#i think if there was a 'neutral' route i'd do it but some of the evil decisions just aren't fun! in the year of our lord 2024!

[wetcatspellcaster]

Follow up to the romance question, did you Ascend Astarion in any of your playthroughs? And did anyone else get their version of a “bad ending”? Whether this was unintentional or by design!

hey anon!

this is where only playing Act 3 once so far is going to show :'))

everyone got their 'good' endings in my playthrough, although my Gale storyline was bugged so I didn't really get his story? just the Professor outcome? On the more ambiguous end, I saved Shadowheart's parents due to some very specific 'no dead parents in my escapist fantasy media' requirements, and Karlach and Wyll (freed from his pact) went to Avernus together, back in the days I dreamed of an Avernus DLC.

I'm currently playing a resistant Dark Urge so I imagine it'll be the same again.

to be honest, I know I'll sound like a major hypocrite but I don't think I'll Ascend Astarion in game unless I was in a playthrough where Tav doesn't find Vellioth's lore explaining both the higher cost and how Cazador became the person he was. As I've said a couple of times, whatever the disk-horse is, it isn't the personality or the relationship dynamics with Tav that are the sticking point for me - all of which were interesting and compelling enough to make me want to write a fic about it - it's the '7000 people killed'. in the same way I'm like "you know what, killing refugees *is* a line for me actually" I just don't think that decision is something I will find all that fun. I don't judge anyone for doing an 'evil' run or making 'evil' decisions, I am not taking any moral highground, I am just unfortunately a very tired person who fights my depression by picking optimistic outcomes in my escapist fictional pursuits.

The one thing I would change on a playthrough is potentially the decision with Shadowheart's parents, because I think in a romance you know you can support her afterwards through her grief, whereas as her friend I just didn't want her to live without her family :') I would also consider Ascending Gale, if not for the fact that I'm very shallow and god-mode makes him look like the silver surfer

[thenyoumightaswellwrestleangels]

I don't know you anymore (maybe I never really did)

let me wrap my teeth around the world - series masterlist here

pairing: poly marauders x reader (gender neutral)

length: 1.7k

genre: fluff, angst (happy ending to come)

warnings: slytherin reader, some serious emotional dodging and avoidance but you know me it all ends up ok, peter is your bestie and that's just the way it is sorry, no happy ending YET but I promise it's coming this is not a tragedy

a/n: happy ending next week I love y'all too much to leave you with heartache

"Sorry, love," Remus begins to bend down, hand reaching to pick up the book you'd dropped when the two of you collided in the library, but you quickly shoot your own hand out to snatch it up first. "What are you doing here this late?"

"Getting a book," you say plainly. Remus's brows furrow slightly, his eyes drifting over your figure as if to somehow see why you're acting so strangely.

"Alright, dove. We're all planning on studying pretty late tonight - you're welcome to join us. We can always sneak you back down to the dungeons whenever you're ready to call it a night." Remus is quiet when he talks, that soothing, soft air he has about him making your shoulders drop as you lean against the bookshelf next to you.

"As if I can't sneak myself around the castle without your help," you bite back playfully. A smile twitches across Remus's lips as he thinks, just for a moment, that you're back, that you'll follow him up to his common room and spend the night laying on a couch with him, your legs slung over James's lap while you throw wads of paper at Sirius's head. His heart thumps a little painfully when he realizes that he can't remember the last time you've done that with them - he can't remember the last time you've hung out with them at all. 

It's as if you remember that fact at the same time he does, as the faint smile slips off your face and you straighten. "I can't tonight," you say kindly. "But thank you." Remus blinks as you begin to move past him, your polite voice ringing through his head. Like we're strangers, he thinks weakly. Except you're not even that nice to strangers.

Remus is busy slouching against the nearest bookshelf and wondering what they possibly could have done to make you avoid them so desperately but so kindly when he hears you let out another sigh from where you've walked past him.

"Wow," Sirius drawls as Remus turns to see him and James standing in front of you and you pointedly looking past them, like you're a trapped animal searching for the nearest escape route. "I'd almost forgotten you go here still." Your gaze snaps to Sirius and you narrow your eyes at him.

"It's good to see you," James interjects, seeing the two of you size each other up and eager to avoid a showdown between you and Sirius. "How have you been, love?"

"You see me in class almost every day," you snipe back at Sirius before turning to James. "I've been busy, and I still am now so - if you'll excuse me." With that, you slip between the two of them, exiting the library swiftly. Remus sighs and Sirius scowls at the now empty doorway, James opting to look down at the floor, staring dejectedly like a kicked puppy. No doubt you're holing up down in the Slytherin dorms all night now - as far away as you can get from them. Sirius smoothes a hand over James's unruly curls as Remus squeezes his shoulder comfortingly.

"We'll figure this out," he says gently, and as Sirius looks at him, he begs himself to believe it.

"You lost, Pete?" You don't look up from your book as Peter plants himself in the seat opposite you, frowning at you.

"Like we've never had breakfast together before," he huffs back, and you can't stop the smile that flits across your lips at the confidence that he's so clearly been nurturing. You close your book with a thump and place your chin in your hand, staring at him and waiting for him to continue. "Half the time, you're at the Gryffindor table. It can't be so different for me to come over here."

"Hm, maybe it's not," you shrug, picking your book back up to toss it across the table at him. "Read the back of that. You can borrow it when I'm done - I think you'll like it." Peter picks it up tentatively and gets about halfway through the synopsis before he's dropping it back on the table and crossing his arms.

"You're making them miserable," he says bluntly. You pout in a mocking sort of manner, but Peter's frown tells you that he doesn't believe you're as heartless as you typically let on.

"I thought you just came here to have breakfast with me," you switch tactics. 

"Tell me what's going on with you," he pushes. You straighten up in your seat.

"Why don't you just ask them?"

"I have - they don't know. Every time they try to talk to you about it, you find some reason to run away."

"Would you like to see that first hand?" 

"You can't run away from me. I'll cry," Peter insists. You sniff indignantly, mostly because you know he's right. The two of you stare at each other for a long time, and it's to your surprise that he doesn't waver. Your heart does something strange in your chest when you realize that his determination may be because this is more serious than you'd thought - you're hurting them more than you thought.

"They need to get over me, Pete," you say quietly.

"Why?" He presses.

"Because if they don't then this gets messy. None of us want that," you insist. Peter softens a bit, looking sympathetic.

"It's already messy." The bite has left Peter's voice as he reaches to pat your arm across the table. You look at his hand pointedly and he's reminded swiftly that anyone else who reached out to console you like that would get a smack from you. He smiles as he thinks of the kindness that lives in you that you seem to be blind to.

"I'll talk to them," you sigh, leaning forward to let your head thump down onto the table. Peter pats the top of your head gently and, for that, he does get a smack.

"James," your voice makes him stumble to a stop, whipping around to look at you so fast that you nearly run into him, sidestepping him at the last minute as he looks at you, bewildered.

"Are you talking to me?" He asks, confusion and surprise making his voice thick. Something painful twinges in your chest at his shock. Of course I am, you want to say. Who else would I ever want to talk to?

"Yes," is all you end up saying. James shifts on his feet and looks at you a little wearily.

"Are you ok?" He asks and a breath leaves your lungs quickly. 

"I'd like to talk to you… if you have a moment?" James looks at you strangely, but he just nods and leads you out of the hall to the quiet courtyard. There's no, of course I have time for you, pretty thing. I always have time for you. It's just James, stiff and silent and hurting… because of you.

"Peter says I'm making you all miserable," you say bluntly, regret immediately seeping into you at the way James flinches, sitting on the bench in front of you slowly. You stay standing in front of him, looking down at the way he runs a hand through his curls.

"It's just," he begins, looking around as if to find the answer somewhere, or maybe just to find some way of getting away from you. "If we knew what we'd done to upset you then maybe we could make it better. You're just freezing us out, lovely, and that means we can't fix… whatever it is that's happened."

"It's not…" Now it's your turn to look around vaguely, wishing you could get out from under his sharp gaze. "It's not anything you've done. It's just - it's the way things go sometimes. It's ok, James, you just have to move on." But James's face hardens at that, a sternness you're not used to overtaking his features as he stands so that he can look you eye to eye. You have to tilt your head back to look up at him.

"That's what you want us to do? Just… move on? Forget about you? Pretend we were never friends?" The sombre tone in his voice doesn't suit him, and neither does the timid hurt in yours.

"Are we friends, James? Is that what we all are?" James blinks at that, taking a step back and sitting back down onto the bench rather abruptly. When he looks up at you this time, there's something akin to remorse swimming in his eyes.

"Is that what it is, lo-" the pet name dies on his tongue as he presses his lips together firmly. "I'm sorry. I thought - we all thought that you felt the same way about us that we do about you. We thought… we thought we were all more than friends with you and that you… I'm sorry. We never dreamt of making you uncomfortable." You scoff at his words, shaking your head fondly and toeing at the dirt by his feet with your shoe.

"Uncomfortable?" You say disbelievingly. "Please - you three are the biggest gentlemen I've ever met. I don't think you could make me uncomfortable if you tried." James's shoulders sag in relief, but the look he gives you is still that of a lost, confused puppy. You look past him to see a group of students hurrying to their next class and open your mouth to remind James that the two of you also are officially late, but he speaks before you can.

"Then what is it? Please, just… what did we do?"

"It's like I said, James… it's just a bad idea. It's wrong and I can't do this. I… we have to get to class."

But James doesn't go to class that day. He sits on that bench, staring at the place you'd been standing in, until Remus and Sirius find him that evening. And as the two of them tug him up and inside, all he can think of is how they really have lost you.

[xxsycamore]

🔞IKEMEN BREEDING SEASON🔞 - XXSYCAMORE'S 2000 FOLLOWERS CELEBRATION EVENT

On October 28th, 2024, this blog hit 2K followers! Once again, thank you, everyone, for the support, and for sticking around in my writing adventures. I hope you can continue enjoying my work! Now, our previous milestone celebrations were all about fluffy short stories, so I figured it's high time we bring some smut into the mix. Even though spring would have been perfect for the Ikemen Breeding Season, I decided, why wait when we can have it now. Besides, that time is reserved for part 2 of our Steal My Heart!! (1500 followers) event! If you have placed a request for it and haven't received a ficlet yet, don't worry, I haven't deleted anything! :)

➺ PROMPTS

How do you want the suitor to breed you (or the MC)? :

In the heat of the moment

As proof that you belong to them

To produce an heir

With a chance for twins

While imagining you being pregnant

Making sure that it takes

Making the moment special

When they'd already gotten you pregnant before

With you taking the lead

While you're in heat (Omegaverse)

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪ 2 separate request openings - Since in the past there have been times when everything has been grabbed in the first 10 minutes from the announcement, I decided it would only be fair for the people in different time zones if I divide it into two batches at different times of the day.

