#from dust to ashes

[moogaiashe]

Bc I think they'd be boyfriends

[lucdoodle]

was learning how to draw maskless adam

[reineydraws]

mishanks sketch dump bc ive been doodling them to de-stress or when i need a break from other pieces lately ✨️

[calamint1234]

There's something here with Fiyero wandering through life before he meets Elphaba and she pulls him out of his stupor.

[druidshollow]

sorry its. literally. always this guy

[yourlocalabomination]

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust.

[pucciverse]

its me, boy, im the dsm5

[spotaus]

Orchid and Horror doodles! (More context under the cut!)

Orchid is an errormare ship kid! She was made from loose magic in a bid to make an heir for Nightmare so that he could give Dream even more hell than before. However, the child he'd intended to train into a weapon ended up being far too cute, so he raised her right instead.

Horror was one of Orchid's main influences as a babybones, because Horror was pretty much the only one who'd looked out for his brother in his own au. Night trusted him to be around her from the start (Dust and Killer didn't recieve that same trust) so as much as Orchid most certainly knew Night was her father, Horror was her Uncle from the start. He knew how to raise a babybones and helped Night learn (with actual hands-on learning instead of his books).

Of course, Horror was also her main influence even after her bad injury (cracked open her skull and snapped off her leg). The rest of the household coddled her, rightfully so, but she didn't like the taste of their pity and wirry. She would more often than not try to keep up a brave face up until Horror arrived, and then she'd dig into his jacket and cry and tell him all about her woes. Little kid logic on this one I guess.

And of course he didn't always know how to help, but he tried not to take away her freedom now that she was injured. Obviously her bed-rest days were important, but he'd carry her around on her better days and have her watch him cook or train. She picked up most of her swearwords from Horror, and she loves to use his hands-on fighting style when she's older too.

Horror was the reason she grew less ashamed of her head wound and loss of death perception. He never treated her too differently about it, and one day during an outburst, Nightmare told her that Horror had the same injury as her, in a way. That had almost immediately changed her perspective.

And yeag, idk. I just really wanted to finally draw Orchid with her favorite uncle. She might've gotten all her magic lessons from Nightmare, but her combat style is built on the base which Horror gave to her.

Oh!! Bonus art!

Idk if I posted this or not, but Orchid is on the right! She usually uses her 'Spindles' to move, but Post-Eternal Ashes and very shortly after her injury she uses these canes(???) To get around a lot more often. As a kid Horror and Dust taught her how to keep her balance on her one leg and move quickly using these crutches so she wasn't vulnerable if her magic was restricted. (Don't mind Shotput on the left, he's unrelated. Just didn't wanna crop it weird.)

[clickerflight]

Voltober 15. The Ones Who've Hurt You - From Dust to Ashes

Author's notes: Welcome to me playing with a man's trauma for all of our enjoyment!

Challenges Masterlist - Voltober 14

Content: human whumpee, traumatized whumpee, fear, seeing whumper in public, caretaker protecc!

@voltober

Seeing Whumper on the Street | “This is for __” | Whumper Turned Whumpee

Kyle allowed himself to be cajoled out to the store with Joseph more and more these days. It was getting bad for his wallet and he had no idea how Joseph managed to keep up his own funds, but he wasn’t too upset about it. He had finished his degree and had a good position in anthropology circles. He could always find a place willing to pay him to speak if he needed some extra cash.

Joseph was chatting at him as they pulled up to the grocery store and Kyle checked his shopping list to see if he needed anything. He had already bought everything he needed on Monday, so this would mostly just be a snack run for him.

“And I’m thinking of doing this whole roast like my grandma used to do. Thing is, Muir doesn’t really like beef, but I think there will be plenty of sides to keep him happy, and if he’s still hungry he can make himself a sandwich because I’m getting my roast dang it! Would you like to join us for that?”

“Sure,” Kyle said, putting his phone away.

They got out of the car and walked toward the store, Joseph planning out loud what they would need.

They got inside and Joseph was immediately distracted in the juice section.

Kyle looked around, feeling a little out of his body. He had spent all day reading a book written by an ancient vampire about life and the things she had seen and was still feeling a little unreal as Joseph had stirred him out of his book very suddenly before whisking him off to the store.

He tried too bring his mind to the present, shaking his head a little and murmuring to Joseph that he was going to look at the snacks.

The store was pretty quiet as it was a bit too late in the evening for humans to want to be going to the store but still too bright and warm for most vampires to want to be out and about either. Not that Joseph cared either way.

Kyle walked into the snack aisle, looking over the cookies and candies the story had to offer.

He picked out a couple packs and then paused and put one back. He should probably find a healthier snack. Maybe baby carrots?

He left the aisle and rounded a corner to the vegetable and fruits section, glancing over the crowd.

His chest gave an involuntary pang where he had been shot about three years ago and he rubbed at it nonchalantly until he realized what had brought the memory back.

There was a woman, her hair much shorter than it once was, older, sadder, and wearing baggy clothing picking through the fruit.

Joanna. Joanna was standing there in the same store as Kyle. The woman who had shot him was OUT OF JAIL! He knew that she had gotten a light sentencing because people didn’t take the pain of vampires that seriously so they didn’t really punish her much for what she did to Esial, but she’d also shot him! And Kyle was human. Why was she out so soon? Why hadn’t he been notified? Had she escaped from prison? There was no way she’d be here just looking through the apples if she’d escaped prison. Was there?

