#they arent powerful beings of nature just powerful beings if that makes sense?

[delightfuldevin]

To be fair, it seems that Legendaries can be created either naturally ( if that's how the flow of life goes according to Frost Queen) or made so through tragic means (darkness, severe corruption in pursuit of forbidden knowledge etc). Not to mention both were had a personal connection to Sea Fairy: Abyss Monarch being the former regent over Sugarteara as a placeholder ruler and Black Pearl blessed with the power of the sea. Octopus' costume is a "before" everything went awful hence its Epic status. If crimson Coral turns out to be the super epic then it's to be assumed that the mermaids were to. So yeah they WERE different ranks until they gained power and turned into monsters due to their own grief/hurt from the situations as those they cared for betrayed them severely. Looking at white lily going from Ancient to legendary as dark enchantress

Octopus took on all the darkness corrupting the pearl and that turned them into the "Legendary Abyss Monarch" which has been a major player in undersea lore so technically a legend. They struggle to control it so they try to keep away from others. If anything, they symbolize the eldritch horrors of the deep which are known for being fishy n mind breaking.hence abyss

BP reveled and embraced the darkness after what happened. Took over a portion of the sea for her own. Becoming an ancient sea beast that happily drowned cookies in bitter grudge yet the longing is there. Given how she was blessed personally by her goddess, it would seem that she was bestowed a piece of SF. Her element is storms which is notorious in ending voyages at sea

If that makes sense? All the legendary cookies are created in some way for various reasons so they fit into whatever the criteria is placed. It's over time that they develop these legends about them so pretty much par for the course I think. The flow of life energy n all that

These are very interesting points you bring up. I guess it depends on how we’re defining “legendary”. In the real life sense, a legend can be anything that is told enough times to become well known by large groups of people. The way I’ve been using it in relation to the world of CR is that it’s a title that only powerful beings of nature have. The way I see it, legendaries can only be created naturally. The exceptions to this would be Moonlight and Dark Enchantress, as they were created directly by the Wizards and Witches respectively (Moonlight being actually created, while DE was simply a normal cookie corrupted by the Witches’ magic).

In my headcanon, the world of Earthbread was imbued by the Witches’ magic when it was created. All lifeforms in the world were born from that magic, but the legends were imbued with the highest concentration of it. Sea Fairy and the other fairies are the personified forms of the oceans. The legendary Dragons were born from the magic of the world as well, and so was the Millennial Tree. Timekeeper’s legendary power comes from their scissors, the Sonic Embroider, which is an artifact created by the Wizards. Frost Queen was chosen to fulfill the role of guardian of the flow of life energy, which I think is separate than what the other legends do. But the key here is that they were all born from the world itself to fulfill a certain role bestowed upon them.

Now, following this headcanon, Wind Archer and Fire Spirit are also more on the level of super epics than legends, but since Windy was created by one of the strongest forces in the world and has the role of purifying fallen spirits, and Fire Spirit is described as being the bridge between cookie and dragon, I think they can still be justified. I mean, I get that all of this is just my headcanons and nothing more, but I feel like the idea that those with legendary power are beings of nature makes sense. If an intense and tragic event was enough to create legendary power, I feel like Dark Choco should’ve become one as well since his is possibly one of the most tragic stories we know. Plus, his sword ties him directly to Dark Enchantress.

But yeah, going off of the actual definition of what a legend is, BP and AM fit it because their stories have been told until they became so well known that they became legends. I just meant in terms of their powers and the origins of their powers, they feel more like super epics (on the level of Capsaicin or Sherbet). And even going by the true definition of a legend, there are others who fit it too. Capsaicin is a legend in the Dragon’s Valley for being as powerful and dangerous as he is. And Squid Ink is a legend too, being a giant sea monster that has sunk many ships in pursuit of treasure. Dark Choco is even kind of a legend for betraying his kingdom.

I hope this makes sense, I think I might’ve been going in circles with my explanation of the difference between an actual legend and legendary power ^^”

[opal-owl-flight]

Decimation.

Youve been stealing back millions of eggs from Grizzco for years. And in a single night, they took it all back.

How does it feel to face a possible extinction?

Uhh lore abt Grizzco and the salmonids below!

So in my interp, Grizzco started somewhat small, bc back then Grizz and...an associate... were doing everything by themselves. When his associate went nuts, and almost ended the world by driving the nearby salmonid nations nuts as well, Inkadia launched Project Piranesi. (More on that another time.) Grizz had to think of another way to get those eggs..

…how perfect was it then, that Inkopolis, a fairly new city, was having a bit of a salmonid problem?

Grizz inserted his corporation as part of the damage control along the run routes. it only grew from there.

he expanded to the Splatlands later, though admittedly the folks there were more adapted to the salmonids compared to Inkadia. Its not as strong a hold but Splatsville and its surrounding establishments appreciated the extra precautions Grizzco provided.

Neos born fighting for her life and for her clans. Its why shes so aggressive and finds it difficult to be anything but. If shes not angry, fighting for her clans to have a life of peace…for a present and future where she can live -- what is she?

she and 3 arent so different, in that regard.

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

Grizzco says that the last 7 big run locales had "unusual magnetic readings" and in my world that just means THEY DAMN PUT IT THERE!!!!

They intentionally put something there to confuse the migrators and to steal the next generation -- and the Inkfish? Ofc theyd fight for their homes.

The Splatlandians TRIED to avoid the routes when they built the city after thousands of years of observation. Sorta like the dykes and canals some cities build next to swelling rivers.

Another comparison is that the big runs are just like other natural calamities in the eyes of the nations. Its like a flood, an earthquake, a typhoon. Hell its somewhat announced that way too. The infrastructure is built with the runs in mind. The powers that be have built countermeasures.

*I say try bc some sleazy/unaware corporations still built along those routes bc of the cheaper land/other "economical reasons."

And then Inkadia just wasnt aware at all, being a newer city compared to the ancient splatlands.

Grizzco intentionally causes property damage for bigger gains. Theyve been suffering a "shortage" thanks to Neo3 and the platoon's banditry. In a bid to take everything back and more, they decided to make the biggest event in the Splatlands the salmonid's next target.

They know that EVERYONE will show up to it.

---------

I think seeing that counter keep ticking up gives Neo3 a sense of creeping dread. Thats the number of eggs she put back in the sea. And more. All done in a single night. All her work, down the drain.

The platoon does manage to get a LOT of it back but god. What about the fallen runners, who were supposed to get to the actual spawning grounds?

Those lives disrespected and their bodies unable to feed the spawn. (Theres only so much the survivors can drag back.)

I wonder too, how many of those runners arent there for the runs at this point. They are there to kill.

Ticked off by the persistent attacks and the misdirection. As Polyphemus says in Epic, "Take from you what you take from me."

----------

After multi-magnetic field disruptors in the biggest run, these salmonid have had enough and want to hit back. I wouldnt blame them...god, I wouldnt blame them

The salmonids have never resorted to kidnapping any inkfish. Theyve killed. Yeah. Part of the whole running ceremony. But it was always just a part of that.

To actually go out of their way to fight instead of spawn? Thats different. In the grand run, inkfish may notice that some bosses arent dropping golden eggs. Bc they were never here to spawn. Theyre here to drag every inkfish they find into hell.

Subsequent big runs may end up with more and more of those eggless bosses.

----------

Happy 700 mil!! I HAD MANY NEO3 AND SALMONID THOUGHTS. THINGS ARE GETTING SO FUCKED UP IN SPLOONWORLD. The platoon as a whole is trying to restore peace between the Splatlands, Inkadia, Octaria AND the Salmonid nations, but unless Inkadia and the Splatlands change (COUGHS mostly Inkadia), nothing can really be done.

This is the shit 3 fights for. That harmony is what they dream of. The whole world rests on their shoulders and they press on, ever forward.

[ganondoodle]

(new totk rewritten - super rough concept)

so this was a super rough sketch for retrieving the enigma stone of the zora- im currently redoing it since im not happy with this one-

but i have run into a bit of a problem; see the reason why theres monsters causing trouble everywhere is bc ganondorf is trying to keep the stones out of raurus hand(s) thus creating all those bosses to hopefully stop link from reaching them, or at least to slow you down BUT i cant seem to decide whether it makes more sense if the whole reason they are split up among the other regions is because the ancient .. 'sages' wanted to ALSO keep them away from rauru, or if they were instructed by him to do this and await his return (which would be a good reason why they are wearing that sonau helmet still .. if they werent completely in on it i doubt they would do it lol)

(the thought being, would rauru be more likely to not give the stones away at all or he was too afraid that gan could wake up earlier/break free and get his hands on them first- so he sends his trusty servants- sages out to construct big temples and await his return but to stop gan if he were to seek them out first ... also possibly so all the stones arent in one spot, since they, in my rewrite, are the highest concentrated version of spirit energy and would emit an extreme amount of energy likely to attract something... yeha its all based on luminous stoens containting spirit energy and that also powering the shiekah tech .. made a diagram (?) about it once actually, though some parts arent true anymore bc im omitting the whole dragon transform stuff)

(im also using this concept for the skyward sword comic btw, the mining of the timeshift stones being the reason the lanayru region becomes a desert bc the lands been robbed of life energy meant to go back into the system over time edit: i mean this as in an environment was drastically altered from its natural state in an extremely short amount of time, which is generally a bad thing, not as in desert areas just being dead sand filled wastelands, theres plenty of life there if meant to be like that/given long enough time to adjust or turn into it)

while i want to make rauru a villain i also dont want him to be too overtly evil since ... thats kinda boring and just pushes that role onto someone else, im aiming for more nuance overall (which is also why gan isnt some goody two shoes perfectly fine with hyrule, like yeah .. the calamity was his doing still)- so im leaning more towards the latter- though perhaps the gerudo did so more with the intent to keep it away from rauru

(also, i am including mineru after all.. but only as a mummy like so (sorry) but her stone is gone when you reach it bc its been taken by the yiga- for which you have to tract them down and fight koga (and possibly supah/sooga) )

[xxximortalxxx]

As much as you guys hate to admit it, the Five and Lila pairing makes sense and was not at all utter bullshit as you guys are making it seem.

From the time Lila was introduced, she came in as a strong character that's wild, sexy, fun, and a bit deranged. She's a badass character! And what happens? She meets Diego in a point in her life where she was at the height of chaos and adventure. They fall in love, or in a toxic situationship filled with family drama and mother/father issues.

Now let's look at Five. His situation is overall fucked. Imagine being some kid that grew up with space/time travel powers and getting stuck in time, having to grow up pretty much before all of his siblings, and then having to come back in his KID body and still have to fix THEIR problems on top of dealing with his own mental issues that he acquired and loneliness. Reminder that he would not have had a partner due to his inconvenient life/appearance.

Lila and Diego are in this marriage with kids after trying to live a "normal" life. Lila feels stuck because she basically trauma bonded with some guy that happened to be there and was able to put up with her issues and vice versa. Diego was convenient. And from what I see, she really just wanted to make a family she didn't have. Their relationship is kinda out of obligation for their kids at this point, and neither of them are happy.

At this point, Five and Lila get stuck in time together after having previously been on opposite sides but coming together for family sake. From the beginning they matched each other's energy and even I would say they complement each other. They both have explosive personalities filled with sarcasm, snark, and a bit of humor. They both enjoy danger and a rough tussle. That's all they have known.

