#ch. styx

[relamune]

he is Kenough :)

[twsted-seas]

I really and truly love god!Idia headcanons for many reasons, but one I haven’t seen is him and Lilia still being gaming buddies and worried that the other one is going to grow old and die one day (because no, these motherfuckers still haven’t revealed their IRLs), and then like 95 years down the line they go WAIT A DAMN MINUTE. ARE YOU ALSO NOT HUMAN?!?!

And then they find out each other’s true identities, Lilia divebombs the Isle of Lament, and the entire world will never know peace ever again.

[lorenfinch]

Thank you so much @writernopal for sending me this! I screenshot this instead of answering directly because I think you sent it to my main? Anyway, here's a selected few characters from Everdark!

Renwick: Um. Hi. I’m not here. Please leave a message. Okay. Thanks. Bye. Erevan: [looooong silence] Yeah, if you haven’t figured it out, I’m not here. Leave a message. Styx: Doesn’t have a phone Verida: Hiiii it’s Verida! Soooo sorry I missed you; leave a message after the beep! Beeeeeep! Vince: You’ve reached Vincent Lockwood, son of the Archduke Octavius Lockwood, esteemed ruler of all vampires. If you’re bringing me an important message, leave it at the signal, but if you’re here to waste my time then kindly fuck off. Yes, the phoenix feathers are real. No, I will not sell them to you. Yes, they are worth more than your entire house. No, I will not court you. Whatever you wish to say, say it quickly. I don’t have all day. Ainsley: This is Ainsley MacGregor; leave a message! Or don’t; I can’t control ya. [chuckles] Belladonna: This better not be the god damn telemarketer. I’m not buying your shit! If I know you, though, like, leave a message or whatever. Vlastimir: Hey, you’ve reached Vlastimir Volin of the Night Terrors, sorry to miss you love; please leave a message! Mirko: [high-pitched screaming]

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hey Raven! Quick Question: do you have a picture or screenshot of the Blot monster from book 7 Ch. 3? The one that attacks Grim and MC in Mickey’s room? And what sets it apart from the other Blot Monsters (aside from the fact it looks different)? Thx! 😘

This? 👆 (From 7-43!)

It's actually not an OB monster like the ones we saw escape confinement in STYX HQ. In 7-51, Silver describes the creature pictured above as natural darkness that appears in people's dreams. He has met them countless times before when dream walking. Silver doesn't quite know what they are, but he does know that if they get to you then you will be dragged deeper into your slumber. And if that happens, well... it's implied to not be a good thing. You might just get trapped in the dream and never be able to leave it.

[positively-mine]

Come back to me

your return from styx gives Ace the final push he needed

tags: gn!reader, established crush on reader, spoilers: book 6, ch 82 and touchy ace

A/n: stayed true to my word this time 🫡 how ace responds to mc and grim returning tickled something in me so I needed to write a long post abt it :)

lmk if there's any mistakes!

"y/n! Griiim!" The Adeuce duo speeding down the field to where everyone's standing.

"Heya Ace! Deuce!" Grim responds happily from your arms.

You too acknowledge their arrival, "Hey guys, we're back!"

"DON'T "HEY GUYS" ME, YOU ABSOLUTE BLOCKHEAD." Ace screamed while barreling towards you.

He showed no sign of stopping and collided into you. Both you and Ace tumbled onto the field, and Grim flying out of your hands and onto the field beside you. Ace ended up straddling you, with his hands placed at the back of your head and back to prevent you from getting hurt.

Opening your mouth, ready to scold him when he bonks you and Grim hard on your heads.

"OW! Why'd you smack me too?!" Grim yelps beside you.

You clutched your head as well, groaning in pain.

"Shaddup! Be grateful I'm lettin you off easy!" He gets up, and takes your hands to pull you up as well.

Despite Ace's rather harsh treatment, there was concern in his eyes.

"Huh?!" Grim pipes up from beside you.

Deuce walks up to you and gives you a one over before he begins talking, "When we woke up, everyone was freaking out about you, Rook and Epel being gone."

Mumbling, Ace added on, "We figured you were with them..."

"But all anyone told us was that your phones were off, and that the teacher's tracking spells couldn't find you!"

"Well I couldn't sit here and do nothing..," you try to defend yourself.

Deuce looked exasperated and Ace...looked like he was about to start shouting at you again.

***

After everyone had made their appearance and reunited, although there was lots of shouting here and there, everyone made their way back to their dorms.

Ace didn't follow the heartslabyul group. Instead, he followed behind you and grim.

The trek back to Ramshackle was spent in silence from both you and Ace, minus the ranting that came from Grim.

Ace reached out and grabbed onto your wrist gently, effectively stopping you from taking another step.

"Grim, go ahead first. I needa talk to y/n about something first."

"Hagh? But whos going to open my can of tunas?" He piped up angrily beside you.

"Sheesh seriously," Ace ruffled his hair aggressively. "I'll give you 3 cans of tuna if you leave right now!"

"Deal!"

Grim ran up the path and into your dorm.

You turn back to face him.

During the time you were gone, Ace couldn't sit still for even a second. The fear of not knowing where you were and how you were doing was eating him alive.

He wished you had told him or left even some form of explanation as to where you went. He was worried sick.

Tightening his hold on your wrist, he moved to face you directly.

"y/n, do you like me?"

You're taken aback by his straight forwardness. Not wanting to jump to conclusions, you chose the safest option.

"Of course I do. If not, I wouldn't have tolerated you this long." You tease him to ease the tension that's building up.

"You know that's not what I mean." His stare bore into your soul.

Intertwining your fingers together, he looks back up to you and says the words that you've been wishing to hear.

"y/n, I like you. I hate the feeling of not being able to help you, console you in your darkest times and love you." A blush spreads across his cheeks. "So please, don't torture me anymore..." His voice trails off and you can't resist the looks he's giving you.

Just like before, he's pulling you in with his charm. His eyes reflecting the desperation and anxiousness of your answer.

Pulling his other hand to intertwine with yours, you move closer and give a peck to his cheek.

"You know I can't say no to you."

Giving you the biggest smile ever, he pushes his lips to yours. His hands circling around you to pull you as close as he can to his body.

[s7-evermore]

Ch. 2 - The Economics of Rumors

This is The Boyfriend Contract series, Chapter 2. Inspired by The Love Hypothesis and The Business Proposal. Azul Ashengrotto x fem! Yuu (reader). You can view this on ao3.

Ch. 1 | Next chapter

In most cases, the economic rumor makes consumers dubious of the product's type, quality, and effects on health, so it can be quite an issue... but rather than an issue, he saw it as an opportunity. To me though, it's a nuisance.

It was foolish of her to believe that everything would be A-Okay after Riddle's overblot. Aside from the usual NRC mishaps (that she somehow got used to), she thought she would be able to live through her first year without any more major issues, maybe live long enough for her to get back home.

But then the Spelldrive incident happened, then the Octavinelle incident, then the Winter break incident, and then more incidents, and then the dreadful, gut-wrenching, absolutely breathtaking (not in a good way) kiss incident. Of all the goddamn incidents-- she did not expect any of them to involve a kiss.

(No. Vil's kiss on her cheek during the Styx incident does not count.)

She knew Azul well enough that he didn't like to involve himself with irrelevant matters unless it benefited him in some way. So even if she had some sort of obsessive guy chasing after her, she'd have to offer him something worthy enough for him to help her.

She hadn't received any message from him so far, and the Leech twins hadn't arrived at her doorstep yet, so... she assumed she was safe. For now.

Unless, of course, he actually did file a complaint for sexual harassment, in that case, the Headmage would have been the one at her door by now.

Yesterday's events had taken up more energy from her than she realized, so she contacted her boss and called in sick. Thank heavens he was kind, almost fatherly, and told her to rest until she felt better. She should have felt guilty for lying, but she was too exhausted to feel anything. She didn't really want to deal with any people right now.

However, as much as she enjoyed days off, Yuu became extra restless when she had nothing to do. Because doing nothing meant her mind was free to go in different directions, and that direction most often went downhill. There had to be something she could do, even if it was small or insignificant, anything to make her think of anything else other than what she didn't want to think about.

She had done as much as she could. She washed the dishes, did the laundry, cooked increasingly unsettling eggs (most of them went to Grim's stomach), washed the dishes again, cleaned the lounge, rearranged her bookshelf, created a new playlist for next week, watched some videos on Magicam, read a book on meditation-- She was slowly running out of things to do when she suddenly remembered the homework they had for History of Magic, it was a paper on any chosen topic among the ones they previously discussed during the past semester. Although the deadline was still in a week, Yuu figured it would be better to start on it early.

After making herself comfortable on her couch, Yuu opened her laptop (a very generous gift from Ortho, who noticed her lack of electronics, bless that sweet humanoid boy) and began to do some light research, but got side-tracked by the string of notifications that streamed from her phone.

With a sigh, she set her laptop on the nearby coffee table and grabbed her phone. A message from...Ace? And Deuce. Ace and Deuce. And Epel. And Jack. And...holy shit.

Was everyone out to get her or something? Why is she suddenly getting messages from Cater and Riddle? Even Sebek?! Of all people???

Before she could open any of the messages, several loud knocks pounded on her door. She knew well enough who it was that she didn't bother getting up to open it, they knew to knock first before entering after all.

The door to the lounge slammed open, startling the poor girl.

"Jesus Christ!" She clutched her phone to her chest, "Ace. You scared the shit out of me! Calm down will you?"

