#made these to fight the art block demons

[arsonisticartichokes]

Professor Midoriya and his silly pro hero husbands :>

[ajaxbell]

Fangs of Fortune (Bai Ze Ling): perfect on pure aesthetics alone, but also it will tear your heart out while being very gay.

I was lured in to this show by Tumblr gifsets and friends on Bluesky talking about how queer and poly this show is. I'm old and I've been in fandom more than half my life. I know how to read queer subtext. I'm also pretty well versed in cdramas, so again, I know how to read subtext. So I went into this ready to, well, read the subtext.

But no this show is just puts the queer it right there in the text. The vague information we have about Chinese censorship repeatedly left me asking, 'wait how are they getting away with this?' Like some of these jokes and implications are just so blatant it seems incredible this show ever made it to being broadcast. It just feels very much like queer media made for queer people even if t's more subtle than something western like Queer as Folk.

Even without the heavy coloring of gay this show is incredible and so much more than I expected from the title and the promo. The premise is essentially the death of the goddess, who governed relations between humans and demons, leads to an influx of demons in the human world. This brings together the goddess's disciple, Wen Xiao--seeking to restore the goddess's power. WX's childhood sweetheart, Zhuo Yichen--seeking to restore the demon-hunting bureau after the powerful demon Zhu Yan killed his father and brother. It opens on Zhu Yan, in human disguise as as Zhao Yuanzhou, volunteering to help the imperial court restore the demon-hunting bureau to quell the chaos. They are joined by Pei Sijing, a retired female general from the rival demon hunting sect, and a very young doctor (and comic relief) named Bai Jiu. It starts off as a sort of monster-of-the-week with a grim Scooby gang doing detective work and fighting monsters. Each major demon has a mini arc that relates to the larger case (restoring the power of the goddess to balance the realms), and they are repeatedly blocked by either the demons or the rival demon hunting sect. Each mini arc also acts as a mirror or parallel story to slowly revealed backstory of all the main characters as well. In true cdrama fashion it's a mix of adventure, intense emotional drama, romance, and comedy. And queer and poly jokes and romance. It also has a kind of manga vibe in the way the comedy is woven into the more serious story, and in the fantastical depiction of the characters and how the story unfolds.

It is also just insanely beautiful. Every single shot is lovely. The costumes, make up, and hair are incredible. The casting director made all the major demons inhumanly beautiful. The sets are spectacular. The effects are nicely done. Every bit of has the vague surreality of a fairytale. The perfection of each shot ads to the manga vibe, as if we're seeing each critical storytelling panel come alive. There's recurring water-based special effects that are just gorgeous. Based on aesthetics alone this show would be worth watching to me. That it is combined with a complex, very emotional story is a spectacular gift to the watcher. A lot of the negative reviews of this complain about the staginess or that it's overly contrived in how each scene is shot. But I think it's gorgeous, works perfectly with the storytelling, and if we criticize art on whether it achieves the goal it intended then this show is doing exactly and perfectly what it means to do and doing it beautifully.

Additionally the acting is also very good, but Neo Hou is the stand out for sure. I enjoyed him in Back from the Brink, especially the later part of the story, but in Fangs of Fortune he's transformed, utterly embodying the role, the way Dylan Wang is Dongfang Qingcang in Love Between Fairy and Devil. Neo Hou has the right look, a slightly uncanny beauty perfect for a gorgeous immortal not of this world. The show does incredible things with his styling between the various looks and personas the role requires. But in acting he somehow manages to utterly transform his face and demeanor to manifest each aspect of the character as story demands changes from him.

There is a lot of crying in this drama. Like early on I joked that there was going to be a character crying a single perfect tear in every ep. Lol nope. Multiple single perfect tears per ep and many outright full on sobbing scenes. This show is just waiting to rip your heart out and you see it right from the beginning. But it was such sweet pain all the way through. Just a truly engaging and utterly wrenching set of intertwined stories.

My only criticism is that the pacing falls apart in the last 3 episodes. But overall the story is solid through the end, though like so many cdramas, it's saved by the epilogue.

You should absolutely watch it if you want the chaotic bi polycule (it's her, her girlfriend, her boyfriend, her boyfriend's boyfriend who is also her boyfriend, their two idiot sons, and her boyfriend's ex-who is also eventually sort of his boyfriend again), or if you want your heart torn out and stomped on. Or even if you just like really gorgeous cinematic things. Also if you watch, please don't skip the ending credits, as they change as the arcs change, and the radiant joy Tian Jiarui has as he dances is an excellent antidote to the emotions of each episode.

[amara555555]

Have you guys noticed how Gun’s hobbies are so calming?

Sure he’s got that solo leveling smile but his hobbies are so chill???? Goo describes him as a hot headed bastard but like- bestie you see him in his serenity- like-

Cooking, carving wood, relaxing in hot tubs- like he’s a little camping Boy Scout troop hobbies lover-😭😭😭😭

It’s like, After he either came to Korea or took over his clan, he found the most mundane and calming activities to his liking. That’s so cute.

He probably enjoys art, sketching or even painting, reading, crocheting. (That grey sweater he wore- imagine-) he had to handle himself- so imagine he stitched his clothes back together or even nurtured plants for love. (Or he just used his yakuza’s inheritance fund-).

(and then there’s beating minors for love-)

It’s a massive contrast to what he’s made out to be, a monster. Devil. Demon. Goblin (💀) ghost, essentially elements of the afterlife in a negative light. But he’s a serene guy who enjoys making scarfs for winter because he’s got a fund to spend to make up for lost time.

(IMAGINE HIM WITH A ANXIETY COLOURING BOOK-)

But imagine those are what ground him from depression? His dad and uncle didn’t have any outlets clearly, one stayed in cooped up after a loss- (Shingen you big ass toddler-because going into depression for 10 years because you lost ONE fight-??????? Childish. Little brother behaviour- it was obvious from the start-) and one went suicidal. (Shintaro im looking down at you-) so Gun just picked up the most calming activities and allows himself to indulge with noise blocking headphones.

(Goo probably introduced him to them-)

[yuesya]

Uzui Tengen skids backwards, gritting his teeth. Raising the cleavers in his hands, he blocks another overarching strike by the cackling demon’s blood scythes, then counters by twisting and swinging–

Too slow. Tengen knows this, even before he has finished the strike. There are dark spots dancing in front of his eyes, and the pain that courses through his body from the demon’s poison is excruciating –but even so, Tengen does not allow himself to waver.

He can’t afford to. Not when they’re fighting Upper Moon Six, and when he’s the only Pillar present. Not when his wives and the young demon slayers he’d brought into the investigation are all at risk here.

“What’s wrong, Pillar? You’re starting to get slower!” the demon taunts, guttural voice laced with malicious glee and bloodthirst.

“Me, slower? In your dreams!” Tengen laughs confidently, even though he knows that the demon is right.

Shit. If only he hadn’t gotten himself poisoned at the very start of the fight–!

But there was no use thinking about what-if’s, not in the middle of heated combat like this. If things continue any further, then Tengen is going to die from poison before he’s able to cut off the demon’s head. He can’t let that happen, which means that he–

The demon’s expression suddenly changes, jerking and whirling around away from Tengen.

An opening!

Tengen lets out an irritated ‘tsk’ when he only manages to take off one of Upper Moon Six’s arms; the demon had dodged at the last moment. Dodged, and pulled away, disengaging from Tengen and flipping over to glower at whatever caught its attention–

“… It’s you.”

Amid the rubble littering the ground from their battle, there is a white-haired girl standing at the other end of the street.

… That’s the girl that Oyakata-sama specifically sought out and recruited, for the feat of–

“You’re the one who killed Upper Moon Three,” Upper Moon Six snarls. Its severed arm regrows in a flash, and it scratches at itself, sharp nails digging into disfigured flesh and trailing long ribbons of blood behind them. “I’m not like him, though. I don’t mind killing women.”

Tengen sucks in a sharp breath as the demon bursts into motion.

“His blood is poisonous!” he shouts, attempting to warn the girl. “Don’t let yourself be cut by his scythes!”

“Is that what happened to you?”

Oh, she’s good. In a single instant she’d avoided the rotating scythes that Upper Moon Six hurled towards her, simultaneously cutting off the demon’s legs at the knees as she did so, all in one fluid line of motion that almost made it seem as if she were dancing.

Strange blue eyes peer towards Tengen for a moment, which should be reassuring but instead only sends a sudden chill down his spine.

The girl reaches out and pats his shoulder. “I can’t use reverse cursed technique on others. But you won’t die from the poison like this.”

