#plz interact with me

[mochabugger]

It was cute you thought you would have survived

[thewrothode-if]

A King's Bath

Water the color of earth swirls around him, warm and comforting, cradling him like soil does a tree. For a fleeting moment, he feels like a king. Yet the reality is far from regal. He is just a man, bathing in his own filth. The sight is shameful—a bright sheen of grease floating on the surface, catching the light like a mocking crown.

The moment abruptly ends. He plummets from his lofty perch, the harsh winds clawing at him as gravity drags him down. He shuts his eyes tight, clenching his fists until his nails dig into his palms.

“Raud, is this good?” your voice pulls him from the fall, embracing him gently as he floats back to reality.

He flutters his eyes open. Blurry vision grows focused with each blink until he sees the room for what it is. A wooden bath, short walls and gentle hands on his head, their touch soft and soothing as they massage him.

“Raud?” you ask again, and it is now that he realizes he forgot to respond.

“Y-yes.” He did not mean to stutter, but it is too late to try again. He sees the water once more and remembers the feeling of the fall. Shame crawls through the small hole of his chest until its ripping its way out.

You chuckle before speaking, “You are as dirty as a stray pup.”

His chest dips. He is filthy, he knows, but hearing someone say it is a knife to the heart. He feels himself sink into the water made of dirt, colored brown and oiled with his muck. His cheeks burn and when a warm hand slides under his jaw, forcing his head back, they burn brighter.

You arch a brow, your gaze fixed on him with such intensity that he begins to feel stripped bare, as though even his skin offers no cover. A smile tugs at your lips, soft yet teasing. "I love pups," you murmur, “much like I love you.”

Your fingers brush his cheek, wiping away a stray mark. He doesn’t mean to, but he leans into your touch. The gentle caress you offer is one he would savor for all of eternity if he had the choice.

“Are you comfortable?”

He nods, his eyes fluttering shut as he sinks into the warmth of your hand gently rubbing his head.

“Good. You deserve it.”

He almost opens his mouth to argue, the words forming sharp and ready, but a hand—your hand—rests gently against him, a quiet comfort that holds his protest at bay.

“From now on, I will make sure you get your baths.”

Raud frowns. “I am not a child.”

“You are not, but I know you well enough to know you will not take these baths without my command. You are my beloved, and I want my beloved to feel his very best.”

Raud shakes his head without meaning to. It’s an instinct, to refuse any kind words sent his way. A hand catches his jaw once more.

"You will feel clean, good. I will make sure of it," you assert firmly, tilting his head gently with your hand. "Understood?"

He bats his eyelashes. Your skin is so smooth… “Yes.”

“Good.” You smile softly, your eyes shining with a gentle light. “Now stand up, we are done.”

Raud blinks. Already?

He hears you shift behind him. Your hands fall from his jaw, and instantly he misses the feeling. The scalding water has been blown cold by time, no longer does it warm his skin as it did before. So leaving is not a challenge. He lifts himself from the bath, the water pulling at him to stay. When he steps out, he feels your eyes on him like a chilly hand.

You observe, slowing unraveling a rag, your eyes heavy with dissection. Raud forgets how to breathe. When you step up to him, finally meeting his gaze, he inhales sharply. You smile, tilting your head.

“Shy?”

He shakes his head even though he most certainly is.

“I have seen you naked how many times now?” you whisper, a coy smile tugging on your lips.

Raud gulps, he refuses to answer.

“Would it help if I were naked too?”

Yes. “No—“ Raud almost swallows his tongue. “N-no.”

Your smirk grows as your hands slither down your tunic. His hands move fast as they grip your own. He shakes his head again and you giggle. The sound dips his heart in a boiling cauldron.

“I tease.” You kiss his cheek, too fast for him. “I can undress later.” You wink, wiping him dry with the rag.

He feels shame to be so eager for time to pass by fast.

[maizeeee]

me thinking about my f/o....

[drenched-in-sunlight]

PunkFlower in the Spider-Geddon comic is so wild like:

Miles is more than a head shorter than Hobie

Hobie led a whole cavalry to blow up a hole in a skyscraper to save Miles’ team

Invented romanticism for real.

