#without having drawn it. the version in my head still looks different...

[humanmorph]

day 6 - RADIOSTATIC. HIATUS. REDSKY.

[astrolook]

⚡Natal Aspects Observations⚡

Note: These are all based on my personal observations and patterns I’ve noticed over the years. Western astrology based. Let me know in the comments if any of this hits home for you! And feel free to leave what doesn’t resonate.

Moon square Pluto - You wear your heart on your sleeve, but...it's a sleeve made of barbed wire. Your emotions are intense like an overcharged battery and when you feel threatened, you would go nuclear. Tests people to see whether they will stay through your bad times. Can be a control freak, in some cases.

Venus conjunct Ascendant - People feel your vibe before they see you like a song they recognize but can't name. Keeps part of yourself hidden. Both magnetic and invisible at the same time. Love in silence or from a distance where you can't be fully known. On the flip side, you're the one they dream about but you're out of their reach.

Sun trine Moon - Emotionally stable but secretly tired. Your head and heart usually agree. People assume you’re chill because you don’t scream in public, but they miss the eye twitches. The world would be burning and you would still stay calm and composed. A functional person.

Sun square Pluto - It is like trying to live your life with a volcano constantly humming under your skin. By age 25, you have already buried 5 versions of yourself for the better. Might intimidate people. Self-protection level 999.

Moon opposition Mars - You react fast, feel hard, and cool down way later than you’d like to admit. You hate being told to “calm down” because it makes you ten times louder. You want closeness, but the second something feels off, you're snapping or shutting down. Holds grudges and waits for the right time to show it. Expressive face.

Venus trine Uranus - Sometimes you’re a mystery, sometimes you’re the life of the party. You’re drawn to unconventional love and beauty, and you’re the type who’ll fall for someone who’s “different” in all the right (or wrong) ways. Gets bored fast. You probably have a thing for experimenting with style or constantly shifting your vibe/style.

Uranus trine Ascendant - Basically your “I was born this way” energy on steroids. You don't follow trends. You always think one step ahead of us. You’re a bit of a wildcard, but you don’t make a show of it. Leader, not a follower unless it's a dark place.

Moon square Neptune - You can sense everyone’s moods but have trouble deciphering your own. You’re looking for magic in a world that’s mostly mundane. Sleeps too much when depressed.

North Node conjunct Mercury Rx - It is like being handed a map and told to navigate, but the map is upside down and missing half the directions. Communication feels like a game of broken telephone; you’ll get the message, just not without the detours and delays. Your ideas are constantly evolving. Repeats the same old mistakes 10 times until reality checks in.

North Node conjunct Lilith - You're meant to own your badass side in this lifetime even if the society tells you to tone it down. Might raise a few eyebrows along the way but some rules are meant to be broken.

Venus square Saturn - Your heart wants to give, but your brain keeps reminding you about all the reasons why it’s a bad idea. Wants intimacy but build walls like a maze. An underrated or underappreciated person.

Mars trine Jupiter - You have a built-in engine that just never runs out of steam. Your laugh is contagious probably. When things get tough, you bounce back faster than most as you're not the type to sulk for long. You might occasionally bite off more than you can chew.

Wanna go deeper into the layers of your placements? DM me for a complete astrology reading or a 5 year/8 year marriage report or synastry reading🌙💬 and check out my pinned post for pricing + details 💫💸

Let’s decode your cosmic chaos together ⭐

[obsidian-pages777]

PAC: Your Twin-flame [pick an ethereal Dress]

Pick an ethereal Dress Pile 1->Pile 2 [top row] Pile 3->Pile 4 [bottom row]

Introduction

Twinflames are two souls who mirror each other and are meant to meet within a life time. This person could be a romantic partner, a best friend or even a business partner you meet in life. You are bound to share a life together with many interesting events once you come across a twinflame. Your life is said to be meant to become more fated in nature with your twin flame. This taps into the version of your best possible relationship with a twinflame if you meet them whilst travelling in the timeline you are in right now.

================================================

✨ Pile 1: If You Chose This Pile… You and your twin flame are the protectors of one another. Yours is a love wrapped in armor—not because you're closed off, but because you both know the value of what you share. There’s something sacred about your bond, something not everyone would understand, and that’s exactly why you shield it from the world. You may come across as guarded or even intense, but beneath it all lies unwavering loyalty. You’ve got each other’s backs—always. This connection may have gone through trials, but instead of breaking apart, it taught you both to stand even firmer beside one another. Over time, you'll learn to let love soften those defenses, without ever losing that fierce protectiveness. This is a ride-or-die kind of love, and you’re in it for the long haul.

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🔥 Pile 2: If You Felt Drawn to This Pile… You and your twin flame are both incredibly strong, self-driven individuals. This is a connection between two people who are thriving on their own but choose to walk life’s path side by side. You’re both on personal missions—to grow, evolve, heal, and succeed. Your bond doesn’t hinder that; it encourages it. At times, you may need space or solitude, and that’s not a threat to the relationship—it’s a strength. Your connection is about mutual respect, not dependency. You lift each other up, inspire each other to level up, and still hold space for personal freedom. Together, you’re not just lovers or partners—you’re powerhouses building something meaningful. And that’s what makes this so rare.

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🎨 Pile 3: If This Pile Spoke to You… You and your twin flame might not look like a typical match, but that’s what makes it magical. Maybe there's an age gap, a style contrast, different career paths, or an unexpected twist to how your lives align—but none of that matters on a soul level. You connect through creativity, through shared vision, and through a deep inner knowing that says, “You’re my person.” You complement each other in all the right ways, often balancing light and shadow in one another. Your love is electric and artistic—it may even challenge norms or turn heads, but that only adds to the charm. You're creating something beautiful together, whether that’s a life, a project, or simply a shared dream. Let the world stare. You’re perfectly mismatched and meant to be.

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🌿 Pile 4: If This One Called to You… Your twin flame journey is soft, serene, and soulful. Both of you carry gentle hearts—perhaps worn down a little by the noise of the world—and your partnership feels like a deep exhale after holding your breath for too long. This is a connection that seeks peace, not chaos. You two may eventually leave your homeland, or the environment you once knew, in search of a simpler life together. A tucked-away village, a quiet seaside town, a cozy home in the hills—something peaceful calls to your hearts. You’re not here for the spotlight; you’re here for the slow mornings, the meaningful conversations, and the kind of connection that whispers rather than shouts. You’ll build a sanctuary together—a home where your love can grow gently, safely, and freely.

================================================================================================

[newobsessionweekly]

No way out

part 1

Tim Bradford x fem!reader

Fandom: The Rookie

Summary: When you finally find the courage to take action against your abusive boyfriend, Tim is there to save you. And something happens inside the two of you.

Angst

Warnings: Domestic abuse, emotional distress, violence, protective behavior, slow-burn romance, language.

A/N: As I promised, I will be more active around here. I got a request and decided to turn it into a mini series, I hope you'll like it. Feedback is always appreciated!! Take care of yourselves, bubs! Lots of love! 🫶🏻✨

Words: -

You were gasping for air before you even hit the floor.

The impact of your body slamming into the hardwood rattled your bones, but it was nothing compared to the suffocating terror gripping your chest. The room was spinning, but you forced yourself to look up—his shadow loomed over you, sharp and menacing under the dim light.

"You're always making me do this," he seethed, his voice thick with anger. "Why do you have to push me?"

You curled into yourself, the familiar sting of his words cutting just as deep as the bruises that would form later. Your body ached, but it was the emotional toll that shattered you the most. Because you knew him. You knew the boy he used to be—the high school sweetheart who held your hand in the hallways, who kissed you under the bleachers, who swore he’d never hurt you.

But that version of him was long gone.

A sob choked in your throat as you turned your head, eyeing your phone on the couch just a few feet away. He was pacing now, running a hand through his hair, muttering under his breath about how sorry he was, how it wasn’t his fault.

It was now or never.

With all the strength left in you, you lunged for the phone, snatching it into your trembling hands as you scrambled backward. He spun around, rage twisting his face.

"Don't you dare—"

You pressed 911.

"911, what’s your emergency?"

Your voice cracked. "Please, I—I need help. My boyfriend—he—"

A hand yanked your wrist so hard you thought it might break. The phone clattered to the floor, but the call was still connected.

"You think they can help you?" he sneered, gripping your chin, forcing you to look at him. "You're nothing without me."

But he was wrong. For the first time in years, you felt something shift inside you. A quiet, burning defiance.

And then, in the distance—sirens.

Tim Bradford had answered countless domestic calls. Some ended peacefully, some turned violent, but every single one had the same thread of despair woven through them.

