#in hopes that the story may outlive him

[aethersea]

HEY I LOVE THE SCHEHEREZADE PARALLEL ACTUALLY?? trapped with a capricious tyrant who must be entertained through the night, and you don’t know how long you yet have to live but all you can do is keep trying to be pleasant, to be interesting, to talk yourself hoarse if that’s what it takes and pray that it’ll be enough

[bones4thecats]

Diasomnia with their Fae! Knight! S/O

Type of Writing: Poll Result Characters: Malleus Draconia, Lilia Vanrouge, Silver, and Sebek Zigvolt Name: Diasomnia with their Fae! Knight! S/O Original Poll Link: Here

A/N: I'm sorry that this took a while to post, I just finished with a larger thing with my family, so. But, anyways, I do hope you all enjoy this, and look out, on Sunday, January 7th, 2024, requests will open for an hour. I'll put out an announcement when it happens! Enjoy, my lil bubbles🫧

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🐉 Okay, the entirety of Diasomnia is shocked

🐉 You were the personal guard of Malleus', being sent everywhere he went, and because of this situation pushed upon you both, conversations were the only thing keeping the atmosphere from fogging up with awkwardness

🐉 Malleus asked you about your home life, so hearing how you descended from a army-covered family of faes, he just smiled and chuckled as you told stories on how strong, yet dumb they were

🐉 He loves to watch you spar with Silver and Sebek, trying to help Lilia teach them, though, since you weren't used to being delicate when fighting, you nearly always ended up on the ground apologizing as you tried healing a small bruise of cut you gave them

🐉 Both you and Malleus have an understanding because of your roles, do not let your feelings overwhelm your jobs, since that could result in people using you against each other, seeing weakness

🐉 You definitely have had to deal with Leona, so while he tried threatening Malleus one day, you grabbed your sword and held it to his throat, making him stiffen and the rest of the group freeze with awkward facial expressions

🐉 You may be rough around the edges, but Malleus likes that about you, and if someone tried harming you, he'd have their heads, and you'd do the same for him, no doubt

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🦇 He and you served together during the Human vs Fae war long ago

🦇 You were one of the higher-ranked army members during battle, and you two were known as the 'Blood-Bathers', but, despite how the humans you slayed viewed you both, you cared for one another with a ton of passion

🦇 When Lilia found Malleus' egg, you helped him raise the future-ruler, from helping him control his magic, to helping him gain information on fighting and the outside world, you were there just as much as Lilia was

🦇 Lilia also watched as you laughed when Malleus burned his bangs, just staring at you with a face frozen in betrayal and shock before tackling you and messing up your hair as Malleus laughed

🦇 You may be a knight, but you had just as much of a sense of humor as your husband, from dad-jokes to puns, you both slayed people with them

🦇 Your husband loves to watch you get along with Silver, treating him like your own despite you both knowing he wasn't, and watching you train with him made Lilia feel like his whole life and the reason he survived everything from his past was just to be here, watching you and his family grow

🦇 Lilia also loves to spar with you himself, and watching the three boy's faces all erupt with sparkles and admiration to the two of you, watching as you battled, it was like you were in a dance, flowing together like the soulmates you were

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⚔️ Silver met you because of your chosen occupations, being a knight

⚔️ He loves to train with you, watching you hold your sword in your hands was amazing to him, and seeing how you flowed with the weapon like you were one was amazing to him

⚔️ This guy absolutely refuses to give up on your relationship, despite knowing you were going to outlive him, since he was a human with a limited lifespan, while you were a fae with a limitless one

⚔️ Many see you guys as the sleepy soulmates, as after doing literally anything, you guys would rest underneath a tree with animals surrounding you

⚔️ You are a very good fighter, one that even puts Lilia in the need for effort when sparring, and your boyfriend loves seeing how his adoptive father smiles and pats your head with such care when your able to knock him off his feet

⚔️ Silver will try staying up and watch you help train new first years with their magic, but, unsurprisingly, he falls asleep, prompting you to carry him like a princess back to your dorm-rooms

⚔️ Being a knight, you wake up early, and since your lovely boyfriend here has many sleeping issues, he pins you down and makes you sleep longer than normal

⚔️ Malleus, Lilia, and Sebek all love watching Silver hug you from behind and rest while you glare at those who call him pathetic and a disgrace to the dorm for being human, you really were meant for him, huh?

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⚡ Sebek was nervous when he first met you

⚡ You were a very well-respected knight within Briar Valley's army, so, being a trainee and you being quite popular among your peers, it made him feel lesser, and he hates that

⚡ He watched as you stood beside Malleus, sending threatening glares to others who dared try harming him, verbally or physically

⚡ Unlike Sebek, you did not express your emotions as passionately, and, funnily enough, that was what got you interested in him, as not many of your fellow knights knew how to express themselves very well

⚡ He gets flustered every time you pinned him down, as you smirked and would tease him with your fangs showing

⚡ You teased others like Lilia, but, you only showed your real emotions to those you cared for, and for Sebek, you showed everything you felt to him

⚡ For some reason, every time he watches you grit your teeth with your fangs showing, he feels ashamed of himself, since he was a half-human, half-fae, while you were a pureblood

⚡ Due to this, you comfort him when he feels weaker than others. He may be a half-blood, but, as you tell him

" I love you for you, not for your percentage of fae-blood. You are an amazing being, loud, but amazing... and I love you for that, Sebek. "

[impactedfates]

"You were...everything" - Archons + Wanderer x GN! Reader

★ Summary: Your immortal lover was a wonderful experience...and you were everything to them (i.e - immortal characters reaction to you dying)

☆ Characters Included (Separate): Venti, Zhongli, Ei/Raiden Ei, Furina + Scaramouche/Wanderer

★ Genre/Trope: Hurt/No Comfort (I tried anyways)

☆ Warnings: Major Character Death (You)

★ Extra: Some may know the audio, others may not. But I think it's angsty so here you go // Furina might be OOC as I haven't actually done the Fontaine story quest yet

As the anemo archon, Venti cared deeply about freedom. And he also cared deeply about you. He was a great boyfriend and was never that protective of you, he always believed you deserve to have freedom, not to be tied down by any restrictions.

But maybe he should've trusted his gut when you went away on one of your adventures, he always sent the wind to protect you and it would always bring you back into his arms. But when the wind could only return the sound of silence when you were meant to come back. He grew worried.

One day, a knock on his door came and he went to check. Jean stood there and looked at Venti before slightly bowing to him, she didn't need to utter a word. He knew what was going on.

You were gone.

Gone due to an accident. Gone because you wanted to protect others but that only got yourself killed.

After that day, after your funeral not many saw him. For days on end, when he did show his face though. He had a smile, continued on with his life as if nothing happened.

But people around him, even people who didn't know him well enough. Could see with each passing day, that this mask he put on would soon fall. He wouldn't be able to act like he got over your death, he never will.

But at least you had freedom right? Wherever you were. He just wished it was with him.

Zhongli was used to seeing people close to him come and go. He knew eventually you'll leave him too as many others did before. He knew he'd likely outlive you, so he wanted to make sure he spent as much time with you as possible. Telling you he loved you and making sure you felt loved.

He never wanted for you to be stripped away from him, and you promised you wouldn't. You two made a contract. A contract that stated you'll be with him for as long as you could, because even you knew he'd outlive you. A contract where he vowed to protect you.

You two truly loved each other, it's a shame he couldn't save you that day. The day where your contract with him ended. Too soon for the ex-archons' liking. He should've been the one to take the hit, he would've been just fine. But you cared about him too much to even see him hurt.

And all he could do was finish the treasure hoarders off before carrying you and running as fast as he could to a doctor. He wanted to believe you'll be okay, he just needed to get there faster, get your wounds treated.

But he knew deep down that no matter how much he hoped, the feeling of your body growing cold against his arms was enough to tell him he was too late.

He had lost you.

But what did he expect? He knew himself loving a mortal would be dangerous, he knew loving a mortal would mean he would eventually lose them.

Yet when he met you, he couldn't help but fall in love.

He was silent at your funeral, silent after that day. No amount of Hu Taos attempts at lightening his mood would work. Nor would anyone's attempts.

He had lost someone he had sworn to protect, and he couldn't even do that.

Eternity.

That's how long Ei wanted to be with you. For all of eternity, for as long as she's able to hold you in her arms, for as long as your mortal life would let her.

She never wanted to let you go. For you to go. She's already lost so many people she cared about. You couldn't be one of them. She didn't want you too. She did everything in her power to protect you.

But that didn't stop her finding your motionless body on the ground.

She knew she didn't have the best reputation after the Vision Hunt Decree. She knew people would be mad at her. She knew people may want revenge against her.

But why did you have to be the one hurt? You did nothing. You did nothing but love her and help her settle back in the life she once abandoned. You were so dear to her heart, you were so kind to her.

You didn't deserve the fate you received.

She never went to your funeral, only hearing from Yae Miko about how it went. The kitsune saw the look on Ei's face and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"They wouldn't like if you went back into isolation you know"

The archon knew that, and she wouldn't want to make you upset. Even if she couldn't see you, she knew that wherever you were, you wouldn't like it. She even promised to you she wouldn't.

She continued on ruling over Inazuma. Things were at ease, the culprits responsible for your death were punished. People were starting to warm up to her, though her actions were never forgotten.

And just as she wanted to, she'll be with you for all of eternity. Even if that was merely by your grave.

Furina always worried if she was a good archon, if she made her people happy despite how she may act around them. She knew she likely could never fully replace the past archon but she wanted to be liked.

Furina also worried if she was a good partner to you, yet despite how she may act to mask her insecurities. You stayed with her. You made her feel more confident in herself. She's truly so grateful for you. She never wanted you to disappear.

But you did.

