#you don't get stuck in a hell dimension for who fucking knows how long and NOT come out the other side perfectly intact

[darth-sonny]

WOAH, what happened to Leo's shell in WaW AU?

I thought his eyes and arms the only thing that changed (+ tail)

boy got anakin skywalker'd

[utilitycaster]

okay watched Cloak and Dagger and here are my thoughts in brief

I don't think showing Ripley's backstory is bad. Part of why Ripley is an interesting character to me in a way that, to use my favorite punching bag, Otohan, is not, is because we had hints of what made her this way - fleeing the Empire; a list of names on Animus that included Bertrand Dwendal. Part of why I mock Otohan relentlessly is because she is a one-dimension villain, and Ripley never was that, which is why she's an interesting villain. Tragic backstory, in my opinion, enhances one's villainy, rather than reduces it: what sort of monster suffers and decides to do the same to others, rather than is driven to work to improve the lot of others? That's essentially why Caleb is in the end a heroic character and Ludinus is the culminating BBEG more so than Predathos.

Glintshore is one of my favorite battles of Campaign 1 and it also would not, in my opinion, translate well to animation. There was a great line in the Midst Messages from Xen in reference to Moonward about how in most rules-heavy TTRPGs, when you enter a big battle, time stretches out significantly, but in a systemless game like Moonward, it goes very quickly, which gives it a very different vibe and makes players make very different decisions. The emotional weight derives largely from how the party enters combat already heavily drained and never regains their footing, and how the cast is well aware and the sense of dread (and belief that Percy might be permanently dead and Taliesin will have to roll up a new character) sets in long before the battle ends. [long tangent about good parasocial vs bad parasocial in actual play put off until I have time to actually read Watch Us Roll, but this is Good Parasocial]. It's actually an interesting test of the challenge we face for the finale of the series: you are not going to get as efficient an emotional punch as Sam saying "Nine" in a show that doesn't have a concept of spell levels. I had struggled with how one might recreate the Glintshore battle and the answer is "you don't".

Ripley's speech was great no notes, love her being fucking awful and consumed with vengeance to the end. I think just as the theme of "your resentment will destroy you" is an enduring one throughout Critical Role, so is "every mortal is in theory someone who could change and become better, but if you shoot the hand that's trying to help you, well, get rekt lol"

The music over Percy's death is corny as hell. However, I am already on the record as someone who mutes It's Thursday Night for being corny as hell and who pokes fun at Matt's more purple prose and I seem to have stuck around regardless. I have made my peace with the fact that a good chunk of the cast spent their formative years just absolutely immersed in anime, and given the Extreme Anime Vibes of Percy in TLOVM I can't say I love it, but I also can't say it's not sort of fitting. Please do cut that scene with different music though, because it would be funny as shit.

I need to watch episodes 8 and 9 (going to now!) but much as I love the glintshore fight, you know what I love more? Episode 1x69 (nice). Real Tragedy Enjoyers know the proof is in the aftermath. If 8 and 9 also suck then I'll be back here in like an hour but if they're good then it's whatever.

Grog is always on some level experiencing a Sitcom B Plot and if you ever find yourself disliking a TLOVM episode, remember you're watching a sitcom where Grog is dealing with a Bird that is Very Here (metaphorical).

[ghostflowerhotpotch]

The road to hell is paved with good intentions

This originally was going to be a reblog to another post, but it happened what it always happens: It got too long.

This is the post in question.

The response I wanted to talk about was that a lot of people were defending Peter's actions in the context that he has good intentions because he believes that this is the right thing to do. There was a mistake I didn't address in that initial post, so I will say the quiet part out loud for this post.

Despite being about Peter, I will talk a lot about Miguel, because Peter is doing what he is doing because he believes in Miguel, which is a problem.

(Disclaimer: I don't hate Miguel, I honestly think he is a great ambiguous character, and I am just going as hard as I do in this post because I'm very passionate about this subject not because I think Miguel should be hated. Fans may want to stay away just in case.)

Pls don't kill me.

This is false, and that's a problem.

Okay, so let's start with this: Miguel is wrong by his own standards. I had already talked about this in other small posts but let's dig deeper into it.

Did you catch the issue yet?

Here is the thing: How a canon event can happen if the person who caused it wasn't supposed to be there?

Miguel is blaming the hole on Miles, saying that it happened because it disrupted the canon event; yet what caused the canon event?

Spot. He did it.

However, Spot is not the arch-nemesis of Pavitr, Spot didn't even want to talk to Pavitr and was mostly ignoring anyone who wasn't Miles. And again, MIGUEL SAYS HOW SPOT SHOULDN'T have EXISTED TOO.

How come Captain Singh was supposed to die in that bridge, if this wasn't the canon event?

Because remember, Miguel says it needs to be a battle against an arch-nemesis too; meaning that if this needed to happen today, THE CANON EVENT WAS ALREADY DISRUPTED BECAUSE THE WRONG PERSON DID IT.

Now, I think the audience not catching this is pretty normal; I think it took me until like my fourth watch to notice that detail. In terms of writing, is supposed to be a small little hole when the next movie talks about what's going on.

(Because yes I am convinced this is the proof that Miguel is wrong about the canon and not just a mistake the writers didn't think of. Like the fact that in Into the Spider-verse Miles's spider glitches; and then in the next movie we realize it was from another dimension.)

However, is one thing the audience to not figured out this thing; another is that Miguel is doing what he is doing when this is the situation.

Let's mention other things Miguel got wrong, not because I want to dunk on Miguel, but because those mistakes had something in common that we need to address.

This is wrong, regardless of how you sliced it, this is wrong.

For starters, Miguel is blaming Miles for being bitten, which is...dumb. Like Miguel doesn't need the context that Miles didn't try to get bitten, it just happens; that's literally what happens to most Spiders, they just got bitten. Someone who objectively has learned about the story of multiple spiders in order to create an algorithm should have noticed that.

Second, this is stupid because now that we had established Miles was going to get stuck in this situation no matter what; let's go said this: The anomaly issues started before Miles was involved.

Miguel establishes how to travel between dimensions and anomalies in general fucks things up; and guess that: there was a spider from another dimension before Miles was involved. Actually, there are more!

Is hard to see, but as you can see, there are OTHER spiders! And considering 42 is the one that says decease yet not the rest, this means they are alive!

This fact I don't know if it will be canon, because it wasn't stated in the movies; but in the artbook is stated that Dr. Oct from 1610 stole John's designs to create the collider; Spot literally created Miles because the Spider was brought by his work.

Not only is Miguel blaming Miles for this mess, but if Miguel thought it was bad that a spider bit someone when they weren't from the same universe; well how good it is to have MULTIPLE being in the hands of one lunatic scientist that is the REAL reason this mess is happening?

Fact aside Miguel is hellbent on catching anomalies yet this slipped past his radar, let's remember that he should probably be aware of much of this.

Call me crazy but when you can get footage of all the spiders and what they are doing, and then you hear about the multiverse almost falling apart; wouldn't you try to look into EXACTLY what happened?

Speaking of exactly what happened-

Oh really? Because if you ask me.

None of these are the same.

Let me break it down.

Miguel's second universe: Things glitch briefly before they start crumbling and disappear entirely.

Pavtir's universe after the Spot: Hole starts sinking an entire building and it is led to believe more can be dragged.

Miles's universe in ITSV: Things glitch before making things from another universe take the place of the original thing.

None of these behave the same, which would be weird if these ones were all truly, made because the canon was disrupted. But what a coincidence that they start to make sense the second you put some context in two of these.

Pavitr's universe is being swallowed by a hole just after the guy who creates holes and wants to open some more became a multidimensional monster thanks to a big Collider who of course can magnify the Spot's effect.

And Miles universe has buildings and the like being replaced because they are trying to bring things from another universe.

So no, I don't believe Miguel's universe is falling apart because 'Canon.' I am sure there is more to it.

I am pretty sure I could find more things if I needed to, but I think this showcases my point. Miguel is wrong, on multiple levels; you can even see this in this post early on with how Miguel blames Gwen even when a perfectly available excuse was right there. Miguel is shown to be in the wrong constantly.

Here is the thing, I am not bringing all of this up because I want to trash Miguel (if I am honest considering how many of the things he does become retroactively worst when you think about it, this is pretty tame.) I am bringing this up because the information is wrong, and they are doing decisions on the basis of that.

Because Miguel doesn't know. None of them do.

They all believe in this.

I don't believe Miguel is a villain, I don't believe he is giving the wrong information because he wants to trick everyone into whatever he would want to do. There is no one in the organization that believes in this more than Miguel.

And that's the problem.

Seeing this movie the number of times I had and rewatching parts for certain things, one of the conclusions I got is that Miguel is hellbent that is his way or the highway on this one. Everybody else? I feel they are being strung along.

For example, Miguel believes Gwen and Miles shouldn't have been involved at all. Jess thought Gwen was okay but sees Miles as an issue. Peter thinks Miles is a fine, anomaly or not.

The cardinal Sin I didn't mention in my original post wasn't left out not because I knew that Miguel, Jess, and the others are just trying to avoid the multiverse from collapsing, and ergo deserve that defense. (Though to clarify, I do believe it is something to consider because is not the same as doing things for selfish reasons than for altruistic ones.)

It was left out because I firmly believe that making a mistake in good faith is wrong by default and doesn't need an explanation.

Also because for reasons I'm going to delve right now, I just can't be normal talking about this topic.

Look, without deviating too much and making this about myself, in real life, I am sick of "But they have good intentions!" Excuse. Is actually laughable how many things that are wrong with me started with good intentions.

But! That sob story only affects one person, right? And is different when it affects others!

My mom saw in me someone with potential, she saw someone smart, that may be able to achieve things, if I just push myself hard enough, I could get the best marks in the class. I just needed to apply myself.

This meant my mom ignored the difficulties I had, chalking them up as excuses, that I wasn't trying hard enough. She loved me so much that she didn't want to believe there was something wrong with me that could stifle my potential.

Without giving unnecessary details, what ended up happening is that I have mental scars that are not going away. Some of the things that happened left irreversible damage.

I think is not a surprise to hear that I am part of the LGTBQ+ Community, in more than just being trans. Do you guys want to know how many times in my life I had heard of "think of the children!" from parents that legitimately believe presenting content that isn't cishet is actually harmful?

I lost the count years ago.

"But that's bigotry! Is not the same if you are doing it for the actual good of the people!"

Sure, hey had you ever learned about the father of gynecology, J. Marion Sims? Without his contributions, we wouldn't have the knowledge we have today, he has been praised for years for his work especially since is an under-researched field.

Did I mention the guy had almost a messianic complex believing he had every right to do what he did, which was torture black women who were slaves?

"Oh but this is fiction!"

For those who don't know or don't remember, this is Tony Stark with Bruce Banner, talking about creating an AI that could help save humanity from the next catastrophe. Bruce was reticent, yet Tony wanted to do this as a response to the events in the first Avengers movie, because he wants to have something that can stop another float of aliens from invading the world.

This thing becomes Ultron, the supervillain of that movie and a villain that created a domino effect that catapulted multiple plot threads later on.

Now class, what do Tony Stark and Miguel O'Hara have in common?

They both have good intentions, and they are trying to save the world/multiverse, yet because they are still wrong, the consequences of it are still their fault.

Let's remember who are the ones paying over this.

Ah yes, basically everyone!

Miguel has noble intentions, he suffered a great tragedy that scarred him for life, and the burden of what he did has driven him to do whatever it takes to save the multiverse, so his mistakes can't happen again. He has been focusing on this entirely, refusing to focus on other things (including his mental health because he needs extensive therapy,) yet for some reason, call it hasty conclusions, call it hubris, I honestly don't know why; he ended up coming up with a flawed theory.

Because here is the thing, is fine for the audience to not catch the logical fallacy as a newcomer who is just new to all of this; yet imagine someone who created an entire theory that they are using as the baseline of rules in order to protect the entire multiverse, and yet somehow he doesn't catch a mistake that you can figure out if you say it slowly.

This is a problem because Miguel has the entire multiverse pending on a wrong theory, because if he focuses on keeping 'canon intact' instead of the real reason why stuff like this happens, it means resources, time and effort are poured into the wrong thing.

This is a problem because has a team that I believe is over a thousand people, including teens that honestly need more help than what this SpiderSociety is doing for them; being accomplices in reinforcing the suffering they had lived. Not to mention the moral dilemma everyone here is going to have.

Speaking of this, let's circle back to how this affects Peter too.

Because he is reinforcing this.

Yes, this is not his theory, yes, clearly how things are being run is not how he would do it. But he still lets this happen, EVERYONE is letting this happen.

This is the problem with Peter, Jess, and everyone else being strung along. Basically, everyone gave one look at Miguel, saw his theory, didn't think too hard about it, and went with it.

Let me remind you, Peter isn't stupid, he knows a few things, about the multiverse. Remember how in the first movie, he was the one who knew why he was glitching? Remember how he was planning to make a new goober himself, meaning he understands enough about it to know how to make it stop?

Here is my thing, "Good intentions" depend on how many people were harmed by those "good intentions." If I decide to bring a glass of water as a courtesy, and I drop the glass; I may have good intentions, but the glass is still going to be broken. However, this is just a glass, which makes it not that big of a deal.

Miguel, by deciding to take care of the multiverse and dictate how the interdimensional travel should be done and by who, is responsible for any mess his rushed conclusions had caused. And anyone who reinforces his ideology is an accomplice.

