#these two gave me a serious case of brainrot

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

not sure if I've already requested this so sorry if I have haha,

but how would the m6 react to a mc with sh scars? if it's not too heavy of a topic for you, if it is, I completely understand that :)

The Arcana HCs: M6 when MC has SH scars

~ not too heavy at all, anon, I'd actually been hoping to write this at some point and your request gave me that excuse! to anyone else who relates a little too much: you're not alone, your pain is valid, and there is hope for you even when it doesn't feel like it - brainrot ~

CW for: references to scarring and self-harm. I can remember points in my life when this would have been triggering for me to read. If this would be triggering for you too, please prioritize your health.

Julian

He noticed early on that you'd get a strange look on your face when he mentioned being comfortable with experiencing pain, and he's been curious about why for some time

You generally found a way to hide them - whether with your clothes or in the low lighting - until after you defeated the Devil, which was when Julian was less distracted enough to notice more details

Like the unusual textures that appeared when your clothes shifted as you moved around your daily tasks, and how hellbent you seemed on immediately adjusting them

He waits to approach the subject until he knows you're both in a calm headspace, after the day is done as the two of you lounge in front of the fire with your dinner

He wants to hear your side of things, but the first thing he's going to ask is to let him look at them. He's a doctor, he loves you, and he wants to know the extent of the damage and how he can help your healing

Might cry a little, but hides it and refuses to make it about himself by pulling you into the biggest hug instead

It throws him into some serious self reflection, which leads to lots of late-night talks about self-destructive habits and how you two can best support each other in a way that's loving and not enabling

Will get a matching tattoo if you choose to cover them that way

Asra

The first time they saw them was right after your resurrection, and their heart sank right down into their feet

Here he felt like he'd just saved you, only to find that you'd not only woken up in a miserable state, but that the life you'd had before had been far more painful for you than he had been aware of

Which is when they became determined to give you such a good life and so much platonic love and support that the scars on your body would truly belong to a past life

The first time you asked him about why you had them, he said they were leftover from an old battle that you had fought very bravely. Going into any more detail only made your headaches worse

They did watch your behavior and mood closely, though, in case you started to fight that battle again. They never judged you for them or offered to smooth them over

After you defeated the Devil together, he told you the truth about them and what they meant, even though he didn't know the details of why you had them

It was also their chance to give you an apology for not noticing before you died, when they were still your friend and cared about you. They know it's not their fault, but the guilt was still there

He kisses them every morning and night

Nadia

She's heard vague stories from her family members about people who were in so much pain that they would self harm, but she'd never seen such a strong example in person

Which is why she initially assumed they were the result of some fierce battle or tragedy, and planned to ask you later

She first noticed them when she was fitting you for a new outfit, and saw how hesitant you were to let her look at them. Everything she's made for you since covers them completely

She finally asks about them several months into your relationship, expecting you to either not remember or to hear a moving story of conquering some fierce enemy or fighting for a loved one

To say that she doesn't expect your answer is an understatement. It surprises her so much that her only response is "oh," in an unusually small voice, before moving on to the next topic

She's able to process it the next time she's alone, when she's struck both by her awe at your capacity to fight something so dark and by her grief that you've been doing it without her all this time

Clears her next evening to have a private dinner with you, first so she can apologize for her initial response and second so she can invite you to tell her more about it and offer her support

Likes to dress you herself so you know you're not alone or unseen

Muriel

Knew exactly what they were as soon as he saw them, which was less than half a day into your travels South with Morga

And promptly refused to talk about it because he can relate to those dark impulses more than he'd like to and because he didn't see it as being any of his business. But he does start to watch you

He watches for any sign of pain, he watches how you fix your clothes, he watches how your gaze falls on any sharp object, because even if it isn't his business he cares more than he expects

He becomes less and less discreet about how closely he's observing you until you finally notice it one evening, how the firelight falls on your scars and how his eyes fixate on them

At this point the reciprocated staring is so awkward that he'll do anything to fix the tension, so he shuffles and mumbles something along the lines of "You can talk about it if you want to. I don't mind."

So you do, and he gets hit square in the chest with how much he's come to care about you over the course of the trip

He's especially frustrated because he empathizes so deeply, and since he doesn't know how to fix himself, he's worried he'll only mess you up further

In the end, he learns to apply the kindness he feels towards you to himself as well, and sees your scars as valid as he sees his own

Portia

She's still very embarrassed (and slightly ashamed) for how things went the first time she saw them

She'd noticed something peeking out from your clothes, and how you seemed focused on covering them, and falsely assumed that it was some cool magical tattoo

Which only piqued her curiosity. This has to be juicy, and she's determined to get a closer look. Which is why, as soon as you'd become friends, she took her first chance to snatch a look

And then froze. And then dropped you, and then burst into tears. How could this happen, MC? Why would you do this to yourself? It looks like it must have hurt so much -

It's unfortunate but you're going to have to comfort her first while she works her way through the five stages of grief. She loves you, and she's heartbroken and confused about why this would happen

She needs time to process how she feels about it before she can listen to you without having a meltdown. Her normal response to self-destruction is a fist to the gut (Ilya) and that wouldn't do

Ends up following your cues when it comes to how she talks to you about it. If it's in the past, it's in the past. If it's a current struggle, then she's your partner. She'll be right next to you

She does think your fighting spirit makes you badass, though

Lucio

He's not great at noticing details unless they directly correspond to physical strengths and weaknesses. Any kind of scarring from a wound is (from his experience) a totally normal thing to see

When he starts to notice how you cover yours or get weird about them being touched, he asks about it right away

You've got such cool scars, MC, why are you hiding them? You should show them off so everyone knows how battle-tested you are! Here, he'll show his off too! *cue him stripping off his shirt*

It's a little difficult to know how best to respond to this. You're each other's life partners by now, he should probably know the truth, but you don't know how to burst his bubble

You do end up telling him later, once you're settling into your inn for the night, and watching the realization and hurt dawn across his face is anything but easy

MC, why? You deserve the best, you are the best, you're his best, you're telling him that you treated someone like yourself this poorly when you were showing him so much forgiveness?

