#sorry! you're not a necromancer so your job is to go out and get a non-sixth husband so you can make more children for the house

[g1deonthefirst]

I think that fandom glosses over how fucked up the Alexandrites are: In Doctor Sex, Pal jokes about Cam being stolen away to the Alexandrites--but Cam is a CHILD here. IDK, the Alexandrites are straight out of the Handmaid's Tale, and it's just another example of how the Empire both enables and commits sexual violence against people

YUPPP. we've talked about this so much in the discord server because it really is so wild. it certainly doesn't seem like non-necromancers on the sixth choose which soldier division (hot and competent, hot and incompetent, ugly and competent) they're pulled into, meaning they're being judged on their physical abilities and attractiveness, which is both beyond fucked up and imo def plays into the cavalier-as-female gender binary analysis. and it also seems like non-necromancers don't have a ton of options (in any house) if they don't train to join the cohort — non-necromancers cannot rule, and how high they can ascend in house society seems limited. i might be mistaken, but it certainly seemed like all the scientists in doctor sex were adepts considering their psychometric abilities, and camilla says that if she weren't pal's cavalier she would have gone into data entry. which, once again: one section of society is categorically barred from even taking the tests that would allow them to rule/gain significant political say, based on a seemingly immutable characteristic? rings a bell...

[iasmelaion]

what happens when you listen to three audiobooks in like a week and a half

We've been at trial for like the past two weeks at work, which means I have been alone in the office, with approximately 2 hours worth of work to do every day max, mostly just there to answer frantic emails and texts about "what exhibit number is [vague and potentially inaccurate description of email or other document]?" and occasionally file supplemental trial briefs. Anyway, it's all up to the jury now! Only not now now because it is a court holiday and because this case lives to torment me and never ever ever finish ahahaha it's fine i'm fine, we better win.

Anyway, all of that is to say I was bored as hell so I decided to finally finish listening to the audiobook of Gideon the Ninth, which I had started listening to LAST FEBRUARY. You can perhaps guess that, as good as the audiobook narration was, I was not entirely feeling the book. Ahaha. Ha. I was already mentally writing my Goodreads review, complaining about how yes, the narrative voice is great, and yeah, the set up and genre mashup are fun (lesbian necromancers in space! country manor mystery! slasher horror!), but there's just not enough context and the worldbuilding is so vague and what are the overarching stakes even. And then the last 1/3 of the book happened, and I listened to all three current books in the series in like a week and a half and I have spent the last two days rotating these characters in my head and reading meta and such. Sorry in advance about how in approximately two weeks time, my queue will be full of TLT shit.

Spoilers and assorted jumbled reactions below, because I'm not about to ramble like this on goodreads. But real talk, I have skimmed so much spoilery talk/fan art/etc about these books and absolutely none of it made any sense at the time so tbh I don't think it matters all that much if you're spoiled. The spoilers won't even make any damn sense most of the time.

I wish I could give this series some kind of pitch that would, idk, explain it or make it seem enticing, but lol I have no idea where I'd even start. I'll just say that if you are in need of Enrichment in your Enclosure, these books are like being tossed a very meaty bone full of delicious marrow which you can gnaw upon for a good long while.

Gideon's narrative voice is a lot of fun, and I do quite enjoy how she's basically a big lesbian jock, even if that did make a lot of the first book rough going for me because alas, Gideon, bless her, is not interested in much beyond hot ladies, swords, staying alive, and getting off her home planet. And Harrow, of course.

HARROW. For 2/3 of the first book, Gideon hates her passionately, they've been enemies their entire lives, they are vicious and awful to each other. Now, I knew Gideon/Harrow was like THE ship for these books, and I was like "...hm. Listen, I simply do not vibe with this kind of enemyship." But then that last third happened, and auuughhhhh. They're enemies, they were all the other had, they were two rats trapped in a barrel, desperate to get out, clawing and biting and snarling and hurting each other, they were each other's only solace, they were doomed from the start. They've been trapped in a cycle of terrible violence, and I have no idea if they can ever get out. And the love Gideon wants from Harrow is to be used and consumed and destroyed by love, and the love Harrow wants to give is to save her and keep her even if it means forgetting her. Like, y'all, I ship it, but I have no idea how there's any kind of future in it.

And then Harrow the Ninth happened, and goddamn, poor fucking Harrow. I felt for her already after the revelation in Gideon the Ninth, but Harrow the Ninth made me so desperately sad for her.

Good job on the soup though, Harrow!

Also the low key comedy of all of them stuck with each other on the Mithraeum was *chef's kiss*. Just like THE most demented and toxic workplace sitcom while poor Harrow is descending into a total mental breakdown.

The worldbuilding is so fascinatingly, complicatedly BONKERS. Also it's so SPACE CATHOLICISM that I don't even know what to say about it. I'm not qualified. But like. It is. It's so Space Catholicism, but also make it More Goth. And it's clearly concerned with religion and faith and all that, but not in a Narnia kind of way, and I am FASCINATED about where it's all leading to.

What a fucking villain this series has in John Gaius aka God aka Necrolord Prime aka the Prince Undying aka the Emperor of the Nine Houses aka Jod. Just absolutely skin-crawlingly horrible, the literal Worst Person Who Ever Lived, even as he's affable and funny and occasionally endearing and pathetic. And like I'm not even sure all of that stuff is a mask or a cover for his monstrousness! Like I think he genuinely is affable and funny and endearing and pathetic! He is just also quite literally History's Greatest Monster. I'm not sure if he was always like this, though I'm leaning towards him having been an awful man before he became god, in all those quiet, too-easily unnoticed ways men are awful, the moment they have any power over someone. And then Jod gets all the power so of course his awfulness becomes correspondingly greater.

I will say though that Jod's origin story is an actual horror movie, the stuff of nightmares. It's the end of the world because climate change and he and his team are frantically working on some way to save everybody but it doesn't quite work, not well enough, and no one is listening to him, and the clock is ticking down and of course the billionaires have a way out, of course they're gonna get on some space ships and bounce, but what about everyone else? Jod is sure he can save everyone else, if only he had the resources, if only they'd listen to him. And someone was listening, it turns out. Someone--something gives him power. Terrible, terrible power over life and death. And he becomes something else and makes choice after terrible choice, enabled by his friends, and then whoops not whoops! He's killed everybody on the fucking planet and ate the sun and the whole solar system too!! Absolutely terrifying reveal, and it's built up to so well. We spend so much time listening to Jod and so much of what he says is reasonable or understandable, but every so often there's a hint that under his commendable politics and goals and general hapless nerd vibes, there's something else, something much, much worse.

Actually, this whole part would make a truly great horror movie, especially if it starts off as an almost dark comedy that shifts genres as it goes: from dark comedy to suspenseful thriller to eldritch horror.

Also he gets, like, super weird about the cadavers he's been experimenting on. Like, deeply, horrifying creepy and weird about them.

Lotta people get weird about corpses in this series, if I'm being honest.

CAMILLA AND PALAMEDES. I am UNWELL about these two. I am UNHINGED. I am still rotating them in my mind, unable to do much but WEEP. "So...do you ship them??" you might ask. To which I say idk and idc, what does to ship these two even MEAN at this point, they are platonic, they are romantic, they are eros, philia, AND agape, and they're the Love that Is Perfected in Death. The absolute fucking pinnacle of insane codependence. Childhood BFFs who crawled into each other's skins and hearts and souls and never crawled back out. How much more codependent is it possible to get? NONE. NONE MORE CODEPENDENT. They have MERGED THEIR SOULS AND BODIES TOGETHER INTO ONE BEING. [actually, real talk, i am uncertain of the Soul Situation, I am pretty sure they've merged their souls together, but like. idk. they do also say they will be known as themselves "beyond the River" after death] I am WEEPING just THINKING ABOUT IT. That is not fucking hyperbole btw, the mere thought of them basically makes me cry, it's fine, i'm fine. They love each other SO MUCH. I CANNOT HANDLE IT.

Anyway, rather difficult to "ship" a pairing that has become...one person. Like, still willing to make a game go of it even during the period where they're sharing a body, but like. Now they are one person??? Because this is not a Steven Universe-style fusion where Ruby and Sapphire can unfuse from Garnet, Camilla and Palamedes are now one person, no takebacks while they live. I do love Paul though! Fucking adore that some of Paul's first acts as a new person were acts of kindness and mercy. Jod's lyctors are called saints, but I think Paul is the only one who is a saint in truth.

So, a triumph or a tragedy or both that Camilla and Palamedes died to become Paul? Idk! I adored Camilla and Palamedes as individual characters, I adored how in many ways they're the certain, just moral center of this entire series, I love their intelligence and ferocity, and oh, after Nona the Ninth, I loved so much how they loved. Each other, and other people. I loved Camilla using truths like her swords, her dry humor, how she was still so kind even while being an absolute stone cold fucking badass. I loved Palamedes, his brilliance and how he bent basically all that brilliance into helping people. I loved so fucking much that he was the one who figured out that there was a better way to achieve lyctorhood than the way Jod and his lyctors set out for them. I loved that stuck in a bubble in the underworld, with nothing but a terrible erotic novel, he started having serious opinions about said erotic novel and undoubtedly wrote terrible fanfiction in his head about it.

Ahem. Anyway. Abigail Pent and Magnus Quinn were also delightful, and I was especially charmed by the lovely Welsh accents Moira Quirk gives them in the audiobook. Love that Abigail has immensely powerful, friendly mom friend energy while simultaneously being an immensely powerful Eldritch Speaker for the Dead. Gideon observing her all like "ah, her eye contact is...extremely very unsettlingly intense! but also she is wearing an apron and is cheerful so that's alright then."

God, this is really long, sorry to anyone who actually read it, possibly i will reblog with more disjointed thoughts.

[mydysfunctionalvampirefamily]

The title makes me very worried!

Lmao not me being confused that parents come to pick up their kids at night when Lex says there are vans outside the school. 😂😂 I'm so stupid.

This underworld storm sounds very bad and really gross.

Something that is dormant, but does not sleep. One of those Zantosa house gross antedeluvians?

I forgot about the raven feathers.

Lmao Wynn keeps forgetting she is an archon now and people respect her.😂

Red death?? 😂 I'm sorry, it's judt so funny that they get to pick their own names and they pick them like they're edgy 13 year old gamer boys.

Why the fuck would they go to hell house?!?

Wynn just casually throwing out weird ass occult names.

Wow. Justicar Lucinde being well not kind but practical, giving guidance and not being unnecessarily cruel. I didn't think she had it in her.

Wynn is a necromancer??? I feel so stupid, how did I not know this? Or is this Wynn's ghost stuff?

NO!!! Noooooooooo!!!! Lex, don't do it!!! Not the bloodbond 3 please! 🙏😭

Fucking lady lucinde farquad.

Fuck the camarilla.

What??? It's still the same fucking night???? These nights are endless!!!! But I'm relieved! There still is a chance. 😭

The masquerade is failing in new York where they are fighting and diablerising in the streets? Oh no. Who could have for seen this unlikely turn of events...

Lol pendragon being scared of getting diablerised.😂

I know Wynn hates this, but it sounds like she's doing a good job at being an archon. Fighting ghost stuff and being a badass is kind of her thing.

The sabbat doing their weird fire ritual stuff? Yuk.

Serpentine? Is he a settite??

A nun? FLAYED OFF FACE???? what the fuck. 😭 (the painted bone with flowers and stuff is kind of cool, but very gross)

Well I guess this explains the desecration of graves cw.

Archon Cabot. Sounds kind of hot, sorry not sorry. 🤷 Wynn having someone reach out to keep the coterie updated is much appreciated.

