#or maybe this is just earlier in the timeline idk

[dinklebat]

Static Screams

Zombie!Creepypasta

(Bitey Bitey AU by @krayolacolor)

Tw: dehumanization, medical malpractice, gore, cannibalism, death, general horror, angst, and whump, also I wrote this in one evening without proofreading.

wc: 2.9k

Summary: A series of severely damaged tapes reveal Cody (X Virus) and Jack (EJ)’s attempts at curing the (zombie) virus that has taken so many of their colleagues.

-

“Testing, testing.”

Through the static, the image of a dark-haired boy adorned in a gas mask and goggles cuts in. He impatiently taps at the screen, his scowl deepening.

“It’s not a touch screen,” a bored voice calls out from behind him, out of sight. He clicks his tongue and rolls his eyes, muttering something under his breath.

“I know, I know. I’m just trying to see if it’s recording or not.”

“The only thing it's recording right now is your stupid face. Just take a few steps back and chill.”

The first boy takes a few steps backwards, the rest of his body coming into frame. He’s visibly scrawny for his age, even covered in layers of protective clothing. He clears his throat and awkwardly waves a hand at the camera. “Um, hi. If you’re watching this, I’m either dead, or I’m about to win a Nobel Prize.”

He steps back, revealing more of his surroundings. The walls are old and weathered at their edges, but every surface seems to be well-maintained, polished and sterilized to perfection. Dark countertops are covered with various instruments and tools: beakers, bunsen burners, microscopes and more. Sitting at one of the various machines is another man, with dark, almost gray skin and large, pointed ears akin to those of a bat. 

“Either way, here is the current situation. A viral outbreak has occurred and is quickly evolving into a larger pandemic. The virus behaves most similar to rabies and encephalitis. What starts as nausea, migraines, and a high fever escalates to rapid swelling in the brain, resulting in a loss of cognitive function, aggressive behavior, and a craving for raw meat. Other symptoms include disrupted sleeping patterns, necrosis of appendages, and organ failure.  The virus appears to be transmitted through bodily fluids such as blood and saliva. Whether it can be transmitted through other fluids such as tears and sweat requires further testing.”

The boy pulls out a small sign labeled “Experiment 7A: Test 1” and proudly displays it in front of the camera.

“For our first series of tests we will be pre-existing viral medications for similarly behaving pathogens, especially those designed to fight encephalitis in order to reduce swelling of the brain.”

Suddenly a series of shouts ring out as a door slams open. The scientist quickly runs behind the camera, tilting it to better record the commotion.

A large beast, covered in moss-like fur broken up by bone-like armor, carries in a moaning, decaying body. The thing in its jaws clearly used to be human, but is now nothing but a hollow shell with bloodshot eyes and rotting gashes decorated by maggots. A girl with pink-streaked hair runs in after the large monster, muzzling the infected before prying it out of the beast’s jaws, only to immediately plop the writhing mass on the floor.

“Tadaaaaa,” she cheers. “We caught a zombie!”

She hops onto the counter, swinging her legs excitedly. “I totally lost an earring, but otherwise no one was hurt.”

“They’re not zombies. That would imply they’re undead,” the boy in the gas mask quickly corrects, earning an eye roll from both his companion and the girl.

The other researcher, the man with dark skin and pointed ears, turns towards the newcomers, his ears twitching impatiently. “It would probably be safer to tie up and muzzle it first next time,” he reprimanded. “But otherwise well-done.”

He picked up the infected as if it were a rag doll and plopped it into a chair. The thing growled and clawed at him, but it seemed unable to break his skin. From his pocket, he pulled out a syringe, carefully tilting the infected’s body around. His fingers trace the skin deftly , feeling for the vein. He plunges in the syringe and the body begins to still for a moment. 

He steps back and sighs, seemingly admiring his handiwork. The infected’s eyes roll as its body begins to spasm and seize, foaming out the mouth.

“Damn it!” someone knocks into the camera, as the tape darkens into static.

The screen tears and crackles as a new image appears. Muffled audio slowly rings in as he pulls out the sign again. The “1” has been erased, replaced by a “7”. Despite this, he remains optimistic in tone as his voice cuts through the static.

“We’ve determined that the antiviral medication was primarily ineffective at fully eradicating the virus, although it may be preventative in earlier stages. We’ve decided to now try introducing pre-existing vaccines into the system instead, namely rabies immune globulin. This is also typically used as a preventative treatment, but I theorize we may be able to at least slow the viruses’ ability to reproduce in the host.”

Another infected has been pinned to a chair, squirming in its chains.

“Cody, can you just take notes afterwards?” his bat-eared colleague complains as he tilts his face towards the camera, revealing dark sockets where his eyes should be. Cody scoffs, but hands him the shot, quickly pulling his hand away from the reach of the infected.

“It’ll be better for documentation in the long run if we have visuals of what occurred.”

“Mm,” the eyeless man hummed, injecting the test subject with ease. “I think it would be better to save memory space for full dissection of the specimens instead of these trials, that’s all. Especially since we can’t exactly go out and buy more right now”

The infected’s movements slowed slightly, its eyes glazing over.

“Alright, Jack, I’ll make sure to save you a tape.”

The voices fade out as the screen tears again. Sentence fragments clip in and out as the tape corrects itself, revealing a new image. Cody stands before the camera once more, though his goggles are now crooked and his hair is far more unkempt.

“Modern science is proving…ineffective, so Jack has suggested that we turn to the dark arts.”

“I said ‘ask around about magical alternatives’.”

“Same difference,” Cody waved away his partner’s protests. “So this week, I will be joined by my colleagues, Ben and Kagekao.”

The scientist gestures to the side, where a short blonde boy with bleeding eyes and a masked man with dark hair sit impatiently. Cody adjusts his goggles and holds up his sign displaying the test number: 16.

“First up, BEN. I would like you to attempt possessing one of our subjects.”

The blonde boy clicks his tongue disapprovingly, but approaches the infected nonetheless.  As he moves, the screen appears to glitch and tear around him. Even the parts of him that appear outwardly normal on the screen are translucent, showing reflections of objects nearby where there should be flesh.

“Traditionally, possessions by more powerful spirits like BEN do not adhere to typical physical limitations of mortals. This is how they are able to contort bodies into otherwise impossible forms, such as rotating the head 360 degrees. Thus, I have hypothesized that BEN will be able to manipulate the body independently of the virus's normal restrictions, allowing for easier study and perhaps even isolation of infection,” Cody rambles to the camera excitedly.

“This is gross,” BEN mutters, stepping into the subject’s body. It convulses for a moment before slowly blinking its eyes.

“Yeah…gross…” it repeats, its speech slurred and gravelly. Its eyes stare blankly at the camera, a cloudy and unfocused gaze.

“How so?” Cody tilts his head, clicking his pen against his notebook. The possessed creature flinches at the noise.

“Well it's always…weird but…makes feel…sick…like really…really dirty clothes.”

“Do you still have any of the urges previously exhibited in infected subjects?”

“Not really…just kinda…tired…achy…” the possessed body’s head bobbed up and down, as if it were nodding off to sleep.  It strains itself, trying to move beneath its restraints, chest heaving in deep gasps.

“Well, for a first test it could’ve gone worse,” Jack chimed in coolly. “Please try to exit now.”

The body convulsed again, even stronger this time, knocking both itself and the chair to the floor before finally stilling. BEN stepped out, gagging  and shivering. “I’m def not doing that again. Don’t even ask.”

Jack leaned in closer to the specimen, his ears tilting towards it. “Strange. Its breathing and heart rate have slowed significantly.”

He nudged it with his foot but the infected remained unresponsive. He kneels down curiously, poking and prodding at the decaying mass of flesh.

“Even asleep they’re never this docile,” Cody agreed, jotting it down in his notebook.

“That’s because its soul dipped,” Kagekao laughed. “Normally when you kick someone’s soul out, they keep trying to take back control. But he was so horrified by what his body had become that he just left instead!”

Ben snorted. “That’s a first for me.”

“Very interesting,” Cody’s eyes widened beneath his goggles. “BEN, are you sure you wouldn’t mind going just one more time?”

The screen crackles, movements of the various individuals blurred under layers of static. By the time it finally clears, Cody looks even worse for wear. His outer layers of clothing have been scratched and torn and the lenses of his goggles are beginning to crack, revealing massive eye bags underneath. He shakily holds up a sign. “Test 30.”

“I’ve decided to move on to magical items. Our peers up in the mansion are trying to quarantine from the lab as much as possible, but they’ve graciously provided us with as much as they could.”

He gestures to a hastily-packaged box of miscellaneous objects on the counter behind him. “For our first trial, we’ll start with Rowan.”

“Hi!” another boy chirps, waving excitedly at the camera. Compared to some of the others, the blonde looks relatively normal, other than the bandages covering his chest. He begins to unravel the bandages, revealing large, rotting cavities in his chest filled with moss and mushrooms. Sitting right where his heart should be is a swirling crystal orb which he yanks out with a sharp tug. He holds it in his hand for a second, glancing nervously at Cody.

“You promise you’ll put it back, right?”

“I’ll try my best.”

“That's not very promising,” Rowan grumbled, but handed the orb nonetheless. As soon as it leaves his grasp, his body collapses to the floor, lifeless. Cody blinks owlishly, visibly stifling the urge to study him instead of the situation at hand.

