#more lumiere lore!!!

[makeshiftraven]

𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞

[tinyfantasminha]

Once I finish my thesis animation this semester im thinking of working on a masterlist for my beauty and the beast yume au,,,, I can't believe its been so long since i did anything for it, i want it so bad i feel so sick!!! OOUUUGHH

[saintobio]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 & 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐑. (second part to 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐍 & 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑.)

in the battle of hearts, he was the conqueror, and you, the conquered, for his love was a war you could never win. but if in this ruthless battlefield, only one can come out victorious, could you still turn things around and let the victor be you?

♱ pairings. sylus, fem!reader

♱ genre. angst, smut, boss/assistant, 18+

♱ tags. villain!reader, reader previously works for onychinus, reader is not l&ds!mc, sylus is a little ooc, main story spoilers, melodic weave spoilers, lots of timeskip, fast-paced, lore heavy, unrequited love, profanity, petnames (kitten, sweetie), explicit smut, cunnilingus (f!receiving), unprotected sex, creampie, espionage, reader smoking, reckless driving, violence, spitting, choking, jealousy, usage of guns, suicide (or attempts thereof), death, and a twist in the end i can’t reveal.

♱ notes. 10.4k words too lazy to edit T-T also, there’s a scene that will remind you of nwh :))) part 1 is already fine as is, so this one is just an extra.

— 1 YEAR AFTER.

“Got an invitation?”

Only barely did you lift your head up, just enough to meet the bouncer’s eyes as you handed over the invitation. “I’m a regular.”

“Lady, I don’t think so.” The man scrutinized you with itching suspicion, then turned on his flashlight to verify the authenticity of your invitation by looking at every corner of the paper. Was he trying to look for any flaw just to say it was fake? Jesus. For an entire minute, his eyes darted between you and the letter, as though debating whether or not to let you inside.

“Come on,” you said impatiently, tapping your feet on the ground, “I’m not someone you should keep waiting.”

He was ready with a rebuttal, still reluctant to let you in, until a familiar sight of purple hair peeked from behind the entrance. Your savior for the night—it was Rafayel.

“Let her in,” he said, ushering you inside and giving the bouncer a knowing look. “She’s with me.”

Fucking finally. 

The neon red LED signage of The Nest flickered against the grimy walls, serving as the only bright light in the sketchy dark surroundings. The bar was a haven for those seeking refuge from the law and a place to trade secrets, as it was brimming with intel from a network of people. From high ranking officials, businessmen, and criminals—just offer your part of the bargain and you’d find a good trade in no time. 

It wasn’t your first time there, but your negative impression of the place remained unchanged.

You strode through the crowd with Rafayel, and your eyes scanned the room with practiced ease. There were still familiar faces around, though most of the people had gone unrecognized as it had been awhile since you last came here. 

“Wearing a hoodie in a place like this,” Rafayel spoke into your ear, his voice barely audible over the loud music. “You stick out like a sore thumb, you know?”

You merely shrugged, keeping your face hidden under the large black hoodie until Rafayel secured you inside a private balcony he had reserved for the night. Once inside, you quickly pulled the hoodie down and comfortably revealed your face.

“Just give me what I asked you so I can leave,” you commanded, your tone assertive.

Rafayel, however, only smirked as he sat on the couch across from you. “Be patient. We’re still missing one person.”

One person? “Who—” Your attention was caught by the figure of a lean, white-haired man entering the private balcony in a calm and quiet manner. A person so familiar to you that you couldn’t even keep eye contact with him. Xavier. 

Xavier might be civil around you, but you knew that if the circumstances were different, he would have let Lumiere show up to assassinate you in one strike. It didn’t matter if you were colleagues before, he still always had his guard around you. Though, things had become more complicated for everyone. And friends who had become enemies, were now allies again. 

Somehow.  

“Well, isn’t this a delightful gathering? I have two wanted individuals in the N109 Zone here with me,” you quipped, pointing to Rafayel first. “You’ve got a bounty on your head,” then to Xavier, “You’ve got a bounty on your head, too. Damn, I’d be rich if I turned you both in.”

Xavier stayed leaning against the door with his arms crossed. “That makes three of us, then,” he replied in a stolid mien, nodding toward the wall behind you.

Your eyes adjusted from the dark before it finally landed on a large, tattered poster pinned to the wall near the bar. The bold letters at the top read the following:

MOST WANTED! Y/N L/N Alias: Scarlet Viper Reward: 500,000,000 Credits Crimes: Betrayal of Onychinus Espionage Intelligence Leaks Treason Status: Traitor Last Known Location: N109 Zone, Linkon City Beware: Y/N L/N is considered extremely dangerous and cunning. She is highly skilled in espionage and intelligence gathering, and is now a traitor to Onychinus. Approach with extreme caution. All bounty hunters and loyal Onychinus followers are authorized to apprehend her by any means necessary. Payment will be made upon successful capture or confirmation of her whereabouts. Contact: Report all sightings and information to the Onychinus base. Payment is guaranteed for verified leads.

The grainy image was unmistakable—it was your own face in that poster staring back at you. But instead of acting hurt or even alarmed, a laugh bubbled up from deep within you, growing louder and more unhinged as you took in the sight. Heads turned from outside the private room, curious and wary, as your laughter echoed through the balcony.

“Crazy bastard,” you muttered to yourself between fits of laughter. “Sylus really went all out this time, huh?”

Preferably Alive? You mused at the highlighted words on the poster. Did he want me alive so he’d be the one to kill me? 

The absurdity of it all washed over you. Here you were, once Sylus’s most trusted confidante, now branded a traitor with a bounty on your head. Even Luke and Kieran wouldn’t spare you. In fact, they might even be the first ones to capture you had they received the slightest intel on your whereabouts. Ha ha ha! Your maniacal laughter was a cocktail of bitterness, amusement, and the thrill of the rebellion that had driven you to this point. The very people you treated like family, were now your enemies. 

You composed yourself, wiping a tear from the corner of your eye as you glanced around. The patrons were still watching—Xavier with concern for your sanity, and Rafayel with amusement to your charade. 

“Not what you expected from your ‘lover’?” mocked Rafayel, shifting into a more comfortable position.

But you were ready with a confident reply. “Oh, I expected just as much. It’s flattering, really, that he hasn’t found me despite all his connections.”

Xavier adopted a more serious tone when he added, “He hasn’t been seen anywhere himself. It’s been months since the raid happened, and the Onychinus faction is still leaderless.”

“Sylus isn’t that pathetic,” you replied, pulling a pack of cigarettes from your pocket. You lit one up with a flick of your lighter, and the flame briefly illuminated your face. “He’s just laying low. He’s got plenty of properties to hide in, but the H.A. will need to pay me extra if they want intel on his locations.”

Rafayel smirked. “Oh, come on now, we know you won’t give up his hideouts that easily. You still care about his safety after all. Right, Miss Scarlet?”

You displayed a defensive stance as referred to you by your alias. “I care about whether or not that hunter girl you’re all obsessed with stopped chasing after him,” you said, irritation now lacing your once-sarcastic tone. “A deal’s a deal. Keep her out of the N109 Zone and away from Sylus, and I’ll keep my hands off her. Otherwise, I’ll be happy to send a bullet or two to her head.”

“You—” “Don’t even try—”

Both boys sprang from their seats and yelled simultaneously, as if your vague threat against the apple of their eyes activated their mode of defensiveness. In all honesty, you admired how much they cared to protect that girl. That despite their rivalry, they were willing to do anything to keep her safe. You were the biggest threat to her life right now, but eliminating you wasn’t exactly an easy feat now that the H.A. had your back. 

So, this was their compromise. A mutually beneficial arrangement. In simpler terms, they need to keep the girl away from Sylus. Giving intel about Onychinus and its boss was already your part of the bargain. Theirs was to ensure that the hunter girl had no means to contact Sylus or even enter N109 Zone whenever she wanted. 

“Hand out her brooch,” you demanded, gesturing for Rafayel to hand out the very piece you were here for. “It’s about time I come home.” 

Rafayel’s eyes widened in curiosity. “You’re really returning to the N109 Zone?” 

Xavier’s face mirrored his concern, likely because you carried the largest bounty of all the wanted fugitives in the most dangerous No-Hunt Zone. But honestly, their unease puzzled you. If they wanted to keep the girl safe, having you out of Linkon City would be to their advantage. Besides, the brooch would give you unrestricted access to the N109 Zone—something you wanted to take from the hunter girl who generously received it from Sylus.

“Stop stalling and give it to me,” you insisted, your frustration growing by the second. “I’m sick of this place.”

Rafayel sighed and tossed the brooch to you. “You must be crazy.”

~~

— 1 YEAR AGO.

“You’ve already taken everything from me, Sylus. Finish what you started.”

Sylus had the power to end you right then and there. If he truly intended to kill you to protect that woman, all he needed was to intensify the pressure of his evol around you. Yet, as he observed the shifting expressions on your face, Sylus chose to ease the bone-crushing pressure of the black-red mist that encircled your body.

You collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath like fish out of the sea. But Sylus looked down at you with a cold, unyielding gaze. “I’m just showing you mercy now,” he said, his voice devoid of its usual warmth. “If you dare touch her, I’ll break every bone in your body for real next time. You’re just gonna be another dead body to me.”

With that final threat, Sylus kicked your gun away and vanished into the dead of night, leaving you alone and vulnerable in the dark alleyway. Even Mephisto, who often guarded your safety, was completely out of sight. Sylus must be happy knowing that his last words pierced through your soul—its pain gnawing at your heart and ripping every artery apart. How easily was it for him to tear you asunder despite giving you his mercy? The turmoil inside you was almost unbearable, and you didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Ultimately, you chose both.

Sitting on the gravel, you clenched your fists, tears mingling with the dirt on the concrete. Anger, spite, and hatred consumed you. All you wanted was revenge.

And so, a few weeks after that, you decided to pack your bags and run away from the N109 Zone. Away from the place where Sylus was the boss of everyone. Away from a place where his omnipresence would not reach or track you.

Your destination of choice was Linkon, not because you wanted to live in that city, but because it was once your home. Returning to the bustling metropolis after four years was driven by a single purpose, and it was to see a few key people who could help you achieve your revenge.

The bright and busy streets of Linkon City were still a stark contrast to the dark and gritty atmosphere of the N109 Zone. But because you had lived most of your years here than its more dangerous counterpart, it was easy for you to maneuver through the fast-moving crowd while navigating through the complicated subway stations that even Luke and Kieran would struggle with. That day, your mind was set on your first destination: Akso Hospital.

Dr. Zayne’s clinic was tucked away in a quiet corner of the hospital. While it took some finesse to secure an appointment under a false name, you managed it without raising suspicion. After all, four years in the N109 Zone had taught you how to camouflage into roles you never expected to play.

Obviously, he was surprised to see you entering his clinic as if he had seen a ghost. His usual stoic countenance was momentarily replaced by a state of discombobulation when you finally sat across from him in his sterile, white office. “Zayne,” you cut straight to the chase. “I need to know about the girl with the Aether Core.”

Four years ago, Zayne was the last person you talked to about the Aether Core before plunging into the dangers of the N109 Zone. He knew more about it than anyone else in Linkon. Therefore, he would also be the first person you sought out upon your return.

Dr. Zayne’s expression remained impassive, however. “I’m afraid patient confidentiality prevents me from discussing any details.”

You leaned forward, your voice low and urgent, as you pressed a hand against his desk. “I’m not here for pleasantries, Zayne. I need answers. How and where does she have it?”

You had to know. You really, badly ought to know. Because knowing where she had the Aether Core would acquaint you where exactly to target her when the opportunity arises.

But in spite of the desperation in your voice, Dr. Zayne regarded you with a cool, clinical detachment. “Whatever you’re planning, I would prefer that you don’t involve an innocent person in it. If you want answers, seek it somewhere else.”

Dammit! His actions and strange avoidance of the subject were all the hints you needed. Zayne liked that girl. And he would never be the person to put her in a dangerous position. 

In that case, there was only one place left to turn, a place you had avoided for far too long. It even took you three days to gather the confidence you needed to even step foot into the familiar halls of The Hunter's Association’s most secretive department, the Hunter Intelligence Services or the HIS—the very place where undercover agents and intelligence officers resided. It was hidden beneath the city and only the high ranking hunters knew and had access to it, because being a spy certainly wasn’t for the weak heart. 

It was time to confront your true past.

The entryway to the headquarters didn’t change. And to your surprise, pulling out your access card still granted you entrance to the quarters. Were they anticipating your return or did they simply miss the task of revoking your access card?

Descending further into the underground facility, however, you were met with a familiar sense of unease. The sterile, metal hallways seemed to close in around you as you approached Lauryn’s office. She was the head of the department, your true boss, and the person who tasked you into infiltrating the N109 Zone four years ago.

Lauryn was there as you entered, her sharp eyes narrowing as she crossed her arms at you. You were right. She did anticipate your arrival, because the advanced CCTV monitors around the city were displayed all over the room. “What brings you back to the fold?” she asked, stern and unwelcoming, “Are you going to beg on my knees for turning your back against the Hunter’s Association?”

Feisty as ever. Her austerity was harsher than you remembered, but then again, there was no room for shame after all the crimes you committed while supposedly being a spy in the N109 Zone. 

“I need your help,” you admitted, shamelessly. “I have intel on Sylus and the Onychinus. Extremely valuable information that you need. In exchange, there’s something I want you to do.” 

Lauryn’s expression was unreadable as she leaned back against the wall. “So, you’ve decided to turn on your beloved Sylus? What happened to your loyalty? Is it always this unstable?”

You took a deep breath, not allowing her words to get to you. “I just… need to protect my interests.”

“Interests?” The woman guffawed at your chosen words. “And do your interests also include betraying the H.A. because you fell in love with the enemy? Or did the enemy also betray you that’s why you’re crawling back here now?” 

