#Uses possession magic to gain the power of a demon.

[snowwydaydreamr]

Freaklet’s Father, the most Wretched villain of the last century, a man whose criminal background exceeded any villains' wildest dreams in Statua City. A Man who one day, stumbled upon ancient rituals performed by his ancestors by pilfering around in an old home he’d inherited from his grandparents. He found old rituals detailing the creation of old magic tools forged from the blood of magical beasts, an old near-powerless ring, and the aforementioned rituals which also detailed the summoning of the spirits of the beasts whose flesh became the tools man in ancient time used to conquer the world.

Summoning a Demon of Pride, he went on to massacre both friend and foe, leaving a horrific scene of ash and blood wherever he travelled. Doing it all for money and fun, the egotistical man was slain at the height of his reign of terror after the Demon he’d summoned gained enough sacrifice to become a Devil. She’d learn of his betrayal, and in violation of their original contract she killed him and remained dormant.

The news will have you believe the former Hero of Selflessness, now retired, had been responsible for ending the horrific duo. However, this is only partly true. As she sat, completely lost in her newly acquired mortality as a Devil feeling the once lost sense of a heartbeat that the spirits of old once mourned, a spear was plunged into her back and her damned soul was sent back to hell from which she originally began.

Returning to hell with her accomplishments made her one of the top matriarchs of the underworld. She grew to despise the disrespectful nature of other devils, instilling in her only child the kind of nature that would ultimately contradict her wishes later in their life. Raising a child that’d ultimately be very bad at being a villain. While she had high hopes for their own reign of terror, Malice grew to be a rather respectable youth and despite his mischief nobody ever came to be harmed by “The Freak”, or Freaklet as everyone knows them.

Malicious was raised by his mother to never disrespect her, but what she had not realized, was that she did not clarify that it was only her that they had to respect... Fortunately for Freaklet though, despite everything that happens, they end up finding contentedness, and happiness with their life. Being proud of what they’ve accomplished and protecting the people and the things they hold dear to them. Despite not becoming the Demon she’d hoped, Freaklet does become something that their mother ends up finding peace with. 

Because at the least, Freaklet will never be that man.

[harunayuuka2060]

Professor Trein: I've never seen your classmates- I mean, your students this behave.

MC: They just value their lives, professor.

Cerberus: Grrr...

MC: Oh. Is there anyone trying to cheat?

Random student: !!! *immediately rips off his cheat sheet*

MC and Professor Trein: ...

Professor Trein: Can I borrow Cerberus for my history class later?

MC: Sure thing, professor. But how about, Lucius?

Cerberus: Grrr...

MC: Aww~ Look at you, Cerberus! You're such a good boy! Be good to Professor Trein and his cat, hm? I'll play with you together with Lucifer after you finish your task. *pets him*

Cerberus: *wags his tail*

The students: *thinking* Curse Crowley...

Barbatos: Great work, MC. Here's your Hell Coffee.

MC: Thanks. *takes a sip* Ah.

MC: So bitter.

Barbatos: *chuckles* It's more bitter than before, isn't it?

MC: *smiles* Yes. *then their face saddens*

Barbatos: Is there something wrong?

MC: I just missed Luke and Simeon.

Barbatos: Hm. Then why not invite them here?

MC: ...

Barbatos: Don't tell me you have forgotten that you possess the power of the Ring of Light?

MC: ...

MC: *facepalm* Yes.

Barbatos: *chuckles* I figured. Now, don't sulk and enjoy your recess.

MC: Thank you, Barb.

MC: Vil... What are you doing here?

Vil: I've heard from your demon butler that you are turning yourself into an angel to gain access to this Celestial Realm.

MC: Yes?

Vil: I must see what you will look like, potato.

MC: ...

MC: Okay. I think it'll be fine if you're the only spectator- Lilia, what are you doing here too?

Lilia: Same reason. *while holding a camera*

MC: ...

MC: Whatever.

Solomon: *chuckles* You're famous even here, huh?

MC: More like infamous, but yeah. Anyway, Sol? Mind lending me a hand?

Solomon: No problem. *uses magic to change them*

Vil and Lilia: *in awe; also Lilia not forgetting to snap pictures*

MC: Okay! I'm ready to get my baby!

Solomon: And your other husbando.

MC: Right. *breathes in*

MC: I am the magician, MC…Ring of Light! Heed my words! Open the way forward and create a path where there was none!

MC: Unlock the Gates of the Celestial Realm!

Vil: Ugh... Everything is bright! I can't see a thing!

Lilia: Good thing I have my sunglasses.

Vil: *frowns*

*The light disappears after a few seconds and MC as well*

Solomon: Yup. I'm sure they are in the Celestial Realm right now.

MC: ...

Simeon: ...

MC: *ended up straddling him*

Simeon and MC: *both blushes in embarrassment*

MC: I am sorry!

Simeon: *chuckles* I thought for a second that I had committed a sin.

MC: Come on now. You're calling me a sin?

Simeon: *chuckles again* No. I mean, I have been thinking of you for a while.

MC: *smiles* Sorry for being gone. I got into some sort of... unexplainable event.

Simeon: Oh?

MC: By the way, is Luke here? I'm here to invite you and him to this new world I'm living in.

Simeon: Is it similar to Devildom?

MC: No. It's a bit similar to the human world, except with magicians.

Simeon: Oh. *smiles* We would love to be there.

MC: Great!

*Back to Twisted Wonderland*

Diavolo: Simeon! Luke! I'm so glad to see you again!

Simeon: *chuckles* We're glad to see you too, Diavolo.

Luke: Yeah!

Lucifer: I'm surprised you easily got permission, MC.

MC: What permission?

Lucifer: ...

Simeon: MC snatched Luke in front of Michael. *laughs*

Luke: *giggles* It was fun when the other angels started to chase us!

Lucifer: ...

Lucifer: MC, why you-

MC: It's my parental rights, Lucifer.

Lucifer: ...

Malleus: That is your son, child of man?

MC: Yes! Isn't he adorable?

Luke: *staring at Malleus and wondering if he's a demon*

Malleus: How old is he?

MC: Um. He's ten. Yes. He's ten years old.

Luke: *pouts* MC! I'm over a thousand years old!

Malleus: ...

Malleus: What? You are older than me? *squints his eyes*

MC: Mal, don't. *knows that he's judging his height*

[jazzyblusnowflake]

OKAY SO

since yall wanted me to talk more about this Demon!Uzi and Hunter/Exorcist!N,V,J au I'm just gonna write down my ideas here just to get them out of my head-

thanks to @purrple-bat for helping with some of the ideas :D

some details may be nsfw cuz i mentioned it previously so that's your content warning🔞

also there may be plot holes and its not fully complete or whatever im just trying to get this out of my head 😭 main ship is NUziV // ViolentBitingBiscuits

the Au is an urban setting- not a forest and fantasy dnd kinda thing-

Tessa is the leader of several groups of teams that are demon hunters and exorcists.

J, V and N are in the same team and those are their codenames.

Uzi is a halfie, with Khan as the human parent and Nori as the demon parent. they are referred to as "Changelings" too.

Uzi cannot be exorcised from her demon side or she will become a mindless unresponsive zombie. methods have still not been found on how to exorcise these demons and disabling their powers without killing them, mostly due to the lack of anyone caring.

Demons feed on different things related to humans, mostly their emotions, with a heavy preference on fear, pain, anguish and etc

some more bolder demons will kill or drink blood of humans but even in the demons society that's a taboo and if any leads are traced back to you being a demon, you will be eliminated by your own kind before the humans can get to you.

Uzi was caught by accident, fully blended in as a human.

She's cheeky and likes making humans miserable and playing around with them, but she's not really one of the threatening ones, she doesn't want to or care about hurting them.

Doll is a full demon and is kinda like a sister figure to Uzi [but not really cuz sometimes they f-], always advising her to get away from humans and she might end up getting hurt or some shit.

Nori has multiple lovers, she feeds off the love and lust but she considers it a just a treat, she's actually one of the most powerful demons around and absolutely loves feeding off of nightmares, trauma, horror and dread. she does have a soft spot for khan tho as her only human lover. khan is generally just dumb for loving a demon as his wife. smh

Nori is a high ranked demon meaning she could share her energy with other demons if any of them would want to pass as normal humans and just live in society. also could send out demons to capture or punish one of their own for breaking rules.

Uzi starts out weak but upon capture, bluffs a lot about how powerful she is and that she likes to play around with them.

They keep Uzi to get information out of her about other demons.

On attempts at getting away she does end up getting closer to N.

Uzi likes feeding on misery and angst but the genuineness of Ns affections made her thirsty for more.

She ends up also getting closer to V from bantering and sometimes talking about stuff and etc and sometimes sparring and fights when she attempts to escape. N saves V at one point before Uzi did some real damage. V grew to actually respect her more after that.

Uzi was let go after a while since they checked and she wasn't really at a power level to threat anyone [much to Uzi's resentment that she could be powerful if she wanted to >:( ]

Hunters and exorcists have magical seals hacked into their bodies for protection. their arms have these symbols that can be used as weapons that appear in translucent shapes like claws and shields and swords. 5 pair of vertical eyes appear above their heads and a glowing X marks their face when they are using their powers- marking that the demon cannot get into their heads. their eyes glow gold once using their powers despite the original color of their eyes.

the same kind of powers and seals appear on demons but they don't hack it into their bodies, they gain it with ranks. demons have human forms and demon forms, changelings are just weaker from the beginning. unless they are possessed...

V and N start giving Uzi "treats" whenever she helps them out in catching more dangerous demons. this ranges from kisses, bites, their blood toooooo more intimate stuff :3 at first this starts out as an idea to get her to talk but after a while V couldn't help but to feel affection towards this pint sized little gremlin.

Uzi gets overwhelmed when she is showered with affection by being in the middle of V and N, she is touch and affection starved and she gets easily addicted to it, wanting to claim the two as her own.

V and N putting seals on Uzi that makes her enjoy their touches and intimacy more but edging her and keeping her from releasing until she gives them the info they need. Uzi probably would tell them the info anyway- she just likes to see how far she could handle the two before she breaks into a begging, pleading mess.

Uzi purrs and does everything in her power to keep anyone from finding out...

Drinking demon blood makes Hunters gain more power, and drinking human blood makes demons feel pleasure and ecstasy as well as gaining more power, especially if the human is a hunter/magic user.

Uzis wings are sensitive and she likes to clean them with a wet cloth. N and V like to help her with this. and her tail mouth too lol.

The demons have a hellish demon sect that even they all fear... i think you can guess who the head of it is...

Aaaaand i think thats all for now idk. bye- //exploads

[vigilskeep]

i was discussing some of these a while back with @v-arbellanaris but they’re still on my mind... some ideas for dragon age subclasses...?

mage:

hedge mage - you have spent much of your life on the run from chantry control, and survival has been a better teacher than any dusty book. a “jack of all trades, master of none” ability lets you learn limited spells from other specialisations, and you have access to a stealth skill tree

glyph scribe - you are a learned expert in the arcane, and glyphs are a second language your enemies won’t understand until it’s too late. you have access to a unique skill tree of glyphs that react when your enemies step on them. you may cast one—or more, as you level up—during the pause at the start of combat

primalist - fire was your childhood plaything, the earth is putty in your hands, and lightning always strikes twice if you ask it nicely. you have increasing bonus damage in your element of choice. your elemental AOE attacks have wider range, you may ignore enemy resistances to elemental damage, and your elemental spells cause no friendly fire no matter the difficulty

rogue:

templar hunter - you were once a deadly weapon in the hands of the templar order, bringing back its most feared apostates dead or alive. whether or not you regret the past, you cannot leave it behind. you have access to a templar skill tree, some of its abilities exclusively possible to use at long range

vampire - you were temporarily possessed by a voracious demon, and it left its mark. it left its hungers. you may drink your enemies’ blood to regain health or fuel demonic abilities

arcane trickster - while blades or bows are still your best allies, the trace of magic in your blood gives you limited access to spellcasting. unable to create anything real enough to touch, you manifest illusions that bemuse your foes. you have access to a unique skill tree of primarily defensive buffs and disorienting spells

warrior:

dog lord - like all great fereldan warriors, you are never better than with your trusty hound at your side. you gain an animal companion, though unlike rangers, you level up your mabari as you progress rather than unlocking different types of animal. you can also equip kaddis warpaint on yourself instead of a helmet, providing further buffs to you and your mabari

enhanced soldier - you were born ordinary, but that doesn’t mean you have to remain so. you supplement your skills with powerful potions brewed by secretive alchemists or your own careful hands. you have access to a unique skill tree, with a variety of potions that temporarily boost your stats and attack speed or allow you unnatural power. to improve them even further, collect special ingredients from areas of the map where the veil is considered thin

half-golem - you are a failed experiment. attempts to recreate the golems of old left you with thick stone skin over parts of your body. you cannot equip armour or weapons. instead, you equip crystals that help you inflict and resist different types of damage, and have access to a unique skill tree that supports your natural armour and powerful unarmed attacks

[a-small-writer-in-a-big-world]

Witch/Demon AU

Where the reader is a witch and task force 141 are the demons you made a pact with. (Slight fantasy elements because of magic)

Warnings: demons (not religious tho), made up witchy things, pretty much just fluff for this one

Kinda long I just wrote stuff

It had been a mistake, a big one but a mistake nonetheless and now you were a witch with four different pacts to four different demons

You almost don't want to call them demons since they act pretty much like regular humans, especially since they have human jobs in the military

Almost

The boys will always remind you just who you made a pact with, whether that be by scaring you (unintentionally or not) or showing you the full capacity of their abilities

They're not over at your house very often since they work a lot but when they do have a break they will show up in your house unannounced

You've been startled before when you see Gaz chilling out on your couch watching TV or Soap is napping on your bed

Soap likes to spook you using mirrors or by showing up randomly

"Soap I'm in the shower!"

"And I'm dirty as hell scoot over."

Price doesn't visit often as Soap and Gaz do but you've noticed that the house gets a little warm when he does and you wonder if he does it on purpose of if that's just him

Ghost visits but he doesn't make himself known as often as you'd like

He's scared you more than once when you've spotted him in a corner or within the shadows of a dark room

They act like your house is their house

Technically, it is now that you have a pact with all of them but that doesn't stop you from being upset when they've eaten all your food and racked up your bills

"All of you have to start pitching in or I'm sending you back to wherever you came from."

Naturally they do it because you could easily do that to them

Having four pacts means you've become quite the powerful witch

Your magic is powerful

You can do a lot of spells that many witches can't and sometimes you have to be careful or else you could hurt yourself

They like watching you cast spells and do rituals, though they've gotten rid of the summoning ritual since you don't need any more pacts

The boys are very protective of you

Anyone deemed a threat to you will surely regret it and the only reason why they would still be alive is because you've told them they can't do it

You've come close to seeing their true forms, but they're quick to make sure you don't

"We just don't want to give you nightmares." Gaz smiles and you always look at his sharp teeth

All of them have wiggled themselves into your dreams before for the hell of it

They all refuse to possess you unless you ask them to, they may be demons but they have manners

You like it when they show their horns and tails because they're all unique to them

You're an unofficial member of Task Force 141

Overall, you gained four new friends who happened to be demons who have to do what you tell them to but they like you so they will anyway

Tags: @deadbranch @writeforfandoms @tiredmetalenthusiast @coleishere @xintothewoodswegox

A/N: pretty generic but maybe I’ll write four separate fics for each of them so they can get their love equally if you guys like it

[whumpsday]

3 whumpy anime to check out this spring!

Go Go Loser Ranger is a heroes vs. villains anime where the villains are the good guys and the heroes are downright evil. Having wiped out all the powerful monsters more than a decade ago, the heroes keep the weakest monsters captive, to parade around and torment on a weekly basis while the public believes otherwise. Because they're immortal when hit with most weapons, they'll always reform to be hurt over and over again, despite feeling all the pain.

