#this is a story in a story. or rather a dream!!

[moonselune]

Hello! May I request a fic where Astarion and the reader go through a little nightly routine together, like they chat and help each other get ready for bed 🥰 Thank you!

ִ ࣪𖤐 Astarion deserves all the pampering in the world ִ ࣪𖤐

As the day wound down and the last embers of the campfire flickered in the darkness, you and Astarion retreated to the quiet comfort of your shared tent. It had become a nightly ritual—a cherished routine that allowed you both to unwind from the trials of the day and find solace in each other's presence.

Inside the tent, the air was warm and filled with the lingering scent of herbs and leather. A few soft cushions and blankets were scattered around, creating a cozy nest where you and Astarion could relax together. You settled cross-legged on one side of the tent, while Astarion gracefully reclined against a pile of cushions opposite you.

"So, how was your day?" you asked, reaching for a small pouch of herbs that served as a makeshift tea. Astarion took the offered cup gratefully, savoring the soothing warmth as he recounted the day's events—the skirmishes with bandits, the unexpected encounter with a wandering bard, and the endless banter exchanged with the party members.

You listened attentively, laughing at his witty remarks and nodding sympathetically at the challenges he faced. Astarion's voice was a melody in the quiet of the tent, weaving tales of adventure and mischief that never failed to captivate you.

Once the tea was finished, you set aside the cups and moved closer to Astarion. With a gentle touch, you began to untangle his long, silvery hair, running your fingers through the locks with practiced ease. Astarion closed his eyes, leaning into your touch as a contented sigh escaped his lips.

"You know," he murmured, his voice low and filled with affection, "I never thought I'd find comfort in such mundane tasks."

You chuckled softly, continuing to brush his hair with careful strokes. "It's the little things that matter, my darling. Besides, I rather enjoy pampering you."

Astarion opened one eye, giving you a playful smirk. "Pampering, is it? I suppose I could get used to being spoiled by you."

With a teasing glint in your eye, you set the brush aside and reached for a small jar of moisturizing cream. Astarion watched with mild curiosity as you scooped out a dollop and began to massage it into his scalp, your fingers working in gentle circles.

"You have to take care of your hair, you know," you teased, your voice laced with mock seriousness. "Can't have it getting tangled during our next battle."

He chuckled, tilting his head to give you better access. "Of course, my love. Wouldn't want to disappoint you with unkempt locks."

Once his hair was properly cared for, Astarion returned the favor, retrieving another jar from your shared supplies and offering to massage your shoulders. The warmth of his touch eased the tension that had settled there, his skilled fingers working magic against the knots of fatigue.

As the night deepened, conversation flowed effortlessly between you. You shared stories of your pasts, dreams for the future, and whispered secrets that only the darkness of night could hold. The quiet intimacy of these moments, the simple act of caring for each other, forged a bond stronger than any battle or hardship.

Eventually, when the candles burned low and the weariness of the day caught up with you both, you retreated under the covers of your shared bedroll. Astarion wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close as you nestled against his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat lulling you into a peaceful slumber..

Hope you enjoyed it ! - Seluney x

[nr1chaedickrider]

When you're tossing, when you turn in your sleep - It's because I'm ghosting your dreams.

"stop haunting me"- you yell at tzuyu

the first time chou tzuyu visited you was long ago, around 3 to 4 months if you needed to guess.

it was a cold winter night, you were sitting at your desk, listening to music.

the atmosphere in the room completly changed as she entered, wearing a white dress.

you clearly remember how you stared at her, in confusion.

obviously in confusion, who wouldn't be when seeing a ghost in their room?

you rubbed your eyes with your hands, shutting them tightly, then, staring at her again.

she was real.

"who-.. what are you?" you asked her.

she replied to you with a soft whisper, oddly comforting, like you heard it somewhere before.

"i'm a ghost"

she was completly calm, moving elegantly and sitting down on your messy bed.

you paused your music and took off your headphones.

"why are you here?" you asked her.

"there is no special reason to why i am here, i didn't decide that" she said in a calm voice.

"then who did?" you say - no reply, just her shaking her head a little.

you were confused, but just thought that asking more about it would make her mad.

"can i know your name?" you ask instead.

"tzuyu. chou tzuyu." she replied.

"i'm y/n" a little smile on tzuyu's face, as she had never encountered such a meeting.

you sat down next to her, leaving enough space between you two so she doesn't feel offended in any way (it definetly wasn't your plan to piss off a ghost).

-

tzuyu visited you every night since that day.

she would show up at the same time every night, scaring you mostly, but on some days you expected her.

you waited for a ghost, sounds ridicilous, doesn't it?

you never were able to describe the relationship you both had.

you were surprised when she allowed you to touch her, it came out of nowhere.

it also came out of nowhere when you touched her in ways no other ever did.

you whispered sweet words in her ear as she came all over your hand.

you clearly remember that night (even though you would describe yourself as quite forgetful).

you also clearly remember how she whispered "i love you" in the depth of the night.

oh how you loved her.

in love with a ghost, sounds like something that's made up.

if only it laster forever.

tzuyu's visits became more irregular, she wouldn't visit you for multiple days, even up to multiple weeks, with no explanation.

but when she would come, she would shower you with love - and it's like you forgot what things she did (or rather, didn't do).

her visits also turned into her haunting you in your dreams.

sleepless nights everytime she wouldn't visit.

sleepless nights everytime she would visit.

there was no difference, you felt like something was stopping you from sleeping everytime she entered your thoughts.

"stop haunting me tzuyu" you screamed at her.

she stared at you, then nodded.

you weren't even able to confront her in any way.

she just left you alone.

all alone, with your thoughts.

your heart aches everytime you tell this story to someone.

and your nights are still filled with thoughts of her.

she still haunts you - just the thing that she isn't with you anymore.