Now imagine I am a doctor, and I am convinced I found this miracle cure to cancer, and somehow I am able to bypass trials and legal bullshit and launch it into the market, and then is when we realize my cure's research was so poor it ends up making people actually get sicker.

In this scenario I rushed to get the cure to the public so people could be saved quicker, yet by doing so I ended up harming a bunch of people; which meant no good intentions should save me for a trial and judgment for the people who suffered.

Look, I am not a philosopher, and no one is asking me to give a class on Morals and Ethics. You are free to see the situation as you see fit.

The reason I decided to do this entire post, is because I as a person, can't and will not accept "Good Intentions" as an excuse.

I am not saying Miguel is as bad as Kingpin, of course. Again, I truly feel it for his character and his tragic nature; but Good intentions stop being an excuse and become an explanation the moment other people are affected. And at this point, that number is unmeasurable.

Miguel, Peter and Jess, and everyone else decided to preserve canon to save the universe, but if preserving a fake canon ends up making the lives of people worse if not contribute to letting people die; all that means is that the mistakes are marked in blood.

And the pain the people feel from those mistakes isn't erased by good intentions.

Again, sorry for coming way too strong in this one; this is just one of those topics that like the strike, I just can't contain how much it makes my blood boil.

[ahamkara-apologist]

please hear me out. sagira comes back. and everyone comes together at the end of the story/raid to fuck up the Witness. and we get to see Osiris back to his peak as he unleashes hell with Saint

I appreciate how even tumblr agrees so much with bringing Sagira back that it sent your og ask (the one I'm answering rn) three times and your follow-up twice lmfao

But yeah if Cayde, (aka the guy whose death progressed the plot of the story more than he ever did when he was alive*) gets to come back, then I feel like Sagira should as well. I'm hesitant to think that we'll see her reuniting with Osiris- because I don't know if Osiris is gonna be in Final Shape when he was already in Lightfall- but I do really think that it's kinda a fucking shame that we never really got to see the full extent of Osiris's powers, given the fact that he was one of (if not the most) powerful Guardian who ever lived. Sure, we see his reflections and him popping a super in Curse of Osiris, but that's not even close to the shit he did in the lorebooks that I'd kill to see. And tbh, I'd love to see them reunite, reconcilliate over what happened, and then maybe have Osiris realize post-channeling her Light again that he really has found closure with losing it, sort of like driving past your childhood home and realizing that you've moved on for good. I also want Sagira herself to see that Osiris is okay, and that he's become more mellowed out (a teeny bit) now that he's living with Saint, allowed to do research on Strand, and has found fufillment in his job teaching Guardians on how to use it. They've been pair bonded for hundreds of years- thousands if you take into account the time distortion of the Infinate Forest- so it would be a massive wasted opportunity to not have Sagira as one of our guides, and for her to acknowledge how Osiris has grown without her. I think she'd be happy for him, even if the road to get there was hard and bittersweet.

As for the idea of bringing her back for good- it's kind of a mixed bag? I don't think that Cayde is gonna be undeaded at the end of Final Shape, so it probably wouldn't be the same for Sagira, and the arguments that people have about it undoing the whole purpose of their deaths certainly can apply there. (I also think that if Sagira was to ever be returned, it should be via the Young Wolf, Ikora, and Saint teaming up with the Sundial to do it once Mercury was returned, rather than through the Traveler itself.) But on the other hand, I think that Sagira differs slightly from Cayde in that bringing her back doesn't really undermine the impact that her absense had. For one, Cayde's death was a very fitting character beat for him; he always had a sad streak, buried grief from all he'd lost, so death wasn't something that was too jarring or terrible for him because he had lost loved ones presumably waiting for him on the other side (ex: his line 'I'm coming home, Ace'). It was also a fitting death, going out in a blaze of guns and glory, which I suspect is how he expected to die for a good long while- maybe even wanted. And his death was also a catalyst for a long chain of very undoable things to happen, the most prominent being the rise of Crow, and how he was shaped by Cayde's legacy. There is no going back from Cayde's death because of the sheer SIZE of the ripples it made.

(Personally, I think that Cayde being a ghost stuck in the Traveler Dimension doesn't exactly negate this at all, because if he's stuck in the dimension of what once-was in the Traveler, that still means Crow is needed to take his place as Hunter Vanguard- and there's a lot of potential there for Crow to meet him, come to peace with what Uldren did, and to gain the tutoring he needs in order to rise to that position. Cayde can pass on the mantle, endorse Crow to Ikora and Zavala so they don't feel guilty at giving his position to his once-murderer, and then his prescence in FS would be that last nick of closure needed to put him to rest. Which I think that he not only needs, but also wants.)

Sagira's death, on the other hand, was extremely in-character...and also extremely abrupt, and way more focused to a singular character- Osiris. It felt right that someone as stubborn and fiery and fiercely protective would have sacrificed herself to save him, and it was what allowed Savathun to posess him, but in terms of the death and the more widespread impact? Her death was abrupt, and the damage done by Savathun was reversable. Osiris himself was the one who suffered the most from her death (and Saint too, by virtue of being close to Osiris), but I'd argue that her death and its relation to him was less an earthquake chaining into a tsunami and closer to what Mara felt when Uldren died and was revived as Crow- a slap of cold water to the face. Osiris was stubborn, arrogant, entirely determined to save the whole universe by himself- and then his own actions lead to Sagira needing to sacrifice herself to save him, and he was suddenly forced to sit the fuck down and confront the sheer impossibility of his situation. He's mortal now. He's mortal, and he's vulnerable, and is now reliant on other people- so much so that it was Saint and Misraaks who saved his life, and barely. Before, he could just steamroll past all his limits and concerns- and he did- but now there are no second chances, and finally can see what that arrogance and high standards cost him. Sagira dying forced him not only to slow down, but also that he is no longer alone, and can rely on those he loves to solve the problems he used to try to take on by himself-problems far too big for only one man. It taught him how to process grief, and how to appreciate life instead of being so focused on the future that everything sped him by. And it taught him that not only was he no longer the exiled heretic warlock who did everything alone because he HAD to, but that he had a purpose beyond being a Guardian, and people other than Saint who valued and trusted him- people that he could trust in return.

Her death was the harshest lesson he'd ever been taught. Her death changed him. And that isn't something that can be undone, even if she returns and he becomes a full Lightbearer again. Truely, if she returns, it wouldn't have been for naught, because now Osiris has seen what happens when he Icarus dashes flies too close to the sun. It would just be an upgrade to the Osiris we have now, and might even soften him up further. Maybe. From super-hardass to hardass to medium-hardass, I suppose.

(And I really wanna see Ghost and her reunite, aaa. AND I want to see her meet Glint!! Just imagine the teasing that could happen if she met Glint)

Besides- Sagira is the ghost of the Phoenix. It would be fitting for her to return, and to potentially rise again. It wouldn't make sense for any ghost, but it would with her.

*Before anyone gets the wrong idea, I'm adding on a side note here that I don't think Cayde's prescence in Destiny pre-Forsaken was worthless, because it wasn't. He was a very beloved side character, and he did have his place in helping along other major storybeats, but it was BECAUSE he was the hypeman on the sides that his death became a major plot progressor. All that buildup of him being a steady constant was what cumulated in him dying being such a big bang. Sagira did the same, but the impact of her death was focused on Osiris rather than the Young Wolf

[sburbian-sage]

Hello there! Its gm again

Glad we finally got this working

A lot has happened, from my perspective its been about two and a half years, ive completed a further two sessions

But i think we did it, i think we're out

We're back on earth, like normal earth

Well kinda normal

Sburb doesn't seem to exist here and our sylladex's have vanished along with basically everything we didnt have on our persons when we walked through the door

We had a hell of a session, one where we god tiered relatively early game due to the danger

Of the four of us (space, time, breath, and light) we seem to have retained little dregs of power, small things, our space player can give you the dimensions of a room down to the millimeter from just a glance type of things

I have an intimate awareness of time even without a clock

As far as we can tell paradox space is still out there but is functionally unreachable at the current moment due to technological restraints

Took about a year of tinkering just to get a stable signal using the replay-net dongle

Its

Is it strange that i miss it? Its strange out here, for gods sake i work at a gas station now how wild is that

Ive killed hundred of thousands if not millions or more enemies and created thing beyond understanding and met clowns and fought kings and queens and Eldritch beings and made fucking universes and i work at a gas station! A fucking gas station dude! Arguably the most normal of jobs that you could have!

Its wild! its so far beyond insanity that the four of us are sure we have to be in the game still

But its right there in the fuckin sky, like no one else can see it, a giant "thanks for playing"

We cant even go to some kind of therapy cause who the fuck would believe us? Gods sake our youngest is 13! She has at least 15 sessions under her belt, how the fuck do you even recover to a societal normal after decades of being fucking 13!

Its like sburbs final fuck you

I wish i knew what we did, how we got out how the fuckin menu got fixed or if it was just some fucking random twist of data

I wish i could help others leave

But we dont know and we have no way of figuring it out without access to the game and ill be fucking damned if we push our luck

I wish i could help you

The Sylladex isn't a SBURB thing, anyone can do that, dingus. Post disproven.

Okay but for real, even putting aside the fact that I innately refuse to believe "I found a way to fix the game" stories, especially with the addendum of "the game fixed itself mysteriously", I do have to interrogate the intention behind sending this ask. It can't help anyone because it happened randomly, it double-can't help me because I am not even in a position to receive random twists of fate. And ending it off with the random pitiable "I wish I could help you"? Every so often some guy will troll around by claiming they beat the game, say everyone else has a "skill issue" or is "not seeing the bigger picture which is why you're stuck there", and then starts making crass comments about how we're stuck standing in a circle and providing genetic material to a frog while they're going to spend the rest of their immortal life in their new universe being fed grapes and receiving blowjobs from their followers (and then they get banned), and I have to say, at least the troll posts are funny.

Even if this is true and you are now free from the game >assuming that a new SBURB session can't or won't be initiated in this new world, I cannot really help you acclimate to living a new life in a normal world, nor can I direct you to a resource that can do the same, because nobody has experienced this. The closest you'll get is guys with absurdly long (we're talking around three years) pre-Sessions, and even then they know the game is about to begin on some level, even if they don't know when, and that dread kind of characterizes the entire text. So enjoy that I guess.

[panie-wanie-dean-bean]

Alright, I think it's about time I tell y'all about how all the Obey Me guys died in my minecraft hybrid au. If you don't know what I'm on about you can go read this intro post. Ready? Ok, simmer down folks, it's story time

I put it under the cut because fuck this turned out long

Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms. One was made of pearly white diorite and diamonds, pristine, perfect, and pure. The other was made from blackstone and gold, mined from the deepest depths of the Neather, cold, callus, and cruel. This is what the celestial kingdom had always told their people, and all of them fell into place. Except for one

Lilith never thought anyone was beyond helping, the propaganda of the celestial kingdom always went in one ear and out the other. The princess would often sneak out, enjoying the sights and sounds of the other kingdom without the scrutiny of her father. Her brothers all knew of course, it had even been one of her brothers that had sparked this fascination within her. But all good things must come to an end

Her love from the other side had been reckless once he learned of her identity. When he fell ill he sought the aid of her kingdom, in his desperation, revealing their love to the king himself. He told her that she would never again leave the palace, and in seeing her heart break, her brothers finally snapped. Their father had always been unjust and controlling, and whispers of an uprising had been bubbling just under the surface for some time

The civil war was brutal, wreaking havoc and discord across the entire kingdom. In the battle, Lilith held her own well, but a life of peace had made her blade dull. Before the end, she felt a sort of peace. See saw one of her brothers rush to save another, sparing him the pain she soon felt as an enemy sword struck through her spine. The soldier died soon after, only having enough energy to make one last strike

The rebellion put up a hell of a fight, but it was never going to be enough. The rest were sent to flee into the Devildom, the eldest son of the king pledging his loyalty to their prince in exchange for them all to stay

The prince was ambitious, his dream was to concor the third dimension of their world for the Devildom and slay the beast who guards it. The prince's attendant was the first to fall in combat, having caught eyes with an enderman while focused of the dragon's movements. The prince wasn't long after, his killing blow to the dragon coming at the cost of his own life, opening the portal for the rest of his party to escape with their lives

But it wasn't home. It never could be after all they'd been through. The brothers went their separate ways, their bonds finally snapping under the immense pressure

The fourth, sixth and seventh eldest stuck together. The seventh couldn't let himself believe his sister was truly gone so he devised a plan to raid a witches hut for potion ingredients. Most witches went out fairly easily, but this one had a few tricks up her sleeves. She had a potion that could turn her cat familiar into a large beast, one that slayed the fourth eldest

The sixth and seventh eldest ran but the seventh got splashed by her poison before they lost her. When his brother left his side for a moment to find something for him to eat he spotted a cow in the distance. In his desperation, he limped towards the mob, trying to get some of it's effect clearing milk. But in his state, he startled the cow, leaving the poor thing to run him into a tree. He would have been just fine normally, but due to his frail state, he collapsed right then and there

When the sixth returned and found his brother, dead, under an old oak tree, he couldn't take it anymore. He had let two of his beloved siblings die, he couldn't save them. He was worthless. He stayed there by his side until nightfall, frozen in time until he heard a familiar groan. At this, he smiled for the first time since the war. He turned, walking calmly into the zombie's embrace. Letting himself finally join his family

