#whether you are just some guy or an eldritch being or some kind of creature. you’re so cool

[transgenderfivepebbles]

it/its users are so powerful actually. shoutout to all it/its users. you are like the sun and the sky and a beautiful song. whether you are human or not, no matter why you use these pronouns, your identity blurs the lines of what it means to be human, welcoming those who were once pushed out and freeing those who choose to stay elsewhere. your very existence is an act of courage and rebellion. you are all so real and so wonderful. thank you it/its users

[thehazelmist]

YES, YES. I FEEL SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW! I HAD DRAWN CONCEPTS FOR A PLUSHIE OF MR. PUZZLES WEEKS AGO, AND I HAVE HAD 2 DREAMS ABOUT A MR PUZZLES PLUSHIE RECENTLY. IT'S REAL NOW. HE BECAME A MARKETABLE PLUSHIE. THANK YOU SO DAMN MUCH SMG4!

The movie Itself was absolutely amazing!! Last night I was hoping we would get another musical number with Mr. Puzzles, But I thought that wouldn't happen. since SMG4 Movies usually don't have songs unless It's a WOTFI. But my wish came true!! And I loved the song, It was so catchy! I was thinking that Mr. Puzzles was some eldritch creature, and his "photoshop" expression was showing a glimpse of what he actually looked like. But he seems to be a cyborg! I honestly prefer that, instead of another godlike creature. (Looking at you Niles...I still love you though) Because I would be getting bored of so much arcs related to a godlike being breaking the fourth wall, Nope! It's just a guy that loves TV That Is breaking the fourth wall! Oh, and that joke of Mario mistaking Vox for Mr. Puzzles. That was the best joke ever, absolute comedy gold. Whether Mr. Puzzles looking similar to Vox Is a coincidence or not, they took advantage of the comparisons and made a hilarious joke with It! I loved seeing many other parodies of various TV shows. and they completely nailed The South Park parody. I loved seeing Bob animated In that style! The episode kind of reminded me of Channel Chasers from Fairly Odd Parents. If It wasn't a coincidence, That's really cool! That episode from fairly Odd Parents was one of the best! (And one of the few episodes I watched of fairly oddparents) So It's fun to see others Inspire from that episode! Anyways....I'm going to take a look inside my wallet now...

[a-court-of-moonlight-and-ire]

I re-read my post about chapters 22-30 and I realized that theres so much I just fully forgot to mention, mostly relating to the inner circle so heres a quick summary of my thoughts about each ic member now that Im about halfway through the book and have spent some time with them. To briefly recap my previous thoughts, I think their group dynamic is insanely uncomfortable because of how apparent their hierarchy is and also none of them seem to actually like each other all that much

Amren

I dont dislike her in the sense that I dont dislike her personality or the basic concept of her character, but I do hate that shes in the inner circle at all. Like, whats this eldritch creature trapped in a body thats not her own doing hanging out with all these boring people ass people FOR 500 YEARS dude, if I had to spend 500 years with Rhysand I would destroy the entire night court regardless of whether or not I had Amren-levels of power. Like, why on earth would she be satisfied playing second fiddle to Rhysand and living in an APARTMENT in his stupid °•~City of Starlight~•° when shes supposed to be like a billion years old and a thousand times more powerful than him. I feel like itd be interesting to explore that but I know that we really dont from watching cari can read's summaries, so she just ends up being a character thats supposed to be interesting because shes so mysterious but is actually so shrouded in intrigue that it turns around and she just becomes boring again

Mor

When I first met her I said that something about her bothered me but I couldnt put my finger on what it was, but that I still kinda liked her because she atleast annoyed Rhysand. She really hasnt annoyed Rhys in any way since her and Feyres first meeting so I like her less because of that and also because shes mostly just boring to me at the moment. I think another reason why I dont particularly like her is that she feels so intrinsically tied to the misogyny of this world that just suddenly materialized in this book and its really annoying, I would like to avoid that subplot as much as possible. She basically just exists to give Feyre a female friend at the Night Court and to show her that you can totally girlboss your way out of a misogynistic system! But you cant dismantle the system because uhhhhhhhh. change is like a glacier because its slow

Also, shes obviously meant to parallel Ianthe, like shes supposed to be the better version of her, but I cant even imagine her and Feyre making out sloppy style toxic yuri edition so I cant really see her as any kind of improvement. sorry

Cassian

One of my least favourite character types is Fratbro But You Put Him In A Fantasy Setting so Im not the biggest fan of this guy ngl. The one redeeming quality he has is that hes very obviously crushing on all of his friends bisexual style, especially Rhys and Azriel. Its almost a little sad but mostly its just very funny. Like whyd you wanna take their clothes at the illyrian camps so badly huh? You like seeing pretty boys squirm around naked?

Unfortunately, I know that hes gonna end up with Nesta and that hes not even gonna treat her well, my guy is gonna go from being gay because he likes men to being gay because he hates women and I am not looking forward to it

Speaking of Nessian, a lot of sjm critical anti nessian people say that Nesta and Cassian used to be so good and so genuinely romantic in ACOWAR and that their relationship got completely ruined in ACOSF and. I mean, granted they dont ever talk about Cassian behaviour towards Nesta during the meeting at her house in ACOMAF but I hated the way he was just so angry at her on Feyre's behalf when she wasnt even that mad herself, she just felt weird and bad. Of course, I havent read ACOWAR yet and I might change my mind in the future but right now, I'll just say it doesnt surprise me that Cassian would laugh at Nesta falling down the stairs

Azriel

My favourite guy!!! Out of this bunch I mean. My favourite guy in the entire ACOTAR series is probably Lucien, but if we're just talking about the jokers from the Night Court, then this guy is my favorite

I really wasnt expecting much from him, I thought he would have absolutely no personality from what Ive heard other people say about him, but hes basically exactly what I want in an edgy traumatized shadow boi. Ive talked about this before but I really dislike Rhysand and part of that is that I normally really like the archetype of the tortured edgy love interest with shadow powers but he makes it so goddamn annoying by being so flirty and cocky I just want to see him dead. But Azriel is quiet so he doesnt bothr me and also theres some intrigue about his backstory and the extend of his powes but he feels like a solid enough character that he doesnt become boring to me like Amren

I will say though, theres something particularly uncomfortable about watching anyone from the inner circle interact with him and vice versa, I think its because he seems like he doesnt actually like them more than anything else. Ive said this in a previous post, I think Cassian wants to be in a relationship good friends with him and he seems to think they have some good sunshine guy/grumpy guy banter going on but to me it just seems like Azriel genuinely dislikes him. And then he obviously doesnt trust Amren and I feel like hes in love with Mor and has been for a really long time but doesnt actually like her, I honestly feel like hes just sticking by Rhysand because he feels like he owes him and because it gives him an excuse to be close to his crush

Yknow, that I think about it maybe thats why I like him so much. I dont like the Inner Circle, he doesnt like the Inner Circle, thats a relatable king right there

[sonicasura]

Fierce Deity's True Form?

Random thought but do you guys think that Fierce Deity isn't in his true form? I seen posts where people headcanon him looking completely different either as half Interloper/Twili, demon to even an eldritch abomination. The mask and form he takes upon being worn is just a mortal visage.

I honestly want to play around with the idea as the Fierce Deity Mask is called the 'Oni Mask' in the Japanese translation of Majora's Mask. Fierce (Valion as I call him) could look like anything really. Even more so for the people who headcanon that he's actually First (Skyward Sword prequel Link) or Sky (Skyward Sword Link).

Whatever turned them into FD completely change their true form in order to become accustom to their godly powers. The human/Hylian visage is just out of pure comfort so the respective Link wouldn't forget who they once were. Plus you can imagine them getting banished to Termina since neither like forced godhood.

As for their 'true appearance', the category of chaos, violence, abnormality and wrath would definitely fit. Mainly chaos since it is neither good or bad just like darkness alongside a polar opposite to order. Some examples in the eldritch department would be Digimon's Proximamon or Omnimon Zwart Defeat. The latter being his true form withering after not be able to transform back for so long.

Furthest from what any entity ever seen in either Hyrule or Termina. One whose power can potentially eat away the existence of those that dare to stand against the Fierce Deity's true monstrous visage.

Or what it would be some kind of unrecognizable beast such as Monster Hunter's Lunagaron and Ushio and Tora's Tora (Azafuse). A Beastkin who holds voracious primal instinct yet also the knowledge of man but also gods. Whether Fierce acts man or beast depends on who approaches him.

A dragon that wouldn't fit the normal LoZ depictions such as Pokemon's Walking Wake/Paradox Suicune, Bakugan's Leonidas, and Specteobes' Daigyo. Visage of otherworldly power fit for a deity like Fierce. One that further isolates him from any other sacred dragon.

Or even a cross between man and monster like Yugioh's Draco Berserker of the Tenyi to Devil May Cry's Devil Trigger Nero. A form which bears a ferocity even greater than devils but will never fit in with any creature. This fact is often used as a test so Fierce can gauge the character of those who seek him out and act accordingly.

It makes you wonder especially if the mask ever broke and the deity locked inside comes out completely different. Fierce Dadity would definitely lean to more animalistic territory in both mannerisms alongside instinct. He is less man when taking on his true visage after all.

Expect a Link to get carried by the scruff of their shirt or getting a tongue bath like mother cats do to their kittens. Fierce would be a purring mess as he nuzzles those he views as his cubs and have the zoomies later since he been locked inside that mask for so long.

That's what I think anyway.

[mxstball]

Thanksgiving 2023

The residents of Sky Pillar and Spear Pillar were gathered together in a Mirage Island having dinner. Since it was a large crowd, it wasn't a big surprise that the host dragon decided to host it at a table in a grassy Mirage Island. The table that Heidi created housed the bulk of everyone, although those that couldn't sit at the table were off to the side having a sort of picnic together. All sorts of Unovan-type foods were served at the location: different types of meats for meat enjoyers, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, several vegan and vegetarian-friendly dishes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, mashed potatoes, and much more. There were also some specially prepared meats that were being served at the picnic, primarily for some of the Pokémon guests.

Leaf was enjoying some of the macaroni and cheese. "So, you and Rayquaza made most of this? How long have you guys been cooking this?"

"Oh, all day and also yesterday, too!" Jeanne nodded. "This is the first time Father and I cooked together at this big of a scale and where he let me take most of the reins!"

"Must have been a lot of pressure. Rayquaza's probably one of the best cooks I've met that's not like, owning his own restaurant." Leaf nodded.

"You'd think, but it hasn't been! Ever since I took up the culinary arts 30 years ago, I've always dreamed of a day like this -- where Father and I would be in the kitchen together for something of this scale. So, it's just a dream come true!" Jeanne giggled.

"Hehe. Then, I'm glad that you got your wish~" Leaf giggled, too.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the table, Kathy and Tor were talking.

"So, you said that Nergal likes to bake?"

"Pastries mostly, uh-huh."

"What's your favorite?"

"Oh, uh... there's this bagel called 'Wishes of the innocent'."

"...Wishes of the Innocent?"

Tor nodded.

"What in the heck?" Kathy wasn't expecting THAT at all. "What's it like?"

"Oh, it's like, kind of a plain bagel, but with uh... four types of cream cheese together? It's really good."

"Sweet and without blemish, just like the wishes of the innocent." Nergal suddenly appeared next to Tor.

Both Kathy and Tor jumped.

Nergal chuckled. "What? Does the name not fit?"

"I guess, but that's some naming scheme you got there, Eternatus."

Nergal nodded. "Thank you. Thank you. I quite like it as well. Maybe I can make it for you someday, Katherine."

"....And risk you whisking me away to another world again? I'll have to think long and hard about that."

---

"...."

"...."

Melony and Hel have been eating, they've been staring at each other. Ever since the battle within their Distortion World, they've quickly learned so much about each other. Who knew that they were essentially the same person, sharing the same Distortion World and sharing the same True Form. Who knew that they were just vessels of a larger, eldritch creature. The two felt whole together, and yet they each had more questions... not for each other, but for the beast that made them.

But that'll have to wait. The two friends would just continue to eat as they looked at each other.

Lauren was looking at the duo as well. For a moment, she considered whether or not to say anything. After all, she did hear what happened when they first met each other. Were they rivals, friends, something else...? However, she did eventually speak up. "Uh, Melly? Can you pass the cranberry sauce?"

"Ooh! Y--yes. I can do that." Melony grabbed the cranberry sauce and moved it within Lauren's reach.

"Thanks." Lauren served herself some and looked between the two of them. "Uh... Melly, Hel..."

Melony and Hel turned to Lauren.

"Is everything alright between the two of you?"

Hel nodded and smiled at Lauren. "We are. It's just the first time that we've met each other since we received some important information. Don't worry."

"Important information?"

Melony nodded. "Hel and I are but the same person. We are not the same as, say, Hera and Heidi. Instead, we are two pieces of a larger whole -- think of a relationship closer to Heidi and Lacey. As such, we are... still trying to process that information."

Hel continued. "While this information is new to us, that does not change the fact that Melony and I consider each other as friends. That's why I decided to visit in Hera's stead -- in part to check up on Melony."

"Two parts of the same whole?" Lauren blinked. "But your worlds aren't from the same place. How does that work?"

Hel shook her head. "We... don't know. We're trying to understand that ourselves... but I'm sure that once we learn, you'll be one of the first people we'll share with our findings."

---

Lillie and Zinnia were eating together... well, it was more that Zinnia was eating, and Lillie was moreso playing with her food.

It didn't go unnoticed by the Lorekeeper.

