#shrine to the rat man

[silcoitus]

He's here!

The Silco shrine adds a new member.

[mindrell]

Just finished my second playthrough of Tokimeki Memorial, (and yet again) did not get Himuro ending

[binch-i-might-be]

son boy!!!!!

[mehkers]

Triworlds (Excluding Luke) react to MC having a shrine of them

Alrightyyy, it's here!

Maybe one day when I learn more about Thirteen, Mephisto, and Raphael I'll include them as well Warnings: nothing , fluff, teasing

Part one, part two (ur here) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Diavolo

He decided to visit the HoL (House of Lamentation)

It was an excuse to run away from Barbatos and meet his right hand man, Lucifer, under the pretense of delivering some 'important' papers

It was a list of places in the human world he wanted to visit

Lucifer was busy scolding Mammon and the Anti-Lucifer League though

Dia wandered around the place and came across your room, sooo he decided to peak in-

He swears it was an accident how he ended up looking in your closet and finding the shrine

POV: You accidentally trip and find a shrine in your favorite human's closet they made of you

Nah, he was checking your closet to see your size since a ball was coming up and he wanted to secretly order you a designer outfit

Diavolo didn't have much of a reaction

He was confused, but since he's the prince of the devildom, seeing shrines in his name weren't uncommon

Coming from you tho.. his heart did flutter

During RAD, Diavolo def called you to his office to check what that was about

"I didn't mean to snoop, but I couldn't help but notice you made a shrine of me. Oh don't worry, I'm not mad. I'm more amused, and curious as to why you made one?"

Hearing your confession did make him laugh, but he quickly stopped when he noticed you looked like you were on the verge of tears

Dia still didn't understand

Buuut, you will catch him sending many lavish gifts your way

He's started to invite you to the student council more often now, and you have a position there (I don't think you have one in game, it was never mentioned)

Congrats!

You flustered the Prince of Devildom and now he doesn't know what to do!

"I still don't understand your motives behind it, but.. I must say, it does make me feel giddy. Haha! Does that sound weird coming from me?"

Barbatos

He sighed

Barbatos was not ready to conduct a cleaning check

The brothers usually live in a dump, but since you arrived, they've managed to keep it clean

He thought so

Until he saw a huge rat walking out of the house from the front door

Thankfully, he was greeted with the sight of a well kept house

Barbatos walked around and surveyed the place until he reached your room

Barbatos will admit, he was curious to see how a human's living space would look like

It was relatively normal

And your space was clean

He found a lot of Mammon's belongings strewn around

he was the most surprised to see a shrine in your closet you made of him

The Prince of Devildom's butler

He's considered the second most powerful demon, but no one paid much attention to him

So in turn, he decided to pay you more attention

With time, he noticed how you'd always sneak glances to him

This made him feel a tad more.. possessive

C'mon guys, he's a yandere at heart (did you hear his song??)

"While I was cleaning, I found something interesting in your room. It's a shrine of me. I was not expecting to find that, but don't misunderstand, I welcome such attention since it's from you~"

He'll smile and look so understanding that even if you deny, you'll end up confessing

He's secretly so prideful that he go the attention of the human that every demon coveted

He's soooo sweet tho

Always inviting you to come to tea parties

Looking out for you

Sending exotic tea, or coffee, or any other drink of your preference to you

"Allow me to worship you now."

Simeon

He decided to join Satan and Belphie's book club

Turns out it was a ploy to get more members into the Anti-Lucifer league

While it seemed interesting, Simeon was too tired to deal with shenanigans after not sleeping for 2 days straight

He's out of his writer's block, and has been writing nonstop

The exhaustion finally reached him

You allowed him to rest in your room for sometime since he basically looked dead

The sleep deprived angel was ready to fall to his knees and pray to you

He laid in your bed for sometime, but for some reason sleep was not reaching him

He sat up and observed your room, smiling softly

Since he couldn't sleep, he decided to pick up a few things and fix up your room

He opened your closet and looked through your clothes, taking it upon himself to fix up your closet

That was when he saw the shrine

:|

:O

:D

He's over the moon

Dancing on rainbows

Singing at the top of his lungs

A bit weirded out, but nevertheless

You noticed he was more chippy than usual

Always calling you over to the Purgatory hall that the demon bro's started to get suspicious and put a ban

"Sad we can only meet in at RAD. By the way, I.. uh.. never mind! Luke misses you, we should meet in the marketplace some time."

fanfictions

just

self inserts

He feels like such a creep, but- his writing skills have finally come in handy

He's so shy

Solomon keeps teasing him about it

Will use any reason to hold your hands

"Ah! Don't trouble yourself, let me help with that. And.. I'd like to come to your room again, if you wouldn't mind? I want to spend more time with you."

Solomon

This shady bastard-

He could become the new Avatar of Pride

And he's about to make it everyone's problem

Solomon was just dropping off some extra notes he'd taken for the hexes and curses test

And your closet was wide open

There was no way he couldn't have seen it

It was like you left it there for him to see!

So, you wouldn't mind if he took some pictures, riiight?

NEW MESSAGE: 20 photos from Solomon

"Wow, never knew you adored me this much ;)"

He's flustering you sooooo badly

Using this to his advantage

He's a bit more soft though

And, he's a lot more protective

He's always calling you cute nicknames ever since that incident

He doesn't announce it to the entire world

But everyone basically knows how hard he's fallen if they see the way he acts around you

Always has a hand on you

Waist, hand, shoulder, head

"My darling apprentice, shall I remind you of your embarrassing little secret, or will you shut up and admit you love me~?"

Fuck, I wrote way too much. I got too excited and used up too many creative juices by the time Solomon's turn came 😭 Well, hope you enjoy it! If anyone wants to request, my ask box is always open

I was gonna do Luke as well, but I'm lazy and idk it might be a bit weird- Soooo, I might make a special post dedicated to the cute angel cuz he deserves as much attention!

[ryin-silverfish]

Could you tell us more about fox spirits? or what you know about them? Since the Kitsune is the fox spirit that people popularize the most, information on the Huli Jing is difficult to search for.

*Deep Breath*

Man, oh man. On one hand, I am fascinated by fox spirits, on the other hand, entire books have been written on them (in Chinese), and there are a staggering amount of Qing dynasty fox tales in Yuewei Caotang Biji (阅微草堂笔记) and Liaozhai Zhiyi,(聊斋志异) it's hard to know where to start.

[Previous ask about nine-tailed foxes, the duality of auspicious and demonic, and Su Daji]

Fox spirits, like any other yaoguais, is an animal that has lived long enough and absorbed enough Qi to gain sentience. Through cultivation, they can eventually gain a human form.

According to Tang folklore, they need to wear a human skull on their head while bowing to the Dipper stars/moon, without the skull falling off, in order to transform into a human.

However, foxes are also talented shapeshifters and tricksters who have this reputation for seducing humans, male and female alike.

In earlier legends, that's just their nature, but Ming and Qing tales expanded on that, stating foxes have sex with human to drain their Qi or life force, because they need those to form an Inner Core——an orb of solidified Qi that contains all of their cultivation and life force.

(Usually, it's female foxes seducing human men, because they need some of that sweet, sweet Yang force to compliment their Yin.)

(But some Ming folklore collection said that male foxes also go after guys in the guise of women, while in others, male foxes are just seducers of women.)

(Oh, and there are actual lesbian foxes in Qing legends. Like Feng Sanniang from Liaozhai Zhiyi.)

But one must keep in mind that foxes, like all yaoguais, are not inherently good or evil. For every sexual predator and Daji-like temptress, there exists a graceful scholar, a chill friend, or a lovestruck girl (Liaozhai is full of human-fox romances).

