#"I am endless

[cntrlaltdelete-what]

(at some point after the 2022 New Inn reunion)

Hob: Hey Dream when is your birthday

Dream: I do not have a birthday

Hob: How can you not have one??

Dream: I am Endless, we are not born as mortals are

Hob: Okay, but you said that you have older and younger siblings. That implies that at one point you had not existed yet and then at another point you began existing. So that moment is basically like your birthday!

Dream: When you put it like that...

[khoirkid]

I am endless proud of this piece. I’ve been meaning to draw it ever since I started reading @amethystfairy1’s TTSBC au. I had a chance earlier in the year to draw a poster in comic book style and I wanted to make a cover for my favorite superhero au. I’m including some art that lead to this piece below but some fun facts are….

The city in the background is based on Chicago and Portland

You can find several Minecraft mobs in the back

The cracks lead directly into the under city and is mirrored in several of the pieces from this series for the TTSBC: event

[rexwrendraws]

spotted on the wall behind the white horse theater!!

Happy one year to Bolt in the Blue by @valeriianz ! Truly the best band au fics I've ever read, I am Endless' #2 fan forever (#1 is Hob, of course) 💙🎸✨

+ alt. colors for the flyer & other scans:

i love taking advantage of my art uni's massive (MASSIVE) scanners for literally anything i can. it's got the most gorgeous grit and scan banding that photoshop trickery cant replicate (though i try lol). so, yes, i literally printed out the b&w flyers, scanned them in, then added color and printed them again to stick on my wall haha.

when digitally adding color, i wanted it to really feel like black ink on colored paper instead of trying to print on color paper and then scan it again (i have done this before idk). i think the xerox-y look is pretty convincing! the green, pink, and purple are my personal favs.

an irl friend suggest i try non-black-ink versions to see what i liked. i think they look cool but some of the text gets a bit lost. still, i like the pale yellow+red ink one. (this almost makes me want to try riso printing this to see what it'd look like 👀👀).

^ this is what the white horse metal barrier edit looked like before I added the Huji Cam filter lol. it wasn't feeling convincing enough like this, so i actually took a photo of my laptop screen with the filter and somehow that looked more real than the actual shot from the show lol. (also, because i've stared at this screenshot for so long, the orange/yellow June 12th poster? is everything on it a reference?? loll)

anyway, had a lot of fun making this!! feel free to print if you want!! READ THE FIC EVERYONE GO READ BOLT IN THE BLUE RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pineconelizard]

kobold in bed: I am unstoppable. I am endless. kobold getting out of bed: ohg im so tired sleepy I can't do anything im just a weak little grub

[butterfilledpockets]

I am endless amused that Leo got himself into the broom closet

But on a serious ask. How are Leo, Ronin, and Raph going to react when they learn that Donnie died 4 times (Blown up by his leo, the Za Naran crystal, The mutagen bomb, then the death that sent him here) and is permanently 19 years old because of his 3rd death while they're in their 40's

more importantly, how is donnie gonna react to the other guys being fucking noobs?

He plays the "i died four times for this shit" card way too often

I have other plans but won't say anything until my brain decides they are ready to be realsed into the wild

[girlsgirl06]

THIS IS A NEW ME..🌈

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

ARE YOU STRUGGLING TO LOVE YOURSELF? IS YOUR SELF CONCEPT LOW? ARE YOU STRUGGLING MANIFESTING? DO YOU HATE YOURSELF? ARE YOU INSECURE ABOUT YOUR LOOKS? THOUSAND PROBLEMS, ONE SOLUTION: CREATE A NEW YOU!

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

✧KILL YOUR OLD SELF✧

FOR GETTING NEW, FIRST YOU NEED TO CLEAR THE OLD, MAKE SPACE FOR NEW. KILL ALL YOUR INSECURITIES, DOUBTS, YOUR MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR NEGATIVE THOUGHTS ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR OLD BAD HABITS, KILL EVERYTHING. LET GO OF EVERYTHING. CLEAR OUT. HEAL. HEAL YOUR CHILDHOOD TRAUMA. THIS NEEDS DEEP INNER WORK. EMBRACE YOUR INNER BEAUTY. HEAL ALL THE PAST TRAUMAS. ACCEPT AS YOU ARE, ACCEPT ALL OF YOUR FLAWS AND LET GO.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