"Hey, Lillie."

"Huh? What is it, Zinnia?"

"Something on your mind? I know you're not the type to scarf down a meal, but you're not the type to just play with your food, either."

"... No, I'm... I'm fine." Lillie looked down and back towards her food.

"..." Zinnia filled her own plate again. "...It's about your bio dad again, isn't it?"

"H--huh?"

"Lacey told me what happened. Said that you chased a rumor that your dad was alive, but when you found him, it turned out to be a Mohn of another world."

"H--huh? H--how--"

"She was there when it happened, though it was more to chase down your Ranger friend than anything."

"Oh." Lillie sighed but then nodded to confirm Zinnia's suspicions.

Zinnia was quiet for a moment as she ate a little bit of mock turkey. "You know... I know how it feels in a way, though not with my father."

"What do you mean by that?"

"...I... have a friend that's in this world. She's... a faller, just like Lacey... but she's also the parallel version of a friend that I lost a very long time ago."

"Oh, wait. Is that--"

"Aster, yeah. Remember her?"

"I do. It's... been a while since she's been around. How is she doing?"

"Aster? She's alright. Said that she's keepin' it low in Alola, but that she'll probably be there during the holiday."

Lillie nodded. She smiled a little but went back to playing with her food.

The two were quiet for a while as Zinnia continued to eat.

...

"Hey, Lillie?"

"Yes?"

"Keep your chin up, alright? I'm sure that if he was taken through an Ultra Wormhole, we'll find him eventually. I know that he and the rest of your bio family mean a lot to you, so if Lacey's not actively helping you out, then if you don't find him by the time we're done this whole thing with Goldie, then dad and I will work hard to help you find him, alright?"

Lillie nodded. "Thank you, Zinnia. I... really appreciate it."

---

Aphrodite-Zygarde was temporarily taking her 50% Forme at the picnic. She felt as though it was nice to get away a little from the main group for a little while and enjoy some of the special food.

Delphox, Salamence, Magearna, and other Pokémon were also there. They each seemed to be peacefully enjoying themselves.

Aphrodite was silent as she was eating, but there was so much on her mind. She knew that Dawn was not long for this world... that sooner or later, Dawn will pass away and Friede would once again directly threaten this world. While she trusted Heidi to be prepared enough to help handle the situation, Aphrodite couldn't shake off the dread that came with it. After all, the stakes were high -- either they would defeat Friede... or this world and everyone in it would be destroyed.

Were their contingency plans enough to minimize the damage? Could this be the end of them? Was it even possible to try to fend this world off themselves without Heidi should she perish? Despite the planning and the assistance, Aphrodite still felt uneasy about the unknowns of the situation.

...But maybe it was just her nerves. Maybe she just needs to have more faith in Heidi. Heidi's her best friend and a dependable ally. She's smart, resourceful, contemplative, and empathic. She's sure that Heidi must think of this as much as she did.

Aphrodite let out a deep breath and continued eating, being sure to pet each of the creatures that she was with to reassure them.

---

Heidi, Rayquaza, and Lati were eating together at the head of the table. For the most part, they were silent together outside of a small interaction or two. It's not like they were compelled to talk, however. They each were just happy to see everyone else get along.

Heidi grabbed her second plate before looking at Rayquaza and finally trying to strike conversation. "I'll give it to Jeanne. She's really good at cooking."

That is my daughter for you. Even I am impressed by her techniques. She spent so much time preparing so much of this food. I am so proud of her.

Heidi chuckled a little. "Maybe she can give her father a run for his money~"

Rayquaza chuckled.

Perhaps, but I would like to see her try.

The two smiled at each other.

Lati ate more of their own plate before looking at each of their parents. It was nice to see everyone together like this again. This scene made them really happy!

Heidi looked back at Lati. "...Who knows, maybe even Lati over here may surpass you in time~. Now, that'd be a twist of fate, wouldn't it?"

Rayquaza and Heidi laughed together. It felt a little like old times.

"...Hey, Rayquaza."

Yes, Heidi?

"Thanks... for all of this. I remember when I experienced this for the first time. I thought that this whole idea of stealing a holiday from Unova was really stupid, but..." Heidi shook her head. "I guess over time I started to really like it, and now that I'm no longer here, it's... nice... to have a holiday to celebrate and appreciate the family like this."

Rayquaza nodded.

I understand. There is no need for thanks. I am simply... grateful that you have decided to agree to come, and that we have remained to be friends.

Heidi smiled. "I'm... thankful for our friendship, too. Lati, seems to be, too~"

Lati let out a little noise in agreement.

"..." Lati looked at both of them.... "[(Th--thank you... Mama... Th--thank you... Papa--)]"

!!!!!

Hearing the dragon talked shocked both of them, even enough to break Heidi's disguise! Did... did Lati just speak!?

[delphoxqueen]

TL;DR: Holt Hyde’s Journal (2010)

Sorry my images were more messed up this time around, the copy of the journal I have is all messed up

Holt’s journal can be summarized as-

July 23- Holt wakes up in the moving truck after a long string of continuously moving from place to place in. Which now I’m intrigued as to whether it’s just out coincidence or if his parents move in as the Jekyll’s with other humans but eventually the Hyde’s come out and terrify the town into making them move again.

July 25- Holt tries to stay up to see the sun but falls asleep at the first crack of daybreak- which makes him question if he’s a vampire. Ok but like- what are the rules for him turning into Jackson? I know they switch depending on the music- but now also when they sleep like their father? Confusing. Also does this mean the body never sleeps? How do they not randomly pass out from the body not having rest?

July 27- Holt hangs up flyers in the Maul advertising his DJ business.

August 1- Holt goes around and familiarizes himself with the local families and drama- which gives us some great lore for the home lives of the main cast!

Count Dracula - Draculaura and Dracula live in a huge mansion. Dracula has a shit load of street cred- which now just makes me an AU where they’re gangsters/criminals/murderers instead of monsters. Also Nosferatu is Dracula is in the MH universe.

The Mummy - Holt wants the Mummy’s autograph kind of. Cleo and her dad live in a massive mansion with servants and everything looks like a set. Strangely Holt does not say anything about Nefera living there.

The Werewolf - The Wolf family lives in a small house with apparently a dozen or so children. They’re extremely loyal and protect their family (cause they’re the best family in the MHverse). Clawd is BMOC and Holt says there will be songs about Clawdeen (which as a simp of the goddess, yes- but now I want a version of Cruella De Vil but about Clawdeen)

Frankenstein and His Bride - They live in a Swiss chalet/research lab cross and Holt refers to Frankie as “their new baby” which made me overthink things and made me sick to my stomach- also Frankenstein’s Bride is apparently a bad sexy bitch and yeah I imagine the original queen of screams would be fine as hell.

The Sea Monster - I thought Lagoona’s family lived in Australia but nope- they got a beach house in Salem too. And yes Monster High is set in Salem, Massachusetts. Lagoona’s dad is like this giant eldritch sea creature which I just imagine how adorable it would be if Lagoona just giant beast as a slightly overprotective but caring dad :)

Medusa - Medusa is bad af so you KNOW she has the best house by far. A whole Greek parthenon rip-off. Love it. Medusa has calmed down in her years and now she’s just a subtle badass taking care of her son- but now I’m questioning how her Parthenon-esque building has a porch for Deuce to even fuck us with stone flies.

August 3- Holt does this gig for a “bubblegum dance gig” which just sounds 10/10 sign me up. He sees Draculaura and since nobody can keep up with her dancing he leaves his DJ booth on auto-pilot?! What?! You can just press the auto-DJ button and have it play it for you?!!?!!!!! Anyway she’s like “How do you know who I am?” And Holt’s like “Shit I sound like a stalker now.”

August 10- Operetta and Holt go on a date (never thought of this ship Idea but now It sounds so cute!) but Holt gets pissed at this guy that bumps into her at a concert. They get kicked out. They drive home awkwardly. Does not go well. Guess I should take back the ship idea.

August 11- Operetta’s dad tells Holt’s mom about last night so she scolds Holt about being hotheaded which he gets mad and starts melting pens to.

August 20- Holt decides to take night classes and Operetta’s dad teaches piano (I would laugh but I will admit I’m a peasant who hasn’t seen Phantom of the Opera)

September 5- Holt writes a song. I would say I hate it but I can hate on something that’s nowhere near as bad as the shit I’ve written in the past.

Entire Journal- Dramatic irony. That is all. Though now I’m scared to see if there’s Jackson x Holt ship fanart. Who am I kidding. There definitely is.

Not as great as Clawd’s diary but good :)

Here’s an extra photo I couldn’t add on the other post!

[kryptsune]

World Building Wednesday! ~Felldritch

🌼I got a request to do a WBW for Felldritch and since there have been updates to the overall world and lore I wanted to make sure this was all in a nice little package! If you have questions and want to learn more let me know the ask box is always open!  So let's get started! Oh and here is a link to the fic! FELLDRITCH

Felldritch

Classification: HorrorFELL

Cult  Alternate “Nicknames”:

Red: Saw Boss: Corvus

Gaster: Sephtis

Asriel: Saber Toriel: Ameria

Asgore: Kirnon

Undyne: Ryx Alphys: Vesh Muffet: Carmilla Grillby: Noire MTT: Faust

Doggo: Croix

Riverperson: Bastet (Tet)

Main Plot Synop: Felldritch takes place after a pacifist run by Frisk. The story briefly goes as follows. Frisk ends up in the Underworld (Underground) and befriends the monsters and wants to set them free. It is basically a way watered down version of WTU in essence. Once reaching the end of her journey the monsters refuse to let her be that final soul. They would rather wait and figure out something else but with her Determination she promises to return to them and set them free. At this point in time she is around 18-19. Asriel sacrifices himself to that end to see her leave through the barrier only for the humans to capture the poor girl after she leaves. They conclude that she is not mentally stable due to her insistence that monsters are real and throw her into an asylum/sanitarium to be “treated”. Nearly 5+ years later and she manages to escape finding herself once again in the Underworld only it is far different from what she remembers. At this point, she is questioning whether anything is real or not. After being “treated” for so long she doesn’t quite know which reality is the true one. As Red (aka Saw) points out:

The Brothers: 

Red: The younger brother of the two. His attachment to Frisk stems into more of a relationship though he blames himself for loosing her all those years ago. This psychological state causes him to throw himself into the problem that is befalling their world. At first nothing seems to combat this intrusive forest and horrifying beasts but he learns to utilize his magic in a different way. Prior to this he is what one would think of a a Red type but after meeting Frisk he promises to not only change his heart but also the hearts of others. Instead of destructive magical ability he follows in his brothers footsteps and takes up healing practice. 

In the world he is known as the merchant, the one that tends to give out healing items in exchange for coin but the bulk of his business relies on talismans or charms to ward off the evil plaguing their home. As far as they all know these magically infused charms are powerful and have incredible protective capabilities. He runs a wagon that travels around the entire Underworld.

In the current timeline he more sympathetic and empathetic. The concept of Kill or be Killed is no longer a factor. This is mainly about survival and for the most part the other monsters are aware that working together is their best option though their heightened paranoia (validly founded btw) makes it difficult sometimes. His personality is lighthearted on the surface, making jokes, and being a good guy. In a way he reminds me of Jester who tries not to dwell on what is going on but is fully aware of the situation. Red wears a blindfold in public to keep up appearances but he has no vision or eye light problems.

Boss: After Frisk’s departure from the Underworld, Boss, takes her words to heart. Unlike the majority of Fell Pap characterization he is very soft. When he feels his brother no longer needs his guidance he begins to feel purposeless until he learns that like his brother he has the magical ability for healing. As Red is the charm merchant of the two, Boss is the apothecary. His design harkens to plague doctors back in the 17th century. He grows all his own herbs and spices but he is particularly fond of tea. He also wears a blindfold just like Red but unlike Red he does in fact have damage to his left eye socket where the teal color of his eye lights no longer inhabits. 

The two combined help their fellow monsters as much as they can but in a world of uncertainty how are you supposed to know who to trust? 

Frisk’s Mental Demons: The psychological toll on Frisk is great as she has been told constantly that she made up her time in the Underworld in order to shut herself away into a fantasy world. A world where she had a family… where she is loved and wanted. This happens frequently as the “Doctors” continuously try to refute her experiences or sensations medically.  Every time she goes to sleep in the Underworld she ends up back at the Asylum tied down kicking and screaming. 

She only wakes up again when she is sedated. Rinse and repeat. The question is… is it real? Or rather which is real. The doctors go on to state that her dark state of mind twisted her original concept behind her “family” making them this eldritch styled horror. He also goes onto explain that the reason she is so drawn and close to Red is that it is her “flirting with death”. That she is accepting that outcome because if she continues to resist treatment she will die and the moment she trusts him in her “fantasy” that will be the end. These kinds of situations happen a lot.

There are also instances when the lines between real and fiction are blurred as Frisk's behavior consists apparently of defensive aggression, auditory, visual, and olfactory hallucination, acute paranoia, anxiety, and PTSD. One such example of this is her apparent psychiatrist, Dr. Cyrus Reycroft, who happens to have an uncanny resemblance to her skeletal friend if he was human. 

The Beasts: Felldritch plays off Eldritch horror aka the fear of the unknown. As Frisk reunites with Red she is subjected to a rather concerning conversation in which he explains the situation they are in. He mentions having crossed into an upside down broken and colorless world which drew both himself and his older brother into. It is implied that the two stepped into a dimensional space that was able to then afflict those within their own dimension. Over time the inhabitants begin to go missing and great otherworldly hellish beasts begin appearing. The inhabitants come to the conclusion that these creatures can not afflict you with their corruption if you can not see, hear, or speak in their presence. This mindset has some rather gruesome implications as inhabitants become irrationally desperate mutilating themselves to adhere to the new "See no evil, Speak no evil, Hear no evil”.