“Of course. I’m a shinobi, no poison can take me down so easily!” Tengen boasts, not quite understanding the strange words that she’s using.

Gojo Shiki had not been trained as a Demon Slayer, but there was no denying that she had been trained. No one unfamiliar with the art of combat would be able to take down Upper Moon Three, after all. It’s both humbling and slightly terrifying to know that this young girl in front of him had killed a higher-ranked Upper Moon while Tengen had been struggling against the weakest of the Upper Moons here, but–

More than any useless thoughts like that, Tengen is glad that powerful reinforcement is here.

We can do this. We can kill Upper Moon Six!

“My legs… my legs aren’t regenerating,” the green-haired demon murmurs, and then its face twists into a vicious snarl. “Is this wisteria poison again? My body will neutralize it in no time–”

“And you won’t have the time to do that!” Tengen thunders, racing forward with his blade raised–

–to block a sudden spire of solid ice that comes hurtling down out of nowhere.

The temperature in their surroundings immediately drops as the ice comes down, and Tengen frowns. There was no doubt that this was another Blood Demon Art, but it wasn’t the one that Upper Moon Six had displayed with his blood scythes. That meant…

There’s another demon here.

“Oh dear.” A new voice sounds in the nighttime air –one that sounds almost sympathetic. “Looks like you’re having a hard time here, Gyutaro.”

Upper Moon Six Gyutaro, who’d just been rescued onto one of the nearby rooftops by this strange new demon, glowers darkly. “I didn’t need your help.”

“Really?” The new demon tilts its head, and leans down to examine Upper Moon Six. “But you’re taking so long to regenerate, Gyutaro. I was worried!”

“You were not.”

The new demon laughs, and lifts its gaze towards them. Tengen’s blood runs cold when he finally sees the characters etched into its opalescent eyes, illuminated by the firelight.

Upper Moon Two. “Ah, I’m so glad I decided to drop by!” The demon smiles invitingly, evidently delighted as it surveys them and claps its hands together. “I just had to come, y’know. After all, I heard that the demon slayer who killed Akaza was a lovely young lady with the most beautiful eyes. How could I possibly resist staying away after hearing that?”

[vigilante24ish]

🌙 Moon Phases 🌙

Agatha Harkness X Fem!Reader

Chapter 1. - Chapter 2. - Chapter 3

Chapter 4. - Chapter 5. - Chapter 6

Chapter 7. - Chapter 8. - Chapter 9

Chapter 10. - Chapter 11. - Chapter 12

Chapter 13. - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15

Word Count: 1410

Chapter 15:

After your little talk with Rio, you wandered around the room; keeping an eye on everyone as you went.

You could see that Alice was uncomfortable being around, trying not to touch anything while nostalgia was hidden behind her round red tinted glasses.

Your attention went mostly to Lilia, who had returned to the main room shaken, and you swore she could be on the verge of tears. Glancing behind her, you faintly noticed certain arts on the wall; depicting witches burning at the stake.

Lilia was the oldest amongst you all. You knew that much. You suspected she had bad memories from the time of the trials and felt sympathetic once you .theorised she must have lost friends that way.

Considering her prophetic abilities, you could not comprehend how outcast she must have felt back then.

As you all gathered in the main room, you realized two people were missing... Agatha and Rio.

Narrowing your eyes faintly, you were about to go find them when the speakes got activated. You heard clearly what was supposed to be the conversation between the two witches; coming from the outer part of the recording booth.

"I get the pleasure of watching you do what you do best." Rio voice was heard over the PA.

Agatha's followed next. "Which is?"

"Killl all the witches around you. One by one."

"Then what?"

"You get your power, and I get my bodies."

Agatha gasped loudly. "Hey! That's my coven you're talking about. I'm m not that kind of witch anymore."

Immediately, the three witches rushed towards the booth; clearly furious with what they had just heard.

You trailed back, hesitant to follow your rushing emotions and thoughts.

Something was not right, and you knew it.

Agatha had tried to frame Rio, perhaps to make the coven mistrust her? Or to make herself sound better and regain some of their confidence to her?

You were not sure.

What you were sure about was Agatha's gasp and last words. That spesific gasp and tone was fake, an overdramatic reaction; a mere acting moment to make others buy it.

You remained further back from the group but close enough, to ensure no one would be throwing hands anytime soon.

Their arguments were loud in your ears but then a different sound reached you. Like nails against a blackboard, like a pin draged against glass...

The background demonic and loud noise seemed to strike deep into your magical core and even in your mind, causing you inscrutiating pain.

Before you knew it, you were on your knees; hands pressed tightly against your ears in a futile attempt to block the noise. You made no sound but by the way you bit your bottom lip, it was evident you were in pain.

The rest of the coven had similar reactions, some like Alice and Jen reacting strongly; yet not to the level you did.

Rio was the one least bothered, and Teen tried his best not to react to it. While being busy to explain, he played a record backwards; causing all this.

While everyone was fighting against it, it was Agatha who dared to act.

She was the first to see you on your knees, trying hard to block the sound from driving you mad and he knew that face of yours... the face when you were in pain.

Her own ears hurt and she swore this sound would haunt her nightmares for the years to come but she had to act.

The others were too weak, and she would not be standing there while you were in pain.

She had no idea what was happening, but if it affected you that way, it was bad. She did not stay to think about it and merely grabbed the record player before smashing it to the ground.

To ensure the job was done, she stepped on it and the cursed record; ensuring the sound would stop, and it did.

Now, free of whatever was that, you all took a moment to gather yourself.

You slowly stood up, taking silent deep breaths before you felt a metallic taste in your mouth. Bringing your hand towards your face, your fingers touched something wet against your lips. Upon inspecting it, you realized it was blood... your blood.

To try and fight the pain, you had bit your lip so hard you had actually bled it.

You tried to hide your shock and quickly wiped the evidence with the back of your sleeve, all while avoiding Agatha's intended gaze; not wishing to decipher it at the moment.

Yet Agatha kept watching, eyes darker at the sight of your bleeding lip. She could not help but remember the times she had bitten your lip enough to draw blood, only to lick it and then kiss you with hunger; letting you also taste what your blood felt like.

She managed to focus on the present, not letting her thoughts and fantasies get the best of her.

There were still things she had to focus on.

"We've been cursed." Lilia suddenly said as she recognised what had taken place.

At least that made some sense to you, though you had never truly been cursed; not that way. Physical curses had been your biggest enemy but you could fight, purify them even when the moon was full.

Now verbal... it seemed to be a loophole into everything. You were not how to feel about that.

You didn't have the time to do so, either, for a metronome on the piano nearby started to tick.

"I think this means the trial started." Teen pointed out.

Jen took notice that Rio was not exactly shocked or even scared, like the rest. "Why are you smiling?"

Agatha rolled her eyes. "She's a tourist." Was her argument.

Once again, Jen did not agree. "She's a psycho."

"And nothing's happening." Teen pointed out. "Maybe this curse isn't so bad."

You immediately locked your sharp gaze at him, making him feel uncomfortable. One finger was pointed in his direction.

"Do not, under any circumstance, say those words again." Your voice was serious, and it made every single hair on his body stand on end. "Last thing we need is the Road proving us wrong"

As if your words had once again predicted the future, something unexpected happened.

Lilia started to fan herself with her hands, feeling hotter when suddenly she started to scream. You swore you could see some sort of faint smoke coming from beneath her clothing, and the smell of burning flesh quickly reached your nose.

"It burns!" She shouted, grabbing an invisible wound by her shoulder.

Everyone stood close in panic, not sure how to help when Jen remembered something.

"Alice, protect her." She instructed her fellow witches.

Just like her assigned role, Alice did what she had to do. Using Rio's knife, she carved a circle around a screaming Lilia while changing a protection spell in Latin.

By the time the circle was complete, Lilia was laying on the floor but she was no longer burning by some invisible power.

Jen looked terrified. "I need you to draw one of those circles around me, right now"

You paid her no mind as you helped Lilia stand. You did not ask her anything but you could see in her eyes that she was thankful for your help .

"So, breaking a curse," Teen started as he tried to think what he knew. "Smudge sticks? A salt bath... What if we locate and reason with the witch who cast the curse?"

"Once vengeance is loosed, you can't reel it back in." You so wisely commneted as you stopped holding and supporting Lliliam

"So what do we do?"

Once again, the older witch had an answer. "The only way to end a curse is to face it."

New screams drew your attention and everyone turned to Jen, who was suffering the same effects of the curse.

Alice rushed to repeat the protective circle, doing her best to be fast and save Jen from suffering this burning sensation for long.