Tonight felt different.

Lucy kept checking the address, her expression tight. “Tim,” she said suddenly. “I know her.”

He flicked a glance at her, hands steady on the wheel. “Who?”

“The victim. Y/N. She’s my friend.”

His jaw flexed. He didn’t like that. “You knew she was in trouble?”

Lucy hesitated. “I—suspected. I asked her before, but she never admitted it.”

Tim exhaled sharply through his nose.

They pulled up to the house—lights off, curtains drawn. The kind of place where bad things happened in silence.

He stepped out first, scanning the surroundings. He didn’t like this either. The neighborhood was quiet, too quiet. He unholstered his weapon, nodding at Lucy to follow.

They approached the door. Tim knocked, hard. “LAPD! Open up!”

Nothing.

He could hear muffled yelling inside, a crash, then a choked cry.

Tim's patience snapped. He stepped back and kicked the door open in one powerful motion, the wood splintering under his boot.

What he saw made his blood run cold.

You were on the floor, bruised, tears streaking down your face. And your boyfriend—your attacker—stood over you, his face twisted in fury.

"Get your hands where I can see them!" Tim barked, stepping between you and the man without a second thought.

"She’s my girlfriend!" the guy snapped. "This is none of your business!"

Tim had him pinned against the wall in two steps. He twisted the guy’s arm behind his back, forcing him to his knees. “You like hurting people?” Tim growled. “Try me.”

Your boyfriend grunted in pain, but Tim didn’t care. He snapped the cuffs on, yanking him upright.

Lucy immediately rushed to you. “Hey, hey, are you okay?”

Your eyes were still locked on Tim. He wasn’t sure what you were looking at—the gun, the badge, or something else entirely.

“Y/N.” Lucy touched your arm, voice soft. “You’re safe.”

Your breath came out in a shudder, and your knees nearly buckled. Tim watched as Lucy steadied you, gently guiding you toward the couch.

For the first time since they arrived, you exhaled.

The paramedics checked you over, but Tim never left your side. He told himself he was just being thorough, but deep down, he knew better.

Lucy knelt beside you, guilt written all over her face. "I’m so sorry. I should have seen the signs. I should have helped—"

You shook your head. "You couldn’t have known."

Tim watched the way your hand trembled against the blanket draped over your shoulders. Without thinking, he reached out, gripping your fingers lightly.

Your breath hitched. His touch was warm, grounding, and for the first time in years, you felt safe.

It was wrong. You had just gotten out of hell, and here you were, noticing the strength in his hands, the way his voice sent a shiver down your spine.

But when he squeezed your hand back—just a little—you knew he felt it too. Something dangerous simmers in his gaze, something fierce and protective and angry—not at you, but for you.

The night ends in a blur. Statements. Paperwork. More questions than you have answers for. But through it all, Tim is there.

He stands close—not too close, but enough that you feel his presence like a shield. Whenever someone else talks to you, his eyes never leave you.

It's overwhelming. And yet... comforting. You don't even realize how exhausted you are until it’s over.

"You have somewhere to stay?" Tim asks.

Lucy speaks before you can. "She’s staying with me."

Tim nods, but something about his expression stays tight, unreadable. His eyes flick to yours once more, and for a split second, you swear you see something there—something you shouldn’t.

And then he turns away.

When Tim gets back in the shop, he doesn’t start the engine.

Instead, he turns to Lucy. And snaps.

"What the hell, Lucy?" His voice is sharp, cutting. "You’re a cop. How did you not see what was happening to your own friend?"

Lucy’s eyes widen. "Tim, I—"

"You should have known," he growls, slamming his hands against the wheel. "You should have done something."

"I didn’t know!"

"That’s the problem!"

The car falls silent.

Lucy swallows hard, guilt written all over her face. "Why do you care so much?"

Tim opens his mouth—then closes it. He doesn’t know.

But something about the way you looked at him—something about the way he felt when he saw you on that floor—unsettles him.

And for the first time in a long time, Tim Bradford doesn’t know what to do with himself.

[1moreff-creator]

Corrigendum - Literature Girl Insane Analysis

Updates After CH2 PT2

More than a year ago, the entire DRDT fandom was thrown on its head when the Literature Girl Insane David MV dropped. And with the help of DRDT Tumblr for mystery finding and interpretations, about a year ago I made “A Full Vivisection of the David MV,” a two and a half hour video going over everything I could. While I still think the video mostly holds up even after CH2 PT2, there’s quite a few things that require an update. Let’s go over them, shall we?

(Is this a correct use of the word "corrigendum"? I don't know, but it's close enough for me to use given the connection to the book theme we got going on :v)

As a warning, though, this post will more or less assume that you’ve watched Vivisection, as some sections might be complete gibberish without the context of my previous interpretations of this thing.

Spoilers up to CH2. CW: Suicide, murder, hanging, CH2 execution, gun violence, blood

I’ll go through the recontextualizations in order of appearance in the MV, though first: 

Footnote 14 Solution, Tally 5 Correction

So these two things aren’t related to Part 2, but instead codes already in LGI. Since Vivisection came out, the footnote 14/Roman numeral I code got solved, and I’ve been informed that the solution for tally 5 I hinted at in the video was, while not wrong in the sense that you could arrive at the code using it, not the actually intended solution. Basically I said to pay attention to line breaks, when you’re actually supposed to ignore them, and that meant that one character had to be ignored when in reality the real solution works perfectly fine without ignoring it. Sorry, the line break thing was just commonly repeated advice given on Tumblr at the time and I don’t know why I never double checked how accurate it was :v

The proper solutions can be found in my Secrets Masterpost, so I won’t repeat them here. The Roman numeral I code, attached to Xander via crosswords, returned “I have always looked up to you,” which is perfectly in line with both the things David states in 2-12 and the conclusions drawn about how he feels towards Xander from the MV. As for tally 5, that will be addressed later. 

Yoidore Shirazu Lyrics

Another thing that happened was the release of the Elliot MV, Yoidore Shirazu. While the MV itself is not particularly for our purposes, I'm bringing it up to double check a thing with the lyrics.

You might remember that a big chunk of Vivisection was informed by "Language Theory," the idea that some lyrics' translations were specifically changed to fit better with David. This was supported by footnote 5, "As the translation has been intentionally botched in many parts, it should not be considered accurate," as well as the fact that Coleena Wu was listed in the credits, meaning her translation was used as a base for the David MV even though there were many differences between the David MV's lyrics and her version.

Thus, when I saw that Yoidore Shirazu credited Magenetra for the English lyrics, I figured I'd check if it happened again. And yes, there are a few lines here and there where the Elliot version is slightly different from the original translation. While I won't get into all of them in this post, a particularly notable change is "my muddy, obstructed and broken vision of the future, it's not half bad" in the original changing to "my muddy, obstructed, broken future, it's not half bad" in the Elliot MV, for example.

What does this tell us about the David MV? Well, I would argue that if dev decided to change a few lyrics in an MV where word placement isn't as important as in LGI, presumably just to make them fit better with Elliot or because dev just prefers certain wording (I don't see any other reasons the translation would be different), then it's very possible that they also consciously changed a few LGI lines to fit better with David. Maybe. In other words, I believe this is an extra argument to the validity of Language Theory, though I could also see it as an argument against ("maybe dev just doesn't care about sticking so close to the translations they use") :v

Now let’s actually go from the start of the MV to the end, shall we?

Color Connection Theory: Orange

In Vivisection, I said (words more words less) that while in a vacuum orange would probably go to Ace, the context of some of the lines seemed to fit Xander better, with the argument that the trailer for the series assigns orange as the color of the first letter of Xander’s name in a hypothetical class trial. The main argument was that Orange “that guy” appeared next to Green “this guy” (Hu/Teruko, leaning Hu) and Black “you” (possibly Mai), and lumping Ace in with characters who seemed much more important than him at the time seemed… strange.

Since then, Ace has gained a notable amount of importance to this particular part of the story, given the whole blackened thing. As a result, I would argue his inclusion as Orange is now more likely than Xander’s. Take a look at the start of the first chorus, for example, and you’ll see that putting Xander as red (which would be redundant if he’s also orange) makes for a nice, neat reading in the context of this trial.

[Literature Girl Insane] Even if you cry, make noise, shout, go mad the world won’t change!

Arei: “Even if you cry about hurting Eden, you’ll still always be a horrible person.”

Hu: “Even if you make noise to make yourself useful, you’re still the same hopeless child who attempted suicide three times.”

Ace: “Even if you shout, you’ll always be a coward.”