✧CREATE NEW SELF✧

AFTER KILLING YOUR OLD SELF. CREATE NEW SELF. FOR THAT, FIRST YOU'VE TO MAKE A LIST OF HABITS/TRAITS YOU WANT TO HAVE IN YOUR NEW SELF. WHAT OUTFITS SHE WEAR, WITH WHOM SHE SPENDS HER TIME, WHAT HER DAY LOOKS LIKE, WHAT HER HABITS ARE, WHAT SHE LOOKS LIKE, WHAT SHE WANTS IN HER LIFE. WRITE IN DETAIL, TAKE EVERY ASPECT OF YOU, FROM HEAD TO TOE, EVERY SINGLE THING. BE LIMITLESS, THINK MORE OF YOU. BE DELUSIONAL, YES BE DELUSIONAL! REMEMBER: YOU'RE INFINITE, YOU'RE ENDLESS, YOU'RE POWERFUL AND YOU'RE THE CREATOR. IF YOU CAN IMAGINE IT, IT'S ALREADY A REALITY. WHAT YOU THINK, YOU BECOME. SO WHY TO THINK LESS OF YOU, THINK MORE OF YOU.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

✧EMBODY✧

NOW THAT YOU'VE MADE A SET OF TRAITS YOU WANT TO HAVE IN YOUR NEW SELF, NOW EMBODY IT. YOU HAVE TO FULLY EMBODY THAT NEW SELF. YOUR THOUGHTS, HABITS, TRAITS, BEHAVIOUR, ACTIONS AND PERSONALITY EVERYTHING SHOULD BE NEW, NOT THAT OLD ONE. EVERYTHING SHOULD ALIGN WITH YOUR NEW SELF. DON'T THINK OR ACT LIKE YOUR OLD SELF.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

✧AFFIRMATIONS✧

🌈I AM JUST A SOUL

🌈I AM THE HIGHEST VERSION OF MYSELF

🌈I LOVE MYSELF

🌈I AM ALIGNED AND CONNECTED TO MY INNER SELF

🌈I AM PROUD OF MYSELF

🌈I AM HEALED FROM ALL MY PAST TRAUMAS

🌈MY INNER CHILD IS HEALED

🌈I AM DETACHED FROM EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE

🌈I AM UNBOTHERED

🌈I AM INACCESSIBLE

🌈I AM POWERFUL

🌈I AM THE CREATOR

🌈I AM LIMITLESS

🌈I AM ENDLESS

🌈I AM STRONG

🌈I AM SMART

🌈I AM CAPABLE TO DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING

🌈I AM A GODDESS

🌈I AM A DIVINE SOUL

🌈MY FEMININE ENERGY IS AWAKENED

🌈ALL OF MY CHAKRAS ARE OPEN AND BALANCED

🌈I DESERVE EVERYTHING I DESIRE

🌈I AM WORTHY OF LOVE, FAME, SUCCESS, MONEY AND EVERYTHING

🌈MY SELF CONCEPT/SELF IMAGE/SELF IDENTITY IS POWERFUL

🌈I ATTRACT A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES, MONEY, LOVE , FAME AND SUCCESS

🌈I AM SAFE

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

[edweird-nashton]

>> THIS MUST BE DEATH.

>> GOOD. BUT TYPICAL. I CAN DO YOU ONE BETTER:

>> WHEN I STRIKE, YOU'LL FEEL MY KISS. WHEN I BEGIN, I AM ENDLESS. ONE PALE JOCKEY, COLDER THAN NIGHT. LAY IN MY BOAT AND HEAD INTO THE LIGHT.

[welcomehome-orlakbarnett]

Synth Dreams

My feet tip tap on the pavement

They don’t quite touch the ground

I float and fall in winding rhythm

In smooth curves and deep swells

The beat in my head is the beat of my heart

Guiding my footsteps in the dance

Sweep right, twirl left, close my eyes and

Feel

The eternal nocturne twilight hangs heavy

Neon lights glow dimly in the distance

Never any closer, never any further

My city never sleeps, but still it dreams

I open my eyes and I am as I always was

As I always will be

The beat fades and I drift listlessly

Liminal space in shades of haze

For one breath I am endless

Everless

A new song begins

My feet tip tap on the pavement

I dance on in synth dreams

[finallysafeawakepowerful]

This world is truly as Neville writes "at your command" and you must realize and look at how all conditioning placed proves this by working against how we truly command this reality and that conditioning has in fact controlled you perfectly in tune with the laws of this reality. The conditioning placed has worked you against the laws and it shows the truth.

