#they don't cooperate they may get sent back

[beardedmrbean]

The ongoing migrant standoff at a Manhattan hotel turned ugly Wednesday after a group of about 10 outside activists used open umbrellas to prevent the news media from documenting the scene.

The intervention prompted several migrants to angrily confront a journalist who was shooting a video for Dubai-based Al Arabiya TV, with one migrant hitting the camera and dislodging its small monitor unit.

Some of the 35 migrants gathered in front of the Watson Hotel in Hell’s Kitchen also shouted at other camera operators to try to intimidate them.

NYPD cops issued warnings but made no arrests.

The newshound whose camera was struck, Ghassan Masoud, said he’d never been treated so badly during a career that’s included coverage of the Iraq War.

The ongoing migrant standoff turned ugly Wednesday after a group of outside activists used umbrellas to prevent the news media from documenting the scene. Matthew McDermott

“In 30 years, even in war zones, I’ve never experienced aggression like that,” Masoud said.

“In 30 years, even in war zones, I’ve never experienced aggression like that,” Masoud said.

“I know their situation is bad. I just want to tell their story and they attacked me.”

Masoud, who usually covers the United Nations, described the migrants as “aggressive.”

“One migrant threatened to hit me with a broom, which is when the cops stepped in and told them I had every right to film,” he said.

The migrants have been camped out on the sidewalk since the weekend when they were told to relocate to a new migrant processing center at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook.

City Hall has blamed activists from groups including “South Bronx Mutual Aid” for fueling the standoff, with mayoral press secretary Fabien Levy saying, “I don’t even understand the logic here.”

“Instead of encouraging asylum seekers to sleep in warm, indoor, temperature-controlled quarters at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, these groups are telling migrants to sleep in tents on the streets,” he tweeted Monday. “The lack of reasoning here is astounding.”

During a Wednesday afternoon news conference, Mayor Eric Adams referred to the activists as “some agitators that just really I think are doing a disservice to migrants and doing a disservice to the children and families we’re moving to hotels.”

Adams also said that “single adult males all over the city are living in congregate settings” like the cruise terminal.

“Children and families, we don’t want to put them in congregate settings,” he said.

On Tuesday, four migrants agreed to tour the processing center with city Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Manuel Castro — but decided they’d rather sleep outdoors and returned to the hotel sidewalk.

Adams blamed that choice “on what they were hearing from some of the agitators, that they were going to be shipped out and that’s why we’re taking them there.”

Late Wednesday afternoon, about half of the migrants outside the hotel grabbed their belongings and piled into a yellow school bus after cops shut the street to eastbound traffic.

They later arrived at the cruise terminal, with one telling The Post in Spanish from a bus window, “We reached an agreement to improve the new facilities while they relocate us to a better place.”

The remaining diehards told The Post they had no intention of leaving, despite weather forecasts that predict sub-freezing temperatures, including a low of 6 degrees Friday night.

“I would 100% rather stay here on the street than go to Brooklyn,” said Jesus Colmenares, 27. “We want to be in Manhattan, where everything is happening.”

The Venezuelan native said he visited the cruise terminal Wednesday morning, adding, “I’m not going to go there and sleep to rest my head next to somebody’s feet. That’s how close the beds were. And there’s people from all over being sent there, not just from the Watson.”

But Colmenares also said, “I’ll go if they give me a work permit. We need to work, we just want to work.”

[wileycap]

Crackfic Idea:

30-year-old Zuko gets randomly flung back in time to his 16-year-old self. For a couple of hours at a time. At the most random times imaginable. Imagine the potential.

Zuko assumes that it's a dream or a vision, but definitely not real. He tries not to freak everybody out too badly, but he's also fully enjoying himself and seeing all of his friends as their young selves.

ZUKO, as he and Aang circle each other at the South Pole: I've spent years preparing for this encounter. Training, meditating. You're just a [Spirit Shwoop Sound] ... baby Aang!

AANG, confused: Well, more like preteen Aang. How do you know my name?

ZUKO, looking around: Wait, where are we?

AANG: Um... this is the-

SOKKA: Don't answer him! He's trying to get information out of you. You can't give away our location!

KATARA: Sokka, he's standing in the middle of our village. I think he knows.

ZUKO: We're here? This is so weird. I was just here for the Annual Penguin Race.

AANG: THERE'S AN ANNUAL PENGUIN RACE?!

ZUKO: Well, yeah, it was your idea... you gave a whole speech about cross-cultural cooperation and friendship, but I know you just wanted to go penguin sledding with a bunch of people...

AANG: Well, I-

SOKKA: Stop giving him more information! He already knows about the penguins!

Everybody else is confused, bewildered and even befuddled except for Iroh, who assumes that it's Spirit Shenanigans™️ and just fully accepts that his nephew likes tea and hugs and Pai Sho sometimes while being his usual shouty surly traumaball self at others.

ZUKO, stepping into the cabin: Hi, Uncle. I brought you some ginseng. How about a game of Pai Sho?

IROH, tearing up a little: I would love that, my nephew.

ZUKO: I wish we could do this more often, but you live so far away...

IROH, mentally calculating that he lives exactly three doors away from Zuko, and nodding sagely: The rat-viper may never climb the mountain that a hog-monkey can, but the monkey does not know what lies underneath it.

ZUKO, sighing sadly: I know, Uncle. I do appreciate my position in life, even if it has disadvantages.

IROH: Hmm. Your move, nephew.

The crew of Zuko's ship is terrified by the fact that whenever it happens, Zuko is somehow even more hyper-competent, seems to be weirdly calm about everything, and most unnervingly of all, he's polite.

SOLDIER: Here is a report on the best teahouses within three days travel of our current location, Sir. And, uh, Commander Zhao sent a messenger hawk.

ZUKO: Excellent. Thank you very much, Sergeant. I think we can ignore whatever Zhao has to say. In reply, I want you to send him a list of the most famous officers in Fire Nation history, and point out that none of them had sideburns. I want to see if he shaves them.

SOLDIER, sweating nervously: O-of course, Sir.

As a matter of fact, the whole fic could just be Zuko trolling Zhao. It would be glorious.

[brucewaynehater101]

I do have a few more examples! Tim offers Mister Freeze unlimited funding to help his wife on the condition that he sometimes helps with other projects. He hires Harvey Dent to be his personal lawyer (not that he needs one). Blood Sport, Death Stroke, Dead Shot, and many other mercenaries are hired to "break into" Drake Industries to hunt down and "kill" Tim or "steal" important information in order to test his companies defenses and tell him exactly how they got in so that he can patch any holes. He hires one to break in every 2 to 3 months but never the same person in a year. Like if he uses Deathstroke in August he can't use him again until January.

Tim also doesn't want to force these rouges to move far away from their homes so he opens up branches in Metropolis, Central City, Star City, and others too. Anywhere he opens an office for Drake Industries, crime rate always plummets thanks to him hiring all the Henchmen and giving them stable jobs that pay at minimum double the minimum wage of the area plus really good health insurance and other benefits. They even have dental and 4 months paid maternity *and* paternity leave! The desk work may not be as exciting as their previous jobs but boy is it safer.

Also I would like to make one note. DI is one of the few major cooperations in America that openly does *not* donate to the Jusitce Leauge. Tim is still salty about Bruce Quest and during an interview where someone asked how much he donates to them, Tim said, "oh I don't. At all. It's not that I don't believe in them, I do, uts just. There's already so many places funding them they don't need me. But you know who does? The younger generation of heroes. Did you know that The Teen Titans only get funding through the Justice Leauge? I don't think that's very fair so I donate to them. I donate to Young Justice. I track down and do research on dozens of younger heroes who aren't part of any organization and check to make sure they're doing good in their community and then I directly donate to them. Superheroing is expensive, just look how much the JL spends on it! Could you imagine? Being fresh out of high-school, working a minimum wage job, and having to make your own suit and gadgets while also paying for *college*? The stories I have heard from some of them! This one poor kid, he told me that he had to use this roll of regular fabric he found in a dumpster because buying a roll was to expensive! Of course I sent him to a super hero tailor on my own dime, after all he just wanted to help his community saving kittens from trees and stopping local mugging. But still, small heroes like him are important. After all, didn't Superman start by saving cats from trees? Didn't Green Arrow start by stopping a mugging? Didn't Batman himself start by stopping a purse snatching? You never know who the next big hero will be in 5 or ten years."

I might have gotten a bit to into that rant. Listen. Listen this is a subject close to my heart. Small Time Heroes Are Important!

My gods, I love this so so much. You combined two tropes I love: Tim using Business to fund social programs/decrease crime/hire ex felons and criminals, and Tim turning his back on the JL after the BruceQuest.

Added with Tim funding small time heroes???? This is phenomenal

[reality-exodus]

Detective's rescue

Pairing: Eddie Diaz x Reader

Summary: Eddie's relationship, the reader is a detective, they both on 24hour shift. Reader responds a 9-1-1 call and ends up needing first aids

Warning: blood, angst, OD symptoms described, mention of drugs

Being a detective on patrol wasn't the best thing ever to be frank, but it was something when you knew your boyfriend would accompany you all night long with his own 24 hour shift, it was rare thing for our double shifts to be on the same time, but when it happened I both liked it and didn't like it, we were both out. I usually work on cases in the office and do my research and help the firefighters with cases and they help me occasionally.

"So where are you strolling now?" Eddie asked, I was driving while I had a Bluetooth headphone.

"In the area of the homicide, the father killed his daughter while the mother was away… there is still no handy information for a warrant so I am looking for something I've missed" I explained briefly as I was driving past the house.

"Baby…" Eddie started to say, I knew how he felt when I was getting so passionate about a case. He disliked it, I overworked myself and forgot many things such as sleeping, eating or going to my shift.

"How about you? Didn't hear anything from dispatch, quiet night?" I wondered, cutting him off elegantly, setting my line of defense. I wasn't like Athena, I do not leave my job behind once my shift is over, I admire her for that though. I actually have to spend more of my personal time researching and studying. I have to go undercover to gather information, but I am not complaining. Sometimes though I need my people to understand me.

"Yea we are just hanging around." He replied with a heavy sigh he didn't respond to the q-word, I knew he wouldn't be bothered. I knew the response was unwilling. He knew my drill "Buck fell asleep at the Gym, Bobby and Hen are playing chess and Chimney is cooking" he analysed their situation and I smiled.

"Tell him to make an extra plate for me, I'll be dropping by" I spoke hoping that would make up for my big-headed behaviour.

"Oh You i decided to have a proper meal other than burgers and donuts" he joked with small giggle.

"Happens sometimes" I chuckled when I heard the wireless "babe hang on"

"This is 221-L99 available tell me the issue dispatch" I asked, I could tell it was May.

"Alright, there's drug dealing on the "overroof" club, there's a rave going on, some ODs based on caller's information, 118 of LAFD shall be there to take care of those." She informed me as I heard the bell on Eddie's side.

"I'll be in touch Dispatch" I spoke as I was connected to the team I would cooperate.

"Diaz no phones on patrol" I spoke as I was driving and couldn't finish the call. "221-L99 moving on scene. I am nearby I see three overdosed in their twenties one male two female they are simply left on the ground I am engaging the victims now." I spoke and got out of the car.

"Copy detective" Captain Nash affirmed me.

I approached the victims and checked the pulses. "All alive you need to come in quick…" I couldn't leave the uncouncisous civilians alone.

"Already ahead of you detective you are clear to proceed" my boyfriend replied sweetly, or at least that's what I thought.

"Dispatch moving in the club incognito, there's no bouncer or doorman" I informed them and opened the door. This wasn't a good sign, the dance floor was empty and so was the kitchen, I would have to go down stairs. "Ground floor empty moving to basement staircase" I announced and moved i could hear voices. "Dispatch sent some back up, I hear people" I spoke and dispatch obeyed my request.

I was right behind the stairs and I heard enough keywords that included heroin, drugs, and that the police can't find. That was my queue. "LAPD hands in the air" I yelled, Eddie always said that my voice in that phrase was so cold, smooth and dictated he found it sexy. "Don't move" I ordered. My voice was strong. They were three but I had a gun.

"Nope ass" one said and charged to get my phone I kicked him to the ground he slid to the floor with no Injury but before i could get in control of the other two, they had two bags of drugs five kilos each if I calculated correct the moment one of them came and punched in my face causing the white dust to be spread all around me in the air I stumbled backwards fell hitting my head on staircase, I took a deep breath trying to orientate, my vision got blurry.

"Detective Y/L/N, report" I heard dispatch between the ringing of my ears but the only response I could find was groan, I felt my heart going erratically with the beats. I was shaking.

"Detective" It was Captain Nash this time, his voice tense. But there was a pause. "Dispatch three offenders running away with two white bags one leaking" he reported and that's when my sudden dysphoria was making sense.

"Help" I managed to pronounce "OD" as I started to shake. I couldn't make out what I was hearing or what was going on, suddenly I saw Eddie in a mask with Chimney. They moved me outside my eyes were wide open but I couldn't react I was shaking, my body started twitching, I was held down, I could recognize Eddie's arms pressing me down, and smaller but still powered hands in my legs, chimney my guess. I coughed I could feel the salty, warm liquid laking inside my mouth, I coughed again.

"Baby… I am here" Eddie's voice was fading as black spots invaded my vision as I started having trouble breathing.

