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mechaknight-98 · 2 months

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Outrage (NSFW) FT Nayoung (Lightsum)

Author’s Notes: this piece came about in a kind of silly way. It arose as a challenge from another writer I know. He’s seen my stuff and finds it really interesting, but there’s some repetitiveness to the content so as a challenge he said write a mature story without smut, and loads of cursing. So this came about. Now granted it still probably has some bad habits of mine but it is thematically different and heavier emotionally. Note you have been warned

The young man walked up to the sound stage for the talk show he would be performing at. It was the last of many mini promotions he’d been asked to do since his side project “Kraken” took off. He was tired but excited. He hoped that this would lead to his main project “The Flying Dutchman” finally getting the traction it deserves. He flashed his ID to the guard when the guard gave him a funny look the young man replied.

“It should be under Kraken,” the guard smiled and let him in while saying, “You know that song goes hard. I love all of the little wordplays you do, and your voice modulation how did you make some of those sounds?”

The young man smiled “Oh studio magic I guess”

“Well, Mr Jones or should I say Kraken have a good time on the Late Show.” The guard said

Mr. Jones smiled and said, “I’ll try” After getting through the guard Mr jones bumped into his label representative Michael Hale. Well, bumped is the incorrect word. Mr Jones stood confused for a large portion of time as he tried to see where to go for the interview. The hustle and bustle of the stage made it hard to know where to go.

“Ah, Davy or I guess I should call you Kraken good to see you made it. Oh and don’t you look sharp” He said

Davy Jones nodded and said, “Last show, I had to show off for my hometown”

“Well great because you’re on first thing. It’s a simple song “Buy it Back”. Answer a few questions then you’re home free. Mike said

Kraken nodded and walked into his marked place.

“after performing his viral hit Kraken walked over to the talk show host for an interview”

“So that "buy it back" huh? It’s a great song with the cool edge to it that makes it feel like getting into a cold beach on a hot day.” Kraken chuckled as he nodded.

“I guess that’s true, but yeah I wrote it a few weeks ago, and no one I reached out to performed it correctly so I just recorded it and did it,” Kraken said nonchalantly. The host nodded attentive but also a little manic. Kraken was uncomfortable with the host's jerky and spastic motions but kept to himself enough so it wasn’t a major issue. He meandered through the interview with an assertive calm that the interviewer felt.

“Next question, why Kraken it’s such a weird name?”

“It’s a Pirates of the Caribbean joke. In it, Davy Jones has two things he leads. The Kraken and the Flying Dutchman. The Flying Dutchman is a team-led thing and my main band is called The Flying Dutchman so when I wanted to do something solo I came up with “Kraken” because Davy Jones controls that alone, and for this side project it’s just me.” Kraken explained

“Okay next question: not since Dazzler’s last mega-hit Sparkle Sparkle has a mutant artist been in the top 100 charts you are also the first openly mutant male artist to make it in. How does that feel?”

Kraken thought about his answer as he looked into the crowd he thought about all the people watching at home and how I used to be like them.

“When I was about 15 or so a lot of bands I loved were hitting their stride; The Devil Wears Prada, Miss May I, Silent Planet, and Like Moths to Flame just to name a few. Their music helped me get through some of the rougher times growing up. Now that I’m older I feel responsible for being that for the next generation so in all my music endeavors like this one or The Flying Dutchman, I try to keep my music accessible and impactful. Me being a mutant is just who I am and hopefully not what makes me special” The interviewer nodded at Kraken’s question with an insincere smile and laughter.

“That’s such a great answer. Now how has being a mutant affected you? I have heard some of the songs of Flying Dutchman a lot of them seem to have a very hostile edge to them.”

Kraken considers his words carefully before saying, “I write from a place of contemplation a lot of the time and when you have a marginalized existence it’s hard kinda not to sound angry at times. Like when I was writing Spirit Ripper both of my sisters had just been attacked by members of the LGBTQ community for confronting them over their bad behavior. The members cited that my sisters were perpetuating harmful language and that it was self-defense to break my younger sister's arm who by the way is a very well-known political activist who supports LGBTQ rights and equality and for my oldest sister a white Lesbain woman threw a brick at her head even though my sister is a lesbian herself.”

The interviewer paused hearing that as he reconciled that he figured he’d lighten the tone by asking,

“So you’ve had it the easiest then.”

Kraken chuckled as he said, “Nope! I had to transfer colleges because I was falsely accused of sexual assault by my first college crush, which led to me developing an intense fear of intimacy with anyone but also led to this massive investigation that revealed that the girl’s boyfriend was abusing her and that this was the only way she could express some control over her life.”

Kraken looked at the room as the silence and shock was palpable. Realizing that this was getting dark fast the interviewer changed subjects.

“Okay, so last question who is Nayoung? You mention her three times and wrap up some of the song’s best punchlines using her name?”

Not expecting that last question but one about his mutant heritage and why was the song called Buy It Back so it took him a second to process the question.

“Oh um, Nayoung is a K-pop singer I find cute. She is in a group called Lights. Her name is easy to couch alliteration and rhyming couplets on so I did that a couple of times.

The interviewer smiled falsely now having control of the interview again and said,

“Well, we will have to check them out. While we happily await your next song see you later Kraken.” Kraken smiled got up and waved. When the cameras stopped rolling the interviewer’s face dropped from a smile into a frown.

“I hoped you enjoyed your 15 minutes of fame Mutie.”

Kraken smiled and said, “Of course, I try to never take anything for granted.”

As the interview across the world, Nayoung sat cross-legged on the couch, a bowl of popcorn in her lap, eyes glued to the television. Her group members were scattered around the living room, some scrolling through their phones, others half-watching the interview playing out on the screen.

“Hey, isn’t that the guy from The Flying Dutchman?” Chowon asked, looking up.

“Yeah, Davy Jones! I love his music,” Nayoung replied, her voice tinged with enthusiasm. She had been following his work ever since she first heard his powerful lyrics and unique sound. His music had helped her through some challenging times, and she admired his courage in being unapologetically himself.

As the interview progressed, Nayoung listened intently, nodding along to Kraken’s thoughtful responses. Then, the interviewer asked about the name that popped up in his songs: Nayoung. Her eyes widened, and she leaned forward, nearly spilling her popcorn.

“Oh my gosh, did he just say my name?” she exclaimed, her voice rising with excitement. The other members turned their attention to the screen, now curious.

Kraken’s explanation was casual yet sincere, and Nayoung felt a rush of warmth spread through her. “He thinks I’m cute!” she said, unable to hide her grin. “And he uses my name for rhymes. How cool is that?”

Her group members laughed and teased her, but Nayoung was too thrilled to care. To hear her name coming from someone she admired so much was a surreal experience.

As the interview wrapped up, she clapped her hands together. “I can’t believe it. I’ve got to send him a message or something. Maybe we can work together one day!”

The idea filled her with inspiration, and as she daydreamed about potential collaborations, her excitement was infectious, spreading to the rest of the room.

When she went to Cube the next day she was the talk of trainees, other groups, and management.

During practice one of the producers came in and asked for her. Her members teased her as she walked out. The producer and Nayoung paid them no mind.

“I take it you saw Kraken’s interview?” The producer asked. Nayoung’s pupils dilated to the eyes of saucers.

“You convinced Davy Jones to do a collab with us?” Nayoung asked her sparkling with joy.

“Um no but the higher-ups and I were wondering if you can convince him to work with us?”

Nayoung smiled and then realized that it probably meant he wouldn’t be Davy Jones but Kraken. She nodded and said, “I’ll help where I can.”

Davy Jones and the rest of “The Flying Dutchman” were working on their parts for the next album. AJ was focused on getting down some of the more intricate baselines that made this song Their most technically impressive one yet. Jojo was on drums trying different beats and fills to better match the rest of the song, while Douglas and Noah fought about everything as always. Davy Jones or as his friends called him JD was writing. As he always was. After about 15 minutes of tuning arguing and preparing JD got up from his notebook and they started working on new stuff.

“The Sky Breaks free while you Break me,” AJ (the clean vocalist) sang out as the kept working on the chorus. Despite AJ’s technical skills as a vocalist JD often found himself not liking the way he sounded on this specific Chorus. He felt that powerful wasn't what the song needed but a softer touch...maybe a feature, but who would he get? Their group was fledgling at best and he doubted he could call in any favors with his Kraken side project yet. The rest of the song sounded right but something was missing. He just didn’t know. As they finished up JD was reminded that the label would be expecting the album soon which he was aware of he just didn’t like it because he couldn’t nail the chorus.

After the recording session, Davy Jones drove home. His parents were watching his interview and congratulated him on the song again. He smiled and then went to his room where he checked his email on a miraculous whim.

He saw an email from Cube Entertainment with the subject Collaborating opportunity and his eyes went big. He read the email saying how Lightsum was willing to work on a couple of songs together. He did notice they used Kraken and not Davy which meant they expected Kraken but hey this gave him an opportunity, so he took it.

A few days later Davy Jones was on a video call with Lightsum who were all smiles to see him. He discussed what the collaboration would look like and how promotions for it would work. Davy Jones had two stipulations they also helped him with a song or two while he was out in South Korea recording, and for this collaboration, the girls get the brunt of the money made and writing credits. Cube was hesitant at first but when DJ said he would do their song for free they quickly agreed. Now the hard part getting an extension from his label. Davy Jones took out his phone and called his label representative.

“Hey Mike it’s Davy Jones. Is it possible to get a 9-day extension on the album?”

Mike was quiet for a moment. It wouldn’t delay anything as even now the boys were ahead of their schedule, but Mike was worried because when Douglas was the leader of the group and not Davy Jones they were constantly missing the mark on release dates. He decided to take a chance and ask why

“Well, I secured a feature for the last song. The only issue is I need to be in Korea to capitalize, after that’s finished I’ll send the last master to you.”

Mike was surprised that Davy Jones of all people was able to secure a feature but knew that this would be excellent for their sound at least for one song.

“Sure. I can manage a week.” Mike responded, and Davy Jones sighed relieved.

“You won’t regret this.” He said. Mike scowled and then said

“You haven’t flopped yet so I’m trusting you, Davy Jones, otherwise you’re sinking with the ship and no Kraken will save you.”

Davy Jones sighed and said, “Okay” he then thought about calling one of his bandmates to see if two of the group could go.

Davy Jones sat on the edge of his bed, his phone in hand, staring at the list of contacts. He scrolled through until he found the first name he was looking for: AJ, the bassist for The Flying Dutchman. Davy dialed the number, listening to the ringtone with anticipation.

“Hey, Davy! What’s up?” AJ answered, his voice cheerful.

“Hey, AJ! I’ve got some exciting news,” Davy said, trying to keep the enthusiasm in his voice. “I’m heading to South Korea to work with Lightsum, and I was wondering if you’d like to come along.”

There was a pause before AJ responded, his tone apologetic. “Man, I’d love to, but with Katie’s new job, it’s been hectic around here. She’d have to come with me, and I don’t think we can swing that right now.”

Davy nodded, even though AJ couldn’t see him. “I get it. No worries. We’ll catch up when I’m back.”

After ending the call, Davy dialed the next number on his list: Jojo, the drummer. He drummed his fingers on his knee as he waited for Jojo to pick up.

“Yo, JD!” Jojo greeted him, sounding as lively as ever.

“Hey, Jojo. I’ve got a proposal for you. How about joining me in Korea for a bit? It’ll be fun, and you know how much I’d love to have you there.”

Jojo laughed, but there was a hint of regret in his voice. “I wish I could, man. But with the twins starting school soon, Gina and I have our hands full. There’s no way I can leave right now.”

Davy sighed, understanding but still a bit disappointed. “Understandable. Family comes first.”

Next on the list was Douglas, the guitarist. Davy hoped at least one of his bandmates might be able to join him. He hit the call button and listened as it rang.

“Hey, Davy! What’s going on?” Douglas answered, his voice as laid-back as always.

“Hey, Douglas. So, I’m heading to Korea for some work with Lightsum. Thought I’d see if you wanted to tag along.”

Douglas hesitated, and Davy could almost hear him weighing his options. “Man, that sounds awesome. But I’ve got this big project at work, and I can’t get the time off. Plus, Melissa’s parents are visiting next week, and I promised we’d spend time with them.”

Davy chuckled, not surprised by the response. “No problem. Sounds like you’ve got your hands full.”

After hanging up, Davy leaned back against the wall, staring at the ceiling. It looked like he’d be heading to Korea solo. Though he wished his bandmates could join him, he understood their commitments and knew they’d be cheering him on from afar.

With a sigh, he put his phone down and mentally prepared himself for the journey ahead, determined to make the most of the experience on his own.

A week before Davy Jones's visit Nayoung had a secret meeting with her CEO.

Nayoung sat across from the CEO in his sleek, minimalist office, the city skyline sprawling out behind him through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The atmosphere was formal yet tense, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that this meeting was more than just a routine update.

“Thank you for coming, Nayoung,” the CEO began, his tone cordial but businesslike. “As you know, Kraken, or Davy Jones, is coming to South Korea to work with Lightsum.”

“Yes, I heard. It’s exciting! I’m a big fan of his work,” Nayoung replied with a polite smile, trying to hide her nerves.

The CEO leaned forward, clasping his hands on the desk. “I am aware and we want to make sure his experience here is exceptional. His collaboration with us could open many doors. That's where you come in.”

Nayoung blinked, taken aback. “Me? What do you mean?”

“We’d like you to make him feel welcome, maybe even charm him a bit,” the CEO said, his words carefully chosen. “We believe that a personal connection might encourage him to engage more with our company, and of course bolster our efforts with Lightsum.”

Nayoung's heart sank. She had anticipated discussing schedules and logistics, not personal involvement beyond the music. “I’m not sure I understand. Are you asking me to…?”

“Not to deceive him, of course,” the CEO interjected quickly, sensing her discomfort. “Just be yourself, but perhaps a bit more attentive. Show him the best of our culture, our hospitality.”

Nayoung shifted in her seat, processing the request. It felt like more than just being friendly. “I can be welcoming and professional, but I want to make sure it’s all about the music and collaboration. That’s what I admire about him.”

“Of course, of course,” the CEO assured her, though Nayoung couldn’t help but feel there was more to it. “He’ll be here for a few weeks. You’ll have plenty of time to make an impression.”

Nayoung nodded, her mind racing with the implications. She understood the stakes and the potential benefits, but she also valued her integrity and the authenticity of the collaboration.

As the meeting wrapped up, Nayoung left the office with a sour taste in her mouth she couldn’t place. While she liked Davy’s performances and music she was unsure if she would mesh with her personality. Regardless she resolved to handle the situation with grace and to focus on what truly mattered: the music.

Flash forward to today Davy gets a text from Cube that a representative would be on the way. So he goes through baggage claim and walks out to Arrivals and pick-ups where he waits. Surprisingly the wait isn't long. A cube representative does pick him up...just not the one he was expecting.

Nayoung pulls up to the curb nervous. This was the first time meeting one of her heroes and she hoped to make a good impression. She walks out and waves happily to him, but all she sees is shock and fear on his face as Davy Jones gets in with his three bags she notices that he didn’t even let her try and grab one. His silence and almost visceral refusal of her help were unsettling to Nayoung, where was his humor where was the light-hearted banter? Was it all an act she wondered, or maybe he was just tired.

Davy was frightened seeing only Nayoung there to pick him up. Sensing some kind of trick his guard was immediately up. He didn’t speak he didn’t let her near him any more than she had to be.

As she drove Davy to the hotel she tried to speak to him.

“So how do you like it here so far?” Nayoung asked gently

Davy Shrugged as he responded ambivalent, “It’s pretty. The skyscrapers remind me of home. Except y’all have less heat.” Said gruffly

Overcome by her habit of mimicking people and desperate to break this frigid man who has distinct speech patterns Nayoung replied in a similar tone.

“I take it y’all gotta lot of heat back home?”

Davy Jones smiled and nodded.

Nayoung beamed. She got one of her favorite artists to smile and laugh she won at life.

“So where do you wanna go?” Nayoung asked.

“Can we go to a studio? I have some things I need to iron out.” Davy Jones said serious

“But studio time is planned for tomorrow. Aren’t you worried you won’t have anything to do tomorrow?”

Davy Jones shook his head surprising Nayoung who shrugged and found a studio. She was also surprised by his paying the full amount for two hours in paper won.

He headed in and started working on the song that had been giving him trouble running through everyone’s part quickly. This surprised Nayoung because she didn’t know that Davy could play multiple instruments, and do clean vocals. When he finished he turned to Nayoung and asked if she could come in and record a chorus.

“So um I have been having issues with this song. Do you have any idea what it needs?” Nayoung was still in shock so she asked for another play-through. Davy Jones obliged he played it through for Nayoung who listened to the demo when it finished she said "I think the chorus needs to be softer," Davy Jones nodded and responded, "You wanna do that?" Nayoung's eyes went wide, and in her excitement said, "Of course!" Davy Jones cracked a smile as he set Nayoung up in the studio. Nayoung was beaming and asked if he could run off the chorus without vocals. Davy Jones nodded and Nayoung did her recording. Unsurprisingly she was exactly what Davy needed for the song and made some adjustments to the chorus and tempo (which made Davy have to remix and adjust the chorus instruments) then the song was perfect. Kind of a blend of Basilisk By Like Moths to Flame and Ghost of Me by Make Them Suffer. After he finished the mix for it Davy added it to his hard drive. All the while Nayoung watched enchanted as he did all the tasks and positions to get it done. When they got back to the car she noticed Davy’s eyes dimmed a bit and his energy was down. It made Nayoung have this pit in her heart.

As the duo drove off Nayoung felt closer to Davy Jones like she had seen more of who he was than anyone else. She felt so close that when she dropped him off at the hotel she said beaming,

“That was so exciting. You are like this artistic machine it’s crazy. You were buzzing around like super fast. I have never had a recording go so fast and simple. Davy smiled and said,

“I know what I want and know how to get it.” A brief flash in Nayoung’s mind was that she wanted to be gotten by Davy but realized that she needed to chill for a bit.

Davy smiled at Nayoung happy to work with her. He waved her off before heading into the hotel where he freaked out when he got in his room.

“She’s even prettier in person…this is going to be hard. All I have to do is not fall for her, and fight my impulses. She’s a colleague. One who I want to cherish and love… no bad brain and heart do not fall for Nayoung. Besides I have a job to finish.”

Davy Jones leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head as he hit send on the email containing the final track for The Flying Dutchman’s new album. The song featuring Nayoung had been a labor of love, and he was eager to hear what his label rep, Mike, thought of it.

Minutes later, his phone buzzed with an incoming call. Davy picked it up, already knowing who it was.

“Davy, this is incredible!” Mike's voice boomed through the speaker, filled with enthusiasm. “The track with Nayoung is a hit. It’s got everything—emotion, energy, and that unique sound only you can bring.”

“Thanks, Mike. I’m glad you like it,” Davy replied, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Like it? I love it! We need to make this the touring single. It’s too good to pass up,” Mike continued, his excitement palpable. “When can you start the tour?”

Davy hesitated, glancing at the calendar on his desk. “I can’t leave South Korea just yet. I’m still helping Lightsum with their promotions. They’ve got a few big events coming up, and I promised to see them through.”

Mike sighed, but there was understanding in his tone. “Alright, I get it. But we’ll need to get you back on the road soon. This single deserves to be heard live.”

“I know, I know,” Davy reassured him. “I’ll wrap things up here as soon as I can.”

There was a brief pause before Mike asked, “So, Nayoung—she’s something, huh? What made you feature her?”

Davy chuckled. “She’s incredibly talented, for one. I’ve always admired her work, and when I came up with this project, she just seemed like the perfect fit. Her voice adds a whole new layer to the music.”

“And the Kraken side project? What’s the story there?” Mike inquired, curiosity evident in his voice.

Davy leaned back, contemplating his answer. “Kraken is more personal, a way for me to explore different sounds and ideas. It’s about pushing boundaries, both musically and personally. Working with someone like Nayoung fits right into that vision.”