"Calm down?" Uh oh. She did not like that voice. Ace only ever used that voice a few times on other people, but never on her. She was usually the one using that voice on him. You know, to keep him in line.

Oh, how the turns have tabled.

"You want me to calm down?" His voice was like venom. He stalked over to her, almost stomping, as Deuce-- and... is that Epel, Jack, and Ortho?!

"Uh...what's going on?" She looked at their expressions. Ace looked displeased by something, Deuce looked uncomfortable, Jack and Epel both looked unsure, while Ortho simply looked curious. "Why is everyone here?"

"Yesterday."

She raised a brow, "Yesterday?"

"Yesterday!"

She rolled her eyes, "What about yesterday?"

"Yesterday! With Azul!"

She froze. Oh no. "What about him?"

"Don't play dumb with us, Yuu," Ace gave her one of his no-bullshit looks, "What's with you and Azul? Did you make a contract with him or something? Is he holding you hostage?"

"W-What?! No! What are you even getting at?" She didn't like where this was going. 

PLEASE don't say what I think you're gonna say.

"Um, Yuu, yesterday..." Deuce started rather bashfully, "Cater and Trey saw you and Azul together, uh..."

"Kissing." Ace finished, "They saw you kissing."

Is it still possible to play dumb? "Me? Kiss who?"

"AZUL!" The ginger yelled as he hurriedly pulled out his phone and showed her what was on the screen.

It was... It was her. And Azul. Kissing.

The cafe she worked at had been gaining popularity for some time now so encountering students from both Night Raven College and Royal Sword Academy was hardly a surprise.

"Cater took that," He explained, "He and Trey were supposed to visit you, but then he saw you go up to Azul and then that happened."

Oh my fucking god.

A memory resurfaced from when Cater and the others heard that the cafe she was working in was gaining a lot of attention. He promised he would drop by sometime with Trey or Riddle, and as luck would have it, it just HAD to be at the time when she...

Oh god. This is bad. This is really fucking bad. If Cater knew, then EVERYONE knew.

"Yuu..." Jack started slowly, "You're not dating Azul, are you?" He grimaced at his own question. Everyone else looked at her waiting for an answer.

She sighed. Even though the reason was going to sound stupid (which it was), she couldn't lie to them when they were looking at her like that. There was no reason to hide it anyway, after everything she had gone through with them.

It's quite a depressing story, but even in her own world, Yuu was an outcast. Since middle school, she had trained herself not to make a fuss over things she couldn't control. If no one wanted to accept her, then so be it, all she had to do was accept herself. She never let other people's opinions deter her, instead, she worked her hardest not to let it bother her. She buried herself in her work, focusing only on her academics and her part-time jobs as a way to cope with the loneliness. It all paid off since she got accepted into her dream college.

She was supposed to start university in a month, but her sudden arrival in Twisted Wonderland changed all her plans. Despite all her hard work, she had to start over again in this new world where she had nothing, knew nothing, knew no one, and as far as the law was concerned, she didn't exist here at all.

Yuu, once again, had to navigate her way through NRC alone-- until... Grim, Ace, and Deuce. Then Jack, then Epel, then Ortho...

In a way, it was like falling in love. She entered Twisted Wonderland a feral stranger, but these people accepted her, as strange and quirky as they were in their own right, she felt right at home in their little group. Even though some of them would deny it, she knew that they always got her back.

"It's a bit of a long story."

And like clockwork, Ace and Deuce sat on the same couch she was sitting on, Jack took the armchair on her left while Epel proceeded to sit on the floor in front of her, propping his elbow on the coffee table next to him, while Ortho simply sat on said coffee table. They did this in sync, with all their eyes trained on her the whole time.

She let out a deep sigh, preparing herself for a lengthy explanation. She had a lot to say to them, and one of them was the fact that she didn't tell any of them about Kelvin Watson and his persistent advances.

"Listen, I promise you guys it's not—"

"Prefect."

Fuck.

She didn't need to look at the door to know who that smooth, melodic deep voice belonged to. But just like dominos, she followed the befuddled gazes of her friends as they turned to the doorway where Azul happened to be standing.

When the fuck did he get here and why do people keep barging into my house???

"Azul," she stammered, standing up to greet him.

"I didn't know you had company," he strode over to her smoothly. Was it that natural for him to be graceful?!

"Oh, uh.."

"Did you already tell them?" He asked when she was busy mulling over what to say. What was he going on?

"T...Tell us what?" Ace was the first one to ask. Well, the bravest one to speak up first, to be painfully accurate.

"I'm sure you already suspect it," Azul said with a modest smile that almost looked...kind. If the whole contract incident hadn't happened months back she would have believed him to be innocent, and she was sure her friends would have believed the same thing too. "We didn't mean to hide it at first, but with everything Yuu and I were going through... well, I hope you understand."

No way. There's no goddamn way.

"S-So it's true?!" Deuce asked this time, "That you two..."

"Well, we have been going on dates..." She felt a subtle but large and firm pressure on her lower back— no, not her back, but the spot between her back and her waist— steadying her, and she didn't need to turn around to know that it was Azul's hand that was precisely 3.5 inches above her ass.

Holy shit.

It was an intimate gesture that sent tingles throughout her body, nearly overriding her senses. Her friends were staring, and she was sure that they could see the heat rushing to her face in the form of the color rose pink.

How was he this good at being charming?! No, maybe it was the kiss that desensitized her— she shouldn't have to think or FEEL this way about Azul Ashengrotto of all people.

"Is everything alright?" Azul asked in a gentle voice. Azul was never gentle. He was calm, calculating, and cold, but Yuu found it so hard to think when she felt his hand rubbing her softly as if to comfort her, and when he stopped, his hand was now 2 inches above her ass. And it made her so, so, dizzy.

"Just tired, and overwhelmed," she managed to say without stuttering or fainting.

"That won't do," his brows furrowed, he was really good at looking concerned. "Come, let's have some tea at my office."

No. Nonononono— tea at his office means being alone with him, and she does NOT want to be alone with anyone right now. Especially him.

"You don't have to," she said politely, trying to hear her own voice over the sound of her beating heart, "you must be busy."

"No, please. With the disaster of a date we had yesterday, I wish to make it up to you," he continued the act (why was he even doing it in the first place?!?), "Still... I had no idea one of your admirers would be persistent enough to ruin it. I should have seen it coming." He added context. Great. Context means more questions from her friends.

"It's...it's really alright..." and please stop, my brain can't take much of this anymore.

He moved his hand straight behind her back before gently nudging her, "Shall we? I've acquired some rare sweets for you, as well." 

Oh God. She loves sweets and he knows it.

"Um, I guess we'll see you then," Ace scratched the back of his neck, looking rather awkward, "Yuu, I'll text you later when, uh...yeah."

She nodded as Azul took her hand (and heavens his hands were so soft) and led her out of the dorm.

"Is this some kind of joke? Are you trying to prank me or something? Do you have brain cancer? Do I have brain cancer? Is this a new business scheme where you scam a person into dating you so that you can get what you want from them?"

She ignored Jade's look of amusement as he poured tea into her cup, and Floyd's snort as he leaned against the bookshelf right behind Azul. The aforementioned boy was sitting on another couch across from her, leaning back with a deep sigh.

Why is HE looking exasperated?! Wasn't he the one who kept up the whole "dating" spiel?! Why did he do that?! I was about to tell my friends the truth!!

The walk to Mostro Lounge felt longer than it should have. Though it normally took several minutes (even shorter if you ran for your life, ideally away from it though), getting there felt like hours when you're being exposed to gawking students who happened to be passing by, and for some fucking reason there was a bunch of them on the street when they were walking. They surely noticed the hand that smoothly moved to her shoulder as well as their close proximity. She might have even seen a shocked Riddle and Trey.

"I'm not that enthusiastic about it either, okay?" He said, like, y'know, a liar.

"Then why?"

"Because I would like to make a deal with you."

"Of course you do," she rolled her eyes, picking up her teacup, "I've seen this coming. For the record, I'm not setting up Ramshackle for collateral again. I don't think I have anything significant to give you," aside from my newly acquired book collection of The Devilish Duke. A really hot and funny romcom set in the 18th century. Good shit.

"It's not Ramshackle Dorm that I want."

"Then what do you want?"

"You."

At that moment, Yuu experienced a feeling that was dangerously similar to what you call a "hypnagogic jerk", also known as that feeling where you think you're falling in your sleep, only to jerk awake, sweating like crazy on your bed and not falling off a cliff.

Yes, there's a term for that.

That sudden jerk in her body nearly caused her to choke on her tea. She quickly placed the teacup down and coughed into her sleeve several times before staring wide-eyed at Azul.

She expected to see him with his usual infuriatingly attractive smirk but...

Why is he looking away?!

"Ugh, whatever," she composed herself, taking a cookie from one of the plates. As it turns out, Azul did have some sweets in his office. Rare ones too... "The answer is no. Did you know that you're the very definition of a 'red flag'?"

"How flattering," he deadpanned. "Listen, this is important."

She sighed heavily, crossing her arms as she chewed the cookie. She stayed silent afterward, a gesture to let him continue. Azul told the twins to leave the room before speaking.

"I had a meeting with a potential business partner a couple of days ago. It was one that I was particularly looking forward to," he began, "the negotiation was doing well, but there was one setback."

She furrowed her brows, "Which is...?"

"He thought I was too young, therefore, not quite... experienced, or mature."

Her eyes widened. She wouldn't say it to his face, but despite his young age (they were both 17), Azul was already skilled in both academics and business, he gave off an air of professionalism and maturity, the very picture of a sophisticated businessman.