[thisdayindnphistory]

This Day in Dan & Phil History - July 24

2011 - slay

2012 - dan does a liveshow from bryony’s house as they didn’t have internet in their new london flat yet!

the best followers <3

2014 - :(

2015 - day 2 of vidcon :)

2016 - LMFAO this is such a parallel to the throwing his bf in an uber to the hospital incdient incident why is he like this

2017 - dan's cameo in Tomska's vlog

2017 - PSA: Stop Emo Shaming

2018 - Interactive Introverts in Detroit, MI!

[iamhereinthebg]

Ty Tbhk Radio for giving me the siblings 🙏🥺💕

[roninreverie]

Testing the Waters

[arottenlust]

you're not "nasty" you just need help. please, genuinely get help. there are people that love you.

resources for people concerned about their thoughts and behaviors. ->

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/moore-center-for-the-prevention-of-child-sexual-abuse/get-support/resources-for-people-concerned-about-their-sexual-thoughts-and-behavior

The definition of paraphilias and treatment options ->

https://mantracare.org/therapy/what-is/paraphilic-disorders/

The problems with incest ->

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animals-and-us/201210/the-problem-with-incest

How fiction effects reality [just because it is fiction doesn't mean it's okay] ->

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/between-cultures/202201/the-psychology-fiction-why-reading-transforms-us

You are more than your paraphilia. You can recover. I believe in you.

I’m good thanks tho

Edit: just read the first link genuinely what the hell is wrong w u

[laicanthrope]

HI TUMBLGR..!!! offers you my fields of mistria farmer slash oc he is sentenced to being in love w an unromanceable npc 💜

[voidzphere]

do not harass or interact with said user.

hey so i find it rlly insane that youre telling me to "let go" when im literally a victim of your abuse and sexual harassment ?

not only would you constantly misgender me after being the first person i ever came out to as transgender, you also stalked me as soon as i started posting on tumblr again, and even had the nerve to reblog my posts. etc.

you cant tell a literal VICTIM to "let go" and "move on". i dont care if youve "changed" that much in two yearz, and im glad youre aware that your actions were awful, but that doesnt change what you did.

i havent said shit while you claim that i have. i have only told my moots and the people i care about for their and my own safety, because to me, you are a threat. while you, on the other hand, are draggin this out into public lettin the audience you have witness this with zero context so they can defend you going only by your word. and you say i didnt allow you to "give your side". okay ! you dont deserve a platform, you dont deserve mootz or followers, and you dont deserve being online in the first place.

screenshots for proof

[mskingbean07]

I can’t believe they made the best gay story in a tv show ever made. Or the biggest queer baiting yet

[des-no9]

show me your teeth

[chaos-of-the-abyss]

oughghhg i'm thinking about dior being taught to fight by both his father and grandfather... his style a marriage of edain and iathrim movements and steps and techniques and sequences... falling down the stairs rn

[erabu-san]

I just start a new account, doing the archon quest again, And I FINALLY See it.

Xiao x Traveler?

Yes.

I SAW THE WAY XIAO LOOK AT THE TRAVELER.

I'M ON THE BOAT NOW, I'M ON THE TRAVELER X XIAO SHIP!

YES !!!! 😭😭😭 there are so wholesome i love them sm

[red-elric]

aight i got some attention 😎 here's my thesis on classpects lol

ASPECTS:

- aspects in homestuck represent a fundamental part (or "aspect") of the universe. each aspect is a building block that, when used in combination with the other aspects, creates the universe as we (or the players) know it. the aspects primarily work in distinct pairs to create six fundamental tenants of the universe. three of these tenants exist on a more cosmic scale, and the remaining three exist on a personal scale. additionally, within each pair of aspects, there is one aspect that serves as an expanding, limitless concept with large amounts of potential; the other aspect in the pair serves to limit and guide the first with a much more concrete definition and power. (note: this is not to say the limitless aspect has more power or is stronger than the limiting aspect; there is power in limiting as well, and the broadness of the limitless aspects can make them difficult to interpret and utilize. no aspect is more important or powerful than another)

- the cosmic tenants are those that relate to paradox space, fate, the timeline, and the universe. these aspects exist on a grander scale than the personal aspects, but conversely they have little to do with actual people/players and their relationships and emotions. players that act in service to a cosmic aspect can find themselves limited in personal development; whereas those that rebel against the cosmic aspect assigned to them may find themselves personally fulfilled, but less effective in matters that the game deems important. the cosmic aspects are void/light, mind/doom, and space/time. (note that these six aspects all have symbols that are roughly circular in shape and are symetrical in at least one direction, often more than one direction.)