The trail had to be rigged. It just had too. You weren't a criminal. But all odds pointed to you. But she knew you weren't the culprit for the crime.

It wasn't like you.

You wouldn't have done that.

You were with her that day.

She wanted to speak out, she had too. But her mouth went dry, no words could come out as you were taken away, to be detained. To be placed somewhere until the set day of your death.

And she could only watch silently as it all happened.

After that day, after the one she loved so dearly, the one who loved her despite her flaws was gone from her life. She was never the same. No one saw her act as she did before. She only sat in her seat silently as trails went on.

People of Fontaine, even the ones who weren't too satisfied with her. Was worried for her, of how she was going to be. If she was going to be okay.

But she won't be.

She had failed her nation. She had failed you.

"Get up!"

"Getupgetupgetup, GET UP."

Those were the only words that Wanderer could think to yell at you. He shook you, pinched you. Anything, just anything to wake you up. You were just asleep right?

Yeah, just asleep. Just taking a peaceful nap. Sure, your eyes showed nothing but it being unfocused.

But you were just daydreaming like you always do right?

Sure your body had become cold.

But that's just how your temperature is right?

You're not dead. You can't be dead. You told him you wouldn't betray him. Then why weren't you waking up? Stop messing with him. It isn't funny. It's not funny.

Please, just let him see your smile again. Just once.

.

.

. Please?

Nahida slowly came behind him and patted his back, trying her best to reassure him. Wanderer could only continue looking into your eyes as they slowly lost their light. His shakes to your body slowed down as he finally and quietly let out a faint sob.

You were the only one able to fully break down his walls, to fully see him for who he is. You didn't mind his words, you loved him. He loved you. People were thankful you two were together as the words that would leave the puppets mouth became much less harsh.

After the day you left him, betrayed him in his eyes. He got back to his usual self before he met you. He became much harsher though, to the point Nahida advised him to take a few days off. Just being alone. Just to cool down. It wouldn't be fair for others to be victim to his harsh words just because of how upset he was with what happened.

He wanted to hate you, he wanted to despise you for breaking your promise about not leaving him, he wanted to ignore you because you betrayed him like many others did before...but he loved you.

But he no longer could have you.

Teehee. I only based Furina on what I think she's like, I gotta stop procrastinating and actually start the quest fweooif (please don't spoil!!)

Also I am aware that archons can exactly die, however I'm pretty sure they can't from old age. So if all goes well, they can live for awhileeee.

Anyways! I hope you liked it :>> I might make a pt 2 with different characters if this gets enough attention.

Thanks for reading!!

[the-s1lly-corner]

Creepypastas of your choice with a mysterious reader that has been with slender man the longest/was the first creepypasta

eyeless jack, laughing jack, slenderman, and jeff x reader who was the first creepypasta/has been with slenderman the longest!

NOTE that jeffs part is written as platonic since im still not comfortable writing romance for him, but the other two can be seen as either or! eyeless jack was chosen thanks to the admin personally hcing that eyeless jack and slenderman have beef over living in the same woods, laughing jack was picked because haha funny clown who is also old as shit reader is implied to be nonhuman, to explain how theyve been around for so long so! admin headcannons that zalgo was the one who made all the non-human creepypastas and they may or may not come into play here that aside, hope you enjoy!

EYELESS JACK:

now he doesnt want to control who you hang out and who you dont hang out with... however ej isnt all the keen on the fact that you sometimes hang out with the tall lanky forest demon.. but he holds his tongue. their basic beef is that they mostly fight over space; slenderman is possessive over his woods, and ej fled to the woods after he started eating flesh to live as a hermit... is a little suspicious on how you seem to know so much about the curse-thing that turned from from a human to a man eating monster.. though lets up if you open up about things (cough cough zalgos role in everything cough cough) soooo.... as for actual relationship stuff? honestly as long as you dont bring slenderman around you guys have a pretty solid relationship! especially since you know so much of whats going on you kind of fill him in on a bunch of stuff.. like how people fill in the new guy at work about the drama and lore of the workplace, you know? is a relieved that youre not exactly human, so a lot of his worry of accidentally attacking you while in one of his feral blood frenzy things is minimal... sits.. tension in the beginning that melts as time passes and explanations are given, you know?

LAUGHING JACK:

honestly hes just happy to have someone whos not super young compared to him/was there to see what was going on at least a century ago.. or more (fandom wiki says origin story takes place in 1800s, jack is OOOOOOOLLLD) so its nice having someone he can talk to about stuff from the past. and to joke about stuff from the past... and to have someone actually. GET IT. you know? really strengthens your bond, as well as reassures him that youre likely not going to die anytime soon due to your mortality... i always think about that stuff for immortal characters/characters who can technically outlive everyone, especially for jack since i feel he has abandonment issues... shrugs... you guys probably exchange tips and tricks for loads of things. just two old people in love but they both act like reckless young adults (assuming reader matches his energy). has no huge thoughts or opinions on slenderman since i dont think they would interact often :0

SLENDERMAN:

i mean i think it would be a given that you guys, against all odds, have stuck together and grown close. slenderman is reclusive, very much so. i mention that eyeless jack is a hermit, so naturally ej doesnt connect with many people. but slenderman takes that to a whole new level. i mean he barely even interacts with his proxies (still dont know how im going to write toby, masky, and hoodie. esp masky n hoodie since... theres the creepypasta/marble hornets thing.. shrugs... thats a problem for future admin)

so consider this a huge victory that he hasnt gotten rid of you in some way and has instead let you into his.. well i was about to say heart but i dont think zalgo considered giving him one when it was creating him.. though.. it is nice to have someone just as ancient as him, makes it easier to relate to people AND youre also a creature like him, made from zalgo? even more ability to relate to you.. though its a very quiet dynamic, slenderman isnt much of a talker so i hope you dont mind carrying conversations!

JEFF THE KILLER:

pushing once again that this segment is strictly platonic since admin isnt comfy with writing romantic for jeff so they just had an interesting idea for him!

very similar to eyeless jacks bit where you fill him in one a bunch of lore and how things work, as well as filling him in on the teeny tiny detail that demons and monsters exist. jeff is a little different in admins au/hc, since he kind of just. exists rather than being created explicitly to cause issues + hes new to the being a creepypasta thing (if you can call being on the run and being off the grid for the past decade or so new, admin is working on timeline stuff </3) (new in comparison to the other characters hush hush) so a lot of your dynamic is filling him in on things as well as perhaps even offering some sort of guidance in how to actually go about interacting with these creatures that he know.. just has access to.. torn between dad slenderman because hes not TOTALLY evil and cold in admins interpretation, but also that one jeff the killer vs slenderman fall out boy video lives rent free in his head. the beef would be insane, honestly... jeff doesnt have much of a sound idea outside of you being more of a guidance figure for him... person with their nonhuman guide my favorite trope that needs to be in more stuff especially in horror media where the characters are antagonists and shit

[prettyboykatsuki]

anytime u mention zhongli my cerebellum lights tf up. speak into the mic, beloved 🎤

✮ tags ; hard incest, dubcon + noncon, penetration, fem + afab!reader, 18+ and dead dove please read at ur own discretion!!!

also this is not genshin canon it is canon adjacent. its p short also.

✮ wc ; 1.3k

✮ a/n ; honestly this is not even gross as much as its deeply uncomfortable akjdsjk. dadcest romance edition but reader is so perpetually suffering

this takes place in the same universe as this fic between old god!zhongli and daughter!reader. it wont make much sense w out having read that

It's the tenderness that nauseates you most.

Or maybe the fact it doesn't nauseate you in the way you wished it would. The numbness is upsetting in it's own right. You are so detached from your beloved Archon that him being your flesh and blood is at the bottom of your problem.

More troubling is the fact his desire to monopolize you has evolved into something much greater.

Your father never tells you he loves you. You hope he never does. You think of it some grand irony if he did decide on romantics after everything that happened between you. He is a poised man, and he's troublesome. He talks with lithe and great self-confidence, and even more he loves to correct people.

Assuredly, his pride means he will never tell you he loves you. He won't utter the word, won't clumsily confess it as if everything is sane and sensible.

But, he's tender towards you. The habit has worsened since the first time he laid his hands on you. Split you open on his fingers while you whimpered out in desperation, clawed nails and archaic forms cinching around your waist and entrapping you.

He touched you, because you are his. You are his flesh, his blood, and his so distinctly. He is the God that wills it so, and so it will be written long after you die.

(You wonder if that will make it into the stories in the long after. You are half-blooded, and Father is bound to outlive you. But someday, he too will die, the kingdom will only remain in memory and parchment stained with ink.

What will they say then? Zhongli the Archon, and the only daughter he left alive? They will assume he loved you, then. You don't want to know if he loves you now)

He took few of your firsts, plucked them and kept them safely in the blackened skin of his palms and fingers. His, forever unto eternity. Marked with scent and pressure for the rest of your life.

You are a clever enough girl to know that Archons are not moral beings. They're intelligent animals, debauched. Some small part of him had hoped that your firsts were all he wanted. Stake his claim and discard you. Toying with you is an incomprehensible mercy.

But Zhongli is an old Archon, with refined tastes. He does not partake in things lightly, though he may lay with so many. Certainly, if he will something as his he wills it completely. The concubines in the palace view this as lucky.

For you it is nightmarish. The truth of the matter is this: your father will never tell you that he loves you, though he does in the most twisted sense. And your father, does not plan on abandoning you a second time. He does not plan to discard you, or only call you to lay in his bed and take pleasure from you.

You are, against all odds, his beautiful little girl. His godling, unrefined and unruly and his. The amber of his gaze comes alight for you. For a man who has never loved in his life, you are the closest he has to the feeling.

Your loneliness doesn't subside, with him or without. Some days though, you are able to forget he is your father so completely - it doesn't make you sick to spend time with him.

