#skeletons with piercing?? that's more likely than you think >;D

[zu-is-here]

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[v1x3n]

M E E T A N D G R E E T

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୨୧ 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴 : you re-meet your old friend, johnny mctavish, but he changed - a lot - and he had brought a few friends with him, who are all part of a band!

୨୧ 𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘴 : fluff mostly - slight suggestive mentions near the end, awkward reader, nothing much!!

a scottish voice shouts above the raging music in the background, a voice you recognized. a voice that belonged to an old friend, Johnny mctavish. but what is strange is that he is with a bunch of other blokes.

a large man, not fat but built, he looms' down on you with an almost menacing stare. the only piece of him you can see is his eyes. The rest was covered by a skull balaclava, leather jacket, a skintight white t-shirt, gray baggy jeans and some spiky boots. his arms were crossed and he stood up like a brick wall, he was tall as well. he was scary if you were honest. you could see a slight black tattoo peaks out under his jacket. skeleton hands printed onto the gloves. you could see a chain leading into his white shirt, from how tight the top was you could clearly see the rounded rectangle metal through them. some type of necklace.

The man next to him was utterly gorgeous, he had large eyelashes and a little bit of stubble, his big brown eyes were luring you in - almost putting you under a spell. eyes trailing down to look at what he was wearing, he gave off more roadman, would stab you for a greggs, which was different from the man you just looked at. He wore black cargos and a gray jacket opened, showing a cropped black tank top underneath. all up his ear was done with silver piercings, he also had his belly button pierced - showing it off with the cropped shirt, a ring hung around his left nostril. a layered barbed wire necklace hung from his neck along with a black belly chain.

Then right in front of you were two guys, Johnny - your old friend and another man who looked much older than the rest, 5 maybe 7 years older than the others. He was smart though, he looked homely, he looked like he could be a settled down dad with a paid off mortgage. His warm smile could cheer up any day, his beard covering most of the bottom of his face, a white shirt covering his chest with the first few buttons undone, a silky black tie hovering on the shirt. He wore black jeans with a black belt. the handsome man had his right eyebrow pierced, other than that you couldn't see any other piercings. he didn't have any necklaces on, but his fingers were loaded with rings upon rings. on his left hand wore a pain silver one on his ring finger followed by a repetitive skull ring on his middle finger. his other hand had a thinner silver ring on his middle finger then a bone ring wrapped around his thumb.

"How are ya, lass?" the man in front of you says, snapping you out your little transe. Your old friend has changed quite a lot. He still had his silly mohawk - but it was currently a little longer, scraggly and it looked like he had been roughed up - and his stupid grin. some type of logo tattooed onto his right arm. you glance up at his face to really admire his details, a strong glare and a grown yet stubbily beard, your eyes trail down to his jaw which his stubble grew over, then down to his outfit. The man in front of you wore a cropped turtleneck tank top - Jesus - patchy cargos with a belt that held the baggy pair up, on the belt was a skull buckle. Unlike the other man who wore a cropped top, you could see Johnny's happy trail leading up to his belly button. your old friend wore some black bracelets around his wrists, johnny was definitely the most jeweled than the rest of them. around his neck was a collar - it wasn't a choker, definitely not, it was a collar. It couldn't help you think what type of kinky shit he was into. He had a septum pierced into his nose, along with a bar leading across his left ear, trailing down with a few other piercings across both ears.

"oh! I'm good! haven't seen you in so long!" you smile and quickly pull him into a hug, getting a whiff of his scent, you linger on his shoulder when he wraps his arms around you. It was kinda awkward with all his friends cucking but you chose to ignore them and focus on johnny. "How are you? you look... very different!" you choke out a laugh. obviously you weren't laughing at the style, just the change of how he used to dress.

"i look good though, divnt i?" he chuckles and a cough booms from behind him, the masked, you would say gentleman but he certainly doesn't look gentle. "hahh- yeah you do! it suits you!" you gleam and pull away from him, glancing at the other boys.

"Shite sorry, this is Simon," he points at the masked man, "kyle," the pretty guy smiles sweetly at you, "and john!" The father-like man tilts his head and grins. Johnny introduces you to the gang and they all say hi. Some voices are gruffier than the rest. "What are you here for!" you try to quietly shout over the music that slowly gets louder.

this stupid bar was a regular one you visited, you'd usually come here for the bands and occasionally the men. "We performed here earlier" the man, John said with a strong smile plastered on his face. "holy fuck! youre in a band, jj?!" you exclaim and grab onto johnny's hand.

"ye, me and these ballsacks made one together, want an autograph then, lass?" he mocks.

you laugh at him and look around at the other three brutes there, "ye four chat, i'll grab some beers" johnny says before waddling off. you gulp, looking up at the men and awkwardly smile, "sooo..." you mumble quietly.

"How do you know Johnny, sweetheart?" blushing slightly as the man, John, speaks to you. "oh! We were close friends like all our lives, went to primary and high school together" you sweetly smile as another of the men speaks, Kyle, his voice like honey whilst he looks down at you. his big brown eyes taking you all in, "how'd you two meet back then? he tricked you into bein' his mate like?" Kyle jokes.

you laugh quietly, "hah- no, uhm we were in class when we were six or seven maybe? and he sat next t' me, he gotten glue all over the table and all over himself - on the first day - so the teacher told me i had t' clean him up," you fumble with your hands, looking between simon and the rest whilst telling your story, "so i was angry at him because i couldn't play outside that day cause i had t' help him clean up. and he has been annoying me since" you let out a light laugh. you could say you two stuck together.

kyle and john chuckle whether simons eyes dont give off a tell for what emotion

"you his girlfriend, then?"

"what?" choking on air for a few seconds at the accusation. you couldn't deny that maybe you had a small thing for him in highschool but that was just confusing friendship with romance, so if you really think about it - no you didn't. "God, no! He's just a friend!" laughing slightly. the group hummed, it sounded like satisfaction.

"So no boyfriend?" Kyle confirms.

"Like at all?" an eyebrow raises, you look toward simon, who hasn't spoken yet, then towards kyle and john once more with your head slightly tilted. "erm, no, there's no boyfriend" the three of them nod.

A long awkward silence fills the bar, the only sound being the blasting music and people drunk in the background. god this was awkward, but soon johnny came back. four pints and your favorite drink. your smile coated with sugar as johnny gives you your drink, "thanks jj"

"No bother, Bonnie," he passes the other drinks out. you five quickly go find a small booth in the back to talk in, "so what were yous talkin boot?"

"jus slagging you off, Johnny" Kyle pipes up which makes you snicker and Johnny rolls his eyes. "right." he scoffs.

"I was telling them how we uhm met!" you smile and take a sip of your drink. Johnny does the make and hums, "the glue story?" a nod that signals a yes, "still not forgave you f' that, mind." you give him a jokenly glare, "it was years ago!" Johnny gasps, Kyle laughs whilst Simon's eyes flirt between the two of you. your eyes wander over to simon who has his mask ruffled up over his nose so he can drink his pint.

the masked man had a bit of stubble around his face, his lips were pinkish and god you were almost hypnotized, you couldn't see that much but it looked like a lot. he took small sips from his glass and you gaze up at his eyes which were intently looking st you, listening to each and every word you said. you gulp and quickly look away to see john, johnny and kyle talking about something. you could probably piece it all together but you were too panicked that simon had caught you staring. fuck, you didnt mean too stare for that long but you honestly hadnt expected him too look like that.

"oh, i forgot t' ask like what do yous all do in the band?" you look at them all.

"I'm the bassist and backing vocals!" Johnny peeps up, smiling widely. "drums." John hums, looking at you and taking a gulp of his pint. "guitar." Simon says, his voice gruffier - it sounded like exactly how he looked, strange. "I'm the vocalist and rhythm guitarist." Kyle smiles and winks at you.

"cool!" you smile, a finger circling your glass whilst you look between them all, "anythin i would've heard?"

"mayperhaps" Kyle grins, "here" he grumbles and pulls out his phone, showing you his band on spotify. you gasp, "oh my god! no way! My friends have talked about your band!"

the four men look at eachother, "really?" Johnny speaks. you nod as a reply, "i never really listened t' it tho.." muttering under your breath.

"Shame, you should. not t' brag but we are very good" johnny smirks, he looks you up and down, “so what you been up t’? Anythin’ fun?” you think for a second, what have you been up to? You had a few boyfriends, not anything that serious though, you uhhmm… What have you done? You sit there with your thoughts as a few of the guys look at you, they sip onto their beers as they patiently wait for a reply to Johnny's question. “Oh uhm i dunno” you hesitantly let out a slight laugh, “i moved around here and ermm… had a few jobs around the place. Right now I am working at some cafe a few blocks away” looking down at your lap, you were almost embarrassed that you were telling your old best friend, who's successful right now, that you were just working at a small cafe. It was not paid that much but you needed the job - you obviously weren't going to tell him, or any of them, that you were just getting by though.

“Oh you live round here?” John peeps up, keeping his eyes on you whilst he finishes off his pint. your eyes follow his hands as he slams his glass down. “Yeah, do yous?” Simon looks off to the side of the table, out to all the people in the bar. “No we are on a little tour right now, just around the uk” Kyle answers after gulping a large sip from his beer. “Oh! Okay!” you smile at them, “where have you been so far?” 

“Few places in London and well here, still going round though” you nod at Johnny's words. Lucky that you ran into them though, you had missed johnny and well his friends definitely weren't hard to look at. Wait wait wait, you couldnt think that, you barely knew them. They were a bunch of emos who have a band together, you only knew Johnny - and that was years ago. 

You and Johnny had stopped talking in college. Maybe you had grown apart, or something happened, perhaps it was something you had said? But long story short you and him stopped speaking, full stop. At the time you were heavily distracted by other things though so it hadnt hit you that hard, sometimes you would sit in your bed, going through old photos of you and him together. Then it would hit you hard, at that time you thought to yourself ‘yeah, i miss him’ but then you would distract yourself from that feeling. Another thing that would distract you was your boyfriend, you two had been together for quite a while actually. Johnny actually introduced you two together at the start of college, his name was Danny, but then you and Johnny stopped talking after hitting it off with danny. You would wonder if that was the reason you stopped talking, Danny, but that simply couldn't be it because he and Danny were friends, and why would jj stop talking to you just because you were dating someone? 

A voice snaps you out of your thoughts, “we should get going” a rough, gruff voice, one you only had heard once. Simon. You look up at him then your eyes trail around the table. All the drinks drank and everyone looked incredibly tired, “ah shite yeah, need t’ practise in the morning so got an early night” Kyle follows up. You nod at him, understandingly. 

“Oh okay” a disappointed hum comes from you, “bye then” you smile as the rest stand up. You stand up along with them and look at Johnny whilst he walks over to you, wrapping you into a tight hug. You could smell his cologne once more but this time he smelt more like alcohol than before. You bury your  head into the corner of his neck as his arms squeeze around you, his hands trailing down to your waist, Johnny pulls back and winks. “I'll hopefully see you again?” 

“Yeah..” you murmur, “here uhm i'll give you my number f�� if you're in town again?” you suggest, pulling out your phone and passing johnny it. Johnny quickly puts your number into his phone, he smiles.

They all say goodbye, Johnny pulls you into another long, tight hug and lets you go almost winded. Kyle puts a hand on your arm and lets it trail down your soft skin, telling you he hopes to see you later. John bends down to kiss your cheek whilst he chuckles lightly, saying it was nice to meet you before his eyes wander around your person - muttering that you should come to one of their concerts some time. But Simon only pulls his mask back over his face, back to the original position it was in. Simon's eyes look you up and down as he grumbles a small bye.

And with that you're left outside of the bar, watching them all walk off, yet something catches you off guard, Simon looks back and sees you staring once more. Embarrassing. His eyes almost glimmer, but then he looks forward once more. Scoffing as a bright blush covers your cheeks, fuck, you needed to get fucked cause you were stood looking at 3 strange men and your old bestfriend, blushing because you thought they were fit.

But luckily you would and could never act on your horny thoughts that spew in your mind because you would never see any of them again. Right? Riiight.

[starhvney]

hello! :D

could you write for sasha and reader hanging out and sasha reads her palm or gives her a tea reading? something fluffy please! it's okay if you don't want to, thank you for reading my request anyway! <3 your writing is literally so amazing :D

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐓

𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: mystreet platonic sasha & fem!reader, also ft. gene and zenix

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: feeling bored and crowded at a party, you and sasha escape to the back porch

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒: fluff, sasha being cool asf, you two are the cool main character besties in an indie film with two stupid boy roommates, it’s great

𝐂𝐖: use of alcohol, you two are at a house party

𝐀/𝐍: i know i added a party subplot here but once i started writing i just went for it lol. hopefully you still like the scenario! i also know nothing about palm reading or anything like that so sorry for any inaccuracies^^;

𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓

the sound of talking and loud music muffles as you and sasha step out on the back porch, breathing in the fresh, cool night air. the dim lighting through the windows and the singular light over the door cast a warm glow on the two of you. sasha stretches and takes another drink out of her solo cup, before hoisting herself to sit up on the thick wooden railing. 

“the people here are kind of lame, i thought zenix said this was gonna be fun.” she says in her monotonous voice, the sound of her deeper voice a calm relief from all of the shouts inside.

you join her and perch yourself next to her, taking a swig of your own drink and wrinkling your nose at the sting of the alcohol. sasha scoffs out an amused laugh at your reaction, a fond look on her face.

“yeah,” you strain out, before clearing your throat. “there’s a lack of uh… depth in personality around here.”

she nods, a knowing sparkle in her eyes. for a moment you two enjoy the distant noise of crickets and the occasional car passing, before sasha turns her attention back to you. she reaches out a pale, black polished hand in your direction.

“let me see your hand.” she says, lightly wiggling her fingers out for you to take.

as you place your hand over hers, she turns it palm up and leans forward, her fingers lightly tracing along the creases in your hand. her rings shine against the porch light, drawing your attention to the different designs. some had cool-toned gems embedded into the metal, while a few were shaped into skeleton hands or spiders. your eyes drift back up, noticing the long wispy white strands of hair falling in front of her face. dark eyeshadow sparkles and frames her deep violet eyes that squint and focus down at your hand.

“i learned how to palm read for fun in high school,” she explains, sensing your curiosity as her thin eyebrows pinch together in concentration. “but… it’s been a while since i’ve done it and i'm a bit tipsy, so let’s see how this goes.”

you laugh lightly at her explanation, patiently waiting as she trails a fingernail along your palm.

“this is your lifeline… it goes down and splits off here… if i remember correctly that means you’ll be busy with your career in the future… but it’s also faint so you know how to preserve your energy.” she observes slowly, humming in thought. "that's good."

“hm… this one across your hand is… there’s a slight wave to it, which means you have an open-minded and different approach to life and issues than others.”

you hum and nod along, taking another sip of your drink and tilting your head as you listen.

“you have a super deep heart line, which means you will have long-lasting relationships. and this line right here is far and parallel to this line, meaning—i think…—that you’re more independent and don’t rely on outside influences.”

piercing loud laughter hits your ears abruptly, making the two of you flinch as four obnoxious partygoers stumble into your peaceful space. they glance at the two of you with confused and annoyed looks, as if they were offended by your presence. they stumble down into the backyard, one of them falling face-first into the weedy grass below. you glance back at sasha, who is already looking at you with a deadpan expression. 

“wanna find gene and zenix?” she asks, before hopping off the railing and leaning in to whisper to you. “let’s take some alcohol and get out of here.”

you nod in response, to which she keeps her hold on your hand to guide you back into the loud house. bodies bump into you, and sasha tugs you closer to her as she walks. you see a familiar head of black hair sticking higher in the crowd. sasha pulls him along with you, dragging both of you to a less crowded space.

“the fu-? oh hey, ladies.” gene stumbles along beside you, clearly a bit more intoxicated than the two of you.

sasha stops out of a pathway, hunching the three of you together. “we were gonna get some alcohol and take off, you coming?”

gene raises his eyebrow, looking around before nodding with a smirk. “yeah, i figured you two wouldn’t care much for this either. only reason i’m tolerating these people is because i’m three double shots in.”

sasha raises an unimpressed eyebrow. “we’ve been here an hour and you’re three double shots in?”

“hell yeah, tequila.” he nods, his eyes drooping in satisfaction.

“whatever, why don’t you grab a bottle and we’ll find zenix.”

“what about me?” a familiar voice cuts over your meeting, as the last piece to your quartet little friend group.

“these people are boring, let’s go, man.” gene throws his arm over zenix’s shoulder, causing the curly-headed brunette to pout, his piercing tugging on his lip.

“yeah i know, i thought cooler people would show up.”

“it’s fine, you can make it up to us by grabbing us some drinks to go and meeting us out front.” sasha smirks, tugging you along by your arm out the front door.

you can hear zenix scoff before he’s drowned out by the noise, but you’re positive he’s already making his way to the kitchen with gene.

the moon bounces off sasha’s hair, the soft layers reflecting back into your eyes. she turns, looking satisfied that she was able to round up your other two friends so quickly.

“that might be a new record of finding the two of them and getting them to agree.” you note, earning a rare laugh from the girl.

“i know, what was that, like two minutes?”

you two walk further into the empty street, the buzzing of the alcohol slightly beginning to wear off as you realize you hadn’t taken a sip in a while. you look down at your empty hands with a frown.

“i left my drink.”

“here,” she hands you hers. “we’re about to get some more anyways.”

“thanks,” you swig the rest of it down, drinking from the other side of sasha’s dark lipstick stains on the cup.“i didn’t know you knew how to palm read, though.”

she kicks a pebble down the road, a content look in her eyes as she sways in place next to you. one arm of her arms laces around your waist as the two of you mindlessly walk and spin under a lone buzzing street light.

“yeah… i also learned a bit about tea reading, i can show you sometime back at the house.”

“ooh, yeah, if you wanna.”

“duh.” she says with a humored smile in her tone. ”hanging out with you is way cooler than any of those dorks inside.”