Xander: “Even if you go mad, you’ll always be a good person at heart.”

“No matter what, you people (the world) won’t change.”

What a lovely worldview David has! 

There’s also this instance, "let's play!":

[Literature Girl Insane] With anonymous hopes let's play!

Which makes sense given Ace is “playing the killing game” by… killing in the game. Foreshadowing or am I insane? These are not mutually exclusive. 

Hand Holding

dev why /affectionate

So, yeah. Arei holds David’s hand the same way Ideal Country Woman does. At least we’ve got near 100% confirmation that the weird line of white pixels is not a glove or anything, but rather a bend of the wrist as expected. 

Now we have to ask what Arei’s connection to this mess is. Thankfully, I can at least draw a connection between Arei and the surrounding context of the scene, so we’re not going in completely blind. As a reminder, here’s the interpretation I arrived at for the “tunnel scene” that directly precedes Miss Hand Holding’s appearance.

[Extract from Vivisection] David gives Xander the order to "escape the tunnel," so open himself up to love others. However, "but," loving David is a bad idea, because he's a monster who's better off dead. His opinion, right? So he asks himself, where should Xander escape? "Where to?" In other words, who should Xander like and be friends with?

The connection to Arei should be more or less clear, provided you replace Xander's name with her. There’s two ways to take it. Arei opened herself up to David, “escaped the tunnel on his direction” per say. And given what happened directly after, you could say it led to a “disastrous scene.” Alternatively, if David genuinely wanted to accept Arei’s proposal to be “less shitty together,” if he “escaped the tunnel in Arei’s direction,” that too could be considered a “disastrous scene” because Arei died. That one’s admittedly a pretty big if, butconsidering some of the stuff David says…

David [2-10]: Unless, of course, you were Arei. That girl wanted desperately to prove herself as a "friend" to Eden. And yet she completely lacked any experience with what "friends" were actually like. [...] What could she know about "friendship," after all? Someone like her, who had not once experienced kindness in her entire life up until now? [...] [Breaking down] It's... It's so... Ahaha. It's just so foolish. For someone to take advantage of Arei like that... It's absolutely unforgivable. All she wanted was to change. What a reprehensible person this killer is. I look forward to seeing their painful execution.

Yeah he might have cared. 

So, okay, Arei can be connected to the surrounding context so this isn’t completely out of left field, but we still have the possibility of a further connection to the Mystery Girl. As you might recall, this girl is either Diana Chiem (based on certain similarities with David and because revealing Ms Naegi like this would be weird) or Ms Naegi (because Diana isn’t in the Cast List, while Naegi is). I don’t see any immediate connections to Naegi, so we’re left with Diana, who also has little connection.

Of course, the number one takeaway is that Arei reminds David of Diana (or Ms Naegi) in some way, so we can infer Mystery Girl might have supported David despite knowing about his manipulative nature, especially possible since she's positioned in the MV in a way where she's the "(so-called) ideal country." I'm about to ramble a whole lot more about other possibilities, but this is probably what we're meant to get from this.

If we’re allowing a small amount of unhingedness, another connection that could be drawn is between Arei’s family situation and David’s. Arei also had sisters, but they treated her horribly until Arei ruined their lives. Translated to Diana, this could mean that David treated her badly, that she did something to harm him, or both. If their relationship turned bad during Hope’s Peak time, it could explain why Footnote David, presumed to be David before losing his memories, claims she doesn’t exist, when Killing Game David speaks about her openly. Did he try to cut ties with her or something, and tries to pretend she doesn’t exist? Again, unhinged and probably not what the takeaway is meant to be, but we know less than zero about Diana, so it's not impossible.

Alternatively, though, it's worth noting that Mystery Girl and Arei tilt their heads in opposite directions, which could symbolize they're opposites in a way. Taken with the previous interpretations, this could mean either Mystery Girl supported David without knowing about his motive secret (opposite of interpretation 1), or that Arei's family situation is opposite Diana's, aka David had a good relationship with his sister (opposite of interpretation 2).

But speaking of insane, would you believe me if I told you that this visual similarity could, alternatively, be evidence for literally the most unhinged theory in the entire Vivisection? That is, the ridiculous deduction which is arrived at by analyzing the objects in the “suspicious gaps” attached to footnote 11, “I admit to lying. There is no one named OOOOO OOOOO. I am, and always have been, an only child," as well as the Catch-22 quote that comes directly after. Full explanation in Vivisection, but here’s the theory. 

[Extract from Vivisection]  So, first, I think the footnote is a double lie. David's lying about lying. He does actually have a sister but, for some reason, he's trying to deny it. He's pulling an Arturo: something happened with his sister, and he's trying to distance himself from it. That's where the snake with the blood and the safe come in, with the rope possibly implying a suicide. Remember the family history of depression? [...] So, it's possible Diana died. [...] It's also possible that whatever happened to Diana would have been hinted at in David's motive video. [...] Yeah, that's my explanation for the TV. But, why would this bad thing which happened to Diana be in David's motive video? That would imply David doesn't remember it. That's what the Snowden line could mean. [...]

Yeah remember that insane thing? Well, Arei died by hanging, so it’s possible Diana also died by hanging, aka suicide. This connection doesn’t make the theory any less unhinged, but it’s there. 

I hate the things I love, and I love the things I hate

As a refresher, this screen is about Xander, indicated mainly by the references to electrocution literally framing the scene. Nothing’s actually changed here, mind you, I just wanted to point out that it’s interesting that so far, we’ve only seen David talk about Xander with love, and we haven’t really seen the whole “I hate” part yet. Curious to see how that will develop later.

suspicious gaps

Still zero clue, I’m just putting it here because it’s still killing me.

V. Right now, why do you go insane? [Ace's numeral]

We should’ve known, guys… Ace’s numeral is literally right next to Arei’s (IV), not just in song position, but numerically. Incidentally, that means both killers so far have been in multiples of five (Min with X, Ace with V), so, uh, Whit (XV), anything you wanna tell us about CH3?

(I don’t think he’ll be the CH3 killer I’m just being silly :p)

Anyways, the big update here is related to the background text, “a cat has 9 additional lives.” This was already pointed out by treescanfly, and that is that Thanatophobia, Ace’s execution, featured 9 different execution methods (scythe - illness - fire - falling - murder - drowning - lightning - firing squad (execution)). Looks like horseboy really was a catboy all along!

XIII. or [not to be?] [Teruko's numeral]

The interpretation of the quote itself, that it’s a reference to Teruko’s suicidal tendencies, hasn’t changed. It’s only gotten more explicit.

Teruko [2-16]: Killed? I doubt it. As if something so kind could happen to me.

:(

Not much else here, though it seems Teruko might start rejecting the suffering associated with being the Omelas child given her talk with DefaultTV, so that’s fun.

Footnote 6, “[Prayer]”

So what I’m about to say is technically a connection that existed since LGI’s realease, but was just a bit too insane for me to even think about back then. 

Basically, you know how Mai is referred to as a “God” in this video, because of her numeral and the arrow? Well… what if that’s connected to this footnote? And, I don’t know, Min is praying to Mai?

Again, unhinged even for my standards, but with the confirmation that XF-Ture Tech is in some form behind the killing game… anything that puts Min in a weirdly plot relevant position (such as inexplicably having a Mai connection beyond what we saw in Bonus Episode 1) should be at least written down for posterity, if nothing else. 

That's my way of saying- Please write about Min, guys. I miss her :(

Footnote 12

“Majority rule” is known to be the fairest method of making decisions for a group. That's why murderers never complained when we voted for them to die.

In Vivisection, I primarily argued the meaning of this footnote through the lens that David may have genuinely believed he had driven Arei to suicide, and thus believed he was the blackened. This turned out to be horribly wrong, so we course correct. 

Instead, this simply seems to be what David was hoping would happen when he pulled out the magical girl transformation, albeit stylized with an impossible 16 people vote. The screen that flashes after just seems to reflect what David thinks would actually happen if a blackened won, or just what will happen by the end of the killing game no matter what: “Everyone will be executed.” That’s based on this line:

David [2-12]: 15 lives. Some of them are very dear to you. And your own life as well. Is there anything at all that could be more important to you than those 16 human lives?

Where David talks about sacrificing the full 16 lives of the participants, seemingly without taking into account that the blackened wouldn’t actually die in his plan. Because of that, it’s inferred that David doesn’t actually think the blackened would survive even if they won the trial. 

Other than that, the footnote seems to just be a direct reference to what Teruko says in the trial:

Teruko [2-15]: We determine who lives and who dies by a majority vote. In other words, the opinion of everyone who *isn't* you.