- VOID/LIGHT: this aspect pair deals with the tenant of CHAOS AND ORDER. void is the limitless aspect of nothingness; it is the chaos through which every concept might exist, but through the contradictory overlap it is meaningless. light limits void by giving it order, picking through the infinite possibilities and finding the one true path with meaning, creating a narrative. void and light also have associations with luck; while void represents the statistical inevitability that anything that could exist does, somewhere, light represents the infintessimal chances that any given possibility actually DOES exist in the reality the players exist in. light has a tendency to try to make things 'work out the way they should;' light players have an association with heroism and narrative satisfaction; they can seem more like characters in a story than any other players and tend to feel something is 'off' if things don't work out the way they 'should.' conversely, void has the capacity to understand that anything is possible; void players have incredible capacity to 'roll with the punches' as nothing can really surprise them, but they can veer towards nihilism and depression if they conclude 'nothing matters.' void and light are represented in a more literal sense by darkness and space (void) or brightness and sources of light (light); players that are more literal minded may end up with abilities relating to these representations, such as a prince of light being able to remove all light from an area to allow stealth attacks.

- MIND/DOOM: this aspect pair deals with the tenant of CHOICE AND FATE. mind is the limitless aspect of choices; it is the existence of every possible branching reality, brought upon by every individual choice that might be made. doom limits mind by definining the alpha timeline as the one that is 'real;' all other branches are 'doomed.' this does not mean they are meaningless, especially since doomed timelines frequently interact with the alpha timeline; it simply means the events in these timelines are not the ones fated to happen by paradox space. mind represents a player's free will, stating that their actions have distinct consequences; 'we make our own luck.' doom represents the determinism inherent to paradox space, stating that actions exist for the benefit of the alpha timeline; 'we've been doomed from the start.' doom players have a tendency to see the world in black and white, all in absolutes with no nuance; things are the way they are because thats the way they are. they may also tend to stagnate because of this; they accept things as unchangeable and are less motivated to action at times. conversely, mind players tend to take matters into their own hands; they see every outcome as something they are personally responsible for and can be extremely motivated to take decisive action. on the other hand, a mind player might find this responsibility overwhelming, while a doom player might find the predetermination freeing; it depends on the player's disposition. literal representations of these aspects include brains and dice/coins/any tool for random chance (mind) or death/decay and fire (doom); literal minded players may develop powers relating to these representations as well, such as a sylph of mind becoming able to heal someone from brain damage or mental impairment/inhibitors

- SPACE/TIME: this aspect pair deals with the tenant of BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS. space creates limitlessly, ever expanding with dominion over all life, objects, locations, etc in existence; it sets the stage for all creation. time defines the ways life, objects, etc play out and brings them all to their proper resting point; it cleans up after space and closes chapters on space's creations. these aspects in particular and the cyclical way they interact with one another in paradox space are the most relevant aspects to the game of sburb/sgrub, because the goal of the game is to create a new universe, which lies heavily in space's domain, and it executes this goal through the paradoxical creation of players who are capable of playing the game as required, which is only possible through close association with time. this is why sessions without a space player are doomed to fail (especially considering the frog must be bred on a space player's planet) and sessions without a time player have an extremely low chance of success (the time player takes the role of making sure all loops are closed as they should be, and is naturally predisposed to clean up after paradox space). time players have strong associations with endings, particularly death, and tend to see things from the perspective of the end result. they may veer towards nihilism or determinism through this perspective, or they may find a sense of peace through knowing how things will play out in advance. conversely, space players have strong associations with beginnings, particularly birth and growth. they have the perspective of the starting potential, and may be optimistic about all the possibilities open to them, or they may be anxious from the potential ways things might go wrong. literal representations of these aspects include frogs, plants, and matter (space) or gears, corpses, and clocks (time) and more literally minded players may develop powers related to these manifestations, such as thief of time physically turning back the hands of a clock to travel backwards in time

