#reference to the comic 'the hollower'

[oveliagirlhaditright]

I See You

Summary: Somewhat based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer tie-in book "Visitors" (though you shouldn't have to read that to understand this story). Ever since the Korred demon has come to Sunnydale, Angel can't help but notice that Buffy has been distant from him. Eventually, he decides to wait in the swimming pool room at Sunnydale High while Buffy's preparing for patrol in the library, knowing that she can sense him there and that if she wants to talk to him or have him go on patrol with her, she can come find him. Or she can continue to ignore him for another night. Buffy does come and see him, and she finally confesses what's been going on with them, and it seems she's come to see the line between man and demon is much thinner than she'd ever been willing to admit before. And since Angel has always been somewhat in denial about this... is this something he'll be willing to accept? Canon compliant. Oneshot. Slight angst, but also... ALL THE FLUFF. General audiences.

Author's Note: It might somewhat seem that Buffy and Angel have switched sides here (and if anyone thinks that, that’s definitely fair. Since Buffy was always a defender of the things the demon did not being attributed to Angel. And Angel said things like, “I can walk like a man, but I’m not one”), but this story, in some ways, is kind of supposed to explore why I think Buffy might have called Angelus “Angel” in season two: Because deep down, I think she does realize there’s a thin line between Angel and Angelus/man and demon. And, I mean, some of the things she says in “Amends” also makes me think this: “I know everything you did, because you did it to me. God, I wish I wish you did. I don’t. I can’t.” Note that she doesn’t say, “I know everything Angelus did, because he did it to me. I wish I wished him dead. I don’t. I can’t,” or anything like that, but she’s linking it to Angel, because she seems to know that they’re really very much the same.

Also, likewise, I feel like Angel actually, in some ways, thinks that he and Angelus are different? Like different personalities (actually, I do think Angel has split personalities, but that’s another discussion for another time). But I remember in the comics, he tells Drusilla that Angelus hasn’t been there since he was cursed with his soul (and I’m sure he also meant that Angelus would appear again the times he lost his soul, of course). But I’m like, “Are you sure about that, Angel? Are you really sure?” Everyone else seemed to disagree with that in that section of the comic (in thinking Angelus was always there with Angel), like Dru, Faith, and Spike.

This story has a lot of references to the tie-in books (and one classic comic). Actually, this story takes place after something that happened in one of them “Visitors” (though I changed something that happened there. Buffy never once thought that Angel might have been responsible for summoning the demon there. But that book has a list of suspects in it, making the reader wonder who’s responsible for that certain demon being in Sunnydale. And he and Buffy are somewhat estranged in that novel [just because it’s too hard for them to be together, but not truly be able to be together, either]. So, for the purposes of this story, I was like, “let’s make it so that she did for a hot second think Angel could have been responsible and build something from there”). Sorry if it’s a little confusing for those who haven’t read the tie-in novels. But for the most part, I feel like they’re mostly references here and you shouldn’t really need to have read them to understand what’s going on. Hopefully I’ve explained the references enough when they show up.

Anyway, onto the story!

Angel's PoV

Angel wasn't entirely sure what his and Buffy's problem was lately.

Okay… maybe that wasn't entirely true. Not being able to make love with your soulmate was no easy thing. And deep down, Angel thought that both of them again knew once again that their love was doomed and they were really just kidding themselves in trying to stay together. So perhaps that was where her thoughts lied lately and that was why she’d been staying away.

Angel certainly couldn't have blamed Buffy, if that was the case (even if a part of him had thought they'd found their way together again, after he'd comforted her when her mother had been temporarily kidnapped by the Sons of Entropy). But he also couldn't help thinking he was seeing something else behind her eyes whenever they met lately.

For instance, he had met her one night to warn her about an old power that had come to the town, a Korred demon, and Buffy had been almost… ungrateful for his help, seeming desperate to get rid of him. Mayhap because his presence hurt her as much as hers pained him, Angel allowed (though they also couldn't stand to be apart, which was the conundrum). But there had seemed like there was more to it than that.

Which was why Angel was at such a loss now.

He knew he probably should have been with Buffy right now, preparing to help her with her patrol for the night if nothing else… however, he also didn't want to crowd her. So Angel found himself sitting with his feet resting inside her school pool (because Buffy was getting ready to for her patrol here at Sunnydale High, of course—no doubt wanting to ask one of her friends to join her instead of him). And Angel knew that she could sense him here… So, if she decided she wanted him along with her, or anything else from him, she could come and find him in here.

And as it was, a refreshing dip in the swimming pool was sounding more and more tempting as he stared at it. And Angel was just about to strip down into his boxers, at least, and dive into it when he suddenly felt Buffy behind him.

"Buffy," he whispered, whirling around to face her, and at once taking in how beautiful she looked in the little orange dress she wore, making Angel think at once of Velma and Buffy's Scoobies. But she was so much more lovely than Velma, wasn't she? Even though Angel thought she was every bit as good of a detective as the cartoon character was… but why wasn't she detecting right now?

"Angel," Buffy choked out just as breathlessly and with her voice chock full of emotion. But for what reasons, Angel still could not say. He looked at her in an imploring way, begging her to tell him, and finally she did not disappoint as she began walking towards him.

"Do you remember when Oz and I defeated a dinosaur in here?" Buffy asked, shaking her head in wonder at the thought, because that had been an amazing ordeal and he’d been scared for her through it.

…But it wasn't what he wanted to hear from her right now and she knew it, so he chastised her. "Buffy-"

"What? The person in the room, who is considered an extinct creature to some, doesn’t want me to talk about another extinct creature? I didn’t know you got the monopoly on that, Angel."

Angel shot his girl a look—meanwhile hoping that she was, in fact, still his girl—but if she was stalling like this, he had the feeling that what Buffy was about to say next wasn’t going to be “of the good” at all. And she pretty much confirmed that with her next words.

"You're not going to like this, Angel," Buffy admitted, biting on her lip. And Angel was pleased with himself that he didn't get distracted by that movement at all and instantly thundered back with, "Not as much as I have not knowing what's going on with us, Buffy. So, spill. No more games."