Like, there is a tale in Yuewei Caotang Biji that's just a guy chatting with his 50-60 looking fox associate about how foxes cultivate. When asked why he's so candid about this stuff, he really sums up it best:

"There are good and bad ones among our kind, just like humans. If you humans don't shy away from speaking of human evil, why should I?"

He then proceeds to talk about how legit fox cultivators collect the essence of sun and moon like any regular Daoists, while the ones that seduce human and suck away their life forces are taking a shortcut and inviting heavenly retribution in the form of thunderbolts.

Other Qing legends introduce the hilarious concept that all aspiring foxes must pass an exam organized by the Lady of Mt. Tai, to, well, earn their cultivation permit. Not even foxes are free from the clutches of imperial examinations, it seems!

Still, their old auspicious association does give rise to the archetype of "cultivator/sorcerer foxes", as well as a higher chance of recruitment into the Celestial Bureaucracy.

Which might explain why foxes were so frequently venerated in popular religion. Like, northern China has this thing called the "Five Great Immortals" (五大仙), five species of cultivated animals that people worship:

Hu (胡), Foxes

Huang (黄), Weasels

Bai (白), Hedgehogs

Liu (柳), Snakes

Hui (灰), Rats

When I travelled to the city of Pingyao, Shanxi last summer, one of the sites I visited had a Yuan dynasty building, and its second level is a shrine dedicated to the "Fox Immortal", guardian of the imperial official's seal.

Fun fact: fox spirits have a habit of impersonating Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in Tang dynasty legends. Manjusri and Maitreya seems to be the most popular choice, and in 三遂平妖传, a Ming dynasty novel, "Sagely Old Lady"(圣姑姑) the heavenly fox also impersonates Bodhisattva Samantabhadra.

So imagine my surprise when I actually encountered some foxes next to a highway during the same trip, while visiting Mt. Wutai, Manjusri's sacred mountain!

[thepiratefish]

1 2 3 [4] ???

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If this gets fifty notes, I'm gonna yell, 'I have numerous weapons on me' while walking into a bank.

100K

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Wavelength-Offcial⚙️ follow

Le frog fucking died? That bitch still owed me twenty dollars.

💥pizzabearsuprise🔥 follow

LE FROG WHAT.

Wavelength-Offcial⚙️ follow

[LINK]

💥Pizzabearsuprise🔥 follow

NOOO

Wavelength-Offcial⚙️ follow

I thought you hated him??

💥pizzabearsuprise🔥 follow

I DO BUT I DONT WANT HIM DEAD!!!

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🐁Froghater🎧 follow

THE BITCH IS DEADD!!!!

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🐺Wisperindogsss🐺 follow

Ever since I made a post about wavelength being in WispMysterys456. the newest video people have been arguing and I need to show some of my favorite tags.

[Link to OG post.]

#Tidalwave has been having a slow burn since the beginning of time, and they will not end now.

#We need to @ Tide to this immediately

#BUTCHER SHIPPERS RISE UP AGAINST THR TIDALWVAERS!!!

#its been five minuts and there's already a shipname

why was butchr even picked?? <- Wisps mentioned his dad bring a big enough beef stroganoff fan that rivals Tide so maybe that??

#lefrog x Wisps dad is still better <- WHAT

#why can't we all make out instead of fight?😞 <- I'll make out with you <- Really? 🥹 <- No.

🩹Buggybandade.🐞 follow

This is what happens when we're deprived of tidalwave content.

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Submit your favorite Tidalwave fics for the next stream. I'll be reviewing and rating them, and the best will be sent to Wavelength himself.

2460K

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🌲Treescansee👁 follow

Was walking past the park and saw this 6ft man in a Hawaii shirt trying to get his kid off a lamp post while his other two chewed off their child leashes and snuck off. Funniest shit I've seen all day.

🌲Treescansee👁 follow

Update: I saw him again today. Both boys were covered in mud being carried under the guys arm while the smaller kid clung to his leg eating a rat.

❓️QueerQuestions❓️follow

Average day in Rockwall.

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🌷Glumboudtheglourb🌷 follow

[Alt: Image of a lightspeed shrine that includes; Purple candles, Fidget spinners rollerskates and pictures of rollerblading rinks.]

Why the FUCK dose my school have a lightspeed shrine.

🌷Glumboudtheglourb🌷 follow

[Alt: Another shrine except its dedicated to Dodgeboy. It is surrounded by red and crimson candles and dodgeballs varying from popped to deflated to fully functioning.]

What the fuckkkkkkkkk

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LEFROG JUST UPDATED HIS TWITTER HORRAY!!!! HES ALIVE!!!!

[sumicchin]

CHIMES OF THE HEART

❃ a wind breaker (satoru nii) reader insert.

CHAPTER 4

Violence is the answer to everything in this world (not really). (3.3k words)

content warning: female reader, original characters, character background, slight ooc i fear

When I was little, I often found myself looking forward to the sound of the wind chime as it danced with the breeze. It was fairly quiet inside the shrine when it was just Hayami, me, and a man named Sojiro while waiting for the officiants to inhabit the divine structure.

Furin was my only companion—acting as if its bell were telling me stories from the outside world. It's been there ever since I could remember, and no one bothered to place another one.

Just like the wind chime, I was alone.

While the grownups worked, I occupied myself with little tasks that my stubby fingers could manage. Sometimes I took out a book they had in the study and ran to the adults to ask what certain words meant. I became more involved with the shrine as I grew older, not as a Miko, but just as a random helper. 

I was essentially free to do what I wanted. So when I was 10, I expressed my wish to venture out of the shrine.

"Hey, old man," I greeted Sojiro, tending to the flowers near the statues. His head perked up upon hearing my voice and greeted me back. As odd as it sounded, Sojiro wanted me to call him that way despite his youthful appearance.

"Hi there, little miss," Sojiro says as he stands up to face me, "what's today's agenda?"

For as long as I can remember, Hayami and Sojiro have been caring for me since. I haven't really asked about their relationship, or who my parents were since there was no need to do so. I was fine with how things were for the past couple of years, but the books I read and my trips to the market while accompanying Hayami made me yearn for more.

And so I was determined to confront them that day.

I showed him the book I was carrying. Kusamakura by Natsume Soseki.

Not really something a ten-year-old would read, but I had nothing better to do in this shrine.

"Oh, that's one of Hayami's favorite novels," Sojiro says. "An artist sets on a journey in search of beauty and inspiration for life and art. It's a simple read but very worth it to understand what it's like to be an artist." The man beams, totally lost in his thoughts. I let out a sigh, "That's not what I came for, old man."

"Ah, my bad! You know I get too excited about stuff like that." Sojiro laughs and pats my head, "So, let's cut to the chase. You want to go outside, right?" He chuckles as soon as my face contorts to that of a shocked expression. Sojiro is a man full of secrets.

"H-how'd you know?"

He shows me his infamous grin with eyes closed, "It's a secret power of mine!"

He pats my head, ruffling it in the process, "But sorry kiddo, we can't really make that happen." Already rejected before I could speak the speech I prepared. "Hayami will explain to you once you're older, but right now you have to stay here, 'kay? Think of it as a special mission given by the gods!" I was about to sulk and curse whoever made that decision when Sojiro perked up, "But hey that reminds me! The priest decided to assign you as bodyguard for the Mikos." I let out an audible sound of confusion, telling him I barely knew how to throw a punch. The best I could do was to bite someone like a sewer rat.

"That's why I'm gonna train you starting tomorrow!"

