#which doesnt seem very possible

[peachybunana]

💙 ENTRY FIVE.

after a loooong hiatus, we're back to your regularly scheduled siblings!

COVER - PREV - NEXT

[wormchaser]

you are complaining about complaining too much while complaining about the fact that maybe people dont like you because you complain too much while complaining about being alone. just stop complaining and do something about it. talk to people. reach out. dont just wait for someone to come to you first.

i have tried reaching out to different people in the past year or so but it never works. i understand its my own fault for letting relationships decay because of my own insecurities and issues but that doesn't mean i can just will myself to think or believe different things about myself. it's a self fulfilling prophecy ; i think people don't like me so i don't reach out so people don't like me etc . i am sure you do not want to hear me list all the things i want to say in response so i will put them in the tags.

[pergaminaa]

Modern au

Manon’s abandonment issues do not only stem from her grandmother constantly going on about replacing her if she’s not good enough and all of that. Like, yes this is something she has lived with her whole life but her grandmother DID abandon her once (just to teach her a lesson as she claimed)

Manon was young, only about 8 or 9 and it was one of those rare times she was riding in the car with her grandmother (just the two of them). The matron drove them through the freeway, and when she stopped at a gas station, she sent Manon inside the store. By the time she walked out of the small store, her grandmother was gone.

There was no sign of the car anywhere, she tried calling her but she never picked up the phone. She just… left her there and went somewhere.

Manon returned home some twelve hours later, the whole thing have shaken her up deeply she just… changed after it. She became more quiet and more reserved. She became more focused on her studies and slowly abandoned any fun activities. She mostly focused on pleasing her grandmother just so that she doesn’t leave her on some free way again.

[whumble-beeee]

Currently doing college stuff that's taking up a lot more time than I first thought, so I'm not gonna be able to get a chapter out today! I'm hoping to get it out on Monday instead, but if not then I'll definitely be able to get it out by next Friday again lol. Apologies everyone!

[kentrl-z]

ive been watching vet shows and heres some of my favorite images

dr k's exotic animal er edition

[goitale]

hello people of tumblr.....ive not died! ive just gotten addicted to silly exedra game. yes kirika is still my favorite and most levelled and yes yuma is leading my fights cus i have no other choice but to max her our and use her. my latest shocking screenshot (nightmare needle witch):

and ofc i yap in the tags im not even gonna hide it

[wheelercore]

Theory with no coherent proof on my part: brenner only visibly ages rapidly when a portal is open.

[fellator]

hating my roommate's ex/almost boyfriend less and less with each passing day

[fipindustries]

Kanaya is such a fascinatingly complex character, and surprisingly difficult to get right.

The level one understanding of kanaya is her as a sofisticated elegant lady. This is because she is a fashionista and speaks overtly formal.

But the thing you gotta understand about her speech pattern is that she doesnt speak like that because she cares about propriety and decency and protocol. She speaks like that because she is really awkward and is trying as hard as possible to be precise with her words.

Kanaya, i feel, is generally an awkward person. Whenever shes seen standing around a group of people shes never doing much except stare with a neutral expression, not too sure what to do with herself.

Another common mistake with kanaya is when shes presented as motherly. Shes not really a nurturing person, in fact at times she can come off as a bit aloof or distant. People view her that way because she is associated with the dolorosa and the mother grub, because she is the most femme of the trolls and because she is the most level headed and emotionally stable troll, which makes her seem as the most mature in the group and thus sort of the mom friend.

People think shes very serious or humorless because shes not very emotionally expressive (except when she is) and because she doesnt curse as much as the characters around her. but she has a very dry incisive wit. And also she can be extremely silly, almost despite herself. Like she almost doesnt seem to notice when she blurts something ridiculous like "impromputations", it just comes out of her instinctually and if she does notice she just blows past it.

And she does curse, not frequently, but she does, either as a way to punctuate a sentence or show her disdain towards something ("It Really Is Such Bullshit") or to express frustration when her precise language is not up to the task ("Just, Fuck That Guy")

I think one of the best captures of her personality is the polish fashion historian youtuber karolina zebrowska

a good rule of thumb is "imagine what youd get if a child was raised by glinda and elphaba from wicked"

Anotger thing about her is her use of violence. She is restrained and generally pacifistic. But she is a troll at the end of tge day and she CAN very much deploy violence when needed. In fact when she does so it tends to be savage and unrestrained. The fact that her strife specibus is the lipstick chainsaw works so wonderfully well in so many levels. She very much has a temper and though it takes a time for it to boil over, when it does it is in very destructive ways.