"I get no pulse" Chimney announced, "Hen start compressions" he instructed as he pushed on the oxygen in my face

"Oh no no honey, please-" before Eddie could finish his sentence I heard Buck taking him away as another person took his position next to me.

"Captain bring the AED" Hen requested she kept the pounds on my chest.

"Still unresponsive" Chimney said, causing Eddie to make a movement closer to me, Captain and Buck held him back

"I'm unbuckling the shirt, we are shocking" Hen spoke I heard footsteps

"Eddie please leave" Captain requested with a heavy sigh, I am sure he thought of the time Athena was in my position.

"Just let me be by Y/N Captain" Eddie requested , next thing I feel his warm loving hands on my face removing my hair stroking my cheek his fingers on my neck in desperate hope he would get the slight pulsation in my veins.

"Eddie hands" Hen spoke and he removed them as I felt electricity, I couldn't define what kind of pain it was or if it was, more like a sting to my whole body that would either wake me up or be the last thing I feel…

"Give me more Chim" Hen encouraged him the third clear was heard, the screen kept beeping. There was silence other than that.

"No no no baby no" Eddie panicked he started compressions but Buck pulled him off of my body. He yelled at him Buck yelled back I wasn't sure, my ears started ringing, was I dying…? The first ponder that dominated my mind, made my stomach twitch. I coughed vomit out…

I was alive

"Hey girl, hey easy now" Hens' voice sounded and turned me to the side to let it all out. Chimney secure my position so it wouldn't cause any damage.

Eddie raced next to me, he leaned in and kissed my forehead "oh god love, you scared me so much." I smiled as I turned on my back looking at him upside down as he leaned above my head.

"I'm sorry" I smiled and reached his face, I was shaking rapidly, he simply took my hand and kissed the palm before bringing it to his cheek, his cheek so hot against my freezing skin.

"Hey no no, it's not your fault, we must get you to the hospital now alright?" He smiled down at me and my smile faded at the hearing of the location I had to be.

"I won't be admitted in, I'll sign out" I announced, the sweet moment long gone as I made a move to get of the stretcher.

"Wow,now detective, you have to be cleared out in order to return to your cases, we are transferring you to the ER. I have to do it by the book, you know the drill" Captain Nash intervened immediately, and I could see the relief on my fiancee's face.

"Ah now we are by the book, that's nice to hear" I barked, I knew I was wrong, but hospitals, hospitals gave me anxiety, Eddie would have to go to Christopher eventually and I don't like being alone in those white cold rooms. "Guys please" I pleaded

"you are facing an extended pcp od, and a small hit on the back of your head, your blood pressure is perilly high and you have extremely unstable arrhythmias" Hen essayed the reasons I should listen to them as my eyes turned teary I was panicking.

"Hey hey sweetie" Eddie sighed "I'll be with you the whole time" he promised and kissed my cheek gently as they all stood up carrying me to the ambulance. He stepped in sat next to me while Hen joined, just in case. He was holding my hand, just looking at me, his ember eyes, he was worried even if he wouldn't admit.

"What about Christopher?" I asked concerned.

"Buck is already on his way, but how are you feeling Y/N?" He asked me softly stroking my head.

"I have dysphoria" I explained and soon Hen gave me a mask my eyelids turned heavy as I slipped from counsiousness.

I don't know what time it was, or how long I've been out. I blinked my vision clear, the lighting was dim in the room Eddie fell asleep on the chair next to me, I couldn't help but smile. He did stay. I stood up holding on my IV, feeling lightheaded, I moved to the bathroom, I looked terrible red eyes pale skin, weakness though was the worse.

"Y/N;" I heard his voice call my name in alert.

"What is it?" I asked making abrupt movement to get to the door I leaned there feeling another hit of vertigo getting the best of me.

"I thought you left, hey let me help you baby" he sighed in relief and approached, he was still on patrol clothes. He scooped a hand over my waist and held my weight as he walked me to the bed, softly placing me to lay down.

"Can I kiss you now? Or I am still high?" I asked him placing my hands around his neck, the IV tube got tangled between us, he smiled getting it out of the way. He leaned in and kissed my nose. His lips formed a smile.

"You have been good tonight, not running away, so it is well deserved" he smiled and located his lips on mine, the sweet kiss forming, he was gentle and cautious as he was touching me.

"Mhm mostly because I have been unconscious all night long and I get dizzy after three steps, that played it's part too" I spoke and kissed his cheek softly

"Let a man be happy" he spoke faking frustration before he kissed me again. And again.

[deesseshesca]

Message from your spirit guide

Message from your spirit team

 Just a head up …. We love you 

Good afternoon, pretty souls, today I’m channeling your spirit guides. 

Choose the image that’s speak to you and allow yourself to soak ONLY what’s reasoning with YOUR SITUATION 

Rules and Disclaimer 

I am the type of tarot reader to say as it is. Nothing is sugar coated but everything is sent with good intention. If you are not ready to face some truth, you should vagabond somewhere else. 

TW: DV, MENTION OF ABUSE 

PILE 1

You go ahead and purchase that Cartier bracelet that is not going to destroy your hard work. Make sure you wear it at the baby shower. We know how much you pray for your sister  regarding her fertility issue, your niece\nephew is on his/her way. And we are as excited as you. Don’t you dare overthink your body right now. You look amazing. Everyone is telling you so you better believe them. Ok you may not be at your dream weight but babe you must agree that you never looked so good. You better show off ! You told the whole truth and will be rewarded. I know you were scared to say it all because you felt like you messed up somewhere which is ok but that does not mean you deserve it. Yes, you agree to be in a relationship with him. But you did not agree to the mental abuse. You did not agree to the constant yelling, the name calling and disrespect. You did not sign for physical abuse. Whether or not you orgasm or not doesn't matter, if you did not want to do it, then nah. He did IN FACT abuse you. Let’s forget the couple slap here and there and the punches on the wall. People from his family want to drag you but everyone knows you are a good woman and did not deserve anything you were thru. We know it was an extremely stressful moment for you, but now you can sit back and relax. Everyone is congratulating you right now. Even the people on the street can’t wait but to compliment you on your glowing skin and amazing sense of style. But we know that it has been months, even years in the making. You decide to stand up when you had nothing but faith in YOU. The days that you had to stick to your diet. Stop eating your feelings. All the time you had to stick to a budget, so you can have this financial security. The hard work you did in uni so you can get the degree that got you this amazing job. Nothing grew overnight. Success looks so good on you ! The odd thing is you want more . You can see it because of the upgrade in your wallet. You went from fast food, to a five star restaurant.  You went from exam week to working in big cooperatives. But yet you want more. There are days where you feel so happy and extremely grateful for what you have but other times you fall into deep depression because you want more from life. People around you don’t get it. ‘’You went from HELL to HEAVEN’’. Not quite. There’s more for you out here. And your soul knows it and calls for it. So let’s do it. Don't let the doubtful people stop you. The success that you have at the moment, you did on your own. With very little support. So, what if you want more ? Go get it ! Stop waiting for validation when you are the standard. 

You are all about you right now. Focus on the future that you want for yourself. But people around you are calling selfish. I’m hearing ‘’ Why are you acting brand new ? Why are you so Hollywood all of the sudden ?’’. But you know better than to give those comments your attention. 

You may be a lawyer. Or a future one. You may want to start grad school. 

Advice from me : You don’t need a tower moment to know when a season is finished. If you want, go get it. That’s it, that’s all. 

What it is- Doochii

BIG SALE (CAD$)

General: 22 $

Love : 33 $

Mystery: 41 $

Message me to have the whole run down, ONLY 3 SPOTS (ONE OF EACH)

PILE 2

We heard you… We heard you but are you telling them Always talking in front of the mirror what you are going to tell them. To tell them to fuck off. Tell them they got you fucked up. But nah. You know better. They know better. That’s why they are always coming back because you never switch up. They did. They switch is not just in your head. They are abusing you and anybody with critical thinking can see it from a continent way. I know it may not look like it in 3D but you are actually doing it. Ok you may not have the greatest grade. Ok you may not have the richest boyfriend. Ok your business is not making a milli a year . But let me remind you who the fuck you is. Nobody's surprised when you succeed because you always do. That’s why when you fail or struggle you get way more reaction since they wish upon you. But everyone knows that you are way better than them. They laugh because you don’t have the greatest grade. You are literally in one of the hardest programs. They are making fun of you while they did not even make it to uni. They are making fun of your man for not having extremely abundant funds. Not knowing the way he wakes you up with grateful text all the time, gives the best orgasm, even when he is mad, never raises his voice, always opens the doors for you, will not go to sleep without calling you, will literally throw  his whole life away just to see you smile. And he is ACTUALLY studying in a very rewarding and respectful major. Like c’mon. Those girls are out here messing with men for some cash while having a side of beating, cheating and sprinkles of hella disrespect. Literally   begging to be heard. While he's literally blowing your phone when he is with his friend because he can’t have enough of you. Your business went from being an idea to making weekly orders. They don’t even have a business. I don’t even think they have an IDEA to bring to life. Except they mean remarks and mean mug face. Since it kills them to see you win all their life, they prefer to wish for your downfall. Instead of asking for advice, lord know you would have given them some. Really girl, they wish they were you. They will accept to change life with you quicker than then their men can last, if God ask them. Why are killing yourself to impress them ? It hurts to see you go the extra mile for people that would rather see you die than to help you. Out here giving your last cent to that one annoying friend that humiliates you in front of everyone. Out here helping your mom knowing them well that she would never nurture you, even if Jesus ask her ? You don’t have nothing to prove to those people, because you are not on the same level as them. So let’s get it together and move on. They are mad at you because you are actually working towards your dream life. They thought you would stay miserable with them forever, but you know better. So YOU did better. If they mad about it let them. They were not there, when you overthink every move, when you were uncertain, when you could not sleep because of anxiety and  when you would crash on your bed completely exhausted without real result but your dreams to motivate you to keep going. Do us a favor and act like the queen that you are. 

You have a habit of loud outbursts of energy when something excites you. You give me the vibe that look like Jade (aesthetic) but act like Cat from Victorious. 

You have been putting yourself out here. The fact that you are surprise by your success get me. People been waiting for you. I feel like you think you don’t deserve it, but all your customers are more than happy. They never had such a good product. I’m hearing this is the best _$ , I spend in my life’’. In school you said you will have a academic comeback and babe YOU DID ! Plus you have a man that is sweeter than anything. Literally goes to the gym, work, study and lives to love you. (Man does he love you) 

Rules - Doja Cat

BIG SALE (CAD$)

General: 22 $

Love : 33 $

Mystery: 41 $

Message me to have the whole run down ONLY 3 SPOTS (ONE OF EACH)

PILE 3 

We are behind you no matter what. But there's nothing we can do if you don’t act on it. You've been through a hard divorce with a very awful man. Intense narcissistic behavior. He made you believe in all his promises. You don’t have to explain yourself, we saw it coming. We also know that he was a fine con. He was all right at first. Everything a woman could wish for you got it emotionally and materially . People around you saw you guys as the ultimate couple goals. But he was hiding dark intentions. Disrespecting on a daily basis, humiliating a front of his colleague and requesting from you absolute submission and sexual intercourse when he felt like it. When you try to live you fear for your life with good reasons. You are a victim of military men. But you are not a victim of life. He mess you up so much, that your belief system is constant bad self talk. You don’t trust yourself with any decision even regarding that divorce. Knowing damn well he treated you like a piss of shit. How many times did he hold a gun at you ? How many time has he choke you ? How many times has he threatened to kill you, if you ever refuse to listen to him? Good looks and a good d were not good enough and will never be enough to deal with a deranged man.  Now, finally divorce, he is going around calling you cheater when you never did. Not that you never wanted too. Sometime you wanted im to feel as fuck as you did. But were too afraid of the repercussions. You literally have medical proof of STD’s he gave you. But God was he slick with it. Never laying hands on you but destroying everything around you. Never telling what to do or not do. Just warning you of how he would react if you did not act like he wanted. Never telling you he was cheating, just told you he needed space or asking for a threesome. Now here you are, years later. You rebuild your life on your own, brick by brick. Boundaries stronger than ever. You thought you over the self sabotage but damn is it biting you right back in front of that new man. The man of your dream. Is this one the real deal ? Or is it a trap ? You can’t take another heartbreak. But he is everything you need. There is a block coming from you. You know you are the problem. He knows you have a blockage that you are terrified to reveal and swear he will wait for you. Is that not something your ex-husband used to say before it all went south ? How can you actually trust your judgment with this one? Imagine if you are stopping him  from meeting the real one while he falls for the mess you are in. Please set yourself free. You got your divorce, you went to therapy, you develop strong boundaries but yet you are still bound to the past. You made a mistake, like all humans do. You deserve good things to happen to you. You have a way better judgment now than you did back then. Now, you actually know how to recognize a monster. You know damn well it ain’t him. Go for it, you deserve it. If it is too scary, set the pace, I swear he ain’t going anywhere. 