“even zenix and gene?” you laugh.

“oh yeah, we’re the coolest.”

“package secured! let’s go!” zenix and gene walk out of the house, pulling out not one but two bottles from their t-shirts.

“i kinda wanna go to our spot in the park,” zenix leads the way, walking down the street with bottle in hand. “from back then.”

“alright, it’s not far.” gene lazily agrees, taking a sip and passing the bottle to sasha.

you and sasha keep your arms linked around the other, walking along after them while squinting up to see if you could find any constellations.

“shadow knights reunion?”

“zenix, we are not the shadow knights anymore.”

“ugh, whatever!”

©starhvney, 2024. please do not steal or repost my works as your own.

[phoenixiancrystallist]

Month 4, day 26, Keen gets better defined gauntlets and I finally put those Rheddig skeleton pictures I've been taking to use! :D Turns out that's not a helmet, it's a mask! Don't ask me how it stays on, I'm assuming like sticky tack or something (I'm joking, it's probably a combination of "the designers didn't think about that" and "who cares? It looks cool!" Both of which are more common design choices than you might think!)

Reference images under the cut, warning for skelebones

Poor bastard's neck fused with the stairs ): Probably not a pleasant way to go

Anyway, its a super interesting design, clearly meant to be intimidating! The eye-like designs are actually far above the eye socket, because they're not actually eyeholes! The eye holes are the two little slits you can see below the eye-shaped decorations. And yes, you can see out of those slits! It was a common design in certain styles of armor, because it afforded the eyes the most protection while still allowing some, albeit limited, vision. They're not wide enough to get an arrow through them (although you can still be blinded by the arrow splintering and piercing your eye), for example, but they are wide enough and sit close enough to the face that they don't obstruct much of your vision. These guys are probably foot soldiers, because even though you can still see out of those slits, they kind of fuck up the kind of distance viewing an archer or artilleryman would need. This particular design is more decorative than combat-practical, considering that massive blind spot in the center of their vision thanks to that beak, but it looks really cool and tells me something nifty about Rheddah's culture and priorities when it comes to combat.

Specifically, it tells me that Rheddah values intimidation as a valid battle tactic. Look at this thing! Look at how far up the eye motif is on the mask, and how hard to spot those slits are. First, it'd be fucking terrifying to see these fellows bearing down on you, armed with pikes. Or at least I assume the pikes I've seen lying around these guys are theirs, but they might belong to Sila's soldiers. Or it's the same design regardless of nation of origin; I mean why design two kinds of pole-arm weapons when one works just fine for your environmental story telling purposes? It's not like a very specific nerd is going to trawl through and photograph every tiny detail that she sees! That would be absurd!!!

...ahem, anyway. Where was I going with this? Oh, yeah!

Without the rest of the Rheddig field uniform to go off of I have no way of knowing, but based entirely on these battle masks, I'm fairly sure Rheddah likes to use optical illusions to their advantage in battle as well. Because of where that eye motif is situated, their soldiers seem taller than they actually are, and in the heat of battle that split second of "wait those aren't eyes" can make or break a combat encounter. Something like this can fuck with perception just enough that your opponent will be slightly off in where they aim their attacks, and a well-trained soldier taking this into account can certainly use it to his advantage. There's also, like, someone's aiming for your eye? No they're not, my eyes are down here, asshole!

Oof, I had more to say about this than I thought I did, and I have more to say, but it's past my bedtime, I've had a stressful day, and I am the sleepy tireds, so I'm off to bed. Good night my loves! I shall return to gush about various designs in this game another day!

[handfulxfhearts]

Character Questionnaire.

× G E N E R A L :

Name: Damien Web Knightly Alias(es): N/A. He’s only known as Web. Gender: cis male (he/him) Age: 32 years. Birthday: October 30th. Place of Birth: Kensington, London. Spoken Language(s): English, the most miniscule amount of Swedish that he learned from his mother. Sexual Preference: Bisexual. Occupation(s): freelance musician, occasional record shop worker.

× A P P E A R A N C E :

Eye Colour: grey blue. Hair Colour: dark dirty brown Height: 5'10″ Major Scars: SH TW. Web has many self harm scars; the worst of them are on his inner left arm/wrist. He also has a few on his upper inner thighs, though those are long since healed, and several deep ones on his upper left arm. 

× F A V O U R I T E :

Colour: he’d tell you its black and if you told him black isn’t a colour, he’d grumble and then tell you it’s dark red. Song: IV - X Japan, or Skeletons - Wednesday 13. Food: He’s not particularly fussy though he does love anything involving pasta. Drink: Whisky or black coffee.

× H A V E T H E Y :

Passed University: Yes. He received a 2:1. Had Sex: Yes. Had Sex in Public: yes. Gotten Pregnant/Someone Else Pregnant: yes. Kissed a Boy: Yes. Kissed a Girl: Yes. Gotten Tattoos: Yes, just the one - he has a large spiderweb over his left shoulder.  Gotten Piercings: Yes. Ear lobes pierced x3, navel, helix, left nostril, tragus. Been in Love: In his canonical timeline (ie: my novel), no. In terms of RP, yes. Stayed up for More than 24 Hours: Yes.

× A R E  T H E Y :

A Virgin: No. A Cuddler: Yes. A Kisser: Yes. Scared Easily: Yes and no. He puts on a mask and can hide things pretty well, but sometimes that mask can slip. It depends on the situation. He often appears as though he’s not scared, but on the inside he is. Jealous Easily: No. He compares himself a lot to people, but he’s not jealous. He just thinks he’s not as good as other people. Trustworthy: Yes. Despite seeming like a dick sometimes, if you trust him enough to tell him something secret, no way is he breaking that trust. He has major trust issues himself, so there’s no way he’d do that to someone else. Dominant: Yes and no. It depends on the partner. He has been known to be dominant when the occasion calls. Submissive: Yes and no. He is naturally more submissive than dominant, however. In Love: Yes (in RP, not in the novel) Single: No (in RP, yes in the novel).

× R A N D O M Q U E S T I O N S :

TW for self-harm/suicide mention.

Have They Harmed Themselves: Yes. Thought of Suicide: Yes. Attempted Suicide: Yes. Wanted to Kill Someone: Yes, but he’d be too afraid to act on it. Have/Had a Job: Yes.  Have Any Fears: Many, though his main fears are losing those he cares about, certain phrases (see his bio for more info), driving at night, driving alone.

× F A M I L Y :

Sibling(s): Kara, younger sister, aged 4 (deceased). Parent(s): deceased. Children: none in any RP threads. Canonically, in his novel, one son (Ash), who he didn’t know about until he was 9. Significant Other: N/A. Pet(s): N/A.

Tagging: anyone with an OC!!

[opera25]

A crossbow bolt to the back heart

Or, Etho has a bad dream.

When he finally falls asleep, Etho is overwhelmed with blurry images and half-remembered faces, Bdubs yelling after Etho startled him, Cleo looking down on him saying well that's rude, a crowd of Reds on the walls watching (bows in hand) while he fought a horrific Cerberus skeleton that dissolved whatever it touched and hated every living thing-

He readjusts his mask, trudging after the other Greens and Yellows. He doesn't look back at the hill over which Bdubs had vanished. He's got his task, and then we can be friends again. Following Ren down a dark narrow cave is plenty stressful enough without worrying about Bdubs. He's competent. He's killed before, and he will again. And then Etho will rip one of the hearts the world gave him out and press it into Bdub's chest and they'll both be Yellow rather than one Green and one Red and they can be on the same side again, for just that little bit longer before the end of things.

One more day. That's all Etho's asking for. (One more day, and the day after that, and the day after that, and then the day after that too. No matter how long they get together Etho will always want one more day.)

Everyone's comms ping at once. The group halts awkwardly, glancing around to see if the others agree it's time to stop.

[LDShadowLady fell from a high place]

"Was that Bdubs?" Ren asks. "Was that him fulfilling his vow?"

"We can't be sure," Scott counters to murmured agreement. "She might've just fell. You know how stressful it is to be a Red. Once you're dead you're dead."

[Bdoubleo100 was shot by Grian]

Etho feels like he's the one who got hit. A crossbow bolt of grief is lodged between his ribs, piercing his lungs, preventing any addition to the chorus of dismay rising around him, lamenting the hesitation all of them advised.

The cursor blinks up at him accusingly. What can he even say? What can possibly encompass the promise he made and then broke because he hesitated for a second too long after seeing Lady's death message and doomed Bdubs to the Void for keeping his word?

no, he sends, adding a plethora of extra O's to let the word cradle a little more of the pain inside. He glances at the other messages, a D: from Cleo and an oof from Ren next to this is what happens if you betray Team Red that he doesn't even need to see the username for.

I'll be back! Bdubs had declared, dead eyes bright under his bloodstained bandana. Etho had thought he might be lying. Mostly trusted, of course. But thought it. Etho hadn't once considered he might've meant it, and yet still not come back.

... He didn't come back.

Etho wakes up in an apartment he's supposed to share, blinking back the tears his dream-self didn't let himself cry, feeling far more tired than when he went to sleep.

That dream wasn't anything like the others! The world went from him and Bdubs laughing together in a silly snow fort to Bdubs getting shot?

... Calm. Calm down, Ethoslab. He forces himself to take a deep breath in, holding it for three seconds before breathing out. It's just his brain shoving the fact that Bdubs is gone (Bdubs is gone, gone, [B̗͑̍d̓͌ͯ҉o̊̒̉u̕b̦̘l̿̒ͬeò1̧0̂̽̔0̸̏ͥ ̆̓̏w̡̥̏ä̑̏sͬ́̌ ̍ͨͪs̽͛̅h͙͊͞oͥͧ̾t͊͌ͯ ̥̠͚bͯ͆̐y̷ ̏ͦ̉Gr̊͑ͪi̔̋͑an͚͓̮] gg buddy) and he's terrified that he might not be okay together with a random name they have lying around the apartment. Your brain can't make up new faces, he knows he read that somewhere. It just takes from everyone around you. The same's probably true for names, right?

(For some reason, thinking of how Bdubs had laughed the first time he stole Grian's pins just makes him want to cry.)

#... i have no regrets

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

Written by @the-ruler-of-rabbits thank you for the amazing submission!! I love it :D

[hawksugarbaby]

Bakukami x reader- close up thunderstorm

Smut

Chapter includes: keraunophilia (arousal from thunder and lighting), electrostimulation, Blowjob, threesome, temperature play (heat), bakugo with a jacobs ladder piercing because why not.

You closed your eyes biting your lip and rubbing your thighs together at a feeble attempt of friction. Another roll of thunder and the sky lit up white as a fork of lightning struck the ground and dissipated quickly. The heavy metallic air was hot around you and your hair stood on end from the thrill of the storm, heavy bullets of rain pounding at your window as if trying to shatter the glass and you muttered curses tangling your hand through your hair.

You weren't sure what finally convinced you to get up and go to kaminari's room. But as another crack of lightning split the sky and the thunder roared you stood quickly taking your underwear off before you left the room, walking to his room in your skirt and crop top buttons popped at the top and the lace of your (f/c) bra peeking over the top. You knocked lightly on the door which was quickly opened and kaminari's face peaked out, "oh hey (y/n)! Whatcha knocking for?" you could see bakugo's ash blonde hair peaking behind his legs sitting on the floor with a controller in his hand "O-oh I'll come back later" you stutter not accounting for the fact other people might be in the room. "Just come in! You're not interrupting anything we're just playing Minecraft" he shrugged pulling you into the room with no acknowledgement from bakugo.

"No seriously Kaminari I should go I just remembered I have some stuff I need to take care of" the air in kaminari's room was thicker and hotter than the rest of the dormitory and you chewed the inside of your lip trying to subdue your hurried breaths. "I'm sure it can wait can't it?" he said shuffling over the bed to make space for you and patting the crushed bedsheets 'no' "yeah it can wait"

Another crack of lighting and sparks of electricity flew off of kaminari sparking on your arm leaving tiny lightning strikes and you shifted in your spot, catching your bottom lip between your teeth. "Oh did I shock you! Sorry it's just the storm it makes my quirk go into hyperdrive" he sighed and you nodded in understanding.

But why did it feel so good! Was that what drew you to his room, the idea that he could simulate what was outside in your bones and trail electricity up your spine, growling in your ear like a thunderstorm up close. "I-it's okay it was just hot" in both senses of the word. "Okay I'll try not to do it again" he muttered turning back to the screen to see bakugo trying to get out of a ravine "HOW DID YOU EVEN GET DOWN THERE" "I FELL OBVIOUSLY!"

You had gradually been trying to relieve some tension by rubbing your slick covered thighs together, gripping the hem of your skirt until your knuckles were ivory. "Kaminari I think I should go now" you muttered hoping to take care of the problem yourself. "Aw please stay just a little longer (y/n) please!" he begged, adding puppy dog eyes for effect. You weren't sure if they would work in any other situation but right now the magnetism of his eyes staring deep into yours and bakugo glancing up at your reflection in the tv made you stay seated.

The thunder cracked again and you moaned lightly drawing both the boys eyes to you quickly bakugo's hands lit up in surprise charring the white controller black and tiny strikes of electricity bounced off of his arm onto you making you moan again. "What the fuck was that" bakugo grunted turning his head towards you fully "are you feeling okay (y/n)" kaminari asked reaching the back of his hand out to feel your forehead. "NO DON'T!" you exclaimed, scrambling backwards, your legs falling apart slightly to reveal your glistening pussy and the wet spot developing on your lined skirt.

"A-AH SORRY I D-DIDN'T KNOW" he jumped turning away with a bright red face "no i-it's fine! I should have just left when I noticed bakugo was here but you asked me to stay and then I thought the feeling would just go away but it didn't and you kept shocking me and the thunder and the temperature and- and- and" bakugo flushed seeing the reflection on the tv screen ignoring the skeleton shooting arrows into him from afar. "And you didn't want him to touch you because he'd electrocute you and what? It turns you on?" he theorised and you nodded with embarrassment, crossing your legs to hide your exposed cunt from the blushing boys.

"I dunno what it is about this weather but it always just makes me feel, well you know and I dunno why I thought to come to kaminari's room of all places I guess I thought we could..." you stopped remembering the other presence in the room who was just looking between the two of you in bewilderment "it doesn't matter I'll just go I can take care of, uh, it by myself!" you jumped up but your arm was caught by kaminari and your ankle by bakugo who gave each other a devious smirk and pulled you onto the bed. Your head in kaminari's lap with his arms draped over you and bakugo moved up to the bed hovering over you "w-wait. Your not considering what I think you are are you!?" you exclaim wriggling under him but you were immediately restrained by kaminari squeezing you tighter. "Unless you have a problem sharing. It's pretty hot when you moan like that I wonder if we can make you do it again?" bakugo growled lowly in your ear and you bit your lip staring up into his ruby eye's demanding a yes or no. "okay."

you swallowed thickly and the boys set their hungry hands to work, stripping you of your fitted skirt and half-open shirt. Kaminari slipped out from under you leaning over you from the side to press his lips into yours, swiping his tongue over your bottom lip to gain entry to your mouth, there was no need for a battle of dominance and kaminari won you over with ease, exploring your mouth with his tongue suppressing all your little moans. Bakugo trailed his lips down your neck and you breathed in the addictive burnt caramel wrapping your hands around kaminari's neck and moving your lips in sync with his as bakugo worked to find your sweet spot.

His palms were burning against your hips and tiny sparks of delight flew off of kaminari leaving minuscule lightning strikes along your flushed skin and you twitched with every spark of heat from bakugo and kaminari's hands lighting up your skin a bright red. Microscopic pops emitted from bakugo's hands and you moaned again into kaminari's mouth who was gradually finding it harder to keep the slow pace, he swung one leg over your thigh grinding his hard length into your thigh and you muttered a string of pleases. "aw I think she's getting desperate" he teased pulling his lips off of you, a string of saliva connecting you and then snapping "I think we should teach her some patience" bakugo muttered against your neck, the words sent straight to your core and you bucked your hips into nothing. "Please! One of you just fuck me please I need it!" you cried.

Bakugo latched his lips onto your neck ignoring your request, choosing to make a dark purple mark instead. Kaminari moved his head between your legs pumping his cock at the same time and flicked his tongue over your clit "oh she's sweet! Your delicious (y/n) I could eat you out all night long" Kaminari teased, licking a broad stroke up your soaked entrance making you gasp followed by a pornstar moan. "Fuck (y/n) I think we need to shut that pretty mouth of yours" the ash-blonde moved to stand in front of you and you were quickly switched positions so that you were on your hands and knee's kaminari underneath you ravishing you like a starved man and bakugo stood in front of you holding his length in his hand. You gripped his thighs pulling him closer and grabbed his shaft gasping when you felt cold steel bearings on the underside of his cock.

You traced your finger up counting 7 metal balls and giggled to yourself at the hums of satisfaction he made "when did you get that done?" you ask rubbing your hand up his length making sure to drag your thumb across every piercing "My birthday" he grunted and you parted your lips taking him down to the first piercing just below his head, swirling your tongue around his flushed tip and pumping his cock with your hand. You moaned lightly as kaminari licked along your slit grazing his teeth against your clit, his hands resting nicely on your ass sending tiny shocks through your thighs and you held it within yourself not to collapse on top of him, not that you thought he would have minded. You looked at bakugo through your eyelashes putting more of him in your mouth, down to the third piercing and started to bob your head up and down his cock dragging your tongue over his piercings.

Bakugo cursed under his breath grabbing a fistful of your hair and pushed you further down his cock to the 5th piercing moaning lightly as your wet muscle continued to please him, rolling your tongue around his cock, saliva getting caught on the cold metal in your mouth and your hands worked vigorously with what you had yet to reach. He looked down and you gave him a seductive look, taking his cock down to the seventh piercing, your nose flush to his toned stomach and you held your position. "Jesus Christ" he strained not to thrust into your throat as little moans from kaminari gorging on you drowned him in desire. The bulge in your throat from his cock just sitting there set off mini-nukes in his hands, the heat freckling your face but nothing that would harm you more than you already had been.