[jenchan-writingmultis]

Neige Le Blanche x Exhausted! Reader Brainrot

A/n: I couldn't post anything since I was tired (the moment I got home I faceplanted on the flooring and didn't wake up till morning), and I decided, why not let the wheel of fortune pick who can care for an exhausted reader? Neige was already in my mind but he decided to show himself for the second time (possessive much?/j) anyways, I hope you like the little crumbs I'm giving, I'm currently trying to finish my midterms this month so finishing anything else other than my schoolwork is out of the question ( ꩜ ᯅ ꩜;) Please give me some blessings to finish everything so that I can indulge with everyone!

Also you can't tell me that Neige wouldn't fall for you at first sight, he's literally Snow White/hj. I'm kidding but I'd love to see a slow burn where Neige didn't realize how much he cares for you deeply, in a different way than how he feels with his friends and his family of dwarves. You'd always be around him, visiting him in RSA either during weekends or after classes when you can. He appreciates those types of love language! cause he can't go to your school without being harassed by aggressive and angry students, so to stop that from happening you'd always go to his school instead! I'm yapping again, this one isn't part of the story, I just really wanna brainrot on this sweet boy ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა.

Warning: None, this can be read as either romantic or platonic, I was thinking of a slow burn with Neige.

˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･˚₊ *˚

He looks just like a dream

Neige who went to the school for the VDC event, he noticed you sitting on the stairway that he was walking on. At first, he thought you were just taking a quick rest, till he saw that you weren't actually moving, you were cuddling your bag and passed out, the wall being the only support you have.

Neige tapping your shoulders to get you to wake up, sleeping on the side of the stairway will cause you to get cold or accidentally get kicked by students! your presence was ghostlike with how slouched your posture was! Just what happened that got you this exhausted that you rather sleep, sitting?!

Neige who decided to carry you bridal style when you didn't stir awake, his kind soul can't just leave you here. Although while walking he didn't realize that plenty of eyes were staring directly at your sleeping figure, and also him, what's with the stares? he knows that the RSA and the NRC aren't really on good terms even if he tried to befriend them, were they also territorial? that doesn't make sense though, it's stupid to feel possessive over a student.

Neige tried asking some students where the clinic was but the majority of them ignored him or curtly answered, only a few students decently answered him, pointing him at the correct path than the one where he got lost.

Neige who politely knocked first before going in, the doctor who was tending to people who suffered a slight heatstroke or dizziness due to walking around in the heat of the sun saw them, eyes darting down at your sleeping figure while you're in Neige's arms, all cuddled up, he pointed at the empty bed, ordering him to put you there and stay.

Neige who obliged and placed you on the soft cushion, causing you to stir awake immediately, at first you probably thought it was Deuce or Trey who carried you, so you didn't bother opening your eyes, you were too tired to care, although when you opened your eyes you saw that it was Neige Le Blanche that carried you all the way to the clinic, he gives you a gentle smile. "Are you okay?" he runs his fingers on your cheek, trying to see if you got a fever from sleeping on a cold wall.

You who jumped back almost immediately, causing you to stumble and slip out of the bed, before you reached the floor though you felt a hand grabbing your wrist and pulling you back, although instead of falling on the bed you fell into his chest.

Neige who held you firmly, his other hand on your shoulder to stabilize you while he didn't let your wrist go, a look of concern etched on his face, you didn't know why, but being so close to a cute actor like him got you all flustered, muttering a sorry as you pulled away.

Neige who smiled once again, showing you that side of him that was beloved by everyone. "Don't worry about it!" he'd reassure you, patting your shoulder before releasing it, "though what got you so tired that you had to sleep sitting down on the stairway?"

You who scratched your cheek before answering, the truth was the schoolwork along with the side hustle Crowley was giving you was making you more exhausted than normal. You left out the part where Vil literally ran all of your friends including you dry due to wanting to win against him.

Neige who felt bad about the situation, crossing his arms, "That's cruel..." he muttered, knowing full how that happens very often, I mean look at his good friend Elliot! He was often exhausted due to his chores which almost seemed unending.

Neige who offers to take over your place while he's still present around NRC, after all, you are his friend now, and even if you weren't (which is unlikely, as long as you did not harm any of his loved ones he could never despise you.) he'd still treat you with respect and admiration.

You who rejected immediately, already thinking of what Vil would say if he saw Neige, you already had an inkling of the scenario that could happen and it wasn't pretty.

"No it's okay really" you protest, but Neige shook his head, holding your hand immediately, how fast he was with befriending you. "Come on, please? I promise I won't mess anything up, just tell me what to do to ease your burdens"

You who can't resist those puppy eyes of his defeated, you just lowered your head. "Fine, just please avoid going near Vil, please?"

Neige who stares dumbfoundedly, "Oh, why?"

"Because he gets competitive, he wants to show off his killer moves, seeing his rival so fast would ruin the focus" How quick you are with thinking of an explanation, which Neige seemed to believe you wholeheartedly.

[unusualcliches]

My season three thoughts: After numerous failed attempts of watching part two of Bridgerton yesterday, I finally finished the last episode at three in the morning so I decided to sleep on it. Now that I’ve processed it a little I feel like I must get this out of my chest. Like most fans, I have mixed feelings. Overwhelming feelings. Feelings that are like torture – Kidding!

No but really, it has been a long time since a piece of media has made me feel this much, both good and bad. Watching these last four episodes, my heart was in my throat, I was grinning like a maniac and tearing up more often than I care to admit. And isn't that the point of art? I can honestly say that overall the positives far outweigh the negatives, for me, at least. There's something to be said about the choice of releasing the season in two parts, about cramped, eight-episode-seasons and the lack of breathing room, about the ever growing number of characters, about expectations so high they might as well have been setting themselves up for failure (or rather, the fans up for disappointment) but I don't want to linger on any of that. I understand feeling let down and there are many, many reasons for it. But to me, in particular? Well, all of that is overshadowed by this huge wave of affection I feel for the people who put this show together.