FIRST REQUEST OPENING WILL HAPPEN ON OCTOBER 30TH, 12 PM UTC (8 AM EDT) (or click here to see it converted to your time zone)

SECOND REQUEST OPENING WILL HAPPEN ON OCTOBER 31TH, 12 AM UTC (8 PM EDT on the 30th) (or click here to see it converted to your time zone)

Both request openings will be closed after I get a total of 15 requests each! I will make separate posts to announce when those start and close.

➺ RULES:

Understand that these are going to be short NSFW stories, around 500 words each.

Anonymous asks are allowed, but please don't abuse my kindness and don't request if you're a minor!

Pick a character from the list below and a prompt from the prompt list. Threesomes are allowed, so long as no one is related, lol.

Be sure to let me know if you want MC x Suitor(s) or Reader x Suitor(s). If you don't specify, I'll write it as I see fit!

Specify your gender preferences if you have any! If you selected "Reader", I'll by default write them with afab traits. This goes especially for the prompt "Imagining you pregnant" where you could encounter terms including but not limited to: breasts, lactation, love handles, vagina, ovulation, womb, ovaries, pregnant bellies, you get the picture. To bypass all of this, you can ask for a Gender Neutral Reader, or you can be more specific and tell me your preferences in detail.

Mpreg is welcome, sure, why not. This goes both for Male Readers and for Getting your suitor pregnant, like in the case where you picked the Omegaverse prompt and he's an Omega. Go wild.

OCs are NOT allowed, due to how short these stories are going to be versus the research required in order to do justice to your OC. Sorry!

Don't send multiple requests! One per person. Again, I'm put my trust in you about not abusing the anon option.

In the event where I've already received the same prompt with the same character, I'll only write it once!

Don't hesitate to give me details! :) I want to create a work specially crafted for you. If you have a whole scenario in mind, I'd love to hear it, even if I have to squeeze it in the word limit. Where are they doing it, what is the reader wearing, what petname the suitor uses - these are just a few examples! Additionally, since I haven't read all the routes of the characters listed here, if you feel it's needed, you can provide some in-game information about the character if it has a relation to topic. Ex: "I think he'll make a great family man because he canonly loves taking care of the younger ones."

Requests sent outside of the specified time periods won't be accepted. I try to immediately answer these so you'll know, but I might also straight-up delete anything that doesn't follow the rules.

➺ AVAILABLE CHARACTERS:

Ikemen Villains: Wiliam; Harrison; Liam; Elbert; Alfons; Roger; Jude; Ellis; Victor; Darius; Nica; Ring

Ikemen Prince: Leon; Chevalier; Yves; Nokto; Licht; Jin; Luke; Clavis; Rio; Sariel; Gilbert; Keith; Silvio, Cyran/Cyril, Matthias, Kagari

Ikemen Vampire: Napoleon(pls); Leonardo; Mozart; Arthur; Vincent; Theo; Isaac; Jean; Dazai; Sebastian; Comte; Shakespeare; Vlad; Faust; Charles; Drake; Galileo

Ikemen Revolution: Lancelot; Ray; Jonah; Fenrir; Edgar; Sirius; Kyle; Luka; Zero; Seth; Blanc; Oliver; Loki; Harr; Mousse; Dalim; Dean; Levie

Ikemen Sengoku: Nobunaga; Masamune; Shingen; Hideyoshi; Mitsuhide; Kanetsugu; Ieyasu; Mitsunari; Yukimura; Sasuke; Kenshin; Kenyo; Ranmaru; Motonari; Keiji; Kicho; Yoshimoto

Midnight Cinderella: Alyn; Giles; Louis; Leo; Byron; Nico; Albert; Robert; Rayvis; Sid

‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚. 𐦍༘⋆

Please understand that I can't guarantee that I'm going to write all of these! I have a lot of issues IRL that I need to take care of, which leads me to either not having a lot of free time or not having the needed energy and inspiration to write. Either way, I hope you can have fun with this event! I can't wait to see what you send me. Have a great day, and I'll see you in my askbox soon! <3

[worriedvision]

Forgery - Chapter 2

Gender neutral reader, will tag part 1 at some point. Part 1 is the first chapter, and is needed as it's part of this fic. This is more build up than, I can see this having more than 5 chapters with how I'm thinking up a plot... And that's before stemming off into other routes!

--

"Good morning." You hear Sethos smile, handing you some water before stretching his limbs. "Ready to keep going?"

"Do you need sleep? I know I've slept a good few hours, I'd feel bad for letting you run on nothing." You chime in, Sethos rubbing the back of his head.

"As much as I'd like to take you up on that offer, I'm afraid because you are considered a suspect - I can't leave you unattended." Sethos states, beginning to prepare for the continued walk.

"Fine...If we land up walking past a village, though, could you ask for a couple of hours of sleep? I'll make sure someone keeps an eye on me."

"Funny you say that - Aaru village is just a few miles away! I'll stop by there, and Candace can keep watching of you." Sethos smiles.

Nodding, you help Sethos pack his bag before continuing on. Turns out he was right, Aaru village was there, and he was allowed to sleep. The only difference was, instead of Candace watching over you, it was the General Mahamatra himself. Initially, it was Candace looking after you while Cyno spoke to Sethos - you could only hope he wasn't tearing Sethos a new one for stopping. You plan to address this when you do finally speak to Cyno.

"So you're the person allegedly threatening the Medical Melusine?" Cyno speaks, causing you to jump.

"I was accused of that, yes." You start, already sensing Cynos immediate distaste. "I promise it wasn't me who sent the threat though! I wouldn't dream of hurting Sigewinne - she's my friend!"

"I must advise you to be careful with your words." Cyno responds, sitting across from you. "I plan on interviewing you here, before taking you to your final location."

Seeing your face drop, seemingly terrified you were going to be executed based on what you heard of Sumerus punishments, Cyno pipes up once again. "Don't worry - you will be working alongside a colleague of mine. I have not yet decided your fate due to lack of evidence."

Letting out a sigh of relief, you let him continue.

"Now, forgeries are very common - from my conversation with Sethos, it isn't a scenario I would rule out as unlikely. That being said, I must say I don't know you well enough to decide." Cyno begins, pulling out a pen and paper before pushing it towards yourself. "I would like you to write how you begin a letter, as well as how you sign off a letter. Be precise - if you have multiple variations depending on the relation, please include these."

Not thinking twice, you pick up the pen and paper, writing the requested evidence out. Cyno watches you, taking mental notes for himself as you carry out the task without having to think too hard.

"Here. What else do you need?" You ask, the paper being handed back over as well as the pen.

"Do you have any people you do wish harm upon? Any enemies at all?" Cyno asks, you shaking your head no. "How about jealousy - anyone you think of that may be jealous, please let me know."

"I can't think of anyone." You answer honestly.

"Last question - do you have any connections to outside organisations? The Fatui, the Abyss order, the Guhua Clan, anyone?" Cyno asks, you denying this. "Thank you for your answers. Please complete this form - this will be basic information for healthcare in Sumeru, and since you are still considered a suspect due to lack of incriminating evidence efficiently linking you to the crime you are entitled to free healthcare."

-

The walk to Gandharva ville is relatively uneventful - excluding your admiration of all the wildlife and plants you hadn't seen before. Upon arrival at Master Tighnaris house, Cyno knocks before walking in, you following along.

"Oh, thank you for gracing me with your presence, General." Tighnari huffs, finishing up with a vial of medicine. "Consider yourself lucky I didn't drop this vial. And is the person behind you the "alleged" Melusine hater?" Tighnari tuts, looking at you.

"I don't hate my friend, it was a forgery!" You tell, Tighnari wincing at the loudness. "Sorry, I've just had a hard time with all of this."

"...Cyno, please take our esteemed guest to their home - they will be staying with a guard - before we continue our discussion of the situation?" Tighnari asks. Cyno nods, gesturing for you to head out with him.

Upon entering the home, Cyno excuses himself as your roommate shows you around - where to get cleaned up, your bed, the essential bits and bobs.

--

Tighnari looks over the evidence Cyno had collected of your situation - some from you, and some from Wriothesley or Neuvillette. Upon first glance, the threatening letters look real.

But a second glance gives more context. None of the threats had your usual signatures or opening lines, and there were inconsistencies with the writing. A rare letter looked out of place, almost like two letters had been smashed together to make up for a mistake on the writers behalf.

Your medical information also gave hints - the person who wrote the letters didn't seem to account for your age, clearly quoting an 'age' you were that was off by approximately 5 years from when the letter was written and/or sent.

"I think this is a forgery, but I want to consult another opinion from someone else before pushing forward." Cyno explains. "I am asking yo.u not as a colleague, but rather as a friend - if you had been looking at this letter, would you think this person was _?"

"I think it's clear this is a forgery - I'm surprised that nobody in Fontaine clocked this, given they will likely have more evidence than ourselves." Tighnari tilts his head. "Ask for a second opinion, but I think they jumped to conclusions given the violent threats in this letter. I also noted _ referred to Sigewinne, but didn't voice any distain towards her..." Tighnari places a hand on his chin, thinking intently.

Cyno takes the letters, nodding as he agrees with Tighnari.

"Turns out-" Cyno starts, noting Tighnari cringing inwardly. "- the medical records have proven to be important to this investigation."

Tighnari let's out a sigh of relief, relieved Cyno didn't crack an awful joke.

"I would like to tell a joke, however given the seriousness of the threat I will hold back." Cyno blankly explains, walking out.

[yanderes-galore]

Yandere Houndoom(Pet-Like)

As someone who has a Houndoom as my fire and dark type in Brilliant Diamond right now (Her name is Hellena), I'll happily write for the hellhound :)

Overprotective! Houndoom Concept

Pairing: Platonic/Pet/Animal-like

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Clingy behavior, Violence, Overprotective behavior, Attempted murder, Possessive behavior, Arson, Jealousy implied, Despite the source material this is dark, like really dark.

Houndooms would be quite terrifying of they were overprotective of a trainer.

Sure, you may think they'd be just loyal dogs.

Yes, but recall their Pokedex entries?

Most entries say essentially the same thing.

Houndoom has a fire that when someone is burned by it, the burn lasts forever.

This Pokemon is also often considered the "Grim Reaper" due to the howls it produces according to other dex entries.

So, no, Houndoom is not just some dog Pokemon.

I imagine you took one in as a Houndour, which makes the Pokemon extra attached to you.

That or maybe you managed to tackle the feat of catching one in the wild.

I'd imagine a wild Houndoom would take more time to get used to their trainer.

At first they reluctantly follow beside you when you let them out of their ball.

They listen in battle but there's no connection quite yet.

It's not until you stroke their fur, walk alongside them, and train them that they get attached.

Your Houndoom all of a sudden starts getting used to all this praise and warms up to you.

You often take them on a walk through routes and battle with trainers.

You try to train them well as you don't want an accident happening.

You are aware of the danger a Houndoom can cause outside of their ball,

One wrong move and the second a fire breath ignites from their mouth?