She hit the sore spot, but you masked your voice with defensive indifference. “If that’s how you define it, then so be it. I’m not asking to be recruited by the H.A. again, I know that. I broke the Hunter’s Code and I’m marked as a Tenebra now, but…” Letting out a heavy exhale, you looked into her eyes, “Lauryn, you know I have the most intel you’ll get about Sylus and Onychinus out of everyone. Not even Xavier as Lumiere would have this much intel as I do.” 

How could she deny such an offer? You knew the temptation was heavy since you were speaking the truth; you worked for Sylus for four years. You have all the necessary intel they need to even get to him.

For a millisecond, you caught the corner of Lauryn’s lips twitching upwards with a glint of approval hiding in her eyes, but she was pretty good at concealing her emotions. “Very well. Share your intel, and I’ll see what I can do.”

~~

The past year had been a blur of longing and subterfuge. 

You supplied Lauryn with detailed intelligence on Onychinus’s illicit activities, including their smuggling routes, black market transactions, and the clandestine trade of armory and protocores with corrupt officials. You also exposed Sylus’s personal connections to the high ranking officials who were secretly doing business with him. This information immediately set off a series of events aimed at destabilizing Onychinus, providing sufficient evidence to provoke a significant response from the Hunter’s Association and law enforcement.

In return, you requested two things: 1) for the Hunter’s Association to offer you protection and support against Onychinus’s threats; and 2) for them to enforce restrictions and surveillance on the hunter girl, ensuring she remained completely isolated from Sylus and the N109 Zone.

It would have been better if they had chastised her. You had convinced Lauryn that a public whipping would be the perfect punishment, but the H.A. upheld principles far better than yours. After all, you had been stripped of your morality after living in a lawless environment under the influence of the mastermind himself. Being in the N109 Zone for too long dehumanized you. But for your peers in Linkon… they could never harm that hunter girl for some reason, and had been treating her like a valuable asset under everyone's protection—even Sylus’s.

You hated it. You hated her. And each time you caught a glimpse of her around Linkon, your hands were often itching to take out a gun and end her life. 

But that was easier said than done. Besides, you decided to harness all of your anger towards Sylus himself because he was the one who had tossed you aside after she came to his life. He was the one responsible for the wounds in your heart that would never heal. 

It had been a year. You wondered if he ever even thought about you, or did his anger completely consume him to the point where all he wanted to do was kill you? 

“Of course,” you mumbled under your breath, scoffing as you remembered the bounty he had placed on you. He was definitely apoplectic at the fact that you ruined his plans, and that you took his precious hunter girl away from him. The thought of you betraying him and Onychinus probably made him ballistic. 

But to think about it, who betrayed who first?

Everyone knew the difficulty of getting into the N109 Zone. Keeping yourself safe while inside the lawless city was also another struggle. Yet, for someone like you who belonged here better than in Linkon, you were already used to the ins and outs of its dangerous scene. And having the hunter girl’s brooch was your gateway to return to the city unsuspiciously. 

Pushing through the throng of people, you made your way to a nondescript door at the back of the bar. Two burly guards stood in front, their expressions deadpan as they eyed the beaked mask you were wearing. You wore the Onychinus uniform, one that was similar to Luke and Kieran’s, in order to hide your identity. For now. 

“Is it a man?” 

“No, a woman! Look at her body behind the uniform.” 

“You think we should let her in?”

“Idiot, she’s from Onychinus! You can’t deny her entrance.”

With a nod, you handed over a small token—your entry pass to the underground fight club that operated in the depths of an abandoned warehouse. “Fellas, I have a pass if you need it.” 

The guards stepped aside, finally allowing you entry after you showed a token that was marked by the Onychinus insignia. And as you descended the dimly lit staircase, the roar of the crowd and the unmistakable sound of fists meeting flesh grew louder. The anticipation began to thrum in your veins.

You weren’t entirely sure why you were here, but you knew you needed information on Sylus. Anywhere. And what better way to hear about him than to visit a place where his presence often loomed large? Maybe you could even take out your frustrations in the ring tonight. With every punch and kick, you would remind yourself of the path you had chosen—a path leading to Sylus’s downfall, no matter the cost.

As you stepped into the arena, an irregular thumping in your heart began to destabilize you. You forced yourself to focus, squeezing between people loudly cheering for the current match, screaming their biases, and trash-talking the opponents. Clusters of people gathered around the ring and placed their bets on their favorite fighters. How nostalgic, you mused. You used to come here with Sylus on Friday nights. And turned the rest of those active nights into passionate ones.

Now’s not the time to reminisce. Your chest was starting to feel tighter, unsure if it was because of the crowd or the uncomfortable thought of being back in the N109 Zone. But the more time you spent inside the fight club, the more your heart felt like it was being squeezed. You had to make a move now before it was too late. 

The fight club continued to throb with a visceral energy, and you stood in the shadows, the hood of your cloak still pulled low to hide the overwhelming pressure you were feeling inside your body. You managed to weave through the people, while your ears were attuned to the murmur of conversations in hopes of catching intel on Sylus. 

That was, until a group of grizzled men to your left caught your attention, and their voices were rising above the din.

“I’ve got five hundred credits on the big guy,” one of them boasted, slapping a hefty stack of bills into the hand of a bookie.

“You’re gonna lose,” another jeered. “That scrawny kid’s faster. I bet he’ll surprise everyone.”

You lingered nearby, pretending to adjust your hoodie while listening intently to their conversation.

“Hey, did you hear about Sylus?” one man whispered, his tone dropping to a conspiratorial murmur.

Your pulse quickened at the mention of his name, and you took a step closer, careful not to draw attention.

“Yeah. He hasn’t been seen in weeks, ain’t he? Word is, he’s gone underground. Something big must’ve gone down.”

“Big? That’s an understatement. They say someone ratted him out to the Hunter’s Association that’s why his base got raided. He’s also got a bounty on his head now, and not just any bounty—a serious one. Every hunter and merc in the zone's looking for him.”

“What about the hot chick he’s been seen with? You think she’s involved?”

“Dunno,” the first man whispered. “But if she’s smart, she’ll lay low. Sylus doesn’t take kindly to betrayal, and neither do his people.”

You bit your lip as the urge to ask questions was getting heavy. But you knew better. Drawing attention to yourself now could be disastrous. So, you had to think of how to navigate this situation first. The fight in the ring reached a fever pitch, and the crowd’s roar swelled. Perhaps joining today’s fight might not be a good idea after all, and instead, you should harness your remaining energy into preparing for the time you would have to face Onychinus again. 

Sylus was in hiding, the hunter girl had been isolated, and you had made yourself a target.

It was for the best that you stormed out of the fight club, helmet on, speeding away on a motorcycle you had rented. Riding in the N109 zone was always a thrilling escape, and it now became your dangerous distraction from the turbulent thoughts that plagued your mind. Sylus. Sylus. Sylus. Where did he hide? 

In your trail of thoughts, you revved the engine, and its roar echoed along the stretch of dark roads as you maneuvered your bike towards the highway. 

There was no other vehicle around you.

Until a truck appeared. 

Not just any truck—it was a supertruck, with its headlights blazing and tailing you like a predator. 

The lights tried to blind you, but you took off, and the world around you instantly became a blur of speed and sound. You leaned into the bike, feeling the wind whip against your face as you cornered into the nearest exit. But no matter how fast you went, you couldn’t outrun such a large, fast-moving vehicle. You knew that if you didn’t accelerate into sixth gear or until you hit the rev limiter, you would be dead. 

He’s fucking out for me! 

Lost in thought, your eyes focused too much on looking back and forth between the road and the stealth mirrors before you got rear-ended by the truck. The impact was jarring, and it sent you flying off your bike and crashing onto the hard, cold ground. Upon impact alone, pain immediately exploded in your body. And the burning, stinging sensation was brought upon by the road rash you obtained after you skidded along the rough concrete road. It was intense pain—like a thousand searing needles piercing every inch of your skin. Your flesh felt as if it were being flayed by red-hot knives, each scrape and cut screaming with a fire that seemed unquenchable. The raw, exposed nerves throbbed violently, sending electric shocks of pain through your entire body, and making every heartbeat feel like a hammer blow. 

Aghh! It was a relentless, burning torment, and the slightest movement amplified the suffering, every breath dragging razors through your shredded skin. But you refused to cry out, refusing to give the culprit the satisfaction. Was it Sylus? 

As much as you wanted to lift your helmet and find the culprit, the shock from the crash was an all-consuming inferno of agony, the kind that made the world blur and darken at the edges, and eventually pulled you into a black abyss of unconsciousness.

The last thing you remembered was being carried in the arms of a man. 

~~

“Think she’s in a coma?”

Voices filtered through your ears, distant yet distinct. Familiar, mischievous voices that sent a shiver down your spine. You could barely open your eyes, your fingers twitching as you slowly regained consciousness.

“Maybe.” That was Luke’s voice. “Or maybe she’s just pretending. Wouldn’t put it past her after she spied on us for years.”

“Yeah, she’s good at that,” Kieran egged on. “Always scheming, always one step ahead. And she’s tougher than she looks! Surviving that crash?”

“But not invincible.”

Their exchange suddenly took a halt, replaced by a discomfiting silence that made you wish you could force your eyes open in a mere count to ten. You tried to move, to make a sound, to let them know you were not in a coma, that you could hear every word. But your body remained stubbornly still, as if pressed down by an unseen weight. 

“You think boss-man will forgive her?” It was Kieran who asked, a hint of genuine curiosity in his voice.

Luke snorted. “Forgive? She’s a traitor. If she wakes up, she’s a dead woman walking.”

No! Upon realizing that this wasn’t a dream or a figment of your imagination, the beat of your heart began to accelerate, vibrating loud and aggressive against your chest. The sound of the twins’ footsteps eventually faded, leaving you alone in the oppressive silence of your half-conscious state. Fear and regret coiled within you, but there was also a flicker of determination. 

That if you wake up—when you wake up—you would have to face Sylus. And you would have to find a way to survive.

Time lost its meaning as you floated between wakefulness and sleep. A minute, an hour, days must have gone by. Eventually, you could hear classical music being played in the background and became aware of a new presence in the room, then a weight on the edge of your bed. That familiar cardamom and leather scent. A hand soon brushed your forehead, cool and gentle. Sylus? You wanted to open your eyes, to see him, to speak, but your body refused to obey.

“You can’t hide from me forever,” his voice murmured. His breath was warm when you felt it on your ear. “Wake up, kitten. We have unfinished business.” 

Darkness tugged at you again, pulling you under, but not before the fear took root. The weight on your chest suddenly lifted, as if an invisible force released its hold on you. Your eyes then snapped open and your lungs burned as you dragged in deep, desperate gulps of air. 

“Where—” You struggled to sit up with your weak body trembling from days of enforced stillness. Every movement felt foreign, muscles protesting as you pushed yourself upright. The room spinned for a moment before your vision cleared, and you saw him.

“Awake?” Sylus stood at your side, his crimson eyes burning with fire as he looked down on you like a master to his subject. 

“What… what did you do to me?” you manage to ask even though your voice was hoarse. “It was y-you in that truck!” 

“Oh, honey. I don’t ride in cheap trucks. Besides, I saved you from that crash,” Sylus replied, almost nonchalantly. “A ‘thank you’ would be nice. And also a ‘long time no see’, don’t you think?”

If it wasn’t him on that truck, then… “It’s still a hitman you hired because of that bounty!”

Sylus didn’t change. His silky gray hair, his vivid carmine eyes, his pinkish thin lips. Whenever he smirked, it was still the handsome old him. “I won’t deny that, sweetie. But I had to kill the guy for doing a poor job. My instructions were to not get you badly injured, and only to scare you.” 

“Liar,” you spat, “I bet you’d be happier if I was incapacitated.”

“Please. You’d serve no good to me if you’re dead or permanently disabled.” Sylus reached down to pull the duvet away from your body, and your supposed road rash and injuries were seemingly gone, replaced by newly-healed scars. “Your body needed time to recover, and I couldn’t afford to lose you. Not yet. So I had to put you in an induced state.” 

His words sent a chill down your spine. How he did it, you had no idea, but with Sylus, anything was possible. Anything! After all, he had all the connections and the rarest protocores. 

“Three days,” he continued, stepping closer, his gaze never leaving your face as he lifted your chin with his finger. “I kept you under for three days. Enough time for your wounds to heal. You recognize where you are?”

When he trailed off, you looked around the room and realized you weren’t in the Onychinus base nor his presidential suite. It was one of his many residences—the underground shelter. 

“Why are we here?” you asked, your voice trembling despite your efforts to sound strong.

Sylus extended a hand once more, his fingers brushing a strand of hair away from your face. His touch was surprisingly gentle, but his eyes remained hard, unreadable. “Ask that to yourself, kitten,” he says quietly. “We’re here because an ungrateful stray cat decided to leak the location of my other residences.”

You swallowed hard when you felt him grab you by the neck, his tight grip restraining any air from entering your windpipe. “S-Sylus!” 

His eyes had unruly flames beneath them. “You were a spy?” 

As his grip loosened a little to let you speak, you still ended up choking from asphyxiation. “S-So what if I was?” You tried to push him off. “It only means I caught you lacking. You allowed me to infiltrate Onychinus without knowing my background.” 

Sylus’s hand trailed gently over your cheek, his touch lingering longer than necessary.  “I’d blame it on your cunning face,” he said, almost seductively. He then shifted to lower himself onto the bed, both knees on either side of you, pinning you down. His eyes locked onto yours with a dark, predatory gleam. “Any man is a willing fool to a pretty face and a sexy body.”

You swatted his hand in response, your back hitting the headboard as you scrambled for distance. “How many times have you recycled that line between me and that hunter girl with the Aether Core?” 

At the mention of her, Sylus’s deep chuckle erupted and reverberated through the dark room. It was a chilling sound that was full of twisted amusement. “Ah, I almost forgot about the root of your betrayal,” he remarked with a mocking grin. “Jealousy.”

