#with the idea he didn't think he was going to survive

[theminecraftbee]

After he's done listening to the Archeologist's story, the Sheriff frowns.

"Well, that's not fair, is it?" Jimmy says.

"Fair?" Pix responds.

"Yeah, fair. It's not--it's not fair at all! You can't just end it with--they try to be friends for, for the first time ever. And the Codfather gets respect and the Count gets more mature. And they shake hands and, and share magic and stuff. But it turns out them being friends causes the end of the world? That's not fair! That's not a good story at all!" Jimmy says.

Pixlriffs shrugs. "I didn't make it up. It's what's been passed down, and the Ancient Capitol corroborates it to some extent. The Rapture was a very real event in the geological record, and what historical records survive from the Twelve Kingdoms era suggests at the very least some kind of symbolic rivalry between cod and salmon. Maybe a religious one? It's really all quite fascinating."

"Well, yes, but it's not really literal, that religion stuff, right?" Jimmy says. "I mean, uh, I don't know much about all this stuff, but it's like--don't tell Sausage, but Santa Pearla, she's not literal, right? She's like, the idea of the cycle of death and life and all that, but--"

"Recent excavations actually suggest that Empress Pearl was a real historical figure," Pixlriffs says excitedly. "I mean, it seems rather unlikely she caused all the fields in the Twelve Kingdoms to remain fertile until the Rapture on her own, but the number of statues and records we've found even today suggest that she was still a real person!"

Jimmy is silent. He crosses his arms and stares at Pixlriffs until, finally, Pix stops talking.

"It's still not fair," Jimmy says.

"It's not about being fair, it's about what actually happened," Pix says.

"Because the story as I told it went that they made friends to try to make the best of the rapture. And though all the rivers had dried up, the Codfather and the Count laid seeds in the desert, until one day we could go and build our towns there safe, because their seeds made a pond. And, er, that's not all literal either, you know? None of this is really--sorta like Joel is not literally a god, that'd be stupid," Jimmy says.

"Right," Pixlriffs says, nodding. "But we don't tell him that."

"But we don't tell him that," Jimmy agrees. "And I'm just saying that--it's not fair, saying that making up their differences is what made the world end. That's like, like if the moral was that we shouldn't bother even trying."

"I think you'll make yourself sad, looking for a moral in ruins," Pixlriffs says.

Jimmy swallows.

"That's stupid," he says. "That's stupid."

"That's life."

"And it's stupid. I'm going to go bother Joel."

"Good luck with that."

The Sheriff rides away. The Archeologist watches after him for a long time before sighing.

"...and good luck ending this one differently," he says, and he goes back to his dig.

[vegan-peppermint]

In which Toby is kidnapping the reader.

Toby never wanted to hurt you. He's just young and stupid, too eager to prove to those creatures lurking in the shadows that he is cut from the same cloth as them.

It's been no more than two years since the fire swallowed his life whole, since the faceless figure first started treading on the edges of his mind. Every day spent in that eerie house, under the watchful eyes of his so-called "mentors," pushed him further from the boy he used to be. Tim's unbearable presence didn’t help���Toby had even toyed with the idea of doubling down on his pyromaniac tendencies.

Then The Operator spoke his name—his name alone. It wasn’t just a command in Toby's mind, more like a one-way ticket out of being a second-class proxy, lesser than the other two. This was his first solo mission, a validation of all the time and effort he'd poured into this twisted world. A reward.

You.

He at least had the courtesy to stalk you first. He tracked your habbits down, watching your work from across the street or joining you on your bus ride home on particularly uneventful evenings. He has been creeping closer, gliding from shadow to light and back into the dark- just like Hoodie had thought him.

Toby never wanted to scare you, that's why the first thing he did after parking the car in front you your house was going to the convenience store down the street. He'd seen you buy this particular brand of chocolate many times before. He hoped once he handed it to you it would bring an once of comfort amidst the circumstances.

The fact your hands are tied behind your back and your mouth stuffed didn't cross his mind then.

You were nothing like the others, he observed. You didn't scream or cry- hell, didn't even bite. He wanted to be grateful for such an easy capture, but -for fucks sake- you stared. Stared with gloomy, empty eyes past him into some far-off, unreadable place. Shaking his head in frustration, he muttered to himself dissaponted he ended up with the creepy chick, before slamming the the trunk door down, leaving you blind in the cramped space.

The drive to the mansion was uneventul for Toby, giving him plenty of time to let his mind wander. He hadn’t asked why you were wanted or what his boss planned for you—it didn’t matter to him then. But he couldn't help notice how you were rather easy on the eye. Maybe it was the isolation, the pent-up frustration and loneliness but a thought crossed his mind; what harm could it do if Slender let him borrow you for a little while? He chuckled darkly at his own thoughts, already imagining your surprise when, after a few days surviving on scraps in the manor’s cellar, he'd hand over the chocolate he’d picked up. You’d probably think he was your savior, fall right to his feet.

And if you would still be devoid of any reaction, he'd fuck your face into a pretty nice expression.

The old Mazda pulled into the driveway, its engine puffing and huffing, similar the old man Toby had swiped it from. Tim and Brian were already outside, blowing smoke and ash into the brittle winter air, their jackets hanging loose against the chill. The car's strained chug faltered as it rolled to a stop, steam curling from under the hood. Without waiting for Toby to fully park, Tim burried his cigarette into the frozen ground with the heel of his boot, his sharp gaze fixed on the boy as if he didnt expect him to ever return. Brian exhaled a plume of smoke, letting it drift lazily into the night.

"Back already, Tics?" Tim snarled, looking back to his friend. "What you say, Brian- think he's got her?"

The hooded man didnt respond but stepped closer with hesitation.

"Obviously I g-got her, got her," he smirked proudly getting out the driver's seat. "Hardly a challenge, really" he added, tilting his head back so high he might've been mistaken for a certain snouted animal.

"I gotta admit, that's a pretty impressive first job," Tim said, clapping Toby on the back as they approached the trunk. Brian hummed in agreement but kept a few cautious steps behind.

"What d-does Slender even want-t with some goth bitch?" Toby asked, gripping the key with newfound confidence and turning it smoothly in the rusty trunk lock. The red, corroded door creaked open with a deafening shriek, the sound swallowed immediately by an even louder silence.

So heavy was the quiet, Brian was certain he heard Tim's grin vanish, and he Toby's posture shrink.

A collared dove cooed mockingly as it flapped past their heads.

"A witch, Toby," Tim finally exhaled. "She's a witch."

"Yep, a witch, thats exactly what I was gonna say..."

[mylovesstuffs]

↺how do you fake it? a prompt-based series featuring SVT !

❏ A collection of oneshots inspired by the Fake Dating Prompt Ideas list. Featuring your requested members in scenarios where the lines between real and pretend get a little... blurred. Some of these will tug at your heartstrings, while others will make you laugh—who knew faking it could lead to something so real?

ⓘ Summaries can be found under the cut. Each fic will be linked back to this post once published and will be renamed. Enjoy the story, and if you like it, don't forget to reblog !

↗ 29 Minghao X Reader

...[fake love, real feelings]

↗ 125+138 Woozi X Reader

When they wouldn't let you visit him in the hospital unless you were family, you didn't think twice. You told them you were married. Minghao doesn't question it, of course, just because. But as you sit by his side, pretending for the world, you start to wonder if pretending to be married could actually feel this real.

It's just you both tonight, but when he brings you some tea and presses his lips against your forehead, you don't want this feeling to go away. You've been sick for days, but it's the little things—like Woozi's soft kisses—that make you feel like you can survive this. Even when you're gross and sniffling, he won't leave your side.

↗ 47 Jeonghan X Reader

You swear when you made up your fake relationship, you didn't know that someone worked at the coffee shop with the same name or that your family would go to check out. Now everyone thinks you guys are actually together, and, well, pretending to be fake partners has never been so complicated.

↗ 05 Vernon X Reader

You need a green card. He's just the person to help you out, right? It sounds like a simple deal at first, but the more time you spend together faking a relationship, the more confusing it gets. Could it be real, though?

↗ 25 Joshua X Reader

there's a rumor going around that you made up the fact that you slept together and you're 'pathetic, so he show up to kiss you in front of everyone. When the world doubts your relationship, Joshua's not about to let you fight your battles alone. He's here to kiss the rumors away, whether they're true or not.