She IS polite, she is protective, she is generally calm. But she is so much more than that. Shes awkward, and emotional and temperamental, and dismissive and very sassy, and kind of a brute when her anger gets the best of her, and so very fiercely loyal, and she doesnt know how to stand still in a way that feels natural, or what to do with her hands so they just sit at her sides.

She's the best troll.

[chiya-eltanin]

hm. dont usually put my own two cents for theories but somethings been kind of annoying me recently so yeah. ralsei thoughts.

i really dont like the idea that ralsei is a specific object. especially not with newer stuff from chapters 3 and 4.

For starters, most people that try to figure out what ralsei is in the real world are basing it off of this appearance

however, I feel like there's plenty of evidence to point to this not being his real form, right? People have already pointed out that his original shadowed form isn't fully consistent. It's possibly the most obvious when you compare his singing animations in both forms. His hat form makes what was later 'revealed' to be his ears look more like hair?,

Ears don't really split the same way that hair does, and theres other examples of hatsei having this kind of spikyness to his 'ears' that hatless ralsei doesnt have.

even the fangamer plush makes his ears spiky!!

its a pretty major part of how hatsei looks, and its certainly been talked about before. And then comes chapter 3+4. And we have plenty of evidence that ralsei is a shapeshifter, and I have seen literally nobody talk about it????? huh?????

Oh, and the hat casting a shadow on him makes no fucking sense because he goes onto wear SEVERAL hats in chapter 3 and he's normal????

also I know its like. A funny bit, but HE TURNS INTO A HORSE

WHY THE FUCK WOULD KRIS'S HEADBAND TURN INTO A HORSE???? WHY WOULD A GREEN CRAYON TURN INTO A HORSE???? WHY CAN HE DO THIS????? THIS ISNT A COSTUME THATS NOT HOW THEY WORK????? WHERE WOULD HIS BODY GO.

not to mention that changing shapes was literally his ability in the legend of tenna game???? he plays it off like 'oh every character has abilities i can turn into a box' but he can also turn into a dog? since ralsei was the only one who read the manual it very well could be an ability given to him since the real Ralsei is also a shapeshifter.

It would also explain why ralsei draws himself in his hat form

thats closer to what his natural form is. Dont have any screenshots on hand right now, but he's got two lines in chapter four (if you leave him lying on the ground for too long, and right before they find the first fountain) about how much longer he can 'keep this body for' that make it very obvious that he's only using a form that looks cuter to appeal to us. Him being a shapeshifter would also explain things like

His face being a deliberately made abstraction would also make this interaction make a lot more sense. Pre chapter three, I assumed Ralsei based his face on Asriel to either try appealing to Kris or as fanservice for the player/red soul, however, now that we've slowly started learning more about Ralsei, it's beginning to seem more like Ralsei just wants to have a face and more distinct appearance, like the lightners do. However, because of how dark worlds work, he can only base it off of what already exists, with that already existing 'model' being Asriel, although with modifications to make himself cuter— pink horns and eyes, and his usual glasses. It's why Kris is always quick to point out differences between them, and why Ralsei is embarrassed at being told that they look similar, he didn't have a choice other than be based off something that already exists.

Alright, so Ralsei is a shapeshifter. He still has to have some equivalent in the Light World though, since that's how Dark Worlds work. He was literally about to tell Susie what he was before getting interrupted, and Toby Fox is deliberately dancing around the topic.

However, I think the answer is actually pretty obvious. Ralsei is a being of 'pure darkness', which is why he can exist in any Dark World, unlike Lancer and Rouxls, who need to be objects that 'belong' in their respective worlds. His form is made up by the original dark fountain, and he describes himself as a 'Prince of the Dark'. Characters in the Dark World know about what happens to and around their real world equivalents, but Ralsei in particular seems to be especially aware of all of Susie and Kris's actions and movements. He doesn't need to be brought in by Kris like Lancer and Rouxls do, and he always appears in the Dark World a few moments after Susie and Kris do, while somehow almost always having pretty intimate knowledge of how the world came to be. Ralsei is also the most adamant on being depended on by Lightners, even more than people like Tenna. He talks about how a Darkners role is to be used by Lightners and to make them happy, and his character development in Chapter 3 especially goes into how he wants to be needed and how he's afraid he's slowly developing his own personality, and why he believes darkners shouldn't do that.