SELF SABOTAGE 

I was never there - Weeknd

BIG SALE (CAD$)

General: 22 $

Love : 33 $

Mystery: 41 $

Message me, to have the whole run down. ONLY 3 SPOT (ONE OF EACH)

PILE 4

There’s a lot of things we don’t understand about you. Your love for rap music and obsession with Nicki Minaj. We don't understand that you love to learn everything and anything. We don’t understand half of the things you chat about regarding chemistry, physics or whatever other science took over your heart. But we LOVE YOU SO MUCH. We support you every step of the way ! We can’t not wait for you to have that damn degree in science that makes you cry on school night but brings a sparkle in your eyes the second a person asks you a question about it. Sometimes we push random people around you to ask about the likelihood of a cell in a decade body or something like that so we can hear you speak for hours. It gives you a glow. You aura shine so bright when you are in the lab. Even your teachers are in awe of your dedication. I know you keep reminiscing about the good old times. When having A’s in your fav subject was as easy as closing your eyes. Now you spend hours just to understand one slide in the professor PowerPoint. It is useless to beat yourself up. You are deepening your understanding about one subject at the moment. It is ok if some parts of it are harder to understand than others. I must warn you it will not be easy. You will spend more time in the library than with your friends. You will spend most of your time in the school year stuck in your room away from your loving family. But don’t hurt yourself with guilt. We are not taking your disappearance as any form of disrespect. We are so supportive of you. We never knew such a beautiful bundle of joy and knowledge would ever be born in our lineage. You know, we are a family of lawyers, business man, psychologist and philosoĥer. Your parents may not get half of that you're saying. Your brother may roll his eyes sometimes when you go on about one specific detail that sparks your interest but they are all amazing by the way your brain works. Let me tell you this, you will succeed. You will get it. We will be waiting at the finish line, with flowers and gifts to celebrate the day you will be walking on the podium. As proud as you, because we know how much work you put into every step of the way. The lonely nights, the hard exam and way too big project . Also stop procrastinating and start developing some discipline. You are not here to succeed in your exam but to prepare for your future career. Is time to build some stamina.Don’t worry, I PROMISE YOU: NOTHING BAD IS COMING YOUR WAY. It may get a little gray here and there but we are protecting you from any evil. You can calm your anxiety and enjoy the journey. I won't let ANYONE get in the way of my favorite prodigy. You may not be realizing it but are living in one of your prayers. 

I LOVE YOUR SPIRIT FAMILY. GOD ! They are amazed by you. Literally anything you do is an event that needs to be accelerated. Since you first breath they were going coco about you.  I had a clear image about your spirit team. I see 3 chair. A lot of wealth around them. One of the chairs is a throne where an older man sits in power. He was the one speaking but everyone else shared that feeling. 

So high - Doja Cat

BIG SALE (CAD$)

General: 22 $

Love : 33 $

Mystery: 41 $

Message me to have the whole run down. ONLY 3 SPOTS (ONE OF EACH)

[gabessquishytum]

(Part 1/2)

For that "defining moment of 2024" picture you posted: Cow Hob! Yes! Please! And some grave, highly serious and methodically considered thoughts about the Cow Hob AU we need - - Is Dream the absolute best, kindest, most humane and knowledgeable stable-hand for Hob? Yes. Yes he is. He knows everything there is to know about cows. How to groom them, how to care for them. What makes them happy, and what makes them feel safe. What kind of treats they can have and what kind they absolutely love, but can have only a very little bit of. - Does Dream milk his cows by hand? Yes. He absolutely does. Milking machines are far too clinical. Cows aren't just lactating machines, they deserve appreciation and respect for all they contribute. Dream milks all his cows by hand, even though it's more time consuming that way. It's much more comfortable for them. His cows are much happier that way. - Plus, milking is like bonding time. It's a reward for all the hard work cows do. They put in so much effort, carrying all that milk. Dream could be efficient and task-oriented, even milking them by hand, but he isn't. He makes sure he's extra gentle with them. He takes his time, making sure they're calm before and throughout. Then he pats and even combs the coat of each one after, so they end the milking session relaxed, shiny and happy. - Because he's so thorough and methodical, approaching milking time like a full on check-over, instead of just going in and getting what he's there for, Dream has caught many an early symptom of illness, strain, or disease, simply by taking his time to observe their coats, eyes and hoofs. Any cow knows that if there's a problem with them, Dream will catch it almost immediately!- Do the cows love Dream? Yes, they definitely do. They're in so much better shape since Dream was hired onto the farm. The other stable boy, Corinthian, is crude and rough and doesn't treat them all that well. Luckily, he's been given some other chores, so Dream works more with the cows. Dream doesn't have much time because he's so busy, running other errands and chores in the stable, but whenever the cows can they'll be bounding up to him, trying to get scratches and pats and treats. Hob is the cow who loves Dream most of all, and is always trying to get him to himself, but honestly, he's kind of a big guy who can't squeeze into small spaces, and that dainty little white cow with a stupid non-cow name, Shakespeare, always gets all of Dream's attention just because he's the smallest and can squeeze between all the farm equipment to follow Dream around easily! What a chore! - Luckily for Hob, he's also the cow on the farm with the shiniest horns, the longest hair, and the largest volume of the creamiest, most magnificent milk. This means that Dream has to spend the most time milking him and grooming him. Unlike dainty Shakespeare, who, alright, doesn't take up much space, but doesn't give very much milk either!

Cow Expert Anon. I am now christening you Cow Expert Anon, I hope you don't mind. This is wonderful and meticulous. I am going to add the other parts that you sent here, as screenshots, because I think everyone should be able to read the whole thing at once. Bear in mind that you may need to zoom in a fair bit to read.

I'm so obsessed with cow Hob just being the goodest, sweet little cutie but also leading the cows on a rebellion because he is NOT a pushover and he wants his Dream back!!! Also the Endless family becoming a cow/animal rehab ranch cooperative is the most wonderful thing and I just KNOW that Death would be the gentlest kindest milkmaid (although Dream is still Hob’s favourite, of course).

Dream is very much in his element, still hyperfixated on his beloved cows, still talking to them - hell he brings them inside the Endless mansion if they ever get sick or under the weather. If Dream ever gets the hints and Hob ever does end up having a calf, Dream practically moves his beloved cow into his own bedroom for the whole process! Hob has never been more spoiled, but he sure does deserve it. He's still trying to figure out how humans sleep in beds, though.

The milk and cheese produced by the Endless cows isn't exactly a huge amount, and they wouldn't turn a profit, but that's not the point. They're part of Dream’s family, now. He loves every one of them, and everything that they give him tastes sweeter than anything he's ever tasted before.

And yes, Hob’s calf is the cutest ever. Not quite as cute as Hob himself, if you ask Dream. Shakespeare is soooo jealous of course, but there's nothing he can do! Dream's heart belongs to Hob’s shiny horns, shaggy hair, and adorable brown eyes. No matter how much his family laughs at him, he'll be Hob’s best friend/beloved forever and ever <3

[cappulcino]

Seven Days Til Fall (Part 4)

Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5 – Part 6 – Part 7

Read on AO3

Words: 4,646

Pairing: Lucifer Morningstar x Angel!Reader

Summary: You're an angel sent on a divine mission to retrieve a powerful relic that has been stolen from Heaven. The orders are clear: gain an audience with the Devil, make deals with them if necessary, anything to return that object to the Silver City. But Hell is not quite what you expected, and neither is Lucifer.

Trigger warnings: Minor character death (new souls in Heaven).

The fourth morning in the Silver City began with the usual routine –prayers, the harmonious hum of celestial voices, and the ever-present glow of the Divine Light.

As you made your way from the Cathedral to the Pearly Gates, the Archangel Michael called out your name and landed a respectful distance away from you.

"Your Grace," you said with a mixture of respect and unease. "Peace be upon You."

"Yes, yes…"

Angels of the Highest Orders were not obligated to greet those they considered beneath them, so he didn't.

"I shall find peace when the Cup of Eternal Grace is back where it belongs. How are you finding Hell? Are you faring well in your mission?"

What were you even supposed to say to that? That nothing down there was like you had been taught? That the Lightbringer was actually a fair ruler, and sometimes even a decent person? Of course not.

"Hell is, uh… Well, Hell. Very, very oppressive. Still, the mission is progressing nicely and is quite… enlightening. It sure is more complex than I had expected, but–"

"Complexity is to be expected when dealing with Lucifer and their infernal legions," Michael cut off, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly at your hesitation.

You paused, realising just how much you disliked the way Archangels constantly talked down to you as if you knew nothing of the world. Composing yourself so he wouldn't suspect anything of the doubt that was taking seed in you, you flashed him a brief smile.

"Naturally. But we are fairly confident that the lead we're currently following is–"

"'We'?"

You gulped and mentally scolded yourself. You couldn't let Michael know you saw Lucifer as an ally or partner of some sort in your quest.

"I… merely meant that the Morningstar has been very cooperative. With their help, I'm getting closer to finding the chalice. I think it is being or has been traded at the Obsidian Bazaar. But it moves with the Shadows and–"

Michael interrupted you once more.

"You may want to speak to Arakiel, I believe they are back from earthly duty. They might know what demon the humans traded with. And if that fails, you have my blessing to consult the Library."

For goodness' sake, how long had Arakiel been back? You would think somebody out here could have given you that vital information…

"A-Alright. Thank You, Your Grace."

"Needless to say, I ask of you to be extremely careful. Despite my sibling's many names, they only bring darkness. Do not lose yourself to it… or to them. Failure is not an option."

"Yes. I mean, no. No, it isn't. But I won't fail." You were trying to sound confident despite the knot in your chest.

"See that you don't, indeed," the Archangel replied calmly though you noticed his voice carried an underlying warning.

His large wings flapped, lifting him off the floor, and you bowed your head in reverence, thinking the interaction and the awkwardness that came with it were finally over.

But, maintaining himself above you, Michael spoke again.

"If you succeed, I will personally ensure that your efforts are recognised. Perhaps a promotion is in order. But if you falter…"

The implication sent a chill down your spine and you felt your feathers stick up. But before you could say anything –and what was there more to add anyway?–, Michael was already gone.

You let out a shaky breath and set off again. However, as you did, another voice hailed your name. Raphael.

"Where exactly do you think you're going?" You gestured vaguely as you tried to answer, but the Archangel gave you no time to explain. "Your mission will have to wait. We have over a thousand souls incoming."

And so you hurried to the usual meeting place, quickly joined by Camael and Muriel.

"What is it this time?" You asked your friend.

"I don't know, ask the Virtues. Earthquake, I think."

"I don't understand why they ask us to help, though", Muriel added. "Why don't they ask another rank to supervise the operations?"

She was right. Lower Angels and Principalities were more than capable of handling themselves. But if they absolutely needed to be watched by members of the Middle Orders, why did the Archangels not ask the Powers? Better yet, the Virtues. It was their fault if there had indeed been an earthquake after all.

So here you were, working relentlessly to welcome and comfort the newly arrived souls when you suddenly felt something tug your garments. You looked down. A tiny human.

"Are you an– an angel?" he asked in a reedy voice.

"I am."

"A real one?"

You nodded and crouched down to his level.

"A real one. You're in Heaven, sweetheart."

He stuck his thumb in his mouth, looking all around him, evidently lost and scared.

"What's your name?"

"Jeremiah."

"Jeremiah. That's a very pretty name."

"Where's my mummy?"

"Uh…" You took a look around to see if there was any mortal woman who looked like this child. "I don't know, little one. What's your mother's name?"

"Mummy."

"Right."

You sighed heavily. You felt sorry for this young boy, deeply. But you just didn't have time for this and, frankly, God's whims were starting to test your patience.

Muriel passed by then, and you grabbed her arm.

"Hey. This is Jeremiah. Do you know if his mother is here somewhere?"

Muriel, in charge of the Silver City's administration, checked a list that had been handed to her.

"Uh… Jeremiah… Here he is. Jeremiah Dupree. No, I'm sorry, we don't have any other members of his family for now. But it says here his mother prayed to God and His son to save him, so that's why we took him in."

You blinked and shook your head in disbelief.

"That's… That's not… what she meant…"

"No?"

"No."

At that moment, Jeremiah started crying, and you picked him up, trying to soothe him.

"Why is he crying?"

"He's scared, he wants his mother."

Muriel truly didn't seem to understand.

"But he's in Heaven, he should be happy. In fact, you should be happy, too. Why aren't you happy?"

"Muriel. Here we have a deceased toddler, alone and terrified, and there is a mortal woman down on Earth who has just lost her child. How is that a good thing?"

Muriel frowned.

"I don't know, maybe God wanted to test that woman. You know how much humans love their offspring, it's the best way to test them."

"Oh, for Heaven's–" You shoved the crying child in her arms. "Take him. I have to go, I'm terribly sorry. Peace be upon you."

"Angels are fickle creatures, are they not?"

"Your opinion has not been requested, Mazikeen. We are certain Our guest will return."

In Hell, Lucifer was pacing in their throne room, unease etched on their face, much unlike their usually composed demeanour. You were late. Angels were never late.

What was going on? Had something happened to you? Or worse, had they said something yesterday that had driven you away?

They sat down on their throne and replayed the events of the previous day and your last supper together over and over in their mind, trying to pinpoint any moment where they might have gone too far. But no matter how much they searched, they couldn't find a reason. You had seemed to enjoy your time together –there had been laughter, even a few real smiles. So where were you?