At this point, both Five and Lila have experienced so much in their lives, so much adventure already. They are ready to settle down, because sometimes love is the adventure you're looking for in this crazy world.

And look I get it. Badass lady is reduced to housewife trope that shouldn't exist unless within character. But can we really say this is out of character for Lila? She always does the unexpected, so her going off to be a spy is what we would expect, for her and Five.

And I also get that you guys think that Five would never betray his family like that. This isn't a perfect world and neither are these characters. If anything, we've seen Five do things for his own self interest over what the family/others want. Same for Lila.

Add in the loneliness of DECADES from Five and the trapped loneliness Lila feels within her marriage, and the fact they they go on another mission together over SEVEN years, mixed with their explosive dynamic and you have a pairing.

And explosion seems to be the theme for this season right? With Ben and Jennifer. Sometimes 2 exlosive chemicals become more stable rather than creating a blast. And maybe each other is what Five and Lila needed. They both understand each other in ways Diego could never understand Lila. Lila also understands Five's predicament like no other, having lived it first hand with him in the Seven years. It's only natural that they would come together. Lila and Diego were eventually going to divorce because they weren't compatible. Lila has always had the most chemistry with Five.

I get the cheating and in no way do I excuse it, but these characters have no idea when they will ever get back home and if. I think they would go absolutely crazy if they didn't have each other. In this time, they realized how similar they are and ended up being a better match. They found what they were looking for in each other. And you can't deny their connection like come on.

In my experience, in the real world, love is messy and not perfect. Sometimes finding love is your next adventure after you've live a life like no other. Maybe this will be good for them.

Also, they writers arent crazy or out of pocket, you guys just need to grow up.

[msperfect777]

finally, play a new game

⭐️part twelve of the understanding consciousness & non dualism series

hi cuties. this is the last post of the understanding consciousness and non dualism series and i want to say thank you so much for everyone that supported me. im happy that my posts helped ppl understand this concept better. the aim of the series was to break down the topics so that it can be easier to comprehend even though its so simple but the ego makes it seem harder (as you can already assume).

by now you understand that your real and only identity is consciousness / awareness / the observer / the source / imagination and everything is consciousness ("your" phone, "your" mother) which appear as separate and different forms even though its all the same thing, you. nothing is real and everything is imaginary. imagining something is the same as having it in the "physical world" bc there is no "physical world" bc there is no separation bc everything is just consciousness. nothing is real but things exist when you become aware of them (example: these words can never be real but they exist bc you are aware of it). this human body and thoughts/ego is not the real you, real identity. its not real its just appearing as something else. consciousness is the only reality so reality is everywhere bc consciousness is everything. desires arent real bc the moment you become aware of something, it exists instantly, youve experienced it instantly. "desires" are you. you dont create anything, you are everything. forms of consciousness just appear as separate but arent. even the 5 senses arent real and are limited to the power you are (consciousness). as the observer, you observe everything (in the unreal physical and in imagination).

the point of non dualism is to realize your true self (consciousness) and be free from suffering in this "life" that you think is real. remove and be free from all concepts and beliefs and the past. they are not real and never will be. once you understand non dualism, there is no suffering or pain or no issue. you cannot take things seriously bc you know none of this is real in the first place. personally, i think the point of "life" is to realize your true nature and enjoy life and peace with whatever ego desires. if ego desires being a rockstar or having piercings or getting free money, then thats what it is. the point is to experience whatever ego wants to experience.

all this is just a game.

you are the game character (human being), you are the game's plot, you are the producers of the game, the one playing the game, the game console, the game itself, everything. and this game is all imaginary.

be present and enjoy everything bc its all you. ego desires something? be that desire and imagine it.

none of this shit is real so i can and will treat myself how ego wants to be treated in imagination since its no difference if its in imagination or in the "physical" bc both are imagination either way. ego wants to go to the beach? in imagination i will go to the beach and enjoy every second. you see how free it is to imagine whatever knowing that imagination is everything and everywhere? its unlimited. you are unlimited.

how to play a new game:

imagine the "desire"

done. it exists and i experienced it instantly.

the 5 senses are not real as said before and the "physical" is the same as whatever you imagine. if you depend on the unreal "physical world" then you are limiting yourself to the body's unreal senses. what powerful being would limit themselves to an unreal thing?

whatever ego wants, i will be bc thats the game and rules i chose. there is no such thing as something against me or restrictions or oppositions or something that is making it "hard". everything is unreal and is me (consciousness) either way. you dont have power, you are power.

realize you already are whatever ego desires. you are already living in imagination and you always will be. experience whatever it is you want to experience.

© msperfect777

[ranticore]

answering an ask from @coyoteworks under a readmore because it's mildly spoilery for said the black horse :)

Coyoteworks asks: ive been sitting on this one for a while because its so in my head.. i really like how you write the werewolves in mvf. it really taps into my love for examinations of human and animal behavior, because as much as i love when a character goes 'berserk' in some way like a werewolf or monster transformation of any kind, i often feel like the execution of it being a result of a well of hidden evil is a bit too 'easy'... when bowman first turned i genuinely sat forward because i was so fascinated & delighted by his behaviors. the idea that these werewolves, with their reputation for being cruel and vicious, known for having the intelligence of man and the bloodthirst of a predator animal... arent actually all that vicious the first time they turn... it's just a really lovely take on what our "base" instincts actually are, and that cruelty is a learned/taught trait rather than an inherent one... same goes for jean's first transformation, and his fear, and bowman willingly turning to ease that fear and communicate as wolves... aughhg i just love it so much... the boys are playinggggggg

---

Answer:

I have to confess to being a little bit spiteful when I formulated those werewolf portrayals... I find that the idea of what a werewolf IS has been turned into almost a fandom in the sense that if you go against their established rules, it's decried as not REALLY a werewolf or a dilution of werewolves etc. And I find that really interesting; once I saw an entire rec list of werewolf media by a fan of werewolves who was deeply dismissive and disgusted by works which didn't have the werewolf being a rampaging beast every full moon because, to them, that was the whole point of a werewolf. To not have it be that way would be like making a vampire that doesn't drink blood. The narrative is that it's always about the fear of some primal bestial anger or energy inside oneself and that this is a struggle of man vs evil primal nature.

But it also strays close to something i also don't like about a lot of 'fae' tropes which is that it becomes played out, tired, predictable, and let's all be so honest with ourselves a lot of werewolves are the way they are because the writers find it hot as well in the same way vampires are hot - some kind of surrender to a raw bestial nature (often extremely masculine.. u can't tell me there's no reason ppl keep making lumberjack werewolves). it's part of a power fantasy when approached from that angle, the fantasy of being dominated/being dominating

So those are the metaphorical seeds inside most werewolf portrayals in media. To me, I was interested more in the former stuff than the latter, but the latter interests me too. 'Man vs evil wild nature' is a common theme in fairy stories as well, with wild spaces representing a threat. On the one hand I did want to subvert an expectation, but it's also part of a long-running main plot point in the series which will become obvious soon (sorry). For the werewolves, what they represent isn't the fear of the animal inside (a human is already an animal) but just the space to be the animal that you already are. I also want to refute the evil wild nature thing too - animals don't rampage about for no reason, there's no evil inherent inside a wolf. There's no mindless violence or attacking - the werewolf rampaging on the first full moon in Inver is doing it because they are frightened. It's not a harmless animal by any means and you still need to avoid provoking it, but it has no malicious intent.

The playing scene was really important to me also as a pivotal point in Bowman's arc but also Jean's and the book in general. If we're going to look at a werewolf as an externalisation of baser nature or a glimpse into what might go on inside the soul of a person (such as any exists), why is it necessarily violent... in Jean's own words, he often wanted to play with Bowman when he was younger, but could never bring himself to approach due to the constraints of society around him. playing is more fundamental to animals (both canine and human) than being a scary monster. so in this version of monstrosity, the monster is unbound from societal convention, finally free to play

Also wanted it to be quite clear that the avatars do not rampage without reason, either; they're scared, too.

[rainforestakiie]

AdamsApple Month Harvest!

Full Moon~

i hope this counts? this is @inubaki's request! i hope you like it! it is also inspired by @things-arent-what-they-seem66's own version!

an omegaverse au where adam's mask conceals his scent. it cracks, and lucifer smells him! inubaki allowed me to put my own creative spin on it!

i hope you like it!

@adamsappleweek

The moon gleamed softly in the velvet sky, its silver light spilling over the garden, casting shadows that danced across the leaves of the Tree of Life. Lucifer sat beneath it, its ancient bark warm against his back, the soft rustle of the leaves above offering him a brief, but fragile, sense of comfort. The moon wasn't fully formed yet, not complete, much like himself. It still had time to grow, to take its final shape. But Lucifer? He wasn’t sure if time could change anything for him. The thought brought a bitter pang to his chest, a quiet ache he had become too familiar with.

His wings shimmered in the moonlight, catching the glow as they fanned out behind him, majestic and ethereal, yet still somehow... incomplete. Lucifer let out a long, weary sigh, tipping his head back to rest it against the bark of the tree. He watched the sky, but his mind was far away, lost in the complexity of his own existence.

He loved the humans—adored them, even. From the moment he first laid eyes on them, he had been captivated by their innocence, their capacity for love, and their potential to grow. Unlike his fellow angels, they felt real to him, tangible in ways his brothers and sisters never did. But the more time he spent among them, the more he realized the gaping chasm that lay between them. They didn’t know the burden of being classified, of being labeled by something they had no control over. They were just... human. Simple, free of the chains that bound him so tightly, so suffocatingly.

But Lucifer was no human. He could never be one, no matter how much he might long for that simplicity. He was something else—something set apart, always on the fringes, even here in this place he had thought he belonged. He was an omega, the only one of his kind in all of Heaven, in all of Creation. A rare, coveted thing in the eyes of the universe, yet it felt more like a curse than a blessing.

Among his siblings, the other angels, there was an unspoken rule: omegas were meant to be soft, sweet, and yielding, expected to submit to the will of the alphas. Alphas, like the rest of his kind, were aggressive, dominant, often naïve in their certainty of their own power. They commanded with force and arrogance, expecting everything to fall into place beneath their control. They were Heaven’s warriors, Heaven’s pride, and Lucifer—he was supposed to be Heaven’s beauty, its grace, a delicate thing meant only to follow, never to lead.

But Lucifer had never been delicate. He had never bowed to anyone’s will, never let them reduce him to just an "omega." His siblings had tried, over and over, to put him in his place, to make him submit as they believed he should. They flaunted their dominance, their superiority, but Lucifer never faltered. He refused. There was no one—no alpha, no brother or sister—who could make him bend. He wasn’t their "omega," not the way they wanted him to be.

And yet, that defiance made him an outsider. He wasn’t like them, not fully. But with the humans... oh, how they made him feel something different, something whole. They didn’t look at him and see an omega. They didn’t smell the faint hint of his pheromones and expect submission, obedience. To them, he wasn’t a title or a role. He was just Lucifer. He could be himself, unburdened by Heaven’s expectations, free of the weight that came with his nature. For the first time, he thought he had found his place.

But it wasn’t enough.