Kaminari worked away under you, fisting his cock and darting his tongue in and out of your pussy dripping with nectar flicking his tongue over your clit and licking up your slit collecting the juices on the tip of his tongue. Your thighs jolted with the higher voltage shock almost crushing his head and you lurched forward gagging on on Bakugo's thick cock consuming both the boys with lust. You pulled off of bakugo and hummed in satisfaction "your pretty with a Jacob's ladder bakugo" you say with a lilt to your voice that drew him to you like an incantation danced on your lips. "Fuck. fine you've been patient" bakugo said and kaminari slipped out from under you making you whine at the loss of contact and slipped your hand between your legs pleasuring yourself while the boys argued over who was going first.

You groaned growing impatient and sprawled out on the bed "just share" you said impatiently and the boys turned to look at you. You spread your legs and bakugo was the first to dive in, pulling your knees up and gripping the back of your calves. "You want this right?" "Yes bakugo I do I want this please just put it in!" you pleaded, rolling your head back and looking up at kaminari who was standing beside you jerking himself off. "You could have just asked for help kami" you replaced his hand with yours stroking him up and down slowly and looked up at him with a soft smile which was quickly adjusted into a face of pleasure as bakugo buried his length inside of you. "A-ah oh my god you're so big" you cried, the burning stretch and heat of his hands making you flush.

You resumed working your hand up kaminari's shaft stopping occasionally to suffocate in the thrill, throwing your head back against the pillow. The steel piercings dragged along your walls and his hands burned into your side, searing heat popping against your hips as he thrust deliriously from the high of being inside your warmth. You moaned softly speeding up your hand around kaminari who was groaning lightly admiring your blissful face blooming red, a thin layer of sweat made you glow in the light. The thunder continued to growl outside and with every crack of lightning splitting the sky kaminari surged electricity that ran through your bones and the warmth made you whimper gripping the bedsheets and stopping your hand around kaminari to steep in the pleasure.

Bakugo's hands travelled up, explosive red marks blemishing your skin and he rested them on the swell of your chest groping softly while maintaining his volatile explosions to a nonfatal level, his hips continuously slammed into yours not faltering once and you bucked your hips into his desperately. The added stimulation of his piercings brought you closer to the edge than you thought it had. another fork of lightning struck the ground outside and your stomach tightened followed shortly by a carnal moan and kaminari slapped his hand over your mouth cursing. Your moans were absorbed by kaminaris hand and he hushed you, pulling his hand off and leaning down to collide his lips with yours.

"You have to be quiet (y/n) or people are gonna know what we're doing" kaminari muttered against you biting your lip and sparks danced on your tongue. The air was hot and thick and your head fell back against the pillow. Bakugo's thrusts became inhuman pistoning his hips into you like he was addicted to you, the bearings scratched along your inside and tumultuous moans fell out of your mouth, bakugo and kaminari grunting excessively and probably too loud to hide what you were doing.

"B-bakugo fuck i'm gonna cum" you moan greedily gulping down breaths as his pace became stuttered and his hot hands left burning palm marks on your stomach and sides. Your eyes rolled back and your breathing was ragged, you had fully stopped moving your hand for kaminari and the tiny shocks followed by a wave of electricity when the lightning struck attacked you sending pleasure to your core. Bakugo's grunting was imitated by the thunder outside and you gripped his shoulders letting out a loud moan as the tightness in your stomach abruptly dissipated and your orgasm crashed over you leaving you high, the rush of adrenaline had your heart pounding and your lungs burned from desperately trying to regain your breath. He pulled out and came on your stomach and rested for a minute before hopping off you and collapsing onto the floor before he had the chance to pull his boxers up.

Kaminari smirked at you and you gave him a tired grin holding up a finger halting him from continuing for the next few seconds while you collected your thoughts and breath. You gave him a nod of approval and he climbed between your legs letting them fall flat against the bed instead of holding them resulting in blazing thighs like bakugo had. Kaminari looked at you gently, putting his hands on your hips and tiny shockwaves of electric lust coursed through you making you moan softly and your eye's squeeze close, brows knit together at the hot pleasure. "Are you okay, can I start?" he asked brushing the hair plastered to your forehead behind your ears "uhu" you answered simply and he nodded slowly pushing his length inside of you.

He wasn't as big as bakugo (still large though) and he didn't have a Jacob's ladder that dragged along your walls sending you into a frenzy. But he more than made up for it with the gentleness he possessed and the thickness of his cock. He stretched more than bakugo and you gasped, pinprick tears collecting on your eyelashes. He peppered small kisses along your cheeks and nose and whispered sweet nothings until you were confident he could move which didn't take long. He thrust slowly and kissed you softly, robbing you of your breath. The static flooding from his hands crackled and left reddening bolts along your hips and arms and every kiss made your heart jump from the shock twirling on your tongue and into your bloodstream.

"You're so pretty (y/n), you're taking me so well you're so tight too" he praised fishing a string of soft moans from your throat with every slow thrust. If kaminari wanted he would have fucked the soul out of you but you had already been fucked to oblivion so kaminari decided to give you some soft treatment. Bakugo was on the floor pumping his already hard again cock with his head reeled back listening to the seductive sounds the two of you were making. "kaminari~ " you sang gripping the bedsheets and jolting upwards when the lighting struck and the shock rattled your skull. He sped up his thrusts slightly and you whimpered, rocking against his hips and your orgasm quickly built up again, your whines becoming faster and louder as your climax dangled on a thread in front of you just out of reach. "Fuck kami please go faster!" you begged and he groaned softly picking up the pace.

Almost instantly did your back arch and your eyelids drooped and your legs convulsed, mouths falling open in a silent scream. "Fuck you look gorgeous" kaminari muttered thrusting a few more times until pulling out and cumming on your stomach like bakugo and crawled over you softly kissing your lips and sitting on the floor pulling his jeans up and your fucked out form heaved on the bed. Entire form covered in red burns and lightning marks, your face was flushed and you clung to the bedsheets with the sweat.

"Are you okay (y/n)?" kaminari asked first, energetic as always and sat on the bed pulling your head into his lap. Bakugo finished himself off and stayed on the floor "just wanna bath and sleep" you mumbled and kaminari nodded carrying you to his bath and running the water.

Bonus content

It was hard to ignore the intense limp you carried yourself with and the huge varying marks covering your body, and with what the class had heard the night before it wasn't hard to guess who the culprit was but none dared say anything. Except of course mina who asked an abundance of questions you answered giddily without hesitation while getting changed for training.

[potatotrash0]

Hey idk if youve done this alreadh but im curious about your body headcanons for the sdr2 cast!! An anon sent some in for characters previously (the one where they said things like angie has vitiligo and stuff-i love them and they really stuck with me haha) and i wanna know your headcanons!! :D

Hmhmm this one I might be listing off the spot lmao. I feel like my hcs are mostly just. Common hcs but hey I never said I wasn’t basic skdjksjdks

cw for. Everyone. Yeah kdjfksjdks

Hajime…..I like to think he’s slightly buff? Maybe that’s not the right word. Toned? Idk, I hc that he jumps around hobbies a lot because he wants to find something he’s good at, so that includes sports. I like the idea that a few stick with him, like swimming and basketball. I imagine he also has light scrapes and scars on his legs from falling, both with skateboarding and general Clumsy Shit.

Also this one switches a lot but with Trans Hajime, I can see him with top surgery scars.

Oh ah, I like freckled Hajime!! It’s cute. This one goes with the sports hc, but I like the idea that he’s kinda tanned. Entirely unrelated but I also like the idea that he has calluses from playing guitar.

Chiakiii!! She’s soft bc I said so. Specifically her thighs, arms and stomach + some stretch marks. And moles all over. Projecting big time onto a cute fictional girl, call that self care <333 /j

uhh other than that, I imagine she has bags under her eyes from staying up late gaming. Also tan Chiaki my love. Shh I know she probably doesn’t go outside for days on end. In my defense I tan easily and I imagine she does too. Again with the projection. Shhhh

Oh oh!!!! I forgot to mention but!!!! Chiaki gets a ton of moles. I saw the boob mole and went !!!!!! fellow mole haver!!!!!! and went nuts. This is the one weird niche entirely irrelevant thing that can get me to like a character, just. Being able to point at them and jump up and down with joy over them also having moles. Idk why it’s just therapeutic <33

Nagito’s bony. Skinny mf. Could probably cut cheese with his elbows. Maybe grate it on his collarbones. Cuddling with him would be a fight to see if you can find a position that doesn’t end with something poking you in the gut. I mean this affectionately, he’s bony as shit but he’s my bony fucker <3

Pale asf, sunburns if he’s in the sun for more than two minutes. His eye bags could hold the entirety of his life’s trauma. Sharpest features ever. Sometimes I hc that he looks greasy, and other times I hc that he looks ethereally pretty in a ghostly way. Either way he always looks like he’s had the soul sucked out of him by a Dementor.

You can probably definitely see the veins in his hands. They’re. Very There. Also I’ve brought this up before but he definitely has big ass hands. L a r g e hands, all the better to head pat you with. This was originally so much more pining but I decided no I’ve exposed myself enough on this blog skfjksjdkd

Oh last minute thing, I think he’d be tall as fuck. Specifically 6’0 or taller. Also he probably (definitely) has at least a few scars from his childhood, particularly that plane crash. And I like to think he has glasses when he’s older. I’m so sorry that his section is so long I have so many thoughts about him ;;;;;

Okay uhh Imposter? Mmm. Idk actually. I do think they’d have callused fingers but soft hands. Probably from having to adapt to using a ton of different talents for their Imposter Agenda. Also stretch marks probably, all over their body.

Teruteru uhhhhh. God. Can you tell I don’t think about some characters ;;;;; Idk I don’t have much that differs from canon. I like him. Oh but he probably has cook hands? Chef hands, whatever you wanna call them. Probably faint scars from cuts and burns from when he was still learning how to cook from his mama.

Mahiru……hmm well freckles obviously dkjfksjd. I think she’s tanned as well since I feel like she likes sunlit shots. Idk I don’t have much. I like to think she’s got a stockier body type though.

Also not necessarily her body but I like her with an undercut!

Peko’s buff <3 it’s canon <333 /j

N ee way yeah. Buff Peko my love. Also she probably has a few scars from handling her sword when she was younger and less experienced. I also feel like she would have contacts she wears when she trains bc fuck exercising with glasses

I don’t really have anything for Hiyoko until she gets her growth spurt. Afterwards, I imagine she’s tall and kinda thin? Mainly bc of fast metabolism probably, though when she’s older maybe she’d be a little less spindly.

I don’t know if her hair would be bleached or not, but if it were, I like the idea of her letting her actual hair color grow in. If not, I think Ibuki might help her try a few sections of dyed hair? Idk I just like the thought

Ibuki is a fellow bony bitch. I mean this lovingly. She’s skin and bone. Skeleton rocker lady

Probably tan, I imagine she spends a lot of time in the sun. She strikes me as a summer person. Oh, I also saw some art of Black Ibuki with vitiligo and loved that!! Also calluses from shredding guitar, obviously

Hmmm I like the idea that she rollerskates? So possibly some bruises or scars on her arms or legs from falling on concrete when she was still learning. Oh oh I imagine she has a ton of piercings!!! On her ears, nose, lips, brows, tongue, belly button…….maybe she has a split tongue too idk. Also she totally gets a ton of tattoos when she’s outta Hope’s Peak, prove me wrong.

Mikan uhhh. I like tall Mikan. She deserves the height. 5’8 to 6’0 Mikan good 👍

Hmm she probably has scars all over, particularly on her arms and legs. Uh. Idk I imagine she’s curvy probably. What do I say for her I don’t have anything skjdksjdks

I’m not even gonna lie I don’t have a damn thing for Nekomaru. Or. Wait nevermind here’s a concept: buff Nekomaru but like. If you’ve seen those wrestlers who have fat on them that hides some fucking crazy strength? Yeah that’s him. Also hairy asf.

Gundham……tall vampire vibes. I’d say he’s a stick but also I feel like he’s the slim type of muscular. Idk how to describe it. Shigaraki type muscle? Male gymnast. No nevermind those guys have visible muscle. Shigaraki type it is

Hmmm I think this is canon but probably a few scratches from his pets. His arms and legs mainly but I’m sure the Devas have scratched up his neck at some point or another. Just a little though. Also piercing fiend Gundham my beloved. I also like him having a couple tattoos when he’s older. Ibuki probably helped him heheh

I’m torn between Fuyuhiko being skinny as shit and Fuyuhiko being tiny and buff. I like both………hhh

His hair is probably bleached. Peko probably helps him re-dye it when his roots start growing in. I also like him having glasses

Uhhh tooth gap Fuyu’s cute. I used to have a super small one before I got my braces, I imagine it’s the same for him. Him, Ibuki, and Gundham are probably Tattoo Buds.

Kazuichi…..I want so bad to say he’s a weakling just to make fun of him but he’s a mechanic that probably works with heavy machine parts a lot and he probably has some sick biceps. But he probably also smells like hair dye, oil, metal, and Monster Energy. Win lose situation I guess.

I like to think he has a couple piercings? Not as many as Ibuki, but maybe he’s got like. Second or third place in the class. Also he totally filed his teeth to be sharp like that

Akane!! Buff lady, could probably deadlift me or something. She’s definitely got some scars from running around, especially when she was first learning parkour. Ummm oh, I like to think she has a chipped tooth or smth like that from falling roughly as a kid.

Soniaa <33 in my heart she will always be tall and have at least some muscle. Novoselic is a war country if I remember correctly, she’s definitely got some military training in her.

Idk why but her with heterochromia just popped into my head. That pretty greenish blue gray that she has + maybe brown or hazel? I think that’d be cool. And hip dips.

[nerdythebard]

#7: Anubis, God of the Dead

Well, now we've done it, Gods and Goddesses!

In our journey through the deserts of Egypt, we took a detour and found ourselves in the Land of the Dead. Now, we are under the watchful eye of Anubis. This psychopomp shall lead us to the Hall of Two Truths, were our soul will judge itself. Let's take a walk, shall we?

Next Time: I AM THE ETERNAL DRAGON! SPEAK YOUR WISH AND I SHALL GRANT IT! Sudden change of plans, dearies... Next time, we take a look at a strapping young lad who knows a thing or two about yard decorations. He got it from his daddy dearest.

So, what can we do to make Anubis chill our enemies to the bone:

Friends on the Other Side: Anubis has a connection to the spirits of the dead. He can grant them a facsimile of life to act on his behalf, damage and slow enemies in a wide AoE.

Crowd Control: Anubis can call upon a plague of locusts to damage enemies in a cone in front of him, as well as keep foes restrained with mummy bandages.

Death Glare: Anubis's Ultimate is a literal death glare, his sight becomes a piercing beam of necrotic energy heavily damaging enemies in front of him.

---

Anubis's D&D race is a much more difficult case than I first imagined. Now, there is a race called Khenra

which would be a dead-ringer for Anubis, but their stats from the Plane Shift: Amonkhet document is... honestly, it's pretty bad and wouldn't make for a nice build.

Instead, let's take a look at the closest we have to a lycanthrope in player options, the Shifter race. More specifically, the Wildhunt Shifter, who are described to often be "the spiritual leaders of the shifter communities", which I'd say fits Anubis pretty well. As a Shifter, we get +2 Wisdom and +1 Dexterity, 30 feet of walking speed, 60 feet of Darkvision, and our only known language is Common. As a Natural Tracker, we get proficiency in Survival skill, and our key trait is our Shifting ability. As a bonus action, we can assume a more beast-like form (in this case, jackal-like). The transformation lasts for 1 minute/until we die/until we dismiss it as a bonus action. When we shift, we get Temporary Hit Points equal to [our level + Constitution modifier], as well as a feature unique to the type of shifter we choose. Wildhunt Shifters gain an advantage on Wisdom checks while shifted, and no creature within 30 feet of them can impose a disadvantage unless the shifter is incapacitated.

For our background, I think picking Acolyte is the most suitable choice. We get proficiencies with Insight and Religion (to better judge the intentions of a soul) and the Shelter of the Faithful feature, which grants us safety at any temple dedicated to the deity we're the acolyte of (either Kelemvor or Jergal are a good option here).

ABILITY SCORES

Anubis is a light armour caster-type, so we're going to focus on those stats. We will start with Dexterity to pull off that leather armour, and follow it with Wisdom; we must be wise in our judgment, and it's also our spellcasting ability. Constitution is next, as it's pretty important for casters to have decent Hit Points.

The stats on the down-low side of things shall be Intelligence, followed by Charisma, and we shall dump Strength.

CLASS

Yet another pure build. To keep the flow of souls at a steady pace and guide them to Osiris's Halls, Anubis is a Cleric.

As a Cleric, we get the d8 as our Hit Dice, [8 + Constitution modifier] initial Hit Points, proficiencies with light armour, medium armour, shields, and simple weapons. For this I suggest a studded leather armour and a dagger (perhaps like the one Egyptians used in the mummification processes, eh? :D), since this is a primarily spell-heavy build. Our saving throws is Wisdom and Charisma and we get to pick two class skills: let's go for Persuasion and History.

---

Level 1 - Clerics are full-casters, so from the very beginning we get our Spellcasting feature. We know cantrips and ritual casting, and we get access to the entire Cleric spell list, from which we can prepare a number of spells equal to [our Wisdom modifier + our Cleric level]. Starting with cantrips, we get to select three:

Guidance lets us give a creature we touch an extra d4 to their next skill check performed within 1 minute of casting (concentration). Very useful for "skill monkeys" like rogues or bards.

Sacred Flame is a good source of radiant damage. It requires a Dexterity saving throw from a target within 60 feet of us, or results in 1d8 radiant damage (damage increases with our level).