ALL the notable people of this reality have all talked about the power of the mind, meditation etc. All the notable people have the same correlations in the way they think and believe. All notable people have visualized the end, seen themselves at the end, believed themselves at the end. Many athletes talk about visualization of the win and the end. Chess players talk about visualization and seeing where they want their pawn to be and WILLING it there within their mind and heart. THE ONLY THING THAT SHAPES THIS WORLD IS YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS BELIEFS OF WHAT IS. Nothing begins to move and shape and take form until your observations begin. It's all at rest UNTIL YOU begin your work. "I AM THE WAY. I AM GOD" it couldn’t get there, or it couldn’t happen with you

Look at yourself and your world - your standing in your very own handiwork. Be truthful at the conditioning you believed in and how it all came in perfect fruition, with perfect obedience to you. Be truthful and look at back at all the delusions you held in the past and how it all formed in perfect fancy, pruned perfectly BY YOU.

CONTROL YOUR MIND. CONTROL YOUR LIFE. Visualize taking a scraper and literally scraping out all old beliefs today. Get rid of lack, get rid of the words of your abusers, get rid of idea of hardships and struggle, get rid of the idea of poverty and trying to just make it through, get rid of being stuck in place and SHIFT and stand on and BE IN the opposite polarity. Use your POWER OF WILL and imagine fighting against your conditioning with all of you. Erase past self. Truly KILL it. KILL the old story and version and BURY it and BURN it down. Bury it and make it SO LONG GONE you don’t even know where the old you is buried. You couldn’t even dig up the body. The body is on another fucking planet. You couldn’t even dig up that body and jump back into that conscious being of lack, etc. Neville was right when he said you can’t serve 2 masters, you can’t put old wine into new. You can’t go back to old truths. You can’t hold 2 truths within your subconscious. RUB OUT ALL ELSE. Your subconscious will answer your actual truth. You can’t lie.

Begin today with control of who you are, and what you believe. “I AM THE WAY.” There is no other source for creation in your world other than the subconscious impressions of truth. Your inner knowing of truth. Your inner being.

I am, whatever I am conscious of. I have, whatever I am conscious of having. I am, what I truly rest in, what I am within. I already am and I choose to see it in my 3d world, for it is MY truth. I see it in my 4d, my heart, my being. I decree it to be me, my truth. I am, whatever I believe my deep truth is. I am, whatever beliefs I hold. I am born new this day. And I’m thankful to understand the laws that govern my own world. There is nothing but me, and I LOVE myself and I TRUST myself and the universe to always work in my favour. I will always give myself more. I will always move forward and amass more, grow, build, love, enjoy and finally feel safe, abundant, anything is possible. Nothing restricts me. I have endless sources.

It all comes FROM me. Literally vibrates FROM ME. I AM everything. Nothing that is here is not FROM me. Be brave. It all comes FROM me. Abundance comes from me the same way lack does. I step into a different way of being. Abundance comes FROM me. Joy comes FROM me because I vibrate at this frequency only. I AM abundance. I AM joy. I AM endless possibilities. I AM, and it all comes from me. It glows and flows through me. I WILL it all to be.

[rainbowsnsunnies]

i quit (ranting of an adhd adult in the 'normal' world)

DISCLAIMER - I HAVE NOT BEEN CLINICALLY DIAGNOSED WITH ADHD (I NEVER SAW A PROFESSIONAL BECAUSE I LIVE IN A SOCIETY WHERE SEEKING MENTAL HELP IS LOOKED DOWN UPON AND I CAN'T HELP IT). I PLAN TO SEE A DOCTOR WHEN I MOVE TO ANOTHER COUNTRY (WHICH IS GOING TO BE IN 9 MONTHS). BUT I HAVE SO FAR, RELATED TO ALL THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF ADHD, SO THERE'S THAT.

i have decided i'm quitting the depressing world of forced productivity and capitalist consumerism.

i have decided i'm quitting the saddening world of being 'relevant'

i have decided i'm quitting the digital world of subliminal slavery to 'self-help' youtubers selling 'productivity' tools that will make me my 'best' self

i'm done with my platforms telling me i'm not good enough, i'm not doing enough, i'm not consistent enough.

i embrace my learning skills in ways that are seemingly uncommon, i embrace my empathy towards the world and towards myself, i embrace me for all that i am.

