#anyway let me unleash this curse upon you

[raayllum]

Anyway borrowing from the Rayllum relevant sections of my "arc 2 is about the pursuit of knowledge / knowledge as a burden" meta for s4 and s5 (minimized/condensed text is from previous meta) let's talk about S6

Season four in a lot of ways was the journey of

Mutual Love as Self Actualization: Part 1 — Uncertainty to Certainty (S4)

As previously noted, Callum starts out S4 at both a loss with the mirror, and still coping with the uncertainty and stagnation of his loss of Rayla. When Ezran reaffirms that Callum still loves her, all Callum can helplessly rely that he doesn’t “even know if she’s alive.” Things don’t really improve once Rayla shows up, either, even if we see the persistent thread of not knowing vs knowing being knit throughout their arc with one another.

When Ezran is trying to get Callum and Rayla to work together, he doesn’t tell them to set everything aside, or even harkens back to their good old days. He asserts their identities and says, “Don’t you remember who you are?” because to him — and evidently to Callum and Rayla, because it works — working together and helping each other has become a fundamental, core part of who they are as individuals. They are that interwoven with each other, and Rayla reflects that in 4x07 with, “Callum, you’re the 'destiny is a book you write yourself’ guy. No one can control you or make your choices for you” as well as what Callum offers up to her in 4x09 where we see the turning point in their prior uncertainty. Although they’ve both changed, they are fundamentally still the same people they were when they fell in love, and there is both comfort, sadness, and acceptance in that realization, where Callum says:

Mutual Love as Self Actualization: Part 2 — Certainty and Discovery (S5)

Upon reconciling once Callum has said what we knew all along — “I’m so glad you come back” — Callum and Rayla return to the castle, and their searches for knowledge become arguably more explicitly stated by the text. Their first scene together in 5x01 establishes that Callum wants to know the Ocean arcanum (“I thought it would be about controlling the tides or fighting the currents” thereby exerting control, which he desperately wants over himself post-S4) as well as Aaravos, whereas Rayla is seeking answers about her family: “If I can figure out how he put you into the cursed coins, maybe I can find a way to get you out.”

This is, of course, something we know she doesn’t trust Callum with yet, not wanting to burden him with her problems especially before she’s reached her own conclusion of what to do about it (to delay it for the good of the world) and we see that the certainty and forgiveness Callum found in 4x09 has more than carried over.

Opeli: Don’t you want to know what she was up to? Why she did all this?

And although very uncertain about opening up, Rayla still expresses certainty that she knows Callum could and can be there for her, if he wants to be — if he’s ready to be.

This is, after all, with both Amaya’s encouragement and Callum’s reassurance that 1) “You can tell me when you’re ready” and that 2) he does want to know from 5x01. Then, we see both their arcs in this way largely — or at least they would, in a perfect world — be resolved in many ways by their interaction later in 5x04:

Previously, we’ve mostly talked about knowledge, especially within the text of the show, as a positive thing. It is the foundational rock of a strong relationship, it can lead to positive self actualization, and it helps the heroes keep Aaravos from being unleashed. When you do not have enough knowledge or perceived understanding of someone (Claudia assumes Soren could never understand her, and Viren and Harrow’s relationship breakdown), your relationship accordingly deteriorates. When you share knowledge, and share experiences (Rayla to Callum about the coins, Soren to Elmer about abusive cycles), you can become stronger together.

But knowledge is not exclusively a good thing. It can also be harmful, or unwanted, or unwanted precisely because it’s harmful. It can bind you to deals or bonds you don’t really want, and once you know something, you cannot un-know it, whether about yourself or about others. And we see this most plainly in the story Archmage Akiyu shares about the prison ("I knew too much").

So if S4 is about beginning to navigate both in spite of and within uncertainty, S5 is about having the safety of that uncertainty stripped away, both in creating more of it, and in removing some of it. Namely, the Ocean arcanum.

He chased the Ocean arcanum because he thought, if Sky granted him potential and freedom, then Ocean would grant him control, but the truth was more complicated than that. While it did grant him control (the ability to break free from Finnegrin’s spell), it also granted him a rather hard truth he’d rather not know.

The first time he cites his poem about true tides and untold deaths, he is talking about his faith and trust in Rayla — the way he views her: “If she didn’t tell me, she has a good reason. […] I trust her. Unconditionally.”

The second time he recites the poem, it is about himself. The untold depths are within himself, are parts he is still trying to understand in full because they are uncomfortable truths. In many ways, Callum unlocking the Ocean arcanum is his version of Ezran’s 4x03 speech (see how we looped all the way back? 'Totally’ intentional I swear), that multiple things can be, and sort of have to be, true in order to gain new ground, even if there’s a part of you that wishes it could be simple.

Season six develops this theme, too, but it takes it and calls it Truth, and we see this reflected most notably in 6x06.

Mutual Love as Self Actualization: Part 3 — Certainty and Salvation (S6)

In season six, we see Callum build upon this certainty with Rayla by the way he remains emotionally open with her about his hopes and fears. After his 6x01 nightmare freaks him out, he runs right to her to receive support; when the guilt and fear gnaws at him in 6x03, he tells her the truth of what he did on Finnegrin's ship.

While the obvious facet of knowledge (truth) and salvation here is in 6x06, I also like to think it starts an episode earlier in 6x05. Callum wants to go along with the mission because he knows the quasar diamonds will be what they get in exchange whereas Rayla goes along with it because he's pushing for it (and well, helping people is always nice).

However, where Callum believes that the icy beast they seemingly have to slay is a monster, Rayla believes differently and hedges her bets on what she knows.

This is a great mini turning point in season six for a few reasons. For one, it merges the idea of truth and knowledge into one ("I know it's true") as well as emphasizing the concept of knowing something in your heart, which 6x06 will build on of "dark magic tears a hole in your spirit/heart that light can fill". It also clearly ties back to something that Callum knows he knows, which is that he trusts Rayla unconditionally (5x01). So he goes with it.

When Rayla does reach out to the behemoth, it's with more facets of knowledge: "I know you're in pain. I don't want to hurt you...", knowing the creature's name and the stories ("I know who you are"), and even in her lullaby:

(We'll come back to the lullaby for 6x06's relevancy as well). Once Rayla's kindness and compassion gets through, of her knowledge and seeing the truth of Esmeray's pain much like Ezran saw Zubeia's ("and the truth of you seeing that made it feel like less, like healing"), we return to how well Callum knows her and his knowledge about the trial ("You knew this was the reward"):

If I'd told you, you would've refused to go, because you never do anything for yourself.

To love someone is to know them, and to know them is (in these cases) to develop love for them. The same way that Rayla brings Runaan out of his grief and guilt induced darkness in 6x09 ("I'm your daughter and I love you") and recognizes the grief and guilt plaguing Esmeray, likewise, she represents and is Love to Callum.

He's gone from being uncertain about her survival, about expressing his love, all the way to looking to her for support and direction about the trials set before him:

Kosmo: Dark magic left a hole in you, but the Star-truth ritual can fill the darkness with light. [...] You must search your mind and heart for your one deep truth, the star within you. Then you must let that truth shine and fill the darkness. Callum: One deep truth, huh? Kosmo: Your deepest truth. [...] You must find the star within you, the one deep truth so bright it can fill the darkness.

As know, Callum's trial is still a struggle for him at first. But luckily Rayla's lullaby also foreshadowed the principle of looking inward rather than outward, too, and precisely what kind of answer and truth Callum is going to find.

Callum: I found my one truth.

His truth, his knowledge, his constant, his light... is love, his love, for Rayla and from Rayla. At the end of 6x06 in many ways, Callum is at his most self-actualized, freed from the taint of dark magic and paranoia about Aaravos' control... saved and allowed to become the best version of himself, a bright shining light. A star in his own right. Which is likewise why he expresses his truth before the episode is done. He did dark magic for her, but she's so much more than just darkness or desperation or sadness for him; she's light and hope and Love, too. She's his Constant, Deepest Truth. She's everything.

It's taken two and a half seasons, but he's ready to do more than just know it. He's ready to say it.

So he does.

[mumms-the-word]

Shadow Curse Events Pt. 1

Ketheric, Selûne, Shar, and Aylin

I’ve played through the game a few times at this point and I always find myself struggling to understand the timeline or at least order of events that occurred with the Shadow Curse. I know some things conflict because there was one version of the story in Early Access (the version where Halsin accidentally killed Isobel) and it was heavily altered for the final version of the game, and some things just got *gestures vaguely* waved away, but I keep wanting to make sense of it anyway.

So that’s what this post (edit: I mean series) is going to do. After the cut, obviously. Long deep dive post ahead! Picture of a tired Ketheric for attention and because same bro c':

TLDR: These events happen either in the 1370s or the 1390s. Ketheric loses Melodia (his wife) and Isobel (his daughter) and turns to Shar. He captures Aylin, then builds a Big Dark Justiciar Army, training them and forcing them to kill Aylin over and over. Meanwhile, a Selûnite resistance is brewing in the town, and it's kind of making everything worse. One Selûnite rebel even goes so far as to make a deal with a devil. And all of that is BEFORE the Harpers and druids arrive as an army.

We don’t have dates, unfortunately, aside from knowing that the shadow curse itself was unleashed about a century ago, so “timeline” would be a loose term to use if/when I use it. But I have two theories about when it happened.

One theory is that because the Spellplague was happening between 1385-1395 DR (during which there was neither a true Weave nor a Shadow Weave, which is what the shadow curse is made of), the shadow curse likely started around 1396-1399, just shy of a full 100 years before the game’s events in 1492. But that’s just me conjecturing based on the idea that if the Shadow Weave is gone…how does the shadow curse stick around? 

The other theory is that the shadow curse was unleashed sometime between 1371 and 1374. This is because a) Dark Justiciars were still being sent by Ketheric Thorm to destroy Moonhaven (the Blighted Village) in 1371 (Ketheric writes a letter about attacking Moonhave and a journal dated 1371 boasts that Ilyn Toth, the basement apothecary-necromancer dude, got killed by Dark Justiciars) and b) because Khelben Arunsun himself, the literal Blackstaff (super powerful and very old wizard), wrote a letter negotiating surrender on behalf of the Harpers.

We cannot be party to the suffering of the people of Reithwin, and indeed, of the great loss of life that this war will visit upon the Sword Coast - and, perhaps, beyond it. So it is written, and so let it be done, Khelben Arunsun, on behalf of the High Harper Council and its allies.

Wiki says Khelben broke his alliance with the Harpers in 1370 due to some disagreements, but it’s possible his splinter faction was at the battlefield with the other Harpers. I doubt he was there personally, but who knows. I wouldn’t go any earlier than 1371, though, because Baldur’s Gate II happens in 1369, and Jaheira would have been too busy dealing with those events to deal with Ketheric too. But it can’t be later than 1374,  because Khelben Arunsun dies in 1374.

(I have questions about how the shadow curse survived the Spellplague and the loss of the Shadow Weave, but the answer to that could simply be All Magic Was Weird and Unstable at the time…plus Thaniel was already in the Shadowfell by this time, so the land couldn't heal.)

So it’s either 1371-1374 (because of the Khelben timeline, and I guess the Spellplague didn’t affect it) or it’s 1396-1399 (because of the Spellplague, but the writers just forgot Khelben was dead by that point, or maybe his ghost wrote the surrender notice idk). Both are good enough for Halsin and Jaheira to talk about things happening “a century ago,” but you can see why I’m avoiding dates.

But let’s push it back a few more decades. Back when Ketheric was a Selûnite and Isobel a very small child.

As we’re probably all well aware, during this time, Ketheric worships Selûne along with his wife, Melodia. At some point, he even commissions the local Mason’s Guild to build Moonrise as a testament to Selûne herself, according to Morfred the mason (who you can talk to in House of Hope, it’s pretty cool). Ketheric and Melodia have Isobel, but then Melodia dies while Isobel is still pretty young. Ketheric remains a Selûnite, mostly for Isobel’s sake, until she dies too.

Ketheric: I’ll tell you a story, True Soul. About a man who sold himself piece by piece. He had…everything. A wonderful wife. A brilliant daughter. They lived not far from here. His wife died too young. Grief tore through their home like a thief, snatching away the scent of her hair, the rustle of her skirts. But the man did not break. He could not break. His daughter needed him whole, after all. She grew up—grew strong. Challenged him. Filled his heart with such joy it supplanted all sorrow. When she was killed, the man…he tried to remain whole, but it wasn’t possible. Do you understand? Player: So the man fell to pieces. Ketheric: The pain was unbearable. All-consuming. He decided he’d do anything for reprieve. First, he sold himself to the goddess of loss. But the pain did not subside, no matter his obscene feats of devotion. Then a new god came—a god who promised the man something wonderful: his daughter. Her life returned. Imagine it. He would have to give everything: his body and soul entire. He did not hesitate. Not for a moment.

We know this story. Ketheric turns to Shar and everything goes Very, Very Badly. But the exact details/order of Ketheric's Sharran days are a little hazy. So here's what I've been able to piece together to sate my own curiosity.

While Ketheric is still a faithful (but waning) Selûnite, Dame Aylin visits as an emissary of Selûne. Moonrise/Reithwin is a Selûnite refuge and the Thorms are allegedly devout favorites of the moon goddess, so it's a big deal. While she's there, she and Isobel fall in love. Ketheric disapproves, in part because Aylin is immortal and Isobel is not (Isobel and Aylin both say this in dialogue).

Plus, and this is a personal opinion, I think Ketheric might have seen Aylin's interest in Isobel as another thing Selûne was trying to take from him. It isn't enough that Selûne let Melodia die, now her daughter is trying to woo his daughter and take her too.

But then Isobel dies. Somehow. The launch version of the game isn’t clear how. Aylin mourns but Ketheric spirals. He turns to Shar, hoping she will force him to forget about Isobel, but he doesn't. Nevertheless, he becomes a zealous Sharran.

[A journal spanning years, beginning with the birth of a child and ending with what appears to be a series of dateless tragedies.] How can she be gone? Where did she go? The Moonmaiden cannot be so unfeeling - so cruel. Not toward her most devoted servant. Not after Melodia. It makes no sense. It makes no sense. I won't survive it. That much I know. Forgetting is the only possibility. The embrace of oblivion. The reprieve of nothingness. It would not be possible for a man to survive knowing what he knows. Knowing what can be lost. Shar understands that. Hers is the only mercy I can comprehend. My mind is full of holes - yet not enough. The emptiness. The time. The nothingness. And still I remember. Still I remember it all. There is no mercy in this beating heart. There is no mercy in life at all.

He builds the Gauntlet of Shar (or maybe renovates and Shar-ifies it, maybe it was already there) beneath the Thorm mausoleum, connecting it to the much more ancient Grymforge area. Grymforge becomes a kind of base or stronghold for the Justiciar army while the Gauntlet is designed to test their mettle and prepare them for the task that will make them official Dark Justiciars—killing Aylin, though it's not clear when Ketheric and Balthazar lure her into the Shadowfell.

I'll get back to that later.

We know that Grymforge was used as a Dark Justiciar stronghold and possible training ground because of all the Sharran stuff we find there. It's like super obvious. The feasthall room, the dormitories, the weapons that lay everywhere. There's basically a whole Sharran city in the Underdark beneath and near Reithwin, some of which we can see from various points in Grymforge. In fact, if you go through the poisoned room where Nere is, you can see the Gauntlet down below.

(It's a little hard to see here 'cause I play on console but there's a glimpse of the giant Shar statue that takes up a ton of space in the Gauntlet. Somehow, the two places used to connect.)

Ketheric's new Sharran teachings are ruthless and vicious. He encourages his Dark Justiciars to kill a Selûnite once a tenday or more as part of their training and service to the Lady of Loss.

The Law of Nightfall: From the moon falls the foulest of lights. iIt peeks through cracks and fissures, illuminating the most remote recesses of the Underdark. Light bestows hope, a pernicious notion which must be extinguished. At the darkest hour, pray to your Lady and feast in Her honour. The second day after, slay a disciple of Selûne. If none may be found, a Lathanderian or Mystran are an acceptable offering. Do this once a tenday, and the Lady of Loss shall know you.

Reithwin and the surrounding village soon become a hunting ground. Most people convert. Those who don't get hung in the square as examples (according to a shadow memory). All faithful Selûnites are forced to practice their devotion to the Moonmaiden in secret, led by Morfred the mason and his brother Halfred the innkeeper of Last Light Inn. Halfred hides Selûnite relics beneath Last Light (you can still find them) while Morfred plots a true resistance.

[Hidden amidst columns detailing the income and expenditure of a tavern is an aside, written in tiny, urgent handwriting.] I have concealed the sacred relics of our revered goddess in the darkest corner of this place. Morfred, my loyal brother, seeks to forge a network of allies to stand against the oppressive reign of Ketheric Thorm. Sadly, fear has gripped the hearts of many, turning them away from our cause. I cannot truly blame them, for trepidation fills my soul as well - but I must put aside my own fears and reunite with Morfred in the bowels of the Mason's Guild. Together, we shall preserve what we can of the Moonmaiden's light, and hope that the banners of the faithful soon rise against that treacherous dog, Thorm.

But as time goes on, Morfred grows increasingly distressed with the events happening in Reithwin and the ease with which people are eager to switch faiths.