"That's...disappointing," she muttered.

"Very much so," he breathed out, almost exhausted. No wonder he was exasperated, that meeting must have been plaguing his thoughts the whole time...

She encouraged him to continue.

"Well, anyway, I tried to appeal to him to get an agreement, but he insisted that he just couldn't get into a business contract with someone who was 'too young'," he nearly rolled his eyes. Nearly. He didn't, but she had the feeling he wanted to. "Anyway, I looked into his background after that—"

"Of course you did."

"And I found out that before he was a successful businessman, he was the only son of the previous company chairman. When he was our age, he was the very definition of 'immature'. He was a spoiled, trust-fund, party-loving playboy who relied too much on his father's influence and money... well, you understand, don't you?"

She nodded. The guy sounded like every male lead of a typical contemporary romance. You know, the good girl x playboy trope where the playboy's whole world changes after meeting the "good girl" and he starts to change himself. She's read a good amount of those types of books.

"Due to his behavior, his father had him transferred from his elite high school to a public high school to teach him a lesson. He also had his allowance considerably lowered, so he couldn't throw any of his elaborate parties, and he was also given a bodyguard to watch his behavior."

She sucked some air through her teeth. For a trust fund boy, it must have been a hard-knock life. Not that she could really relate, she had to work for almost everything she had, so it was routine for her.

"Apparently, his behavior changed when he met his high school sweetheart and his current wife. He retired from his spoiled ways and turned into a responsible and loyal man. They've been married for twelve years now. They just celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary last month."

"Huh... that's actually quite cute," she smiled a little, thinking of how the man's life must have changed when he met his wife. Given that he met her in a public school, she must have come from humbler origins. "But wait, what does this have to do with me?"

"He's quite a family man, and he has a firm belief that a person becomes properly mature when they meet their soulmate," he shifted in his seat, leaning closer as he looked into her eyes. "He will be hosting a fundraising event next month."

"That is to say...?"

"I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend and go with me to the event. If he realizes I have a partner, he will surely consider me mature enough to pass as a potential business partner."

Wow, Azul must really want this guy's support.

"Is it really that worth it?"

"If it wasn't, I wouldn't be asking you to do this. Having a contract with him would increase the chance of opening a second establishment outside of school, not to mention Mostro Lounge greatly benefit from them due to their influence in the industry."

Leave it to Azul to think ahead. He's always been thinking of how to improve Mostro Lounge, whether it's the quality of their menu or their services.

"Have you considered getting a real date?"

"Have you considered getting a real boyfriend?"

"Touché."

She narrowed her eyes at him. Truth be told, as helpful as it was having Azul's aid with getting rid of Kelvin for a day, she didn't think there would be anything else in it for her to keep up this whole dating charade. It wouldn't have even happened if only Cater hadn't taken that picture.

She groaned, "It's gonna be difficult."

"What would be?"

"To pretend that we're dating."

"How?"

"Well... for one, isn't it suspicious that you and I weren't even that close to begin with? And suddenly we're dating?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Not too difficult. We could simply tell them that we were trying to keep it a secret."

"Do you really think anyone would believe that?"

"Your friends certainly did."

"I'm pretty sure this agreement benefits you more than it benefits me."

"I beg to differ," he said, "I've prepared a list of benefits for you. I'm a rather generous man after all."

"Your tone is starting to piss me off."

"What?"

"You're starting to sound like Crowley."

He snorts, "Very well then. I'll try to avoid that in the future. Wouldn't want to upset my future girlfriend after all."

"I haven't agreed to your contract yet."

"Yet," he emphasized, she followed with a roll of her eyes. "Anyway, I obviously wouldn't leave any job uncompensated. As long as our contract is on, I will be at your service. I can help you with studying and homework. If you need study guides, I'll provide them for you. Given that you're already taking care of your financial needs, I'll take the initiative to pay for our dates. If you need protection from bullies and persistent admirers, I'll be one call away. If you get into trouble and you need a cover-up, I'll be there to help you."

He doesn't finish there, "Jade and Floyd will be at your aid as well. If there's anything that you need from them, you simply have to ask. If you follow my terms, I will follow yours."

She bit her lip, for a fake dating job, all those benefits sound... really nice. Considering Azul's standing and influence in Night Raven, all those would be possible.

"Still... It's not going to be easy keeping up this charade you know? No offense but considering your reputation, people are mostly gonna think that you're holding me hostage through a contract."

"We'll be fine as long as we greet each other in the hallways and walk to each other's classes. Your constant presence in Mostro Lounge will help as well."

She rolled her eyes, "Dude, people who are dating don't just walk to each other's classes together or say hi in the hallways, you know? Do you even know the first thing about dating?"

Azul clears his throat as he pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "I...admit I'm not an expert in this kind of field. But it's not like you can say you're any better."

She rolled her eyes. Again. "FYI, I've dated twice before, so I'd say I'm more of an expert on this than you are." No, she isn't.

Her first boyfriend was in middle school, and the only reason why she dated him was because he confessed to her in front of their whole damn class and all their classmates cooing and cheering pressured her into saying yes to him. They lasted a solid two and a half months.

The second one... was a bit more complicated. They lasted quite long, but that was because Yuu thought that they were going to last the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, that was too good to be true. Everything that seems perfect at first glance never turns out that way in the end.

"Ah... I see. Well then, what do people who are dating do?" For some reason, he sounded a little defeated.

"Well, uh, they...talk."

"About?"

"A lot of things. Their hobbies, their favorite food, the coffee they drank this morning, the shitty customer that keeps asking for the manager just because they thought the croissant they ordered tasted off and therefore demanded a refund even though they already finished it all-"

He snorted. She glared at him, "Hey, that's some serious stuff, okay? People like that are like, the worst."

He raised his hands in mock surrender, "I didn't say anything, but I do agree. Unreasonable customers are the worst. Anyway, what else do people dating do?"

"Uh...They pick apples together, frolic in fields, go on picnic dates." Sounds idiotic but—

"Sounds idiotic," Azul sighed as he crossed his arms, echoing the words in her mind, "Perhaps you should just go tell your friends that we went out and frolicked in the fields."

It was her turn to snort, "Like they would believe that."

"Like I said: idiotic."

"But hey, picnics are fun."

"Sure."

"Ahem. Anyway, aside from that..." she tapped her chin carefully as she continued to wrack her mind. "Well, people who date do a lot of things together, honestly. Hard to pinpoint but, they often eat breakfast together, get coffee together, they know each other's favorite pizza, they hug, hold hands...they...kiss."

"I can't imagine ever doing that." The twitch on his lips was enough to indicate that he was holding back a smile.

She giggled in response, "Like I would ever kiss you."

"Oh? I certainly wasn't the one who initiated it, unless I do have brain cancer and I'm misremembering things."

"I'm really sorry about that," she said, mortified at the resurfacing memory.

Surprisingly, Azul shrugs it off, "It already happened. There's no use crying over spilled milk."

What surprised her more, however, was how casual Azul seemed while they were talking. She failed to realize that at some point, he had dropped his businessman act and started talking to her like... a normal person. Like an actual Azul. It was strange, for some reason.

Silence stretched on for a few moments as she contemplated the offer once more. Dating Azul... even if it's pretend, wasn't an easy choice to make. The thought of fake dating wasn't a pleasant thought to begin with. It seemed more like a waste of time than an investment, but with all the benefits he's offering... maybe having him around would help...?

The biggest thing she was worrying about was keeping up the lie to her friends. They were her world, after all, and she wasn't ready to lose their trust just yet. But their reactions earlier were already enough to make her fall on her knees— Azul wasn't exactly the...best person to date. She was sure that Ace, Deuce, and Grim still have war flashbacks after what he made them go through during the incident with Octavinelle, and Jack trusts that she knows better than to suck up to Azul. Epel wasn't there during the incident, and so was Ortho, but she knew well enough that they were weary of him.

But...

"Well?" He suddenly spoke up, snapping her out of her thoughts. Her very... tired and messy thoughts. "I can write up the contract if you're willing to agree."

She bit her lip, "Can you...give me some more time to think about it?"

He stared at her for a moment before nodding, "Yes, of course. Take your time."

[draceempressa]

crazy theory for the day: Vil is Meleanor's reincarnation

So I read these theory about Vil's parallels with Meleanor and how he somehow connects to Crowley/book 7 pomefiore element ,and I suddenly think what if Crowley is obsessed with Vil because Vil is Meleanor?

Okay, I know this sounds crazy, but stay for a while.

Usually, in dorm uniform banners, the character names have effect corresponding their characteristic on their names, like tentacles for Azul or lightning for Sebek. With all the poison and peacock motif, you think it's the effect Vil will get for his name, but no, neither.... instead, he got thorn motif. Nobody fits thorn motif more than Malleus in the game, yet Malleus himself got dragon form spikes for his name special effects in his dorm banner.

This is despite if you have Malleus cards, his title refers to his thorn element and not to the dragon side.

So what's the deal with Vil having thorn special effect? that exactly is the question here.

Crowley isn't the only ones with eyes on Vil, Malleus does too. Malleus trust Vil , enough to ask his help for making a halloween costume design, to get chummy and tease Vil about he lives off the Pomefiore's motto in ch 5 and 6, and. In turn, Vil is the only dorm head who always remembers Malleus in every meeting.

Remember when the bday cards there was a question about moving to other dorms? And Vil picks Diasomnia. Because they had faes. So he does have inclinations towards faes.