Chaos.

For the most part your Pokemon seems well behaved.

They adore you petting them and often wrap around you when resting.

I imagine if a Houndoom became overprotective of a trainer or human they adore they'd get violent.

First it's things like growling, barking, and roaring.

During walks you end up having your Houndoom jump in front of you and show aggressive behaviors.

Wild Pokemon quickly skitter away, which is useful at times but annoying at others.

Then you grow concerned when your Houndoom decides humans are also a threat to their precious trainer.

As a result you keep them in the ball more often.

The most dangerous part of a Houndoom is indeed their fire.

Their claws and teeth are quite bad, yes, but at least the pain subsides then.

Their fire? The pain is forever.

Think about this.

Maybe while you go to sleep at night your Houndoom breaks out of their ball.

Sometimes it's innocent and they curl up around you, wanting the warmth of their trainer.

Other times they leave your home... looking for what, exactly?

They're looking for Pokemon and humans that could have hurt you.

Houndoom is obviously a Fire type, yet they are also a Dark type.

Your Houndoom may not care about the chaos it causes.

As long as they keep their trainer safe they could care less how they do it.

During the night your Houndoom targets random wild Pokemon to get stronger and vent frustration before returning to you.

However, if they're feeling extra ambitious, maybe they target people.

Maybe your Houndoom decides to target your rival... or someone else close to you.

Maybe your Pokemon doesn't like the humans around you.

By the time you wake up in the morning you see it on the news.

A house caught on fire, the survivors having burns that never seem to go away.

They're disfigured and in so much pain.

The report strikes fear in you.

Sure, wild Pokemon sometimes end up attacking humans, it happens.

Yet it seems oddly targeted....

You knew these people.

You try to tell yourself things will be fine.

It's nothing, it's just a wild Pokemon attack.

But as you pack your things to leave your home, your eyes drift towards the ball containing your Houndoom.

You don't want to believe it, in fact you shut the thought out...

Part of you still manages to think your own Pokemon was behind the fire...

But that couldn't be true... could it?

[jesterwriting]

Yahallo~ I was wondering if you might write something for Crocodile x reader where reader is sweet and bubbly and affectionate. So, I've had a scenario in my head for awhile where reader is his wife and she goes to visit him at his casino one day just because he hasn't been home in a while and she misses him. Except she's never actually been to the casino before, much less introduced to most of his crew because she's Crocodile's happy little secret. So the bouncers don't let her in and reader decides to cause a commotion, which draws Crocodile out and I'm never actually sure what happens from there. Lol I'd like it to be mostly warm and fluffy, though. I love the idea of a big cold man being warm only for their lover.

I hope you have a lovely day. You're a beautiful honey bun. ♡〜٩(ㆁωㆁ)۶〜♡

pairing: crocodile x gn!reader

contents: established relationship, fluff, secret relationships, kind!reader, smitten!crocodile, crocodile calls you doll, kind of implied the reader tops him later which i personally think is very powerful of them

word count: 1.3k words

note: this is such a cute and funny idea <33 i took some liberties with this, there is no big scene at the door, just because the kind personality of the reader i was going for clashed with that a little bit. and i went a gender neutral route just because it's easier for me. i hope you still enjoy anyway! i absolutely love secret relationships and would love to do more with crocodile and this trope :3

playlist: diet mountain dew - lana del rey

Not once did you care that you were one of Crocodile’s best kept secrets. You understood why such precautions were necessary. Your husband was a powerful man with countless enemies, to have his one weakness known to all would be a terrible oversight on his part. Not only that, but it would also put you in a considerable amount of danger. You were soft, you weren’t ashamed of it. To remain kind in a cruel world took strength. In your opinion at least.

Sometimes, however, it took more strength than usual to remain understanding. This was one such occasion.

You had your own life outside of your husband, much to his dismay. It was half the reason he insisted on keeping your union under wraps. If Crocodile had it his way, you’d be by his side 24/7, or at the very least, surrounded by bodyguards everytime you left his line of sight. He was a cautious man by nature. One did not achieve the power he had by being reckless, especially not with those he loved.

That said, Crocodile hadn’t been home in days and you were starting to get worried. You knew his work was dangerous, keeping Alabasta safe from pirates was not what you’d call an ‘easy’ job. Instead of waiting around for him to return home on his own — inevitably to grump about the kisses you placed upon his facial scar, or the tender way you ran your fingers through his hair — you decided to seek him out. If there was one place where he would be, it would be at the casino.

Unfortunately for you, they wouldn’t let you in.

“Again, the casino is closed to all outside patrons for an event. I can’t let you in if your name isn’t on the list.” The doorman was starting to get frustrated with you stubbornness. You understood why, really you did. This was his job and you had been pestering him for the better part of thirty minutes. While you had patience, you were no saint. This whole situation was starting to get on your last nerve.

Pinching the bridge of your nose, you let out a sigh. “And I get that, but I’m looking for my husband. I know he’s in there, can’t you go get him for me and we can talk outside the venue?”

The doorman hummed, considering the option. Finally, he gave you the smallest of smiles, the first you had gotten from him the whole night. “That’s doable. What’s his name so I can send someone to fetch him?”

You chewed on your bottom lip. This wasn’t going to go well. How many people tried to sneak their way into events using your husband’s name? For all this man knew, you were another lovesick fan, trying to get a whiff of the hero of Alabasta’s cologne before you were escorted out by security.

Whatever. It wouldn’t hurt to try, you thought.

“Um. Crocodile?”

The doorman burst out laughing, head thrown back and tears spilling down his cheeks. “Listen, you’re a looker, but you’re not that good looking. Now scram, I have a job to do.”

With a deep breath, you tried again. “I’m serious, he’s my husband. Please let me in.”

“Yeah, and I’m the king. Don’t make me call security on you.”

If Crocodile found out that the doorman called security on you, the man’s job would be down the drain before he could say ‘sorry.’ You didn’t want that, even if in your current irritation, you’d feel quite a bit vindicated. It was people like him that kept your husband safe, even if he did so in a rather frustrating manner.

You shuffled your feet, blinking a few times at the man who laughed in your face. Okay, maybe you did want him fired, but you were better than that. Kinder than that.

There was a commotion coming from the casino. You peered behind the doorman to see your husband surrounded by a hoard of Alabastan citizens, all clamoring for his attention. Your heart swelled at the sight of him, relieved to find him safe and sound. As much as you wanted to give him a piece of your mind for worrying you so much, the doorman’s glare was starting to get to you. Now that you knew he was alive, you could wait a little bit longer for Crocodile to return home.

“Well, thank you for your time,” You said as politely as you could. Even then, the words came out forced between clenched teeth.

The doorman merely rolled his eyes in response. Right before you turned your back, you caught your husband’s gaze. Crocodile’s eyebrows shot up at the sight of you, surprise replacing his previous annoyance. Flashing him a small smile and a wave, you turned to make your way home. You barely made it a few steps before Crocodile’s hand was on your shoulder, his grip firm enough to hold you in place. The crowd that surrounded him was gone, off to find someone else to celebrate with — or pester, as Crocodile was prone to say.

“What are you doing here, doll?”

Whipping around, you slotted your hands on your hips and hit your husband with the worst glare you could muster. You tried not to be disappointed when all you were met with was a glimmer of amusement. “Looking for you. It’s been days since you’ve been home, I was starting to get worried.”

Crocodile shrugged and took an inhale of his cigar. “There was no need for you to come here, I was coming home tonight.”

“And how am I supposed to know that if you don’t tell me. I’m not a mind reader,” You shot back.

Crocodile sighed, a cloud of smoke accompanied the action. You really wished he would quit, but you weren’t naive enough to believe you could convince him. The doorman coughed a few times, drawing both you and your husband’s attention. He looked absolutely dumbfounded at the scene playing out in front of him. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, and you had hoped he had enough wherewithal to keep himself hidden so as not to earn your husband’s ire. Evidently not.

“I am so sorry,” The doorman started, hands numbly raised in surrender.

Wow. This man was the biggest idiot you had ever met. Crocodile slowly turned in his direction, a single eyebrow raised.

“You’re sorry?” Your husband's expression split into a furious glower, and for the first time that night, you felt truly sorry for the doorman. “And what are you apologizing for? I better like the answer.”

Before the man could speak, you placed yourself between them. “He was just doing his job, love. No need to get all fussy. Why don’t you walk me home and we can talk more? I’ve missed you.”

Crocodile’s expression softened when you grabbed his arm and leaned into his side. With his flesh hand, he wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you flush against him. Before you left, Crocodile reached around you and into his breast pocket. When he removed his hand, there was a wad of beri in it, a fatter stack than usual. He tossed it at the doorman’s feet.

“Forget what you saw here.” Crocodile narrowed his eyes, his hook glinting in the dull lamplight. “Or I’ll be seeing you again. Privately.”

“Don’t flirt with the poor man, he looks like he’s about to wet himself.”

Crocodile merely grumbled — affectionately, you knew that grumble anywhere — as he started in the direction of your shared home. “I don’t flirt and I don’t fuss, you know this, doll.”

“Bold of you to lie to my face when I’m still not sure if I’ve forgiven you yet.”

You had. It was hard to keep the grin off your face when Crocodile was warm against your side, the scent of him filling your nostrils until your head was fuzzy.

Oh, how you couldn’t wait to kiss him pliant in the comfort of your bed later tonight. For all of Crocodile’s power, you had him absolutely wrapped around your little finger.

[illuminatedquill]

Story Summary: It has been 10 years since Lothal was liberated from the Empire. As the annual memorial ceremony marking this historic event approaches, close friends and associates of the legendary Rebellion hero, Commander Ezra Bridger, are interviewed for a documentary being made to celebrate his life and achievements. Captain Garazeb Orrelios, a close friend and comrade of Ezra Bridger, has volunteered his time for the first interview.

First of a Five-Part Interview Series

The dive I find Captain Garazeb Orrelios, call-sign Specter-Four, is far from the Galactic Core and serves a peculiar type of clientele: current and former Republic fighter pilots, smugglers, Mandalorians, and any who find themselves wandering beyond the usual travelled routes of the galaxy. Sitting on a non-descript barren planet floating in the middle of an otherwise empty sector of space, the establishment has gained a remarkable reputation of being a "neutral place" among the people who live out here beyond the prying eyes of the New Republic. Mandalorians, bounty hunters, and even some of the more reputable smugglers all habit here semi-regularly.

Noting the name of the establishment before stepping inside from the arid heat, I am greeted by the murmur of quiet, friendly talk. The space inside is half-filled, scattered with an eclectic array of different species wearing the colors of their chosen affiliations.

I spot Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios waiting for me by the bar. Next to him is his partner, Aleksandr Kallus, an Imperial defector who once worked for the infamous Imperial Security Bureau. They wave me over to begin the interview.

Captain Orrelios; Agent Kallus. A pleasure and privilege to meet you both.

