#WHAT A DELIGHTFUL COINCIDENCE FOR ME IN PARTICULAR

[loquaciousquark]

[Fic] A Midwinter's Carol; in Prose; Being a Ghost Story of Baldur's Gate [1/1]

Rating: G Characters/Pairings: Astarion/Tav, various cameos Word Count: 10k Notes: Thanks from the very southernmost reaches of my heart must go to @eponymous-rose, who suggested the idea and then gave me Christmas Past and Present; and to @jadesabre301, who sacrificed most of her afternoon to this beta.

--

Cazador was dead: to begin with. There was no doubt whatever about that. Astarion had plunged a very beautiful knife a dozen times or more into his gut and left him in tattered shreds upon his ritually carven floor. The compulsion which had haunted the farthest reaches of his memory had vanished like mist with his master’s death.

Mind! It cannot be implied that there is a particular similarity between a vampire lord, who is un-dead, and a dead vampire, despite the mimicking shape of those descriptors. Neither bears real facility of life, true, with a beating heart and a cheek which might yet blush, but the one may wield an un-life never again to be possessed by the other, who will do little more than lie still and rot away into new earth. Cazador was a corpse, mouldering beneath the ground. In all ways he had been flung across that lofty river into the mundanity of real and final death. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing that follows will seem wondrous.

--

Links: FF.net, AO3

[tendermiasma]

Out of curiosity, what drove you to pick Halsin as Clover’s love interest out of all the possible characters? Love your work by the way :)

Thank you so much! Baldur's Gate was barely on my radar since I didn't really know about the IP but my friend showed me a picture of Halsin and I said, "I'll play the game if you can kiss him". Well. I think they communicated what kind of person he was very well through his design because he seemed very kind, earnest, and protective with zero explanation. I'd already mostly figured out Clover's story before I started in but I was so delighted at how well they meshed. I was already biased, of course, but their fey plotlines were pure coincidence and so it just made sense. I lost my mind when Halsin started explaining haha. I LOVE the conflict of someone hunted by the fey and someone who is very close to them. They were both raised by the wild in very different ways and it's something I've loved having them explore with each other.

They both also deal with a particular kind of despair. I get the sense that Halsin became emotionally isolated from his own people after trying so hard to right something for so long, but he still had hope. What makes him waver is no longer having hope, which I saw most prevalently when we got to the city. Clover, on the other hand, is the one who digs in and crawls on, even without a light at the end of the tunnel. He doesn't expect anything, it's just what he's always done. Maybe for the spite of maybe living until tomorrow-- he doesn't know. Halsin was the first person who made him think of next Autumn. Halsin learns that despair should not be the death of persistence because the light may just be too far off to see. Clover's living proof of that. I'm not finished with the game but how Halsin deals with the horrors of trying to save everyone and everything when there are powers at work who want people to feel paralyzed and afraid and helpless is very special to me. I think their relationship, along with the events of the game, is helping him realize his true place where he can make a real difference is more grassroots than he thought. For Clover, though, Halsin can draw him out of that twilight and into a life he deserves.

I rambled I think but I hope I answered your question haha

[lifeiskentastic]

Ken x gn!Reader as friends to lovers story

A/n: my first fic on tumblr… and hopefully not the last;) also english is my second language so if you notice a mistake please write to me about it, 'cause i'm just learning and this will help me a lot.

Summary: A real world reader finds a box of vinyl records in Ken's house, which leads to an unexpected turn of events.

Genre: fluff, comfort, friends to lovers;

Song played in fic: Biggest Part of Me by Ambrosia;

World count: 805 words;

Hope you enjoy!

***

"Ken, can I borrow this, please?"

You point to a small box in the corner of Ken's House (and yes, as it turns out, it does really exist), right by the entrance. Although it may look small at first glance, if you take the lid off, you'll be genuinely surprised at how much can this thing hold. How many music records can this thing hold.

"Mmm," Ken turned to you in confusion, distracted from the very important task of destroying all available books about patriarchy (only those that mentioned horses survived).

As soon as Ken realized what you were pointing at, he jumped up and ran over to you.

"Oh, this thing..." He exhaled heavily, as if he didn't know how to describe it: "I brought it from your world... I haven't figured out how to use it yet. But it was fun to play with it in Frisbee, though."

You had to hold back your giggles, knowing full well that the box contained not a Frisbee but rather vinyl records of 80s rock hits.

"Ken... Don't worry, I know what it is, and unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend playing with it."

Ken looks at you in confusion, waiting for an explanation.

"Then what does it do?" Now his face was full of curiosity.

"Oh, it's music." You bit your lip, already anticipating that wave of the cutest delight in the entire universe on Ken's face. "My favorite music, for real. What a coincidence!"

"Ah, so that means we can listen to these little flat wheels?"

As difficult as it was, you still controlled your laughter because you didn't want to hurt your friend's feelings.

"Huh... Yes, Ken, wait a minute, I'll play you something."

You had noticed beforehand that the box contained a modern vinyl record player. The only question was where Ken had gotten it from, but you decided to put that aside for later. There are more important things to do now. For example, the culturalization of the inhabitants of Barbieland for unselfish purposes (or one particular inhabitant of Barbieland for, to be honest, a little bit of selfish purposes)

You could feel Ken's intrigued look on your back as you conscientiously chose which song to start your immersion in the deep culture of the 80s. Of course, you chose the one you thought Ken would like the most. Of course, it was a love song.

As the playful melody began to play on the record player, you were very pleased with yourself. But Ken was still on edge. So you wisely decided to relax him a little.

When the first words of Biggest Part of Me by Ambrosia touched your ears, you gently led the surprised Ken into a dance, grabbing him around the waist with one hand and intertwining your palms with the other. He was a little confused, but he quickly realized what was going on and began to follow your movements. His puzzlement turned into a gentle, homely smile, and those two crystal blue eyes look that always gave you goosebumps.

"It's a nice song." He spoke calmly and quietly, though there was no need for that. "Make a wish, baby, and I will make it come true."

He began to sing along to the beat of dance, which suddenly gave him control of the situation.

"I finally found someone who believes in me." Ken kept staring at you, still smiling gently. "I need your love here, next to me."

It seemed as if with every turn in the dance, your faces were getting closer together. And when you felt that you were crossing the line between friendly dancing and something closer and more romantic, you had to stop it. But you didn't want to.

"You're the biggest part of me".

Immediately after these words, Ken stopped singing. He thought for a moment and then confidently proclaimed:

"Hmm, really," he raised his eyebrows as if he had come to some brilliant conclusion, "I really feel like you are the biggest part of me."

You had to swallow because something strange and incomprehensible was preventing the answer from coming out of your throat. However, when you felt your cheeks burning, you realized that this strange and incomprehensible feeling was embarrassment. A very unusual kind of embarrassment, the kind that you shouldn't normally feel towards a friend.

"M-m", You understood that Ken was waiting for your answer, so you gathered all your willpower into a fist and said, "I feel something similar, Ken."

Ken's smile grew bigger, and his joy radiated from him like rays from the sun.

"I'm, ah, glad to hear that... Does that mean we can continue dancing?"

You smile back. Ken was charging you with positivity just by being there.

"Of course, Ken, as much as you want!"

You were both ready for the next song.

Thanks for reading! I'd also love to hear your ideas for the next Barbie fic, so see ya.)

***

[devildom-moss]

Roses for You (9)

This had all started when you noticed a link between a book on the language of flowers you had borrowed from Satan’s room and the current lessons from your Seductive Speechcraft and Magical Potions classes.

In Seductive Speechcraft, you had just reached a section on the effectiveness of spells using non-verbal communication: enchanting glances, dance, and offerings. Meanwhile, in Magical Potions, the professor had been discussing the significance of using specific quantities when concocting potions; they had spent fifteen minutes just providing examples – including adding petals from two different flowers when using them for a love spell.

You couldn’t resist discussing the use of flower language – utilizing the type, color, and quantity of the flowers – to specify the magical intent of an offering as a form of seductive speechcraft. Asmo and Solomon listened intently. The same idea popped into both of their minds, and before you knew it, everyone was looking into color and number meanings, searching for the perfect combination to convey their feelings for you and try to put you under their spell. The only rule for their little competition to charm you? Only roses are allowed.

Will you be charmed by their attempts?

Nine Roses - Barbatos

Word Count: +1,500 (sorry. I think my bias is showing.)

Eternal love

“Hey, Barbatos, why did you want to see me today?” You stood at the door to the Demon Lord’s castle.

Barbatos chuckled and stepped aside to allow you in. “What would you say if I told you I simply wanted to see you?”

“I’d say, ‘I’m glad you invited me because I missed you, too.’”

You missed the brief widening of his smile. He was delighted by your response, but the thought of someone walking into the foyer and seeing him practically fawning over you caused him to suppress that joy.

“Actually,” Barbatos started with a hint of something between hesitation and musing. “I was finishing up a task that I believe you might enjoy. Would you like to try your hand at making a flower arrangement?”

“I don’t know if I’d be any good at it, but it sounds fun.”

“Excellent. Come with me to the garden.” Barbatos turned, hiding the sudden appearance of a grin, and led the way. Perfect, he thought. It was no coincidence that you “caught him” in the middle of this particular task. He had worked hard to complete his necessary duties ahead of time so that he could spend the entire afternoon with you. This last task had been postponed until you were on your way with the hope that it would spark your interest – with the expectation that his plan would come to fruition. “I have a table set up in the garden where I was previously making arrangements. The flowers around the castle required refreshing. Although, as you can see, I’ve already completed a few.”

There was a vase slightly ahead of you on a table in the hall. You recognized the purple basil and black calla lilies, but there was something else in the arrangement – some alien- or Devildom-looking plant. It was a large dark reddish-brown, almost black, with petals that resembled wings – some pointed, demonic version of an orchid. Even stranger were the long, whisker-like tendrils that jutted out from the center. You’d never seen anything like it. “What type of flower is that?”

“I take it you mean the black bat flower?” Barbatos hummed and stopped in front of the vase.

“Is it native to the Devildom? It’s incredible. I half-expected it to growl at me as we walked by.”

“No, my dear,” Barbatos chuckled. “This plant is from the human world, but it tolerates Devildom conditions quite well; in fact, it flourishes here – much like yourself. I’ve heard about your recent interest in flower meanings, would you happen to have learned about any of these?”

“Well, I’m not sure if it’s the same for purple basil, but basil is usually a symbol of love, right?”

“It is now, although I’ve read that it once symbolized hatred. It was said to drive men insane. What an interesting turn of events. Both the calla lilies and the bat flower symbolize transformation, strength, and mystery. However, the black calla lily has a rather unique association.” Barbatos paused and turned to face you. His tail wrapped around the back of your thighs and pulled you closer to him. He held your gaze seductively and spoke, slow and heavy: “forbidden love.”

Barbatos had brought you here on purpose – both to see that particular arrangement and because the hall was quiet and not prone to foot traffic. He gave you a gentle smile that smothered the spark of heat you had felt in his eyes.

You found yourself searching for something to say – to cut the charged tension in a still-very-public part of the castle. “It’s a beautiful arrangement, Barbatos.”

Barbatos chuckled and shook his head. “Oh, dear, I lost myself momentarily. Shall we continue to the garden?”

He didn’t wait for a response before he turned and began to walk. You immediately felt his tail drop and encircle one of your calves, pulling you along with him.

The table Barbatos had set up in the garden was filled with a variety of flowers. You could see that he had nearly completed another arrangement before you had arrived. Barbatos added a few more hell roses and a sprig of black grass before he wrapped it carefully. “I’m going to place this in an empty vase. You’re welcome to use whatever you’d like to create your arrangement.”