[snoopyhq]

˚ ♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀ we should just kiss like real people do

NOT using cherry wine because the song has been through too many bastardizations already, and i'm a hozier fan before i'm anything else. to use cherry wine would be a disgrace, even if it has the 'perfect' line for a fic like this)

type: viktor x vampire reader

summary: headcanons and then a drabble of an instance where you feed

warning(s): blood, vampirism

word count: 921

a/n: been thinking about vampirism a whole lot lately as well as feeling down, so now i cope through tumblr fics. i love viktor, i wish i felt as strongly about real life people like i do for him

For a creature that's considered parasitic, the relationship you have with your eccentric scientist proved quite mutualistic

When you first stalked him on his walk home that late, late night, he had seemed like ordinary prey, easy to sink your teeth into and forget about

Something stopped you

Maybe it was that look in his eyes, flickering like a flame in the dark of that alleyway, refusing to die

They were so determined, so full of life

How could you ever drain them of that spark? It wasn't right

You could sense his fear, so palpable in the air, but he stood firm. His grip on his cane steady, his posture straight as he stared right at you with those lovely eyes, a million stories flitting through them

The eyes of someone who fought to survive since the moment he was born

You felt yourself slowing down, and then dropping to your knees completely

What were you doing? Were those tears in your eyes? You've become so jaded

Immortality had made you nothing

This mortal, so brief in the fabric of time, and his life already so weak and waning, had more... what was it? vigor to him

Lust was something you knew very well. Bloodlust. You embodied it. That urge that could never be satisified, the driving force that keeps your miserable legs moving, your body agile and agitated

His lust was one for life. For pursuit too, as you came to find out

A deal was struck that night; knowledge in exchanged for food

You allowed him to observe you and ask his questions, to witness your hunts (on animals now. less thrilling, but you digress)

In return, he became a sustainable food source. You didn't have to go out and about in the night now and get paid in stupid drunks or those rotten enforcers for your efforts

How lovely, to have something consistent for once

You could get used to this

Get used to him

divider below from @/dollywons !!!

The quiet comfort of the bedroom reminded you of your old crypt, in a way. It was dark. The sheets were soft and meticulously kept. It smelled of leather and old books and dried ink on fresh paper. The new addition was Viktor.

You'd started lounging about in his home, and his room became your favorite corner of the house. It became ritual for him to joke about having a coffin fixed there so you won't have to hog the blankets. Not his blankets. They were to be shared now, and he was fine with that. The coffin idea was still appealing though.

Tonight interrupted the quiet. You lingered before him, eyeing the pale curve of his neck. It was taking all your self control to not pounce on him immediately.

"Are you comfortable?" you asked.

He shifted around a bit, and then nodded.

"I'll try to keep accurate time. See if you're more greedy than last time," he joked.

Tsk. It wasn't that funny. (It is). You weren't as hungry as before.

Now you hovered above him, having laid him down. There was less hesitation this time, and you wonder if he'd note that down in his journal. You both did this song and dance enough by now to be comfortable with one another.

Still, the act of feeding was one of savagery. That can't change. When mixed with romance? It clashed, horribly. Your inherent nature versus what had been nurtured.

The taste of his blood filled your mouth, and you could sing to the heavens. If such a creature like yourself were allowed to. You weren't sure on the terms and conditions of that. Regardless, he was so sweet. A heady vermillion ambrosia on your tongue.

You were taking such care to be gentle with him.

You didn’t want to hurt him, but your love was violence, the draining of life, and the dark urges that lurk beneath every man, and he was already going limp.

Shit.

You pulled back immediately, the red still dripping from your teeth and down your throat. It mirrored the punctures on his. Viktor, the stubborn bastard, gripped the edge of your sleeve. He tugged insistently.

"I'm fine. I'm not as fragile as you think," he said, miffed.

“Too bad. I’m full,” you slowly pry yourself from his grip.

While he lazed back, you grabbed the first-aid kit. So used to it by now. He didn’t even flinch when you applied the antiseptic. After securing the gauze, you leaned down to brush another kiss against his lips, and he sighed at the slight feel of your fangs against the skin there.

“Was your vampire research quota met?” you asked, propping yourself up on your elbow to observe him.

“Very much,” he replied. “I look forward to comparing it with next week’s results.”

As he drifted off in your arms, you felt affection swell in your heart, and a fierce protectiveness over him.

He was strong.

You knew that more than anyone. He walked such a thin line between life and death. You could hear the beat of his heart, the flowing in his veins, and fragility of his tissues and arteries and bones. He pushed on, despite it. Taking his body to limits that had you balking, and you were near invincible.

In your hold, he was so delicate. His body was already thin and frail. So easily breakable. The very thought made you uncomfortable, and you tightened your hold on his sleeping form.

He was strong. You’ll protect him anyways.

[muse-hodgepodge]

Tough was an understatement... He could barely recall what Gaster looked like let alone what type of monster he was. Hell, even the accident was fuzzy and hard to grasp though he knows it was terrible and his fault in the first place. At least... He thinks it was. Damn it, why was it so hard to think of this monster again?

When Reyna gets that idea and does her spell Sans blinks a few times as the fog seems to lift a bit. Of course this also comes with a crushing sense of guilt as he remembers what happened in greater detail. "Heh, yeah... that seemed to do the trick." He sighs and leans against his sentry station trying to figure out how to start. "Gaster, or Wing Dings Gaster if you want his full name, used to be the Royal Scientist before Alphys which I said already. He created the CORE which gave us the means of survival down here and was the leading mind on Souls and magic on top of physics. He was brilliant, witty, kind, and gave his all to try and save monsterkind... I was proud to work with him when I was old enough to." He pauses before adding on, "and to call him dad..." There was a pain in that sentence before he shakes it off and continues.

"Anyway, we were trying to figure out a way out of the Underground without the need for human Souls, a job given to us by Asgore the king. Gaster had the brilliantly mad idea of just teleporting out of here using a stronger version of the shortcuts I'd learned to do. He was so proud of me for that but also called me incredibly lazy for it heh heh. Well, we were going to use the excess magic within the CORE to give us that boost of magic we'd need to punch through the barrier's hold by going through the void between time and space but... God it all went wrong. A hole did open but we couldn't control it, the void took all the other scientists there at the time first, ripping them whole from the very timeline before I could blink! I learned later that it was like they never existed."

"I was starting to slip in next when G..dad held me back with his own magic, a Gaster Blaster. How he fell into that hole though when he finally could hold on no longer was different. It was like watching a mirror shatter. I could see his very soul getting ripped and shattered apart before scattering all in the span of a second. The whole accident took less than 3 minutes and I was the only survivor... If only I could have grabbed them before...! I could have saved them all if only I hadn't stood there like a moron...! I just..." He sighs before shaking his head, knowing that it was pointless to think of those what if scenarios. "Gaster was like the rest... No one could recall him aside from me and even then it was like grasping dry sand that slipped through my hands. I tried for months nonstop to find and save them all but... I couldn't... Papyrus needed me and if I couldn't save dad I'd be damned if I failed him too." He'd been literally killing himself doing that work and trying to raise his baby brother alone. Sans didn't even seem to notice that he had tears leaking from his sockets in a steady stream at the end of the story. "It should have been him to stay... He was so much smarter and stronger than me, he could have saved us I'm sure so why...?"

Why had Gaster saved him instead of himself. "Sorry I just... It's been a while since I could remember it this clearly... It's a lot."

Reyna nods, and listens to Sans beginning his explanation. She knows this is likely going to be tough to piece together. She then gets an idea to help him along with his train of thought.

"Oh, I got a spell that can help!" She says, before clapping her hands and creating a small golden ball of light. Said light then begins to hover over the skeletons head. The shimmering orb helps bring his mind a sense of clarity and attentiveness. "There we go. That should help your mind find purchase." She says smiling as she takes a seat, ready to listen in full.

[brittle-doughie]

So I was in the middle of my daydream about the full history/lore of crk world in general, there's lots of things to unpack but I think I just forgot em already😭 anyways, here's some ideas for the pre-corruption and early off the oven beasts

The beasts' names: Since they're from the first batch of cookies to be made, I think the witches named them based on their ingredients or so, so I pick the already existing cookie-related names for them here.

Whole Wheat cookie

Chai​ Spice cookie

Light Milk cookie

Soft Sugar cookie

Sea Salt cookie

-Headcanon​ that they're the one to defeat the witches, save the other living cookies, somehow split reality to another realm which then becomes earthbread, and uses the knowledge that they had learned from the witches to build civilization there. Hence the cookies in ancient time worshipped them and call them their god.

-They're​ obviously more powerful than normal cookies but I don't think as much as they currently are, the size difference still wasn't much to be noticable at least.

-Light Milk cookie is the smart one, the first one to learn how to use magic and discover how to create/extract life powder, maybe even procreation too. (he ain't blue, just really light cyan)

Um​ spoilers​ ​for newcomers​ -​Time​ travel is a thing in crk appearantly? Ykno,​ with White lily and Dark enchantress thingy. So it's possible for Gingerbrave and the gang to be from the first batches who didn't escaped with the beasts but instead stumbles into the already developed earthbread, somehow.