[Kallus nods in acknowledgement and sips at his drink. I get the sense he is studying me closely.]

Ah, don't mind him. Just old habits from the war. You can just call me 'Zeb', by the way. All my friends do.

If you don't mind, then I'll do just that.

Sounds great. So, you're here to talk about that goober, eh? About time he got a documentary. Deserves one, just like that Skywalker fellow everyone's talking about.

Goober? You mean Commander Ezra Bridger?

Oh, we're using the official title for him are we? He'd have a good laugh about that. 'Goober' is a nickname me and Sabine used for him. Cause he was a goober - it just fits, you know? Oh, he hated it at first but grew into it over time. Especially since Sabine used it so much. Said it made him feel special, when I asked him about why he didn't seem so bothered by it anymore. She didn't have nicknames for anyone else on the crew. That was always used just for Ezra . . .

[Kallus nudges him with an elbow. The Lasat shakes himself and looks embarrassed.]

Uh, you're not here to listen to all that, though. Sorry. Getting lost in old memories. I figure you want to hear the more interesting stuff.

No, this is perfect actually. This is definitely what I would want to hear in a documentary about Ezra Bridger.

Well . . . if, you're sure. Go on, ask me some questions then. You want to know how we first met?

I'd appreciate if you just wanted to talk more about Ezra himself. What kind of person was he?

[Zeb takes a moment to think about this. Then he points up towards the ceiling, where a row of various stormtrooper helmets - all different designs - hang from strings like grim trophies. With a small smile, the Lasat reaches up and taps one of them, a scout trooper variant.]

He was a thief. When we first met him; a street-rat that hit up the occasional unlucky Imperial patrol for food and supplies. Plucky little kid, if you can imagine, stealing from these Imps and bucket-heads. They would have shot him dead if they caught him - or worse, considering what he turned out to be.

I'm sure you've seen Sabine's mural on Lothal. How strong and serious he looks. Ezra was that, sure, but he was so much more also. If he ever comes back, I'm sure his head will swell just seeing how good she made him look.

He had a collection of these helmets when we took him on the Ghost. Sabine painted a few of them, as a gift. They were always his favorite. Over the years, as he grew up and the war continued, the collection stopped growing. Our enemies were multiplying . . . the goober needed to focus. So, I started to collect them for his sake.

[I observe the collection of helmets and note that there must over a dozen different variants hanging from the ceiling. Almost every type of stormtrooper design is present from the Empire's reign. Some of these would go for an astonishing number of credits on the black market.]

It's quite the collection. I'm sure Ezra would love seeing these.

Yeah. Took a bit to get all of these. He was just a kid, you know? I don't have any other input for this documentary, but I really want you to emphasize that Ezra Bridger was just this pipsqueak when he first joined. None of us knew what would happen to him, or what he would do. Not even Kanan.

He was just a kid who needed a home. So, we gave him that. I didn't always do right by him - to be fair, he was kind of annoying at times like most humans his age - but I hope . . . I hope he knows that I wouldn't change a thing about any of it. He was our kid. We loved him.

[Kallus pats the Lasat's shoulder affectionately. Zeb clears his throat, looks away for a moment to compose himself.]

I know you'll probably want to focus on the more heroic aspects of him, but that's how I remember Ezra. He was a goober. He was a kid. He and Sabine shouldn't have been fighting this war; sacrificing so much for it. That's the job for us adults. We're supposed to be making this galaxy a better place for them. Not the other way around.

A thief turned rebel. It's not an uncommon story for those who served in the Rebellion. The Specters were an already diverse group of individuals -

Not individuals. We were a family. Not in the literal or traditional sense, though. Sure, Kanan and Hera took on a more parental/mentor role in the group and, to some extent, you could view Ezra and Sabine as their kids. But it was also more than that. We were more than that.

We bled, suffered, sacrificed, and cared for each other. We cried for each other. And, yeah, we annoyed the kriffing stuffing out of each other. It was . . . in some ways, it was more fulfilling than my time as an honor guard.

How did Ezra fit into your group?

Heh, not easy at first. Hera was the only one who really made an effort at first. Kanan was still reluctant to take him on as a student, despite Ezra being gifted in the Force. Sabine - well, she's Sabine. Also didn't help that the goober had the galaxy's biggest crush on her during those early months.

Poor kid. Looking back on it now, I suppose I could have been nicer. He had to share a room with me, you know. I'm a huge snorer.

[He chuckles at this, sharing a look with Kallus. His partner just rolls his eyes and takes another sip of his drink.]

Yeah, it was rough for that first year. Everyone sort of eased into having him around as a permanent crew member after they had their own special moments with him.

Me and him - we stole a Tie Fighter one time, did you hear? That was a fun joyride. We were sent out to get meilooruns for Hera and . . . things sort of spiralled from there, heh.

When Hera and Kanan found out we were both sentenced to cleaning duties for a solid month. But that wasn't the event that really brought Ezra closer to the crew.

What was it then?

[Zeb takes a long sip of his drink, suddenly looking sad.]

Finding out about his parents. We didn't know . . . none of us know, until we caught up with Ryder - Governor Azadi Ryder, I should say - later on. They were still alive, incarcerated in a max-security Imperial prison somewhere.

After Ezra sent out his message to the sector, they must have heard him somehow. They rallied the other prisoners, started a riot. Ryder was stuck in there too; managed to escape because of their efforts.

Mira and Ephraim Bridger are listed as -

Still missing, I know. But they're dead. Ryder says he saw it happen, and we have no reason to disbelieve him. I know there was no record or recovery of their bodies. Believe me, we tried looking. Once the war ended, Hera and I tried to track down any lead to see if we could find anything - even just a scrap of their clothing for Ezra's memorial.

Nothing. They were lost, just like the countless others the Empire buried.

Just you and General Syndulla? What about Commander Wren?

She was . . . she was dealing with her own personal loss, at the time. We extended the invitation, but she never responded.

I thought the Specters were like a family? But records state that you all went your separate ways after the Battle of Lothal. You led your own squadron of pilots, while Hera Syndulla was promoted to the rank of General. Commander Wren -

Sabine was the only one to stay behind, yeah. We found a holo-recording, stashed away in his old comm-tower. Left there just for her. She changed after watching it. Hera and I never knew what he said to her.

Hera had Jacen not too long after that battle. I took Kallus back with me to La-Liresan, to help fortify their defenses, gather volunteers, and coordinate supplies with the Rebellion. And Sabine . . . well, she had her promise to Ezra to keep.

We lost Kanan and Ezra so quickly, one after the other. It just hurt too much for us to stick together after so much loss. We were all living reminders of what had been sacrificed. And staying on the Ghost - it felt too big, too empty without those two.

[The Lasat takes another big swig of his drink. Kallus glances at him, worried.]

I don't know how Sabine does it. Living there. She never went back home. She could have - but the crazy girl chose to stay. And she lost so much afterwards, too . . .

We all had our own things to focus on after the battle. The war had begun in earnest. The Rebellion had declared itself on a galactic stage after the Battle of Yavin. We were on the run, fighting for our lives, fighting to see another day.

Hera and I . . . we made the choice to move on. She had Jacen, alongside her duties as a Rebellion General. And I found new purpose with protecting my resurrected people on their new planet. We had to move on. Ezra would have wanted us to move on.

Do you remember the last conversation you had with him?

[Zeb seems to shrink within himself.]

I - I don't. I hate that I don't. I can't remember if we spoke before Kanan's death, or after. When Kanan died, everything else after that just turns to a blur.

You'll want to talk with Hera or Sabine, if you're looking for specific details about any of that before his . . . his disappearance.

Official New Republic record states that Ezra Bridger died during the Battle of Lothal. You believe otherwise?

[Kallus' gaze snaps to me, intense. I plow forward with my questions, trying not to show how unnerved I feel from the former ISB's agent scrutiny.]

I don't know. I want to believe, you know? But it's been so long. No one who has disappeared into the Unknown Regions has ever come back. Not even Thrawn came back. Wherever they went . . . there would have been a sign, I know it. Ezra's a smart kid, he would have figured out a way to send a signal or something.

Did he inform you of his plans before he left? Anything about where he planned to take Thrawn?

Ha! That was the whole point. Crazy goober. Part of me thinks he was making it up as he went along. But Ezra was a Jedi. A damn good one, too. Kanan would have been proud to see him at the end, leading the way for everyone.

To answer your question: no. Ezra didn't tell us anything about where he and the purrgils were heading off to. I don't think even he knows. Only the Force knows.

You never went looking for him?

[Zeb is silent, staring into his drink. Kallus watches his partner quietly. After a long moment, he stands up abruptly.]

I tried.

[Zeb turns and leaves through a back door leading into the kitchens. Kallus sees him go and then turns back to me.]

It's a sensitive subject for him, you have to understand. He wanted to look for Ezra.

Why didn't he? Ezra Bridger was his friend.

I forbade him. He was going to get himself killed. Zeb kept volunteering for missions farther and farther from the Galactic Core. Hera and I realized that he was scouting in the Outer Rim, looking for signs - any trace of Ezra Bridger or Grand Admiral Thrawn.

He got too reckless. People on his squadron almost died. After that, he was forced into retirement. Hera's intervention is the only reason he's not rotting away in a New Republic prison right now.

Zeb retired and settled out here? I don't understand. Why didn't he go back home?

[Kallus signs, takes another sip of his drink.]

He's still looking for Ezra, in his own way. Zeb had to get creative, you see. He had been stripped of his license to pilot. So, he found a plot of land on a planet no one was interested in and bought it with his pension. Pitched the idea of a bar for New Republic pilots flying patrol missions way out here as a place to rest and recharge; a chance to stretch their legs, after spending hours in a cramped cockpit.

Pilots who have been flying all over the Outer Rim. Who have probably seen and heard a few interesting things in the course of their duties.

Now you get it. He owns this bar, listens to all the folks who come in. Still looking for leads - anything he thinks could lead to Ezra.

He even named the bar in memory of him. I think he hopes that Ezra might wander through this sector in space someday, see the bar's name, and get curious. A fool's hope . . . but I dare not take it away from him.

But he can't follow up the leads himself, since he no longer can fly.

Correct. So, he sends the information to the one person who is still looking for Ezra Bridger.

Which is . . .

Sabine Wren.

[He pauses, thinking for a moment.]

Are you planning on interviewing her for this documentary?

Yes, of course. It wouldn't be complete without her. Why?

I advise caution. She was the most affected by Ezra Bridger's . . . absence. Time and further tragedies have not made her kind or open to company of any kind. Even from close friends.

[There's a yell from the kitchen. Zeb stumbles out, covered in soot.]

Kallus, the blasted caf maker is malfunctioning again! Help me out here, would you?

[Kallus sighs and rises from the bar. I take this as my cue to leave.]

Oh, by the way. I haven't heard anything regarding this documentary. It seems rather hush-hush for something like this. I've been asking around and no-one seems to know anything.