- How quickly things change. The Thorms are Selûnite through and through - or so I believed. Perhaps Ketheric only converted for Melodia, and with her death - and then his daughter's - his faith died too. But to turn to Shar? It beggars belief. - Ketheric's Justiciars are growing greater in number, and more determined to rout out any traces of Selûne in Reithwin. Why do they think this town was built? One cannot rip out the foundations of a building and expect it to remain standing. - Brother and I remain the last two bastions of Our Lady of Silver in the town. A few - the trusting few - come to worship in secret by moonlit nights. Others - converts, all. Whether they truly believe, I cannot say. Impossible, isn't it?

(Don't worry, the second page is further down lol spoilers!)

Life is not going well in Reithwin, even if you're not a Selûnite. Ketheric is determined to destroy all traces of Selûne and treason of any kind. His Dark Justiciars begin tormenting citizens to reveal pockets of Selûnite resistance. He also suffers no treasonous word against him, even if the citizens in question aren't Selûnite. We see a glimpse of this and of the Justiciars' cruel influence during the questline with He Who Was and Madeline, who ratted out her friends' innocent(?) complaints about Ketheric to some Justiciars, resulting in their brutal deaths.

Eventually Morfred realizes that the Dark Justiciars are too powerful to resist and turns to Raphael, offering his soul in exchange for something to destroy the Dark Justiciar army.

- Sick of standing idle while Justiciars gain power in our humble town. What will become of us if we allow it? I met a man who was no man. Touched by a devil. Or maybe worse. But he offered me something I couldn't refuse - help. - The time is now. Ketheric's Justiciars, their stronghold in the temple below - they will be wiped out. All of them. I didn't ask how. I just want them gone. Let the Harpers have at Ketheric now. They'll make short work of him.

You can ask Morfred about this in the House of Hope, actually, where he confirms the details. I mean, he's in Raphael's house, so it's pretty obvious the he did, in fact, make a deal with him.

Infernal Mason: When tragedy came, my master fell into darkness and despair. He marshalled a great army to ruin the world and bring all into shadow. I could not let it happen. I sought out the devil Raphael and signed an infernal pact with him. He promised to destroy my master’s army, and I promised him my soul in return. The devil was true to his word. Fiends slaughtered my master’s forces, but he endured somehow, and blighted the land.

The Fiend in question here is Yurgir, who ends up crashing through Grymforge and the Gauntlet to kill all Dark Justiciars in his path. (He misses one, because Raphael is a sneaky bastard who let one get away by turning him into a swarm of rats, but I digress.) We know Yurgir caused the destruction in Grymforge, too, because of the Merregon masks and hellbeasts we find around the area, and the fact that if you pass all the checks with the Duergar mason examining the stone, he helps you piece together this narrative:

Stonemason Kith: An ancient city, hewn from the stone by the disciples of Shar, later abandoned. Untold centuries later, a new tribe revives it. Fresh walls, fresh sculptures...until a great hellbeast charges through, toppling the walls and crushing the people! Heh - that explains the infernal plate I found. Perhaps you might have use of it.

Further proof that Grymforge and the Gauntlet were once connected...somehow.

Anyway, by the time Yurgir is called in, Morfred's already been found out. Thisobald overhears him drunkenly complaining about Ketheric in the Waning Moon and informs Ketheric of his treachery. Ketheric orders a raid on the mason's guild, leaving Halfred the lone source of Selûnite resistance. It's unknown what becomes of Halfred, but considering the fact that the inn was still taking guests (like Art Cullagh) and housing the Harpers right before the shadow curse descended (there's a shadow memory of a Harper toasting his comrades in Last Light right before the battle with Ketheric long ago), it's likely he's a victim of the curse and not Justiciar brutality.

I’m not sure which is worse, honestly.

It's unclear when Morfred dies, though he admits to witnessing the first part of the shadow curse (i.e., "...but he endured somehow, and blighted the land"). But Morfred's deal coincides in some ways with the arrival of the Harpers and druids. I think he probably makes the deal with Raphael before the Harpers officially march against Ketheric and then gets caught after he hears rumors of the Harpers.

Raphael makes good on his deal around the same the Harpers arrive, perhaps a little afterward. This means Yurgir's slaughter of Justiciars in the Underdark must happen concurrently with the battle happening topside between Ketheric's army and the Harpers/druids, meaning Ketheric is losing his army on two fronts at the same time. Victory seems assured for the Harpers and druids, but of course we know now that Ketheric had a way of cheating death already in place.

He had already imprisoned the Nightsong in a Shadowfell soul cage.

Again, we’re not sure exactly when this happens, but it’s after Isobel dies and before the shadow curse, which unleashes with Ketheric’s supposed death in the battle against the Harpers and druids. However, Aylin herself says that Ketheric and Balthazar lured her into the Shadowfell under the pretense of saving an innocent.

Dame Aylin: He and his loathsome advisor Balthazar lured me into the Shadowfell, claimed they'd found someone in need of my aid. There they trapped me in their infernal cage. I was killed, murdered, made dead, over and over and over by Justiciars of every make and kind. I was reborn, for it is my nature. And Ketheric fed upon my immortality all the while.

This makes me think that Aylin wasn’t aware of Ketheric’s conversion yet, so it must have been very soon after, because otherwise, why would she trust a known Sharran telling her to enter the Shadowfell, the realm that is entirely under Shar’s control? I also suspect Ketheric built (or renovated) the Gauntlet around Aylin after her capture, perhaps at the behest of Shar due to their collaboration in making up new Justiciar teachings, or perhaps out of a sick, vengeful desire to see Aylin tormented for daring to love his daughter.

If this is true, then there’s a very real chance that Ketheric was unkillable before he truly started to torment Reithwin town, and well before the Harpers stepped in to take him down.

Anyway we at least know that Ketheric trapped Aylin in the Shadowfell before the big battle against the Harpers because a) both Isobel and Aylin talk about her being there for a century and b) because Ketheric is already using her invulnerability to survive assassination attempts on his life prior to or during the actual battle against him and his army:

23 Elient The Harpers came too close - they poisoned Father Ketheric himself, yet he professes no ill effects. Malus insists it a fluke. Doctor he may be, but he is no less a fool for it: Father has achieved that of which I can only dream: immortality. I have long suspected. I can guess Father's purpose, but I cannot fathom the means.

This brings us to the eve of the battle itself. But this post is already hella long, so keep an eye out for part 2, all about the Harper and druid battle against Ketheric!

[merrinla]

Lift the Shadow Curse. Cut content. Part II

In continuation to previous post. This part is mostly about the cut lines.

Upon arrival in the Shadow Cursed Lands, Halsin's comments about this place were slightly different from what we hear in the game.

You'd think all the years passed by would dull the pain of seeing this place again. But no.

An endless sea of silence and shadow. Except for one island of hope. [Last Light Inn]

Any words I could muster would underestimate the horror of this place.

This land has been flooded with shadow right from Shar's own domain. It poisons what grows and corrupts those who linger.

The shadow curse grips the land tighter than ever. It must be stopped. It will be stopped.

He also told you the story about Ketheric and the shadow curse.

He was once warden of these lands, a knight sworn to Selune. But he lost his daughter, and his broken heart proved easily tempted.

Shar embraced him, and he turned Moonrise Towers into a citadel in her name.

The druids and harpers formed an alliance a hundred years ago to put an end to his madness. But we only made it worse.

He was our target, the reason we attacked Moonrise, and we vanquished him. His death blow should have been the end of it.

Instead, Shar answered his prayers, and he unleashed her darkness into this world.

I was there when the curse was unleashed. Many of us marched on Moonrise Towers. Few managed to get away, because of Ketheric Thorm.

When he mentioned Thaniel there was some sort of explanation why he couldn't join us in the search. He tried to find the boy's trace through meditation. Better than nothing. Because in the game he stands and literally does nothing.

He is the heart of this land, imprisoned in the depths of the Shadowfell when the curse was unleashed.

While he suffered there, nature could not heal, just as surely as a man cannot heal while there is poison in his heart.

He must be somewhere out there. I need to find some trace of what happened, so I can bring him home and end this.

Now I must meditate. Listen for Thaniel's presence and beg the Oakfather's strength for what lies next. If you find anything, come to me. Please.

By the way it seems Thaniel had a different name in the early version.

His name is Elwood, but he is not a child as you would normally understand.

Just like in early access, you could argue with Halsin, but these lines were cut out. At first he tried to convince you calmly that you have common goals.

Getting what you need at Moonrise and lifting the curse are two sides of the same coin. You'll need to know what you're facing.

But if you were to take action, should the opportunity present itself? Then perhaps we can both get what we desire.

Of course, but your efforts to rid yourself of the parasite will no doubt further my aim as well.

Keep your focus on the parasite if you must, but please, if you learn anything that might help restore Thaniel and lift the curse. Let me know.

But if you kept insisting that the shadow curse wasn't your problem, he started to get annoyed.

This is everyone's problem. The shadows will find you wherever you hide and no matter how fast you run.

The point is that it's taken a century for me to even begin to understand this curse. Dismiss its power at your own risk.

The point is that ridding yourself of the illithid parasite will be all the more difficult thanks to the curse. Heat the warning or suffer the consequences.

Keep telling yourself that, Sharran. Pretend that your eyes deceive you. But the curse will hamper your search for a cure no matter your beliefs. [if the player is Shar worshipper]

And the last thing. I'm not sure if this is related to Halsin's quest, but I'll mention it anyway. According to some flags, Halsin and Jaheira also had disagreements. There should have been a dialogue in the game where they were arguing in the camp when you ended the day, but other details are unknown.

[littleandless]

SEASON 2 EPISODE 4 THOUGHTS

spoilers ahead

Daemon being tormented by visions of his past is so juicy. I hope we see a similar sequence once Aemond takes over Harrenhal.

POOR RHAENYS! She and Corlys seemed very much in love, so the knowledge of an affair that was so lengthy it produced not just one but TWO children has got to hurt like an absolute bitch.

Leaving Jace and Baela to take the heat while both of their parents are off doing gods know what was pure evil omg. At least Grammy Rhaenys always has their back.

And the sass? Lmao everyone is on some different shit this episode. Aemond, Alicent, Baela, Jace, Rhaenyra, etc etc. I LOVE IT.

Do you think Cole is brave and ruthless or just begging for death lowkey? I think these traits go hand in hand at times.

Gwayne is the only one scared enough to admit how crazy all that shit seems.

Watching Aegon realize his own uselessness is sad, I must admit. After everyone impressed upon him the importance of his inheritance and how much has been sacrificed in order to give it to him, I reckon he must have thought that he was important as an individual as well. Why else go to such lengths? It’s just as I imagine Alicent felt when she realized all of her years of suffering were pointless. He doesn’t realize he was basically meant to be a puppet, like his father was before him. Otto and Alicent were the real rulers. But now Otto is gone and no one listens to Alicent, and people have grown tired of pretending that Aegon isn’t mostly irrelevant.

Good for Aemond though. Like yeah you can laugh at me if you want, but everyone that matters knows you’re the biggest joke of all.

Yay abortion ♥️

No but seriously, how do we think Larys will use the moon tea against Alicent? I think he knew the deal before he even showed up at her chambers but he likes to watch people squirm. I’m scared lol.

Also poor Maester Orwyle having to answer such a loaded question. Girl NO ONE is going to make you feel better about this 😭

Alys being a wonderful witchy wench as usual like yeeessss torment that man!

Potions so potent that Daemon had a Joe Biden moment.

I do feel a bit sad when Alicent unleashes her pent-up feelings at Aegon. Their relationship is so fraught it drives me insane.

Is she wrong though? Lol. I just wish she would apply her sass to more than just her eldest son.

Some tension in the relationship between Jace and Rhaenyra. He desperately wants to be of use and Rhaenyra is much more reserved with her heirs these days, understandably so. I’m glad she told him about the song of ice and fire though.

Rhaenys volunteering to go made me sad. I knew it was coming, but still.

The whole dragon sequence was fucking insane. Vhagar blending in with the forest floor was cool as hell. Aegon stumbling into a life-or-death situation when he CLEARLY has no idea what is going on after a fight with his mother is peak teen behavior. Aemond silently cursing his stupidity and then lowkey taking advantage of it. And he could always play it off as a mistake as well, since nobody but the three dragonriders really knows what went down and well…the other two are incapacitated 🤭 PRINCE REGENT ERA LET’S GO

Rhaenys had the opportunity to flee after leaving Aegon badly injured but she went back anyway. Much like Cole, one can question if it’s brave or suicidal or both. Heroes often possess a mix of these.

Also I have no idea what is going on in most battle scenes so I didn’t realize until the end that Cole was being a strategist. Good for him I guess.

That dead guy falling into ash was cool and scary.

Gwayne takes care of business while Cole and Aemond take a peek at Aegon. I know he’s burned pretty badly and doesn’t die, so I’m not too agonized over the (probably very graphic) reveal next episode.

Aemond taking Dark Sister (edit: prophecy dagger thingy) was kind of a bitch move though.

Wait do you think he’ll learn about the song of ice and fire at Harrenhal? Maybe Alys and other magical influences will reveal it to him, or he’ll decide to stick the blade in the fire on a whim idk.

BUT WOW WHAT AN EPISODE! my asshole was clenched like 60% of the time so you know it was good.

[cherubispunk]

UP IN YOUR ARMS (PROLOGUE) -Noir!Joel Miller x AFAB!Reader

summary: the begining of it all tasted like whiskey and ciggeretes. But smelled of the interrogation room.

a note from Lucy: Helllooooo my lovely Joel Miller enthusiasts! i'm here again, and so are you, with yet another joel au series. this time with a historical twist. wiil it be completely historically accurate? probably not? are we here anyway because its joel fucking miller? yes. yes we are. fair warning, some dark contant will be in later chapters, so if that isnt your cup of rosey lea, feel free to scroll away. if it is, then sit back, relax, enjoy a dry martini and some blues or jazz music on vinyl, and lets have a wild time. Also, a huge thank you is due to @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin for convicting me to post this. Love you cherub! xxx

playlist

wc: 912 Warnings: 18+ MDNI! DARK CONTENT! 1940s!au, no outbreak, no use of y/n, age gap (reader is in her early 20's and Joel is in his 40s), allusions to Smut, smoking, use of pet names such as doll, cursing, being arrested, interrogation scene, references to violence, ww2 references, probably an unhealthy relationship between reader and joel, mentions of blood, let me know if ive missed any warning out that should be tagged.

series m.list | m.list

“Okay,” Detective Granger sighs opposite you, “Let’s try this again.”

Your knee bounces rapidly under the chrome metal table. If it weren't screwed to the floor it would surely rattle with your antsy movement. Your eyes fall to your lap, the dress you wore tattered with a mix of blood, dust and the smell of Joel’s aftershave. A smell you wish you had with his physicality.

“Please state your name for the record.” He asks. Again. From the moment they put you in cuffs, shoved you in the back of a cop car, and brought you up to the station, you had not uttered a word. Maybe you were scared, or maybe it was the principle of the fact. But the idea that Joel was a few rooms over – not at arm's length – it made you yearn for his touch. To be under the rough pads of his fingertips once more. Weather it be in a grimy motel room, or even the fucking Canary Club back in the cesspool of Boston. 

But you sighed, knowing you aren't going home anytime soon without giving them something. Joel told you to spin it. Tell them the truth with the twist he promised would work. Leave you unscathed. 

So you tell them your name. And then your occupation once they ask for that too; “Singer.” 

The detective looks at his co-worker, raising his brow. He nods back at him, believing you. If only you could unleash the insults that curl and cinder at the tip of your tongue. 

“Okay,” Granger tips his head to the side in acknowledgement of the fact your answers are the truth. What leverage would you have to lie if the very thing you are about to spill is an ever so slight twisting of the truth?

You watch with unblinking eyes as he places a black and white picture upon the table, between you and his now folded hands, “Care to tell us who this is?” 

It’s Joel. You knew they knew that. They just need to confirm their suspicion for the record. For the jury. The court. Your impending trial. So you take a second to study it, hold back a smile at the very sight of his broad shoulders, his tarnishes, creased dress shirt that clings to him like a second skin you wish to ravish him off. Even in the stale air of an interrogation room, through the captured image of a blurred mugshot, he makes the fire in your loins kickstart. Memories of joyrides, money, sex, motel sheets and speakeasy rendezvous. 

You give them a nod, sitting back in your seat.

“Who is he?”

“It’s Joel Miller. ‘Says it right there.” You tap the mugshot with your index finger to prove a point, kissing your teeth with a smug smile. “Or can you pig’s not read?” Venom spills from your words like maroon wine from a shattered glass. 

Detective Granger bites his tongue, leaning forward over the table, hands grasping the lip of it as he stands up, knuckles bleached white under his own grip. 

“Don’t think I ain’t above sending you to a cell with a shiner to your pretty lil’ nose, Doll.” He glared. It didn't seep any deeper than skin though. Didn’t rattle your bones that way Joel’s voice would when he called you a pretty ditzy thing that one time. If he were here the detective's teeth would be splattered across the tile of the floor for saying that. Daring to call you what he did, turning it into something that made your lip curl in disgust. 

“Oh, I'm sorry, Mr, Detective.” You pouted, tilting your head at him, doe eyed, sarcastic innocence wrapped around your tongue’s words.

His fist descended down upon the table with a slam, making you flinch. Much to your own dismay. “Just answer the damn question!” 

“Was he your boyfriend?” 

“No.”

Joel was no mere boyfriend. 

He was your lover. Your life. Your glue that mended cracks seen by no other. The man that undressed you and wrapped you up in his warmth. His Texan drawl. Unravelled you between your thighs. Made you lust for anything he did. He was air in your lungs, the smell of cedarwood and musk. Metallic blood on your collarbone and gravel under a cars worn in tires. He was the leather of your car seat. The Egyptian cotton of your sheets. 

