#be way too similar for the power dynamic involved

[ddarker-dreams]

Mutual Destruction.

Yan Anaxagoras x F Reader.

Warnings: Yandere themes, unhealthy relationships, teacher-student dynamics (anaxa's your prof), power imbalance, drugging (anaxa slips you an aphrodisiac), allusions to fearing pregnancy, not SFW, heavily dubious consent. Word count: 5k.

Earlier, you discovered an inconspicuous note within your belongings. The following message was inked inside: 

Meet me in my private quarters at the Curtain-Fall Hour’s first quint. Tardiness is unacceptable. 

There was no signature to indicate who left it. The paper was of fine quality, you doubt your fellow students had any of this caliber in their possession. They’d be remiss to tear and treat it roughly if they did. The presumptuous command served as your best hint. Only one person in the Grove spoke to you that way — Anaxa. Normally, you’d recognize his neat script, but this was scrawled, nearly illegible.

Ever since then, dread has followed you like a ghost haunting the living. 

The note’s vague nature dredged up the worst your brain could offer. You’re always doing what you can to keep your capricious professor placated, but this doesn’t bode well. You can’t recall doing anything to earn his misplaced ire. In public, you keep to yourself, engaging in the bare minimum amount of socialization necessary to continue your studies. He’s never raised an issue with this conduct before, aside from some dry remarks.

It’s possible — though unlikely — that you’re overthinking matters. Perhaps he was in a hurry and failed to consider how you’d interpret the abstract order. As much as you wish this were the case, Anaxa isn’t the type to act without a distinct purpose. He’s meticulous in any endeavor he undertakes, especially when you’re involved. 

Nightfall brings a hush over the Grove. Beneath Cerces’ solemn gaze, scholars scorn twilight’s intended purpose, continuing their work against their circadian rhythm’s wishes. No one pays you any mind as you skitter about. Before long, you’re navigating the hallway that leads to Anaxa’s chambers. Every step closer elevates your heart rate. You’ve been so preoccupied with determining your potential transgression that you’ve neglected to craft an approach. 

Should you claim ignorance? Beseech his favor? Form a hill worth dying on with careful rhetoric? 

Your knuckles hover above the door. 

You feel woefully underprepared, like you’re walking into a test you did none of the reading for. Is it too late to retreat? Bide your time, returning when the playing field has evened? If only. You deride yourself for entertaining such naïveté. You have to address this now, before the wound festers, necessitating amputation. You’re still on time. This has to be salvageable, Anaxa’s too sweet on you to set you up for total failure… 

… Right? 

Complex mechanisms whirr into action, opening the door without your prompting. Startled by the spontaneity, you remain immobile as if you’d been turned to stone. 

“Come in,” The beast brooding in his lair invites. “Dawdle any longer and I’ll consider you late.” 

You do as you’re bid. As a Sage, Anaxa’s quarters are spacious and far larger than your meager dorm. This room consists of a living space and kitchenette, with what you assume to be his bedroom separated by a closed door. There are more implements of his craft scattered about than any personal touches. A massive bookshelf catches your attention. Scanning the spines, you barely recognize any of the works in his collection. 

“Please sit,” he motions toward his dining room table. It has two chairs facing opposite each other. The one furthest away is askew, indicating he must’ve been sitting there until recently. 

Anaxa remains standing while you take your seat. Compared to usual, he’s dressed down, his black and teal overcoat noticeably absent. This leaves him in a white collared button-up and dark pants. He’s still wearing that mysterious eyepatch, with golden runes decipherable only to him. They share similar characteristics with the markings inked into his left arm. You’re certain he’d explain their origin if you asked, but caution tempers your curiosity. 

You flinch when your name rolls off his tongue, a reaction he easily picks up on. 

“You needn’t look so frightened,” he says. “Unless, of course, you have a guilty conscience.” 

“I don’t.” 

“Good, good… because, as I’m sure you’re aware, I’m bound to find out any mischief you get up to.” 

For all the weight it carries, he enunciates the word lightly, almost playfully. You swallow the saliva rapidly accumulating in your mouth. With great effort, you meet his gaze, which betrays nothing of his inner thoughts. 

“I’ve been acting how I should, have I not?”

“Mm. So you have.” 

He suddenly seems uninterested in the subject, despite being the one to initiate it. He walks over to his stove, where an intricate teapot sits. He pours it into matching teacups. Then, grabbing the saucers they sit on, he carries them both over to the table, sitting one in front of you and keeping the other for himself. Plumes of smoke rise from the mixture. It has a sweet, earthy aroma. You’ve brewed this for him at his behest in the past.  

Your distorted reflection ripples along the liquid’s surface, showcasing your visible apprehension. 

“Isn’t this caffeinated, professor? Won’t it keep me up all night?”

His lips curl into an odd smile. “In a way.” 

“Then—” 

“Drink,” he interrupts, the command slicing through the air. Then, remembering himself, he softens his voice. “I put a great deal of effort into brewing this. See to it that none is wasted.” 

You swear he fixates on the stretch of your throat as you reluctantly swallow. 

“Now. Regarding why I’ve called you here…” 

Contrary to your expectations, Anaxa begins outlining a project he’d like your assistance with. You keep expecting the details to escalate, but it sounds perfectly mundane. There’s nothing scandalous that justifies the secrecy he shrouded this meeting in. You’ve helped him with research that could’ve seen you expelled from the Grove in the past, this topic is a far cry from those escapades. He wants you to collect material about folktales from the fallen city-state, Styxia. That’s nothing compared to your last undertaking, which saw you setting a priceless Janusopolis relic aflame to use its ashes in an alchemical ritual.

You don’t understand why this couldn’t wait until the following day, but you keep that to yourself. While he explains the methodology you should use, you can’t stop yourself from shifting in your seat. An onset of restlessness overwhelms you. Regardless of how you readjust yourself, you can’t get comfortable. This grows worse as you cross and uncross your legs, the simple motion lighting a fire inside your belly. You cough into your head to cover up the strange, strangled noise that threatens to leave your lips. 

Anaxa raises an eyebrow. “Is everything alright?” 

“Y-Yes. Please continue.” 

His words grow difficult to follow, although the subject isn’t particularly complex. To make matters worse, he’s begun tracing his teacup’s rim with his fingertip, a motion that inspires strange fervor. Your eyes follow the slow, deliberate movement as if under a spell. You never noticed how long and slender his fingers are. You’ve personally witnessed his dexterity, you wonder what it’d be like if he slid them inside you— 

What are you thinking? This is the man responsible for manipulating your time here at the Grove. He’s cut off your access to other academics, forcing you to rely on him and no one else. While his brilliance is unmatched, the knowledge he’s imparted doesn’t excuse the despotism he’s subjected you to. You can’t even enjoy lighthearted conversations with your classmates, owing to the looming shadow he’s cast.

And yet… 

There’s no denying he’s an attractive man. If the circumstances were different, you would’ve been flattered by his interest in you. The dim, flickering candlelight highlights his handsome features, from his full lips to his defined jawline. He must sense the intensity behind your stare, for he goes quiet, steepling his fingers together and studying you. 

“Potent, isn’t it?” he hums, evidently pleased with himself. 

You blink sluggishly. “What?” 

“The tincture you ingested,” he nods to your empty teacup. “I didn’t think you’d drink it all. I’m curious to see how a larger dose will affect you.” 

Huh? 

“What… what are you talking about? What did you do?” 

“You’re a clever girl. You’re bound to put two and two together eventually.” 

Anaxa stands from his seat and approaches. He lifts your chin with his thumb, paying close attention to how your breath hitches at his touch. A manic grin spreads across his face. You know this expression, it’s the one he gets when he’s made a discovery that would shake the world to its very foundation. 

The triumph of a blasphemer.

“Alcohol?” you murmur, furrowing your eyebrows together. 

“Not a depressant — a stimulant,” he corrects. The pad of his thumb rubs over your lower lip. “Though, I suppose I can forgive your erroneous conclusion, given your current… affliction.”

The low purr of his voice has you subconsciously rubbing your thighs together. If possible, his smile widens, almost splitting his face in two. You can’t think straight. The revelation instills revulsion in you, yet any negative emotions are swallowed whole by lust. It takes everything you have not to pounce on him like an animal in heat. You take deep breaths, doing what you can to restrain your desire from boiling over. 

“Why?” 

“Why, indeed?” Anaxa murmurs. When he retracts his hand, you can’t stop your shoulders from drooping in disappointment. He chuckles darkly. “I had an enlightening talk with one of your other professors.” 

The thinly concealed disdain in his tone promises nothing good. 

“I’m not usually one to dwell on the past, but our chat evoked some nostalgia.”

He circles behind you, his hands settling on your shoulders. Then, he massages your stiff muscles, eliciting a sigh from you. It feels nice. He’s applying just the right amount of pressure, kneading out all the tension. You can’t muster up any aversion to his touch. If anything, this light pampering isn’t nearly enough. 

“He commented on your eagerness to participate in discussion,” his voice is a soft yet sinister whisper, “How insatiable your thirst for knowledge is.” 

Anaxa pauses his soothing ministrations. He entangles his hand in your hair, tugging it to the side so that you’re made to stare into unbridled madness.

“My prized pupil… were you not that way with me once? So desperate to please, so ecstatic when I lavished you with my attention?” 

He pulls you up by your shoulders with surprising strength. The abruptness disturbs your balance, forcing you to fall into him, who is more than happy to hold you. Your mind feels like it’s fraying at the seams. You want to refute his point, but you can’t form a cohesive counterargument. Everything is fragmented, shattered into pieces that, in any other circumstance, you could build a bulwark with. Whatever you consumed has annihilated your defenses from within. You don’t think you could even stand without his assistance. 

“You’ve turned cold. Now, you can’t wait until you can get rid of me.” 

You shake your head, not trusting your voice to form a competent rebuttal. 

“No?” There’s a mocking lilt to his upward inflection. Instead of experiencing offence, his patronizing tone has your breathing growing heavier. “Prove me wrong, then.”

Your lips meet in a frantic kiss. 

He tastes like tea and honey, the sweetness unbecoming of such a bitter man. You fasten your arms around his neck, wanting to regain some control by asserting yourself. At least he can’t form reprimands when you’re sucking on his tongue. The illusion of dominance is short-lived. He spins you around, pinning your back against the wall with his weight. 

You grunt at the unexpected collision. He pulls back, breaking the trail of saliva connecting your lips. 

“Are you alright?” 

His genuine sounding concern hurts more than any of the nonsense he’s spewed so far. Tears sting the corners of your eyes, and you grit your teeth, unwilling to expose any more vulnerability. He’s okay with drugging and manipulating you, yet this is where he draws the line? A little pain? 

“Like you care,” you hiss out.

“I do,” he replies, unusually gentle. “To me, you’re—” 

His eye widens as you palm him through his pants, putting an end to the confession you’d rather die than hear. There’s no way you’re letting him finish that sentence. If he can delude himself, you deserve the same willful ignorance. You don’t want to know that this extends far past lechery. While no less dubious, there have always been stories of those in authority lusting after their subordinates. That fits a comprehensible framework. What you find truly unsettling is the possibility that this won’t stop at carnality — it’ll metastasize like a malignant tumor. 

Afraid he might return to his thought, you slip your hand past his waistband, fumbling around until you find what you’re looking for. Despite the awkward angle, you envelop him, smearing the copious amounts of precum along his length. He’s hot and hard in your palm. Once he’s sufficiently lubricated, you pump his length. There’s satisfaction to be found in how your initiative renders a master orator speechless. 

Anaxa nestles himself into your neck, muffling his pants against your skin. You grip him tight, almost painfully so, taking out your frustration by pleasuring him as roughly as he’ll allow. He thrusts himself into your hand, unashamedly chasing his pleasure. 

Much to your amazement, you feel his cock twitching in your hand, hinting that he’s nearing his end. That didn’t take long. No more than a few minutes, if you had to guess. How debauched is this man for you, anyway? 

Against your better judgment, you decide to tease him. “So soon, professor? I guess you are past your prime. If you can’t take care of me, I guess I’ll have to find some younger, more virile—” 

“Insolent brat,” he snaps. He snatches your wrist and pulls you away before you can finish him off. “It’s virility you want, then?” 

Anaxa scoops you up, further calling into question his self-proclaimed epithet of ‘frail scholar.’ You suppress a yelp, clinging to him out of necessity. He kicks open the door to his bedroom and carries you in. It’s dark inside, save for slivers of silvery moonlight peaking through his curtains. Once he lays you down on his mattress, he detaches himself, glowering down at you as he unbuttons his top. 

He makes quick work of the garment, chucking it off to the side. You take in the sight of his lean, well-sculpted form. That would explain the ease with which he picked you up. You suppose that for all his claims of frailty, he’s still a Chrysos Heir. No one can say fate doesn’t have a sense of humor, selecting a blasphemer to succeed the gods. He certainly looks the part. Long, soft hair, unblemished skin; even the way he moves is worthy of veneration. He’s never in a rush, always operating at his own tempo. It’s the rest of the world that must match his rhythm. 

Anaxa meets your stare, amusement glinting in his eye. “Have you forgotten how to blink?” 

You don’t get a chance to reply before he’s hovering above you, his red, dangling earring glinting in the sparse light. 

“Still clothed?” He clicks his tongue. “I have to do everything when it comes to you.” 

He tugs your blouse over your head hard enough that you hear something rip. 

“Hey—” 

He shushes you, pressing his pointer finger against your lip. “Settle down. You won’t be needing it; you’re not leaving this room anytime soon.” 

Next, he helps you out of your pants, leaving you fully exposed. The sight forces him to stop. Your collarbones, cleavage, abdomen, and plump thighs; he drinks you in like you’re a fine wine. His fingers twitch by his side, the impact you have on him tangible. He must not know where to start.

“...You’ll be my ruin,” he mutters.

You don’t get to ask what he means by that. He presses his palm against your stomach, encouraging you to lie down. Then, he spreads your legs, examining the impact his concoction had. Using his pointer and middle finger, he feels you through your panties and hums. You feel him gauging your reaction as he rubs up and down, torturously slow. Your face burns at the squelching noises produced by such a simple motion. Eventually, he focuses on your clit, delighting in the reactions it draws out. He alternates his speed, always slowing whenever you seem to be enjoying yourself too much. 

“Professor, please,” you beg, discarding your pride in favor of relief. “Just fuck me already. I can’t take it anymore.” 

