#residents of limbo

[psychofreak-p]

INTRO !!! ★彡

+ LOOKING FOR MUTUALS/FRIENDS !!!

======================================

YOU CAN CALL ME RILL, IVY OR KENNITH !!

! MY PRONOUNS ARE THEY/HE/XE/ONE/IT !

MY BIRTHDAY'S ON DEC. 20TH !!! :D

I'M A VOCAL SYNTH PRODUCER :3 (i haven't released any music yet though since i'm still trying to figure out how to do mixing and making it sound right) -- so far i've made a few talkloids and i'm planning to make more soon! (they're on my youtube channel)

!! MY PRODUCER NAME IS PSYCHOFREAK-P !!

======================================

SOME FANDOMS I'M IN:

VOCALOID

IMPOSTOR-P

ORGANSDOTORG

KENOPSIA/HYPNOFANTASMA

PARTIES ARE FOR LOSERS

THE POST-TRAUMATIC MANIFESTO

DIVINE RIGHTS (SPORES-P)

SPLATOON

+ SOME MORE TOO !!

======================================

SOME OF MY FAV MUSIC ARTISTS:

IMPOSTOR-P

ANGELBRAINED

PLSSENDBONES

MONSTROSITY

DEX/FRUTIGERANGEL

SKREYA_

UPTOWN-P

CROW-P

ORGANSDOTORG

KIAN

FERRY

SPORES-P

NAPHILLOW

CALLIOPE/CALLIO-P

DEADLY-ESPRESSO

PUMPKIN HEAD

STARDUSTLEGEND

WEEVILDOING

CARBON MONOXIDE

ENOCH/ZION XYZ

ECLIPTIC-P

ALISSI-P

SKIRMISH-P

FRIENDXP

SOOOO

TART

QUEENPB

PONKANSOUP

SHUDDER

MASA WORKS DESIGN

SKYFISH66

SURAI

UNDECIDED

ENNN

SATURN CANDIES

KELVOID

ZOOFLES

CHARM-P

CATTS

NOMNOMBLUEY

ARTECHNA

ASUAGONY

VENESECTION

ONETHOUGHTREMAINS

?-CURSEY-?

GALAPAGOS-P

MECHANICAL-P

======================================

MY FAV CHARACTERS:

RILL (IMPOSTOR-P)

SEDUCTOR (IMPOSTOR-P)

KIERAN (THaB/TEAM 6x111)

KAYLEE (KENOPSIA/HYPNOFANTASMA)

LIAM (IMPOSTOR-P)

CHARLIE COAL (BONES) -- they're the fella from their song 'CAUTIONARY'

MARS (IMPOSTOR-P)

BRI (COMMUNICATIONS/GHOST)

LEIRU (KENOPSIA/HYPNOFANTASMA)

THE COLLECTOR (FRUTIGERANGEL)

!!! I'M RILL'S #1 FAN !!! -- i love that silly bunny lad

======================================

INTERACT!!:

IMPOSTOR-P FANS -- if any of you happen to be a fan of IMPOSTOR-P, i would LOVE to be mutuals/friends. (y'all are really hard to find istg😔)

VOCALOID FANS IN GENERAL

ARTISTS

OTHER VOCAL SYNTH PRODUCERS

======================================

THIN ICE:

most ghost and pals fans.... (experiences i've had)

ppl that know me irl

======================================

DNI/DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL:

basic DNI criteria (homophobes, racists, transphobes, etc)

|sr*el supporters (get off my page ew)

======================================

bye that's all for now!!!! ^_^

[skeletalheartattack]

...am I just losing my mind or did yer icon become evil? I don't remember that BeAst behind Boe

yuuuump always been behind me

[simplyshelbs16xoxo]

I'm so tired of nearly all fantasy or adventure video games having giant spiders. I have really bad arachnophobia, and literally had a full blown panic attack whilst trying really hard to fight those motherfuckers, but I was shaking and screaming and crying.

I made my brother do it for me cause I couldn't handle it anymore.