I totally forgot they hadn't talked about the ritual yet. 😂

Zofiel is being channeled by Pendragon??? This sounds like the worst idea I've ever heard.😂

So either Zofiel has taken over Pendragon, or Pendragon is fleeing diablerie?? Either way he is facing some deserved consequences of his own actions. 😂😂

Britta tiny voice: I stepped into the circle and kissed him. Lmao

Johnny is cracking me up this episode. First with the phone and now with the mirror and Britta. He doesn't give a shit.

Johnny 😂😂 gping full dad! 😂😂😂 So angry, yelling he's turning this combat suv around.

Miles just so tired and annoyed, and no one is listening to him.

Lil baby Neil needs Wynn with him. 🥺 I grt yiu baby Neil, I also need powerful Wynn with me to protect me with her claws of doom!

13 levels of damage? That seems like a lot???

So if corpses are running around eating people, I'm assuming the masquerade is also breached in new haven?

No not Rufio and his dogs 😂😂 I know this is all super serious but I cannot take anything seriously when they are around.

Wait why do they need to heal? Am I forgetting something?

Not me thinking my phone broke but it is just sound editing week of nightmares effect. 😂😂

Also yaaay Wynn!!!! Is this part of Neil's new power he got for ascending?? Dope af.

Oh no. Lex saying Miles, Miles Miles Miles in that specific tone cannot be good.

Zofiel? He sounds kind of scared or smth? Wheres your fucking power when we need it?

He's hitting Rufio with his sword and it's like killing a child, he's just a teenager pretending to be a badass but he's actually just got 3 down hairs on his lip and doesn't know how to properly smoke.

Tim rolling a lot of dice! Yay!

Wow sword bisected and torpored though, nice job Miles. That sword is badass.

Whoooo baby, Johnny omg. You're so badass. I need to fan myself like Al middle aged Southern woman on a hot day.

We can say all we want about Neil, he might not be the raw damage dealer that the others are, but he got Wynn here, and his hiding stuff is clutch!! Also I know it's been a while but remember when he made it easier for Johnny to resist frenzying for like 3 months. That was clutch! (I know there's no point in me defending Neil here, we all love him, I'm preaching to the choir)

Oh no. Lex is letting them have freebies, I don't trust it. Bad stuff is coming. If not this fight then the next one.

Weeping bear???? Wtf. I'm almost there on my relisten too. 😂

Beserker merit? Reduce by 3??!!!?? Holy freaking fuck. That is so good!!!

Ohhh we're basically getting canary mode? Damn. So cool.

The blood is so bad it hurts the special armour? That's not Good.

The bullets are consumed by an en tropic field??? They're just freaking dusted like in endgame? Damn that is not great.

He feels sick??? No! Not my baby sweating!!! Hell have to throw away that suit!!!! 😔

They fight so well together now! Like it's almost instinctual. Love that for them, hopefully it will keep them alive.

I feel like I don't know enough about combat and vtm lore to know how bad this fight is. Because honestly it doesn't seem that bad, they keep killing folks, they're all laughing and it doesn't sound like the panicked hysterical laughter yet (I could be wrong though) but then we have them running and throwing dead bodies at a nun with an entropy shield, and that sounds very bad??

Okay that is a lie, I know it has to be bad, but the vibe isn't that bad!!

That no did sound very panicked. And bone rafting has to be bad right??? Isn't that what Vito did??

Fuck yeah Wynn!!!!

They were all so good!!! 😍😍😍 (Neil did his best, you guys!)

Lmaooo I clearly didn't understand how bad this fight was until the after credit scene. 😂😂😂 Holy hell!!! "Are you touching your weapon to her?!?" it would just be gone??? That's crazy! He hardly got to swing it at all!!!

I know he's going into torpor within 24 hours but it feels like a fair trade.

[spainkitty]

I'm so embarrassed! I thought I had replied to your last ask and I didn't😳 I'm sorry!🙈

I hope you're feeling better. I remember recommending you cloud gaming for BG3 so I wonder if you gave that ago and if you did, if it works for you👀

I'm deep in BG3 brainrot🙈😅 I'm in my 4th pt right now lol. I have a stand-by pt of my monk tav in act 3 cause the kiss animation with Astarion with a tav with body type 1 (the smollest one lol) is broken since patch 4. And yes, I'm becoming the kind of person who romances Astarion with every single tav I make😂

I'm curious to see your tavs so please show me whenever you can👀

Here are mine in chronological order of my pts:

Iriel - seldarine drow sorcerer

(the 2nd pt I did was Astarion's origin so no tav)

Ceres - half-elf monk (on stand-by until Larian fixes the kiss animation with Astarion in act 3 lol)

Nephalem - high-elf necromancer (current pt)

And yes, they're all head over heels in love with Astarion🙈😍

I really hope you've got the chance to play BG3 further! If you have, please tell me about your tav(s) and what you think if the game so far👀

I... can't even remember what I sent you, but I gather it was about BG3 LOL I'm feeling much better. I haven't tried your cloud idea yet. I wanted to finish my Adaar run and I replayed DAO instead. Mainly because my friend said during our little Christmas break (we have 4ish days off for it and we're coworkers) he's getting it on his Xbox and I'm gonna go play it with him! Which means when the spiders come I can hide 🤣🤣 I DID make three "Tavs" before I gave up (and I'll be remaking one for the Xbox marathon).

All your Tavs (pts?? pcs??) look SO cool! I wasn't super pleased with how limited the faces were, but you did a great job making each unique. Silly Larian, fix the bug so Ceres can have a kiss! KISS KISS KISS! Oh, also, how is it playing a monk?? I had a tabaxi (cat person) monk in a campaign and she was so fun to rp, does it work out well in bg3?? I think Iriel's design in my favorite, though. I looove that half-buzz cut. Nephalem looks very suave and cool, too 😎

As for my girls, I'll show the few pics I got.

This is Karik, my Moon Circle Wildshaping half-elf Druid! And her dream guardian. I made her look like my current campaign's Tepin Pallis Cuautl Lozano, another Moon Circle Druid Wildshaper 🤭🤭🤭 I wanna romance Lae'zel, but I never met Wyll or Karlach, so... we'll see.

Then, there's Andry Cousland, my og Warden, Warrior-Archer human. I just wanted to see what she'd look like in BG3. Not bad🤔

Lastly, the one I'm going to remake for the Xbox and I'm super excited for it! I'm probably going to romance Gale, maybe... Anyway, meet:

Agnes, half-elf drow, Trickster Cleric of Tymora

(you can see where the computer started losing itself and her hair looks weird and pixel-y, but still cute 💖)

[sofiiel]

I Remember You | Part Two

Eddie x Fem!Reader Post S4 - Time Skip | Sort fic (probably) about 3 parts.

WARNINGS: angst. Reader suffers from alcohol + drug abuse. S4 is only semi cannon in this fic. There will probably be eventual smut in later parts. Use of Y/n. Longish word counts.

A/N: Based off of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" | The songs : Far From Home : The Sweetest Chill : Taking Over Me : Walking On Both Sides : Cirice : Corrode.

⇐ Previous | TOC | Next ⇒

The work day finally came to a close.

You survived your shift. Though you popped painkillers like candy for the ringing of your head, constantly munching on handfuls of trail mix.

Settled outside your job on the curb, you waited patiently. Vickie said she'd be willing to pick you up. That saved you a long walk home with nothing but your thoughts. The loudest of them.

"But you deserve the long walk home. What were you even thinking, going that far beyond your usual?" You questioned yourself.

"Relax, it was just the day. You're in control now." you murmured.

The horn of Vickie's car honked once and as you looked up were met with the concerned faces of the two women inside.

"Don't look so scared. Steve was being dramatic, I swear." You said. Getting to your feet, you swung your purse over your shoulder, and got inside the car.

"Yeah, dingus can be a little dramatic, but he said you passed out." Robin spoke.

"Mhhm, something people do when drunk. Right?" You question, you could feel the defensiveness bubbling, boiling, you didn't mean to sound that snarky.

Robin raised her hands in surrender, "Jeez, ok." she breathed. "Just a healthy bit of concern." Robin added.

You sighed, "sorry." in a murmur.

Vickie twisted her body to look at you from the diver's seat. "Are you, sure you're ok. I know you don't like to talk about it but-"

Your words rushed out swiftly, and your pulse raced right with them. "I'm fine." It'd been years since you last talked about everything. It felt so trivial in your head some days.

Though that's never what the psychotherapist said. Nor was it what the break in your voice just told them.

Vickie bit her lip and quickly turned around, if you were trying to fight it, she couldn't let you see the mist in her eyes. Robin's gaze lingered on Vickie, who's face was riddled in concern.

"Right, well. Do you want to go home or get something to eat?" Vickie said, trying to brighten the mood.

"I just- home please." you said quietly.

Vickie nodded and without a word put the car in drive and turned up the radio slightly.

Eddie grumbled to himself as he fiddled with the tape repair kit and a radio on the living room floor. His eyes squinting were nearly closed, and his tongue curved to hug the tip of his upper lip.

"Come on, be salvageable." he murmured, carefully pulling the reel out of the cassette case. The case itself was severely cracked, and blood had seeped beyond the plastic, as had the water.

He didn't have his hopes high, but Eddie had also seen far more impossible things happen. So what's necromancing a doomed little tape?

Scatter around him was an opened can of cold mix vegetables, a box of cereal and a bottle of water. A blanket draped from his shoulders. The world around him may have been less damp but even in it's drying dusty state it was freezing.

Eddie wished the electricity in the house would decide it wanted to play, it was in fact on in town today.

He picked up the can and shook some of the veggies into his mouth. Chomping away before washing it down and going back to his fiddling.

Through his head like a movie was a daydream that he'd thought left him a long time ago. It crawled to the surface the moment he heard her voice through the veil.

Again he imagined what it would have been like, meeting her at the quarry. What she might have said. The conversation changed with every daydream, but now what he said remained the same.

Eddie's mind went wild with the details, it was a nice evening that day. The weather was gentle and deceivingly comforting. He didn't get a chance to look at the stars, but he bet they were vivid.

He smiled to himself; It was one of the things she'd remind people to do back then.

"Take a moment and look at the sky, at least once a day, and take in something bigger than everything else around you." she'd say.

Eddie imagined that night, before any words were spoken, they would have done just that; gazed up at the night sky above. That the silence would have been easy and welcomed.

That she would sigh and flash him a nervous smile, ask if he'd listened to the tape, and then the real conversation would start.

Eddie imagined a hundred different things she might have said. Maybe it was a feeling that had settled in for years, as it seemed somehow they always crossed paths. Or perhaps it was a sudden epiphany of a new attraction, having worked with each other for the past two years. Maybe she just woke up that morning and decided, fuck it, I might like him, and I'm going for it.

He'd been shocked that day when he opened that envelope. When his eyes scanned over the note at a quick glance, and reread it even quicker.

Sure, Eddie had a thought or two before. Some days, her smile would leave him staring just a bit longer than he should be. Or she'd touch his arm and he'd tell himself, "Y/n's just friendly."

"She's just nice." said his past thoughts.

But reading that note.

"Hey, there's this guy that's been in my head for a while now. You know him. I kind of need your help though with this one. I can tell you who, just meet me at the quarry tonight. Tell me when is good for you."

Alright, so it wasn't exactly a confession. It could have been anybody. But it wasn't anyone in his band, Y/n could have asked him about them a long time ago.

It couldn't be a customer for that same reason. Why else would she hand such a simple request to him in a sealed envelope with a mixtape.