It's meant to be a surprise for the citizens of Lothal. The anniversary is coming up. My benefactor suggested it as a gift, to help commemorate Ezra Bridger's heroic sacrifice for the planet.

[He narrows his eyes at me.]

A surprise, hmmm? I'm sure. And who is this gracious benefactor supplying the funds for this project?

I'm sorry, I can't disclose that. They are a private person. I hope you understand.

[The former ISB agent stares me down. After a tense second, he relents.]

My apologies. Old habits die hard. If it's alright, could you send a copy to me and Zeb for review once all this is finished? It would be greatly appreciated.

I'll be sure to do that. Convey my sincere thanks to Zeb, if you can.

Of course. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to prevent my partner from burning this establishment down.

Leaving the way I come in, I turn around outside the old bar and take a quick picture, for my own record, of the name now that I know the origin behind it:

EZRA'S ROOST

END OF INTERVIEW 1

NEXT INTERVIEW: GENERAL HERA SYNDULLA

AFTER-REPORT

PRIVATE CONNECTION ESTABLISHED

The Benefactor: Were there any issues?

?????: None. Although the agent accompanying Orrelios seemed suspicious at times. I managed to prevent any further inquiries into my work, however.

The Benefactor: Kallus is intelligent and extremely competent at what he does. Do not underestimate him. It is likely he will continue investigating behind the scenes.

?????: Still unsure what it is you're looking for with these people. Seems like they don't have the information you're seeking. The Benefactor: That is for me to decide. Continue with your work.

?????: Of course. Logging out now.

CONNECTION TERMINATED

[centuryberry]

Queen of the Mountain Universe

So, after watching Season 5 (which has devastated me, by the way - completely and utterly destroyed me), I was inspired to incorporate a certain character into the Queen of the Mountain Universe and tie together the AUs tied to the games. (Excluding the A/B/O AU, Fae AU, and the Imperial Harem AU.)

This technically isn't a fic spoiler since I won't be adding any of this into the main fic itself, mind you. I already have too much planned in Acts II and III to include the new revelations, but I'm writing my ideas here. (May consider writing some oneshots set post-QotM.)

Warning: Spoilers for LMK Season 5 below!

We all knew it was Xiangliu. This snake man has a grip on me that only happened once before when Season 1 Macaque sashayed into my life. Holy hell, he's the definition of chaotic neutral. Also, the hints of lore he dropped before casually moving on because he thought it wasn't important? Drove me insane. What do you mean you and Wukong used to be friends? What do you mean Macaque made a deal? What do you mean be "he's winning"?! Who's he?!

I have no idea what LMK has planned for him (or if he's even going to come back in the future seasons), but I know what plans I have for him now.

To be honest, Xiangliu (the Nine-Headed Demon who nearly scammed Ao Guang and his ilk in Chapter 16) wasn't supposed to be significant in the Queen of the Mountain universe. But with how Season 5 ended up, I made him into a more important player.

Just like the LMK world, I'd like to think that the QotM world also experiences a similar "cycle" in the form of "resets." It would make sense, right? As In the Sun's Embrace and Sunchaser are games that encourages reloads and resets to explore different routes, it's not too far-fetched to think that the world itself experiences something similar.

I've always had a fondness of Time Loops in stories, especially with at least one person remembering every loop. Xiangliu would be that person in this case. Somehow, he became aware of what was happening and yearned for an escape from this constant resetting of the world.

(He must've gone insane gaining and losing friends, lovers, and enemies, doomed to repeat the same song and dance again except his bonds would never be the same since he's always changing and always growing while everyone else regresses every time.)

Eventually, he removed himself from the living world all together and replaced one of the Ten Kings of the Underworld to find a way out. Still, he'd pop up here and then to maybe make some interventions or watch when something new played out.

While a lot of the diverging AUs are mostly due to the different choices made by individuals, I'd like to think that Xiangliu made some of them possible. Notably, Warlord Shanzha AU, Withered Grave Flowers AU, Detoxify AU, and Extra Pilgrim AU.

Well, you noticed how LBD seems to be absent in those AUs, right? How Yue magically comes out of things alive and unpossessed by her into the modern era? Well, the answer in Xiangliu. He doesn't do this in every cycle, but he sometimes has the heart to spare Yue from her canon fate. Making her fate better always seems to give happier endings to all of the celestial monkeys. Not perfect, but happier.

(And, because it would be so funny to me, I'd like to think he at least hooked up with every member of the celestial monkey poly occasionally in between cycles. So he has a history with all of them which I may expand on in another post if anyone's interested.)

So, there you have it. A way for all of these AUs to technically be canon. (Thank you, Season 5.)

As for what Xiangliu is doing during Queen of the Mountain, he's doing nothing. For the first time, he didn't have to do anything to make a drastic change to the usual script. For the first time, he's interested to see how things turn out. Because of a certain six-eared baby monkey yaoguai who ended up in the palanquin.

[carlyraejepsans]

Yknow, despite how it is impossible by all Ingame options, I wonder how a neutral route with *ONLY* Sans (and Asgore ig) killed would look? Would he count enough as a boss monster (NOT a Boss Monster) to push it from a Queen Toriel ending to an Empress Undyne ending? How would Alphys react (She lost one of her closest friends, but she still has MTT and Undyne around.)? How would Papyrus react (Would he go full angst mode and try close away his heart? Would he become even more of a people pleaser, trying to make sure he doesn't repeat whatever mistake he made with you again? Would he go into denial mode, trying to find Flowey to set things right with him either finding him or not based on what Frisk choses after the FloweyX fight? So many choises), especially with how he seems to Know Something he doesn't let on. I'd imagine that (provided it's a Queen Toriel Ending) Undyne wouldn't be thar affected, sad that Papyrus lost a brother rather than sad that Sans died (she never is close with Sans. She doesn't hate him, but she doesn't know him as more than "Papyrus weird brother" and "My sentry that works the ABSOLUTE bare minimum needed"). I don't think mettaton would appear or be affected, leaving the call pretty limited. So we have Papyrus and Maybe Undyne, with Papyrus probably being... kinda miffed that everything is going along the same, as if Everything hasn't changed. Bonus points if it's Post Dates, leaving a pretty aimless Undyne moving into Sans room, trying to fill a void that she never can. It isn't some threat she can suplex or teach to cook, it's the world being unfair.

(This also would give a pretty Unique Undyne state, being halfway between her "I don't like that you had to kill Asgore, but it's what you had to do" mindset and her more common "You betrayed me in such a soul crushing way it'll affect how I love forever" mindset in most Neutral Endings. I can imagine her actually trying to rationalise it, because the human only killed Asgore (sucks but she Gets It), and... Sans. The easiest enemy, one too weak to make it into the guard, and almost too weak to be a Sentry (Sans would have no reason to reveal Blasters, and his magic would barely scratch the TRUE HERO of the Underground when Karma is factored in. All she would see is surprisingly complex patterns that don't deal even a tenth of her hp). So surely, they had a reason, right? Why else would they do it?)

Forgive any bad writing it's literally 2 AM rn where I am

can't not confess I've thought about it too, but it IS really hard to extend as a concept because there's just... really no way for sans to die outside of the NM run. and I don't mean logistically, i mean character-wise he is so defined by his survival. by his Being There as everything falls apart. the final girl last man standing in the story. so the whole concept immediately falls apart.

undyne wouldn't personally grieve him, seeing as they didn't really know each other, but she WOULD still feel his death on her conscience as she does with every other monster killed in neutral runs. plus, there's her friendship with papyrus to emotionally aggravate things.

papyrus would definitely go into denial. he would be annoyed about him vanishing all of a sudden, then it'd turn to worry, then as his worries become more and more plausible, he'd shut out all rational thought about the subject and pretend everything is alright. i like the idea of him reaching out to flowey, but he'd try to explain his plan while also comtradicting himself all the time in order to never say outloud "sans is dead. we need to fix this"

betrayed undyne... yeah this is where it falls apart again, since you'd have to reason why sans would die (or even instigate a fight at all) in the final corridor during what has so far been a flawless pacifist run.

buuut pushing past the visceral resistance to the concept. i can easily see a scene where the betrayal pushes her to lose it and seek revenge like it does in normal neutral runs, and her looking to papyrus for training help/human destroying plans. and just... meeting a Wall of denial. that would be a harrowing talk. something people don't mention enough is that papyrus sees himself as sans' caretaker as much if not even more than sans does towards him. a world where sans is dead is a world where he failed his brother. it would devastate him. so he clings to anything not to think about it/delude himself. and here comes undyne ready to shatter that fragile hope. it would be a horrible moment between them

but yeah. everything aside, sans would straight up just not die lol.

[noisyquokka]

I know this is a very vague request and im really sorry in advance 😭… do you think you could write some headcanons/reactions for wayv? I noticed that most nct content is for dream, sometimes 127, and rarely my wayv boys and i LOVE them 😮‍💨, i dont really have a concept in mind i would prefer if it was made with a female reader in mind but gender neutral works just as well, and idk maybe a little bit suggestive if youre in the mood for it?? Idk anyways thanks for listening and im sorry im not giving you much to work with :)

+ OMG OK I JUST SENT IN A VAGUE REQUEST FOR WAYV BUT I THOUGHT OF SOMETHING NOW, idk if you’ll see this but do you think you could do wayvs reaction to a female reader whos more dominant, not necessarily in the bedroom sense (although that too) but just someone who looks more feminine but automatically takes on more masculine gender roles in a relationship like being big spoon, or bringing home the bag, or being the one to take care of things and fix things? Again i don’t necessarily mean in a sexual way just more in a general relationship because i know you said you werent confident/comfortable writing nsfw stuff, but if you wanted to take a more suggestive route too i wouldnt be mad, youre the writer here, im just here to support 💗, thank you again!

A/N - Not me having a whole-ass brain fart on gender roles as I wrote this🤪but ohhhohoo I love this idea!!! I'm sorry it took forever :( also some of these are longer than others, I apologize. But I still hope you enjoy 💛 Thank you for the request, Love!

WORDCOUNT - 1,165

WARNINGS - F!reader, suggestive if you squint from the other side of the galaxy??