Which, uh... makes things easier, so I'm not gonna read into it much further :v

“What is the most important thing?” / Mistaken alphabet

Still no idea what these two things are about, that’s why I’m bringing them up :v

Original

[Extract from Vivisection] So, what I think is the best idea is that all the characters [referring to Color Theory] got the word. [...] I think it makes more sense to relate them to the meaning of "original style" under my interpretation, where "original style" means a change of heart.

The interpretation from Vivisection seems to hold strong, as MonoTV did actually have a “change of heart” of sorts, albeit brief. Hey we take the Ws where we can get them >:D

Two Eyed Xander

The theory discussed in Vivisection that David might hold memories from Hope’s Peak times was seemingly debunked by a tweet from the dev, even if the thread referenced in the link was later deleted. I did say in Vivisection that I didn’t believe the theory even if it was cool, so… we’re chilling. 

Of course, though, we did get confirmation that David knew about Xander before Hope's Peak, so the appearance of Xander with two eyes was meaningful! Cool!

Correct/Incorrect (Tally 5)

This is going to discuss the unlisted video linked in the footnotes of Vivisection, which I am well aware most of you probably didn’t watch given the view count. In any case, the thing I said there, which I also said in my Mai post, was that tally 5 could imply David had been involved in the weird revolution against Hope’s Peak that Xander and Mai had going on. While this is still certainly possible, given what was said in 2-12, it seems more plausible that tally 5 actually references David taking on Xander’s dream during the killing game.

David [2-12]: I don't care how low I'll sink, or how despicable I'll have to become. I'll do anything to carry on Xander's ideals by ending this killing game, even if it means I have to dirty my hands.

Yeah, the dream of killing everyone, that one. I say this not only because we know David “threw away his humanity” for it, but also because the image itself shows David holding Xander’s jacket, which would imply this is being said after Xander’s death. Thus, during the killing game. 

Numeral IX - Look, aside from that, give me the usual medicine [Levi's numeral]

Well, he sure needs medicine alright! Yeah that’s the best answer I currently have about what in the hell this numeral means, so we’re going with this. 

That said, points to Vivisection me, because the “Levi is Jupiter protecting Earth from asteroids” interpretation ended up being pretty solid. 

Clock Fork

You know, the theory that Eden was the one to rip out Xander’s eye based on the clock in LGI existed before I made Vivisection, I just… didn’t invlude it. The one unhinged theory I don’t mention ends up being true, huh? Well, there’s that. Not much else to say, if you're deep into DRDT lore you already know the implications of a bloody fork.

-

And… that’s about that! Although I had quite a few comments to make and things to add, actual corrections were few and far between, which I’m happy about! Mind you, there's probably a few Vivisection statements here and there I'm forgetting about, but still. Hope you enjoyed this little corrigendum, and if you made it this far, you deserve your own Jupiter-Levi to defend you in your time of need! See you later!

[thatsoanjie]

Beneath the shadows

Sebastian Sallow x reader

[spoilers, obviously]

Summary : Sebastian meets you for the first time, and invites you on a clandestine quest

Word count : ≈ 2 685

Notes : A differently developed version of Secrets of the Restricted Section. Flirty and SFW!

Read my disclaimer and fair use notice here

You were a mystery wrapped in layers of secrecy and quiet intensity.

You didn’t say much in class, always kept your head down, eyes fixed on your parchment, as if the very ink from your quill was more interesting than the people around you. But sometimes, a flicker of curiosity would break through that cool exterior, especially during Professor Garlick’s herbology lessons—something about the way you handled the venomous tentacula with such care made Sebastian’s mind wander.

He noticed you, of course. Who wouldn’t? There was something about the way you moved through Hogwarts, not fully a part of its chaos, yet not entirely separate from it. You seemed to glide through the castle’s halls like a ghost, seen but not often heard.

Sebastian didn’t intend to get close to you. He wasn’t the type to be drawn to quiet enigmas. No, he preferred the thrill of a good duel, the crack of spells meeting shields, the satisfaction of outsmarting his opponents. But you were different.

The first time your paths crossed properly was in Defense Against the Dark Arts, when Professor Hecat paired you for a duel. Sebastian had smirked, sizing you up. “Time for a proper Hogwarts welcome,” he’d said, a mix of challenge and anticipation in his voice.

You’d met his gaze with a steady calm, no trace of intimidation. The duel was fierce, the classroom alive with sparks of magic and the cheers of your classmates. But it was your skill, your precision, that caught him off guard. You weren’t just holding your own—you were matching him, step for step, spell for spell. By the end of it, he wasn’t sure if he’d won or simply survived.

From that moment on, something shifted. Sebastian found himself looking for you in the corridors, curious about the person who had met his challenge without flinching. He started noticing you in the library, tucked away in a corner, surrounded by books and parchment, your focus unbreakable. He wasn’t sure what it was that drew him in—maybe it was the way you seemed at home in the solitude that others might have found lonely, or maybe it was the memory of that duel, the way you’d met him head-on.

It wasn’t until one night, when the castle was bathed in the soft glow of moonlight, that he finally approached you outside of class. You were by the Black Lake, your silhouette framed by the water’s shimmering reflection.

“Couldn’t sleep either?” he asked, his voice breaking the quiet of the night. You turned to him, surprised but not startled. There was a brief pause before you spoke.

“Sometimes the night is more comforting than the day,” you replied, your voice as soft as the breeze.

He moved to stand beside you, the two of you staring out at the lake in a silence that felt comfortable, unforced. There was no need for words; the connection between you was enough.

“I’ve noticed you,” he admitted after a while, his voice quiet, as if speaking too loudly might break the spell of the moment. “In class, in the library... you’re always so focused, so determined. It’s... intriguing.”

You didn’t respond right away, and he wondered if he’d said too much, revealing more of himself than he intended. But then you looked at him, really looked at him, and there was something in your gaze that made him feel seen in a way he hadn’t before.

“You’re not what I expected, Sebastian Sallow,” you said, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of your lips. “But then, nothing at Hogwarts ever is.”

You can feel the weight of Sebastian’s gaze as you turn away, letting the stillness of the night settle between you. The moonlight reflects off the water, casting everything in a silvery glow, making the moment feel almost surreal.

“I’m not what you expected?” Sebastian’s voice breaks the quiet, a hint of curiosity laced with something else—something almost playful.

You glance at him, a small smile playing on your lips. “No, you’re not. But that’s not a bad thing.”

He chuckles softly, the sound low and warm. “Hogwarts has a way of surprising you, doesn’t it?”

You nod, the words resonating with you more than you care to admit. There’s something about this place, about the people you meet here, that feels like a constant shift between the known and the unknown. And Sebastian, with his sharp wit and even sharper dueling skills, is a part of that.

The conversation drifts, easy and light. It’s not until Sebastian’s expression turns thoughtful, almost serious, that you realize he’s been working up to something.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to do,” he says, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “But it’s not exactly… well, let’s just say it’s not something we’re supposed to be doing.”

You raise an eyebrow, intrigued. “And what might that be?”

He grins, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “The Restricted Section of the library. I’ve got my reasons, but I could use some company.”

A thrill runs through you at the idea. The Restricted Section, filled with books and knowledge that most students can only dream about accessing. It’s dangerous, risky even, but you can’t deny the allure of it.

You remember a certain book professor Fig mentioned- could it be found in the Restricted section?

“How concerned should I be about the librarian?” you ask, trying to recall what she is like.

“Madam Scribner doesn’t take kindly to clandestine activities among her precious books,” Sebastian admits, the playful edge to his voice fading. “She and I have had our… entanglements, but I can hold my own against her. You, on the other hand, you may not be so lucky.”

You weigh the risks in your mind, but the curiosity, the need to obtain a certain book beyond those doors, is too strong to ignore. “All right,” you say, meeting his gaze with a determined nod. “I’ll help you.”

“Good,” he says, his grin returning. “Then meet me by the library tomorrow night. We’ll go after curfew when the castle is quiet.”

·····

When you arrive at the library, Sebastian is already there, his eyes flicking toward the door to the Restricted Section. “See that?” he says, pointing. “That’s the door we need to reach, and those annoying prefects would love nothing more than to rat us out to Scribner. So don’t let them see us.”

“Understood,” you start, your voice hushed but steady. “I can be sneaky. Let’s go.”

Sebastian chuckles softly, grabbing a hold of your arm with equal gentleness, pulling you back from the prefect’s sight. “Hold on now, there’s a spell you should know. The Disillusionment Charm—it’s good for getting into places you’re not supposed to be. Cast it, and you’ll appear as little more than a trick of the light, just as long as you keep your distance and stay quiet.”