I've always heard that exposure helps get over the fear, but it honestly makes it worse for me 😭😭

[nullheaven]

I think the gas planets in our solar system are literally where hell resides, we just cant see it cuz its in another plane of reality

[starkidlabs]

I need to get out more and maybe start trying to date again. I keep crushing on any boy that’s nice to me and seems fun which is probably not a good thing.

[literally-1894]

Songs that are Gilserge coded to me:

[beemovieerotica]

struggling with how to word this, but putting it out there anyway:

i can fully understand the posts on here from a lot of americans being tired of "vote blue no matter who" posts when the #1 thing that people are constantly (and sometimes only?) addressing is how the republican party is going treat trans/queer people if elected.

it's part of an unfortunate pattern of prioritizing the effects on a demographic that includes white + upper class people, when people of color and those in the global south are actively and currently being killed or relegated to circumstances in which their survival is very unlikely

it is genuinely exhausting to witness this, and i was also on the fence about even participating in voting because i a) felt like it didn't matter and b) every time i voiced being frustrated with the current state of the country, white queer people would immediately step in with "but what about trans people!" -> (i am mixed race trans man)

and i say this with unending patience toward people who do this, because i know that it's not something they actively think about. but everyone already knows how the republican party is going to treat queer people. you are probably talking to another queer person when you bring up project 2025. the issue is that, for those of us who aren't white, or for those of us who are but who are conscious of ongoing struggles for people of color worldwide, the safety of people around the world feels more urgent than our own. that is the calculation that's being made.

you're not going to win votes for the democratic party by dismissing or minimizing these realities and by continually centering (white) queer people.

very few people on here and twitter are actually talking about issues beyond queer rights that concern people of color, or how the two administrations differ on these issues instead of constantly circling back to single-issue politics. this isn't an exhaustive list. but these are the issues that have actually altered my perspective and motivated me to the point of committing to casting a vote

the biden administration has been engaged in a years-long fight to allow new applicants to DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the program that allows undocumented individuals who arrived as children to remain in the country) after the Trump administration attempted to terminate it. the program is in limbo currently because of the actions of Trump-backed judges, with those who applied before the ruling being allowed to stay, but no new applications are being processed. Trump has repeatedly toyed with the idea of just deporting the 1.8 million people, but he continues to change his mind depending on whatever the fuck goes on in his head. he cannot be relied on to be sympathetic toward people of hispanic descent or to guarantee that DREAMers will be allowed stay in the country. biden + a democratic controlled congress will allow legal challenges to the DACA moratorium to gain ground.

the biden administration is open to returning and protecting portions of culturally important indigenous land in a way that the trump administration absolutely does not give a fuck. as of may 2024, they have established seven national monuments with plans to expand the San Gabriel Monument where the Gabrielino, Kizh / Tongva, the Chumash, Kitanemuk, Serrano, and Tataviam reside. the Berryessa Snow Mountain is also on the list, as a sacred region to the Patwin.

i'm recognizing that the US's plans for clean energy have often come into conflict with tribal sovereignty, and the biden administration could absolutely do better in navigating this. but the unfortunate dichotomy is that there would be zero commitment or investment in clean energy under a trump-led government, which poses an astounding existential threat and destabilizing force to the global south beyond any human-to-human conflict. climate change has caused and will continue to cause resource shortages, greater natural disasters, and near-lethal living conditions for those in the tropics - and the actions of the highest energy consumers (US) are to blame. biden has funneled billions of dollars into climate change mitigation and clean energy generation - trump does not believe that any of it matters.

i may circle back to this and add more as it comes up, but i'm hoping that those who are skeptical / discouraged / tired of the white queer-centric discourse on tumblr and twitter can at least process some of this. please feel free to add more articles + points but i'm asking for the sake of this post to please focus on issues that affect people of color.

[mytastessuck]

Title In Limbo

Flying into this one completely blind, guys. I didn't even know Renaldo the Loaf existed until last week. So get ready for...whatever it is I do on here, I don't know.

Intro: Version

Definitely a Residents intro, just as I expected. Ominous and out there.