Vil also have similar personality with Meleanor. Strict, prideful, ruthless, violent, yet can turn smothering in a drop of hat. Like Meleanor turns motherly to egg Malleus after she spams thunder to the royal guards, Vil too, after he admonishes Rook, Epel and Yuu fot being reckless, going into STYX, he also hugs and kissed them several seconds after.

Another noteworthy thing come from Halloween event is that, Vil is strong enough to make barriers that can protect against Malleus. Chapter 6 exacerbates this, with Idia calling Vil a tank, a defensive unit in gaming. Then in another card, he mentioned he never got any magical training before NRC. He is just simply born with that large defensive mana pool. Remember, faes have more mana than humans. Meleanor also died in attempt to stall time to let Lilia escape with egg Malleus. An attempt to protect.

[sekiromi]

A Devil You Do, ch. 1

Raphael tells himself that it is only because of your importance that he tolerates your insolence, placates your tantrums, grants you courtesies never before bestowed on a mere mortal. He tells himself his interest is purely professional, his desire to be close merely an expression of wanting to protect his investment.

But then, why do you remind him so much of someone who once felt like home? Why does your soul echo with the remnants of something heavenly, and why does it entice him more than any contract ever could?

He learned not to hope anymore, but for you he might make an exception.

pairing(s): Raphael x Tav/Reader, Astarion x Tav/Reader

themes: reincarnation, soul bond, past lives, lost memories, pining, slow burn

cw/tw: canon-typical violence, gore

word count: 1k

[read this fic in all its glory on ao3!]

Chapter One: A Hundred Lifetimes from Now

The tragedy of the divine retribution of an original sin.

Fire rained down in whistling streaks, scorching the plane and causing it to shudder.

Raphael was many things; eternal, infernal, unforgiving. Hellfire simmered in his veins, behind his eyes, beneath his skin. Cruel and calculating, wicked and sinful, a creature of an irredeemable nature. Scorned son of Mephistopheles, a young lion lying in wait to pounce on his father, tear his throat and devour his flesh to take his place.

Concerned only with control and domination, loving no being other than himself.

Despite the heat of the fight, Cania remained cold and impervious, desolate and dark.

It had been that way for a long time, almost as long as Raphael could recall. His long life stretched out behind him unwaveringly endless, shadowed by greed and lust for power.

A flicker of a dying light, the last gasping breath of something divine erupted into the blackness.

The beginning grew hazy sometime during the second millennia, but there was one thing, or one person, rather, that stubbornly clung to the very fringes of his memory, slipping into his subconscious for safekeeping somewhere around 1400 DR.

Their body lay broken, crumpled, cold. Chest stuttering, choking on the blood rising in their delicate throat, and Raphael knew terror for the first time.

It still haunted his sleep, festered in a dark corner in the back of his mind, waiting for an opportunity to remind him of all he had won and then lost in his quest for everything.

“No…” Bloodied feathers and shattered bones, he tried to hold them together, put them back into one piece as if it could save them. “Hold on, my dear.” This fear on his face, it was a new emotion to them, one that they would remember a hundred lifetimes from now if only in the deepest reaches of unconsciousness.

They made an awful sound, thick, congealed blood pooling in their mouth as they tried to speak.

“G-Go, Raphael…it’s a trap.” Skin was already turning cold, fingertips icy as they weakly brought them to his cheek. “Mephisto…he—”

“Hells with him, I’ll kill him for this. I swear.” Rage burned unrestrained behind fiery eyes they had grown to love, despite every sense telling them to do otherwise. A forbidden attraction, a dance between the infernal and the divine, a collision between the Heavens and the Hells. They had both been damned from the start. They knew this. It had not stopped them.

“You won’t. Please…go, live. We will meet again.” His rage subsided to sorrow, feeling their once immortal life drain from them faster than sand through an hourglass, faster than the Styx through Avernus. His eyes grasped theirs, searching, pleading, bargaining, but both knew it was too late. Stripped of their invulnerability by the very Gods that had gifted it to them, Death would make a move soon. There was one thing left to say, a final deal, their last promise. Gently, they guided his face closer to their own, voice diminishing as a numbness climbed into their very soul.

“In the next life.”

Raphael wept for the first and last time.

—-

Whatever souls are made of, some are awfully persistent.

When theirs had departed for a more distant realm, it was some decades before it graced the material plane again.

They kept true to their promise; Raphael did meet them in their next life, albeit in another form, another face. It did not matter to either, their essence was still there, still the same. In that second life, they had managed to hold on to their memories of the one before, remembered the centuries they had spent together. The first, which they had spent the better half trying desperately to kill one another. The second, when they started to realise why they never could succeed. And the third, where they paid the price for his arrogance and ambition, slaughtered by his own father to teach his unruly son a cruel lesson.

Whatever you earn, I will steal. Whatever you have, I can take. What is yours, is also mine.

When their mortal life ran its course, they found him again in the next. And the next, and the next. He loved them in every single one, however they appeared to him, wherever they had come from. He cherished them entirely, stood beside them as they grew old, mourned their deaths that felt like they were coming faster and faster as the years stretched on, and waited for them to knock on his door once again.

Until they started to stop remembering, until it took him searching for them to elicit any memories at all. Until only echoes of the past remained.

Every reincarnation remembered less than the last.

Sometimes, he would miss reincarnations entirely. In these lifetimes, he would wonder what had become of them, whether they taken another lover, whether any visions of him and their past entanglements haunted them in the void of the night like they did him. During these lapses, the near misses, Raphael would find himself beginning to grow hazy on the details himself. An amalgamation of lives, a collection of personalities that were so similar but also just slightly distinct from one another, made it difficult to hold on to what was original. What he was looking for.

Eventually, it had been nearly a thousand years.

A thousand years of solitude, a thousand years to forget.

Raphael’s heart hardened once again. He became the devil he knew, the creature he was born to be. Cruelness returned, contracts were formed, and souls were traded year after year.

But he did not come across theirs again. He was not sure if he would even recognise it anymore.

By the mid-1400s, any lasting hope of finding them diminished entirely. Wherever in this existence they wandered, they would simply pass as hollow ships in the night, each unaware of the other.

Raphael accepted this, and got on with his work.

[chapter 2]

[styxthecaracal]

Honestly at this point, if @thesylveonrosen were to interact with any of my posts, I'd be incredibly grateful and I'd feel like I've peaked as an alterhuman blog on tumblr. So in order to protect my more precious posts on here, I'm tailoring this post especially for them.

So hello @thesylveonrosen ! My name is Cadence, but since you don't know me (and I doubt you will be respectful of me) you may call me Styx. I'm a ~spooky~ alterhuman here on tumblr. Specifically, I'm a caracal and African Wildcat therian as well as domestic cat and dragon hearted/kith. I'm also a sfw furry and fursuit maker. I'm an atheistic satanist who plans on joining The Satanic Temple when I turn 18 and I'm also a firm believer in reincarnation and past lives.

I fully support therians, alterhumans, otherkin, nonhumans, objectkin, fictionkin, plantkin, and even placekin (among others though those are the first thing that come to mind.) I also support agere and petre (though I only interact and feel comfortable around sfw versions).

I like metal music and alternative music, specifically I love Opal In Sky, NateWantstoBattle, Rob Zombie, Fall Out Boy, and My Chemical Romance.

I'm Genderfluid and I use all pronouns except it/its. My main pronouns are They/She/He/Mew. I'm also Pansexual and AroAceflux.

My alterhuman experiences include phantom ears, phantom wings, phantom paws, and phantom fangs. I also experience a small prey drive, as a predator therian. I also rarely get mental shifts.

So, what do ya think, my fellow pokemon fan? Do I scare ya? Am I weird enough to deserve your hate? Come at me b**ch >:3

[dilemmaontwolegs]

The Miracle - Ch.5

Morpheus (Dream of the Endless) x reader (no gender/pronouns mentioned)

Summary: In the aftermath of the hellhound attack, you find that healing the physical wounds is much quicker than the emotional ones. Warnings: canon-typical magic, panic attack, depressive mood, sexual themes/insinuation, angst WC: 3.6k

Ch.1 || Ch.2 || Ch.3 || Ch.4 || Ch.5 || Ch.6

The weeks passed by in a blur, or maybe they didn’t pass by at all. You had rarely moved from the bay window that overlooked the plains beyond the palace. You tried not to think about the bedroom you had moved out of, his room, the room that overlooked the river. You tried not to think about the hurt in his eyes, the pity everytime he looked at you. 

A phantom pain speared down your spine. 

Twin scars of ruin were all that was left of your wings. Even now, your muscles still moved as if the reassuring weight of the bone frame and feathers were unfurled behind you. It was a grief you had never known. 

A soft knock pulled you from your rumination but the voice you once had was raw from the screams that woke you each night. He was used to the silence when you didn’t answer. 

He carried a silver tray; two cups, a pot of tea and Lucienne’s scones. 

“Hope wants to see you,” Morpheus said with a barely contained sigh. “She misses you.”

You missed yourself too, you just didn’t know how to get back to who you were before. Not all of you returned from Hades’ domain - physically or mentally. 

“How?” Your voice was hoarse from lack of use and the tea cup rattled over the saucer as it startled him. “How did you part the river?”

Morpheus placed the tray on the side table and took a tentative seat beside you, watching you watch the grass grow. “Styx is a dormant goddess, she has been sleeping for aeons, the river is merely an extension of her power.”

“I still feel their teeth, hear their growls. I can still smell my blood.” A sob shuddered through you and Morpheus carefully pulled you across his lap. The wounds had completely healed but the tenderness might never go away - that’s what the healer said to him when they thought you were unconscious.