“You wouldn’t be laughing if I had killed her,” you spat, struggling to break free as Sylus slammed you back onto the bed. “Let me go—!” It was a fierce contest of strength, with you pinned beneath him, and him on top of you in an undeniable display of dominance. But you fought back. You resisted. And in an effort to offend, you ejected spit onto his cheek. “Let go!” 

Sylus was caught off guard, but he stayed unfazed, wiping your spit from his cheek before gripping your neck again. “You really want to play this game, honey? I love how sick in the head you are.”

“You m-made me like this.” You choked in between words. “In the end, I still achieved my goal. Now you have no way to see or contact that girl.”

“Says who?” Sylus’s sarcastic tone made your heart sink. Is he still in touch with her?!

“What do you—”

“Don’t be dense, kitten.” Sylus soon grabbed you by the collar, handling you like a ragdoll as he threw you onto the floor with a resounding thud. Pain shot through your hip, but Sylus’s expression held no remorse. You knew he could do worse. “I have my own ways of ensuring she’s safe and protected. I can still see her whenever I want.”

That was when the tears started to fall uncontrollably. You couldn’t stop them—nor could you hold back the words that poured out. “Y-You! I ran away from the N109 Zone for a whole year. I disappeared from your life for a whole goddamn year, Sylus. Yet not once did you look for me, not once did you worry about me, not once did you make sure I was safe. But for her, you—”

“It’s only natural to protect someone important to you.” He crouched down to meet your eyes as if pouring salt to the wound. “I’d let the world burn for her, honey. You and her aren’t the same. She’s not someone who would betray me.” 

“I betrayed you because of her!” 

His laughter died down, but the amusement in his eyes only deepened. The cruel curve of his lips was the kind of smile that enjoyed seeing your agony. “It’s always been about her, hasn’t it? You see me with her, and you can’t stand it. It eats at you, makes you act out.”

You tried to move away, but he kept his foot firmly on your wrist, stepping on your hand was his constant reminder of your powerlessness. The distance between you was a stark symbol of how he saw you—a mere object of disdain.

“I’ve seen your struggle,” he continued, his voice soft but laced with wicked satisfaction. “The way you watched me with her, the way it gnaws at you. It’s almost poetic, really.”

In a moment of desperation, you snatched the nearest weapon from his nightstand while tears blurred your vision. It hurt. His words, his treatment, and the stark difference in how he treated her compared to you were too much. You should have ended this long ago before he had the chance to wreck you all over again.

And so, with a gun in your hand, you cocked and raised it. 

But instead of pointing it towards Sylus, you surprised him by pointing it to yourself. 

The gun’s nozzle was pressed against your temple, your finger inching toward the trigger. 

“...All I wanted was your love,” you choked out with tears cascading down your face, flowing out like an endless waterfall, “I j-just wanted you to love me. I turned my back on the H.A. for you. I left all my friends and family for you.” Your breathing was still for a moment. “Now I don’t have anyone left.” Pausing, you locked eyes with his crimson ones. You didn’t want him to be the one to kill you, because the thought alone was fatal. “All I had was you. I loved you. I devoted all my body and soul into loving you, Sylus. Why c-can’t I have even a little bit in return?”

Even as his gaze softened, as a flicker of regret crossed his features, you already drove your finger to pull the trigger. The recoil immediately jolted through your wrist, but before the bullet could find its mark and penetrate your skull, Sylus’s hand shot out and expertly deflected your aim. So instead of blowing your brains out, the bullet ricocheted off the now-shattered window.

“Are you out of your mind?!” Sylus roared, his orotund voice an amalgam of anger and disbelief.

Tears blurred your vision, but you were still able to look at his bright red eyes as he cupped your cheeks. Your entire body shook hysterically for someone who had just almost ended her own life. This is what he wanted, right? You asked yourself over and over, but couldn’t find the energy to respond to his calls for your name. 

“Y/N,” Sylus agitatedly tried to shake you, “Y/N! Enough. Let’s end this game.” 

You stared at his face blankly as reality flickered and faded, like an old film reel skipping frames. “I was never playing one with you.”

Sylus was suddenly a different person in front of you. “I warned you many times before to never fall in love with me. It’s for the best, and it’s what will keep you safe,” he spoke in a low yet softened tone, “Why don’t you listen?”

The tension in the room was suffocating, and each second dragged into eternity. Sylus’s question remained unanswered until the loud burst of the door shattered the silence. You flinched, heart pounding, as you saw the very subject of your heartbreak.

The hunter girl stormed in, eyes wild in fear. “Sylus! Are you okay? I heard a gunshot—” she cried out, scanning the room frantically until her gaze landed on the two of you. She then froze, taking in the sight of you and Sylus on the floor, the gun lying ominously near your hand. Putting two-and-two together probably made her think that you tried to kill the man in front of you. “Sylus, step back!”

“Wait!”

Without hesitation, she aimed her gun squarely at you. But right before you could react, the gun was fired. And the shattering sound of another gunshot echoed in the room.

Time seemed to slow as you fell, the world spinning around you when you felt a sudden, searing pain on your head. Sylus’s eyes widened in shock, his hand reaching out just in time to catch you before your head hit the floor. 

“No!” Sylus’s voice was raw, hysterical, filled with a pain you’d never heard from him before as he cradled your head gently—his face a mask of both horror and disbelief when your blood pooled on his arms. “Y/N, no! Fuck, what did you do?!”

You struggled to focus, your vision blurring as darkness encroached. Sylus’s eyes were strangely wet with tears, desperation etched into every line of his sharp features. The Sylus you knew wouldn’t cry over someone unimportant to him. So, why…? 

You tried to speak, but the effort was monumental.

Who knew that your life would end at the hands of another woman?

Yet, it was the karma you deserved for your wrongdoings.

“I... love... you,” you whispered to Sylus, nonetheless. Each word was a struggle, and your breath hitched as you forced them out, but you had to let him know. For the last time. 

You saw the pain in his eyes deepen, and for a moment, you felt a flicker of something close to peace. That was when Sylus’s grip tightened, his tears falling onto your face as he held you close. “Y/N, please,” he begged, his voice breaking. “Don’t leave. I can’t let this happen!”

He must have noticed how your eyes were glassy and unfocused, staring off into the distance without really seeing anything. Pure numbness was you would best describe it. And as your life slipped away, you felt a strange sense of relief. 

In the battle of hearts, he was the conqueror, and you, the conquered. His love was a war you couldn’t win, and your loss, a defeat you couldn’t bear. For in his eyes, you saw both your greatest triumph and your deepest fall, where the lines between the victor and the vanquished blurred into the shadows of a bittersweet end.

But at least, you had said what mattered most, and that in your final moments, you were held by the one person you loved. The rightful owner of your heart. The conqueror of your soul. It was him, Sylus Qin, and no one else.

~~

— 1 YEAR AFTER.

“Two black coffees, three espressos, and a caramel macchiato, extra caramel!” A peculiar guy placed orders one after another, followed by his twin’s mischievous laughter. 

You turned to face them, offering a polite smile even though you were worried deep inside if they were just pulling a prank. They were regulars, always coming in with their complicated orders and playful banter. Yet, something about them seemed oddly familiar, and they always gave you a nagging sensation you couldn’t quite place.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the small café you were working at in the Bloomshore District. You were standing behind the counter while the rush of customers was relentless. You barely even had a moment to catch your breath today, and here came the twins creating yet another one of their complicated orders. 

“Coming right up,” was your monotonous reply, your hands deftly moving to prepare their drinks. But as you worked, the twins exchanged amused glances, their eyes flicking over you with a mix of curiosity and disappointment.

“Actually, can I make a small change to that?” the other twin interjected with a grin.

You sighed inwardly but kept your smile. “Sure, what would you like?”

“Okay, so for the black coffee, can you add a splash of almond milk, two pumps of hazelnut syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top?” one of the twins began. “For the espressos, I need one with a shot of vanilla, one with a shot of caramel, and the last one with a double shot of mint. And for the caramel macchiato, make sure it's extra caramel, but can you also add a dash of sea salt and a drizzle of dark chocolate on top?”

Gosh. They were menaces. 

“Do you think you can remember our orders?” the other twin remarked, leaning on the counter. “Because you don’t seem to remember our names.”

You chuckled, shaking your head. “We have lots of customers everyday. I’m not really good with names.”

When the bell above the door chimed, your attention was immediately drawn to the towering man with ash gray hair and bright crimson eyes. His presence was commanding even in the relaxed atmosphere of the café; he carried such a dominant aura that even the twins backed off from pestering you the moment he entered the coffee shop.

“Good evening, Mr. Skye,” you greeted, your tone warming at the sight of him. The man had become a regular fixture in your life. Every day, like clockwork, he came in for his coffee, and every day, he lingered just a bit longer, watching you with eyes that seemed to see more than you could comprehend.

He nodded, his eyes staying on you while he was pointing towards the twins. “Are they bothering you?” 

You were under the impression that the twins worked for Mr. Skye, but the type of relationship they had with their boss was none of your business. That was why although the twins could get really annoying as customers, especially when they tend to change their orders a lot, you still didn’t want them to get in trouble over something as little as that.

“No, they’re fine,” you answered with a smile. “Are you going to get the usual today, Mr. Skye?”

“Yes, please.” The tall man studied your face with a focused gaze—it was as though he was trying to read your mind, trying to interpret the emotions on your face, as he looked at you intently. He always did this. Every single day he came in, even from afar, you had grown accustomed to his watchful gaze. Yet even with the awkwardness it brought, he also knew how to keep his distance. He always treated you with respect and was always the first person to come to your aid when things did get unruly in the cafe. Broken coffee machine, spilled coffee, entitled customers. Name it, and he was always present to help around.

It was strange. Really, really strange. And what’s even stranger was that, every time he looked at you, the tenderness in his eyes that often opposed the fiery red color of his irises. Perhaps, you really couldn’t judge a book by its cover. 

As you wrote his name on the plastic cup, you heard him suddenly clear his throat. “Miss Y/N, forgive me. I couldn’t help but notice that scar,” he said with a poignant stare, gesturing towards your temple. “Quite a story behind that, I imagine?”

Your hand instinctively touched the faint scar, a puzzled look crossing your face. You had always been insecure about the scar on your temple, because not only was it unattractive, it was also extremely visible. Not even a laser treatment could help clear it out. 

“Oh, uh… I’m not really sure how I got it,” you admitted, searching through your mind’s archive to no avail. “I was told it was while I was fighting off wanderers. I don’t remember much from that time because I’ve since retired from the Hunter’s Association.”

His eyes darkened for a moment, as if his heart dropped from a memory he had recalled, but he quickly masked his expression. “So, you’re a hunter?”

You shrugged. “Well, yeah. But it’s all in the past now.”

Mr. Skye stood there waiting for his order with an unreadable expression on his face. And you wondered why he looked heartbroken while lost in deep thought. Was he having a bad day? Going through a break-up? You weren’t nosey enough to ask. Eventually, his order was done and he took the cup, his fingers brushing against yours briefly. 

“Sometimes the past has a way of catching up to us.” His deep voice was smooth and soft when he spoke again. “But perhaps it’s best to focus on the present.”

You smiled, feeling a strange comfort in his words. “That’s what I’m trying to do.”

He hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Would you like to… have dinner with me sometime? I’d love to get to know you better.”

You blinked, surprised by the sudden invitation. A date?! You couldn’t remember the last time you were even in love. All you could recall was having a silly childhood crush on your neighbor, but then again, that was more than a decade ago. You knew nothing about dating at your age and it was ridiculous. But there was something about Mr. Skye, a familiarity you couldn’t ignore, and that rejecting his offer seemed wrong in your head. 

Besides, you couldn’t deny how extremely handsome he was. 

“Um, sure… Mr. Skye.”

“Perfect,” he said with a small smile, his gaze softening into one of genuine joy. “Tomorrow evening, then?”

Before you could agree on a schedule, the sudden flash of lightning illuminated the interior for a brief moment. Then, the subsequent crash of thunder made you jump, following the sound of rain pounding against the windows that filled the small space. Oh, boy. 

“Ugh. How am I going to get home in this weather?” you muttered to yourself.

Mr. Skye, who had been quietly watching you from his spot, gave you an offer. “Need a ride?” he asked, his voice gentle but carrying a note of urgency. “It’s too dangerous to walk or wait for a cab in this storm.”

You hesitated for a moment. “I’d really appreciate that, Mr. Skye. But what about your,” you pointed towards the oblivious twins who were sitting on the corner, “minions?” 

Your chosen term elicited a deep chuckle from the man. “Don’t mind them. They know their way back home.” 

“But boss!”

“Boss, you said you’ll let me drive the sportscar tonight!” 

“I’ll wait for you until your shift ends,” Mr. Skye ignored the duo and responded to you with an endearing smile. “No rush.” 

It didn’t take long until you locked up the shop, but you did feel bad that Mr. Skye had to stay with you until ten in the evening when he could have already gone home. In fact, he had been acting strange. Acting too familiar with you. Did he already know you prior to your small interactions in the cafe for the past few weeks? 

He held the door open for you as soon as you secured the shop, and together you ran through the torrential rain to his black sportscar. You were already aware that he was a wealthy man, and yet, you always wondered why he preferred a small, laid-back cafe in the Bloomshore Distrct rather than the lavish ones in Azure Square or even Universum. Was it to see you all along?

Jeez, you had so many unanswered questions in your head. Yet, you were also afraid to address the elephant in the room because you believed in the saying that ignorance is bliss. So in the end, the drive was quiet, the only sounds being the rhythm of the rain and the occasional rumble of thunder. Mr. Skye didn’t speak a word and nor did you.