By sheer determination and fear of being on the receiving end of Sojiro's sword and fist (both hurt equally), I became a competent bodyguard for the officiants at the age of 14.

"The wind feels very nice, doesn't it (F/n)?" Manami, one of the older Mikos, glances at the fully bloomed cherry blossom trees by the river.

"Yeah, pretty lucky we got to go out today!" I excitedly say. Becoming the bodyguard for the Mikos allowed me to at least go out more often. It was always fun accompanying the women of the shrine outside, teaching me all sorts of stuff that can't be picked up from books.

"The priest doesn't really trust outsiders let alone men to protect the girls, so he's hoping to rely on us, (F/n)." I recalled Sojiro's words on our first day of training. It was a day full of bruises, and many more came after that but the strength I currently possess made it all worth it. I find myself more comfortable fighting with a sword though, and Sojiro encourages me to keep at my training.

I established one rule as a bodyguard.

To never take someone's life.

The two of us continue talking, heading back to the steps leading to the shrine after buying gifts from the market. We were a few blocks away from returning to our refuge, until I felt a tug on my hakama's left sleeve.

"What is it, Manami?"

"Can we maybe, stay outside for a bit longer?" She timidly asks.

"But we promised to only go to the market," I reluctantly answered, but seeing her crestfallen face made me double take. I guess she's just tired of Miko duties...

"It's just for a moment, I promise! There's something I need to see."

She leads me to a shop that sold fireworks and the like.

"I'd like to get one of these for summer!"

I watched as she hurriedly went inside the shop, already browsing the many varieties of explosives. How do we hide the fireworks from Hayami and the priest, I deadpan.

I was too occupied with my thoughts, but I know for one someone in black just went past me. Still bothered by how I'm supposed to hide the fact we went somewhere other than the market, the scream of a woman registered late to me.

I hurriedly ran inside the shop and saw a dark-haired man in a suit dangerously near Manami.

"Let her go!" I yell as I grab the hilt of my sword.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the man was actually just a tall teenager from his features. He must be an artistocrat or something.

"Please fight outside my shop!" The shop owner yells to no avail.

"Are you cosplaying a samurai?" The boy hums, letting go of Manami. She stumbles back but was helped by the store owner. "She took the last sparkler I wanted to buy," he says mockingly while approaching me.

"But I've lost interest now." His tone suddenly drops, approaching slowly as he inspects me and my sword—and to say I'm frightened is an understatement. I've fought many men before, but his aura screamed something awfully dangerous.

I knew right then and there I'll die if I try fighting him.

"Is that sword for real? Must be serious business, huh?" he grins as he points at my sword.

I scoffed, "Wanna see for yourself?"

"Fine with me..." He raises his right arm, my grip on my sword's hilt and scabbard tightening, "been wanting to take out someone armed."

He swiftly tried to go for my neck, but I nearly blocked him with my sword, the blunt edge of the blade near my cheek and the sharper side near the man's wrist. "Don't move a muscle, or the blade will cut you."

His lips twitch, but not so much to pass as a grin, "I'll look forward to that."

Even though I tried resisting, his strength overpowered me by the end and I lost control over my blade. I stared helplessly as my sword fell to the ground, waiting for his fist to strike me. It

"You're interesting! Let's meet again when we're a bit older." He pats my shoulder, walking out of the store. "How about when we're both 16, 'kay?"

He walked unscathed out of the store as I scrambled towards Manami who was shaken.

She and I swore to never talk about the incident ever.

It was then that I realized I'm still weak.

Was I even fit to protect others?

Although I never wished to encounter that man again, the world had different plans for me.

Turns out he was just the start of this madness, and there were more to follow.

❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋

You watch the boy from across the room as he sleeps peacefully, just like a child after throwing a fit. That night, he established social distancing before heading to bed, saying he didn't want to accidentally do stuff he'd regret in his sleep.

It was painfully obvious that he was nervous the whole night, stiff as a rock and barely breathing. He eventually (and with difficulty) fell asleep though, thankfully. Sakura would probably stay asleep for a couple more hours, so you decided to get a head start and freshen up for the day.

You unfold the piece of clothing that served as a makeshift pillow last night, recognizing that this is what Sojiro called a hoodie. It smelled very minty and upon checking the pockets, you see some suckers with different flavors. These look really good...

This must belong to Sakura, but no harm in trying it out right? The hoodie, that is. You've had enough of stealing's someone's food. The apparel was obviously loose and too big, but it makes one admire the craftsmanship with how warm and comfortable it felt. 

He told you that night that his friends brought in food and clothes, so you excitedly checked the bag. It's filled with clothes that you used to dream of trying out, too tired of the usual hakama back at the shrine. Nothing bad about being traditional, but seeing vibrant colors and patterns other than flowers and birds makes you feel all giddy inside.

One of the shirts had a drawing of a white cat with a red ribbon. This character often appeared in the teen magazines Sojiro brought back from trips. Why he bought them is beyond you (it's so that you can check out what girls your age like, he says).

This is super adorable! You think while holding the shirt.

The bumpkin has now been in contact with Sanrio characters.

Taking out pants that you think fits the shirt with the white cat, you find the bathroom to freshen up and change.

If Hayami saw you right now, she'd probably start calling you out for looking scandalous. A huge part of your legs and thighs were exposed, and the shirt definitely hugged the torso a bit too much to what I'm you're to, but the cute design is too much to pass up on.

Styling your hair in your preferred way to complete the new look, you step out of the bathroom, seemingly trying your best to fit in with the folks of this city (and accordingly to the magazines).

It seems that Sakura is still out cold. Worriedly, you approached his figure hunched in a fetal position to check his temperature. Your face neared his and touched your foreheads together. Upon contact, it didn't seem like he was ill, but after a few seconds he began heating up rapidly.

You were greeted by his heterochromatic eyes, too wide for someone who was just sleeping moments ago. Didn't this happen already?

"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" He stammers, backing to a wall behind him.

"Checking your temperature, what else? You were out cold for a while."

He wipes his forehead rapidly like you spread germs on it. Rude.

"Aren't you the sick one here? Stop worrying about me, damn it!"

You unknowingly pout and look at the floor, "I was just worried." Rolling your eyes towards him, he looks away in return.

He clicks his tongue, refusing to look you in the eye. Is he allergic to affection or something?

"So much for a morning call." You stretch, standing up to head out. "I'm feeling all better now, can we go outside?"

"Someone's gonna pay you a visit, so sit your ass down!" He turns on his phone and starts swiping his fingers.

Nirei

Sent a sticker [good morning!].

Suo

Sent a sticker [happy wake up].

Kiryu

Sent a sticker [cat wake up].

Tsugeura

Sent a sticker [muscle ohayo!]

Nirei

Suo and I will be visiting!

Sugishita

Seen

Sakura sees the group chat for his class, then checks out the ones his upperclassmen sent.

Kaji

bring my hoodie to school i cant drop by cuz of errands

Tsubaki

Good morning!

I'll be visiting after school with Kanji and the twins~

Umemiya

Morning!

Kotoha and I will visit soon!

Breakfast is on me!

···

He sees Bofurin's leader still writing another message and waits for it. When it does get sent, he suddenly gets conscious.

Umemiya

Kotoha hopes you're wearing something other than a shirt and boxers, she says!

Sakura immediately looks at himself and suddenly whips his head towards you.

"How come you didn't tell me I was just wearing boxers in front of 'ya the whole time?!"

You blink repeatedly, "You were bothered by that? If it makes you feel better, I've seen uncles only in their loincloths."

He turns red and immediately scrams to the bathroom to check for his used pants.

❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋

"Wow, so this is your school uniform?"