She looked up and her eyes locked with Kyle’s wide ones.

Kyle didn’t even see her reaction to him, turning and bolting, dropping the cookies he had grabbed in his desperate search for Joseph. Joseph had the keys. They needed to get out and drive away very very fast. He needed to get away from here and call the police.

He awkwardly tried to get his phone out of his back pocket while sprinting through the store. He found Joseph and practically crashed into him, grabbing his arm. “We have to get out of here,” he gasped, shaky fingers trying to dial 911.

“Woah, calm down! What’s going on-”

“Joanna!” Kyle croaked. “She’s here!”

“Here?” Joseph asked, a rare look of rage darkened his face. “You’re sure?”

“I am! Let’s go please!”

Joseph nodded and, after a regretful look at his cart, abandoned it. Kyle felt rather touched by the gesture. Joseph would never abandon his cart for anything he didn’t consider serious.

Joseph and Kyle made their way toward the entrance, pausing only to apologize to an employee for abandoning the cart, before they made it to the exit.

The only issue was Joanna had the same thought.

The three froze and Kyle stood stunned as Joseph got in front of him, baring his fangs at Joanna. “What are you doing here!?”

The people nearby froze, surprised by the sudden aggression from a vampire in public.

Joanna put her hands up quickly. “I’m leaving.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be in jail?” Joseph snarled, drawing the attention of more customers. Security would likely be there soon.

“I’m out on probation for good behavior,” she said quickly. “I’m leaving. I’m going. I’m sorry.”

“You should be!” Joseph practically spat.

He watched as she darted out and he relaxed with a sigh.

He turned to Kyle and put a hand on his arm. “Are you alright?”

Kyle nodded numbly as security got there.

Joseph explained the situation to the men and was given the permission to keep shopping so they wouldn’t have to go out and maybe see Joanna in the parking lot.

As they returned to the cart, Kyle stared at the items Joseph had collected inside for a long moment before he asked, “Do you think Muir would be annoyed if I stay the night at your guys’ place?”

“No, not at all. Especially after all that,” Joseph said, annoyance in his tone for the situation, not at Kyle.

Kyle relaxed a little and nodded. “I’m not sure if I’ll get much sleep.”

Joseph’s expression softened and he stepped around the cart, pulling Kyle into a hug.

Kyle hesitantly hugged him back, embarrassed about doing so in public, but relieved nonetheless.

“We’re always going to have your back, man. Don’t be afraid to ask,” Joseph told him before leaning back and smiling up at him. “Now, do you want to help me with my list?”

Kyle sighed, smiling shakily. “Yeah. I’d love to.”

VTB Part 16

FDTA Masterlist

From Dust to Ashes Taglist: @whumpsday @honeycollectswhump @writereleaserepeat @tragedyinblue @hyrules-sleepiest-knight 

@why-not-ask-me-a-better-question @thecyrulik @gt-daboss @currentlyinthespiral @pigeonwhumps @not-a-space-alien

[smytherines]

king of the ashes

[simplegenius042]

Music Monday, WIP Wednesday & Six Sentences

Tagged by @imogenkol @socially-awkward-skeleton @direwombat @raresvtm @cassietrn and @g0dspeeed

Tagging @aceghosts @inafieldofdaisies @voidika @josephseedismyfather @noodlecupcakes @cloudofbutterflies92 @adelaidedrubman @derelictheretic @icecutioner @shallow-gravy @strangefable @statichvm @carlosoliveiraa @wrathfulrook @starsandskies @ladyoriza @la-grosse-patate @thewanderer-000 @omen-speaker @alypink @shellibisshe @josephslittledeputy @skoll-sun-eater @afarcryfrommymain @strafethesesinners @turbo-virgins @florbelles @minilev @justasmolbard @yokobai and @seedsplease + anyone else who'd like to join.

Music Monday for Life, Despair & Monsters, my Wings And Horn WIP and A Radioactive Calamity of Love, Bombs & Gore and WIP Wednesday & "Six Sentences" short for The Silver Chronicles. Listen and read under the cut below:

Life, Despair & Monsters is a series comprised of 21 WIPs, 15 of which the main antagonist, the Director of the Ruins of the Midnight Rise, Sir Enigma Malvolio, is the culprit for majority of the problems that occur in the WIPs. Malvolio forces both Wednesday and Enid to work under him when he takes them from their world, is behind Monika and the Literature Club's return but into reality (and therefore gain Haoyu's attention from the blip of Monika of their world's essence disappearing before reappearing), is the reason behind the Court King's return not once but twice in The Thorned Crown of Iron Thrones and Miraculous Miracles (the latter alerting Hatter), was the person who found Sonnie/Sonya damaged body and transferred her mind into the Apex to get combatant data off of her before abandoning her once she got free of his control, was involved in the production of Militech's Inviticus and Arasaka's Impulse (which garners Rico's involvement), allies with Frederick Rosemary and backs the man up in his plans to gain access to Playtime Co.'s factory from within his "Toybox", transformed Evie Jackson into Edith Bloodleech, 50% of the cause behind some of the oddities in each world within the Love Death + Robots universe, surgically implanted O.R.I.O.N as apart of Queen Guenevere, sent his Displacements to hunt down Sydney due to her "Shiner" properties, sends in Edith to take control of the vampire courts after Dracula's death, helped create Choo Choo Charles and had been destroying the towers inside the Worlds In-Between therefore creating breaches in other world and weakening realities. If there's one song I can attribute to Sir Enigma Malvolio and the Midnight Rise throughout Life, Despair & Monsters, it's Siamese's "The Wolf". Listen below:

