#passing on the torch

[crk-tranquility-au]

A Teetering Coin

Torn apart, a soul drifts across the celestial void. Peaceful, yet Oblivious.

And then. It is violently awoken, ripped from it's delusion into a world not-quite real.

Another layer of hell.

Further and further, it descends towards Earth-Bread.

But something catches it before it falls completely.

A clawed hand of darkness reaches out,

ey e s g lim mer i n g l e e -

Hello?

Harlequin eyes peer down at what it had caught in its grasp.

A star.

OH! oh! I win, I win! The game is mine, mine! Hello, salutations, greetings, little Shepard.

The stars shift into something more… Recognizable.

It remembers.

He remembers.

What…? It's… You again. Why here-? Why… Now? What… Game?

He-heh! Me, little ol' me. And you. You. Here and now because it must be, here, and now. I found you! A little game you didn't know you were playing.

Many eyes curl up with amusement. But never blink, no, never in order.

Asleep. How has your voyage treated you, old friend? Is your time serving you well? Because it is serving me well. I am free! I am here. In the now. Maybe not in full, maybe not at all! But I am here. And now.

You… Of course you're free. I… Did I…? Set you free? I couldn't have… No. I remember… A puppet?

A puppet indeed. One of such value.

The Doll- No- You didn't.

Yes! I did! You are not to worry. Everything I have schemed has already come to fruition. I am not to harm you, no. Only to remind you that you played your part quite well.

My part-…?

In body and in mind. Careful where your steps fall next, Marionette.

You… I can't even think of anything to say...

The following acts.. I'm sure you can read them. You are but at the mast of your tragedy my friend. Have you forgotten the origin of a heros journey?

…I know. It was you who invented it. It was me who… Bastardized it. You… You took my mind. My darkest desires and made them reality. Gratifying in the moment. But now I see that… In the long run, great suffering is upon this world…!

The world you so eagerly left behind?

. . .

Desires are no less apart of you.

You…! I… Did. Didn't I. And you did not make me. My deal… It was one of the few actions that were my own.

Really? Your wish, maybe. That desire. Your actions are no less your own, even still.

. . .

I do not want you to follow in my steps. That was the point of everything. Fear is one of the greatest motivators. And so we brought them to you in the form of visions.

You… Failed. We both did. The whispers… The visions… The eyes…! The way you made my pilgrims turn against me so long ago. The way my- our power. Granted us infinite possibilities, possibilities that broke our minds. It broke me. You broke me, and then… I broke myself.

Those were just dreams.

. . . !

Those were the visions.

Past and future all the same.

Witches look at me… Cannot tell what is real and what isn't anymore… Cannot even tell if he's lying now, or was lying then… Or both. Or Neither. Or Never.

Trust. Luckily a fickle thing.

You are insufferable…! And unfortunately, I understand.

Of course you do. You know what they say about great minds.

They think horrendously alike. . . . Then you feel it. Our power going supernova once again. Bits of stardust, bleached of their original intention… My souljam… it's white…?

Seems I was mistaken. The cycle has already begun anew. Fragmented.. further.

I thought once was enough… How far can it go…? …I do not wish to find out.

At some point: it will be deluded into the natural workings of this world. It will be so fragmented that not even the shards of shards will retain their names.

Knowledge… Reduced to a shell of itself. A return to a twisted sense of origin…?

I'm sounding like a certain flour cookie.

Perhaps… It could spare them. Feeble cookies. A paradise in perfect ignorance. Perhaps… This is not such an awful thing…?

Ignorance is bliss. And so the eyes remain forever open.

But it does not… Have to be that way. There is still hope…! For them all. Even if it fails to for us.

Do not try to bargain with me. I've already made my deals with the absurd.

You…! Do not think it is possible, do you?

To free cookies of suffering? How naive.

You've suffered for so long… You have forgotten what ignorance felt like… A beautiful thing… A caterpillar before metamorphosis, An Oasis before it dries up…! A vow of prosperity before it turns to overindulgence, -a noble cause before it's twisted into something unrecognizable…!

Butterflies and caterpillars die. Their ignorance lies with them in death. But that is the curse we forsook upon taking on the burden of knowledge. Truth, wisdom. Or whatever it may name itself next.

It is true… Death. It transforms you. For most it is a simple oblivion to fear or look forward too. The end… For us, it is a step within a higher process. We know better. And even in death, our deaths. We still have the chance to act. Whilst others are being crumbled, re-baked, rejuvenated and crumbled again… We are doomed to watch and wait for the inevitable. Do you… Really want to do that? Death doesn't have to be our end. We don't have to sit and watch the same damn thing repeat over and over.... The very thought makes me sick I wonder how you bore such a burden…?

That was the point of bringing you to the spire.

It didn't work.

Did it really?

It didn't. And both of us know this. It didn't… At first glance.

Then the Cycle continues. A pointless carousel.

There are two minds within the other-plane. Many more just above this, where you'd pulled me down from. I don't wish to be a Shepard of knowledge anymore, I don't wish for there to be a wolf hiding beneath the shadows. She… I don't wish for there to be another Herald-, Hero-, Holder to be served upon a silver tray.