Surprisingly, when she was done; something became noticable. Jen's skin seemed to bear a mark, a burnt brand on her skin.

Lilia confirmed she had the same, making you all exchange looks of worry with one another.

This was new, way more physical than the other trial, and you were not sure you liked it that much.

Chapter 16

[whereserpentswalk]

Somewhere out there within the dark woods of somewhere or another, in days some time past, there was a town. And that town worshipped one god, and that god was a hole.

Yes, a massive hole, at the center of their town. Deep and dark, perhaps leading all the way down to oblivion. Some people said the god lived at the bottom of the hole, others said that the god was the hole itself, or even the shadows that lay within. They had no temples, no alters, only the hole. And the hole of the hole demanded things of them. It was hungry, strangely hungry. It did not have sacfices, it demanded tribute. Taxes in a way. People would scrounge up what little money they had for the hole, and the hole promised back that it would give them good things in return.

There were those who warned them of the hole. The cryptids of the dark forest, and the occultists and demon hunters, and even the deep ones that lay in the dark ocean and the scaled men of the forgotten ruins. But the townsfolk didn't listen, the hole made them feel good. It felt good to give it money. And even though they never exactly saw how the hole must have been helping them. How could it not be helping them if they had given it so much. And soon the hole banished all supernatural things but itself, and the people said the hole was making them safe.

And soon the hole was bigger. What was once the size of a well had grown to being big enough to consume a house. And soon the town changed, the hole began to be its center, the entire town shifted so that all public life was around the hole. And soon those who didn't like the hole, or who questioned it, where seen as evil or strange people, greedy for not wanting to give the hole their money, they were seen as selfish and entitled, entitled to all the hole's benefits without paying their share. It was a tragedy when someone grew up to move out of the town and not follow the hole.

And soon the hole had more and more demands. And everyone listened as it grew larger and larger. Soon it didn't want money, it wanted things too, televisions, automobiles, books, family relics, grandma's ashes, works of art, perhaps even beloved pets. And it became taboo not just to question it, but to feel sad when you lost something to the hole. You couldn't say you missed it, or replace it too soon, the hole wanted you to not have it, you were so obviously wrong to miss it. You didn't just have to give to the hole, you had to understand that it was improving your life.

There was a movement of young people, who wanted to get rid of the hole. But it was too late by then, they had no other gods, no other spirits or creatures, and the hole was as large as a city block. And either way, the town police belonged to the hole now, and they would kill for it, and they would die for it. Some young rebels moved away. But most found themselves not being able to give up their family, their freinds, and their safety to fight the hole. So for a time they pretended to like it, and when you do something, and say something for long enough it can become your truth, and soon enough those who pretended to live the hole truly did love it.

And soon there was no music or movies that the hole didn't approve of. Everyone followed the hole's rules. And everyone loved the hole so dearly and so brightly. They couldn't imagine a town without a hole. When they thought of other towns they imagined that they must have had holes too, and every idea of a place without it was sad and depressing. And as the hole was then a quarter of the size of the town, it was hungry, and demanded not just things but flesh. And people happily gave, it would be weird to not want to give. They gave eyes, ears, teeth, testicles, tounges, fingers and toes and hands and feet and arms and legs. And they didn't miss their body parts at all. And when one day the hole demanded people jump in, and give their lives to it, they didn't mind or question at all, it didn't feel like death, and nobody missed that they weren't there.

And now, in the dark woods, there is a hole where a town used to be. It has eaten the entire the thing, every last inch and citizen of it. It is not satisfied. But it has grown all that it could. And one must wonder if the hole is lonely now, or if it knows that it has done all it ever hoped to.

[clownsuu]

Frank/Home anon here, again, with a new idea. we know very little about Home from the mob au, other than hes a god like figure who has immortal control over the family. and we know that Frank is trying to figure out whats happening behind the scenes, and is getting into places he probably isnt supposed to. i know you made a few drawings about Frank and Home meeting, but damn, being faced to face with a GOD has got to fuck you up, not only from their interaction, but the uncanny divinity as well. i like the idea of Frank, not so much falling in line to Homes control, but being so infatuated with him after that he keeps pushing and pushing his luck. imagine fighting against the control for so long, only to be caught because of your own untamable curiosity and need to have questions answered. not only that, but being in the physical presence of an entity whos basically bending reality to their own will? theres a comparison to a moth being drawn to a flame here (or an electric fly buzzer). how do you even recover from something like that, and go back to ordering supplies at your day job? (you dont, lol.) anyhow, you should def drop a few more crumbs of Home lore, to add coal to the train that is my ranting.

Very intriguing very intriguing, that would be the trope of “the most powerful god” x “some weak loser from across the street” HDHDHDH

cw minor spooki

Man art block is REALLY kicking my ass rn-

also a few more crumbs of (mob) Home lore? Well lemme seeeee-

-Home is a entity who works entirely alone (unless otherwise chooses someone)

-He answers to the most weak and vulnerable who calls for him

-he is not a demon (but can be considered a god)

-he is neither defined as good or bad

-Home and Wally are NOT related (home purposely takes a form who’d look like a father to him)

[drluvsick]

𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒 — 𝐠𝐢𝐲𝐮 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐨𝐤𝐚

a person who’s lost those close to him and a person with trust issues— two close friends put on a mission together where a nightmare draws your relationship closer. 📝 gn! reader. you have a nightmare and giyuu comforts you, basically. just some mild hurt to comfort with a lotta fluff <3

word count : 1.1k

giyuu tomioka. the one who thought so poorly of himself. the one who’s blocked everyone from his heart. safeguarding it. just so that he’d never have to experience the pain of losing those he loved again. locking it from everyone, except for you.

if there was someone he’d want to stay with for eternity, it’d be you.

on the other hand, you had issues from your past. the betrayals. the backstabbing. your trust in people had deteriorated across the years, until you met him.

he was never too vocal, and he never tried to initiate anything with you in the start. but something about the other’s personalities made the both of you gradually gravitate towards each other, eventually accepting the person like the click of a magnet once they’re attached.

he let you into his heart, and you trusted him with yours.

but one day, after a mission that you had been assigned to with him, things changed.

it was nighttime. the demon had been dealt with, but you and giyuu were instructed to stay in the village for a few days to monitor the people who had been infected by the demon’s blood art just in case any side effects called for your attention.

apparently, your room had already been chosen by master ubuyashiki himself— a two beds one room to share with giyuu. you were secretly looking forward to it, and unbeknownst to you, so was he; although he didn’t fully recognize it as a fact at the time.

maybe it was because he knew about your frequent nightmares. maybe his intuition called for someone you trusted to help you through them. either way, it was happening.

you did your nightly rituals (as did giyuu), conversed with him a bit, and then retreated to your bed to sleep.

sleep, which really meant participate in a lucid dream distorted to remind you of everything over and over again.

“good night, giyuu!” you called over your shoulder; facing the wall as to not creep him out.

“good night to you as well,” you heard him shuffling a bit before he faced the other wall himself, thinking that it’d probably make you uncomfortable if he just stared at your back as he was drifting to sleep.

and then once you nodded off, it begun.

you woke up abruptly, hyperventilating and forcing back your tears. you were not going to cry while he was in the room.

“(y/n)?… ” giyuu mumbled, turning to face you after a few seconds of adjusting to waking up. “are you… oh.” he immediately sat up and went over to your side, the futon dipping as his weight dropped onto it. the single tear that fell down your face alone made his heart ache.

“s-sorry. i didn’t mean to wake you up.” you quickly wiped it away, trying desperately to control your breathing.

“it’s okay,” he responded, “bad dreams, i’m guessing?” he inched a little closer to you before you nodded.

“… is it okay if i hold you?” he asked, uncertain, but determined to make you feel better. he recalled tengen pulling one of his wives in to comfort her after she’d made some sort of mistake and she started bawling. maybe him hugging you would have the same effect as tengen had on his wife.

you allowed it, gratefully putting your arms around his shoulders— a small shudder running down your spine at the warmth he provided that contrasted against the cold and dull aftermath the nightmare had left you.

“i’m sorry, i’m so sorry—” you’d said as the dam broke, tears beginning to wash down your face. you haven’t cried like this in so long— feeling the comfort of someone near you as the feelings of not being enough or loved racked through your body, the thoughts of both fighting each other as giyuu rubbed your back through it all.

you didn’t usually cry after your usual nightmares. not after you’d experienced them enough to get used to them. but this was different.

because giyuu had been in it. brutally murdered as you stood from afar, watching the scene without being able to move. the agony, the pain, the fear— as what happened so many years ago.

he called your name, so broken that you wished to just take the onslaught yourself if it meant that you’d die in his arms, looking into those eyes or succumbing to the end as he’d vainly try to alleviate the situation.

but he was here, with you. he was whispering small words of encouragement, letting you pour yourself out to him as you held onto him for dear life.