8/10

2. The Shoe Salesman

Sci-Fi and very much in-character. A good creeping presence.

8/10

3. Crashing

One of the two best songs on the album. The Residents should use banjos in all their songs.

10/10

4. Monkey and Bunny

Oh, so that's what's being choked on the cover. Good crooning.

7/10

5. Mahogany Wood

Definitely feels something the walls would sing at me. Good show, jolly good show.

8/10

6. Sitting On The Sand

And what, a tsunami's coming in? This is so threatening...

9/10

7. Africa Tree

Something you can do while sitting under a tree is listen to this to get the beasts to kill you. It's fun.

8/10

8. Woman's Weapon

Yup, this is what women hit me with. This checks out, down to the scary circus instruments.

8/10

9. Horizontal Logic

Love any song under the genre "last thing I hear before I die". Putting this on the horror movie soundtrack.

8/10

10. The Sailor Song

Long song ends the album and makes you feel good. Away with it.

7/10

11. Extra Version

Wait, one more...and it's the other best song on the album. Sick guitar work. Thanks, Loaf.

10/10

Album Score: 84/100

I'm probably way off with the track listings above so if any of what I said above made sense, I apologize. Next week is George & James. Get there.

[psychofreak-p]

100 days, 100 songs -- day 14

happy birthday - impostor

fun fact it's my birthday today :3 (that's why i've put a birthday-themed song lmao, impostor-p's music always slaps so hard honestly - i'm 17 now!!!)

[so-i-did-this-thing]

FLORIDA BANS GENDER MARKER CHANGES ON DRIVERS LICENSES

From Esqueer_ on Twitter:

"BREAKING: Florida has taken unilateral administrative action and banned gender marker changes on drivers licenses. Any trans person who has had theirs changed is potentially subject to suspension. Anyone attempting to change it after could be criminally prosecuted for "fraud."

If the language used in this directive is taken at face value, any trans person driving with a changed gender marker on their drivers license could be criminally charged with fraud.

This interpretation could potentially apply to anyone driving in the state, including tourists.

Any out trans person could have their license revoked or suspended at any time under this policy and unlikely to be able to be renewed with the current gender marker.

This is a massive and intrusive change erasing legal recognition and criminalizing trans people in the state."

Source:

-------

It should be clear by now that those of us who are currently in "legal" limbo waiting for our birth certificate ammendments are SOL.

Trans Floridians and trans folks driving through Florida, please be very, very careful. Trans Floridians about to change your gender marker - unfortunately, I suggest cancelling your DMV appointment, in the event an overzealous clerk wants to charge you with fraud. Don't even bother with the birth certificate -- it will be a waste of time and money and potentially put you on some sort of List. :/

Again, I urge all trans Americans, regardless of state of residency, to get their passports asap. Not only to flee the country in an emergency, but as a form of ID that still has your proper gender on it.

[othercrossee]

Omg azazel is the only one ever getting diavolo nerve cuz azazel situation made the relationship between devildom and celestial realm sour worse

[jlheon]

𝓣𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐆𝐎 ୨୧ 𝐋𝐇𝐒

(𝓹airing) ── lhs x fmr ꣑୧ 𝓮xes to lovers ? ; idol au, angst, & fluff (𝔀ordcount) one thousand 𝓹eng's note. abrupt ending & not proofread oops 𝓫ookshelf

𝓼ynopsis. the idol life was what tore you and heeseung a part, but now you reside under the same label

lee heeseung is everywhere you go.

both of you are idols under companies under hybe. it’s not a rare occurrence to see your ex-boyfriend walking down the same halls, music shows award shows, flights, and every place imaginable.

it’s not unbeatable of course.

you are used to it, while it seems lee heeseung has erased you out of his memory.

acting normal, cordial, when you bump each each other in the elevator.

it’s like you never existed, like you never were a chapter in his life, but it’s not like you can do anything about it now.