“I know,” he murmured as he held you close, the first physical contact you had allowed him since you woke up in The Dreaming. “He is being punished for what he did to you, what he took from you.”

You took little comfort in the fact Hades would be terrorised every time he closed his eyes. It didn’t bring back your wings. 

“Was it like this the first time?” Morpheus dared to ask. 

Your fingers clutched at the dark material covering his chest as you buried your face in his neck and you gave a small shake of your head. “I think a part of me always knew they were there beneath the surface, waiting for me to remember them. Now…there’s nothing.”

The emptiness within you left you gasping for air but you couldn’t seem to get enough. Panic tore you from Morpheus’ arms and you ran for the bathing room before the waves of nausea could send you to your knees. Instead, it was your own body that did that. The change in your balance, the lack of counterweight from your wings, left you stumbling like a newborn fawn and crashing to the tiled floor.

Warm hands tried to help you stand but you shrugged them off and curled away and weakly said, “Go away.”

“I just want to help you, please, let me help.” 

The rational part of you knew he wanted to help because he loved you but the self-isolation and pain had pushed that rational thinker deep into the recesses of your mind. Guilt, a whisper in your mind told you, he wants to help because he feels guilty. 

“I don’t need your help,” you muttered as you pulled yourself up by the lip of the bath. “I don’t need anyone’s help.”

An inaudible sigh rose in his chest as he stepped back to the doorway. “Calliope is arriving this evening. A feast is being held for Orpheus’ return.”

A darkness was festering in your chest that you had never felt before and it was beginning to spill from your lips before you could stop it. “You must be happy. One big happy family.”

He inhaled sharply and moved to step back into the room only to freeze as he caught himself. “Careful. I know you are hurting and the part of you that was human is lashing out in response but you are not human. You will not feel better by hurting others.”

You turned away in shame when you realised he was right. “I’m not human, I’m not an angel. What am I?” you asked yourself as you stared at your reflection.

You hardly recognised yourself in the mirror. You looked exhausted, as if your soul had begun to wither away inside you. It was a shock to your system and your shoulders curled in as you dropped your head. 

“A miracle,” said Morpheus, his hands coming to rest on your hips. “You are stronger than anyone I have ever met, just like your mother. You will get through this, we will get through this. No more trying to carry every burden by yourself, and no more sneaking out in the dead of the night. I fear I may never be able to sleep again.”

You looked up and saw indeed that there were dark circles beneath his tired eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Show me,” he dared. “Come back to our bed.”

Tremors shook your hands and you crossed your arms so he couldn’t see them. “I can’t…”

“I see.” You swore you could hear his heart shatter as tears filled his eyes and the mirror cracked your reflection in two. “There is an island beyond the mountain off Fiddler’s Green, it is yours for as long as you please.”

“Wait,” you called as he strode out of the bathroom. “It’s the river.” The sounds of his boots on the tiles stopped but he didn’t return. “I can’t sleep in our bed when I can hear the river outside.”

The palace groaned as the ground shifted before it settled back into place and Morpheus shifted back into the doorway, his fists buried in his pockets. You could see the thoughts flitting through his head as they flowed through his mind - he was berating himself for not realising the association. “It’s gone.”

“Thank you.” The muscles in your face pulled taut, straining against the movement they hadn’t done for weeks. A small smile. “Can you take me to our bed?”

He was at your side in an instant, his arms around you and ready to support you however you needed. Taking a deep breath, you leaned into him and started the slow walk back to where you belonged. 

“I want to see Hades,” you stated as you reached the threshold to the master suite. 

Your fists clenched at your sides. “Good.”

Morpheus uncurled your fingers and traced the life line that cut across your palm. “But not tonight. Tonight is even more of a celebration now that you too have returned.”

It was quiet for a nightmare. 

You had expected to arrive to the sound of screams but there was nothing. The only sound was a faint crackling of a fire glowing through the trees that surrounded you. 

Morpheus laced his fingers in yours and led the way, his boots snapping twigs until he reached the clearing. 

You were about to ask him how this was supposed to be a nightmare or punishment when you saw what was in the fire. It wasn’t Hades. No, Hades was silently weeping on his knees as close to the fire as he dared, the flames flickering in his eyes. 

The fire burned bright and hot and you had to look away after a few seconds but he remained fixated on his wife who lay within their blazing embrace. Unreachable. 

“He believes I tethered their dreams,” Morpheus whispered in your ear. “He believes she spends her nights burning for his sins.”

Hades finally noticed he was no longer alone and crawled across the embers to collapse at Dream’s shoes. “Please, let her go, I beg you.”

“Did you hear my cries when your dog ripped my wings apart?” you hissed, planting your foot on his chest and kicking him back to the flames edge. “Did you call them off? No. So we shall both suffer longing for eternity.”

“Cerberus wasn’t trying to attack you,” Hades avowed. “I had accepted the terms of your deal. You were to leave unharmed.”

Hot rage, hotter than the fire burned through you. “But I didn’t!” 

“He was doing his job, defending his home from an attack.” Hades shied away from the piercing eyes of Dream. “Cerberus was aiming for the threat that was breaking the shields that kept the souls trapped in the Underworld. His target was Dream of the Endless, not you.” Hades' glassy eyes begged forgiveness as he looked up at you. “You saved Dream’s life when you distracted Cerberus with your wings. The barrier was weakened enough my hound could have made it through and torn your lover apart.”

Dream staggered back, a hand pressed to a tree trunk as he felt the weight of those words. “It was my fault.”

His hand wiped the nightmare away until you were stagnant on a blank page, a white endless void. It was as if he had lost all ability to think, to create even the smallest of substance to the dreamscape. Everything he knew, wiped with the truth Hades had unleashed. 

“It was all my fault.”

A small paver appeared at your foot and you took a step, another popping up ahead of it until you reached his side. 

“We could spend the rest of eternity arguing who will take the blame,” you said softly as you caressed his cheek. “What’s done is done. The best we can do is learn from our mistakes. I, for one, will never again go on an adventure without you.”

His nod was reluctant but he tipped his head deeper into your palm before placing a kiss over the love line. “And I shall trust that wherever you go, you will find your way back to me.”

“Always.”

The forest returned but the funeral pyre and Hades were gone, all traces of them along with it too. A small sigh of relief filled the clearing and you realised just how much you didn’t enjoy the pit of rage that had festered since the attack. It was as if it were suddenly drained and you felt a sense of your self return from the release of the hate and despair.

Lustre returned to your hair, life returned to your eyes and you stood a little straighter. You felt lighter than you had in months and swore you felt the ghost of a breeze through feathers behind you. It no longer brought you pain but the warmth of a hug instead. 

Morpheus was deep in thought as you walked back hand in hand, a quiet brooding that you knew would take time to overcome. For as good as you felt from the visit, he felt bad. 

“I don’t regret it,” you said as you squeezed his hand and brought his attention back to the present. “I would have willingly given them up in a heartbeat if it saved your life.”

“If I had trusted you-” he started to say before you cut him off. 

“If I had brought you along. If, if, if. I told you, what’s done is done. Hindsight is only a gift to remind us we survived, nothing more.” He exhaled through his nostrils but didn’t argue as he stepped into the palace. “Now if you were feeling so terribly guilty, there is one thing that would certainly earn your forgiveness.”

His eyebrow cocked up as he looked over at you. “Is that right?”

“Mhmm.”

“And what one thing would that be?” he prompted.

“It starts with those pretty lips on my body and that devilish tongue of yours finding that sensitive spot of mine and ends with drowning in your eyes as you fuck me senseless.”

His breathing hitched and his pace quickened. “I dare to point out that that is far more than one thing, but, I shall happily give my recompense with all that I have.”

Your toes curled in your shoes as you reached the doors to the suite. “Compensation by copulation.“

“Indeed.” The corner of his lip curled up in amusement, the door opening at his command before he stepped inside and looked back. “Coming?”

Your lips were dry as you ran your tongue across them, your heart racing at the thoughts of what Dream was going to do to you. “Oh, I certainly will be.”

Six (Waking) Months Later. “Owww, it hurts, help!” Hope screamed, her whimpers echoing through the library as everyone ran to her. Morpheus appeared at her side first, holding her as she cried, Mervyn arriving after you in his paint splattered overalls and ignoring the disapproving look from Lucienne as she saw the mess he left behind. “My back…”

You knelt in front of her as she wrapped her arms around her knees and hid her tear streaked back. “Did you fall, sweetheart?”

“N-no, I was just reading, and, and then-“ her words were cut off as her back arched and she screamed in pain.

“Morpheus, back up.” You didn’t want to alarm her so you spoke soft and slow but you waved your hand at him to ease away. “Daddy’s going to come and hold your hand.”

He did as you instructed, confusion clear on his face before he took your spot and held Hope’s shaking hands.

“You know how I was an Angel? Remember my wings?” you asked her as you traced a hand along her spine, feeling the bones shifting beneath your fingers. “I think you are about to have your own pair.”

“What?” her voice pitched higher and her eyes widened in panic as she twisted to try to look over her shoulder.

“Hope.” Morpheus drew her attention to him and made a show of taking a deep breath. “Breath with me, deep breath in, hold it, and, let it out.” 

His calm disposition drained the fear from her until another wave of pain erupted and you watched the frame of her wings ripple beneath her skin, a single feather slipping out before it disappeared again. 

Her screams pierced your ear and your gut clenched as you decided that hearing and seeing your daughter in pain was the worst thing you would ever experience. The pain of losing your wings paled in comparison to not being able to ease her suffering. 