Buffy's shoulders somewhat shook at that. And Angel felt guilty, remembering how he had reacted—and how Buffy had then responded—when she'd told him about Scott. And he was about to apologize.

But Buffy was already sitting down beside the pool and absentmindedly running her index finger in it while she found her voice. "I think it all started when you were willing to leave Oz, as the wolf, behind when we were fighting the Sons of Entropy.”

And before Angel could say anything to that, Buffy was continuing with: "And I know, Angel, the logical reason behind that decision. They were holding us all hostage and it was a dangerous situation. They were about to rip my heart out for a sacrifice… and were so close to destroying the world. They even had my mom at the time, which was making me an absolute wreck. I know it. Then, the two of us had miraculously escaped, so I get why you wanted to get out of dodge, and didn't think we'd be able to find where they had wolf-Oz hidden and then be able to escape with him… But that calculating, cold attitude still felt more along the line of Angelus' thinking to me. And then more things like that started happening."

Angel remembered well what Buffy was talking about. And though it certainly wasn't a favorite memory of his, she'd explained his feelings then exceptionally well. He had been afraid that there was no way they would have been able to escape if they'd tried to rescue Oz. Especially since they hadn't known at the time that Micaela would change sides and open a path into the Ghost Roads for them, so they could quickly travel between locations and truly get away from all of those sorcerers—so Angel had really thought they would have been up a creak without a paddle if they'd been trying to run for miles while trying to drag an angry werewolf alongside them.

But even so, even when he had posed the idea to Buffy, he'd hated the idea of leaving Oz behind. Oz was his friend.

"That still doesn't really answer my question," Angel protested, shaking his head. Of their own accord, his legs came to brush against Buffy's, that were also now resting in the pool. "Have you been mad at me all this time for Oz's sake? Or-"

But Buffy silenced him by turning his way and placing a finger to his lips, instantly reminding Angel the night of Buffy's seventeenth birthday. But he dared not go down that road.

"N-no. Maybe things would be more clear if I brought up the Hollower."

"Right. When you thought I might have let all these vampires get regurgitated in the town, because it could have potentially made my soul permanent. I did think about it," Angel remembered. But he never could have done that. His defeating others of his kind had caused the Hollower, a demon who ate vampires to gorge itself on them and overrun a city once. And being evil at the time, he was afraid its monstrous appetite would come for him and his family. He'd willingly sacrificed one of his companions to try and stop it, back in the day (though she'd miraculously survived). And when it had eventually come to Sunnydale, there had been a part of Angel that thought that if it got a hold on him, it would kill the vampire and just leave him a man with a soul. But the problem had been the Hollower had feasted on too many vamps at that point—it did have a limit—and if it ate many more, it would have thrown them all back up into the town, and then Sunnydale would have been overrun by the vamps. And Angel knew he could never be that selfish.

"…And then when the Korred got here, there were so many suspects about who summoned it to Sunnydale, when usually it doesn't leave its home."

"And you thought it could have been me. Especially since I knew about this legendary creature and was bringing you everything I knew about it," Angel realized, the puzzle finally coming together for him.

"But of course I realized it wasn't you, Angel!" Buffy exclaimed. "And then-"

"And then?" Angel asked, confused, running a hand through his hair. There's an 'and then' here? I sort of figured you realizing it wasn't me would be the end of this story." And Angel had to curl his hands into fists to resist the urge to take Buffy into his arms, and finally leave all of this madness behind them, but he got the sense that something really wasn't right here.

Buffy sighed loudly. And before she continued, she looked deeply into Angel's eyes, imploring him for something, though what it was he couldn’t say. Not just yet. "This- this is the part you're not going to like. Also, please let me finish before you get all judge-y, because at first you might be confused by my logic and think I'm contradicting myself.

"I finally realized that you and the demon—Angelus is what I'm saying here--aren't so different. And I know that makes little sense with my last example, since you didn't even bring the creature here. But I know in different circumstances… you might have.

"And at first realizing this was upsetting to me. And honestly, what was keeping me away from you. But now understanding it, but also seeing how you differ… I don't know, Angel. It's like it's freed me from an illusion I’d been under and made some things click into place in my head. And really, it's better this way."

Angel looked at Buffy, aghast. And he reached out his arms, wishing to shake her for what she said—his soul crying out in anguish for the betrayal she’d just uttered, as his entire world fell down around him—but he was able to keep from doing so by jumping into the pool before him.

He could tell that Buffy was not happy by this action. She huffed rather loudly and crossed her arms over her chest, before glaring daggers at him. "Really, Angel? Avoiding me and the issue now? Really?"

Angel might have argued that avoidance seemed to be Buffy's shtick lately, but he was too busy keeping his demon from ripping her throat out and proving her latest sentiment right in doing so.

Once he thought he'd gotten somewhat a hold of himself, after taking a few calming breaths, he looked at the girl he still loved with betrayed eyes and demanded, "How can you say that to me, Buffy? Weren't you always the biggest advocate for me and Angelus being different when you debated with your friends?"

Buffy blinked, confused, at Angel's question. And he considered that maybe she hadn't come up with a second answer to all of this, perhaps having not thought she'd need anything else to explain her reasoning to him than everything she’d just said.

"Uhh… first off, I guess I'm going to get into this freezing cold pool with you, mister, because someone just had to jump into it and now, you're too far away for me to really have a conversation with." And after a quick little splash she had done did just that. Despite himself, Angel found that he had to smile. And then she was beside him.

“I guess… Maybe think of it like Chex Mix, Angel.”

“Chex Mix, Buffy?” Angel asked, cocking his head to the side, confused. He didn’t even know if he was upset with her anymore. Not truly. Now he was just too curious to see how she was going to try to link his soul and demon situation with that strange human food that he thought he’d maybe seen at the corner of his eye at the store a few times. Angel was constantly mystified by the way Buffy’s mind worked, but he couldn’t say he didn’t love it.

“Yeah, I know that this is a very strange analogy I’m coming up with here,” Buffy admitted, just as she placed a gentle hand upon Angel’s heart, that instantly had it warming under her touch, “but just roll with it.

