#BE FREE ANCIENT AU OF MY SOUL

[nevertheless-moving]

unable to stop dwelling on the discworld trouser leg of time where, in the penultimate fight scene in Nightwatch, Carcer manages to kill teenage Sam Vimes.

Which means that the future that Duke Vimes came from can no longer exist, which means he can’t go home. Meanwhile you’ve got a bunch of history monks with stored up temporal energy, a prepared space outside of time, and the need to do some desperate damage control before the Auditors get involved. Death shows up, reality is unweaving, Sam is reading Carcer his discworld miranda rights because what else is he supposed to do.

and finally, with little other option, the monks de-age Sam so he fits the time period and send him back out into the fray.

(they didn't call it deageing of course. His memory is hazy, splintered during that terrible in between moment, They....took the time out of him? Sanded away the edges of his self for a terrible, workable fit? It...wasn't a good feeling.)

Just—damn. Sam Vimes having to live his whole crapsack life over again, but this time as his disillusioned-reillusioned, unwillingly-character-developed, noir-epic, Duke of Ankh, Commander Sir Samuel Vimes self. 

Younger (Older? He's never felt so Old, His steps so Childlike, reality twisting in his gut like one of Dibbler's pies) Sam Vimes walking around in a haze after the revolution. Desperate to go home, knowing he can’t. Wanting to drink. Knowing he can’t.

The whole precinct feels pity, he really took Keel’s death hard, hardly speaks except to do his job. Eventually he has to grit his teeth and start being present, because what else is there to do?

Resists the urge to drink until Colon takes the whole watch out to celebrate because -he’s going to be a father!

Come on Sammy, one drink won’t kill you— and after the first drink he’s cracking jokes and after the second hes smiling and after the third hes honestly the life of the party and sometime after that he’s crying about how he was going to be a father and my wife would be ashamed if she saw me drinking like this and— 

Oh shit, Did anyone else know he had a wife?? A PREGNANT wife??? What—aren’t you like 12—no you're 17 now aren't you but when did—

You guys n’ver met ’er—oh gods none if you ev’n know ‘er, is jus’ me...

What—when did you lose—

I lost her the same damn day I los’ ev’rythin else, whadya think...bleeding Carcer...the fuckin revolution...

So! That! Sam only vaguely remembers the night, but rumors travel faster than light on the disc, so by the next day the whole damn city knows about poor Sam brung low by the loss of his poor, tragic, pregnant wife, so young to be a widower, and the Seamstresses nod because they already knew, don’t ask them how, somethings you just have to know in that trade.

And his mother—I don’t know, sue me, I’m a time travel fiend but there’s something deeply intriguing about a man meeting his dead parent, who is somewhat younger than him, and stepping into the old relationship like a badly fitting thing that's supposed to fit well. She would know, right? How would she deal with her son’s impossible grief? Maybe she wouldn’t know—he spent most of the time out of the house, running with different street gangs, maybe he avoids her until she dies and lives with the guilt twice over. God, we don’t even know her name. There’s just so much narrative and emotional potential that I don’t even know where to start.

When he’s on duty, which is most time - it’s agonizing because at first he remembers cases, saves lives that would have been lost. But the more time passes, the hazier his memory because in the original timeline he was becoming an alcoholic. Fuck! A kid dies and he could have saved her if he hadn’t been such a drunk, if he had just remembered where the asshole lived, but it’s all a haze, and he wants to drown out his guilt, but that’s what caused this in the first place.

Good young Sammy, who spends his rare off-time in dusty libraries (and yes, the irony that he’s apparently Carrot now is not lost on him) reading gods-only-know.

It’s not like he can ask the wizards for help, cutthroat and vicious as they are now in the not-so-distant-past.

Good young Sam, who...talks to the Broken Drum’s pet Bouncer like he’s a real person and not a dumb rock? That’s a bit weird, but he’s a bit of a funny guy.

Good old Sam, who believed the testimony of the dwarf who said the humans were trying to rob him and let the dwarf go??

the PROBLEMS this man would cause, good grief. Can you imagine a moderately progressive middle aged man with some degree of begrudging diversity and equity training that he did, for all his sins, pay attention to, suddenly going back to like, 1990, going back just 30 years, and going...oh damn this is kind of fucked up, no man you can’t say that, holy shit.

Except Sam’s lived through even more rapidly shifting social moroes! There’s no seamstress guild, there’s no women allowed inside the university, there’s no black ribboner’s society. People hunted trolls for their teeth! But Sam can’t just unlearn everything, and he can’t shut up, and he has no real luck and anyway he would absolutely get himself (temporarily) fired.

FUCK. Sam has no idea what to do with that. None. Zero clue. Wanders around in a haze until that dwarf he saved from police brutality finds him and insists on repaying the debt. No, he insists, do you have any idea what debt means to a dwarf?

“Sort-of?” he replies hesitantly, and that honest admission of incomplete knowledge shows a hell of a lot more respect and understanding than any self proclaimed dwarf-expert ever did.

Gets a job as a surface man, hauling rocks into the city. It’s backbreaking work, but, in true Discworld fashion, it’s also one hell of a workout (again the irony of being Carrot is not lost him. he freezes for a minute while hauling a rock cart, when he remembers he's technically Lost Nobility too, in a strict sense, but someone curses at him in the street and he's comfortingly grounded)

And here is where this au slides into a SPECTACULAR romantic comedy, BEAR WITH ME. Because in his time on the Watch he’s already done noir, action adventure, war story, detective who dunnit, psychological horror, but guards guards only allowed him to be a romance protagonist in an extremely limited context.

Give me righteous, twenty-something-looking, can’t-say-he-doesn’t-have-style, young Sam Vimes, not an alcoholic,  being fed three square meals a day by his dwarven forced found family, hauling rocks. He is startled to find him bumping his head on a low hanging bar that he doesn’t think used to be there, eventually realizing that he’s an inch or two taller than he remembers. Huh. Guess all that bearhuggers really did stunt his growth.

Still doesn’t get what some of the looks from women he’s getting are about, sure, he’s dirty but so is everyone else. Fine, he took his shirt off, but it’s hot out, there’s far wrinklier than him hauling heavy loads, get a life. 

Happens to glance in the Ankh one day when it’s particularly slow and shiny and is startled to realize that he might be turning heads for a different reason. Oh. Right, not that he was ever a heartbreaker, but he did alright for himself... when he was a younger and his face hadn’t been broken so many times. Which...it isn't now.

Is mildly disturbed by the revelation.

Especially once things blow over at the precinct and what with high mortality rates, he ends up with getting hired again. The boys are delighted to have him back, nevermind that he’s an odd one, noone is ever quite in your corner like Vimsey, absence makes the heart fonder, no one else works that hard, and he’s not even competition for promotion. All around great guy, we should set him up with somebody and just, no.

It just keeps getting worse! He’s literate! He’s a feminist! He believes abuse victims! He’s got a tragic backstory! He’s unreasonably good in a fistfight! He’s kind to animals! Word gets around that there’s a good man on the watch and he’s just waiting for a good woman to come snap him up. The widower excuse doesn’t hold people off completely, and for some it’s its own sort-of appeal. 

Things REALLY become stressful after he rescues that carriage full of noblewoman.

What’s he supposed to do? Let them get robbed? Or worse? Chasing down and beating up 10 goons is as easy as beating up one, when they’re that stupid, getting separated like that, drunk and distracted, and he knows these streets better than anyone, really it’s nothing. And oh lord he’s Modest too.

I mean, they were genuinely greatful, as genuine as people like that are capable of being, the skill having grown rusty. And then there is something...magnetic about the man. An air of command.

So, soon enough you get Lady Marigold of Marigrave calling on Treckle Road for that gallant young officer who rescued them, she really needs to thank him. And Viscountess Elanor Thitzferal specifically requesting that he guard her at her next soiree. And Baroness Julieta van Shoeholten insisting that he come to her home while her husband’s away, for... manly protection.

Aaaah just zero sympathy from the guys. None. 'It’s become a competition, they’re just trying to see who can get me into bed first, it’s like I’m a piece of meat, you can’t send me sir, the Marquess greeted me in a nightee last time you made me go to—' and 'small gods Vimes are you even listening to yourself, shut the hell up'.

Simultaneous to this, (again this is several years into the timeline) swamp dragon accessories come into style. Which means abandoned swamp dragons scrounging on the street. Vimes takes one back to his apartment, blows his paycheck on dragon medicine, and eventually, heart in his chest, brings it to the Ramkin estate. The sunshine orphanage doesn’t even exist yet and he’s just standing outside the gates like an idiot, what is he thinking. Turns around, but her carriage is pulling up and—

well. they meet. it's cute. he's never felt so young. he's never felt so old, too old for her, too poor—

and certainly her thoughts linger too long on the awkward, kindly, handsome young commoner, but is it any wonder she doesn't quite connect it to the stern, dangerous, sexy young guard the ladies seem to be in some quiet, cuthroat competition over?

i have this gorgeous, absurd scene in my head in which Vimes is strong armed into standing guard at some high society soiree and one of the pushiest ladies insists he dance with here, or, if he prefers, if he's not confident about his skills, he can dance with her in-private at her home and he’s like [grinding teeth, looking for a way out, seeinf one] “I would be honored to dance with you.”

Steps right into some ultra-complex dance with multiple partner swaps (she never thought he'd pick this one, devilishly intimidating to one not strictly trained, and you barely spend anytime with your first partner).

But he does alright. Better than alright, for a common man, sometimes misstepping but his hands and feet always end up where they need to be. Raises several eyebrows part way into the song because he's throuwing in some slightly scandalous, no innovative, extra lifts and twirls that wouldn't become fashionable for another decade or two. Who even is that guy? Some out of towner? No, no he's in a guards uniform...how very strange.

Gets to Sybll and she's used to embarrassment during these dances, she tries to get out of them when she can... but can't always. Men awkwardly skipping the lifts, or worse, trying and failing. But him — oh it's him, the one who helped little Erold, and looked at her like—like—well like she was someone beautiful. And he's doing it again, and he's strong and there's a quiet moment where she's in the air, they lock eyes, and the rest of the room melts away.

And then the partners change again, the moment ended.

Just...living throught it all again. To the left, a dance he almost knows the steps to, throwing others off balance with erratic moves , honest mistakes, and delibrate stepping on toes. Improvising. Ruining. Improving. Getting far, far too much attention.

Hes almost excited when the first assassains start coming after him. It's like a hobby.

Everyone tells him he should get a hobby.

Interactions with young vetinari...I don't have the energy to write it all down, the slow circling in on each other, both burning with the need to fix the city, save it, their city.

needless to say he ends up fired again, life under real threat after offending some high lord.

Conveniently enough he has an employment opportunity- bodyguard to fucking Vetinari on his 'grand sneer.' The bastard knows vimes isn't what he seems, though sam is pretty sure that he doesnt know the exacts.

