#is this just because Adam and The Beast have the same name?

[legendary-defender-of-fandoms]

Ok, Hear Me Out

A Hazbin Hotel/Beauty & the Beast AU with Adam as . . . well, Prince Adam/The Beast.

Angel Dust can be Lumiere.

Husk can be Cogsworth.

Either Alastor or Rosie can be Mrs. Potts.

If Alastor is Mrs. Potts, then Niffty can be his Chip (because she’s smol & fierce & they have a cute dynamic, NOT BECAUSE NIFFTY’S A CHILD!!!).

If Rosie is Mrs. Potts, you can take any of the cannibal kids & make them her Chip.

Babette/Plumette/Fifi/whoever the feather duster is can be scrapped since, let’s be honest, Lumiere & Cogsworth are the OTP.

Either Alastor or Sera can be The Enchantress.

Either Lucifer or Lute can be Belle.

If Lucifer is Belle, then Lilith can be Gaston (with Emily as a LeFou who originally worships her, then slowly realizes she’s kind of the worst & defects to help the lovers).

If Lute is Belle, then Sir Pentious can be Gaston with his Egg Bois as an army of LeFous (ok, this one isn’t properly thought out because Pentious & Lute have nothing going on, so feel free to swap Pentious with someone else).

If Lucifer is Belle, then Charlie can fulfill the same role as Maurice by getting lost in Hell & being taken prisoner by Sinner!Adam for trespassing, leading to Lucifer trading himself for her freedom.

If Lute is Belle, then Vaggie can fulfill the same role as Maurice by getting lost in Hell & being taken prisoner by Sinner!Adam for trespassing, leading to Lute trading her freedom for Vaggie’s.

Ooh, and Velvette can be the wardrobe since she’s the fashion icon of Hell!

[tetzoro]

☽◯☾ - SWORD AND SHEATH

꒰ synopsis ꒱ : After another slew at sea, you and Zoro have the ship all to yourselves as the crew restocks up on the island. They say that curiosity kills the cat, but what happens when you've tamed the beast?

꒰ content ꒱ : MDNI. zoro roronoa x f!reader ; swordplay, unprotected sex, cunnilingus, mentions of spit, pet names (baby, pretty girl), mentions of squirting, lots of teasing and praise — WC : 5.2k

⭑ 𓂃 ꒰ First Quarter ! ꒱ ― Kinktober Masterlist

Each glide of the polish-infused cloth along the Wado Ichimonji is slow, refined. Zoro was using his practiced hand to do the process he’s done thousands of times with the blade he cherishes most.

It was a form of art — the way the blade would be reborn with the shine it was always meant to have, no longer weighed down by the blood, dirt, and sweat that would so often coat it.

The sun beats down on him as he continues his ritual. Sword maintenance was just as important as training; it was cathartic, another form of meditation that Zoro relied on to center himself, grow stronger, and keep his tools as efficient as he could. 

Wiping away the horrors each weapon has seen makes him feel a little more cleansed himself. Zoro has never been one to shy away from a fight or doing what he needs to do in order to survive, but the process just reminds him that he won the battle; he’s the one who gets to clean his blades and move onto his next enemy — the next step in his dream.

His wandering mind can’t help but drift back to you — his bright star in the night sky, the one that silently guides him along and encourages his every step on his journey, even going as far as lighting the way when the path seems too dark. 

After a few moments of being with you, he too feels the weight of the blood on his hands fade away as soon as you lovingly take them in yours. The tender skin of your palms kissing, the buzz of being grounded by each squeeze you grant him and he finds himself able to begin again.

Seagulls chirp overhead as he works, polishing his blades with intent, his focus unshakeable even though the world around him demands attention. The gentle lull of the waves, the whispering breeze in the air, he was able to tune it all out.

But the moment you came waltzing onto the deck, his ears perked up and his nose scrunched, signaling that he knew you were there and mentally preparing himself for whatever you had planned next. If only he knew.

“What do you want now?” The last word dies in his throat as he takes you in, freezing in place. You only see it because you know him so well, and have studied his face and all of his expressions far and wide. 

The subtle widening of his eye, barely a fraction of a difference but it’s a difference all the same. The stoic mask he so often wears, acting indifferent to things such as clothes, slips away as no one could ever ward off the power of beauty - especially yours.

The facade begins to chip away as a blush spreads across his face, gears turning in his brain to find something to say as you make your way over to him.

Because today, the Sunny was docked at an island for a routine supply run and you were all too quick to volunteer you and Zoro to stay back and watch the ship together. He should've known right then and there that you were up to no good but your syrupy sweet eagerness disarmed him. 

But now you were stalking closer to him, dressed up entirely in his clothes – or at least some of them. Adorned in his notable green robe, his haramaki, and completed with his bandana securely tied around your head. His gaze rakes over your figure, taking in the way you look wearing one of his favorite outfits. Swallowing hard, his adam's apple bobs in anticipation. He can’t help but feel his throat close up and trap all the words he wishes to say behind a wall of surprise.

“What do you think?” You ask, your lips bending in a coy manner. 

A blush blooms across his tanned skin in a slow crawl, blossoming into a darker shade the more you twirl in his robe that very clearly shows you’re not wearing his pants underneath it.

His jaw clenched, unable to form any words as he continues to drink you in. This was the last thing he expected from you today, but he really should’ve known better.

“You’re blushing.” You grin, going to poke his cheek. But his reflexes were too sharp, instantly swatting your hand away before turning his head away from you.

“Am not! Shut up!” He hisses out, the blush only deepening as you call him out. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, woman.”

“Don’t I?” You move to get back in his line of sight, that disarmingly sweet yet taunting smile still resting on your lips. “Just tell me what you think of the outfit, Zo.”

“You’re wearing my clothes.” He points out, stating the obvious. You don’t bother to hide the way you roll your eyes.

“Very astute of you. Did you have to use your Haki to come to that conclusion?” 

Without another word, Zoro throws you over his shoulder, marching back into the ship and straight for the bunks. You squeal, accusing him of being a brute as you lazily pound your fists against his back. 

Zoro slaps your ass with a sadistic grin that you don’t have the pleasure of seeing before he begins to squeeze and knead the plush flesh, unable to move his firm hand away from it.

He makes his way into the cramped room. It wasn’t his favorite place to take you but it was the closest and climbing up the crow's nest would only cause a delay between him and what he desired most.

After closing the heavy wooden door with the back of his boot, he tosses you onto the bed, letting you sprawl out for him while he places his swords to the side – perfectly lined up as always.

“Wearing my clothes around like this…” Zoro trails off as his eye zeroes in on the way the robe slides off of your shoulder, teasingly exposing the sliver of your chest. He can feel his face heat up all over again. “Are you really not wearing anything under this?”

“Well, the pants didn’t fit me and you don’t normally wear a shirt under this.” The impassive manner in which you said that did not hold a candle to the way your eyes were fired up with a diabolical mirth wrapped up with mischief. Always playing the little minx that would find a way to burrow under his skin and make a home there just to torture him. Or so he says.

“You little...” Zoro quickly crawls over you, caging you in under him, elbows digging into the mattress by your head. “You make it so hard for me sometimes.”

“Do I? Let me feel—” You reach toward his pants but his hand encircles your wrist.

“Oi! That’s not what I meant.” he almost hisses out. He took your wrists in his hands and pinned them over your head on the flattened pillow on his bunk.

The thread of control he was clinging onto was no match for the ember of desire you spark in him. One single strike and it would be burnt out, turning into ash and falling right into the palm of your hand. 

“I know.” You giggle. The damn giggle that never fails to cause something within him to flutter, stirring it around until he had no choice but to act on it. 

Surging forward, his lips aggressively capture yours. There’s no room for easing into it, just a clash of teeth knocking together, swirling with a mix of heady groans and needy moans.

But that’s one of his favorite things about kissing you — how you were just unabashed about how messy it would get. Swapping spit through the sheer force of each other's tongues shoving their way into hot, receptive mouths.

The amount of passion and unspoken feelings he’s able to express through this simple act is something he flourishes at, excelling at unraveling you. Gripping your cheeks, he tilts your head back slightly so he can deepen the kiss — as if he was trying to spill the words that stubbornly sat on the tip of his tongue and have it reach the bottom of your heart.

The call for air was growing too difficult to ignore and reluctantly he pulled back, letting the string of saliva snap and drip down your chins. He leans down, kissing the droplet off of your skin, ingesting as much as he possibly can before looking at you.

You look back at him through half-lidded eyes, melting into the bed already from the ferocity of the kiss. His steely eye trails away from your swollen, lust-bitten lips in favor of taking in the way you’re panting under him. Need takes over him as he reaches for your — his — clothes.

Zoro has disrobed himself many times, but he’s never had to take it off of someone else like this. He knows the way it unravels open and leaves his chest all exposed before he fights someone, but this isn’t one of those times.

With a gentleness that only love could bring, he languidly undoes the robe, pulling back a bit so he can see how the green fabric bunches around your sides, your heaving chest now out on display for him.

Peppering a few kisses down your jaw, his tongue trails your neck as he works his way down to your collarbone and your supple chest. Each delicious drag has you squirming under him, whining about him being a tease.

“You’re one to talk.” Zoro gruffs out with a bite of sarcasm, giving your nipple a quick pinch. He relishes in the yelp of his name that you beautifully let out before carefully trailing his slick tongue along your skin. 

The way you mewl as his lips enclose your pert bud only reinforces the primal desire that’s been raging inside of him since you first came out dressed in that damn robe.

After giving your other breast the same treatment, he presses his lips in the middle of your chest and lets it linger so he can inhale one of the sweetest parts of your body — the one that lays closest to your heart.

Zoro presses wet, open-mouthed kisses all along your stomach, moving further down until easily slipping your panties off and tossing them behind him.

Running his fingers along your glistening folds, he holds back a groan at the strings of arousal already clinging to him.

“Already so wet f’me.” His eye was trained at the apex between your thighs, his tongue poking out to lick his bottom lip. “Gonna prep you now.”

Bringing his face closer, he shuts his eye in a hazy bliss as he takes in your scent. The action always made you squirm but he was addicted to every single aspect of your cunt. He could never get enough of your musk, knowing that heaven was only a taste away.

Before you could complain about him taking his time, he dives in.

It wasn't often that Zoro was in a position to praise you relentlessly while his head was normally buried in your heat where you took everything so well for him. 

So, he’s learned to show you his adoration by the precise swirl of his tongue, making out with your clit and giving into every one of your demands. Groaning against your cunt as soon as he got his first taste, never quite getting his fill of it no matter how much he lapped at it.

“Zo – fuck.” The words rush out from your lungs and assimilate into the hazy tension that’s hanging in the sex-filled air. “Feels so good.”

His hands grip your thighs, throwing your legs over his shoulder before moving to grab your ass, digging into the plushness and bringing you impossibly closer as he continues his assault.

“Tastes s’fucking good.” He slurs, the sound presses directly against your clit. Zoro's attention flickered back up to you, dark and stormy eye swirling around with a primal hunger as if he couldn’t ever get enough. “My sweet girl.”

You let out a soft whine as you clutch his hair, guiding him even closer as his tongue slips into your entrance.

He keeps at it, pinching your thigh — a demanding little code he uses when he wants to hear you more. Your saccharine moans, addictingly lewd mewls, and honeyed murmurs of praise.

“Please don’t stop, ah, ‘m getting close!” There was no way Zoro would stop. Not even if he wanted to tease you, not when he was so lost in your taste that all he wanted to do was let you pull him under your current and drown in it.

He vigorously continues to lap at your entrance, attempting to collect every drop of your sweet essence. His nose nudges your clit and he can feel your thighs begin to tremble, locking his head in place. He moves to focus his attention there, the flat of Zoro’s tongue adds more pressure onto the throbbing bud.

Your eyes roll to the back of your head as your back raises from the mattress when Zoro collects your puffy clit in his mouth, sucking as hard as he can. You choke back a whimper, letting out a noise you’ve hardly ever released before as you claw at his head, humping his face for more.

“Zoro — fuck! Wait, it’s too much!" The words melt into an elongated moan, losing yourself to the drowsy delirium that zoro is spelling out against the bundle of nerves. He gives out a resounding grunt, gripping you tighter in encouragement. 

It’s all you need to let go.

Thank god no one else was on the ship because they might’ve heard the way you cried out his name in ultimate bliss as the taut band within you fully snapped. Zoro didn’t stop, lapping up the slick that gushed from your sweet pussy.

The bottom half of his face glistens in your arousal and he was absolutely drunk off of it as if it was a bottle of the finest sake in the world.

“Keep 'em spread open for me baby, ‘m not done yet,” Zoro said, sitting back on his haunches and taking in your already fucked out expression. “Need you to do that again.”

After sliding off his pants, he grips the base of his cock, giving it a few tentative pumps as his eyes trail back over your body, covered in a sheen of desire. 

If he didn’t crave to be inside of you so badly he would’ve come all over you, making you as messy as possible. His dick twitches at the thought, heat curling in his gut as he imagines you covered in the white of his essence.

“Zoro.” You gasp out, hands digging into the slightly sweaty sheets. The desperation and utter need that coats your husky voice almost does him in. But you’ve had too much control over him today, and he had to gain some of that back.

“Look at you.” Zoro's voice is low, dark and merciless. The deep desire that overtakes him and makes his words more gravely and coarse, sanding over your skin so gratifying it leaves your hips bucking up for more. The sight below him is surely one of his favorites and he plans on drawing it out for as long as he can. “All spread out for me in my bed, still in my clothes.”

Zoro leans forward, lightly tapping his cock against your sticky folds and nudging it through to your entrance, just resting it at your opening, not yet pushing in. His fingers dig deeper into your waist, keeping you in place before you can think about rolling your hips against him, trying to suck him in with all your might. 

“You’re so mean.” A pitiful pout rests on your pretty lips and he almost gives in. Almost. But he knows you so well by now, knows that you’re used to getting exactly what you want and it only makes him want to ruin you more. To put you in a place where all you want is him, all you crave is his touch. And you’re teetering right on the edge, only a simple nudge and you’ll be falling right into his trap. 

“Yeah?” One of his hands returns to his cock, reddened tip angrily staring at you as he starts to pump himself over your mound, spreading his precum all over his length as he preps himself for you. “That’s not going to get you what you want though.”

“Please, Zoro.” You barely breathe out, your need for him so great that it starts to turn painful, the dull ache spreading through your body like a wildfire, screaming out for relief as the flames of desire consume you. You’ve had a taste but you needed more.  The only thing that would satiate you was his cock sliding deep within you. “Please, I'm sorry. Please don’t tease me, come on.”

The whine in your voice has his dick twitching in his hand, ego fueling the blood coursing through his veins. Zoro wasn’t a power-hungry man, he never cared for it in the same way most people did. He liked being strong, he demanded respect, but never wanted to lead — to rule.

But that all changed whenever he’d have you sprawled out beneath him. feeling like the king of the world as one of the most desired women only has eyes for him, begging for his cock, yearning for his love. 

He’d give into you every time, his heart too weak to win against the love he had for you, but he tried to stave it off as much as he could.

“Only if you think you can handle it.” He smirks, tip catching against your clit, your body jolting forward. “See? You’re already so sensitive just from my mouth.”

“Dammit Zoro.” Another mewl that his cock leaps at. Frustration etches across your features, water pooling in your eyes as you continue to paw at him. It’s what he was waiting for — his pretty girl reduced to putty in his hand, ready to be played with. “Please.”

Something possesses him with the plea that pierces his heart — takes over the last cognitive brain cell he has as he lets out an exaggerated spit, the glob landing on his length.