“Will you display it in the castle when I’m done?”

“I’d like to, yes – if you don’t mind.”

You grinned to yourself as Barbatos walked away. The thought of Barbatos looking at an arrangement you made throughout the week as he went about his duties left you nervous but eager to please. Instinctively, you reached for a blue anemone. Sure, you probably should have considered what would suit the castle and the potential surrounding décor, but all you could think about was Barbatos. You added a few purple hyacinths, and cursed baby blue eyes, rotating the placement of each selection, but you felt that something was missing. The pale blue glow of hell jasmine called to you. Strange; the scent of hell jasmine was said to make a demon extremely needy. Why would Barbatos want to display these in the castle? That seems a bit dangerous. However, on closer inspection, the scent had been hampered significantly compared to other times you had run into this plant.

“Let me guess,” Barbatos spoke up as he returned to the garden. “You’re wondering if that hell jasmine has had an effect on me today?”

“Sort of.”

“Worry not. This variety has been modified. Its scent has no power over me. That honor is all yours today. It’s perfectly safe to use in your arrangement.”

“Oh!” You felt the heat rise in your face. You weren’t sure you believed him with all his sweet-talking. But that didn’t matter. If the hell jasmine was safe to use, it would make for the perfect final touch. You wanted to surprise Barbatos with your creative decisions. “Close your eyes, please.”

“As you wish.” Barbatos made no attempt to get closer and shut his eyes. You finished your arrangement and brought it to Barbatos, holding it out to him like an offering.

“Okay, you can open your eyes.” You watched as a look of pleasant surprise was sketched on Barbatos’s face. The smile on his lips filled you with an unfamiliar pride – so warm and encompassing as if you had performed a miracle. There was no restraint in that smile. “I made it with you in mind.”

“Oh my.” Barbatos brought the knuckle of his index finger to his mouth. “I beg your pardon, but would you indulge my selfishness and put your arrangement in my room? There’s an empty vase on the table near the door.”

“You want to display it in your room?”

“I would feel better knowing something so thoughtfully crafted by you was in my room. I’m afraid I would feel quite jealous allowing someone else to admire it. That is, I want the sole joy of seeing it and thinking of you each day. Is that okay?”

“Are you certain the hell jasmine has had no effect on you?” You looked at him suspiciously as if that would distract from the way he flustered you.

“I’m afraid not. This seems to be a consequence of thinking about you so much today. Now, will you do me a favor and deliver those to my room? I believe you’re adept at finding my room on your own by now,” Barbatos added a seductive tinge to the last sentence. He turned you towards the entrance and gave you a gentle nudge. The warmth of his hand lingered as you headed to his room.

When you returned, Barbatos was carefully wrapping a bouquet of blue roses and darkness thyme – likely both of which were cultivated by Barbatos. It was simple, but the blue roses were stunning, and their rarity was only complemented by an equally rare herb. Barbatos tied a silky blue bow around the bouquet and held it out to you with both hands – an oddly elegant gesture.

“Where would you like me to put these?” you asked.

“No, my dear, these are for you.”

Your eyes widened and you took a closer look at the bouquet. Nine blue roses. Nine was for a timeless, eternal love. Blue roses signified mystery and uniqueness, but they could also mean something unattainable or impossible. You frowned. “Eternal love is impossible?”

Sure, maybe Barbatos wouldn’t love you forever, but that message seemed a bit cruel.

“Not quite.” Barbatos laughed at you softly. Had his laugh not been so sweet, you might have been upset. “Blue may represent the impossible, but here it is – a dream come true. If I can be so bold, you are a dream come true – the only one I could adore like this for all of time.”

The frown fell from your face, and you were left with shock and shyness. Something must have gotten into him today. In truth, the thought of the others giving you roses only encouraged Barbatos to charm you as much as he could, and that meant he would need to bare his heart to you. Barbatos pulled you in close and kissed you with a sweetness that matched his words.

“For a demon such as myself, eternal love is a rather serious proposal; will you still accept it?” His thumb ran across your lower lip.

“That would be a dream come true.” It was your turn to kiss and fluster him now. Hopefully none of the little D.s would go into the garden that afternoon.

Lucifer (1) | Mammon (2) | Leviathan (3) | Satan (4) | Asmodeus (5) | Beelzebub (6) | Belphegor (7) | Diavolo (8) | Luke (10) | Simeon (11) | Solomon (12) | Thirteen (13) | Raphael (14) | Mephistopheles (15)

[desultory-novice]

Sir Uther walks up to Noir Fontaine with purpose, having his usual happy-go-lucky smile and perky attitude. It was a surprise to see yet another human in this tournament ...well, atleast human-like. He instinctively reaches out for a handshake, eyes locked on Noir's face.

"Are you human?! MY~! I only ever saw the other one named Jade! Unlike her, you seem to be named after a color in french! Do tell, are there still any left of your species? Or are you all nearly extinct? Do you also have a history with Dark Matter in particular? I have so many questions~!! ☆"

His crystal eyes twinkle in delight, this truly was an opportunity to gain so much useful knowledge!

"Oh! And that entity, Zero as well! Does she exist in your world?"

"Hi! Wow! You're big! Bigger than I thought you round guys got!" 

Noir greets you with a boyish smile, though... ...He does not accept the handshake.

"You look like one of those Galactic Soldier Alliance people! I wrote fanfic about you! I can't let you read it because it's really cringe, but that's only cause when I was young I dreamed of being a hero, so...if you're ever recruiting, let me know maybe?! I'm not all that strong... but I'm passionate and have a strong sense of justice and somehow, I've got a lot of experience handling situations where all the evidence you killed anyone is gone because their bodies just disperse into matter once they're dead enough and the snow hides all the blood!"

[cw: mild body horror below]

"...What was I saying? Oh, yeah! I'm human! Whoa, there's another human here too? I should've figured that out, huh? I feel like I've been in a daze since I got here (or maybe even longer than that) and have been having a really hard time paying attention to stuff till lately when it all started coming back into my head REALLY FAST!"

"?! Do you speak French?! My mom taught my sister and me a little French and Japanese, cause of our ancestry, (what's my dad? I don't know! Maybe he's French-Japanese too?!) though we mostly speak Global at home. My name's supposed to be in Global but it's pretty cool that it means something in French too. 'Dark.' Sometimes I wonder if I was named after my hair? Though my sister's is the same color, pretty much, so that couldn't be it. Probably a coincidence?"

"Speaking of, my sister's human too and she's still around! We're separated right now, but my little brother's with her! (He's Dark Matter, since you brought it up! Yeah, he's adopted, but he's my little brother and if anyone says anything mean about him, I'll ****** them!) They're surrounded by friends too, so I don't worry!"

"It was really hard to get off the planet last time I was there, and it was getting pre~tty cold and people who got left outside tended to disappear till next year when you could find them again thawing out on the road but it's hard to imagine we've just gone extinct! I mean, the people from the New World had to have gone somewhere!"

"Hmm? Z...e...?"

"...r...." "...o...!?"

"M-muh...M-Mas..." "...pl...ea... ey...e...c-can....t... "...bre...athe...."

-

Noir clutches his throat. The dark, burn-like cracks on his skin that had been easy to ignore till now seem to crawl up, to his chin and beyond. A thick metal collar around his neck, barely visible between his gloved hands, hums with a dark violet glow before he passes out.

Elsewhere, an otherwise unremarkable looking sword in the stolen stash of a small Dark Matter begins to vibrate, seeking its host.

@kirbyoctournament

PS: Wisp belongs to @moonsharkss and while he's still in the lead this round, it's close, so if you want to give him a vote...!

(Help I forgot his hands!)

-

Noir's Field Trip Masterpost

-

AN: Welp, add another one to Sir Uther's body count/list of crimes...

So, I still have some "Cheerful" (...although more like his brains have been scrambled) Noir asks to answer/send out that I'll get to when I have time (writing him is a bit exhausting tbh... ) but I have gone ahead and drawn this to "progress" back to the main tourney story! (You didn't think he could stay this way forever, did you?)

TLDR, We're back to regular Noir (...or whatever other AU hijinks happen to come his way that affect him in some manner?! Magic anons...???) but if you wished to interact with or send another question to Noir explicitly during his short lived cheerful phase, lemme know! Though whether I get to it will depend on how I'm feeling ^^

-

(...Fwiw, I'm pretty sure if he stayed this way for too long, the emotional cascade would eventually give him a full on mental breakdown as his refreshed, innocent psyche finally catches up with processing all the traumas that made up his life.)

[nexility-sims]

𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲.

i, frankly, haven't had the energy or positive mindset to sit down and write anything extensive out for this gratitude day, which is is a shame. however, i wanted to post something, with promises to outpour more love next year !

at this moment, i believe it's fair to say i'm most grateful for the folks in my simblr writing group. i've told you all multiple times how happy being in a group together makes me but, damn it, everyone else needs to know, too !!!! it's only been two months, but it feels like so much longer because everyone has been so enthusiastic and earnest—in general, but also with embracing each other's stories, getting to know one another, providing support and assistance. that was all i wanted. this little community's establishment has coincided with a terrible loss and truly awful time in my life, and i just can't adequately express how appreciative i am for everyone. i want to shoutout @300yearschallenge, @bridgeportbritt, @crownsofesha, @daniigh0ul, @greensleeves101066, @lynzishell, @madebysimblr, @rebouks, @simming-in-the-rain, @simstrashkingdom, @sirianasims, @saerelia, and @hannahssimblr in particular for so many insightful, instructive, funny conversations. it's so wild to me that i just met most of you and yet am excited every day to see what you've got to say. that's to say nothing of the storytelling itself !!!!! i'm grateful as well for @digital-deluxe @earthmoonz @funkyllama @housekonig @igglemouse @moonfromearth @simabloom @simeaz @simmysunset @stillgotme @the-lancasters @theroyalthornoliachronicles @trentonsimblr @warwickroyals @saerelia @xldkx i still have lots of catching up to do, but i'm happy to say i've started and am enjoying several, finally. i'm taking notes, whether it's on family dynamics or compelling prose or friendship or the importance of backgrounds and settings or whatever else. lastly, perhaps predictably: i haven’t kept up with too many stories this year for various reasons, but i have been @armoricaroyalty's biggest fan for the last two years. i’m grateful that gabe and i had such a truly epic, ridiculously fun collaborative project this year (almost entirely gabe’s doing, which makes me even more determined to repay the favor). i’m also so proud and happy that gabe’s story has really hit its stride and garnered a lot of well-deserved praise this year.

the big reason why i love gabe’s story is because there are so many interesting characters, all doing something, all woven together in ways that feel realistic and suspenseful and dramatic and hilarious and romantic … it takes a little bit of talent, a lot of skill, and a boatload of discipline to pull that off. gabe has all of it, and i’m so grateful to have been allowed to join in—whether as an enthusiastic sounding board, a partner in plotting, or just someone to agree heartily that, yes, that freddy poll had one (1) correct answer. i'm so excited to see the story continue now that this phenomenal chapter is ending, i have and will continue to learn a lot about the craft from gabe, and my own storytelling has improved immensely just by association (you know, plus the fact that my current project wouldn’t exist without him). oh, and: simblr is also about making friends, and our friendship is hands-down the best thing i've gotten out of this whole endeavor.

all of this makes me believe, in conclusion, that 2024 is going to be full of more delightful conversation, more delightful stories to read, and more friendship ♥️

[tyrantisterror]

My Personal History with My Good Friend, Satan

My first encounter with The Devil - that I can remember, at least - came when I was about three or so. My mom liked to borrow VHS tapes from libraries to show me and my siblings a lot, and one of the libraries she used was the one at our church. It was a small and obviously very religion-centric collection, but it left a notable mark on me - like, that's where I saw this weird, kinda shitty cartoon version of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe which might be responsible for irreconcilably fucking up my taste in women? I just have this distinct memory of watching the scene where Edmund is tempted by the White Witch and thinking, "Yeah, he's making the right call." If anything I was frustrated that he hesitated - three year old me was already simping for this woman. Just imagine a child channeling Ernie Hudson in Ghostbusters and growling, "When a terrifying and beautiful woman offers you candy and a private sleigh ride, you say YES!" and that's basically me as a kid.