The fifth eldest was next. He had seen a beautiful, if not a little horrifying, skeleton horse all alone in the jungle. Of course, when he approached it, lightning struck, and the horse became a hoard of skeleton archers. He ran as fast as he could, but a few falls and an arrow to the heart would do anyone in

The second was next, he was in a cave, looking for anything he thought would sell well. He hadn't actually found a village yet, but he's sure he'll come across one sooner rather than later. A pesky bat had been bothering him his whole trip, and he decided it had squeaked one too many times. He chased the bat through the cave, his blind rage from everything thing that had happened funneling into this innocent mob. Maybe it was just, then, that the bat has flown over a large opening in the cave floor, leaving the second eldest to plummet into a patch of dripstone

The third eldest was next. He had been doing fairly well for himself, building an entire underwater base all for him. But it was lonely, so he decided to get a pet. He found a lush cave not too long ago, so, with bucket in hand, he went to catch his companion. Axolotls are slippery things, even when he was sure he had one it would slip right out of his bucket and back into it's small pool. All this noise had drawn the attention of every monster near by. It wasn't long until he was surrounded, his blood turning the small clay pools pink

The eldest son lasted the longest of the seven, but he was so tired. He hadn't been sleeping, how could he? After his lord died and all of his brothers abandoned him, he alone was left to try and regain control of the kingdom. He would work late into the night, the screeching phantoms outside his window mocking and jeering his feeble attempts to move on. One night he had enough, grabbing his sword and walking out onto a balcony to take his anger out on the monsters. But he had been awake so long. He was completely overwhelmed

The celestial kingdom wasn't fairing much better. The king had sent one of his most trusted servants out with a sorcerer to gather important materials. When the servant saw a pillager outpost in the distance he stopped dead in his tracks. They had an allay in a cage, along with a golem or two. He couldn't let that poor creature stay like that. Without thinking, he raced over to it, braking it's cell just in time to be shot by a pillager

The sorcerer had been behind him. He had grown to like the servant's company, but once he lay dead there wasn't much even he could do. He evaded the arrows just fine, but these pillagers must have been preparing for a fight. They had an evoker with them, and between the arrows, the vex, and the evoker's dark magic, he didn't have a chance

.

Years past, no one knows quite how long, but the once shining pillars of society had both fallen to ruin. Vines and tall grass spreading over every surface until the thought of these buildings once being lived in seemed impossible

And then, you spawned in. You had vague ideas of what you needed to do to survive, but aside from that, you were a blank slate. No memory of the war. No memory of your brothers. No memory of your name. Nothing

Oh, there's someone over there. They kinda look like a bat? Huh...might as well say hello!

[minzart]

OG twst cast meets fairy tale twst cast. that's it. im levitating because the og actually got their issues solved so it's like a trip in the past?

Basicaly the OGs boys: please... no more... I already got out of my depressed fase please

Seven man feel out the sky and someone help them WHY DO THEY LOOK IDENTICALY-

First of all. RIP Malleus table AGAIN

Yuu burst in the second they hear crashing and... the FT.boys are desperately saying IT WASN'T US THIS TIME WE SWEAR-

_______________________________

Grimm, our Grimm, their Grimm, is the first to just JUMP AT THEM FULL FORCE FOR ONCE "YUUUUUU!"

Yuu: guys? Ow- *they are crushed beneath hugs* ... I missed you too...

Haha... does someone else feels a very palpable energy coming from the corner? Oh right... the others

It's very... tense... FT.boys just got attached to Yuu in this... one year(?) They were there and their worst nightmare became reality... can't they have a nice thing for once? They feel awkward... like looking in a mirror and seeing the better half of yourself but different

OG.boys were Panicking when one of them went to visit (Grimm), and.. were's Yuu? Grimm for.the love of seven were the hell is Yuu???? Took so long, and a effort of the seven powerful students to finaly get there, one year, one fucking year that they never gave up, and finaly there they are, alive, and well and-.... of course why are they surprised at all

OG Riddle and FT Riddle: of all the boys, FT Riddle actually gets along with his other self, OG Riddle got anger management, and seven he finaly talked to his mother, it's way more tolerable living at home after that, he gets to have tea with himself (after NRC he isn't surprised, all sorts of crazy thing had happened since Yuu got there, why bother?)

They bond over the incompetence of their (ex) subordinates, and FT kinda gets a second hand scold tips from OG, coming from yourself of another dimension kinda hits more close, like your conscience smacking you head for you being dumb

OG Leona and FT Leona: OG Leona just asks Yuu if he was that insufferable, yes, yes you were, but you got better, this guy on the other hand never had someone to distract him of his depression for him to see, even if for one second, that others really care and his mind is playing tricks on him

FT is still in denial that he likes Yuu's company, he mops around and doesn't bother to talk to his other self, OG, in a good mood, initiate the talk instead, and... yeah, it's way less terrible than it could have been

OG Azul and FT Azul: OG Azul just cringes at his other self fakeness, it's just. Why? They are literally the same person... though the lights show are cool... he'll need to see how he can implement those at his office back home

It's two theater kids talking, everyone can hear and fell that something is up the second both themed up for something, yeah FT Azul doesn't trust OG not for a moment, but he ain't letting this opportunity go, maybe he can succeed were his other self failed... never mind it was Yuu... wait he has Yuu on his side tho

OG Jamil and FT Jamil: both bond over a stress called Kalim, the ones who get along very quickly once the wariness worns out, OG Jamil trys to encourage his counterpart to... travel... it's way better than being stuck in the place that hurts him so much, and he knows Kalim is the same as ever after their talk

FT Jamil doesn't belive he can be tealy free after all those years he's been serving, he envies OG for his freedom and at the same time is happy that some version of him can be free at all... a flicker of hope surged in his soul even if he doesn't notices, maybe... just maybe, he can be free too

OG Vil and FT Vil: oh seven help them, they don't get along at all, they just don't click, OG Vil is passing through his grudge with Neige and they can actually be called friends in some way now, but FT Vil, oh FT is offended that he could ever be in good terms with that naive and stupid child

OG doesn't even try to argue, he knows himself too well for this peep talk to work anyway, they saddle with a more common ground for Yuu's sake, like Epel who seems the same troublemaker in both realities, or Rook's constant pursue of beauty

OG Idia and FT Idia: hello, have a good day, *stays in comfortable silence*, they just, hang out very... quietly, OG Idia has no idea in how to fix some of his insues that he see in his other self, and FT Idia is mostly praying that he doesn't need to interact

But surprisingly, at the end of the day, they both end up talking bc of Ortho and technology, FT is rather interest in making the underworld more comfortable for himself, and OG is more than happy to share somethings he know how to rebuild from his own home

OG Malleus and FT Malleus: two sensitive and prideful bitches... Yuu has to play the mediator with them more than the others this time, it's super easy for both to slide in a sarcastic tone and offend the other. OG Malleus notices how proper and out of here this other self look, and wonders if that's what would happen if he hadn't learned how to open up

FT Malleus is... jealous, for noones surprise, of his other self social skills, they are exactly the same but different bc of one thing the other had and this didn't.... they find common ground in Lilia and Yuu... it's easier to ignore their open hostility when the subject is embarrassing the child of man

___________________________

All in all FT boys don't want to lose their first openly anchor and OG boys want their friend back, specially after they notices that those counterparts are way more cruel than they were back in the day, when those insues were more prominent, it's tense, specialy if the FTs talk about their evil plan and if they did something similar in the OG reality (OG boys sweat at overblot mention)

Ah yes, cat fight, the Grimms want Yuu's sole attention, they will die for their pets and food, eventually they settle down and start a silent war, they compete in every little thing, Yuu has a cat in their shoulders and another in their head RIP yuu's back

Yuu is way buddy buddy with the FTs to teh OGs opinion, but they won't voice their concerns... just start working harder to distract Yuu

Only seven knows what is holding back the FTs to cause murder at some points, maybe it's Yuu's presence, maybe it's the satisfaction they gain once the OGs seen that Yuu likes them better

RIP FT first year gang, Sebek almost passes out before two young masters

Lilia is vibrating to the next dimension LOOK AT HOW HIS BOY WILL BE AFTER SOME YEARS, SUCH A HANDSOME YOUNG MAN, LOOK AT HIS SOCIAL'S SKILLS!

Ortho is ecstatic, bc now he has TWO BIG BROTHERS

Epel wants to punch both Vils in the face so many times during the day, but is taken back and is extremely suspicious of OG Vil's more... mercifull nature

Rook is having a field day with poetry spilling from his mouth with such passion, metaphors and parallels don't stop coming from his mouth for months

Kalim is confused but happy nonetheless, and he's learning things he never knew Jamil felt, behind scenes he thinks very hard about OGs words and actions, maybe he can lessen his Jamil's burden in some way?

The leech twins are going to town in both Azul's, they are rather curious about the diferences and about their other self's

Ruggie is surprised that OG Leona does someting to help oddly enough, someone should learn from themself and cook for once he won't be here forever y'know

Jack brains goes full on admiration mode, he's really happy that OG seems so... there? Here? Present. Gives him hope that FT can be like that, he tries to understand more of Leona so he can help in anyway

Trey is shocked to see two Riddles, and that he is a dear childhood friend of OGs nonetheless

Cater is rolling with it like it's another Saturday, normal bullshit in wonderland anyways~ he will never admits that OGs diferent approach at him isn't making him feel better... almost like he saw the true him

Deuce is very pround of himself when OG praises him and tell him about his other self, his mother's pride, of any universe, is aways a welcome bust, he wonders if he can, in some way or another, awake his other self unique magic

Ace is already getting on OGs nerves and is shocked to see that OGs response is a fondness bickering, he only wanted to get on his nerves bc he isn't queen and boy does he wants to tell a bunch of stuff to FT Riddle

[sleptwithinthesun]

ok so

hear me out

ed/die with a horrible cold that he just can't seem to shake, and st/eve helps him feel better by playing mother hen

asjhkf yes. thank you. enjoy the 1.1K words of pure fucking angst and fluff i have written because goddamn i am in a Mood tonight

The problem with this whole situation, Steve realizes, is that Eddie's a chronic insomniac. He's already been over at his friend's trailer for the past thirty-six hours and counting, and somehow, Eddie hasn't even been able to take a nap. It's the complete opposite of how Steve himself is when he's sick; if he has so much as a cold, he'll be dead to the world for at least twelve hours. Eddie, though...

"You know, you're kind of awful at the whole 'being sick' thing," Steve comments, leaning down to pick up a tissue from the floor and drop it in the wastebasket next to the couch. And yeah, normally he'd be grossed out by just the thought of touching someone else's used tissue, but he's practically desensitized to germs now. Plus, it kind of helps that Eddie's absolutely miserable and hasn't even said a word about it, where normally he's all over the place with his theatrics. That's motivation if Steve's ever known it. "I mean, seriously, man, do you ever take a break?"

Eddie looks up from his D&D binder, caught red-handed planning out a new campaign, as Hellfire is a few days out from finishing the one they're currently on. The pencil in his right hand doesn't even stop writing as he glances up at Steve, meeting the other's gaze with hazy, red-rimmed eyes that (for once) aren't a result of having smoked weed. To be honest, he looks like death warmed over, what with the pale skin and flush high up on his cheeks. Coupled with the dark circles that've been developing under his eyes for the past few hours, he almost resembles a zombie, or vampire, or something along those lines. It's hard to think of run-of-the-mill supernatural creatures when you've been face-to-face with monsters from another dimension.

He draws in a breath, preparing to answer, but gets stuck on a coughing jag that doesn't end for a good fifteen seconds. By that time, Steve is already seated back at his side, a supportive hand placed on Eddie's back as he hacks into his elbow. "Christ, man," he murmurs once the fit ends.

"Yeah," is all Eddie says, breathless, a hand clutching at his shirt right over his chest. "Water?"

"Of course," Steve replies, grabbing the plastic water bottle they've been refilling off the table and passes it to Eddie, who takes a long swig before replacing the cap. "Are you okay?"

Eddie shrugs. "I mean, aside from the cold from hell that's totally kicking my ass? I'm fine, Steve. Just peachy." He then gives him a smile that looks more like a grimace, and Steve returns it with a small upturn of his lips that never makes it to the rest of his face. They're liars, the both of them, just pretending to be okay.

They sit in silence for a few moments more, until Eddie speaks again. "I don't think so."

"What?"

"Take a break. I don't think I do. Not often, anyway." Steve looks over at the other man, taking in the way exhaustion pulls at his features. "There's always something to do. Something to be worried about. And when you live like this," he says, gesturing around the trailer, with its thin walls and cramped rooms, "there's not much time to actually relax to the point where you feel safe, or less stressed that happens naturally. It's all just... temporary."

Maybe the light fever Eddie's been running is melting his brain, because there's no way Steve just heard what he thinks he did. For as long as Steve's known him, which, admittedly, is not that long, Eddie's always been in motion. He's not a relaxed type of person, unable to just brush everything off or claim that nothing bothers him, even if that's how he acts at school. The anxiety that constantly rippled under his skin made sense when they were dealing with Vecna, but now? When they're pretty sure they're never going to have to deal with the Upside Down again? The flightiness makes no sense, unless he takes into consideration what Eddie just said. He doesn't feel safe in his own home, so why would he anywhere else?

"Hey, Harrington? I didn't just break you or anything, right?" Eddie asks, cutting through the sudden fog of thoughts in Steve's mind. There's an underlying note of tension in his voice, likely because the last time someone checked out on him, she died.