Jack then drags in an infected with its chest already carved out. As Jack holds back the head of the subject, preventing it from tearing into Cody’s flesh, Cody crams the orb into the cavity. Roots sprout from the edges, latching onto the new vessel.

Cody turns to the camera, briefly explaining, “This orb is a fae artifact that provides immortality to the holder when placed where the heart should be, as long as the creature attached to it is fed on life force. According to records, it has worked on both magical and non magical beings, so we have high hopes for this one.”

“Cody.”

“We already talked about this, you have to keep meticulous records for future research-”

“No. Cody, the necrosis is reversing.”

The dark haired boy whips around, examining the specimen. Slowly but surely, the flesh was beginning to regenerate.

“Any improved cognitive function?”

“Nothing visibly, but intracranial pressure is slowly decreasing, so it’s not impossible-”

A growl erupts from across the room. A moss-furred creature the size of a dire wolf with rotting flesh stalks towards them. Its face is covered in an exoskeletal skull, with a jaw that cracked open ominously.

“I thought Rowan said he fed it beforehand…” Jack raises an eyebrow, the goo dripping from his eyes intensifying ever-so-slightly. He steps forward, blocking Cody from its view.

“Easy…” he whispers. Its hollow sockets gaze down at his own.

Then it pounces, tearing at him. Shouts and screams echo through the room as its tail knocks over the camera, crashing it into darkness. Muffled growls rumble through the audio for a bit, until eventually the camera is picked back up and placed in its proper position by an extremely disheveled and stained Cody.

In his hand is a dark, dripping orb. He pants heavily, adjusting his goggles using the reflection on the screen. 

The camera refocuses, revealing an equally rumpled Jack, covered in scratches and bruises. The creature is pinned beneath him, but the action has little meaning. Its body lies utterly limp, a result of the orb’s removal.

Still panting, Cody plops the orb into Rowan’s chest. It pulses in delight and the body begins to move again, as the creature rapidly rots away into nothing but dust. As he regains control over his body, Rowan leaps onto the rotting corpse of the infected, tearing into it.

“Rowan-” Cody backs up in a panic. The blonde looks up, blood dripping down his mouth. Recognition soon fills his gaze.

“Sorry, I- I haven’t felt that hungry in centuries,” he trembles, averting his gaze. “I’ll…I’ll clean this up.”

Jack pats the smaller man on the back and whispers something to him quietly. Cody blinks, then returns his focus to the camera. “Moving onto Test 31-”

The screen returns to static for a few seconds before a new image quickly fades into view. This time, Jack stands in the foreground, holding the sign, as Cody works quietly in the background, peering into his microscope.

“Magic has proved almost entirely ineffective thus far, but I have a working theory on why,” the eyeless doctor explains. “Whereas someone else decided just to give up.”

Cody puts his hands over his ears childishly, tuning out his partner.

Jack chuckles, his hand instinctively raising to hide his pointed smile. “Anyways, the majority of items and individuals that we have available are either demonic or fae in nature. Both of these species share a weakness to iron, a substance which can be either extremely conductive or entirely nullifying towards magic depending on the type of mana channeled.”

Cody leans in closer to his microscope, muttering to himself, but Jack remains unphased. “The diet of the infected, which primarily consists of raw, red meat, is extremely rich in iron. This excess iron build up is likely interfering with otherwise smooth proceedings. It may also account for some of the liver and pancreas failure we’ve seen in several subjects. Thus, if we restrict the iron in a subject’s diet over a period of time, returning to more anemic levels-”

Suddenly, Cody jumps up from his seat, his hands flapping excitedly. “JACK! JACK!”

The man sighs, pointed ears swiveling towards him. “What is it now?”

“I think I found a combination of antiviral antibodies and chemicals that kills the virus. It worked on all 3 of my samples!” The boy jumped up and down, eagerly showing off his petri dishes to his partner.

“I’m still blind,” Jack patiently reminds him, tapping his dark sockets. Even so, he is unable to hide the excitement creeping onto face. Cody blushes beneath his gas mask and mutters an apology.

“We should test it on a live subject as soon as possible,” the smaller boy grins.

“But Nina said that they’ve already cleared out most of the local packs.”

“Well, there’s one group we haven’t tried yet,” Cody whispers, running over to the camera and clicking it off.

The screen goes dark for a moment before flashing with color a final time.

Cody carefully preps a syringe in front of the camera, enthusiastically noting each step in his process. In the background, Jack and Rowan pin down a squirming infected. This one in a later stage of decay, his face torn and skin gray. Despite this, he remains strong, struggling against both Jack and Rowan as Nina cheers behind them. He growls and claws at them, bloodshot green eyes narrowed.

But Cody remains calm as he preps the syringe. He nods to Jack, who twists the infected’s arm, revealing a pulsing vein. As the others pin back his dangerous teeth, Cody presses in the syringe, injecting his latest creation. The subject pauses his struggle, falling limp into Jack’s arms.

The others hold their breath, but the infected continues to stare lifelessly.

‘I thought you said this would cure him,” Nina sniffles, tears beginning to creep down her face, leaving dark streaks from her mascara. 

“I said it would kill the virus,” Cody repeated, kneeling down and taking the subject’s face in his gloved hand. “I don’t know how reversible the other effects are.  With some intensive care, we might be able to restore cognitive function, or he might remain a vegetable.”

He releases his grip, sighing. “At least we’ll have a way to reverse early stage infections. I should also be able to easily adapt these results into a vaccine.”

Nina sobs harder, running in and hugging the infected tightly. “Doby…”

“Nina…?” a hoarse voice whispers. Dobby blinks slowly, the horrors of the lasat months slowly dawning on him. Tears flood down his face as he breaks down. The others pause, aghast.

 “OMG YOU’RE OKAY!” she wails into his shoulder.

“Hh…it all hurts…” he murmurs. 

Cody removes his goggles, taking a closer look at the scene playing out before him. “Incredible…”

Jack smiles, the goo from his sockets dripping down like tears. “Good job, partner.”

“One down, half the world’s population to go,” Cody replies, leaning towards the camera and clicking it off for a final time, plunging everything into darkness.

[harvestmoth]

Lo. Love your Rejuv art. Just wanted to ask if you have more ideas for the au where nothing goes wrong (lie) for Pokémon Rejuvenation.

thank you!! and im sorry to say i do not! im very bad at coming up with ideas but i would love to hear others ideas on anything, though i will say when i started posting about it i had a brief thought of flora, florin, and talon taking melia and the protag with them to terajuma when they cheak out the tyluric temple as like a way for them to. get to terajuma. but idk how well thatd work out continuity wise. or what the whole terajuma arc would be like because of it

[mrs-kelly]

Got sad thinking about how Charlie spent what little money he had on renting the theatre and getting all the costumes and props and things for his musical and then he got rejected :(

[caruliaa]

screaming bc theres a song (no i wont tell u what one but its by an artisit i dont listen to rly to much except for the last two days but i do like what of her music iv heard) that like. i rly feel like fits a ship (I WILL DEFF NOT TELL U WHICH ONE !!!!! but its like. not one i rly ship tht much but i do think its cute and im slowly getting more into it) in like. a weird way bc like. im not like omg this song is so this ship its so cute i mean the first time i listened to the song which was a while back when it first came out i was like this feels like ppl r gonna talk abt it w tht ship or like the song feels very like. like a fanfiction to me like generally and to me i feel like its like a modern au fanfic for the ship nd i listened to the song again today nd iv been thinking abt tht but the thing is i looked to see if anyone in any context has put that ship with that song before expecting to find lots of stuff but i literally found NOTHING its ubsurddd !!!

[toxicanonymity]

Happy Easter Hun, I was wondering if you could do dark! Joel miller x reader where Joel's the neighbor next door and creeps into your house at night and just fucks you some CNC? Thanks queen✨

Sleeping beauty

700 | dark!Joel x f!Reader | master list

A/N: mood board by @milla-frenchy 🖤. Sounds like night walks vibes, maybe a timeline divergence or a future where you've admitted to yourself and Joel that you like it when he takes you forcefully and anything in this fic is on the table. This includes ideas from @xdaddysprincessxx @dark-scape , and anon. Can read alone.

WARNINGS: 18+ NSFW CNC (r^pe kink/consensual non-con, he knows she wants a struggle), unsafe PIV, noncon somnophilia (in ur sleep), drugs (chloroform), restraints, gagging, forced orgasm, forced breeding, maybe more idk he's a menace.

--------------------

"Shhhhhhhh." A hand covers your mouth. Your eyes blink open, and as you adjust to the dark, there's a brief moment of panic when you see his head so close to yours. He's straddling you, pinning you to the bed while he tugs your panties down. Your shirt has already been pulled up over your tits. When your panties are down to your knees, his hand engulfs your dripping seam. "Dreamin' of me, pumpkin?"

Maybe you were.

His fingers slide up and down together, then circle your clit. You're already knotting with tension. He plunges two digits into you and your hips reflexively lift into his hand. You try to roll away from him, but you're no match for his strength. As your eyes adjust, you can see the silhouette of his messy hair in the moonlight and his arm muscles burst out of his tight, white t-shirt as he holds you down. You've never seen such bulky triceps.

"One word and I’ll put you out," he warns before slowly lifting his hand off your mouth.

He pulls down the waistband of his PJ pants and rests them under his balls. His thick, stiff cock stands menacingly at attention.

"Damn you looked hot dreamin' about this cock." His voice is low and gruff.

His knee pries your legs open. His hand guides the tip of his cock to your entrance, then he shoves himself into you with a grunt and you sigh.