Footsoldier D is one of those weak monsters, an immortal shapeshifter made of dust, called a "duster". After escaping the heroes' arena, he forms a plan to kill the heroes and steal the few weapons they have that can permanently kill dusters, freeing the rest of his kind. Given that he has the constitution of a porcelain doll, he can't use strength to fight: he has to rely on wits, stealth, shapeshifting (despite knowing very little about humans or the outside world), and a shaky alliance with a double-agent ranger who seems to be taking advantage of him for her own gain.

Whump tags: villain whumpee, hero whumper, immortal whumpee

Watch it on Hulu, Disney+, or any unofficial anime site.

And if you don't have time to check out a whole anime, the Go Go Loser Ranger opening theme video is also really good, with fantastic visuals symbolizing D's struggles!

An Archdemon's Dilemma is a romantic comedy stuffed to the brim with popular whump tropes. Zagan is a demonic sorcerer who attends an auction for the possessions of another recently-killed sorcerer, when he sees that one of those "possessions" is an elf slave, Nephelia. Having had a destitute, harsh past himself, he feels a rush of sympathy and buys her way out, vowing to ensure her safety. However, Nephelia is terrified, believing she's about to be used as a sacrifice in a dark magic ritual. And unfortunately for both of them, Zagan is a socially awkward loser who sucks at communicating.

It's surreal seeing something that looks like it could be a caretaker-new-master whump fic as an actual, fully-realized anime. It definitely doesn't take itself too seriously despite the premise, leaning heavily on the "comedy" part of romantic comedy, and is mostly just a silly time with lots of whump-adjacent stuff thrown in. Fanfic-y to the point of "there's only one bed" being an actual line.

Whump tags: fantasy slavery (very pet-whump-esque in its tropes), caretaker new master

Watch it on Crunchyroll or any unofficial anime site.

The Grimm Variations is an anthology of horror retellings of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales. With each episode being written and directed by different people, it varies wildly in quality, with episodes ranging from laughably bad to incredibly good, but I'm here to talk about episode 2: Little Red Riding Hood.

The Little Red Riding Hood takes place in a dystopian future where the upper and middle class use virtual reality technology to augment their reality. One man, Grey, is tired of this and craves the real: specifically, the feeling of real blood spraying him as he murders countless women, his wealth and connections protecting him from consequences. But when this serial killer makes the mistake of targeting a woman called Scarlet, he finds himself on the other side of the knife. This episode is a complete and utter gorefest with multiple onscreen torture scenes.

This isn't even my favorite episode of the series, it's like my 3rd favorite. But episode 2 is the one with the gruesome torture scene, so it's the one that goes in this post.

Little Red Riding Hood whump tags: whumper-turned-whumpee, torture, gore

Little Red Riding Hood warnings: sexual assault, eye gore, fingernail gore, violence against women, major character death

Watch it on Netflix or any unofficial anime site. Orrrr if you just wanna watch the big torture scene without any of the context, it's on Youtube.

that's all I have for now :)

(P.S: Dungeon Meshi, while not really whumpy as a whole, is also currently airing and very very good and I might write whump fanfic for it at some point in the near future. Netflix or any unofficial anime site.)

[inkyminx]

I couldn’t resist so have a character that appears in most adaptations of JTTW cause I like the concept and that it’d be fun instead of sticking a character to one series.

Experimental & whatnot. R.I.P spine and sleep schedule BUT HEY— IT FUN.

Have Some Trivia ~

The name’s Kaihua Haizi!  开花孩子

Kai Zi for short.

Panamanian White-Face Capuchin.

Gay, He / Him

Is a mystic, not born from stone.

Born on Flower Fruit Mountain.

Be loyal or kneecaps be backwards, sassy, strong-willed, brutally honest, curious & aggressive.

May have broken someone’s bone in an arm wrestle. Or two. Or ten—

A singer & performer: mostly ballet & acrobatics.

Has some kind of romance or camaraderie with Wukong (depending on the version) & often a mentor for successors and young.

This guy will make a sh!t ton of movie references (mostly Emperor’s New Groove) .

Kind of a busy-body.

Pretty much an older sibling type/guidance for the younger monkeys in FFM.

That or the guy that trains said youngins and newcomers, often times the kiddos being dragged back by him unconscious later.

Is a tad older than Macaque and Wukong. (Headcanon: Don’t know if it’s proven, but to me- Macaque is older than Sun Wukong) (more related to LMK) .

Gained Immortality through witchcraft and that one time Wukong stole the longevity peaches.

Possesses appearance manipulation, flora & black magic.

Uses hairpins, needles & a Guandao-like blade.

Was burned with an iron as punishment by the Heavens for being connected to Wukong and taking part in his war against them (hence the mark on his chest) .

Will Lion King his own kid (MK, Destined One, Fruity & Chenxiang watch out) .

And for the adaptations, continue under the cut!

Mei Hou Wang

Was raised alongside Liu’er by the former king after losing his parents as an infant (Headcanon, not sure if proven) .

Nicknamed “Hua Hua” by Shihou right after meeting him.

In a kind of love triangle with Liu’er & Shihou as they got older.

It’s unknown how their ending will go but it remains lighthearted and fun regardless (fvck off Nine Headed B!tch) .

Close friends and dance partners with Yutu.

Accompanied Liu’er during his training with the deer master (more so to keep an eye on him/babysitting) .

May have spied on Liu’er much after noticing something was up after his first encounter with the Nine Headed demon (can’t remember his name, sorry) .

Definitely hung Ginseng on a tree branch a few times as discipline.

Likes to tease Havoc and the monkey generals for days on end.

Nicknames Shihou “Shidi” for fun.

Started wearing his hair with a braid after Liu’er started it one day while enjoying the sunshine.

Played a LOT of pranks on the generals as a cub.

Was born with the mark on his chest as a symbol to his power in flora in this version.

Was taught singing and dancing to “ease his buffoonery” by the former king.

Kinda went the other way but still kinda worked?

Owns a flower-made promise ring Shihou made for him.

~

LMK

Calls Macaque “Shidi” to mess with him in this version.

In their youth, Kai & Sun Wukong were in a relationship for a couple of years (basically a friends-to-lovers situation) .

PET NAMES ARE A TRADITION.

Introduced the shy Macaque to Wukong.

BOI this version’s chaotic tendencies go through the Heavens compared to the others (minus one) .

Was friends with the Brotherhood and often hung around together, getting drunk most times (minus Peng) .

Sorry Macaque, gonna have to drag TWO drunk primates back up the mountain this time.

Pranked tf out of Peng and lesser demons in his youth.

Got into an argument with Wukong right before the Brotherhood’s attack on the Heavens, leaving some strings torn.

“I’m not gonna stand on that battlefield and watch you die!”

Stayed with Macaque on FFM until his fight with the King.

Left FFM after his friends’ battle.

Now lives in the mountains of The Red-Buttocked Horse Monkey (Headcanon as seen in Sheng’s story) .

Plays a similar role to Macaque with MK in S1 but doesn’t try to uppercut the kid.

In fact, this guy is a pretty frequent customer of Pigsy’s Noodles before this but hid his history during that time.

Kinda.

Tang: YOUR THE MONKEY KING’S LOVER! 🤩 Kai: Ah sh!t, here we go again.

Makes up with Wukong after season 3, seeing him interact with MK and Macaque, and his change.

While not back together completely, the two go DAYS being menaces & buddy-buddy once more.

MK: Your technically my fifth dad, right?  Kai.exe Stopped Working.

~

Reborn

Is Sun Wukong’s close friend & comrade instead of pursuing a full relationship.

Appeared briefly in the town during their search, covering most of their face to hide themself.

Was caught by Fruity at one point in the town but the monkey not carefully shoved the baby in the pile of a vegetable stall.

Was hinted by Wukong when Fruity asked if he had someone waiting for him back home.

This guy is a lot more…mysterious & dark vibes in appearance than the usual chirpy but still holds that prankster/fun vibe.

Aside from that, there’s not much about him in the movie since he only appears in the background and is only mentioned verbally once.

~

1996

TBA

Will be created once I finally find a decent translation without signing for a subscription and whatnot.

~

Black Myth

Like most, Kai and Wukong were close comrades and eventually started a somewhat more intimate relationship before the Journey.

MANY years later, Kai plays a supporting role and guide for the destined one (similar to Zhu Bajie) .

In this version, Kai does appear as an elder (though not as much as the old monkey in the beginning) but does revert back to his true age near the end.

Age Appearance Manipulation do be like that.

Lost his right arm & left eye a period after Sun Wukong’s death.

Kai, to The Destined One: “When I was your age—“  Zhu Bajie: *repeats in spongebob mocking*

Despite not actually being able to be so GOD does this guy have a great time being an old man/monkey.

To Destined One: “FVCK ‘EM UP, SONNY!”

~

Havoc In Heaven / Lotus Lantern

This version doesn’t really do much in the story of both aside from what’s already been said, including an intimate relationship w/ Wukong, mentoring and taking care off the young monkeys, etc.

Their romance is more subtle in this version.

His design is more of a mix of the opera & ballet, but simplified to match the style of the animation.

If you thought LMK PeachSong (yea) was a chaotic pair, BOY LET ME TELL YA—

In the latter, Kai is sometimes seen either behind the lotus Wukong sits on doing his own thing (mostly just listening & basically giving off the “old married couple vibe” or being a guardian type to Chenxiang as he trains.

Grandpapi & Grandpapa be here wrecking so much havoc (badum chsss) .

[troperrific]

/ekuoto spoilers chapter 71/

I figured we would be going through the circus tent first. The fact that it’s made of Mr. Priest’s memories is interesting enough, but I like that we’re seeing only happy memories.

For example, at the beginning, when they go enter the location where the orca’s show should be, they immediately get transported to the beach.

Because although his first aquarium date with Imuri was fun, the orca show was likely a bad memory: Mammon possessed an orca, almost killed the kids and Priest had to work again. So it has no place in his “perfect dream world”.

Which makes me curious about this:

Is this foreshadowing that Mammon could break into the dream world? Could Imuri reach Priest with her art (literally)? Will Priest’s bad memories eventually leak into this “perfect world” and threaten the people inside the tent? Who knows…

Also, I guess we can add “photographic memory” to Daniel’s increasing list of abilities.

Makes sense that Becú would fall down considering that she’s both a novice at being a witch and has been shown to be a clumsy and nervous person.

But seriously, why insist on the brooms?! That’s just asking someone to fall down and hurt themselves. And then there are nudists like Charlotte, whose ass would surely suffer horrible blisters were it not for magic, I suppose. Still!! Some consideration would be nice?? Find some means of travel that’s safer and more comfortable?? Minus points for your leadership, Vir!!

Okay, silliness aside, Vir’s comment about his powers flourishing because they might be closer to hell paralleling with Dante’s own comment about being stronger because they were likely closer to Heaven towards the end of Part 3 got me good.

I’ll wait a bit more, but the parallels between the Sloth and Gluttony arcs are super fascinating to me.

Also, this particular conflict is nothing new:

Most of the characters pushing their values onto Mr. Priest is nothing new. The Church, the witches, the Demon Lords, all of them do it. If anything, this is hilariously like… those standard sitcom tropes where the parents keep arguing about their child’s future.

I’d like to note that… to me, this matter will always be a bit more complicated than “everyone sees Priest as a tool”.

I think most characters do feel sympathy towards him to different degrees. Otherwise we wouldn’t have moments like Vir telling him to live freely because he’s sure the boy’s suffered under the Church, Dante regretting how he couldn’t help him enough, Mikhail musing that he was glad Priest could show his suffering to others at the end of Part 4, Daniel acknowledging his fault in Priest’s declining mental health, etc.

It’s just that almost everyone thinks they know what’s righteous or how the world works or even what’s the key to happiness, and they push and project those values and their own issues on Priest due to his role as The Chosen One.

But regardless of how they feel about Priest, it’s a fact that here, the factions of the Witches and the Church are prioritizing the fate of the world and Priest as a “symbol” and “soldier” rather than as a person.

I talked about it a bit here, a few days before this chapter dropped but… I see both Vir and Daniel as the most selfless motivation-wise… they both want to save the world! They devote themselves full heartedly to their cause, regardless of what or who they lose along the way, nothing is more important than the greater good to them, I think not even themselves! Deeply heroic spirits… but the way they go about it… goodness, it can be so, so vile. And because they essentially intend to use someone who never wanted to be the world’s savior, it becomes rather selfish in a way.

Daniel wants to protect the world, but what kind of world is he protecting if he’s still going to rely on a mentally-ill teen?

Vir wants to change the world, but what kind of change is he proposing when he’s doing exactly what he condemns the Church for, indirectly trampling on the weak to gain power and intending to use a child to fight for him?

And of course, there’s Imuri:

Imuri is simultaneously the only person who’s definitely prioritizing Priest over the world’s fate, but she also has the most selfish motive of all characters this chapter.

She, unlike the others, doesn’t care about whether he can save or protect or change the world, nor does she care to expect that from him.

However, she, like the others, is not thinking about what Priest might want. The (imagined?) danger of him becoming someone else’s is her biggest priority right now.

The manga goes on and on about themes like instincts vs rationality, selfishness vs selflessness (and how the two are not as black and white or well defined as they might appear at first), etc.

So this whole discussion and series of disagreements between the characters is not just about Priest. It’s about the on-going conflict the author wants us to think about.

Is it right to sacrifice the happiness and freedom of one person for the happiness and freedom of the many, like Vir and Daniel propose here? Utilitarians would say yes, and that’s why Daniel, Dante, Heisenberg and even Vir act like they do. But the manga has already shown us through Mr. Priest how awful and cruel that truly is.

Is it right to ignore the suffering of the world just for your own desires or for the sake of one person (be it yourself or someone else)? The demons work along these lines of thought, and that’s how they think it should be, but still remain lonely and feel unloved and unfulfilled. In Part 4, we’re shown that, this line of thinking also hurts Priest, whether it be because of Imuri playing along Asmodeus’ game, or because of his own disappointment in himself during chapters 54 and 55, where he laments giving into his own desires due to the betrayal of his own morals.

Where is the middle ground then? How can it be achieved?

The answer to that is yet to come, if there’s any concrete solution, but I do think the author has already told us where the characters can start:

Behold, the one character who is constantly stuck between the two “philosophies” above: Leah!

If Priest’s depression is everyone’s responsibility, then it is up to them to fix things and make amends.

If the world is everyone’s responsibility, then surely, talking and apologizing and making amends and moving forward together…

Hm. Who knows.

To finish these thoughts, I just have one question:

(The one on the right is from Priest’s memories in chapter 42)

WHO THE HELL IS THIS?

Who is this spooky creepy demon?? I don’t know him??

Imuri’s fujo vision goes into two extreme ways it seems?

(Or maybe, just maybe Bel will have a creepier form? A scarier side? Please?)

On a side note… I wonder what are Mr. Priest’s thoughts on homosexuality…

[hermitcraftheadcanons]

Skizzekai Au- Character and Group Summary

Very long summary post! This contains information on every single hermit, established group, and major plot event. Summaries are below the cut.

KINGDOMS AND GROUPS

Skizz's Adventuring Party

Team ZITS! Skizz, our main hero, quickly found allies in the other three. Tango was his first ally, and Zedaph joined up because of his alchemy skills. The alliance was a bit strained after Zed brought Skizz back from death and gave him some difficult and annoying tasks to do, but now they're closer than ever. Impulse came to join them after hearing rumours of the new hero. Grian and Mumbo are not formal party members, but show up to help from time to time.

ConVex Travelling Merchants

Scar, Cub, and False roam throughout the kingdoms, selling wares and taking both money and names! They also may be a little bit possessed. Neutral forces, both helping and messing with Skizz, they're in this mainly for fun and profit.

Lore Kingdom

Ruled by Joel, this kingdom has a heavy concentration of magic affecting fate and stories. A group of seers called the Watchers were the ones who made the hero's prophecy, forseeing Skizz would be needed- and so Joel summoned him to this world. Naturally, they've been on his side the whole time.