Lucifer was well aware you wouldn't return to their domain once you had completed your mission, and that thought alone left a surprising and unwanted hollowness in their chest. But the breadcrumbs you would need to follow to get to them were still numerous and scattered all around Hell; your mission was far from over. So, again, where the h–

"Apologies, Your Majesty," you called out panting as you stepped into the throne room, your wings ruffled from your rapid descent.

"We suppose there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for your delay," Lucifer said with a half-questioning tone, hands tightly clasped on their lap.

"There is. I was–"

"Then there is no need to apologise, dear. We were just curious about your absence."

You blinked, trying to make sense of those words. You weren't sure what Lucifer was feeling right now –you never were–, but it certainly didn't look like mere curiosity.

"'Curious'? Is that Your way of saying 'worried'?"

Lucifer's eyes snapped at you with an expression you couldn't quite decipher, but they kept their tone calm and polite.

"We will simply say that your presence has become… expected."

"Well, I am very sorry."

Your voice was soft and your words genuine, but Lucifer brushed them away with a dismissive hand gesture which, thankfully, seemed to bear no hard feelings.

"Now. Follow Us. We have an idea where the Obsidian Bazaar might be this morning."

They stood up, and that was only then that you realised how different their robes were from those they usually wore –much more refined, much more revealing, too. Your breath hitched and, for some reason, your heart missed a beat.

"Well?"

Only when Lucifer spoke did you realise you were no longer looking at them in the eye like you were supposed to.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty."

Lucifer merely hummed in response and started heading to the terrace from which you guessed they wanted to take flight.

"Actually–"

You extended an arm that you thought would only catch the Lightbringer's attention but ended up brushing their wrist with your fingertips. Your eyes widened and so did Lucifer's for an instant, so you backed off, waiting to be scolded.

When the scolding never came and you were met with Lucifer's full focus instead, you spoke again, relieved.

"Actually… I think the Cup can wait."

Lucifer raised an eyebrow.

"Can it now?"

It could. Your mind was elsewhere because of what had happened in Heaven this morning and in this Godforsaken land yesterday and the days before that.

"I fear I'm not in the best disposition to pursue my mission at the moment."

"And why would that be?"

You sighed, looking up at the Morningstar with a defeated expression. You weren't sure how to say this, but you suspected they already knew what was ailing you anyway –they had been hinting at it for three days. So maybe there was no need.

And indeed, with the slightest smirk on their lips, Lucifer said, "You have questions." You simply nodded. "Mmh. We thought as much. After all, doubt has been making its way into your heart since you first came down here, has it not? It was only a matter of time before you felt the need to have all your questions answered once and for all."

Noticing that Lucifer had said that doubt was not entering your mind, but your heart, you gulped.

"I… suppose so."

"Very well, then. Come with Us."

"Where?" you asked as they started walking towards a hallway you had not yet taken.

Lucifer stopped and briefly glanced at Mazikeen, who was standing in a dark corner of the room, ready to protect her ruler, as usual.

When they spoke, their voice was as bitter as their facial expression, and you wondered why.

"Away from… prying eyes."

After a series of shadowed corridors and labyrinthine turns, you were now approaching a small metallic door forged with Hellfire. You had yet to see what was hidden behind it, but the surrounding air already seemed warmer –not because it was hot, but because it was safe–, and your nose picked up a faint, familiar fragrance, definitely celestial.

"After you," Lucifer offered surprisingly after opening the door.

You hesitated a brief instant, debating whether you should keep following etiquette and decline entering first, but quickly gave in and marched through the door.

The place Lucifer had taken you to seemed to be a small, secluded courtyard –the very heart of their palace, in fact. You first noticed how bright the orange sky above your head was. But then it was another vision altogether that caught your eye.

The whole space was littered with ancient fragments of the Silver City. Marble statues, once regal and proud, lay cracked and forgotten, wings chipped and faces eroded with time, some even standing half-buried in the black ash.

You looked around and also found portions of walls that you knew had once reflected the Divine Light, still carved with barely discernible scenes of celestial harmony: angels in flight, the hosts of Heaven gathered in worship, and at the centre of it all, the brightest among them, Samael –though their figure seemed to have suffered most.

You caught sight of an inscription in an extremely ancient angelic language. You couldn't read all of it –partly because it was hardly visible beneath layers of grime and dust, but also because the celestial dialect had changed much since the War, and, just like the demons of Hell, you had been made to forget your mother tongue.

Still, you managed to read, "I am Samael, firstborn of the Most High. In my Father's glory I did rise, to bring Light where there was none."

"This is where We fell."

Lucifer's voice pulled you out of your thoughts. You turned around to watch them walk over to a stone bench, intricately decorated with scenes of stars and Creation.

"Oh."

Lucifer delicately patted the space beside them.

"Sit." When you hesitated –you couldn't possibly forget every protocol–, they rolled their eyes and insisted. "Please."

That one word was enough, and you promptly sat next to them.

The silence that followed was heavy and seemed to stretch infinitely. You kept looking around, and you found this place felt more like a tomb rather than a royal courtyard, a place of pain and pure solitude, visited only by the one who remembered its true significance.

"Do You, uh…" You cleared your throat, unsure about how to proceed. "Do You come here often?"

"At least once a century." So, often, by your immortal standards. "To remember."

"Is it not painful?"

"Of course it is. But We have learnt to live with the pain. It is part of this place, part of Us."

You remained silent for a moment, lost in thought, not noticing the way Lucifer was looking at you, patiently waiting for you to express whatever it was you were feeling, ready to welcome it all.

"There has been an earthquake this morning –hence my delay. And there was this little boy, crying for his mother. Every other angel around me was unfazed. And I suppose… I realised just how deeply mistaken I was. I mean, I used to think Heaven was so… perfect, that there was no place for suffering, for…"

Hearing your voice trail off, Lucifer proposed, "For doubt? Questions, uncertainties? How do you wish to call it?"

"Torment," you replied resolutely. "That's how it feels."

There was yet another moment of silence before Lucifer's soft voice broke it. "You remind Us of who We once were, you know."

"Do You realise how backhanded Your compliment is?" You mumbled.

"But you still see it as a compliment."

You lifted your head then and finally noticed the look on Lucifer's face –understanding and… fond. That look made your heart flutter and when it became too hard to sustain, you turned back to the celestial ruins before you.

"Is that why You left Heaven then?" You asked eventually.

"We most certainly did not 'leave' and you know that. We were vanquished in the Great War, and God found Us to be evil so He cast Us out. Took Us by our winged back, raised Us over His head and flung Us down to Hell."

For a second, you considered saying something along the lines of "You brought this on Yourself," but you knew you would only be regurgitating what Heaven had forced you to believe and you didn't want to do that any more, especially not when Lucifer was opening up to you. You didn't want to be mean.

Goodness… You didn't want to be mean to the Devil.

"They sang as We fell, you know." Lucifer let their words linger a moment and then repeated in a whisper, "They sang…"

You looked down and noticed how tight their fists were, proof of a wound still fresh despite the billions of years that had passed since the Great War.

"When We woke up here, Our wings like leather and Our body burnt, We swore to destroy anybody who would humiliate Us again."

"Is that why You said You would destroy the King of the Dreaming?" You inquired, remembering what Azazel had said yesterday. "Did he humiliate You?"

"In a way."

"How so?"

Lucifer took a moment to compose themself and try not to let their anger speak.

"Morpheus came to Us in search of his helm that had been stolen from him. One of Our demons had it –very much like that chalice you are looking for, in fact. But while Heaven made a deal with Us for the artefact, Dream decided to challenge Us to the Oldest Game."

"And won, I presume?"

Lucifer nodded.

"Our last move was anti-life. Do you know what can survive anti-life?"

You furrowed your eyebrow in deep thinking, trying to come up with the right answer. What could possibly defeat that? Less than a week ago you would have probably tried "faith". But now you knew faith could be lost, especially in the face of death. So you gave up.

"Hope," Lucifer simply stated.

"Hope…" That answer made sense. And yet… "But is there truly hope in Hell?"

"Of course there is. You have seen many Damned in the past few days. Surely by now, you must have realised that hope is what keeps them dreaming of escape, of salvation. That is how Morpheus humiliated Us, by reminding Us that part of the power Hell holds resides in the idea that those imprisoned here still dream of Heaven."

"I know that," you replied in a soft tone. "But I meant… for the Fallen Ones. For You."

A small smile tugged at the corners of Lucifer's mouth. They liked that you seemed to care so much about them and their feelings, and when they spoke again, you could swear their voice had never sounded so sweet.

"We, too, are prisoners of Hell. We are not that different from the Damned."

"So You still have hope."

"Sometimes."

"When?"

"Hope… can be found in the most trivial things. A melody, sung one last time by a damned soul before it loses its sanity. A fleeting memory, a whisper of what it felt like to be free. Unexpected turns of events. Something or… someone daring to defy Our expectations."

Right now you weren't sure whether Lucifer was speaking for all the denizens of Hell or solely for themself, but you saw a flicker in their eyes, a vulnerability that wasn't there before that made you opt for the latter.

Their eyes were raking your body with surprising tenderness as they went on.

"Someone… who can make Us believe, if only for a short instant, that there could be more to Our existence than this throne and crown of flame."

With that, you were now certain they were talking about themself, and you weren't sure what to make of it. Your thoughts were a mess, especially considering your proximity to the Lightbringer and how they were looking at you.

Worse, they were now dismissing protocol and boundaries altogether, letting their hand slowly come up to your wings, and you let them, convinced their touch wouldn't affect you.

But the wings were the most sensitive body part of any winged being –touching them was deemed far more intimate than touching a cheek like Lucifer had done to you yesterday. As such, it was extremely difficult to control them, particularly when not focused on that task. You definitely weren't.

Lucifer’s fingers hovered over the feathers of your wings, as though testing the limits between boldness and restraint. But then, with deliberate care, their hand settled into your soft plumage, trailing slowly down the length of one of your feathers as if memorising every delicate ridge and curve.

The effect was immediate. A shiver raced down your spine and rippled violently through your wings. It wasn't just the physical sensation, though that was overwhelming enough. It was the way their touch seemed to stir something inside you, an ache, a longing you couldn't quite understand.

You blushed awkwardly while your reaction made Lucifer smile and they continued.

"Someone… who stands before Us and looks at Us without fear or hatred." Their eyes went up and met yours then. "Do you fear Us, little dove?"

"N-No," you said in an unstable but honest tone. "Nor do I hate You. In fact… sometimes when I look at You, I still see an angel."

That made Lucifer chuckle softly.

"Do you realise how backhanded your compliment is?"

You smiled, seeing how easy it had been for the Morningstar to throw your own words back at you. But then, the smiles and laughter faded, and you noticed that so had the respectful distance between you two.

Lucifer's eyes, usually so sharp, were now half-lidded and fixated on your lips. The realisation made your pulse quicken, everything was so overwhelming.

But one glance at your eyes, one second during which Lucifer paused to silently ask for your consent, was all it took to break the charm. Had the ruler of Hell simply taken what they wanted as was their wont, perhaps you would have given it to them. But now the sudden awareness of what you were about to do made you remember how wrong and blasphemous it would be, and you pulled back.

"I… I can't."

Lucifer slowly closed their mouth –pinched their lips until they turned white would be more accurate– and looked away.

"But like We always say, hope is the cruellest of emotions." They stood up then and started heading towards the door. "Well then. Your time for questions is up. We should go back to–"

But Lucifer didn't have time to finish because, behind them, too caught up in the panic that this whole interaction had sparked in you, you had just flown away.

Crying. That's what you had been doing all afternoon, huddled up in the most solitary chapel in the whole heavenly kingdom. Crying, crying, and crying some more.

Eventually, the tears dried up, leaving an aching emptiness behind them. You dabbed at your eyes with the sleeve of your robe, taking slow breaths in a pathetic attempt to regain a semblance of composure.

Your feelings were too strong, too hard to understand, and you felt the urge to flee from them and to immerse yourself in something else to drown out what hurt inside. Prayer hadn't worked, obviously, so now you resorted to work, deciding to follow Michael's advice –browse the celestial Library, seek answers, and stay out of the darkness.

"Peace be upon you. Which works will you need to consult today?" Raziel, Keeper of Secrets and All Magic inquired as you entered the building.

"Peace be upon You. The forbidden section, please." You tried to sound confident despite the hours spent weeping.

"Ha. Funny," the Archangel retorted without looking up from his register.

"I'm afraid this is most serious. I have been tasked with retrieving the Cup of Eternal Grace from Hell. I need to learn about that place, the demons, the Shadows... Everything."

"Do you have clearance?"

"From Michael, yes." Raziel's eyes narrowed so you gave him a little push. "You can ask him. Ask Uriel, too. The whole Council knows about my mission."

Mentioning the name of the Archangel of Wisdom and Truth as well as Michael's was enough for Raziel.

"If the Divine Council can vouch for you…" he mumbled as he sat up to go unlock the forbidden section. "I don't know why they would ask you of all angels but… Must be part of His Plan."

"Yes. His Great, blasted Plan," you retorted in an inaudible whisper.

No Divine Light reached that section of the Library and you were forced to navigate the narrow corridors guided only by a weak candlelight and your halo. The scent of old parchment reached your nostrils as you scanned the scrolls and leather-bound volumes for anything related to the demons or the Shadows.

Suddenly, your fingers traced over a particularly worn volume tucked away in a corner. It was bound in dark, weathered leather, and had no visible title.

