#check his dollmaker?

[heartfullofleeches]

[Request] Reader caring for a sick Remmy [Dollmaker Yan Oc]

Warnings: None.

Words: 1.1k

-

“Remmy isn't home right now…. Please come back later.”

Could this day get any worse?... Weeks, months even, building up the courage to ask you to hang out with him. It wasn't like he asked you out on a date or anything, not yet anyway. He still needed to test the water a little longer, make sure the signals he had picked up from you weren't figments of his imagination. All that time, all those embarrassing hours spent in front of the mirror practicing what to say given any outcome - flushed down the drain in one night. 

Remmy could hardly open his eyes the morning you were intended to meet. You didn't even recognize him over the phone at first. In his heightened state of delirium from the fever racking his weary mind, he hoped the same would happen as you continuously rang his doorbell - demanding in the softest voice you could manage for him to open up.

As if he could be that lucky….

“And where, pray tell, would someone hacking up a lung over the phonean hour ago be right besides the hospital? It's not that far away. I can head over right now and check.” 

….

“Open this door right now, Remiel. You're not going to flake on me twice today.”

Did you have to phrase it like that? Kicking a sick person while he could barely stand was cruel - even if you did come to check up on him. 

“O…okay…. Remmy is- I'm going to unlock the door, just…give me a minute to clean up my room. I have some stuff out I really don't want anyone to see…”

The muffled shuffling of plastic splices between the click of the lock as Remmy unlocks the front door. 

“60.”

“Crap.” 

Hobbling away from the front door, Remmy clings to the hallway walls as he makes a break for his bedroom. The straight path twists and bends as his stress levels skyrocket from the very real fear of you finding out what he had stored. There wasn't enough time for him to hide everything. His top priority were the worst offenders - items he couldn't excuse as being a result of his relatively harmless hobby. Doll clothing fashioned after clothes you'd yet to wear for the public eye. Others you never owned and probably would never wear, unless they were for a partner or to make yourself feel good. Pictures of you hung up on his walls. So much to bury in such little time. 

“They can't see that…That one either. God, they'd kill me if they saw-”

“Saw what?” 

A hoarse yelp claws its way out of Remmy's aching throat. Standing in his doorway, you balance two separate bags in your arms - awaiting his response. Remmy hurriedly pulls the corners of his blankets over the space beneath his bed. 

“I…threw up a bit ago. Guess I'm feeling worse than I thought when we spoke over the phone.” 

In the blink of an eye you're by his side. Remmy flinches as you press the back of your palm against his forehead.

“Oh, Rem….” Concern oozes from your words as you set your bags down, taking hold of his arm. You're burning up. Come on. Let's get you back in bed.”

“You don't have to go through all this for me, Y/n. Really, I'm-” His sentence falls short as you scoop him off the floor, sitting him up on his bed. Were you always this strong - or had he always been this easy to carry? In that moment, Remmy felt just like one of his dolls. His head spins at the very thought. You take the opportunity to gently ease him down against the mattress, rolling the discarded sheets up to his waist. You pick up the plastic bags, setting them on the small table in the center of his room as you rummage through them.

“Got some chicken soup from this dinner down the street. If you can't keep anything down, maybe the broth will be a good place to state. Oh!- picked up some ginger ale too. That might help with your stomach too. Cough drops, cough medicine…. Do you prefer liquid or pills?” 

Remmy turns his head away from you as he coughs into his fist. “...whichever…whichever you brought is fine.”

“Well,I actually bought both, but I can just return the other on my way home later. I'll go grab you a cup real quick.”

Heading for the door, Remmy’s meek voice calls out to you - barely about a whisper. “Y/n?”

Hand on the doorframe, you gaze over your shoulder at him. “What's up? Need something else while I'm in the kitchen?”

“No…” Remmy shakes his head, the pressure of a headache hammering at his skull. “Agh… Remmy… I just wanted to thank you…for this. You really didn't have to come over…” 

A smirk tugs at the corners of your lips. “Don't think I did this for nothing. Gotta make sure you're well enough for our date next weekend. The park is nice and all, but that's where we always go. I expect to be taken somewhere else for our first date.”

“Date?” He couldn't have heard you right. But, you said it - twice. You disappear down the hall before he can properly question you. Was this all a dream? The conjurings of his ill mind as the sickness took hold? This felt better than anything he could imagine- Your hushed voice as you reenter the room confirms it. You wiggle your arm behind his head, helping him sit back up just enough to place the cup to his lips without him choking while swallowing. A part of him wished this was a dream. One that he'd never wake up from if he had the choice. Another dream come true was waiting for him once he got better.

“Remmy?...Rem?”

Soda spills onto your hand as the weight of his head crashes upon your shoulder. Did he…. fall asleep? Just like that? You hadn't even given him his medicine yet. At least the sleep will be good for him. You should probably go put everything else you brought up to pass the time until he wakes up. 

“Mmm…”

Remmy’s face scrunches in discomfort as you part from his side, lowering his head onto the pillows as you stand. Your foot touches something soft beneath his bed. You reach a hand underneath - completely forgetting about his earlier warnings as your fingers wrap around the squishy item. A doll with instantly identifying features stares back up at you as you drag it from its prison. Funny - you don't remember wearing this shirt around Remmy. You only bought it a few days ago. You planned to wear it today before he told you the bad news.

Shrugging, you raise Remmy's arm - tucking the doll against his chest. His face melts into that of peaceful bliss, body curling around the doll as his other hand strokes its face as if on auto-pilot. You press a kiss to his forehead - shutting off the lights in his room as you depart for a second time.

[cloudninetonine]

The Player and the Dollmaker

A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't been as active for the past few months! Life and just general stuff got into the way, plus I've been feel extra anti-social :') But I'm gonna try and get back into the swing of things!!!

This story is based on my friend @next-hero-in-line's awesome new oc, the Dollmaker and by @batrogers's amazing fanfic based on said oc!! The Dollmaker for anyone who wishes to read it!

Warnings: Bad language (as usual to Player), blood/gore, temporary character death, reversed character death, hinted at a slighter darker Hyrule(?), also probably a lot of spelling mistakes I've been struggling with sleep lately piuhgfpiuf

Hyrule’s timeline was…something.

You were expecting it, truth be told, playing the very first Legend of Zelda game came with not only a huge reality check but the rude residents of the traveller’s Hyrule that had you close to tossing your device from the frustration of their snide remarks and coldness. With the troubles that brewed in the depths of the land, you couldn’t really blame the population- but there was no need to be snarled at for simply asking for directions.

“Mark my fucking words,” You growled, tugging at the material of your hood as you wondered through the village, monologuing to yourself like some crazed villain. “Mark them, goddesses, because trust if one of these nasty arse villagers sasses me again it’ll be between them and you.”

Yeah, you were not happy. Having to deal with the terrible crowds all day, your levels of cranky raised to the max and you were not about to deal with another one of these terrible people- even all the children were damn brats!!!

And to top it all off, it was raining, just perfect.

Huffing, you turned another corner, boots squelching against the mud of the (once) dirt path as you made your way back to the village outskirts, the camp resting deep within the crooked woodland that bordered the homes. You could catch the silhouettes of cloaked figures just by the bushes, speeding up your pace the slightest bit with your face relaxing from your raged scowl to a relieved smile.

Splitting up was not something you were fond of, especially in Hyrule’s land but with his flaming reputation with the locals that only further engulfed that of the Chain’s when they had first been seen in public with him would have been worse than just being seen as a weary traveller looking for some food and shelter. The stories of him being chased out of towns, to having rocks tossed his way and worse- you wanted to slam your fist into the nose of the first (definitely not) innocent bystander.

How could they treat their hero like this? Expendable? Like dirt beneath their boots? God, you hated it.

But, unfortunately, there wasn’t quite much you could do, was there?

You raised your hand, a yell at the tip of your tongue as you got closer to the cloaked heroes only for a sudden body to walk ahead of you, walking out from between the homes and right into your path- your yelp their only indication of their mistake as you bumped right into their side and had them near tumbling to the floor.

You were lucky this adventure had gifted you with faster reflexes.

“I’m sorry!” Your hand quickly grabbed their wrist, tugging them back up to a standing position before they could collapse into the mud. “I’m really sorry- are you okay?”

You caught bright blue eyes before anything else- well, eye, the other covered by her lucious, midnight purple locks- her hood did well to hide her features but that you could make out. Not many in Hyrule had quite striking attributes as she did and your mind rolled the many franchise characters in your mind in a curious search to see if she was familiar-

But no, you didn’t recognise her.

The woman blinked, studying you for the moment but her pretty pink lips stretched into a smile.

One you didn’t like.

“Hello.” She grinned with teeth as she once again looked you up and down. “I’ve been looking for you.”

You wretched your hand back like her skin was hot metal, keeping it protectively against your chest as you went to take a step back. “Pardon?”

“You were looking for health items in town.” She clarified, still smiling and still very disturbing before your eyes. “I have just the thing.”

Please don’t invite me back to your home. Please don’t invite me back to your home. Please don’t invite me back to your home- “Oh? And- uh, what’s that?”

Your heart skipped in relief when she dug into the back hanging from her shoulder, plump with her own items and quite loud as she rummaged through until she made a small sound of victory and then proceeded to produce a…a doll. Her eyes looked over it proudly, her eye sparkling with a glee that made your stomach churn in a nervous rut, watching as her nimble fingers quickly straightened out the little toy’s clothing before handing it over to you- all the while still grinning that same smile she had been for the past few moments (had she even breathed?).

“For you.” Her voice was near giddy but still laced with her eerily calm demeanour. “A good healing item.”

“Uhhh, how much…?"

She giggled, airy and light. “A ‘thank you’ will suffice.”

Common sense had always told you not to take things from strangers, especially creepy ones that emerged from dark alleys with smiles that read trouble, eyes like a predator’s that shone with a lust for violence and blood- but, with a quick glance to your companions still waiting just ahead you felt the need to hurry this exchange so that you could return and be rid of this whole damn day.

So, managing to force a grateful smile, you accepted the item. “Um, thank you.”

You held back a cringe when her smile widened. “You’re welcome.”

Your eyes fell to the doll in your hands and you felt the air harshly exit your lungs, mouth a slight gape as you caught the familiar stitched face staring back at you.

“This-” Your eyes raised to meet…nothing. Nada. Zilch. Body twirling frantically to search for the woman who had once stood before you, face still stricken in slight horror before you let out a breath from your nose. “Typical.”

Gently, your thumb ran over the careful thread of the doll, taking in the very obvious features of yourself: your cape, your tunic with it’s gold accents, your hair and the discolour buttons for eyes, stitching of blue running down its face to its stubby little arms and a smile to top it off. Yes, this was you indeed and you knew exactly what this was.

“One up…?” You muttered, feeling dread settle on your shoulders.

Why would you need a one-up?

Your hands shook, thoughts racing through your mind as you continued to stare down at the small doll with anxiety bubbling in your gut. Was this a warning? Your fate decided? Were- were you close to death? Or did this Dollmaker find of your existence and wish to merely meet you? You weren’t quite sure, uncertain if being left in the dark was better or worse about the future with this item-

A hand came to rest over yours and your eyes flew up, meeting the frightened ones of Hyrule. Eyes of brown clashed green stared back into your own, pupils pin pricked with a similar fear to your own before he let out a breath and pushed the doll to your chest, his voice a soft whisper.

“Put it away.” He gently squeezed over your knuckles. “Don’t think about it- I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Hyrule-”

“It’s okay, I promise you.” He managed to smile at you, not quite reassuring but soft nonetheless. “Nothing will happen.”

You looked at him with apprehension. “...Link, I’m scared.”

His face hardened, eyes shining with a determination that you had seen time and time again. “I will protect you.”

…You couldn’t fight his words, you knew from his tone he would keep him promise no matter what. You knew that look, you knew this man and you trusted him, you could leave your life in his hands and he would keep that promise in his heart until his very last days.

But just because he could keep a promise didn’t mean fate couldn’t take over.

You stuffed the doll into your bag and took his out-stretched hand, letting him lead you back to the cloaked Chain so you could all return to your temporary abode within the woods.

You felt the stare of eyes on your back the entire way.

----------

The past few days had been uneventful, save for the few black blooded and some more cruel Hylians of Hyrule’s homeland, everything had been pretty quiet and tame- yet you could still feel the unnerving tremble in your belly at every waking moment. Glancing around wildly, refusing to step away from the group, you don’t think you had even released Hyrule’s hand for those past few days, too afraid and too cowardly.