endless planning for productivity and spending my savings on these apparently self-help tools have only made me more and more anxious. i was a straight A student in my early and high school years but in my undergraduate i dipped and do not ask about my mental health as a postgraduate student. i was doing just fine, more than fine actually, when i wasn't trying to 'fix' myself and 'improve' myself. i learnt so many skills, exceled academically, maintained good relationships and just had top mental health.

but i entered uni and then i entered the youtube era of productivity and self help and 'time management' and i have been hitting new lows every 6 month. as an adhd person, my life really was better when i didn't succumb to the pressure of the 'normal'' influencers to do more, and be my "best" version.

i'm still going to continue striving for my goals and my dream life, but in ways that serve me and make me better. they look nothing like what i see on productivity spaces online. my learning days look like studying for 15 hours straight and then taking 6 days off and then doing it again. is it the best way to learn? HELL NO. does it work for me? HELL YES. the information i learn in those 10 hours stays with me for the next 6 years. i can retain information better when i'm deep focussing. i always thought i was wasting those 6 days, but i m not. there are things like hobbies, and 'fixation' passions and i like those things about me. they teach me so many new things. i'm done trying to quit being myself, my authentic self. i'm going to own myself.

this is not a hate note for anyone. this is more of a frustrated rant of me trying to fix what isn't even broken. i know i live in a world where if i'm not following the rat race, i'm left behind but i have my own ways and i will work with those and i'm sure i'll make it out just fine. at least better than how i currently am. for someone who made productivity their whole aesthetic, you can imagine how truly damaged and broken i must've gotten to be here, writing this note.

there is nothing wrong with being the way i am. i will find my way to blend in this world. i do not have to follow youtube productivity systems to get where i want to.

if you've read this far and you're struggling with all this too, here are a few youtube videos that helped me break the chains that were holding me behind. these videos really did set my mind free in ways i cannot explain. check them out if you want :)

[loserboyfriendrjl]

when i die, don't look for me in the sunsets...

sirius — look for me in the sky. i know it's a cliché, but there is where you will see me. am i scared of death? no, of course not. i am endless, i am invincible, i am bright; i am the brightest star, actually. i will reach out for you, and i will light up your way. you will find me.

james — look for me in the sky. you will see the sun, bright and scorching. i will warm you up when you will grieve for me, and i will bring closure to you. i might be gone, but i haven't left you alone. i am here, still. and i always will be.

remus — look for me in the river. see the stones, smooth and cold. look at the water, running. its way is freedom, isn't it? it's all ended; it's over. however, that does not mean you can't go on. fall in love. live. without me. we'll meet again soon.

peter — look for me somewhere quiet. there is beauty in quiet, although some people can't see it. it's peaceful. come sit with me, won't you? death is imminent, of course; however, why won't we make the most of life?

dorcas — look for me in my lover's arms. i have been deceived so many times, death does not scare me anymore; it's the last bit of closure i have. look for me in the little things, where i hide. many do not see me, yet i am here. you just have to look for me.

lily — look for me at home. everything has a start and an ending, and i am always coming back. look for me where i can be myself, where everything is warm. look for me at home. maybe, one day, it will be ours to share.

mary — look for me somewhere bright. the sky, maybe. or somewhere colourful. it helps me forget how alone i am, really. i forget about the loneliness that aches in me. someday, i wish you'd search for me. for now, grieve.

marlene — look for me somewhere loud. it helps me forget. scared of death? of course, so i don't think of it. i let myself be washed away with adrenaline, pumped through my brain, and with a moment of pleasure. life is short, after all.

[endlesszoomstudios]

I Am Finally In Tumblr! Lemme Introduce Myself! Hello, I Am Endless Zoom Studios! You Can Call Me Endless Btw, I Am An Alone Creator On Two Shows! One Is An Indie Animation Which Was Planned A Year Ago Called Outside Reality And The Second Is An Analog Horror Planned Like A Month Ago Called The Glowing Terror! I Am Basically A Creator Who Works Alone! Anyways, Follow Me In YouTube, TikTok And Snapchat! Have A Good Day! #indie animation#outside reality#analog horror#glowing terror

[earthwalkinangel]

I let go of fear

I let go of the idea it was suppose to be any other way

I let go of limiting beliefs

//

I AM ENDLESS

I AM INFINITE

I AM FREE

[aetheltrythh]

New fic: What Goes into a Dreamcatcher

My new fic is up on AO3: What Goes into a Dreamcatcher.