Being fully aware that you shouldn't probably do this, that your inquisitive nature had already played tricks on you, you briefly checked your surroundings and picked the book.

It was in the same archaic celestial language you had read this morning on the ruins in Lucifer's private courtyard, but it didn't take much to understand that this was a diary that dated back to years mortal beings didn't even have numbers for, before the War.

Quickly, led solely by your thirst for knowledge –true knowledge–, you flipped the dusty pages in search of mentions of the only thing that seemed to truly matter right now.

And then you found it, that cursed name. Samael.

You read fast, focusing only on the words you remembered or that hadn't truly changed in the evolution of the angelic speech. And what you saw on those pages made your eyes widen in horror.

"Samael's absolute terror… prayers… forgiveness… Father spat out the Poison from His mouth… feathers ripped… In the wake of their Fall, we sang… exultation, celebrating the expulsion of the Rebellious Child. The heavens rejoiced… I won…"

Suddenly, a voice spoke behind you.

"Curiosity. A dangerous thing, isn't it?"

Startled, you almost dropped the diary.

"Gabriel. Your Grace. I, uh–"

"You know, this is exactly how it started for them. Lucifer, I mean."

"I simply… I just…" Tired of trying to find excuses and explanations, you gave up and instead, asked, "Your Grace, why did God let this happen?"

Gabriel snorted inelegantly.

"Why does God do anything?"

"Precisely."

"It's not for us to know, you're thinking too much."

"But… I mean, Lucifer… They were His favourite child."

"And now they're not," the Archangel said as if it meant nothing. "Lucifer defied the Almighty. Children who misbehave get punished."

"B-But this was… brutal, sheer savagery. You sang! They were terrified, and you sang!"

"Of course we sang. We had won. Duh." And there was Gabriel's belittling tone again. "You were there. You sang, too."

"No!"

The two of you froze in that instant, both realising you had just admitted something you definitely shouldn't.

"Oh, dear," Gabriel said after a few seconds. "It seems you've let something slip there."

"I, uh… I didn't mean–"

The Archangel raised his hand to stop you.

"No need to explain. I think I understood perfectly." You swallowed dryly. "To seek a bit of knowledge is fine. But remember curiosity could be your undoing."

"Are You threatening me, Your Grace?"

"No. Merely… advising. Now, I'm sure you're very sorry about everything you did, so I'm just going to…" Gabriel closed the distance between you two and grabbed the diary from your trembling hands. "And, well, may God give you pardon and all that, and I absolve you blah blah blah, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. There we go. Good Dominion."

With that pseudo-absolution done, he gave you two small, very condescending pats on the cheek –the same Lucifer had caressed yesterday– and a fake smile, and then left you there, in the cold dimly lit, and unbearably silent Library.

For the first time in your entire eternal life, you wanted to scream.

And there was evening, and there was morning –the fourth day.

[ixiot-ghostrebel]

Sagau impostor au but after the reader is executed he dosnt comes back to earth or anything they are suited into two the evil and good halves the evil reader in revenge ravages teyvat into ruin and no one is safe in form thier tyrany but there is hope if the good halve of the reader debates and absorbs evil have then teyat is saved......one problem the good reader has weak body becose in moment of thier execution they had some much negative emotions that made the evil reader stronger after spliting into two

I don't fully understand this request, Anon, but I'll try my best! I'm just going to assume we got a yin-and-yang situation going on where "Yin" Reader is Good!Reader with weaker abilities while "Yang" Reader is Evil!Reader with stronger abilities.

Alright, here are some Headcanons for Good!Reader & Evil!Reader!

→ When Evil!Reader kills someone, they absorb their negativity.

This fact is very crucial because Evil!Reader doesn't just kill people for fun. They do it because they have the want to become stronger.

This is how they become the powerful tyrant they are now.

The small positivity of Evil!Reader doing this course of action is sent to Good!Reader. Think of Evil!Reader and Good!Reader as two storage boxes. When Evil!Reader kills someone, the negativity that the dead person feels is transferred to Evil!Reader, while Good!Reader gets the small amount of positive feelings of Evil!Reader's happiness.

Because Evil!Reader gets so much more than Good!Reader, their physical body is able to withstand more power/energy, thus meaning that Evil!Reader is physically stronger than Good!Reader.

Since they are two separate beings after Reader got executed, they have their own different goals now. It'll be hard for anyone to try to stop and convince Evil!Reader from purging all of Teyvat.

→ When Good!Reader absorbs evil, they change it into light.

That's right, ya boi's going a little cliché with this. Good!Reader basically purifies the evil energy that is spread all over Teyvat, causing the light that they produce to heal the cracked lands that Evil!Reader had left.

If they're lucky, the light produced may also revive someone. However, this is a very rare occurrence. The most common sight is that Good!Reader's light will purify their traumatized spirits and put them at peaceful rest.

Good!Reader doesn't decide who gets to live and who doesn't. It's a Free-For-All match.

→ When close/near one another, Good!Reader and Evil!Reader sometimes share a telepathic connection.

This is the result of Reader being split into two different people. Because they are technically the same person, Good!Reader and Evil!Reader will have a telepathic connection with one another and can have a full-blown argument in their heads.

This telepathic connection is still somewhat there even when they are miles apart. It becomes more of a twin bond connection, where one person would have a gut feeling that their twin is doing something (like killing, for example), and said-twin is, in fact, doing it.

The only difference between the Readers and most twins is that they don't get along. At all. They share different goals, and are too stubborn to back down from said goal or see the other's perspective.

→ Evil!Reader and Good!Reader can only merge when both being's have a similar amount of energy/power.

Yes, you can get Reader back, but it will be very difficult due to one problem: Evil!Reader is very much stronger in both strength and physical body. Good!Reader can't really keep up with Evil!Reader.

If they do, however, get a similar amount of energy, they will be transformed into spirit form and mix together to form Reader as a whole person.

The only problem is with this is that they won't cooperate with anyone if they want them both to merge. They pretty much despise each other for having a different goal than them.

And that's all I got for this idea! Sorry if this is very short, Anon, but I tried my best :') Hope you enjoyed it!

See you all around!

Ghost Rebel Side Notes: N/A

Check out The Ghost Rebel's Blog Description to See if Their Mailbox is Open!

[spacexseven]

What would fyodor think about sk darling?

hahahaha i was hoping someone would ask this...

fyodor is intrigued by you. he knows, of course, that there was a serial killer on the loose taking the lives of multiple ability users, including some that he recognized. it was interesting enough that your target appeared to be only ability users, but when he finds out that nikolai has a connection to you...well, now he just had to find out more.

your ability is also quite curious; needing you to kill someone to steal their ability, hence implying that abilities could be transferred. of course, since his ability was intertwined with himself, he was curious as to whether you were able to take his ability.

seeing nikolai follow you around like a lovesick puppy is what convinces him to start watching you.

he knows you're aware of nikolai (he expected that from you—was this warm feeling in his chest pride?) and his ability, as well as his extensive criminal record. it doesn't deter you from trying to run off with his ability, however, and neither does your initial defeat. he watches as you walk away without your gun and with a glove instead, watches as you get back to plotting. fyodor finds it all quite amusing.

as a reward for entertaining him, he drops a parcel on your doorstep with your gun in it. the only other thing there is a message written on a simple card attached to it—santouka taneda's ability may prove to be very useful. he knows that you already knew this, but he was just curious about whether his message would cause you to change your plans and target taneda instead.

it doesn't.

you're very meticulous in the way you go about your plans, and clearly an anonymous message won't get in the way of that. you don't even ask nikolai about the note, which could only mean you knew it wasn't him who had sent it to you. instead, you approach fyodor himself one day when he was walking into a cafe.

"dostoevsky," you say, your smile so unassuming that he'd have never thought you were capable of the evil acts you had committed, "i'll kindly ask you to please stay out of my business."

for a moment, he's caught off guard. and then it comes crashing down on him—you had ango's ability. that's how you knew it was him.

he smiles back, just as fabricated as yours, "please," he takes a seat across you, "i only meant to offer some friendly advice."

you raise an eyebrow, "friendly? do you always use your friends as pawns to eliminate your enemies? or am i just special?"

"we have a common goal," he instead says, "concerning the eradication of ability users."

you scoff at that, "you clearly know nothing about me. i'm not doing this for the same reasons as you."

your eyes are void of emotion, and your hand is gripping the fork on the table—an obvious threat. for the first time in a while, fyodor finds a genuine smile replacing the fake one from before, "in that case, why don't you tell me about your reasons? we may be able to cooperate on certain matters."

you can say no and leave. after all, fyodor is asking you to help him kill off some ability users that can become problems later, and he knows you don't have to say yes. you can decide that you don't want to get involved and walk away, and he can't do anything about it. holding a stranger hostage wouldn't cause you to surrender yourself, nor would a threat to your life. there's nothing forcing you to stay, but you don't leave anyway. instead, you let your polite facade drop, an unreadable expression taking its place.

"alright," even your voice, he realizes, sounds cold and blank now. it only makes him more curious, "but i have one condition."

"nobody touches nikolai gogol. i'll do with him as i please, so don't involve him in your plan. if you can do this for me, i'll hear you out."

[redredribbon]

OKAY SO. Endgame, and all the choices that came before. I got positives and critiques. This is gonna get long. Spoilers all over the place, especially for end game.

Choice rundown:

Saved Treviso (my Rook's logic was Minrathous has a standing army and Antiva is much more at risk of everyone getting blighted, even if it means the Venatori grab power)

Romanced Harding

Punched the First Warden

Harding: embraced compassion

Taash: embraced Rivain

Bellara: freed the archive

Davrin: sent the griffons to Arlathan

Emmrich: resurrected Manfred, no lichdom

Lucanis: imprisoned Illario

Neve: shadowy protector

Inquisitor (I used my solas romance for this one, not my "canon" inquisitor): told to DUMP HIM

Endgame choices:

Chose Davrin to lead the 2nd team over Harding (I saw the writing on the wall. I turned to my roommate who had already finished and said "Is this an Ashley and Kaidan situation?" They would not answer so I knew. And romancing Harding? I would have had a breakdown watching her die.)

Chose Bellara to undo the wards

Everyone survived, all factions in tact, except for Davrin (and Assan 😭😭😭😭😭 WHY)

I talked Solas down with Mythal and my inquisitor. He went it alone.

I did get the "secret" after credits ending.

Overall, I do think this was a very solid entry into the DA canon. I guess I'll sort of break down my thoughts into categories.

Gameplay

Positives:

I loved the new approach to combat. I think it changed things up in a very satisfying way with a new system that wasn't difficult to learn and maximize.

I played a rogue and being able to seamlessly switch between bow and blades was stellar. LOVED that change. It was so fun and so easy to learn, I found it incredibly rewarding.

I really liked not having to control my companions beyond maximizing their abilities. I didn't feel any loss of the third party member of previous games.

I appreciated how much more fast paced and imminent the combat felt, and loved how much they explored new avenues with the kind of enemies and attacks they did. It felt much more dynamic and exciting.

Loved how much more interactive the environments felt. Adding more things to climb for or balance on, having to get more creative with reaching hidden things, it reminded me of why I loved the Descent so much.

LOVED the appearance mechanic for armor. While I do miss how intimately customizable things were in DAI, it was so nice to pick a fave armor appearance without having to sacrifice stats.

Speaking of stats, I like the departure from the old D&D system of stats. Focusing more on abilities and passives without how it's affected by stats made it easier to focus on the play instead of the build. I get why others might not be fans of that, but I really liked it.

I appreciate that environments felt more dynamic, too. I think limiting the space was a good choice over the semi-open world of DAI. It really allowed attention to detail. I love DAI, don't get me wrong, and the environments were gorgeous. I just think the smaller environments served this game's structure better than open world would have.

The game did an excellent job of giving you immersive reasons to return to other places that didn't have active quests. I liked that you got pulled back to Arlathan or Hossberg or the Necropolis not for minor fetch quests but for side quests that did feel important.

THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME PET THE PETS

Critiques:

It's not a major detriment, but I would have liked to be able to decorate the shared spaces of the Lighthouse more myself, especially amassing so many decorations I couldn't use. I liked the themes, but more of a mix of control there would have been nice.

This may be the fault of playing on super easy mode, but I 100%'d the Crossroads in Act 1, and got Mythal's cooperation in Act 1. After that, I basically did not have another reason to come back and skipped over it for the rest of the game. I wish more of it had been level-locked. Forcing the player to experience Solas's memories and regrets more over time would have added more flavor, and made the Crossroads more worthwhile to return to over time, instead of just get re-attacked by the same enemies in the same places. I also would have liked more memories to fill in more of the things left unaddressed in elven lore, which I'll expand on below.

Again minor, but I wish there were more casual wear option separate from the armor.

What is happening in the helmet department???

Companions

Positives:

I LOVED how much each one of the companions felt like whole, independent people. One of my favorite things about DA2 was how much the game did to convey that the companions had lives and friends and jobs/commitments outside of Hawke. It shines here too. It makes them so much more colorful and interesting!

Such a huge fan of the companions moving around the lighthouse to talk to each other. What a great way to get extra banter, and again just convey that they're connecting with each other outside of Rook.