“it’s okay, it’s okay. it’s going to be alright…”

you had said no to wanting to talk about the dream, shaking your head back and forth as you recognized that if you were to tell him, you might accidentally spill your true feelings to him.

you couldn’t lose this thing you had with giyuu. not after everything, not over some silly confession.

soon, your heavy breathing slowed down as the tears ceased. you got a tissue as you turned away from him and cleaned yourself up, opting to clean your hands before going back to face him again.

and once you did, he welcomed you back with open arms. “it’s still pretty late… do you want to head back to sleep?” his voice was so soft in your ear, a melody that lulled you closer to wanting to go back to bed. but you were reminded of why you were awake again in the first place.

“i don’t want to— not with… well… the nightmares.” his neck was so warm…

“i… could sleep holding you like this, if you’d like? i don’t think it’ll help, but… ” giyuu immediately wanted to sink into the earth at that moment, why did he say that?

“i’m definitely okay with that.”

“are you sure?”

“plenty.”

moments like these are ones that you can’t capture by memory alone, not the feeling and not the experience.

not the way he hugged you under the covers as you held onto him, both sides feeling that warm fuzzy feeling in your hearts. not the way his head was positioned on yours as he shielded you, making you feel protected from the world. and definitely not the way he held you tighter and closer, whispering a small, “i love you,” which could’ve easily been mistaken for your own imagination.

but you heard it and murmured a small “i love you, too.” back.

in the end, things definitely changed. and for once in quite a while, your dreams were filled with nothing but happiness and hope for a better future.

“i… you WHAT.” you gaped in disbelief.

tanjiro apologized over and over. “i'm sorry, i’m sorry, i’m sorry! i just— he asked! and i couldn’t lie to him because he has these senses and i knew you liked him and—!!”

as he rambled on and on, you looked over at giyuu. “so you knew, and you waited that long to tell me??”

“i wanted to wait for the right moment, that’s all.”

“like…?”

“the day we first had a conversation together.”

“…forgiven.” 😍😍😍

overluvsick | please do not repost, translate, and/or claim my works as yours !!

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Part 3 of Eri in Demon Slayer but it’s Mugen Train?

Reader joins Rengoku on his mission, only to fall asleep, but she’s able to wake up because her ability reversed Enmu’s Blood Demon Art on her

Reader tries to help the sleeping civilians by using the Wisteria Shinobu gave her (She’s throwing Wisteria around)

However when the train got derailed Eri was able to get out unharmed, only to see Rengoku fighting a Demon and horrified when she saw him punctured through his stomach (The shock made Eri’s power spark out wild, as when she touched Rengoku, she healed his stomach wound, much to the shock of Akaza, thinking Eri must be a demon with a Healing Blood Demon Art)

Akaza was going to collect Reader but had to run away since the sun was coming up (He thought Eri was going to run away too, only to be shocked seeing she’s not being burned from the sunlight, something he intends to tell Master Muzan about)

Eri is sobbing her eyes out glad that Rengoku is okay as well

-You had huge sparkly eyes, sitting beside Rengoku on the train, looking out the window at the passing scenery- you had never seen anything like this before!

-Across the table Tanjiro was smiling lightly at you, happy to see you so happy, Zenitsu was crying on how adorable you looked while Inosuke was like Rengoku and currently stuffing his face on the lunch boxes that the two had gotten prior to boarding the train.

-You weren’t sure what happened, but the next thing you knew was that you were waking up, your horn a bit flared, aura surrounding it as you sat up, looking around to see everyone else asleep and Rengoku was missing.

-Nezuko called out to you and you turned, seeing that she had just headbutted Tanjiro to wake him up, causing her head to bleed and you gasped, rushing over to your friend, cupping her face and you healed her wound, “Nezuko what happened?”

-She motioned to everyone else that was fast asleep except for the two of you, motioning around frantically before she pointed at your bag before holding her hands over her nose and your eyes went wide, “Is it a demon? Do I need to use the wisteria Big Sister Shinobu gave me?”

-Nezuko nodded and quickly went back into her case as you opened the bag, revealing all sorts of wisteria blossoms and you began to throw them on everyone, helping them wake up, including Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke who were quick to spring into action, realizing this was the work of a demon!

-Zenitsu put you under a table, telling you to stay hidden and to not come out until one of them came to get you, which you nodded to, holding some more wisteria in your hands before he ran after his friends.

-It was a short while later when the train jerked to a halt, throwing you, thankfully against a padded cushion that fell off before you cried out in fear as the train derailed, throwing everyone all over the place, screams surrounding you.

-When everything went quiet you looked around, feeling scared as everything was broken now, glass from the windows all over, chairs and tables were thrown everywhere, and you could hear the cries of people who had been injured.

-Despite what Zenitsu told you, you exited, completely fine other than a couple of bumps and bruises as you looked around, feeling nervous as you heard sounds of fighting outside.

-It took you a while to get to a door, as you had to find ways around tables and chairs that were blocking, but once outside your eyes went wide, seeing Rengoku fighting against a demon, Akaza, who looked really powerful.

-You ducked back inside, peeking out, as you remembered what Big Brother Sanemi had said- that the demons would snatch you away due to your ability, so if you ever saw a demon, besides Nezuko, you had to hide.

-Your froze as Rengoku slashed at Akaza, the flames surrounding his sword, only for the demon to thrust his hand into Rengoku’s chest, it felt like you had been sucker punched in the chest as well as your voice caught in your throat, but only for a moment, “Big brother!!!”

-Your horn grew, stretching high up as an aura surrounded not only your horn, but your whole body as your ability went berserk from the shock.

-Akaza, who had leapt back when Tanjiro ran towards him, froze, seeing you rushing towards Rengoku who quickly wrapped an arm around you, to protect you, but your aura surrounded him and the wound in his chest sealed, like you were healing it.

-Ignoring Tanjiro but leaping away from his sword, he watched you closely, “A demon child? One with a healing Blood Art?” he knew immediately Muzan would want you and he charged only to leap back as the sun started to rise, rushing back to the shadows of the trees.

-Akaza looked back at you, not wanting to lose someone so precious- one that could be a boon to the demons, worried that you weren’t going inside, only to freeze, watching as the sun bathed you in it’s warmth, but you still looked the same, only your aura was now fading as Rengoku was healed, at least enough for it not to be fatal, as he told you to stop, knowing your ability would make you sick.

-You ended up passing out from overuse, worrying all of them, but with Rengoku surviving, he was able to handle everything and bring everyone home.

-A few days later, Rengoku was smiling brightly, but had the aura of someone panicked as he was sweating heavily, trying not to look at the furious Shinobu and Sanemi, as the other Hashira were all around him as well in the infirmary, with you sobbing loudly on his lap, happy that he was okay.

-They were furious at him for putting himself in danger and being so reckless, mainly because it had upset you so much and you overused your ability. When you woke up you immediately rushed to him, crying loudly.

-When you stopped crying and were calmed down, that’s when Mitsuri and Obanai would take you, leaving Rengoku to Shinobu’s wrath. Please don’t leave him Y/N!

[felassan]

Dragon Age™: The Veilguard - Patch 1.0.0 Release Notes

(patch notes under cut due to potential spoilers)

"Hey everyone, We can't believe it's been a whole week since Dragon Age: The Veilguard launched. Whether you've already been playing or are jumping in for the first time, we have our first patch releasing today with a few quality of life improvements and bug fixes. We'll also be supporting the game with additional patches in the future to help make your playing experience even better.  See our full Patch Notes below.  N7 Day Content:  - Rook can find a new N7 day appearance in the Lighthouse. This is a cosmetic only armor."