Lucifer’s heart clenched as he remembered the way the humans looked at each other—how they touched, how they loved without the constraints of secondary genders, without the invisible bonds that tied him down. They had no pheromones to tangle with, no alpha or omega to complicate their relationships. They were free to love as they chose, and it made him ache with a longing so deep, it was almost unbearable. He had accepted that they were different from him, and that was fine. He could live with that. But the more time he spent with them, the more he realized the bitter truth: he would always be different. No matter how close he got, no matter how much he loved them, he could never truly be one of them.

Heaven didn’t care about his feelings. Heaven wanted him to mate, to settle down, to fulfill the purpose of his kind. The pressure weighed on him every day, heavier than any sword or shield. Heaven wanted him to breed, to take an alpha and fall into the role they had always envisioned for him. But how could he? He couldn’t stomach the thought of it. The scent of alphas made his skin crawl, their presence suffocated him in ways that were becoming harder to ignore. The idea of submitting to one, of bonding, of giving himself over in that way—it made him feel sick, hollow.

Lucifer’s hands clenched in the soft earth beneath him, his eyes stinging as the cold reality set in deeper than before. He was alone. The humans, beautiful as they were, could never fill the void inside him. And the angels, his brothers and sisters—they would never see him as anything more than a pretty omega. He was trapped, lost between two worlds that neither truly understood nor accepted him.

Lucifer watched from a distance as Adam and Lilith sat together in the garden, their laughter carried on the soft breeze, mingling with the gentle rustle of the trees. His heart twisted in ways he didn’t fully understand yet, a slow-burning ache that seemed to hollow out his chest. He had adored Adam from the very moment the human had taken his first breath. Adam had been... perfect. The way his eyes, a deep, rich green, sparkled when he smiled—the softness in them when he spoke to Lucifer—was something that made the archangel’s heart flutter in a way that felt both exhilarating and terrifying.

But now, those eyes were focused elsewhere. On her. Lilith. Adam’s wife, chosen by God, formed from the same earth that had given Adam life. Lucifer watched, feeling that all-too-familiar sense of longing stir in his chest as Adam laughed at something Lilith said, his face lighting up in a way that Lucifer wanted so desperately to be the cause of.

It burned.

The jealousy was a sharp, cruel thing, gnawing at him from the inside, a bitterness that tasted of rejection. He tried to push it down, tried to convince himself it was nothing, just a passing feeling. After all, wasn’t Adam his closest friend? Didn’t they share something no one else could understand? It had always been the two of them, hadn’t it? Since the beginning, when Lucifer had taken Adam under his wing, guiding him, showing him the wonders of Heaven and Earth alike. Adam had looked at him like he was something more than just an omega, something more than the beautiful, delicate creature his brothers and sisters always wanted to mold him into. With Adam, he had been… seen.

But now Lilith was there, and Adam’s focus had shifted. She was his companion, his partner. She had taken the place that Lucifer had once held so dear. The realization hit Lucifer hard, like the crack of thunder in an empty sky. He wasn’t the one making Adam smile anymore. He wasn’t the one Adam turned to first, and that cut deeper than any wound ever could.

Lucifer leaned against the Tree of Life, his wings dimmed, his face shadowed in sorrow as he watched the two humans. Adam was supposed to be his. He had always been his. And yet, he felt Adam slipping away, the distance between them widening with each passing day. Lucifer told himself it was Lilith’s fault. She had stolen Adam’s attention, drawing him away from what truly mattered—from him. Lucifer was certain of it. Adam was destined for more than this; Adam was supposed to be with him, to see him, to cherish him. The bond between them had been so pure, so perfect, and now it was crumbling before Lucifer’s very eyes.

But the truth that Lucifer couldn’t admit—wouldn’t admit—was that it wasn’t Lilith herself. No, it was something far deeper. Adam had a purpose, a duty to fulfill, and that duty had nothing to do with Lucifer. Adam was the father of humanity, the one who would create life, who would populate the earth with beings made in his image. That was what mattered to Adam. His mission, his destiny given by God.

Lucifer was not part of that destiny. And that realization clawed at his soul with a fierceness he couldn’t ignore.

His brothers and sisters had seen it. They had noticed his growing obsession with Adam, the way his eyes followed the human wherever he went, the way his heart seemed to cling to every word Adam spoke. They warned him—warned him not to get too close. They told him it was foolish, that the humans were different, that they didn’t have the same bonds, the same needs as angels.

“You’re an omega, Lucifer,” they reminded him, over and over again. “Humans don’t have secondary genders. They don’t need you the way you want to be needed.”

But he hadn’t listened. He couldn’t. How could they understand the way his heart raced when Adam looked at him, the way his soul seemed to sing when Adam smiled at him? No one else made him feel that way. No one else ever could.

But now Lilith was there. She was Adam’s companion, fulfilling the role Lucifer had once imagined for himself. She was what Adam needed to fulfil his duty, to create the future of humanity. Lucifer’s hands clenched into fists, his wings trembling with suppressed emotion. He had never wanted to hurt anyone, but the sight of Adam with Lilith, the way Adam’s focus had shifted entirely to her... it tore him apart.

He couldn’t stand it.

Lucifer convinced himself it was only temporary. Adam would come back to him. He had to. Adam would realize, in time, that Lucifer was the one who truly understood him, who had always been there for him. He would see that Lilith was only a distraction, a fleeting thing compared to what they had.

And so, when the jealousy and pain became too much to bear, Lucifer made his decision. He would get rid of Lilith. He would remove the obstacle that stood between him and Adam. Adam would forgive him—how could he not? Lucifer was doing it for them, for the bond they shared, for the future they could still have together.

But things did not go as he had planned. When Lucifer approached Lilith, intending to persuade her to leave, to step aside and let him be the one in Adam’s life, it only made matters worse. Lilith, strong and defiant, refused to be subdued. She saw through Lucifer’s intentions, and their clash was inevitable. In the end, Lilith was cast out, but not in the way Lucifer had expected. She left, not because Lucifer had made her, but because she refused to submit to anyone.

And when Adam found out, when he learned what Lucifer had done—everything shattered.

Adam didn’t forgive him. He didn’t come back to Lucifer, didn’t smile at him the way he used to. Instead, there was only hurt in Adam’s eyes, a betrayal that cut deeper than anything Lucifer had ever imagined. The green eyes he loved so much no longer looked at him with warmth, but with cold distance, a silent condemnation that tore Lucifer apart from the inside.

It was then that the truth finally hit him.

Adam had never belonged to him. It was never about Lilith. It wasn’t about him being an omega, or even the nature of their bond. Adam’s heart, his mind, his very being—had always been devoted to something greater. To God. To the mission he was created for. He had a destiny that Lucifer could never be a part of. Adam was the father of humanity, destined to be the foundation of an entire race. And Lucifer…

Lucifer was meant to bring forth a new way of angels…

Lucifer was nothing but a dreamer, clinging to something that was never his.

The realization broke him. The ache in his heart turned to anger, to bitterness, to a rage that he couldn’t contain. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that Adam had been given a purpose, a mission, while he had been left with nothing but his hollow existence as an omega, something Heaven expected to be docile, sweet, and beautiful. But Lucifer was not those things. He was fierce. He was burning. He was more than what Heaven wanted him to be.

And if Adam couldn’t see that—if Adam would never love him the way Lucifer had so desperately wanted—then maybe he didn’t deserve him at all.

It was in that moment, as Lucifer’s denial crumbled and the truth of his rejection sank in, that the first seeds of corruption took root. A darkness, slow and insidious, began to creep into his heart. He had tried to love, had given everything to Adam, and yet, in the end, he was left with nothing.

Because Lucifer was just an omega without his lover.

The moon shone above him, casting its usual light over the desolation of Hell. In Eden, the moon had been a soft, ethereal blue and white—a gentle, nurturing presence. Lucifer had always felt at peace beneath its glow, as if the moon cradled him in its light, offering him a refuge from the harshness of the world. Omegas, like him, were said to belong to the moon. It was their protector, their guardian. Alphas were children of the sun, fierce and dominant, burning with a fire that Lucifer could never relate to. That was how it had always been in Heaven—how he had believed it would always be. The moon was his sanctuary.

But now, here in the land of the damned, that same moon was nothing but a tormentor. When he had been cast out of Eden—cast out of Heaven—everything he had once known, everything he had once believed, had been torn away from him. Lucifer had fallen so far. His once-bright wings, radiant and proud, were now dim and dull, weighed down by the shame and sin of his actions.

It had all started with Adam. Adam, with his green eyes and his quiet smile, who had captured Lucifer's heart in ways he never could have predicted. Lucifer had loved him—wanted him. But Adam had chosen another. Lilith, and then later, Eve. The humans had always belonged to each other, and Lucifer was left on the outside, his heart shattered by the truth he refused to see. Adam had never been his. And so, when Lucifer’s love turned to jealousy, when the ache of being unwanted became too much, he had made a decision.

If he couldn’t have Adam, he would ruin him.

That was the thought that had driven him, consumed him. When Adam and Eve bit into the forbidden fruit, when they were cast from Eden just as Lucifer had been, a twisted sense of satisfaction had filled him. He had gotten his revenge. He had taken something from Adam—just as Adam had taken something from him. But it wasn’t enough. It was never enough.

His Father, God, had seen through him. He had known what Lucifer had done, the spite that had driven him to lead humanity to its fall. And for that, Lucifer had been punished. Not with the cold distance he had once feared from Adam, but with something far worse. He was cast down, not just from Heaven, but from everything he had ever known.

Now, the moon that shone down upon Hell was not the comforting presence it had once been. It wasn’t blue and white like the one in Eden. It was red—deep, blood-red, and it burned him every time it rose. The light seared his skin, made his body tremble with a pain so unbearable it made him want to scream. It flared through him, making his heat worse, more excruciating than it had ever been in Heaven.

The nights when the red moon rose, once a month, were the worst. Lucifer’s body would burn with need, an uncontrollable ache that coursed through him, and all he could think about was Adam. Adam’s eyes, Adam’s voice, Adam’s warmth. He would sob, helpless and alone, crying out into the darkness for a man who would never forgive him. A man who would never come for him.

He was alone now, more alone than he had ever been in Heaven. And the moon—once his source of comfort—now only reminded him of what he had lost, of what he could never have. The red light made him feel like his very soul was being ripped apart, piece by piece, each time the moon’s light touched him.

Lucifer’s cries would echo through the caverns of Hell, a reminder of his fall, of his mistakes. He had loved too deeply, too selfishly. He had wanted Adam for himself, and now… he had nothing. The one being he had given everything for, the one he had ruined himself for, was lost to him forever.

The red moon hung heavy in the sky, casting its oppressive light over Lucifer as he lay curled on the cold floor of his castle, his wings limp and broken around him. He trembled, his breath coming in ragged sobs as the pain of his heat surged through him, relentless and unforgiving. And all he could do was whisper Adam’s name, over and over, as if somehow, by some miracle, Adam might hear him. Might come to him. Might save him.

Lucifer’s hand would be pushed between his thighs, his fingers bumping harshly inside him as the red glow of the moon forced his heat to rampage through his body.

He wanted Adam. He wanted Adam to come take care of him. To love him and be his mate.

But Adam never came.

Lucifer hated the red moon. It was a cruel, merciless thing, reminding him every month of his loneliness, his abandonment, and the unfulfilled need that gnawed at his very core. He hated it—but it only rose once a month. He could deal with that, he told himself. He could endure the pain, the longing. After all, he had survived this long, hadn’t he? Even if it tore him apart, even if it left him sobbing in the dark, he would survive. He had to. Because there was no one else who could save him now.