Even if the doll was in your possession, even if it brought you back- you would die.

You didn’t want to die out here.

But it seems, like you had expected, fate had decided to take that into its own hands.

It was Legend’s turn to watch for the night, sat in front of the flickering campfire with eyes focused on the surrounding trees and bush. His back was towards you when you woke, blinking away sleep and rubbing at your eyes when you felt the overwhelming need to use the toilet. Well, find a spot behind a tree, after all when was the last time you had seen a proper toilet? You shuddered at the thought.

“Where are you going?” The Veteran grunted, watching as you waddled through the sleeping bodies. 

“Toilet.” Your voice was hoarse with exhaustion, “Don’t worry I’m not gonna converse with the Shadow.”

The man huffed, poking at the fire with a stick. “Whatever.”

That was all you exchanged, carefully manoeuvring through the shrubbery to get a good distance away from the men. Not thinking, your mind still too seeped in sleep, forgetting the doll you had kept in a death grip these past few gruelling days as you hopped and shuffled to get to a sufficient spot to do your business then head back to camp. It didn’t occur to you that this may have been the moment fate needed, nor did you think about it being your last.

Done with your business, you took a few steps back towards the light in the short distance. Far enough that you couldn’t see Legend’s full features but close enough that you were still in sight, the hero had his head down towards the flames, not focused on you at all.

You sighed.

Then-

…You felt a burning.

Your whole body tensed- seized as the pain began to grow from a dull throb to a near rolling inferno, your breath suddenly ripped from your body as you felt the sensation of hot liquid begin to slowly bubble up your throat while you looked downed to the cause of the pain- a crossbow bolt punctured right through you, dirtied with red hot blood that idly drip, drip, dripped from the tip of the arrow right onto the dirt below.

Breathing only resulted in the blood to rise faster, tasting the copper in your mouth as you coughed and sullied your white tunic with maroon and felt your body sway as you felt your body quickly begin to lose it’s balance, your vision blurring with tears.

It must have caught your lung…were you drowning in your own blood?

You reached a hand out towards the camp.

“...Li-nk-”

You fell to your knees, then to your side, choking on more of the liquid.

----------

Hyrule awoke to a scream.

Loud and violent, his whole body jolted at the sound as he lept into a seated position with his sword pulled ready, eyes scanning the camp frantically for the threat he had expected.

Only to see nothing. Merely his brothers in spirit, jolted awake and alarmed similarly to him as they all glanced around and wondered about the sound that had woken them all from their slumber.

Hyrule’s hand moved towards your body.

And his stomach dropped when he didn’t feel you there.

“No…”

It was happening.

When the silhouette of Legend began rushing back into camp, bloodied and panicked the traveller knew already what had happened- he didn’t need to glance at the mass in the Veteran’s arms to know it was you, the bolt still protruding through your ribcage as the small blonde screamed for them all to do something- ready the potions, ready the fairies, anything. His hysterics would have been almost comical if the brunette didn’t feel like his world was crashing down around him as he watched your hand limply hang, unmoving.

“Oh dear Three-”

“Put them down, quickly!”

“We must remove the bolt!”

Hyrule pounced when his body finally snapped back into attention, rushing to your side like a bat out of hell when the blonde had carefully handed you towards the Captain and the Old Man- the soldier carefully snapping off the fletching of the arrow to slide the item out of your chest, the horrible bloodied squelch making the brunette’s stomach twist and churn in horror and fear.

He didn’t see Warrior’s fingers against your pulse, nor the slow head shake towards the horrified Time.

“It’s okay, I’ve got you.” He whispered gently, soothingly, as his hands glowed a familiar white.

“Traveller-” Warriors started.

“You’re going to be okay, I’m going to make it stop.” He pressed his hand over the wound, ignoring the blood blooming around his fingers and soaking them in red. “I know it hurts-”

“Traveller.” Time’s voice was firm, his hand landing on his shoulder. “Stop.”

Hyrule held back from decking the old man where he stood. “”WHAT?! NO!! Are you INSANE-”

“They’re already gone, Hyrule.”

Wild’s voice was…gentle. Gentle and pained as he kneeled next to the frozen hero, carefully moving his hands from the puncture wound to stop the man from further staining his hands in your blood. The Champion’s face was broken, ears down turned and eyes blank as he looked over your broken form- the spark that once danced in your eyes now gone with the gentle rhythm of your breaths.

Hyrule waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Your chest did not move.

Warriors hand gently ran over your eyes, closing the lids so that they no longer had to see the dead stare aimed towards the trees ahead. He moved to softly kiss your forehead after with an even softer apology.

“I…..I promised…” Hyrule muttered, eyes glazing over as tears began to blur his vision of your dead body, still warm to the touch. “I promised-”

“I’m sorry, brother.” Wild whispered, moving to hold Hyrule gently. “I’m sorry.”

The silence hanging over them all was heavy, save for the small sniffles and hiccups of the few. Twilight was trying to console a near uncontrollable Legend, bloody hands roughly grabbing the fur of his hide as he sobbed and choked on tears. Wind was turned into Four, the shorter man holding him close and away from the visceral scene. The rest were stock still, quiet and unsure of what to do, of what to say, as they continued to stare at your…corpse.

Warriors bowed his head. “We should give them a burial.”

“No-” Hyrule gasped, feeling both rage and a cold emptiness within him. “No, I- I need to-” “There isn’t anything else you can do, traveller.” Time’s voice was soft but firm. “Our only option is to bury them…and if we find our way back to their homeland, return their belongings to their mother.”

Hyrule perked up, head swivelling round towards your bag a little ways away.

Belongings…

The

Doll.

His heart surged and in a moment of pure adrenaline, he shoved Wild to the side and dived towards your rucksack, ignoring his brother’s grunt or the other yells.

“Link!”

The brunette grasped the thing frantically, near ripping the strange contraption you called a zipper as he rummaged messily through your back, tossing your things wildly as he looked for the wretched ‘gift’.

“Traveller, stop this!” The voice of Four called, trying to grab his arm. “What are you doing-”

Hyrule didn’t even feel remorse when he roughly shoved his elbow into the nose of the short hero and sent him flying onto his arse.

More yells of his name were heard but they were quite easily ignored when his eyes finally laid eyes on the doll of your likeness, aggressively snatching the carefully crafted toy with a desperation and anger he hadn’t felt for years. He turned back to scramble towards your body, the doll gripped in his hand like it was his lifeline only for Sky and Time to roughly grab his arms, their voices falling on deaf is as he wildly scratched and bit at them, trying to fight his way out.

“Release me!” He roared, catching Sky by the cheek and causing the Skyloftian to wince in pain. “Let me go! I can save them!”

“Enough of this, Link!” Time yelled, both desperate and firm, his own face riddled in anguish. “They are gone! Let them rest in peace!”

Hyrule’s heart thumped painfully in his chest at the thought of you dead, lost to him forever more before he pushed himself harder until he caught the arm of the Old Man and sunk his teeth into the skin, the Hero of Time crying out in pain and finally releasing him- Chosen quickly diving to aid the blonde as the traveller rushed to your side and pressed the doll against you.

“Do your job!!” He yelled into the night air, “Heal them! Bring them back!”

Wild and Warriors pinned him this time, Hyrule’s face pressed into the dirt with them both keeping his arms down to stop him from swiping or nipping at his brothers once again.

“That’s enough!” Warriors’ commanding voice bellowed, pushing Hyrule’s face further into the ground. “Calm down or else, traveller!”

Hyrule’s eyes bore tears once again, struggling once more with both pleas and threats falling from his mouth, merging into a mess of gibberish the further and further he spiralled into a wobbly heap of tears and sorrow beneath the other Links. This couldn’t be the end, the doll couldn’t be a dud- it was supposed to bring you back. You were supposed to be here! You weren’t dead! You couldn’t be dead! He didn’t want you dead! This had to be a nightmare, conjured by Ganon’s monsters to torture him and break him. You- You-

There was a popping sound behind them and heads snapped towards it.

“What was that?” Time asked, still nursing his bleeding bite mark. “Where did that come from?”

Wind’s eyes were wide. “The doll just…exploded?”

Hyrule’s breath stopped.

…

Just as yours returned.

Shaky and hoarse, your body moved with a violent inhale of breath, shaking from the strain and following with heavy coughs as you breathed like it was the first time, lungs born anew. The others watched in a curious shock as you continued to hack and heave, pushing your body up from the ground- the doll falling from your chest into the dirt below.

The toy's chest held a puncture, white wool stuffing blooming at the hole with a few stray curls falling into the dirt.

Hyrule sobbed in relief.

“(Name)!” Wind threw himself at you, arms wrapping around your neck tightly as he shoved his face into your shoulder. “You’re okay- You’re okay!!”

You continued to gasp for breath, the many men around you rushing to your side to aid your effort as Hyrule pushed himself to his hand and knees, smiling a wet and wobbly grin as he listened to you, alive, once more- returned to him from the realm of the dead. You were back, you came back and his heart swelled with a plethora of emotions that made his entire being shake.

Hyrule crawled over to you, frozen and still not sure of your own surroundings as his hands came to engulf your face, his eyes looking back into your own- glazed in confusion and lingering fear that made his heart squeeze in regret.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, “I am so sorry- I broke our promise.”

Your mouth opened then closed. Then opened and closed once again. Looking for the words to express the feelings behind your petrified gaze, your throats managing noise but that alone in an seemingly endless cycle of struggle and torment. Only when you whimpered, tearing up with a shaky sob did the man embrace you and hold close- careful to keep the bloody hands off you. He didn’t want you to see it.

The dolls never did quite clean up the mess.

----------

Hyrule trekked through his woodland, bumping through branches and harshly knocking away bushes as a man on a mission. Eyes narrowed with anger, the flickered with the flames of hell and rage as he stomped his way towards his destination.

“Where are you going?” Time had asked, watching the traveller pull on his cloak. “Don’t you think it unwise to leave when they just got to sleep?”

You laid in a comfortable heap in your sleep mat, wrapped in both your own blanket and the brunette’s, Wind and Wild laid comfortably beside you and Wolfie acting as your pillow. All were resting, vanished into the land of dreams with the many other men around camp. They were close too, like bodyguards they surrounded you afraid of what had already happened.

Time was left for watch and Hyrule took his opportunity.

“I have some business to deal with.” His voice was void of his usual softness, a growl of a predator with the malice near sharp as Ganon’s himself. “I’ll be back.”

Time narrowed his eye. “We will search for whoever did this in the morning.”

“That is not what I am doing.”

“Then what is? Tell me, traveller, what could you possibly be doing?”

Hyrule’s hand grabbed the doll, his hand tight enough to near pop its beady button eyes right from its wool skull.

Hyrule pulled his hood over his head.

“I will return soon.”

Hyrule ripped another branch from his face, eyes finally narrowing in on the large house in the distance. Like he had seen it once before, warped beyond comprehension yet still perceivable to his naked eye. It haunted his dreams now, echoes of a horrid encounter that shook him to the core and left invisible scars that still marred his soul-

She was there once again, the exact same spot as the time before, the exact same position, her arms crossed over her chest with a menial smile plastered over her lips that only grew as the Hero of Hyrule stepped out from the shadows of the trees, still tightly gripping the ruined doll within his grasp.

Despite her calm disposition, he could so clearly see the hunger in her eyes, even from his spot. “Did your friend like my gift?”

Hyrule’s hand twitched to his blade, hanging from his hip opposed to his back- easier and faster to draw. “I should kill you where you stand.”

The Dollmaker’s chuckle held a twisted humour like poking a sleeping, starved bear. “You should- but you won’t.”

Hyrule’s eye twitched. “What do you want with them? They have no power- no fighting capability or anything you could possibly want.”

“Ah,” She tapped her nose with the constant smile. “You will come to know. Or maybe you won’t, wouldn’t it be more fun to find out yourself?”

“Stay away from them.” He stepped up to her door’s steps, eyes manic in rage. “Leave them be.”

Her already massive smile grew.

The Dollmaker was not someone Hyrule liked to encounter. When her dolls appeared death usually followed, mostly his own, the many sawdust filled dummies gathering dust in the darkness in his bag as a constant reminder of what you had been through during his adventures. Sometimes he saw different ones, of faces he had only glimpsed at in towns or villages, but he saw them- he had seen one of her own long ago. Saw the damage dealt to it’s surface when he had the unfortunate chance of crossing into her shop looking for some magic items he was already lacking.