He's not trying to guilt you at all, but it comes close to having that effect. The only thing he can think to do is hug you really really tight and hope it convinces you that you deserve better

Still refers to them as your battle scars, because to him they are

[dehliadelights]

Lyric is rambling about Epic the musical whauh woah

spoilers read more just in case you havent heard it yet. also trigger warning for typical greek mythology references like rape, torture, ect.

Not Sorry For Loving You

I'm not a fan of this song! I've never been a fan of the slow romantic songs in the musical, and I never particularly liked Love in Paradise either so. But I do like the parallels between the two songs, and Calypso's story is one that facinates me because she was punished for assisting her father Atlas and the other Titans during the Titan war. She's literally doomed by the narrative.

Dangerous

Sad in the start, reminecent of Full Speed Ahead, but with the sadder, more melancholic instrumental that would fit with The Underworld. When Hermes enters with "All you have to do is not open this bag", it's a direct parallel to Aeolus' in Keep Your Friends Close, which leads to Odysseus bring betrayed by his crew, but now it's just Ody alone.

Odysseus sounds so tired, like he's a man being beaten down at every turn, but his voice perks up when Hermes arrives; The last time Hermes showed up, he gave Odysseus the Moly flower to drain Circe's power, which lead to his victory. There's a spark of hope in his tone, and that's clear.

Odysseus sounds mostly more awake and like himself as he speaks with Hermes, who's his usual silly (/pos) self. Hermes' whole demeaner is a bit more serious than it was in Wouldn't You Like, with less of his jokes and general humor, he's giggling but it feels like he's laughing almost out of pity for Odysseus, the man who's been beaten down so badly.

"Well, it's a little bit dangerous, my friend, you'll need a mindset change for this, you cannot get away with safe, for this, you wanna get home? Put it all on the line"

Hermes is trying to tell Odysseus that he needs to leave his regrets and his guilt behind in order to succeed, that in order to get home, he needs to basically wipe the blood from his hands. He needs to be smart, clever, quick, like he was when he fought the Trojans, like when he tricked Polyphemus to drink wine with lotus in it. But he also needs to be merciless, be ruthless.

Hermes tells Odysseus to follow the North Star, which serves as a guiding factor for many sailors. The North Star is part of the Constellation Ursa Minor, and in Greek Mythology, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor refer to the story of Callisto and her son Arcas. In some version in the myth, Callisto was a follower of Artemis, Maiden Goddess of the Hunt, though was raped by Zeus (disguised as Artemis). This caused Callisto to break Artemis' Celibacy rule, and she was turned into a bear (In varying versions of the Myth, it can be by Hera, out of jealousy, Zeus, to placate Hera's rage, or Artemis, out of anger of Callisto breaking the celibacy rule). She gave birth to her son Arcas, who grew up to be a hunter himself, which eventually lead him to find his mother as a bear and attempt to kill her, thinking she was a wild bear. Before she could die, either Zeus or Artemis decided to turn Callisto and Arcas into constellations, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. This really doesn't have anything to do with the song, but I just really like sharing my Greek Mythology brainrot. Also it's another tale of the gods ruining the lives of their followers.

Anyways, Hermes directs Odysseus to follow the North Star without hesitation, to fight any monsters that attack, and then we get to the wind bag!

Hermes says "Keep the bag closed if you wanna get home, sir", reminding Odysseus of the fact that he was alone now, that he was the only one that he could trust, and the Winions make their return, the melody and tone a direct, albiet more melancholic reference to Keep Your Friends Close. The Winions sing "It was meant to stop you by design" as a reference to Poseidon's storm, which he'd created with the desire to kill Odysseus for harming his son.

Odysseus regains his typical confidence and hubris by now, and sings that "I'm gonna use ruthlessness" as a direct callback to Poseidon's song from the Ocean saga, Ruthlessness. In the end, Odysseus thanks Hermes as he did back during Wouldn't You Like, but instead of Hermes replying, "Don't thank me, friend, you very may well die" like last time, he sings, "Don't thank me, friend, I'm not the one who fought for you", referencing Athena's trials in God Games.

Charybdis

This is actually the first time I'm listening to this song in full, so new songs yippee, but I'm not hearing many references to the other songs.

Odysseus' typical hubris is fully back now, pride and confidence echoing as he taunts Charybdis due to already knowing the sea monster's attacks thanks to Hermes.

Odysseus finally manages to see the beach of Ithaca, so close to his son and wife, the only minor callback to The Horse and The Infant where he calls for Penelope.

I do like the leadin for Get in the Water, though. Odysseus realizing what was happening.

Get in the Water

I love this song, it was one of the first clips I heard from Epic, next to Warrior of the Mind! Steven Rodrigeus did a fantastic job as Poseidon, and you can tell he absolutely adored the role and put his heart into it. He actually sounds livid, like Jorge had offended him personally, and I love that for actors/singers.