He ignores your pleas, too focused on dragging your panties down. He brings the flimsy fabric to his nose and inhales, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Now there’s the eagerness I remember. A shame it required slightly underhanded methods to extract, but you’ve always been a stubborn one.” 

Slightly underhanded? If your cognition wasn’t reduced to mush, you would’ve ripped into him. 

After tucking your panties into his pants pocket, he nestles himself between your thighs. He nibbles and sucks the sensitive skin, yet neglects your aching core. It’s pure agony. You try grinding against his face, but he holds you down and tuts. 

“After all the time you’ve made me wait, you can’t endure a few moments?” he sighs. “Mm. I can’t say I dislike this needy side of you.” 

He flattens his tongue against your pussy, licking it vertically. Your hands fly to his head, where your fingers tug at his hair. He grunts, but doesn’t stop you, too preoccupied with his task. Depraved noises fill the air as he eats you out. He forces your legs further apart, granting him complete access to you. When he sucks on your clit, the moans you had hitherto managed to suppress flow out. You hear him chuckling over his success. He’s relentless, devouring you like you’re the best thing he’s ever tasted. 

You’re close. You don’t want to tell him, fearing he’ll stop right before your pleasure reaches its zenith. Unfortunately, Anaxa’s far too observant. He pulls away, but not without placing a few more greedy kisses against your pussy. 

“Something wrong?” He asks, snickering at your visible frustration. 

“I hate you,” is the best you can offer. 

“Oh, I can tell,” Anaxa replies. He lathers his fingers in your slick, gradually easing them inside, meeting no resistance as he does so. “That must explain why your body is sucking me in.” 

He fingers you at a leisurely pace, committing to memory how he slips in and out of you. It feels as good as you fantasized earlier. His fingers are longer than yours, so they can reach deeper, creating a pleasant friction. Still, without your clit being stimulated, you could be here for a while. Something tells you that’s intentional. Unlike you, he’s in no hurry. He’d gladly spend hours between your thighs, playing with your body to his heart’s content. You don’t want to draw this out. You want to get fucked and have this terrible need alleviated.

“Professor?” 

“Hm?” 

“Won’t you please take care of me already?” You ask, loathing yourself for how easily the words come out. “I feel so strange. I-I don’t know what to do.” 

“An aphrodisiac will do that, darling girl.” 

So that’s what you ingested? You’ve heard of the concept, but you always thought it was confined to fantasy. If anyone could synthesize such a drug, it would be him. Frowning, you try to touch your clit, hoping that will bring you the release he’s keen on denying. He slaps your hand away and stops thrusting his fingers. 

“This is nothing compared to the torment I’ve experienced,” he brings his slick covered fingers to his mouth and sucks. You gawk at him as he savors your taste, your face burning. Once satisfied, he pulls them out with a pop. “So cease your whining. It won’t move me.” 

Sensing this exchange could go on forever, you opt for a new approach. “Anaxagoras, don’t you want to make me yours?” 

You hear his breath hitch when his full name leaves your lips. Encouraged, you prop yourself up on your elbows, undo your bra clasp, and fling it into a shadowy corner. Even in the low light, you note the crimson flush overtaking his features. You play with your tits, staring up at him through your eyelashes, almost pouting. He swallows thickly. You take your nipples in between your thumb and pointer fingers, twisting the pebbled nubs. 

He looks like he’s in pain from how hard he’s holding himself back. 

You need to seize this opportunity before he decides to lecture you for hours on end. Knowing him, it’s possible. 

“Please?” 

Anaxa curses beneath his breath. “Little vixen.” 

He pulls his length out, pumping the engorged flesh to the sight of your bare body. White pearls of precum seep from the tip. With one hand, he rubs the head along your opening, while the other holds your hip in place. Gradually, he pushes himself in, silently eyeing you as he does so. When you let out a pained noise, he stops. His thumb rubs reassuring circles against your skin. You turn your head away, frightened by the reverence etched into his visage. Why can’t he just get this over with? Why is he so intent on ensuring your physical comfort after wreaking havoc on your mind? 

“Deep breaths,” he instructs, as if this were any other lesson. “That’s it. Good girl.”

Anaxa presses his forehead against yours as he fills you to the hilt, his lips parting in an ‘o’. For a moment, you both just stay there, the sounds of your panting filling the air. He brushes his knuckles over your cheek, the skin around his eye softening. The intensity behind his stare bores into you. You frown and look away.

Don’t look at me like that, you think. Stop trying to make this something it isn’t.

He pulls himself out, your walls clenching around nothing in his absence. Then, eases himself back in, moaning your name as he does so. You feel his length pulsating inside you, heavy with want from his ruined orgasm. He takes you slowly, as if this were your wedding night. He caresses you all over, greedily exploring your body. When he settles on your tits, he fondles the soft flesh, swooping down to take a nipple in his mouth. You whimper as he lolls his tongue around it, before switching to the next and repeating the process all over again.

Despite how hot your body feels, you shiver. 

His lips glisten with saliva when he pulls back, contentment evident in his countenance. "Touch yourself for me, dear girl."

You do as he says and rub circles into your clit. Finally, he throws your leg over his shoulder and fucks you. What started as an uncomfortable stretch shifts into a deep, all-consuming pleasure. With each snap of his hips, you whimper a confused mix of vowels and consonants that somewhat resemble his name. This makes him lose what little restraint he had remaining. He pounds you into the bed, pulling your hips down to meet each thrust. 

“Fuck,” he rasps. You’ve never heard him curse before today. “You are the closest thing to the divine this world has.” 

This man, who barely gave others the time of day, chased after you like you were the key to understanding the universe. No matter what you’ve felt toward him, you’ve always been weak to his praise. It feeds this famished part of yourself that you never knew existed. 

He lavishes your neck with open-mouthed kisses, his hand moving to knead your bouncing chest. Your entire being is dominated by this heretic whose worship is indistinguishable from desecration. You try to focus on chasing your own pleasure, but he’s impossible to ignore. The scent of old books, the taste of honey, and the sounds of depravity lull you into a trance. 

It doesn’t take long for you to come undone on his cock. Your walls clamp down on him, earning a hearty groan. His fingernails dig into your skin, indicating that he’s not far off himself. 

He focuses on letting you ride out your orgasm. Once you go limp, however, it's his high that he fixates on. He manipulates your body to his liking and pounds into you. His hand rises to your jaw, where he holds you steady so that he can kiss you. He slants his lips against yours, nibbling and sucking your lower lip until it feels sore. His breathy moans increase in volume, as does the speed in which he fucks you.

He chuckles when he stops kissing you, drunk on the pleasure you're giving him. "Oh, you're even better than I imagined."

You stare up at him with heavy eyelids, and mumble, "'Imagined...?'"

"Yes, dear girl," he delights in confirming. "Right here, in this very bed."

You think your heart is beating fast enough to give out.

"All day, you distract me, and all night, you infest my dreams."

His thrusts are getting sloppier. He must be nearing his end, having strained himself to make this last as long as possible.

"So take what I give you," his voice comes out labored. "Everything. It's... ah... all for you."

Anaxa pushes himself as far as he can inside you, shuddering as he cums. The thick, viscous substance coats your walls, his load seemingly endless. You can feel his cock twitching while he fills you to the brim. Faintly, you realize you’re playing with fire, but you’re too fucked out to care. When he pulls away, his ample spend leaks out. He stares in awe, his glossy lips agape, utterly bewitched by this proof of your coupling. 

You wince as he gathers his cum along your folds, then pushes it back inside. Feeling overstimulated, you try closing your legs, but he holds them open, intent to look a while longer.

“You’re gross,” you manage in between labored breaths.

He collapses to your right, pulling you flush against him so your head rests on his heaving chest. 

“And you’re lovely,” he peppers kisses along your perspiring forehead. “Don’t be cross with me. You enjoyed yourself, didn’t you?” 

You don’t dignify that with a response. 

Anaxa smooths out your hair, tucking the strands back into place. While you come down from your respective highs, reality smacks you like a brick to the face. You grimace as you recall the semen dripping out of you. 

“I need a contraceptive.” 

You try getting up, but he tightens his grip, holding you hostage. 

“Do you?” 

“Yes, you bastard,” you writhe in his arms to no success. Panic starts to set in. How can you get some before it’s too late? Anaxa doesn’t share in your anxiety, he seems content to run his hands up and down your bare back. It occurs to you then that the solution might share its origins with the problem. “Make me one.” 

If it’s created by him, there’s no chance the worst could come to pass. 

“Didn’t you allude to favoring virility? Now’s my opportunity to prove myself.” 

“I will murder you in your sleep.” 

“And raise our offspring without a father? Ah, it’s a jest, there’s no need to thrash.” 

Thoroughly exhausted, you close your eyes, accepting that you won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Not until he wills it. “Anaxa, please. This isn’t funny. Just thinking about it makes me feel sick.”

“Anaxagoras,” he corrects. 

You flatly repeat his full name, much to his pleasure. 

“… I foresaw this happening. I’ve already prepared a contraceptive, allow me a moment.” 

He lifts himself with a grimace, likely worn out himself. You’re left on your lonesome as he enters the other room. A few minutes later, he returns with a pill and a glass of water. Wordlessly, you snatch the offerings, downing the pill with urgency. While you gulp down the water, he hands you a plain shirt. You place the empty glass on the nightstand and throw the garment on. It’s far too large, but you don’t mind. All you care about is covering yourself up. 

Frowning, you glance around, failing to locate an important article of clothing. 

“Give me my underwear back.”

“I’m afraid I’ve misplaced it,” he lies. You narrow your eyes as he gives you a pair of boxers instead. “This should suffice.” 

Next, you reach for your pants, but he grabs them before you can and holds them out of reach. “You don’t intend to walk back, do you?” 

“Why would I stay?” you mumble. He lifts them higher, denying your grasping hands. 

“I need to monitor you for potential side effects,” he explains. 

“...” 

You turn your back to him and lie down. Arguing is useless if his mind is made up. The mattress dips as he sits, but you remain motionless, even when his fingertips glide along your arm. Silence reigns while he maps out glyphs against your skin. Your emotions are in a complete disarray. Now that you’re not blinded by lust, his touch is akin to spiders on you. It’s a small mercy that he didn’t make the aphrodisiac as long lasting as he could’ve. 

The mere thought churns your insides. 

“I’ll need some time to compile the materials you requested.”

He pauses, processing the sharp shift in topic. “Is this about Styxia?” 

“What else?” you retort. “Have I not always delivered on what you ask of me?” 

You’re grateful you can’t see his expression. For once, you don’t want access to the inner workings of his mind. Let him remain an enigma. Every piece of himself he breaks off to give you will be thrown away. He’s cast you as his ruin; a role you eagerly accept. Shouldn’t you get to plot the trajectory of his downfall? It’s only right. You will take everything, hollowing him out until naught but a vessel remains, and he’ll allow it, because it’s you. 

The first fissure spreads. 

“You do, every time. Without exception,” Anaxa eventually affirms. “... I expect great things from our collaboration.”

The Great Performer takes his place by your side in this amphitheater you’ve both painstakingly constructed. 

[em0dog]

(assume its normal / ethical to have ur theriotype as a pet for this)

[baldudiable]

Astrology observations

Pisces/12th house Suns often struggle with knowing who they are. These placements look outside to discover the true nature of their being. They adapt the same habits or interests as people they admire because they don’t know where theirs lie. Pisces & the 12th house are associated with Neptune, the planet that dissolves everything it touches. The Sun is the ego, or your self-belief. When these energies collide, it’s hard knowing who you are and what you want to do with your life. This can be both a blessing and a curse; it makes you open to all kinds of experiences, and allows you to be freed from the need to control outcomes. But it can also lead you to lose yourself and waste time that you could've applied to certain aspirations, and ending up not accomplishing anything worthwhile. if you have any of these placements, it's important that you do some soul searching and find out what it is that you want to do & become.

Gemini is ruled by Mercury, the planet of knowledge and communication. Leo is the Sun, constantly showering the world with its light. Natives endowed with these placements looove talking about themselves and their interests. Leo is fixed, meaning it’s more likely to go deep than a mutable & easily bored Gemini. Combine the two, and you get an expert in any kind of medium. These guys are real yappers; once they are comfortable and start talking, you cannot stop them.

Wha they say about Leo Venus is true. These people love showering their love interest with affection and admiration. They will let the whole world know how they feel for them. Their lovers are an extension of themselves in a way, which makes them super proud and showy. What is also true is that they expect the same in return. Like Libra Venus, they love being in love. So much so that they stay in unhealthy and unsatisfying dynamics because they need to feel love for someone, and desperately want that love given back to them.

Pisces placements are clumsy. This water, Neptune-ruled sign, is ungrounded. Obstacles seem to just appear out of nowhere for them. They often bump into walls or people, hold things too lightly, and drop them. Aries placements are also destructive in that sense. They break things without intending to. Which makes sense considering they are Mars-ruled.

Arians enjoy partaking in physical fights or at least watching other people fight. Many men with this placement enjoy sports like MMA or wrestling. Either they are actively engaged in their practice or are interested. Ruled by Mars, Aries natives possess an innate sense of violence. Fighting helps them release the destructive anger they feel inside. 

Virgo Suns are surprisingly forgetful. Since they’re given this collected and organized stereotype in astrology, you’d expect them to always remember important things. But these natives always seem to lose their belongings, postpone answering their texts forever, and forget about loved ones' birthdays. They are so focused on their work or responsibilities that they forget about the actually important stuff.

Libra placements are actually very self-centered. Yes, Libra is the sign of relationships. Yes, it is about balance. But it’s on the same polarity as Aries—the sign of the Self, meaning they share similarities. Libras have the potential to be as self-obsessed and selfish as their counterpart. In this lifetime, they are learning what it means to cooperate and include others. Likewise, Aries placements can be relationship-oriented and generous with their possessions. Their purpose involves learning to share the self without sacrificing it in favor of others.

Scorpio Mars' anger can be explosive and, honestly, quite surprising. Natives keep it under wraps for long until it's just too powerful to contain. As they grow, they learn to tame it, as they know how destructive it can be. They also hate not having control over their emotions because they believe not being in control equals being weak. Unlike Aries Mars, these natives believe fighting means you have lost power over yourself and handed it over to the other. 

Taurus Mars embodies the lazy stereotype more than any other Taurus placement. Mars is energy and movement. Taurus is slow and enjoys comfort. This detrimental Mars doesn't enjoy physical effort. Good luck trying to rush them or get them to go somewhere far. They might give in eventually, but you can be sure they will complain the whole time.