Toll the Dead fits Anubis's theme. Calls the soul for their final judgement. Forces onto them a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target take 1d8 necrotic damage. If they already have some Hit Points missing, they take 1d12 damage instead.

We start with two 1st-level spell slots and we can prepare four 1st-level spells:

Bless gives up to three creatures of our choice an extra d4 to all attack rolls and saving throws for 1 minute (concentration).

Cure Wounds is THE staple healing spell at lower levels, and it reflects Anubis's theme of preparing and embalming the body for their journey to the afterlife. A creature we touch regains [1d8 + our spellcasting modifier] Hit Points. It doesn't work on undead or constructs.

Guiding Bolt deals 4d6 radiant damage and applies advantage to the next attack roll made against the target (it can be ours or somebody else's).

Sanctuary protects a creature from harm for 1 minute. When attacking somebody who's under the effect of Sanctuary, the attacker must make a Wisdom saving throw or choose a different target.

We're not done with Level 1 features yet, because that is also where Clerics get their subclass, their Divine Domain. There are two official subclasses that mention Anubis by name, but for this build I feel like Grave Domain works best. As a Grave Cleric we get access to some more spells - those are always prepared for us and we don't count them against the number of spells we can prepare:

Bane works similarly to Bless, except the target has to make a Charisma saving throw or subtract 1d4 from each attack roll and saving throw they make for 1 minute (concentration).

False Life transforms necromantic energy into a facsimile of life, giving us 1d4+4 Temporary Hit Points for 1 hour (or until they're lost).

Grave Cleric's first subclass feature is Circle of Mortality, which boosts our healing spells. Where normally we would have to roll dice on healing spells (like 1d8 on Curse Wounds), we can instead automatically use the highest number on the die. We also learn Spare the Dying cantrip, which saves a fallen creature from making Death Saves. For us, the cantrip has 30 feet reach instead of touch.

We also get Eyes of the Grave. It works similarly to the Paladin's Divine Sense except this one only shows us the undead present within 60 feet of us.

And that's it for Level 1. Clerics, man... they're early game powerhouses.

Level 2 - This level gives us access to the Channel Divinity feature, which lets us tap into the Divine Energy of our deity to perform amazing features. For now, we can use it once per short or long rest. All Clerics get the Turn Undead effect - each undead within 30 feet of us must make a Wisdom saving throw or become turned (they cannot move towards us within 30 feet, and must spend their turn trying to move away from us as far as they can) for 1 minute. The Grave Domain gives us another CD effect - Path to the Grave. This effect curses a target of our choice within 30 feet of us, until the end of our next turn. During that time, the next attack that damages a target makes it vulnerable to that damage type (damage dealt increases by half) and the curse ends.

We also get a new spell - Inflict Wounds deals 3d10 necrotic damage on a successful touch.

Level 3 - We unlock 2nd-level spell slots. This means, we can now get a 2nd-level spell: Hold Person forces a Wisdom saving throw on one (or more, if using higher-level spell slots) humanoid target within 60 feet. On a failed save the target is paralysed for 1 minute (concentration). Flavour it as mummy bandages and we've got one Anubis ability down.

Our subclass also grants us two spells at this point:

Gentle Repose prevents a corpse from decay and turning into an undead (suck it, Ah Puch!). Useful if you cannot afford the resurrection of one of your party members, but besides that, it's pretty situational.

Ray of Enfeeblement is like a demo version of Anubis's Ultimate. On a successful hit, the target's damage that uses Strength deals only half the normal amount for 1 minute (concentration).

Level 4 - Time for our first Ability Score Improvement! Let's get some better HP with 1 point in Constitution, and we'll put the other point in Wisdom.

We get another cantrip: Thaumaturgy gives a list of multiple effects we can perform for, lasting for 1 minute (making our voice louder, dimming and brightening lights, locking and unlocking doors and windows, etc.)

We also get another spell: Blindness/Deafness forces a Constitution saving throw on one creature within 30 feet. If they fail, they are blinded or deafened (our choice) for 1 minute. They can repeat the saving throw on each of their turns to try and shake off the effect.

Level 5 - At this level, our Turn Undead becomes Destroy Undead. It works only on the undead with the CR of 1/2 and below (shadows, zombies, skeletons, etc.), but if they fail their saving throw, they are instantly destroyed.

We also unlock 3rd-level spell slots and spells: Speak with Dead lets us reanimate a corpse for a short while (10 minutes), enough to ask it five questions. The dead can answer only what they knew in life, and the answers are usually brief/cryptic. They may also lie if we're the one that killed them, or they're hostile in general.

Additionally, we get two more spells from our subclass:

Revivify might go against Anubis's ways, but it is a staple Cleric spell. Sacrificing a diamond worth at least 300 gold pieces, we bring a creature who died within the last minute to life with 1 Hit Point. The spell doesn't restore missing body parts.

Vampiric Touch lets us deal 3d6 necrotic damage to a creature we can touch, and give us the same amount of Hit Points. Until the spell ends (1 minute, concentration), we can use the spell again as action without a need to make a spell attack.

Level 6 - Our Channel Divinity has now two uses between rests, and we gain a new subclass upgrade. Sentinel at Death's Door is one of the more annoying features in all of D&D (speaking from the DM's point of view here). Whenever a creature within 30 feet of us is attacked with a Critical Hit (Natural 20 roll, doubles damage dealt), we can use our reaction to cancel that critical and turn it into regular damage.

Spirit Guardians is a spell that summons a horde of spirits in a 15 feet radius from us. We can select who is unaffected by the spirits when we cast it. Those who are affected have their speed halved, and whenever they end their turn within the spirits' radius (and first time walk into it) must make a Wisdom saving throw or take 3d8 radiant damage (if we're good/neutral; if we're evil, it's necrotic. Half damage on a successful save).

Level 7 - Here, we only unlock 4th-level spell slots.

We get two more subclass spells: Banishment forces a Charisma saving throw on one target within 60 feet. On a failed save, the target disappears from the Plane it resides on. (right into the Shadow Realm! Egyptian Underworld) If the target isn't native to the Plane it disappeared from, it returns to its home Plane. If the target is native to the Plane it disappeared from, it gets transported into a pocket demiplane. If nothing interrupts our concentration for the entire duration of the spell (1 minute), the banished target doesn't come back (non-native), or it returns to the same space (native).

We also have subclass spells here:

Blight drains vitality from one creature within 30 feet of us. They must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or take 8d8 necrotic damage (half damage on a successful save). It doesn't work on the undead or constructs, but if the target is a plant creature or a magical plant, it makes the save with disadvantage and receives the maximum possible amount of damage (64). If the target is a non-magical plant, it doesn't make a save - just withers instantly.

Death Ward prevents a person's death before their scheduled time. A creature we touch gains protection against being killed for 8 hours. If they drop to 0 Hit Points, they immediately recover one point. Any effect that causes instant death (such as a trap, a curse, or even Power Word: Kill) is also blocked.

Level 8 - We get another ASI. Let's get a +1 Wisdom and +1 Constitution again.

Because of our Wisdom modifier changing from 3 to 4, we now can get two new spells at this level. For this, I'd actually suggest taking just one spell and ask your DM whether we can save the remaining one for later. Otherwise, pick any throwaway spell to replace later.

Guardian of Faith summons a Large-sized spectre at a point within 30 feet of us for 8 hours (no concentration). Any creature moving within 10 feet of the guardian must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 20 points of (unspecified) damage (half damage on a success). The guardian disappears after dealing a total of 60 points of damage.

Level 9 - We unlock 5th-level spells here. If we have an empty spell from the previous level, we can now take two spells here. Plus, we also get two spells from our subclass!

Greater Restoration is a great healing spell. It is able to remove one curse/petrification/charm/reduction of Hit Points Maximum on top of removing one level of exhaustion. Really useful.

Insect Plague basically lets us re-enact the Prince of Egypt. We fill a 20-foot-radius sphere with a swarm of buzzing, biting locust. All creatures within the sphere have to make a Constitution saving throw or take 4d10 piercing damage (half damage on a successful one). This saving throw must also be done when entering the sphere or ending the turn in it.

Now, for the spells from our subclass:

Antilife Shell creates a 10-foot-radius dome around us. It lasts for 1 hour (concentration) and during that time, nothing organic/alive can enter the barrier. Only undead and constructs can get through. It also lets in projectiles and spells.

Raise Dead is what happens when Anubis says 'I quit'. The spell targets one corpse that died within the last 10 days and brings it back to life with 1 Hit Point. The raised creature gets post-resurrectional penalty of -4 to all of their saving throws, attack rolls, and ability checks. The penalty is reduced by 1 for each long rest taken.

Level 10 - Halfway through the build and we receive one of the Cleric's best feature. With Divine Intervention we can petition our patron deity to directly help us with a problem. We roll a percentile dice and if the result is equal to or lower than our Cleric level, the prayer is successful. The interpretation of 'divine help' is up to our DM; it can be a vision, a single-use spell that's gonna be helpful, etc. If the prayer is successful, we cannot use this feature for a week. If the prayer fails, we can try again after finishing a long rest.

We get our final cantrip: Word of Radiance is a good anti-close range spell. It forces a Constitution saving throw on all creatures within 5 feet of us, and deals 1d6 radiant damage on a failed one (damage scales as we level up).

For our next spell, Holy Weapon infuses our weapon with divine energy for 1 hour (concentration). The weapon sheds bright light in 30 feet radius (and dim light for another 30), it becomes magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances, and all successful attacks deal extra 2d8 radiant damage for the whole duration of the spell.

Level 11 - Our Destroy Undead effect of Channel Divinity gets enhanced. It now affects undead with a CR of 2 or lower (ghouls, spectres, poltergeists, will-o'-wisps, etc.).

We also gain access to 6th-level spells. Find the Path represents Anubis's role as a guide of souls. It can last up to 1 day (concentration) and allows us to find the shortest and most direct path to a location we name that we're familiar with.

Level 12 - Time for another ASI! First, let's round up our Constitution to a nice, even number, and then let's start boosting our weaker abilities by raising our Charisma.

For this level's spell, Planar Ally allows us to summon an otherworldly minion (celestial, elemental, or fiend), which we could ask to carry out a small task in exchange for payment. The creature is under no obligation to listen to us but can be bargained with.

Level 13 - We don't get a class feature this time, only unlock 7th-level spell slots. With Etherealness, we can step into the spirit world for a brief amount of time (up to 8 hours, no concentration). While inside the Ethereal Plane, we can only interact with creatures from that plane. We see and hear into the Plane we departed from and can move in any direction (moving up and down costs +1 foot for every foot of movement). We can also pass through objects and walls of the Material Plane.

Level 14 - We have upgrade to our Destroy Undead effect. It can now affect the undead with a CR of 3 or lower (mummies, wights, phantom warriors, etc.).

With Regenerate, we restore one target's health by 4d8+15 Hit Points. Following that, for 1 hour the target recovers 1 Hit Point per turn (10 HP per minute) until reaching their Hit Point Maximum. The spell also regrows missing organs and limbs 2 minutes after casting.

Level 15 - Once again, no new class features. We do unlock 8th-level spell slots. Antimagic Field creates a 10-foot-radius invisible sphere, where no magic can exist; spells fizzle out, summoned creatures disappear, magic items become regular. When you stand before the final judgment, no magic will help you.

Level 16 - We get another ASI. Let's raise our Charisma and Strength.

Although we do have access to 8th-level spells now, we can back up for a moment and take Planar Shift. This spell lets us travel into another Plane of Existence, as long as we a metal rod worth at least 250 gold pieces and is attuned to our desired destination. The spell transports us, along with up to eight willing creatures. Alternatively, we can banish a creature within our melee range into the particular Plane, granted they fail a Charisma saving throw.

Level 17 - This is a big one. First of all, our Destroy Undead reaches another upgrade, allowing us to disintegrate undead with a CR of 4 or lower (the banshee, ghosts, flameskulls, deathlocks, etc.).

We also get our final subclass upgrade - Keeper of Souls. If a creature we can see dies within 60 feet of us, we can choose another creature we can see within 60 feet and restore their Hit Point by the now-deceased enemy's remaining Hit Dice. We can use this feature once per turn.

At this level, we also unlock the pinnacle of Divine Magic - 9th-level spells. True Resurrection can restore a creature who has been dead for no longer than 200 years back to life with a full amount of Hit Points. The spell closes wounds, restores missing limbs, lifts curses, and neutralizes poison and disease. It turns undead into their non-undead form. If there is no body to resurrect, the spell can provide a new body for the soul to inhabit. The only thing the spell cannot restore is if death came from old age.

Level 18 - Our Channel Divinity feature can now be used three times in-between rest.

Mass Heal is a powerful restorative spell, which targets all creatures within 60 feet of us. We can restore a total of 700 Hit Points, divided evenly between all creatures affected, who are also healed from all diseases as well as blindness or deafness. The spell doesn't work on constructs and undead.

Level 19 - We get our final ASI of this build. Before the final boss battle, let's boost our Constitution by 2.

Gate creates a portal linked into another Plane of Existence. We can determine a specific destination by naming a location in the target Plane. The portal lasts for 1 minute (concentration). Alternatively, we can name a creature we know resides in the target Plane and pull them through the portal into our location.

(yes, Doctor Strange is a Cleric in D&D terms, fight me!)

Level 20 - Our build capstone is Divine Intervention Improvement. At this level, whenever we decide to use our Divine Intervention hotline, the prayer is always successful, without a need to roll.

For our final spell, we get Astral Projection

The spell makes us and eight willing creatures go on a trip into the Astral Sea. Our soul leaves the body (which is in suspended animation, requiring no food, air, and doesn't age) and enters the dimension of pure thought and psychic energy. There is a series of rules in the spell description, but it can be used to survey other planes of existence by entering the right colourful portal.

---

And that's the end of it. Anubis, the Egyptian psychopomp. Let's see how we did:

We have good abilities, two 18s and a 16 where it counts, average Hit Points of 151 and 15 AC with studded leather armour. We're not the designated HealBot, but we have a few good higher-level healing spells for when things go sour.

Can't wait to show you folks the next one. I have a feeling some of you might enjoy it!

- Nerdy out!

[cheyningdiamond]

Nightmarish Trip

TW// Drugs, Angst, Suggestive Mentions, Death, Alcohol Pls do not read if you're easily upset over things like this. Viewer discretion is advised.

It was a hot night out in Nevada. In the bunker, Dallas remained to himself while Roxxie and the rest of the crew were out gathering supplies. The gang knew Dallas wasn’t feeling so well and ushered him to stay put and rest. Dallas however wasn’t pleased with this outcome. He oh so desperately hated being alone… With a heart aching sigh, Dallas decided to sit up and reach under his bed. He pulled out a familiar glass object. Staring down at the pipe, Dallas pulls out a lighter. It probably wasn’t the best thing for him to do, but hey, whatever it took for him to feel less shitty, right? With a few puffs, Dallas set it down on the nightstand next to him and laid back. The demon’s eyelids grew slightly heavy as he watched the world around him spin and change. He felt a bit sick to his stomach. Probably should’ve checked what he was smoking first… He reached his hand up to try and touch the swirling objects around him. They grew bright in color and Dallas’ hand plummeted down to his side as his eyes closed. When he woke up, he was sitting outside. Things seemed strange though. The area he was in… This wasn’t Nevada. The sidewalk he sat on was paved with a reddish-gray color and the skies were more orange-red then they were a deep, dark red. That’s when Dallas realized something. This wasn’t Nevada. This was Hell. He looked down at his feet, seeing the puddle underneath them. It rippled, showing himself in a normal red flannel shirt and jeans. The golden hoop clip-on rings on his horns shimmered in the Hellish lighting. “I-I haven’t seen this shitty outfit in forever…” He mumbled. The puddle rippled more and slowly, he saw two figures behind him. Defensively, Dallas reeled around, only to find a demon with long pink hair and a pink dress, and another demon with black hair and only black jeans. The incubus blinked a few times, staring. “R-Rocks? Diesel??” The pink haired demon smiled and walked closer, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Hey, don’t sweat it. You got us, yeah?” The muscular one spoke up. “Yeah! Forget what that asshole told you. Honestly, You deserve way better than him…” “Him?” He gently took Roxxie’s hand off his shoulder. “Okay, who the fuck is him?? What are you two talking about?” Just then, Dallas was suddenly reeled back by his arms and forced against the wall, shutting his eyes from the impact.. When he opened his eyes, they grew almost as big as tennis balls at the figure before him. The man had a snake-like tail and a devilish grin. He wore a stained white tank top and ripped jeans and held a bottle of alcohol in his hand. “S...Stripes…” Dallas shook his head. No, no no no, he needed out of here. Now! Dallas tried to run, but was grabbed and pulled back. “Augh- fuck! Let go, jackass!” He kicked at him, growling loudly. “Babe…” He spoke calmly, making Dallas shut his eyes tightly. He knew what he was gonna say next. “Fuck, don’t say it. Don’t say it…” He whispered. His blood boiled for just remembering this moment. “I think maybe we should split. You just aren't what I need in my life. I need a better ma…"

Dallas went to turn and slap him, but when he did, he saw Stripes lying on the floor. A chunk of his neck was ripped off and Dallas tasted copper in his mouth and felt a hot liquid dripping down his chin. He looked down at his bloodied lips and his eyes widened as parts of his ex’s flesh were in his mouth. Dallas spat it out, wiping his lips. He felt his body seething with rage, but he couldn’t force himself to attack anymore. Dallas heard sirens similar to screams outside of the house. Everything became hazy and changed around him once more. He came to, staring at his hands. They were handcuffed together and he saw that he was in an orange jumpsuit. He heard talk all around him and looked around. He was in a filled courtroom and he noticed Roxxie and Diesel in handcuffs as well. The bangs of the gavel ringed his ears and made him flinch. “Order! Order!!” Dallas looked up at the judge. Sitting in the witness stand next to the judge was the bitten and beaten corpse of Stripe. He just stood there, staring at Dallas. “Dallas Haze…” The judge’s voice made Dallas glance up at them fearfully. “You have created some terrible crimes, but none can overcome this… Murdering a man of our satanic forces here in Styx City.” “D-Demons can’t die, jackass… He should’ve came back by now! I was framed for him goin' missin'!!” “He had been missing for months now… Who knows what you did with his corpse, you sick bastard…” “I didn’t do shit-!” “ENOUGH!” Dallas flinched as a high-piercing sound rang in the incubus’ ears. “As punishment for your sinful acts, we, the court, have found that even Hell isn’t a fitting punishment… You and your little friend group here will be shot and sent to purgatory, where you will NEVER reunite again!” He slammed his gavel and Roxxie and Diesel panicked. “Dallas!” Roxxie screamed out, trying to run. She was grabbed by the guards and was dragged back. Diesel roared and kicked, hissing and struggling as the guards had mercilessly beaten him until he was unconscious to drag back. “Diesel! Roxxie!” He ran to try and help them, but was jumped and pinned down by the other guards. With a swift, hard punch to the face, Dallas woke up in the interrogation room. Before him was a woman with candy red skin and had a bow on her head. It was Halt… But- how? She was always stuck in the same body as Sloh and Goh… She looked at him with a saddened look on her face. “Dallas… At least tell us where the body is... “ “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about! I left his ass at the house!” She shook her head. “You know that ain’t true…” “I’m not lying, dammit!” Dallas barked. “Someone else got him ‘cuz it isn’t me!” Halt’s voice echoed within the cold, dark walls. “We gave you a chance, Dallas… You ruined everything for yourself.” The lightbulb above them blew out and Dallas’ vision returned with him being forced onto the ground with his hands tied to his back. He turned around to see the face of a familiar green demon staring down at him with a shotgun pointed at him. “G-Goh!?” He struggled, trying to break free. His body then suddenly froze as he stared up at the barrel of the weapon. With a roar and distorted voice, Goh snarls. “You dug your grave…” He cocked his gun.