So, taking all of that into account, I feel like the most obvious answer for what Ralsei is is a shadow.

He's a literal prince of the dark. It explains why he can shapeshift, since shadows can be made to look like anything— I'm specifically thinking of things like shadow puppets, and why when he gets knocked out he seems to literally disappear, returning to the shadows. A shadow is also the most dependant on light, shadows literally cannot exist without light, or they'll just be darkness. It even explains his empty room.

His insistence that his only role is to help the Lightners, the way that people can never find anything notable about him (asking swatch for specials his suggestion for Ralsei is based purely on how he dresses and Queen literally forgets to get him a cage), and his ability to be in any dark world (since there's literally nowhere without shadows) all seem to point towards Ralsei being a shadow.

Ralsei being a shadow also means he's literally with you in the dark, could probably straight up not exist if the world was plunged into darkness, and also makes him a weaker version of a titan (explaining the 'prince' title. not quite king, but noble nontheless).

[alicentsgf]

love this this kinda amusing ongoing theme where some characters are so unable to accept that passive violence is STILL violence. i mean its exactly what tai's entire crisis was about. because yes arguing that someone should die does feel very different to shooting them point blank but you're still just as complict. you're still the reason they're dead. shauna is somehow arguably one of the most sane characters simply because she seems to have fully accepted their reality. she doesnt use the wilderness as an excuse for her actions or just hope that someone else will do what "needs to be done". she just does it. its not like she even seems to enjoy committing the act itself. its just a job, a necessity like butchering an animal for food. i think even asking for coach to be burnt was much more about the facade shes putting on for the others. like she wouldnt say no to it, but i dont think she ever actually believed the others would agree to burning him alive. its more that shauna figured out a while ago its much better to have people look at you with fear than with pity, especially in a setting like this. so she might as well turn her pain into rage and let it run wild. fear holds more power.

and thats why the knife is so symbolic of shauna, especially this season, because shes always been the one who has to get in close, feel the blood on her hands. when coach yelled at them that they couldnt even look him in the eye he was wrong. shauna was looking. shes the only one whose not afraid to and honestly that just makes sense. when javi died she pulled her headband over her eyes to make that first cut but ultimately it probably made no difference. at some point she would have had to look and when she did it was still him, he was still dead, she still let him die, and worst of all she still had to seperate his flesh from his bones. it was all still true whether she looked or not. reality must have hit shauna like a fucking train in that moment, seeing the cuts she'd blindly made on his body. how could she see javi like that and still try to delude herself that shes a good person, or that this world would reward her for kindness and empathy when it didnt reward javi. so she just accepts that this is her role. and now we have melissa making a sheath for the knife, which is also very symbolic because melissa is the sheath. she supports shauna, makes it easier for her to carry it all, for her to keep that brutal side close and easily acessible. (wouldnt be surprised if melissa ended up branded with an S too tbh)

so yeah shaunas fucking terrifying right now but ultimately thats because shes the reality of everything thats happened to them made manifest. shes the non believer who bloodies her hands to feed them whilst they avert their eyes and thank the wilderness. she creates the unrecognisible chunks of meat so they dont have to face the truth. and if shes representative of reality then shes exactly what almost everyone else is so scared of confronting. that this experience has changed them forever, that they're all killers to some degree. its probably a big reason shauna became so isolated. because the others just couldnt bear to try and understand her experiences or even truly look at her. and tbh when they're all just kids and the situations so dire you cant even really blame them for that. shauna doesnt just represent how bad things got, but also how much worse it could become. the possibility that one day they wont be able to explain away their actions via the wilderness, fate, or even necessity, and when that happens it really is over. they can never go home.

[zeropro]

Hi, what are your thoughts on Megatron? Most Starscream fans don't have very positive ones about him lol, but everyone is different and I would like to know that you think

I like Megatron okay, he doesnt bother me but im not like jumping up and down for megatron content yknow? but I get not liking Megatron as a Starscream fan. It's just, you can't deny how intrinsically the two characters are tied together. Really can't have Starscream without Megatron, which is unfortunate for someone like me who does not like drawing Megatron lol!

