#but it's midterms next week...

[thetomorrowshow]

Whumptober 4 - Hallucinations

title: marked

fandom: empires smp

this is an alt pov of my fic hubris killed the god! i recommend reading it first

cw: blood, hallucinations, implied/referenced character death

~

Jimmy doesn't say a word when he feels something almost fuzzy brush against his wrist.

He just finishes drawing his chalk arrow and keeps going.

Pix isn't here. He's still clinging to a little shred of hope, the only thing that's stopping him from pulling the entire group out right now, the only thing keeping him from telling them he was touched.

If Pix was here, it all would have been worth it.

But Pix isn't here.

And the further they get, the clearer it is.

But there are plenty of those varmints around, and one of them appears out of nowhere to scare them, so Jimmy turns and makes a break for it, calling for them all to follow him.

He can't bear to let another one of them fall.

But he's too late.

When Shelby climbs onto the airship, the first thing she does is run to the staircase that leads to the stern, wedging herself in the little corner between the stairs and the captain’s cabin.

"I'm dying," she sobs, when Jimmy approaches her, hands out. "I'm going to die!"

"I know," he calls back, over the sound of the ship.

He doesn't know what else to say.

"I don't want to die," Shelby cries. Her hands tear at her face, at the place where a little red mark is already forming on her cheek.

Gently, Jimmy pulls her hands down, holding them in his own. She shakes, bends over just a bit, as if her body is trying to curl up without her input.

"We're here," he shouts, the wind whipping away his words. "We're not gonna leave. It's okay, we're right here with you."

"I didn't do anything wrong," she chokes out, tears running down her blotchy face.

Jimmy's heart twists.

She didn't. She only tried to survive.

He pulls her into a hug, sets his chin on her shoulder. He doesn't know what to say. He doesn't know what to do.

He just lets Shelby cry into his chest and stares at the wooden deck behind her.

-

Jimmy hugs all of them.

Quickly. Just a pat on the back, really.

But he hugs them. He hugs Shelby again, then Scott (Scott is close to tears, standing on his own by the railing), then Katherine (who stops in her pacing to acquiesce to an embrace). He takes the five steps up to the stern two at a time, hugs False briefly (she leans just slightly toward him), then heads belowdecks, to the little makeshift bed of False's.

That's when he checks for critters.

There aren't any. Of course there aren't.

But on his wrist is a tiny pink mark, an innocuous sign of the end. If he looks at it for long enough, it could just be a mark from pinching himself, a bruise about to form from bumping against a door jamb.

It isn’t that, though.

Jimmy has known for weeks that he's been living on borrowed time.

He started this. There was never any real hope that he would survive.

He's felt marked, almost.

Marked, ever since he stood over Joel's body, hands shaking and legs weak, covered from head to toe in the blood of a god.

He pushed his bloodsoaked hair out of his eyes, unable to look away from the tear down the god’s body from the enchanted axe that Jimmy had dragged from his collarbone to his waist.

Blood leaked from the bullet hole between Joel's eyes.

That had been the wound to take him out. He could have survived just the cleaving.

He was a god, after all.

Jimmy stared, even as dark clouds rolled in.

Even as the blood dried on his body.

Even as bile rose to his throat.

He stared, and with the first drops of rain, Joel's body began to go fuzzy around the edges of the wounds. Fuzzy and black, and Jimmy thought for a moment of mold before falling to his knees and vomiting.

And there he kneeled, trembling and ill, stained with blood and vomit, and screamed.

He screamed his apologies.

He begged the rumbling sky for restitution.

He buried his fists into the dry grass of the savannah, as his words dwindled hoarsely into nothing, and sobbed.

When nothing came, nothing but thunder and pouring rain, Jimmy hefted the crown off Joel's unmoving head and dragged it home.

Then he scrubbed the gore off his body, changed clothes, and replaced his hat on his head.

Despite the terrible storm, despite his people, Jimmy strapped the crown onto Bullseye and headed for Dawn.

Maybe Gem's god would pardon him.

But there had never been any pardon, had there?

It had all been a waiting game. It always had been.

Joel's blood marked him the first day.

And now, just like then, Jimmy can only stare.

He deserves this.

He deserves this, and he relishes in that.

He isn't stuck in that awful waiting phase, death looming over him like a dust storm over the horizon.

This can finally be over.

He can finally just be gone.

-

If there was anyone left to rescue, Jimmy would go do it now.

He's as invulnerable as he ever will be. It doesn't matter if they touch him. He could be in and out quicker than ever, able to defend without needing to worry about the vermin touching him.

But the only person to rescue is Shelby, and there's nothing he can do to help her.

All Jimmy knows to do is patrol. There isn’t anything else he can do, and everyone else is so busy with Shelby that they haven't been able to pick up their patrol shifts.

So Jimmy patrols, making sure nobody steps outside of the steadily shrinking border, keeping an eye on where the mites are piling up as a better reference point than their stakes in the ground.

He sees Scott, sometimes. Scott paces the border, marks precisely where it's changed, sometimes staring a long time out over the land beyond Sanctuary, as if he longs to leave from this place, as if he can see it as something of its former glory.

Jimmy does the same. He often finds himself wandering to his favorite place in all of Sanctuary, the flat boulder in the woods that looks out over the plains that remind him so much of the land where he grew up, before he was ever a sheriff in the beautiful mesa.

He can pretend that everything is normal, looking out there.

Sometimes, he can't see the darkness that runs through the grass.

Sometimes, he can see other things.

It's two days after the trip to the catacombs that Jimmy's forced to admit that the hallucinations are in full force.

He'd wondered morbidly, for some time now, what it was like. How long would it take to succumb to the illness? How gradual is the appearance of the hallucinations? How long until the fever starts?

He knows, now, that the hallucinations aren't gradual. He'd simply woken up by the campfire to find Lizzie standing before him.

"I can't believe you," she says disgustedly, arms crossed. "Sleeping on the job?"

"I'm dying, I think I deserve a bit of slack," he mutters. She scoffs.

"Why would you deserve slack? You caused this. You killed all those thousands of people."

 Jimmy goes to say something—he isn't sure what—but Lizzie is gone.

After that, the hallucinations are frequent. He sees long-gone friends—Lizzie, Norman, Pix—and abandoned buildings, forgotten memories and lost messages, and . . . dark creatures of shadow.

It’s unsettling and deeply disturbing, but not even the most bone-chilling hallucinations can keep him from sleeping.

He's so tired. He's been digging himself deeper and deeper into sleep debt every night for weeks, and now he can't find the strength to push through it.

Jimmy sleeps. All the time, everywhere. By the campfire, slumped in a chair in the inn, at the table in the planning room of the church.

So often he wakes up on that boulder overlooking the plains, the rock warm under his back and the sun pleasantly shining through the leaves of the tree behind him.

His body starts to ache.

His bones start to weigh down with exhaustion.

His hands start to shake.

His body is fighting, he can tell. Trying to put off being sick as long as possible. Trying to conserve his strength for healing.

There isn't any healing to come.

-

The others are going into the Rift.

Well, Jimmy's meant to be going, too.

He'd proposed himself going (he had spoken to them, laid out the plan in exactly the way he thinks he would have, but it's hard to remember how to act like himself when there's gaping black maws where everyone's eyes should be), even though he isn't planning on it at all.