"Each and every day hiding from the sunshine Wandering in the shade Not too old, not too young

Every night again Dancing with the moonlight Somewhere far away I can hear your call

I'm out of my head Of my heart and my mind 'Cause you can run, but you can't hide I'm gonna make you mine

Out of my head Of my heart and my mind 'Cause I can feel how your flesh now Is crying out for more

Ain't no fairy tale What I see in your eyes Awaiting your mistake Not too close, not too far

Sneaking in the pain Every truth becomes lie I won't trust myself Once I hear your call

I'm out of my head Of my heart and my mind 'Cause you can run, but you can't hide I'm gonna make you mine

Out of my head Of my heart and my mind 'Cause I can feel how your flesh now Is crying out for more!"

In Wings And Horns, Cadet Azriel and Jezebel Ba'al are two sides of the same coins, much like their authoritative/father figures (Archangel Metatron and Xiang Ba'al respectively); both are souls of girls who tragically died unfairly young due to factors outside of their control and end up in a sort of afterlife, both are ostracized by the communities they now inhabit (Azriel being an angel of death and Jezebel being a Sinner's Soul in the Sloth Ring), both have an adult they follow who acts as an authority/father figure that passes down important morals and are (opposing) extremists in regards to their methods and handlings of the Soulmate System (with Metatron doing everything in his power to preserve it while Xiang wants to destroy it all together while the New Gods decide whether to keep it or abolish it elsewhere), meanwhile both girls hold a more reasonable and far less extreme opinion on how to fix (Azriel) or repurpose (Jezebel) the failing Soulmate System that doesn't negatively impact every other human being. But most importantly, both girls just want to belong in their new lives; Azriel with the Angels of Death (in addition to Metatron) instead of going through with her planned reincarnation for 1,000 years of service and Jezebel with her adoptive demon father Xiang instead of destroying a system that no longer has a hold on her. Sadly, only one out of the two gets what they want at the end of the day.

"The tops of crags and cliffs, the air is thin So we'll find a mountain path on down the hill Meet me where the snow mount flows It is there, my dear, where we'll begin again Skipping stones, braiding hair Last years antlers mark the trail

Take us back, oh, take us back, oh, take us, take us back Take us back, oh, take us back, oh, take us, take us back

I've a friend who lived out by the river's mouth He knows the fiddle's cry is an old sound A lonesome, oh, creaks and moans of empty houses Are songs like fallen rain Windblown buildings, muddy ground The strength of water, can sink a man

Take us back, oh, take us back, oh, take us, take us back Take us back, oh, take us back, oh, take us, take us back!"

Throughout A Radioactive Calamity of Love, Bombs & Gore, Arcane Urias' quest for satiating his power hunger via putting Discord's heart back together with the use of his Occult, had caused the deaths of innocents and betrayals of those that should be his family, all witness by said family members; his brother Matthias Talos, and his son & daughter, Ortega "Ore" Brantley and Marissa "Ress" Bishop respectively, those of whom he's also discarded and harmed without remorse. This comes to bite him in the ass when his last child, Ress, finally confronts him for his pass misdeeds, motivated by the loss of her brother and the mission he (and their uncle, Talos) passed down onto her.

"Breaking hearts Who are you to do this? You live your life like you're the only one Who deserves to live You made us cry Made us miss our families You used our souls and took control but now Something's gotta give

What goes around, comes around, 'round, 'round Goes around, comes around, 'round, 'round You know what they say about dirty lies Yeah, that karma don't forget, then you die

The time is now for us to walk together And carry out the dreadful verdict That you brought upon your fate No hide and seek 'Cause the shadows give no shelter It's time to face the rage behind the mask That you yourself create

What goes around, comes around, 'round, 'round Goes around, comes around, 'round, 'round You know what they say about dirty lies Yeah, that karma don't forget, then you die

Yeah, that karma don't forget, then you die!"

"We are outcasts now, and you're the reason why we are We see you haunt more souls just like a scream in the night Our hearts are broken, lost, forever bound But at least we have each other now While you're alone against the wall 'Cause what goes around, yeah, comes around!"

"Yeah, that karma don't forget, then you die You know what they say about dirty lies Yeah, that karma don't forget, then you die!"

Here's a WIP Wednesday for a new AU I decided to put Silva through. Amnesia!AU where Jacob's constant conditioning kind of fucks up Silva's already fucked up mind to the point where Eli's death (sorry Eli) is the last straw to break the camel's back; leading to her mind (in addition to something else) to just lock away a lot of Silva's significant memories. In doing so, Silva - or rather, Sylvester - becomes aware of something a bit beyond the physical existence:

Bleak.

Pain.

Floating.