"No, yeah, I'm fine," Steve says, blinking his way out of his brain. "It's just a lot to process all at once, you know?"

And Eddie draws back, just slightly, but enough that Steve notices. "Oh. Sorry, then, about dumping that on you."

"It's fine, really. I'm just not exactly used to the sentiment." Steve rushes to reassure him, almost eagerly admitting his own ignorance, and Eddie smiles. For real this time.

"What, not used to hanging out with poor people?" he teases, some of the tension bunched in his shoulders easing as he speaks. Steve rolls his eyes at Eddie, but doesn't bother to deny it. Besides, it's not like he's wrong.

"I'm just trying to broaden my horizons, you know, by spending my time with a crazy metalhead who somehow thinks it's a good idea to try and plan a campaign when his brain is slowly turning into mucus," Steve returns. The grin comes naturally to his face as Eddie gasps lightly, drawing a hand up to his heart in mock offense. Thankfully, it doesn't send him into yet another coughing fit, but he still waits for a careful beat before speaking again.

"Please, I could plan a campaign in my sleep. It might not be great, but I could totally do it," he says.

Steve raises his brows in mock-challenge. "Oh, yeah?"

"Absolutely."

"Well then, how about you go to your room and go the fuck to sleep?" he suggests, tone turning from playful to serious in half a second. "I mean, Eddie, have you slept at all since you got sick?"

Eddie shrugs, completely unfazed. "I mean, I did pass out for about four hours right before you got here, but since then? No."

"You're going to be the death of me, Munson," Steve sighs, standing and gently pulling Eddie up with him. The other man sways slightly, pressing a hand to his temple with the headrush and whimpering slightly, the sound only partially muffled. "You okay?"

"Mm," Eddie hums, the sound coming out more like a groan. "Just let me sit down again as soon as possible, m'kay?"

"Yeah, we can do that." Steve gets an arm around Eddie's shoulder and guides him through the hallway to his room as the other man runs his hand along the wall. He carefully stacks up the cassettes that're strewn across the bed, moving them to the dresser while Eddie practically flops onto his mattress. "Yeah, naptime for you."

Eddie huffs out a laugh, rolling so that he's face-down on his bed. His voice is muffled when he speaks. "Whatever you say, Harrington. Whatever you say."

And then he's out.

[reg1ment]

Well since you want us to tell you anything, I shall infodump about my brother and I's puzzle hell rp.

If I were to assign it a genre, it would be cosmic horror, but instead of being scary, it's just weird and kinda funny. Cosmic comedy?

It starts when the centricide main four are transported to some weird magical prison dimension by Nazbol, who has become a chaos god of sorts. He tells them this is punishment for bullying him. As they move through and complete strange puzzles, they discover/rescue the wacky ideologies. At some point, Nazbol ends up with them too, and Posadist asks him why he's trapped everyone here. Nazbol says he doesn't remember trapping them here, and that he's stuck too. Posadist tries to tell the others this, but they don't believe him, and continue to treat nazbol harshly.

Some notable/funny things

Ancap found some money and goes feral if one takes it away

Commie became so sleep deprived that he forgot the number 8

Posadist fought god by throwing his shoes at it

Currently, there is only one realicide character in the game, Ingsoc. Before the others found him, he was in a room with cameras to watch them. He'd really much rather still be there than part of the madness.

At some point, ancap's legs went missing. Nobody knows why

Homonash went to horny jail

Ancom keeps fighting god because he keeps misgendering quem.

At some point, the characters were split into 2 teams. Ancom named quis team "team tiddy winks". The other team couldn't decide on a name and they ended up being "end my suffering", which is what ingsoc mumbled to himself while they were arguing. (Poor man is so done with this shit)

Recently, some of the group found capcom, who tried to trap them in a weird house with a magic elevator. Capcom wears a sticky note on his face. If he takes it off, he becomes fucked up and evil. Also, he's going blind.

Ancap is somehow the best dad in puzzle hell, and he literally shot his son (being fucked up and evil violates the nap!)

I just realized how long this has gotten. 👁👄👁

ok so im just gonna put all my thoughts in one paragraph. i ADORE this

of course nazbol is the chaos god. posadist my beloved. shout out to ancom for fighting god. did ancap get his legs back? also of course homonat went to horny jail he doesnt belong anywhere else. team tiddy winks.. im crying. ingsoc my beloved im so sorry. end my suffering is also so funny. why is ingsoc always suffering :( capcom’s elevator goes to eeby deeby. let him go fucked up and evil btw. i dont care if it violates the nap they all deserve to be a bit fucked up and evil

ok im done ty

[beef-brisket]

Shit, Lucifer has never had sex that could. He could stop glancing at Adam as they cleaned up and straightened the preyer room. He definitely would be saying anything about this at confession.

Lucifer knows he shouldn't ruin a good thing, but this is Lucifer, it's kind of his speciality.

Lucifer: ...Adam?

Adam didn't look up from what he was doing, but Lucifer saw him smile. Okay, he was still in a good mood:

Adam: mm?

Lucifer: why are you here? Like, at the Hazbin? Why hurt all these people-? And how long have you been here? And-!

While Lucifer was talking, he didn't see Adams tail get closer to him. Soon wrapping around his face, covering his mouth.

Adam: one question at a time, babe, you're going to give yourself a sore throat. And from not on, I'm the only one that can make you hurt~.

Adam walked up to him running his hand through his hair. He slowly unwind his tail, but kept it rested on Lucifers shoulder. The tip sliding into his shirt, making Lucifer flush even redder than he already was.

Adam: one at a time.

Lucifer: w-why did you pick the Hazbin of all monasteries?

Adam: well, to corrupt it! Which I've done a great job of, Fathers bullshit light doesn't shine here anymore, it's as dark as the deepest pit in Hell

Lucifer could hear the hatred Adam has in his voice for his father- oh he's talking about God, that took a minute for Lucifer to realize- he just fucked God's kid... definitely going to Hell now.

Adams smile held no hatred though, it just seems like he finds this whole thing funny, he might even be a tad proud of himself.

Lucifer: If you've corrupted this place, why are you still here?

Adam: I fell in love

Lucifer: ...bit soon, don't you think?

Adam laughed, harder than he did at dinner. His tail was patting his chest- or was it wagging? Either way, it was adorable.

Adam: not you, silly! That's very sweet that that's how you see me~.

Lucifer blushed even redder, if that was possible.

Lucifer: n-no! I mean- you're great! W-well, not great, okay- you're okay- fine! B-but I don't love you!

Adam: you don't say that to a lady, Lucifer~.

Lucifer: a l-lady? Y-you didn't feel like a lady-

Adam: hm, rude! And I can change my form, so keep that in mind the next time you think of insulting me

Lucifer: I didn't mean anything by it! I-I just panic- because you're, you know... Satan.

Adam: I'm only kidding, I know I can be intimidating! And... yeah, i suppose fucking the Devil isn't an everyday act- even though my brother would say otherwise... asshole

Brother? One of the angels? Shit, Lucifer would love to meet them. He's always wondered what Michael was like.

Lucifer: ...who did you fall in love with?

Adam: Eve.

Lucifer: a woman?

Adam: I've been around since before the concept of humans was a thing, do you really think I'd only be into one gender? I can change genders! Thay would be a bit weird, don't you think?

Lucifer: sorry, sorry! I just- you know...

Adam: didn't think?

Lucifer: ...yeah

Adam: it's fine. Anyway, I met Eve here, a long time ago.

Lucifer: did she know who you were?

Adam: not at first... she found out a few years into our relationship. I always felt bad for hiding it from her, I just... really cared about her. I hadn't been in a serious relationship in so long, everything was just a quick fuck, I wanted someone... I was lonely

Lucifer: you didn't have any friends in Hell or on Earth?

Adam: I'm the Devil! Beings in Hell and on Earth were afraid of me! There were some that actually stuck around and got to know me... but I have a habit of driving people away... trust issues happen when your entire family turns on you and banishes you to a literal Hell dimension...

Lucifer: ...that must have been very hard for you.

Adam looked Lucifer in the eyes, and Lucifer stared back. Partly out of fear but partly because he wanted to show Adam that he was here for him.

Adam: it was. My brother cut off my wings, and my father tore a hole in the earth and pushed me down it... but! That's in the past! And I LOVE the new me~. I'm so much stronger like this. Being an angel was fun and all, but it could get very boring!

Lucifer: yeeah. Damn rules, ha... ha

Adam: exactly "Adam do this, Adam do that, Adam stop eating the souls waiting to be born!" Like, shit. Lighten up!

Eating souls? Okay, not the best addiction to start.

Lucifer: what happened to Eve?

Adam: ...she left. She thought I was lying when I told her who I was. Turns out she wasn't very cool with it. Started screaming, throwing shit at me- she even tried to stab my cat because she thought it was Evil! Jonesy was a fucking cunt sometimes but he was just a normal cat! I have Hellcats but their way to big to keep in my room- and the climate here would really mess with their scales!

Lucifer: ...did she kill it?

Adam: pft, no! As soon as she picked him up, I knew I had to end her. For one, if she was to tell anyone who I was, there would be an issue!

Lucifer: so you're still here... because?

Adam: because there have been no pure souls since Eve, even though the bitch went crazy... I need to possess a pure soul so infiltrate other monasteries until I get to the Vatican. I'll force all of those wrinkled ball sakes to bow before me, and pledge their allegiance! That'll be a great "fuck you" to dad!

Lucifer: you're doing this to spite God?

Adam: duh! And I'm bored! So I thought, why not? Fucker thinks he's rid of me, this'll be a great wake up call! And by the time he realizes everything on Earth is under my control- he'll have no other choice but to declare Earth as my realm!

Lucifer: he doesn't know you're here? How?

Adam: because he sucks! Lucifer! Your precious God isn't here! Sure, he was some influence, but the hazbin is free from his damn light. And he doesn't care. I even got creative with my first kills to see if he'd notice me! But nope! Didn't bat an eye! I haven't even heard from my siblings!

Lucifer felt Adams tail wrap around his neck, it wasn't chocking him, but he still fell nervous about Adam being so close to his neck. It did t end well last time.

Adam: they've always been up themselves- thinking their better than the humans- than ME! I'm the fucking Star Carver, bitch! I make the fucking universe and everything fucking in it! Me! But oh no, that wasn't good enough! All Gabriel said was "good job, little brother", fucking condescending dick! I was taller than him! Michael didn't even smile... fuck, he didn't even look. Just ptted me on the shoulder and walked off! I've never been so proud of something, and they made it feel like it was nothing special...

Lucifer: ... I love the stars

Adam: really?

Lucifer: yeah, really! My favorite planet is Pluto! Love that little guy

Adam: ...Pluto was the one I was most proud of, next to Earth

Lucifer: you made Earth?

Adam: sort of... I made the canvas, Father and my siblings filled it in-

Lucifer: that's amazing Adam!

Adam: damn right, it's amazing! Took me millions of years!

Adam saw how close he was to Lucifer, it's been a long time since he got to talk and get excited about his work. Especially his work from when he was in Heaven. Adam backed away slightly, smiling down at Lucifer.

Adam: so babe, mass is going to start in a few minutes... Do you have any other questions for me~?

Adam made his tail disappear, and returned to normal. With a snap of his fingers, his uniform straightened, and his hair was fixed. Lucifer noticed his clothes were fixed to, how sweet.

Now that Lucifer thought about it, he couldn't hear people walking down the hall to the preyer room.

Lucifer: I uh... no

Adam: great! Keep me in your prayers, Father~.

And with that, Adam disappeared in a whirl wind of fire and heat. Lucifer was ashamed to admit that he was down bad for Adam. That fuckimg body had him in a chokehold- literally.

Devil and the Priest!au

(Feel free to change the name- it's 1am where I am, so my brain is starting to fry lol)

@things-arent-what-they-seem66 @fanofstuff01

---

Lucifer drove through the country side, he's been behind the wheel for nearly 5 hours. He didn't realize how much of a drive getting to this monastery. He knew it was remote but this is getting ridiculous- he should have brought snacks.

He glanced out his window every now and then to take in the scenery. He's currently driving past a large body of water, where he spotted a small island. He wishes he was over there, with no worries or expectations. With no one but himself. The Vatican has been on his ass lately about making this trip. Apparently, there was something 'dark- and 'unsettling' at this monastery. If any of the priests he knew were anything to go by, it was probably just them. He swore they refused to die, they had more wrinkles than brain cells.

Lucifer turned his radio up, some type of rock song was one, it was a big no no to be listening to music like this, it's his car. Driver picks the music, and the Vatican shuts their cake hole.

Finally, as the sun was setting, Lucifer arrived at the monastery. The large stone building loomed over him, maybe the Vatican was right, this place was unsettling. He felt like he was being watched, the multiple colours in the sky masking how decrepit this place actually is. Pulling out a brochure from his pocket, Lucifer couldn't help but smirk, they're really trying to market this place like it's a holiday retreat.

Lucifer: "Welcome to the Hazbin. Find not only sanctuary and enlightenment but also beaches and the best crab around!" ...right, definitely staying away from the crab then...

After an exhausted sign, Lucifer licked his car and picked up his bags. Making his way towards the large wooden doors, Lucifer couldn't help but dread the next two or three hours, all he wanted was to hop into bed and close the world off foe a few hours but he'd probably have to take the whole tour and- ew- meeting people.

He shuddered at the thought.

Lucifer: I wonder if I could convince them to leave the formalities till tomorrow...

