

(What can I say, I've been kind of weepy lately lmao.)

But yeah, honestly I cheered in the theater when Khaji Da switched to Spanish. I was like YEAH GIRL.

Other times I was actively fangirling in the theater:

Nana Reyes gunning down imperialists

Ted Kord reveal(s)!!!

"Batman's a fascist. Blue Beetle knew how to have fun." :')

Khaji Da stopping Jaime from killing that man

Milagro and Rudy having no such compunctions

Dr. "Sanchez" standing up for himself and his name reveal (which is a very fun easter egg for WWDITS fans, lmao. I wasn't expecting it and I had to stifle a little shout of laughter.)

Honestly, as a former DC fan I really loved how much thought and care was put into incorporating the really messy canonical history of the Scarab. Obviously they deviated from existing canon, but in ways that I thought were really fun and interesting. I'm excited to see what happens with the Kords going forward, y'know? I hope that Jenny, too, isn't cut out of her own family legacy. I'd never want to separate Khaji Da and Jaime, obviously, but there has to be something for that woman to do to follow in her father's (secret) footsteps.

I realize that this review is kind of all over the place (like my mind the past few days), but I really, really enjoyed it. I was feeling pretty out of sorts the day I saw it and it really raised my spirits a lot. It turns out that after all these years, I still really love Jaime Reyes! And I love his family! And I love Jenny, too!

even dr. de la cruz a little bit, even if he sure did take his sweet time to find a backbone

The movie was just super fun (as well as unexpectedly thought-provoking) and I really enjoyed it!

[grigori77]

Critical Role, Campaign 3 Episode 89

Why is Ashley's hammer so tiny?

Strange voice choices ... Ashley: "Wait, what's an English accent?" Proceeds to entirety fail to work it out ... oh, but Taliesin trying Jester is so much worse ... Travis, what the fuck is that? Oh, but Marisha's Nott is actually pretty good ... XD

Oh yeah, that's right ... it's full of city!

Great way to sell it, Laudna ...

Oooooh, plotting ... goodie!

Aha, Juggernaut ... and two little chewing gum guys? Oh, they're FUNGUS? Weird ... Gaz Tomo? Oh yes, of course ... he's huge ... and like a huge John Wayne kinda dude? Crazy ... XD

Myceit? Intriguing ... so they ARE sentient mushrooms, basically ... bizarre ...

Way to give the big man a major existential crisis regarding his food choices, FCG ...

Wait, so the Weave Mind are big bad eugenicists? Boooooo!

"Marked at birth?" Fuck ... this really IS a Mind control-based totalitarian dictatorship ...

The Arx Creonum ... yeesh ...

I'm sorry ... RESET?!!! Like the Matrix?

The Crush? Hmmmm ...

"Psychic bioengineering" ... weird ... it IS a shame they can't get their hands on some of this tech ...

"Taking out the trash?" Oof ...

Quakes? Crap! Not good!

Hey, sometimes revenge can be good ...

Ozo Cruth? This would be the Big Bad, then ...

Oh, I get it. So Gaz is like Johnny Bravo, then? XD

The Tectus? Ewww ... politicians? There's just no getting away from them ...

Holies? Sounds like fun ...

Oh yeah, proper theological GENOCIDE ... not good at all ...

The Great Question ... would you really WANT to know?

The endeavours .. okay then ...

A lengthy figure? If couldn't be ... FUCKING IRA!!! You prick! He couldn't have made it easier for them, could he?

Oh yeah, he's still SO CREEPY ...

Evoroa? A missing Bormodo scientist they need to find? Hmmm ...

Colloquium of Candescense ...

Ludinus' doomsday MacGuffin ... hmmm ...

Dark emerald dragonborn? An emissary of the Strife Emperor ... Bizodan Amorai? Ye gods ... make it easier on us, Matt, PLEASE ...

Prison Break at the Glass Garrison? Ooooh ... THAT sounds like a hot ticket ...

The Changebringer is "broken road?" Hmmmm ...