- the personal aspects deal much more primarily with the matters of players and individuals, and players with these aspects are rewarded for developing their personal life and conversely not as poweful if they focus too much on the fate of the game and paradox space itself. each pair of personal aspects is directly parallel to a pair of cosmic aspects, they just deal with matters on a different scale. the personal aspect pairs are RAGE/HOPE (parallel to void and light), HEART/LIFE (parallel to mind and doom), and BREATH/BLOOD (parallel to space and time).

- RAGE/HOPE: this aspect pair deals with the core tenant of INSTINCT and PHILOSOPHY. rage is the aspect dealing with base, instinctual emotions and reactions, tied closely with behaviors in one's pure self interest, without trust in others and community. hope is the aspect dealing with enlightened thought, faith, and heroism; it surpasses rage's instincts by presenting lofty ideals for people to believe in, and produces heroes and strength for light's narrative. rage inspires fear in the isolated; hope inspires strength in the community. these aspects represent two schools of thought in the philosophy behind peoples' behaviors; rage insisting we are ruled by our instincts and the needs of our bodies, and hope insisting we have evolved beyond that and are ruled by thought, which can overcome those instincts. both philosophies have a degree of truth to them and combine to explain general human (or inhuman, depending on the player) nature, despite their contradictions. hope players have a strong connection to the narrative of the hero's journey (or, depending on their alignment, the villain's journey), though they are much less likely to be cognizant of this than light players. they deal with grandeur and lofty ideals about life and purpose, and can be either inspired by or overwhelmed by this, often feeling pressure to 'be a good person.' conversely, rage players have a strong connection to base emotion; they are good at finding core emotions that drive us and the fundamental feelings behind instinctual reactions. they deal with the innate, rather than the cerebral; some may find peace in their understanding of these subconcious emotions, while others may feel disturbed by the idea that they are controlled by their feelings alone and overwhelmed by this connection. literal representations of these aspects include angels and light (hope) or clowns and darkness (rage), and more literal minded players may develop powers related to these physical manifestations, such as a witch of hope summoning and controlling angels to fight for them

- HEART/LIFE: this aspect pair deals with the core tenant of SOUL AND BODY. heart is the aspect dealing with the essence of who a person is, including constants across all iterations of the person as well as their limitless potential to change across different iterations. mind represents all possible choices that can be made to influence reality, while heart represents the possible results of those choices on a single person. life is the aspect dealing with the physical and limited form that a soul inhabits; it represents the defined, exact iteration of a person in this reality and the form they take. the body (including the specific circumstances that create this body) houses the soul and limits it to one instance of a person, but the body without a soul is worthless. life players can (depending on their class), however, heal and raise the dead by reminding the body of the soul it previously held and reforging that connection. life players have a tendency to feel strong connections to their own sense of self, and can show strong confidence in their own actions; alternatively, they can feel overwhelmed by the limitations of the body they are 'trapped' in and feel as though they cannot break out of bad habits. conversely, heart players can feel overwhelmed by the enormity of their understanding of themselves, and their personal iteration of themselves can feel dwarfed by the possibilities of what they could have been; alternatively, they could also feel empowered by these alternatives and their ability to change themselves to better suit their goals and ideals. physical representations of these aspects include literal hearts and energy (heart) or plants and other forms of life (life); more literal minded players may develop powers related to these representations, such as an heir of life finding their enemies strangled by plant life.