Maybe the reason most Starscream fans dont like Megatron is because of their abusive relationship? And let's be clear, due to the power imbalance, I do interpret it as an abusive relationship. Despite how much we like to joke that Starscream deserves the punishment he gets (I'm not entirely sure how attempted murder/political assassination attempts factor into an abuse allegory) no one ACTUALLY deserves to be abused. The fact that Starscream is low key also evil and has done evil things is a separate issue from Megatron's abuse of him, we can hold him accountable for the one while also having sympathy because of the other. For me personally tho? Megatron abusing Starscream doesnt make me dislike the character at all, it's honestly the main draw of the dynamic for me. Maybe I just like to see my blorbos suffer…

The G1 Cartoon Megatron is probably the most fun, and I think this dynamic is the most on the level in terms of Starscream dishing back as much as Megatron gives him. They're all just bullies on the playground, their toxic back and forths feel a lot more slap stick and silly than actual abuse. What makes it work I think is that Megatron is not as crazy powerful as he is in later continuities, and Starscream responds to the abuse like a cartoon villain, immediately bouncing back and plotting his revenge, so it's funny rather than upsetting! I also find it hilarious how Megatron is weirdly nice to all the other Decepticons who aren't Starscream lmao? G1 Cartoon Megatron is a 10/10 for me.

If G1 cartoon's Megatron and Starscream are more on an even playing field, Prime Megatron is like the opposite of that. Prime Megatron is so impossibly powerful it almost feels like no one has a chance against him in a fight, and Prime Starscream is so scrunkly and small it's almost laughable. I think I feel the most pity for Prime Starscream when he gets beat up by Megatron, but he almost always makes up for it by being possibly the most evil of the Starscreams. I like how in the third season, he genuinely seems happy to finally dedicate himself fully to Megatron, but you just know how much he'd been beaten down and broken over and over again to even get to that point. Good for him for trying to get revenge in the sequel series. As for Megatron himself, I think more often than not when I am reading fics I see Prime Megatron in my head, and it's his voice I hear. What can I say, it was the first Transformers show I watched haha. Do I love how his redemption arc was handled? Not particularly, it sorta came out of nowhere, felt really rushed, and he just goes away anyway so we don't even get anything out of it. I like redemption arcs in general, but I don't necessarily think this particular Megatron needed one.

To be perfectly honest, I didn't think the 2005 IDW Megatron deserved one either, only because when it comes to over powered, unstoppable, irredeemably evil Megatrons, this one ranked right up there if we take into consideration everything he did before Dark Cybertron. His redemption does kinda come out of nowhere. But like, idk mang! It's also really fun? Like, Bumblebee carrying him around cuz his pants got blown off is hilarious! Him actually upset at Bumblebee's death and then taking Bumblebee's Autobot badge and putting it on over his own was sweet! Him dealing with the crazy crew of the Lost Light is a lot of fun! And him actually having to confronting and deal with what he's done (and other characters dealing with him dealing with it) is a lot more interesting than just him dying. idk. The comics have been around for years by that point, and passed through the hands of many writers, so if a little handwaving and a little contrivance and a little suspension of disbelief is what is required for us to have an honestly pretty fun take on Megatron, I think I'm okay with that.

I do have one complaint tho, mostly based on content I haven't read yet so take it with a grain of salt. I have been told that the adjacent series to the Lost Light Megatron stuff covers Starscream's side of the story and that it does actually address his abuse at the hands of Megatron. My problem is that apparently (and again I haven't read that far yet so this is just hearsay, but apparently) the writers on the Lost Light Megatron stuff didn't get the memo so while Megatron feels bad for and is working at redemption for all the evil war stuff he did to everyone, the one thing he doesnt regret is apparently his treatment of Starscream? Haha, like come on! on the one hand it's really disappointing to me because id like the catharsis of Megatron’s remorse, but...on the other hand, I guess it's kinda true to life actually. Your abusers are people, and they can change and grow and become better, but it doesnt mean they will ever become better for you. It doesnt mean they will ever apologize or even feel bad for what they did. Maybe theres something to be said about having to move on and heal without that. I guess whether this is a complaint I maintain will depend on how its handled.

I get that some people don't think Megatron should ever get a redemption arch, because he's an abuser, a monster, a tyrant, and an evil warlord, and it's completely fair for your stance to be that he should just be killed and that would be justice. I personally really like continuities that treat him more like just some guy. I think Starscream put it best in 2005 IDW during Megatron's trial when he said Megatron wasn't some political genius or the most gifted strategist. He wasn't even the most evil man. In IDW, Megatron started out as a social advocate from the lower class, and despite the problematic narrative of "the bad guy had a point and just did advocacy wrong/went too far," I think the idea that Megatron kinda got swept up by his own hype and was used by people and powers more devious than he is a compelling one.