A lack of Earth in a chart makes it difficult for you to orient yourself. Even if you've been to a certain place countless times, it's still hard for you to know which directions you have to take to go there.

[imsobadatnicknames2]

sorry to bother you and please delete this if it's too obnoxious but can you explain what was going on in that last post with the "smol bean hitler" thing I have cognitive issues and definitely want to block at least one of the people involved but I don't really understand what's being said?

Okay I don't blame you for not understanding it because there's a lot of context there. I will do my best to give a rundown of the situation and explain everything to the best of my ability, but my account of the events might be incompelte because I really didn't witness everything.

A little over a week ago, tumblr user siwolism made a post about how she watches a lot of videos about korean fried chicken, and she had noticed a trend in the comments of these videos: a lot of those videos had comments from americans (mainly black americans) bragging about how the only reason why koreans have fried chicken is because african-american soldiers took the recipe to korea during the korean war. She said that as a korean she found these comments uncomfortable because for korean people the korean war was an extremely bloody conflict and korea hasn't still fully recovering from its effects, and americans displaying such pride about any of the things they did during the korean war is an appalling display of american chauvinism. And that the fact that black americans were displaying the same chauvinistic mindset that she would have expected from whtie americans showed that being black or any racial minority in america doesn't exempt anyone from the privileges of american imperialism or the chauvinism of defending it.

At some point I got involved by making a comment on the post, about how I found it silly that people were insulting op and tagging the post as "#tw antiblackness" when all she did was complain that it's downright evil for americans, regardless of race, to joke about the time the USA invaded korea so violently that 1 out of every 10 koreans got killed.

(I still stand by that, considering that the post didn't complain about black ppl in america in general, only about the ones that she saw acting in a specific chauvinistic way, and despite how much people have accused her since of "singling out" black americans as the main beneficiaries or defenders of american imperialism, the post went out of its way to make it clear that this was just a manifestation of a wider problem that applies to all americans regardless of race)

I also made another addition to the post about how i think many of the people making those comments were probably motivated by the way so many african-american inventions in the US have their roots erased once they become popular with non-black people, but that in my opinion they were failing to understand that, despite how superficially similar they may look, "a black american telling a white american that they should be thankful because black people invented jazz and rock" is a fundamentally different situation from "a black american telling a korean that they should be thankful because black people brought fried chicken to them during the war", because the power dynamics between these two countries and the history of the korean war fundamentally changes the situation.

These additions in particular picked up a lot of steam, which somewhat accelerated the post in question breaking containment.

Siwolism was accused of being antiblack for using the term "amerikkka" in her post. Your mileage may vary on that one, but regardless of your opinion I don't think it invalidates any of the things she said in the post.

She was accused of erasing the racism and oppression that black people face in the USA. She repeatedly clarified that she (like any serious anti-imperialist) recognizes that racial minorities in the imperial core face racism and oppression, but that their oppression in that axis doesn't erase the fact that living in the imperial core puts them in a position of privilege over people in the imperial periphery.

She was also accused of erasing anti-black racism in korea (which is a complete non-sequitur tbh, unless you're interpreting her post as "all black people oppress all korean people" and not "black people in america have the capacity to act in imperialistic ways toward people in other countries"). She clarified that she thinks racial discrimination in south korea is a serious issue, that she faces a great deal of it as a north korean immigrant of hui chinese descent, but that she obviously doesn't have it as bad as the discrimination black people face in korea. However, she said the situation of a black person from korea and a black person from america is not the same with relation to imperialism, and when a black soldier is stationed in one of the numerous american military bases in korea they don't face the same struggles as a korean black person because they're acting as part of an imperialist occupying force.

As the post broke containment, she faced increasing levels of harassment. She started getting anons calling her anti-asian slurs, particularly someone who called her an "antiblack gook bitch", "gook" being a slur extensively used by american soldiers to refer to koreans during the korean war.

(that might have been the same person who left me an anon calling me a "fucking antiblack beaner" in response to my additions to silowism's post but who knows)

She also had multiple anons telling her that they hoped she and all her friends got killed by the next american soldier they encountered, which is especially vile considering that american soliders stationed in military bases in south korea have a history of killing and commiting sexual violence against korean women and facing no consequences for it, to the point that the US government coerced the South Korean government into signing a treaty that prevents any US soldiers caught comitting such acts from being tried in a South Korean court.

At some point she psoted the following meme

This is a meme that has been used numerous times on this website to make fun fo the way how a post gets misinterpreted in increasingly ridiculous ways as it gets further away from your mutual circle. I think it's clear that none of the categories on the right are targeted specifically at black people, but instead at the people running with the worst possible interpretation of anything she said in her post (a lot of whom weren't even black americans, I think it's important to acknowledge that a lot of them were white americans who were pissed of that imperialism were being called out and decided to amplify the accusations of racism because it was a progressive-sounding way to shut down discussions of american imperialism). Still, a lot of people ran with the worst faith interpreation of it and started talking about how she "literally said all black people are illiterate chimpanzees"

She also, at some point, after days of continued harrassment, told one of the people harassing her to hang themselves. Again, people ran with the worst possible interpreation of it to talk about how "she's literally sending lynching theats to black people"

Eventually the harassment was so much that she deleted her blog.

Almost two weeks later people keep playing telephone with increasingly outlandish misinterpretations of the things she said, resulting in the tags you saw screenshotted on the post you're referring to, where someone accused her of "implying black people invented imperialism"

so yeah like I'm not going to tell you who to block or even to block anyone at all, but that's my attempt at catching you up to speed on what's going on in that post.

[noperopesaredope]

I already wrote a similar posts on how fics of this nature annoy me, but I would like to push it further by saying that while I am fine reading it, I feel kind of weird about fics where the clones like Cody are constantly taking care of and basically babysitting their Jedi General or acting as a major emotional pillar for them.

I think the reason it makes me so uncomfortable is that not only are the clones already going through their own extremely horrific shit, but the Jedi are their superior officers and have a lot more systemic power over them. I will never stop saying that the clones are slaves, and while I don't see the Jedi as being their enslavers, I do think that they are essentially in a "master" position of power whether they like it or not. So it feels weird when the Jedi are more dependent on the clones and the clones need to basically take care of them and are always needing to look after them.

I'm a half-black American who is very passionate about African American history and anti-black systemic issues. And I can't help but be reminded of the tropes involving black characters whose are constantly forced into what is basically a caretaker role for white characters. Think of the Mammy, or the Black Best Friend, or the Magical Negro. The clones are already oppressed, already marginalized, and already forced to constantly back up and support the Jedi in charge of them. And then they are forced to be their Jedi's babysitter on top of all that.

Helping their Jedi out and generally caring about their wellbeing on places like the battlefield? Yes, that can be very sweet and often involves a lot of emotional care and trust.

Needing to force their Jedi to take care of themselves even off the battlefield and having a whole system/thing about how the Jedi "never take care of themselves and simply need the clones in order to do basic self care and not overwork themselves all the time while being oh so self-sacrificial"? Slightly weird and honestly seems to be the other way around based on both canon scenes and their respective circumstances.

I feel like perhaps part of this is just a general desire for angst and classic whump tropes, and sometimes it seems to be used as a way to showcase, "see! The Jedi do care about their troopers!" It seems like an example of the Jedi taking on the caretaker position and being the ones to protect the clones. But it almost always ends up resulting in the clones being forced into a support/caretaker role even when it seems like the Jedi is playing the role of caretaker.

Now, I don't think fics that follow this overall concept are super problematic or whatever. I also think some dynamics like this can work, such as with the Padawans and the clones (though that is for very specific reasons). I really don't want to spread too much negativity or say that anyone who writes this stuff is automatically racist or whatever. It's more of a personal discomfort/distaste than anything and people can write whatever they want, especially since I know the intent behind these tropes are often sweet in nature.

But I do think it's good for us to reflect on the parallels the clones have to real life issues and the way certain harmful tropes and mindsets can be perpetuated through metaphorical allegories (whether intentional or unintentional), and discuss the way we as a fandom treat the power dynamics between the clones and Jedi, especially in regards to things like shipping.

I don't know if I'm making any sense, but please tell me what you think, especially since I think it would be a good thing to talk about.

[tainbocuailnge]

dolls by design cannot move without someone external to them moving their limbs, so even if a living doll character can move on their own, they still implicitly have this relationship to others where they not only cannot resist being touched (and by extension controlled), they cannot do anything at all otherwise. dynamics of power and control are often eroticised, and doll joints immediately mark a character as slotting into this kind of dynamic, similar to how maid outfits are sexy to some people because of the dynamic of servitude they signify. this is the main point that the vast majority of self proclaimed doll enjoyers seem to latch onto, doll joints as visual shorthand for a dynamic of dependency that may or may not be sexual.

dolls exist to entertain someone and be loved by them, their sole purpose is quite literally to look pretty for their owner. this too is a popular erotic dynamic even when no dolls are involved. dolls are artificial creations, so a doll inherently exists the way it does because someone wanted it to. in some cases this is extended into its reverse: a doll does not exist without someone wanting it to, therefore, the doll is wanted because it exists. the very fact that the doll exists implies a fascination with either the doll itself or the one it's made to look like, because without this fascination it wouldn't exist to begin with. the doll exists to be loved, so you desire it by virtue of its existence, and this gives it a certain power over you despite its powerless nature. the most common cursed doll in media is one that is resentful over being abandoned. the desire for another is inherent to dolls and this is, obviously, erotic.

in my experience this is usually the angle when you're dealing with a sorcerer that made themselves a doll body or something like that. the tension between the doll and the force that moves it is resolved by having these be the same entity, so they're a doll to signify fascination instead, be it from or towards the one inhabiting the doll.

dolls are often associated with being fragile and delicate, especially the ball jointed type that living doll characters will usually invoke. they have to be touched in order to act, but cannot be touched without risk of breaking this precious delicate object. this tension of a body that both invites and discourages being touched is also erotic.

a doll's body is implicitly delicate, but it is also a body that can be repaired or replaced when it breaks. you can completely dismantle a doll without actually harming it, and in fact dismantling it is necessary to fix it in case it does break. a sentient doll's body would logically have to experience itself differently than a human flesh body. since you can open up and pull apart a doll in various ways without actually hurting it, there are naturally various ways to touch it erotically that you could never do with a living person, and because the doll by definition exists for you, this touch can be as painful or pleasurable for the doll as your proclivities dictate. for some reason fucking nobody on pixiv seems to agree with me on this point but this is a big one for me personally, the unique ways of interacting with doll bodies as extension and expression of the way a doll's body inherently has a complex and contradictory relationship with being touched. we're talking about a body made of gaps, go stick something in those for fucks sake.

a doll allowing itself to be taken apart to be repaired (or to have freak sex) is an incredible display of trust similar to that of robots letting you poke around their circuitry. it's an emotional intimacy that's only possible with this kind of artificial partner. the capacity for and necessity of occasionally being completely taken apart and reassembled to continue functioning, of exposing yourself entirely and putting your trust in someone's deft hands, is obviously erotic.

a doll cannot exist independently, and while its purpose is to be loved, it's rare for it to be thought of as an independent actor by anyone other than children. also, if the doll /isn't/ loved it becomes completely helpless, because it needs someone else to move it, be it literally or metaphorically. a living doll character will, sooner or later and thematically if not directly, have to contend with the fact that this is a horrifically stunted existence for a sentient being to have. a doll cannot meaningfully resist anything that is done to it, and its only blessing is that it has a body that can endure this. you can violate dolls both physically and emotionally in ways far more invasive than with a real person, and depending on your angle their very existence as a doll is a violation in itself, something that lends itself well to the overlap between horror and eroticism. this is another favourite of mine that I barely see reflected in what other people are cooking up in my field of vision.

even if a particular doll character doesn't tick any of these boxes regarding characterisation or relationships, the fact that they have doll joints anyway is a constant reminder of these associations, and this contrast is alluring in itself. independence does not come naturally to a doll, so a doll that acts freely is fighting a constant battle against its own nature. this is hot and extremely underutilized.

being denied agency because the material reality of your body makes you dependent on the goodwill of others is an experience many real people can relate to for a wide range of reasons, so living dolls are useful abstractions to explore these experiences and reframe these limitations as something that makes you desirable. unfortunately this leads to most of the dollposting on this site being really boring to me because its all like "what if i was cute and loved and didn't have to think for myself" instead of the horrific violation and unique physical experience parts that i'm personally interested in, but it's undeniably a major contributing factor to general doll enjoyment.

the presence of doll joints on a character invokes a relationship to the body and the people around them that lends itself well to various popular erotic dynamics, and which marks them as object of desire not entirely unlike how a womb tattoo marks someone as primed for fucking except for people who can't get off without metaphors. im sure for a lot of people it's really not any deeper than "it looks nice :)" and that's fair, I'm a pretentious elitist who thinks most people producing doll fetish stuff are boring about it though. stop drawing regular sex with more lines and stick your fingers in there NOW

[amirmeavid]

I feel like too many people skip over the class dynamics in Merlin.

I mean people love to get mad at Merlin for not telling Morgana about his magic. But in that scenario, Merlin would not be 'balancing the scales', like some kind of 'you know my secret I know yours' thing, but rather giving the princess/king's ward of his NATION power to have him burned at the stake.

And you could say Morgana would never use it, but the fact is Morgana was in a vulnerable position and yet also a position of power in comparison to merlin. Should she ever be on the verge of getting caught, or something similar Merlin would literally be the perfect diversion because he has no defence.

Morgana's word would be enough to get him done, and the fact that Merlin was ACTUALLY magical, meant he had no evidence to the contrary.

Morgana had a limited number of ways she could get caught, most of them involving directly outing herself to Uther. Merlin did not have the power to have her executed.

Morgana would have, if Merlin had told her.

They were not in the same position.