Kun

you had told him that you were quite independent from the beginning of your relationship

perhaps you hadn't been persuasive enough, or it didn't register in Kun's head...

because when he comes home from tour, he doesn't expect to find you in the kitchen, cursing under your breath with your head ducked beneath the sink

it appears you're too busy groveling at the plumbing to notice his presence, the clanking of metal on metal hitting his ears

"What... are you doing?" is followed by a thud! and another hushed curse as you emerge from the cabinet, rubbing at the crown of your head with a grimace

you're met with warm hands and a concerned gaze as you straighten up, adjustable wrench in your grip

"The shut-off valve for the cold water failed," you wipe the sweat from your brow, eyeing the small space you have to work with under the sink, "so I went and picked up replacements for both."

and Kun's just standing there like 'woah, babe, go off'

but also a little worried

cue the "shouldn't we call a plumber", and the "are you sure's"

it's not that he believes you're incapable, far from it!

he's just got no clue about the tricks of that trade lmao

asks if you need help

will literally sit by and watch like a curious Retriever whether you need extra hands or not (without being in the way, of course)

he has no idea where your confidence comes from when it comes to these types of things, but it's kinda... 😏

you finish the job in two hours, checking for any leaks after you turn the water back on and let the water flow through the pipes to clear the air in the lines

after this, he quickly adapts to you taking lead around the house with similar things

he's so used to being the leader/taking lead on so many things that it's so refreshing for him.

you're just the type to say "Hey, I've got it!" with no expectations

he's gonna find his ways of thanking you for the things you do btw

cooking you dinner, cleaning the entire house, buying you something you've been eyeing for forever.

also lives and breaths you cuddling him

back hugs, waking up to you pulling him back into your arms before you're both falling asleep again

this man is so content being little spoon if it means you're right there

Ten

totally into it!

I'd bet that this man goes full doting boyfriend

probably the most curious out of all the guys

would be super invested if you were an HVAC technician or something just because of how physically demanding the job is

asks you if he could tag along to work one day like an excited child

to which you tell him that it's not as exciting for him to watch considering most of the job is you crawling into tight spaces

like you'd literally be in some dusty attic, sweltering as you work

it happens anyways, because you find that your HVAC unit is outdated, so naturally, you choose to update it yourself

cue a sneaky head peeking around the corner every chance he gets because, contrary to what you had said, Ten is very entertained

the man has the biggest heart eyes for you through the entire process - which is roughly 6 hours

"your attention to detail is beyond admirable!"

"I'd say it's necessary when I'm working with electrical, Babe."

wants to learn how to do whatever it is you're working on

doesn't matter what it is you're doing

soaks up whatever you teach him

mans is a whole sponge istg

at the same time he's absolutely gonna tell you to keep being the boss-ass bitch that you are

WinWin

supportive but a lil insecure :(

like he loves you loads, supports you 100% in all that you do

but sometimes it'll make him feel like he's not doing enough in terms of your relationship

I don't see the insecurity coming from your confidence of taking on a more masculine role, but more out of worrying that his time is so limited with you and around the house so when he is home, he feels like it's not enough

feels like he shouldn't tell you at first

like it sounds a little like an excuse to be an ass

but eventually thinks it's the best thing for your relationship

y'all take communication so seriously so why start holding back over something like this

you're quick to reassure him that he does more than enough

like sir, sit down and kick your feet up, you literally do so much for me, I will write you a whole list rn

it works to a certain extent, so you offer him some options "to make up for it" cough I'll leave this up to interpretation💀

fair to say that all is better with a little communication

Xiaojun

I say this solely for his safety and benefit

do not, under any circumstances, let this man know you can do some of the things that you're capable of!!

boy is too petty and competitive to have this knowledge

I feel like he'd be the type to see you so confidently take care of yard work and the next week turns into a competition of who can complete said tasks better

he wouldn't do it to make you feel less than, or to put you in your place (as if you wouldn't set his ass straight)

he's just a little dramatic

a lil competitive

he loses almost every time 😔

either makes excuses for it ("I didn't know there were levels to the lawn mower", "the handle on my rake was broken") or stays quiet

will be whiny for a few days afterwards

you have no issue giving him something to whine about-

Hendery

full cheerleader mode!!

he literally grew up with three sisters, ain't no way he's gonna be against a strong and independent woman doing her thing

is the best assistant when you need an extra set of hands

literally the kid that holds dad's flashlight while dad fixes the car except you don't have to remind him to hold it steady

he's on top of it, baby 😎

mans takes this as seriously as performing open-heart surgery

I'm talking brows set in concentration and hands as steady as my granny threading a needle (that woman was so talented)

tools are in your hand before you've even finished telling him what you need

bro is just that good

loves helping you to the point that when you don't need his help, he's just a pouty boy in the corner

like Kun and Ten, he'll just watch and cheer you on in those instances

he is the ultimate ally

YangYang

I could see him drawn toward a woman who takes initiative in a relationship

probably finds it attractive as hell

at the same time, I could see him not caring much about traditional gender roles

sees it as a social construct that is meant to be broken

he digs how dynamic you can be in any situation, definitely!

that said, he is the reason you fix so many things 🧍🏻‍♀️

listen, him being your boyfriend does not guarantee your safety from The Menace™

feels bad about it sometimes

but like... you never complain

YangYang swears he's a magnet for finding patient people that can tolerate his antics

which is exactly why he's wrapped around your finger

MASTERLIST

[foodsies4me]

If you're still taking asks...I'd love a glimpse of a Sapphire AU - Alec isn't safe from the Clave for whatever reason and so the Warlocks do end up abducting him. The Warlocks are quite worried when he runs back to the Institute and are trying to figure out strategies to keep him safe in whatever way they can, except then he pops back up with his siblings. Of course he isn't going to leave them there once he gets out.

Okay, I adored this prompt. So much. Child!Alec would run back to the institute to make sure his younger siblings are okay and well before dragging them along with him. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!

The distress call comes in the middle of a trial Magnus and the other Elders were overseeing. The squabble - and Magnus is being generous using that term - between Warlock Bail and Warlock Mordu would generally be something warlocks would settle between themselves. At most, a High Warlock would be involved to help mediate. So, the fact that both warlocks managed to drag the situation out to such an extent that it's being presented here in the hall of laws is laughable. The reason for their dispute is even more so. Magnus is already planning his escape route, a sudden emergency that would save him from listening to both warlocks drone on about the other having stolen their spell. Stolen. Even Magnus doesn't have the arrogance to claim to own a spell. He's about to open his mouth and make his escape when a sudden wave of pain-panic-fear makes him clench his hand around his seat hard enough for the wood to crack. The first wave is followed by a stronger second one that wipes all rational thought out of Magnus' mind because he needs him Alec needs him his little heart needs him and needs him and needs him and Magnus is not there.

There are voices calling his name but Magnus barely registers them, barely registers anything through the terror that has him tearing a hole through the labyrinth's foundations to portal to Alec's side.

All it takes is one look at the scared, tear-filled eyes for Magnus to incinerate every last Nephilim holding his little heart captive.

The shadowhunters don't have the time to react to Magnus' sudden appearance before they drop dead to the floor, their bodies scorching beyond recognition.

Magnus has already made it back to his loft, his young soulmate cradled safely into his eyes before he realizes all shadowhunters in that room had a circle rune branded into their skin.

"We can't let him go back," Elder Ndlovu says. Her voice is strained, worry visible in every line on her face and Magnus doubts he looks any better.

A warlock.

Magnus had barely believed his eyes when he'd caught sight of the small silvery-white scales - some of which had been ripped off - that decorated the young boy's skin. The warlock mark had looked out of place next to Alec's black runes and yet-

"No, we can't," Magnus agrees, his fingers clench around Alec's small, ice-cold hand. "How is he? What did they drug him with?"

Catarina grimaces. "I can't say for sure," she says apologetically. "It almost looks like they tried to drug him with everything under the sun. That or the Circle has taken a newfound interest in alchemy and potion-making - either is possible. But, I've managed to neutralize the Yin Fen, the fairy dust, and shaxweed pollen at least."

"I'm sorry - Yin Fen, fairy dust, and shaxweed pollen?" Elder Ndlovy asks incredulously, her face a mixture of horror and rage. "What the fuck were they planning to do with the child?"

"A shadowhunter-warlock hybrid capable of bearing runes - I don't think we need to guess what they were planning to do."

The lightbulbs in the bedroom explode. Again.

Catarina and Elder Ndlovu don't even react this time around. Catarina continues her monitoring of Alec's health, keeping an eye on his vitals now that his wounds have been healed and he only needs to work through the drugs they poisoned him with. Meanwhile, Elder Ndlovu banishes the glass shards with a wave of her hand, replacing the shattered lightbulbs with new ones for the fifth time.

Alec doesn't wake up until the next morning.

In that time, Ragnor and Catarina both have offered to take him in, as have Elder Ndlovu and Conan. Yet, as much as Magnus wants to accept each of the offers, he can't. Not without Alec's input.

Magnus just hopes it won't be too hard to convince the young boy that returning to his Nephilim life would be too dangerous.

Valentine might be dead - and even then, Magnus has his doubts - but the Circle was clearly still operating. And that is without taking into account the danger that the Clave would present if they were to ever find out their pure, angelic blood had been tainted in such a way.

They tell Alec as much.

While Magnus technically shouldn't be present for the conversation, the other Elders don't dare to stop him. Whether that's because he managed to inadvertently remind them how powerful he is by managing to do the impossible yet again, or because of the severity of the situation, Magnus doesn't know.

Whichever the reason though, Magnus is thankful for it because he would have promptly lost his mind if the last image he saw of Alec was of him still and lifeless in a too-large bed.

The discussion goes better than expected. And worse.

Alec is calm. Almost worryingly so. He carefully listens to Conan and Catarina's explanations, nods, and shakes his head when asked questions, the occasional mono-syllabic word escaping his lips when they ask him for more information. But he doesn't ask after his parents. He doesn't cry or scream when recounting what had happened for him to end up in the situation he was in.

The revelation about Alec's warlock status doesn't come as a surprise either, which considering the warlock mark on his back was to be expected. But, even then, Magnus had expected more. More anger. More sadness. More betrayal and grief and regret at the thought of losing the life he had lived until now. Not this-

This quiet subdued acceptance.

The Elders agree to let Alec stay another few days in Magnus' loft under Catarina's and Elder Ndlovu surveillance. The mixture of substances the Circle members drugged Alec with is still making its way through his system and placing him in an entirely new environment when he's still healing is the last thing the young child needs in his current situation unless they want to make sure he tries to run away.

Or so they thought.

Magnus is sleeping in bed, Chairman Meow lying curled up in his arms when a tingle warning him that someone passed through his wards wakes him up. The disturbance is nothing more than a minute tremble, a tingle that barely registers in his sleep-addled mind.

Magnus is halfway back to sleep when his mind registers that the disturbance carried a distinctive Nephilim signature.

Within seconds, Magnus is wide awake and racing to the guest bedroom where Catarina and Alec had been staying only to find one bed - Alec's bed - empty.

The noise of the door swinging open and smacking against the wall startles Catarina awake who looks at him strangely until her eyes follow his gaze to the empty, abandoned bed in which Alec should be sleeping.

"You don't think he-"

Magnus clenches his fists painfully. He knew Alec had been too docile. Too calm. He might not have seen the boy in years, but there was no way that the child who had sworn with so much conviction that he would make all the other shadowhunters like him, would just nod and bear it when his life got upended in the span of a few hours.

By the time they manage to track him, Alec has made his way back inside the dangerous walls of the New York Institute.