-fancy colors of the cookies are the side effects of magic maybe? Like, the cookies made by witches (older release cookies like Gingerbrave, Moonlight etc. ) are very average-normal-edible-cookies looking while the ones born on later eons look a bit different.. I swear I'm not trying to—*gets shot*

Spoilers for witch's castle -Since the​ first cookies are witches turned(possessed) cookies, the beasts WILL have beef. Even though in my opinion, they're not the same group of witches that made them, them vengeful asses just don't care. But also, they probably won't going to appear until some time later when the mess of ancient heroess vs no longer heroes starts, if DEVSIS ever going to import them in crk in case witch's castle flops(they fr flops)

Aight​ Reader​ might be coming in as one for the surviving cookies from the early age, seduced all em five great beings, died of old age, revived by one of them gods when they got corrupted and are no longer gods(I bet 20bucks it's SM), beasts got trapped a d they went out to find a way to get them out; just to died again by accident while the beasts still in the tree- no not really change that to sleeping, so then they can wake up again when the tree fucking snaps in half and the beasts break free, with the power of magic or love, a booty call or something like that, now we're back again with a newfound harem trailing behind us. Sweet.

Pinky promise I tried to make this as bearable as possible please don't find and strangle me😔🙏 .💋 anon

Some neat stuff.

[dgnrtshunch]

Ever since bridon ep 1 came out I've really been thinking about that first scene and the hour timeskip where Lu Guang is bleeding (presumably from a bullet wound from vein) afterwards and struggling to stand up. Cause like, was he about to die?

I think it makes a lot more sense for him to completely abandon all his previously set up morals if he's actively bleeding out, knowing he has to go back immediately because he'll die if he waits to act any longer.

It's also just a lot more desperate of a situation and. honestly. it's spicier for the angst potential. I love Lu Guang needing to fear for his own life right after losing his two best friends.

I know this mighttttt not fit in with the newest nightmare he had in ep 4 which was so heavy survivors guilt coded it made me want to hurl but. I don't trust Lu Guang. Or whatever the fuck goes on in his mind. And nightmares don't necessarily need to be accurate they just need to be scary (def succeeding in that btw tone it the FUCK down.)

Although, considering the sirens near the end of that clip where he goes back, maybe he thought he might be saved and was scared by the possibility that he could survive? Maybe the hypothetical that he might've survived everything when the others didn't is what's haunting him. Or maybe the dream just manifested like that because he was both the last of them to die and also Cheng Xiaoshi literally gave his life to protect Lu Guang's.

There's a lot of ways I can spin this and none of them are good, I just really like the idea of him being like welp my friends are dead I'm gonna die fuck it destroys the universe.

[spotaus]

Okay going to be a bit quicker on this one for my own focus' sake!

We love figuring out Lore hehehe :]

Okay, so I love love love ur Reaper + Geno + Dust situation stuff. So so dearly! (And gods, yeah, here Reaper gets to be a lot more freaky and funky in how he acts (and he's definitely a possessive and pushy god) while Geno is the sensible one because he only had his au's genocide, then Reaper. He's got a much better head on his shoulders than New Age Geno lol!)

Smth I wanna focus on lore wise for this bit is! Yeah! Nightmare reached out to the other gods he knew might align with his magic a *while* ago! And honestly, in the long run, he's really glad that Reaper didn't agree to work with him. Reaper kills too quickly and with too much efficiency, and he wouldn't have benefitted in the long run.

However that does NOT mean he should get to just waltz in and start messing with *his* men! Especially the (in comparison) fragile Dust! He's worked hard to keep these guys alive! Don't spoil it!

(I do think Night would like having Geno around, he's sensible, usually in pain so he gives off a dull but constant negativity, and seems to calm a lot of emotions. Reaper.... mmmm. Not sure on that one.)

Oh! And I agree, I prefer the idea that this Dust is the first Geno and Reaper actually spoke to haha!

And regarding the thing from the top about Night overcorrecting and basically parenting and the realizations? Killer would HAVE to give Horror crap about it! It'd be so so funny to him and ultimately harmless! Thr other two staying out of the crossfire too lmao-

And then the rooms!!

I adore the thought that Night would go seeking more trinkets. He'd regret not learning more about them before their deaths, and would totally go sear hing for items with traces of magic left behind. That shelf with the hourglass gets a few new, familiar to some like Killer, additions. He doesn't like to admit his mistakes out loud, but he will pay homage.

And regarding Killer's room. Up to time as I work on it I think, but the idea that Killer would be thrilled to even get the offer. My first instinct is to stay in the room he got. He kinda wears it like a twisted badge of honor, that he was the last monster he considered expendable and the first to survive long enough to change Night's mind. And like you said, the room itself is something he had like a hidden knowledge. His presence in the room + objects is a good sign that each version was individual. That each had their own interests and personalities! Killer is just one more, and he likes it. (Something something Killer seeks individuality after his au and it comforts him.) And on this same topic, Killer wouldn't really want to start over. He'd feel weird about making it a big deal and suddenly having a brand new clean room. He's touched, but it would just feel strange to him. (Idk how to explain it but... like... Night's room is on the same side as the old rooms, everyone else is across the hall. Killer was there for the messy learning stage, he's both the old and the new, and moving and leaving Night's room as the only one over there? It'd feel weird to him. And symbolically that'd be leaving Night alone w/ his grief lol-)

Idea-dumping under the cut ig as a distraction!

(Actually this got like... long, so here's some bonus design visuals!)

So, this is mostly me thinking out-loud about those alt/personal versions of Nightmare's gang.

First establishment: in this version, Nightmare follows the *was* evil but does so poorly with several versions of the group that he decides he's probably the problem and goes searching for answers before finally settling on a few and keeping them alive. (Yes, Nightmare keeps the original 3 sets dust. Most of it was scattered, but the bits he kept all went into an hourglass. He keeps it on a shelf high in his office so no one can turn it over again.)

In this same vein, Dream and Nightmare are battling because Dream believes Nightmare is no longer his younger self and an entirely separate entity. (Is this true? Probably this time? We'll see.) So, Dream has Ink usually on-hand, and has lost a few comrades over the years, Blue being the only one who'd survived to this point. (I think he might've managed to recruit a Color at some point, Night killed both the Color and Killer. Maybe he also recruited a horror of his own, who was executed by the 2nd Dust. Point is, Blue has been around to see these monsters be cycled out and behave different and all die expendable on Night's side, and has lost friends on Dream's side.) Dream nowadays tries to stick to only himself, Ink, and Blue.

So, establishing that, there's the trouble of Nightmare and his mortals.

Nightmare lives in an older Victorian mansion rather than a castle, his domain is an abandoned au set in that time period, where him and his crew have free-reign. (Basically think the streets of London but entirely unoccupied and almost constantly night-time or rainy/dreary/foggy.)

Initially, he used this landscape to torment those he brought to his domain, whether that be chasing a new killer/horror/dust until they were exhausted or bringing au inhabitants back for his men to hunt down and torment for him. It was useful, a lot of left-over objects and items from inhabitants long since dead, and a lot of interesting hiding places. The edges of the au are just a blackness. Eventually there is an invisible wall, and if you reach that, You're easy pickings for Nightmare. he knows.

I think that the way Nightmare finally decides on his henchmen needing better treatment is when the 3rd Horror, the very last surviving one, *let* Dream get a lethal hit in on him. There was no chance for Dream or Nightmare to act, and they'd both retreated in the aftermath. Normally this wouldn't have bothered Nightmare, but that Horror had been his most obedient and resourceful one yet, and he'd actually grown to like his presence. So. The silence in the castle while he recovered from injuries and prepared for the next batch? It was particularly striking for him. It felt *icky* to not have another person there, and it felt icky to have lost that Horror in the way that he had. Not even an honorable death. He decided he needed to figure out how to keep a monster similar, if not *better than* how he'd kept horror.

After about a month of debating, he finally settled on visiting a Ccino. And no, this isn't just because Ccino's been growing on me lately. He knew one of the Killer's he had, the 2nd, enjoyed sneaking off to the fluffytale aus and he figured there must have been a reason. So. Nightmare takes advantage of his shape-shifting and what little sense he has, and finds himself in an inaccurate replication of a passive Nightmare. He goes to a Ccino, though it might as well be one involved in the multiverse, since Night is now shattering that view. He makes several trips, regularly over the course of a few months. Biding his time. The balance isn't tipping yet. Until he can become at least slightly familiar enough with this Ccino to ask the burning question. How does one care for another living being?

Ccino, at this point, is used to his weird British customer and his odd way of asking questions. Asks if he means a pet, like a cat. Nightmare clarifies that, no, he means monsters. And Ccino has to try and figure out what he means by that. Is he expecting? Is he... adopting? He asks the second one, and Nightmare nods. Ccino breathes a sigh of relief, and realizes it must be because Nightmare is a boss monster. They live much different lives from a normal monster, require less to eat, less sleep, rely on their magic a lot more heavily. He suggests Nightmare come by again the next day and by then he might have some advice.

And while Ccino mostly gives him information on how to raise kids, from babies to teens, Nightmare takes in the information. He's still convinced he's learning all this because he wants to make perfect soldiers. Monsters who will obey him through whatever means that last Horror had. So he takes in all the information he can. He focuses a lot on the suggestions for teenagers. Even though the ones he had before were certainly adults, they often had outbursts and these solutions seemed reasonable. And Ccino was kind enough to stay after closing to talk with him on multiple occasions. It became a little club, between the two of them, almost.

And then Nightmare finally went out to find new replacements. 4th time's the charm.