Bug Fixes: - Fixed an issue where DLSS options could end up “grayed-out” on a 40-series Nvidia GPU. (PC Only) - Eliminated the cause of a small number of crashes. (PC Only) - Updated XeSS version to 1.3.1. (PC Only) - Fixed an issue where some customizations were not applied to the Inquisitor correctly in one of the ending scenes. - Fixed a bug that caused Companion Skill Points to reset. - Adjusted Companion Approval notifications so they remain on-screen longer as scenes end. - Harding now has arrows in her quiver and is ready for battle. - Global banter should no longer start too early. - Harding and Taash banter no longer repeats indefinately. - Fixed potential issues that could occur if a player fast traveled during a quest. - Changing your party members on the way to certain quests no longer breaks the camera for in-world missions. - Updated a number of assets to improve visual performance over long distances. - Fixed several distance “pop-ins” on level art assets. - Added collision to several assets that were missing it. - Fixed a minor texture issue with codex art. - Added haptics to a number of interactions and events. - Fixed lip sync in some ambient scenes. - Adjusted audio balance on several assets. - Changing equipment no longer disables helmet voice processing. - Fixed several objective markers that were spawning improperly. - Cleaned up certain interactions between Skills that caused them to not behave as described. - Apparitions generated by Iron Veil will now attack Razikale. - Entropic Spheres now behave properly on vertical surfaces. - Fixed a bug where Taunt would sometimes be cleared early, which caused enemies to ignore it. - Fixed a rare issue where Rogues would not hold their bow while aiming down sights. - Made the detailed-stats screen more readable. - Balance changes made to certain fights to match design intent. - Balance adjustments made to several player skills. - Fixed leashing exploits on major encounters. - The Rage Demon’s Ring of Fire should now be appropriately dodgeable in all situations. - Slowed down the speedy raven in Hossberg. - Adjusted creepy corpse movement while they moved on/off-camera. - The Dalish elf in the Unwanted Guests quest is now an actual elf. - Fixed a rare blocking issue in the Sea of Blood quest. - Halla should no longer float during the In Entropy’s Grasp quest. - Fixed a blocking issue in the Pinnacle of Its Kind quest. - Adjusted timing on epilogue text cards. - NPC necks no longer grow unexpectedly. - Corrected instances where NPCs would not properly look at each other or at Rook. - Long hair should now properly mesh with certain armor. - Fixed several issues with makeup in character creation. - Venatori crystal VFX should now disappear properly. - Added scroll wheel support to the sell screen. - Opening the journal while on the map no longer causes it to continue scrolling. - The Faction Achievements will now be gained properly upon reaching max Faction Strength instead of the Faction Cap."

[source]

DA:TV's first bug fixes are out today on all platforms. future patches to come.

[moobloom-mention]

Every Action Has Its Equal Opposite Reaction

Summary: MK can't say he's ecstatic after being kicked into the ground during a sparring match with Macaque. It isn't too bad, though, as Macaque rewards him with noodles with the only caveat being MK finds them bowls to enjoy their takeout within.

But as he scrounges through Macaque's kitchen, the only two bowls he's able to find more resemble failed art projects than bowls. One more smooth and refined, the other far more clumsily made but with small engraved peaches and a fingerprint on its side.

Huh, that's kind of cute. Surely this won't lead him to bodily harm.

Content Warning(s): N/A

Word Count: Too many words 2963

Shout-out to @blametheeditor for helping me with the intro's fight scene. Goddamn do I struggle with fight scenes.

----------

“Ready?” 

MK grins. “Always-!” 

He nearly isn’t able to dodge a shadow staff that whizzes past him in time, not having realized they were starting now. Like, right now. He hadn’t even seen Macaque move and yet the shadow had already thrown the battle in his own favor. 

MK finds himself pinwheeling his arms in an attempt to remain balanced after his dodge, a desperate grasp for his own staff proving to be what keeps him from stumbling to the dojo’s hardwood floors. 

His teeth grit. 

Y’know, he would’ve thought that Macaque wouldn’t want to risk killing him during a training exercise of all things. And yet, nothing quite says “I want you dead” like forcing him into a vulnerable position whilst preparing another attack before he’s recovered from the first. 

...wait a minute. 

What little had been left of his confidence drains when he realizes why it’s likely a bad thing to see a shadow stretching out toward his feet. A shadow whose grin definitely doesn’t mean good things for MK. Nah, not in this sparring match. 

MK uses his staff to propel himself away from the looming shadow, twisting his body so he could roll safely back into a practiced defense stance. 

Not that he would ever brag or anything, but he avoids the possible incoming concussion flawlessly. Might he even say his defensive stance is something Macaque would’ve applauded him for if they weren’t mid-fight. 

MK barely catches the subtle shine of another shadow before Macaque erupts from it, his shadow staff raised over the head before being brought down. In the back of his mind MK can see that while the impact is devastating, it takes an awkward amount of time for the move to be completed. In the front of his mind, he can only imagine how the crevice left in the earth could’ve been his head if he hadn’t leaped away in time. 

Which, putting good news first, he isn’t knocked out! Bad news, his desperate attempt to save his own life had left his back to Macaque, meaning he’d more-so stumbled onto the ground in a flurry of limbs than truly laughed in the face of death. 

Far too aware he wouldn’t be able to stand before another attack, he rolls onto his back, yelping when a staff smashes onto the ground inches from his face. 

Heavens above, is he trying to kill MK or not? He thought they were cool! 

As Macaque lifts the staff above his head for another swing, MK forces his feet firmly into the ground, waiting until he’s about to be struck before pushing with all his might. The force pushes him over the incoming hit, a summoning of his staff giving him enough leverage to land more gracefully behind Macaque. 

When the next blow is delivered, MK’s own staff is there to meet the swing. Finally, some actual progress in pushing this match in his favor. 

Step, step, block. Step, step, block. The occasional near loss of balance whenever Macaque feints a left swing before making a right one. The loss of space between his opponent before he regains it when he makes his own feint of attack but only to withdraw himself slightly. 

It isn’t long before MK finds himself oddly confused amidst the controlled tempo of parried strikes. 

If MK could compare his own strategies of combat to a demon’s, Macaque could lay claim for his to be akin to a celestial warrior’s.  

They'd always looked refined and practiced.  

It’s why MK can’t help the nagging doubt that sits tight in his stomach when he notes the countless openings Macaque’s stance leaves. The monkey is pushing far too heavily into his strikes, making for slower recoveries despite the fast-paced match.  

It isn’t sloppy, but it isn’t the familiar polish of experience.  

A well-timed block forces Macaque’s staff into the floorboards of the dojo and MK lunges at the sudden opening.  

The faintest trace of disappointment registers in Macaque's expression before it hardens into something akin to disapproval.  

Oh fuck.  

Macaque’s staff reappears just in time to clash violently with MK’s own, the shadowed weapon’s surface wavering slightly. Dread tears through his skin; that waver isn’t from the power of his strike.  

That's the crumble of resolve and patience.  

He took an opening that wasn't meant to be taken.  

Despite the sudden change in tempo, Macaque’s redirection of power is far smoother than his previous strikes and the shadow’s triumph drains what little was left of MK’s confidence. 

Macaque’s lips twist into an ugly sneer and its familiarity in context strikes something primal at MK’s nerves. He’s done something wrong. 

His thoughts drown beneath the mantra that his stance is perfect. There isn’t anything for Macaque to hold over his head in terms of leverage, to use to turn this fight in his favor. His legs are shoulder width even while ariel and- and he’s using that one strike Macaque taught him months ago what could be wrong-? 

A tail made of obsidian fur wraps itself around his tail. 

“Wait-!” 

It’s too late. MK knows this game well. 

The tail yanks him forward. Straight into the boot that carves its home within MK’s sternum just as his lungs shriek. 

The sheer power behind the kick sends MK crashing into a beam, the wooden structure’s groan loud enough to smother his desperate wheezes for air. 

Between the spinning of his gaze his thoughts filter in. “Stay alert but regain your breath,” a prior lesson sings. “You can’t fight and gasp for air.” 

The shadows hiss with laughter and MK has to strain to hear Macaque above the pound of his own heartbeat. 

"...break something...the whole place will come down with it.” 

The original goal to recover peacefully slips through his fingers, rage a new fuel to feed into his fire. He stands if only to angrily gesture toward the beam. “You threw me into it!” 

“You shouldn’t have gotten cocky.” 

His eyes roll. Of course. 

“Don’t hold back, MK.” 

“You’re way too confident, MK.” 

Okay, guy. 

He’ll just go fight another city-destroying demon with his “too confident” strikes. 

As if able to read his thoughts, Macaque’s arms cross. Disapproval writes its own story between furrowed brows. “Don’t give me that face,” the shadow chastises. “You got bold and got it handed to you. Sloppiness won’t fly on the battlefield.” 

MK drops back to the floor with a huff of defeat. “Fine.” 

Macaque’s mouth curls around another word but MK can’t help the way his mind focuses on just how close the shadow’s crouched beside him. 

Suspiciously close. 

Like close enough that he could grab the other’s ankle if he really wanted to. 

“This’ll be a good stopping point,” the monkey hums and MK’s demand for violence rises slightly. “I’m getting hungry anyway.” 

