#the prophet-he speaks and you are not gonna like what he has to say

[hitwiththefandomz]

12 Donnie has some words for MM Leo if he’s gonna survive the writing room

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Now don't throw tomatoes at me but I'm actually really excited to finally see malleus again— I've always loved malleus since we met him in the story, but I'm also sooo curious about what's gonna happen next,, I'm wondering the obvious thing, about whether or not we might get a parralel scenario like what happened with the KoD and silver will have to "slay" malleus or at least be the one to land a killing blow, but I also saw a really interesting post focusing on how magic is a manifestation of dreams and deep desires and imagination,,,, in that case, I may (VERY delusionally) hope that Yuu finally gets to be a major part of the story for once??? Even reading the novels, there HAS to be something bigger for yuu— while the idea of crowley simply being an incompetent airhead is fun and more comfortable, haven't you thought that meybe he pulled them into this world deliberately??

All to say, what if at some point, Yuu somehow manifests magic in a very dire moment ?? You know lol?? Agh idk. I just want yuu to finally make impactful choices but that IS too much to ask, as far as we can see for now,,, (but hey, that part leading up to ace getting is UM, and the convo between him and yuu,,, it *does* give one a sliver of hope, doesn't it? :') )

Don't worry, no tomato throwing here! 😅 I may not care for certain characters, but I’m not going to shame anyone that does. You’re free to think however you want about Malleus!

dbjsvsJcwhj My personal feelings about him aside, I am actually glad he’s finally relevant to the main story again. He’s missed out on so much of his own book OTL In the time he’s been gone, the fandom has been left to speculate about both his and Lilia’s potential death flags. I really doubt Twst will have the balls to kill off one of them, but it would be cool to at least see Silver delivering the final blow to knock some sense into (not necessarily kill) OB Malleus.

Yes, it’s true that Silver states in the recent update that magic was originally considered “a miracle borne of strong desires from the heart.” But 💦 I don’t think that means Yuu would randomly manifest magic in the final fight?? It feels more like a “let’s save the day with the power of friendship” to me, but I could of course be wrong.

I understand being frustrated that Yuu’s participation in the main story seems to fluctuate a lot, with most of their activity being books 3, 4, and segments of 1, 6, and 7. That’s not much, especially considering how long books 6 and 7 are. Sometimes (even in events) it feels like Yuu is barely there, as most dialogue options don’t involve different reactions from the characters. Even Yuu's quest to find a way home is barely addressed or taken seriously until early in book 7. Yuu hasn't gotten "real" development unless you count them realizing their Disney dreams are prophetic in book 5, taking the initiative to save Grim in book 6, and that dialogue option about them being worried they're not contributing + the related convo with Ace in book 7. All very short moments in the grand scheme of things. And honestly, I think that makes sense for the kind of character Yuu is. A blank slate, a self-insert, an outsider that's easy to exposit information to, someone with which to view the story, characters, and world through. Yuu is primarily there to be the POV character, the lenses, the camera that we see Twst through. They're not really meant to be a traditional "main character". It's possible that Twst gives them a slightly bigger role at the very end (especially with what went down in the dream in book 7), but I doubt it will be a huge triumphant moment where they and they alone save the day or deal the final blow in a crazy act of self-sacrifice. Twst has always been a story that puts the NRC boys first, while Yuu is the observer.

I've noticed that the complaint of Yuu not doing a lot in the story comes mainly from English speaking fans?? And I guess that makes sense, given how western culture tends to emphasize independence and standing out. They want Yuu to reflect that. They want to be the ones to make a difference. I don't even remember ever seeing these same comments from the Japanese speaking fans; it's definitely a less common sentiment for them. The Japanese fans seem pretty content with Yuu being an observer and taking on more of a minor or supporting role. Again, this fits in with what I understand of many eastern cultures. They're demurer, not wanting to stand out too much from the crowd and instead prioritizing group harmony. Very interesting cultural difference to note!

It's a common theory (with many variants) that Crowley intentionally summoned Yuu to Twisted Wonderland for his own nefarious motives. People found him pretty sus right away due to how he seems to not put in any real time or effort into investigating a way to send Yuu home. Plus, there's that ominous opening monologue of his to consider. However, I don't think he summoned Yuu because of their (potential) great magical capabilities. The Mirror of Darkness tells us that it doesn't sense a shred of magic in Yuu, and Leona smells zero magic on them (though that could be because it hasn't technically manifested yet, as some fans claim).

The idea is that Yuu is supposed to be plain. They are supposed to be magicless. Why? To humble the NRC students and to show them that asserting yourself violently or with great magical power ISN'T the way to go. To show them value in strategizing (which Yuu does in the prologue by helping Grim aim at the ghosts), of camaraderie. What does it say about the story's themes if Yuu, the person who is supposed to be showing them the worth of mundane things, is suddenly... "secretly ultra-strong, actually/“just like you guys” (even if it's only a temporary hope-fueled magic)? It might contradict what has already been set up. It also breaks the self-insert appeal of Yuu, since developing magic would also mean Yuu would later have to further develop things like proficiency in magic, best/worst subjects, and an unique magic/signature spell... meaning Yuu HAS to become better "defined", thus losing their blank slate nature. This would surely upset some fans who deeply project onto Yuu, have a Yuusona, etc.

Yuu can still make an impact on the characters and the world--and they have, judging by how much closer the boys are with each other--without having to be The Most Special One or like everyone else. I think it undermines what Yuu has already managed to achieve to say that they haven't made an impactful choice at ANY point in the main story when I believe they definitely have. Yuu made the choice to sign the contract with Azul. Yuu made the choice to approach Malleus. Yuu made the choice to go against Crowley's orders and go retrieve Grim from S.T.Y.X. Yuu made the choice to get Leona’s help with the contracts. Yuu made the choice to stand with Adeuce against Riddle in book 1. Yuu made the choice to let the VDC/SDC tribe train at Ramshackle. Yuu has done a lot, and all without needing to seize the spotlight or to do anything big and flashy. I don't think Yuu needs to be big and flashy. There is pride to be had in simplicity and being humble too. There is pride in representing the 90% of humans in Twisted Wonderland that are ordinary and without magic.

(An aside: so if Yuu wasn’t able to manifest magic in many other extreme instances, does that mean their desire to save Grim in book 6 wasn’t “enough”? That their desire to save Ramshackle, their one and only home in this world, wasn’t “enough”? It implies that Yuu didn’t wish hard enough for these other things they clearly care about and want.)

I think a good way to give Yuu a decent role while staying true to their design as a blank slate would be for Twst to really lean into the whole "beast tamer" aspect that was introduced all the way back in the prologue. This would work well with their deep connection to Grim as well. Assuming that Grim ends up being the final OB... We could easily have the NRC students and staff on the ropes, Malleus at his wit's end after exhausting himself with his own OB, a rampaging Grim about to end it all. And then... one lone figure shakily rises from the rubble and confronts Grim. One human. Magicless, defenseless. A human lost in an unfamiliar world, a human who believes they're useless and don't contribute much. A human who is always in need of being protected by others. But not anymore. This time, it's Yuu's turn to protect what they love--their friends, this world they've come to love, Grim. Ace and Deuce yelling at Yuu to not be stupid, to get back--but Yuu just advances, calling out to Grim and begging him to stop. And maybe it's Yuu's wish that rallies everyone and/or gets OB Grim to hesitate. That's when they can strike. Is that corny? Yeah. Does it sound like the ending to a Disney film? Sure. But it still grants Yuu, a magicless human that is supposed to be there to teach everyone about friendship, cooperation, and humility, their big moment to shine. The best of both worlds, I'd say.

[fairytwles]

GIVE ME YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE FIRST TWO EPISODES PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE 🙏🙏

OK OK, I HAVE A LOT

kinda out of order and all over the place but SEASON THREE EP 1 AND 2 THOUGHTS:

THE TAG SCENE IN EPISODE ONE QUICKLY MADE ITS WAY UP TO ONE OF MY FAVORITE SEQUENCES OF THE SHOW (LOTTIE SEEING LAURA LEES GHOST IN THE MALL STILL AT #1 THO)

the scene right after that where everyone is just having a good time is so cutesy and i adored it, it was so nice to see them all so happy because i knew they're gonna get into some fuck shit this season

speaking of cutesy, AKILAHHHHHH

MY GIRL IS RASING BUNNIES???? AND DUCKS???? UGH

the beef between mari and shauna this season is so fucking funny

I'm overall liking mari a lot more this season too (though it is only the first two episodes so that could change)