“A bag of Chex Mix is one thing, really—or one brand, I guess—the Chex Mix itself. Now: say that someone wanted just the pretzels in it or something. They might try to scoop out a handful of just that and mostly succeed… And I suppose I’m comparing your soul to the pretzels here. But of course, sometimes, they might get something else, like the Chex Cereal itself in their hand, like sometimes the demon spills over even though you have a soul. But it’s all still Chex Mix, like you’re all still you… and that’s really what I’m trying to say here. And I know this is a crappy comparison. I’m sorry.”

Angel threw his head back and laughed. And at first, Buffy looked somewhat wounded that he would mock her carefully chosen words so. Even if she herself had just admitted how strange they were, but then even she seemed to see the humor of the situation and joined him in giggling.

It was true that her words were bizarre—and perhaps too simple to really match what everything he went through—but it did make some sense, Angel supposed. And more than anything, he found that he appreciated Buffy so much for trying to understand him where he was, like always, and loving him no matter what.

“More than anything, my love, I’m just glad you didn’t compare stuff with my soul and demon to acting,” Angel admitted. “Because that- that could have led to some bad places, and we may have had to tell this sad tale of you being unsure of me all over again,” Angel said against the top of Buffy’s hair, before placing a gentle kiss there.

As Angel pulled away, he could see Buffy’s eyebrows crease and then a frown appeared on her face. She opened her mouth, and at once Angel could tell she was about to apologize for having been unsure of him at all, but he silenced her by putting a finger to her lips and stealing a line of hers from time ago. “Water over the bridge.”

And now it was Buffy’s turn to laugh pretty uproariously before settling comfortably into Angel’s arms here in the water, he noticed. It wasn’t perfect happiness for a few reasons (one of them being that the water was a little too cold for Buffy’s tastes and with his cool temperature he couldn’t warm her up), but he could still hardly think of any other place he’d rather be. “I love you, Angel,” Buffy smiled, looking up at him with her eyes shining.

“And I you,” he confirmed, tucking a strand of hair behind the light of his life’s face, as it had obscured her from him.

“Now what do you say we enjoy some of our limited time off here and go for a swim?”

Angel smirked. “I think much like us training together, this is going to turn into a competition. And the first one to the other side of the pool gets to decide our next date.”

The next thing Angel saw was a splash of water and Buffy’s leg directly in his line of vision as she took off swimming. And all things considered, the way things had been between them lately, he couldn’t say he was complaining.

No. Not at all.

Author's Note: I think there was originally some dialogue in here that got lost somewhere. But basically, Buffy’s friends are patrolling for her for the night, because they know that Buffy and Angel have really been at odds lately and they’re giving them the chance to work things out.

I also know the setting for this story is kind of strange, but I kind of put Buffy and Angel here on purpose as a “have them anywhere else other than the mansion or a cemetery” challenge.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed!

[ridleymb]

Curse words

[lilybug-02]

Humans...? Underground?

Bug Fact: Leaf Cutter Ants farm fungus! They use leaves as fertilizer to cultivate the fungus they eat.

First || Prev // Next

Masterpost

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

I gotta know: do you know if the Certified Creature is in The Untamed, or did it get edited out for More Serious Fantasy?

If you are referring to LWJ's Bunny hairpiece, that's just the whimsy of PD-MDZS.

[askthekirbysquad]

hey wait a sec

[scarletspider2the2ndpower]

Chasm: Curse of Kaine (Vol. 1/2024), #4.

Writer: Steve Foxe; Penciler and Inker: Andrea Broccardo; Colorist: Brian Reber; Letterer: Joe Caramagna

[darkautodraws]

Hollow Knight/Twisted Wonderland crossover thing that's been cooking in my brain for a little while. Will add details with my main!

[tyrannuspitch]

i really hate the allmother. not as characters, but as, like, a subject to read about. there's just something so uncanny about their sameface situation and their constant tiny smiles. feels like i'm facing an army of clones or something. awful. please stop making me look at them

[patmax17]

This is awesome

I’ve spent the past year working on this comic on and off! It’s such a relief for it to finally be finished. It was a massive labor of love for my two favorite bugs. Here’s hoping silksong comes out before I spend another year making the sequel! (Don’t get your hopes up)

[abby-howard]

I'm going to be asking a lot of artists I follow this question, but how did you develop your style? It SEEMS like most people find their style and stick with it forever, just making improvements and iterations. I tend to work in a lot of different styles because I enjoy doing that, though I know there are things I gravitate towards as well. But I wonder what your journey was and how you got feedback and improved while staying true to what you enjoyed?

Hi there!

I definitely wouldn't say that I've found my style and stuck with it forever-- I feel like each of my projects has asked for a certain kind of art, and has presented new challenges that push me in new directions.

Some of that comes from seeing someone else's work and having something click into place that might fix errors/faults in my own, and then I might try to incorporate that, such as bigger outlines on my characters to help distinguish them from the background, or maybe a way someone else simplifies eyes that can help make mine look less weird.

When I first started drawing, I can see where I encountered certain influences because my sketchbooks suddenly switch to incorporating some new stylistic element that I liked from whatever I was reading/watching at the time. But it was never QUITE right, it was never just copying, there was always something ~wrong~ with it. And that wrongness was my style! As much as I hated it, that was what distinguished my art from being just a copy of someone else's. I hate it less now, and understand that other people see something there that maybe I don't, because it's just what happens when I filter other people's work through my head. My soul, if you will.

There are definitely through-lines with my work, driven by what I like drawing and what comes easily to me-- hatching is almost always a major component, and I like making expressive characters. Here's some of my earliest available stuff, from my old webcomic:

Then not long after that, I started The Last Halloween, which pushed me to challenge myself in both layout and style:

And here's the same comic, years later:

And here's a series I did for kids, where I had to use full color and lay off on the hatching, as well as learn how to reconstruct animals that we have no photo references for, which is definitely a place where style comes majorly into play, whether I wanted it to or not:

Then there was the horror book I did, where I tried to push my work to be less cartoony overall, and to work very hard on improving my hatching:

Then I started work on Scarlet Hollow, where I incorporated a limited/muted palette and had to once again push myself to make less-cartoony art, as well as learn more consistency so I could draw sprite sets. This was a big challenge for me, and has helped me grow as an artist so much!