Oh-ho, in that case- 

“I can grab us some noodles,” he chirps, using the staff as a pole to lean on in his scramble to stand. 

“Hold on, kid-” 

MK barely registers the familiar purple hue of Macaque’s clone before he collides with it. His attempt to catch himself does little to fix his accidentally slight. The clone looks disgruntled though its bag labeled “Pigsy’s Noodles” sits safe within its grasp. 

He smiles weakly. “Sorry?” 

The clone- whose grin looks a little too mocking this time around -thrusts the bag into his arms. It gives a short salute before a plume of smoke swallows it whole, leaving MK and Macaque to their own devices once again. 

“Ordered ahead of time; figured it’d be easier,” Macaque shrugs. “Now c’mere, I’ve been craving this all week.” 

Don’t need to tell me twice- 

The bag rustles as MK lunges to his mentor’s side, his hand already amidst an attempt to grab whatever Macaque had ordered for him. 

A loud hum interrupts MK’s interest, the bag falling into a shadow vortex before it reappears within Macaque’s grasp. 

If he didn’t know better, he would’ve said Macaque looked a little too happy with himself. 

“We’re gonna need some bowls. No offense, kid, but eating out of take-out-boxes is for slobs.” 

MK’s eyes bulge, offense blatant in the way his shoulders tense. His clenched fist waves, faux rage on his mind. “It’s not slobbish! ‘Sides, Monkey King does it all the time-” 

“My point exactly.” 

MK swoons to his left, clutching at his heart. He knows Macaque and Monkey King don’t have the best of history but if he doesn’t defend his mentor, nobody will. 

“Monkey king’s not a slob,” he protests. “He’s just…convenient?” 

“Kid, you don’t become a hoarder without being at least a bit of a slob.” 

…ok, fair enough, fair enough. Macaque’s got him there. 

Declaring this a loss, MK stands to fetch the requested bowls. He doesn’t go silently, feet dragging loudly against the ground with each step. 

“Cheer up!” Macaque calls, amused. “Moping isn’t gonna get you out of conditioning.” 

Nah, he huffs. It never does. 

Surprisingly, the dojo’s kitchen isn’t far from the main training room. It’s all the way down a hallway- one eerily lacking in the door department -where the space widens if barely to make room for a dark kitchen space. 

Flipping the light on, MK blinks once before the kitchen’s dim light flickers to life. 

Sheesh, Monkey King might be a hoarder but his kitchen has never looked half as disorganized as Macaque’s. Whether that’s because Monkey King doesn’t use utensils in the first place doesn’t matter in the long run. 

Monkey King 1: Macaque 0. 

MK’s careful as he navigates the small kitchen, minding his elbows as he begins to shuffle through the cabinets in search of bowls. Even just a step backwards is enough to press his back against the other countertop, a fact that sparks a fond memory of his own. 

The one- and only -time MK tried to find apartments to move into, Pigsy had insisted on accompanying him. It never mattered what apartment they went to; Pigsy always complained about the same thing: 

“The kitchen is just too small, kid. How are ya’ supposed to cook anything in this thing?” 

And so, MK had feigned ignorance over the true motive for Pigsy’s gripe and agreed that the kitchen space was a deal-breaker. 

After only a day of searching he proclaimed that finding the right place was in fact “too hard” and he’d just have to stay in the noodle shop for a bit longer. 

He blinks, forcing his knuckle between his teeth. 

Focus, MK, focus. Bowls, bowls, bowls- we need bowls! 

In all honesty, he thought finding bowls would’ve been waaaay easier than it’s proving to be. Each cabinet he opens either produces a bunch of items MK declares cannot be cooking related or a couple of miscellaneous plates too shallow for broth. 

At this point in his desperation, MK’s convinced that Macaque doesn’t own a single cup either. 

The only evidence that the monkey owns bowls in the first place is the handful in the kitchen’s sink, some still sporting old broth. 

At least, those and whatever on this green Earth was in the gap between the cabinet’s top and the kitchen ceiling. 

A closer inspection declares that the dishes seem like bowls, stacked on top of one another and looking like someone had hastily shoved them into the farthest corner. 

Oh yeah, this’ll work. 

MK nearly trips over himself climbing onto the countertops, eager to dig into whatever Macaque had ordered for him. Even on the counter the bowls are still too far back to reach. 

C’mon MK, you’ve got this. A little tippy-toe action never hurt anyone. 

An annoyed Macaque might, though. 

Much to his own relief, the two bowls are snagged with little to no struggle. He tries to keep his jump from the counter light; only the Heavens know how mad Macaque would be if he ended up breaking a floorboard by landing heavily on it. 

He peers curiously at his findings; now that he really looks at them, they aren’t really bowls at all. 

They’re more like poorly made clay clam shells, the indent itself shallow and its “lip” frilled in a way that wouldn’t be the best at sipping from. An attempt at pottery, MK concludes, but yeesh if its creator didn’t struggle with whatever image they were going for. 

One is definitely more refined than the other, surface smooth as he skims his finger over it. Its depth is just barely deeper than its counterpart too. 

The more disheveled one has bumps and bruises along its surface including a fingerprint and what MK is 50% sure is a peach engraved along its side.  

…it’s kinda cute, like its creator had tried to make up for its other imperfections. 

Still, MK glances back toward the pile of dirty bowls. They’d definitely be more ideal; one thorough scrub and they’d be good as new. 

That is, if Macaque has dish soap. Pigsy usually kept his on the counter but MK can’t see any even as he rummages through the cabinet below the sink. 

“Clock’s tickin’, kid! The food’s getting cold and we’ve still got conditioning to run through.” 

Ah, screw it. The misshapen bowls are good enough. 

With a quick rinse-off and a onceover, MK gives his own nod of approval before he darts back through the hallway. 

“Brainy kid to rescue,” he declares. “I found a couple of, uh, well-” 

Calling the lumpy things “bowls” wouldn’t quite be right. But then again, they definitely aren’t narrow enough to be failed incense plates. 

“-old bowls!” 

MK’s head lifts triumphantly, prepared for the resounding “-good job, kid/bud” © that both Macaque and Monkey King had gotten into the habit of offering. 

But silence only greets him, MK cracking an eye open to make sure Macaque hadn’t abandoned him. 

The shadow is right where MK remembers, almost eerily still. The only notable difference is the sudden roundness of Macaque’s eyes and the subtle childish spark of something that lurks there. If Mk didn’t know any better, he would’ve called it fear. 

“Macaque-?” 

“Where did you get those.” 

Gone is the witty banter that’d once infected the dojo, replaced with something far more sobering. If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve assumed the drop in tone alone chilled the room. 

Tension lines Macaque’s shoulders, lips slightly curled just enough to show the tips of his fangs. MK’s never been bitten and he definitely isn’t finding out now. 

He falters, limbs heavy as he gestures vaguely toward the kitchen. “Uh, they were- the cabinets?” 

MK nearly jumps as a vortex forms just above his hand, the pieces of pottery disappearing into the shadows. The portal closes and MK flexes his hand just to make sure it hadn’t taken a piece of him with it. 

In a blink the tension in Macaque’s stance evaporates, movements once again fluid as he rustles through the bag until two tubs of broth and noodles are set down. He even grins as he produces two pairs of chopsticks. 

“You gonna stand there all day?” 

Is that an option? 

The nervous laugh MK coughs up only earns him a raised eyebrow, and he’s quick to take it as a signal of being in the clear. Despite the suddenly calm atmosphere he’s still slow in his approach, sitting a little further than normal from Macaque. 

MK shuffles his personal tub of broth and box of noodles closer to himself. It smells like Heaven, but that might just be how close MK actually is to death judging by the sheer fury radiating off Macaque. 

MK’s not sure why he waits to begin eating; he half expects another vortex to appear and produce two different bowls. Ones that don’t cause fear and anger to whomever stares at them. 

But the shadows stay silent and content. 

“Eat up,” Macaque grunts, already busy dipping his clump of noodles into the separated broth. 

“But I thought you said-” 

“Kid.” 

MK’s eyes snap to his tub of broth. He knows a warning when he hears one. If it were Monkey King he might’ve pressed it further, but Macaque’s limits are still new. 

Pushing it too far could cause a fight that MK definitely isn’t prepared for. He might be good, but he’s still not Macaque good. 

Who knows, the monkey could trap him in between two shadow portals and leave him “falling” for Heavens knows how long. MK’s shoulders shudder at the thought and he quickly grabs his own chopsticks. 

Macaque offers no further conversation as they eat, silence a companion in itself with how loud it feels. 

At least, silence and guilt. 