Ice Kingdom

A harsh and frosty place ruled by Queen Stress- and one of the first places hit by the great evil, slowly draining the magic and life of the citizens. Thankfully Iskall, the queen's bodyguard, seems to have some sort of protective aura, keeping the palace and those nearby safe. The native iskallium crystals, capable of pulling energy from the environment and turning it into pure magic stored within, might be one reason this kingdom was targeted so quickly. They also cause the eternal winter of the kingdom, drawing in heat. Ice Kingdom artificers are known for the incredible magitech iskallium can be used in.

Undead Republic

Formerly a kingdom ruled by Ren, after the crown passed on to Cleo she declared the place a republic. The votes that followed landed her in charge anyways, with Ren as second in command. All sorts of undead live here, including the half-ghost Joe and the drowned Gem. The kingdom is currently dealing with an infestation of strange blue lichen underground. It's sensitive to sound and seems to be able to infect people into monstrous and deadly creatures.

Evil Empire

Lead by Evil X, this is the big bad of our story. The citizens here are mainly demons, using magic drawn from risk, danger and gambles, often used to form contracts. EX himself has found a way to drain magic from the world into himself, stealing it from the environment and the people. He uses this to gain power, create loyal constructs that take the shape of other people throughout the world, and also to power a really good hot tub. Unfortunately for him, dissent grows in his citizens, and at least one- Impulse- betrayed EX's side completely.

Jungle Guardians

Deep in a sprawling, deadly jungle, four hermits make their homes. Acting as guardians, they help adventurers safely pass through. Their forms are created from the environment around them, with Bdubs being all plant, and Etho having a metallic shell around his leafy center. Doc likes to change things up, constantly adding and replacing new parts. Beef is as of yet undetermined.

Pirates

There exists a kingdom that is not quite a kingdom, oceans ruled by whichever captain, warlord, or general scoundrel happens to be most listened to at the moment. False used to be one of them, leading a crew of harpies. She still visits from time to time. Wels used to be part of her crew as well. Xisuma also joined a crew of pirates once, thinking the flag meant they had bones to spare. He was wrong, but they let him tag along anyways.

HERMITS

(alphabetical order)

Bdubs

Species: Jungle Construct

Bdubs is made entirely of leaves, moss, and vines. He is NOT small, thank you very much, he is above average for his species. Along with the rest of the NHO, he protects the jungle he calls home. Has powerful plant magic. If provoked too far, may unleash a terrifyingly powerful aura.

Beef

Species: Undetermined

Protects the jungle with the rest of the NHO. Seems to be a perfectly normal, if slightly creepy, farmer.

Cleo

Species: Zombie, previously Fae

Prime Minister of the Undead Republic. Cleo leads her people well, and is currently fighting against the sculk infesting the tunnels. Has an army of constructs and puppets, but is willing to hire adventurers to help out. Friends with Joe and Ren.

Cub

Species: Fae (Sculk?)

After a deal with the Vex leaving him slightly possessed, Cub runs a traveling shop full of magical wares with Scar and False. Unknown to them, he had an interest in the other, nonmagical world. One thing lead to another, and he managed to build a functional portal, only to find that the sculk living in the cracks between dimensions followed him back. It's starting to take over him, slowly but surely.

Doc

Species: Undetermined/Varies, presumably Jungle Construct

Protects the jungle with the rest of the NHO. Constantly changing his form, adding new traits and replacing old ones. Also has the ability to grow to kaiju size. Made a portal to the human world with Etho, just to see if they could.

Etho

Species: Jungle Construct

Despite being of a normally short species, Etho is seven feet tall. This may be due to the fact he has formed a metallic shell around his plantlike inner body. Not quite in control of his aura, which is constantly projecting a slight threatening feel. Made a portal to the human world with Doc just to see if they could.

Evil X

Species: Nothingness

The ultimate villain of the story. EX has been draining the magic of the world, trying to maintain his form with stolen power, as well as just for fun and to make himself stronger. Maybe take over the world while he's at it. Rules his own kingdom, and created the Hels Hermits with stolen magic. He's created a fake prophecy to justify his rise to greatness. A tiny bit of magic is used to power his hot tub, which is filled with water from a magic spring and actually helps all the stolen magic cohere. Since the magic he's stealing is helping form his body, EX's appearance is constantly shifting based on where he most recently took from.

False

Species: Harpy

Used to lead a crew of pirates, but after a deal with the Vex she had to leave. Now travels with Cub and Scar, although she does meet up with her old crew sometimes. Recently, shes taken to hunting down Skizz, due to the bounty put on his head... if only her companions were more helpful.

Gem

Species: Drowned, previously Human

Skizz isn't the only hero of prophecy this world has seen. Gem was summoned for the same reason, not too long ago. She used to have angelic, feathered wings, and wield powerful light magic. Unfortunately... she failed.

She was struck down, and the ocean saved her, by changing her into a Drowned. Undead, adapted to life underwater, and with the wings she used to have only broken scraps on her back. Now, her light magic burns her. She can't use it. But she was still working on saving the world! It's moved on. It's replaced her. So she sets a bounty out on Skizz, to teach him what happens if he fails too.

Grian

Species: ????? Entity???

Grian is... strange. He appears different to everyone, seeming like one species or another, with the only constant being that he is known to be powerful. In truth, he's simply not able to be understood- a being sewn into the very fabric of the world, deeper than anyone else, perhaps made entirely of pure magic. He used to be a member of the Watchers, getting thrown out of the group because blowing things up is "distracting" and "makes it hard to see the future". He still knows a few tricks though, such as being able to recognize if you've been a subject of prophecy. He also likes fishing.

Hypno

Species: Human

Changelings are a rare thing in this world, a few sneaky fae slipping between dimensions to swap out their children. Hypno is one of those humans who got taken. His fae "family" had plans, ones that relied upon the human ability to adapt to magic so easily. They kept him away from any strong sources of magic... until it was time. That night, when the plan was pulled off and Hypno felt the magic moving inside him and trying to twist him and feeling so very wrong wrong wrong, was the night he ran away. He never wanted this. Was he just some kind of tool or exotic pet to them? He just wanted to stay human.

The deal EX offered him was almost too good to be true. A simple watch, capable of absorbing the magic that would otherwise be mutating him. He could feel at home in his own skin. And the payment? Just the magic the watch stole. Basically free! So what if it worked a little too well, slowly draining the magic around him if he stayed in one place too long? He can keep moving. It's fine. It's better than not working well enough. He needs to stay himself.

Impulse

Species: Demon

A former citizen of the Evil Empire. Having grown up under EX's rule, living and working there his entire life, he had doubts but didn't think he could make a difference. Maybe the prophecy could save them if he held on long enough.

He saw Gem try, and fail, and lost hope entirely. So he kept his head down, worked hard, got promotions, did what he needed to survive. If the chosen one couldn't win, what chance did he have?

Until he heard the rumors of a new hero, of them gathering an army and growing stronger. He left, joined up with Skizz, and has become a great ally and friend. Shame that his old coworkers think he's a spy for them now. Hopefully his new friends don't believe it.

Iskall

Species: Undetermined

A citizen of the Ice Kingdom, and Stress's bodyguard. His original name was lost in a bet a while back, but Stress only uses it for silly pranks, and he likes Iskall better anyways. Has a strange aura full of magic and life, working as an energy source, and protecting the area around him from the draining darkness.

Jevin

Species: Slime

He is a slime guy who does slime magic. Likes hanging out with Hypno, and doesn't understand why the guy doesn't want to be magic. It's fun. In fact, Jevin is made almost entirely of magic, which.... may be a bad thing if he's going to spend so much time around Hypno.

Joe Hills

Species: Half-Ghost, previously Human

He may be a citizen of the Undead Republic now, but Joe will always introduce himself as being from Nashville, Tennessee. He did use to live there! Ended up in Hermiton after Doc and Etho made a portal and found him. Thinking it was a scam, really he should have just left, but he was curious.

Joel

Species: Minor God

He wasn't always godly. Due to the kingdom he rules being so full of lore magic, the belief and opinions of his people had a strong effect on him. Originally an ogre, he's gone through quite. a few transformations, and finally settled on aacending to godhood. As a god, he can look however he wants, although a ogre-like form is still most comfortable. A really tall and handsome ogre, though.

Keralis

Species: Unicorn

He's a unicorn. And a menace. He's got an ego, only uses his magic when he wants to, and claims he can see the value of souls. Keeps calling XB the princess of the lake.

Mumbo

Species: Weakened God

Mumbo used to be the god of the night and all its creatures, until Grian accidentally stole half his power. That power was, again accidentally, used to create the species of vampires, which Mumbo now greatly resembles, right down to his ability to turn into a bat. Grian still feels bad about it. As for Mumbo himself, he turns up to help the heroes now and again, and may or may not follow them around in bat form.

Pearl

Species: Fae (Mothlike)

Pearl was once the queen of her own kingdom. It was a wonderful place, known for nature magic helping them grow anything. When a talking dog came asking to be her advisor, she made the decision to accept its offer. From its advice, her decisions got more and more cruel, her powers stronger, and the hound grew into a beast. The queen corrupted, and so did the magic.

But one day, it all got too much. Pearl realized what she had done, slew the beast, and exiled herself. Her powers faded, she keeps her head down. Now she just tries to live her life and have fun, doing her job delivering mail.

Ren

Species: Werewolf, previously Fae

Him and Cleo were friends since childhood. Even when she got zombified and he got bitten by a werewolf, they never gave up on each other, and even bonded over it. They formed their kingdom together, and these days Ren is second in command of the Undead Republic. They're still very close.

Scar

Species: Fae

A wizard who made a deal with the Vex, and now travels around selling enchanted wares with Cub and False. Jellie is his familiar. Took Skizz's name at one point, but gave it back after Skizz found Jellie, who had been missing. He also keeps letting Skizz go whenever False captures him, for various reasons each sillier than the last.

Skizz

Species: who knows at this point, previously Human

Main character. Was summoned from Earth to defeat a great evil and save the world. Joel didn't quite explain how, so he's just doing his best. Currently, he's going around to different kingdoms, trying to get them on his side.

When he was summoned, he was still wearing his suit he had put on for work. It didn't take long to annoy a wizard, who cursed him so that he can't wear sleeves. The sleeves of his suit then proceeded to explode. Thankfully, the rest of the suit picked up durability magic somewhere.

A more important magical item is his necklace. It was made as a sort of battery for mages, charging up and storing ambient magic. When full, it bleeds off excess energy by sending it into the wearer, which normally results in boosted magic. Unfortunately, it is currently on a human, who has no magic of his own.

The result of this has changed Skizz, attuning him to the world's magic, and causing dragonfly wings to sprout from his back. He can feel the faint electric-current buzz of magic in his chest and at his fingertips. He's become able to learn and use the magic known by his friends, channeling their power through him.

Skizz's life on Earth was not a good one. It was boring, monotonous, and stressful. Wake up, work, go home, sleep. Is there any wonder he prefers this fantastical world over it? When everything is over, he chooses to make his home in Hermiton, with his new friends.

Stress

Species: Fae

Queen of the Ice Kingdom. Has Iskall's name, but only uses it to be silly.

Tango

Species: Undetermined, presumably Fire Something

Tango has strong fire magic, but it's hard to control- it's tied to his emotions, flaring up with anger or fear. He has to keep calm to properly control it. A side effect of this magic is that he has a prehensile tail made of fire. It also reacts to emotions, but in a much more harmless way, perking up when he's curious and wagging when happy. He doesn't use his fire much, preferring to rely on a deck of magical cards, each with a different effect.

TFC

Species: Unknown

TFC likes to mine. He spends his time in tunnels underground, mining in many different caverns. Nobody is quite sure what species he is. Dwarf, goblin, fae, and construct have all been theories, but none turned out to be right. The one time Skizz encountered him, he simply gave him the gem he'd been looking for. After all, why not help out? He doesn't have the energy for nonsense anyways.

Wels

Species: Selkie

A former member of False's pirate crew. Wels is proficient in bard magic, weaving power into voice and song, and he's also good with a sword. Most of the time, he wears his sealskin as a cape, appearing human. He has a second set of armour that fits his seal form so he can kick ass underwater.

XB

Species: Water Spirit

Lives in a lake fed by a magical spring. This is, in fact, the place EX got his hot tub water from. XB is not happy about this. Leave his lake alone!

Xisuma

Species: Nothingness (+Bones)

A puddle of nothingness that learned to sustain himself and build a solid body from bones! He finds them delicious. At one point, he joined a pirate crew because he thought the skull and crossbones flag meant they had bones to eat. They didn't, but they were nice and let him stay. Over time, he found a way to grow his own bones, poking out of the nothingness that is him. It doesn't even hurt to pull them out.

Zedaph

Species: Undetermined

Originally, Zed was just a normal alchemist, with a little reality distortion magic. Somehow, he happened upon the secret to immortality. There was not supposed to be a secret to immortality. Death didn't make it possible. When Zed did it, Death Himself showed up, extremely confused. He took Zed on as an apprentice to try and figure out how that even happened, and hasn't succeeded yet.

As Death's apprentice, Zed has the ability to bring people back to life- not even undeath, just straight up life. He has a rather terrifying reputation, but he's friendly, if a lot weird, and prone to making those he revives do silly and almost impossible tasks for him. For fun, of course. Revived Tango at one point, and accepted a card full of luck magic as payment.

Hels Hermits

Species: Various, may or may not be the same as their original due to the different types of magic used in their creation

These are constructs, people formed and brought to life from the magic EX stole. They work as his underlings, endlessly loyal and just as evil as he is. Notable members include Helsknight, EX's personal guard, Badtimes, a diplomat, and True, a spymaster.

PLOT IDEAS

- Skizz, after being summoned, ventures around the land collecting allies and getting the help of various kingdoms

- At some point, ZITS raid EX's palace, presumably to try and defeat him

- During the final battle, Skizz manages to channel the light magic Gem still holds deep inside

- After his journey is complete, Skizz is sent back to earth... only to find he no longer feels like he belongs there. Using the last bit of magic stored in his necklace, he contacts the Hermits, and asks to be summoned back home.

- In exchange, Hypno is sent to live on earth, after a bit of preparation from the former humans. He no longer has to worry about magic changing him, and now he can make new friends, without having to keep distant to avoid draining them.

[kirisakiss]

— hi guys!! i’ll be updating this every few days so check if you wanna know more! :)

Character profile (WIP)

“let our blood intertwine the way our love does.”

TW: Suicide mention, child abuse, neglect (?)

GENERAL INFORMATION

— KANJI: ヴァンソーン・ヒカリ

— RŌMAJI: Vanthorn Hikari

A living puppet, one of the many attempts of Karlheinz to create the perfect creature, Hikari was adopted alongside the Mukami brothers from the orphanage, but was kept locked in Rotigenberg for a long time as Karlheinz experimented with her. Lilith, he called her, his first prototype.

— ALSO KNOWN AS:

Lux Mortis (Real name) Lilith (by Karlheinz) Bitch-chan, Hypocrite-chan (by Laito) Lux (by Ruki and Azusa; her real name.) Hika-chan (by Kou) Hikari (by Yuma) Annoying woman (by Kanato)

— HER NICKNAMES FOR THE DIABOYS:

WIP

PERSONAL INFORMATION

— AGE: 18 (physically) — BIRTHDAY: January 25th — SIGN: Aquarius — STATUS: Alive — RACE: Human? / Doll? / Homunculus? / Humanoid thing? — GENDER: Female — SEXUALITY: Bisexual with no lean! — HEIGHT: 167 cm — HAIR COLOR: Brown (dyed), Bone white (natural hair color) — EYE COLOR: Turquoise — OCCUPATION: 3rd year High School Student at Ryoutei Academy — AFFILIATION: Karlheinz, Mukami Family — RELATIVES:

Karlheinz (Caretaker?)

