#anything for de Runes

[maggstar]

Finished playing Plague Tale Requiem and sobbing tears rn. I love games with amazing stories, but these ones always hit home. 😭

[ciel-bell]

rosalind de saint-coquille (+ a tiny aria)

[lemonicia-36]

The difference between amicia and lucas when looking at the swarms of rats circling 😂

Ordinary people would run away or even not want to look at it for long 🏃. While Lucas just stood observing and researching 🧍‍♂️😂

[can-of-pringles]

If tlou Ellie fans are looking for another awesome girl video game character who is honestly a total badass, might I recommend Amicia De Rune from A Plague Tale?

[x-nephophile-x]

"You know, it's not important if I die..."

"What? Why would you say something like that?"

"Magister Vaudin told me that I'm going to die."

"Oh God, no, no Hugo, that won't happen."

"Its okay. Don't be sad. I'm happy to be here."

THIS CONVERSATION HAPPENS IN CHAPTER 8. *EIGHT!*

The ending is hinted at as early as that, and yet, we nor Amicia probably even considered the thought, the possibility. And replaying this game makes it sadder. Listening to this lovely little boy tell me not to be sad, because his time here was more than he would've dreamed while he was locked away in the estate in Guyenne. And look at all the happiness he got to know. All the adventure. All the soft things in life. He knew happiness while he was here, despite the hardships.

[mikus-coining-blog]

would it be okay to take inspo from the emoji list to make my own? /gq

Yes ,, of course ~ !! I don " t mind at all ~ !! /gen

[artinvain]

vampire!sevika x witch!reader who runs into you at the library when she’s returning books. (no smut … yet!??!) men and minors dni

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ:

Vampire!sevika who smells you, sickly sweet smell of a bakery, cigarettes and coffee. whose mouth starts to taste metallic. standing there and scenting the air, her eyes scrunched shut so no one sees the whites have turned crimson and her pupils are blown and black.

who tries to smile at you but feels her fangs extending a pain of hunger growing in her so she has to feed before she even comes near you.

vampire!Sevika who ignores all your advances with a smile and flippancy because she’s afraid she’ll hurt you if she gets too close.

vampire!Sevika whose hunting and spots you on a picnic, and has to claim she was hiking because she was caught staring.

vampire!Sevika who has to join you — seeing you alone in the woods too worrisome for her to leave you.

vampire!Sevika who then warms up to the idea of being around tou, not because she was dangerous but because she could protect you from things much worse than her

vampire!Sevika who starts leaving flowers at your work.

vampire!Sevika who is so used to providing she nearly cries when you send her your favourite book you “think you’ll really enjoy. It seems to match your old soul” with a plate of baked cookies on top.

vampire!Sevika who has her team watch out for you (as in stalk you 24 hours and report your movements back to her)

she thinks it’s the way you get to know someone — watch you , learn what you like so that she can anticipate your needs and be a good partner.

vampire!Sevika who thinks she’s ready to have dinner at your place when you offer.

and is stunned to see the sigils and candles, books and herbs inside, crystals lining the walls and refracting light into your living room.

When you stand silently at the door until she asks to be invited in, she’s immediately suspicious.

vampire!Sevika who’s been around long enough to realise you have a cloaking spell rune above your fireplace and knows she fucked.

because she doesn’t know anything about you — all her intel was messed with by your spell.

vampire!sevika who is now an entirely new level of nervous because not only are you intelligent and interesting and funny — you’re also more gorgeous than any face she’s seen in decades. eyes so unwarded and honest, skin soft and dewy. and your hands on hers — god it’s so soft—

and then she realises you’re asking about her daylight ring, you’re very fascinated you know about the type of rock that was used, it’s more popular century, the tiny runes inscribed de dismissed as aging.

vampire!Sevika who doesn’t stay for dinner when she smells your tea, the scent like burning razors in her nostrils. Vervain. A plant near deadly to vampires.

vampire!Sevika who excuses herself saying she has a cold and then receives a care package for her, which makes her realise the cookies you baked didn’t have any vervain in them. So she tries the food and it’s fine. more than fine it’s incredible. It makes her so hungry she has to feed.

vampire!sevika who only feeds on what she declared “scum of the earth,” she didn’t do it often at the risk of being caught but some nights, (like where she sees two men pulling a knife on a woman walking home from work — well with a knife it’s easy to make the deaths look … natural) she’s lucky.

vampire!Sevika who invites you over to her loft, it’s actually more dated than you’d expect. gold-yellow and red lilac and columbine flower wallpaper in the living room’s feature wall. With more modern pops in the furniture and essentials.

“A lot of your stuff is… antique,” you say smiling politely, a furrow in your brow. and Sevika laughs at the way you sit very very carefully on an old chesterfield sofa.

“I’ve reinforced them,” Sevika explains “they are old but, I can’t seem to let them go,”

“Family heirloom?” You guess, a lot of the stuff in here was too fancy to be sold at regular antiques in your area, which meant Sevika was rich, according to her furniture you guessed old money rich.

“that’s insane to have a family tree you can trace so far back you could have your own heirloom”

it was her brothers. they sat on it every night together in his first and only home, and talked in depth about nothing at all.

“My family is close, I am grateful,” Sevika says

the look in your eye. a twinkle of playful curiosity,

“and the ring is an heirloom also?” You ask, standing up to take another look around.

“this stuff if very english — your accent —“

”we moved when I was very little,” she interrupted quickly, that wasn’t entirely false. “I’ve lived here all my life,” that was lie.

you smile at her and quirk your head. she was so… guarded.

“what about your family?” Sevika asks, stepping toward you and guiding you with her hand on your lower back to the sofa. she opens a bottle of wine and pours it for you when she hears you say “salem” and nearly spills. you pretend not to notice and take the glass, thanking her.

“yeah, we fled during the salem trials, there was a much bigger pool of people then, than what’s documented,” you say and Sevika turns to you

”witches then,” Sevika says and lets a giggle slip when you say “of course, have you seen the way I dress?” so wooed by your boldness because yes, she has noticed the way you dress and she thinks you’re some kind of deity, the way your dresses and skirts fall over your thighs, and the way your jean overalls highlights your arms. she’s always mesmerised.

“you are a little whimsical, you sent me the metamorphosis by Franz kafka!” She rolls are eyes at the memory, she was kind of offended when she got it because really? but then when she read it with your note at the end she knew you were referencing yourself, explaining the way your mind works without really having to tell her. So Sevika is gentle with her words around you, makes sure your needs get catered to and makes sure that you always feel secure and loved. 🏷️ @archangeldyke-all @sexysapphicshopowner @iamaboringrattat @sapphicsgirl @sevsbaby @bimboprincezz @opropheticsoul

[alpaca-clouds]

What people need to understand about the Edda

To continue on my rant about the middle ages, let me quickly verge into the area of the Norse. To start, please remember: The culture was named "the norse", viking was just a job description so to speak. The vikings were all norse, but not all norse were vikings.

Here is the thing: Every kind of fantasy nerd loves the edda. No matter whether we talk the prose edda or the poetic edda. It does also not matter whether we are talking queer fantasy nerds - or the kinda white conservative one. Sure, they gonna focus on very different parts of the edda, but they sure fucking love the edda never the less.

There is only one problem a lot of folks do not talk about: The Edda is not really a good source. Because it was not written down by the Norse, it was written down by Snorri Sturluson, who was a Christian and he very much imposed his Christian views onto the Edda. Or to phrase it differently: We actually do not know a lot about the actual Norse mythology, partly because the Norse did not use their runes to write anything down, partly because a lot of religious sites and idols were once again destroyed as Christianity became the main religion adopted by the Norse.

Loki is the best example. We... actually do not know whether there was a god named Loki in the actual Norse mythology. Because outside of the Edda we have little to no evidence for it. And what little evidence we have does not point towards Loki, the trickster, but rather Loki, god of the heath. And we can see that a lot of the symbolism used for Loki actually does mirror very well typical medieval symbolism of Satan. Which would also explain why Loki does a lot of bullshit and gets away with it - until he doesn't and ends up with that "cruel and unusual punishment", you know?