The first one he collected this time was a Killer. The most volatile usually, but also the easiest to coerce into cooperating with his goals. Normally, his first act would be to let the Killer run loose in the streets and hunt him down. A show of dominance and control. This time, he decided he'd show patience. He stole away the Killer like he normally would, and left him out on a street, but with a note in his pocket. Detailing exactly what Nightmare was offering and why, along with the address of the mansion incase he wanted to discuss more.

It only took two days before Killer arrived at Nightmare's doorstep. He was cautious, but Nightmare was cordial. Not subtle, no, he acknowledged that he was actively kidnapping him. That if he made a misstep Nightmare would kill him. That he was replaceable. But, he also explained exactly what he was looking for from Killer, and *offered* work to him. Killer wandered away for a few more days, before coming back and accepting.

The trial runs with Killer were rough the first few months. Nightmare visited Ccino less, and found himself trying very hard to balance authority, Killer's loyalty, and the fragile trust growing between them. Sometimes he'd catch Killer doing something and he'd physically refrain from lashing out and punishing. Other times, though strangely only when Killer was making choices poor for his own health, Nightmare lashed out. Corrective behavior was not kind, but it was for the best in Nightmare's mind.

One thing he had a lot of trouble with was letting Killer explore the domain. He used to restrict all his henchmen inside unless they were hunting or on missions. Killer had an insatiable urge to explore, and several times Nightmare saw it as escape attempts. Dragging Killer back inside with threats of retaliation. Only once he let Killer escape and *watch* what he did, he realized he was literally just looking around, picking up trinkets, once he stole a shirt and brought it back with him. Then he returned, willingly, to the mansion. It was no trick, no escape, just simple curiosity. Nightmare took a page out of the book of the advice from Ccino and actually complimented Killer's shirt when he finally wore it one day. Killer's hackles were raised about it, obviously afraid of punishment, but Nightmare waved it off. As long as he wasn't bringing harm to himself or running away, Nightmare didn't mind.

It was only after Killer proved himself capable of hunting down captives in the city maze that Nightmare went out to find another. The 4th Dust.

Dust was a bit more of a handful than usual. Maybe it was because Nightmare wasn't stern enough. Or maybe it was because this Killer was a lot more friendly than his others had been. This Dust immediately attacked. Instead of aiming at Nightmare, it was aimed at Killer. Normally, it the past, he would've let Killer get hurt. Learn a lesson. This time he tugged his Killer out of the line of fire and forced Dust to listen to him. Held him in place.

Dust did not wander into the city like Night had let Killer do. He was confined to the mansion, mainly because Nightmare knew the previous Dusts had a tendency to curl up and let themselves rot if given the chance. So, Nightmare made sure he was fed, and would dunk him in the pond if he refused to bathe, and was always on the watch for hostile attacks, all while Killer was usually playing antagonist.

Nightmare's actually not sure what it was, but one day Dust simply... stopped disobeying his orders. He was up for breakfast, and didn't make Nightmare drag him out to see Killer chase down a victim. Nightmare did his best to be genuine when he told Dust he was pleased to see him up and about.

(Killer had been part of the change in attitude. He would sit outside Dust's door when Night was out and tell him how good of a gig it was. Nightmare wasn't perfect, but the place was cool and it was better than an empty underground. Killer was right, it was better than an empty underground. He gave it a shot and found he didn't feel awful.)

Dust still had his days ofc. Days where he'd get overwhelmed during a mission and overwhelm his magic. Days where he'd be too exhausted or depressed to get out of bed. Days where he hated being there and wanted to go back to his old au. But, on those days Nightmare would check in on him verbally, and visit with meals, or a small gift, or answer a question. Dust liked it when Nightmare answered his questions. And Nightmare, sometimes, would twitch his tendrils and throw something around when Dust was out of commission... but never infront of him. In front of Killer? Yes. Infront of Dust? No. That was not for Dust to worry about.

Sometime after Dust warmed up to him, he resolved to let them visit Ccino. Ccino had been asking about how things were going, and Nightmare wasn't sure how to express the extent of his frustrations a lot of the time. Ccino had suggested a visit might help if they were antsy. Nightmare had agreed.

After a particularly hard day, Nightmare having run into Dream, Blue, and Ink while on a supply run with the two he had, he decided they deserved a break. He prefaced that they were not to torment. Not to harm. Not to do any damages or there would be consequences. When both had agreed, thinly veiled curiosity, Nightmare took them to the au. Just around closing time. He adopted his shapeshifted passive form and brought the two of them along.

Ccino has been... visibly shocked. These were obviously two full-grown, or at least in they 20s-30s, monsters. They didn't look like they were in the best states either. But he'd held himself strong as Nightmare guided them to sit at his and Ccino's usual rounded table, the two extra chairs now being used up. Nightmare handed them the menu, and it seemed he got hesitant orders from both of them before approaching Ccino at the counter. He ordered. Ccino got to work.

When the drinks were brought out, Ccino was almost pleasantly relieved to find that the two additional monsters had cats swarming them. Nightmare introduced them, and Ccino saw how Killer had one cat cradled in each arm, both purring up a storm. Dust had one in his lap, asleep, with one of his hoodie-strings trapped by the cat's jaws. Night didn't bother with a made-up story. Just vaguely explained that they had come from toxic and unhealthy environments and were staying with him for the time being. Like... roommates. Ccino just kinda has to accept that the other two don't seem to be in any immediate distress and minds his own business.

I think it'd be at least a year or two, Nightmare ensuring he's made Killer and Dust comfortable and loyal. Making sure he knows just how to keep them alive properly, and establishing silently to his enemies (the stars) that he's done using expendable pawns. That's when he finally collects the 4th Horror.

It was a hard choice for him. Something about seeing another Horror's face, especially after he'd finally been making an effort to provide better support and care to this Killer and Dust? He figured it out. His last Horror was only so obedient and relaxed because if he was, Nightmare went softer on the others. When the others were both gone, he lost hope. Nightmare, some part of him, was scared he'd do it all over again. Somehow lose Killer and Dust and be left with just Horror. That was why he focused so heavily on Killer and Dust's wellbeing this time. So this Horror wouldn't have to worry. Would turn out the same.

And the plan worked out. Nightmare brought himself to go find a Horror. One from a collapsing timeline, right in the cross heirs of Error's attacks. He was basically a scrap of code, and Nightmare tugged him to safety at the last second. This Horror was confused, but grateful, until he noticed Killer and Dust. Horror was entirely avoidant of the two for the longest time, willing to do as Nightmare said once he heard him out, saw what was happening, but he did NOT like Dust or Killer. He was cagey, kept to himself, only showing weakness if he was injured in battle or had fallen ill. Night tried to watch out for him, but that wedge between the three of them was troublesome. Night hoped it'd work itself out. It never quite did.

Night doesn't have a favorite. He'll refer to Killer for important tasks, he's been there the longest. He'll let Dust fall asleep on the couch near to him and curl tendrils around him while he haps. He'll find recipe books and new supplies from aus for Horror to try out. He'd willingly get in the way of any attack to improve their chances of survival. Having said this, he pays an extra attention to Horror. Everyone notices it, Horror finds it unsettling sometimes but can mostly ignore it. It isn't until a fight with Dream where Horror chases Ink off to the side and Ink reveals to him the fate of the last Horror that any of them know *why*. Horror takes time to process it, before bringing it up to Nightmare very very nervously.

Nightmare, pained, admits his previous faults. He's not proud of his methodologies back then. He doesn't admit how much he cares about this 4th round of them. He doesn't need to.

Fun bonus! There's a year where Cross comes into the picture. At first he seeks out Nightmare for his help. Like in Underverse, he wants to rebuilt his au. But Nightmare denies him. It wouldn't benefit him or the others, it wouldn't benefit the balance, find someone else. But Cross can't. When he tries to work alone, Cross finds that Dream and the stars intercept him. They assume he'd working for Nightmare, which he denies, and they try to talk with him. Ask what he's doing. Ink and Dream can't allow Cross to keep going, even if he's trying to make himself a new home. They ask if he wants to join them. Defend against evil in the multiverse. And as it is, he has to agree.

So Cross teams up with the stars for a while. But as he's working with them, things don't seem to be lining up. Dream claims Nightmare tortures his followers, trades them out like cheap toys. But... Cross never sees these ones change. And if one gets too injured, Nightmare calls a retreat. The same ones come back each time. Even in the midst of battle Nightmare seemed to keep tabs on all of his players.

Once, Cross isolated Dust from the rest of the fighting. He was wounded and clearly getting more exhausted by the second. When Cross pinned him finally, he asked if he wanted to stop fighting. To go somewhere safe. Away from Nightmare. Dust had always seemed like the most actively dis-engaged fighter of the three. Cross thought he could convince him. But Dust just stares at him and says "Nah." Before getting a second wind and summoning an attack again. Cross tried to knock him out, take him by force, but the hit just dazed him rather than knocking him out, and by then Nightmare had figured out where they were. Seeing, or sensing, Dust's state, he signals for retreat instantly. Cross is forced to move or get skewered by darkness, and he's shocked by how gently Nightmare scoops up the dazed Dust, and how willingly Dust let's it happen. Horror and Killer are right on Nightmare's tail and hop through the portal first. Night through very last.