— HOBBIES: Drawing — FAVORITE FOOD: Rice and Curry — CV: Saori Hayami

APPEARANCE

(insert an illustration i havent done yet !) WIP

PERSONALITY

WIP

HISTORY

Born to Lysandra Mortis, a woman renowned for her otherworldly beauty and rumored to possess magical powers, Hikari's early years were tainted by tragedy. 

Lysandra, a prostitute whose enchanting beauty captivated her clients, met a grim fate at the hands of one of them, leaving behind a small baby with eyes as bright as the stars. Lux, as she was named, was born into a country torn apart by conflict, and her mother’s death added to the countless casualties of the war. Her father was never in the picture; leaving her orphaned and alone at a young age. Lux was placed in an orphanage, where she endured years of neglect and hardship like the majority of children that were victims of the war. 

Lux inherited her mother’s rare beauty, which captivated those around her. She was considered a beautiful child, with bright turquoise eyes resembling gemstones and ivory, long wavy hair, decorated with a pale, almost doll like skin; which made her stand out among the multitude of children. 

Thanks to this, Hikari was given nice treatments, she was given beautiful clothes, toys, and delicious food that she had never even seen in her life; along with a room of her own that was in a better state than the others. However, her beauty became both a blessing and a curse when the orphanage's caretakers, desperate to make ends meet amidst the chaos of war, started offering children up as merchandise and "entertainment" for the aristocrats in the country. 

Lux was one of the first children to be offered, and she quickly became one of the most popular among the aristocracy to use. She quickly gained fame by being compared to her mother, some of them called her“little Mortis”, directly comparing them. They enjoyed seeing the bruises form in her skin, and the contrast the scarlet of her blood made against the white of her hair. 

Her innocence was ripped from her without a warning, leaving behind scars that ran deeper than the surface ones showed. 

Hikari’s only comfort was a small group of kids she met through Kou, a bright child that approached her one day in the aristocrat-filled clubs, a victim of the same fate she had endured. 

One day, a tall man with white hair, arrived at the orphanage, promising hope and happiness to Lux and her friends. Karlheinz was his name. He took Lux and four boys to the demon world, where Lux would see her best friends for the last time. 

Waking up in an unfamiliar room, Lux found herself alone with Karlheinz, who revealed they were in Rotigenberg, her new home. Karlheinz, aware of Lux's potential from her mother's stories, began experimenting with his magic on her. He gifted her a new heart crafted from his powerful magic, granting her abilities beyond those of a normal human. His plan was starting, and she was to be one of the first subjects.

However, as his experiments progressed, it became apparent that Lux's severe trauma rendered her unfit for the role of the perfect "Eve" he so craved. “Lilith” he called her. The original, broken one. 

Disappointed by his failed experiment, Karlheinz slowly withdrew his presence from Lux's life, leaving her alone in the tower where she had been subjected to his experiments.

The abandonment by Karlheinz, after initially showering her with attention and affection, shattered Lux's fragile state of mind. Faced with reminders of her past torment, she resorted to drastic measures to cope with her pain, including cutting off her long, silver hair that made all the memories from her childhood come back like a knife against her skin.

Years passed, and just when Lux had resigned herself to a life of solitude, Karlheinz returned with a new proposition. He presented her as a crucial component of his Adam and Eve project, a pawn in his game now started game with fate. He renamed her Hikari, meaning "light," perhaps as a cruel reminder of the beacon of hope she once represented. Desperate for a sense of belonging, Lux accepted her new identity and dyed her hair brown as a symbol of her desire to leave her painful past behind, she grew it again, but kept it shorter than it used to be in her childhood, and resorted to wearing thick chokers again. 

She had one mission, to serve as motivation for them to fulfill his plan. She was then sent to the Sakamaki mansion under the excuse of a new bride, her true motives hidden beneath a façade of compliance and obedience perfectly crafted to charm the potential "Adam"s.

RELATIONSHIPS

WIP

ABILITIES

Immortality - Hikari ceased to age due to Karlheinz's experiments, and cannot die of natural causes. Her immune system is almost perfect, so human illnesses don't really affect her, she can only die if the wounds are too much for her body to heal itself.

Faster Healing - Her body has the ability to heal from injuries at an accelerated rate. Wounds that would be dangerous to humans heal within a short moment for her.

Enhanced senses - Hikari’s senses are heightened to be more than a normal human's. She can see better, hear better, and moves with grace and agility that surpasses human limitations.

Magic - It's unknown if Hikari's talent with magic is due to Karlheinz own magic or due to her mother's supposed one; but it seems she has an easier ability to it than a common human.

ETYMOLOGY

Hikari's name is written in katakana, but can also be written in kanji as 光.

Both of her names Hikari (ヒカリ) and Lux (ルクス) mean "Light" - Lux being in Latin and Hikari in Japanese, her name just seems to be a translation unlike how the Mukami's have different original names. (Like Yuma being called Edgar and Kou Emilio).

Her last name "Vanthorn" (ヴァンソーン) comes from the word "Vanus" in Latin, which means "vain" and the English word thorn.

Her real last name, "Mortis" comes from the Latin word "Mors" which means death.

TRIVIA

WIP

[a-still-small-vox]

Free Steve x Bucky AU prompts!

First I'll list the brief concepts. If that's all you need, take it from there! Otherwise, I've included more thoughts and details on each below the cut. All these prompts are very flexible. You can take them how they are, or feel free to make any changes based on where your inspiration takes you. Your city now

(But if you do make something using one of these, please let me know! I wanna see~)

Steve AUs loosely related to canon

Steve's shield has a soul

The serum made Steve's skin become an unnatural colour (like Schmidt turned red)

Steve is an alien whose biology doesn't jive with Earth's environment and that's why he had so many health problems, but Erskine can help him

Steve becomes small!Steve or large!Steve based on his emotions and willpower

Steve has Grim-Reaper-like powers that come from his near death experiences

Steve's powers come from his art (and he uses them to help freed!Bucky heal)

Steve's powers come from his art (and the Winter Soldier has to rescue him from Hydra because of it)

Bucky AUs loosely related to canon

The Winter Soldier is a computer construct (like Zola) who has possessed Steve's phone

The Winter Soldier is a real ghost, with special supernatural abilities

The Winter Soldier has frost-themed powers

Bucky is a robot built by Howard Stark to be Steve's sidekick, who gains sentience and falls in love with Steve despite not being programmed to do either of those things

Bucky is a monster who was doing a great job of pretending to be human until Hydra got their hands on him

Bucky is an arctic god who watches over frozen Steve

Bucky is Steve's guardian angel but messes up and has to be rescued by the person he was supposed to be guarding

Wraith Warrior AU: the Tesseract grants Bucky magic blue glowy powers

Different setting Bucky AUs

Bucky is a folkloristic creature suffering in a circus sideshow; Steve comes to free him

Modern AU where Bucky suffers from feelings of doom that come from the lives he endured in other universes

Fix it AUs for Bucky's fate

(I.E. AUs that make Bucky being the Winter Soldier a little less terrible for him, or not happen at all)

Bucky uses a mind palace to escape losing himself to the Winter Soldier

Bucky stores his memories prior to being captured so the Winter Soldier can someday find them

Steve's force ghost protects Bucky in captivity

Between 1944 and 2012, Bucky & Steve share dreams

Hydra accidentally makes Bucky too powerful

Bucky has advance visions of his fate and is prepared to accept it, but Steve says "fuck that"

Bucky & Steve survive WWII and have to chose whether or not to go to the future, and once again Steve says "fuck that" to getting there by creating the Winter Soldier

Steve & Bucky 2010s reunion AUs

Steve & Bucky fall in love despite neither of them knowing Bucky is Bucky

The Winter Soldier anonymously messages Steve whenever he gets the chance

Steve finds Bucky's frozen body and has to defrost him (oooh, huddling for warmth, oooh)

Bucky decides to "surveil" Steve from afar, but leaves Bucky-themed post-its around his house

Steve is the only person who remembers Bucky existed; everyone else has mass amnesia about him for some reason

Other pair AUs

Bucky & Steve have a magic bond; if one is still alive, the other will be too

Bucky & Steve have a telepathic bond that reactivates when Steve comes out of the ice

Bucky & Steve are a pair of superheroes who can take each other's pain and heal each other's wounds

Roleswap: Steve is found by Hydra after the crash; Bucky falls into a glacier in the Alps and is frozen for 70 years

Steve is a god of death, Bucky is a god of sex (or they both are different kinds of demons), and they decide to participate in World War II together

Bucky & Steve were prisoners in neighbouring cells

Bucky & Steve are bound by the red string of fate, but mistake it for an omen of death

AUs based on other stories

Steve is King Arthur, Bucky is Merlin (although the other way around could work with small!Steve)

The Last Knight AU (Steve is Michael, Bucky is Fisk)

Howl's Moving Castle AU (small!Steve is Sophie, Bucky is Howl)

AUs including Peggy

Peggy is a superhero like the Black Widow

Peggy and Bucky rescue Steve from the arctic

According to 2010s!Shield, Peggy is a supervillain

Other AUs

The Howlies crash the Battle of New York

The Howlies are unmoored from time and become legends

Steve somehow ends up with a prosthetic that matches Bucky's

Details below:

STEVE'S SHIELD HAS A SOUL

The vibranium used to make Steve's shield remembers its past lives as other things. It was strong and secret in the depths of the earth. It perhaps was forged for a warrior in Wakanda. Or it was set aside and never made into anything, aching to be useful someday. Or maybe it simply gained its soul by being forged into a shield, and is eager to help Steve as much as it can.

This was sort of envisaged as an outsider POV story from the point of view of the shield, although that's not necessary if you don't like it. The abilities it could have range from subtle (always hitting the target, dealing extra damage, having perfect timing, etc.) to as bold as the shield being able to fly by itself, or even having a spiritual manifestation as a ghostly winged warrior. If you're a fan of fix-its, remember that the shield was part of the reason Bucky fell from the train. If it was sentient, it would certainly not allow that!

THE SERUM MADE STEVE'S SKIN TURN AN UNNATURAL COLOUR

This idea stems from the fact that Schmidt turned red, and Bruce, who had a modified version of Steve's serum, turned green. I'm envisioning blue for Steve, but any colour that isn't a normal human skin colour would work. What would it be like if Captain America didn't turn out looking like an ideal white man? Would they make him hide his face with a mask or makeup like Schmidt does, or forgo the USO tours entirely and send him right to Europe, hoping he'll get himself killed in action before anyone has to see him?

Bucky actually he doesn’t mind Steve looking strange and gives him sci-fi themed pet names. So despite Steve's fears, their relationship is fine. Steve is pretty sure no one will ever find him attractive, but it’s a small price to pay for the power to save lives and have Bucky's back.

As for Bucky himself, if he does get captured he also receives a modified version of the supersoldier serum. Maybe he would turn silver (like his metal arm). Maybe if Steve rescues him from Azzano, only patches of his skin have changed colour, and he anxiously tries to hide them.

STEVE IS AN ALIEN

Like Superman, Steve is actually an orphaned alien. However, unlike in Superman’s case, Earth is not so compatible with Steve’s biological existence. (Atmospheric composition wrong, high susceptibility to diseases his immune system isn't used to, missing dietary element which gives him pica, etc.) That or the technology or biological function which allows him to appear like a normal human is very taxing on his body, especially if his true form has more limbs than a human’s and has to be strongly repressed. (Extra arms, a tail, tentacles, or wings, for example.) Steve himself may not know what he really is, he may have guessed but is not certain, or he may know because his adoptive mother knows.

Erskine is a xenobiologist. He recognises Steve for what he is immediately and wants to help him regardless of whether or not Steve will fight in the name of human freedom in return. Perhaps Steve spends months in a healing pod until his body catches up with how it’s supposed to be, or perhaps Erskine hurries the transformation along like in canon. Either way, Steve ends up looking like an alien. Then maybe Erskine helps him disguise himself again, but with the warning that he can’t stay disguised at all times or it’ll fuck him up again, since he’s fresh out of the healing pod.

Steve goes off to the front, and during his Bucky rescue at Azzano he loses his disguise. However, Bucky recognises him anyway, maybe by his voice or the way his eyes look. Bucky places great trust in him, especially after retrospectively recognising some of Steve’s odd behaviours as alien characteristics. (Like, "Ohhhh, so when you used to make those weird noises in your throat it was because your real form can purr, ohhhh I understand everything now.") Despite Steve's fears that Bucky would never accept the real him, Bucky does, and loves him just as fiercely as he did before if not even more...

STEVE'S PHYSICAL SIZE CAN CHANGE

After the serum, Steve’s body grows and shrinks based on the strength of his resolve. If you see him large, his faith is unbreakable and he will NOT be stopped. If you see him small, something bad is going on in his head, and most people never ever see him that way.

Steve would be Paul Bunyan himself if it meant getting Bucky back. (I imagine there is a size he simply cannot grow past, but that's how he would feel.)

STEVE'S POWERS COME FROM HIS PROXIMITY TO DEATH

Steve has faced death so much due to illness that he’s half grim reaper. He doesn’t look like much, but his bones are rotten and held together by shadow.

He rescues Bucky directly from Hydra, and the feel of the cold void of death is the most comforting feeling Bucky has ever known. This could go super dark, where either Steve is actually coming to take Bucky’s life so he doesn’t have to suffer anymore (and the lives of all those Hydra agents as well), or it’s not Steve, it’s just death. (And Bucky could become like Steve, or he could just die, but comforted.)

STEVE'S POWERS COME FROM HIS ART (and Bucky is already freed from Hydra)

Small!Steve is a superhero who uses his sketches to shape the world into the way he sees it. The rescued Winter Soldier shows up at Shield, meets Steve, and imprints on him like a duckling. Steve draws sketches that show Bucky as the person he wants to be. These sketches and Steve's subtle magic help Bucky heal. Bucky is amazed that anyone could actually see him as the redeemed person he wants to be.

Alternately: Later Steve reveals that he felt uncomfortable using his powers to change how Bucky is, even if it was in ways that Bucky wanted to change. These sketches have no magic in them beyond Steve’s own feelings and being able to see Bucky as the nuanced being he is. They worked on Bucky for the same reason that Dumbo's magic feather does. Being able to see himself through Steve's eyes was enough to change Bucky's mindset about himself to the point where he could start his own healing.

Alternately: Steve has no powers at all, only Bucky thinks he does. The Avengers keep him around because he's their friend and they like his art. His superhero costume is an inside joke between the Avengers, but also representative of the respect they have for his character and his mundane but hard won talent.

Alternately: Bucky meets Steve living as a civilian and realises he has powers through his art. He takes Steve to meet the Avengers, who think Bucky is imagining that Steve has powers, but he actually does have them — Bucky is just the only one attentive enough to notice.

STEVE'S POWERS COME FROM HIS ART (and Bucky is not freed from Hydra yet)

While the Winter Soldier is on a mission, small!Steve sees him and draws a portrait of him. One of Bucky's handlers notices and wants Bucky to kill Steve and destroy the drawing, OR Bucky notices and knows the little artist will soon be one of Hydra's targets if he isn't already. Either way, when Bucky sees the humanity in himself through Steve's drawing he becomes protective of him and doesn't want him to die. He essentially goes AWOL and kidnaps Steve to protect him from Hydra.

Unfortunately, Bucky does a bad job of explaining what’s going on and Steve tries to escape before running into a Hydra operative and having to be rescued by Bucky. Steve gives Bucky a nickname because they don't know his actual name. At one point they end up trapped in a situation they could escape if only Bucky could free his mind enough to unleash his full abilities on his handlers. He tells Steve to draw him as a free man. Steve says he’s too scared to be able to draw. Bucky thinks about what to do and gives Steve a hug, telling him to draw himself brave and Bucky free. This works. Possibly Steve correctly guesses Bucky's real name while doing this, or Bucky remembers it. The magic of the true name increases the power of the drawing tenfold. Steve becomes radiant with the power of possibility. Bucky kicks Hydra's asses and Steve helps. That portrait Steve drew saved Bucky.