Yes, it is to assume that quite a few aspects of the Edda are very much based on actual mythology. We have enough evidence of some of the gods existing and being prayed to, like Odin and Thor for example. We also have more than enough evidence for the people believing in dwarves and elves to some degree. But the details of most of the stories? Yeah, that is actually a lot more questionable. Because if you look at it from a comparative lense, you will actually find a lot of Christian influences in there.

This is also why this is a whole field in comparative mythology: Trying to find all those Christian influences in the Edda and then analyse why they are there and go by context and historical findings to get an understanding of what the original mythology might have been before that.

I might note, that the Norse mythology still is a lot more complete in our understanding, of course, than the Gaelic mythology. Because in the way the Gaelic mythology was written down we find a lot more stuff that clearly has been added from a Christian point of view. Like the tuatha de danann being linked to fucking Moses.

But I am really begging people to not always go "Well, actually" when it comes to Norse mythology, because even if you have memorized the Edda word for word... you still are mostly guessing which parts are Christian influence and which parts are actually Norse.

[tildeathiwillwrite]

Watcher and Apprentice, Part 2

(The Watcher and the Thief, Chapter 1 Scene 2)

WoW Birthday Whump Day 15: "I'm Sorry."

Whumpril Day 14 (Urgent Care)(kind of), Day 19 ("I need you")

WoW Birthday Whump Event Prompts List

Whumpril Prompts List

Tales from Valaria Masterpost

part 1

TW: stitches mention, wounds mention, blood mention, anger

Context: Hector has gotten Luc back to the blockade. Now he waits outside the medical tent, wondering if his apprentice will survive.

Aaaaand that's a wrap for this whump event! Thank you so much to @whumperofworlds for all the prompts! I will continue to participate in Whumpril, so stay tuned for more of that.

-----

“You’re going to kill the grass if you keep pacing like that.”

Hector paused mid-step and glared at the nearby elf, who sat cross-legged outside the medical tent, polishing his silver daggers. “By the depths, de Silv, he just got attacked by a magician, of all things!”

“True,” the elf replied. His hands were busied with the daggers, but his eyes, sharp as the blades, were fixed on Hector. “And I’m as concerned about that as you are concerned about your apprentice.”

“Then excuse me if I’m a little restless!” Hector snapped. He began pacing again, hands clasped firmly together behind his back. They'd gotten back to the blockade in record time. Luc’s heart was still beating when he’d set the boy on the table inside the medical tent. Unfortunately, the healers, Silas and Ven, immediately kicked Hector out so they could treat him in peace.

Assholes.

Octavian sighed, sliding his daggers into their sheathes. “From what I had glimpsed of your apprentice’s injuries, I am certain that, despite the blood loss, he should make a full recovery.”

“I’ll be sure to keep your professional opinion in mind.”

A series of shrill whistles echoed throughout the camp. One short whistle, one long whistle, pause. Two long whistles, one short whistle. Hector froze, mentally translating the code. A-G. It wasn’t the alert for a sang attack, three short whistles in quick succession. So what did A-G mean?

Octavian rose to his feet, the ghost of a smile on his face. “My presence is requested. I wish your apprentice a swift recovery.” The elf bowed his head to Hector and departed.

Ah. Ag was the alchemical abbreviation for silver. De Silv. It was a clever, if strange, bit of code. Why did de Silv have a signal to himself?

Before Hector could dwell on it further, one of the healers, Ven, emerged from the medical tent. “Watcher, you may enter. We have something we must discuss.”

Hector raised an eyebrow but did what he was told, following Ven inside. He breathed an audible sigh of relief when he saw Luc conscious, sitting on the table as Silas finished wrapping bandages around his torso. The healer nodded to Hector as he entered. “Watcher.”

“Silas. You need to talk?”

Both healers glanced at each other for a brief second. Silas gave a slight nod, and Ven turned back to Hector, her expression grim. “His injuries are superficial. We should have been able to close them without stitches. But even with stitches, the skin refuses to heal itself. The blood won’t even clot. We’ve never seen anything like it, even from runes.”

Hector gritted his teeth, eyes on his apprentice. Luc’s face still hadn’t regained its color, but he seemed alert enough. “What are you saying?”

“The wound is cursed,” Silas said softly, “the runes make it so his body can’t heal itself.” He pointed to a bandage wrapped around Luc’s arm. “And it’s not just the runes she carved into his skin that won’t close.”

“Our methods accelerate the body’s natural healing process,” Ven clarified, eyes downcast, “but we can’t do anything if the blood won’t clot. I’m sorry, Watcher.”

Hector stared at them for a long moment as he tried to process their words. His wounds won’t heal? A rune could do that? The full implications hit him like an arrow fired at full draw, and he swore vehemently, slamming his fist into the table.

The healers flinched back at his outburst. “It… it is possible that the rune is only slowing his healing,” Silas ventured, “given time, he might recover.”

“Might? Might?!” Hector barked a harsh laugh, trying to stomp his rising fury before he lashed out further. “You just told me he’s going to slowly bleed out! If infection doesn’t get him first!” He ran his hands through his hair. “Luc, your mother is going to kill me when she finds out about… about how….”

He trailed off. No need to say the last part of that sentence.

“May we speak alone, please?” Luc asked softly. Ven and Silas glanced at each other before quickly leaving the tent. Hector and Luc were left in silence for several moments.

“It’s not your fault,” Luc said. Hector opened his mouth, but Luc held up a hand. “No. You couldn’t have known this would happen. No one could.”

Hector sighed. Unfortunately, he was right. “I just… is there really nothing more they can do for you? Are we just supposed to wait and see if your wounds close on their own?”

“I don’t plan on it. They’re planning on sending me back to Caenum to recover. Apparently they’re sending a messenger to the Draigo, to get someone to track down the magician.”

“Good,” Hector muttered, “she deserves to be brought to justice. Shame I couldn’t do it myself.” As he finished speaking, the first part of Luc’s response registered. “Wait, what do you mean ‘you don’t plan on it’?”

His apprentice inhaled slowly, steeling himself for what he was about to say. That was never a good sign, coming from Luc. He only did that when he was about to suggest something completely—

“I’m going to find a magician to reverse the curse.”

There it was.

Hector took a few deep breaths and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I want you to repeat that, except this time actually pay attention to what comes out of your mouth.”

“It’s not going to be the same magician!” Luc retorted as if that made the idea any better. “One of the wandering magicians from around Zariya or Valdove, one who we know for a fact isn’t a sang-hunting serial killer.”

“Do I have to spell out for you just how bad of an idea this is?” Hector started pacing the length of the tent. His apprentice was already responsible for several gray hairs on his head and seemed intent on giving him more. “No. Absolutely not. We’re going back to Caenum—”

“Where I can slowly bleed out? Or let my wounds get infected?”

Hector paused and glared at Luc, but the boy continued talking. “If we go back to Caenum, I will die. We haven’t seen a magician there in years! But if we seek out someone like… I don’t know… Qila Scoria? She might be able to undo the runes.”

“You’re insane.”

“Do you have a better idea?”

Hector sighed. “No.”

“So it’s viable?”

Hector fixed his apprentice with a flat stare. “It’s viable… but if your wounds get worse, we’re going back to Caenum. Are we clear?”

Luc grinned. “Clear as glass.”

@fourwingedsnake @whumpril @pigeonwhumps

[nemo-of-house-hamartia]

Hiyo! Evening everyone!