Get in the Water starts out similarly to Ruthlesness, with the raging storms and angry waters, albiet without the crew's voices calling out to Poseidon, making it more eerie.

"There you are...

Coward."

Poseidon's voice is full of irritation, like an irate child having his toy taken away. He's angry that Odysseus managed to get away last time, using the wind bag to escape, and he didn't want it to happen again. His voice is almost eerily calm a couple of times he orders him to get in the water, like he was on his last nerve with Odysseus, and it shows. Every lyric shows how Poseidon is feeling, rage and mercilessness towards Odysseus.

"Maybe you could learn to forgive?"

"...no."

A god doesn't need to do anything, he doesn't want to give a mortal the time of day, after everything he's done to disrespect him. And throwing him to the sea, letting him drown, leading to...

Six Hundred Strike

OKAY SO I originally thought that Get in the Water was going to be my favorite UNTIL I saw an animatic for Six Hundred Strike.

It's this one. This is my favorite. THE SYMBOLISM, THE IMAGERY, EVERYTHING ABOUT IT MAKES ME FOAM AT THE MOUTH.

I enjoyed Duvetbox's animatics beforehand, but this one specifically shows the absolute care they put into the animatics they make, the attention to detail and willingness to follow their own heart in their thoughts.

First off, Odysseus in the water, trying to grab at the wind bag desperately for a way to escape being dragged to the depths, a call back to the way he used the wind bag to escape originally in Ruthlessness.

"I don't think you get it; I can't afford to die, because I will get back to my son, and I will get back to my WIFE!"

Odysseus is using his cleverness to fight, using the wind bag to serve as a weapon, deflecting and escaping all of Poseidon's attacks using it. Only one weapon draws the God of the Sea's Ichor (God Blood), being Poseidon's own trident. This leads Odysseus to clash open the wind bag (With a picture of Aeolus in the sky, since they're the wind god). It catches Poseidon off guard, and he taunts that Odysseus wouldn't get home because he released Poseidon's storm.

Odysseus uses Poseidon's spear to hurt Poseidon, knowing he couldn't kill him, but could torture him. His words are full of sorrow, regret, and vengence as he attacks, and Duvetbox does a fantastic job at portraying this in their animatic.

"After everything you've done, how will you sleep at night?"

"Next to my wife."

[sylveaugust]

SPOILER ALERT FOR Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Ep 7. Landlord and a teeny part of This Savage Song

I have like seventeen memos of brainstorming a crossover between Monsters of Verity and Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint that I wrote last year and now that I look at them they're just... uhm.

I was thinking that since August is technically a monster, I could probably insert him somewhere during the third scenario where those monsters get summoned through some portal... to be more exact the precise moment at the start of Landlord (6)(webtoon-wise; in the webnovel it's a little after the start of Landlord (5)) which is a little after KDJ turns into a ghost. And then it would be because some entity from above(which is me, as the writer; this was serious fourth wall stuff ngl) meddled with the fabric of reality for fun asdfwoeuriowejfilsj

I ended up postponing that idea for after I finished the actual ORV novel(and those side stories that are keeping on updating these days), but now that I read it it's like brainrot. I'm gonna put one single excerpt here in case you're curious. I have this first scene in like five different memos probably now... I'll rewrite it someday probably idk

Yoo Joonghyuk stared at the place where Kim Dokja had just been in disbelief. He couldn't have been that foolhardy. He wouldn't have dared. But Kim Dokja was now a ghost indeed. In his arms, Gilyoung screamed two words over and over.

"Hyung! Dokja Hyung!"

Of course, the kid didn't know exactly what happened, but Yoo Joonghyuk decided it was useless to try and explain. Yet.

But there was something else that caught his eye. Among the flurry of monsters coming from the portal, there seemed to be a figure of... a boy. He was certainly outside the green zone, simply standing there, but the monsters weren't attacking him, which was odd. And after most of the monsters passed the tunnel into Chungmu Station, Yoo Joonghyuk could see the boy clearly. The boy looked like a teenager, but he didn't look Korean. Although his face was extraordinarily smooth, Joonghyuk could clearly read confusion in the boy's dark grey eyes. Which soon met his. And narrowed.

A flurry of questions rose in Joonghyuk's mind. Who was he? Why hadn't the monsters attacked him? Would he come in handy? Was he a threat? Was he... a monster?

The last question was because Joonghyuk had seen monsters that looked human, more than once. It was also the best answer he could think of, since the boy most likely came from the same portal as the other monsters. But he didn't remember such a boy appearing in the tunnel in his previous times here, so anything was likely... Joonghyuk would have to read the boy's answers carefully.

Gilyoung noticed the newcomer as well. "Hyung?" he called. It was probably the first logical answer that came to him. He wouldn't have known what happened to Dokja, and this boy appeared right after Dokja vanished. But Gilyoung soon noticed the lack of recognition in the stranger's eyes. "You're not Dokja-hyung..."

The boy raised an eyebrow. "Who's Dokja-hyung?" he asked.

Before Yoo Joonghyuk could ask who the boy was, Gilyoung answered the boy's question. "He saved my life in the subway. He was protecting me until he gave me to this ahjussi," he pointed to Yoo Joonghyuk, who made a mental note to tell Gilyoung not to call him ahjussi, "and he got surrounded by monsters. Then he disappeared. Have you seen him?"