Where was I? Right, Satan. So, the other video from that library I remember was this cartoon retelling of Bible stories, and really I just remember the Adam and Eve part. The temptation scene had this huge, super gnarly-looking demonic red snake in it, and he was so cool and badass and I was already predisposed to like snakes anyway, so of course he was my instant favorite. But, like almost all media featuring reptiles that captured my little child heart, he turned out to be the bad guy - literally The Devil, in this case - and was punished at the end of the story. And that pissed me off.

Sometime shortly thereafter - or at least that's how I remember it, this was over thirty years ago so things might be smushed closer together than they really were by the fog of ages - some of the kids in my preschool chastised me for liking snakes. "Don't you know the devil is a snake? Snakes are evil!" I remembered the movie, and it made me angry.

Because snakes aren't evil, and as a kid I knew that because my parents taught me it. Snakes were just animals, they don't know right from wrong, and to call them evil it to judge them for what they are, not what they do. That experience taught me a very important lesson: The Devil is a tool to make people hate the innocent. And as I'd later learn, snakes were far from the only innocents people would vilify because of a demonic association.

The second time I met the devil came a few years later, when I was six or seven or so. My Grampa and Grams liked to take us up North to Mackinac City and the Upper Peninsula each summer, and I have a lot of fond memories of those trips, but there was one in particular that's relevant to this discussion. We saw a sign for a "laser light show" in the shopping district, and I got to stay up late to see it with my family. The show in question was basically a cartoon projected into the night sky adapting the song The Devil Went Down to Georgia. It was super primitive and hokey and cornball and terrible and I loved every second of it. I was enchanted, absolutely delighted with the spectacle and the silly song where the devil was less a force of evil and more a comically bumbling inept supervillain - one of my favorite archetypes, even back then. So that's the second lesson about the devil I learned: The Devil can be fun sometimes.

Now, Godzilla, one of the few reptile characters I encountered as a kid who didn't end up a villain (at least not in the first movie of his I saw, Godzilla vs. Megalon), had already set me on the path to loving monsters of all stripes and, by extension, horror fiction in general, so as I grew up I had many more encounters with the devil. But while I warmed up quickly to most monster archetypes, like vampires, zombies, werewolves, etc., I always felt dismissive of demons. It kind of coincided with me becoming disillusioned with Christianity as a whole, in fact. A story about fighting evil, Christian-style demons is ultimately an allegory for fighting evil as defined by Christianity, and Christianity's definition of what evil is, well, sucks. It's bad! They got some things right, but some things horribly wrong. The devil is the tool Christianity uses to make you hate the innocent, and I struggled to enjoy a lot of demon stories because of that. Still do with some, in fact.

There were exceptions, of course - I loved The Evil Dead series as soon as I saw it at too-early-of-an-age, but then, the demons in it aren't super Christian. They aren't repelled by holy water or crucifixes or prayer, and in fact God and Jesus barely get mentioned in the series and never come up as a potential solution. They're kind of secular as demons go, and maybe that made them easier to stomach. But overall, demons ranked pretty low in the hierarchy of monsters to me - they were too tainted by the religion that spawned them for me to enjoy.

Until college, anyway. I quietly renounced my faith during my Freshmen year, and then, as if seeking one last chance at redemption in my eyes, the devil came to me again the following year. That's when I had a class on Medieval literature, and was exposed to far older devil stories than I had ever seen before. And Medieval devils kick ass. They have so much more personality and variety than I had come to expect, and some are downright affable, even sympathetic to a degree. It was one of many moments in college when I realized there was much more to a topic I'd previously written off as boring and trite.

This is when I read Dante's The Divine Comedy and Milton's Paradise Lost and Marlowe's Faust and Ben Johnson's The Devil Is An Ass. It's when I read early Gothic Horror novels like Matthew Gregory Lewis's The Monk, and dived into The Twilight Zone, which has more than a few episodes that are updates of medieval-style devil folktales in a more modern (i.e. 1960's) setting. And so many of these works presented the Devil not as a stand-in for everything Christianity hates, but as a person - a deeply flawed person, yes, but a person with actual wants and feelings and thoughts of his own, a person who was interesting and compelling - and sometimes funny, and sometimes charming, and sometimes really sad. There was, dare I say... sympathy for the devil growing in my heart.

In the last year of my undergraduate studies, I attended my college's yearly Medieval Studies Congress, where people from all over the world came to Kalamazoo just to share their research papers on medieval history and literature. One girl's thesis paper was on the subject of "rueful devils," i.e. depictions of demons in literature where they wanted to repent their sins and redeem themselves, which uniformly ended with the devils' hopes being dashed as they could not fully repent. This idea... possessed me. The idea that the devil could repent, or at least try to - that there could be hope even in the most debauched sinner. It was such a good narrative trope in my eyes - why did it die out centuries ago?

Well, because the church didn't like it, you see. If the devil can repent - if the Absolute King of Evil can choose to become a good person - then he's not very useful as a tool to make people hate the innocent anymore. The devil MUST be "pure evil" to work as intended. A rueful devil, a repentant devil, a devil that can be redeemed, forces us to be more forgiving and kind. It forces us to be better. It prevents us from hating people because an old book says so. And some people just couldn't have that, and so the trope died.

...

After I got my bachelor's degree, I entered the job market and, after applying to fifty different places or so, was finally hired as a high school english teacher about two weeks before the school year started. Said school year was the worst year of my life. Like, I've had extreme self loathing issues and suicidal ideation since, like, sixth grade, but holy shit it was NEVER as bad as it was in that nine month stretch between 2012 and 2013. There was this bridge I had to cross on the way to work each morning, and about two months in the job was so stressful that part of my morning routine was thinking, "You know, if I just swerve to the right, this can all be over and I'll never have to worry again." About halfway in I began drastically losing weight despite not changing my diet or getting more exercise and it was so traumatic that to this day whenever my weight starts to drop my initial reaction is dread rather than excitement. I impulse bought the first two Kung-Fu Panda movies and, after watching each for the first time and crying hideously, proceeded to watch them on repeat for an entire weekend while sobbing myself hoarse for reasons I couldn't comprehend at the time.

I was in Hell. And the devil met me there.

I started writing a story during that year. I didn't get very far, just a couple chapters, but it was one of the few things that gave me a sense of accomplishment. Despite all the stress and sadness and misery, I made something. It was a story about demons, and Hell, and trying to make your life better even when the world around you seems deadset on making you suffer as much as possible.

When my bosses called me into their office at the end of that year and told me that I had to quit my job so the assistant principal could take my teaching position and survive the downsizing they'd get next year, and that if I didn't quit they'd give me the lowest teacher evaluation they could and make it supremely difficult for me to get hired elsewhere... I was relieved. I'd been let out of Hell. After a handful of months left to finish out the year, I was free.

And then I went home, with nothing. No job, no desire to pursue the career for which I'd spent five years and an ungodly amount of money getting a degree to pursue, no nest egg, nothing. Nothing except a few chapters of a book.

The years that followed were hard. I did a lot of temp work, it took me a very long time to find something that worked for me. I may have left the worst year of my life, but there was still a lot of misery waiting for me. And through it all, I felt the need to accomplish... something, ANYTHING. I had to make something to prove I had a reason to exist, even if it was something that only had value to me.

With three years of work, those chapters became my first novel, No Sympathies: A Tale of Those Who Trespass Against Us. It was about the devil, and Hell, and finding salvation even when things seem inescapably bleak. It was my first novel, and now, eight years later, it's the first of five.

The devil saved my life. He saw me at my lowest, lifted me up, whispered, "It'll be ok. You have to keep going. I'll be with you, but you have to keep going," and goddammit, he kept me from swerving right.

That's when I learned the greatest truth about the devil, at least to me. The devil is a tool to make people hate the innocent, yes, this is true, but because of that, the devil can be a savior for the broken, the beaten, and the damned. You can feel like you're worthless, wretched, and doomed. But if the devil can rise from Hell, if the devil can choose to change, if people are willing to pray for the one sinner who needs it most - then there's hope for you too, isn't there?

Demons are creatures of rebellion - against God, against nature, against the powers that be, against doom and damnation itself. They were made to be a tool to hurt the innocent, but that's not what they have to be. Devils can lift us up, because no matter how far you fall, no one can say whether it's the end for you except you.

...I would like to point out that I am being figurative here. The devil does not literally exist, at least not in my view of things. He's a fictional character, nothing more. But he's a prolific fictional character, and how we portray him can say so much about us. And, to me, he is a dear friend, despite being imaginary, because the devil was there for me when I was low, and it was on his wings that I rose from doom.

...again, figuratively, not literally.

[katyspersonal]

Okay the last post about SoTE progress for today!! (3/3)

1) So, after I defeated Romina, I of course....

came back and finally got to that bridge area that I wanted to get to!!!

Yes, I just wanted to get to that side of the map where I saw a Horned Knight that I just really wanted to murder for some reason XD However, to my surprise, I saw another Dancing Lion boss ;-; That one was a hard battle and I could not have imagined to need to do that AGAIN ;-; But my way layed through that spot, and also I am a perfectionist..

1.1) But surprisingly, at the Stage 2, it summoned several Basylisks and started to use Deathblight! That was significant for me! So yesterday I concluded that Scarlet Rot, Deathblight and Formless Blood (? is this even a correct term) all spawn flies and plants? And whereas Romina of course raised Scarlet Rot here since the buds in Rauh church she brought here were not always rotten, some Hornsent here use same flies swarms as Mohg's people! Seeing how a Dancing Lion here uses Deathblight, but no Deathroot was anywhere on its arena, I felt even more convinced that these three powers are basically Pokemon Eevelutions of the same initial concept, 'stagnation', whereas fly sickness that fell upon Hornsent is its initial unaltered form! + I guess all Hornsent in Rauh are runaways from Belurat particularly, then?

2) I finally killed that poor particular Horned Knight whom I had eyes on as soon as I saw them!!!!! They've dropped the greatsword if I remember correctly? Happy end! XDDD

3) So... Yeah, at last, finally, FINALLY I proceeded and burnt the sealing tree. I got to explore Enir-Ilim! It was already beautiful, with all the pale yellow trees. Took me some time to adjust, though, the place was tangled from the start!

4) Yeah yeah Inquisitors are female feminism wins whatever

Vfggghgjhgv unironically though, I love subversion of the trope xD

5) Something creepy/funny happened along the way though, I was laughing so hard wtfffff gfbfgcbfg

OKAY SO at some point my joy from the new location went down because my focus shifted towards the memory of the final boss, and I just remembered how much I dreaded them.. so, I broke my vow to not fuel the negativity which is already abundant and wrote a rant(ish) post about how much that decision soured otherwise amazing DLC and ranted about Radahn (disliking about his involvement, not the character jfhyggfg). And what do you think? That frankly sour post got eaten by Tumblr!