Do you remember that Aesthetic game that I did for my characters a while back? well, I had these moodboards lying around from when I first started to draft this AU, so I decided to share them the same way I did my previous moodboard! so, here you have Dorothea, Colette and Lucia as their counterparts in my "The Witches of Månenshavn" story! Enjoy! <3

⭐DOROTHEA MORGENSTERN🔮

MOODBOARD

"Dorothea is a Lunar/Cosmic Witch. She is connected to the Night Sky, The Moon, the Stars, and the Celestial Bodies. She is mostly up at night, her head literally among the clouds, and works with crystals, compasses, and armillary spheres, studying the lunar Phases and the Planetary movement, being in deep contact with the Vault of Heaven and all the stars above. She has Seer powers, and her magick is connected to dreams and the future, and she leaves stardust as a trail behind her. Her familiar is a Raven that goes by the name of Belial. To her, it's connected the Element of Air, and hers are the Winds."

PLAYLIST:

"Caribbean Blue" - Enya "The Mystic's Dream" - Loreena McKennitt "Follow Me" - Celtic Women "The Arcana: Memory" - Keith Holden

QUOTES :

"If all you told was turned to gold If all you dreamed was new Imagine sky-high above In Caribbean blue" ― Enya, Caribbean Blue

“In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities.” ― Janos Arany

“Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning. ” ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

🌹COLETTE DE BEAUMONT🐈‍⬛

MOODBOARD

"Colette is a Hearth/Green Witch. She is the literal Heart of the house in Månenshavn, and she generally can be found either in her garden tending to the herbs she needs for her potions or in the kitchen, brewing all sorts of concoctions, oil, and balms, along with protective and cleansing spells. Her magick is connected to plants and nature, and her potions are known to be incredibly powerful. Her familiar is a Snake named Girouette. To her, it's connected the Element of the Earth."

PLAYLIST:

"The Arcana: Magic Hour" - Neil Cross "My Girlfriend is a Witch" - October Country "Mother Earth" - Within Temptation "Élan" - Nightwish

QUOTES :

“Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Witches were a bit like cats. They didn’t much like one another’s company, but they did like to know where all the other witches were, just in case they needed them.” ― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

“Happiness. Simple as a glass of chocolate or tortuous as the heart. Bitter. Sweet. Alive.” ― Joanne Harris, Chocolat

📜 LUCIA BARBARIGO💀

MOODBOARD

"Lucia is the mischievous one, and she is a Death/Chaos Witch. She is the one that is most attuned with the Spirit world, and she is also the House Medium and the one that practices Divination through tea reading, runes, and tarot reading. She is also the one responsible to create an antidote to poisons, and she is generally found in the kitchen side by side with Colette, often bickering because of the dangerous ingredients Lucia uses. She is the most mysterious of the three, and has quite the impish sense of humor, if a little morbid. Her familiar is an owl named Vieri. She also has a normal cat, Martino, who is always up to bother Dorothea's Belial. To her, it's connected the Element of Fire."

PLAYLIST:

"The Dark Ones" - Karliene "Ballo in F♯ Minore" - Angelo Branduardi "The Circle" - Blackmore's Night "Savage Daughter" - Ekaterina Shehelova

QUOTES :

"Sono io la morte e porto corona Io son di tutti voi signora e padrona E davanti alla mia falce il capo tu dovrai chinare E dell 'oscura morte al passo andare"

― Angelo Branduardi, "Ballo in F♯ Minore"

“Even death has a heart.” ― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

“To die will be an awfully big adventure.” ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

[obae-me]

Tainted Reflections- CH 12

Start This Story From The Beginning 

Previous Chapter               Next Chapter 

Like Sands In An Hourglass

MAJOR Warning: This chapter contains Blood, Violence, Gore, Body Horror, Disturbing Imagery. 

As Always, Read Safely. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Fake lips were inches from your face, the two empty voids peering at you, the creature’s neck stretching around a tree just to observe you. You remained frozen, mouth open, stuck in place with fear. Would you even have had time to stand up before it cut you down? Was this how it all ended? All hope…devoured with you. The feathers across the creature’s body fluttered and twitched as the light from the mask was trained onto you. “Ahhhh…” It seemed to sing, to chitter, the magic hitting the back of your head and twisting the note into a hum with the sound of Simeon’s voice. Then something happened. One of the runes engraved into the mask flashed a blue, changing the light shining down on you with it. It was a soft sapphire tone. The mask twisted, neck rotating, turning far too much to be normal, the head completely upside down. Was it…confused? 

A wild blur of black and white rushed by you, the next second followed by an unholy scream. Well, perhaps that wasn’t quite accurate. This, by all accounts, was a rather literal holy scream. The creature’s neck snapped back into position, flailing, the sound it was making was as if a thousand different birds all cried out at the same time. Belphie jumped back, letting go of the sharpened branch he had just impaled into the creature’s neck. But if either of you assumed doing such a feat would be enough to kill it, you would both be wrong. It’s a good thing neither of you considered it would be so easily defeated. Belphie ran over to you just in time to miss the creature swing one of its blade-legs, picking you up and beginning your running once more. Only, neither of you got very far before he suddenly let go of you, pushing you away from him as he started sprinting in the opposite direction. 

You knew he had noticed the strange behavior. Besides, he knew more about this thing than you did. He was going to…no…“Belphie!” 

“Meet me at the house!” He shouted back, the creature’s spotlight narrowing as it moved from hunting down the both of you to only him. It almost trampled you in the process, swiveling towards him. “I’ll draw it away! Just run! Promise me you’ll run!” He looked back over his shoulder, his usual tired or neutral face twisted into one you’d wished you’d never seen before. Desperation. You took a few steps back, heading back towards the way you came. Belphie smiled before turning his head away from you, sprinting faster off through the trees, the sin eater barreling through after him. 

And before you knew it, you were alone again. 

Anxiety, bewilderment, fear, exhaustion, everything raced through your mind all at once, doing so at the same speed your feet were moving at. Following the mess you’d all made through the snow, you made your way back to where you’d first seen the demon be killed. That was when you finally stopped, stomach churning at the sight. Would Belphie…survive? That was a question you thought you’d never have to ask. The demon brothers, the people you knew were all so strong, even magical mishaps were more of an inconvenience than anything. No one and nothing ever posed much of a threat to them aside from amongst themselves. Belphie had looked so frightened…and his face when he’d told you to run…like he was content. 

All the sudden, searing pain ran through you, flaring at Belphie’s pact mark. You fell to your knees, gasping for breath, almost vomiting. No. No, no, no, no. NO. That didn’t mean…that wasn’t…you fumbled with your words, with your breath, remaining calm enough to speak. “H-ear me, de-denizens of-of darkness, you who are– who are born of shadow and you who give b-birth to it. Hear me and do as I command! I, MC, call upon you to send forth one of your n-number! I summon the Avatar of Sloth, Belphegor!” You balled your hands up in the snow, raising your head to the sky. 

Nothing. 

“Belphegor!” You screamed so loud your words cracked…and then broke, choking as your throat finally gave, your voice finally went away. You got back up to your feet, crying quietly, trying to shuffle back towards the house Belphie had told you to head back to. He wasn’t going to meet you back here, was he? Your eyes wandered over something in the blood-covered snow. The other demon’s head was still there, untouched, stuck here to be frozen like everything else. Your hand went up to cover your mouth as images of the same thing happening to the youngest of the demon brothers flared in your mind. Your mouth moved to whisper his name, but hardly any sound came out. You closed your eyes to try to shield yourself from the image, from the thoughts. 

Then…you stopped, mind flicking off like one would flip a light-switch. Your eyes opened, observing the grisly scene with suddenly little more than mild disgust. You touched your body over where the pain you had felt from Belphie was. He wasn’t dead. You could still feel some of his essence swirling through your soul. With hardly a breath, you took that same hand in front of you, staring down at your gloved palm. Your normal body. Your human body. 

“You’re plotting something idiotic again, aren’t you?” Lucifer had come up behind you, using a book he had kept in his hand to gently smack the back of your head as you had sat alone in the living room, papers and items for your project littered around you. Another memory, another reminder of better times. 

Snow crunched under your feet. 