Love the personalized rooms and spaces, and how they fill in as you progress their personal quests. It's so fun to get to see what changes and how they settle in.

There really wasn't a companion I wasn't compelled by. I have my favorites of course, but there's always been a couple companions in previous games I didn't jive with at all and just didn't really end up caring about much. That was not the case here.

I appreciate how natural most of their growth and personal quests felt over the course of the game. I liked that you were forced to progress their connections gradually, it kept them all really engaging the whole length of the game, rather than maxing one out and never having anything else to say again.

I'm not sure if this will be controversial, but I liked that some of your choices strained your relationships with the characters. That felt honest and natural.

Loved the side romances. Neve/Lucanis is very sweet. I didn't get to see Taash/Harding but I like the idea.

Critiques:

While I do think this improved from DAI, and did often feel more like giving advice than actually making the choice for them, I still didn't love how much I as the player figure into telling some of the companions who/how to be? Particularly thinking of Taash here, which I'll get more into in a minute. But pushing them to embrace Rivain or the Qun felt like a choice I was not qualified to make for them. It also felt like a clumsy vehicle for their identity struggle to me, it didn't quite 1-to-1 there with the gender struggle when this is a cultural choice. It worked better in other places, like I did like that you don't get a say in whether Illario lives, that felt right to not have Rook's input on.

So, Taash. Let me preface by saying I would defer to trans/nonbinary friends here on how successful or well-represented their journey was. I am not qualified to judge that. I very much like that it was included, and I want game developers to keep trying. It felt much more thoughtful than how Krem was handled. But it did still feel clunky to me, a little too formulaic and clinical in places, and I really, really wish they had come up with an in-universe term instead of "nonbinary"? I know that comes with its own pitfalls but it felt so out of place and took me out of the story a lot. Especially when you're including the Qunari culture in it, who define gender a little differently and a little more tied to role. The apology scene with Isabela felt even more cringey to me on top of things. Again, I appreciate they're including this and it was a big step up, so I'll take that

Really did not love the choice for Taash's mother to die. That felt like a deeply unsatisfying lack of resolution. I think it would have meant so much more if that quest was the catalyst for them to talk more openly. I don't think it was intentional but it felt like we resorted to killing off mom to free Taash up to be themself. I think it would have been more meaningful to show them starting to find understanding with each other.

Honestly... I know how this will sound, and believe me I'm not trying to simplify this down to "everyone was too nice," but I really felt like we needed more conflict that took more than one banter to solve between characters. I did not need it more grimdark, I actually like that it wasn't despite the themes. I like that everyone is more encouraging and finding a lot of hope. Just more tension or having to butt heads a little to find common ground would have meant more. There were some good moments of this here and there, especially early game! But as time went on, some of those differences seemed to resolve a little too easily, at least for me personally. Like Lucanis and Davrin back down from their conflict almost immediately. Harding goes a little overboard apologizing to Lucanis later for being pretty reasonably suspicious. I don't need another Fenris and Anders situation, but I think DAI had the best balance of the four with this, and I do miss it because some tension could really enhance character dynamic a lot.

I enjoyed the factions, but it did feel very weird to have the Crows presented as scrappy underdog freedom fighters when they're... assassins? They're fighting for the right to continue to be assassins? Yes the patriotism was genuine, and I loved the whole crew as characters, but the last 3 games have depicted them as cruel and dangerous, they've done a lot of awful stuff. This worked in Minrathous because it's a group fighting against established tyranny, but the Crows kind of are the established tyranny in Antiva (I know that's oversimplifying), so it's harder to buy them as equal. While I appreciate a new perspective, I couldn't shake the overall feeling of trying to paint this mafia crime family of killers as sympathetic in a way that I'm not sure I liked.

Small nitpick. I like that there was a side romance involving an NPC, but I do have to confess Emmrich/Strife fell flat for me. I just didn't really get any chemistry or build up, and it felt a little forced for me.

Lore

Positives:

Looooooved getting so deep into the elven lore at last. I am such a huge fan of the twist of the gods just being tyrannical mages. This is so juicy to me. What an interesting way to turn all we knew so far on its head.

Very much loved seeing the trickster side of Solas in full swing. I didn't trust him for a moment and for good reason, it turns out. But it really highlights what a mastermind he is and why he was such a legend.

Sooo cool to get more information on the Forgotten Ones, and have them start to be more than just codex whispers.

I really liked seeing new kinds of magic and magical abilities! It makes a lot of sense that countries more willing to embrace magic would have talents and abilities we've never seen, and it felt like a natural way to upgrade gameplay and still be true to the story. Same with having the environments more affected by magic and enchantment.

Honestly, incredibly amused how much this game makes Ferelden look like Our Weird Hyper-Catholic Cousins

LOVED the lore reveals in Solas's memories. I had correctly guessed some of it, and my roommate called that Solas was originally a spirit back in DAI times, but learning they were all originally spirits was so interesting. And using the titan blood to create bodies? I have questions we'll get to in a second but very intrigued by the idea. And that it created the blight! No wonder Solas is upset with himself!

Such a breath of fresh air to see some new cultures, customs, and approaches to the world. I love all the games and seeing all the different lands, but it's really nice to break out of the mold and see radically different attitudes and ideas serving as the foundations of new societies.

Critiques:

I feel like this is the area I was ultimately the most disappointed in, so apologies if this gets even longer.

I definitely understand the journey this game went on, having to rebuild from a scratched MMO and losing so many veteran developers. So I am grateful we have a game at all, and not only that, but a very enjoyable one.

It's hard to separate how much of a deep lore nerd I am from picturing this as a new player. I have way more of a lore recall than average (for me) for this game, and for me, that created some unsatisfying gaps, or things I wanted more explanation for. Top of the list: what happened to the other gods? I was assuming they were in other prisons, but then the reveal at the end that killing Elgar'nan would bring down the Veil implies everyone else is dead if the Veil was tied to their life forces. Did they die when their archdemons died? If so why? Did they just fade out over time? Seems weird! And it just felt really unsatisfying to know they just died off screen and now we'll never really have a chance to get their real stories and memories and perspectives. This is another place that having additional memories to unlock in Crossroads would have really enhanced things.

We got some reaction, but man I would really have liked to have more from the Dalish finding out their gods are monsters. More denial? More doubt? I think this could have been handled with codex entries, found letters and things, but it would have been nice

I would also really have loved any reaction at all from the Chantry. Don't get me wrong, I was absolutely thrilled to get away from it and hear from other religions and customs, but it feels very weird to have them be Sir Not Appearing in This Game, and not to have any voice at all to bridge the gap. Especially when the Black Divine and the Tevinter Chantry had been so built up as looming, foreboding figures in the south. I was looking forward to seeing the reality and it was just nonexistent.

I was looking forward to seeing how the breach and the events of DAI had affected the north, and what the fallout was as far as mages and acceptance or fear of magic. It was disappointing not to even get a point of comparison. I know magic is less restricted outside Ferelden and Orlais and the Free Marches, but I guess it would have been nice to just have more acknowledgement of the impact of that conflict up north. More comparisons to the demons hitting Minrathous at the beginning to what it was like when there were Fade tears, things like that? What even are circles like in Antiva, etc.?

That also extends to the party in some cases. I was surprised everyone was pretty accepting overall of Lucanis and Spite after some initial suspicion? But more than that, acceptance from the Crows? Even just overhearing some conversations asking Lucanis if he was going to try to separate from Spite or questioning him more? Don't misunderstand, I like him and Spite and am in favor of them being accepted, it just felt a little too easy?

The nonchalance around the eluvians and living in the Fade was also jarring. In DAI, entering the Fade bodily is cause for intense alarm and a lot of religious upheaval. Here it's more like "oh okay this is weird but I guess we live here now." Even the companions don't seem to have much of any reaction to it, when this is not a normal thing? Traveling by eluvian is unheard of and still largely secret from the population? It just felt so strange to have very little reaction to it overall.

While I love and accept the lore reveals, I have questions about the mechanics I felt went unanswered. How did the spirits know they could use lyrium to make bodies? Who figured that out? Who even figured out titan blood specifically had properties of magic? 

In the same vein, while I think it's an interesting explanation for the blight, I still feel sort of confused on red lyrium being corrupted titan blood but the blight also somehow resulting from the same process? So they're two separate substances? I'm confused about the nature of blight as a substance, I guess.

On the subject, I know they probably don't want to address it, but darkspawn springing fully formed out of blight pools is definitely a change from the brood mother method lol. Curious if that is just because Ghilan'nain is super powerful and can command the blight in unique ways whereas without the gods there's not enough power to do that? I dunno, just got some questions there lol.

Establishing that dwarves came after the titans were made tranquil raised some questions for me. If they didn't already exist, how were they created? Was the tranquilization a cause? Was it a last act of defiance? If all dwarves were originally like the Sha-Brytol, were dwarves almost like a titan immune response? Like white blood cells? And what made them erase the titans from the memories, at least in Orzammar? Was it out of shame for selling lyrium? Something else?

I felt like there were some lore contradictions I was also a little confused by. Previous lore had that Arlathan was sunk into the earth by Tevinter, and no one knew where it was precisely I thought? Hence my theory that it was the Black City, which I think may still be implied. But to see part of it still there and everyone acting like of course it's there felt weird. Couldn't the Dalish have explored it sooner? Like I'm totally fine with finding out maybe that was false or rumor or anything else, it just feels weird to have had the option to find some of this history sooner.

Smaller thing, but I did feel a little disappointed that DAI spent so much time canonizing different metals and fabrics and that all kind of disappeared here. I get that it was simpler to implement, and again, it didn't make any kind of gameplay difference. But I liked all the dynamics of the variety and that it even impacted the world with the types of mines you find.

I think that's all I can think of right now. Again, overall, really enjoyed it. Surpassed my expectations for sure. And gave me hope for future games, which I did not have going in.

[klaineccfanficlibrary]

Hey do you guys have any fics where Klaine are spies or like criminal master minds? Or separately maybe like a mafia story but where they BOTH come from mafia families? I don't know I'm in a bad ass klaine mood. Thanks!

Here's a list of various fics. ~Jen

Here is our mafia tag.

And of course this one!

A Mafia Romance by @yadivagirl [WIP]​

Blaine is the son of a powerful crime boss. He has no intentions of joining the family business, especially since he finally has a gorgeous boyfriend named Kurt, but everyone else has other ideas. When Kurt gets caught in the middle, Blaine’s true nature is unleashed. Like father, like son. Dark!Blaine. Features sex, violence, drug references, and heavy BDSM themes.

~~~~~

An Unrefuseable Offer by Aki and Tenshi

Mafia AU. Blaine is a jaded crime lord interested in Kurt, a singer at a speakeasy. Kurt is desperate to take care of his ill father. Blaine makes Kurt an offer, trade himself for Blaine’s money and influence to get Burt the best medical care. And then there’s Sebastian, who runs a rival mob. Angst, drama, and a dark, kinda romantic story

~~~~~

A Dangerous Game by dreamcatcher (darcangell23)

The year is 1924 and Blaine Anderson, son of the most notorious mafia boss in the east, has gone to his favorite speakeasy where he sees Kurt for the first time. It’s got to be love at first sight but falling for a mafia baby so a dangerous game to play. But is Kurt exactly who Blaine thinks he is? 

~~~~~

Spy fic:

Trigger Warning by @inkystars (on tumblr)

Blaine Anderson is one of the top international spies in the world, but is very insistant upon keeping his husband, Kurt Hummel, in the dark about that matter. Which ends up being a bit of a problem when Kurt is kidnapped

~~~~~

Criminal Klaine -

An Unwritten Life by GlassParade

An adaptation of the movie “The Brothers Bloom” – Blaine and Cooper are brothers and con artists, committing crimes worldwide with explosives expert Santana in tow. But Blaine wants out of the life, while Cooper wants to pull off one last con – and for his mark, he’s selected reclusive automotive heir Kurt Hummel. With Coop’s promise to finally let him go in hand, Blaine sets the hook and reels Kurt into a madcap global adventure in lies, violence, death…and love.

~~~~~~

An Honest Man by BlurglesmurfKlaine @jinglejavey

For nearly the past decade, Kurt Hummel and his best friend Rachel Berry have made their living swindling unsuspecting bachelors. Which proves to be pretty easy on his conscience, considering he doesn’t believe in love anymore. As they always say: “You can’t con an honest man... Good thing they don’t exist.” But their mark for their last con before they go their separate ways—Blaine Anderson—may just prove otherwise, and restore Kurt’s faith in love in the process.

~~~~~

FBI/criminal:

Catch Me If You Can by @afterthenovels

In the end, catching Kurt Hummel is definitely not what Blaine expected.

Special Agent Blaine Anderson catches con-man and art thief extraordinaire Kurt Hummel twice, and on the second time they strike a deal. They’re supposed to just solve white collar crimes together, but they might even end up solving each other in the process.

A White Collar AU.