And yes, I know, Tumblr is a broken website and all that, but listen.. It never made the posts disappear for me. Ever. It could glitch out a post with bad internet and randomly publish it later as I log in, it could glitch an ask response and not have the draft saved thus losing it. It has invisible ask glitch and glitch where same post gets reblogged from 3 to 5 times. It never just made post disappear instead of being posted even with delay or giving me error message. Never. Ever. Ever. Except for now. The one time I spoke unkindly about that choice, not just "mannn weird how it wasn't foreshadowed :("

So since I am infamous amongst my friends for my super bizarre coincidences regarding fictional characters ( @heraldofcrow and @val-of-the-north witnessed so many they can swear I am cursed) me and my friend are joking that Miquella is real and he nuked the post for talking shit about his blorbo LMAOOOOOOO FFGDHTGG WTFFFFF 🤣

6) OK sorry hghgggggf Anyways, to my DELIGHT, I discovered variant of Hornsent Knights that wore smaller variant of Dancing Lions masks and use their powers like lighting and blizzard.... fun... :/

7) *points like in the meme* HEY I KNOW THIS ITEM, IT WAS SWORD OF ABUNDANCE AND DECAY REPRESENTING MALENIA AND MIQUELLA IN BETA VARIANT! XDDD

Kind of ironic how it is called 'Euphoria', because I could not be less happy about that lore being cut, all for...... *looks around in case if Miquella is somewhere in the walls*

8) There were so many nooks.. I found a secret passageway on accident, by trying to run from an old lady spamming so many spells under my feet that I was BARELY able to move! 🤦‍♂️

That eventually led me to a part of Belurat that I didn't get to explore before! Yes, the bridge above that area was where I picked Euphoria in! But below was poisonous swamp (truly a Miyazaki lol) where I got to fight a GREEN variant of Tree Spirit! It just dropped a Horn Charm that boosted poison and Rot resistance!

^ This find, though, was interesting for me, because it is a variant of a glove that was dropped by an NPC Maddening Hand earlier! That one had eyes and dealt Frenzy and specified to be weapon of Hornsent hunted by their own as heretics, but it was also forged in yearning for revenge! So, it is not even that exceptional; for Hornsent, it is a cultural thing to stitch a weapon of revenge from the skin of the victims! Kind of like giving victims a chance to strike back, albeit in death. Very poetic.

9) There was a lot of running, and a lot of getting lost. Found Spirit Ashes of Horned Knight, too (nothing new about them in description), had to use Rainbow Stones to finally stop running in circles, found Ancient Somber Smithing Stone secret via elevator (good because I ran out of them).. and THIIIIIIS:

I wondered where was the head piece of this set! Pieces of it are scattered and I found all previous three! And, again, isn't it interesting how white birds (death) are here, whereas bird variant of Horned Knights were favored 'gold' birds? Second half of Twin Bird is gold life bird guuuuuyyys-

10) Okay, eventually I've met Leda telling me to step away! I was given the choice to summon Thiollier and Ansbach, presumably because I finished their questlines, so I did! It just felt like it would be more fun.. and it WAS! Holy shit gfgggcbch I did NOT expect the ultimate NPC showdown XD And, again, Freyja and Ansbach had an actual CONVERSATION! Look, this is a breakthrough for Soulsborne games, trust me they just DON'T have characters interact "on screen"!

10.1) HOLY SHIT THOUGH DANE ACTUALLY SAID SOMETHING o_o GDGTHCJBB

10.2) No, seriously, I just wanted to jump on Tumblr and post just this! The best fucking moment

11) Instant interest:

Which Outer God? Is it one we know of, or some random guy? I decided to not think about it too hard, yesterday it ended in an over 3 hours long brainstorming and my brain still short-circuits! But maybe later! ...I am sure at some point I'll find a similar pattern in the game itself and it will all click..

^ They were both picked by a respective final boss personally.. Simon+Brador to Ludwig+Laurence moment and so on

^ *points like in a meme AGAIN* Hey I read about it in a post, she killed all other Needle Knights! And by the way, I never found the seal (?) that revealed that lore! @val-of-the-north help bvbgggvh

12) Ansbach also had a dialogue after that battle to praise Thiollier's poisoning skills! That was lovely!

13) I kind of wondered though: why could not we summon Vengeance-Seeking Hornsent in this battle too, if we did his questline correctly? That would make fair 4 Miquella Simps vs 4 of "us" battle! Like, why just cast away the character to have him die as invader somewhere in Scarlet Rot place? I later realized that it would crash the "balance" of the final boss later, and I guess he was the "safest" to leave behind since he already had his goal (to see Messmer die)! Whereas other two target Miquella in particular!

13.1) This distribution is still a meme material for shitposts about characters doing competitive sport, fighting in an online game etc hfgfggbhcbx 4 vs 4

14) I actually checked and just like I thought, the last painting secret was only accessible after burning the seal!

Yeah no shit man we could tell

15) So.... yeah, finally, I've met the final boss. I never wanted to fight Radahn again; he somehow gave me problems even on Torrent with all the friends summons, and now I have to somehow dodge him in a small arena т.т Or maybe I am dumb and this is just my skill issue idk gfggjhhy

16) I actually got to the second stage first try somehow! It often happens how I play better when I still don't even know what I am doing XD And...

Okay, is this a good time to say that so far I only was spoilered some footage and lore, but not the voicelines? So.. I shared that story already some time, but a few months before the DLC, I was simply one of the people here 101% convinced about Miquella being kind and the good guy and all! I wasn't like aggressive or anything about it unlike some more avid fans (got stabbed by Bewitching Branch, did you? :p), but still also said "they should read something besides Berserk" or "people are reading into 'fearsome empyrean' line too deep". However, as DLC was approaching, at some point I had an extremely vivid dream where Miquella appeared to me, and his vibe was exactly like in the DLC in retrospective! Okay, maybe more sinister; not cold or evil, just... "forceful" in a similar way, "for my sake".

So, back then, not only that dream permanently altered my brain chemistry to accept and become open to "evil/manipulative Miquella" interpretations, but also helped me to Expect Anything which softened the blow regarding the DLC xd I had a shock moment, but far not as bad as other fans from 'this' camp! ...... so now, I found out that his voice is EXACTLY like it was in my dream 2 months ago. 🌛I really am cursed LMAOOOO WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME XDDDD

_____________

Like I said I am a dumb looser with skill issue so I've been trying to beat the boss for next 2+ hours and still didn't.. I will probably get them next time, for now I have to travel for a week and then work again т.т Watching what insane ways YouTube come up maybe will help..

I also one time got a grab attack where Radahn snatches Tarnished and says "I promise you a thousand years voyage of compassion" which got me flustered a little and already made it harder to play, but NOW that I think of it, Ranni also said "a thousand years voyage (under wisdom of stars") 🤔 So that's at least two Demigods hinting at how whatever order (or lack of) they establish won't/can't last forever, but only for 'thousand of years'! Good to know that any system, good or bad, will eventually crumble x) Gwyn: TRIGGERED

All in all, it is a very hard battle and I can't see shit in second phase, everything is too bright. But also oddly enough, I no longer dread new lore/final this much..? Meeting the final boss in person helped to finally accept actual Miquella and get over my prior mental image for good, and I am no longer hung up on Radahn involvement beyond 'some more foreshadowing needs to go in base game via patch now'. I start to wonder whether I simply got caught in the shared disappointment mood and effect of not having the full picture rather than actually dreaded thing from the start? It reminds me of that time when I was clowning agreeing that Malenia was unfair boss but only when I fought her like 70 times myself I realized I exagerrated hfhyggh Not saying Twin Dunces is a good battle, but just saying I don't dread it as much as I thought from spoiler and getting there MYSELF helped

[valentinossecretmommykink]

Notes: hey sorry for the cringe this is my first story I have posted and I hope you don't hate it? Let me know what you do think tho!

___________________________________

Vox, the man who practically had it all, had always been known for his ability to charm anyone he came across. But there was one particular star in Valentino's crew that had caught his eye. Her name was Y/N, and she was unlike anyone Vox had ever met.

Unlike the other demons that Valentino owns, Y/N was selectively mute. She never spoke a word, but her actions spoke volumes. She was kind, caring, and always had a smile on her face. Her beauty was undeniable, but it was her personality that truly drew Vox in.

He had been watching her from afar for quite some time, admiring her from a distance, but now Vox was determined to court her. He knew it wouldn't be easy, especially with Valentino's watchful eye always on his stars, but he was willing to take the risk.

Vox began his pursuit by trying to strike up conversations with Y/N, but to no avail. She would simply smile and nod, but she never spoke. Undeterred, Vox continued to find ways to spend time with her, whether it was bugging her at work or helping her with tasks around hell for Valentino, claming he just needed to go for business or that it was just a coincidence every time he ' accidentally' ran into her.

As time went on, Vox started to see that there was so much more to Y/N than just her stunning beauty. She had a heart of gold, and her actions spoke louder than any words could. He found himself more and more intrigued with her every day. He might have even begun to develop feelings (not like he would ever admit that)

But Vox knew he had to do something big to try and make her feel the same or atleast to show her that his feelings for her were genuine.

So, he planned a (somewhat) romantic evening under the stars on the rooftop of the Vox-Tech tower. He had it all set up with candles and champagne

He nervously awaited her arrival, unsure if she would even show up. But to his delight, she appeared, a small smile on her face as she took in the scene before her. Vox took her hand and led her to the table, pouring them both a glass of champagne.

As they sat and gazed at the stars, Vox found himself pouring his heart out to Y/N, telling her how much she meant to him and how he had fallen in love with her. He spoke with such passion and sincerity, his persuasive words capturing her heart.

And to Vox's surprise, Y/N spoke for the first time in front of him. "I love you too," she whispered with tears in her eyes.

From that moment on, Vox and Y/N were inseparable. They finally had a chance to get to know each other without the pressure of Valentino's watchful eye. Over time, Y/N's selective mutism faded, and she was able to speak freely to Vox, sharing her thoughts and feelings with him.

Their love only grew stronger with each passing day, and they became the talk of the hell. Vox had won the heart of the one he had been pursuing, and it was all thanks to his persuasive words and genuine love for Y/N. She may have been selectively mute, but to Vox, her voice was the most beautiful sound in the world, and he was grateful for the chance to hear it every day for the rest of their lives.

[five-rivers]

A Star is Born!

AO3

@astatia-ghast

After revealing himself as a ghost (as a hero) (as an inhuman monster), Danny had gotten used to people staring at him.  Even people who had known him for a long time.  Especially people who had known him for a long time.  Something something, couldn’t reconcile the person they knew with the person they admired, according to Jazz.  

Danny had, honestly, enjoyed the attention at first.  It was kind of like with the Yetis!  But the thrill of being invited to every party wore thin fast.  Now he just ignored it the best he could.  

Today, however, was different, and it was really getting on his nerves.  Today, there was giggling.  

So, he normally didn’t mind giggling, but it was coinciding with an awful lot of pointing and whispering.  That, he was less fond of.  

Still.  What could he do about it?  Other than be annoyed.  He was going to do that anyway.  He got his breakfast (the lunch ladies were staring) and sat down at his usual table to wait for Tucker.  Sam was taking a zero period cooking class, and wouldn’t meet up with them until ten minutes before the bell rang.  

“Oh my gosh!”

Danny looked up.  Tucker was standing a few paces from the cafeteria doorway.  His eyes sparkled with emotions Danny had never before seen outside of an anime.  He looked delighted.  

“Danny, dude!” said Tucker, and now he flung his arms out and to the sides so violently the stylus attached to his PDA went flying and would have been lost to the mysterious and forbidden lands behind the breakfast-line counter if not for Danny’s swift use of telekinesis.  “Where did you get those nekomimi?  They look so realistic!”

“The what?” asked Danny.  

“The cat ears!”

“What cat ears?” asked Danny.  

There was a moment of silence as the whispers stopped.  