"Sleepin' Beauty," he whispers as he retreats. He plunges into you full-force again and bottoms out with a muted groan. His neck veins bulge.

“Sure are filthy for a Disney princess.”

He lowers his head to your neck and sucks as he rams his stiff cock into you rhythmically.

"Takin' this cock real good," he whispers as he pounds you. Your core tightens with tension as he fills you up.

He drags his beard across your jaw, scratching you, then he latches onto your neck again, sucks harder, and marks you.

The word falls out of your mouth before you can stop it. “Don’t.”

He sighs. “What’d I tell ya princess?”

He reaches down by your bed where he stashed his bag, then covers your mouth and nose with a mysterious, damp rag.

-

When you wake up, he’s still inside you. Railing you. There’s a cloth gag in your mouth. Your knees are up, legs spread, with him in between. Your wrists are tied to your shins with shoelaces. He pauses, all the way inside you.

"Look what I found,” he says and turns on your vibrator. You were using it earlier tonight while he watched you from outside. He thought about interrupting you but spilled his cum in your grass instead and decided to come back later.

He brings the toy right to your clit and firmly presses it into you. He starts fucking you slowly again, his thick cock filling you up each time. He sets it there for a minute and moves the vibrator against you with his hips. He grunts and groans softly.

Your back arches as your insides tighten and release, and he groans "yeeeeah, yeah, c'mon baby."

He's not done with you yet. He goes harder. You gasp and squirm at the overstimulation and he holds you still with his arm.

"Attta girl, let it ride princess."

Your eyes prickle with tears and your body can hardly take it. He looks to be struggling too. Holding his breath and randomly releasing it.

Every few thrusts, he bottoms out and lingers deep inside, slowly rocking his hips into you, his tip grinding against your g-spot.

It isn't long before you come full force again. And thank God, when your tight cunt begins to choke him, he groans with a shudder then erupts inside you. He thrusts into you slower as he empties his balls with a loud sigh.

He ungags you, then collapses with his head between your legs. As his cum trickles out of you, he puts it back in with his fingers. He rests his head on your inner thigh. He looks up at you for a moment. You can only see half his face in the moonlight but he raises his eyebrows and his lips barely curl into a faint smile that says yeah, you like it. Then, he returns his attention between your legs. He gives your clit a kiss and whispers to your cunt, "sleep tight" before disappearing into the night.

-

Btw the restraints/position/was from @xdaddysprincessxx, vibrator & forced orgasm from @xdaddysprincessxx and Anon, resting his head and looking up at you from @dark-scape

-

NW: @tehweeana @lokanda @blackvelveteen1339

All Joel: @ethanhoewke @silkiers @eiviea. @evyiione

If you wanted to be tagged in night walks stuff please remind me 😫 can't find the list lmao

Also trying to figure out if I should even post every ask when there are multiple combined in an answer. There are some days where I'll get like, a lot, and often a couple are similar, which is cool. I just don't wanna spam people with notifs on so I might stop answering them all with a link, IF I can bear to delete them lol.

[dark-night-hero]

i love the imagine u wrote where zhongli would give us up for the world 🥹🥹 and it got me thinking:

what if the reader gets incarnated to the current timeline we have and meets zhongli again? they don’t have the past memories but somehow zhongli feels familiar for them. Z thinks this era is the right time for him to take back the past and do things right so he spends time w them but he somehow finds out that reader has a lover (maybe another playable character). Z begins to asks questions abt their lover and idk how their convo would play out but I just imagine where reader gets a question where they answer with “i would give up the world for them (their lover)” and zhong is just hit with past memories and regrets wishing how he could have done things differently idk i j imagine it rly angsty 😭😭

Sorry to disturb but this has been on my mind i cant stop thinking abt it and i wanted to share 😭😭 Anyways, i look forward to more of ur works!! keep up the good work ur doing great 🥺🫶

: following zhongli (world > you)

Imagine how had Mor- Zhongli tried to get close to you, you who obviously was rather uncomfortable with his presence. And the only key to it was the traveller, the same old traveller that had help Liyue and Monstand and is now away on their venture in Inazuma. That being said, nowadays he had been keeping you company.

"You've been off since the departure of the Traveller." Zhongli spoke as he stand right beside you in the harbor.

"Really? I didn't notice." You have him a small smile.

"But I guess you're right, I've been missing the traveller so bad nowadays." You chuckle.

Imagine, at that very moment, Zhongli hoped he didn't not see you. Not when you're looking like that. Not when you're looking so soft, so lovely, obviously longing for someone, someone who definitely wasn't him.

Imagine the way his heart dropped to his stomach. The way his hand clenched around nothing before realising it. And after a few moments of silence.

"Do you.. Perhaps have feelings for the traveller?"

Imagine the way his voice shaken, obviously did go unnoticed by you. The way his amber iris were shaking, hoping and trying to deny reality as best as he can. He had hope for a chance. He knew this time, nothing can go wrong with the two of you. So he approached you, he tried to get close to you, he really did. But perhaps it was already too late, or was it? Did he even had a chance in this new persona he now possess?

"Honestly, I'm not sure myself." You chuckle.

"Or so I thought before the traveller left. Did you know? The traveller confessed to me, but Traveller also told me that they had so many things going on at the moment so.." As you look beyond the sea, you smile genuinely.

"I was wondering that in the world was the Traveller even thinking confessing and leaving me just like that, but now that I think about it. Its wasn't so bad."

Imagine the way you smile, the way your brush back your hair, trying to fix it upon the harsh breeze that have been messing with your hair earlier.

"If the world wants me dead, if the world see me as a threat, what would you do?"

"Huh?"

"What was the question that suddenly came into mind as soon as te Traveller confessed."

"What was the Traveller reply?"

Imagine the way you laugh, the way you smile genuinely as you recall the answer of that silly, adventurous, kind Traveller reply.

Imagine the way Zhongli kept staring at you, you who looked all refesh and happy, bright as you were before. Oh how much it hurts him he was no longer the reason why.

"How about a new world?"

"What?"

"I'll just have to take you to a new world. As you are already aware I wasn't from this world. All we have to do is to escape and find a new world where no one can take you away from me. Although my twin always somes first, I cannot afford to loose you, you know?"

"..." "(First name)? Are you o-?" "Pfff.."

"Did I say something funny?" "No.. hehe, I'm just.. I don't know." Was it relief that you felt?

Imagine the way you let out a sigh. Thinking about the Traveller only makes you miss them more. Perhaps you should have given the Traveller a reply back then but both of you agreed to put more thought into it and give them a reply upon coming back.

"Escape." It was just one word.

"I see." Zhongli replied, this time he looked away from you.

"If you don't mind me asking." "What is it?"

"If it's for the sake of the world, would you be willing to kill them?"

Imagine the way you once again let out a sigh, as you went quite only for a few moments, you face him and tug his sleeve.

"If that person meant the world for you, isn't that enough reason to be selfish?" You chuckle.

"Isn't a world without your beloved would only felt like a living hell?" You added as you never once look away from him.

"It goes on without saying that it's them over the world. That's how much they matter to me, that's how much I love them."

Imagine the way Zhongli chuckle and the way his lips form a bitter smile afterwards nevertheless, he agreed to you and eventually excuse himself. Leaving you all alone in the harbor, all waiting for the Traveller and not him. But it's alright, one way or another, he deserves this.

Imagine as Zhongli walks away from you, you stare at him and as you do so. He looks so lonely. But then you blink as a harsh breeze passes by, turning your look into the horizon, the sun was peacefully setting. How beautiful yet it left a bitter taste in your mouth in which you soon ignore.

"Escape huh."

Imagine, it's not like he did not think about it. But back then, the best choice was to kill you. But after hearing what you said, he starts to doubt if he did perhaps made a mistake, leaving regrets behind. After all, you were right. A world were he couldn't embrace you when you were right in front of him was like a living hell.

Imagine the way it was making him wonder if he was only a little bit selfish, if only he did not listen to the pleads of his people, his friends. If only he tried to find another way. If only he choses the other way. Would the two of you be happy and still together like you were back then?

He doesn't know, after all, those were the choices he didn't take. And this was the consequence he had to face.

[ⓒdark-night-hero] 2023°

: I think I strayed away from what was asked. Crap, did I do this right?

[tenjikyu]

𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦 - 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘧𝘦𝘺

౨ৎ ⋆｡˚ Final timeline , valentines special , gn!reader , reader actually likes Valentine’s Day instead of despising it , reader is apart of the student council , delinquent/school council troupe , idk how many members black dragon had but ik the gang was HUGE so I went w 650 , izana knows he isn’t biologically related to the others for plot convenience , idk how old the kids are so Emma is four, mikey is five and izana is seven.

School was always boring, however the only time you found pleasure in attending your mundane school was during Valentine’s Day.

Girls gushing over the chocolates they’re either giving or receiving, and guys flushed from sudden confessions and giving flowers to their lucky lady.

The air in school seemed more lively with the coming of Valentine’s Day.

You were yet to acquire a partner to share this special event with, however that never bothered you too much. You were a fairly popular face around school, and had your fair share of admires (girls and guys alike).

However you were in no rush to run into a relationship. Your status as vice president of the student council already filled your schedule enough as is, and having some dense and clingy person begging for you attention wasn’t ideal.

And so, you smiled gently as you watched your student council friend get a batch of roses from her crush, hoping the very best for her.