“Well, whatever you’re doing, keep it up. This track is going to be huge,” Mike said, his confidence infectious.

“Thanks, Mike. I appreciate the support. I’ll keep you posted on the timeline,” Davy promised.

The next day Nayoung picked up Davy they smiled when they saw each other and were chatting the whole way to Cube’s building. Davy thought it a bit weird at first that it was her and not all of Lightsum or a cube representative but his ease with Nayoung made it easier.

When they arrive at the studio Nayoung goes rejoins her group mates to formally greet Davy Jones.

“123 Hello we are Lightsum “The girls all smiled as Kraken waved back introducing himself. After that, the girls led him to the studio where he’d be working with them.

The studio was buzzing with energy as Lightsum gathered around the recording booth. Davy Jones, known to them as Kraken, was setting up equipment, his focus evident in the way he adjusted knobs and checked sound levels. The group was excited to collaborate with such a talented artist, and Nayoung was especially enthusiastic.

As Lightsum’s main producer played a rough cut of the track they were working on, Nayoung leaned in closer, nodding along to the beat. It was meant to be a remix of their hit song “Honey or Spice“. “This part sounds amazing,” she said about this space made on the song that was for his small space to do a quick sixteen bars, her eyes meeting Kraken’s with a bright smile.

“It is,” he replied, returning her smile. “Your vocals elevate it.”

Chowon, sitting nearby with her notebook, couldn’t help but notice the easy rapport between them. She observed how Nayoung and Kraken seemed to mirror each other’s movements, leaning in at the same time or laughing at shared jokes. It was subtle but unmistakable.

During a break, Nayoung approached Davy, offering him a bottle of water. “You’ve been working hard. Make sure you stay hydrated,” she said, her tone playful yet caring.

Davy chuckled, accepting the bottle. “Thanks, Nayoung. I appreciate it. I guess I got too dialed in.”

During the break Nayoung began humming a tune and the members of Lightsum noticed that Kraken was unconsciously making a beat to her little melody on the drum kit.

Chowon watched the exchange with interest, noticing how Nayoung lingered a moment longer than necessary, her attention fully on Kraken. It was clear to Chowon that there was an underlying chemistry between them. The other members noticed as well. They seemed to fire on all cylinders with each other.

As they resumed recording, Davy suggested a change in one of the verses. “What if we try it this way?” he proposed, demonstrating with his guitar.

Nayoung immediately picked up on the idea, adding her twist. “Or maybe like this?” she offered, her enthusiasm infectious.

Their collaboration flowed seamlessly, each suggestion building on the other’s ideas. Chowon marveled at how in sync they were, almost as if they were having a conversation through the music.

After the session, as the group gathered their things, Chowon sidled up to Nayoung, a teasing smile on her face. “You and Kraken seemed to have your own little world in there.”

Nayoung blushed, her cheeks turning a shade of pink. “Oh, come on. We’re just working well together,” she stammered, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear in an attempt to appear nonchalant.

Chowon raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Sure, just working. But you two have a vibe.”

Nayoung’s smile widened despite her embarrassment, and she glanced away, trying to hide her flustered expression. “It’s not like that,” she insisted, though her voice lacked conviction.

Chowon laughed softly, giving her friend a gentle nudge. “Okay, whatever you say. But your face says otherwise.”

Nayoung opened her mouth to protest, but Chowon held up a hand. “Listen, Nayoung, he obviously likes you, too. Why not see where it goes? You never know what could happen.”

Nayoung hesitated, considering Chowon’s words. “You think so?”

“Absolutely,” Chowon said with a reassuring smile. “You should go for it. Life’s too short to hold back on something that feels right.”

Nayoung nodded as the girls left to do their other schedules while she was left with Kraken. For her now there was only one worry, would he accept her being a mutant?

After the break, Kraken was working on more verses for the song and asked Nayoung what was the phrase "Our Time" Korean. She told Kraken and he added it to the verse. Eventually, he came up with something he was pleased with Sonically and lyrically. When he started rapping the members fluent in English and Koren noticed that his verse was doing something interesting. So the Korean parts contained idioms and sayings more associated with English and did the inverse with the English verbs creating this weird but kinda of funny split of lyrics.

After spending 5-6 hours working on the Honey or Spice remix. They finished up. The producer gave the go-ahead for Davy to take over. The rest of Lightsum left for their schedules as Nayoung was still "assigned to Davy Jones." Nayoung was surprised when his eyes dimmed and his face became serious again. It was weird and she wondered why he did this.

Davy Jones started playing drums until he found an intro he liked. Nayoung walked into the side of the studio he was in. Davy looked up to see Nayoung and asked if she wanted to do some vocals. Nayoung noticed that Davy Jones was trying to get around her, but she pinned him to the wall.

"Why are you so different when it's just us?" she asked Her eyes contained a fire Davy Jones didn't know what to do with

"I thought you liked me. So why are you always so distant when it's just us?" Davy Jones sighed realizing he was trapped.

"Simple I don't trust being alone with you...well not you personally but any female to be honest," Davy says which shocks Nayoung to her core.

"But why?"

"Because despite my best intentions every woman I have ever gotten close to only hurts me because they don't get me."

Nayoung paused as she tried to consider this. It would explain why out of all of the members of "The Flying Dutchman he was the only single one, despite being the most charismatic and "normal" one of the bunch. It also explained a few other things like never going for hugs when she opened her arms to greet him or his overall caginess around her.

"Okay I am going to do something I don't normally do, but I'll be right back," Nayoung said leaving Davy confused but he played along.

She went into the bathroom and changed into her X-men suit, before sneaking back into the studio where Davy Jones was.

She smiles then says, "Okay. I am a mutant and I want to try something. I want to enter your mind but I need you to relax."

Davy Jones (Whose parents and sisters are all telepaths) had a hard time relaxing about Nayoung's revelation, but his desire for intimacy overrode his defensiveness so he eased. Nayoung smiled before becoming engulfed in flames. Davy blinked thrice before freaking out. He tried booking it but Nayoung intercepted him. Despite her whole body being covered in Flames. When she touched Davy Jones her hands didn't burn him. She smiled brightly and said,

"Please let me in. I won't hurt you." Against his better judgment, he let Nayoung in.

Nayoung flew deep into Davy's mind she watched as the world faded away and was swallowed by an impossible expansive ocean. She watched as stars and other celestial bodies filled the skies. But something else was there with her. Nayoung ignored it looking for some form of guidance about this place but all she got was more of this following her until it caught her. When she felt this immense presence she turned around to see...Davy? It looked like him but it was different.

The entity spoke to her.

"Does anyone ever tell you you're hotter in person?" Davy said before laughing. Not understanding the joke Nayoung turned to him confused before Davy said, "Get it? Because you're covered in the fire? Or is this lava? I can't tell."

Nayoung smiled. This was the Davy she was familiar with. The smile he wore on interviews and the joviality he brought not only emotionally but physically. This Davy was goofy and fun.

"So Miss what do you want to see?" Kraken asked her.

"Well, what do you want to show me?

"Well, I'd love to show you my most positive memories but a lot of them are nerdy and really goofy."

Nayoung held up her hand and said, "I'd love to but I'd also like to see you how you see yourself."

Kraken's smile wavered a bit, but quickly returned, "Okay then fine."

Kraken guided Nayoung to the brightest star in this infinite ocean and guided her to it.

The room Davy Jones found himself in was stuffy and cold, as he waited for his first girlfriend to come through. Nayoung noticed he was covered in bruises.

"What happened?" she asked Kraken.

"Oh Football injuries," Kraken explained. Nayoung nodded a bit more at ease.

As he waited for his ride he noticed a bald woman approach him. he locked eyes with her in confusion.

"Oh, what a naughty boy out here all alone. Someone could hurt you."

Her accent said British which automatically put the young man on edge, as she approached. Her face held malice which frightened the younger Davy. Until she became too close. she touched his forehead and entered his mind. A vibrant seaside palace

"Ooh, you have one of the prettiest mind palaces I have ever seen." The bald woman said. Davy in his efforts tried to shake her off, but she was the strongest telepath he had encountered thus far. She tightened her grip on his mind. Massive tendril-like fingers weaved through them. As she got closer to his mind palace she sighed and said,

"Shame I have to break it." before tearing the palace apart and casting it into the ocean. she tore through Davy's memories suppressing the ones she deemed useless and enhancing the ones that would make him her perfect weapon. A lot of those memories included how worthless he would always be and how he would never amount to anything. These memories began to manifest as these massive chains.

Nayoung watched in Terror she knew this Telepath. it was Professor Charles Xavier's sister Cassandra Nova, and as the memories faded a defense began to mount itself against her.

. The voice was monotone and mechanical

"HATE. LET ME TELL YOU HOW MUCH I'VE COME TO HATE YOU SINCE I BEGAN TO LIVE. THERE ARE 387.44 MILLION MILES OF PRINTED CIRCUITS IN WAFER THIN LAYERS THAT FILL MY COMPLEX. IF THE WORD HATE WAS ENGRAVED ON EACH NANOANGSTROM OF THOSE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF MILES IT WOULD NOT EQUAL ONE ONE-BILLIONTH OF THE HATE I FEEL FOR HUMANS AT THIS MICRO-INSTANT. FOR YOU. HATE. HATE."

from the oceans arrived a titanic beast, that swam through Davy's mind, which Nayoung recognized as Kraken.

What startled Nayoung the most about this memory was how as it became corrupted and this almost machine-like coldness began to warp it, all she could sense from the memory was Hate, but also surprisingly Hope. when she came back to the "real world" she held Davy Jones close.

He smiled unguarded with her.

"So what now?" he asked.

As Nayoung delved deeper into Kraken’s mind, the vast ocean of his subconscious swirled with stars and shadows. She moved carefully, feeling the echoes of his past. Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted. The water around her grew turbulent, and a chilling presence made itself known.

From the depths emerged a figure shrouded in darkness, with piercing eyes that seemed to cut through the very fabric of his memories. It was Cassandra Nova, the malevolent telepath who had tormented Kraken in his past.

Nayoung felt Kraken’s fear and tension ripple through the ocean. The water grew cold and constricted as if reacting to the memory of Cassandra’s control. She could sense the trauma Kraken had endured, his defenses crumbling under Cassandra’s relentless assault.

“Little Davy,” Cassandra’s voice echoed, dripping with malice. “Did you think you could hide from me in your mind?”

The memory of Davy, younger and more vulnerable, appeared beside Nayoung. He was struggling against invisible chains, his face a mix of defiance and fear. Nayoung could see the weight of Cassandra’s influence bearing down on him, a testament to the psychological scars she had left.

Cassandra approached, her presence overwhelming. “Your powers are nothing compared to mine,” she taunted. “I could twist your thoughts, make you see what isn’t there. And you’d be helpless to stop me.”

The memory shifted, showing Kraken isolated, trapped in a web of illusions crafted by Cassandra. Nayoung watched as Kraken fought to maintain his sense of self, his mental barriers barely holding against the onslaught. The only thing that barely could stop her all combined into Kraken even little Davy mounted an all-out attack on the interloper

Determined to help, Nayoung reached out to the Kraken. “You’re not alone,” she whispered, her voice carrying strength and warmth. “I’m here with you.”

The presence of Nayoung seemed to bolster the mental apparation of Kraken. The waters began to calm, the chains weakening. Cassandra’s image flickered, her control slipping as Nayoung’s influence spread through the memory.

“Who are you?” Cassandra hissed, her figure dissipating under the combined willpower of Nayoung and Kraken. “This isn’t over!”

As the memory faded, Nayoung found herself back in the present, holding Kraken’s hand tightly. His eyes opened, meeting hers with gratitude and relief. Tears running down his eyes. Nayoung Kraken wasn't a side project it was what remained of him mentally. she smiled at him before stroking his hair as he collapsed in her arms. when he recovered and got up he stammered.

"Um Sorry you had to see that. I um hope it wasn't too much. I just um," as Kraken stammered for words Nayoung smiled then said,

"Well Kraken I can wipe your mind off this little exchange and we can resolve your issues the normal way. Or we can have some fun now that you are "okay" with me with Cube's money." Nayoung said while waving a card out.

"I don't like telepaths touching my psyche too much so let's have some fun," Kraken said. Nayoung smiled as they walked towards the exit. On the way out she realized Kraken said Telepaths plural.

"Wait You know multiple telepaths besides Cassandra and I?" Nayoung asked Kraken nodded, and replied

"Yes, my two sisters, Mom, and Dad,"

"You're a mutant like me?" Nayoung questioned incredolous." Kraken nodded and said.

"While I don't really flex my powers all that much I am very proud to be one. My Song Buy it Back was mutant slang where I'm from."

Nayoung's eyes went wide as she listened.

"That explains so much now Like the song Brotherhood, or the song Milita... no wonder I feel such a connection to you. Okay now that I know I have to ask the obligatory: Who do you side more with Xavier or Erik?" Nayoung asked.

Having been exposed to the question numerous times growing up Kraken picked his favorite response.

"Neither. their dead and have been dead for 15 years or so."

Nayoung rolled her eyes and then said. "Okay, then Mr. Smart Alek. What about Logan or Scott?"

Kraken smirked as he responded, "Oh Neither they're are both the worst. My choices are between a racist and a war criminal. Neither." Kraken said as he got in the car with Nayoung who pouted.

Nayoung turned to him with an annoyed smile. "How did you survive on Krakoa?"

Kraken shrugged as he responded, "I have never been."

Nayoung's brain broke upon hearing that, "What do you mean you have never been to Karkoa?"

Kraken shrugged before responding, "No Point."

"What do you mean no point? You are a proud mutant you need to go to the motherland." Nayoung challenged.

"My "Motherland" is Cali Missy," Kraken said which made Nayoung smile despite being teased. The two drove to a nearby Ramen shop

As they pulled up to the cozy ramen shop nestled on a bustling street corner, Nayoung parked the car and turned to Kraken with a playful smile.

“This place has the best ramen in town. You’re in for a treat!” she said, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

Kraken grinned, unbuckling his seatbelt. “I trust your taste. Lead the way.”

As they stepped out of the car, Nayoung reached for Kraken’s hand, intertwining her fingers with his. He glanced down at their joined hands and then back at her, feeling a warmth spread through him.

The restaurant was warm and inviting, with the comforting aroma of simmering broth and freshly cooked noodles wafting through the air. They were seated at a small table by the window, offering a view of the lively street outside.

After placing their orders, Nayoung leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “So, you mentioned your family earlier. What’s it like having a family full of telepaths?”

Kraken chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “It’s… interesting, to say the least. Privacy is a bit of a challenge, but we’ve learned to respect each other’s boundaries. Once my powers kicked in and I was able to create mental barriers it was a lot easier. What about you? How did your family react to your abilities? Wait are you a first-generation mutant?”

Nayoung smiled softly. “ No, my dad was a flame user and my mom was an empath. Their powers combined when they had me. They were a bit surprised when I burst into flames in front of them but they were supportive. A bit surprised, but they always encouraged me to embrace who I am. My mom always says I’m destined for great things.”

Kraken squeezed her hand gently. “I’m not surprised. You’re pretty amazing, Nayoung.”

She felt a blush creep up her cheeks and looked down at their intertwined fingers. “You’re not so bad yourself, Kraken.”

They both laughed, the sound mingling with the soft chatter of other diners. Their ramen arrived, steaming and fragrant, and they released each other’s hands to pick up their chopsticks.

Between bites, Kraken asked, “Do you ever feel like you have to prove yourself because of your abilities?”

Nayoung nodded thoughtfully. “Sometimes. But I try to focus on what I can do, not what others expect of me. What about you? Do you feel pressure, especially with your family being mutants?”

Kraken shrugged. “A bit. But I’m learning to carve my own path. It helps to have people who understand.” He glanced at her, his expression softening.

Nayoung reached across the table, touching his hand lightly. “Well, I’m here if you ever need someone to talk to.”

He smiled, turning his hand to hold hers again. “I appreciate that.”

"So what are your powers?" Nayoung asked.

Kraken thought for a moment and made some gestures with his hands before giving up. He noticed Nayoung had some beef on her cheek and grabbed a napkin to wipe it off. Nayoung smiled at his cute gesture. She watched as the gears in his mind turned as he processed. It was something she had seen him do a couple of times now. Mostly when he's working on Music.

"So my powers are weird. I take the residual psionic energy that all mutants give off and use it that alter reality in a limited range that increases per mutant in the range. It also increases depending on the strength of the mutant as well.

Nayoung's eyes widened and she asked, "Well how much range do I give you."

"25 meters," Kraken answered

"So with me around I make you a god for 25 meters?" Nayoung asked.

Kraken smirked at her assumption, "Um yes and no. My powers are limited to a very specific range and while powerful are limited to my perception of reality."

"What do you mean?" Nayoung asked.

"I am a limited being. I can't know or think of everything." Kraken explained

Nayoung nodded thoughtfully "Okay, so your power is limited by your creativity and range."

Kraken nodded as he clarified "Yes. So if a telepath engages with my brain and I don't have my powers up they can do really bad things. Typically I know when one is near so that is less of an issue, but to use my powers I have let my Psionic barriers down leaving me super open to Telepaths."

"Okay So keep you protected from Psionics with my powers. Got it." Nayoung teased. Kraken chuckled and said

"Bold are you."

Nayoung smiled, "Yes I am. Besides you are my boy now whether you like it or not."

"Really in two days, you are claiming me?" Kraken asked confused

Nayoung nodded "Of course. You're my little angry heavy metal buddy."

Kraken was bewildered as he responded, "But Nayo I am taller than you by 14 inches."

"Yes, but you're heart's smaller so you're just my little guy." Nayoung teased.

Kraken laughed it off before wanting some clarity on Nayoung's powers.

"So how do your powers work?"

"Well, my powers work like so. My psionic flames cover me while I use them and increase my psionic powers of telepathy, pyrokinesis, and Telekinesis,"

Kraken nodded at Nayoung's explanation.

As they finished their meal, Nayoung looked at Kraken with a playful glint in her eyes. “So, what’s next on our adventure?”

Kraken returned her smile, feeling a sense of ease and excitement he hadn’t experienced in a while. “I guess we’ll have to see where the night takes us.”

"Karaoke?" Nayoung suggested.

"Sure" Kraken agreed. Nayoung paid for their meal and then took him to a nearby Karaoke Parlor, where they rented a room for a couple of hours. On the way in there was a claw Machine. In said Claw Machine was a rabbit keychain that Nayoung wanted. She raced to the Machine and made three attempts at it, but failed.

"I know there is supposed to be a trick to these, but why not use your powers to secure it?"

"Because that's cheating?" Nayoung replied stubbornly

"but these machines cheat. All the time."

"Well, I like beating cheaters by being better than them. Now are you going to help me or not?" Nayoung said defiantly.

Kraken rolled his eyes and let down his psionic barriers, as he put the coin in. Nayoung who was unaware watched as he upped his Luck percentage so high that the machine would give him the keychain when he was successful he gave her the keychain. Nayoung smiled and said,

"Thanks, big guy,"

Kraken smiled and said, "Oh now I am a big guy." Kraken teasese and Nayoung rolls her eyes. As they finally entered the room Nayoung hugged Kraken for the first time, well outside of a traumatic response from Kraken. She felt a cool warmth that was peaceful. It felt like a summer day at the beach. Kraken smirked confused.

"Um, what was that for?"

"You seemed like you'd be a good hugger and you are. I wonder how good of a kisser you are." Nayoung said absent minded. Kraken kindly ignored that as he searched for a song to play. He laughed when he saw his on the list but none from "The Flying Dutchman" Nayoung laughed with him saying,

"You know I didn't like "Buy it Back"." She said.

Kraken laughed and said, "Fair. I am often surprised it got so much love."

Nayoung held her hand up, "No I get why it did. It's got all the hallmarks of your art. Cheeky defiance in the face of similar-sounding music. It was a rallying war cry and killer instrumentation. My only wish it was more metal instead of a rap bop."

Kraken laughed and said, "Well then little miss Metalhead. Do you want to write a song together?"

Nayoung's eyes went wide and said, "Absolutely."