"Or maybe you really wanted to be someone's...well, someone." Eddie thought with a sigh. Now trying to put the tape into a new case.

He was going to be thirty in about a year, and still his heart fluttered at the thought of what she might have said to him.

In his daydreaming, when she had said her peace, he imagined she'd look up at him with those familiar eyes. She might even be holding her breath, waiting for him to say something. Say anything.

Eddie knew now exactly what he'd do. He'd laugh, he wouldn't be able to help it. It'd be a small chuckle, but it'd be there. She'd cast him a worried glance, and probably assume he thought the hole thing was silly.

But he'd prove her wrong. Eddie made up in his mind that he would hug her and spin her about, or try to. If that failed, he'd keep her in a light embrace. Wrapped in his arms. He'd bump his forehead to hers and say, "Yeah, I know the guy, and I think I can honestly say. He's probably learning that he's into you too. He'd never see this coming. But, he might need to hear it again, though."

She'd look at him and repeat her most precious line, and then Eddie would steal a kiss, and with any luck it would knock her off her feet.

Eddie, lost in his thoughts, had stopped working on the cassette. He stared off into nothing, a slight smile on his face. But that smile slowly began to fade at the reminder in the back of his head.

"You're not getting out of here." it said in the smallest of voices.

Eddie looked down at the tape and cassette shell. It wasn't a new thought, and yet this time that thought made him want to cry.

It was the new-found ability to be able to hear people again from the other side. The return of lost interactions. Familiar faces and voices more than a waning memory, audibly tangible.

Above his head, Eddie heard a loud bang and crash. He jumped slightly startled, casting his eyes to the ceiling above him. The dirty mirror was slowly coming back, and he could make out her shape through it.

You looked down at the wine bottle that lay cracked open on the coffee table. Watching the red liquid pool and, in a small stream, trickle onto the carpet.

Your mind went blank as you gathered the pieces. You'd dropped it. It was on purpose, but your mind wasn't clear on why. Because just as much as it meant to drop the bottle, it meant to consume all of it.

"I don't want to give into this thing, to this place." You murmured. "I'm not ready, but I don't want to give up." you whispered.

Down below, Eddie watched you with a tentative gaze, "Neither do I." he breathed.

Dumping the split bottle and large shards into the trash, you tried your best to collect yourself. Eyes shut tightly, "see I am in control, I've got this." you told yourself.

Going to the sink you turn on the cold water and let it wash the red wine stains from your hands. Focused on the lather of the soap, you fought to ignore the sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. Your skin crawled as a piece of your mind whimpered, "Why'd you do that? Why'd you waste that!" in a quiet rage.

You exhaled and suck in your lips. "Don't be so pathetic." you whispered. "This is all so stupid."

With the bend of your wrist, you rubbed at your itching eyes. It was bad enough that you let this morning happen. You were determined not to be reduced to a crying mess on the floor.

"Maybe that's what you need." something foreign echoed in your head. A voice you were not familiar with. It flittered around you like a strange kindness. Its words were soft.

"Trust me" it whispered. "I know."

Covering your mouth, you let your teeth sink into your bottom lip. "You're losing it." you thought. "For little reason other than..." your thoughts faded.

If you stopped thinking about it, talking about it, it would all go away. At least that's what your family said. But then again, they didn't think you needed any outside help.

There were plenty of reasons why you avoided them, your family.

"We're family now" is what Vickie would tell you. "You're big sis," that statement always came with a giggle.

The light blinked from your phone, someone had left a message. All you really wanted was sleep, though it wasn't often you got calls.

"Better check it." you sighed.

"Hello, Y/n. It's Beth from work! I was wondering if you had time, would you be interested in having lunch with Barry and I next Saturday? His brother's moving back in town and he's a single pringle! It'd also be nice to have a fourth, you know, for the conversation. I'm sure you'll have a lot in common having just returned! He's a music teacher, isn't that fun? Just let me know, give me a call."

You cringed.

Below, Eddie shook his head, "that's not lunch, that's a set-up. And a poorly executed one." he murmured.

You gazed at the phone with a flat expression. "I hate fix ups." you muttered. Everyone thought they knew what you wanted or what you needed. It's how you spent half your time in college.

"I promise he's a greaaat guy!" they'd say.

And yet so far it's never worked out, not once. Couple of months at most and then on to the next one.

"Why do you even go?" Vickie would often ask after listening to your rants over the phone. The answer was simple, who doesn't want to find their person?

Alright, probably lots of people, but you weren't one of them.

Vickie words sprung into your mind again, "Maybe things never work out because... you already met them." her advice always stuck in your craw worse than anything.

"She is terrible at dating and wisdom for her self. And yet, in an instant, becomes Confucius or Plato or something for anyone else." you thought with a shake of your head.

"Goofy little genius." You sighed.

"But maybe you're right. No one else fits." you said to yourself, "If that's the case, what was I going to do if rejected." the words came out in a bitter chuckle.

Trying your best to shrug off the thought. Thinking about it too long led to the every persistent self dig of 'what if I'd tried sooner?'

The age-old curse of not wanting to risk what you've happily settled for just because of a chance at more.

"It's like only applying to shit schools because fear of that rejection letter. Then dreaming about Harvard for the rest of your life." you grumbled to yourself.

"Wanting the lead role, but only auditioning for the one-liner." you said.

"Who'd she let slip?" Eddie murmured. From his entrapment, he followed your path through the house.

You looked at yourself in the mirror, set your purse on the vanity and kicked off your shoes. "Maybe I should go." You said.

"Pretty sure talking to yourself this much is a bad sign." you chuckled. "You need someone around. Even if just to talk."

Eddie shook his head, "nope, it's a sigh of genius. Think I read that somewhere, maybe?" Eddie squinted, "no point in trying to remember, you know how this goes." he said.

Eddie fell silent, watching you look at the secondary phone on your night stand. "She's contemplating it?" he thought, biting his lip with unease.

"Shouldn't bother you, man, you're stuck here." He thought.

Meanwhile, you'd plucked up the phone and gave Beth a call.

"Shit." Eddie whispered, "wait? Barry? I knew that name." he uttered. Trying to remember made his head hurt. Eddie closed his eyes, "give it up." He told himself, his finger touching a trickle of scarlet at his nostril.

"Damn it." Eddie said, heading for the tissue box, near the bed.

March 26, 1994

Eddie wrote down a series of cords in the worn notebook that'd become his newest diary. A hand wrapped around his gut, that last tin of sardines was long gone. Time may have stood still for everything else in the upside down, "but that stuff was probably past it's date years before it go stuck here." Eddie thought.

He rubbed his stomach lightly, food supplies taken from houses were less reliable than what he gathered from stores, schools, and the hospital.

The veil was closed, sealed up tight, and he could only listen to the commotion above. Drawers opening a closing Y/n muttering to herself. It was the fifth outfit she'd tried on.

"It's nearly impossible to be possible date ready and business casual all at once." he'd heard her say.

Eddie groaned, sliding his notebook forward as he moved to lay on his stomach. She didn't like a blue blouse, the khaki pants, or the green earrings. Which left Eddie to wonder.

"Whats your favorite color?"

He wrote in his book.

Eddie gnawed on his pencil and looked down at the page.

"Favorite anything. Food, candy, time of year? Night or day?"

Eddie could recall a few things, like her favorite band and favorite celebrity. He never knew why those stuck with him.

"Probably because back then you'd love to have been both., and it just didn't click." his small thoughts chimed.

A soft, struggling smile crossed his face as his hand flicked and swirled the pencil across the lines.

"What's your favorite song?"

He knew it once, Eddie was sure of it. It must have been a fleeting moment. "I love that song!" she said.

He could only remember that much and the fact that it was playing on the radio at the time.

"I was working on the car, under it." Eddie gazed down at his writing. "And the song came on, and she nearly tripped over my legs trying to get inside and turn up the volume." Eddie said.

He whispered, "but what was the song..." and closed up his book. He still had sweetheart and his acoustic. They'd managed to survive as long as he had. Maybe if he played for a while, it'd come back to him.

Your eyes shifted towards the clock for the twentieth time. Dreading and yet hopeful about lunch. "If he's decent, and you hit it off, this could be the very thing you need." you thought.

The minute hand ticked and it was officially lunch. Grabbing your purse, you headed for your car.

"Don't think too much about it and just be casual..." You sat giving yourself a pep talk, examining your face in the mirror of the car. You'd parked outside the newly renovated Benny's.

Looking out the window, you could spot Beth and Barry meeting a man by the door.

Your eyes squinted, You could only see his back, but, "He looks strangely familiar." You murmur. Examining what you could about it, he wasn't tall or short, with a heavy build. Slicked bark hair sporting a few curls and clad in a leather jacket, which held more patches than you'd ever seen in your life.

You check over your reflection one last time, take a deep breath and step out of your car.

"Oh! There she is!" Beth called out.

You raise a hand to send a stiff wave. Before the motion could complete, the man turned around, and your jaw clenched tight. "I..." Your thoughts were broken, mentally screaming.

"Holy shit, Y/n?" said Paul, a grin slowly came to his face, "Remember me?" He asked with a grin.

Pins and needles stung at your fingertips, "I...you're Corroded's bassist, um.." You exhale, "were, I mean."

Paul's smile faltered a little as well, "yeah, that me." he said.

Beth excitedly shook Barry's shoulder. "Look, look," she whispered.

Paul glanced back at His brother and Sister in law. "Um, would you mind if I took Y/n out for ice cream instead?" He asked.

Beth cut in faster than Barry could answer. "Are you kidding? You two go have fun! Sound like you have lots of catching up to do!" she sang.

There was little more Beth loved, than playing matchmaker.

Paul smiled at his family and beckoned you to follow him. The walk up the street was quiet. He stopped before a motorcycle and got on.

"Here," said Paul, passing you the spare Helmet. Fastening it on your head, you climbed on behind him.

"Ice cream?" You questioned, holding onto his shoulders.

"I needed to tell them something." He said.

"Besides, you looked at me like the whole world was crashing." Paul sighed.

The silence that fell was suffocating, even the rumble of the bike couldn't cut through. You cleared your throat, "so, you're a music teacher now?" You asked.

"Ahhhh," Paul lulled, nodding his head, "yeah. Took a music major, found out that they're hiring at Hawkin's Middle School." He said. "so...I'm back." the words came in a quiet murmur.

Your mouth shut tight, "I came back for my friend's wedding. Stayed because of a job offer as well. You know...money's nice after job hopping all over." You said in a tone to match his.

Bent over the toilet in a room of the husk that would have been the Hospital, Eddie wiped his mouth. His stomach knotted and arms trembling. "Fuck." he whispered.

With dulled eyes, he looked at the scarlet and black sludge in the bowl. "That's not food poisoning or bad sardines." he muttered.

His stomach twisted, causing Eddie to hiss. He used the wall for support, carefully sliding down it. With his head in his hands, he shook his head.

"You fought it off before, you can keep it up." he told himself. But his fingertips felt frost bitten, and his head began to hurt. It wanted to steal more of him away.

Eddie looked down at his hands, they shivered violently. Pale skin turning a volcanic gray, nails black and pointed. He could feel his spine crack, threatening to hunch.

He needed to be fast, Eddie quickly discarded his vest and shirt. The Pants and shoes could be ruined, he could find those again. But if the tops were distorted, he feared he'd lose the memories tied to them.

The skin beneath Eddie's armpit webbed and following the length of his arm fused slowly. He sank down to the floor, curled and writhing as he could feel his body unwillingly change.

Eventually the screaming stopped, and consciousness left him. It was in control now.