Shinichiro, unlike yourself, was rather desperate to acquire somebody to love. Ever since middle school, he’d trail a pretty girl in the halls and ask if she was interested in going to grab a bite to eat.

And the response was almost the same with every girl.

“Sorry, Sano. I probably shouldn’t go out with a delinquent.” “Sorry Sano, I’m not interested right now” “Sano, please leave me alone this is the 3rd time”

As highschool came and past by, Sano had asked out a total of 16 girls and 7 guys before he eventually gave up. Maybe he just wasn’t meant to find his special someone?

It was in his 2nd year of high school before Shinichiro Sano would end up finding somebody to share his obligatory chocolates with.

It was a day like no other, however instead of pure oxygen, something else seemed to fill the air.

Love.

Couples and pre-couples littered the school. Girls flattened out their skirts and boys fixed their hair in anticipation.

You had decided that you’d come a bit earlier today, as you had some papers you had to finish off before class began. It’s not your fault your mother couldn’t pick up your little sister today, even though she had started middle school already.

“Little girls Like Keiko shouldn’t walk home alone, be a good older brother/sister and walk her home.”

Your mothers was just a liiiiitttttleeee over protective.

Only the sound of motorcycles pulled you from your daze as you stared at the entrance of the school. The bikes wernt an uncommon sound, after all.

The Black Dragons are infamous around school, known for their mischievous yet respected leader. Shinichiro was a celebrity amongst delinquents, a shining star for all to follow. The North Star of the sky, as one could say. He caused trouble, yet always cleaned up after himself. He has bad luck with women, however has been known to defend and fight for girls he’s never even met before.

In the eyes of many, he was a dumb and irresponsible boy who led more men than he could handle (650, to be specific). In your eyes however, he was a good man. Sure he got into trouble and messed around with his friends, but he never once laid a hand on someone who didn’t deserve it.

As the man of the hour walked up to the school, his 3 lackys in tow, he walked past you, a gentle smile plastered on his face.

Perhaps, he could be smiling at you?

As you left the council room, you felt a hand on your shoulder. Looking back, you see the hair of Shinichiro’s closest friend, Wakasa Imaushi.

“Hey, got a minute?” The blonde asked you, his eyes gazing your confused expression. You only silently nod, before following the gang leader to your possible doom.

As you walk through the halls of your school, you ponder to yourself silently. What could a delinquent want with the vice president of the student council?

Alas, you eventually come to a halt, you walk into the room, Wakasa holding the door for you like a gentleman. As you enter the room, an interesting sight beholds you.

Shinichiro is sat on a chair, his other two friends are leaning side by side. He would almost look like a king, if it wasn’t for his dopey expression that rested on his face.

“(Y/N) perfect timing! I have something to ask you.”

HUH???

You aren’t entirely sure why your mind went to the certain romantic event being held today, however the clear expression of shock on your face is enough to have Shinichiro put your mind at ease.

“I’m not asking about valentines, you can relax vice prez. I wanted to ask you about your sister.” He begins, his voice getting slightly more serious.

“Why? Has something happened to Keiko that I don’t know about?” You ask him, wondering that if you were correct, how did he know before you?

“She’s adopted, correct? How did that settle for your family.” He seems serious now, but not his scary and gang leader mode scary.

He’s never allow his crush to see him in such a state.

“Yes, she is adopted. We took her in 3 years ago. Why do you ask?”

“Well, there’s a kid my family had taken in from the orphanage recently. He’s a little older than my other two, and he’s not fully Japanese. I’m worried Izana might feel a bit excluded, given he isn’t related to Manjiro and Emma. I was wondering if you had some advice to give me, so I can discuss this with him without him getting uncomfortable or scared.”

You can’t tell if you’re more shocked about the fact Shinichiro Sano told you a very sensitive fact about his home life, or about the fact he’s taken in another sibling. You’re well aware of the other two.

But he came to you for assistance, and no matter what kind of student they are, it’s your job as vice president to help all students out.

“Well, if you wanted, I could bring Keiko around to talk to him about it? He might feel more comfortable talking to a child with similar experiences to him.”

“REALLY?? That would be AWSOME, (Y/N)!”

And so, you picked Keiko up from school and visited the Sano estate. It wasn’t too far from where you live, maybe a 5-10 minute walk, however the second you opened the door…

“MIKEY LEAVE HER ALONE”

“ITS A DOLL NOT A REAL GIRL SHIN”

A boy with blonde hair, no older then six, is standing on the couch whilst a little girl is sobbing in an attempt to get her doll back. Shinichiro is yelling from the top of his lungs at his brother, but isn’t currently in the main room.

“Uhmm… bad timing?” You peeped out, your little sister shuffling behind you. At once, three pairs of eyes land on you. Then, a fourth pair peep from behind a door. Two lilac iris’ stare into your own.

“Wow, a boy/girl” Manjiro says, taken aback by your presence in the house. Emma only looks at you with excitement in her eyes, seemingly noticing the presence of your sister in the house.

“SHIT! Sorry (Y/N) I completely forgot you were coming over today, please make yourselves at home. Emma, Mikey, BEST behaviour around our guests.”

Shinichiro orders his siblings in an endearing manner. It’s like his gang mode has a switch, and his usual personality shines through the curtains.

He’s such a sweet brother

Introducing yourself to the two gremlins, you eventually make your way to the boy of the hour, who was still watching you intently. You bend down to his height and take his little hands in your own.

“Hello, Izana. It’s lovley to meet you. I’ve brought my sister here to talk to you, wanna give it a shot?” His little head nods curiously, before you guide your sister over. Shinichiro orders everyone out of the living room, in favour of giving the two a comfortable atmosphere to discuss in.

Keiko was a bit older then Izana, with him only being seven whilst your sister was turning eleven this year, however you knew that they would click pretty quickly.

You offer to help make cookies for everyone to share, and with excitement in their eyes, the three sano siblings all eagerly get to work on making the perfect batch of chocolate chip cookies.

You and Keiko became a common sight at the Sano family house, with Izana becoming rather attached to your little sister. Itching at the oppourtunity, Keiko immediately took on her big sister role, and takes Izana out weekly to the park to play.

You find yourself talking to Shinichiro more, and in turn, he ends up coming to school slightly more often. The two of you are a SHOCK to the school, with most assuming the two of you would have it out for eachother. You helped him study, and in turn he made sure you had upmost protection when walking around at night.

You started attending his gang meetings as his honoured guest, and it was made known to the entirety of Black Dragons that you were of UPMOST priority. When you’re in the presence of the gang, not a scratch should lay on your skin, otherwise hell would be waiting.

You loved visiting his family, and his family loved you. Keiko would sometimes come too, for Izana, but it was often just you after school. You made sweets with them, cooked with them, helped them with schoolwork. You went to the arcade with them and even invited the three kids to go to the amusement park with your sister (mainly so you and shinichiro could go hang out together).

And just like that, a year had passed and it was valentines once more.

Love was, once again, floating around in the air. This year though, you had someone you desperately wanted to spend it with.

Shinichiro Sano.

School was nothing interesting. Well, I wish I could say that, however it WAS interesting.

BANG!!

The door to your classroom swings open with a hard hit, and the Shinichiro three lackys come tumbling in, dressed in their formal uniform.

“(Y/N), Let’s ride for a bit, Shin is waiting for us out the gate.” Takeomi grumbles, a knowing smirk on his face. All eyes were on the four of you.

“Boys, I can’t just miss class like you three, I actually have to graduATEEEEE-” lifted from your seat in courtesy of Keizo, you squeal as they abduct you from your learning. Hearing the commotion in the halls, many student come to watch what was going on.

By the time you four had made it to the gates, you had the entire school (including faculty bc let’s be real, they’re INVESTED) watching you.

The student council vice president with the Black Dragons??

Gently placed down, you notice Shinichiro standing tall and proud in his gang uniform. Then you finally see it. The ENTIRETY of the Black Dragon was standing behind him, all standing tall. Looking behind you, you notice his top three standing respectfully, as to not have their back towards their leader.

Nervously, you you walk towards the gang leader.

He meets you half way, and approaches you, a gentle smile on his face whilst still remaining proud.

He truly is mesmerising when he gets serious.

“(Y/N), I’m sorry for having your classes interrupted like this, but I thought “hey, why not invite the whole school watch me get rejected once more.”

HUH??

“Shinichiro, are you-” you’re cut off with the boy handing you a bouquet of roses, glitter shimmering on top of the petals. You’re then met with two men in uniform approaching you, a life sized teddy bear in their arms. Its fur is white with a red bow around its neck. It was massive.

And finally, Wakasa brings out a box of expensive chocolates. They look delicious.

And a slight tear is brought to your eyes.

“(Y/N), be my Valentine?”

[mumms-the-word]

Shadow Curse Events Pt. 1

Ketheric, Selûne, Shar, and Aylin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I'll get back to that later.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’m not sure which is worse, honestly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[coconutredbulllover]

ok this is my timeline. (detective hat on, delulu heart always)

2017- friends (then best friends)

2018- something started… team USA? yh.

2020- fwb era, (Covid gives very strong vibes of this, the way they are so giddy/acting a tiny bit guilty around each other in azzi’s vlogs)

2021- not exclusive, exploration period but still best fwb😭 (Paige running a full ass campaign to get azzi to uconn?)