- BREATH/BLOOD: this aspect pair deals with the core tenant of INDEPENDENCE AND COMMUNITY. breath is the aspect dealing with freedom, a disconnect from worldly and personal ties to focus on one's self. it has associations with the limitless ideals of nirvana, of removing one's self from others to achieve personal enlightenment, without the distraction of connections. blood is the aspect dealing with connections and relationships, choosing to focus more on the team or community as a whole than one's self. it utilizes connections with others to achieve social fulfillment, locking away personal freedoms for the opportunity to interact with others and creating strong social power. blood players are very often the best among all other aspects at helping other players work together towards a common goal. they are good at leadership, as long as they have and understand a goal; however, they are more focused on the team itself than the actual goals and may become lost if teamwork is not necessarily the priority. conversely, breath players are not generally good at working with a team, preferring to forge their own path, but their commitment to freedom and individuality can in itself be very inspiring to those who watch them, and they may be considered leaders in their own right (though a breath player would never consider themselves a true leader). these two aspects are not any more or less important than other aspects; however, due to the cooperative nature of the game and the game's focus on individual fulfillment and growth for the players, the aspects are strongly related to the themes of the game from the players' point of view, and as such blood and breath players are often held in high regard by others (though there are exceptions to this. it depends how commited the players are to realizing their aspect, and how contrary their non breath/blood teammates feel). physical representations of these aspects include wind, air, and literal breath (breath) or vows, family, and literal blood (blood); more literal minded players may develop powers related to these manifestations, such as a thief of blood having the ability to drain all the blood from an enemy's body.

CLASSES:

- unlike aspects, classes in homestuck deal entirely with the personal and not at all with the cosmic scale. a player's class represents how they interact with their aspect (broadly, in a constructive or destructive way), as well as whether they are benefited more by using their aspect power for themselves (active) or for others (passive). the classes are divided into 7 active and passive pairs, and both classes within a pair interacts with the aspect in a very similar way, but with the purpose of meeting a different goal depending on which side of the active/passive scale the class falls upon. these pairs are divided into three sets of contructively aligned classes, three sets of destructively aligned classes, and one pair that has ultimate control, both constructive and destructive. this exception is, of course, the master classes (lord and muse). it is this pair we will discuss first.

- LORD (-)/MUSE (+): this class pair interacts with their aspects using ULTIMATE CONTROL. unlike all other classes, lords and muses can both create and destroy their aspect and representations of their aspect, and have very few limitations to their connection with the aspect. the limitations that do exist lie within the differences between the two classes. the lord is purely an active class, and can bend their aspect to their will, and their will alone. they will struggle greatly with using their aspect to benefit others, but they will likely not feel compelled to do so in the first place. conversely, the muse is a purely passive class, and can only inspire their aspect to act in ways that benefit others. they, too, are capable of great power, but this power often comes at great personal sacrifice and they must rely on others to defend and protect them. however, by aligning yourself with a muse, you will have acess to great power frorm their aspect; their aspect will help you with your goals, so long as the muse feels as though they can place their trust in you.

- the destructively aligned classes associate their aspect with destruction in some way, whether that is by directly destroying the aspect, or using the aspect to destroy other things. the three pairs of destructive classes are prince/bard, thief/rogue, and page/knight.

- PRINCE (-)/BARD (+): this class pair interacts with their aspects using PURE DESTRUCTION. they are both often surrounded by their aspect in some way, and perhaps overwhelmed by it, and can find great power in destroying it or using it for destruction. the prince, as an active class, directly destroys their aspect in a desire to feel control over it, and must balance this with the power their aspect grants them when it is in abundance around them. too little of the aspect, and they have nothing left to control and use; too much of the aspect, and the aspect uncontrollably overwhelms them. the bard, as a passive class, invites destruction through their aspect, inspiring rather than controlling directly. their presence in a group must also be balanced; given too much influence, the bard's power could destroy everything around them uncontrollably, but with too little influence, the bard is supressed and unhelpful.

- THIEF (-)/ROGUE (+): this class pair interacts with their aspects by REMOVING AND RELOCATING. they both may feel a lack of their aspect around them, and cannot create it themselves; they must take it from others instead. both are also especially adept at turning the intangible concepts behind the aspect into something quantifiable and real. the thief, as the active class, draws their aspect to work for themself vampirically, taking representations of it exclusively from others to benefit themself. they are able to precisely control their powers and understand them implicitly. the rogue, as the passive class, struggles more with their understanding of their powers, and cannot control them as well, especially if they feel as though they are attempting to take their aspect for their own benefit alone. however, if they have a robin hood-esque motivation to rebalance their aspect and help their friends, they are capable of similar things as thieves.