Your breath hitches as he finally pushes himself all the way in, the stretch splitting you open to the point that no noise can come out, finally feeling full of what you’ve been waiting for all day. 

“You turned me into this — fuck — made me like this,.” Zoro swears, his arm wrapping around your back and pulling you flush against him as he feels the way your greedy cunt keeps him snugly in place.

“Are you really complaining about that?” Your voice almost slips into a whine as he pulls back out a little before bullying his way through you as your cunt accommodates his girth — eagerly welcoming him back in. 

“So tight, look at that.” He ignores your snark, opting to fixate on the way you’re swallowing him whole, slack-jawed and practically drooling over the sight. “Made for me.”

You clench at his words which rewards you with one of his sinful grunts, his head bowing slightly as you pulse around his throbbing length.

“Mhm,” You hum, digging your nails into his shoulders, little crescent moons blooming in its place. He lets out a hiss, snapping his hips all the way back in, nudging against your cervix. “Just fuck me already.”

“Always running your mouth off like a damn brat.” He glares down at you but there’s no bite to it — not with the amused crinkles that cradle his eyes with care.

“What’re you gonna do about it?” Famous last words.

But Zoro didn’t do what he usually did; flipping you over and fucking you deep in the mattress until the only thing your mouth can do is sing out his name like a mantra.

His eye held the secrets of unspoken words, a question that he refused to waste his breath on — not when he already knew how to decipher the language of his gaze.

You trust me?

As easy as breathing.

Breathy pants escape his lungs as he keeps a steady pace, looking at you. No matter how many times he’s had you under him, you never fail to weaken him.

“I think it’s time we complete your little ensemble here.” 

“Huh?” Zoro doesn’t answer you as he reaches for the Wado Ichimonji. You shift under him in anticipation.

“Relax, baby. I just want you to hold this for me.”

The heavy hilt lays in your mouth, muffling any of the moans that tried to escape it. Zoro's calloused hand runs along your cheek, down your jaw and chin as he appraises the view before him.

The look in his steely gaze was one you were familiar with but with an edge of possession — pride.

Countless times this treasured weapon has been wielded in his own mouth, fighting to protect himself, but more importantly, his crew. Seeing you laid out under him with a lust-blown look in your eye as tears brim your lashes is something else entirely.

“That's it. Keep holding onto it,” His gaze doesn’t leave yours as he slowly begins to thrust back into you. “Just like that.”

You let out a soft whine that sounded like a muffled version of his name. Compulsion drives him to quicken his pace, moving slow and steady until your body jiggles under the ferocity of each stroke.

“There you are. Keep it there for me and I'll take care of you, alright?” 

True to his word, Zoro keeps pounding into you, his other hand trailing down your body and grabbing every bit of you he can get his hand on before his fingers catch your neglected nub between them.

The way you effortlessly clean his dirty hands, having his sword fit in your mouth like this makes it feel like it’s being cleansed in the most pure form possible. Each rapid rock of his hips has your jaw clenching down against it further, all of your enticing noises are muffled by the intricately woven hilt.

“Fuck, perfect.” The praise spills out of his mouth and pools into your gut. “So fucking perfect.”

The hilt started to slip, threatening to clatter against the floor and finishing all the work he had done on it earlier. 

“Hold it.” He hisses, “Don’t let it fall.”

His hips urgently move faster, thrusting harder into you as you try your best to grip the sword in your mouth. But he knows how strenuous it can be on his teeth and jaw, so his hand slips up to cup yours. 

Once you steady the sword, his hand trails down the sheath but his eye never leaves yours. With a bated breath, he begins to slide the sheath off, watching as your eyes widen in curiosity but make no protest to stop him.

The blade was now out, facing him and gleaming under the rays of light that poured into the room from the tiny window. The sight had his hips stuttering — the element of risk now flirting with his innermost desires. 

You were perfectly safe in his arms, he was the one who should be worried. He knows how sharp those blades are, how a tiny graze could pierce his skin.

Yet the siren call of the silver glint beckons him as it sits so prettily in your mouth — a tantalizing sight. You may be the one under him but he was the one surrendering to your power.

Many more possibilities flashed in his mind, darker desires that had him pressing his chest flush against yours, the Wado Ichimonji only a few inches away from him.

But perhaps another time he could fully indulge in the temptations that swam around in his mind, wondering how far you two could go for each other.

For now, he missed kissing you, missed your lips on his, consuming the very air from his lungs and replacing it with your sweet noises that breathe him back to life. So he bends down further, expertly taking the hilt in his mouth and pulling it from yours.

He gives you a few deep thrusts before he rises up, ready to put the sword aside but your arm stops him.

The look in your eyes mirrors the same desire that licks at his gut, and he knows you two are on the same page — just like always. 

“You want me to keep it out?” Zoro can’t hide the tone of surprise in his voice as he lazily humps against your hips. You give him a shy nod. “Why?”

“It could be fun.” The way you’re looking at him right now is killing him, slowly shredding away all of his worries and pushing him into the pits of temptation. 

“It could be dangerous.”

“But isn’t that exciting?” Zoro swallows hard. It could very well be exciting, showcasing your trust for one another but…

“I don't want to hurt you.” He couldn't live with that, knowing that one of his blades had hurt you in a way you didn’t want. He'd rather slit his stomach open than do that. 

“You wouldn’t but I'll tell you if it does, I promise.” You reach up and caress his cheeks with a tenderness that has him choking for air. “Our safe word can be… sake.”

“Okay.” The unease that previously rested on his shoulders flows down his back and far away from him as he lets out a soft chuckle. “Sake it is, you ready baby?”

After a quick nod, Zoro brings the Wado back between your two joined bodies.

The cool metal kisses your skin as it trails along a precise path with absolutely zero intention to harm. But to have the infamous pirate hunter Zoro hover over you, a dark gaze latched onto the point of his katana to your skin that’s budding with gooseflesh sends a chill down your spine.

It takes everything in you not to arch at the thrill, the simple act could nick your skin and end this before it even begins.

“How's that?” Zoro's voice sounds a million miles away as your blood thrums loudly in your ear. The swordsman lets out a groan as you salaciously clench around him, his fist tightening around the hilt as he continues to glide the metal along your skin. 

“So good,” Your breath hitches as he continues to graze it over your collarbone. “Knew you wouldn’t hurt me, Zo.”

“Never.” He gruffs out, trying to keep his eye open although the fluttering of your walls tempts him to shut them in bliss. He doesn’t know how much longer he can hold out like this.

Trust could be hard to find in this new world, he was lucky to find a crew that he knew would always have his back throughout everything. but this? This was so much more than that.

To be able to have you in the most vulnerable position imaginable with a blade dancing along your skin, and enjoying it not because of the act itself, but because of the trust and respect the two of you have built for each other, growing into something he’d never dream of attaining. 

If he wasn’t careful, he could finish right now as pleasure shoots down his spine, desperately begging to fill you up. But the last thing he’d ever do was leave you ever wanting more. 

Gently putting the blade aside, he ravenously crashes back into you with a new spark of ardor — chest to chest, ferociously driving into your cunt before his lips meet yours once again.

He kissed you and tasted the familiar steel, but mixed with your sweetness that he’d never stop chasing as long any time he’d have to put this blade in his mouth.

“So fuckin’ good.” The words sink into your lips, unable to move away from you for too long. His hips erratically move now, no set rhythm as they chase the high you both desperately seek. Your nails claw into his back and force a guttural groan out of him, wanting nothing more than for you to mark up his whole body. “So fucking good for me.”

Zoro never minded pain, it came with the territory of who he is. But having you inflict it on him was the sweetest sin he’s ever known, his body bursting with pleasure as it threatens to come undone and feed into all of your desires.

“Zo-!” you gasp out, tears brimming with droplets of devotion that he can’t wait to lick up. “‘m close!”

The sweet sound of your cries only fuels him more.

“Go ahead baby, let go.” His gaze is trained on your expressions, soaking them up as it morphs into an unyielding force of pleasure.

As your back arches up into him, he’s quick to flatten his palm there, keeping you flush against him. He can feel every tremor and tremble, each of your nerves and neurons firing off and coursing through your veins.

A wave of ecstasy crashes over your body, freezing each of your limbs in place and threatens to drag you to oblivion. 

“Almost there, just a little longer.” Zoro pumps into you, your cunt clamping down on him to the point he almost has to pull out as you squirt all over his lower half and the already messed up sheets. “That’s it, fuck yes-“

Zoro begins to release in your cunt with a grunt of your name, letting you milk his cock as his body shudders in the eternal bliss you so readily provide him. He pulls out at the last rope of cum, letting it land on your mound before he nudged your clit with his softening cock, ensuring to make a mess all over your pussy.

“Zoro!” your body jolts, fingers gripping his bicep. “‘m sensitive.”

“Then come here baby.” Zoro pulls you into his strong arms, carefully eyeing the blade that was still unsheathed and still set aside. 

Zoro's calloused fingers catch your earlobe, gently massaging it as he inspects it.

“You know, you still need one more piece.” Zoro's gaze is intense as it sets on you. His hands trail down your body, lightly massaging it as he works his way down in a soothing manner.

“Yeah? And what’s that?”

“When the others get back, we’re going into town so we can get you your own pair of earrings.” He gives your thigh a gentle squeeze. “Just like me.”

“Really?” The mind fogginess of the shared desire breaks away from the way beams of light emit when you smile at him.

He nods, brushing his lips alongside the temple of your head. Zoro presses his nose into your hair and inhales it.

“Quit sniffing me.” You let out an amused scoff.

“Nah, you just smell so damn good like this.” His lips move to kiss along your face, pressing into your neck before inhaling once again.

“You mean sweaty?”

“Drenched in sweat, arousal and me.” His voice is low in your ear and you crinkle your nose at the strange, but endearing compliment.

“Freak.” You tease, snuggling into him, feeling the way his muscles ripple around you in his strong, unrelenting hold.

“Takes one to know one.” He chuckles, feeling his body start to settle from the intensity of his high, melting into you and the mattress as a nap threatens to take hold. But he just had one more question. “So, if you’re dressed as me, does that mean you can drink sake as well as me?”

“Maybe we should find out.”

tags: @thesunxwentblack @autumnstuffs

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

and it's the chaggie ladyhawke AU with the steel chair!!!!!

A knight by day and beast by knight, a hawk who's lady only in moonlight: two lovers cursed to be always parted even when when they're never apart-

-and the quest to undo this curse before it, and their separation, becomes permanent >:)

Extra twists I'd add to the original film canon:

Ironic Curses - Charlie, who never wanted to hurt anyone and used her noble title to speak up for the downtrodden, turns into a monstrous wolf creature filled with bloodlust that goes on the rampage every night (except for the hour directly after sunset and before sunrise, when she is tame around Vaggie) - Vaggie, ex-guard who was more loyal to Charlie than to the corrupt officials who paid her enforce their cruel laws, each day turns into a wild hawk desperate to escape (except for the hour right after sunrise and before sunset, when she is fiercely protective of Charlie and refuses to fly out of sight from her)

Extra Suffering - Hawk!Vaggie won't take food from people, or leave long enough to hunt when she's more herself at dawn and dusk, so Charlie has to repeatedly risk losing her forever by taking off her hood and setting her loose- then desperately chasing after her- trying keep track of her long enough for the sun to start setting again ---- Sometimes Charlie can't find her before nightfall and Vaggie wakes up alone in the woods to the sound of a distant inhuman howl of despair (not fun, but, it makes it easier to get back to Beast! Charlie) - Beast!Charlie spends most of the night trying to kill everyone and everything around her- so if she wasn't able to lock herself away before sundown, Vaggie has to grab her spear and do her best to keep Charlie from doing murder- by fighting her, leading her on long chases until sunrise, or trapping her ---- Sometimes Charlie wakes up at dawn to find Hawk!Vaggie crumpled next to her in a nest of bloody rag bandages, and the first thing she does before anything else is try her best to at least rebandage the wounds she gave her

They Go Around Rescuing People (against the law) - Vaggie mainly does this by not letting Beast!Charlie eat people as midnight snacks - During the day, a guilt wracked Charlie goes out of her way to free imprisoned people, save them from punishments, and fight Vaggie's former fellow guards every chance she gets ---- she gets this chance A Lot, since the reason they have to keep traveling is there's a warrant out for her head and the dead body of her hawk

The Other Roles Go To - Evil Bishop Guy: split between Adam and Lute, with Adam pissed that one of HIS guards got with the daughter of the woman who turned him down, and Lute wanting Vaggie to suffer and die for leaving the exorcist guards - Nice Monk: Emily is the one who accidently let slip about chaggie to Sera, who told Adam, who did the curse thing on them. After that all happened, Emily left her comfy position and locked herself up with all the old texts she could find, searching for a cure to the curse. She finds one, yay! - Loveable Rouge Who Helps: All the hotel crew. Charlie rescues / helps them each in turn, and they tag along with her for protection (meaning Vaggie then has to protect THEM from HER)

after the gang is assemble, the film plot plays out as expected

blah blah blah, holy shit the bird just got hit by an arrow, what the fuck the knight lady is REALLY freaking out about that, oh no it's almost sunset- uhhh lady knight says leave her here take her horse and the hawk and ride to the nearby abandoned tower where someone named Emily should be, because Emily can help the hawk.

AHHH the bird turned into a woman!!! A woman with the same injury as the hawk?

AAAAH that monster thing from before is outside howling and screaming, kill it-! Nope, never mind, the injured lady says she'll stab us if we hurt the big scary monster thing, and Emily says to leave it alone it'll be gone by sunrise.

blah blah blah, during the next eclipse, if chaggie can make Adam and Lute look at them standing together as themselves during the few moments they'll both be human at the same time, the curse will be broken! If this fails, they both stay in their cursed forms forever! Great!

.... how are we getting inside the castle for that? Oh right. Chaggie has been adopted by a rag tag band of criminals. This should be fun.

[bijouxcarys]

It royally pisses me off when people complain about Brian and Roger continuing with Adam Lambert.

Freddie Mercury was not Queen. Queen is not Freddie Mercury.

Brian wrote at least 63 Queen songs. Roger wrote at least 31. John wrote at least 23. They have every right to do what they want with it.

Not only that, but people tend to forget that Freddie didn’t found Queen. He changed the name to Queen, but Brian and Roger were already there. That group has always been Brian and Roger’s.

Don’t twist my words, I’m well aware that a large part of Queen’s success is because of Freddie and his charisma and talent. I’m not stupid. But I think it’s ignorant to suggest that they should just not tour anymore and not perform the music that’s shaped their lives??

Brian would go crazy if he didn’t tour. His life is his work, and vice versa. Anyone who knows anything about him would know how important it is for his well-being to keep working.

As for them “replacing” Freddie—fucking where, bitch? They’re not touring as Queen. They’re touring as Queen + Adam Lambert. John is still involved in the business aspects, regardless of the fact that he doesn’t speak to Brian and Roger anymore.

Plus, Spike has been working with them since 1984, at least, as a second guitarist, keyboardist, and technician. And Neil is a BEAST of a bassist on his own.

So comments like “I respect that Zeppelin backed down after Bonham’s death, but I can’t say the same about Queen”, implying there’s a loss of respect for the simple fact that musicians want to continue doing their job, despite the fact that they didn’t even perform as Queen again for YEARS, is plain ignorance. Nothing more, nothing less.

So again… Queen is, and always has been, so much more than just Freddie Mercury. And he would say the exact same.