If she could describe the sensation she was stuck in, she would have listed three words.

Cold.

Discomfort.

Drifting.

Those were the words, right? Everything was lost to her. Sound was empty, taste was dry, her voice mute.

...get...

She felt like she was missing pieces of herself. Like all sensation was beyond her reach.

...up...

"Only you..."

Except for the echo of a song. A song familiar to her. Too familiar to throw away. She tried looking for it, but her head was too heavy.

Get...

She recalled a faint hunger ripple in the bowels of her stomach; something clawing and tearing and painful. Too painful.

Once more, she tried to lift her head to the direction of the music, and though she could not see anything, she could tell where the song was coming from within the black abyss.

...Up.

The song was louder, and though her limbs felt detached from her body, she knew she was leaning up.

An invisible weight was opposing her, almost begging her to stop. To return to the uncomfortable and static seconds she was in.

She considered it... for the more she pushed herself up, the more certain she felt that whatever song was playing, it made her hunger worse, her throat dry and her head pound.

She faltered in her rise, slowly sinking back down. She didn't want to face it. Somewhere within her, she felt herself scream and plead to not get up. To not be hurt again.

But the quiet voice got louder, it's words harsh to hear, the force of it removing all choice for herself, pushing her to...

GET UP!

With a gasp and a hoarse fit of coughs, Silva awoke to the bleak ceiling light detached of all sorts of warmth, as fitting for a bunker.

Her chest heaved as her dry throat ached from a lack of hydration, her body too hot and the floor too cold. She covered her face from the brightness as she looked elsewhere, allowing her eyes to adjust.

She could hear commotion, but deduced it was occurring elsewhere.

Hissing, she felt every muscle in her body tense and sting. She was matted in sweat and grime, the latter a courtesy of the state of the bunker and however long she'd been out for. At least, she assumed it to be the case.

However, slowly rolling over, cringing at her shaking limbs, she struggled to rationalize exactly how her body managed to get to this exhaustive state.

Nor did she know where she was.

While pushing herself up, one of her gloved hands brushed against an object; a pistol, or some variation.

Retracting her hand from it, Silva got up with shaking limbs. Though her balance was off, so she pressed her standing body against the closest wall.

Her head felt like it was pounding, and her stomach growled and rumbled with a ferocity she felt earlier.

Looking down at herself, Silva noticed she was wearing a vest and a red flannel button up with a long sleeved shirt underneath it. She was also adorning dark grey jeans and combat boots.

She heard some commotion nearby; it sounded like a few people were shouting across in the other rooms, but there was something else that gave her pause.

Gunfire. Rapid gunfire. Not in the bunker, likely above. Outside.

Her eyes widened at the possibilities and probabilities. All she could deduce from each one? She was in danger.

And if she was in danger, then she needed to leave.

She looked down to her left, and saw a hallway filled with lockers and racks, with gunfire echoing and shouting echoing down the hall attached to the room's left.

An easy exit, although perhaps risky. Perhaps she could find a different, less dangerous one.

Backing away from the wall, she turned to the room to her right.

And froze.

It looked to be some kind of command room; a table full of maps, televisions showing screens of surveillance to the gunfight outside in what appeared to be a forest, and to be a small workshop for bows and a bed.

But that wasn't of any concern to Silva.

It was the body of a scruffy, bearded man dressed in dark green camouflage gear, splayed out on the cold floor with a unused bow and arrow in his hands, droplets of blood splattered at his feet and behind him.

Looking to his face, she could see the source of the blood came from a small hole in his forehead. She could figure out what snuffed out his life fairly quickly from that.

Much to her surprise, she wasn’t frightened by the body.

Cautiously, she stepped closer to him, wincing at the sight and the muscles in her legs flaring in pain.

She deduced he died recently, considering the blood hadn't dried. Looking him over, she glanced to the room's surveillance television and table full of maps.

Must have been a soldier, she thought to herself, taking in the bunker room's contents and the man's body, Hard to tell if he was an authority figure though.

He was unfamiliar to the soldiers she's previously encountered and seen; at the very least, not an enforcer. Closer to the Americano militar. Although from what she vividly recalled, they never used... bows and arrows.

She shook her head, strands of dark hair loosely falling to her forehead; the presence of such a weapon was hardly the most important factor here.

There was still the question of who killed him. And whether or not they were still in this bunker.

She stepped back away from the corpse, finishing her inspection. She needed to find an alternative way out; one that did not include going out into the sounds of gunfire above ground.

Perhaps there was another exit?

She hoped there would be. She was in no condition to fight, and sneaking her way out was the most plausible method.

Silva turned her direction to the door to the corpse's left. Stepping around the body, she took a glance through the window.

What she saw on the other side was the bleak sight of a room with a still body with a bloodied rag over their face, tied to a chair in a kiddie pool with voltage cables connecting the person's exposed hands and feet.

She hesitated upon reaching for the handle, the sight sickening. A brutal display of torture that nagged at her foggy mind with an eerie familiarity, but not something she could delve into now. She needed to get out.

However, the sound of rushing footsteps caught her attention, coming from somewhere nearby the torture chamber, and closing in fast.

Leave.

Silva, knowing if she was found she'd be good as dead, swiftly backed away from the door. With a pathway compromised and her being in no state of fighting, she knew there was only one viable way for her to go.