“It’s called helping, not plotting.” You had rubbed the back of your head even though the gesture Lucifer showed did little more than disturb your hair. You watched him come around to the other side of you, crouching down to observe your work. 

“These are for my brothers, yes?” He sighed, standing up straight as a hand went to his forehead. “You care for them too much. They don’t need to drag you into anything they get into.” 

The branch of a broken tree crunched under your feet. 

In the memory, you had looked around you and shrugged. Sure they were tiring at times, but when you helped them out, they always seemed so happy. That in turn made you happy. And besides, any day you got to help keep the peace and lessen the chances of one of them to lose control, the better. Usually if one of them had a tantrum…things were completely destroyed. You’d like for that not to happen. “Of course I care for them. You’d all do the same thing for me if I asked, right?” 

You pulled out the item held by the loop of your jeans. 

With the previous question, the eldest at the time couldn’t help but smile, only a little annoyed that you were right and he could not argue against it. “I suppose you are right. As annoying as it is, we take turns watching after one another. I can only hope you aren’t running yourself too thin. However…I am glad I know you are watching over them. It keeps me at peace.” 

You ran towards the sound of more noise. 

In the memory, you had beamed, watching as Lucifer sat beside you, a soft warmth to his eyes, perhaps a little embarrassed he expressed such a statement to you so honestly. “Thank you…for keeping my family safe.” 

Thudding footsteps and screeching could be heard not far from you now as you sprinted, an insane speed pushing your body through the snow, bolting in the direction Belphie had headed off to. I am plotting something idiotic this time, Lucifer, you thought, wishing he could hear you say it, knowing how he would scold you, how all the others would scold you, but you didn’t care. Yeah, humans are stupid, extremely stupid. Too many stories aired on the news of how just one dumb action could lead to tragedy. But this was already tragic, wasn’t it? You didn’t want to be saved. Not this way. The only thing that scared you more than this ridiculous creature now was the thought of returning home alone…having to answer the question of where Belphie went. Having to tell Beel what happened to his twin…No. That wouldn’t happen. 

A new trail of blood caught your eye, one that seemed fresh. With a pang, you could tell you were heading in the proper direction. Even without demon speed, it seemed you were catching up quickly. Perhaps Belphie had stopped running, trying to lose it or confuse it in the trees instead. 

You had zero plan, you had to admit, acting purely on burning instinct. You didn’t even care if it got you killed. You were getting out of here with Belphie or not at all, you already decided that. Yeah, maybe being cooped up here for so long had made you crazy, or maybe you were already a little crazy to begin with. How could you live with demons for so long after all? 

The sin eater could be spotted ahead of you, turning around in circles, slashing at tree trunks, neck twisted up in the branches. A shadow was darting up above it, almost making your eyes sting with tears. Belphie was okay. As you got closer, he seemed to sense you, a strange wail coming from him, one of disbelief. He didn’t have time to reach for you or scream your name as a warning. 

Like you said, you had no plan. Well, you had one. More like half of one, depending on luck, the gods, Diavolo’s strong belief in faith, in Lilith’s blood. You scooped up a ball of snow and chucked it at the creature. Snow pelted its body, feathers fluffing, shaking it off as it lowered its arms from trying to reach Belphie. The neck untangled itself from the trees, the mask snapping towards you. The light hovered over you, shining up and down, observing you from top to bottom. You could hear the gnashing of its many teeth from below its body. Like before, it came over to look at you, if you could call whatever it was doing ‘looking’ anyway. There was a moment of quiet like before, where it refused to make a move before it could tell if you were what it was looking for. It came closer this time, mask only a few hairs away from yours, it’s fake nose almost brushing against yours. 

Despite the fearful and over-exerted sweat dripping down your face, you managed to follow through, releasing all that pent up anger, the pent up desperation, the human stubbornness and determination to prove yourself no matter the cost. You would fight. You would bare your teeth. Even if it was futile. Even if you were weak. Your hands grasped at the feathers by the mask, pulling it’s head down, jamming the dagger in your hands right behind the headdress, digging it in and pulling it out, over and over and over again, golden blood coating your hands, spraying across your face. Each sickly stab had it squeal, and all the sudden, it pulled its neck back. Hands in a death-grip, you held on, body dangling in the air as it raised. With a clenched jaw and wild eyes, you shoved the dagger back into its body, pulling it along the mask’s edge, trying to cut it off. One of its arms raised, ready to split you in two, but the shadow in the trees kept that from happening. 

Belphie jumped, talons out, digging into the part of the arm that was flesh and not metal. He tore through the skin, keeping the arms from targeting you. The sin eater staggered, the melodic and comforting sounds it usually shared twisting, turning into a much more animalistic howl. It began to stand on its hind legs, pulling you and Belphie up into the air further. It bent itself slightly backwards, its mouth open, trying to pull Belphie inside even at the risk of chewing off its own leg. The demon of Sloth jumped, grasping and straddling its neck, pulling you up with him. The creature then tried to shake you both off, the long tendril you were on thrashing, thudding harshly against the trees. You nearly let go, not strong enough to hold on. A body held you close, Belphie keeping one arm around you, the other gripped tightly against the feathers. “Keep going! I’ve got you!” 

Somehow, while your head was spinning from being thrown around, you plunged the blade back into the sin eater, cutting around the mask, even maniacally digging your hand into its wounds, doing anything it took to peel its face off. Belphie wrapped his tail around you instead, using the now-free hand to help you. In a final act of desperation, the creature raised both the blades on its arms, swinging them towards you both, even if it meant hitting its own body. The next few seconds happened so fast, you hardly remember them. You remember holding onto the mask, fingers sliding through the empty eye-holes. You remember Belphie suddenly swinging down tearing you away with him, and you remembered the ear-splitting caterwaul that filled your whole body with pain, threatening to split your head open. 

Your ears rang, warmth dripping down your face as your nose bled. You sat up in the snow, not remembering hitting the ground. The sin eater violently convulsed, knocking down trees as it spasmed, each feather on edge. With a queasy observation, you noticed the bloody mask in your lap. 

The sin eater wailed, frustrated, angry, swinging its neck around and stomping its feet, moving its arms around wildly. But it no longer moved towards you both. It didn’t seem to know where you were. You were right. The mask was how it saw, even with no eyes. Now it was blind. Wounded, confused, it stumbled away from you both. 

It wasn’t until it was decently far away that you scrambled to your feet, breathing, almost crying in joy, in relief. We’re okay, you tried to say, but the only thing that came out was a wheezing gasp of noises. You turned your head to look with pride at the demon beside you. 

He was face down in the ground, a large gash along his back, not moving…Belphie?

“Mammon!” 

He heard his brother shout, but it seemed so far away, like a dream. Part of Mammon’s mind was screaming at him, trying to remind him that there was something important he should be doing. However, the rest of him felt weightless, some intruding voice encouraging him to close his eyes, to give in to the swirling yet peaceful unconsciousness. He almost submitted himself to it, MC’s face in his subconscious. He wanted to be with them. Yet, something yanked him out of it, both mentally and physically. 

“Get up!” There was a lurch, Mammon’s mind spinning as he suddenly stopped spiraling through the air uncontrollably. What he had assumed was up was actually down and yet now he was being flown in the opposite direction, and now he was all confused. It took him longer than he’d like to admit to recall where he was and what he was doing. He also came to the conclusion that his lungs weren’t breathing. With a gasp, he started coughing, each breath resulted in a stabbing pain in his ribs. Lucifer sighed, muttering something under his breath that resembled something like a prayer of gratitude. Had hell frozen over in the last few seconds? Still limply dangling from Lucifer's grasp, Mammon glanced down. The lift they had all been on was blown to bits, a few stray pebbles still sprinkling down past them, most of them engulfed in flames. Now they all stared downwards into a darkened pit. Howling laughter could still be heard at the bottom, louder now that there was no stone to muffle them. The demon of Pride pulled again at the collar of Mammon’s jacket. “Can you move?” 