Most days, all you can do is remember. Most days, like today, you're called into his office. The door latches, and no one is allowed in. Sometimes, you accompany him in silence as he works.

Other days, like this one - he touches you. With the same romantic innocence that keeps you awake in the night, turned with your own disgust. A hand on the waist or lower back, a kiss (always on the mouth) or a nudge. The grief of your very existence allows him in, despite the small voice in deep in your mind to be let out. To pick up the bottoms of your long robes and run and run and run until you have left everything behind.

Today, in particular, something you said had swayed him. He was more demanding, more possessive, more tender in some ways. What it was exactly remains a mystery.

But it was enough to topple him over some imaginary edge.

So you're here with your legs on the edge of his desk, naked with your arms around his neck - and entirely conscious about the drag and weight of his cock against your cunt. You make a noise, so soft and girlish you want to throw up, and tuck your face against his neck as you heave.

He's big. Too big. Of course that'd be the case, half-dragon and half-man, but all Archon. Your body trembles as the weight pushes against you.

"There's nothing to be fearful of," He says, delicate as he hovers of you. Long strands of hair brush against your shoulders as his face gets close with yours "I would never make you suffer half-heartedly."

"But you would make me suffer all the same."

He smiles at you like he's proud, and you can't be sure if you're hallucinating it. You're sweating from all the prep work, from his fingers that stretched you wide enough to ache. You can feel it, feel the tip of his...cock against your hole. It is terrifying but you're wet. Responsive. He's made you this way with his other less innocent half-touches. There is nowhere to go.

He meets you with baffling affection. Kisses you forcibly and wraps his hand around your nape with your body as close as possible. It's a barely there distraction from the feeling of his cock entering you, taking you. It is unceremonious, and he is too big, and you are nearly so lost you aren't sure where to return.

He grabs your hips, and he eases himself into the tight, wet heat of your cunt. Unexplored once, now marked as his. His voice is warm against the shell of your ear.

"How does it feel?" He says, and his voice is pitched with what you can only describe as amusement. You want to cry. He always seems to incite tears in you "The very thing that made you connects with you again. It belongs to you as much as you to me."

If he was capable pageantry, you're those words would've been some kind of confession. Your heart sinks, your stomach forming a pit so dreadful. You cling to him closer even though it's not what you want to do, not really - and you moan like an animal that's been lashed with a whip

Too much too fast, you whimper noisily. You don't know what to do. He's taken this from you, too - like you predicted he would so long ago. Yet it stings, and it stretches and it aches. Stirs some cross between resentment and loneliness and makes you feel like you can't breathe.

You aren't sure what to make of it. That he's made you this way. Through neglect then affection, carved you down to your bones to remember that you're like him. He's part of you, even until death.

It's like the reality finally settles, and when it does - the man who's your father and the god that oversees everything has slaughtered every remaining edge. There are no borders or restrictions between you now. Just black-nailed claws ripping the heavens apart at the seams.

Yes, it is the tenderness that frightens you most. His cock sinks deeper and deeper, and when he bottoms out - he cradles you in his arms and showers you in attention. He gives himself to you. It occurs to you this slow destruction is also a kind of love.

You are so clueless a girl. You've forgotten such a simple truth.

Archons hold the most terrible grudges, and your father the most petty kind.

"You're a terrible man," You say, weakened and dizzy and still holding on "I'll never love you as much as Papa."

He stiffens. He grips tight, and thrusts and you remember.

You were talking about your papa.

He fucks you again, harder this time and punctuates the words with a a chuckle. He likes being tested.

"I'll make you love me. Just as I've made everything else of yours mine."

[merbear25]

Heehee, I'm sending you another immortal reader request, could you do it with 3 of the Nordics (your choice for which ones). Reading the immortal reader x hetalia is really tickling my brain! -🪽

Hello, lovely 🪽 anon! Glad to see you again :) I'm glad I'm helping tickle your brain. We all need that sometimes tbh. I tried so hard not to use elves in these because hot damn they're everywhere in Norse mythology. I hope you like what I've written for you 💜💜

a/n: I read a few slightly conflicting stories on the physical appearance of a Keiju (one being tiny, the other being a slightly smaller human) so please forgive me if it's a bit off.

pt 1, pt 2, pt 3

CW: fluff, headcanons, slight angst in Denmark's, these creatures are typically depicted as women in folklore but no pronouns are used for reader.

Meeting an immortal (Norway, Denmark, Finland)

Norway: Huldra Reader

Wandering the forests, you found a lot of solitude amongst the trees. With so many settlements popping up on the outskirts, your curiosity was piqued.

Observing the new people, you caught glimpses of a light-haired man who looked to be rather young in comparison to the others. It seemed they were organizing the layout of the soon to be village. Watching from afar, you thought of ways to work your magic on your unsuspecting prey.

He was scouting the area for good places to fish when you stealthily stalked him behind the trees. The lack of fortune he had fishing was beginning to wear on his patience. Coming out from behind the trees, he responded to you like all the others had—awe-struck.

His silence was telling, indicating that your charm was working. Eyeing his expression intently, you revealed your tail. Though glancing at it, he appeared unphased. Instead of being repulsed like the others, he surprised you; pointing out that your skirt was hiked up and you may catch a cold. A bit taken aback by his gentlemanly concern, you stepped a bit closer, taking more notice of where he was fishing.

“You may want to try fishing at that end over there.” You pointed at a spot at the opposite end of the lake. Giving you a blank stare, he nodded and thanked you for your advice. Every day he returned to that area, looking for something, fishing, or just enjoying the peaceful nature. You couldn’t help gaining interest in him. He seemed so much unlike the others, and naturally, you wanted to learn more about him.

You began exchanging pleasantries which eventually led to forming a friendship. He had so much knowledge of the world beyond yours, and you offered the same. His knowledge of your world and the creatures in it surprised you, but you felt even more intrigued. Who exactly was he?

Among one of your many meetings, you finally asked him why he didn’t age like the others. Informing you about the duties and existence of personifications, you felt a sense of relief blanket you.

Knowing he wasn’t going anywhere for a very long time brought you comfort. It brought the same to him, as well. Even though you would live for hundreds of years and him possibly outliving you, you were happy to know your dear friend would be around for many years. You got the feeling he was glad too.

Denmark: Mermaid Reader

The summer sun felt nice on your face. You were relaxing in your favorite cove away from the growing hustle and bustle of the towns lining the coast.

Every now and then, a straggler would appear—typically a man either exploring the area or rowing along the calm waters admiring the natural beauty of the cliff side. Sometimes you’d practice your singing on them. Most of the time you did so out of boredom or to get them out of your hair when they became a bit too interested.

On your way to your favored spot one day, you spotted a man walking along the beach. He was wearing a carefree smile as he soaked in that day’s rays, leisurely strolling down the unpaved path. Trying not to get too close in fear of him spotting you, you lurked behind, watching him.

You decided to take cover behind a rock, patiently waiting for him to do something. He appeared unremarkable, boring and a bit ditsy even. “Hey, there!” You jumped out of your skin at the overly familiar, flirtatious call coming from behind you. These men snatched the attention of the man you were observing, as well.

He came running, shouting at them to leave you alone. Feeling cornered, you thrashed about in the water, calling attention to your scaly form. Unfortunately, this only caused your distasteful suitors’ desire for you to increase—scheming to auction you off, no doubt. Just as one of the men threw a net over you, a large rock was hurled at his face, making full contact and knocking him back.

Focusing on trying to get out of the net, the sounds of the other men’s yelps of pain and eventual retreat were already fading off in the distance when you heard someone splashing in the shallow waters towards you. Panicking, you warned them to stay back.

“Let me help you!” His caring tone soothed you enough to stop thrashing. He untangled the net from around you, immediately in awe at what he was seeing—a mermaid. His face lit up with a type of childlike wonder, wanting so badly to talk to you, to get to know you. Despite being shy, especially around humans, you humored him. After all, he just saved your life.

With nearly daily conversations, you learned all about his experience as a personification: the good and the bad. When he mentioned how hard it was to get close to anyone who wasn’t also a country, you felt a twinge of sympathy. Even though you weren’t immortal, you’d be around for hundreds of years. You offered to stay with him for as long as this world would have you, which earned you the most sincere smile of gratitude you ever received.

Finland: Keiju Reader

As the mist kissed your skin, you wandered happily amongst the flowers blooming in the meadow. You adored taking the time to care for them, smelling their sweet petals.

Such serenity was becoming more and more difficult to come by in the modern world. The reality of it made a tightness in your chest appear, hoping that the inevitable would have been further in the future.

Unfortunately, you felt forced to frequent that meadow less and less, seeing as many humans were venturing out of towns and cities to explore more of nature. Generally speaking, you didn’t mind humans. However, you could feel a part of you die when you saw one of them disrespecting this lovely world.

Being painfully shy, you regrettably slinked away when an opportunity to confront them presented itself. Eventually, you retreated into the deep forest, finding peace next to a pond. You dipped your feet in it, your wings fluttering in response to the sensation of the cool water.

Closing your eyes for a moment to soak in the peaceful moment, you were jolted awake by a small tongue licking your arm. Letting out a startled shriek, the surprising greeting had come from a small dog. “Oh, hello there. Are you all alone?”  Your tone was soft, helping the dog regain its confidence after the sudden yelp you made.

“Don’t bother the nice lady, Hanatamago!” As the man came closer, it was apparent that he noticed you were no ordinary woman. Stood there with his eyes wide, he quickly apologized if his dog was bothering you and reassured you that he was very friendly.