Once you reached your apartment, he quickly rushed out of the car and headed to open your door. He even used his jacket as a makeshift umbrella, covering you from the heavy rainfall. It was almost funny, really, how his face screamed of danger but he was actually quite a gentleman. 

In return, you had to invite him in out of courtesy. “Would you like to come in for a while? It’s still pouring out there.”

He accepted your offer with a nod, and followed you like a tail inside. “Do you usually invite other people, too?” 

“Sometimes,” you casually answered while the both of you walked through the empty corridors. “Why?” 

“You aren’t talking about male colleagues, right?” he asked, seemingly taking a deep breath. 

That wasn’t any of his concern, obviously. But the drive to test his emotions was strong. “Sometimes,” you said, finally reaching your door and unlocking it with your fingerprint. “Welcome to my home.”

The warmth of your apartment was a stark contrast to the cold storm outside, and you felt a little conscious of your small living space knowing that he probably lived in a luxurious presidential suite. It didn’t help that he started looking around your place, as if studying the smallest details of every corner for a reason you couldn’t quite tell. You weren’t sure if he was simply silently judging the aesthetics of your home, but you were beginning to feel uncomfortable as you placed his coat on the rack, watching the way he stopped to look at your photo on the wall. 

It was like he felt a pang of sorrow. 

“You’ve really erased me completely, kitten,” he quietly whispered.

You turned to him, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“Maybe that’s for the better,” he replied, but his expression betrayed him. It was clear that he was holding back a flood of emotions. 

Your heart started to race, pounding at a rhythm that you had never experienced before. And just then, you could see how tears welled up in his eyes. Tears that he concealed by leaning in to capture your lips in a desperate kiss. His hands cupped your face, and you could feel the intensity of his suppressed feelings that seemed to transcend the confines of your apartment. The yearning. The longingness. Perhaps, it was even sprinkled with feelings of regret. 

“Mr. Skye, wait—!” You pulled away with wide, bewildered eyes, shocked by the fervor of his kiss. No matter how attractive he was, he was still a stranger to you. But then, your breath came in shallow gasps as a sudden, sharp pain began to explode in your head. A throbbing pulse spread from your temples and radiated outwards. It was a stabbing sensation that seemed to slice through your skull, as if a thousand needles were jabbing into your brain. What’s happening? 

Mr. Skye’s face appeared above you. “Does it hurt?” he asked softly, his voice laced with a mix of worry and something deeper. He was whispering something about a protocore in your head, but you could barely understand a word, not when the ache in your temple was overcoming you entirely. 

You were unable to form words, clutching your head with both hands in hopes of stopping the ache for even a little. But the pain was overwhelming. Too overwhelming for you to handle, and it came to a point where tears of pain began streaming down your face.

“I… I don’t know what’s happening,” you managed to whisper, your voice trembling. 

He gently guided you on the couch, his touch careful and soothing. “Just breathe,” he murmured, offering a comforting presence like buoy in an open sea. “It’s my fault, kitten. I shouldn’t have kissed you so suddenly.” The intensity of the moment had shifted because of how tender his touch was. “You’re safe here,” he gently whispered into your ear. “Let the pain pass. I’ll be here with you.”

As the pain began to subside, you could feel the storm in your head gradually receding. And in his presence, you felt a strange mix of comfort and unease.

Studies say that a kiss can help calm someone’s nerves. You weren’t sure where that research was based on, but it was your body who allowed itself to seek it from the man in front of you. While your mind was telling you no, your heart was urging you to grab his shirt and pull him, once again, to a passionate kiss. 

The kiss deepened naturally, and you found yourself responding to his need as the pull between you became irresistible. You were like a magnet to him—the force of attraction getting stronger and stronger the closer you were. Where was it coming from? How come you were drawn to him like a moth to a flame? 

And while you were engaged in a tight lip-locking moment, you both ended up walking towards your bedroom; stumbling towards the bed, hands exploring, hearts racing. Soon, you were lost in each other, and the world outside was forgotten. 

With both your clothes discarded on the floor, and with your steamy exchange continuing throughout the night, you found yourself eventually straddling him, moving your body to meet him with a gentle thrust. Every sway of your hips made his member hit you at your sweet spot, instantly sending a wave of pleasure within your body. 

“S-Sir—”

“Sylus,” he breathed into your ear, hands tracing your curve, “Call me Sylus, kitten.” 

Sylus. Sylus. The name sounded familiar yet foreign at the same time, but you were too sensually intoxicated to think about the history behind his name. All you could selfishly focus on at the moment was reaching your high. You were losing your mind over the euphoric sensation of having an intercourse with such a man who, not only was attractive on the face, but also on the body. 

Sylus was packed. His muscles were toned from a seemingly consistent active lifestyle and intense workout routines. It felt great when you ran your hands along his broad shoulders, down to his toned chest, and further down to his perfectly sculpted abs. 

“Mmh—!” A moan escaped your lips when you felt his shaft going deeper inside. “That’s…”

‘Good?” he whispered to your lips, encasing yours with his before he trailed his soft kisses around your neck. Each kiss definitely left a purple mark on your skin with the way he was suckling and nibbling on the flesh. 

God, he was huge, too. His member completely filled you, stretched you even, as his cocktip kissed your cervix in a single thrust. He was crazy good at knowing all your sensitive places, holding your hips down so he could start pounding you upwards. Your tits began to bounce wildly and you even had to hold onto the headboard for support, because he was starting to go deeper and faster inside you. 

“Ngh!” 

“You don’t know how much I’ve missed this,” he said in between shaky breaths before latching his mouth into your right tit. He devoured your breast like a meal, playing with the nipple with the precise movements of his tongue. It was so good. Crazy good. It made you wonder how he seemed hyper-aware of the things you liked in bed. But how would that be possible when this was your first time having sex with him? 

Sylus decided to shift the control by flipping you over, and hoisting your hips so he could lower his head down to your lady part. Your eyes almost rolled back when he spread your labia apart so he could lick your inner folds and taste every corner of your slick-coated cavern. 

“S-Sylus,” you whined as his tongue rapidly moved in and out of your entrance until drool oozed down on your cunt. His eyes fluttered as he pulled his face away, soon palming your wet vulva with slow strokes. “Mmh…” 

He eyed you with a tender gaze. “You’re so beautiful to me.” 

It was certainly odd that his compliment seemed to touch your heart deeper than intended—that if you weren’t doing sexual activities right now, your heart would have been fluttering from his sweetness, especially when he met your lips again with a soft, loving kiss. 

This time, he didn’t pull away. He didn’t detach his lips from yours, even as he was penetrating you with his cock again. With a single thrust, you were mewling into his mouth. His girthy member gave you a heavenly stretch that seemed to awaken the lustful demon inside of you. 

Even Sylus was cussing under his breath as he continued to slam his entire length in, soon increasing the speed of his penetration to a pace that made him reach his peak. At this point, the coil in your lower abdomen was beginning to intensify, and you were clamping around his cock as if your walls weren’t tight enough to make him release a series of guttural moans. 

“Are you near?” With a quick suction on your left breast, his own moans left his lips along with the loud squelching noises that filled the room. “‘Cause I am.” 

Coincidentally, you were just arching your back because of how near you were, too. With screams getting louder, gasps causing your mouths to part open, and two people connected into a single body—you disintegrated under him as your lower abdomen signaled your orgasm and your toes started curling. “Ngh—Haah! Aah!”

“Hold on for me, kitten.” Sylus pounded into you through your overstimulation, picking up the pace until spurts of seed were sent straight to your womb. His movements became sloppy and uneven, pulling out of you only to see his semen seeping out of your pussy. 

You couldn’t believe it. You couldn’t fucking believe you just hooked up with a stranger. 

But was he really one? Because your heart was telling you one thing, but your mind was telling you another. You didn’t know who to trust and listen to.  

After your passionate session, the room was filled with the sound of your breaths mingling. Sylus, still holding you close, leaned in to plant a soft kiss on your cheek, whispering, “How’s it?”

Curiosity got the better of you, and you asked the very question that had been plaguing your mind, “Sylus, please be honest with me,” you paused, “Did you know me before?” 

He was silent. 

But you continued, “What was our relationship?”

Sylus looked like he was contemplating his answer, his gaze distant. His eyes seemed to have found your ceiling interesting as he thought deeply, drawing in a deep breath, and gently caressing your arm. If you didn’t know better, you swore you could see the sorrow and resignation in his eyes—the somberness he tried to hide with a smile. 

“Let’s just say I’m a fool who was in love with you for years, but you never reciprocated my love.”

“How so?” you asked, turning to face him. You absorbed his words while the pain of his unrequited love intersected with your own confusion. His answer didn’t quite feel right, but if he was truly your lover, then you knew there was a level of trust you should be placing on him. “Why do I get the feeling that I was the one who experienced a one-sided love before?” 

“No, you were loved. You were very loved. There was no one else,” he continued, lachrymose eyes staring back at you as he stroked your hair, “I was the one who wasn’t worthy of you… But I’d like to try and win your heart again this time. If you allow it.” 

Sylus’s eyes locked onto yours, and for a moment, the facade of the composed, enigmatic man you had come to know seemed to crack. 

The vulnerability in his voice resonated with you, and you reached up to touch his face gently. “Sylus… I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry for not recognizing you before. I just… I lost a chunk of my memories, and I don’t know if it’s been altered or what, but…” Realizing that you were rambling, you took a deep breath. “I’ll try to remember, okay?”

“Please don’t.” He shook his head, a rueful smile playing on his lips while thinking of the past that was rightfully erased. “And there’s no need for apologies, sweetie. There wasn’t anything you did wrong.” 

As the rain continued its gentle patter against the window, you both settled into the quiet of the room until he pressed his lips onto yours once more. 

Sylus’s touch was tender as he brushed a stray strand of hair from your face. “You should know,” he said quietly and earnestly, “that this time, I’ll only have eyes for you.”

FINAL PART

[yashiro-arisugawa]

LDS thoughts/ theories because nothing else occupies my mind anymore these days

• Zayne stayed back in Snowcrest to help his prof with stuff but did anyone tell him that MC is going to N109 zone and putting herself in danger ? 🥲 I doubt, cuz he would come running back if he found out and stop her from going. What if he's worried sick and trying to reach her but can't get thru cuz regular Linkon network server don't work in N109.

• I can understand everyone is after Xavier cuz he's Lumiere but I'm super intrigued to find out why Raf has a bounty on his head. The World Underneath story where he talks to the hooded dude was super sus and ofc it's something to do with Lemuria.

• They said they're gonna be adding 'story branches' from sept ~ dec so basically route system? That would be super complicated imo cuz they will have to curate the story in different ways to fit the diff LIs tho that also reduces chances of Zayne just being sidelined in the main story. The LI switch screen shows "coming soon" and the red mark seems to be at halfway point so there's at least 1 more guy coming up if not 2. Perhaps they will get the new guy and after they're done introducing him, then they will start the branching.

• Now that we know that Sylus isn't the one who caused the explosion at MC's granny's house, I think it's most probably Carter's doing/ ppl from the Ever group. I don't remember the World Underneath Stories all that well so I will have to re read them to solidify the info in my head but I think all the researchers who worked on MC's aether core are all missing (?) So my inference is that Ever group was the one who lied to those researchers on some false pretext and then got them to experiment on MC (and possibly Sylus too). When the researchers found out about Ever's real motives for the experiment, they wanted to stop and then the Wanderer disaster happened and they got dispersed anyways. And now Ever wants to get hold of them to stop them from leaking info about that experiment and Ever's true motives and so they set up the explosion to get rid of Granny.

Gonna read more of the lore today and keep the brainrot going

[rose-tinted-kalopsia]

letting out a slow breath bc ur girl has finished both myths within like the span of a week, and we all know this post was inevitable. bc is she going to overanalyze? yes. is she going to overthink every little line on the basis of picking apart a character's mind? yes!

(bear with me and my xavier thoughts for a sec guys ✋)

i'll be less lore-heavy and more introspection-heavy, but as lighthearted as lumiere's myth story seems on the surface, i can't be the only one who got all sad about it, right? ���� xavier girlies you get me, right? 😭 it's not light light, right? 😭

like i knew from the start that xavier's complicated feelings about lumiere were going to be rooted deeply, but this? 😭 the way you can tell it goes WAY back? 😭

because. it does. it goes all the fucking way back.

because what do we know about xavier? his subtleties. in general, he has that calm, reserved, collected trope... it's more on the easygoing safe, like a safe presence, almost aloof in nature. but it's almost as if so much more hides underneath that; like it's not totally 100% inherently him, like it's not entirely natural, like the part of him that's like this is maybe somewhat a façade that he's been putting up for so long, so it's just ended up... becoming part of him, by force of habit.

like let's look at the other end of that calm, collected trope: zayne. why do we feel like it's naturally part of his personality to be that way? he's calm, he's collected, maybe a little cold—but he's confident. it's as if it's been established somehow that, yes, he is like this, and he knows that he is. he doesn't hold back with it, there are rarely moments he acts out of this persona in some surprising manner only to awkwardly slip back into it—at least, you'd have to think hard about it to find one.

like,, he's soft and sweet with mc? it comes along naturally; we say, yeah. that feels like something he'd do. he's caring and concerned for mc's wellbeing? again, natural; we say, of course. his profession allows him to put in that extra care and concern.

but it isn't always like that with xavier, is it? why is it that xavier surprises us? why is it so common for him to suddenly act a little different from what we know, and have it be so jarring to not even to just us, but to mc as well?

there are so many subtleties to the way he seems to try to express himself, but always finds himself short of doing it in the way he wants to. the push and pull with mc? the soft moments, only to step back and be distant? then the sudden forwardness in contrast? the jealousy? the devs even go so far as to put so much attention into giving him these microexpressions, that like—it always feels like they have so much meaning to them. his basic animations? the way his eyes would widen or soften, the slight tilt of his head, the little smile that grows, even the way he'd shake his head and look to the side? and his card animations? the eyebrow raise? the little frowns? the narrowing of eyes? the very slightest movements of his lips into a pout or a smile? hell, even the hesitation in his voice sometimes, or the tiniest inflections, they all seem to say so much.

it's just,,, it's those little things. microexpressions. involuntary emotional leakage. they last for a fragment of a second, but they're there. they're always there. and with xavier, they seem to always convey so much more than whatever words he can muster. like something's desperately trying to peek through this persona he's built for himself, that he's getting there, but he isn't quite there yet.

then, why is that?

several factors.

family, for one. his role, for one.

because at his core, he's always been the prince of philos. but he's also always distanced himself from that title, his family, at the same time.

and how does mc recognize xavier to be, the first time they meet?

trapped.