2022/injury- exclusive, Paige’s injury probably highlighted just how romantic their relationship actually was (the interviews from this time are giving married) also, something was deffo happening at this point

2023- started off rocky? heard rumours abt fights but again who knows how truthful anyone is being when they are anonymous! I think they were probs still exclusive, you can’t exactly go back on that, and azzis injury probably solidified it even more. At this point I think they realised they had to try and keep it more private, hence the lack of appearances on each others socials. (Especially after the live…)

2024- married, soft launch at the draft. Events just after the draft probably brought them even closer, but also probably meant they realised they had to keep it even more of a secret/private. slowly seems to be getting more comfortable with soft launching or at least showing they r each others person (azzi at the espn summit, mentioning Paige)

This is all just speculation (with random bits of evidence tying it together) but would be interested in your ideas, do u agree?

u so valid anon

this timeline makes pretty good sense and follows the ‘they know where home is’ theory, i also agree with 2020/2021 as a fwb exploration periods it js makes the most sense

the injuries fr probably made them closer, being there for eachother and leaning as emotional support coulda grown the bond and made them realize more what they mean to eachother in the long run

i like how they jump to married in 2024 LOL. idk if they put a label on it but i feel like in this point of time the draft was seeming soft launchy, their vibes seem ‘private but not a secret’ but leaning heavy on private and instead of secret more like nonconfirming but arent drivign themselves crazy to keep it insanely on the hush hush.

glad they seem to be becoming okay more interacting w eachother on media but i highkey dont think they had any issues in the firstplace 😭 maybe a little distancing but only cause it was probs what was best at the time of the fresh situation. azzi wasnt rlly on socials anyways other than the fact she was slightly coming back from the dead as the meteor struck. honestly we been getting pretty consistent pazzi crumbs even after it all happened like pretty soon after they were already being spotted in public 🤷‍♀️.

yeah for wraps basically for the most part i agree w everythinf u said maybe id add the timeline of when different big events happened and tweak the earlier parts pf the time line but ya pretty good 👍🏼 😊

[florallylly]

something along the lines of princess protection program of 2010s dcom fame. steve harrington prince of a small italian-adjacent principality forced to flee the country when a military coup takes place.

blah blah he's placed with the buckley family in hawkins, indiana. what i Think would be funny is if all of this is going on and the upside down is still happening.

like steve is obviously not disclosing his identity to anyone except for robin and the buckleys. and like this would cause a lot of shifts in the canon timeline but in my Head . just off the cuff no draft no braincell just gut instinct.

thinking of a steve harrington who relies on tropey examples of what he thinks american "commoner" school is like. he comes off kind of ditzy and a bit out of touch, but he's also hot and charming so he's pretty much a hit.

maybe steve and robin having a really bad first meeting and in retaliation robin comes up with some convoluted story about steve being her out of control drug addicted cousin who got kicked out of private school and sent to hawkins as punishment. or like some type of story along those lines but unfortunately it just makes steve more compelling.

eventually eventually they become the platonic soulmates that they were always destined to be and robin moves to the little italian principality and is finally able to regularly flex her italian skills

ALSO buckley family characterization something found family and the buckley adoption of steve harrington like... well yes....

BUT back to the upside down happening.

like i kind of want steve to arrive earlier, but i think narratively it would make most sense for steve to be the new kid in 1983. he lives with robin, but they're not really on the best terms because steve just so naturally fit in with the jocks and popular kids from the get go. and like. he's a spoiled kid who honestly robin is projecting onto because her dad is away fixing STEVE'S country like... it's a little his fault.

the timeline goes on as usual except like? idk how the barb and nancy party would work out while living with the buckleys, but perhaps it would have been held at tommy or carol's in this world.

i think it would be Hilarious if robin didn't find out about the upside down until season 3 like she did canonically, but in my heart i know that if steve came home all fucked up like he was after literally Any of the Seasons (???), she would not have been able to sit still. like regardless of the level of dislike that's someone she's been living with and Kind of Enjoys being around (reluctantly). so robin would be in the know sooner or perpetually pissed bc steve is remarkably persistent in keeping his mouth shut

maybe could cause more conflict in s3 with the russians and possibly knowing his identity but ALSO possibility for some type of robin buckley slayage a la her father like.... if that sentence made sense to anyone then it made sense to someone

but i think i think the funny thing is nobody else knowing steve's backstory or situation, just kind of assuming that robin's initial bitter story about steve being a reformed drug addict was the truth. Lol and weird dynamics with eddie munson bc uh oh... is this gonna affect sobriety or like his comfort or smth .... moment...

but mr buckley coming home and finding steve and being like :P hey you can go home now :P and steve breaking down crying like he never thought he'd be able to see the halls he grew up running down again. or see the ocean from his childhood bedroom again. or talk to the same neighbors he's talked to since he was five years old.

and everyone sans robin being like wow didn't know like. fuckin chicago was that meaningful to u ... damn... were u a fugitive or smth bc u had a car and a license.

the prince reveal would have me clawing at the walls gnawing my leg off i think ... eyes rolling to the back of my head i have no way to truly verbalize this

[strangersteddierthings]

Plot Idea I'll never fully flush out or write but gotta get out of my head or it'll never let me know peace again. It's basically Steve sent from the future going all John Wick. if YOU want to take this plot and write it, or if it inspires you to write something, tag me in it. I'd love to read it.

A 26-year-old Steve Harrington gets sent back to the morning of November 6, 1983. IDK if it's like El using her powers to punch a hole in time or like, some other way but everyone still alive has given him something to use as proof of his time-travel and get their younger versions to believe him, because he's got a time limit. No idea how long, but once he's altered history enough that the timeline he left ceases to exist, so will he.

No one he cares about dies this time. It's the mantra playing on repeat in his head as he looks down at the notebook that took Nancy almost three full days of nonstop writing to fill. It's the entire timeline of events, gathered and recounted by everyone still alive, because this Steve has been fighting a losing battle since Spring Break of '86 because Henry won and Hawkins got torn apart and it's been a fight to survive ever since. He's going to stop that from happening.

No one dies this time.

Will doesn't get taken that night, because this Steve is already waiting for him at his house. From Will's perspective this is just some Guy but he's more scared of whatever chased him home then of the person on his doorstep. So, Steve tells him to hang tight and all but shoves him into the house before cutting himself somewhere on his arm and stepping onto the lawn yelling out 'come and get me, ugly'. Of course, the blood draws the demogorgon. And while 17-year-old Steve was no match for just one, this Steve has been fighting packs of them for years now.

He's armed to the teeth and takes it down with precision. He's not unharmed, just one is still fast and dangerous. Steve knows how to fight them now, though. He covers the dead demogorgon with a tarp he stole from his own garage earlier that day and sits on the front porch to wait for Joyce and Jonathan.

Will is both terrified and awed.

Somehow, someway, he gets the Byers to listen. Shows them the dead demogorgon and gives Joyce the notebook from his backpack.

"Read it, and if you aren't convinced, I have more proof of its contents."

And he leaves. The next morning, he has to find El before Benny does, which he succeeds at but just barely. El is skittish and afraid but Steve gets her to trust him. Maybe because her powers brought him back here, she feels a connection to him, a trust that's there instinctively?

He returns to the Byers' house, carrying El the whole way. He stays off the main roads because people are going to recognize him as Steve Harrington and the less people that see him, the better.

Joyce lets him in and immediately fusses over El. Gives her some of Wills clothes to wear.

She's read the notebook cover to cover and has questions. Steve has answers and digs into his backpack to find the item the Joyce from his timeline gave him for proof. Maybe the proof is the same for everyone - individually recorded cassette tapes of their own voices telling them impossible things. Other proof consists of a photo album, pictures of everyone, the destruction of Hawkins, and of the ramshackle home they'd built in the remains of the apocalypse.

Then something something, details pending, everyone gets filled in on the danger that's coming. Maybe the kids get left out this time, get to just be kids or maybe they don't.

Steve meets his younger self and that's just a whole Deal but eventually he gets his younger self to listen. He tells him that being a jackass isn't worth it, and that he's not going to have a reason to change who he is in this timeline, because the events that lead to him being a better person don't happen. He's not going to have his whole life uprooted, so if he wants to be a better, nicer person, he's going to have to pick that life for himself.

Steve doesn't know if his younger self will listen, but he hopes.

Steve hunts down Brenner and shoots him point blank in cold blood. No regrets. Then he shoots the corpse a couple more times. He doesn't get to hurt El ever again. It's only after that that Steve feels the shift, knows that he's going to cease existing by the end of the day, and there's one thing left he needs to do.

He gets Hopper to let him post up with him in his police car at Forest Hills Trailer Park so he can try and catch a glimpse of Eddie Munson, alive and well.

Hopper asks who Eddie is to him.

"Nothing. We never got a chance. Will never get a chance," Steve answers. "Your Steve Harrington won't ever have a reason to even look his way. He died, back in '86. He didn't need to. He shouldn't have."

"You spy on all the other people who died?" Hopper asks. It's not judgmental, just curious.

"No," Steve says, then decides to be honest because he's going to be gone soon anyway, "I barely knew Eddie, but I wanted to love him anyway. Fell in love with his memory, from stories told to me by the kids and Wayne. We were nothing to each other when he was alive, but he could have been everything if we'd gotten a chance."

They don't talk after that. Steve gets to see Eddie arrive home, jump from his van full of life and vibrance and if Hopper notices his silent cry, he politely ignores it.

They drive out to the quarry after. Steve doesn't know what it's going to mean for him to stop existing and he didn't really want a witness to it, but Hopper insisted someone should be or else they'll all just wonder about it.