And most recently, I wrapped up work on Slay the Princess, which required that I go back in the cartoony direction, but in a very different way than I was used to. This took a lot of sketching to figure out, and there's still a decent amount of artistic stumbling in Chapter 1 while I settled into it.

She's drawing on anime/Disney influence, but each Princess required a bit of stylistic variability. Some are more anime, while some are more realistic than even the Scarlet Hollow characters.

So I wouldn't worry too much, honestly! A person's style is often something that reveals itself over the course of their career, rather than something they choose and then try to stick to forever.

Even if you don't think you have a style, you do. It might vary a lot piece by piece, especially if you're trying to closely imitate another person's art, but the more work you do, the more you'll figure out your own strengths and interests!

[toxycodone]

Monster Fucker's Journal : Introduction

ship. laios touden x reader, reader x various monsters

chapter content: nsfw, masturbation + desc of monster sexual organs. reader is gender neutral but there is references to a clit and getting wet.

read on ao3 | click here for masterlist | next chapter (coming soon!)

Holding the wooden bowl up to your lips, you take the last sip of the broth, savoring the taste on your tongue.

Goddamn. Monster food is tasty. Never in your life did you think you'd be trying Giant Scorpion hot pot, but you're thanking every deity watching from above you're now able to say you tried it.

This is much better than Laios's odd first attempt at cooking these creatures. Despite his amassment of knowledge, cooking does not seem to be one of them.

Despite Marcille's claims of food poisoning and incessant whining, you still decided to give the meal Senshi prepared a taste, and you're glad you did. The flavor was rich, yet earthy...reminding you of the nice soup served at that tavern on the surface.

But this one was better. Much better. It's actually made from monsters! How fascinating!

Laios Touden thought he was the only monster lover around, often regarding himself as an outcast. That is, until he met you. You started out as a usual recruit--someone experienced enough to hold their own but green enough to not punish his wallet. The longer you spent alongside the blonde, the more his interests started to grow on you. The most prominent being monsters.

He seemed to grow quite fond of you as well, sharing his thoughts and theories with you in the little amount of spare time you shared during rest hours and between missions. Listening to him speak about the creatures always lifted the burden of the day off your shoulders. Laios is always so passionate when you get him going. His eyes glimmer with interest, tone so full of ardent affection--you can't help but watch with a lovesick grin.

You wonder if he could feel the same type of way for a person. That person hopefully being you.

Nearby, Laios sits on his bedroll. His large hands slap against the broad midriff of his armor, cauisng the sound of hollow metal to resonate in your ears. It snaps you out of your thoughts.

"That was good!"

His face is curled into a smile, a light flush on his face. You take a moment to appreciate the view. From the corner of your eye, you spot Chilchuck peering at you with a raised brow. Your eyes dart away, focusing elsewhere.

There's a nudge at your shoulder.

"Hey." Laios regards you with wide, curious smile. "How'd you like it? Good, right?"

You nod your head, then explain how different--yet delicious, the food was. In the back of your mind, you always wondered how monsters tasted, or hell, if they were even edible. Today, you can mark that off your bucket list.

His smile spreads from ear to ear now. If anything could radiate pure sunshine, it would be this man.

"Glad to hear it! You know..." He pulls a notebook from below the collar of his armor. It's comical enough to make you snort lightly. "I should take some notes."

Laios begins to scribble down what he's learned so far about the anatomy of walking mushrooms, giant scorpions, and of course--how to prepare them for consumption.

That journal...

Its cover is frayed, edges worn from overuse. There's a plethora of dog eared pages that sport tears and colorful tabs alike. Each page is covered top to bottom in notes you've been dying to read.

Laios promised a while ago let you take a look at it. However, he always seems to be too busy writing to ever give you the chance. Just looking at it makes you sigh. Oh, how you'd kill to get a peek into his mind. You're sure there's quite a bit of knowledge to be found perusing those pages.

The scribbling stops. The man shuts his book, before setting it back into its resting place inside its armor.

"Well, we should check out the path ahead. The first floor might not be too dangerous, but one should always take dungeon crawling seriously." Laios stands up, stretching a bit. The other party members move with him, but he holds out a hand.

"You guys stay here. Let your food disgest. It shouldn't take too long for me to check the path ahead."

The smile on his face is gentle, genuine. You don't understand how others have grown to ostracize the man. He's the most caring person you've met since arriving on the island.

Chilchuck and Marcille seem more relieved than anything. The two gorged themselves on monster food, so the rest is likely well needed. That speaks especially for the elf. Her stamina isn't the best, so traversing the dungeon right away on a full stomach seems like a recipe for disaster. Senshi gives a gentle nod and moves instead to pack his cooking supplies.

Laios picks up his sword and moves to the exit. You stand up too now, grabbing your things and following after him.

"Hm?" Laios, unsuspecting of your presence, is surprised. "Don't you want to stay with the others? I can handle this alone."

You shake your head. Despite his claims, you're not letting Laios venture out by himself. Plus, what if he spots a cool monster? If you can't peek at his journal, then you're gonna gather just as much firsthand experience as he has.

And the blonde doesn't fight you on the topic. Unbeknownst to you, your presence is always a welcome one to him. You both venture into the corridor leading to the second floor.

No matter how much time passes, it's always difficult to get used to the dim lighting within the dungeon. Gentle torchlight illuminates your path, which you're thankful for, but also a bit miffed about. Couldn't they have picked something larger? Brighter? If you were the Dungeon Lord, you would've replaced them with something different by now.

Wait...who the hell is lighting all those things in the first place?

Wait. Not important.

Instead, you focus on following in Laios's heavy footsteps. His leather boots tread lightly on the stone floor, barely echoing along the similarly crafted walls. There's a little tinkering noise from his breastplate, which you can only assume is the journal moving around in his armor. Thank goodness you're on a higher floor. That noise would be a dead giveaway for a monster.

This is probably the least dangerous hallway in the dungeon, no traps or other dangers to be found beside the occasional slime or walking mushroom. However, your party leader always feels the need to tread safely.

The familiar stale air surrounds your senses. To others, it's sickening. To you, it's homey. You're in your element now.