Sakura comes out of the bathroom in his iconic green gakuran and pants, acting smug and proud to be wearing symbolic garments. You clapping and looking with amazement just made his head bigger, saying stuff like "Woah, so trendy!" and "You look like a model!"

A knock on the door interrupted the duo's little fashion show, with Sakura heading towards the door to invite his guests.

He sees Umemiya, Suo, Nirei, and Kotoha all carrying bags.

"Morning, Sakura!" Everyone followed suit with their morning greetings, taking off their shoes as they entered his apartment.

"Oh! Looks like our little ghost has recovered now," Umemiya smiles as he takes a seat in front of you. "I'm Umemiya Hajime, but you can call me big bro if you'd like!" He beams.

He starts rummaging the bag he brought out, "Hope you like soup and omurice!"

Kotoha approaches you and waves hello, to which you bow in reply. She was taken aback, saying there was no need to be formal. "Kotoha is fine! And the clothes look really good on you!" She starts gushing about taking you to the shopping district with someone named Tsubaki, happy to have another female companion.

"We've brought you some snacks, courtesy of the class!" Nirei shows you the contents of the bag filled with unfamiliar bags, "O-oh! I'm Nirei Akihiko by the way. If you need help navigating Makochi, I'm your guy!"

The last of the visitors wore an eye patch and felt immensely mysterious, boasting quite the powerful aura. Thinking about it, three of them held overwhelming auras, Umemiya's in particular was overflowing. You didn't notice that you were staring too hard at the eye-patched boy.

"My name is Leonardo DiCaprio!"

Oh! A foreigner, you beamed.

"Don't fall for that, (F/n)!" Sakura points accusingly at Suo, "That guy's Hayato Suo, make sure you're extra careful around him."

"You wound me, Sakura. I thought we were friends," Suo fakes a sigh. "And you're on a first name basis with her."

Sakura blushes, "That's her first name?!"

Nirei realizes and hides his face using his notebook, feeling giddy to have another female friend on a first name basis, "I-it feels really embarrassing to be on a first name basis already!"

"You already gave her your lap yesterday, a name is nothing at this point," Suo chuckles.

You think for a bit, and it reminds you that everyone back at the shrine never mentioned a family name. Gods, am I adopted? Am I the next Momotaro?

"I don't know my parents, and no one really told me about other stuff about them."

Everyone stops and looks at you with a somber expression.

Umemiya lets out a loud wail, eyes comically tearing as he tries to go in for a hug, "Ume-nii and Kotoha over here will be your family then!!!"

Nirei feels himself tear up as well, unable to imagine living a life without knowing who his parents were. Suo's face remained neutral, mouth forming a line and unable to say something to lift the mood.

Sakura on the other hand just stares at you, eyes soft and looking as if he sees himself in you.

"But don't worry about me! I still grew up with caring adults," your smile falters for a bit, wondering how Hayami and Sojiro were faring after your escape. "Let's all eat! Big day ahead of us."

Kotoha begins handing out soup and takeout omurice, "What happened to you anyways? If you don't mind me asking,"

You choke on a potato, clearing your throat before speaking, "Oh uh...I made an enemy out of an aristocrat, he decided to marry me or else he'll destroy my home, but my caretakers wanted me to run away, and now I am searching for something here in this town. Yes, I think that accounts for everything so far!"

"That's quite the story." She says, not sure if she was concerned or amused.

Suo pieces the situation in his head, "I assume that's why you were in a white kimono." Everyone realizes and looks at him, "Do you think your husband will search for you?"

You correct Suo, saying you're technically not wed yet. He mutters a small apology. "I don't want to get married to a man like him."

They all feel the spite and anger behind your words.

You look sternly at everyone, "It's also why I needed to get away from everyone as soon as possible. I fear I'll get you all caught up in this mess."

Everyone hears a scoff from Sakura who was gulping down food just earlier, now looking at you with a smirk.

"Thanks for telling me bits of your story," he puts down his now finished bowl of soup and omurice.

"We just gotta beat up that guy, right?"

changed the writing style for a bit, hope its okay (⁠；⁠^⁠ω⁠^⁠）

[slashers-and-rats]

I’m gnawing at the bone for any kind of Brahms Heelshire x Reader content 🙏🏼🙏🏼

-🔪🩸

rat chat: first off, excited for my first ever tagged anon. v cool. secondly, i hope this satiates your needs.

brahms heelshire x gn!reader | nsfw |

brahms wasn’t a social man, if that wasn’t obvious. even after he had revealed himself to you, and you had accepted him with open arms, he found himself struggling to be in your presence all the time. there wasn’t any doubt he liked you, that wasn’t the case. he was comparable to a cat. he curled up on your lap, and pestered you for pats and scratches, and when he was finished, he’d disappear for hours on end with little regard for your own needs. it was something he was working on. consideration didn’t come naturally to him, especially after so much of his life was spent worrying about how he would survive and nothing else.

that’s not to say brahms didn’t want you around. he desperately craved you, just in different ways. while he felt anxious being around you physically, he kept himself close to you within the safety of his walls. anywhere you were, he was there too, just stowed away within his passages.

he enjoyed keeping an eye on you, and observing the way you went about your business. you were an alien to him, a new species, and he was your observer. you kept to a tight schedule, and he memorized your routine down to the last detail.

he also had a small habit of stealing your things. to him, these were specimens; they were little items for him to study and examine to understand you better. he liked nabbing things you wouldn’t miss. sometimes it was pieces of jewelry you never used, sometimes it was books he’d seen you finish, sometimes it was even the cutlery you had used and put away for cleaning. he added it all to his hoard. if you had seen it, he was sure you’d think it a shrine, but it wasn’t as simple as that. it was a nest. being so close to these things you had interacted with made him feel warm inside, comfortable, and he liked laying among them as if to pretend you were there too.

brahms had a habit of getting carried away, though. during the night, when he had no real reason to watch you for more than an hour or two, he’d crawl back to his little sanctuary and lay among his collection. he’d stare up at the ceiling, and grab his most prized possession. it was a pair of your underwear, taken off the floor of the bathroom during one of your showers. he was sure you would’ve noticed, but you had been tired that day, and didn’t check your clothes before throwing them into the hamper.

they smelled of you. they smelled of sin, and of naughty thoughts, and of dark desires. when he rubbed them against his face, and breathed your scent in deep, he’d feel dirty but alive. there was something about the shame of it all, about how if you saw him you’d be disappointed, that made it all the more delicious. those moments when you chastised him for something bad he did were his favourite, because it meant you were giving him your full attention. that’s all he really wanted, to be seen by you. he wished it didn’t involve so much… physical presence.

this was good enough for him. these little moments, when he would yank his pants down his hips and reach his hand down, and pretend it was yours; when he’d grip hard at his base, and stroke up and down slowly, and pretend you were sitting on his face, it was good. it brought momentary bliss. he’d smother himself with the fabric of your underwear, and use it to muffle his wanton moans. he’d fuck into his hand, and pretend you were the one bouncing recklessly on him.

he had such a specific fantasy. he wanted you to find him stroking himself, indulging in the dirtier things in life- and he wanted you to relieve him. he wanted you to walk up to him when he hadn’t even realized you were there, and take over for him. his hands were too rough- yours were so soft and gentle. even when you were mad, you had such a caring touch about you. you’d wrap your hands around his cock, and pump him slow, and watch him writhe and whine for you. he’d be so surprised, but so happy. he wouldn’t fight. he might beg for you to go faster, or plead that you use more than just your hand, but you wouldn’t budge. he didn’t deserve it yet, not after stealing your things and using them for such nefarious purposes.