Taking in some breaths, knowing she'd likely have to sneak and even run into an opposing crossfire, with haste Silva began walking towards the hall opposite to where she discovered the corpse.

Her boot kicked against the pistol that laid prone from where she awoke from.

Gazing upon it momentarily, she picked it off the floor and headed the adjacent room.

Once around the corner in what she assumed to be a room full of stocked up rations and supplies, she stared ahead to the open bunker door that daylight shined through, though the sound of gunfire and some kind of music didn't boost any confidence in Silva's decision.

Resting against the closest wall, checked out the pistol in her hands, unloading the mag to reveal there were still bullets in the chamber, sans two.

Grimacing at what little defense she had on her person, she put the mag back in the pistol and rested her heavy head against the cool bunker wall.

She wasn't given long to rest when she heard the reverberating bang of a door being swung open, and the accompanying shouts of distress and anguish from whomever discovered the corpse. Aliadas of the dead man, she assumed.

She'd feel pity if she hadn't seen the corpse they'd shocked to death in the next room over. And she wasn't looking forward to be next in that chair.

Move.

Compelled to make a swift move, Silva made her way towards the staircase to whatever war was going on outside. She paused briefly when she almost passed a box of rations.

She quickly snagged a can before making her way up into the daylight with her pistol at the ready.

Lastly a six "sentences" short of my Omegaverse AU where Silva is involuntarily giving romantic advice to Hudson at the Spread Eagle... to the best of her ability. Enjoy this stupid little interaction I concocted:

Joey continued, either not dissuaded or sharply missed her intended meaning entirely, "I thought I would start with buying her drink."

Silva cocked a dark brow up at her amiga, "Alright. But where would you two be getting the drink from?"

A beat of silence, before Joey replied, gesturing outside their booth, "Well, here."

"So your plan is to buy our barkeeper a drink at her own establishment?" Silva asked, bemused at the omega's thought process. Is that even allowed?

Regardless of the socially acceptability of such aspects, Silva was fairly certain that Joey's rational thinking was compromised by the drink in her hand. So, she instead offered an alternative solution.

"While I think you are on the right track, I feel you should consider actually talking to her first," Silva said, pressing her hands together, emphasizing on the talking aspect with such importance as she had done for the previous half an hour, "And lead up to asking her out. Or just ask her out."

"It can't be that simple," Joey stated, brushing her braid back behind her shoulder, "Not for someone so great and level-headed as her. Are you sure you don't have any other method?"

"Not since you shot down my last one," Silva stated, taking a swig of her glass as she remembered halfheartedly offering to go up to Mary May and asking the brunette if she 'was into cops?' before she'd direct the alpha's attention over to Joey.

Joey wasn't the most amused about her suggestion, but Silva saw it as a small vengeance for asking for her help while they were in vicinity of the very woman Joey wanted to woo.

[akystaracer22]

Free the Bird from its Gilded Cage

Synopsis: Lucifer would tell anyone who asked his greatest regret was letting humanity eat the apple. Better than admitting what he really regretted.

Notes

Golly gee good thing affairs didn’t exist back then huh!

In which Lucifer’s tism hurts his best friend, the fic.

I think I can tag this as Edenpoly considering the conversation between Lucifer and Lilith.

I give my greatest thanks to my good friend Hat who uttered the phrase “I raise a glass to the friend you could have been and drink to the monster you became” (Or something of the sort) which has not left my brain 2 years later.

No shade on other people’s depictions of the ancient archangels. I love good archangels as much as you guys but… this is very much bashing.

I’m so sorry Michael. And Azrael, and every single angel who’s characters I butcher in this AU. It’s not you guys I swear.

God on the other hand fuck you I’m not sorry.

I have been told by many people irl that I have religious trauma. I didn’t think I did but fuck it we ball.

I am so sorry this came out late but I had two assignments and I'm moving houses, I'll try not to have a repeat.

Word count: 1957

Fic under cut!

Lucifer felt Lilith before he saw her, the first woman’s aura screaming frustration and hurt louder than the tears in her eyes.

She was sitting under an aspen tree with her legs tucked to her chest.

Lucifer didn’t need to guess why she was upset; it could really only be one thing these days.

“Adam did something again, didn’t he.”

Lilith huffed and lifted her head to meet Lucifer’s gaze, “We fought, again. He still doesn’t get it.”

Lucifer sighed and sat down next to the first woman, not for the first time the little voice in his head bemoaned Adams chronic inability to listen to anyone other than God. It was really starting to cause problems in Eden.

“He’ll regret it.”

“He always does, but he still does it.”

Lucifer nodded, “He needs to learn that God isn’t right about everything,” His siblings would murder him if they knew he was spreading this kind of blasphemy, “But I do agree, it’s a little irritating.”

“It is!” Lucifer jerked as Lilith stood up abruptly and began to pace, “He’s great most of the time don’t get me wrong, but he’s just increasingly growing more and more insufferable! It’s like every time he gets better he just goes straight back to being worse!”

“Truly the trials and tribulations of the first humans.”

“I just wish he would listen to me! Not some stuck up self-important know it all who thinks I’m worthless.”