In the back of the ice cream parlor, you poked at the banana split. Paul watched you quietly digging away at his triple stack. It seemed both of you planned on eating away your feelings.

"Since there's nothing to drink." you thought.

"You know Eddie told us," Paul finally said.

Your eyes refused to look at him, finally taking a spoonful of your ice cream. "Told you what?" you asked.

Paul glanced off, "you know..." he hesitated, "about the note and...thte tape."

You nearly choked, "o-oh..." you stammered.

Paul's brow pushed together, "Nobody was able to reach you, you know after the evacuation." he said. "Jeff and Gareht tried. Vickie said you wouldn't answer calls."

You sat still, watching the split melt.

"You weren't there for the-"

"Vickie said it was empty, so it was pointless. Right?" You spoke quickly, shutting his statement down before it could reach your ears.

"This town, its investigative work, isn't worth piss without Jim Hopper. And with the government in a frenzy over that weird fall out..." You rambled.

Paul simply watched you. "Yeah, we didn't buy it at first either." he sighed.

"At first?" you asked, narrowing your eyes.

He answered you, speaking carefully words heavy, "It's been eight years, Y/n. What other answer could it be?"

"Missing persons can be missing for decades," you said, shaking your head, "some are never found until they die, but until that time they are still out there."

Paul drew in a breath. "That's..."

Your eyes narrowed more.

"That can't be better for you to think. A grave, a chance to say your peace. That's closure. It can hel-"

"That's not closer, that's talking to dirt under a stone, crafted to make what happened go away. A.k.a a load of horseshit" You snapped.

Paul lifted his hands in surrender. "Ok" he said.

You eased back, looking down at your hands.

"Ok." he repeated in a sigh.

You swallowed hard, and unzipped your purse. Pulling out a small silver flask. Paul watched you apprehensively as you took a sip.

Looking up, you noticed the look he was giving you. And a lie you'd gotten far too comfortable telling, tumbled out of your mouth.

"It's...liquid Tylenol. I...haven't been well lately." You murmured.

Paul exhaled, "Oh, I'm sorry," he said. Both wanting to ask more, and yet he didn't want to push into anything that might have been personal. Tylenol wasn't anything strong, and he didn't want to her about period details. Must have been cramps.

"Well...not to harp on, you know..." Paul muttered.

"How have you been? What have you been up too?" He asked.

"After college? Just trying to keep a steady job. You try and pick the thing that's interesting and good enough money. But get out and find the jobs are too few or too many people qualify for them." You said.

"Other than that, I'm just here. Helping Vickie navigate her disgruntled family, for far." You side glanced, "I don't have much of a life outside of work these days."

"Well, that's no good." Paul said with a faint smile. "Gotta live a little sometime."

"So, what about you?" You asked, wanting to change the subject. If this kept up, it might lead to an offer to go to a bar sometime. And you'd worked far too hard to avoid becoming a regular there.

"Yep, doing great, you only frequent the liquor store six times a week." you thought, soured.

"Usually work, during school breaks I offer private lessons for bass guitar and standard. I have the kids on weekends, holidays and half of the school break." Paul explained.

"You have kids?" You asked, you'd never have guessed that.

He laughed. "Four, if you can believe it. Triplets, all girls and my youngest son."

You manged a smile, "that's great."

From there on, the conversation seemed to move about at an easier pace. For now, you were just glad this hadn't turned into a complete nightmare. Even if it was only another reminder.

⇐ Previous | TOC | Next ⇒

[ase-trollplays]

Visiting Hours

"Hey, asshole. You remember me?"

Ruvlin stared at the pajama-clad bronze standing in front of him, arms crossed and eyes narrowed with a deep frown on their lips. He looked them over for a moment, then briefly at the white void the two found themselves in.

"... No?" he responded and was met with a scoff from the other troll.

"Of course you don't. You probably don't bother to remember anyone that you murder," they accused with venom dripping from their voice. Ruvlin sighed and removed his ushanka to run a hand through his hair.

"Okay, I think I get it. You're someone I killed on the job, aren't you."

The brown marched up to him furiously. The top of their head only barely passed his shoulders, though they had no problem grabbing him by the collar and forcefully yanking him down to their eye level with one hand so they could get right in his face. Ruvlin's eyes widened for a moment before he returned to a neutral, nonplussed expression which only seemed to upset his antagonist further.

"Do you even care about the lives you ruin?? Or is it just another Tuesday for you?!" they spat and gave him a hard shake in an attempt to get some kind of reaction out of him. He gave a small sigh and looked away, which they responded to by slapping him on the side of the head with their free hand.

"Fucking look at me! My name is Amprus Dorzuh! I was a graphic novelist who did lusus whispering on the side! I was in a lowblood gang that protected our end of the city from highbloods looking to assault and abuse us! I had amazing friends I would and did kill for who would do the same for me! I had someone I was crushing hard on and never got to tell him! I had a life! I was a person!"

"What do you want me to do, exactly??" Ruvlin responded in frustration, though he made no move to push Amprus away or make them let go. He simply returned their harsh glare with a glare of his own.

"You think I enjoy my job? I fucking hate what I do. I hate traumatizing people and ruining their lives, especially kids. I hate when I'm forced to kill other trolls so I can kill their lusii. I hate that I had to kill my own goddamn lusus just to avoid being killed myself. I hate the person this job made me into, someone who can't even feel bad about this shit anymore or I'd blow my fucking brains out. The only thing I hate more than this is the fleet, which is exactly where I would be if I wasn't doing this shit."

Ruvlin's fins flared angrily, and the two of them remained in silent, tense eye contact before he spoke again.

"I'm sorry. That probably doesn't mean shit to you, but I am."

"You didn't even give me a good death. You made me die slowly and in overwhelming pain. You could have just plugged me in the head. I would have died quick and painless. Instead, you gut shot and kneecapped me."

"And I'm sorry for that, too."

"Being sorry doesn't fix what you did."

"Literally nothing will fix what I did unless you happen to know a really good necromancer. I still don't know what you expect from me. If you want me to grovel at your feet and beg for your forgiveness, I can do that."

Amprus scoffed and shoved him away from them. He stumbled a bit then straightened out his shirt collar and put his hat back on.

"I could have you killed. That won't fix anything, but it'll save more people from being casualties of your job."

"There'll always be other orphaners. I'm just a cog in a machine; killing me isn't going to save anyone."

"Okay, but it'll make me feel really, really good."

"Fair enough. Don't expect me to make it easy, though. I have a life and friends, too."

"And you don't deserve any of it."

"Again, fair enough."

Amprus gave him a hard stare before groaning and turning away. "Whatever. Just watch your back, fish."

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

Ruvlin slowly opened his eyes and sat up in his recuperacoon in his secondary hive. It was rare for him to dream, and he typically didn't remember them upon awakening the few times he did. That one, however, was branded into his mind. He grabbed his palmhusk and checked the time: 2:50 in the afternoon.

No one else in their right mind would be awake at this hour, and he found himself not so tired anymore, so he climbed out of the recuperacoon, toweled off the residual sopor slime, and made his way to the living room to boot up one of his gaming systems.

[upwards-descent]

Trespassing

tw: mild nsfw warning

"Damnit, Frankie, quit squirming."

Frankie did not, in fact, quit squirming. He writhed on the floor, groaning and making all sorts of obnoxious nonverbal noises. Aspergillus tugged on his chain, doing his best to wrangle the hulking revenant.

"What the hell is going on with you?" Asper blew a lock of hair out of his face, annoyance written clearly on his features. "Is something wrong? You have to use your words, Franklin, or I can't help you."

"Mmmuh. Mmmmmmmmuhhh."

With a frustrated sigh, Asper stopped moving. He'd just hit his stride, sitting in Frankie's lap as the behemoth laid on the floor. His massive cock carved quite an impressive bulge, straining against the pale skin of Asper's belly. Bracing his feet on the floor, the necromancer rose, wincing as inch after inch of long hard dick slid out of his ass. When it unsheathed fully, it slapped against Frankie's gut with a wet smack. 

"Now what's the issue, you big lug?" Asper huffed, feeling a little winded. His asshole was properly gaped and dripping with lube.

"Muh," Frankie raised an arm and pointed with a sausage-like finger to one of the windows in the study. "Mmmmmmmh."

"Something outside?"

Snatching up his robe, Asper clambered up onto one of his desks to peer out the window. Even from the crumbled castle's lone standing tower, he could make out a few shapes stepping onto the property. Children, probably, given their proportions. Perhaps teenagers were more accurate.

"Good job, Frankie!" Asper grinned, going onto his tiptoes to get a better look. "I'm amazed you sensed them from so far away."

"Mmmmhhyou." 

"You're welcome."

Asper shoved his arm out of the window, fingers outstretched towards the trespassers. He thought for a moment about the good old days when he'd first moved in. No one bothered him, living in fear of the dark wizard who commanded death itself. Now the locals treated his home like a tourist trap, something to invade and gawk at. 

The familiar tug of magic pulled at Asper's gut. He clenched his fist and yanked it upwards. At least a dozen skeletons began erupting from the earth, shaking off the cold wet dirt and clambering upright. 

"Arise, arise!" Aspergillus shouted, commanding them to approach. "Begone from this place, trespassers, or face the awesome might of my undead army--"

"Oh, fuck yeah, take my picture, bro!"

"Wait, wait, hold on, the lighting's bad, move this way."

Asper watched, jaw slack, as the teens got into position for a cheesey photo-op. One of them flashed a peace sign, pantomiming putting his arm around one of the skeletons when it ambled up to him. The necromancer could see the flash of her phone and they budged back up together to assess the photo.

"Aw, that looks great! We should bring props next time."

"Leave!" Asper boomed, using magic to make his voice louder and deeper. "Leave this place before I take off your heads and pickle your brains!"

"Okay! Thanks for the pics, mister!"

Clinging to the window in shock, Asper continued to stare as the teens ambled off, still geeking about their picture. Sensing the change in mood, each skeleton turned to look up at Asper.

"Sorry, boss!" One of them chittered, reaching up to shyly rub at their bare skull. "We really tried!"

"Fucking amateurs," Asper mumbled. "It's fine! Go... Back to sleep!"

"Got it, boss!"

The necromancer clambered down off of his desk, crossing his arms haughtily over his chest. Of course Frankie was right where he'd left him, his cock still flopped out of his pants and his shirt pulled up to his chest. Asper waved his hand and the revenant obeyed, meaty fingers slowly tugging his clothes back in place.

"Perhaps it's time I make a trip into town," Asper leaned against his manservant as he thought aloud. Frankie's languid petting through his hair was always calming. "These fools have grown too comfortable. I need to show them what true fear is. We'll set out at dusk! Franklin, you'll be pack mule. Give me a good roar!"

Frankie looked down at the necromancer, blinking one eye at a time. He opened his mouth wide, far wider than any living human could.

"... Ah."

"Alright," Asper sighed, patting the revenant's hip encouragingly. "We'll work on it."

[hdawg1995]

Hey!

Kinda out of the blue, but I am super curious about your necromancer. Also - the OCs you've posted here are super cool, and I want to know if it's cool for me to draw them 'u'

*breaks down a door and grabs you*

OKAY SO BANE!

(i can't add a read more, i'm so sorry) Austin "Bane" Wyvernjack is one of my D&D characters that i probably will never play again (sadness). He's a death&magic domain cleric/bard (3.5 is awesome you get TWO domains!) and his whole neutral/evil shtick is that the living don't take care of the dead and the dead deserve better than what they get.

he was raised by two very kind retired adventurers after his mother left him on their door step (i always left the why up to my dungeon master but the campaigns never lasted long enough for Bane's past to get a spot light). the town he was raised it wasn't great- there was this priest who did the stereotypical fantasy priest thing and was controlling the whole town with religion and got everyone to turn on Bane.