"get off of me gaywad!" ok prophet mari

ADULT TAIVAN MY BELOVEDS OMG IM SO GLAD WE'RE GETTING CONTENT

callie and adult shauna my beloved's

LOTTIE FUCKING MATTHEWS!!! SHE HAS DONE NO WRONG EVER IN THE WORLD OF THE WORLDS

she is my baby, my beloved, my pookie, my princess (both teen and adult lottie)

nat looking hot as ever, serving face in the wilderness like its no ones business

three jackie mentions, I'm simply winning

one of those jackie mentions being in an interaction with nat??? jackienat truthers win once again

speaking of nat, her funeral scene made me so :( natalies mom when i fucking catch you

natalie liking swings when she was younger MADE ME SOB FOR SOME REASON

she was just a little girl :((

also nats mugshot had me oh lalaing the entire time

"keep going mar I'll make it two weeks!" made me lol, like ok mom

the thing they had for jackie, javi and wilderness baby :((

also that fucking screaching noise??? what the fuck was that??

natalie, van, gen, and tai having a fucking HOA meeting was hilarious bc yeah, what the hell sure

cutting to coach ben right after natalie said he's def dead was silly

COACH BEN FINDING T H E PIT??? (we're pretty sure)

i need to know rn what else dead cabin guy hid in those woods bc damn they coulda used that shit awhile ago

adult misty made me :((( the entire time

HER SEEING GHOST NAT AT THE BAR?? GOD

HER WEARING NATS JACKET??? SMELLING IT AND SLEEPING WITH IT??? GETTING NATS DRINK INSTEAD OF HER OWN??? FUCK

the scene where she just fucking breaks down in walters arms because of nat.... her saying she LOVES HER??? basically mistynat confirmation for me

i feel so bad for her

adult taivan restaurant dine and dash was so silly

except for the part where u know... the waiter fucking died???

he didn't have to be doing all of that though, no way he gets paid enough to chase after people

rip the waiter tho i guess

man with no eyes appearance!!! i honestly forgot abt him

ADULT LOTTIE MATTHEWS SILLIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD

she has done no wrong,

the scenes of her, misty, and callie were one of my favs

i haven't stopped thinking about her in that fucking panda face mask

speaking of callie, mf girlboss, i always believed in you girl

the guts thing?? iconic

out mistying misty herself?? incredible!! who knew it could be done!

ALSO THE ACTRESS WHO PLAYS CALLIE IS 30?!?! FUCKING CRAZY

adult shauna and jeff at the restaurant with those hotel guys

her calling them out for being nepo babies LMAO adult shauna ily

the bathroom scene was crazy

at first i for sure thought we were getting ghost jackie, but like a different scene from the trailer bc shauna wasn't wearing the same outfit

but then after the phone thing i knew it prob had to do with hillary swank

adult shauna funniest character in the show its true

MARI FALLING INTO THE PIT???

THAT REVEAL HAD ME GAGGED

SAME WITH BEN TIEING MARI UP I WASNT EXPECTING THAT

the whole mari and ben subplot was so silly to me

both of them hobbling away 😭

ben practically put mari on a child leash and that will never not be funny to me

the hot chocolate scene??? eerily similar to jackie's dream sequence 🤔

ben going fucking crazy in the background, god mari is screwed i fear

SHAUNAHAT CANON??

I SCREAMED WHEN THAT SCENE CAME ON

LIKE ACTUAL FR SCREAMED

THE ENTIRE TWO EPISODES LEFT MY MIND THE ONLY THING LEFT WAS THOSE FUCKING LESBIANS

I DIDN'T EXPECT SHAUNAHAT TO BE REAL

melissa kissing shauna when she had a knife to her throat was so real, girl would do anything for some lez activity

now with that knowledge i def think hillary swank is adult melissa

cause like?? the cuts between adult shauna trying to figure out who left the phone and young shauna and melissa making out??

it was def melissa who left that phone

im still kinda weary about hillary swank being adult melissa because of the scene in the trailer where she said "wow you guys are really fucking crazy" cause why would melissa say that??

it would have to be someone who wasn't there

so i think melissas sister is prob hillary swank BUT, this episode made me much more confident

plus that imdb thing said hillary swank is melissa but i think I'll have to see it first

ANYWAY I THINK THATS ALL MY THOUGHTS

IF I FORGOT SOMETHING ILL ADD ONTO IT

[so-long-soldier-writes]

He’s Like A Puppy

kai parker x reader

summary: an argument starts up when damon and bonnie return to the boarding house to find you and kai spending time together. it goes south when you start to defend kai against your friends' remarks.

≪ originally publishes on ao3: 2/24/23 ≫

tags: discussion of murder, cupcakes, small biblical references, fluff

word count: 967

“Don’t you see that he’s dangerous? You’re insane to think otherwise,” Bonnie scolds you, pointing at Kai in the corner.

Kai, who, at this very moment, is sitting on a stool with a cupcake, a bit of the frosting on his nose.

“Very dangerous,” you comment, holding back a chuckle. 

She rolls her eyes, “you didn’t see him in the prison world. You don’t know what he’s done.”

“Killed some people? Doesn’t everyone do that around here?”

“So you think it’s okay?”

“I mean, no, it’s not okay, but if we’re gonna declare Kai evil because he killed a couple folks, then everyone else here is, too. I mean, hell. Stefan’s been a ripper, Damon’s… Damon, Elena’s famous for turning off her humanity, Caroline’s temperamental.”

“Y/N, he massacred his family, there’s a difference.”

“Is there? Killing your family, or killing strangers who had lives and families that you know nothing about? And for all we know, maybe it was a Menedez’ brothers situation.”

“Okay, yes, I see your point about the strangers. But are you implying it’s okay to kill your family if they hurt you a teensy bit?”

“May I just say it was more than a teensy bit?” Kai interrupts.

“Shut up-”

“You shut up, Damon, I’m trying to hear all sides of this story.”

“Y/N, you’re talking crazy right now! He’s a liar. A manipulative, sociopathic liar. Besides, his name’s Malachai, for heaven’s sake! He said it himself, ‘it’s like his parents expected him to be evil’.”

You chuckle.

“What’s so funny about that?” Damon’s eyes narrow. 

“You do know that ‘Malachai’ literally means ‘angel’, right? In fact, it’s a Biblical name. Malachai was a prophet of… y’know that actually doesn’t matter. Regardless, you can’t tell that someone’s evil based on their name. Unless that name is literally, like, Lilith. Or Lucifer.”

“Whatever. You can’t trust someone based on their name, either,” she counters.

“Didn’t say I trust him off his name. Just said we should treat him as we do everyone else in this massive fucking house that’s killed a bunch of people. And how do we treat them? Oh yeah - with understanding, and reason.”

“He stabbed me in the gut, Y/N.”

“So has Damon.”

“Yeah, but I have the right to kill her because we’re friends.”

“Do you even hear yourself when you speak, or is it white noise in your head while a little mouse plays scrabble with sentences?”

“Uncalled for.”

“Was it?”

They’re left at a standstill. No one is sure what to say next. 

“Okay,” you carefully start, “whether or not you trust Kai, he’s here. And, for reasons I don’t know but I also don’t care, he’s been staying here, at the boarding house. Now, since I’m your out-of-town friend, I am also staying here, at the boarding house. So what’s wrong with us hanging out since we’re quite often, literally the only two people here?”

They, again, see the point in your statement, but continue to bicker about it anyway.

“He could hurt you.”

“Could, yeah. But we were chilling for two hours before you guys came back. Nothing happened.”

“Except he’s eating the cupcakes that Elena specifically made for the party tonight.”

“Maybe you shoulda labeled them ‘no touching’ or something.”

“Are you defending him over this now?”

“Well now I’m just pointing out the obvious.”

“I just… Elena’s going to be pissed when she finds her cupcakes gone.”

“Only one’s gone, she’ll barely notice.”

“I’ll tell her he stole it.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah, what’s she gonna do? Make him throw it back up?”

“One, gross. Two… maybe I’ll just let her finally kill him. That would solve a lot of our problems.”

You can’t help but smirk, “and we’ve come full circle. House of killers.”

Damon’s eyes widen as he realizes, “wait. No, wait. But it’s, ack, you suck. Fine. She won’t kill him. Just get him out of the kitchen.”

You shrug and make your way over to Kai, who’s now licking icing off his fingers. “Wanna go watch a movie?”

“Sure.” The answer is hesitant, but his excitement is given away with a sparkle in his eyes. 

“What? This was the original problem, Damon! They can’t be alone together! What if he snaps again?”

“Bonnie,” you take a deep breath, “he’s not going to hurt me.”

“How do you know that?”

“Look at him - he’s like a puppy. Just needs a friend and he’ll be okay. I’ll be fine. We’re gonna go get out of your hair, get out of your cupcakes, and watch a movie.” You state, taking his hand. 

“Call if you need anything,” Bonnie just rolls her eyes.

“Might need a grocery store run, but I won’t need help.”

“Whatever.”

◇◇◇◇

Halfway up the stairs, Kai looks behind him to face you, “why’d you call me a puppy?”

“Because you are one. Y’know, I mean what I said. I trust you, and you’re safe with me. You just need some company, Kai. It couldn’t have been easy being isolated for eighteen years.”

“So… you’re gonna be my company?”

“Is that okay?”

He smiles, his dimples showing on the sides of his face, “mhm.”

“Good. But two things… one, if you’re ever feeling angry or uneasy, come to me first, okay? I don’t want them to hurt you, so give me a chance to help you through it.”