They stand looking out across the water. Hopper sees something from the corner of his eye and turns to look at Steve but he's not there anymore.

There's nothing left of the Steve Harrington from the future but his actions and a photocopy of the notebook that Nancy made because she wanted to study it, but Joyce didn't want to let it out of her sight. The cassettes, photo's, and original notebook all just disappear before everyone's eyes.

The fight's not over. Henry is still alive, but they're more prepared for him this time around. They know what to expect.

Hopefully that'll be enough this time around.

[lukeevangelista]

idk if youll do this but joe burrow x a hockey player? maybe y/n plays in the nhl (or wnhl) and theyre kinda a power couple or something?

NHL - Joe Burrow

*gif cred to owner*

I’m gonna do it as a woman forward in the NHL and I know the the timelines are kinda wonky considering NHL playoffs are way after NFL’s but just pretend mkay? Thanks.

_________________________________________________

“He plays a pussy sport.” One of the men from Tampa snarled as you lined up for the face-off, “Pussy sport for a pussy man.”

Your team, the Blue Jackets, were currently at home for a playoff series again the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“Who?”

“Burrow. Can’t even win a championsh-“

The ref dropped the puck before he could finish his sentence, you quickly winning the faceoff as it went to Nick Blankenburg.

“Fuck you.” You hissed as you hit him against the boards. He had went after the puck, you knocking the absolute shit out of him, that freeing up the puck, allowing you to knock it to your closest player.

What you didn’t notice until you heard the whistle was the man on the ice below you.

“Hmm. What’s that about a pussy man?” You asked as you skated away.

***

“Did you see the way she just took him down?” Ja’mar grimaced as Joe let out a laugh.

“Nothing new.” He replied, “i just hope she isn’t going to get hurt one of these days doing that.”

Joe and his teammates were on an off day, but the Bengals front office had worked with the Blue Jackets to get seats for the Bengals to attend the game

It had been an earlier game that day so it was easy for them to clear schedules to allow them to attend. Plus it showed support for the other teams near them.

One of the opposing players had went in for a hit on you. You crumpled to the ground, tightly gripping your shoulder, your head on the ice as chaos ensued around you, whistles blowing and you slightly getting nudged as you felt other skates hitting yours on accident.

You looked up to see your line mate, Cole Sillinger, with his gloves off as he had ahold of the players jersey.

Cole was protective over his line mates, especially you. And it got worse as he got older, knowing the injuries could be career ending.

He delivered a punch to the players jaw as your dropped your head again, the trainer kneeling next to you.

Joe was watching intensely as he and his teammates had a perfect view of you on the ground at center ice, writhing in pain as you held your shoulder. His heart was dropping even more as time ticked on and you still hadn’t gotten up off the ice.

“C’mon, let’s get you up.” The trainer sighed as you leaned up, your hand cupping your arm. Zach Werenski had your other arm around his shoulder, allowing him to help you to the bench easier than the trainer could as your balance was wonky.

“It hurts.” You whispered as you looked at him, tears in your eyes. This had been your worst injury yet and could potentially knock you out of the remainder of the playoffs.

“You’ll be fine kid.” He gave you a soft smile, “Go get help and get back out here with us.” He said as he patted your head, allowing the trainer to take back over as he guided you down the tunnel, you continuing to hear cheers from the crowd and stick taps from your teammates.

——-

“You about gave me a heart attack out there.” Joe said as he immediately brought you into his arms, carefully watching your, now, slinged shoulder.

You were going to be out a week or two- just to make sure there was no further damages while this healed.

And better yet, your boys had pushed forward and beat Tampa, sending you all to the second round of the playoffs.

“I’m sorry.” You muffled into his chest.

“How you feeling?” You heard someone ask from behind you, Boone and Cole walking up behind you as you turned around, Joe’s hand on your lower back as you spoke to your teammates.

“Sore.” You chuckled, “but I shouldn’t be out more than a week. The tendons are just sore, no tears and it wasn’t popped out so we’re all good.”

“Thank god.” Cole let out a sigh of relief, “I need ya out there. Who else am I going to set up for the league lead?”

Boone smacked the back of Cole’s head before rolling his eyes, “Good to hear though. Get some rest, get healthy, and get back out there with us. We need Mighty Mouse out there battling with us.”

“Will do Cap.” You said, “Plus, I’m pretty sure I’m in good care and won’t be lifting a finger.”

“Damn straight.” Joe added as you bided the others goodbye before you met up with Joe’s teammates that had attended.

“You about gave Joe a near heart attack.” Sam laughed, “Glad to see you’re doing okay though.”

“I mean, I wouldn’t say okay, but I’m alive and it’s not serious so.”

****

Social media went absolutely crazy when there were photos of you and Joe snapped as you two left Nationwide, your arm in a sling and Joe’s arm around your shoulder.

It was bound to happen, but questions were everywhere when you showed up to the Bengals game against Kansas City, one that would send them to the Super Bowl, once again.

“I still don’t understand why you’re here.” Ally commented as she sat next to you in the press box, “If I was injured, Sam would be on his own here today.”

“He showed up for me, even when his ACL was torn.” You shrugged as you took a sip of your water- although you were eyeing her margarita that was in her hand. Due to the season, you chose not to drink because even though you were out for the next week or so, you didn’t want to mess everything you had achieved up to this point. With the second round around the corner, you didn’t want to risk anything that could jeopardize the teams chances of making the conference final. 

“Okay you’ve got a point.” She said as as a few other of the wives and girlfriends sat down next to you two, getting ready for the game to start.

A few had asked how you were feeling, making sure you didn’t need anything, and just overall being good friends to you.

“I’m glad it wasn’t anything more serious that it was.” Ally said as she watched the offense come out onto the field, “I know they all like watching you play. Us too honestly.”

You gave her a soft smile, “Me too. If all things go like planned, I’ll be-“ you cut yourself off as you jumped up, cheering as Joe passed the ball to Ja’mar, him running it into the end zone, “Let’s go! Atta boy!”

Ally laughed and cheered next to you as you all passed around high-fives.

“What were you saying?” Ally asked as you all say back down, the celebration dying down.

“Oh yeah! I should be back by late next week as long as nothing else pops up on the scans.”

“That’s good to hear.” She softly smiled as your conversation fizzled out, you both going back to watching the game.

The game continued without a hitch. It was the final five minutes and you and the others had decided to make your way down to the locker room. There was a 24 point deficit so you all were certain that they would be making a trip to the Super Bowl once again.

Hearing the cheers of the fans and then the thumping of the music in the stands, you knew it wouldn’t be long before the boys would be heading your way. You could hear their shouting as they neared you all, grins present on everyone’s faces as the celebrations started.

Coach Taylor did his duties, giving speeches and passing out game balls before breaking the boys, allowing them to have some fun.

“Way to go nine.” You grinned as you neared him, “I’m so proud of you.”

“I wouldn’t be here without you.” He said as he carefully tugged you into his arms as he placed a soft kiss on your lips.

“Glad to know I’m an important part for you.”

“Oh trust me you are.” He laughed, “I’m just hoping I am for you too.”

“Oh most definitely,” you said, “but right now, this is all about you. Let’s get you that ring nine.”

“As long as it’s your turn after.”

“I think we can try and arrange that.”

[akechi-stole-my-heart]

an old comic for an old au i will never write that i call my Akechi & Sophia Murder Buddies AU. basically, what if akechi infiltrated ichinose’s palace and found sophia inside. sophia is very similar to akechi in a lot of ways, and it got me thinking how her arc would look different if she met someone like akechi instead of the phantom thieves. also, their dynamic would be comedy gold. more details under the cut

bonus:

so, the catalyst for the au is shido learning about ichinose's research into cogpsi in late september (idk if this timeline matches up, it probably doesn't, but let's just say i'm moving what ichinose does up to earlier in the timeline for the sake of the au). he has goro infiltrate her palace to get information on this and determine if she's a threat. goro finds absolutely nothing in her palace, which is a near-empty dollhouse with only lifeless dolls and furniture inside. shadow ichinose herself is nowhere to be found. he's just about to call it a wash when he stumbles upon the cognition of sophia and accidentally awakens her.

sophia insists on being goro's companion, much to his chagrin, and follows him around the palace as he tries to leave. however, on the way out they run into ichinose's cognition of EMMA, which tries to eliminate both of them. sophia "awakens" to her "persona" and saves akechi's life. tired from the fight, akechi bails on ichinose's palace without bothering to find ichinose's shadow. when akechi leaves the palace, he mysteriously still finds sophia on his phone in the real world--and he decides, well if i'm stuck with her, she might as well help me out in the metaverse. (he is Not happy about any of this.)

akechi tells shido ichinose is a nobody. he doesn't know if this is true but neither does he care. akechi and sophia enter a deal--she will help him eliminate evil targets, being his helpful companion, if he helps her find her creator after his plan of revenge is over. akechi has no intentions of keeping his side of the deal (at first).

sophia becomes increasingly heartless and cruel under akechi's influence, to a point where it even starts to shock him. essentially, its the opposite of her arc in strikers--instead of her gaining a heart by making friends and learning what love, kindness, and justice are, she becomes more heartless and robotic without their guidance. meanwhile, akechi starts to actually care about sophia, and feels a deep seeded guilt about what he's done to her--while being very much in denial about all of this. in essence, they have opposite effects on one another.

but things get interesting when goro still ends up joining the phantom thieves, but this time with sophia in tow......