Cross had never seen Nightmare pick up his men so carefully before. Usually they'd walk through on their own, or he'd lift with tendrils. This time he carried Dust in his own arms. That was... weird.

Cross, eventually, comes to terms with not rebuilding his AU, just being barred from it for so long. But it takes *ages* before he goes to Nightmare. For one reason or another, Cross realizes that the state of his friendship with Dream is unhealthy. I mean, Dream cares for him, but it feels overbearing. And when he asked to visit the omega timeline once, Dream advised against it. Basically placed him on house-arrest unless everyone was going out to fight. He had to stay inside Dream's au, since he was an outcode. A fragile one. (Dream was afraid of losing Cross, like he'd lost many others.)

During a fight, Cross decides he's going to try something new. He's going to get as close as physically possible to the portal at the end of the fight, and lunge inside at the last second. No weapons, no hostility, nothing. That Domain of Nightmare's is untraceable. He needs in there.

And when he enacts the plan? Nightmare actually allows it. On his end, acting like he didn't notice a thing until he steps through.

Ofc, Cross immediately got tackled and pinned by Killer, but Cross doesn't fight back. Night demands he explain himself, abd Cross takes one more hesitant look at the surrounding enemies before admitting. Dream's kept him on a short leash since he joined. No exploring, no harsh training, no visiting friends, nothing. He needed to get somewhere Dream couldn't follow him. Even though it was a suicide mission, Night's domain was the safest choice.

And Nightmare was frankly baffled. Someone had willingly chose his domain over his brother's? It was a bit of an honor. But I'm the sane breath, he couldn't just let Cross leave. If he did, then that wouldn't be just to his three loyal wards.

So, Nightmare gave him an ultimatum. Either he stayed and acted as a teammate, eventually earning privileges just like the others had, or they could kill him. No one can just freely enter the au and expect Sanctuary. Cross knew as much, and as much as it seemed to pain him, he agreed he'd work for Nightmare.

And for Cross? Nightmare decided to reach back into the old days. He told Cross he had ten minutes to go somewhere in the city. Evade for as long as he could. Told him to get running. Only when Cross had confusedly left the mansion did Nightmare tell the group that whoever could scare Cross the most, without intentionally wounding him, would get to choose the next big leisure item he brought back from supply-running.

Boy did the guys torment him! Nightmare kept an eye on it, and there was some excellent restraint from all three of them. It went on for several hours, and Nightmare only cut it short because he'd noticed Cross had developed a limp. Some sort of twisted ankle maybe? (For the record, Dust managed to win. He suggested a projector for movies and stuff.) Back at the castle they all sat at the table, including Cross (though he was wary) and ate. Then they had leisure time. Then curfew. The next morning, when Cross was still limping, he postponed further 'training' to check how truly hurt Cross was.

Basically, Cross figures out Nightmare only does fucked-up stuff because it's part of his nature. He needs to to survive. Outside of that? He's learned to be amicable and borderline kind to those he cares about. Cross is there to witness Killer getting his first cat, he's there to witness the three of them get into intense debates about high-level science and scribble all over a whiteboard, he's there to witness a lot of good moments. Including Nightmare bringing a Ccino for a visit to the house.

This Ccino visit is prompted by him noticing the boys haven't been by with Night lately. Nightmare assures him that they're fine, but also suggests Ccino could come by for a visit? And Ccino, friendly and optimistic Ccino, agrees. Nightmare, upon portalling them, walks a bit with Ccino. Explaining the nature of the realm and why he lives there. Ccino listens and accepts it, even if he is a little spooked. Nightmare then guides him to the mansion and shows him around. The guys are all screwing around in the kitchen, trying to make cookies with Horror. The three are excited to see Ccino and greet him. Cross, who was sitting in the corner trying nit to make things worse with the batter, was confused to find a normal Ccino visiting the domain. A part of him was angry, another was hurt, but he kept quiet. The Ccino was nice and greeted the others, then introduced himself to Cross. Cross did the same.

Ccino, at this point, officially became knowledgeable of the multiverse and unintentionally/intentionally aligned himself with Nightmare. Night seemed to be doing very well despite all the worries he'd had, and also, Ccino considers Night to be a friend. They discuss books together, play newspaper games, etc etc.

After Ccino leaves he starts getting more multiversal visitors, he can always tell, but he has his favorites.

...

Hard cut, day 2 of adding to this ramble post and now I have drawn designs with extra lore!!

Nightmare and Dream's magic from the apple incident has condensed around their skulls like halos! They can't be touched nir damaged by attacks, but they do glow when either is feeding/exerting their magic.

Nightmare did his best to keep the 4th round of the mtt in top shape, but it wouldn't last forever. Dust was the first one to get a major injury, though it wasn't very prominent visually. Shortly after they got Horror, Dust was slashed in the socket by one of Ink's corrosive paints. He fought through the pain, but upon getting back to the base, Nightmare discovered Dust's state. Nightmare's first instinct was to clean the wound like he'd been taught by Ccino, then to ask if Dust could still use the magic in that eye. As it stands, he still can't reconnect to the mana there. Night fought against every instinct telling him that Dust was broken, and to get a new one, and just told him to go rest and recover. Dust has a scar on his bone and his eyelight is missing in that socket. But he's alive, which is a testament to Nightmare's improvement.

Killer lost his leg shortly after they took in Cross. It was a combative fight where Dream wouldn't let up, hunting them down to any au they moved to, not allowing them to make the supply run they'd been on (it was after a period of quiet after Cross ran and was taken in by Night. Dream + the others believe Nightmare killed him.). It was Blue who almost got a solid hit in on Dust, but Killer got in the way to block. Only, he wasn't sturdy enough and his leg-bone practically shattered when he tried to stop Blue's swing. Horror scooped Killer up, and in the wave of negativity and Dust's cursing that followed, Nightmare signaled a retreat.

Under normal circumstances, such a substantial, mobility-altering, injury would prompt Nightmare to just put a follower out of their misery and claim a new one. But. Not anymore. He had to act fast because Killer was fading in consciousness abd Nightmare was never one for major wounds like limb loss. Luckily, Horror was familiar, and him and Night managed to stop Killer's limb from dusting any further up his body. (Dust was furious with Killer for taking that hit. Horror was shocked. Nightmare regretted not taking up the rear in the first place. Cross was mortified to see Killer in such a state and was 1000% sure Night was going to off him.)

Recovery for Killer was... rocky. About 50/50 good/bad days, but he pulled through and learned to use a prosthetic. In the meantime, Cross offered to cover for Killer on runs if he was needed, a good step for Cross and for Nightmare. But, instead, Nightmare asked Cross to focus on making sure Killer didn't hurt himself while the others were out on runs. He couldn't risk revealing Cross' being alive just yet. This leads to plenty of Killer Cross bonding time, and Killer gets to tell all sorts of stories about how much the Boss has been improving. Killer knows he was the pet project, the test dummy to this 'new him'. Nightmare hasn't laid much of a finger on Horror, abd only let them spook Cross, while Killer was tossed around like a ragdoll. And now look! Night was going through the trouble of replacing his limb and nursing him back to health! For Killer it's like watching someone take their first steps. Cross realizes then that Nightmare hasn't always been like this. He used to be worse. He's taking steps on his own to improve. And for what? The sakes of Killer, Dust, and Horror?

Meanwhile, Dream has Blue and Ink, both of whom he extends his positive magic to. Even when they're in their own domains, they can spread his aura to those they interact with and call upon his power.

Unlike those two, he's also allied with Outer and Lust! Those two are from the omega timeline, and they work to help anyone fleeing from destroyed, corrupted, or otherwise uninhabitable aus. They had their own little thing going before Dream entered the picture, but when he approached them about seeing anyone from a destroyed au, they kept in contact. Now they act as a little home-base, keeping track of the battles and the conflicts and making sure the main three fighters don't work themselves into the ground. And! Because the main 3 are always out and about? If you need help with smaller tasks, Lust and Outer are on it. Lust finds it a nice distraction from his past and anxieties, and Outer does it as repayment to Dream (who saved his life from the 3rd Killer once).

Uhhh, one last note I think? Horror is the favorite child from an outsider + inside pov. Night doesn't think that way, but he is actively more careful with Horror than the others. He feels like he failed the last one (he failed all of them but y'know) and he can fix it with this one. This one doesn't understand the treatment and often resents it, but decides not to say anything lest he offset whatever kindness Nightmare is doing for the others. The others don't mind that Horror is effectively the favorite. They know Nightmare was fucked up long before they arrived, and it was just one of his many quirks.

[daisybell-on-a-carousel]

What the fuck do you mean he woke up in his coffin alive, with like all of his injuries from his death, cracked open the wooden lid of his casket with nothing but a belt buckle and his hands, dug 6 feet out, while running out of oxygen, walked 12 and a half miles (and then maybe got hit by a car??!?)