“Okay.”

“And two, let’s not eat any more of Elena’s cupcakes. I know, pissing her off is fun sometimes, and they’re really good cupcakes. But we can make our own so Damon doesn’t kill us.”

“Fine, I won’t eat hers.”

“Sounds good. Thank you, Kai.”

“Thank you, actually. Um, for defending me earlier, and being a friend.”

“Of course. Now, let’s go watch a movie. I have Oreos in my room.”

[silkkorchid]

What went down in TWST rp in a week-

Covers 3/30 - 4/5

This week was ok ish…

NRC therapist and Gardening club seems to be planning something against Mrs. Rosehearts…

NRC Newspaper club has a new member called, Atlas, seeming to be an unofficial prophet for NRC, thanks to his Unique Magic.

There is a Dance Club at NRC now-

One of the hosts and the host club seem to have a questionable draft that was soon posted by another host. I’m looking at you 🪞⚜️.

NRC Host Club has now a menu of food, with the one of them being uhm a very clever name for it!

NRC cooking club made a disgusting salad that I cannot describe…

NRC allows students to have tazer if worn correctly…

Another race is happening between Royal Sword Academy and Night Raven College. And there is a poll which school is going to win, some students at NRC are rigging the poll.

Both of RSA and NRC Cleaning club have log entries.

Che’nya is at it with the invisible boop towards the boys.

Some of the boys’ future children are throwing powder ball at them, for no apparent reasons???

The Diasomnia gossip account seems to be telling all the juicy stuff that happens in Diasomnia- wait does Malleus even know this exists?

Someone said Sebek is just… I can’t say it as I’m gonna puke…

A boop war has commenced between us who will get the most boops.

A boop battle between Ruggie and Silver. Silver surrender with Ruggie being the winner .

A student of Diasomnia ate a whole pathway since they were hungry. The person that did this, u know.

Malleus and Althea is having a boop match across campus. Then lasers were incorporated into this match of theirs.? After all that happens, Althea and Malleus end their boop match with ice cream.

Althea trying kidnap Gidel, NO TOUCHING THE CHILD ALTHEA!

General Lilia came back from the dead.

Lilia destroyed the microwave again, wait is that smoke coming from Diasomnia?

Lilia got into Ramshackle’s kitchen and yeeeee….

Riddle realized his mother now got a Tumblr account-

Ace got food poisoning, and Riddle ban him from the kitchen till he gets his credit for the mandatory cooking class.

Mrs. Rosehearts has came back after 4 days. Someone gotta hold onto me before I jump her.

Seems like fans of Riddle are pushing their buttons with Mrs. Rosehearts, and I’m proud seeing them being straight forward on causing chaos.

Ace destroyed a microwave. No questions ask.

Ace got collared for the millionth time.

Ruggie’s future child SOMEHOW broke through a wall!? H-how does that logic work!?

Someone cast a spell onto ruggie in which made him wear bunny ears and a tail.

Leona is trying to pass his responsibility onto Ruggie.

Azul has now met his future child after idk how long.

@quartztwst made Azul bald.

Jamil trying to prevent Alcestris dating Najima, his sister. Meanwhile Althea cheering Alce on…

Epel came back after a beauty break to see the last update before shortly going offline.

Idia arguing which anime he and his future children will watch.

Idia allowing his future children to commit arson…. Ortho please stop him being a bad influence to his own future children…

Idia loosing his shit when the topic of Sonic came up.

Idia lost something very important for his magic pen.

Someone reminded Idia that he accidentally left Ortho’s filter off and you know the story.

The boys’ future children somehow got gender-bend due to a potion.?

The children tried monopoly and it turn into a full on war.

One of Sam’s friends can speak that wired language that I can’t understand-

Cheka came back after a long nap.

Someone taught Cheka to swear-

Fellow and Gidel is at it again trying to find new puppets…

[priintiisor]

hello,,, i made a guy,,,

look at him. my funny little guy. and his funny little cat

his name is oracle and he has never had a reasonable thought in his life <3

(more lore below)

so the reason this guy exists is i was trying to design a character for a crossover au i have and i came up with this design, and it s not very fitting for that character but i just loved it so much,,,, so now it s this guy. idk i don t make ocs very often it is very strange that this happened. i do love him tho

he doesn t have that much lore currently, other than one day he got bored and decided to live up to his name and become a prophet. he tries to predict everything that s gonna happen in the same way you d predict the weather- i imagine eventually he gets so caught up in trying to perfect his simulations and predictions that he kinda loses track of what s happening around him, by saint s time i imagine he s still alive and well but has no idea everyone else is basically dead. my guy wins by doing nothing (and doesn t even realise it)

i imagine he rarely talks to anyone and ocasionally pops into the local group chat and says the most ominous shit. no one likes him (except me i love him)

this. this is his personality

the scug exists because i think he d write down his prophecies and send them to people (by pearls because he doesn t have time to speak to people he has Very Important Work to do). also because a friend asked me this and i realised it s not in fact common knowledge: an augur is a type of roman prophet/priest, in ancient rome they had this thing called augury which was a way of making prophecies by counting birds. so bird scug of prophecy is named the augur

the only thought behind augur s design is i thought it would look cool. i am yet to decide if they re a baby or just really small for some reason (tho very tiny vulture cat would be silly)

other random notes:

he may be drawn without all the gradients, his funny wing cape is a pain to color, i don t think i ll struggle with it every time i draw him lol

all the metal parts are made out of copper. he s very shiny. also he has beautiful shiny eyelashes. also yes he has claws on his feet for no other reason that i thought it was cool

he has very good initials. woao. what the hell is that

he was not in fact inspired by the prophet from epic the musical. i d think that too but it is in fact just a coincidence

aand that s my funny little guy,,, i love him,,, thank you and goodbye

[lovemyromance]

hi! happy holidays :) I've read ACOTAR last month & I was surprised to see this shipwar is so brutual. I don't get effected by spoilers when i read so I saw so many tiktoks, & just based on all the edits, I throught Gwyn & Azriel were a couple. Then I'm alsmost about to finish ACOSF, and there's still no Gwyn&Azriel? I commented on a tiktok of Gwynriel like did i miss something? And this lady (super condescending) was like yes! his BC. I say I read it. She asked me DID I READ THE 2ND HALF?

PT 2 of ask: hi same anon from gwynriel tiktoks! pt 2 - I tell this lady um yeah who stops halfway through a BC? then she tells me if i had read TOG and CC, it shows Gwyn & Azriel are mates. granted, i haven't read those yet. But I asked my bestie (sjm fanatic) if this happened in HOFAS? Bc i know ab the crossover. She looks at me like i'm crazy. I go back to this gwynriel on tiktok and explicitly ask like "where does it say Gwyn and Azriel are a couple or mates" and she tells me "oh it's foreshadowing" SmH

I'm sorry this Gwynriel literally asked you if you read the second half of the bonus chapter ?? LOOOOL that's so funny. They think anyone who doesn't understand where gwynriel comes from just steadfast is an elriel or hates gwyn. When most casual readers literally have no clue what they're talking about either.

Idk why they think SJM was only speaking to them when she was leaving these so called "Gwynriel crumbs and foreshadowing" like?? They are so condescending, acting like only they are capable of picking up on "subtle hints" like first of all....

SJM ain't subtle. She is cheesy and cliche and a firm believer in love and happily ever after. Nothing she has ever written has surprised me. Not once. She does have good plots and intricate world building, but when it comes to her couples, they are predictable because of how she sets the story up.

When I read TOG did I know Aelin was going to end up with Rowan? No. But I had a pretty good idea once Rowan was introduced that OH I see where she's going with this because SJM did plenty of buildup, she didn't just write Aelin skipping from Dorian to Chaol to Rowan in 3 pages in a bonus chapter.

When I read CC, I knew immediately that Bryce and Hunt were endgame. I did think Hypaxia and Ruhn were gonna be a thing, but by book 2 when they introduced Lydia, I knew Night/Day would prevail. Wasn't surprising to me in the slightest.

When I read ACOTAR, I thought Tamlin was the one - until we were introduced to Rhys. Immediately after their first meeting, I knew he would be endgame,

It's not hard to grasp. SJM is again, not subtle with it.

Gwynriels are always barking at people like they think they're prophets of SJM or something because they strung together 3 different "clues" from 16 different books. They always cite SJMs other romance switchups, forgetting the fact that we know endgames basically as soon as a character has been introduced.

Gwyn HAS already been introduced. And yet, nothing. No chemistry no conversations no interactions that are even borderline romantic with Azriel. This is while they ignore the straight up in your face Elriel scenes that are happening btw.

It's always "there is foreshadowing" while ignoring the black and white text stating a different thing on the page. Do they not understand elriel have tons of foreshadowing too? It's just why would we cite that when we have actual romantic moments?