She liked to collect them; that was the idea he had conjured anyway.

Raising your doll high, he presented the damaged little soft toy towards her and saw how her pupils grew at the sight. While her hands were gentle to grab it she practically snatched it from his hands and cradled the thing close to her chest, gently caressing the spot where the hole had formed.

“Even a cursed doll, you handle them gentle.” Her comment made him huff, his arms crossing to hold back from doing something he regretted. “I showed them mercy, you know.”

Hyrule ground his teeth. “You think shooting them in the chest is mercy?”

“Compared to what else I could have done, yes.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s only fair if I have my fun.”

The Hero turned his head away. “You’re sick.”

And the Dollmaker hummed. “I will return with another.”

She disappeared into the darkness of her house, footsteps gently fading off as Hyrule stood just below the doorway, pearing in and hoping to see the mystery of her disorted abode. No luck however, his eyes only soaked in the dark abyssal, his ears twitching at the sounds of creaking floorboards and groaning wood of the walls, focusing and focusing in a near trance until the sight of her eye peering through the darkness made him take a cautious step back.

When had he climbed the steps?

“Here.” She said, once again both calm and giddy as she presented the doll to him- another little you, with a stitched little smile like the last. “I hope they enjoy it.”

Hyrule carefully snatched the doll away before jogging down the steps and headed back towards the forest without another word.

“It didn’t feel right to use sawdust.” The brunette paused, slightly moving his head in indication that he was listening- not that it mattered. He knew she would continue on, even if he had trudged off. “I felt they needed something a little more…lively and I of course couldn’t brush off the idea of using the finest of sheep’s wool. I think it suited them much more, don’t you agree?”

…Hyrule kept walking.

[b3lz33bub]

[warning: Enstars brainrot is back after a whole year, I still ramble like a nerd, spoilers for Raison d'être event story]

Valkyrie - Le temps des fleurs

*:･ﾟ✧ Lyrics, video and story analysis :*✧･ﾟ

(even if it's so obviously gay)

I have resurrected my enstars obsession and I found myself fated to dissect Valkyrie's intriguing songs once again, as it seems their relationship has progressed much since last time I had checked on them. This is one going to be elaborate since the song is heavily tied to the event story Raison d'être and to the stage performance which is filled with plenty of symbolism.

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚ Relevant links ˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚

Lyrics translation by ForeverAsia

Raison d'être translation by Mika Enstars

Official MV

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ Title *:･ﾟ✧*:･

The title of the song, Le temps des fleurs, which translates to "The time of the flowers", could be a reference to the infamous french song from the late 60s with the same title. The original song sung by Dalida directly derives from a russian romance song and depicts the tale of a woman who misses her lover and commemorates the time when they were together, young and carefree.

This is important to note once we provide context from the event story.

*:･ﾟ✧* Raison d'être *:･ﾟ✧*

In the event Raison d'être, which translates to "reason for being", a common french expression, we discover Shu's grandfather wishes to hold a live funeral and turns its preparation into a competition between the other family members. He creates a rather elaborate scenario in order for Shu to uncover the truth about his youthful days in France. Shu's succesful deduction, with Mika's help, enables him to prepare an opera for the funeral.

But Valkyrie had decided to partially cover the truth from the rest of the family in the narration of the opera. Thus, the story birthed actually ends up as an allegory for the relationship Mika and Shu have. (That is why, I will refer to the characters in the story by whom they represent)

Shu, a foreign student in France, passed by a mansion covered in roses and sighted through the window Mademoiselle, whom he fell in love with. Each time he had seen her, he fell deeper and deeper, ending up entering the mansion, unable to contain his feelings.

To his dismay, the beautiful woman he had fallen in love with turned out to be just a life-sized doll.

But the story isn't simply just that. In the mansion was also, of course, a dollmaker, Mika, who had modelled Mademoiselle after his appearance in women's clothes. Deeply moved by Shu's devotion, who had been sending love letters and had been whispering his love in the night, Mika had fallen in love with him, only having been accustomed with the solitude of his own mansion up until then.

But since the discovery of Mademoiselle's true nature, Shu had fallen depressed. Mika decided to dress up in women's clothing and warmly recognise the man's feelings.

「 Je t'aime 」

"I love you"

Mika thought it would end up as a heartfelt, passing moment and their lives would fall back into monotony. But Shu's wishes had just become true — the woman he loved had loved him back.

Since then, he had visited the mansion time and time again. Everytime there was a knock at the door, Mika would hurringly put his women's clothes and makeup on.

This concludes the first act, a comedic tale about the tumultuous existance of a same-sex relationship in a time that wasn't very accepting of it. (As stated by Shu himself)

The second act is an epilogue of the events. Shu had gone back to Japan to fulfill the duties of his family, but promised himself he'd reunite with Mademoiselle. Years later, upon his return, the mansion of roses had decayed, the flowers withering. The only thing left was an inscription on the walls, written in red as if it were fresh blood:

「 Je t'aime 」

"I love you"

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Instictually, you'd think that the roles of the story should be reversed. Since Mademoiselle is an extension of Shu, and Mika is a devout follower of Shu as an artist, wouldn't it make more sense for Shu to be the dollmaker and for Mika to be the foreign student?

That is clarified by the diverse use of the pronoun "I" in japanese throughout the retelling of the story by Shu and Mika. When talking about the foreign student, they use "boku", the pronoun version Shu usually uses. The dollmaker, instead, uses "ore", the pronoun version Mika uses. With that in mind and a little thought put into it, you'd see the pieces falling into place.

The first act depicts the relationship Mika and Shu had up until that point. Shu had fallen in love with Mika, the marionette, but the events of Valkyrie made him realise Mika being a mere marionette in his eyes was inhumane — it wasn't real love, but a devout admiration. Mika, though, had proven himself, slow and steady, to be a real human with free-will, wishes and ambitions, in front of the person he loved — an equal. Thus, Shu could truly love the person he only dreamed of loving previously because love can only really bloom between two equals.

The second act depicts Shu's fears about their future. At the beginning of the event story, he reveals he had already prepared a room for Mika to live in Paris so they will continue their lives together. When Mika told him about wanting to remain in Japan after graduation to maintain Valkyrie , Shu spirals out of control, betrayed and fearful. In his eyes, Mika refused maintaining, or even strenghtening, their relationship. In the opera, that is what Shu imagines would happen if they remain separated; one day, Shu would not find Mika waiting for him, having dissapeared from his life, their love withering.

Unlike the opera, we will discover the song, Le temps des fleurs, "ties the knot" of their thread of troubles and feelings.

*:･ﾟ✧* Lyrics & MV *:･ﾟ✧*

[Shu] - pink

[Mika] - green

[Shu and Mika] - blue

In the stage background is depicted the Eiffel Tower to represent where the story takes place, in Paris. This coincides with the city where Mika and Shu sort out their feeling about their future.

Mistakably compared to a marionette, those blue eyes seem vacant

As this foreign romance spun with a stranger begins to close

Wayfaring through an illusion, traversing on streets of stone

Wandering, endlessly, like melting wax dripping in diurnal rhythms

The two commemorate the circumstances of their early relationship, Shu mistaking Mika, a masterful artist, for a mere marionette, leading to a temporary love that couldn't truly exist this way, that melts with each passing day under the sun rays.

The night burns into the dawn, and the heart that yearns without reward

Has long since overlapped

Even if it’s the same as the breeze, that blows through in its flurry of gales

Even if Shu finds out the truth, that love for a doll can't be truly love, he still holds onto it despite all the misfortunes that have come his way, mainly the rough days of Valkyrie. His love for Mika was a "breeze", a gentle wind, in the midst the despair reminiscent of a "flurry of gales", a circular mass of strong winds that entrapped him.

In the MV, during this part, Shu and Mika hold hands and sway together as they sing. It is a crucial moment since (from my knowledge so correct me if I'm wrong) Mika and Shu haven't made such heartfelt gestures on stage before. It highlights how the songs have gradually become more concentrated on themselves, rather than Valkyrie talking to the audience like in the past.

O city of flowers, this love too can bloom, even on the wayside.

It shall remain as a single song

Sear that gorgeous splendor onto each other’s hearts

As this beloved shadowed silhouette[1]

Turns this into a phantasm tale

From the story of the opera written by the two, we can conclude that flowers represent love. Paris, the city of flowers in this case, is also the city of romance.

Even if their feelings seemed impossible of becoming reality because of the rather troubled beginning of their relationship, their strenght had led the two to believe it is possible to achieve, "even on the wayside". They would even accept it even if it were just a passing moment, "a single song", as long as it was real and satiatied their desires by "searing that gorgeous splendor on each other's hearts". When the moment of love would cease to exist, if it ever does, they believe it will be immortalized in their memory as a "phantasm tale", thus having no regret ever experiencing it.

During this moment, the MV background switches to the Temple of Love on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles. The choreography in front of this place dedicated to the women "loved" by the french royalty[2] is also very suggestive of the ignition of romantic feelings. Mika and Shu reach out their arms to each other's hearts as the camera focuses on their shared gazes during the moment. Not long after, the camera focuses on their hands as they join together in front of the Temple of Love, signifying their romantic union.

[1] The original translation on the fan wiki says "silhouettier", which is a word I couldn't find on any online dictionaries. I will assume they meant "silhouette", like other translations.

[2] The factuality of that statement could be debatable, but I am no expert in the matter, nor is it the focus of my point.

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[The following segment isn't in the MV so it will be delimited with red.]

Even if we cling onto such ridiculous prayers

The feeling of hopelessness will never disappear, will it?

In that case, let’s leave the meaning of our encounter behind

As we change the regalia belonging to coincidence and fate

In this verse, they seem to be voicing each other's perception of their new relationship.

Shu is still on the edge about their future, as seen especially at the beginning of the event story. Despite both of them having shared such devotion for each other, he cannot help but feel hopeless that it would all end at any step.

Mika recognizes this and keeps looking forward, wanting Shu to adopt the same way of thinking. He has also been the first push that had led to the rehabilitation of Valkyrie, with the help of his faith in his mentor and the love he harbors for him. In this verse, it is also suggested that Shu isn't quite over their relationship during the ex-Valkyrie, thus the source of his hopelessness. It is also evident in the event story when he keeps mentioning Mika had become a human, probably fearful they would regress to their past dynamic.

Some things are unforgivable

Rather than grieving over those sins

Shall we dance the night away instead?

As I reach out my hand to you

And for you to look back at me

They seem to accept their irredeamable past that had led them to the present moment. If it meant reaching that point where they could share their love, "dance the night away", reach out their hands and look back at each other, it was worth it.

Is it possible to worry about the destination of an endless dream?

Even if it’s something that is not finite in nature

Let’s keep it forever, the shine that lasts only in this world

As we are sought and lured by each other

While having our souls turn into a phantasm tale

Unlike the love for a marionette that would melt with each passing day, this love, the love of an equal, is an "endless dream" and "not finite in nature". This current love that they share is more important that their "destination", meaning that they shouldn't worry about the future, which they did at the beginning of the event story, since their love would triumph even against time. This act of being "lured by each other" is compassionate enough to not just dissapear, get immortalized in their memory as in the first chorus, but instead the devotion for each other would be the one to immortalize them as lovers of a "phantasm tale".

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Before the bridge commences, the background of the MV becomes pure white, turning Mika and Shu into mere silhouettes. The atmosphere is heavy. When they try to reach out for each other, they miss each other's embrace, unable to look back at one another. This could represent the moments when they feel lost during their relationship, an example being the opening scene of the event story.

Even if it’s worn and arenaceous

If you lift its casing, its contents will overflow

So even if time is bound, the shades and chromes will still remain

Painting the future in a blinding iridescence

Each verse of the first three is split in half between the two, representing a separation, but proving that, despite the circustances, they share the same feelings about their relationship.

Even if their love is "worn and arenaceous", almost on the brink of dying, "if you lift its casing", its coffin's lid , it will prove to be as strong as ever, "overflowing". Even if their love will die out, its impact will leave an imprint on their lives.

In the final verse, their voices join and their gazes meet. The conclusion is that, no matter the outcome, their love would brighten their future with "a blinding iridescence". Stripping themselves of the worries about both past and future, by embracing the present moment of their love, they have freed themselves.