"But why?" you may ask, and its because this little kid could see and hear ghosts! more importantly- he could see and hear the ghosts in the graveyard behind the church who couldn't move on because the priest fumbled their burial rights.

So Bane, being a good natured kiddo who didn't know why no one else could see the floating people did the burial rights. which pissed off the priest. so obviously the child who can see ghosts was a devil and they should get rid of him. and also tell him that the god he was raised to follow hated him for bonus points.

BUT UH OH! NOW THAT BANE HAD TURNED FROM THE GOD OF THE SUN, LIGHT, LIFE, GUESS HE'LL GO TO THE GODDESS OF DEATH, MAGIC, AND KNOWLEGE!

*insert "KNOWLEGE" meme*

BAne went from good boy to a pain in the Priest's ass as a form of teenage rebellion. this is how he got the nickname "Bane". he prefers that name (and "No one" because of spy antics in another campaign i tried to play him in) because when you follow a goddess of death, magic, and knowledge you KNOW you're gonna do necromancy and thats not liked in most parts of the world. since he adopted his adopted parent's last name he doesn't want anyone or anything going after them because they want to get at the necromancer, you know?

so off Bane goes to be a adventurer. he died *a lot*. in the first campaign i had with him at one point he died 3 times in combat due to the DM getting nothing but 20s against him. when she got the 4th 20 she didn't even say anything she just got up, went next door, bought some cookies and handed them to me. was not fun but it birthed the "Banes dead again" inside joke.

since i figured i would never play him again i started crafting a backstory for him where he gets a girlfriend and they're cute together but jokes on everyone Bane is one of those Bisexuals who thought they were gay and then realized "huh girls are nice too".

He plays the violin and has a ghost that haunts it named Daruk. Daruk was a man who wanted to be a adventurer but died before he could, so now he travels with Bane experiencing the adventure second hand- he also helps Bane some times. when he plays the violin Daruk is in Daruk can cast spells though the music. it has a fire motif and because Bane is a necromancer is GREEN FIRE!

Something Bane says that i always think about and chew on cause every time i do i pull more and more "ah HA!" moments from it is "the living are sheep who will follow any shepherd to the slaughter" because thats how he views the world- a town was easily convinced that a child was evil because they listened to a man who didn't like said child doing a better job than him.

BUT HE IS ALSO LIVING! HE IS VERY MUCH ALIVE! HE IS ALSO A SHEEP FOLLOWING A SHEPHERD TO THE SLAUGHTER!

everyone dies eventually, the sheep eventually are slaughtered. its the shepherd who decides the why and the how- is the shepherd in his phrasing life? death? the gods? YES! ALL THREE! your life choices, your timely or untimely demise, the things you believe in all shepherd you to your end and if that end is pretty or not really ain't up to you. at one point in time Bane felt he was the black sheep of the herd since he... well, was. normally the lone sheep that gets rejected or forgotten by the shepherd is left to the wolves so during that time Bane felt less like a sheep and more like a wolf in sheep's clothing. rather then trying to get in and harm the herd, it was just a huge sense of lack of belonging.

at one point i made Bane a NPC in a game i ran and gave him the ability to enter dreams and cause nightmares legit just ripping off from persona 5 (i even gave him a mask and drew it once.) and now he has this nightmare/pumpkin jack motif and i like to think he thinks its just neat.

None of my bards can sing to save their life. Bane is no different. he can play the violin, dance, and tell a story but sing? the number of times he has screamed in fear or pain (because he died a lot i can not stress that enough that is why i'm never gonna play him again the dice hate him) have ruined whatever vocal cords he has.

i joke that hes my "blue eyed pink haired emo boy" because he is but i never actually make his eyes blue. his eyes are this sickly pale green that glow when he is angry or doing magic (or if it would be spooky because he is dramatic like that and so am i). when he was a NPC i made it lore that the color eyes he has are known as "death's witness" and they're a magic genetic thing. if you see enough death in very specific ways your eyes change to that color and the gene for that color gets passed down to your immediate kin. your kids will have the gene but your grand kids won't (unless your kids happen to have kids with someone else with the gene). Bane has it because blue is a recessive gene and Death's Witness is also recessive, so it overrides the blue.

Bane doesn't have "minions" or "servants", he has friends/companions. i mentioned Daruk but he also has Cuddles the War Pony. CUDDLES' BACKSTORY IS REALLY SAD TW FOR ANIMAL DEATH BUT I LOVE CUDDLES SO GOD DAMN MUCH!

so war ponies are used by smaller races in war. Cuddles loved battle, she was a really good war pony. she got the name because she would cuddle and roll around with her rider(s) after battle to get all that energy out. one day her rider was killed in combat so she stood her ground to defend him. it was a losing fight, but she eventually won. unfortunately *she* was the only one who "one" that battle, so there wasn't anyone to arrive in time to treat her wounds and the enemy wasn't about to get anywhere near a war pony that just killed three men. she cuddled up to her rider and passed away to her injuries on the battle field. in the after life she was very restless- there wasn't a war to fight in the after life, there wasn't a battle or combat to participate in. all she did was run, she couldn't' settle down. Then one day a young necromancer found her bones, still on the battle field, alone. someone had come for her rider but not her. the necromancer felt sorry for the war pony and asked if she wanted to adventure with him. Cuddles was animated almost instantly and promptly tackled the young man, earning her name once more. TW OVER

and then during a campaign Bane got possessed by a demon who turned her into a skeletal nightmare pony. she can talk now! AND CAN FLY!

Right now i'm writing a story where Bane and my other table top characters who will never see the light of day again are living under one roof and there is a surprisingly lack of antics but one of the things about Bane in that story is that he is really happy he isn't constantly dying and has more time for his hobbies like playing the violin and wood carving.

WOW THAT WAS A LOT! Bane is my boi and i love him lots.

also YES! OMG DRAW MY OCS! I HAVE SO MUCH AFFECTION TOWARDS THAT IDEA! THANK YOU! IM GONNA STOP SCREAMING NOW!

[dearest-infinity]

guess who's FINALLY back

so ik i was dead for a long time. sorry about that, can't promise it won't happen again, but hey! i got some better outlines for my wips and new directions things are going in :> so while i might've been in a bit of a creative coma, i'm slowly clawing my way back to the surface lmao

anyway! since it's been a hell of a long time: what's up, name's moony (or lune, if you're feeling formal), pronouns he/him or ze/hir, and i'm a fantasy writer!

the wips i'm focusing on are, at the moment:

wrong side of legendary: an urban fantasy work about a keith, traumatized former prince, cross, the rat bastard keith summons when he tries to do something for his roommate, and saying fuck you to the world and the people they were supposed to be. mlm, just a teeny bit spooky

red rise: soft sci-fi fantasy that the outline is worrying me with the projected word count of, oh god that's centered around kyra, a girl with a sun living in her chest, trying to save the universe from an empire that can never really outrun the destruction it leaves in its wake, and silena, her best-friend-turned-desperate-enemy who's the golden girl of the empire and owes her life and more to it. there are so so so many sad lesbians in this. i am not immune to sad lesbians and neither are you.

dark eyes (name under construction): tragic fantasy. levi is the town witch, and it's her job to keep everyone safe from the magical forest that surrounds them and, should it come down to it, the fae that live in it. this... does not go very well. one day, levi wakes up to the entire town having been overrun by the forest, and the townspeople either turned to wood or vanished. as she sets out to right this, she encounters branwen, a forest fae who will help her in exchange for one thing: her heart. i love them dearly, your honor.

and of course, the backburner wips:

elle is waiting (by the bodies of your gods): retired apocalypse-ender yis'sika and her wife rhoze are called upon, once again, save the world from— huh. it seems no one can really tell them. no one except a girl who claims to be from another world, and a young woman made of flowers who claims to be yis'sika and rhoze's daughter. no one trusts each other, but the clock is ticking. the statues have eyes. and elle is always, always, waiting.

black lightning: nova and zenith are vigilante partners who know and trust each other with everything in their fight against the corrupt system—everything, except their identities. this becomes a problem when nova, civilian name estelle, is scouted to become an intelligent, a once-human, now-machine enforcer of the law, and is brought into the glass palace—which, despite its name, is impossible to get anything in or out of. zenith, civilian name zhen, realizes that something must've happened, and tries to save nova from whatever fate has befallen her; a course that takes her to the glass palace. it may be the lion's den, but with the two of them working together, they might be able to strike at the heart of the power that's hurt so many. also they're gay. they're really gay. fluffy wlw superhero action (with just a teeny touch of the body horror. TINY)

unnamed wip (time travel sapphics flavored): fellas, is it gay to time travel to save the world? no? fine. is it gay to time travel to save your really really hot dyke best friend? THERE WE GO. wlw and happy for once!!!

unnamed wip (wild west flavored): an immortal necromancer wants to fulfill the natural order and die. a sunwraith cowboy, risen from the grave to have its justice—or is it revenge?—, wants to live the life stolen from it. i won't lie, i don't know much about this one, but it's gay and bittersweet.

postcard from the end times: this one's actually going to be a comic! fantasy story about a bunch of kids who go to trauma school and try really, really hard to win in a system that's trying to farm them for all the misery they can produce. spoiler alert: it doesn't work. so, new plan: kill the school and everyone behind it. salt and burn until the cancer's dead, and keep going until it can't claw itself out of its own grave. what's god to a shit ton of angry teenagers? killable.

woagh. that was a lot. anyway, love you all! good luck this year, hopefully it's better than the last ;;-;;

[kuai-liangst]

Lost Snow Child Chapter Nine

Summary: Emily and Kuai Liang are taken to the Infirmary. Bi-Han and Hanzo finally talk after centuries.

@michael-young-history since you want to be @ for updates. Sorry, that I forgot to update the other posts in the Queue.

Emily was going to be in so much trouble when she got her hands on her. Cole and Bi-Han were on her heels as she marched down to the infirmary. The first thing she sees is a man in strange armor and a mask similar to Bi-Han’s. 

“HANZO HASASHI,” Bi-Han growls as he makes an ice blade. “GET AWAY FROM THEM.”

The man, Hanzo Hasashi, looks at Bi-Han. “Bi-Han,” The man was calm and almost sad. “We need to speak.”

“About what?” Bi-Han growls as Allison looks around frantically to find something to attack the man with to get him away from her kids.

“When was the Lin Kuei attacked?” Hanzo gently asks as one older cryomancer as Kuai Liang pokes his head out from behind Emily.

Bi-Han growls, “You know when we were attacked, you were there.”

“Humor me,” Hanzo tells Bi-Han, who glares at him as Allison makes her way over to the kids.

Bi-Han glares at Hanzo, “You attacked us a week before we retaliated.”

Hanzo shakes his head, “I was home, helping my wife with our youngest.”

“Your youngest?” Bi-Han repeats, confused, before glancing at Cole, “That explains things. But then, what is your explanation on the dead Shirai Ryu warriors that our warriors killed when you attacked.”

Hanzo shakes his head. “There was no one missing. Also, I cannot teleport. I would not have been able to return home before you arrived with your warriors.”

Bi-Han gulps as he looks away from him, “You're lying.” He weakly says as Kuai Liang whimpers.

Allison was pissed because if what Hanzo was saying was true, then someone killed Kuai Liang and people close to Bi-Han, just so that Bi-Han killed Hanzo and his clan in retaliation. 