Just another day,another reader led astray by the fandom lmao. You don't need to take a magnifying glass and go Sherlock Holmes on acotar to figure out the next couple. Unfortunately, that's the only way people claim Gwynriel exists, so they have developed this "I'm just a better reader" attitude when really it's like are you actually OUR LORD AND SAVIOR SJMS chosen one, or are you just dreaming?

[achaotichuman]

Wrap Me In Your Skin And Bones

Day 2 of @sjmvillainweek !!! The prompts for day are Planning/Weakness, I decided to go with Weakness, this oneshot is about Beron x Lady of Autumn.

A/N- To clear up any confusion, yes I know Beron was already High lord when he was engaged to the LoA and yes I know it was most likely a politcal alliance, but I have changed it so that they fell in love before he ascended to the throne.

Summary:

“I can’t.” The words were begging. Beron Vanserra, for once in his life, he begged for something.

That had to mean something. Surely, surely it had to mean something. Anything.

Under the moonlight, two lovers meet. One sworn to the throne The other to the freedom of the forest Both born of fire Both too far in love Under the moonlight, two lovers meet. One to say goodbye The other to convince them to stay

Before Beron ascended to the throne, and before their love turned bitter, the Lady of the Autumn Court and the High lord were completely, irrevocably in love.

(Inspired by Skin and Bones by David Kushner)

Read on Ao3 or below the cut!

I fantasize to feel you like a bullet

And all your layers to the fullest

But the heavens won't condone it,

“I can’t,” The words were a hoarse whisper, a plea, spoken into this space of their shared air. The dark corner, hidden under the night’s cloaking shadows. His face was illuminated by the moonlight, those deep, dark eyes bathed in silver. She cupped his cheek, gently forcing him to look her in the eyes. His arms and hands gripped her waist so tightly. Like he was afraid if he let go, she would fade into the darkness never to be seen again. 

“Please,” She whispered back. 

“Andrea-”

“Please.” She repeated, stronger, firmer. She cupped his face with both hands now. Her hands were soft, so soft, too soft. Not scarred, not stained. He screwed his eyes shut, all of it, all of her, it was too much. 

“My father…” He murmured. 

“He never has to know.” Andrea dared to say it, dared to speak the words she had long kept locked in her throat. The idea that she could keep an Heir’s heart captive. 

You deceivin', wayward woman

You're a false prophet at the pulpit

The condition of your soul is erodin'

“Andrea,” He repeated, starting to pull back. 

“Beron.” She said, stepping forward. This couldn’t be lost, it wouldn’t be lost to her. She refused to let this die. 

“I can’t.” The words were begging. Beron Vanserra, for once in his life, he begged for something. 

That had to mean something. Surely, surely it had to mean something. Anything. 

“Why can’t you try?!” Tears sprung from her eyes as she stepped forward again. 

This had to end tonight, it had gone on too long, she knew that. He had told her so, when it started. At the very beginning on that fateful night under the cover of the Autumn leaves, with the cool air on their skin, with his hot lips on her neck, he told her it couldn’t last. For the good of both of them. 

But…

She knew. She knew what had to be done. 

It didn’t stop her heart from aching. 

Her tears, falling down his face made his face twist in pain and frustration. 

Wrap me in your skin and bones, yeah, you're electrical

Oh, I'm gonna lose control, yeah, as you pull me close

Wrap me in your skin and bones, yeah, you're electrical

Oh, I'm gonna lose control

“Because I cannot be the man you love forever, Andrea!” He finally snapped, “The throne will always come first and with that comes… consequences. Damages to the soul that cannot be undone.”

“I am not afraid!” Andrea shouted. 

“I cannot be weak!” Beron shouted back. 

She laugh-sobbed, nearly doubling over, “Is this what it’s about?”

He did not answer her, only stepped further back, retreating into the forests. The branches groaned and snapped as their curled in towards him, like he would be swallowed in the forest. 

“Love is not weakness!” She screamed, she felt like she was talking to a brick wall. No, a brick wall might have more reason. 

“It is for me.” Beron told her, “It is for me. Love is blind, Andrea. People will make it my weakness. You will be the weapon they use against me.”

“Beron,” She said softly, as more tears poured down her face. She was standing here, watching him walk away from all of this, and she knew it was coming and god it still hurts. 

He swallowed hard, breathing deeply through his nose. As much as he tried to hide it, she still saw the silver pooling in those eyes she loved so much. Too much. 

As your flatter talk shivers down my spine

I hear the Holy One exposin' all the lies

Lord, forgive me, I know my flesh needs to die

“It’s not enough, Andrea.” Beron said, in a clear, strong voice, a forced voice, “You are not enough.”

It felt like a dagger was being driven into her stomach over and over and over. She reached out for him, and he took another step back. 

“Whatever it takes,” She said, “Please, I will do whatever it takes.”

“You will be the ruin of us!” He said, those tears fell, and they turned to vapor on his skin, “You will ruin us and you will ruin me!”

“What will it take?” She dared to continue, his hands began to steam, as fire swirled like fine wine in his eyes. She only summoned the amber of her own burning gaze. His fire was the last thing she was afraid of. 

“You are so bold now, that will be drained from you. You cannot handle what happens in the Vanserra family, Andrea, you are free now, you could never be caged and be happy.” His tone was wistful, he was trying desperately to convince her, and it only hardened her resolve. 

“I will be with you, that is better than anything else.”

“You are naive.”

“I am in love.”

A small smile, “Like I said, love is blind.”

She has the lips red as cherry wine

A poisonous kiss, she's part of the swine

My salvation won't be sacrificed

“Beron.” Andrea reached out, and for once, he didn’t step away. He let her take the Heir’s hand in her own, but he couldn’t meet her eyes. He looked down at his feet, hanging his head, almost ashamed. 

She took his chin between two fingers, lifting his eyes to hers. Andrea leaned in closer. Her lips brushing his own. 

Beron’s breathing hitched, and he barely choked out, “Please.”

“Please what?” She hummed. 

“Anything.” He croaked, “I-”

Beron broke. He broke entirely, his body began to shake uncontrollably and Andrea immediately pulled him into her arms. Wrapping herself entirely around him as his big arms pulled her in, no matter how many times he tried to step back, he always ended up twice as many closer. 

Beron buried his face into her fiery curls, breathing in her scent deeply. Rubbing his calloused hands over every part of her he could reach. Like he were willing them to stay in this moment forever. She would gladly. She’d never leave if it were up to her. 

“This will be the ruin of us both.” He said. 

“I’d have it no other way.”

“You will regret it,” He said, but he held her tighter all the same. 

Wrap me in your skin and bones, yeah, you're electrical

Oh, I'm gonna lose control, yeah, as you pull me close

-Skin and Bones by David Kushner

[chamerionwrites]

Man I was trying to be nice about it because ime Christians are frequently well-meaning albeit astonishingly naive about these things (been there done that brutally disabused of those illusions, so yknow, my sympathies), but if I see one more post about how brave and relevant that sermon to Trump was I’m gonna SNAP. That kind of chance to speak truth to power and you ask for mercy? For mercy? From people who clearly despise weakness and vulnerability of any kind? FOR people who have done nothing wrong? Mercy? MERCY? That’s what you think is called for here?

Sorry but who the hell are you preaching to, because it isn’t those ghouls in the pews. If I am being very unkind, I suspect it’s to the audience of liberals who already agree with you, and who will shower you with praise for soothing their consciences and stroking their egos. It’s funny - and predictable - that conservatives are shriekingly furious about what was frankly a pretty milquetoast sermon. It’s sad that people are so accustomed to Christians kissing up to power that the softest hint of dissent is welcomed with such relief and admiration. If I’m being generous I think maybe you didn’t know what to say but felt compelled to say something, and kudos for having a backbone I suppose - but I also think you’re bad at your job.

Because it is not difficult to be much, much clearer and braver and more relevant than that. The only thing those people believe in is fear and force and power. If you really want to get through to them, speak the language they understand! Put the actual fear of God in them! It’s so easy you don’t even need to write a sermon; you can read right from the Bible. James 5 is a real classic:

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

Or you could try Habakkuk 2:

Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on? Will not your debtors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their victim. Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed man’s blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everything in them.

Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin! You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

Zechariah 7:

And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.’”

But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.

Matthew 25:

Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.”

They also will answer, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?”

He will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”

I’m quite fond of Isaiah 58, personally. Really drives home the point that surface religious observance is not just worthless but actively offensive when you’re oppressing the vulnerable:

For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. “Why have we fasted,” they say, “and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves and you have not noticed?”

Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

[liviavanrouge]

Chosen 3: Chat

Cater: *Sits in a chair, his eyes glowing white*

Livia: Is...there any lost spirits or ghosts here with us?

Cater: *Holds his hand out, offering a silent gesture for them to speak through him*

Kalim: If you wanna communicate, grab Cater's hand-

Cater: Here!

Livia: *Flinches in alarm, her eyes wide* What the hell?!

Cater: Sorry!

Cater: I talk!

Livia: Who is talking through Cater? If you don't know us, I'm Livia and this is Kalim

Livia: Cater has a prophet power called Ghost Speaker and he's been getting ghosts and spirits attracted to him and basically trying to talk to him

Livia: Can you tell us who you are and why you're lost-

Cater: Darkbanes fault!