Starscream is Starscream, so who knows how much of what he says is true and how much is him lying, but this idea just rings true to me. It humanizes him. If handled well, I'm honestly not opposed to stories redeeming Megatron. I'm also not opposed to stories treating him like the devil and just killing him lol. I love a character that can do both!

Uh uh, what else. Earthspark Megatron is nice, I like him. There's...a bit of cognitive dissonance in trying to reconcile the things he chastises Optimus Prime for and the idea that he still was a ruthless warlord at one point, both of which continue to be left unexplored. Transformers One Megatron is neat, I was worried going in how they would handle the switch from Orion Pax's brother to lets start a 4-6 million year war, but like, I like the way he actually was super okay with accepting his lot in life. Like obviously he didnt like it but he didnt see a point in fighting it, and that adamant complacency as a coping mechanism is what lead to his feelings of rage and betrayal by the end. Also I think its hilarious how much younger he is from all the other Decepticon high command, especially Starscream XD.

I don't think I've read or watched anything else with Megatron in it. Man, I wrote a lot. At the end of the day, Megatron is a good character, I like the role he plays in Transformers, I'm not like actually that interested in him on his own but more what he brings to the table when considering Starscream's character. You can't have one without the other! Do I ship them? No, not really, no more than any other ship. But I'll still read Megastar stuff cuz sometimes you just want to watch two people be toxic and make it hurt so good. I'll always prefer Trine stuff anyway ha! Have fun out there!

[aznisure]

idol au where light chokes on a fly on live television and L is the cameraman who films every second of it. also they keep crossing paths on music shows for some reason

day 7 / au ! some au details under cut

- L doesnt actually go out of his way to film light during this miserable ordeal.he simply doesnt care about light’s reputation enough to stop rolling and forgets about it the next day. a week later light sees him at mcountdown

- yes lights stage name is kira

- light presents as the perfect idol: single, kind, hardworking, rags to riches story, humble yet confident, just gay enough to queerbait but not face homophobic backlash, passionate, creative etc., when the cameras are off hes basically canon light minus the murder

- light is an all rounder and tenor. he also plays tennis in his free time. he is japanese and has been scouted off the streets. he is a kpop idol and the au takes place in korea. he is a solo idol and has never been in a group before. l is still british and misa is still japanese.

- he writes his own songs. his ego doesnt let him indulge in ghostwriters

-manager ryuk owns a ridiculous amount of chrome hearts simply impossible to buy on a managers salary. light is deeply suspicious and mildly wary of him at all times. ryuk also knows lights real personality and finds it amusing. he takes joy in a gigantic pr scandal which light will inevitably become one day

- rem dreses the way she does without looking misplaced because its in line with misas gothic/harajuku brand. ryuk looks wildly out of place next to light but noone seems to make him change. light tried, very persistently. but even light yagami has to admit defeat sometimes

- light debuted at 17 and is now 22. L is 29

- L works at all things live television and sometimes variety shows. he mainly works for idols. the media company hes signed under works with lights company. light doesnt know this until he violently cyber stalks L after the fly debacle

- they have actually been working together for 3 years without knowing each other and L has filmed light quite often due to him being the companys most popular male idol. light of course never noticed and only sort of recalls now

- L has always found light fascinating because the persona he wears is accepted to be very genuine by the general public. L always thought it was total bullshit, a masterful imitation of a real person.

- light never yells at anyone in public ever. not to misa even though he wants to rip her from his side on the thousand talk shows they go on. not to ryuk when he critiques every aspect of every bit of lights stages. not to his previous managers even though they were wildly incompetent and pissed light off daily. his reputation is everything to him. so when he yells at L in the middle of everyone at the backstage of mcountdown its a bit of a spectacle. thats the first crack L sees in lights shell and he wants to see more

- afterwards is a public apology and bullshit story about grief and a dead relative and misdirection of feelings and the game begins. L gets himself booked on as many as Lights jobs as possible with only one aim. to capture a crack in koreas sweethearts perfect persona on camera

- L doesnt do it because hes a truth chaser or whatever he simply enjoys watching light crack. and to have him crack on love tv would be to Win. light catches onto the game very quickly

[baphometsss]

The whole 'refuge for Mythal' thing is really interesting bc it shows that Solas really saw Mythal as being on his side when it couldn't be more obvious that she enjoyed the power of being queen of the Evanuris. He calls it a 'struggle' in the regret memory, but I don't think she was struggling as much as he thinks. Even Felassan realises how delusional he is about her. It's one of many things Solas is in denial about.