But this was where the lie began…

“He was my jailor.” 

Detective Granger’s eyes narrowed as he looked down at you, your eyes finding him behind the wisp of your lashes. The glassy shine of a tear slipping from your waterline. He furrowed his brow, his thin lips pressing into a thin line below his bushy moustache that curled at the ends. The nostrils of his bulbous nose flared and his jaw ticked under the clenching of his teeth. Once more, you looked into your lap at your folded hands.

He sighed once more, adjusting his grey suit trousers to sit down, holding his tie to his beer belly as he did so. “Can you tell us what happened? Leading up to the crime?” His voice was softer and he winced at the sound of your sniff. How you were so timid all of a sudden like a deer in headlights. 

You nodded, swallowing your own saliva, the walls of your oesophagus grating together like coarse sandpaper. And then you spoke. “I met him when I was living in Boston.”

[livinglouderx3]

SNStober Day 31 - Halloween

„You know those candies are supposed to be for kids, not for you, right?”, Sasuke muttered from the corner of their sofa, sitting with one leg propped up – watching him.

“Nowaones goana gnock on oar-“

“Naruto.”, Sasuke gave him the look. “For god’s sake please stop talking with your mouth full of candies-“

That made the blonde roll his eyes as he came closer chewing, until he could finally speak properly again. He plopped down onto the couch, right next to Sasuke, leaning over the other boy to grab a blanket – pulling it over their legs to get comfy.  “I said that no one will knock on our door anyway, so why waste all the sweet stuff.”

“Why-“, Sasuke frowned, “did you even buy all that stuff then.”

“Because it was on sale.”, Naruto shrugged, “and it’s tasty.” He still had a box of chocolates in his hand, offering it to Sasuke, “Want some, too?” He winked.

Sasuke wrinkled his nose at him. “I hate sweets. You know that.”

“I know. More for me then.”, Naruto laughed. He moved even closer, pressing himself to Sasuke’s side, leaning his head onto the raven’s shoulder. Sasuke shifted, making space so that Naruto was comfortable. They sat there in silence for a while, the only sound filling the air being Naruto’s chewing, the quiet rumble as he took the next bit of chocolate out of the box. It was already dark outside.

Sasuke eventually moved closer, leaning his head onto Naruto’s, soft strands of blonde hair grazing his cheek.

“Are you sad?”, Sasuke eventually whispered. His words, as quiet as they were, made Naruto stop chewing immediately. He slowly swallowed, slowly opening his mouth to reply – to say something, reply to Sasuke – yet closed it once again before he could do so. Then, after some time, the blonde let out a small broken laugh. It always hurt when he did this.

“Can’t blame them.”, Naruto whispered. “They’re afraid. Fox spirits are known to be demons. A witch’s animal. A curse unleashed upon mankind as they often say.”

“You’re none of that, Naruto.” Under the blanket Sasuke found Naruto’s hand, squeezing it lightly. “You know that, right?”

“I know.”, Naruto put the box away, cuddling closer to Sasuke. “I just hope one day they will see it, too. They don’t need to avoid me.”

“I’m sure they will. I’m sure some of them know, too.”

Naruto smiled. “Who knows.”

About an hour later, 3 small kids knocked on their door. The girl had light brown hair, pulled up in two ponytails, neatly placed under her adorable witch hat. She was holding the small bag, half filled with sweets by now. Beside her there were two brown haired boys, one with glasses – and small fake vampire teeth showing, the other one was dressed in black with a small headband on his forehead – ninja written all over it.  All of them were smiling as they chanted “trick or treat” in unison. They weren’t afraid.

Naruto filled their bag to the brick with everything he had.

[twistedapple]

A Tale of Brimstone and Storm

Me in CH1: I need to be more consistent

Me in CH2: Welp it's been more than 3 months!

Anyway, here we go. AO3 link here. Previous chapter here.

BGM: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Full Playlist here.

CW: General violence, blood, injuries, deaths...

Chapter 2 - The Devil is a Handsome Man (part 1)

The sun was slowly reaching the end of its course when a silhouette broke the horizon, a black and white stain breaking the harmony of a deepening blue sky and dunes bathed in the lowering golden light. The horse was dancing, froth at the mouth from the recent exertion, but the relaxed seat of its rider betrayed experience with agitated horses. Amidst the deep blue wrapped around the rider’s face for protection, dark grey-and-violet eyes shone dangerously. With light hands and a firm press of the calves, the horse took a feather light canter. The domes and spires of Calimport were finally in sight, and the duo seemed pushed by the urgency of the last miles – the scent of home and the need to report immediately.

Comfortably installed in the Chamber of Egress, Raphael leaned back in his tall chair, lazily swirling a fragrant red in an ornate silver cup while he enjoyed the pleasant evening scenery unfolding before his eyes, dry heat and sea salt borne by the evening wind all the way to Avernus through the portal facing him. That little Genasi certainly had a knack for handling orders in the most entertaining fashion – her boldness with the dune hags had been especially remarkable, and so had been her shrewdness (ruthlessness could be equally appropriate, really) as she prepared the field in anticipation of the events in Mardun in the simplest ways: striking a secret bargain, spiking drinks in the most unassuming fashion...

Few things were as amusing as witnessing betrayal at the climax of what was believed to be a carefully laid out plan, and the execution had been flawless. With his throat slit, the fire Genasi named Kartal had been left limp on the floor, his heated blood spreading in the thick dust while Nuria hid the ritual dagger in an inner pocket of her mantle. She repeated the words they had convened upon to undo the arcane lock and left the room at a leisurely pace as she joined the field of combat, which had turned awfully one-sided. Nasir had been ripped open from top to bottom, while Munir laid next to him, eyes gouged out and mouth distorted in a silent, terrible scream. Raphael could smell the scent of sun-baked sand and iron from his seat.

Crawling on the weathered mosaics with what little energy she had left, Defne had looked at Nuria and her surprise quickly turned to rage once what had just happened dawned on her.

-You traitorous whore! Demon in Genasi sk-

One of the hags gave a final stab that cut the curses short and left a distorted rictus on the nomad’s tattooed face. Nuria didn’t even bother with the insults and sauntered out of the ruins while politely wishing the hags an enjoyable meal. She untied the horses and let them free before getting back in her own saddle. Her solitary voyage to Calimport hadn’t been without problems – she needed to deal with the pursuers from Dashadjen, who had managed to track the group somehow, and a few days later with some fire Genasi affiliated with Iskanda and laying in wait in the vicinity of Calimport. Finally able to unleash her sorcery without the cover of being a wizard, Nuria brutally took them down and left their remains for the carrions to feast upon.

Raphael emptied his cup and got up. He had been following her long enough, and this was the final assessment to confirm his next steps. She proved a fine candidate for his plans, and now he had to put the cogs in motion.

***

A pleasant breeze from the Northeast was lazily blowing over Calimport, softening the usual heat of the region. The delicate scent of orange blossoms and jasmine crossed over from the Palace’s gardens all the way to the Chamber of Egress, giving Raphael an introduction to his day – and what a day it would be! He even had a dream about it the previous night, a silhouette black and white emerging from a sandstorm (or leading it?) and a wind howling like a heartbeat. When their eyes met, violet-like lightning took over, overwhelming and... Raphael pinched his lips, stopping the reminiscence of that dream and focusing back on the task ahead.

It wasn’t in his habits to even bother meeting with his petitioners – he had enough daily requests as it was and besides, he wasn’t keen on wasting his time over every single mortal begging for his attention. Yet, he was willing to make exceptions when the petitioner was of interest to him or when he felt like indulging a bit (sometimes both, even). This time, however, it was an even rarer case: the opportunity to advance his personal plans, offered on a silver platter. Not one to waste that chance, he had gone for it without hesitation. After all, it wasn’t everyday that people of such stature were willing to bet the way the lords of Calimport intended to. Better still, the devil felt particularly excited over this contract; the average petitioner was decent enough but wouldn’t always satisfy his desire for a chase. He was willing to admit that it was one of the reasons that had pushed him to not only accept the request, but also agree to an in-person meeting instead of sending an associate as he usually would.

After all, what chase would be more promising than one involving no mere merchants and persons of law, but ones with genie ancestry? Even better, having this assembly led directly by a djinn, fellow master of forever binding words! Raphael, ever willing to welcome resistance for the sole pleasure of breaking it in the end, was delighted by the challenge this contract would present. Furthermore, this would be the perfect opening to bring him closer to his true goal, while providing him with an ever-so-soon access to souls of quality. What these petitioners planned on doing to protect their own interests mattered very little, since the conclusion of that affair would undoubtedly be in his favour. He merely had to weave it all carefully in the terms of the contract.

Perfectly groomed and wearing fine silks to set the tone and match the luxury of the Palace, Raphael switched to his preferred unassuming human appearance. Once his clients had arrived and settled down, he snapped his fingers to make his own entrance; a pleased smile already etched on his face.

***

The potent scent of something burnt, sulphur and tar filled the large room when Raphael appeared in a cloud of burning smoke. A first point had to be made in order to keep control of the situation, especially since he was about to face no less than 11 men with a similar knack for contracts and agreements. The first move was thus to make it clear that he was their better and most certainly of the Infernal sort while maintaining his preferred, deceiving human appearance – surely, it would have a deeper effect in a country where humans were treated like second rate citizens at best, and more often than not enslaved. Besides, such an entrance was the perfect way to catch his clients off-guard for a second and read them for what they truly were in the process.

Some of them raised their eyebrows in surprise, others frowned in annoyance, others yet twisted their nose, all too used to musky florals to tolerate the perfumes of Avernus. As expected however, Vizer Shahrokh did not let anything show on his face. Less expected was the smaller and quite familiar silhouette next to him, dressed in the twilight silks and silver threads of the Palace’s servants; standing at attention and not batting as much as an eye. Raphael contained a delighted gasp at the pleasant surprise brought to him on a silver platter and redirected his attention to the men sitting around the large oval table, offering them his scrutiny as a silent reply to their various reactions.

All of them were Genasi, with various traits expressing their djinni ancestry – lightning and wind-like swirls on the skin, beards like clouds, eyes of azure... Vizer Shahrokh, sitting – or rather, floating gently over the tall chair - at one end of the table, distinguished himself by his very obvious nature as a Djinn, the only other person not from the Material Plane in the room. Whereas the Genasi had certain signs of their elemental heritage, the Vizer was a rare example of it: he seemed both solid and gaseous, bright swirls formed patterns over his bluish skin, his beard bore golden ornaments and his eyes had a shine akin to the lighting would could see amidst the darkest storm. Contrary to the Genasi, who favoured layered outfits that covered most of their bodies, he let his own on display and seemed to content himself with golden bracelets and rings, and an equally decorated turban. These displays of opulence gave Raphael the confirmaton that matching them had been an appropriate move, perfect to make them squirm while they would be having their arm twisted by an awfully human looking devil.

The devil held Shahrokh's stern look and they gauged each other for an instant before The Vizer’s expression broke into an amicable smile. When he spoke, his voice seemed to be borne by the breeze, both hushed and booming, his vowels warbling in an Alzhedo flavoured by relaxed Auran inflections.  

-Please, take a seat. And let’s enjoy some refreshment first.

Shahrokh directed him towards the other end of the table with an elegant gesture, reclaiming control of the room in the process.

Raphael obliged his host and took his place on the other end of the table. While Shahrokh started presenting of the other contractors, Raphael felt an oddly cool presence next to him made of a sharp rose wrapped in fragrant incenseand rainstorm. Schooling his expression, he let her serve him peppermint tea in the theatrical manner of Calimshan while keeping an ear on the discussion. As per the rules of Calishite hospitality he was being served first, and with no less than the highest quality blend. The meeting may have started with a stare down, but Raphael couldn’t deny his appreciation for the ability to graciously host in full respect of decorum that was a staple of Calimshan. The serving woman quickly left his side once he was served, her steps smooth and silent while she tended to the other participants. He’d have time to give her a proper glance once she’d be back to Shahrokh’s side.

Then, negotiations for the forging of the contract started, the initial petition establishing support in various aspects: first, to undermine Memnon and his own supporters; second, to more generally undermine the influence fire Genasi and Efreets may gain; third, support in the summoning ritual to bring Calim back from the Elemental Chaos; fourth, support to build safety measures so such a banishment never happens again.

As the Vizer laid the terms down, Raphael fully appreciated the hefty request that was being made and, this time, he failed to repress an amused chuckle. The terms were both precise and purposefully vague – clearly, Shahrokh and his ilk had given themselves some room for the negotiations.

-Well, that certainly is an ambitious request, although not unfeasible. I do hope you have conditions to back them up.

The devil let his eyes trail over the assembly, neither able nor willing to hide the predatory twist in his polite smile. The subtle expressions he noticed delighted him, many cues of an inner discord that could be turned to his advantage. Of course, the bigger obstacle in the room wasn’t the Genasi advisors, but the djinn facing him. Still, one of the advisors, one presented as Erol yn Tamer el Gürkan, broke the tense silence that had fallen around the table with a hushed voice that felt like a cold wind, his beard floating like a cloud as it followed the movements of his jaw.

-Our souls will be the payment, devil.

Oh Shahrokh, how wicked you are. The souls in question were definitely the councilmen’s souls. A genie’s soul, much like a devil’s, was also their body, and Shahrokh clearly knew better than gamble with his entire being. Besides, the clenched jaws Raphael had picked up on likely betrayed the Vizer’s desire to keep his own council in line as his schemes unfolded. He couldn’t restrain a chuckle as he replied.

-A commendable awareness, advisor Erol yn Tamer el Gürkan. However, there is a point I wish to clarify, just to make sure we are all in agreement. Calim’s historical presence in Calimshan hasn’t been just a political move. The land itself has been transformed because of it, the land itself has taken his name as well. And when the Spellplague caused the breaking of the Calimemnon Crystal that imprisoned both him and Memnon, everybody in this part of the world witnessed the consequences.

Shahrokh tilted his head slightly, waiting for him to get to the point he already knew he was about to make. Another councilman, not as patient as his genie master, groaned.

-Do you intend to give us a history lesson about our own land? To the point, devil.

-Ah, but a history lesson is precisely what is needed right now, advisor Ohran yn Vural el Ercan. See, both Calim and Memnon have been promptly banished back to the Elemental Chaos after having rekindled their little feud. Now, here lies the issue: why would I bother to help you get Calim back in the Material Plane in the first place, if he is to be potentially trapped or banished once again? I could at least do it for the sheer entertainment of it, but I’m afraid 10 souls, not matter how noble they are, is a rather low price for the service.

Without wasting any second, Shahrokh gave a reply. His reaction was fast enough to even surprise Raphael for a moment.

-The next first born children as well, in your service.

Immediately, the table erupted with outrage, as the men jumped back on their feet here, shook an angry finger there, raised voices mixing together and quickly rendering the complaints inaudible. Unbothered by the disturbance, Raphael sat back and slowly intertwined his fingers while holding the djinn’s piercing gaze. Shahrokh really wanted this scheme of his to work, didn’t he? While the devil usually preferred a bit of a chase with his petitioners, the sudden chaos was just as amusing to him (and more importantly, it told him everything he needed to know about Shahrokh’s will and the way he held the advisors under his rule). The Vizer’s hushed-yet-booming voice resounded in the hall, putting an immediate end to the mayhem.

-Order!

At once, silence fell over the room and the Genasi sat back, their shoulders and back in a varying state of tension. Shahrokh discreetly signed the servant, who promptly started a new service around the table. Raphael was rather impressed by her composure and the way she stood in silence despite the increasingly stuffy atmosphere in the large room. The control she had over her own expressions was of particular note. She remained a model of cool neutrality even while offering him more refreshments.

Raphael took a moment to appreciate the tea, before breaking the silence first.

-An interesting proposition, pages would certainly be a welcome addition to my household. Now, surely you’ll understand that every base needs to be covered, so allow me to offer you my own proposition...

An easy snap of his fingers was enough to make a parchment appear, with a quill floating next to it. Both hovered gently towards the Vizer.

-You may verify the terms.

The most amusing part when striking bargains was the fine prints, and Raphael would be lying if he were to say he wasn’t having fun with the on-going discussion. The bargain itself was fair, truth be told (some might even say generous), but the crux of this agreement wasn’t in what was being said. He had observed the reactions of the advisors and saw them all miss the easy bait he had thrown, too preoccupied they were with their descendants being taken to the Nine Hells. They failed to realise that what seemed unpleasant now was nothing compared to what was in the balance if Shahrokh failed to fulfil his contract regarding the coming of Calim from the Elemental Chaos. Based on the reactions displayed by the djinn so far, Raphael chose to keep the conditions in case of failure between them as well, but not out of compassion. The truth was that Raphael really didn’t care about this contract in the first place and would be satisfied with any outcome, based on the conditions for failure, so he had enough room for some personal indulgence. He’d either end with 20 souls or with 70, since failure to fulfil the contract and not only summon but maintain Calim in the Material Plane would add the five next generations of each family. Even if Shahrokh were to succeed in completing his end of the bargain without ever being caught dealing with a devil, Raphael would still receive a decent payment for his assistance.