THAT’S JUST THE WAY THINGS GO.

you dated heeseung for most of your teenage years.

as corny as it was, you thought he was the one and spend your whole lives together.

that you would end up marrying your first boyfriend.

you both shared the same dream, to become an idol. thus leading to the two of you auditioning for the same companies and picking one since you both got in.

heeseung and you practiced together in secret.

though he got ahead first, from nearly making it into txt and being picked for iland, heeseung was ready to debut.

on the other hand, you still had to wait a couple of years before hybe would consider debuting a girl group.

so you both agreed to break up in the midst of heeseung leaving to film the survival show.

it hurt, it did, but you spent all the remaining weeks together. a sort of final goodbye dragged out as the both of you didn’t want to let go of your relationship just yet.

it was a weird limbo stage.

the handful of friends who knew of your relationship were informed you two had parted ways while you two stayed glued to the hip in secret.

the morning of your last day with heeseung, you cried in his bathroom while he was still asleep.

you tried not to wake him and let him see you in such a state but he heard you. sliding down on his floor to take you into his arms as you cried.

neither of you talked during your last day together. some whispers of one-word replies every couple of hours but most of the time was solely about being close to the other. basking in each other's touch and presence for one final time.

you knew everything would be different after this survival show.

lee heeseung had everything, he was perfect, he was debut-ready. there was not a single doubt that he wouldn’t win the show and become a beloved idol.

even if there was a sliver of a chance he’d lose, his public debut even as a trainee would garner a fanbase waiting for his debut at another time.

when heeseung inevitably placed fifth overall you were watching in your room. a bittersweet feeling washing over you when you remember this means that it was the official end of you and heeseung. your chapter in his life coming to a close.

the last time heeseung contacts you was two days after the finale of iland aired.

a simple, text wishing you debut soon, that he is going to cut contact due to his dating ban, and needing to focus on his career.

you want to hate heeseung.

to yell at him over the phone and scream in his face about how he can’t just leave you behind like that. say that he can’t just forget about you after everything you’ve been through together.

but the other part of you wants to hope. to beg for him back. whether it meant in the future when you hopefully make your debut and he’s in the clear to date or secretly dating now. 

alas, you congratulate him and say only time will tell.

THERE’S SO MUCH LEFT TO SAY, I GUESS I’M JUST THE BIGGER GUY.

now three years past you’ve debuted and are thriving as one of hybe’s newest girl groups.

gaining in popularity with the latest release of your group's first full-length studio album.

which comes with the hectic schedules of filming music shows, variety shows, collaborations tiktoks, and more.

unfortunately or fortunately, enhypen just so happened to have a comeback at the same time. even promoting at the same music show on the same day. 

when your manager told you that you were set to make a video with an enhypen member you felt sick. there was a one in seven chance it would be heeseung.

though you had no say whether or not you did it.

nobody knew of you and heeseung’s past and it was planned to stay that way.

as you walked up to the shooting spot the air in your lungs slowly disappeared. nearly choking when you saw heeseung standing there watching your group's dance as he went over it in his head.

“hey,” heeseung whispered shyly when you quietly stood next to him.

you offer him a bow, as he was now your senior, not the boy you spent years loving.

it’s too quiet when you finish filming the tiktok challenge. rewatching it with heeseung after taking one final shot and bowing goodbye.

though after you notice the camera for both of your groups' behinds stop rolling and your manager doesn’t whisk you away just yet.

the amount of staff slowly disappears and you are about to follow after when you feel a grip on your wrist.

tugging you back towards himself, heeseung wraps his arms around your waist and holds you close.

“heeseung?” you question, words coming out airy.

“____,” he whispers, nuzzling his head into your hair, “i missed you.”

“you’re going to get us in trouble,” you mutter, though truthfully you just want to melt into his embrace.

“it’s okay,” heeseung’s grip loosens, only to spin you around in his hold. he looks down at your confused face, “i asked for some privacy with you.”

“why?” you whisper, his mere touch after years of yearning making goosebumps arise on your skin.

“i miss you a lot,” his arm rests around your waist. the other cradles your head and pushes it to rest on his chest, “please, i’m finally able to try us again.”

“i’m still on dating ban,” you frown, finally surrendering and hugging your ex-boyfriend back.