“N O W L A Y I N I T …!!!” With a loud shot being fired, Dallas felt something heavy hit his face. With free hands, he brushed away what had been dirt. He frantically looked around and saw that he was in a deep, open grave. “Wh… Wha- Augh-!” Trying to stand, he was thrown back down by another pile of heavy dirt. He looked up and saw Sloh staring down at him coldly with a dirt-covered shovel in their hands. It was raining and storming now… “Sloh-!” He coughed up dirt that had fallen into his mouth. “No- Nonono this can’t be it…! No-!” He moved the dirt aside and tried to crawl up, scratching at the walls around him to try and escape. “Sloh, don’t…! I don’t deserve this…! I didn’t do anything…!” Sloh looked down at him. One singular yellow eye glowed in the night as a crack of lightning flashed behind them, showing the shadows of the figure’s body. With a cold and monotone voice, they spoke. “This is your fate, Dallas… You were a dead man from the start… You…” They pointed beside his grave, staring at the two other graves he had already buried. “And your friends…” Dallas’ eyes widened at that statement. Tears streamed down his face in horror. He wanted to scream, but he had no words. He stared in shock and his dirty body shook. His body was so cold... He felt so sick… Sloh had no remorse as they shoveled more and more dirt onto him as he screamed and pleaded and desperately tried to crawl out. The dirt covered his view and he was in total darkness. He felt his heart drop and heard it beating slower and slower. Finally, the beating stopped and there was total silence…

At the end of a dark tunnel, a light showed. Dallas’ feet felt like he was walking through wet concrete. He slowly walked towards the light and he could see that the bright white light engulfed his vision. Before him, he saw a familiar figure in a white lab coat standing facing away in the distance. Dallas felt all his stress slowly fade as Jeb stood there, staring off into the distance. “H-Holy shit… J-Jeb…!” He rushed after him, reaching a hand out. “Jeb- I don’t know what’s going on… We need to get the fuck out of here!”

The demon exclaimed, getting about a few feet closer before realizing something was wrong. “Jeb? Jebediah, come on! Christoff!” Jeb’s back suddenly arched all the way back with a sickening cracking noise. His usual red eyes dripping a black substance, as was his nose and mouth. Slowly, the skin on his face melted off, revealing a red skeleton. Just like he had found him ages ago during the war. “Sh-Shit…!!” Dallas backed away, terrified. “Goddammit, get me out of here…!!” He screamed, running away from the mangled figure. His heart raced as black fire spurted out of Jeb’s mouth. Dallas ran as shadows began filling the room he was in. He hit a wall and started to pound his fists against it. “Let me out…!” They got closer.

“Let me out…!”

And closer...

“LET ME OU-…!!!” Dallas’ scream was cut off as the shadows engulfed his entire body, leaving him in darkness once again. … ... ... With a familiar voice, and deep chuckle, dread filled his mind. “͔͇͚́Y͎̘̺͇̙o͈͙̘̞u͍̮̝̪’̸̞͔͍ṛ̨̱̟̪e̡̝̩ ͎͉̩̟̯̗̗ ̵̪͎̳̗ ͏N̴̺̻̗̭̼̬̬O͖̳̫̥̹̻̮T̲͔H̦I̴̯̳̠̮̼̺N҉̭̩͓̬G̹͖̬̝̝ ̹̜̹̟͖ ͉̤̕ ̖t̼o̷̘͙ ̛m̷̜̯̘e̠̪͍̤, ̩͕̜̘͎̫D͖̱̞̥a̡̬̪ḽ̛̬̘̱̮ͅl͎̼͙̖͔͇a̱̳̠̼̺̹̙͞s̀…̩͇̹̙̫̮͜”̨̯̬͉ͅͅ Dallas shot up with a gasp. Clutching his chest, he felt his heart nearly beat out of it. He looked around frantically with a throbbing headache. He was inside of his bedroom, half dressed with only black pajama bottoms on. He panted and shut his eyes, trying to calm himself down. He slowly glanced at the glass bong on his nightstand. A loud shattering sound was heard a few seconds later as the bong made contact with the wall near the door, breaking it instantly with the sheer force of the throw. He breathed heavily, staring down at the broken glass with anger. His hands shaking at the sight as he tried to process what had just happened… He closed his eyes and felt tears slowly running down his face. His head and body throbbed with pain and stress. Dallas pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his face in his knees. Dallas wasn’t much of a prayer, but God. He prayed that Roxxie and the gang were safe out there in the hellish lands of Nevada.

[eirist]

Chance Encounter

1: PROLOGUE

Disclaimer: One Piece (and its characters) belongs to Eiichiro Oda-sensei.

Reminder: I have no beta-reader. Any grammatical and spelling errors are solely mine.

Warning: OOC possible.

Rating: T

Note: I’m going to deviate from my usual fluffy stuff. I was browsing my draft collection, because there is a lot of pending write-ups and this one’s been there for far too long… since 2017 to be exact. Procrastinate much.

This was originally planned as a two-chaptered fic. And I’m hoping I stick to that.

Summary: There was a weird sensation pulling at her midriff; followed by a loud, sucking sound before she was suddenly plunged into darkness. 

“Watch out!”

The shrill sound of Usopp screaming reached her ears. Nami watched, horrified, as each of her nakama evaded the eerie, almost dark purplish light that was heading towards them.

She stood, rooted on the spot. Her body failing to move even as her brain kept commanding it to shift out of the way or she’s going to take a direct hit.

Her brown-colored orbs widened with the realization that she’s not going to make it in time. Her hands tightened their grip on her weapon as the light advanced towards to her.

She heard Luffy’s voice shouting her name, as well as the wailing cry of their cook calling out for her. She didn’t understand why in that split second before the light hit her, her senses seemed to have become acute.

There was Robin’s loud gasp, Chopper bursting into tears, Franky screaming ‘strong right’ and Brook yelling Yahazu Giri.

Her ears picked up the sound of someone running towards her. Her eyes tried to search for the source of the sound. Somehow in the back of her mind, she already knew who was responsible for it.

She stared haplessly as Zoro tried to reach her in time to save her from the damning light. His face was taut with concentration as he tried to move faster towards her.

“Nami!” He shouted, one sword-less hand stretching out to her.

Surprisingly, she was able to lift her own towards him.

“Zoro…” she whispered his name, vainly trying to reach out to him.

 But he was too late.

The light hit her. It enveloped her whole body, her whole being—warm and unexpectedly soothing.

There was a weird sensation pulling at her midriff; followed by a loud, sucking sound before she was suddenly plunged into darkness.

The Straw Hat pirates stared, aghast, as their orange-haired navigator suddenly disappeared right before their very eyes.

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

​It was Monkey D. Luffy’s idea, as usual, to explore the unknown island where they just dropped anchor.

After two weeks of nothing but the ocean in their sight, the exuberant captain was at the end of his expectedly short rope to have his ‘land adventure time’—much to the chagrin of everyone who knows that Luffy’s so-called adventures usually ends with all of them knee-deep in trouble.

After the kaizoku bento was distributed, the crew separated into groups: one to survey the island, one to look for the town and restock their supplies and one to stop Luffy’s idiocy from rampaging. Brook volunteered to guard the ship and Sanji promised to relieve him once he’s able to get some food shopping done.

​All’s well until the survey and babysitter groups ran into some weird, crazy guy who has the strange ability to make anyone or anything disappear. How Luffy came across the downright creepy fellow while exploring the mountain’s forest… no one can answer. After all, said captain has an unusual knack for attracting trouble everywhere he goes.

It was a good thing though that for such a rather powerful ability, their enemy seems to be truly unaware of its true potential. For he was just randomly flinging purplish circle of lights, screaming that they leave him alone or he’ll make them all disappear with his power.

Usopp concluded that it was probably because the guy’s got too many loose screws in his head. After all, he was living hermetically in an isolated cave on top of the island’s mountain.

The others, sensing that something was amiss when both groups failed to return to the Sunny after a few hours and seeing the tell-tale signs of a battle going on up in the mountains made their way to the skirmish.

It should’ve been an easy battle, but someone had to deliberately irritate the hell more out of the enemy by dousing him with seawater.

Much to the crew’s amazement, the only effect of the water was to vex their opponent more as he hurled much larger circle of lights at them. This was not a devil fruit user as they had originally believed.

A surprised gasp came from Robin and she went on to explain that while visiting the town’s library earlier, she read something about an old island legend regarding an accursed man who has the power to make people and things disappear.

“Not a devil fruit Robin-chan?” Sanji asked as he avoided another light aimed at his direction.

Robin shook her head. “Unfortunately, no,” she answered. Behind her, Usopp and Chopper dove at the same time behind a bush to evade a light whooshing towards them. "And here I thought it was just a legend." The excitement in her voice was evident despite them being under attack.

“So it’s a mystery power!” Luffy exclaimed excitedly, holding onto his hat firmly as he jumped randomly to escape the lights directed at him.

“You can say so, sencho-san” Robin replied smiling. She hid behind a tree as another round light whizzed past her.

“So how do we beat him?” Zoro growled. He launched a Pondo Ho towards one of the lights. Both his slash and the light dissipated out of thin air. He sidestepped to elude another and promptly collided with the navigator.

“Zoro!” Nami chastised him frowning. “Watch where you’re going!”

“Well don’t just stand there like tree woman!”

“Marimo!” Sanji screamed at him. “How dare you hit Nami-swan!”

“Uruse ero-cook!”

“Shitty swordsman!” The cook seethed.

“I can’t believe you’re getting lost even here.” Nami snapped, fighting the urge to bonk his thick head with her Clima-tact. She roughly pulled at his green coat just as another light flew past the swordsman’s left side.

“Thanks but no thanks witch,” the green-haired lad scowled at her.

“Hey I just saved you! Gratitude please!” Nami retorted. Another light soared towards them and Zoro wasted no time in grabbing her around the waist and pulling her behind a tree.

“Now we’re even.” He muttered condescendingly as they hid behind the trunk. Nami huffed in response and they watched as Franky leaped at the bushes beside them, hollering ‘super’ as he dodged an attack sent towards him.

“Ok this is getting way too long!” Sanji complained.

“Took the words right out of my mouth, swirly!” Zoro sneered, drawing out another katana. Nami backed away from him as the he stepped out of their hiding place.

“Did not, baka kenshin!” The cook yelled back.

“Usopp,” Nami called the long-nosed sniper. “Long-range attacks!”

Usopp nodded. With their enemy’s ability, it poses a much lesser risk to hit him with flying attacks rather than meet him head on.

“Luffy, Sanji-kun!” Nami warned both the cook and the captain not to attack the enemy.

“Hai, Nami-swaaan!”

“But Namiiii…” Their captain childishly protested. Bored from jumping too much, he landed beside the navigator with a pout.

Nami pulled his ear. “Baka! What are you going to do if you get hit with that light and you disappear?!”

“Let the others attack him first Luffy,” Robin said, appearing behind them suddenly. Crossing her arms in front of her, she said, “Franky!”

“Aaww!” Franky, who felt hands pushing him up, jumped from the bushes where he landed earlier, striking a super pose to indicate the he's a-ok.

“Brook!” Sanji bellowed, not seeing the skeleton anywhere near the vicinity.

“Right here Sanji-san,” Brook answered, way up on one of the trees near them.

“Damn it you idiot where you hiding there all the time?!”

“Yohohohoho!”

“Chopper where are you?!” Nami looked around hoping the doctor did not get hit by those troublesome light their enemy was bombarding them.

“Here Nami!” The little reindeer raised a hoof; hopping down from where was currently perched atop of Usopp’s head. He hopped down to stand beside the sniper.

With all the Mugiwara crew accounted for. It was time for a counter-attack.

“Weapons left!” Franky hollered just as Usopp simultaneously released one of his Kabuto bombs.

“Zoro!” Nami yelled.

“Way ahead of you woman!” The swordsman answered, placing Wado Ichimonji between his teeth. He released a much powerful version of his previous Pondo Ho.

The concurrent attack hit their enemy head on. There was an explosion and an ear-piercing scream of pain as smoke filled the spot where the man was standing.

Usopp winced. “Ooops. I think we overdid it.”

“Super overdid it.” Franky agreed.

Sanji nonchalantly shoved a cigarette into his mouth as he studied the scene. “Yeah you all did.” He muttered with a flick of his lighter. “He’s just a normal human being and you all went all out to attack him.”

“Shut up shit cook,” Zoro snarled at his direction. “Better than just standing there and doing nothing.”

“Say that again shit head!”

“Both of you shut your traps.” Nami immediately stepped between the two men. “Now is not the time for yapping at each other.”

“Tch.”

“Hai Nami-swaaan!”

The others ignored them and continued staring at the still smoke-filled area, waiting.

Out of the blue, another light flew towards their direction, bigger than before.

“Everyone scatter!” Luffy commanded, stretching his arm towards a random tree limb and making a grab for one of the nearest crew member, who unluckily was Usopp.

The crew scattered out instantly. “Heeeelp!” The sharpshooter screeched as he was lifted mid-air.

“Kyaaaah!” Nami shrieked.

“Move! Move! You’ll get hit!” Zoro’s voice reached her ears and she bounded towards her left blindly. She felt his arm grabbed her by the waist, hauling her up and tucking her under his arm. Nami was in too much panic to even care that he was lugging her like a sack of potatoes.

“Nami-swan!” Sanji squawked when he saw the green-haired dumbass carelessly carting off his favorite lady brusquely. “Put her down you boorish, moronic marimo! Nami-swaaaan! Come into my arms so that I can protect you! Ack!” He nearly tripped when he accidentally collided with Brook, who landed beside him, when he tried to dodge the light.

“Ah Sanji-san. You must not lose concentration lest you get hit!” The skeleton reminded him as he swept the cook into his bony arms and effortlessly leapt towards another tree.

“Brook! You shitty skeleton! Put me down!”

“Yohohoho! No.”

“Nami-saaaan!” He yelled again when he and the musician landed safely on a sturdy tree branch.

“Somebody shut him the hell up!” Zoro roared from somewhere down.

“Urusai!” Nami can be heard screeching after. “Can’t you see we are in the middle of battle?!” She, along with Chopper (whom she didn’t see earlier was also tucked under Zoro’s other arm), are hiding with the swordsman behind a thick group of trees. As for Robin and Franky, she failed to see where they took cover.

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” Their enemy was screaming as he continuously launched purplish lights at them. Nami squeezed Chopper towards her, ducking her head lower as the reindeer hugged her back just as forcefully.

“Careful! He is going out of control!” Franky cautioned from afar, exactly where, no one can pinpoint.

Nami heard Zoro made a tch-ing sound as he carefully peered from behind the tree trunk to observe what was happening. From up a random tree Usopp was complaining, “Ouch! Don’t push me! Luffy!”

Then he yelped. The light hit the tree where he and Luffy were. Luckily, the rubber man was able to swing himself to the safety of another but had forgotten to take Usopp with him.

The sharpshooter did not hesitate to dive down the ground before the tree they were at disappeared completely.

Everyone held their breath as Usopp was suddenly rolled towards the refuge of some thick shrubbery by Robin’s bloomed arms.

“Robin!” A sob can be heard from under the foliage. “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome.”

“Shi shi shi! Sorry Usopp.” Luffy apologized sheepishly as he leapt down to where Usopp was lying prone.

“Temee Luffy! You idiot, you forgot me!”

“Everyone look out!” Robin cautioned as another light surged towards them.

One by one the trees and shrubberies were disappearing as the purple light hit them.

“Damn it!” Zoro suddenly swore when this time it was their hiding place that vanished. He grabbed Nami’s arm, roughly yanking her up.

“Zoro!”

“Move Nami!” He pushed her forward. “Chopper head towards those trees!”

“Hai!” Chopper jumped from Nami’s arms and change to his heavy point. He grabbed the navigator and made a dash towards where Zoro was pointing.

“Chopper! You could’ve change into your walk point!” Nami protested.

“Eeeh?!”

“Too late! Just go! Go!”