Raphael’s true aim was indeed in Calimport, but it wasn’t a djinn and his ilk. It was a Genasi present since the beginning, one he had been watching over for long enough, evaluating the potential and merely using the bargain with Shahrokh as an excuse to get closer to the object of his desire. His gaze remained on the Vizer as he read the contract and took the time to examine its details – something rare enough to be noted, considering his own tendency to favour urgency as a deciding factor. Finally, the serene mask of the genie broke, the faintest wrinkle in his brow as he went over the contract. But it was already too late, he had a juicy agreement that would leave him free of charges, based on the terms established (Raphael certainly did take that into account, although what it meant in regard to the actual execution of the contract was another matter). Shahrokh’s piercing gaze went back to the devil, the faintest hint of hesitation in his gaze. One final nudge was required, and Raphael was all too pleased to oblige.

-A desert mouse told me Calimport is being pressured by fire Genasi who’d rather see Calimshan be rebranded as Memnonnar... Your plans have been going well up until now, but it really takes one unfortunate twist of the knife to see everything fall. The guidance I offer could prevent that. Besides, you’ll hardly find a more generous offer.

Shahrokh’s eyes squinted before sweeping over the room and going as far as discreetly eyeing the servant next to him. Without any further addition, he took the quill and put the first signature on the contract.

The devil quietly drank the peppermint tea, emptying his second cup while the advisors followed Shahrokh in signing the contract, each name blazing on the parchment. While they were being distracted, his eyes trailed on the small servant, her almost feline features and elegant posture, the way the silks draped over her – and for the first time, to his delight, their eyes briefly met.

[eternalwritess]

hello! I’d like to ask for a matchup with a jjk woman if you’re willing

Gender and pronouns: female, she/her

Orientation: lesbian

Personality: extroverted, but not that great at social interaction, seldom make the first move and generally like to avoid conflict. A bit impatient and can get frustrated easily. I like to impress my friends and make them laugh, and wish to become somewhat famous someday. I enjoy drawing, animating and writing things usually on the funny side. I’m very confident when it comes to my skills. Appearance: I’m quite tall (5’9”-5’10”) and have a slim/medium build with broad shoulders. I have medium-dark brown skin and shoulder length curly hair. I prefer wearing modest clothes in floral patterns.

Dislikes: being patronized, disingenuous people, overly cutesy things, deadlines, and things taking too long.

I don’t have an exact type in a partner, but I do especially like glamorous women and butches that are very confident.

i match you with... 𝓝𝓸𝓫𝓪𝓻𝓪 𝓚𝓾𝓰𝓲𝓼𝓪𝓴𝓲 ██ 20% _ ████ 60% _ █████ 80% _ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 100% ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇ!

✷ This one was a little hard for me to do because there was so little information provided, next time please add in a little more info! But anyways let's get onto the matchup itself!

✷ You two both met at Jujutsu Tech, when it comes to who made the first move to just talk with each other it was kinda mutual. Nobara wasn't shy at all when you first met just glad to have another woman in the group as she immediately complimented your hair and clothes when she saw you

✷ You two commonly went on missions together to exorcise curses and the whole time you two would talk and talk together, literally never stopping. Whenever Yuuji or Megumi came along they would trail behind you two seeing as they couldn't really join in all of the time

✷ The moment she realized that she liked you she confessed first, it was pretty much in the middle of the day and she did so spontaneously

✷ Once you agreed to be her girlfriend she was surprised but didn't show it just saying how sure she was that you liked her back and how she didn't have any doubt in her mind that you'd be her girlfriend. She was panicking on the inside during the entire time

 ^ ̳ᴗ ̫ ᴗ ̳^

✷ You two go on dates a bunch, she constantly takes you out to places like restaurants that she wanted to try and shopping malls. She doesn't stop talking to you the entire time

✷ Whenever you two are talked down to all hell is unleashed upon that person as you two go OFF. Nobara constantly shouts and yells at them, insulting their everything and you along with you

✷ Yuuji knew that Nobara liked you before she did, he actually convinced her to confess to you

✷ Unrelated but Megumi does not like having to deal with three extroverts in the group, it tires him out and Nobara rags on him for it

✷ Also Nobara was so excited when she got a girlfriend before Yuuji, rubbing it in his face She also makes a point to kiss you on the cheek whenever she can, then again you are a lot taller than her so that only goes so well

[sickly-victorian-boy]

Last year, when looking through the offerings on the shelf of free books in my college’s library, I happened upon this gem:

I then promptly forgot about it until now, when I rediscovered it while unpacking the boxes I neglected to attend to before. yknow. the literal week before the semester starts.

Regardless, it is simultaneously so much better and so much worse than I ever could have hoped for. It contains instructions for the creation of lovely decor for any wizard tower, and while clearly intended for children, I will absolutely be making some of these myself, in part because I’m pretty sure obtaining this tome put some kind of curse on me and unleashing them upon the world is the only way to avoid getting sent to a hell dimension. Some of the treasures detailed herein include:

SOCK DRAGON FROM HELL

CHALICE OF HIGH CAMP

THE STRANGLING ORBS

and finally, my favorite, a self-proclaimed thing of beauty:

BALL STEALING DRAGON.

Are any of these items functional things that I genuinely need to use? Hell no. Are they things that could generally be considered “in good taste?” Hell no. Will my life be noticeably improved by making them? HELL YEAH. Also, I’m pretty sure that if I don’t make the sock dragon a physical form it’s going to peel itself off of the pages of the book and start haunting me.

Anyway, if anyone else has fond memories of low-quality themed children’s craft books from the early 2000s, is in dire need of some new decorations for their wizardly lair, or just generally wants to make any of this shit, let me know and I can DM you the full instructions!

[kenny-power]

No place to go - J.C. x reader

Warning(s) - slight language

A/N: Let me know if you want a part 2 for this one

✨✨✨

You know how they say “when you hit rock bottom, there’s no place to go but up”? Well, apparently if you try hard enough, you can go deeper. At least, that’s how my life is going as of late. 

I had gotten fired from my job today. Apparently, defending yourself from harassment counts as “customer mistreatment”. Whatever, it was a dead-end job at a shitty diner anyways. Good riddance, I say. 

However, my father did not share the same sentiment. As the only functioning member of the family that’s not a raging alcoholic, I was the main breadwinner of the two of us. Meaning when my checks got cut off, so did our livelihood. And God forbid my father actually gets up off of his drunk ass to work himself. No, I had to provide, or get out. Which led to my current predicament. 

With my important belongings in my backpack, including about $150 I had saved from my paychecks over several years, I found myself walking to the Curtis household in the pouring rain. Initially, I was sleeping in the lot, perfectly fine until Heaven’s floodgates decided to unleash itself upon me. Woken up abruptly, I knew I had been asleep for a while, meaning it was most likely nearing dawn. I didn’t want to be caught in this downpour any longer than I had to, so I started to make my way towards the one place that I knew would always be open at an hour like this - the Curtis’. 

Being neighbors with Johnny, I started going over to their house with him when his parents got into it. It gave me an opportunity not to be near my father longer than I had to and was an ear for him to complain to when he needed it. We kept each other company that way. 

Trudging up the front steps, I opened the, thankfully unlocked, door. I moved as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb any of the brothers. I know I will get questioned as to why I’m here when morning rolls around, but I’d rather not go through that earlier than I have to. Shedding my now-soaked jacket and shoes, I tip-toed over to the couch. I was just about to flop down on it when I saw a shape in the dark. Someone else had already claimed the couch for the night. 

“Damn,” I cursed under my breath. I was really counting on this tonight. Oh well, I can sleep on the floor next to the radiator. That’ll keep me warm. Just as I was turning around to find the softest piece of floor, a voice spoke up.

“Y/N?” It was Johnny. “What’re you doin’ here?” He asked sleepily. He must’ve not gone back to his folk’s house when everyone else left for the night. 

“Oh, you know. Old man kicked me out. Said not to come back this time,” I shrugged. Johnny hummed, processing what I said. “Sorry I woke you Johnny-cakes, I’m just gonna go sleep on the floor.”

“Wait,” he whispered, “you don’t have to sleep on the floor. Stay with me.” I froze. 

Sleep on the couch? With Johnny? Internally, I’m panicking. I’ve been repressing feelings for him for months. Ever since he defended me against a group of cat-calling Socs at the drive-in. 

~

Johnny, Pony, and me went to the movies to catch a double-feature. In between the films, Johnny and I went to the concessions stand for sodas and popcorn. While waiting in line, the same group of Soc boys walked past us twice before stopping to holler at me. I had been wearing a new skirt that night, one that I felt particularly pretty in. Guess those boys thought so too, cause they made sure to tell me in their own, misogynistic, pig-like way. Johnny wrapped his arm around my waist to pull me behind him before telling the boys to screw off and that they didn’t want any trouble tonight. He made sure to mention that the whole gang was here tonight for the movie, despite our only backup being Pony. 

If you didn’t know Johnny very well, you would just see a tuff greaser protecting his friend, but I knew better. From his arm on me I could feel him shaking, and I could see how pale his face got from the interaction. Despite his fear of the Socs he still stood up for me - even though it terrified him. 

When we finally got back to our seats, he had mostly calmed down. However, Pony - ever the observant - noticed something was off. 

“Hey Johnny, you alright?” He asked, concerned. Johnny cleared his throat before speaking. 

“I’m fine, jus’ had to take care of my girl.” My heart skipped a beat when he said that. His girl. I like that. Sure, he meant it in a friendly way, but what if he didn’t? I think I wouldn’t mind if he meant it in a different way. I was still lost in my thoughts when the movie started up and he put his arm around my shoulders. I shivered at the contact.  

“You alright?” He whispered to me, mouth so close to my ear I could feel his breath. Another shiver went through my body. 

“Yeah, jus’ a little cold.” I was definitely not. If anything, it was suddenly hot. He removed his arm for a second to take his jacket off and drape it around my shoulders. Then he replaced his arm and pulled me closer. 

I think that’s when I fully fell in love with him. 

~

Sharing a small couch with him is both a dream-come-true and a nightmare. 

“Are you sure? I don’t think there’s room for me.” I tried to reason. Johnny’s hand reached out blindly, grabbing onto my arm before gently pulling me down to lie next to him. I was basically laying on top of him, no way around it besides being rude and straight-up leaving. 

“There will always be room for you, Y/N,” he whispered, sleepily. “Always room for my girl. Goodnight darlin’.” His girl. That’s the second time I have heard him say that. 

“Goodnight… Johnny.” I whispered back before stilling in shock; his lips found my forehead in a soft kiss, a physical affection he’d never shown me before. Pulling me closer, his breathing evened out, falling back asleep quickly. I allowed myself to relax, uncomfortable in the current situation, yet somehow more content than ever. There are definitely feelings I need to sort through, but that can wait until the morning, I’m too tired to think anymore. For now, I’m just going to sleep. In Johnny’s arms. 

I guess they were right, there is no place to go but up. 

[dallysnecklace]

“Protect Him, Please”

Steve Harrington x Henderson! F! OC!

Part 2

I just rewatched Stranger things and felt inspired. This is set in Season 2! My OC Is based off my close friend and I love her so I hope you love her aswell!

This needed a part 2 since it got REALLY long so sorry about that! Part two will be done ASAP. Anyways I don’t think any warnings except that there’s spoilers for season 2! Much love! Rose 💌

P.S in part two there will be feelings admitted! Part two should be out by June 2nd at the end of the day so if u wanna be tagged dm me :)

October was a breath of fresh air in her mind. It showed her that Mother Nature was able to move on from things, as could she. She was walking home from her favorite coffee shop, run by an old couple she was quite friendly with. She walked up the steps of her home, hearing an abundance of curses coming from none other than her little brother.

“Hey Dusty? What’s up? Is everything okay?” She was always very close with her brother and his friends, and she cared a lot for him. He was her best friend.

“Miranda do not come into my room.” Dustin declared. Of course she followed his voice to right outside his room.

“Where’s Mews Dustin? He always greets me at the door.” She looked at her brother, who looked incredibly stressed. Although he was short, she was a little bit shorter than him. She got the short genes from her Mom, which she always complained about.

“Look I don’t know how to break this to you, but I’ve been keeping Dart in my room for the past few days and he might’ve grown.” He felt very guilty, and knew he was about to get yelled at.

“Dustin, I swear to god I told you to fucking throw away that thing when you got it. How big is it? And where the hell is Mews?” Her face grew red as she poke.

“Dart might’ve eaten Mews, but I didn’t know it was a demogorgon!” He walked into the kitchen and Miranda followed, still trying to grasp the situation.

“Okay so let me get this straight. You kept this weird Lizard that I told you not to keep, it molted, and it’s a baby demogorgon, and it killed my cat?!” She screamed at him.

“Yes!! Okay? Jesus Christ. We need to get it out of my room, now will you help me?” He pleaded.

“Fine, but if I get killed I will kill you.” She gave in.

“I don’t think that’s how that works.”

Miranda went outside while her brother looked in the kitchen for meat to lure it. She looked around her house, observing any areas they could keep it. She decided upon the basement, knowing that the doors were heavy and the downstairs was surrounded by concrete, there was no way that anything could get through that.

She let Dustin know of her idea, and he agreed to keep it in the basement. Dustin threw on his old hockey armor and Miranda stood with an old steel baseball bat of hers, ready to protect her brother. He started to lay out meat in a line to the basement.

“You ready Dusty?” Miranda asked.

“It’s now or never.” He responded.

They walked over to his door, ready to open it and sprint to the shed.

“Alright Dart, breakfast time!” Dustin called into his room. He quickly opened his door and the two started to run to the shed.

“Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my-“

“Dustin gods not gonna help you if you run that slow holy shit move!” She screamed as she pushed past him and ran ahead.

They ran outside the house, Dustin’s mouth still unleashing a chorus of “shits” and stumbled into the shed. They peeked through the cracks of the wood, hoping that their plan worked.

“Come on, come on I know your hungry.” Dustin whispered.

“Oh my god Dustin there it is!” Miranda whispered as she spotted it creep out the front door.

It followed their path, and Dustin was very happy it was working, “yes! Yes yes yes!” He exclaimed.

As it got right to the edge of the basement doors, Miranda thumped her bat against Dustin’s armor accidentally, making Dart turn to look at them. They hit against the wall of the shed, breathing hard.

“Ready?” Miranda whispered.

“Wha-“

She ran out of the shed screaming and swinging her bat at Dart, making him back off. Dustin then raised his stick and hit it into the basement. Miranda ran to the doors and shut them quickly before he got out, laying on top so they wouldn’t move.

“I’m sorry. You ate my cat.” Dustin apologized to Dart through the doors.

Miranda grabbed the lock out of her pocket and quickly wrapped it around the doors. Dustin and her both decided they needed help from the Party, or just anyone who could. Miranda went to bury her beloved cat, and even set up a little gravestone for him in memory. As she did this, Dustin called his friends on the radio and cleaned up the house, but none were answering.

Dustin ran up to her, letting her know that Erica shut off Lucas’ radio, meaning they had no one else to go to.

“How about we bike to Mike’s house? Maybe they are there?” She suggested.

“You are a genius! This is why I love you my wonderful sister!” Dustin called as he ran to get their bikes.

As Miranda and Dustin biked to Mikes, her thoughts wondered to her childhood best friend, Steve Harrington.

In highschool he became a douchebag, and left her in the dust. She was seen as a weirdo, and someone that no one wanted to hang out with. Steve made it clear that he agreed with everyone else when he started to hang out with Tommy and Carol, her long time bullies. She didn’t even say hi to Steve in the halls anymore. He started to date Nancy, and that was what pushed her over the edge.

She had been in love with Steve since third grade, when she was being bullied and he ran up to her and told the bullies off. She hadn’t ever been treated that kindly, especially by another classmate. She was used to taunts, especially about how she looked. She had the same condition as her brother, and for some reason people thought she made the choice to have that, meaning they could bully her. But, quickly Miranda and Steve became inseparable, and they cared deeply for the other. He knew everything about her, except for her feelings for him. Although she told herself that she was over him, her heart still aches whenever she sees him. She doesn’t even wish for a relationship with him, she just wants to be his friend again.

What she didn’t know is that he had felt the same since third grade. He saw this small girl with beautiful curly hair, bright green eyes, and weird teeth, and he thought she was one of the most uniquely beautiful people he hd ever seen. He loved her. In highschool he succumbed to the peer pressure, and started to ignore the girl. But, he just couldn’t ignore the feelings he had for her. They were deeply rooted inside of him. He feels so guilty, and when he agreed to go out with Nancy, he mainly thought that it would be a distraction. When it became serious, he became nervous and scared.

When she broke up with him at the party, he was hurt, but not for the reason you would think. He was hurt that he spent his time with this girl, that thought he was bullshit just to try and get over the girl he was in love with.

Miranda and Dustin ran to the wheelers door, and rang the door bell multiple times. She observed the house, wondering if she lived In this house maybe she would be loved by Steve aswell. She snapped out of her thoughts when Mr.Wheeler came to the door.

“Your line has been busy for over two hours, Mr.Wheeler do you realize this?” Dustin stated.

“Oh I do realize.” He replied in a monotone voice, annoying Miranda. She always hated him.

“Is Mike home?” Dustin asked.

“No.”

“No? Well where the hell is he?” Miranda stepped in. She always had a dirty mouth, and she knew this. Her and her brother always were being yelled at for this flaw. But, they enjoyed using that language.

“Karen where’s our son?” Mr. Wheeler yelled into the house.

Mrs. Wheeler replied back, “Wills!”

“Wills.” Mr. Wheeler stated to the siblings, starting to close the door.

“No one’s picking up there. Nancy! What about Nancy?” Dustin replied.