“i talked to your manager,” heeseung holds you tightly, “i took care of everything. please give me a chance again.”

it might be three years later, but for you, lee heeseung can wait thousands of years.

AND I DON’T MIND THAT THAT’S THE WAY THINGS GO.

[weepingtalecowboy]

Fanfiction idea:

Considering just how ecto contaminated Amity park is everyone would probably end up becoming a ghost but what if they already are

But what if nobody even noticed it (or cared about it) because everyone is just trapped in some kind of limbo especially after they all ended up in the ghost zone

They all are living in a weird bubble of reality

But the entire city is empty to any outsider because everyone is a ghost

Making Amity park a literal ghost town with abandoned buildings and the reason why nobody ever noticed them was because they did notice but just the abandoned buildings and cracked or broken pavement and lots of radioactive activity

Because reality was overlapping in some form of way preventing outsiders from seeing the true amity park that has lived in houses and pretty good condition to

And then After years of abandonment the Batfam finds the town falling apart looking creepy and eerie covered in graffiti and GIW propaganda

But Jason sees nothing wrong but just a random town and random people

Who all seem extremely ordinary and extremely nice and what is Bruce talking about there is nothing abandoned or creepy it is calming and sweet

While the Batfam thinks he is completely losing it

Because they split up for a while and to their horror Jason is talking to a wall without any protection gear and apparently incapable of seeing them anymore and the most horrific part is the fact that he seems to get more and more transparent and uncanny like he is blurring out

They also sometimes see shadows at the corner of their vision when the realms overlap good enough to even see the amity parkers

Amity park is just happy to help the baby ghost who seems so excited to talk with them because they rarely get such young people in their city and also they have to introduce him to their resident ghost kid who will probably help him because of the amount of pain he seems to be in

[cathkaesque]

I helped make something really cool happen with a really wonderful group of former farmworkers. About a month ago I was contacted by a group of former farmworkers from Latin America. In 2023, they were part of a group of 130 workers recruited from Chile by a farm owned by Haygrove, a multinational berry producer, via their affiliate there. They were offered loans for flights to come work in the UK on the Seasonal Worker Scheme, and promised decent hours and life changing wages.

When they arrived in the UK, they were held on a campsite for 12 days without any income, and only signed their contract when the fruit was ready so Haygrove didn't have to pay them; the hours were extremely variable, and their earnings way less than they were promised; they were only paid for the time they were picking, and had to meet very high targets of 18kg of cherries an hour to avoid punishment; the supervisors discriminated against them, giving them the worst fields and giving the best ones to workers of the same race as them, and making them do unpaid work that others didn't have to do; and then to add insult to injury they were asked to pay back their loans, which cost way more than what they were told in Chile. 88 of the workers went on strike against this.

The farm then said they would pay for flights home for those who were having a bad time, as a way of getting the ringleaders out of the country. 30 of them signed up for this. 6 of them got their flights paid for; the others then suddenly found themselves dismissed, or being denied all work altogether. They (it is unclear whether this was their own decision or at the farm's encouragement - I've heard both) went to London to wait for their flights, and then recevied a message saying that they had absconded and that they were no longer the farm's responsibility.

They were left penniless and homeless for a signficant period of time, and now living in Salvation Army accomodation, who are contracted by the UK government run safehouses for people who are potential victims of trafficking. They have been treated abysmally in them. The Salvation Army was set up in the 19th century to provide a militarised, disciplinarian approach to poverty and they maintain that attitude in their treatment of the workers. They are now awaiting the outcome of employment tribunals, supported by the UVW union and court decisions over whether they are victims of trafficking and exploitation.

One of the worst things about this situation is that I know of many workers in the same situation, workers who were dismissed, overcharged to come to the UK and couldn't earn enough to pay their debts, intimidated by debt collectors in their home countries, living in the same sort of limbo trapped in the UK. The Seasonal Worker Visa scheme these workers were recruited on, which governs the arrival of 43,000 farmworkers, ties workers to a recruitment agency which places workers on farms they have contracts with. They are not allowed to change employer without their permission. They are only allowed to stay in the country for 6 months (any longer would count towards net immigration figures), while only now 2 years later are they having initial hearings around their employment tribunal. Other workers have waited longer for their case to be heard, and others were failed completely by the tribunal process.