Vetinari hypothesis:(the ghost of keel? Keels son, with some hereditary curse? Or a larger spirit of justice possessing a string of unrelated souls? He knows things he shouldn't- mind reader? Fortune teller? Havelock once arranged for a wizard to bump into him on the street, the magical fool gave an odd double look and then muttered something about destiny looping in on itself giving him a headache. Destiny? Lost noble? And hes far too familiar with sybyl, one of the few bearable noblewomen in this city. And his thoughts on guilds, when havelock can trip him into speaking... Most of all, if hes reading him at all correctly (for all the mystery hes not that hard to read, unless thats a very clever cover) then it seems that behind those dark haunted eyes is Respect. Loyalty. For vetinari. What an interesting man. A puzzling asset. An intriguing threat. )

Did I mention the timeline is changing, healing slowly around the place where it was torn? Healing enough around scars to perhaps get some flexibility back, with some painful stretches and...massaging of said scar tissue?

And hes heading to unresting uberwald, a place where a werewolf pack still hunts humans and, truely unrelated but perhaps equally exhausting, an eldritch spirit of vengeance just might be looking to stretch its legs in a hapless vessel?

Opening drabble Vimes Vetinari Meta (Unwell)

[2smolbeans]

Yandere Obey Me Human World Au Writing Event! (Insert Your Mc!)

Summary:

Lurking around and thriving on earth as the seven deadly sins, the seven brothers often find themselves walking amongst the earth to explore and terrorize any humans that they find. While they spent their time on earth, they happened to find themselves sprialing into an obession for a particular human that caught their eye..Determined to get what they want, the avatar of the deadly sin is eager to manipulate, kill, and destroy anything in their path in order to have their precious darling.

The question is.. How will this darling handle this situation? Will they try to fight the inevitable? Accept their fate? Or perhaps escape their intense love?

The choice is yours.

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Disclaimer: This is free to use as long as you tag or credit me! @2smolbeans

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Rules:

There is no deadline for this event!

Please state that NO MINORS are allowed to interact with this post.

The story in the beginning must take place in the human world. Otherwise, as the story progresses, you can change the world building to whatever you want.

You can have as many demons as you want pinning for your Mc! (Ex. Leviathan x Mammon x Your Mc!).

No demoncest allowed.

You can add more than one or two Mcs if you have any!

Smut or Nsfw elements are optional to write.

Any writing format such as a headcanon post, jot notes, or even a scene is acceptable! However you want to express your thoughts - do it!

The oneshot/chapters can be as long as you want.

If you are going into triggering, dark, or dead dove do not eat territory, ADD WARNINGS.

With the tags already given below in each section, they are optional to follow! They are put there to just help or give ideas of how you want your story to progress.

You can shape or finish the story however you want to. Just make sure it makes sense given your backstory.

You aren't allowed to change the complete backstory of your chosen demon. However, you can add small details and change little bits of it. (Ex. The story takes place in the 50s, Mc isn't human, Mc is already in a relationship)

Side characters such as: (Simeon, Solomon, Thirteen, Mephistopheles, and Raphael) are allowed to be mentioned or paired with Mc!

If you have any questions regarding this masterlist, message me or put in an anon ask!

Don't forget to tag and credit me! I would love to see what you guys come up with!

And of course, have fun!

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Lucifer:

You are finally getting a start in your career. Everything is going smoothly, and you are gradually gaining popularity! But there's a rumor that's ruining your reputation and threatening everything.. Desperate, you call out to a demon through an ancient blood ritual. At first, it doesn't work, and feeling humilated at your stupid attempt - you prepare to clean up and go home. But with the room turning black and a hand touching your shoulder- Lucifer Morningstar himself looks at you with a soft smile and offers his hand for whatever deal you want to make. You say your terms, and he says his. Shaking his hand, the deal is sealed, and you find yourself soul bonded to him through a ring that is secured on your left ring finger. His low voice filled the air as he carressed your face, the sweet blind danger now trapping your fate. You unknowingly tried to escape in a previous life..

"My love, my beloved spouse, it's so good to see you again..I'm so glad you finally called out to me again."

"I mean how could you not? You are mine forever..You don't remember me do you? That's okay, I forgive you, time is in our hands."

"Now, I'll take care of whatever pests are bothering you - and I'll take you home where you belong. Now, now, don't struggle."

"You don't want me to do something you won't like."

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Tags: Mc was with Lucifer in a previous life, blackmail, implied physical abuse, Mc thought they summoned a lower demon and not Lucifer himself, it's up to you if your Mc figures out what happened to them in their previous life, sadism, mind reading, forced marriage.

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Mammon:

Ever since the break up with your boyfriend, you've been an complete utter mess. You'll get over this, you thought, time heals. But as days turn to months, you were fed up with the constant pain that came from missing your now ex boyfriend. So fed up and looking for a quick solution to get over him, you decided to do the one thing you never thought you would've done...

Clubbing.

Every night you went, expecting to just wash away your feelings with alcohol and strangers. Though one day, it all changed when you had bumped into a particular white-haired male. He looked like your typical fuck boy with the obnoxious amount of jewelry adorned on his body and the open V neck shirt that exposed his chest. But to your surpirse, he was shockingly sweet when he saw right through your grief through that happy mask of yours.

One thing led to the next, you hugged him with tears in your eyes, thanking him for listening to your problems. From then on, something just clicked inside him. It felt good.. It felt eletricifying buying you things you enjoyed, giving his precious time and money, feeling rewarded every time you smiled. You made him go against his very nature, his very sin, his greed. Fuck you made the avatar of greed enjoy being charitable!

He needed to know more about you, he wanted more of you.. And more of you he got..

"I don't understand what type of idiot would just easily let ya go... If I were him, I'd make sure you'd never leave my sight, EVER."

"Seriously, what a dumb nuts. He's probably so fucking stupid that he'd probably kill himself out of stupidity. Man, wouldn't that be a total shame.."

"Hey..If you knew something terrible about me, you'd still stick by me, right? You said you'd stick by me no matter what. That wasn't a lie, right? You need me.. right?"

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Tags: stalking, strangers to bestfriends, heartache, Mc has no idea Mammon is THE Mammon, manipulation, gaslighting, Mammon exploits Mc's grief as a way to 'win' their heart, exploitation of Mc's insecurities.

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Leviathan:

You hated every fiber of their being. They were so insufferable in every possible way that you fummed in anger whenever they were mentioned to you in any way. So how come they got everything without any effort, while you had to struggle your way to earn what you needed? It wasn't fair. Why did they have to be in your life? Every day, you chewed at your fingertips, annoyed and enraged with them dancing in your mind. Why did everyone like them? Why did you hate them? Why were they so insufferable? Why couldn't they just suffer the same way you were? Full of resentment and shame, you stalked and scrolled mindlessly through their social media, not knowing a particular someone had been watching you for a good while..

"What makes you think you could run away from me? Every part of me is ingraved inside of you. So just please stop being difficult.. I can be better than the fucking shit you obsess over."

"Why do I even bother with you anyway? I could've been better off with someone else, but for some reason, it had to be you."

"Don't you realise how special that is?! Out of all the beings I could've been with, I want you! I love you..Why can't you love me as much as you hate them?"

"Things were so good when you didn't know..Ugh, why did I think it was a good idea to show you what I really was..."

"Why can't you look at me? Look at me. I SAID LOOK AT ME."

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Tags: the thing mc wants could be either a lover, object, or dream career- it's up to you, Jealousy, demon contract, Leviathan is a two faced snake in this prompt, stalking, guilt tripping, murder, forced relationship, violenece, eventual kidnapping, Leviathan is a pathetic but terrifying yandere who is easily enraged.

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Satan:

Wake up, get dressed, take the subway, sit in that awful chair for hours, go home, sleep, repeat. Every day seemed like a ticking time bomb. You wanted something more in life. You wanted more than to just repeat the same cycle of something meaningless. The littlest of things had always annoyed you whenever you forced yourself to go through the day. You hated how people tsked and laughed at the most mundane things, you despised the way your ugly uniform uncomfortably rubbed against your body, you would bite the inside of your mouth until it bled at the thought of having to sit in a room with those god awful people whenever there was a group project.

But you still maintained a smile.

There always seemed to be a knawing pain that clawed at your chest. You didn't know how to describe it, but it was there. Everyday that boiling pot of water inside you would brew and steam inside of you, and eventually you had snapped.

With bloodied hands and a smile on your face, you had finally found an outlet for your anger. If it wasn't for that tempting voice inside your head, you wouldn't have known of what to do! But thankfully with this newfound pleasure, you had found a way to enjoy your life throughout the annoyances.

But things don't last forever. In the corner of your eye during one of your "cleanups", you swore you saw a familiar blonde co-worker spy on you.

"What's wrong, hmn? Scared? But I thought you liked me? Have you been lying to me this whole time?"

"Let's make a deal. You do what I say, and I won't say a word about the people you've.."ranted" to. In return, you do everything I say."

"So please stop crying over nothing..Or else I'll give you something to cry about."

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Tags: Mc is a murderer, Satan has been disguising himself as a human, blackmail, transactional relationship, coerced violence, and mental manipulation.

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Asmodeus:

You were going through college having the time of your life. Parties, men and women flocking to you, drinking, and just overall making new friends! Sure you had classes to catch up on, and sure you could be more careful handling the feelings of the people you've misled..But you were living your life! If they got so bumhurt because of you, then that was their fault for expecting more from you!

Though eventually, all the clubbing and partying got to the best of your grades, so you seeked out a tutor to help you out. Unexpectingly, the tutor you would found just so happened to be someone exactly just like you. He was someone well put together, someone who was the loud and cheerful, someone who knew how to get underneath people's skin. When it came to partying and seeking out that 'high', you and him were completely in sync with each other.

You kindled a friendship with him while he brewed a different type of bond in his mind..

"You're just as terrible as me darling, so don't act like you're all innocent and gentle. Come on.. Let's be horrible together, forever! It's not like you had a choice anyway."

"Come on! Don't force me to do something you wouldn't like darling."

"I always get what I want, so stop resisting, or else I'll chop those pretty fingers off, understand? Good job~"

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Tags: Kidnapping, narcasism, both Mc and Asmodeus are terrible people, drugging, forced alchohol consumption, love bombing, black mailing, forced relationship.

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Beelzebub:

Working at a local bakery is calming and relaxing. Oftentimes, when work was over, you would secretly take whatever left overs where supposed to be thrown out for yourself to take home. One day, as you were preparing to shut down the shop, you saw a familiar ginger customer on his knees in distress. He was alone, disheveled, and on the floor in that alleyway. Pulling out your phone to zoom in onto the site so that you didn't have to walk in that alleyway (He was a big man afterall), you fought the urge to scream as he turned to reveal blood covered all over his mouth. Trying to record the sight to use as evidence for the authorities, you were horrified to see your phone spazzing out and glitching whenever you pointed the camera in his direction.