—"they say he doesn't live on campus because his family background is complicated, and many people have seen him surrounded by bodyguards."

—"they aren't clad in all black as one would expect, and they keep a respectable distance away from xavier. still, these people exude an air of oppression. xavier, with his bag, is at the center of their group. it seems he's used to being stared at. the only difference is that rather than being his usual expressionless self, he appears slightly upset."

—"'you appeared to be upset, so i thought you wanted to be free.'"

—"'i wish xavier is free to do what he wants.'"

he wants to strip away the one thing he has associated with himself enough to be his identity, because it's an identity he didn't choose. he wants nothing to do with it, nothing to do with the responsibilities his family pushes onto him if he can help it. it's been that way from the start—he doesn't want attention for it, doesn't want to make a big deal out of it, would rather not be associated with it at all.

and the first time he meets mc, it's a testament to how much freedom being with her gives him. she saves him from that oppression. he's allowed to be a little more himself; a little less tense, a little more aloof, a little more joke-y, maybe even a little teasing, just—someone who can smile, and laugh, and speak—genuinely—without finding the need to hold back in some way.

it even carries over to every timeline he meets her in.

but duty is the enemy of freedom.

and what is expected of a prince?

is it not to be calm, and rational, and composed? is it not to be gentle, and kind? patient, caring? just, but to be able to prioritize his people—his potential future subjects—over just the one person he loves?

there's another line from his anecdote that stands out: "it's not that i like it. it's the only thing i've been good at since i was a child."

maybe he's fallen into practice enough with these habits, and these mannerisms, for some of these things to become part of him—again, by force of habit. but these are still qualities of an identity he never asked for. it's identity foreclosure: these identities, habits, skills; they were given. granted. forced upon him to learn. he's expected to be the heir to the throne, and he doesn't have much of a say in the matter... so it just. grows on him, despite his resignations about it. he has no choice but to allow his identity to be centered on this very role, these very expectations.

so much so that even escaping such a role, even abandoning philos as a whole, doesn't allow him to escape the identity he's built around it.

another factor? everything that's happened in the time before our current timeline.

because what does he maintain? a leadership position; captain of the backtrackers. a profession relating to combat; evol police, then a deepspace hunter. lumiere.

and he's retained certain things, too, like his more quiet nature, and the calmness that we've seen from him throughout...

and that's exactly the thing.

he's gone through so many identities. lived so many lives, for all the years that he has been living.

yet certain things remain constant;

and still, certain things threaten to break through from that shell that he can't quite let free so easily.

it's shocking, the first time we see him angry: the shining light card. it's shocking, the first time we see him more forward with his advances: kind words, tender nights. maybe, even a little shocking the first time we see him so easily jealous over jeremiah, even moreso over his own persona.

and again, we go back to that hesitation—the fact that he can't seem to express himself properly. because it's either he's incredibly awkward about it, or he just falls short of conveying what he wants to.

he has trouble being honest about his feelings, for example—difficulties in telling mc he loves her, difficulties in being direct to the point with her. he'd dodge her questions, be vague about things... he could never tell mc, as lightseeker, that the star tassle was from her in her past llife.

and:

the uncertainty in his actions speaks volumes, because he's sure of what he wants, but he can't seem to understand how to convey it properly.

it's like he's just so used to being princely, that he can't let go of it even if he isn't a prince anymore. he wants to. but he hides so much beneath that exterior still, and it's mc who's able to help him tear down those walls—mc who's able to make him want to try harder to. it's mc who's able to bring out those lighthearted moments in some of his cards, who helps bring light to the goofier side of him that he doesn't seem to be able to show to anyone else. it's mc who gives him his freedom.

and, i think—xavier's jealousy is just deeply rooted into all of that.

with jeremiah, and with other men, because he's not able to be as direct with his feelings as he wants to be, when other people can easily do that. because she is his freedom.

"to reach for freedom is to give it up."

that he's said this says so much about how he views things—because perhaps, he's given up part of his freedom for her... only for her to become his freedom.

he gave up his freedom just to find solace in her, when he's never made the move to express that clearly to her—and as much as he struggles to be more forward in his advances, he's scared that someone else will do it before him. so he'd reach for her, and fear losing her because of doing that, with the fear of losing her if he doesn't, and it's just this... whole cycle that he's so unsure of. he doesn't know what he should do.

and then add to that the essence of who lumiere is.

because who is he? what do we know of him?

he's "handsome" and "gentle". he's saved mc, twice, and become a fixation for her because of that.

it's silly at first glance, for there to be any issue in this—xavier is lumiere. they are inherently the same person.

but lumiere is a reflection of the person xavier is trying to leave in the past.

perhaps out of all the personas and identities we've known xavier to have assumed on earth, lumiere is the closest to prince xavier. in his aura, actions, mannerisms, speech, everything.

it's too close to it.

and it's not who xavier is now.

it's not who he wants to be.

—"lumiere... it's a name that only represents a moment in time."

—"lumiere is a person who should disappear."

in all the time he's spent with mc, he's been learning to be more himself and less of the mask he's been conditioned to assume from a young age—only for her to fall back into fawning over this lumiere persona that isn't inherently him, isn't who he's trying to be.

he's less jealous of himself, and more of actis with the hesitation of—does she not love me if i slip off that mask? does she prefer me when i'm like that? is it always going to be prince xavier; is it always going to be lumiere?

he'd feel the freedom he finds in her slipping away.

he doesn't want that.

he wants a normal life with her, without all these obligations, all these responsibilities, all this stress,,,

and lumiere won't grant that to him.

he wants to leave it behind.

but that's the thing, because there's also something he doesn't quite understand about it.

because by now, he's had so many identities. he's fragmented, maybe; unsure of himself, a little lacking in the confidence of which part of him mc will truly love, especially after all this time. and maybe he's aware of that or maybe he's not, but—

even the most conflicting parts of us are still us. and the more we attempt to be who or what we are not, the more we remain the same.

the only way he'll move forward from all of this is to accept the fact that even "prince xavier", even "lumiere", are part of him—maybe parts of him he doesn't want, but that still contribute to him as a whole. and it's something xavier needs to realize for himself, something that no one has been able to help him with all this time. something he's been conditioned not to believe. something that hopefully, mc is able to help him through, as an integral part of the very minimal support system he has at all.

just,,, :( living all these lives, chasing after ghosts, for so damn long... it truly fucks with your brain :( and lumiere's event just??? i feel like it sheds so much light on that when you read between the lines and like god. i have OVERTHUNK THE FUCKKK out of this lmao 😭✋

but there's so much more to xavier that meets the eye, and i think that's why i love him so much :(

[semipreciousgemstonejade]

Silvery Polyphony Xavier

"The music told me what I needed to know. When you play it... I feel like the universe's echoes have finally found their answer."

If you'd have told me before August that one day I was going to fall so hard for Xavier, I never would have believed you...

It was like, I couldn't hear him.

I could hear a voice, but it was muffled.

I could see a face, but it was blurry.

Then one day, I was deep diving through lore and re-watching the Main Story and all the Memoria and something clicked.

I have a lot of thoughts swirling around in my head all the time. I found I was drawn to Xavier's calmness and gentle voice. The silent moments spoke to me.

Overtime through moments of closeness and when he provides clarity...

Suddenly, I could just hear his voice clearly.

I could see him clearly.

And I love every version of him.

Sweet. Poetic. Heartfelt. Talented. Determined. Intelligent. Funny. Strong. Confident. Vulnerable. Cunning. Honest. Gentle. Kind. Caring.

All of him.

I want you to be my everything. Am I being too greedy? Maybe. Every version of me belongs to you, and only you. - 21 Days Who do you like more? Me or Lumiere? While Lumiere is handsome and gentle, I'm apparently harsh and cruel? And when you see Lumiere, you appear to be a lot happier. - Midnight Whispers My neck... The most sensitive part of my body is my neck. - Heartstring Symphony "Xavier, if you don't respond, I'm going to eat all the strawberries. All of them." - Heartstring Symphony And I missed you too. Unbearably so. - Heartstring Symphony Why is she so excited? - A Night of Warmth Your gift is right here... Will you unwrap your present if I say yes? - Fluffy Trap I... like you. - Celestial Message What makes you think he has to choose between being with you and being free? - Celestial Message "If cupid connects two players and one gets eliminated, the other will follow suit." Doesn't that describe our relationship right now? Ah, I figured out what I want my payment to be. Tell me when you're overwhelmed next time. Since we're already bound by this. - Precious Bonfire

🎹The sound of the piano flows from your fingertips as they touch. It's an echo from the cosmos, played just for you.

🎹Limited 5-Star Memory Rate UP

From 5:00 AM on Dec. 18 to 4:59 AM on Dec. 28, the drop rate of the Limited 5-Star Memory [Xavier: Silvery Polyphony] will go up drastically.

*After the event ends, this Limited 5-Star Memory will not be obtainable through other means and will not enter the permanent Wish Pool, Xspace Echo.

[ourlittleuluru]

Voyage Of The Outcast - My Thoughts 4/4

These chapters... MORE LOREEEEE and adorable moments!

Notes in Chp 9 - 10

The way Xavier was so much more concerned over MC's wellbeing over his own... 🥺

oh, he angy baby 🥺💗

and back to him being worried... the possibility that he could've lost MC for a 3rd time...

I picked the first choice the first time around and... yeah. Xavier is not happy... But I mean, come on! MC is right in this instance D':<

AND EXACTLY. THIS. These two are always so in tune with each other... They'd pull the same thing even if their roles were swapped.

The way to this man's heart isn't just food.

It's poking and squishing his face 😂

An interesting note...

The Protofield that was created was able to absorb power

1) was that effect due to Soren having specifically tuned it to do that? So that Xavier will be weak enough and can be killed?

2) or was that effect due to Xavier's memories and how Starfall forest operated. That's why he specifically calls out that once the Forest has enough energy, it will stop.

I guess I'll likely suspect the latter and the fact Xavier can be weakened was just a lucky happenstance for Soren. If only MC wasn't there :v WELL TOO BAD FOR YOU 💢

More lore drops/hints :c

There was also the place in his Tender Moment - Galactic Harmony, where they both also fell into this protofield and, Xavier also specifically noted that it felt like a trap

Mr Raincoat and Hat Guy has been really busy. And this might add to the leads that Hat Guy = Soren... if those attempts are Soren that is 🤔

okay and then Xavier pulls this thing about being afraid, less of the past but more of the future. Which was kinda referenced and addressed briefly earlier on. Tho, ngl this kinda came outta left field. Got a small chuckle out of me before... well. He's just worried about MC being reckless. Since MC also has a tendency to over do things even in the past long before.

And MC just throwing it back in his face. And Xavier dodges it. AGAIN. smh

Two peas in a pod, these two 😩

And ya know, one of the things I guessed for Xavier's branch is that they'll mention something from the Lumiere Myth. Be it the forest and Traceback II or the syringes... Turns out, it's the Traceback II! But of course... I mean... it's Starfall Forest. The place where Xavier made it his little base to do his ops at, to figure out the stuff going on for the planet's core

NGL why do I feel like he's just a little bit proud of this spaceship? Maybe it's just the line delivery, his voice sounded a bit lighter/brighter just a tad bit.

BUT MORE LORE YAY. We got the full government name of the Traceback II 😂

and here we have the 1101 number callback, to his evol police desgination number

But I'm glad that through all of this, Xavier finally let's down his wall even just a little. HE told MC Philos was his hometown.

He's been egging MC to ask him questions all the time but knowing him, and as MC also mentions, he'll just dodge it someway somehow. This time, he didn't dodge. No pretenses.

Another mention on how MC feels familiar with something from the past. I wonder if this will end up becoming a larger plot point later. It's being mentioned way too much to just be text of fluff.

And even when MC picks up the log books and all those papers, asking if Soren and Xavier are members of the Backtrackers... This time Xavier was pretty straightforward. He's slowly letting MC see more of him, even when he's operating Traceback II. EVEN ASKING MC

("I won't hide anything" my ass... You'd just dodge. That doesn't count as hiding. It's just answering the question with more questions or leaving it up to you to come to a conclusion =-=)

I know they re-use the same basic few animations but specifically this one... When MC replies that now's not the time. Almost felt like he was ready to open up but MC was kind of pushing back against him a bit.

Thankfully MC continues on though, and him going from a slight gasp of shock, to a more light hearted tone of "I'm okay with that" 🥺

AND THE PART WITH HIS VOICE RECORDING WAS SO CUTE AND HILARIOUS I CANTTTTT 😂😭

Recall the trailer and how they started off with the poem? Well more like the thing disappearing is Xavier's dignity and image 🤣

Ahhh the way he immediately was like... His dark history has come back to haunt him!!! It was so good. The way he freaked out and was so embarrassed by ittttttt

The funny thing? He was SO QUICK to retort. You can hear it in the CN dub when he says "It's not me". He said it so quickly 😂😂😂😂 mah boy was so embarrased.

MC catching on with how Xavier really doesn't want this to be brought up, just plays along with him. CUTE

Okay you know what this feels like?

This feels like his Lumiere myth. Amidst the pain and the mystery and all the stuff that's happening. There's just these little pocket instances of time where they can slip out and into a more relaxed pace. A hint of a lost time they could've had shared but are now sharing. IDK how to word it properly here but just. Yea. that.