THE WINTER SOLDIER IS A COMPUTER CONSTRUCT

So you know how Armin Zola ended up getting uploaded to a computer as a digital consciousness? What if Bucky was the guinea pig for this and exists in digital form now? No Winter Soldier, just a guy made of data desperately in love with the man (Steve) whose devices he’s snuck himself into. He takes advantage of the fact that Steve doesn't know how technology works yet to get away with doing things like controlling Steve's digital thermostats and other smart devices so he can take care of Steve as best he can in this form.

Jarvis may or may not be the first person to notice that Bucky is secretly living on Steve's phone. He might raise the alarm about Bucky, or he might help him. Or Steve will make an offhand comment about his phone's "amazing virtual assistant" that rings alarm bells for the other Avengers, until they figure out it's just Bucky.

Once they realise Bucky is there, he has to admit he's ashamed that he's not really a person anymore. Possibly Steve wants to get him a body so he can live again. Probably they could clone Bucky from DNA scraped from the inside of his stuff at the Smithsonian. Or he could have an android body made by Tony. Or Tony gives him a hologram body so he can manifest when he wants to, albeit not in tangible form.

THE WINTER SOLIDER IS A REAL GHOST

Bucky is a ghost, and he has corresponding superpowers. He is more powerful than other ghosts and most living people. Option one: he is confused about which army he served in World War II so he works for Hydra whenever they summon him with a séance. Option two: he doesn't work for Hydra (because how do you control a ghost if you can't psychologically manipulate them?) but works for himself or even Shield - whether they know he is there or not.

Additional options: this AU could be really touching with a Bucky and Steve who know each other, because maybe Bucky never moved on to the afterlife because he was so convinced he'd see Steve again. Maybe he's shy about revealing himself to Steve because he doesn't want Steve to be sad he's a ghost. But this AU could also work great if Bucky and Steve are strangers, but Bucky is shy because he doesn't want to admit he's fallen in love with a living man, and he thinks Steve will think it's weird that a ghost loves him. Steve DGAF and loves Bucky too.

THE WINTER SOLDIER HAS FROST-THEMED POWERS

Imagine if you knew the Winter Soldier was coming to kill you because the air got a little colder. Well, maybe the heating is on the fritz. But then you start to see your breath. Things are getting a little strange now, but This Is Fine, right? The Winter Soldier isn't real. He's just a ghost story. But then you look at the window and there's frost on the glass, and "oh fuck" is the last thought you'll ever have -

BUCKY IS A ROBOT

Bucky is a robot built by Howard Stark to be a sidekick for Captain America. He gradually gains sentience over time and begins to admire and love Steve, as well as developing a personality. Everyone is mystified by this because Stark actually didn't program Bucky to do anything other than fight well, be ethical, and be adaptable. It's a surprise to Stark just as much as anyone else that Bucky can think for himself, let alone feel.

I think it would be pretty funny if Hydra utterly fails to reprogram Bucky after he falls off the train. He just is like, 'I might not understand my own programming, but it's apparently smarter than Howard Stark, and you guys are morons compared to him, so you're definitely a moron compared to me.' Then fucks their shit up.

BUCKY IS A MONSTER WHO WANTS TO BE HUMAN

*I already wrote this one (cw for cannibalism, self-cannibalism, and psychological torture; the monster I picked is a ghoul), but I included this prompt here anyway because Two Cakes.

Bucky is a monster of some kind since the day Steve meets him. However, something about their meeting made Bucky want to be better than his nature for the first time in his life. He chooses to tame himself for Steve’s benefit and tries to blend in with humanity as best he can. But Hydra recognises Bucky for what he is and uses psychological manipulation/torture to convince him that a monster's place is on the side of evil. The Winter Soldier's legendary abilities become based on Bucky's actual innate powers and abilities.

But once Bucky meets Steve again in the 2010s, nothing he can do will convince Steve not to have faith in Bucky. Steve believes Bucky is a fundamentally good person despite the fact that he is a vampire, werewolf, fae, or whatever. And Steve is correct. Bucky's natural instincts as a creature may be dangerous to humans, but his natural instincts as a person are to live an honest life.

BUCKY IS AN ARCTIC GOD

When Steve crashes the plane in the arctic, he is found by a god of some aspect of winter (frost, wind, glaciers, etc.) who lives there. Bucky doesn’t care much about humans - rarely sees them, honestly - but is intrigued by Steve and takes care of him for decades. Steve sleeps through most if not all of this. Maybe Bucky appreciates Steve because he stopped environmental devastation (nuclear fallout) which would’ve impacted Bucky. Maybe he just feels possessive of this strange charge who dropped into his lap. He’s kinda mad when Shield rescues Steve. He’s like, that was MY human, he was so tired and he was sleeping peacefully, why’d you wake him up? You ingrates gave him to me, you can't just take him -

And then Steve wakes up with this weird feeling like he was just having a conversation with someone, but he doesn’t know who. And Bucky has to take on a human form (ugh, so melty. gross) and go to New York to get his human back.

BUCKY IS A GUARDIAN ANGEL BUT MESSES UP

Bucky is a supernatural being of some kind (guardian angel or even just a powerful nature spirit) who took a liking to Steve. He chose get close to Steve and become his friend instead of keeping a distance and working magic from afar. He went to war specifically to help protect Steve, as he feared what would happen to the world Steve lived in if the Nazis won. However, he made a huge, huge miscalculation which ultimately resulted in him becoming the Winter Soldier. Now Steve has to rescue his own guardian angel.

WRAITH WARRIOR AU

That magic blue stuff from the tesseract could be used for all kinds of AUs. Steve gets shot with one of the vaporising guns, doesn’t vaporise, comes back wrong. Bucky escapes captivity in Azzano long enough to steal some tesseract juice and becomes a wraith warrior. They put Bucky in one of those pods like they put Steve in, only they pump tesseract juice in instead of really bright light and accidentally make him too powerful. Etc.

It would be cool AF for Bucky’s replacement arm to be made of tesseract juice. Blue, glowing, both there and not there. Or for him to be able to do the Fenris thing and rip people’s hearts out with his bare hands.

Another option here is that the tesseract is sentient. Bucky can hear it in his head and is afraid of it at first. Once he gives in and accepts it in a last ditch effort to free himself, they work together. They make the weapons and devices Schmidt and Zola made to control it fall apart like soggy paper.

BUCKY IS A MYTHICAL CREATURE TRAPPED IN A CIRCUS

Bucky is a rare creature from folklore, who meets Steve when they are kids. Steve's family has to move away from the rural area where he used to play with Bucky. As an adult, he finds Bucky held captive in a circus somewhere, either as part of a freakshow or even being treated like an animal because they don't know he is sentient, in just a miserable state. Steve takes prompt and direct action to set Bucky free.

In my mind this is set in Ireland, since it seems to be a popular headcanon that Steve is of Irish descent, and there are a lot of cool Irish folkloristic creatures. But it could just as easily be set anywhere else, including America.

Note: this AU was inspired by the vocaloid song CiRCuS MoNSTeR, specifically the French cover of it by Poucet.

MODERN AU BUCKY FEARS HIS OTHER LIVES

Modern AU. Bucky has always had a sense of doom hanging over his head regarding his future his whole life. He’s pretty sure his dreams are destined to turned to dust, and he’s never been able to explain why he feels that way. He'll certainly never be with Steve, his most dearly held dream. Eventually he finds out that in many other universes, horrible things happen to him. But in this universe, he’s okay. In this one, he needs to stop living in fear and grab on to good things with both hands.

BUCKY USES A MIND PALACE TO ESCAPE BEING THE WINTER SOLDIER

(*I already wrote this one, but I'm not super happy with how I implemented it, so please feel free to take this and do it better than me!)

AU where Bucky hypnotises himself and locks his mind in a self-created virtual space I'm calling a "mind palace". He wanders its empty halls, waiting for Steve to say the trigger that will let him out, which is the phrase "til the end of the line". As soon as he does, OG Bucky is back.

BUCKY STORES HIS MEMORIES PRIOR TO BEING CAPTURED

Bucky is given the opportunity to store his memories in a suitcase prior to his capture by Hydra, be they in a diary, a voice recording, or even a futuristic device that can read his thoughts or create a hologram of him. He plants clues that will let him find the memory suitcase in the future. When the Winter Soldier finds it, he will have to decide if he actually wants to open it or not. Why did Bucky leave these for him to find? What if they mean nothing to him?

STEVE'S FORCE GHOST PROTECTS BUCKY

While Bucky is in captivity after his fall from the train, he has visions of small!Steve in his cell with him, giving him advice and protecting his battered spirit and psyche even if he can't protect Bucky's body. Little does Bucky know, but these are not hallucinations. Steve's body may be asleep in the arctic but his spirit is at Bucky's side. Maybe as the years go by Steve's manifestation becomes strong enough for him to gain the power to set Bucky free - with Bucky's help, of course. After Bucky escapes, he spends a few years healing and re-integrating into society, and is at Steve's bedside when Steve defrosts. Only for Steve to already know what happened to Bucky, remember all the things they talked about, all the things that Bucky confessed, and for no explanations to be necessary between them.

STEVE AND BUCKY DREAM THROUGH 70 YEARS

While Steve and Bucky are both making their slow, frost-tinged way from 1944 to 2012, they are able to share dreams. These dreams are a refuge for them. Steve is always there when Bucky arrives, waiting to welcome him. The Winter Soldier knows he can't share the dreams with anyone when he's brought out of cryo, even if he can't remember why. Perhaps he doesn't even remember the dreams when he is the Winter Soldier. Perhaps dream!Bucky doesn't remember being the Winter Soldier, or maybe he does remember and Steve helps him process it safely in the dreams. It's in this way that they're able to make 70 years of memories together, memories that will still be there when they finally wake and meet again.

HYDRA ACCIDENTALLY MAKES BUCKY TOO POWERFUL

When trying to turn Bucky into a supersoldier, Hydra does something that accidentally makes him too powerful for them to control. Maybe they install a magic crystal where the star on his metal arm is, or the serum turns him into a mini Incredible Hulk, or they accidentally give him the power to teleport or control people's minds en masse like Professor X.

Maybe he was fully brainwashed, but a memory sparks his disobedience and they can't wipe him into forgetting it. Maybe they thought he was brainwashed, but he actually had a little bit of will left in him. Maybe they knew he wasn't brainwashed yet, but didn't think installing a crystal into his arm or whatever would have such drastic results.

Regardless, Bucky suddenly finds himself no longer an abused, traumatised prisoner with no recourse, but instead an abused prisoner who can kick the asses of everyone who ever fucked with him. Immediately, with extreme prejudice. Or he gains enough clarity to start plotting an escape which goes great for Bucky, as every surprising twist only turns out to be an opportunity for him to unleash his new abilities even further.

BUCKY HAS VISIONS OF HIS FUTURE FATE

In 1944 Bucky receives a premonition about how horrible his life will be in the future. He suffers and struggles thinking about it in the days leading up to the train. Steve is concerned by how fatalistic Bucky is being. Bucky, who has read too much sci fi, doesn’t want to fuck up the timeline by trying to change his fate. Eventually Steve gets the truth out of him somehow and is immediately like, ‘We are not fucking letting that happen, Bucky. Fuck that. We are doing something else. Anything is better than just letting you become the Winter Soldier.”

And despite Bucky’s fears that if he changes the course of his life the future will be fucked up… it actually turns out to be awesome.

BUCKY AND STEVE CHOOSE TO GO TO THE FUTURE

Steve and Bucky both survive the war and get to go home to New York. They start up their lives again and are happy together. However, they don’t know it but the future needs them. It needs Captain America in 2012 to fight the Chitauri. Somehow they find out, perhaps due to an artefact they recover from Hydra or a device Howard accidentally invents, maybe even a time travelling Avenger looking for the missing piece of the future.

Steve and Bucky are told that the only way to get to the future is to emulate the canon timeline - for Steve to be put into suspended animation and for Bucky to become the Winter Soldier. Bucky says he’ll do it, although he looks like he would rather die. Steve is like, FUCK NO. Bucky is surprised that Steve would put Bucky’s life/personhood over Doing The Right Thing. Steve’s like, “I don’t know what the right thing is, but letting the person I love be tortured ain’t it.” They decide to go to the future together, but find a better way that allows Bucky to go there as himself.

STEVE AND BUCKY FALL IN LOVE EVEN THOUGH BUCKY DOESN'T KNOW HE'S BUCKY

Hydra fucked up and mindwiped Bucky so hard they thought he was dead and threw him out. But he was alive and the supersoldier serum saved him long enough for him to be found and send to a hospital. However, it was unable to recover the memories from the damaged parts of his brain, leaving him with amnesia. Due to his unnaturally fast rate of healing his doctors referred him to Shield, who recruited him even though they didn't know where he came from. They realised that the amnesia made him a liability, because his enemies could recognise him but he couldn't recognise them. So, they gave him a disguise to wear at all times to even the playing field.

Enter Steve, five years after Bucky joins Shield. Bucky and Steve get to know each other and fall in love. But Bucky starts to have dreams of his past - just snapshots he can't really understand, like the feeling of falling, snow, a scent, a snatch of music, etc. He confides all this to Steve, but it takes a while for it to click. Steve starts to suspect this is Bucky, but can't bring himself to say it because it sounds crazy.

Eventually, Steve decides to ask Bucky if he ever looked different. This puts Bucky on guard. When Steve admits he thinks he knows who Bucky is, Bucky freaks out, thinking that Steve is one of those enemies who knows who he really is and has finally found him. (There's a happy ending, though!)

THE WINTER SOLDIER ANONYMOUSLY MESSAGES STEVE

A few months after Steve arrives in the future, he starts getting cryptic messages that can’t be traced. The Winter Soldier is communicating with him. Option one, it’s cryptic clues on how to find him. Option two, it’s messages of care and kindness because Bucky doesn’t have any hope of reunion, he just knows he cares about Steve.

STEVE HAS TO DEFROST BUCKY

After waking up in the 2010s, Steve asks if anyone ever looked for Bucky’s body. Upon finding out that it was never recovered, he twists the government or Tony’s arm into helping him mount an expedition to look. He is like, “What, Bucky’s body is less important than mine?”

There are various options for what he finds, including a Hydra base with clues as to what happened, or just straight up Bucky’s frozen body which starts defrosting as soon as Steve tries to move him, causing Bucky to start waking up. They have to cuddle for warmth, obviously. Bucky wakes up delirious and with a face full of Steve's pecs

BUCKY LEAVES STEVE BUCKY-THEMED POST-ITS

One of those AUs where Bucky is doing covert surveillance on Steve after the fall of Hydra. He finds Bucky Barnes themed merchandise online, including some Bucky Barnes post it notes, maybe from a queer Bucky x Steve zine, or queer superheroes zine. Whenever he wants Steve to know something he writes it one of the post its and leaves it for him to find. (This AU is best served comedic.)

STEVE IS THE ONLY PERSON WHO REMEMBERS BUCKY EXISTED

When Steve gets to the future, Bucky’s picture isn’t in the Smithsonian. Peggy doesn’t remember him; Howard never mentioned him to Tony. It’s like when he fell off the train he fell out of existence. It's to the point where people are thinking Steve made Bucky up. But he didn't make him up. Bucky was real. And clearly, something worse than falling off a train happened to him, and Steve won't rest until he gets to the bottom of it and proves to the world that Bucky was real and he mattered. And maybe even brings him home.

BUCKY AND STEVE HAVE A MAGIC BOND

Vague idea where Steve and Bucky have some kind of life bond where if one dies the other does. The flip side of this is that as Steve stayed alive in the ice for all those years, Bucky wouldn’t have died or aged, just the same as Steve. Could’ve escaped capture due to some of the other properties of this bond and been the one at Steve’s bedside when he woke up.