You responded politely, saying you didn’t mind since you didn’t have the chance to see many dogs. Commenting on how much of a sweetheart his pet was, he used that as a segue of continuing the conversation. In spite of your bashfulness, there was something calming about him. You were starting to enjoy your conversation, even hoping it wouldn’t end. Learning more about each other, you shared stories and opened up to each other.

Learning about the other’s identity, taking the time to understand each other: you couldn’t have asked for a better first impression. You were comforted by the fact that he wouldn’t age. Even though you would, you’d be around for many more centuries; he was more than willing to let you know how glad he was that he’d have plenty of time to spend with you.

[totem-but-shark]

I was thinking about the foolish totem clip you posted, because it’s interesting. Foolish talks about there being from a whole totem world with many others.

But the thing is, in both dsmp and qsmp, there aren’t other adult totems. Even outside those settings I’ve never seen another totem character or skin that wasn’t an offshoot of foolish. Thinking that way, I think it has some implications.

The first idea is that the totem world could be completely isolated or far away. In this interpretation foolish would still have others like himself but he may be one of the only ones to venture out into the greater Minecraft world.

The other idea is that there was once a totem world, but they’re gone. C!foolish is old (and Q!foolish could be as well). There’s a chance he’s outlived everyone else and is remembering them or hoping they’re still out there.

foolish has such a unique character concept and it’s kind of interesting to think about why he is that at way

or the secret third option, in character he's making it up. Maybe he's unaware of his origins or unable to confront the possibility he's the only creature in all of existence like himself. Or perhaps it's just been so long he's forgotten. His history becoming blurred through the haze of thousands of years of memory stacked on top. It could just be all a story he made up and is telling himself, a comforting lie.

Looking at canon (QSMP and DSMP), like you said beyond Foolishs word there's simply no proof of other totem people ever existing, as far as I'm aware at least. It could just be that totem society existed before any recordings but as is the only information we have is from Foolish himself, who isn't the most reliable of narrators.

Imagine the existentialism in not knowing if there's anyone else like you in all of existence. Not knowing how you came to be, were you made? did you have parents? Who and what even are you.

I do love your theories though anon, especially the first about this "totem world" being isolated if just because it feels shockingly similar to Capy kingdom from the QSMP, I wonder if it could've been part of the why qfoolish identified with them as he did.

It's so much fun to theorise about him because there's so many fascinating breadcrumbs of lore but nothing set in stone leaving it so open to analyse and explore possible theories. WHO IS THIS GUY????

[dragondream-ing]

I think the people that screech “ASOIAF isn’t Disney/a fairytale” are up there with Dany antis. First of all, they say it to insult other fans, to signal that those fans are unrealistic. It’s reductive, it’s disingenuous, and it’s not even true—I haven’t seen a single take seriously claiming GRRM is writing a pure sugar-sweet story. I don’t know anyone who even WANTS that.

It’s worse because most of these “critics” think ASOIAF is grimdark or a tragedy or something along those lines. They think bittersweet means bitter. And they don’t seem to realize the original versions of the fairytales they hate so much are far closer to grimdark than ASOIAF will ever be lmao

GRRM isn’t some nihilist, and he’s not into tragedy porn. He never has been. He’s actually quite a romantic, even if his romances don’t end with “and they lived happily ever after without ever experiencing a single problem again.” He loves aspirational characters, and not because he wants them to fail. Actions having consequences in his stories isn’t the same as “it’s not worth trying, everything is terrible and nothing will ever be better.”

Here’s an actual example of bittersweet for the hidden prince trope, and it’s •definitely• not loosely based on a very obvious character in ASOIAF:

The enemy is defeated, but the prince loses his sword arm during the battle. Known for his prowess with a blade, he will have to endure living without such a defining aspect of himself for the rest of his life. He may be relieved he has an excuse not to take up arms again, or perhaps he’ll dedicate himself to learning to fight with his non-dominant arm, but he’ll never be the same as he once was.

The prince is devastated by a greater loss; when he lost his arm during the battle, his closest companion sacrificed themself to protect him. He will have to live without their steadying presence and spend many days finding himself unworthy of such a sacrifice. His loved ones will remind him his closest companion would want him to accept the gift and live happily. He’ll know this is true and will try, but he’ll only succeed on some days and fail on the rest.

The prince goes on to rule the kingdom with his queen, but they’re going to have to rebuild a world shattered by war and deal with the trauma of their experiences for the rest of their lives. Not all is lost, however: they have each other to lean on, being two people that understand each others’ suffering and struggles and love each other more deeply because of it. They also have the hope that their children and the generations to follow will live in a better world thanks to their sacrifices.

The end 🥲

When I think of bittersweet, I think of my grandpa. In his mother country, he grew up too poor to own shoes, then went on to be a shoemaker. He joined the military and was kind of a big deal in his impoverished village, but he left because the government was corrupt and he feared for his family’s safety in the long term. He lived his life in America being derided and underestimated, working menial jobs doing the dirty work many people never think about or value, saving every cent he could, and fighting tooth and nail to ensure his kids and grandkids lived in more security than he ever did. He lived across the world from his beloved siblings, never saw them again, and outlived them all. He retired as a janitor and died in the home he loved with his grandkids and wife beside him.

I’m proud to be his granddaughter. He lived an extremely hard life and struggled more than I can comprehend. And I can’t comprehend it because he made sure I wouldn’t have to. He’s the definition of planting trees under whose shade you’ll never sit. THAT is bittersweet. Bittersweet is poignant and painful and beautiful, joyful and tragic and compelling. It is not on the same thematic plane as House of 1000 Corpses.

I’ll say this in conclusion. If you’re running around insulting people with “ASOIAF isn’t Disney,” let me tell you, even Disney is closer to bittersweet than your nihilistic depressing takes will ever be. If you think Snow White can’t be a bittersweet tale, you’re disingenuous. She suffered tremendously (bitter) but never lost hope and was able to find love (sweet). Extend the ending and make it a bit more “realistic” by including some of Snow White’s and the Prince’s struggles and losses, and it would be a perfect example of a bittersweet tale.

[therantfairysblog]

The grieving that will never stop

✍️ note: there's a splash of my own experience so writing this is quite a challenge. To those who grieving, i hope the flow of times will slowly heal the wound, even though it will leaving behind the scar, our love one will remain alive in our heart. Sending love ❤️.

Everyday, Mrs Kanroji often praying in front of the altar, give various offering to Gods, as she was always afraid of her daughter's safety.

When Mitsuri telling her that she'll join the corps, she actually, for the first time in her life, didn't allowed her to go. Her Intuition often feel off about her decision but over time-and with her husband's support of her daughter, she finally accepted it.

However, over time, Mitsuri seems to finally started to accept herself as she is, and her wide smile never fade which she as a mother feeling grateful for. She always send them letters, telling her story of saving people, new friends and all.

But, honestly, his mother's heart always feel so heavy with the fact that mitsuri are taking the most dangerous job to herself.

Until her fears turned to reality. The news she received from Urara in the morning of new year broke her soul. Mrs Kanroji fell to her knees, begging to Gods that it was just her bad dream.

She stop going to temple.

It was like that for a while. She blaming herself for not strong enough to stop her from joining. Is this her fault? Is her prayer aren't enough?

Mitsuri was her first born, that her husband and her wait for 4 years. She was born strong enough to carry a big rock in her childhood. She's a great sister to her siblings. Never in her mind, that she'll outliving her own daughter.

The grieving was there all year, that her husband getting so worried of her. When ubayashiki kiriya come to visit, she didn't talk much, her husband did.

"Lady Kanroji was an embodiment of kindness that spreading magic among people around her. Most of the members of the Corp are orphan with unbearable trauma.

When she come, its looked like we could breath a little, full of happiness as if we live a normal life. Lady Kanroji is that person who never judged and she's care of all people around her regardless their status. Her departure is the big loss to us, she's never giving up in her last moment.

Lady Kanroji defeated the evil with her strong will and kindness, it's the highest honor to have your daughter as a part of our Corps in destroying the looming demons that haunted the peoples for thousand years. That's why, we'll do our best to help, until the end."

Ubayashiki Kiriya bow deeply to both of them. "Please don't bow like that Lord Ubayashiki, I'm so glad that she's become a part of the victory. It's may take a while, but I'll try to talk to my wife"

Mrs Kanroji couldn't bear to talk to the leader of the corp. Everytime she see him, she'll cry.

.....

Spring come. Cherry blossoms blooming peacefully in front of her house, added to her wound.

"mother, my hair, does it really that weird?"

"hmm? Why you said so? My daughter is always pretty, and your hair look like a cherry blossom. Aren't that pretty?"

"Really?? I love cherry blossom i love sakura mochi "

Mrs Kanroji picking up some of the petals in her hands. Her tears flowing like a river. Her daughter come and went by just like the flowers. So beautiful but their lives were so short.

"Mitsuri, you must be sad aren't you, how could i let you go, my daughter? My precious child, mother miss you so much"

....

The spring night come, with the nice spring breeze. She dream of her. So beautiful, innocent. The smile across her face, look like a beautiful calestial maiden.

'Mother, i love you so much. Mother I'm so happy and honored to have you as my mother, we will meet again, i promise. Mother I'm so happy here, i think my life is so fulfilling. I don't have any regret'

'mother, please live on. Until we meet again, i want you to smile'

The tears flowing down her cheeks in her sleep. Only God knows how much she miss her.

Perhaps the passage of times will slowly heal her pain, yet her mother's heart will forever be broken.

[alcida-auka]

My first, and ultimate Fett theory

Since season 1 of the Bad Batch, I've long believed that eventually Omega and Boba will be the final two clones. Omega's name has always had an ominous tone to it, she will be the last, maybe outliving her brother Alpha.

However, I do believe their ultimate story is one of family longing to connect, a brother and sister destined to remain as the final of Jango's children.