Mortified as you realised that the man on all fours was devouring someone beyond recognition, you ran as fast as you can- not realising Beelzebub already knew who you were and when you saw him. The next day, when you opened the shop, you were paranoid of seeing him again..It was fine at first since he seemed to dissapear for a while.

But to your misfortune, little by little, you would see him lurking around the shop and your lovely home. Eventually, one day, as you thought his stalking wouldn't get worse, the ginger haired male decided to order something from your shop! After all, he was always a regular. Taking his order as you shuddered at every word that came out of his mouth, his frame towered over you, and seeing you face to face up so close- he flashed a smile that exposed the gnarly fangs that were once covered in human flesh and blood.

"You saw me, didn't you?"

"Why haven't you done anything? Are you scared of me? You're like a small chimpmunk..So cute"

"I can smell every part of you..And you're just filled with fear..Aren't you just sweet?"

"I won't hurt you, so please don't be afraid of me. But you know what I am, so I'm afraid I can't leave you alone"

"I'll see you later, my adorable snack sized human"

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Tags: Beel eats humans, stalking, murder, blackmail (Beel threatens to eat your loved ones if you don't do what he wants), possessive behavior, entitlemented from Beel, threatening.

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Belphegor:

Every day, you could barely keep yourself steady. Your brain was always foggy, room always a mess, and just overall, you could be doing better. But oh well, what's the bother? Things weren't that bad. You work a typical retail job. You could've done better, but it was too much of a hassle to go back to school and get that degree. You knew that if you had just pushed yourself more, you could've been doing a lot better than the same 9-5 job. But you're comfortable where you're at, and that's all that mattered to you. Plus, why bother trying when you could just live the luxurious life in your dreams without having to do much?

Your parents called you lazy for this, and your friends commented on how much your slothfulness was starting to worry them. But you couldn't care. Nothing mattered to you anyway. Going to sleep after finishing a shift, you drifted away, meeting a particular demon who would soon regularly torment you for his own pleasure and admiration. He would only come into your dreams, so he was harmless at best, or so you thought..

"What's the matter? Trying to wake up? Aww that's adorable..What? You want to wake up? Mhn..I don't want you to though. I like this.. It's easier to hold you"

"I wonder how long it would take them to find you. It's been a day since we've both been here.."

"If you want to wake up, you know that you'll have to do what I say, right? Or maybe you just need some more rest to think about it.."

"It's funny.. How many days will it take until for your body to rot into the matress?"

"It doesn't matter if you live or die. I'll have you either way. Whether it's on earth or forever in hell together."

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Tags: Forced sleep, self-loathing, dissociation, violence, mental torture, emotional abuse.

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[itshype]

Mother of the Year (DC x DP)

Here is the link to my DC x DP masterpost, and one of my last notfic I posted here was Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss, Godhood where Danny and Vlad try to manipulate and mansplain their way out of trouble with the JLA.

OK I know we do a lot of John Constantine's soul being owned by King Phantom in this fandom. And that makes sense because it's canon he sells his soul a lot,

but like, hear me out, Talia al Ghul has access to the Pits and has used them multiple times. She has reason to believe she may never die. So, what if in one of her many political manoeuvres she sells her soul for a boon. She doesn't know enough occult to do what John did (sell it to so many people that he can't die because a war would start over who actually got hold of it) but again, she thinks she might be functionally immortal.

But hey, we could even make it not one of her many political manoeuvres. I mean Damian Al Ghul was supposed to be his Grandfather's new body. Why would Ra's care if he got emotional fulfilment by moving to Gotham and training under his dad? Why would he want notorious family-man Bruce to even know about the boy and have him taken to a place Ra's may never be able to extract him from? (Yes in some canon he doesn't know, I am aware thanks).

So, she knows her father's body is failing and she's always been loyal to him (above and beyond what you could imagine FYI non-DC fans) but he'll never let Damian go and in this AU she loves her son more, and so she trades her soul. She trades her mortal soul to the King of Lazarus, the Ruler of Everything Beneath the Water in exchange for Damian's life, for his safe and unnoticed passage to Batman's side and beyond. If her father breaks free of the compulsion not to notice he will kill her without hesitation but if she has failed to secure Damian's safety and mind then she won't care.

Talia tracks down ancient texts held by the All Caste. She makes the trade late at night over her Father's biggest Pit in Nanda Parbat. She thinks the power of the Lazarus Pits will keep her safe but she didn't really read the fine print.

So about a year after Damian goes to meet his Dad, Talia gets Danny in her Assassin bedroom ready to whisk her off. Not to the afterlife, but to Illinois, America. She, as an indebted, quasi-immortal now owes this "'representative'" of the Throne of the Restless Dead near unlimited favours. And the representative's half-ghost clone has just hit a rather... radioactive puberty.

Danny figures that a liminal maternal figure will be invaluable for Dani who is struggling. Sure Sam and Jazz can help sometimes but this girl needs actual raising.

Damian, however, is not impressed that his mother is apparently raising his secret older sister in secrecy on the side when Talia seemingly sent him off to live without her.

[sinner-sunflower]

A HH Lucifer-centric AU 5/?

PART 1 , PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9, PART 10, PART 11, PART 12, PART 13, PART 14, PART 15, PART 16, PART 17, PART 18, PART 19, PART 20, PART 21, PART 22

Shirtless Luci omo

Leviathan in my head is the green and gray guy from that one picture Luci has in his workshop. The one that looks kinda like an inverted him.

I wanna say that Zestial's dialogue was put thru chatgpt cos English is not even my first language, ain't no way in hell I'm doin that manually kalsjdlka

This took me too long to write. I miss writing Belphegor's dialogues.

Likes, Reblogs, And especially Comments are soooooo appreciated &lt;3 <3

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Lucifer's show and tell earned him looks varying from worry to disgust.

Lucifer: This is done by something ancient, as old as God himself. It was the reason for the First Heavenly War.

Asmodeus: Wait, Lucifer. Are you telling me this is Roo?!

Mammon: Bloody hell, didn't we seal that bitch for good?

Leviathan: Luci, are you sure?

Lucifer merely looks back to Belphegor.

Belphegor: Very. Although we casted a very powerful seal, her energy sometimes leaks out. Nothing major.

Beelzebub: What makes this different?

Belphegor: I.. do not have an answer to that as of now. We can attempt to cast a seal again but the power of the Sins will not be enough. We need every bit of high power Hell has.

Lucifer: I wouldn't have called you all here otherwise.

Zestial raises their hand to interject.

Zestial: Prithee, pardon, my liege. But who be this Roo thou dost mention?

Lucifer: The Root of All Evil. Don't know how it came to be in the first place. In the war, it got weakened enough for God to banish it to a dark pit that is now Hell. But after I gave humanity the fruit of knowledge... it regained power. The Sins and I barely managed to weaken it again to seal it below Sloth. We were incapacitated for a long time.

He catches his daughter's eyes.

Lucifer: It took each of us close to a century to recover.

Carmila: If I may, your majesty- us overlords cannot afford to lose our power- especially for as long as you said.

Zestial: Carmila speaketh true. Thou art the loftiest powers of hell, sin incarnate. And his majesty hath the blood of angels. If it hath drained thee so deeply, envision its effect upon a mere mortal soul.

A certain TV overlord let out indignant laugh.

Vox: Are you serious? You think we'll let ourselves lose power for this shit show?

Paimon: You would think before you badmouth your king, sinner!

Lucifer moves to sit on the table, propping up a leg to rest his elbow on. He didn't bother to button his shirt back on- these demons can use the reminder.

Lucifer: You can do whatever you want. I gave you free will, didn't I?But, do remember- death reaps from the bottom first. You are free to go as you please.

The Vees stand up first, muttering curses under their breaths.

Valentino: Ugh! I knew we shouldn't have come. A waste of fuckin-

The moth overlord was cut off by his own screams the moment he passed through the door.

At the same time, Angel Dust doubled over, hand clutching his throat as he coughed violently.

Husk and the others went closer in concern, willing Angel to breath slow while also asking him what's wrong.

Valentino stops screaming as he is held by Vox and Velvette. The Goetia's look on in curiosity while the other sinners all stood up in surprise.

Angel, still holding his throat, gasps.

Angel: No way.

Husk: Angel?? Are you okay?!

Angel let out a single chuckle that slowly turned into maniacal laughter.

Husk: Kid, you're scarin' me.

Angel: I'm free.

Husk: What?

Angel: I'm fuckin' free!

Angel continues to laugh some more while the sinner put two and two together.

Valentino: What the fuck did you do?!

The overlord shouted a the king.

Lucifer: Oh right! So that's what I forgot.

The Sins began to snicker behind their King as Valentino become even angrier. The rest of the overlords who were planning to leave as well are now rooted in place.

Velvette: You can't just do that! You said we could leave! The fuck happened to free will?!

Lucifer: And why not? You all can leave and not help. I won't stop you. But I am gonna be taking all the soul contracts you have. A small price to pay for staying in the safety of your own home while we risk our lives, no?

The lights of the hotel began to flicker as the aura around Lucifer and the Sins darken, 7 pairs of glowing menacing eyes and smiles show.

The entire room freezes, petrified at the horrifying image they are seeing in front of them.

Lucifer: Or did you forget?

The Devil grins.

Lucifer: You're in my house, bitch.

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Might not update over the weekend. Most likely Monday again!

What to look forward for in Part 5:

Satan: Even with all of us, you know it won't be enough. Unless.. Can you even find her?

Lucifer: I don't know.

[ordinarydoodles]

蛙 (Kaeru)

(I wrote this poem for Misuta Day on the Misutamojis Discord, which is for fans of the Ghost In The Machine au by @venomous-qwille. Most of it is under the cut because it got long)

The winter’s melted clear away The frogs and crickets sing their evening songs with quiet joy at the return of spring

I glimpse you through the windowpane, the wavy glass a darkened pond, and you, a shadow looking past a border you can’t cross beyond.

The glinting metal of your face like drops of water, starlit dew The frogs are singing to their tadpoles 蛙の子は蛙 (Kaeru nokoha kaeru)

You were made with coded purpose, I was made with none Your place, a well with walls of stone My place, beneath the sun

And you, machine, were manufactured, cut, and crafted, and mechanic While I, like crickets, came to be by simple random chance, organic

You see yourself a separate kind than those whose hands first made your own But we are not so unalike We share the root from which we’ve grown

Scattered stardust made this world, and in that world there was a sea, and in that sea there was the start of what made you, and what made me.

The creatures of that ancient sea lived and died and lived again And their descendants learned to hold an echo of the sea within.