“L…m…ehhh.” What Mammon had intended to be words only came out as a series of groans. Lucifer scowled at that, bringing them both onto more solid ground as he pulled them into an empty cell. Still fighting to blink the darkened spots from his eyes, Mammon sighed in a bit of relief as his body rested on the cold foundation of the cell-floor. With a few more wheezes, he was able to push himself up to his feet, trying to reach out for a wall to support himself against, but ending up falling into his brother instead. 

“Take it easy. Get your bearings.” Lucifer gripped him by the shoulders till Mammon could safely stand on his own two feet. “Are you alright?” 

Greed was conscious enough now to be able to scoff a bit. “Yeah, just peachy.” He hugged his torso with one arm, trying to ignore the discomfort in his sides. “That fuckin’ hurt.” Once Lucifer released his hold from him, he managed to take a few steps towards the open prison door. “Where’s Diavolo?” 

The first-born mimicked Mammon’s steps, leaning his head slightly out of the cell to glance up and down. Almost pitch-blackness seemed to devour both directions. “Further up. I dove down quite a ways to grab you.” 

Useless, like always. Something chittered in the back of Mammon’s mind, taunting him. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to get rid of the strange feeling that had just run up his spine. “That’s why the crowd sounds so loud then, yeah?” What they had previously heard as little more than a whisper of a giggle before was now practically a roar. A sea of a multitude of voices cried out, some wailing in despair, others whooping in glee, some of them just screaming as loud as their twisted bodies would let them. What frightened Mammon the most was the fact that he could discern that some voices were definitely closer than others. 

“There’s hundreds of them,” Lucifer sighed as he narrowed his gaze. “And quite a few of them are approaching.” As his brother stated it, Mammon could just now see it himself. Figures down in the dark were writhing, clawing up the walls, crawling up each other even. It reminded Mammon of when you disturb an ant nest, too many critters gushing from the ground in a disturbing mass of wriggling limbs. Lucifer pushed out air through gritted teeth in sharp annoyance, magic snapping around him as he quickly thrust down a burst of magic. He struck quite a few of the prisoners, but those who fell were quickly replaced by others. “We’ll be overwhelmed if we stay here. Let us reconvene with Diavolo.” 

Mammon flexed his wings, pleased to find that they were still functional. He simply nodded at his brother’s plan. Flying upwards seemed like a much better solution than staying here. Lucifer encouraged the second-born to head out first, trailing behind, ready to cover Mammon should anything happen again. As they both headed up, Mammon couldn’t help but almost feel that feeling of dizziness he had felt before. Every set of cells they passed felt the same. There was no indication of progression. The darkness was unyielding. There were only two directions, and yet it almost seemed like they were flying in circles. 

Luckily, before he could panic, they both spotted a familiar shadow above them. Soon that shadow rushed down to greet them. “Thank the realms!” Diavolo reached out a hand to them both, giving them both a little tug so they were at his sides. “I nearly feared the worst.” 

“While I hate to spoil the reunion, I feel it’s too early to say such things. We are all still in danger.” Lucifer folded his arms. Mammon spotted a few of his brother’s feathers falling from Pride’s perfect wings as they fluttered. They must’ve come loose in the blast. His brother must be furious. 

Diavolo hummed so deep it was almost a growl, although Mammon had never heard the prince make such a noise before. “This has turned rather dire, hasn’t it? Between the three of us, I would normally recommend quelling this mob, but we have to remember that prisoners aren’t the only things kept here.” 

“There’s the matter of dangerous objects being used against us as well,” Lucifer confirmed. “That plus sheer numbers puts us in a less than favorable position.” Mammon’s hopes sank a bit at that. His brother was Pride! And the Prince of the Devildom was right here! If Lucifer felt the three of them would struggle…

So he made a suggestion, although he knew deep in his soul that the other two would perhaps rather die than agree to a retreat. “Do we make a break for it?” 

The prince and his right-hand-demon glanced at each other, trying to come up with a proper response. Diavolo was the one who eventually spoke. “While not ideal, we still hold the upper hand. Our main advantage is our ability of flight. If we remain in the air and stick close to caution, we will win this battle.” 

“Now that you mention it,” Mammon pondered, expressing his concern as the thought crossed his mind. “We haven’t had anyone come buzzin’ up here yet.” It was odd to him, to watch all those demons work on climbing rather than those who had ‘em just use their wings. He had expected a small swarm, and yet, the only ones with the wind shifting around them were the three of them. Mammon expected a number of different reactions, most of them some combination of annoyance or exasperation at his lack of knowledge, but he wasn’t expecting Diavolo to look so confused…and his brother to look so pale. 

“You didn’t know?” The prince wondered, curious at first, and then suddenly looking a bit guilty, as if he answered his own question. “Lucifer never told you.” 

The eldest brother tried to raise his chin to combat the slightly crest-fallen expression to his face. “It never felt like a detail he needed to know.” Mammon had never regretted asking a question more. “Those who become imprisoned here get their…” Lucifer hesitated, an unsettling pause drifting over them. Pride almost struggled with his words, a hint of pain behind his eyes. “...Wings clipped…Permanently.” 

As a demon, there were hardly any means of torture or punishment that fazed him too much. Sure, Mammon didn’t have a stomach for horror, and sure, he might have the occasional cry if Lucifer ended up stringing him up by his ankles, but he was still a demon. And yet, the phrase that had just left his brother’s mouth left Mammon feeling ill. Before he was a demon he had been an angel. To an angel, losing your wings was perhaps a fate worse than death. He remembers his younger brother's intense, never-ending cries at their transformation after the Fall. Levi and Belphegor…the only two that lost their ability to fly…forever. To lose that as well as their sister at the same time…it was a miracle the two of them ever recovered. Satan had never really had wings to call his own, and thus never could relate to such a deep loss. Mammon had to shake his head to free himself from the memory. “‘Kay, they’re all grounded, got it.” Which means a lot of them are probably extremely pissed off, he thought to himself. If someone had done that to him…well, revenge would probably be the only thing that mattered. “So, as long as we stay up high, we should be perfectly fine, right?” 

Lucifer opened his mouth, perhaps to correct him, but he didn’t have the time to. Any words were suddenly drowned out by an intense rumble, the stones, the very air quivering around them. For a third time, Mammon was plunged into this maddening sensation of disorientation. Only, this time, he could tell that something wasn’t right. This was more than just his rattled mind. A magical humming filled the air, the noise so fierce, even the prisoners below were muted completely. The metal of the cell doors rattled, almost vibrating themselves to pieces. Then the three of them were all falling, spinning, but slowly. No…not falling. This phenomenon was similar to what he had just gone through a little bit before, but it wasn’t exact. 

Mammon grabbed his brother’s arm, shouting as loud as he could, but his voice lost in the commotion. So he emphasized his words, hoping his brother could read his lips. “What’s going on?!” 

The pain in Mammon’s ribs, the pounding in his head, none of those compared to the torment he felt in his soul as soon as he caught the genuine fear in Lucifer’s eyes. Despite their spats and disagreements, he looked up to his older brother whole-heartedly. Lucifer always seemed perfectly indomitable. There were very few things that could get his brother shaken up. Apparently, they had landed themselves in one of those rare circumstances. He answered Mammon back, pointing down at the prison walls. The cells that had been beside them were now below them. It took Mammon a second to figure out what Lucifer had said. He was never really good at reading lips. Once the message was clear, his heart almost stopped in his chest. No…that was such a ridiculous answer! His brother must be joking! But this was Lucifer he was with…and now was definitely not the time for messing around. “The prison is moving,” was what he had said. Sure enough, the walls continued to twist, the tunnel coming back up to reposition themselves vertically…but in the opposite orientation that had been in. Up was now Down and Down was now Up. What was below was now above. Like a messed up version of an hourglass, that frantic mass of demons at the other end of the pit would now be plummeting down on them. 