ASSASSINATION MISSION?!!!

Oh wait .. are they going after Liliana?

Sleep on it ... oh boy ...

Oh my gods ... mushroom escorts? Adorable ... and kind of creepy too ...

A literal bag of water ... CLEAN water, at least ...

This is NOT very private ...

Yes. How DOES Imogen feel about this?

How old IS Imogen? She's 28? Okay, then ...

Oh crap ... orb check? Ah hell ... Otohan is closer now ...

Other possibility is maybe going up against Fearne's real DAD ... hmmmm ...

Oh boy ... emotional intensity engaged! O.O Either choice will definitely be heavy ...

IS there ant chance of bringing Liliana back to the good? Would it be a lost cause? Hmmmm ...

Hey, come on, guys! Bad idea! You NEVER split the party!

"The worst Denny's ever" ... no shit, Chetney!

CAN Fearne summon her demon booty call?

Coin flip! Yay! Whoa ... it lands ON ITS EDGE?!!! Oof ... not a good sign ...

Yes! A Greater Restoration would be helpful, yes ... bring Ashton back up to top level again, Letters!

Ooooh ... the tragic backstory of Gaz Tomo! Whoa ... that's pretty cool ...

29? That's like a STUPID good persuasion ...

The Woven Music Grand Hall? Hmmm ...

Himbo of the Moon ... pfft ... XD

Every part of this plan does sound like a REALLY BIG RISK ...

Oh boy ... so they're gonna try to get through to Liliana in dream tonight ... oof ... this is SO SPECTACULARLY STUPID ...

Oh gods ... the lights or going RED ... never good ...

Holy shit, FCG could bring EVERYBODY along this time? Astounding ... and really dangerous ... yeah, better not to ...

CONTACT!!! Matt: "And we're gonna go to break!" AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

Nervous ... so very nervous ...

Oh boy ... this is gonna be such s tough, emotionally devastating heart-to-heart, isn't it?

Fuck ... Liliana really HAS drunk thd Kool-Aid all the way, hasn't she?

Gods damn it, Matthew! Why do you have to be such s bloody amazing actor right now? She's in SO MUCpain right now you're gonna BREAK US ...

Waking up again ... yeah, genuine lost cause ... seriously, this sucks so bad it REALLY HURTS ...

Oh come ON Ashton, just SLEEP already! You're a mess! You need it!

This IS the question, IS Ludinus' promise to the Reilorans of relocation a lie or DOES IT have a basis in fact in his plans? Is he just leading them to unwitting ruin? Is he betraying them?

Ah yes ... the difference between religion and truth ...

Hey! Vecna gets sort of namedropped! Yay!

The Dunamussy! Ye gods ... wait, Laura, WHAT ARE YOU ... AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!! You fool! What have you done?

LONG REST!!! SERIOUSLY!!!

So what's the plan?

Choices ... hmmm ...

Fearne goes looking for Ira ... the Nightmare King is tinkering ... flirty questions ensue ...

Ah yeah, the skinny on Zathuda ... Ira is LITERALLY just sore about them pulling one over on him ... basically Ludinus is Mark Zuckerberg in this scenario ...

All three of the Witches immediately verbally admonish Ira about being a dick ... including the two who aren't there ...

She wants his weird flying beast ... oh she wants A PONY!!! XD

Checking in ... ARE THEY going to go with Ira?

Insight check ... Ashley: "I don't know!" LOL

Evoroa? Might be the wise play ...

Going back to the meeting table to find out what's what, then ...

Meanwhile Laudna asks how Imogen is ... Holy fuck ... Laudna GENUINELY dropped sn I love you into the conversation ... and now Imogen's invoking the Delilah situation ... oof ... Imogen drops an I love you too! O.O A KISS!!! It's really sad but SO ROMANTIC too ...

As far as Laudna's concerned Imogen is a full blown SUPERHERO ...

Interrupted by sentient mushrooms ...

Quannika? That is SO HARD to spell ...

Meeting is called to order, then ...