(maybe i'll draw a comic about that someday and share more of the au then hehe)

[mikariin]

So while coloring and talking to a friend this came into my mind:

ASL leaves Dawn Island earlier than expected, like around the time the Celestial Dragon is supposed to be coming, but not for the usual reasoning.

Sabo is an alpha, Luffy is an alpha and Ace presented as an omega. On Dawn Island, which is pretty lawless, when Bluejam was supposed to turn Sabo over to the Outlooks, he instead caught a smell of Ace and was ready to turn them over to slavers or maybe the Celestial Dragon himself for a profit, with Luffy and Sabo being collateral.

This sets off the alpha instincts in Sabo and Luffy, making it easier for the trio to escape. Dadan manages to find the boys in the fire, with Bluejams crew snd gets them out of there.

With the knowledge of what could happen to the three with the Celestial Dragon coming by soon, the head beta of the bandits think of a quick way to send them off and do so.

Once on the seas, the boys run wild by themselves, changing some parts of the timeline and keeping others the same, before when they are well into their teens, Ace: 17, Sabo: 16 (almost 17) and Luffy: 14 they arrive in the New World (accidentally) and run into the Whitebeard pirates, who want them for their crew.

(Will be MarAce, LuLaw and KoalaSabo just idk how yet.)

My friend only said the word breeding and this came out so thanks for that lol

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Okay so a thing that has bothered me ever since I first watched Chat Blanc was Bunnyx and the general time travel stuff because tghis makes no sense. In the Chat Blanc time line, after Chat Blanc destroyes the universe, everyone is dead. Including adult!Alix aka Bunnyx. So the Bunnyx fron the Chat Blanc timeline doesn'rt exist anymore, meaning that the Bunnyx fron the episode is from a parallel timeline where Chat Blanc didn't destroy the universe. That however raises the question why she would even care about that other timeline. Is her quest to assure victory over Monarch in every single timeline because that sounds exhausting as hell. I also don't understand the deal with her leg disappearing while she witnesses the fight between LB and CB, it has no reason to, because LB defeating CB doesn't have any effect on Bunnyx because, as stated earlier, the Bunnyx from that timeline is already dead! And honestly, the fact that Lb even had to fight CB makes no sense. They could've just went back in time 2 minutes so LB can erase her name from the letter (or just be quicker so Adrien doesn't see her) and CB doesn't happen in the first place!

Like, genuine question, what was the point of the whole thing? I mean other than the concept is cool and the writers wanted to give LB trauma (which never really plays a significant part in the overall story anyway??)

Sorry for rambling so much, I don't know if this makes any sense, the episode was really confusing to me and idk if it's just because the episode actually doesn't make sense or because I just don't understand it bc time travel is really confusing. Would really love to hear your opinion!

You're fine and you're not missing a thing. The episode simply doesn't make sense nor am I sure why it even exists. I know a lot of people love it, but I really don't get the hype. It runs off of nonsense logic and makes most of the characters look really bad.

Let's start with the lore.

The canon lore is that Bunnyx only travels through time, not universes, so it makes no freaking sense that an adult Bunnyx would be able to stop Chat Blanc since the existence of Chat Blanc should stop her from existing. It's a total paradox that goes against everything we'd been told about her powers. Of course, she's also supposed to be the hero of last resort, yet we hear about her hanging out with famous historical figures and the season five final sees her acting as a substitute for the horse miraculous even though the people she portals in don't do a thing to help with the final battle, so it's not like Chat Blanc is the only time her powers and role get ignored. Any time I use the rabbit, I have to completely rework its lore because canon is just so bad at time travel. I like Alix and her adult design is awesome, but any time Bunnyx shows up, I expect to be annoyed.

Also, I will never forgive her for just dumping Ladybug back in our time without so much as a word of encouragement or any reassurance that the Chat Blanc stuff was only a maybe. And Ladybug was the one to figure out how to fix time!!! Alix, you suck at your job! Or this is just another case of the writers refusing to let someone other than Marinette save the day even though the poor girl really needs a day off.

As for why this episode exists? I don't even know, dude. It makes no sense. Back when we thought it was going to be a driving force in the season four conflict - an assumption that was backed up by Marinette's nightmare in sentibubbler - the episode kinda made sense in spite of its flaws. But we're two seasons past Chat Blanc and the only person who is apparently traumatized by it is Adrien.

Yes, the writers actually said this. No, you didn't miss an episode where Adrien learned about Chat Blanc. They were talking about the nightmares from the final:

Mélanie says that he "could become Chat Blanc" and the others add that even though he does not remember and has never lived it, Chat Blanc still has an influence on his actions.

Yes, this is embarrassingly bad writing. The character who never saw or even heard of Chat Blanc is somehow the one who is traumatized and effected by it while Marinette's trauma has nothing do to with Chat Blanc or the events of the season four final. Instead, it's random BS that was never even hinted at until season five. I just... what?

In case it wasn't obvious - which I guess it isn't given that professional writers missed this - the logical way to write this to have the season four conflict be about Chat Blanc from Ladybug's side. After the conflict ends, she reveals everything to Chat Noir who becomes terrified of hurting people with his powers. This is only exacerbated by the events of Destruction. But then the show would have had to let Chat Noir have a character arc that didn't revolve around Ladynette and the series seems allergic to that as a concept, so instead Adrien gets magical trauma that keeps him from the final fight. And I thought the Derision retcon was bad!

Other issues with Chat Blanc in no particular order:

It cements Nathalie as just as bad a Gabriel since she's the one who tells him Adrien's secret identity and we then see her do nothing to try to protect Adrien.

It makes Gabriel irredeemable by showing him gleefully hurting his child. Dude punts his son across the city with a smile on his face!

It makes Adrien look slimy since he asks Marinette out without telling her that he knows her secret identity. This one is in a bit of a grey area for me because the secret identity stuff is complicated, but Adrien has never been the one who cared about secret identities AND he's the one who has been directly turned down in hero form. The episode takes none of that into consideration with its writing and it really needed to for Adrien to feel like he had a valid point of view here. As is, he's taking advantage of a situation and putting his Lady love at risk for his own wants.

The pillow sniff scene makes Marinette look unhinged.

It spits in the face of The Power of Love by having Adrien's love fail to be enough to stop him from killing Marinette.

Marinette's parents should have gotten involved after Gabriel threatened her. There is no way in hell that I'd let my kid go over to the Agreste mansion after that. If the writers were once again determined to not let Tom and Sabine parent, then the threat should have come when Marinette was alone.

Why did Ladybug even need to go to the future if Bunnyx could have just gone back in time and stopped Ladybug from leaving the present for Adrien? Why did Chat Blanc even need to be defeated? What did Ladybug's ladybug actually fix when she cast her charm?

This is minor, but it bothers me: Chat Noir should not have been smiling and happy when he was freed from his akuma. That boy should have been in the middle of a breakdown.

I know people forgive some of the above because Chat Blanc is sort of an AU and I'm not going to say that's wrong, I just can't look at it that way because there's nothing that sets Chat Blanc apart from the normal timeline. The Paris special gives us an AU. Chat Blanc (and Ephemeral) are what the writers told us would happen in the canon timeline if Gabriel ever discovered his son's secrets. Canon Gabriel was the one doing those things and would have done them again if given the chance. This is who the writers said he is. Same goes for all the other characters who come across less than stellar here.

There's a reason why I love a good Chat Blanc rewrite. It's an idea with a lot of potential, but canon capitalizes on almost none of it.

[sepublic]

Hooty, the Titan, and the Archivists?

(Skip to The Timeline heading down below if you just want the backstory I put together.)

All right, so I think Hooty was the one who built the temple, or “Collector’s lair” we see inside of the Titan’s skull. Going off of the assumption that the Titan’s tapeworm is indeed our Hooty and not another of his kind...

Anyone remember these weird demons from Hooty’s Moving Hassle? Probably not; It’s a case of a little demon living in the right eye socket of a bigger demon. Right after giving Eda directions, the bigger demon ensnares his little guy with his tongue to eat him. But what if he wasn’t actually eating him; Just transporting his friend to another part of his body?

If you think of it, these two could be a metaphor for how the Boiling Isles as a whole work; A bunch of smaller little guys, living on a bigger guy’s body and occasionally interacting with him. The main difference being that the Titan is mostly dead, and can’t physically interact with people, just watch and show them glyphs. Hooty’s relationship with the Titan could’ve been similar to these two... And we see this pair in Hooty’s Moving Hassle, an episode that implied deeper lore to Hooty, such as the living legs underneath the Owl House, his reaction to the Moonlight Conjuring, etc.

Then there’s that mural I showed earlier, depicting a tower at the Collector’s lair, with a circular symbol that as @fermented-writers-block (and/or someone else idk) suggested, bears a resemblance to Hooty... So could this be where Hooty emerged from, all the way within the Titan’s eye socket? Did he build this living space while the Titan was alive, or afterwards? 

Likewise, this eye motif becomes even more interesting when we remember Dell’s tower, which the Owl House was built from;

It has the same giant eye window, repurposed... And at the end of the first episode, it even blinks.

Could be a case of early-installment weirdness, but what if this alludes to the window having once been alive? We know the Owl House itself has breathing walls, revealed in, you guessed it, Hooty’s Moving Hassle! If Hooty was a part of the Owl House, who’s to say he wasn’t part of Dell’s tower, before it got converted by Eda? Likewise...