“Karen where’s Nancy?”

“Ally’s!” She yelled.

“Ally’s.” Mr. Wheeler replied to Dustin, in the same tone as before.

“Our children don’t live here anymore, you didn’t know that?” He continued, looking down on Dustin.

“Seriously?” Miranda stated.

“Am I done here?” Mr. Wheeler looked at she short girl, rolling his eyes.

“Son of a bitch! You know you are really no help at all you know that. Dick!” She replied in a sassy tone, walking back to her bike with Dustin.

“Hey! Language!” Mr. Wheeler yelled at her, and disappeared behind his door.

As Miranda picked up her bike, Dustin noticed Steve’s red BMW pull in. She looked at Steve step out of his car with a bouquet of roses, and she sighed. She hadn’t spoken to him a long time. She missed him, and secretly wished the flowers were for her. Although, before she could hide from Steve, Dustin walked over to the boy.

“Steve!” Steve looked over at Dustin, hearing his voice.

Dustin eyed the flowers, “Are those for Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler?”

“No?”

“Good.” Dustin replied, grabbed the flowers from Steve and started walking to the car.

“Nancy isn’t home.” Dustin said. He was still slightly annoyed with Steve for being a dick to his sister. Dustin was the only one who knew Miranda’s feelings for Steve.

Miranda was still standing a few feet away, happy Steve hadn’t noticed her yet.

“They aren’t for her, god, they’re for your sister.” Steve sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Then why are you here?” Dustin stated confused.

“Your mom told me that she was supposed to Tutor Mike tonight, and that she was leaving to come home now.”

Miranda cursed at herself. That was 20 bucks down the drain.

“Well my sister is right there and we have bigger problems.” Dustin said, annoyed.

Steve looked around with a light pink blush on his face, making eye contact with Miranda. She only looked back for a minute, embarrassed and scared. Steve looked back to Dustin.

“Do you still have that bat?” Dustin continued.

“Bat? What bat?” Steve flew his hands by his side.

“The one with the nails!” Dustin said.

“Why?” Steve stood there.

“I’ll explain on the way. Now your driving us home.” Dustin confidently said.

Miranda walked over to the car as Steve did aswell, hopping in the backseat. She hadn’t been in this car before, and it was nice. It smelled like leather and Steve. She missed his scent.

It grew dark as Steve drove the siblings to their house. As he drove, he kept looking at Miranda threw the mirror. She looked stressed. He couldn’t help but feel like he caused this. The only time she spoke so far in the car was when she asked for the radio to be turned down a bit, but even that was quiet. He felt so guilty. It was so unlike the Miranda he knew. He felt like a stranger was in his car.

Dustin explained the situation, and Miranda only added in small comments. Dustin knew she felt uncomfortable, but he secretly hoped that putting the two together for a while would make the two admit their feelings. Steve had told Dustin a while ago about his love towards the girl, and he felt although it was his duty to put get the two together.

Steve interrupted his line of thinking, “Wait, how big?”

“First it was like that,” Dustin showed about and inch with his fingers, “now it’s like this.” He moved his hands much farther apart.

“It’s bigger than Mews that’s for sure.” Miranda said, starting to return to her normal self. Steve once again looked at her through his mirror.

“I swear to god man it’s just some little lizard, okay?” Steve retorted, secretly hoping Dustin was wrong.

Dustin defended himself, “It’s not a lizard!”

“How do you know?” Steve asked

“How do I know if it’s not a lizard?”

“Yeah! How do you know if it’s not just a lizard.” Steve raised his voice.

Miranda was getting fed up and yelled, “Because it’s face opened up and it ate my fucking cat! Okay?? Jesus fucking christ.”

Steve looked back at the girl, who blew a curl out of her face, and he smiled a little bit. He felt like she was back.

They pulled up the the Henderson household, and got out of the car. Steve opened up his trunk to reveal his beloved bat with nails sticking out of it. The trio walked to the basement doors, in the silence of the night.

Steve flashed his flashlight onto the lock, “I don’t hear shit.”

“He’s in there.” Miranda said. He looked to her and they made eye contact. She couldn’t help the butterflies that flew around in her.

Steve poked the door with the bat, trying to provoke some sort of noise from within, but receiving nothing. He licked his lips then hit it harder, stepping back afterwards.

“Alright listen kid I swear if this is some sorta Halloween prank, you’re dead.” Steve shone his light in Dustin’s face.

“God Steve it’s not a prank! I understand him doing that but me?” Miranda stated pushing down the flashing in Steve’s hand, their hands touching. “And don’t do that. It can hurt his eyes.” Steve looked to the girl, and sighed, knowing she was right. He couldn’t help but realize her hands was still on his grabbing the flashlight. She noticed and quickly brought her hand away. “Here’s the key.” She handed Steve the key, placing it in his hand then closing it for him.

Steve opened up the doors, peering down into the darkness. Dustin held the flashlight right next to him. Steve grabbed the flashlight from him, and looked down into the cement room. “It must be further down there. I’ll stay up here in case It tries to escape.” Dustin said, very slowly and unsurely.

Steve looked up at him, an annoyed expression present with the excuse. He sighed. “Miranda, you stay up here too just in case there is something. I can’t have you getting hurt.” She nodded, and Steve made his way down the stairs. He turned on the light to reveal a molten skin on the ground, which he didn’t know was a molten skin.

Steve had been quiet for too long and Miranda got even more worried by the second. “Steve?” When, he didn’t respond, she bounded down the stairs to find him. When she did, she let out a sigh of relief. She followed his gaze, revealing a hole in the cement wall. I guess she was wrong for thinking nothing could break out of her basement. “Dustin come here now.” She called.

As Dustin looked at the skin, he exclaimed, “Oh shit.” When he followed Steve’s flashlight, and looked at the wall, he let out an larger, “Oh shit!”

“No way. No way!” Miranda said.

Miranda talked to the boys and decided that Steve should stay over for the night. Her mom wouldn’t be home and they needed to stick together. Unfortunately, the only place Steve could sleep was in her room, on her bed. Dustin was taking the couch due to cat blood in his room, and it smelled horrible in there.

She slipped on an old huge tee shirt and some pajama pants and called Steve into the room.

“Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“You can come in now.” She replied.

“Oh- okay.”

He walked into her room, it was decorated with posters and she had a huge bookshelf. It wasn’t really that different since when he had last been in here. Miranda walked up to him, holding a pile of clothes.

“Uh- these are yours that you’ve left here. They’re clean and everything. It’s a shirt and sweats.” She shyly handed the boy his clothes and he went to go change in her bathroom. She laid down in bed, turning on her bedside lamp, and shutting of her main light. She picked up her book and her reading glasses, and put her curly, brown hair into a bun, with multiple pieces sticking out. She hoped that reading would calm her down a bit after today, and before she had to sleep in the same bed as Steve.

He walked out of the bathroom and spotted the girl in bed, reading. She had a pen in her bun, that she had just placed back. She adjusted her glasses which kept falling off the bridge of her nose, and looked up at Steve. She felt vulnerable, and ugly. She hated how she needed glasses, and she hated her teeth. Although Steve looked at her and thought she was beautiful. The beauty marks that were on her chin, cheekbone and lip made him swoon. He thought her teeth made her look unique. He loves her messy hair and the way her glasses fell down her face.

“I guess they still fit.” She smiled and set her book and glasses down on her bedside table, but not before marking her place in her novel. She patted the space next to her, as an invitation for Steve to join.

“Yeah, they do.” He smiled back and joined her under the covers.

She went to turn out the light and say goodnight, but Steve interrupted her.

“Look, Miranda please wait.” She stopped at turned to look at him.

“The flowers I bought today, I meant to give to you. And I was just going to come and apologize for everything.” He made eye contact with her, his gaze softening at the sad look on her face.

“I have been a horrible friend the past two years. And not an excuse but I always felt like I needed to fit in. I thought that maybe people would like me better if I hung out with them. I was just insecure. You know my parents don’t care about me, and so I tried to fill that emptiness with other people. I realized the other day, when Nancy broke up with me is that all these people do is hurt you, and they don’t truly care about you like how a friend should. I miss you so much, and I really care about you a lot, and I totally understand if you hate my guts and never want to speak to me ever again after this but I just want you to know all of that.”

It was silent for a moment. Miranda needed to process it all. When she did, she started to cry and flung her arms around Steve. “I could never hate you Steve.” She said.

Seeing the girl he loved cry made him cry and she pulled away and the two started to laugh about their crying.

“So you finally realize how much of a dick you’ve been?” She wiped her eyes. Her face was now puffy and her eyes were red.

“Yes. God I missed you so much.” He pulled her into another hug, and she felt so safe.

“I missed you too Stevie. So so much. But I have my best friend back.” She smiled and looked up at him.

Although they were incredibly happy at the moment, they couldn’t help but have their hearts both hurt at the term “best friend” they both wanted more.

He just held her tighter and she buried her head into his chest, smelling it. He smelled clean, and safe. She pulled away from the hug, and told him to go to bed, and that they can see eachother in the morning. While adjusting, she felt Steve turn towards her and grab her waist. She laid her head on his chest, while one of his hands moved to her back, and the other stayed at her waist. She fell asleep feeling happy, knowing that Steve, not “the hair” but Steve, her best friend was holding her tight.

The next morning they all woke up, and Dustin could tell the situation between the two changed. He wasn’t sure if they’re dating now, or what happened, but all he knew is that they talked about something, and they are friends again. He was so happy.

The trio walked to Steve’s car with three buckets of meat and yellow gloves when Dustin finally got a call back from Lucas.

“Well well well look who it is” Steve and Miranda heard. She made eyecontact with Steve as he pulled the gasoline out of his truck and they both shared a small laugh. Dustin and Lucas continued to talk, and Dustin let Lucas know to meet him, Miranda and Steve at the junkyard.

“Alright, let’s go” Steve said. Dustin shut off his radio and followed Steve and his sister to the old train tracks. As they walked, they threw meat on the ground, hoping to get dart to follow it. Dustin was ahead of Miranda and Steve while they walked.

“Alright, so let me get this straight, you kept something you knew was probably dangerous in order to impress, a girl, who, who you just met?” Steve said. Dustin had been explaining to Miranda and Steve why he kept Dart even though his older sister told him not to.

“Alright, thats grossly, oversimplifying things.” Dustin replied.

“I mean why would a girl like some nasty slug anyways?” Steve said.

Miranda hit his elbow and said, “because it’s an inter dimensional slug and it’s fucking sick!” She defended her little brother.

“Well, even if she thought it was cool, which she didn’t, I just, I don’t know I feel like you’re trying way to hard man.” Steve exclaimed. At this point, Miranda and Steve had caught up with Dustin, and now they were all in line.

“Well not everyone can have your perfect hair alright.”Dustin replied.

“It’s not about the hair man. The key with girls is just acting like you don’t care.” Steve shrugged.

Miranda scoffed from beside him.

“Even if you do?” Dustin said.

“Yeah, exactly It drives them nuts.” Steve replied.

The short girl scoffed once again, making both the boys look at her.

“I disagree with you.” She said, eyeing Steve. “Although I’ve never had a relationship before, I think all girls can agree that they want somebody to show they care about them. I want someone who holds me at night, knows the way I like my coffee, can tell when I’m scared or nervous. That’s really what make a girl fall in love with somebody I can tell you that. All girls want somebody who isn’t afraid to show how much they care.”

Dustin looked at Miranda with questioning eyes.

“Why would I believe my sister who hasn’t even had her first kiss yet?” He retorted.

“Well, maybe, only like two people show me they care and that’s you two. Of course you don’t have to believe me, but trust me that’s what works.” She looked at Steve for a second, then looked back to Dustin.

“Okay whatever, then after that step what do you do?” He asked Steve, the only one who would know the next part.

“You just wait until, uh, until you feel it.” Steve hit Dustin on the arm.

“Feel what?” Dustin asked, completely lost.

“It’s like before it’s gonna storm, ya know? You cant see it but you can feel it. Like this, uh, electricity? You know?” He tried to explain.

“Oh like an electro-magnetic field when the clouds in the atmosphere-“

“No no, like a, like a, sexual electricity.” Steve tried to explain better to the younger Henderson.

Miranda stood between the two, feeling quite awkward. She felt a bit strange having the guy she’s hopelessly in love with give girl advice to her younger brother.

“You feel that,” Steve pointed at Dustin, “and you make your move.”

Dustin looked to his older sister, “have you ever felt that?”

Miranda was surprised by the question. She had only felt electricity from one person, and that person being Steve. Although she was nervous she wanted to be as honest with her little brother, without revealing who the guy was.

“Yeah, I guess. Years ago. It feels like the air around you shifted in a way. But the guy never did anything, and I was to scared to.” She shrugged and looked up at Steve, who was looking away. She threw another piece of meat down on the ground.

“So when you feel that, that’s when you should kiss her?” Dustin asks.

“Woah woah woah slow down Romeo. Sure okay, some girls, yeah. They want you to be aggressive, you know, strong, hot and heavy, like a..” he paused. “Like a lion! But others you gotta be slow. You gotta be stealthy, like a… like a ninja.”

“What type is Miranda?” Dustin asked, fully curious.

The two older teenagers stopped walking, and both blushed.

“How would he know that?” She asked, in a angry tone.

“I don’t know.. sorry.” Dustin said.

“If you want to know I don’t want a man to compare getting into a relationship with me to hunting an animal. I am a human being. I would rather the guy just talk to me about his feelings than treat me like some sort of game.” She sighed.

Steve shifted uncomfortably, and continued to walk. She walked ahead of the two boys, just out of hearing range.

“Look man, Miranda, she’s, she’s different than the other girls. She’s actually looking for somebody loves her. I’d say eighty percent of the girls in this town are just looking for a hookup. And even the girls who aren’t still would go for that. And, Miranda, she deserves someone who cares for her. And if you really care about this girl, you take your sisters advice.”

Steve looked ahead at the short girl. Her hair was down, which is very rare. She wore a maroon cable knit sweater and a pair of jeans. She wore her silver chain, and her knife earrings as she always did. He really did love her. He probably should be taking her advice, and just admit his feelings. He was scared though. He had just gotten the friendship back. He didn’t want to lose so soon again.

“Are you still in love with my sister?” Dustin boldly asked.

Steve paused for a second, and then continued walking. “I always have been. Probably always will be.” He sighed, looking at the girl almost trip on the wood of the train track.

“Then why did you get with Nancy?”

“Because I was scared man, okay? It’s scary. That’s why I hope your not falling in love with this girl. Love takes over your brain. All you can think about is how much you care for her. You always worry about her, always want to make sure she’s safe. Although it can be really beautiful, it’s scary as hell.”

“You know that she loves you back right?” Dustin said.

“Wha- what are you talking about man?” Steve replied, not believing what he heard.

“My sister, she’s in love with you. She has been since the third grade. I thought you knew? You’re literally all she talks about. Thats why she doesn’t go out with anyone. She’s waiting for you.” Dustin says, very quietly, praying to god that Miranda doesn’t kill him if she ever figures out he said this.

Steve stops in the middle of the Train tracks. Frozen. The realization dawns on him that Miranda had seen him get with so many girls, while she was in love with him, and she didn’t get with any guys. He felt so guilty. He looked ahead at the girl, who turned around, yelling at them,

“Why are you standing still? We have to keep moving come on!” She ran up to them, taking each of their hands, and started to walk faster. After a while of silence, Steve speaks up.

“Faberge.”

“What?” Dustin replies.

“It’s Faberge organics. Use the shampoo and the conditioner, and when your hairs damp, not wet, okay? When it’s damp, you do four puffs of the Farrah Fawcett spray.” Steve admits.

“Oh my god!” Miranda squeaks out, laughing hard and clutching her stomach.

“Farrah Fawcett spray?” Dustin chuckles.

“Yeah. You two tell anyone I just told you that, and your asses are grass, you’re dead Hendersons you understand?”

Dustin nods quickly as Miranda stands up, tears her gloves off, and runs her hands through Steve’s hair, giggling.

“Hey! Miranda I swear!” He takes her hand off.

“But it’s so soft!” She pouts.

He couldn’t help but love the feeling of her hands in his hair.

“Fine. Your the only one who can touch it.” He smiled. She laughed and ran her hand through his hair once more, and skipped ahead of the two boys.

“Oh my god.” Dustin whispered to Steve.

“You are so fucking whipped.” Dustin finished his thought

Steve laughed, “yeah. I guess I am.”

The trio continued to walk towards the junkyard as Steve and Dustin met up with Miranda.

They finally made it to the junkyard. Steve threw on his sun glasses and looked around.

“Oh yeah. Yeah this’ll do. This’ll do just fine.” Steve walked into the year.

The siblings laughed at the language being used, and smiled that the other.

“Good call dude.” Steve called to Dustin, making the younger boy smile.

They dumped their meat in the middle of the yard, and heard Lucas, “I said medium well!” Miranda looked over to the boy who had become like another brother to her, ran over and gave him a hug. She also greeted the new girl, and introduced herself as Dustin’s older sister.

Miranda and Steve began to clean up the yard with the new girl, who introduced herself as Max, while her brother and Lucas talked.

While helping Steve with a piece of scrap metal he asked her a question.

“Do you think the girl Dustin likes is this one?” He looked over at her.

“Oh one hundred percent. Did you see how he looks at her? He’s like a lovesick puppy. It’s adorable.” Steve thought it was actually adorable how much Miranda cared for her younger brother. Steve looked over at the two boys, and yelled at them.