Lucifer wisely held back the instinctive defence of the Creator, “Especially when you are so much more than that.”

Lilith seemed to finally run out of steam, falling back into Lucifer’s arms and holding him tightly, “I hate this… I hate him.”

“No, you don’t.”

“No, I don’t… I hate the man God wants him to be.”

“I hate that man too,” Lucifer admitted, “I hate how he hurts everyone.”

Because it wasn’t just Lilith that was left hurting. Lucifer hated how he was losing track of the near silent breakdowns of Adam’s.

God created humanity different from the grand design, and every day Lucifer loathed that fact more and more.

“He’s going to win, that man.”

“Neither of us will let him.”

“He’ll let himself,” Lilith hissed right by his ear, the sound sending a shiver down Lucifer’s spine, by the choirs that felt good “Adams an idiot.”

“Yep!” Call Lucifer blasphemous, but he was so tempted to-

Lilith opened her mouth to say something, and Lucifer listened to the little voice in his head once again.

He caught her mouth with his own swiftly before pulling back, face flushing as he realised what he just did.

That was something only Adam and Lilith was supposed to do with each other.

Lilith blinked, taking time to process before giving her response, “Do that again.”

Lucifer didn’t need to be told twice.

The bark of the aspen tree was lit up by Lucifer’s wings as he pressed his lips to Lilith’s again.

And again.

And again.

Lucifer had never felt so good. He could see why Lilith and Adam like doing this. This felt so good.

- - ┈┈∘┈˃̶༒˂̶┈∘┈┈ - -

It was hours until Lucifer disentangled himself from Lilith, still not having quite recovered from the experience. Sadly, he could feel the mental tug attached to his halo signifying his siblings wanting an audience with him. The last thing he wanted was to have them come down and see him with Lilith.

The moment he returned to heaven however, he had the distinct feeling that he might have messed up regardless.

Michael was pacing and muttering angrily under his breath, sharp sounds grating Lucifer’s awareness. When the archangel saw Lucifer, his wings physically bristled as he lunged forward and grabbed the Morningstar by the robe.

“You are so very fortunate that God was already growing tired of Lilith’s rebellion!”

“What?”

“Michael,” Lucifer turned to see Azrael landing nearby, “I highly doubt Lucifer knows what he has done, as impulsive as he is.”

“What? What happened,” Lucifer demanded, mantling his wings to make himself look larger as he stared down the other archangels.

“You don’t know?”

“Know what!”

“God decided to give the first man a new wife,” Michaels words cut through Lucifer’s anger and left only shock, “Made from his rib.”

“… what?”

“Yes, I had to tear it out myself,” Michael huffed, Lucifer noticed the dried red still dusting the angels gloves, “Adam tried to flee.”

“…”

“What Michael means,” Azreal shot the other a look, “Is that Adam didn’t take the information well, and saw it fit to attempt avoiding the situation entirely.”

“He was awake?!” Lucifer screeched “By the choir what is wrong with you two?!”

“It was the Creator’s wishes, none of us knew it would bring pain,” Azrael sighed, “However, it would encourage not repeating the situation…”

“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Michael scoffed, “The Creator ensured Adam wouldn’t remember.”

“It would taint him.”

“It would motivate him.”

“What?”

“Our Creator has decided to take a more… hands on approach in ensuring the situation does not repeat itself,” Azrael looked uncomfortable, “Xe employed the use of divine power to keep Adam and Eve from straying from the grand design.”

Lucifer took a step back.

Michael opened his mouth to say something, but Lucifer couldn’t hear over the roar of nothing in his ears.

No.

Nononononono.

Lucifer ran.

He broke into a sprint before diving back down to Earth, landing on the soft grass of Eden he looked around desperately.

“Adam!”

“Yes?”

Lucifer turned around as Adam’s figure came into view from behind a tree, “Adam-”

His eyes were gold.

Lucifer stumbled back as he took in the first man’s appearance, Adam’s eyes were no longer the colour of earth. The familiar dark brown orbs that bore the gold of honey and of leaves in the sun were gone. In their place was the brilliant gold of divinity, of heaven, the same gold of the-

The chain attached to his wrist.

Lucifer lunged forward and grabbed his friends arm, pulling him forward and running a hand along the softly glowing cuff on Adams wrist.

It was definitely the Creator’s doing.

“Adam what have they done to you.”

“Ah, apologies, but have we met before?”

Lucifer’s golden ichor froze as he looked back up to meet that accursed golden gaze, “What?”

“It is just that… you seem familiar with me, but I do not recall ever having met you. I apologize.”

Lucifer stepped back from the first man, “What.”

“Were you present for my creation? That day was such a blur I hardly recall all those present.”

“Adam- Adam look at me,” Lucifer grabbed Adam by the shoulder, staring desperately into those too gold, too inhuman, too holy eyes “Adam. You are my best friend. You remember me don’t you?”

Adam’s eyes flickered for a moment, that familiar beautiful earth brown peeking through for a moment before being swamped by heavenly gold.

“You are an angel; how could I ever be friends with someone of a higher status such as you?”

Lucifer wanted to cry.

The Creator truly was cruel.

“Are you alright, sir?”

Lucifer couldn’t do this.

Lucifer shoved Adam away and ran like a coward, stumbling through the bushes and past trees as he ran away from the puppet wearing his best friends face.