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Charybdis Reader

Adam has just defeated Zeus and he stands panting but alive. The first to notice something off is Brunhilde. Adam has far fewer injuries than he should actually have, almost as though someone took them upon themselves for him. Then the gauntlets crack. Charybdis appears, completely free from the curse that Zeus forced her to bear and is smiling wider than anyone would think possible for a child dying. “Thank you Papa, I don’t feel hungry anymore.” Her final words said she passes on

The reactions of the crowd, Adam, and especially the Valkyries who didn’t even know Volundr could be used like that

Especially the reactions of the gods when they learn just who that child was (Shive, Odin, Thor, and all the others but definitely the Greeks)

This is going to start off like the original one when Charybdis is partnered with Adam (because I’m kind of lazy).

-When the valkyries first found you, a small child just asking for some food, they instantly melted and took you in, assuring Scylla, who brought you to them, that they would keep you safe.

-Brunnhilde and Randgriz were furious to find out who you two were. They all knew of your ‘crime’ which they couldn’t even call a crime at this point, as you were just a child, desperate for food, and for your theft, you were cast into the ocean, trapped by Zeus.

-Scylla was the one who helped rescue you, after she took pity on you, seeing you as the thing you were, a child, trapped in the same strait she roamed after the jealous Circe transformed her into the beast she was today.

-You didn’t see her as a beast, you saw her as a friend, and the maiden who saved you, taking you to safety as she couldn’t bear to see a child in such a state.

-You had been adopted by the valkyries, becoming their youngest sister, the one they all doted on, treated you with such love and kindness and you never had to go hungry again, always making sure you had been fed.

-Your voracious appetite, which stemmed from not getting much food growing up, as your parents had both abandoned you in the sea, leaving you to perish or survive on your own, had calmed once you started to get food on a regular basis.

-You were a shy child, afraid of the gods, as they had done nothing but treat you so cruelly, never going anywhere without one of your big sisters by your side, and even then you hid behind their legs if someone approached, be it human or god.

-Hercules was distraught when he saw you with Thrud, giving you a bright smile and saying hello, as kids normally loved him, and you immediately burst into tears, apologizing loudly as you cried.

-The two tried to calm you down as you cried, Hercules confused as he had never met you before, and he froze, learning your name from Thrud, seeing that the one who had stolen his cattle during his labors, was a child, desperate for food.

-He had not known that you had been a child, the guilt eating away at him as his heart broke, as he knew that Zeus trapped you at the bottom of the sea where you had to create a whirlpool, just to try to get some food.

-He put his large hand on your head, ruffling your hair gently before he smiled softly, “It’s okay, I’m not mad. I forgive you.” You sniffled, shocked that he forgave you, and he quickly became your big brother shortly afterwards, as he wanted to make amends with you.

-The valkyries were not bothered by you bonding with Hercules, happy to see that you two were getting along, seeing that you were growing in confidence.

-When Ragnarok was announced, Brunnhilde gathered the valkyries, telling them all that they were going to help humanity by forming bonds with the human champions, to create a Holy Weapon, one that can kill the gods.

-Brunnhilde kneeled before you, after teaching you Völundr as well, and spoke, “Y/N, I will not force a child to fight, but I will ask if you want to fight against the gods.”

-The other valkyries expressed their concern over you fighting, you were strong, but you were still only a child, but you were being given the choice to fight against the gods who threw you away so cruelly so long ago.

-You swallowed, a little afraid before you asked, “Which god would I be fighting?” her smile surprised you, but also confused you just for a moment, before she answered, “Who else, the one who punished a child desperate for food, Zeus.”

-Your jaw and the jaws of the other valkyries dropped, hearing that she wanted you to fight against Zeus, to fight alongside the human warrior that she would choose to fight Zeus.

-You swallowed, a bit afraid, before you gave a tiny nod, not wanting revenge, but wanting to stop the cruel gods from hurting anyone else.

-When Adam met you, he was surprised to see a young child peeking out from behind Brunnhilde, and he instantly kneeled, smiling gently at you, “Hello little one, are you my partner?”

-You gave him a shy nod, taking his offered hand, holding onto it as he looked up at Brunnhilde who bowed her head to him, “This little one is older than she looks, just like the other valkyries. I am entrusting Charybdis to you, Adam.”

-He nodded, smiling down at you before he kneeled again, swearing that he was going to keep you safe before he opened his arms, hugging you to him and you fused with him.

-Adam walked out with a pair of matching apple red gauntlets, munching on an apple as he was introduced.

-The fight was, for the most part, one sided, Adam easily handling Zeus, punching him hard across the field with ease.

-Zeus then transformed again, morphing into his Adamas form, Adam froze, seeing memories flashing across his mind, memories that were not his own.

-Adam had to focus on dodging blows, landing his own, seeing the memories of a child, being abandoned by her parents, a child who stole a cow because she was so desperate for food and then was cast down to the bottom of the sea, forced to form a whirlpool, just to get some food.

-Adam clenched his teeth together, speaking to you, “Are these your memories?” he saw you floating beside him, hugging him around his neck, like you were scared, nodding into his shoulder.

-He punched Zeus across the field again, showing his strength as Adam put his anger into it as you faded, “Who did this to you?” your memories flashed across his mind, showing him that the one who punished you, a mere child, for trying to eat and trapping you at the bottom of the sea, was none other than Zeus.

-An almost evil aura surrounded Adam, his heart rate increasing as all he could see was red.

-As a father himself, he couldn’t even begin to imagine hurting one of his children like this, he couldn’t understand how anyone could hurt a child like this!!

-He felt you hug him again and you spoke, “Put the gauntlets together to fuse them!” he listened to you, putting his arms together and the gauntlets started to glow brightly, reforming into a different form, a re-Völundr.

-Only one of his arms was heavier as the new weapon was revealed, what looked to be a reverse drill, to describe it simply, with razors at the bottom.

-He squeezed, turning on the weapon and it began to suck in air, creating a vacuum, the razors turning like a chainsaw.

-Many gawked at the gruesome weapon, even Brunnhilde who then calmed, remembering that this is what you looked like when you were trapped at the bottom of the sea.

-Zeus was met with another harsh punch with Adam’s free hand before he tried to grab Zeus with the new weapon, to finish the job, but only managed to grab his left arm, tearing it to shreds.

-The gods were gawking, seeing the strongest of the gods being torn to shreds by a human with such a violent weapon, but it quickly sobered them up, seeing that the humans were going to fight and that they weren’t going to give up.

-When Zeus lost and was beginning to fade away, you and Adam split, and Adam kneeled next to you, hugging you as Zeus looked at you in confusion, “Who is that? That’s not a valkyrie.”

-Adam put a hand on your head, soothing you, “You probably won’t recognize her, but this is Charybdis.”

-Zeus’ eyes went wide, seeing that the one he punished so long ago or stealing a cow during Hercules’ labor, was only a child, a young child, a hungry, abandoned by her parents child.

-Adam panted softly as Zeus slowly faded away, having beaten the strongest in Valhalla, much to the shock of everyone in attendance.

-The arena was so silent, as the shock was so great nobody could utter a sound louder than breathing, eyes wide, unable to look away from what they had just witnessed.

-As Zeus faded, so did the gauntlets, breaking into pieces, much to the shock of others. Brunnhilde gasped sharply, not even realizing it until that moment, that Adam was not as injured as he should have been.

-She saw the gauntlets chipping away, slowly fading as she and the other Valkyries realized what you had done, you used your body- the gauntlets, to take the more severe damage, protecting Adam.

-They had no idea that Volundr could be used like that, not even Buddha, who was watching with wide eyes, a feeling of dread building up inside of him as he realized that this technique was causing the death of child.

-Zeus vanished first and everyone was stunned when the gauntlets on Adam’s hands started to glow brightly and the shock grew when a child appeared before him, slowly fading away as well.

-Adam was quick to realize what you had done, taking the damage to keep him safe, but it was your smile, warm and bright, like you were truly happy, that stunned him, making his throat tighten, feeling tears welling in his eyes.

-You cupped his cheeks as the crowds were quickly alight with shouting, seeing a child, and many learned who you were, Poseidon’s daughter and the fearsome beast that Zeus trapped at the bottom of the ocean as punishment for stealing a cow.

-Hades had wide eyes, turning on his brother, “What is the meaning of this Poseidon? Why is your child fighting?!” Poseidon was just as stunned, he had honestly forgotten about you, after he deemed you weak, and after learning of your punishment, he believed you deserved it. To see you so strong and yet still so young now made his heart break- he felt anguish that he had abandoned you.

-The other Greek gods weren’t much better, Hercules was fuming, glaring harshly that you had sacrificed yourself, as he knew your desire to protect others, and he knew there was nothing that could be done as he held Goll who was sobbing in his arms while Brunnhilde was on her knees, her face buried in her hands as well.

-Ares didn’t care- tears in his eyes as he shouted at Poseidon, demanding to know why your father didn’t protect you. Hermes himself was furious, trying in vain to hold Ares back, equally as mad while Aphrodite had actually stood in rage, watching you disappearing slowly, furious that Poseidon had treated you so cruelly.

-Shiva was stunned stiff, he couldn’t even react, seeing that Adam’s partner was a child, Poseidon’s child, and how cruelly him and Zeus had treated you- you were just a little girl desperate for food after being abandoned! He didn’t even know he was silently crying, tears streaming down his cheeks, not hearing the sobs of his wives who couldn’t begin to even think about treating one of their kids so cruelly.

-Odin was furious, silently staring, he was a harsh person, but to children, Odin was very gentle, and to hear of another father treating their child so cruelly, he felt sick.

-Loki was nearby, strangely silent as he was biting his bottom lip, trying to hide that he was crying himself, at least halting his sobs, but not his tears.

-You cupped Adam’s cheeks gently as he wept quickly, trying not to sob, just letting the tears flow, your smile was gentle as you spoke, “I’m okay Papa, it doesn’t hurt- and I’m not hungry anymore!”

-Your words made throats clench as he cupped your cheeks in return, smooshing your cheeks gently, making you squeak which made him smile gently, not wanting you to go but there was nothing he could do to change it. The least he could do was send you off with a smile.

-He swallowed hard, as his throat felt tight, like he couldn’t even talk before he inhaled deeply, “I’m proud of you- so proud of you.”

-Your eyes lit up, happy tears coming to your own eyes, “Really?” he chuckled softly at your elation, giving you a small nod, “I am- I couldn’t be any prouder to have a daughter like you.”

-You smiled brightly, your tears finally falling as you closed your eyes, “Bye Papa- I love you!” he embraced you, feeling you crumbling away until his arms were soon wrapped around nothing.

-Adam didn’t blame Brunnhilde, as you chose to fight, and you were able to get your own revenge, at the cost of your life and keeping him safe, and others didn’t blame the Valkyrie, as this could have been prevented if Zeus, and especially Poseidon, hadn’t been so cruel.

-Your loss lit a fire under humanity, the other warriors furious, wanting to fight and survive for you, so your sacrifice wasn’t in vain. Many gods started to argue, wanting to call of the tournament and punish those who had done such terrible things, like Poseidon.

-Hercules immediately defected to humanity, declaring his intention to fight for humanity, as did Buddha, who was planning on surprising everyone later, but decided to do it now, to make more gods side with humanity in the hopes of halting everything.

-Hercules and Adam both comforted Brunnhilde, who could do nothing to halt her tears, she knew this was a risk, but she was in anguish that you chose to protect Adam and give your life for him.

-A child should never have to make a decision like that.

-It was with their support and encouragement that Brunnhilde stood strong once again, the tournament now halted as the gods were furious and wanting to call everything off as Odin called an emergency meeting with him, Shiva, and Hades to discuss the future of Ragnarok.

[earthlyruins]

"beauty and the beast au where zoro's the beast and sanji's—" okay sure yeah but what about when sanji's the beast and zoro's the beaut.

zoro's good with kids and good with math. we've seen this. we've experienced it. he play fights with the kids regularly and helps out with stocks and sales of local shops

think of link twilight princess... big brother swordsman

also better than All of the knights in the village. this includes a very certain red, blue, and green haired trio. they're all very bitter about it. among other things

zoro's also the only person to ever use three swords so like. there's that. everyone thinks he has a few screws loose. he doesn't. or so he proclaims

insert kuina backstory... he makes a promise to himself to become the greatest swordsman in the world. it's just that he's, in a word, broke. and also a little sentimental but don't let nami hear him say that

judge is the head of this mini military and is very adamant on trying to recruit zoro to siege the palace on the hill. for Some Reason.

nami conspires with zoro that it's because he has some long lost enemy up there. Little Does She Know

meanwhile sanji lives alone in the castle, cursed. but not in the way you'd think. rather than a hulking beast, he's pretty much the same if not for the fact that he has a helmet on his head. thanks, dad.

thinking about the rest of the straw hats being little dancing singing objects. that was more or less an accidental side effect of the curse (sanji took off his helmet once, and it knocked luffy into a candle and ussop into a clock and well.)

he's slowly starving (hence why he tried to take the helmet off). the cook who cannot taste his food. throw in a wilting rose metaphor and when the last petal falls is when he dies

fortunately he has an old man by the name of zeff who literally won't let that happen. also all his friends that will fight death to keep sanji kicking

quite literally in some cases

so that's why when nami goes missing trying to explore the mysterious castle and zoro immediately goes to follow her, zeff practically knocks down his door to set the fear of god in him

too bad zoro doesn't believe in any god

but hey fine he won't hurt the creature in the castle. creature. period. zeff hits him over the head with a baguette

zoro finds nami and also sanji. decides in a split moment to announce he'll trade places with her. she is sitting on a couch. unharmed. she wouldn't have Been harmed. nami proceeds to call him a fucking idiot

sanji laughs at him, and zoro refuses to leave out of spite. he learns that sanji is a priss and a prince or sometimes a princess depending on the day, that he has a brilliant passion for cooking (whose skills are similar to a certain chef back in the village), and that when he laughs, zoro finds himself laughing too.

discovers sanji's dream of the all blue, and zoro finds himself telling sanji about his dream of becoming the greatest swordsman, of wado, of kuina

and eventually, Eventually, he finds out the details of sanji's curse. why he sometimes can't dredge out the energy to get out of bed (and why it's getting more and more frequent these days), and why he can't take off that helmet when the key is right there. and what the flower is all about.

proceeds to Book It when sanji tells him about judge and his brothers. except he doesn't tell sanji this, so sanji is sitting around in the castle, heartbroken and wondering Why he's heartbroken, while zoro is marching back to his village, Pissed

zeff pulls him aside though and they go and find reiju after zoro tells him that sanji's condition is worsening

zoro comes Back but this time with sanji's real dad and sister in tow and after a lot of tears and yelling (at zoro) ((and zeff)) (((then at zoro again))) they devise a plan on how to take judge down.

zoro plans on beating up ichiji niji and yonji simultaneously which sanji disagrees with. specifically because he wants to be the one to kick niji into next week

yadayadayada insert fight scene bc this is already ungodly long and judge gets exiled and imprisoned. niji gets drop kicked. the helmet comes off just as the timer runs out (thinking that the only way it could come off was to not only have someone fall For "the beast" but to have said beast love himself too. which zoro did. #love)

happily ever after. sanji eats and cooks and zoro fights and they take care of each other and find all blue. okay goodnight

[libby-for-life]

Hayo! It's me!

Um... If it's not too much trouble, could you do part 6 of "Theirs"? Where Adam is expelled from Eden for being "contaminated" and while Lucifer and Lilith lose their minds because their loved one is "unprotected" and "defenseless" outside, Adam is having the best day of his life having killed two of Adam's ancestors of the bears (which are huge). and all this while having a pregnant belly.