The workers have been left no choice but to demonstrate, demanding justice in their case, improved conditions for farmworkers, and the right of residency in order to pursue their case and as compensation for their treatment. The demo was covered in several news stories and you can find some good photos here. We had prepared a dossier of evidence of trafficking, mistreatment and exploitation to present to the Home Office but they refused to take it.

Of course, if Haygrove want to threaten me with libel law, all of this is "allegedly" and to be decided in a court stacked against these workers in the coming year. I think their boss Angus Davison should take some cash out of his £181,000 a year salary, or maybe some from their 3 executives average salary of £120,000 salary each (director renumeration on page 20) to sort out the situation, but that's just my personal opinion.

[jyoongim]

This isn't exactly a request but a thought that had been so heavy on my brain. Hellborn royalty reader x Alastor who's stronger than he is. I just can't stop thinking about it. Maybe even Goetia reader whew they are stronger and protect him from something and I just go FERAL at the thought.

Some background context:

The Ars Goetia are a royal dynasty of noble hellborn demons who serve as prophets, messengers, and observers of the mortal plane for the King of Hell. They are responsible for maintaining stability within the seven rings. They are highly knowledgeable in the heavens, society, and prophecies of all domains.

—————————————————————————————

The hotel was a wreck.

The Angels had made it their personal mission to eliminate those who resided in the hotel.

The Princess of Hell had acquired your assistance if things got shaky for them.

And OH things were shaking.

Alastor had took it upon himself to fight Adam, when you suggested you could of great help he turned you down. Stating that he would be able to handle the Angel himself.

But things were not looking good for the Radio Demon.

You admired the confidence he had, but the demon was in a sticky situation and you would be damned if anyone hurt YOUR demon.

You were fuming and it was showing.

You calmly walked through the fighting, every attack thrown your way didn’t even touch you as you quickly dispatched your attackers. 

You appeared in front of the injured deer in a cloud of smoke. 

“Hehe who the fuck are you?” Adam asked, but you ignored him as you checked on Alastor.

He was bleeding and weak, you placed your hands on his face, scowling softly “Oh Alastor my sweet. You did good my love but Ill take over from here” he tried to object, but with a wave of your hand, you dissolved him in mist to keep him safe.

You turned to Adam, who was smirking “Tch! You think you can take me? Ha! If your best couldn’t scratch me what thinks you can?”

You smiled, your body morphed into mist “who said he was our best?”

He attacked, swinging his axe and trying to bring it down on you. Your eyes glowed white and with a flick of the wrist he was frozen to the spot. You curled your fingers and watched as the Angel contorted in pain. You hissed “I am the judge and executioner and you, you arrogant pig have no authority here. Divine violence is my right for power belongs to those who take it.” At your words, the sky formed dark clouds and the realm shook.

Adam let out a scream as your magic crackled along his skin, searing pain riddling his body as you burned his wings and corrupted his every soul.

“YOU CANT DO THIS! I AM ADAM! THE FIRST MAN! YOU BITCH! NO NO NO NO!” Your mist enveloped his body and he slowly morphed to black as you took his life. You watched as his soul screeched and struggle. 

You pulled him towards him and smirked, sneering at him with sharp teeth

“Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord” 

And with a soft blow from your lips, he dispersed. His soul crying as you sent him to Limbo.

Hell shook as your magic rocked the cosmos.

The remaining Angels let out a cry as they were struck with pain, felt in their soul.

You were sucking their power and in an attempt to save themselves they retreated back to Heaven.

You morphed back to normal and your misty shadows revealed Alastor to you.

You picked up the red demon and nudged him with your nose, he grumbled ”Y-You didn’t have to intervene. I had it under control”

You hummed, a soft smile on your face a his stubbornness “completely but I wasn’t going to stand around when you clearly needed my help.”