Laios halts, almost causing you to bump into him. Before you can ask a question, he turns to face you.

"I'm gonna head down the staircase real quick, then our little expedition should be over."

You nod. It's a cramped space. There's no need for you to both go down. If he needs any backup, you'll only be a shout away.

Before descending, he reaches in his armor, then pulls out the journal. Laios rests it in your hands.

"Can you take care of this?" He asks, almost bashfully. "I don't wanna make too much noise going down to the second floor. Or risk getting it damaged if a monster is waiting by the entrance..."

God, his expression is cute. He cases so much about this personal journal...why is he so adorable? Of course you'll protect it.

With an expression of gratitude, Laios takes off down the staircase, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

Its a bit of a bummer. You've been down this corridor without any sight of a monster. Hell, the entire first floor had more action. What's the deal with this place...?

Then, you're reminded of the book in your hand.

Now, you know you should be keeping a watchful eye for monsters and listening out for a distress call from Laios...but things have been so boring. There's no harm in a little light reading, right? Just while you're on your lonesome…

You thumb through the pages, starting off at his first real notes on monsters. First is walking mushrooms. You can tell these don’t interest him too much, the notes are lacking. Which is unsurprising. Laios tends to enjoy more complicated monsters. These bumbling creatures have never seemed to truly catch his interest like others. There appears to be a few notes about him theorizing their anatomy–wondering if they reproduce via spores and if said spores are dangerous. It’s interesting to think about in itself. Maybe these monsters could actually be scary if given those attributes. Laios might be onto something here.

The next page is about slimes. Some of the ink is smudged and weathered due to age. However, there’s new notes on the page in fresh ink. They document Senshi’s explanation of slime anatomy and how to cook them. There’s simple fun facts that Laios has shared with you thrice before, and the reminder makes you smile. Most of your reading is spent reminiscing on these factoids, before you hit the section titled “Reproduction”. 

It’s childish, but heat rises to your face as you press on.

The things about slimes seem to be lacking in solid truth. It’s mainly just Laios’s personal theories of their breeding habits. Asexual reproducing is one. Then there’s something about an exchange of genetic material between slimes. Apparently, Laios once found what appeared to be slime eggs in the remains of a heated bathhouse. It appears they search for a place warm and damp to lay their eggs. They likely have some sort of appendage used to lay their eggs in a safe place like this, similar to a snail.

Another note follows, something you wonder if Laios wanted to keep private?

‘What if they lay their eggs in live hosts?’

The thought makes you rub your thighs together. This is wrong. Weird. You should not feel wet at the thought of this. But you persist, letting a hand climb under your waistband. What Laios doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

‘It would explain their behavior. Slimes would grow docile as they look for a host to incubate their eggs. Ideal places to lay are rare in the dungeon, but other creatures (including adventurers), are plenty…”

Your fingers circle over your clit. You knew you liked monsters, but not to this extent…the idea of this being odd steadily starts to fade as you stroke yourself. It’s been so long since you’ve had a proper orgasm. Your body is desperate for anything at this point.

‘They likely function similar to other monsters that accommodate their prey (i.e.: “man eating” plants). Slime secretions have been used as various forms of lubrication. Perhaps during their breeding season, they contain elements that heighten arousal. That would inspire potential vessels to be more willing to their intrusion.’

It’s enthralling. The idea of a creature helping you reach a peak of ecstasy you never considered before. Your movements pick up the pace as you read on, driving you closer and closer to orgasm. As much as you wish you could make noise, you’d rather be caught dead than let Laios witness you getting off to his journal.

Would the creature treat you gently? Teasing you before eventually coaxing an intense orgasm out of you? Or would it relentlessly pound away, trying to stretch you out to accommodate its eggs and leave you a sloppy mess? 

You haven't felt this hot in a long time. It’s embarrassing how quickly you’re about to cum in your pants over something so vile.

Maybe it would cover your whole body in secretions, making your body feel fuzzy with delight, before toying with your clit. Sucking, teasing, running over the flesh until–

A wet, sticky drop lands on your head.

You’d be terribly grossed out if the dungeon hadn’t jaded you already. If anything, you’re more shocked to be snapped out of your lust induced haze. Your peer up at the ceiling to be greeted by an all too familiar monster.

This slime isn't like the one that attacked Marcille earlier at all. It's larger. And an odd color. Why is it pink....?

Your thoughts linger to Laios's journal. Didn't he make a note about this? 

‘During certain times become more docile and take on a pinkish hues. It’s theorized this may be due to a breeding season. It is unclear how slimes reproduce.’

You have an idea. 

A gross, unorthodox one. But it’s an idea nonetheless.

You have to coax the slime down here. You jump up, then wave at it, but the creature doesn’t seem to notice, causing you sigh out in frustration.

Another droplet lands on your head. You grit your teeth. This is your one chance to accomplish your newfound dream. And you’re not gonna let it go to waste. But how the hell are you gonna get this thing down without startling it into attacking you?

Wait...what exactly did that dwarf say? Slimes are attracted to noise, right? They can see your exhale, and attack when you exhale....

So you shout.

"LAIOS!"

And the slime drops from the ceiling, landing on your foot.

Just as planned, your knight in scathed, dull armor comes rushing down the hall, calling your name.

"Are you alri--?" Laios's golden eyes widen when he spots the slime. His weapon is unsheathed in a quick movement, ready to defend you against the monster with Senshi's prior slaying instructions fresh on his mind.

"Wait!"

Before Laios can bring his blade down on the creature, you hold out your hand. He ceases, confusion settling on his features.

"It's not harming me. I-if it wanted to kill me, it would've gone for my head to suffocate me, right?"

Rationalizing this seems impossible. But if anyone were to listen to your desire to fuck monsters, it had to be Laios Touden. So you're putting all your faith in him now. You've yet to judge him, so you hope he holds the same regard for you.

"I...guess." The sword in his hands lowers ever so slightly. It scrapes a shallow mark in the ground as the man steps closer. His head tilts to the side, brows furrowing as he studies the situation at hand. "So you don't want me to kill it?"