you’d massage his balls, and praise him. he wouldn’t be able to look at you. even thinking about it made him embarrassed, and made him push his face further into hiding. he tried to mimic what you would do to him, how you’d squeeze your hand around him, and rub his balls until he felt tight. he tried to be good for you even then, by whispering your name and promising he’d be good. sure, he was speaking to nothing but air, but it was the thought that counts.

brahms would shove his shirt and sweater high up on his chest, letting himself feel the cool air hit his skin. he was so hot, so needy as he stroked himself. he could barely focus on his own fantasies. he kept getting lost in the feeling, lost in the very idea of you being there. he could imagine you smiling down at him, so smug. he liked it when you looked cocky, like you knew exactly who he was and how to press his buttons.

he’d cum hard. his load would spread onto his stomach and part of his chest, and it would feel scorching against his skin. it would make him sob, shaking and fucking the last aftershocks out of his cock until he was soft. he’d let go, panting like a dog, tired. with a huff, he’d remove your underwear from his face and discard it into its special place in his nest, careful to keep it somewhat hidden in case you ever did stumble into his little sanctuary.

brahms liked you. he liked being around you. he liked what you did to him. he knew if you saw your effect on him, that you’d like it just as much.

maybe one day he’d show you.

[romsabombs]

malevolent part 46 the unclean live listen notes

SPOILERS BELOW

faroe jumpscare

is she haunting him lol

i cant believe he slept

"its probably an animal" u guys keep forgetting what podcast you're in

"you were sleeping?" "NO👹" defensive for no reason

stop hiding things from eachother challenge impossible

"it was just Things" 😐

what is blud yapping about😭🙏

LILY MENTIONED‼️

yeah yeah we know john we were all there🙄

cheesy ass episode where are the horrors

TRAIN STORY CALLBACK :33333

u dont have to remind me this story is bouncing around in my brain at all times

ooohh okayyyy music

arthur is not registering any of this let the man sleep💀

john praising lily for just doing her job is so funny to me

omgg :3 faroe is hanging out

no its not malam his ass doesnt sound like that

is he not even considering that it could be faroe usually he jumps at any chance to mention her

its disney pixar movie brave

shes guiding him?? showing him the way??

do u think they're fae

oh hes being compelled

"we shouldnt just sit here" ya thatd be a boring episode

hes fighting it

they're fae i faer

maybe just go the opposite direction

"what We're seeing" ok arthur

oh ermm😕😕

ANOTHER CULT??? COME ON😐😐

omg crying obsidian literally minecraft

oh dear a child. oh nvm He

its that dead child in the river isnt it

HAHA HE ROBBED THEM

arthur what happened to your decluttering mindset

HAHA YORRICK💀💀💀 they kidnapped his ass

oh his ass gonna is snitch on us

👹fuck mother darkness👹

"as unfortunate as that is" 💀

what makes u think he didnt lie to you about being the last of his kind

"we wouldn't be walking into a trap BLINDLY" "we'd be walking in with MY EYES wide open"

yorrick if you dont rat us out we'll buy you a lego set😇😇 or a chew toy

bro just dont follow him hes obviously just using the bag to bait you

ok dont get the bag guys r u dumb

STUPID!! DONT!!!! ☠️😠 guys i cant keep defending you

they will not ignore the lights bruh🙏

god we're only 19 minutes in

they're gonna die from this bruh

goddamn it john😭

oh no💀💀💀 man come on

they're cooked🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

wait is it actually okay i cant tell anymore

oh😕😕😕 BLERGH☹️☹️

naur the hunt got to him🙏

idk wtf is going on anymore bruh

okay ya its still a trap

dont drink that fucking water bruh i bet his corpse was in there

ofcourse it looks inviting bruh💀💀

they're what

💀💀 HAHA HE LEFT dumbasses

funny as hell now what

DONT DRINK IT HAHA ARE U CRAZY

it looks inviting again huh😐😐

NOOOOO💀💀 jarthur needs a babysitter bruh

"it leads men astray" only men huh😐 god forbid women have hobbies

HEART OF THE FOREST MENTIONED‼️‼️‼️‼️

they're trying so hard to be otgw

IN THE DREAMLANDS?

YEAHHHHH

omg i knew it'd come back

no guys maybe it's the same forest remember when u gave it your finger n u actually didnt need to and u said Lets hope they'll pay us back

FAE FAE FAE THEYRE FAE💥💥

mushroom smell is a core memory for him💀💀

HAHA WTF sillyness

william mentioned

what is his ass yapping about 😭

is this still a trap wtf r these mushrooms doing to him💀

hes dancing???? naur what the hell

hes cooked the fae got to him💀🙏

music is distorting ermmm😕

blud snorted too many mushrooms

WHAT?????? not the traumadumping

madness madness madness

man what the hell

☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️

man i thought he had a relatively good relationship with his dad😕

YOU DID WHAT😨😨

WHAAAT WHAT THE FUCK MAN

did the dancing exhaust him

😕 man what the hell was that

what the hell wait what now

its the king isn't it

this eppy is crazy man ill kms

the fae got to him‼️🗣️🗣️

EVERYONE SPEAKS IN YOUR VOICE BRUH THERE IS ONE VOICE

what is going on bru

WHO?? 🗣️ horick???

was the shrine for him then

bro is bargaining💀

wuh oh😕

WHAT😨😨😨

YOUNGER????? not again arthur💀

once a child murderer always a child murderer

is arthur pulling this guy's chain bru

nah he was definitely lying right😕

fym "what are you doing" what are YOU doing

he what. he slept?? i think arthur was just pulled away from him so he was like. unconscious?? maybe

they just keep making secret deals with evil gods🙄

oh man hes so ashamed

john trying to have a moment with him and getting shot down again

so whats the plan here are you just gonna go back to killing children

"us" hmmmmmm

hes definitely not gonna tell john abt the deal

oh he did. but not about the child part

YEA THE CORPSES RIGHT

yess i was right💥💥💥💥

yeesh😕

i like how in audio dramas the throwing up sound is always just some tin foil getting squeezed

what an episode. i have to pee so bad

MMMM REALLY not liking the theme im seeing in this season (children)

[automatet]

each failure song and their release dates + where to listen

‎‎‎

unreleased / b sides which i also included in the other categories if they were stated as being outtakes

pennies ( one of their oldest ones i believe, "pre failure" )

dipped in anger ( 1990 )

i can see houses ( 1990 )

youre too much ( 1990 )

version two

untitled ( 1990 )

count my eyes ( 1991 )

comfort ( 1991 )

gone ( 1992 )

shrine ( 1992 )

mange ( 1993 )

comfort era — each below being around 1992, official releases unless stated differently

submission

demo

macaque

demo

something

screen man

demo

swallow

demo

muffled snaps

kindred

pro - catastrophe

princess

demo

salt wound

demo

petting the carpet ( outtake )

lunch ( outtake )

magnified era — each below being around 1994 or recorded before

let it drip

demo

moth

demo

frogs

demo

bernie

demo

acoustic

magnified

demo

wonderful life

demo

undone

demo

wet gravity

demo

empty friend

demo

small crimes

demo

golden ( ? )

fantastic planet era — around 1996 or 1997

saturday savior

sergeant politeness

segue 1

smoking umbrellas

pillowhead

blank

segue 2

dirty blue balloons

solaris

pitiful

leo

segue 3

the nurse who loved me

acoustic

another space song

stuck on you

acoustic

heliotropic

daylight

rat sack ( ? )

wake up ( outtake )

[silcoitus]

The Silco Shrine™️ is now mobile! Never leave home without your favorite crime lord ratman.