Livia: *Gasps, looking at Kalim* My uncle did this...

Kalim: *Looks at Cater* Is that why our professor's wife and several others are in the Blot Forest?

Cater: Yes! His fault! Angry! I am!

Livia: Didn't Cater say there were ghosts and apirits ranging from toddlers to elderly people?

Kalim; *Looks at Cater* How old are you?

Cater: *Stares blankly forward, keeping his hand out*

Kalim: Do you not kn-

Cater: Six!

Livia: *Sighs, covering her face as she crouches down*

Cater: Okay! She okay!

Cater: Crying! Her!

Livia: *Sighs and stands up, stepping away*

Kalim: *Places a finger on Livias waist, keeping her grounded* Ah, she's a big softy for kids...she has her own little class she's teaching

Kalim: How many are in the Blot Forest?

Cater: Too many! Can't count! Will forget!

Livia: So he's been trapping people since he died is what I'm getting...

Cater: Yes!

Livia: *Nods, rubbing her face, sighing* Papa isn't gonna be happy to hear that...

Kalim: *Sits down, his eyes narrowed* ...have you seen people who look like him?

Livia: *Looks down at him* Like who? Be specific it's a little kid.

Kalim: Ah! Sorry

Cater: It's okie!

Kalim: Uhm, how can I word this-

Cater: Lilia!

Kalim: *Points to Cater, looking at Livia with wide eyes* They know your dad...

Livia: Did Darkbane mention him?

Cater: He hates him! Use us! Power up!

Livia: *Shakes Cater, her eyes narrowed* Cater! Power down!

Cater: *Looks at her, his eyes returning to normal* Liv?

Livia: *Walks away, sighing as she covered her face* Oh my goodness..

Cater: Is she okay?

Kalim: You didn't hear anything?

Cater: I'm still at the early stages of my Ghost Speaking power, when I upgrade I can start being more in the conversations...

Cater: What'd I miss

Kalim: We were talking to a six year old kid who's trapped with Mrs Trein and the others, they said Darkbane did it

Cater: LIVIA'S EVIL UNCLE?!

Kalim: The kid said he trapped them there and he hates Lilia and he's using them to power up I'm guessing

Livia: *Walks over* Should we return to our rooms?

Kalim: Yeah

Cater: Agreed I think that's enough for now

Cater: *Looks at the room and bows his head* Thanks for talking with us whoever was able to be pulled through

Cater: You're free now of course, anyone who gets pulled through to talk with me becomes able to leave

Cater: Feel free to attach onto me until it's over if you so wish

Livia: *Walks out, her eyes narrowed*

???: AND WHAT WERE YOU BRATS DOING?!

Scarlet: *Glares coldly at them*

Livia: We were TRAINING! What's the point of these powers if we can't train!

Scarlet: Keeping you safe is the point! You're lucky Cater wasn't possessed by a bad spirit or ghost!!

Cater: They like me actually, we talked to a bad...one...ah, shoot..

Scarlet: WHAT?!!!

Livia: Cater, you big mouth...

Kalim: *Laughs nervously*

Scarlet: YOU THREE TO YOUR ROOMS!!! NO TRAINING OR LUNCH!!

Cater: No fair!

Scarlet: *Storms away, snarling*

Livia: I hate her! When is the guy who brought us coming back?!

Kalim: *Chuckles quietly, following her*

Cater: *Smiles, feeling a tiny ghostly hand grab his*

Cater: *Walks after Livia and Kalim* I gotcha...don't worry...we're gonna get everyone out of that forest..

@queen-of-twisted

[kryptid-writes]

Chapter 4 - A Winchester Welcome

Y/N finds herself in a bunker with three unfamiliar men that are determined to help her. 

(1.9k)

I stir to the sound of unfamiliar voices, sounding muffled and far away. 

“You must know something, I mean, why would he just take some regular girl?” A man with a gruff voice says.

“I’ve heard nothing of it. She’s not on the list of prophets and she doesn’t seem to have any connections to Heaven or Hell,” another man replies, his voice low, gravelly, and unusually monotone. 

“So what? He just abducted her for fun?”

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” a third man pitched in, his voice slightly softer than the others.

My eyes flutter open, the light falling on my sensitive pupils. I quickly come to the realization that I am no longer in the house that Lucifer had dragged me to. I’m slumped over in a chair sat at a long wooden table in what looks to be some sort of underground shelter or bunker. 

The foundation is made of steel, layed with brick, and supported by concrete pillars. Hundreds of books and weird artifacts displayed on shelves line every wall, illuminated by the soft warm glow of overhead lights. 

I must consider my options quickly. Who knows how long it will take for the three men across the room to notice that I am no longer asleep. If I've learned anything recently, it's that the world is a lot more frightening than I've ever known before and nobody can be trusted. 

I have to find a way out and fast. Running clearly hasn’t worked out for me, so that only leaves me one option: I have to fight my way out of here. I scan the room around me looking for anything to defend myself with. My eyes land on a sharp letter opener laying on the table in front of me on a stack of scattered papers and books. It’s not ideal, but it will have to do. I swipe it quickly and hold it at arm's length in front of me as I quietly rise from my seat. 

This catches their attention, stopping their conversation dead in its tracks. For a second there’s silence, it hangs uncomfortably in the air until the tallest man finally speaks up.

“Hey, it’s okay. We’re not gonna hurt you,” he says in a gentle, soothing voice, that in any other circumstance would have put me at ease. 

He has long flowing locks of brown hair tucked behind his ears and a blue flannel that hugs his tall, muscular build. He’s well over six feet tall, not someone that I could easily take in a fight, he’d most likely snap me in half without breaking a sweat. But something about him is soft and caring. 

He takes a hesitant step towards me and raises his hands to show he means no harm.

“Stay away from me you demonic fucks!” I yell, swinging the letter opener and slowly backing away towards the open hallway behind me. Truthfully I have no clue what the layout of this building is. For all I know, this hall could lead me even deeper into this nightmare of a situation, but staying in this room trapped with three mysterious men is not an option.

“We’re not demons, we’re here to help you. I’m Sam and this is my brother Dean Winchester,” he gestures between him and the other man in flannel. 

Dean puts on a fake smile and gives a half hearted wave. 

My eyes shift to the man in a trenchcoat behind them, standing silently with an intense gaze.

Dean catches this and gives him a subtle nudge to the shoulder. 

The man looks confused and annoyed at first, then clears his throat. “I am Castiel. Angel of the Lord,” he states flatly.

“Yeah? Well I've had enough of you twisted angels for a lifetime. So, if you'll excuse me, I’ll be taking my leave!” My voice quivers, but my face stays strong and stoic. I take a step back towards the nearest hallway, readying myself to make an escape.

Sam seems to take pity on me, clearly seen in his big brown puppy dog eyes.

 Dean and Castiel on the other hand, look rather annoyed.

“You don't want to do that,” Dean warns.

“Yeah, and why’s that?” I huff, narrowing my eyes at him.

“Lucifer seems to have taken an interest in you and he will stop at nothing to find you. If there’s one thing I know about my brother, it’s that he’s stubbornly persistent,” the angel weighs in.

“We have this place sigilled to high Heaven. He won’t be able to get to you in here, but as soon as you leave those doors, we can’t protect you from him,” Dean says, crossing his arms.

“Why would you want to help me?” 

“It’s what we do,” he replies with a smile.

“I promise you, you’re safe here. You just have to trust us,” Sam says, approaching me carefully like I'm some wounded animal. 

I give a quick nod and reluctantly lower the letter opener, deciding to let my guard down, seeing as I don’t have many other options at the moment. 

Sam takes the blade from my hand and flashes me a relieved smile, placing it on the worn wooden table. He pulls out two chairs, the scrape of wood echoing around the large room. He sits on the chair to the right and pats the other, urging me to sit next to him. 

With caution I slide into the chair, never taking my eyes off him in fear this all may be a trap.

“What’s your name?” He asks kindly, gently placing his hand on mine in an act of sincerity. 

I can’t help but remember the feeling of Lucifer's hand over mine, the buzz of electricity that quivered through us. I shake off the memory, refocusing my attention on Sam.

Dean and Castiel leave the room, having a hushed conversation between the two.

“Y/N.”

“That’s a lovely name.” He pauses for a moment, thinking of what to say. “How are you holding up? I’m sure this is a lot to take in at once.” He feathers his hands through his hair, tucking a strand behind his ear.

“I’ve been better,” I reply bitterly.

He nods sympathetically. 

The room goes quiet as we both become lost in thought.

Dean returns holding three bottles of beer, Cas following not far behind. He places a bottle in front of me, popping off the cap with a pocket knife before taking his seat across the table.

 Cas looms awkwardly behind him, staring me down suspiciously, like a bomb that may go off at any moment.