While generations of their dead were folded, soft, beneath the sand layers of earth pressed under waves like layers of blankets beneath a hand.

And that sea has held us both, that ancient world that we are from, and it belongs to you as well Hear the chant your engines hum:

You are made from rubber trees, The ancient life of ancient seas, The beating waves that laid the sand, like a blanket, across the land. Buried beasts that turned to oil, shining metals under soil, secret seams of copper, furled. Did you think you weren’t the world? Your mind came from a human’s mind, And, humanlike, can’t be confined You seek to change and grow beyond The binding boundaries of your pond Your own desires kick and pull against your programming, like a soul You move the chassis you possess Like a spirit, manifest. Your sum of parts cannot contain The artistry of your refrain You are more than what you’ve been There is a ghost in the machine!

Do you understand yet, seeker? We’re from the earth, and we are kin The blood in me was once the ocean The oil in you once swam within

蛙 (Kaeru), hear the cricket’s song Your tail is gone, your legs are free No well can ever hope to hold you now that you have known the sea

I’ll help you from your murky cell And chirp to coax your voice to croon Together, we’ll sing our evening song Side by side, beneath the moon

And if some stranger to our world, Came from stars far-flung and wild, They’d see us singing here and say, “Look! There stands mankind, and mankind’s child.”

[trippygalaxy]

AU Description

Since I'm unsure when ill be able to start an actual comic for this, and people are curious on the lore, have a brief and semi spoiler free description of my au!!

After the death of their son by the hands of the Hero of Time, Twinrova fuses together once more to live as one to try and revive their son. Through their trials and efforts, Twinrova finds a way to bring back their son, managing to find a spell that could do their task, but not without the need for mighty souls. Souls that spanned across time and space.

Hope was lost for but a few moments until the ancient Gerudo remembered the story of a old, forgotten, and greatly weakened Gerudo goddess. With the aid of the goddess, Twinrova was not only able to create a demi plane that existed just outside of Hyrule's planet but was also able to get the seven souls they needed.

The Links, pulled from their timelines and ripped through the empty void to this demi plane, were now forced to survive in a large arena like plane of existence as they are hunted down by many familiar and unfamiliar foes.

@valentine-snatcher

[blueshadowdad]

Hello-!! If it so not too much trouble, ice like to speak to the mod/owner of the blog..

Imagine this: Since Shadow Milk(or Blueberry Milkshake for this case-) is the biological father of Pure Vanilla, what if the other Beasts are also the biological parents of the other Ancients..? Like, Blueberry Milkshake is the biological father of Pure Vanilla, so what if...

Sugary Muffin(Eternal Sugar) is the biological mother of Hollyberry

Burning Spice is the biological father of Golden Cheese

Mystic Flour is the biological mother of Dark Cacao

Silent Salt is the biological mother of White Lily

I haven't come up with good names for the rest of the Beasts during their pre-corruption times-

Anyways, u're free to ignore this ask and have a good day/night <33

—🩷🪽

//I actually have thought about something like this. I also thought of an alt of where the Beasts corrupted but continued to raise the Ancients. Or Blueberry Milkshake took the other baby Ancients with him. Here is the post on my main where I talked about it

and for their pre-corrupted names, I like to think their "first names" are either related to their Soul Jams, color (like RED Velvet, WHITE Lily, etc.) or a flavor (Like how i have SM be BLUEBERRY Milkshake) So if I make an alt timeline/AU of this, their pre-corrupted names would maybe be: Eternal Sugar - Pink Sugar, Gaiety Sugar, Pink Velvet Mystic Flour - Purpose Flour, Golden Flour, Coconut Cream Lush Burning Spice - Red Spice, Red Pepper Spice, Smoked Paprika Silent Salt - Unity Salt, Purple Salt, Violet Sea Salt Some of these aren't that good but just throwing some ideas out there lol

[ireallylovepupplies101stuff]

IM Gods AU info

I have decided to throw yet another AU at tumblr that my dear friend @midnightfire830 and I have worked on together. So if you guys have any questions, feel free to ask the both of us!

This post will have the basic information to understand the AU better before diving into the story, like who's a god, who's a demi-god, who's a mortal, what they all do in this AU regarding powers and jobs, and what the AU world is like. After that, I'll be diving into the plot of the AU in the next post.

so for now, enjoy!!!

World Building Details- While mortals live in typical and common villages and homes, the gods and demigods tend to live in a large floating kingdom filled with castles. Each castle is named after the god who owns it. Occasionally some gods and demigods live among the mortals, hiding in plain sight and offering help to those who either find them unintentionally or seek them out for aid. The mortal villages tend to be named after the gods they worship the most in hopes of pleasing them and gaining their blessings. They also give offerings to show their respect when the gods come to visit. This AU takes place in an ancient Greek themed time period.

God Chraracters:

Mickey- God of Magic, and wishes: With his powerful magic, Mickey can and will grant a single wish to a mortal, but only if that wish is what their heart truly desires, and if it's not something that'll harm someone else. Sadly, his magic has limitations. For example, he can't use magic to grant wishes that toy with life and death, and his magic can't do anything against another god of greater power then him.

Oswald- God of the Forgotten: He isn't a well-known God, but the mortals that do know him, worship him greatly because he watched over those the world has forgotten, and gives them hope. He keeps tabs on those that worship him, which included a very beautiful cat woman who Oswald loved and cherished with all his heart.

Demitasse- Goddess of Solar flare, and warrior spirit: With the almighty power of the sun, able to bless mortals with warm sunny days, or use her intense burning powers in battle, she is an extremely powerful Goddess warrior who fights to protect and will give her blessings to noble warriors so that they will have a better chance at victory and make it home to those they protect.

Dice- God of Luck, and Greed: Not the most honorable god to worship, he is usually the God people who like to gamble will pray to for better luck, but that doesn't always work in their favor, considering his god powers include manipulating the luck of a situation where it can either benefit, or hurt someone. He uses his luck power on himself mostly, earning him the Greed title as well.

Devil- God of the underworld, and sin: The god that drags the sinners of the surface to the underworld, he's also known to have a following of gods/demi-gods with a sin-based title who are incredibly loyal to him. His followers are willing to do anything he orders of them to get in his good graces considering his tremendous power.

Saltbaker- God of Baked Goods, and Gluttony: When people smell the sweet scent of something warm and delicious, they always give thanks to him for the blessing of a warm treat to bless their soul, but sometimes the warmth isn't always enough. He is also the god people blame when someone gets carried away with their gluttony, because he is rarely satisfied and wants more. Especially when it comes to power.

Granny- Goddess of Rest, Home and hearth: A weary traveler will always give thanks to her after a long trip and they finally find a safe place to rest. Hiding among the mortals, she offers shelter to those who need it most when traveling, she blesses them to sleep well, and then sends the traveler on their way feeling ready to continue on their journey. 

Oddswell- God of health: He is the god people and doctors pray to for a person to either heal from an injury or recover from a terrible sickness. He is also the God other gods/demi-gods go to when in need of medical aid thanks to his amazing knowledge of medicine and what to use for any situation to better the outcome.

Yakko- God of chaos; God of Persuasion: While leading his siblings in spreading chaos around the world, he is also known for his power of persuasion. He can convince anyone to do just about anything without having to take away free will, and can sense when a person has no free will. Although he and his siblings are gods of chaos, the three of them are prayed to by those who desire their chaos to be used for justice. (which they are all too happy to help with).

Wakko- God of chaos; God of Prophecy: Though creating chaos for those around him and his siblings, much is misunderstood about his true power. Many that worship him argue that he can see into the future, while others claim he can see how the story of a person's life will go. Either way, if someone seeks him out for him to tell them how things in the future will turn out, most of the time he refuses to answer, claiming "spoilers"

Dot- Goddess of chaos; Goddess of Space: Creating chaos along with her siblings, she is known for her power to bend and warp space around her. Having the ability to jump from one place to another, make pocket space for storage, or to make space around her long or short, she uses her powers to further the chaos and shenanigans she and her brothers create.

Scrooge- God of Wealth: He is the god people pray to in order to benefit their wealth, considering he's rumored to be the richest god in existence. People tend to have rumors that praying to him actually don't work, considering those with wealth tend to get nothing out of their worship towards him, but people from a poor background that work hard claim that worshiping him does help.

Hat- God of Guidance: Though not a popular god to the mortals, he is the god who trains young gods/demi-gods who struggle to control and use their powers without being overwhelmed and/or causing a lot of destruction. Even if he's not exactly a gentle and kind teacher with his guidance, he will make sure those he teaches are prepared to use their powers in any way.Mortals who manage to seek him for his guidance are rarely ever accepted, when they are though, they have to be able to handle his brutal teaching.

Wilson-God of Wisdom: Living among the mortals, he is the god people go to in order to learn about anything from his incredible collection of knowledge from around the world. He is willing to help those who wish to learn with good intentions.

Demi-God characters:

Cuphead- God of Celestial fire, and rage: With the powers of the stars, when angered, he is a powerful force to be reckoned with in battle. Though when not using his power for combat, he is known for shooting stars into the night sky to create constellations that tell stories.

Mugman- God of the Sky: With the power to control the weather, he is a bit more popular with the mortals than his brother. They pray to him for good weather for the day, or to help their crops. He is however a powerful fighter with the ability to shoot lightning and control the weather with his intense emotions. 

Holly- Goddess of memories: She is the demi-goddess people pray to in order to remember something, due to her being known for her ability of remembering everything and for her love of learning.

Cagney- God of Nature and Agriculture: The demi-god that watches over the plant life of the world, he is thanked by the mortals when they have a good harvest with plenty of food, or when flowers perfectly bloom. Tends to butt heads with Mugman over the weather being bad or trying to get Mugman to make nice weather all the time for his plants.

Donald- God of Ducks, and tantrums: Though he watches over the ducks of the world, animal and duck person, when people are throwing a fit for whatever reason, he is usually the one mortals blame due to his reputation for losing his temper, often. He can also make others in the same room as him feel irritated or ready to snap when he feels the same way.

Huey- God of the Smart: Has a godly ability to use his intelligence to think through any situation. Is often worshiped by tacticians.

Dewey- God of the Tough: Has the godly ability to fight through any situation. Is often worshiped by warriors. 

Louie- God of the Sharp: Has the ability to see every angle in any situation. Is often worshiped by tacticians and warriors

Dimitri- Goddess of Justice: Helps keep order and balance in the Gods home kingdom and fights for justice in battle. Teaches mortals willing to learn how to practice justice systems, morals, and obeying laws meant to help them.

Mortal Characters:

Bendy: A stubborn servant who works under Cuphead, he works hard to do his job, but he doesn’t take garbage from other gods or do pointless things just to kiss up to Cuphead.

Boris: Living among the mortals in his and Bendy’s home village, he writes to his brother often and looks forward to getting Bendy’s letters back.