So much for the high-ground advantage. 

You got down on your knees, smile fading, shaking Belphie’s arms. You couldn’t call out for him, your voice was dead. You could only try to lift his head, get him to look at you. His eyes were closed. But your mark…he was alive…he was just…hurt. Badly. You looked around at where you were…very very far away from the house. You would use the spell you’d learned but…what if it hurt him more than helped him? You wanted to sob, but you were even too tired to do that. No, neither of you could die out in this snow, not after you’d just done all that. 

The bag that Belphie had carried on him was gone, apparently torn off in the scuffle. There had been supplies in there, things that would’ve been helpful to you right now…Could demons bleed out like humans? You didn’t want to take that risk. With frantic fingers, you unbuttoned the coat around you, shrugging it off your shoulders, shuddering a bit as the icy air bit at your body. You’d be even colder in a minute, but just for a moment. You took off your shirt, pulling it off your head before quickly putting the coat back over you. The dagger…where was the dagger? You stood up, pacing around in the snow before you found it half-way buried by the roots of one of the many trees. You raced back to Belphie’s side, working on using the fabric of the shirt to make a bandage. It was the only thing you could think of to do…There would be more supplies at the house…you just had to make it there. 

Hold on, you wanted to promise, making up for your lack of voice by caressing the side of his face, pulling his head into your lap so he wasn’t planted in the snow. Shaking hands worked on making the shirt into long pieces, doing your best to pull up Belphie’s demon clothes to wrap the fabric around his torso. He would be fine…he had to be. He had to. Tugging the make-shift bandage tightly around him, it quickly grew warm and wet. It was hardly enough, and you could only hope it was a touch better than being completely pointless. You pushed his clothes back over him, hoping to keep him warm. Although you knew out of everything, the temperature was the least of his worries. The cold should be your worry.

Placing the dagger back through the loop of your jeans, you looked at the mask in the snow one last time, hoping with all your soul that it had been enough…and trying to not think of how messed up that whole thing had been. Come on, you thought, almost like you were trying to speak to Belphie through your mind. This would be…grueling. Perhaps impossible. But the only thing you had left in you was stubbornness, your tenacity to never let anything go. You grasped at Belphie’s arms, panting, trying to pull him up to drape over your back. You tried to take a step with him and fell, almost flattening against the ground. Demons were definitely…heavier than humans. 

Curses flooded your mind, having to shake him off of you, gripping your hair as you tried to think of what to do. The only thing you could think of was pulling him along. So, you grabbed the fabric of his hood, tugging as hard as you could, digging your heels into the snow. He moved a few inches. 

Tug. You didn’t want to think about it. Thinking took up too much energy. Tug. Demons healed faster than humans, he would be okay. Tug. He was the demon of sloth, he was just sleeping it off. Tug. You’d make it. Tug. You’d both make it. Tug. Just. Tug. Keep. Tug. Moving. 

You fell backwards in the snow, tripping over a fallen tree-branch. As your body hit the ground, you almost passed out right there. You were exhausted. Soon, there would be a point where no amount of determination would save you. You looked around, unable to tell where you were in regards to how far you were from the house. You’d both run a long way. It took you both a while to make it this far while walking. How would you make it back dragging him along? It would take hours…hours you felt you didn’t have. 

But you’d be damned if you didn’t try. 

With your arms placed under his, fingers locked behind his neck, you pulled him up over the branch, using the weight of your whole body to haul him through the snow, finding it a touch more effective than just pulling his shirt, but finding it drained you faster. At least it was keeping you warm, moving around, blood pumping harshly through your body, your heart pounding in your chest. You stopped every now and again to breathe, gulping air into your weak lungs. Eventually, you noticed plenty of demon blood on the ground. You’d made it to where you first met the beast. You dropped Belphie, almost collapsing. You’d made it…halfway…You laughed a bit, a tear falling down your cheek. It had been a ridiculous goal anyway…but halfway…not bad…for a human. 

You fell to your knees, taking one of Belphie’s arms and giving it one last…tug. His arm was wrapped around you as you snuggled up near his body in the snow. This was fine, you assured yourself. You did what you could to save him. You had no regrets. Up until the end you stayed with them. Lilith and Lucifer would be proud. You’d pushed yourself so far…and you were prepared to lie in the bed you’d made for yourself. And at least…you’d get one final nap with Belphie…

So you closed your eyes. Goodnight. 

Somewhere in the blackness, the void of unconsciousness, you found a warmth. It felt familiar. So, you went towards it. There was a voice calling for you, one you knew all too well by now. “I’m sorry,” you apologized. “I tried…” 

The light and the warmth enveloped you. “I know.” 

“Will he be okay, Lilith?” 

Even though you could not see her, it was as if you could feel her smile. “I think so.” You somehow sat down, even though there wasn’t really a floor to do that, even though this was just your mind…your soul? You were never sure. “What you did was very brave.” 

“It was stupid.” 

She hummed in amusement, much like in the way Lucifer did. Perhaps she got it from him, or maybe the other way around. “Thank you…for saving him…” Her voice began to become more distant. “I know…it’s selfish…but please…” She was almost fully gone now. You scrambled back to your feet, a little confused. Isn’t this where she was supposed to take you away? Or at least stay with you till the end? “Save…the rest of them…I beg of you…” 

“Lilith?” You called out, the warmth of her light fading. Then your stomach dropped, your heart feeling like it lurched up into your chest as you felt like you were falling, plummeting through a darkness with no end. You tried to scream, but your voice was gone again, or maybe you couldn’t hear it through the wind rushing past your ears. You hit the ground. 

Then your eyes opened. 

Everything was blurry, a mushed up series of colors and shapes. What…what was this?...It took you a good few tries before you could keep your eyelids fully open, trying to turn your head, although it hurt like hell. Your whole body hurt like hell. Moving happened in increments, little shifts until you could look to your left. Heat lightly waved across your face, and it took you far too long to realize that it was…a fire? You shut your eyes again, exhausted, taking the time to feel around you. A little weight was across your body…but not Belphie. A blanket? 

Was this not death? 

Sitting up was much too hard, gripping at whatever surface you could find around you, your entire body shaking as you pulled yourself up into a seated position. Your head swam, body in agony, but you kept your eyes open, forcing them to stay open. This was not the forest. This was–

“You’re awake!” The sound of pounding footsteps thundered through the room, two arms wrapping around you, pulling you in so tightly you nearly blacked out again. Your head fell back, but you bobbed it forward, listening to the person panic, their voice almost muffled as you struggled to fight with your own body, your senses dulled. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry, please look at me…please…MC…” The person’s voice finally sparked a connection in your mind. You fluttered your eyes open, working on getting your eyes to focus. 

It was bittersweet, truly, almost cruel. Once you could settle your eyes on the person before you, you cried. You were so filled with joy…and yet, as you croaked, there was a clear chord of sadness to your voice. Voice still gone, you were surprised the noise that came out of your mouth was comprehensible. You squeaked his name, a weak hand coming up to rest on the side of his face. You were worried you were hallucinating. Although, even if you were, this would’ve been a good dream. But this was real, you had to figure. His body was warm. His tears ran over your fingers. “Beel.”

[kikiwritesfanfic]

Tainted Magic, Tainted Blood ~ Prologue

A "The Sun and Moon Show" AU x Reader

Masterlist || AO3 || Chapter One

*****

"Come on, this has to work." 

Eclipse regarded the tattered maroon book in his hands with caution but determination as he stood in the center of his makeshift shrine. He had set everything up that he needed to. The runes were traced carefully into the dirt beneath him and the sun had long since set. Nobody else was anywhere near his carefully-selected location deep within the forest, and the full moon shone brightly up above. He even dressed himself in the darkest clothes he could manage to find, and now stood in front of his offering of some of his own blood. All that was left now was to speak the words written in the ancient language upon the pages in the dark book. He raised the book up with one hand and stretched out his other arm theatrically.