[kyuuumie]

this is just a ramble about billdip/billford since i’ve seen a bunch of posts and want to share my thoughts on it!

i find a lot of the comparisons between billdip and billford to be a bit off the mark. while it’s true they share some surface-level similarities—mainly because they both involve bill cipher and a “smart guy”—their dynamics are vastly different. in billford, ford initially placed an enormous amount of trust in bill. he practically revered him, as seen in the tapestries in his lab and all the one-eyed triangle symbols throughout the mystery shack. ford’s trust was so deep that he allowed bill to lead him down a dark path, ultimately resulting in betrayal. bill has since been shown relishing in taunting ford, making their relationship one of broken trust and regret.

on the other hand, billdip presents a way different dynamic. dipper never trusted bill in the first place. from the very beginning, their relationship was antagonistic. unlike ford, dipper wasn’t lured in by the promise of knowledge or power; he had to be manipulated, and even then, he was extremely hesitant to allow bill to possess him. bill never had dipper’s trust to betray, which sets the stage for a completely different kind of tension. in billford, the conflict stems from a deep betrayal of trust, whereas in billdip, it’s more about the struggle between manipulation and resistance, with dipper trying to outsmart someone he knows he can’t trust.

i want to clarify that i don’t hate or even dislike billford. they have an undeniably interesting dynamic, and under different circumstances, i’d probably be more invested in it. however, my enthusiasm for the ship is dampened by the behavior of some of its shippers. it often feels like many people ship billford not because they genuinely enjoy the dynamic, but rather out of a desire to distance themselves from billdip. it’s as if shipping billford has become a way to proclaim, “at least i don’t ship billdip.” but spite shouldn’t be the driving force behind creating content for a ship. shipping should be about passion, about enjoying the dynamic and wanting to explore it through art, writing, and discussion because it genuinely interests you.

that said, i do wish people would keep the discourse civil and avoid leaving hateful comments about either ship. unfortunately, that might be asking for too much in fandom spaces. but it would be nice to see more respect and understanding for different preferences, even if we don’t all share the same ships ૮꒰ ˶> ༝ <˶꒱ა

[cairoblair]

a deep dive, as promised. i was wrong in my initial assessment of the new lore. so, now that i have a better understanding of what’s going on, let's discuss.

Sylus Lore

Included: Dragon Myth and Main Story, references to other memories Length: 3k+ words ━━��❁༺━━━━

Part 1: Dragon Myth

Sylus was too human to be dragon, but too dragon to be human. His dragon kin were killed, but he was taken by the humans until they realized he had horns. The humans tried to kill him 108 ways and failed, but the 109th succeeded, and that was MC.

MC was a sorceress who was also cast out of society. In the abyss that she was stuck in, she hears Sylus’ voice and sees a vision of his shadow on the wall - a dragon bound by chains with a sword through his chest. He tells her to make a deal with him, if she wants to live. She pulls the sword from his chest, seemingly gaining a part of his soul as she does so.

His right eye still has the power to see and manipulate desires, much like it does in the current timeline. It seems MC’s power still comes from her heart, as she describes most of the pain and other sensations as being in her chest. This is a direct correlation to their aether cores - which, I’m beginning to believe were also present in this past life. I will explain my theory on this later.

Throughout the story of this myth, souls are spoken about many times. Dragons consume human souls, Sylus and MC’s souls are intertwined, etc. Their story, across every timeline, centers on this concept. From MC gaining a part of his soul, to them fully exchanging half of their souls, to MC cursing his after he dies - souls are the focal point of their dynamic.

The mark Sylus leaves on her neck seems to allow her to feel his desires - it pulses and hurts whenever he is hungry for another soul. It seems that whenever they make physical contact - specially when blood is involved - they both experience each other’s desires and sensations. This sends them both into a frenzy-like haze, but for what reason exactly? The curse? Their souls? The aether cores? What exactly is the trigger for this reaction? My answer: All of the above.

As we know, the dragon’s curse says that a dragon will kill his lover. But, MC is destined to be his archnemesis - the only one that is capable of killing him. So, on her third attempt, he forces her hand, plunging the greatsword into his chest instead of sinking his claws into hers. He tells her, "You must press on. Because if you don't, there's no going back." The meaning here is debatable. For one thing, if MC doesn't succeed in killing him, he will kill her. This is his fate. Part of me also wants to believe that he knows she is capable of binding their souls in a way he cannot. Which she proceeds to do.

In the valley that he managed to take her to, his scales crystallize and his body turns to flower petals. It is at this point that MC curses his soul to never truly die, not without her offering him a true death. It is only then that she grows horns and a tail, and becomes one with her dragon.

Some noteworthy things in this myth: - Sylus' right eye and MC's heart/chest → aether cores - The emphasis on souls → Death & Rebirth - Sylus' greed and encouragement of MC's → present timeline dynamic. He wants her to be greedy enough to take what she wants, regardless of the consequnces. He wants her to be greedy for him. - "Prove to me that you can be stronger." → "Relax. You can handle it." Long-Awaited Revelry & "You never doubted yourself. Or my capabilities, for that matter." - Death & Rebirth & Sylus' monologue to Dimitri (keep reading for full voice line) - The voice in MC's head (kill him, it is yours to take, etc.) → Long Awaited Revelry - "If he's going to treat me like a pet cat, he shouldn't be surprised if he gets scratched." → "Kitten" - The importance of music → Continuous Symphony - "Stay by my side until the end of time." → Similar quotes in various memories - Half of their souls exchanged → Souls mentioned various times in main story and memories - Flower crown, flower petals, MC's placement of the flowers on Sylus → Valleydream Bloom - The valley outside Tarus - Valleydream Bloom scenery - "Had your fill? Seen enough?" → "Well? Did you get your fill? If not... I can give you more." Valleydream Bloom - "Our souls are bound. We will never betray each other even if Doomsday arrives outside this Sanctuary. Even if the world crumbles. This promise will never be broken." → "Sorry, but your soul doesn't have the privilege of leaving whenever it wants. I will keep you bound to me for all of eternity. Our connection transcends this place and this world." Death & Rebirth

━━༻❁༺━━━━

Main Story

There's a lot to unpack here, so let's start at the very beginning.

As mentioned in Death & Rebirth, MC had dreams of her and Sylus battling in an "intergalactic arena," where they battled wanderers in front of a crowd. Whether this was located on another planet or simply somewhere in space is unclear. They were then encouraged to fight each other to the death, to which Sylus refused and insisted they escape. In doing so, they caused a nebula that carried them away from that place. MC does not recall this escape, but Sylus does, and they talk about this in Death & Rebirth. "But when we faced each other, you didn't attack. Instead, you took my hand and asked if I wanted to escape together. That nebula was more chaotic than an abyss. I didn't see how it ended... Did we manage to escape?" "What do you think? If we hadn't, then who exactly are you talking to right now?" "We're pretty special, huh."

Upon landing on earth, MC is taken by EVER to the Gaia Research Center, and Sylus lands in the N109 zone pre-Chronorift Catastrophe. He emphasized that this was not a coincidence - therefore insinuating that he went there purposefully. We can assume he knew where MC landed, and sought her out after arriving.

He was the one to free MC from the research center. What happens immediately after is unclear, but we can assume Josephine leaves EVER, taking MC with her, and the Chronorift Catastrophe happens soon after. This leaves MC without her memories, given she does not remember anything that happened prior, while Sylus remains in the N109 Zone.

We know Sylus has been tracking her for some time. We see a glimpse of Mephisto in the no-hunt zone early on in the game. Therefore, we can assume Sylus knows everything she has done in her young adulthood, since she became a hunter at the very least. Let's take a close look at their "first" meeting. Having Sylus appear on the bell tower is a deliberate choice, in my opinion. In his myth, he and MC stay at a chapel for quite some time. Most chapels have a bell tower at the very top, so this seems like a parallel. An omen, if you will.

He once again mentions souls: "Even if you wanted to sell your soul, you still have to find someone who can pay the price." I think this insinuates something. For one thing, Sylus knows her soul is not entirely her own. She has half of his, and he has half of hers. Also, he is likely the only one who is not only willing, but able, to pay the price.

When he attempts to use his right eye, MC is immediately plagued by visions. Her hands are covered in blood - exactly the same as the scene in the myth. This reappears later as well. This gives me more evidence to support my theory that these aether cores have existed in them since their past life. Perhaps it is the aether cores themselves that hold these memories. 

She lashes out due to these visions and the pain she feels because of them. After slicing his cheek, he says, "Is this how you greet a new friend? I guess you don't remember anything. Allow me to jog your memory." Originally, I believed this only referred to their past life, but I think he's talking about something else as well. They've met in this life before. There is much to remember. "From your past to your future... To even all the crimes you'll inevitably commit. After all, you and I...we're the same. True kindred spirits." He knows the power she wields, even though she doesn't know the extent of it yet. He's seen it firsthand. He's been aware of the aether core, given he has his own. They are the same in more ways than one. Not only are they kindred spirits, but their souls are one in the same as well. He has waited for her since they were separated - which he never wanted to happen in the first place. I will reference one of his monologues in Magnum Opus, where he compares them to flowers who were forced to grow in different soils, despite being meant to grow together. He calls it a cruel twist of fate. Now, yes, Sylus is quite rough with MC in Long-Awaited Revelry, but I truly believe it's because he knows what she's capable of, how much she can handle. Not to mention the fact that she doesn't remember him after everything they've been through, everything he's done for her. I'd be pretty pissed too. They have a lot of trouble resonating. Whether it's truly because of what the shop-keeper said or not is up for debate. He, of course, says that it's because she finds Sylus quite repulsive. You can see the hurt and frustration on his face during that scene. But, I'm tempted to believe it's something deeper. In every timeline, Sylus and MC have been destined to kill each other. This is obvious both in his myth and in Death & Rebirth. He blatantly says it: "Either I kill you, or you kill me." This seems to be written in the stars. So, is this the true reason they couldn't resonate? Was it not supposed to be possible? Is this why Sylus was trying so hard? Perhaps it's an attempt to challenge fate itself, since he's been known to do such things (having the sorceress kill him instead of vice versa). He’s not willing to accept the script the universe has given them. No, he’s going to write his own, once again. 

The first time they resonate is after they fight the wanderer for the aether core fragment. In the midst of the deepspace tunnel appearing, Sylus once again says, "You must press on." But, he says something interesting afterwards. "The life you owe me - now is not the time to repay it." Is this referring to the life she owes him because she took his? Or because he saved hers? Either way, I don’t believe the debt he’s referencing has to do with her dying in order to repay it. She owes him a life lived with him, not away from him. When they resonate, it is noticeably different than the times she has resonated with the other LIs. "Unprecedented power swells between our intertwined fingers. Instantly, I feel a tremor from deep within my heart. Something flows through my veins." We can assume this, and the energy linkage around their wrists, is a result of their aether cores. Now, we don't truly know what these are, but I have a theory. They're made of an unknown material, but I imagine they have to come from space, as most materials of this nature do. If this is the case, let's assume all aether cores come from the same original source, and that they were scattered by some explosion or nebula. This would most likely mean that, like protons and electrons, aether cores gravitate towards one another. This would be a reasonable cause for the energy link and the effect Sylus' eye has on MC. So, I’m going to conclude that the aether cores have an innate need to be in close proximity to each other - hence, the energy link between Sylus and MC. This also may be in connection to their souls and how intertwined they are. I also have reason to believe these aether cores were present in their previous life, as I mentioned earlier. Therefore, could the aether cores be connected to their souls, rather than their bodies? They seem to follow them through time and space, keeping the two of them connected no matter what timeline or world they find themselves in. And, with their fate to be each other’s demise, do these aether cores override this destiny? Is this why they’re able to resonate? 

Now, I'd like to examine a conversation they have in Long Awaited-Revelry: "But before I started resonating with you, I saw a strange vision..." "It's not a big deal. From now on, you'll be seeing more things like that." "So that...was real?" "If I say yes, will you give me a sincere apology? This world is different from what you see. But I'm not in the mood to tell stories at the moment."

I don't think it's his mood that's stopping him. We've seen time and time again that Sylus is desperately trying to get MC to remember him on her own. This is evident in his cards, most notably Valleydream Bloom. Now, whose skeleton is it? His? MC's? The valley is too similar to the one in Tarus for it to be a mere coincidence. It's also quite obvious in Continuous Symphony, given the tune he plays is the same one she played as the sorceress. And, somehow, she remembers it. He doesn’t want to be the one to tell her everything, to convince her that it’s true - she needs to discover it on her own. 

One more thing that caught my interest was one of the last text screens in Long-Awaited Revelry. The bell is tolling. "It's almost like an announcement, as if the world is saying... The true leader of Onychinus has returned." Literally translated, Onychinus means "of the marble called onyx." AKA, the stone that Sylus' scales turned into as he died. 109 also references the final attempt at killing the dragon - the one that succeeded. This is likely what he was aiming for with the name. MC didn't realize it before Death & Rebirth, but she lived in the N109 Zone when she was kept in the Gaia Research Center. Of course, the name was different then - given the city fell after the Chronorift Catastrophe. The “N” is the only thing I’m stuck on, as I can’t pinpoint a reason for it. But, I have reason to believe that the naming of the N109 Zone and Onychinus were meant to be hints to MC, to draw her into remembering their shared past. This much seems pretty obvious. 

In Death & Rebirth, MC wanders the halls of the Gaia Research Center. There is information on Xavier, Rafayel, and Zayne. We already know Caleb's history with EVER, so I don't believe we need to dive too deep into that at this point. The only person they don't have a room dedicated to is Sylus. Like us, he is not of this world. He arrived, saved us, and remained in the N109 Zone after the Chronorift Catastrophe. He is the reason it was rebuilt - he’s the creator of it, in a way. But, since this is the case, where is he from? Who is Sylus, really? He mentions in his myth that his name was of ancient origin on Philos, but MC couldn’t pronounce it. She gave him his name, and it has stuck to this day. Sylus’ body died that day of the 109th attempt, but his soul never did thanks to her curse. So, when was he reborn? And to whom? Or are we both simply children of the cosmos, born of something else entirely? 

While he’s killing Dimitri, he has several very interesting voice lines. First of all, he agreed to bring MC before him - and he clarifies that he made this deal when he rescued her. That must have been easily fourteen years ago. Was this a deal made in order to get her out? Maybe to keep her escape quiet? Or, was Sylus simply waiting for the day that he and MC could take Dimitri down together? “You underestimated how much she’s grown. Look at you, thinking she’s still the little girl whose life you held carelessly in your hands. Like every gambler who overestimates themselves, you are not as clever as you think you are. Get a nice long look. It’ll be your last. And do your best to remember the person who brought about your downfall. Die with a smile for us, alright?” Many things to point out here. Sylus has kept an eye on MC for some time - he’s likely seen how much she has truly grown, especially now with the spatium core. He probably knew what Dimitri would try to do when he came face to face with MC once again, and Sylus was fully prepared to deal with the aftermath. Especially now that MC remembers some of her past. That’s always been his end goal, hasn’t it? To see her be stronger, to be able to hold her own, then to stand by her side as they forge a new path for them both. 