We know Dell visited the ‘mandible’, so presumably the Titan’s jaws. This next bit is more speculative, but if Hooty was left behind in the Titan’s skull, then maybe he scavenged around the area; And teeth are known to have lots of leftover food bits, wonderful for such a voracious creature like Hooty! So maybe Dell found Hooty there, and essentially adopted him; Bringing Hooty with him back to the right arm, where he eventually created a new structure for Hooty to house himself in. Possibly taking the Titan’s right eye and repurposing it as a window...

I mean, if you think about it... Both King and Eda have a dad who’s missing an eye. And Dell would’ve presumably made this trip after losing his eye... Assuming it’s not a return trip, possibly to meet up with his old pal Hooty, or search Hooty’s old home for strange things that might help? So maybe the window is the Titan’s left eye, transformed. 

Continuing onwards, Hooty may seem too small, given his scale relative to the Titan; But so does the Titan’s heart, as is the proposed eye the window would’ve come from. What I think happened is that over time, these leftover bits of the Titan shrank due to a lack of nutrition, for obvious reasons; And Hooty is indeed a very gluttonous creature. Of course, his eating tendencies may have originated prior to the Titan’s death...

We see how Hooty has a tendency to swallow a bunch of stuff to spit out at a later time, when needed. And if he guards the temple where the Collector’s disc was found, perhaps Hooty simply... swallowed it, in order to transport the disc within? He could’ve been used as a way for the Titan to store things inside of her skull, of all places, and then vomit back up afterwards when required.

We know there are multiple Collector discs, there’s one with the Titan Trappers, a second one I theorize was eaten by Hooty, and what appear to be remains of at least one more hovering around the Collector’s prison in the in-between;

However! We must recall that on the doors leading to the skull’s temple (or ‘The Collector’s lair’ as Philip calls it), there are five circular indentations. They may be other places for Hooty to have emerged from, but people speculated they were actually meant for five Collector discs we’ve seen. And, well...

It appears there were five Collectors (or more specifically, one Collector and four Archivists). The fate of the Archivists is not specified; The Collector says ‘They’re not here’ in response to Luz’s death... But keep in mind, this is them just now realizing that death is a thing. So just as they believe and were likely told the Archivists ‘took away’ people who died (not unlike how the living were preserved in scrolls, per their title)... It’s possible they believed the Archivists had simply left, when in reality, they had been wiped out by the Titans in their war, a mutual genocide.

After all, we know Titan magic is able to cancel out that of the Archivists’, so it’s not a stretch to imagine they had a fighting chance; The Archivists did rely on the Titan Trappers for help, so they were clearly aware of their shortcomings. And just as one side made trophies out of remnants of the other...

What if these discs are basically Archivist corpses? That upon death, their bodies reverted into these tiny, glass-like artifacts; And the Titan, OUR Titan, stored them inside of his skull, relying on Hooty to organize the discs for him. Five discs... For five Collectors.

But as we know, the Titan didn’t kill OUR Collector; She spared him. Although she does frame this as an act of passion, committed out of vengeance; So did she want revenge, but still had enough sense to not kill this kid? 

Anyhow, we have this theorized precedent for living things becoming glass discs after death. Perhaps like the Titan’s eye, which Hooty held onto, and later brought with him when Dell invited him into the Owl Tower? Likewise, if these discs are crystallized Archivist corpses, that might explain their connection to the Collector, given they are kin, and there’s still some leftover magic.

This does raise the implications of the Titan Trappers’ disc being shattered. And to be honest... I think it was just broken. There are reasons why Belos wrapped the Collector’s disc in his old cloak; It was him getting rid of a wretched part of his past, and silencing the kid. But the way the Collector’s disc lands, caught on the cloak and not hitting the ground... It makes me wonder if the animators showed it this way, to suggest that if it weren’t for the cloak catching it, the disc would’ve hit the ground and shattered upon impact.

That could be the very simple explanation behind Bill’s disc being broken; Nothing to do with an Archivist being freed, I hope... But if they are alive and out there, perhaps they all escaped their prisons and fled into the cosmos, abandoning the Collector.

So to put things together into a general timeline...!

The Timeline

The Archivists seek to preserve life, converting them into scrolls you can read, hence their name. They travel from planet to planet, with the policy that if the natives resist preservation, they’ve essentially embraced the alternative that is death; So may as well help them get it over with! Hence the genocide as retaliation.

The Archivists eventually spot the Demon Realm, and send in their little kid, the Collector, as a Trojan Horse; Someone who can scout out the place for them, provide intel, and make the Titans think the rest of his kind are trustworthy. The Collector plays with the fellow kids, expresses interest in one egg still waiting to hatch, but isn’t allowed to play just yet. Eventually, the Archivists strike... Only to discover their magic is countered by the Titans’.

Still, they don’t give up; They enlist the help of puny mortal witches (among them Bill), creating the first generation of Titan Trappers to help them. The alliance between Archivists and Titan Trappers succeeds in commencing a brutal genocide; And at some point during this war, one Archivist targets the Owl Beast, and turns it into a scroll. However, they lose the scroll, which ends up in the boiling ocean, drifting for millennia until an unsuspecting trash-cleaner picks it up...

The Archivists use their viscous forms, resembling the darkness of space, to restrain the Titans, so their Titan Trapper allies can land the mortal blow. In response, OUR Titan fights back alongside the others, and one by one, the Archivists fall; Upon death, their magic fades and leaves behind only a little crystalline disc. Our Titan’s parasite, Hooty, swallows and stores them inside of his skull, which has a decorated living quarters he carved out himself! We know from Knock, Knock, Knockin’ on Hooty’s Door that he built an entire underground love tunnel for Luz and Amity... Storing the discs causes Hooty to form a connection with the moon (one that can be invoked during a Moonlight Conjuring), just as the Archivists once had.

As for the Collector, our Titan feels resentful and blames him for the genocide of her people, but doesn’t commit to killing them, despite having five slots, for five Archivists; Instead, she imprisons him in the in-between. Likewise, her egg is kept safe in a hidden Titan nursery, using a glyph (possibly an undiscovered combo, or the glyph of another Titan entirely) to hide it from the Archivists; Jean-Luc is placed as a guardian. 

The war continues, until our Titan is the last one left, but has successfully killed the last Archivist in battle. However, their Titan Trapper allies collect the disc left behind in their death, forcing a wounded Titan to flee, but not before she blows out Bill’s ear drums. She succumbs to her injuries, lying down and mourning the child she left behind; And upon death, her spirit lingers in the in-between, for her heart still beats. Unable to interact with the world of the living, she relies on cubes to see what is going on there, and eventually regrets imprisoning the Collector; But despite her search across millennia, she cannot find the Collector’s prison in this infinite chasm.

Poor Hooty is left behind, and like the Bat Queen, loses his memories over time; Possibly the result of physical trauma like her, and/or time taking a toll on his psychology (Amity states House Demons go crazy after a while). At one point, he captures a Stonesleeper during the Hektaceous period to keep as a pet, hoping to soothe his loneliness; And eventually, leaves the Titan’s eye socket, bored and without purpose. With the Titan’s crystallized eye stored in his stomach, Hooty heads down to the mandible, where some leftover food is there for him to scavenge upon...

Meanwhile, Bill uses the disc the Titan Trappers found to communicate with the Collector. Bill worships the Collector as the Grand Huntsman, recognizing them as kin of the Archivists. The Collector explains only a Titan can free them and expresses interest in the egg they wanted to play with, and Bill interprets the mission to find the Titan’s egg as a continuation of the genocide the Archivists ordered. However, the disc he has is broken, cutting contact with Bill and the Collector. Undeterred, the Titan Trappers eventually locate the Titan’s corpse, but are unable to find her egg and give up, returning home. Every now and then, a Titan Trapper visits the isles for clues.

Even more time passes, witches evolve and spread across the Boiling Isles, etc. Others visit the skull and find the other three discs, but only two are taken away; The witches who find these discs discover they can communicate with an enigmatic entity known as the Collector through them, but ultimately get sick of the kid and shatter their discs. Nevertheless, someone makes note of the Collector’s existence, and their connection to the discs, of which only one is known to be left intact in the skull; Philip Wittebane comes across these notes, which also record how the Collector taught this witch powerful magic.

Inspired, he heads to the skull, only to come across the Stonesleeper that Hooty left behind; Not wanting to risk his own skin, Philip relies on other witches, including Blue Fang, as bait to distract the Stonesleeper, but to no avail. He eventually enlists Luz and Lilith, and they manage to survive long enough for Philip to escape with the final disc. He also kills Hooty’s pet, using its lungs to make the first Grimwalker of Caleb...

Flash forward a few centuries, and Dell visits the mandible, meeting Hooty. He befriends the primordial parasite, who has shrunken over time due to a lack of nutrition; The Titan’s body has decayed quite a bit. Hooty explains how he lives in the area, and found some pretty weird things there that he shows off. Dell takes him back to his home in the right arm, building a tower for Hooty to inhabit, a new house for him to guard, and he places the Titan’s eye as a window. When his daughter Eda is cursed, Dell decides to head back to the mandible, in case there’s something in the area that could help... Until his eye is clawed out by the Owl Beast, that is; Coming back after all this millennia!

Feeling guilt over Dell’s injuries as well as shame by her mother over the curse, Eda moves out of the house, since Lilith has already left for the Emperor’s Coven, so there’s nobody left for her there. She finds Dell’s old tower, meets Hooty, and rebuilds the structure into our titular Owl House... And the rest is history!