It's just that I find it funny to imagine their reunion. Adam with absolutely long, tangled hair, a spartan beard, covered in the skin of the beasts he killed for food, covered in scars, scrapes and bruises, with a muscular build. A completely wild appearance that is softened by the fanny pack made of animal skin in which she carries her three year old son.

Don't know. I find that funny. Lucifer and Lilith losing their minds with worry and Adam having the time of his life after leaving Eden (he's a wild soul) (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

Ooohhhh, I like that! Adam is a wild soul by nature. Read parts 1 through 5 for a better understanding of this mini-series.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Adam crept silently closer through the brush, his eyes trained on the bear before him. He gripped his spear tightly as he surveyed his surroundings. Nothing so far other than danger in front of him. Shifting his weight on, his belly poking out of the makeshift tunic he had made, he charged the bear.

It didn't have any idea what was going on until it was already dead. Being six months pregnant and hunting at the same time was hard but Adam managed it. He grinned at his belly. "You eat a lot for a little twirp." He commented as he dragged the bear up onto his shoulders to carry back to his cave. Finally. These cravings were really starting to wear him thin, but if anyone had asked him, Adam had never felt happier.

This was what he had been missing. He finally felt alive.

Three months ago:

Adam coward at the feet of Lucifer and Lilith as the angels surrounded them. They were trying to protect him as the angles looked at Adam in disgust and he couldn't help but whimper away from them.

"Lucifer, how dare you seduce the first of humanity with your vile ways?" An angel growled. Lucifer stood his ground though and defiantly growled back. "Seduced? We fell in love!" Lucifer yelled. "They love me and I love them!"

His brother, Michael, scoffed. "You come into the Garden, have fornication with the first of our Lord's creation, and you call it love after we told you specifically not to come to the Garden? They were meant for each other. Not for you to force your way in." Lucifer flinched but glared at his twin.

Lilith also held her ground as she said, "I won't let you hurt Adam."

"No? What will you do?" An angel taunted. "I say we banish him from Eden. He's tainted from their sin." Adam could only watch as they nodded and talked to themselves as to what his punishment for getting pregnant would be.

They held Lucifer and Lilith in chains as Adam was dragged out of the Garden. "We'll find you!" Lucifer cried tears in his eyes. Lilith was trying to fight the chains holding her down, but she was furiously crying as well.

Adam felt numb. Lucifer and Lilith were both bound for Hell or maybe somewhere else and he was forced to wander the earth. The last thing he saw was Lilith and Lucifer crying out his name before everything went dark.

Present:

It was so long ago. As conflicted as he was about the whole situation, he couldn't help but feel like he could breathe again. Lucifer and Lilith could be suffocating to be with because they didn't let him do anything. Despite being kicked out of the Garden, he was enjoying the feeling of being independent.

There was a part of him that hoped they were okay. He didn't want them suffering, especially since they looked so scared for him. Adam stretched and smiled as he scratched his growing beard. He was sure they were fine. Lucifer and Lilith were some of the toughest people he knew. He was sure they were thriving in Hell or wherever they were.

XxX

Lucifer and Lilith were panicking up a storm. Adam was all alone out there in the wilderness, alone with a baby, and unable to take care of himself. They had to protect him. But they were stuck somewhere in the wilderness with no way out as well. Adam could be anywhere and as Lucifer had explained to Lilith, Earth was huge. He could very well be on the other side of Earth. He could be on an island, the desert, and even someplace he couldn't leave either. Stuck and unable to help himself.

Lilith felt herself hyperventilate. What if—what if Adam was already—

Her train of thought was cut off as Lucifer came flying down. "I...I couldn't find him in our area. We're going to have to move again." Lucifer had been spreading his angelic power every time they moved to find Adam but it only went so far. Hence why they moved every day, sometimes three times a day before Lucifer collapsed from exhaustion.

Lilith looked over Lucifer and her heart broke seeing him silently cry. Two years. They hadn't seen Adam in two years and they had searching every day without fail. They refused to believe Adam was hurt or de—she refused to go down that line of thought.

She brought Lucifer close and hugged him. "We'll find him. We're close. I can feel it." Empty words. She had no idea where he was. He could have been thousands of miles and they wouldn't have known.

"....yeah. We'll find him." Lucifer said. "I can feel it too."

The next day, Lucifer flew them both in the air. They had been flying for hours. He once again shoved his angelic power as far as it could reach to find Adam. Lilith kept her eyes looking all around, trying in vain to see if she could catch a glimpse of Adam.

Suddenly Lucifer screeched and they almost fell. Lilith yelped and hung on for dear life as Lucifer looked toward the east. "Lucifer?! What happened?!"

"I found him," Lucifer said before flying as fast as he could toward the East. Lilith couldn't hardly believe her ears. "Found him?! You found Adam?!" Lucifer nodded rapidly. "Yes! He's over here!" Adam. Adam had been found! Lucifer was a man on a mission as he flew down and landed in the middle of a vast forest.

"Adam?! Adam, sweetie where are you?!" Lilith yelled as Lucifer did the same. Lucifer guided her toward the direction Adam was in.

They burst through a clearing just in time to see a large mass of muscle tackle a massive bear to the ground. They could only stare as the person took a spear and plunged it into the head of the bear. It collapsed onto the floor and the man laughed as he stood over the beast.

He had wild long brown hair, a ripped body, and a thick beard. But they would recognize him anywhere.

"Adam?" Lucifer said, completely shocked at finding him here. The man looked over at them, his expression conveying shock at seeing them. He slung a makeshift leather sack on his chest as he walked over.

"Lucifer? Lilith?" Adam asked. Lilith still was taller but Adam's slim build was now muscled beyond what she thought capable. It looked good on him.

"I—what are you doing here?" Adam asked. He didn't sound mad or accusatory. Just confused.

"Adam! Oh, Adam! I'm so glad to see you!" Lilith cried out and hugged him. She was crying as Lucifer joined in. "We've been searching this whole time! We didn't give up even once—"

"Hey, sh," Adam said as he hugged them close. "You'll wake him up." They both looked at Adam confused until they realized the bundle around Adam’s chest moved slightly.

"Is that? The baby?" Lucifer asked in awe. Adam smiled proudly and opened the leather sack. Inside, was a beautiful baby boy sleeping peacefully. He had dark brown hair that looked almost black in the shade and pale skin like Lucifer. "He...he has your eyes, Lilith." Adam said with a smile. "A beautiful purple." Lilith blushed a bit at that comment.

"What's his name?" She asked.

"Seth."

[corgi-cthuwu]

I personally have this big ass theory on Malek. I was combing thru Reddit looking at others' experiences when the June update released and it got me thinking.

There's two main theories:

1. Malek is the Beast either as Moloch or JUST the Beast with no connection to Moloch.

2. As everyone else could be angels, Malek is Maalik or the Angel of Hell in Islamic Religion.

When Malek first appeared, a lot of readers immediately got the 'the creeps' from him. People were wondering what his role was in the story. Was he the Beast? Some sort of demon or manifestation of evil?

It got to the point where I saw someone mention the Angel Maalik-- the Angel of Hell in Islamic religion. (Considering three out of four main male LI's may or may not be named or have some connection to some angels in Christianity, I had to look up whether or not 'Malek' had some resemblance to a theological character.)

This started some conversation, and I saw someone else mention that Malek actually reminded them of 'Moloch'-- looking this up, Moloch is apparently a Canaanite deity associated (if not the name of the sacrifice itself) with child sacrifice.

They theorized that maybe Malek was actually Moloch-- or the Beast who her cult was worshiping-- who is hunting down or watching the MC because she was supposed to die with her cult that day the SWAT team came in. He missed a sacrifice or something. By extension, Ruth would also be connected to this.

And he said himself-- it's a coincidence that she and Ruth rekindled upon meeting in college, when they were both in the same cult as children. They didn't plan to be friends, or share trauma and meet up. They just bumped into each other, I think. It's also a coincidence that he just so happened to be a professor teaching at that college. (And somehow, he had a relationship with her even tho MC knew her as pious.) He did mention though that he would ask Ruth about the cult, but it was a touchy subject and she preferred not to bring it up. Honestly, if all he wanted was the information, he took the most controversial way to do it.

Which is the weird thing-- if he's the Beast himself, why does he just want information? Why didn't he do something to Ruth once he got what he wanted? He just casually has a day job. (Also why does he own a hotel?)

What disproves this theory (at least, about Moloch), is that Moloch isn't Christian. Moloch is a Canaanite god. MC said that her cult was under a branch of Christianity.

I looked up Moloch, then looked up the goddess Astraea. I noticed one thing-- they're both mentioned (though Astraea very briefly) in Paradise Lost. Moloch is one of the deities working with Satan in his plan to claim Heaven by using Adam and Eve's temptation in the Garden of Eden. Satan also has a third of Heaven's fallen angels and other demons working with him in the uprising.

Malek has this immediate interest in Astrea. First from the MC but later on for his entertainment because he's bored with his monotonous life, as he says, "it is not every day one meets ghost hunters."

⤴️

THIS LINE. EITHER HE'S BEING VERY PRESUMPTIVE OR HE JUST FUCKIN KNOWS

> He said he had no prior knowledge of Astrea before the MC introducd him to it, but he could be lying (or he genuinely didn't have any idea but that information hasn't been revealed yet, which is more likely).

When he and Mikael make an arrangement to work together, he seems a bit too eager.

> "Malek smiled a little bit too cheerfully and extended his hand."

Three out of four of the male LI's are named/have names that closely resemble some angels in the bible. Mikael, could be Archangel Michael-- the chief of angels. Then there's Raphael who IS proven to be Archangel Raphael, and lastly there's Cassiel, who could be Archangel Cassiel, one of the Seven Archangels in the bible along with Michael and Raphael.

If Malek is the Beast himself... His interest in Astrea could indicate wanting to get through the inner-workings of the agency (Heaven, I guess) because of the three guys over there who could be literal angels. He wants to get the upper hand, maybe using the MC from within with her connection with both the agency and the Beast. There's a similar plot in Paradise Lost. The classic Heaven vs. Hell. Hell is working from the inside, through 'Paradise' which is the Garden of Eden. Hell being the snake. It's been described as a civil war by some.

TLDR;

Anyway, what's more likely? The fact that Malek is the Beast MC's cult was worshipping when she and Ruth were children, he's extracting information about his own cult for some reason, and he's slowly but surely getting what he wants... OR...

That he's Maalik, the Islamic Angel of Hell and is tasked with overseeing its gates and sinners? Which makes more sense because he's a forensic psychologist? His last name is literally SINNER.

But if he is Maalik, why is he going against Astrea...? He is an angel, after all.

In any case, Malek could still be connected to the Beast without being it. He seemed awfully guilty/self-aware if MC picks him during the scene where she dies.

Or he could still be the Beast and the rest of the info hasn't been expounded yet.

...Maybe he is Maalik, but SOMEHOW got kicked out of Heaven (fallen angel?) and is now working with the Beast?

- Hence his controversial black-and-white opinions about society (other than having to guard sinners for a living, being kicked outta Heaven must make you question things), his "take the most out of life" attitude (where society suppresses you so it's easier to dispose you later), his sudden guilt, and eager interest in Astrea.

- It would also makes sense why he's being so nosy about the Beast, and the cult-- it's because he's working for it. The connection between MC and Astrea would be too perfect if this was true. He wants information. He is the snake that goes against Heaven.

[kitkatopinions]

"Blake's TRUE color is purple, the black was only ever because of Adam" Friend, if that was the case her name wouldn't literally mean black. You guys were watching the color show originally centered around color where the color oriented team rwby who had names with the first initial of their color made by someone who was so particular about color that he almost made all dust red just so he didn’t throw off Weiss's color scheme. You really think that if Blake's TRUE color was always meant to be purple, she'd be named Blake?

Also, people only ever offer Blake 'breaking away from Adam' and 'getting healthy and confident' as reasons why the writers are acting like she's purple now, but like... Blake hasn't been with Adam at all during the course of the main show. She was completely disillusioned with him, she was against the things he did, she was standing up to him, she was calmly articulating the way she felt about him, she was making friends, learning to trust, went on a date for God's sake, all within the first three seasons. And the backsliding that happened because of the fall of beacon was dealt with and left her more confident than ever, reunited with her parents and Ilia, 'reclaiming the White Fang' from him even though that was a badly done mess, etc, all prior to reuniting with Team RWBY by the way. Killing Adam in volume six was completely unnecessary to Blake's journey of healing and actually logically would've made her backslide again, and as I've said before, Blake turning into a meek flinching passive person trying to manage her partner's temper and hiding behind said partner when her seventeen year old teammate raises her voice makes it seem like Blake is actively LESS healthy than ever before.

People literally only say that about "purple is really Blake's color, the black is just Adam" because they're unable to see Blake outside of Bumbleby and use Adam as a fallback hatesink for anything she once was that contradicts it. Also I want these people to stop calling their ship bumbleby and find something purple and yellow to call their ship, like LarryBoy or something. Also Also I want them to stop singing Red Like Roses, because "Black the beast descends from shadow-" Oh ADAM that must mean ADAM because Blake's color isn't black! /s

Also the same can be said for Weiss. "White was the Jacques color, blue is really what Weiss's color really is" A. Her name means white. B. You’re telling me that in V4 at the height of when the writers want you to think Jacques is so cruelly controlling her, she's wearing that dull gray-ish blue dress and absolutely no white, and that wasn’t meant to be symbolic at all? And when she leaves she puts on the wide white belt, and you thought that... What, meant that Jacques still had a hold on her or something? Also, C. I could be wrong, but doesn't Nicholas Schnee who the writers are billionaire simps for and Weiss admires and calls a hero ALSO wear tons of white? If Weiss is shedding Jacques (represented by white) and embracing the True Blueblooded GOOD Billionaire Schnee name (blue) then wouldn't old Nick Schnee be decked out in blue?

And legitimately, the writers might've randomly decided while writing V6 that Weiss's color should be blue and Blake's color should be purple and THEY might have come up with those same dumb excuses, but they're not good excuses and I absolutely DO NOT believe that Blake's color being black and Weiss's color being white was originally meant to 'show us they weren't being their true selves' or that they were 'getting held back' and so on and so forth. Every time I see people say that, I roll my eyes so hard.

[princess-ibri]

It's great to write for the established characters as well as create new OCs, but have you ever done the relatively rare thing of picking out a nameless background character and giving them a name and backstory?

I have actually yes! There's been quite a few background characters I've had little head canons for, mostly from Beauty and the Beast,like the guy driving the cart at the beginning is Lefou's older brother, and the girl he waves to is the older sister of the littlr blonde girl Belle pats on the head.

Or the Little Mermaid 2, with the kids, human and mer. I had names for all of them at one point but can't remember them now xD The blonde merboy was Urchin from The Little Mermaid Animated Series' son though.

The one reall obscure ones I got into were some people in the very last scene of Beauty and the Beast.

There's a girl in green I was going to have her be an apprentice to the Enchantress. But I ended up scrapping the story idea, before I ever did any art, it just no longer fit in with what I was making with my DisneyVerse. But perhaps I'll go back and rework who I think she is one day.

There was also this handsome looking bloke who I had the idea of being a half-brother/illegitimate brother of Prince Adam due to the similarities but decided to nix that idea.

Atm he's the human form of the Music Box, deleted character who was expanded in comics to be the only enchanted object in the castle that started out as an object, not a human. In my version he gained a human form when everyone else turned back, and he looks like young Prince Adam because the music box was a cherised toy of the prince when he was young.