“He doesn’t know,” hissed someone, their voice carrying easily across the cafeteria.  

“I need to film this.”  There was a mad scramble for phones, PDAs, and in one notable case a full sized TV camera that absolutely should not be on campus.  

“Tucker,” said Danny, “are you telling me that there are cat ears on my head right now?”

“I mean, I guess they could be dog or wolf ears, but, yes.”

Danny raised his hands to the sides of his heads and found his earlobe.  It felt a bit… weaker, more fragile, than it had before.  He traced the sides of his ears up and up and up and…

“Tucker,” said Danny, holding onto the very tips of his ears, “why?”

“I don’t know, man.  Didn’t Frostbite say you might get shapeshifting powers?”  Tucker shuffled forward.  “Maybe you’re thinking too hard about cats.  Do you have a tail and is it fuzzy?”

Danny opened his mouth to say no, but then experienced the always-unsettling sensation of his spine reconstructing itself while he was still human.  Then, to Danny’s mortification, there was a terrible ripping sound and a fully formed and very fluffy tail unrolled itself.  

Across the room, Paulina stood up, a determined expression on her face.  “If you do requests, can you make your eyes green and pretty and sparkly and huge and slitted like a cat’s?  I’ve always wanted to see what that would be like on a human.”

Danny wasn’t intending to take requests.  He didn’t even know what was really going on.  But no one had given his power that memo, so it did it anyway.  

“Wasn’t there a cat guy ghost alr–?” started Ashley.  

“No, we don’t talk about them,” said Paulina.  "They don't count."

More importantly for Danny, who also wanted to forget that particular ghost, the cat (boy) was out of the bag.

"What about wings?  Can you do wings?"

"Make yourself look older and you can buy beer at–"

"Younger!  I want to see what Phantom would have looked like as a baby!"

"Can you do plants?  Oak trees?  Roses?"

"Dragon! Dragon! Dragon!"

"What about other ghosts?  What about blob ghosts?"

"Ooh!  Ooh!  Can you become a cockroach?"

"No!  Don't make him be a cockroach!"

"Metamorphosis, people!" shouted Mr. Lancer.  "What is– I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream!"

It was really impressive how Mr. Lancer said that all in a single breath.  Well.  Shrieked it in a single breath.

"HI, Mr. Lancer," said Danny, miserably, having become a shambling mound, "can I call home?"

"Can you- can you not… turn back?"

There was a sort of slurping sound as Danny's various body parts rearranged themselves.  

"I don't have a good handle on it yet," said Danny, trying to affect unconcern.

"Involuntarily transforming into whatever people say?" asked Tucker, voice slightly washed out.

"Something like that, I think."  

"Well," started Mr. Lancer.  

The cafeteria doors were thrown open and Mrs. Woods strode in.  "Where is my latest drama star?"  She didn't wait for an answer before shouldering through the crowd and picking Danny up off the floor.  "There you are."

"I'm not in drama," said Danny.  

"Nonsense!  You'll be a natural.  Just imagine all the parts you could play!  We'll immerse you in the world of drama.  Acting.  Staging.  Theater!  You'll have all the drama you can stomach!"

"But I don't want any drama," Danny tried protesting again, but she was already dragging him off.  "To the stage."

"Mrs. Woods!  I don't think I can stomach anything!"

"That's fine!  Many are the great actors who barred from stage fright!"

"It's not stage fright!"  It might have been a little stage fright, but becoming a loose heap of assorted body parts via shapeshifting not five minutes ago was playing a much larger part in his reticence.  "Mrs. Woods, I can’t–"

"There is no can't in drama, only yes and!"

"Isn't that improv?!" wailed Danny as she carried him through the door.  

“Yes, and?”

“My elective is astronomy!”

“And I’m electing to ignore it!”

“Holly!” called Mr. Lancer.  “You can’t just kidnap students!  The time to change classes is over!  We’re halfway through the term, for love of education!”

Like this would be any more okay if it was still the beginning of the term.  

“An exception can be made!”

Sometimes, Danny wondered if Mrs. Woods was a ghost.  She certainly acted like it, sometimes.  Either way, he’d had enough.  He phased out of Mrs. Woods’s grip.  

“No!” she hollered, even as Danny hid behind a horribly out-of-breath Mr. Lancer.  “My star!”

A door down the hallway opened up.  “Are you looking for me?” asked Star.  “Can it wait?  I’m making up a test.”

“It’s not about you,” said Danny.  

“Great,” said Star.  She eyed Mrs. Woods.  “Good luck, or whatever.”  She shut the door with a clunk.  

“So, uh.  Can I go home?” asked Danny.  

“Go to the office and ask if your parents can sign you out.”

“I can fly–”

“You’re sick, right?”

“Yeah.”

“You need your parents to sign you out.”

“William,” said Mrs. Woods.  “You can’t do this to me!  I supported your bid for a field trip to the Shakespeare festival!”

“You did that for your own reasons!”

Danny, wisely, slunk away.  He definitely wouldn’t be coming back until he could control his new shapeshifting powers.

[maple-seed]

Thrown - Chapter 31: A Failing Strategy

Summary: Loki tries a new tactic in an effort to curb his feelings.

Word Count: 2,435

Author's Note: Getting a bit angstier for a minute here.

Masterlist

He had dreamt about you again last night.

It was becoming a frustration. It's been weeks since his... epiphany regarding how he felt about you. He had expected it to at least begin waning by now, but if anything it was getting worse. You occupied nearly his every thought. Any free moment that he wasn't strictly engaged in a task --and even occasionally when he was-- his mind wandered to you. He would think about your laugh, imagine how you would feel in his arms, in his more salacious moments he might fantasize about the sounds you would make as he pleased you. He would reprimand himself after, these sorts of daydreams were certainly not going to help matters. Still, his thoughts inevitably drifted back to your scent or your smile or your shape.

The dreams were troublesome. At first it felt like a reprieve from his usual nocturnal torture. Dreaming of you was better than dreaming of his abusers or his past sins or his losses. Now he realized it was just another sort of torment. However delightful the dreams may be, when he woke he was overcome with a deeper sense of loneliness than he could bear. He would lie his bed in the cold light of morning and ache for your presence. It was a burden. Moreover, depending on the content of the dream, he would have trouble meeting your eyes later.

The problem was that he was spending too much time with you, he decided during breakfast. It was natural that he couldn't shake these feelings from his system, he was feeding into them nearly every day. He needed to limit his contact, just temporarily. Only long enough so he could cut back these traitorous growths, then he could resume his friendship with you unencumbered by the weight and tangle of this infatuation.

He and Thor had errands to attend to in the mortal town. This ran a significant risk of an encounter with you, but Loki was prepared. On their walk to town you were occupied, they could see you at work in the window of your studio. Loki tamped down the desire to join you there, sitting in that chair and watching you work. He and Thor continued on and went about their business without any particular incident. Loki may have been slightly distracted throughout but managed to keep up with the conversation well enough to avoid suspicion. On their way back home, however, you were outside in your field, and Loki steeled himself for what was to come.

"Boys!" You waved with a friendly smile as they came to a stop by your wall. "Did you happen to see Goat on your way here?" Thor looked confused. "No. Should we have? Is he missing?" You shrugged. "Not really. He wanders off sometimes. He always comes back. Working today?" "Our work is complete, for the most part. We were on our way home." Thor reached across the wall to pet Ash. You smirked. "I thought that might be the case. I'm beginning to get suspicious, your walks home always seem to coincide with meal times. Are you timing your errands to get dinner out of me?" "I don't see why we would go to so much trouble for something so freely given." Loki replied with his own smirk. He needed to be careful, he was being drawn in. You shrugged in surrender. "I can't really argue with that. I have a stew on, you're welcome to it." "My lady, I can think of no better way to end our day." Thor was already moving to open the gate. Loki hung back. "I'm afraid I must decline. I'm going to retire for the evening. Feeling a bit run down." Disappointment flashed across your face and his resolve nearly wavered. You replaced your smile and patted Thor's arm. "That's fine. More for us." Thor watched Loki with a wary eye as he followed you away. "Indeed. It is his loss." "I'm certain it is." Loki turned and began down the road. "I hope you feel better!" You called after him. He simply waved in response.

You and Thor disappeared into your cottage. Loki continued on to New Asgard. The walk home felt especially quiet.

Loki was reading when Thor returned home. Thor stood in the doorway to the living room, holding a plastic bowl with a sealed lid. "She sends this with her well wishes." Of course you sent him dinner. "That is very kind of her." Thor set the bowl on the end table beside Loki. "That sort of kindness is not something to spurn." "I agree completely." Loki turned a page. Thor watched him closely, trying to appraise his intentions. "It did not seem to me that you were in particular need of rest today." "I simply wasn't prepared for the social engagement." "So it was a lie." "Lies often serve a benevolent purpose, brother." Loki looked up at him. "I did not wish to injure her feelings or cause her doubt." Thor crossed his arms, making it clear that he disapproved, but left the room without anything more to say. Loki looked at the bowl on the table and felt undeserving.

**

Over the next few days Loki managed to avoid meeting you. He tended to the tasks that called for him in New Asgard, and always had something else to work on when something was needed in the human town. During his evening walks with Thor he discreetly guided their path, something he would typically never do, ensuring that if they left New Asgard they would wander the hills nearby rather than the road that might lead to your home. He managed to convince himself that it was working, that this sense of emptiness he felt was his heart finally letting go of this surplus attachment.

But now it was Saturday morning. Loki sat with his tea at the kitchen table. He stared down into the cup and wondered how you were faring. Had you made it to the market on time, without him there to help you pack? Were you managing without another set of hands to mind the stall? Had you made an extra sandwich, anticipating he would be there? The emptiness had become overwhelmingly present and he was beginning to suspect it was not the sign of mending he had previously assumed.

Thor came down the stairs and visibly startled when he saw Loki at the table. "What are you doing here?" "I may be mistaken, but I believe I live here." Loki stated flatly, still staring at his cup. "Yes." Thor rolled his yes. "But it's the weekend. A market day." "You may be surprised to learn I am not actually employed by the potter." He took a sip, still avoiding Thor's gaze. "Loki." There was a long pause, and Loki finally met his brother's eyes. There was a crease in his brow, his face a mix of frustration and concern. "I won't tell you how to conduct yourself here. I won't pretend to understand your machinations. All I will say is that you should tend to this carefully, whatever it is that you're doing." "Duly noted." Loki stood with his tea and returned to his room upstairs.

The day was spent in anguish. He tried to occupy himself with any number of diversions; reading, eating, walking, he even resorted to turning on the television, nothing broke the hold you had on his mind. He fought the urge to walk to the market, his instinct telling him that if he could just see you then he wouldn't have to think about you. He told himself that this would pass, and that this struggle proved these measures were necessary. Eventually the day was over, and he fell into a fitful sleep.

Sunday was no better. He waited until he heard Thor leave the house before exiting his bedroom, hoping to avoid another reprimand. He wondered if you had expected him this morning, after his absence yesterday. He wondered how you felt about it. Perhaps it was a relief for you, he thought to himself, he had been occupying a lot of your time. Besides, you had gone to the market alone for years, you didn't need him. He tried to frame it as some sort of kindness for your benefit. It didn't stop the intrusive thoughts about your wit or the shine of your eyes or how it felt when your hand brushed his, but it helped him bear it. The day whiled away slowly, and when he finally returned to bed he found he was exhausted by the effort of distraction.