I've felt since the the Bad Batch began that Omega's brothers could all die at the end, though I think Crosshair may survive. Hopefully Emerie. I feel like their lives are just beginning.

But ultimately, accelerated aging will take away even Emerie and Crosshair.

Boba has lost his father, all his father's associates never cared about him, and his Tusken family too was killed (and I believe he feels guilty about that, just as Omega feels guilty for her brothers being in danger for her sake).

I think Boba and Omega will need each other, and I hope they find each other to be the family they deserve.

I said long ago that Omega's story was a Snow White tale. There are many such versions of these stories, but just as Ezra's story had an Aladdin motif, so Omega's story has a Dead Princes and the 7 Knights/Snow White motif.

But Omega's "prince" isn't a romantic partner--he is her last brother.

I think Omega will "disappear" at the end of The Bad Batch. Like the Snow White and the Tsarevna, she must be hidden way in a metaphorical Glass Casket, believed to be dead from the world, until she can be revived with love.

[londonspirit]

Spoilers follow for the season finale of Our Flag Means Death.

After starting the season with its lovable cast split in two, Our Flag Means Death concluded its second season with the entire crew of the Revenge sailing off together into the literal sunset—well, almost the entire crew. With Rhys Darby’s Stede and Taika Waititi’s Blackbeard staying behind on land to make a go at being innkeepers, they’ve found their happy ending, which could be where the story of Our Flag Means Death finishes for good.

But according to series creator David Jenkins, there’s still more story to tell, and the fans rallying behind a third season may just help make that dream come true. After witnessing the filming of the season finale on the show’s New Zealand set—including Black Pete (Matthew Maher) and Lucius’s (Nathan Foad) emotional knife-swapping wedding—we caught up with Jenkins to discuss the most emotional moments of the finale, the dramatic action sequences, and what might come next.

Vanity Fair: What did you hope to achieve with the ending of season two?

David Jenkins: It’s bittersweet. There’s death and there’s the rebirth of Stede and Blackbeard’s relationship; there’s a funeral, there’s a wedding, and the idea that this family is going to keep fighting even as they lose members. And then it’s about belonging to something. It’s not just a bunch of people who are desperately stealing from each other and killing each other. There’s a way of life that they’re fighting for.

You’ve talked in the past about a season three. Fans are already circulating petitions, hoping there will be a third season. Will we get to see these pirates again?

There’s always a chance, if viewership is good. I think we all need to figure out what era of television we’re going to be in when we come back and who can afford what. I like our odds. It’s a cool show. We have a really good following. We have a passionate fan base. Max has been great in terms of publicizing us. I’d love to do another season of the show. I’m sure they’d love to have a reason to do it again. You can feel like it’s special making it. It would be nice to be able to get everybody together again for one last shot at it.

So despite the happy endings in the finale, you’ve left things open for a third season.

A lot of times, with this narrative of characters, same-sex relationships end on a dour, downbeat note, where one of them dies and it’s unrequited or it’s unrealized; something horrible happens and they’re punished in a way. So it was important to leave it open and a lot more show to go, but also leave it in a place where it’s happy. The end of the first season isn’t a happy ending. It’s kind of happy. Stede learns what love is and that’s happy. But I think it was important to be like, Okay, these boys did their work this season. They get to have a little happiness at the end of it.

I visited the set when you were filming one of the final episodes. Izzy (Con O’Neill) had been killed off, and he couldn’t talk too much about that. But now: Why did Izzy have to die?

There’s a trope that I like with mentor stories, where the mentor dies in the second act. Our protagonist outlives the mentor and then they have to go on. We felt like Izzy’s story had reached its conclusion, where we put him through enough. And then there was the realization that he is kind of a mentor to Blackbeard and that he is kind of a father figure to Blackbeard. It felt nice to have him die and have Blackbeard be upset by it, because Blackbeard killed his father. But this is a father figure that he’s losing that it’s hard for him; it's sad and he doesn't want him to go. Izzy has such a beautiful arc in season two; he does a lot of the things, has a lot of the breakthroughs that you want that character to have. It felt like: It’s time to give him a full meal. And it’s also a pirate show, so he’s got to die.

How would you describe the filming of season two?

It was good work, but it was hard, hard work. It’s a big show; it’s basically a one-hour show that we’re doing on a half-hour budget. So everybody has to work triple time keeping up with it. There were tactical challenges in season two. Now we’ve got two ships and two crews, and we had the unique challenge of filming the mermaid scene in a tank, and a storm in one episode. I love the fourth episode, and Buttons turning into a bird, and Izzy losing a leg. Blackbeard is saying: “I want to turn into a bird.’’ He’s kind of saying, I need to change. The idea that if you want to have something with this guy (Stede), you’ve got to change. And that seems to me to be the key to the season.

As a New Zealander, I loved seeing the scenery on the big screen—the lush bush, big, windswept beaches, and wild, expansive landscapes. How were you able to use the setting in season two in New Zealand?

It was jaw-dropping. In New Zealand, you go out the west side of Auckland, and it’s like the most beautiful beach you’ve ever seen. You go to Bethells Beach, and you can turn the camera here; you can shoot the entire thing. You’d shoot it a little bit this way, you’ve got, like, a Bergman movie. You go to the ocean, you’ve got From Here to Eternity. The freedom that you have and the beauty, I’ve never experienced anything like that before.

The battle scenes seemed to be far more elaborate and really felt like the show was leveling up. What went into filming those?

Jacob Tomuri, our stunt coordinator, is exceptional. He did Mad Max; he’s Tom Hardy’s stunt double, and he’s just so capable and good. And so a lot of it this season was that we have a short time frame, we move very quickly, and, again, we have a half-hour budget. We don’t have a one-hour budget, and we don’t have a one-hour shooting schedule. So a lot of it was just picking our shots and saying, Okay, we’re going to do a battle sequence. Let’s storyboard it. Let’s make sure that we know what the stunts are going to be, and let’s make sure that the location is spectacular. So we shoot it on that sandbar behind Bethells Beach, and it was like a dune which went on forever…. A lot of it is just seeing what New Zealand has to offer geographically. And then deciding, yes, let’s do that, and then building it around that, and then making sure that we’ve planned enough, that we can pull it off in a way that’s safe but also has enough size.

What was the idea behind having Stede as a merman in episode 3?

The idea was to make something that was just beautiful, and to get beauty and have beauty around them seeing each other again and their need for each other. To do that and to do it in a way that it’s a comedy, but to do it in a way that’s earnest and genuinely doing it and singing a Kate Bush song. We hit on the idea of a mermaid early on in the season two room, and [we said], Oh yeah, well, we have to put that in. There can’t really be mermaids on the show, but there can be in limbo, kind of purgatory, brain-damaged land as Blackbeard’s dying.

I particularly loved Zheng Yi Sao and the new female characters. I know that she’s based on a real-life pirate. Tell us a bit about the character of Zheng and how she came about.

Zheng Yi Sao is the most successful pirate in history. And we never knew anything about her in the West. She was so talented and so good at what she did that the Chinese government had to broker a treaty with her. She was about 100 years apart from Blackbeard and Stede. So we’re making that up, that she’s in this world and that she’s in the West. But it just seems like there should be so many stories. What she did was amazing. Her crew was largely female and largely women that have been discarded by society.

She was doing a social movement on top of robbing shit and doing everything that pirates do. Her reasons for doing it are more impressive and perhaps can be read a little bit more as altruism than somebody like Blackbeard, who is not a good guy. Or Stede, who’s probably not the best guy. And it just felt fun. It’s like, Well, who’s a cool third captain that we can put into this season that would give Blackbeard and Stede a run for their money?

As a female heterosexual viewer, I particularly loved that storyline. Were you wanting to reach a broader audience?

The first season is a lot of dudes. And so it’s nice to think, Okay, who else can we add into the stew? I started thinking about her while we were shooting season one. And it looked like perhaps we could get a season two, and she seemed like the most formidable person to add.

How do you feel about the attention from the fans?

I love it. I can’t possibly hope for this to happen again on another project. I hope I make things that people like and they want to engage with. But I would say the thing that separates this fandom is the level of positivity, like almost uniform positivity that just makes it nice to be able to engage with. And I think that’s rare. They’re so kind and interesting and talented, and so why wouldn’t you want to engage with that? It’s an honor.

Do you think of Our Flag Means Death as primarily a queer romance?  For this show, it’s important to me just to write a really bold-bodied romantic show that happens to be between two characters of the same sex. I think that the story beats don’t matter, because if you’ve been in love and you’ve been hurt and you met someone you love—hopefully we all know what those feelings are. And then in terms of listening to the room and having a room that’s on a spectrum of queerness and has nonbinary writers, if it's working for everyone in the room, the story’s working. And if it’s bumping for anybody, then you go in and retool: Hey, what should we do here to make sure that we’re getting all of it right and we’re not just assuming that?

Because on some level, love is love. And on another level, I get to see myself in a rom-com all the time. Someone who’s nonbinary and someone who’s queer doesn’t get to see themselves in a mainstream rom-com pirate thing almost ever.

Are there any other characters you want to talk about in terms of their development in season two, that you feel are relevant to the script?

Izzy’s the big one of the season. Just to give him a whole meal and see that character go from a villain into somebody, really, that you can identify with and care about. And Con O’Neill did such beautiful work. I love him as an actor. His character is a joy to write. And maybe it’s masochism, but I do feel like the character that’s a joy to write often dies.

How about Blackbeard and his arc?

He’s a damaged guy. He learns to love and he almost dies. And he comes back. He kind of goes through rehab. He has to wear a bell on his neck like a cat. No one trusts him. He’s like in Superman 2, where Christopher Reeve loses his powers, and he’s immortal. What happens if Blackbeard loses his powers and his outfit but still has to be in a pirate world? Who is that guy? The first season is about Stede Bonnet’s midlife crisis, and the second season is about Blackbeard’s midlife crisis. And then when they both have their midlife crises, they can open a B&B together. The chemistry between Rhys and Taika, and that friendship of 20 years, is key to the season.