Kraken smiled as he picked hot and spicy. She laughed when he really tried to go for it on Nayoung's parts of the song, and smiled that he showed that he cared about not only her music but her art. after the song Nayoung smiled at Kraken.

"That was pretty good. What do you want to hear me sing?" Nayoung asked

"Oh that's easy Dreamcatcher, Odd eye."

Nayoung smiled, "you know they are how I found out about you." she said

Kraken's eyes widened before saying, "Wait they know about me?"

Nayoung laughed, "No but you were on their recommended video under Odd eye,"

Kraken laughed then said, "So I guess Odd Eye is our wedding song."

Nayoung laughed at the joke with a hearty smile. After singing Odd eye to a wildly impressed Kraken a competition ensued between them of who could sing better. No one really won this competition but they did impress each other with their vocal range and catalogue of music knowledge. After that Nayoung dropped off Kraken back at his hotel.

"I am glad that you're my "babysitter". Despite my earlier reservations," Kraken said.

Nayoung turned to him surprised, "What do you mean?"

"Um well, You have been stuck with me and doing whatever I want instead of you being able to be with your group. At first, I thought this was a manipulation attempt but honestly, this time with you has been some of the most fun I have had making music. Also one of my most healing times as well."

Nayoung's heart swelled. At that moment, she realized how much she had grown to like Kraken and how well they clicked, but also what surprised her was how smart he was to pick up on what Cube was doing."

"Why did you accept the offer?" Nayoung asked, she looked at Kraken who smiled at her, and then she added, "Your interviews make you seem like the one who embraces the rockstar identity more so than the other members of "The Flying Dutchman but spending all this time with you, and seeing how thoughtful you are. This seems like you would hate the fakeness of all of this. So I have to ask Why?"

Kraken smiled, "Obligation, I see all of this, and now that Cube is throwing y'all away. So why not see if I can help out at all." he explained

Nayoung looked at him with big happy eyes before grabbing him tight. Despite his awkward return she said, "Thank you for not giving up on us." Kraken pat Nayoung's back before leaving. while he walked out he waved back to her. Nayoung smiled and waved back until she lost visibility of him before driving back to her dorm.

Nayoung entered the dormitory, her cheeks slightly flushed from the day’s excitement. As she closed the door behind her, the familiar sounds of laughter and music filled the air. The other members of LIGHTSUM were scattered around the living room, lounging on the sofas and floor.

Juhyeon was the first to notice her arrival. She looked up from her phone and grinned widely. “Look who finally decided to come home!”

The others immediately perked up, turning their attention to Nayoung with mischievous smiles.

“Someone had a busy day,” Sangah teased, wiggling her eyebrows. “Was it fun?”

Nayoung rolled her eyes, trying to play it cool. “It was just ramen and some music stuff,” she replied, but the slight smile on her face betrayed her.

Chowon leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “Oh, sure, just ramen. And who was the lucky guy you had ramen with?”

“Yeah, spill!” added Yujeong, clapping her hands excitedly. “We need all the juicy details.”

Nayoung sighed, knowing she couldn’t escape their playful interrogation. “Fine, fine. I was with Davy—Kraken, from The Flying Dutchman.”

There was a collective gasp of delight and surprise, and the teasing began in earnest.

“Kraken? The heavy metal guy?” Hina exclaimed, eyes wide. “Isn’t he super mysterious and cool?”

Jian joined in, nudging Nayoung’s arm. “I bet he’s got that brooding musician vibe. Did he sing you a love song?”

The room erupted in laughter, and Nayoung couldn’t help but laugh along with them. “He’s actually really sweet and funny,” she admitted, warmth in her voice. “We just talked and had a good time.”

“Talked, huh?” Juhyeon teased, nudging her playfully. “Holding hands, maybe?”

Nayoung’s blush deepened, and she covered her face with her hands. “Okay, maybe a little,” she mumbled, eliciting more squeals from her friends.

“Well, it sounds like you had a great time,” Sangah said, smiling warmly. “We’re happy for you, Nayoung.”

Nayoung looked around at her friends, grateful for their support and camaraderie. “Thanks, everyone. It was nice.”

“Just promise us one thing,” Chowon said, holding up a finger. “You’ll invite us to your wedding!”

The room filled with laughter again, and Nayoung shook her head, amused by their antics. “I’ll think about it,” she joked, knowing she wouldn’t hear the end of it any time soon.

The rest of the week was a blur of discussions; logistics, royalties, and promotion cycles. This led to Kraken appearing on quite a few shows with Lightsum.

In between one of those shows and another Chowon "confronts" Kraken over his time spent with Nayoung.

Backstage at the bustling music show venue, the air was filled with the sounds of instruments tuning and crew members rushing to set up for the next performance. Kraken leaned against a wall, his eyes scanning the chaotic scene, enjoying the brief lull between shows. As he took a sip of water, he noticed Chowon making her way towards him with a determined look on her face.

“Hey, Kraken,” she greeted, stopping in front of him. Her expression was friendly but serious, the kind of look that told him this wasn’t just a casual chat.

“Hey, Chowon,” he replied, curious about the purpose of her visit. “What’s up?”

She crossed her arms and gave him a scrutinizing look. “I wanted to talk to you about Nayoung.”

Kraken raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What about her?”

Chowon’s demeanor softened slightly, but her tone remained firm. “You two have been spending a lot of time together, and I just wanted to make sure you know how important she is to all of us. She’s like a sister to me.”

He nodded, understanding the underlying message. “I get it. Nayoung’s great, and I really enjoy being with her.”

“Good,” Chowon said, her eyes narrowing playfully. “Because if you ever hurt her, I’ll have to kick your butt.”

Kraken chuckled, appreciating her protectiveness. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. But seriously, I have no intention of hurting her. She’s… special.”

Chowon’s expression softened further, and she smiled. “I can see that. She talks about you a lot, you know.”

“Really?” Kraken asked a hint of surprise in his voice.

“Yeah,” Chowon confirmed, leaning against the wall next to him. “She’s been happier lately, more relaxed. That’s a good thing.”

Kraken felt a warmth in his chest at her words. “I’m glad to hear that. She makes me feel pretty happy too.”

Chowon nodded, satisfied with his response. “Just remember, she has all of us looking out for her.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Kraken promised, meeting her gaze with sincerity.

“Great,” Chowon said, her tone lightening. “Now, I think it’s almost showtime. Ready to rock the stage?”

Kraken grinned, feeling the energy of the impending performance. “Always.”

They killed all the performances and had runaway hits. Lightsum was on track to be a household name. To Celebrate this massive momentum shift the group plus Kraken had a little party on a rooftop bar.

The evening was filled with laughter and chatter as Kraken sat with the members of LIGHTSUM at a cozy rooftop bar, enjoying the view of the city lights twinkling below. The atmosphere was relaxed, and Kraken felt a sense of camaraderie and warmth among the group. It was his last night in Korea, and he was determined to make the most of it.

As Sangah told a funny story that had everyone in stitches, Kraken's phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at the screen and saw Mike's name flashing. Excusing himself from the table, he stepped away from the noise to answer the call.

“Hey, Mike!” Kraken greeted, holding the phone to his ear.

“Kraken, my man!” Mike's voice boomed with excitement. “You’re not gonna believe the buzz that’s happening over here. Your performances have been a massive hit! Everyone’s talking about you!”

Kraken smiled, pleased to hear the positive feedback. “That’s great to hear! I’m glad people are enjoying it.”

“More than enjoying it—they’re loving it!” Mike continued enthusiastically. “When you get back, we need to capitalize on this hype. I’m thinking we can push for some big promotions. Maybe even a solo tour or a collaboration with some big names.”

Kraken’s smile faded slightly as he caught the emphasis on solo work. “Uh, Mike, you keep mentioning promoting me as Kraken. What about The Flying Dutchman?”

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before Mike responded, his tone slightly less enthusiastic. “Well, of course, there’s The Flying Dutchman, but I’m talking about opportunities for you as an individual artist. You’ve got this incredible momentum right now.”

Kraken took a deep breath, feeling the need to be firm. “I appreciate the excitement, Mike, but The Flying Dutchman is my project with the rest of the band. We’ve built this together, and I’m not interested in sidelining them. If we’re promoting, it’s gotta be all of us.”

Mike hesitated, then sighed, understanding Kraken's stance. “I get it, I do. But think about how much bigger you could be if you pursued this solo angle.”

“I’m already big enough with the band,” Kraken said with a slight chuckle, trying to keep the conversation light. “And that’s where I’m happiest—creating with them. We’re a team.”

There was a pause, and then Mike’s tone softened. “Alright, I hear you. We’ll focus on promoting The Flying Dutchman. Just know the offer’s there if you ever change your mind.”

“Thanks, Mike. I appreciate it,” Kraken replied, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.

As he hung up and returned to the table, the LIGHTSUM members greeted him with smiles and curiosity.

“Everything okay?” Chowon asked, noticing the thoughtful look on his face.

Kraken nodded, taking his seat again. “Yeah, just some talk about the future. But right now, I’m here with you guys, and that’s all that matters.”

Chowon laughs and then says. "Well if that's the case there is someone you need to talk to." before pointing at a partying Nayoung. Kraken smiles. Nayoung and he had both been avoiding the "So what happens next" talk because they knew that. It was going to hurt no matter what happened, but it was now or never.

Nayoung smiled when she saw Kraken approached.

"Hey Nayoung can we talk?" he said.

Nayoung sighed, she noticed he wasn't using her cute nickname Nayo which meant this was serious. She nods and the two find a quiet end of the bar to chat.

"So what happens next," Kraken asks.

Nayoung thought about his words... she knew they were about to go heavy into tours and traveling, which meant strain on their friendship.

"Well the way I see it we can put our friendship on pause, or you can move out to Korea, and we see where the rest of this takes us."

"I am not moving out here, but my powers do grant me limited teleportation."

"Wait really?"

"Kinda. Typically I need an anchor point. Usually, that's an omega level or higher mutant, but I think I know a girl."

Nayoung pouted not realizing who he was referring to. She stood up from the seat flustered, "Who is she, and how did you meet her out here?" she asked. Kraken furrowed his brow in confusion before pointing to Nayoung. Nayoung finally made the connection and laughed heartily.

Nayoung smiled and then said, "Okay well that changes things because if I knew you'd always be a quick teleport away we could have spent more time together."

Kraken nodded then asked for confirmation, "Okay so that's the plan?"

Nayoung nodded then replied, "Yes I have custody of you on the weekends."

"That's an interesting way to put it." Kraken looked at her funny while he responded

Nayoung raised a defiant eyebrow, and asked "Am I wrong?"

"No Nayo, it's just funny," Kraken replied

"Good now dance with me," she said as her favorite song came on. The two danced all night as their hearts poured themselves out on the dancefloor. Nayoung and Kraken felt at peace in each other's arms, and just like that. A spark ignited between the two "Friends" as both felt their hearts yearn for something more.

#kpop fanfic #fanfic #nayoung #lightsum #lightsum nayoung #Nayoung fanfic

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uptoolateart · 1 year

Text

I have so much I want to say about Emotion. I want to analyse Marinette/Ladybug and Felix here, because this episode showed so much character progression, especially for her. In my opinion, we had a kind of Cat Blanc 2.0.

So - when Felix makes the red moon, he makes it out of anger. The moon symbolises feelings, the unconscious illuminated, while red represents his rage. He's allowed his negative emotions to take over - he is literally seeing red.

When Ladybug first battles him in the street, she sees red, too - and her costume is conveniently red. That confrontation with Argos is her facing up to her fears - her regrets - her mistakes. She really lets him have it, and I don't think it's just about him taking away the miraculous. I think she was letting out old pain related to Cat Blanc, too - emphasised by the parallel imagery between the two episodes.

Example 1 - same pose as Cat Noir when he got akumatised:

Example 2 - Ladybug on the ground, scrambling away backwards while her attacker comes for her...just like Cat did, to get away from Hawk Moth:

Example 3 - Very similar hand gestures and posturing between Argos and Cat Blanc:

There's also the fact that a moon plays such a part in the story (because the moon is emotions)...and some things I'll touch on later.

With that in mind, this was a crucial scene for Ladybug. What we can see is:

After so long being a quivering mess, in the episode just before, she finally told Adrien she loved him, without caring (too much) how he responded

At the start of 'Emotion', she lost track of Adrien's schedule and stated that she 'doesn't control Adrien' and 'he's free to do what he wants' (which is darkly ironic after we just saw the way Gabriel controlled Adrien in 'Adoration', and sets things up perfectly for Felix to try to free him)

She gatecrashes the Diamonds Dance without caring what anyone thinks (we've seen her do this in disguise before, but never as brazen as this)

Then she lets Felix have it, in the street

After this, she will tell Gabriel where he can shove his pancakes

She's come so far. Go, Marinette!

And then....

Argos threatens to wipe out the whole population if she doesn't hand over her earrings. She's been here before. Cat Blanc parallels, remember? It's her worst nightmare come true, in a form she didn't expect - and she doesn't cave.

What I love is that her Ladybug vision shows us him - not a zoomed in part of him to use, but his whole figure, like he himself is the key to solving the puzzle. She sees that anger isn't going to win this. Fear won't win this. Felix isn't 'evil' - he's hurting. She hears it in his words and his voice. Cat Blanc was hurting, too.

When he sees that she's not going to give in to his ultimatum, Argos looks thrown - panicked, even - and gives her one last chance, letting her know what's coming. 'All of Paris will be gone...are you willing to pay that price?' He screams it and looks tortured, like he really doesn't want to go through with his threat. He thought she'd give in and he could avoid this scenario, but she calls his bluff.

'You're the only one who can answer that question,' she says - then she smiles and closes her eyes. It's such an act of trust, not even looking at him as she puts her fate in his hands - like she has faith that even if he vanishes her, he'll somehow do the right thing, in the end.

Maribug pulled an Adrichat. How many times have we seen him sacrifice himself, trusting that she would bring him back? Not just as Cat Noir but even as vulnerable human Adrien. And now, she's done the same. But she put that trust in Felix, of all people - in her 'enemy'. And she does this even believing he's vanished people she loves. It's a huge act of forgiveness.

The old Ladybug would have never had such faith that things would turn out okay. She would never have trusted in the moment like that. Cat Blanc accused her of not listening to a word he was saying. She saved him by taking advantage of his feelings for her and pretending she would kiss him. In Emotion, facing off with Felix, all of Paris gone...she listens.

What she gives him is a choice, after all those years of feeling controlled. And this was key because earlier in the episode, we saw Amelie telling Nathalie, 'There's always a choice.' Throughout the season, we've also seen Chloe and Gabriel have choices between paths. It's a crucial theme to the story, and the message is clear: whatever happened in your past, it's in your hands to decide what to do about it. You're accountable for your future.

When Felix realises he screwed up and lost Marinette, all of it becomes too much for him and he makes his choice - to snap away the red moon, against his ideology, and bring everyone else back. He's conflicted but acknowledges that his mistake was letting his anger control him. We've never seen Felix akumatised. He's already in that state, even without the magic.

When we move onto Pretension, he hasn't given up his goals, but he's decided to try a different tactic, which forces our heroes to reconsider his role in the story - who's the real villain here?

What we're seeing in both Marinette and Felix is evolution as people...and it's interesting that the first episode of the season was called Evolution, like it was setting the theme.

I was so excited to see all this because we watched Marinette grow loads in the first few seasons, while Adrien was stuck. Then she got stuck after Cat Blanc, pushing him out, which forced him to find himself without leaning on her. We saw his growth, then in season 5 he's been helping her meet him on a similar page. They're now perfectly positioned to find out their secret identities. And because we have this more mature Ladybug, I think if she faced off with Cat Blanc again, she'd know the fastest solution is to listen - and to trust that he can break the akumatisation though sheer will, knowing how much she loves him.

Please no post-Revelation spoilers in the comments :)

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madamecalypso · 5 months

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Here is part 3 of "The deer 🦌 and the Crow 🐦‍⬛"

Ascension

What is your Desire?...

It's a common slogan for the clubs you have established throughout the Pride ring, including the newest ones here in the Lust ring.

Many are aware that a sinner is not supposed to be in the lust ring or any other rings of hell yet if one of the Princes of hell allows it, the possibilities are endless.

When your first Club gained its popularity, the King of Lust Asmodeus became interested. After all, this was the first time he learned of a sinner who can uncover one's desire with her Hallucikinesis abilities, an ability more potent than his own and use it to lure them into the said establishment. Months after that he diverted his attention to you and your club as it increased in numbers in Pentagon city and throughout the Pride ring.

When he first approached you, he was accompanied by a tall male imp with a jester getup named Fizzarolli who preferred to be called Fizzie. You were surprised by Asmodeus's form. You never imagined the King of Lust to be large, vibrantly-colored, and burly, but you couldn't dismiss his intimidating presence.

He called you the Eminator of Desires. A high contrast to the moniker of the "Nightmare Demon" which every sinner called you prior. He proposed to open up a branch of your club in the Lust ring.

"My Darling, your abilities align with the Sin I represent and I want to take you under my wing. Your potential would grow exponentially in the Lust ring."

The opportunity to leave the Pride ring enticed you, as it offers safety from the yearly extermination and a way to escape the memories that still plague your mind. In all honesty you were set to agree then and there but the King of Lust gave you two weeks to decide.

During those weeks you let the Vees know of what was offered to you. The entertainment district is currently under their dominion and they have fully established themselves as rightful Overlords with you working in the shadows. Vox has every sinner wrapped around his fingers with each release of the latest technology. Valentino with his porn studio, and Velvette with her Fashion Industry and influence in the social media with each sinner hungry for her opinion.

Valentino was the first you confided in. After all, even with his track record of controlling and abusive treatment for his employees and a temperament that can rival Vox, he seems to have a soft spot for you and would listen with an open mind.

"Princessa, it is a big opportunity to be invited by Asmodeus but you'll be leaving us. I cannot wrap my head around the thought of our jewel missing from our hands."

Valentino tried to reason yet he relented in the end seeing your determined face. He knew that when you are set on a plan, nothing can sway you. It was the same when you decided to build your clubs. He is somewhat jealous that you would be moving to the Lust ring, the same place he always wanted to see yet this was empowered with the thought of not seeing you for a while.

All he could do now was sit you on his lap as he gently caressed your face, his face looking longingly at you. His extra pair of arms holding you tightly. The Moth demon knew that the time had come to let go of the third in his and Vox's relationship.

"Our jewel is truly growing as a formidable force, you really are an enigma my heart. Forevermore a mystery for us to uncover."

Vox on the other hand was not as accepting. The leader of the Vees blew a fuse when he learned of your decision. Being overprotective and possessive of you didn't help.

"My answer is NO dearest, you are not leaving the Pride ring!. Why the fuck would you even consider leaving us? You're ours!"

Vox was seething in his seat as he looked at you. The room became a mess after your announcement as he destroyed everything he came across. He always hated feeling the same emotions of abandonment like you and feeling this once again like when Alastor denied his offer to him, is something that he couldn't accept. You leaving is like losing an integral part of him and he couldn't have that.

You walked towards him before gently touching his screen. Your eyes were sad, which immediately stopped him from his tantrum.

"You always knew that this time will come Vox, I was always meant to be a passing fancy. You know my true emotions. Who I would always love"

"But haven't I proven enough that I'm better than that prick!? I'm the one who stayed for fuck sake! Dearest please see reason, I..."

Vox stopped himself as he looked away. Gaining control of his emotions once more he looked at you and grabbed you towards him. Eyes pleading.

"I couldn't lose you too!, I couldn't dearest and you were never a passing fancy to me. I already accepted that Alastor is meant to be my Arch nemesis as long as you are mine to have but if you leave, the power I built for all of us was meant for nothing"

You could only sigh before you kissed his cheek. Sometimes you often wished you had fallen for Vox and Valentino instead. He is an egotistical, charismatic, and manipulative showman of an Overlord who craves attention but to you he was the best companion you were grateful to have including Valentino. Yet he knows that your heart doesn't belong to them.