You're certain Laios will just take this as you having a healthy respect for monsters, then shoo it away to forgo violence. It takes a lot of mental fortitude, but you swallow the lump in your throat and continue.

"It's interesting behavior....you know, it is breeding season. Which is why they're more active as of late."

The slime starts to creep up your pant leg. Something appendage-like sticks out from its front, prodding at your calves and inner thighs as it makes it's way further.

Your breath catches in your throat. This is really happening.

Laios seems to notice what's going on. A hint of pink tints his pale cheeks, hands making their way to raise his sword once more.

"Laios."

He ceases his movements once more. And you seize your chance.

"Why don't we just let this happen?"

a/n. hey!! if you made it to the end thanks for reading <3 I'm really excited for this series and I hope you enjoyed it!

please consider liking/reblogging/leaving a comment *prayer hands emojis* engagement feeds me (along with other writers! so pls show some love <3)

[eriscary]

"Passing Ghost" comic - extra facts

>>link to the comic<<

When Tear just gets their plush body, they don't automatically know how to 'phase'. The existence of the corporeal body makes the process feel different enough. Unlike before, they now need to use magic and Tear did not have enough time for self discoveries before Error showed up.

When Error attacks Tear, Tear's soul is exposed. Error planned for his strings to go inside his opponent in order to grab the soul. However, his intent force pushed it outside before time. With the new body, Tear didn't know how to reject the intent yet. This usually requires close to no effort and monsters do it instinctually. This is the only canon instance where Tear's soul is forcefully shown via intent.

Another way to force Tear's soul out is by, quite literally, tearing his body apart and digging through all the cotton. This needs to be done using magic, because the plush body won't rip otherwise. Alternatively, it's also possible without magic if Tear is fused with their body

Tear's ribcage area doesn't mimic a skeleton as perfectly. It is not hollow. They had no point of reference while making the body. This is why Tear is pretty soft.

[lilybug-02]

A Gift from the underworld.

Bug Fact: The blood-red worm (Limnodrilus sulphurensis) is a newly discovered species that live off sulfur-eating bacteria in toxic spring waters.

First || Prev // Next

Masterpost

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

MDZS x Hollow Knight Part 3: The Rebugging

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 4

[generalsmemories]

Ginkgo leaves

✧ jing yuan x gn!reader

✧ based on the ask: Since reqs are open, you think you could write jing yuans reaction to his lover being Mara-struck? Thank you! - requested by anonymous

✧ contents: established relationship, angst, hurt/almost no comfort lmfao, implied character death, mentions of other characters, pov mostly written in jing yuan's pov, still usage of 2nd pov (referring the reader as you), mayhaps ooc because jing yuan is an emotional wreck.

✧ a/n: when i tell ya'll i legit struggled to be able to write this entire thing. there's been like 3-4 scrapped drafts because halfway through writing i would just NOT be satisfied with the result. to the anon who requested this, i'm so sorry it took this long - but i hope the upcoming trainwreck makes up for it! a trainwreck im still not actually satisfied with LMFAO. but it's better than the other 5 scrapped works. also not beta-read so fellas if u see a spelling error - no you didn't.

p.s: some mara-struck information i give here are totally fanmade for the purpose of this fic alone, as such don't take whatever i write about mara here as what actually happens canonically to characters (then again most of the playable characters have different symptoms of mara themselves).

"Benefactor, am I correct to believe you're asking me if the general has any specific interests?" Tingyun asks with a snicker, the trailblazer looking away from her prying eyes while mumbling a quiet yes.

"Some of the younger... Can I call them younger? Anyway, some of the younger Xianzhou citizens are very infatuated with the general. Seeing as I've been announced as his honory guest, they do often come and ask me various things to try and gain his favor. So yeah, anything at this point will work - so please!" the trailblazer hurriedly explained, clasping their hands together in a desperate attempt to get anything from the foxian amicassador leaning back with a quirked eyebrow.

"Ahh, love truly makes someone go blind doesn't it," she muses out loud, the trailblazers' eyebrow furrowing together in confusion over the foxian's lady choice of words, "... You're not entirerely wrong with that statement..."

"Do you want to know what his favorite flower is?" Tingyun asks, ignoring the confused question that had been uttered to her, snapping her fan open to hide the cheeky smile that spread across her lips - but anyone could still tell that her eyes were gleaming with mischief as the trailblazer nodded their head.

"He doesn't have one."

"Then why did you even-"

"But he likes ginkgo leaves."

The trailblazers' eyes widened in shock, and rightfully so because the very thing ginkgo leaves are associated with are after all...

"He had a lover once, and as far as I'm aware, his last moment with them while they still had their consciousness intact was surrounded by ginkgo leaves."

Jing Yuan whilst having forgotten almost every single moment with you, does unfortunately remember the exact details of the day that your descent into madness started. Because what he witnessed wasn't a futile struggle you had with yourself to not to destroy everything within your vicinity. Instead, he witnessed the slow process of your bright self becoming an empty shell, only capable of uttering a few words.

It's comical really, even when faced with a curse that struck everyone mad - he found out that it oddly fit your character to not go mad, but instead become the complete opposite of your gentle self. A hollow shell of the person he fell in love with all centuries ago.

Jing Yuan knew he had to end your suffering right then and there when you first started to show signs.

But he couldn't - This wasn't something that had to be immediately dealt with, his hand wasn't forced like it was back when he had to slay his own master down before she took more lives.

No, this was a normal afternoon on what would've been another normal, mundane day in both of your lives. But everything went wrong the moment Jing Yuan heard the breaking of glass, and how there was a lone gingko leaf inside the palm of your hand - a ginkgo leaf that you were staring wide-eyed at with a trembling hand.

You were too far from the veranda to have a ginkgo leaf in your hand.

General Jing Yuan would've ended your suffering the moment you turned around to lock eyes with him, your own face twisted into one of utter fear.

General Jing Yuan would've reported you the to Ten-Lords Commissions as the law had stated. But Jing Yuan couldn't - because Jing Yuan knew that the moment he did, he would never see you again.