“Bi-Han, did...did we kill innocent people?” Kuai Liang asks softly from behind Emily.

“No,” “No,” Allison and Bi-Han say in unison.

Bi-Han pushes past Emily and gently holds his little brother’s face in his hands, “The blood is on my hands not yours. You did not kill anyone, understand?” Kuai Liang nods and a soft smile, that makes Allison’s heart skip a beat, grows on his face.

“So, what’s going to happen Hanzo? What do you want?” Bi-Han asks the ninja, Kuai Liang lets out a little gasp and before she could react he was already running in between Bi-Han.

“Don’t kill my big brother.” Kuai Liang begs and Allison doesn’t miss Hanzo flinching as he looks at the child, “Kill me if you need to, just please don’t take my big brother away from me.”

Hanzo trembles and kneels before Kuai Liang, “I do not plan to kill someone who was used to hurt me. Especially, knowing that he knew the same pain I went through.” Hanzo gently pats Kuai Liang’s head, “I assure you, I will not kill you or your brother. We will find the true mastermind behind the conflict.”

“You mentioned that you did a job to bring Kuai Liang back, Bi-Han, what was that job?” Allison asks as she gently picks Kuai Liang up and sits next to Emily and sets him in her lap.

Bi-Han looks at her, “That amulet Kano took? It's a replica, Quan Chi wanted it in exchange for Kuai Liang.”

“I know Quan Chi, he has visited the Netherrealm and has tried to recruit me in order to kill you.” Hanzo tells him, “I rejected his offer just on principle, I wanted revenge on my own terms, not his.”

Bi-Han looks at Hanzo confused, “What good would killing me do for him? I still worked for his ally, Shang Tsung at the time.”

“I could not tell you, the Necromancer serves Shinnok, only the Elder Gods know what he plans,”  Hanzo tells him.

Bi-Han growls, “So, what we have is that Quan Chi wants me dead, and someone...pretended to be you and slaughtered my friends and loved ones.” Bi-Han’s rage slowly fades to horror with every word. “...I only know one man who is able to disguise himself and benefit from your death.”

“And you worked for him for hundreds of years.” Allison finishes sadly as Bi-Han punches the wall. Cole shakes with rage and he looks like he’s about to punch the wall as well. 

“We’re going to make them pay right?” Cole growls as he paces before he suddenly stops and turns to Bi-Han. “Quan Chi brought back Kuai Liang, could we make him bring back Satoshi?”

Hanzo and Bi-Han are silent, “I-I was being selfish by bringing Kuai Liang back. Kuai Liang was at peace, and there’s no telling whether or not Satoshi will even be brought back the way he was.”

“I wanted to come back big brother, I missed you! Besides, I get to see Tomas again, and we have mister Cole, miss Allison, and Emily. And I wanna-” Kuai Liang starts to exclaim before Bi-Han shakes his head.

Bi-Han looked so tired to her, “I was a monster after you died, I didn’t care about anything or anyone. The things I have done, the people I have killed. This is the first time in centuries I have regretted a kill and it’s the family and the man who I thought killed the people I loved.”

“Why you big brother? Do you think they knew about the coup?”

Hanzo coughs, “I’m sorry, coup? I thought you were loyal to the Lin Kuei.”

“Big brother is, but the Snow Ninjas wouldn’t stop attacking and the Grandmaster wouldn’t admit that they were giving us trouble.” Kuai Liang tells them as he cuddles into Allison, “We were scared to go outside in case a Snow Ninja would be there and attack us.”

Hanzo looks at Bi-Han strangely, “I wasn’t aware that the Lin Kuei was having difficulties like that.”

Bi-Han is silent, “We were planning on extending an alliance to the Shirai Ryu after we took over. Sektor and I figured that at the very least the Shirai Ryu were honorable enough that they would at least provide a safe place for our children and young recruits.”

“I...didn’t know you had such a high opinion of my clan,” Hanzo says quietly as Bi-Han looks away.

“The first time I saw you I was on my first mission and you were...inspiring. I wanted to be as strong and fast and graceful as you. Other encounters….well, I gained the impression that you had a sense of honor.” Bi-Han explains as he looks away from everyone, “We were a month away from actually going through with the plan. The Shirai Ryu were once part of the Lin Kuei after all.”

Cole gently shoves Bi-Han, “Well, there’s no stopping us from making an alliance with the Lin Kuei now, not that we’ll be of much help.”

“You are a strange man, Cole Young.” Bi-Han says as a smile grows on his face, “I do not care what the rest of my clan says, I am an ally of you and your family.”

Cole chuckles, “Thanks Bi-Han, why did that sound like a goodbye?”

“Because it is, I’m about to head out now to find some of the chosen. That means, Cole...Allison. It’s up to both of you to keep an eye on Kuai Liang.”

Kuai Liang whines as he squirms his way out of Allison’s arms, “You’re leaving me?”

“I’ll be back, and you’re going to be with Cole, Allison, and Emily,” Bi-Han tells him as he rubs Kuai Liang’s head. “So, behave and make sure you work on your cryomancy.”

Kuai Liang pouts and Allison starts to stand to comfort him when he perks up, “Are you going to look for Tomas? I miss him.”

“Of course, I’m going to look for Tomas. I’ll be back as soon as I find him. Ok?” Bi-Han tells Kuai Liang as the young boy nods. 

“You better come back soon big brother,” Kuai Liang says with a pout, “I miss Tomas, and I missed you.”

Bi-Han ruffles Kuai Liang’s hair. “Have I ever let you down?”

Kuai Liang looks up with a bright smile that melts Allison’s heart, “Nope, you're the bestest ever.”

Bi-Han flushes slightly and he turns to Hanzo. “Watch after them, Hasashi.”

“Of course,” Hanzo says as he walks over to Kuai Liang and Bi-Han, “I will make sure they are all alive when you return.”

Bi-Han slams his fist into his chest and Hanzo does the same. “Be as stealthful as the night.”

“And deadly as the dawn.” Hanzo finishes.

Bi-Han smiles before turning back to Cole and Allison, “Where’s my mask?”

“You have such a nice face, it’s a shame that you keep it covered so much.” Allison couldn’t help but say. She enjoys the blush she gets in response.

Bi-Han looks away from her, “Forget I asked.” He says as ice and snow start to surround him, within seconds he’s engulfed in a blizzard and then disappears before their eyes.

“Soo, Emily. Why were you snooping through my stuff?” Allison asks her daughter, who jumps at the change in conversation.

“I...was looking for a charger,” Emily quietly admits as Kuai Liang jumps back up. “I found what I thought was a kunai and wanted to show it to Kuai Liang.”

Allison blinks, “What you thought was a kunai?”

“It’s a gardening spade.” Kuai Liang, Hanzo, and Emily all say together.

Allison snorts, “Why does a gardening spade have blood on it.”

“I...had to use what I could find,” Hanzo admits, “It worked shockingly well for something I threw together.”

Kuai Liang hums as he drapes himself over Emily’s shoulder, “Are we in trouble?”

“Oh, Emily is in a lot of trouble. You are not Kuai Liang. She shouldn’t have been snooping through my stuff and she most definitely shouldn’t have been playing with a weapon.” Allison tells Kuai Liang who looks at her confused.

“I’ve been using weapons since I was five, what’s the big deal?” Kuai Liang asks. It breaks her heart and worries her.

Worry fills her heart as Hanzo sighs. “You were born into the Lin Kuei.” He announces.

“No,” Kuai Liang says with a pout, “They took us in when I was a year old. At least that’s what Bi-Han told me.”

Hanzo shakes his head, “That’s still too young, why would your parents let you use a weapon at five.”

“I don’t have parents.” Kuai Liang tells him, “Big brother told me when I was a baby there was this bad disease running through our village that killed everyone but me and Bi-Han.”

Allison’s heartaches as Kuai Liang continues, “Big brother had to steal to eat until he pickpocketed Hydro who took us to the Lin Kuei. If it wasn’t for the Lin Kuei we would have either been killed or starved.”

“Fuck,” Cole groans as he picks Kuai Liang up and holds the young boy, “I keep forgetting that you both are from ancient China.”

Hanzo sighs, “I assumed they were born into the Lin Kuei, but they are known for taking orphans from around the world.”

“Cole,” Allison gently scolds as turns back to Emily, “I’m taking your phone, and you are going to help the monks out for the next month.”

Emily nods and Kuai Liang looks at Allison sadly, “aww, no Emily.”

“What? No, once she’s done with whatever chores the monks give her you two can play.” Cole says.

Kuai Liang looks up at Cole confused, “But, you aren’t allowed to even talk to people when they’re being punished. You are already being nicer than Hydro by just having her do chores.”

“What are the punishments for disobedience?” Hanzo asks solemnly, and Allison could see the concern in the dead man’s eyes.

Kuai Liang glances at Hanzo, “Isolation, whipping, and no food are the main ones. If you try to leave you...I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Should we worry about Bi-Han? He did technically leave, right?” Allison asks worriedly. 

Kuai Liang shakes his head, “Big brother is way past the retirement age and the Grandmaster is kinda scared of him after he killed his pre-deces-sor,” Kuai Liang’s face scrunches up as he tries to sound out the word.

“....did you get punished often?” Emily asks darkly and Allison has a feeling she needs to hide the ‘gardening spade’.

Kuai Liang is silent as he hides his face in Bi-Han’s chest. “Kuai Liang?” Cole softly asks.

“Big brother would take my punishment and the elders realized the only way to punish big brother was to hurt me.” Kuai Liang says quietly.

Suddenly the temperature drops, “That’s horrible,” Emily says as she grits her teeth.

“Big brother was careful not to get in trouble often,” Kuai Liang admits quietly, “I...didn’t understand why we weren’t allowed to have friends or why we couldn’t express ourselves.”

Kuai Liang’s admission breaks her heart and makes her want to attack the Lin Kuei of old with an axe. The people who had hurt Kuai Liang and Bi-Han.

“It’s not your fault,” Cole tells Kuai Liang as he rubs Kuai Liang’s back. “It’s not your fault.”

Allison’s lip quivers as she watches Kuai Liang sob into Cole’s chest as Cole tries to comfort Kuai Liang.

[skateurgency]

oh jenizah?? :o hope it's still okay to ask. 2, 3, 4, 14, 15 (if applicable), 16, 18, 19, 40, 44, 45, 48, 53, 54, 56, 65-69! i'm sorry for asking so many questions, i've just never heard of jenizah and i'm curious! you can choose to answer as many or as little as you'd like i just 🥺 love ocs

Thanks for all the asks!! Jenizah is the current DND character I'm playing, a dark elf necromancer cleric who follows the Goddess of pain Loviatar. I've been playing them for about a year and a half now and I love them dearly. I have some art pieces of him on my page if you're interested in what he looks like! Should be tagged as Jenizah or Jenizah and Count Everett.

2: Do they consider themselves an optimist? Pessimist? Realist? What are they like in actuality?

He considers himself a pessimist for sure, and in all actuality they're somewhere between a pessimist and a realist. He's the one to bluntly shut down plans if they're not going to work out well, but will also try anything he can to get the result he wants.

3: How do they carry themselves around strangers? Friends/Lovers? Family? Jenizah is pretty much the same around everyone. Loud, flamboyant, limp-wristed, and with a dark sense of humor. He has a bag of holding full of corpses and it doesn't matter if you just met him, he will let you know. Luckily, necromancy is legal in the country. There is a certain individual that Jenizah is romantically interested in, and their personality is subdued around them, as they're a more reserved person and he tries to be respectful of that.

4: If your character was a work of art, how would you describe them?