Her screams were so loud that they not only reached all corners of The Dreaming but reached her half brother in The Waking. 

“Orphie,” she sobbed, reaching for him as he raced into the library. 

“Hey, little bug,” he greeted gently, looking desperately to you and Morpheus for an explanation and direction on who he should be hurting for his little sister’s tears. Morpheus quietly recapped why she was in pain and he peeked over her back to see the feather protruding before quickly ducking back down with a pale face. “Would you like me to sing you a song?”

“Please.”

Her eyes fluttered closed as he started a slow melody that calmed her mind and soul. With each line another feather eased out but she was so lost in the song that she didn’t notice. The room was absolutely silent except for Orpheus’ voice, no one dared to break the trance he had her in. It was his gift.

“Open your eyes, my darling angel,” Morpheus murmured as he wiped away her tears and the song ended. “It’s over.”

You had never seen a pair of wings like hers. They looked like the night sky, complete with sparkling stars dusted across the plume. 

“They are beautiful,” you said with a proud smile and created a mirror to show her. 

She gasped at the sight and they twitched in response, her eyebrows pinching together as she tried to move them on demand.

“It takes time to get used to them but soon you will be able to control them, fly, and shift them back into your body.” Her breath hitched at the last idea and she scrambled for Orpheus’ hand. “It only hurt because you were frightened and your mind was trying to fight it. It won’t be like that again, I promise.”

She exhaled with relief and looked around the library at all her family and friends that had come to her aid when she called. “Does this mean I am an angel now?”

Those eyes turned to you but you didn’t have an answer for that, you did not know. “How about we take a trip to the Silver City and find out from grandpa?”

Death was kind enough to fly you up first before going back for Hope and Morpheus. You took the time to go in search of God and found him already coming to meet you as you passed Peter and the gates.

“You have questions,” he said with a warm smile.

You chuckled and gave him a nod. “There’s that omniscience.”

“I’m not all knowing,” he countered, offering you his elbow and leading you down the road. “But I do know you.”

“My daughter is an angel, isn’t she, or at least half. What does that mean for the laws?”

“All children are angel’s to me.” He gave your hand a pat as you rolled your eyes before continuing. “Hope is both a Child of the Endless and an angel. She was created with love, just as you were, and she was also created outside the laws that hold the angel’s accountable.”

He sensed your worry and chuckled. “Teach her to control her power, teach her to fly. No one knows how to parent, there’s no manual with all the answers. Between you and Morpheus, I trust you will guide her along the right path.”

“How can I teach her to fly? I have no wings.”

“You were pure creation, pure life,” God said softly as he walked the city with you. “Something that pure doesn’t just disappear, and it cannot be stolen. You just have to find it in yourself.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I felt a wave of tremendous guilt the moment that your Morpheus arrived on the banks of the Styx. Your guilt. Whether you acknowledge it or not, you felt guilty for breaking your promise to him, no matter how valiant the reason for doing it.” God halted and you looked up from your shoes you had been glaring at, kicking stones along the pathway, and found yourself in front of your old reflection pool. “You felt unworthy of him, of happiness, of your wings. So, you created a version of yourself that you thought was unworthy of those things.”

A choking, bitter laugh broke through your gritted teeth. “I didn’t clip my wings because I felt bad, they were ripped apart by a hellhound!”

“Reflect while I greet our guests.” God gently nudged you closer to the pool before making his way towards the gates you had arrived at. “Peace be with you.”

Despite the warm breeze that kissed your skin, the pool remained still and calm. Your reflection mirrored your confusion as you waited for the vision to come.

You had tried not to dwell too much on your trip to the Underworld, even after moving forward it still hurt to look back. But the water turned murky as the hues of grey twilight painted a picture and you found yourself watching the replay from over Morpheus’ shoulder.

You could see his power lashing against the shield, hairline cracks spreading across it as you waded through the mud. You remembered that moment because you had seen the rage in his eyes and knew that some piece of it was reserved for you. For your betrayal.

Cerberus reached the banks edge behind you and it was only the warmth of the sun on your back in the Silver City that stopped you from breaking away from the terror unfolding. Those three pairs of flaming eyes were fixated on Morpheus as he slammed against the barrier once more. Snarls, so close to you.

You felt it then, the guilt that threatened to cripple you as you looked at Morpheus and realised you were going to die. Guilt was an imploding pressure in your concaving chest, you would die and he would never know how sorry you were for leaving him.

You blanched and fell from the edge of the reflection pool, crashing to the ground to see Michael shaking his head and offering you a hand up. “Still looking to the pool for answers.”

“Well it’s not like He ever answers them in a way anyone can understand,” you huffed indignantly. “He suggested I crafted a distraction to have my wings torn off because I felt guilty.”

“Did you feel guilty?” he asked.

“I mean, yeah…”

“Guilt isn’t an angelic trait,” he said pointedly. “Maybe you weren’t feeling worthy of what makes us angels us.”

“You’re as bad as Him!”

“The mind is the most powerful thing, it’s amazing what can happen when you put it to use.”

“Stop speaking in riddles, brother,” you snapped.

“Forgive yourself for what happened. Release yourself from the prison you have trapped yourself in, spread your wings and fly.” Michael turned off his heel and took off into the sky towards the upper city. “Peace be with you.”

Click here for Chapter Six.

Tagging: @wt-fxck @nightly-polaris

[relamune]

Just realized I completely forgot to post them here too but I got two of my boys drawn by the amazing @irishk0rn !!

[violetlunette]

So! Super crazy idea but--

Twst Spoiler for CH 7!

--What if the Knight of the Dawn overblotted while fighting in the "territory dispute" and his phantom took the form of the firebird?

Said Phantom wouldn't be active anymore because after draining the life from the KotD, the fire bird did its fire thing and went into a deep sleep, hidden from even Styx.

Then Silver wanders close by and something left over from the Knight of the dawn stirs...

[lorenfinch]

hey this is chance and here’s week 4’s prompt. how do strangers within the world view your protagonists? how would they describe them? and how does this contrast against how the protagonist views themself?

Hi Chance!! This is a really good prompt; thank you for sending!!

Styx, I think, is a very intimidating figure. They're that tall vampire priest who sometimes works with the monster hunter's guild. She's been called a heathen in text because she worships a deity from a faith that's fallen out of favor and even outlawed in some places over the centuries. Some of the vampires mock them for being so willing to work with monster hunters and mortals in general, while others respect them, though pity them for being so withdrawn and aloof, since vampires tend to do much better in groups. A lone vampire is almost never a thriving vampire. No one would ever dare cross her, though; her skill with a scythe and polearm is well known.

And Renwick...putting him under the cut for misgendering, transphobia, allusions to abuse, and Victorian era-esque misogyny and ableism

Renwick. Well. Back at home, his name is shrouded in whispers. The second child of Avery and Eliza Crawford, the one who fell ill to hysteria at thirteen. He was always an odd one, with an intense interest in the macabre and a poor grasp of certain social cues. Many looked upon him with pity, others disgust. Growing up, many of his peers picked on him, and adults turned the other way. After all, little girls shouldn't be behaving like this, wearing suits and cutting their hair short and taking interest in such horrid things. And when he flinched whenever his mother gripped his arm a little too hard, or his father made a movement a little too sudden, well. That was just none of their business. With such strange proclivities and a general air of melancholy, to them it was only natural he would eventually succumb to hysteria, and to them his family did him a kindness by keeping him in the house instead of sending him away. Family supports family after all, that's how it is in the Luminous Faith. As the years went by, he was just...forgotten about.

To strangers in Cedra, a sea away from home, they knew not of the identity of the young man traveling through their streets. Most didn't take him too seriously. Either they saw his clothes and thought he was a thief, or a woman in disguise. Some took pity on him and let him stay in their home for a few nights, and scoffed in disbelief when he told them his destination. The Everdark, they'd say? Now why would such a polite young man be going to a place like that? But they helped him nonetheless, a few sensing that such kindness from others was a rare occurrence for him.

Also, there are many people who've mistaken him for a child, usually of 14-16. The problems of having a baby face.

As a vampire, most mortals don't take him too seriously as a threat, until they're forming a mob and they need something to direct their anger at.

While they don't remain strangers for long, his fellow vampires generally like him, if they perhaps think him a little or more than a little naive.

[yuri-is-online]

Saturday Night Question (MMO AU)

a/n: Inspired by Recovery of an MMO Junkie and that bit of Ch. 6 where Idia assigns all the OB Boys rpg classes. Title comes from the op track which I highly recommend. (x) Loose modern au, NRC is an actual college everyone attends and Grim is still a talking cat-weasel-monster. Not everyone knows each other IRL so expect some minor catfishing. The MMO is based off of Final Fantasy XIV and will contain references to class and game mechanics but no spoilers.

For those unfamiliar with FFXIV chats

[FC] <Tempura Kun> this is the guild chat. Everyone in the guild can see this.

Tempura Kun >> this is a whisper, only two people can see this

[NOVICE] Tempura Kun: this is the novice network for mentors, only Riddle can see this

[Tempura Kun] if someone is texting it will be portrayed like this.

LFM- STYX (FC) recruiting, static needs a pure healer/off tank. Serious offers only.

Your buddy Epel talks you into trying critically acclaimed mmo First Fantasia because it has a thirty day free trial with unlimited game time and includes the first expansion as a joke but as college gets more stressful and you struggle to make irl connections it becomes your personal safe haven. You finally work up the nerve to join a guild and find yourself stuck in the middle of a really familiar set of egos. At least you're having fun.