The Occult World: The cult as I keep referring to it as is a group of powerful monsters. After the deposition of the King the other monsters begin to become influenced by outside sources. They begin to believe that any fallen humans are the angels of death and because of this they will kill humans on sight, of course, they want to live in denial of their horrible deeds because monster souls are supposed to be made up of love and kindness. Unlike the cult that wishes to break the barrier, the rest want to stay hidden from the beasts above believing that the humans are to blame for all that has happened.

The senses play a huge roll in this idea as the beasts are rumored to be able to use souls like puppets, as in spys, if they are corrupted. It essentially becomes like a hive mind with the main entity being able to see, hear, and speak through those it comes in contact with. It’s no secret that Red is in fact infected by this entity in some form as this is a quote from the fic:

A set of antlers snagged the velvety cape as he worked the metalwork to release its hold on the material around his throat.

Bony fingers tugged on the bunched up fabric and pulled it back, revealing a charcoal grey sweater underneath. It was soft to the touch but just hidden beneath the wool she caught a glimpse of off white colored bone. There were bits and pieces that had been chipped off, knicks, and cuts. Even before they had met Red had some scars especially around his collarbone but that was not what caused her to gasp. His hood remained over his head as if using it to shield his expression from her view, “See?” He flinched when her fingers traced some of the scars.

She didn’t want to appear like she was fearful of what she was witnessing but her fingers quivered, pulling them back toward herself. A soft whimper of a voice left her, “R...Red…” There intertwined with the magically composed vertebrae of his spine were branches. The same deep blackish red wood that plagued this entire forest. It wove itself through the bone engulfing portions of his ribs, twisting it into chilling patterns. If it was allowed to continue its infestation it would crack his ribcage open in a bloodless gaping fissure. She could just make out that gentle white and crimson glow shrouded by the wood. Was that his soul? There was no other explanation.

It looked like the branches were trying to worm their way toward that glowing heart, pierce it, and absorb it into its oily black, almost pulsating bark. That was only one singular aspect of horror that she was now subjected to. Her eyes followed the trail that crept through the bone following the knots and twists that crept up and underneath where his skull attached to his spine.

The grip that he kept on her hand only tightened while the other shifted to pull the hood off his skull. Her eyes widened, reddish-brown irises wavering within a sea of white. A hand rose to land on her mouth, now agape in a silent gasp. She could see the same strange bark that comprised his antlers exited straight out of his skull. There were fractures that radiated from above the temporal portion of his cranium in concentric circles. The same kind of patterning one would see from blunt force trauma. Only this had pushed out the bone externally rather than internally. His sockets no longer contained those ever dulling carmine eye lights as her own eyes traced the hairline cracks along his head. She could not imagine the kind of pain a transformation like that would have caused him. There were places where the bone had tried to heal and suture itself back together, forming around the bark.

Angel of Salvation (a.k.a. The Eldritch Horror)- What the cult has been working toward is summoning their “savior” with the help of the human souls they are bound to. It gives them extra abilities and power. Each within the ranks is bound to a human soul. Their leader ??? wants to use this power to summon an “angel.” It turns out that is actually an unholy amalgamated eldritch beast/god out for blood instead. Humanity will perish and the monsters will take control of the surface once more. That is the reality. (The cult including Red is told otherwise).

[radramblog]

Eldritch Moon my beloved

I think most Magic players are going to have a favourite set. Often that’s going to be one they started playing with, or one that really got them into the game, or one that had a limited or standard format they really enjoyed. A lot of people won’t, and that’s okay, they’re allowed, it’s hard to pick favourites sometimes.

But for me, it’s Eldritch Moon, aka the last time we went to Innistrad, and things got a bit more tentacular.

Eldritch Moon had a lot working against it from the get-go.

The Shadows block immediately followed the Battle for Zendikar block, one which a lot of people Didn’t Like. Whether it be for some of the more questionable art direction, for the relatively weak cards and boring parasitic mechanics, and for arguably some of the lamest story the game has had to date. More relevantly, though, it was a pair of sets where a fan-favourite plane was essentially dominated by squid monsters and lost a lot of its unique identity in the process- gone was the fun D&D-esque adventure world, replaced by stark wastelands and a war story with like one good story article. It’s the Tazri one.

And then the next set was Shadows over Innistrad. Another return to a fan-favourite plane, with a huge mystery being built up as to why everything was going to shit again. Why Avacyn and her angels were turning on humanity, why there are all these funky stones everywhere, what exactly Nahiri was doing fucking around on the plane of someone she apparently doesn’t like very much.

There were cryptic hints in the set itself. Its title is a reference to the Lovecraft story, Shadows over Innsmouth, with a fair few cards alluding to the story itself. A few cards did have subtle tentacles in the art, as well as subtle warping of flesh and world. The most damning clue came in the form of a puzzle regarding different flavour texts for the card Tamiyo’s Journal, which gave a particular phrase- “Remember this: they came as three”- flavour text from a Battle for Zendikar card referring to the three Eldrazi Titans, only two of which had been dealt with in that story.

Despite this, people still denied that this was the plot-to-be. There were still rumours that it was somehow Marit Lage again after all this time, or that the threat was a new one, or that it was somehow the Gitrog Monster’s fault. Personally, I wanted to believe this, and desperately didn’t want the next set to be Eldrazi-themed- I’d gotten pretty sick of them from BfZ and OGW and was very much enjoying all the new Werewolves and Madness cards and Delirium mechanic. This was at the point where I was drafting at FNM weekly, and the fun differential between the two blocks was stark.

But of course, the mystery was revealed. It was old god Emrakul the whoooole time! Quelle fucking surprise. And yet it ended up being significantly better than the previous block, for a number of reasons.

Firstly, the story is just kind of better. We get to see distinctly through the cards and the plot how the influence of Emrakul has affected the regular citizens of Innistrad, and how all its various factions- the Church, the vampire manors, the packs of werewolves, et cetera- were all twisted in her visage. We get to see the desperate fight against them, with all these gothic horrors warring against eldritch horrors, and against themselves. And we get both Jace doing some surreal journey-to-the-centre-of-the-mind shit while Liliana gets to be the hero and Tamiyo gives us an ending that raises more questions than it answers.

Also, Sorin gets stuck in a rock. Fuck that guy, Nahiri was always cooler, and fuck War of the Spark for apparently just having them make up off screen.

Secondly, the cards. Flavourwise, the three Eldrazi Titans’ corrupting influence manifests differently for each- Ulamog consumes and drains the world, Kozilek corrupts the mind and wreaks havoc on space, and Emrakul? As we see, Emrakul twists flesh into new and horrifying shapes, that the set’s cards display in loving and disgusting detail. While Ulamog and Kozilek’s drones were clearly a part of themselves, the Eldrazi of Innistrad all used to be something much more reasonable before Emrakul made it to the plane.

There are three types of Eldrazi in this set. Firstly- the transform mechanic from Innistrads previous has been played with to suit the needs of the flavour. With the exception of Ulrich, every single double-faced card represents a creature from the world, be it Human or Werewolf or otherwise, that is touched by Emrakul and makes a permanent transformation into something else. There’re masses of limbs, shapes echoing Emrakul herself, and flesh in configurations that Should Not Be. The shift on every card is stark, and in every case, you have to actively put in effort to push them over the edge- and off a cliff which they cannot come back from. This is especially true with the Meld mechanic, with the cards fusing into this giant monstrosity that literally dwarfs every other card on the table.

The next type of EMN-drazi is the Emerge creatures. The mechanic was extremely fun, almost all the cards were eminently playable in at least one format (mostly just limited), and the art is spooky. The flavour of some guy on your table getting fucking chestbursted and having fucking Elder Deep-Fiend pop out is incredible, and each is a great way of showing how the regular fauna of the plane (and flora, like, I think Lashweed Lurker is a plant or something) are mutating in response to the creature’s presence.

Finally, there’s the cards that make 3/2 Eldrazi Horror tokens. There’s less of these and they’re less intense, but by and large they’re a representation of the regular people being affected by the whole thing. Just about every card that makes one of these involves a creature dying in some way (Desperate Sentry, Otherworldly Outburst) or being spawned by an existing mass of flesh (Hanweir, Howling Chorus), and it gives this sense that everybody is affected by this effect.

Of course, that was also a thing in Battle for Zendikar block. The whole thing was Eldrazi, Eldrazi, Eldrazi, with even vanilla 4/3 worms having something to say about fighting them. They key difference of Eldritch Moon is that the flavour of the world is still preserved outside of this Eldrazi presence.

What I’m saying is- the gothic horror of Innistrad is still present despite the eldritch horror of the set’s antagonist. There’s still a corrupt and violent church (albeit with a few more tentacles now), there are still cults and Frankenstein zombies and vampires and werewolves. Innistrad’s tone is compatible enough with the Eldrazi’s that the combination enhances the two rather than diminishes them.

The final thing I want to say is just- the set’s really fun. It has a bunch of my favourite classic limited cards- Thermo-Alchemist, Ulvenwald Captive, and Boon of Emrakul- along with multi-format all-stars like Grim Flayer and Collective Brutality. It has big potential get-there moments with the Meld cards and some of the flip Eldrazi, and splashy interesting cards like Emrakul herself and Harmless Offering. The set drips with flavour that enhances the gameplay, with very little wasted space.

It’s a set I only really have two complaints about. Firstly- lol Ulrich isn’t good and wasn’t what basically any werewolf fan was after. And two- it suffers from an eternal issue that Magic only recently solved, in that it’s a Small Set with a pile of mechanics that it cannot possibly fully explore in its 200 or so cards. The biggest victim of this is Meld, as they could only fit 3 pairs in under the restraints of the set size. And that’s a real shame, considering that it’s a mechanic that we’re probably never seeing again, especially considering the recent Midnight Hunt. I really think there was a missed opportunity to not have a few leftover Eldrazi in that set- whatever happened to the Dronepack? Or the corrupted vampire houses? I suppose, though, that “I want more!” can be the best complaint a creator can get.

Eldritch Moon had big shoes to fill. However, in my eyes, it didn’t just fill those shoes. It filled them and kept filling them until its distended toes burst out the front and sides of the shoes and just kept growing, and bending in really weird ways, and I think I’ve lost the plot of this metaphor. It’s my favourite Magic set, and I don’t see that changing for a while.

[radioactivepeasant]

Fic Prompts: Folklore Friday

Or more precisely, Eldritch Friday, the day when I deliberately retell a Lovecraft story badly.

He’s public domain, he’ll just have to deal with it.

Today’s story: The Unnameable. Let’s see, which unfortunate soul are we reading the statement of today? Annnnnd it’s Randolph Carter again.

Guy didn’t learn his lesson last time, apparently. Statement Begins:

Randolph is, once again, in a cemetery. By his own volition this time, instead of being conned by a “friend”. There’s an old creepy house and some trees nearby that he supposedly used as a setting for a story he wrote at some point. He stares at an old willow and starts waxing poetic about it drawing nutrients from the skeletons below, or some kind of “unnameable” horror. His buddy, Joel Manton, has been putting up with this kind of talk for a while now, evidently, as Carter has become a Weird Fiction author.

I smell a possible Lovecraft expy.

Manton gets on Lovecraft Carter’s case for overusing “unnameable” and “unmentionable” instead of, you know, actually describing your horror. He also bluntly informs Carter that nobody’s been buried there for a very long time -- presumably why nobody minds them chilling on the tombstones -- and the tree just sends its roots into regular old dirt.

Randolph has picked up a bit of an ego, apparently, since his last statement. He disputes Joel’s more Doylist approach to the supernatural, and writes off the admonition as “the futility of imaginative and metaphysical arguments against the complacency of an orthodox sun-dweller”. So of course he gets defensive of his apparently pretentious stories and starts insisting on the existence of the supernatural, despite already knowing that Joel believes in the supernatural. (He just doesn’t think it’s “unnameable” or makes for good penny dreadfuls). Mind you, Randolph is actually a skeptic at this time. He just likes writing about supernatural fiction. (Presumably his previous statement has finally dawned on him as incredibly fishy.)

“”Common sense” in reflecting on these subjects, I assured my friend with some warmth, is merely a stupid absence of imagination and mental flexibility.”

Gee Randolph, you must be fun at parties.

To his credit, Joel doesn’t back down. He’s a teacher, and he’s used to this kind of thing, apparently.

Carter whines about a story he’d published, complaining that it was retracted because of “silly milk-sops” who just didn’t get it, while his readers in New England are described as reading it and going “meh. Not biologically possible, but it’s a nice story.” Carter insists it was based on an account written by Cotton Mather -- historical side note: Cotton Mather was a Puritan minister in colonial America. Known for promoting inoculation, but also for being a strong influence on the creation of the Salem Witch Trials -- and repeated in an ancestor’s diary. Said ancestor claims to have been run down on the road by something with horns, hooves, and “anthropoid paws”. 

Now, this could be some kind of New England minotaur, as Carter claims by the bones he says he found in the attic of the old house and buried. But with Carter’s tendency to exaggerate scary things, for all we know his ancestor could’ve wandered straight into some poor ox-cart’s path in the middle of a dark road. Probably scared the snot out of that poor bull.