"No," said the boy. His brow had subtly twitched at the word "monsters"...

[This statement is true.]

Before the boy could say anything else, Yoo Joonghyuk asked his question.

"Who are you?"

The boy hesitated for a second, then answered. "Frederick Gallagher. You can call me Freddie."

[This statement is partly true.] Hmm...

"You don't look very much like a Freddie. An alias?"

The boy looked at him strangely. "...How did you know?" he asked.

"I have a skill," said Yoo Joonghyuk before he could stop himself. Dammit. He should have said something else.

"What skill?"

"Lie detection," he blurted once again, and silently hoped that Not-Freddie would think he was joking. The boy didn't seem to know anything about the skills of this world, which, depending on how he thought about it, made either total sense or no sense at all. "I don't suppose you'll be telling me your real name anytime soon?"

"Not yet." Of course not. Yoo Joonghyuk would have to use his Sage's Eye again.

[Sage's Eye is activated.]

[This information is currently inaccessible by the Sage's Eye.]

'Who are you?' he thought. Was this boy like Kim Dokja?

[ekokuku]

Why they gotta be like that

[theres-an-impulstor-among-us]

I’m back! With more oneshot suggestions! Woo!

Please, if you have the ability to, supply me with alter brainrot. Here’s a basic plot outline (I always come prepared lol):

BadTimes has finally been banned. After years of antics with his counterpart, he finally stepped over the line. He doesn’t know what he did, all he knows is that it was too much. He gets dragged out of the void by EX and Hels, who also want to apologize to their counterparts. The three set out on a short flangsty journey of misunderstood-ness and attempts at proving themselves worthy of forgiveness.

;)

Now THIS was a lot of fun to write! Ended up being very long tho so I’m sorry about that, but I hope the quality is still good. I also hope you like the ending, even though it went off in a different direction than I originally intended :)

...

  “He’s there! He’s right there! Just grab him!”

  “It’s harder than it looks, okay?! Back off!” 

  He gasped as he felt himself get wrenched back into existence. Stumbling as his feet touched the ground, he pitched forwards and would have fallen over if he hadn’t been caught by a pair of strong arms.

  “Easy, man,” came a British-accented voice. “Easy. Just breathe, alright? Breathe.” 

  He took in a few gulping breaths, his oxygen-starved lungs drinking in the fresh air, and closed his eyes against the dizziness that was threatening to topple him. He widened his stance slightly, his shaky legs strengthening by the second. 

  Finally, he opened his eyes and found himself looking at two people. One was wearing a familiar helmet and the other was dressed in full armour. They both looked almost exactly like two people he knew very well.

  “Who are you?” he asked.

  “You first,” said the helmeted one, identifying them as the British-accented one who had caught him earlier. 

  “My name is BadTimesWithScar,” he said. “You can call me BadTimes, or  just Bad.”

  Bad could see a spark of interest in the helmeted person’s eyes, even through the visor. “You’re GoodTimesWithScar’s evil counterpart?” They circled Bad, looking him up and down. “I guess I should’ve expected that, huh? Considering you look almost exactly like him.”

  “In that case, am I to assume you guys are Xisuma and Welsknight’s evil clones?” said Bad. 

  The helmeted being nodded. “Sure am. I’m Evil Xisuma, but you can call me EX.” 

  “Hi, I’m Helsknight,” blurted out the armour-clad one. “I like rap battles and medieval-style architecture.”

  Bad stared at him.

  “I’ve been making him do group therapy,” EX explained tiredly. “He was utterly obsessed with violence and destruction when he got here. It got a little too much to handle after a while.”

  “Speaking of which, where is “here”?” Bad asked, staring around at the blank world they were standing in. 

  EX shrugged. “It doesn’t really have a name. It’s the place I ended up after I got banned by Xisuma.”

  “B-Banned?! Wait a sec…” Bad frowned as memories came back to him. “How did I get here?”

  “Well, I pulled you out of the void,” said EX. “That’s where people go when they get banned.” They jerked their thumb at Hels. “I fished him out of the void too a few weeks ago.”

  “I tried to kill them,” said Hels helpfully.

  EX nodded wearily. “He did.” 

  “Wait, wait.” Bad stared at the two in shock. “Does this mean… I’VE been banned?!”

  “Yup.” EX spread their arms wide. “Welcome to the banishment club.”

  “What did you do to get banned?” Hels asked eagerly. “Did you destroy stuff? Kill someone? Try to take over the server? I did that, by the way.”

  “I…” Bad hesitated, his shoulders drooping. “I don’t know.”

  Frowning, EX and Hels exchanged a look. “How do you not know?” the former asked slowly. “Surely you must have done something bad enough to get flung into the void permanently.” 

  Bad shook his head. “Look, you guys are legendary on the server. So legendary I didn’t even believe you existed. Everyone knows the evil stuff you guys did to get banned, but I’m not like that. I like spreading mischief and pranking people. That’s what I exist to do; it’s literally what Scar created me for. So the fact that I’ve somehow crossed the line without even realising what I did is beyond worrying.” His eyes widened in fear. “Oh no, did I hurt Scar?! Oh no, oh no… I gotta… I gotta go apologise to him!” 

  EX caught him by the wrist as he tried to dash off. “Hold on, there. You’ve been banned, remember? You can’t just waltz back onto the server.”

  “There has to be another way!”