Because this is Penelope Featherington's season, and I have loved this character for at least fifteen years. I've been carrying her around in my pocket, hidden from view, because I was ashamed to admit a "silly, little romance novel that teen me read in secret on my computer when my parents weren't looking" could ever have impacted me so much. (Yes, internalized misogyny, I see you, leave me alone.) But it did impact me, so much so that when I needed to, I took Penelope's name as my alias in the hope it would make me brave enough to come out of my shell on the internet, if not in real life. And no, the irony is not lost on me, there is a reason I was so drawn to her character, just as I know so many other people are. She is incredibly relatable.

This last month I've been talking and talking about all the ways this show's popularity is validating and how freeing it feels to be able to discuss this character that is so close to my heart with so many people, and to see the outpour of love she's been getting. Because she's so relatable, there are hundreds of us who see ourselves in her while at the same time admire her growth and her cleverness and wish we could be that brave, even for just one day. To see her stand up for herself the way she did was amazing and I could never resent a show for fleshing out my favorite character like this. If anyone had told teen me that one day I would get to watch Bridgerton come alive in HD, and that Penelope would be played by the most gorgeous, charismatic actress who'd wear all these beautiful costumes and dance to amazing instrumental versions of some of my favorite songs as she found her way to her happily ever after, I would have thought I was dreaming?! There is simply so much to celebrate this season, I couldn't fathom choosing to lean into the frustration or the resentment that some things haven't turned out exactly the way I wished.

That said, I will definitely be using this blog to work out the things that I felt were lacking too in the near future because I am thoroughly invested in Colin and Penelope's love story and that's not changing any time soon. What's this about this ride being over because the season ended??? Kids, please, now is the time we get to finally play with this toy we've been reaching for at the high shelf of the store!!! It's ours now to do as we please and I have ~so many ideas~. I simply crave more of them. I loved (most) of what we got this season, and I plan to roll around in all the good bits, just as I am already craving all the fix-it fics that I know are coming. You know, one of the things about part one was that the show was so good about giving me everything I ever wanted, there was hardly anything I wanted to read/write about. Well, I will say that that's certainly changed! I'm gonna save my detailed feelings about Polin for another post because this is already completely out of hand but I will say this: I am tired of seeing strong female characters having to sacrifice their romantic relationships as they crawl their way to self-acceptance and empowerment. That is realistic, to be sure, but Bridgerton is supposed to be for the dreamers, isn't it? So why not give Penelope her cake and let her eat it too? All in all, though, I feel like I had a delicious piece of cake but I’m left still yearning for the cherry on top. Perhaps in season 4?

[ancientschampionau]

RealAgeAU - Godly Lessons

And the one that was third place in the poll!

I had this one ready for a while now so we are uploading it today!!

Timeline wise this is 6 months after Nightmare turned into a baby (so about 3 months after the gang arrived in Farmtale) We good there?

First Drabble (Thanks to @spotaus for the original prompt) Prev Drabble Next Drabble

*---------------*

It took them ages.

And when Dream says ages he means AGES to find Reaper.

It doesn't help that Reaper hardly interacts with anyone. He is so work focused it is crazy.

But, as Blue had said, Reaper was the only one they could ask!

Well... Dream had asked Ink and Error before but Ink had just tilted his skull confused at the question while Error just looked unamused and asked him why the hell he would ask him.

Dream makes a mental note to eventually explain to those two that they may be ascending to godhood soon, if they aren't already there. Look. Dream knows he should tell them this and help them but at the moment Dream is having issues with his own powers.

And honestly wiht those two still having their fifth truce (Look, Ink keeps forgetting they had a truce and so they just keep resigning the same truce agreement.) he still has time before he needs to explain the basics of godhood to them.

Not to forget that Dream is rather unsure nowadays about his own god status. He thought gods didn't change?! They had domains and stuff!

Okay so maybe Dream didn't know a lot about god things and only knew the things that... he had been told ages ago. Either in small snippets by his mother but those had always sounded like an afterthought.

Honestly the things he knows about being a god is all things he had... heard from those... those... horrible villagers... and later people from across the multiverse.

Either way, it means Dream is looking for more information and Blue is helping. Honestly Dream is unsure what he did to deserve Blue as best friend and Dream makes a mental note to somehow thank him for it later. There has to be something Dream can do to make Blue happy and show how thankful he is.

But that is for later.

Now, they are looking for Reaper.

And... well... with him being Death...

Dream has to physically stop Blue from jumping to someones defence as the human in this universe goes about the genocide run. Dream starts to regret his decision to let Blue come along.

"Huh. You aren't suposed to be here."

Dream looks up and smiles "Reaper! It is so good to finally see you!"

Reaper just looks confused before giving a grin "Really now? Why is that?"He winks before his face grows harder as he glances around "Also you two really can not be here."

Blue huffs "We wouldn't be here if you were easier to find. Come on Dream let me go I need to help them!"

Dream shakes his skull "No Blue you can't!"

Reaper sighs as he rubs his face "Okay. You need to talk?" he checks his phone and nods "Let me finish my job here quickly and we will talk on the surface of this universe. Just teleport to the other side of the barrier and I will be there in a bit." and he shoots off after the human, already becoming invisible again.

Dream has to drag Blue through a portal.

They sit in the grass as Blue glares at the ground.

"I am sorry Blue-"

Blue shrugs as he looks away "We could have helped them..."

Dream sighs and nods "I know... but we aren't suposed to interfere in other universes or stories..."