Sylus has a strange sense of peace about him following this interaction. Despite what they’ve been through, and despite what fate has cursed them with, she remembers. At least enough to know that she and Sylus have met before, and that he escaped with her, and saved her. He has only ever wanted to protect her, to be close to her, no matter the cost. He couldn’t back then, but now, he has a chance. And he will not let it slip away again. 

“When I pulled you out of that giant glass tank… You looked like you were in so much pain that you wanted to die. If it really hurts, then stop. Don’t force yourself… And don’t ever make that face again while you’re at it.”

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If you made it to the end, thank you. This took me several hours, as I had to compile various different parts of the story and find specific parallels to reference. I absolutely adore what Infold has done with Sylus and MC's story. Before Death & Rebirth, I felt like their past was lacking. Yes, we had his myth, but no connection beyond that. Now, everything is starting to make sense. I cannot wait to continue putting these puzzle pieces together.

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Edit: 5/21/2025

Part 3: Anecdote

I was reminded of Sylus' anecdote, and went back through it to try to fit it into this timeline. Here's my theory:

This story takes place post-escape from the arena, but before Sylus lands on earth. The "intergalactic prison" mentioned in the anecdote sounds suspiciously like the arena MC saw in her new memories. But, Sylus is described as the only one to have ever managed to escape this prison, so while part of me believes this escape was the one we learned about in Death & Rebirth, I don’t think that’s the case. Rather, this jail could be another place altogether - somewhere Sylus was taken after the escape while MC ends up on earth. Either way, we can assume that after the nebula (caused by their escape from the arena), MC lands on earth, and Sylus ends up somewhere else entirely. This would make sense as to why he's still in space during the anecdote. After pillaging Feathers Star, he learns the "Eye of Aether" is elsewhere - the N109 Zone. I think we have reason to believe this "Eye of Aether" is actually the aether core inside MC. In chapter 6, page 4 of his anecdote, this line caught my eye. "Sylus observes the map, a touch of melancholy in his gaze." Melancholy? Why? I believe he realizes the aether core he is after is now implanted in the girl he once knew, the girl he escaped with. This may be part of his motive to break her out of the research center.

Perhaps, after their escape, he was unsure where MC ended up. We see a lot of references to fate and destiny in their lore, so maybe everything that happened post-nebula was fate pulling them back together.

━━༻❁༺━━

Do I think this theory is 100% right? Definitely not - there are still some things that don't add up. My main question is this:

In MC's memories of the arena, she remembers herself and Sylus being children. However, in his anecdote and in the new Timelock Key: Sylus: Shadowed Past story, it seems as though he's an adult. I could be off here. We know Sylus (if he is in fact 28) is at least four years older than MC, so he very well could've been in his teens at the time. His age has been unclear throughout his lore. This makes the timeline a little confusing, but I'd like to believe I'm on the right track.

[tubes-and-dice]

I fucking love the dynamics between the ‘people’ and the ‘avatars’ in NSBU.

G13 is using Usha, because he’s a hacker and a manipulator, and she’s exactly the kind of person who can be easily scammed. Haunting. Spine-chilling. Cool as fuck, truly unbelievable storytelling, and it’s developed so organically!

On the other hand, Vic is mentoring Wendell in a way, and we got to see them really sync up this episode, working together to advance the narrative and protect their people. Wendell totally gets the kind of person that Vic is, and I think that helps him take Vic’s advice as the more experienced person- but also know that he’s not always going to be right.

Paula and Jack are sort of… misaligned. She keeps trying to find guidance from him, but they’re almost too similar? Jack so far that we’ve seen is very hands-off, and doesn’t seem all that worried about Paula- or his own family. Whereas Paula of course cares deeply about Jack’s family already, because she’s much more involved and familial minded than what we’ve seen of Jack.

Liv and Kingskin are, I think, the most compatible duo. Liv has settled nicely into her role in some ways, the control and power it grants her suits her well, and it feels like Kingskin likes her because of that? But at the same time her compassion for others is making such a notable difference in the way that she’s able to interact with people in Kingskin’s circles that it feels like he could learn as much from her as she’s learning from him. They feel like the most balanced pair, with the most mutual respect.

Dang doesn’t match Stocks’ vibe at all. He’s trying to do the cool action movie things, he’s playing into the role really well at times- but who Dang is, really, doesn’t sync up. His morals and priorities are very different from Stocks’- for good and bad alike. There’s very little connection between the two, it feels like- to me it reads as Dang just trying to fill the shoes of this Bond-like character, more than anything. Sometimes he’s really able to pull it off, and sometimes it just… doesn’t work. Stocks isn’t helping him. He’s on his own- which it seems is perhaps a norm for Dang.

Then of course, Russell. Russell and Jennifer are not a team at all- what Russell is learning from this experience, he’s learning from simply being Jennifer, not from communicating with her. He’s a man who we know is used to being attractive, used to being complimented and unused to being told off for the way that he behaves. I love the way that Ally’s taken his character as Jennifer- because he isn’t Jennifer. He’s Russell. He doesn’t want to wear a skin-tight bodysuit, he wants to get a baggy shirt to hide this form that he’s not used to, and work with the new skills that he has.

Idk I just think it’s super super cool that all of the players are working within the mechanic so differently, and I think every single manifestation of this dynamic makes so much sense for the characters that it’s just astounding. This last episode was such a good show of these dynamics and the impact they actually have on the plot.

[skipppppy]

I LOVE Chilchuck x Senshi with all my heart and I am not hating on it IN THE SLIGHTEST however I do think their dynamic is way better if they don’t fuck despite every sign in the universe wanting them to. Chilchuck canonically HATES when party members get romantically involved and goes out of his way to avoid said relationships with his team. Senshi is too hyperfixated on monster food and ecosystems to even CONSIDER that someone would find him attractive, and part of him still infantilises Chilchuck despite them being at a similar maturity.

All this to say that peak Chilshi would be them in increasingly compromising situations and both of them refusing to do anything about it despite wanting to out of sheer spite. One of them loses a bedroll so they have to share. Everytime they fall/get knocked out they wind up landing on one another in sensual positions. One night they get separated from the party and wind up locked in a room with rose petals scattered about the floor and a candlelit dinner on the table with 2 glasses of wine set up for them. They hate this SO MUCH but they keep falling deeper and refusing to admit it. Laios and Marcille are both convinced they’re fucking on the dl. When Falin is revived she assumes Senshi is Chilchuck’s new boyfriend and no one tells her otherwise. They would be the slowest of slow burns due to their sheer concentrated power of not wanting to get involved in each-other’s bullshit

[sweetestberryofthebunch]

The Wandavision Double Feature Show (Agatha Harkness x Reader)

In a town terrorised by the mind control of a grieving witch, you’re Bella Swan. Well, not entirely, but the look on Agatha’s face when you’d said it like that was too good to miss out on. Still, there was no explanation to it. You weren’t magick, at least you’d never thought you were, but when your entire hometown, including your poor parents, began to play the charades the Scarlet Witch had created, you were completely unaffected. It’s like you’re immune to it, your mind protected by a firm, unwavering shield. Luckily for you, Agatha finds you before the witch behind the Westview Hex does. She offers a simple deal. Her protection in exchange for your loyalty. And, Technicolor or not, how could you ever resist the twinkle of those eyes?

~ a collection of snippets of your time with Agatha during the Westview Hex; Loose on plot, heavy on smut ~

Part I: And … Action!

In this Episode it is the 50s and you are sent out to spy on Wanda for the first time. Agatha realises just how much you aim to please, and decides to have a little fun with that.

Content/Warnings: imbalanced power dynamics, mentions of light choking, r definitely has a praise kink, mommy kink, no smut in this one yet but dw i‘m already three fingers deep into part 2

5k+ words

„Strip.“

„What?“, your mouth fell open, staring at her wide eyed. You were standing in her bedroom, already an insane enough thing to happen within knowing her for less than 48 hours. But hearing her stern voice order you to take off your clothes definitely topped that.

Agatha didn’t even look over her shoulder, unbothered by your confusion as she pushed open the winged doors to the gigantic closet across the room. There had to be a similar magic involved in it like the basement, there was no way a closet this size just fit into the second store of a little suburban house.

She’d brought you here after finding you on the streets, a single, vibrant blob of color in the new, black and white reality of Westview. You’d been shaking, eyes swollen from crying, Why was everything black and white? Why was your apartment suddenly occupied by a random couple you‘d never met before, declaring they had to sell milkshakes from the empty store beneath your studio now, because she had told them too. Why? And why was everyone dressed so differently, so … vintage?

Agatha had been the only bright, carefree face you’d seen after hours of stumbling around lost in town square. She had been just as confused about seeing you, too, but her initial surprise quickly turned into intrigue.

Her house was a safe haven, the first time since you’d woken up in this upside down reality you didn’t feel exposed, didn’t feel like a lab rat under a bright lamp, vulnerable, unable to run.

She‘d made you tea and you‘d sat on her couch, telling her everything that had happened. And, thankfully, she already knew. So you weren’t crazy.

The things she’d told you … witchcraft, magick, hexes and mind control … if you hadn’t seen it for yourself, you wouldn’t have believed it. Slowly, as you listened to her and nodded, you saw the color drain from yourself too, slowly fitting into this new world, this hexed Westview.

„I just don’t understand why“, you‘d eventually confess, and the witch - Agatha was her name - had shrugged.

„We’re going to find out.“ she’d leaned closer to you, hands clasping together underneath her chin as she smirked at you, „The same way we’re going to figure you out.“

Because if all of Westview had been hexed, you should have been too. But you weren’t. And, as you found out after Agatha had assigned you a room in her home she placed a twin sized bed in it with the flick of her wrist (you almost fell over in surprise). You learned from her that she couldn’t read your mind either.

And while you were too busy pouting over the fact she’d tired in the first place, she’d just shrugged it off. Because that lead to one conclusion. You seemed to have some kind of resistance, an immunity to any witchcraft. A shield around your mind, like a camouflaged helmet.

That night, before you’d curled into the new bed, you had made her a promise. Her protection and guidance in this hexed town, in return for your loyalty in her plan.

„What plan?“, you’d asked before retreating to your room, and the bewildered glow in her eyes had sent a shiver down your spine.

„We‘re going to get the Scarlet Witch, and we are going to take this power away from her.“

“Take your clothes off“, Agatha said now, back in her bedroom again, starting to rustle through the racks. The sound pulled you out of your memories, and you immediately felt the heat rising to your head.

„This is a 50s sitcom.“, Agatha explained, „You’re not meeting our lead actress in a graphic tee and jeans.“

When you still made no attempts to strip, she turned around with an exasperated sigh, palm pressing against her forehead. There was a pale dress draped over her arm, the fabric swinging as she raised her hands in a dramatic gesture, pointing at you.

„My Goodness, are you Mormon? Go change in the bathroom if you need to, there’s a robe hanging at the door.“

Finally, you made your way over to the bathroom she gestured towards, only stopping when she called out your name again.

„Honey, turn back around.“

You Stopped and did exactly as she said, turning around with one hand on the door already. A smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth at your compliance, and you felt your stomach twist at the sight.

The witch gave you a long, studious look. Like your face was a canvas she had yet to decide what to paint on. A project she was still mapping out. You shifted from one foot to the other, glancing anywhere but right at her piercing eyes.

„Take everything off. Including piercings“, one more glance at your ears, „Especially piercings.“

„All of them?“, the potential implications of your question only dawned on you when the words had already left your mouth, and you immediately wanted to sink into the ground, „I mean … I don’t-“

„Oh my!“, Agatha let out a low giggle, the amusement on her face undeniable as her eyes slowly wandered down your front, over your chest and lower, to the zipper of your jeans. You felt like your skin was going to burn right off under her gaze. Own eyes fixated on your toes, you didn‘t dare to look up even as the tips of her pumps stepped into view.

„That entirely depends on how much you decide to reveal“, she chuckled. Two fingers hooked underneath your chin, nails digging into your skin just slightly. Her grip was steady but not painful, forcing you to meet her eyes. One of her brows raised up in an almost cocky smirk, observing you like a lioness observed her unassuming prey. Watchful, but aware of her upper hand over the situation. Your breathing stopped, eyes wide, brain unable to form a single sentence. God, you wanted to sink into the ground in embarrassment.

The grin on Agatha‘s face was smug, entirely pleased with your reactions to her.

„Just remember this is a first meeting between two neighbours in the fifties. Maybe let her take you to dinner first.“

Before your brain could muster up an answer, she‘d already let go of you, turning back towards the closet. „Go change“, she called over her shoulder, waving you off, „Take a shower if you need to.“ You decided to ignore the obvious jab and do exactly that.

It turned out that playing dress up for this distorted reality was quite fun. After showering, Agatha had twirled your hair into little curls, letting it dry like that as she led you through each piece of your new attire displayed neatly on the big canopy bed.

With each piece of clothing you‘d slowly feel yourself emerge deeper into the world, feeling less out of place. Agatha had curled and then pinned your hair up, and you had slipped in various undergarments, stockings, and a metal wired bra with cone-like cups that weren’t fitted to your actual chest at all.

„I don’t hate this! I look like Madonna“, you commented, giving the full undergarments a onceover in the mirror.

„Ouch!“

Your hand came up to hold the ear Agatha had flicked with her finger, turning around to stare at her in accusation, „What was that for?“

„Madonna isn’t even a concept yet“, she reminded you, shaking her head at your dramatic reaction to what really had not been that painful at all, „Drop the modern references, you can’t let her know you’re not under the hex!“

You pushed your bottom lip forward into a little pout, remembering the notes she’d made you take on etiquette, culture and speak of the era you were trapped in. “I won’t slip up!“, you promised, „I was just … pointing that out. I‘m lifting up the team spirit!“

„Thank you for the amazing contribution“, Agatha dead panned with a little roll of her eyes, before nodding towards the little chair by the vanity again. She held a small case of some pressed powder in one hand and a big, fluffy brush in the other. „Now sit down, you can lift your spirits later. We’re not even close to being done.“

The checkered dress Agatha had picked out for you was beautiful. Bright shades formed the pattern on the cotton fabric that had you wonder what its actual colors were. The shades of grey that the world had been tinted in since the Hex were brighter than what Agatha was wearing. A part of you wanted to know if she’d dressed you in contrary or complimentary shades. The same part that wanted to see the colors she dressed herself in at all, that wondered if her eyes were blue or green. But, there was no way to know that now, not until the two of you managed to break this hex. So it was time to focus on that.