Without a second thought, I grab the bottle, putting the cold glass rim up to my lips and chug. I close my eyes and feel the bubbly liquid flowing down my throat, leaving a warm sensation in its wake. I drink until the bottle’s completely empty, shaking it lightly to get every last drop. The alcohol eases my worries, reminding me of my days before the dreams started, before being kidnapped by the devil, before being injected by the mystery serum, before finding myself in a bunker with two men and their angel. The days, that in hindsight, I really took for granted. I open my eyes to see everyone staring at me intently. 

Sam looks surprised, eyebrows raised and mouth slightly ajar. 

Dean on the other hand smiles, clearly impressed. “So,” Dean says, trailing his eyes over my form. “Why is Lucifer so fixated on you?” He asks, kicking his feet up to rest on the table and taking a swig of his beer. 

Sam shoots him a disapproving look, but chooses not to say anything.

“I’m not sure actually.” I glance down at my hands, picking at the skin of my cuticles absentmindedly.

Sam silently hands me his beer.

 I nod appreciatively and take a sip, choosing to savor it this time. “I started having dreams of him about a month ago. Terrible, terrible dreams. Then he abducted me. I thought for sure he was going to kill me, but he seemed possessive and surprisingly affectionate towards me?” I say uncertain, not entirely sure if I believe the words coming out of my mouth.

The three men exchange glances between each other, somewhere between confusion and skepticism. 

“Affection?” Dean asks, raising his brow.

“Yeah, he kept calling me his beloved and assuring me everything was going to be okay,” I say the words like they’re sour in my mouth, leaving behind a bitter taste. 

Dean's face twists in disgust picturing it. “So that’s it? Did he do anything else?” Dean questions, his deep voice echoing off the walls.

“Yes,” I state in an angry tone. 

The boys lean in, waiting for me to say more, but I choose not to elaborate further. I’m not too keen on sharing the most traumatic event I've ever experienced with some strange men I just met.

“I’d like to go to my room, please.” I grab the bottle and take a long swig, tracing my eyes along the wall, purposefully looking anywhere besides them.

“Y/N,” Sam says in his soft voice, indirectly asking for more information.

“Please, Sam.” I give in, looking at his soft hazel eyes. 

He nods, then stands from the chair and escorts me to an empty bedroom down the hall. We walk in silence, only the sound of footsteps echoing through the hall. “Dean’s just one room over and my room is across the way.” He points to a room a few doors down across the hall. “We’ll be here if you need anything at all.” He places his large hand on my shoulder, giving a light, reassuring squeeze.

“Thanks.” I close the door behind me, letting out a long breath I didn’t even know I was holding in. Looking around, the room is neatly cleaned. Mostly barren besides a bed, a nightstand with a small lamp, and a leather trunk at the foot of the bed. Despite the place feeling void of human touch, I still feel more comfortable here than in Lucifer's abode.

 I enter the small connected bathroom and shrug off my dirty clothes, turning on the shower. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Despite the hours of sleep I've gotten recently without much say in the matter, my eyes have light purple bags under them like I've been awake for days. My hair’s a mess, strands going every which way and little knots forming at the ends. I run my fingers through, slowly working through the tangles until it looked somewhat presentable.

I step into the shower and the hot water feels incredible. It temporarily melts away the memories of the day, the tension easing out of my muscles. I lather my hair with the small bottle of lavender shampoo in the nook of the shower, and wash all the grime from my body with the tiny bar of soap. Getting clean has never felt so good in all my life.  I close my eyes and stand under the stream until the warm water runs cold, the drops feeling like little needles hitting my skin.

After drying off and brushing my teeth, I slip into bed, only dressed in my underwear, as I don’t have any clean clothes to change into. My body relaxes knowing that I’m safe from Lucifer in this bunker, at least for the time being, and that’s good enough for me. For a long while I sit awake, staring at the ceiling, my mind running so fast yet feeling so empty, but eventually exhaustion sets in and sleep claims me once more.

Series Masterlist

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[dichromaticdyke]

GUYS I'M HAVING ANOTHER BOUT OF DIVINE MADNESS

i've been seing posts here and there expressing disappointment at aotd not giving us more answers about the lore of Salacia and the Whale Prophet and all that, and i agree, it's a bit disappointing to not know definitively what's going on with them.

BUT.

I THINK THE LORE WAS IN FRONT OF US THIS WHOLE FUCKING TIME.

if you liked my analysis of "Aortic Desecration," "SOS," and "Blazing Star," then hopefully you'll like my analysis (and HEAVY theorizing) of Dethklok's most enigmatic running theme—the "Murmaider" trilogy of songs.

okay strap in i'm probably gna sound like charlie day's pepe silvia rant. i'm gonna start just by breaking down the story of the "Murmaider" trilogy i'll also be skipping any lyrics in the songs that aren't directly connected to by analysis/theory (such as the parts where nathan is just listing different murder weapons or chanting "murmaider").

so, starting with murmaider. this is the only song of the trilogy to actually make an appearance in the show, with the other two being exclusive to their respective dethalbums, but even still, this song only plays for a few seconds, and it's just the chorus. this song appeared in "dethwater," the same episode that established dethklok's connection to the water. this episode also notably featured toki's guitar picking up the sounds of whales (something that would later be revisited when edgar noticed this in season 4 and began decoding the whales' messages).

There are no fingerprints deep underwater Nothing to tie one to a crime And if you seek vengeance All you need are instruments of pain

so the story being established here is pretty clear. some unknown protagonist that nathan is speaking to is going to kill someone underwater so that he can seek vengeance and not get caught.

But beware For when you quench your bloodthirst Others will seek vengeance on you And they won't rest until you're dead

nathan warns this protagonist that his actions will cause those related to the victim to seek vengeance on him. fair enough.

Hold your breath and swim and strain Smell of death, can't escape Blood will cloud, drift away Attract the murders of mermaids It's so cold, they all know What you've done, you can't run Vengeance is the law for thee A thousand leagues below the sea

this is where it starts to get interesting. the fact that those that are seeking vengeance on our protagonist are mermaids says to me that the initial victim was a mermaid. if not a mermaid, they were at least some kind of sea creature. otherwise, why would the mermaids care all that much? care to the point of vengeance? but the next portion sinks this theory for me.

You've been tracked, you've been seen Murdering the next of kin Ate their hearts, drank their blood Washed your fins in blackened mud

"murdering the next of kin" is very important. next of kin to what? or to whom? did our protagonist kill a mermaid/sea creature's child?

Now you swim, try to hide Heart beats faster from inside Thought it was a big charade Your life was ended by mermaids

so our protagonist tries to escape from the mermaids seeking vengeance on him, hiding in the water, but in the water, the mermaids are able to find him, and they kill him.

now let's look at murmaider ii: the water god. already, this song seems important, namedropping a god and all.

The gods watch over you And they consider what you've done But now you've hidden away to gain your strength Deep in a cave Your power is regained And your legacy has spread to the deepest of the sea The one that brought them vengeance That fights for his belief

now, this is where the theorizing really starts to come in. who is this that nathan is speaking to? this figure that nathan is speaking to here is a figure that has "brought [...] vengeance." specifically, it seems that they've brought vengeance to the gods that now watch over them. is this the same protagonist as in "Murmaider?" that seems impossible, as it's implied that that protagonist died. though that protagonist was bringing vengeance, but we're not sure whom to. we also don't know for sure if the mermaids who allegedly killed the previous protagonist are gods or work with gods. put a pin in this.

He can swim through matter He has poisoned teeth His tentacles have murdered His scream can kill the weak He's got explosives (check) Corrosives (check) A master of the art of murder Mermaids weep the blackened tears

despite this being in third person, this still is referring to the protagonist whom nathan is speaking to. this is a direct continuation of nathan speaking about his legacy as "the one that brought them vengeance / that fights for his belief." this is establishing the power that the protagonist has. anyway, mermaids crying blackened tears over this protagonist? seems important.

So you swim to a sunken ship Invited by a soul who bleeds from the lips The prophet, who beckons you, wades in the dark Speaks an ancient language, this language is of sharks

HEY LOOK A WATER PROPHET, THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR. however, this isn't the water prophet we're most familiar with—we're familiar with a whale (not a shark) whom is referred to with she/her pronouns (not he/him). but that doesn't mean this isn't important. put up another pin.

He says, "You're the one that I decree The one who can save us and set us free You've gained the power of a deity You have the strength to wake us from this sleep" [...] And the prophet gives to you this warning: "If this path is chosen you'll be met with strife For you'll be seen as an enemy of the sacred And the gods will curse you for the rest of your life" And you say, "I get by just fine (check) I've known much worse life (check) I've conquered dark times (check) They should fear my might (check)"

so this shark prophet, as i'll refer to him, is telling our protagonist that, because of their power, they will get the right to further divine powers so long as the protagonist uses this power to help..."us." however, in freeing the nebulous "us," this puts our protagonist in conflict with the gods and other holy/sacred beings. this doesn't dissuade our protagonist, having full confidence in his abilities and power.