Blue huffs as he mutters "You don't have that problem when your brother does something or Ink wants to interact with people when he isn't suposed to." he doesn't look at him.

Dream frowns as he rubs his arm. Yeah... that is fair... Dream is a hypocrit, he knows that already.

They sit in silence before a chuckle "Wow. What is going on here? Did someone die?" and Reaper grins cheeky.

Blue groans but Dream stands up "I need your help"

Reaper blinks before letting out a long sigh "Dream. We have been over this. I am not picking sides."

Dream shakes his skull "This isn't about that!" he rubs his arm before forcing it out "I am losing my powers."

Reaper immediantly stares at him "What?!" Reaper looks him up and down much more critically.

Dream nods as he looks to the side "It is going slowly. But it is happening... it has been happening slowly but surely over almost half a year now."

Reaper shoots upright "And you only decided to search for answers now!"

Dream feels embarresed "We have been looking for almost 4 months now! But I also have other stuff to do as guardian of positivity!" he crosses his arms.

Blue leans over "Also you are hard to find."

Reaper raises a brow "Just ask Ink. You guys are like roommates half the time."

Blue and Dream share a look.

Reaper looks pained "Oh no what is going on with them now?"

Dream thinks about how to say it before just throwing it out there "They don't know they are gods."

Reaper stops, stares and groans loudly as he covers his face "I thought! I thought they knew what they were doing?! They call themselves god of creation and god of destruction for crying out loud!"

Dream rubs his cheek and shrugs. Blue nods "Yeah. that is what tripped us up too. We asked them if they had heard of gods losing their powers. and Ink just looked confused while Error asked why we asked him. And told us to ask a god instead of them."

Reaper looks so tired before rubbing his forehead "Okay. okay. Good thing those two are on a break of their weird war again. Does explain why they would keep fighting instead of just working together to make sure both get their job done." Reaper frowns as he rubs his face "I will have to ask the others about this... this may become an issue. Someone has to teach them and explain it to them but Ink has the memory of a squirrel and Error doesn't listen unless he respects you..." Reaper looks thoughtful as he mutters "Maybe it is best to go to him... Error and Nightmare already work together and Error respects him..." he frowns and huffs "Will have to find him first..."

Dream flinches at the name of his twin as Blue steps over "Anyway... Dream said with them having their truce that can wait. We went looking for you in the hopes you got answers for Dream."

Reaper pauses and clearly thinks it over "I personally don't... but if anyone has answers..." he looks considering to the side "I can go ask a friend of mine first. See if she has answers. if she doesn't we will need to go to Asgore, king of the gods and god of the sky... he will probably know but..." reaper pulls a face "he doesn't like multiverse stuff generally..." Reaper looks over "You two okay with waiting here for a moment?"

Both dream and Blue nod and take a seat to wait again. Reaper disappears and silence returns.

In the end, Reaper's friend did not have answers and they were forced to go to the land of the gods, or universe of the gods. Which, caused a tiny issue with Blue being there. Blue had just looked at him and asked if Dream wanted him to come. To which Dream had said obviously and so now Blue was Dream's chosen warrior to hopefully let this go smoothly.

They manage to get into the universe and it is glorious beyond anything that Dream could imagine. it is bright and colourful and so many powerful beings make their ways around. They all look curiously at them as they go by.

Reaper whispers "Do make sure to just address me with Sans here. Either that of Death. They don't like the idea that I as god don't go by my name or title when I am making my way around." Blue nods as Dream gives his own agreement.

They manage to get to the hall of gods and find the Asgore of this universe. the kind of all gods and the very sky. Which, with Dream knowing the story and how the monsters longed for the sky and all it held, understands is a very big deal.

They arrive to the end of the hall and Reaper nods to Asgore "Asgore."

Asgore looks over and frowns "Death, I thought I told you what i thought about this interacting with mortals." he looks very displeased.

Reaper answers smoothly "I know, Dream however isn't a mortal. He is a god, just not from our universe. The mortal with him is his chosen warrior Blue."

Asgore huffs but the irritations melt away easily "I see..." he smiles at Dream "Dream you say? You must still be very new to godhood. I can only assume Death brought you to me for a specific reason."

Dream gives a slow nod and after an encouraging smile of Blue he starts talking "I supose I am still a bit new to this all. I may be over 500 years but many of those years were spend locked away. The problem is... I am losing my magic and powers. I do not understand why."

Asgore frowns as he nods "I see. Were you cursed by any chance?"

Dream thinks it over "I don't think so. I at least don't remember a single moment which stands out where i could have been cursed."

Asgore nods and waves at him to continue.

Dream does just that "I have been losing my powers slowly over the last few months. It started with being unable to passively make others happy. At this point I can hardly feel emotions as it is."

Asgore suddenly chuckles as he leans back "Well, of course you can't do that. You are no god of emotions."

Dead silence. Blue and Reaper share a shocked look as Dream sputters "but I am?! I am the god of positive emotions!"

Asgore tilts his head "No you are not. I can sense that you have no domain."

Dream sputters and glares "But I do have a domein!"

Asgore chuckles as he waves off his anger "Had. You HAD a domain."

Dream feels hismelf freeze "what...?"

Asgore nods "You are losing your powers because you lost your domain. You aren't losing your godhood however, that is something of that is yours by right of birth and a great power is needed to take that from you. But your powers are leaving you as those were connected to the domain you were connected to."

Dream stares down at the ground.

Asgore continues on, either unaware of the actual crisis Dream is experiencing or he just doesn't care "Now that the balance is able to establish itself again it has no need for either you or your counterpart."

Dream blinks and looks up "Balance?"