But It doesn't care about that, does it? It's not what the witches' haphazardly designed. It's imperfect.

It was wrong of me… To leave such a world behind. To leave all those cookies… To have my wish granted… Only for me-!

Oh how "wonderful" you have a way out.

Be QUIET i'm thinking-. Don't interrupt my MONOLOUGE-!

. . ? oh, how familiar.

. . . You irritate me… Because you're right by technicality…

Of course I am. I have had thousands of years to come to my conclusions. Your ideas are only in their infancy. They will grow and evolve as you do.

They are… Small now. But that doesn't mean they are any less of importance. You know me. You've known me all my life. You know I will find a way. I will. I will. I'll keep my promise. I'll make sure that wish is granted…!

Have I known you all your life?

Quiet. You have.

Wishing on something impossible only destined you for insanity. The reason I cause it. Is because it leads to the opposite. Everything is equal and the same. And without one, there is no other.

Then neither will exist.

All things will have an equal and opposite reaction.

For as long as there is matter, force will be able to act upon it.

Matter cannot be created nor destroyed.

…What if it never existed in the first place? What if… The bang never occured. The Human realm never fell. And the Witches never baked…?

Then we will cease.

Perhaps… Perhaps not. Only It knows, until I try.

Then try.

You tempt me…?

When have I not? he-heh.

Ah…ha… Fuck…

hehah.. he-hehh HAH! WHAT A GAME. BETS ARE IN, STAKES ARE SET!

Ahahahaaahaa!!! Hahaaaaaaa hahahaaaah-ah!! Oh…! Aha…! You are quite the riot, are you not? Ahahahaha!!! Aaahahaha!!! Aha!!! Ah…!

—

The laughter continued, and one clawed hand raised up as if to slap a knee. However it lands on the back of the Shepard.

Sending the both of them, the lamb and the wolf, hurtling back to reality.

Co-Written by Salem (As Pure Vanilla) Co-Written w/ Fox (As Shadow Milk)

[consultingfujoshi]

THE THING IS THE THING IS. is that irving and helly get each other!!! they're both fucking suicidal and that sounds ridiculous but that's exactly why irv did that! he knows helly would rather die than be used as a pawn in lumon's game and he knows that because HE FEELS THE SAME WAY! ever since the start of this season when he tried to kill himself because he saw more meaning in choosing death than continuing to serve a regime that took everything from him. for both of them at one point or another dying has been their only means of fighting back. and irv knows this. he knows what he's doing is probably going to be the last thing he ever does, and he does it anyway because helly would never forgive him if he let her be used like that. and up until his last moment his conviction never wavers. he would die just to prove they don't own him. he would die just to prove they don't own helly. or any of them. he would die to give helly another chance to fight back. I can only hope she does not squander that chance he gave his life for

[danwhobrowses]

Chetney Pock O'Pea remains the luckiest old bastard in all of Exandria (and Ruidus)

[patolemus]

merlin magic reveal fic where arthur asks “why didn’t you tell me?” and merlin says, mirthless smile and haunted eyes “all my dreams end in fire. fire and burning and dying”

[ace-lemonade]

their love and trust and struggle to survive fueling their desperation to keep going - I'm never recovering from this

[livingonthesands]

0.86.

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patreon - kofi - etsy

[portwinestains]

missing them so bad actually omg.........

[thatsbelievable]

[p1nkshield]

Damian: What is it that you want Grayson? I am in the middle of sharpening my many blades.

Dick: I assure you this is much more important! I’m about to teach you a new technique.

Damian: My interest is piqued. Continue.

Dick: I know you want to deny it Dami, but you my friend are an adorable little guy.

Damian: [raises knife]

Dick: Before you throw anything hear me out! You can use it to your advantage! I’ve been doing it for years and it still works on Bruce sometimes even though I’m like 20 something. I can teach you my ways! You can be my successor!

Damian: … fine I will try this only once to humor you Grayson.

Later in the day

Damian: Are you sure about this? Father may think my mind has been taken over.

Dick, sending Damian into the room: it will work I promise! go make me proud!

Damian: Baba? I was wondering if you wanted to go sword shopping with me? It could be fun.

Bruce: …are you feeling alright?

Damian: I’m fine, I just thought that I should drop the formalities for once.

Bruce: …o-okay let’s go, is there any sword you want in particular?

Damian: yes actually, and can we get hot chocolate after?

Bruce holding back tears: mhm.

[wardsutton]

For today's Boston Globe, the cartoon I'd wished I'd never have to draw:

[maracllea]

I came, I saw, I won G just D – word is my bond | Be thankful, I'm ready with a diamond smile, flirting

[bluismie]

BABES WAKE UP HADES 2 EARLY ACCESS FINALLY DROPPED!!!

[rafasbiscuits]

same place, different times

[nothing-impt]

He's trying his hardest..

ITS AWESOME DARLING !!! THE LIST OF NAMESSSSS

(Also Dementia really can’t remember, it’s in his name)

[lemurballing]

hi april fools day, i’m normal tangle the lemur

[noriyucko]

do NOT let an autistic man crash out worst aftermath ever