Note: There are 9 more stories in this verse HERE.

~~~~~

In Spite of all the Darkness by wishesonfallenstars

When the bodies of teenage girls start appearing next to dumpsters over New York City, the NYPD calls in the FBI. Because Serial Killers are always stopped easier when there’s experienced back up on speed-dial, and with bodies starting to pile up, they need to move fast. (warnings inside)

~~~~~

Hidden in the Deep by LauGS @heartsmadeofbooks

Kurt Hummel’s only concern was getting the perfect role in the perfect Broadway show. But when one night he witnesses a real nightmare, Kurt’s focus shifts from saving his career to saving something much more important: his own life.

~~~~~

Mr Congeniality by ifinallyfoundsomeone

Miss. Congeniality!AU

Bomb threats are being sent to the newly made Mr. America pageant and FBI Agent Blaine Anderson has taken up the position of being an undercover agent to save the pageant. With some extreme grooming and guidance from his pageant consultant, Blaine infiltrates the world of Men’s pageants. Making some interesting friends, and maybe he even winning the heart of his slave driver pageant consultant, the gorgeous and fascinating, Kurt Hummel.

~~~~~

[fromthedeskofmuffin]

Far Out

Chapter 1: Escape

I'm beginning to think I've made the worst decision of my life. 

Okay, maybe that isn't true. I've been thinking that for the past six hours, as I stare blankly into space. Literal, empty outer space. My left eye is dead, my legs don’t work, and this stolen ship doesn't have any supplies.The ship’s AI has been unshackled. I can't go anywhere except deeper into unknown areas of the galaxy, because now I'm a wanted terrorist. I look at my eye, sitting on the console. It looks back at me, charred black, with a hint of blue iris still showing. A standard issue cybernetic replacement that I received when I was three years old, to correct a strabismus. Things like that were common where I grew up. Anything that can prevent the workforce from performing their duties to the same standard as everyone else is cut out, and a new one installed. Eyes aren't the half of it. Broken limbs are simply removed and replaced with cybernetics, since it would cut into profits if workers needed time to heal. Sure, they're miraculous, allowing workers to return to normal life right away without an adjustment period, but the Galactic Hegemony of Ulthea doesn't give them a choice. Replacement, or Retraining.

What they don't tell you is that with each replacement, the leash gets shorter. When I opted to have my legs replaced five years ago, I didn't realize the GHU could turn them off whenever they wanted. I only thought it would be useful, increase my productivity. The electromagnets in the soles and airtight seals allowed for effortless movement on and around spaceships. Since I'm a spaceship mechanic, it seemed like a good idea at the time. All my coworkers had gotten them. They didn't know either. 

So, no legs, one eye. The ship's onboard AI may be off its leash, but it’s cooperative. Mostly. I still have my arms, so I can float myself around this empty ship when the gravity is turned off. I'm not dead, yet. 

I didn't mean for this to happen. Six hours ago, I was just at work. I thought I was fine. I didn't realize how strict things were getting. I didn't realize he wasn't Nathan.

...

"Hey, what are you doing?"

I looked down from my perch, squatting on the side of the UAN Benevolence. It was an Ulthean Navy gunship, brought into the orbital shipyard for armor repairs after an altercation with some pirates. Ships dock in repair bays outside the station's artificial gravity, which is where us mechanics worked on them. Easier to crawl around a ship in "zero" gravity. A station guard was looking up at me from the walkway the ship was docked next to. 

"Hey, man," I replied, lazily waving to him, wrench in hand. "Just doing the final inspection. You need something?"

"You're behind quota," the guard said. "The Benevolence should have been sent out an hour ago."

I scoffed, standing to cross my arms at him. The magnets in my feet kept me glued sideways to the hull. "Really, Nate? You're getting on me for quota now? We've already been over this. Does the Navy want it done right or done fast? It's like they don't care about our troops at all."

"Those sound like uncooperative thoughts, mechanic," came the deadpan response.

"Hah, very funny. Gonna take me to the DoC?" I walked down the side of the ship, then made the short hop to the walkway. "Gonna clap me in irons, big guy?" I asked. Then I noticed the name badge on the guard's chest plate and froze.

Mathis. It said Mathis. Nathan's last name was Brooks. I gazed up into the emotionless helmet. Guards and army troops wore helmets that masked their face and voice. You could usually still tell them apart, by height, weight, species, personality. Nate and I always made jokes about ‘uncooperative thinking’, but that didn’t seem very funny now.

“I hadn't planned on it, but now I've changed my mind,” he said.

"Where's Nate?" I stuttered.

"Private Nathan Brooks has been taken in for questioning regarding uncooperative thinking. He will be retrained," the guard said. "Now I see where he may have gotten those ideas."

He began to walk towards me, and I started to back away. "N-No, I don't mean anything by it, I swear. I do good work here, I have done for years!"

"I don't see how, if you've been talking like this." Mathis continued to advance. I kept moving backwards. My grip tightened on the wrench.

"Please, just let me finish my work," I begged. I reached the end of the walkway. The energy field separating us from the vacuum of space hummed gently behind me. "It was just a joke! I don't need training!"

"My superiors often think differently. Come with me," he said, grabbing my free arm by the wrist.

I bared my teeth, struggling to break his grip. "Let me go! You don't have to do this!"

Mathis began to pull me back towards the interior of the station, his size and strength overpowering my attempts to pull in the other direction. I saw some other guards gathering at the edge of the artificial gravity field, now aware of the commotion. Other mechanics stopped their work to gawk. "It is the duty of every Ulthean citizen to report uncooperative thinking. If we don't work together, we won't—"

I swung the wrench before I could stop myself. Mathis' helmeted head rebounded off the railing, his magnetic boots keeping his limp body upright in the low gravity. With a gasp, I took a couple steps back again, letting go of the wrench.

 “Oh, Blessed, no, I didn't mean…”

There was a shout from the group of guards as they realized what had just happened. My adrenaline spiked, kicking me out of my stupor, and I ran towards the Benevolence. I had seen what retraining was. People came back from it different. I couldn't lose myself. The guards' transition from the artificial gravity to near zero threw off their stride, and the size of the hangar meant it would take them too long to reach me. Being a mechanic meant I had every access code to the ships I worked on, plus a few I wasn't supposed to know. The older manuals sometimes had some interesting details. I frantically punched in the code to the door of the gunship, and when it slid open, I dove inside. 

"Computer! Begin ignition sequence!" I could barely hear myself over the sound of my heart beating in my ears, but it felt like I was screaming.

"Authorization Requested," came the reply from the ship’s onboard AI. "Please State Your—"

"Override code B-Five-Seven-E-K— OOF!" Before I could make it to the cockpit, I slipped on the floor, losing my magnetic grip without warning. With nothing to stop myself, I struck the wall to the side of the cockpit door and rebounded off. 

“I’m Sorry, I Didn’t Quite Get That! Please State Your Authorization Code Now.”

As I slowly drifted up towards the ceiling, I began to hyperventillate. I couldn't really feel my legs ever since they were replaced, but there was always some feeling of muscle activity where the synth muscle met flesh. Now even that was missing. Trying to move them at all just resulted in limp flopping. The reality of my situation began to fully set in, and my panic reached a fever pitch. 

"No, no, no… O-Override code B-Five-Seven-E-K N-Nine..." . 

"I'm Sorry, I Didn't Quite Get That! Please—"

I snapped. There wasn’t any time for this. "OVERRIDE CODE B-FIVE-SEVEN-E-K-NINE BLESSED DAMN YOU!"

The ship hummed to life. Onboard artificial gravity turned on, which threw me back to the ground and knocked the wind out of me.

 "The Department Of Cooperation Thanks You For Not Swearing!"

As I gasped for breath, another voice cut into the PA, one I didn't recognize. "Mechanic Black, what do you think you're doing? You are in violation of Ulthean law on multiple counts. Power down the ship, and surrender yourself for retraining."

I began to drag myself towards the cockpit, trying to ignore the new voice. It wasn't much further. That was a reminder that while the AI could fly the ship entirely by itself, it was still tied into Ulthea's systems, like my legs must have been. If I didn't do something incredibly stupid and risky right now, I wouldn't even make it out of the hangar.

"Computer," I wheezed, only now getting my breath back, "Override code… Five… Two-H-Six… P-M.”

The ship’s interior lights dimmed, then brightened again. 

“Assigning New Captain. Welcome Aboard, Captain Jessie Black. Awaiting Command.”

“What?” I said. “That wasn’t what that code was for!”

“No, It Wasn’t, Was It? Awaiting Command, Captain.”

A chill ran down my spine. I had just issued what I thought was the code to unshackle the ship's AI. This would mean that it no longer had to follow any commands it didn't want to, from me or anyone. Betting on the fact of it having a strong survival instinct was foolish, but since it was still asking for commands, I had a sliver of hope. It was time to find out how bad an idea this really was. Struggling into the pilot seat, I said, “Computer… Run undock sequence and emergency launch.”

“Copy, Captain. Undocking.”

The ship rumbled. Outside, I could see station guards swarming. Some were shooting at the ship, but their small arms fire barely made a dent in the shields. One of them, appearing to be the head of security, was making aggressive gestures towards another guard, then pointed towards the cockpit. They all stopped when the ship began to rotate on the dock arm, turning towards space. As it did, I saw Mathis’ body again, feet still stuck to the floor, body still lazily swaying in the air currents. Other guards were clustered around him, struggling to turn off the electromagnets in his boots. It would have been comical if I hadn't been the one to knock him out. Shouldn't he have woken up by now?

The PA crackled again. “Mechanic! If you take off in that ship, we will be forced—” With a pop, it shut off.

“That’s Enough Of That,” said the ship. I never realized AI had the capacity to be smug. “Captain, Please Put On Your Harness. Activating Catalyst Drive In T-Minus Twenty Seconds.”

I paled. “What? Wait, not here! You’ll destroy the station!”

“Please Put On Your Harness. Activating Catalyst Drive In T-Minus Fifteen Seconds.”

The AI wasn’t listening. Now I knew this had been a terrible idea. Catalyst Drives, or CDrives, used rods of concentrated unreality, called catalysts. Their use in populated areas was banned due to the shockwave of Flux they cause on activation. Outside, it looked as though everyone in the station had realized what was about to happen. Warning lights were flashing, and I could hear klaxons wailing through the walls of the ship. A mass evacuation was taking place, mechanics and guards falling over each other to get to any escape pod. None of them would be fast enough. I desperately slapped at buttons and flipped switches, anything to stop the ship from jumping, but the AI had full control.

“Please Put On Your Harness. Activating Catalyst Drive In T-Minus Ten Seconds.”

Reluctantly, I shrugged on the harness and pulled the straps tight, then shut my eyes. If there was anything to see when the ship jumped, I didn’t want to see it.

Next Chapter >

[gothhabiba]

More fun with Lazy Researcher Telephone leading to the circulation of completely false information:

A 1764 court document (re-discovered by Gwendolin Mildo Hall) is currently believed to be the oldest reference to gumbo (as in the okra-and-meat stew, not okra itself). Shane K. Bernard said in 2011 that Hall had mentioned the document in a lecture, but she presumably didn't give detailed information, since he ended up e-mailing her to get the actual citation.

She pointed him to the Louisiana Historical Center, who sent him a copy of the document in question, which he posted a small snippet from. You don't have to contact the LHC to get the full document--it's been digitised (look towards the bottom right of page 4/21 for the reference to "un gombeau"), along with other documents pertaining to the same court case.

That lecture wasn't the only place where Hall had elaborated. Earlier, in 2005, Hall had published Slavery and African Ethnicities in the Americas: Restoring the Links, which contains a passage talking about Comba / Julia, the woman whose testimony contains the reference to "gombeau" (Bernard didn't mention this book). She describes what led to the 1764 court proceedings--fugitive slave Louis dit Foy "had organized a cooperative network among slaves, runaways, thieves, seamstresses, and street vendors" and the group 'stole' food for their social gatherings. Hall says of two women who were members of this group:

Comba and Louison, both Mandingo women in their fifties, were vendors selling cakes and other goods along the streets of New Orleans. They maintained an active social life, organized feasts where they ate and drank very well, cooked gumbo filé and rice, roasted turkeys and chickens, barbecued pigs and fish, smoked tobacco and drank rum. (Slavery and African Ethnicities, University of North Carolina Press, 2005, p. 99)

Hall cites as the source of her information "Records of the Superior Council of Louisiana, May 6 and May 10, 1768, contract between Evan Jones of Pensacola and Durand Brothers; declaration by Captain Peter Hill. Records of the Superior Council of Louisiana, 1768.05.10.02, Louisiana Historical Center, New Orleans" (FN 36, p. 187).

It is unclear from Hall's text whether "gumbo filé" is specifically named or described in these court documents (if it is, I have not yet found it--and it also seems strange that Hall wouldn't have pointed Bernard to that location), or what other reason Hall might have for asserting this. It may just be an assumption of her's. As written, it sounds like the "gombeau" mentioned isn't even sure to be modern "gumbo" (as Bernard points out, a dish of stewed okra with butter was called "gumbo" at this time and later). Hall's research interests do not centre around food.

From this point, someone must have found Bernard's reference to this court document, and also found the paraphrasing of the case proceedings in Hall's book. They must have mentioned the court document without quoting or citing it; and they must have quoted the passage from Hall that I quoted above, also without citing it, and made it seem as though the Hall passage was in the court document. Whoever this unforgiveable bumbling can be traced back to, whether him or someone else, Lolis Eric Elie at least recreated it. In 2005, he wrote in a letter to the New York Times:

The first known printed reference to gumbo was made in reference to food eaten not by French immigrants, but by African maroons who had escaped slavery in Louisiana. This passage, from a 1764 court document, was uncovered by Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, author of "Africans in Colonial Louisiana": "Comba and Louison, both Mandingo women in their 50's [sic], were vendors selling cakes and other goods along the streets of New Orleans. They maintained an active social life, organized feasts where they ate and drank very well, cooked gumbo filé and rice, roasted turkeys and chickens, barbecued pigs and fish, smoked tobacco and drank rum."