Lucifer gripped a huge, iron door knocker and banged it three times. He knew this could take a while so he prepared to get comfortable- until the door was pulled open.

Priest: Hello! And welcome to the Hazbin! How can I assist you this fine evening!

Lucifer: uh- yeah- hi, my name Luicfer, I've been told to come here by the Vatican- I've been told you're expecting me...?

Priest: hm... Lucifer...

The man flicked through a small book, humming every so often. What's the point in having glasses if you still can't read a damn book.

Lucifer: look man- sir- it's been a long drive, I'd really like to just get to sleep-

Priest: ah! Yes! Here you are, Lucifer! Please, come right in! We've been expecting you for hours, your overseer said you would be here this morning- but better late than never I suppose!

The man moved aside to let Lucifer in. He really didn't like this guy, but that's not new, priest are pretty... eccentric.

The man shit the door behind him, using at least six locks to secure it.

Priest: pardon my manners, Lucifer! My name is Alastor- Father Alastor. And I'll be your superior while you're here

Ah, great. He has to answer to this... lovely man. Forcing a smile, Lucifer did what he did best: lie.

Lucifer: that's very exciting Father Alastor, look forward to working with you and getting to know this place more personally!

Alastor: oh, I could imagine! I'm sure you've heard a lot about me! I've been in charge of five other monasteries before this one! All saw a raise in volunteers and profits.

Lucifer: that's fantastic, Father. It's a real honor to be working on this project with you-

Alastor: "project", yes, that's one word to describe it.

Alastor lead Lucifer down a long hall, hebcouldbt believe how quiet it was. He was told there were at least 60-70 nuns and other workers here but it just seemed abandoned.

Thankfully, Alastor showed Lucifer to his room, it was large with a queen bed in the middle. It didn't have much furniture, just a set of draws and a desk out looking the garden. It was dead and overgrown, but the air was fresh, he'll have to start taking up writing again.

Alastor: well! Lucifer, it is a real pleasure to have you here! Tomorrow I'll show you around and I introduce you to some of the other occupants here- there are quite a few so I do expect you to introduce yourself to some of them in your own time.

Lucifer dumped his bags on his bed, and turned to face Alastor.

Lucifer: that understandable. Thank you for this Alastor, I'll see you in the morning-

Alastor: bright and early Mr Lucifer. I like to get the day started as the break of dawn

Of course he does.

Lucifer: great! I better get some sleep then

Alastor: yes, you should. Goodnight Lucifer

Finally, Lucifer was alone. Or at least he hoped. He still hasn't shaking that feeling from earlier. Except this time, he was certain nothing was watching him, Alastor seemed to be the only other living thing here. And that's giving the bastard a lot of credit. Not once did he stop smiling- Lucifer already wants to wipe that look off his face.

All Lucifer wanted to do was sleep, so he got comfortable and started to drift off.

[randompony03]

Not In Kansas Anymore

Heyooo! So a bit ago, I had a little convo with @spiderversetweets and then I decided to make a fic based off of it, because I'm hella cringey. This might be bad, but whatev. This is the refined version, it's also posted on Wattpad and some of the writting is different.

Wattpad link:

Characters: Helena/MindFang (oc), Virgil/SpiderGale, Roman/Royal Slinger, Patton/LoveBite, Logan/Arachne, Thomas/Rainbow Weaver, MJ (oc)

Summary: MindFang gets stick in a certain spidey boy's room, and is ultimately stuck in his dimension as well. How will she get home?

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

MindFang opened her eyes and groaned. What the hell had just happened? One minute she was swinging through Laurence and the next she was zipping down a tube of big time acid trips only to wake up in pain and...in a dark purple room? She sat up and looked around. There were band posters, black clothing items scattered about, and black out curtains. "What kinda emo lives here?" She mused to herself. "Where are we?" Asked the tiny voice of Rosie as she scuttled up MindFang's arm. "I have no clue." MindFang responded. She pulled down the hood of her cloak and took off her mask. A confused look came over her round, freckled face. She pulled out her phone and opened Twitter.

'MFangOfficial: Ok y'all, don't panic (I'm already doing enough of that), but I'm suddenly in someone's room. It's dark and really purple, but I have no idea how I got here.'

With that, she posted it. She signed and scrolled around until she started getting blown up with notifications. 'OMG, you ok?' 'Sis, you need us Topekans to rescue you this time?' '@MFangOfficial idk why, but mood.' She smiled and replied to any and all of them. One in particular grabbed her attention. 'SpiderGaleOfficial: Don't touch anything, I'm on my way.' She stared for a moment at the response. SpiderGale? Was that..a YouTuber? Or was she not alone? 

'MFangOfficial:@SpiderGaleOfficial I give you my word. I like your spider though. Also, thanks.'

 MindFang thought a moment. Could there really be someone else with abilities like hers? Well, outside her family that is. She watched as Rosie climbed up the leg of the table with a spider tank resting on it. The rose-knee curiously peered through the glass. The spider on the other side scuttled up to her.

'SpiderGaleOfficial: He's a chill little dude.'

 MindFang glanced back up at the spiders with a smile as they began to chatter at each other.

'MFangOfficial: Indeed he is. I kinda wanna hold him, but I promised. He's a tarantula right?'

 She sat down on the floor. Holding up her mask she rubbed a thumb over it in thought. MindFang pulled the mask back on. She didn't know if this person was actually a superhero. They could be some Average Joe. The last thing she needed was some civilian finding out her identity. That would only add on to the stress today had brought her.

'SpiderGaleOfficial: Yes, he is. If he lets you hold him go ahead.'

 MindFang smiled brightly under her mask. She gently lowered her hand into the tank and offered it. The tarantula inside came closer. He hesitated before gingerly walking onto her hand. He happily chirped at her a greeting as she held him up. Rosie jumped onto her and made her way to her new buddy.

'MFangOfficial: You're a real pal. Oh he's so sweet.'

"Who are you texting, Helena?" The tiny voice of Rosie asked. Helena looked up from her phone. "The owner of your new friend." She told her. "Ask them for his name." Rosie said glancing back to the other tarantula. Helena cocked a brow. "Can't you ask him?" Rosie giggled at her. "Yes, and I already did, but you may as well make conversation." She said with a playful smirk in her voice. Helena sighed.

'What's his name btw?'

'SpiderGaleOfficial: I'll tell you when I get there.'

'MFangOfficial: 👌'

 Helena eyed her spider companion. "You're a little shit, ya know." She said. "Don't forget it." Rosie laughed. Helena chuckled a bit herself. She felt a tingling sensation in the back of her head. "His name is JD." Came a new voice.

 The masked girl turned around to see a boy in a purple and white onesie climbing in through the window. Helena's eyes widened as his did as well. The rest of the world seemed to tune out as an aura of purple and dark grey with bolts of bright lightning seemed to surround him. "..you're just like me." They spoke in unison. Helena went over and began to circle him. "That can't be right. I thought it was just me and my siblings. Is that hoodie built in?" She stopped in front of him, "God I love your suit." SpiderGale chuckled. He extended his hand and she shook it. Helena took off her mask once more. "By the way, I'm Helena." She told him, a smile settling onto to her freckled cheeks. The boy removed his own mask and shook out his purple hair. "Virgil." Helena couldn't help but chuckle. "Nice to see we have similar taste in hairstyles." She said, pointing out their heads being shaved on the same side, hers being wavy and auburn while his was straight and naturally dark with the longer part dyed. 

 Virgil took his turn to pace around her. Studying her. The two tarantulas on her shoulders, one of them being JD,  the silver lining on her suit and cloak, the cool color scheme, the thigh-high Nightvale purple boots. "How did you get in here?" He asked. Helena ran a hand through her half a head of hair. "Well, that's the thing. I'm not entirely sure. I was sucked into some colorful tunnel and then woke up in here. That probably makes me sound like a crackhead though." Virgil stopped in front of her. "It sounds like you need to go home."

  "So you said you can clearly communicate with spiders?" Talyn asked Helena as they examined her. "Uh, yeah." Helena watched them. Joan stood back and took notes. "Interesting." Talyn mused. Virgil cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. "I think you're getting a little off topic." He said, raising a brow. "Oh, right. Sorry, it's just so fascinating is all." Talyn apologized, stepping away from Helena. They went over to join Joan and began quickly muttering to them.

 Virgil stepped over to Helena. "Sorry about that, they tend to get sidetracked when something tickles their curiosity." He explained. "It's fine, I guess. I just didn't think my powers were all that interesting or whatever." She shrugged. 

"Well, they are when my friends and I can only partially make out what they say."

"There's more than one of you??"

"Yeah. What, are you the only one where you come from?"

"Well, no. My sister got bit as well and my brother made something called a symbiote."

Virgil raised his eyebrows. "Huh, we have someone with a symbiote here too." Helena looked down at the floor. "What the fuck." She whispered. 

 Joan and Talyn came back over to them. "Ok, after talking it over we think we can get you home. Although, it may take a while to make the machinery needed." Joan told Helena. "How long would 'a while' be?" She asked. "About five weeks if we can get Logan to help. Interdimensional transport isn't exactly common or anything." Talyn explained. Helena felt her stomach drop. Five weeks? Oh God, what was she supposed to tell her parents? Could she even contact them? Tears began to sting her eyes. She turned around and walked a few paces away. No. God no. Not here. Not now. 

 "Helena, you ok?" She heard Virgil's voice ask. "YeAH." She replied. Damn it, that voice crack would give her away. Hesitantly, Virgil placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, look at me." Despite every red flag her brain was sending her about letting him see her like this, she faced him. "Breath with me. In for three, hold for four, out for seven." He instructed as he demonstrated for her. After a few rounds of this, Helena had seemed to calm down. "Better?" He asked. She nodded. "Better"

 Helena had been taken and introduced to Virgil's friends; Logan, Roman, Patton, and Thomas, who seemed more like a tired dad than a friend. Patton flopped down next to her on Thomas' couch. "So, if you're stuck here for five weeks, where are you going to stay?" He asked her. Helena's face fell. "Oh, uh, I hadn't really thought of that." Helena admitted. "And what are you going to wear? Don't get me wrong, I love your suit, but that can't be all you have, is it?" Roman added. "...My civilian clothes are back home." She mumbled. The boys all looked at each other before leaning in and quietly discussing the situation. Helena tuned them out and began to fret all over again. Where was she going to stay? Perhaps she could just bum around town and live like the homeless for the next few weeks? Did they have a homeless shelter perhaps?

 The boys stopped talking and turned back to Helena. "Well, I guess you could stay with me for now." Thomas offered. The girl was taken aback. "Oh no, I don't wanna be a bother!" She argued. Thomas shook his head. "You wouldn't. It's not like these guys don't frequently come and go from here." He insisted. Helena was about to debate the offer all over again when the door opened.

 A red-haired man walked in and over to Thomas. He slipped his arms around the other's shoulders. "Hey, guys." He greeted with a smile. "Hey, MJ." The boys replied in unison. The man, known as MJ, spotted Helena. The girl was caught off guard and ended up making eye contact. She nervously waved. "Who's this?" MJ asked, standing up straight. "This is Helena. She's a long ways from home." Thomas explained. 

"How far?"

"A whole other world far."

"Yikes."

"Yeah. I was just telling her that she could stay here with us until Joan and Talyn finish their transporter." 

MJ's eyes shined as he looked back up at Helena. "I think that's a great idea." Helena mentally sighed. It seemed there was no way of getting out of this.

 Living with Thomas and MJ turned out to be pretty nice. Thankfully she was able to give her parents an excuse for her absence. Since she had been at the library, last they knew, she had gotten some of her friends to agree to be her scapegoat. As far as her parents were concerned, she was spending the next few weeks at with the Loockes. Through her experience there, she had come to know the rest of the boys pretty well. Roman had insisted on taking her out shopping so she could look her best. Thanks to him, she had practically an entirely new wardrobe. Patton had shown her how to bake practically every kind of cookie. When Logan wasn't helping Joan and Talyn, she'd let him ramble about whatever topic he wished. She thought the number of things he knew was fascinating. Virgil was a lot like her in some ways. They often sat around sending memes to each other and discussing horror movies. By the end of it, they had all become good friends. The time did come, however, for Helena to go home.

 She had been sitting on the couch drawing with Roman and talking about cartoons they watched as kids when Logan came into the room. "Helena, it's finished." He informed her. She stared back at him in wonder and blinked a few times. "It is?" Logan nodded. She looked down at her sketchpad. "I honestly thought I'd be a little more excited to go home." She said with a half-hearted chuckle. Roman reached over and patted her back.. "We'll miss you too." A sad smile rested on his face. He understood what she meant.

 Helena went to pack what belongings she had. While folding and putting away all the clothes Roman had picked out for her, the door to the room burst open. Before she could fully process the outburst a pair of arms were hrown thrownaround her. "I can't believe it's over already!" Wailed the voice of Patton. Helena smiled when she realized who it was that attack-hugged her. She returned the hug, getting a bit misty-eyed. "I know. I'm gonna miss you,, Pat." She said softly. "Ok Patton, give her some space." Virgil laughed from his leaning position in the doorway. Patton pulled back with a slight whine and glossy eyes. "How did you guys know I was leaving right now?" Helena asked them. Roman stepped in. "I may have texted them." He admitted. 

 Logan came into the room as well. "Helena, could I see your phone?" The girl complied and handed it over to him. He took off the back and slid what looked like some kind of SD card into it. He popped the back on again and handed it back to her. "When you activate that, it should allow you to keep your contact with us." He explained. Helena smiled so warmly. "Thank you, Logan." Virgil punched him in the arm. "You softie." He teased. 