How would you describe Blackbeard and Stede’s relationship in season two?

I don’t think Stede and Blackbeard are ready to be married. They’re emotionally saying: “Let’s give this a go.’’ Black Pete and Lucius are a little further along, and I think a little more mature. And yeah, it was also nice to see a formal union, I think, and between those characters. I love that relationship, and I love Matt Maher and Nathan Foad together; they have such a wonderful chemistry. It’s nice to see that couple kind of come to the fore in terms of maturity, that they are in fact a little more mature than Stede and Blackbeard.

A left field question: What level of research have you done on gay relationships on pirate ships? How common was queer romance among pirates?

Pirating has been so whitewashed and straightwashed, and it’s guys on boats confined to small spaces, and they’re also people that didn’t fit into normal culture. And so I do think there’s a history of same-sex romance at sea because it’s people who don’t fit in on land.

To not talk about that in a pirate story is to not really tell a pirate story. They’re criminals and did some really terrible things, but also, like, they were counterculture, and there was a reason they’re on those boats beyond the fact of being poor. I have to believe that in a society that has a term for marriage between crew members, same-sex romance was common.

The season’s third episode is called “The Innkeeper,” which fans definitely took as a hint toward a potential fate. How did you seed that outcome for Stede and Blackbeard through the season? And did you want fans to see it coming in a way?

I don’t know that you could really see it coming. We like the idea of Blackbeard pining for something. Beyond lighting ships on fire and shooting people, he’s longing for a normal life. We knew where we were going with that, and we knew that they would eventually end up perhaps opening an inn.

Back to the whole community around OFMD: Did you feel an enhanced level of responsibility, because people are feeling so seen by the show and have an affection for the show, when you were creating season two?

As opposed to responsibility, it feels more like relief—that people feel seen and they feel good about it and they liked what we did. And so it feels like, Okay, somebody’s out there and wants the show. The makeup of the writers room looks a lot like the makeup of the fan base. So as long as we’re true to our stories in the writers room, I think we just feel excited that there’s somebody waiting on the other end to enjoy it.

[thatboreddrake]

Final Parting:

So, was thinking about my hc on how Yura and Eleonora's fight went down and wanted to get it down on paper. Dragonhearted canon, but no spoilers for that story as far as I know. So yeah, here we go:

Eleonora twisted her blade, and her opponent’s labored breathing drowning into a murmur as he began to choke on his own blood. She planted one foot in the small of his back and kicked him to the ground, withdrawing her blade in one stroke. She looked down in disgust as he crawled forward, desperate to reclaim his bloody mace. She knew the Beast’s Claw would not bleed out from his many wounds; her blade’s enchantment of flame saw to that. Nonetheless, she had pierced his heart and the damage was done. Surely, he could not last much longer. His pathetic struggle was interrupted by a coughing fit that left the brown hood which concealed his face stained red with his own blood. Eleonora jabbed her poleblade into his foot, pinning it to the ground. Instead of a cry of pain, the man grunted and continued pulling himself forward, even as the blade seared his flesh.

Eleonora scowled. “Why continue to fight, dog? Your goddess cannot hear your cries for help. Your Golden Order has fallen. Truly, would you not find peace in the release of death?”

Magnus scoffed, and his body was wracked with another coughing fit. “You bloody heretics see naught past your own hedonistic desires. I seek not redemption, nor peace, nor the pity of some far-off deity. I wish only to guard what good is left in this world by purging you and your traitorous ilk.”

Eleonora roared a retort, her voice deepened by draconic might. “CALL ME A TRAITOR, WOULD YOU?! SHORT-SIGHTED FOOL! I WAS A KNIGHT OF THE GOLDEN ORDER! I FOUGHT THEIR WARS! KILLED THEIR ENEMIES! AND WHEN WE HAD OUTLIVED OUR USEFULNESS, THE GOLDEN ORDER CAST US ASIDE! BRANDED US AS VILE APOSTATES, FIT ONLY TO BE HUNTED DOWN AND EXTERMINATED! IT WAS THE GOLDEN ORDER WHICH BETRAYED ME!”

In her rage, Eleonora pulled her blade from the ground, giving her opponent a crucial opening. Bringing the claw seal to his lips, Magnus whispered a short incantation. Stones from the floor of the church rose from the ground and flew towards the Drake Knight’s helmet. Instinctively, she brought her arm up to shield her eyes. In that moment, Magnus seized his blood-stained morningstar.

“You know not how deceived you have been. May the Erdtree have mercy on you in the next life, for I shall show none in this one.”

With that, Magnus gripped his weapon in both hands and swung for his adversary’s helm, hoping to end the fight in one final strike. Unfortunately for him, he misjudged how quickly she would recover from his diversion. Eleonora sidestepped and spun her poleblade in a wide arc, severing Magnus’ hands at the wrists. They, along with his mace, fell harmlessly to the ground, and the stoic cleric screamed. It was a horrendous sound, more akin to the dying roar of some great beast than the pained cries of a man. Eleonora betrayed no reaction to the sound, for she had seen more than her share of bloodshed in her lifetime. In any case, it wouldn’t do to draw so much attention, especially so close to Leyndell’s outer walls. She stepped forward and ended his suffering in one clean stroke that separated his head from his shoulders. Eleonora sighed.

That’s another one of Varre’s messes taken care of.

Rumor was that a certain Blue Sentinel was wreaking havoc on the whole operation. Nerijus was missing in action. Varre hadn’t heard from Konrad in more than a month. Not that a lack of communication was odd for the solitary raven, but this was too long even for him. Of course Okina checked in occasionally, but he wasn’t exactly the most cooperative sort. So, of course, the job of sorting out Varre’s issues fell to her. She knew full well who the source of the trouble was, but she wasn’t exactly keen on seeing him again. Not yet anyway. Something drew her vision to the statue at the head of the church. The marble white statue of the Golden Order’s goddess would’ve towered over any congregation. The spray from Eleonora’s most recent kill had stained the lower portions red with blood, yet it had not nearly reached to the statue’s outstretched arms.

Flaming typical. You wade through the blood of enemies and sycophants but refuse to get your own hands dirty. Easier to cast aside a tool than atone for one’s own sins, eh?

A footstep crunched on leaves at the temple’s entrance. Eleonora wheeled around, anticipating some unfortunate Lordsworn. The sight that greeted her eyes instead instantly drained all color from her face.

No. Not him. Not now. I need more time. I’m so close!

The wanderer kept his sword sheathed as he approached. His brown cloak billowed in the breeze, and an iron basket concealed his face. It was him, no doubt about it. The specter from her past, come back to haunt her. A righteous blade, come to judge her for her transgressions. Her foe. Her friend. Her curse. Her love. Her greatest regret. Her only comfort.

“Yura. Why have you come?”

He continued walking. “I have come to bring you home, Nora.”

Unbidden, tears began to stream from her eyes. How long had it been since she had heard that name? “That’s not possible. I can’t go back. You don’t know the things I’ve done. How could you ever forgive what I have become?”

Yura stopped, mere yards away from the woman he had once called his wife. “I know well the path which you have walked. I knew it from the day you left to walk it. But please, Nora, I don’t have much time left. I feel as though I am being eaten from the inside. Allow me to make this right. Let me help you cleanse the cessblood!”

Yura withdrew a red orb from within his robe. Though Eleonora knew not its nature, she recognized it as a crystal tear of the Erdtree.

Eleonora choked back her sobs, anger creeping into her voice. “And if I do? If I take this prospective cure, what then? The lives I’ve taken would have been for naught! I am still no closer to purging the dragon. Would you spare the lives of strangers, just to watch me die as a true monster? For that is what your ‘cure’ would condemn me to!”

Yura sighed. “I feared that you would answer as such. Then you leave me no choice. If you will not allow me to purge your cessblood, then I will do what I must.”

In one motion, Yura stowed the crystal tear and drew the Nagakiba from its scabbard.

Eleonora looked at him in shock. “You would draw your weapon on me, my love? Years ago I begged you to kill me, that I might be free of this burden! Yet you refused! And now, when all I need is for you to forget me, you would take my life instead?”

Yura assumed a fighting stance, his sword level over his head. “I seek not the death of you, the woman I love, but the death of the monster you have become.”

Eleonora scowled. “Well then, I shall fight for the right to survive, as I always have! Have at you.”

Yura lunged forward, his sword sweeping a downward arc towards her sword hand. Eleonora deftly dodged backwards, answering with a strike of her own. Yura kept his feet planted and parried her poleblade to the side. Rather than exploiting the opening to strike at her side, he instead retreated two steps, using his slightly greater reach as a natural guard. Roaring, Eleonora charged at him, her blade sweeping long arcs on either side of her body to guard against a counterattack. The two exchanged blow after blow, neither able to gain the upper hand over the other. The warriors had fought side by side for decades, and each knew the other’s fighting style by heart. So long as Yura maintained his distance, Eleonora knew she would be unable to end the fight. However, utilizing her greater strength to her advantage, she forced Yura to be constantly on the defense.

Something is off about his style. He’s being far more defensive than usual.

Eleonora taunted her opponent. “Looking to end the fight in one blow, are you? You would do well to not underestimate so, Yu.”

Yura maintained his composure, keeping his distance. “On the contrary, Nora. I do not wish to inflict unnecessary suffering. One blow is all I shall need.”

The Drake Knight roared back. “Such unwarranted arrogance! Or do your old eyes not perceive that it is you being driven back?”

Yura continued to calmly parry his opponent’s vicious flurry. “Look not to individual battles for the result of a war. If the leader is removed, will not an army collapse?”