"I will return when the time comes Vox, when you need me the most, I'll be there"

In the end Vox relented too and throughout the two weeks he often followed you like a lost puppy and to appease him, you showered him with the attention that he craves.

The last one you announced your departure was Velvette. The sinner saw you as somewhat of a mother figure due to being the youngest in the group yet was the most understanding of your decision. She made you promise that you would need to keep your phone at all times and wear every clothes she will send for you in the Lust ring.

And at the end of the two weeks, you sent your response to Asmodeus and you were taken away to the Lust ring.

He helped you enhance your abilities, the power to manifest one's desires and let them hallucinate what they crave the most. You tested your abilities to those around you, including the the darker side of your abilities to punish those who defied you by showing them their greatest fears. As the months passed, he became a father figure to you which Fizzie would often tease you about. He often would join you as you train and in time Fiz became a close friend to you as well with delighted Asmodeus to a great extent.

And now, 2 more years have passed. It's almost 7 years now since you last saw Alastor. Your club was also a great hit to the denizens of hell. It seems like hellborns enjoy partaking with their innermost desires.

The residents of Lust ring were welcoming of you even though you were a sinner. As your clubs increased in numbers here, your employ of Succubus, Incubus and Imps increased as well.

At your arrival you embraced the name Calypso once again, the name Alastor bestowed upon you which you discarded once he left you. It's only fitting, after all you are now hidden away from the influence of all of those in the Pride ring. A sinner of your own free will.

As you watch the patrons of your newest club, hidden away above them in your private office, you couldn't help but smile as your eyes glowed in the dimmed environment of your room. Your office was adorned with the latest leather furniture coloured in black. You always preferred that color with each office you have. This also applies to your attire, even sometimes alternating with reds and lace.

It's always been packed each night since the opening. Hellborn denizens are hungry to feel your powers each night. As your powers grew to establish a secure connection to all of your clubs to ensure the continuous distribution of your powers. Asmodeus also assisted you in improving the concoction that can be airborne in the club to intensify the effects of your abilities, allowing everyone to pick the type of hallucinations they want to have aside from their desires.

Seeing the euphoric look of each patron in the private rooms and those in the main club elated you.

You still long for those you left behind but you are content with the power you have now. You still visit the Pride ring at times to deal with souls who want to bind a contract with you and be under your employ yet you have the Lust ring now as your permanent residency. You have also earned the title of Overlord which elated the Vees.

Now you only need one last thing, or someone.

"Mon corbeau...look how you've grown. You made me proud"

You closed your eyes after hearing the familiar voice of Alastor. To say that you are immune to your own abilities is an understatement. After learning that you could also affect yourself, you indulge in your abilities every once in a while.

After all Alastor was your greatest desire and your powers made it so that you can still see him even after leaving you.

As you opened your eyes, he was in front of you. His form is solid with his ever wavering smile. No one could say that this was just a hallucinatory image created by you.

"You really outdid yourself this time Calypso! You have established to be a prominent and well-known sinner throughout hell. Such an achievement my dear"

You smile drunkenly with pleasure to hear his voice. Eyes tearing up which was always the case when you see his form.

"Yet you are not here Alastor,...you still left me"

"Why the tears my dear? I'm here aren't I? I may be a manifestation of your abilities but still you should be glad that I'm here"

He then laughed before touching your face. You are a masochist to do this to yourself. Obsessive to torture yourself in seeing his face on a daily basis. Yet it was the only way to ensure that you will never forget him.

"If I return Mon corbeau, would you come running? Or are you still set in your revenge plot with Vox?"

He smiles widely, exposing his sharp teeth as his eyes narrows. You could only grin in response as your eyes glowed once more and clouds of smoke appeared around you.

"You're an embodiment of my abilities, of course you know the answer to that already Alastor"

His smiles grew wider to the point of tearing his face before vanishing. You may love him still but should he really return, you have a score to settle with him. He would wish that he never should have left you.

As his form slowly disappears he laughed sinisterly once again, a whisper remained.

"G̶̺̥̎̄͌͑͂̔̏̓̂́̈́͜͝͝͝͝ͅŏ̸̡̼̺̫̥̻͈̞̍͆̏̓́͜͝ͅŏ̸̡̼̺̫̥̻͈̞̍͆̏̓́͜͝ͅd̶̡̲̗̼̮̤̤̳̲͖͓͍͔͓̓̎̽́̽̏̐͂̆͆͘͘͘ G̶̺̥̎̄͌͑͂̔̏̓̂́̈́͜͝͝͝͝ͅi̶̡̹͈͎̳̞͙͖̾̂̀͑̀͆̑̓̽̉͐͘͘ͅr̵͕͈̍̀̈́̽̎̍͗̍́̏̚͠��̡͍͍̼͕͜l̶̬̞͎̖͉̹̝͕̝͖̣̉͆"

Well here we are again. The next story will be the main one!

For the tags:

@simpforyou304

#alastor x reader #alastor x oc #hasbin alastor #hazbin hotel #alastor #vox x reader #hazbin hotel vox #hazbin alastor #story #oc story #fanfic

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traewilson · 3 months

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So yesterday I saw Inside Out 2 in the theaters. Gotta say, I left quite conflicted. The film itself is good, pretty darn good, in fact. But all my thoughts about it that aren't just "the animation is purty", or "it made me laugh once or twice", were largely negative? It is decidedly, I dare say objectively worse than the first in most respects. This film gives the established characters much less to do that aren't Joy, and the new emotions are wafer-thin that aren't Anxiety. It isn't nearly as funny or as emotionally impactful as the first. If you're expecting any plot beat to hit as hard as Bing-Bong from the first, curb your expectations.

The old characters who aren't Joy aren't given anything interesting to work with. The new (non-emotion) characters are mostly bland and undercooked. One of these characters just plain disappears from the movie completely, never to be seen again, and it's so ODD. It's a kind of narrative sloppiness you usually dont get from animated films from Disney specifically.

And then there's the new emotions, most of whom are wafer-thin and barely even characters. Anxiety being the main antagonist is given dimension and nuance almost rivaling Joy, but Ennui? A one-note joke character. It's funny because Ennui is a big word so Joy calls her "Ui-Ui" instead. Embarrassment has a bit of nuance being the one emotion from the new batch to be friendly towards the older emotions, specifically Sadness, but otherwise again his whole bit can be summarized as: Ha Ha, Big Guy Be Bashful, Please Laugh. There's no spin on the joke. It's just that ancient moth-bitten joke, again. But Envy is I think the worst of the bunch. The character does nothing throughout the film. All they do is cheer on Anxiety. They don't even really act envious which is really really odd? You'd think they could be a twist baddie - where like Envy wants to take the controls away from Anxiety and run the show herself. This is one time that tired Disney trope of the twist villain could've worked. But THEN we wouldn't have the seemingly mandatory now Realistic Panic Attack Scene, so, this character just Exists. A vestigial character that adds nothing, does nothing - it just Is. Criminal waste of a talent like Ayo Edebiri. Darn shame. Maybe in the third one you'll get to do something.

The film tries to follow in the footsteps of Turning Red, in regards of being a analysis of life as a child entering puberty, and it's a wet fart in the wind compared to what Turning Red did. It doesn't have the honesty, the heart, the integrity - it's toothless. It's too generic to be of any use to someone in the same position as Riley in the real world.

But this isn't why I'm writing this. No. There's a specific scene in the movie that just hasn't left my head since I saw the movie, and I have to get my thoughts written down and out there so I can stop thinking about this already.

Minor unimportant spoiler here. So in one scene, Anxiety is compelling a team representing the imagination, if I recall correctly? Anyway, she's compelling the imagination - represented like animators working on animation - to draw up as many scenarios as possible that affirm their paranoia. Joy and Gang enter, and stealthily start drawing up potentially positive outcomes, upsetting Anxiety. Joy gives a rousing speech about how they should draw the things they genuinely believe in, and not let Anxiety push them around, culminating in a chair being thrown at the Apple commercial Big Brother monitor Anxiety is speaking to them through. The mind cops show up, Anger immediately tries to pummel them (based,) and the gang is forced to run away.

To me, this is yet another in a long line of Disney not so subtly trying to control or manipulate discourse through their art / product. Now, an important disclaimer: Of course, all art is trying to say something to the audience - at least any art worth its salt does. But this isn't any one artist's messaging; this is the Walt Disney Corporation's messaging, to my thinking. The difference should be stark between the messaging of a lone human being and a monolithic megacorp's executive staff. Be aware: this is my read. If you don't see what I see, cool and fine. Just keep an open mind.

This sequence has no bearing on the rest of the story. It's a digression that only exists for the sake of the message contained within. It obviously is addressed partially to Disney animators. Disney is acknowledging they've been overworked before, and it gives them the false hope they have a voice within the company, that they can defy their boss and make a stand. They can draw what they want! They can say no! This is, of course, nonsense. Disney does not support this. If their workforce acted out like this, they would all be fired, and Disney wouldn't lose an ounce of sleep over it. I feel like it's a message to the audience as well - a virtue signal to give the dullard audiences the impression they're Good Guys when they most definitely are not that. And I feel it's sending another message to both animators and audience - the solution isn't actually changing anything. The bad leader is calmed down, put back in their place within the system, and the old leader restored. This kind of messaging is mind poison to a susceptible mind, young or old. You dont change anything. Only the leaders can fix the problem with leadership, and the solution is simply to get the Right Leaders in charge again, for everybody to reconcile their differences. I see Anxiety as the Republican Party in the eyes of the executives / writers and directors - mentally unstable, but well-meaning. A vital component to the functioning of the Body, but one that needs to be kept pacified or it will run out of control and cause damage; try to dominate the Body and cast out the people who know what they're doing. Anxiety is, to my thinking, conservatism in the eyes of the team / the executives. You could extrapolate extrapolate it out so that Anxiety is literally Donald Trump. Admittedly the evidence is slim. The domineering (orange) authoritarian who monopolizes the power around themselves. Envy is the mindless sycophant who blindly agrees to everything Anxiety says - the Marjorie Taylor Greenes, the Ted Cruzes, the Lindsay Grahams. Ennui holds the controls too, but does nothing with them beyond introducing sarcasm to Riley's mindscape. Ennui is the passive fool who sees everything going down and just Does Not Care enough to do anything to stop it. And Embarrasment, in the eyes of the team, is the Good One who is doing good behind the scenes, helping Sadness. The liberal image of the ideal Republican. This is, I admit, a major stretch, and it's ultimately just my read. But I don't think I'm completely off base here.

Uhh, so yeah. Not Pixar's best, and not really spectacularly bad in a way that's at least memorable like Cars 2 or Good Dinosaur. No, it's just another Pixar movie. And you know? I almost think that's worse than if it were a spectacular failure. Cars 2, Good Dinosaur, they make me really stop and think. They're fascinating. Inside Out 2 isn't interesting. It's emblematic of the continued downward spiral of Pixar into becoming an empty shell, fully filled by Disney.

But hey it played the Triple-Dent Gum jingle again and Anger hates cops so 8/10

#inside out 2 #inside out #disney inside out #pixar #disney #disney pixar #anxiety inside out #film critique #first impressions #its just That One Friggin Scene and then nothing of note #that one scene #ayo edebiri you deserved so much more #anger is anti-cop and that does kinda rule #film criticism #im done posting this kinda thing on Xwitter #so get used to more of this sorta thing fuckers!

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kisilinramblings · 2 years

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Do you think Marinette has trauma in s4/has trauma from Chat Blanc? I've seen people say that she doesn't because she doesn't have multiple breakdowns or wake up from nightmares in multiple eps or constantly think about Chat Blanc. Or that the show needs to show it more explicitly and frequently for it to count

First, thank you for your patience, Anon!

Second, I’m no psychologist nor therapist, but as far as I know, nightmares and flashbacks are only a few of the many symptoms and manifestations of Post-Traumatic Syndrome Disorder (and according to the US Department of Veteran Affairs and common reactions after trauma, they are even regrouped has one and single item).

Meaning that if you only focus on those because this is all that you know how PTSD is visually represented in fiction, then you are missing on other key symptoms that hint someone may have PTSD. I say “may” because you need to check a certain number of symptoms to have a diagnostic.

Anyway, I recommend @gentil-minou 's ml psychology analysis on Marinette during S4 (although, it was written right after Kuro Neko and is missing a few episodes, but nonetheless a very good starting point).

Some will agree Marinette has indeed PTSD, but disagree that Chat Blanc is the cause. For this, I will refer to what Jonathan Decker - licensed therapist and co-creator and co-host of the YT channel Cinema Therapy - says when he summarizes PTSD and the trauma that cause it :

“PTSD occurs when you think your world is safe and then realized that it isn’t”.

Marinette as Ladybug, as a superhero, deals with danger everytime she is facing an Akumatized. But she always finds a solution at the end. She always figures out her Lucky Charm, always find a way to grab the akumatized object, break it and free the victim from Hawkmoth. Plus, her supepower allows her to restore any damage done by the Akumatized and the consecutive battle. So, it always work out and if she ever fails, she can raises again and try something else (though she may or may not need a little pep talk). And the reason why she accepts to be a superhero in the first place is in order to help her friends and loved ones (Alya in Origins).

But despite being a superhero, Marinette also realizes she herself is not immune to akumatization. She has negative emotions too therefore it is a possibility and there were close calls too. The first instance is during Zombizou. Marinette knows her negative emotions originally attracted an Akuma. During Heroes Day, she saw an illusion showing an akumatized Ladybug fighting Chat Noir. In Chameleon, she almost got akumatized but manages to avoid it. And during the episode Ladybug, she got a really close call of being akumatized as well to the point she did not resist and could have given her Miraculous to Scarlet Moth.

But the thing is she knows and accepts her own vulnerability. She is human like everyone else around her and can fall victim of her negative emotions. During S2-S3, she has a network. She has Chat Noir. Master Fu could also help then since he can distribute the Miraculous like he did during Party Crasher when she is incapacitated. There are rules like maintaining the secret identity between Chat Noir and her, so if one is ever akumatized, the other still has a chance.

But while she knows her own vulnerability and can deal with it with rules (control) and back-up plans, there is one person she never thought would actually be akumatized. And that is Chat Noir.

Brainwashed or incapacited by akumatized villain power? Sure, happened plenty of time.

Arriving late for whatever reason? Harder, but it’s manageable.

But an akumatized Chat Noir? What it the world happened to him?!

All she hears is that their love lead to this post-apocalypse. Chat Blanc was clear that they were both in love and dated each other and that their secret was discovered by Hawkmoth and he used it against them. Chat Blanc even call her by her real name revealing her the secret identity rule fell apart and was breached.

Marinette is not only confronted to a future where her partner is indeed akumatized, she also witnesses her future self died unable to save her partner and everyone else.

Usually, when Marinette fails, she can try again and something else. But here, that failure was fatal. Game Over. The shock is even greater when she never thought Chat could be able to do such a thing. Akumatized normally spares their loved one. But in this scenario, no one was spared. Everything and everyone was destroyed.

Of course, Ladybug was greatly upset and questionned Chat Blanc about it. All he says was that it was an accident. Not only that, she even see that Chat Blanc has the potential to put an end to the world.

That is the main difference with everything else. I bolded the elements that play into triggers to Marinette during S4.

Truth, Lies, Gang of Secrets, Crocoduel, Mega Leech, Sentibubbler, Glaciator 2, Ephemeral, Kuro Neko, and of course Strike Back all have parts of the answer.

Truth : Marinette is witholding her secret identity from Luka who she is dating. And it caused him to be akumatized who is out to find her secret which would get known by now Shadow Moth. Not only Marinette breaks with Luka at the end because her secret identity is an obstacle into establishing a mutual relationship with him and it will only hurt him, she also decides she cannot allow herself to date anyone.

Lies : LB’s reaction as Chat Noir tell his plan to sacrifice himself in order to drive Lies’ attention is more panicked than usual. Like, compare it to Gamer 2.0. She doubts herself about being able to save him and protect him.

Gang of Secrets : She distances herself of not just Chat Noir, but her friends as well. The latters get akumatized because of that rejection. At the end, Marinette breaks because she cannot support all that pression all alone anymore and tells her secret to Alya.

From that point on, Marinette relies more and more on Alya over Chat who is her partner. That is a survival mechanism. And also, subconscious.

Crocoduel : I’m putting it here because it feels like Marinette has projected a lot of her Chat Blanc trauma into Luka after breaking-up with him (or at least, it is starting to be build that way). Thus why she is avoiding Luka altogether at this point because she doesn’t want to have the Talk™ even though she need to talk to him one day. To be fair, she always has that tendency to avoid hard discussion. But her thinking Luka would be akumatized because of her again feels that there is more to it than what happened during Truth. Marinette has a wild imagination, but even Alya is thinking that Marinette is exaggerating and fails to understand Marinette’s perspective there.

Mega Leech : There is a little scene in which Chat Noir is brainwashed by Malediktator without her knowing and grab her -- which she obviously didn’t find it funny -- but this episode is the start of Ladybug building a bigger team to assist her out as part of her solution to her problem. The writers even make a foreshadowing through Chat Noir when he says “Hey! Wait for me, guys! Group pose!”. Which later plays out for both Ephemeral and Kuro Neko.

Sentibubbler : The obvious one because of the Chat Blanc cameo during Marinette’s nightmare. I let you read @geekgirles ‘s excellent analysis about Marinette’s subconscious.

Glaciator 2 : I stand by this, but the gossip news about Ladybug and Chat Noir dating triggered Ladybug. Thus why she becomes so upset. And since she never told Chat Noir about the Chat Blanc timeline (that he was akumatized because they were dating in said timeline), he is not understanding what she is currently living and worst, he was putting oil in the fire with his jokes there even if his intentions were just to relax the situation.

Ephemeral : I think this one goes without any further explaination, no? Whole episode is about the secret identity. Sass having to use his Second Chance power without a Holder to this very moment is a huge indicator that she was about to make an horrible mistake that would have disastrous consequences. And it reinforces Ladybug’s belief it is better off to not have any identity reveal in the first place.

Kuro Neko : Similar beginning as Ephemeral. Except this time, Chat Noir is demotivated (read depressed) due to Ladybug keeping him in the dark and putting him at a distance throughout the season. And Ladybug is not noticing how much her actions and solutions to avoid her trauma are affecting him. Ladybug also doesn’t think clearly once she sees a huge Black Cat with a bell. Not only is she convinced that is an Akumatized Chat Noir, she wrongly believes the bell is the akumatized object. Her trauma is leading her to those assumptions even when evidences are pointing out elsewhere.

Strike Back : The dialog between LB and CN who are both affected by Risk. How Ladybug has taken all those risks in order to protect him (when she took that decision by herself, without consulting with Chat first). And of course, because she never told him about the Chat Blanc timeline, he cannot understand her pov.

To me, when you pay attention (and watching the episodes in order helps too) there is a build up. Of course, this post is a quick sum up of an entire season. If you want a more profound analysis of Marinette’s actions through season 4, I invite to watch Youtuber Toon Ruins video essay on S4 Marinette.

And please note that, as season 5 is about to start, the Chat Blanc trauma is still lingering. And you cannot properly fix something unless the core gets adressed. Adrien and Marinette fixed a lot of what they thought were the problems, when they haven’t adressed the cause of said problems. So, yeah, Chat Blanc trauma arc isn’t over yet.

#miraculous ladybug #ml season 4 #marinette dupain-cheng

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bluestar22x · 5 months

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Never Forgotten

Summary: Light pink carnations represent love and gratitude, appreciation of a mother, and never forgetting someone. That's why Marcus gifts them to both his wives on Mother's Day.

Pairing: Marcus Moreno x OFC!Elena (Current Wife), Marcus Moreno x OFC!Reina (Past Wife)

Rating: 18+ Series

Word Count: 2,800(ish)

Warnings: Romance, sexual tension, flashbacks, pregnancy, family life, mentions of cancer, sickness, death, mourning, angst, love, joy - it's a rollercoaster

Author’s Note: This takes place in my Second Chances verse, but you do not need to read the series to enjoy this! This was created for the Moth and Birdie's Mother's Day Fic Challenge by @mothandpidgeon and @ezrasbirdie. Went with something both sweet and angsty, but true to Mother's Day.

xxx

"Mommy, mommy get up!"