 Eventually, Helena had been all packed up, even between all the chatter. She had said her final goodbyes and received an especially long hug from Patton and MJ at the same time. With one more round of goodbyes, she was transported back home in a flash of bright white. 

 After she had come back inside and spun a tale of what she had 'been up to with the Loockes, she went down to her room and flopped onto her bed. Her phone buzzed as Rosie crawled out of her pocket. Helena pulled out the device. 5 messages from SpiderGang. A smile crept over her face as she tapped on the chat bubble.

PattonCake: Hi Helena!

Sir-Sings-A-Lot: With one more round of goodbyes, she was transported back home in a flash of blindingly bright white.

 When she opened her eyes, she was standing on the corner of her block. Looks like those two had a pretty precise aim. She walked up to the front door of her home and knocked. Once her parents had finished interrogating her about what she and the Loockes had been up to, she escaped downstairs to her room. Flopping onto her bed, she felt her phone buzz. Rosie crawled out of her jacket pocket as she pulled the device out. 5 messages from Spider Gang. A smile crept onto her face as she tapped the chat bubble.

PattonCake: Hi Helena!

Sir-Sing-A-Lot: @Bi-Stander Greetings!

Pocket-Protector: If the chip is functioning, salutations.

Dark-And-Stormy-Night: Yo

Could-Be-Gayer: Hey, kiddo

Tears of joy began to sting her eyes as she read over the messages.

Bi-Stander: Hey guys

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

And that's all she (I) wrote! This is set in the world of the spiderverse au made by the lovely @sugarglider9603 and @ask-spiderverse-virgil . If you guys read this, I hope you like it!

[wellhalesbells]

If you have the time and if you don't mind, what are some books you really recommend? Doesn't have to be all time faves, but anything that pops into mind that you want more ppl to read and love, Extra points if lgbt+ , i got the whole summer with little to do and i wanna spend it reading some good quality writing and honestly so far your recs have introduced me to so many faves its unbelievable

[blushes profusely] oh wow, thank you!!!  i’m so glad you’ve trusted me enough to check out some of the stuff i reblog; that is like the ultimate compliment, i can’t even???  i don’t mind at all(!), fair warning though: i only started recording what i read partway through last year and my mind is like a sieve so i’ll do my absolute best to remember what’s sang to me in the recent past.  warning number two: i’m in an open relationship with absolutely every genre out there so i’ll try to note which belongs where so you can avoid those that hold no interest for you.

LGBT+

i’ll give you the sun.  i loved this book, the writing is fucking transformative and all the characters are so damn likable, while still being realistically flawed human beings.

the raven cycle (tetralogy).  definitely my favorite series since harry potter.  the writing, the world-building, the characters, it’s all on top-form.  i wrote a little, mini non-spoilery review of it: here, back when i was better (worse?) wordly-wise and my feels were brand new.

more happy than not.  i’m still not sure how i feel about this book.  it was hard, but it felt very true to the characters and the lingo and style matched the ages of the players and i have a lot of respect for that.

the watchmaker of filigree street.  woooow i loved this book.  i admit ‘historical fiction’ kind of makes me cringe.  it never precludes me from reading a book but it does knock it down the list by a book or five because they’re often very dense and very clunky and end up taking me ages to get through.  but this one was gorgeous.  i loved the plot, the attention lovingly placed on every character and the historical elements.  the surprise gay in an already brilliant book felt like winning the lottery honestly.

captive prince (trilogy).  okay, truthfully, i’m only putting this on here because the second book is such a high point for me.  it was never bad at any point but it had unfortunately been hyped far too much for it to live up to my, admittedly, very high expectations.  hopefully it’ll fare better with you?

everything i never told you.  i go back and forth on this one.  i like the writing a lot, i like the LGBT aspect a lot, and i like the mystery aspect a lot but there are definitely characters i would cut out entirely for sheer predictability if i could and that killed a lot of my enjoyment at the time (but i think much more highly of it in retrospect?).  so, take that as you like.

aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe.  if there’s a book that handles its characters with more care or respect or consideration then i haven’t run into it.  i love the way this is written and the people it’s populated with.

flying lessons & other stories.  a bunch of uber talented authors writing a bunch of uber diverse and LGBT-focused stories and, yes, that is exactly as awesome as it sounds.

the song of achilles.  it is utterly heart-breaking but so rich, honestly.

FANTASY

the diviners.  (also has a minor LGBT character, who may play a bigger role in the sequel?)  fair warning, i have not read the sequel, lair of dreams, because it is somehow still not out in paperback (yes, i read physical books, yes, i pretty exclusively read paperbacks so i can lug them everywhere with me, YES, I PRE-ORDERED THIS ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO AND IT’S STILL NOT OUT, NOT THAT I’M BITTER ABOUT THAT OR ANYTHING) so i can’t speak to that one finishing on a high note as i don’t know.  but this was the first historical novel i managed to like in a long while.  it does such a good job of fusing in 1920s lingo and dress and aspects that i couldn’t help but love it.  add in the fantasy elements and i can admit i’m the perfect sucker for it.

the scorpio races.  i’m not sure why but it took me a long-ass time to get into this book, i wasn’t flipping pages with gusto until well towards the end but - especially as i was reading so much YA at the time - i really appreciated coming across a romance that lets both people come into it as themselves and stay themselves, neither puck nor sean were ever smashed or crumpled or shaved away to fit into their relationship, which was so refreshing.  plus the water horses were fucking cool.

the night circus.  the writing, the atmosphere, the circus.  just… it is all very whoa.

all the birds in the sky.  i loved this writing style and these characters and the magical elements.

CONTEMPORARY

i’ll meet you there.  there was something about this and i just… ended up liking it way more than i expected to.  i might’ve just read it at exactly the right time, i’m not sure, but i really enjoyed it.

the invoice.  this is honestly just hella cute and so freaking surreal.  swedes, man.

NON-FICTION

why not me?  i like mindy kaling a lot.  i make no apologies for that.  plus you can read both her books in about five seconds, haha.

SCIENCE FICTION

station eleven.  i loved this book.  the way the narrative is woven is so refreshing and i wish the comic book miranda was writing in this book was a real thing more than anything else in the woooorld.

illuminae.  hot DAMN this book was cool.  the plot was rock solid, the characters were hilarious and badass and the graphics made out of text and spiraling words and just the way this thing is put together?  shit, it’s worth your money and then some.

a robot in the garden.  okay this is just cute as hell.  i can’t even with tang, he’s the most adorable robot to ever adorable.

annihilation (southern reach trilogy).  (LGBT minor characters.)  okay, honestly?  i don’t know.  this was freaking zany but i was invested as fuck in all the kookiness for reasons i can’t articulately elaborate on.

the martian.  hilarious, engaging, SPACE.  what more do you want?

HORROR

things we lost in the fire.  this is more atmospheric than anything but, damn, could this get me wishing i wasn’t reading this in the dark or looking over my shoulder to make absolutely sure no one was standing behind me.  it’s a book of short stories (by the way, i love books of short stories and i definitely realize that is not true for everyone) and each one is so well-delivered and stylized.  i really enjoyed reading this.

let the right one in.  okay, this is legit horror so definitely stay away if you’re easily squicked out but it is harrrrrd to find good horror (at least in my opinion) and this definitely, definitely qualifies.

horrorstör.  i honestly had such low expectations for this, a horror story set in a wannabe-ikea, but it ended up being so ridiculous and strange and funny that i was won over by the finish.

the girl with all the gifts.  holy unique and well-executed zombie idea, batman!

SHORT STORIES

the bigness of the world.  there were definitely ones here that hit better than others but the ones i liked, i really liked!

GRAPHIC NOVELS (i read a lot of these so, um, prepare yourself)

saga.  (LGBT minor characters as well.)  this is world-building to a degree that i’m convinced did not exist before.  just, i can’t say enough amazing things about this series and the staggering amount of imagination that regularly goes into it.

ms. marvel.  heart-warming as fuck.  it’s definitely really easy to lose faith in the world these days, luckily kamala is there to remind you that people are primarily and genuinely good.

black science.  this is another one that took just an insane amount of imagination to cook up.  i got off to kind of a rocky start with this one but the gray-ness of all the characters really speaks to me, and that doesn’t really blossom until later in the series.

spider-man/deadpool.  this was very satisfying for my super duper spideypool-shipping mind.  joe and ed did us so good, and joe basically said in his sign-off: i made it absolutely as gay as they would let me, haha.

the wicked + the divine.  (LGBT minor characters that you’re going to get way too attached to, and retroactively.  it’s awful [sobs].)  the concept for this, gods reincarnating into teenagers before they burn up their hosts after a predetermined set of time, is so fucking cool.  the humor and the characters and the plot is all just aces.

iceman (LGBT MAIN CHARACTER).  okay, so this just started.  like issue #2 was only released days ago but 1) i am liking it so far and 2) marvel did it so dirty and barely advertised bobby - an openly homosexual superhero - was getting his own series, like, i found out about it the day before it went on sale and i keep my ear fairly close to the ground (not as close as some BY A LOT, but closer than the lay person i’d say) so if you can support it, please do!  pre-orders mean a lot in terms of numbers. :))))

descender.  admittedly, this starts out rooough.  because the main character, TIM-21 (and his little dog too), are annoying as hell.  he’s an android so there’s no dimension to him so he’s booooring as all get out but i am so glad i stuck with it through to the next trade because, probably picking up on the unsustainability of him as a main character, he gets shuffled off and the side characters get the stage and they rock so hard.

paper girls. (LGBT main characters.)  i’m kind of just convinced that brian k. vaughan can do no wrong at this point.  his plots are so tight and mind-blowing and badass.

monstress.  here’s a little tid-bit about me: female comic book writers are 100% more likely to get my money and my time because they are so damn rare and this series is unique, badass, and eye-opening.

black monday murders.  i’m a little premature with this since there’s only one volume and i usually try to wait until there are at least two but i check up on a volume two a lot so that definitely means something intrigued me!

nailbiter.  okay, i haven’t read the final volume yet ‘cause i’m reluctant to let it go but, so far, a series about multiple serial killers all being from the same town has me VERY HOOKED.

i wish i could remember more but this is honestly way better than i expected to do, haha.  they’re definitely not all my all-time faves but they’re ones that have stuck with me for one reason or another and that i didn’t feel i wasted my time on, so that’s something, right?  i hope this helps get you started and that you don’t think too awfully of me when you inevitably run across ones that aren’t your cup of tea!

[blueneonlightshow-blog]

Blood Moon Ball (Bad Boy AU)

“Well? What did you think?” The princess asked as her earth guide exited the classroom last.

Marco shrugged, burying his hands in his pockets. “Eh… Easiest test ever.”

“Easiest- what are you talking about?”

“What? It was easy.”

“Really? I found that test to be quite difficult.”

“Yeah, well it’s earth history. You’re from another dimension,” he mentioned as the two walked over to the cafeteria.

“Regardless, I have witnessed many students studying this topic for days and you looked at it ten minutes beforehand. You must be extraordinarily intelligent if you could learn the topic-”

Marco turned and faced the princess with that mischievous smirk. He backed her against the lockers and leaned in. “Whoa, whoa, hold on. Did I just hear something nice come out of your mouth? That can’t be!” he asked, bringing his ear closer to Star. “I think I need to hear that one more time, princess.”

Star rolled her eyes, pushing him away. “And you wonder why I don’t compliment you.”

“Oh, do tell, princess. What do you have to say about the gracious host that’s showing you a good time here on Earth? Nothing bad I’m sure, right?” he said, nudging Star’s arm.

She swatted him away and brushed her sleeves. “Not even the castle back on Mewni is big enough for you and your ego.”

“Ouch. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. How appropriate.”

“”…I… don’t understand what you mean by-��

"It’s an Earth phrase. It…” Marco sighed. “Never mind… Jeez, how did you ever get by?”

“I have carriages to take me where I please.”

“Not what I… whatever.” The two entered the cafeteria and stood in line with the rest of the students waiting for their lunch to be served. “You don’t understand jokes, you’re strict, you’re only nice some of the time, and you don’t like fun. Man, I feel bad for whatever prince has to marry you… You need to loosen up. That’s how you get the guys. Not this royal crap you keep doing.”

Star glared at the boy. “As if you had any experience with dating? Tell me, how is Jackie Lynn Thomas doing? Still haven’t spoken to her yet?”

“None of your business.”

The princess smiled. “I’ll take that as a no.”

“It’s complicated!”

“You need to loosen up, Marco Diaz. That’s how you get the girls. Not this bad boy… crap… you keep doing… ugh…” She stuck out her tongue in disgust, still not used to saying something so vulgar.

“Hey, I’m relaxed all the time, princess. I don’t know what you’ve been watching, but-”

“Hello Jackie Lynn Thomas!” Star cheerfully called out. Marco jumped in shock, quickly turning around only to find no one there. The momentary heart attack finally stopped as he sighed a breath of relief. He could hear the princess snicker behind him. “Pfft you certainly look relaxed to me…”

Marco pulled his hood over to cover his face, a small blush creeping onto his cheeks. “Shut up…”

Star giggled. She held her tray out and received a sandwich and some fries. “Thank you very much, sir. Oh, and to answer your previous question, I did have a boyfriend once.”

Another sandwich landed on Marco’s tray. The boy stopped in place and stared at her with wide eyes before bursting out in laughter, attracting several people’s attention. “You? A boyfriend? Hahahaha! You’re joking!”