Joel Manton insists that supposing this creature had existed in Puritan days, it still wasn’t Unnameable because sooner or later somebody had to scientifically classify the thing. Side note I feel like Lovecraft would hate some of the names we give cryptids and that amuses me greatly. Yes we named him Mothman, Howard. No we won’t call him “The Thing” or “The Nameless Horror” or something like that. Carter gets more theatrical with his tale, and actually gets a reaction out of Manton. 

It also gets a reaction out of something else that presumably does not appreciate Carter’s storytelling.

Out of the house comes an ice cold wind and -- I kid you not -- the two get run over by a minotaur. They literally wake up in the hospital with hoofprints on their backs like Looney Tunes characters. Randolph “Make Up Stories About The Supernatural Because I’m A Skeptic” has taken a turn into Wile E. Coyote’s neighborhood, and one can hope he learns to stop clamboring around on people’s tombstones after this.

And just like his last statement by Mr. Carter, once again Mr. Lovecraft seems to have a very broad definition of what constitutes “gelatin”.

“It was everywhere -- a gelatin -- a slime; a vapor; -- yet it had shapes, a thousand shapes of horror beyond all memory.” 

Howard dear, gelatin and vapor are two very different consistencies. And gelatin doesn’t leave hoofprints on your back when it bowls you over like a semi truck. But I shouldn’t be surprised, considering this man also used “gelatinous” to describe a pack of rats. 

Randolph’s statement is, in my opinion, a bit unwieldy. He puts a lot of time into arguing for the spooky, eldritch side of the supernatural, and putting his “friend” down for having “common sense”, and yet he claims to be skeptical of such things. Which is it, Randolph? You certainly protest a lot for someone who thinks it’s all fiction. Sort of strikes me as Randolph making it up in his armchair, nursing a drink and imagining some variation of the debate where Joel experienced something that would make him capitulate to Randolph’s opinions.

But on the other hand, it’s a bit difficult to be skeptical once you’ve had The Incredible Cow Man use you as part of the pavement in the local cemetery, I suppose. We shall have to see what the resident minotaur has to say about the encounter, and whether their statement differs from Mr. Carter’s.

Statement ends.

[blueluneacy]

Familiar Shore

Hey, so this is a commission for the lovey @lliminall! Thank you so much for commissioning me, it means a lot! This is a continuation of Black Ocean, so go check that out if you haven’t! It’s Bruno bucciarati x reader timeeee

Word Count: 2.8k Warnings: kidnapping, suicide, transformations, just general angst and comfort vibes

The ocean no longer had any color. It was like the moment you woke up on this terrible island, most everything lost color, the strange world you now found yourself in feeling small compared to the extent of the Labyrinth you once knew. You tended to sit by the ocean nowadays, watching the fish that swam up to the shores to see the strange being that liked to sit and watch them. When Bruno first dropped you in his little lair, some minor beasts that inhabited the ocean and the island, but it seemed that in the days that Bruno was gone, he quickly straightened them out. This place was strange in the sense that everyone seemed a lot more docile. You supposed that most people would have considered that ocean uncrossable and that the local wildlife wasn’t used to humans like yourself, leaving to strange circumstances, like finding that the many tailed foxes seemed to like your company, or that after giving some of the gray birds some of your dinner, they perched near you and cawed at the beasts that came towards you.

Of course, that’s not to say things were sunshine and roses. For example, Bruno was actually terrible. A few times you had tried to pull together a raft and get back to shore, only from Bruno to simply tear it apart and carry you back to your little island. A paradise, he called it. Yeah, what a paradise. And you had gone to Jurassic measures. You remembered waking up in that cave after doing something terrible, stepping out to find Bruno sobbing over your lifeless body. You actually felt bad enough to sigh, only for Bruno’s new keen ears to pick up on it and lunge back to you, thanking whatever Gods there were looking out for the two of you that they set your spawn to here, that you would be with him, that he wouldn’t lose you. You cursed those same gods.

But for now, Bruno seemed to leave you alone. Whether it was because he understood that you needed space and time to process this, or just because he was busy with who knows what, you weren’t sure. Maybe he needed a steady supply of torture to sustain him. It would make sense, the way beasts seem to just thrive on destroying any human being that they came into contact with. But, there was also another problem, one that plagued you. It had to be a lie, right? Bruno couldn’t have possibly actually… Turned into a beast, right? No, he had to be one beforehand. There’s no way that a human being could turn into a beast, and even so… Why would he? Bruno was kind and caring… Unless he wasn’t. Until he was completely deranged, dragging you under the depths until you passed out. You didn’t like to think about it, didn’t like to think about those eyes. You just closed your eyes, telling yourself in just another minute, you’d walk the fifty feet back to the cave you had now found as your home, finding the stone becoming increasingly more smooth, the terrible thing that was keeping here making it more homey day by day. What started off as a simple cave with furs on the ground now had furniture, actual walls, even a bed. You still preferred to sleep on the floor if it meant it kept Bruno from holding you. It didn’t.

After a few moments and a lot of convincing yourself to get up, solely just to eat and get some rest as you plotted your way out of this mess, you made your way over to the cave only to stop when you heard voices. One of them you recognized, Bruno, but there was someone actually responding to him. You swallowed, unable to help yourself from hiding at the edge of the cave to listen in to what they were saying.

“I just don’t know if I can make it work, is all. I mean, you’ve seen them. They’re horrified of… This.” Bruno spoke out, leaving the other beast just to scoff.

“They’re horrified that you’re no longer human. Something that you can’t change. Do you honestly believe that you can make them separate this idea of who you once were versus who you are now?” The other beast, for what other creature would be able to speak out with such calm in front of Bruno in the state that he was in now, replied, sounding simply skeptical.

“But you don’t understand, it’s not like I’ve changed. I’m still the same person, I just-”

“Happened to have turned into an eldritch horror beyond basic human comprehension now trapped in a liminal space shaped like a labyrinth. Good pitch.” He sounded so curt, leaving Bruno just to huff.

“I don’t know why I even bothered to ask you.”

“Because you knew I would be honest with you. It would be easiest if you just gave up on the human, Buccellati. Humans are odd, fragile, and emotional. You could easily find a nice beast girl to settle down if you really wanted.” He replied, leaving you just to… ponder. You never really thought of beasts actually speaking to each other, much less loving each other.

“You act as though we’re not humans.” Bruno replied sharply, leaving the other beast to sigh.

“You’re not. We’re not. Sure, maybe at one time, but there’s no way back. Who knows, maybe you and Dio can laugh over this one day.”

“He’s on the other side of the Labyrinth. Speaking of which, how are there other Beasts in this territory? I thought it was supposed to be mine.”

“Oh, only stronger beasts deal with things like territory. Pathetic ones like me, we don’t have that luxury. It’s easier to say you’re with the biggest guy in the room than to try and stake out your own claim in the world. Plenty of territories are filled with beasts that simply stick around for protection or just because they feel like it. I’m surprised you don’t have a line out the door with Beasts asking for your blessing to move in, this is prime real estate.”

“They’re too dangerous for my beloved to be around. I’m particular about the things that might feel too comfortable to try and hurt them.”

“If you’re choosey, then you really made a bad choice in letting me stay.”

“You don’t like humans. I figured you didn’t have the spine to break theirs.” You gasped at that, Bruno’s fine tuned ears finally picking up on your listening in to their conversation and standing up.

“Cara, you can come in. It’s rude to listen in.” He called out to you, leaving you to swallow as you stepped out into the low candlelight of the cave, making your way inside. You just stared at the ground, not wanting to respond for fear of… You weren’t really sure. Bruno didn’t tend to get mad at you, but you didn’t know anything about this other beast. When you caught a glimpse of him, you were a bit skeptical. While Bruno tended to hide his more… Er, Inhuman qualities, this other beast had no qualms about being comfortable. You saw how his silvery hair fell over his shoulders, his painted lips barely concealing rows of sharp teeth and neatly done nails actually claws.

“Tesoro, this is Leone Abbacchio. He’ll be staying near the Shore, so you may see him often.” Bruno told you, leaving you just to roll your eyes.

“Oh boy, another terrifying monster I get to live near! I’ll make sure to bake cookies for the house party.” You replied, leaving Bruno’s face just to set into a grimace while Abbacchio just smiled and rolled his eyes.

“I have no interest in humans, and much less one this scrappy.” He replied, standing up. It took a moment for his insult to click, but once it did, you were ready to fucking fight. Would you lose? Probably. But your honor. But, before you could get a word out, Abbacchio just brushed himself off of bits of sand that seemed to stick at his body, and turned to Bruno.

“I’ll let you two have your lovers quarrel in peace.” And with that, Abbacchio quickly was out of there, leaving you alone with Bruno, who just shook his head as he sat down, motioning for you to sit with him. You did not obey.

“Don’t just stand there, tesoro. Perhaps we should talk. I hate the idea that there’s something wrong with our relationship.” Bruno told you, leaving you just to scoff as you crossed your arms.

“It’s fundamentally wrong, because it’s based on a lie. Me being here isn’t because of love! It’s because of… Because you… I’m your prisoner, Bruno!” You didn’t know why tears were welling up in your eyes, why the pain hit your heart as you spoke the truth, but it did. Your dreams of escaping with Bruno to the outside world, outside of this hell, were crushed entirely. Everything was just a wreck, Bruno had lost it, and beyond it all, he still gave you a pang in your heart. Bruno just shook his head, standing up and you released how much taller than you he was. Was he always this much taller than you? Still, it didn’t matter, you didn’t have the chance to step away before Bruno wrapped his arms around you, holding you tight. It was possessive, but his hand came behind your head, pressing your face into his chest. You gasped as you released he still smelled the same as before, of coastal air and cypress.

“I… I don’t care about that, (Y/n). I can’t lose you, not like everyone else. Please, just stay with me. If I lose you, I know… I know I’ll become like the rest of them. Please, I really do love you. Don’t you love me back?” Bruno’s voice was shaking, as if he were about to cry. You had the instinct to try and comfort him, holding yourself back the best you could.

“I… I don’t know anymore. It feels like… I’m haunted by you at this point. This person you once were and the… Thing you are now.” You replied, leaving Bruno just to sigh and let you go.

“I… But I haven’t changed. I haven’t hurt a single human. If anything, I’m safest out here. No one could possibly come out here, it’ll just be you and me. We can make the life you spoke about here, we can get married and have a family-”

“Bruno, no! We can never have that! You know that! Deep down in your heart, you know that just as well as I do, that this will never work! Even before... “ You looked away, hoping to find some sense of reality in a pace that seems to lack it. God, this was terrible. “We were just chasing after affection, weren’t we? Did we really love each other, or were we just so lonely that we didn’t know what to do and threw ourselves at the idea of human contact?” You replied, leaving Bruno to sigh.

“(Y/n), do you remember how you entered into the Labyrinth?”

“I…. What?” That was out of nowhere. You wondered if maybe he was trying to change the subject, but nonetheless, you shrugged and decided to answer.

“I don’t remember. I was walking through the woods one day, and it was like I got lost… Well, lost forever. I don’t really… Know what I did to deserve all of this.” You replied, leaving Bruno to sigh.

“Is there something back in your old life so pressing that you have to return to it? Is the world outside better than something we could build?” Bruno asked. You wanted to argue so bad, but he was right in a way. There really was nothing that you had going for you back at home. You would go back to work, live your boring, mundane life, but…

“You’re holding me hostage here, Bruno.”

“I’m protecting you. (Y/n), there’s no way out of the Labyrinth unless you have someone from the outside to pull you out. There’s no exit. That is the main secret of the Labyrinth.” He told you, his voice serious, and you knew he was telling the truth.

“I-I… T-Then, what were we searching for all that time?! Why were we… What kind of torture is all this?!” You replied, shaking a bit. You didn’t notice the way your hands were starting to fade and distort, but you didn’t care. “What kind of being would create such a terrible place?!”

“I… I don’t know, tesoro. I really don’t know. But… If there’s no one outside looking for you, you have to understand. Travelling back to the main portion of the Labyrinth is…” He didn’t have to say it. It was a death sentence, a world of torture waiting to happen. You just collapsed, feeling yourself collapse into a pile as you sobbed, trying to find some way, some reason for your entire existence here. You wanted to believe this was a lie, you really did, but something about Bruno’s tone.... How did he even learn this? Did that other beast tell him? Maybe it was just a lie that that beasts told, and Abbacchio knew that Bruno would try to be a sap with you. Torture by proxy. But still… Bruno’s hand hit your back, rubbing it gently as he sat down next to you.

“I… I know. Apparently… Every Beast that is in the Labyrinth was once a human being. One that was never saved.” He told you, leaving you just to go silent. You looked at your hands, the twisting of your own flesh and the accenting of claws that you had been telling yourself was just your nails growing jagged from lack of care. You turned to Bruno, lip quivering.

“I’m just haunted by the ghost of the person I thought I loved, and I don’t know if that person truly is you, or if he was killed in the fire.” You whispered, almost hoping that Bruno wouldn’t hear it. He just pulled you closer, wiping away your tears.

“I… I honestly don’t know. I feel like I am the same person, but who knows. I don’t know what has changed about me, and what hasn’t. All I know is… (Y/n), you keep me whole. You keep me… Good. I can’t explain it. I know you loved that person before, but… Could you ever be able to love me too?” He asked, leaving you just to look at the ground.

“I… I think so. I…” Your eyes just welled up with tears again as you grabbed onto Bruno, sobbing. You mourned for him, for yourself, for the hell that dozens were put through.

“What’s going to happen to me, Bru? Am I going to become a monster?” You asked, leaving the man to just pet your hair, hushing you.