“Hey! Dickheads! How come the only one helping me out is Miranda and this random girl? We lose light in forty minutes let’s go!”

“Come on you two let’s go!” Miranda called out

The two boys replied, “Alright!”

“Assholes.” Dustin added.

“I heard that dickwad!” Miranda called back to her brother.

[darkdevasofdestruction]

An Angel and A Demon ~ Pyramid Head x Reader

Update 2: My laptop restarted when I was in the middle of writing this, and trust me when I say it, I am positively pissed off, and I want to end my days, that's how bad of a day this was.

And I didn't leave the house.

That says a lot about today...

Update 1: But, without further ado, I was half-way writing this story, and I received this ask, and let me tell you...

helloooo, i absolutely adored the fanfics you wrote about kazan and danny🥺 could i request one where pyramid head is just really whipped for and in love with the survivor! reader but he doesnt know how to announce it to them so he brings her random ,,gifts" in and outside the trials and protecting her bc well, im pretty sure he cant speak so he doesnt really have any other options on how to express his feelings??

I live for it.

Bless you for sending me this, it's the reason I'm still sane right now.

I love you, baby-cakes.

Update 3: I want to kill myself so bad. Just smash my head on a wall until it explodes or sth. I was so happy with how this imagine turned out, only fuck fucking tumblr to just fucking delete EVERYTHING just as I was about to put the last gif and hit POST NOW.

--------

For the 5th time writing this :

FUCKMEDADDY - but this time - FUCKMYBRAINSOUTPLEASEIWANNADIE

Thanks.

-------

Hell - What was that place, anyway?

Some would describe it as an infinite ocean of flames and lava, where it's eternally melting-hot, and a bunch of hooved, horned, tailed red demons torture you with acid, with their red pitch forks, or boil you alive in their cauldron for soup. Or maybe you just get tortured by Stalin, who knows?

But never would have anyone thought that 'Hell' could look so...Normal. Well, normal in a very demolished, desolate, ravished way, but still...Normal, by human standards. Albeit, the never-ending loop of madness, anguish, agony and desperation of getting killed in different gruesome ways or fleeing for their lives and feeling a myriad of emotions pumping adrenaline through their veins so badly that their anxiety-meter skyrocketed to abnormal levels.

All this darkness, this hatred, this...Everything...It changed all the survivors. They became selfish, stubborn, rude, some even went as far as to sacrifice their fellow survivors in trials, just so they could survive. It was a complete mayhem that defied all kinds of reason, normality, morality or even ethics. Everyone became devoid of any laws that used to bind them to their humane sides, and now, you weren't sure if the killers were saner than the survivors or not.

But even in this abyss where you couldn't even see your hand in front of your very eyes, there was a little star - A beautiful angel radiating brightness and warmth, someone who was somehow able to guide everyone's straying souls with her benevolence.

In reality, she was merely a survivor, not the little lantern from an angler fish's head, but she treated everyone with such an untainted kindness...It was beautiful, and yet, unrequited for most parts. Everyone was still putting their own lives above all - And who could condemn them? - Perhaps their cowardice, for the girl preferred to save her fellow survivors as much as possible, even if that oftentimes assured her place on the hook, to be a sacrificial lamb for the Entity.

On the other hand, she rarely ended up on the hook - Most killers prefer to kill her themselves, instead of letting her become pray for the horrible Entity who tortured so many of them for refusing to cooperate - The Trapper, Evan MacMillan - He knew the best, with those hooks digging into his flesh, impossible to extract. He was the first to protect this girl. It wasn't much, but if he had to, he'd rather give her a swift, painless death, than seeing her without that serene, angelic smile on her face, as the Entity feeds on the last bits of her soul's beauty, the last parts of her humanity.

The other Killers were confused at the Trapper's actions, but little by little, they began to understand why this girl was so precious and special - And this domino effect hit Rin Yamaoka next, with Y/N stopping in the middle of a chase and taking off her jacket, just as Rin was about to butcher her with her katana, and she smiled, extending it to her. 'You must be cold' she said, realising that the Spirit was merely wearing a few bandages, not even her school uniform, or her kimono.

The ghost girl was shaken up by this, and told the others at the killer camp, but they just shrugged it off - Rin was a little girl who faced close to no kindness, they weren't surprised she was so taken aback by such a feat. That is, until Adiris, in a particularly terrible day, when everyone at the camp was staying away from her, as her profane censer wasn't able to cover the stench of rotting flesh - Y/N came over, taking out a small yet elegant glass bottle with pink liquid on it, spraying some on her - And now, The Plague smelled of roses and vanilla - 'You can come to me for perfume whenever you want, I always carry some with me!' she grinned at the Babylonian High Priestess, before leaving back to the survivor's camp site, leaving the ancient God symbol to stare with her mouth agape at the girl.

These words began to spread, and it was no surprise when the killers saw Susie clinging and begging her Legion friends to spare Y/N, for she was there to hug away her worries more than once, to tell her sweet words, to play with her hair and play the guitar whatever songs she wanted to hear, to get reminded of her home - She was so home sick that she freaked out, but now she was better, thanks to Y/N - 'I know you miss home, but sometimes, home is where your best friends are, and all three of them are here!' she tried to encourage the cute pink-haired girl who could only squeal and hug her new friend.

Even Ghostface wasn't exempt from falling to her charms, and they would often take silly selfies and mess around, making fun of the old horror movie tropes and doing lots of puns and pranks - So much that she even got his trust to be told about the Danny/Jed thing, and how he began his killer profession - 'You're a very talented photographer, Danny! You deserved all that recognition you got, both as a journalist, and as a killer!'

And very soon, Y/N found herself in the crushing arms of an overprotective Anna, humming her mother's lullaby together with walking through the forest, Y/N making flower crows for all the female killers at the camp site, and little by little, she somehow managed to worm her way under everyone's skins.

Y/N was the survivor with the highest survivability percentage, and maybe the Entity sometimes got pissed off, but at least she still got killed sometimes, so who cares? Well, that was soon to change as soon as a new Killer was added to this sick game - Pyramid Head, the terror of Silent Hill, as Cheryl, the new Survivor, called him - or The Executioner, as he was known now. He was ruthless, merciless, grotesque - He had his own criteria of killing, his own moral compass, ethics, conscience and understanding of the concept of life and death. Nothing that could compare to the visions of humans, clearly - Everything was gravitating around Divine Retribution and Justice, but the from the outside, he was nothing but a killing machine.

He would kill everyone and anyone that crosses his path, without fail.

Y/N felt like her fortune ended completely the second she found herself in the new, overly cramped map, with Pyramid Head as the killer - She couldn't help but run around like a spazzic meerkat, trying to find and fix as many generators as possible, without having to get face to face with the walking hazard...

Only to run past a stuck Pyramid Head.

Slowly backtracing her steps, she saw the mountain of a man with his metal pyramid stuck in the frames a low window which he tried to walk over. He was trashing like a raged bull trying to attack a matador, but it was clear he was getting nowhere with this.

"H-Hey, u-uhm...Need some help?" she asked in a soft, careful voice, almost like a meek cat trying to test the waters, but in return, he started groaning even louder from the wrath he wanted to unleash upon the whole world. "Okay, uhm...I think I saw a can of vaseline in one of the chests around. I'll go fetch it and I'll come back for you. Don't move." she said, only to then realise how horrible that sounded, considering the situation, and it only seemed to anger the killer. "...I'm sorry, ignore me, I'm an idiot." she slapped herself pretty harshly before bolting out of there trying to find the chest.

However, Y/N cursed herself for not having perfectly memorised the whole map by heart already, since she found the vaseline can after the 3rd chest, and then, it took quite a while to find the bloody window that got the killer stuck - And by the time she got there, she was dead tired. "Okay, I'm here, I found the vaseline! Let's try to get you out of here." Y/N muttered as she put her feet on the low window pane to get to his level. "If it's not too much trouble, could you please hold onto me? I can't balance myself with both hands occupied, and I'd rather not fall." she explained as she opened the vaseline can, only to shiver as she felt two big, strong hands getting a firm grip on her hips. It was almost...Endearing, were she not too busy trying to get the killer unstuck. She kept massaging the metal edge, trying to push and pull, also praying to whatever deity that existed in her human world that she had her tetanus shot done on time - Until finally, she was able to get hear a loud screech, like a pop, and the killer got unstuck, and in the process, he stumbled backwards, while Y/N fell down on her butt.

"Ouchie..." she muttered, rubbing her back and sides to take away the pain surging through her body. "Are you okay?" she asked, almost intuitively, without realising it at first, until she heart a low grunt that brought her back to reality. "O-Oh...! You have glass shards stuck in your side! And you're bleeding too! Hold up, let me help." she hurried to his side, while the killer merely stiffened, feeling her delicate, slender fingers tracing his body, while he heaved and slouched his shoulders from the repressed wrath. "It may sting a bit, and I'm really sorry, but I promise it will be better soon." her voice was so motherly and warm, which also resonated in her actions, as she gingerly took a water bottle and imbued some tissues with it, to wipe away the blood smearing down his skin as she extracted the glass shards, and then..."This is grandma's marigold ointment. It's really good, and it smells nice." she explained as she carefully smeared a thick layer of the yellow ointment on the biggest wounds, while the little ones were covered by smiley-flower patterned plasters. They were cute, and colourful, and they never failed to make her smile. "Okay, there we go, all better! I hope you'll feel better very soon!" her voice got a tiny bit more cheerful and upbeat.

It made the Killer think about a trillion things, as he stepped in front of her, towering over her like the Empire states building next to a smiling pomeranian. What was with this girl? Why did she help a killer? And why did he feel so...Warm inside? He could sense a foreign kind of luminosity, a naivite and innocence that he only witnessed in children and animals. This woman in front of him was untainted by the darkness and evil of the world.

It didn't matter how many hardships she's been through, or how much sadness she had to endure - Her soul remained as pure as any snowdrop, as the first snow of winter, as the fleece of a baby lamb who let out its first 'meeeeh' to its mamma sheep.

He couldn't allow this human to be maimed in any way - Not by the world, not by the Entity, and certainly not by him. - Screw the Entity, Pyramind Head kills by his own rules, and now, he was blessed to be faced with a human who bore no real hatred for her peers, or for the world, despite the horrible situation she was thrown into.

He didn't understand, obviously, especially as he remembered the myriad of abominations that lurked through Silent Hill, all of them created by the torment of humans - The very torment that distorted their own reality, which resulted in him needing to solve the purpose as The Executioner - Eradicating the world of all evil.

"Th-This sword is so heavy...H-How can you carry this around like that...?! Your muscles must be so strained and sore...Y-You really need a massage, I'm sure." she stuttered as she tried to lift the much taller and heavier sword from the ground, only for the brute to simply bend and pick it up with extreme ease, putting the girl to shame with her complete lack of strength. "Hehe...You're really strong. I'm embarrassed now." she chuckled softly, scratching the back of her neck.

Before she could leave or do anything else, Pyramid Head picked her up by the throat, careful not to hurt her or restrict her air intake - I mean, how else was he supposed to carry her so he wouldn't hurt her with his metal head or sword? - and it was pretty clear she didn't feel any malevolence from him, as she clinged on his forearm, trying to keep herself up, only to be dumped on top of the hatch, as the killer pointed towards it, so she would leave.

"O-Oh...! Thank you so much! You're really kind! I really appreciate this...I-I know it probably doesn't matter much to you, since you'll be doing this over and over again with all the survivors...But I really appreciate you for your kind gesture, and I appreciate you for being so nice with me. Thank you. Take care!" her dazzling smile lit the whole place up, but he couldn't talk, nor could he tell her how he should be the one thanking her for showing him that, despite the hundreds and thousands of years he had to roam the 'Earth' and execute the injust, miracles still existed.

As soon as she reached the survivor's camp, everyone cheered for her, asking how in the world could she have escaped the wrath of the butcher. "Oh, but he wasn't that bad. In fact, he's much more humane than I anticipated! I think he has a beautiful, blooming heart!" okay, she's lost it - the other survivors thought - but even so, she's always been a bit...Out of it, so who cares?

It took quite a while for the other three survivors to reach the camp, all bloody, in fact, like the new killer, who dragged himself with the same menace to the Killers' camp. "How the hell did you manage to survive?!" they yelled at her in utter shock, seeing that she got out of there unscratched. "Oh, you see...I found the hatch." she shrugged simply, not wanting to give away that the person who massacred those three was a soft one and he basically threw her down the hatch to her safety.

As she took a twig to roast a marshmallows, she noticed how Pyramid Head was standing much farther away from the rest of the killers - She knew that silent killers were bound to stay away from the more obnoxious one, remembering how Michael Myers almost killed Ghostface and The Legion at least a dozen times - But this time...He seemed kinda...Lonely? So Y/N took the matters into her own hands, roasted another marshmallow in another twig, and when it was done, she went to the killer's camp, calling out the lonely one's name - She has no idea why, but he actually followed her, pushing her further deep into the forest, until he was sure nobody was going to hear, see or interrupt them...

"Hey. You seemed pretty lonely out there...I thought you could use a friend. Thank you again for what you did at the trial...Here, this is a marshmallow. I don't think you've had many before...Cheryl told me of that horrible place you had to live in...So I hope this will make your day a bit better!" Y/N extended one of her hands towards him, so he could take the marshmallow - And a long, black tongue erupted from underneath the pyramid, snatching away the fluffy marshmallow and gulping it in one go.

What the hell was he turning into?

A towering man built of pure muscle, wrath and divine justice, with a pyramid representing the evil of humanity burdening his body, and a sword taller and heavier than the average human being constantly dragged in one of his hand...He now was a slave to a cute, innocent girl who was putting flower plasters on his minuscule wounds that would heal in a heartbeat regardless - He saved this girl who was now offering his these soft, squishy things that tasted overly sugarly, just like her upbeat and cheerful personality - If he could eat her, he was sure she would taste even sweeter than this - A sickish kind of sweet, that is.

She was indeed a beautiful angel in this tragic hell. But he didn't wait to snatch the second marshmallow either.

"Ah...! You liked it, didn't you? Well...Next time, I promise I'll give you more!" she grinned at him the same way a princess would to her chivalrous knight who saved her. The since he couldn't talk, silence took over them - It wasn't an uncomfortable one, per se, but it made it feel as if the conversation was over. "W-Well...I'll guess I'll see you around! Take care and I hope to see you again soon!" she waved cutely, trying to turn around back to her camp, only to feel a rough hand on her shoulder, turning her around and urging her to stop and wait for him and he went deep into the forest, leaving her alone and undefended by the potential malevolent forces of the forest.

When he returned, however, he stepped right in front of her, creating the perfect shade as he towered over her - Then he kneeled in front of her, so he would reach her eye sight, then he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and put a beautiful pink flower - As pink as the blush that started creeping on her face - He wanted to see her luminous face better, to highlight her dazzling smile and her glimmering eyes as the warm, silver light of the mother moon caressed her face.

Y/N felt her heart picking up the pace - It was beating so much faster than ever before - But this time, it wasn't out of fear or anything negative...It was something good. Something she never felt in her life, especially with her human acquaintances from back home. None was as chivalrous and gentle with her as this butcher of tormented souls - The bringer of justice, the merciless Executioner who was supposed to end the life of every living being that would cross his path.

It was insane how every Yin finds its Yang, even if that comes in the form of a little lamb of a small, frail girl, and a huge abomination of a brute man who knows nothing but death, bloodshed and carnage. It was truly crazy how opposites attract, and here she was, holding the killers large hands and gingerly putting them on her face, leaning into his touch - She felt safer now than ever in her life - Now, in the arms of an ancient killer.

An Angel and A Demon brought together in a perfect union.

As she leaned down, she touched the metal of the pyramid where she anticipated his forehead would be with her own forehead, and closing her eyes, she finally felt herself calming down. There was no need for words, actions spoke louder than anything, and she appreciated it...She appreciated him.

"Thank you." she whispered to him, knowing that yes, even though nobody else would hear it anyway, it was much more intimate than anything she ever experienced.

She was hooked.

Hope you liked my completely shameless pun, I couldn't stop it, especially after the pain I went through trying to write this...3 freaking times.

Yay.

[violettelueur]

— JUJUTSU KAISEN EPISODE FIFTEEN || KYOTO SISTER SCHOOL EXCHANGE EVENT - GROUP BATTLE 1

↳ featuring : basically everyone at this point from jujutsu kaisen

↳ warnings : EXTREME grammar issues

↳ form : story

↳ published : 22 march

↳ pronouns : she/her

↳ word count : 3.6k

↳ synopsis : within the jujutsu world, there were three famous clans to be aware of, the Kamo clan, Zenin clan and the Gojo clan. However, unknown to many sorcerers there was one last family that was known to be apart of the three, only for them to disappear after the golden era leading some to speculate that they had died in battle after the sealing of ryomen sukuna, but....

↳ previous episode : kyoto sister school exchange event - group battle 0

↳ next episode : kyoto sister school exchange event - group battle 2

↳ barista’s notes : let me admit...i can’t wait for my school term to finish...i am so done with education at this point ʕ ꈍᴥꈍʔ but other than that, i will continue my best to study for my last four exams (ugh) and get the best grades that i can  ╲ʕ·ᴥ·　╲ʔ i hope you enjoyed this episode and let’s be excited for your coffee orders (requests) to be given at the 31st of March or 1st April ʕ≧ᴥ≦ʔ

BEFORE READING, I NEED YOU TO BE AWARE OF THIS:

1. the whole story belongs to Gege Akutami and the credits go to them and them only.