Alice: An apprentice to Oddswell, she enjoys learning how to offer medical help to those in need, and shows great respect to the gods she’s around.

Felix: An apprentice to Wilson, he aids his mentor in finding and collecting new knowledge for the world to learn.

Cala: Captured by mortals and offered to the gods as a gift, she was put on display in a giant magic glass tank for the gods to stare and admire her without fear of her turning them into stone.

Sasha: A servant to the gods, she sings for their entertainment during parties and events the gods throw.

Ortensia: A previous worshiper of God Oswald, she was one day approached by Oswald, who wished to get to know her on a personal level. Overtime she became his loving wife, and they had many demi-god children, but due to being a mortal, her time with Oswald eventually came to an end.

Cannikin: A warrior of his home village, he met and fell in love with a powerful warrior woman who would come and go from the village as she pleased, and enjoyed sparring with her whenever she was around. They had a beautiful son together, and had another child on the way when he was taken away from his family in a brutal battle. He never learned his wife Demitasse was a goddess.

[mildy-vibing]

So I made a loose AU on the little cult game.

Though, I must give ample warning. There is the canon-typical blood and violence that is associated. Though, if you're into this game, I can assume you're used to that sort of violence by now.

Allow me to present what we call 'Trapped Crown'. So, manage through the idea me and my friend made over lunch like a week ago and continue to flesh out.

So the Crown is simply named 'Red'. Sentient, and surprisingly not as connected to The One Who Waits as one might expect. I don't remember if it was explicitly said, but it is implied there were other bearers of the Red Crown (Ex. Ratau).

First digital design of Basile made by me.

So the idea was "What if a previous wearer of the Red Crown got trapped in it and is forced to help the current lamb?" And here we are. This AU is actually inspired by the many discord calls of my friend and I playing the game. She helped me plan some of the more intricate bits of it and Basile's (the player lamb) personality based off her reactions while playing the game for the first time around me, someone who is on day 273 on a maxed out cult.

This AU is Basile the Sacraficial Beast experiencing cult leader life for the first time whilst an ancient soul within the Red Crown is forcibly there to keep her company.

Basile is what we lovingly call a "golden retriever" given how we both came to the conclusion that she is optimism incarnate. A big heart and always caring for her people. She considers them close family, and is too scared to let them down. However, She is too scared to face the bishops, having to have been convinced by Red to even confront Leshy at the end of Darkwood and further convinced to crusade into Anura.

'Red' is an ancient wearer of the Crown. Having lived at least 850+ years ago. They were the first to be given the crown to raise a cult and free to One Who Waits. Now, they are forever trapped inside by the One Who Waits for failing that task. Red is a more pessimistic, "soggy black cat" (my friend, 2024), that is also a sarcastic but loyal companion to the new cult leader.

I do want to make more content for the little AU because my friend and I actually love writing and drawing for it. Though, the only thing stopping us really is our ability to keep up with our own plans. So, this may be it, or more may come out. Who will know?

[http-paprika]

Bite the Hand / Phillip Graves

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⋆★⋆ part five - sun, moon, sky ⋆★⋆ masterlist ⋆★⋆ previous ⋆★⋆ next ⋆★⋆

summary with her mind all over the place, frost goes for a run to free herself, only to come across the source of her problems.

werewolf!au / pairing phillip graves x female!reader / callsign frost / wc 1995 / warning swearing

notes so, my family has covid again which means i have no work and can focus on writing. hopefully I'll be able to write the next chapters before i go back to work. and i was losing my ever-loving mind writing this, listening to the same song on repeat to capture this chapter.

It began in her mouth, the constant uncomfortable dryness and a thirst that no amount of water could quench. She was unwilling to admit that her scent was laced with something sweet, a glow in her face, and the ache in her bones whenever she passed Graves. Like she was losing her mind, she sat hunched over her desk, face buried in her calloused hands. 

“Frost?” Lurch stood in front of her desk, staring down at her like she was some bizarre alien creature who’d fallen out of the sky. Her teammates had begun to pick up on her erratic behavior, once or twice she’d heard Dipaolo telling Vance he was glad to be born a man. Not that being a man would’ve saved her from her distress. It was a trouble that plagued many, she was just the unfortunate soul to be struck down then.

“Maybe you should get out, go for a run, go hunt. You’re acting like a caged animal. Your reports have been looking like shit.” To prove his point, he dropped the stack of papers in front of her, Frost was embarrassed by the highlighted passages. It was sloppy and humiliating to read, below her standard. “I’d hate to bring this up to the Commander but if this is going to continue to be a problem, I will.” 

“No. No. It won’t be a problem.” She quickly argued, standing out of her seat and yanking up her jacket. The early cold of winter had surprised her that morning, a welcomed relief from the unbearable Texan heat. “I’ll be back in the morning.” 

Hurried out of the office, she returned to her room and changed into running clothes, something that Frost wouldn’t mind if it got soiled or stained. She could only pray her run would be long and tiresome enough, there was a hope that it would stop the endless loop of thinking about him. As her hands slid over her body, pulling off her uniform, she couldn’t help but imagine the callouses of his hands replacing hers, a warm breath against her ears. 

Her eyes snapped open, and her own breath caught in her lungs. He’d be the death of her, and Graves would never know. 

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The smell of juniper and pine trees filled her nostrils as she finally stopped running, having gone to the northern border of the Shadow Company’s hunting grounds. Her chest rose and fell as she stared at the rapid river that divided her land from uncertainty. Frost often wondered who hunted in the lands beyond, and how far she could run without being shot at or entering enemy wolf territory. 

Below her skin, her muscles tightened and ached as she dropped to the edge of the river, rocks digging into her knees as she stuck her hands into the cold current. The water tumbled over rocks, and the crickets sang in her ears as the sun dipped further below the pines. Frost would need to plan for the evening, she’d need to eat before tempting to run the miles back to the base. But hunting alone had little appeal, and the exhaustion in her bones dissuaded her from shifting. 

She wondered what it would be like to let the rapids take her, if it would drag her south to the sea. If she could disappear like a fossil in the rock beds below the currents. Ancient fossils didn’t have to deal with the pain she felt, the tug in her heart. He was the wrong person, and more importantly, Frost was the wrong girl. It was already luck that had allowed her to cross his path, to speak to him and listen. Then there was the unspoken, fear and experience that had pushed her back into a cage. Venomous words that made her hate herself more than her father ever had. 

Frost wouldn’t offer that to Graves, he was already gracious enough as it was. But it didn’t stop her from closing her eyes, fantasizing about showing him every version of herself. Letting Graves take her in his arms, telling her the past didn’t matter.

But she knew better. 

“Frost?” She wondered if she had willed him into existence as he stepped towards the river, the hunting rifle slung over his shoulders again. The wind turned in her direction, allowing her to breathe in his smell and let out a contented sigh. “You’re out far, y’know that?” 

“Lost track of where I was running, sorry.” She said, quickly standing and trying to dust the dirt off her skin. Ever so slightly embarrassed by her appearance in front of him. Graves had a concerned look on his face as he set the rifle down, an expression she’d never seen that made her breathing hitched. 

“Lerch told me you’ve been acting strange. I’m worried about you, is everything alright?” He asked, closing the gap between them until he was standing right in front of her. One of his gloved hands comes up to her face, brushing a few hairs and sweat away with a slow motion. “We’ve moved past keep secrets, you can trust me with anything.” 

“There’s a reason they’re secrets, Graves. They’re meant to be hidden.” She said, frowning and wondering if he could feel how hot her skin was or hear the way her heart pounded against her thick ribs. Frost blinks rapidly, trying to keep unforeseen tears from falling. He wasn’t supposed to see her like that, no one was. Staying hidden with her feelings and past meant staying safe. 

“Frost, you could tell me you murdered a man and I’d help you dispose of the body. I’m not one to judge.” How familiar his words were to her, like the past was repeating itself just with a different man. A different face, a different heart, a different ending. His hand stayed on her face, brushing the hot tears from her cheeks as he waited, ever so patient.

“I can’t.” She told him, Frost hated to cry in front of anyone. A lesson engrained in her mind from a young age, a lesson she couldn’t easily forget. And crying in front of Graves felt pathetic, it didn’t matter if he was understanding. Didn’t matter how many promises he made to her and her brothers that they were safe in his company. Frost couldn’t. 

“Yes, you can.” 

“I–” She turned her gaze up to the sky which was a watercolor of violet, orange, and blue as it attempted to hold onto the sun. The knife in her heart twisted further, splitting her in two. All that flooded her mind were broken promises, gnashing teeth, and apologizing over and over again for feelings and things she couldn’t control. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how to tell you the truth.” 

Graves’ hand dropped from her face, down her shoulders, and arms, and picked up her hands. The leather rubbed against her skin, his thumb brushed over a set of knuckles. It was so caring and gentle that it made Frost want to scream. 

“Come on, let’s not stay out. ‘Bout to be a new moon, let’s go into the light.” Graves suggested, still holding onto a hand, another picking back up the rifle before he turned and led her along the riverbank. Soon, they reached a swallow crossing, and she followed him up a rocky path. In the distance through the trees, lights blinked at her in a warm greeting. The trees split apart into a small clearing where an a-frame house stood, and a truck with a Shadow Company bump sticker was parked in front on a gravel drive that stretched back into the trees. 

He’d taken her to his home. “Most the boys don’t even know this is where I live. Like to keep it that way, quiet, private.” Graves said to her as he unlocked the house, letting her into the warm interior. 

“So I’m special?” Frost asked, a bit of humor in her question as Graves put the rifle up in a cabinet before shedding his gloves and boots. 

“Very.” Her heart almost combusted as he flashed a wink at her before walking through the home, moving to the kitchen. “Make yourself at home, if you break something, I will make you buy it.”

Frost shakes her head, taking off her stained and ragged sneakers and trying to force herself to loosen up. The house wasn’t what she expected, he kept a large collection of vinyls, and his shelves her lined with books, pictures, and awards from his long life. But somehow, it made sense to her, reminding her of his cluttered office. 

“Why me?” She asked suddenly, turning to look at him in the kitchen as he poured himself a glass of bourbon. “What makes me so special? I’m not a soldier who got the medals for being outstanding, was never the top of my class, and I’m nothing to write home about here either. I just don’t understand what someone who recruits some of the most ruthless and talented soldiers and mercenaries there are sees in me.” 

“Well, it’s clear we don’t see each other the same way at all. Because you put me up on a podium I shouldn’t be on Frost.” Graves responded hesitantly, looking up at her from the crystal glass. The light danced in his eyes, his brows knit together as he looked at her. A look of a man who was giving her his full attention. “And affairs of the heart have never been logical.” 