Ira in a bandit mask ... XD

Oh, so HE'S making the selection? Okay ... Fearne, yes, since she DOES have a stake in this too ...

Detonation and infiltration, then ...

Screech Blooms? Fascinating ...

Oh ... hello, Unsettling Presence ...

Selecting their teams, then ... so, Fearne, Ashton, FCG for detonation, the others for Infiltration ...

Oooh ... spooky Reiloran mage type ... a really OLD one ... Ivanas? Cool ...

Yeah, I don't think ANY of us trust Ira as far as we can throw him ...

Working out the technical aspects if what they're about, now ...

Wow, they're all SO BAD at pep talks ...

Charcoal? Hmmm ... oh, it's Invisibility? Cool ... AND they can SEE each other ... ALSO cool ...

So, time to head out, then ...

Seeming for detonation team, then ... oh cool, now FCG is a sentient mushroom ... XD Meanwhile Bormodo Fearne now has a Mister Cytaa ... :3

Separation for the duration, then ... descending into the city below ...

A strange mockery of Exandrian architecture, but twisted through half remembered dreams ... interesting ...

And there's soldiers everywhere ... great ... preparing for the coming invasion, clearly ...

And that's it for tonight ... split missions! Intriguing setup for next time, then ...

[cactusmisslittle]

Hehehe a little ficlet to accompany this! Grazilaxx/Sloopidoop (that is one hell of a ship goddamn), very suggestive

The soft glow of bioluminescent mushrooms refracted off of Grazilaxx's skin in cool blues as it prepared the summoning circle, carefully drawing sigils on the stone ground with the blood coating its fingers. It eyed its handywork, tentacles twitching slightly as it ensured everything was correct. Once satisfied, it wiped its hands with a cloth and looked up. The slit in its black robe rode up its thigh when it shifted its weight, revealing a garter, and Sloopidoop shivered.

"Well? Are you coming?" Grazilaxx tilted its head back impatiently, only to scoff at Sloopidoop's eagerness when he scurried into the circle alongside it.

"You're sure it will hold?"

Grazilaxx made an irritated clicking noise. The circle was small, and in order to fit them both inside, Sloopidoop had to press his back against Grazilaxx's chest. He could feel the soft fabric of its robe against his skin, the tips of its tentacles barely grazing over the top of his head.

"I have done this more times than I can count, and there has never been a problem. You will be safe as long as you stay inside the circle."

With me, was the unspoken implication. Sloopidoop nodded and let out a slow exhale, trusting Grazilaxx implicitly. Grazilaxx began to chant, and Sloopidoop winced at the harsh Abyssal tongue. The sigils and text on the ground glowed a deep pink, overshadowing the light from the mushrooms, and lifted up into the air. The cave grew dark, the glowing symbols now the only source of light, and even with Sloopidoop's darkvision, he couldn't make out anything more than a foot in front of his face. Subconsciously, he leaned back into Grazilaxx, relaxing a little when he felt a familiar, wiry hand rest on his arm.

As quickly as it came, the darkness dissipated, leaving behind a huge crow-like creature with a long neck, knobby arms, and cruel eyes. A vrock. His heart jumped into his throat and he instinctively reached for a weapon, but Grazilaxx squeezed his arm to stop him.

"It cannot cross the circle. And even so, an individual vrock is far weaker than when in a group. Even you could probably defeat it." It was the closest thing to comfort Grazilaxx was capable of, and Sloopidoop recognized the attempt for what it was.

Sloopidoop sighed, willing his hand to drop back to his side. "Will you tell me about them?" he asked.

"I suppose." Grazilaxx's tentacles curled around Sloopidoop's head, obviously without it realizing what it was doing. "The biggest threat with vrocks is their Dance of Ruin. It requires a minimum of three, but it can cause unspeakable devastation."