(But tbh I'm not entirely sold on that idea either but its there for now)

Also I'm fairly sure this tall lady in green is the Enchantress

More info about the Music Box under the cut

Taken from the article on the Disney Wiki which I can verify is true because I actually happen to have this comic. But its in one of my many boxes now as I'm moving :p

Oh but they have a picture of the cover/production art so that works too!

In a short-lived comic book series set before the events of Beauty and the Beast (not to be confused with the Marvel comic book series set during Belle's stay at the castle), the Music Box was given a very important part in one issue (specifically Issue 1).

In that issue, it is explained to Chip by Mrs. Potts that unlike the other enchanted objects, the Music Box was never human, and he has been in fact the Beast/Prince's favorite toy. Although Chip along with the Beast likes his music, Cogsworth tends to look down on the Music Box as a "primitive creature".

In an amusing scene where Lumiere tries to coach the Beast in the art of courting by using Fifi (here called Marie) as an example, the Music Box is called on to supply the dance music. The Beast has grown to depend on the Music Box to lull him to sleep with his music, so that when he accidentally smashes him during one of his tantrums, he is devastated.

Lumiere and even Cogsworth are grieved as well, commenting that although he was different than the rest of them, he had a "heart" just the same, and are left wondering if they can put him back together again. The fact that he is seen in the movie at the Battle scene as well as during the Marvel Comic would seem to indicate the positive.

Thanks for the ask!

[hamliet]

Hey I’ve been thinking about Jungian archetypes. If Adam is Blake’s shadow how do you feel about Blake killing him? Her story doesn’t linger on the trauma of his death for her and there is positive development that comes of it for her relationship with Yang. Not that she should feel bad about it, but shouldn’t killing her Shadow have negative repercussions or at least more introspection?

Hey!

So, I think there are a few aspects at play here, but the short version is that saying Adam is Blake's shadow is too simplistic to be entirely accurate. Blake's shadow semblance has multiple layers. For just a few of them:

She is herself a shadow of society (the faunus). The dark side of humanity is how they treat the faunus as not human, and the point is that they must integrate with people. Blake helps this happen through her role in the story.

Adam is only part of Blake's shadow. The White Fang as a whole is more accurately called Blake's shadow, but the White Fang is divided into different people. Ilia is another major component of her shadow.

To quote @aspoonofsugar's excellent meta here:

The shadow, also known as the inner beast, is everything a person refuses about themselves and pushes into the subconscious. It can be flaws, but also hidden potential and energy. Either way, it must be accepted and integrated back into the self because if repressed it will grow more violent and dangerous.

Blake does do this with the White Fang as a whole, and on a personal level, with Ilia. Ilia represents the parts of Blake she doesn't initially embrace, including her own queerness, her violence, her desire for revenge, and her resentment of having to hide who she truly is. But Blake reconciles with Ilia, and it's only through this reconciliation that Blake's own family is saved--because Blake's parents love their daughter, both her dark and light sides.

Blake's name itself means "black," which is why her shadow is the White Fang. But, Blake also means also "light." She is both shadow and light, and Ilia's surname Amitola means rainbow, a refraction of that light.

Adam, on the other hand... well. Blake did try to reconcile with him. She doesn't hunt him down, determined to deny that part of herself. In fact she begs him to leave her alone and to turn away from his determination to kill her so many times. She's not trying to kill him until he essentially forces her hand, and then she falls to the ground and sobs over what's happened.

It's a rejection of Adam's abuse and control, yes, but at the same time it's an acceptance that Blake can be violent, that sometimes fighting is even necessary if an enemy gives you no choice. It's an acceptance that she cannot change everything, she can't even save every person she loves. But, that doesn't mean to stop trying, or that any of that time was wasted.

To quote another meta by @aspoonofsugar about Shadow, her semblance:

After all, isn’t it what her ability is about? To leave behind parts of herself, so that she can survive despite it all. Sure, sacrificing fragments of who you are is damaging if you are conditioned to always do it. However, it is also a mechanism that helps you stay whole despite being shattered.

Yes, Blake lost a part of herself in Adam, and I think the story acknowledges this. But she wasn't aiming to destroy or deny her dark side, and has reconciled with it in other ways.

[l-in-the-light]

Chapter 1131 commentary

Finally the long break is over!! And no break next week :3 Let's start from the survey again, they're honestly quite fun to come up with :D

Now, let's move on to the chapter itself :D

Luffy's so excited! And why? Because finally it's confirmed they're in Elbaf! Which means I was right, his excitement from before wasn't because he saw Elbaf (this is the reaction right here instead), it was because of the snow! :D

Luffy is so excited and he's not even listening to Loki anymore, lol. Loki at first follows through, but soon he can't even sneak in a word anymore, haha. The manipulator having a hard time getting Luffy's attention. A moment later he snaps and scolds Luffy, I mean... for a master manipulator he's not overly patient or good at steering those conversations in direction he wants them to go...

Hm, interesting how Loki treats humans. He clearly takes care of them, but thinks of himself as their master and requires they call and treat him this way. Reminds me of those thoughts I had in previous chapter commentaries, that for giant people normal humans will seem like toys, puppets or slaves. Though it is worth noting Loki seems to indeed take care of them properly, so maybe more puppets or underlings. I wonder why they wear gas masks... because of the putrid smell?

Treasure Tree Adam confirmed!!! So it's actually not Yggdrasil!

Seems Loki has the same issue as Luffy with remembering people's names, lolol. Loppy, can you imagine...

The Realm of the Dead, lowest layer of Elbaf or also "the first world", where criminals and condemned are kept, a prison and execution ground. Where humans wander around as "walking corpses" (in clothes covered in "putrid smell", in blood from the deceased perhaps?), to disguise their presence to survive, otherwise they will get devoured by the beasts. They seem to be also servants (of the sun god?), they end up here by "defying Elbaf" or by trying to challenge it. It's indeed a lot like Rodo's detention centre roleplay model. Seems Luffy doesn't like the sound of it. Later in Hajrudin's scene we learn that it's also a hunting ground for the brave warriors (but who isn't brave in Elbaf, the land of war?).

It's worth noting that the accursed prince Loki apparently was held in this lowest layer since he was born (or soon after he was born). He says it himself: he friended the beasts because he knows them ever since he was a child. So the conclusion here is that he must have been kept in this underworld realm for most of his life? After all only those "who defy Elbaf, criminals and condemned" are living here. My hypothesis that he is called accursed because of some prophecy or mark he was born with, seems to line up with those pieces of information we got so far.

I admit I'm impressed with Luffy. He actually did not attempt to free Loki, despite the fact he was so shocked that Loki was kept here for 6 years. He listens to him and stays with him, but doesn't agree to his ideas and doesn't even comment much. I'm proud of Luffy, Law would be proud too, Luffy is no longer causing random chaos without knowing more about the situation. Is Luffy finally growing up? 💔

More lore. The World of the Dead belongs to the Sun, hm? Is that why Loki is kept here or is he calling himself a sun god as the result of becoming a master of this realm (by making everyone his underlings so now he is their god)? Interesting.

Also it's kinda rare to associate sun with underworld, not counting some indigenous beliefs of people from Amazon rainforest. I remember reading in anthropology books that sun can be linked with the realm of the dead, because everyday it makes a journey on the sky and finishes it in the underworld (then the night falls on the world). If you hop in on the sun god's carriage (it's actually a canoe swimming on the sky carried by two big birds), you can actually travel between the world of the living and the world of the dead. The god can be nice enough to transport back a lost human that ended up in the underworld because of grief and falling through one of the pekari pig's holes in the ground. But the human that is dead but returns back to the world of living will appear to humans like a regular pekari pig. Apparently after humans die they turn into pekari pigs and are kept in pens by the god of the underworld, who takes care of them. It's actually not clear which god it was. The myths refer to them as "master of the pigs". It might have been the sun god, or god of the underworld, or maybe it's one and the same being.

Amazonian myths are very interesting, but rarely ever referenced in modern fiction. I don't know if Oda is referencing it here, but the moment they called Sun the God of the Underworld, I instantly thought of that. I will be surprised if anyone in OP fandom even considered the possiblity that sun can be linked with the realm of the dead! Oh, it makes me have so many interesting thoughts and observations about the world of One Piece in general...

Also, nice worldbuilding intro to Elbaf. Seems Elbaf has "multiple" worlds, each located on it's own level of the tree Adam; it's very similar to the norse mythology realms that you can travel into by descending or ascending Yggdrasil :D

Luffy already tamed those beasts, huh XD five beasts, a bear, a gorilla, a wolf (I think it's a wolf at least?), an elephant/mammoth and a snake. Snakes and gorillas often appear in important worldbuilding arcs of One Piece, somehow. I know the zoology of OP is often overlooked, but I feel like it will bite us in the ass before the end of the series.

Because look at people's reactions every time Luffy tames the beasts easily. It's a really uncommon talent! It seems very important, maybe it's some special trait only passed down in Luffy's lineage? The picture Oda drew of child Garp taming some wild beast also comes to my mind... it might be a D. clan trait, or maybe it's just Luffy's lineage trait. Was Joyboy good with animals? :P I mean, that question just begs to be finally asked... at least minks and Zunesha have an important connection to Joyboy...

I solemnly swear I'm up to no good, signed by Loki, lol. He said all this shit on purpose to provoke Luffy, but I dunno what his plan here actually was. If he realized that Luffy was so happy at the mention of Shanks, then calling Shanks names is not gonna get him what he wants from Luffy, quite the opposite really. And again, the triple dot of doom... We shall remember this moment, I guess.

TCB is kinda failing with their translation a bit in this chapter. The last line is definitely spoken by Loki again, because it's another pissed off bubble, but they translated it like it was something said by a third party instead... The alternative translation also makes more sense: "if you can't move, then don't piss me off" as in "should you even provoke me if you can't fight back?" instead of the "whatever, I don't care" attitude. Makes more sense for Luffy's personality, he's not a "whatever" type of person. It was also a while since we last saw Luffy defending his friends like this :D

Loki doesn't seem to like Luffy very much, there goes the good first impression, haha. Already plans to kill him off in anger lol. (that will definitely not happen btw, he will 100% change his opinion on Luffy) Curiously enough Luffy seems to like him a bit, as long as he doesn't trashtalk Shanks.

See? Now here it makes more sense. "I will tell you more about Shanks if you do something for me". The earlier "coward" approach was such a nonsense in comparison. Did Loki seriously just expect Luffy to sit there and listen to him trashtalking Shanks? For a master manipulator, Loki kinda falls a bit flat, ngl. People have already pointed it out that he seems more like Usopp-type, selling some lies to appear more important/respected than he actually is. That attitude might have the root in similar childhood: always staying on his own so telling talltales is his coping mechanism, just like it was for Usopp.

At this point we might question whether Loki will indeed bring any sort of end to the world or is it yet another lie (or perhaps he got banned to this underworld realm as the result of a prophecy told at his birth?). And he most definitely isn't a sun god, he just thinks he is because he considers himself the ruler of this lowest realm of Elbaf, which according to the beliefs is the realm of Sun God. So it's a natural conclusion: if he's on top of it then he is the sun god himself, right. But despite his name, he's not really a trickster or anything like that, Doflamingo would easily outclass him.

Also a moment of appreciation for cute blushy Luffy :D last time we saw his blushy cheeks from the cold was in Punk Hazard!

Sunny spotted! It looks like a toy when Giants are carrying it, haha. Like a cool boat toy for kids. I can't with Zoro, always trying to cut up their problems, lol. Glad Usopp is the brain of the group.

I bet the Giants actually want to catch up to Strawhats to get them to safety, not to kidnap them again lol. Well, maybe except Rodo, he might want some payback 😂 though would he openly oppose Hajrudin, even if he refused to work under Strawhats? I'm not sure Rodo has it in him tbh, now that it's been exposed that he kept them hostage, lol. I wonder if he's now in trouble or what haha. Or maybe he lied and said he wanted to deliver them to the feast once they wake up but they escaped him instead lol.

Random appreciation for Usopp the brave warrior getting over his fear of heights thanks to his fear of being chased by their captor :D

Appreciation for their cute little song :D

I wonder what's that all about? Sun stone? I guess I will have to wait for Japanese youtubers to address this, they might have something interesting to share.

I like how Hajrudin is still full of gratitude towards the Strawhats! Even preparing a feast for them. I have a feeling Giants really like to drink and have feasts all the time XD

Woah, what a fun snake-like creature there in the sea!

Brook is cute with how anxious he is. I'm glad that finally he's around new people who are laughing at his skull jokes, because Strawhats are so used to it already that they just ignore Brook by now, heh.

Bonney's excitement :D Franky is suddenly becoming very nostalgic, no wonder, he met Robin at Water 7, his home, and they had that "adventure" at Enies Lobby together. (he really looks great in those clothes btw. Some people speculate his cowboy hat actually belongs to Robin and she borrowed it to him, I actually love that idea!)

Yet another triple dot of doom, this time coming from Robin hmmm.

She looks cute indeed. Oda really highlighted this scene though, hm. her blush is adorable :D

And another triple dot of doom. Third one already this chapter, and two from Robin alone. I wonder, is it time for callback to Water 7 finally? They even mentioned the events of that arc in this chapter, it feels like a build-up honestly. Are we finally getting the payoff from that arc?? Is it finally the time to share my Robin conspiracy theory with the world?! (yes, I do have one. I have it ever since I reread Water 7 for the third time. There are loose ends there and I think I know where Robin's story is going towards from now on. Hence why I'm so hmmmm over all those triple dots bubbles lol)

Hm, TCB translated this as "he fell and can't get up" while other translation went with "he fell and he's not moving". Honestly the second one sounds waaay more dramatic. I mean, he might be just drunk, we saw Saul drinking while he was listening to Vegapunk's broadcast. But that would make this cliffhanger really lame, ngl XD

But IT IS very curious that we get this cliffhanger teaser here just before Robin and Saul can finally reunite, right?? I kinda want it to lead to some serious development, not a gag.

Time to share the results of the previous survey! Technically, everything listed up there can *still* happen in the future, so I will keep it in mind to return to those results later as far, just to see how correct we all were, for the laughs and potential self-satisfaction gloating moment!

But as for this chapter alone, the second option seems to be the winner. "It's not Luffy's business" lol. So far in my surveys only the minority choices win and we all thought we know Luffy so well already! Hey, I was also completely off, I really thought Luffy would attempt to free Loki immediately :D

This break was way too long, I already need the next chapter please, it was hardly enough!

[synergysilhouette]

The Disney Renaissance: An Alternate Timeline (with additional films)

I had a lot of fun with my alternate timeline for the Revival Era post, so I thought I'd do the renaissance, along with a few scrapped films. I'm using a modern lens here when it comes to storytelling and portrayal of cultures, so it is a bit different. I'm also mixing my own ideas with scrapped ones from the films. Let's assume they began to use the "two movies a year" model during this period (and that they had the staff to support it).

The Little Mermaid--First off, the film uses a storybook opening and ending. Next, Disney embraces the abnormal, colorful palette used in original concept designs (as seen above), as well as keeping Ariel's knowledge of the human world; instead of Scuttle miseducating her, SHE teaches HIM about the human world. As a human, she has Eric teach her more about arts and sciences, though she does embrace dancing and horseriding. More time is spent giving a bit more personality to Ariel's sisters to show the world she's leaving behind, and Eric is modeled after Tom Cruise in a bid to grab more audience members. His singing voice is provided by Brad Kane, and the OG leaked ending is used (except we still get giant Ursula's boss battle at the end and the shell is still broken during the wedding because Jodi Benson is an underrated VA). The film makes about the same amount at the box office given that Disney was in a slump, but it's even more beloved by critics.