The head then, or the heart. You’ve given yourself away, Yu.

Eleonora redoubled her assault, certain to keep a close guard over the more vital areas. While she couldn’t rule out that he may try to end the fight via decapitation, she guessed that the former Loremaster would not risk triggering a wyrm transformation. Thus, logically, he would seek to pierce her heart, killing her and her dragons in one fell swoop. Eleonora determined she was not going to let that happen. She had given up too much in the pursuit of life to simply lay down and die now. Besides, if she died, then she had no guarantee that Varre would keep his promise. She had to stay alive.

Flame of Irassax, come forth!

The dragon’s head grew from the small of her back, enveloping her own helmet. The flames burned grass and scorched brick as they poured forth, but Yura rolled underneath the worst of it. Eleonora scowled and came at Yura with a renewed fury.

“I’m giving you this one last chance, Yu. Walk away, please. Forget me and leave me to my fate.”

Even under the iron kasa, Eleonora could see the pain in his eyes. “I cannot do that, Eleonora. Your slaughter cannot continue unabated. As your comrade, your husband, your friend, I cannot allow you to continue in this way.”

Tears once more flowed down her face even as she struck to kill the one she loved most. “Then you shall die, as have all the others who have challenged me. Would that you had chosen a different course.”

Eleonora feinted towards his head, then redirected to strike towards his midsection. Yura ignored the feint. But instead of keeping his guard up, he swept his sword downwards so as to disarm her. The Drake Knight was the quicker blade, however, and the air was once again filled with a pungent odor as her blade burned through flesh, blood, and cloth alike. Yura grunted and dropped the Nagakiba, all strength gone in his arms. Eleonora instantly dropped her weapon and caught Yura underneath the arms. She removed both of their helmets, for she wished to look him in the eye one last time.

She saw that his cheeks mirrored hers, stained with tears as they were. “Why? Why must you be so obstinate? Why sacrifice so much for the life of those you would never meet? Would it not have been better had you simply killed me when I requested it?”

Yura cupped her cheek with his left hand, and she placed her right hand on top of it. He felt he could enjoy this sight for all eternity, for her skin was clear of scales and her eyes were once more a piercing blue. “I will tell you now as I told you then. I could never harm you, dragon of my heart.”

Before Eleonora could process what he meant by that, he grabbed her right hand with his left. He pulled it into the space between them, as his right hand unsheathed a concealed wakizashi from his cloak. In one motion, he severed the finger which marked her as a Pureblood Knight, otherwise known as a Bloody Finger. Eleonora looked down, too shocked to speak or even cry in pain. Of course, blood magic combined with draconic power had already closed the wound, but the ramifications of such an act went beyond personal injury.

“Yu, do you have any idea what you’ve just done?!”

Yura coughed up a mouthful of blood. Deep within his pupils, Eleonora swore she saw a glimmer of yellow. “I’ve sliced the finger off. Please, please, Eleonora, yield to the cessblood no longer. Do not stain the immaculacy of your sword, your flesh, your fire…”

[ichi-bad]

The Entire Damn Lore of Fire Emblem Engage

For those confused or unsure. There are omega spoilers below so don’t read until you have finished the game.

We start at Sombron’s unnamed world in another dimension. It has its own Emblem Rings with its own Emblems. But it’s also at war.

Sombron’s family is killed one by one by his enemies, but Sombron being young is spared under the condition that he’s exiled. He’s exiled to a peaceful world called Elyos where Engage takes place. Unbeknownst to his enemy, he also took an Emblem with him called the Emblem of Foundations.

This Emblem is super powerful. It has the power of an entire army AND can travel dimensions which is unheard of.

He keeps it with him as company as it’s the last connection he has to his world. He hopes its strength will some day give him the power to go back to his home world and exact revenge. But his plans are interrupted by a friendly group of villagers that take him in as family.

He grows a bond with them, but as this bond is forged he realizes the Emblem of Foundations is gone, leaving only the ring behind. Sombron believes this is because he made connections with people from Elyos, so he kills everyone in the village.

He vows to not make anymore connections and to search the multiverse for the Emblem of Foundations so that he may return home.

Which is what he does. He wages a war, taking territory and Emblem Rings.

In the process he has children. A LOT of children. One of them is Alear and another is Veyle.

Alear does try to get close to their siblings but Sombron has a nasty little habit of killing his kids when they fail him. He doesn’t remember their names, doesn’t really care to. He just sends them to get rings and kill random people. When they outlive their usefulness to him, he burns them alive, drowns them, and sometimes feeds them to the corrupted. Feeding them to the corrupted sticks with Alear, making them fearful of them in the game.

But somewhere along the line Alear meets Veyle, the one Sombron hasn’t murdered due to her being too young to fight. They give Veyle their Dragonstone as a gift. The Dragonstone won’t break as long as Alear is alive and kickin, so Veyle treasures it.

Alear gets sent on a mission to get more rings for Sombron, but is defeated by a future version of themselves (the one we play as). Alear knows that going back to Sombron means death. They lie in the snow, but in comes Lumera, the last Divine Dragon, being kind to them—something Alear never experienced. This encourages Alear to defect from Sombron and join Lumera. Lumera treats Alear like her child.

Alear fights alongside Lumera and defeats and imprisons Sombron. While doing this Alear is wounded by Sombron, leaving them to sleep for 1000 years. During this 1000 year nap, Lumera slowly gives her Divine Dragon powers to Alear so they’ll wake, making them part Divine Dragon in the process (hence the blue hair and eye).

With time the story becomes that Lumera had a child, Alear and Sombron only had one kid left , Veyle. Which isn’t the truth.

Now, Veyle. She was too young at the time to fight in the war. When Sombron is imprisoned she spends most of her time on the run. She knows not to many people like Fell Dragons so she avoids folks as much as possible to avoid being killed. What keeps her going is the hope she’ll reunite with Alear and be siblings again.

Eventually she finds some loyal Sombron devotees and they allow for her to sleep in their temple. But she sleeps for a few centuries and when she’s up they’re all dead.

But lucky for Veyle Sombron is alive! But unlucky for Veyle Sombron is also an asshole.

And he hates Veyle because she’s not up to Fell Dragon standards. She doesn’t really like the whole killing thing, but Sombron can’t be choosy because he doesn’t have anymore kiddos. They either died in the war or he yeeted them himself. (At least none he remembers because remember Alear is alive and has Divine Dragon juice pumping in their body lol)

So he enlists Zephia to mess with her mind in order to make her more Fell Dragon-y. This version of Veyle will fuck shit up.

Alear wakes up with Emblem Marth on their finger and then BOOM start of the game. Lumera comes, Lumera is murdered by New Veyle and—

Well, if you played the game you know.

Thanks for reading! Let me know if I got any of the more wrong.

[ultraericthered]

DARXOMNIOUS

"What we have longed to see...a World torn apart at the seams."

A Kingdom Hearts OC of mine I've touched upon on here before. Not only the overarching Big Bad of the second story arc of Kingdom Hearts (Divergence) - the Key Of Destiny Chronicle -, Darxomnious is the closest thing to a dark deity this side of Chernabog. Born from when the World was plagued by darkness that arose from all the vices and ill intent in the hearts of men in the period that's got down into legend as the "Keyblade War", Darxomnious is in essence all the darkness from the darkest of all hearts aggregated together and made manifest as a singular entity. In the true history of the World (not the fairy tale), Darxomnious spawned all Darklings into being, with the amount of darkness this begot proving to be the final, back-breaking straw for the old World, which was completely consumed by darkness and left in tattered ruins as Kingdom Hearts faded from it into the darkness, prior to being restored into the Realm of Light with multiple divided worlds we have now thanks to light that survived within the hearts of children. These same children stood up to the darkness, incapacitating them with their light and trapping them within the remains of the ultimate key, locked away in a black box.

And in that box Darxomnious remained until one day Luxu, leading Keyblade Master for the Dandelion Guild unions (a guild started by the children who'd remade the World to keep it protected from the remaining Darklings), foolishly wanted to uncover the secret to restoring lost hearts, so he opened the box with the key materials and let Darxomnious loose upon the realm. This incident led to Luxu going into self exile so that he may right his wrong and find some way to erase Darxomnious from the World for good this time, and to one of the Guild's unions, soon to be known as the Luminous Vanguard, gaining traction through the abolition of Keyblade Mastery. The black box was buried beneath the earth of the world called the Land of Departure, which later became Castle Oblivion. Master Luxu eventually subdued Darxomnious but unabe to slay them, he performed a ritual to seal the dark god deep within the mental space that connects the heart and mind, known as the Dreamscape. But in doing so, the master had tied his and Darxomnious fates together, with him gaining life sustaining power from Darxomnious' darkness at the cost of his mental soundness, and from Luxu did Darxomnious gain full sapience and thinking skills. From deep within their Dreamscape prison, Darxomnious continued to absorb hearts so tainted by darkness that they could not be pulled into Kingdom Hearts by its light, while also keeping Luxu alive for all those years...