“No matter what you become, you’re still going to be mia cara. And I’ll always love you, no matter what. I promise.” He told you. You looked up, letting your hand run along his cheek as you pressed your lips against his for the first time in forever. And he wasn’t warm the way he once was, but the kiss was still real, and his lips were still soft. When he pulled away, Bruno just held you in his arms, the two of you sharing a soft moment as you both tried to process the new reality that had come upon you. This was now the world you lived in, a world of Beasts and humans who would someday become beasts. If there were gods, they were only malevolent.

“I… I really do love you, (Y/n). I want a life with you. Even if it has to be in this hell, I really do mean what I meant. I think we could create a paradise here. A place just for us, forever.” He told you, and in your week state, you just nodded, letting Bruno hold you as you closed your eyes.

“I… I love you too. I’ve always loved you.” You told him, feeling your eyes get heavy as you cuddled up with Bruno. You looked into his eyes again, seeing that blue you had fallen in love with in the beginning, the Fisherman’s son who was determined to get home, with that serious look on his face, but full of hope. His eyes still had hope, though. For some reason, that seemed to comfort you, seemed to make you feel like things… Might be okay. Maybe not now, but someday.

For the last time that night, you dreamed of that idyllic life you once wanted with Bruno, in the old world on the ocean, a family and kids and peace. When you awakened in the arms of the beast, you were finally ready to throw it away.

[waukrife]

@tvpeongsstuff​ also asked:

well....depends on where he goes?

It’s interesting to think about what he would do in the past, whether he would change anything, and if he did, would he keep his cards close or tell the council everything (I lean towards the former), would he make sure they avoided the fight on Naboo or would he kill the Sith and survive. Would he knight Obi-Wan and train Anakin himself (yes because he’s stubborn and doesn’t realise Obi-Wan deserves better)? What knock on effects would this have, up to and including Obi-Wan keeping his head down and being a perfect (-ly miserable) Jedi Knight, Dooku potentially staying with the Jedi, etc? However, in terms of scenario, I got a bit stuck on the future rather than the past, and also rambled about how Tim-Travel Is Real and Here’s How in maybe too much incoherent detail. 

Not to ramble about Jedi theology on main or anything, but I think that the Force exists beyond time, as in the Force is everywhere, and the Force yesterday is the same as today and tomorrow. It’s how Jedi have visions of the future, because that future already exists within the Force. So, when a Jedi ‘becomes one with the force’, constructs like time don’t exist. Neither do objectives like ‘this universe’ or ‘the universe where Anakin did save Padmé’ or even less prophetic twists like ‘the universe where Obi-Wan DID take the deathsticks’. 

In my headcanon, Force Ghosts absolutely could figure this out and manifest in the past. They don’t do this because they are boring and small-minded. Jedi these days...I guess when you’re working for the Republic there’s no time to sit down and ask why Jedi can see the future but not reach in and change it, or why some Jedi can teleport but not time-travel? It’s all just space and the force, isn’t it? So say the last time Qui-Gon hit a bong and decided to study the living force enough to become a ghost when he died, he got MORE esoteric with the meditations and figured out Force Ghost time-travel too. 

All this to say, when he dies and pops back as a ghost, his first thought is probably hmmm better check on Anakin. His next thought is probably oh shit, and Obi-Wan, my student of 12 years. I also think it’s quite easy to get lulled into just merging into the Force or getting lost, rather than concentrating enough to go somewhere, let alone chose where you end up. Maybe for a laugh he’d accidentally get stuck in some artefact in the temple for a bit, like...just him and some echo of a long-dead darksider chilling in the force attached to a cursed robe in the depths of temple storage or something. Or maybe he’d accidentally tune into a couple of people’s force dyad space-time calls ("Can you see my surroundings?""You're gonna pay for what you did!" oh dear, wrong number) before actually going anywhere deliberately or getting stuck somewhere. 

In canon, Qui-Gon is too boring and traditional to actually risk doing anything more than occasionally whispering vague encouragement into a couple of Jedi’s ears. So I don’t think he’d choose to actually explore time, or change the past. But that sucks and also so does studying really hard for your entire life and then in death maintaining the concentration to exist visibly using the force only to then look like a glitchy blue hologram. So, I think it would be cool for him to accidentally focus too hard and and accidentally properly re-embody himself somewhere in the gffa. Qui-Gon’s characterisation, as most Star Wars characters, is made very difficult by the breadth of material available, and the relative lack of actual screentime in the canon films, but he seems to be both a traditionalist, and also a bit of a renegade. Like, libertarian uncle energy. So it would be very interesting to see him confronted with the changes that overtook the Jedi in the near future, rather than the past. 

I think it would be most fun if he could accidentally get stuck in the clone wars. 

A clone scuba unit on some random planet in the middle of nowhere, doing underwater recon suddenly fish out some guy claiming to be a Jedi, look, I have a lightsaber- wow ok the blade is invisible, it didn't used to do that, oh wait yeah I'm actually made purely from the force and so are my clothes and accessories, don’t make me lose concentration or I might turn back into a blue ghost or just vanish or explode or something. Or more likely, he wouldn’t say anything, even when he figures out he’s not going to vanish any time soon and actually he doesn't need to concentrate that hard to keep the body, he can just use the force very powerfully to explode some droids- wait, why are there droids now? He'd probably just say some vague jedi catchphrases until someone comms their Captain who comms their Commander who comms the General who comes to check it out, who goes white and very bravely doesn’t pass out, who comms the Council who verify, this is dead Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn only somehow alive, and decide that “actually we can’t recall General Kenobi from undercover, and the 92nd just lost their general....” and put this possible ghost-creature that just emerged from the depths like the world’s lankiest space-shark (if sharks wore dripping beige robes and had kind of eldritch force powers even if they were reluctant to use them or speak in a way that made sense to people who don’t read Jedi philosophy treatises for fun). 

The 92nd aren’t really in the thick of it, anyway. They need the Jedi manpower and they need to keep Jinn out of trouble until they figure out whatever the hell the madman’s done this time. Hey, at least he’s not Pong Krell or some shiny knight who’s never been anywhere without their master, let alone had a command of an entire battalion. There’s no way this could go wrong. 

[raeynbowboi]

How to Play as Robin in DnD 5e

I’ve built Raven and Starfire, so now it’s time to move on to the boys, starting with the level-headed leader of the team: Dick Grayson, better known as the first Robin to serve under the caped crusader. We trained under a great detective, and we need to reflect that in the way we build ourselves.

The Boy Wonder is your garden variety human, no reanimated corpses here. So, we’ll treat Robin as a Standard Human. If you want to nitpick that Robin could kick Cinderblock without shattering his leg bones, then I guess go with Variant Human, but I’ll be balancing him as a Standard Human for this build.

Before we were Robin we were part of the Flying Graysons, a circus act. We’ll take the Entertainer Background as an Acrobat for Acrobatics and Performance. But if you’d rather focus on Robin’s tutelage under a master detective, take the Investigator Background for Athletics and Insight (but not Investigation for some reason). As a Rogue, we’ll take Investigation, Stealth, Perception, and Deception for our skills of choice, and put our Expertise into Investigation, Acrobatics/Athletics, Stealth, and Deception.

For Alignment, we can get pretty obsessive and unhinged when dealing with Slade, enough that Raven had to pin us down to keep us from injuring a civilian. We also went undercover as a villain to get close to Slade and fought our own friends to keep up the disguise. We’re Chaotic Good. Stopping the bad guy is all that matters by any means necessary.

ROGUE

Arcane Trickster. While this might seem like an odd choice, as Robin is not a wizard, there are a lot of Wizard spells that could be re-skinned as Robin’s tools, such as Fog Cloud for smokescreens, Jump, Longstrider, Spider Climb, and Haste for mobility. Darkvision for night vision goggles. Even more fantastic spells are within Robin’s skill sets by his building of Red X’s suit with things like teleportation (Misty Step), nets and pastes (Hold Person), Silencers (Silence) or holograph duplicates (Mirror Image).

Inquisitive. The Inquisitive Rogue is a natural detective, with an eye for details and an ear for deceit, they excel at solving mysteries and getting to the truth. You can even analyze your opponent, and develop a strategy to have advantage on an opponent, even without allies flanking the enemy, great for one-on-one combat.

Mastermind. A master of deception and strategy, playing the role of a tactician and a spy. You can pass yourself off as someone else by mimicking their voice and disguising yourself, you can Help an ally as a bonus action, and you can learn when an enemy creature’s INT, WIS, or CHA is higher, lower, or equal to your own.

MONK

Kensei. Robin is all about weapon combat. His tool belt is his greatest advantage, and the Kensei Monk hides a few extra tricks up its sleeve. This subclass gives Robin more tactics to employ, not unlike the Maneuvers of the Battle Master Fighter.

Shadow. The ninja subclass of DnD 5e, the Shadow Monk is highly focused on stealth and infiltration, with spells for sneaking and disarming, rather than dealing damage, which is perfect for an espionage-heavy campaign. The ability to teleport between shadows means that no amount of large windows letting in the moonlight will ever expose him.

FIGHTER

Battle Master. The Battle Master is all about not just fighting but fighting smartly. You get proficiency with an artisan’s tools, we’ll pick Tinkerer’s Tools to dabble with technology. Later, we can study a creature and whether their Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Hit Points, Armor Class, total Class levels (if any), and total Fighter Levels (if Any) are greater, less than, or equal to our own.

BATTLE MASTER MANEUVERS Ambush (UA). Add your superiority die to a stealth check or an initiative roll, helping Robin get the first punch more often. Bait and Switch (UA). You switch places with a nearby ally, letting you switch the target from you to a teammate who can tank the hit better (like Cyborg, Starfire, or wildshaped Beast Boy) Commander’s Strike. If it didn’t specify your teammates make a weapon attack, this feature would be great. Because there’s just going to be times when Robin’s not as effective against an enemy, and he can give one of his attacks to a teammate. If your DM is willing to homebrew this to work better, great. but as is, this sin’t a great option for him. Disarming Attack. A good strategy, making enemies drop their weapons, arcane focus, or magic items. It’s also made with a Strength score, which after Intelligence I’ve tended to find that STR is the second most commonly dropped stat, meaning it’ll likely be an effective tactic. Feinting Attack. You gain advantage against a creature and add your Superiority die roll to your damage. Thus, giving Robin a way to fight one-on-one and still make use of his Sneak Attack. Granted, you should usually have your party with you, but in the case of tournaments, solo-missions, and party separation, Robin doesn’t lose a cornerstone of his combat capability. Maneuvering Attack. Decent for repositioning your teammates. Get Starfire or Raven out of Melee range, or help Beast Boy and Cyborg bridge the gap between themselves and other creatures. Robin can also help move low HP character closer to Raven for healing, allowing them to disngage from hostile creatures. Parry. Reduce melee damage by superiority die + DEX. This plus Evasion will really make Robin hard to take out. Rally. Basically Inspiring Leader, but Robin’s not Charismatic enough. But you could build him to make better use of it if you want. Reposte. A counter attack you’ll get great use out of with a high enough AC. Sweeping Attack. This lets you attack two enemies that are near each other, making it easier to mow through Slade’s robot minions.

FIGHTING STYLE Blinding Fighting (learned from the snake master in “The Quest”) Duelist (one-handed quarterstaff) Great Weapon Fighting (two-handed quarterstaff) Thrown Weapon Fighting (UA) (darts) Two-Weapon Fighting (twin shock clubs) Unarmed Combat (UA) (1d8+STR)

CLERIC

Light. This one’s a bit of a silly option, but potentially viable, a 1 level dip into Cleric can allow Robin to use Warding Flare like a flash grenade equal to his WIS mod, giving enemies that attack him disadvantage.

TACTICAL MASTERMIND Mastermind Rogue (12) Battle Master Fighter (7) Monk (1)

STR 10 DEX 20 CON 14 INT 18 WIS 18 CHA 9

FIGHTING STYLE Dueling

MANEUVERS Disarming Attack Feinting Attack Maneuvering Attack Parry Reposte

The benefit of mixing these classes together is two-fold: The Battle Master can pick Maneuvers that aid and utilize their teammates, and the Mastermind’s Master of Tactics is great for Teamwork, allowing you to Aid your teammates. As team leader, Robin needs to be able to direct his teammates, which is why I made sure to give him Maneuvering Attack. Secondly, Robin can read any kind of enemy, getting a feel for their stats, and how best to fight them. I decided to neglect Monk as all it really offers is unarmed combat, a higher AC, and the same Evasion feature Robin already gets as a Rogue and the same Extra Attack he gets from being a Fighter. While Inquisitive Rogue was tempting, Feinting Attack also gives Robin advantage on an opponent, so it’s the best of both worlds. If your DM is willing to alter Commander’s Strike to work for spells and ranged attacks (such as with Cyborg’s Eldritch Canon), it becomes a lot more useful, and can replace either Disarming Attack or Parry, and lets Robin get help from his teammates. Because when the enemy is weak to Fire damage, you want to give Starfire as many attacks as possible.

I find that this build of Robin achieves everything we set out to accomplish. He’s a strategic fighter, with an excellent blend of stealth, sleuthing, and combat prowess. He’s a decisive leader who can direct his teammates on the battlefield, and yet, he can also handle one-on-one fights as well. This results in Robin being exceptionally well-rounded. The Fighter levels also go a long way to making Robin far more durable than a straight Rogue or Monk would have. Higher HP means Robin can fight on the front lines with greater ease.