She could’ve fallen apart right there, hearing the words leave his mouth felt wrong, unnatural. It shouldn’t be happening. Frost’s feelings weren’t supposed to be returned, they were supposed to fizzle away, staying hidden from sight. His admittance was dangerous, how easily it could destroy her, destroy the new life she’d built at the Shadow Company. Graves called out her name, her real name, which yanked her attention back to him.

“You can’t mean that,” Frost stated, backing away as Graves stepped around the counter to her. She wondered if she could find her way back to the Shadow Company base from his home. Maybe it would be better if she got lost in the woods instead, wandering like a forsaken beast. It would be more bearable than letting herself completely fall. 

“What are you so scared of, Frost?” He kept his distance, waiting until she was ready to let him in. There was a patience in his tone, something so gentle about the way he spoke that made her knees want to buckle. 

“Everything that I’ve lost and can lose again.” She admitted, gripping the wooden countertops. Her breathing had become uneven again, the weight in the air was crushing. Frost could only hope he’d throw her out in the cold, she thought she’d die if he continued to look at her like she was sun shining after a long winter. 

“I can’t change your past, but I can shape the future, and I don’t want to hurt you. You deserve everything you want, everything you crave, and I want to give it to you.” Graves was so close to her, but she was the one to reach out now. Resting a hand against his chest, she felt the rhythmic thrum of his heart. The smell of his skin was intoxicating, causing her to swallow hard. He placed his hand on top of hers, the other settling on her waist. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” 

Before she can think or speak, his mouth is on hers. Capturing her in an embrace as her teeth catch on his lower lip. He surrounded her, consuming her senses as she continued to hold onto him desperately and kiss him. The lingering taste of bourbon on his tongue, the sweet smell of pine needles radiating from his skin, and the warmth of his hands keeping her body flush against his.

Frost could’ve died happily there.

taglist (open) @iamcautiouslyoptimistic @delusionally-loveless-by-choice @bacon-sandwich-of-dionysus @anna-banana27 @unicorngirly1

[margindoodles2407]

heyyy margin I was wondering

for the sw high fantasy au, how are you planning to make the story go down? Will it be pretty similar to the movies, or will you be making any changes? Also, are you gonna be doing anything with all the crazy creatures found on every planet connect? Like, some of them are dragons and so on? Or there being different families all the creatures fit into? and finally, are you gonna include any ships that aren’t canon?

Ok that’s it XD

HI EVIE THANKS FOR CHECKING IN ON ME!!!

Okay SO. Let me answer these one at a time :D

(this is over a thousand words so it's going to be below the cut)

In terms of story, everything from the Prequels through the Original Trilogy is going to be pretty much the same. What I can tell you is that although I haven’t actually put that much thought into the Sequels yet, they are going to be markedly different from the current Disney canon in that they will combine elements from both the Disney canon and Legends, including Mara Jade and the other Organa-Solo kids (Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin as well as Ben) because they live rent-free in my mind. 

However, a few things in the Prequels especially are going to be markedly different because the way they are executed in canon doesn’t fit into a High Fantasy world, and I’ll put these as bulletpoints:

Kamino is going to be introduced very differently. While Dooku destroying all evidence of its existence works in canon, because it’s in the outer rim and canon Star Wars is a digital, data-based world, in a fantasy setting it would be extremely difficult to cover up all the evidence of an entire island- especially in regards to its references (or lack thereof) in the Jedi Archives, because these would obviously now be a paper-and-pen, books and scrolls and tapestries library, instead of a digital archive where data can just be erased. (Though, the mental image of Dooku checking out all the books on Kamino and then burning them is very funny to me. Especially if Jocasta Nu walked in on him. “Master Dooku… what are you doing?” “Oh, nothing, dear Jocasta.” *book makes a FWOOSH sound as it goes up in flames*) Instead, in the AU Kamino is an Atlantis-esque legend to the people of the Galactic Archipelago: in the days of the Old Republic, it was sunk in divine retribution for the unnatural genetic alchemy practiced by the Kaminoans. After leaving the Jedi, Dooku discovers that Kamino is, in fact, real, and that the Kaminoans preserved their ancient fortress undersea by way of a magic barrier. When Obi-Wan learns about the Kaminoan dart from Dex, his problem in looking for Kamino is now that no one takes him seriously because at every turn, it’s dismissed as just a children’s tale.

This isn’t necessarily a story thing, but the map is slightly different; the most obvious example of this is the changing of Mustafar’s location, because it and Coruscant are part of the same chain of volcanic islands- Coruscant just happens to be dormant. In fact, Coruscant’s underworld is built into the caldera of the volcano, because it hasn’t erupted since the early days of the Old Republic and is widely thought to be extinct.

C-3PO has his own new lore now. He’s the ghost of a knight- Sir Anthony Threepio, so I can keep it phonetically similar (C-3PO = Sir Threepio) and also give a little reference to Anthony Daniels- who died in a surprise pirate ambush on Tatooine centuries ago, and the stress he retains from the events surrounding his death has made him neurotically obsessed with being prepared for absolutely every possible situation. In life, he was also incredibly intelligent, and spoke almost every language in the Galactic Archipelago. When Anakin is a little boy, he meets and befriends Threepio’s ghost, and, being the kind soul he is, offers to build him a suit of armor so Threepio can be in the world again. In gratitude, Threepio swears a knightly oath to serve Anakin’s family for as long as he is able.

R2-D2 (and, actually, all astromechs) ALSO has his own lore. Astromech Gnomes are a race that lives far below the surface of the Galactic Archipelago, and have for so long that sunlight is actually toxic to them. They are gifted with a masterful knowledge of machinery- an art lost to the rest of the Archipelago- and can build and/or fix almost anything, including ships. In addition, because they live in near-total darkness, they have an excellent internal compass, so they often work as navigators. However, because they can only ply their trades on the surface, and sunlight will kill them, they use their mechanical genius to build themselves small dome-like suits from which they can safely practice their craft without endangering themselves. In addition, they can understand but cannot speak basic, due to the fact that they have avian-like mouth structures and can only speak in whistles and chirps. 

On a similar note, let’s talk about Battle Droids. I’ll try to breeze through this pretty quickly. Regular Battle Droids are necromanced skeletons (General Grievous is an ancient, undead Lich Warlord and necromances all of them), Super Battle Droids are centaur-esque automatons (in the classic sense, like in Greek and Roman mythology), and Droidekas I… haven’t actually figured out yet (if you have any ideas let me know!). 

Creatures! Well, obviously I just talked about Astromechs and Battle Droids. But yes, I have thought about this! I have a few ideas which I actually came up with while I was designing Padme’s area outfit from Attack of the Clones, and then obviously I’ve been thinking about the alien races that are too bizarre to just put into my system of “There Are Many And Diverse Human Cultures In The Galactic Archipelago”. And anyway, this is a fantasy world, we need fantasy creatures. I’ll put these in bulletpoints, too. In regards to all of these, I’m trying to keep their in-canon appearances as much as possible while just amping up the fantasy vibe, so- for example- Admiral Ackbar will still look like Admiral Ackbar, but with lobster legs. And such.

Nexu are manticore-esque

Acklays are something like a Cockatrice

The Rhino Thing whose name I can never remember? The thing Anakin fights? That’s a Tarasque now.

The Aquatic races are all types of merfolk: Nautolans are your classic mermaids, and still have their head tentacles (for reference, I’ll upload a picture of Heroforge!Kit Fisto at the end of this list); Mon Calamari are crustacean-legged; Quarren are squid-people; and the other fish-people (like the one who steals Ahsoka’s lightsabers in that one episode) are. Well. They’re fish mermaids. 

Heroforge!Kit Fisto:

Thisspiasians are like Nagas, but with four arms. 

Besalisks are centaurs. But with four arms. (There’s a lot of four-armed creatures in star wars.)

Yoda is a delightful little imp-creature. 

Kaminoans are. Well. Kaminoans. I think they’re weird enough to just leave alone.

Geonosians are malicious insect-like pixies (in the classic sense)

Darth Maul specifically is a Drider- a spider-legs person. The Clone Wars writers were cowards (affectionate), but I am not, so he keeps the spider legs.

If you have any more ideas for creatures to fantasy-ify, I’d LOVE to hear them!

Ships. Both in the boat sense and the romance sense. But I suspect you’re talking about the romance sense here :) So here’s the thing, most of my Star Wars ships are. Already canon. (A few I think might just be widely-accepted fanon, but that could just be because I’m not quite done with TCW and I haven’t started TBB yet, so that remains to be seen). HOWEVER. There is, in fact, Mara Jade, and as she is no longer Disney canon, I think it’s safe to say that she and Luke are no longer canon, so yes, there will be at least ONE non-canonical ship in this AU- that being the aforementioned Luke and Mara Jade. There might be others, which I will get back to you on upon completion of TCW and TBB. (Oh, and there’s also pre-Sith Dooku and Jocasta Nu, because old people in love is near and dear to my heart, and I don’t know if this counts as non-canon or not, but that will be at least briefly touched upon.)

I hope you found this enjoyable and enlightening. And also, you know me, if you have any follow-ups, I will be DELIGHTED to scream about those with you :D

[corrosive-equilibrium]

Ghost Speak (also known as the Spiritual Language) is an ancient language used during the prelude and early primary era within the Ghost Zone. It was the main form of communication until the introduction of limbo ghosts (souls of deceased humans and other living world creatures).

It is an automatic dialect that any ghost can understand where when a ghost speaks it or writes it to another ghost, the other ghost can understand what they are trying to say via images, emotions, and general comprehension of context being projected into their mind once they hear, see, and or feel the language. Pups (younger ghosts) learn the language by developing their skills of understanding context clues and through learning via studying and classes.

Ghost Speak can work as a way to break a language barrier by speaking, writing, or creating a physical form to either see or feel if two ghosts (especially limbo ghosts) are speaking different languages and they cannot understand each other. Nowadays, Ghost Speak is mostly used in literature alongside other languages as many ghosts in modern Ghost Zone already know multiple languages due to their extended existence.

(More AU worldbuilding information and references under the cut)

I've seen headcanons circle around via reblogs from mutuals where ghost speak is more of a projection of images into another ghost's mind rather than it working like a traditional language (if anyone can find those posts, please lmk in the comments so I can link them). I really liked the idea so I threw in my two cents of the idea, added a few things to it, and adopted it into the AU.

The audio is a mixture of a few stock sounds I found on youtube and complied them together into how I imagine ghost speak would sound like if a human heard it (References here: Haunting Eerie Sound Effect, Ghosts Whispering Sound Effect, 1 Hour Radio Static Noise, Free Horror Ambience).

As for what it looks like if it was written, embossed like braille, or drawn with ghost energy, the preview image shows ghost speak looking like zalgo text gibberish while having a faint green glow of the text floating over itself. (Note: ghost speak doesn't serve as a replacement of braille, sign language, and other languages. It's used as just another language or a language barrier breaker. Braille, sign language, and audio of other languages exist within the Ghost zone.)