In the background, the Arch of Triumph is revealed and the stage is filled with blooming flowers, a symbol of their love as established earlier. Then, the second[1] chorus begins.

[1] It is the third chorus if we talk about the entire song. But since this chorus mirrors the first one, it would be more suggestive to call it the second one, like it is in the MV.

O city of flowers, the entire town itself is wrapped in your love

Even the days that passes on by has bloomed and scattered

Let this continue to reverberate forevermore inside each other’s hearts

As this beloved shadowed silhouette

Manifests for this very reason to make you dance

Alongside this song of love, this song of love

The choreography is the same as the one in front of the Temple of Love. If the first time it was about the reciprocity of their feelings that had no clear duration, this time it is the confidence that they are eternal. Mika and Shu are victorious in their love's battle against time and, once again, can reach out for their hearts, look back at each other and join hands.

The final statement is made as their love is finally triumphant over all the hardships Valkyrie had to endure. Their love is so radient, "the entire town itself is wrapped" in it. Even if these moments of love, which have bloomed, would "scatter" in the past, they believe their feelings would keep "reverberating forevermore inside each other's hearts". The song ends with the acknowledgement of its true nature, it being a "song of love".

The MV ends with Mika and Shu looking into each other's eyes, arms ready to reach one another, but far enough to not yet be touching each other — for it is only the first step in their true relationship. The camera pans to Shu's face who, usually, doesn't allow for his affectionate side to surface easily, lovingly looking at Mika.

On a final note, it is really important to mention the outfits. There could be many interpretations for the split appearance of them: funeral and marriage, shadow and light, masculinity and femininity. Either way it may be, the outfits themselves represent union. If in the past, for example in "Eternal Weaving", Mika and Shu were distinguished by a certain symbol, like shadow and light, through their love, they have attained balance. It is both a funeral and a celebration of love. The clothes are the recognition that the lovers are both composed of light and shadow and that they complete one another. They are a symbol about appearance and essence, where one half is seen by the world (Shu in a tuxedo, strong and independent; Mika in a dress, soft and innocent) and the other only by the lovers (Shu in a dress beause he is quite emotional and compassionate; Mika in a tuxedo because he is strong-willed and would do anything for their hapiness together).

In the silence that follows, we can only have faith their love would prevail over anything in their way of looking into each other's longing eyes.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

Thank you for bearing with me! I am so crazed by their love story I had to go all out. I don't think straight romance has achieved this kind of depth yet, I am afraid. (Don't try to prove me wrong, I am right).

[batrogers]

So I have a Linked Universe Doll Fic series I'm doing, in which Hyrule got Dolls ala Zelda II for everyone in the Chain and I'm writing the "first time" they're used each. I'm almost done, but a friend just suggested a fantastic title:

~* Doll % Run *~

Now this sounds like a fantastic title to use, perhaps for using up multiple dolls in one long-running scenario, but I'm curious if any of y'all have suggestions of things you'd want to see?

I'll append a poll of some ideas I already had, but I'll happily take asks/reblogs/replies with others if you wanna share.

Under the cut is a summary of what I've already done if you don't usually read this kinda series/don't want to/want to know beforehand.

I am basically a no-holds-barred kind of writer. The only stuff that's off-limits would really only come up in a modern AU (eg. High School drama, or WWII things.)

The Dollmaker: the Chain meets the witch who makes the dolls. Time dies twice to her, then Hyrule blows them both up with a bomb to meet her demands.

Where is My Harmony, Where is My Friend? Legend gets poisoned in Warriors' Hyrule, and Wars cannot get him back to the others in time.

Dark Despair's Corroding Hand: the Chain winds up in an unfriendly city, arrested for no reason, and Time is tortured to death before they can get out and find him. [Extremely graphic]

Dog Days: the Chain winds up in Twilight's Hyrule, and Twilight goes to ask his Zelda for help while the others settle in with Telma. But he was off by a few decades on what year this is, and Zelda's mother has his flogged for his demands.

It Hungers Still: the Chain goes down a well in an abandoned Kakariko Village to figure out why the portals brought them here, and Wind doesn't listen to Time's order to stay together and runs into Dead Hand. [Extremely graphic]

Good is Not Nice: Legend sees the Dolls Hyrule got while they settle to rest in Warrior's castle, and when Hyrule takes it bag it breaks in his hand. Legend goes to check on him and has to throw Lana out of his room. [Stalker violence]

Hidden Ruin: Skyloft dove into a deep, water-filled pit to escape monsters, and he has to climb back out but the vines pull free and trap him, unable to breathe with no one who knows he's there.

Perfection: There's a mace lynel between the Chain and where they need to go, and Wild is sure he can take it. But the lynel only has to hit once to kill him.

[Four & Hyrule are, so far, unfinished]

[rarespawnwrites]

WIP Wednesday

Early Access Afterlife (dpxdc)

Okay. What had been said about his situation so far? The most common term used for what was happening to him was “transmigration”. Which just meant… moved? Somewhere else?

The somewhere else could mean his new (used?) body. Or it could mean this unfamiliar city. But the goat and the girl had made it sound like he was going to be living in a story.

Huh. It kind of sounded like Ghost Writer was running this whole thing.

Okay, so he was moved to a story. He was supposed to start in an action scene. He’d woken up in a coffin.

Danny mentally shuddered, the memory of seeping mud and things that wriggled overwhelming. His body, unconcerned, rescued an uneaten, still wrapped-in-foil hot dog someone had just dumped in a trash can.

Gross. Well, at least it was covered. It was even still warm.

What else? He had a quest. This whole thing was trying to be some kind of video game. Ghost Writer collab with Technus? Anyway, what was the quest…

The screen obligingly displayed his current quests for him. Well, quest. He only had the one right now.

Active Quests Tutorial Quest (Main): What Resurrects You Makes You Stronger Achieve the “Peak Human” ranking in 10 skills by the end of the tutorial period. Reward: Unknown Failure: Nonstandard Ending

Ten skills in four years, huh? Danny wasn’t sure what “Peak Human” meant to the system. He had no idea how long getting a skill to that level would take, but it had to be plausibly doable in the allotted time frame, right?

What did it mean by a nonstandard ending, was another question. Would it boot him back out of this body? Was it just another path this life could take that didn’t result in the original story?

Well, he needed to make some assumptions if he was going to get anywhere with this. So… Jazz had once read a book she’d gone on about that claimed it took 10,000 hours of practice to master any skill. For right now, that was as good a guess as any.

One of his benefits allowed him to learn skills five times faster than normal. Say it takes him 2,000 hours to get to the required level for each skill. He needed to practice enough for ten skills. That’s 20,000 hours.

Uh… that sounded like a lot?

How many hours were in a year? In four years?

Danny thought really pointedly at his screen about a calculator app. After a pause, one actually opened on its display. Finally, a convenience. He plugged in a few numbers to find out how many hours were in four years.

He frowned.

Then he checked how many hours would be left when accounting for 8 hours of sleep at night. If his mental state could be reflected in his body, his eye would have twitched at the result.

If Danny did… 16 straight hours of training a day, he’d have enough time for sleep and roughly one day off per week.

What.

Wait, so the two days he was spending zombified… those were the ENTIRETY of the free time he was allotted for the next two weeks?!

There’s no way. Bring on the nonstandard ending. Danny had been a half-ghost and a ghost-ghost, what could this world even scare him with?

【System Message】 A new entry has been generated and added to your codex: Nonstandard Endings.

Did he really want to look?

The answer was no.

He looked.

【Codex】 Entry – Nonstandard Endings All Joker routes Amanda Waller route Black Mask route Cadmus route Court of Owls route Despair route Dollmaker route Gnomon route ...see more

Selecting a route displayed a blank, rectangular area with a title caption. The blank area seemed like it was obscuring an image he hadn't unlocked, but the title caption was visible. Below that was a section labeled “Summary” that was, like the images and unavailable sections of the System Store, locked.

Daniel looked through a few routes, then picked up speed as he scanned through more and more.

Even after the “see more” it seemed the title captions didn’t change in flavor: Brainwashed ending; Zealot ending; Mind-Controlled ending; Specimen ending…

【System Store】 Looking for the perfect ending? Want a little variety in your new life? Give yourself another chance! And another, and another! Buy the Regressor Package to do it all over again. Collect CGs from every route! Buy for 100 credits

Who would want that?! Every single ending implied mindless slavery!

Also, why does the system have pop-up ads? ...It was probably time to check out that options menu.

[jbuffyangel]

My Life. My Choice: Arrow 2x03 Review (Broken Dolls)

For the CW, “Broken Dolls” is actually really creepy. It’s this episode and Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s “The Gentleman” that give me an absolute wiggins.

Creepiness equals solid bad guy which equals FELICITY IN DANGER and PROTECTIVE OLIVER. This happens to be my sexual identity. Excellent. We also get a very overdue confession from Laurel Lance regarding Tommy’s death.

Source: Paige

Let’s dig in…

Oliver and the Lance Family

We’re kicking off the episode with Oliver surrounded by cops in Laurel’s office. It’s not one of his handy trick arrows that save him however, but the Lady in Black and her sonic thing. A whole bunch of windows explode and everyone collapses except Oliver and the Lady in Black. I don’t think the sonic thing is based in real physics.

With the sonic thing as a clue, Felicity discovers the Lady in Black put five would-be rapists in the hospital and seems to be strictly targeting misogynist criminals. What is not to love about this woman? She’s still not talking to Oliver yet, so he must rely on Roy to find her. He chases Sin to the clock tower where he is subsequently knocked unconscious.

When he wakes, the Lady in Black is standing over him asking, “Are you one of them?” Roy is just as confused as the rest of us. When he gets a call from Thea, the Lady in Black tells Sin to release Roy and she vanishes. Well, that answered absolutely nothing.

When Oliver returns home safely to the bunker, Diggle asks the question everyone is asking, “What were you doing at Laurel’s office in the first place, Oliver?” God bless our logical King. Where would we be without you? Oliver wanted to convince Laurel he was doing things a different way, but acknowledges he was wrong to think he could simply convince her. From now on the Arrow will be steering clear of the Assistant District Attorney. FINALLY.

That’s not to say some of the Lance family can be convinced the Arrow has changed his ways. Detective Lance reaches out to Felicity to contact the Arrow because a serial killer he once arrested is back on the streets. His name is Barton Mathis aka “The Dollmaker.” He suffocates his victims with a flexible polymer he pours down their throats and then dresses them up like dolls (hello to the creepy). He escaped from prison during the earthquake and is killing again.

It’s personal to Lance because Mathis killed eight girls before he caught him. The police department is stretched too thin to stop Mathis before he kills more woman, so Lance is also trying another way and teaming up with the Arrow. YASSS!!

Lance swings by Laurel’s office to check on her and get the name of Mathis’ defense counsel. Laurel is not thrilled her father is digging into this case on his own time because of the way it consumed him the last time.

Laurel: Whatever guilt you’re feeling, you’re just using it to justify a vendetta.

Lance: Well maybe I’m not the only one.

SHOTS FIRED!!!!

Lance stops by the Dollmaker’s defense attorney, but brings the Arrow as backup. Oliver is no longer killing, but that doesn’t mean he’s above torturing.

Lance: I thought you were done killing people!

The Arrow: He’ll live.

Lance: He’s going to report me to my lieutenant.

Source: Paige

Honestly, this is one of the Arrow’s best lines ever. I am cackling. The defense attorney coughs up a possible location – the Bisque Museum. The building reminds him of Germany which is where porcelain dolls was invented. Thanks for nothing, Germany.

Lance and the Arrow track the Dollmaker to the Bisque Museum, but instead of finding Mathis they find a doll, with the article of the Dollmaker’s arrest attached to it, and a phone. Mathis calls to taunt Lance as he kills another woman.

While on a stakeout with Lance, Oliver uses the hood to address his issues with Lance’s daughters once again. He makes a somewhat snide remark about Laurel no longer believing in him. Honestly, I wish Oliver wasn’t so hung up on this thing with Laurel, but apparently he needs someone to explain it to him like a four year old.

Lance: She suffered a loss. Grief’s got a way of shifting a person’s belief. But then you know all about that. You’ve lost people too right?

The Arrow: Why would you say that?

Lance: Why else would you be doing this? My youngest, she died.