Adorable. Hecking adorable.

And more lore tidbits. The Traceback II being able to use Evol to operate momentarily :C Along with Xavier being vulnerable again with MC, ultimately also being reassuring and fully trusting. But we know... there's a caveat...

Just him pleading here 🥺

ASDDFGHJKL... like okay... fine... you win. How to say no to this 😭

Collar mention! BUT ALSO WHEN ARE WE GONNA KNOW MORE ABOUT IT PLS INFOLD I NEED MORE DETAILS ON THIS THING

At this point MC is very well aware of what that collar flashing means and the severity of it.

Continuing... on another post because I hit the PC post image limit... whoops....

[skelletonscloset]

With the leaves starting to brown and the air starting to become crisp, your mind wandered to your loved ones as you began to wonder how to celebrate the spooky season with them.

love&deepspace halloween headcannons ! ๋࣭ ⭑🕸

cw : implied fem!reader, mentions of knives, fake spiders, Rafayel lore, all tooth rotting fluff ! this is a collaborative effort by skelle and i :)

wc : 3.6k

Xavier 🧸

Xavier isn’t used to actually celebrating Halloween, especially considering he spends most of his days either sleeping or fighting wanderers. He’s more of the kind to just use the day as an excuse to buy himself a big bag of candy and spend the day on the couch in his apartment. So, when you come to him asking him to pick between two festive welcome doormats, he suddenly starts to grow a newfound interest for the festivity that you emphasized for the holiday.

Xavier would easily get into the rhythm of taking one piece of candy from the decorative platter you had out in your living room and eating it every time he visited. You only started to notice when you passed by one afternoon and realized that all the MilkyWays were gone from the plate.

You had planned a few, cute little stay-at-home dates with him, one of which included carving pumpkins. Xavier was a little confused at first, having to stick his bare hand into the guts of a pumpkin, but watching you become so focused on getting every little seed out and onto the tray between you two caused him to ease up a little more, finding joy in your own.

You popped the pumpkin seeds in the oven, explaining to him that getting in the “fall mood” was important and promising that they tasted good.

Neither of you were very good at carving pumpkins, in fact, Xavier’s barely looked like one in the end. He almost treated it like a wanderer with the way he was using the carving knife you’d given him. You both still ended up placing your pumpkins on display in a corner of the kitchen, you two joking about the process every time you laid your eyes on them.

Because he never really celebrated Halloween, he never really felt the need to dress up before. You were thinking of ways to celebrate with him and you figured it would be funny to ask him to dress up for a costume party being held by the Hunters Association. Another “team bonding” experience as dubbed by Tara. You just didn’t expect Xavier to agree and for the costume you picked out for the both of you to end up looking so good on him.

Choosing a classic princess and knight duo, you used it as an excuse to wear a pretty, flowy dress while Xavier took a more modern approach with his costume, opting to forgo the helmet that came with the outfit but insists lets you secure the cape beneath his shoulder plates.

Bonus: You’d jokingly ask him to dress up as Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast as long as you got to be Plumette.

On the night of the party, you were getting ready to leave, making sure you didn't leave anything behind before heading to the party before you heard a knock at the door. It was probably Xavier coming to pick you up.

You made your way over to the door, making sure not to step on the fabric of the white, frilly dress you wore with your heels. Opening the door, your eyes meet Xavier’s, whose averted from your gaze, the tips of his ears tinged pink.

Your mouth drops open, giving him a once over as your lips curve into a giddy grin. His icy eyes travel from the floor and up your figure, becoming entranced with the look of the dress on your body.

“You… look beautiful,” He murmured as his eyes met yours, a look of awe etched into his expression. The tips of his ears were still a little red from the embarrassment of walking down the complex’s halls in a knight costume.

“Not too bad yourself, Sir Lumiere.” You joked, placing a hand on his chest plate and pushing him backward into the hallway. You closed your apartment door behind you. “We should get going, the party is starting soon.”

You barely got two steps ahead of him before you were gently pulled back, Xavier taking your hand in his. You look at him with a confused expression as he kneels down to one knee.

“Please, let me escort you, Your Highness” He says, his voice soft and gentle, and the look in his eyes even more tender as he kisses the back of your hand. His hand holds yours as if it were porcelain, and his warmth seeps into your skin as he guides you down the hall.

Rafayel ☠️

Rafayel had learned what Halloween was over the course of his time here, but never did he once celebrate it. It wasn’t out of hatred for it, but back in Lemuria it was never celebrated or even heard of. So he had no real idea how to go about participating in such a holiday. Before knowing you, he also had no interest in doing so.

This was precisely why you had made it a point to try and do something fun with him each day of the month of October.

On the first day, as in the very first day of October, you showed up to his home very early, decorations piled in multiple bags all held in one hand, and in the other were a ton of snacks. Day one was decorating his home to fit the vibe.

You explained common myths surrounding the holiday, most of which people don’t consider to be true but regardless it’s fun to talk about. You told him stories from your childhood of how you’re family celebrated and traditions you had each year.

His least favorite decoration was the big black cat figure with its back arched high and fake fur all puffed up. In fact he made you remove it from his presence at once.

Later on in the month you and him had visited a pumpkin patch. Rafayel spent at least two hours scouring for the most perfect pumpkin he could find. one without blemishes and one that was perfectly round. Once he found it he practically begged you to carry it, saying that if something happened he could hurt his wrist and never be able to paint again, eyes big and round and puppy dog-ish

After managing to find “the perfect pumpkin” you returned back to his place to start carving.

Pumpkin carving had so far proven to be his favorite activity, showing off his skills much to your despair.

He looked over to see your pumpkin and complemented its face, noting all the uneven sharp edges forming a sinister smile and slanted eyes. you expressed your gratitude with a smile Only it dropped the minute you looked over at his and he was literally carving a beautiful greek statue depicting icarus on his giant pumpkin. you decided to start cleaning up your own mess and be done after that.

When you brought up your memories of trick or treating as a kid and all the tooth rotting candy you got from it, even having some left over for months after October, he seemed increasingly interested in the event. He practically begged to go this year with you.

You had to sit him down to explain that normally it’s children, young kids who go trick or treating and that normally you’d dress up, so it would be hard to find a costume now anyway.

This did not stop Rafayel from whining and begging on hands and knees to go trick or treating. He didn't stop until you pulled out your laptop in defeat to order a costume online.

You thought he would look handsome in a Phantom of the Opera costume so you ordered one and luckily it would be here just before halloween night.

You had tried a few times to convince Rafayel to go to a costume party instead, something more sophisticated and fun but he was insistent you go to the nearby neighborhood and trick or treat with the local families.

☆BONUS☆ Rafayels favorite candy would ironically be Swedish fish (get it..)

☆BONUS☆ As a joke you definitely asked him to dress up as the little mermaid and prince Eric. you were prince Eric

You sat on Rafayel’s couch waiting for him to change into his costume. You sat in a beautiful vintage cream colored gown to match that of the Phantom’s love interest. Hair done to match the character as much as possible. You fiddled with the lace hemming of the puffy sleeves as you waited for him, adjusting bits and pieces of your dress. You thought back to all the fun you’d had with Rafayel over the month, aside from his insane talent of carving pumpkins he also enjoyed taste testing different candies that you dumped into a plastic candy bowl you had gotten for him.

“I can’t tell if this is right… help me please?” Rafayel walked out of one of the nearby rooms, fiddling with the white mask with one hand and adjusting his tie with the other. The coat tails danced behind him as he walked, shiny black shoes clacking against his tiles floors.

The minute his mauve eyes met yours his face turned red. “You look beautiful. I can see why the Phantom would fall for you,” he bowed, holding his hand out for you to take.

“Thank you Raf, and you… look so handsome,” you smiled, taking your hand into his gloved one, letting him kiss your knuckles.

You gently took the mask and leaned up, fastening it with the velcro band that it came with. You leaned back to make sure it was even and make sure he could see clearly through the cut out hole for his eyes. His hands immediately rested on your hips.

Your eyes widened when you realized. He didn’t need any help with his costume, he just wanted you closer. “Raf!” you scolded, “You didn’t need my help at all.”

“No really, I needed help..” he pretended to pout, only holding you tighter. “Come on, let’s go trick or treating!” He spun around you and dragged you along out of his home.

The two of you walked down a street of cookie cutter houses, decorated to the shingles with fake cobwebs and twinkling purple and orange string lights. Kids ran up and down the street in homemade costumes and store bought ones slinging around little baskets brim filled with candies. The sun was setting quickly and stars began to flicker in the sky.

“Come on! I heard one of the kids say that the house has king size candy bars!” Rafayel slid his gloved hand into yours and dragged you towards a big house. He knocked on the front door, an old woman opening the door while he shouted “Trick or treat!” holding a kids sized pumpkin basket that he insisted he take.

“Aren’t you two a little… old to be trick or treating?” The older woman questioned as she tossed a king sized bar of chocolate into his bag and another for you.

Rafayel frowned, nose scrunching. “There is no age limit to joy,” before stomping off. Most of the night carried on like that, but by the end he had filled his small basket to the top, tiny candies falling over the rim.

Zayne 🧸

Halloween? Celebrating?? Halloween??? As a doctor?? Yeah, no.

Zayne is very used to his colleagues getting in the festive mood, decorating corners of the hospital with purple, orange and black garlands, mugs with black cats on them, and even crafts that some patients (mainly the children), helped with making.

However, Zayne never really had the time himself to make any plans, nor did he really care to. He was too busy all the time, getting called back into work even on his days off, leading surgeries, literally getting not an ounce of sleep. This usually occurred with most holidays, actually.

When you drop by his office, a store bought lunch in tow, you miraculously catch him on his “break”. You sit down across from him, letting him take his portion as he once again separates the carrots from his, giving them to you. You ask him what his plans for the holiday will be, or if he has any, and he’s almost confused for a second. When he remembers it’s October and the people of Linkon are getting excited for a particular, sweets-filled holiday, he admits he’s never really had room for celebrations.

You almost take a personal offense to this. Has he never felt the joy of sitting down in a dark room, a bowl of candy in hand, as a classic horror movie plays on a flatscreen? Immediately, you insist Zayne requests the day off. Almost just as quickly, he denies your demand. (He used Meow This.)

After plenty of convincing (which mainly consisted of leaning on his shoulder, giving him your best puppy dog eyes), he knew he couldn’t say no to you. He reluctantly agreed to take Halloween off, much to his colleagues' surprise.

As the week progressed, you introduced several ways to celebrate with him. Scenic walks in the park with overly sweetened pumpkin spice lattes in hand, going to halloween stores and picking up tacky decorations and cheap candy, and even trying your hands at making your own apple cider.

Zayne didn’t really seem like the type to go to a costume party, so you decided to spare him from more of your begging pleading. However, he still wasn’t exempt from wearing a costume.

Bonus: Zayne’s favorite candies are snow caps or york patties.

Bonus: You mentioned it would be funny if you two dressed up as Snowmeiser and Heatmeiser.

“Zayne, have you seen the candy bowl I set up earlier? I can’t remember where I left it. I thought it’d be on the counter…” You mumble to yourself, shuffling between the areas of the kitchen and the front door, trying to look for the bowl.

From around the corner, behind the bathroom door, you hear his silvery voice call out. “l believe you left it on the coffee table in front of the couch,” He answered as the bathroom door jiggled.

You turn around to look in the direction of the coffee table, seeing the bowl of candy and catching a glimpse of the door opening, revealing Zayne clad in black, red and white. Your eyes trail down his figure as you bite your lip, taking note of the deep cut of the white, frilly shirt on his chest. You grin widely as you stride over to him with excitement.

“I fail to see the appeal in dressing up like this. I feel foolish.” He sighs, analyzing your giddy reaction with tenderness. You smile up at him, beginning to fix a strand of hair that fell from his slicked-back style before ultimately deciding he looked better that way.

“Oh, come on Zayne! You make an amazing Dracula!” You exclaim. You get on your tip toes and lean towards his ear before saying “And a very, very attractive one at that,” in a hushed voice. Your hand gingerly rests upon his chest, feeling his heartbeat quicken just by a hair. His ears tinge with pink before the look in his eyes match that of yours.

“You look better in this kind of thing than I do, but I’ll humor you for tonight.” You watched as the fake fangs he wore poked out from inside his mouth as he spoke, pursing your lips in response.

“Maybe I should ask you to wear this kind of thing more often…” You murmured, eyes lingering on his lips. Zayne’s expression twitched in the slightest, squinting before he decided to tease you back.

“Careful, beloved. These fangs aren’t just for show.” He whispered, leaning down slightly as his lips just barely brushed against your ear.

Sylus ☠️

Sylus was used to spending most of the holidays alone in his mansion with only Luke and Kieran to entertain him. Despite the N109 zone being inhabited primarily by conmen and other criminals–and despite not having any favorable visitors before you– Luke and Kieran were persistent in their efforts to at the very least decorate the main foyer.

Halloween was by far the easiest to decorate for considering the dark atmosphere and eerie decor already inhabiting the mansion.

Despite the now habitual ruckus caused by the twins during the few days leading up to Halloween, Sylus was pleasantly surprised when you asked him to celebrate the holiday with you.

What he did not realize was “celebrating” in fact meant helping you with the last finishing touches to your apartment for a costume party you were hosting. Not that he minded really, getting to spend some time with you outside the comfortable darkness of the N109 zone and instead the excessively bright skies of Linkon was more than acceptable. You assured him every one was too busy preparing for the weekend to notice him or be concerned about his presence.

Helping lug around big bags full of the last needed decorations and goodies he proposed playing a classic horror movie in the background to help motivate the two of you to decorate. When you agreed he quickly set up Friday the Thirteenth.

He used his evol to get in the hard to reach places and to hold the candy bowl out of your reach when he thought you’d eaten too many too early in the morning.