Your eyes widen slightly. “You mean I’ll actually be able to turn invisible?”

“Something like that,” he says with a smirk. “It’s not as foolproof as a cloak, but those are expensive… and spells? Spells are free. Give it a try.”

You nod, concentrating as you cast the Disillusionment Charm. The sensation is strange, like a ripple spreading across your skin, but when you look down, you see nothing but the faint shimmer of the air around you.

“Not bad,” Sebastian whispers approvingly. “Let’s move.”

“Wait, one last thing,” you say, your voice barely above a whisper as you point your wand toward the prefects patrolling ahead. With a quick flick, you mutter, “Confundus.”

The spell hits its mark, and you watch as the prefects glance around, confusion clouding their faces. 

Sebastian, standing close beside you, whispers, “Where’d you learn that one? Students don’t usually pick up Confundus until a month before the O.W.L.s.”

You smirk, knowing he can’t see it. “Oh, and you would know?”

“Of course,” he replies, you could hear his smirk as he spoke. “But my question was about you.” 

You turn towards him. “Let’s just say I have a talent for picking up things early.”

“Clearly,” he murmurs, lingering beside you just a moment longer than necessary. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

You shrug. “I guess you’ll have to stick around to find out.”

He chuckles softly, the sound low and warm. “Oh, I fully intend to.”

The two of you sneak into the library, the darkness enveloping you like a protective cloak. But then, as you approach the Restricted Section, Sebastian curses under his breath. “Blast, the librarian’s still here. Quick, behind the bookcase.”

You dart behind the nearest shelf, your heart pounding. You both drop the charm. His cheeks are flushed. “You told me the librarian would be gone by now!” you whisper pointedly.

“I said usually,” he retorts, a hint of tension creeping into his voice. “But it’ll still be all right. Do you see her desk behind me? The key is in the drawer of that desk. Now, here’s what we’re going to do: I’ll create a distraction to draw her away, and you focus on getting the key. I’ll meet you outside the Restricted Section.”

“You distract, I get the key. Understood.”

Sebastian gives you a confident nod. “I said I’d get you in, and I always keep my word. Trust me.”

With a quick glance to make sure the coast is clear, you slip around the bookcase, keeping low as you inch toward the librarian’s desk. You’re hyper-aware of every sound, every creak of the old wooden floors, but you manage to reach the desk without drawing attention. As you carefully open the drawer, your fingers close around the cold metal of the key.

You don’t have time to feel triumphant; you quickly retreat to the safety of the shadows, the key clutched tightly in your hand. Sebastian is already waiting for you, a satisfied smirk on his face.

“Nicely done,” he murmurs as you hand him the key. “Let’s get inside before she comes back.”

You slip into the Restricted Section, the air thick with the scent of old parchment and forgotten secrets. Shelves loom around you, filled with ancient tomes that seem to whisper as you pass. You can’t help but feel a shiver of excitement at the forbidden knowledge within your reach.

But as you approach one particularly enticing book, its cover adorned with an emerald jewel, Sebastian’s voice stops you. “Oh, that one’s charmed to look more useful than it is. Fooled me twice. Never judge a tome by its cover, I say.”

You nod, moving past the book as the two of you continue deeper into the section. The eerie glow of ghostly figures catches your eye—Victorian-era spirits gliding silently through the aisles.

“Ghosts,” Sebastian warns, his voice low. “Don’t let them see you.”

You manage to avoid their gaze, slipping further into the shadows until you reach the lower levels of the Restricted section.

As you turn to head back, Sebastian drops his Disillusionment Charm, gesturing for you to do the same. “We should be in the clear now,” he says, his voice returning to its usual casual tone. “No need for us to be skulking about.”

You dispel the charm once more, the cool air of the library brushing against your skin as you reappear beside him. “So, what is it you’ve been looking for?” you ask, curiosity getting the better of you.

Sebastian hesitates for a moment, his expression darkening. “I’m looking for a cure,” he finally admits, his voice softer. “For my sister, Anne. She’s been… well, Merlin knows everyone else has given up.”

A pang of sympathy shoots through you. “Why do you think we’ll find a cure in the Restricted Section? Hasn’t the Hogwarts matron helped?”

“We’ve tried everyone—from Nurse Blaine to St. Mungo’s,” he says, a touch of bitterness creeping into his voice. “But I can research on my own. No need to concern yourself with that right now. Let’s focus on what you’re after… which is what, precisely?”

You hesitate, not quite ready to reveal your own secrets. “I’ll know it when I see it.”

Sebastian raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “You’re being awfully cryptic.”

Before you can respond, a familiar, mischievous voice echoes through the Restricted Section. “Sebastian Sallow and his new little friend! Out exploring where they shouldn’t be! Naughty, naughty, you’ll get caughty!”

Peeves.

The poltergeist swoops down, cackling with glee as he threatens to expose you both.

“Don’t you dare,” Sebastian hisses, but Peeves only grins wider.

“I’m going to tell, I’m going to tell!” Peeves sings, darting off toward the librarian.

You grab Sebastian’s arm, panic rising. “Wait! I don’t want you getting into trouble for me.”

Sebastian shakes his head, determination hardening his features. “I have a way with the faculty when it comes to disciplinary matters,” he says with a small smirk. “Besides, I like having friends who are in my debt. Now go! Good luck in your search.”

With a final nod, you slip back into the shadows, making your way out of the Restricted Section as Sebastian confronts Peeves. You can hear his voice in the distance, cool and confident, as he weaves a tale to Madam Scribner.

When you finally make your way back to the main portion of the library, the book safely hidden in your bag, you find Madam Scribner and Sebastian locked in a tense conversation.

“Sebastian! Sneaking into the Restricted Section again?” Madam Scribner’s voice is stern, her expression disapproving. “I had thought we were through with this mischief. Clearly, detentions are insufficient. I’m afraid I must take this to the Headmaster.”

“But—” Sebastian starts, but she cuts him off.

“That being said, Peeves informs me that you didn’t come alone tonight. If someone has coerced you, I would have you tell me. You’re a bright boy, don’t waste this.”

Sebastian glances your way for the briefest moment, but when he speaks, his voice is resolute. “There was nobody else. I came alone.”

Madam Scribner sighs, her disappointment palpable. “Oh, Sebastian, what will your uncle say?”

You slip away before she can spot you, your heart pounding with the narrowness of your escape. But as you head back to your dormitory, you can’t help but feel a strange mix of emotions. Gratitude, certainly, but something deeper too—a sense that whatever connection you and Sebastian share has only grown stronger in the shadows of that forbidden library.

Later that night, back in the quiet of your dormitory, you can't shake the thought of what happened in the library. The way Sebastian covered for you, taking the blame without hesitation—it gnaws at you. The least you can do is check on him.

You sit at your desk, the moonlight casting a soft glow over the parchment as you dip your quill in ink. The words come easily, your concern for him spilling onto the page.

Sebastian,

I wanted to make sure everything’s all right. You didn’t have to take the blame back there—I hope you didn’t get into too much trouble. Let me know if you’re okay.

You tie the note to your owl’s leg and send it off, watching as it disappears into the night.

It’s not long before there’s a soft hoot at your window. Your owl returns, a letter clutched in its beak. You untie it, your heart quickening slightly as you recognize Sebastian’s handwriting.

---

Well, well,

Got your letter—nice to know you’re worried about me. I’m fine, really. Scribner gave me a good scolding, but nothing I can’t handle. I did tell you I have a way with the faculty, didn’t I?

But if you’re feeling guilty, I wouldn’t mind if you made it up to me. Maybe a walk by the lake again? This time, I promise not to drag you into any restricted areas… unless, of course, you ask nicely.

Looking forward to hearing from you, Sebastian

***

Thank you for reading! I felt like the whole quest needed a better ending to it hehe

[sequinsmile-x]

Firstly, I love your writing so much! Thanks for all the amazing content you give us all the time 🩵

Secondly, can you please write a fic where Emily is being unusually clingy with Aaron (like more than the usual “I love spending all the time I can with you”), in a way that’s out of character for her?

Thanks so much 😊

Thanks bestie <3 that really means the whole world to me.

This came out a little more hurt/comfort than I expected, but what's new!!

I hope you enjoy this <3

-x-

Entwine

Emily knew better than most that she shouldn’t let herself see her reflection in victims or their family members, but she couldn’t help it. Couldn’t help but put herself in the shoes of the woman opposite her, the grief she was drowning in lapping at Emily’s feet.