...until one year, Luxu's Dreamscape connected with that of the secret guardian Keyblade Master named Xehanort as he delved deep into darkness without his protective armor on, madly pursuing all the answers to all his heart's questions regarding the full history and true nature of the World. In that space within Xehanort's subconscious, a pact was made between the aging man and the deity of darkness, with the assurance that Xehanort's endeavors and legacy would far outlive his own mortality and would be made to serve Darxomnious. So after Xehanort had passed on, once in Heartless form and then in Nobody form, this contract enters play. In KH3D, Xehanort's reborn heart, from the Hollow Replica vessel that had yet to reach completion, projects himself into worlds whose populations have been cast into slumber by Maleficent's sleep magic, skipping from one Dreamscape to another in hopes of finding his master and untethering them from it. When he successfully manages to do so, Darxomnious is now able to completely overtake Luxu's heart and mind in order to use his body as a puppet to initiate and spearhead the Seekers of Darkness movement, in which he and 12 other villains control multiple adversarial entities and initiate as many of those with dark hearts into the movement as they're able to, with not just hearts claimed by their forces but the hearts of the Dark Seekers themselves becoming sacrifices to a mass of distorted void that empowers their footsoldiers. The crux of Darxomnious and Xehanort's master plan is to sacrifice the seven pure hearts of the new Princeses of Heart to the abyss within the Dark Keyhole, and for this as well as the Guardians of Light's fight to rescue them to create a massive distortion from which a Dark X-Blade can be forged, which Darxomnious could then use to open the way to the true Kingdom Hearts and steal the light out from it. Darkness could then once more cover the World and tear it apart at the seams, with the realm being reborn into one in an eternally distorted state where all hearts born to it succumb to darkness, giving Darxomnious unlimited hearts to feast upon forevermore. A sick apocalyptic vision that must never come to pass, which is what sets the stakes for KH3 so damn high.

In the final level(s) of KH3's story, both Luxu and Darxomnious are split back apart in the Final World, but Luxu, having become so crazed and so dependent on Darxomnious’ power for life, beckons the dark ruler back into his heart. Then in Scala Ad Caelum, Darxomnious begins to summon Kingdom Hearts but is interrupted this time by Sora, Donald, and Goofy coming to face him. Luxu's heart is destroyed from the inside by Darxomnious, which transforms Luxu's physical form into one that is half-Darkling much like Anti-Aqua. After fighting him across land, sea, and sky of Scala Ad Caelum, his body is completely destroyed, exposing Darxomnious in their raw form as they flee back to roof of highest tower, just as the light-filled moon of Kingdom Hearts appears in full in the sky above. Xehanort, still positioned on that tower, pleads with Darxomnious to tie themself to his essence, to make him their new vessel. Darxomnious does so without hesitation, merging with Xehanort and then assimilating all Darklings, Heartless, Nobodies, Unversed, and Hollow Replicas in existence into himself, which transforms his form into a fiendish abomination. Using his new power, Darxomnort pulls all the Guardians of Light back into the Final World through the Kingdom Hearts moon, heads towards a giant keyhole symbolizing the inner heart of Kingdom Hearts to suck out all the light and infuse it with darkness. When Sora comes at him for the final showdown, Darxomnort draws all the XIII’s darkness into himself and they manifest as Keyblades around him during the fight. A Super Trinity Attack by Sora, Donald, and Goofy, with extra rear power from Kairi and Riku, is used to take down Darxomnort, blasting the demon backwards into the darkened Kingdom Hearts moon just as it begins to burn out, which disintegrates him into a massive dark void that, if allowed to spread and expand itself, could engulf the entire World. With Sora's Ultimate Keyblade mended thanks to Terra, Aqua, and Ventus' sacrificial move, the Keyblade Graveyard is obliterated as all the ancient Keyblades that had long lost the power they'd had that united with the hearts of their wielders regain power from hearts across all worlds that Sora calls out to for help, with all the blades joining with the Ultimate Keyblade to make the void shrink and implode, obliterating all trace of Darxomnious once and for all.

Some tidbits:

The name "Darxomnious" is something I thought of (it’s pronounced like “Dark’s Omnious”, as in “Darkness Is Everything”, and of course it has to include the "X" in there), but the concept behind it actually has basis in something introduced to KH canon here - the guy calling himself “Darkness” and referring to himself as a plural “we” sparks in the imagination the concept of an entity that’s basically a reigning deity of Darkness made from all the darkest of hearts. It would make far more sense for a literal dark god to be the ultimate Big Bad than an old man who’s just so overpowered, overly knowledgeable, and ridiculously advantaged that he might as well BE a dark god.

The most conveniently OP of all Darxomnious' ability would be to use their darkness to reach out through all time and space in the Kingdom Hearts multiverse in order to grab darkness-filled hearts in a vicegrip and bring them to themself to either absorb or, in the case of the other twelve of the XIII, place them in Hollow Replica vessels.

Much like Chernabog, Darxomnious does not speak in their default form. They only gain a voice through Luxu, who they puppet to deliver their own words in Luxu's voice (Hector Elizondo) but with a faint demonic filter behind it. The wordless sounds Darxomnious does make would be provided by an uncreditted Frank Welker.

Darxomnious inhabiting Master Luxu, with hood and without hood

The partial Darkling form that Luxu's body is transformed into

Darxomnort, the Final Boss of my KH3

[antihibikase2]

"Surely, before all of this- you had a life. You were a child once, weren't you?"

My childhood- what was it like, you wonder?

You pry a little too much, don't you? Sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, like a dog..

..I was born outside of this region, in a small village unknown to all.

I have never met my parents- the elders were the ones who raised me, and my parents left the village for reasons I was too young to understand back then.

I was sheltered. Spoiled, even.

There weren't many children my age, so my company were the old folk who taught me things of the outside world- they even gave me a partner, one of the many Pokemon in the village that I played with.

My playmates were Pokemon, yes.

Again, there weren't many children in the village; if I recall correctly, I was the only one left.

A spot of hope in the darkest days, proof that the war was worth fighting and dying for.

Sorry, what war, you may be asking?

It's a long story- but from my birth to my coming of age, the threat of a war loomed over us.

By the time its effects were breaching into my village, I had to flee with my partner.

I knew that once I left, I would not be able to return- that was the law of the village and the will of the God that protected it.

The God of that village- I worshiped him, as did everyone else. He sheltered us and offered us all that we needed, even when we were secluded from everyone else..

..sorry, I keep rambling, don't I?

When it was time for me to leave the nest, I couldn't risk staying behind- I had a will to live too, you know. And the people of the village, they knew that they did not have much time left.

They had no choice but to pass on their dreams to me, if they wanted to be remembered for eons; I was the only youth from my village, after all.

My partner and I fled the village- and fled the region entirely, until we ended up here; the "here" of the past, when kings and queens reigned, where the war could not touch us.

The elders of my village prepared me for the outside world, supplied me with the knowledge I needed- I was an apprentice to my village's doctor, after all.

But Unova is different from Kalos- and who would welcome a stranger into their home, when they had many things to worry about?

..the one who took me in was him.

Though our connections in the palace weren't known, he was the one who pulled the strings to secure me a position as a doctor.

I owed him my life, as a result. He was the only one who spared a glance at me, who offered me a new life, away from the war..

..and with this new life, he took away the only remainder I had of my village.

An amulet that depicted our protector, and exchanged it with one of the Unovans'- one that depicted the original dragon.

You know where this is going, don't you?

..you know what happens next, then.

In a way, I carried the hopes and dreams of my village, didn't I?

I escaped to greener pastures, lived longer than any one of them could have dreamed of-

And even now, I am still here.

Outliving even the one who ruined me; the one who strayed me from my path.

I could not find my way back to my village- or what remains of it. My heart has been tainted, and my eyes had seen the truth.

My partner and I are doomed to wander the earth for the rest of eternity- until my God finds it in Himself to forgive me and accept me as one of his own once more.

..please, don't glance at me so pitifully like that.

It's very unbecoming of an Elite Four member, you know.

[maaruin]

Fanfic Idea: Purgatory Galactica

Set after the last episode of the series (but probably before the epilogue in that episode):

The souls of Cavil, Boomer, Cain, Gina, Tory, Gaeta, Cally, and possibly Zarek, Dualla and D'anna died before they were ready to come to God but also with some seeds for redemption in them. So now they are in the Inbetween, where they have to face their sins. They interact with each other and with angels and maybe even with Jesus (yeah, I would combine BSG with Catholic theology for this - question is how explicit I would get).

I think most of these characters show some amount of contrition before their death, though some more imperfect than others:

Cavil tries to make peace with the humans.

Boomer freed Hera.

Cain decided against going through with the assassination of Adama.

Gina was aware that suicide is a sin, but didn't seem to see another way.

Gaeta surrendered by not jumping the Galactica away after his mutiny had failed to gain the results he hoped for.

Cally let herself be convinced by Tory not to kill herself and her son, only to then be murdered.

Tory at least somewhat tried to come clean. (She is the most doubtful of this group.

For three persons we don't have enough information:

For Zarek, it is not clear if he showed any contrition. We don't really see his final moments and his internal state is somewhat enigmatic anyways.

Dualla and D'anna seem more in control of their themselves when they commit their suicides than Gina. I'm a bit uncertain on how I'd view them. Are they already ready to meet God, or does their decision completely preclude them from this.

Now, I believe in universal salvation, so I would probably write them into this story. But it will be more difficult to build the redemption of those three than for the others.

There are also two characters who I'd say are in need of redemption at the end of the story but are still alive. They could be tied into the story in some ways:

Tyrol's vice is that he abandons the people he loves during times of hardship. He can be haunted by Boomer and Cally.

Athena has twice killed people out of impulse in a situation where this wasn't justified - Natalie and Boomer. She has very strong black-and-white, ingroup-vs-outgroup thinking. It is stated that Hera died young (we can infer that she had at least two children), so it is plausible that Athena outlived her daughter. Her death would likely cause her to spiral down... enough so that she can have visions of Hera going to Boomer after her death, and that will give, after a time of crisis, an opportunity for reconciliation. Leading to Athena becoming ready for taking responsibility for her grandchildren and growing her ingroup outwards.

(Maybe also Leoben? Leoben is weird, gets spooked by Kara's undeath and then more or less disappears from the story. I guess there needs to be something to bring him to a satisfying end as well.)

Unfortunately I don't really plan on writing fanfiction, so this sketch of the story may be all I ever produce of it.