#we like the nightmare one. it’s effective and the ending hits you hard

[thereareeyesinsidethetrees]

one thing about being a fic writer with memory issues is that you write almost forty fics and end up remembering like three at a time

you think about it. okay, so that’s like…maybe eight fics

you look and you’ve got nearly forty and you have no clue what most of them are about

[twig---verginix]

swear to god i'm just gonna stop watching the endings to shows i like. good shows need to get cancelled on cliffhangers forever

[sevs-corner]

Tf 141: Price and his marriage problems with you

Angst to comfort 'cause I just can't deal with leavin' it hangin' and being angry at the writer (me) for just endin' it like that Playlist Inspo: Yaur, it ain't a song but a whole ass playlist 'cause we in for a hellavu ride *fire sound effects*

Price just sometimes gets too prideful for his own good, his bravado taking the step forward instinctively when it comes to serious conversations involving you.

Deep down, he always wants what's best for you-- for you and him together as partners.

But that sometimes doesn't get translated in the way you would understand his intent, and this is proven true once again when he comes to learn that you driven home drunk after a night out with your friends.

"You could've gotten hurt."

Price, whenever in an argument with you, would never shout. That to you, speak volumes from the way he positioned himself to a wide legged stance, arms crossed to the way his icy glare seeped into the words coming out of his mouth.

But you've had enough of it.

"Well, you look like you could care less." You huffed out, slamming your front door closed and tossing away your shoes.

"Care less?" He hums, one eyebrow raised as he takes in your disheveled appearance. "Then my texts asking where you were and offering a ride home are just nothing to you?"

"No!"

"Then tell me," he steps closer but you step back. "how does it look like to you?"

This feels like he's cornering you, badgering for an answer he wants to hear and not about how you feel-- but you just can't seem to gather the courage to speak on it, after being denied of such things for so long.

So you bit your lip, backing up so far with your arms wrapped around, that you hit your back on the door-- and you had half a mind to run away from this, from everything, and most of all-

From him.

Price sees the panicked look on your face and feels his hand tucked under his armpit twitch, but his rational brain stops him-- knowing that if he let his inhibitions go right now, he'd see you hurt even more.

"Darlin'," he softly calls out this time, "tell me." But the demand remains the same-- and for a moment this made you believe he'd finally get the point and ask how you feel.

About him. About how this relationship have crumbled into.

"Y'know what John," you scoffed, "you wouldn't understand anyways."

He feels the ire grow from the way his hairs stand on end at your dismissiveness, your unwillingness to give an olive branch and just let him help you.

"Tell me anyways." He insists and you couldn't help how you obviously rolled your eyes at his one insistent dialogue option. Persistent in his ways of getting you to talk.

"And I said," you growled, "you wouldn't understand nor care to anyways!"

"THEN FUCKING MAKE ME!"

He cracks.

You crack.

And something inside both of you does as well.

Like a snap of a cord, the tension in its high rise grow cold.

Silence permeating the area you once found comfort in and called- "home."

Price sees the terror in your eyes and he just fucking knows he fucked up.

Fucked everything up just because he broke first-- snapped too hard at someone who held so dearly, but has now broken himself.

And he's panickily trying to fix it. Fix you. Fix each other.

His deepest nightmare coming into reality, the side of him he tried so hard to keep from you resurfacing, the acknowledgements of his faults getting the better of him as he you stare each other soullessly-- eyes not showing the same spark it did the first time he took you out.

Price knows he gets scary and unreasonable-- its part of his identity and how he deals with the other aspect of his life that he tries so damn hard to keep away from you.

Yet here it is- making its appearance in the worst. fucking. time. possible.

The silence is now broken with a sob coming from you.

You, who is unable to take in the state of the proud John you know and love now look to utterly destroyed from the one sentence leaving his mouth.

And the fact that its now out there, speaking a thousand emotions behind the four words he released in desperation.

You do love him. You love John so much sometimes it hurts to see him hurt you.

You're so damn frustrated with yourself that you can't handle being hurt by the man you love- you feel so pathetic, unable to take his concerns guised in criticism, his messages of tough love behind the formal texts on your phone, his small actions of appreciation from respecting your space and letting you breath after another argument.

"Are we done for John?"

You ask, through hiccups, forcing the matter on hand-- one of which you both desperately avoided for so long.

You wait.

You could hear the air still once again, it taking a chokehold on you, making you more desperate of the deprived oxygen.

You hear him shuffle to you.

The arms you previously wrapped around yourself were now around someone else, a different set now covering your own torso.

"My love," he chokes out, a soft "...Please" is all that he could manage.

"Please what?" You, yourself could barely respond but you knew you had to. He had to as well.

"Don't..." he sighs, head falling onto your shoulder. "...don't say such things."

"Why not?"

He feel him still.

"Tell me John."

He feels your position now. Vulnerable, wounded, and cornered without a choice.

"I'm sorry," he finally says with his chest heavy, "I'm so sorry my love, please."

He grabs your face desperately, hands now cupping your face instead of your waist.

And you could just see- how equally broken this man is.

You never saw Price cry, but that one time he slotted that ring on your finger and finally called you, 'his.'

But this... this is completely different.

From the way his eyes are dilated, not in love, but in genuine distraught. His hands shaky, not in nervousness, but anxiousness. His hands soft, not in care, but of fright.

If this is destroying him, then it did for you too.

Price continues to beg and plead, wiping your tears and dismissing his own. It doesn't matter if he can taste his salty tears and snot-- you just mattered more, and refusing to just stand there and watch you cry.

With a shaky breath, you finally raise your hand to his hand softly grabbing it and Price thinks he finally got to you.

But you pull it away.

Instead, you pull in downward and intertwine it with yours, slightly swinging it between you.

"John."

You call out and he opens his ears, replies, anything to get you talking--, "yes my dear?"

"I'm hurt."

He's about to ask why, where, how-- he wants to know everything.

"And I think I'm hurting you... well, more like us."

He shakes his head, disagreeing immediately.

"Darling, no." He fumbles his words, "its me- I'm hurting you, hurting us, and I-."

"No, its my fault."

"No, its mine."

"No, I just sometimes can't take it."

"Then its me! I'm at fault."

But you both insist and it seems endless until you both run out of breath again, yet... your intertwined hands persist. Grip so tight that you wouldn't even think of letting go.

This...makes you laugh, a soft one, and John swear he could hear bells ringing again.

You test it and try to pull away but he doesn't let you.

You giggle again and its infectious that Price couldn't help doing it as well.

"Why..." his chuckles die down but a smile stays painted on his lips, "why were you laughing?"

You shook your head and continue swinging your hands with more energy, "don't know..."

"But," you raised your head- eyes connecting once more, "this is just so silly."

"Silly?" He scoffs, so confused at the how quick the emotions are changing.

"Silly." You insisted but end of sighing, hands slowing down.

"I think," you began with your voice down back to a whisper, "we should be honest and talk."

Price immediately nods in agreement and adds a, "and take a step back?" And he does this literally too, making you chuckle.

Realizing as well at how cold the room has been, contrasting the warmth of your hands.

"yeah..." you mumble and unconsciously reach out for him again. "let's try... again?"

He reaches for you but this time, his grip is soft as if he was ready to let you pull away again.

"Together."

A/N: gonna be makin one for the other boiyos too so... part 1/4? :>> Masterlist for my other works here!

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

Full headcanons of MC being forced to attack M6 please 🙏🏽🙏🏽

The Arcana HCs: When MC is forced to attack M6

~ oh boy, anon friend, we're really not holding back today are we XD Hope you enjoy this sequel! ~

CW for non-gory injury descriptions, trauma disassociation, and intense guilt

-- to set the scene --

You don't know if you'll ever be able to forgive yourself.

In the moment, all you could feel was terror. The mage you were fighting rippled away as a haze of fear washed over your senses, and suddenly your worst nightmare was right next to you and readying itself to tear you limb from limb. You don't know how long you screamed and lashed out for. You don't know how many rules of fair fighting you abandoned to stay alive.

All you know is that, eventually, the terror subsides, and now you're looking at the pained face of your beloved as blood slowly trickles down their temple.

Julian

The first thing you feel is the way his arms are pinning you to him, effectively restraining you with a desperate hug

He's quietly talking to you, watching your eyes clear as you return to your senses, whispering "hey. hey, I'm here" over and over again until you're able to stop struggling and meet his gaze

You're almost relieved to see that you only managed to hit his head once, until he shakily loosens his grip and you can feel where your hands have angrily clawed and pummeled at his back

He's already nudging you to get back home, leaning a little heavily on your shoulder and telling you over and over again that it's not your fault, the threat's gone, nothing's hurt that can't be fixed

Refuses to take care of his own wounds until you've let him tend to yours and until you've started to believe that things will get better

It's hard not to let your heart break when he finally takes off his shirt and lets you get a look at his back. You tore it to shreds

Not to mention the cracked ribs that clearly make breathing hurt

He doesn't let you dwell on it, instead passing his doctor's tools back to you and talking you through the process of patching him up. Any apology is interrupted with "ah ah ah, my dear, doctors don't say sorry when they're helping people. It's not your fault."