2. the spell curses used belong to Tite Kubo due to them being the ‘Kidos’ being used on the manga and anime ‘Bleach’ - but none is mentioned in this chapter.

2.5. for the ‘cursed spells’/kidos (bleach) i will link this video here and tell you the time stamp to check out what i am intending to show - remember i add a few twist here and there by adding the katana to link with Y/N’s cursed technique

no cursed spells used this episode..

3. if you are confused on anything, please don’t hesitate to message me since i know this whole thing is so confusing.

“We’re starting in one minute”

“Now, let’s hear a few words of well-appreciated encouragement from Iori Utahime-sensei,” Gojo suddenly declared, leading the mentioned teacher to look at her colleague in complete shock before quickly beginning to sprout out whatever came into her head.

“U-Uh...Um, some degree of injury will be unavoidable, but, um..now and then, help each other out..or something…” Utahime stuttered out causing you and everyone else from the Tyoko team to look up at the speakers in both confusion as well as fed-up expressions since all of you knew that it was one of Gojo’s teasing antics again.

“Times up,” Gojo quickly stated in a playful tone leading you to look off to the side as you began to look around the area since you were wondering how the principals, teachers and possibly other jujutsu sorcerers were observing you since there were no cameras located to which caused you to suddenly come in eye contact with a pair of piercing pure onyx eyes that were staring down at the group you were with now making you come to the conclusion that someone was using a technique that allowed them to share sights with crows or have their sense being shared with them...either way, it was like having someone watching you 24/7.

‘Creepy...it’s like they’re sensing my death’

“Hey! Gojo, you little…” Utahime yelled out, irritated that she was interrupted out of her little encouragement speech - well, it wasn’t like she had a lot to say to you all anyways.

“Now, let the sister school exchange event...begin!” Gojo enthusiastically yelled out like it was a sports match, encouraging everyone in your team to start running forward in order to gain a head start on whatever the plan was.

“Respect your seniors!” the Kyoto teacher exclaimed loudly through the speakers after since it seemed like she wanted to remind your adoptive father that she was older than him, which can to a surprise for you since she looked much younger than you thought she was - well...you could say Gojo was a bit of the worst end when you found out his age, he seemed completely younger than he had mentioned to you when he took you out to a dessert place after a mission he set for you.

“Ichiro?!” Itadori questioned as he turned back to look at the speakers as if he was going to get the answer he wanted while Fushiguro looked at him with a non-chantant look on his face.

“So stupid,” Kugisaki commented as she gave off a disappointed look as she continued to run.

“Where do you think the cursed spirit boss is?” Itadori asked both Panda and Maki as he came toe to toe with them as he ran since he was truly determined to win this event as soon as possible.

“It was probably unleashed halfway between both schools, but it’s not just going to sit still, we just need Gojo to get there first to exorcise it since she isn’t allowed to fight anyone,” Panda answered, as you managed to catch up to your first-year classmate leading him to question how fast you could actually run since you didn’t show any athletic signs back when you and him were students at Sugisawa Municipal Highschool.

“At the time we agreed upon, we’ll split up into the Megumi squad and the Panda squad for scouting, we’ll be counting on you after that, Yuji,” Maki stated while turning her head slightly to look at the younger student leading Itadori to give her an encouraging salute and smile informing her that he knew what he had to do.

As you all continued to run, the black demon dog was running in front of all of you while barking to indicate where he was going leading you to quicken your speed to make sure you didn’t lose track of it since you now had the role to exorcise any curses that were around with the help of Maki, no matter what grade they were.

“Where are you going?” a spider curse questioned as it began to hang down by a string of its web, trying to seem intimidating when in reality it really wasn’t.

“That's a small fry,” Panda commented, leading you to unhook your katana that was behind your back from its position as you prepared to exorcise the thing by sliding it with the wooden stealth one since it was an extremely weak curse anyway. However, before you could even push yourself forward to cover the remaining distance that was between you and the disgusting spider curse, the demon dog that was in front of you turned it’s head to the side as if it had sensed something else from a distance.

“Gojo, stop!” Fushiguro shouted at you causing you to turn back to him before pressing your front foot to the ground to help slow down and halt your movement causing the demon dog to stand proactively in front of you as a sudden eruption of broken tree trunks as well as a huge cloud of debris covering the remaining path that everyone was running in leading them to pause around you.

Rapidly, as fast as the destruction came was as fast as the instructor appeared from the mist as Todo struck everyone was a confident grin since he was joyful that he had found everyone from the Tokyo team right in front of him - it was as if he had struck gold.

“Great! You’re all here! Come at me altogether! I want a re-match, Gojo!” Todo declared ambitiously as he pointed at you, leading everyone to go into a fighting stance since they didn’t want the possibility of losing you even when you knew that they knew that you could defend yourself, just not attack your opponent back at all.

As expected, Itadori took the first step as he ran towards the large student before suddenly jumping up to reach and grab onto Todo’s face as he proceeded to slam it against his knee, causing you to slightly cringe since you didn’t want to know how much pain his nose might be going thought at the very moment in time.

“Gojo! Don’t worry, I got Todo in check!” Itadori informed you, leading you to smile and nod at him as a way to thank him, causing Maki to shout out the command that everyone needed to do right now.

“Scatter!” Maki yelled out causing everyone to run off in two different directions with Kugisaki, Panda and Inumaki going to the left side of the forest, while you, Fushiguro and Maki took the right side, as you all needed to go in different directions to cover up a large amount of area you all had to cover in order to find the grade two cursed that was released for the players to exorcise to win the event for today.

“Todo was alone, it seemed like he really wanted to fight Gojo though,” Fushiguro commented as he turned back to look at you and Maki, while still running since there was a possibility that the grade-one sorcerer would come looking for you.

“We were right to swap Gojo with Yuji into that role,” Maki stated as she turned to you with a confident smile on her face leading you to give her one back before shifting your eyes to the dark blue metal pole that was dangling on the side of your hip, where you held it in place with a black belt that Kugisaki had gifted you one day during one of your random shopping trips.

‘I’ll thank her again later when all of this is done’

                                          ꕥ

BEFORE THE EXCHANGE EVENT STARTED:

“Todo will absolutely be out to crush us straight away, Mai might follow behind him to come after me, too,” Maki mentioned to everyone, as she held her chin in a thinking posture as you sat next to her with your arms placed behind you to help support your upper body.

“Todo’s a monster, the worst possible outcome would be that we all face him and get wiped out,” Maki explained before turning to look at you before letting out a sigh of disappointment since she needed to change the current plan due to the fact there was a few new little rules being placed upon you to make the game fair. “So our plan was to leave just one person, that’s why we wanted Gojo to take him on since she is the most capable of keeping him at bay or more like knock him out to give us some time but rules are rules. Itadori, we’ll leave that role to you,” your senior classmate declared as she took in yours and Fushiguro’s suggestion from before leading to the mentioned sorcerer to point at himself with a little uncertainty.

“We’d rather not lose anyone who can scout out our enemies, you don’t have to beat him, just hold out as long as possible and buy is time,” Maki said with a smile as she lifted a thumbs-up to somewhat cheer up your classmate since she wasn’t completely sure on how well this plan would work, but she had a gut feeling that it was going to go well due to yours and Fushiguro’s previous statements.

“But you can be daring against him! To be blunt, we weren’t counting on your abilities anyway, so it won’t affect us too much if you have to quit,” Panda teasingly commented while giving him another thumbs-up, leading Itadori to inform his upperclassmen on how ‘mean’ his comment was in a whining tone.

“Sorry, Y/N. You wanted to face Todo, didn’t you?” Panda asked as he leaned his body forward to get a quick look at you.

“I’m good either way, it’s such a complete drag to fight him again anyways,” you answered before leaning your head back to face the ceiling as it seemed like a wave of unnecessary tension has been lifted from your shoulders - even though you knew you were more than capable of beating Todo, you weren’t too keen on fighting the close-ranged sorcerer since he was just plain annoying in your mind.

“But Senpai, if I’m gonna do this, then I’m gonna win,” Itadori declared with determination laced in not only his tone but his posture as well, leading you to look back down at him before gifting him an assured smile that quickly displayed itself of your face as you then gave him the final thumbs-up of approval that he needed.

‘Yeah, he’s got this’

                                              ꕥ

While you, Fushiguro and Maki continued to run in whatever direction you three were going in, you were more focused on locating the second-grade curse you needed to exorcise to get this event done and over with since today you weren’t really in the mood to get into many first - you didn’t even have a single drop of orange juice today, and that already made you irritated.

However, as you continued sensing for the cursed spirited that you required to know the location of, your mind couldn’t help but get distracted by the amount of cursed energy that was looming around the area Itadori and Todo were located before at least four people from the ground and one person from above started to unexpectedly move away from leading you to become perplexed but slowly beginning to understand what was happening as you looked up to the sky to find a familiar blonde-haired sorcerer as she rode a broom across the sky.

“Fushiguro, use Nue right now,” you commanded, leading your classmate to look at you before looking up at the direction you were staring at to finally understand what you meant, which caused him to quickly summon the owl-like shikigami right in front of you.

“Take her down,” Fushiguro demanded his shikigami leading to the bird to unexpectedly appear behind the flying sorcerer with purple electricity enveloping his wings before flapping them down to transfer the high voltage lighting bolts to the third-year student leading to her falling from the sky into the maltitude of trees below to break her falling or possibly help her land somewhere that was not the ground to have a lighter impact than it should really.

“That’s strange,” Fushiguro suddenly commented, as you and Maki halted on your sprint since you all knew you couldn’t discuss the matter in hand while running to god knows where you three were planning to head to.

“All the Kyoto students are moving together, they’re all going to the same location,” you mentioned as you continued to survey where they were heading off to with your sense still enhanced.

“You mean that’s where the target is?” Maki asked you since she didn’t have the ability to see cursed energy at all, unlike you and Fushiguro, while the divine dog decided to nudge his snout against the back of your hand leading you to rub its head causing it to emit a rubble/purr as it begins to lavish on the affection it was receiving from you.

‘Not really the best time, but why not…’

“No, unless the second-grade is especially cunning, my demon dog would have noticed it,” Fushiguro said in a stern tone causing the dog to bark once in response before returning back to the attention you were giving it. “They’re trying to kill Itadori, aren’t they?” Fushiguro rhetorically questioned, leading a sigh to come out of your mouth before you turned your head towards the predicted location where you could sense the Kyoto’s students' cursed energies.

“It’s possible,” Maki replied as her gaze moved downwards, trying to understand why they would attempt an assassination during the Kyoto Sister School Exchange Event, especially since the act of killing was prohibited as one of the main rules.

“I don’t sense that much hostility from them, but due to Itadori’s surprise survival, it is possible that Principal Gakuganji ordered then to that but to be honest, that was quite stupid of him since they don’t have the strength to even fully commit the assassination,” you quickly mentioned to your teammates leading them to look up at you with confusion on their faces.

‘I have to thank Gojo for this information later as well’

“Zenin Mai: grade three, Miwa Kasumi: grade three, Nishimiya Momo: semi-grade two, Muta Kokichi: semi-grade one, Kamo Noritoshi: semi-grade one and Todo Aoi: grade one,” you listed as you adding in their grades to make sure Fushiguro and Maki got an idea on what you were about to explain to them. “Out of all of them right now, Todo is the only one that has the capability to fight Sukuna, so Principal Gakuganji was willing to sacrifice his other students really quickly for the execution of Itadori since the rest of them wouldn’t survive,” you informed your schoolmates causing them to shudder at the fact on how informed you already were about the other students without them even ever mentioning about them to you.

“We’re turning back, guys,” Maki stated, causing you to turn to look at her before giving a nod to indicate to her that you understood what she wanted.

“Sorry,” Fushiguro unexpectedly apologised, while Maki just turned away and started to walk back in the opposite direction where everyone was running from.

“What are you apologising for, dummy? There’s no point in winning or losing the exchange event if your friend dies,” Maki said in a disappointed tone, leading to both you and Fushiguro to look at each other before starting to slowly follow her from behind leading you three to go back into the wooded area in search for the other Kyoto students, who were technically on the run now since they seemed to have failed to execute Itadori from what you could sense in the back of your mind.

‘Team Panda is probably doing the same right now since I can faintly sense Panda and Kugisaki going into the forest again, where is Inumaki though?’

                                            ꕥ

“They’re up ahead,” you informed both Fushiguro and Maki since you could feel a stronger presence of cursed energy that was in front of you, leading you to realise that there were at least two Kyoto students since the rest of them seemed to split off somewhere.

Maki turned back to you and gave you a nod before fastening her pace as she suddenly noticed a shine of blue hair coming into her view leading the weapons specialist to prepare her red spare before quickly appearing out from your guys hiding spot to attack Miwa, who quickly managed to notice your upperclassmen as she pulled out her katana from her sheath to deflect Maki’s surprise as well as incoming attacks.

“Gojo, go ahead and find the curse, I’ll take care of Kamo-san,” Fushiguro informed you to which you replied to him with a nod.

During that second, Fushiguro came out from the side and headed towards Kamo leading you to take the small time that you were given to go on ahead and search for the grade-two curse that you needed to exorcise, only to suddenly feel a presence coming from behind leading you to rapidly turn around while raising your katana at the same time, only to discover Kamo standing right in front of you with his bow making direct contact with your weapon, leading you to become confused on why the semi-grade one sorcerer would even try to sneak attack you from behind.

‘Huh?’

“You didn’t even unsheathe your weapon, that’s strange,” Kamo commented, leading you to give him a deadpan look since you didn’t want him to notice or sense your confusion right now.

“Didn’t your little principal inform you to not fight with me or are you just getting a little too confident? That attitude of yours is going to be a drag,” you stated back in a nonchalant tone.

“Kamo-san, are you guys planning to kill Itadori?” Fushiguro asked from behind causing the mentioned sorcerer to turn his head back to view the erratic-haired sorcerer, leading you to smirk before you switch your hand that was holding the katana as you swiftly pulled it back to thrust the tip of your katana into Kamo’s stomach causing him to widen his eyes in shock as an immense pain started to engulf him as his body was pushed back with vast pressure causing Fushiguro to move out of the way to avoid his body colliding with Kamo’s.

‘Don’t get distracted next time, you drag’

Holding onto his stomach, Kamo slowly looked up at you and Fushiguro before coughing out in pain since your attack was more than what he had expected.

“And if I said we were?” Kamo answered, causing you to look at him with massive suspicion in your eyes.

“You failed, then. Itadori wouldn’t go down in such a short time,” Fushiguro declared with a small praise for his friend as he raised his tonfa in a defensive pose while you just straightened yourself up since you had no worries about being attacked again.

“We have no reason to kill him,” Kamo stated with a smirk on his face causing you to turn your head to the side and scoff at him since it was hilarious that he was acting so confident after just barely managing to withstand a simple physical attack from you before you turned back to face him again.

‘What a drag~’

“Yes, you do. The higher-ups and the three major clans have plenty,” you mentioned before resting your katana over your shoulder to relax for a second since you could sense that this fight was either going to be easy or too easy for your liking.

‘It’s surprising that he is attempting to fight me though, I wonder if Gojo-sensei forgot to inform them about this little extra rule but I still need to find out about that mole...’

                                              ꕥ

“Ah~ I thought I told you to tell your students to not attempt to fight Y/N? they’re only going to get hospitalised in the process,” Gojo playfully asked, as he turned to look behind his seat to be eye to eye with the Kyoto Principal, who was in charge of informing his students about this new rule that he and Principal Yaga implemented.

“Well, she attacked Kamo, so she’s breaking the rule isn’t she?” Utahime asked as she took a sip from her cup leading Gojo to turn to look at her with a slight frown on his face.

“Well, your student did attack her first, she can’t help but retaliate since that was her normal strength right there. If it was any other student, they would have been eliminated real quick,” Gojo informed his colleague causing her eyes to widen before turning back to the screen to only discover your eyes were directly looking at her since you were directly looking at the crow that was inspecting you right now.

“She’s quite an interesting girl,” a sorcerer from behind commented as she proceeded to open her eyes. “Not only did she notice my crows looking at her since the start of the event, but she’s also quite strong, no wonder you took her in,” she mentioned as she faced forward to notice Gojo looking at her.

“She’s a tough cookie, isn’t she Mei-san?” Gojo said with a proud smile on his face before he processed to face the screens again with the smile now straightening.

‘I don’t know what he’s trying to do, but I know Y/N won’t fall for it naively, she’s more the type to manipulate his plan...besides, it’s as if she’s giving him a death glare right now’

This thought of his caused him to giggle lightly, creeping out Utahime as she stared at him in pure confusion.

‘I know she can do it’

© violettelueur 2021 : written and published by violettelueur - do not steal or repost

[lizzybugg]

Did I ever mention that I am madly in love with a Mr. Thomas Cresswell?

I can hear Honey from here, yelling that, yes, you all have heard of my undying love for this mortal Rhysand.