So now you know then, go then Swim on through the cold then Harness your strength Because one day you may be called To meet the mighty gods Deep within the ocean And if you're not prepared Your soul will not be spared

OKAY BOYS, HERE'S WHERE IT'S GETTING FUCKING INTERESTING. our protagonist is told to lay low, gather strength, and wait for the moment when they will go up against the ocean deities. again, DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR? don't forget this, but take out that pin from earlier. this protagonist is the same protagonist as in "Murmaider." he didn't die—his "life was ended," but given his divine power and strength, that doesn't necessarily mean death in the permanent sense. the mermaids were bitterly weeping about this protagonist, someone that they thought they had killed but whom is still alive, getting stronger, waiting...

Your eyes have gone black You'll never look back You'll never stop swimming You'll always be tracked Your life has transformed Your power has grown Your minions stretch for leagues For a bloodied coral throne A crown of murdered foes Will sit upon your head Those that wish to challenge you Will wish that they were dead The beasts of the sea will collect and submit Pray for your forgiveness and live as you permit

okay, pretty straightforward yet again. the protagonist is getting stronger, hiding away from the mermaids, gathering minions, killing those in his way. "the beasts of the sea will collect and submit." this is a warning.

And you say, "I am the water god You will bow to the water god You will live for the water god And you will die for the water god" [...] And the deities loom nearer They will find you

the power has gone to our protagonist's head. he is demanding fealty, proclaiming his own divinity, whilst the true divine beings continue to track him down.

okay. murmaider iii. let's look at the conclusion of this story.

The blackened deep The coral keep The dying king Will no one weep? Ruled in fury Incurred his debt This wretched prize Crown of regret Scavenger Savager Blasphemer Vile Violator Tormentor Murmaider Guile

once again, pretty straightforward. our protagonist, who had decided himself a water god, a ruler, is dying. he's been a vicious ruler, and he may have regrets over this, but he also may not wish to go back on anything he's done.

Within this dying sea The Murmaid Three arrive These witches have foreseen The end of everything

three hags with the power of foresight? damn that's crazy, i too love the three fates from greek mythology.

They say, "Your power blinds you Your DETH will find you Vengeance from your enemies Your kingdom crushed, your subjects bleed Refuse defiance Forge this alliance From the land (check), from the sky (check) And from the blackened fire"

so, the murmaid three are giving our protagonist a chance to avoid his fate of a vicious death. let's note, firstly, that the spelling DETH is important in mtl, as this is the spelling used when referring to the dethlights, and other divine power harnessed by dethklok. but looking past that because we haven't gotten to the analysis portion yet, our protagonist has already forged alliances with land and sky deities, just not from the deities of blackened fire. interesting, blackened fire is also a reoccurring theme in mtl, i wonder if that's important.

The end's approaching (We survive) Darkness encroaching (We survive) This nautic land (We survive) Our final stand (We will swim, check) We will swim (We will fight, check) We will fight (In the deep, check) In the deep

the protagonist doesn't seem to care about forging this alliance, instead choosing to fight.

The final dream The gleaming reef The silver light The murmaids sing The blackened fire The blazing sky The pluming ink The sea beast cry His final sleep But we survive

hey wow, namedropping "Murmaider," "Black Fire Upon Us," and "Blazing Star" all in one verse? damn that's crazy. anyway the protagonist fucking died, but "we" survives. i think the "we" is meant to be dethklok, like. just pretty clearly. nathan and dethklok have never been portraying anyone besides themselves in this series of songs, just singing to/about the protagonist.

anyway, i think this was all about salacia and the whale prophet, with salacia being our protagonist.

i think salacia, back when he was a proper god, fully fused with the four other souls, was a powerhungry god. at some point, he felt wronged by the whale prophet in some way or another, and he killed her child. the mermaids went to try to get vengeance on him, and they thought they killed him, but what they really did was separate the four souls from him, sending them into the doomstar.

salacia fled the ocean from her. now that he was so wounded and only at half his power and strength, staying in the water would allow the whale prophet to find him. this shark prophet in the story, though, is a figure that doesn't show up anywhere in mtl. but we know that salacia can change form, so, why not the whale prophet? though, yes, she wants vengeance too, but she also wants to see what he's capable of. she needs to know what she's up against, after all. she tells him just to rest up, wait for when she calls upon him. but he doesn't do that. he harnesses further power from her, using it to start a reign of terror.

eventually though, he realizes the truth of what/who she is, and he flees the water. out of the water, he no longer has connection to the whale prophet's power, and his own natural powers are dwindling. this would be around the time that he starts the tribunal in a final attempt to regain his lost power. the tribunal is his alliance with the land (check), and his attempt to seek power from the doomstar and the four souls is his alliance with the sky (check). that just leaves dethklok as the blackened fire. i'm not gonna go into a whole analysis of "black fire upon us" to prove i'm right, but they've been connected with the imagery of blackened fire for a long time...ughh i'll get into it in another post. but anyway, salacia doesn't foster an alliance with dethklok, instead using and harming them to get what he wants. the blazing doomstar endows dethklok with the power of the dethlights, and they use that power to send salacia back to the water, where the whale prophet devours him, finally getting her vengeance from what he'd done all those years ago.

this all might be a stretch. as i was finishing this, i was starting to think i was crazy, and maybe i am. maybe i'm way overthinking this, and we'll never truly know what the hell was going on with salacia and the whale prophet and all that god stuff. that's fine with me, tbh. but i hope you all like my little theory, this took me two hours to write once i thought of it while waiting for the bus.

[dramionediscussion]

I am so tired of fics that drag out miscommunications. I just 'noped' out of a fic where Draco's parents manipulated him and Astoria into kissing on New Years - mostly Astoria going in for the kiss. And it was in the Prophet and Hermione saw the prophet and the miscommunication persisted for FAR TOO LONG. Years, in fic. Hermione cried but abandoned their secret relationship in a show of cowardice and pride and Draco didn't go after her, but they both wallowed in self pity and indecision while pining for each other and AARGH! That's not a miscommunication/pining fic. That's are "they are stupid on biblical proportions because lets have them act like kids with their feelings hurt having tantrums instead of acting like adults" fic. Blimey.

I once read one where Astoria and Daphne were like sisters to Draco, he was closer to Astoria since she was about 5 years younger and he considered her a little sister. They were having problems with their parents and Draco offered to help them out with the pureblood stuff. I think they wanted to leave the family and wanted their inheritance but couldn't because they were girls. Daphne was okay since she was getting married to Theo, so she was gonna get her inheritance and disown her parents, but Astoria was still underage. So Draco found some pureblood loophole.

Anyway, Draco and Hermione are dating, only his side knows, she doesn't tell her side. She meets Astoria and Daphne and she knows some of what they are going through, and Draco told her that he has a way to help, she understands that he can't reveal all to her right now. Then something happens to Astoria, Draco has to leave unexpectedly, he sends a letter, and goes to Astoria to take her and protect her, Daphne and Theo are with him. But Rita Skeeter sees them first and writes an article and of course lies. I think she sees Draco leaving with Astoria early in the morning and makes up a lie that they are in a relationship and about how they had a marriage contract in place (he did have one with Daphne, which was broken since she is with Theo, which Hermione knows about).

Anyway Hermione sees this article first then the letter and burns the letter and ignores Draco. So he rightfully stays away. If she wants to believe Rita Skeeter, then fine. Now none of the Slytherins speak to her. She reveals she was with Draco to her friends, they obviously bash him, Hermione doesn't defend him. Then after a few weeks, Astoria finds Hermione and tells her off, Hermione feels bad then goes to Draco to apologize. Her friends tell her no, you are better off without him, but she says she loves him. And Draco immediately forgives her!

UGH!

I find with a lot of misunderstanding fics like this and what you describe, Hermione is always the one at fault for not stopping to at least hear Draco out, and she never properly apologizes but Draco instantly forgives her.

And when it is Draco at fault, he has to grovel for her to forgive him.

But in most fics, they are adults, communicate with each other!!

-Lisa

[brucewaynehater101]

SPECIAL DEATH MESSAGE:

(offers you a dainty bone china teacup full of earwax)

Republicans have an uncanny taste for the inside of Donald Trump's rectum

Someone genetically engineered the noses off of my space sheep. The whole sniffer bloodline is being executed for smelly crimes. Also appearing on toast, THE FRIED TOMLINSON SPAM EGG CHIPS AND SINGERS!

Upon their second meeting he scolded her for upsetting the Queen of the Artichokes

Insallah, the [genocidal eugenicist] reptile shall be made into air conditioning

In this brutal, breakneck first-person booter, the Anger Foot introduces the ruthless gangs of dystopian cesspit Shit City to a fury of feet and firepower.

(in heavy Hungarian accent) Great bewbies, Honeybun. My lower intestine is full of spam, egg, spam, bacon, spam, baked beans, spam, spam, and spam. My n1pples! (I am dragged offscreen by a Victorian London bobby as Vikings chant loudly)

Does he have foreskeen eyes?