- PAGE (-)/KNIGHT (+): this class pair interacts with their aspects by WIELDING them as a WEAPON. they both draw great power from their aspect and can channel it to great destructive force. the page, as the active class, is capable of channeling and controlling huge amounts of their aspect as raw power. however, this power is only accessible if the page desires it for themself; they are often predisposed to let their desires sit by the wayside and can feel lots of pressure from others to achieve their true potential, and that pressure can make it possible for a page to awaken their true power. the knight, as the passive class, can also wield their aspect as a powerful weapon, but their skills are most effective in helping or protecting others. the aspect is not kind to the knight themself, and often great power for the knight comes at great personal sacrifice.

- the creatively aligned classes associate their aspects with creation in some way, whether that is by directly creating the aspect or using the aspect to create other things. the three pairs of creatively aligned classes are maid/seer, witch/sylph, and heir/mage.

- MAID (-)/SEER (+): this class pair interacts with their aspects by COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING. they both have an innate connection to and knowledge of their aspect and can channel that information towards constructive purposes. the maid, as an active class, works in service of the aspect completely in exchange for dominion over the aspect itself; they become 'made' of their aspect. they have a fundamental understanding of the aspect that cannot be compared to another class's relationship with the same aspect, and can use that knowledge to their own great benefit. the seer, as a passive class, uses their aspect as a conduit to better understand the actions and paths they and their party must take for ultimate victory. while many seers are predisposed to work alone, their skills are much better utilized to guide others in the use of their own skills, and they are rewarded for taking an advisory position instead.

- WITCH (-)/SYLPH (+): this aspect pair interacts with their aspects by MANIPULATION AND CREATIVITY. they, like thieves and rogues, can take hold of conceptual ideas of how an aspect works, and can bend the aspect to their own will. a witch, as the active class, has incredible control over the aspect and creatively uses it to mold an optimal reality. however, their manual control over their aspect can sometimes lead to catastrophic mistakes if they are not careful. the sylph, as a passive class, struggles to reach this same level of control, but if properly motivated by the desire to help those around them, they can achieve similar abilities as a witch, albiet in a more roundabout way. the sylph in particular is drawn towards healing, and a sylph of ANY aspect might find a creative way to justify that power.

- HEIR (-)/MAGE (+): this aspect pair interacts with their aspects by PURE CREATION. they both manifest their aspect around them in abundance, conciously or not. the heir, as the active class, will find that their aspect protects and serves them, initially without concious control on the heir's part. they are beloved by their aspect and can wield it freely. the mage, as the passive class, is also surrounded by their aspect; however, the aspect is more aligned to helping those around the mage than the mage themselves. the mage can find benefit from this by surrounding themselves with friends; surrounding themselves with enemies will lead more towards detriment.

[chernabogs]

Fractal

Inc: Malleus, Prefect. WC: 2k Warnings: Dream horror, consumption of rotten fruit, everything seems happy but there's an underlying layer of 'somethings rotten in denmark (briar valley)' Excerpt: “Nothing.” You reply steadily. “I just haven’t been here before.”  Liar. Malleus remains still for a moment before he laughs, and you hate how warm the sound is as the sun comes out once more. “Well of course you have not been here. That is why I chose this place—I wanted to show my friends my home.” 

It’s you who causes the cataclysm this time. 

He’s in a field that’s warm, and for once the sun—which beats down on him from a baby blue sky—does not give him a migraine, nor does it make his skin itch with the ghostly sensation of hives. He’s sitting at the end of a long dining table with a white tablecloth concealing its mahogany structure. It’s adorned with an array of foods; fruits, vegetables, meats—a cornucopia of delights to dig one's fingers into. It’s what he anticipates happening upon the arrival of his guests, who will fill the twenty-two empty wooden chairs that are present. 

His gaze remains focused on the far end of the field, where a gap in the trees that create a barrier around where he sits is present. He remains still, motionless, as though he’s a wind up doll waiting for someone to turn his key. The sounds of cicadas screaming from the distant pines and the warm wind that brushes across his pale skin do little to stir him out of this strange state. He hardly even blinks. He merely sits and waits.

Until you appear at that gap. 