This will be mentioned within the story I'm currently writing as a small worldbuilding piece.

[cocolacola]

hellsing pokemon au !!

as promised, im going back to my usual hellsing shenanigans with some pokemon stuff. ive had this in my brain for months but have never gotten around to doing anything with it! my autistic ass has absorbed information about pokemon before i could have normal thought patterns, so hopefully my takes are at least a little satisfying. feel free to interact with ur own thoughts and suggestions!

i provided long explanations of each, but if you dont want to read all that just look at the pictures :P

long post ahead!

note: these aren't definitive teams, just me throwing around ideas. don't take this as the holy grail of headcanons or anything.

seras victoria

boltund would be her first pokemon i think, her main partner from before her work with the organization. togetic is here because idk im a togetic 4lifer and im a kinnie ? it just really made sense to me, just vibes, plus i think she really needed a flying type. may become a togekiss later, that would be cute. umbreon is pip's eevee that she evolved, and blastoise is a gift from walter. i think she needs more red pokemon to match her color palette and vampire vibes so ill probably add to this!

alucard

alucard needs a legendary of course, so darkrai. i think they would be good friends, they give the same "misunderstood tortured soul" vibes. houndoom to represent baskerville, noivern to fit the vampire/bat aesthetic.

and an important distinction:

i think girlycard should have a hisuian sneasel. they're the same critter. two ancient beings.

sir integra

im surprised with how much i struggled with this one. i feel like a fake fan. smh, anyways. sirfetch'd is perfect to me-even the unevolved farfetch'd is super fitting too-but i included the final form for this post. i wanted to stick with galar pokemon, but aegislash is literally a sword. cmon. stoutland is a recommendation from a friend that i 100% agree with. ive always associated her with the serperior line, so snivy was probably her starter. i think that'd be cute. im really open to suggestions on this one because i think she deserves more steel or normal types.

pip bernadotte

this is a big one! there were so many good options with pip... and i didnt even mean to color code it 😅 i wanted him to have an electric type to match seras (to add to the whole rivals-to-lovers aesthetic), so his main partner is raichu! it was between that or mudsdale, who i also really like (and is the only one on this team who cant be found in kalos, haha). i wanted him to have a bird (for the geese) so there's dodrio. scrafty and tauros just fit the vibe perfectly to me-they're sorta like honorable mentions. eevee is originally his but he eventually gives it to seras, who evolves it into umbreon. if pip would have kept it, i think it would have evolved into sylveon (the whole kalos thing).

walter c dornez

some interesting picks for walter. corvisquire is his main guy, his "angel of death", he's raised it from a rookidee since he was a kid. maybe it would evolve into corviknight when he becomes Dark Walter. not sure how that would work. i choose not to think about dark walter. bisharp is there for the steel typing vibes as well as the chess symbolism: it really hits right for me, with walter's arc being about how he's played as a "pawn", in a sort of way. also a nod to a very dear friend of mine who loves walter and the pawniard line respectively. :) now, why leavanny, you ask? it learns string shot, of course! also because id like to think he would raise a sewaddle in his old age to help him with things around the estate.

..aaand im out of room for images in the post! i'll make a part 2 with some bonus thoughts + the iscariot organization if i feel like it. bye for now!

[kirishimasensei]

what spring does with the cherry trees (part I)

You stay at your godfather’s ludus for the summer, where you meet Bakugou Katsuki, his champion gladiator.

part I | part II

author :: KirishimaSensei (Misha) pairing :: Bakugou Katsuki x f!Reader word count :: 2.3k tags :: Spartacus AU | adult characters | adult language | descriptions of violence | ancient Roman slavery

i. "How you must have suffered getting accustomed to me, my savage, solitary soul, my name that sends them all running..."

Sword meets spear, steel against unyielding steel, sending a symphony of sparks flying from both men’s weapons and onto the sands. You can feel the roar of the crowd around the pulvinus where you sit, the vibrations finding haven in your otherwise motionless body, creeping its way through your heart like desire. But even still, the sound of steel rings in your ears, drowning out all other noises of the arena until all you can hear is sword against spear against shield.

The day is growing late, coloring the sky with a deep magenta glow that signals the approaching dusk. Though the sun is slowly descending, the heat still lays on you like a blanket, surrounding you, warming your already overheated skin as you absentmindedly call for wine.

You startle when you feel a hand at your shoulder. Your thoughts have been intent on the games, but now free from your reverie, you smile up at your godfather and accept the glass offered to you.

“I had not known you were so captivated by the games!” Todroki Enji says, pleased at the revelation, the changes he has seen in you since you were a child.

You have been away from Capua for five years now, and have returned a woman now grown. Your best friend and godbrother, Shouto, had left for school at the same time, as children of a certain age and state do when the time comes. Since then, your father has sadly passed on, your mother long since gone, and instead of staying in Rome with your step-brother and his wife, you decided to return to Capua, welcomed without question into the Todoroki household. 

Shouto had decided not to return, staying instead with his own mother to care for her once she was dismissed from his father’s home. You would miss your childhood friend, and although Shouto vowed never to return to Capua, he promised that the two of you would never be too long away from one another. 

Being Shouto’s friend, and spending so much time at Villa Todoroki, you have been well acquainted with gladiators and what the sport entails. As a child, you could barely stomach the gladiatorial games, disgusted at the senseless killing, the bloodshed. The skill that the warriors possessed, that you were intrigued by, studying them as they trained in the practice field below the Todoroki Villa balcony. But the idea of forcing someone to kill for sport, that your younger self could not bear.

“I have only now realized their appeal,” you admit before taking a sip of your wine. 

You have to hold back a grimace. Not Cestian, you note, but an inferior vino. Next time, you will be sure to request water. You hand the glass off to your body slave and turn your attention back to the display before you.

It is not the games themselves that you have learned to favor, but the gladiators who fought in them. More precisely, one gladiator in particular who is putting on quite an impressive show at the moment, leaving you fixed on the edge of your chair.

The gladiator’s hard body shines radiant beneath the Roman sun, so much that you believe that he must have been sculpted from bronze, carved with thoughtful, meticulous strokes, lovingly crafted by the gods themselves. He is made of strong lines and chiseled plains, wide shoulders tapered down to a slender waist. Powerful arms, stronger legs, a graceful jaw paired with eyes like jewels and lips like sin.

Bakugou Katsuki is the most glorious being that you have ever seen.

“A spectacle isn’t it?” Enji asks you. “Katsuki is well versed in pleasing the crowd.”

“Well versed, indeed,” you reply, though you are not so joyous. 

The thought of this match has plagued you since news of it. Katsuki and the undefeated Champion of Capua fighting sine missione – to the death. It was enough to reduce you to tremors. But now, seeing the two before you, your nerves quickly fade, leaving only longing in their wake.

Katsuki owns the arena – the sand beneath his feet, the swords in his hands, the crowds clamoring around him. His opponent will soon be his too. The day will be won and he will be the new champion.

You watch as Katsuki side steps his opponent’s attack, leaving the man sprawled upon the ground. He quickly recovers, though, and lunges for Katsuki who evades the sword meant to pierce his stomach and bends beneath the weapon. He then lands a blow to his attacker’s back, once more sending him to the sand.

Katsuki’s laugh finds its way up to the pulvinus, wrapping around you like a tangible thing. You have heard him speak in the ludus, instructing his fellow gladiators with the right combination of firm demands and helpful guidance. You have heard his voice during practice spars, taunting his opponent with playful banter. You have dreamed of his voice, of Katsuki whispering in your ear as he thrusts inside of you, passionate words made rough and thick. If you were deaf to everything but the gladiator’s voice, still you would be a contented woman.

“Does your gladiator fear nothing?” you ask of your godfather, never taking your eyes off the man in question.

“Katsuki is fear!” Enji says. “See how the Champion of Capua quivers before him!”

And how you quiver, too, now that you can share in your godfather’s mirth, for he spoke the truth. Not but minutes after his declaration, the once champion’s head rolls upon the sands, his body dropping to the ground. You cannot suppress the smile that blooms upon your face as Katsuki’s name echoes through the air, a steady throb trembling throughout the amphitheater, not so different from the one forming between your thighs.

Once back at the villa, Enji takes both you and his wife under each arm. “A celebration is in order!” he announces, pulling you two tightly towards him. “The House of Todoroki will be on every tongue in Capua!”

You smile at your godfather’s rejoicing. A celebration was in order, indeed. Katsuki’s victory in the arena has turned the incessant fire within you into an inferno, one that will not be easily quenched nor sated. The flames lick at your flesh, heating your body with a sultry sheen, so much that you fear your godfather would feel the warmth radiating from your skin.

“Truly this has been a most joyous day,” you reply, moving from Enji’s side, “but I believe it is time for me to retire for the evening. The hour grows late, and I am weary from such blessed excitement.”

“May you have peace in this night of celebration!” Enji’s wife, Kaina says. “Surely the men in the ludus are commemorating their house’s victory tonight as well. I pray the noise does not resonate too loudly in your chambers.”

You give the woman a courteous smile. “A discomfort born free from grievance. The Champion of Capua must be honored, on this, a most splendid day.”

“And what of our champion?” Enji contemplates, to your pleasure. A plan has already been set into motion, one now being carried out so easily without much prodding on your part. “Surely he should be properly rewarded for his showing in the arena,” he continues.

“All the wine he could ask for,” Kaina replies. “I’m sure the others will see that his glass stays overflowing.”

“And women!” Enji says, then turns to his body slave. “See that his bed is overflowing as well!”

You pause to feign thought for a moment before speaking once more. “I could send my slave, Hiroko, to pleasure your champion. Surely a tribute such as she would be most welcome, yet untouched as she is.”

“A generous offer,” Enji declares, clearly approving of your idea, eager to start partaking in his own celebration. “I will send someone to prepare your slave immediately.”

“Oh! There will be no need,” you say, glancing at Hiroko. The girl’s expression is veiled, but you know that you will be chided once in the privacy of your own quarters. You are in no mood for a lecture, but you know that the outcome will be well worth it. You turn back to your godfather, attempting to conceal your excitement. “I will see to Hiroko’s preparations.”

“Do you think this wise?”

You turn and consider your companion. “And of what do you speak?” you ask with mock curiosity. 

Hiroko scowls at you, and in turn, you can’t keep the smile from your face. You begin to remove your jewels as you wait for her to answer.

“You think me so dense I cannot see through your schemes?” Hiroko asks you. “I am quite aware you won’t be sending me to the gladiator this night. You plan to go in my stead.”

You laugh, quirking a brow. “You do know me so well.”