Scott is going.

He doesn't know it yet, but he's going through the Rift. The spark in his eyes hasn’t died yet, and despite every doubt he has and the mistakes he’s made, Jimmy knows that the others look up to him. They’ll follow him, more willingly than they had ever followed Jimmy.

Jimmy isn't sure how to change the plans right after he presents them, though, so he just leaves, back to lie on his boulder to watch the wind ruffle the grass.

The sun is gently warm on his face.

His hat slips back, flopping off his head.

He closes his eyes, just for a moment. It isn't sleeping.

His body's just so tired.

Time passes.

It must pass.

Because the next thing Jimmy knows, the sun is not on his face and there's a scratching noise from beside him.

He blinks his eyes open, casts his gaze around.

fWhip is sitting beside him, writing in a journal of some sort. That's the source of the scratching noise—his tiny pencil going back and forth on the page, scurrying like a little mouse.

"Sorry," Jimmy mumbles, biting back a groan as he sits up.

It's so hard just to sit up.

fWhip chuckles a little. "It's cool. Just glad you're getting some sleep."

Jimmy doesn't respond to that.

"You know, you've been running yourself into the ground. You deserve a second to rest."

Definitely not a hallucination, then. Seeing as his hallucinations tend to hate him.

"What are you writing?" Jimmy asks, in lieu of arguing about his sleep habits.

fWhip shrugs self-consciously. "Nothing much. Just journaling." He gestures around at the plains. "Describing Sanctuary, us, the things we're doing. Just in case."

"In case of what?"

"In case . . . well, I dunno," fWhip says. "I keep imagining this scenario where we go through the Rift, and we end up in a different world, and we forget all of our history just two or three generations down. So I'm writing down all of this."

"Don't forget to mention Tumble Town," Jimmy says. "The most . . . uh, the best land for miles around."

fWhip shoots him a toothy smile. "Want to write something? I have pages for everyone."

Jimmy stares at his proffered pencil, then carefully takes it in his left hand, before transferring it to his right. He doesn't want his cuff to pull up even the slightest bit, revealing the mark on his wrist.

fWhip flips through his journal—a repurposed sketchbook, actually—until he finds the blank page he's looking for. He sets it in Jimmy's left hand.

"Just write anything. I'm planning on filling it in later with a bunch of biography type-stuff, but I can work around whatever you want to put."

Jimmy sets the pencil to the paper, willing his hand not to shake.

The Sheriff, he writes, in his quick, sharp cursive. Then, just below:

Jimmy.

It's not his best. It definitely doesn't look quite like it normally does, when he signs warrants of arrest or bank notes. Not as careful, the lines not as straight.

The J has a little divot in the line. The second h falters just the slightest bit.

He doesn't want to write anymore.

Or, rather, he doesn't have any more that he wants to write.

He slides the book back into fWhip's lap. "There," he says. "Now you can sell it for lots of money, it has my signature."

He can tell that fWhip's laugh is more to humor him than anything else.

"If I ever get Katherine's hands on this, absolutely," fWhip says. "I want her to draw everyone—have you seen her sketches? Like, in her workshop?"

Jimmy shrugs.

"She's actually really good. Scott, too. I just . . . don't know if I'll see Scott again, so. . . ."

He trails off with a bit of a cough.

Jimmy looks back over the fields.

He can't stay here.

He can't stay here, sleeping and aching and hiding until he dies.

He can't convince them to let him stay here. fWhip, at least, would insist on staying with him, and if Jimmy’s learned anything, it's that he wants his friends to survive.

He's going to have to leave.

"Actually, Katherine is what I came here for, I totally forgot!" fWhip snaps his journal shut. "She was wanting to talk to you. Do you wanna come back with me?"

-

"I'm sorry," Katherine says after a long moment.

Jimmy blinks. "Sorry? About what?"

She shrugs. "Pushing us to go look for Pix. If we hadn't gone for him. . . ."

For a foolish, hopeful second, Jimmy thinks she's referring to the death mark on his wrist.

Then he remembers that she doesn't know it exists.

She's talking about Shelby's condition.

"Don't worry about it," he tells her. "It was my fault."

"No—you didn't want to go, you—"

"But I let it happen," Jimmy cuts her off. "It was my fault, okay?"

He can take the blame.

What's another sin on top of ending the world?

Katherine frowns. "Are you sure? Because I know Scott's beating himself up over this, too. And if you really thought that it was your fault over his, you would go tell him."

Her face has gone from open, apologetic, to practically glaring at him.

And, really?

Jimmy absolutely deserves it.

"Sure," he says, trying not to let show the exhaustion dragging on his bones. "I'll talk to him."

Katherine nods.

She looks like she's sparkling.

She looks like she has wings.

-

It's long past midnight when Jimmy slips into the chapel.

Scott is there, he notices immediately—curled up and asleep on a pew near the entrance. Scott hasn't ever slept in his own bedroom, as far as Jimmy's aware. Every night when Jimmy checks on everyone, he finds Scott here, wrapped up in a blanket.

He ought to tell Scott that he's leaving. That he wants Scott to be in charge. That it was his fault.

But he can't bring himself to wake him.

The candlelight is low, and at the front of the chapel, muttering under his breath and holding his hands to a sleeping Shelby's head, is Sausage.

Even from afar, he looks exhausted. His hair falls limply into his face, his shoulders are slumped and his clothing is rumpled. He doesn't even look up until Jimmy is right beside him, spurs clicking all the way down the long aisle.

"You should rest."

"So should you."

"I'll wake Shelby, all right? She can hold down the fort for an hour or so."

"I feel close."

"You feel tired."

"And you don't?"

"This ain't about me."

"I can't. I can't go to sleep. I can't fail them."

"I reckon I understand. But this won't get fixed lest you take a rest. Just an hour."

". . . Okay. Pero, necesitas dormir también, okay?"

"I don't speak whatever that was."

"Stay here and rest a little. Just pretend like I'm giving a sermon, then it'll be easy to fall asleep!"

"Right. I'll wake Shelby."

-

fWhip never locks his room.

So it isn't hard for Jimmy to sneak in and tuck the Deputy Norman badge into his packed backpack.

-

Dawn breaks early the next morning, and Jimmy feels surprisingly lucid.

He feels like—no, he knows, somewhere deep within—his body is giving him a brief respite before it starts fighting the next stage of the illness.

Jimmy lingers outside the chapel, absently twisting his hat between his hands.

The others still have a day to prepare.

But Jimmy had packed his satchel with a bit of food, his waterskin, and a couple of papers with a pencil.

He's ready to leave.

He just has one person left to speak to.

As expected, Scott heads out from the inn to the church soon after dawn, likely having grabbed something quick to eat before returning to his self-imposed work of watching Sausage and Shelby.

Jimmy catches him by the shoulder.

His sleeve rides up just slightly. He hopes Scott doesn't notice the pink mark.

"Could you walk with me?" he asks quietly.

Scott glances uncertainly toward the church.

Then he nods.

Jimmy leads the way, and perhaps he can sense how unwell he truly is by the way his boots land a bit heavily against the dirt path and his legs feel almost too tired to pick his feet back up.