Beyond the initial fear of losing you to the madness, he's not shaken up by your capacity to hurt him. If anything, once he's healed up, he starts praising your ferocity whenever he can

Asra

They're a little ways away from you when you regain lucidity, one shaking arm extended to hold up the magic barrier you were just struggling against. They look terrified - and heartbroken

As soon as you stop fighting and your legs begin to give out, he's sprinting the several feet over to catch you. There's a stream of apologies and reassurances leaving his mouth as he reaches you

"It's okay - it's okay - I'm so sorry, it's going to be okay - I'm sorry I didn't stop it sooner. Just hold on, my love, it'll all be okay -"

Doesn't want to let go of you. Mostly because they're injured and exhausted too, but also because it's easier not to let you see how badly they're hurt if you're both hiding in each other's necks

Won't let you look at him until he heals you first

When you do, you have a to keep a strong face, or you know they'll cover it up and take care of it themself. You didn't get through the barrier, but it seems your powerful magic attacks did. Effectively

The arm that was holding up the shield has bruises and cuts all over it. There's angry red lines reaching from his elbow across his chest where you apparently sent lightning dancing over it

They let you heal them because they know it'll help you, but they won't talk about such a painful thing openly. They don't want you to feel like you have to apologize. The nightmares think otherwise

When he does talk about it, it was seeing you so scared of him, like he was a threat to you. Like he'd hurt you. It's his greatest fear

Nadia

You open your eyes to find yourself at the other end of her drawn sword, the blade carefully hovering at an angle where only the flat of it will strike you. Her eyes look wide and scared - vulnerable

You can tell she's been moving defensively this whole time because she doesn't take advantage of your sudden pause. Rather, she watches you cautiously as you sink to the ground

She wants to believe it's over, but she's not putting her sword away until she knows for certain that it's done. Prove you're back to her

Can't bring herself to touch you or to let you touch her until you're both finished talking. You need to tell her what happened to make you act like that. She needs you to know what she did and why

She did everything she could not to hurt you. She promises

Doesn't hold it against you at all. She knew from the moment your eyes went hazy that you weren't acting of your own volition, and she feels truly sorry for the frightening thing you must've endured

But that doesn't change how startling it was to be on the receiving end of your fear and aggression. She needs to know you're okay. She needs to know she's okay. She needs to know it'll stay that way

Has a Palace medic tend to your wounds separately, but does eventually let you use healing magic on her once she's comfortable with your touch again (though that might take a few hours at least)

Insists on holding you close that night and the following evenings. She knows she's safe with you and refuses to feel otherwise

Muriel

The more your vision clears, the more your terror changes to horror. He did nothing to stop you. He did nothing to stop you

The blood trickling down his temple meets with several gashes on his jaw and neck, there's jagged gouges across his chest and shoulders, and bruises already blooming across his stomach

And yet he's giving you the gentlest look, reaching out to you slowly the same way you've seen him calm wounded beasts in the forest. You've still done much more damage than a scared rabbit

Doesn't say much, just catches you by the shoulders when you start to fall and carefully cradles your cheek when you start to cry

You don't realize how much trauma he's fighting until you've made it back to the hut and the fine tremble in his hands hasn't left

And it's because he's so busy fighting his own awful memories that he accidentally shuts you out, not saying a word, not hearing a word, turning away after setting you down so you can't see him numbly dab at his wounds and try to get the blood out of his sight

Doesn't start to break until you start to break. Somewhere in his mind is a conviction that he's not allowed to feel bad about this because he's had worse, and your tears are his permission

Healing really begins late that night as he holds you in his lap by the fire, learning to let his own tears fall while you tend to his injuries and lament the fact that Muriel didn't protect the person most precious to you - himself

Portia

When the haze lifts, you're flat on your back, all of Portia's weight on your middle while she pins your hands to the ground above your head. The worst part is that she's openly sobbing

You can feel throbbing aches and pains all over your body where you know she fought back and you've never been so happy to be injured in your life. Sadly, you still did a fair amount of damage

So relieved to see you stop struggling and recognize her that she collapses into hugging you and telling you it's over and it's okay and she loves you so much and she's so glad you're back

Furious at the mage that pulled this kind of trick on you, to the point that she can't even hear you bring it up without immediately venting all her anger at them and all the things they deserve

This accidentally makes it impossible for her to accept any kind of apology from you, because to her you're a victim. (which, you are, but that doesn't change the injuries your hands gave her)

Quick to try to cheer both of you up, dragging you home to her cottage, pulling out her first aid kit, and handing you what you need to patch her up while she gets started on you. It'll be okay

Starts processing it pretty openly the next day, at which point you're finally able to share more of how you felt through the whole thing and make the apologies you want to make (she forgives you)

There's a short period of time where you're both extra careful about consensual touch, but all in all, she bounces back quickly

Lucio

You can see his golden arm up and guarding his head while he readies his human hand to push you away again. His gaze is scared and worried, and yet vacant enough to know he's acting on instinct

Stays frozen as you fall, still mentally struggling to realize it's over, before finally collapsing next to you and reaching out to pull you into a hug. You're back. You're here. He's so glad you're here

Shaking and terrified that everything's going to fall apart after this. He just saw you more scared and angry than he's ever seen you before - as scared and angry as he's seen others often look at him

He knows deep down you were under a spell that made you see something else, but there's a worry present in his brain that this was actually you awakening to your true feelings about him

It doesn't help that he doesn't remember what all he did to fight back. Years of combat experience and battlefields kicked in, and all his thoughts went on hold while his body went on autopilot

And the last time someone he loved fought to kill him - well - it was his mother. That did not end well

He can't bring himself to care about injuries until he knows you won't leave him, until he knows you're going to work through this with him. Until he knows you can still love each other

Once you're reconciled and bandaged up, he's in his element. The amount of tender attention you're showing him is feeding his soul

Still subconsciously keeps his guard up around you, for a while

[glassartpeasants]

How to Love

Eustass Kid/Trafalgar Law x F!Reader

Warnings: angst, fluff, semi-slow burn?, beginnings to chapters are hard </3

A/N: yeah here we are. just wanted to set a light on what the base plan is. Also, this takes place RIGHT after the prologue ends. hopefully, it's good for a first chapter.

music playlist

~~~

Your heart beats harshly against your ribs as the events of only moments ago replay in your mind like a broken record. The images of the two most significant people in your world, your boyfriend and your best friend, betraying you, makes your head spin. It almost feels unreal, like a nightmare instead of reality.

But it wasn’t a dream. It was a harsh reality, a stark contrast to the life you thought you were living.

Instead of waking up next to your boyfriend, you find yourself in a disorienting place: your ex-best friend's ex-boyfriend's car. Random items you managed to grab scattered across the passenger side and on your lap. The smell of Eustass’s cologne, a scent that used to bring comfort, now only added to your heartbreak, still plaguing your nose.

“Thank you, Law. You really didn’t have to.” Despite being almost inaudible, Law still heard you like you were screaming. The tremble in your voice notifies him of his own inability to speak without breaking down.

“It’s fine. Thank you for telling me about (.....)-ya’s infidelity.” The fact you even told him in the first place shocked him. You had known (.....) for years, and she was your best friend, while you only had a class project with him. Given that it was a whole semester-long, you were willing to throw away a friendship just like that. 

“You're a good guy, Law. You don’t deserve to be cheated on. Whether we’re friends or strangers. I would have told you regardless. No one deserves such heartbreak.” Law can see tears slipping down your cheeks out of the corner of his eyes. The fact that you're trying to stay strong after being the one to discover the affair is admirable in a sense. It could also be that you didn’t want him to see you cry. The latter sounds more plausible.

“I'm glad I didn’t delete your number. It would have been awkward if I had tried to catch you at work.” A small, sad chuckle left your lips. The tension in the car was too much, and you needed something to keep your mind distracted so you didn’t start wailing in front of Law.

“That would have been a scene I’m grateful we avoided. I like to keep my private life and work life separate.” 

“I’m the same in a sense. I don’t tell my co-workers much except to recommend shows or movies. I know you're more of a book guy, but have you seen any shows or movies recently?”

“(.....)-ya made me watch a movie the other day. It was a horror movie.”

“Oh. Was it good?”

“No, it was terrible.” You couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at Law's cold tone.

“Bad effects, or was it a storyline issue?”

“I could’ve made a better movie with a budget of two dollars.” Even though tears still fall from your eyes against your wishes, Law manages to make you laugh to ease the pain.

“Well, have you read any good books recently?”

“Haven’t had the time.” Law’s admission made your eyes furrow together. You know the medical field could be rough, but there wasn't enough time for him to read?

"The bookworm hasn't read recently? Are you sure you're the real Law?" A small smile tugs at the corner of Law’s lips as he listens to you talk, but even he can only hide the effects of heartbreak for so long.

Whether Law knew it or not, you could see tiny droplets of water gather in his eyes. Seeing him trying to hold it together made it just a bit harder to prevent yourself from breaking down. You grip the seat of his car and try to regulate your breathing. Clenching your teeth together,  you lay your head on the window and look outside. The sudden tap of water hitting the glass makes you jump. You look around and watch as more water droplets start hitting the car. 

“It’s raining. I thought it was supposed to be sunny all day?”

“I thought so, too.” The thick, tense silence rose once again, making it hard to breathe. If there had been enough room, you would have curled yourself up in a ball and cried. But you could do that when you get to...

“Where are we going?”

“My apartment. Just for now.”

“Ah, okay. Do you have any alcohol at your place?”

“Maybe some (.....)-ya left. Why?”

“So we can drink away our sadness.”

“I’m not much of a drinker.” A second silence covers the car.

“So I can drink away our sadness.”

“We’ll see when we get there.”

~~~

Your feet feel heavy as you walk into Law’s apartment. It’s been a while since you’ve been inside it. After the project was finished, you stopped coming over. Law’s busy schedule and your own just didn’t mix. Sometimes, you’d text him to check up on him and ask him how he was doing. He’d take hours or a day to respond, but you never held it against him. He always answered before it had been 48 hours, so it was okay with you.

Looking around his apartment, you see things that hadn’t been there before: some plants, many pictures on the wall, a TV, and some knickknacks you recognize that belong to (.....). The atmosphere was more welcoming than when you first visited Law’s apartment. If an apartment could feel like a hospital waiting room, then that’d be Law’s place before (.....) put her touch on it.

Placing your things near the couch, you take a deep breath as you rub your sternum to try and soothe the pain in your chest. All the pictures of Law and (.....) smiling happily nailed to the walls made your throat go dry. The images of your own apartment clouded your vision as you remembered your own photos with Eustass. Pictures of times when you did matching Halloween costumes, went to concerts together, relaxed at a beach together, or the two of you would just stay home. Every picture held a memory. 

A once cherished memory is now tainted by the image of betrayal. No amount of effort can make that image disappear. Even your happiest memories become blurry when you hear (.....) calling out Eustass's name. It ignites a fiery rage inside you, and seeing (.....)'s face everywhere makes you clench your teeth. You feel like tearing apart every picture of Law and (.....) just to remove her face from your sight. Every bone in your body screams at you to lose control. To destroy everything that reminds you of Eustass and (.....) until it is nothing but microscopic pieces.

But you weren’t home. The home you once had was now lost to time. For now, your ‘home’ depends on whether Law will allow you to stay the night for tonight.

“You can stay the night on the couch for tonight if you want. I have blankets in the closet over there.” You let out an internal breath of relief from Law, answering your question without being asked.

“Thank you, Law. Can I make you dinner or something? Just so I can repay your kindness?” You watch Law lean against the kitchen counter before crossing his arms. His eyes staring out into space.

“I haven’t gone shopping yet this week, so I don’t have much.”

“I’m sure I can craft up something.”

“If you want, then go ahead.” The sound of a ringtone brings a silence to the both of you. You check your phone and see the screen’s black.

“I think it’s yours.” Pulling out his phone from his pocket, you watch Law look at the screen. A frown crosses his face immediately, letting you know the caller. Letting out a heavy sigh, you watch him answer the phone.