Magnus is forced to call the other Elders back ahead of schedule to alert them of the new situation as well as hopefully help him come up with a plan that would keep the young child safe without starting an outright war with the local institute or the Clave.

He is on the verge of throwing caution to the wind and stepping foot inside the New York Institute without a prior invitation when his wards tingle again, a request for entry made by one familiar angelic signature and three unfamiliar ones.

Magnus is halfway to his entrance door by the time the others notice the angelic signatures waiting for them outside. His heart is pounding in his throat as he needs to make sure the small, precious child is still safe and unharmed. Or as safe and unharmed as possible with what was very nearly a lethal amount of Yin Fen and fairy dust in his blood.

His hands are shaking when he pulls the door open, unsure what sight is going to greet him on the other side, only to stop short when he notices the two smaller, even younger children standing behind Alec, as well as the baby in the young boy's arms. A baby that is being handed to him."

"Max needs a new diaper."

[delusionalwings]

Hello! I saw your reqs open and was so excited, cuz I adore your writing!! So I'd like to make a rq! Headcanons, pls!

How would Beel, Barb, and either Mammon or Raphael react to their MC just accepting everything. Like they kidnapped them and forced them to love them and their different scenarios of being Yandere, but they just accept it and love them anyway!

― synopsis -> when you accept his yandere tendencies after he kidnaps you

― characters -> beelzebub, barbatos

― gender neutral reader

― headcanons

― warnings -> yandere content, kidnapping, toxic and problematic behavior, stockholm syndrome

― a/n -> i am happy that you enjoy my content ♡ i hope this is to your liking!

mammon version

BEELZEBUB

The kidnapping was the most amusing business. He approached you like it was any other day and offered to escort you back home. There was no reason to be suspicious since that was second nature to Beel. Even when he told you to take a different route because he had something to buy, you did not bat an eyelash. You thought that some new restaurant must have opened in the vicinity and he wanted to try the food there. When he stopped in front of a small cottage, you did not question him and went inside. The sound of the lock didn't bother you either. You were with your protector, the one who would save you from every harm, not someone who you could consider as a possible danger.

“Do you like this place, [Name]?” he asks after turning towards you, pocketing the key quickly.

That is the first time you look around, really look around with the intent to answer him.

“I think it's neat. I wouldn't mind living here with you,” you chuckle and tease playfully.

His stoic face softens, and a blush graces his cheeks.

His voice is laced with relief, “Hehe that's wonderful news because that's how it would be like from now on! I told Belphie that you would understand. I knew you would! I told Belphie that I wouldn't need to force you. I am so happy that I was right.”

“Understand what exactly?” you ask, blinking.

“That we will live here from now on. Belphie will come visit from time to time too,” he finishes a little uneasily. Was that doubt that he heard in your voice? But he thought you understand. You always understand what his family needs.

You need to understand that he kidnapped you for your own good. With all the attention and popularity, you could have fallen victim to some demon's ill will. Trust him. He knows demons better than you do.

He looks at you pleadingly.

You frown.

“Okay... I didn't know that it was in the plan. I thought we were going home.”

“Exactly. This is home. Our home. Nobody can come between us now. I can feed you, take care of you, carry you around and get your attention whenever I want. So this is home for me.”

You look at him and your chest feels warm. The idea that he just put in your mind doesn't seem too terrible. In fact, you would like Beel to take care of your needs.

You smile and put a hand on his arm, “Yes... I think you are right. This might be home.”

Beel smiles, “I knew you will understand. I am so glad that you understand! Now we must get this place ready to spend the night. I will treat you to some good food for dinner today hehe. This is what it will be like from now on.”

He sounds so dreamy that you kiss him on the cheek.

BARBATOS

He would have liked to proceed slowly. Even though he is greedy for you, he wanted to keep his darkness hidden longer. Maybe put a little distance between the you who thinks of him as a friend and the you who will come to hate him someday. That is how he expects it to turn out. Not that you should complain when he is going to give you a life where you won't have to lift a finger. All you should be concerned about is making him happy and you will be taken care of.

He truthfully doesn’t know exactly how you will react and he doesn’t want to find out using his powers either.

The situation keeps growing grim as your popularity increases in the Devildom. With his usual expressionless mask, he notices how lower demons muster up the courage to greet you, to hog up all your attention and time. Seeing others greedily enjoy your light and company when he can’t do so himself only makes him more firm to get you sooner rather than later.

There are very few things in his life that he has wanted as ardently as he desires you. So he acts.

His plan is carried out perfectly. Nobody in any of the realms knows where you are. Nobody expect Barbatos.

His absences during the period of your disappearance might be noticed so he doesn’t dare leave the Devildom to go meet you and suffices to spy on you from his room. It’s only when suspicions have shifted enough that he finally goes to visit you in person. By now, after watching you almost religiously daily, he has realised that you knew all there was to know.

“Do you know what this means, [Name]?” he asks after showing his face, approaching you slowly.

“Barbatos... Yes I was expecting you... We are going to always be together from now on,” you answer calmly. You register a little surprise but that’s all and by the looks of it, the emotion is triggered by his appearance rather than the entire... unpleasant affair of the kidnapping.

“Very good,” he says.

His face gives nothing away but his voice has a cautious undertone in it. The human he has set his heart on seems to be full of surprises. No wonder everyone was losing their minds over you, himself included.

He speaks again, “You know that I am a busy demon so if we are to be together all the time, you must be available for me whenever I get free time. You must always be ready to receive me. So how do you feel about it?”

You take a step closer to him, “I do not mind. I wish to know you better and be closer than we are now.”

“Is that so? Do you understand the gravity of the situation as you speak so innocently?” he moves towards you.

“I made my decision after thinking about it. I love you enough to want to be with you. I think my reason is innocent enough,” you smile and take another step towards him.

“If that is what you want. Remember that I do not take kindly when someone goes against their words,” he says darkly but lets you reach out to him.

[gothcatgirlfriend]

undertale yellow spoilers!

spoilers for the end of undertale yellow's no mercy route, neutral route, and major parts of pacifist. please do not read if you do not wish to be spoiled. you have been warned.

i apologize for any possible inaccuracies. i tried to be as accurate as possible by rewatching cutscenes, but there's always a chance i got things wrong. it also might be a bit rambly because i wrote them as messages. still, i have a lot of thoughts on this decision undertale yellow made, which i'd like to believe i backed with solid evidence. and in the end, it is only my opinion. i'd just like to have my point of view seen.

so, in regards to martlet and undertale yellow's no mercy route:

i think martlet is the perfect choice as no mercy's last stand, actually.

in undertale, it's sans, and yeah, he shows that he's menacing no matter what route you're on, but for the most part he comes off as a goofy slacker with some mysteries.

it's the fact that the player drives him to the state where he has to do something, because they're on a killing spree with nobody spared, literally. and he reveals that he's actually been working hard on all the time anomaly shenanigans behind the scenes that make sans such a good character to be the last defense between the player and asgore (until flowey kills him, and then the player kills flowey, and then chara kills the player...)

with undertale yellow, martlet is a very optimistic and genuine person. she's a bit of an airhead, but she still tries her best as a member of the royal guard. all the other major bosses fight clover in pacifist for reasons such as mistaking clover for the blue soul believing to be tracked down by them and defending themselves (dalv), blaming clover for their ruined relationships and believing that bringing in their soul themselves will repair their reputation (starlo), and of course, requiring clover's soul in a last-ditch effort to save their daughter from being at death's door (ceroba).

martlet is literally going by protocol. she's following the rules to the letter, and gets confused when clover refuses to attack, not even doing so herself before she gets to the part where she's allowed to. and the part where clover insults her behavior as a royal guard is where she falters and decides to spare clover, because it's true. her best isn't enough for them. the royal guard is under asgore's rule to take human's souls for monsterkind, but that isn't enough for her to finish the job.

this is where you keep in mind martlet and chujin's conversation that clover sees in the no mercy route. her mentor, that she admired and was close to, is extremely cautious of humans due to the incident with the blue soul. but even after knowing the damage they can cause, she has hope that not all of them are bad, as she'll say in no mercy herself.

so that's why in no mercy, when clover is delivering their twisted sense of justice and killing every monster they can, she knows she has to stop them. in the first encounter, after she realizes clover is the culprit, she tosses the guide book and puts everything she's got into the fight. but that, just as well, isn't enough. she has to retreat because they're too powerful, even though clover could continue their rampage. but still, after almost dying to them, she tries to convince them to end the violence because she wants to believe that they have an ounce of sympathy for their victims.

if no mercy is aborted, when clover meets her on the roof, she throws away the determination serum she picked up from the lab just like in regular neutral. because she sees that, at least in one instance, they didn't choose murder. and that's good enough for her. that's all it takes, even if flowey goes in for the kill and martlet blames clover. she only goes so far to do so in her dying moments, and because flowey purposefully hid in the shadows, so how would she know it wasn't them?

when no mercy is fully initiated, she doesn't even instigate the combat; clover does. they're so trigger-happy that they waste no time. and at that point she has to use the last weapon monsterkind has to prevent clover from reaching asgore. she waited until the last moment, hoping clover would change their mind. but when there's no hope for them, she harnesses that determination to become the most powerful monster in the underground, the zenith of monsterkind. she'll wield the determination to deliver justice unto clover.

even if it kills her.

[mysteriousbp]

Hahaha, oh dear, oh no. I knew she was going to relive Clover's final run. Bad enough to realize that the adults in her life killed Clover multiple times, to say nothing of when she gets to "that" memory. Seeing her mother lose all hope and beg for death might break her.

But to see all of Clover's runs is another thing entirely. To see her loved ones die at her hand multiple times, to experience a geno run from Clover's perspective and know the justifications for doing so, to go through Flowye's funtime torture gauntlet however many times they did. She's in for a bad time; all while Clover flails around desperately trying to stop it, both out of pure shame and concern for her.

I don't want to dictate the direction of this au, but I do want the say there is the makings for a story in here. Given all of the above combined with the stress of moving to the surface and maybe being thrust into the political spotlight (another ask for another time) and the power she now has (yet another ask for another time), the stakes could be catastrophic. Or the two of them could risk falling down all over again.

Then again we both seem to be suckers for a happy ending and they have a lot a people willing to rally around them. In particular you mentioned the cyan soul tried everything to leave the underground, I'd like to think she found she could only do so by preforming a geno run and refused, so she can empathize. Either way it would probably end in the most wholesome of hug sessions.

Oh boy. You don’t know what I have cooked up for Clover and Kanako with the whole Kanako reliving Clover’s memories in her dreams. I just going to drop some information here. 1- It’s completely random when Kanako has those dreams. So she doesn’t have them all nights. 2- Kanako relives Clover’s memories in chronological order since he first fell underground. So she’s going to relive the runs of the original Undertale route before Flowey rerouted the route. So she’s safe from the trauma of killing her family and close friends for some… years. It’s more teenager Kanako problem.