The Rescuers Down Under--Most of the film is the same as the original, except the success of "The Little Mermaid" inspires them not only to keep the musical aspect of the original, but make sure it gets just as much attention as TLM. Along with this, the idea to make Cody an Aboriginal Australian goes through, and the music takes influence from Aboriginal music, as well as being dynamic in order to continue with the action-film image that had gripped American audiences when they thought of Australian films at the time. The film makes about $150 million at the box office due to retooling it to feel more in-line with TLM's fantasy aspect while still appealing to action fans, and it makes Disney consider doing more theatrical sequels in the future...

Beauty and the Beast--The finalized version manages a better balance of aesthetic and historical, with the French influence being much more obvious in fashion and setting (though certain things like panniers weren't used in order to appeal to a modern audience's sensibilities) . Adam's name is mentioned explicitly here, as well as flashbacks to his human childhood in order to make his human appearance at the end of the film less jarring (sharing elements with the OG timeline's Broadway play and 2017 remake, such as the enchantress' magic making everyone forget the prince; let's just say that another king is ruling France around this time now--or the monarchy has already been abolish--and even when the curse is lifted, Adam doesn't press the issue). Linda Woolverton anticipates concerns of Stockholm syndrome, so she has the Beast send Belle home periodically so she can have "space" and she returns due to honoring her promise as well as her curiosity of the magical circumstances of the castle. The film is also a bit more mysterious, taking influence from Jim Henson's Labyrinth, as well as the beast being more enigmatic and contemplative rather than aggressive, though his time as a "monster" has led to him becoming more animalistic over time. Clarice is kept in this version, though Belle's loneliness is still highlighted as she's without her family in the castle, and even back home, Clarice "fits in" more than Belle does. Monsieur D'Arque is female, combining the character with Belle's scrapped aunt Marguerite, and she plays a larger role in this version. Gaston, while an arrogant jerk, is more mean than evil, and listens to Madame D'Arque's schemes in order to win Belle, as she once sees Belle visiting Maurice and believes that wherever she's been coming from houses immeasurable power. LeFou isn't kept in this version (the dynamic between D'Awque and Gaston is given more attention), Gaston is knocked unconscious rather than killed, as per the 1989 screenplay, and D'Arque is killed during the invasion of the castle. The critical and financial success to it is about the same as the OG film, and it also gave Disney breathing room to tinker around with different stories in the future.

(Also gotta give credit to MsHowlett on Deviantart for her fanart of Belle, combining both her concept art dress, which is more historical, with her final design.)

Aladdin--When drafting the film, there's a lack of clarity on whether the film should draw from Arab influences, given that most of 1001 Nights takes place in the Middle East, or Chinese influences, since Aladdin is stated to be set in China in the original story. Eventually they boil it down to being a mesh of Indian and Arab cultures (like in the OG timeline, but more culturally accurate), making Agrabah a kingdom between the Middle East and India. Because of this, the fashion doesn't really model the modern influences used in the OG timeline (though they do end up with final looks similar to their "Mirrorverse" appearances), and the phenotypes match the aforementioned cultures. Along with this, they actually go to Saudi Arabia to do research, as the film is 75% Arab, 25% Indian (though they have to wait to Gulf War issues to die down). It's mentioned that Aladdin's father left on a quest to reverse his family's poverty, and that Aladdin's mother died shortly before the film started. It's eventually brought up during production that Aladdin and Jasmine's relationship being built on a lie would divide audiences, so Aladdin reveals his poverty to Jasmine, who keeps the secret from her father since they'd never be allowed to marry. Jasmine and Aladdin are also aged up from 16 and 18 to being in their 20s to avoid critiques they got of Ariel being 16 and getting married. Jafar's backstory ("Why Me?") is explored more, particularly of how he worked hard to become a vizier and used to be looked down on others, and is seen as a evil version of Aladdin. Genie stays the same because he's awesome, and Brad Kane's work on "The Little Mermaid" inspired the team to call him to do Aladdin's singing voice. The film makes about the same in terms of box office, and is seen as one of the earlier examples of positive representation of Muslims in western media.

Swan Lake--Released in 1993, the film was designed as a love letter to classic Disney films, boasting Pre-Raphaelite art (mainly Dante Gabriel Rossetti's art) and operatic songs inspired by "Sleeping Beauty." There was discourse on whether or not to use the original score of the ballet, but eventually it was decided that they would use some of the score while creating some original musical pieces, as well as using ballet here and there for musical sequences. The film follows Prince Sky (taken from Tchaikovsky), who ventures to a magical land in order to find a hero to save his kingdom from the Owl King Rothbart. He encounters Odette, a wise but weary swan capable of turning into a human at night, and they team up to defeat Rothbart and his daughter Odile, falling in love along the way. The film made $400 million in box office, and critics compared it to "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast," with Alan Menken and Tim Rice's music earning praise. The film was nominated for "Best Original Film" at the Oscars, and the song "Moonlight Serenade" won best original song (and a commercial cover by Gwen Stefani and David Bowie). The film would later get controversy for Disney rumored to have made this film to spite "The Swan Princess," which came out the year later. Odette and Sky would later be brought into the Disney Princess and Prince line.

(Art comes from concept art for Barbie's Swan Lake; no concept art of a Disney version is known to exist. BTW, I'm not calling this art Pre-Raphaelite, but I did find it mesmerizing.)

The Lion King--For whatever reason, the team decides to move away from making the film about animals and instead make it a high-fantasy African musical with humans (though it's panafrican in style, it's said to be set in Tanzania). Pretty much all of the story elements are the same, but the enviornment is adapted for humans, with animal metaphors for one's spirit and guide. The film is largely successful (I'd say it makes less than the OG film, but still a hugely successful film since it highlights African culture in an inoffensive way) , but criticism abounds on the lack of a specific culture, particularly how several Tanzanian ethnic groups are conflated together into the story. There was also concern for the predominantly white cast (unless we change that; brainstorming a cast, but nothing's concrete). The film features more music (the OG film only had 5 songs; that's pretty low), and Simba and Nala are indicted into the Disney royal line.

(Art by s0alaina on Deviantart; not sure if it's based on Tanzanian cultures)

Amonute--Disney had the foresight and better judgment to NOT make a historical fiction piece with a sexualized lead. Instead, they allowed their Native American aides more imput on the story, eventually opting for an original story set in a fantasy world that had parallels to Indigenous colonization. The film centers on an Indigenous woman named Amonute (who the film is named after, taken from Pocahontas' birth name), who encounters new settlers with her siblings (basically Nakoma and Kocoum in this timeline). The settlers include the swashbuckling charmer Julian and his scholarly brother Lucien (inspired by Disney's version of John Smith and John Rolfe, as well as elements of Thomas, respectively; the colonists are overall French-inspired since they were seen as the less damaging of the major colonizing lands), both of whom fall for Amonute, and she returns their feelings. The film follows the same beats as "Pocahontas" in the OG timeline, and is reviewed much better due to being an original story free of sexualization, and it becomes as financially successful as Aladdin, but it isn't without criticism; there's concern of the romanticism of colonization, as well as the fact that the tribe Amonute is part of seems to mesh various NA cultures, as well as their clothing being more akin to Powwow regalia (due to colors, patterns, and accessories, but not as detailed of course) rather than anything historical. The ending is much more peaceful than IRL, and Amonute doesn't end up making a decision concerning her love triangle, so both Julian and Lucien join the Disney Prince line when Amonute joins the Disney princess line. In contrast to Billy Zane, Johnny Depp is brought on to voice Lucien, citing his singing ability as the deciding factor, though Billy Zane does play him in any work that Johnny Depp isn't available for.

Sinbad--Released in November 1995, the film's setting being influenced by Iraq was controversial given real-world circumstances concerning the country's relationship with the United States. However, Disney was inspired by the success of "Aladdin" and the (mostly) positive feedback "Aladdin" had received in terms of Asian cultures and Islamic representation, as well as motivated by the controversy of the film conflating India and Saudi Arabian cultures. Rather than traveling to Iraq due to the Gulf War, they instead have to consult literary sources and Iraqi experts within the US. Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio considered the love triangle aspect, but given how Amonute's love triangle divided audiences and growing concern that it'd make Sinbad look like a jerk, the idea was dropped, with his best friend being uninterested in Aaliyah, Sinbad's love interest (who, like Jasmine, was named after a celebrity). Sinbad was modeled after Aladdin to be clever and crafty, but rewritten to be more reserved and quiet to contrast with previous outgoing Disney men, while Aaliyah was more rough and tough than previous Disney women (she was also designed with Salma Hayek as inspiration and Wendy Malick to play her, but it fell through). Let's imagine they got a mostly Arab cast (I doubt they'd go for actors of Iraqi heritage alone), and the film's focus is on Sinbad recruiting Aaliyah to help him rescue his best friend Zayn from being executed for a crime he didn't commit--but Aaliyah did. The musical was highly successful, making over $300 million at the box office and the song "Never Again," detailing Sinbad's rough childhood to his friendship with Zayn and falling in love with Aaliyah, being nominated for BOS at the Oscars. Despite concerns about how Aaliyah might be perceived as a former criminal, she still joins the Disney princess ranks.

(Note: This concept art is from Dreamworks; Disney never got to a point where they made concept art, as far as I know.)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame--Mostly the same as the OG timeline, though with notable changes. Claude Frollo, while still a villain, does show to have a twisted love for Quasimodo, the twisted part coming from his own skewed worldview as well as Quasimodo's perceived "ugliness" and guilt over killing his mother. Quasimodo is also given a bit of a deeper skintone and darker hair color to remind the audience that he is a person of color--not that light-skinned/haired people can't be POC, but this film depicts all Romani people with certain attributes. At best, Quasimodo is mixed, so his features should exhibit that. The gargoyles are less comedic, but they still represent a softer, lighter side of the film as they represent hope and kindness, trying to teach Quasimodo the good of the world, as well as the archdeacon being involved in his life (with the gargoyles never explained as literal magic creatures of representations of Quasimodo's psyche; I like it both ways). It's noted that part of Frollo's obsession with Esmeralda isn't just lust, but also his guilt again over the death of Quasimodo's mother. Esmeralda and Phoebus' lives are fleshed out a bit more (particularly Esmeralda's, highlighting French-Romani culture), as well as giving Phoebus moments to sing. Esmeralda is also tweaked slightly so certain things that she does aren't read as romantic towards Quasimodo, even though he takes them as such. The film makes the same impact financially and critically, along with Esmeralda sadly not joining the DP line due to difficulty marketing her darker film. There is NO SEQUEL, though Madellaine is shown at the end, with Esmeralda and Phoebus singing part of the reprise of "The Bells of Notre Dame" to an infant Zephyr after the events of the film.

Hercules--Given the wide range of feedback they've gotten on cultural representation before, Disney decides that rather than label this a film about Hercules, this is an original story set in an Ancient Greco-Roman-inspired culture that take from a variety of Greek myths, with Hercules, Perceus, Achilles, Orpheus, and Bellephron being influences for the protagonist Nikanor, a kindly demigod prince on a quest to discover the secret behind his magical abilities with his sardonic lover and clever nephew, all while avoiding obstacles set forth by his wicked stepmother (as you can see, they were inspired by "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"). While a colorful and creative journey (noted as a possible influence for the "Hades" video games by Supergiant), it's also been noted for it's psychological exploration of madness and depression, earning comparison to various mature video games. The music was equally praised for helping to uplift the film at important moments without ruining the vibe. The film made $400 million at the box office, and it's success led to a sequel TV series as well as Nikanor and his love interest Chania joining the Disney royal line given a lack of negative feedback from Greece as in the original film.

Mulan--In this particular timeline, Disney didn't have an issue with Stephen Schwartz working with Dreamworks for "The Prince of Egypt," though the tone is still the same as the OG timeline (ie maintaining that Mulan joined the army for her father, not for personal gain--except to prove she could do something that could make others proud of her). There are more songs in the film, including a "Reflection" reprise sang by Shang and Mulan (or whatever the equivalent would be now that Stephen's writing the music) after Mulan's identity is revealed, as well as a song detailing Shan Yu's motivations and "Mulan's Decision" with lyrics. Mulan has an older sister and a younger brother, both of whom she views as superior to her due to her sister having married and being much more graceful (the progenitor to Isabela Madrigal, in a sense--but it's not an act) and her brother automatically being more valuable thanks to being male. Shang's also mentioned as having a younger brother, and we get a bit more detail into his personal life, mirroring Mulan's desire to protect her father and make him proud. Most of the film is the same, otherwise. The film makes about the same as the original, with the particular praise for Mulan being a lot less underrated thanks to more music.

Tarzan--While an unspoken musical was considered at the time, the characters instead sing in this version, with director Kevin Lima coming around to it under the condition that Tarzan himself didn't sing while other characters did. During production, Tarzan was retooled in a rather unique way. Taking influence from the critically acclaimed show "Batman: The Animated Series," Tarzan, while still kind and empathetic, was made to be more brooding and mysterious and less humorous in order to help make his character (more) intriguing as well as beguiling the audience. The dreadlock hairstyle is also removed, and Jane, Archimedes and Clayton are American (to diffuse the misconception that only British people can be sophisticated intellectuals) while Jane teaches Tarzan to not just speak English, but French as well, similar to his cousin in the book. The film is just as financially successful, with plans for Jane and Tarzan joining the Disney royal lineup, however this is walked back on when Disney decide Jane is too similar to Belle and concern that a white cast in an African setting would come back to bite them.

Aida--Released at the end of 1999, Disney released their take on "Aida," an opera about an Ethiopian princess who is captured by Egyptians and falls in love with the Captain of the Guard. Disney adapts most of the story in order to create an epic and emotional tale like "Amonute," but without the tragic ending of the original opera. In this version, war is prevented between Egypt and Ethiopia, and Radamès and Aida survive. Certain issues plagued production, from Elton John's resistance to do another animated film and Disney catching wind of Dreamworks' "Prince of Egypt" (which ended up releasing the year before), but it became a worldwide hit at making $400 million at the box office, and praise was brought to the fact that Disney learned from the casting of "Aladdin" and cast actors of Middle Eastern descent for Egyptian characters. Needless to say, Amneris and Radamès join the royal Disney line.

(Note: not sure if Elton John and Tim Rice collaborated here like they did for the stage musical in the OG timeline, or if Alan Menken and/or Stephen Schwartz got involved instead)

Lemme know what you think! I know the renaissance is the Roman Empire for a lot of Disney fans, but I wanted to give it a shot. Maybe I'll tweak it later (currently wondering if a should include "Hocus Pocus," which, while never planned to be an animated film, would probably get more attention outside the Halloween season. If I do, it's replacing TRDU).

[taradiddled]

@inubaki isn't feeling well. and I think @lilacwriter07 could use a pep-up, so I'm putting here another sneak-peek at the chapter I'm working on.

--

"Only a neglectful shepherd would leave their sheep's hooves unattended." She picked up her scrub brush again and began layering the hoof in soapy foam. "They need routine cleaning, because who the fuck knows what shit they pick up on a regular basis. I had one sheep that must have been not right in the head, because it used to stand in its own shit, totally oblivious to how filthy it'd get. Needed a cleaning twice a week, or else its wool would stink. I thought I'd have to put up with it for maybe eight or nine years, since it was so dumb, but the bastard managed to live to eighteen years before it croaked."

Lucifer snickered, amused at the mental image given. "I can't imagine you putting up with that for more than eight years."