[erekiosuncreativeideas]

Being Human - Chapter 16

<= Chapter 15

Summary : Snatcher learns something that is definitely not a good thing. Also available on AO3 : https://archiveofourown.org/works/24826561/chapters/68121814

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Sorry for the late posting ! I have a bit of a writer block, and I tried toi delay my chapters as much as possible until I couldn't anymore (the 17th chapter isn't finished so it'll force me to write it eventually), sorry about that ! I hope you're still interested in this story despite my lack of recent activity.

I hope you'll like this chapter !

Of course, the “Oh The Humanity” AU belongs to @doodledrawsthings​​ !

Happy reading !

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Chapter 16 - “So, what are you doing here?”

Out of all the people who could have come out of this hallway, Moonjumper was perhaps the less surprising one to Snatcher. Obviously, the fear of seeing Her had engulfed him since the moment the alarm went off, but now, he felt a huge wave of relief hitting him. The man knew very well this was absolutely stupid for him to think She would be able to come onto the ship uninvited… But still.

His posture relaxed once he realized he wasn’t in danger. This was maybe the first time he was truly happy to see Moonjumper, but compared to Vanessa, this wasn’t really difficult. However… Why was he here? Did something happen with Her…?

The living corpse’s face lit up as his eyes fell on Snatcher and the bow-wearing kid next to him. He had his hands clasped together, his face shifting from worry to relief as he saw them:

-“Oh hello! There you are!” he greeted the two, floating a bit closer, while the bow-wearing child approached him too, her smile wide. Her annoyed expression had been quickly replaced by a happy one, an excited one even, as if she hadn’t seen the guy for weeks when, in fact, it had only been two days.

-“Moonjumper!” she greeted him back, stopping just in front of him, her posture clear of how glad she was to see him. The feeling seemed to be mutual as he gave her a warm smile, just as happy to see her. The other’s eyes soon drifted higher to meet Snatcher’s, and the corpse’s warm expression fell a bit. Well, this wasn’t quite surprising, considering how sour their relationship was. In all honesty, who wouldn’t be put off by seeing their dead, rotten body floating right before them, stolen by an unknown spirit? Not a lot of people.

-“Good morning,” said Snatcher simply, the gears in his mind turning more and more. Was this a simple visit of courtesy or… Was there more to it? The former ghost couldn’t help but think of the worst-case scenario. But could this be possible…? It had only been a few days!

Yet, Vanessa was unpredictable and much cleverer than what she let people think. She wasn’t just a Queen that had gone crazy with jealousy and control… No, no… She was far more intelligent and cruel that one would think. And Snatcher knew that from experience. Furthermore, the man couldn’t help but think of Moonjumper’s worried face as the latter had entered the room… He had a bad feeling, he hated that, but that feeling was definitely there, eating him little by little.

Something had happened.

His thoughts were soon cut short as Moonjumper started to talk again, trying to fill the uncomfortable silence that had followed Snatcher’s greeting:

“I- uh, seem to have triggered some sort of alarm…?” wondered the ghost with confusion and nervousness: “Is… Is this normal?”

The former spirit couldn’t blame the other, that loud thing had surprised him too quite a lot. Just the same, he couldn’t help but wonder if this was something that happened on a regular basis or not. Given how annoyed the little girl had been instead of surprised or startled like he had been, he supposed the former was most likely.

-“Yeah, I was wondering about that too,” added Snatcher with a perplexed frown, tilting his head slightly.

The little girl winced as she glanced away, probably remembering quite a lot of situations revolving about said alarm. When she did start to explain, her features showed some hints of irritation.

-“Well… It’s something that Hat and I built in the spaceship in case of… Incidents.”

-“‘Incidents’?” repeated Snatcher, even more confused and, perhaps, a bit nervous now. What did she mean by that…? Apparently, Moonjumper’s face showed the same signs of worry he was expressing, if not more. Both of their stances were now tensed, waiting anxiously for the child to continue her explanation. At their insistence, she seemed a little uncomfortable, as if she didn’t know how to explain something to them in a way that wouldn’t worry them even more.

Well, this was not a success.

-“Hum… I mean, Space is a dangerous place, you know?” she tried to clarify: “And there are many, many life forms out there, not all being super nice so… It’s better to be prepared, right? Just in case. So Hat and I decided to install that alarm, but…” She paused, looking elsewhere as she kept going, more annoyed: “So far, it has only been a bother, and we never had any problems. But… You never know, right?”

Okay, so if Snatcher was nervous before, now he was just scared. What kind of horrific creatures would cause the need for such a system? Space was not his forte, never had been actually, but now the idea of stargazing through the window just made him terribly ill at ease. Who knew what he’d happen to see in this endless black void…?

Yeah no, he didn’t want to think about that.

As the bow-wearing kid looked back at them, she seemed to notice their change of behaviour and expression and raised her hands quickly:

-“B-but it’s fine!” she soon added with a forced smile: “It doesn’t happen really ofte-”

-“It has happened before?!” interrupted Moonjumper, with a panicked and horrified look in his eyes. Well, then again, Snatcher couldn’t blame him. The simple thought of an unknown creature possibly infiltrating the ship… It made him shiver. As if he didn’t have enough to worry about with Vanessa!

-“No! I mean, yes, but-!” the child was starting to grow a little frustrated and she eventually covered her face with both of her hands, rubbing it as she was maybe thinking of a way to calm the two. Eventually, she sighed and tried to smile again, though it didn’t reassure Snatcher very much: “Your solar system is safe,” she informed them calmly: “You don’t need to be afraid, for real. I mean, otherwise your planet would have probably been invaded by some giant eldritch horrors by now, or-”

The little girl closed her lips shut and tight as she realized she was only making things worse. Giant eldritch horrors? Normally, that wouldn’t scare Snatcher, but being in his fragile and weak human body made him reconsider a lot of things, and this was one of them. With so many risks of dying and not even being sure to come back as a ghost afterwards, he just couldn’t allow himself to be reckless... Especially with the time limit looming over them, this sword of Damocles looming over their head. He had to be there if Vanessa happened to do something, whether it was as a powerful spirit… Or as a weak and pathetic human being.

He needed to be there.

Right in front of them, the bow-wearing kid was fidgeting uncomfortably, a wince clearly visible on her face as a heavy and awkward silence settled in the room. Well, now it was much too late to try to reassure any of them, especially Moonjumper, whose face said enough about the whole ordeal. Quite soon, the little girl found herself unable to do anything else than to flee the conversation:

-“Uuuh, you know what, I’ll, uh…” she stuttered, gesturing to the engine room: “I’ll tell Hat you’re here, so, hm… Have fun you two!” And, without waiting for them to protest or even reply, the bow-wearing child dashed to the door and disappeared into the hallway, leaving two very confused and nervous spirits on their own.

-“What. The heck,” let out Snatcher, frowning even more, his eyes fixed on the now closed door.

-“I, uh… I’m starting to fear for these children’s safety,” murmured Moonjumper, just as shocked as him.

-“You don’t say,” answered the former ghost flatly. That wasn’t really surprising, considering all the kind of trouble the kids were used to put themselves into. Plus, Subcon was kind of a death trap in itself, and yet the little girls kept visiting no matter how many time they had almost got killed. However, if there was anything to be worried about, this wasn’t the kids’ safety (Ha!) but his.

Eventually, the former spirit turned back to Moonjumper, his mind realizing the golden opportunity he had for being alone with the living corpse. Without the kids being around them, Snatcher could ask about the state of Subcon Forest without having Moonjumper worrying about upsetting the children.

-“So, what are you doing here?” he asked, straight to the point. There was no use in delaying the inevitable and if there was something he had to know about… Well, it was better now than later. With Vanessa able to freeze his entire kingdom again, it was better to be careful.

Just like he had expected, Moonjumper was taken aback by his straightforward attitude, making him fidget just like the bow-wearing kid earlier. This sight was more than enough to tell Snatcher that, yes, there was indeed something bothering Moonjumper, and most likely something linked to their biggest problem at the moment: Vanessa. And yet, the corpse glanced away, biting his lips as if he was trying to find a way to tell him what was happening without upsetting him too much.

But the silence on its own was more than enough to make him upset.

-“Okay,” Snatcher pinched his nose, feeling a weight settling in his stomach. Gods, what was he going to learn… His legs were starting to shake a bit and the man felt like his muscles freezing from the tension and apprehension. If he had to know something, it was now or never: “What’s happening? I know you’re not here just to say ‘hi’, especially since it’s only been a couple of days. So what’s wrong?”

Snatcher didn’t have the strength to play the questioner type too long. Dealing with this body was already quite a lot on his mind, so if he had to get more worries over his unfortunately weak shoulders…

-“It’s…” Moonjumper started, looking much more worried than when he had first appeared in the room. Had he been trying to hide it as long as there was a kid in the room? “It’s your fires. They’re starting to die down already.”

Snatcher frowned again, more and more confused.

-“My… Fires? What do you-” but then, he closed his mouth. His fires. The ones he had lit up to protect Subcon Forest from his ex’s magic, the ones that were the only thing heating up the area enough to keep it warm and safe from Vanessa. The only barrier against this unnatural and terrifying cold that had killed so many people… Including him.

Those fires were dying down.

The former ghost’s face paled up as soon as this thought materialized in his mind, hitting him violently as he was forced to understand what it meant. What it all meant for him, for his forest… And for his minions. If those fires ever went out, then there wouldn’t be anything to protect Subcon from the terrible cold and ice coming from the manor, but this wasn’t the worst, no, oh no.

Vanessa would feel that there were no resistance against her magic anymore. This couldn’t happen, this just couldn’t happen, ever.

-“Snatcher...! Snatcher!” Moonjumper tried to call him back to reality, but Snatcher was too lost in his own horrifying thoughts. How could this already be happening? Those fires shouldn’t die down so soon! Sure, he had predicted this would happen, considering they originated from his powers and, thus, depended on them to remain active and warm. Now that the man was in a human body with none of his magical abilities left, he didn’t have any power source to maintain them. It didn’t take him long to put two and two together: this would be what would make Vanessa understand that the Forest wasn’t as well protected as before. However, he had expected this to happen much, much later. Not now. They hadn’t found anything to reverse the situation yet…!

Oh Gods. He was hyperventilating again. His body was now trembling like a leaf and he only realized he was hugging himself. A loud, very loud ringing noise was echoing in his brain, making him unable to distinguish any other sound. What? Why…?

Why was he so scared…?

He was forced out of his thoughts as he felt two hands on his shoulders, shaking him back and forth to bring him back to the present. He heard his name being called, though it was muffled by that deafening ringing noise. What would he do if Vanessa came before they found any solution? How was he going to protect his kingdom in this weak, stupid and pathetic meat sack of a body? The Queen wouldn’t give them any chance to fight back, especially if she was free to use his powers at their full potential in the Forest…

What was she going to do if she saw him like that again…? That thought alone made his stomach turn strongly, giving him the urge to throw up. No, no, no, no, he couldn’t go through that again, he couldn’t, she wouldn’t let him die this time, she would do her best to keep him alive, locked up for him to never, never escape again-

The pressure on his shoulders disappeared eventually… Only to reappear somewhere else, on his cheeks, forcing him to look up. There, he could see Moonjumper’s panicked face.

-“Snatcher!” the latter yelled, forcing him out of his trance. It was only then that the former spirit managed to glance around him, pulling himself together little by little. He was still in the ship. He was still safe.

His eyes went back on Moonjumper’s, the other letting go of his face now that he was able to think coherently again. As soon as he was free again, Snatcher stepped away: his breath was quick and heavy, his heart was pounding inside of his chest, his eyes were stinging… He reached out to rub his eyes, but as soon as his fingers touched them… He could feel them wet.

Did he really… Did he really start to cry…? In front of Moonjumper out of all people?! This could only be a joke. As fast as he could, he tried to dry them up, not wanting anyone to see him in that state, and especially not the spirit who had stolen his past life. No, absolutely not, not happening in a million years!

-“I’m… I’m sorry,” apologized Moonjumper, his expression no more afraid but guilty instead. His eyes were fixed on him, staring at him with what Snatcher identified as pity, as compassion. Gods, he would always hate being looked at this way. This made him feel even more pitiful than he already was in a state like this. But the other started to talk again, catching his attention again: “I should have been more tactful…”

But this apology wasn’t changing anything. It wasn’t changing the current situation, it wouldn’t keep Vanessa away. Those were just words. And words would never, never save them from a crazy Ice Queen starved for a twisted and inhuman love.

-“How much…” Snatcher could feel a lump in his throat, almost preventing him from talking. He still managed to get the words out, though his voice sounded much too broken for his liking: “How much have they died down?” he decided to ask. Maybe he had been panicking over nothing, perhaps the situation wasn’t as bad as it seemed! After all, he had always been quite powerful, it would make sense that his powers would persist even after him becoming human again!

… Right?

His eyes were staring at Moonjumper, awaiting the other’s answer with an unbearable impatience. He was hoping to see some kind of reassurance, something to make him feel better, anything other than the worst-case scenario he had started to picture since the very beginning of this problem. But the corpse wasn’t smiling, he wasn’t wearing the face of someone intending to comfort him, no…

Moonjumper seemed as terrified as he was himself.

-“Almost… Almost halfway,” answered the corpse with a paler face than the one he already had, his hands trembling as he fidgeted in the air.

As soon as the words came to Snatcher ears, he felt like he had just received a bucket of freezing water over his shoulders. Halfway…? No, no, this couldn’t be, this was too soon, way too soon! The man had thought it would take at least a week for that to happen! How could this be?!