From behind them, Luffy was now telling off the enemy.

“Oi ossan! Stop throwing those mystery lights on us!”

But the man was oblivious. He was only focused in eliminating them out of his sight.

“That’s it! Gomu gomu no…”

“Luffy stop!” Almost everyone shouted.

“Pistol!”

Luffy’s rubber fist collided with the man’s face, sending him flying a good four feet away.

“LUFFY!” They all gaped as the man lay sprawled on the ground, seemingly unconscious.

“Yosh!” Their captain declared with a nod, crossing his arms and looking absolutely pleased with himself.

“Well that put a stop to—” Brook’s voice trailed off when the man stood up, looking totally unaffected by Luffy’s punch.

Usopp let out a whimper. “Is it me or he looks angrier than ever?”

No one answered. Because no one can.

For the man suddenly let out an enraged scream as huge purple orbs appeared all around him. He swung his arm with all his might, casting all of them towards the pirates.

“WATCH OUT!!!” Usopp screamed.

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

Zoro stared at the empty space in front of him.

His hand was still extended, his fingers still poised to grab the woman who was not there any longer.

Just a few inches more…

Yet he was not able to reach her in time.

“Nami!!!!”

Somewhere from behind him, their captain screamed.

[crystalirises]

In Moonlight We Meet (The Walls of Illusion Part 1)

I crawl from the depths of college to give this fic, and I shall disappear into the void once more.

Anyway, hope you guys like this :D.

Ao3 Link:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30512157/chapters/75248370

Fundy gazed out into the vast darkness of the land, his hands grasping at the cracked blackstone that comprised his nation’s walls. Starlight twinkled in his eyes as his ears twitched with every noise that came from the forest beyond. He pulled his hat closer to his head, afraid that the wind would sweep him back into the cage that was his home. He took a deep breath, relishing in the night breeze that tickled and caressed his cheek like a mother would to her baby. He took one final glance back, crouched as low as he was, he could only catch traces of figures and shadows moving about within the country. Fundy looked towards home. Warm yellow light seeped out from the camarvan’s windows as a lone silhouette stood by the window - calm and unmoving.

He held onto the edge of the stone, taking a deep breath before beginning his descent. He paused every so often, the stray sound of footsteps or rustling bushes frightened and coaxed him to return to the safety of his room. He braved on, reaching for every edge or hole he could grasp as he made his way down the side of the wall, grateful that his father hadn’t realized his absence. If he was caught outside, Fundy would never hear the end of the lecture. He winced at the thought.

Fundy has broken rules in the past, but this one - this one - is one Wilbur would never forgive.

He stifled his yip of joy as he felt the soft grass, the blades of grass tickling the soles of his feet. Fundy’s tail wagged from side to side as he hesitatingly moved away from the wall, exhilaration coursing through his veins as he realized that he was outside. He was actually outside the walls!

Fundy pulled his black jacket closer to himself, the freezing cold of the night pierced through his skin as he turned to look out into the dark forest. The fox hybrid knew he shouldn’t let his guard down, tales of the monsters that lurked beyond L’Manburg’s walls rushed to the front of his mind. His father would tell him the stories of zombies, skeletons, and creatures that exploded if one were to get near. He didn’t doubt his father’s words, but he had to see the world for himself.

The hilt of his sword pressed against his side as he walked further into the shrubbery, the moonlight filtering through the trees his only source of light. But for a fox hybrid, the night was but a companion, the world brighter in his eyes despite the darkness that shrouded him.

Despite his bravado, he chose to stay away from the noises, not eager to come across a monster.

As he got further away from L’Manburg, a giddiness overtook the apprehension in his heart as his pace began to quicken. Fundy felt a smile stretch across his face as he started to run, feet thumping against soft grass and fallen branches as he ached to chase the feeling of freedom that had so long forsaken him. He could feel the rush of euphoria as the moonlight graced him with its presence, the forest welcoming as he explored every inch that he could. Fundy had no map of the forest, had no bearing of where he was going, but he had - no, he needed - to run. His nose picked up every new scent, his eyes picked up every new sight, and his hands picked up every new texture that he could get his hands on. He couldn’t help it, couldn’t help but wish to run until the scorching sun came up over the horizon and cursed the land with its pale yellow hue.

As that thought circled through his mind, his pace quickened, anger fueling him now as he knew he couldn’t outrun the inevitable forever. Fundy could feel the hot tears gathering in his eyes, scowling as he wiped them away with the sleeve of his jacket. A part of him dared to not go back, to flee to somewhere far away and leave the suffocating walls of his father’s nation behind.

Still, where would he go? The world was vast and unexplored, where would he run to? With the war that encompassed the entire land of the Essempy, how could he flee without being caught by L’Manbergian soldiers or by the enemy? Fundy shuddered at the thought, his father’s warnings of the enemy coming to the forefront of his mind. Death would be more merciful than them.

Then there was Wilbur, his dad. Fundy felt his ears press against the top of his head, his pace slowing until he was merely jogging. He couldn’t leave his dad alone, couldn’t leave without a proper goodbye. His dad was doing everything he could to keep Fundy safe and he couldn’t leave knowing that he would be leaving his heartbroken father to forever wonder if his son was still alive somewhere in the world. He let out a sigh, running a hand through his windswept hair. He can’t break his dad’s heart. He just can’t. Fundy shook his head, resuming his run through the forest. He wasn’t going to leave his dad. Never. Fundy would never break his dad’s heart.

He paused, the sharp crack of a branch snapping nearby sending him to a panicked frenzy as he jumped to lean back against the rough bark of a tree. The bushes in front of him were rustling, yet he couldn’t see any of the monsters that his father had warned him about. He felt his heart leap in his chest as the noise got closer and closer, his hands scrambling towards his sword, fingers fumbling between his fingers as he desperately tried to grab at the hilt. He could feel sweat trickle down the side of his neck, the cool night air sending goosebumps down his skin as it whispered of his demise. Oh gods, oh gods, he was going to fucking die here. Fundy huffed out a breath. His dad was right. He shouldn’t have left the walls. He shouldn’t have left the walls! He got his sword out, but it was too late. He screamed as a small shadowy mass leapt towards him.

His eyes shuttered close, the blade slipping past his hands as he waited for the shocking pain to hit. A few seconds ticked past, yet death did not come to claim his soul that night. He took a shaky breath, trying to quell his erratically beating heart. With tremors running up and down his fingers, he slowly lowered his hands from his face, gaze flicking down towards… the fox?

Fundy lowered to a kneel, hands reaching down towards the small fox that had bounded out of the bushes. Its dark brown eyes regarded him with a friendliness that made Fundy’s heart warm, its little paws petting against his lap as it tried to climb onto his shoulder. Fundy gently pushed the fox down, terrified of running and accidentally dropping the fox. It tilted its head to the side, sadness - at least that’s what Fundy assumes - dancing in the fox’s eyes as it let out a whimper, turning around in a circle before jumping onto Fundy’s lap. He barely had time to properly react before the fox’s dirt-stained paws were against his chest, its snout reaching up past his face as it snapped its teeth at something above Fundy’s head. Fundy watched in a stupor as the fox jumped back down, his black hat hanging from its mouth. The fox gave him one last look, a crystal clear look of mischief in its eyes, before turning on its heel and running further into the shrubbery.

“Wha一 HEY!” He bounded after the fox, his feet thumping against the forest earth as he darted between low-hanging branches and the night monsters that lurked. “COME BACK HERE!”

He swore the fox just snickered at him. Fundy growled underneath his breath. He could not go home without that hat! It would draw too many questions, and then he’d have to tell his dad where the hat even went. Oh, absolutely not. No, just no. “Come back, please... Come on, man!”

As he ran deeper into the woods, the moonlight began to disappear underneath the leaves, the world plunged into the darkness with only his eyes giving him the ability to see. He chased after the fox, calling for it to come back as fatigue began to seep into his bones. In his haste to get his hat back, he began to bump into all sorts of things. Fundy began to bump into trees, their harsh bark grazing him on the cheeks as he stumbled and tripped over his own two feet. Mobs got closer to him, rotting hands reaching for his flesh as arrows breezed overhead. Fundy gritted his teeth, pushing himself away from the mobs as he continued to follow the fox who was kind enough to wait for him each time he slowed down or lost sight of the fox. It would glance back at him every so often, wag its tail, before running off again. Fundy was beginning to think that this was the gods’ punishment towards him for disobeying his dad’s rule. “I NEED THAT, YOU一”

He let out a small ‘oomph’, diving face first onto… something. Fundy gripped whatever it was in front of him, the texture soft yet fuzzy against the palm of his hand as he tried to blink away the dizziness and surprise that had taken over his mind. He looked at what he had bumped into, eyes adjusting back to the darkness as he tried to wrack his mind about what he was holding. It wasn’t a tree, his mind helpfully supplied. The surface of whatever-it-was was colored in disgusting lime green, the color a stark contrast to the shadows of the forest. His ears flicked up, his body tensing in fear. There was a strange noise in the air like… a kettle hissing… hissing… HISSING!

Fundy screamed, pushing against what he could only assume was a creeper, knocking it to the ground as he hurried to get away. He tried to ignore the little shriek that it made, surprised to find that it sounded nearly human. GODS, why did they make those monsters sound human?! Fundy shook his head, running until he was a safe distance away from the impending explosion site.

Though… he could have sworn he hadn’t heard an explosion at all.

Fundy managed to collapse into an open clearing, his limbs failing him as he laid there on the ground in pure exhaustion, adrenaline gone from his veins. He felt paws scrabble at the top of his head, teeth gripping his jacket collar as the fox dragged him further into the clearing. He groaned, trying to bite the little pest away but it persevered enough to force him back into a sit. He blinked away the sleep from his eyes, knowing that he couldn’t go to sleep in the middle of nowhere. The fox had curled up in his arms, nuzzling itself into his jacket as though to keep itself warm. He reached up a hand, his hat already on his head. Huh… well, at least his hat was back. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips, a smile forming on his face. Then he looked up, and froze.

The moonlight glistened against the clear surface of the lake, bathing it an ethereal silver glow. Dark shadows darted from its depths as tiny fishes waltzed with one another in their own little dance, undisturbed by his ungraceful presence. With the fox cradled in his arms, he made his way to the shore, his eyes bright as the golden flecks in his dark brown eyes shimmered underneath the glow of the moon. He felt his breath leave his throat, the sereneness of the clearing - dotted as it was by the prettiest of flowers that bloomed underneath the care of the moon - sending a wave of calm through his tense and tired body. He felt safe. He felt at peace.

“You’re a little shit, but… thank you. For this.” Fundy held up the fox so that he could look into its eyes. The fox yipped, licking the tip of its nose as it began to struggle in his hold. He placed it on the ground, the fox whimpering as it tried to climb back up his arms. “Sorry… I can’t一”

His dad would question where he got a fox so late at night. Fundy moved away from it, even as it began to clung to the edge of his pants, its little claws digging into the cloth. He felt his heart ache, wishing that he could just scoop the little guy up and take it home. He tried to take a deep breath, reminding himself of the reason why he couldn’t just take the fox home with him. There was no place for a pet in war. Fundy crouched down, the fox immediately trying to jump into his arms, but he kept it from doing so. He placed his hand against the fox’s head, rubbing behind its ears as it slowly began to lie down, tail wagging excitedly as Fundy continued to pet it. The fox let out a purr, nuzzling further into his hand. “I’m sorry. I’d really take you with me if I could.”

It was the snap of a twig that made him pause. The fox looked up, its ears raised as it looked out into the treeline behind the lake. Fundy strained his eyes to see against the shadows, but he couldn’t see anything. The fox yipped, moving away from him as it headed towards the noise. Fundy took it as his cue to leave. He wanted to stay and bask in the beauty of the clearing, but now all he could feel was fear and trepidation, as if a being was staring at him from the trees. He felt a shiver run down his spine. He was being observed. He could tell. With one last look at the lake and the fox, Fundy turned and began to run back towards where he felt home was. He heard the fox squeak after him, could hear its paws thump against the grass it tried to catch up to him, but Fundy wasn’t as kind to wait for it as it had been for him. He ran until the fox’s cries were but a distant noise, he ran and ran until the familiar look of blackstone appeared within his view.

Within seconds, he was climbing up the wall, reaching for the spots he had used to climb down. There was a hollow feeling in his chest as he reached the top, almost as if he had left a piece of him within the forest that night. Fundy looked into the forest once more, before heading back in.

“Did you believe I wouldn’t notice your absence?” Fundy froze, nearly slipping and falling off the wall as he quickly turned around, jumping down to the ground as a silhouette appeared from behind the tree that stood nearby the entrance to L’Manburg. “Fundy, what was my one rule?”

He gripped the bottom edge of his shirt, scratching as bits of string hung loosely from the cloth. He turned around to face Wilbur. The man looked utterly exhausted, dark circles beneath his eyes as a cool breeze ruffled his uncombed, curly brown hair. Wilbur stood at attention, one hand gripping the hilt of his sword as Fundy felt his father grasp his arm. Fundy couldn’t bring himself to speak as Wilbur dragged him deeper into the confines of L’Manburg, soft chuckling from somewhere in the darkness (no doubt Tubbo and Tommy watching Fundy be dragged off into another lecture). Fundy bit the inside of his cheek, the hto dog van coming into view as Wilbur practically shoved him inside. Shadows clung to the furniture, the soft hiss of potions brewing the only source of noise within the small space that Fundy nearly wished that Wilbur would just leave him there to sulk for the night as his punishment. Luck was not on the fox hybrid’s side.

“Have you any idea how terrified I was to find out that you were missing? I was this close to sending out search parties, Fundy. I was this fucking close!” Fundy hung his head, his father’s yelling accompanied by the sickening slam of the door closing. He pressed his lips together as Wilbur grabbed him by the arms, his hold nearly bruising as Wilbur glared into his eyes. Fundy felt a trickle of fear, “I can’t have you doing this again. Do you know how reckless and stupid―”

“I just wanted to take a walk, dad…”

“A walk? A WALK?! What if you got caught? What if you ran into fucking Dream? Have you no self-preservation. FUCK!” Fundy flinched as Wilbur let go of him, only to slam his hands against the table. Wilbur was breathing hard, his chest heaving up and down as if he was calming himself down. “I can’t lose you, Fundy. Dream’s a tyrant, he would do anything to win this war.”

“Why? Are you scared they’re going to use me against you? They probably don’t even know I exist since I’m not even allowed to leave this place! How could they even know you have a son to use as blackmail when you don’t let me wander outside the walls?!” Fundy hadn’t meant to raise his voice, stuttering into a fearful pause as he realized the seeping anger in his tone. Wilbur glanced up at him, shock dancing in those dark brown eyes. Fundy leaned against the wall, the cool metal sending goosebumps down his skin… or perhaps that was the rising frustration. L’Manburg was Fundy’s entire world, he barely knew anything outside those depressingly large walls that seemed to reach up into the heavens above. Wilbur had made it clear to everyone that Fundy was to never leave. “Dad, I can’t live my whole life here. There’s a whole other world out there just waiting to be explored. I… I just wanted to see it. You can’t keep me inside forever.”

“It’s not forever, Fundy. It’s just until the war is over.” He felt a gentle hand caress his cheek. Fundy didn’t even realize that Wilbur had moved closer, “Then you’ll be free to… wander.”

Fundy chuckled at that. His dad was a terrible liar, he couldn’t even conceal the hesitation in his voice. Fundy focused his attention on his muddy feet instead, remembering how the wind felt against his hair as he raced through the forest, the fox that had taken his hat and made Fundy follow after it until Fundy reached the silver lake. His eyes had been his only guide. Of course, he did run into a few trees while chasing the fox, even running into a creeper that he swore made a fucking kettle sound (was that how creepers hissed?) when he bumped into it. He had eventually come to a stop by the clear lake at the center of the empty clearing, watching the dark shadows zip around the bottom of the water. Fundy had petted the fox, enjoying the serenity and peace of the night. Then he fled, the creeping sense of being watched having sent goosebumps down his skin.

“Give it time. We’ll have our freedom and perhaps I’ll let you leave L’Manburg every now and then.” There was a hand on the top of his head, soothing his ears down as a smile formed on his dad’s face. Fundy couldn’t bring himself to return it. “I promise. Just stay inside for now, hm?”

“You promise?” He moved closer, clutching the front of his dad’s coat. Wilbur placed a hand at Fundy’s back, hesitant as if Wilbur wasn’t quite sure if Fundy was asking for a hug. Fundy gritted his teeth at the idea of even hugging Wilbur at such a time. He let out a sigh, willing his voice not to shake or for tears to spring into his eyes as he glanced up to meet his father’s eyes. He hated how he barely reached his father’s chin despite being older than Tommy or Tubbo. “You talk of freedom and independence as if they were inevitable. Don’t you see how hopeless this is dad? You’re fighting a losing battle. You think you can beat a god? A fucking god? We’re all going to die. I-I’m going to die. I’m going to die without ever having lived, dad―”

The rest of his words were swallowed away as Wilbur pulled him into an embrace, a hand pressing his head against his dad’s chest. Fundy could almost hear the erratic beat of Wilbur’s heart, felt the way that his dad held him clser as though his words had actually frightened Wilbur. Guilt trickled into his heart but Fundy tried not to hold onto it. “Don’t say that. You won’t… you can’t die. I’ll make sure of it. We’ll be fine, my son. You won’t die on the battlefield.”

“You can’t promise me that. You can’t promise me a chance against death.” Fundy wasn’t sure if Wilbur could hear him - not sure if Wilbur would dare to hear him - but he had to try. Wilbur began to hum, a discordant tune that sounded more like droning as if he was trying to block out Fundy’s voice. Fundy curled his hands into fists, nails digging into the skin of his palm. His dad was doing it again, ignoring the negative as if it didn’t exist. “Dad… you have to let me live a little. We don’t know how much time we have left before… Let me feel freedom for once.”