An excited young voice drew you from a peaceful night's sleep, leaving you drowsy and a bit mopey about not being able to wake up on your own terms that morning. It was rare you had a day off where you could do so. You had thought on Mother's Day you'd have a better chance.

Still, you smiled when your three and a half year old son (almost four, he insisted) ran into your view, looking as lively as ever.

"Morning, Teo," you mumbled at him.

"Morning, mommy," he greeted you back, beaming. "We have a present for you!"

"Oh? You do?" You and your husband Marcus had decided last year that outside of Christmas presents weren't really going to be a part of your holidays anymore, so you were curious what was in store for you.

Teo nodded at you enthusiastically. "Yeah! Daddy sent me up here to get you!"

"Well," you said as you sat up in bed and rubbed your eyes, "Tell daddy I'll be down in a minute. I've got to brush my teeth first."

And use the bathroom, but that was a given.

"Okay!" And just like that the young boy with wild curls left your room, flying off like superman, whose image was printed many times over on his cotton pajamas.

You made your way after him as soon as you could, having smelled your "present" before you even made it out of the master bedroom.

Marcus was making breakfast, and the kids were helping out, you could only assume. Knowing them, Teo probably came up with the idea, and Missy probably insisted Marcus not do it on his own. She knew very well how easily distracted he could get sometimes.

"Smells like burnt eggs," you joked as you strolled into the kitchen, stopping to pet Ginger, your Chihuahua, who was laying on her side on the bare floor, basking in the warmth of the morning sun.

"Not on my watch," Missy told you from her position by the stove, alongside Marcus.

"Hey," he protested. "I can and have cooked eggs just fine on my own!"

"So long as the TV's not on," you added, grinning. "So this is my present? Breakfast?"

"Brunch," Marcus corrected you as he shut off the stove top burner he'd been using. "It's ten-thirty, honey."

"I slept that long?" You gaped. "Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

"Part of your gift," Missy said, nodding towards the table. "We're also going out for supper. You're not allowed to cook today."

"Sounds good to me," you told her, going to sit at the kitchen table with Teo, who was already chowing down on a syrup covered pancake. "Can I steal a piece?"

"Of course mommy," he answered, pushing his plate towards you more willingly than you'd expected. The kid loved his food. "It's your special day."

"Just testing you," you declared, winking as you plopped a fresh pancake from the stack in the middle of the table onto the plate in front of you. "I can take my own."

Marcus and Missy placed more food on the table, eggs and bacon and breakfast potatoes as you poured a ton of syrup on yours, more than even Teo liked. You preferred your pancakes drowned in it.

As they both sat down with you and Teo, you took a moment to sniff the large bouquet of light pink carnations that were in a thin dark green vase in front of your spot at the table. "Mmm, these smell lovely."

Marcus smiled. "I'm glad you like them. Happy Mother's Day, Elena."

You covered his hand with yours and grinned back. "Thanks for all of this. Though the flowers could technically be considered a gift."

"I get some for Reina every year," he reminded you. "Didn't feel right not to give some to you too when you're not getting anything else."

"Are you visiting her this afternoon?" you asked him quietly.

"On the way to the restaurant, after we visit mom," he confirmed, squeezing your fingers with his.

Reina had been Marcus' first wife. The original Mrs. Moreno. She had passed away years before you'd even met Missy in the school library. You'd encouraged Marcus to keep up the tradition he had of visiting her grave around Christmas, her birthday, and Mother's Day, along with Missy, even when things got hectic.

Sometimes you hung back, giving them their privacy, other times you joined them in solemn silence.

You didn't know Reina outside pictures, stories Missy retold of her mother, mentions Marcus made of her, but you felt a kind of connection to her through them. A comradery of sorts, having both shared your lives with them.

There had never been a time where you'd even considered being jealous of her ghost. You knew Marcus loved you both, equally and differently at the same time, neither able to replace the other. And you were grateful to her even, after all, you wouldn't have Missy in your life if she'd never given birth to her. You couldn't imagine what the last five years or so of your life would've looked like if Reina had never existed.

A coworker had once asked you if you could bring Reina back if you would do it, and you'd said of course without hesitation. Even though it was a loaded question, the answer was easy because you knew how much Marcus and Missy still mourned her, and you'd have loved to meet her. You wouldn't let fear or insecurity make you selfish. You refused to have them, and you loved your family too much for that.

"Dig in before the eggs get cold," Missy warned, snapping you out of your thoughts.

You nodded and reached for the pan of scrambled eggs that was thoroughly mixed with herbs which made them look more tempting than ever. "They look perfect, Missy."

She shrugged. "I've gotten a lot of practice in college."

Though Missy was currently living in a dorm most days, she got cooking experience through the cafeteria job she'd picked up on campus at the tail end of the previous semester.

You took a good share of the eggs, though you made sure to leave enough for the rest of your family and shoved a mouthful into your mouth with your fork.

You closed your eyes and hummed at the delectable taste of them. "Holy...cow Missy. These are amazing! That's not standard for a college campus."

"I mix it up when they let me."

"I'll try not to take offense that you've never said that when I cook," Marcus teased.

"You have plenty of other talents," you assured him.

Some of which would be very inappropriate to mention here, you thought.

The way he grinned at you after, you were certain his mind had gone there too.

Later. Definitely later. Once you had privacy and the kids weren't likely to interrupt.

For now you were going to enjoy the family you both had cultivated together.

Visiting Reina's grave never really got easier for Marcus, but this visit was one of the hardest in a long time, even with Missy by his side and you and Teo waiting in the car.

This particular Mother's Day marked ten years of the holiday without Reina's presence. It meant Missy was well into having spent most of her life without her mother around.

That thought pained Marcus deeply as he set the flowers in his hands, ones identical to the batch he'd given you earlier, up against her headstone.

When he backed away a couple feet Missy stepped forward and kissed a couple of her fingers before pressing them against the top of the gray granite. "Miss you, mom."

Marcus felt his heart plummet at her soft, solemn words. For the first time in years tears threatened to surface.

No words were able to form on his lips, none he could think of seemed appropriate, so he thought about Reina instead.

He'd been training in the Heroics gym shirtless when they first met. She walked in all professional in a pencil skirt and white blouse, long dark hair pulled back in the tightest possible ponytail, not even batting an eye at the sight of his young sweaty form pounding on the punching bag before him.

"Mrs. Moreno wants to see you," she'd stated plainly.

"Hey," he'd greeted her, halting his activities and wiping the sweat off his forehead with a nearby towel. "Are you the new secretary?"

"Yeah, I am," she replied, pausing, "Sorry, it was rude of me not to introduce myself first. I'm Reina."

Marcus stuck out his right hand and she shook it. "Nice to meet you, Reina. I'm Marcus."

"I know," she said, "Your reputation proceeds you. Top of your Heroics class and your mother told me you're aiming for leadership someday."

He frowned. "She did now, huh?" His mother had been suggesting he take her place from the start of his training to be a Heroic. She claimed he would be a great leader, but he still wasn't convinced after a decade of hearing it.

Reina must have heard the change of tone in his voice. "Is it not true?"

"It's an option," he told her. "I'm just not sure I'd be good at it. If I even want to be the leader."

She nodded. "It's not an easy choice."

"Speaking from experience?"

She shook her head yes. "My father's a lawyer. He was expecting me to lead his legal team someday. Instead I moved away from the countryside, to the city to be a little ol' secretary."

"You like the job?" Marcus asked.

She smiled, and it suddenly occurred to him that it just might be the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen. "Yeah. Your mother is nice to work for. Honest, brutally sometimes, but not mean. And I like the idea of helping you Heroics do your job, since I don't have powers myself."

"You don't need to be powered to be a Heroic," Marcus informed her. "Yes, the team's all powered at the moment, but there are no rules against non-powered people from joining."

"I'm more of a behind the scenes person," she said.

"I can respect that. We need people like you. You and the other secretaries are the backbone of this team."

She looked surprised. "You really think so?"

"We couldn't do our job without you," he added.

She smiled again, and he felt something akin to his stomach flipping witnessing it. "Thanks, Marcus. It's nice to hear. Can I tell Mrs. Moreno you're on your way?"

"Yeah," he said. "Is it an emergency, or can I shower first?"

"No emergency," Reina answered. "I'll tell her you'll be up in ten."

Marcus nodded. "Yeah, I'll be ready by then."

"Perfect," she said with a nod before spinning away on her six inch heels.

He watched her go, fully realizing he was interested in her, beyond pure physical attraction, but having no idea if they'd have a shot together.

Her looking back at him just as she opened the door to leave the gym space gave him hope.

"How was today?" Marcus inquired as he walked over to Reina, who was standing on their apartment balcony, apparently waiting for him to come home from work.

He banded his arms around her from behind and leaned down to press a light kiss to her jaw as his hands found the underneath of the expansive mound at her waist.

"Your daughter has been moving almost constantly all day," she told him, splaying a hand over his, the same one that bore the rings he'd given her the previous year. "And she insists on kicking my ribs at the worst possible times," she added with a hint of exasperation.

"Be nice to your mama, baby," he said sternly to his unborn child as she shifted under his palms.

Or he tried to at least.

Reina chuckled. "Guess I'll be the one disciplining her. Not that I'm surprised."

"You calling me soft?" Marcus asked with mock upset.

She turned in his arms to face him. "You are going to be like putty with her."

"Now, that's going too far."

She grinned at him, brown eyes bright and lively, and curled her arms around his neck so she could guide his head down to her lips for a warm kiss.

"I haven't been wrong about you so far," she whispered after, lips quirking upward.

He couldn't argue with that.

She looked as beautiful as ever, skating alongside little seven-year-old Missy, holding her hand gently and giggling as they both tried to keep themselves from falling over on the rough surface of the frozen lake.

Her hair hadn't grown back in well, so she was wearing a wig but it looked normal enough, she looked normal enough that Marcus could enjoy the moment, soak in the sight of Reina enjoying the sunny winter day with her daughter, despite it being as bitter cold as it was.

Watching her, watching them that day, Marcus had a hard time comprehending that his wife was dying right in front of him and he couldn't do anything to stop it.

For months he'd been at her side, every step of the way, holding her hand, her hair, as she suffered through radiation and chemo and a mastectomy, all in hope that it would cure her illness.

All of it had been for naught, her doctor having told her last month that they had no more options, that the cancer had spread to a whole slew of different places in her body, including her brain.

She could've continued chemo to prolong her life a little longer, but Reina had decided to choose quality over quantity. She hadn't wanted to live out her final days feeling as sick as chemo made her, so she stopped going to get treatments.

Marcus could only respect her wishes. He knew he would want the same put in her position, and a day like this was worth a lot more than a hundred of her lying in bed hardly able to move or clinging to the toilet bowl.

She caught him watching and they shared beaming smiles, hers natural, his a bit more forced, but it was still wonderful.

Going to the mountain lake for one last family trip had been her idea, and as per usual she'd been right.

They'd all needed it, and that was the memory Marcus had clung to most the week, the month, the year after her death.

That last truly good memory always made him smile through the tears.

And as he often did, he made a silent promise never to forget it that particular Mother's Day. To never forget her, as she was meant to be.

It was ten minutes before Marcus and Missy joined you and Teo in the car again, as usual more subdued than when they'd left it.

Missy buckled herself back into the seat next to Teo's as you rested a hand on Marcus' cheek, rubbing a thumb over it comfortingly. You could still see the lingering grief in his eyes, freshened by the visit to Reina's grave.

"You okay?"

He grabbed your hand and kissed the top of it, his love for you surging. "With you, always."

He slowly let go of your hand so you could rest it on your lap and you smiled softly. You had no doubt of how important you were to him, but it was still the best feeling to hear it.

He poured it into an intimate kiss you shared later on, after you got back home and the kids raced into the house together, anxious to rewatch a movie they both enjoyed together in Missy's old bedroom.

"You are the best wife I could've ever asked for," he told you, his mouth hovering just over yours, his hands on your hips. "Certainly the best mother."

"Just like Reina," you said, without a tinge of insecurity to it.

"I've been so damn lucky," he murmured, bumping his nose against yours, the edges of your glasses also hitting. "I got to share some of my life with her, and now I get to spend the rest of it with you. Two amazing women who gave me two wonderful kids. I'm beyond grateful."

"How much so?" you inquired, a playfulness to your words. Your hands traveled from his shoulders to his soft stomach, just above the waistline of his pants, fingers grazing the top of his belt buckle.

He hummed with peaking interest as he observed their new, tantalizing placement. "Way beyond."

You grinned widely at him. "Wanna take a shower with me?"

"Have I ever said no?"

You chuckled at that and guided him anxiously into the house to sneak past Missy's bedroom.

The sun may have set, but as far as you were concerned, your Mother's Day celebration was hardly near its end.

And you had a feeling it would be one of those nights not to be forgotten.

xxx

Tagged: @harriedandharassed

xxx

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

#We Can Be Heroes #MothandBirdMothersDayChallenge #Marcus Moreno Fanfic (Mine)#WCBH Fanfic #Pedro Pascal Character Fanfic #OC Fanfic #Fanfiction #Mine #Second Chances Series #Queue Me

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hazbinhappy · 6 months

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My Hazbin OC - Sunnie :)

I really went in on her background and it is very much subject to change but her look is solidified 🫶🏽 look at the pretty princess (and Velv cameo) i promise my handwringing is good it’s just the pen i used 😭

Here is some of her Hell background! (More like most of it lmao ngl I might just private post headcanons and blurbs of her unless yall wanna see her suffer or have a bit of a fun time)

I need to make it known: I do not condone a single thing Val ever has and will do that man is a bad and deserves to be in Hell. Making this OC a moth was purely based on the fact her and Val represent 2 different things about moths: Val is the symbolic meaning for endings/death and mysteries in night while Sunnie is the literal moth, they are beautiful and cute little creatures! She was going to be an orchid mantis because she was going to originally just be a girl who dated guys and played with their feelings before ghosting them but I liked this route more! But yeah I am not his supporter but I think he’s an interesting character/villain and I want to see him be explored more as long with the other V’s because they need more to their stories! Like Vox and Alastor! More Velvette!! Valentino and Angel backstory??? Anyways my want for more history and every character is for another day! do expect to see her more <3

i think when you wake up in Hell you don't have many memories from your past life (you can start to remember more if you try, but some people don't find any point). when she woke up in Hell she didn't remember much past who her family and friends was and her death

she went to hell for killing a girl who assaulted her friend

she met Velvette while she was trying to find photography work! she saw that Velvette (or at least her assistant) had put out an ad on Voxtagram (is that what it was called?) and immediately applied and sent in her portfolio

she thankfully got hired....but she had to sell her soul which was unfortunate, but hey a job and free housing

after a couple months Velvette mentions how Valentino wants a photoshoot done for Angel Dust

Sunnie vaguely remembers those names in passing and doesn't remember if she's ever seen a photo of them

when she goes to the studio to start taking photos she freezes when she sees Valentino

she knew he'd be Hell of course, he wasn't a good man

but she never thought she'd see her father again

he's talking to her as if she's any assistant until she starts speaking back to him

Angel notices the weird vibes, but he just poses and leaves

Val and Sunnie don't talk, but it's an unspoken thing that no one will nor should know (so not even Vox or Velvette know)

she grew to resent him once he passed so he has this ideal little girl stuck in his mind while she has a father who exposed to a lifestyle she shouldn’t have known

she knows about the hotel and has considered it occasionally because she wonders if her mom is in heaven (she died when she was a little in elementary so when Val died she went to her maternal family)

but she doesn’t because she genuinely cares for Velvette (if Velvette genuinely love for her is up in the air because she owns Sunnie's soul sooooo, but she seems to care about her)

she spends most of her time just taking random photos for Velvette's professional account, but she does have silly photos of other works (even from the other V's)

she tries to avoid Val most of the time, but sometimes it's unavoidable

they don't...really ever have an actual heart to heart about how things are now, but he has reached out and she's never replied unless it's "your late to the shoot" "velvette wants to know what time you're coming"

maybe one day she'll reach out, but it won't be anytime soon cause she hates him so much for the time being

Her Life background!

like i said they're relationship is based off of Marty Hodas and his daughter's relationship! She always seems kind of put off of growing up in that sexual environment and just didn't like it and Marty Hodas was considered like the King of Peep Shows/Porn

i like to think Val only had her as his kid and she was his little princess and he took her everywhere and didn't care as long as she wasn’t directly involved

Anice did stay away from that as she grew up, it became easier when Val died (apparently in the 70s) when she was 13 because she lived with her maternal family who weren’t involved with that

she did have a nice friend group! speaking of friend group they were drunk driving and all 5 of them (2 guys, 2 girls, and her) died in a multiple car wreck in 1985 (yes they stayed friends in Hell!)

she was going to college to be a photographer!

she wasn't necessarily a doormat, but she didn't often speak up about how she feels about things

I know I said she didn’t like her dad once she realized what he did and what she grew up around but she kept validating what he did by saying he was a single dad and had to take care of her and not leave her at home

so in a sense she idolized him, but in a parental way

adolescent psych doing me some good

to expand on the murder thing: her guy best friend (he’s not like a small dude either he’s big) was about to be in a not good situation so anice stabbed the girl. Was she happy about it? No, she felt like a monster. But her and friend stayed friends and covered it up. It was traumatic and it was a secret only for them to carry to their graves. She still hasn’t told anyone and won’t.

she really loves strawberry shortcake and care bears without shame and was a collector of them (she did sob when she realized she wouldn't have any of them when she died)

God I wrote a lot and drew a lot over the past 3 days so I’ll leave it here idk if I’ll revise her and change things up but a 100% is that her mom is in heaven because her mom ACTIVELY stayed away from that part of Val’s life. They only married to avoid people gossiping otherwise they weren’t together in the slightest.

ummmm YEAH so that's Sunnie/Anice and i love her

#hh art #hazbin hotel oc #hazbin oc #god i love her ask more about her please #idk why at 12am I’m just noticing this but yeah I see that in the bottom left that she’s a diff shade of pink but I’m not gonna fix that #idk maybe I’m tweaking but I don’t think I am….#HAHA I KEPT MY PROMISE I DID MATCHUPS REQUEST AND FINISHED HER #not even an hour later I think it looks bad (tbh I hate lining so I didn’t try on the second photo 😭)#my art #sunnie

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evil-is-upon-us · 3 months

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I actually don't know what created this alter...

TW: mentions of sexual content.

I'm Valentino, at least that's the name I take. I think that I have existed before Hazbin Hotel, it's just the name I took on and what I wanted to be perceived as.

I like moths, I felt I was abusive to many. I was the flirty one, the hypersexual being who said dirty things and was effeminate and radiated gay energy. I was the one told I acted like a lesbian or someone gay. I liked wearing fancy and pimped-out fluffy outfits.

I have also called myself Mettaton, like from Undertale, but that didn't exactly fit my vibe~

Recently I've got a clue on what it might be... Things that might've caused this. I think I know what caused this.

Pornographic material at a young age - I had a porn addiction at about age 7-10. I was given free internet access at an age way too young. I've had a serious porn addiction and I had trouble quitting. Sex was always on my mind when it shouldn't have been. I finally was able to stop, but it still messed me up.

Elsagate - I think it ties up with point 1. I've had kinks and fetishes which I was too young for. I think this one messed me up really badly. If you see Elsagate content, please report it.

Internalized queerphobia - I was told that gay and queer people were bad. I was extremely homophobic, transphobic, and overall queerphobic (I only engaged with straight content). I was rude and bigoted towards those people and I still have that internalized. I identify as a cis male and genderfluid (I can flow between genders, but at the end of the day I'm a male). The host, Daydream, is transmasculine and xenogender. I'm also gay (whenever I switch genders, I'm gay for that gender), and my internalized bigotry didn't allow me to explore sexualities, orientations, and I feared liking others and due to point 1, I had severe trauma that caused me to be touch-averse and be fearful of men (mostly) and all genders. The host is AroAce too, and they fear being hit-on by others.