He was aware that he was dreaming. He was in your cottage. More specifically, he was in your bedroom. It was rendered in considerable detail, he thought, for a room he typically only saw in passing. You were sitting on your bed, hugging your legs to your chest, head resting on your knees. You looked despondent. "Darling, what's wrong?" He stepped quickly to sit beside you. You looked up at him but didn't move. "I'm sorry." His brow furrowed. "For what?" You shook your head and closed your eyes. "I'm sorry." He reached for your hands, wrapping them in his. "There's no need." You squeezed his hand.

Loki awoke. That had certainly been different. He stared at his ceiling, trying to decipher what this was. The ache was worse. The empty feeling had progressed into an encompassing hollowness. He hadn't felt this when you were away during Jul. It wasn't just that he hadn't seen you, he realized, it was that he was keeping himself from you. He was the cause of it. It was his fault. It was necessary, he reminded himself as he turned over and tried to find sleep again.

**

The day's work was confined to New Asgard, and Loki was grateful that he didn't need to create any excuses. He was home by the late afternoon, however, and once again had to find a diversion. He was attempting to read when Thor again appeared in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

Loki looked up. "Is there something I can help you with?" Thor frowned. "I ran into our friend just now, she was taking Ash to the beach for a walk. I invited her here for dinner." "Oh?" Loki's spirit rose. If Thor invited you here, well, that's something that couldn't be helped. "She declined." Loki's heart sank again. "Oh." "I wonder why she might do that." Thor was scowling now. Loki shrugged. "The inner workings of a human's mind-" "I imagine it's because you've been avoiding her." Loki set his jaw and looked back down at his book. "You told me recently you didn't want to injure her feelings. They have been injured." That cut right through him. He winced. "That... that was not my intention." Thor stared for a moment, then dropped his arms. "You know, brother, I don't believe I have the energy for our walk today. I suggest you go on your own." As he left the room he called over his shoulder. "Perhaps to the beach?"

**

When Loki found you on the beach you were sitting on a log that had washed ashore, watching the waves. Just laying eyes on you felt like a relief. He wondered why he had bothered with this foolishness. Ash trotted up to meet him as he approached and followed Loki back to where you sat. You glanced up at him and offered a half-smile. You looked tired. The relief he felt was replaced by guilt.

"May I join you?" You nodded to the space next to you. Loki took a seat and looked out at the water. "Has Goat returned?" "Not yet. But he will." Your eyes were focused on a swell in the distance.

A tense silence stretched between the two of you. That twisted his heart. Usually the silences you shared were a comfortable quiet. This isn't how things should be. This was his fault. He hadn't expected you to be affected this way, but he had been careless.

Eventually he found his nerve. "I owe you an explanation." "Was it something I did?" He balked. "No. No, of course not." You sighed and dropped your head. "That's all I really need to know."

Was that relief? Had his absence been hanging over you? He wondered what you could possibly have thought you'd done. His heart twisted again and shame kept him from saying anything else for some time. He eyed the scarf around your neck. Did you still wear the pendant he gave you? He wouldn't fault you if you didn't, after this trial he'd put you through.

He forced his gaze to the water again. "I thought you didn't care for the sea." You breathed a laugh. "I like it just fine from here. I'll even put my feet in. I just think it's arrogant to walk around on top of it." He tipped a wry smile. "It does seem arrogant, when phrased that way."

Another silence. This one felt much better. The two of you listened to the water pulling at the shore. The steady rhythm was reassuring.

"Will you join us for dinner?" He turned to you now. "I can't make any promises about the quality, but Thor has assured me it will be edible." You cringed. "I can't." You sounded regretful. "I already turned Thor down." Loki waved your concern away. "Not an issue. He's quite used to me currying favor where he can't." You smirked a little but were clearly still torn. "Please." He willed every ounce of sincerity into his voice. "He will consider me a failure if I return home without you. As will I." When your smile broke there was something in it that made it clear he had won. "I guess we can't have your ego damaged." He laughed softly. "Certainly not."

The two of you stood, and when he offered his arm you took it without hesitation. A small voice in the back of his mind told him he'd just undone any progress he might have made. He quickly shut it out. Perhaps he would be caught in this tangle for longer than he anticipated. He could endure it, so long as it wasn't hurting you. That was his new priority.

He led you to his home, with Ash padding along behind. Inside, Thor greeted you with a wide smile while Loki took your coat.

You removed your scarf and Loki's eyes lingered on your necklace.

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[riderofblackdragons]

Day 18: Stockholm Syndrome

Day 18! I think this one might be the longest thing I've written so far, which is uhh.. yeah. Stockholm Syndrome is an interesting prompt, bc when going with TVD... I think probably the best examples are Klaus and Elijah's relationship. There was a part of me that just wanted to make this a small thing, and just write "Klelijah: Just fucking look at them".

But nope, I've written a whole thing for it! I had an idea for this AU, but then, I had another one that would arguably be worse, but ultimately it doesn't apply to this particular fic

So yeah, this is a new AU called Runaway Treasures.

This is ABO, Klaus is an Alpha, Elijah's a Beta, and the doppelgängers were all Betas bc I had to decide on what I wanted to do with those.

The relationship present is Klelijah, in a romantic sense, bc i wanted to try it lol

Content warnings: Abuse, and all the usual shit that comes with Klelijah

Hope you enjoy!

Elijah had spent a lot of time working his way towards being acknowledged and respected. It was hard, he could admit, his gender as an Omega working against him, but it did work, eventually. All of the supernatural community knew of him, at least, as the Honourable Original. And whilst he wouldn’t call himself that, Elijah couldn’t deny that the title had come in handy at times.

Like now, with one of his underlings leading him towards a guest. Trefor, he believed this one was called, but then Elijah’s breath was taken away by the girl he’d brought Elijah to. She looked exactly like Tatia, and for a split second, Elijah thought back to his friend.

The Beta woman had been a good friend, and Elijah deeply regretted what had happened to her. It shocked him for a moment, seeing her face here, in this century, before Elijah’s brain kicked back online, and he remembered about her doppelgängers.

Women descended from his friend, who looked exactly like her, even down to their dynamic. The scent was different, Elijah noted idly, but everything else seemed exactly the same. Her voice was different too, he noticed as this women before him, Katerina, as Trefor introduced them, spoke.

Human, too, Elijah was pleased to realise. His mate would be happy about that, at least. And what a coincidence, that this doppelgänger had shown up at this celebration, of all times. Officially, it was a birthday party for his mate. Unofficially, it was a celebration of their anniversary, although Elijah had requested something a little more… Low-key, for this year. Clearly, Niklaus had ignored that.

It wasn’t the first time his lover had ignored Elijah’s requests, so Elijah elected not to let it bother him, although it didn’t stop him from wishing Niklaus a happy birthday when the Alpha finally showed up. The warning glance he got told Elijah he’d be wishing he hadn’t said that, later, but Elijah let that pass him by, as well.

There was a slim chance that Niklaus might forget, after all, when he saw Elijah’s gift.

Delight bloomed over Niklaus’ face when Elijah introduced Katerina, enough that he barely spared his mate a glance at the full name. And he abandoned Elijah, as well, choosing to walk off with the doppelgänger instead.

To charm her, no doubt. He’d need her to be entirely trusting of them, when the time came for the ritual. Elijah pretended that it didn’t bother him, the way that his mate had so cleanly blown him off. On their anniversary, as well!

He pretended that he didn’t see the pitying glances from a few of the vampires around him, although he did note their faces for later. He wasn’t some harmless Omega, who could only rely on his Alpha to do things. It was as though they didn’t remember that Elijah was older than Niklaus, even if he’d been stupid enough to mate with the vampire.

He didn’t see his mate the rest of the night, nor did he see the doppelgänger girl, either. After the party, Elijah took himself to his room, shared with Niklaus, and waited for his mate to return.

Niklaus did not return to bed that night.

Nor the next.

An ugly feeling started churning in Elijah’s stomach, but he pushed it down. Niklaus had not strayed from him, for all the centuries they had been mated, and Elijah didn’t believe he would start now. No matter that they had had plans to mate with Tatia, before, and this girl he was spending all his time with looked just like her.

Elijah had to cling to his belief, to his hope, that nothing had happened between them. He needed to. Else he would lose his composure, his famed self-control, and the mansion they were staying in would be bathed in blood as he lost himself in his emotions.

The third night, Niklaus returned to their bed. He was drunk, and smelled of the doppelgänger. Stunk of her, really. Not in the way that would mean that they’d slept together, thankfully, but just in the sense that he’d spent so much time with her.

“I’m heading to Spain,” Elijah announced, wondering if Niklaus would care. “I heard Kol and Rebekah are there at the moment, and I wish to join them,”

It seemed that if Elijah had left in the days prior, Niklaus wouldn’t have even noticed, too caught up in his new toy. And he wasn’t lying, their siblings were in Spain, and Elijah did miss them, but privately, he could admit to himself that the reason he was leaving was because he felt slighted by Niklaus’ actions.

“What?” Niklaus’ head shot up. “No!”

“And why not?”

“I forbid it! You’re not going to Spain, Elijah, and that’s final!”

Elijah pressed his lips together, but didn’t continue the argument. There was no changing Niklaus’ mind, and he didn’t feel like trying his mate’s patience at this time. Vampires they may be, Niklaus was still rather vicious, and Elijah disliked covering up the injuries that he caused, even if it was just for a day.

Just leave, Rebekah had told him once, helping him patch himself back up after another temper tantrum from their brother. I know he’s your mate, but he hurts you, ‘Lijah. Just come with me.

He’d refused her, then. And Elijah knew if she asked again now, he’d refuse her again. He knew why Niklaus lashed out, and he could take it. They were mates, they promised to stand by each other. Elijah didn’t want to leave him alone in the world, like Rebekah had suggested. It’d only be worse when they got back, anyways, and Elijah couldn’t stay away from Niklaus for long, no matter what he did.

Sometimes, Elijah found himself wishing that Niklaus would punch him, rather than just use his words. When he was hurt, Niklaus apologised, and was the sweetest Alpha Elijah could ever ask for, until he next grew mad. But sometimes, with the smaller things, Niklaus refused to acknowledge that they were his fault, and he didn’t seem to realise that his hurtful words deserved an apology as well.

Once, he’d mentioned this to Rebekah. She’d nearly gone to try and take their brother’s head off, despite their immortality. It had only been Elijah pulling her back that had made her stop, and even then, she’d been cold towards Niklaus for the rest of the week.

The next few weeks proceeded pretty normally, for Elijah. They’d had the party on the full moon, which wasn’t intentional but did help with Niklaus’ plans, at least. Still, he had his new toy, but Niklaus didn’t want to spend too much time with the doppelgänger, Katerina, so he sent out Elijah to do the work of bonding with her for him.

But this distraction was a boon for Elijah, truly. Niklaus couldn’t focus as much on Elijah as he used to, too busy tracking down the moonstone for his ritual. And, Elijah admitted to himself, Rebekah had also sent another letter for Niklaus only, which Elijah knew more than likely contained threats of what she’d do if Elijah was injured again when she returned to them.

“Why do you love him?” Katerina asked breathlessly one afternoon, after she and Elijah had played a game of tag throughout the gardens.

“He’s my mate,” Elijah pointed out. “Why shouldn’t I love him,”

They were both collapsed on the grass now, their smiles fading away in their talk. Immersed in it, Elijah failed to feel the tug of his mating bond, nor smell the Alpha coming closer. Klaus stopped, just out of sight, and observed them silently.

“No!” Katerina giggled. “I mean, why did you mate with him? I’ve never seen you do anything like courting, but you’re supposed to be married!”

“I love him,” Elijah chose his words carefully, still unaware of his mate’s eyes staring at him. “I’ve known him for what feels like my whole life. He makes me feel complete, and I couldn’t imagine a world without him, or one where I’m not by his side,”

Klaus stepped forward then, rustling the bushes he was walking by to pretend as though he hadn’t been eavesdropping. The two in front of him jumped apart, Elijah getting up quickly as well, looking for all the world as though they’d been having an affair, and not just talking.