“What do you want (.....)-ya?” While you couldn’t understand what she was saying, the tone of her voice was frantic. You could hear sobs coming from the other line. Hearing them pissed you off to hell and back. Didn’t (.....) have a shred of decency? How dare she plead and beg after she committed such an act?

You had to sit on the couch to calm yourself down just so you wouldn’t start screaming at (.....) through the phone. As soon as your body relaxed on the couch, a wave of soreness came over you. It feels as if you’ve been working out for hours on end and only now stopped. Even your eyelids felt heavy as you feel tears starting to form and blur your vision. Trying to breathe normally falls short as you begin to hyperventilate. Your lungs burn as you can feel your throat constricting. It feels like you're swallowing your heart just to keep yourself quiet.

“I meant what I said (.....)-ya. I’m breaking up with you, and that’s final. You can come get your things tomorrow afternoon.” Hearing Law’s voice helped soothe a part of your aching soul. Hearing something other than your own ragged breathing helped calm down the streams of tears that were flowing down your face.

“I’m done talking with you (.....)-ya. Goodbye.” The sound of Law’s calls ending made you rub your face, trying to hide the tears that plagued you seconds ago.

“Your more civil than I would have been. I probably wouldn’t have even picked up her call.” Your voice cracked as you tried to let out a small laugh.

“She was asking me for a ride. Apparently, her and Eustass got in a fight, and he threw her out in the rain.” Scoffing in disbelief, you turn your head to look at Law, hoping he wouldn’t notice your puffy eyes.

“She asked you for a ride after cheating on you? Serves her right, getting thrown in the rain. Hope she gets a cold.” You can see Law’s body tremble and how he bites his lip. His eyes get glassy as he looks at the ceiling.

“Fucking a man.” Even from across the room, you can hear Law whispering to himself. You hated seeing him like this. Watching someone you care about hurt only adds to the pain you feel.

“Hey…do you wanna watch something to get our minds off them?”

“I should go back to work. They probably need me.” You let out a hum, hearing his words. A slight feeling of rejection crosses your mind, but you're quick to shake it off. The last thing you wanted was to make him uncomfortable. And if he was the type to work away his feelings, who were you to stop him?

“Well, drive safe. It sounds like the rain is hitting harder.” The sound of rain beating against the windows of Law’s apartment was finally acknowledged. Its beat almost matched Law’s own heartbeat as he thought about the phone call only minutes ago.

Hearing (.....)’s voice felt like nails on a chalkboard as she tried to explain what happened. The voice that once calmed his aching heart was now the reason it hurt. It was astonishing how fast his whole world flipped upside down. Earlier today, he couldn’t wait to come home and see (.....) and have her talk to him about her day. But now, instead of (.....) smiling at him, you were sitting on his couch with puffy eyes.

The way he could hear the tremble in your voice and how the light shined against the path of tears left on your face made his own wave of emotions try to surface. Even if he could tell you were trying hard to hold them back, he could see tears collect against your eyelashes. The sight had tears accumulating in his own eyes, making him look up at the ceiling to try and stop them. He didn’t need to show how bad (.....)’s betrayal has affected him. At least not in front of you.

Sure, you guys were going through the same thing together, but it wouldn’t help him or you if he let his own emotions out. It’d just be easier to shove them down, ignore them, and work until the pain left. He’s done it before, so he can do it again. 

“Um, Law?” Looking back down, he sees you standing in front of him. You refuse to meet his eyes as you fiddle with the bottom of your shirt.

“Yeah?”

“Can I hug you?” Law felt his heart skip a beat hearing your request. A part of him told himself no that he’d break down the moment you wrapped your arms around him. Yet, the voice of someone he used to know told him something different.

“Okay.” As soon as the words left his lips, he felt your body smushed up against his. Your arms held him in a tight embrace as the sound of your hushed sniffles made Law finally cave. Wrapping his own arms around you, a sense of comfort filled him. The feeling of being cared for once again was nice yet terrifying. As soon as the feeling would come, it’d leave just as fast.

But for now, he’ll indulge in your hold.

~~~

The blanket that wrapped around you did little to replicate Law’s hug. Sure, you were warm, but it wasn’t the same. It reminded you of how alone you were. You had no family in this city, and your only friends were (.....) and Law, but you wouldn’t count him as an option due to the current predicament. It felt like you were running in circles with every idea that popped into your head. Always leading to a dead end and making you start all over again.

You couldn’t go back home. It’d take you around three to four hours to drive there! Plus, you didn’t leave on a good note with your parents when you left for college. And if their last words to you were anything to go by, they didn’t want you back. You shake your head at the thought of your parents.

“No. No need to drag myself down even more thinking about them.” Slithering your hand out of your blanket cocoon, you grab your phone that was on your right. The black screen stared at you as it showed your reflection. Eyes red from tears earlier and a cut lip from biting on it so hard earlier.

A ding echoes across the empty apartment as the phone's black screen soon turns on. The quick flash makes your eyes burn before squinting to try and get used to the brightness. Once adjusted, you see a message from Law hiding in your notification bar.

-“I need a favor from you.”

-“Sure, what ya need?”

-“(.....)-ya is supposed to be getting her things this morning. I want you to make sure she takes everything and leaves her key in the dish by the door.”

A frown skims across your face as the thought of seeing (.....)’s face makes your stomach churn. It’s only been a day, and you're already forced to see her face? At the same time, Law did allow you to stay the night last night. So, despite your distaste for seeing (.....), you agreed.

-“Will do. Can count on me :)”

-“Thanks.”

-“How’s working going so far?”

-“Fine.”

-“That's good”

The urge to ask him what his plans were with you after you did him this favor ate at your conscience as soon as you sent that last text. Law was really the only one whose place you felt safe enough to sleep at. And he’s the only person you have in the entire city. You didn’t have a license since a lot of things were always within walking distance, so you never had a reason to. 

But now, you were on the complete other side of the city. What used to be a five-minute walk to your job now would take at least thirty minutes. You had no idea where anything was on this side of the city. Sure, you and Law would go grab an energy drink from the gas station when the two of you worked the night away on that old project, but that was two years ago. Who knows? Maybe that gas station doesn’t even exist anymore!

“Do you go here a lot?”

“To buy an energy drink and coffee every now and then.” The sound of small pebbles crunching under your and Law’s shoes goes unnoticed as you walk next to him.

“Okay, so every day then?” A laugh escapes your lips as Law rolls his eyes, yet a small smile plays against his lips.

“This gas station is the only place that sells my favorite one.”

“Which is?”

“Can’t tell you. What if you take it?” A smirk appears on his lips as he puts his hands in his pockets. Scoffing, you place your hand on your chest in fake offense.

“I can’t believe you’d think so lowly of me. Stealing your beloved drink? Only a monster could be so heartless!” Hearing Law let out a chuckle from your words made a heavy feeling of confidence run through your veins. He was always relatively quiet when in class, so it was nice to see him show emotion other than ‘bored.’

“How much farther? I’m dying to know the favorite drink of the future best doctor in the world.” A faint pink tints Law’s skin as he tries to look away from you, hoping you don’t see what your comment did to him.

“You really think so?” Despite trying to copy your playful tone, you can hear his self-doubt and hopefulness that your words were true.

“I know so! No one works harder than you! If anyone says otherwise, tell me and I’ll kick their ass.” Law could feel his palms grow sweaty, and his heart beat a little faster. 

Sure, he’s gotten praise from his teacher, but hearing it come from someone he had just met and barely knew felt a little more sincere? Why, he didn’t know, but he won’t complain.

“Will do.”

KNOCK KNOCK

The sound of light knowing pulls you from your memories. Looking up at the clock, you see it’s nearly three pm. You sigh as you shed the multiple layers of blankets you were snuggled in. The rage and anger from yesterday are still strong in your system, making you clench your fists. You walk towards the door when you hear your fingers popping from the sheer force. Unlocking it, you take a deep breath before fully opening it.

In front of you stood a very unkempt (.....). Her hair was in a messy ponytail, accompanied by red eyes and a red face. Makeup from the night before was still applied to her skin as mascara streaked down her face. Your eyes even caught the barely covered hickeys and bite marks that shined through her concealer.

“(Y-Y/N)?...Why are you…Where’s Law?” Her pitiful voice made you squeeze the doorknob tighter to try and calm yourself.

“He’s at work. Not that it’s any of your business, but he was kind enough to let me spend the night.” Your eyes narrowed at her as you couldn’t help but glare daggers at the marks on her neck. Noticing your stare, (.....) moved her shoulder to cover her neck.

“I see…” You move to let her in and shut the door behind her. She lets out a shaky breath before beginning to take down the multiple pictures hanging along the wall. The sound of sniffles hits your ears as you watch her grab the frames with shaky hands. Listening to her hold back tears made you struggle to hold your own.

How could she have done this? Years of friendship only to throw it away for some dick? Did you mean so little to her? You’ve been with her for everything! Breakups, grandparents passing, getting in trouble together, anything and everything you’ve done for her! If she needed a kidney transplant, you would’ve volunteered right away!

Now, seeing how a friendship can easily be thrown away like trash after years made bitterness fill your heart. If your best friend and boyfriend could betray you without so much of a second thought, what does that say about the strangers all around you?

What does that say about you? Did you do something to deserve this? Was (.....) mad at you and thought fucking your lover would get back at you? There had to be a reason. To be an explanation for the horror you saw yesterday. Maybe after a drink or two after (.....) leaves will calm you down.

~~~

“You got everything?”

“Yeah.” Just as she was about to walk out the door, you remembered that she still hadn't given you the key.

“I need the apartment key.” Putting your hand out, you move your eyes to your hand and back at her.

“I-I don’t have it.” Furrowing your brows, you sigh.

“Don’t bullshit me. I’ve known you for years, and I know when you lie. Now give me the goddamn keys (.....).” You watch (.....) bite her lip before digging into her jacket pocket. The light shined off the key as she gently put it in your hands.

“Can you say goodbye to Bepo for me?” Confusion hit you like a train at her request.

“What the hell are-you know what? Fine. I’ll say bye.”

“Thanks.” Closing the door, you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. After locking the door behind her, you placed her old key in the dish Law has near the door for his keys. (.....) request puzzled you as you tried to think of what she was talking about.

“What the hell is a Bepo?”

Just then, a light pitter-patter echos in the apartment. Your heart stops as the sound gets closer. There shouldn’t be anyone else in the apartment but you. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you try to move quietly towards the kitchen to grab something to defend yourself.

“Meow!” You stop in your tracks upon hearing that noise. Embarrassment floods your body as you move even closer to the noise. Upon turning the corner, you see a white cat walking in your direction. A big white cat.