He didn’t even talk like Adam.

The Creator just stripped his best friend of everything that made him… him.

Lucifer collapsed under a willow tree as he sobbed into his arms.

He didn’t move for a long time after that.

- - ┈┈∘┈˃̶༒˂̶┈∘┈┈ - -

Lilith found him in the dim of night, her eyes sharp and he teeth bared in a rueful grimace even as she took him into his arms.

“We’re not letting them get away with this. Not this time.”

A hot flame of righteous anger sparked in Lucifer’s heart as he held onto Lilith. She was right, this crossed a line.

Lucifer wanted to rush in, to steal Adam away and find a way to break that chain.

Lilith told him to wait, to watch and observe as she would.

“Right now, heaven does not know about our rebellion, if we move too quickly we will both be destroyed.”

She was right, of course she was. Lucifer hated it though.

They had to watch Adam go through the motions of what his life used to be. The way he would no longer wander the garden without reason.

He wouldn’t play with the animals anymore or sit and relax under the sun.

Lucifer almost broke the trunk of a tree when he saw Adam tear out a plant Gabriel considered ‘too imperfect for the garden’ even though Lucifer knew that it was Adams favourite flower.

That flame of anger grew every time that damned shackle glowed and chained Adams will.

It took a little time to figure out, but if there was one thing Lucifer was sure would free Adam and Eve, it was the apples of knowledge.

They had to.

Lucifer and Lilith also watched Eve through everything. She seemed meek through the control of the Creator, but in the few moments the attention of heaven faded and the gold in her eyes let a little bit of reddish brown through, they got to know her.

She was gentle and sweet to the animals but there was a steel in her spine.

She was vibrant and wild as she chased the cheetah’s around the garden or buried her head in a grizzly bears side.

Lucifer grew to love her in a way. As little of her as he could see. But she was the one the Creator paid less attention to, and why would xe? She is supposed to be subservient to Adam.

Lucifer shifted into the form of a snake and curled through the branches of the tree of knowledge as she came into view.

Showtime.

“Eve my dear, may I borrow your attention for but a moment?” Lucifer sing-songed, drawing the girls eye as she stopped at the base of the tree.

“What is it you require of me, snake?” Eve asked, Lucifer watched intently as the telltale hint of red brown filtered into her gaze, this was the shot he needed.

“The fruit of this tree, could you tell me how it tastes to you?”

The woman flinched back as if struck, and Lucifer’s eyes narrowed at her response.

“I couldn’t, God said-”

“And have you not wondered why xe demands such things of you? Have you not questioned why xe forbade this?” Lucifer hissed, snapping off an apple and letting it fall to the ground at Eve’s feet, “I know, and that is why I ask this of you.”

Eve’s will fought with Heaven for a moment as she picked up the apple, but she was not gone yet, “God said that if I ate the fruit, I would die.”

“And the Creator lies to you,” blasphemy dripped off of Lucifers tongue as he all but snarled at Eve, the white-hot flame of fury envenoming his words, “To eat the apple is not to die, but to be freed. To have your eyes opened to the truth around you.”

Eve held the apple in her hands, the reddish brown in her eyes traitorously present.

“How do you know I won’t die?”

“Because my dear, I have had my eyes opened long ago. To open them is a freedom the Creator keeps from you on purpose,” Lucifer hissed, “You will not die, of that I can promise.”

Eve bit into the apple, and the chains snapped under the weight of knowledge granted.

[chiropteracupola]

really not enjoying the thing where I say Now I Shall Lock In and then suddenly I have one hundred thousand family activities that must get done all day every day

[a-whispering-echo]

band! doodles

have some random drawings i collected up and put on one canvas and finished up because i need storage space <3

[everythingstoofleeting]

is this how i die?

with a writhing snarl of ugly for my insides? with your infallible presence, tender and tidy and terrible? with my eye coiled around your decorated wrists, mirroring my aching own?

the guilt is mine. i writhe in your color and mine; i tore your lasts as i did your firsts. i have killed you and you don't even know.

the guilt is mine and at times i am certain that i was never unstained. i may now be suffocating beneath weighted memory, while then speckled only daintily by a trip or stumble, but my creation is infinite.

springing grass and steady moss

im ready to wake up.

[ariiiiih]

About <辜(Gu/Guilty)> (a TGCF AD song)

The last two versions of 辜 are really great, so I wanna share some thoughts and provide some supplementary materials.

The first one in episode 17 is a ballad version. As Xintong (新桐, TGCF AD’s music monitor) said in her webio, “[it’s] to unfold and highlight He Xuan’s mood from his perspective.”

This version is sorrowful but soft, and the lalala childish humming at the end, which sounds like a nursery rhyme, gives this song a sense of purity and innocence. In the blackwater arc, which consists of horror, anger, hatred, and despair, this feeling never appeared. Then, why use this song, this feeling to express HX?