Or, well, Klaus hoped it was just talking. If Elijah was trying to leave him, for his doppelgänger… His vision tinted red at the thought, but he managed to table it. Not long now until sunset, and with it, the full moon he needed for his ritual.

He raked his eyes across Elijah’s body in appreciation, before he led Katerina away by the hand - Klaus did love his mate, and he definitely loved looking at him. Besides, who knew what the ritual tonight would do to him? It was best to drink his fill now, even if it was just with looks, and then deal with whatever happened later.

Katerina escaped, was what happened later. Elijah hadn’t known, of course. He’d prepared the potion he’d gotten from the witches, ready to get Katerina to drink it. She was nice, and he enjoyed spending time with her. He didn’t particularly feel like letting his friend die, even though he’d had to let it happen to Tatia centuries before.

It wasn’t because he was in love with her, like Niklaus had accused him of a few times. Just because Elijah was spending more time with her than Niklaus was (time that Niklaus had told him to spend with her!), it didn’t mean that Elijah was wanting to stop being mates with him.

And it wasn’t like Elijah had known that Katerina would escape, either. He’d learned of it after Niklaus had, when his mate had held him to the wall, by his throat.

“What have you done?” His Alpha roared as he enter their side room, where Elijah was writing peacefully in his journal.

Internally, Elijah flinched at the sudden noise, and the obvious anger from his mate, but he was thankful that his body didn’t react. It wouldn’t do for him to provide Niklaus with any more reasons to be angry.

“I don’t understand,” He closed his book, placing it to one side.

It seemed as though he wouldn’t be getting to finish his writing today, not with how angry Niklaus was already. He spoke softly, as though not to disturb the silence he’d surrounded himself with, like Niklaus hadn’t already done that with his explosive entrance.

“Katerina is gone,” Niklaus nearly growled at him, coming to a stop in front of Elijah. “She has fled,”

In one fluid motion, Elijah rose from his chair, coming face-to-face with his brother. “No,” He couldn’t believe it, Katerina had seemed so happy. They’d spent the afternoon together, whilst Niklaus was off finishing his preparations for the ritual tonight, and she hadn’t given him any reason to think she wanted to run.

“What did you tell her,” Klaus snarled into his face, causing a little fear to coil into Elijah’s stomach.

This was his mate, his love, and he’d never hurt him bad, not on purpose. Fear wasn’t something he should be feeling, not when it was just the two of them. And besides, Elijah knew that he was just angry because his doppelgänger had gotten away, that they’d have to postpone the ritual once again. Niklaus was just getting tired of waiting to unlock his wolf again, Elijah reassured himself. And he was just making sure the person he took it out on could actually take it.

“I-I told her nothing,” Elijah protested. It was true, he hadn’t mentioned anything about the ritual, nothing that could’ve made her want to run.

But this wasn’t good enough for his brother. One second, they were standing eye to eye, staring into the other’s, the next, Elijah was slamming into the wall previously behind Niklaus, his mate’s hand pressing down on his throat.

Niklaus’ anger slipped through their bond, as well, making Elijah angry, and as the veins under his eyes threatened to writhe free, he watched his mate’s burst into life. Instinctively, Elijah brought his hands up to the Alpha’s, scrabbling at them, trying to release him from his throat.

The rational thought in Elijah’s head was fading, just his instincts kicking in. And his instincts were telling him, he was in danger here, and he needed the air that was being denied to him.

“DO NOT LIE TO ME!” Niklaus yelled into Elijah’s face, small droplets of spittle landing onto his mate.

He was too far gone in his anger, Elijah could feel it. He tilted his head to the side, exposing his neck, hoping that Niklaus would take the hint and bite. It only worked half the time, but when it did, it calmed Niklaus down like nothing else.

“You are my Omega,” Niklaus hissed. “And she is my doppelgänger. I should never have left you alone with her,”

His grip grew tighter around Elijah’s neck. “Niklaus,” The Omega begged, his voice gurgling from the tight grip. “Please,”

Thankfully, that worked. Niklaus released his grip, enough that Elijah could suck some air into his lungs. Even if he didn’t technically need air, as a vampire, it was calming, and he preferred being able to breathe than not.

“I-” Elijah tested out his voice. It was barely there, and for a moment, Elijah thought he saw a hint of remorse in Niklaus’ eyes.

It was okay, though. Elijah knew that Niklaus hadn’t meant to be so harsh, he was just upset. Clearly, he thought that Elijah had strayed from him, towards Katerina, and that maybe her running away was from him revealing details of the ritual to her. No matter what he said, Elijah could tell that Niklaus wasn’t going to accept the truth, so he didn’t try to explain it any further.

I will find her, Elijah projected into his mate’s mind. He knew it frustrated all of his siblings, that he could do more mental tricks than them, but he needed to use it now, since his voice was now gone. You have my word.

Although his anger, at the situation, at his mate for throwing him around, at Katerina for not just staying put so Niklaus could have access to his wolf again - it was a lot harder to hide it, when he was communicating mentally.

“And you have my word,” Niklaus leaned even closer, so their lips were barely touching. If Elijah licked his lips, his tongue would brush Niklaus’ as well. “That if you do not…

“You will be dead.”

[ndrayton]

Ghost Stories Postmortem!!!

It’s me, FieryGaze!!! Now that Chapter 13 is out and posted and my brain has freed up about 75% of its RAM, I wanted to make a post just to reflect on the journey, drop some fun facts, & explain the intent behind some of my choices. Here they are in no particular order.

Spoilers beware, obviously. I'm going to be talking about the whole fic here.

Episode Titles

Each episode title refers to two things at once – the monster or challenge the group is facing, plus one other important thematic element. “The Demon King” is the simplest one, referring both to the actual Demon King and then to Kim Dokja gaining that power for himself. The others are a little more open to interpretation, but were chosen with the intention of referring to 2 specific things.

Constant reappearance of the number “Thirteen”?

I’d like to say there was a lot of thought behind this, but there wasn’t. I just went “ooo, unlucky number” and ended up repeating it as often as possible. 13 years since KDJ and HSY met; 13 years spent in the spirit world chasing the Endless Cycle; 13 loops before KDJ met YJH. It was a lucky coincidence that the chapter count also happened to be 13 (I’d initially planned for twelve, and everything that happened in Unseen World was supposed to be squished into the end of Infinite Loop Part II. When I realized that was absolutely NOT going to give me enough space to resolve everything, I was delighted to realize that I could make the chapter count 13 and have it be thematically relevant and Not just a case of poor planning).

Lee Seolhwa also states that the number 7 is significant for certain spirits. I just think it’s fun that the total chapter count ended up as 13 and the total Episode count as 7.

Perspective and Tense Changes

From the beginning, the use of first person was actually a bit of a false flag—it’s meant to represent the ghost of Kim Dokja, trapped in the loop, imagining himself as the living version of himself going on these adventures. Kim Dokja as the narrator states this outright.

It was about time I stopped pretending that “I” was really this person called Kim Dokja. (Ch. 11)

Maybe I pretended for a while, for a long while, that it was really “me” who was fighting at your side. (Ch. 13)

The first person narration also tends to flip between present and past tense, especially in later chapters when Ghost!KDJ begins using second person to refer to Han Sooyoung and Yoo Joonghyuk, but also when he’s making general observations about the world. It’s not technically grammatically correct, but I was trying to grant a small step of separation between him and the other characters, whose perspectives are written more strictly in third person past tense.

The final monologue is also in present tense, unmooring it from the sequence of events of the story, hopefully making it feel a little more dreamlike/internal. I feel like I’m allowed to mess with tenses this much only because it’s an orv fic and I’m not afraid to get meta.

I also used present tense during almost all of chapter 10. I wanted it to feel like a whole separate fic-within-a-fic, and a lot of fanfic is written in present tense, so I was deliberately evoking that (including See You Yesterday, undeniably a MAJOR inspiration for this chapter). I also wanted to provide a sense of immediacy—Yoo Joonghyuk truly believes that what he’s experiencing in the dream is really happening to him, right now—that I could pull back on once he realized he was dreaming, returning to past tense and the main flow of the larger story.

As a side note, by the time I finally finished chipping away at chapter 10 I thought it was awful, so I was surprised and delighted when it became everyone’s favourite chapter, lmao. This is probably why people have beta readers, to get a little bit out of their own heads. Anyway, the positive response to that chapter really brightened my week.

… My favourite scenes 😊

The first scene I really had a blast with was probably the possession scene—what can I say, you don’t make a “Paranormal investigation AU” without wanting to play with a few of its standard tropes. That’s when I realized I could happily keep writing this fic for as long as it took to finish it (I initially planned for 2 months. It became 4.)

I also had such a fun time writing all of “Blank Message”, from the kids bullying poor Dokja to what amounts to me basically just drawing hearts around Yoo Joonghyuk’s name as he fails to use technology but also gets to be the most specialest boy in the world. That episode practically wrote itself, honestly. I accidentally wrote like 12,000 words of it in my phone notes app because I kept having ideas at work and had little else to do during our slow season.

My actual favourite scene, though, might be Yoo Joonghyuk cooking in Han Sooyoung’s kitchen in Ch. 12? I just thought it was sweet. Maneuvering those two into a position where they could be emotionally vulnerable with each other was a challenge. My notes for that section are funny to me, I’m just struggling to get to the heart of the scene and yelling at them to please be emotionally vulnerable.

... There was like 500 more words of this.

I can’t help but feel the yoohan corner of yoohankim got a little neglected in this fic, but it’s because they had so many unresolved issues that I couldn’t just leap ahead to the romance angle without first addressing them… and by then the fic was kinda over. Please understand, however, that they love and understand each other deeply despite (because of??) being the way they are. Maybe I’ll explore that more in future stories. Who could say.

Most challenging part to write?

Wrong Room Part II, Forgotten Boy Part II, and the first bit of Devourer of Dreams Part II before Kim Dokja showed up (it was way easier to write once he was there because the joongdok dynamic really pulled the plot along).

All three of these had significant rewrites and Forgotten Boy Part II took me like… an entire week to figure out. The Part II’s tended to be tricky because that’s when I was making all the setup from Part I pay off, but I wanted it to be engaging and exciting and not feel too paint-by-numbers. I learned a lot writing these!

What was Yoo Joonghyuk saying at the end of Blank Message that got censored?

“▪▪ ▪▪▪ ▪▪▪▪▪▪ ▪▪▪ ▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪ ▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪ ▪▪ ▪▪▪▪▪”

“Do you really not remember…”

Well, maybe you can intuit the rest from context clues (what Mia was saying just beforehand).

There was a bunch of other censoring when Kim Dokja was trying to explain to Yoo Joonghyuk where all his special knowledge of the time loop came from, but I didn’t actually note it down as it was all pretty much able to be inferred, like “the loop is actually based on a book series”.

There’s certainly more to find, but that’s all I have to say for now!

I fun with foreshadowing, but I’m not going to call out anything specific, because I think it adds to reread value. There’s an especially mean bit of “foreshadowing” in one part that had me absolutely cackling. Let me know if you find it.

Anyway!

I had no plans to put so much time and effort into writing fanfic this year, and yet here I am with 120,000 words in four months, which is… FAR AND ABOVE my normal writing pace, especially lately. What can I say? Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is a really special story and I don’t have any friends who have read it, which put my brain into an absolute pressure-cooker for which the only release could be writing orv a novel-length love letter.