He probably has . . . a week, at most. Maybe a bit longer, if he takes it easy.

Right. Take it easy.

He doesn't want to leave.

He can't stay.

"Nice out," Scott comments, and Jimmy jumps.

He'd forgotten that Scott was there, or maybe assumed that he'd imagined him.

"Yeah, I guess," he says, looking around. "Bit warm for this early, but I ain't complaining."

It is a bit warm.

Sanctuary has had fairly warm temperatures the whole time they've been here, but the morning is usually more moderate.

Maybe there's a heatwave building up—one last hurrah of summer, before autumn properly takes over.

Sanctuary has been looking rather fall-like of late. Orange and yellow leaves making up the majority of the trees. It's quite pretty, really. Jimmy's never been to Sanctuary in the fall.

They pass under the trees, down the winding dirt footpath that Jimmy's trodden into the ground almost on his own (although there were remnants of it that he followed those first times), so many days and nights out patrolling the same line. He goes just beyond the trees, right to his favorite spot.

The boulder is almost wavering in the weak morning light.

Jimmy pauses beside it, looks out over the plains.

His view is framed by red leaves, and out beyond is rolling green-and-yellow grass, long and waving, the sky still such a young blue behind it. It looks like it hasn’t been devastated by the apocalypse. It looks calm, welcoming, lovely.

It looks so much like home.

"This is the most beautiful part of Sanctuary, I think," he murmurs.

Scott shifts beside him.

Right.

Time to delegate.

That's all he's doing. Delegating. Adjusting a former command.

Jimmy takes in a deep breath, then turns, looks Scott in his mismatched eyes. "I want you to go through the Rift," he says, willing his voice not to falter.

Scott blinks. "Sorry, what?"

Jimmy sighs, then sits on his boulder, tugging one knee up to his chest. How can he present this? "I'm not going," he says, and prays that Scott won't ask why. "I want you to take my place."

"Wh-why?"

Shoot.

Jimmy doesn't want to speak.

So he doesn't.

He looks out over the plains.

It isn't just his childhood that he misses, he supposes.

He's a cowboy. A traveler. He isn't meant to stay in one place for too long.

He's meant to feel the grass underfoot, and the wind through his hair, the dirt on his face and the sun on his back, fresh air in his lungs and a horse at his side.

Jimmy has a chronic case of wanderlust, and Sanctuary only grows smaller by the day.

"I can't do that," Scott says suddenly. "I—you're the leader, I can't—I don't—"

"Scott," says Jimmy, and it comes out smaller, softer than intended.

Jimmy can see, out of the corner of his eye, that Scott freezes.

"I'm not going. And they'll follow you. Even False will follow you, if you can convince her." False doesn't trust easily, if at all. 

Jimmy doesn't think he ever really got her trust. Just her approval.

"But I can't go through the Rift."

"Why not?" Scott asks, nothing stubborn in his tone, nothing angry.

Jimmy can say he wants to find a way to protect everyone left.

He can say that he's going to go looking for Pix.

He can say that he left something important in Tumble Town, and he needs to go get it.

But Scott is a lover of truth. He’ll see through any lie that Jimmy tries to give him, so distrusting after everything he’s already put him through.

And honestly, he deserves the truth.

It's not going to be easy to say.

But Jimmy fixes his eyes determinedly on the horizon, and twists the loose button on his vest, and makes his choice.

"It was in the catacombs," he says, and he can't make his voice any louder than a near-whisper for some reason. "I was marking our path with chalk. And. . . ."

He can't say it.

Luckily, he doesn't need to.

Jimmy shakes back his right sleeve, just enough that death's mark shows.

Scott stares.

"I didn't know what to say," Jimmy says simply.

That's the most truthful of it all, isn't it?

"Not when we couldn't stop moving while we were down there. Not when Shelby needed comfort. Not when we needed to focus everything on her."

Jimmy supposes he ought to feel something about that—sadness that this is the end, that he'll never see his friends again. Or relief, that he can finally stop running. Or maybe even despair, knowing that there is nothing he can do to protect his friends anymore.

He doesn't feel any of that, though.

He mostly feels tired.

"We might be able to heal you," Scott suggests, and he sounds as tired as Jimmy feels. "If it works with Shelby, we can do it with you, right? We can just put off the Rift thing until you're both better."

Jimmy isn't going to get better.

He isn't going to give himself that chance.

"And if Shelby doesn't get better?" he asks.

Scott looks away.

He's about to say something placating. Something kind and fluffy, to make Scott feel better about not trying.

The truth. Jimmy needs to tell the truth, not soften the blows.

"I want to stay," admits Jimmy. The words tear from deep within, yet pull free almost easily—like tugging a barely-formed scab off a wound. "I do. But I can't. And maybe it's selfish, Scott, but I don't want them to know that . . . that I've been hiding this from them."

He doesn't want to face their anger, possibly their grief. He doesn't want them to force him to stay.

Because if they find out, and he's already gone, he'll be just another rescue mission.

Someone else could die.

And . . . he's kind of been lying to them this whole time.

People don't like being lied to.

"Like you hid the stuff about Joel from me," Scott's saying, and Jimmy grimaces.

"Yeah. I'm not really good with confrontations like that. You saw what happened. But I couldn't just leave without telling someone, you know?"

"So . . . you're leaving."

He is.

He has to.

"To—what, become like Oli? Instead of staying here, where we can help you . . . go peacefully, I guess?"

Jimmy shakes his head practically before Scott's done speaking. "I don't care much for the idea of staying in bed, all still and sick 'til it's over. I figure I'll just head out quietly, yeah? I already packed my bag. Just wanted to make sure someone could be in charge."

"I'm not a leader," Scott says, sounding a little bit panicked. "What about fWhip?"

Jimmy almost laughs. "fWhip's a follower. He gets too stressed to actually lead."

"Katherine?"

"I don't think she'll want to go through the Rift," Jimmy says thoughtfully. She'll want to stay with Shelby, he's sure of it. "She said she'd come, but I bet my bootstraps she'll back out last minute."

Scott opens his mouth, clearly about to suggest the next person in line.

"And not Gem, either," Jimmy cuts him off. "Scott, I chose you because you're the one who fought back when you thought I'd made a wrong choice. You spoke up. And not just then—you suggest your own plans all the time. You're a leader, even if you don't know it."

Scott doesn't respond to that.

Jimmy looks out over the plains. He can imagine that Scott is biting his lip, trying to think up some argument.

He can imagine that Scott has a lot of things he wants to say.

Somehow, Scott rarely ends up saying them.

After a moment, with a scraping of fabric against stone, Scott sits down beside him, quite gently leaning against him.

It's an invitation.

And he's so tired.

After a long moment, Jimmy lets his head fall onto Scott's shoulder.

It's peaceful, all quiet-like this early in the morning. The world feels almost sleepy, the sun rising but not blinding. 

Gem worships the sun, to some extent. Her kingdom of Dawn revered its rising, held festivals and services in its honor. Jimmy understands why every time he watches it rise, every time he sees the orange glow that slowly spills across the darkened world, softly letting more and more light into the day to gradually pull the lands into consciousness.

The sun isn't going to be able to pull him with it.

He's going to die.

He's going to die before he ever feels fully awake again.