That said, it does seem like he was much more aware of Elgar'nan's evil than she was; I truly believe that Mythal found a kindred spirit in Elgar'nan and thought that she was the right one for him. She tempered him and mitigated the harm he did as much as she could (which doesnt seem to be that much, in all honesty). Whether or not they had romantic feelings for each other is up for debate, but I think it's very possible. There was likely an element of tension at being evenly matched in the way they were that gave their relationship a pathological edge. It was only when Solas told her about the Evanuris using the power of the Blight that she finally decided to take him seriously and challenge her husband and the rest of the Evanuris head-on.

It's also really revealing that the Blight was her final straw. Mythal obviously had no issue with slavery as long as her slaves were treated well. It's very reminiscent of real world attitudes some had towards their slaves ie that as long as you don't abuse them it's okay. They don't understand the fundamentally unethical nature of owning another person. It's why I don't buy the benevolence retcon because slavery is inherently cruel--something that both Solas and an elven Inquisitor can argue with Dorian about.

Yeah, Solas really is an unreliable narrator with Mythal and I really wish we'd had more perspectives other than his. I long to see Mythal in all her cunty glory but alas it will never be

[bewitched-hours]

Could you pretty please write some yan pre-forsaken azuretime x reader..one where they all knew eachother from childhood but the reader doesnt want to be in the spawn cult. I see angst potential in that👀

Oooo, I like the idea! Lots of potential for angst, maybe some fluff-

Reader's pronouns will be She/Her for the whole set~

You were definitely cursed.

You weren't usually one to believe in stuff like karma and rebirth and whatnot but at this point whoever you were in your past life must've had a very complicated love life, considering you had both of your childhood friends now going absolutely haywire and trying to get you to join their cult.

Now, you weren't exactly one against cults or religions.

You liked to think everyone had a right to believe in what they wanted and carry the consequences or benefits of their believes responsibly.

But when both Azure and Two Time joined the Spawn cult?

Your gut was telling you not to stick with them. You had a shitty, overcontrolling family which made you all the more desperate for an out back then. Part of you wanted to accept their invitations, even if it was just to gain some freedom of choice in your life.

But you ultimately listened to your gut, opting instead to just casually hang out when they weren't busying themselves with... Whatever their cult had them do.

You didn't bother researching the details. Were you afraid of what you could find? Maybe worried that if you found something you shouldn't have, your only true bond with someone- let alone your childhood best friends- would be severed forever?

Whatever it was, Azure and Two Time could sense it. And although they respected your hesitance and choices, they still tried anything and everything to ease you into the idea.

Like luring a cat out of its hiding spot with food...

Gifts at your door from them both- not even delivered by a company or anything- just dropped at your door with a handmade postcard of them subtly trying to confess their love for you- although you tried not to think about it too much-

Sometimes they'd drop hints of things you'd possibly enjoy about the cult, as a way to tell you that you would never regret it if you chose them for your future.

You were... Conflicted...

They were your anchor. The only two friends of yours that stuck by despite your family's hold on you over the years and even now it was hard to really make friends because someone in your family would always find a way to contact said friend and drive them away.

Needless to say, Azure and Two Time always knew everything about you and you used to know everything about them. Now that this knowledge became a one-way street, the part of you that wanted to join them was getting desperate.

Azure would assure you that your friendship was still stronger than ever to tone down that voice of desperation. He wanted you to join them by your own free will.

But Two Time tried to help you forget about that little voice entirely. They still wanted you to join but didn't exactly prioritize your free will for it.

And it wasn't like severing your connection with them would help anything. You would deprive yourself of any connections and likely spiral into madness.

Oh, how lucky that you didn't have to decide on your own~

It was late at night. You had just finished your first nightshift at your new workplace and were excited to get home and call Azure and Two Time as promised to tell them how it went.

This time, your new shift was a little more dangerous but it was shorter and paid a lot more, meaning you could potentially move away far enough to where your family no longer had the opportunity to get ahold of you.

You'd be sad to be so far away from your best friends but they seemed supportive of the idea when you first talked about it...

Seemed...

You were extra careful with your surroundings, considering you'd rather not be kidnapped or robbed.

And out of the corner of your eye, you could see them.

A group of robed individuals, reminding you of the cult Azure and Two Time were in, were possibly following you.

At first you shrugged it off, simply deciding to walk a little faster and noting that they weren't noticeably keeping up.

A sigh of relief escaped you as the realization hit.