An oil painting that's in a gilded frame in a museum. Most likely a portrait, as they're a little vain and full of themselves. Large brush strokes and texture. One of those paintings where you can see the layers of shadow and highlights on top of everything else.

14: Does your character value promises? Are they good at keeping them?

Extremely, promises are like blood vows. He tries his best to keep them, but sometimes other things get in the way. He helplessly watched his lover die, and breaking that promise and vow definitely changed him. He can be a little obsessive about it now.

15: Describe their ideal date.

There's a certain vampire count that Jenizah has his eye on and really anything involving him. Something fancy and classy though, Jenizah has expensive tastes.

16: What keeps them going?

Desire. Currently, it's romantic desire. He sees something he wants and he fights with his whole self to achieve that goal.

18: How does your character act when they want to seem inviting?

A little coy, definitely more smiles and open body language than the normal brooding boy he is. May flash some coin around to get somebodies attention.

19: How does your character act when they want to seem threatening?

Oh, he will pull out the skull of a vampire lord he keeps in his bag, or threaten to kill you, bring your spirit back to talk to it to get the answers he needs, and then maybe resurrect you if he's feeling generous...

40: Describe a corruption/redemption arc version of your character.

Jenizah already balances on that fine edge. I've joked that if my DM doesn't let us play out the romance we've been having, Jenizah will murder and dismember his love interest in that standard "yandere" style. He's obsessive, and doesn't form healthy attachments to people. He also has a fear of abandonment and being left behind, and that could be pushed to an extreme.

44: How do they hold onto people?

Tightly, with their nails digging in hard enough to leave a scar.

45: What would they never forgive themselves for?

If they watched any of their friends die again. They're the party healer and ressurector, it's their job to keep them around and failure won't be tolerated.

48: What do they want to leave behind?

The ghost of their former lover. Although we just found out he's now been revived and is working with the enemy so I doubt that will happen any time soon...

53: What does freedom mean to them?

The ability to make the choices he wants. Not in a "no consequences" way, but in a "nobody can stop me" way.

54: What is something they currently look forward to? What is something they dread?

Any time with the vampire Count Everett. Jenizah counts down the hours until sundown each day, hoping he receives a message from him. He dreads the quest that their on, the crushing weight of a world needing saving.

65: Adoration or Intimidation?

Both. Intimidation through overwhelming adoration.

66: Outward Passion or Quiet Rebellion?

Outward passion, and it burns very brightly.

67: Selflessness or Self-Preservation?

Self-Preservation, except for very, very close friends.

68: Objective or Subjective?

Subjective, easily.

69: Journey or Destination?

Destination. He's working for his end goals.

[ally-writes-many-things]

Who you are (Hamish Duke) Part 2

Summary: You were an Adepti for The Order but you were also a spy for Gnostic council. The council called you back to Belgrace to spy on Vera after the recent werewolf attacks which is when you find out something about one of your old best friends.

Words: 1611

Requested: Yes

Prompts:

Warning or A/N: Part 3 is when it picks up

You walked into the Temple with a bunch of members running around doing multiple things. An acolyte bump straight into you spilling some kind of mixture all of you. "I'm so sorry Adepti. I didn't see you standing there,"

You were annoyed about it at first but you remembered how hard it was when you were an Acolyte. You half smiled and looked at them. "Look, take a deep breath and relax. I know it's hard your first year but just remember to take a deep breath,"

The acolyte smiled at you. "Thank you,"

You nodded and walked past the acolyte and dodged other members and into Vera's office. "Why is the temple so busy?"

"Coventry,"

You rolled your eyes. "What is he doing now?"

"Elemental Transference, what's all over your shirt?"

Your eyes grew big at the mention of that. "Some acolyte spelled something on me and for who?"

"Renee Marand. What did this acolyte look like? I'll make sure they'll clean up after the ritual,"

You quickly walk over to the chair and sat in it. "Nah, don't worry about it. Isn't she that necromancer that was kicked out?"

"She is,"

"Does the gnostic council know?"

Vera nodded. "Oh don't worry about spying on Coventry. He's trying to find all the pages to the Vade Maecum Infernal,"

"The Vade Maecum is-"

"Dangerous. I know. Edward wont listen to reason,"

You shook your head. "What does this have to do with Renee?"

"Necrophone,"

"The same Necrophone that lets you talk to the dead? I thought that was just some story?"

Vera shakes her head. "No. It's very much real,"

You sat back and started thinking that maybe Vera was right to suspect the Grand Magus but you still were wary to spy on him. Anyone that gets in his way, gets killed and you liked being alive too much to die. "Why does he want it?"

"Something to do with the Vade Maecum and how he thinks that the necrophone will help him find the pages? I don't know and I don't know what he wants with the Vade Maecum either but I have a plan but I cant execute it until after the transference is over,"

"What's the plan?"

"All you need to know is heal Renee, get the Necrophone and find the remaining pages,"

Edward walked into Vera's office and you quickly stood up from the chair. "Yes, Grand Magus. Is there anything you need me to do?"

Edward puts his hand on your shoulder. "You looked more and more like your mother each and every day,"

You were a legacy, that's why you went through the levels so quickly was because you were practicing magic all your life. You've known Edward since you were little. Hell, he took you in after your parents have died when you were tenish. "Really think so?"

He nodded. "Yes. She..both of your parents would be so proud of you,"

"Thank you sir,"

He nodded. "And no, we got everything under control for the time being. We'll let you know when it starts."

You nodded and started to walk out of the office but Vera called you back. "Hold on,"

You turned around and looked at her. She walked up to you and handed you a book. You looked down at it and it was the werewolf manual. "I know we haven’t had a recent attack but you can never be too careful,"

You nodded and walked out of the office and noticed that one of the cauldron was bubbling and Jack was walking away from it. You shrugged because you didn’t know if it was suppose to do that or not since this was your first transference ritual.

--

It had been a few hours since Vera gave you this book and it had taken you just as long to read it. It was a very hard book to read because one it HAD way too much information, drug some points out, and some of it was written in a different language which you had used magic to read. You were just about to stop reading when you read that both human and werewolf forms had a different smell to them. Human form while smells like whatever that human smelled like and the smell of the wolf smelled like warm fur.

You rolled your eyes at the information because that was obvious. You felt your dog's nose rub against your leg. You looked at your dog and smiled as he laid down next to you. You quickly put the book down and went to sniff your dog's fur as he was a wolfdog and his fur was always warm. When you got the smell, you were with a familiar scent. It was the same scent as Hamish, Randall, Jack and Lilith had but your dog's scent was overpowering like theirs were.

Could they really be the werewolves that attacked everyone? Could Hamish?

You were on your way to find Hamish when you saw Jack and Kyle get into a van and drive off. You got back into your car and followed them to a warehouse and saw them start to load people into the back of the van, which you were guessing were the elements. You then see Kyle trying to drive off but something had a hold of the van and then it was let go and Kyle run into a wall. You couldn't see what had ahold of the van cause if you were to move, you would've been spotted. You then see Lilith walking up to Jack's side fully naked. You quickly cut your hand and said the words of a spell that allows you to hear what someone is talking a distance away.

"You wanna explain yourself, asshole?"

"This isn't what it looks like,"

"Really? 'Cause it looks like you're driving five people to their slaughter,"

"I didn't know that,"

"Now you do and we're going to stop it,"

"No, the Grand Magus is after something and I need to know what it. You can't stop it. I won't let you,"

"You think I can't take you?"

"You think you can take Silverback?"

There was a moment of silence before Lilith walked away.

Whose Silverback? Why was Lilith naked?

--

After Lilith had left, you did too. You were confused as to why Lilith wants to stop the ritual and not to mention how she knows about The Order. You got back to campus, you walked into Blade and Chalice, you started to walk the bar when you heard your name being called. You turned and saw that it was Randall waving you over. You were hit with the smell of warm fur again. The same smell you smelt on your dog but more intense. "Y/N! How are you?"

"I'm good. Where's Hamish?"

Randall shrugged. "Probably, doing teacher assistant things,"

You chuckled. You couldn't believe that Hamish had decided not to become a lawyer because that was the main thing he had always talked about. "Fun,"

"So you travelled around the world?"

"I did,"

Randall was about to say something but his phone went off. He looked down at his pocket, pulled it out and read whatever was on the screen. He grabbed his drink and chugged it before standing up. "Gotta go meet up with Hamish and Lilith. I'll catch you later?"

You smiled and said of course.

You waited a few minutes after him leaving before you got up and left to go after him. He had walked a good few minutes into the woods before you saw a house. A house that looked completely abandoned on the outside. You waited till he was inside the house before walked up to one of the windows. You tried to open one of the windows but it was locked. So you did the same hearing spell you did before. It wasn't much of anything but you saw Jack walking out of the woods. You didn't have to move to hide because you were already in a well shaded area.

Lilith started walking down the stairs. "You're such a fucking hypocrite."

Hamish tried to calm her down. "Okay, lets take a breath,"

"You have the nerve to give me shit about eating some monster's heart, but you turn around and drive a van full of people to their death!"

Randall looked at Jack in shock "You what?"

"It's the Elemental Transference. The spell needs willing sacrifices. Five of them,"

"You're supposed to be sabotaging it. Not helping,"

"I did and we were up and running around again in twelve hours."

"Dude...We're you're we,"

"So you failed. You admit it,"

Failed what?

"No. Look, I talked to Coventry. I saw it in his eyes. He's so desperate for this spell, he'll do anything. He'll risk the entire Order, and we need to know why.

Why is Jack telling them this?

The rest of the conversation was talking about what the spell does and how it's possible and how Jack needed to know what Coventry was after.

"Randall, you wanted an inside man. Let me do my job as a Knight,"

That's the second time you heard them calling themselves Knights. What the hell are they talking about?

"Then go,"

You saw Jack nodding his head and walking out the door.

What are the Knights? Why does Jack desperately need to know what Coventry was after? Why are Hamish, Lilith and Randall want to stop the ritual? Why did Jack tell them?

You were so into your thought and didn't hear the window opening until you heard your name. "Y/N?"

You looked up and saw Hamish looking at you.

"Hi,"

[inessencedevided]

The Untamed, episode 48 - watching notes

I've got more tissues prepared because Yunmeng bro feelings always hit me HARD and that's where I left off last time

I find it kinda sweet that lwj is defending Wen Ning

It makes so much sense for Jiang Cheng to immediately bring up his old resentment cor the way his father treated then up. It really all goes back to that. The feeling of being always second best, both to his father in comparison to wwx and to wwx in comparison to lwj. And while wwx sacrificed his core because he thought of himself as inferior to Jiang cheng (not in skill but in worth), to Jiang Cheng it comes off as him once more playing the hero :/

All in all THESE IDIOTS NEVER LEARNED TO PROPERLY COMMUNICATE

Also the way Jiang cheng says "then what am I?" Reminds me a lot of the way he grieved for his core

You know what fucked me up most during this whole conversation?

Because that's it. He can't! 😭

He still loves wei Wuxian and he can't understand why wwx never chose him. Why he chose to protect lwj and the wens when he knew it would endanger their clan. And from that perspective, I get it. I feel like to Jiang Cheng, his clan is everything. It's only natural. He is the (future) clan leader and he was raised that way. It was always going to be his responsibility and at the same time, he always had this very clear cut role in their society.

But wei Wuxian? He loved their family and he did feel at home at their clan, but he was still very much an outsider. Madam Yu hated him, people kept calling him a servant when it suited them and told him to mind his place as such when he spoke up. He could emphasize with the outcasts of society because he himself never truly left that outsider status behind either!