He's never going to be entirely conscious before he sleeps forever.

“You should go.”

The voice belongs to Lizzie, he thinks. Or Pix. Or Oli.

“It’s time to go.”

That one belongs to Joel.

Jimmy swallows, gathers every bit of consciousness and strength that he can find, then pulls away from Scott, stretching.

“I should probably head out before the town wakes up,” he tells Scott, and he can see his eyes, mismatched and conflicted, through the shadow that tries to darken them. “Get away before anyone can stop me.”

“Sure. What do you want me to tell them?”

He wants Scott to tell them goodbye. He wants them to know that he loves them, that if he deserved any better he would stay.

But he won’t put that on them.

He tells Scott to convince them that he deserted them. He tells Scott he’s leaving without any sense of direction, that he’s going to go out there and hope for the best.

He doesn’t tell Scott goodbye, either.

He deserves better than that.

[keysmashing-bees]

Uhhh hey. hey Jon I think you have something in your hair

[mossy-paws]

I love murderous robots so I drew them having a tea party (PHIGHTING!/EVA/ULTRAKILL/TRANSFORMERS)

Hello to my murder robot lovers, enjoy my food because I’ve been starving you it seems

(extras below)

Alrighty fun little things!

so, to start, In total this piece took about 33 hours and was done over the course of like a week and a half- it took a LOT of time so I’m praying this doesn’t flop lmao (ps, if you see any mistakes no you fucking don’t stop lying to yourself your delusional)

here’s the piece without the blue thinng in the background… and with Benjamin (just ignore him he’s just there)

As well as some closeups!

For some extra fun stuff- for those who have been keeping up with my biograft oc’s, yes! That is Clementine!! This is probably the closest he’ll EVER get to a full design lmfao, he has a bow tie for this occasion since he’s supposed to be a server + the plate he’s holding is meant to be angel meat for Eva! (Hince the angel core). Eva also has a #1 mom mug because she is 💖

anyways ! I hope everyone likes this, originally I was gonna add a murder drones character too but I decided off of it since I’m not particularly good at drawing them LMAO

[nevvn]

haven't posted here for a while haha anyways tiny solomon

[namelessgakusei]

Sis Puella Magica!

Mark Grayson x Reader

Warnings: Violence and death, mentions of Suicide, ooc Mark(?), mentions of Invincible War, dialogue heavy(?), really long fic, heavily inspired by PMMM Rebellion

Noi! The Clara Dolls! (prev)

Notes: Gaku will make sure to give this one a proper send off (not rushing this unlike the Noi! fic)

"The pinnacle of all human emotion, more passionate than hope and far deeper than despair... It's love."

Mark woke up in cold sweat. His breath is ragged like he just had a nightmare, but he can't remember what's it about even if he tried really hard. He's been groaning for more than ten minutes when Debbie opened the door, telling him that he'll be late.

Right, school.

As much as he'd like to stay in bed, the prospect of starting college with you made him jump out with a goofy smile. He told himself that he'll make college worth it by asking you out, soon, perhaps, ...when he gets the timing right. Oliver always teases him about it, much to his exasperation.

How can he just bring it up? How, when you smile brightly at him by the entrance, waving and running up to him? William's jabbing at him to greet back, snapping him in his daze. Your face is so close that Mark's sure your body heat is transferring to his cheeks. He's screwed whenever he sees you.

Days pass by leisurely like that. School during weekdays, hanging out in comic stores before going home, staying over each others' houses for the weekends. Really, Mark's over the moon with how close you two are, all he just need to do is confess!

So, with a shy hand, he reached out for yours during one of the days you came over. With the two of you sitting on his bed while the faint moonlight illuminating your features, Mark spoke about his affections for you. His expression is one of anticipation and fragile hope, but he didn't shy away as you process his words.

What is this feeling? It's like... you've heard those words more than you can count. Something in your stomach sinks and flips at the same time. Are you happy? Yes...! Yes, you are... It's just that— there's an underlying feeling of fear crawling deep inside you. What's there to fear? It's just Mark! ...?

So you accept. Why not? You like the guy! Ever since high school, you've been drawn to him! His nerdy, yet charming personality made you notice him. Yeah, since high school, you've been—

His personality?

Something bugs you at the back of your mind, telling you that something about this is wrong? That something is different. How? Mark is still the same. How could he have changed? You could've sworn he was creepy— no, reckless? Cold? Childish...? No, you can quite put your finger on it. But your memories were hazy whenever you try to remember him.

You stopped questioning it when he saved you from being attacked once, by one of those drunk seniors who was too cocky to take a rejection. You swear you didn't swooned when Mark pulled you into an embrace after that, his body was shaking, is it fear for your safety or for himself? You don't think you've seen him stand up like that to someone before. Ah... You're so happy that you started going out with him.

Meanwhile, Mark's eyes were blown wide, clutching you like a lifeline as he ushers you away.

That student doesn't have a face.

It was only when you two arrived at the school garden that Mark lets go of your hand, before fussing about your condition. You tell him that you're fine and that he's pretty cool back there, making him look everywhere but you. Chuckling at his embarrassment, you pull him to sit on one of those swinging chairs as you rest your head to his shoulder. Upon seeing your relaxed demeanor, Mark speaks in a whisper.

"This is a bit weird, but you see... I feel like I've yearning for this moment. Just us and the quiet." Mark laughs awkwardly after a beat. "Nevermind, we see each other everyday at school but, this feels nice..."

He looks away but his arm has you secured to his side. Was he worried about something? You can only offer a smile and a reply as you bury your head on his neck. "Me too. I feel like I've been waiting for this moment my whole life."

Mark rested his head over yours, savoring the moment. But the second his eyes started to close, he saw something that made his grip on you tighten.

If he paid close attention, he would've noticed it earlier. Most students don't have faces. The staff are repeating the same things over and over again. Laughter that sounded from children can be heard from afar but he can't pinpoint where. Also... Had there always been red spider lilies growing everywhere?

Mark opted to go to his best friend about this. William sat across him in one of the restaurants near the campus obviously perplexed from his vague message about needing to talk about something important. Mark, with furrows brows, asked if he noticed anything weird around.

Children are playing by the other side of the building, gathered around a man playing a wind up music box. A single red balloon flies away from the crowd.

William dismisses Mark's worries, saying that he must've been stressed over the schoolwork, but Mark insisted that he isn't going crazy yet. With a worried expression, he confessed that he confided in William because he knew he would understand.

"Then, answer me these questions. Where do you live?"

His best friend crossed his arms and raised a brow. "In a flat with Rick. You know that, right?"

"Since when were we friends?"

William looked dumbfounded. "For a while now—"

"Yes, but when?"

"Uh, since kindergarten? We were neighbors so we were childhood friends..."

More balloons fly above, flooding the ceiling with a multitude of colors. Bells ring from a distance.

Mark asks William to take him to the latter's house. Why? To confirm something if they're truly childhood friends. He insists that he'll pay for William and Rick's lunches for a month if he's wrong. And despite William's hesitance, Mark managed to convince him to take a taxi with him.

Smoke encapsulated the two as the vehicle stopped in front of them. It's nearly dusk, so everything is basked in an orange hue as they pass through buildings. Structures slowly start to appear out of place the further they get from Upstate University, starting from weird disfigurements to outright pillars from different eras stood by the road. And just as they arrived in Mark's street, the taxi turned around when they needed to make a turn for William's house, bringing them back to the stop by the University.