Massive swarms of cicadas devouring our crops, check. Rivers and seas boiling, check. Lots of natural disasters, check. Leprosy rates spiking among Americans who have never even seen an armadillo (a plague of sores and boils), check. (That last one especially so in Florida, I guess God hates DeSantis.) Speaking of which, false prophets, check and double check.

Many used camels be upon you. GETAWAY CAMELS! GETAWAY DATES! ONLY SLIGHTLY USED! GARRYS MOD HAS MADE BRAIN IS FULL OF POOTIS!

(but earwax isn't drinkable :( Is it to look at?)

"Republicans have an uncanny taste for the inside of Donald Trump's rectum." Is that a clever way to say they kiss ass???

Space sheep! Now I'm imagining star patterned sheep 🥺 Sucks they're all being killed off, though :/ Have you seen that one detective show where this guy solves crimes cause he can smell real good? Very curious how he vs the sheep would go

Idk wtf a Tomlinson is, but spam and eggs sound gross :( At least a singer is there? For the toast 🍞🥂

Artichokes are delicious. Would the queen be offended if I ate one in front of them?

"Insallah" is a cool as fuck phrase. I hope God approved of turning a genocidal eugenicist reptile into air conditioning. Fucker deserves it. Might as well get used out of the gross reptile

First-person booter?? I'm guessing "Anger Foot" is the name of the game... Booter, like kicking someone? Which makes sense later with the fury of feet and firepower. Ig Shit City would probably be a horrible place to live (but also fun?? As long as you are strong enough against feet?)

Well... I don't like spam or eggs and baked beans are alright... You seem to very much like them plus bacon if your lower intestines are full of it. Would that be a balanced meal? It seems like a lot of protein

Whelp... Vikings are cool. Wonder what their chanting would sound like. Though cops aren't cool in comparison :/ Bobby is a funny name for 'em, though.

Lots of questions about "foreskeen eyes" Is that foreskin eyes (which... would that make them reptile eyes??) or forseen eyes (fortune telling eyes [fortune eyes is a fantastic song])

Cicadas!!! Their carcasses are scary :( We do have a ton of natural disasters occurring (I feel like that's the wrong term cause they ain't gonna end).

I didn't know much about DeSantis. All I knew is that I can't visit Flordia anymore :/ There's some wild shit online about him, though. On the related topic, makes sense why climate is revolting against him.

Hmm... Who's the false prophets this is addressing? And, what would they need to double check? Perhaps double checking the lies (since they are false)?

Used camels be upon you... Hmm... What would a not used camel be? What makes them used? Is it bad that they are used? It's maybe good that they are used as a getaway (depends on the circumstances)

Dates, on the other hand, do not make good getaways. They are tasty, though

Wait... Are the dates slightly used? Cause I'm good. I will only consume unused dates

Garrys mod??? And the only thing I'm seeing for pootis is a weird looking bird :/

[ru-bwee]

because of timezone change i get to see the episodes an hour earlier . as always live ru_bwee mujica reaction . i have heard Bad things about this episode Very Bad things

intro starts instantly trust me i will KILL(kiss) someone if mortis doesnt come back next weekend alongside what happens this episode

OH SHIT? WERE ON THE STAGE? WE SINGING AGAIN?

i think she likes greensleeves

THE STORY OF HER WITH ALL HER SECRETS!!

how i look on my phone seeing posts about this episode

doing another warning DO NOT SCROLL DOWN UNLESS YOU WANT YOUR LIFE RUINED YOUR BRAIN UNWILLINGLY LOBOTOMIZED AND YOUR CROPS BURNT

lets all kill ourselves

you did NOT write a song about how much you want sakiko just to be her aunt

sadaharu really didnt gaf his wife dies and he fucks the caretaker

coping and malding so hard right now but

the twin theory being confirmed is insane . whats next is uika a serial killer

shes three seconds old

they may not be full siblings by blood but there both siblings by loving saki chan

was her mother a prophet there both quite miserable right now

aww the frolicker!

the lookerr

i might be coping so hard but the fact doloris is acting it out... the person in the cast who has munchausen syndrome... ouuuuuuuugh

the bug catcherr

sakiko has desuwa'd since a child... truly emotional..

hatsune throwing imaginary stones into the crowd truly is a sight

dont worry guys uika is gonna wake up and its all gonna be a terrifying dream that she was related to saki chan

gives her a little kiss on the forehead

homo

dogs when you return after leaving for 5 minutes:

no way the weaver of lies title

BUH????

she put her skin on

OH SHITT

MITOSIS!!

episode 12 its actually all one big intrusive thought

her hair looks like a Beetles

girl thats your niece

HATSUNE GOES ROUGE..

were getting actual scenes finally!! like her saying her name!!

me when im speaking my backstory on stage and the kareoke reverb here the world starts playing

mana being shown as one of the paper seeming characters and uika as the real one... please be a fake backstory please please please

UIKA NOO

NO SHOT THAT SADAHARU FAKED SAKIKOS DAD TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FRAUD BECAUSE HE KNEW THE SECRET OF HIS SECOND DAUGHTER. NO SHOT I WAS RIGHT.

he told sakiko that uika came to tokyo huh..

Gives her a little kiss on the forehead

WE WOKE UP WE WOKE UP

"your going to switzerland" HUH?????????????

uika leavign with her two bags this time/.... its so mujicover

oh shit i hit image cap. part 2. part 2 reblogs.

[bodacious-energizedprotodermis]

without having done any research, I'm gonna guess that Jayfeather was the first of the Three to have his powers fleshed out by the writing team. his powers feel like a natural continuation of Leafpool's own powers (psychic bond with Squilf where they sense each other's emotions, and sometimes their thoughts, can enter the Dark Forest on her own, saw Brambleclaw's dreams on her own seemingly without StarClan knowing).

How could Jayfeather not have the power he has? It's in his blood. I also think him and the others losing their powers is fucking stupid

read more for my headcanon ramblings of 'connection with StarClan'/'having some kind of power/destiny' is inheritable, so if a cat with a great destiny (a leader, a medicine cat, a cat involved in prophecy) has children, this power/influence on destiny can grow with each following generation

Firestar - has had prophetic dreams since his kittypet days. When he shares this fact with Cinderpelt, she says something along the lines of it being an unusual trait. At the time this was written, dreams from StarClan tended to only be sent to cats actively seeking a closer bond with StarClan through service (medicine cats, Clan leaders).

Leafpool & Squirrelflight - can sense each other's emotions and, to some extent, sense each other's thoughts. They can even sense what the other is tasting! (Squirrelflight is also one of the cats who received the dream to go to the Sundrown Place, arguably one of the most consequential prophecies at this point in the series, which is not directly tied to Jayfeather but still fits into this trend.)

Leafpool - has a limited ability to go into the Dark Forest on her own, and see into other cats' dreams. She follows Brambleclaw into the Dark Forest in New Prophecy (and chooses to not tell anyone, LEAFPOOL WHAT THE F-)

Jayfeather - has an incredibly strong ability to sense other cats emotions, most of the time without intending to (this leads to him wanting to be alone most of the time, he is constantly aware of what others are feeling, especially when it's directed at him!). He is also able to sense the thoughts and intentions behind the emotions of cats who are awake, though the extent to which he is able to seems to depend on the individual cat and the emotions they are feeling at the time (for example, wariness or fear are sometimes described by him as being "thorny barriers" that he cannot sense past). It is easier for him to read the minds of cats who are asleep - by entering their dreams. He can also go to the Dark Forest on his own.

To me, this shows a trend of an ability/influence on destiny growing with each successive generation.

How does Dovewing fit into this direct descendant scheme, you might ask? Well. I'm not there in my reread journey yet.

However. It all leads back to Jake. It's late so pardon me while I go off the rails

It's not the connection to Firestar that matters, not just being kin with him. Oh no. It's being Jake's kin.

Although Jake is outside the scope of my current progress of my reread, if we included him in the list it would look like this: Jake - befriends Pinestar, and welcomes him when Pinestar becomes a kittypet. Also befriends Talltail/star, and convinces Talltail to not carry out revenge against Sparrow. No powers to speak of, but arguably has had a not-small impact on the destinies of two major figures in Clan history. Also fathered Scourge, another cat with a major destiny who lived outside of Clan life yet directly impacted it.

Jake is the guy. The one who started this major lineage of cats who are inextricably linked into shaping the destinies of the Clans. They are cursed by Jake's legacy, that innate ability to shape the world around them. And like Jake, the way they shape the world around them can have major future consequences for many cats.

It also links into how the destinies of Jake's lineage and Pinestar's lineage are intertwined. (Catch me later when I finally write down my thoughts on Squirrelflight's and Brambleclaw's destinies being explicitly described by the narrative as being intertwined for the rest of time) Jake helped Pinestar adjust to kittypet life. While he wasn't the reason Pinestar left Clan life, he was still involved in something that changed Tigerclaw forever. Jake also fathered BOTH of the cats that killed Tigerstar, Scourge (in life) and Firestar (in death)!

Or it's just StarClan doing some good old-fashioned nepotism. But this post isn't about that!