Silence ticked by as Wilbur moved away, a pained look in his eyes as he looked down at Fundy. There was the shimmer of tears but Wilbur didn’t cry. No. Never in front of Fundy. Wilbur wrapped his arms around himself and Fundy realized that Wilbur was reassuring himself more than he was protecting Fundy. This wasn’t about Fundy at all… this was about Wilbur’s fear.

“I love you very much, my little champion. I love you enough to say no to what you’re asking of me. I… I can’t have you running about in the forest at night doing gods know what. Not when Dream is out there… waiting.” Fundy rolled his eyes at that. For all this talk of Dream, he’s never even seen the illusive man at all. Fundy was beginning to think that Wilbur had made the man up, like he did once when Fundy was a kid and Wilbur had jokingly said there was a monster underneath the bed. Wilbur regretted it as Fundy refused to sleep alone for an entire month. “Do you know why I built those walls? The walls you are so adamant to hate? I built them for you. I built them to keep you safe, Fundy. I need to protect my sweet little son. Can’t you see that?”

“Can’t you see? I’m not that kid anymore. You need to stop seeing me as a a helpless baby.” Fundy felt his last inkling of hope disappear. Wilbur would never understand, never will for as long as he thought the world would take his son away. Fundy turned to leave, ignoring his dad’s call for him to come back. He stood at the door, hand hovering above the handle.

“Fundy Soot, you get back here this instant. The conversation isn’t over.” He let out a low growl. It was over, Fundy was ending it. He pushed the door open, the cool, night wind blowing through his hair and into the cramped and heated van. “Don’t you growl at me, young man. FUNDY―”

He looked back, snarling loudly that Wilbur immediately backed off, a surprised look on his face. Good. Fundy didn’t want to stay there any longer. Fuck Wilbur and Fuck L’Manburg too.

“You know what, Wilbur? I never asked you to fucking protect me. You made that choice. Now I’m making mine.”

And with that, Fundy was gone.

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

Hope you guys like this! :D

*soul gets claimed by mid-terms* ;-;

[aka-indulgence]

Hmmmmmmmmm, for the game thing, do the word Snack!

You walked around in the dark, waving your flashlight this way and that way as you stumble blindly through the cave.

It was pure dumb misfortune that literally landed you here. One second you were having a leisurely hike in the woods with your friends. the next you stepped on some roots covering up a hole and tumbled down into earthen tunnels. You heard something crunch in your bag when you did, but thankfully, when you went to check, nothing important had been lost- just a bag of snacks you’d been carrying around. You checked your phone- you must’ve separated from the others some time back, and when you tried to contact them you found no signal. You attempted to climb back up the way you came from, through the same roots that dug into the ground, but to no avail. All you got was some rope burns (root burns?) for your trouble.

So here you were, wandering around aimlessly, hoping that these tunnels would lead somewhere out.

You thank the itinerary list for telling you to bring a flashlight, even when you thought you wouldn’t need it. You gulp as the occasional wind blew through the tunnel, creating moan-like sounds that sent shivers up your neck. The beam of light shuddered along with your hands, less because of the cold and more fromt he eerie silence, the suffocating feeling of being alone.

But where there’s wind, there’s an opening! You try to tell yourself optimistically. If there was only one entrance, there wouldn’t be such a draft.

After what felt like hours of being alone with your thoughts and fears (occasionally wondering if anything else lived down here... something you quickly shoved away before the thoughts turned to paranoia), you stopped when you saw a hint of moss on the ground. You had been walking alone in the dark, with some patches of light here and there from above, but this moss wasn’t near any of those patches. To your delight, you saw the tunnel, where it bent, is starting to get brighter the more you advance.

Please be an exit please be an exit!

You smile when you turn, seeing at the end of the tunnel... light.

Your way out.

You almost squeal happily at the sight, after being alone and afraid for so long- you’re finally going to be out! You don’t know where, but, it’s better than being down here!

You make haste towards the light, your steps echoing all around you as you run towards it-

Only to stop as you get closer, your heart almost stopping in your chest when you see what’s in your way.

A giant spider web.

You freeze in your spot, the chill from before nothing like the icy cold that grips your heart now. You felt as if someone had just doused you in freezing water as your eyes trail the patterns shaped by the web, tangling, intricate... giant.

This... this couldn’t be made by any ordinary spider... could it?

The web was thick, like a rope, and there were big spaces in between the silk, something a bug would easily fly through... like this web was made for bigger prey.

And it definitely didn’t look old and abandoned like a cobweb... it looked relatively fresh. Used.

A lump forms in your throat as you look behind you.

Was a giant spider walking around back there and by luck you missed it?

You looked around the web again, expecting to see the monster...

... and you don’t.

But you see a crevice on the side, gaping and as dark as the tunnels you were walking around earlier. Your hair stands as you search for any signs of something terrifying, eyes watching you...

... nothing.

... Phew.

You look at the web. Was there a way you can get through that..? Could you maybe walk through one of its holes and cross the other side unnoticed? Trying to cut it sounds like a very bad idea...

You take a few tentative steps closer, wondering if you just moved your body like this you could maybe slip through, and...

Ok, nope, that’s not happening. You’ll touch the web, and who knows how strongly it’d stick to you if you touch it.

You were desperate to get out but... not desperate enough to risk getting trapped on a large web.

I just hope I won’t meet anything scary on the way out... You think to yourself. This can’t be the only way out, can it? You take a step back...

... and cringe when you feel something sticking to your shoes. You look down to see fibrous webbing on the ground, thicker at the base of the web and thin as it spreads out on the ground. It isn’t thick enough to keep you in place, but lifting your feet pulls strands of it off the ground, almost like when you’ve got gum under your shoe... a lot of gum.

The image grosses you out a little and fills you with an amount of dread you can’t quite place, and you struggle as quietly as you can to get it off your shoe, but it’s much stronger than it looks and you squirm a bit as you try to get it off you.

Distracting you from the creature that was slowly crawling out of the crevice, awoken by the minute shudders you made when you stepped on the webbing.

It crawls out one leg at a time, its legs latching onto the web, eyes focusing on the cute little thing wriggling at the base of its web.

The nervousness on her face.... it’s adorable.

You only get more webbing on your hand when you try to lift it off your shoe and you’re trying to get that off when you’re suddenly keenly aware of the feeling that someone’s watching you. A shadow skitters out of the corner of your eye... and you look up.

Your face blanches at what you see. A giant spider, with 8 sharp legs perched on the giant web above you. And not only that- where it’s head should be sprouted a spine, forming the upper body of a skeleton similar to a human’s, except these were thick like muscles, and its skull was much rounder. Two eye(light)s pierced yours, and below it was a set of teeth... two huge fangs catching your attention almost immediately.

Your body stiffens.

“well well well... what do i have here? it looks like a little snack has wondered her way towards my web...” The spider speaks, his(?) smile widening when you flinch at his voice. He starts crawling towards you, and icicles form in your heart. You don’t know what to do- you want to run away but you’re shaking so much you don’t think you’d be able to stand up.

“aww... what’s the matter? you look a bit... tangled up...” he chuckles, and you squeak when you realize he’s halfway across the web, and he’d be upon you any time. You dig your hands into the ground and pull your legs with all your might- a move that the spider quickly zeroes on, and instantly, he jerks his abdomen, and out of its end shoots two webs at your feet, gluing you into your spot. You gasp, eyes as wide as saucers as you look at the quickly hardening web, almost wet when it first lands on your feet (and a bit warm...), but dry when you reach out to touch it. You’re still looking at it curiously (and terrified) when two spindly legs land on either side of you, and you look up when the monster straddles you. You press yourself into the ground as tears well up in your eyes, scared out of your mind.

The monster tilts his head and smiles again, and starts bending four of his legs to get closer to you. He plants two hands on either side of your head and you turn away, gritting your teeth when his skull gets close to you.

“trying to leave so soon, dear? why- we’ve only just met!” he teases, grinning so wide, showing off his fangs to you. You shudder, wondering what you could do to try to get away-

You make a little eep! sound when his claws find your face, digging into your hair and scratching your scalp in the slightest. “what’s your name, little thing? i’m sans... it’s such a pleasure to meet you.” His sockets crinkle, as if he was curious enough to know the name of the human he’s probably going to eat soon.

Your mouth feels dry as you stutter your name. “P-please, Sans...” you almost whisper, “d-don’t... eat me... I didn’t mean to disturb you in your home.”

“ahahah... no one stumbles into a spider web on purpose, my darling.” Sans says, idly running his thumb across your cheek. “i must say... you are quite soft... softer than anything else i’ve caught here.” He says almost absent-mindedly. “and of course you don’t want me to eat you. but i must eat nonetheless, and you were unfortunate enough to walk into my home.” Sans says, almost sadly(?), and he starts to grip your back, and panic sparks in your chest.

“N-no wait please!” You hold your hands out in front of him, “t-there must be a way! Isn’t there something I can do?”

You shake and shiver as tears well up in your eyes, terrified for your life, your heart thumping wildly in your chest. You don’t see how Sans’ sockets widen when a tear spills out of your eyes, your breaths shaking your whole body.

“Please...” you beg under your breath, squeezing your eyes shut.

“...” Sans is silent. and when his other hand brushes your waist and goes under you, you think he’s not going to hear you and is going to bite your neck out any second now. So you’re surprised when he lifts you up carefully in his hands and says “very well.” 

His hand grips your middle (his thumb reached half your stomach, and his back fingers could cover your back no problem!) and he lifts a leg towards where you’re caught in the legs, slicing the webs with the end. Your hair stands thinking about how sharp his legs must be to cut it so easily, but Sans only chortles when he sees your face.

“it’s magic, little thing. i can manipulate it to my will.”

His tucks you into his arms as if you were a baby, and your breath hitches as he climbs up the wall sideways, never looking away from you.

“i am... lonely. it’s not often i get to talk with my prey... you seem pleasant. why don’t you and i... have a conversation? just for a while. if you convince me, i’ll let you go.” Sans says slowly, as he reaches the crevice.

“but if not...”

His grip turns hard, more like a trap than a safety net. “i’ll get to keep you.”

Sans looks deranged when his grin widens, the only thing you could see other than his eyelights as he slowly drags you into his little hiding hole in the wall, and you frantically look for a way out of this to no avail, as the darkness swallows you and you’re trapped with the spider.

[emerald-echeveria-plant]

[[Part 4 of ???]]

Stuck with you

//Baozhai and Islay walked through the jungle. Islay cutting down leaves in their way with her sword.//

Baozhai, looking at the map: You think we'll find any skeletons through here??

Islay: How should I know? I Never heard of this place before.

Baozhai: Oh well, then allow me to tell you about this place!

Islay: please don't-

Baozhai: The Paititi was a civilization that were known for having tons of gold and practically living in it everday! Everything they had was made out of gold. Bowls, statues, and even clothing! Isn't that amazing to know??? Then one day the the civilization just disappeared! As well as the gold items and riches they had. Once outsiders arrived, all they found were statues and the abandoned villages. The weirdest thing they found was murals, depicting where they supposedly hid their treasure...

Islay:

Islay: How do you know all that? I thought you were supposed to be stupid or something.

Baozhai: Oh Ironbeard told me- HEY! I'm not dumb! I have the intelligence of a highschooler thank you very much! >:(((

Islay: Yeah, yeah whatever you say.

Baozhai, still angry: I could literally wire your mouth shut if you said that in front of a crowd of people..!

Islay, stop walking and turns to Baozhai: Baozhai, let me get one thing straight with you. I don't care for your threats and I'm not afraid of you. Everyone else on the ship might cower in fear when you brutalize someone but I've seen other pirates with less anger issues do worse. You're just a temperamental brat who gets offended at the slightest comment that criticizes you. Now all I want to do is get this treasure, leave, and ignore the fact that you still exist... You think you can manage shutting your mouth for once?

Baozhai:

Baozhai, pouts: fine I'll be quiet but I won't be happy about it >:(

Islay, rolls her eyes: Just make sure you don't loose the map.

//Islay took a few steps forward. She pushed some giant leaves out of the way. In front of them was a stone path with strange runes drawn on them. Baozhai looked at the map. She took a step forward and put her pressed her foot down on the path. Immediately, arrows came flying out from the walls. Baozhai quickly backed away before one of the arrows could pierce her.//

Islay: The classic arrows coming out of walls and trying to figure out the correct pattern on the floor... How cliche.

Baozhai: Good thing this map shows you how to cross.

//Just as the two were about to cross, a gunshot fired near their feet. The two women jumped back. A few feet from the left of them, stood Flint and Billy. Flint had the gun pointed towards the women.//

Flint: Not so fast ya' harlots.. give us that their map and we'll let ye both walk free..

Islay: Fuck off mate! This is our map and we're getting to that treasure!

Bones: Islay, we all know where this is going. Ye really want to risk a limb over that map?

Islay, holding her sword towards them: I'd rather die for it then let ye rats have it!

//She rushes towards the two. Unfortunately, she was taken down by Billy with a swift kick to the stomach. Billy put himself on top of her, putting her arms behind her back. Preventing her to do anything else harmful.//

Islay, struggling underneath Billy: Doesn't matter! My accomplice will tear you both apart!!

Flint: Well then I guess we'll have have pry it from their cold dead han-

Baozhai, hands him the map: Here you go :)

//Flint, Bones, and Islay all stand there completely stunned for a few seconds. Islay stared at Baozhai with her mouth gaping. Flint snatches the map out of Baozhai's hand.//

Flint: Seems like yer accomplice is more accommodating than ye..

Baozhai, hugs Flint tightly: you're so handsome..

//Flint stared, unamusedly at the small woman. He tried gentle pushing her off of him. But alas, Baozhai stuck to him like glue. Flint attempted to shove her off but still she stuck onto him. With all his strength, he tried to shove her off.//

Flint: LET GO OF ME!

Baozhai: 💕

//Flint grabbed Baozhai by her shoulders. He put his foot up against her, trying to pry her off of him. Fortunately, he managed to get her off of him.//

Baozhai: sorry... Couldn't help myself from wrapping my arms around your big, beefy, frame~

Flint, obviously disgusted: ...

Flint: tie em' both up Billy..

//Billy nods as he takes out some rope. A few minutes later the two women are tied, back to back to each other. Flint and Billy leave them behind as they successfully cross the booby trap.//

Islay, eye twitching angry: I cannot ... BELIEVE YOU HANDED OVER THE FUCKING MAP! WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO IT YOU FUCKING IDIOT. YOU COULDN'T DO THAT BRUTAL SHIT YOU LIKE TO DO TOWARDS THEM?? DID YOUR TWO FUNCTIONING BRAINCELLS GIVE UP ON YOU???

Baozhai: I'm sorry! I couldn't help myself.. he was just so dreamy💕 I feel like we had a real connection there!

Islay: HE PUSHED YOU OFF OF HIM! HOW WAS THAT A "REAL CONNECTION"????

Baozhai: it didn't seem like through his actions but I could feel it.. emotionally 🥺

Islay: OH I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU A REAL CONNECTION YOU STUPID SON OF A BI-

//Cut back to Billy and Flint walking through the jungle. Flint was holding the map.//

Bones: you think those two ladies will be fine..?

Flint: I'm sure they will. If they don't, too bad.

Bones: I mean, I feel a little bad.. I knew Islay for a few years and seeing her again was pretty nice... Until she tried killing me. That other girl seemed to like you a lot too..

Flint, sighs: They're the enemy, Billy. Don't think you should feel bad for em'. If the captain was here, he'd smack you on the side of the head.

Bones:

Bones: but he isn't here..

Flint: I can clearly see that-

//Suddenly, Flint fell through the ground. Flint was clinging to the edge of the ground. Below him was molten lava... Seemed as though it was another one of the booby traps. Unfortunately they had overlooked it. Billy, quickly began to pull Flint up. As he began to pull him up, the map slowly slipped out of hands. Flint, just now realizing this, tried grabbing the map. Unfortunately, the map fluttered down into the lava.//

Flint: No, no, no!

//Map: disintegrates.//

Flint: GODDAMNIT!

//Billy successful pulls Flint out of the hole.//

Bones: You okay??

Flint: No! Damnit I lost the FUCKING map!

Bones: It's okay maybe we can-

Flint: No, it is not okay! I lost the fucking map because I chose to talk instead of looking where I was walking! GODDAMNIT, GODDAMNIT, GODDAMNIT!

//Cut back to Islay and Baozhai. Baozhai was trying to figure out a way to untie them.//

Baozhai: maybe if we... No that wouldn't work.. how about! No, no, that wouldn't work either.. HUH! I've got it!

Islay, dying on the inside: what is it...?

Baozhai, slowly tries to use her knees to get up: we'll... Stand up.. and walk to the treasure tied together!

Islay: Sounds stupid.. but by this point what choice do I even have..?

//Islay uses her knees to also get up. Struggling but successful the two were able to get off the ground.//

Baozhai: Okay! Now we just run across the trap!

Islay: If I die doing this... Tell the crew... I hate you more than that warden that almost killed me..

Baozhai: I'll keep that noted!

//Together the two began to run towards the trap. Immediately tons of arrows flew out of the walls. They screamed in terror as the arrows came close to piercing their skin. With luck on their side, they managed to get across without any arrows sticking to them.//

Baozhai, breathing heavily: see.. that.. wasn't.. so bad..

Islay, white as a ghost: I think I may have wet myself there.

Baozhai: ... Gross...

Islay: I SAID I MAY HAVE!

//Cut back to Flint and Billy. After Flint got over his breakdown of losing the map, him and Billy began to walk around the jungle.//

Bones: uhh, let's take this direction..? *Points to a path*

Flint: we already walked through there...

Bones: Oh, um, then how about through here-

Flint, facepalms: we already walked through there too... ten minutes ago.. WE'VE BEEN WALKING IN CIRCLES FOR FUCK SAKE!

Bones: um... how about we try to walk back and retrace out steps?

Flint, let's out a long sigh: ... Fine.