The Arrow: I’m sorry.

Lance: Less than a month after it happened, I ended up catching the Dollmaker case. Threw myself into it.  I think on some level, with each girl, I was trying to save Sara. And just like with Sara, I couldn’t.

Not that I’m in favor of Oliver using his secret identity to worm his way back into the Lance family, but this was the first time he could really apologize to Quentin and Quentin receive it. He doesn’t blame the Arrow for Sara’s death. He blames Oliver. He’s just too angry with Oliver to hear anything he has to say – even if it’s just expressing remorse. But Lance can accept it from the man in the hood.

I find it actually shocking at this point that Oliver doesn’t understand why Laurel is lashing out at the Arrow. Oliver’s entire mission is fueled by the grief of his father’s death – and every subsequent loss he suffered those five years. He found countless criminals to target his rage and sorrow at. Laurel is just targeting one criminal. Oliver really needs this explained to him? Buy a mirror buddy. Yeesh. Self reflection is not his strong suit in Season 2 apparently.

Lance is arrested for obstruction after attempting to arrest the Dollmaker on his own (with Team Arrow’s help), but having an ADA for a daughter comes in handy and Laurel gets the charges dropped. This leads to a very interesting argument about the Arrow. Do I love that Lance officially renamed him the Arrow? Yes, I do. He came up with the Hood, so it seems only right.

Lance: A guy with a bow and arrow can’t save a guy who’s had a building fall on top of him. What’s going on with you is not about the Arrow.

Finally, someone said it to her face. Lance cannot understand why Laurel feels guilty about Tommy’s death (*COUGH*WE CAN*COUGH*), but targeting the Arrow is not going to bring Tommy back. Lance is genuinely worried about Laurel, but she blows her father off like she’s does to anyone trying to help her lately.

The Dollmaker ups the ante and kidnaps Lance AND LAUREL by the end of the episode. Now, I am not a huge fan of Laurel at the moment. I have my issues with her, but seeing her tied up with a tube shoved down her throat, as her father begs for her life, was sufficiently scary.

Lance: Laurel, sweetheart, close your eyes. I’m here. I’m here, honey.

UGH. A parent telling their child to close their eyes during traumatic events traumatizes me!! Anytime the Arrow would like to show up would be swell.

Source: @dinahlaurellancesource

The Arrow saves Laurel of course, but he’s not the only masked vigilante the Dollmaker must contend with – the Lady in Black has shown up too. Well, this fits her MO since the guy is a freaking SERIAL KILLER OF WOMEN. In fact, now that I mention it, where the hell have YOU been Lady in Black?

Oliver is prepared to bring the Dollmaker back to prison after he immobilizes him with a couple of arrows, but the Lady in Black is not having it and puts a baton through the Dollmaker’s chest. You know, I’m not worked up about this kill. It's fine with her resolution skills.

Laurel cannot understand why the Arrow saved her, particularly since she’s been hunting him like prey.

Laurel: He came… he came to save me.

But this time, Laurel is not talking about the Arrow. She’s talking about Tommy.

Laurel: Oliver, he told to me to stay out of the Glades and he told me to get out of CNRI and I didn’t. Tommy was only there because I was too stubborn. Too stubborn to get out when I had the chance. You were right. I was blaming the Arrow because… Oh, my God. It’s all my fault, Dad. It’s all my fault that Tommy died.

Laurel collapses into her father’s arms and he comforts her as Oliver secretly listens to her heart wrenching confession, hidden away in the dark alley.

It’s a callback to the scene in the pilot when Oliver watched Laurel and Tommy from a distance. It foreshadowed that Oliver and Laurel’s superhero journeys would be linked and the tether was Tommy. It was simply not in the way either of them imagined.

We are not at the end of Laurel Lance’s Season 2 story, but the very beginning. While her confession is necessary, it will not solve all her problems. Acknowledging guilt and grief is one thing. Being ready to deal with it is another.

Did you notice that Quentin didn’t immediately tell Laurel she was wrong? I am not so inhuman that I hold Laurel completely responsible for Tommy’s death. Malcolm Merlyn killed his son. Not Laurel.

But she bears some culpability. If she had listened to Oliver or Quentin – Tommy may have lived. It’s possible he could have died another way, but what we know for certain is he never would’ve been at CNRI. He was there because of Laurel and only Laurel. That is the guilt she must carry for the rest of her life. Laurel doesn’t hate the Arrow. She hates herself.

That is a feeling Oliver Queen knows all too well. He goes to Laurel’s apartment to check on her and Quentin. When Lance thanks the Arrow for saving his daughter (again) Oliver’s response is surprisingly detached.

The Arrow: She needed help.

Just like Quentin. Just like all the other citizens of Starling City the Arrow has sworn to protect. I am not delusional to pretend that Oliver Queen doesn’t care more for Laurel Lance than a stranger on the street, but there is a note of dispassion. Oliver is not there because he’s trying to change Laurel’s mind about him or chase after her forgiveness or use the hood to weasel his way back into her personal life. He’s there because she was a person who needed help. That is all. And that says a lot. It’s quite a shift from the Oliver Queen of Season 1.

Source: @dinahlaurellancesource

You cannot help someone who doesn't want to be helped. I think this pull back is necessary. Oliver cannot always save Laurel - she has to learn to save herself. This her life. These are her choices. The road Laurel is headed toward is one that neither Oliver nor the Arrow can follow her down.

Olicity

After the Dollmaker’s latest victim is discovered, Team Arrow wants a peek at the forensics, but the police have sent everything to a private lab. Felicity can’t hack it because their system is offline. Seems she did too good of a job last season. FIELD TRIP TIME!

Lance and the Arrow break into the lab, so Felicity can download the forensic records. There is a list of chemical ingredients of all the make-up found on the victims. Lance recognizes one of the chemicals - ethyl paraben sodium laureth sulfate, which is found in skim cream. Lance remembers one of the victims was wearing some kind of Mermaid skin cream, which had the same type of formula.  Felicity quickly tracks it down, which leaves Lance gobsmacked by her abilities and Oliver smiles with "That's my girl" pride.

The Dollmaker picks his victims by their skin and the skin cream is how he finds them. All the victims use Mermaiden Skin Cream, which is very expensive and only carried at limited boutiques. Felicity volunteers to buy the skin cream at the four boutiques available in Starling City. Both Oliver and Diggle balk at that prospect of Felicity in that much danger.

Source: @smoakgifs

The boys can’t help but be a little awed by her bravery. Slade makes a similar comment about Shado when Oliver worries about leaving her behind in the plane so she can examine the Japanese soldier bones.

Slade: Her life. Her choice.

Oliver is romantically involved with Shado at this point, so it’s extremely telling the writers are drawing a direct parallel from Shado to Felicity. It’s also clear at this point that Team OTA is paralleling Team Flashback. This was such a cool shot:

Lance: Just for the record, I’m not a huge fan of dangling helpless girls in front of psychopaths like meat.

Felicity volunteers because she’s an absolute bad ass, but she also knows without a shadow of doubt that Oliver (and Diggle) will never let anything happen to her.

Source: smoakandswan

Once again, Felicity’s belief is proven right when the Dollmaker snatches her. Even though Diggle, Lance and Oliver are close there is still enough time for the Dollmaker to drag Felicity into a back alley. CREEPED OUT ALERT!!! Every woman has this exact fear every time they leave their house. #pickthebear

Oliver lands an arrow in this sick son of a bitch (YASSS MY KING!!!) and the Dollmaker releases Felicity. Unfortunately, she stumbles and hits her head as she falls to the ground. Lance chases after the Dollmaker, but Oliver does not.

He immediately runs to Felicity’s side and gently checks her head and tells her not to move. He stays with her until Diggle arrives.

Source: Paige

SWOON. This is not the “Mission is all that matters” man we saw last season. Some things (or someone) matter more.

Unfortunately, the Dollmaker escapes like he’s freaking Houdini. He kidnaps Laurel as ultimate retribution for Quentin arresting him.   

Dollmaker: You know I could maim you, I could slice you up into a thousand pieces, but if your soul remains intact what have I wrought? Huh? Nothing.

The goal is to hurt Quentin by killing his daughter, which will cause the emotional pain the Dollmaker desires. However, "If your soul remains intact what have I wrought?” feels like a reference to Oliver. Not Quentin.

If Oliver loses himself to the darkness of the hood, if he allows all the pain and suffering to destroy his soul, then it doesn’t matter how many bad guys he arrests or how many times he saves the city. The villains will win.

It’s an argument Oliver has been having with Slade the last few episodes. Slade disapproves of Oliver’s relationship with Shado primarily because he’s madly in love with her. That said, Slade made no moves towards any type of romantic relationship with Shado, which means he could truly believe what he’s telling Oliver – attachments get you killed.

Oliver: You think caring about people is what gets you killed. I think it’s what keeps people alive.

Slade: I was wrong about you. You’re definitely an idiot.

The question then becomes how do we go from Oliver believing in love in the flashbacks to emotionally closed off in present day? I say closed off purposely – not shut down. Oliver still feels very deeply, but he keeps those emotions in check, hidden under a hood and layer of steel forged during those five years away. Something happens in the past that changes Oliver mind about caring for others.

What’s so wild about Oliver’s statement to Slade is that he’s right and Island Ollie is seldom right about anything. It is crucial for Oliver to maintain his connections to Diggle, Felicity and his family. However, present day Oliver is not entirely wrong. Love can save his soul, but it can also destroy it. If a villain discovers who Oliver loves then it makes that person a target.  How many people can Oliver lose and his soul remains intact? Maybe it’s not a question of how many, but WHO. Regardless, it’s a risk Oliver has been reticent to take. For now.

The flip is the people Oliver cares about get a vote. They get to decide for themselves how much risk they can accept. And because they believe in Oliver so much they are willing to risk their lives. At the end of the day, it's their choice. Oliver gave Felicity the respect she deserved in making this decision - this respect should apply to all aspects of her life.

Source: smoakandswan

Stray Thoughts

“He’ll be out for 36 min.” That is an oddly specific time for a tranquilizer dart.

Shado was pre-med. I feel like Slade & Oliver should have known this sooner than a year later. What else do they have to talk about?

Prosecutor is seeking the death penalty against Moira. Oliver keeps saying he’ll never let that happen, so I’m thinking he has a Mom jail break plan.

Sometimes you need a good old fashioned gratiutious shirtless scene.

Source: Paige

What secret is Moira willing to die to keep? It is something she believes will cost her relationship with her children. So that’s a big pile of yikes.

I am completely comfortable with the way Diggle & Oliver pass the time.

Slade’s hands and face are seriously burned from freighter bombing. Oliver is imprisoned on the boat. Who knows where Shado is. Flashbacks are straight up hell again!

LADY IN BLACK IS IN KAHOOTS WITH RA’S AL GHUL!!! Batman Jen squeals with delight.

Listen to the Watchover podcast reaction to 2x03!!!

If you’d like to support the blog, please buy me a cup of tea!

Disclaimer: Any gifs on the blog are not mine. If you would like a gif removed from my reviews, please message me!

[kerizaret]

I had a dream that I was sent by my mage teacher into plushie people world because there was a dollmaker there who stole people from other realms and turned them into his plushie doll-puppets for this world

Except me and the friend I went with didn't exactly manage to fit in (despite buying plushie clothes to not be recognised) because for some reason we were talking about Cambridge? And two plushie people we passed overheard us and recognised that as a word from another world??? And started chasing us bc they hated outsiders apparently. Except while chasing I accidentally stepped on a door trap on the floor and fell through it, STRAIGHT INTO THE DOLLMAKER'S WORKSHOP

And he was BIG. like he was like a building compared to me who was very tiny in comparison. And he noticed me and realised I'm not from this world too and took me and trapped me in a little chair on his huge desk and started crocheting a plushie head around mine, trying to turn me into one of his dolls 😭😭 except I started talking to him and was trying to convince him to uh. NOT turn me into a puppet?? AND SOMEHOW IT WORKED??? Except he eas already nearly done and was almost finishing up crotcheting me a little smile which would have been what completely turns me. So basically it was last-moment

And then the two other plushie-dolls came in to "check up" on me and whether I've been turned and I had to pretend to be motionless and basically dead to convince them I've been turned. And they were super rude, poking me and throwing me off the desk to the floor and kicking me to see if I'd react 😭😭 and somehow I managed to not move??? So they were convinced its over and just said they're still chasing my friend and haven't managed to catch her. But when they left I noticed that same friend of mine hiding in a corner, who saw that entire conversation, and now basically thought I was DEAD and turned plushie 😭

And then the dollmaker saw her too and grabbed her, and I wasn't convinced whether he would try to turn her too or not, bc he mightve only agreed to spare me, so i was about to move and tell him to not make her into a doll either, but I woke up so i don't know what happened 😔

Anyway hinamatsuri au mightvr made an impact on my brain in weird ways /silly

[twilightmalachite]

Raison d’être - The Nameless Girl 9

Author: Akira

Characters: Mika

Translator: Mika Enstars

"That’s what my role is. No, that’s my happiness."