Sloopidoop was aware of Grazilaxx talking, but was quickly distracted by the cool tentacles on his skin. Not because he was afraid, though he knew most would be. This was, after all, the perfect angle for Grazilaxx to crack into his skull. But instead, his focus was captured by the smooth texture, the the way they almost hugged his skull. How would they feel elsewhere... Sloopidoop halted that thought before it could go any further, but from the way the tentacles tightened around him, it seemed it was too late. Sloopidoop tensed, awaiting the inevitable harsh reaction, but Grazilaxx didn't say a word. The vrock dissipated into thin air and Grazilaxx turned Sloopidoop around so that they faced each other. Sloopidoop's mouth parted, and Grazilaxx's thumb rested on his lower lip.

"Your interest in my studies are not strictly academic." It was a statement, not a question, and Sloopidoop felt his face grow warm.

"Grazilaxx, I don't..." Sloopidoop looked up at Grazilaxx, embarrassment simmering under his skin. "Don't misunderstand, I truly am interested in your research. I just..."

Grazilaxx's tentacles drifted down to frame Sloopidoop's face. "So it is my fault for distracting you, then?" it asked, amused.

"Well..." Yes, Sloopidoop's inner thoughts screamed, You know fully well what you are doing to me! But he didn't dare say those thoughts out loud, even as Grazilaxx's scoff clearly indicated that it could hear him loud and clear.

"I think you are being quite unfair." Grazilaxx's robe began to ride up its thigh, and Sloopidoop's breath hitched, his eyes glued to the hem.

"Am I?" he breathed. His vision swam and he could feel the soft caress of a tentacle against his cheek.

"Hm. This is all of your own creation, after all. And yet you try to blame it on me."

Sloopidoop groaned to himself as the world came back into focus. The gentle bioluminescence of the mushrooms was gone, replaced by the flickering candlelight of the lodge, where he sat alone in an armchair. He reached up to rub between his eyes and sighed. Damn, what was the matter with him?! Of all the people to be fantasizing about... He willed himself to ignore how hard he had become, instead picking up his book and flipping through the pages, agitated. The good thing was that he was the only one here. No one else had to know about his little... distraction, and he would ensure that it stayed that way.

[mamadarama]

2, 3, 12 and 22 for Mika and Natsume please?

Only if you're up for it. I know you're dealing with a lot of asks rn

worry not brother im enjoying myself, ill keep doing these as long as people wanna send em!!

2. favorite canon thing about this character?

mika - hes retained his street urchin vibes even after having been in valkyrie for so long. i really like this because it would be so boring for him to have taken on valkyries image full time and changed the way he presents himself when hes not on stage too .

natsume - ohhhh where do i even start . i love his personality , hes so unique and bizarre he genuinely feels like someone i would have been friends with in middle school .

3. least favorite canon thing about this character?

mika - its a lot better than in ! era but i wish hed take more agency over his thoughts when theyre challenged . hes very quick to agree with other people . hopefully hell get there someday

natsume - i really cant think of anything .... i guess i could stand to see him be a little more open and honest about what hes thinking a bit more often

12. whats a headcanon you have for this character?

mika - he likes playing flash dress up games !! (lets assume the devastation that was the 2020 flash shutdown didnt happen in enstars )

natsume - he knows html javascript and python and he makes little mobile games (he also knows objectiveC/swift but fuck ios and their stupid exclusive coding language)

22. if youre a fic reader, whats something you like in fics when it comes to ths character? Something you dont like?

im not a fic reader so ill do this for visual art instead

mika - i like when people draw him w a little fang . ik he has this in canon but when ppl make it more obvious its really cute

natsume - i LOVE when hes drawn with slit pupils like a reptile , its so cool and really lends itself to the otherworldly air he has about him as well as suggests hes a little bit devious , which he is

edit: i forgot to mention something i dont like woops

mika - i dont like when people draw him scrawny. yeah sure hes a skinny little guy but cmon man hes had access to 3 round meals a day for years and with both niki and ibara in cospro and shu looking out for him theres no way hes getting away with eating anything less than that. and hes an idol . all that jumping around on stage has gotta count for something .

natsume - sometimes people make him tall ????? and its like ??? its not a crime but WHERE are you getting that from