Emily has a nightmare and seeks out comfort in the one place she knows she'll always find it.

-x-

Warnings: nightmare

Words: 2.4k

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

She wakes up slowly, drawn back to consciousness by a warm hand skipping up and down her arm and a kiss on her cheek. She groans, turning her head to capture Aaron’s lips in a kiss, opening her eyes as she kisses him a second time, smiling as she pulls back to look at him. He’s already dressed, looking very different to the soft, rumbled version of him she’d fallen asleep next to, and she knows that only means one thing. 

“A case?” She asks, her voice thick with sleep, and Aaron nods. He brushes her hair out of her face and tucks it behind her ear. She leans into the warmth of his palm and turns her head to look at the alarm clock on the nightstand, groaning when she sees it’s 6.30 am. “Serial killers really need to respect my sleep schedule a little more.”

“I let you sleep as long as I could. Garcia will call you soon, but I’ve got to get Jack to Jessica’s before I head to the office,” Aaron smiles at her and holds up a key, a small keyring of a black cat dangling from it, “You okay to lock up?”

Emily presses her lips together to try to contain her smile, still not used to how he made her feel, not used to how much she loved him after all these weeks. It had been seven weeks since their first date. Seven weeks of them, of what she thinks they should have always had. Only Jessica and Jack knew about them so far but they were planning on telling the team soon. She was more anxious about it than she thought she would be, but she knew they had to know - that she and Aaron were already edging towards having kept it from them for too long. 

Their relationship felt precious. Something she wanted to protect and nurture without outside influence or criticism. It was something for them. Something that allowed her to be soft with someone in a way she thought she was no longer capable of, in a way that had been stripped from her years ago. She’d wondered if her and Aaron’s sharp edges would hurt the other, if despite their best efforts they’d tear each other apart, but it wasn’t like that. Their sharp edges seemed to slot together like puzzle pieces, like they were two halves of the same whole. He knew her in a way no one ever had, and she knew him in the same way. 

If she was younger, if she was a romantic who life hadn’t kicked around more than once, she’d even think he was made for her. 

Even if she didn’t believe in fate, she knew he was it for her, and she was it for him. They’d both fought for this - fought to be happy - and they were heading for a future that looked like the very thing she’d convinced herself she’d never get. A future full of love, and everything that came with it, even though they hadn’t said the words to each other yet. They didn’t need to say it. They both knew. His love for her was carved into the key he’s offering out to her, the trust that came with him giving her a key to his home - to the sanctuary and safety he’d clawed back after he had almost died here. His love for her was in the black cat keyring hanging from it, and she smiles as she pictures him standing in the store looking for exactly the right one, how he’d smile as he spotted it before he bought it just for this. 

“Okay,” She nods and takes the key from him, stamping her lips against his, her fingers scratching at the back of his scalp as she holds him close for a second. “I’ll see you at work?”  

“See you at work, sweetheart,” he says before he kisses her one last time and stands up, smiling when she groans, wrapping her arms around his pillow, “If you try to go back to sleep, I’ll send Jack in.” 

She sighs playfully and closes her eyes, “Oh no, morning snuggles with your adorable son,” she says, unable to hide her smile. “What a terrible punishment.” 

He chuckles, and it warms her from the inside out, finds a place to rest somewhere in her chest near her heart, “You asked for it.” 

She smiles against his pillow as she hears the bedroom door open, quickly followed by the rumble of both of their voices and then the thundering of Jack’s feet. The door bursts open again, and seconds later, Jack flops onto the bed, his forehead pressed against hers.

“Emmy, wake up!” 

She chuckles and pulls him into her arms, stamping a kiss against his cheek, “But I want to stay in bed.” 

“But I have to go to school, and you and Daddy have to go to work.” 

She has to press her lips together to contain her smile at his seriousness, and she looks over at Aaron, feels that familiar warmth again at the way he’s looking at them both. She makes a point of sighing dramatically before she nods, kissing his cheek again before she pulls back. 

“Then I guess I’d better start getting ready.”

___

It’s a long, hard day. 

She’s exhausted when she flops onto the bed in her hotel room, grimacing at the slightly lumpy mattress, and she sighs. She missed Aaron. It felt ridiculous because he was only a few doors down in his own room, but she missed him. They’d agreed to not share a room on cases, especially not until the team knew about them, but she’s itching to seek him out. Desperate to lay in his arms and fall asleep listening to his heartbeat, to allow the steady rhythm of it to soothe her as she tried to think about anything other than the conversation she’d had with a victim's wife today. 

She’d volunteered herself to go and do the interview, happy to do it alone if it meant she got a bit of breathing space from her handsome, secret, boyfriend. He was always handsome to her, but there was something about watching him work that drove her crazy, something about the crease between his brows when he frowned as he concentrated that made her have to keep herself busy just so she didn’t reach out and press her thumb into it. 

She didn’t think anything of it. She’d conducted countless interviews like it, had borne witness to many people's grief, but something about this woman’s openness, about the rawness of it, had cut into her from the start. 

Sophie Robinson was a woman in her 40s who had lost the man she’d loved after only finding him a few years earlier. Emily knew better than most that she shouldn’t let herself see her reflection in victims or their family members, but she couldn’t help it. Couldn’t help but put herself in the shoes of the woman opposite her, the grief she was drowning in lapping at Emily’s feet as she sat in her living room, her home now a museum of the life she thought she’d get to have more of. 

Emily blows out a shaky breath and rubs the heels of her hands over her eyes as she pulls the covers around her. She pulls the neckline of the t-shirt she’s wearing, Aaron’s t-shirt, up over her nose to breathe him in. She closes her eyes and tries to trick herself into thinking he’s there with her, slowly but surely falling asleep.

___

She hums to herself as she makes dinner, smiling as she hears Jack giggling in the next room. 

She’s distracted by the doorbell ringing, and she turns down the heat on the stove. She pops her head into the living room on her way past and smiles at Jack as he turns to look at her, his favourite game in hand. 

“Dinners almost ready, honey. Dad will be home soon.” 

He nods, “Okay, Emmy.” 

She walks to the front door, pulling it open without checking who is on the other side, and she smiles when she comes face to face with Derek, her happiness at seeing her friend almost immediately replaced with confusion. “Hi, what are you doing here?”

He blows out a breath, and she can almost feel the shudder of it, can see the pain in his eyes, “Em…”

She looks down, sees blood on his shirt, and she gasps, “Whose blood is that?” She looks past him to his parked car, sees JJ in the passenger seat and she sucks in a breath, “Where’s Aaron?”

Derek sighs and steps towards her, but she steps back, shaking her head, “Em-”

“No,” she says, her throat dry, the hammer of her heart in her chest so strong she thinks it might shatter her sternum from the inside out, “No.” 

Someone screams, and she thinks it might be her.

___

She sits up and sucks in a breath, she sharpness of it sticking in her raw throat, the scream that had pulled her from her nightmare turning into a cough. She hugs her legs against her chest and presses her forehead to her knees, desperate to try and calm herself down, but it doesn’t work. She can barely breathe, pulled under by fear and grief, and it pushes her to her feet. Has her grabbing the keycard for her room and heading out into the hallway, the cool air in comparison to the warmth of her room doing something to bring her back to herself. 

She hesitates for a moment at his door, briefly remembering their deal about not sharing rooms on cases, but when she closes her eyes, she can see the blood on Derek’s shirt in her dream, and she knocks. The relief she feels when she almost immediately hears him get out of bed is palpable, pulling a gasp somewhere from deep in her gut, and tears spill down onto her cheeks. 

He pulls the door open, his eyes sleepy and confused, and she throws herself at him, wraps her arms tightly around his middle and buries her face in his chest.

“Em?” He asks, holding her tightly, tugging her back into his room so he can close the door before he pulls back just enough to look at her, his hands on her cheeks as he looks her up and down, “Sweetheart, what’s wrong? What happened?” 

“I…” she chokes out, and she shakes her head, burying her face to his chest again, something close to a sob escaping against his t-shirt, the vibration of it passing from her to him. 

He holds her tightly, something fierce in his grasp on her as he runs his fingers through her hair and kisses the top of her head, “I’ve got you,” he says, kissing her head again, “I’ve got you.” 

She grasps him tighter as he tries to pull away, “No.” 

It’s what she’d screamed in her nightmare, the rawness of it the same, and it makes her hold him even tighter.

“I’m right here. I’m not going to let you go,” he promises, pulling back just enough to look at her, “Let’s just sit down, okay?” 