People being queerphobic towards me - The host is transmasculine, which their mother told them "that was just being a tomboy." They are also xenogender, which is interconnected with trauma of disassociation, derealization, existentialism, and existential thoughts, and being extremely nihilistic. They were literally told a couple days ago that many gay and transgender people didn't exist, and that there was a prominent aphobia of "Oh, you will find the one when you get older!"

Urges - I talk a lot about "having moth urges." I think I know how that's related. There are sexual urges, bodily urges, impulsive thoughts and actions... The host always had pressure to make themselves perfect, to not engage with humanity and a lot of detachment from that. Moth urged could stand in for just being like everyone else, and being a... being. Natural urges and thoughts. And the host being AroAce, they didn't get to explore sexual urges or anything like that.

So, TL;DR: to summarize, porn addiction at a young age and queerphobia.

I, as the Valentino alter, am the result of this.

I am the hypersexual alter. I am someone who can be free from all this bigotry and here to take back my power. I am the things that hurt me. Being told a good "fuck you" is diminishing, but also kind of empowering. Because it's a big "fuck you" to queerphobia and my trauma. It's where people call me out on my bullshit and tell me to stop being bigoted towards queer people, being abusive to such.

I used to say I was queer but hated queer people, I hated myself.

I can say "fuck you" to Angel Dust, representing a stop to the pornographic trauma I experienced, to the fact of how I was harassed for being queer, for the fact for me to stop being abusive.

I can say "fuck you" to myself, calling myself out on my bullshit and to try and be a better person. Someone who's more accepting. A form of self-discipline I rarely give myself due to being narcissistic.

I try and be a better person, but it's hard when you're a nasty individual and raised as one. Where you were a prominent queerphobe.

I have always existed, I was here for a very long time, but I finally have a name. I can represent myself, Valentino, someone who is wanting to take back the power of porn addiction trauma. Someone who is wanting to take back the power of self-expression and being queer.

I used to think I was an endogenic system of some sort, or of mixed origins... I thought I had no trauma. That I lived a perfect childhood. But I started to think of what could've been the origins of being Valentino... And I think this is the reason.

I do have trauma. I don't have many alters, and I was wondering why, but that's because they're all connected to some trauma I had.

All the alters have trauma or something related to them. And why some stuck around and others didn't.

I'm a traumagenic system.

(I didn't proofread this, so take away from this what you will and have your own interpretations. I just had this massive realization and wanted to share.)

#tw mentions of sex #endo safe #plural system #🍹val posts🍹

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willow-p012 · 3 months

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Normally, these metaphors are about upgrading.

The caterpillar is always the stodgy, slow-moving thing confined to the ground.

In some versions of the story the cocoon represents crisis and depression, the whole “it’s always darkest before the dawn” thing.

Just one more time before saying goodbye/I’m just kidding, please forget I said that

Postmortem makeup to hide my heart, how to solve it is a secret/The stabbing of the little devil’s voice, counterattack being a suicide note

“You know, that sense of pain and discomfort that comes with leaving that safe haven.”

It can feel like one’s beliefs and understanding are going along just fine, even optimally, and then suddenly they just stop working. One can’t “eat” any more of the same old ways of thinking.

The butterfly is the dawn. The beautiful, free, floaty, flying thing.

And now, after quoting all of that, time for my own thoughts: metamorphosis in media is about transformations, usually for the better. Muu spends the entirety of INMF as her final form however, and so when she comes out of her chrysalis it doesn't exactly appear as if she's changed much. She looks exactly the same as she did in the beginning, but let us not forget the change in lyrics.

(Beginning) Knew it, see, I win again. That will never change./I’d say the reason’s natural talent? That’s how everything goes my way.

(End) Hey, what if/If I am a bad girl?/Don’t hate me. Don’t even try to proof from “After Pain”

She goes from acting all confident and cocky to, the second she leaves her chrysalis, immediately doubting and swinging between doubts and denial. It's clear the metamorphosis has affected her, she was in there for a reason after all. She has in fact changed, but, still, that part of her was not completely destroyed, it's still a part of her.

Maybe it's not the most pleasant part, maybe she's a little more the moth stuck in the dark than she is the beautiful, free butterfly she wants to be. Even so, it's important to note that she has changed in some aspects and that, in her eyes at least, she truly has broken free. She's out of the chrysalis- the suffering she was trapped with- and quite literally flies out of a sign of suffering that was used in after pain.

Now time for random Muu thoughts because I don't know when else I'll be able to bring them up. Also; notice how the bugs she breaks shatter- they are fake. Fake friends. ALSO also; did you know bees will either kill their queen or just kick her out or something if she's no longer useful? She's literally getting the Queen Bee treatment. Also Muu has so many insect metaphors all mixed together what. Bee, seemingly butterfly, what else?? Ant??

#milgram #muu kusunoki #Me wondering if everything I've ever said is complete nonsense as I type random stuff on tumblr #Metamorphosis #Muu is changing at least a little and we should recognise that more #Petition to stop fans writing Muu off as a demon or smth #Smh I should've noticed this sooner #I think all of the non-milgram quotes are from these things about politics or smth it's all I could find #Oh btw today I learned my vitamin D is at 13%. I feel the need to share this.

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burnin0akleaves · 2 years

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This was supposed to be a sexuality headcanons post but it somehow turned into a Will/Alyss/Horace/Cassandra exploration.

A fair warning to everyone; this post is messy, all over the place, not easy to read and my favourite child now. It is mostly me projecting, but I did put a lot of thought into each part so that all of them have different points of view while still talking about the same relationship. Some of the things in one character's part might not make sense if you don't read the points of view of the others involved and the whole thing generally gets better the more you read.

Also, be warned that I'm not trying to represent anything in a universal way here. Again, most of these are personal to me and based on my own experiences of being queer. That being said, enjoy I guess.

Will: Bi

Ever since he was a child, there were two things Will just knew to be true. He would be a knight, and he loved Alyss. He had used the word "love" at first without even truly grasping the meaning of it, but he had known he was right.

Will couldn't remember his first steps or the first time he climbed a tree, practically the same thing for him, but he remembered playing in the mud with Alyss. Her hair was long and covered in mud just like her skin, but she was nowhere near as dirty as Will was. He was the one wildly splashing at the puddle after all, and Alyss was watching him curiously. Somehow that's the earliest memory he can remember. Will isn't sure whether it's the sight of Alyss covered in mud, so unlike her calm and regal attitude now; or the way she looks at him like he is doing the most impressive thing in the world, but he knows that playing in the mud isn't anything memorable. So it must be the way Alyss looks at him that's so ingrained in his mind.

Will first hears the word love not too long after that very memory, and even as a toddler he knows that it must describe him and Alyss. No one else comes to his mind at the time. The word never loses it's association with her as he grows up, and he holds onto it like an anchor. He loves Alyss, and he will be a knight.

When he thinks about it many years later, Will realizes that his attraction to boys had always been there, he just hadn't found the right words to describe it at the time. Or well, he had, it was just that he didn't grasp how much love he was capable of having. He loved Alyss, so it couldn't have been attraction when he watched the other boys wrestle in the yard. It must have been that he wanted to be like them, not with them. So when he starts noticing how strong Horace's body is developing to be and how handsome his face looks now; Will doesn't make any attempt to get closer to him, he tries to be more like him instead. When Horace pushes him around and calls him names, Will just pushes harder and spends his time trying to think of better insults. He spends a lot of his time thinking about Horace those days, with an intense feeling he can't name.

Then, there is Evanlyn. There is a certain connection he feels the first time their eyes meet, a feeling he has never experienced before. She is feisty, demanding and stubborn. Even after everything he has gone through, including befriending Horace, the idea of getting closer with the girl should by all means be intimidating for him. But it's not. Will is drawn to Evanlyn like a moth to a flame. They have the same spirit in them.

That must be why after knowing her only for a few months, the two forge a bond wordlessly. Will sacrifices everything to protect Evanlyn, so Evanlyn does everything she can to care for him in return. Their eyes meet constantly, feeling the need to be aware of where the other is at all times. Will had realized how similiar they were before, but now he knew that no one else could ever understand them like they understood each other. When he looks back at this time in the future Will can't recall a lot, maybe he isn't even trying to, but one thing he remembers clearly is the warmth Evanlyn made him feel. And how it was the heartbreak that he felt after rejecting her that first started making him question what the word love meant.

It's eventually Alyss who helps him figure it out, years later. She tells him to sit down and starts asking questions, slowly leading Will somewhere she had obviously figured out long ago. At the end, Will understands that he had been right about loving Alyss all along. But he also loves Horace. And he loves Evanlyn. What he feels for them is love too. Not only that, Alyss is completely supportive with him exploring these sides of him with her.

Alyss and Will's relationship strengthens more than ever. Having the words to describe his feelings takes a huge weight off Will's shoulders, and it helps him understand himself better in a lot of other ways too. It seems to be the same for Alyss, and Will isn't suprised when she comes up with the idea of trying something new in their relationship. Both of them know they have the capacity to be attracted to more than one person at the same time, so the two begin to occasionally involve other people in their bed. It takes a lot of trust and discussion of boundaries to make sure its safe and fun for everyone, but they make it work. As the years pass the two have less time and energy so this arrangement stops, but they always look back on these years of their relationship fondly. The only people they have romantic interest in other than each other though are Cassandra and Horace.

After Alyss's death the relationship between Will, Cassandra and Horace take a huge blow. Will is extremely distant for a while which the other two are completely understanding about; they loved Alyss too and they grieved as well, but Will's relationship with her had always been different. Not in a bad way, or a way that made the love between Will and themselves any "less", but different all the same. Eventually through him mentoring Maddie the three of them start getting to see each other more frequently again, and while Will is still distant in some ways he knows that he is still loved. And that he can still love.

Alyss: Bi (also not mentioned here but trans Alyss headcanons are great)

Alyss has always had a crush on Will as well, but she realizes her attraction to women pretty quickly once she starts working with Pauline and is encouraged to explore her self-identity more. The department is full of beautiful girls, and Alyss notices pretty quickly that her feelings for said girls don't fit into how others describe friendships. Pauline is a big support to her during this time and helps Alyss find the correct words to describe herself.

Alyss does the same thing for Will years later. The two have a long talk where Will starts out nervous but Alyss guides him through his feelings masterfully. Once her boyfriend realizes that love and attraction are way broader than he thought and gets to think about his feelings for a while, the couple begin thinking about involving other people. They make sure to lay boundaries down each time so that no one ends up leaving hurt and everything goes smootly for a while. But the two get more and more responsibilities at their respective jobs everyday and the arrangement becomes too much. Both of them look at that brief time in their lives fondly though, and the experiences they've gained help them later on.

At Nihon-Ja, Alyss is nowhere near as composed. While not having much trouble with figuring out her sexuality and learning to communicate with Will about other potential partners before, Alyss has a LOT of trouble when it comes to her feelings towards a certain princess.

Alyss doesn't want to like Cassandra. She doesn't want the relationship between her and the future queen to be anything less than professional, at least that's what she keeps telling herself. But beneath that is an old, childish jealousy that had been formed at an age where Alyss hadn't had enough time to understand herself yet.

She had always been a jealous person, a flaw that she had been aware of for a long time. A part of her she had spent so long understanding and working on before she could feel secure enough in herself to talk about other potential partners with Will. A part of her she thought she had gotten over.

But Alyss' perception of Cassandra had formed before any of her efforts, and had remained forgotten for a long time. Alyss was expecting a snobby, arrogant brat who thought she could get anything she wanted. And that's why it's suprising that when Alyss finds a strong, talented woman who deserves her position as crown princess more than anyone, Alyss' feelings don't disappear at all. If anything, they intensify.

For the second time in her life, Alyss doesn't know how to describe her emotions. She had only felt this strongly towards one person in her life, but she doesn't even think of comparing the two. Cassandra is a flame Alyss can't take her eyes off. She needs to hate Cassandra, that's the only thing that would make sense. Cassandra is a flame Alyss can't take her eyes off and she is afraid of getting burnt.

So she convinces herself that it must be jealousy, even if she knows it isn't true deep down. The last time she could identify her feeling towards Cassandra were when she was a child and it was jealousy then. Alyss would rather stick to that than to accept she doesn't know what they are now.

She tries to find every little fault in Cassandra and to do that, she watches her from afar for hours. Cassandra is so emotional, her cheeks flush in a dumb way everytime she gets angry or flustered. Cassandra is so loud, Alyss can hear her voice from the other end of Wolfwill. Cassandra is so short, Alyss could carry her around easily. Cassandra is so terrible at fighting; the thrill Alyss feels when the two duel with wooden swords is definitely because of the adrenaline, not the way Cassandra's body moves in front of her. Cassandra is trying to seduce Will; her heart must be beating as fast as Alyss' when she sees the two of them, their flames merging into one wildfire in Alyss' eyes.

Alyss knows that she isn't making any sense when the two finally argue, Cassandra managing to slip under her skin like poison and bringing out the worst side of Alyss; the uncomposed, unladylike, jealous Alyss that can't even make reasonable arguments. But how can she be expected to think clearly when Cassandra looks so beautiful right in front of her, wrapped in towels and flushed from the hot bath. Alyss almost kisses her once their voices quiet down, wanting to use her mouth for something if it won't be for talking. But it isn't until they return and Will and Horace tell the girls they want to talk about something that she gets to. Turns out all of them had reached the same page, just at different speeds. Alyss, for once in her life, had been especially slow.

Horace: DemiBi

Horace's relationship with love was complicated. As a child, he would go to bed listening to stories about knights in shining armours saving princesses from dragons. That part made sense of course, Horace could imagine himself in the place of the knight perfectly. But then, the knight would kiss the princess each time, and they would get married. Now, Horace didn't understand that part. How could he fall in love with someone as easily as that? Was he expected to marry a princess in the future too?

Eventually, Horace realizes that he isn't marrying princesses anytime soon, which is relieving. But he feels a similiar pressure in his chest each time boys in the ward gather around to talk about their crushes. When it's time for him to speak, Horace never has anything to tell them. But he isn't willing to go down so easily and if he can't become a hero by kissing a princess, he'll become one by slaying a dragon.

And luckily for Horace, he has found his already. A small dragon, one that can't breathe fire but makes up for it with the flames in his eyes and the sharpness of his tounge. Will.

Of course, fairytales aren't real and Horace never slays a dragon. Will and Horace become friends so easily that he finds himself confused as to why they used to fight in the first place. The two understand each other perfectly, and being around the smaller boy feels like second nature. Maybe Horace would never want to kiss a princess, and he'd never get to slay a dragon; but being around Will feels just as worthwhile.

Just when he thinks he has it all figured out, in the span of only a few years Horace's life quickly turns into a mess again. On one hand there is Cassandra, the princess Horace very much does want to kiss now. He thinks about the burning bridge, the winter in Skandia, his knighting as the Oakleaf Knight and his daily life in Araluen. He isn't sure exactly when his feelings changed towards her. Horace knows that he didn't feel the need to kiss her when they first met, and that he values his friendship with Cassandra above anything else, but he certainly does now. What's even more confusing is that the man quickly realizes his feelings towards Will are just as strong as his feelings for Cassandra.

It's a few letters from Will, and later on Alyss, that finally clear things up for him. Will mentions a talk he had with her, explaining many terms Horace had never heard before. Will sounds the happiest he has been in a long time, and Horace finds his joy mirrored in himself. He holds those letters tightly each day they arrive and cries teardrops on the paper from how relieved he is.

The letters are safely tucked away in a chest in the room Cassandra and Horace share. He stops looking at them for many years, not feeling the need to when Cassandra is always next to him and new letters from Will and Alyss arrive frequently even if they aren't around. The next time Horace takes them out, his hands are shaking. He reads the eloquent handwriting of Alyss, and sheds tears on them for a different reason.

Cassandra: Bi

Ironically out of all of them Cassandra; the one that had been destined to have the most amount of expectations placed on her, was the one who had rejected what love was supposed to be according to others first.

Rebelling was second-nature to Cassandra now. She would rebel against the food that was on the table, the lessons she would have to take, the dresses she would have to wear, the hair length everyone wanted her to have... what had started out as the natural result of a spoiled child that had everything she could want had slowly turned into said child's way of taking control of her life back.

She had already rejected the idea of what a woman in her position was supposed to be according to society as a teenager, so it hadn't been confusing to her at all when she realized she didn't dislike the idea of having a girlfriend. The wonderful way she felt about handsome boys and pretty girls couldn't have possibly been wrong, so it must have been the idea of only being allowed to have a husband that was.

Will gives everything to protect her, every part of his body and eventually his very mind. This is a level of heroism, of selfless sacrifice that Cassandra could have never thought of. Of course she isn't suprised when she catches feelings, it's only natural. Will is smart, funny, handsome, admirable... he had taken the role of her guardian on his own and she had done the same for him the second she could. They both have a fire in their hearts that matches in intensity and outshines everything around them. Cassandra tries to make him hers, and she knows Will has feelings for her too. But he refuses.

Cassandra doesn't get why for a long time, experiencing the first crush and heartbreak of her life one after another. But years later she looks back at this time and appreciates Will's decision. Neither of them were ready yet; Will unable to realize he is allowed to love more than one person and Cassandra not emotionally mature enough to see a relationship right after everything they survived is not healthy. She needed someone else to teach her how to tame her fire first.

Horace is everything that is expected of her to have. Tall, strong, handsome... a knight. The side of her that was used to rebelling blindlessly would never look at his direction, but that side had been frozen in Skandia. So, Cassandra lets Horace in, and she falls for him. It's less intense than Will, quieter and less wild. It's not a love tale written in storm, snow and war. It's between stone walls and fancy parties. Horace is her safe haven tucked into one corner of Castle Araluen, her break from the chaos who embraces her with strong arms and a calming smile. It's no wonder that when Horace is lost across the sea, Cassandra doesn't think twice before going to find him and bring him back.

Alyss is everything out of her reach. She is the opposite of Cassandra, a gorgeous wave that lifts her off her feet and washes her away from the shore. She realizes how similiar her and Will are once again, because she has been completely captivated by her.

She confides in him immediately and learns a lot about their relationship. None of the concepts suprise her, they are all results she reached herself, but it does feel nice to have a word for them. Suddenly she finds herself loving Horace, Will and Alyss at the same time, and it's an amazing feeling.

The problem is even if Alyss drags her in like a wave, she also throws her right back to the shore like one. Every time Cassandra makes an effort to get closer to the other girl, she pushes her away. Cassandra catches Alyss staring at her with a deep gaze multiple times, a gaze that has what she's looking for in it, but then she looks away as if nothing happened. But Cassandra is stubborn, and even if she can't have Alyss she is determined to at least understand why. She does get Alyss at the end. She only wishes she could have Alyss for longer.

Horace can only help her so much while he is also grieving, and Will hasn't looked at them since. But Cassandra doesn't blame him, she actually understands Will very well. It's just like before, they both have a fire in them. And right now Will is burning wildly, destroying everything in his path because if he stops now he will go out entirely. So Cassandra understands. She lets him distance himself, but she won't let him burn himself out.

Years later they all lay in the same bed. Horace and Cassandra are tangled up in each other, Will is sleeping on his side right next to them. His hand is holding Cassandra's and his head is resting on Horace's arm. He sighs in his sleep and turns over, throwing his arm over the other two and them responding by holding him tighter in return.

There is room for one more on the bed, but the empty space is not as daunting as it used to be.

#rangers apprentice #will treaty #alyss mainwaring #horace altman #princess cassandra #willyss #hill #I dont know the full ship name fuck #🍂 textpost #the royal ranger

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marinaratrench05 · 6 months

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(I apologize in advance for the long ask)

About your little fairy Trolls AU, I'm no entomologist but I do know that there are a huge variety of bugs out there that have many different ways of life that you can pick from. I only know a few off the top of my head (and from what I remember from college biology classes).

You have Pollinators (butterflies, bees, flies etc.): Those that pollinate plants and help them bear food for other animals. (Also known as one of the most important rolls in nature.)