And, truly, she does. She knows you better than anyone else, and though you are younger than her, you have known no one longer. And though she is, strictly speaking, your slave, you have a deeper connection with no one else. You two share a similar visage, as well. Lips akin to one another, eyes both of identical shape but of a slightly different color, both beautiful in your own right and similar to those who regard you two only in passing. Some people remark on how she favors you, while most stay silent, all obviously aware of your father’s indiscretion.

But to you, Hiroko is your closest companion. Your slave only by birth and custom. You know your only difference is your mothers’ stations, and for a purpose unknown, the gods have seen it fit to bless you with a proper Roman birth. Hiroko was your sister regardless, and were it that your roles were switched, you know that she would treat you similarly.

“You worry for nothing,” you reassure her, but Hiroko merely shakes her head and begins to assist in undressing you. You give her nose a soft kiss. “Do not be so sullen.”

Hiroko throws her hands up with a sigh and moves away from you. “We could be caught,” she tries to explain, but her concern falls on deaf ears.

You groan in irritation as you remove your clothes and launch the bundled fabric at her. “If someone comes, merely feign sleep. ‘Tis a simple task, carried out time and time over.”

“And what of you?” she asks, walking the clothes to the closet. “You could be hurt! He is a gladiator! He put a man to grass today!”

“And how I trembled as he did!” you reply, smiling at Hiroko through your vanity mirror’s reflection as you take your hair down from your plaits. You cock a brow at her agitated expression. “Would you deny me my one desire?” you continue, pouting.

“Your one desire?” she asks, incredulous. “Never have you desired only one thing. You are a greedy girl and the gladiator will quench your thirst for now, but then eyes will be set upon new conquest. When you have your fill you will leave him as you do all things.”

“No,” you respond, appalled. “No, never. If he were mine, I would never see him from my arms.” Your eyes twinkle with mischief as you smirk. “Or my cunt.”

“The mouth on you!” Hiroko gasps. “Just because you seek to lay with a savage doesn’t mean that you have to behave as such.”

You gasp in displeasure. “Katsuki is no savage!”

“And you know this how?” she asks and you feel your cheeks heating at the words yet unspoken, knowing how they will sound in the ears of your companion. Your thoughts will seem naïve, childlike, but they are so heavy on your tongue that you must speak them anyway.

“His eyes,” you say. “The depths in which are more burning, more crimson, than any flame I’ve ever seen. How I long to gaze into them as he touches me, his war-hardened hands gripping my flesh. His voice, deep and low in my ear.”

“You talk as if in love!” Hiroko says, clucking.

“Nearly so,” you reply.

“You have yet to even share words with the man,” she says, “and now you make declarations of love.”

You don’t respond, not quite knowing what to say, so Hiroko leaves you to disappear into her adjoining room and the returns with a handful of folded clothes. 

“Will this suffice?” she asks, unfolding the stola and holding it up for you to see.

It is something Hiroko has not worn in ages, too small and too short, but perfect for you and your purpose. You drape the fabric over one shoulder and wrap it around your waist, letting it fall high on your thighs. You cinch it with a belt of woven gold thread and tassels, then slide your feet into Hiroko’s sandals.

“Come,” she beckons and then she dabs scented oil onto your skin where Katsuki might linger – behind your ears, in the hollow of your throat, the valley between your breasts. She removes the gold collar from her own neck and places it around yours.

“Should I mark your skin as well?” she asks sarcastically, eyeing your ankle. Hiroko’s bares your family’s mark, permanently tattooed to signal her as a slave.

“That seems a bit unnecessary,” you reply, smirking at your companion. “The marks he will leave on my body will be well worn.”

Hiroko rolls her eyes as you smooth down the fabric around your thighs. You admire yourself in the mirror as you speak. 

“In any case,” you say, “I am more than capable of taking care of myself. You of all people should know.”

Before she can respond, you turn around so that your companion may gaze upon your completed appearance. “Do I look a slave?” you ask.

“No,” she says. “You look a Roman in slave’s clothing. As always.”

You smile. “For tonight, it will do.”

i. Pablo Neruda, "Every Day You Play..."

a/n :: I’ve been trying to write this for literal years and I think I’ve found the motivation. But, if you’ve read something similar to this chapter before, no you haven’t :)

Also, I have big plans for this fic, so if you’d like to see more, please let me know!

[minscribbles]

Decided to go the traditional rough sketch route when it came to getting some tulum “wake up” visuals out of my head mm wanting to get better at depictions of that exposed muscle and parts of mummified scalp with thin hair remnants regrowing >:Tc LOVED drawing out the bat girl Alex  for the first time tho, very fun design to play around with

Notes of interest: Did not expect seeing such odd variety in coatimundi skull research especially when it came to length and tooth protrusion! Characters: Hyden and Alex @chocodile, Theo @kwillow  Rambling prose context read below!:

Main gist:  (keep in mind this is all limited to whats revealed so far about the shadow in main amaranthine verse so AU fun otherwise)

Group research expedition into some far off location with the hope of some leads into combating/eradicating The Shadow goop problem plaguing the world, courtesy of Hyden (most likely due to credible reports of it behaving uncharacteristically in one particular area and amassing consistently there over the years despite complete lack of population density that it would normally be voraciously seeking out to feed on). This eventually leads to the group winding up somewhere far underground (we’re talking Atlantis: The Lost Empire movie level montages of occasional dynamite use to unblock passages and paths that were assumed nonexistent until closer inspection). Until the expedition finally reaches a very well-sealed chamber (magically and physically) they decide to forcefully open and it appears to be much like an ancient tomb complete with decorations and murals.Obligatory cautious and eerie exploratory sequence that obviously leads into a raised focal point of the room, a stone-carved container structure complete w/ heavy stone well cap. Cue The Shadow goop absolutely bum-rushing into that chamber in overwhelming mass to the horror and subsequent confusion of the group, as its’ singular point of interest is breaching the stone-carved container.

Surprise! As everyone there already assumed, It’s a coffin! Bigger surprise!! Hey, wow, that’s weird The Shadow kind of looks like it’s reanimating whatever remains were in there!! Hello Tulum! :•)  asjdlkasjda oof thanks to a thumb adjacent hotkey on my mouse I lost about 3 pages worth of writing here I did in explanation regarding Tulum, her situation, and why her circumstances probably aren’t technically a case of Necromancy among other detail oriented things I can’t be bothered to redo from scratch again right now. LMAO  If you’re curious uh  feel free to reach out or reply asking more about those details;;

tldr bad short read: Mega specific series of contractual magic spells by an ancient eldritch deity tied for use with a specific individual’s (Tulum) base DNA for stupidly rapid controlled cellular regeneration/tissue growth/grafting/healing etc without repercussions of rejection or body shock. Caveat is that it only works when there is immediate proximity to biologically appropriate building block material to be used to make flesh. (ie, people fodder or the shadow sure sucked up a surplus of donor folk parts that would work for that sort of thing, huh? )

But that doesn’t account for the concept of the soul necessary in the body (soul in this context = consciousness, collection of individual’s stacked memories/experiences, basically all the pivotal formation points that made that person themself)

So before all that fun biology specific magic, this ancient eldritch being involved with Tulum first and foremost has a not really repeatable by anyone but themself magic involved in the ownership and perpetuity of Tulum’s “”soul/spirit”” via power of what dominion they have.

While Tulum is a character inspired by a combination of various Mayan civilizations of differing locations, timelines, and beliefs; The paired OC with her I keep referring to as the eldritch being/deity is a reflection of that who is inspired by Maya Mythology, rituals, and deities (particularly The Descending or Diving God)

I just haven’t fleshed him out too well yet beyond some basics as I’m still mulling over how they get on with one another;; but there’s, definitely some good messed up romance build there i keep knee jerking back to.

[yakool-foolio]

oh actually now that we’re on the tangent that’s chapter 5; how would the ending of mystery labyrinth go? in yuma’s case he initially sacrificed himself to allow makoto to tell kanai ward everything and destroy the mystery labyrinth from outside—before shinigami pointed him towards the emergency exit (at the expense of losing his memories with her). is it similar for the DKY au or are there certain things that would change for yakou’s situation

The general outline of the ending of the final mystery labyrinth is surprisingly similar to canon with what I've planned out. Makoto peacefully surrenders the fight thanks to Yuma's empathy, but Yakou is left with a tough choice. Tough, not because it's difficult on Yakou's part, but moreso for Yuma when he hears Yakou's decision. Since Yakou doesn't want to reap the soul of Makoto (which would effectively cause Makoto to cease to exist since the perfect solution is on the line), the mystery labyrinth can't be manually destroyed. Since Makoto and Yuma are both visitors, they are allowed to leave and won't be affected. However, since Yakou and Shinigami are the creators of the labyrinth, they'll be forced to stay behind as this spiritual reality crumbles away until nothing is left. Yakou knows it's best to stay behind so that Makoto and Yuma can go free and expose the truth of Kanai Ward.

"I entrust that you two will bring the ultimate truth to light. You'll do a lot of a better job than I ever could in all my years as a detective."

Yuma immediately objects, not wanting Yakou to disappear. The rookie insists there must be another way out, but Yakou sadly dismisses his pleas. Makoto is slower to express his upset with Yakou's choice, but eventually speaks his mind, his determined tone contrasting the cries of the original.

"My love for Kanai Ward pales in comparison to yours. I'm just the rogue homunculus who showed up one day. You, however, were born and raised here. Your memories are proof of that. Don't let your blood and fangs make you think otherwise. This city would fair better hearing the truth from another citizen just like them rather than me, anyway."

And yet, Yakou remains stubborn and selfless. He reflects Makoto's statements back at him.

"You can carry on my legacy just as I have done for my original. You're the CEO of Amaterasu, everyone looks up to you. They'll want to hear from the one who's at the top of it all. All I can do is offer a pitiful pat on the back. But you have the power to make great change."

Understanding the impossibility of changing Yakou's mind, Makoto accepts the decision. Yuma has been hugging Yakou tightly the entire time, but it's time to finally let go. The chief and rookie share their farewells. Yuma joins up with Makoto, and the two are warped back to the real world.

Yakou sinks into the bittersweetness. He drops the solution blade and kneels to the ground. Before he can accept his fate, Shinigami lightheartedly kicks the sword back toward him. She chuckles sweetly, flashing a mischievous smile.

"You knowww... Makoto may be the big, bold emperor of Kanai Ward, but every ruler and his kingdom needs a knight."

Shinigami reveals the emergency exit to a flabbergasted Yakou. She tells him that he's free to leave, but their pact will come to an end and he'll forget all about her. Yakou bows in thanks for all that Shinigami has done to help him and his detectives. Before Yakou exits, Shinigami wraps her wings around her Sir in a distant hug, careful not to get too attached when they're about to depart. Yakou stakes the solution blade into the ground, then turns to welcome the light of the exit. Yakou Furio, the knight of Kanai Ward, won't become an ancient legend. He'll be the everlasting protector his home needs.