So he decided for once he would be selfish. Jing Yuan rarely made choices lately that was based off of his own feelings, but his time with you was cut too harshly, so once again he chooses to be selfish. Even if that meant that it would prolong your suffering just a tiny bit more. "... We can figure something out," was the only thing he could muster up the courage to say with a shaking voice. You didn't say anything, your mouth wobbling a tiny bit and your breathing getting harsher by the second.

But still you indulged him - you always did. So with an equally wobbly smile, you only nodded your head slightly, "... Sure."

That wobbly smile and expression of utter fear was the last genuine expression that truly came from yourself.

The descent to becoming fully mara-struck is usually a fast process, the curse able to completely overtake someone's mind within the same day the symptoms appears - rendering the person completely vulnerable with the only alternative to either hand themselves in to the Ten-Lords or wait for the Ten-Lords to come to them personally.

Your usual easy-going smile was gone, in its stead was eyes that kept going in and out of focus. Almost as if you were desperately trying to keep yourself grounded - a battle you both knew would end with your defeat.

Jing Yuan didn't dare to venture outside of the house. One step out and every Cloud Knight would've been on you within seconds to subdue you. He had first initially resorted to just holding you within his arms for as long as he could, to be able to remember how you felt like after your death.

But with the minimal strength you had left, you had wobbled to the garden, every step taken only making you pant heavily. But even with heavy breaths of air leaving your lips, you had refused to take Jing Yuans hand or offer to even carry you out to the garden. When you had managed to reach the ginkgo tree standing tall at the center of the garden, Jing Yuan was sure you were going to collapse in front of it, taking a quick step to catch you.

But instead you had merely reached your hands up, the falling leaves fluttering gently down onto your palms. And while you were in indescriable pain for the last couple of hours - Jing Yuan could only see a serene expression when you looked up at the ginkgo leaves that were continously falling down.

"... They're beautiful... aren't they... Jing Yuan? It's almost a pity... that these beautiful... leaves are associated with our doom," you said softly. Jing Yuan could feel his breath hitch in his throat when you uttered his name.

You're obviously struggling to convey whatever thoughts you still had to him properly, taking a moment in between words to catch your breath, eyebrows furrowed slightly as you fought against the searing pain that was spreading through every nerve in your body.

There's a sudden gust of wind which causes the pile of leaves in your hands to flutter away from your grasp. Your hand stretches out slightly, almost in an attempt to reach out for them - stumbling a bit in your step. The limp causes Jing Yuan to take a quick step forward with his arms outstretched. Perhaps seeing him in your peripheral vision causes you to stop the futile attempt to catch the escaping leaves, arms going limp against your side as you turn to face him - your once blank expression turning into a somber smile instead.

Jing Yuan thinks that it's unfair how normal you look in front of him - almost as if you haven't been becme mara-struck. Like nothing has happened to you aside from the ginkgo leaves fluttering from your lips whenever you cough. The same cough that causes the general of Luofu to flinch every time - without fail.

And perhaps you can see his inner turmoil, the way he tries to make eye contact with you, but is unable to after a few seconds. The way his hands clench too hard into fist to the point droplets of blood fall down to the grass and stains it a deep red while he bites his own lips to not say a word - lest he says something that he will regret.

And you truly wish that you could tell him everything is okay like you usually do.

But for the first time since the day he lost his friends, you can't.

"... I'm sorry," you finally say, the apology making him whip his head up to you again. Mouth opening to say something to comfort you, to tell you that it's not your fault. But the words are unable to leave his mouth when he sees your arms slightly outstretched towards him with a small smile.

And he can't hold it in anymore.

It only takes him a few wide steps to reach you from his position before he cradles you within his arms. The grip is tight, unbearably tight to the point it hurts, but you don't complain. You're limp in his hold, and if this was any day he wouldn't comment, but the fact that you're not moving a single muscle terrifies Jing Yuan to the core. "... Please," he finally manages to whisper, the rustling of ginkgo leaves around you almost drowning out his quiet plea.

"Please don't make me do this again."

He doesn't ask if the tensing of your body is caused by the pain that's rapidly increasing or if it's caused by his silent confession. He can however feel the gentle hand that rests against the lower part of his back and your head resting against the side of his own. The reassurance you try to give him does nothing to help because he's aware that it probably brought you unmeasurable pain to try to move those limbs - instead the general buries his face closer to your neck and squeezes you tighter.

"... You won't." you whisper quietly.

It takes a moment for Jing Yuan to process the meaning behind those two words.

But it's a moment too late, because before he can get his phone out to usher a command, a few resounding knocks can be heard throughout the quiet mansion.

"General Jing Yuan. This is Xueyi of the Ten-Lords commission. I've gotten information that there's currently a mara-struck within these premises."

Jing Yuan feels his blood run cold, he pulls himself away from you to stare at you properly in disbelief.

You're still staring at him with the same somber expression, however he can tell there's a small pitiful smile grazing your lips, "I'm sorry," you whisper once again.

"I asked her... personally," you start, finally letting yourself rest now that the end is near, slumping down onto Jing Yuan's chest, your ear settling itself against his heart to hear his rapid heartbeats.

Jing Yuan loathes the fact that it's at this moment, with the Ten-Lords commission outside of your door and with him completely broken do you actually look at peace - like your battle against time has finally come to its conclusion.

And naturally, the one who lost is you.

"Half a day... with you. Then she would come and bring me there. You won't have to... do this again."

You're not able to see Jing Yuan's face - and Jing Yuan wouldn't want you to see how he looked like right now. The arms around you is trembling, his mind is racing - trying to come up with anything to give him a bit more time with you.

But for once, the general that had a plan for every situation had nothing in mind.

He's lost. And the prize of the loss this time is losing you forever.

"General, I apologize for the rudeness of what I'm about to do, but this is for both of your safety," Jing Yuan hear Xueyi mutter from outside of the door, before he hears the rattling of the door frame start to slide open.

"Wait- no," it's a quiet request that gets ignored as Xueyi strides in alone, the lack of company making Jing Yuan's eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"... Their last request along with the request for my late arrival here was for the Cloud Knights to not see you like this. Naturally I won't tell anyone of what I've seen today."

Jing Yuan doesn't care about that, he could care less about his image right now, pulling you closer to him while his eyes are downcast - he makes no move to hand you over to the judge.