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: Starry Sky

Late at night that very day. Deep in a forest in the outskirts of Paris…

*digging noises*

Mika: ……

Haa~… haa~…

(Gotta hurry, hurry…)

(I gotta hurry an’ check…)

Raffaello: “Well, this truly is unexpected.”

“And here I was thinking you were a jumpy, timid, and withdrawn kid. Yet here you are being so brazen.”

“To think you would lie to his beloved and admired Shu-kun, take me and hide me from his gaze, and then pretend to return to Japan…”

“All so you can dirty your hands to find out the “truth” behind the diary.”

“Très bien, you’ve got some guts.”

Mika: Shut up. Hearin’ yer voice gets me irritated.

Raffaello: “No, at least allow me to speak. As you can see, I’m just an immobile doll who cannot do anything else—”

“And you, you are digging up the grave of my dear mother.”

Mika: ……

Raffaello: ‘You have the right goal, regardless of the means.”

“It’s truthfully a necessary step in order to know the “truth”.”

“You deny the facts I have told you, one after another.”

“It seems you guys have come to the conclusion that the diary is just fiction.”

“But the events depicted in that book are very much faithful to reality, apart from the existence of the immortal girl of “MADEMOISELLE”.”

“Is that why you are worried? You don’t know how much of it is a lie?”

“Just how much of what I said was just a lie, a joke, or a cop-out?”

“And to confirm that, you are doing what you are doing now—”

“You have no choice but to uncover the grave of “MADEMOISELLE”, the nameless dollmaker, and my mother with whom Shu-kun’s beloved and admired grandfather had an affair with.”

“Fortunately, the location of the grave could be deduced through the diary entries.”

“It is insisted, again and again…”

“Through the diary entries, that “MADEMOISELLE” wishes for her body to be buried within this forest if she dies—”

“This is where she was born and raised, where all her ancestors have been buried in coffins for generations.”

“I suppose that is also an outdated way of thinking in today’s world, however. But it was a matter of course for the people of back then to wish to rest within the same grave as their ancestors following death.”

“As such, the coffin in which her perished body lay surely should be buried here.”

“You estimated such, determined the forest’s location through the diary entries, and came out here late at night, shovel in hand.”

“So you could dig up her grave.”

Mika: Nnah~… It don’t really matter, but those from the Kanto region usually call these spades rather than shovels. Kansai and Kanto each call it somethin’ different, ain’t that interestin’?

I’ve learned it well since Oshi-san’s corrected me many times over it.

Raffaello: “Fufu. Shu-kun is quite fussy, just like that grandfather of his he adores.”

Mika: Mhm. Oshi-san’s a fussy perfectionist who doesn’t tolerate anythin’ that doesn’t suit his tastes, no matter how small.

He’s the type of person to start sewin’ clothes from scratch if he goes out and didn’t think the color of his clothes suited the weather.

So I’m sure if the Grandfather he loves so much really was unfaithful, as ya claim him to be…

If he really was such an awful, irredeemable person…

It’d definitely be devastatin’ to him. He might not even be able to hold a paintbrush or sewin’ needle ever again!

Just like what you said happened to that delicate artist, “MADEMOISELLE”…

He might not be able t’move anymore, like a marionette with its strings cut.

Raffaello: “……”

Mika: And so, I’ll be crushin’ that “possibility”.

Mika: …Ya know~, Oshi-san called me his partner.

A partner whom he wants to create his work with, as an artist equal to him.

I still can’t believe it myself, but… it really did make me happy.

I felt like I went t’heaven.

So, if any rock gets in my partner’s way, I’ll kick ‘em all away.

So that Oshi-san won’t fall down an’ get hurt.

So that he can forever proudly walk he wants with his chest out, fer all eternity.

Even if it means crawlin’ on the ground gettin’ covered in mud, I’ll pick up anythin’ that gets in his way or is a danger t’him.

That’s what my role is. No, that’s my happiness.

Raffaello: “You’re quite distorted, too.”

Mika: Oshi-san’s upright beauty stands out more if there’s someone distorted by his side.

…But, yer mistaken, Raffaello-san.

I’m not here to find out the “truth”.

It doesn’t matter to me if the diary that’s with “MADEMOISELLE”-san’s body exists or not.

Whatever the outcome, I’ll dig it up, dispose of it, then proudly return back to Oshi-san—

And I’ll tell him, “there was nothin’ there.”

“Everythin’ that Raffaello-san was sayin’ really was all just a lie.”

“He really was nothin’ but a liar, a fraud.”

Mika: Right? An’ then, ehehe, Oshi-san will be able t’relax, right?

Raffaello: “…In case you didn’t know, it’s a crime in this country too to dig up a grave. Are you truly going to become a criminal for something so trivial?”

Mika: Well, I don’t think it’s trivial.

Fer me, it’s somethin’ without a doubt worth riskin’ my life over.

Raffaello: “……”

Mika: Ah, oh right, but before that—

I can’t have ya talkin’ forever, it only upsets Oshi-san—

Though it’s a pity, I don’t wanna hurt yer beautiful doll…

You too, can go ahead and get crushed and disappear here too.

♪~♪~♪

[ ☆ ]

← prev | story directory | next →

[seabirdtxt]

Hi, I’m Bird. welcome to my sideblog! i hope you have a good time :) thanks for reading! 🩵

Ask box is: On hold

WIP tracker

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Rules & TOS:

- I am using this blog as a place to put my self-indulgent fandom fics. i don't proofread or beta my stuff so if i make typos no i didn't 🫡

- blank blogs please do not +follow! i will assume you are a bot and block/softblock you. You can remain empty/anon as long as you have some profile customization and maybe a post/reblog or two

- you can send asks/requests and i'll tackle 'em asap but please don't expect too much of the social aspect from me, i struggle with socialization like a feral cat

- i write reader fics. this means: gender neutral, no physical description/indicators, no gender-biased nicknames clothes or scenarios, you/yours and they/them pronouns only.

- do not call my Reader she/her, or any fem-aligned nicknames. im dead serious, this is a ‘block on sight’ thing, it kicks up my dysphoria and it's the same reason i won't read fem!reader fics. i won't block for the first time, but if you commented on something or sent an ask/request and I deleted/didn't respond, this is probably why. I'm giving y'all the benefit of the doubt that maybe you didn't check my page first though! but continued behavior will earn a block .

- i’m not holding a taglist atm, you either perceive me or don't. (if i ever write smth longer that warrants a taglist i’ll be sure to mention it!)

- no bigotry or discrimination allowed, please use your good judgement when consuming media, etc. there will be no bitchin in my kitchen!

- no reposting, copying, or heavily referencing! plaigarism is the 8th cardinal sin 😊 yes this includes feeding my writing to AI. don't do it.

- re: above ^ making stuff inspired by/expanding on concepts is totally fine though! i'm inviting everyone to come play in my sandbox :3c if you do, please tag me! i'd love to see and rb from you 🥰 (AI is still 100% off the table though)

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Request Rules:

currently in genshin/sagau fandom so mostly stick to those themes please! (and do let me know if you want canon or other AU settings! otherwise i'll assume sagau)

i won't do crossovers sorry! i'm not too knowledgeable on many other media or fandoms and i'd rather not butcher something im not familiar with!

willing to write both platonic and romantic! (specific character romance with the male characters only, sorry, but platonic is free game!)

i write kinda slow tbh, so please don't send me anything that is time sensitive or has a deadline bc i probably won't make it in time :')

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General Tags:

Writing -> #seabird.txt

Doodles -> #seabird.png

Asks/replies -> #seabird.inbox

Personal -> #seabird.exe

Reblogs -> #seabird.rb

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Masterlist below the cut:

Glitch in Irminsul AU

SAGAU setting, where the Irminsul tree behaves like a GIT repository, and the Creator's arrival accidentally merged old branches into the current data.

Blog Tag - [p1] [p2] [p3] [p4] [p5]

[hc1]

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Bloodletting AU

SAGAU cult au, the Creator descends to Teyvat with no obvious godly powers and is rejected by the acolytes, until it's discovered that their golden blood has strength-enhancing properties.

Blog Tag - [p1] [p2]

[rb1] [rb2]

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Voice of God AU

SAGAU cult au, set pre-isekai. The Shouki no Kami is powered up and connected to Scaramouche, who then experiences a sudden jarring connection to the Creator.

Blog Tag - [p1] [p2] [p3]

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Wish Upon series

Stardust AU, canon setting. Wanderer tries to catch a fallen star to get a blessing from Celestia and obtain a heart. Instead, he gets you.

Blog tag - [p1]

Misc. fics

Not aligned to any specific AU or series!

[200 Follower Event tag]

[Creator!Reader and Cyno's bad jokes] [dollmaker!Reader and the scara gang]

🔞 [18+ tag] 🔞

[aerialsquid]

FFXIVWrite 2024 Day 1: Steer

I totally fucked up what time the prompts come out lol i'm dumb.

----

Martyn had spent his entire childhood buying into the propaganda of the Ul'dahn Dream, that glittering hope in the desert. If he just worked hard enough, if he was just clever enough, he'd be one of the elites sipping tea on perfumed pillows, gazing down with benevolant grace upon the masses below. 

And now he was starting to see the city for what it really was: a parasite, like the thick ticks he'd seen hanging off the rroneek in Shaaoloni, fat and insensate as it continued to drain the noble creatures of their essence. A voidsent consuming aether in tiny morsels, not enough to kill but enough to dull the will to resist.

The thought of voidsent, as Martyn went over the monthly bills and compared them to his woefully light coinpurse, put his thoughts back towards the strange creature beneath the streets of the city. In the twists and turns of their journey down Martyn had lost track of where they were in relation to the city's upper geography. It had led to nightmares that Dollmaker's chambers were just below his own room, and of a loose floor tile shifting to allow one dark, bulbous limb to slide out, grasping and searching for him. Martyn had shuddered awake to the thought of the monster's reedy voice calling out for its precious doll to return.

But hour for hour, it had probably been the best paying job he'd had in his life. And his next Celestium match wasn't until next week, which meant he wasn't getting paid for another ten days, and that was assuming he even won…

Martyn took a shallow breath in through his nose, hands aimlessly touching his limbs as if to check they were still attached, still there, still functional. The monster had at least put him back together safely. And it hadn't hurt, exactly. And that was more than he could say for a lot of jobs.

And the thought of having a day with three meals in it was terribly tempting.

[tobyisave]

🌾 hi hello I'm toby isavé! 🌾

22 🐞 he/they 🐞 white/viet 🐞 bio student

a blog for my vis art, dollmaking, and links to my original music as it comes out! all tagged #my art. (also: it's pronounced "ee suh vay!" 👍🏼)

music: spotify, youtube, tiktok (or just look up ‘raincloud halo’)

art: instagram

shop: etsy (not much there yet - its very new!)

everything: carrd + here!

personal: @cynopter

ty for checking out my blog! hope u have fun in there!!

[vios-rockland-corner]

So I checked yours and other person's archive blog ^^ it's lovely ❤️❤️❤️

but...

I got a bit confused with the timeline, what was canon at the end? What was changed and confirmed? Which games were connected - aka in the same universe or am I totally tripping?

Hi there! Sorry again for the absence. It's just how I am with tumblr. Quite a big question XD Yeah some things were getting retconned, some stuff stood on its own and other stuff was eventually going to be connected. Okay...let's see if I can simplify what I know.

Don't know much about "Empire" other that it may have been the creator's first stand alone project? Not sure if before, after or simultaneous as BTD. I think a version of Akira was in it, but otherwise that got scrapped. Next you got BTD and BTD2. Connected to each other but mostly stand alone horror dating parodies. Real introduction of Sano, Akira/Vincent, and Cain.