-“No,” he breathed out, stepping away once more. He couldn’t believe it, didn’t want to believe it! Those fires were their only hope of keeping Vanessa away and oblivious of the situation! And those same fires were dying down?! “No, no, no, that’s not true,” he kept going, his voice becoming more and more distressed as he was glancing everywhere randomly: “You’re wrong, it’s not possible, they’re not-”

-“They are,” insisted Moonjumper with a troubled voice, not giving him the time to finish: “I thought just like you at first, I… I didn’t want to believe it either… But they’re already getting weaker. I… I checked, multiple times.”

This wasn’t good, this really wasn’t good… Snatcher felt like the world around him was collapsing around him. Their barrier against that crazy monster was weakening, it was weakening and they wouldn’t be able to fight her like this. But the worst question was yet to come, the most terrible and the most terrifying one that Snatcher wanted to avoid thinking about at all cost. But he didn’t have the choice anymore.

-“Do you…” The words got stuck in his throat, his breath becoming heavier and heavier as he struggled to talk again, fighting against the dread that was settling over him: “Do you think she noticed anything yet?”

If Vanessa had noticed anything… Then that would only announce a terrible danger. It wouldn’t take her long to understand that the Forest was soon unprotected… And that she would have the perfect opportunity to strike.

-“I don’t… I don’t know,” answered Moonjumper trustfully as he glanced elsewhere, visibly just as scared as he was: “I haven’t felt anything different coming from the manor yet, so I would guess not, but-”

However, the corpse was cut short in his reply by a high pitched voice that was very, very familiar to the two spirits.

-“What are you two talking about?”

The duo turned in the direction of the voice… Only to find the two little girls, standing up in front of the door leading to the engine room, a confused and worried expression painted on their faces. Both were glancing at them repeatedly, looking for an answer to their question, any answer. But the fear on their faces were already more than a good indicator of what was happening. Soon, their own faces crumpled as they started to understand.

No matter what they had to do to reverse this whole situation… Then they’d have to speed up the process, as much as possible.

Snatcher would not let Vanessa freeze the entire forest again.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Hehehehehe another cliffhanger, woohooo- Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter ! See you in the next one !

=> Chapter 17

[in-tua-deep]

Headcanon: The Umbrella Academy as Adults, Finally Playing the Game of Catch the Football That Their Father Never Would

Diego: Obviously, great thrower, great catcher. He definitely does those funky little dances that he does in the I Think We’re Alone Now scene with every successful catch. Everyone tells him to hurry up and throw the ball. “Do you WANT me to eat another raw egg?! Because I’ll do it! Right in front of your faces, again!” Everyone’s just like:

Allison: She’s definitely a bad thrower, but she’s caught enough bouqets at high profile celebrity weddings to make good in the other department. The whole time, she’s really encouraging and lowkey taking on the role in a game of catch that a good dad would, saying “Wow, good toss, Diego!” “Keep trying, Vanya. You can do it.” Or “Nice save, Luther.” Or “Great catch, Ben… That IS the reason the ball is magically hovering in the air, right, Vanya?” At one point in the game, she makes the Worst Mistake TM of saying “Wow, good effort, sport,” to Five after he catches the ball without instantly spacial jumping to where it will land. Needless to say, his young eyes give her a deadly, ancient glare.

Luther: Have you seen him toss that guy in the bank robbery scene?! Obviously a great thrower, but catcher? Not so much, after spending several years both with the moon’s convenient drop-proof anti-gravity, but also some in the kind of isolation as the lone member of the Umbrella Academy where who’s gonna toss your keys to you? Reginald? I don’t think so. Pogo? Alright, maybe, but those monkey hands looked hella stiff. (Though that might have just been because of using all the realistic and vivid CGI budget on Pogo’s face and the moon scene. Don’t @ me.) Anyways, what keys? Why would Luther even have keys to be tossed to in the first place? He nEVeR LeAvES. But the more important question is does he admit to Di-EGG-o that he’s a bad catch? Of course not. “Today’s just not my day, Diego.” “You’ll see, Diego.” “You’ll see, and you’ll change that smug ass expression when I catch one of your curved throws.” The great thing about that is that he eventually does, something no one has managed to do in all of their entire HISTORY as siblings and Diego’s jaw just drops. Allison cheers him on in an ABSOLUTELY SISTERLY AND PLATONIC WAY, by saying, “You go, Luther! Awesome catch, dude!”

Five: What can you really say about Five in a competition or even in a friendly game between siblings without mentioning that, duh, he cheats? While Reginald would call calculating the force of the throw and subsequent trajectory and velocity of the ball, using that to determine how fast he’d need to run to get to where is, but then just saying screw it and spacial jumping to EXACTLY WHERE IT WILL LAND adapting, the other siblings call it cheating and losing the spirit and point of the game. Five defends his actions by noting that, honestly, with the near-disaster that was preventing the apocalypse, they could all really use way more practice mastering their powers, especially if Ghost Reginald TM’s mention that at least some of them haven’t reached their full potential is to be believed. They all, of course agree with him, but as Diego puts it, “The cocky bastard doesn’t have to be so smug about it. He’s had that kind of attitude since we used train as a team.” When Five does commit to catching the ball without spacial jumps, he still does the calculations, so even though he stumbles and shuffles a bit when he reaches the ball, he always catches the slippery little thing.

(This would be a good time to side note that this takes place in a world where they all sat down together and shut down Luther’s Number One Bullshit TM and decided not to STRANGLE Vanya and to simply sit down and talk to the poor girl instead and prevent the apocalypse THAT WAY. However, Five is referencing in this particular defense of his antics that the Commission still does come down on them, and with full force, might I add. And when they all do battle once and for all AS A FAMILY TM, Five is unadmittedly still adjusting to the limited amount of jumps he can make in his child form, Vanya can only seem to use her powers for good when put directly in the vicinity of extreme and immediate danger to herself, Allison still feels uncomfortable making use of her Rumors, Luther has obviously had quite little practice actually fighting in his new Monkey Body TM, [If the scene where Hazel and Cha-Cha invade the house is anything to go by. Again, don’t @ me.] Klaus still can barely make Ben corporeal for more than an hour and a half at this point, Diego still for some reason seems content with only throwing and curving knives through the air when he could do that with so many other cool and helpful things, [Grenades, sticky grenades, micro-trackers, blunt objects, smoke bombs, poison darts and trip marbles come to mind to just name a few. Like, come on, dude. Seriously, step it up… *Ahem* What did I say, again? About not @ing me?] and Ben, well, we all have known since the beginning that Ben is hyper-powerful, but as aforementioned, the poor guy can’t physically show up for long. And WOW, that was a WAY longer side track then expected.)

Vanya: Vanya, Vanya, Vanya, what to say… Bad thrower, even worse catcher, unfortunately. But she has Grown Woman In A White Tuxedo Big Dick Energy to make up for these two small slights a hundred thousand times over. But make no mistake, she keeps trying her hardest the whole way through. Vanya, still recovering from her Leonard-related trauma and his nearly brainwashing her against her family, keeps feeling so surprised that they are including her in anything, really. Even when she gives a limp and nowhere near on-target toss that was supposed to be towards Allison, Klaus, the ultimately more near person to where the ball ends up, just says, “Hey, don’t worry Vanya, I got it. And if I know anything about God and how strange and fickle that bratty little girl can be, then maybe that’s where the ball was supposed to end up.” Another time in the game, Klaus encourages her again, saying, truthfully, after having already spent up all of Ben’s corporeal time, “Hey, sis, I know that you can’t see or hear it, but Baby Bentacles is cheering you on and giving you a massive thumbs up!” Luther, who used to spend his free time watching baseball, even gives Vanya a few helpful tips. “Now, for someone with your, er, skill level, you’re probably gonna stick to throwing the ball underhand, like this, see?” Diego had a different approach. Well, kinda. He still gave her verbal support: “Nice try, sis.” or “You’ve got this next throw.” But, no, what I meant by different approach is that he uses a newfound extention his powers to curve the trajectory of her throws, just enough to make every other few of them seem just close enough to earn her a “Wow, that one was pretty close, Vanya.”

Ben: This is a short one because, well, Tentacles. Four whole ass tentacles he can use to throw, catch and even juggle if he wants to. He. Is. A. Catch. Playing. Demon. For the hour and a half that he’s able to, anyway. After that he spends the rest of his time relaying his comments and encourage through Klaus. “Diego, Ben says, ‘no fair!’ You know you curved that ball so it was to high for me to catch!” “Luther, Ben wants to know what kind of throw was that? Your fingers were slippery then mine the time used machine lubricant to– Actually I’m not gonna share that.”

And finally Klaus: Klaus is an Absolute Wild Card, a Being of Utter and Complete Chaos Energy, a True Eldritch Horror, a Cryptid, a Banished Trickster Diety. I’m saying random shit at this point, but one (1) all of those things do in fact describe the cosmic anomaly to the Nth degree that is Klaus Hargreeves, a reason that even God herself stays in heaven because she, too lives in fear of what she has created, but also, and most importantly, two (2) this is all to point out that at the start of the game, no one really knows whether Klaus will we be good or not. He’s always been entirely unpredictable. Diego and Luther figure he probably won’t fair too well, due to his usually unathletic nature, but nobody else, save Ben, of course, knew what to think. So when the absolute mad man catches ball after ball after ball, every one is in shock and awe. Eventually, he catches onto everyone’s demeanor, and he gets a raw unfiltered confidence and bravado going. He catches a ball from Luther, who threw it so the thing would spin through the air really fast and he just roars, “I eat those!” like a chanpion. “I eat those,” he says again, spitting to his left. He’s the second person to catch a curved throw from Diego, and of course he slams the ball on the ground and exclaims, “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, I AM?” Every successful catch from a throw from one of the girls he just says, “ Ha! Got-Eem!” like every single sports bro you knew in middle/high school. “He can ski, but CAN Richard Funk?” Sorry, liberals, if you don’t speak random and totally obscure tumblr memery like Klaus and I, that is to say: He can catch, but can Klaus throw? And let me fucking tell you that no one in the entire goddamn Umbrella Academy was prepared for the heat seeking missiles that Klaus throws in the guise of an ordinary brown football. It was madness. At one point he screamed the “Kobe, how my ass taste?” line at Diego, even though basketball isn’t remotely the corresponding sport to a game of catch… with a football. Let’s just Richard CAN indeed Funk, and he NEVER RELENTS FOR ANYONE… Save Vanya, of course. But he throws the ball so hard to Five one time that the poor guy slides back a couple feet. “What fresh hell?” is his response. Sometimes, being the wild creature that he is, Klaus will just run up? And steal the catch? From one of his siblings? In a particularly memorable moment Klaus just bone rushes Diego to the ground, remains standing somehow, looks down at him to his right to say, “Move bitch, get out the way,” and without looking or flinching, also perfectly catches the ball the ball with his left hand. Luther just claps in thunderous applause, while Allison just whispers to Vanya, “I think Vietnam might have turned our brother into a supersoldier,” when in reality, Ben is smirking because he may or may not know that it may or may not all have to do with telekinetic abilities that he’s discovered in his sobriety.

All in all, I present to you, “The Hargreeves kids Playing Catch.”

-------

Soul notes: I have nothing else to add all of this is PERFECT honestly Klaus being a wild card is blessed content. I could definitely see him though swinging wildly between bizarrely good and just absolute butterfingers though when ghosts distract him as well until he figures out his powers more

but definitely as a kid just like turning his head to look at a ghost who just screamed and getting beaned in the face o o f

[creepypastashavecomittedtaxfraud]

Hi!! if requests are still open, id love to see jane, jack and toby w a s/o whos kinda an eldritch terror. Like, mostly human looking, but w some uncanny valley thing, probably w a “true form” or w/e thats got a bunch of teeth and eyes and arms n all that good stuff. Bonus points if s/o eats ppl :)

oh helll yeahhhh i dig this request u got it!! janes section is for x girl or nb reader since she’s a canon lesbian though oki ^_^ jack and toby r gender neutral though like my other scenarios and hc pieces 

Also sorry this kinda turned more into like a meeting/reaction to that turns into being s/o’s post i hope u still like it!!

jane:

Definitely not the first time she’s seen someone like you down here so it doesn’t phase her, its not like she’s totally human looking either haha, 

 she does take a certain interest in you right away though. but she tries not to stare cuz thats rude (she’ll definitely try to start a convo with you though!! She’s drawn to anyone she thinks looks as cool as her) but despite her efforts to keep it cool you probably notice right away how much attention she gives to you, the non-invasive but genuine questions

 when you first show off your true form, she is...Very impressed to say the least hehehe, expresses her admiration while maintaining her cool collected demeanor but on the inside her interest only grows, and the pre-existing soft spot for you only gets that much softer. (won her over with the cool eldrich horror stuff)

 Thinks you’re just lovely, in ‘normal’ or true form, privately cant help but be a tiny bit curious about the details of your appearance !! You might catch her staring at your big teeth or getting lost in those multiple eyes sometimes💕💕💕, and if you invite her in for a closer look she’ll take it! Finds you so very endearing, a real testament to the wonders and joys of living in the underworld :’)

 She’s usually the strong stoic-y one in relationships, but something about your uncanny horrifying appearance just tugs at her heart, scoop her up in your multiple arms and give her a hug and a kiss and she’ll go so soft just for you 💕💕💕💕💕

 Doesn’t mind the people eating thing, finds it kind of funny how years ago it made her so uncomfortable but now it’s just whatever. Whatever makes you happy!

 even if you’re a powerful eldritch horror she wants to be so strong for you and impress you,  and talks semi-jokingly about protecting you, no matter how powerful you are you’re still her sweetheart  💕 💕💕And she thinks you two are quite cool and good together, true form or not! The uncanny vaguely not-human look suits the both of you well,

 She’s very sweet with you , and treats you very tenderly despite your terror being status, gently runs her hand over your cheek, frequently peppers your cute monster-y self with kisses,

Jack:

oh FINALLY . SOMEONE WHO’S FREAKY LIKE HE IS!!!!!!!

 immediately very drawn to you, whether you’re a ‘demon’ as well technically speaking or not, finds a lot of solidarity with you. From the weird and uncanny appearance to the people eating thing

  Is a little reserved at first just by nature but definitely wants to get to know you...and once you two start talking for real, he’s smitten💘. sorry if its corny but it feels like he’s got someone who like...understands him. since moving here he’s been around mostly humans, and it can feel weird or isolating sometimes is all....