  “There is, there is.” EX gave him a serious look. “But it’s risky. Going back to a server you’ve been banned from can be more trouble than it’s worth. If someone sees you before you get the chance to talk to Scar… Well, let’s just say there’s worse punishments than just being banned.”

  “I have to see Scar,” said Bad determinedly. “I have to find out what I did and apologise for it. Are you two gonna help me or not?”

  After a moment, EX said, “I’m up for sneaking back onto Hermitcraft. I’d like to apologise to Xisuma for… uh… the incident that got me banned. What about you, Hels?”

  “I just wanna have another rap battle with Wels,” Hels said. 

  Bad frowned at him. “Are you… you know… alright? In the head?”

  Hels stuck up both his thumbs. “Nope!” he said cheerfully. “Thinking about rap battles and medieval-style architecture is the only thing keeping my taste for blood at bay.”

  A pause followed his words.

  “Wonderful,” EX sighed. “Remind me to join you in group therapy next time; it doesn’t seem to be working all that well. Anyway, time to sneak back onto Hermitcraft. Let’s get going.”

…

  “Are you sure this is the right way?” asked Bad, unable to see even his companions in the pitch black tunnel. “Who even put this tunnel here? And where does it lead?”

  “I’m not taking questions about secret tunnels and whether or not I know where I’m going,” came EX’s voice from the front of the group. “Something tells me the answers won’t alleviate your fear.”

  Thoroughly unnerved by this, Bad leant forward slightly to address Hels, who was walking between him and EX. “Hey Hels, what are you gonna do when we get back to Hermitcraft?”

  “I’m gonna apologise to Wels for trying to take over the server, explain to him that group therapy has helped me calm my bloodlust, and then destroy him in a rap battle.” 

  Bad sighed quietly. “Well… at least you’ve got a plan.”

  “Up here,” called EX after a few more minutes. 

  Light was starting to shine through the end of the tunnel. As Bad followed EX and Hels out, blinking against the light, he recognised the place they had ended up. 

  “Wait, is this the Mycelium Resistance headquarters?” he said.

  EX shrugged. “Don’t ask me; I’ve never been in this world before. I got banned on the last one and I’ve never had a reason to sneak back. That being said, what on earth is the Mycelium Resistance?”

  “Oh, it’s a loooong story. But the good thing is nobody uses this base anymore, so we should be safe down here if we need to flee from an angry mob of Hermits. Which we will.”

  “That’s the spirit,” EX responded wryly. “So which way out?”

  Bad led the other two towards the giant hole in the wall. “We can get out this way. I remember Scar brought me down here to show me the excellent work he and his government buddies did at destroying the rebel base.”

  “Government?” repeated EX confusedly.

  “Oh, yeah, Scar’s the mayor. You didn’t know that?”

  EX shook their head. “Like I said, I’ve never been in the Season 7 world. Not properly, anyway. Not enough to know the ins and outs of what’s going on.”

  The group made it to the surface of the shopping district. Bad could see the town hall nearby. “Okay, I’m gonna go see Scar.”

  “Good luck,” said EX. “I’ll wander around and see if I bump into Xisuma.”

  “I’ll take you to his flower farm,” Hels offered. “I went there once to hide from Wels and steal some flowers. Didn’t work; he caught me and banned me.”

  “Well, hopefully history won’t repeat itself.” 

  Bad left his new friends behind and headed to the town hall, keeping a wary eye out for any Hermits nearby. He didn’t see anyone around, but that didn’t mean nobody was there. 

  But thankfully, he made it to the town hall undetected and entered quietly. He found Scar just inside, polishing the diamond throne. The mayor glanced up, his eyes widening when he registered his evil clone standing there. “Bad? Oh my gosh, I… What happened to you? Where’s your hat?”

  Bad’s hands flew to his head, realising for the first time that he didn’t have his hat anymore. “It must have fallen off in the void. Scar, I got banned and I don’t know why.”

  “You were banned?! And you still came back here?!” Scar shook his head. “You need to leave before Xisuma finds you.”

  “But I-!”

  “No, just go! Before we get into trouble.” 

  “I just want to know why I was banned,” said Bad desperately. “Then I’ll go right back to where I came from and I’ll never bother you again. I promise.”

  Scar hesitated, a conflicted look on his face. Finally, he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t actually think X was gonna do it.”

  Bad frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Back during the war, I was under a lot of stress. I did things I’m not exactly proud of. Eventually, I realised that what I was doing… was making me more like you. I couldn’t handle that, so I went to Xisuma and asked if he could get you out of the way so people didn’t notice I was turning into you. I didn’t-.”

  “Wait, wait, wait…!” Bad waved his hands to stop his counterpart. “Let me get this straight… You got me banned because you were afraid you were becoming evil, like me?”

  Scar nodded slowly. “I swear, I didn’t think he was actually gonna ban you.”

  “What else did you expect the server admin to do?!” snapped Bad.

  “I don’t know! I’m sorry, Bad, really!”

  “If you’re really sorry, then go to Xisuma and explain you want me unbanned!”

  To Bad’s surprise and dismay, Scar shook his head. “I can’t do that. I’m sorry, but I’m the mayor; a good mayor now. A good mayor can’t have an evil clone of himself on the server anymore. I really am sor-.”

  “Oh, stop saying you’re sorry!” Bad’s voice cracked. “I can’t believe this! After all these years of funny pranks and harmless shenanigans, you’re just tossing me aside?”