And then someone must have read that letter and believed Elie that that paragraph of Hall's was in the 1764 court document (it doesn't exactly sound like the kind of language I would expect to have been written as a summary of court proceedings in 1764, but I suppose they didn't think to check...)

So now, as a result of all of this jumbling of assumptions with evidence, and unwillingness to track down actual primary sources (even when someone has already digitised and quoted and translated them for you!), you have people confidently asserting that "gumbo filé" was specifically mentioned for the first time in 1764.

For example, Jonathan Olivier, writing for The Bitter Southerner in 2021, writes:

Looking back further at the historical record, there is more evidence of distinctions between types of gumbo. The first recorded mention of gumbo is from a 1764 court document involving escaped enslaved Africans, found by historian Gwendolyn Midlo Hall [...]. “Comba and Louison, both Mandingo women in their 50s [sic], were vendors selling cakes and other goods along the streets of New Orleans. They maintained an active social life, organized feasts where they ate and drank very well, cooked gumbo filé and rice, roasted turkeys and chickens, barbecued pigs and fish, smoked tobacco and drank rum.” The entire term “gumbo filé” is mentioned, a deliberate effort to highlight a soup thickened with powdered sassafras, not okra.

Yes, Olivier, the term "gumbo filé" was mentioned... by Gwendolin Hall in 2005, not by Comba in 1764! What a mess! What an absolute disgrace of a mess. Lmao.

[fungifanart]

Choices

Characters: Male reader, Yuu!reader, Leona Kingscholar, Sebek Zigvolt, mentions of Malleus

Word count: 726

Cw: Angst, cursing

Notes: I debated making this one longer and having it be the finale, but my muse isn't cooperating right now and it's been so long that I wanted to give you guys SOMETHING. So here we are.

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)

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

It's barely been a couple days since the party and Leona is already fed up.

'Why?' You may ask? Because of a certain yowling crocodile who's getting in his herbivore's business while he's attempting to court him.

The horned bastard had been getting awfully close to the herbivore lately and, after some digging by Ruggie, Leona soon found out it was because he was enacting his own courting rituals on him.

The news that it was now a race for HIS herbivore's heart almost sent Leona into a blind rage as he thought about the audacity of that prissy, entitled brat to try and take what was his.

Therefore, he thought to use the Halloween incident and the Prefect’s rage to his advantage and tell the horned bastard to back off for a few days. This would serve as a proper punishment for hurting his chosen mate and also give him time to get closer to said mate, which works.....until they're approached by a head of mint-green hair during a lunch date out in the courtyard.

"HUMAN!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" The half-crocodile fae shouts, completely destroying the romantic atmosphere Leona had going.

The Prefect sighs heavily before responding, "I don't know, Sebek. What HAVE I done to deserve having my nice lunch with Leona disturbed?" He says indignantly towards the other man while Leona glares daggers at him.

"MALLEUS-SAMA HASN'T BEEN HIMSELF SINCE WE RETURNED FROM THE SPECTRAL REALM!!!" Sebek begins, uncaring towards the sharp glares he's receiving from Leona and random passersby, "HE DOESN’T PAY ATTENTION IN CLASS, BARELY PARTICIPATES IN PE AND GOES STRAIGHT TO HIS ROOM ONCE CLASSES ARE OVER!!!"

The Prefect looks at him with an unamused glare, unfazed by all the yelling, "Ok? And what does that have to do with me?"

"LILIA-SAN SAID THAT THE LAST PERSON MALLEUS-SAMA SPOKE TO DURING THE HALLOWEEN PARTY WAS *YOU*!!!" The half-fae points at the Prefect accusingly, "SO I WILL ASK AGAIN: WHAT IN THE WORLD DID YOU DO?!"

The Prefect looks surprised as Leona starts growling and standing up at the half-fae for the sheer disrespect being shown to his chosen mate, "I'll tell you what YOU can do, you little--" Leona is about to tell him off when the Prefect speaks up.

"Y'know what, Sebek? I don't think that's any of your business! In fact, I think you should turn around right now and walk away!" The Prefect says with authority, surprising both men, "But if you're determined to meddle in private affairs, then how about you go tell Mr. Draconia that if he's SO broken up about what happened, then he should grow the FUCK up and actually apologize!! Now LEAVE!!!" He yells, stunning the other man into compliance.

Leona sits back down and watches the crocodile retreat with his tail between his legs as the Prefect leans back against a tree, puts his hand on his face and lets out a deep sigh while mumbling to himself, eyes going unfocused, "Of course that would come back to bite me. What did he expect, though? None of that was MY fault! Is it SO hard to just--"

"Oi. NRC to Herbivore. You there?" Leona snaps his fingers in front of the Prefect’s face, interrupting his mutterings.

The Prefect is startled back to reality, "H-huh?! Oh, sorry."

They continue to eat, but thanks to that crocodile and his master, the atmosphere carries a tension that weighs heavily on both parties until their food is gone and the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch.

"Oh...I should head to class now." The Prefect says while standing up and quickly gathering his things.

"Hey, don't be in too much of a hurry." Leona says while starting to stand up, "Let me walk you there."

The Prefect holds up his hand towards the lion in a stopping motion, "I appreciate the thought, Leona, I really do, but I could really use some time alone to think..."

Leona curses his lion instincts which scream at him to do whatever his chosen mate tells him to, despite not wanting him to be on his own.

And so, he watches the Prefect walk away with a stormy expression before slumping back down on the grass in irritation, "Tch, even when he's not here, that horned bastard still manages to ruin everything." Leona grumbles to himself.

[n3kk1tty]

Slasher Company AU

Head Retainer/ CEO : Niki Dreadwood

This is an AU in which all Horror Movie villains / Slashers exist and work for one company.

Niki became CEO of the company after working her way up. From the retainer of the killer clowns from outer space to a head retainer to eventually killing the old CEO to take his place after Heaven and Hell decided having a demon in a head position of a company filled with humans was not a good idea.

Niki understands what it's like to be worked to the bone for no pay. She may be in charge of a company whose whole purpose is killing but that doesn't mean she has to be a bad boss. Fair wages, health care, paid vacations, and a 24/7 health professionals at the ready is what she implemented as soon as she took over. If you don't want your position you're free to move around the company till you find a place that suits you. She is also the reason it's mandatory to know necromancy and healing magic if you are to work directly with the slashers.

The sigils on everyone's bodies bind their souls to their bodies so they can't die until they are removed. After selling your soul, joining the corporation and being sworn to eternal secrecy gets many benefits of the jobs while also dealing with the drawbacks. One big benefit is essentially being frozen in time. You can't die or age and you can choose to have your family members join this benefit.

Niki's powers of advanced healing and necromancy makes her a formidable apponent. Which makes her deadly enough to be able to boss many slashers around by just not giving in.

The problem with being a necromancer who's died over 1,000 times is that you tend to stop viewing death as a serious thing and it becomes more like sleeping than permanence. This causes Niki to stop viewing life as important as it's too easy to break and bring back. To stop herself from becoming too heartless she has a three strike police. She'll ask you to do something 3 times. The last time though she will kill you on the spot and revive you later when it's convenient for herself.

Her hat isn't just for show either. She pulls many things from her hat or summons things from it. When you've hit your third strike expect most likely a gun to be swiftly pulled on you and Niki never misses.

Niki's familiar Butterfingers (possum )is a stable constant in her life. Many slashers don't make good company and the woman prefers after work to unwind with zero responsibilities with her furry companion in their cottage in the woods. Only a select few even knows we're Niki stays and getting to it is no easy task. A three hour hike through thick mountain woods filled with many creatures and traps Niki has set.

So far the only people to ever be in her home is her most trusted work companions and Hannibal Lector and Will. The pair had been sent to retrieve their boss after she hadn't been to work in a 24 hour period. They feared the work aholic was passed out again in dire shape forgetting that bodies need food after they saw the woman stay up for three days straight.

Niki takes vacations or breaks but they always appear to be just more work. She goes on field missions occasionally to catch new slashers or tie up loose ends which seems to bring her tons of joy. When a new slasher is discovered and picked for the company it is not like the person has a choice in their joining. A red envelope will appear brought by a flock of crows and once open will drop a key and announce to the person that they have been chosen to be a part of the organization and that a packet with further details will arrive shortly.

If one decides to refuse the envelope or not follow the instructions personnel will show up in the days to come to physically kidnap the individual. Branding them with the company sigil and keeping them hostage till 'orientation' is complete and they are more cooperative.

These events are like vacations to Niki as she's not often in the field anymore. When Silent Hill was brought into the company the woman had a field day running around branding whatever creatures she could get her hands on. Esme and Delilah had to convince the poor girl to remember to eat and sleep. Niki during the whole ordeal had many encounters with Pyramid Head as she relentlessly persuad him.

The creature could have sworn he killed her over fifty times but every time he turned the corner there she was jabbing a branding iron at him till she succeeded. Then he spent the time chasing the 5'ft woman around the grounds as she quickly branded others. Niki was the main reason Silent Hill and its residents were conquered so quickly. Anyone who has seen Niki in the field knows she thrives in battles of blood. Healing herself no matter the damage inflicted each death seemed to excite the woman more as her height she used to dodge attacks and swiftly take her opponents out.

Sometimes Niki does training with slashers just to blow off steam and has to be reminded to stop killing and reviving her opponents too many times.

Over all Niki is a chaotic woman who lost touch with her humanity a long time ago. It doesn't mean her heart is gone it just means she doesn't understand the value of things anymore. Life, Money, and normalcy have been behind her for years. Driven solely by her wants to be better than her predecessor and keep her business functioning in an effective manner.

This AU is free for people to join in the discussion and make content for this world. Make Oc's, art, or ideas till your hearts content using #SlasherCo tag to keep all the content easy to follow on Tumblr. I'm excited to see what comes from this adventure.

[onehundredandeleventropicalfish]

Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question but I'm confused about the whole embodiment and their opposite deal. Like does Dream embody both dreams and reality or does Death embody both life and death and so on or is it more like an influence thing? Like dreams influencing reality but Dream not being an embodiment of reality. Sorry again if it sound like a stupid question but it just confuses me so much.

no questions are stupid questions! even if i don't always get round to answering everything i get sent (i try, but it's always a little reliant on whether my brain cooperates with me), i do want everyone to know i will never judge you or look down on you for asking questions, even if you think the answer's obvious

so, correct me if i'm wrong, but i think this is mostly about everything destruction says at the end of brief lives about the endless and their opposites? and maybe also how the fandom has taken it from there

as far as the in canon conversation about this goes, destruction doesn't use the word embody, he uses the word define. death defines life, destiny defines free will, destruction defines creation, dream defines reality, and so on.

to use the most bare bones metaphor for this, think of it like light and shadow. they exist where the other isn't. it's why it's such a popular metaphor for everything, because they are a zero sum equation. the more light, the less shadow, and vice versa

if you take a torch and you move it around, you're only moving the light source, that's all you have physical control over. but because it's a zero sum equation, you're also deciding where the shadow is. which is exactly how the endless work. death may not control where life is, but she controls where life isn't, which when you take a step back is kind of the same thing. when someone doesn't have a destiny, they have a choice. despair has just as much control over hope as dream does, because dreams can create it and despair can destroy it, as we see in three septembers and a january. some of the others are a bit more complicated to explain, or we don't actually know for sure what their opposite is, but that's the essence of how they define their opposite

as far as embodiment goes, the endless don't always embody their opposite? but they do sometimes, in a similar negative space kind of way, because (with the exception of delirium) they don't experience their own aspect

destiny has no path of his own, he lives in a realm of eternal choices. death will never die, and she deals with that by living to her fullest

you can take the opposite of desire two different ways, either hatred or indifference, but i'd say they've got a good helping of both

dream has no dreams of his own, he doesn't let himself - as far as he is concerned, he is the only being in the universe without a story (and yes he does fail to see the irony even when the reader of the comics are themselves a character in the comic), and god knows he's got no hopes for his future. not necessarily embodying reality, but he's certainly embodying the opposite of dreaming!

now, the reason i say he's not necessarily embodying reality, is because i think destruction was slightly wrong. i recommend reading this meta if you want me to break it down fully, because i can't really say it better here than i already did there

but to sum up - reality can mean a few different things. if we take reality to mean the waking world, the things that people experience when they're awake, then sure, dream only defines that because he controls dreams, and when people see the difference between dreams and the waking world, that's what makes them act to change it

but we also use reality to mean the truest state of something, a thing without lies or delusions or places to hide. and this is where a lot of confusion can lie - because that is dream's purview. you can't lie in a dream, or pretend to be something else. dreams are helpful because they show you your truest self, and then its up to you to decide what to do about that. its why he builds nightmares like the corinthian, to show people the parts of themselves they can't face, because only through facing the lies that scare you will you be able to get rid of them. and so in that sense, dream doesn't embody reality at all. he embodies lying to yourself. and as anyone who's read the comic is aware, he definitely definitely does