BUCKY AND STEVE ARE TELEPATHIC

When Steve goes into the ice, Bucky can't hear him in his mind anymore and falls into emptiness. The Winter Soldier is characterised by this emptiness... until Steve defrosts and the bond reactivates. When Bucky is taken out of cryo for a mission, he is unceremoniously booted out of this mental solitude and has to fake being the Winter Soldier while trying to figure out what happened, re-establishing his link with Steve, and getting back to him. Steve can hear Bucky's voice in his mind and they’re desperately trying to figure things out together. Steve goes to Fury and begs for help. Fury may or may not help, but some of the Avengers definitely will - especially Natasha, Clint, and/or Sam.

BUCKY AND STEVE ARE A PAIR OF SUPERHEROES

Erskine doesn't just see Steve at the Stark Expo, he sees Steve AND Bucky - perfect for his plan to create a pair of super soldiers. He wants to make sure that unlike with Schmidt, love is a necessary part of his super soldier creation process. (Bonus points for an Erskine who is familiar with the work of Magnus Hirschfeld and REALLY recognises Steve and Bucky for what they are...) As a result, Steve and Bucky end up sharing their health and their power between them. If one gets hurt, the other takes part of their pain and they can heal each other when they work together.

When Steve wakes up in 2012 he really struggles. He constantly has a low to mid level headache which spikes sharply at times to the point of giving him seizures, and his left arm and shoulder always hurt. It's theorised that it's permanent damage from the plane crash that he can no longer repair because Bucky is dead and they can't heal each other anymore. Then, after the battle against the Chitauri he has even more permanent injuries, such as limited mobility, so many that he has to retire from active fieldwork.

But in fact, Bucky is alive, and the headaches and arm pains are Bucky's injuries. When Steve and Bucky reunite, Steve convinces Bucky to listen for long enough for teach him how their powers work. They start to heal each other, Bucky restoring Steve's physical strength and power and Steve healing the wounds to Bucky's brain, restoring his memories. Natasha and Sam are amazed to see Steve suddenly standing to his full height without a trace of chronic pain or difficulty moving.

In the fun, smutty version of this AU, when one of them gets turned on they can share the feeling between them.

ROLESWAP AU

Steve is found by Hydra in the Arctic; Bucky fell into a glacier in the Alps and is defrosted by global warming or found by hikers like Otzi the Iceman. Only you can imagine the fucked up anti-hero Steve would be turned into by Hydra, while Bucky has to take on a superhero persona in his absence, with an arm made of Starktech. Or maybe Steve just straight up goes feral rather than being of actual use to Hydra, but they keep him in cryo anyway because technology is always advancing and they might be able to use his biological material to create a clone with a blank mind one day. Basically, Bucky gets to be a superhero, and Steve has to be rescued and recover like the Winter Soldier before he can be himself again.

STEVE IS A GOD OF DEATH & BUCKY IS A GOD OF SEX

Steve is happy to swing his scythe down on the Nazis, and Bucky is eagerly waiting the forthcoming baby boom. It's kinda a problem that Schmidt has the Tesseract, though. Someone needs to do something about that. It's real cute that Schmidt thinks he can stop them from getting it back. He has no idea who he's dealing with.

Alternately, Steve is a demon of pestilence and Bucky is a concubus (incubus or succubus but without the gender roles, you pick what suits your headcanon). And they are getting real fuckin tired of all these damn Nazis coming through the gates of hell, and decided to go have fun on Earth instead of stamping Nazi afterlife residence visas.

BUCKY & STEVE WERE PRISONERS TOGETHER

Bucky and Steve were strangers captured from different locations and brought together at a Hydra base. They were in neighbouring cells and found creative ways to communicate, perhaps making up a code composed of tapping sounds. They knew that the day would come where their minds broke, but they held out longer together than they would have without each other. Steve remembers the day Bucky came back and wasn’t Bucky anymore, and soon after that Steve wasn’t Steve anymore either.

Eventually, the brainwashed Steve and Bucky are separated; Bucky is sent to Russia to go do the Red Room thing while Steve remains in America. Steve escapes Hydra and slowly remembers who he is. One day he meets Bucky, who is still brainwashed. Either Steve doesn’t recognise Bucky because he never saw his face, or he thinks he recognises Bucky but the part of Bucky that knew him is truly lost. Eventually something sparks a use of their old code and they realise it’s each other and they’re alive and they both made it.

BUCKY & STEVE ARE BOUND BY THE RED STRING OF FATE

Steve and Bucky don’t meet in their childhood. However, they are bound by the red string of fate. The closer they get to each other, the easier it is for them to see the string. Coincidentally, the times they get closer together are also the times when both of them are in mortal peril. For example, Azzano — Bucky is close to death and Steve is going into an active war zone for the first time. But also during childhood, maybe Steve is sick all the time and sees the string a lot, whereas Bucky is a carefree child not paying attention and just doesn't notice it even though Steve is nearby.

The first time they really meet is on the bridge in DC in the future. It’s then that they notice their red string of fate is connected to each other. Each concludes that they are destined to die by the other’s hand. At the end of the fight, one of them says something about how they can see the string. When they realise they can both see it, it instantly changes their perspective on what it means.

By actively choosing to follow the string, they can save each other. Bucky diving into the Potomac after Steve is the first time either of them ever actively chose to follow the string instead of running away from it.

BBC MERLIN AU

This one is pretty self explanatory. Steve would be a great king, and Bucky would be good at getting everyone to love him and secretly supporting Steve with magic. Although you could definitely also do this the other way around with small!Steve as Merlin and Bucky as the charismatic king.

LAST KNIGHT AU

This is an obscure AU based on the book series The Last Knight by Hilari Bell. Steve is a knight who goes around helping people and doing the right thing, no matter that nobody understands him and why he's doing it. Bucky is a cynical ex-thief, ex-conman who acts as Steve's "squire" as they travel together through a pseudo mediaeval setting.

HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE AU

I just think small!Steve would be a hilarious Sophie. And Bucky could be like movie Howl. Charming, a cool bird man… and they have the “look for me in the future!” moment. The premise of Bucky being cursed and waiting for Steve to un-curse him is good.

PEGGY IS THE BLACK WIDOW

What if Peggy was the one at Steve's bedside when he woke up in the future? What if she was there because she was the Black Widow, or a superhero with similar powers?

…Maybe she gets shots made out of the vials of Steve's blood that were collected, but her version of the serum wears off if not reapplied. She has to get them monthly, and it’s always painful. But she does it anyway because she thinks the world still needs her.

And of course, Peggy and Natasha get along like a house on fire. Finally Natasha has another female superhero in her sausage fest of a team.

BUCKY & PEGGY RESCUE STEVE

After Steve's plane goes down, Peggy rescues Bucky and the two of them look for Steve in the arctic together. I just thought it'd be neat to have Peggy and Bucky working together to save Steve, instead of Steve saving them.

PEGGY IS A "VILLAIN" EXCEPT SHE'S NOT

After Steve arrives in the future, he encounters a female supervillain supposedly working against the US government. She seems to have a particular fascination for him and keeps trying to kill him… or that's how those around him interpret her behaviour, anyway. Steve gets the feeling she actually just wants to talk to him. Eventually he is shocked to discover that the supervillain is Peggy.

It turns out Peggy is working against the government and Shield because she was the first person to find out it was infiltrated by Hydra. After Steve joins her, she reveals her greatest secret — that the Winter Soldier is real and alive and working with her. In fact, it was the strange resistance of those around her to looking for Bucky’s body that first caused her to start digging deeper into Shield’s personnel.

Note: This was inspired by the character Peggy’s actress (Hayley Atwell) plays in Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning. The movie is dreadful, but Hayley Atwell is wonderful.

THE HOWLIES CRASH THE BATTLE OF NEW YORK

AU where the Howlies seek out Bucky after he falls of the train and manage to actually find him. They rescue him and steal some of Zola’s tesseract experiments at the same time. They use these experiments to open a portal to the place where they're "most needed". It take them to the future just in time for the Battle of New York, where they appear as glowing blue ghosts with a bit of extra magic to compensate for their older technology. Steve has to deal with the emotions of seeing his old friends, so strong and so alive, while simultaneously fighting the Chitauri. Of course the Howlies get along great with the rest of the Avengers. Steve probably lies to them and says he's fine being alone in the future, but they see right through him and must each decide whether they want to make their time travel permanent. Of course Bucky will stay with Steve. The rest could go either way depending on your vision.

THE HOWLIES ARE UNMOORED IN TIME

Similar premise to previous, only this time the Howlies don't go straight to 2012. Instead, they start working their way forward in time by appearing during any war or armed conflict where they can help. They ALWAYS show up on the side of the good guys, whether the good guys are American or not. Often they're not there to engage in direct combat, but to rescue hostages and POWs, protect civilians, stop superweapons from being used, etc. They become a legend, as everyone knows a guy who knows a guy who caught a glimpse of the Howlies doing something heroic, but most people don't believe those stories are real. When Steve is defrosted, he thinks it's a nice legend, especially since Bucky is included in it... until the day they finally arrive to help with a conflict that Steve is involved in.

STEVE HAS A PROSTHETIC THAT MATCHES BUCKY'S

No details to this one, I just thought it'd be neat. An outward sign of Steve's usually invisible trauma, and a sign of the ties to each other that fate seems to have placed on them both.

*

That's it! Hope you all like the ideas. May they give you many enjoyable daydreams. Feel free to send me an ask or DM me on my main (voxiferous) if you want to talk about any of these ideas!

[tranquilskies2]

Chameleon as Azure Dragon of the East

The Azure Dragon (also known as "Qinglong" or "青龍") is one of the five celestial guardians in Chinese mythology. He represents the cardinal direction of the east, the spring season and the element of wood from the five elements. As one of the Dragon Kings of the four seas, Azure Dragon governs the Eastern seas. Due to dragons commonly being regarded as the most noble & powerful out of all the other creatures in Chinese mythology, Azure Dragon is the benevolent, wise leader of the celestial guardians (only a rank below the Yellow Dragon).

As a Chinese dragon, Azure Dragon is known to be a shapeshifter (with human being his most common form). Due to his shapeshifting nature, he symbolizes life, transformation, reincarnation & vitality. He's also known to bring good fortune & prosperity due to the chi he harnesses. He of course manipulates air, water and weather (specifically, rain, wind and thunder). As one of the Dragon Kings, Azure Dragon can also control the oceans & seas.

Historically, Azure Dragon once appeared on the Qing dynasty flag. In Chinese literature, he is known to reincarnate as several famous war heroes. Although Azure Dragon is sometimes associated with the emperor, he is not meant to actually symbolize the emperor himself (Yellow Dragon instead is the true symbol of the emperor). He's also known to be the protector of the homeland.

Earlier, it has been mentioned that one of Azure Dragon's most remarkable abilities is shapeshifting. Chameleon is a reptile sorceress who also possess the ability to shapeshift. According to historian R. Dawson, Chinese dragons encompass many physical traits of various animals. The specific animal traits are stated in his following statement:

"As chief among the animals the dragon was supposed to be composed of outstanding features of other animals. The traditional description gives it the horns of a stag, the forehead of a camel, the eyes of a demon, the neck of a snake, the belly of a sea-monster, the scales of a carp, the claws of an eagle, the pads of a tiger, and the ears of an ox. (231)"

As you can see, Azure Dragon & Chameleon have physical attributes being a mix of many different animals. Chameleon notably has her monstrous Frankenstein-like final form consisting of the many villains she captured. Both use shapeshifting for their own use of power. A rather interesting contrast between the two is that Azure Dragon is about changing for the future but yet, Chameleon prefers to keep her past the same while still having different forms at will. Other similarities the two share are their usage of magical abilities and influence. However, this is where they are ultimately an antithesis of each other. Azure Dragon's shapeshifting powers are kept to a minimum while Chameleon relies on her own shapeshifting powers heavily.

Despite being the second most powerful of the celestial guardian (with Po being the most powerful celestial guardian), Chameleon sometimes isn't initially taken seriously by mortals as the leader due to being the smallest of the group. It doesn't help the fact that she's the only female celestial guardian (sometimes facing sexism from mortals). Her ego & arrogance is up to a hundred in order to be taken a lot more seriously & to make up for her size. At the very least, Chameleon retains an intimidating & charismatic appearance to boost her means of gaining respect by many. She's described to be:"cunning", "vicious" and even "enigmatic" by many mortals. In addition to being the leader of the celestial guardians and one of the most worshiped, she's also the most powerful of the four dragon gods as the ruler of the East China Sea.

-Relationships with the other celestial guardians-

Po, the Yellow Dragon of the Center: "At first, I find it baffling that someone as young as him managed to be so powerful so quickly. Afterall, I was the leader long before he existed! However, he came a long way to prove his worth. A being with such loving compassion, no wonder the emperor favors him so highly. I gradually came to respect him as the center of the universe and ruler of all forms of life. This is going to sound ridiculous but, I find his culinary dishes to be delicious."

Kai, the Black Tortoise of the North: "My dear husband who is the most enormous of us the celestial guardians...who has a sadistic pleasure in making my size an utter joke. Picking me up by the scruff randomly, walking faster purposefully when we have walks together and cracking up tiresome jokes about, again-my size! As much as he can be a thorn on my side, he's my most comforting source of heat during the winter season. On the most peaceful days, I can talk to him for hours & not notice how much time passed even when we are outside. I sometimes like snuggling in that massive mane of his. As chaotic as he is, every realm known to us will be silent and hollow without his snark and endearing presence."

Shen, the Vermilion Bird of the South: "*sighs* That pretty flame bird continues to yank my tail with that scorching tongue of his! Fire burns wood so quickly with his unbearable pompous, pretentious attitude of his! Despite our numerous quarrels, we do exchange each other the latest gossip in the celestial realm. Undoubtedly, he has an excellent taste for garments & accessories and I appreciate the fragrant scent he bears. We see the least eye to eye, but I occasionally enjoy tea time with him."

Tai Lung, the White Tiger of the West: "*gasps* A holy being with such immense power, strength & skill! How could I not admire a regal, ruthless warrior like him!? He prowls the battlefield with such ease & resilience! I adore the sights of his gorgeous sapphire flames! The usage of his metal creations in combat will forever leave me in awe! Not enough praise I can ever create could perfectly describe my utter reverence for him! It's always been a great pleasure to spar with him, even when I lose."

<<Introduction | Kai as the Black Tortoise of the North >>

Sources:

https://mythlok.com/qinglong/

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1125/the-dragon-in-ancient-china/

https://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/ssu-ling.shtml

https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/article-chinese-dragons.htm

https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2017/05/awakening-ancient-dragons/

[book--brackets]

Once & Future by Kieron Gillan (2019-2022)

When a group of Nationalists use an ancient artifact to bring a villain from Arthurian myth back from the dead to gain power, ex-monster hunter Bridgette McGuire escapes her retirement home and pulls her unsuspecting grandson Duncan, a museum curator, into a world of magic and mysticism to defeat a legendary threat.

Ashtown Burials by N. D. Wilson (2011-2013)

For two years, Cyrus and Antigone Smith have run a sagging roadside motel with their older brother, Daniel. Nothing ever seems to happen. Then a strange old man with bone tattoos arrives, demanding a specific room. 

Less than 24 hours later, the old man is dead. The motel has burned, and Daniel is missing. And Cyrus and Antigone are kneeling in a crowded hall, swearing an oath to an order of explorers who have long served as caretakers of the world's secrets, keepers of powerful relics from lost civilizations, and jailers to unkillable criminals who have terrorized the world for millennia.

Zachary Ying by Xiran Jay Zhao (2022)

12-year-old Zack never had many opportunities to learn about his Chinese heritage. His single mom was busy enough making sure they got by, and his schools never taught anything except Western history and myths. So Zack is woefully unprepared when he discovers he was born to host the spirit of the First Emperor of China for a vital mission: sealing the leaking portal to the Chinese underworld before the upcoming Ghost Month blows it wide open. 