  “Bad, you’re not harmless,” Scar snapped back. “You don’t realise it, but you’ve caused some real damage over the years. You’ve destroyed things, killed people, upset people, caused irreparable damage to the server. The only reason Xisuma hasn’t banned you sooner is because I kept standing up for you. Did you seriously never notice the fact that I was the only Hermit who ever had kind words for you? You never noticed the other Hermits glaring at you in the shopping district or walking the other way when you came by?”

  Bad stared at Scar in shock and horror. “N-No, I… I didn’t… Scar, I… I never meant to cause bad things.”

  “Your name literally contains the phrase “Bad Times”!”

  “I-I can change, Scar!” Bad was almost physically begging at this point. “I can change, I promise! I can be worthy of forgiveness if you give me a chance.”

  Scar firmly shook his head. “You’re an evil Hermit and you always will be. I’m sorry, but there’s no place on the server for you. Not anymore.”

  Red hot anger started to build inside Bad. “No, you… you can’t do this to me. After everything we’ve been through, you can’t just decide I don’t belong here anymore!”

  Scar took a step back, away from Bad. “Just get outta here before I call Xisuma to deal with you.”

  Bad hesitated.

  In the ensuing pause, a loud crash sounded from outside. 

  Seizing his chance, Bad snatched the hat from Scar’s head and dashed out of the town hall. When he got outside, he found Xisuma and EX locked in a battle just outside the building. Xisuma appeared to be winning. 

  Bad dashed down the stairs and slammed right into Xisuma, sending the admin tumbling to the ground. Before Xisuma could recover, Bad grabbed EX’s hand and pulled them back towards the shopping district.

  “Where’s Hels?” Bad demanded. 

  “I sent him back to the tunnel. Whether he’s still there, I don’t know. Bad, what happened?”

  “I’ll explain later.”

  The two jumped down the secret entrance to the base and rushed back towards the entrance to the tunnel. 

  “Hey, guys.” Hels emerged from one of the rooms, holding an armful of mycelium. “They have purple grass here.”

  Letting go of EX’s hand, Bad beckoned to Hels. “C’mon, we’re getting outta here.” 

  “Can I bring the purple grass?” 

  “Will it help distract you from, as you put it, your bloodlust?” EX inquired.

  Hels beamed. “Yes.”

  “Alright, then, yes. You can bring the… uh… purple grass.”

  As the evil Hermits made their way back through the tunnel, EX eventually decided to break the silence. “So… Long story short, Xisuma didn’t forgive me. How’d it go with Scar?”

  “Scar got me banned because he was afraid of turning into me,” replied Bad shortly. “And he refuses to get it reversed because he’s afraid having an evil clone whom everyone on the server hates will damage his image as mayor.”

  A pause followed. 

  “Oof, that’s rough,” EX remarked sympathetically. “What are you going to do now?”

  “There’s nothing else I CAN do. I’ve been banned and the only person on the server who might stick up for me is refusing to do so. I guess that means I’m stuck with you two permanently.”

  Another pause. 

  “I didn’t even get to have another rap battle with Wels,” said Hels sadly. 

  “Hey.” EX stopped at the very end of the tunnel, turning back to face their friends. “Let’s all quit moping. We tried asking for forgiveness and it didn’t work. No more grovelling, no more trying to change, no more stupid group therapy. We’re evil Hermits, right?”

  “Yeah!” cheered Hels. 

  “And evil Hermits want to spread chaos and destruction, right? We should be who we are, without worrying what our counterparts will think of us. They’ve rejected us, so now they think we’re no longer their problem. Let’s show them how wrong they are. Let’s show them how evil we can really be.”

  “YEAH!” Hels whooped, his red eyes flashing dangerously. “BLOODLUST!”

  “We’re not straight-up murdering people, though, Hels,” added EX sternly. “That’s not the kind of chaos we spread.”

  “Oh.” Hels settled down. “Okay. Fair enough.”

  Chuckling quietly, EX turned to Bad. “What do you say?”

  After a moment, a grin spread over Bad’s face and he swept Scar’s hat onto his head. “I say let’s do it. If Scar says I’m evil, who am I to deny it?”

  “Exactly.” EX slung one arm over Bad’s shoulders and the other over Hels’s, grinning at their evil compatriots. “It’s time to be the evil Hermits we were created to be.”

[hexpea]

Ch. 20 - Sodomy

AN: This chapter exists bc I have no self-control. It's just pure personal brainrot. If you don't wanna' read it, it doesn't necessarily move the plot forward lol. Inspired by Keep Riding Me - ur pretty ⚠NSFW BELOW⚠

Choso's body trembled as he sat on the edge of the sleeper sofa. He couldn't focus on anything, twiddling his thumbs impatiently while waiting for Geto's arrival. Though he had been expecting it, Choso's intense focus on trying to distract himself caused Geto's arrival to startle him - Geto closing the door silently behind him while maintaining intense eye contact.

"Did he see you?" Choso asked cautiously and in a hushed whisper.

"No," Geto gave a quick, one worded reply in monotone. He stayed standing in front of the door and Choso stood from his seat. The two stared at one another quietly for another few moments.

"You don't have to do this, you know?" Choso reminded his former partner as he slowly came closer to his tall frame.

Choso's closeness forced Geto to look down at the smaller man. The two had quite the height difference, Choso at 5'9" and Geto at 6'3". If he really wanted to, Geto could snap Choso in half. "I know," Geto looked down without moving his head. Choso did the same, looking up through low, serious eyelids. "Do you have anything here?"