“That was not a joke, Marco Diaz.”

“Haha, okay, whatever you say princess- hahahaha!” The two walked over to an empty table and took a seat. The bad boy couldn’t help but continue laughing at the absurdity of her comment. “So what happened? Long distance didn’t work out for you?”

“It was about a year ago when I broke up with him, if you must know.”

“Riiiight… and what was his name?”

“Tom.”

“…Tom…?”

“Yes, you heard me.”

“…” Marco blankly stared at the princess before cracking up once more. “You’ve gotta be shitting me.”

Star rolled her eyes and began to eat her meal. “Language, Marco Diaz.”

“Alright, so… what was this guy like?”

“If you must know, he was the prince of the underworld.”

“Prince of the underworld- you dated a demon!?”

“Well… yes. That is true.”

Marco could barely keep it together at this point. She had to be making this up, right? “You just can’t get away from bad boys, can you? Haha- w-wait, that’s not like… a fetish or something, right?” he asked, slowly scooting away from her.

Star ignored his comment and took another bite. “He did have a temper, yes. But aside from that, he was… kind… I think…”

The bad boy shook his head. “Okay well, thanks for the laugh, but the joke’s over. It’s not funny anymore.”

“I told you it wasn’t a joke.”

“Oh please! You expect me to believe you dated a demon prince of the underworld named Tom!?”

As if right on cue, the ground shook, making the tables and chairs vibrate and clamor together. Students began to lose their balance, dropping trays and drinks onto the floor. Soon the earth cracked open, a burst of flames erupting from the opening. A large, dark crimson carriage appeared through the unholy fires, led by a skeleton horse. The students watched in awe as the flames dissipated and the door opened, revealing a shroud of smoke. Marco watched in shock as a figure in a black suit with horns stepped down from the carriage and approached Star. The princess watched in annoyance.

The figure stopped in front of the princess, taking off the sunglasses he had on, and revealed three eyes mischievously gazing at her. “Hey Star. I’m here to take you to the Blood Moon Ball…”

Star sighed, getting up from her seat and pushing the demon back into his carriage. “No. No, no, no, no, no. You need to leave right now. Take your carriage and fire and dead horse, and go back to the underworld.”

The horse looked back at the demon feeling betrayed. “Wait… I’m dead?”

The princess walked back to her table where Marco watched with his mouth hanging open. The demon smiled, bringing himself to his feet and stood once more in front of Star. “C'mon, Starship. It’s the Blood Moon Ball. It only happens once every six hundred and sixty seven years…”

“We broke. Up.”

“OKAY, STOP! Timeout!” Marco slammed his hands on the table. “Who. The fuck. Are you?”

“Language, Marco Diaz-”

“Stop that.”

The demon glared at the boy for interrupting the conversation. “…Tom Lucitor. Prince of the underworld. Why?”

“You’re Tom? You're… real…?” he asked in complete disbelief, looking back at Star for confirmation. She simply rolled her eyes.

“You’ve heard of me?”

“You used to be Star’s boyfriend…”

“So?”

Marco looked at Tom once more, analyzing his appearance. “But… but you… you’re hot!”

The demon widened his eyes, glancing at Star before returning his attention to the boy. He cleared his throat, trying to move past the uncomfortable vibe. “Uh… Thanks…?”

“You can have any girl in any dimension! Why the hell are you after Star of all people!?”

“Language-”

“Princess, I swear, if you say that one more time…”

“Oh, that’s what you meant,” Tom said with a relieved sigh. “And what do you mean why? You think she’s all yours or something?” he asked in a threatening tone.

“What? She’s not-”

“Just stay out of my way. I’m trying to talk to Star about something important. Let the adults speak.”

Maybe it’s because it’s been so long that he’s been confronted, but it made Marco boil being insulted like that. He put on a fake smile for the demon. “You know, maybe you shouldn’t piss me off like that, Tom.”

“Listen, kid. I don’t- ARGH!”

Marco punched the demon and karate chopped his arm, making his hand pop off. It surprised the bad boy when he saw ghastly smoke coming out of his wrist, but even more shocking was the sudden shift in mood. Tom gritted his teeth, his eyes now glowing red. A deathly essence could be felt throughout the room, giving even Marco chills.

“Uh-oh…” Star muttered. She pulled on Marco’s sleeves. “We better run.”

Tom shook his head and tried to laugh it off. “Woah, woah, haha… no, no, no, see, that's… why I have my support system! See?” He reached back into the carriage and pulled out a fluffy bunny. He pet the small creature, rubbing its fur as the animal seemed to smile at the treatment. “See, I’m a changed man! I don't… get angry anymore,” he said as his eyes began to turn back to normal. “Totally under control now.”

Star was impressed at how quickly the demon changed back to normal. She sighed, placing a hand on Marco’s shoulder. “Please don’t fight the prince of the underworld.”

Marco glared at Tom before lowering his fists. “…He started it.”

Tom took a deep breath and recomposed himself. “Right. Like I said, I want to take you to the Blood Moon Ball. And I get it! You don’t trust me. You’re mad, you think I’m a total jerk. But I have changed…”

“…Really…?”

“Absolutely! I can prove it, too. Tonight. I’ll show you what the new Tom looks like.”

“The new Tom…” Star contemplated the pros and cons of this decision. Maybe a second chance is in order.

“Princess? You’re not seriously thinking about going with this guy, are you?”

“Hey, if you’re not sure, don’t worry. No pressure at all. But if you do decide to come, just ring this bell.” The demon handed over a small, ornate bell with carved ruby accents on it. He gave the princess a smile before going back into the carriage. “I… hope to see you there, Star.” With that, a burst of flames rose from the ground as the carriage descended into the depths of the underworld.

Marco watched, unimpressed at the spectacles. “Hmph… show off…”

=============================================

Star walked towards her closet, trying to find something special for the occasion, while Marco sat on her bed, watching her pick out the right dress.

“I can’t believe you’re actually going to Tom’s stupid dance.”

“I don’t see why not. It could be fun…”

“Fun? You have dimensional scissors. We could just go to someplace cool like last time? Now that was fun.”

“Yes, but this is a different kind of fun… I think it’ll be an interesting experience. After all, Tom does seem genuine this time around.” Star pulled out a red and pink dress, scanning the looks before smiling to herself. She touched the magic mirror, transforming it into a divider. “I trust you won’t peak…”

“Lemme just get my camera,” he said sarcastically. The princess walked behind the divider, throwing her normal clothes over the edge. Marco turned his head to give her some privacy. “You know, I’ve met guys like Tom, and I’m not saying he’s an asshole, but… he’s an asshole.”

“Language, Marco Diaz.”

“Fuck you. All I’m trying to say is that guys like Tom don’t change.”

“An amusing assessment coming from a delinquent such as yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah, call me a hypocrite… but that doesn’t mean I’m not right.”

“Come now, Marco Diaz. I think I can handle whatever comes my wa-AAAAYYYYY….”

Marco looked back at the divider, seeing some sparkling mist coming from behind. “…Are… you okay?”

“Y-yes, yes… I just… need to stop using magic on… on my face…”

“Okaaayyy… well, I still don’t like this whole dance thing. Feels like Tom’s scheming something. I mean, why don’t you just skip it and stay here? It’s probably way safer than whatever he’s planning.”

“Please, he’s not planning anything.”

“You don’t know that… Maybe I should tag along, just in case.”

“Marco Diaz, are you actually concerned about me?”

The boy’s heart stopped at her question. “W-what? No!”

He heard a light giggle coming from the divider. “I must say, it’s quite heartwarming to hear you care so much about me for once.”

“I don’t! I just don’t like Tom! I can’t stand creeps, but if you want to fall for his plans, then go right ahead,” he ranted, crossing his arms in a childish manner.

“Very well.” Star closed the divider, turning it back into the magic mirror. “So? What do you think?”

Marco’s eyes widened as he gazed upon Star. The red dress fit her perfectly, her hair now wavy, coming together in a large bun with strands curling down, complimenting her face. A small blush appeared on the boy’s cheeks as he tried to act tough once more. “…Y-yeah, you… you look fine…”

The princess smiled. “Thank you!”

“…It’s not safe, you know.”

“A lot of things aren’t safe.” She pulled out the bell and hit it with the small hammer, creating a deep, vibrating sound for such a tiny bell. A burst of flames appeared outside her window with another demon rising to her balcony, carrying a large carriage with it. “The underworld certainly knows how to make an entrance.” She placed the bell on her desk and climbed into the carriage and waved at the boy. “Goodbye, Marco Diaz!” She shut the door, and looked up at the demon.. “Okay, I’m all set!”

“Very well, mortal…” the parademon flapped its wings as it slowly descended into the fiery pit.

Slowly, the light of day began to vanish, replaced with a crimson red hue as she felt the carriage go further down. It took quite some time before Star finally made it to the bottom. She opened the door, finding herself in what seemed like a large cavern with a city unlike any other she has seen in the distance. She spotted a number of monsters and demons dressed in formal attire walking towards the same location.

“That must be where the ball is…”

“Star!” The princess turned her head to find her ex boyfriend approach her. Tom took a look at Star, examining her appearance. “Don’t you clean up nice.”

“Um… Thank you…”

“Hope the ride down wasn’t too long.”

“Well, it was getting a bit stuffy in there but it wasn’t all too-”

“Cool, cool! I’m glad it didn’t take much time. Oh, here. I got you something.” Tom pulled out a dead spider from behind his back, presenting it to her as if it were a jewel. “Wear this. It’ll help you fit in.”

Star backed away, disgusted by the present. “Thank you, but I’d rather not.”

The demon tilted his head, confused. “What? But Star, I’m telling you, it’ll be better if you wear-”

“That’s quite alright. I have my own theme I’m going by… Now then, I think it’s time we head in, don’t you?”

“…Y-yeah…”

Star walked ahead of Tom, somewhat excited to see what this dance would be like. The demon on the other hand was less enthusiastic, annoyed at Star’s defiance. He pet his rabbit as he walked in the castle.

================================================

Marco was lying down on Star’s bed, his eyes closed as he munched on a bowl of nachos he made. He put in his earphones and played some songs on his phone, letting his mind wander. Normally he would enjoy his time alone from the princess, but today he felt off. He didn’t like the idea of Tom asking Star to this dance. Or maybe he just didn’t like Tom…

“Yeah, of course I don’t like him…” Marco muttered to himself, grabbing another chip. “…That’s the guy she used to date? He’s not even her type…”

The boy grew more annoyed at the thought, though he couldn’t understand why. Maybe it was the idea that she actually liked someone that was an asshole and she doesn’t act that way with him…

Marco opened his eyes. “Wait, what?” Did he just say he was jealous? “…No… no way…” That’s not it. He was just annoyed that she doesn’t treat him nicely… as a friend… “Yeah… that’s it… she’s friendly with an asshole like Tom but doesn’t treat me all too kind… That’s why I’m annoyed…” he convinced himself. The princess could at least say please and thank you.

…Oh wait… she does do that…

What exactly does she do that’s so mean to him?

“She makes fun of me…”

But that’s only because Marco teases her all the time.

“She’s always on my back about something.”

But that’s only because she doesn’t want him to get in trouble.

“She brings her dumb magic crap and ruins my life.”

But Marco has enjoyed life more than ever since Star appeared.

“…”

What does Star actually do that annoys Marco? In fact, was he even annoyed with Star to begin with?

“…”

The boy rolled to his side, his face against the pillow. He could smell the princess’ scent, making his heart beat a little faster. He growled, annoyed at this unknown feeling building up in his stomach. “Stop it, Marco. Don’t be a creep…”

His eyes wandered, looking at the mess the princess left behind. Funny. He thought she would be neater with her personality. Books and papers were on the ground, her clothes scattered here and there. Shirts, pants, dresses, underwea- Marco looked away. “C'mon, princess. Don’t just leave stuff like that lying around…”

He stopped when he saw the bell. The moonlight bounced off its reflective surface, mesmerizing the bad boy even more. He thought for a moment.

“…Nope. Not gonna do it.”

He turned the other direction.

“Not gonna do it,” he repeated. “She said she’d be fine without me. Not like anything bad is going to happen, right? Besides, who cares if something does happen to her. Not me. She’s got an all powerful magic wand. She’ll be fine. Not gonna go down there- oh, fuck me.”

============================================

Star stood in line with her date, watching as the people in front of her took photos with a bucket of… blood… spilling over them.

“…Uh… Tom?”

“Yeah?”

“Is… that blood?”

The demon smiled. “Wouldn’t be a party without it, right? And get this. This time, it’s unicorn blood. I’m so excited to get our pictures taken together!”

“R-riiiight… I… don’t think I’m doing that.”

His smile instantly vanished. “What? Why not?”

“I don’t believe bathing in unicorn blood is exactly something I’d willingly do…”

“C'mon, Starship. Everyone’s doing it! It won’t hurt you.”

“One of my best friends is a unicorn.”

“Well they’re not related!”

“I am not bathing in unicorn blood.”

Tom opened his mouth but closed it, knowing he would lose the argument. He looked away, grumbling as he reached out for the bunny again.

“Tom?”

“Yeah, Star?”

“Are… you angry?”

He looked back at the princess. “What?”

“I can see you pet your rabbit. Are you getting angry with me?”

“Y- well, no. I mean-”

Star sighed. “Look, forget it. I’m going to get a drink.”