The day of the party arrived much quicker than he anticipated, but for once he seemed relatively excited to spend it doing something other than sitting around his home. Luke and Kieran were unrelenting in their endeavors to be invited to the costume party.

He had forgotten about that aspect of celebrating. Aside from whatever Luke and Keiran prepare for either themselves or him, he never partook in any festivities himself. That’s why when you initially marched up to him with a decorative bag in tow asking him to dress up in a matching partner costume he said no.

Disappointed but not defeated, you endlessly negotiated, tried to strike up deals, and nearly begged. It didn’t take too much convincing to match with you when he heard you mumble about returning the product.

He opened the bag, playfully rolling his eyes at the pleased and self satisfying look on your face. Inside the bag he could see a dark gray set of something fluffy. He looked up from the bag, unamused. Pulling out the items he realized it was the parts of a wolf costume. Fluffy gray ears attached to a cheap plastic headband, a small wolf tail attached to a stretchy velcro belt, and two big fluffy wolf paws that would surely make it hard to grab a piece of candy from the snack bowl or text the twins back to tell them they were invited to the party.

His surprise grew when he noticed in your own hands a small red cloak and a wicker basket. The classic fairy tale of the big bad wolf and little red riding hood. It was definitely an amusing duo idea you had come up with for sure.

☆BONUS☆ His favorite candy would probably be something “spicy” like Hot Tamales or Red Hots!

☆BONUS☆ As a joke you’d ask him to dress up as a scarecrow to see if it spooks mephisto

Sylus tapped his foot impatiently behind your closed door, pushing the tuft of fur away from his wrist to check the time on his watch. It was ten minutes til the party was supposed to start and he was waiting for you to finish the last touches of your costume. His gaze swerved around the apartment, the faint sound of a halloween playlist playing softly from a speaker in the kitchen, helping to set the atmosphere.

Fake spider webs with abnormally large spiders were hung in every corner of the ceiling, different horror movies playing on the screen, dangling fairy lights of purple and orange decorated some areas of the apartment. There was even a small fog machine that was hidden behind the couch. The work you had done—the work he had helped you with—certainly was worth it.

The door clicked getting his attention, looking over he felt rather pleased being your costume partner for the evening, seeing how you looked.

The red cloak billowed delicately behind you as you walked over to him, the hood resting loosely on your hair. He looked you top to bottom not bothering to hide the smirk on his face. The dress was a simple cottage-core style ensemble: frilly, short and sweet accompanied by black tights and brown heels. The wicker basket swung around your wrist. Twirling, you chimed, “How do I look? Do I look like i'm on my way to bring my grandma some sweets?” You opened the basket to reveal a couple of candies resting on the bottom.

“You look great, Sweetie,” Sylus hummed, lifting the hand of yours that wasn’t holding the wicker basket to his lips to plant a kiss on your knuckles. His free hand sliding into one of the openings in the basket to snag a candy and pocket it for later.

Letting go of your hand, he slipped it around your waist and under the cloak, squeezing you close to his side. The paws he wore took up almost all the space along your torso with his giant they were. He hated how he could barely feel you beneath the thick fabric of those damned paws.

“Oh my, what big teeth you have!” You playfully teased, nudging him in the side with your hip.

Sylus leaned down, lips close to your ear, “The better to eat you with, my dear.”

A knock on the apartment door left you no room to retort as the party had started. All you could do was try to collect yourself as he sent a wink your way before greeting the guests.

[hananoami]

Finished both Behind the Scenes I and II tasks to obtain Xavier's 4-star Pearl Solars [Veiled Starlight] and [Veiled Guardian] on main! The chibis and chat conversations for the Another Dawnbreak event were sooo cute 🥺 And all that Lumiere lore!! 😩🔥😭 I have so many questions. InFold pls give us more…

[angelwishess]

ʚAngel!໒꒱

blessings upon you, pretty! Thanks for stopping by!

꒰ she/her ꒱ ꒰ minor ꒱ ꒰ oc x canon! ꒱ ꒰ entp ꒱

Drawing and yapping, occassional theories! (Might start a side blog for writing…)

I love interacting with fellow twsties, so dont be shy! I might reply late though, schoolwork this sem is crazy :(

꒰ ୨୧ ─ ・┈ ・ ongoing: ─ ・┈ ୨୧ ꒱

OC Ask Game!

Oc x Canon Ask Game!

⋅.𖥔 ˖ More about me, my ocs and tag index under the cut! ⋅.𖥔 ˖

୨୧⋅.𖥔 more about me !

Hi! My name is Angel (not really), and this is my first time ever making an account for a fandom and posting my art online!! So, i’m very new to all this!

My timezone is GMT+4, and I get home from school pretty late, so from Monday to Thursday chances are i’m pretty inactive, so sorry if i reply back late!!! Please know its not on purpose, I just get very busy with schoolwork. </3 (but alas, the twst brainrot is stronger.)

Other than TWST, I’m also a big fan of OB!SWD, Mairimashita Iruma Kun, the Ikemen Series, Pokemon, and Genshin Impact! (Though I have been drifting away from it, I still like seeing stuff abt it!) Theres definetly alot more and I just cant think of them rn, but yeah!!

I mainly post about twst, more specifically my OCs!!! (More info on them later) This is an Oc x Canon acc! If you’re not a big fan of that, feel free to block me! Thats completely okay if what i post isnt your cup of tea! (Main ship is Floyd x Kyra (my Yuusona) btw!!!)

I am a minor, so please refrain from saying anything inappropriate to me, or any suggestive comments directed towards my ocs!

As I said earlier, I’m new to interacting with a fandom (since im so used to being a lurker online lol) but I’m very willing to be moots!! Please don’t be hesitant to ask me, I love interacting with fellow twst fans!!!!

I’m only comfortable with DMs and being tagged in posts if we are moots!!! But please dont feel shy to interact, my inbox is open to everyone so feel free to chat with me there!!! ♡

୨୧⋅.𖥔 t a g s . . .

꒰ ໒꒱ ꒱ General tags:

Art: 🎀! Art

Doodles: 🎀! Doodles

Reblogs : 🎀! Reblog

SMAU posts : 🎀! smau

Ask Game posts : 🎀! ask game

(^ feel free to mute this one!!)

Theories: 🎀! Theory

Fics: 🎀! Fic

Asks: 🎀! Asks

Rambling: 🎀! Yap

꒰ ໒꒱ ꒱ Oc tags:

Kyra: 🎀🕊️! Kyra

Elena Leech: 🫧🎼! Elena

Jester: 🃏🎭! Jester

Sol Lumiere: ☀️🧵! Sol

Rory Klein: 🍓🐑! Rory

꒰ ໒꒱ ꒱ Oc x Canon tags:

Floyd x Kyra: 🎀🦈! Floyra

Elena x Jamil: 🫧🐍! Jalena

Jester x Riddle: 🎭👑! Ridster

୨୧⋅.𖥔 O C s . . .

— 🎀🕊️ Kyra Lovelace

Lore! : Life before NRC

— 🫧🎼 Elena Leech (none yet!)

— 🎭👑 Jester (None yet!)

[gemini-queen42]

so fun fact I'm in a Hyperfixation and that's manifested into a highly self-indulgent BatB rewrite/retelling/au/??????

look I'm just throwing a bunch of shit I like into my silly little mental mixing bowl and every now and then developed themes & whatnot form.

but anyways I'm going insane abt it, and I plan on posting abt it here properly once i have more than 2 ref sheets actually Done. so this is my little precursor/reminder to DO that.

(and also an invitation for literally anyone to ask me literally anything abt it. I beg.)

so here's some quick fun facts ig:

the cast only has approx 3 1/2 men in it now. that are alive.

yea so unfortunately I can never shake off that just straight-up describing the differences between this and canon feels like it sounds like a "Beauty and the Beast but WOKE" joke.

Cogsworth has been lovingly nicknamed Cuntsworth.

I will have to go into a very rambly explanation on Lefou's design bcuz its such bullshit actually.

this originally started with 2 characters that I planned to develop into their own thing, completely disconnected from batb anymore where their origins would simply be a fun fact footnote and I could like, cameo them as dnd npcs or smthng.

Lumiere & Babette have also been titled the "2 weed non smoking girlfriends", this is a direct quote from a friend who doesn't know I plan on probably tagging stuff of those two with that now. (specifically this rewrite au thing not like. any canon stuff. tbc.) (also hii bestiee<333)

I haven't seen the animated movie since I was a small child, never watched the 2017 one, and my most recent interaction with batb is the musical production I'm currently in. I half plan to re-watch/watch the movies but. we'll see. so yeah.

idk ask me anything i'm insane I'll probably end up making long posts doing in-depth descriptions on each design choice stuff and like. the Lore. and I probs wanna do a masterlist post thing like ppl do. but for now. we stay silly. or smthng

[dollgxtz]

So... Is Xavier in HWE not Lumiere? He doesn't have the wits, the strength, and even the finance of Lumiere. Your fic is heavily based on canon lore (and of course Lumiere is also a part of main story) so sometimes I don't know what details of canon are included and what's not. If he is just a normie hunter in this AU probably you should add a tag saying he isn't Lumiere in this fic, as it gets confusing sometimes to understand why he would be in such situations if readers bear in mind that in this AU he's also Lumiere

HI anon! I don't see a need to tag such a thing as this is an AU and I've stated many times that the characters are not their canon selves. That's already pretty obvious by the fact that Sylus kidnaps and does things unconsensually to reader, which he would never do canonically. Xavier isn't Lumiere for plot purposes. If he was an equal to Sylus, she would've probably been rescued sooner. Or at the very least, he wouldn't have needed the character development I'm portraying.

And while I do incorporate some plot points from the main game in this story, I've forsaken a lot of canon details for this story because I felt as though I had more creative freedom that way. Rather than just telling a story from the canon universe, I'm making this AU its own world.

I'm sorry if you feel confused, but I hope this clears up some stuff for you <3

[linettefox]

My interpretation of the Precure lore, if anyone cares. Reposting this from my Twitter thread.

Full Interpretation of Precure-Verse

Yes! Although inconsistent between seasons. I'm actually trying to make a series of videos on my channel that's a whole Precure lore dump!! Allow me to dump some of it here too.

Precure exists in a system of multiverse and parallel worlds all connected by portals and various means of transportation powered by the Prism Flower. This flower was destroyed once and is implied to have been birthed from the Heart Tree.

The universe was created by the 12 Star Princesses who reside in the Star Palace at the center of the Starry Sky Galaxy. They gave people imaginations, but there secret 13th sister didn't like that and became evil.

When the floral sea was destroyed on Mother RaPaPa's final breath she mentioned the Pretty Cure. This was the first instance of the legendary warriors being named. A few years later 10,000 years ago when the world was ruled by darkness and monsters the first Precure team emerged+

Earth has two origin stories. In Happiness Charge canon the god Blue created it but in Mahoutsukai canon it started as the floral sea created by Mother RaPaPa. I actually plan to theorize how this works in my upcoming YouTube series but to shorten that my theory is that +

When the floral sea was destroyed and split into Magic and Non magic worlds. Perhaps the non magic one was uninhabitable after everything and Blue simply took that broken rock and turned it into planet Earth. This theory raises questions but it's the one I use.

THE LIST:

Cure Empress, Cure Priestess and Cure Magician are the first documented cures to have existed. There are several other teams that popped up after them all the face their respective evils. I actually made a list of all the legendary cures in order, some are just estimates though.

8000 BC <- Cure Magician, Cure Empress, Cure Priestess

1020 <- Cure Oasis, Cure Flora, Cure Mermaid, Cure Twinkle

1524 <- Cure Ange

1724 <- Cure Mirage, Cure Noble

1924 <- Cure Lumiere

1936 <- Cure Earth

1960 <- Cure Rose

1960 - 2000 <- Cure Flower, Cure Tender

2000 - ??? <- Cure Moonlight, Cure Sword, etc (Past cures that joined main teams)

So what exactly is a Precure? They're legendary warriors, magicians, patisseries and super heroes. How their powers work is inconsistent but I have my theories. In general they just seem to be miracles, like the legendary power is needed to save the day and poof they a cure now.

They also get power ups and weapons through miracles as well. (Or more like Precure create miracles)

Anyone can be a Precure the only requirements seem to be the drive to protect and ability to never give up. A little courage and some hope may be needed but I don't think they are required as much as the other two are.

Most of the legendary cures if not all have failed to defeat the villains once and for all. This is why each year their predecessors are born to finish the job. Since Cure Black and Cure White's debut every team has been successful.

I actually nicknamed the in universe era from 2004 onward as the Precure renaissance since it was when the cures started to peak.

There is so much other lore I want to share but I have rambled long enough.