And then during his Robin run, there was of course when he got beat up by the Joker and then got up to get the ropes off his mom

In legends he got beat up by an angry mob, was hospitalized, looks like he has a head injury as well as a broken arm and leg, and he just. Walks out and manages to find his way to the next gathering angry mob to try and stop em

He will not stay down and he will throw himself back into it as soon as he physically can, sooner sometimes

[starry-bi-sky]

mmmmmm read a disciple shen yuan/shizun luo binghe fanfic about two days ago where the first chapter was the Immortal Conference arc, and SQQ was the one who had to be pushed into the abyss (he was still the villain) except Luo Binghe was refusing and was like, lowkey losing his mind about SQQ being so close to the edge. SQQ ended up having to be the one to fall in himself because of the system's punishment system. The rest of the fic is leading up to that moment. But like, MMM i've been obsessively thinking about that first chapter for DAYS ever since.

now i've been in svsss for a grand total of *checks watch* a week. but god obsessed with that. I want to write/read a fic where disciple SQQ goes a little nuts down there. Like keep all of the things that make SQQ, SQQ, but just. Throw in a little bit more trauma in there. A little bit of a mental break. Let him go a little nuts as a treat. Just a tad unhinged. I wanna see him go, just a little, "god fuck it, i've tried so hard to change this shitty story's outcome and it feels like everything i've done has been for nothing. I'm going to die in this world no matter what I do, I've been doomed from the start, so might as well die the way I want to." and he just, breaks a little! Under all the stress.

He still retains the traits that makes shen yuan, shen yuan, like his overwhelming kindness. But he's just! yk. A little less patient. Paranoid. Jumpy. Colder. A little more aloof and closed off. A little more Shen Jiu. He's no asshole child abuser, but he was a Number One Hater in his past life and he's leaning into that old habit a little more now.

(On a totally coincidental not-at-all related note, there's not enough SJ-and-SY-are-the-same-people fics out there that i've found. This is totally unrelated...)

The Endless Abyss turns the mind into an over-sharpened blade, and SQQ is both fascinated and perhaps a little excited to explore a place that doesn't have a lot of info on it in the mortal realm, but still terrified out of his mind. And he's no Luo Binghe, he doesn't have the sheer brute strength and power to just bulldoze his way through, so he has to be a lot more sneaky and cunning if he wants to survive.

The fic itself role-swapped LBH and SQQ so that SQQ was the half-demon (which lowkey fucks) and LBH the human, but I'm equally-if-not-more obsessed with the idea that LBH remains the half-heavenly demon and SQQ the human. If only because I keep thinking about SQQ befriending some demons (particularly and specifically a group of succubi) and they grow very attached to this Human Cultivator so through magic plot stuff they create some kind of seal/illusion/talisman that makes SQQ appear as a demon because a human cultivator in the endless abyss may as well be the equivalent of putting a giant neon target on your back.

And iirc Shen Jiu was taught demonic cultivation by that one guy(?? i've only been here a week so im not caught up in ALL of the lore yet) so that could totally happen here.

(On the other end of the realms, poor Shizun Luo Binghe is just. losing his fucking mind over losing his most precious and beloved disciple. About .5 seconds from burning down the peaks himself. somebody sedate him.)

The Endless Abyss sucks and SQQ is having a really terrible time and can feel himself going lowkey mad, but also holy shit look at all this WORLD-BUILDING. look at all this flora and fauna, and oh if he had the equipment for it he'd be writing all of this down. ALL OF IT. He was kinda-sorta-already planning on never leaving the Abyss as some sort of fucked up self-exile and self-preservation thing, but now he might? actually just?? never leave if he can help it, like he lowkey likes it down here.

anyways the next time anyone ever sees SQQ again he's got hair so long its almost touching the ground and he's either in rags and half-feral or he's been completely dolled up by his adoptive succubi sisters and still about three seconds from biting anyone who tries to touch him. (he's also lowkey trying to book it back down to the abyss even if he has desperately missed all of his friends and shizun)

[eastbluecrewed]

things you can't get back

aka i've been waiting so patiently to see kidd get his ass beat by shanks (affectionate)

[lgvalenzuela]

And here's the first part of a companion fic I made for this great piece of writing

He woke up in the most familiar of unifamiliar places. He had seen it many times at this point, but never quite grasped the severity of the situation until he was surrounded by those hues of grey. Voices whispering in his mind, familiar voices. The voice of his father, long passed, long forgotten to time as he could only place the face of the man who raised him. The voice of a woman who gave him a chance when he never could do the same for her. The voices of the people in Dock Town, and the Grey Wardens he wasn't able to save…

The voice of Bellara…

The voice of Lace…

Lucanis…

LUCANIS.

He remembered now, the body of his love laying on the floor. He couldn't reach him and now. But he wouldn't…he couldn't…

He quickly stood up as a pang of pain from his abdomen to his head. He fell as quickly as he rose, he couldn't even scream he was in such agony. He tried to breathe as he reached his side, he wasn't bleeding anymore but he could still feel every ounce of pain, he could recall the feeling of Ghilan'nain’s stab perfectly. And yet there he was, alive, while Lace…

He grunted, as he tried clawing his way forward. He had to do something, anything. He needed to know if everyone got out of Tearstone Island. But he wasn't going anywhere while staggering through the floor like a worm.

He cried out a silent scream as he regained his composure as best he could, slowly getting up and limping his way forward. If wherever he was going was forward to begin with:

“This is something I've always admired about you, kid. You don't know when to quit”

“Varric?”

But Varric couldn't… he couldn't be there.

Then why was he speaking to him?

“I told you the enchantments were dangerous! And you chose me anyway! You picked me to die!”

The voice of Bellara blew a hole through his heart. Like an arrow… like Lace…

“I died because you chose me. You want see the rest? Like you don't know how Taash is going to look at you…”

“Lace… Bellara… I-I didn't mean to-”

But it didn't matter what he meant to do. Because he chose anyway. And at every turn.

It was the wrong choice.

Neve got a scar within minutes of meeting him.

He chose to help Treviso for selfish reasons while he left Dock Town to its own devices.

He couldn't help at Weisshaupt.

He couldn't help Ferelden.

He didn't save the only chance of his family’s legacy to survive.

He forgot his father’s face.

And he couldn't even get to see if his friends were okay.

He fell to his knees, grabbing the sides of his torso in torment.

He felt himself being swallowed, the hands of the ghosts he had gained along the way dragging him to the ground as if it were the water destined to drown him…forever…

“Finn…”

He couldn't look up, he couldn't face him. What if he… what if he got him killed too?

Lucanis placed a hand on his face, softly, tenderly:

“Don't go where I can't follow”

“Lucanis I-”

“No, don't say it. You have to tell me in person…”

He finally looked into his eyes, he smiled so delicately. Caressing his cheek. This wasn't his Lucanis, he was… an idea, a little regret. He leaned into the touch just as he disappeared:

“I have to tell you in person…”

But for that he had to get out of there.

Varric extended his hand, with a sympathetic smile. A melancholic gaze:

“Come on kid”

He held his friend’s hand, as Varric helped him gain any sort of composure while he could feel his body giving up on him:

“Varric…since when…?”

“I think you know…”

He cried out on his friend's shoulder, maybe he always knew.

But even this Varric was too awkward to just hug him, he patted him on the back:

“Come on Rook, it's fine. It's fine…” Varric choked a little “I had a good life…”

“I should've- I could've-”

“Don’t carry my mistakes Rook, I chose to talk to Solas. It was my decision and you don't get to make it about yourself”

“I-”

“Neve chose to go with you that day, and she knew the risk”

“But I-”

“Look at me, kid” he grabbed his shoulders, looking into his eyes deeply “Every decision we make has consequences… sometimes they're small, sometimes… they're not…

And I've been around enough to know when someone choses, trying their best…

When you went to Treviso, didn't you send the rest of your team to help in Minrathous? When you went to Weisshaupt, did you know Ghilan'nain and her Archdemon were going to be there?”

Finn stood there in silence.

“When you told Violet to leave, didn't you think there was going to be someone there who would love her? And don't you think of your father, even if you can't remember him?

What do you think the Hero of Ferelden thought when there were only two Wardens left to defeat the Blight? What do you think Hawke did when they were left alone in a city that hated them? What about the Inquisitor when he had to fight for an organization that cursed him, when he only wanted to help having the mark on his hand?

You know these people… and you know they tried their best… just like you…

Just like your team…”

“But Solas… what if he tried his best as well?”

“Maybe he did, maybe he thinks he did. But he did choose to sacrifice other people at every turn” Varric put a hand on his chest, where Solas plunged the dagger “Did you? Can you really say you sacrificed anyone willingly?”

Finn thought about it for a second, but Varric didn't let him dwell on his regret for too long. He signaled with his head.

Finn looked up, an eluvian.

He tried to reach it, until the pain shot threw his body like lightning again.