You had on multiple layers of underskirts, the cone bra, and a corset that was pulling you together from your ribs all the way below your hipbone, and the dress itself came with a little fabric belt held right at the nip of your waist, a few buttons at the front as decoration.

You felt yourself inhale sharply when you felt Agatha‘s delicate fingers tie it together in the back, giving both ends of the belt a little tug. You stumbled backwards, just a single step, but it was enough to suddenly feel her warmth against your back, body brushing against yours. You jumped at the sudden contact, eyes wide as they found hers in the mirror, slowly wandering down your body.

„Relax Darling“, she smiled, one hand adjusting the little bow she’d tied at your back, the other coming up to brush some of the curls she’d so intricately pinned into place back over your shoulder.

She exposed your neck and shoulder, all the way to your collarbones, where she had placed a single necklace with a pale gemstone.

You swore you could see the tip of her tongue dart out, licking her lips mere inches from the shell of your ear.

If you were braver, you’d roll your head to the side, expose more of the silky skin of your neck to her, offer yourself up right then and there. Maybe even beg her to taste your skin just once. Just for the slight chance she might actually do it.

But you weren’t brave like that, you were not even brave enough to meet her eyes right now, despite having no problems staring at the dazzling woman when she didn’t notice. So all you did was swallow hard, eyes fixed on the hands in your lap, covered by a little pair of white gloves.

You didn’t see the way Agatha’s eyes watched your throat move, didn’t notice how her hands ran through your fluffy curls just a little longer than necessary, before pulling away to stand upright behind you, hands coming to rest on your shoulders, giving them a little squeeze.

“We’re done”, she announced, a satisfied little smirk on her stained red lips, admiring the work she’d done on you.

And certainly, you were completely transformed, looked like an entirely different person. The dress fit you surprisingly snug, you wondered if that also was part of her magic, your hair styled almost the exact same way as hers, both of your lips painted dark, both of your cheeks covered in blush. With her hands on your shoulders like that, you almost looked like a vintage photograph, the kind you kept on your bedside table. It made your insides feel like they were boiling.

In the small hall by the front door, your feet slid into little black pumps, polished to shine enough that the light reflected off the matte fabric. You stood back up, rolling your shoulders before taking the plate of freshly baked apple pie from the counter beside you. A small, unassuming gesture. Just a neighbor introducing themselves with a homemade pie. The perfect beginning to any storyline.

Agatha watched you from the door, nodding in approval when you gave a little spin to show off your final look.

“And remember“, she said, matter of factly, „you are just stopping by in town for a little while, staying with Agnes, your … mother in law.”

“Really?” You had to hold back a laugh, giving her a curious look, “that’s the story you made up for us?”

“It’s the fifties, remember”, Agatha replied. Her hand found the small of your back, fingers hooking underneath your belt, pulling you back until you were pressed against her. She was so close, you could feel the words she murmured into your ear, voice low and raspy, “We can always rewrite the plot later.”

You almost dropped the pie right then and there.

Just like that, she had already stepped away from you, letting out a little giggle that sounded a lot more like Agnes again. Her hands found yours, clasping over them, stabilising your grip on the porcelain plate again.

„So I am … married“, the words felt strange on your lips, and you had to hold back a nervous laughter. If this was supposed to work, you’d have to work on your acting skills.

Thankfully, Agatha came to help you out immediately. „To mine and Ralphs Beautiful boy … Bartholomew.“

Now you had to laugh, shaking your head at her. How she was able to just say things like that with a straight face was beyond you. You‘d better catch up to her soon.

„Yes of course“, repeating the story to her, you pushed your tongue into your left cheek.

„My husband Bartholomew, who works in the city.“ Your eyes found hers, and you bit the inside of your cheek. Goodness, even in this black and white reality, you could see the brightness of her eyes. You were longing to see them in color, wanting to know what they looked like when they caught the sun. Focus!

“And your husband Ralph, who is the guy you keep chained up in the basement.“ The look you gave her at that was a mix of concern, uncertainty and a little bit of accusation. The fact that she’d basically just taken over some poor guys house and banished him into the magical dungeon she’d summoned was a bridge you hadn’t yet crossed.

Agatha nodded along as you spoke, a wicked little grin on her lips. „We feed him twice a day, don‘t we? He will be useful later. Until then, he’s gonna be just fine down there.“

Her hands wandered from your hands up to your wrists, clasping around them. You weren’t sure if it was an act of encouragement, or a subtle warning. And you certainly weren’t going to ask. Your skin was already prickling with goosebumps from the touch alone.

Agatha‘s voice was low, the air around her vibrating with power.

„He hasn’t complained since I gave him his Xbox, and they haven’t even invented that out here. It’s best to keep him where he is for now.“ She inched closer, grip on your wrists tightening, effectively pinning you in place. Your breathing stopped.

Her voice had dropped to merely a whisper now, and you swore you could see a single flash of purple in her eyes. The only color you’d seen since all of this had started.

“Ralph is none of your concern, we need him alive and well for later.“, she was so close, you could feel the husk of her words on your face.

“Your job is to be a good little pet and do as I say. Your loyalty for my protection. Understood?“

After swallowing hard, you gave a small but firm nod. „Understood.“

After a few more seconds, she dropped her hands. The mask of Agnes slipped on and off so smoothly, it caught you off guard every time.

„Go now darling, or you’ll be late!” she smiled, and gave you a gentle push towards the front door, opening and holding it for you. As you brushed past her, she gave you a dazzling smile, hand up in a small but enthusiastic wave. Like she was sending you off on your first day of school, not a magical spy mission in a fake reality. Your life truly took a wild turn in the past 48 hours.

“Make Mommy proud!” Agatha chirped, standing by the door, and she was lucky you were already down the stairs. Otherwise you might have tripped and fallen and the whole operation would have ended right there. Your knees felt like jelly, but you straightened your back and rolled your shoulders. It was time to deliver. Most of all, it was time to focus on your mission, and not the way your stomach had just performed a backflip at her words.

As you made your way down the sidewalk, still a little uncomfortable in the pumps Agatha had picked out for you, you held onto the porcelain plate with white knuckles. It truly was a miracle you didn’t break it on the short walk to Wanda’s house.

„Alright“, you murmured to yourself, rolling your shoulders before pressing the doorbell. There was no going back now. „Here goes nothing.“

…

It turned out that you were quite the natural at this whole undercover thing. Wanda certainly made it easy, eager to talk to you, even more eager to try the pie you’d made, eyes rolling back in pleasure at the taste of cinnamon on her tongue.

She was beautiful, so to the point where you almost felt a little intimidated. You didn’t know what you had expected, but it wasn’t a girl this sweet, a few years older than you, her smile was warm and her voice genuine when she thanked you for the pie. You’d just shrugged and told her you appreciated the opportunity to leave the house for a while. At least it would be easier to click with her like this.

The ice broke for sure the moment you offered to help set the table, Wanda clapping her hands together in Delight. The two of you ended up on her couch, legs propped up like school girls on a movie night, plates of pie in hand as she‘d rambled to you about Vision. The girl was whipped.

How much she loved him, how excited they were to move to Westview, how much he already seemed to exceed at his new job. You‘d mostly nodded along, trying to memorise every little detail to repeat back to Agatha later.

It was weird, if it wasn’t for Agatha telling you the truth about the hex, you never would have assumed Wanda to be the one behind it. She seemed so … carefree. And unassuming. But then, eventually she did slip up.

„Enough about us!“, she laughed, „I‘ve been talking your ear off about my husband for over an hour, you must be so bored!“

You shook your head as you finished the last bit of pie and Wanda took your plate to place it on the coffee table. You gave her a grateful little smile.

„It’s fine really“, you replied, hoping people in the 50s would say it like that.

If they didn’t, Wanda seemed to not notice. „Tell me about Bartholomew“, she said instead, „Agnes never mentioned having a son!“

You swallowed, gears in your head turning as you came up with something on the spot.

„Well he lives in the City“, you said, „I mean, we do together. He writes for a tabloid, so he’s always busy. So is Ralph, that‘s why I‘m staying here for a while. He was worried that I was lonely. That Ag- Agnes is too.“

Wanda smiled at that, head tilted slightly to the side. „How very kind of him! He must love you very much.“

You almost choked on nothing at that, quickly busying yourself with a hand in your hair, brushing a lost strand behind your ear. „Well, I mean … I would hope so.“

Wanda eyed you with curiosity, shuffling just the slightest bit closer on the couch. „What is he like?“, she asked just a little quieter than before. Like she wanted to know the real deal now.

„Very different from his mom“, you offered, and feared it sounded more like a question than a statement. However, you took the way Wanda‘s lips curled into a distant smile as a good sign. She was buying every little piece of bullshit you had to barter. Good.

„He uh … It’s a little embarrassing but he started to bald very badly“, you had no idea where and why this had come to you in this moment, but the way Wanda leaned back and put her hands on her hips made you more confident in your story. Any reaction was a good one. If you shared, maybe Wanda would too… After all, all of this was to amuse her, to please the Scarlet Witch.

“We tried every treatment but he keeps losing more hair. He told me not to tell Agnes yet!“

Wanda gave you an almost patronising look. „Well, I would tell him that he doesn’t have to worry about that at all, and that the amount of hair on his head or what his mother thinks doesn’t change the way you feel about him! Vision has no hair at all and I still love him the same!“

There it was!

A slip up in the story. A mistake in production, almost too small for a regular viewer to notice. But you weren’t a regular viewer, you were a spy on a mission looking for cracks in the story.

„But Wanda“, you tilted your head to the side, looking at her with furrowed brows, the perfect face of innocent confusion. „Doesn’t Vision have hair? I saw him leave for work this morning, he drives past the kitchen window every day!“

Wanda‘s big, round doe eyes widened, fumbling to find something to say. You almost felt bad. Almost.

„Well, I mean …“ her gaze left you, darted from the empty plates on the coffee table to the pictures on the wall, which also featured her with a tall man, thin but definitely prominent hair on his head, even a little stubble on his upper lip.

„He’s been balding too.“ she finally said, lamely.

„Hah!“, Agatha shook her head at that, one hand on her hip as she laughed, „Balding my ass! That man is all steel and wires, the human form is merely an illusion!“

She was standing behind you as you sat at her vanity again, in the low light of the nightstand lamps, watching Agatha as she pinned your hair into little rosettes overnight. At the extent of your daily beauty routine, a part of you wished you did have magic like she had, so you could just wake up and wish for perfectly curled hair.

Then again, sitting here, wrapped in your nightgown and the robe she‘d given you as her fingers delicately ran through your hair, precise and yet gentle certainly was a way to spend your night. You couldn’t help but lean into the touch a little more, resisting the urge to wistfully sigh.

Trying your best to recount what you‘d found out earlier today proved a little harder though when she was all over you like this, barely covered by her own nightgown, one sleeve slipped off her shoulder,every little tug and pull on your hair sending a new shiver down your spine.

„So … that was helpful?“, you asked when she’d gone quiet after your story.

„It‘s strong evidence that she didn’t just create an illusion for the guy, but actually reanimated his corpse. If you can call it that. Is it necromancy if the body used is made of panels and electric wire?“

The way she said it, it wasn’t a real question. Her fingers busy pinning the last strand of your hair into place, before carefully wrapping a silk scarf around all her hard work, tying it together at the top of your head much like the one she was already wearing.

„I don’t know“, you answered anyway, flinching when suddenly, you felt her warm palms on your bare shoulders, soft skin resting against yours.

Her eyes found yours in the mirror, and her expression was unreadable to you. „Tell me what happened after she slipped.“

„Not much“, you said, „she … she stared at me really intensely for a moment, but then nothing happened, so I just offered to bring the dirty dishes to the kitchen. She thanked me again and then I left, but she did hug me on the way out. I don’t think she assumes anything about me.“

If the fact Wanda had gotten this comfortable this fast with you bothered Agatha, she didn’t let it show. Her hands on your shoulders began to move a little, eyes still holding your gaze in the reflection as her palms began to rub over your skin, back and forth and back and forth. You felt the hair on your neck rise.

„I …“, you sucked in a sharp breath, her hands wandering upwards, brushing over your neck for just a moment before going back to your shoulders. You felt yourself lean back into her tough almost naturally, like you were guided by some higher power. Like it was second nature, you tilted your head up a little, neck craning. Your legs were shaking underneath the layers of silky fabric you were wearing. You wanted nothing more than her hands back on your neck.

„Agatha“, the sound came out a lot higher, a lot weaker than you‘d intended, and your cheeks turned red in embarrassment.

The woman behind you just smirked, the way your body was reacting to her touch was not lost on her. She leaned over you, ever so slightly closer now. One of her hands stilled on your shoulder, fingertips grazing over the outline of your collarbone. Her other hand wandered back up towards your neck, thumb pressing into the back, stroking over the small baby hairs that flew free there, fingers loosely resting over your throat. She could feel your racing pulse there, feel every breath enter and release from your lungs. And she definitely felt the way you swallowed hard, felt the vibration of the little moan daring to slip out of your mouth.

She leaned down further, until her lips were less than an inch from your ear. „What‘s wrong darling? Cat got your tongue?“

“No“, you mewled, and the feeling of your throat moving against her grip was so delectable, you had to squeeze your eyes shut for a moment, fearing that one look from her might make you explode, „Yes.“

Need was burning under your skin, need for her to press down harder, need for her other hand to wander down lower. You were never more grateful for your new found powers than right now, knowing there was no way she could see the sinful images your mind was producing.

„Are you nervous?“, her tone was teasing, and when you did open your eyes again, she was smirking against the shell of your ear, brow cocked in a smug expression.

„There is no reason for you to be nervous. Not after you did so, so well for me.“ She put a little more emphasis on words than the last. Your hands wrapped tightly around the arm rests of your chair. God, you needed her to have her way with you so badly.

And judging by the look on her face, the curl of her lips, she knew that too.

The grip on your throat tightened, just a little. Her other hand tugged on the loose hair at the back of your neck, forcing you to look up at yourself in the mirror.

She was standing above you, halfway curled into you, holding you in her firm grip. Your cheeks were a bright red, a color quickly spreading across your entire face, creeping down your neck. There was a thin layer of sweat on your brow, and your eyes, goodness, your eyes were wide, fluttered half shut in a flushed gaze, pupils dark.