“Can’t believe I got spooked by a damn cat. Didn’t even know Law had a cat…a fatass one nonetheless.” Bending down, you move your hand to let the cat smell you. A smile appears on your face when it rubs against you.

“Hmm? What’s this?” Moving the fluff from his neck, you see a collar with a tag. Squinting your eyes, you finally see the name engraved on the tag.

“Ohhh…your Bepo! Well, aren’t you a cutie-pie?” With (.....) 's request finally making sense, you fight to actually fulfill it. With a sigh, you pick up Bepo and hold him gently. 

“Let’s send your dad a selfie. I think he’ll appreciate it.” You go to the couch, pick up your phone, and find the right angle for the picture. When you find the right spot, you smile as Bepo rubs his head against your face.

“Say cheese!”

~~~

It’d been a long day at the hospital. It felt like nothing went right. Sure, he put in his all, but he had to tell people how they were diagnosed with a terminal illness or dealing with dumb co-workers. The only good thing today did for him was keep (.....) out of his head. But now that work was over, the nagging thoughts could finally bother him once more.

Sighing as he unlocked his apartment door, he was immediately hit with the smell of something cooking. Whatever it was, it smelled good, and he was happy that he didn’t have to make anything tonight. When he went to put his keys in the dish designated for them, he saw (.....)’s key lying in the middle. A wave of relief washed over him as he finished taking off his shoes and coat.

“Oh, Law, are you home?” Your voice rings in his ears as he walks further into his apartment. He spots you setting up the table while humming to yourself.

“Yeah, I’m back. Did you make something?”

“Well, you’ve been at work for sixteen hours, so obviously, you should be hungry! Not to mention that you deserved a home-cooked meal after working so hard.” Moving closer to the dinner table, he sees a plate of grilled fish along with a can of what looks to be sparkling water. The smell of his favorite food drew him closer, and he felt a sense of calm filled him. It’d be the second night in a row you made him dinner.

“Where did you get the fish? I don’t remember having any?”

“Oh, after (.....) took her stuff and left, I used GPS to find a store nearby, and there was an organic type of food store only two blocks away! So I went shopping and got things! Except for beverages, so I stopped by the gas station we used to go to and got sparkling water 'cause you don’t drink and no way you’d drink an energy boost at eight pm.” You continued talking, but it was lost on Law’s ears as he stared at the set-up table. The fact you put yourself to go grocery shopping and making him dinner made his sour mood from only moments ago lighten.

“Thank you.” As he moves to wash his hands in the sink, he sees his beloved cat following you and purring.

“I see you’ve met Bepo.” Upon speaking, the cat changed his attention to Law. Bepo begins to meow as he prances towards Law’s feet before rubbing against them. Leaning down, Law gives him a few pets before washing his hands.

“I didn’t even know you had a cat. Did you just get him?”

“No. I’ve had him for almost a year and a half. Why?” He watches you lift your eyebrows and look at Bepo before looking back at Law.

“What?”

“Law. Do you see how big that cat is?” Despite just washing his hands, Law picks up Bepo and holds him in his arms.

“What about it? He’s growing.”

“That cat is obese. He needs a diet.”

“Bepo is perfect the way he is.” You couldn’t help but giggle as you watched him hold Bepo protectively and away from you.

“You can be delusional all you want, but come eat before the food gets cold.” Turning your back, you begin to dish up after washing your hands. You can hear Law rewashing his own before sitting on the opposite side of the table.

As awkward as it may be, the presence of one another brings a slight calm to your new chaotic world.

~~~

TAGLIST: @yuki190 @stachelrose @loraleiii @axcel-lucci @st4rfevrr @rexspersonalhell @nanapurinpurin @elen-alambil @starlightkitten19 @bby-deerling @queenofthekill @chaes-tea @emmaiscool22 @shuujin @augustanna @likeliterallywtf @iraaiitz @cherrybomb5000 @lavenderkaye106 @jabean @wrennyx @jamaicaa-blakee @ashortdork @kat2tired @nerdgeekandeverysweet-blog @getsue @kaptain-rebekah @reigenmagnet @rebeccawinters @keenzinemugstudent @mydearlybeloathed @firefistussy @throne-inmyside @littleleelee @thepurpleempath @yuji4lierrr @whodissbitj @slut-for-buck i hope i got everyone and if i didn't im sorry. I tried writing everyone's names

[fivelasanctum]

Dark Fivela *Five Edition*

Update on the nightmare sequence. Apparently they filmed it with five which hits hard in the feels. He could be holding on to his own sanity but it's precarious at best. Would be romantic but also depressing if Lila and Five had the same nightmares of losing the other to insanity. Lila has been called 'Crazy Lady' but it's five who has danced with madness multiple times in his life. Some outwardly, some from his past and emotions/feelings underneath the surface. Ironic given the from the montage, he seemed like he was her rock. Which makes sense since this is Lila's first rodeo with dealing with it to this degree. Five here, doesn't look as unhinged as Lila but might be worse. He stares listlessly at her. No emotion. The opposite of love isn't always hate but apathy. He surrenders to the impulse to give up. Foreshadowing of his suicidal, broken hearted mindset at the end of the season. If he doesn't have her, he rather let the world burn. Go back to their purgatory alone to be lost physically and in the mind or worse...end himself. He saw himself when he was on that course but in the end...death would happen. Just about how one dies. (Least they had a chance to communicate with their eyes and hold each other) He slowly backs away from her. Abandoning lila to it all. Going into the light of the cracked open subway. Symbolically it's beautiful. Where as they cursed the subway often for their predicament; it was their safe haven from the horrors they could face outside of the time stops. A place for them to laugh, share stories...where they truly sat down to know each other. In this case, can represent the mind. Given how five was going towards the broken opening of it. It's ambiguous given the short clip but if you look between the lines, Lila's own fears were manifesting. Yes being alone like Five suffered for 45 years but something more there with him walking away. Not having warmth in his eyes. Not caring (loving) her anymore and shutting down. Leaving everything behind. This was early in their subway travels so could show that she did already love him but was hidden under denial and how it would look like. Perhaps, scared if she did reveal her feelings too early...the judgements from Five since one would think he would be more loyal to his family over someone who cares for him (at this point she could have been unsure) The fear of losing him by misreading the emotions but also the domino effect of the entire family closing her out if it wasn't reciprocated. Their is her complications with kids and still being married and all ^^; Or this was a sobering moment in the nightmare, causing her to realize how much she had grown to care for him (outside of reliance for survival) if she lost him completely to insanity. Much to ponder with these clips. This song came to my mind with this whole concept. If we had more darker fivela scenes I could imagine all the edits with the song. Missed opportunities... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn862pSFe_M

[verfound]

FIC: "Still You" (MLB; Lukanette; LBSC Lukanette Month 2024)

@lovebugs-and-snakecharmers is doing a Lukanette Month for September 2024, and we all just kinda tossed some prompts in the disco to compile a list?  We ended up with 71 prompts, so I decided I’d roll some dice to pick a prompt, do a twenty minute (ish, bc we all know sometimes they run away from me) sprint, and try to get some short fics out this month?

Read on Ao3

Prompt 61: “Look, I know I don’t deserve a second chance.  But I’m hoping you’ll let me have one anyway.”

The Liberty had never felt so…imposing before.

Everything felt imposing just then, though.

The city felt like it was growing up around her, higher and higher until every bright and beautiful and good thing was blotted out by cold and hard and dark.

She didn’t usually have this much trouble shaking akuma effects.

It…had been a long time since one had gotten to her like this.

But being trapped in that dream…in that nightmare…it had been too much.

She could take a lot of things.  She just…she couldn’t take that.

And as she broke through the buildings and onto the walk along the Seine, as the familiar barge came into view with its bright and chaotic clash of colors – with that stupid face she used to think had been painted on to scare police away until Luka had told her otherwise grinning back at her – she felt her throat tighten again.  Her feet slowed to a stop just shy of the gangway, and she found herself staring up at the boat like…like…

He would be there.

He had to be there.

He almost always was – he definitely was, when she needed him.

…and she needed him now.

So…why did she feel like he’d be gone?

It’s just the akuma, she reminded herself.  It’s just a bad dream.

Luka wouldn’t say those things.

Luka would never…Luka loves you.

…loved.  He had loved her.  Back before he’d come back, before he’d left the first time.  Before she’d broken his heart and made him go.

How could she possibly hope he would still be there, waiting for her now?

She started running again, blindly – barely aware of the startled shout of the Captain as she burst past her.  Barely aware of anything beyond getting below, through the galley, past the door and to…

“Marinette?”

He was there.

She crashed into him, her arms wrapping tight around him and her head burrowing against his chest as she knocked them back.  He fell onto his bed, his arms immediately coming up to hold her close as she openly wept into his shirt.  If she had bothered looking up – if she had been able to see through her tears – she would have seen the baffled expression on his face, but all she was really aware of was the warmth of him beneath her, the security she felt with his arms around her, the peace that fought to sink its way in through her panic.

“Shhh, shhh, melody, it’s all right,” he murmured, a hand rubbing up and down her back.  He didn’t ask what had happened – of course he didn’t.  He had probably seen the akuma alert.  Even if he hadn’t been there for the battle, he had to have known.  “It’s over.  It wasn’t real.”

“It could be,” she gasped, her fist tightening in his shirt.  “It should be.”

He didn’t press for more.

He never did.

He was too good like that.

“…I can’t do this anymore, Luka,” she croaked, shaking her head.

“Do what, Marinette?” he asked, his voice too soft and kind for how horrible she felt.

“I can’t love you anymore,” she choked out.  She was dimly aware of him…tensing.  Freezing?  Beneath her.  His hand on her back was suddenly too still, and it felt like even his breathing had slowed.  She groaned and pushed her face against his chest.  “Not when you don’t know.  And even if you do know.  It’s unfair to you.  You deserve so much better, and I know I ruined us.  I know I ruined it all, and I don’t deserve a second chance, but I want one, Luka.  I want you.  I want –”

…she was hit by a sudden feeling of vertigo, like the akuma had grabbed her again and was hurtling her into another reality – only it couldn’t have been the akuma, because nothing good ever came from akumas, and this…this…

Luka had both pushed her away and pulled her up, rolling them until he was pressing her back into his bed as he kissed her senseless – or tried to.  And she just laid there, staring at him with wide eyes, as he held her face in his hands and gently coaxed her mouth to move with his and…her eyes were just starting to close as he started to pull away, but she wasn’t ready for him to pull away yet.  She reached up to pull him back, her hands twisting in his hair as she dragged his mouth back to hers, and oh, that was better…

She had kissed people before.

Most of them had been…not exactly her choice.  Usually because of an akuma.  Because she had to – never because she wanted to.