Did... Did the driver make a mistake? They're sure that they specifically asked to go to William's address. Why bring them back from where they came from? Just as Mark was about to protest, he flinched and frantically fumbled to open the door, pulling William out with him.

The driver doesn't have a face.

William tries to calm the agitated Mark, not knowing why his best friend is so freaked out, and suggests that they just go by foot.

But no matter what method they use, by foot, carpool, or even trying to call for William's parents, they can't seem to find their way to his house. That was when William also got scared, with him finally noticing what the other was so afraid of.

Multiple people who wear caricatures of their faces in place of their own slowly start to surround them.

The moon itself lifts up.

Mark goes in front to protect him, apologizing for getting him involved, and saying that they should probably stop making obvious moves as of now. With that said, those who closed in on them started to go away. William grabbed his arm and demanded an explanation but Mark shook his head, saying that he has a theory about what's happening, but isn't quite sure yet so he's asking William to not tell anyone about what they discovered.

"But what about (Y/N)?"

"...I'll talk to them today."

The two of them part ways, feeling paranoid about their surroundings, but not before William calls out to him one last time. "It's true that my memories don't add up, but when I saw you protect me earlier, I felt like this isn't the first time it happened."

Mark smiles at that.

Am I the only one who remembers?

Mark frowns as he passes through the crowd of faceless people, racking his brain for memories buried inside him. He knows he's part-Viltrumite, even if he remembers Nolan being in their house, acting just the same before his betrayal. He remembers being Invincible. He remembers you, the you who was so detached by the time you met, the you who accepted his confession with a resigned expression.

Like you've given up.

But that wasn't what went down last month, right? He remembers how he confessed, how you smiled at him under the moonlight. He remembers the kiss you shared that night. So where are these memories coming from?

Mark comes to a stop. Someone, no, something's following him. Are his powers back? Do they work now? Is the one behind him the cause of this all? With the super speed that he's all too familiar with, he grabbed the stalker by its neck, watching it squirm in his grasp.

"So you're finally able to see me."

It was a talking white... cat?

"You saw the anomalies of this world too, didn't you?"

Mark vaguely remembers you, the one from his original memories, asking him if he knows a talking animal.

"Let me formally introduce myself, I'm an Incubator. Well, you can call me, Kyuubey too. It's an honor to finally meet you—"

The thing that calls itself Kyuubey flicks its tail, ever so smiling as Mark doesn't relent his grip around its neck.

"Markus Sebastian Grayson."

Sitting on a bench in a desolated park, Mark side eyed the cat-like alien as it licks itself. "What exactly is happening here?" He narrows his eyes at Kyuubey.

It explained that Mark and his friends are inside a witch's labyrinth, made by you when you snapped during the Invincible War. Kyuubey says that it has been waiting for you to turn into a witch so that the vast energy accumulated through your soul gem all these years can be harvested. Mark questions what a witch is and it tilts its head at him.

"The final form of Magi, of course. I initially planned to offer it to you, but seeing that (Y/N) have this much potential, we might just be able to complete our plan."

"What plan? And what happens when you... harvest the energy? Will (Y/N) turn back to normal?"

"The universe might just get saved." It stretched just like how an animal would. "Also, what are you talking about? They're already dead."

Kyuubey said it so innocently that Mark grabbed the alien out of anger, squeezing his fingers around its neck as it struggled. "Why are you getting worked up? Once their soul gem cracks, they cease to exist as a human, so by your standards, (Y/N) is long gone."

"Shut up! This is all your fault! If you didn't make a deal with them, none of this would've happened!"

"If I didn't, they would've died in your hands."

Mark lets out a strangled noise as he forgets his strength and crushes Kyuubey's head. What? What is it talking about...?

"If I didn't offer (Y/N) a contract, you would've killed them in the end." Another Kyuubey appears from the bushes, eating the corpse of the one that Mark just killed. "You remember when your variants came to your dimension, yes? One of them was where (Y/N) originally came from, and because of their wish, they get to live in their alternate self's body after they die from your hand." The air cracked like a broken glass, showing Mark the different realities where his variants had killed you. "You're actually the 99th Mark that they've met." Mark felt like puking, bile rose up to his throat and he suddenly felt lightheaded. If what this thing is saying is true... then that explains your behavior before. You— He... He killed you! Yet he has the gall to confess and ask you out?? Why did you accept? Why didn't you push him away?

"We admire your consistency. In fact, for every universe, you two hold love for each other; and for each and every one of them, they die because of you."

"No matter what you do, Viltrumite genes always take control. We actually recommend humanity as the ideal breeding partner. They're visually similar to your species when it comes to appearance, and the resulting product is—" This Kyuubey gets stomped to death. "See? So violent." And another replaced it by jumping on his shoulder.

Mark is reaching his breaking point for this talking cat. Why won't it shut up? Why tell him all these things— is it mocking him?! Why appear now after all this time...?

"How do we get out of here?" Mark muttered with a trembling voice. "You said this is their labyrinth, so where's the exit?"

"There isn't." Kyuubey snuggled to his cheek. "This labyrinth is designed to maintain a status quo. You can't get out nor die in this enclosed space."

"The only "way" to change something is to wake them up."

Wake them up? (Y/N)? How? Mark remembers how happy you are in this place, so should he really wake you up from this dream? Is it worth it? Now that everything's peaceful, everyone's safe, is it really worth it to break free from this false world?

Fog started to accumulate around them and the children of the faux city started closing in, chanting and singing while throwing tomatoes at their direction. "Fort! Da!"

"Fort! Da!"

Is it really worth it?

"Fort! Da!"

This is the ideal world, free from the suffering of reality.

"Fort! Da!"

This is where everything is normal, where they don't have to fight.

"God is dead!"

"Mark!" Your voice snapped him out of his spiral as you tackled him to a hug, smiling up at him. Mark looked remorseful for a second before burying his head on your neck, making you laugh. When you pulled away however, your cheerful expression fell into confusion as you noticed the cat-like alien atop his shoulder. Mark insisted that it's just a stray animal he found before grabbing Kyuubey by its neck and dropping it to the ground.

The Incubator tilted its head and licked a limb before following the two of you.

Back at the uni, the two of you walked side by side in the gardens. Did Upstate have this big of a greenhouse before? Mark doesn't remember. Then again, he doesn't think you know either, as there are multiple discrepancies in your world.

"You shouldn't shoulder everything on your own." You started, startling him upon the sudden break of silence. You pouted at his surprised expression. "I may not be much of help, but I can at least lend an ear. It's better than internalizing it all on your own!" Mark grimaced at the irony. You should be the one taking your own advice. "I don't want to not be able to do anything when you're suffering—"

Your words were cut off when Mark rushed to your arms and hugged your close, his grip firm but not suffocating, like he doesn't want to let go. "I had a really bad dream... I dreamt that I was a hero, fighting for humanity and good."

"You were distant and cold, but that didn't stop me from loving you, eventually, you started liking me too..."

"But.." Mark frowns at the memory. "Something happened, and it ended up with you becoming someone I can't reach anymore."