MK’s eyebrows furrow at the sheer amount of guilt that fills him each time he swallows a bite of noodles. He hadn’t accidentally gotten himself between a failed art-project, had he? 

…he had kind of implied that the bowls were terribly made. It would be as if Pigsy snooped in MK’s sketchbook and declared his drawings to look nothing like Monkey King. 

If not for the chopsticks in his hand, MK would’ve slapped himself. 

Good going, MK. 

“I didn’t mean to offend you,” he murmurs. “You did really good with them.” 

There’s a beat of silence as Macaque’s expression morphs. His eyebrows pinch, confusion replacing the lurking fragments of irritation. 

“That’s sweet, kiddo,” Macaque mutters in a tone that says it isn’t. “But they really aren’t mine.” 

Huh. As far as he knows Macaque doesn’t have…friends. Er, at least anyone MK would categorize as a friend. 

“Holding onto them for someone else?” 

Macaque’s tail flicks and MK finds himself tensing, prepared for an explosion of anger. 

But the other only sighs, the final pieces of anger melting from Macaque’s tone until it can be molded into something akin to fondness. 

“Sure. We’ll go with that.” 

[murderofsomeone]

what if I made an intro post wouldn't that be fucked up or what

hi I'm monday aka mos (short for murderofsomeone), I'm evil and bad actually

they/it, no order preference

agender nonbinary

adult alterhuman aroace autistic adhd���you can make a battery out of this (+ otherkin

no art tag, things are just tagged by series name and/or character name

you're not going to see sexual or suggestive art from me because I'm too asexual to find it appealing

I rarely follow people, this is because I forget I can follow people

interaction is encouraged, I really don't mind talking to people regardless of being mutuals

I do not have a dni criteria, I block based on personal preferences and experiences

read about my art related boundaries here

main interests (ASK ME ABOUT THEM):

music—lemon demon, johnny manchild and the poor bastards, king gizzard & the lizard wizard

guaranteed* video, new kids on the rock, other neil cic projects

terraria

astronomy, mycology, paleontology, color theory, synth, my ocs :), being evil as FUCK (bolded means it's a priority interest

bluesky | art fight | lemon demon discord server

everything else you learn about me is through osmosis

[castlebyersafterdark]

The spicy byler movement is about eroticism, sensuality, and intimate connection. Why do you think there people out there who find it crass, inappropriate or deviant?

I remember reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown when I was 15. This was years before he became an eye roll-inducing household name, and I became obsessed with the religious mystery and the classical art. I specifically remember a line about the main character, a professor, appraising the marble Ecstasy of St Theresa by Bernini. He appreciated the artistry but also chuckled to himself that it was basically 'a metaphor for some serious sex'. I was 15 and enthralled.

I cannot understand the backlash against sex today, even forbidden or taboo sex, or underage sex. When I was younger, the forbidden in fiction was more exciting than what was right or allowed. If I was 15 and watching Stranger Things, I would be quaking for Mike and Will to get it on. The idea of calling myself or a fictional character a 'minor' was laughable and insulting - that's a word for young children who need accompaniment by adults to go on theme park ride or see movies.

Not linking to the poll but seek it out if you must - I choose not to engage with these kind of things and avoid the "main" fandom if I can in terms of controversy. My blog isn't hidden or unsearchable, but I use my own tagging system beyond "spicy Byler" so those who want to engage with me if they choose to can find me that way, or just leave me alone or block if needed. Staying in my lane, hoping we can all be respectful. I need that. And I wish people who don't like this sort of content... just stopped engaging or talking about it? Polls like that just brew animosity. Asking for trouble.

Curate your internet experience. If you deem yourself old enough to use the same internet adults are on, you have to mentally be mature enough to handle being exposed to adult concepts and look away, scroll away, filter where you can, be prepared. I think the internet is an 18+ experience and maybe you all disagree because we are living in the digital age but it's public. The public internet forum does not need to cater to minors. This is reality. Be courteous and kind to each other, but children do not get to march over every single corner of the internet and cry and make demands. This is part of growing up. I was a teenager and made my own way and NEVER saw this kind of entitled / repressed shit and it wasn't so long ago. The last few years have been disgusting for society's progress. Countless reasons why, but that's a huge topic.

It's tough for me since I'm anti-censorship and fight back against a society that often considers my mere existence deviant and gross and sick - just for the sake of men loving other men at the purest form, before anything sexual is even a part of it. So when that's the reality, it's almost quaint to consider the sensibilities of teenagers logging onto a public blogging website who relentlessly harass people and complain that "ew gay sex is icky and minors having sex is forbidden and gross and young gay guys doing sexual things together is vile and the mere insinuation makes me uncomfortable so no one should even imply it" when they decide to engage with a "ship" in a TV show based upon gay love and queer themes and SEXuality and is about conservatism and being different from society and where these characters literally fear being killed for loving the same sex and these fans only want the sanitized cute aspects!! Teenagers should only hold hands and chastely peck and sex is disgusting and and and" IT'S HOMOPHOBIA AND BIGOTRY, ACTUALLY. THAT'S ALL. Gosh. Sorry.

It's immaturity and a lack of socialization outside the echo chambers on the internet and a fear of community and a coddling of human interaction and puritanism and conservatism and an incorrect backlash to the heteronormative "sex positive" culture of recent times which was aligned more with power and control than human freedom and expression. PEOPLE HAVE SEX, PEOPLE FUCK, PEOPLE ARE ATTRACTED TO OTHER HUMANS AND IT'S NATURAL AND NORMAL AND NOT GROSS. Teenagers do all of this!! It's healthy and normal to talk about it and explore things in FICTION!!! Sorry I'm not being more articulate but this topic makes me tired and upset.

Who the fuck do people think are writing the TV shows and books and movies out here?? Adults. We're all interested in telling human stories and exploring human emotions and sexuality and human emotions and sex is a big part of life for the majority of people on this planet and guess what - teenagers grow up into adults and it's such an important part of life, of course we all want to explore that. We are denying real aspects of humanity if we sanitize life.

Who says it's wrong? Your church? Your politicians? Your parents? Your other teenager friends? Well, why is that? Why are you not questioning everything as is the teenage way? Some really bleak things happened. Individuals on the internet do not get to dictate what other people do and enjoy. DEFUND THE THOUGHT POLICE.

People - please unlearn shame. You are ashamed of something within yourself because society taught you shame. That's not on adults like me to coddle or teach, but I'm here to live authentically and be honest and hope the best for everyone drug down by the unfortunate world we live in. Sorry, it's a tough world. But if you're "mature" enough to come to public sites like this and engage with others - there are going to be people you encounter who are not trapped in society's boxes anymore. Wake up!!!

[tohwitchesduels]

LOSERS BATTLES OF WITCHES DUELS - Battle 36: Matt Tholomule vs Barcus

Disclaimer: This is not a popularity contest or which character you prefer, in this tournament, you decide who is stronger/better/smarter/etc. opponent.

information for both opponents under the cut to those who don't know what they can do in their battle:

Matt Tholomule:

Mattholomule specializes mainly in construction and illusion magic.

Matt is known to be quite underestimated by those around him, but he does possess the skill, even if gloats to be able to bite more than he can chew. Matt is however pretty smart when it comes to the usage of his powers, even if he doesn't use them too offensively. He can however be pretty hopeless at times, being taken out easily if his opponents prove to be more formidable than him. He does lack drive and fighting spirit if he does not have confidence in his abilities.

Matt does not possess any known palisman, nor showcased any on the screen. Because of this anyone fighting him would also not be allowed to wield a palisman

I think it starts to hit Matt that so far he hasn't won any battle he has participated in and he starts to lose it, becoming both more determined and more reckless to succeed.

Size alteration - Matt is capable of altering the size of any of his body parts. This displayed first during Covention with his head.

Construction Tool - Matt is capable of creating tools made out of earthen materials as displayed TTLGR when he created a key/blade to cut Gus free. This ability during battle can manifest as Matt is capable of creating any kind of tool or weapon to help him during the battle.

Geokinesis - Implied in TTLGR that Matt can telekinetically move earthen materials as displayed when he helped clean the graveyard by moving the broken parts of the statues placing them back and making them stick together. During the battle, Matt could throw rubble at his opponents.

Rock Wall - as displayed in LR, Matt is capable of creating walls to block attacks. The walls are thin so they can be broken through enough force, but Matt displayed pretty great reflexes with those walls and they are still fairly durable.

Rock Dummy - as displayed in FTF, Matt is capable of creating a rock dummy of himself to appear wherever he feels like it.