…she had never kissed Luka before.

And if this was what kissing Luka was like…

“No,” she gasped when he tried to pull away again.  His chuckle was warm and filled up her insides, like honey in her favorite tea.  His nose brushed against her cheek, and she whined as she tried to pull his mouth back to hers.  She wasn’t ready yet – she wasn’t done with him yet.

“No?” he asked, his voice somehow lower than that damn chuckle.  She squirmed beneath him, sighing when his lips pressed against her cheek.

“I mean yes,” she huffed, tugging his hair.  She opened her eyes to look up at him, a pout definitely on her face, and oh the way he was looking at her…she felt…gooey.  “I…please don’t stop?”

“…never,” he whispered, kissing her again.  He was practically beaming at her when he pulled back.  “I have no idea what the hell that akuma did, but thank God.”

“…what?” she asked, blinking up at him.  He shook his head, his smile slipping.

“No, not…I mean.  Not that it scared you like that – that’s not ok,” he said, leaning his forehead on hers.  “But…it got you here.  It made you say that.  It…yes, Marinette.  Hell yes.”

“…yes?” she asked, uncertain.  Just uncertain enough that he apparently decided he needed to kiss her again to chase it away.

“Hell.  Yes,” he said, emphasizing each word with a kiss.  “Marinette…you crazy, wonderful, absolutely insane girl…”

He dropped to the bed beside her with a sigh, curling his arm around her to gather her to his chest.  He kissed her again, and then once more.  She hoped that meant he was enjoying kissing her as much as she was enjoying kissing him.

“You can have all my second chances,” he said, leaning his forehead against hers as his hand traced absent lines along her back.  “And then some.”

“…forever?” she asked, peeking up at him.  His smile was so…so…stupid.

She loved it.

She loved him.

“Forever,” he promised, pulling her back to him.

The Liberty suddenly didn’t feel so imposing anymore, once again a symbol of everything that was bright and beautiful and good in her world.

[prettyflyshyguy]

If anyone needs me I'll be on the floor, in a pile of emotional goop, thinking about the VA line delivery of "But I'm not human, am I? Not anymore." and what could have been if we had a little more of the alienation, disconnection and isolation of being so completely different and being spited by that despite how hard you try to still be good and be human in the Blue Karma storyline.

Like I love and adore the Blue Karma storyline but I just really really wish we got a little more of the pain built up from all the shit Cole went through in inF1 and we got a little more nuance of that pain coming out.

I get why they went for such a stark contrast of tone between the two runs because it'd be a nightmare to try and inject more subtle variety depending on karma level at any given moment (and having worked on a videogame with a strict one-go linear story I couldn't imagine trying to effectively make two different ones) but it just leaves me feeling so hungry for a little more gradual degradation. A little more grey morality takes.

What if we had an inF1 Good run that turned into a Red run of 2 slowly. Cole goes through so much, arrives in New Marais, and something begins to snap. He hit his breaking point at the end of 1/start of 2 and the cracks have formed and it's a beautiful, tragic, downward spiral of him getting worse. It starts off subtle. "I don't have time to help any random person on the street" - gradually turns into complete spite for how he's treated, fully accepting and embracing he's the Demon of Empire City.

And to elaborate - I want to see a Blue run where he snaps a little. Not so much in actions but in emotion. People either look at him like he's a monster or he's the second coming of christ but no one see's him as a person. He's a figurehead to be crucified one way or another. He's a de-facto hero of the people whenever anything goes wrong.

He no longer has any autonomy over his life.

Bouncing between people praising him and demonising him when they literally do not know him. He can't go anywhere without being recognised. No interaction is normal anymore. People are afraid of him. People smother him. He sticks to the rooftops cause no one looks up and it's the only place to find peace. He can't wander the streets for long until a group of protesters shows up chanting for his death and spitting in his face.

He is distinctly something other, everyone views him as something other (good and bad) - he's not like everyone else so therefore, he's not truly human anymore. Conduit, not human.

And fuck, man, that's gotta get to you. Sonic the hedgehog effect - you slow down too long the horrors catch up to you and you're forced to address them. Think about them. You keep running and maybe you can escape them. And yeah, he runs a lot in 2, but I want to see him stumble a little.

[maramirror11]

Neon Wings

These are just my thoughts on this AMAZING series and I don't have someone to dump this so here we go.

Spoiler warning for both The Neon Barbarian and Neon Wings.

I've never done this and English grammar isn't my strong point.

I wasn't expecting a sequel for TNB. But the world was too interesting to not make more. So, I was surprised that NW went in a different direction. It's Raven's story and it SHOWS.

I love how the audience is able to witness Raven's past and compare it with the present.

I enjoy making the backstories of Listeners based on the little information we have. However, it feels different to just hear about their past from BE THERE to understand what they went through.

Because for me the two series are one big story. Of course, you can see one and not the other. Still, it hits different when you see both.

I like the idea of Crow not going back. It'll defeat the purpose of the story. (Don't get me wrong I LOVE CROW, I MISS HIM). Yet, if he comes back, it'll be awkward since Raven is different. Time has moved on and he will be stuck in the past again.

For me, Raven changes from being someone open to knowing new people to becoming this person with emotional walls. In both she's still kind and a badass, but it's different.

It took her TWO days to give Ivan the pie unlike with Crow that it took a few hours to invite him to her house.

One of my favorite parts of this series were the moments Raven had a panic attack. Sure, almost every video has loud banging or shooting noises.

But with these ones, you can FEEL how UNCOMFORTABLE she is. How there is nowhere to run, no way to get the sound quiet down. How the sirens and shooting noises never left her head as she just stayed there, incapable to do something.

The way music is used is another favorite part. Out of Touch means so much for her, both good and bad. I forgot the music was playing WHILE Crow was being shot.

That's why in her nightmare, after Ivan gets shot, it sounds a distorted version. It's the story repenting itself all over again.

Just for her to claim the song while they fight against Luke. Love the detail. The final song Chicago was *chef kiss*. It's a new song for a new life and it fits PERFECTLY.

ALSO, THE FIGHTING AND SOLO SCENES OMGGG. You KNOW what Raven does and what they do to her, from hand to hand combat to guns.

Also, there are many scenes where she doesn't interact with anyone and still understand what happened. Like when she goes back home from the incident and just drops to her couch/bed.

Lemme talk about Ivan. I was surprised with Ivan's attitude. He is always calm and never actually cursed. I thought that his reaction to Raven's old job was something he was OK with but couldn't participate.

He's so kind with everyone and his struggle NOT TO drop facts about the things he likes is relatable. HE'S SO AFFECTIONATE WITH RAVEN AND PALOMA, I LOVE HIM.

At the end, he curses and gives effective strategies to kill the other mercenaries. On top of that, he ended up shooting someone, so I think I didn’t give Ivan enough credit.

The fact that he has a kind heart, doesn't mean he's not brave enough to protect the ones he cares about. They became The Power Couple. Relationship Goals indeed.

It was a hard task to give Raven another love interest since Crow is so loved by the fans. And I admit it was handled very well. For both Crow and Michelle.

I appreciate how Michelle is not a competition. For me, she had the right to be upset at the beginning. It was a dangerous and new situation. She just wanted to protect her family.

Probably Ivan talked to her and explained the situation better, since Michelle doesn't blame Raven again at the end.

My question right now is, WHY Raven took Ivan with her??? He can't run and doesn't have that much experience in combat.

Maybe they felt safe with each other. I mean, Raven IS a mercenary and fought 3 armed guys alone. Also, why was she so open to listen to Luke? He knows most about Para M and would benefit from her death. I still need to give it more thought.

There are still some things that kept me thinking about the other stuff that weren't shown. One is that Danny is never brought up again. I understand that she was not as important as Crow in the story but STILL.

She died saving her identity from Louis and now Raven takes care of her cat. I just wonder if Danny was for Raven, another victim of the circumstances or they were friends.

Also, the disaster that created the super genits (i'm sorry if I wrote it wrong) is never brought up again. But I think it's because it takes place far away from the original incident. Something that is never stated as well, are Danny and Crow buried somewhere?.

Lastly, I always keep this writing advice in mind. Characters of a story can't be the same at the beginning and at the end. The scene that brought me that thought was when Raven got shot. I'm pretty sure she couldn't hear Crow's words before this moment.

Seeing him one last time and being in the situation she wanted for so long, it shows how much she grew. Raven from the beginning would've accepted to die.

But she couldn't, there was something worth living for. Raven had her closure with her past and now it's ready for the future. IT MADE ME EMOTIONAL 😭.

Now Raven can live her life again the way she wants. She leaves her old name and life behind. Not seeing the next sunrise but to enjoy it as well.

It's like those stories even if you get spoilers, it's not the same as experience it.

That's all.

[a30somethingslookatpopculture]

A Nightmare On Elm Street Movies - RANKED!

You’ll find that my list is filled with hot takes, as I find my taste in these films is just different than most peoples. So here goes… 

9️⃣ - A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child

I don't have much to say about this one. It's just absurd amped up to a million. About as over-the-top as the later Freddy films could get! The effects began to get worse as the series went on. I do like the comic/A-Ha part, though. So there's at least something to like about it. The Son of 1000 maniacs asylum scene near the beginning was good...with a quick appearance by Robert Englund himself!. I have a hard time deciding sometimes which film I like the least, this one or Freddy's Dead. But, idk, I think I like more stuff in Freddy's Dead. I barely like any of this film. 

8️⃣ - Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

This one’s really just Dream Warriors 2.0...but not nearly as good. Actually, it recycles a lot from the series thus far. It’s not great, but I do find things in it to enjoy. The Powerglove scene is by far my favorite. Who knew we needed to see Freddy Krueger playing Nintendo! I enjoy the Wizard Of Oz nod, and the (sort of) Johnny Depp cameo on the tv. And of course, Alice Cooper as Freddy’s father! 

7️⃣ - Wes Craven's New Nightmare

I love the whole meta storyline that sort of ushered in things like Scream later on. I really didn't care much for any of the climax or ending stuff, though. Upon a fresh watch of this, my thoughts changed. I remember really loving it when I first saw it. The ending sours that now. I don't know, it just doesn't work for me somehow. Really the only thing that makes this installment a little more enjoyable for me than the two above entries is the meta aspect. I like seeing Robert, Wes and Heather as themselves and not as their characters or a just name in the credits. 