Which left him and Jiang Cheng in opposing positions with no way of understanding the other's point of view

... while still loving each other

😭

Because all they were in the beginning, was two boys being brothers 😥

Which leads me to the conclusion that, once more, the true enemy of this story isn't any single person, it's society.

Okay, sorry that this essentially turned into meta. That's probably not what you're here for, but as thus show comes to an end, I have FEELINGS and THOUGHTS and I need to get them out 😅

I have another rant in my head on whether or not I think wwx was right in transferring Jiang Cheng his ckre without telling him, but I'm holding that in for now 🙈

That I'm sorry. From BOTH of them. 😭

THAT'S GROWTH!!! 😭😭😭

Wei Wuxian saying that it's all in the past now made me cry. So. Much. Because it's an ending. It sounded to me like he wanted to wipe the slate clean. No promises. No betrayals. Start anew. And ... I'm not okay 💔😥

Hey Nie Huaisang. Welcome to the party :D

Um ... what's happening?

Are they ... burning?

Jin Guangyao played with fire and got burned or what kind of metaphor is this?

I'd be about as good as nie Huaisang at hiding my reaction in that situation, tbh ^^

This is the weirdest hostage situation I have ever seen, with everybody just running around sind no one even guarding the hostages

The hell is in that tomb? 😳

Wait ... nie Mingjue was the headless corpse? And okay, the head is obviously seen back on here but ... how did it get there so quickly and WHY is Jin Guangyao surprised?? Wasn't he in possession of the head??

I.am.confused

Poor Huaisang :'(

And poor Jin Ling. He's learning quickly just how fucked up his family is 😬

*dramatic thunder in the distance*

👆 favourite trope of mine :D

It's an oldie but a goodie

Wwx understands something I don't ^^

Also nice to know that even when they're both without powers lwj will still protect his husband 🥰

Okay, so ... someone put the body there. The same somebody who orchestrated everything else

WHO??

Omg, I love how wwx plays at Jin Guangyao's paranoia by essentially manipulating him as he did others and then turns to lwj, with a little shrug and a half smile like

CAN I PLEASE GET 50 EPISODES OF THESE TWO SOLVING MONSTER OF THE WEEK MYSTERIES TOGETHER? 😭

So they FINALLY thought it was a good idea to actually restrain their hostages. Genius!

Wait ... Su She has that hole curse, too?

OHHHH

He was the one who cursed Jin Zixun???

I hadn't even thought about the fact that that was still an unanswered question! 😱😱😱

Jgy telling wwx that they were always going to end up on opposite sides is SO interesting and betrays a level of self-awareness I would not have afforded this guy

The thing is, su she raging at lwj for this is really the wrong address. Not because what he says isn't at least partially right (lwj was born into privilege and there is a stark disparity in how clan disciples and peripheral disciples are treated), even in the lan clan, but not BY lan Wangji. He's the guy who knelt before his uncle and let himself, the sect leader's son, be punished alongside the servant's son.

It's fascinating to see Jin Guangyao's mask fall

And his view of wwx is even more fascinating

He deliberately used wwx status as an outsider to society in combination with his impulsive and righteous character to further his own agenda of setting his own status as an outsider

It's like the ULTIMATE Slytherin vs. Gryffindor story line 😁

Also SOCIETY IS THE VILLAIN!!!

I'm not gonna lie, Jin Guangyao nakes some good points. Not saying he's not a terrible person or that he's not responsible for his own actions, but still he's successfully identified a lot of systematic problems in the cultivation world 🤷‍♀️

... and then proceeded to horribly exploit them for his own benefit *sighs*

Very sneaky, Wei Ying. I don't know what you're doing it, but good job getting him to keep talking

Xichen really be regretting all his life choices right now

It breaks my heartba bot, knowing that they really did bond that first time they met. And Xichen believed in him ever since 🥺

As sorry as I feel for him, I'm pretty sure it's going to get worse 🙈

OH MY GOD WWX CAN CONTROL GHOSTS BY WHISTLING ALONE NOW?

That is simultaneously SO cool and SO creepy! 😱

And kinda hot

On a related note, I realized that wwx is basically a Necromancer Bard and now I really wanna play one

Ohhh, the sword ghost!

😳

Isn't Xichen without powers right now?

No!!!

Puh, su she didn't kill him

But now I'm confused how lwj can use his powers

Ohhh

He's got the stygian tiger amulet?

I'm missing some crucial bit of plot here because I fo not know how he could have gotten it

I mean ... Xue Yang had half of it right? So ... is it this piece?

HE PLANNED THE WHOLE THING ALREADY BACK THEN??? 😱

Or ... not the whole thing? I feel I'll have to watch the show again just to discover what Jin Guangyao even knew and when 🙈

The way jgy looks at Xichen, there us real affection and regret in his gaze :(

Still I did not see THIS coming

He does care for Xichen, doesn't he? Who always saw the best in him. Never once treated him as below him for who his mother was.

But I dont think lan Xichen will give him a second chance right now, tbh. Just from the way he acted, he looked like his trust was irreparably shattered 😥

Meanwhile...

Wwx is tired of your monologueing :D

I apologise for the weird mix of stream-of-cosciousness musings and half-formed meta musings 😅

Also all the typos ...

(And who sent the letter and hit the body??? 😭)

@sweetlittlevampire @fandom-glazed @elenirlachlagos @allhailthedramallama @luckymoony @kyrrahbird @i-love-him-on-purpose

Tomorrow I'll watch the jast two episodes and ... I can't quite believe it 😔

I'm just happy that I'm reading the book now and still got so much to look forward to there, otherwise I think l might draw out this show even longer

[bodyswapmischief]

The Necromancer

(Spring Break Pirates 13 of 14)

[Mr. Black]

Aw, Simon. So, have you come to report back to me. Yes, I know ... I know Thomas has been taken care of. There's no need to lie ... I know you didn't kill him. I know you think you took mercy on him. You took him off the ship.

Mad ... why would I be mad? Yes, told you to kill him. But, what you did was even worse. I'm mean ... you, took him off the boat, without knowing what would happen to him. Death, now, death, would have been the mercy option. It's fast and his soul would have a purpose. What you did was wicked. You had no idea were he was going to go. For all you know he can be stranded at sea dying a slow death. Heck, he could even be burning in the endless torture pits of hell.

So, no, I'm not mad. You've done a swell job at tainting your soul.

[Simon]

No, your wrong. I gave hime a chance ... I gave him a chance to live. But, if he is ... if he his in a worst fate. Did, I?... Did I ... ,no, I can't think like that.

Your game is up! Black, You've been ahead of all of us this whole time. I thought sacrificing Thomas would let me get closer to you. But, it was all part of your plan. You knew what I was going to do all this time. You created an illusion. You made be believe I could figure out a way to stop you. But, this has all been part of your plan.

You made me believe this was all some sort of selling of human sex toys. But, it's more than that. Your up to something bigger. That's not your goal at all, at least not anymore. I don't know your true plan, but I know I must be a key part. Which leads me to the big difference between me and you. I'm not evil and I don't crave this power. So, the best way I can stop you ... is to kill myself.

Yes, don't be surprised. You should have seen this coming or did you miscalculate. I don't want become like you. This poison I brewed will burn up my soul. I don't know what will happen when, I'm gone but, I can only hope it delays you and someone smarter can stop you. *chug*

[Mr. Black]

No, you fool. Stop! Damn it! Boy! I have to act fast. You can still be saved. My work won't be stopped, I've come to far. Now open your mouth and drink this, yes! See! The fear of dying is too strong. I knew you would come to your senses.

Ugh! What! My dagger ... you found my dagger. If I'm stabbed with this dagger, I'll die. You ... you outsmarted me.

...

Haha Haha Haha Haha, or maybe you should look again. I guess you couldn't see through the illusion, but spoiler alert, I was standing behind you the whole time. I can read you like a book, Simon. That was the oldest trick in it. Let's see who you really stabbed... aww, if it isn't the poor captain. With Thomas gone, his blood is now perfect. The blood of a man that has nothing to live for.

Sorry, for the trick, but to unlock your necrotic potential, I still needed you to take a life. Yes, that pain you're feeling right now. That's your soul being forever altered. From taking your first life. From this moment on your a full bloodied necromancer. The process would normally take days of excruciating pain, but luckily you won't be around that long. Now, stay there, not like your moving anytime soon.

Let's bring the other pieces for my final spell. Boys! ... gather around the circle. Yes. Yes! Everything's coming together.

The Harem, the four sacrificial souls that will power the spell. The Carpenter, a man with amazing physical strength and athletic ability. Ah, my boy Eric, this will hurt a for a second but let me split your soul in two, because I need both of you ... my powder monkey and my treasure. The booty ... the treasure, a man with amazing looks. The Navigator, a man with a strong complex mind. A mind with a lot of moving pieces, only a true navigator could explore it. One capable of imprisoning a demon, right Damian. Next, the powder monkey, a man so loyal to the captain he is willing to do the most dangerous and demeaning jobs. A perfect condition to place on chaining a demon to my will.

What, Simon, don't be shocked. Yes, I did bring back a special guest. The Deserter, a man with a mine so broken that others trapped inside will never be able to come out.

And, Finally you my dear Simon. You.

Looking back, this was supposed to be another routine trip. Creating sex toys for clients. But, I started picking your vibe and saw a greater opportunity here. With you natural affinity to this power, I knew I needed to absorb you. I needed that power. My Cabin boy ... my apprentice ... my necromancer. And by combining all our bodies, I will be a supercharged half-demon necromancer.

Yes ... it's working ... look at us. We're perfect. I'm perfect. I can feel all this power rushing through me. The dark energy is rushing through my viens and leaving it's mark. My body is reshaping itself into the perfect vessel. The erotic euphoria. The strength, the knowledge, the youth, the power, and the sensual pleasure of possessing a fresh new body.

Yes! I did it! Now, no one can stop me. Not even ... the master. I can finally dethrone him.

[Simon]

Sorry about that. But, I think you shouldn't count your chickens, just yet. What you're surprised? You shouldn't be able to still hear me? Well looks like you shouldn't think so little of me.

I picked up on our friend Damien here. I sensed an different energy and it led me to him. A demon you have pissed off. It was tricky, as necromancers we have an easy time working with human energy but, it's hard reading a demon's energy. So, I don't blame you for not knowing thst he was in a different body. Maybe if you took your time, you could have sensed it.

You needed him trapped but, let's just say we made a deal. And, I allowed him into my body. So, no he wasn't trapped in the navigator's mind. He was free in mine. Yes. Yes, you should be worried. He's also, here sharing this subconscious. Waiting for me to give the order. Nope, you can try that. But, you only have 1/3 vote on what this body does. So, no casting for you.

Now, time to undo, what you did. FUCK! this pain! I'm literally ripping bodies, minds, and souls apart. Fuck!!!!

*panting* Now, Damian, take him before he has time to act.

...

So, he's burning in hell. Well, I guess that's a start. Remember the rest of our deal. I free you, you take him and the rest of his absorbed souls as your torture toys. But, you restore the souls of my friends in the harem, including Leo, heal up the captain, and let me and my friends go, with no additional strings attached.

Yes, I'm sure I don't want you to restore our original bodies. Unless, you changed your mind and are going to do it for free. Yeah, I thought so, I can't have my friends become enslaved to a demon. I just got us out of the clutches of a necromancer. I'll have to find some other way to fix us.

Again, thanks for everything. I couldn't have done it without you. And, you couldn't have done it without me. We make a good team. Maybe one day will work together, again.

But, for now, time to sail back to the beach and find a way to reverse what was done to us.