Tempura Kun| lalafell| white mage/omni-crafter| Yu (you)

A college student living in a haunted mansion their dead beat dad's "renovating." You are only really interested in crafting after being really burned out on hardcore raiding from your last MMO, but agree to sub for heals so Epel can replace the group's usual off tank who's taking a hiatus. That and Gloomurai agreed to let you decorate the FC house, how could you refuse?

Granny Smith| male roegadyn| dark knight| Epel Felmier

One of your friends from class. Mannon keeps mailing him fantasia and insisting he change his race but he's really attached to how muscular this lets him be. He really just wants to play for fun, but he's super competitive and is super eager to try out harder content to "prove how manly he is."

Gloomy Samurai| female miqo'te| samurai| Idia Shroud

The leader of the fc and the person who runs the discord. Extreeeeeemely blunt to the point of being a bit unpleasant and downright scary. You're pretty sure they only let you join to get access to more pictures of Grim and because Epel's friends with the main tank. Super funny for someone so terminally online, but you are beginning to suspect they just- don't have a life outside of gaming.

Jude Bellerose| male hyur| black mage| Riddle Rosehearts

Knows the mechanics for every single fight in game and is scarily efficient at his rotation. Also extremely inflexible and refuses to adjust for a n y o n e, but blames the wipe on everyone else because he knew the mechanics so why don't you? Pretty sure he broke a keyboard while trying to clear the last raid tier.

Vivat Rex| male miqo'te| reaper| Leona Kingscholar

Rex plays this game for triple triad like a true king and is only kept on the static for his consistent dps. Claims that he doesn't pay attention to the discord but he knows everything everyone says in there anyway and responds any time someone vaguely mentions him. Likes to mess with Jude and is not above causing a wipe to out dps him.

Snake Whisper| male au ra| dancer| Jamil Viper

He has every single non-crafter class leveled and knows their rotation. Refuses to play anything other than dancer because he hates people pulling logs and enjoys holding dance partner over the other dps's heads. Likes to post pictures of his cooking in the discord and has his spotify linked to his account. Surprisingly willing to swap recipes if you ask, provided you promise to not give them to Nautilus.

Mannon Du Luc| male elezen| paladin| Vil Schoenheit

Epel's online friend who he says he hates but you're pretty sure he admires a whole lot. He's playing this game for glam, his dresser is maxed out with almost every limited piece ever added. He has completed every single piece of extreme content for the glam without being carried and expects the same level of competence from his off tank. Super nice to you though, he always coms his healers.

Nautilus Noise| male viera| sage| Azul Ashengrotto

Raid leader who does the call outs with Snake Whisper. Claims to be irl friends with Gloomurai but neither of them ever talk about their personal lives so who knows. Has ff logs installed and will pull them to... critique the other static members. You are 99.9999% sure he's playing the market board with 8 retainers but lack concrete proof. At least you can make him shut up if you compliment him.

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ep.2 thoughts

[Getting the Shaft]

(Contents: Animation, ch.2-3 comparison, OP/ED analysis)

So I found out that a number of people employed at David Productions were formally members of Shaft, and dang does it show. Fuuko practically did Shaft's signature head tilt like three times! I wonder if they weren't allowed to go all the way with it specifically because it's iconic to Shaft so they have a copyright or a trademark on it?

Admittedly, I don't think I ever considered Shaft as a possible studio for UU, and in certain respects I kind of wish I weren't seeing that future come to pass. The excessive use of negative space and the lack of background characters makes the world feel lifeless, and the occasional full-body shadows literally drain the color from the frames whereas I feel based on the volume covers and color pages is the opposite of the blinding neon vibe that I would have expected. I also worry that using the trappings of a Shaft production's visuals will result in UU looking like any other Shaft work rather than having its own visual identity, though I suppose we'll have to wait and see on that

However, this is the future we got, and all in all, those are just gripes. The combat has exactly the energy that it needs to, the comedic moments are given a lot more gravitas than they had in the manga, and once again David Pro loves to add in fun details. My favorite in this week's episode was Andy realizing what the source of the Unluck was going to be and slowly inching closer to Shen and Void so they'd be more likely to get caught up in it. I don't believe I saw the almost electric trail of blood from Andy's finger as he prepped his Parts Bullet against Void, but maybe i just missed it. If I did, let me know, I'd love to be wrong about this one

As I (and many others) predicted, episode 2 covered chapters 2 and 3, and I think it did it quite well. I'm not sure if it's because I read the manga, because it's an anime, or because the director specifically was trying to do this, but I felt like the anime made the exposition and details a lot easier to absorb than the manga did. If I had to attribute that to something, I would say that a panel can cram in multiple details and layers that the reader needs to be active to pick up on while an anime has to show everything individually and any deviation can be detected through movement. I don't know that for a fact, but it's the impression I get

The difference between Unavoidable and Shen's ability was pretty difficult for me to wrap my head around at first in the manga, but I feel like this iteration will make it a lot easier to differentiate them, hopefully. I wouldn't say that UU is obtuse in general, but I imagine a lot of it is going to be clearer going forward

We also got the opening and ending themes, both of which had great songs and animation. Both were definitely odd, though; they were kind of subdued compared to a lot of other shonen anime openings, with the OP spending about half of it on abstract fractals rather than establishing the characters or setting as one might expect and the ED being extremely somber and heavily symbolic. Even as a manga reader, both of them gave me a bit to chew on, which isn't something I usually expect from OP/EDs

I'd really like to read over the lyrics, but I don't think they're up anywhere yet, and even once I find them I imagine they won't pertain to the story and instead will just match the vibe more than expounding on the themes

Without going into spoilers, my favorite part of the ED animation is Andy waking up under the sakura tree with Fuuko after drifting along the River Styx and passing under dead trees; it's said that under every sakura is a corpse, so the idea that Andy is, in effect, burying his past and leaving his previous life behind him for a brighter future with Fuuko is extremely poignant and touching

If there's anyone worried about Andy and Fuuko's relationship based on the first two episodes, just know that that one bit right at the end of the ED is a better representation of their ongoing relationship than the first couple of episodes are. They are easily the best romantic couple in shonen manga, at least that I've ever seen, so just know you have that to look forward to

I'm particularly excited for next week's episode, cus I really like the Union member they're going to meet. I only recently came to like this character as much as I do, but they make a strong first impression at least, so I hope everyone out there enjoys them too. See ya then!

[villainessprefect]

title: Hunger

summary: Idia would truly do anything for Ortho, even if it means spoiling him with his favorite food.

characters: Idia Shroud & Ortho Shroud

word count: 2735

note: my piece for the @twsthorrorzine !! Please note it does include cannibalism and ch. 6 info!

Read on AO3

Idia has always found comfort in his room.

There are no eyes on him, no one to make fun of him, and no one to tell him what to do. He can relax and indulge in his fantasies, escaping from reality. Here, he can become a god whether it be through gaming or giving life to his latest creations.

No one is allowed to enter his sanctuary. This is his place and his place alone. The only other person he would dare to allow in willingly is Ortho. And even then his brother isn’t always at his side. As much as he yearns for him to be, Idia knew that his brother’s time had already passed long ago. The Ortho with him now could never replace him, but that didn’t mean he stopped thinking of his brother.

So, when he hears the door open, Idia is quick to scowl. It may have been a new employee who was foolish enough to stumble into his room or one of the older members who looked after him from a young age. Regardless, he hates how people intrude upon his safe haven.

The elder Shroud turns in his chair, ready to give the command for whoever it is to leave. As long as he’s in STYX, he has power over everyone here. But when he turns to see who it is, Idia freezes.

It’s Ortho.

Bright yellow eyes meet his. They're not synthetic, nor made of glass. He flashes a smile, showing off those familiar sharp teeth, the same as his. They aren't perfect like how Idia created them to be. Blue hair burns as bright as his own, flickering too. It's not a mimicry of his, but rather proof that the curse runs through his blood.

His body is free from its metal confines, flesh replacing it instead. The flame on his chest may be gone, but Idia feels like he can still see it lingering over his brother as he breathes. He watches his chest with every breath taken as if trying to confirm that he really is alive.

"Idy," Ortho chirps. His voice is upbeat and warm, soothing like an angel comforting him during his darkest days. He wants to hear him speak again, more. He wants to hear his voice over and over. He needs to.

Instead of granting him that wish, he permits another. Ortho collides with his brother, wrapping his arms around him and clinging to him. Despite his cheery demeanor, his grip is tight as if afraid to let go.

"O-Ortho..." Idia breathes out his name, voice daring to shatter into a million pieces. His fingers twitch, hesitant to return the embrace. He's scared that this may not be real and if he were to hold him, then he'd disappear and Ortho would be gone. Again.

But he feels the warmth radiating from him. It's different from what he's used to. Motors and internal parts recreating a sense of warmth like a human's but could never perfectly capture it.

Despite this feeling of warmth, Ortho is still cold. The cheek pressing up against his skin is icy, as if touched by the lord of death himself.

But Idia doesn't care about the finer details. What matters is that Ortho is here. With him.

As he finally embraces his brother, Idia can feel the tears pricking at his eyes. He doesn't deserve this, he knows, but he's unbelievably happy that this outcome is real. Having Ortho back in his life was a forbidden wish that no one could ever grant him. It shouldn't be a possibility. As someone who practically works alongside death, he should know the probability of this happening to be zero.

"Idy..." Ortho breathes out his name again. It only makes Idia's grip on him tighten.

"I'm sorry." He apologizes over and over. It comes out along with overflowing tears. He's a pathetic sight.