"Considering I permanently left, everything is here...somewhere in this mess," Choso left Geto's side for a moment, stepping over the piles of clothing and other random articles that littered the floor since he moved into the space. "Yeah...this one," Choso motioned to one of his suitcases. Geto walked over to him, also stepping over the mess.

The pair looked down at the case which was filled to the brim with the secrets Choso had hidden in his closet back at home. Geto didn't hesitate to bend down, picking up one of the articles and looking at Choso with a smirk. Choso's tough expression didn't waver, but his cheeks managed to heat up - flushing a cute shade of pink.

"You're top this time," Choso mumbled, looking away from Geto's figure.

"You know what you have to do then," Geto blinked slowly, keeping his upper lids low as he held the restraints in his hands.

Choso nodded and began undressing. Geto watched carefully, eyes studying every muscle and curve of his former lover's body. It was something he hadn't seen in quite some time but it was oh so familiar when he finally laid eyes. Geto felt the subtle twitch at his waistband as Choso's underwear fell to his ankles, revealing his limp length and the bits of metal that were pierced through it.

He laid back on the mattress, arms and legs splayed in preparation for Geto to secure them with some of the rope he had stored in the suitcase. Considering the bed was a sleeper sofa and had neither a head nor footboard, Geto used longer pieces to tie Choso's wrists and ankles to the metal legs of the bed. Choso's body began shivering in delicious anticipation, heart beating quickly as he kept focus on his partner's movements. He watched longingly as Geto pulled his t-shirt over his head and kicked his shorts from around his ankles; the two of them now both completely nude.

"We don't want any noises from you either," Geto had moved back to the suitcase, pulling out a gag and attaching it securely in Choso's mouth. "Don't want Satoru to find out what we're doing or he'll get pissed at me."

Choso felt spit begin to pool in the back of his throat from the gag, his body struggling to swallow. He had ignored Geto's comment about Satoru. It no longer mattered, this was all just a temporary distraction. Before pulling away, Geto placed a single lingering kiss on Choso's forehead before moving onto the mattress between his legs. This was not without grabbing the bottle of lubricant that sat on the nearby end table. He applied it liberally to his hands. Choso breathed heavily as he hungrily watched Geto stroke himself hard. Geto's eyes never leaving his partner's. He watched carefully, noticing Choso's own cock had started to slightly twitch to life. He smirked at the movement, lips slightly twitching with anticipation. He knew he had to hold back to savor the moment, knowing this would likely be the last time with Choso - this already being an unexpected treat.

After giving himself enough attention, Geto took Choso in his hands and began caressing his shaft while carefully massaging his testicles. The length glistened in the dim light as Geto pumped away, Choso's face turning pinker by the minute as he slowly pulsated to life.

"That's it," Geto hissed through his evil grin. "You want me to take care of you, don't you?" He asked, Choso feverishly nodding his head as his body quivered and arched under his partner's touch. Drool had begun to drip from the sides of his mouth thanks to the small crevices left behind from the gag.

Seeing Choso struggle with desire, Geto released his member - leaving it aching for more attention. After using a towel that had been lying around to clean his hands, he crawled over the strapped down body beneath him. Bending over, Geto left a trail of kisses from Choso's neck all the way down his chest and stomach. The wetness of his saliva forced goosebumps to raise on his skin. The deep rising and falling of his victim's chest increased rapidly, Choso's hands clenching and attempting to pull closer to his body against the straps.

Choso's body wriggled slightly as Geto's lips met his tip. Geto looked up to meet Choso's desperate gaze as he slowly took in the rest of his shaft, pursing his lips around the flesh and pressing his tongue to the back of the rigid flesh, feeling the rod of each piercing as his jaw descended.  Choso's knees began to buckle and tense against the rope as Geto's eyes closed and his speed increased. With little to no gag reflex, Geto was able to push his cock all the way to the back of his throat with ease. He listened carefully to Choso's muffled cries from behind the gag to properly gauge his closeness, using a free hand to pump himself to the sweet sound of his struggling - the lube sticky-ing his palm once again. Just as Choso's body tensed, in the blink of an eye, Geto removed himself and plowed into Choso's ass. Veins protruded from his neck, eyes beginning to water, all while he held back a large groan - cum squirting from his desperately throbbing cock. The warm liquid coated his stomach, rolling in droplets to the sheets. Geto had a bit more self-control. He was able to subdue any type of moan, creating a sort of breathy sound instead. It was all still music to Choso's ears, body in pained ecstasy as he took Geto's thick cock in his tight ass. As Geto continued pounding away, hands tightly gripped on his upper thighs, Choso fought every noise that dared come up from his vocal cords. His wrists wrapped around the rope and pulled tightly as his body was ransacked.

"God," Geto sighed, voice trembling through the whisper, "I've always hated these." Geto began undoing the ropes at Choso's ankles. His thrusting only slightly slowed. "You and your weird ass kinks," he chuckled, bending forward to reach for the rope at his wrists. "I like it when you're clawing at me for more," he growled into Choso's ear before reaching back for the gag.

Just as Geto had said, it didn't take long for Choso's arms to wrap around his body, nails dragging down his back as Geto resumed his furious pace - now towering completely over Choso's body. Though he had already came once, Choso was quickly hard again. His dick slapped against his abdomen as Geto continued pounding away, sweat beads forming on his delicate forehead.