Varric put Finn's arm around his shoulders, carefully wrapping his arm around his back and together they climbed through the steps to the eluvian. One by one:

“This is the last thing I'm ever going to be able to do for you…”

“Varric… Thank you for everything… you were a good friend…”

He didn't know if this was another figment of his imagination but it felt real… real enough to say goodbye.

Finn could feel his vision getting blurry as he got nearer the eluvian. But if he could just… see them one last time… that was enough…

Just enough…

—------------------------------------------------------

They could've felt their heart skip a beat when they saw that handprint on the eluvian. They jumped out of their seats, to pull him towards them.

Finn fell into Lucanis' arms, and smiled slightly. Lucanis cup his face on his hands, getting his hair out of his face. Spite pulled out his wings embracing their Rook.

He was back. They got him back.

And then Finn's wound started bleeding again, it had been so long they had forgotten the state Rook was dragged to the Fade in. He gave his friends a teary smile, as he buried his face on Lucanis' chest and his body went limp:

“No! No no no no” Lucanis grabbed his lover before he fell to the ground “Please! Please no!”

Neve and Emmrich rushed to their side, Taash gave Lucanis the first piece of cloth they found so they could stop Finn's hemorrhage long enough for the mages to remember any healing spell that might work.

Healing wasn't Neve or Emmrich’s speciality but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that Finn wasn't breathing, at all.

His own words hit him like a boulder.

All I know is death.

All he knew was death.

He didn't know how to help. He couldn't save him.

He got him back just for a second.

Just for a goodbye.

All I know is death.

And yet, as if guided, he ripped Finn's chestplate and started pushing on his chest. He didn't know where he learnt this, and there wasn't time to think about it now. The memories were foggy, of family long gone.

He opened Finn's mouth and breathed life into his lungs. He would lie down on his own if that's what it took for Rook to return again.

He placed his ear on his chest. Nothing.

Next thing he knew Davrin was next to him, he pushed on his friend's chest waiting for Lucanis to continue breathing. As the mages closed the wound on his torso.

He breathed. A quiet gasp.

Lucanis placed his ear on Finn's chest again, hearing his heartbeat might have been the most relieved he'd ever felt.

He was still unconscious and heavily mangled, but he was alive. And he could get through this:

“We need to find an actual healer” said Neve, whipping some sweat of her forehead

“We must take haste, our dear friend is stable but…” added Emmrich

“There were some people stuck on the Crossroads. I'm- I'm sure we can find someone quickly” said Davrin, he was breathing heavily like he had just remembered he could “Neve, Emmrich, you should stay near Rook. Taash, I need you to search with me”

Taash picked up Finn as if he weighed nothing:

“Come on, I'll take him to my room first, I have the closest bed”

Lucanis followed closely.

—------------------------------------------------------

He couldn't even believe it when he woke up. The fact that he was opening his eyes at all, alive and breathing. He instinctively drew his hand to the side of his torso, a certain level of pain was still there but at least the wound was closed. He could feel his body covered in bandages, somebody had done a thorough job of taking care of his aching body, probably Emmrich.

He took note of his surroundings, Taash' room. They must have taken him to their bed to rest. A good bed was more comfortable than the infirmary, he had to give them that. How was he supposed to face them?

As his eyes accustomed to light he sighed. It was gone now, the vision from his left eye, from the scar he got at Weisshaupt. Gone, after all that time.

It was okay, they knew it would happen… and he had a master assassin at his side… always on his left side…

He searched carefully through the bed, he couldn't see him, or barely move to face him. But he knew he would find him if he searched.

His hand reached him crouching down at the side of the bed, resting until his lover woke up. Lucanis flinched at the touch, and incorporated himself so Finn would be able to see him:

“Finn!”

“Lucanis”

Tears swelled as he opened his arms, Lucanis wrapped him in a tight embrace. Soft enough as not to hurt him, close enough as to never lose him again. He buried his face on Rook's neck, caressing his hair tenderly. Finn could feel his tears dripping down his shoulder:

“ROOK.IS.HERE”

Finn chuckled:

“Hello Spite…”

Spite’s wings wrapped around them, protectively, warmly. Who might have said that he'd be loved by a demon:

“Lucanis… I know you don't want to hear it but…”

“No… Finn… I-”

He looked at him with those big, sad eyes. He never thought someone would ever look at him with so much love:

“Say it… say it as many times as you need…”

Finn choked a sob, and Lucanis placed kisses on his face:

“I love you… I love you…”

In the Absence of Everything

I'm very happy to share my first gift fic for my graphics challenge! Thank you @lgvalenzuela (whose commissions are open) for the beautiful art you did for the contest! Here is your angst Post-Tearstone fallout where Davrin and Lucanis try to pick up the pieces. Click here to see it on AO3 Preview under the cut:

Davrin had carved Lace, taking the time to capture the embroidery on her armor best he could. Debated giving it to Taash but hung onto it in his uncertainty. Bellara had been next, and Davrin would kill Elgar’nan for that, personally. Rook, he did again, capturing him in his Warden armor, placing it next to the others.

Lyra’s was the hardest. Every time he started, he couldn’t get it quite right. It had turned into an obsession when he wasn’t around the others. This time, he got almost to the end, eyes burning as he got to her face. His hand cut too deep and he growled, throwing the carving into the fire and going to bed. Assan chirped and climbed onto his chest, weighing him down, trying to urge him to sleep. Davrin smiled and stroked a finger down his beak, humming to calm him.

Something about it worked, and the griffon closed his eyes. Davrin followed him soon after, if only for a little while. 

[welcometogrouchland]

I just think Hunter was obsessed with Willow and didn't even know it during the period from any sport in a storm to labyrinth runners. They maybe don't talk as often as they could, they're both busy and have conflicting schedules, so when they do talk, Hunter absorbs everything she says.

After roughly 3 weeks of texting (hexting? I feel like the kids would call it hexting), He knows that her favorite colour is orange, she likes her tea with extra milk and a bit of honey during winter, she likes working out to the noisiest angriest music in her playlist, her dad Gilbert is a construction witch who specialises in pottery, she used to listen to breakup songs and think about her childhood best friend (Hunter doesn't know it's Amity) and she actually has a mild pollen allergy despite being a plant witch and has to take potions for it.

He casually drops all this info piece by piece during their stay in the human realm and willows like. Well I can't not marry him. It'll have to be a winter or fall wedding to account for her allergies </3

[danwhobrowses]

Okay I've had a sleep, I've seen a lot of what the fandom has to say and I'm gonna just talk about my thoughts on the episode 118 stuff in more detail too.

Spoilers under the cut and it's a little bit (5 paras and a tl/dr at the bottom) long

I have never liked the Release Predathos option, but it had been very apparent - since probably as far back as the vorbing - that Matt had been pushing the narrative towards that option whether Bells Hells wanted it or not. The lack of alternatives provided meant that yes, the Hells had little choice but to deal with Predathos themselves; Ludinus was likely not dead, they were low on strength and resources even after a short rest to fight another full-strength Ludinus, and even if they caved in the core and killed Ludinus again someone else would've tried to come and release Predathos. On that I can't really fault the cast for playing ball with the DM and I can't say what the characters are doing is out of character or with bad intentions, it simply annoys me how close we were to entertaining the idea that should've been discussed earlier of putting Predathos somewhere nobody can get to. Objectively it was still a terrible idea, one that even in delivery could've been better prepared with Imogen not in range of the two saving throw buffs or having any Inspiration as she took on Predathos knowing from previous experience that a wisdom save is likely to be involved. But again, the alternatives offered up to them are sparse, nothing else in the narrative had offered a clear solution and if something did suddenly come up it would've felt too much like a deus ex machina. The Hells are not doing this because they want to do Ludinus' plan, but doing so is by proxy doing Ludinus' plan, and thus the problem as of current lies in the Plot.

Right now, they're at a very high risk of the plot not justifying a story, because why did we have this campaign if the outcome is gonna be the same? If the plan is to reset Exandria why didn't we have C3 in the post-reset era and trickle in what happened as lore? Bells Hells have often lacked agency when it came to the Predathos portions of the campaign, but even when they took agency to try and be more than what they were made to be they found themselves punished or being withheld the catharsis they needed to grow. Regardless, the plot is currently failing the characters, and thus the characters are failing the audience - to the point where some in the fandom now want them all to die or for Braius to betray them all - because we the audience don't see the appeal of the direction.

There is a caveat though: it's not yet over. We expect that there will be a fight between the Hells and Predathos!Imogen (we need a name for that) and possibly Ludinus swooping in with the harness to try and steal a victory, but that does mean that the theatre of imagination can come into play in dealing with Predathos itself. There is of course uncertainty whether Predathos can die, since Vecna at 0hp would've just discorporated them for a bit, but there are a lot more options for the Hells to entertain now than there was at 118, including having to kill the vessel - be it Imogen or transferring it to another like Ludinus or Liliana, being able to expel Predathos from Imogen and entrapping/banishing/killing it with the knowledge that yeah that was a terrible idea, or somehow having Imogen suppress it and remain control over herself (and hope that the same rule doesn't apply to her as it does with Delilah being free when Laudna dies), which all can involve exciting twists and turns and creative solutions befitting of a conclusion. In that hope is the opening for a more exciting and satisfying end, and while the plot has had rightful criticisms a good ending can make up for them just as much as a bad ending can ruin a good plot.