"Well, I did," Adam stated proudly, her chest puffing up just a bit with pride. "It was under my care, and my protection. Just because it wasn't too damn bright didn't mean I was going to mark it for meat. Not when its wool was some of the softest I'd felt, and it was especially patient with the grandkids when they wanted to play." It'd almost been like having another nanny available, when the children's parents were busy with their own business of foraging and hunting to support their families. Though Adam had bemoaned caring for the sheep, she'd actually cared for it in her own way, and mourned the creature when it eventually passed away.

"What was its name," Lucifer asked, genuinely curious.

"Birn," Adam replied. "Birn the Burr." She finally finished cleaning Lucifer's hoof to her satisfaction. "Because of all the damn times I had to comb so much crap out of its wool." The first comb ever had been invented purely because of Birn. It'd been the size of Adam's hand, with four thick teeth, able to sort through Birn's thick-thick wool to pull out all the foliage Birn managed to pick up in a week's time. It'd been one of Eve's best inventions, and had saved Adam's fingers further abuse from the sharp twigs and tree needles that would get stuck in Birn's wool. How the beast had managed to collect so much debris in the pastures, Adam and Eve had never uncovered.

"You're good now," Adam proclaimed, setting Lucifer's hoof back into the water. "Your hooves could use a little trimming, but it's nothing urgent. Maybe in a week's time you'll need to give it some actual attention." With the task of cleaning Lucifer's hooves done, Adam turned to cleaning herself, tossing out the washrag she'd been using for a clean one.

While Adam started lathering up with some soap, Lucifer examined his hooves, blonde brows arching as he looked in awe at the difference made. "This looks better than when I use magic," he said, rotating one hoof so he could admire its underside. "Feels better, too. Yowza. You've got magic hands there, my Pretty Prickly Mistress!"

Adam scoffed at the syrupy sweet praise, rolling her eyes. "You said the same thing about me handling your balls a couple nights ago, Your Majesty." Still, it was nice to be appreciated. She brushed her foot against Lucifer's thigh beneath the water, lips curling with a naughty smile as she observed Lucifer's cheeks color that tangerine hue Adam knew so well.

Lucifer gulped, eyes going down to where Adam's foot was sliding up and down the inside of Lucifer's thigh beneath the water. "Wellllllllllll," he stretched out, voice taking on a higher pitch when Adam's toes found Lucifer's cock. "It's good manners to give credit where credit is due--oh!" He gasped when Adam's big toe rubbed against the tip of his dick. A pant rose from the king's throat. "Ada, as much as I would love to fuck around some more, we still have breakfast to get to, and that call we promised to make to Charlie."

Adam hummed, cocking her head to the side, making a face of consideration, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, weighing her options, before she retracted her foot from its fondling between Lucifer's legs. As much as her ramped libido desired another go around, there were things that needed doing, and Adam remembered that the new Soul Counter was long overdue. She needed to check in with Charlie about her progress with her research, and start pulling together information so that they could start something substantial.

It's been over a month since we started, Adam reminded herself. If I keep lazing around, this shit won't get done until after Oz is born. And she'd be too occupied with her newborn baby and Lucifer to put any extra energy into starting up the Soul Counter.

With a sigh of reluctance, Adam resumed her scrubbing, washing away any sticky residue from her and Lucifer's earlier activities. "Sucks to suck," she grumbled, "Buuuuuuuuuuut you're right." She then threw the washrag at Lucifer's chest, the King of Hell just catching it. "We have work to do," Adam agreed, turning around so her back was to Lucifer. "So wash up my back quick, will you, goony? You're the one who wanted to finish on my back, anyways..."

"Orrrrrrrr," Lucifer started, wading his way over to Adam, seating him right at her back, "You could just ask nicely, like a normal person." Nonetheless, he began to tend to Adam's back, wiping away at the skin in careful, gentle circles. It was a relaxing experience, and Adam found herself leaning back into Lucifer's care, releasing an audible sigh of contentment, as well as a chuckle at Lucifer's suggestion.

"And why should the great Dick-Master of Humanity have to ask to get her back washed?" She looked back at Lucifer over her shoulder, grinning with ego she felt was rightly earned. "Especially from the devil whose dick the Dick-Master conquered."

Lucifer paused in his ministrations. With great amusement, he chuckled. "Is that what we're going to call me knocking you up from now on?" He resumed washing Adam's back. "Would make a far more interesting story: the naughty devil who met his comeuppance, ahem, literally, when his dastardly dick was valiantly, valiantly, conquered by the heroic Dick-Master?" He and Adam both laughed at how ridiculous the tale sounded aloud.

Adam's smile was rueful, and she shrugged her shoulders. "Hey," she humored. "You fucked it."

"And I will gladly do so, again aaaaaand again," Lucifer hummed with a melodic note.

[deathmetalunicorn1]

An idea I had that relates to the Charybdis Reader

Change it up a bit Zeus and Poseidon never saw the Reader, or didn’t care about her because they believed themselves to be in the right anyway Ragnarok happens and Brunhilde has taught all of her siblings Volundr, including Charybdis

Brunhilde had an idea, one that would ensure a total victory

A child thrown away by the gods and punished by them for trying to eat

The father of Humanity would be perfect

The thing is Adam doesn’t realize who Charybdis is until while Zeus is transforming into his Adamas form

Suddenly Adam is experiencing memories of a young girl being cast out by both her mother and father, punished after staring for years for trying to steal some food, forced to become a whirlpool to have a chance at food, her only companion, the one she would call mother (Scylla) giving her newly found child her own food and starving herself until they found a way to become human and she gave her child to the Valkyries so she may have a better life

Adam sees these memories, and sees who was the one to punish Charybdis, and he sees RED

Also Adam would have a different Völundr, I’m thinking armored gauntlets, but when he sees the memories the Völundr changes to this vicious looking suit of armor that is reminiscent of Charybdis’ whirlpool monster form

This is going to start off with the same beginning as the first HC (mainly because I’m feeling lazy).

-When the valkyries first found you, a small child just asking for some food, they instantly melted and took you in, assuring Scylla, who brought you to them, that they would keep you safe.

-Brunnhilde and Randgriz were furious to find out who you two were. They all knew of your ‘crime’ which they couldn’t even call a crime at this point, as you were just a child, desperate for food, and for your theft, you were cast into the ocean, trapped by Zeus.

-Scylla was the one who helped rescue you, after she took pity on you, seeing you as the thing you were, a child, trapped in the same strait she roamed after the jealous Circe transformed her into the beast she was today.

-You didn’t see her as a beast, you saw her as a friend, and the maiden who saved you, taking you to safety as she couldn’t bear to see a child in such a state.

-You had been adopted by the valkyries, becoming their youngest sister, the one they all doted on, treated you with such love and kindness and you never had to go hungry again, always making sure you had been fed.

-Your voracious appetite, which stemmed from not getting much food growing up, as your parents had both abandoned you in the sea, leaving you to perish or survive on your own, had calmed once you started to get food on a regular basis.

-You were a shy child, afraid of the gods, as they had done nothing but treat you so cruelly, never going anywhere without one of your big sisters by your side, and even then you hid behind their legs if someone approached, be it human or god.

-Hercules was distraught when he saw you with Thrud, giving you a bright smile and saying hello, as kids normally loved him, and you immediately burst into tears, apologizing loudly as you cried.

-The two tried to calm you down as you cried, Hercules confused as he had never met you before, and he froze, learning your name from Thrud, seeing that the one who had stolen his cattle during his labors, was a child, desperate for food.

-He had not known that you had been a child, the guilt eating away at him as his heart broke, as he knew that Zeus trapped you at the bottom of the sea where you had to create a whirlpool, just to try to get some food.

-He put his large hand on your head, ruffling your hair gently before he smiled softly, “It’s okay, I’m not mad. I forgive you.” You sniffled, shocked that he forgave you, and he quickly became your big brother shortly afterwards, as he wanted to make amends with you.

-The valkyries were not bothered by you bonding with Hercules, happy to see that you two were getting along, seeing that you were growing in confidence.

-When Ragnarok was announced, Brunnhilde gathered the valkyries, telling them all that they were going to help humanity by forming bonds with the human champions, to create a Holy Weapon, one that can kill the gods.

-Brunnhilde kneeled before you, after teaching you Völundr as well, and spoke, “Y/N, I will not force a child to fight, but I will ask if you want to fight against the gods.”

-The other valkyries expressed their concern over you fighting, you were strong, but you were still only a child, but you were being given the choice to fight against the gods who threw you away so cruelly so long ago.

-You swallowed, a little afraid before you asked, “Which god would I be fighting?” her smile surprised you, but also confused you just for a moment, before she answered, “Who else, the one who punished a child desperate for food, Zeus.”

-Your jaw and the jaws of the other valkyries dropped, hearing that she wanted you to fight against Zeus, to fight alongside the human warrior that she would choose to fight Zeus.

-You swallowed, a bit afraid, before you gave a tiny nod, not wanting revenge, but wanting to stop the cruel gods from hurting anyone else.

-When Adam met you, he was surprised to see a young child peeking out from behind Brunnhilde, and he instantly kneeled, smiling gently at you, “Hello little one, are you my partner?”

-You gave him a shy nod, taking his offered hand, holding onto it as he looked up at Brunnhilde who bowed her head to him, “This little one is older than she looks, just like the other valkyries. I am entrusting Charybdis to you, Adam.”

-He nodded, smiling down at you before he kneeled again, swearing that he was going to keep you safe before he opened his arms, hugging you to him and you fused with him.

-Adam walked out with a pair of matching apple red gauntlets, munching on an apple as he was introduced.

-The fight was, for the most part, one sided, Adam easily handling Zeus, punching him hard across the field with ease.

-Zeus then transformed again, morphing into his Adamas form, Adam froze, seeing memories flashing across his mind, memories that were not his own.

-Adam had to focus on dodging blows, landing his own, seeing the memories of a child, being abandoned by her parents, a child who stole a cow because she was so desperate for food and then was cast down to the bottom of the sea, forced to form a whirlpool, just to get some food.

-Adam clenched his teeth together, speaking to you, “Are these your memories?” he saw you floating beside him, hugging him around his neck, like you were scared, nodding into his shoulder.

-He punched Zeus across the field again, showing his strength as Adam put his anger into it as you faded, “Who did this to you?” your memories flashed across his mind, showing him that the one who punished you, a mere child, for trying to eat and trapping you at the bottom of the sea, was none other than Zeus.

-An almost evil aura surrounded Adam, his heart rate increasing as all he could see was red.

-As a father himself, he couldn’t even begin to imagine hurting one of his children like this, he couldn’t understand how anyone could hurt a child like this!!

-He felt you hug him again and you spoke, “Put the gauntlets together to fuse them!” he listened to you, putting his arms together and the gauntlets started to glow brightly, reforming into a different form, a re-Völundr.

-Only one of his arms was heavier as the new weapon was revealed, what looked to be a reverse drill, to describe it simply, with razors at the bottom.

-He squeezed, turning on the weapon and it began to suck in air, creating a vacuum, the razors turning like a chainsaw.

-Many gawked at the gruesome weapon, even Brunnhilde who then calmed, remembering that this is what you looked like when you were trapped at the bottom of the sea.

-Zeus was met with another harsh punch with Adam’s free hand before he tried to grab Zeus with the new weapon, to finish the job, but only managed to grab his left arm, tearing it to shreds.

-The gods were gawking, seeing the strongest of the gods being torn to shreds by a human with such a violent weapon, but it quickly sobered them up, seeing that the humans were going to fight and that they weren’t going to give up.

-When Zeus lost and was beginning to fade away, you and Adam split, and Adam kneeled next to you, hugging you as Zeus looked at you in confusion, “Who is that? That’s not a valkyrie.”

-Adam put a hand on your head, soothing you, “You probably won’t recognize her, but this is Charybdis.”

-Zeus’ eyes went wide, seeing that the one he punished so long ago or stealing a cow during Hercules’ labor, was only a child, a young child, a hungry, abandoned by her parents child.

-Zeus closed his eyes, feeling regret as he vanished, leaving Adam announced as the winner.

-The other gods were stunned, seeing that Charybdis was only a child, as they all knew about you, as Zeus had punished you so harshly, they had no idea you were so young, guilt now gnawing at many of them.

-Adam walked you backstage and you lit up, seeing Hercules there and you ran over, leaping into his arms and he hugged you tightly, sighing in relief that you were okay.

-Adam approached as Hercules stood but the two had no malice towards each other, even though Hercules was Zeus’ child, he just gave the human a small nod.

-Adam reached up and patted you both on the head before heading off to find Eve.

[danwhobrowses]

So I Finally Finished a Playthrough of Baldur's Gate 3

It's been months of playing over my holidays and the weekends, but I've finally completed my first playthrough of what was deemed Game of the Year for 2023.

As someone whose only D&D experiences come from the two movies (the bad one that traumatized me as a kid by killing Snails and the good one that deserves more love) and Critical Role, I didn't know much of what I was getting into, only my coworkers saying 'buy it, it's a masterpiece' unanimously when I inquired about it. Having no idea how to play or the lore, I was very much entering blind.

Continued down the Keep Reading

So, I'm sure we gotta get through the first set of questions so let's get to them.

What was your Tav? It took a long time to realise that 'Tav' meant your player character among fanpages, I can't tell you why it's Tav still, but I only pieced it together from Durge naming too. My Tav is Dec, short for December because that's when I started playing and I couldn't waste too much time on stream thinking up a clever name. He was a High Elf Guild Artisan, for Class I started as a Beast Master Ranger, ironic that Ranger is deemed one of the lesser classes among the community, I was adamant to not use archery at the start but by the end of it I was a Crossbow Expert. I went 9/3 with Rogue to get Assassin, but then respec'd my Ranger into a Gloomstalker, since I never really summoned the bear (probably should've learned from Sam's constant dissing of Trinket eh?) plus when I remembered Dread Ambusher it gave me 3 attacks on the first turn. He has combustible blood thanks to Araj and some tadpole powers after consuming them after the creche incident made him more open to trusting the Dream Visitor; Charm - which failed 90% of the time - Psionic Backlash, Favourable Beginnings and Luck of the Far Realms used mainly, I had Stage Fright and Force Tunnel but didn't use it, same for Cull the Weak. Likes to talk things through, especially with Persuasion/Charisma buffing invisible hats. Has the Duellist's Perogative Sword and the Swire's Sledboard Shield for Melee, and the AC bonus, plus the Armor of Agility giving him an evasive 24 AC with Advantage thanks to 20 DEX and the Cloak of Displacement.

You can't see his scar and tattoo too well from here but I had to show off his Black Furnace and Red dye on his armour it looks too good. Here's a better look of his face:

For his tattoo and scarring I like to think he got the tattoo after the burn, in some ways distracting it from the scarring.

Did you Save Scum? Don't Lie to Me! Yes and I'm not sorry about it. If you wanna invite me to a D&D table I'll follow the rules and how the dice lands but there's a lot more wiggle room there than in a game where there's finite dialogue options. I was also not going to sit there and let my companions turn against me just because the game fancied throwing continual Nat 1s or low rolls at me, nor would I let Omeluum die in the Iron Throne, or end up leaving the Mirror of Loss empty handed. I bought the game so if I wanna carve this experience this way I shall carve it this way, I get some people see the Morally Good path as boring for this kind of gaming but I like to be good, it feels good, and I want good things to happen for my allies, even if it means having to undo most of their religious indoctrination. But, it did take a while for me to start save scumming, really it was freeing Halsin that started it but it didn't become regular until Auntie Ethel. I only really did it for dialogue/lore expansion (or when there were two dialogue options I was between which I hoped would be interpreted how I expect it to) and for necessary buff rolls like the Mirror of Loss, but sometimes I did it to keep some key NPCs alive like Jaheira, who died at Moonrise the first time.