Over time, Choso found himself on his hands and knees. Geto's hand forced his chest and face against the mattress as he rammed into his backside without mercy. Choso found it increasingly difficult to keep quiet, now allowing his muffled moans to fall out into the sheets below him. His grip on the fabric was so tight that his knuckles began turning white. Geto leaned forward, keeping his pace despite the new position. He took Choso's dangling dick in his hand and began tugging the length in the same motion as his thrusts. It only sent the tingling sensation in Choso's body into overdrive. His moans quickly became cries and whimpers.

"Keep quiet," Geto demanded into his partner's ear, nipping at the lobe in the process. "I'm close..."

"C-cum in me, Suguru..." Choso's voice trailed off weakly. Hearing his given name fall from his sugar-coated lips sent Geto over the edge.

He pulled back up from his leaned over state, gripping tightly to Choso's hip and throwing his head back as his cock pulsated inside of the tight hole. Geto allowed his cock to fall from Choso, his backside now beat red and the cum dripping onto the sheets below. He then allowed his body to relax, hips falling to the mattress, as Geto stood from the bed and began cleaning and dressing.

"Happy?" He mumbled, stretching his shirt over his chest and looking down at Choso who still laid on his stomach.

"No," Choso turned his head away from Geto, bottom sore from the fucking but it still didn't fill the void.

"You're in love, aren't you?" Geto asked casually, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Just go away, Suguru," Choso moved his head again so it was face first in the pillow, his voice completely muffled.

"Fucking random people won't make it go away," he chuckled, placing a supportive hand on Choso's calf.

"But you're not random," Choso sighed, finally repositioning to sit on the edge with Geto.

"I'm just as random as anyone else at this point," Geto reminded him, "you know this shouldn't happen again, right?"

"Yeah, it won't," Choso reassured him, "I'm not going through that shit again. Satoru can have you." The words came out a bit harsher than he would've liked. It only made Geto laugh.

"That's the spirit," he stood and made his way over to the door, pressing his ear against it to make sure he could sneak out without being caught by his current lover. "And if you're in love, you shouldn't just avoid it."

Those were his last words before leaving Choso to his own devices.

"Fuck you," he whispered to his departed partner as if he could hear him.

Geto was right. Sex with someone else could neither satiate his need for the pills nor his desire for Y/N. He immediately reached for the bottle, at least restraining himself to take just one. He didn't know how much longer he could carry on in such a state.

Choso laid back down on the mattress, flat on his back and his mind went to his long lost mother. You reminded him of her so much - besides the drugs. She was sweet and caring. He felt so loved as a child before she left. He hated feeling so abandoned. The way you used to hold him close mimicked the way she did when he was a child. Your soft, encouraging words sounded sweetly familiar each time you whispered into his ear. He now lost someone he loved dearly twice and it was all his fault. He then started to wonder if his mother started taking drugs because of Noritoshi. He didn't want to believe that she was responsible for any of it now that he was sure his father was behind his brothers' deaths. He also began wondering why he was still alive and his other brothers were dead - perhaps Noritoshi thought that the drugs would eventually take him and, if Choso was lucky, they would.

[ellewords]

exo’s releasing a special album (more like a mini-album/EP imho but) sometime in the near future so i was in the mood to listen to them recently and two songs specifically made me feel so soft—walk on memories as well as she’s dreaming! it had been a while since I had listened to them, and even longer since i had looked at the translations of the lyrics so not surprisingly they hit me with some SERIOUS brainrot like both songs gave the image of going on late-night adventures with suna (he’s been on my mind recently,,,) you’re kinda dragging him along, your hand intertwined with his as he walks slightly behind you with the moonlight illuminating you both and he can’t stop thinking about how ethereal you look under the clear night sky

she’s dreaming specifically made me think of dancing with akaashi or osamu in the living room, the lights are off and you guys are just kinda swaying in each other’s arms (you’re kinda getting sleepy because of how comforting he is but you stay awake because you want to be with him longer)

both songs also made me think of a situation where you’re already fast asleep in bed with oikawa or atsumu beside you, but he’s still awake maybe because of jet lag or something and so he just kinda sits up and watches over you as you sleep, taking in your features and the cute habits you have when you’re asleep and he can’t help but fall deeper in love with you AUAUAUSHSHAHA this is so cheesy but the songs made me feel so FLUFFY i think the lyrics to she’s dreaming are kinda bittersweet but You Know What there is only soft fluff here in this house right now!!!

the lyrics to both songs are so beautiful too.....the final chorus to walk on memories translates to [blinding, golden sunlight spills over us / and you’re so beautiful, shining brightly / that i keep my eyes on you and take it all in / before this sleeping world opens its eyes] WAUGH it’s just..,,,poetic cinema!!! walk on memories is one of my favorite b-side tracks in case it wasn’t obvious fjdjsns—🌸💫

omg 🌸💫anon !! i’m going to scream if you keep this up my heart is going to burst 🥺 your mind....it’s so powerful...

because for real, why am i not going on late night adventures with suna? why are we not sharing earphones on the train ride home? why is he not sneaking glances at me as i look out the window? why am i not resting my head on his shoulder?

why am i not dancing with akaashi or osamu in the living room? and why are they not lowly singing the song to me? why are they not holding me close? or brushing my hair behind my ear?

why am i not in bed with oikawa or atsumu watching me as i sleep? why are they talking to me about how much they love me as if i can hear them? why are they not giving me a lil kiss on the temple?

just...why???

(also idk if i’ve asked this before, but who’s your exo bias? mine’s xiumin but d.o. has been looking extra fine lately 👀)