6️⃣ -  A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)

This is a hot take…but I don't think this one is treated fairly. It's not perfect by any means but more enjoyable than some of those later sequels, in my opinion. it stuck to Freddy lore and made him scary again...as opposed to the absolute joke he later became. This film didn't try to tell the exact same story. It has some fresh stuff added to it, and I love that! I like having alternative storylines (which is why I love comics). One aspect that I think is both hit and miss is that when they did try to recreate iconic scenes, they often fell flat. Given that these scenes used CGI effects as opposed to the original’s practical effects, it really shows. These were nice homages, but were otherwise pointless. I’m not too fond of them being way more direct about Freddy's pedophiliac past, where the others only hinted at it. But the backstory is kind of a nice addition. Jackie Earle Haley did as well as anyone could have with such shoes to fill. NOBODY ON THIS PLANET will ever fill Robert's shoes. That's a given. But JEH gave a solid performance and I'm tired of everyone pretending he didn't. It's a shame people didn't give this an objective chance, because Freddy can't live on now that Robert's retired from the role. I will say, though, that Freddy’s makeup looks pretty awful in this one. I’ll give you guys that. 

5️⃣ - Freddy Vs. Jason

This is a way more Freddy centric film, so I am including it on this list. Jason is my favorite and Freddy is my brother's, so we were really excited to see this one when it came out. I remember it was the only movie my family ever bought on Pay-Per-View when I was a child. This one went through years of development hell. The end result might not be idyllic, and is a bit silly, but it is so much fun to watch! Freddy uses Jason to fuel the fear on Elm Street and help him come back. There’s plenty of creative Freddy kills and brutal Jason kills. The rave with Jason on fire in the corn field with the machete is chef's kiss! And it really racks up the # of kills! The bed folded in half always stuck with me, too. The stan in me loves seeing Pamela Voorhees return, albeit as one of Freddy’s tricks. And the showdown between Freddy & Jason was easily the best part. It’s what we all came to see. Freddy had the advantage earlier in the dream world fight, but Jason obviously kicks ass in the real world. Jason being afraid of water is a bit wild, considering most of his movies involve him being in it. But whatever. Let's be real, they gave Freddy more credit in the real world fight than he would realistically have. I do so love the ending, where there’s a literal “wink” and no clear winner…though one man sure seems to look a lot more victorious. 

4️⃣ - A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Here we see the return of Nancy Thompson (and her dad). And get the introduction to the "Dream Warriors", a group of kids who fight Freddy with their... dream powers? It’s not exactly in-line with the first movie, but then again none of them are. This film is chocked full of iconic (and inventive) Freddy kills and one-liners! The TV kill and “Welcome to prime time, bitch” line stand out the most. We even get a brief scene of stop motion! Kincaid is hilarious! And the dream sequence fight between the Dream Warriors and Freddy is easily among the top scenes in the franchise! Dokken’s “Dream Warriors” song is pretty amazing, too. This is definitely one of the better made movies in the series. I'm just not as partial to it as most people seem to be. 

3️⃣ - A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

There’s just something about this one that I love more than all of the above entries. Despite how absolutely absurd it is at times. We see the return of the surviving Dream Warriors… for a minute. I particularly love Kristen Parker, now played by Tuesday Knight. Kincaid is, well, Kincaid. Which is always great. And hey, did you catch the name of his dog? (It’s Jason). Debbie’s death is super creative and gross, playing off of her biggest fear. The pizza and waterbed scenes stuck with me my whole life, and I can’t not think of them when I'm around those things. And the soundtrack to this one is superb! 

2️⃣ - A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge 

Now for quite possibly the hottest take of this whole list. Freddy’s Revenge is fun! Jesse’s little dance cracks me up every time, and I don’t mind at all that this film is very, very gay! Watch it for yourself, you’ll see what I mean lol All that aside, I would venture to say that this film has the scariest Freddy. Excluding that silly little pool scene where he’s just running around like a big goof (which I love). With the power to literally possess and take over your body, I don’t know how he could be scarier than that. The “you are all my children now" & "you've got the body, I've got the brain" lines are by far some of my favorites in the whole franchise. My only real complaint about this one is that the ending left me feeling kinda unfulfilled and unsure what to think of it. 

1️⃣ - A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

There's not much I can say about this one that hasn't been said a million times before. So I won’t repeat it. It's just an absolute master class in horror! It even has one of the best final girls in all of slasher history! Nancy Thompson is as capable and smart as any teenage girl has any right to be! Dare I say she deserves to be up there with the likes of Ellen Ripley or Sarah Connor of female movie badassses? She could probably even teach Kevin Mccalister a thing or two about homemade traps! Robert Englund is at his best as Freddy Krueger in this film, and far more menacing than most of the other entries. This film works just as well on it’s own and really doesn’t even need a sequel. 

[omniblades-and-stars]

2024 FIC WRAPPED

Tagged by @teamdilf - thanks my friend!

Words posted: 42,888

Additional words written: Hmm, let's see ... I'll see if I can get a rough idea. Looks like roughly 35,000 or so.

Fandoms: Mass Effect and Dragon Age to the absolute surprise of no one.

Highest Kudos: Pass the Knife - 81 Kudos (Mass Effect)

Highest Hit Oneshot: Dear Joker - 250 Hits (Mass Effect)

New Things I Tried: This was the year that I dipped my toes a couple of times into ships other than Shaeed and Shakarian. I also just allowed myself to write a bunch of short little things for prompts and I really enjoyed that. This year was also just for having fun and following my weird little heart.

Fic I Spent the Most Time On: That's definitely going to be Pass The Knife, as I actually started writing this in June or July 2023 and I am nowhere closed to finished.

Fic that I Spent the Least Amount of Time On: Hard to say but I think it's probably going to be Defy. It was a short little prompt fill that didn't take me long at all, but I am actually very proud of it. It's a bit experimental. And kind of a gut punch.

Favorite Thing I Wrote: I am once again shouting from the rooftops for literally everyone to please go and read blood & grenadine!! It's sooo much fucking fun. Who cares if you're not into a Zakarian ship? You won't regret it, and you will have a great time reading it the whole time. It's a oneshot too, so it won't take much effort.

Favorite Things I Read: Mapmaking by teasoni - I'm back on my Dragon Age: Origins bullshit again and I am obsessed with Bann Teagan and the Hero of Ferelden. Smutty smutty oneshot. XII. press your fingers to my weary eyes by korble - Korbie knows me too well and this Bray/Femshep piece is both sexy and will hurt your heart in all the right ways. Stellar Parallax by korble - Korb's in progress no Reapers AU has me by the fucking throat. As A Stranger Or A Friend? by writernopal - This is @writernopal's (hi!) original story that I have not finished reading (I'm so sorry Nopal I swear I will finish it, I'm just so bad at focusing my reading!) and it's so much fun. Do you like pirates? Do you like fantasy? Do you like lizardfolk, like a lot? Please go read it!

New Works: Oh lord, here we go...

- Holding On To Hell: Shaeed post-destroy ending trauma fest. Will make me cry (already has). Shepard isn't doing so great after she somehow survives the explosion on the Citadel. There are gaps in her mind where the Reapers used to be, where visions of the first big casualty of the war, Ashley Williams, takes root. Zaeed takes her to the middle of nowhere to try to live again after it all. Can they reconcile everything that's happened and their own feelings? Has Shepard lost her mind for good? All this and more once I sit my happy ass down and write it. - Tentatively titled: Moths to a Flame: Lavellan/Blackwall post Trespasser. After seeing Solas for who he really is, losing her connections to her clan and feeling lost at see, Valethen Lavellan asks to travel with Thom Rainier as he finishes his apology world tour. During that time, friends grow closer, as well as Valethen begins to plan a wild and desperate (albeit very crafty) plot to get Solas to talk to her once more, in an attempt to sway him from his path one more time. - Vainglory - Valethen Lavellan's origin story. A young mage, she goes off on a desperate bid to save her husband's life, who is dying of a mysterious wasting illness. She makes a deal with a spirit and everything goes devastatingly wrong. - Kith & Kin - Months before the events of the Divine's Conclave, Bahek Adaar is an up and coming member of the Valo-Kaas mercenary group. Eager to proof herself, everything seems to be going very well for the witty rogue. - placeholder title: The Flock - Just as the case of the mysterious death of a cult leader goes cold, a young detective joins the Agency for Criminal Investigations (a department within the bureaucratic nightmare that is Colonial and Extra-Planetary Affairs), and not all is as it seems. - placeholder title: No Happy Endings - Mór Cousland thought she had exactly the life she wanted. The daughter of a powerful Ferelden noble, she lived a life full of adventure by traveling often for combat tournaments and duels, and joining the rangers and scouts in Highever to help keep the lands her family holds safe from threats both natural and unnatural. That is until it is all ripped away from her on one fell night. Conscripted to the Grey Wardens in exchange for saving her life from Arl Howe's betrayal, she must learn what duty actually is, and grapple with the horrible things she must do to defeat an unthinkable evil: the Blight.

Tagging: @commander-krios, @sparatus, and @stormikins if you guys want!

[lynnerdo]

Played the DATV demo today!

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Spoilers under read more!

A more in depth, warning spoilers! #veilguardspoilers

- We didn't get to CC, that would take longer than 20 for sure haha.

- I got to see the startup screen as they had to change my language setting from French to English, and someone went 'woops spoilers' HAHA. It's much like the intro for ME legendary edition where the companions show one by one. Pretty.

- The demo allowed us to choose a class, without knowing which Rook we would get. We soon saw the faces we already got accustomed to. Our female elven warrior, human rogue and qunari mage making a reappearance.

-It started in the middle of a scene with Harding, where you're at a campfire and Rook has a conversation with her until they hear a screech. Assan spots them and 'attacks'. Davrin has his Disney prince entrance, (swoon) and continues to size up Rook. He mentions that something smells, and as purple Rook you can joke "It's not me, it's the tents" and the camera awkwardly glances to Harding in front of the tent, the tent having blight on it. Very "the office" camera humor.

- Davrin is ??? about Rook but decides to give them a chance and continues on with the mission.

- We got to use Assan to do some environmental changes, like letting things fall down as he flies up to them to cut a cord or drop something.

- I spent a good 5 minutes just looking around, the environment looked GORGEOUS? Like the lighting? insane????? Weisshaupt out of this world fr.

- Then you have the first battle, a whole bunch of darkspawn and they're fucking annoying. I fucked up with the controller and got into fly cam mode, WHICH. IS A THING. So my entire hud was gone hahaha. But yeah the enemies are relentless. Good luck nightmare mode people.

- No one really is a "tank" so they WILL target you effectively, which as a mage, on first try... oh boy.

- Someone (redacted) who Davrin knows. (I don't wanna spoil this but it's not a big deal lol, just in case people don't want to read it)

- You move onto the next part, another Assan environmental change, there's also loot you can get, things you can interact with. But all subtle so more immersive.