Asgore looks smug "Yes of course I know what your domain used to be. A god of Balance. together with your counterpart your duty is to establish and keep balance over your area. In this case, the focus was on emotions and the area was quite large with this so called multiverse."

Dream is seconds away from hyperventilating.

"Remember Dream. You are to keep balance." Nim sounds so proud.

Oh gods.

Nightmare looking at him annoyed "Dream what are you doing?! You are going to tip over the balance if you keep interrupting my work!"

Oh no.

"-It doesn't mean i don't like them. Just, even too much of a good thing is bad. you know?" Blue smiles at him.

Oh he is so dumb.

Reaper luckily sees that he needs some assistance and continues the question "Meaning that Dream needs a new domain? And that will give him powers again?"

Asgore nods "Indeed."

Blue looks between them confused "But what restored this balance then?"

Asgore looks annoyed at Blue for a moment but when Dream looks at him expecting he humors them "I do not know. I supose something unbalanced it. But that with time and the suport you and your counterpart gave it it managed to recover and heal."

So there may be a new tree of emotions somewhere in the multiverse-

WAIT!

Dream steps forwards, feeling much more panicked "You mean. That whatever unbalanced it must have been reversed?!"

Asgore raises a brow "I just said that yes."

Dream feels the panic return. Because the only thing he can image unbalancing it. Would have been the tree being cut down. The tree and the apples of his mother's tree had been the thing keeping balance.

Nightmare ate the apples...

Where is his twin?

Dream takes a few steps backwards "I... I need to go. Thank you. I need to go now." His brother. Where is his twin? Is he hurt? What if... what if these powers disappearing are also disappearing for him?

Those apples had healed him... kept him alive...

Dream knows that much, Dream had seen the images in the book. The only reason Nightmare survived was because of those apples.

Can... can Nightmare survive without those apples in his system?!

Dream doens't know what Asgore said but he rushes back to the enterance, blue already by his side again and looking worried.

They get to the edge and Dream teleports them out again.

As soon as they are back Dream feels himself shake and Blue hugs him "What is wrong? What did you realise?"

Moments later Reaper appears "Why did you do that?! Now i need to deal with a ticked off Asgore and-"

Dream breaks "Nightmare may be dying!" sobs break through as he collapses in Blue's hold.

silence.

Dream hadn't seen his brother in months. Not once ever since Dream started losing his powers. He had only seen the gang members once in a while. They always left quickly as soon as Dream even started talking about Nightmare.

Dream had been losing his powers and magic for half a year now and not once did he question if it may be affecting Nightmare.

He sobs as he falls to his knees, Blue keeps holding him.

Reaper floats closer but still out of reach "What do you mean? He is also a god. those are hard to kill." he grins a tiny bit but there is a nervous edge to it.

Dream sobs as he looks up. "The only reason he is alive is because he ate the very thing that helped keep the balance..." he sobs again "if the balance is restored... and all the magic we have connected to it disappears..."

Reaper seems to realise what Dream realised before cursing "Fuck."

Dream sobs as he hugs himself.

He doesn't even know where Nightmare is. He should have started looking for him months and months ago. As soon as he found that storybook, earlier even! When he realised his powers were acting weird. Make amends.

But Dream had been a coward. He had been afraid that Nightmare would never forgive him for his foolish and blind behaviour. Dream had figured he could try and ease their relationship a bit first. Maybe a truce like Ink and Error, and work from there on trying to repair their broken relationship.

But turns out... He may have been too late already.

Half a year too late.

*---------------------*

First Drabble Prev Drabble Next Drabble

Why is it that each time i do a Dream chapter it is a gutpunch? I honestly really like dream. It is just, from his side this whole story is more of a horror story than a family comedy...

Oh well.

[bestworstcase]

Yknow I've been thinking abt various concepts, and I've come to the idea of like. Weregrimm. Like werewolves but Grimm. How do you think that might work? I think it's a really interesting idea tbh

werewolf folklore is so diverse that salem, cinder, and the hound all fit into some mold of person-becomes-wolfgrimm honestly

but that’s not a very interesting answer and i’ve also Thought About this general concept quite a lot for um no reason in particular so…

real were-grimm aside i think stories about people turning or being turned into grimm would probably be SUPER COMMON across pretty much all cultures in remnant because, well, in the real world people are always telling stories about people turning into various dangerous beasts. wolves, bears, hyenas, jaguars, whatever. if it’s huge and deadly and might kill and eat us odds are we’ve been telling tales about people turning into it since the dawn of time. QED, remnant has were-grimm folklore at least as varied and ancient as our concept of lycanthropy.

add in that some ancient cultures canonically did believe grimm to be animal revenants, spirits or corpses returned to terrorize the living, and historically the dividing lines between vampire and werewolf and revenant and witch are often very porous, well. there’s no shortage of real folklore to draw from to devise were-grimm folklore for remnant.

(if you’ve ever wondered why werewolves are conventionally considered ‘undead’, by the way, that’s the reason. the modern pop culture conception of werewolves draws much clearer boundaries than actual folklore, but "died in the act of a deadly sin and came back as a horrid blood-drinking flesh-eating wolf" is a not uncommon variant.)

as for Real Were-Grimm, like i said, there are canonical examples proving that it’s possible for humans/faunus to be combined with grimm in a variety of ways. so all you really need is a plausible explanation for how the person can survive it (or how the person gets revived as a grimm, for the revenant angle).

and then you can just riff on whatever strain of werewolf folklore you like.

lycanthropy as a sort of disease or curse afflicting those bitten by a werewolf? maybe a rare parasitic type of grimm similar in nature to a chill or a nightmare that, rather than lurking deep in woods to wait for unwary prey to pass by, ride around in the jaws of other grimm. when the carrier grimm bites someone, they burrow into the wound—maybe the victim experiences a sudden surge of adrenaline that ups their chances of escaping or killing the carrier grimm, maybe there’s a symbiotic relationship between the two so the carrier runs off after delivering the bite, whatever.