Maybe they weren't after you at all and their cult just enjoyed walks at night. You remembered Azure mentioning something like that when you guys were reminiscing on how you've always admired the moon in all of its phases.

So, you paid them no mind and happily went on.

In a way, it even felt more safe. If their cult happens to preach kindness or protection, they might step in if someone sketchy approached you with ill-intend.

Although, that might just be wishful thinking. They were still a cult, not a religion...

So it was only natural for you to be just a little shocked when you suddenly felt a sharp pain in your head before everything went dark.

By the time you had awoken, your head felt like it was still vibrating from the impact of... Whatever had hit you...

But you had little time to think about such matters when you noticed two familiar pairs of eyes staring at you from the corner of your vision.

Oh no... Oh no no no-

This was NOT happening...

Sitting up quickly, you stared at Azure and Two Time in shock. Azure looked a little guilty but Two Time showed nothing but pure excitement.

"You're awake! We got worried the other cultists might've hit you too hard and we'd have to take care of them in Spawn's name but we're so happy you're okay!" Their upbeat tone somehow managed to give you an unsettling vibe as you tried to get up from the bed you were placed in.

... Only to quickly sit back down as the dizziness kicked back in.

"Careful, you've been in and out of consciousness for two days... We've been able to convince the others to let us take care of you but it's hard to get an unconscious person to eat or drink..." Azure forced out an awkward chuckle, allowing you to finally take note that you were put into the same robes as them... Did you smell lavender?

"Why and how..." You groaned, holding your head as Two Time quickly offered you a glass of water.

Azure hesitated to answer but Two Time was almost ecstatic to tell you. "The Spawn has chosen you, [Reader]! It has brought your image to us while praying and the other cultists agreed that you were destined for greatness!"

You froze, choking a little on your water as a pit formed in your stomach. "Two Time, I am not going to be some chosen follower in this cult..." You wanted to yell, to make it clear you wouldn't consent to this...

But your tone exposed your fear and worry rather than allowing you to raise your volume above a mere whisper.

"You... Have no choice..." Azure held your trembling hands while Two Time took the glass of water to make sure you didn't spill any over your robes. "The Spawn had chosen you and we did our best to at least make sure you would be received safely. Now it's our duty to make sure you learn the ways of the Spawn and fulfil your new duties..." He tried to be gentle about his wording but your gradually twisting face told him all he needed to know as Two Time stepped in.

"Don't worry, the Spawn has chosen you for a reason and now you will be able to stay with us even longer and be highly respected by the entire cult! Once you hear its glory, you'll see that you were saved from a future of agony and loneliness." They sounded almost too happy about that but you've grown to expect this kind of behaviour from them...

"Why was I chosen then? You're both actual followers of the Spawn and it chooses an outsider to be special? How is no one feeling betrayed by this entity??" You questioned in irritation, suddenly feeling your blood run cold as you could've sworn you saw a glint of... Something... In Two Time's eyes.

"We were praying for it to be you~! That way, you don't have to move away and you are free from your family!" Their words only made the pit in your stomach grow...

"But-" You wanted to protest again but Azure's grip suddenly tightened a little on your hands, making your heart race for all the wrong reasons...

Suddenly... It no longer felt like talking with your childhood best friends... It felt like being held captive...

Azure's gaze was pointed down enough so you could no longer see his face properly but with the way he brought your hands to his face, you could almost feel his expression twist into something desperate. "Please don't fight it... We couldn't bear to see you go... Just help us carry out the Spawn's will so that we may all ascend together one day..."

His words carried the weight of a builder on your heart, making you shiver. Was this what they were saying all along? That they didn't want to lose you...?

With a sigh, you weakly nodded. "I'll... Do my best..." You quietly answered, an odd warmth in your chest as you saw their gazes directing back to you with pure joy and... Admiration?

No, you were surely imagining it. You were too weak for any of this anyways...

"You're probably hungry, we made sure you could have your favourite when you woke up..." Azure and Two Time sat down on either side of you quietly, taking turns feeding you your favourite meal as your body began to relax.

It would be hard to accept this new reality but you were hopeful that if you were with Azure and Two Time by your side, it might not be as agonizing as you thought...

The next few months were agony. You've had many awful moments where the expectations of the other cult members had almost driven you to do... Horrible things to yourself...

In a desperate attempt to at least make it more bearable, you requested Azure and Two Time to join you and the cult obliged. You three were inseparable since because the others began to believe that their presence was what kept you sane and in line.