"You were suffering for so long but I didn't even noticed... I couldn't do anything but watch... I was so powerless for someone who calls himself Invincible..."

Mark broke down in your arms but all you can focus is the last word he uttered.

Invincible.

Why did that word struck something in you that made you feel chills all over your body? You hugged Mark back, instinctively comforting him, but your own heartbeat is beating ridiculously fast. You want to break free from this hug but at the same time, you want to make sure he'll be fine. You don't understand what you're feeling around him.

"It's just a bad dream, it won't happen." You whisper, drawing circles around his back and kissing his temple. "Because, I'd never become someone who can't be by your side anymore."

"How can you be so sure?"

"You know me. I love you so much that it hurts."

Yes. You love him so much that you're willing to do anything. You love him so much that no matter how deep your hatred for his existence is, you can't help but yearn for his touch. ...Why do you hate him so?

Mark releases a heavy sigh at your words and pulls away from the hug, before gently holding your hands in his. He needs to wake you up from this dream. This isn't right. So, with a pained smile, he asks you to come with him. "I need to show you something."

It'll be easier to show then tell. That's what he says to himself when the two of you arrived at a bus stop as he takes your hand and ghosts over your middle finger, where a ring rests. The movement activated it and your soul gem appeared, surprising you while Mark remains somber. Kyuubey explained to him the concept of Magi and how their abilities worked, he vaguely remembers seeing this accessory before too. Leaving the gem on the shed while dragging you inside the bus, he smiles and only says that soon, everything will be over.

Meanwhile, you remained confused at your boyfriend's actions. He's been acting stranger the whole day, looking like he was attending a funeral every time he looked at you. At first you think he's breaking up, but with the way he clung to you like you're about to disappear? That can't be it. It didn't helped that he just summoned an accessory from your finger like it's nothing?? Whenever you do question it, he just squeezes your hand and told you to look outside.

"Do you want to know more about my dream?" He slowly turned to you with a sad smile, not waiting for your response. "In it, you were this powerful hero. You can even control time...!" Mark chuckles at that, making you join in due to the strangeness of the situation. "You helped us in situations where everything would go wrong... Like you knew what would happen." He leaned his head over your shoulder, rubbing his thumb over yours. "I really admired you."

You started trembling. Why? Because you don't think that was a dream anymore.

"But I didn't knew it was hurting you so much. If I reached out more, I guess, you wouldn't be in so much pain... This is all my fault..." His voice cracked as he buries his head to your neck. You were frozen on your seat, flashes of memories that doesn't make sense appeared on the back of your mind. What...? But that— those didn't happened... right?

Mark didn't killed you.

The sight of the white cat perched on the bus window made your eyes go wide.

"The distance that you can move away from your soul gem is 100 meters." Mark mumbles as he held your hand tighter.

How did he knew?

How? Why? Why now? Why? You were having a happy life this time around! You spun to face him but Mark moved faster, hugging you and making it so that you're pinned to your seat. No matter how much you struggle, he only apologizes with promises that he'll stay by your side. No matter how you cry and remember how you died in similar situations, Mark shushes you with his own tears.

"I'm sorry."

The sight of multicolored spots on your arm made you freeze.

The bus caught on fire.

"Fort! Da!"

You knew. You knew that you were no longer a magus. But, even so, you don't want to accept it. You don't want to think about anything else. You knew you are a witch, but still—

A spool falls to the ground.

"I'm sure you didn't really want to know the truth." Kyuubey speaks as it padded towards the dollhouse that you sleep in, its tail swishing softly. "And yet, the center of all of this, Mark Grayson, kept shattering your dreams."

You shifted in your bed, your iridescent blanket pooling around your body as you sat up.

Kyuubey jumped around the cobwebs spun from fine threads connected to the walls of the cocoon that surrounds the area. "Well, considering that it was him, I did think that the answer would be found eventually. Don't you think so?"

"(Y/N (L/N)."

"Incubator."

"In the end, just as I thought, it's your doing, isn't it?" Your blanket and bed disintegrated into ashes as your anger reflects itself from your eyes. Kyuubey pays no mind to your emotions as it climbs higher and higher, up to the summit of the cocoon. "The only question that remain is the location of your real body, correct?" The alien turns its head to you as flashes of the real world appeared through the monitors, courtesy of the technology within the Incubators' capabilities. "I suppose I could answer those questions."

Your body, no, your witch form remains marching around the world while your familiars "fixes" the damage accumulated from both your steps and the Invincible War. Though, those repairs look more horrifying than what they should be. People who were killed were violently revived with their senses kicking in as they're being sewed back to normal, buildings and items are put back to where they were placed but in haphazard positions, and... the Invincible Variants are connected to the hand-like ribbons behind your back, forced to a coma. Kyuubey explains that just like what you did to yourself and Mainstream!Mark, those variants are also living the ideal world you made for them.

"This is outside your false world. That is the real you out in the real world. The Isolation Field we invented is completely enveloping Earth as we speak." Despite your horror over the scene, you managed to look up and see the seals surrounding the sky. Did you... do all these? Isn't this worse than what you've been running away from...?!

It was like Kyuubey was speaking from the inside of your mind as it continued to explain, its composed voice sounding like mockery for your predicament. "We wanted to see what would happen when a self-sufficient Magus that was already pushed to its limit was put in an environment that was isolated from all external influence."

You're an experiment.

"We give our thanks to Angstrom, it was because of his suggestion that we came to this conclusion after all. The mysterious source that keeps your soul gem pure after all the resets... We wanted to know what would happen to you if you are cut off from usual path of skipping to the next reality." The alien proceeds to praise your capabilities of creating a closed off reality within yourself, snatching specific people to play along your delusions. You vaguely remember seeing a glimpse of Angstrom Levy within the visions that the Incubators granted you, but all you saw was a lump of meat being used as a conduit to keep the Incubators' seal working.

"You showed us some very interesting results. You made a world to transfer in the moment you cannot go to another."

"You're like a chick that wasn't able to break its shell and grew up within it."

"And, we Incubators were finally able to identify and observe this mysterious force that keeps you from producing the grief that we needed to stave off the heat death of the universe."

It proceeded to show you every single one of your friends, trapped inside your false world, living exactly how you wanted them to. "There are many characters currently within your labyrinth that consistently appear in every reality you go to. The most interesting of these is a certain individual who is the center of every major event for these worlds. So it seems that there was actually no need for us to go searching."

No...

"You yourself saved us that trouble."

No.

"Your wish is centered around living happily with Mark Grayson. The one disappointment is that, he never displayed any sign of power over you."

No!

"It seems the memory rewriting conducted by you, the master of the labyrinth, affected him as well.

"As a result, we couldn't do anything to him."

Your soldiers marched up from their hiding spots, circling you as you glowered at the Incubator. Alongside them, the children of your false city, booed and jeered at you.

"Mark Grayson forgot that he's Invincible. And you forgot that you were a witch."

"Thanks to that, we ended up coming along for this grand, pointless scheme."

"We had intended to wait patiently and observe, but since the two of you went and discovered the truth, the delicate balance within has begun to crumble."

Warships engulfed in flames started falling like rain in the world you created, spreading fire and destruction all around.