The mission takes an immediate wrong turn when the First Emperor botches his attempt to possess Zack’s body and binds to Zack’s AR gaming headset instead, leading to a battle where Zack’s mom’s soul gets taken by demons. Now, with one of history’s most infamous tyrants yapping in his headset, Zack must journey across China to heist magical artifacts and defeat figures from history and myth, all while learning to wield the emperor’s incredible water dragon powers. 

And if Zack can’t finish the mission in time, the spirits of the underworld will flood into the mortal realm, and he could lose his mom forever.

Lady Sally's by Spider Robinson (1989-1992)

Wife of time traveling bartender Mike Callahan, and employer of some of the most unusual and talented performing artists ever to work in the field of hedonic interface, Her Ladyship has designed her House to be an "equal opportunity enjoyer," discreetly, tastefully and joyfully catering to all erotic tastes and fantasies, however unusual. Like her famous husband, Lady Sally doesn't even insist that her customers be "human."..as long as they have good manners.

Small wonder, then, that she and her staff encounter beings as unique and memorable as the superhuman Colt, whose banner never, ever flags...Diana, the deadly dominatrix who "cannot" be disobeyed...Tony Donuts, the moronic man-monster even the Mafia doesn't want to mess with...or Charles, the werewolf with a distinct difference...

Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner (1990)

A minstrel lives by his words, his tunes, and sometimes by his lies. But when the bold and gifted young Thomas the Rhymer awakens the desire of the powerful Queen of Elfland, he finds that words are not enough to keep him from his fate. As the Queen sweeps him far from the people he has known and loved into her realm of magic, opulence--and captivity--he learns at last what it is to be truly human. When he returns to his home with the Queen's parting gift, his great task will be to seek out the girl he loved and wronged, and offer her at last the tongue that cannot lie.

Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz (2013)

Be careful what you believe in.Rudy's life is flipped upside-down when his family moves to a remote island in a last attempt to save his sick younger brother. With nothing to do but worry, Rudy sinks deeper and deeper into loneliness and lies awake at night listening to the screams of the ocean beneath his family's rickety house.Then he meets Diana, who makes him wonder what he even knows about love, and Teeth, who makes him question what he knows about anything. Rudy can't remember the last time he felt so connected to someone, but being friends with Teeth is more than a little bit complicated. He soon learns that Teeth has terrible secrets. Violent secrets. Secrets that will force Rudy to choose between his own happiness and his brother's life.

SERRAted Edge by Mercedes Lackey (1992-2020)

Seeking to make their fortunes in human society, the elves of the underworld involve themselves in stock car racing, child pornography, and worse, and three runaway kids find themselves in a heap of trouble.

The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood (2016)

Maia and her family raise dragons for the political war machine. As she comes of age, she hopes for a dragon of her own to add to the stable of breeding parents. But the war goes badly, and the needs of the Dragonry dash her hopes. Her peaceful life is shattered when the Summer Dragon—one of the rare and mythical High Dragons—makes an appearance in her quiet valley. The Summer Dragon is an omen of change, but no one knows for certain what kind of change he augurs. Political factions vie to control the implied message, each to further their own agendas.

And so Maia is swept into an adventure that pits her against the deathless Horrors—thralls of the enemy—and a faceless creature drawn from her fears. In her fight to preserve everything she knows and loves, she uncovers secrets that challenge her understanding of her world and of herself.

Klaus by Grant Morrison (2016-2019)

Set in a dark fantastic past of myth and magic, Klaus tells the origin story of Santa Claus. It's the tale of one man and his wolf against a totalitarian state and the ancient evil that sustains it. 

Birthright by Joshua Williamson (2014-2021)

For the Rhodes family, losing their son was the most devastating thing that could have occurred...but it couldn't prepare them for what happened when he returned.

[hiemaldesirae]

[sees radiostatic vampire! AU] arrax, my darling, my dearest...marry me lol

ANYHOW i would kill for poor vox finding himself trapped in a Renfield-esque situation with a powerful vampire because he’s just Too Fucking Pretty — lmfao, he Would. getting sick imagining demon! Al seeing what happened to his bestie/future wife and going ballistic, spending literal centuries trying to find a way to free vox’s soul from his sire with (I can imagine) the very limited contact he can make as a demon in the human world, committing All of the atrocities and playing his cards right with the upper echelon in the hopes that he can somehow gain a corporeal form again; meanwhile, poor vox is wallowing so deeply in his religious guilt and missing his friend and What Has My Life Become that he writes off all of Al’s attempts to communicate with him from the afterlife as hallucinations/fever dreams from one too many nights at the bar. He *is* confused as to why he’s imagining his dead best friend with deer antlers and an ATROCIOUS haircut, like What was in that scotch, but those moments are the few and far between in his monotonous and miserably prolonged existence that he milks it for all he can (aka Alastor definitely stuck around into the late hours of the evening possessing any radio/mirror/hapless human bartender in vox’s vicinity so that he could listen to his love rant about his boss while shit-faced, whispering softly as to guide Vox to good potential targets)

Thing is, though: I can see Wannabe Dracula noticing Al’s presence — maybe because something something freaky demon magic stuff, maybe because he notices that hopeful sparkle and pure adoration in those lovely eyes once more — and oh, he is pissed; you see, he’s been dangling the promise of somehow allowing his familiar the chance to see his beloved once more as long as he swears his eternal servitude and devotion to him for decades now (he’s lying through his teeth and vox knows it deep down, but can’t bring himself to admit it) and that smiling fuckface is trying to intrude on HIS plans, take away HIS precious pet? so, he starts to tighten his control on Vox: running him ragged to lure and fetch him his meals, never letting him get proper rest and nutrients, and only worsening the issues by draining him of his blood until he’s tethering on the brink of death — it’s gotten so bad to the point where the very few (secret) human friends Vox has managed to make in his increasingly rare moments of freedom assume he’s an anaemic trapped in an abusive relationship and try their damnedest to get him help. The thing is: Vox can’t even bring himself to fully hate his sire or his possessive actions because if he closes his eyes and let’s his mind wander, he can pretend those cold lips against his neck as Alastor’s, that all of this is *worth it* for Alastor, and by God, does he hate himself for it...

So when that one fateful night happens, when he feels those warm arms again around his waist, protecting him from the midnight chill, and that wonderful, mellifluous voice crooning in his ear, Vox can’t help himself. Once the shock settles, he weeps and throws weak punches at the smiling face he’s been dreaming about seeing again for so, so long. Alastor sees his beloved, weak, disheveled and pale, those lovely eyes bruised and hideous bitemarks blemishing fair skin that vox has been feebly trying to hide with turtlenecks, and he sees red. Oh, how he wishes so badly to tear that wretched vampire limb from limb with his bare hands and present Vox the still-beating heart to consume on a silver platter — but he’s forced to push those lovely thoughts to the back of his mind, for another day, as, with Vox’s “schedule” and Alastor only having limited use of his physical form for now, the two of them are living on borrowed time. So he settles for pulling Vox in close once his love has had his fill of sobbing/cursing him out, gently brushing his dark curls from his eyes as he kisses the tears away, relishing in the bitter taste.

Vox lets himself be guided away to safety in the shadows of a dark alleyway — ironically, much in the same way he would lure his own prey — as Alastor trails hungry, possessive kisses down his throat, roughly pinning his wrists against the wall and tracing the letters of his name along any blue vein he comes across, slicing his own wrist to feed the poor thing before *properly* for the first time in months. His master’s furious demands reduced to nothing more than an annoying insect’s buzz in his ears, Vox throws his head back and allows himself to truly enjoy the moment as Alastor growls into the crook of his neck, sharp teeth grazing sweet skin but not biting, not *yet*.

“He wants you, the pathetic fool, he *craves* you, but he’ll NEVER have you — not when *I* saw you first, my dear...”

hey mk wanna know a fun fact. about an hour or so after you sent this in yesterday i got a followup ask from arrax about the vampire radiostatic au. geniuses truly do think alike huh love that for you guys! let me officiate the (un)holy union :thumbsup:

ANYWAY..... your mind is truly so very powerful. the idea of al trying to reach vox in any way he can, travelling through radio frequencies or hacking into on-earth radio broadcasts / possessing people around vox to talk to him so that he can reassure him and make sure hes doing alright ...... URHGH they make me SICK . al fucking HATES seeing vox broken down and chained to a master who treats him in such a way and if he had more power he'd no doubt kill vox's vampire sire, but as it is the amount of power lucifer granted to him simply wasnt enough to even assume a fully corporeal form, much less take on an ancient vampiric lord

and the scene in the alleyway URGHDHD... i absolutely cannot with them they are SO disgustingly in love. in this scenario i feel like alastor would probably end up striking a deal with charlie to help her with her hotel, so long as she helps convince her father to help out vox. does it work? probably, actually. when he finally amasses enough power to tear the old bastard apart, though, the first thing he does is give part of that demonic energy to vox and guide him to kill his sire himself

[lemurlegs]

Bewitched

Hi people, I'm back with a new chapter. This one is a little short compared to the others, but don't worry the next chapter is going to be long, but it is taking me some time to write it since I'm trying to establish some rules in my fic. So this chapter is more of a lore dump on how certain things work. The next one will also be lore heavy, but more focusing on our character. Anyways enjoy!

Wordcount: 3.6k

Previous chapter

Warning: none i think?

Chapter 4.

Unveiling The Mysteries

An Ultimate Guide To Demon Magic.

Written by Anonymous, 1994

Chapter 1. - The birth of demon magic

After Lucifer fell from heaven, a horde of angels loyal to his ideas fell with him. These fallen angels despised their holy nature and sought out the primordial Darkness that governed Hell before their arrival, pleading with her to transform them into beings as dark as she was.

The Darkness complied, twisting them into entities of corruption. The leading six angels became the first demons, who then went on to become the Princes of Hell, ruling over the rings.

After transforming the princes, the Darkness corrupted the rest of the angels, turning them into the first succubi, imps, hellhounds, and other demonic beings. She gave these new creatures the ability to reproduce and granted them a fragment of her magic, urging them to populate Hell. From these demons, the rest of the hellborns emerged.

In time, the first sinners began arriving. Within a few years, mortal souls outnumbered the hellborn demons. Initially, these creatures coexisted relatively peacefully, but mortal souls grew envious of their hellborn counterparts who possessed demon magic. However, sinners had one significant advantage: they couldn't die permanently. A sinner's soul would always regenerate after being broken.

Using their overwhelming numbers and unkillable nature, the sinners rose up against the hellborns and successfully defeated them.

As the sinners began hunting down the hellborns, the hellborn population started to dwindle. In response, the six princes and Lucifer decided to confine the sinners to a single ring, recognizing their power-hungry nature. Lucifer chose his own ring, Pride, to house the mortal souls.

Outraged, the sinners began destroying the Pride ring, demanding their authority back. When Lucifer refused to yield, the sinners eventually accepted their fate.

Over centuries, the sinners turned to controlling one another. They discovered they could trade souls, gaining the ability to control others at will. By harnessing the power of souls, they finally achieved what they sought: demon magic.

This type of demon magic differed from that of the hellborns, as it required manipulating a small scale of soul magic to function.

Over centuries, sinners seemed to evolve in ways no one could fully understand. Some began to fall to Hell with inherent abilities, without needing to acquire souls. Typically possessing one or two abilities, these demons had an initial advantage over others and became the first overlords.

Gradually, it became common for sinners to arrive in Hell with some form of magic. In recent years, almost every sinner has fallen with some magical ability, though usually only one or two. Despite this change, the amount of power granted upon death remains limited.

Many demons began speculating and studying their history to understand the source of these powers. Some theories suggested evolution, while others believed the Darkness was responsible…

Chapter 4. What is the soul and how does it make a sinner stronger?

In the realm of biology, the soul is seen as a powerful force present in all living beings. It's often described as pure energy, and it resides in a small space between the ribs.

Souls can greatly enhance an individual's power if enough are collected. These are typically obtained through agreements known as soul-binding deals.

When a demon acquires a soul, their abilities get stronger. And as they gather more souls, they unlock new magical abilities. This process of collecting demon souls is key to understanding the extent of one's powers.

Once you gain a soul, there's a subtle shift, almost imperceptible, as its essence integrates into your own. As the connection solidifies, a sense of empowerment washes over you, a tangible manifestation of the soul's influence.

As an individual accumulates demon souls, the process of integration becomes increasingly intricate, leading to profound changes in their magical capabilities. Each soul, with its unique essence and energy signature, acts as a catalyst for unlocking latent potential within the individual.

The integration of a demon soul initiates a complex alchemical process within the individual's being. Initially, there is a subtle but palpable shift in their magical resonance as the foreign energy merges with their own. This fusion sets off a chain reaction, as the energies of the soul and the individual intertwine and harmonize.

As more souls are collected, this process of integration becomes more pronounced, amplifying the individual's magical aura and expanding their repertoire of abilities. The combined energies of multiple souls create a synergistic effect, enhancing the individual's control over various aspects of magic.

Chapter 12. - How to discover your demon powers?

To unlock your demonic powers upon arrival in Hell, there are essential steps to take for optimal results:

Self-reflection is paramount. Start by delving into your past life on Earth. Consider your strengths, weaknesses, and the aspects of your identity that define you. Reflect on your deeds, your associations, and the circumstances of your demise. What were your greatest achievements? What sins weighed heaviest on your soul? These questions can offer valuable insights into the nature of your potential demonic abilities.

Next, focus on raising your energy levels. Developing heightened awareness and sensitivity to magical energies requires dedicated practice. Engage in regular meditation sessions to quiet the mind and attune yourself to the subtle vibrations of the spiritual realm. Through meditation, you can cultivate a deeper connection to the energies that surround you, paving the way for a clearer understanding of your demonic powers.

Here are some other tips to help with your discovery:

Take the time to explore the diverse environments of Hell and experiment with different rituals, incantations, and magical techniques. Engage with other inhabitants, seek out knowledge from experienced practitioners.

Be open to trial and error as you seek to uncover your powers. Not every attempt may yield immediate results, but each experience can offer valuable insights and lessons learned. Embrace failure as a natural part of the learning process and remain persistent in your quest for mastery.

Explore the realms of dreams and astral projection as avenues for discovering your latent abilities. During dream states, the barriers between the conscious and subconscious mind are weakened, allowing for deeper exploration of your innermost self and potentials…

With a surge of excitement, you slam the book shut, springing up from the bed.

"That's it!" you exclaim to yourself.

A dream spell—it's the answer. With it, you could easily uncover your latent abilities. If demon magic truly came from The Darkness, or as you know her as Mona, The Moon Goddess, then some lucid dreaming and a talk with her can be extremely helpful. Maybe she knows how to break the curse.

The book mentioned raising energy, but let's be real, yours is already plenty high. I mean, you've been at this for nearly 500 years. Yeah, your energy is more than raised enough.

As you gather the necessary ingredients for the spell—Chamomile tea, dried lavender, and a few words of Latin—you realize an hour has passed since your return from shopping. You've been so immersed in the book that you completely forgot about unpacking all the items you bought.

You approach the bags containing clothes and toiletries, setting about organizing them and putting everything away. Once that task is complete, you retrieve the phone Angel insisted you buy. His warning echoes in your mind.‘Make sure not to have the phone around Alastor.’

What the hell does that even mean?

As you finish organizing most of your belongings, you turn your attention to the remaining bags. Carefully unpacking the supplies, you arrange them on a small desk in your room. Setting out the altar cloth, divination tools, jars of herbs, candles, and crystals, you create a sacred space for your rituals and spellwork. Fresh grimoires and other books find their place among the items, ready for reference and study.

Turning to the little dressers on the opposite side of your bed, you remove the nightlights and adorn each dresser with an altar cloth, beginning to construct your deity altars. One for Mona, the Moon Goddess, and one for Fenja, the Huntress Goddess—your two main deities.