„You did so good for me today“, Agatha leaned in even closer, her breath ghosting over your cheek. The scent of rosewater and lavender invaded your senses, and if you had been in a position to, you would’ve loved to lean in closer, let the floral scent completely consume you. But you didn’t dare to move. Not with her hands on you like this, not when she was leaning closer, even closer never breaking eye contact in your reflections, dimply illuminated by flickering light bulbs.

And then, you could feel her. Her soft, plump lips pressed against your cheek, just above the corner of your mouth. It was short, feather light and before you knew it she had already pulled away. You instinctively tried to chase after her, but the grip on your throat kept you in place, holding your head exactly where it was as she leaned away, straightening her back. You immediately missed her presence right behind you, feeling cold all of a sudden. Her hand left your throat, giving your cheek one little pet on its way before she fully retreated from you, stepping away, arms crossed. Like she didn’t just almost kiss you, like your whole body wasn’t practically begging for her to come back. You weren’t above actually begging either.

„How about this“, Agatha spoke, matter of factly, „Tomorrow I handle Wanda, and you keep the house in tact. You remember your tasks?“

„Feed Ralph and the bunny“, you recounted, voice hoarse, „Keep everything tidy. Never touch the Dark Hold. Tend to the greenhouse out back, cook dinner. Don’t drive, we’re not allowed to drive without a man in the car. Save a plate for Ralph again, keep an eye out for Wanda‘s house.“

„Very good“, Agatha hummed, turning away from you to eye the bookshelf beside the vanity, fingers curling as she looked for something. You tried to pry your eyes away, but failed horribly.

„Let’s add something new to that list. I‘m gonna give you a list of reading assignments. Some history, some spellbooks, some metaphysics.“ She glanced over her shoulders at you, giving you a wink. „Time to find out more about those curious little powers of yours, don’t you think?“

You nodded, staring back at yourself in the mirror one more time. Whatever your life had come to these past days, no one was ever going to believe that story. But, at least in this story your co-star was Agatha Harkness, and you had a feeling you’d just passed your audition with flying colours.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

all the fanarts of yuu and grim supporting ace through his um awakening as well as ace casting his UM as of late has been making me go crazy 🥹 theyre all so tender and all so beautiful we're getting fed.

And them finally giving us a clearer picture of ace's insecurities is just so?? The build up and the pressure and then the internal monologue where everything comes crashing down when hes forced to face just how weak he is. I really liked that this part of him has finally been explored by the devs waaah.

I also really love how he parallels yuu in a way, the both of them being this "ordinary" person, the both of them lacking the power to protect those whom they care for. Usually yuu takes a step back and the story focuses more on the dynamic of the boys with each other and letting the yuu kinda be like this player self insert but as if late the story seems to be putting a lot of emphasis on yuu's importance and impact on ace which feels like something twst or games in general wouldnt normally do? Because it feels like it makes a chara particularly close to a neutral character and potentially being unfair for other charas duo that others may like idk how to explain it

Im kinda curious as to your thoughts on this, or more specifically ace and yuu's dynamic over the course of the story from their first meeting up to now. Cuz yuu feels like a person or place where ace turns to for reassurance and protection/comfort in a way, like their very existence gives him courage to push forward

[More about Ace’s UM here!]

d hi issgusJkaja I-I haven’t been scrolling on socials the last few weeks so I had the chance to see much fan art (other than what friends have shown me) 😭 but I’m sure it’s very tasty content!!

Yeeeah, I was waiting on the devs to finally get around to addressing Ace’s insecurities. in book 5, we had a brief mention of being being shocked Deuce got his UM before he did, then he was out of commission in book 6, and finally early in book 7 he deflected from the idea of Yuu going back to their original world. Suffice it to say, they addressed both the UM and the Yuu issues so well; it was really heart wrenching to see Ace in denial in his own dream and then struggling with his self confidence in Riddle’s dream. No more cocky attitude and brazenness, ahahah… only vulnerability 😈

Yuu is the one to calm him down when he’s panicking. The one giving him encouragement, the one holding his hand/shoulders (you get an option for this), the one talking him through this overwhelming feeling. That’s so powerful… It says a lot about their bond with their friend.

I love that Ace gets his moment. The first NRC student we met is the final one to get his unique magic—a magic he is able to take hold of, despite his doubts, thanks to Yuu’s reassurance and coaching. The first encounter was the domino that led up to this. First enemies, then friends. Through thick and thin, trials and tribulations, together until the bitter end. And when you think about it, they’re similar in their insecurities too. Worried that they’re not enough, that they’re ordinary, that they don’t contribute as much as they should, that they can’t protect the people they care about. It’s a great parallel, and that really slots in nicely with Twst’s recurring themes and imagery of characters mirroring each other.

Mmm… I think I understand what you’re getting at? Because Yuu is a self-insert type of character, you’re saying it is odd that Ace specifically has been getting a lot of screen time and bonding with Yuu compared to what the other characters get with Yuu. And that it’s giving Ace stans (and yumes) more fanservice than stans of other characters, so it may feel a little unfair? If I’m understanding you correctly 😅

I think that’s kind of hard to judge, honestly. Ace got like zero involvement in book 6 and was not that important for the latter half of book 5. One could argue all this attention in book 7 is just making up for what he didn’t have in prior books. You could also say that it makes sense for Ace to get more of the spotlight given his importance in the prologue, how “the guy that begins it all also ends it all”, and his well-established relationship with Yuu. To go even further, some might point out that other characters like Malleus get this “special treatment” too. Yuu barely gets any time to bond with the OB boys one-on-one, but they get to be Malleus’s secret buddy for most of the main story (even if they technically only physically meet around 5 times total). I don’t take issue with how Ace was handled; this was a long time coming and he deserved it. It’s not like other characters didn’t also get their moments in other parts of the game or events or what have you 🤷‍♀️

While I definitely think Yuu’s friendship is very precious to Ace, I wouldn’t go so far as to say “Yuu feels like a person or place where Ace turns to for reassurance and protection/comfort in a way, like [Yuu’s] very existence gives [Ace] courage to push forward.” I think that’s stretching it a bit. Maybe it’s somewhat true for book 7, since Ace centers his happiness around Yuu’s presence and seizes the courage to charge in with his newly acquired UM after Yuu cheers him on. However, I never got the sense that Ace thought of them as a source of comfort and courage prior to book 7. For a large part of the main story I just got the sense he was a misbehaved idiot with a heart of gold.

Ace bullies Yuu at first and then becomes a reluctant ally when their interests align (ie not getting expelled) in the prologue. Yuu grants him temporary housing in book 1 and supports him as he tries to earn his way back into the dorm and then even as he resists Riddle’s rule. Ace goes pretty far to defend his own stance, but arguably also Yuu’s honor, as I believe he rushes in to punch his dorm leader when he insults Yuu’s lack of education. He joins the investigation but doesn’t really help much in book 2. The he assists in fulfilling Azul’s deal to save Ramshackle and the anemone’d students in book 3. There’s also the infamous scene where he jokes about sleeping in the same room together. He is gone for most of book 4, but makes a long and tedious trip back (with Deuce) to address Yuu’s SOS message. Ace is a VDC/SDC participant and has that whole dilemma with Deuce getting bis UM before he does. In book 6, he is knocked out fighting Ferrymen and tearfully reunites with his friends at the end of the book. Early in 7, he is quick to dismiss the idea of Yuu going back to their world—and then this culminates in his own dream and his actions in Riddle’s, which I already discussed earlier. A lot of other small moments occur as well, showing Ace eating with Yuu, going to class with Yuu, etc.

A majority of the behaviors I recall are either Ace and Yuu casually hanging out or Ace rushing to protect them from something, be it insults or physical/magical blows. It’s not a ton of Ace overtly depending on Yuu. I don’t even think I could find any implications of him depending on Yuu in his dialogue or through more subtle cues. He certainly gets emotional when Yuu is involved, but this by itself doesn’t necessarily mean he looks to them for reassurance. Ace has always been pretty guarded, even expositing that no one at NRC would offer you a helping hand as late as Lilia’s farewell party. It’s only when we get to late book 7 that Ace starts changing his tune.

[hana-no-seiiki]

Hi! Could I be ✨Anon? (Im not sure whats been taken already) I've been on a big Batfam kick these past few days and have a v indulgent request if it interests you.

Could I request something for a (gn) civilian reader who is friends w/ the Batfam, but recently got superpowers that are magical girl-esque? Neither of the parties knowing of the others Alter Egos. Here are some of my thought, but write the post however you'd like.

Reader was accidentally caught up in some commotion that involved stealing specialty cargo. One of them being an alien artifact, and reader uses it in desperation to save themselves. But now they have these sparkely, pretty, and showy powers that they never asked for. (And maybe a magical animal companion that insist they bring light and justice to Gotham)

Reader is reluctant to be a vigilante, but keeps finding themselves in situations to help people anyways.(Maybe its a side effect of being a magical girl) They end up fighting alongside the Batfam at some point, but they feel embarrassed to interact w/ them. Reader feels completely out of place with their colorful and over-the-top powers when next to the cool and brooding batfam.

Sorry if this idea is a bit out there, but ty for letting me be indulgent in your ask box 💕!!

NO CAUSE I FEEL THIS DYNAMIC SO MUCH.

I either have the friendliest vibe or the bitchiest vibe and no in between. Meaning that people either come to me for everything or think I’m a snob/will bite-

and sure non! i don’t really keep track of my anons nowadays so people can be whatever as long as it’s not listed in my pinned

BAT X MAGIC ✨

IN ANY CASE

I’m gonna mix Sailor Moon, Miraculous Ladybug and Onimai for my inspo with this ask if you don’t mind

Magical Girl/Boy/Person! Reader is really close friends with Tim and Damian. If there was one thing all three could agree on it’s that they loved superheroes in manga/comics.

And Reader? Boy did they adore the Batfam. There was just something about their dark, brooding aesthetic that they couldn’t get enough of.

So it was a tad bit ironic that they stumbled upon the most “girly”and “bright” power ever known to Gotham.

It didn’t help that your abilities had to be activated with cutely yelling things like “Sparkle Blast!” or “Smile Hurricane!”

I like to headcannon that you have a familiar or Kwami like creature that in exchange of keeping your identity magically hidden, absolutely bullies you by making the one above a requirement.

I headcannon that Damian has the PHATTEST crush on you. Like even moreso than the stalker, otaku Tim. Like he is just head over heels. You’re strong, you’re capable, you’re adorable?? But that mostly extends to just your magic persona rather than your real self. He’s super obvious about it to anyone but you too (similar to the og miraculous ladybug w/ felix instead of chat).

Tim is more interested on who tf you were. Like yes!!! Magical Person Hero!!! You were basically his childhood crushes incarnate!! But his inquisitive mind really needed to know who you were in order to calm himself down.

Jason is honestly a bit overwhelmed by your whole getup, but grows to love you the most in terms of how kind you are and how you help them even in the most dire of situations (not knowing that you were basically forced to)

He’s very much Tuxedo Mask type wherein he’d be very annoying to you when the disguises are off but an absolute Casanova with em on.

You and Dick are the most close when it comes to patrols and fighting. I feel like you, being the big fan you were, would make him look even more flashy and handsome during battle with sparkles and whatnot. I have a feeling he’d be the first to ask you out or fully romance you, as well as be the first to befriend you/contact you as a vigilante.

Bruce is definitely perplexed by how you always evade him in terms of your secret identity. It frustrates him to no end that whenever he gets close to finding out something either gets in his way or his mind just goes blank.

Once you explain how your magical persona works tho he’s pretty quick on the bandwagon, especially since he sees that his boys love you.

Also cause you look way too adorable to really be heinous.

…Right?

Once you break one of your familiar’s rules though, they do share your identity with the bats and well…

All hell breaks loose.

[rayroseu]

I have this theory that Prince Levan and Yuu are similar.

Don't you think their traits so far matches? Kind, patient, able to traverse through adversities (for now its just raging Draconias lol), aspires to resolve conflicts between oppositions, doesn't possess any bias (maybe because they prefer peaceful options).

There is also a scene that matched well with what we know of Prince Levan with Yuu --

• Prince Levan dealing with Malenoa's tantrum safely -> Yuu telling Malleus to calm down and Malleus actually listening (during their trip kn GloMas)

• Prince Levan manages the foreign affairs of Land of Briar, he is negotiating to stop ravaging their land -> Yuu is assigned as the Prefect of NRC, they deal with the trouble ensuing in every dorm and striving to make its members work together.

• Prince Levan is Malenoa's informant and seems to be on the frontlines while Malenoa's the strategist -> Yuu is always tasked as the record keepers or watcher of events (even in main story) by Crowley, and sometimes if there's actual trouble, Yuu tells Crowley about it, providing Crowley some stand-in in dealing with NRC troubles rather than himself.

• If we assume that all Draconias are similar, perhaps its safe to assume that Malenoa was also interested with Levan because he treated her normally (because like Malleus she was also revered too much and didnt experience much normality).

It mirrors similarly to the dynamic of Malleus and Yuu in the present, how Yuu is not afraid of him and in turn, makes Malleus feel like a normal person.

• Lilia mentions him, Malenoa, and Levan are childhood friends. So, it means that Levan and Malenoa probably met when they were children. Malleus is only 178 out of 1000 years adult age, Lilia stated him as a child. Plus, if we refer to the past ages of official Yuu's (Yuuken and Yuuka are 17), they are children -growing up as well. (At least I think so-- 17 is really young for me lol) Anyways, we see that Malleus and Yuu got to know each other in their developing years or something--

• This is kind of a theory but Levan and Yuu have the traits of a beasttamer- Lilia states that Draconias are montrous (but they're still faes.) Yuu was dubbed as beasttamer by Crowley because of how they took care of Grim. Grim is a monster. And, both Yuu and Levan, like stated before, deals with "their monster's rages."

• Both Malleus and Malenoa seems to get attracted by Levan and Yuu because of their compassion to them. (Malenoa views Levan as "he's the only one she can depend on" and he cooked for her so we can believe that Levan was kind to Malenoa.) In contrast, Draconias are always seen as "ruthless villains" "cruel" and "terrifying."