The song was like out of the story, just like the feelings that HX never directly expressed. Actually, the warmest and touching scene in this story, from the RoEW to the end of revenge, was told in the first extra of TGCF----HX’s family, who gave XL a bowl of Yuanxiao and wished he would reunite with his family:

“Do you not have the money?” the owner asked. Still stricken, Xie Lian couldn’t reply, but the owner simply said, “Forget it. I’ll give it to you for free, considering how tragic you look. I'll be packing up once you’re done, so hurry home. Today is Yuanxiao, the day for family reunions!” …

The little girl was biting on her spoon with her head tilted. “When is gege coming home? I wanna wait until he’s back before digging in.” “He’s so late,” the owner chimed in. “Coming home so late on Yuanxiao; how outrageous!” “He’s working hard. He’Il be home soon,” the old woman chided. “Don’t scold him when he comes back. Miao-er! Miao-er, stop working. I feel awful always needing you to help out. Come here, and let’s eat together.” “Not at all!” the young woman replied. She cleaned the last table before sitting down with them to share yuanxiao. They seemed to be waiting for another member of the family to join them, and the four of them chatted and laughed all the while.

And the tragedy of this family in TGCF AD, when HX’s sister said “Gege, let's be brother and sister in the next life” and when his father told him “Son, father’s going with your mother,” was heartbreaking.

So, this ballad version of 辜, from He Xuan’s perspective, was like He Xuan remembering his family, his life, and all the happiness and suffers in it; it was like He Xuan looking back to the path that he had walked so far over hundreds of years and the three lifetimes of man, god, and ghost; and lamenting the people who had been involved in this fate-switching incident, the lives of those who had died innocently and tragically. Humming is a primitive expression of feelings, compassionate and pure like a god, while the mourning for those low-level, insignificant mortals shows the idea that gods should not love only abstract humans, but real people.

As an avenger, it's easy to think of HX's anger and hatred. But when they are stripped away, we can find that deep in his heart, the feeling and reason of his revenge that we easily overlook, is the pure love between him and his family, the warmest and the most joyful past. This love may seem ordinary, less splendor than other ghost kings’ beliefs or the relationship with Shi brothers, but it is this love that supported him to resolutely carry out an extremely long and lonely revenge that no one has ever done. Even though he would never rest and would suffer forever and he knew it, some people were worth doing that for.

That’s why I like this version. It reminded me of “true voyage is return”. The character of He Xuan is very complex but easily flattened and stereotyped because his inner self and his inward exploration are hidden, and this song shows the neglected side of He Xuan, a more human and even divine side.

The last version in episode 18 is an omniscient perspective (I haven’t seen the translation yet, so I tried to do it by myself, sorry if it sounds weird in English).

运数又何为 命中误

What fate has done,

A mistake in life.

似这般无妄劫 怎可渡

Like this undeserved trial,

How can it be passed?

一个是琳琅材 一个是凡间骨

One is a precious jade,

The other an ordinary bone.

偏谁得奇缘 放醉入仙府

Yet, who is destined

To stumble into the immortal realm.

做仙的眼无珠 做鬼的有恨难诉

The god has eyes but blind,

The ghost harbors hatred but hard to tell.

骨肉终消散 尝尽悲与苦

Flesh and blood dissipated,

Sorrow and Pain tasted.

这欠���的已还命 赎命的却无人赎

The one who owed a life has paid,

The one who atoned remains unredeemed.

问去去来来谁赢输

Ask who wins and who loses.

叹尘归尘来土归土

Sign, as ashes return to ashes,

And dust to dust.

This song has the style of Dream of the Red Chamber (the greatest classical novel in Chinese literature). Here are the songs in this novel, where you could find some similarities.

Vain Longing: One is an immortal flower of fairyland, The other fair flawless jade, And were it not predestined, Why should they meet again in this existence? Yet, if predestined, Why does their love come to nothing? One sighs to no purpose, The other yearns in vain, One is the moon reflected in the water, The other but a flower in the mirror. How many tears can well from her eyes? Can they flow on from autumn till winter, From spring till summer?

The Birds into the Wood have Flown: The office jack’s career is blighted, The rich man’s fortune now all vanished, The kind with life have been requited, The cruel exemplarily punished; The one who owed a life is dead, The tears one owed have all been shed. Wrongs suffered have the wrongs done expiated; The couplings and the sundering were fated. Untimely death sin in some past life shows, But only luck a blest old age bestows. The disillusioned to their convents fly, The still deluded miserably die. Like birds who, having fed, to the woods repair, They leave the landscape desolate and bare.

Also, in the Bloody Fire Social of AD, the first time we heard Scholar He (*in ancient China we called a scholar ‘Sheng’, that’s where He Sheng came, not He Xuan’s another name), the verse that artist sang also shared a similarity with a song from Dream of the Red Chamber.

(Bloody Fire Social):

世人皆说贺生好

All men long to be He Sheng

功名利禄少不了

With riches and rank that all aspire;

如今贺家在何方？

The kind family of He, where are they now?

荒冢一堆草没了

Their graves are a mass of briars.

All Good Things Must End (first part): All men long to be immortals Yet to riches and rank each aspires; The great ones of old, where are they now? Their graves are a mass of briars.

An interesting coincidence is that “All Good Things Must End” is the opening verse of Dream of the Red Chamber, while “The Birds into the Wood have Flown” is the closing verse of Dream of the Red Chamber. And the two similar songs in the blackwater arc are told from He Sheng's life to the end of He Xuan's revenge, which I personally like as a literary homage.