"Incubator, tell me what your real goal is here." Your soldiers— no, your servants in this world raised arms and surrounded you, banging their weapons to the ground and slowly breaking the glass cage you put yourself in to escape reality.

The earthquake shook everything around as the cocoon rises up to the sky. "To confirm why your soul gem remained pure after all this time, of course."

"For what reason? I won't believe that you went to such lengths just to confirm what is already obvious."

Kyuubey turned away, confirming your suspicions as physical gears turned from the background.

"You intend to control Mark, don't you?!"

Glass shattered and flew everywhere from your rage, releasing raw magic that was laying dormant until now. Your familiars all drew spears to throw at the wish-granting alien, bringing destruction everywhere it landed. "I won't deny that that was the end goal we had in mind." Kyuubey calmly explains as it flees. Every single one of your servants are bent on killing it.

"Though it would have been a very easy and tireless endeavor."

"After all, Viltrumites are quite easy to manipulate." The Incubator that was talking to you was left in tatters after being sliced to death by your familiars. Explosions went off in every single direction within your cocoon, all to kill the Incubators walking around. "This phenomenon has been a complete mystery to us. We can't interfere with something when we can't confirm its existence."

Red lines, akin to threads, sprouted from you that connects to every single corner of your cocoon.

"Not that you'd give up just because of that." You grit your teeth and glare at the Incubators. "True enough." Says another Kyuubey as it's skewed by a familiar. "If we could just observe it, we'd also be able to interfere with it." Out in the corner of your eye, another white cat-like alien sits. "And if we could interfere with it, we'd be able to control it." Before being chased away.

Faceless "Marks" surround you, each wearing different clothes from the realities you've been to. "Our research would allow us to conquer the source of your purification completely someday." Kyuubey scratches the back of its ear.

"And then, we could have conduits like these to control other magis and collect vast amounts of energy all at once." This Kyuubey was plummeted to death.

"Your phase change from hope to despair... The volume of energy that is created in those emotions." At the point of your finger, this Kyuubey was also eviscerated. "...is far beyond anything we had imagined."

Another Incubator was stabbed to death. "Truly, you are the pinnacle of limitless possibilities."

"After all, you should fulfill your existence by transforming into a witch!"

At its words, by being regarded as a mere machine, sent you off in a silent rage. Another Kyuubey was burned to death, while its replacement was crushed.

"Why are you angry? All this has nothing to do with you anymore. The existence of (Y/N) (L/N) has reached its completion." Your familiars danced in circles as the Kyuubey speaking fell to its death. "At the end of your relentless fate, you've fulfilled your wish to live an idyllic life with Mark like you waited so long for."

"Shouldn't that bring you joy?"

"No."

"That is not the joy that I wished for." Red threads fell out of your eye sockets as the cocoon closed in. Suddenly, all the strings came together to become a flood, engulfing everything in red.

"Seriously? You're raising a curse yourself? What are you thinking?" Kyuubey fell down from the debris he was riding and disintegrated from the red water. "At this rate, the purification won't catch up!" The fiery ships landed outside your shell, destroying bits of its exterior.

"As you are now, you likely won't understand."

"But you see, I became a magus solely for selfish reasons."

The moon becomes covered in blood.

"If the alternative only brings pain for him. I would rather let myself turn into a witch!"

Droplets of the acidic blood fell onto the Incubators present.

"I'll never let you Incubators touch a hair on Mark's head!"

Kyuubey's confused. Why would you give up your chance to be with Mark? Do you mean to spend the rest of eternity living amongst curses? Do you seriously plan to die here?

"I'll be fine. I'm certain that this labyrinth will be my grave." The blood dripping from the moon took your form and danced in the air while they plummeted to their death. "Eve and Rex are both here. I believe in them."

"That's ridiculous. No matter their capabilities are in this reality, they are no match for a fully developed witch! Even if they managed to kill you, dying in this isolation field means that you won't be able to flee to another reality!"

"You'll lose your chance to see Mark Grayson again, forever!"

"Just shut up!"

A giant figure resembling your likeness appeared in front of Kyuubey, glowering at him before the skin melted and the eyeballs popped off the bones. It burst into decaying carcasses before the Kyuubey you spoke to got skewered.

"To you, wouldn't that be the worst possible scenario? Honestly, why is human thought so incomprehensibly illogical?" A familiar picked up Kyuubey and ate it.

—Mark shielded you from the explosions but found himself in a field of flowers, with you sitting by his side. Despite catching his breath, he looked up at you who suddenly stood on your chair. "(Y/N)?"

He never moved this fast in his life as he lunged forward to catch your falling body, only for it to become a splatter on the ground.

Your bony fingers enveloped the scene as you watch it unfold. You, who are no longer blinded by your delusions. You, who accepted that you are no longer who you once are.

You, who had now become a monster.

Ah, so this is a witch.

My emotions have all come back to haunt me.

Your cocoon cracks open—

I can't remember anything but the glimmers of light and regret.

—and the Nutcracker Witch wakes up from its sweet dream.

"Mark...! Thank you for coming all this way for me..."

"I'm sorry I couldn't even say "goodbye" to you in the end."

5

William looks up at the sky.

4

Eve flies above the buildings.

3

Rex fixes his goggles.

2

Oliver attacks the soldiers.

1

Mark curls his fingers over the bloody splatter.

A blaring sound marks the end of this faux reality. The walls broke down, revealing the true chaos of the outside world. All residents swallowed up in their dream are finally facing the truth.

The march of the Nutcracker Witch continues, but this time, their goal is the guillotine at the end of their journey.

"Is that really... (Y/N)?" Eve grimaced at the sight. Mark frowned and clenched his fists, pleading for the team to not be taken by your appearance, saying that despite it all, you're the most hurt. "This gotta be a bad joke." Rex groaned loudly.

"Wait please!" Kyuubey calls out. "That's (Y/N) (L/N)! Do you mean to fight your own friend?" Its appearance only made Rex exclaim about it being a pokemon reject. Seeing that it can't get through any of the heroes, it shifted its focus on Mark, pleading to him instead. "You should have the power to save them! All you have to do is make them want you again!"

"Ignore it. It'll be fine, just do it like I told you all earlier." Invincible turned his back to the Incubator and led the charge.

Rex and Oliver fought off the faux children and soldiers, all while blowing them up to the barrier. Meanwhile, Eve protected both the civilians and heroes while simultaneously transmuting the flying familiars to projectiles, sending them all flying towards the Incubators' seal in the sky.

"What are you...?"

"It's alright. No matter what happens, (Y/N) won't hurt anyone." Mark mutters under his breath as he avoids the familiars blocking his way towards you. Your movements aren't hindered at the slightest, as you continue to march towards the guillotine, with the variants in tow. "Really, making us all join arms to reach you. You're making a lot of extra work for us...!" Rex grinned as he created a particularly large explosion, breaking a significant area of the seal.

"But since it's for you, it can't be helped." Oliver caught him before he could fall from the sky. Slowly but surely, the barrier made by Kyuubey is crumbling apart, catching your attention.

Stop... Please, stop...

I have to die in this world!

More of your familiars joined in the fray, hindering their progress by getting in the way, but all of them were transformed to bombs by Eve anyway. A large familiar came zeroing at her, intending to charge to its death before being blasted by Rex. "Damn it, you had me involved in this crazy stuff!" Before she could say anything however, he cut her off.