like a nightmare, the… idk, let’s call it a bisclavert, feeds on slowly on aura of its host instead of killing outright. but rather than ensnaring them in a nightmarish lotus dream, it amplifies their emotions and infects them with its own hunger—the early symptoms are usually attributed to post-traumatic stress following a grimm attack. but the bisclavert is, even moreso than the nightmare, specially adapted to keep its host alive for as long as possible, so it actually grows by fusing itself with its host: turning bones into grimm chitin, weaving its own sinew into muscles, that kind of thing. if it goes undetected long enough the host will start to grow fangs and claws and grimm fur.

and then what? becoming grimm doesn’t turn you into a violent monster—although it does make every feeling you have more intense, so if you were prone to violence before you might become more brutal than before—but this world is not kind to humans who grow fangs or claws or fur. if you’re a faunus, living apart from humans, you might be able to turn to your friends and family for support—it isn’t so much different from being a faunus with frightening traits, is it? maybe there’s an equilibrium to be found. but a human would have a bad time, i’d imagine, as soon as it became impossible to hide. getting run out of town, hunted, ostracized, what do you do then? run away? embrace the idea that you’re just a violent beast now? seek vengeance? hide? lots of possibilities depending on the character.

lycanthropy as a punishment or curse inflicted upon those who commit certain sins, like cannibalism or murder? easy! lean in to the "grimm are dark’s half of humanity" angle. every person has that darkness inside them, that capacity for malice and violence. grimm hunt and eat people. what happens if a person does the same? what happens if they keep doing it? in a world where shapeshifting magic is real and faunus believe themselves to be humans who were transformed to reveal their true inner selves, what happens to a person who decides that their true inner self is a predatory grimm? maybe the physical form ever so slowly changes to reflect the self-perception. maybe—as in some werewolf myths—the transformation is not physical, but the person finds they can sink into a trance and leave their body to prowl the world in grimmlike form for a while. or maybe the darkness is empowered enough to manifest physically in the world as a spiritual doppelgänger.

or, for a less metaphysical / semblance-oriented approach, perhaps someone cruel and vindictive or very scared but physically weak might envy the violent strength of the grimm and try anything to claim it for themselves—drink water mixed with grimm ash, dress themself in black furs and bone masks, throw themself over the ledge in pursuit of becoming a monster powerful enough to protect themself or enact revenge. (and then you can throw a semblance on top of that to really intensify the "transformation," however literal it may be)

undead / revenant werewolves? make that part of the apathy’s "life cycle." or another kind of grimm similar to the apathy—but think about it. they’re vaguely human-shaped skeletons held together by eldritch tar and their method of hunting is to sap their victim’s energy and then, presumably, engulf and consume them. let’s imagine that the emotion and vitality the apathy drain from their prey are not destroyed but rather stolen, and that the natural form of a grimm of this type isn’t a desiccated human-like thing but an amorphous blob, like a slime mold—as in, they conform roughly to the shape of what they consume, and the humanlike bones we see are literally the remains of human prey.

well, if that’s so, what happens when an apathy-blob gluts itself on all the emotions its human prey felt as they succumbed to it and it absorbed them, ate them alive? right after a meal, bursting with all that energy and terror / rage / pain / desperation to live that it swallowed, wrapped around not a dissolving half-eaten skeleton but a fresh corpse… it isn’t fast or powerful like most grimm, but perhaps it could be for a little while, after it eats. until the prey is digested and the emotional afterimages fade and hunger weakens it again. and that’s how you get vaguely human-shaped grimm tearing across the countryside, ravaging everything that stands in their way, maybe once every few months, only to seemingly melt away within a few days, and the local folklore falls anywhere between "there’s a person in our midst who turns into a grimm" to "the dead are rising again as vengeful grimm-wraiths" to explain what’s happening.

[mossy-green-aka-ferrythem]

It's so interesting how Faust speaks. She speaks in Third Person, but sometimes she speaks about Faust as if Faust is another contact of hers... she definitely is doing some alternate reality type shit with her IDs and what not. Hard to articulate but like. She has an ID that knows of the events of LobCorp and even Day 50 (To think she went through it all and made it all the way to Day 50 in just Regret EGO is a WILD thought btw), she has one that experience the fall of a LobCorp Branch firsthand (which if I am not wrong, is implied to be a Faust that has failed, due to how shaken she is from everything she has experienced without proper preparation), she has one that spearhead's Nagel Und Hammer's genocidal campaign, she has one is close collaboration with Wuthering Heights.

She has an ID intimately aware of the functions of W Corp, and is always ready to offer an explanation on it. In fact I bet that ID is 00 for a reason, she's FAR less interested in combating the empty deformed husks of those who once had hopes and dreams, torn apart from the WARP, and more interested in observing the functionality of it all it seems. Hell, even Faust seems rather shaky when faced with the stomach-churning reality of the WARP Trains.

She has the 7 Association ID, which is an Association based off of doing Forensics and collecting information on a case, what better way for Faust to get general info than from the 7 Association? Also her Zwei ID clearly seems to be more heavily based on her paying attention to the work that goes into being a Zwei Fixer. Also, being Zwei fits her, because of that sword she constantly hauls around. Also the Salsu ID, all about experiencing the BL story.

Really it's hard to profile it all but it's really interesting how Faust exists as a spectrum. All IDs are fundamentally like this, but the way Faust handles it all is... interesting to put it lightly.

[astrxealis]

okay i’m trying one of the other ones

[pyralart]

I've always thought he acted like a child...

Also killing him isn't enough, I want to see him break down and cry.

I made a part two!