Then, like that key turning, everything comes to life. He takes a breath in and sits up, a smile curling on his thin lips as his hands come to rest on that pristine, white tablecloth. He remains still as he watches you approach. Your steps are shaky, and you seem tired as you take your time to reach where he sits, as though every step is a labour for you to complete. When you finally reach the other end of the table, you draw to a stop, your gaze transfixed on the feast before you. Perhaps you are looking at the meat, or perhaps you are looking at the flies that are beginning to garnish its surface. 

“You got my invitation.” Malleus’ voice is warm, as though he’s attempting to project a certain image of himself to you. You glance towards where he sits. He looks composed, regal, in the plain wooden chair with the sun creating a halo behind his head. He gazes back at you, and it feels like those green eyes are slowly peeling away each layer of flesh, parting each tendon and muscle, until he can see the white of your bone beneath. You swallow.

“I did.” Your voice is quiet as you resist the urge to look back at the gap in the trees. Three more pairs of eyes watch you from within the shadows as you try to walk your way through these steps. You’ve done this before. Many times before. “It was kind of you to invite me.” 

His smile remains as he doesn’t reply for a moment before gesturing to the seat—the one next to him. “Sit, Prefect. You look tired.”

You move slowly around the table until you reach the seat to which he is gesturing. When you pull it out, it rips up the earth beneath it, causing the scent of dirt to mix with that of decay. He pushes a glass filled with a clear liquid towards you and you dutifully take it, although you refrain from raising it to your lips. He drinks unashamedly and without care. 

“Am I early?” You ask, selecting each piece of dialogue in your mind with caution. You watch as he finishes drinking, setting the empty glass down as he does. His lips are stained slightly red from the action and his tongue darts out to clean them, slowly running along the bottom one as his gaze goes back your way.

“Yes, but that is of little concern. I have no objections to being in your company a moment longer,” he muses, sharp white teeth flashing as he observes you with amusement. “The others should be arriving soon.” 

Malleus looks back to the gap in the trees as you study his profile. The skin beneath his eyes looks slightly bruised up and along his cheekbones—the area where his overblot patterning is. His hair is brushed back from his forehead, revealing the scales beneath, and his expression is fixed into one of childish excitement. He wears white, but the edges of his sleeves are stained. “They all received an invitation. I made sure of it. I am not apt to forget my friends, unlike some.” 

“Perhaps they got lost.” You murmur, looking at that gap in the trees yourself as you do. You can see movement within the shadows as you continue to buy your time. The scent of decay grows until you’re eventually forced to look back to the feast. Wrinkled fruit, greenish meat, drooping herbs, and liquidated vegetables; the sight makes your stomach curl as you keep speaking. “After all, this place is unusual.” 

“Unusual?” Malleus’ head turns to look back at you, his eyes still too wide, his expression too exuberant. “What is so unusual about it, Prefect?” 

You feel your breath catch in your chest as you stare back. The movements by the gap have stopped as well, as though the entire scene has been paused with your single comment. You can hear the rustle of that warm wind through the corn field behind you, and the sun is soon covered by a passing cloud. You clench your hands in your lap.

“Nothing.” You reply steadily. “I just haven’t been here before.” 

Liar.

Malleus remains still for a moment before he laughs, and you hate how warm the sound is as the sun comes out once more. “Well of course you have not been here. That is why I chose this place—I wanted to show my friends my home.” 

The tension dissipates at that moment as Malleus picks up a few figs from the table. He sets them on his plate and presses a fork into one. You try to ignore how squishy it is, or the green that oozes from its inside. “Wouldn’t it have been better if we had dinner at your palace?” 

He doesn’t reply as he spears one piece of rotten fig with his fork, turning it over slowly before holding it out to you. His smile still doesn’t dissipate. “No. I do not think it would have been. I want my friends to feel connected to one another. I want them to feel like a family.”

You glance at the fig piece. It sags on the metal prongs, making your stomach twist in disgust. There’s expectation in Malleus’ eyes that conceal a glint of something else—a test. So far you have been selecting the right reactions, but it isn’t sufficient. 

You lean forward, keeping your gaze locked on his as you take the fig piece in your mouth. You’re trying hard not to gag as you chew slowly before forcing it down your throat. There’s a lingering after-taste of rot present and you finally grab at the water glass.