Credits:

Ita bag l Smoking keychain | Rat keychain

Cat button | Heart button | Pillbox

(apologies. I can't seem to track down the artist who did the chibi on the left 😭)

[stoutduke]

Poppy Playtime: Cardboard Cutouts and The Prototype Theories

The cutout recordings might not be just recordings, at times its like they're speaking to you directly. When Mommy Long Legs was about to die she said, "He'll make me part of him.", and that could imply that the ones he grafts onto himself regain consciousness. What makes that a possibility is how odd it was for her to be more scared of being grafted than of dying from being pulled into the machine that was killing her. It's possible The Prototype has the ability to suppress the will of the ones he grafts onto himself and has an area of weak telepathic influence over living toys.

What makes me think they have limited telepathic influence is that when Huggy Wuggy escaped they were probably told to by them and when they reached the forest they became passive, wandered around, and only attacked if they were attacked. They suddenly acted aimless like someone who was no longer being controlled. Another hint at this is some of what Dogday said. "They want nothing more than to crawl beneath your skin. And eat away at you bit by bit..." "...We tried to fight it, The Prototype's control." They might be aware of their telepathic influence subconsciously, since no one has mentioned it.

The cutouts might have channeled the soul of some of the living toys he grafted and the screaming could've been him hurting them and cutting them off from talking to you. Since Dogday's legs were taken, it's possible a part of their will or soul talked through the cutout.

What makes me think this is possible is that Elliot Ludwig, the founder of Playtime Co., had a death in his family, his wife divorced him, and he was called a family man. He probably started the experiments to try and revive his daughter. In experiment 814 he tried to revive a rat.

Since The Prototype is grafting others onto themselves, that would mean they're able to revive their parts and use them. The Prototype's shrine shows them with multiple heads on their body and the only reason to keep them for someone like that would be if they were useful. Also Catnap saw them as a god, so they probably made the shrine as accurate as possible. That'd mean they figured out how to revive and use them. The ability to revive and graft their bodies could come with a downside. They have to overpower their wills constantly, but in exchange, they gain physical power, more eyes, and potentially their brains and memories. This would mean that it'd be possible for the ones grafted to occasionally use The Prototype's power to reach out.

Another reason to think The Prototype might have to fight for control of their grafted parts is Dogday was kept alive. They could've told Catnap to keep them alive, so that they could break their will to make it easier to control the rest of their body after grafting the rest of them on. Dogday could've been a threat to them if they grafted them on before breaking them. They were seen as the leader of the critters, so he could've rallied them to unify and fight for control over their body.

[prettyrainsstuff]

hii!!<3

i hope im not really bothering you right now but can i request a ———

yandere reader x ranpo

knowing ranpo will figure it out that someone is stalking him but pretended to be dumb yet the reader or y/n really doesn't care about it knowing he was pretending to be stupid yet they still stalk him

But ranpo still gets weirded out someone stalks him but doesn't care

( he prob know where the reader live or he knows every info bout them)

(you can continue the rest sorry for the bad explanation)

HEYY!! I am SO sorry for taking SO long to write/answer this ask!! I’ve been currently stressing out with school and my up coming tests this week! So here you have it! Also again sorry that this might not have a lot of what you asked the fanfic to be..😓

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Ranpo x Yandere! Male reader

(Female aligned DNI)

Context: Reader(you), develops an obsession with Ranpo even though he is aware.

Warnings: Stalking, murder, blood, slight gore, possible grammar mistakes, NOT proofread.

A/N: Please know that I am not trying to romanticize stalking, this is COMPLETELY fiction.

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A couple years ago you had recently found out about this detective around your area, Yokohama. They called themselves “The Armed Detective Agency”.

you just thought it was some dumb Agency that just does regular old detective crap but as soon as you laid eyes on the photo of a particular person that went by “Ranpo Edogawa”,

You had immediately changed your mind about it.

Over time you started to get obsessed with this detective. Looking up more information about him, looking through news papers looking at recent crimes that he himself had solved.

And oh god..He. Was. Perfect.

You would sometimes see him when you went out to run some errands and would see him in the candy aisle looking for some sweets.

So he liked sweets, huh..? Add that to your notes!

You would find yourself making baskets of his favorite candies and then setting them outside of his apartment door.

Everyday you would search up more and more information about Ranpo.

You would try and track down Ranpo and where he would be. You would immediately get on the news and check for crimes that had happened during the day and would try and see if you could see him there.

Sometimes when you would see him out in the ordinary you would take a quick photo of him when he wasn’t looking.

And when he would spit out the gum he was chewing you would secretly take it and put it in your little shrine you had of him.

One day when he was talking to one of his co-workers, inside of this cafe.

The person that looked like who he was talking to had, medium dark hair and had a tie on. She looked like a doctor but you were only focused with your precious Ranpo.

Your thoughts were cut off by a man who had got up from his seat and decided to approach Ranpo.

“Hey—Uh-Your that Ranpo guy—From the Armed Detective Agency, right..?” The man stuttered nervously.

“Yup! Thats me!”. Ranpo said with that beautiful smile of his.

“I-I know this might sound weird but—Can I..Have your number..?” The man blushed.

“Uh oh, Ranpo…! Looks like you have a fan..!” Yosano said smiling teasingly at Ranpo.

“Uh..No thanks..Im actually quite busy with all my important detective work, If ya know what I mean.” Ranpo said as he looked to the side slightly.

“Oh—Uh..Thats okay..! Of—Of course.” The pathetic man walked out of the cafe awkwardly.

That made tour blood boil.

It was your breaking point. You just COULDN’T let this disgusting rat get away with this.

You followed him out and after walking for about 5 minutes you finally saw him.

It had looked like he had just gotten of the phone with someone, probably telling them about how he met with Yokohama’s greatest detective.

You pulled him into an alleyway and got out your knife and stabbed him in the back first and then stabbed him in the chest in which made him start to cough up blood.

You stabbed him one more time to put him out of his misery.

You looked at his corpse. Taking care of the body wouldn’t be that much of a problem since you could see the sun setting.

After that mess you turned around to see the one and only Ranpo Edogawa, looking at you dead in the eye.

The color from your face drained almost immediately and you could feel and hear your heart pounding in your chest.

How long..Has he been standing there..

“H-how..How long have—Have you been standing there…?” You manage to blurt out.

“Oh I don’t know..~ For as long as you’ve started to clean up this mess you’ve made.” He says, taking out his lollipop.

“Oh yeah and these..?” He takes out the photos you had taken of him.

You had probably dropped them on your way out from your bag..

“How—“ you were cut off by Ranpo leaning his face towards yours making you blush madly.

“Im a detective, idiot. Of course I know when someone like YOU is stalking me.” He says sounding slightly irritable but not fully.

You wanted to slap yourself.

Of course he knows..

“Do you know that I love you..?” You say back.

“Of course I do..” He smiled. “Killing someone for a detective..Is quite bold of you, Mr [Name]..” He whispers before kissing your cheek softly.

[hermit-searching]

Terrible Casey Jones HCs (from a hockey fan):

87 Casey:

-it actually makes sense this guy wears the old style hockey mask since the fiberglass helmets with face cages were only starting to become popular in the 80s. Friday the 13th also came out in the 80s so he totally uses the face hugger mask for those reasons.

-he literally only met the turtles twice so I think it'd be funny if he just. forgot they existed. like "who are you small weird cosplaying kids"

-he'd probably be loyal to the Rangers because the Islanders play too close to Jersey. no he isn't bitter the Islanders were better, shut up!

-mans built like a football player, he wouldn't play. he just has the equipment to be a menace.