- Then a big boy happens. Darkspawn will be fucking annoying and that's great honestly. The combo features are amazing for dealing huge damage, and after a while you get an idea of when and who to combo with. It's a small learning curve.

- If you forget to heal in time Harding has a skill she uses so I ALMOST died but the dwarf wife saved me.

- Dodge will be one of the most used skills for sure. I almost got sliced in two multiple times.

- Blight is gooey and gross, reminded me of Mass Effect.

- I couldn't really listen to the music sadly as the sound on the headphones were quite low, but the voice acting was greaaat ofc.

- It sadly ended before another cutscene reveal at the end of the short mission, upon they told us "we can't show you the end of the mission now can we :) " WELL PLAYED.

Overall: I can't wait to start. Can't wait to make my Rook. And honestly, the more. I looked at my qunari Rook, the more I liked him. He had a beard and he was all sass. The skills/spells look so fucking cool when the slowmotion combos hit or when you drop from the sky into someone's face. Loved it!!!!!! If you haven't pre-ordered yet, please do.

[birdybirdnerd]

The Parable is SICK IT'S SICK IT'S SICK-

The cacophony is getting worse. The wreckage, the Parable eating itself and eating itself and eating it all. They need to escape but it's eating the very code around them, numbers fizzling into nothing and disappearing into the void within, it's eating those Narrators that thought themselves above it all, that thought themselves More.

Leigh's Narrator is the last to go, the last who fought to the bitter end while the others were shredded and used to feed the bottomless pit the broken Parable had become. Torn apart in a whirlwind of horrifying noises, of screams that will haunt their nightmares for months and in the sparse, calm moments thereafter. He pleads, begs for someone to save him, proclaims repentance and cries out his apologies to the world, to Leigh, but no one responds. No one moves to help, for it is all a lie borne to save his own skin, and they know he would do little more than drag anyone else who reach out back down with him into oblivion.

They watch as he, too, is devoured and reduced to nothing.

But it isn't enough. They had hoped the two of them, the most powerful two of the force that had done this, would be each other's end, would be the final tipping point that dispersed the sick and rotting code to nothing, but with the last of the fouled Narrators gone and Perry still there, they realize that it's not over. It's not over.

Static roars as the thing that was a Story, once, turns to them in it's own flavor of desperation, it's own cry of need of want of hunger keening out and rattling the walls of the office to its core. It turns to them in starts and fits and jerky movements, the screaming hunger hunger more more more dragging it close as they turn to run, to escape, fleeing like their very existences depend on it because they do.

They know, innately, in that way you know if you fall from a great height you'll die, that they will die. This will not work. They are not fast enough, not when dragging the injured Narrator between them, not enough, and Perry is hungry and gaining and quick.

It's Stan that realizes, Stan the clever, the always-ahead, Stan in a last desperate attempt to save the others that knows what he must do. Stan that throws the Narrator, his Narrator, ahead with the others and ignores his desperate scream and turns back. His thoughts are not ones of self-sacrifice, not of a death to save his friends- his thoughts are little more than buy time by any means, are mostly it needs to calm down it's too fast it's collapsing too fast, it's taking everything down with it and we need to get out from under before we're trapped and taken down with it, and if Stan knows one thing about calming things and people down, it's that-

You can always use a Bucket.

The Bucket is an enigma, created by the Narrator - all of them, some of them, most of them - to be a reassuring presence. It's - a joke, a cry for help, a sly innuendo, an earnest olive branch across the divide of pain and suffering - nothing more than a simple object, hard metal, galvanized steel slapped with a couple cheesy stickers, and yet its effect is real. It's indescribable, how this one asset manages what it does, but it's a load-bearing Bucket, it's the Reassurance Bucket, and they all know its effects intimately.

Stanley shoves the Narrator forward, slings his Bucket around and faces the wall of writhing static, of blurry limbs and grasping cables and all-white pixel-lag eyes. He faces what used to be a Narrator, a Story, a Parable, and as it rears back and bears down on him with nothing singing through its rotting code but EAT EAT EAT-

Stan shoves the Bucket down on its head as hard as he can.

It's like someone hits pause on a movie in the climactic final battle. Frozen in time, in place like a still frame of film, it simply stops… moving. The roaring, buzzing, hissing noises stop, the flickering lights and shedding static stops, it all just stops.

And they run.

As they run, as they make it to their escape, they feel the building tide of destruction looming over them like a tidal wave about to crest, like a tsunami rushing towards land. The Bucket put a stopper on the apocalypse, but the pressure still builds and builds, pushing towards an explosion even more catastrophic than the one that almost overwhelmed them.

But it is enough. Enough for them to escape, enough for them to flee, and when the Bucket eventually stops working its strange, reassuring magic on the broken tatters of the Parable, when the seal finally breaks and the thing that was once Something finally snaps and devours the rest of itself whole, they are long, long gone.

[emblematicemblazer]

World building and theories of Engage

The plague of Firene

What do we know about the plague?

It is likely that the plague that hit Firene is based upon The Black Death which started to spread through France between 1347-1352. Due to France having a large spread out population at the time, The plague lasted for several years since some areas were not affected until it had ended in others. The symptoms are rather unpleasant and include: lymph nodes which blood and pus deep ooze from, aches, fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhoea and death. 

Victims

The victims mentioned in the game are:

Mauvier's father

The King of Firene

Possibly Louis's mother

Importance of the plague in the story.

The plague serves as a reason for Mauvier's mother's disillusionment with the Divine Dragon for not answering her prayers and saving her husband. As a result she changes faith and moves to Elusia to worship the Fell Dragon. When his mother died he was taken in by worshippers of the Fell Dragon. Mauvier has different religions thrust upon him without him being able to choose. This leads to religious apathy where he just goes through the motions without fully committing or believing. This state of passiveness and obedience is part of the reason he is unable to act and stop the Hounds.

On the surface Firene might seem like some sort of paradise or Garden of Eden. The plague demonstrates that 'paradise' can be shattered by one event. 

The plague is an important event in the relationship between Celine and Alfred. Celine has seen her father die and her brother terribly ill. This background creates an atmosphere of anxiety to her character. She has nightmares about her brother dying (support with Alcryst), whenever she speaks of the illness she frets about how she would cope if her brother died and when she witnesses her brother have a relapse she panics. The anxiety caused by the plague is part of the reason she struggles to be happy. Her father's death and her brother's illness constantly haunt her. 

For Alfred the plague has motivated him to look after his health and find joys wherever they may be. Working out has made his body stronger and in his support with Rafal he demonstrates his pride in his hard work. In his mind being bigger and physically strong means being strong enough to fight off illness. If you compare his approach to Celine's, he is proactive, focussed prevention and positive, whereas she is reactionary, focussed on curing and negative.Alfred's working out is a proactive approach to prevent illness and his believe that working out will save him is a demonstration of his positive attitude. Celine reacts to Alfred having a relapse by wanting to find someone to cure him and her belief that her brother could die is a demonstration of her negative attitude. 

The plague has shaped parts of Celine's, Alfred's and Mauvier's personalities. Alfred is a spirited Prince who loves working out thanks to the plagues' influence and Celine is left with severe anxiety. Alfred and Celine are directly affected by the plague whereas Mauvier is indirectly affected by the domino effect the plague had on his family. The plague was the first event that resulted in him becoming an orphan and being indoctrinated into the Fell Dragon religion. 

[raekensarcher]

tagged by @thiamsxbitch ,, thank u love :)

Rules: post the first lines of your last 10 fics posted to Ao3. (Sort by date posted.) If you have less than 10 fics posted, post what you have.

all fics completed aside from all about control :p

All the Love we Unraveled and the Life I Gave Away | Thiam

The exhaustion goes bone deep. Skin feeling akin to something like a livewire, feeling the clothes clinging to his skin with every step he takes. Swallows what feels like bile rising in the back of his throat, ignoring the itch of a scream clawing its way through his chest. Begging to be released, let out any tension that's been growing under his skin since Scott had called him.

Tell me That we’ll be Just Fine (Even When I Lose my Mind) | Thiam

Theo has, objectively, made a lot of stupid choices in his life. Throw a dart, you'll hit one.

This, though, this might actually take the cake on the list of Dumbest fucking things Theo Raeken has ever done. Which is no small feat, all things considered.

It takes all of three seconds after Theo tells Nolan to run, watching him stumble across the dirt and broken tree limbs before his eyes slide over to the unconscious beta on the ground and it finally registers in his brain what he just did. He just managed to effectively ruin any chance of getting out of this fucking zoo and away from these hunters at a quick pace, all because he was saving Liam's stupid ass, again.

Close my eyes, Fantasize, Three Clicks and I’m Home | Thiam

He’s not sure when it started; when this pull between he and Liam became a thing. If he had to pinpoint the exact moment, and he’s just spitballing here, it might have to be when he was pulled from hell.

‘Cause everyone’s growing, and everyone’s healthy. (I’m terrified that I might never have met me) | Thiam

When he starts crawling his way up through the earth, hands grasping for purchase on the dirt surrounding him, he thinks it’s a more fucked up version of the nightmare he’s been living in for the last few months. Years? It feels like a lifetime. Endless loops of having his sister's heart ripped out of his chest, over and over and over again. It’s hard to remember.

Of Gods and Monsters | Thiam

The question comes so far out of left field that it manages to render Theo speechless, spoonful of melting ice cream lifted halfway to his open mouth as he stares at the beta across from him with some mix between shock and confusion.

Liam takes his reaction in stride, continuing to eat his own ice cream, completely unbothered by the fact that he just managed to hit some kind of pause button inside of Theo’s brain. Theo thinks if it were any other situation the beta might have even made a joke about it, but the question wasn’t laced with any humor, just pure curiosity.

I’m here, right here, wishing I could be there for you. | Thiam

In hindsight, Liam probably should have seen how this was not going to go his way. Call him an optimist. He had maybe, dumbly, hoped that Theo would pull his head out of his ass long enough to appreciate the fact that he was valued and not, I don't know, wanted dead in the middle of the preserve? It was wishful thinking on Liam’s part.

“I’m just saying, I'm a little bit sick of your shit.”

Crimson Stained Hands | Implied Thiam , Theo centric

Theo’s never been able to put it into words, this weight that sits so heavily on his chest that sometimes he gets sharp pains that shoot through his veins. He thinks it might be some kind of punishment, though he’s not sure which sin caused this, which sin keeps him in constant torment. It’s a long list, some days it seems like it’s one that’s never going to end.

It’s like the universe has left me without a place to go | Thiam

"You're a hard man to find these days."