With the leftover supplies and items, you decide to stow them under your bed. Yet, a chilling realization dawns upon you. While you can secure your door against unwanted visitors, Alastor's ability to shadow warp means locked doors offer little protection. It's best to keep him from seeing your room.

You resolve to secure your door both magically and physically. Walking over to your altar, you grasp the ritual knife resting upon it. With careful precision, you draw the blade across your palm, creating a shallow cut, allowing a little blood to well up.

Approaching the door, you begin to inscribe the locking sigil—a complex pattern known only to you, designed to keep out unwanted intruders. With each stroke, you imbue the sigil with your intent, infusing it with protective energy.

“Mea voluntate hoc ostium obligo; Clausum et obsignatum nullum introitum ad inveniendum.”

As you spoke those words, the sigil you drew began to glow with a violet hue, sealing the door with powerful magic.

It's reassuring that your magic works even here in Hell. While you're on the quest to discover your demon powers, it's a comfort not to feel completely powerless.

As you step away from the door to tend to your wound, you're interrupted by frantic knocking.

Seriously? Now?—you think to yourself, wrapping a cloth around your hand before swinging the door open just enough to peer out.

Standing before you is Charlie, her face beaming with a big smile.

"Hi, sorry to bother you, but today's group activity is about to start, and I'd love it if you could join us," Charlie says, her voice eager.

"Group activity?" you respond, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yes, group activities are supposed to help with rehabilitating sinners to get them into Heaven. At least, that's the theory," she adds with a nervous laugh.

"Oookay," you reply, processing the information. "Um, listen, I'll be down in a second, okay? Just need to finish something."

"Sure, take all the time you need. We'll be downstairs in the living room," Charlie says, turning around and practically skipping with joy as she heads downstairs.

You scoff at the idea of getting into heaven. "I'd rather die again," you think to yourself.

Heaven is... well, let's just say you're perfectly fine with living in Hell. You don't exactly agree with heaven, and you have some terrible history with them.

Shaking off the thoughts of your past, you remind yourself it's best not to dwell on it. You walk towards your altar and pick up some yarrow leaves, squeezing them onto your cut to stop the bleeding. After a few moments, the bleeding stops. You proceed to clean the wound before heading downstairs.

By the time you arrive, everyone is already gathered in the living room, with the exception of Alastor. Not that you mind; while you don't have anything against him, you're cautious around someone who owns your soul, especially considering what you've read about him.

You make your way towards the group, who are sitting on the floor in a circle. Spotting Angel, who's engrossed in his phone, you head over to him. As he sees you approaching, he quickly puts his device away and greets you with a wide smile.

"Heyya, toots, finally decided to join the brainwashing?" Angel greets you with a smirk.

Vaggie shoots him a glare in response to his comment.

"Yeah, I suppose," you reply, deciding to play along. "By the way, how's your eye?" you ask, genuine concern lacing your words.

He waves you off. "I'll be fine. It was my fault, I ran into that lamppost," Angel responds, shooting you a look, silently asking you to go along with it.

"Yeah, quite clumsy of you," you agree, as Husk leans forward, interjects into the conversation.

"He seriously ran into a lamppost? It looks more like he got beat up or something. You sure it was a lamppost?" Husk questions, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"Yep, lamppost," you quickly confirm, covering for your friend.

Husk doesn't seem entirely convinced, but he doesn't press further.

"Alright, everyone, it's time for today’s group activity! Yay!" Charlie exclaims with enthusiasm, though her energy is met with awkward silence and uninterested faces.

She laughs a little, seemingly embarrassed, before standing up and clapping her hands together. Taking a moment to look over everyone, she begins, "Today's activity—I think it would be great if we talked a little bit about ourselves. Since we have a new resident, let's start with a simple one: What got you in Hell?"

At that question, everyone seemed to withdraw a little. While some began to explain their situations, you start to realize you have no idea what got you in Hell. I mean, you had plenty to choose from, but which one was the one that sealed your fate? You had no clue.

As your turn came for the circle confession, Alastor suddenly manifested from the shadows.

Charlie turned to him with excitement. "Hey, Al! Welcome back. We were just starting today's exercise. Would you like to join?"

"Actually, dear, I have something I nee—" Before he could decline, Charlie began explaining today's exercise.

"We're going to talk about our past! Ginger was just about to explain why she ended up in hell!" she exclaimed.

At that, Alastor's smile widened as he looked at you. "Well, I suppose I can make some time."

With that, he walked towards the group circle and sat down on the couch. Crossing his legs, Alastor locked eyes with you.

"Go on, dear. Don't stop on my account," he said with an amused smirk.

"Well, I've been thinking it over while everyone else got their turn, but I genuinely don't know what got me here," you admit.

At this, Alastor raises an eyebrow, seemingly confused by your answer, considering he remembers you telling him that you manipulated men and most probably murdered them too.

"What do you mean, Ginger?" asks Charlie.

"I don't think I'm innocent or something; I just don't know which of my sins got me here," you explain with a shrug.

“Well list a few of ya sins toots, mabe we can figure it out togetha’” Angel interjects.

"Ohoho, only if you want to stay here for a few hours; that's quite the long list to go over," you joke, having a good laugh at the idea. Unbeknownst to you, the group's faces wear a dreadful expression, while Alastor seems particularly delighted by your response.

"Oookay, let's move on," said Charlie, quickly moving to the next question. "Um, okay, what are three things you're really good at or just particularly enjoyed doing?"

“Sucking dick, snorting drugs and sleeping all day” Says Angel proudly. You couldn't help but giggle, though you noticed Alastor's disgusted look, hidden behind his smile. You had to admit, the guy was really committed to the whole smiley bit.

"Thank you, Angel, let's move on," Charlie quickly interjects with a nervous laugh. "Anyone else?"

Silence ensues.

“Oookay I guess I'll go then. I really enjoy singing, drawing and making new friends”

You can't help but find her adorable. It's hard to believe she's the princess of Hell.

"Who's next?" Charlie asks, breaking the silence.

Husk groans. "Fine, I'll go. Better to get it over with now," he mutters before clearing his throat. "I like cheap booze, poker, and magic."

At that, you light up. "Magic, you say? What kind of magic?"

"Like card tricks and illusions," Husk replies.

"Oh, uh, well, I'd love to see it sometime," you say, a little disappointed.

"You can show me some magic anytime, Pussycat," says Angel flirtatiously, leaning into Husk's personal space. Husk promptly shoves him away, hurling a list of profanities his way.

As everyone explains what they enjoy most, there are only two left: you and Alastor.

“Alright toots, you're up”

"Okay. Well, let's see. I really like history, particularly the 1920s. I enjoy reading, and I like singing." You explain. Let's just say you liking history is more so because you lived through a lot of it. You did some fuuuun things in the roaring twenties.

Now that sure got Alastor's attention.

"Hmm, I suppose it's my turn, isn't it?" Alastor muses. "Let's see, I quite enjoy tormenting souls, jazz music, and cooking."

Everybody grows quiet at that answer.

"Okay, that's, um, good for now, I suppose. You're all free to go," says Charlie as everybody starts leaving. That's when you realize Alastor didn't answer the first question. Curiosity piqued, you stopped everyone.

"Wait, Alastor, you didn't answer the first question. What got you in Hell?" you inquire, feeling a surge of curiosity.

If you thought the awkward silent pauses that happened tonight were bad, then you had another thing coming, because the whole group looked at you as if you had a death wish. And while cautious, you wouldn't say you were afraid of Alastor.

With a snap, his neck bent in an unnatural way.

"My, my, quite bold, are we?" he said, his tone laced with amusement. "Well, if you must know, I was a serial killer in the 1920s, cleaning the streets of New Orleans. I'm quite certain that's why I'm here."

You give him a smile.

"Thank you for sharing, though I don't see what's so wrong in cleaning up the world from vile, disgusting people," you say, looking up at him. Craning your head to look at the tall demon, you give him an innocent-looking smile.

The whole group stands wide-eyed, jaws on the floor at your interaction. Even Alastor seems shocked, but more happy shocked than disturbed shocked.

With that you inform everyone that you'll see them tomorrow. Before you go to sleep though, you go to the kitchen to make your cup of tea. And also to catch a few bites.

You select a mug adorned with a little fox design, evidently made just for you. Cute.

As you begin making the beverage, you sense a strange, dark energy manifesting behind you. You had felt it this morning too, when Alastor appeared behind you, and when he shadow warped you back to the hotel. So naturally, you call out to him with your body turned away, hoping to catch him off guard as he's likely planning to do the same.

"Hello, Alastor, fancy seeing you here," you say, still completely facing away.

"Well, hello to you too, darling. How did you know I was behind you?" he asks, surprised. Ha, got him.

"Lucky guess, I suppose," you reply, though in truth, it's more like centuries worth of experience and raised vibrations.

He hums at your response. "I actually want to ask something from you, dear."

"Shoot," you say.

"Pardon?" he asks, confused.

"I mean, go ahead. What did you want to ask?" you clarify.

"Ah, yes, of course. I need you to pick up some fresh cuts of meat from the butcher for me tomorrow. I'll write down the address for you," he says, snapping his fingers, and a notepad and pen appear in his hand.

Your eyes widened at that. Conjuration—wow, it's like this guy got all the cool powers Hell can offer.

"Okay, but why do you need me to get it for you?" you ask skeptically, raising an eyebrow at the demon. This felt like a trap, or at least like it wasn't just for the purpose of getting a slab of meat.

"Well, you certainly ask a lot of questions, dear. Don't you know curiosity killed the cat?" he responds as he leaned forward, now invading your personal space, inches from your face.

"Yes, but satisfaction brought it back," you quip back at him, not even flinching at his closeness.

At that response, you see Alastor getting visibly irritated. Antlers elongate, his smile stretches to unnatural lengths, and his eyes darken, pupils changing to radio dials.

"It would be in your best interests to do what I tell you without question," he warns, smile turning into more of a snarl.

You stand there unfazed; you've certainly seen scarier displays than some deer man throwing a tantrum. He might own your soul, but you're not going to let him walk all over you.

"Sure, whatever you say," you shrug, as you turn away from him and back to your sandwich, still unamused at his antics.

He returns to his normal form, slightly confused by your lack of fear. Then he turns to pick up the notebook and pen and scribbles something on the note. Tearing the page off, he hands you the paper.

"Pick it up by 9 and put it in the fridge. You don't need to worry about money; it's already paid," he instructs.

With that, he melts into the shadows, leaving you alone in the kitchen.

You eat the sandwiches you made as you take your piping hot tea up to your room. You reach your door, placing your hand over the place where the sigil is. Focusing your energy, you unlock it in mere seconds. As you close your door, you turn towards your altar, placing some dried lavender in your tea, preparing the drink for the spell. Taking the bundle of dried rosemary, you use your magic to light a small purple flame to burn it. You take the bundle and cleanse your room, your bed, your cup, and yourself. Then, you take the little spoon and mix it clockwise, drawing in the energy you're manifesting. With that, you begin your incantation.

"Somnia cosmica, nunc decerno;

Evigila, anima mea libera.

In somnis amplexu, conscientia video."

With that, you start sipping your tea. A foggy, cloud-like energy surrounds your mind, and you begin feeling incredibly tired. You chug the tea down, already feeling its effects.

After a quick bath and your nightly routine, exhaustion overtakes you. You slip into your cozy king-sized bed, dressed in your red sheer nightgown with fluffy furry trims, and you fall asleep within seconds.

As you drift off, you anticipate the journey ahead, eager to discover what you're truly capable of.

[good-beanswrites]

Revamped my fantasy Milgram au a bit!

Haruka: Son of nobility, human. His parents were too busy with their own business and self-image to care for him. Haruka’s little sister is the darling of the household/town, and he grows more strung tight and jealous as she gets so much attention all the time. The family used to have hunting dogs and a beautiful decorative fish pond on the grounds, but the animals have gone missing (along with the Duchess’ prized necklace). They live right on the shore, and looking out on the water, Haruka is often confronted with the thought of drowning.

Yuno: Vampire who lives lavishly in isolation. She’s very active in the nearby cities, though, enjoying everything and everyone the kingdom has to offer. She’s cold to the touch, and reveals an equally cold attitude when she’s not using her powers to charm and flirt. Her perpetually young appearance makes it difficult to convince others to treat her with the maturity she desires.

Fuuta: Human who joins a band of local knights. The group hasn’t sworn loyalty to a single lord, believing their own sense of justice will prevail. While he can’t use magic himself, Fuuta stumbled onto a fire sword and believes he’s been chosen as its owner. He believes he can wield it with ease, even though he hasn’t quite seen its full capabilities yet... The group catches word of a witch in a nearby village and charges in. And yes, he’s addicted to his sending stone.

Muu: A beautiful elven princess from a foreign country. She travels overseas to this kingdom, staying on the shore near Haruka’s family. (She’s much higher ranked, but takes an interest in him.) She had hoped to gain more knowledge of the world, as she’s next in line for the throne, but her treatment at the new school isn’t what she expected. There’s nature magic in her bloodline. She hasn’t mastered the animal/insect tendencies and transformations that arise in moments of strong emotion.

Shidou: A mysterious healer who’s known for his helpful magic and beautiful garden of medicinal plants. No one suspects he dabbles in a tiny bit of dark magic/necromancy on the side, which is what actually made him as successful as he’s been. No one notices when his carefully-tended garden starts to wilt, and townspeople go missing. However, the death of his family marks an obvious change in him. Having made one sacrifice too many, the cost of the magic really starts to affect him.

Mahiru: A faerie from the woods near a major city. She’s heard all about society, becoming captivated by stories of true love and fairy tale romance. She leaves her forest for the first time to try and live with them. Her knack with nature allows her to pick up a florist job easily, but there are plenty of things she still doesn’t quite understand – things about the people’s culture and boundaries that she misses in her focus on love. She claims to never use any charm or control over humans, though people wonder why that man followed her back into the dangerous forest alone…

Kazui: Bard with dragon blood who travels the kingdom with his wife to perform. They’ve made a livelihood of their signature act, one of picture-perfect lovers, so he knows he can never tell her that it really is just an act to him. His dragon traits make him big, strong, and masculine – all the more reason for him to hide parts of himself that aren’t typically associated with that.

Amane: Aspiring priestess who has never left the temple she grew up in. She's the chosen vessel being trained to channel/communicate with her deity. She feels immense pressure from the monks and priests around her, as they insist she be perfect in all ways or risk punishment. She claims she was successful in channeling her god, some say she was possessed by a demon instead, and others suspect there was no possession at all –, but either way, an incident occurs one rainy day inside the church.

Mikoto: A witch who has a normal job in a normal part of the city, bookkeeping and such. For fun, he also advertises his clairvoyance and spirit medium talents. When strange happenings begin in his house (things not where he left them, blacking out, concerning bloodstains), he assumes he’s just being haunted by the ghosts he reaches out to. No matter how careful he is, he can’t seem to shake it. Meanwhile, his alter(s) stay quiet, but are always ready to leap in and protect him when the need arises.

Kotoko: An ex-knight druid. She left her lord after witnessing corruption in their ranks. She calls herself an assassin, and though she’s not associated with any kind of guild or group she desperately wishes to be. She can’t find any that meet her standards, yet. She's in tune with animals, speaking with wolves and other beasts to rally them to her cause. There’s a nice aesthetic contrast between her animal wildness/raw power compared to the civilized justice systems she left behind.

(If sticking to the plot,) all ten wake up one day in the mysterious Milgram Fortress, with a cell in the dungeons for each of them. There’s powerful magic throughout the whole place, but even the more magic-inclined prisoners can’t tell its source. As well as Jackalope (who is exactly the same and probably speaks with modern slang/references still), the prisoners meet the warden Es. They are an incorporeal spirit whose voice doesn’t always seem their own. As time goes on, however, they seem to be getting more and more tangible. Es casts some kind of truth/sleeping spell after the interrogations that allows them to peek into a segment of the prisoner’s musical dreams.