And it wasn't like they were wrong. Two Time and Azure knew how to tell when you were getting close to spiraling and knew how to ground you so you could continue on.

And in a way... They both enjoyed how dependent you were on them.

You trusted only them... You largely spoke to only them... They never even had to do anything, you almost isolated yourself for them.

And at night, they could just cuddle with you and make sure you felt loved...

"It's okay... We've got you..." Azure's tone reassured you from behind.

"You're a divine blessing brought to us from the Spawn... Our future couldn't be brighter..." Two Time's voice rang from in front of you as you all laid in bed.

You were curled up in the middle, shaking as you were awoken by another nightmare. Two Time and Azure were laid out around you like a shell, silently promising to protect you.

"You still love me...?" Your voice squeaked out through your tears, making them almost melt at your state.

"Forever and always, sweetheart... Our love will never waver..." Azure gently rubbed circles against your scalp, calming you down a bit while Two Time was peppering your face with kisses.

"We will protect you as the Spawn protects us... And anyone who tries to get inbetween will surely regret it..." Their words were oddly comforting as hummed in gratitude, your mind threatening to drift off into the land of dreams again as you snuck your hand to hold both of theirs.

By the time your eyes fluttered back shut, you could only hear Azure mutter "We will never let go..." before you were out like a light.

Just what a life to live...

Anything you'd like to request/ask? Check out my pinned post first and I'll be happy to write up whatever you want!

[vampireghostlawyer]

hyper analyzing the daanelise photo because i have problems

ok first of all, i'm really interested in the overall posing. the posing and arrangement here is more similar to a lot of victorian family portraits than more modern, 1940s ones, but i think that's probably a conscious choice. miro tends to show a more victorian aesthetic with daan pretty often (his clothes for example), and i'm not sure if it's because daan's character was originally victorian himself, or if there's another reason.

ALSO, daan looks uncomfortable, which is interesting. we know from his inner dialogue that he genuinely loved elise, so i wonder what's making him look so unhappy about getting a photo together. maybe this is an early photo of them and daan is more traumatized from his past than the version of him we see in game? or maybe this is shortly before he left for war? I'm also wondering about his hand being tucked away like that. My first thought was some sort of injury, but obviously Daan doesn't start the game with one and he never mentions one either. It's his dominant hand too, I wonder if that's significant. Very possible i'm just over analyzing.

DAAN'S OUTFIT! So i'm pretty sure this is daan's outfit he wears in termina, just with the jacket removed? I always found him not wearing a jacket interesting, because I feel like he would, but this makes me think his outfit did have a jacket, he just lost it or got rid of it for some reason. I wonder if he put on this outfit for a specific reason before going to prehevil? maybe this photo was taken for a special event and he's trying to commemorate it?

ok the eleephant in the room: daan's hair. it's so curly!!!! he looks so cute. obviously in game, his hair is pretty straight, with a bit of wave. so either he curled it here, or this is his natural hair texture and he straightens it usually. really interesting either way. the 1930s (when im assuming this was taken) was a big time of experimentation for men with hair, so him curling it doesn't feel too far fetched, especially since he has such a defined part, which makes me think his hair is pretty heavily styled here. ALSO, his part is on a different side! ik there's a popular theory that he uses his hair to cover the eyepatch, and it seems like that is gaining credence.

ELISEEEEEE!!! our first glimpse of human elise!!!!!!!!! she is so cute i love her. 1.) looks like her gap tooth was confirmed, which as a truther i am happy 😌, 2.) seems like she always wore the dark lipstick. this was common in the 40s, but less so in the 30s iirc. Also, I wonder if she is the reason daan wears the lipstick too? I know miro has kind of refused to confirm or deny if daan wears makeup, but he's got purple lips so.

ALSO I love that she looks kind of dorky. she's so happy to be there and beaming and her hair's kinda messy, i love her. i have always been a huge fan of elise being a bit of a nerd so this makes me happy. i like that daan is trying to mog and she just looks like ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ )

also, something that @omnidraconia pointed out on another post that i find really interesting is that all of the other sulfur cultists are bald, but elise still has hair in her stitches sprites, which makes it seem like she may have sewn her hair in for appearance reasons (combined with her being really easy to persuade in dialogue, and the fact that the same dialogue makes her look somewhat insecure). i think an additional piece of evidence for this is the fact that she has noticable eyebrows in this picture, but her sulfur cult version doesnt.

it makes me wonder if this version of elise is also insecure.

UAGH. ANYWAY. i have so many thoughts.