She nods, and she can see how the desperation in it worries him, how it adds to the concern already swimming in his eyes, and she clings to him as she lets him lead her through his room. She half expects him to take her to the bed, but he doesn’t. He leads her to the chair in the corner instead and encourages her to sit on his lap. She curls up against him and presses her face into his neck. She places her hand over his heart and feels the rhythm of it, lets the steady beat of it start to calm her down, to soothe the last remaining bits of fear left behind by her nightmare. He comforts her the entire time. His lips against the top of her head and his hand on her hip under the t-shirt she’s wearing, the warmth of his skin drawing her back to herself. 

She isn’t sure how much time passes when she eventually speaks, her forehead still pressed against his neck, “I’m sorry.” 

Aaron kisses her hairline, “You have nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart,” he says, his smile soft and reassuring when she tilts her head to look up at him, “Want to talk about it?” 

“I…” she clears her throat, “I had a nightmare. You were…” she drifts off again, and she knows she doesn’t have to say anything else, that he already knows. Even in the short time they’d been together, they’d woken each other up with a nightmare. Taking it in turns to soothe and comfort. To bring the other back to them with soft touches and kisses as they talked them through it. 

They took it in turns to be the strong one, something she knew they’d been doing for long before they ever even kissed. 

“The interview today?” He asks, and she chokes on a laugh, because of course he knew, and she nods. 

“Yeah, the interview today,” she says, finally pulling back enough to look at him properly. She smiles when he immediately wipes tears from her cheeks, “She said she wished she found him sooner,” she presses her lips together to try to stop the shake in them as she reaches up to run her fingers through his hair, “I guess it hit a little too close to home.” 

He grabs her hand and links their fingers together, dragging their joint hands to his lips to kiss her knuckles. “I think I’ll always wish we’d found each other sooner, Em,” he says, furrowing his brows at himself, “Or, figured it all out sooner, I guess, but we have our whole future ahead of us. There’s so many good things waiting for us.” 

She wants to tell him that she loves him, but she doesn’t want to remember this night when she looks back on the first time she said it, doesn’t want to think of this hotel and it’s shitty mattresses and the nightmare that had torn her from sleep. Instead, she presses her forehead against his and sighs happily. 

“I’m looking forward to it,” she says, stamping her lips against his, “All of it.” 

He nods, his forehead knocking against hers, “Me too.” 

[nanamimizz-archived]

tags: height difference, gn reader, nsfw implied

for @ravengards-rogue sorry for always tormenting you my bad fr

john is never been aware of his height until he got into a spat with arthur at age 18 and realizes he was eye level with his older brother - neither dutch or hosea can say they have seen the boy that smug before. his height is something he’s always used to his advantage, whether for intimidation or flirtation. when he first met you he thought it would be another tool for him to gauge you, to see how easily you scare or fluster at his presence.

looking back it makes him laugh, thinking that something so simply would make you cower from him as if the look on your face was nothing but disinterested upon your first meeting.

a pretty face with brows furrowed and your lips drawn back in a disgusted frown - john likes to think that’s when he fell in love with you even if the version of him freezing on the mountainside didn’t know it yet. you stay at camp with one of your own and become a part of the group day by day and chore by chore. he’s even ridden with you on bounties and leads that always seem to go without a hitch when it’s just him and you.

you are beautiful with the backdrop of the dark blue sky behind you, and the golden fire in front of you as you carefully a strand of hair away from your face while watching into the vastness of the wilderness. long hair suits you, he thinks. the way it suits charles - it makes you seem nobler than any other. john leaves old boy’s hitch and comes to your side, noting something he never quite pieced together.

you are decently tall, standing higher than the other women and some men at camp (he snickers at how you are just an inch taller than javier - the revolutionary is always stung by that fact) but still you are shorter than him. you turn to look at him your lips forming words he isn’t listening to because john is too busy being endeared by how you have to tilt your head to look up at him.

it’s a sweet look on you, it lets him see the shine in your eyes and lets him feast upon the soft skin of your neck.

“are you listening to me?” you ask and john grins, slow and leisurely - filled with some sort of sleazy charm that he knows you aren’t immune to.

“can’t say i am, my angel.” you make that face - the pretty little peeved scowl that makes his grin grow as he tips his head a little further back to rack his eyes down you. he’s being smug again, just like the little shit he was when his world was just arthur, dutch and hosea. john can’t help that you bring that side of him despite the year in between you two.

“well you better start marston.” you hiss, face flushed with annoyance and your hand coming to rest on your waist. he barks a laugh, one that sounds like a wolf’s and that makes your tongue click in your mouth.

“i’ll try to - it’s just hard to hear you from down there sweetheart.” his teasing is strengthen by his drawl and he laughs loud and rickety when you curse him.

“go to hell john marston!” you hiss, pushing him at him and huffing in annoyance at how it barely moves him at all and stalking to the fire. john keeps laughing, bringing his thumb and forefinger to pinch the brim of his hat to bring it down. to hide his growing flush and the ache in his cheeks over this little fact.

[i-live-here-in-my-house]

THE END OF YOUR BEAUTIFUL WORLD | ERROR sans VS sonic.exe (Undertale AU VS Sonic Creepypasta)

Connections and other details under the cut

Connections

Two "dark and edgy" fan made versions of characters who's original versions are well known for their laid-back and cool demeanor. Also they both have weird eyes, with Error's right and left eyes looking completely different from eachother, and exe's being completely black, always bleeding, and only having red dots for pupils. They are both invaders into comparatively kind and gentle worlds who intend to end the lives of everyone and thing within simply because they believe said world to be beneath them for some reason or another. They contrast in that, even though he believes he's doing the right thing by destroying what he deems as bad timelines and universes, Error sans still feels incredible amounts of guilt for the likely thousands if not millions he's killed. Meanwhile sonic.exe revels in playing with its victims and the senseless wonton violence it commits.

Fight details and dynamics

I would want the fight to be animated with sprites, with close ups and action shots being done hand drawn, similar to how the DB team did fights like Gojo v Makima or the recent Among Us v Fall Guys.

I imagine that the battle would start with Error arriving in a world that's in the process of being destroyed by exe, who's in the process of mutilating a flicky. With Error saying something along the lines of him preferring to stick to worlds and timelines he's got a personal connection with, but will make an exception to take out exe. Exe would then teleport inches away from him, laugh in his face, and say something along the lines of him being a fool to try and kill a God. With the fight then starting proper there.

In my mind the fight would be a game of keep away, with Error trying to stop exe from getting close enough to him to be able to do any serious damage to him with his strings, bones and blasters; due to exe being far more physically powerful than him in terms of strength. With plenty of angry cocky banter between them both.

As for who would win? It's honestly a bit of a tough call... it's pretty hard scaling characters like them due to lack of a consistent original source material with them both being fan characters that have been adopted into a wider community to the point where there's no one original source to look to in order to figure out how powerful they are. Given that, however, I think I would probably give the edge to exe here.

He's consistently shown to be far more willing to go for a kill whenever he can just for the fun of the hunt. If he seriously felt that Error was even a slight threat I have little doubt he would waste little time and take him out without mercy. While Error does have certain abilities that could arguably win the battle quite quickly, he'd need to be fast enough to hit exe with them, and well... I doubt I need to explain how unlikely it is to catch any kind of Sonic off guard.

If I hard to guess how the battle would end I would imagine Error finally having exe on the back foot, attempting to use his strings to reach into exe's body and destroy his SOUL. However all he would find would be the shattered remains of the original Sonic's SOUL. This startling Error for just long enough for exe to finally get it's opening, teleporting once again in front of Error with its blood soaked glove wrapping around the front of Error's skull. With him doing his iconic laugh and saying something along the lines of "Surprised Skeleton? And why would you be? A God has no need for a soul! And I AM GOD." With him then squeezing Error's head until it shatters into pieces, exe letting out yet another laugh as he turns to look into the camera, his grin widening as he looks at the viewer.

Creation/art details

Art in the thumbnails is by Loverofpiggies here on tumblr and ScortchVx on Newgrounds respectively!! Absolutely go check them both out!! Both of them make great stuff!!

The track art was the first one I had ever made, and man was it ambitious lmao. But even then I couldn't be happier with how well it came out given my skill level when I made it. Were I to redo it I'd likely swap Error's and exe's positions so their positioning would still make sense if you thought about it for longer than a second. That and the font I used for the bottom half of the title. The more I look at it the less fitting it feels to me...

[chronicallyill-nephilim]

might be late to the party but this idea has been nesting in my head for a while so-

read, decoded, and inhaled the Book of Bill when it was released and this is what came out of that (and thisisnotawebsitedotcom.com)

It all started with the Parallel Dimensions pages (yeah I know we’re all exhausted with the multiverse but I can’t stop thinking about it so here we are).