Huntress and Route 66 were online mini light novels connected to the BTD stuff. TDDUP was for the most part a stand alone project. Introduced Chris, Marcus and Jack. BUT, I think it was possible some of the characters were going to be integrated into Rockland eventually because... Mark of Belial was something in production that was going to 100% have Jack. Got scrapped/paused at one point but was in the works to try to rework it again once further into the Rockland stuff. Dollmaker was a retcon of the BTD story. Standalone I believe dealing with Akira and Sano (there was back and forth on what other characters would be included). I am not sure if Sano and Akira would eventually be included in the Rockland Universe.

Zeitgeist was a retcon of Cain's story. THIS was definitely going to link with the Rockland universe as a snippet of the supernatural side (though the majority of the Rockland Universe would focus more on the humans the majority of the time).

The Rockland Universe of course was going to have a bunch of stuff linked together. Let's see, you got the Misfits, Rumors of Rockland, think there was going to be a Carnival game, and again Mark of Belial thrown somewhere in there. I think that covers the majority. Sorry trying to remember all the stuff that was going to go into Rockland, but even a lot of that would change at times.

Was fun to watch the development at least.

[honeybeewhereartthee]

Crystal Hearts

Previous || Chapter Nineteen || Next

»»————-　i love you my flower　————-««

"Yoshhh. Chaos butterfly have his happy end..." Aira stretch his arms as he gotten quite bored watching the scene unfold. The scene where the Mayoi Ayase of this world gladly offering his self to balance the chaos yet instead of disappearing, he become more of the dominant ego of chaos butterfly. The black wings of chaos becoming beautiful purple-blue, holding his own precious in his arms that won't fade away like others.

"Aira, where did you go too? I was going to look for you!" Hiiro quickly notice his arrival on the scene. "Quickly teach us how to preform what core fae says about kiss of life... I wanna fix my brother back to normal after all." Hiiro smile warmly to him.

The mad rabbit sigh as he snap his hand, their surrounding change to of a stage.

"The original canon... We're idols aren't we? We obviously have to sing~" as he said that a mic appear in the rest of Alkaloid.

"Oh? But can singing be the cure..."

"Alkaloid could be the cure or a poison. So sing and become the soldiers who would bring life to the dead plains using the stigma and something... Idk how to explain it, in most ez way. Smh...... Ahm minus your dead world, chaos butterfly Mayoi Ayase..

That plain is destroyed beyond repair..."

Aira start clicking in a screen where it show all the outfit from all multiverse. He check up on others outfit too. He ready the footage for the live since his mc would want to view them once he goes back~ how smart of him!

" What's that??? " Hiiro peak on the screen which made aira press the randomizer.

[ soul Link : Randomizer!! ]

Suddenly the four surrounded with colorful lights.

Hiiro Amagi: Feature card but with bunny and wolf tail. ( Crystal Hearts AU )

Tatsumi Kazehaya: Femstar! Feature outfit but genderbend version. (???? AU )

Mayoi Ayase: Sanrio Collab card ( MDD AU ) Phantom Doll

Aira Shiratori: ... sexy Bad rabbit

"Oh my..." The player looks at the scene surprised.

"..." Aira stared at his new outfit and everyone else new outfit.

"Aira--" (Hiiro)

"No." (Aira)

"I don't even say anything--"(Hiiro)

"Your going to ask why there's that outfit??"(aira)

"...well not really. I was going to ask if we're going to start now or after you get use to your outfit." (Hiiro)

" Oh."(aira)

»»————-　i love candies　————-««

"Omae, I wanna introduce you to my friends." Kohaku smiled as he and you enter one of the room of his family estate. "Okii~" you happily nodded.

Inside the room.

"Huh... Till when are we going to stay here again...? Not that I mind being in a new environment." A certain afterlife train conductor ask as he cross his legs on table, getting bored each second he doesn't do anything interesting.

"ahaha. HiMERU also felt the same." The blue heard darling doll chuckle quite fakely as ever as he have to deal with those version of his unit mate. If he don't know about the crossover thing from that stupid dollmaker friend of his younger brother, he would believe his alive dreaming about this kind of settings.

"Ah... I don't understand anything happening here. But haku told me his going to held a Feist if I stay dreaming for couple more days. beside If I stay dreaming, I don't have to deal with seven sins cycle thing. Ahahah." The demon of gluttony mumble with a chuckle, he takes bite of the prepaid barbeque rabbit legs by Oukawa servants. "Haku keep offerings rabbit meat since we got here. I wonder what's up with that..."

"Excuse me..." Kohaku says causing the three to gaze at the door as he slide it open. "I would like to have you all meet my spouse." Smiling as he smiled warmly and gesture at your form who's tagging and clingy on his right arm. "... You guys don't seems to be in the same genre or something..." You can't help but point out sfter looking at them. "But hello!" You wave happily at them.

" Oho? If it isn't that Branco kid!" Rinne Amagi from la Mort AU chuckle as he point at your direction. "Hey shouldn't you be up with that friends and lover boy of yours? I remember last winter cycle. Certain branco called kaname get turn to popsicle because of that jealous reaper..." He don't seems to notice the warning of the Shiina when two people in the room is glaring at him.

"What was that ?" HiMERU cannot believe this shit. He did not just hear, his younger brother from another universe turn to a popsicle because of another version of that reckless And trouble magnet dollmaker!

" Kokoko... Rinne-han. I don't know your blind and deaf. You seems to miss out when I said mc is MY SPOUSE." The Helter spider isn't amuse at all. He stared at the annoying rinne. He wonders if he choice the right au or not.

"Niki-han. You seems to want to say something too. Do you know the mc of your world too?"

"... eh? Why am I being ask too? I don't like the atmosphere here!" the demon quickly shake his head, not wanting to include more fuel to the fire. "Besides mc of this world and my world are clearly different from one another! So don't tag me here too!"

"That's right... You been awfully quite about your world, demon Niki..." Rinne put his hand on top of Niki's head, as he began to look at him, making him even more nervous to say anything.

"Ahhh! Keep distance from me!" Niki shove the personal space intruding rinne away from him but rinne pulled his t-shirt off, revealing angry bite marks that's forming a heart.

"... Which world did you say your from ???" (The rest of crazy:b)

" I don't like answering that type of question that do me more bad than good." Niki quickly fix his outfit. "As I said earlier. Even if we have a [ mc ] in each world. They clearly different from one another! Like that's a fae mc, rinne have branco mc in his own world. HiMERU have someone he hates MC. Mine have multiple version--"

"... What?"

" -- they even talk to one another! The reincarnator one that is paired with mayo, the cry baby one with three-- oh... Ahaha. You guys don't hear anything from me :D" Niki suddenly realize his being stared very intensely by four people.

" You said three... Who is it." HiMERU don't like what this at all. But his very curious about Niki's world.

".... youyourbroandtatsu..." He was being shaken for answer, Niki can't help but blurt out more facts. "Hicccc. I can't breathe!!!" Niki suddenly felt red strings choking him. "It's au like route! Stop ittttttt :((((( I don't control things :(((" his tapping out but the annoyed older Toujou wants to end a certain demon life.

"Ohoho! Do I have a route too?" Rinne is more curious as he too ask questions from the demon.

"The amagis do have route..." Niki nodded.

" " The amagis " ??" Rinne repeated before he raise his fist. " Hold him still doll boy!" He cannot believe this shit. "You don't have to tell HiMERU, Amagi."

" HEEELLLLLPPPPPPP!!""

While the two beat up Niki (affectionately) kohaku sigh as he look at you in worry as you just heard about the matter of the multiverse again. He does know about the canon lore of crazy b, that's why he wanna introduce at least the other member of crazy b he manage to gather here from other multiverse with the use of dreaming.

Besides having more bees Can defeat a mad rabbit. If the three wake up, they will forget about this world to begin with, so it won't be much of a problem if they are sentient about their world if they are asleep.

"Hanii. You have a nice friends." You chuckle through, you seems to realize what he been doing since the world enter a dormant state. Kohaku can't help but narrowed his eyes wondering why you seems fine with terrible thing he did. He force you to forget about everything. To captive you in an endless dreamscape.

"MC-Han..." He felt guilty for his own action. " I..." Reflecting on his action he wanted to apologize.

"... Knowing too much is a pain. So spending time with you without thinking of the world and the world outside ours is good break after a long time." You smiled without hint of malice.

" MC-Han. Why are you like that? It's free to be angry. To be mad at me. To cry or show emotions other than positive, false or true." He can't help but somehow be mad about this. How could you show facade or still act such way??

"Do you regret it?" You suddenly ask him.

" What? Are you trying to change the topic?" He cross his arms, the surrounding start to shake from frustration he felt but he quickly try to stay calm and maintaining the dreamscape. "MC-Han. I'm honestly worried about you. Pls don't change the topic."

The other three seems to notice something is up with those two and stared while Niki is tapping out from Rinne's choke hold.

" Pwehh... Those two sure having a quarrels." Rinne chuckle whistling how heated the atmosphere right now.

"Shut it Amagi. Their business is none of ours." HiMERU refuse to intangle with business of another version of the dollmaker.

"Agh... Can you pls. Let me goooooo..." Niki pleaded.

" Hell no | HiMERU refuse." The two said in unison. " You still need to say more about your world of yours. Like that dumb version of me having to deal with the likes of Tatsumi Kazehaya...." " That's right. What's this about Amagi, huh? I don't like this at all. Niki..."

Kohaku look at the three before he pulled you out of the room, locking the door behind him as you and him find a private place to talk more about the topic.

"I'm a cruel person... " You mumble as you look daze for a moment. "Cruel? Is this about making tools of everyone? To achieve your goal? " He rolled his eyes at your words.

" The only thing your cruel to is yourself. " He pointed out. " You take responsibility of something stupid. Over and over again. You try to achieve something. When you can just let it happened. One day. The world will come to an end. No one can stop that. Yet you refuse it and suffer the consequences."thinking about the problem of the so called multiverse and worlds falling to chaos. It made his headache. It's so complicated. "It shouldn't be your responsibility. No one force you to fix the mess that meant to happened."

"..." You look away. Refusing to meet his gaze.

" MC-Han." He seems to notice your odd silence.

"It is my responsibility, kohaku." You finally says. "My responsibility of being born... I will give my life for..."

" No. It's not! Bullshit from hundred or thousand of years ago. Do you really believe in those. Don't you hate the rules as well? The so called traditions..." He remembers the chat you two always have in the first meeting. "Are you a hypocrite? You hated the rules yet you follow them." He clicked his tongue and scoffing at your attitude.

"probably." You says not even a bit mad about his action. You start laughing at a thought. "Could it be your mad? Do you hate me now~? The idealogy of your human side doesn't apply to me. I'm a fae as well a core fae, destine to die for the sake of others." Putting your hand over your chest. You give a solemn smile. " I have no heart... I give it to Aira because it will help him for the task as well the fact by having no heart, I will not fall to depression, to succumb to the emotions that will hinder my goal." You can't help but laugh like a deranged person.

"I took aira heart so he won't fall into self destruction because it will ruined my plan but if the goal achieve. I will give it back." You turn your back on him, holding you hand open, a beautiful red passionate heart of a light fae appear on it. "if he crush my own heart from hate. For my own selfishness. I will gladly accept it." Hidding the crystal heart back. You turn to look at kohaku who's giving you a look that you could only define as hate, disgust or whatnot.

"I... Would like to see the day everyone able to live till they die in natural causes. To see them not parish in such horrible way, over and over again..." You remember your cousin, that hateful emperor who tried to help at some point but cannot escape the chaos. You don't want to reset the world over and over again, it's tormenting to see everything fails out of the plan over and over again, you witness the death and the end.

Even aira went mad from the hundred tries. The balance inside of him become uneven as seed grows to a new sprouts of chaos, called the mad ( unlucky ) rabbit. You just put a spell to lock it away for the new turn. After all, you already problem the chaos butterfly chaotic nature, seeing the mad rabbit going crazy and going in a killing spree isn't something you want to add in your plate.

""See " ?" Kohaku takes a deep breath to compose himself. If he don't act in rational mind, the world of dream would be destroyed. "MC-Han. You just said if aira wish, you'll happily die for such "cruelty" you made "him" "suffer" through. I don't see the part that wish your alive in such ending." He give you a sweet smile lace with malice.