Who did you usually team up with? Kinda a harem squad since I had Lae'zel, Shadowheart and Karlach. I was very combat-oriented; Lae'zel adding support to Karlach's melee or Dec's ranged combat while Shadowheart made up for most of the magic with heals, summons and like 100 scrolls in her bag (Dec horded about 100 different arrows and poisons too, sometimes pays off). I respec'd her to Light Domain after the Nightsong stuff to fit her character and hair change - though I must admit I preferred the black hair - and gave her my Adamantine Splint Armour for defences plus the ring and Balduran's Helm for +5 healing each turn. Lae'zel was a Battle Master, clad in the Helldusk set, though I didn't use much of her Superiority dice moves; the enemies often made saves against it even with 18 strength (20 after the mirror of loss, and higher at endgame thanks to an Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength), I relied more on her brute force, plus reaction skills like Executioner and Sentinel, plus the Silver Sword of the Astral Plane. Karlach was a 9/3 Bear Heart Barbarian and Champion Fighter, I did respec her for the Feats but the Bone armour, Balduran's Greatsword and Brutal Jump also helped at times, plus the Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength and the Amulet of Greater Health made her a high damage, near-200 Health-on-Rage machine (over 200 thanks to the +30 extra health at the final battle). I tended not to swap around a lot, I couldn't abandon my healer, loved Karlach's personality and I had sentiment for Lae'zel being the first person I encountered, she has the sad eyes too, but I did do some rare switching for personal quests. Initially I started with Astarion, but that's because of a misunderstanding of who Karlach was - more on that later - and it turned out that I wasn't doing much for stealth, I brought him for Cazador though, much like I brought Wyll for Ansur and Gale for the Book of Karsus. Later in Act 3 I played around with dyes and equipped everyone, out of fear that I may be sprung unprepared like with Orin - Halsin only had a torch - by all campmates joining the fight, it didn't happen but everyone at least looks stylish.

I go between whether I like Wyll's colours though, on one hand he looks like a Templar and the white would stand out in Avernus, other times he looks like a cosplayer XD Minsc and Jaheira needed no dyes the colours already suited well, but I do love the colours I chose for Astarion, Halsin and Karlach.

Who did you fuck? (romance) Probably would've been asked sooner but sadly Dec became an unintended bachelor, at least outside of the headcanon. He did share a night of passion with Lae'zel after freeing the Emerald Grove but it wasn't something he wanted to pursue further, our dynamic was more befitting of two soldiers, or at least a dynamic where we think we're the General and the other the Advisor. Had Shadowheart took 'later' for her drink offer as 'I want to see all the dialogues other characters have first' rather than a refusal there might have been a romance there, instead I feel we fell into a more sibling bond, she can be a bit too sassy at times in passing dialogue - I had hoped to see more development with her and Lae'zel eventually being friends. Wyll did his best to throw sad puppy eyes at me when I refused to dance with him but it just made things more awkward, Gale meanwhile probably was gonna make moves when teaching me the Weave but he was very hung up on Mystra for me to entertain it, I sat with him when he felt the mortal coil though. Astarion I think made a passing suggestion but nothing of substance, Halsin left it late after he got kidnapped by Orin - I didn't realise he had to physically join the party to be a part of the group until Act 3 - coming onto me right before I confronted the Brain which was quickly turned down. I believe Minsc and Jaheira are unable to be romanced atm, and I did not fuck the Emperor; it weirded me out that he just was there shirtless chilling next to my unconscious dream state. We killed Minthara, didn't know you could recruit or romance her in a Morally Good path. Which left Karlach, fuck did I want to romance Karlach, not for lack of trying either; but because when I met Wyll he was talking about killing her I immediately assumed 'oh Karlach must be that woman on the cover with him' (aka 'the bitch who could've been cool if she wasn't such a bitch' Mizora, who I also wouldn't have romanced given the option) and stuck a pin in it, I was also unaware that most Act 1 romance stuff would come to a head at the end of the Emerald Grove quest which I prioritized so I only encountered Karlach after I saved Halsin and the Grove, meaning I couldn't reach Dammon until Act 2. By then Karlach seemed to be locked out of romance, perhaps for another misunderstanding on my part too since I did upgrade her engine twice at Lost Light very swiftly, but it still was a knife to the heart after all that and the date at the circus that she called us 'just mates' to Fytz. All this and then they give us a better kissing patch ¬_¬

Yes so sad, anyway what about ~Astarion~? Astarion is popular, and I know why he's popular, and the scene of him killing Cazador was very well done...but Astarion for me though was just fine; I mean you guys see Karlach right? Part of the reason she stays my group was that I can't bear to part from her. A lot of the times my Morally Good options didn't align with Astarion's brand of pessimistic chaos, so he spent a lot of time in camp as I mispronounced his name until I heard it be properly said, which probably hampered his story a bit more, but we had a close enough friendship that he heeded my advice with the Ascension and the spawn, wish he reacted to me getting a painting of him since he can't see his reflection though, felt like something could've been done there. Jaheira was a fun personality too, angry old lady who says it like it is, kinda wish we had more to her quest, seeing her home and her interacting with her wards/children was interesting, Minsc was charming too in his simple way, would've been cool if he had more of a presence as well, like we could hear about Minsc and the Stone Lord in separate lights earlier in the game to build up to him. On that topic, I was surprised to find that there wasn't a companion for each role, I suppose there were constraints but Aylin and Zevlor both worked as Paladins, Alfira a Bard (though I don't think anyone would dare put her in the line of fire), I suppose there's little need for a Sorcerer when you had a Wizard or a Monk when you had a Fighter and Barbarian but it was strange, you get 2 Druids and your Ranger is built more like a Fighter or Barbarian (the latter I added to Minsc). I'd later learn that there was cut content for a halfling companion who was a werewolf, but I can see why that one was cut, with Chetney and all, but yeah not any halflings, Barcus could've been a companion even without the Artificer class, or a Dragonborn.

So how did your story go? Being the Morally Good Guy I was I went through most of the best options I could, but I also tried to avoid combat earlier on when I was struggling to work with it. I was friendly with the Goblin Camp for starters, since they thought I was with the Absolute and Dec is willing to put shit on his face to avoid conflict, it all went tits up after freeing Halsin and having to kill everyone but it may've had some benefit to how I could walk freely through Moonrise. Ironically it was the same with the Githyanki, friendly up until they wanted me to hand over the prism, though the Creche was a lost cause anyway, they're lucky I didn't ransack the place, could've gotten a lot of xp and loot there. I let Viconia live, so she can dwell on that burn Shadowheart gave her but oftentimes I was not so merciful, do wish I didn't kill that one Sharran with the letter of hating being there though, why'd you fight me girl? Same with the Bhaalist with the parents at Elfsong, and the goblin children, I was using nonlethal but arrows don't count as I'd soon learn. Allies were mostly good-to-neutral creatures like the Tieflings (though I wish I saved more, nobody told me about the harpies and I thought convincing Rolan to stay would mean the Grove not the Shadow Cursed Lands - also why send refugees who struggle with goblins through the SHADOW CURSED LANDS?) and 90% of the Ironhand Gnomes because fuck Wulbren - I didn't like Barcus too much at first, thought him rude, but when Wulbren didn't even show gratitude for his attempts I softened to him. Kindness made me quite the enemy to others however; the infernal naturally did not appreciate my deeds of pact breaking but saving the Duke anyway and pilfering the House of Hope, but to be fair Raphael (and his clear portrait of himself I clocked onto immediately when he was in his human guise to know he was untrustworthy) never repaid me in-game for 'killing' Yurgir, and Mizora would've squirmed a lot more in her Ilithid pod had it been a table interaction - though, the latter two were more than willing to help me with the Absolute, 'cept Raphael because he's dead - but in my defence I loved outwitting and being a sassy little shit to demons. Slaying the Chosen was a given, as a very Pro-Karlach guy I was never letting Gortash live, got the Father/Grandfather-Daughter set with Bhaal too. Killing the former Balduran was disappointing; as much as he was on my side he always felt like he had his own ulterior motives, he also had a superiority complex to him with his constant urging of being half-Ilithid; thinks it's not important that he's Balduran either, dismissing Ansur's legend until confronted by Ansur's spirit. Stealing the Orphic Hammer was an insurance policy at first, I could understand Voss' disdain for us using Githyanki Jesus in a box like a forcefield, but it's a shame that the guy who was all about trust decided not to trust me in releasing Orpheus; we could've stopped the brain together! Omeluum would've heard me out. I mean Orpheus was a bit salty but he at least was willing to negotiate and not immediately side back with the brain like a petty bitch. I'd say the gods have mixed feelings with me; friendly with Selune and Lathander at least, and whatever Withers is - though the guy roasted me about my love life. The rest either neutral or anti; Shar and Vlaakith (if you can call her a god) definitely hate me, because they're sore losers, think Myrkul and Bhaal likely hate me, Bane however seemed to respect game not sure how I feel about that. I don't quite like Mystra, think she's a bit extreme with her treatment of Gale, but I understand her role, valid god but shitty person. On the other hand I probably have Cyric's favour for helping the Strange Ox, which might be bad...but Milil was happy to be recognized.

In the end, most of the allies got to live somewhat happily; Gale got the orb out of him and became a professor, Lae'zel - having dealt the final blow to the brain - leads the charge against Vlaakith after Orpheus became a Mind Flayer and was mercy killed, Shadowheart has her family (Shar would've always been with her regardless of her choice), a bunch of pets and can maybe reminisce with Nocturne again one day, Jaheira and Minsc - once he survives Zhentharim execution, didn't realise I needed to have him talk to Nine Fingers - also can rest with her wards and probably share drinks with Nine Fingers until the next fight, Astarion sadly has no cure for vampirism but he is owning it and killing the right people (I like to think he'll get to see the sun again, maybe Omeluum and the Mycolids help), plus Halsin has a bunch of kids in Moonrise to look after, plus Thaniel, Oliver and a new Owlbear who I'd rather had left with Dammon given the option. Isobel and Aylin can settle down, Rolan runs the Sundries, Hope is free, Alfira and Lakrissa got their bard's school, Florrick and Ravengard resume leadership to rebuild, Dammon has his forge, Scratch found a new home in this Mindy (but I remain best master), Mol I'm sure will be running the Guildhall in a few years, Thrumbo has a shelter for his brothers, Mayrina will raise her son without the threat of a hag, Vanra won't become a hag (but does need therapy), and Arabella will probably be the next Withers after reading some more rocks. Yenna didn't seem to have an ending so I'll assume that she found a loving home too, maybe with Halsin or as one of Jaheira's wards, or maybe Gale wants a Sous Chef since she did bring her own carving knife if you didn't know. I wish Alfira got invited to the epilogue, god of song is fine but not the familiar face and it would've been cool for them to meet, nice to get a letter at least, and we'll have to visit Art's grave sometime. Surprised we got no word about Mizora, I didn't get a letter from Geraldus even though he survived, Naaber apparently had more in him after wanting to be a dog, sad not to get anything from Rolan, Devella (I know Valeria mentioned her but c'mon), the Gondians, Mol, Omeluum, or Aylin and Isobel from the epilogue, did we really need the ramblings of Ettvard? Plus the papers must've glitched they said Stelmane's killer was still at large? Post-credits scene felt a bit weak mind you, but guessing Withers is that old God of Death Jerghal? Least he's not a surprise villain to fight. As for me, well, I was never one to give up on people and neither is Dec, and thus Dec and Karlach brave Avernus to seek a fix for her infernal engine, punch a few demons and whatnot, Wyll is there too as the Blade of Avernus, a role he embraced twice after barely contributing to killing Ansur but that's more proximity. We'll chill in the House of Hope especially after her letter, but soon enough we'll all return to Faerun on a more permanent basis.

So you enjoyed it? Yes, very much. I did of course make a lot of mistakes though; kept forgetting about Dread Ambusher for one, my earlier failures at romance still stung, I think the game wasn't as welcoming to those unfamiliar to it. The dice did not like me many times, I once got a Nat 1 in a 2 DC with +2 bonus, I also have had several instances of back-to-back Nat 1s, even had 6 in two different streams. Combat was an adjustment period, I missed a lot of the time which was frustrating, or the enemy would make saving throws on my gambits, Karlach even got pushed into the abyss at the Temple of Bhaal, I was livid. I think I probably would've experienced more if the game established better that you can long rest as much as you like without turning into a Mind Flayer, because much of Act 1 was me reluctant to Long Rest because they say you can change 'within 2-3 days', as a result that affected some romance options too, nobody to spend the night with if there's no night, as well as other in-camp interactions - Astarion never tried to bite me for instance, and I'm sure Raphael would've arrived to reward me for killing Yurgir had we not dealt with a backlog of interactions. I remained quite the hesitant player too, I ignored Gale stuck in a portal for a while fearing some magical backlash was gonna vaporize me, oftentimes I expected worse than what actually happened. Graphically there were a few characters whose cheeks were being pulled to the far left side of the map which was weird, and some battles would have enemies who would just do nothing for their turns, and some areas didn't render quick enough to not be noticed, but it was small stuff in comparison, I didn't do much for camp clothes or dyes until late on but probably for the better since style should be for the final act. I also keep seeing stuff that I somehow missed in my playthrough; like there's an angry squirrel near the grove? A frog in Ethel's house? A bird who wanted help with the giant eagles? What? Where?

What was the most difficult part? Act 3 had a lot of tough shit going down, though one of my most memorable struggles was against Auntie Ethel in Act 1. Already deep in her domain at lv4 it was a rough run to start with, continually hit by Hold Person by her projections, only when I learned they were one-hits did it become a little easier, but without Extra Attack it was still difficult. After that combat was here and there, sometimes it was just the environment like being jammed in a pipe when fighting Minsc; Lorroakan was annoying, Grym I had to be tactical with the hammer, the Assassin at the Facemaker was quite difficult too because he'd Haste himself and hide. The Death Shepherds in the Mountain Pass were surprisingly difficult without the Blood of Lathander, much easier with its Sunbeam. The companion quest final battles of Cazador, Ansur and Viconia were each difficult in their own way; the former was most annoying because my party would be downed but the thrown healing potions weren't working (plus those downed members were the ones with Radiant damage and holy water), wasn't even Bone Chilled like with Viconia, Ansur was difficult because of his burst attack. Raphael hits fucking hard, but once I realised that Hope kept dying because she was getting backlash from dealing Radiant Damage it was just attrition and lots of potion throwing. Combat-wise I think the toughest battle was Cazador due to the glitch of thrown potions not healing, otherwise the toughest boss was Ansur. Overall the most difficult experience I found was the timed operations of the Iron Throne.

Will you play again? Most likely, which is something I don't tend to say so Larian did do their job well. Though I might wait a bit to play other games first and give Larian time to add more content and finer polishing, I think I'd have a better time with it the second time around, would definitely try to resolve previous wrongs or missed opportunities, though I doubt I'd look forward to everything there; killing the Goblin Camp was still difficult work, same with the Steel Watch and all the turn limit stuff, I'll at least wait until I have Extra Attack before dealing with Ethel in Act 1 and take more Long Rests, maybe rotate the party a bit more and try out some other classes - but you will pry Speak with Animals out of my cold dead hands! Learning later about there being a bunch of cut content would entice me to play a third time if they reach a stage where all the intended content has been added in, but there's not exactly a time frame for that or a clear show of intent so far, so we'll see in that one, for all that is cut it seems like the end product is the tip of the iceberg. Enjoyed the play, played for a long time, would play again: money well spent.