ANYWAYS

His quotes are the best. And here are a few of my favorite ones since I am compiling a list of Audrey Rose and Thomas’s best lines throughout the series

“You are most certainly going to be the death of my dignity, Wadsworth.” Hunting Prince Dracula

“I’ve fallen hard, Wadsworth. Perhaps you should have warned me sooner.” Hunting Prince Dracula

“You are not mine to take. You are yours to give.” Hunting Prince Dracula

“Did you hear that? I believe it was the sound of hearts shattering across the room. Do be careful as you step over bloody shards.” Escaping from Houdini

“Doesn’t he know that level of impropriety is strictly my area of expertise?” Escaping from Houdini

“It would be highly indecent. Being almost alone. In the room of the girl I want to marry. The one who keeps refusing me.” Escaping from Houdini

“You delightfully cruel woman. What does it say about me that I find myself even more attracted to you after that threat?” Escaping from Houdini

“I will never be your keeper, Audrey Rose.” Escaping from Houdini

“Don’t be jealous of pastry, my love. Its golden crust and buttery taste cannot compare to your delectable personality. Much.” Escaping from Houdini

“Oh, wonderful. Satan has decided to claw his way out of Hell and join us.” Escaping from Houdini

“Oh. Never mind. It’s simply your attitude, Miss Wadsworth. It stinks.” Escaping from Houdini

“The incredibly handsome and talented Thomas James Dorin Cresswell, you mean.” Escaping from Houdini

“Let’s play a murder, Wadsworth.” Escaping from Houdini

“You may feel free to put your hands on me anytime you please. Though I’d prefer the touch to be a bit more gentle in the future.” Escaping from Houdini

“That gives us thirteen hours to sleep, infiltrate their ranks, create a bit of smoke to distract them, come up with our group name, and be dressed in our supper best. Thank goodness it doesn’t take much to make this” —he swept his arm across his person— “blindingly handsome. Unlike Mephistopheles.” Escaping from Houdini

“Don't be ridiculous. I'm dark and mysterious. And as likely to kiss or kill you on a whim. Does that sound heroic to you? Not many heroes are good-looking masterminds. I, however, have harnessed my dark talents for the greater good.” Escaping from Houdini

“I prefer ‘unpredictable.’ It's got a nicer ring to it.” Escaping from Houdini

“No, but Miss Wadsworth will gladly send you overboard if you keep that tone up. She’s the muscle. I’m clearly the charm.” Escaping from Houdini

I swallowed hard and cursed under my breath. She was dressed like one of the Moonlight Carnival performers, and she was a vision. Becoming the Dark Prince

“Perhaps you should stop acting and take advantage of me now.” Becoming the Dark Prince

In four short days, she’d be in my arms, bleeding out. And I’d finally become the dark prince my father knew me to be, as I unleashed myself upon them all. Becoming the Dark Prince

“You stay here with me, Wadsworth. I will follow you beyond death and drag you back if I must.” Becoming the Dark Prince

“If you think doing the admirable thing is easy or comes naturally, you’re more naïve than I thought. I fight against my innate selfishness because I love her. I want to be better not just for her, but also for me. I want to be the sort of man who earns her trust and love and then works to keep it by growing more into an even better person.” Becoming the Dark Prince

How wonderful. Another opportunity to commit murder before the day was through. Becoming the Dark Prince

“If you think there is a universe that exists where I haven’t fantasized a hundred different ways I’d like to test my scalpels on him, I don’t believe you know me at all, dear Wadsworth. I have never longed to spill blood the way I did when I saw what he tried to do to you. There. I feel much better.” Becoming the Dark Prince

“Don’t be ridiculous; of course I’ve got morals. One or two, perhaps.” Capturing the Devil

“Beyond life, beyond death. My love for thee is eternal.” Capturing the Devil

“Wadsworth, meet Sir Isaac Mewton. Sir Isaac Mewton, this is that special human I told you about. You’ll be nice to her or there won’t be any more belly rubs in your future.” Capturing the Devil

SIDE NOTE

I don’t have any from Stalking Jack the Ripper because I started my list while reading Hunting Prince Dracula. I’ll probably re-read the first book and update my list. Also: I loved Becoming the Dark Prince because it was mostly shade directed at Mephistopheles and Thomas sass. He’s also the definition of “a feminist who likes to pay for stuff”. Seriously. Just a mortal Rhysand set in the 1880s. Maybe I’ll give ya‘ll a list of Audrey Rose ones, too. I’m also 3/4 of the way through Capturing the Devil. So there’s still more to add.

[dimplehyunn]

CONUNDRUM | Park Jongseong

{TEASER}

❥PAIRING : Vampire!Park Jongseong (Jay) X Werewolf!Fem! Reader Ft. Shim Jake,Nishimura Riki,Hwang Yeji,Choi Yeonjun,Mark Lee + more.

❥THEME|GENRE : Vampires and Werewolves AU,College AU,L2E2L AU, slight fluff,Horror, Angst.

❥WARNING :Suggestive(slight),Cursing,Bloodshed,Gore, Blood drinking and worshipping,Betrayal,Major character death,a lot of deaths.

❥TEASER WORD COUNT : 0.8k

❥FIC WORD COUNT : Unestimated so far

❥RELEASE DATE : Tba

❥SUMMARY : Jay was the throne prince to the vampire realm,being the only son of the Vampire Elder,Park. However he didn't want to live his whole life as a hideous curse,so he created another completely different humanoid life for himself. Where he had many human friends and y/n,his human girlfriend who was unknown of his true identity,in college. One full moon night was all it took to change y/n's life forever. Not only did it take away her normal life as a human being but also took away her freedom of loving, especially loving her full blooded Vampire Boyfriend,Jay. Being the Half breed daughter of the Lycan leader,y/n was subjected as the ultimate weapon of Lycans and Werewolves against vampires. This brought upon a great riddle Infront of Jay,whether he wanted to live a decent life as a fake human as he liked or to go back to the hell that he always ran away from and save his own people as well as fight the love of his life.

"They couldn't die,y/n", his dark figure spoke as you both stood in the alley. You looked at him with no feelings at all. Not that he was looking at you but he knew you didn't give out that warmth he always ran to you for anymore.

You turned around, preparing to walk away without answering his "Silly" questions.

"Who are you?",he asked you slowly in a low tone,almost unhearable. Looking down on the ground as the heavy rain drenched his existence in that dark alley. You turned back to him to finally answer his another "silly" question.

"Jay,I-",you start.

He cut you off immediately with a loud yell yet cry,

"I said WHO ARE YOU?!",

his voice was trembling with unbearable anger and pain. His teeth were grinning against each other, his long slender teeth becoming visible as he started transforming into what he truly is,"You used me",he mumbled out,shaking out of anger,slowly looking up.

You stood there,looking at him dead in his bloody red pair of eyes as he looked up at you.You wondered if he was really about to attack you. "Will he? Can he?",This wasn't supposed to be a love story anyways. It's either him or you. There's no him and you. Could you fight your inner wolf to be with him? Be with a vampire? Leaving your own pack out there? Your own blood out there?Letting them die?Could you be this selfish?

"NO"

A wicked smirk gradually started to find its own way to your pretty innocent face. That's it,Lucian had won.

"Ya...You really wanna know,don't you?",you asked him while slowly unleashing your sharp and deadly claws as your ears found their own wayout. The golden ring in your left eye's pupil was completely visible. A dark long tail coming out of your back as your feet turned into hideous wolf paws,not to mention the emergence of your sharp, manslaughtering teeth. But the rest of your body remained as human.

"This is who I am,Park",you flashed him your wicked smile.

"No wonder why you smell different than other humans,but you don't smell like your own kind either",he snapped back as his trembling self suddenly got a grip on itself and he stood straight,sliding his left hand into his pocket.

"What do you mea-", before you could finish your sentence you felt a swift wind blow you onto the wall behind you,an arm squeezing the life out of your throat as he trapped you between his body and the wall.

"Not a whole of your own kind either", he hissed in your ears as he stole a quick inhale of your sweet yet deadly smell.

Struggling to get yourself out of his grip,you almost stabbed him with your claws that were unleashed. But what was stopping you? Why weren't you being able to stab him? Was it because you knew that he wouldn't die? Or was it because- you stopped your overwhelmed mind just to face the reality as you calmed your body down under his touch. A touch that once felt like home but now it was nothing but a reminder of the hell you both belonged from.

"Don't think too much,Park. The world is much darker than you know,little vamp boy",you asserted before inserting your claws slowly yet painfully into his torso,in short, you stabbed him and pulled out instantly,not even giving him a chance to accustom to the pain,not the pain of being stabbed by wolf claws for the first time but the pain of betrayal from someone he loved so dearly.

Surprised at the sudden attack he spurted out blood from his mouth on your face as blood started running down from his stomach like a river. The rainwater streaming under your feet had turned red because of Jay's contribution to it as he let go of his grip on you and slowly kneeled on the floor holding his wound.

You wiped your face off with one of your hands before starting to walk away.

"y/n..",you swiftly looked back at his fallen body. The continuous thunder lightening allowed you to see his face a little clearer than you saw while stabbing him.He looked at you as he stood up with his wound being all healed.

"I may have had forgotten it for a while but..we belong to the darkest part of the world anyways,don't you think?", He paused for a while in-between his low speech before flashing you a smirk as that one simple yet heavy word which destroyed your whole freaking life rolled down his lips,

"Halfie?".

❥AUTHOR'S NOTE : At first,this was supposed to be a oneshot since I'm basically writing this for Underworld Eclipse Collab.But since it's a little longer and I have my exams coming up, I've decided to continue this in chapters. Tighten your seatbelts for an ultimate ride throughout the Underworld of Vampires and Werewolves with Jay and y/n. I hope y'all like it and support me♡

❥Taglist : OPEN. Send an ask or DM to be added.

@wonjaems @sweetrainwrites @azure-arcanum @penny-quinn @nikieskoo @mykalon @vousty @youngiez

Reese ☆ Dimplehyunn

[genshin-pals]

Corruption......part TWO!!!

Part one is here!! 

At this rate we’ll just do all the genshin characters because GOD I love this trope and y’all apparently do as well.

Characters: Venti, Lisa, Razor, Hu Tao, Qiqi, Rosaria

He hates Dragonspine. The snowy mountain only brings him sadness and pain. It serves as a reminder of a horrific battle that would end with his dear friend in pain and susceptible to suggestions of the abyss.

Anxiety consumed him when you told him you were off to the mountain, but he smiled and waved you off anyway. He regrets that.

There was a pain in his chest, fingers hovering above the strings of his harp as he stops in the middle of a song. 

Without another word he started running, running to the mountain he hated. 

It was up at the top of the mountain he found you. Kneeled down in the snow, clutching your head as something dark pulsed through your body. Tears fell. You were hurting.

Without his Gnosis, Venti’s power is limited. But he’ll be damned to leave you in this state. Taking a step forward, you turn at the crunch in the snow. Frantic like a cornered animal.

Kneeling before you, hands raise to gently cup your cheeks. He sees the pain on your expression. You’re frightened, much like Dvalin was when you first arrived in Monstadt.

“With the last of my divine strength, let me share in this curse...” 

The tips of his braids started glowing, and the boy’s form changed. Wings grew, and he was now dressed in white. However, all of that soon vanished, crumbling away as the darkness that haunted you moved over to the former archon.

Thoughts started becoming clearer, and recognition returned to your eyes. Venti...what was he doing?

Winds dying down, you stared at the other as he breathed heavily, still holding your face so gently as he panted.

“You, who have traveled the stars, also have your limits...” He forced out. Lifting his head, he smiled, despite the purple crack crawling across his face. “...but perhaps in a smaller dose, this hatred can be healed by your spirit...”

With the cursed blood split between the two of you, Venti helped you down the mountain. Windrise would help cleanse the last bits of corruption from you both.

How curious Lisa was. She wanted to know the truth of this world, but once she saw the madness that quest for knowledge cursed those around her, she gave up.

If the price of knowledge is the well being of others, it is best to remain ignorant.

Now, she’d use all her knowledge and power to save you. The witch was quite knowledgeable of legends of Monstadt, and the curse of Durin was no different.

That hatred radiating off of you was familiar. When you brought that corrupted tear drop crystal, that felt the same as you do now.

“Looks like I’ll have to play rough...”

Spell circles appeared at both her and your feet. The snowy clouds turned dark and pitch black. Lightning flashed, crashing down where you stood.

Identifying the woman as the source, you charged towards her.

But you couldn’t even get close. Thunder roared, and the air itself seemed to be filled with electro. 

This type of powers was almost unimaginable. Lisa may have forsaken the title of “grand mage”, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t still qualified for it.

With all of her magic, a bolt of lightning finally struck it’s might upon your form.

The scream you let out pained the woman’s heart, but the fight was over. Rushing to your side, she kneeled down, lifting your head to rest on her lap. Gently, her hand stroked your hair.

Lisa hated work, but she’ll work as hard as she needs to in order to heal you.

He doesn’t understand what’s happening.

Razor followed you to the mountain, met a mysterious blond boy, and you got some weird sword. The more you battled, the more you changed. 

He was scared, but couldn’t find the words to express his concern. You assured him you were alright, but he never believed it.

One night, a blizzard raged across the mountain. The two of you rushed into a cave for shelter. Strangely, the cave seemed to radiate warmth. Razor looked at the white hail outside, calling your name. When you didn’t answer, he turned around.

You started at a large red...thing, in the back of the cave. Razor didn’t like it. If it wasn’t for the blizzard he would suggest leaving. But then something else happened.

You lunged at the wolf boy, slashing the cursed sword towards him. He gasped, quickly dodging.

“Please, calm!” He shouts. “Why attack?!” 

You weren’t listening, charging once again.

This was so bad. Survival came first, that’s what his head told him. But you were his lupical, and you were in pain... He could see it in your eyes, and the unnatural cracks in your skin.

Razor wanted to protect his lupical. So he had to think. This started when you entered the cave. No...before that. When you got the sword.

Static pricked on his skin, his sword clashing against your own. With a growl, electro burst forth from his blade. 

You were slammed into the wall of the cave. Razor was fast, roaring as he drove his weapon into Festering Desire. The piercing gaze of the gem cracked, and you let out a gasp.

Slumping down, you were out cold. Nothing Razor did would wake you up.

Positioning you on his back, he would run down to the city. Through the storm and over the hills, he needed you to be okay.

Dragonspine was a good source of business for Hu Tao. Foolish adventurers who believed they could conquer nature often lead to their own downfall.

Sometimes, she goes out there herself, knowing that there are bound to be bodies and spirits that have been lost for years. The pyro spirit that followed her kept her warm as well as helped to locate the corpses. But this time, it found something else.

Something else caught her attention. A disgusting energy. But it was you.

You rushed to slash at the girl, and Hu Tao dodged. This was unlike you and she knew it.

“Trying to send me off, hm?” She called to no response. Any sense of teasing was lost. This was serious. “I see...” Eyes drifted down to the weapon you held.

Twirling her spear, Hu Tao prepared herself for a fight. “Sorry, y/n. No discounts today.” She would take you back alive.

As the fight went on, the cold was starting to get to her. How long have you both been out on the mountain? This needed to end, and soon.

Summoning her blazing spirit, she swung it around and hit you. It burned, and you stumbled backwards. 

Hu Tao was running at you, before vanishing for a moment. In that single moment, the blazing spirit appeared from nowhere, screeching into your face. 

Something grabbed your wrist, turning, you saw the girl you were fighting.

“Boo~” She said with a grin, knocking the sword from your hand and holding you down.

Vision began to blur, and all you remember is a calm, forgiving warmth...

Someone who made Qiqi not mind the warmth was now so cold.

The energy created from the sword you were given wasn’t good. She didn’t like it, and yet Qiqi was unable to tell you.

You were hurt, attacking everything in sight. Somehow, that felt familiar, as if sparking a memory.

Qiqi didn’t want you to be sealed. So she would help you now.

With her orders received, she jumped into action. 

Even when you were marked with her talisman, the battle was difficult. The strength radiating off of you was almost overwhelming. But Qiqi felt if she didn’t save you now, you would be destroyed.

It was dangerous, but Qiqi unleashed the adeptal powers within her. Snow and ice raged around you two, and the small child rushed forward once again. She slashed at your hand, the evil sword sent flying.

You gasped, turning to retrieve your weapon when someone stopped you.

Small arms wrapped around your legs. They were cold, but shockingly strong.

“Qiqi loves you the most.” The girl spoke quietly. Those were the words used to cancel her orders. Typically spoken by Baizhu with no sincerity. But now? Qiqi means those words with all of her heart.

The adepti power helped to clear your mind, and soon your eyes fell heavy, along with your body. Now passed out, Qiqi would drag you down the mountain. 

Qiqi doesn’t ask for much, but she would demand Baizhu help you once returning to Liyue harbor. She would stay by your side until you woke.

Albedo is a dead man. She doesn’t know how, but she knew this was his fault.

It can wait, though. But for now, she focused on you and you alone. If you became a threat to Monstadt, she would end you. That is what she told herself. And yet, looking at you now, she wishes to save you instead.

Rosaria was making more work for herself, it seemed.

With a tired sigh, the sister darted forward. Blades clashed against one another, and Rosaria wasn’t above underhanded tactics.

Kicking up snow into your eyes, Rosaria moved to your back, slashing hard and fast. Blood dripped onto the white snow. You were injured, so that should slow you down.

It should have, but the power possessing you didn’t care what your physical state was. You fought regardless of the blood loss. Swearing under her breath, Rosaria noted how the darkness seemed to originate from your sword.

You ran to pierce her chest, but Rosaria’s spear parried your attack, sending Festering Desire into the air. Before anything else could happen, the woman tackles you to the ground, holding the handle of her spear to your throat.

You couldn’t get up with her sitting on top of you, and the bar above your neck made it hard to breath. Senses returning, your eyes fluttered close.

With a sigh, Rosaria stood, pulling you up and onto her back.

She would head back to the city, hoping Barbra would be able to heal you properly...