Your face dropped to a pout “don’t tell me that me being stronger hurts your pride? You should be honored. A woman willing to protect her love is a powerful thing to behold”

Alastor sighed, relaxing against you, feeling the exhaustion of the battle overtake him.

You cooed at him, pressing a kiss to his forehead, “Don’t worry I don’t think anything less of you. I think you’re the strongest man I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting”

The Radio Demon might have been a prideful soul, but it was you who was the strongest.

And really…he was ok with that fact.

[kalaidekalou]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It's about bloody time, darling."

This went through a lot of iterations and tbh I’m not even sure if it’s exactly what I wanted but I’m content to post.

This is a companion piece for a fic I wrote for PhantomStutter for a Secret Santa on the Bloodweave Inn server.

Snippet and link to the complete fic:

The ticking clock was the worst part. The room itself wasn’t so bad—an expansive, endless stretch of soft gray light that shifted and flickered like twilight caught between clouds. It wasn’t oppressive, but it wasn’t particularly welcoming either. It simply was  as though it had existed for eternity and would continue to exist until the end of all things. And somehow he knew this despite only being a resident of the place for the last… Well, how much time did pass? The ticking, though. That grated on Astarion’s nerves. He lounged in one of the high-backed armchairs that dotted the space like forgotten furniture of a long-abandoned parlor, his legs draped elegantly over one armrest. The large grandfather clock stood like a monolith at the center of the space. Ticking. Every now and then, Astarion would fling a pillow at it, or even a smaller chair. But the damned thing remained unscathed, undisturbed, ticking on with smug indifference. It’s not that he hated the place. Not exactly. It’s not like he was spending an eternity in Avernus or any of the other Nine Hells for his misdeeds. But it wasn’t heaven , either—not the warm embrace of Elysium or the radiant afterlife he might have hoped for before his undead passing. The irony not lost on him. He hadn’t been so naive as to think himself immune to death—immortality or not, adventuring came with its risks—but it was the how of it that gnawed at him. The chaos of that final moment, hearing Gale’s panicked cry, the sharp flash of a silver blade—it still stung. He reached for his phantom wound at the memory. His end had been messy, sudden, unceremonious.  And deeply and maddeningly unsatisfying. So... anticlimactic. Limbo was dull, though not unbearable. He had, after all, survived far worse. And it wasn’t without its entertainments. One of the so-called perks of his limbo—if one could call it that—was the occasional opportunity to slip into the living world. At first, Astarion had eagerly roamed the streets of Baldur’s Gate, unseen and untouchable, drifting through the familiar alleys and squares he’d once haunted in life, trying to figure out why he could visit. He’d sometimes catch a startled scream or gasp when someone glimpsed the faint shimmer of his misted form, and—on maybe more than one occasion—he may have indulged in a jump scare or two, just to keep things interesting. It was hardly his fault if the living lacked composure. He’d even lingered near comforting faces, friends who he cared for dearly—Karlach growing old alongside Wyll, the two of them eventually settling into lives of guiding young adventurers rather than diving into the fray themselves. When their time came, Astarion had hoped, foolishly perhaps, that one or the other might stop by this dreary limbo.  Even a brief visit, a simple "Hello, we missed you, and life was dreadfully boring without you," would have sufficed. But no, of course not. Their good-natured heroism and selflessness had likely earned them a direct passage to some well-deserved paradise, leaving no reason to fester in a place as unfinished as this.  Lae’zel, who had fought valiantly until her very last breath, had certainly earned her place in the afterlife of her people—though Astarion wouldn’t be surprised if she’d ended up in the arms of Selûne instead, given that Shadowheart had remained steadfastly by her side until the end.  Once, he could have sworn he saw Halsin’s figure in the distance of this unending place, just out of reach, but all too soon it disappeared after stepping through the clock's veil that marked some unseen boundary. At least that moment gave him some comfort—proof that all this waiting served some purpose. One by one, they all passed on, leaving Toril behind for whatever lay beyond. All except Gale. The person he had hoped would be the first to join him. 

link to the full fic