Only the moon, and the moon no longer cared.

A thousand years had passed since Lucifer’s fall, and Hell had become a place of eternal unrest. Flames burned high in the distance, the skies above Hell tainted with smoke and ash. Heaven's exterminations had become a constant, angels in their gleaming black and silver armor swarming through the kingdom that was once Lucifer’s domain. He typically paid no mind to the angels tearing through Hell’s landscape, their holy crusades on the damned. He had long ceased to care about the endless parade of sinners or their fates. They were beneath him—just like everything else in this forsaken realm.

But Charlie was different. His daughter, born of his magic, with her relentless optimism and foolish desire to save the unsalvageable. Charlie, his precious child, cared too much about the very souls he had discarded without thought. She had opened her hotel, a beacon of hope in the most hopeless place in existence, trying to offer redemption to the damned. It was her dream to change Hell, to make it a place where redemption was possible.

Lucifer knew better. He had seen the darkness that festered in the hearts of both angels and men. Redemption? It was a fairy tale—a lie. But Charlie believed in it, and in some part of him that still held onto the faintest echoes of love, Lucifer wanted her to succeed. He wanted to protect her, even if he couldn’t bring himself to share her hope.

He should have warned her. Opening that hotel was bound to ruffle Heaven’s feathers. Of course they would come for her. But Lucifer had been too ashamed, too broken to leave his castle on most days. The red moon, always watching, always burning him from the inside, had left him a shadow of the archangel he once was. He spent his nights whimpering in the darkness, his mind consumed by the memories of the one he had lost—the one who had never been his. The man he still loved.

Adam.

Lucifer had vowed never to let himself feel that way again. But as the angels descended on Charlie’s hotel, their righteous fury set to destroy everything she had built, something inside him stirred. Charlie could be killed. His daughter, his blood, his light—she was out there, defenseless against Heaven’s wrath. Lucifer’s shame, his endless grief, the weight of his failure… none of it mattered now. He couldn’t let her die. He wouldn’t.

He left his castle for the first time in centuries, his wings heavy and dragging behind him as he made his way to the hotel. As he approached, he could see the scene unfolding before him. Angels surrounded the building, their blades shimmering with holy fire, poised to tear apart anyone who dared oppose them. And there, in the center of it all, standing with an air of command and purpose, was him.

Adam.

Lucifer’s breath caught in his throat. His heart leapt inside his chest, pounding against his ribs like a caged bird. Adam’s presence was like a blade to his soul, sharp and unrelenting. After all these years, after everything that had happened, there he was, as glorious as ever, bathed in the divine light of Heaven. His armor gleamed under Hell’s burning sky, his posture strong, unyielding. But his face… his face was still the same. Still beautiful. Still Adam.

Lucifer’s body trembled, his wings twitching with the dark, undeniable urge to act. To take. Adam was in Hell—so close, close enough to touch. Lucifer could reach out, grab him, drag him away from Heaven, from everything. He could take Adam before anyone even realized he was there. No one would stop him. Lucifer had always been unnaturally powerful for an omega, a fact that had made his siblings uneasy, but he had never cared. That strength pulsed through him now, his hands trembling with the need to act. He could do it. He could have Adam again.

He should do it.

But as his gaze shifted to the scene unfolding before him, something stopped him cold. Adam wasn’t fighting. He wasn’t hurting Charlie. No, he was taunting her, his voice carrying an edge of cold authority, but his hands remained at his sides. He wasn’t striking her, wasn’t unleashing Heaven’s wrath upon her. He was just… scaring her. Toying with her, perhaps. Charlie’s wide eyes and frazzled expression showed that his words were working. She was frightened, unsure how to handle the situation, but Adam wasn’t causing her any real harm.

Lucifer’s mind raced, torn between the primal urge to seize Adam and the growing realization that something was wrong—terribly wrong. Adam, the man he had loved, the man he had once tried to ruin, was here, in Hell, and yet… he wasn’t acting like the Adam Lucifer remembered. The Adam who had been so focused on duty, so driven by the will of God. What was he doing here, taunting Lucifer’s daughter?

Something dark twisted inside Lucifer, something he had long buried beneath the weight of his grief and shame. He could feel it clawing at the edges of his mind, whispering in the back of his thoughts. He could take Adam now, drag him away before Heaven even noticed. He could have him, keep him close, keep him his. No one would ever know. No one would ever stop him.

His wings twitched again, trembling with the desire to act. The moon hung heavy in the sky, its blood-red glow intensifying the heat in Lucifer’s veins, urging him to move, to act on the twisted yearning that had plagued him for millennia.

But he hesitated.

Lucifer’s eyes locked onto Adam’s face, searching for something—anything—of the man he had once known. There was something different about him now. The gleam in his eyes was colder, more detached, as if Heaven had hardened him in ways Lucifer hadn’t anticipated. The warmth, the softness that Lucifer had loved so fiercely, seemed to be gone, replaced by a soldier’s discipline. And yet, deep down, Lucifer knew it was still Adam. The same Adam who had captivated his heart, the same Adam he had ruined everything for.

Lucifer’s body trembled, torn between the desire to take what he believed was his and the knowledge that no matter how powerful he was, no matter how close Adam stood, he would never truly have him. Not the way he wanted. Not the way he had once dreamed.

For now, all he could do was watch, ready to intervene if Adam’s taunts turned to violence. But the dark, twisted longing inside him refused to fade. He could take Adam. He should take Adam.

But the question that lingered, the one Lucifer couldn’t answer, was whether Adam would ever forgive him for it—whether Adam could ever be his again.

Lucifer’s breath hitched in his throat as he watched the scene unfold, his eyes locked on Adam’s masked figure. That monstrous face—twisted and grotesque—was the only thing separating him from the man he had loved so long ago. And yet, even behind the cruel armour, something inside Lucifer still stirred, that old, insidious desire pulling at him.

Adam was here. Close. Too close.

But then, something shifted. Adam’s commanding, cold voice cracked—breaking with sudden panic.

“Look out!” he yelled, his tone urgent, filled with something Lucifer had never expected to hear.

Fear. Desperation. For Charlie.

Charlie spun around at the sound of Adam’s warning, but it was too late. A gleaming angelic blade was already slicing through the air, aimed directly for her. The strike was lethal, poised to behead her in a single swift motion. Time seemed to slow as Lucifer’s heart slammed in his chest, the weight of helplessness crushing him.

But before Lucifer could even move, Adam did.

With a speed and ferocity that left the angels around him stunned, Adam lunged forward, his body a blur of dark robes and raw determination. He threw himself between Charlie and the oncoming blade, the force of his movement jarring as the blade crashed into his mask with a sickening crack. The sound echoed through the air, sharp and final, as the angelic weapon collided with Adam’s face, creating a jagged fissure down the middle of the monstrous mask.

The world seemed to stop.

Charlie’s eyes went wide in shock and disbelief, her body frozen as she stared at the man who had just saved her life. Adam had protected her. From his own army. The soldiers of Heaven who had come to cleanse Hell, to purge the damned. He had intervened—not to frighten her, not to hurt her—but to save her.

Lucifer’s body trembled violently. His wings twitched, his breath ragged as the red moon loomed higher in the sky, its bloodthirsty glow intensifying the heat that surged through his veins. Sweat slicked his skin as the familiar ache began to pulse deep inside him, a primal need clawing its way to the surface. Adam had saved Charlie. Adam wasn’t trying to harm her—he was protecting her.

A sharp pang of yearning twisted in Lucifer’s chest. His eyes remained fixed on Adam’s shattered mask, the jagged crack running down its centre revealing only fragments of the face hidden beneath. But it was enough. That small glimpse of vulnerability—the raw, unfiltered instinct to protect, to save—only made Lucifer’s longing burn hotter.

He wanted to go to Adam, to tear off that mask and see his face. He wanted to pull him away from the chaos, to hold him close, to keep him, just as he had always dreamed of doing. Adam had been his once, or so he had convinced himself, and now he was here, within reach.

But Lucifer could only stand there, trembling, his wings trembling with the need to act. The red moon’s effects were already beginning to set in—his body overheating, his mind clouded with the urge to possess, to claim. He panted, trying to keep control, but Adam’s proximity, his unexpected act of defiance against Heaven’s soldiers, was too much. The sight of him risking his life for Charlie only heightened the hunger gnawing at Lucifer’s insides.

Adam had always been obsessed with his duty, with fulfilling God’s plan. That had been why Lucifer had lost him—why Adam had chosen to walk a path that led them to this moment. But now… now Adam wasn’t following orders. He wasn’t carrying out God’s will. He was protecting Lucifer’s daughter—the one person in Hell who still believed in redemption, who still believed in something good.

Lucifer’s heart pounded, his gaze locked on the fractured mask. His body screamed for action, for release from the unbearable tension that gripped him. He could feel his heat building, the red moon’s pull tightening around his soul. And Adam was there—so close, so vulnerable.

Lucifer’s wings twitched again, the dark temptation coiling tighter around him. He could take Adam. He could drag him away from Heaven, from its grip, from the duty that had always come before them. He could make Adam his. The red moon, heavy and burning above, whispered in his mind, urging him to act, to seize what had been denied to him for so long.

But as Lucifer’s trembling hand reached out, the sound of Adam’s labored breathing caught his attention. Beneath the mask, there was a rawness, a fragility that Lucifer hadn’t heard in centuries. Adam was hurt. He had thrown himself in front of an attack meant for Charlie, risking everything—not for Heaven, not for his mission, but for her.

A soft whine escaped Lucifer’s lips, his body shaking with the weight of his conflicting desires. He wanted to take Adam, to have him, but at the same time, he knew—he knew—that Adam’s heart had never belonged to him. It had always been devoted to something higher, something beyond them. And yet… here Adam was, bleeding and battered, having saved his daughter.

Lucifer’s breath came in short, desperate gasps as the red moon’s glow intensified, filling him with the unbearable need to act. He could feel the pull between them, the undeniable connection that had haunted him for a thousand years. But this time, it wasn’t just about him. It wasn’t just about his desire or his longing.

It was about Charlie. And the fact that Adam, for reasons Lucifer couldn’t fully understand, had chosen to protect her.

“Adam…” Lucifer whispered, his voice barely audible as he watched the mask crack further, revealing the faintest glimpse of Adam’s face beneath.

Would Adam forgive him if he acted on his darkest desires? Could Adam ever be his again?

The answer, Lucifer knew deep down, was no. But it didn’t stop him from wanting it. From wanting him.

The red moon burned, and Lucifer trembled, caught between his hunger and the truth that would forever haunt him.

Lucifer’s breath quickened as he stared at Adam, a desperate hunger rising within him, one he had buried for centuries. The crack in Adam’s mask, jagged and raw, revealed more than just the broken visage of the angel—it revealed the intoxicating scent that Lucifer had nearly forgotten. A scent that stirred something ancient, something primal within him. It was a sweet, almost dangerous scent, so powerful that Lucifer’s knees almost buckled under its weight.

The air grew thick with tension, so much that it seemed to press down on everyone present.

Charlie, ever the kind-hearted and tender soul, fell to her knees beside Adam, her large, doe-like eyes filled with worry.