[lost-technology]

SEEDS Security Codes and Why They Matter

So, I've been thinking about one of the details in Trigun: Stampede that was not present in either '98 or the manga. In '98, Knives just hacking into the SEEDS codes was left as-is. He walked up to Captain Joey and shot him and apparently took his pilot's seat. Did the Captain have the navigation open at the time? Was it closed and Knives had to do some hacking? Anyway, there, he did it on his own. Now, in Trigun Maximum, which treats Vash and Knives' childhood differently (just Rem there raising them), there is a foreshadowing of what is to come. In Volume 6, Rem is depicted waking up to an emergency signal in the middle of her sleeping-hours. (Aw, she sleeps in her regular clothes, mom-jeans and all...). Panicked, she yells at Knives for him and Vash to lock themselves in their rooms and not to come out or speak up for ANY reason, even if they hear voices outside. She tries to handle the situation, but it goes from bad to worse and the automatic crew-wakening protocol goes into effect, which she is very concerned about (for reasons that we who have read the manga know about)!

In the beginning of Volume 7 the crew wakes up, there's a situation-update. The ships are going off-course and will collide if things are not corrected. They're working through the issues and suddenly, there's an unknown factor that kicks in to correct the course. Rem then gets the crew all settled back in again for nappy-time... And proceeds immediately to Vash and Knives, where she scolds Knives with (Rem's angry mom-face, my beloved)! Knives was playing around with the ship codes and systems. He'd apparently hacked his way into the system and was curious about SEEDS' functions. (One would assume that Rem changed some of the codes after this, but I bet they were in some kind of hacking-war, with her trying to stay one step above curious Plant-twins). Knives did not mean to nearly cause a catastrophe, but this shows that he can and is a foreshadowing to when he DOES mean to cause one later. Now, in Trigun Stampede, it is stated by Nai / Knives that Vash gave him the ship-codes, also that he spent a lot of time and trouble changing the codes for every human ship. (The manga lists the ship they are born on as the Mothership, presumably guiding the entire fleet, in Stampede, it is just Ship 5, which implies multiple guides with multiple navigators). I am wondering where Studio Orange is going with this. Will it be a situation like the manga where the kids are just playing around? Little prank-war with Rem? Maybe Vash is sharing a ship code innocently, as part of their games? Or is it going to be darker, more sinister? I wonder if Vash was originally of the thought of "maybe we need to crash the ships and kill all humans (except Rem) because they're scary and dangerous because of what happened to Tesla" and then had a change of heart and backed out of it? - I can see that happening... him having his cathartic alone-time with Rem as in the manga and then talking things out with Nai and thinking that they weren't going to go through with it. And then Nai betrays him. I've been wondering about the guilt Vash carries over the Big Fall in Stampede. Is it an unnecessary, undue guilt like he seems to have about a lot of things? Or is there a guilt born from "I had originally planned disaster / we had originally planned disaster" and it came true even after he'd backed out? It's just that... in both '98 and Maximum, he does carry his cross (that is not Wolfwood's), but he seems to feel less specifically guilty over this (the Big Fall). He's really more like "Knives, how could you do this to everyone / Rem?!" He just seems more guilt-ridden in Stampede than in the other media and I am wondering if there is a dark secret behind it. I can see it going either way.

[themanwhomadeamonster]

The 1999 combat theme and its foreshadowing because the autism got to me and I spent too long trying to figure out this soundtrack

Jumping off from @brokenjardaantech's WITW music analysis post here - go check it out, it's very insightful and lays the foundations for what I'm about to talk about! And thanks to @theterribletenno for the burst of inspiration by giving me a massive oh shit realisation in the most chilling way possible LOL

Spoilers under the read-more; TL;DR at the end :'^D

To preface, the soundtrack is structured in an ABC structure with bridges between A and B, as well as another between B and C that borrows from A. The key starts in Cm, briefly modulating to Gm in section B then back to Cm during the second bridge, and settling on Em for section C. In-game for WITW you most likely will only hear up to the first bridge since the Technocyte fight only goes for around a minute long

Sections A, the bridges and partially C feature genre similarities to grunge rock with fuzzy guitar chugging, whammy bar, and palm muting, while the drums are notably sharp snares (except for the first bridge, which are clean bass kicks that gradually distort transitioning into section B's style). Musically, it sounds like a typical fighting soundtrack meant to hype you up - the melody is confident and likes to push and pull its rhythm. But in section C it notably become emptier in its layering while keeping the distorted drums, placing emphasis on the lyrics (which I'll get to below lol). Heavier syncopation and polyrhythms are also introduced.

Section B however is the main outlier. This section is where it most strongly resembles industrial rock: rhythmic synth layers begin to accompany the melody (a pedal point line that plays every semiquaver/sixteenth note), synth drums replace acoustics and the guitars drop the fuzz that is characteristic of grunge and steadily strum every quaver/eighth note. Compared to the push and pull rhythm of section A, this section is steadier, less chaotic than the other sections, it wants you to focus on this section.

Notably, the lead guitar introduces a familiar leitmotif: This is What You Are (which @brokenjardaantech goes more in depth regarding its use in WITW). Here, though, its second chord becomes flattened (Dm -> D♭m) and introduces a diminished, dissonant sound. To me this was the first hint that the song may actually be about Arthur's downfall. This is What You Are is a musical leitmotif that recurs in moments of vulnerability, especially when someone is at risk of losing their sense of self, their identity and what they are. It plays during The Second Dream when we discover the Operator, during the New War when Eidolon!Lotus just lost herself to Ballas and can't recognise the Tenno, and in WITW during the Vessel "fight" when the Tenno is forced out of their Warframe.