"I had a shitty dream. One where I was an asshole to you." Rex kept her back turned to him. "But you're saying that that was real and this is a dream...?"

Eve didn't answer immediately, but mumbled that even if it was a dream, it was nice to know and feel that Rex had changed.

Your magic has reached its peak, with your familiars growing enormous enough to tower buildings, but, they still didn't attack nor destroy anything. Their only purpose is making sure that your execution goes smoothly. Amidst it all, Mark closes in your witch form. "(Y/N)!"

Stop, Mark...

With a calculated force, Invincible punched through the barrier, breaking the seal and ultimately, your guillotine as well. Mark turned around just as fast and zoomed towards you.

You released a strangled gasp as memories of your past came back to you.

Earth's decimated. Humanity suffered. You lay there, barely breathing as he towers over you. He lays there, barely breathing as you tower over him. One dies every time, sometimes the both of you, but it always ends up as a tragedy.

If they won't let you do it, you'll do it yourself.

A gun is raised and aimed at your head.

"(Y/N)."

"Mark...?"

Your witch form, the you of those past, the you inside yourself, all of them cried at the sound of his gentle voice. You can't help but reach out to him in the darkness. "I'm sorry..."

"I'm such a coward... I wanted to see you one more time...!"

"If it means having to go through those all over again..."

"No matter what I became, I knew I'd be fine with it. As long as I get to stay by your side...!"

Mark kneels in front of your tainted form, slowly pulling you into a hug. He stayed there, until your tears had dried, until the darkness that surrounded you melted away, until you could finally look up at him.

"Mark, aren't you scared?"

"I'm fine. I won't hesitate any longer."

His expression is all you need. The dried branches from the spider lilies that fell from your head were replaced by cherry blossom leaves. Your magic shot up to the sky, breaking through the atmosphere and spreading rune-like symbols all over, raining down to the endless numbers of Kyuubey's all around the world. Portals opened due to your abilities, and the variants were safely brought back to their home dimension. Your labyrinth finally breaks, and everything returns back to normal.

It's a peaceful resolution. One that's frankly unbelievable by Cecil's standards. It was like the Invincible War never happened, like no one had died or no city was destroyed. But he doesn't have anything to back his suspicions yet.

That is until Cecil noticed you.

It was like everything was back to normal. The problem is that, it's too normal. But, there's one thing he's sure of. You're not the (Y/N) of their world. Yes, the (Y/N) of this dimension ceased to exist the moment you crossed realities and took over. He didn't pay it much mind so long as the GDA could control you, but after the stunt you did, as well as Mark's explanation about who you really are...

That goes to say that you should cease to exist now, right?

Your soul is now destroyed, after all. Then, why are you still here?

"What have you done?"

You were on a date with Mark when Cecil appeared in front of you, looking horrified at his realization.

You only glanced at him with a smile and walked away with your date.

[livestock-and-bibles]

I had to make a screenshot of Edgar transparent for this

[idliketochill]

Print version of this Asclepius drawing finally finished!!

[imaginate-with-me]

Imagine the headcanon: MC doing a study session with the second or first year ghouls…

Luca would be so sweet, happy to explain things you don’t get and open to asking you questions if he’s confused. If you’re struggling really badly, he may worry for you and try to help find you outside sources… overall a good study buddy, so long as you don’t need him to draw you visuals when explaining things…

Kaito would probably be just as, if not more confused than you! He would try to make it seem like he understands everything to impress you, but he also wouldn’t want to give you the wrong information by mistake! While you may have asked to study with him, still getting use to life at Darkwick, Kaito would probably be the one benefiting more since now he’s super motivated! Or a nervous wreck…

Leo is canonically smart; he fits into the dangerous “bored genius” category… He’ll roll his eyes if you’re struggling at a “basic” concept and then suddenly flip to his sickeningly sweet mode to tell his followers he’s studying with his senpai. Possibly not the best study buddy… but if you catch him in a good mood he may help you out with relatively few sneers.

Sho is also canonically smart, and will tease you less if you need help. However, sitting and doing homework together or reading about his brother’s work doesn’t appeal to him… studying would probably consist of him cooking while you can throw out questions occasionally. Once you’re done, he’ll serve you whatever he’s made.

Towa wouldn’t be very productive… I’m not entirely sure how he’s been passing thus far… he would love to hang out with you but would probably get bored sitting and staring at books for hours. One minute he’d be poking through a textbook and the next he’d be thrusting flowers in your face for a snack break.

Ren may not admit to wanting to spend time with you, but I don’t think he’d mind your company if you were quiet. He could be working or playing a game while you finish up homework. If you ask him a question he’d definitely comment on how you’re older so surely he should be the one getting help from you. After an awkward pause he me cough out the answer if he knows.

Ritsu is always busy, and he’d charge you, though perhaps at a discount rate, if you asked to study with him. Unless you really know your stuff, it may be better to keep any questions to yourself before your partner regrets collaborating with you… if you were actually struggling, he’d send you books and notes to familiarize yourself with.

Both you and Lyca try to study… but Lyca gets confused trying to read and you have no idea what anomalies the textbook is talking about so you struggle to explain to him. Not a terribly effective study buddy, but he tries… I can see you both going through all stages of grief trying to study together…

You’d probably get an earful from Yuri for not being able to grasp concepts. However, as much as Yuri’s insults annoy you, he’s pretty good at explaining things, especially anomalous or medicine related. However, he’s incredibly busy so good luck getting him to actually study with you. You can try texting him an occasional question though.

Jiro is good at simply explaining things and he is less likely to remark on your lack of knowledge compared to some of the other ghouls… if that was all, he’d be a good study buddy, but he’s busy like Yuri and may suddenly have to leave to get treated… so perhaps texting him any questions you have would suffice.

[theokusgallery]

"He's a very talented artist," she said

Version without the tattoos because I am hopelessly endeared with the idea of TMAGP Gerry

[rilakkumariddler]

comp of a bunch of strawpage stuff from last week

kinda suggestive-ish below !!11!11!

forgot to include but the rq was like arkham riddler getting a dad bod

[futuristichedge]

quick doodles

[deoccchi]

Hi there ppl. Here's some Martha for u 🫵

[braincellwhatsthat]

gay people ☹️

kyokao sketch dump mostly to test brushes (dancing sketches inspired by sevazh's art)

[wolfythewitch]

Sketches for today + redraws! (60/100)

[amelia-sun]

Chiluc Week 2024: Day 5

> Secret Relationship

This is an UNPOLISHED/ROUGHLY SKETCHED comic !!! I wanted to participate today, but I have no time to fully commit. This is all I had time to do, sorry !

Comic Ive had in my head since 2022 <3

Again, too tired and busy to finish this so this is the highest quality art i can offer sorry :') Hope the barebones story makes up for it?

I will try polishing and cleaning this, but with my schedule, it'll probably be Good for Reals by late december or mid january

Sorry if dialogue is off, havent written anything serious in like 2 months + this is basically a draft

Dialogue might change in the final, comic might get shorter, maybe longer, depends

Thats all for today !!! See u innn 2 days? ? i Hope!

[rilianelucifensteatime]