LINK:

[offbrand-deltatraveler]

So

With how I watched Miracle Universe yesterday, I obviously finished both KiraPre and Hugtto, so here are my final thoughts on them

(Major spoilers for every part of both seasons under the cut)

Kira Kira Precure A La Mode:

First of all like with all seasons I really love the major differences between all the main characters , but something I especially love about them is how well they go together to create the sillier and more homely vibe of the season, with Ichika, Himari, and Aoi having a sibling-like dynamic and Yukari & Akira being like second mothers to them

And furthermore I also love Yukari and Akira in general because oh my god they’re so cool. Yukari especially because I love how she’s always so collected and chill and one step ahead of everything, but also literally every Akira-centric episode feels like something out of a Fairy Tale and she literally turns her wand into a sword at some point which went hard as fluff. And the reveal that the person Yukari loves most outside of the KiraPati is her fans was so cute. And that one episode where Yukari turns into a cat was so peak and I NEED to see someone write a fanfiction about the 3-Star Kitty learning the truth about his boss because omg seeing him grieving her was so sad

Also I love how Yukari’s arc from the start had so many layers to it that are gradually unpacked one-by-one in all the episodes centered around her. By the time the episode about her perfectionism rolled around I already figured they were probably gonna be addressing that /vpos

And secondly I really loved the villains. First of all I love Gummy & Co. (Especially the spinny one omg I love her so much I wanna pick her up and cover her face in kiss marks) and the way they’re all just some guys after their belts are broken and I especially love how they took on the responsibility of finding and returning all the lost Fairies. I really hope there’s a spinoff about that at some point

And regarding Noir’s servants, outside of the way that they all mirror Star Twinkle villains (With Julio being like Kappard, Grave being like Tenjou, and Vibry being like Eyewon), Julio is the coolest general I’ve ever seen and literally every scene centered around him goes so hard. And I initially wasn’t expecting to think of Vibry the same way but her freakouts in the island episode and everything she does in Lumiere’s debut episode completely blew me away. And both of them are even better when they’re redeemed. Though it kinda sucks that Julio couldn’t have been a Sixth Ranger Cure

And aside from that Grave was also really cool in that one episode where he absorbs Diable’s power and the Precure have to unlock the Fantastic Animale to defeat him. However Diable himself kinda sucked after they turned him into average furrybait

And then of course at the top of them all is Elisio, who carries the moral dilemma of the season and has the final battle and can do the Noir Morphose and is just generally the coolest conceptually. But I still like Julio more

And then there’s the music which I love every second of. It’s like the more childish pop-up storybook vibe of the artstyle in audible form. And it has all the coolest battle music

And the story which is really funny to me because of how good it is. Like there are several times throughout my commentary where I jokingly said “This is all still about sweets btw” because I love the absurdity of the devs being able to tell a deep-cutting story about love and connection and individuality and the different, increasingly worse and worse things hatred will do to a person through the lense of sweets. It kinda reminds me of Onegai My Melody and Jewelpet Kira Deco but instead of telling a serious story in a goofy world with goofy lore, the story is just centered around a goofy concept

While there were some writing choices that cheesed me off sometimes, I would recommend that people watch this season overall just for that alone

Overall, 8/10. There are quite a few things I would’ve done better but it doesn’t suck and the endearing vibe and absurdity of the story being as good as it is sells it well enough for me

-------------------------------------

HUGtto! Precure:

First of all something I love about Hugtto’s characters is that they aren’t anything crazy. Like they’re literally just a buncha guys and gals hanging out having fun doing guy and gal stuff and I love how that makes it feel more real. And how that fits with this season being centered around the future

More specifically though I love Hana & Co and all their dynamics, Harry included. Star Twinkle may be my favorite season in general but they’re my favorite Cures. And their Cure designs are so so so pretty omg

And in the way of Fairies,

Tbh I actually didn’t really like Harry that much at first because he didn’t have anything that really made him stand out to me but him becoming a human for most of the time made me like him a lot more. And made his hamster form moments a lot cuter

And of course I love Hugtan because how could you not

Abd the devs for this season absolutely knocked it out of the park in the villains department holy schnitzel. Criasu Corp as a concept is cool enough but like everyone’s Oshimaidaa summoning animations and the vastly different themes of them all and the way they all represent different struggles in society that may cause someone to give up (Charareet being constant failure, Papple being loneliness and depression, Gelos being crushed under the weight of being a woman in a misogynistic society, Doctor Trauma thinking he’s too old to have a future, Bishin losing a loved one, and Ristol not having anyone to help him through a hard time. And Daigon is just a bitch idk why he did any of that)

I already liked all of them enough when they were villains and on top of that I liked them so much more when they were reformed. I love Purified Charareet and Doctor Traum so much. And the song that plays when they make an appearance has such a nice “Calm after the storm” vibe to it

And then in the way of story I of course enjoyed every second of that too because Oh My God™️. The way all the villains become Oshimaidaas allowed for some really cool scenes and some of my favorites. Papple’s transformation being a metaphor for suicide made her one of my favorite villains, and the way that Gelos’ underlings turn into a fucked up amalgamation was really disturbing but in a cool and interesting way, and I love how Gelos herself did a repeat of that in her transformation

But most of all I of course love how Doctor Trauma’s transformation took place along the course of an ENTIRE ALL STARS MOVIE that’s part of the main story and just casually sitting between Episode 35 & 38. And Hugtto has an actual All Stars movie on top of it

And not to mention the lore with the twist of humanity’s future being of their own making and Criasu Corp having originally been founded to help them and the things they did to the Hariharis in an attempt to help them survive and how Cure Tomorrow AKA Future!Hugtan kept them at bay when they lost their way

And Homare’s crush on Harry was kinda unnecessary but tbf it gave us the Bishin vs Homare beef and that started with a really cool battle at the end of a really cool episode

And of course the music is cool as always. I especially love that song that plays after the final battle where a person’s voice is singing the main theme as the sun rises

Overall, 10/10. Any complaints I had for this season were solved later on in the story and everything outside of them was already cool enough to make up for them anyway

I was originally planning to watch Yes 5 next but since Maho Tsukai II comes out next year and the end of the year is starting to get pretty close, I’m gonna be watching the first Maho Tsukai

[thefandomwarriorlexy]

Descendants Headcanons/Wickedverse Guide

Some of these aren't so much "headcanons" as things I'm using in my post-canon universe, named the Wickedverse. Me and my sister share this universe, so she has a lot of influence with some of these. Will get updated as I add/change ideas.

Lore

Centuries before Auradon was formed, there was a great war between the kingdoms. After years of fighting, they made an agreement on territory and everyone closed their borders. This lead to kingdoms/cities to develop at different rates, due to different resources. Many years later, all the fairytales/stories happen over the course of seven years or so. Then, Auradon is formed.

The formation of Auradon (and the Isle) created the Age of Goodness (AOG). Upon it's creation, was year 1.

Since Descendants takes place twenty years after the AOG, it is year twenty

The first Isle book takes place in the July before Descendants. Descendants occurs in September-October (as Ben's birthday is in October), and Wicked World happens in November. The second and third Isle books take place in January of year 21. Since D2 takes place six months after D1 it occurs in March of 21. The fourth Isle book takes place in May of 22. D3, taking place after the older have graduated, occurs in June of year 22.

Some other Disney properties are included that aren't specifically mention in canon: Frozen, Frozen II, Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (TV series), Encanto, Big Hero 6, Raya, and definitely more.

Mal and Ben's wedding is on the 13th of April, almost a year after D3.

Sometime after D3, the Isle of the Lost is renamed the Isle of the Found.

Family

Uma and Freddie are twin sisters, having been separated after Dr. Facilier and Ursula broke up. Freddie and Uma were unaware of this, and found out in the events of Never Knew I Lost You (coming soon).

In addition, Celia has a different mother, an OC named Lauren.

This is also why Facilier seemed to dislike Freddie (though, her abuse portrayed in the Wickedverse is probably worse than it is in canon), as he dislikes her mother. Whereas he favored Celia, since he likes her mother. Also why Ursula didn't care much about Uma, having become despondent after losing her partner and daughter.

King Philip has three sisters, Brigitte, Bianca, and Marya, taken from the book A Twisted Tale: Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell. Bianca is Ariana's mother and Marya has a daughter named Naomi.

Lumiere is married to Fairy Godmother, and is Jane's father.

Evie and Dizzy have the same father, Hans, making them half-sisters.

Doug's mother, named Clarita in this universe, is from Encanto. Agustin is her maternal uncle, making him Doug's great uncle.

Jay's mother was a woman from Agrabah named Lulu. She dealt in some shady business, thus why she was sent to the Isle. She died from an illness when Jay was five.

The sea witches mentioned in the first Isle book are Morgana's daughter, and Uma's cousins, instead of sisters.

Hadie's mother is an OC named Lian Teng. She is the sister of one of the Huns that survived the avalanche. He was all she had, so she followed him to the Isle. She worked in Hades's Souvlaki and her and Hades had a brief relationship a while after his break up with Maleficent. Hadie is three years younger than Mal.

Harriet, Harry, and CJ's mother is a woman named Red Jessica from Jake and the Neverland Pirates TV series. However, she is only the same character; her role and relationship with Hook is different in the Wickedverse than the cartoon.

Carlos's father is Bruno Madrigal from Encanto (inspired by @silverloreley 's headcanon and discussions). Bruno had a bad vision about Cruella and went to warn her about it. They had an unexpected connection, and one thing led to another.

Melody (from the Little Mermaid sequel) and Zephyr (from the Hunchback of Notre Dame sequel) are married and have a (currently unamed) child.

Friendships

Prior to the events of Wicked World, and possibly D1, Jordan and Ally become best friends after Jordan helps Ally out of a bad relationship.

Jane and Freddie become best friends during the events of Wicked World.

Likewise, Uma and Audrey become best friends sometime after the events of Descendants 3.

Because of the discovery of Uma and Freddie being twins, they start spending time together. To not leave Jane and Audrey out, the four of them hang out together often, forming a friend group similar to the Core Four.

A few months before the Bal wedding, Lonnie and CJ meet and become best friends.

Characters

As a reason for why Carlos was not at Mal and Ben's wedding (and why the rest of the Core Four were sad about it), he develops COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and goes into a coma a couple weeks before the wedding. He wakes up a few weeks afterwards.

Some last name headcanons:

Dwarf last names are from gems and the Seven Dwarves' last name is Lazuli, from lapis lazuli. This makes Doug's full name Doug Lazuli.

Maleficent and Mal's last name is Dragonheart, making Mal's full name Maleficent "Mal" Bertha Dragonheart.

Ben's last name is Leroi, meaning "the king" in French (taken from @hitchell-mope)

Evie's last name is Grimhilde, mostly taken from the fandom.

Jane's last name is Faery, and Fairy Godmother's real name is Joan.

Audrey gives up her birthright to rule Auroria, deciding that isn't the path for her. Naomi will rule Auroria instead. (Which was also what they were planning to do when they thought Audrey would be queen of Auradon).

Uma becomes leader of the Isle after D3, with Harry, Gil, and her crew acting as her advisors/council/soldiers.

OCs

Varian and Cassandra (from the Tangles series) are married and have two kids, Caelan and Valeria.

Anna and Kristoff are married and two sons, Alaric and Kade.

Raya has a son named River.

Maleficent has a younger brother named Kaveh, who comes to Auradon a few years after D3 to help stop a new threat. He previously lived in the Moorlands, the ancestral home of dark fairies and Maleficent's homeland.

Ally has a (currently unnamed) older brother.

Snow White and Prince Florian have a (currently unnamed) child.

Scar (who was turned into a human before being put on the Isle) has a daughter named Safiya.

Mirabel is married to a man named Rico and they have two kids, Anabel and Matteo. Others from Encanto also have kids, but most are currently unnamed.

Ships

Ben X Mal -- also known as Bal

Doug X Evie -- also known as Devie

Jane X Carlos -- also known as Jarlos

Jay X Lonnie -- also known as Jonnie

Harry X Uma -- also known as Huma

Chad X Freddie -- also known as Chaddie

Gil X Ally -- also known as Gilly

Hadie X Audrey -- also known as Hadrey

Zevon X CJ -- also known as Zelista

Maleficent X Hades (after Maleficent's redemption) also known as Mades

Some other ships that aren't as focused on:

Anthony X Harriet (Anthoniet)

Jade X Diego (Jadiego)

Li'l Shang, Celia, and Dizzy are shipped with OCs:

Li'l Shang is shipped with Safiya

Dizzy is shipped with Alaric

Celia is shipped with Caelan

We also refer to (some) best friend pairs with combined names:

Jordan and Ally are Jolly

Mal and Evie are Mevie

Jane and Freddie are Jaddie

Uma and Audrey are Umdrey

Lonnie CJ are Lonista

Not a name combination, but Uma and Freddie are Shell Sisters

[poohbea]

Oh I’ve def have seen a lot of things about Sylus either having another form or is a wanderer. I honestly haven’t played the game, but I’ve seen clips and game plays of it. It makes wonder if MC was someone really special to him, but they just don’t remember (I’ve seeing the amnesia trope or am I trippin?), but he def mafia coded and I’m here for it. Now I’m curious about your thoughts on Xavier 🤔

Also what are your thoughts of JJK ending soon and BNHA had ended?

Yessss, honestly i get most of my lore of tik tok, im not really that deep into it, but you know… your girl dabbles 😌. but you’re definitely not tripping though love and deep space is big on the amnesia trope and the reincarnation trope (one of my favourite tropes hehehe). i can’t wait for the next big update, i wonder where they’ll take the story, i ALSO wonder who the next love interest is gonna be. maybe it’s gonna finally be caleb hahaha or they might bamboozle us again 🤣.

but okay thoughts for xavier… i’ll be honest i didn’t think i’d like xavier when i first started the game, solely because he wasn’t my type (blonde, cutesy, blue eyes), i like em tall dark and handsome — or like sylus 😭. but the way i got WHIPLASH from xavier?? that boy next door thing came down and i’ll be so real it caught me off guard big time 😂. the duality?!?!? ugh, please give me streeeength. especially with the new card. fuck me, i lose my mind every time i watch it. his hands and the EYES and THE WAY HE’S A MASOCHIST HOLY SHIT. THE SECRET MASOCHIST PART HAD ME IN AN EARLY GRAVE. because WHAT DO YOU MEAN HARDER?!?! i’m so normal about him 🫠 hnnnnnn. he’s also the jealous type and i’m so mad that i missed that card where he’s like “who do you prefer? me? or lumiere?” i hope they do re-runs for them because lawwwwddd.

i’m not a BNHA stan buuut the fact that jjk is ending in 5 chaps is craaazy, i need to see the new leak cause i know nobara has miraculously returned after we all thought we was gone to meet God. i hope gege ends it off well, please for the love of all things good i hope he ends it good. me and a work colleague were theorising how it would go and mannn… i really wanna get more insight of sukuna’s life, will we get it in five chaps? i highly doubt it but we can dream 😭