I’m seriously thankful for everyone who read the story and left so many emphatic, excited, and kind comments. The readers absolutely transformed this experience from something I was plodding away at by myself just to see if I could do it into something I was really excited to share with others, and as a result I put a lot more effort and care into the story.

I do have a few other ideas for this AU—for which the seeds are actually already planted in the story—but, as I mentioned in my author’s note, I desperately need to take a fanfic break for a while. I can’t promise if/when I’ll get back to it, but I would definitely like to at some point.

IN ANY CASE, FOR THE LAST TIME ON THIS ADVENTURE….

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[regallibellbright]

Some general thoughts on Precure All Stars F:

1) I knew it going in, but it really is delightful that the literal plot of this movie is some kind of all-powerful alien capable of destroying planets deciding after a fight to become the most powerful being in the universe: a magical girl. (Complete with mascot made of the weak and useless parts of yourself like compassion and a desire for friendship and ugh you’re not destroying things with our incredible cosmic power, get away from me.)

2) Laura: I’m looking for someone (my girlfriend.)

Mashiro: What a coincidence! I’m looking for my girlfriend too!

3) Love how StarTwi staff have said Lala’s “On my home planet I am TOTALLY AN ADULT” is a lie, but she still got grouped in on Team Adult… as the token kid.

4) I will say, the evil alien bunny girl does have a really good sense of style.

5) Tsubasa just fanboys every time he meets a princess, huh. What a dork. <3

6) I missed Manatsu and Laura so much. But you know who I missed more? Nodoka. Also love the inherent in-joke of Nodoka talking about how she misses and is looking for Rabirin to Mashiro, who shares a VA.

7) So yeah the train part made me go wibbly. Also, Nodoka took up running to build her stamina but still can’t run as fast as the others, none of whom are particularly athletic but also aren’t chronically ill. YES. (Laura trying to use her tail to bridge the gap was a nice touch.)

8) A tiny puppy reminds Yukari of her girlfriend, who is a dog.

9) The reunions were so cute, all times. Team Soaring Sky getting a group hug. Manatsu and Laura getting a HUGE hug while Yui and Amane and Nodoka and Asumi’s are a bit more restrained. So cute. (And then meanwhile, the adorable bunny mascot with Serious Trauma is having a very reasonable freakout. Poor Puca.)

10) Team Wing sees explosions in the castle and just vanishes for like five minutes only to reappear having already defeated Supreme’s “final boss.” High achievers, all of them.

11) Also La Mer getting to do her little “Victory!” jump and kick after her attack, even though they’re still running. So cute.

12) Reiterating what I said when Toei posted the first Big All-Precure Fight Scene: People were not kidding, Milky Rose looks dead there, and I’m not sure we actively see her get up later in the scene when everyone rallies? I… assume so? Looking forward to people uploading screenshots of a lot of the quick shot sequences to get a closer look (that one and the Cure Allies shots during All For One Forever, in particular.)

13) So the last couple movies hadn’t used Miracle Lights. Sure. But would it really be an All Stars movie - for a milestone anniversary, no less - without them? Of course not.

14) I am always a sucker for a good memory montage featuring the power of love. And oh, that was a good one. Not sure my favorite: Manatsu and Laura and Yui and Amane reacting to their shared memories are both fantastic, but so’s Yukari just standing by the wall as her memory plays out, and of course they pick That Scene from Healin’ Good for Rabirin and Nodoka’s maximum emotional impact.

15) That said: Distinctly NOT a fan of Supreme’s design featuring a darker skin tone once she goes evil and only when she goes evil, even though she keeps the black costume change in the ending.

16) I was admittedly a LITTLE disappointed when I got the soundtrack to realize they weren’t repeating All Stars Memories with a like twelve-minute fight scene track that was a medley of the theme songs. I do love the eight-minute medley track. All For One Forever is more than acceptable as a substitute, though.

17) We finally get the Delicious Party/Kirakira a la mode teamup we all wanted and deserved. Plus, bonus food-themed Cures adding their own powers to the mix! The ULTIMATE battle cake.

18) Also great: Laura and Minami’s “did we just become best friends?” attack. (All the thematic combos were delightful but seriously La Mer and Mermaid just seeing each other and going “let’s do a combo” is PERFECT.)

19) Yukari and Akira trying to act cool once they’re reunited, like Yukari hasn’t been utterly miserable all movie because her girlfriend is gone. Lala wiping out some cannon fodder so Yukari can have a moment with her girlfriend. (Lala understands. Her girlfriend was past the cutoff for getting two major cast members this movie. Probably because Nodoka and Rabirin with Team Prism had thematic purpose and a sequence break would look seriously weird - Hikaru seems like a shoo-in for Team Sky’s Goofball Energy And Preme.)

20) Cure Puca, like Ellee, gets the benefits of being a Precure seemingly requiring you to be a humanoid teenager/whatever’s going on with Cure Earth Who Is At Least This Tall Unless You’re A Mascot: being able to give a heroic speech.

21) Things I’m remembering last-minute I enjoyed: Sora showing the others her Hero Diary and being sad when she sees the “We Are Pretty Cure” page of her and Prism holding hands. Sora incorporating Yui’s and Manatsu’s mottos into her own. The lead Cures during the Portals Sequence all being like “yeah we don’t really know what’s going on here but we’ve all been in an All Stars movie or several before, we can handle this, sure.” The emphasis on hand-holding in general, particularly that FLASH of the battle they lost and Precious that Sora gets the first time she takes Yui’s hand and the vaguer one for Manatsu’s. And in a “this amused me” way, the way everyone getting lined up for the battle before the Requisite Explosion Jump is just them floating in space like a bunch of dolls on invisible shelves because it’s the only way to manage this all, there’s like 80 of them, it is SO MANY PRECURE.

So yeah, solid movie, I enjoyed it greatly. Probably gonna give it a minute until I finally watch the Healin’ Good one.

[sarnai4]

Icy Delights

Few things make me happier than ice cream. So, with the approaching summertime, I wanted to imagine RTTE characters at an ice cream parlor.

Hiccup: He's getting a banana split because it's customizable. There just isn't a world where Hiccup isn't making something. The owners at the shop probably named some special version of the split after him and now, it's one of their best sellers. As a result, they like him showing up.

Astrid: If they offer spicy flavors, she's getting those or the tartest ones. She's convinced they're going to make her tougher in the process. The story workers are always amused/horrified by what she ends up getting. To make matters a bit better, she gets a cone too.

Snotlout: He samples everything. EVERYTHING. The store owners are this close to hating him, but he does at least buy a triple scoop afterwards. There's no particular flavor he's looking for. He just knows he can try them all and is making the most of that.

Tuffnut: He gets the world's most elaborate sundae. It's actually impressive how much attention the workers need to pay if they're going to get this order right. Only a cherry and chocolate sauce on the whipped cream overtop the flavor on the left, please. The employees almost hate him too because of this, but his friends tip well to make up for this.

Ruffnut: She religiously gets flavors with nuts in them because she feels like it's required with her name. Black walnut, pistachio, butter pecan...if they're not offering one with nuts, she's getting some mixed in. An added bonus is that she can throw them at Tuffnut and anyone else who gets in her line of fire.

Fishlegs: He's getting the largest amount of scoops that can reasonably be sold to an individual. The store owners love him because they know they're getting a minimum of $20 off his order alone. No worries. He'll eat it before anything melts.

Dagur: He makes it a mission to eventually order every flavor, but he won't get samples. He believes that's cheating. So, he goes all in and just deals with the consequences if he hates a certain type. The others try to talk him out of this plan. It never works. If he's got a flavor Snotlout likes, the dark-haired guy will sometimes try to steal a spoonful. He gets growled at whenever this happens (even if Dagur doesn't like the flavor. It's the principle of the matter).

Heather: She's getting the Neapolitan flavors either all together or separately. There's probably a fruit toppling too if that's an option. Her order is easy, so the employees try to do it first. Then she can just watch the chaos ensue while she's enjoying the dessert.

Mala: She's getting sorbets and gelato because those are the fancier flavors. Her order is taken somewhere in the middle because she knows it's going to take forever to wait for Tuffnut, but she also wants to consider her options well enough. By the time she and Dagur have theirs, they are happily sitting off in a corner of the shop, feeding each other.

Throk: He's always taking forever because he's trying to decide what flavor would complement a nut without seeming obvious that it's his goal, but if Ruffnut WANTS to share...then he's ready. What a coincidence😉.

Stoick: He just get a milkshake. To him, it's how the ice cream is going to end up anyway. Getting scoops is delaying the inevitable and too youthful for him. He'll leave it to the younger ones.

Gobber: Gives zero darns about ice cream melting or seeming youthful. He's getting the alcoholic flavors like tequila and rum raisin to see if he'll get tipsy or not. (Spoiler. He does)

[tosxah]

&&. @nagareboshiko

Cliche didn't begin to describe his actions. A beautiful scene, a beautiful display, a beautiful woman. Situated far enough away from the people to not worry them with his presence or disturb their own peace. That was fine by him, he didnt mind observing the commotion rather than be a part of it; sometimes that could only lead to trouble.

Despite the beautiful display of years of tradition, a celebration that people from all over Teyvat came to experience, Childe couldn't take his eyes off her features. Warm gold gently moved through the air, the light so bright it made her amber eyes glow and brought attention to the painful longing written all over her pretty face.

Regardless of that, getting to be with the traveller was more than enough. Getting to steal some of her alone time for himself could be a hard thing to do, especially on nights like this.

The gentle breeze blew a few strands over her cheek and so, acting on impulse, the harbinger reached out to push the hair away, caressing her cheek in the process. He couldnt do much- perhaps he couldn't do anything at all. But he could remind her he was here, if anything.

Their eyes met for a moment and he did all he could to drink her in before she cut his contact short. She may have pulled away but his hand lingered in the air for a moment too long, the momentary bliss swept away like a flash flood.

Her words felt so cold, a chill so deep it must have crept into his lungs for how his chest hurt... but why had it? He felt so idiotic. They were- whatever they were. He knew that this wasnt something that could go on forever and yet...

He let her finish, staring at what of her face he could see from his position and taking a moment of pause to process the words. Once he had, he took a step forward to mimic her in leaning against the fence, for the first time that night, he took in the sights of Liyue harbour. "I don't see why my duties have to draw a line between us." He began, mulling over his words as he spoke them. "The responsibilities I hold for my family are similar but not the same I have for my nation. There are things I have the power to do and the responsibility to do them..." His family are his world without question and it's an honour to be the at the Tsarista's disposal. He knew it was what he was born to do. All the pieces of who he was fit the role he obtained- be that by luck or fate or sheer coincidence. He was a son, a brother, and a Harbinger. None of those things conflicted. He was sure there was room for the traveller in his life too, whether there was room for him in hers was another question. "'friends'?" That word felt so sour. Childe didn't want to say the following words, no matter how many times he had thought them, no matter how deep he held them, or how hard he tried to ignore them. His impulse bested him. "You say it like you were ever something of mine to fight for." There, how bittersweet... The words juxtaposed in his soft smile. A friend, an aquantence, a comrade, something more... It had felt so childish to say. What was he thinking? Of course he's always known there could be nothing more between them. Childe sighed, trying to recover from his whimsy. "I'm many things, but I'm not delusional." He still couldn't bring himself to look at her, staring at nothing in particular, his smile stayed. "Ive always known I was only part of the journey, not the destination. Is that the saying?" There were children screaming in delight, flying kites of dragons. He couldnt bring himself to look at her, not yet. "If you don't want me to be part of that any more, that's your choice to make." His heart hurt. Why did his heart hurt? And he was smiling... How was he still smiling? Was it really so terrifying to be weak? "Something tells me you'll be a part of mine no matter what you choose."