Theo hums from his place on the tailgate, legs swinging slowly back and forth, his eyes trained on something in the distance, not fully there.

Liam's feet stay planted where they are, eyes trained on the way Theo's hands have tightened their hold on the metal surface of the tailgate at the sound of Liam's voice. He tries not to think too hard on it, knows it probably has nothing to do with him and everything to do with the fact that Theo has been avoiding him and life itself for the last three weeks.

All About Control | Thiam

There’s been a shadow following Theo around since he was Nine years old, a dark and looming thing that sits in his peripheral vision, a constant and threatening reminder of where he came from. Of what he can be brought back to. Some days it looks a lot like the Dread Doctors, more specifically the Surgeon. The shadow will shift and morph into a figure that resembles something from his worst memories, the ones he wishes were ripped out of him the way everything else was. Other days it morphs into something smaller, something dripping with icy ravine water, the smell of dirt and mud coming with it.

It could end in burning flames or paradise | Thiam

Theo is alive.

At least, most days he’s pretty sure he is. He feels the blood flowing under his skin, feels the stolen heart thudding against his ribs, feels the way his pulse jumps when Liam speaks in the tone he seems to solely reserve for him and him only.

tagging @stitchkiss :p

[chaosprinceundivided]

The Truth

The Focal Point of Rulek's victory and where the Warp twisted and split:

Her chains rattled in each step, they burned her for her sin of existing as a daughter of the Motherland. The lore that was so interweaved into her being was locked deep within her breast, fists clenching tight in a furious restrain. Even humbled and beaten as she was, Tzarina Katarin Bokha of Kislev was a woman of pride. Her shoulders broad and fallen hair graced her porcine pale face sculpted in a mask of hard disdain. The radiance of white-fire that normally burned her pupils were gone, reveal only an icy pale blue that reflected the hellish forge that sat far beyond the mortal realms. 

And she, a meager mortal, was in constant threat of Chaos’ malevolent influence if it wasn’t for the carefully weaved spells placed upon her by her escort. A tall mutant of a snow leopard that dared to dress like one of the Ice Maidens, crowned by burning frost horns. The back of her attire askewed to reveal the mirror-like sheen of her broad shoulders and in the perfectly arranged fur, Katarin could see the faces of men and women...her own soldiers, kindred-in-arm, screaming and begging silently in a prison they could not escape. 

A cruel position to put her in and the only thing keeping the Tzarina from attacking the foul beast was mere common sense. The softest hope that she will find a way to escape. A way to end this nightmare, only if she could get-

“Stop it.” A voice said.

That brought Katarin’s thoughts to a halt and her mask cracked oh so slightly in a blink. The felinid flickered its tall ears and glanced back with eyes similar to her own, the lore they both shared having that same effect of power. “Don’t do anything foolish, my Tzarina or the suffering you’ve felt before will not-”

The fact that Katarin could clearly take in the Kislevite accent hurt her so and with bared teeth, she commanded, “Silence, creature. Do not speak to me as if you are apart of my Kislev. It is obvious you abandoned it a long time ago.” 

The beast looked at her a moment longer before facing forward. “When you have seen what we have, you would too…” 

“Nothing would bring me to such lowly depths, creature. I would rather die.” The Tzarina hissed. “As they all say. As we have said...and what the ones after you will say, Katarin. I am sorry for you.” 

“I don’t need nor want your sympathy!” 

With a hateful snarl, Katarin lunged and snatched the long short-sword hanging off the mutant sorceress’ hip. The witch-blade whistled with its icy length exposed, boiling of its cold heat. Quick as a whip, her escort glanced down at the Tzarina and smacked her expected lunge before ironclad hands grabbed the smaller woman’s shoulders harshly. Ironically, Katarin snarled and fought like a wild cat  with her legs kicking and newfound weapon swinging with nothing but the mad passion of someone who’ve lost everything. No skill. No finesse. Just desperate and sorrowful hate. She didn’t even care who she hitted, all she wanted was to kill.

With a holler, she rammed her shoulder against one of the daemon-charmed Ice Guard, throwing the traitor off her feet and when the other came, Katarin slammed the back of her head into the other’s nose before spiralling to plunge the whole frost blade under armored ribs. The woman gasped, hands immediately grabbing the Tzarin’s wrists and looked down at first. 

And when the two met eyes, Katarin looked and saw the glazed look washing away to a painful clarity. “M-My Tzarin…?” The last words to leave those lips before frost glassed those same eyes and whitened the meat under the guardswoman’s skin. Her whole body stiffened to internal freezing. Katarin took a moment, frozen in horror at what she had just done and the condition that her murdered victim was in. Letting go and watching the body fall back. 

CRASH!

Shattering like a glass figurine what was once a living, moving person. She has done it countless times against countless enemies, whether of the court or the monsters in the shape of daemons and men beyond Kislev’s bulwark. Katarin has never flinched to the power of her frost nor the state that her enemies had crumbled into, but this – the loss of Kislev, the loss of her people, the torture of their very souls – all manifested into this one moment and Katarin was in a moment of vertigo.

All of her fury became a momentary sickness in her stomach, gagging without anything, and stumbled into the hands of the other recovering guard. A yank of chains and Katarin found herself tripping over a short step, crashing onto the floor with a cry.

No, not a cry but she cried with her long-held emotions. It was a quick moment that she couldn’t hold back, even as the leopardess commanded her slaves to pick her up and drag her onwards through the Forge of Souls, just a walk longer before the great doors opened to reveal a place full of mists. Soul-residue that whispered and shaped sorrowful spirits that swam and gripped to flesh that they no longer possessed, helpless and woe heavy. 

“W-why did you bring me here, you monsters?” Katarin’s drying voice questioned, finding no reason to be here. Was it her time now, to be melted of flesh and meat till only her own soul-stuff was left to the nefarious evils of the Ruinous Powers? One of the countless innocent and delusional that were caught in their selfish trap? 

“To show you the Truth.” A voice said, great and terrible. 

Katarin shivered at hearing it. She knew it too well know, how it tortured her even now and for the first time since her last great defiance to this monster – the Tzarina looked up beyond her fallen black locks at her greatest mistake. 

The shape of that massive bat-winged abomination, how it dared to have its vague man-shape if it wasn’t for the twinned tail and bowed legs. From the black shape, there were its glowing gold eyes staring down at her from its alcove. “Of what, that you are nothing but a black-hearted monster? That you were always a treacherous opportunist seeking nothing but power? Were you always a slave to Them?” 

Those eyes stared down at her for a long moment and it walked forward. “No…” 

The thick mist twisted and reached towards her with ghostly claws, Katarin did not close her eyes. If she was to die, she will make sure she glared into the eyes of her murderer. Instead,  a warm hand gently cupped her chin. Fingers curling and thumb over, what should have been a great daemon that once was a man. There was just…

The man. 

His strong face was framed by the loose black locks of an otherwise tied back mane, fierce browed and lip crested with a trimmed mustache. His sun-kissed skin had become pale as if he never left the cold hell that she sent him to. Those eyes. Those once dark eyes glow with the same malevolence of a man that went into that evil place and devoured damnation. 

“Yuri…” 

“Kat…”

Even though she refused it, the Tzarina’s eyes stuck and watered. “Oh, Yuri...you traitor...why you?” She croaked finally. The question that burned her mind over and over since the revelation was given to her by a seer’s letter but she refused to believe that same man could do all of this. The same noble, sweet-hearted man that she knew since they were nothing but simple children caught in the webs of parents’ political games could turn into such a horrific monster. She refused this was nothing but an evil game by the daemons. They killed Yuri. They killed him and wore his name and skin as another weapon against Kislev. Against her but here he was. 

“Oh Kat…” He said, cupping her face. For the briefest moment, he allowed himself to feel beyond the constant burning of hatred and spite that became his ichor. “If only you came with me and saw what I saw. The Wastes...is not a place for mortal men but mortal men must come to truly face their worst daemons and become more. Maybe things would be been different, but nothing would have changed the Truth that saw our Motherland suffering.” 

With his gentle voice and care, Yuri stood up. The man that slew Ursun, the Bear God himself, stood in his regalia. Tattered cape flowed to the eldritch wind as he turned away. “Release her.” He commanded and the seduced slave obeyed, roughly so and that lack of care was rewarded with Yuri suddenly turning and turning the ice guard into a blown pillar of warp-burned sulfur by nothing but a disgusted flick of his hand. 

That same hand scolding of its fell magics, clawed and scales crawled along its fingers and knuckles. His sneer akin to a bear before turning to wave the mist away. “Behold, Katarin! See why our Motherland suffered!”

Katarin squinted, trying to see what this daemon was raving about this 'Truth' and there it was...and her horror and hope fell into the abyss.

There, what was something so great and majestic, was now nothing but a humbled corpse held by slithering barbed chains against jagged rocks like a poor trophy. White fur marred by scars and dried god's blood. Jaws drooped with a blackening tongue...

Ursun, the Great Bear. The God that brought spring was dead. A God was dead.

"N-No...no, no."

"Yes, look at him. Look at our god."

Yuri hissed with so naked loathing as he pointed at the corpse. "I found him long ago. Pitiful. Pathetic. Weak. That is what we hung our very hopes and love for! A god that couldn't stop a daemon whilst we suffered and fought in his image, throwing ourselves as that same evil for all our lives and survive."

Katarin stared with lips opening and closing, unable to conceive what she was seeing as cold tears rolled down her face. "Ursun!"

"Scream his name, Katarin! Scream his name as so many of our kinsmen did! As we froze on that eternal field of ice and fire! As we starve and crawled! As we fought and bled! Scream his name, scream it with me!" Yuri insisted, as mockingly cruel as he was cruelly pained as she, and turned to scream at the corpse,

"URSUN! OUR GOD, OUR SAVIOR FROM THE STORMS!" Yuri screamed with the bellowing wrath of the monster that he became, echoing through the Forge of Souls' cackling mimicries of the aethers that died for Kislev's god. His arms wide as if to embrace the divine cadaver. "WEAKLING BEAR! BLED TO ITS LAST DROP! BE'LAKOR'S CARRION! MY TRIUMPH! MY FREEDOM!"

Yuri spun on Katarin with disgusted eyes crying black ichor. "This is what we wasted our lives and belief on. A corpse that will be martyred like our heroes before. Like your father. Martyred, but even that - I don't think he even deserves that. Don't you think?"

Katarin's mind was spiraling and soul writhing. So many, impossibilities truly made a nightmare's possibility, and she could do nothing but stare up at the thing that was Yuri as he came closer. For the briefest time, he looked like a bear to her. A man-eating, tainted bear prowling closer with unbreaking eyes. So great and terrible.