//The two walk back in order to retrace their steps. Behind a bush they saw, Islay and Baozhai. Who were still tied up together.//

Baozhai: I'm telling you, if I was captain I'd be great at it!

Islay: if you were captain, the ship would immediately blow up from your incompetence.

Baozhai: Hey at least I'm the one who memorized the map! That has to count for something when it comes to leadership or captainship..

Islay: Since when do you have photographic memory???

Baozhai: Ever since I could remember ever little detail of me getting "treated" at the mental asylum I was forcefully put in. Like how they'd lock me in a padded room for hours on end in complete darkness and isolation or how they stuck a needle into my eye and into my brain to get the bad spirits out of me.. god it was painful.. haha! Those were the worst times of my life..! :D

Islay:

Islay: Let's just try to get to the treasure in one piece.. and maybe figure out a way out of these ropes.

//Behind the bush, the two clearly heard what they were just talking about. Billy nudged Flint.//

Bones: I've got an idea..

Flint: Let me hear it..

//Baozhai and Islay continued to walk together. It looked like the sun was starting to set. Islay took notice of this.//

Islay: Damnit, night's gonna arrive soon. As if we need any more problems..

Flint, comes out from behind the bushes with Billy: Stop right there!

Islay: Speak of the devil.

Baozhai, gasps: You came back for me! :D

Flint: I'm not here for you, you stupid cow!

Baozhai: yes you are~! I knew you couldn't resist me..

Flint, groans: I swear I'm going to punch you again.

Baozhai: Ooo, sounds hot..

Flint:

Bones:

Islay:

Flint: you know what nevermind... Tell us how to get to the treasure or we'll cut out your tongues!

Baozhai: Oh okay! Make a-

//Islay hits her head with Baozhai's head.//

Baozhai: Hey! Ow...

Islay: Don't tell him anything you idiot! The last time you did that you got us into this mess! Who knows if they'll do it or not!

Baozhai: okay fine

Flint, holds a knife against Baozhai's neck and growls: Talk..

Baozhai: I'd love to but I'm caught between wanting to tell you or possibly being strangled to death by my crewmate..

Flint: I'm going to count to three and if you don't tell me I'm going to kill you and her..

Baozhai:

Flint: One...

Bones: don't you think we should torture it out of them at least?

Flint: two.. *puts the knife and his head closer to her*

Islay: Whatever you do, don't tell him anything Baozhai!

//Baozhai with precious seconds passing by did the only reasonable thing imaginable. She gave Flint a kiss.//

Flint, cutting him off from saying three: *proceeds to gag and quickly step away from her* WHAT THE HELL??

Baozhai: I'm sorry you were getting close to my face and I couldn't help myself~ It was worth it~! Albeit your teeth did kinda cut my lips..

Flint: FUCK THIS *pulls out his flintlock pistol and presses the end against Baozhai's forehead* I'm gonna put a bullet in this cunt's head!

Bones: What about getting to the treasure???

Flint, growls: ... We can figure that out later..

Islay: Hold on now! How about we all get there together..

Flint: What are you talking about?

Islay: I'm saying how about we NOT kill each other until we arrive to the treasure..? You help us get out of these ropes and we lead you guys to the treasure.. then when we get there we can go back to hating each other as normal... That sound like a deal..?

Flint: Why would I trust you.. you could betray us or strand us at any moment when we let you go..

Islay, looks at Baozhai: even if I wanted to, I couldn't because of the simp next to me..

//Flint stared menacingly at Islay. He took out his knife again and held it against Islay's neck. Islay tried moving her head away her from the knife. Instead of slicing her neck open, he swiftly cut the ropes.//

Flint, puts away his gun and his knife: let's get a move on then. The sun is getting low and I'm not planning on carrying the either of you.

Baozhai: ha, I knew you would do that. You care about me too much to ever do such a thing..

Flint: talk one more time and I'm throwing you down a lava pit.

Baozhai:

Baozhai: my lips are sealed..

//The four walk off straight ahead with Baozhai taking lead.//

To be continued...

[duckiee-the-ducky]

Scent: Errorink Fanfic

original “Scent” by @lemonadebytrade

Key: (M)=Mind (W)=Whisper (G)=Grumble/Growl (S)=Shout

Error closed his eyes taking in the wonderful scent.

He never smelt anything like it. The smell warmed his body and provided him with extra comfort. Error loved the smell of Ink. For multiple reasons, actually;

It reminded him of all his good memories.

He always wanted to be around it. 

It told many great stories.

Comforted him in his weakest times.

It also meant, Ink was there.

Ink looked at Error and gave a small smile.

Ink: Comfy?

Error opened his eyes and realized what position he was in.

Error: Uh... yeah..?

Ink chuckled. He thought Error was very cute when he was being shy, even though they’re married.

Ink: Really? You don’t sound too sure of yourself-

(S)Error: -I am sure! ...Uh...

Error blushed and looked away. Ink couldn’t help but smile.

Ink: Wanna get something to eat before we hit the hay?

Error’s soul ached with hunger. He, very much so, wanted food, but he also didn’t want to move. He didn’t want the sensation to end so quickly. Error did not respond, but tightened his grip on Ink.

Ink: Error? You okay?

Error nodded, still not willing to respond with speech. Ink patted Error’s head.

Ink: You know, you can do this while we’re going to sleep. We sleep in the same bed, silly.

Error blushed, embarrassed. He didn’t think of that. He slowly let go and sat up straight. Ink could see his face clearly now. Error was still blushing, but he was pouting too.

Ink: Just so you know, you look adorable when you pout-

Error: SHUT UP!

Error was flustered.

The skeletons went to the kitchen and started making sandwiches. They were easy to make. Error started spreading mayonnaise on Ink’s sandwich. Ink left to go get something. Error didn’t like that. 

(M) Error: Ink just got home after a long trip and now he’s gone again...

He really missed Ink. Error didn’t ever want him to leave again, but here we are. 

Error sometimes thought, in the depressing, dark depths of his mind, that Ink wasn’t happy with him. That Ink didn’t love him anymore. That’s why he left. It hurt Error to think about it, so he pushed it back farther. 

He noticed he was shaking... and sweaty. He quickly put the half-made sandwich down and hurried to the bathroom.

Ink rummaged through his belongings looking for the present he got for his sweet Error. 

Ink: Mn.. where... is ... it?!

He couldn’t find it.

Ink was crestfallen. Where did he put it? Error was waiting on him, he had to find it! Ink continued to rummage through his stuff once more. 

Ink hit something in the very bottom of his bag; this was it. He found it! He pulled the gift up to the surface. A cloth. Just a cloth. 

Ink was excited to give this to Error. 

He rushed out of the room and into the kitchen. A half-made sandwich was on the table.

Ink: Error?

No response.

Ink walked back to the living room. He wasn’t there.

The bedroom. Not there either.

He came to the bathroom door. He tried turning the knob, it was locked.

Ink: Error? Are you in there?

Error froze. He quickly wiped the tears from his eye sockets. His voice was shaky. 

Error: Y-yes. I-I’m fine.

Ink could hear the sadness in his voice. He became serious.

Ink: Open the door Error.

Error didn’t want to open the door. His face was still wet from tears and he didn’t want to look at Ink right now. The disgusting thought hurt too much.

Ink: Open the door or I’ll come in myself.

Error knew disaster would happen if he didn’t open the door now. He dried his face as much as possible and opened the door slowly. The creaking of the door made him dread it even more. hey that rhymed 

Ink and Error stood face to face with one another. It was painful for both of them.

Ink didn’t like seeing Error sad.

Error was on the brink of crying again.

Ink’s face softened.

Ink: Error, what’s wrong?

He gently put his hands on Error’s arms. Error pushed them away. It felt as if Error shot string right through his soul, maybe even worse than that.

Ink: Wait... Are you mad at me? Please tell me what I did wrong! I’ll make it up to you! ...Error?

Hot tears were streaming down Error’s face. He couldn’t hold back anymore.

(W) Error: I-Ink..? Do...D-Do you still love me..?

Ink was dumbfounded at the question. He cupped his hands around Error’s face.

Ink: Why would you ask that? You know the answer!

Error tried to pull it together but, it was just too hard. He continued to hiccup and sniff.

Error: I-I... I feel like... like you l-left because of m-me...

It felt as if another string pierced through Ink’s soul. Why did Error feel this way..?

Ink pulled Error into a big hug. Error wrapped his arms around Ink’s neck. 

(W)Ink: Error... I would never leave because of you... I love you so much and don’t you ever think otherwise! Now... just... let it out, okay?

Error stood there for a moment taking in the wonderful scent again. He remembered the first time he met Ink.

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

It was rainy day. It was the very first day of middle school. Error was walking in wet shoes and wearing nothing but his hoodie and shorts. Error sighed.

(G)Error: What a great way to start off middle school...

(S)???: Hey!! Wait up!!

Error turned his head around to see a skeleton, with a colorful umbrella, splashing through the puddles towards him.

Error: Ugh...

Error walked faster, but the skeleton caught up with him anyways.

Error: What do you want, weirdo?

???: I was wondering if you want to share my umbrella? My name’s Ink by the way. What’s yours?

Error stared at Ink in annoyance.

Error: Noneya.

Ink: Noneya?

Error: None-ya-business.

Ink stared at Error for a moment. He busted out laughing. Error rolled his eye lights and continued to walk. Ink wiped a fake-tear away.

Ink: I like you, you’re funny. Wanna be friends, Noneya?

Error glared at Ink.

Error: Not even in another lifetime.

He continued walking. Ink walked with him.

(S)Error: Would you go away already?!

Ink looked shocked at Error. He then looked at his feet and let Error walk ahead.

(M)Error: Ugh, finally. That idiot is leaving me alo-

Error slipped on a puddle and fell face first onto the ground. After that, it mostly just darkness.

Error slowly opened his eyes. Pain pierced through his skull. 

Error: Ugh... ow...

Ink: Oh! You’re awake! Thank goodness.

Error froze.

(M)Error: That voice... oh no...

He looked to where the voice came from. Just as he thought; It was Ink. Error slouched down in the nurse bed.

Ink: How are you feeling?

Error didn’t respond.

Ink looked at him for a moment. 

Ink: I... was gonna wait to ask you this, but... do you remember me?

Error looked at Ink, confused.

Error: I’m pretty sure I would remember an idiot like you.

Ink sighed.

Ink: I guess you don’t, huh? Well... maybe this will jog your memory?

Ink pulled out a folded up piece of paper. He unfolded it and it had a picture of two people holding hands in the center. One of them looked kinda like Error, and the other looked like...

Error: Squid..?

Ink gleamed with happiness.

Ink: You do remember! Haha! I missed you, Glitchy.

Error’s eyes grew wide. He hadn’t seen him in 7 years. They went to the same daycare when they were 4. Ink was his best friend.

Error sat up and hugged him. The vaguely familiar scent of his 4-year-old best friend came back to him. It warmed his soul.

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

Error was crying again, but smiling too.

Ink: Let’s go sit down, okay, Ruru?

Ink gave a soft smile.

Error: Heh heh, okay, Kiky.

They walked to there bedroom, hand in hand, completely forgetting about dinner. Ink sat Error down on the bed.

Ink: I have something for you.

Ink cupped his hands around Error’s face and wiped his tears away with his thumbs. Error loved it when he did that.

Error: Okay...

Ink pulled out the cloth.

Ink: Here.

He handed it to Error.

Error: A cloth..? Are you serious?

Error looked at Ink and cocked an eyebrow.

Ink: Yes. Turn it over.

Error turned the cloth over and on the back it read; My love for you will always be by your side. Hold onto me forever, until we die together. -Kiky

Error read it over and over again.

Ink: This may sound a bit weird but, smell it.

Error glanced at Ink, then back at the cloth. He held it up to his nose and sniffed it. It smelled just like Ink. Error quickly looked back at Ink.

Error: It smells like... 

Ink: Me. Now you’ll have a piece of me wherever you go... and you can give me my sweater back.

Error wrapped his arms around Ink again.

Error: I love it... Thank you, Kiky... I love you...

Ink embraced him back.

Ink: I love you too, Ruru...

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

The End

~for now!~

For @lemonadebytrade:

Thank you so much for inspiring me to write this fanfiction! Since you do such a good job on all of yours, I decided to make a sequel to my favorite short story, Scent. I wanted to add a little bit of that Error sadness because I feel like Error would feel that way. I also decided to add a flashback because you added a flashback- double flashback?? whatttttt?? Also, their first meeting in the daycare was sorta based off of Momma CQ because Ink and Error first met at a daycare there too. I really hope you like it. I didn’t want to put too much romance-romance because there are real problems in a real marriage in real life. You portrayed that well in the original too. While I was writing this, 90% of the time I was saying “Poor Lil’ Error-”  ;-; Errorink might be the death of me OTL ciao~

[thestrangefurret]

Final Farewell, End.

He might have told himself that it was time to finish this. And it is, but.

The room up ahead is where he found quite a few of them. Skeletons lined up by a wall, one next to a collapsed room, and... one in a very odd pile. With the few events he's seen most, if not all, are left where they died. So, it's likely he's going to see how some of them died.

Whatever happened in that room, none of it is good. More died in this room alone, more than he's found in the rest of the cave at least. The odds of seeing something unsettling up ahead are pretty high. And after all he's seen this might be the worst.

He takes a breath to prepare himself. Whatever or whoever he sees in there can't hurt him. What happened in the past stays in the past. They won't, or most likely can't, do anything to him. Just... be ready to see whatever happened here.

Aramid stands up, grabbing the torch as he does. He looks at it, the best he can with it in his mouth, as it crackles and sparks. It's going to die and go out sometime today. Luckily it doesn't have to last that long.

And with that, its time to go. The Arcanine gets moving, determined to finish this.

The hall is noticeably colder than the first time he was here. Maybe it's because he ignored it the first time, or it's the... whatever it could be called. Either way its definitely colder than he remembers. Hopefully when he's done here the cold will leave.

As Aramid steps into the room he pauses for a moment. Something is off about here, but he can't quite figure it out. As he looks around it clicks into place. The room's lit up, it looks like someone put torches up in here.

That isn't possible, obviously, since no one else is here. So what exactly is going on here? If it's ano-

The thought is cut off as he spots them. Arcanines, a few of them, standing around the other side of the room. Their expressions make it clear they're nervous about something, or scared. But more than that they look almost, see through.

Oh. They're dead. Are the first words that pop into his head as he watches. This is another moment from the past, and a strong one at that. It's actually giving the impression that the room is lit up. Interesting yet unnerving.

Aramid would watch and wonder about the morbid scene more but being bumped into distracts him. Though it is less of a bump and more of a wave of cold passing through him. Another Arcanine has entered the room and stands next to him. He stands tall, taller than Aramid and the others in the room. Wait, something about this one is familiar. The stripes, his height, it's all coming back to him! This Arcanine, this is his-!

Father.

Aramid lands on his butt hard as he stares in horror at his father's face. This is not the Pokemon he remembers. Instead of the proud, happy face he remembers a rage fueled expression looks etched onto him. His eyes, missing, with only blood pouring from them. What happened here? He remembers the times his dad was mad but it was never like this.

Aramid watches in cold horror at the Pokemon he once called his father approach the others. He must have been listening to what they were saying as he looms over one. He only acts when he's noticed. In one moment he grabs the smaller Pokemon and-

He... he kills him without mercy and just tosses him like he was nothing. Aramid sits in shock, what happened here? How could his father do something so ruthless? This is not the same father he once knew. He watches as he leaves the room, storming into the last room.

Aramid sits there, horrified, before snapping out of it. He didn't even realize that it was dark in here again. The light from the torch is still enough but he just didn't notice that he dropped it. The Arcanine doesn't pick it back up. Instead, in almost a daze he stands up.

Walking where he saw his father enter.

He stops at the entrance as he looks in. A large stone, sitting there, pierced through a skeleton. One that is impossibly standing on its own. A canine skeleton, taller than him, refusing to ever fall.

"Father-!"

Aramid's voice catches in his throat as the skull moves to stare at him. He takes a step back in shock at the sight. It even looks furious from here.

He wants to say something, but he can't find his voice. What would he even say though? What happened to him? To become so mad and horrible to others? Why did he send him away, because of jealousy? Demand to know their home is dead and empty? Force this pile of bones to tell him where his mother and sister are? If he killed them like he's killed how many others?!

The questions he wants to ask but never can keep coming as his vision gets blurry. He grits his teeth as his becomes more and more erratic. Everything is a hellish mess and he has no one to find or talk to. Its just so frustrating that it hurts to think. He's just been bottling it up for so long now. And he.. and he just...

"D...damn it! You!" Aramid shouts as it all comes pouring out. Steam comes from the corners of his eyes as he let's loose his Flame(?)thrower. It wreaths the room and skeleton in searing hot fire. It lights up everything around him as the heat chokes the air. It keeps going and going for what feels like forever.

It finally ends as Aramid takes a breath, coughing as the fire quickly dies out. He stands there for a moment, shaking, as he catches his breath. With a final deep breath he raises his head, and turns away.

Without anything else he starts to leave, unaware of so much. The cold he once felt in the air and on him is gone. The heat from his move could be the reason but its more than that. The air is lighter, the halls empty, and it's truly quiet for once. But he still doesn't notice any of it. He does stop at the entrance.

He watches as the red eyed shadow looks outside. It can't hurt him but he still watches. It looks outside, it's shape clearly outlined in the sunlight. Its... familiar. He watches as it's red eyes soften. Their color changing from a blood red hue to dark orange color. It leaves the cave, vanishing outside.

He steps out as it disappears, saying or thinking about nothing. He sits in the middle of the clearing. He stares at the sky for some time. He let's it all out as he silently sits there, thinking about everything.

Everything that he's learned, seen and experienced. It's all been so much, so much in the one place he thought of as home. And it's all gone now. There's just nothing here for him now. But there's one thing left to do.

He needs to leave. Leave this forest and never come back.