She reached out, hesitant but determined, her voice soft and trembling as she asked, "Are you okay? You're not here to hurt me, are you? You're trying to protect me."

Adam stiffened at her words, his gloved hand reaching for the cracked mask with a frustrated groan. He didn’t answer Charlie’s question directly, his discomfort evident as he grumbled under his breath, "Who the fuck wasn’t watching where they were throwing their angelic weapons?!"

One of his subordinates, a sheepish angel in silver armor, nervously raised her hand. “Sorry, sir. I was aiming for the princess! I’m just... overwhelmed with the freaks we’re fighting!”

Charlie frowned deeply at the angel’s words, her warmth quickly giving way to indignation as she glared up at the soldier. But before any further words could be exchanged, Lucifer decided to make his presence known. His voice, dripping with mock confidence, cut through the air like a blade.

“I’m—I'm..." He faltered.

His usual bravado slipping for a moment as something strange and unfamiliar invaded his senses. His eyes darted around, confusion creasing his brow. The scent—it was so new, so rich, like nothing he had ever encountered before. It was intoxicating, pulling him in like a magnet. Lucifer gulped, the arrogance he wore like armour fading into something more vulnerable.

“I mean... I’m the only one that matters…” Lucifer’s voice trailed off again.

His thoughts scattering as the scent consumed him. He hadn’t been exposed to something like this for eons. And Adam’s scent—it was nearly enough to knock him right out of the sky. It wasn’t just an ordinary scent; it was communion, something only alphas, omegas, and the occasional beta could experience. That deep, instinctual bond, the unsaid communication between pheromones, had been absent in Hell for so long, leaving Lucifer isolated in ways he hadn't even realized. But now... now he was feeling it again, and it was Adam.

Lucifer closed his eyes, trying to focus, but the sensations overwhelmed him. His body began to sweat, the effects of the red moon intensifying as his heat simmered beneath the surface. His wings twitched, his instincts screaming at him to act, to take, to claim.

He opened his eyes, and they darkened with hunger. He gazed at Adam with a new intensity, a dangerous, unrelenting desire building within him.

“You messed with my daughter,” Lucifer purred, his voice dripping with a dark, sensual edge. "And now, I’m going to fuck you."

The words echoed in the air, sharp and deliberate. Charlie gasped audibly, her jaw dropping as she stared at her father in disbelief. Never had she seen him react this way—never had she seen such raw, visceral emotion from the usually distant, unapproachable Lucifer. He was a beautiful creature, her father, and she had always known others—angels, demons, even mortals—desired him. But Lucifer had always shut them down, coldly, sometimes cruelly. He had never allowed anyone close, never let anyone in.

Charlie blinked, trying to process what she had just heard.

“Dad… it’s ‘fuck you up,’” she corrected cautiously, unsure whether he had simply misspoken or if this was something deeper. She watched him carefully, seeing something entirely new in his eyes.

Adam’s hand moved slowly to the crack in his mask, his body stiffening further as he cursed under his breath.

"Shit," he murmured, realizing the gravity of the situation.

The mask—his shield, his protection—was breaking. His true pheromones, the scent of his identity, were starting to seep into the air. And with it, came everything he had tried to bury.

Adam hadn’t always had a secondary gender. Humans were born without them—genderless until death. Adam, like every other mortal, had died human. But when he was welcomed into Heaven by Sera, everything changed. He remembered the moment vividly, the celestial gates opening for him, Heaven’s beautiful moon shining down on him like a promise of peace. But that peace was short-lived. The second his wings had unfurled beneath that moon; a horrifying transformation had begun. His body burned, his wings ached as they grew, and he was forced to become something more—something other. An angel with a secondary gender, a shift he could never undo.

"Charlie…" Lucifer’s voice dropped an octave, growing dark and dangerous. He breathed in deeply, his lips curving into a sharp, predatory grin. “I know what I said. I mean it.”

His gaze turned to Adam, and his expression changed—intense, wild, desperate. His wings flared behind him, casting a shadow over the scene as the red moon’s light bathed him in a demonic glow.

“I was naïve before. Clueless. I didn’t know how to handle my emotions back then, and I made terrible decisions because of it.” His voice grew stronger, more certain with each word. “But not this time. This time, I won’t make the same mistake.”

Adam swallowed hard, his entire body trembling as Lucifer's words sunk in. His heart pounded as he stared at the fallen archangel, the weight of Lucifer’s love—his obsession—crashing over him like a tidal wave.

“What do you mean?” Adam asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Lucifer’s grin widened, his sharp teeth gleaming in the red moonlight. The tension between them crackled, thick and almost suffocating as Lucifer’s eyes blazed with a dangerous promise.

“I love you, Adam,” Lucifer said, his voice low and full of possession. “I always have. And I’m so in love with you, there’s no way I can let you go. Not again.”

Adam’s eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth opening to speak, but no words came out. He was frozen, overwhelmed by the weight of Lucifer’s confession. The red moon gleamed brighter, its light piercing through the haze of battle, casting a hypnotic glow into Adam’s eyes.

And in that moment, everything else ceased to matter. Heaven, Hell, duty, morality—it all faded into the background as the primal force between them surged, undeniable and all-consuming. Lucifer wouldn’t let Adam go.

And for the first time in centuries, Adam wasn’t sure if he wanted him to.

Lucifer could sense it—Adam wouldn’t make this easy. He never did. But that was part of the charm, wasn’t it? Lucifer leaned back in his plush, sprawling nest, a satisfied smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as he glanced at Adam. The angel sat on the far edge, arms crossed, a permanent scowl fixed on his face.

“Let me go, Lucifer,” Adam demanded, his voice sharp, his wings twitching with irritation.

Lucifer tilted his head innocently, blinking those large, bright eyes in mock confusion.

 “Go? I haven’t locked you up, darling. That’s such an awful word—kidnapping—you make it sound like I’m some sort of villain.” His voice was laced with an almost pouting sweetness, as if he were genuinely hurt by the accusation.

Adam groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. “You have locked me up! I can’t leave! You threw away the key, Lucifer.”

Lucifer waved a hand dismissively, his wings fluttering gently behind him.

“I didn’t throw it away. I simply misplaced it. Honestly, you’re being dramatic.” He clasped his hands together, his tone lilting, almost playful. “Besides, I wouldn’t call this locking you up. I prefer to think of it as... inviting you to stay with me. Isn’t that much nicer?”

Adam’s glare could’ve burned through stone. “I can’t leave! You are keeping me locked up!”

Lucifer sighed, a little exaggerated and innocent. “Adam, sweetheart, I’m not keeping you locked up... I’m pampering you.”

His voice was dripping with honeyed indulgence, as if the situation was something to be celebrated.

Adam’s groan grew louder, his fingers pulling at his hair in frustration.

“Lucifer,” he growled, “You cannot keep me locked in here forever.”

Lucifer’s smile widened, leaning forward slightly with a teasing glint in his eyes.

“I’m not locking you up,” he insisted again, his voice soft and playful. “I’m just making sure you’re comfortable. Pampered. Isn’t this nice? Look at how cozy the nest is, all soft and warm—perfect for you!”

Adam’s eyes darted around the luxurious nest Lucifer had created. It was indulgent—soft pillows, plush blankets, and rich silks strewn about in a perfect cocoon of comfort. Too perfect. Too tempting. And yet, it made Adam feel like a prisoner wrapped in velvet.

He huffed and sulked, sinking into the nest with a begrudging scowl, glaring at Lucifer from beneath his furrowed brows. Lucifer, ever the one to lean into theatrics, cooed at him softly, inching closer.

“Oh, come now, you look so handsome when you sulk.” He chuckled, reaching out to lightly brush his fingers against Adam’s stiff wings, making him tense even more.

“Charlie wants to visit,” Lucifer said sweetly, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

Adam frowned deeply. “Why would she want to see me?”

Lucifer beamed, delighted by the question. “Because she wants to thank you, of course.”

“Thank me?!” Adam barked, his tone incredulous. “For what? I tried to kill her, remember?”

Lucifer snorted in amusement, waving his hand as though the idea was ridiculous. “No, you didn’t. You were trying to protect her. I know it, she knows it.”

He leaned in, tapping a finger to Adam’s forehead playfully. “We’re not stupid, darling. We can see things for what they really are.”

Adam opened his mouth to argue, to deny it, but Lucifer’s grin only grew wider, mischievous and knowing.

“And what exactly do you see, Lucifer?” Adam asked, a faint growl in his voice, challenging.

Lucifer’s eyes gleamed with a devilish sparkle as he leaned closer, crawling toward Adam with a slow, predatory grace. His voice was a low, teasing hum.

“I see that you care about us~” he purred, his tone dripping with amusement. “That you love us~”

He emphasized the words with a singsong lilt, his fingers ghosting over Adam’s arm as he practically preened into his personal space.

Adam spluttered, leaning back slightly, caught off guard by the sudden closeness. His skin prickled under Lucifer’s touch, and his heart raced despite himself. “I don’t—” he began, but his voice faltered, especially as Lucifer inched closer, lips almost brushing against his ear.

Lucifer’s voice dropped to a whisper, low and teasing. “It’s perfect, isn’t it? Because Charlie needs a mama too~”

Adam’s face twisted in shock, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Lucifer.

“Charlie’s 200 years old,” he snapped, his voice gruff. “She doesn’t need a mother.”

Lucifer chuckled, the sound rich and warm, completely unbothered by Adam’s annoyance.

“She’s still our baby girl,” he said softly, his fingers brushing against Adam’s hand in a gentle, coaxing way.

Adam huffed again, crossing his arms in defiance. “She’s not my baby girl.”

Lucifer’s eyes sparkled with mischief as he leaned in, his voice a breathy whisper.

“She will be,” he murmured, his words sending a shiver down Adam’s spine.

Adam could feel the heat rising in his chest, his wings stiffening as he struggled to maintain composure under Lucifer’s teasing.

“Lucifer,” he growled, his voice low with warning.

Lucifer only grinned wider, completely at ease in his role as tempter. He leaned in, pressing his forehead gently against Adam’s, their faces inches apart as he whispered with a playful lilt, “You’re staying, darling. With us. Forever.”

Adam’s heart raced, his breath catching as Lucifer’s words wrapped around him like a velvet chain. He wanted to deny it, to fight back, but the look in Lucifer’s eyes—the dangerous mix of love, desire, and possessiveness—made it impossible to pull away.

Lucifer grinned, his wings fluttering softly as he pressed a soft kiss to Adam’s temple, sealing his words with an intoxicating finality. “You’re ours now. And you’re not going anywhere.”

Lucifer, ever the embodiment of temptation and indulgence, buried his face into the curve of Adam's neck, inhaling deeply as Adam's scent enveloped him. A purr rumbled in Lucifer's chest, vibrating through his entire body as he basked in the intoxicating pheromones radiating from Adam’s trembling form.

"Mmm, how did you become an omega, my sweet?" he murmured, his breath hot against Adam’s skin.

Adam shuddered, every nerve ending alight with sensation as Lucifer held him, tight yet impossibly tender. It was overwhelming—this closeness, this intimacy that felt more like an entrapment than affection.

"Humans aren’t supposed to have a secondary gender," Lucifer added with a soft chuckle, his lips brushing teasingly against the sensitive skin of Adam's throat.