• As the game repeatedly tells us, Draconias exceeds so much from the average. They are seemingly evil, powerful and ruthless to people, even when Malleus was raised by Lilia to be "a gentle fairy" he struggles still. And, because of the normality/kindness of Yuu and Levan, that they are most interesting to Draconias. Since all those traits (being normal) are essentially their unknown and the impossible---

• I think Draconias are also fascinated by the "weakness" and braveness of Yuu/Levan. (Levan was pitiful during the time where he, Lilia and Malenoa got lost while Malenoa just had a fun time out of it). Malleus teases Yuu about is he scary now since we always seem fearless to him- I wonder if Malenoa treated Levan this way as well... (because all Draconias seems to have same personalities lol i.e Malenoa has a habit of being talkative at unusual hours too much like how Malleus visits us to talk in the night)

• This is a reach, but Levan didn't get any silouette despite the fact he was explained many times by Lilia, just like how Yuu never gets revealed in game.

• The fact that Levan seems to be referenced from the two events: Glorious Masquerade and Halloween. These events have involved Yuu importantly instead of them just being on the sidelines-

Glorious Masquerade because it seems like he's Diablo-inspired and Malleus' outfit in that event has feathers of a raven. And, the fact Levan's Name is spelled like Raven. Plus, his outfit was designed to resemble royalty Briar Valley clothing and Levan IS a Briar Valley royalty (the princess' husband.)

Halloween Event because of Levan's title containing Long/Dragon Prince Levan. Malleus' Halloween costume was a Long/Chinese Dragon. Plus, the event highlighted the difference between Western and Eastern Dragon when Malleus info-dumped Vil about it so it holds significance that Eastern Dragons exists.

• There's also this parallel of Levan and Yuu being the one who goes and never returns. It seems that Malenoa sent Levan as her messenger to the Silver Owls to stop ravaging their land-- and now she is searching for him since he hasn't returned. Maybe we can assume Malenoa is regretting it because Levan's abscene is alarming that she is sending Lilia to find him. I think the act of "sending away" can be related to how Malleus accepted immediately that we're leaving to go back home despite his fear of losing us.

In conclusion, Malleyuu is generational OR In every Draconia heir there is a Yuu for them in the Yuuniverse population😂🐉🦐

Also, correct me if any of the info mentioned are amiss 😭 sometimes my mind just rolls and makes stuff up and I'm convinced it was real LOL

sorry if i didnt add sufficient screenshots, i didnt want to reach the photo limit lol and most of the things i mentioned about Malleus (for me) seems to be basic facts in the fandom so i thought it unnecessary.

credits to gasmask01 on YT and @/081314 for the translations

[crushedsweets]

Okay, but like, realistically, how would the Creeps having a partner (who isn't a proxy or associated with Slender/The Operator) even work? I mean, they're serial killers, and the whole Slender Sickness stuff would probably make that even harder, right? I feel like a lot of people would be scared off once they found out their partner was actually a murderer. Would the Creeps even try to convince them to stay?

(I have no idea where I was going with this. I pray it makes sense.)

ok fine x reader work from me YOU GOT ME.

ok jk i might use 2nd person/"you" cos its easier. but this isnt purposefully x reader content cos thats not my niche + i struggle with writing romance LOL . and a lot of these r very unhealthy dynamics, cos im not writing for romance, just answering the prompt

im not covering laari, ben, sally, dina, ann, or lulu in this cos theyre either children or not fit for a relationship (well nobody in this damn au is but ykwim)

FOR THE PROXIES... im imagining you meet them cos they come into your job. maybe a diner or grocery store or something

tim would have to get a partner completely by accident. as in, he's a regular at a diner and keeps getting the same server - and the server would have to make the first moves. it's not that he doesn't notice if someone's attractive or kind or something, but he idea of romance sounds so...unfair to him? unfair to whoever he's inflicting his life on. fearful of infecting them, etc - so you'd have to be really persistent, or really phenomenal for him to push. LOL. he'd try everything in his power to prevent you getting involved with the forest - which unfortunately makes him a less than ideal partner. wont explain why he's gone for so long besides "work" (which, to be fair, he's a truck driver in my au so its true most of the time). wont explain why he only hangs out with brian. why he's stuck in a shoddy apartment rooming with the same guy from college. why he's stood you up on a few dates. he'll apologize and mean it, trying to make up for it in some gifts and late night drives.

if he somehow fucked up and let you in on his life, he'd try to lie and lie and lie. he doesn't want you to know. he'll blame others, or try to convince you you're seeing things, misunderstanding - and frankly, he'll leave you if he thinks there's no turning back. an apology and half-honest conversation telling you he cant do this anymore. for your safety, for his job, etc etc - he wont hold on. if you love something let it go he sayssss

brian is kinda similar, in the sense that he isn't purposefully seeking out a relationship, but if you were to keep bumping into him and flirting every time, he probably couldn't help himself much if he found you attractive. he'll give you his number and entertain you, but he doesn't have intentions to maintain a long-term, serious relationship - HOWEVER, if it got that far, he'd be a bit messier than tim. tim will gladly look like a shitty partner if it protects his s/o, but brian hates that idea. he feels like an asshole and just wants to make you happy and be with you, but fuuuuuck DUTY CaLLS I GUESS. the issue with this is that, while he might come see you more often, he's also coming disheveled. dirty jeans, mysterious gloves, weird red spots, a gun in his backseat - his response to that depends on your nosiness and persistence

and if your nosiness and persistence resulted in you finding out what happened (he'd keep lying until you completely trap him in his lies) then maybe. maybe he'd come clean. only if you two are VERY serious. and in a way, part of him just ... expects you to stay. he's been a good boyfriend, and if he can prove to you this is some supernatural entity destroying his life and he isn't maliciously hurting people, (plus he will downplay his kill count drastically, if he even admits to it), then why wouldnt you stick it out?

but if you were deadset on leaving? welp. he's not begging

toby is. interesting actually im not too sure. honestly i HC that he really does want the whole white-picket-fence family lifestyle, but its a VERY repressed desire. completely buried it. i also HC that he's kinda pathetic when it comes to romance, so he develops short, fleeting crushes and infatuations pretty easily. so dont flirt with him he will get too excited and itll be upsetting when he later drops it. and he's so insecure and drowning in self hatred + trust issues, it's really difficult to get anywhere with him romantically - cos one day he'll be texting nonstop, seem super interested, and the next he's ignoring you or completely dry cos he's convinced you're fucking with him. you gotta start as friends, probably, and just hope he's still interested in friendship if he had a dying crush on you. THEN you can prob progress into romance. LOL

anyhow, like brian, he messily hides his work - he'll lie about being a hunter and it helps out, but.. its just very suspicious that he wont let you come to his house. or that he keeps talking about his female roommate named kate and you cant help but raise a brow. or when he comes over with a black eye and gets really fidgety around cops. RED FLaGS. it's not like he's some hard badass player, but your mind will wander... but he tries to be a good boyfriend, even if his idea of it is warped or he's really forgetful or insecure or moody . he's not disloyal or purposefully mean

chances are you find out his job cos he has a breakdown in front of you. prob comes to you already disheveled, bloody, panicking, seeking comfort, begging you not to see him differently. he's the only proxy to completely expose himself - and unlike the others, he will beg you not to go. try to overexplain everything, dig his grave deeper, subtle threats, so on. if you accept him as is, he's elated - stuck to your hip even more than usual. if you tell him you cant, he's livid. he'll leave, but expect calls and him on your doorstep later, telling you to hear him out.

but he'll give up eventually. he can only handle so much humiliation and if he keeps getting rejected, he'll start to hate you - and he doesnt want to. he rather remember you well and hate himself

kate is difficult. getting into a relationship with her is virtually impossible because she just. . has like, no interest ? ok. not no interest. the idea of romance and love doesnt sound bad to her, but she genuinely cannot imagine herself in a relationship - she barely can comprehend she has friends. she cant really do anything for you besides awkwardly sit with you and pick at her nails. and she has a flip phone for calling the others, but she will not text - so unless youre willing to call 5 times before getting a tired "why are you calling me", youre very likely to give up on her.

even if she falls head over heels for someone and cant get them out of her head, she isnt going to call you first or reach out to spend time with you, completely convinced it would just be you doing "charity work" or something stupid she heard from toby's own self deprecation. SO GOOD LUCK. if you manage to make her your partner, she'll finally process that maybe she needs to start behaving differently LOL but be patient. its not that she doesnt love you or think about you, but she'll run through 30 reasons why calling is a bad idea before she settles on "i just wanna hear their voice"

regarding work, she doesnt know how to navigate it. asks toby for advice, but he just says "keep them from this stupid shit" and she doesnt ask for details. so she wont tell you where the cabin is, only briefly mentioning she lives with a lumberjack (panicked lie), etc. when you find out about everything (cos she's the only proxy where its a definite), she just kinda slumps. shrugs and waits for you to tell her what you want to do. if you're done, she'll feel sick to her stomach and MaYBE try to insist "but it makes it easier now that you know". ask you to not go for one night, at least, then she'll forget about you by tomorrow - so just one more night, nothings gonna happen, etc etc. up to you by that point, but it IS true, it is easier now that you know. you can meet everyone and come to the cabin now, which helps

FOR THE SUPER NaTURaL...

jack....GOOD FUCKING LUCK HE'S SWORN OFF LOVE FOREVER. im joking but like kate, he truly doesn't believe he can ever ever ever be in a relationship again - either from fear of betrayal or disgust with himself. plus, like...he can't even leave the forest. HOWEVER, if youre okay with tucking yourself away in a cabin forever, he'll be good. he makes solid money being a 'human remains disposer' on the dark web, even if 99% of it rots in a random crypto account LOL. he only does it for the meat, but ykw.

you would have to meet him through one of the other creeps or the dark web thing(but that implies ur not a normal civilian so ill skip that..). depending on who introduces you, it can change his approach - if its someone like toby or jeff, he wont think twice about you in a romantic sense. if its someone like nina or clocky, then he might silently listen to your voice and let his mind wander to a nice little life in the cabin with you - but like everyone else, youd have to be the one making advances. even if you confess, he'll gently let you down - regardless of his interest in you. "it just wouldnt work, you deserve good things, i couldnt do that to you" etc etc. but he wouldnt be able to coldly turn you away, every bit of rejection makes it clear he doesnt mean it - WHICH SUCKS. hurts to say n hurts to hear.

but by that point, if the relationship progresses, then youre good there. LOL. nothing else you can find out - to date jack, you need to know everything and be okay with it already. so yay :3

FOR THE INFECTED...

clocky. ok finally someone easier than the proxies or jack. but not easy... clocky isnt exactly against dating, but her standards are very high. one wrong sentence and shes not going to entertain you. her guard is up so , so , so very high and all she wants is to protect her peace, not entertain someone who wont make her life better - even though shes friends with a buncha weirdos who complicate it more, but whatever.

if its by time she's in her tattoo apprenticeship, she's not so opposed to just...getting lunch or coffee with someone. talking, going on a walk, buying them lunch, listening to their day. she sees beauty in the mundane, so she likes to observe mannerisms of someone if she's on a date(but she's prob not even sure its a date) and it would stress her out later on. LOL. she's so focused on her independence and building a life for herself, so it's stressful for her - but she wouldnt take it out on you. she's big on respect, and if you've been good enough to her to reach this point, then she's nver gonna disrespect you by ignoring you or speaking down on you or pretending you're unimportant.

its very easy for her to hide the whole proxy-slendy stuff, luckily. she's long been healed of O/S syndrome and since slendy didnt want her to be a proxy, she's just...living life. she comes to the proxy cabin, helps with hunting, the algoids, etc - so its very , very easy to hide that part of her life. but if it causes issues, and you're already dating, and you bring it up respectfully, she'll gently apologise and insist itll be different - and it will be, she doesnt make empty promises.

BUT if you somehow find out, then she. ok two paths. she'll break back into the scared girl she used to be and snap at you, getting aggressive, push you away, completely shut you out - somehow blame you for getting involved. or she'll just. let you go silently. no fighting, no begging, no lashing out. just let you go - but then she'd freak out to the proxies, esp toby. "you fucking assholes keep taking and taking and taking from me"

nina is easy to fall for and she's easy to fall in love. you could meet her in any situation, really , and either one of you could be the first to pursue eachother. and i. ok i cant say shes a good girlfriend. she's erratic, hypocrytical, jealous, clingy, etc - it sucks sometimes, but she can be really good provided the chance.

similar to clocky, very easy for her to hide everything - biggest issue would be her inability to keep a secret. she likes to brag and share parts of her life with everyone, so she's always talking about her "totatlly badass friends in the forest" and insisting she sees ghosts, demons, etc - which i mean. shes being honest. thats up to you if you believe her

if you find out everything, she completely expects you to be normal about it. cos why r u being weird she told you already, right?

which is why she'd freak if you took that as a reason to break up. like toby, she's gonna beg - and if she keeps begging, she'll start to hate you. it sucks and theres not much i can write abt her here cos its very straight forward - she wouldnt hide it very well, youd find out, and she expects you to stay and be normal.

jane ...doesnt interact much with the proxies. her biggest tie to the supernatural is sally, which is the only reason she has small agreements with them - so honestly. if you two were together long enough and serious enough, she'd sit you down and tell you everything. she isnt the type to lie

dating jane is difficult - this is assumign she never married mary, of course, and even in that timeline, i made mary a highschool friend of hers who took care of her after jeffs attack. if it werent for that bond, jane wouldve been so closed off - esp cos of how dedicated she is to her work.

but if you manage to get with her, she's lovely. takes good care of you, save for her workaholic habits

jeff um. ok. again, you cant date him unless youre already okay with his lifestyle, so there isnt rlly the whole "when they find out, will they leave?" but instead moreso.... "when it gets too much, will they leave?" which. ok. i think if jeff RLLY fell in love with you, like genuinely, he wouldnt kill you obviously. cos he loves you. but he's livid if you suddenly decide its too much. "the fuck you mean its too much? you put up with this bullshit for how long, and now youre giving up?" etc etc. doessnt understand why youd do that to him, especially cos he thinks hes doing really good

which. ok, good is subjective, and jeff isnt ever gonna be perfect to any extent, but again, regardless of his massive ego and other. issues. if he loves you, he's gonna try - he wants to be around you, wants to hear your laugh, etc. but it takes a lot of effort from him, even if it feels like bare minimum. which isnt good, but that explains why he gets so angry about it - and at the very least, even if he agrees to break up, he's not agreeing to letting go fully . still expects you to hang out, text, call, talk. not good