"De profundis clamavi te;

Fer caedem, fer potestatem;

Sanguis lunae me adducere!"

As the foreign words fell from Eclipse's mouth, he felt something powerful flow through his body. It was as if every single one of his nerve endings had come alive all at once, and the trees around him seemed to also sway and shake about from the invisible force. Darkness clouded out the full moon and the runes began to glow a bright red. Eclipse felt a laugh bubbling up from his chest. It was working! Everything was going according to plan!

Just as the wind began to pick up and the entire forest clearing was coated with the red glow, it all just... 

Stopped. 

The trees stood still and the feeling of untamed magic running through his body ceased.

"What?" Eclipse hissed, frantically looking around. What had gone wrong? He had followed all of the steps, even went above and beyond on some of them! Did he say the spell incorrectly? Was there not enough of a blood offering? Eclipse desperately scanned through the page the book was open to, trying to discern what - if anything - he failed to incorporate. But he drew up blank. 

He was about to call it quits when he realized that the clearing was still drenched in red lighting. The moon was also still nowhere to be seen, and although the runes were no longer lit up, they seemed to be... moving?

A slow, guttural laugh sounded from behind Eclipse, prompting him to wildly scan the trees behind him. When nothing seemed out of the ordinary, he turned back around and startled, tripping over his own feet and falling backwards into the dirt.

A humanoid, red and black... thing towered above him, smiling deviously.

"Finally!" it yelled, making Eclipse flinch from his spot on the ground. "We have been summoned, but by who? Oh, it certainly has been a long while since we've visited this realm! Yes, yes, a while it has been!"

The creature smiled down at Eclipse, bearing his sharp teeth in the process. Its eyes seemed to glow in the red lighting that still shone in the clearing, and Eclipse found himself noticing that instead of pupils, it had one red and one white star in its eyes. It chuckled again as it took in the trembling figure beneath it.

"You are the one that summoned us, yes?" it asked, tilting its head to the side in curiosity.

Eclipse blinked his dazed state away and cleared his throat as he rose back to his feet. "You are BloodMoon?" he asked, a little taken aback. The creature seemed to smile even wider at the mention of its name.

"Yes, yes! We are BloodMoon! Feast your eyes on damnation!" it bellowed into the sky above, throwing its hands up into the air. Eclipse looked at it with a hint of distaste in his expression.

"You're a lot... Oh, how do I put this... smaller than I would have expected," he said eyeing the demon skeptically. It seemed to take great offense to his statement.

"HOW DARE YOU?!" the demon roared. "We ought to show you your place, strange man! Yeah, show you your place, we shall!" It turned around and stopped abruptly at the sight of the blood offering in the center of the circle of runes. A strange sound emmitted from its chest, rising up and taking over the otherwise silent clearing. Eclipse eyed the demon curiously as it circled the rock with his blood. 

The red creature lifted the rock with wide eyes as its devious smile returned to its face. "Blood we seek, and blood we have found. Oh, how exciting! But we did not work for this blood. Taking it shall be no fun!" it said, scrutinizing the stained rock. Now it was Eclipse's turn to take offense.

"Excuse me," he said, stepping back into the demon's view. "Yeah, hi. Just thought you should know that that's an offering to you, from yours truly," he said, gesturing to himself. He held up his arm, showing the red line that gleamed in the even redder light. "All I ask in return is a little favor of you," he continued, looking down at the creature. It blinked back up at him curiously.

"An offering, he says. Yes, he says an offering. But for what? We don't take favors lightly." The demon seemed to growl slightly at the thought of having to perform any kind of task for Eclipse. Still, he smiled as he clasped his hands behind his back, pacing around BloodMoon with a superior heir about him now.

"Let's make a deal," he declared. "If you like that little offering I have for you, then you'll certainly like what you'll get if you agree to work with me."

BloodMoon tilted his head to the side once more, regarding Eclipse's posture wearily. The demon did not like that he carried himself as if he was somehow better than it. Eclipse was mortal, unlike BloodMoon, who would outlive him greatly in its immortality. Still, its curiosity outweighed its distaste for Eclipse's attitude. "Shall we get to kill? Maim and behead? Drink blood all day? Will we be well fed?"

Eclipse was starting to find himself rather annoyed by the way the demon spoke. He took a breath to calm his irritation before speaking again. "Have you ever had royal blood?" he questioned, allowing his smile to return to his face. BloodMoon's eyes seemed to shine brighter.

"Royal blood? Royal blood? We thinks we have not! No, no royal blood in the roster!" it confessed, stepping from side to side in what Eclipse assumed was anxious bloodlust. He smiled. This was going exactly as he wanted it to go. The demon was hungry for blood, and seemed ready to do just about anything to get it.

"Then work together with me, and you shall have the blood of a princess," Eclipse proclaimed, extending his hand towards the demon. BloodMoon stared quizzically at Eclipse's hand, as if it was debating the situation inwardly. After a long moment of it silently teetering from side to side, it energetically grabbed his hand with both of its, chuckling darkly.

"Oh, little Eclipse, little Eclipse," it said, not letting go of his hand. Eclipse wondered how it knew his name when he never told him. "We hope you understand what you just did," it warned. Eclipse scoffed and attempted to pull his hand away, but was met with a surprisingly strong grip. BloodMoon's pointed black nails dug into his skin, drawing more blood from him than he felt comfortable with. He locked eyes with the demon's challenging stare, ready to face whatever it was that he needed to in order to get what he truly wanted - to be King. To rub it into his stupid brothers' faces when he was the one to marry the princess. To watch them fade from everyone's mind as he rose to the top, ruler of the kingdom that treated him so harshly. Ruler to everyone.

Eclipse suddenly cried out as the clearing seared in a bright white light. BloodMoon let go of his hand, so he promptly fell backwards again for the second time that night. He writhed in pain on the ground beneath the demon, unaware of what exactly was going on, but unable to think either way. BloodMoon let out a develish cackle, rising off of the ground as its hands performed complicated movements it seemed to know by heart. 

The white light slowly drifted from being everywhere, to a concentrated sphere in between BloodMoon's hands. More of the same foreign language Eclipse used to summon it fell from the demon's mouth and the stars it had for pupils disappeared. The pain Eclipse felt grew stronger, stronger so as he gasped desperately for air on the ground. 

Just as the pain began to become unbearable, it stopped and BloodMoon touched back down to the forest floor in front of him. Eclipse sputtered, trying to catch his breath for a moment before finally looking up at the demon. A soft white, glowing orb floated just above one of its outstretched hands, illuminating the demon's face and casting shadows that accented its bloodthirsty eyes. 

Eclipse brought himself to stand after a few more moments passed of him slowing his breath. BloodMoon looked up at him with an unreadable expression, leaving Eclipse with an uneasy feeling. "W-What is that?" he stuttered, hating how weak his voice sounded now. 

"What is this, he asks. Ohhoho~ This shall be most intriguing. Most intriguing indeed!" the demon singsonged, much to Eclipse's annoyance. His patience was beginning to run thin, especially now that he felt like crap. It was as if he hadn't slept in days while doing vigorous work the entire time. He had no idea what that... That... Thing had done to him, but he didn't like it.

Just as he was about to begin angrily interrogating the demon, it spoke again. "This, is for you, little Eclipse," it said, holding his hand with the floating orb in it out to him. "You can call it... a star. Oh, yes, a little star for little Eclipse." Eclipse reached out slowly to touch the star and recoiled with a hiss when it burned his finger. BloodMoon seemed to find that funny, which only ran Eclipse's patience dry.

"Okay, listen here, you imbecile," he spat, standing a little taller. "You shook my hand, now let's talk business. No games, no rhymes, no stupid metaphors." BloodMoon tilted its head to the side yet again, amusement in its eyes. It pulled its hand away and the star continued to float over nothing. 