"I don’t," Adam growled, his voice taut with frustration, though the tremble in his tone betrayed him. He gritted his teeth, trying to resist the warm, unfamiliar pull of Lucifer’s body against his own.

Lucifer tilted his head, his mischievous gaze flickering with something darker, more playful. Slowly, he trailed his tongue over Adam’s untouched mating glands, savouring the reaction as Adam gasped, his entire body trembling involuntarily at the sensation.

Lucifer giggled, a sound that was both innocent and wicked, as if he were a child delighting in a newfound toy.

“You definitely look like you have a secondary gender to me,” he teased, his voice light and lilting as he licked again, sending another shiver down Adam’s spine.

Adam’s face flushed deep red, heat rising to his cheeks as Lucifer continued to kiss and lick at his mating glands, the sensations making his body betray him. He pushed Lucifer away, his hands firm but shaky.

“Stop that, you weirdo,” he grumbled, trying to regain his composure. “You’re behaving like a dog.”

Lucifer’s grin only widened, eyes glittering with amusement as he batted his eyelashes in mock innocence. “A dog? Me?”

“Come on, Addie~ how did you become an omega?” His voice was sing-song, almost taunting, but dripping with sweetness.

Adam stared back at Lucifer’s eyes—those luminous, knowing eyes—and sighed deeply. His body, tense and resisting just moments ago, slowly relaxed, sinking back into the plush pillows and cushions surrounding him. It was impossible to stay on guard with Lucifer’s warmth pressing in on him from every side, his pheromones gently mingling with his own in a way that was both comforting and disorienting.

As soon as Adam flopped back, Lucifer followed, crawling toward him like a cat, graceful and lazy, curling up around him possessively. Lucifer’s body pressed against Adam's, his touch soft but unmistakably firm, a silent promise that he wouldn’t be leaving Adam’s side anytime soon.

“Addie~” Lucifer cooed, his voice honeyed and thick with affection as he nuzzled into Adam’s neck, brushing his lips against the heated skin.

Adam sighed again, a deeper, more resigned sound this time.

"I didn’t have a secondary gender when I was alive," he muttered, his voice quieter now, edged with something almost like regret. "I only... I only had one when I died."

Lucifer hummed curiously, his chest still vibrating with that ever-present purr. His face rubbed against Adam's as if he were trying to imprint his scent into every inch of him, their pheromones mingling in the air, creating a heady, intoxicating blend.

"Must’ve been hard~ presenting all by yourself like that," Lucifer purred, his voice soft and coaxing, his hand gently tracing the line of Adam’s jaw.

Adam frowned, his lips pressed into a thin line as memories flashed in his mind—memories of Heaven’s blindingly beautiful moon, of his body undergoing the most terrifying and inexplicable changes.

"I didn’t have a choice," Adam admitted, his voice low and tight. “I saw Heaven’s moon, and my body... it just changed—I didn’t know how to stop it.”

Lucifer's eyes softened slightly, his teasing demeanour shifting as he listened closely, understanding flickering behind his gaze.

"Heaven’s moon?" he repeated, a soft hum in his throat. "How cruel... forcing you into a change you never wanted."

Adam swallowed thickly, his jaw clenched as he remembered the way his wings had burned, how his body had felt like it was being torn apart and rebuilt all at once.

"I didn’t want it," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn’t ask for it. But it happened. And now—"

Lucifer pressed his lips against Adam’s cheek, soft and tender, as if to soothe the old wounds that resurfaced with each word.

"Now you're mine," he whispered, his voice filled with a dark, possessive affection.

Adam’s breath hitched, but he didn’t pull away this time. Instead, he let Lucifer’s warmth envelop him, let the soothing scent of the fallen angel’s pheromones lull his mind into a strange calm. He could feel Lucifer’s heart beating against his chest, steady and reassuring, as if the devil himself was trying to tell him that he was safe here—even if he was trapped.

Lucifer purred softly, brushing his nose against Adam’s neck once more.

"I’ll take care of you," he whispered, his voice gentle but firm. “You don’t have to go through this alone anymore.”

Adam closed his eyes, his body sinking deeper into the nest as he exhaled, the weight of everything pressing down on him.

“I don’t need to be taken care of,” he muttered half-heartedly, though he couldn’t deny the strange comfort Lucifer’s presence brought.

Lucifer chuckled softly, his fingers tracing gentle patterns across Adam’s chest.

"Of course you don’t," he said sweetly, his voice dripping with mischief. “But I’m going to do it anyway. Because you’re mine, Addie. And I take very good care of what's mine.”

A startled gasp escaped Adam; his eyes grow wide as Lucifer suddenly began to touch him between his legs. He arched his head, watching as Lucifer pushed his fingers up against his omega-gore, beginning to caress the sensitive flesh.

“Don’t worry Addie~ I’m going to make sure you feel really good for the rest of your life~”

[thenixkat]

The thing that gets me about wing aus is the folks whole acting like the wings are the only things needed to fly. Maybe if someone's feeling spicy they'll throw in hollow bones and misunderstand the main reason why birds having hollow bones helps them fly (air sacs in helping take in a lot more oxygen to power the flight not so much being lightweight).

Like the bird's tail is very important in the steering and breaking part of flying.

Plus there is the whole hexapod thing that needs to be accounted for unless folks go full harpy/siren with it. Cause like if you go with the hexapod thing then it makes more sense for all of yer vertebrates to also be hexapods unless there's a reason outside of natural evolution for fuckers to have a whole additional limb-girdle and the wings.

And don't get me started on the many many ways shit would be different for humanity if folks are derived birds (more likely given the feathers) and not derived apes. Not just like appearance but like the way joints function, how many and which fingers are present, the ability to sweat, the basic senses, and differences in body language.

But also how different would society be if people could fly? Is running a sport when flying is an option? How would having feathers affect gender presentation? How do different cultures set age of adulthood is it when they reach a certain age or when they have their full set of adult flight feathers? Do oppressive societies clip the wings of people they oppress to limit their freedom of movement along with other things? How do zoos keep the flying chimps and orangutans in their enclosures? What are the differences in diet between people who regularly fly and folks who don't? How is public transportation built to accommodate for the fact that folks may attempt to land on a bus or train or want to take off from points that arent necessarily stops?

(Yes. I'm aware there's more types of wing aus than just bird wings. But the same problems persist if you make people bugs, bat people, or pterosaur people. Hell if you give people insect wings are you acknowledging that insects only have wings in the last stage of their life and only have one pair to work with that do not get repaired by the body if they aren't mayflies? )

On the other hand, do I really want to do a bunch of worldbuilding thoughts for a fic I probably won't even finish?

[gordon-freeman-phd]

honestly, how do any (or all!!!) of your OCs feel about Gordon? You have a lot of interesting, multifaceted takes on how Gordon is perceived in the HL2 world, and I’d love to hear how your peeps fit into that

wishing for all is like a monkeys paw on your part, cuz i have quite a few, god speed with reading all this o7 ill be going in order as they appear on my master post of ocs, ill pu tthis under a read more since its soooooooo long

Brock Fuentes: previously knew of Gordon before the rescas, got piss scared of him during the res cas when he refused to help gordon open some doors becuz he was to scared to leave his hidey hole so gordon man handled him and slapped him around a bit. so by the time of half life2, hes had people around him who believed in the messianic nature of gordon which is quite the departure from his memory of both the up-tight asocial man he heard about and the violent forceful deranged man he met. if he were to see gordon acting much the same now or hear about people having that pure image they had be shattered hed feel a bit vindicated

Richard Montague: He roomed with gordon before the rescas and thought he was a pleasant roomate if not somewhat intimidating due to his serious and minimal socialization, but by the time the rescas happened, they were amicable sorta friends. At most during the rescas he might have heard that gordon was killing swathes of soliders which would be terrifying knowing how much he was struggling to survive in comparison. BY half life 2, gordon is mostly a memory and he had been mostly innundated from resistance culture, having spent most of his time working for the combine using his background in biology to help with xen infestations, so he heard more propoganda against gordon freeman if anything. he doesnt really believe it but it sticks around mentally and mixes with his knowledge of fondness for gordon. eventually when he teams up with the resistance after fleeing the city, he hears more about gordon from their point of view occasionally, which sits better with him, but ultimately, what the perspective of gordon is doesnt matter much to him since hes more focussed on not dying. then when gordon comes back and people start talking about how he acts its concerning and sounds unreal so he doesnt really believe its actually gordon unless he sees him for himself since it sounds so unlike the man he knew.

Jill Pobst: she sadly doesnt make it out of the rescas, but she knew gordon during it, at that point he was still mostly mentally present, and was still learning the curve of combat so she helped him out before her death. he was just a lab coat who was less of a coward than most and didnt talk much

Isiah Poole: he worked at black mesa before the rescas, his sector of work was far removed from sector C, but he wouldve heard of gordon thru the newspaper. post rescas, gordon wouldnt have likely come up where isiah is existing in anyway that would have a permanant impact on his psyche

Knipex: as a borrower in black mesa, they arent super clued in to the personnel and any drama that arent posing a direct threat to the colony and post since theyre with isiah most of the time, they also arent going to hear much about gordon post rescas

Timmy Ridgewell: grew up under the combine so for most of his life, he wouldve heard only the propoganda about gordon and the resistance in general but as he gets older hell start running into the resistance and slowly hearing more about gordon as a messianic figure, but he is rather ressiitant to the concept since it just doesnt make sense, so hes more of a distant saint figure than some greater power who can actually help anyone, and hes almost sore about gordon coming back in hl2 and being real, but also disappointing his friends by being less than stellar personality wise

Bagels: Behind the guise of just a cat, Bagels is actually a controller, and harbors a great deal of resentment towards gordon for destroying everything the nihilanth had built to escape the oppression of the combine, and is smug over everything gordon did failed to protect his people in the long run, but still is willing to work alongside the resistance so that the combine is toppled, the enemy of my enemy is my friend and all

Angus and Ed: also only knew minimal second hand knowledge of gordon through the newspapers, and have been living in xen since the rescas (and one of them is just dead) so their knowledge of gordon never updates with time

Galvanizer: just a lil rollermine, isnt sapient, nor has audio receptors and never meets gordon to form an "opinion" of him

Fred Otten: didnt read the newspaper or socialize much with people who wouldve known gordon while he worked at black mesa so he didnt know gordon really existed, and post rescas, he is willing to whore himself out for the combine for a variety of reasons, so even if he doubts one man could do anything that big, hes willing to accept the propoganda idly however and when gordon does return hes very motivated to kill him for the reward and any rewards unofficially that he can et his hands on even if he is terrified of what gordon is capable of based on the years of propoganda hes internalized

Robert Briggs: he knew gordon through Richie, met him a couple times, he thinks hes somewhat rude sometimes but ultimately kinda harmless and nice in his own way. he doesnt survive the rescas so his opinions of gordon never changes

V-8751: during the rescas it knew that gordon exitisted and that he was a high priority target, but never ran into gordon and was isolated from people who would know of gordon for most of its life post rescas even during hl2 before it made friends with cicada who both has their own experiences with gordon and access to the rest of the knowledge and opinions of the rest of the vorts thrut he vortessence, so learning about what happened to the nihilanth whats happened to him the variety fo opinions about gordon, kinda confuses it and its just a lot fo conflicting information so since he isnt important to the life its living, V-8751 so it sorta lets all that information settle without much concern, at best is glad he killed the nihilanth, and regards the way fletcher treats him as kinda strange