Word count: 5300.

Tags

Established relationship, Shibari, Merman Dream of the Endless, Fluff and smut, Porn without a plot, Dream has a vulva, Top Hob, Light Dom/sub, Banter, Humour, Feelings

Rating:

Explicit

Summary:

Shibari shenanigans in the Dreaming - Hob has a bit of fun with Dream and his bendy mermaid tail. *** "I am deeply touched by your enthusiasm," Hob replies, mocking him. But only a bit. Mostly, he's being earnest. He’s felt Dream’s enthusiasm in places he hadn’t even known he possessed, and he wouldn’t change it for anything. Dropping to his knee before him so that they see eye to eye, Hob says, "Give me your colour." "Green." "Fine, then I'll make you truly endless." "I am Endless, Hob," Dream replies, a little exasperated. "Just wait and see."

[astoldbycrimson]

I AM WHO I AM

Endless judgement and criticism By the ones who created me; Always forced into hiding Because they're ashamed to see The person I've become, The result of where I'm from. Mouth stitched shut, Must be seen and not heard; Hands bound at my side, Extinguish the anger that stirred. Must never let them see All this pain inside of me. Smile on my face Like I'm living the dream, But deep down inside I just want to scream; Always forced to decide Should I continue to hide? I'm not okay, Please open your eyes; This isn't me, I am close to demise. Just let me be myself Because I'm tired of living on your shelf. No, I am not you And I never will be The child you dreamed of Or the person you craved to see; For I have my own mind And I am one of a kind. Now you must decide, Are you ready to face The person I am becoming, Who is blooming at her own pace? Or will you be the one to turn away And let our paths forever go astray?

[certifiedskywalker]

Near, but Never Near Enough - Death of The Endless

The three times you flirt with Death.

Warnings: vague but various causes of death and life-threatening situations (exposure, car crash, etc.)

It was a fluke that left you floating. Floating, you were, quite literally, weightless. Or, at least, it felt literal, as much as literal can feel to someone in your predicament.

It was a blur, too, your predicament. Details once so painfully sharp were muddled by a liquidy rush of unadulterated adrenaline. There was only you, your nerves which seemed to extend beyond your bodily bounds. Yet, you could sense some sort of tether, an invisible tie anchoring you to the wavering image of yourself.

Jelly limbs and wide eyes, you were a shocked sight to behold. How embarrassing to be caught so much by surprise. You scoffed at yourself.

“Well, now is hardly the time for that.”

You spun on your heels at the accented voice. A woman, dark-skinned, dark-haired, and dark-eyed watched you, arms crossed her chest. She looked politely displeased, as if she had been stuck in the queue of a tired deli worker.

“For…?”

“For the negative self-view,” she replied, matter-of-factly.

Your brows furrowed. “Who are you?”

“Someone just stopping by,” the woman replied, her arms falling to her sides like graceful, drooping wings. “It’s not quite your time, though, is it?”

“What do you mean?”

Wordlessly, the woman walked towards you. A sugared sort of scent came with her, seemingly on a gust that trailed her. Slowly, her gaze flicked across your face, studying you like a star map. Yet, it was you who saw constellations, saw them in the glints that glimmered in her dark brown eyes.

“Not your time but here I am. How…peculiar.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you same one of her hands rise, fingers curved towards your face. Though she did not let her skin kiss yours. In the blur of everything, you found yourself wanting for this mystery woman’s touch. You did not need to feel her warmth to know it was there, but how sweet it would be.

Her hand fell before you could ask for it, but the lightest of smiles played on her full lips proved infectious. Slowed due to the weightlessness, the delay latent in the thin tether you could feel grow more taut by the passing second, your own lips quirked upwards too.

“Until next time, sweetheart.”

Before you could ask when that would be or echo your query about who she was, the woman took a step back. With her motion, another gust, stronger than the last, one you could hear as it whistled by your ears, swept you back. Back into feeling, far from the floating you felt before. The details came back. Painful and sharp.

It all came soaring back with the sound of her wings.

It was familiar, that weightless. It nestled in the nooks it carved in your bones, hollowed them, and bid you to float. This was different, a heavier float. You bounced in whatever ether held you, as if a buoy set at sea.

Though, this sea smelled sweet.

“You again?”

Amidst your soft bouncing within the nothing, you turned and saw her. Her!

“You again,” you echoed her words, letting your gaze fix on her form. She looked the same as she did when she first came to you, a soft, winged shadow. 