Tom watched his date leave him at the photo area, growing more irritated at Star’s uncooperative attitude. He let out a sigh, trying to calm himself. “It’s fine, Tom. Totally cool…” he said through clenched teeth. “Just don’t blow up…” The demon pet his bunny, letting the anger fade away.

Meanwhile, Star approached a bowl full of unknown liquids. She peered inside it and found the skeleton of a fish swimming in the punch. She gave a small smile, finding the animal rather cute. “Hello, little friend. Enjoying the water?”

The fish jumped up from the surface and fell back into the bowl.

“Aww, aren’t you just adorable…”

“Hey there.”

Star turned around to find a tall monster standing before her in a fancy suit. Although the suit didn’t help with his physical appearance considering he had the face of a bat. “Hello… Oh, I apologize, I’m blocking the drink. Did you want some?”

The monster held his hand up, refusing the offer. “Nah, I don’t need anything. Although, I might need your hand later.”

“My hand?”

“You know. For when you and I dance.”

Star chuckled, scratching the back of her head. “Ah… apologies, but I’m here with Tom as my partner for the night. Perhaps there is another that would appreciate the offer?”

“Oh, I think you’ll like dancing with me-”

“Yeah, no. She’s mine for the night,” Tom said, stepping between the two.

“Yours…?” the princess muttered.

The bat faced demon gave Tom a mischievous look. “Oh, I get it. You think your soul and her soul are gonna totally…” he then motioned something with his hands.

“And what exactly does…” The princess copied the motions. “…mean?”

Tom waved his hands. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

The room echoed with a loud tapping sound, forcing the voices to silence. A demon stood at the front of the room, a microphone in hand. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It is my pleasure that I request you now to turn your head skyward.” The princess looked up at the ceiling, finding a red crescent shaped gemstone gleaming with light. “The light of the blood moon will fall, and select two lucky souls, binding them together for eternity in its hypnotic, ruby essence…”

“…Wow…” The princess was amazed at how beautiful the gem was, creating a unique, artistic atmosphere.

A song began to play throughout the room as the monsters and demons paired together and began to dance. Tom growled. “That’s the wrong piece of music! I told them to play the other one. This is gonna drive me crazy- okay, don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back!” He quickly ran off, leaving Star to herself.

“Okay…” she said absentmindedly, still gazing up at the ceiling. She walked away from the spot, trying to get a better view of the beautiful crescent. She moved past various monsters, apologizing as she bumped into them. “A soul binding ceremony, is it? Hmm. Is that why he wanted me here-”

Star gasped as she felt her arm pulled back, finding herself caught in the arms of a mysterious figure in a royal black suit. Her eyes met with the figure’s own, feeling a sense of familiarity when she looked into them. Before she could ask any questions, the room darkened with the only light coming from the blood moon. The red light beamed through the ceiling, enveloping the princess and the mysterious figure. Everyone stopped and stared at the couple as a new song played. The person before her began to take charge, leading her through the waltz. Although she couldn’t see past the masquerade mask, she found herself mesmerized by this person. He had an aura of confidence. Of grace and elegance. His eyes captured her full attention. They were gentle, yet familiar. Why?

“Princess…?” the person whispered.

“Yes?” she answered breathlessly.

“Princess, let’s get out of here.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean let’s get out of here.”

“…Who are you…?”

“Who-” The figure twirled her around, gliding across the floor with her as they danced. “It’s me, Marco.”

Star’s eyes widened as her partner caught her, his arms wrapped around her waist as they continued to step to the music’s tempo. The person quickly lifted up the mask, revealing his identity. Her heart skipped a beat. “…Marco…?”

“C'mon, let’s go. This place is creeping me ou-” The boy fell back, groaning in pain. He looked up to find Tom standing before him. The demon opened his mouth to say something but stopped when he heard a scraping sound. He looked up to see the blood moon’s light disappearing. The room lit up once more, signalling the dance was over. Tom looked back at the boy, his eyes beginning to burn bright red. A deathly aura filled the room as Marco realized his mistake. The demon slowly stepped towards him, the temperature slowly rising as he approached him.

“…That dance…”

Marco moved back, feeling afraid for once.

“…was meant…”

He backed up into the wall, unable to escape.

“…for ME!”

Flames burst in the room, burning several curtains and rugs. Even the other monsters stepped back, afraid of what Tom could do. Marco had no choice but to stand up, readying himself for a fight. Although, he wasn’t quite sure if he would come out of this unscathed. The demon rose in the air, ready to attack when a beam of blue light froze Tom in place. He fell to the ground, solidified in a block of ice with an angry expression. Marco looked at Star, who was holding her wand out and sighed.

“Thanks, princess-”

“Let’s go, Marco Diaz,” the princess muttered, walking out of the castle. Marco wasted no time leaving the room.

=============================================

The parademon carried the two up in the carriage to Star’s balcony. The carriage opened its doors, the cool, nighttime air entering the box. A refreshing change of pace for once. The princess looked up and waved. “Thank you for the ride…” With that, she stepped off onto her balcony. “Ugh… so infuriating!”

Marco followed after, sliding down to the balcony. The demon flew back down, a burst of flame covering its tracks once again. The boy shrugged. “I hate to say it, but I warned you about Tom.”

“No. You! You’re infuriating!”

“W- me? What did I do? I tried to help you-”

“I told you I didn’t need any help! I would take care of myself!”

The boy stared at the princess confused. “What, is that the thanks I get for going down there and almost dying because of your ex boyfriend? Who, by the way, is a complete psycho!”

“I am the princess of Mewni. I wield the most powerful magical artifact in the universe, yet you don’t trust me enough to take care of myself! I told you I was fine!”

“Hey, I heard what that old guy said on the mic! Tom wanted to bind with your soul and I stepped in to help. What the hell’s wrong with that?”

The princess let out a frustrated growl. “Every time! Every person in my life has never trusted me with anything.”

“What are you talking abou-”

“No matter what it was, no one ever trusted me. Not once! My friends on Mewni never thought I was responsible enough. They said I would accidentally burn Mewni down if I became queen. The magic high commission believes I’m not good enough to protect the wand. They refused to let me train on my own. My parents- my own parents! They don’t even trust me! They sent me here on Earth! For what? Safety? I’m no less capable than my mother when she was my age! But they send me away from my own home! What parent does that? As if sending me to that damn reform school wasn’t enough? Stripping me of my own person and turning me into someone I can’t even recognize when I look in the mirror!”

Marco was taken back by this outburst. This was the first time he heard her speak out about anything like this. He didn’t think she had anything like this on her mind. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense why she would be angry.

“And you… I thought you’d trust me enough to go by myself… or at least not care enough to bother… As rude as you are at times, you’re the only one that ever treated me as an equal. You always took my words at their value. And I appreciate that. I… I even consider you my friend for it.” Star leaned against the balcony, looking out in the neighborhood.

Marco stared at her, processing everything she had said. His heart warmed at the thought that she actually considered him a friend after all this time, but immediately sank after realizing his mistake. He walked over and leaned against the railing, taking off his mask. “…I'm… sorry, Star. I should’ve trusted you.”

The two remained silent for a good minute before the princess glanced at her host. “…It’s alright… Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Apologizing. Treating me as an equal once again.”

“…No problem…”

“…”

“…”

“…Did you just call me Star?”

“What?”

“When you apologized. You said ‘Star’. You never call me by my name.”

“I still don’t.”

“You called me Star,” she said with a smirk.

“You’re imagining things.”

“You know what I didn’t imagine? You dancing.”

The boy’s cheeks began to blush as red as the moon. “Shut up.”

“Since when did Marco Diaz know how to dance so elegantly?”

“You will never speak of this again, princess.”

“Perhaps if Jackie Lynn Thomas knew, she would talk to you then?”

“Don’t you fucking dare.”

“Language, Marco Diaz.”

===========================================

A bit longer than my usual ones. Took longer too for some reason. Not sure why since it was based on the episode.

Other fics here and here

[albatris]

OK SO

THIS TURNED INTO AN UNINTENTIONAL RAMBLE the floodgates were opened I am very sorry

(and also trigger warning for body + existential horror and violent death)

at the start of ATDAO Jacob Greer is involved in a tragic interdimensional mishap that yeets him into an unreality BUT there is also another guy involved in the accident who is definitely in the process of getting yeeted into an unreality but he kinda only makes it halfway

so he leaves behind the lower half of his body pretty much which kind of just flops onto the ground from his car and spills some organs out and Tris is like "cool well that's an image that will haunt my nightmares from this day forward but at least I can be pretty sure this is the most traumatic thing this particular corpse will do to me" and he is of course WRONG

the thing about unrealities is they're essentially just stacks of interdimensional energy from all kinds of sources just goin round and round in a blender and things get WEIRD real fast 'cause you've got all these competing and contradictory laws of reality fighting to exist simultaneously. and anything inside the space, dead or alive, can't really exist there for long without getting tangled up with some real bizarre energy

and THIS poor motherfucker gets seized by some whacked-out energy that more or less just takes over his body and keeps it spasming and twitching and dragging itself around the place and ARGUABLY right on the very brink of death but Not Allowed To Die. n is just slowly and inescapably morphing into something monstrous and inhuman

what's this guy's deal? well, here!:

it is presently barely recognisable as a person

it has amalgamated and will amalgamate various other creatures and objects into its mass. just sucks 'em right up. as a result, this thing has, like, bird beaks and bits of fur and extra lifeless eyes just kind of sticking out of its fucked up flesh

if you do not touch it, it will leave you alone. it will not hunt you down, it does not care that you are here. it is just a bundle of pulsating flesh and extra parts and limbs bent the wrong way scuttling aimlessly around

if you DO touch it it will flip the fuck out and try to fucking kill you and absorb you. why? maybe it's angry. maybe it's frightened. maybe it's hungry. maybe it's just responding to sensory input. maybe you're just in a fucking nightmare hell dimension don't ask me

it still has an intact human voice box, which it will use to moan and scream

as far as horror goes he's a bit cliche but I think every surreal hellscape deserves a little creecher and I have fun with him

is this thing alive? is it sentient? is the original person still in there, no matter how twisted and deranged? is it simply a lifeless empty body now being jerked around by weird violent energies that burrowed in and made a home?

scientifically, logically, this is a dead guy. there's no one home in there. this guy got sliced in half, he was probably dead before he hit the ground and long before the energy got all up in his personal space. but like. this IS an unreality and things do NOT work right here, including human bodies and time

Tris firmly believes the half-corpse creature is Alive, and that it's essentially this guy's human soul trapped in a monstrous body that is not allowed to die, stuck in an endless cycle of pain and terror reliving the moment of its "death" over and over whilst screaming out for help

Tris is also prone to projecting lots of big emotional feelings onto situations and is under a lot of stress right now

I will not say one way or the other whether he's right. I don't actually know the answer myself! what fun

what this horrid little guy does is hmmmmmm..... well, I included him for a few reasons, first and foremost because Hell Yeah That's Freaky

and also because he's involved with some real rough character-arc-y spoiler things that I will not tell you

n also, because he helps establish a few key facts about the unreality, the first and most obvious being that it is a Very Very Very Bad Place For An Organic Human Body To Be

him showing up marks the halfway point of the unreality, and also where the story takes a well-earned veer into..... about as close as ATDAO gets to horror, though the majority of the horror is less Ooh Spooky Monster and more existential lmao

but ya, so, the unreality gets. progressively stranger and less stable the further you go. goes from Hey This Isn't So Bad to deeply unsettling uncanny valley territory to some sort of surreal nightmare zone. n like, ok, it's unstable at its edges, yes, but it also has to do with the fact that the longer you spend in there, the more your own senses and physical properties and relationship with reality start to unwind

you can FEEL your senses altering and your physical body changing and you're experiencing reality in a way that will be completely incomprehensible to you the second you leave, you look at yourself, you look at the wild unstable space around you, you look at this heaving mass of once-human flesh and bone and blood in front of you, knowing it's becoming increasingly warped and twisted as time wears on, and you think to yourself, well, this doesn't exactly fill me with confidence for my future now does it

another thing this lil creecher does, particularly if you lean towards the idea that it is entirely lifeless and non-sentient, is uhhh..... this guy helps establish the unreality not as something malicious or evil that wants to hurt you personally, but simply as something Inevitable

does that seem contradictory? maybe, seeing as this guy does a hell of a lot of damage and tries to kill my protagonist

but like. the unreality is just one little segment of gigantic grinding machinery - there's no malicious intent, it's not hunting you or targeting you, it doesn't even know you're here. you can't outsmart it or outrun it or reason with it because it is Everything. it's gonna twist you beyond recognition. it's going to crush you. it can't hear you, not because it's choosing not to, but because it simply doesn't have the capacity to

n this creature has been caught up in the gnashing gears of this reality, it's slowly being pushed further and further away from its human roots, n it just stumbles around aimlessly until it bumps into something, and even when it attacks you it's just regurgitating this empty mockery of human pain and fear that in all likelihood are just echoes of its last living moments. it's a product of a reality that Doesn't Care and It Does Not Care

or, I suppose, if you do believe the human soul is still kickin in there somewhere, then it's the sheer agony and terror of being trapped in and entirely at the mercy of this unfeeling cosmic machinery and watching yourself unravel with no escape

either way, y'know, not ideal

and lastly.......... oh, it's fun just to toss a weird little guy in there. my best writing advice? just toss in a guy

thanks for coming to my ted talk

thinkin about him...........

(the fucked up unreality half-corpse creature)