Fletcher Lamb: spent time in a variety of places before leaving the purview of the combine, so heard a variety of rumors about gordon before he left the sphere of influence that gordon has reputationaly, so she holds him in regard as a sort of icon but only loosely treats him religiously, she treats his name the way that people treat a piece of candy that supposedly keeps a computer system running, it comes up when things get rough and is kept quietly in place to be effective but isnt a main focus of his life until something goes wrong

Cicada: was nearly killed by Gordon and had many friends killed by him as well so is rightfully afraid of and dislikes gordon, even if they knows in teh past present and future that gordon frees them, but because of thier hyper connection to the vortessence, much of their personal opions are muted and mixed with the wider consensus on gordon (and most things) in a way that can be confusing and more uncertain than most vorts are perceived as

Felix Kessler and Alexis: prior to hl2 as metrocops, they both didnt really care about gordon as a figure in propoganda since he wasnt anything that could further thier careers since eh wasnt real, at best Alexis was annoying enough about his job to learn as much as he could about gordon to better identify what he thought could be secret organizational code talk which did result in innocent people getting killed or punished, during hl2, they are both very annoyed that they werent put on the case to kill gordon, and felix in particular is vying to be deployed near gordons predicted path since of the two hes the less despised of the pair

Antoine-Valery Veilloux: travels around a lot so has seen a lot of different interpretations of gordon and has even met people who knew him, so he doesnt really buy into him as a god or saint like figure, but knows he did a lot of the things people claim he did, just not as bombastic, thinks he was a bad ass guy but uses his name as a expletive for fun (ie, freeman damnit, oh for freemans sake)

Damned Crows: didnt pay much attention to anything the human residents of white forest say outside something they find funny, but once gordon is on his way to white forest, they pick up on his arrival and mostly watches since things seem tense. from a distance they can tell that gordon is respected by most if not all the humans of white forest but also they think hes kinda scary and theyd rather not tangle with him

[anti-katsuki-lounge]

M a n,, i used to love bnha so much - it's kinda sad to see how like. It's gotten This bad(?) Rushed(?) Over-the-top(?)

Like, the main thing thats SO disappointing is the quirks,,, each one had established traits or properties, and Yeah - they can grow or evolve a bit, bnha was SUPPOSED to be about being in a hero school and about learning and improving. If one of 1-a had trained and improved their quirk , or discovered a new way to wield it - great! 10/10 tha's growth baby

Anyways, apart from the previous mentioned example of a quirk 'changing' -The idea of each quirk having their set in stone limits and function is a real good way to show off characters!!!! In a battle, or even in rescue situations, we could see each member of 1-a use their quirks differently, how some are more suited for different tasks, how some limits have to be worked around etc

In battles especially -it would be satisfying to see a character use their skills and quirk Cleverly. Using the surroundings around them to their advantage, trying to use their quirk in new ways whilst still battling their limits,,

BUT. Instead i feel like all battle wins or 'improvements' arent. Earned??? The quirk will just 'power up' or 'evolve', (cough cough bakugou), or theres just the kinda. 'Im gonna yell harder and be more determined, so im STRONGER than u now >:] ' kinda vibe,,?

Im not a big bakugou fan lol, but even i would think it would be better to see him fight, if his battles revolved around thr quirk we know he has and how he wields it and how his strategy goes. Instead of. OH, suddenly he can do this now without any prior hinting to it or without it even MAKING SENSE for his quirk to be capable of,,,,,

I dont know if im phrasing this right tbh,,, its just something thats such a let down for the series :[

I think if the academia part of my hero ACADEMIA was longer, it'd pay off better with seeing these new 'abilities' being learnt or discovered naturally in the story,, even the more. Out there quirk evolutions would be a bit easier to accept then lol

Now the series kinda has no stakes?? Because you cant get a feel for a battle, if randomly a new power is unlocked that completely changes the tides of it with no warning, or if randomly one character is just Stronger than the other and nothing else,, theres no suspense, if a character is at a disadvantage - we dont read that and get excited for how the character will creatively get around this set-back. They'll just 'get strong' i guess,,

I am SO SORRY this is so long . I just think that the quirks allowed for so much creative possibilities in bnha, and its so sad to see it not be used :[[

(Im mainly upset about characters like yaoyorozu, because HELLO!???? Her quirk.??? Could be used in so many creative ways in a fight??????? Why is she just in the bg not doing anything whilst characters with less possabilities are in the foreground pulling magic evolutions outta no-where--)

All of this. MHA as a series had immense potential. There were moments in it where I enjoyed what I was seeing. Sadly MHA crashed and burned so quickly.

[metukika]

In mentorbmob have they ever been theyre for one of saikis power breakdowns? And How do you Think they difffer from mobs?

theyre definitely there for some of them, since he'd hang out with the s&s crew/mob almost anytime he's out of school. whenever a new power shows up the immediate reaction is panic since they dont know how to undo it, like turning people into stone or accidentally smashing a wall or becoming a giant. reigen would always try to stay casual but internally freak out, and mob would be able to stay more stable but won't know the solution a lot of the times.

with mob's experience and reigen's basic logic, they're able to calm saiki down enough and fix the issue (or just be there until the issue fixes itself). sometimes some of the other characters would be there with actual common sense/its so crazy it might actually work solutions that help everything instead.

if ure talking about his "accidents"... bro im not good with angst. and there is barely in saiki k. due to his nature of being a comedic slice of life character he'd just never ever accidentally harm others when he does blow up (not including little funny bonks to the head, again-- slice of life comedy mindset). everyone would find it odd but very relieving. the mp100 crew arents strangers to property damage so they wouldnt make a huge deal out of that part, and although saiki wouldnt either, he would find it weird that its the same with the rest.

mob would be very worried about the way saiki views his own powers or how dangerous he may be. after everytime saiki has an accident, mob would freak out not because of the danger, but because hes worried so much saiki wouldnt trust himself anymore. most of the time saiki wouldnt bee too worried about it but would actually find himself feeling much much lighter and better after their conversations (theyd have a personal sit down after every breakdown and talk about their feelings and whatnot). affection usually grows on saiki very slowly, and although he pretty much always adored mob for his normacy and calmness since the start, its with these deep convos that they really bond, and saiki finds genuine trust in mob's mentorship-- not with how he handles being a psychic who wants to stay average, but his spiritual and mental advice. saiki finds a close brother figure in him.

[shoppingcartshells]

I’ve been really enjoying the turtle fic, violence and pizza to me is one of the fics that is essential to my personal enjoyment of the rise turtles, so thank you for bringing it into existence :D

I’m still really interested in your interpretation of the way the Hamato Ninpō works, would you mind going more in depth on your thoughts on it?

ohohoh....hamato ninpo... fuckk . chews on an ikea establishment IM SO GLAD YOU ASKED!!

for starters, i suppose, i LOVE writing it as not just "thing that gives them powers" but "thing that is also Them and they just have powers" if that makes any sense? bc the hamato ninpo, in essence, is connection to their family. it IS their love and care for each other, and that Connection is intrinsically tied to it — its how they got their ninpo, and its how they broke their ninpos free in the movie. they were connected, and they were there together, facing off their greatest enemy yet.

and, as such, i build off of this Connection and Them-ness to sort of make it an empathy link? because their ninpos are THEM. its their soul, which grants them their inherent powers, guided by their Connection with each other. their own ninpo is Themselves. as such, when there is that Connection, it carries with them emotions. its just a natural result of how it works; they feel, and they are connected, so they feel each other.

their ninpos are also not just their soul, but also sort of an aura? its the most noticeable with mikey, especially in the future timeline where hes the most powerful, but they have the ability to affect the real world around them beyond just using their powers—easiest seen in the way that spaces they linger in have a sort of lingering Scent that they were there. again, their ninpos are Themselves, and as such where they go, their ninpo goes. meaning that emotions will linger too with the traces of their ninpo—but not in the exact sense like their true ninpo, but rather a general presence of their most common emotion.

for example:

mikey loves his family. he is Very powerful, to degrees he isnt quite aware of. as such, the whole lair has a passive feeling of love, because when hes home, mikey, happy or sad, loves his family. and he feels safe when hes home, because he knows theyll protect him, and he knows that He will protect them

donnie also loves his family. donnie typical loving his family So Much. meaning, when hes in his lab, oftentimes hes working on something to protect them (especially after the shredder and then kraany fiascos). as such, when in his lab, his siblings can expect to feel that passive feeling of protection and love

much like mikey and donnie, raph loves his family, and he wants to keep them safe. as such the training room room carries that feeling of protection and love and saftey. are you sensing a theme here yet?

and leo... hehe... well, in tqiv&taip, he hasnt been all that present, so its not particularly relevant... but id imagine that, if one were to crawl into his bed and really focus, there would be a lot of anxiety, stress, and Upset :)

following the theme, i imagine post invasion the lair was just Filled with upset. its like being an empathetic crier but Worse

all that to say, it is VERY tied to their emotions. that was why leos speech WORKRD to burn off the kraang infection

jumping off of that in a very smooth segue yep, THEIR WEAPONS!! ohh their weapons...

theres always that saying that your weapon is an extension of yourself, and in this case it is Extremely literal.

the weapons arent their own beings, of course, but theyre sort of like a clone of their souls in a way. its still them just separate—their subconscious made tangible. (mystic weapons make a sort of bond similarly to how the turtles feel, but it is nowhere near as intimate compared to the fucking hamato ninpo).

and!! since ive sort of run out of things to say: some exclusive insight to our favorite blue silly :)

we all remember how leo struggled with portals? well, in this AU, thats because the mystic weapons that they had were catalysts, not their own full, separate things—if they had been fully fledged weapons with their powers, it would have been much like having to tame a wolf. because the weapons would have been their own type of subconscious, separate from both creator and user.

all that to say: because their weapons were essentially placeholders for the onces they create with their ninpo, the reason leo struggled in this au wasnt Just the inherent difficulty of trying to figure out how portals work, but because of his insecurity. he was struggling, and it Showed—and the more he struggled to fix it, the more insecure hed feel, and, well.... something something leos vicious cycle

(ALSO why his ninpo is so Distant now. because he feels, both consciously like he deserves to be disconnected and he IS disconnected from his family because he isnt talking to them and it shows. so in one way, hes consciously pulling away, but its also subconsciously.

and, those feelings could be made worse by the fact that one of his swords is still in the prison dimension—a piece of himself, lost, that he'll never get back.)

[gikairan]

I still dont really know where Veilguard is going to go in its finale, but i can definitely see what its teasing for the future.....

Like, theres a surprising number of references to the people across the sea, and theres been a few question marks for a while about the origins of the Qunari that havent really been given much screen time in Veilguard.

Tevinter Nights had someone FROM across the sea feature, though they were very quickly killed off before they could really say anything.

At the end of Bellaras quest line, she wonders if the Evunaris ever went across the sea. And talks about how her and her brother wanted to make the crossing - to get a boat and see what was there.

And now ive just had the achievement ping for Taash and what the tablet ends up saying....

"when the great foe struck, we embraced the blood of dragons. Champions blessed with fire protected us and saw the unseen. We escaped to distant shores and found no peace. Disease will lay us low. If more of us flee across the ocean, it means our people failed. Prepare then for the Devouring Storm."