He chuckles and leans back before picking up another piece for himself. “I admit, it’s a bit sour, but tolerable all the same.” 

Sour? It’s rotten, but you refrain from saying this aloud as you drink. You said it aloud before, and the results went as poor as they could go. There’s only so many times you and the others can formulate a plan before it becomes apparent that it’s all for naught. Eventually you set your glass down with a grimace and watch as it immediately refills itself. It’s magic, obviously—Malleus has been throwing his magic around unashamedly and without care. The soil nurtures him, the sun gives him life, the winds carry his words. He is both the creation and the creator of the feast you sit at. The executioner, and perhaps the sacrifice as well.

Or maybe that role is solely for you. After all, you are the one he is feeding right now. 

You tilt your wrist slightly to catch a glance at the watch you wear around it. Phones and technology are pointless here—not that you have your phone anyway—so Lilia gave you this as a manual means. The hands are not moving, and instead remain fixed at five to five. You are still in a dream. 

“Are you impatient?” His voice causes you to drop your wrist quickly and look his way. It’s hard to mask the surprise on your face. In fact, it’s quite pointless. That razor sharp gaze that peeled away your skin when you first approached now cuts incisions into your skull as he tilts his head, studying you. “They have five minutes.”

Five minutes will never come. You’re not sure if Malleus even knows this. It’s as though he’s settled himself so deeply into this dream he’s created—a tick, gorging itself on the magic of its own making, unaware of how its body swells and strains until the point that it bursts from over-consumption. He’s becoming inflated with his power. It’s how his overblot has not ended, despite the way he hides it with glamour. 

“Are you sure you invited them?” You ask cautiously again, testing the waters. You see a twitch in his smile—the corner of his thin lip wavering slightly. His eyes remain wide. 

“Yes. I wrote the invites myself. Everyone got one—Lilia, Silver, Sebek, you. Those of Heartslabyul, of Savanaclaw, of Octavinelle, of all the rest. I considered those from RSA, but I would rather keep the peace for this event.” His hold tightens around the fork. You can see the threads fraying. You push. 

“Are you sure the invites were received? Did anyone tell you they would come?” You murmur, leaning a bit closer. You hate doing this—this is someone you consider your friend, perhaps more in another life, and you are not an orchestrator of someone's mental fracture. The cicada’s stop screaming. Another cloud passes over the sun. 

“You never RSVP.” He replies, his voice now more monotone and colder. His smile remains but his eyes have slid back to the emptiness you’ve been seeing since his overblot began. He looks to you once more, and you scramble to see some remnant of the peculiar prince you’ve come to know in those eyes. “And yet you came.”

“I’ll always come,” you reply quietly, the scent of rot growing stronger with each word. You see movement in your peripheral vision again. The sky darkens further, and the wind begins to grow cold. “Whether you mean it or not, I’ll always come. But I cannot say the same for everyone else. Sometimes people don’t arrive, or they leave without goodbyes. Sometimes—”

His expression twists. It’s like a child hearing something they don’t want to hear, or when they’re denied a toy they want so badly to be theirs. His body stiffens and his upper lip curls. “Stop it, Prefect.” 

His voice is low, dangerous. You’re pushing it again, just like all the other times so far. You see another figure approaching the table. Someone with silver hair, someone who looks as though they’ve aged many years in mere moments. They hold a weapon at their side. Your own hand darts out and grabs Malleus’ arm. Despite the demeanour, despite the rage, his arm is solid and warm beneath your grip. 

“Malleus,” you begin, desperation starting to lace in your voice. You see a flash of green and hear the clattering of something hitting the table, and then he jerks his arm away. You feel the crushing sense of overwhelming power before with a snap of his fingers he’s in a field that’s warm, and for once the sun—which beats down on him from a baby blue sky—does not give him a migraine, nor does it make his skin itch with the ghostly sensation of hives. He’s sitting at the end of a long dining table with a white tablecloth concealing its mahogany structure. It’s adorned with an array of foods; fruits, vegetables, meats; a cornucopia of delights to dig one's fingers into. 

It’s what he anticipates happening upon the arrival of his guests, who will fill the twenty-two empty wooden chairs that are present.