The puppet judge before him does not say anything - nor does she make a move. What she does however is wait, wait for the general before her that has been utterly crushed and broken by the person in his arms start to accept the harsh truth once again.

If he doesn't handle the mara-struck himself, someone else would - but the end result only serves to punish him in the end, the one left behind.

Xueyi hears a silent breath be let out by the general, her once closed eyes opening up to see the general pull slightly away from you, one hand reaching up to cradle your cheek. Your eyes have long since closed, and you're most likely not even conscious to hear what he's about to say.

"My dear... I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you. But I'm afraid you'll have to wait a bit longer before we can meet again," he whispers, bumping his forehead against your own gently, "I hope you won't fault me for that."

A long ginkgo leaf flutters right between the two of you, eventually settling down on your chest.

Jing Yuan sucks in one last deep breath, "I'm sorry I kept you here for so long - I'm sorry you had to be in pain for so long because of me," he leans in to slot his lips one last time over your own, whispering something that Xueyi can't hear before he rises up, your body limp in his arms.

"Thank you for your service Miss Xueyi, please see them off appropiately." Jing Yuan says, voice sounding eerily calm - almost like his usual self.

When he turns around to finally face her, the puppet's lifeless eyes seem to grow a bit in surprise. Before her is the general of Luofu, his usual easy-going smile present on his lips.

Like he wasn't carrying his mara-struck lover in his arms.

"As much as I would want to accompany you to see them off, I'm afraid I have some urgent matters to attend to," he informs, handing your body over to Xueyi - she doesn't comment on how his hands are still slightly trembling or how he immediately turned a bit to the side to ignore staring at her head-on.

Even though Xueyi doesn't want to ask, she still asks either way, "What are your plans from here on, general?"

Jing Yuan only gives her a close eyed smile, turning his gaze towards the large ginkgo tree with his hands behind his back. He gnaws a tiny bit at his lips, finally breathing out.

A couple of seconds passes by before he opens his mouth.

"I think I'll meditate a bit under this tree before heading back to the Seat. I can't leave Luofu without me for too long after all."

5 SCRAPPED WORKS AND I'M STILL NOT ACTUALLY THAT SATISFIED BUT IF I KEEP THIS PIECE LONGER IN THE WORKS THE MORE I'LL BUTCHER IT SO HAHA - THIS IS THE BEST WE CAN DO AFTER 3 MONTHS OF CONSTANT BACK AND FORTH FELLAS. I HOPE IT SQUEEZED YOUR HEART A TINY BIT NONETHELESS.

[jokin-around]

I made a Twitter thread about this, but I've been reading early issues of Batman lately and something I've noticed is how differently the contrast between Batman and "Bruce Wayne" is depicted

obviously, in many things today, "Bruce" (ESPECIALLY in fandom) is often depicted as a happy-go-lucky himbo in order to draw contrast with a grim and "tortured" batman

so how does this hold up when you look at older depictions? the answer: it doesn't. in fact it was almost the opposite.

way back in the very first issues of the official Batman title, Bruce Wayne, no matter WHAT he's doing, isn't the one who laughs and smiles, Batman is.

and these are comics that were published BEFORE the comics code authority caused a dramatic shift in tone

Bruce Wayne (or least the cardboard cutout refered to as Bruce Wayne) isn't nessecarily described as grim, but he isn't a very happy person either, he's still a rich airhead, but not so much a "himbo" or even a dedicated businessman, he's depicted as a BORED, uninterested, aristocrat:

this Bruce seems to spend of his time smoking a pipe at home or mingling with other upperclass individuals, that in-between we tend to see MUCH more often in modern comics doesn't seem to exist yet (in part because the batcave Is non-existent which I suspect has given him a bit more privacy as a character)

MEANWHILE Batman, who's investigates murders every other night almost seems to be having the time of his life:

the early comics seem to routinely depict the burgoise as cold, snobbish & bored, in contrast to batman who seems particularly expressive and joyful, for all we know Batman may partially exist as some millionaires weird passtime, but of course Bruce Wayne (the real guy, not the facade) is written as someone who genuinely seems to care due to his own past experiences:

but , with all of that layed out, one can conclude that when ppl say Batman is the "true persona" ect. originally, it wasn't (just) because of his coping or whatever it was because when he wasn't Batman he was forced to live life as a cold, "useless" millionaire:

"what if a rich a guy gave a fuck?" is still very much the base concept here, but what's surprising is how much BITE there is to it

the concept wasn't being proposed because it's like… a plausible thing to happen or attainable on a personal level, but because the rich reliably and consitently do not care

the rich ppl in this book, "Bruce Wayne" included, are not written to be envied as people. they're written to be insufferable. ppl with endless resources who are still somehow unsatisfied with life and choose to do nothing useful or direct with the amount wealth they've accumulated

but ofc it shouldn't be ALL THAT surprising, Batman debuted in Detective Comics in 1939…. ONE year after the great depression, Bob and Bill had more than a good reason to feel a bit bitter

but rolling back to the point of this analysis, whenever I say "let batman be happy" I mean "let Batman enjoy his job" despite the pain, despite the death, despite the murder, despite the hypocritical nature of it all and how problematic it may be because it's a life he also chooses, not just out of compulsion, but because it's hands on, direct & purposeful. it gives him something to do & it gives him a chance to punch a problem in the face (which may be good or bad depending on what that problem is, but still)

that kind of depiction is what set up the groundwork for nearly every deconstruction that's come since but it's so buried in time at this point that lines from characters claiming bruce "loves being batman" seem to ring completely hollow

tbh, I think the old way of depicting Batman can be ( and as been in some media) woven into the way he's depicted today, in the past Batman was an outlet for every emotion Bruce Wayne had to hide elsewhere, a symbol of empathy, fury and passion, for modern Batman, I imagine those three things still hold true, layered on top of an alter ego that allows a modern Bruce Wayne to be weird and damaged and dark.

so uh, ln conclusion, I think batman enjoying what he does to a certain extent is a crucial aspect of his character that's been lost and withered and forgotten about, let him a have a little fun, we can discuss the ramifications of all that when discussion seems necessary