"It's okay, Idy." Ortho's voice helps him calm down. The little hum he does while rubbing his back helps too. When Idia is more composed, he's able to pull back and bask in his brother's glory.

Ortho keeps up a kind smile. There's no hatred behind his eyes, no anger directed at him for past mistakes. It's all love. And it breaks Idia's heart.

But there's something different in his eyes. A flash of desire, a craving that was unknown to him.

"I'm hungry."

"Ah, yeah, of course you are..." Idia clears his throat. His voice is still quivering. He never lets Ortho go. He can't. "Wh-What do you want to eat? We can get your favorite."

The thought of doing something so mundane with his brother brings him joy. That emotion is tossed out when he finds Ortho's smile fall.

Had he done something wrong? Was his brother okay? What was going on? Panic begins to rise in his chest with questions ready to be hurled out as if by a maniac.

"I'd love to, but...I want something different." Ortho bites down on his lip looking guilty.

"What do you want? I'll get you anything, Ortho."

Idia is desperate. He needs to keep Ortho here; he needs to keep him happy. As if on cue, Ortho's face lights up, his smile returning and his eyes sparkling.

"Well, since you asked..."

~...~

Whatever Ortho wants, he gets. That is what Idia decided. The younger Shroud deserves everything and anything his heart desires. Thankfully, Ortho only wants to be at his brother's side. He clings to him as he settles into the living world once more all the while enjoying their hobbies. It's as if he never left.

"Aww, you won again, Idy!" A playful pout forms as Ortho taps his finger over the controller.

Idia can't help but laugh. While he loves his brother dearly, that doesn't mean he's going to sit back and let Ortho win.

"Told you I would. I'll show you the tricks so you can totally destroy others. The only person who is allowed to beat you is me."

Ortho giggles and agrees. But he also makes the promise to beat him one day.

As they play late into the night, a nauseating growl disrupts their fun. It comes from the younger brother. Normally he's the one to remind Idia to eat, but it seems he lost track of time. Now his hunger is beginning to bark.

"Can we take a break, Idy?" He asks innocently with a hand over his stomach. "We never got dinner."

"Oh..." Idia forgets that he can survive off energy drinks and chips or nothing at all for extended periods of time. His body may hate him for it, but he never cared for the consequences. Now that Ortho is back, he should clean up his bad habits. If not for himself, then for his little brother. "Yeah, I can put in an order for something."

"Idy..." Ortho whines and gives him a pleading look. "Can I have that again?"

"Again?" Idia raises a brow. His finger hovers over his phone's screen. Something in his gut tells him to say no. That disgusting feeling that something is wrong and he shouldn't give in to his younger brother's pleas. Yet, he can't help himself.

Whatever Ortho wants, he gets.

"Y-Yeah, sure. I just...gotta figure something out first."

"Thanks, Idy!" Ortho giggles as he jumps into his brother's arms. "You're the best!"

~...~

Blot. It's something the Shrouds are used to. They need it to survive whether they like it or not. The inky substance controls their lives. They can't escape it, even in death.

It stains Ortho's body. The younger brother had dismissed it as nothing serious, but as time went on it had only gotten worse. It started with his fingertips. His hands looked as if they were dipped in ink. The black goo had spread up his arms, reaching to his elbows. He left a mess wherever he went, leaving drops of blot as a sign. Then his flames began to shift in color. Black flames that looked unnatural, even more so than his blue ones.

"I'm okay, Idy," Ortho reassures. He proves it to his brother by moving around with ease. He spins on one foot and stops with precision. His arms are held outward, blot dripping down onto the floor. He smiles brightly despite all this and Idia can't find a hint of deceit in him. "I'll be better after I've eaten."

Idia takes in a breath. Logically, he knows this is wrong. The blot that stains his brother and how it spreads. He worries over him and frets over what may happen.

But he's also worried about his appetite. It's growing, as a young boy's should, but at an alarming rate. It's not a problem for his big brother. It is a little...troublesome, but Idia can get away without having to do any of the dirty work.

"What do you want today?" He asks. There's no point to it. The answer is always the same, but inquiring makes things feel a little more normal.

Ortho hums, placing an inky finger underneath his chin.

"I want...the scientist, the one who helped run tests with you yesterday." He answers. "He said some mean things about you, right? I think he's a good choice."

"You sure?" Idia is indifferent to his brother's choice. Those that worked here were all faceless, nameless nobodies. He didn't care for them and neither did they care for him. They could easily be replaced. But his brother couldn't. "I don't mind, just double checking."

"I'm sure. The less jerks who hurt you in the world, the better."

"Alright."

Idia picks up his tablet and gets to work. The names and images of employees pop up one by one. Idia doesn’t recognize most of them, he never did. They’re just people who were employed by his family, nothing more, nothing less. And now they were being looked at like food. Names on a menu with an appetizing picture beside them.

It makes inputting Ortho’s order easier. He has no attachment to these people. He doesn’t care. Perhaps a small part of him thinks this is sickening and wrong, but there was nothing right about his life in the first place. Another mistake here or there wouldn’t do much. Besides, there is no one to tell him he can’t do this, especially when he’s from the family that has control over the entire facility.

It's easy to sweep under the rug too. A missing scientist at STYX could be brushed off as a lost soul getting too close to a Phantom. The risk is low but still there. Death is always looming around the corner here, or at least legions below their feet.

They lived in a dangerous place. The cold air that traveled throughout the facility, their home, was always calling for more. The monsters that lived below were always crying for a way out, for more victims to take. One wrong move and those creatures could easily take a life. Or two. Especially those that were locked behind the gate that only the Shroud family could control.

Idia thinks he should feel guilty over this, but he can't find it in him to care. He's cold and uncaring towards anyone outside his family.

"One of the Charons will have them here in a few mins. Think you can wait?"

"I can."

"Perfect."

Idia doesn't catch how his brother's smile widens more than it should. Nor how his teeth seem sharper than usual. It's okay though. Ortho will be okay after he's had his meal.

~...~

Ortho is...alive.

Bright, wide eyes have lost their pupils. All he can do is stare into the gaping holes and imagine that his own brother is looking his way. His mouth is lost within an inky black mess. The only time he can pinpoint where it is, is when it opens wide and bares his teeth. His hair has lost its blue color, now dipped in nothing but darkness. It still imitates flames, albeit a little weaker.

What once was flesh has turned into blot. A dark, goopy substance that colors every part of him. He still retains a human-like silhouette, but he's become something much more. He's more advanced than his robotic counterpart, able to control the ink that is his body at will. He always keeps his outline the same though as he is still Ortho.

Throughout all this change, his stomach still aches.

A slab of meat is placed before him. It’s hard to tell what it is exactly. To the untrained eye, they might mistake it for an animal. But to those within STYX, they know exactly what it is.

Sometimes the meat is juicier, red liquid smearing the plate and even daring to slide off it. It’s filling and mouthwatering. Sometimes it looks like an indescribable mess. Chunks of organs are slapped down onto a plate and mixed together into something that looks inhuman. And sometimes there’s a bit of flesh that remains. Skin that was too attached to the thick piece of meat and meant to act as garnish.

Regardless of the presentation, the size, the flavor, it’s catered to Ortho like a five-star meal. He is too hungry to care about anything else and simply wants to eat. When his mouth opens, revealing his brilliant white teeth that are now much sharper than Idia's, it's also impossible to see further in. It’s almost as if one is staring into a pit of darkness.

Sharp teeth sink into their next meal. They easily penetrate the fleshy substance, ripping it apart piece by piece. Blood drips from the chunk of meat and it dribbles onto his form. It’s hard to tell where the red and black liquids collide. The ink overtakes any red stains that would have disgraced his human body. 

Ortho is always careful with his meal despite the mess he makes. He chews on the meat, enjoying the fat and how squishy it is between his teeth. The pile of flesh gets chopped up into tiny pieces and goes down his inky throat. His plate is always clean and he never leaves even a scrap behind. It’s as if there had been nothing there to begin with. The only sign to prove otherwise are the red smears left on the plate.

Eyes shut and an echoing laughter escapes despite his mouth seeming to be closed.

"Thank you for this meal, Idy," he says before taking another chunk of meat into his mouth. His voice has changed, almost sounding drawled out.

It's a sickening sight, really. He should be holding back the bile that ought to be trying to escape from his lips. But this is something he's used to. The sight of his used-to-be-deceased brother now turned into some sort of unclassified Phantom who feeds off of the flesh of the living.

He's a monster.

But he isn't.

Ortho is his little brother.

He still wants to be with Idia, and still clings to him as if everything was normal. He can't play games that well as ink messes up the controller, but he can try. His body isn't as tangible as it should be, but he can still envelop Idia in a hug and bring him warmth despite his cold ink.

"I've got some more on the way," Idia says.

Ortho's appetite never stopped growing. One piece won't do him any good. Slices were getting bigger with each passing day. At this point, he might just have to start eating people whole.

"Really?" Despite lacking any type of visible change in his form, Idia can hear the eagerness in his voice.

"Yup. Got a whole feast ready for you." Idia grins.

Idia made a list of all the people who badmouthed his brother. Those who called him a monster or dared to even suggest they should get rid of him — or worse, keep him as a test subject. It made his blood boil. Couldn't they see that this was Ortho? His precious little brother and not some abomination?

Ortho deserves better. He was given a second chance and his foolish older brother wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Perhaps the world would be better if it were just the two of them. Or at least if the population shrunk. What's a few lives lost at the cost of keeping his brother alive?

"Idy, I'm hungry..."