So in short; I don't like that Imogen did that, but I know why she did it. And why she did it is more the plot's fault because we never saw it as a good idea, just the only decision that was pushed to be made. There's hope though, and all is not lost, but the plot as well as the characters are gonna have to earn it.

[rmorde]

Trigun Manga Reaction

Here we go! Chapter 8 Volume... Huh?

Voulme 2? I thought this is still Volume 1. Am I tripping?

Anyway! Just a moment of appreciation for this parody page of he cover.

This while thing is so "busy" yet it still make sense. There's so many elements layering on top of each other. It should be a confusing mess. However, I can still easily pick out the four components that tells a story.

Component 1: Vash as a happy salary man being served a drink by a geisha (judging from the hairstyle and accessory) with shadowed eyes on the opposite end of the page.

Component 2: BDN at the dead center. The text makes it a bit difficult to confirm if he has a top knot, but he definitely is rocking a traditional Japanese look. He looks menacingly at Vash as he drinks.

Component 3: Meryl and Milly running in a hurry but for two clearly different purposes. Meryl looks like a traditional restaurant staff frantically trying to serve a lot of guests. Meanwhile, Milly doesn't look she's working anywhere near the food service industry with her get up and the tool that she has on hand.

Component 4: The Bad Lads drinking in celebration while an ambulance seems to be sounding its sirens as it parked near them.

Look. I may seem to be too obsessed with this gag page but it's crazy how its a fucking busy mess that still works at telling a cohesive story!

With just this two page drawing, I can infer easily that someone is in danger and may need to be hospitalized - so the ambulance was called and asked to stand by. Milly is probably the heroine about to save the day with the overworked yet eager to help Meryl. The party the Bad Lads are having is a big distraction at a possible murder attempt starring Vash as the victim, the geisha as the accomplice, and BDN as the mastermind.

I'M SORRY BUT HOW THE FUCK?!!!

And don't get me started on the scaling of each figure and the silhouettes. Just... I'll just repeat, Nightow is amazing for how pretty AND technical his drawing is. It's so clean. Wow...

Sorry for getting derailed. So, back to the chapter.

Ok. I lied. Let me just appreciate Winter Mery and Milly here. I love them so much and they so fucking cute here with their dynamic pose... solid silhouette... Clean fucking lines... Sorry... Give me a minute!!!

Sigh~

Interesting. So, '98 rearranged the sequence of events here. This happened a bit later... which I think is better. It adds more impact on Vash's duel against BDN.

These guys are no stormtrooper shooters. They having really good aim!

They didn't hit Vash. Okay. Maybe the tails of his coat now have fresh bullet holes, but aside from that, Vash is fairly intact. The Bad Lads have great accuracy.

This is an intriguing way of drawing a spinning gun. It's simple but effective in visually communicating that that is what BDN is doing. A good choice. Thinking about it... If three twirling guns in a blur of circles were drawn, it would be too distracting and BDN will be overwhelmed in the panel.

Cool foreshortening. Incredible detail on the filigree. And a bonus Goofy Face Vash!

So so fucking glad '98 was faithful to the manga with these scenes. Meryl and Milly were such badasses here.

Huh... Well that's a huge difference. There's not much:

GASP! It'S VaSH tHe STampeDE!

vASh ThE StAMpEdE?!

VASH THE STAMPEDE!!!

It can get a bit much... sometimes in '98. So, this is refreshing.

WHAT...

WHAT THE FLYING FUCK?!!!

So, those lines by Miss Purple Avenger from the filler episode were originally from BRILLIANT DYNAMITES NEON?!

I-

Oooohhh.... Pretty art... Wait no... I can't distracted. I'm mad!

I'M VERY VERY MAD!!!

OML! This is much more intense! IT ADDS SO MUCH WEIGHT TO THE DUEL!

Oh my goodness... This nuance... WHY WAS THIS CHANGED?!

Not to say that Miss Purple Avenger and the episode featuring her was bad. It was actually great! Her version of July was nightmare inducing... and her confrontation with Vash was truly tragic too but.... Uhm...uh... AAHHHH!!!! I CAN'T CHOOSE! THEY'RE BOTH GOOD!

Oh... break my heart into fucking pieces will you huh?!

LOOK AT THESE! Manga Vash getting cheered on by the people! People were supporting him! He is being treated nicely as he deserved.

Even in '98! It was not as overt at this page. However, that scene of the captain from the beginning of this chapter replaced these panels instead and is just as effective. '98 Vash has people believing the good in him.

TRISTAMP VASH WAS ROBBED!!! HE NEVER HAD THESE!!! That poor precious boy! The few precious people who supports him only showed up near the end... and... and...

Now getting even more upset again with the Jeonora Episodes in Tristamp!

It's so not fair!

Oooh. A cinematic page!

HOLY SHIT!!! THESE PAGES ARE AMAZING!

I can't believe this. This fight is better in the manga!

I am not dissing Studio Madhouse for what they've done tho. The '98 Duel was epic too! They did great! But all these crazy angles and perspectives in the manga just elevate the overall awesomeness of the gunfight. It's just more immersive.

Tbf to the '98 anime, this is a nightmare to animate faithfully. With the technology and techniques at the time, this would be so difficult to pull off beautifully - going topsy turvy in one smooth motion for two characters at the same time in a fight scene with a complicated moving background? Yeah... The animation staff would go insane. It's totally understandable that they simplified this duel into extreme close ups and strong facial + gun drawings instead.

I hope Studio Orange re-hashes this fight in some way tho... or does the Episode 1 duel count?

Sigh... With the my discovery that Miss Purple Avenger's lines were actually BDN's, and that the outrage towards Vash for not remembering anything about July belongs to the Bad Lads', these words have become so much more meaningful.

It's also now more effective at convincing me that Brilliant Dynamites Neon have hidden depths.

Oh... Ow... The detailing here is just ow for the hands of an artist. Perhaps I overreacting, but those fine lines in the crooks and crannies make me wince.

Once again tag responses:

@revenantghost

Yeah. The more I see his work, the more I'm awed by his skills. That's a cool detail that his design incorporate realism. I thought the glasses are for the light tho? But maybe it's like those the Olympian gunners wore during the competition?

The dead REALLY haunting the narrative? Looking forward to it!

@takeshidude

Ok. Monthly publication are still grueling but at least its not as nightmarish with weekly mangakas. No wonder the quality is consistent with the art. Nightow was allowed to breathe.

You make a good point. '98 did have a bit of a mystery woven into it. We know Vash the Stampede - we follow his misadventures and people kept saying who he is ad nauseam in every episode. However, we don't really know know him for quite a long time. It's a different, but no less interesting, spin to the story.

Which kinda explains I'm misremembering some scenes and characterizations? The last third of '98 made a long lasting impression that I kinda forgot about Vash's horn dogginess.

[jedisandspacepirates]

This is such a relief to see, honestly. So I didn't know a whole lot about what I was going to into (because I didn't want to be spoiled) but once I saw this idea of Osha x Qimir, part of me was a little hesitant because I was hoping it wouldn't be another manipulation/gaslighting relationship. Of course that was just a 'I hope it doesn't go this way' thought I had, but yeah it was nice to see that he doesn't do that with her.

I also loved how he respected her. I didn't see him pushing her or forcing her to do anything other than acknowledging those facts he brings her to see. And that in the sense of letting her see them and telling it like it is. And then of course, that scene with the comms. He's annoyed, but he just lets it be.

Right, he's definitely not. I saw somewhere also that to him, from his perspective, the Jedi would want to kill him for practicing what he's doing in that time. He's trying to survive. Granted, I don't support him killing them, but I mean...they attack, he's gonna defend himself. I really don't see him as inherently evil. He doesn't even, if you consider it in a certain way, consider himself Sith (I think), he just stated that the Jedi would call him that. But he doesn't call himself that.

(I'm so sorry, I wrote an essay...I just like him a lot).

But seriously, I meant it when I said I want to talk to somebody about Qimir, him being (or not) a Sith and his actions throughout The Acolyte.

Yes, I get that he's killed people and he's definitely embraced the dark side. Boy said himself 'I've embraced my darkness.'

But if evil, why soft? Dude can just kill people without a second thought but then sees his girl (well, okay Osha's not his girl, not officially I suppose) and his thought process: She's hurt, let me heal her. She's knocked out, maybe she's cold. I'm gonna cover her with my cloak and not leave her like this all night. *proceeds to carry her all the way back to wherever he lives*

Hm now I've seen a multi-dimensional villain in what Jude Law gave us in Skeleton Crew, but there's just something about the tenderness (can I call it that? Dear people who've been in The Acolyte much longer than I, please help me understand this better) Qimir shows with Osha that has me turning things over in my mind.

I get that he's dangerous and she shouldn't trust him, but what would happen later down the road between the two of them...