03 Casey:

- both him and Raph are devastated during the 04-05 lockout. it's the hardest battle they've ever fought.

-Leo: what about all the times we fought the Shredder and almost died?

Raph and Casey: the lockout was harder.

-that man shares his entire half of a braincell with Raphael /affectionate

-he would pound his fist into the table seeing the Devil's go to the Finals in 2000, 01 and 03.

-he probably genuinely forgot Anaheim is owned by Disney.

-he WILL complain during off-season. There are 0 worthy sports to watch from June to October.

12 Casey:

-oh you thought he was a Rangers fan? Maybe the Islanders? Buffalo? nah he's a Bruins fan.

-despite being afraid of rats his favourite player is Marchand.

-he ABSOLUTELY got into Reddit arguments with Vancouver fans in 2011.

-probably the only Casey that has actually played hockey. bro has the missing front teeth drip

-he wanted to be goalie so bad but the second he stepped out wearing the face hugger they said no and made him a winger.

-he lost his front teeth because he doesn't wear a cage.

-he not only forgot Anaheim was owned by Disney, he forgot they existed. he only remembered because they won the Cup in 07.

Casey Jr:

-i like the concept he learns to play hockey after the Invasion but I think he'd get ragdolled around by the people his age. yeah he can kill a Krang with one hand. but he's so stringy and spindly that he'd get knocked over by accident while on skates

-Casey Sr teaches him how to skate, but the first time he tries he immediately faceplants because he never learned what ice is.

-none of the Rise characters have hockey fan vibes. like, they all like basketball (even if Donnie pretends not to know anything about it) Raph likes wrestling and football. Leo would have a shrine dedicated to Michael Jordan, and that's about it. Mikey probably would watch anything his brothers put on. hockey is still very much a white person's sport, we don't have many POC players in the League so it doesn't appeal as much to POC as other sports like basketball, football, or baseball which are more diverse. All this to say Casey wouldn't know there's a pro-league until he stumbles upon it on TV one night.

-he's probably not into it the way the other Casey's are but he'll casually watch a game if there's one on.

-I don't see Casey having many interests for a while post-invasion because his entire life was basically surviving the apocalypse. He'll learn to appreciate the small things gradually.

-he would probably pick up on Leo's....appreciation...for Michael Jordan though lol

[nalyra-dreaming]

I've been pondering two things lately 🧐 1. What do you think about "I serve a God" phrase now that we got little bits and pieces of s2? I feel like any theory is left unsupported for now.

2. That scene with Armand's fire gift in the tunnel. I wonder how it will play out. Will it be romantic "let me show you magic"? Was he contemplating an attack and then changed his mind? I hope it's the first one cuz I just imagine them in that crumpled space playing with fireworks like total kids.

Hey!

Ahhhh difficult;))

By now I think that it’s probably a mix of Marius and the shrine (and Those Who Must be Kept) … and adjunct to that maybe Lestat in a coma. Maybe. I mean... s2 is obviously with the book imagery Louis conjures in the second half of the book, sooooo... But "just" Lestat feels too easy by now, if that makes sense? Especially since it was done in front of a Marius painting. I... I lean towards TWMBK by now. Gut-feeling-wise^^

But there is no conclusive answer to that yet, I think. There's too many things still in flux, and too many things only hinted at.

Maybe we will know more after the "Rolin Jones" trailer. I mean... given how much there was in 30 seconds? :))) Imagine what there'll be in 4 minutes :))

And re the fire gift: That is so difficult as well. Because the scene in the tunnel was confimed by Levan Akin as a hommage to "The Third Man".

Now, The Third Man (and that tunnel):

"The chase sequence in "The Third Man" is another joining of the right action with the right location. Harry escapes into the sewer system like a cornered rat, and Reed edits the pursuit into long, echoing, empty sewer vistas, and closeups of (Harry) Lime's sweaty face, his eyes darting for a way out. Presumably there would be no lights in the Vienna sewers, but there are strong light sources just out of sight behind every corner, throwing elongated shadows, backlighting Harry and his pursuers."

It's a chase.

Now, we do not know yet if the one with the fire gift is helping... or chasing. (And I know most people think it's Armand (and I agree it looks like him)). So if we take this as Armand...

he is either priming to send the fire at someone else to "free the way" as it were... or

he is conjuring the fire to send it at Louis

IF it is the former then Armand is escaping with Louis, and helping him. I still hope Louis might discover his own fire gift while torching the theater, but we'll see. Louis could see Armand conjure his fire there and then look out himself.

Now, it is (book) canon that Armand influences and subdues Louis. (Here are some quotes.)

IF it is the latter (not saying it necessarily is, but if) then they will go significantly darker than in the book, one might say.

Which... is something they might be hinting at with this scene:

Because, let's face it, THIS Louis won't stand by meekly. THIS Louis will fight. THIS Louis won't take the shit (as easily). This Louis will have to be subdued in a different manner.

I'm not sure what I would prefer, either approach has a lot of interesting aspects, and carries repercussions.

Here, too... the full trailer might make some things clearer when we see it^^. We'll have to wait still and see^^.

[gjorg-of-drangleic]

Dark Souls lore is like being given 100 pieces to complete a 500-piece puzzle with no guarantee that they even belong to the same puzzle in the first place. I say this lovingly – it's an essential part of what makes this series so compelling to me.

On a loosely related note, Creighton the Wanderer being Schrödinger's Serial Killer is so fucking funny to me and I need to share my thoughts.

For those who don't know who I'm talking about, Creighton is an NPC you first meet in a location named Huntsman's Copse, in DS2. He's locked up in a cell and somewhat pissed off about it. When you free him to initiate his questline, he says:

"[...] I am Creighton, of Mirrah. I travel from land to land to hone my blade. [...] I joined forces with a man on the way, but he was no more than a back-stabbing knave. He took the first chance he had to try and off me. I decided to set a trap for him here, but then I got trapped myself. I can't believe that I was so dense. Thank the stars that you came along. You be careful of him. Pate, I think he said. [...] I've seen his type before. He kills entirely for the pleasure of it. I'm sure I won't be his last victim. The man's better off dead, I tell you. He's a slick talker, so don't let him fool you. [...] Watch out for the slimy rat. And don't you believe a word he says. I'll find the common footpad, and put an end to his roguery. Heh heh."

If you've played DS1 before, this might sound familiar to you. Indeed, you may think of Pate as DS2's stand-in for Patches. By this point in the game, there's a good chance you've encountered him already, and while you haven't been pushed down any cliff this time, you did end up locked up and surrounded by hostile hollows. I'd argue that this being the likeliest order of events is the game priming you to feel sympathetic towards Creighton once you reach him, as by then, the both of you would have been tricked by the same man. You might even feel so sympathetic as to overlook how immediately eager to kill Pate he is. And, if we're going down that route, metacontextually, you might have thrown Patches off that cliff as retribution yourself back in DS1.

You then find yourself speaking with Pate and Creighton back-and-forth at different locations, with Pate indirectly putting you in additional danger, and Creighton sounding more and more eager to kill the guy. The questline ends when you reach the Brightstone Cove of Tseldora, where you find them both fighting, and are given the opportunity to intervene to save either one by killing the other.

Now if this was all the questline was, there wouldn't be much to it, would there? Creighton is a bit bloodthirsty but, you could reasonably argue that his motivations are understandable. Why ever side with Pate in this? He almost got you killed twice! The man's clearly dangerous! Well, you see – after you're done helping either one, they both gift you a key leading to a trapped chest which explodes when you open it! That's right, even Creighton. "Ooh, that'll leave a nasty scar!" he says, if you survive the explosion. Now why would Creighton who remained friendly throughout end up doing this to us? Another DS2 character, Cale the Cartographer may be the key to understanding his motivations. Here's what he says.