"No games, he says. No fun! Little Eclipse, quite the killjoy." The demon turned and picked up the rock with Eclipse's blood on it again. "That star can grant your many wishes. As many as you want. Everything you seek, wish for it and you'll see." 

If it weren't for what the demon actually had said, Eclipse probably would have seethed at the fact that they rhymed again. But now he stared at the white orb, his devious grin plastered to his face once again. He reached out to the orb and placed his hands underneath it, as BloodMoon had done moments before. To his surprise, the star followed his hands back towards him. 

This was it. He finally had everything he needed to start his ascension to King. No, why stop there? Why not just be a god to this pathetic little world? 

Calm down, he thought to himself. Start with becoming King. If all goes well, then you can go from there. He silenced his thoughts and tried to focus on what his first plan of business would be. There were so many options. 

And yet, only one stood out to him as his first order. 

Eclipse closed his eyes, concentrating hard on the star's energy. Now that he was focusing on it, he realized he never stopped feeling the power of it flowing through his body. He was merely distracted. But not anymore.

BloodMoon backed away from Eclipse, hopping from foot to foot now with excitement. "WE FEAST ON MORE BLOOD AND FUTURE COME!" it bellowed into the night sky. "PRINCESS BLOOD! PRINCESS BLOOD!"

Eclipse ignored the chanting of the demon. His smile was bordering wicked now that he knew just how powerful he was. Nobody would see what was coming. Nobody would know better. Nobody could stop him! 

Now, for his first order of business...

Nobody shall remember who Sun and Moon are.

*****

A/N: AHHHHHHH IM SO PROUD OF THISSSS!!! I hope y'all enjoyed reading that as much as I enjoyed writing it because ohhh myyy godddd!! Did you like how I incorporated some of BloodMoon's actual lines from the show into this? Did ya did ya did ya???

How're we feeling? Scared? Excited? Wondering when you'll be in the story! Well, literally next chapter, if I don't change my mind. So far, I already have literally the ENTIRE plot for this story written out, so as long as I don't lose motivation and y'all give me encouragement (pls I'm literally such a baby I need to be told my writing is good), this story has amazing things coming!!

[aliicante]

okay bad bitches we did it we made it through the indian wells round of 32! some thoughts on the upcoming matches:

also these are not technical notes i do not have the capacity to do that just yet i'm just rambling don't take it too seriously LOL

atp

lehečka/tsitsipas — you all know i want jiri to win this but i fear it is not happening and my boy is getting beaten down first thing in the morning. then again i haven't been watching stef lately so idk how he's playing but it feel silly to hold out any real hope

maroszan/alcaraz — carlitos straight to the qfs please Next

z****v/de minaur — okay listen i know their h2h isn't great but alex does have the most recent win over the rat (davis cup), not to mention he's been playing absolute lights-out full-dark no-stars tennis lately. like we have a chance. it's slim and i know this match is going to do terrible things to my heart rate but We Have A Chance

shelton/sinner — the main event! i'm not going to lie i am genuinely more interested to see how this goes than in who wins... ben being the only person still in the tournament to have beaten jannik AT ALL recently. this one's going to be a good one i'm excited

ruud/monfils — casper is looking in better shape but monfils is always something of a wild card... lowkey i will be happy no matter how this one turns out i just hope both teams have fun [heart]

nardi/paul — i'm mad at tommy paul for defeating ugo humbert even though i'm still mad at ugo humbert for deafeating daniil in dubai Whatever. luca nardi indian wells champion 2024

fritz/rune — okay listennn i have to support fritz as a fellow californian at the california tournament but also i think rune tennis is some of the silliest shit available as entertainment to the people. i could go either way on this one

medvedev/dimitrov — of course i'm rooting for daniil but this one should also be fun to watch

wta

potapova/paolini — jasmine paolini indian wells champion 2024 Next question

pavlyuchenkova/kostyuk — i am not kostyuk's biggest fan i fear

kerber/wozniacki — throwback match... honestly the fact that we get to see this as a r16 matchup in 2024 is kind of crazy (positive) i am quite looking forward to watching this one

światek/putintseva — listen on any other day i'd say iga's taking it but the last time she was in a wta 1000 she got knocked out fairly unexpectedly.... i do not know enough about putintseva to really say anything though so i could also just be loud and wrong

parry/sakkari — maria sakkari my icon my good friend... please avenge leylah for me thank you

mertens/gauff — coco 🔛🔝

yuan/kasatkina — i'm hoping for either dasha or jasmine to win the whole thing ngl so i fear i am on her side for this one

navarro/sabalenka — i like emma navarro but i am quite sure sabalenka is taking it

[obscuredilfoff]

Propaganda below the cut!

Bado

hes an adoptive father of 2 and a lazy conman who only cares about making easy money, but also doesnt enjoy it if theres even a person who isnt having fun with his schemes (unless its his adopted daughter, who's a knight that tries to stop him from scamming the towns people)

Bertrand de Gervaise

HE IS MY EVERYTHING HE'S DEFINITELY THE REASON I LOVE DILFS SO MUCH I won't spoil anything but there's a huge plot twist involving him and it shook me to my core when I first played the game in like high-school and it's stuck with me ever since. I just love jaded old men so much he's so silly I love him so much

[whisperedfromthevoid]

The Awakening || Part 1

Weightlessness.

That’s what it felt like. Enoch was falling through water… no… the air. At some point, things had reversed. Ground was sky, and sky was ground. His mouth opened in a scream, yet nothing came out. Then gravity turned back on, and his legs and arms flailed as he plummeted. He slammed into the ground with a sickening thud, a groan escaping him. Was it ground? He’d call it ground for now. His back twitched as he lay there, eyes closed, chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. Why was his back wet? Fingers brushed over the surface of… water?

Carefully, Enoch sat up, lifting his hand. Black drops with the consistency of ink dripped from his fingertips as everything remained eerily still. Where was he? He watched the ink run down his forearm and stain his rolled-up white sleeve. How was he dressed again? He was back in his white button-down shirt, purple vest, and navy slacks. Even his leather shoes had made it. Curious. He looked around and slowly stood up. He was surrounded by darkness. An impenetrable void. He looked up and saw a circular window; from it he could see… someone looking down at him. Rune? Was he… was he dead?

Oh, this was unnerving.

He reached up as if to touch the remnants of light shining down from that opening, which was rapidly vanishing as that window closed, leaving Enoch in the dark. Right, the sooner he found his avatar, the sooner he’d be back. Swallowing, Enoch wondered, where… where was he supposed to go in this inky void?

As if his mind was being read, there was a violent shift in the world around him. Suddenly, like switching a movie reel, Enoch found himself standing in the middle of a forest, almost having been knocked off his feet. The trees swayed and settled without so much as a sound, yet in the distance, music played—a piano, hauntingly beautiful. But something was wrong with the trees, and the ground didn’t crunch with dead leaves like in the real world. The sensation was all wrong and disorienting.

“Hello?” he said, his voice sounding hollow and reverberating. Nothing answered.

He walked forward, ducking under the trees, his hand lifting to brush away the branches as he searched… for something, anything, that was supposed to lead him to carving his name on a pillar. That’s what Rune had said, right?

“Salut...” A voice responded behind him.

[venuslore]

𖥔 — 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐊𝐘 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇 ; send this for a game ! fmk, would you rather, cast your mutuals, top 5 or come chat; tell me about your day, the last thing you ate, something that made you happy, or just vent. anything ᰔ

cyma video game characters !

stopppp u have no idea how much i love this one omg

astarion ancunin ( baldur's gate 3 ) — @amorchai johnny silverhand ( cyberpunk 2077 ) — @arctvrvs leon kennedy ( resident evil ) — @valsthea finn mcnamara ( life is strange 2 ) — @ackerman-gf panam palmer ( cyberpunk 2077 ) — @voidcameron amicia de rune ( a plague tale ) — @websterss cal kestis ( star wards: jedi ) — @lovebugcody alice liddell ( alice: madness returns ) — @ghostlyfleur