The tablet was from the original settlement of Qunari, around the time of the first blight? The one that fell victim to the Blight, and created Ogres.

We know the Qunari came to Par Vollen to escape something. We know that the lands across the sea are incredibly hostile to anyone who goes to them. But for many years, that was it.

For the first time, we kinda have a hint of what the hell the Qunari ran from. Its cryptic, but this is the first real hint we have.

Inquisition also did give us a hint that the Qunari arent "natural". Something created them - by giving people dragon blood. But not the who, why or how. I believe both Keiran and Corypheus will comment on a Qunari inquisitors blood - Corypheus being quite derogatory about it.

(Theres also a codex about the pyramids of Par Vollen that seems to imply that the original inhabitants of Par Vollen just peacefully gave their home to the Qunari when they arrived. And the pyramids had iconography of regular humans bowing to dragon-horned humanoids. Its not the point, but its been microwaving in my mind since i read it months ago! What up with it? I wanna know!)

This particular tablet seems to talk a little about the Qunari embracing the dragon blood, and... is it about the origins of the race full stop? Or just the fire breathers? Did a group of people decide to start experimenting to become powerful enough to defeat... whatever this devouring storm is? And that they fought for 1,000 years, developed an entirely different religion/ society that does feel like it was designed to maximise efficiency (Something that may be needed when fighting for 1,000+ years on potentially limited resources), and still failed to beat the Devouring Storm.

The only thing i can guess is... i dont think the devouring storm is the blight. It would be a good euphemism for it! But i dont think it is. I think the aforementioned "disease" is the blight? It was that first Qunari settlement that fell to the blight. If the settlement was falling to the Devouring Storm they would have said so.

Veilguards been pretty lax on the Qunari stuff, minus whats necessary for Taash's personal quests. Where i am in the game, i dont think theres much room to suddenly visit Par Vollen and get a Qunari lore dump. But it has not wrapped up Taash's story at all, and it heavily implies they will return in some capacity.

And i gotta admit, taking the game across the sea sort of makes sense? You can ignore all the decisions from Thedas flapping around, and focus on whatever characters are coming over for this expedition. Its a relatively clean slate for another title that will disappoint as few people as possible.

[supermaks]

Yes pookie I do write f1c yes I have clowned on self insert and will continue to do so but Im not about to imply these 'y/n' social media authors are perpetuating a ‘cesspool of misogyny’ without acknowledging my own reproductions of capitalist, heteronormative, white supremacist and yes, particularly, homophobic and transphobic models. CRAZY how the thing about op's type of surface level literacy is that it’s literally just somebody’s own sense of superiority wrapped around framework that exists in a vacuum. Talking about girls/women being their ‘own voyeurs’ wid a lil Atwood quote and then going back to cope posting about millionaire men having gay drama without a lil bit of pause or reflection on how these 2 might intersect bro I can’t stand it its so empty it's nothing. Theres no purpose to that but posturing. And the tags of other rb's echo that. Like 'no my voyeurism is different than theirs because my characters are ‘fictional’, and these 15 year olds want to 'perform' as if the intention behind creating the ‘y/n’ fantasy thru social media doesn’t come from the same place as using celebrities to play queer roles wid each other that u as an author find satisfying by completely erasing the gender orders and logics of possession inherent to the spaces where they exist as real people. Especially in a space like f1 lmfao. It’s ALL escapism that’s the whole fucking point. It’s fantasy it’s delusion it’s not real but it justifies itself thru the author's own perception of what an 'ideal' reality is, and yes, that reality is always dominated by men. So why are we all of a sudden talking down to self insert as if the same power structures arent present in most fan work, as if the 'fictional approval' of y/n and the celebs peers isnt as important as the search for 'content' that institutionalizes real person f1c and its own levels of performance-based accuracy. Why isn't that present in this analysis or is its purpose just to clown on young girls wid capcut accounts because u don't find their reproductions worth the price of admission. There’s no ethical consumption of real person fanfiction lmfao SORRY my gay little maxiel is not more feminist than ig edit of sharl leclercs quirky model gf receiving fictional meme approval on twt just because mine has manifested itself thru a projected queer identity that I want to perform thru them by making them fuck and theirs is performing thru aesthetics by going on pinterest. We're all 'performing' for men because we're all responding to billions dollars worth of marketing driven by an industry that wants to keep marginalized bodies at the margin trying to buy their way in. Fans respond to that by faking their own status either wid gay f1c or self insert or both or whatvr. The parasocial nature of how celebs move today and the type of access u have wid social media means fans are more likely to turn to that medium to fantasize about how it wud be if they were perceived like that and they got the likes and the comments and the fans. So I agree wid op that its not actually 'y/n' , but like, not sure how 'wild' that is compared to most f1c considering literally, the whole point of fanfiction is that u play wid already familiar and existing structures until they reflect something that is more recognizable to u. I do that by turning these guys into multifaceted queer versions of themselves, somebody else might do that by editing an ig post, somebody might try both. So I dont agree wid any feminist analysis of f1c or self insert that isn't the very least intersectional and that is willing to make assumptions about how 'y/n' authors perform the male fantasy without mentioning how the same happens in every type of f1c. Im suspicious of its intention and I find it lacking

[kindred-spirit-93]

Sup, it's me again

I just wanted to share my interpretation of Zeus' power as the King of the gods in context to the story.

Being the top god comes with major perks. You get to choose your own domains, plus you get to decide what roles the other gods play too. There's something about being a god that makes them super invested in their domain - to the point where it's easy to manipulate them. As the head honcho, you have total control over your own life.

Zeus knew how to use this power to his advantage. He rewarded his favorite daughter by making her the goddess of wisdom and strategy. Apollo got a promotion from disease and health god to rockstar status. On the flip side, Zeus made Poseidon, Hades, and Persephone as sea and underworld deities to keep them away and made Hera goddess of marriage - basically, a way to keep her more manageable.

The Olympians I imagine are fairly new to the pantheon compared to the older titans and primordials. In comparison the Olympians didn't really create anything, instead they helped nurture and raise society. They are more sociatal deities than nature ones. War, marriage, agriculture, smithing, "beauty" etc

I wanted to study classics but I couldn't really pursue a higher education in my situation, so now I use my knowledge to make hypothetical webcomics lol

hello again!

hereby dubbing thee astron (from greek for star) in part because its thematically fitting lol but also since to me you have set urself apart from any other anon ive ever interacted with and idk consider it a gesture of acquaintanceship through the anonymity ^-^

i feel so stupid for realising that the way i percieved gods in pantheons was them having an inherent affinity to their domains lol, its only just struck me now that nope they were probably clean slates and have been assigned to roles. i wonder if this is the result of their individual myths? like artemis assisting leto's birth to apollo (if theyre even twins before the hellenic age idk what the parameters are here lol. anyway)

that said, i very much agree with ur interpretation, its what makes sense most to me tbh. and for that special sauce layer of symbolism and personification (another favourite thing of mine in the mythos!) it fits nicely for the (self appointed) king of the gods to do as he pleases in terms of distribution, though i do like that he drew lots with his brothers to decide who got what lol.

--

manipulation and power imbalances my beloveds! if i ever get to writing anything its gong to be about the darker subject matters for sure. idk why but i really want to see more mythos accurate gods where they arent downplayed or censored the way they are in modern media, especially when its at the price of other gods yk? idk ill elaborate later one day but ye, more gods that dont conform to our human code of morals & ethics and do what they please bc who dares defy? whos going to hold a diety accountable?

very interesting! i like the idea of zeus being a little too self assured, probably bc he was raised by gaia and was the object of the prophecy that foretold his fathers downfall (major youngest sibling energy lol) ig what im saying is that power got into his head, going down the path many kings are known to do. hello hubris!

yes yes yes!! i think with the age of the olympians humanity started to flourish.. like with apollon being the god of civilisation and what have you mortals got a kickstart after being wiped out by previous wars and made to start from scratch. and so naturally the gods where more specific to their needs, like hestia goddess of the hearth and the home etc.

also the fact that legends and folklore tend to reflect the norms of society at the time, so with more stable conditions and a fairly peaceful olympus, folks would have time to settle down and begin weaving tales and answering the biggest questions in life (bc up until that point everyones been on survival mode, so ig it reinforces the idea of the olympians bringing prosperity and stuff as opposed to previous generations of the entities TM)

--

ah i see. well i hope things turn out to your favour and that you can achieve all what you dream of. wishing u all the best till then and beyond :)

[miriamundertale]

im going to be utterly deranged and spoiler heavy for monogatari and call of the night (specifically the manga) here but thats your warning

see the thing is that like. mahiru and kiku's arc is like such a weird perfect foil to koyomi and kiss-shot/shinobu's arc. both are a vampire who wants to die, and a human who inexplicably comes and to the vampire appears to fulfill their wish, but the human chooses to disregard the vampires opinion in order to meet their own desire. kiku just wanted to actually truly die. kiss-shot was looking to finally die. they both found their human through chance, either unexpectedly fulfilling plans or readjusting them for a better path. the real core of what makes them different, is the humans, specifically in how they subvert the desires of the vampire theyve met.

kiss-shot's death specifically in reguards to koyomi serves as a direct parallel to his own moral code. kiss shot doesn't want to die any old way, the second she really starts to be near death at the start of kizu she's desparate for koyomi to save her. kiss shot wants to be a martyr. kiss shot chooses to die as a "heroic sacrifice" for koyomi to regain his humanity. sadly for her, koyomi does the exact same back to her, and sacrifices his shot at humanity again to "save" her. kiss-shot's death is undone by the nature that she tried to inflict on someone else.

kiku and mahiru arent as perfectly connected the way koyomi and kiss-shot are, partially due to a large part of call of the night being pretty clearly on the fly narrative writing done by kotoyama (please season 3 confirmation too, itamura is so good at improving the rough edges of early cotn's narrative i cannot wait for an anime adaptation of the kiku arc), and more largely due to the fact that kotoyama is Not Nisio Isin. even so, they both are in a sense, saviors to each other, more explicitly through love. which. yknow. is unsuprising considering call of the night has from chapter 1 been kinda obsessed with weird angles on it but. not to tangent much. mahiru essentially gains his only way of handling his mothers mistreatment of him through not just meeting kiku as a teenager, but meeting her as a child after the loss of his brother and gaining a frame to process the world that works for him. i think the obvious angle with kiku wanting to die and mahiru being a real shot for her finally is pretty clear, but i think the process that a vampire falling in love with a human goes through is just as interesting of an angle to explore for this. her heart starts beating again. she loses vampiric powers. she becomes human again through mahiru. of course, like koyomi, mahiru ends up essentially "betraying" her wants on from the two of them, but in an entirely different way. she desparately wants him to live after, gives him guides to stay safe, teaches him how to destroy every single personal posession so nothing could be used against him once he turns and she's not there to protect him. the tragedy is that kiku is as inexperienced as every single other person in the story when it comes to love. why would mahiru want to live afterwards? when given the option of living without one of the 3 people in the world that made anything worth living, or dying, he chose death.

i think theres probably a lot more to say, i love that they both pose the question "what would you choose, either you living and your partner dying or you both dying" and mahiru answers honestly with both dying while koyomi scribbles both answers out to go "what if we both... half die?"

sorry for all of that im going to go explode now