But about cyan soul (Lila). When I said she tried everything. I meant she tried all routes, pacifist, neutral and genocide. But she always was defeated by Asgore and put inside the container, because she wasn’t strong enough (even in genocide) to defeat Asgore. So she decided to redo her pacifist run and just accept her fate in a container. If you wondering. Yes she die to Asgore. Her things were mailed to the ruins to Toriel by Asgore with the message “I’m sorry. But I had to do it… For our people”… That’s why Toriel isn’t a big fan of Asgore in my AU. And how did the items get to where they are inside the ruins? The toy knife was stolen by the annoying dog that steals Toriel phone. And the ribbon was wore has a bracelet by Toriel but one day it came loose in one of her walks through the ruins and she lost it.

[maddieandangel]

God I love Battle Against a True Hero. It's another one of those songs that are made out of parts of other songs (like Death by Glamour is), and just. Augh

(Disclaimer: I Do Not know the proper music terminology for stuff, apologies in advance dgsgsgf)

Battle Against a True Hero can be split into three main sections, beginning roughly at 0:00, 0:45, and 1:36 respectively.

I'm also going to throw the rest of this under a cut, because the analysis ended up EXTREMELY long lmao

----------

Where the first section comes from is obvious, so I'm not going to spend too much time on it. It's the Power of NEO leitmotif, which is also present in, well, Power of "NEO" (Mettaton NEO's battle theme), as well as BIG SHOT (Spamton NEO's battle theme) in Deltarune. It seems to be the usual melody for someone powering up beyond their normal capabilities, basically.

That second section, however, is actually from An Ending. Specifically starting at around the 1:01 mark of An Ending, lasting for the rest of the song.

(If you can't hear it, I actually first noticed it in Respite! Which, as a whole, is pretty much just another version of An Ending, but its version of the shared melody is closer to Battle Against a True Hero's than An Ending's is, being basically a slowed down version of it without any of An Ending's extra notes. It starts at around 0:36!)

Though actually, I'm gonna go on a bit of a tangent here and talk more about all of An Ending, because both of Undyne's battle themes are actually connected to it, and I'd argue that so is Undyne as a whole.

I believe it's already fairly well known that Ruins and the second half of Spear of Justice share a leitmotif. At a first glance, and just comparing those two songs, that doesn't make much sense! Undyne has nothing to do with the Ruins.

And that's because both songs are actually connected to An Ending, and are taking the leitmotif from that. The similarities between Ruins and Spear of Justice are the result of them branching off of the same root.

An Ending begins in the same way that Ruins does, just slower. Which I think is really neat!! We're coming full circle. The music that played in the first area in the game is now being played at the end of a Neutral route.

Thus, of course, the first minute or so of An Ending also bears a resemblance to the second part of Spear of Justice. And, additionally, An Ending itself can actually play in Undyne's fight too! Specifically, it plays after you kill her on the Neutral route, when her body has started to fall apart but she refuses to give in and keeps trying to fight you. Which I think might be the only time it plays outside of the Neutral Ending phone calls. So, that might be one reason Spear of Justice and An Ending share a melody; they both play in the same fight, so giving them some similarities might make the song transition smoother.

However! Undyne as a character is also very heavily connected to the various Neutral endings. I'd argue that she's actually the most important when it comes to determining the type of ending you get. I've seen people kind of argue before that that's Papyrus, but. No. I absolutely adore Paps, but the main thing his life or death changes is the manner in which the information in the phone call is presented to you. It either comes from someone who cares deeply about you as a friend basically unconditionally, who will always think positively of you no matter what you do, and thus will generally try to present things as positively as he can, no matter how bleak the situation actually is (though some of that also comes from him wanting to hide his sadness around Sans). Or, if Papyrus is dead, the information comes from someone who isn't as fond of you after everything you've done.

There's a hierarchy of sorts that decides who becomes the new leader of the Underground after Asgore, depending on who's alive. It goes Toriel > Undyne > Mettaton > Papyrus > Leaderless/Dog/Alphys. Undyne is the only character who can break this hierarchy, overthrowing Toriel, exiling her, and becoming the ruler herself, if you've caused her to hate humans enough by killing either Papyrus or just a lot of regular monsters from random encounters. Toriel can also be forced to step down by the general populace if Undyne has been killed, leaving the Underground leaderless.

And even among the endings where Toriel remains queen, the things Papyrus says to you change depending on the impression you've left on Undyne. Of course, if you've befriended her, you get the happy ending that will lead into True Pacifist after a reload! But if you didn't, then you get a separate ending. Or, if you did befriend her but then decided to betray her by killing someone in Hotland or later, then you'll get another ending, where Undyne hates you so much that even Papyrus doesn't want you to return to the Underground, out of concern for your safety (which is actually the only ending where he doesn't want you to come back!). Or, if you kill Mettaton, prompting Alphys to commit suicide, then she'll become utterly broken and depressed to the point that Papyrus is really concerned for her.

So, all in all, it feels fitting for even the music to show a connection between Undyne and the Neutral endings.

Extremely long tangent that probably should've been its own post over, dgdgsgsgf.

Battle Against a True Hero, of course, takes from a different section of An Ending than Spear of Justice or Ruins do. Respite (which plays at the end of the True Pacifist route, while everyone is on the cliff looking at the sunset) also does this, though I'm not sure if there's actually any sort of intended connection between Respite and Battle Against a True Hero. But I suppose you could say Undyne is fighting for respite, to put an end to your massacre of the Underground. And there's also something to be said about the contrast between the two wildly different routes.

But also, the fact that An Ending appears in Battle Against a True Hero at all. Ough. Undyne wants this to be an ending. She wants to kill you, to stop you from harming anyone more. In reality, though, this is only the midpoint of the run. Unless you decide to give up, you aren't anywhere near your ending yet. Perhaps that's why this section of Battle Against a True Hero is slightly different from An Ending, with it having certain notes omitted (aside from the fact that, with the faster pace, the smaller amount of notes probably sounds and flows better). It's An Ending, but not quite. Not for you. Not yet.

But you know who this is an ending for? Undyne.

Even in timelines where she succeeds in killing you, Undyne is as good as dead. She's already supposed to be dead at this point, and only came back through sheer Determination. But monster bodies can't handle such large amounts of Determination, and Undyne is no exception. Her Undying form is only temporary, and while it will last her long enough to fight you, she's going to die soon after, be it by your hand or by the inevitable destabilization of her form. This is Undyne's end, but she's going to do everything in her power to make sure she takes you down with her.

Additionally, the fact that this section isn't exactly the same as An Ending could be applied to Undyne herself as well. It is her ending, but not quite. Not yet. She's not ready to die, to just let you continue your rampage uninterrupted. She refuses to give in. In her Neutral route death, Undyne only really has one dangerous attack once you "kill" her. Thus, the actual, unchanged An Ending plays, because it is her end, and you will continue to survive, and there's nothing she can do about it. But here, in her Undying form, she at least has a Very Real chance of killing you and ensuring that the two of you die together. So while a version of An Ending plays, signalling her inevitable end, it's not quite the same, because she still has the power to end you too.

Finally, the last part might be a bit more of a stretch, but it resembles part of Alphys' theme (just called "Alphys")! Specifically at around 0:31. It's like Battle Against a True Hero took that section of Alphys' theme and expanded on it more.

Which. Augh! My heart. Undyne's doing all this, fighting so hard to stop you, in order to protect Alphys and everyone else living in Hotland and the capital (and even the humans beyond the Barrier, at this point). She cares So Much about everyone that Alphys even appears in her battle theme. They're all her fuel to keep fighting. She won't survive this battle, which she always knew could happen in her field of work and is why she never confessed her feelings to Alphys, but if she can at least save everyone else from meeting the same fate as those from Waterfall and before, then that'll be enough. This section represents the people she's fighting for.

And, as Undyne says once you land the killing blow on her, Alphys herself is watching the fight. She's working in the background, where you can't reach her, preparing an evacuation for everyone left in the Underground.

Even the order of the parts of Battle Against a True Hero creates a story of what Undyne's thoughts might be as the fight progresses.

It starts out with the Power of NEO leitmotif. Undyne's renewed energy and increased strength is on full display, ready to destroy you. The song starts out softer at first, as Undyne warms up, before both it and her attacks ramp up as more instruments are added and her power is further unleashed. The wind howls in the background.

Then, the song progresses into the An Ending section, though Power of NEO can still be heard as well. Undyne wants this fight to be the end of you and your murderous spree. This is supposed to be your ending. But as she continues to fight, perhaps she begins to think about how it's going to be an ending for her, too. Regardless of the outcome of the battle, she's not going to come out of it alive. Maybe she's even begun to feel the effects of her excess Determination already, but hides it.

And so she begins to think about Alphys, and while her attacks don't let up, the music softens. She thinks about Alphys. And she thinks about Asgore. And she thinks about everyone else in Hotland and beyond. And she knows she's never going to see them again. Did she even get the chance to say goodbye? Probably not. She probably wouldn't have wanted to entertain the thought of her losing outside of practicalities and backup plans; not out of a fear of death, but for others' sakes. Keep people's hopes up, promise them that she'll be fine.

But rather than let these thoughts break her down, they only serve to make her stronger. She's reminded of who she's fighting to protect, and the music ramps back up in accordance with that. She's the Hero of the Underground, and though her death is certain, she'll be damned if she's not going down without a fight. She's going to ensure that she's the last victim you ever kill, by taking you down with her.

It's SUCH a good song.

[rheakira]

maybe martlet for 1, 6, and 12? (for ask game)

"1. Why do you like or dislike this character?"

So first of all I absolutely ADORE Martlet. She's easily one of my favorites in UTY and it's honestly because of how her personality is handled? She's silly and sweet, but not played to be a goofy comic relief or even obnoxious. She's quite literally your friend from start to finish (unless you're at your worst) even when she fumbles and makes mistakes in regards to looking out for you. Ride or die bestie bird!

"6. What's something you have in common with this character?"

Making me call myself out, huh? 😭

Definitely the scatterbrain behavior. I am also a clumsy buffoon. The amount of times I genuinely thought "girl, me too" when going about silly lines with her was too high. Also I think I'd also put my career on the line if it meant looking out for a funny little cowboy like who WOULDN'T say "screw this job" about someone like Clover? Martlet's a real one.

"12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?"

Personal headcanon, but I feel like she's top of her class in terms of being a battler. Like it's clear that even her peers don't think too much of her since she's a bit of an airhead at times and she's even at risk at losing her job because she's clumsy, but I genuinely feel like a reason she kept the job a while in the first place is because she can genuinely pull her weight in battle!

We've seen it! Even on a Neutral route she pulls some pretty stellar bullet patters and attacks that are hard to dodge. Adding that to what we know about the No Mercy route, and she seems like she's more than capable at taking down the best of them. I like to think Captain Undyne is impressed with her for this reason!