Camouflage - Displayed in its full glory in FTF where Matt made Amity completely disappear. During the battle, Matt can turn himself invisible temporarily and other people as well (battle royale-exclusive)

Smokescreen - Matt can release a smokescreen that can disorient his opponents.

Link to more of Matt's capabilities here

Barcus:

Barcus specializes in oracle magic and potion magic the most. He did not show spells that go outside of those two magical tracks.

I assume Barcus is actually a beast demon (even though Wikia says his species is a witch, even though while he is smarter than most beast demons, he hardly seems to share characteristics of your typical witch) meaning he doesn't draw spell circles to cast spells and specializes in two tracks that don't require it. That doesn't mean Barcus is not a spellcaster in the same right as all the other tournament participants.

The head here is a concept art from Wikia, not a special ability.

To our knowledge, Barcus does not possess a Palisman, so anyone battling him would also not be allowed to use Witch's staff.

Barcus does not take Matt seriously and Barcus so far has been doing pretty great in the tournament, so he's willing to make his last battle a victory.

Barcus utilizes his intuition the most when fighting his opponents. He has a strategic mind and is quite knowledgeable and he uses his magic to enhance his knowledge of his opponent to get the upper hand during battles. (Lowkey confirmed by him playing Hexes Hold'em). He also is brave enough to put himself out there during battles.

Explosive Potions - Barcus is capable of brewing potions that explode upon shattering, thus can be used offensively, but also as a distraction and defense (the best defense is offense and the best offense is defense after all). It's Barcus's primary attack. Barcus can however throw only one at a time and can't spam them. His throwing range is also not very big considering he uses his mouth to throw the potions.

Death Perceptive Potion - Barcus by throwing or pouring potion on the floor is capable of showing the fate of his opponents who dare to look at either their reflection or the mist released by the potion. It can be used as both a great intimidation trick (as seeing your own death can be frightening) and a distraction.

Precognition - Barcus can craft a potion that allows him to predict future events. Barcus will use the potion to find all the possibilities of how his battles will turn out and find what should he do to ensure the victory. He can also learn all of his opponent's capabilities and weaknesses that way. That ability is based on his "Palm Reading" ability, but I enhanced it so it can go beyond pouring the potion into the palms of his opponents and prepare himself before the battle but it can be still used in the traditional sense during the battle.

Aura Reading - A weaker version of precognition that allows Barcus to sense the true intentions of his opponents and have better reflexes regarding what they would do. Barcu's aura reading abilities improved for the sake of this tournament as in the show it's quite not infallible and even during the battle it is still not foolproof.

Scrying Potion - now Barcus never showed himself the capacity to brew this potion in canon, I do allow him to know the recipe for this tournament as scrying potion excellently blends both oracle magic and potion magic together. Barcus can brew this potion to help him monitor the battlefield in the present or use it as also preparation beforehand to learn what his opponent is planning or capable of.

Phantom Potion - completely fanon move I made up you don't need to account for it when voting at all but I figured it would be nice. By throwing potions Barcus is capable of releasing oracle phantoms that he can use to fight his opponents during the battle. Barcus can release multiple phantoms by throwing multiple potions (granted there's still some time between each throw so one could wonder if Barcus would succeed in outnumbering his opponent). The phantoms are intangible to the physical attacks but are still capable of attacking the opponent through physical means. They can also phase through any physical barrier. Possible special attacks like fire spells light spells or physical spells of great intensity (like a raging plant spell made by Willow for example) could potentially disable the phantoms, but typical punches or either construction or abomination magic could be proven useless (especially if construction magic isn't particularly swift or strong). Illusion magic probably would have no real effect on the phantoms, same for healing magic and beast-keeping magic. Bard magic could potentially disrupt the phantoms. The phantoms themselves are also capable of precognition and scrying by themselves. This is Barcus's strongest (and non-canon) asset during his battles.

Link to more of Barcus's capabilities here

Return to Masterpost

[lu-twilights-pup]

bro okay okay hi, you might not know me but i remember seeing your amazing stuff like MONTHS AGO... and seeing you come back has made me soo happy!!!! im so glad your okay!

your art has honestly brightened my day, whether it be old or new, it's always the best batch of creativity out there and i could never be more proud. it's nice to have you back and i can't wait to see what else you decide to do, if that does end up happening. it's completely fine if not!!!

wishing you all the best, much love <3

okay sp first off- thank you

literally teared up at this wtf.

second off-

im glad there are people tat enjoy what i post even if it isnt consistent to save my life, and extremely hectic! I am looking to get back into my art and writing and knowing there are people out there just as excited as i am really does help me fight the demons that are Art Block and Executive Dysfunction. I am so thankful to have the community i do on Tumblr and i promise ive got good things line up for yall!! <3

[ofintrusions]

Oh, is that SASHA “BLAYZE” KING? I heard the THIRTY EIGHT year old is ALERT. But don’t let that pretty face fool you, they are also DANGEROUS. Makes sense seeing how they are a HITMAN in the CRIMSONS. tw: mentions death of loved one and a kid [not in detail tho!]

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒 ;

Name: Sasha King

Nicknames/Alias: Blayze

Age: 38

DOB: October 30th

Zodiac: Scorpio

Gender: cisfemale

Pronouns: she/her

Sexuality: pansexual

Tattoos: dragon (dont ask me placement i cant decide rn)

Piercings: Ears

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 ;

Favorite Song: Demons by Doja Cat

Traits: Alert, loyal, fearless, calculating, adaptable, vengeful, dangerous, irritable, violent

Moral Alignment: Chaotic Neutral, toeing evil

Deadly Sin: Wrath

Pinterest - tba

𝐁𝐈𝐎 ;

Born into a family of Crimsons dating back to the Chicago days, the King’s of course followed the gang to New York once the move was made.

Sasha, or Blayze as she goes by, wasn’t a planned pregnancy in the slightest but welcomed into the world nonetheless despite the initial hesitancy from her parents.

Her mother wasn’t too happy with having to take a step back from her duties but she’d dealt with it regardless.

From an early age she was taught the importance of education and knowledge, not just academically of course. She’d been her parent’s little protege, girls her age were playing house and with Barbie’s while she was far more interested in training.

It started off with simple martial arts and fighting tactics, blocking hits, to learning how to defend herself and take hits of all sorts.

Once that had been achieved, which was far easier as she’d been eager to please, she could go onto learning how to break people in turn: torture techniques, how to break people psyches and probe for valuable information.

She wasn’t necessarily the best at making friends when it came to school but that didn’t matter when she knew the type of life she’d be fully immersing herself into once she was 18.

Naturally, she’d continue the path of the crimson life. She started off in the low ranks despite how good they knew she’d be getting her hands dirty. Blayze was eager to become a hit woman but her parents knew she’d need to earn it, too much eagerness could make you reckless and recklessness would get you killed.

But she did earn it, because of course she did. And she continues to enjoy being sent off on a job, it’s like a little game to her and she enjoys the thrill of the hunt.

Her parents would’ve wanted her to strive for more but Blayze wasn't interested in never interested in taking on more and being a leader, she doesn’t have the patience or needed charisma for dealing with all the members. Although most of the crimsons are considered family, Blayze still keeps a guard up and doesn't just trust them all blindly, her parents taught her that. Anyone could betray her or the gang at any given moment.

With her line of work, making friends and getting close to people outside of the crimsons isn’t easy. Not that she exactly tries either but there have been times where that hard shell was cracked.

Somewhere along the her late twenties she’d fallen for a woman— a single mom who works two jobs (literally) and a kid that wasn’t too bad. It was a surprise even to herself and although she’d done her best to keep them private and hidden from the life she led, they were killed in retaliation to something she’d done. Blayze has never forgiven herself for that.

The second time she’d let someone in was fairly recent. Around a year or so ago. It was hot and fun, someone she would’ve liked to keep around for the good sex and maybe more and good company, they matched each others freak well but that very much backfired on her when she found out he was on an entirely different side to hers. Additionally, he’d interfered with one of her jobs. Blayze rarely ever misses or fails, so when she does, it’s a huge fucking deal to her. It’s fine though, she’d taken her frustrations out on him and left him to die… or did she? She loves a good game.

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒 ;

Mostly known as Blayze, thats how she introduces herself most often than not. Only those close to her would know her first name, Sasha’s a bit too personal, something reserved for those she cares about. Where does Blayze come from? Being a pyromaniac, idk, what? Are you a fucking cop??????

Terrible cook, don’t look at her fucking fridge there’s not much in there

Surprisingly not terrible with kids. However, that doesn’t mean she’s gonna be babysitting anytime soon

She’s ambidextrous

Keeps her place clean and neat all of the time, nothing is ever out of place