I was prompted to actually dig more into the lyrics because I saw @theterribletenno bring up something really interesting

In this specific song, the leitmotif is diminished, it's corrupted. "Surrender to the corruption" - this is what Arthur is afraid of. I brought up earlier that section B had a genre shift. The contrast of the music is important, it's highlighting something, and together with the musicality of the leitmotif, it's making a sense of urgency and danger. The leitmotif is a warning to Arthur.

Section B sings these lyrics:

Break it, break it, Break it open!

Compared to the desperation in the other lines, these two lines are sung mockingly. The Infested are trying to break Arthur, and are succeeding. Their voice is becoming his. But there are actually two vocal lines in this section - you can also hear muted backing vocals in a much less aggressive and lethargic tone warning that "Disillusion". Arthur is trying so hard to keep his own voice and stay clear-minded but it's being drowned out and he's nearing his breaking point, and Albrecht, based on the Codex Fragments you find, is well aware of this.

In section C, while the layering is less intense it's noticeably more heavily syncopated and polyrhythmic, and introduces new (accompanying) echoing and dissonant synth layers reflecting the confusion and disorientation that Arthur begins to feel (these synth layers are actually introduced in the second bridge, but are more easily heard in section C). Section B and C also keep the synth/distorted drums that section A and both bridges lack (at most it's a reverb in those sections); the industrial sound of the song becoming associated with the increasing influence of the Infested over his humanity.

So I tried deciphering more lyrics for each section; I haven't figured all of it out and most of it could very well be wrong because of how heavily clipped the vocal line intentionally is so I don't want to make anymore assumptions than I need to, but I can understand enough of it to realise that the song is foreshadowing Arthur's corruption to the Infested. In green are the lyrics I'm confident are correct:

A:

Sting it, sting it, sting it! Sting it, sting it, sting it in the flesh!

Bridge:

I don't understand! It brings more disease!

B:

Break it, break it, Break it open! (Disillusion)

Bridge:

Sting it, sting it! Sting it in the flesh!

C:

Who's dreaming? Who's the [???] It's a vision[?]!

TL;DR: the grunge/industrial genre hybrid represents Arthur's humanity/Infested respectively, and the song becomes increasingly industrial as the song progresses, most noticeably through the increasing distortion of the drum sound. Section A sets the stage, section B serves as a warning to Arthur that he's losing his sense of identity as the Infestation drowns out his "voice" while a dissonant version of This is What You Are plays, and section C is him experiencing confusion and disorientation as the Infestation continues to corrupt him.

[coldslaws]

average day at alder's house

[kuri-crocus]

Good Omens is so present in my life. Like... It's even in my dreams. Last night I dreamed that Crowley and my demon OC went to save Aziraphale with the yellow (!) Bentley. The OC asked Crowley: "Wasn't your car black until yesterday?" He was simple replyed with a focused look forward: "Yeah. But the one very special person preferes her to be yellow!" 🥺

[lovely-hikari-cosplay]

I’m taking a Comics class this semester and we read through The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes 😳

[altair214]

If Dream of the Endless had access to the Am I The Asshole subreddit "Am I the Asshole for condemning my lover to Hell?"

"I was informed quite recently by a friend that this is a good place to receive unbiased judgement on past actions of mine that were not well received by people. As there are few beings I trust to ask for unbiased, well-meaning judgement from, I turn to the internet.

After a recent excursion to Hell, my raven saw fit to inform me that condemning a past lover to Hell might be seen, in my raven's words "as a dick move." My sibling, who has seen fit to give a mortal the tools to imprison me for a century and has made an attempt on my life, has criticized me before for the decision I made to condemn my lover to Hell.

Our story took place 10,000 years ago. She was a mortal queen and very beautiful. She was desired by many, but she refused them. One day she laid eyes on me, not knowing who or what I am, and decided that I would be her lover. She pursued me, and eventually found me in my realm. We began to get to know each other. She truly loved me at first. And I loved her. No one had ever loved me enough to go to the lengths she had to find me. I offered to make her the queen of my realm. But when she truly began to understand what it is that I am, and that I would not abandon my realm to be her lover, she became fearful. I did not want her to leave me, so when she ran, I ran after her. She hurt herself in the hopes that it would make me disgusted with her and leave. When she saw that she did not scare me away, she allowed me to heal her. We made love all through the night.

In the morning, her city was destroyed, for the First Circle had decreed that one of the Endless cannot love a mortal. We had both known that. She had tried to put an end to our relationship before it was too late, but in the end our desire for each other had overcome all else.

In her despair, she killed herself. I was distraught, I would have made her my queen. But she chose death over me. She chose to abandon me, she chose to abandon hope, for death. Still, I would have forgiven her for that transgression. I would still have her as my queen. I would still love her.

But she rejected me. Even though she loved me, she would rather die than be with me. So I told her that I would offer my love a final time, but if she once again would choose death over me, that I would condemn her soul to Hell.

She did not answer at first. She said that we were never meant to be together and that darker things would come to be if we tried to be together. I asked her once again as she was making the journey to the Sunless Lands. She told me to leave her. I asked her for the last time. She refused me and I condemned her to Hell.

She sought me out, only to reject me. To reject dreams by killing herself. She loved me and yet would choose to die rather than be with me. She would choose Hell rather than be with me even though she sought me first. I felt that my actions were justified. She was not moved by the pain that her actions caused me. What could I have done except punish her for her callousness?

I felt I was completely justified in my actions until very recently when I saw her in Hell. I had not thought of her in a long time, though I still loved her. But my recent experience of being imprisoned for a century had changed me in ways that I have only recently admitted to myself. For the first time I wondered if perhaps my original judgement to condemn her to Hell was made in error. So I am turning to here at the recommendation of a friend. Am I the Asshole?"

[sysig]

Sweet dreams, for a time (Patreon)