" Kokoko... Your indeed cruel." He sarcastically laugh. "If you want to throw your life away. Then give it to me or Aira. Or both of us. Since this story, were your partners." He taps his right foot in the floor, creating unsteady rhyme. " Once you achieve your goal. You have nothing to wish for... Nor will to live don't you?"

Sometimes I hated how he knows me too much...

"Kohaku sometimes I don't know what to say, when your acting like a tapeworm in my stomach. You know me too well." Especially when he remembers everything from different turns. He even understand your voiceless words. What a cheat.' you thought which made him chuckle as if he knows what comes in your mind.

*Are they kissing yet?" (Rinne)

" Don't move around, HiMERU cannot see those two." (HiMERU)

" You guys are nosy people..."(Niki)

" Oho. Shut up Niki, your also spying on those two."(rinne)

" I was going to ask haku about food. Unlike you two-- ackkk.... H-helpppppp!!" (Niki)

You both look at the sliding door and saw those three spying on you two.

" I dunno. Hanii probably hate me now and wanna file divorce ...so no kissy scene I guess." You said with a haft joking tone as you dramatically tear up.

"H-hey! I don't say that!" Kohaku quickly says before others could believe your words. "it's just normal quarrels of couples. "

"Ehh. But your throwing a childish tantrum cause your consort won't cry into your arms about their trouble~ gyahaha~" rinne point out, they all been listening since point 0.

"S-shut up...!" The youngest bee glare at the train conductor, for being right.

"HiMERU cannot believe this... Even the dollmaker would talk about their problem with the phantom or kaname." HiMERU look at the two of you. It seems you two really need to chat more to have better relationship.

"I won't compare different version of mc. They all different in their own way." Niki wanted to say but everyone ignore him.

"Gyahaha why don't I be the witness for your divorce~?" Rinne chuckle.

"What if I made everyone witness your death, rinne-han?" ( ╹▽╹ ) (kohaku)

" What a cute threat from a tiny man." Rinne put his right hand to rest on top of Kohaku head which made the young Oukawa to frown and kick his leg. " Oof... So much for a dream... Pain still felt real... Gyahaha...." Rinne hold his harm leg, not a bit angry about the kick.

"Go die." Kohaku glare at him.

"How cruel!" Rinne faked a cry as he put his arms around you and kohaku.

"Rinne-han..." Kohaku frown. His purple eyes zooming in to Rinne's left hand around your shoulder blade. "Do you want to have a dislocated arms ?" (◍•ᴗ•◍)

"Don't touch me pls. Or else you'll be stumped by a mad rabbit."

" You two are such a cute and adorable cruel couple. You two are really meant to be!" He chuckle as he let go of the two of you.

As he did that, a screen appear showing a concert hall.

[ You better not touch my flower, rinne Amagi! ] Angry face of Aira appear in the screen.

"ai~ hello~" you happily wave at him. "Why are you zoom in???" You ask.

[ "Rinne??? Aira did you say rinne??? NIISAN!!!???"] aira face quickly pulled away but that moment your eyes zoom in at his outfit before hiiro appear and waving at Rinne.

[ "BROTHER I LOVE YOU! WILL OTHER VERSION OF BROTHER!" ]

The younger Amagi beam at the sight of his older brother.

"... Bunny ears.... H-hiiro... C-cute..." Rinne turn around as he just saw how adorable his brother is.

"NIISANNNNNN PLS WATCH OUR LIVE OKII?"

"Fine... Hmmp." Rinne cover his face as he nodded.

"Ok! Aira, tatsu-senpai, and Mayo-senpai shall we began?" Hiiro back away and everyone saw the alkaloid outfit.

"... Pff--" HiMERU turn around as he chuckle and embarrassed for the priest current self. "How disgraceful..." He mockingly says.

"Woah... Another mc beside mayoi. There's sure bunch of mc." Niki commented as he rub his hungry stomach. You look at him before you point at his direction. Magi candy appear on his hand.

"Woah... Thanks!" He happily nom it. "Still wonder what type of genre this world is... Like I thought its only magic and stuff... Why is there sci-fi one..." He mumble to himself.

"turn off your rational mind. Just enjoy the ride. Lmao." You look back to the screen as the live began.

»»————-　Note　————-««

(1) demon Niki Shiina from Soul mate Au with a twist from my side acc. Nun Tatsumi is also from the same acc. Ywy @iamgrape sorry I'm using aus I made lmao.

(2) kohaku just want you to cling on to him and say your problem ywy. Cant he spoil his spouse????

(if want to be tagged pls comment or Send mail) Tag List : @yinenovica @valeriele3

[ourmotherthemountainfic]

4. Goodnight

RE8 | Wintersberg | Romance | Action, Sci-Fi

This is the third book in the series. Book One | Book Two

Full Chapter List

Ethan noted that the Lords kept the conversation very far away from the situation that had brought them to the castle in the first place.  One by one, they grew tired, and the air of melancholy rose when Moreau finally confessed that they should retire soon.  Donna agreed, and Alcina seemed even more ready to say goodnight.  Ethan checked his watch; it was nearly 1 in the morning.  

He was proud of the group.  He was sitting cross-legged on one of the chairs while Alcina took a full couch, and the other three crammed onto the other couch, Karl’s legs dancing from energy and continually hitting the coffee table.  The roaring fire was now low, and the room otherwise dark, when Donna asked, “Will you read the passage about the garden, before we go?  From Bird by Bird.” 

Alcina obliged Donna with her reading–Ethan had learned it was one of the dollmaker’s many comforts–from the small, well-worn book by the mantle.  As Alcina turned the pages of the book delicately, she mused, “I always wanted to read this book to my daughters.  I don’t know why I never did…I….”  She trailed off, and Ethan felt as she recited the passage, that Alcina was speaking to ghosts within the castle walls, not to any of the current listeners.  

“The garden is one of the two great metaphors for humanity.

The garden is about life and beauty and the impermanence of all living things.

The garden is about feeding your children, providing food for the tribe.

It’s part of an urgent territorial drive that we can probably trace back to animals storing food.

It’s a competitive display mechanism, like having a prize bull, this greed for the best tomatoes and English tea roses.

It’s about winning; about providing society with superior things; and about proving that you have taste, and good values, and you work hard.

And what a wonderful relief, every so often, to know who the enemy is.

Because in the garden, the enemy is everything: the aphids, the weather, time.

And so you pour yourself into it, care so much, and see up close so much birth, and growth, and beauty, and danger, and triumph.

And then everything dies anyway, right?

But you just keep doing it.”

It was awkward, though perhaps not new, that the mood after the passage was somber.  Even Heisenberg had nothing smartass to say.  It felt strange, as though the group would never be together again.  It felt heavy.  The Lords said their goodbyes, fumbling as they’d never been like this toward each other before.  How ironic, mused Ethan, that getting rid of the psycho who had brought them all together was the key to their bonding.  So it maybe always went with toxic parents. 

Heisenberg surprised everyone by extending a hand to Alcina after he stood.  Ethan and the others stared, but Alcina drew back in surprise.  She looked suspiciously at his hand, and Karl supplied, “Don’t worry, I don’t have a buzzer.” 

She pursed her lips at this, but shook his hand without further comment.  Ethan could sense the trepidation between both, and he remembered Evie’s words from earlier.  Was Karl afraid in this moment?  His face was a mask in the shadows, his glassless eyes still hiding whatever thoughts flickered behind them.  The engineer dipped his head at Dimitrescu before waltzing toward the others, who stood at the entryway.  

He turned back and stared pointedly at Ethan.  “You comin’?”

“I’ll catch up, go on ahead.” 

The blond began to untangle his long legs, stretching, as the sound of footsteps on marble faded.  Alcina was still staring after the group, but she finally turned back to Ethan.  

“How are you managing your transformations?” she asked as he stood. 

“I think I’ll be okay,” was his answer, which was just useless enough to cause her to raise an eyebrow. 

“Be careful not to lose yourself,” she responded in a quiet tone.  Ethan met her eyes finally, and nodded.  He crossed the short distance in between them and held her gaze.  

“I won’t.”  Silence.  “You’re sure.  You’re okay?”

She glanced at the patera and a faint attempt of a smile passed over her features.  “So it seems.  I will go speak with him again.”  She meant Godric.  Ethan smirked.  

“I won’t know how to handle all three of them without you,” he replied afterward, gazing past her toward the main entryway.  “They’re….” 

“Insipid?”

“I was gonna say, ridiculous, but sure.”  He shrugged, and the smile came more easily.  

Ethan felt strange-trapped, as if he were struggling inside some inner layer of mold.  He assumed it was because he’d never had to say goodbye to someone in this way, and it felt like a very true, very real goodbye.  Not the strange limbo he’d been put in with Mia missing for years.  Back then, he would have preferred this, or so he thought.  For Mia. For his father.  

The esteemed Chance to Say Goodbye.  

Now that it was here, he didn’t much care for it. 

She gave the Mona Lisa smile again before responding.  

“They are.  But you will take care of them, I am sure.”  

He didn’t know what to say to that; Ethan shoved his hands in his pockets awkwardly.  She nodded at him.  “You’re a caretaker, that’s what you do.  You and I have more in common than I ever would have imagined.”

This brought a timid smile to Ethan’s face.  Alcina sighed, sizing the father up with her gaze.  

“You’re good for that idiot, you know.”  He bark-laughed at this, happy for the break in the tension, but she raised her eyebrows as if to reiterate her seriousness.  “All he has ever wanted is a family.  To be loved as the wild, untamed moron that he is.  Heisenberg was never loyal to our family,” she shrugged, as if admitting, finally, that it didn’t matter.  Ethan’s smile faded.   “But everything he denied Miranda, everything he denied the family she gave him…he would happily give to you and yours.  He has been waiting his entire life for it, carrying it close to him.” 

“I hope I don’t screw it up,” Ethan said, surprised to hear his own voice shake.  His anger at the engineer dissipated in a heartbeat, rising away from him like the smoke from the nearby fire.  The sudden impermanence of everyone struck him in the moment, and Ethan was left reeling.  

He considered Heisenberg’s past-not just with Miranda, but with Heisenberg's family.  His real family.  His mother.  The mother that stayed in the garden, and somehow Ethan realized that the dream Dimitrescu had spoken of was her doing.  She-Heisenberg’s mother- was the motherly voice in Alcina’s dream.  

He didn’t know how, but he knew it without question.  

“So far, I think, you have no complaints,” she smirked, and waltzed toward him, extending a hand readily.  “You should get some sleep, Ethan.”

He shocked them both by pulling his hands from his pockets and embracing her in a crushing hug; she returned it gingerly.  Ethan drew back, but held her hands tightly.  “Know how I said the girls would miss you?  They’re not the only ones who would.”  

She beamed, and squeezed his hands before elegantly stepping past him and toward the staircase, draping a long arm over the railing.  

“Take care, Ethan,” she said as a second thought over her shoulder, in a softer voice than he’d ever thought she was capable of. 

"You too."

He watched her ascend the staircase with that strange, suffocating feeling still in his throat.  But in another part of his body, his chest swelled with pride.  The Black God was proud, at least.  

When he finally turned away from the castle hall, Ethan’s sadness morphed into something akin to peace.  As though he’d shaken hands with his past and made amends.  Perhaps Alcina felt that way as well, even though he had arrived a century after Miranda.  

He hoped. 

Ethan passed under the carriage gate.  It spoke to him, that silky, sly voice that tugged at his ears from behind.  

Time to fly again?

He didn’t respond until he was out of the castle grounds and abruptly hit by the sounds, smells, and sights of the night.  He inhaled deeply, drinking in the scant moonlight and the cold autumn wind.  In the ruins of the valley were several of the Roma carriages; they planned to build permanent houses here, but luckily had the wagons in the meantime.  Their lights were off, but the smoke from their campfire lingered.  To keep away predators.  

Ethan’s ears picked up a sharp sound across the expanse of the dark valley.  A motorcycle.  So once again Karl had defied all expectations and didn’t ride his hammer around like a warlock on a broomstick; such a disappointment.  Ethan felt ravenous, and his answer was spoken aloud.  

“How about a hunt, instead?”

[heathenkweer]

uh oh Miranda found a new dollmaker

From left to right: Sigyn (myth), Sigyn (MCU), Elpis (FFXV OC), Aranka (RE8 OC)

Made here:

[porcelain-bjd-art-dolls]

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