"Ah yes, there is something I wanted to tell you. I was born in the land of Mirrah. Mirrah is also the home of an infamous killer, a 'knight' in name alone. He was locked in the dungeon for multiple murders. But shortly before his execution, he managed to escape. And the other day… I saw a fellow with a striking likeness! And then! And then… Wait… Well… I think he looked rather similar… N-no, it's true! I saw just such a man, I swear! I believe his name was…Cr…Cr…err Cray-something… I believe… They shared…some resemblance, I… I think…"

Cale tells you this back in Majula – the Firelink Shrine of DS2 – after you meet Creighton at least once. Our wandering friend has been a serial killer this entire time it would seem. DS3 would also agree with this statement. He is featured there as an NPC invader who attacks both the Ashen one and Sirris of the Sunless Realms. Here is what his armor set and weapon descriptions from DS3 tell us.

Creighton's Steel Mask: Attire of Creighton the Wanderer, a notorious deserter who fled an order of Mirrah Knights. Despite the mask's being a symbol of a criminal sentenced to death, Creighton never removed it.

Mirrah Chain Mail: Formal attire of the honorable knights of Mirrah, featuring their heraldry, a stag set against a blue field. Oddly, it was a dishonorable deserter who wore this attire most religiously.

Dragonslayer Axe: Axe favored by Creighton the Wanderer, infamous deserter of the Knights of Mirrah. Called Dragonslayer's Axe for the lightning that pulsates within its blade, but Creighton used it to slay men.

This all seems pretty damning. Helping Creighton in Tseldora means helping a serial killer. Pate may have tried to kill us before but, it's not like we were ever actually in any danger. What's a couple of hollows to a big strong undead like us, right? Helping Pate it is then? Killing them both? Walking past them and leaving them to it? At any rate, not helping Creighton! There. Problem solved.

You fool. You think we’re done? We haven't even started. I present to you his DS2 armor set descriptions.

Creighton’s Steel Mask: Atypical steel mask. Belonged to Creighton the Wanderer. Its design resembles that of the knight order of the eastern land of Mirrah, but with some odd differences that catch the eye. Perhaps it is a finely-crafted imitation.

Mirrah Chain Mail: Belonged to Creighton the Wanderer. Its design resembles that of the knight order of the eastern land of Mirrah, but with some odd differences that catch the eye. Perhaps it is a finely-crafted imitation.

Now, reading this, you might point out that this seemingly contradicts part of Cale’s statement as well as the DS3 item descriptions. I wouldn’t say so out of hand. One could reasonably argue that Creighton could very well have infiltrated the Knights of Mirrah by wearing a replica, thus in a manner of speaking, indeed belonging to that Order, or at the very least, being perceived as such by the wider public. Though I will admit that wearing a replica of a mask marking oneself for the death penalty, even in a different land, is rather shortsighted. Anyways, what of his axe, which I have conveniently omitted here? Well, I did so for a reason. We stumble across DS2’s Dragonslayer Axe nowhere near Creighton unlike in DS3 where we would obtain it after defeating him. In fact, until DS3, the Dragonslayer Axe being Creighton’s was unconfirmed. Besides… Have a look at the item description for yourself.

Dragonslayer’s Crescent Axe: The beloved black axe of the gallant Shieldless Lothian, formerly of Forossa. No warrior matched the ferocity of unbeatable Lothian, but he abruptly retired from the battlefield and was never heard from again. Some say that he grew tired of the frailty of human foes, and set off to slay the legendary dragon.

“Who in Gwyn’s name is Shieldless Lothian?” I hear you ask. No worries, I got you covered.

Ring of Giants: [...] Lothian was born a peasant, and died a general. His determination and diligence were unmatched, especially on the battlefield, where he earned his name by choosing to fight without a shield.

Annnnd, that’s it. That’s pretty much all we know. Let’s unpack all of this, shall we?

The Dragonslayer’s Crescent Axe belonged to a certain Shieldless Lothian of Forossa, a man who abandoned the battlefield to go chase after dragons, but also somehow still died a general. And this axe is seemingly now in the hands of Creighton of Mirrah, serial killer. Are we to understand that Creighton is actually a man named Lothian? That he faked his death? Or that he killed Lothian and took his weapon for himself? Or that he merely wields a replica of Lothian’s axe? Yea. Remember what I said about the puzzle pieces and all that? 

I’d like to briefly move the focus back around to our cartographer friend. I may have omitted to tell you earlier that, prior to speaking to you in Majula, Cale was actually located in a location called the Forest of Fallen Giants, which Creighton never sets foot in during the events of DS2. However, it does happen to be the location you first meet Pate in. Speaking of Pate, here is what his spear description has to say.

Pate’s Spear: A long spear wielded by Pate. This appears to be a very ordinary spear, but seems to have accumulated power over the course of countless battles. It is not always advisable to stand out. Especially if you have something to hide.

Now, this is so vague it could mean anything. But if one were to decide for whatever reason to have the most charitable read on Creighton’s character, they could conceivably argue that Creighton is an – albeit strangely revengeful – innocent man who was framed by Pate, who is the true serial killer of Mirrah. We know that Pate and Creighton have traveled together a while. We know that Pate is a dangerous manipulator who seemingly has a pattern of purposefully leading people to their death. Creighton meanwhile only shows resentment towards Pate, who supposedly almost killed him. He is also consistently friendly to us, up until the last moment, with the chest, though who knows if that was intentional? Maybe Pate is the one who boobytrapped it! Speaking of Pate, he’s the one to be present in the Forest of Fallen Giants, while Creighton isn’t. Pate might well have met Cale there who’d have recognized him, and in turn, he’d have introduced himself as Creighton to protect his own identity, with the lie still not cleared out by the time of DS3. One might also point out that Creighton has a distinctly Cockney accent which isn’t shared by other Mirrah characters like Lucatiel or Cale, which could hypothetically make sense should one accept the idea that Lothian and Creighton are the same person. Whilst speaking to us about Pate, Creighton says “[...] For the good of the world, and for my own honour. I won't let that bastard live another day.” One may wonder what good a serial killer would have to present himself as honorable and selfless, all the while not bothering to tone down his bloodlust at all when speaking to us. It’s stupid, in a weird authentic sort of way.

Do I believe this theory? Not really, no. I don’t think Dark Souls has the kind of character-driven narrative that thinks so deeply about its characters beyond how they best serve the overarching themes of the story, how they best contribute to building that specific “Dark Souls” atmosphere that makes those games so special. Ultimately, we have no evidence of Cale and Pate actually interacting with one another. Cale calls Creighton a killer, and it’s later on confirmed by his DS3’s weapon description. I can’t think of any reason why the game would lie to us over what is ultimately a very minor character, even within DS2. The slight discrepancies between DS2 and 3 can be explained away by time, or just, different people having worked on the games. I’m just a bit too pragmatic to believe that there would have been such a convoluted process involved for building up this non-character into a complex double fake-out innocent man. I think both Creighton and Pate were intended to be awful in DS2, probably as a way to hammer home that the world is broken, and good people, like your friends in Majula, are a rarity to be cherished. Still, I appreciate that the series allows for the above kind of badshit thinking to emerge to be honest. It’s fun! Trying to rebuild the puzzle with much of it missing is fun! People coming to different conclusions is fun!

Anyways, we all know Creighton was hired by Licia to kill Pate as part of an intense multidimensional war between the Covenant of Clerics and Patches.