“Well, yes. But,” she paused, shifted her weight on her hips, “it’s still not time.”

“Time for what?” You stepped towards her with your question and she did not move away. You took another step. “You never answered my question about who you are.”

“I am Endless,” she replied, crossing her arms.

“Endless? That’s a bit…much.”

She laughed and you swore you heard the gently ringing of bells. “It is, isn’t it?”

“So, you don’t have a name?”

“Not in the traditional sense.” As she spoke, she cocked her head to the side, dark eyes quizzical as she studied your form. You dared to take another step towards her. On this step, the woman returned the gesture by taking a step back. “Careful.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean-”

“No,” she waved a hand, “it’s not like that. I’d like it, it’s just…”

“I’m still sorry,” you said, taking a step back.

“It’s for your safety, not mine.”

“My safety?”

“Like I said, it’s not your time yet. Again. We really must stop meeting like this.”

“This, and before,” you pondered aloud, trying to remember the details. The details always grew so fuzzy when this woman came around. You could never remember how you got to the floating place, to see her. “Why do I see you?”

“Why do you ask? I thought you fancied me,” she said, a grin spreading along her lips. Heat rose and spread along your skin like a wild fire. “You sure do bring new meaning to the phrase ‘flirting with Death,’ that I will tell you.”

“Death?”

Her grin faded into an unreadable expression, an Endless expression that seemed to roll along the peaks of her face. “I’ve said too much.”

Slowly, as if trudging through molasses, the details crawled from the sticking sap of spoiled memory. Pain. First, the shattering of glass and the screeching of wheels. Then, this moment, the ache of lungs swelling but not with air. Sharp pain.

“Are you…Death?”

She took another step and another gust and she was gone, leaving you back in your body with all that pain.

Whatever the Necromancer did, you remembered every detail of this time. You could still feel the flames licking along your skin. Yet, your flesh did not blister. It only stung, intensely, painfully. Sharply. 

Constantine had warned you of it, her voice cold and tired. She cared little, likey due to little you had to pay her for her services. You imagined she watched you while you floated in the in-between place, the tethered place. She probably was smiling as your physical form thrashed in the fire’s grip while you, unbound from your body, felt the brunt of pain.

Perhaps it was the detail that kept you from the mystery woman. You could still smell the dank of the church basement, the sulphur, the herbs Johanna burned. They acted as anchors. You had to wring yourself free from the ropes.

“What-You’re kidding, right? A necromancer? A Constantine?”

You flicked your head to the side and saw her, at last. Her dark face was downcast and as stern as you ever saw it. Her arms were not crossed over her chest as they typically were. No, they rested at her sides with her hands curled into fists.

“You know about Constantine?”

“She’s a friend of my brother’s,” she said, voice low, as cold as Johanna’s was when she explained the ritual. “And a friend of yours now, apparently.”

“Not quite friends,” you corrected, giving her a sheepish smile. She did not return the expression.

“And it’s not quite your time, again.” Then, her arms crossed and her left brow crooked upwards, skeptical. “You’re teasing me, tempting fate.”

“Fate,” you hummed, “another Endless?”

She huffed, amusedly. “Destiny.”

“And you’re Death. That’s what I told Johanna I thought you were and the ritual worked, so you must be-”

“Ritual, you say?”

You nodded and took a step towards Death. Each of your limbs screamed with the burning of your blood, but you were much too enraptured. “A ritual.”

Death took a step towards you. “Must’ve cost a pretty penny, eh?”

“And more,” you replied. She was smiling, truly smiling.

“For what? Just to see me again? This is highly irregular, and I know irregular.”

You took another step, slower this time, more careful. Death followed suit until you caught her sugary scent. You remembered it from the first time, revelled in it, her familiarity.

“For this.”

“So, truly just to see me again, then,” she said, her smile reaching her eyes then. You took a breath and then a chance. 

With your arm burning, you raised it, let your hand brush the seemingly empty air at her side. Soft and cool, a feather feeling tickled against your fingers. When you looked at Death, her eyes closed and her body shuddered. You quickly withdrew your hand.

“Sorry, I-”

“No,” she interrupted, eyes fluttering open as she took another step closer. She was warm, not cold like you had expected. “Just, just shut up.”

Her hands were warm too when they cupped your face, and soft. Her lips were soft too, gliding against yours. A kiss of Death. She tasted sweet and she melted all the burning pain away.