 Will try to win you over by sharing food, he hopes you like organs too!! And if you prefer something else, he’ll go out of his way to start collecting that just for you while he’s out

 When it’s just the two of you hanging out you can probably just chill in your true form. He doesn’t really have one himself but he feels more comfortable with the inhuman parts of himself around you. His demonic distorted tint to his voice slips in a bit more, he straightens his posture out more to his full 6��� 9′’ height, laughs a little louder letting his rows of freaky demon teeth show up better, keeps his mask off around you, little things like that. Doesn’t feel like he has to worry about scaring anyone or having to be more human-y to fit in when he’s with you

 probably one of those close couples who are around each other all the time, finish each others sentences, whats-with-their-weird-mental-link situations. “It’s an inhuman monster thing u wouldnt understand”

 You’re still by far more inhuman than him in your true form, you seem really powerful and are just...so cool ... 💕💕💕he realllyyy likes you

Toby:

The first time he sees you he’s mostly just, curious. Wants to know “what your deal is” to put it in a way. Not in a mean way, but he’s still super human, so more inhuman seeming people just make him feel curious yknow!

  If you pay attention you’ll probably catch him staring at you from around corners or from other rooms. Maybe you’ll think its annoying, maybe you’ll think its funny, depends

  You two should talk ! He’s nice of course, doesn’t even ask any rude questions! At first. But eventually he finally just asks out right “So...Are you like a uhhhh human?”. Now would be a great time to unveil your true form!

 “WOAH!!!!!!!”

probably drops his drink, and stares at you wide eyed not out of fear but it’s surprising!.... and fucking COOL. and kind of....hot

  Asks nicely if he can see your teeth up close a lot. not only are they awesome looking but its kind of just an excuse to get all up close to your face...Which only feeds into his new crush on you haha

  Thinks you must be really strong with all those arms of yours...Asks to be picked up, which whether you actually can or not is up to you

  His crush is so obvious no lie. Very flirty and always asking you to show off your cool true form and whatever powers you might have, and always has such a blush on his face too. Might as well just kiss the poor guy already!! He might faint though and you’ll have to catch him in those many arms of yours

 youre very very cute together, its a sweet dynamic💕cute human guy who’s all affectionate and very pda and sweet paired with you: a very strange and uncanny not-human who has that distinct horror-y creature aura even in your human-y form . But he loves you so much, you’re his perfect horror inhuman cutie 💕💕💕

 oh and about the people eating thing- not a problem. wouldn’t be his first time around someone who does that. often jokes about letting u eat one of his limbs if you got hungry since he cant feel it anyway LOL

[vexie-chan]

Mortal Choice

Cadceus Clay has prayed for his friends before. The Wildmother listens. 

Spoilers for ep65

Her Clay is cold and wet and miserable. But that is only the first part of his prayer. The Wildmother cannot help but smile as she listens to him murmuring over the vegetables he’s chopping for a nice, hot soup.

              “It doesn’t seem to be a very good relationship,” Caduceus says, shaking his head. “This Uko’toa person seems like a tough customer. I know…I know you all have different relationships with your followers. But this can’t be right, can it? Everything about these temples seems unnatural.”

              Young Caduceus’s mind’s eye recounts images of the horrible drowned things he’d faced below the sea. The Wildmother watches thoughtfully. It’s true, Uko’toa is not one of her favorite beings. After all, he’d been locked up for a reason. If it was meant to be that he was freed, so be it, but it would mean the scales would tip toward death and destruction for a while. Enough of that is occurring with the wars and sicknesses in the lands at present.

              Still, it is not her place to intervene.

              Caduceus sighs, laying down his spoon for a moment. He closes his eyes as if he feels the same resignation she does.

              “I guess this isn’t really any of your business,” he says. The Wildmother smiles.

              “You’ve looked out for me—even though it’s been…it’s been pretty bad, I know you’re there. That’s why I’m still here, I think,” Caduceus continues, his voice becoming unsure.

              My sweet boy, the Wildmother thinks. It’s been good for him to leave the Blooming Grove. He has things she would like him to accomplish, but she also wants him to learn more about the world and the things in it. It’s good for him to question his faith—Caduceus has always been an unquestioning follower when he should really question things more. It pleases the Wildmother that he is asking questions and having doubts. The youngest Clay is growing up.

              “I don’t know if it’s something in your purview or not, but if it is, could you keep an eye on Fjord? He’s…he’s a good guy. I don’t think his patron is treating him very well. I don’t know much about any of this stuff about pacts and agreements, but I do know this isn’t a very healthy relationship. If there’s anything you can do, I think he’s going to be a good person in the end, if he could just get away from this Uko’toa character,” Caduceus says.

              This surprises the Wildmother. The Clay family have been faithful worshippers of hers for generations, but never evangelical. That is not how she wants her worshippers to be. They do their part and tend to her gardens and defend the balance between life and death. The Clays respect the worship and custom of all the other gods. They are well studied and well versed in those that require specific burial rituals or other death rites. Young Caduceus is the first in many generations to question the worship of another being.

              The Wildmother reaches out curiously. His heart is full of concern for his friend. He has truly come to care for these people.  

              I will watch and see, the Wildmother thinks. Caduceus smiles into his soup, relief tinging the edges of his aura. He felt her, then. He always was a sensitive boy. Her Clay.

                She watches, acquiescing to Caduceus’s prayer. For a short time, the Wildmother thinks Uko’toa has let Fjord go. The Mighty Nein make their way to the shore and travel further and further inland. The Wildmother watches, but they seem to be safe.

              It’s late one night—her attentions are mostly elsewhere—when she sees black tentacles reach for Fjord’s consciousness. She sees them writhing from the corner of her eye. As she turns to watch, a chill shudders through her celestial self. The tentacles wrap themselves around Fjord’s sleeping mind, filling his aura with fear and dread.

              The Wildmother hesitates. It is not her place to intervene, but she recalls how Caduceus was concerned about this relationship. He was right—it does not look healthy or natural. Uko’toa’s dark tentacles drip with a sickly green power as he threatens his chosen vessel. He isn’t strong enough to do very much yet, but mortals are weak and Fjord is not left undamaged.

              This will not do. Yet…what can be done? The boy entered into a pact with that unsightly being. It is not the Wildmother’s place to intervene. The rules are very strict. The gods should not fight over each others’ followers, but accept their coming and going with grace. Once, they fought for the worship of certain mortals. They destroyed each other and the mortals in the process. No more.

              The Wildmother watches Fjord wake up terrified with a frown on her face. She never did like Uko’toa.

                Caduceus’s second prayer for Fjord comes at the request of his friend Caleb. The Wildmother, of course, had seen the things that transpired between Fjord and his patron. She likes their relationship less and less. Her heart went out to the half-orc as he stumbled into the rain, clutching his lifeless sword, reaching for a power that had been rescinded.

              This is wrong, the Wildmother thinks, anger boiling in her like a geyser ready to blow. She’s become fond of her Clay’s friends. They’ve taken good care of him. Misguided as these Mighty Nein are, they do the best they can. She doesn’t like seeing one of them tortured by the being he’d trusted for so long. Nor does she approve of a higher being treating his mortals so poorly.

              The human wizard had watched carefully, feigning sleep. He watched Fjord through his eyelashes, eyes mostly closed. Fjord had been too frightened to notice. Caleb watched him fail to send his sword away, fail to cast. He watched as Fjord slipped out of the room, then sent his fey creature to watch as he tried to reach for that missing magic in the streets.

              Caleb woke early to find Caduceus, always an early riser. Now, they face each other over a cup of tea.

              “You…you have roomed with Fjord often on our journeys,” Caleb says hesitantly.

              “I have. Why?” Caduceus says.

              Caleb leans in, dropping his voice to ensure no one is listening.

              “Have you noticed whether he is getting more dreams from…from his patron?” he asks.

              Caduceus frowns.

              “I wouldn’t say more, but he seems unhappy when he gets one, now, doesn’t he?” he replies thoughtfully.

              “I think he is being punished for walking away before he could free him,” Caleb says. “He woke last night unable to cast. His falchion was still laying on the bed this morning. I don’t think he can send it back to wherever it is usually kept.”

              Caduceus lets out a sigh that might be a partial growl. He shakes his head.

              “I don’t like that Uko’toa,” he says. “He’s bad news, Mr. Caleb.”

              “You are…a man of the cloth. Is there any way to get Fjord away from his god? Can he break his geass? Can your Wildmother protect him?” Caleb asks.

              The Wildmother smiles at that. Caleb, the broken, faithless boy is always willing to support the faith of others. He believes in nothing, but knows enough to understand that his beliefs have nothing to do with anyone else’s.

              “I’ve asked. I don’t really know how all that works…I don’t know if she’s allowed to interfere with what other gods are doing,” Caduceus says. “It won’t hurt to let her know what’s going on, though. Maybe she can do something for him. ”

              “I hope so,” Caleb says. His aura is always gloomy and worried, but his concern spikes a bit for the sake of his friend. “I do not think it will bode well for any of us if that fiend comes for vengeance. Especially not Fjord”

              “No, I think you’re right,” Caduceus agrees. “I’ll see what I can do.”

              “Danke,” Caleb says.

              Caduceus asks for her help later that day.

              “I don’t know what you can do, or what you’re allowed to do, or if you’re even interested,” Caduceus says. “But you’ve taken care of me, more than I deserve. If there is anything you can do for Fjord, please do it. This thing…it’s not good. And we need him. He’s part of our team, and he’s a good friend.”

              The Wildmother sets a part of herself to look at the geass keeping Fjord bound to Uko’toa, and keeping Uko’toa bound in his prison. For days, she studies both.

              “You know, you do have options, sister.”

              The Wildmother turns to find the Raven Queen smirking at her.

              “I’d like to crush him in the deep waters he loves so much,” she replies.

              “And perhaps you will get that chance. For the time being, why not take the boy under your wing? If it’s bothering you so much,” the Raven Queen says.

              “I’m not about to steal someone else’s chosen as my own. I don’t play that kind of game,” The Wildmother says sharply.

“Who said anything about stealing? Don’t underestimate the power of mortal choice. You can always ask nicely…if the boy chooses you over his eldritch beast, it’s all fair game,” the Raven Queen says with a shrug. “Mortals change their hearts on faith as quickly as the weather changes. That’s hardly your fault.”

              “You make it sound so easy,” The Wildmother says with a shake of her head. “The balance—”

              “It is easy. Choice is as natural as it gets, sister. All you need to do is open a door. Whether he walks through it is up to him. You’ve disrupted no balance. But Uko’toa will if he breaks free again,” The Raven Queen says. She turns to leave. “Think about it, sister.”

              The Wildmother frowns, watching her go.

              A choice…

                Her Clay is angry with her. He does not like to be told no. He does not like being told that some problems are too big for him to fix. She loves him none the less for it, staying near as he closes his communication with her like a child slamming the door.

              Perhaps if she had not been so close anyway, she would have missed the black tentacles reaching for Fjord.

              Open a door.

              The Wildmother touches the consciousness of the half-orc. The cracking of Uko’toa against his binding is muted as she opens a door, filling it with as much light and love and life as she can.

              Fjord’s eyes widen as her emerald light touches his face. He leans into the light as if it were a caress.

              “Come with me, child.” She can’t help but whisper the words to him, reaching out.

              He’s mesmerized. At a glance, she sees the child-Fjord’s dreams of a mother’s plea just like hers, longing to be called to a place he can call home, longing to be loved by a mother. He moves toward her, arms outstretched.

              Uko’toa pulls back, but Fjord breaks free. The Wildmother pulls him into her embrace, letting vines sap the water from him, warming his clammy skin in her arms.

              “This womb I grant, but withers without faith. His wielder shall find you again,” she warns. She can protect him so long as he chooses her, but Uko’toa won’t let go that easily. Even now, the beast rages against her, fighting to pull Fjord back to him. Behind bars, he’s not strong enough to strike her down, but the walls encasing him are becoming thin.

              Fjord doesn’t reply, but stares at her in awe and admiration. The Wildmother looks down at him and smiles gently, flooding him with feelings of warmth and safety.

              “His will shall find you again, but until it does, rest,” she murmurs, embracing his small, mortal form.

              The relief on the half-orc’s face as he falls into a restful sleep makes her heart ache. How long has it been since he had found peaceful rest? She should have offered this to him sooner.

              When he awakes, the WIldmother watches as he fights with renewed strength and confidence. He marvels at the warmth of his magic now that she is watching over him.

              Don’t underestimate the power of mortal choice, the Raven Queen had said.

              “I will protect you as long as I can,” the Wildmother promises, knowing he can’t hear her. “My orphan boy.”