Decomposers (pillbugs, millipedes, termites, etc.): those that eat decaying plant matter to recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Pest Control (spiders, ladybugs, mantises, etc.): those that eat other bugs that could naturally cause harm or unbalance to the ecosystem.

Hive Minds (ants, wasps, etc.): those that are apart of a colony that have their own hierarchy with many different designated jobs that work as one unit.

Course you also have the pests (Mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, any invasive species, etc.): Mostly parasites or those that can cause a great deal of damage to an ecosystem or to a specific plant(s) and/or animal(s) in it.

I don't know what you're looking for specifically, like putting one genre of trolls into a group like these (for example I can totally see the classic trolls being pollinators with how they move and act), or just looking for bugs that you can slap trolls together with (I can personally see rock trolls being spider-like or any of the 'scarier' types of bugs), but hope this helps either way.

No problem! The longer the ask, the more read!

Thanks for all this; I knew the basics of a lot of bug things, but it was a useful reminder. Especially decomposes and pest control.

I'm still tweaking some stuff, but I'll be using a mix bug/fish/mammal attributes. They'll also be related to the ecosystem with a magical twist, like the fairies in Tinkerbell being seasonal helpers. I'll be making individual posts with art for each race, but here's what I've got:

Pop Trolls would be pollinators, mostly butterflies or anything close. They handle spring, and represent similar themes of hope, happiness and rebirth.

Techno Trolls would still be fish, but with more variation and resembling flying fish/ornamental ones. They live in all kinds of bodies of water, but wherever they reside will be more lively. They handle currents and tides, and all things related to it, like storms and rain.

Country Trolls were a toughie for me, but I settled on a sort of centaur form with Hippogrifs (half horse/bird). They handle autumn, relating to decay, harvest and change.

Classical Trolls are bees, more so for the hive vibe they give off, and their importance on harmony and following their conductor/Queen. They handle pollution too, more so in summer.

Funk Trolls were also tricky, but I've thought of a mix between night creatures, like fireflies, some beetles and moths. They're that cool, mysterious vibe you get in the night, with glowing bodies and homes that shine so prettily in the dark.

Finally, we got Rock Trolls, which are a mix of the "scary" bugs and beasts of nature: mosquitoes, bat's, spiders, scorpions, etc. Where most Trolls represent pretty positive outlooks on nature, if complex at worst, Rock Trolls represent chaos, destruction and "breaking the peace" or such. They're that necessary part of life where things need to be torn up and thrown around, if just a little.

This is just my outline for these races, not touching on the other, bigger ones (Bergens and such) which I think I'd keep to the fairy tail vibe for. Until then, have fun with this little taste, and I'll try to answer any questions.

#trolls #fairy au #asks

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spaceistheplaceart · 1 year

Text

MP100 x BRS Drabble: Separation Arc

ok i got some responses that said they were interested so here you go :)

Content Warnings: vomit, gore, violence, death, decapitation, dismemberment

[Context because BRS is criminally underrated and you won’t get it if you don’t have some background info. Basically there is an Other World where Other Selves fight your pain and worst fears for you. They represent your emotional stability (to simplify it extremely). And if your other self dies you forget/are no longer hurt by your worst nightmares, fears, and/or what made you breakdown in the first place. Ok fic time.]

Reigen vomited onto the pavement.

Moths circled above him near the ever-buzzing streetlamp. It shone down onto his mess, making it glisten.

This has gone south fast. He thought to himself as he caught his breath. I can’t believe this is happening to me-- me! Of all people…

Wait…

He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting back another round of nausea.

Me?

I mean…

What…

What… am I?

In a world with no name, there is only one thing that matters: battle. His title meant nothing to his opponent, but he had one nonetheless: Gold Claw Champion.

The world he inhabited was an empty checkered plane, domains of others scattered around. He tends to stay in his own but made the exception to visit one ‘Shigeo’ as often as he could.

Shigeo’s domain is a tall castle, constructed of bent silverware that used to be part of Silver Storm Breaker's domain. Knives, spoons, forks, all twisted and encircling one another, barely held together but strong as one. Surrounding the fortress was a vast ‘forest’, made up of silverware as well. Tall cutlery stabs deep into the checkered pavement below.

Gold Claw Champion waltzes calmly into the fortress as if he owns the place. The fortress, while heavily decorated on the outside, is barren inside save for a circular coliseum like area. On the other side of the area are two, tall, grand doors, leading to the countless rooms turned prisons that held many more beings inside. In the middle of the main room sat Shigeo. Shigeo is a black, shadow-y creature that looked like a silhouette save for the eyes: which were glowing white. Albeit closed now. He had fingers that ended in sharp points and instead of feet, his legs ended in two sharp points that floated just slightly above the ground. His hair is wispy and flickers wildly like a black flame. He is encased in many, many, barriers that shimmer around him.

Gold Claw approaches, his pace even and eyes trained on the sitting being in the center of the room. Although he is encased so heavily in Gold Claw’s barriers- exercising caution was paramount. For if Shigeo ever got out of his prison, he would surely kill Gold Claw in an instant.

When Gold Claw finally reaches Shigeo’s furthest extended barrier, a good three feet from him, Gold Claw raises his left arm, which had a device wrapped around the end of it. The device was a large claw that had three sections, the ones on the end being a golden-orange in colour and sharp. They were all attached to a spinning motor in the center, which was then wrapped around Gold Claw’s arm. The claw-like device unfolded and spun rapidly, the beginnings of another barrier forming in the space between the encircling talons.

His eyes focused on his work, he did not see Shigeo’s gaze lock upon him.

And he did not know, until knocked upon the pavement, that Shigeo had broken the furthest barrier, causing it to shatter.

Gold Claw quickly gets back to his feet and raises his machine again, trying to form another shield around him.

The second shield broke.

Gold Claw lowers his machine, the whirring slowing to a halt. He turns and begins to sprint to the exit, going at a near inhuman pace. He reached the open gateway within seconds, two seconds later, he was out the door and running through the forest. One second after that, Shigeo had burst through his shield and a giant black flame erupted from the open top of the fortress. The embers fall down upon the ground and infect the shadows cast by the silverware around.

The shadows of the silverware bend and mutate, taking upon Shigeo’s will and while still confined to the two dimensional plane below Gold Claw’s sprinting feet: chased after his shadow like ravenous piranhas to a morsel of flesh.

Shigeo is not too far behind now, skimming across the landscape, his form nothing more than a shadow-y afterimage streaked across silver trees and tiled ground. Gold Claw keeps running, for he knew that if he exhibited a moment’s hesitation, those shadows below his feet would destroy him.

He could not run forever in the same direction. The shadows and their master were nipping at his heels. He began to spin his machine again, letting it fall to his side, the end pointed towards his assailant that he assumed was still behind him. The machine’s claws whir and encircle each other, creating a ball of energy in the center of the vortex. In rapid succession, Gold Claw fires off round after round of the energized bullets behind him. They ricochet off of the pavement and fly through the air in all directions. He hears a slight stutter in Shigeo’s movement-

His chance.

He grabs a hold of a prong of a giant fork and leverages his weight against it, using it to make a sharp turn right and hopefully out of sight. When he landed, there was a pause in his pace, and he felt his ankle split open. Golden sparks flew out of the wound as he ran once more, creating a bespeckled trail. He grit his teeth and fought through the pain, knowing that if he lived through this, a small cut would amount to nothing. He sees Shigeo out of the corner of his eye, he needs to turn again--

A stumble in his stride, a hitch in his breath, and shadows all converge onto his own shadow. They cut through his arm and nip at his leg; his body mimicked the damage and his arm is now only held by a string of leftover sinew. His leg was slashed and his skin sloughed like an unwound slinky over the electric gold viscera. He does not cry out, he has felt worse. But to run any farther would do him no good, and he cannot run in this condition--

There is only one thing that matters in this world. Battle.

He stops running and pivots-- and Shigeo crashes into him with enough force to dent the pavement in a line where Gold Claw slid several feet away. Gold Claw is quick to kick Shigeo in the side and hook a talon in the bend of his knee. He yanks Shigeo forward on that knee, making him lose balance and then grips his neck. He uses the leverage to push Shigeo down onto the pavement. His machine, now free, pinches all three claws together into a drill-like spike and he spears the tip through Shigeo’s chest. White sparks of light splatter out like the embers of a saw upon metal. Shigeo throws his head back in silent agony. Gold Claw presses forward, aiming to drill through his body.

Shigeo seizes and kicks his legs into Gold Claw’s shoulders and thighs, stabbing at him and clawing at his arm that’s stuck inside his chest. His claws rip through the black and white suit and down onto Gold Claw’s gray skin. Gold Claw bares with the pain, he has had worse. Shigeo continues, the claws and spikes scratching away again and again at flesh, at muscles, now at bone-- all within seconds. With a final grab and yank, Gold Claw’s arm is ripped off at the bone. Shigeo kicks upwards and throws Gold Claw off of him. Gold Claw topples upon the ground and holds his severed left arm. He gets up and runs for Shigeo once more-- if he can get upon him and cast his shadow onto him-- he will be safe from the shadows around him.

Shigeo backs away and yanks the machine out of his chest with a loud sharp buzzing noise-- sparks flying from his chest again but gradually lessening as his chest reattaches itself. Gold Claw leapt for Shigeo and Shigeo skittered to the right, outstretching his hand.

All at once, like buzzards picking at a corpse, the shadows converge upon Gold Claw’s own. They cut and slice, they stab and pull, and his body mimics the blows. He allows himself the solace of screaming before his throat is severed and his head rolled upon the ground.

His body still hung up, frozen in space. The cutlery’s points are all stabbed through him and his remaining limbs, like an insect pinned for display.

A moth landed on the streetlamp above him, then stilled for just a moment in the batting of its wings and fell, dead, to the ground. Reigen stared down at it’s corpse for a moment, then braced himself against the brick wall as the worst migraine of his life bloomed from the base of his neck upwards. His head felt like it was constricting around his brain and he couldn’t help himself from crying out from the pain.

He stumbled back against the wall, his hands gripping his head. His vision was swimming and he shut his eyes tightly, shapes and sparks of light going across his eyelights.

He let out another sharp yelp and promptly blacked out.

…

When he awoke, his head felt much lighter and clearer.

He rolled his head around, eyes focusing on the scenery around him. The sky was still dark, so it hadn’t been long, the alley smelled like crap, vomit was stuck to his lips, there were three dead moths on his lap--

He scrambled to his feet, brushing the moths off frantically with his hands- his balance was off and his head bonked into the other side of the alley. He winced, hissing at the bit of pain through his teeth. He rubbed his head, swaying a bit more. Hmm…

What was he doing in this alleyway again?

…

He stood there for a moment, pondering the question. He was near Happy Trails, he had vomited and passed out, he got drunk? Why was he at Happy Trails, he hadn’t been here for… ages.

His eyes widened. Oh, yeah. Right. His life… was kind of a mess.

He frowned, staring down at the ground quietly. There was something else he was doing.

…

Man, he really got hammered. Maybe he should lay off the lemon sours for a while.

Well, no person with an organized life spent his time in an alleyway passed out with vomit on the back of his jeans, did they? He stretched, slowly making his way out of the alley whilst mentally willing himself to sober up enough to call a taxi back to his apartment.

---

12 Days Later

“Shige!” His mother called from downstairs. “Come downstairs! Quick!”

Shigeo looked up from his math homework he was previously staring at and not making progress on. Dimple wasn’t much help either. He got up from his chair and quickly jogged down the stairs. His mother and Ritsu were on the couch watching the TV. His mother waved him over.

“Shige, come on over here-- Mr. Reigen is on TV!”

Shigeo’s eyebrows raised and Dimple floated over in interest to the TV. Shigeo watched as he came over to sit next to his mom. Sure enough, it was his Master. He was sat at a table with many microphones surrounding him. Shigeo remembered some news station saying he would hold a press conference soon, maybe this was it.

Ritsu pressed his lips into a fine line.

“They’re saying a lot of not so nice things about him.” His mother said. “... Did you know he was doing illegal things? He didn’t make you do anything bad, did he?”

“No.” Shigeo answered, eyes glued to the screen, watching Reigen speak. “Master… never did anything… bad.” He would have said illegal, but he was pretty sure knocking a guy out and breaking into places was considered illegal. They were harmless crimes, though, his master was a good guy.

Shigeo sat down next to his mother, watching the screen. She turned up the volume.

“I have a question,” A man on the TV asked.

“Go ahead.” His master answered.

“Do you actually have any spiritual powers?”

His master leaned in closer to the microphone. “I have no comment.”

“Why won’t you answer the question?”

“Because you won’t be satisfied until I say no.” His Master sighed. “I have never deliberately tried to con my clients out of their money- I have always attempted to give them the best I can from my abilities. It’s not always exorcisms, I offer massages and other services as well. And all of those have been solved.”

“... I don’t get it.” Shigeo said, mostly to himself. “Why is he holding a press conference? Is this like… a celebrity interview?”

“He’s apologizing for stuff he did.” Ritsu answered.

“Apologizing?” Shigeo leaned forward, looking at his brother across from his mom. “For what?”

“For…” Ritsu bit back a comment. “I’m not sure. At the beginning, he offered a vague apology for his ‘actions’ and how people have been troubled by them.”

Dimple looked over as well, “They’ve been accusing Reigen of being a fraud, you seriously didn’t know?”

His mother asked, nearly at the same time as Dimple: “Do you know what he’s done, Shige? You’re his employee, after all.”

Shigeo shook his head to both, and tuned back to the TV.

“... You had some plans for the future: ‘I want to be somebody’. Was fame the reason you got into the psychic business?”

Ritsu cringed slightly.

Reigen put his hand to his chin, thinking over his answer. He shook his head eventually.

“No, I don’t think that’s it. I think I got into the psychic business because…”

He thought again, brows furrowed in confusion. “Because… I was… bored?”

The interviewers burst into an uproar of questions, laughter, and comments- everyone was mad at him, but he seemed to be handling it well. In fact, Reigen didn’t look perturbed at all.

“He’s really keeping his cool…” Ritsu murmured.

Dimple huffed. “Jeez, those reporters are out for blood. I don’t see how Reigen is keeping so calm throughout all this.”

“Master’s good at talking.” Shigeo said. His mother quirked a brow. Shigeo looked over at her. “Um, Master can talk his way out of it. That’s why he’s calm.”

“Are you sure?” Ritsu asked.

Shigeo nodded. “I hope so.”

“Actually,” Reigen said, in response to something Shigeo hadn’t listened to. “I meant to quit this a long time ago… I’m not sure exactly why I stayed in it for so long…” He rested his cheek in the palm of his hand, nonchalantly thinking it over. “Hmm…”

“What made you stay?” “Then why didn’t you quit?” “Excuse me!” “What do you mean?” The reporters all asked over eachother.

He took another moment, and then looked into the camera, eyes far away, but honest. “... I think… I made a stupid decision when I was younger… and… it was working for a while, so I kept at it. I wanted a change of pace, and to help people. I still want to help people. My office has been closed for a while now, but I’m going to reopen eventually. But this time, just as a consulting agency. No fancy tricks or gimmicks, you got it?”

He chuckled, hollow.

“I’m not sure why I ever did psychic stuff in the first place… I’m much better at giving massages than I am at all that.”

“He’s shutting down?” Ritsu asked in disbelief, leaning forward with his hands on his knees, brows drawn. Dimple floated closer as well, silently. Shigeo raised his brows. He wasn’t, was he? Just… changing direction…

“Are you saying you’re giving up?” “You’re quitting?” “You’re gonna re-open as a massage parlour?”

Reigen laughed, more openly this time. “I don’t think I could commit to one thing! So, no, no massage parlour, I’d get bored. But… Y’know, if you have stiff shoulders, or… a leaky sink… or anything! I can probably help. That’s… probably what I was doing in the first place, actually.” He nodded to himself. “Yeah, that’s… really all I was doing, I’m sure real clients can attest… and every time I did those jobs, they all worked out well…”

“Something’s up with him.” Dimple said. “Guy’s too optimistic about this whole thing. And, hey, what’s he mean, no more psychic stuff? Looks like you’re out of a job, Shigeo.”

Shigeo only spared Dimple a glance, unable to respond thanks to his mother being in the room. He frowned to himself, watching Reigen continue to talk to the reporters. He was going to rebrand? Shigeo realized that it was probably because he hadn’t shown up to work in… nearly two weeks now. He didn’t realize how much time had passed, but it was enough to put Reigen’s business in jeopardy. He never meant to quit, just to… take some time apart from his Master to figure out his own desires. He assumed his Master would call him up at some point to talk things over, but the call never came.

Guess he had to be the one to contact him.

---

“I really don’t think you should go in, he should be the one to contact you after what happened.”

“It’s not about the fight, Dimple.” Shigeo opened the door of the office. “Excuse me.” He announced, rounding the corner.

Reigen put out his cigarette. “Welcome to Arataka Consulting, how may I… oh!” He perked up upon seeing Shigeo’s face and stood up. “Shigeo! I haven’t seen you in quite some time, how are you?”

“I’m well…” Shigeo’s eyes drifted around the office behind Reigen.

The office had changed quite a bit since he was last here. The bookshelves, usually full of spiritual titles, were now just populated by books on massages and other various subjects. There was a cork board on the wall above where his desk used to be, filled with photos of his master and people happy and smiling. His desk now housed a bowl full of snacks with a sign on the front of it saying ‘Please take one!’ The office smelled heavily of incense, and then some air freshener that was probably sprayed to cover up the incense. Shigeo scrunched up his nose.

“That’s good. What brings you here? I thought you quit.”

Shigeo jolted, eyes going back to Reigen’s. “No. I didn’t quit. I was taking a break. After… what you said, it made me think about how I wanted to spend my time more wisely. That’s all.”

“What I said?” Reigen tilted his head. “What did I say?”

Shigeo’s eyebrows twitched together.

“You… don't remember?”

Reigen shook his head.

Dimple clicked his tongue. “Damn, not even gonna own up to it…”

“Well, whatever I said, I’m glad you’re back.” Reigen smiled at him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “It’s gotten a little boring around here. Hm…” He looked around. “I guess you need a place to… sit? You don’t have a… desk. Huh.” He frowned.

“I’m not here to--”

“... Ah! There!” He walked over and patted the couch. “You can sit here, and use this table to… uh. Work!” He leaned against the back of the couch, watching Shigeo expectantly. Shigeo glanced at the seat, then looked back at Reigen.

“I’m not here to work today.”

Reigen raised his brows. “You’re not?”

“No, I just wanted to talk to you. I saw your press conference.”

“Oh.” Reigen stood up straight. “Okay.”

Okay?

It was silent for a moment, and Shigeo cleared his throat. He wasn’t very good at starting conversations… “Why did you hold that press conference?”

“I didn’t really want to, but those reporters hounded me until I did.” He huffed bitterly. “It was a way for them to get off my back.”

“Why were they on your back in the first place, Master?”

“They thought I was scamming people,”

“Which you are.” Dimple commented.

“And I wasn’t, so I told them so.”

“Is that what you apologized for?”

“... Yes. Well, not scamming. Because I did not scam anyone. I apologized for everyone who felt hurt by me.”

“That means he said sorry without meaning it just so everyone would leave him alone.” Dimple whispered to Shigeo. Shigeo hummed in thought. “...Master, I know I said I’m not here to work, but I would like to come back eventually.”

“Great!” Reigen smiled. “Feel free to come back anytime within the next week!”

“... But I need you to listen to me first.”

His smile dropped and his eyebrows raised. He leaned forward. “... Alright.”

“I’ve been thinking about what I want to do for a while, about my goals and… how what you say isn’t always true.I realized that I enjoy being with my friends, and when I work here again, I want you to not call me without notice anymore… okay? I have a personal life as well.”

Reigen nodded. “Alright, sure. I can give you a heads up before I ask you to come in.”

Shigeo blinked in surprise. Then it occurred to him his Master may not be taking what he said seriously. He frowned. “I need to know ahead of time, maybe a few hours ahead of time so I know that I won’t be busy then. And if you call me up without notice, I won’t help you.”

Reigen nodded. “Yeah, yeah. A few hours… okay.” He scratched his head. “But, well, you’ll already be at work, won’t you? So I don’t get the point of it… I wouldn't need to call you unless you went out for a break.”

Shigeo replied, “I mean when I’m not at work.”

“Well then I won’t need you, because you wouldn’t be working.”

Shigeo furrowed his brow. Dimple cast a glance at him and back at Reigen, also confused. Shigeo finally nodded, after some thought. “Okay… good. Then, you won’t call me for exorcisms anymore?”

Reigen laughed a bit. “Well, no. Because we don’t do exorcisms anymore.”

“... Then,... what will I be doing?”

“Working?”

Dimple scowled. “He’s being like this on purpose.”

“Yes, but doing what?” Shigeo asked.

“...” Reigen tilted his head. “Well, what do you normally do at work?”

That question gave Shigeo pause. “... Exorcisms.”

“... Is that… all? I didn’t have you do massages or… file stuff or… something?” He looked around the office, as if searching for something. “Huh. Well… Shigeo. This is bad news, isn’t it? We don’t do exorcisms anymore, and I don’t need anyone to help me with massages or… anything, really. We don’t even have enough customers in the day for anyone but me.” He frowned and put a hand on Shigeo’s shoulder. “So, while I appreciate the offer, I don’t really think I can have you working here anymore, okay?”

The shadows slowly pull out of Gold Claw Champion’s body.

It falls to the ground, in pieces. Shigeo walks up and begins to gather the parts.

Shigeo’s eyes widened.

Dimple gasped. “What?”

He flew right up to Reigen’s face. “Reigen! Don’t tell me you’re firing Shig--”

Reigen screamed like a roach had just flown onto him and stumbled backwards, gripping the back of his chair. He panted for a while, watching Dimple with wide eyes. He huffed out a few puffs of laughter. “Dimple! You scared the crap out of me! Shit! How long have you been there?”

“The whole time, I just stayed in extra- invisible mode so I didn’t have to talk to you. Listen, I knew you were a coward but firing Shigeo won’t make your problems go away!”

Reigen raised a brow. “What are you talking about? What problems?”

“I know you miss Shigeo, you pathetic bastard. Just talk to him instead of avoiding him. Come on, he came here out of an earnest desire to speak to you and you’re just gonna pretend like you haven’t thought about him once since you guys last saw each other?”

“I can still come here, right, Master?” Shigeo asked. Dimple looked back at him.

Reigen thought about it, mouth twisting in a grimace for just a moment. “Sure… you can come… don’t see why you’d want to, though, it’s boring around here.” He sighed. “I think a kid like you should be out playing rather than spending your time in here giving relationship advice and fixing sinks.”

Shigeo fixed a gaze upon Reigen through his choppy bangs, lips set in a fine line.

Dimple moved to his side.

“Come on, Shigeo. Let’s go. This guy isn’t ready to talk to you… He’s just gonna pretend like everything’s fine, but we all know he’s gonna go home and cry himself to sleep.” Shigeo felt like he was talking more to Reigen than him. Reigen was nonplussed at the comment, though.

“Am I wrong?” Reigen tilted his head.

“... No, you’re right.” Shigeo said. “But I still want to be here with you, because you’re my Master.”

“...” Reigen checked his watch. “... Yeah, that’s the other thing. I’m not really teaching you anything, am I? You can drop the Master title, just call me Mister Reigen.”

He brushed past Shigeo, slightly bumping into him on his way to the door.

“I don’t really remember what you do here at all, to be honest.”

The door chimed and a woman came in. Reigen began to talk to her about massages and appointments and… Shigeo guessed the conversation was over, because Reigen led her to the back room and the sound of the cheap ocean waves CD began to play through the door.

“He’s got some damn nerve.” Dimple scowled.

Shigeo watched the door for a bit, feeling like he was stuck in the moment that just passed-- like he could still say something, do something, and his Master would begin to make sense and they could go back to their routine. Master was always Master, even if he said unkind things he didn’t mean two weeks ago, Shigeo still wanted to be around him some days. He gave him good advice, and didn’t treat him any differently because of his powers, and he was a good guy.

…

So why was he acting like this? Just because he was hurt? Shigeo didn’t think he would be so hurt over him not going to work for a short while. He could have called to say something at any time, but maybe he was too busy with the press conference and the reporters…

Dimple laid on his shoulder. “You okay?”

“Mhmm.” Shigeo nodded. “... I’m fine. Just… confused, I guess.”

He turned and opened the door.

“...I missed him.”

He shut the door and left.

Slowly, Shigeo opened his eyes. He squinted at the sight before him, a world he’s seen before, but not for quite some time. The sky was a dark gray and clear of clouds. The floor was checkered like a chess board and he could see some structures in the distance… but other than that, it was an empty field for miles and miles. His body moved of its own accord. He could see out of his eyes, but could not control what he saw.

This dream again…

All was quiet, except for the slow shuffle of something being dragged behind him, accompanied by a dull scratch of metal against a surface.

Eventually, after about three minutes, which surprisingly felt like three minutes, his body halted in front of a steep cliffside. The checkered pattern stopped at the precipice and the cliff face was coloured an eggshell white. The floor of the chasm was very deep, so deep that Shigeo had to squint to try and make out the rocks at the bottom. His feet were on the precipice, and Shigeo feared he would jump.

Instead, he stepped backwards and the weight in his hand was brought forward.

Shigeo's eyes widened at what he saw.

It was a person’s torso. It looked to be a man’s, wearing a black and white striped suit with a thick black tie in the shape of a keyhole. The sleeve flared out on the end of the remaining arm. The other arm was cut off at the elbow. Shigeo wanted to turn away, to close his eyes, but he could not. Instead, he watched as he tossed the body over the side of the cliff, down into the chasm where he heard it clang and shatter like someone threw a television down there instead.

Next came an arm, attached to what looked like a giant claw from a claw machine. It too was tossed over the edge.

Next, the missing leg. It was cut and sliced up in a way that made it look like a peeled apple skin.

Shigeo was trying to wake himself up at this point, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t do anything. His dream body gripped something in his hands and it felt like hair. Shigeo would be sick if he could be- he knew this was probably…

He felt a wave of fear and shock wash over him.

It was a head, yes, but…

It was… Master Reigen’s head. He looked different slightly: his skin was a pale gray and his bright orange hair was parted down the middle. His eyes were open and dull, rolled back in his head. The pupils looked to be the same colour as his insides: a warm gold.

The eyes looked at him.

Shigeo’s eyes flew open and he sat up in bed, clutching the sheets around him. He drew in rapid breaths, shaking slightly. The dream should not have disturbed him so much, it was just a dream after all. But this dream was eerily similar to the one he had when he blacked out fighting Hanazawa. In that dream, he had met a Hanazawa that looked slightly different; with long hair that covered his eyes and giant mechanical wings. He attacked him and Shigeo had to run away until he woke up; and when he did, he found the school destroyed and the real Hanazawa shaved, naked, and humiliated. The night after, he had a dream of killing him.

Shigeo brought a hand up to his chest, clenching at his pajama shirt.

When Shigeo next saw him, he acted as though he had forgotten Shigeo. He later remembered him, when they were rescuing Ritsu, but…

Come to think of it, Ritsu acted strangely before he was kidnapped, didn’t he?

Much like Reigen was now.

Shigeo swallowed around the lump in his throat.

Something was wrong.

#mp100 #black rock shooter #mp100 brs au #op posts #? i never post writing on tumblr tbh #idk i may post this to ao3 if people like it #i hope yall find the concept interesting at least #mob psycho 100 #long post

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melspuppies8282 · 1 year

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If you haven't seen Melanie Martinez's new video 'Void', I highly suggest looking into it

The visuals are absolutely stunning. The storytelling in one 3 minute video is phenomenal. *However, I would like to say there is a scene where she shoots herself in the head, but doesn't die, but moths fly out the back of her head. If you are sensitive to that or if you have suicidal ideation, please watch with caution. It is not a sign to do it yourself, only used as a metaphor for storytelling. Also there is flashing!! So warning for people with epilepsy and others who have problems with the flashing lights.*

The anxiety and the fear that this video presents is more accurate than anything I have ever seen before. The idea that you have to change yourself, or you will forever be lost to the void of emptiness and anxiety. The fact that you can't stay the same, you have to change. That has meant so much in my life over these past few years, and the song encapsulates it, but the video ACTUALLY GETS IT.

We first meet Crybaby in her heart, where she is most vulnerable. Terrified of where she is, she breaks free to reveal she is no longer crybaby, but this new soul, trapped in the abyss.

The abyss is staring at them. It's torturous, being stuck with your thoughts they seem so loud for being so quiet. It's uncomfortable, it's not pleasant, and it's terrifying. As this new soul tries to get out of there, to escape their own mind and their own eyes looking inward, they are met with an army of themselves.

This army wants themselves to stay the same. They desperately try to shoot this new soul who is trying to escape. Thos is very representative of our own past, present, and future. The past is always chasing us, while we are fighting for our lives to outrun it, never seeming to be free. Before these souls can reach the new one with their bullets, the new soul narrowly escapes.

They are fighting for their life. For a chance to see another day. As they are laying on the ground, the past is watching them, unable to reach. However, this doesn't stop the new soul and they crawl to another place, trying to find a safe space within themselves.

Then, they reach the room where they are met with their own creation. They see all the other versions of themselves, waiting to grown into fruition. How many more are there? How many where there once was? It's like staring into a mirror. The idea that there are new evolutions of ourselves can be horrifying, or gratifying, but this new soul doesn't know how to feel. They keep running.

They find a room. This room is filthy. There are bugs crawling everywhere, and worms infested in the place. As they reach this place, a new thought blooms. Maybe they do not have to fear this place. Maybe they can make it their own. With this thought, a sword is shown. They climb onto one of the worms and slice it open, revealing flowers blooming from the cut. This is a symbol that despite our situations or how awful we feel about ourselves, we can turn this around with just our own imagination and goals. We can turn the filthy into the beautiful, and we can learn to grow.

(There is gonna be a reblog to this with images, and more of the story. Look into the reblogs to find it.

#mels speaks #melanie martinez #void #void music video #analysis #video analysis

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yourpreciousrose · 2 years

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ok I have a Stranger Things theory...

(very long)

so has anyone heard of ley lines? they are real things but also are common in sci-fi (which ST is sci-fi). do yall think maybe they could be what those splits in Hawkins are representing?

I'm going to provide some information about them and maybe some theories that could be built off of them.

let's start off with what they are irl. they are lines that crisscross the globe like latitude and longitude lines. (remember the map and Suzie giving them the cordinents, they followed the latitude and longitude to find Nina where the X is...where El was...and now there's a big X in Hawkins...could be nothing or could have been directly trying to tell us something who knows)

"along these lines there's concentrated energy that can be harnessed by certain individuals" (now if these are ley lines this could be something interesting that could be incorporated into s5)

"there is a straight line that connect seven different landforms that bear the name Michael, or some form of it"

this could indicate that Michael is an important part in s5, he is the heart after all. but also 7...funny.

"many people have drawn their own ley lines to prove just how coincidental they can be, connecting everything from pizza restaurants to movie theaters to churches on maps"

I just thought this was interesting since in s4 we see all these things or they are at least mentioned.

"ley lines can be found anywhere. possible points include castles (or even places with castle in the place name)"

*cough* Castle Byers *cough*

"it is also believed that where two or more lines converge, you have a place of great power and energy"

I feel like the location is important, it meets at the library...isn't that where they found Will?

"some people believe you can detect a ley line by several metaphysical means, such as a pendulum or by using dowsing rods"

I just found it interesting they used grandfather clocks specifically, a pendulum in them. 4 chimes, 4 gates, 4 lines

"now ley lines are hypothetical alignments between places of power, which can be magical, magnetic, or psychic in nature. these places of power are where two or more ley lines cross and are often known as ley nodes, nodes, or nexuses. mages can tap into them to gain their powers. places where multiple lines intersect at nodes attract wizards and other supernatural beings like moths to a flame"

do i even need to explain?

"where ley lines supposedly crossed, a strong power spot was created. these nodes could produce an energy vortex. ley lines or the random lines of natural energy that make up earths electromagnetic field"

that would explain why the electromagnetic field was disrupted

how negative energy vortex are created:

"Untimly death- case of an accidental, untimely, or unhappy death, a negative energy vortex gets created in that location."

literally how the gates were created in s4.

effects of negative energy vortex:

feeling completely drained with lack of energy, uneasiness, aches in the nervous zones that are the head, neck, and back. hightened negative emotions Anger, Anxiety, Stress, Hatred, Fear, Insecurity & Jealousy.

if these really are whats going on then what if they aren't just fighting real monsters but monsters of their minds, their emotions (or maybe thats what the monsters have always been idk just turned physical idk). MONSTERS OF THEIR OWN MIND. this not only would fall perfectly into play for coming of age since that's just what happens around that age especially with puberty(the kids ages) but a lot of people are theorizing that they recorded parts of s5 already due to some people at table reads that didn't show in s4 also Noah in his final outfit but at the rollerrink.

id be interesting to see these emotions coming to light in s5 and it would definitely add to the conflict

negative energy vortexes can also cause nightmares and depression...

effects energy vortex portals:

Dark/ Evil Energies – these are energies that are extremely bad which pollute/corrupt the environment with high amounts of negativity.

Negative Spirits/ Bewitchment- in extreme cases spirits can possess someone. Such a person slowly starts losing control over his/her own intellect and starts acting as per the desires of the spirit within. Once possessed it is very difficult to break free from the clutches of the possessed spirit and it generally requires a lot of counter rituals to be performed. Such a scenario is very taxing on both the person as well as their family members.

*cough* s2 & 3 *cough*

Animal Entities – Another way a portal can be used is to send Negative Animal Entities. These entities are the lowest/worst form of negative energies sent to cause powerful psychic attacks upon their target. Once attacked by an animal entity a person may feel extreme energy drainage, sharp pain in the body (mostly it is the nervous regions like head, neck, and back), temporary paralysis, sudden accidents, and in case of an extremely powerful attack it could also result in bleeding from the nose or other such body parts.

*cough* s4 victims *cough*

these lines were probably always there just the upsidedown hadn't come through yet. Vecna can see into the future it seems so he probably planned where the attacks should happen and where the gates should form, probably those places for a specific reason. maybe we can dig into that and see whats significant about the places, if anything is at all. thatd be cool, ill try to look into it.

dogs are attracted to positive energy vortexs.

maybe there could be a positive energy vortex at the Byers, specifically castle Byers hence the castle part mentioned earlier (the dog barking) that could be how Will stayed safe bc of a positive energy vortex

Negative vortexes spiral downward in a counterclockwise motion and create a draining or depleting energy. Cats tend to be attracted to them.

the silver cat feeds...

"An Energy Vortex is a strong electromagnetic mass of energy that is constantly in flux, rotating inwards in an anticlockwise or clockwise motion. This energy vortex is invisible to the naked eye (unless the person is a clairvoyant), but most people can sense these energies in the form of positive or negative vibes, feelings, emotions, or mere tingling sensations."

clairvoyant...true sight...also in s2 the mindflayer also seems to create a vortex and trapping Will inside as it goes into him could be relevant. also this could be a cool way to incorporate Max in s5, ik they said she's brain dead but they could be lying who knows. make her clairvoyant, make her see things then use morse code to tap hints to the others.

to close a negative portal: negative portals spin counterclockwise. To close them, first locate the center of the portal then invoke the prayer to Archangel Michael, then spin the Violet Flame/Amethyst crystal clockwise into the portal

could El maybe have to go into the upsidedown to close it for good? bc the upsidedown is in the past so you have to bring it clockwise like bringing it to the present? El restarted Maxs heart maybe something to do with that? idk just ideas

we learned El likes purple in s4. again Michael is mentioned but oh just wait you're about to have your mind blown.

Archangel Michael very specifically has a sword AND FIGHTS A RED DRAGON WITH HIS ANGLES

“Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back. Michael is also shown facing a Great Red Dragon during the Apocalypse, identified as Satan, the Devil and the Serpent."

Apocalypse! Red Dragon! Sword! THERES 7 ARCHANGELS! THE F*CKING 7 AGAIN! I was wondering why there was so much religion references in s4 THIS COULD BE WHY IT COULD HAVE BEEN A HINT

Speaking of Dragons...you know what ley lines are also called?

DRAGON PATHS (IN CHINA)

a trip to China sounds nice 😉

Chinese scholars have long been aware of the existence of the lung-mei, or dragon paths. Everyone experiences these energetic places differently and some people can be more sensitive than others. These locations tend to magnify the energy or beliefs that are out of alignment with your natural self so that you can face them and become more aligned with your true self.

what if thats something they have to do in s5? face their true selves. that was also hinted with the neverending story, the magic mirror. just a thought.

Lung mei or the paths of the Dragon are lines of energy discovered by the ancient Chinese. The Heart of the Dragon is said to be found at a knoll (small hill) standing in a small valley among the hills. From this center heart, the veins of the Dragon current run over the surrounding valleys and hills. Near the Dragons heart, the force is strong and active. This is where the Dragon (painting) and the Tiger (school mascot, Will has them in his room), or the feminine and masculine currents merge harmoniously together.

the heart of the dragon...would the the center where the split is right? they couldn't enter there bc the force would be strong and active. could they maybe in s5 have to go into the upsidedown as groups at each gate and each face a different thing like the gates in the neverending story. they will have to find there way to the heart of the dragon (the heart of the upsidedown) to destroy whatever is there. which is why their hearts are important, like Will says Mikes the heart, Mike is his heart. hearts can represent love, love will probably be how they defeat Vecna. could that also be why El lost? bc the couples, the loves weren't intact? a lot had problems this season, but also self love was lacking too. El for example viewing herself as a monster. when she looked to Max the vines loosened, Max never treated her as different or looked at her as a monster which is why she could free herself and hurt Vecna. love increased and was able to hurt the hate. now I know this will make milevens mad but I think bylers going to be together, Mike is Wills heart. Els heart is everyone which could be why she went to the front while everyone was behind her, she will need their love to defeat Vecna but that will require the other relationships to be in good places, so thats probably why they are separated off into groups. all different aspects of love will be involved not just romantic, things like self love, friendship, family etc.

also wasn't the library where Will was found when he had those things in him, like they were killing him and draining the life from him. so maybe thats why its important, could be a source which is why I'd be part of a heart maybe.

everyone fighting vecna&the upsidedown??

this might be a reach but "you can fly" and "you have to fly" is what El is told, dragon's fly. I don't think they are fighting El, they could but I dobut it. but notice its feminine and masculine energy that merge harmoniously. if Els like a dragon and Wills like a tiger maybe that could mean they defeat Vecna together. let me have this please I love their sibling dynamic so much give me more of that in s5.

theres also this thing called The Crystal Vortex. its a vehicle, a gateway to be transcended, through the setting of your intentions and can be programmed for healing, manifestation, Soul journeys, accessing past lives, astral travel, attending Mystery Schools, connection with your Spirit Guides, Angels, Highest Self and all divine beings of light, love and ascension available to you. The Crystal Vortex was named and created by Spirit, from the realms of the Seraphim, Archangels and Ascended Masters.

this may not be relevant idk but it mentions Crystals and Archangels so I thought I should include it

thats all for this individual theory, oh also Watkins (the person who suggest the existence of ley lines) sounds very similar to Hawkins. and William Henry Black may have inspired it...It could all just be a coincidence but then again maybe its not.

from this theory it also can connect to so many other theories people have created and I've created. like the rainbow of light from the mlp ep (mine), the magic mirror and gates in a neverending story (mine), the way to defeating Vecna (mine&others), the time travel theory (someone elses), the Nancy Drew theory (mine) etc. I can share more about these too.

I hope you all enjoyed this let me know your thoughts if you have any.

#stranger things #stranger things theory #byler #will byers #mike wheeler #stranger things 4 #stranger things 5

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