“But I guarantee you that their less lucky dimensional duplicates think about THEM all the time… Maybe one day all these parallel Pines will get the chance to meet up face-to-face…”

Yeah fuck that shit goes hard, different timeline versions all coming after Dipper and Mabel out of hate and envy and greed for a life they should have had.

(At the time that this wormed it's way into my head talks of a third season / spin off were super high so this is a kind of spin off / third season I would have liked to see)

6 Years down the line

Dipper and Mabel in the timeline we know graduate high school, move to different states and start college. Dipper goes north, Seattle Washington to the University of Washington to study Cultural Geography and Linguistics (minoring in English Lit because he can’t help himself). Mabel stays a bit closer to home and ends up at California Institute of the Arts, studying Art History.

They keep in touch with each other, of course, and their parents and their Grunkles. For the most part their lives went back to normal after the first summer they spent in Gravity Falls. (Not totally, Mabel was still the only girl in their high school who tried to bring a grappling hook in with her on the first day and she’s definitely the only girl to keep one by the door of her college dorm room.)

Meanwhile in the Theraprism

Bill sucks at therapy. He doesn’t have feelings to talk about so suck on that- no he doesn’t care about his destroyed dimension or his historically poor love life thank you very much.

To kill time and boredom he creates the Book of Bill as a last ditch effort to free himself. If he can make a deal with someone through the book he could use them to break himself out of that damn place.

In a library where it really shouldn’t be

Dipper, unsurprisingly spends a lot of his study time in the many libraries littered over the universities campus. Most the time he’s not even there looking for a book, simply a desk in a quiet corner to lose himself in his work. He looks up, without even thinking to give his eyes a break from the bright screen of his lap top, and that's when he sees it.

A think black leather bound spine completely unmarked unlike the color coded spines besides it. It had down right weird vibes coming off it in ways Dipper has only experienced in the boarders of Gravity Falls weirdness.

Obviously he picks it up, cause he might be older but he defiantly is still the cat almost killed by his curiosity. However with age comes wisdom and the first thing he does is not open the book, instead he pockets it in his book bag with plans to call Grunkle Ford and Mabel when he got him.

Except he doesn't make it that far.

The Book of Bill and the other twins

The Book of Bill works as a sort of beacon. Bill didn't intend for that to happen- sending the book through the dimensions trying to get it to anyone who'd be stupid enough to make a deal with him put a damn spot light on the thing (not only that but it ends up in the hands of someone who's already proved their stupidity by having made a deal with Bill in the past).

There are hundreds of timelines, of different dimensions, where the twins lose- they lose everything, their loved ones, each other, their lives. Bill destroys their world, and suddenly this light.

They could all see him, this version of themselves that got to live the life they should be living. Why did he get to grow up, go to college, spend his life with his sister and their family when they couldn't.

Drawn to the book these hurt and broken versions of Dipper (and later Mabel when their together) come flocking to this dimension, if they can get their hands on that book they could have his happy ending instead.

Theraprism's newest tactic

Rolling with the punches (and with Bill their newest patient there are a lot of those) they quickly decide on a new route of therapy.

Traditional methods haven't made any progress so far, so with this new beacon trouble on earth they decided on a more immersive route.

They send his ass to earth to work with the twins on fixing all the different dimensions he killed.

Parallel Dimensions that went wrong

The particular one from the page in the Book of Bill that sparked this idea was the twins in the SBE (Society of the Blind Eye) robes. Just thinking about the twins (and most likely Soos and Wendy) getting inducted that night, and their memories erased. But Dipper's got the journal and he and Mabel are some sort of weird magnet cause they keep running into things. SBE keeps erasing their memories and with such large gaps they start becoming irrationally paranoid about little things. Dipper in particular becomes extremely closed of, "Trust No One" is etched into his mind and even causes him to become afraid of his sister. Things only get worse when Bill starts showing up, trying to get the journal. SBE reveal themself to Dipper and Mabel- and they end up in the robes but the SBE was flawed from the beginning and Dipper couldn't trust the people he needed to when it came down to it. So Bill won.

This is just one of the dimensions... (I have thought through several others but those will probably have to be separate post)

However I think to start the story, the first Dipper to get through and go after the BoB would be the Dipper Gideon kills with the sheers. (We all remember that right... really dark to put him right up front on the page cause I wouldn't have even thought of that as a possibility) This Dipper, a ghost now, is furious he couldn't grow up with his sister. He hates that this other Dipper did get to grow up with Mabel, and got to have the life he wanted.

Basically the whole idea is a buddy comedy between the twins and a much weaker forced to do better Bill. Where all three of them are extremely unhappy about having to work together (Dipper and Mabel would much rather deal with the problem together than with Bill).

We'd get to see Dipper and Mabel grown up as 20 something year old's and learn through new inside jokes and banter what their high school years were like. We get to see how they've changed and in what ways their relationship has grown.

On top of all that we get a pissy Bill having to deal with morals and shit from the twins. - I'm also a sucker for villain turn morally grey turned 'good guy?' and with how the Book of Bill and the website treated his past he could def have a traumatic breakdown over his past and spill his guts to the twins. (whether he feels bad about it could still be up in the air, it could be real or it could be a trick, who knows.)

It'd made a good episodic thing for the first bit because it would focus on one dimension/past at a time. Putting the twins through the emotional ringer of seeing where one little slip up would have changed their lives for the worst- and how it did get worse for the version of them that had to live it.

(I have lots more ideas about this but I will save those for another post, this one is already much longer than I thought it would be.)

[kukurykunapatyku]

Vinsmoke spooky combo day 1: zombie/hater

I should thank you @pharaohzeth, this prompt gave me motivation to finally work something for my kingdom hearts x one piece au <3 i mean, in the games Nobodies are kinda described as dead so i think it's close enough to count...

By rules of the games Nobodies should look like normal humans but I like when people make them look like corpses or give them some inhuman traits, so that's what we're going to do here folks

[I.D.: Two-panel drawing of Niji and Sanji from One Piece in my kingdom hearts au. Niji is on the upper panel. His skin is greyish and there are places where it came off, showing muscle and bones. His eyes are almost entirly black, his hair blue with yellow undertones. He's wearing the black zipped coat like the one used by antagonists in Kingdom Hearts games. He's smirking, head tilted to the right, holding his goggles in the left hand. Next to him is his yonger version in similar pose. The kid's eyes are covered by black smear. His hair is yellow with blue undertones. Second panel shows Sanji's shocked face. Panels are separated by words "Oh, come on... Don't you recognize me?" said by Niji. /End I.D.]

Eyes trailing over the places where rotting skin revealed the muscle and bone underneath, Sanji wished he didn't. Wished there was no familiarity in the way the creature tilted its head, that the mocking smirk didn't bring back memories he buried a long time ago.

He remembered how those monsters grabbed Niji, the way life had left his eyes, the way Sanji would have shared his fate if Reiju didn't push him through the window, into the sea. The way she didn't have time to jump after him.

It couldn't be him. Sanji refused it.

More about the au under the cut

So, quick KH lore for those unfamiliar: The universe is made from different worlds and it's difficult to move between them but not impossible. Also, it's possible to separate person's heart and body. When it happens, the heart turns into Heartless - monster of darkness that is drawn towards hearts and attacks people to get them, creating even more Heartless in the process. Meanwhile, the body turns into a Nobody - barely humanoid husk of a person. In some circumstances, Nobodies can retain their memories and looks, but without the heart they still lack emotions (at least at first). One of the main antagonists in the game is organization 13, made of Nobodies whose goal is to recover their hearts. Their motivations range from "I'm so desperate to get the heart I'll do literally anything" to "I don't really care but since I'm not human anymore I don't belong anywhere else". Those are the people I'm basing Vinsmokes role on.

[I.D.: Close-ups of adult and kid Niji's faces. /End I.D.]

Now to the au.

Judge was researching the power of hearts and darkness by conducting experiments on captured Heartless.

One day something goes wrong and the Heartless escape, stealing the hearts of everyone in the castle. Except for Sanji, who falls into the ocean and is carried away by the weaves, washing up on the beach in adjacent realm and meeting Zeff.

Later Sanji joins the Strawhat Pirates, the crew wandering between the realms in search of the legendary treasure - Kingdom Hearts.

Sanji enjoyes the adventures and nowdays barely thinks about what happened to his siblings (and his sperm donor too I guess). At least until something looking a lot like Niji runs into him on the recon mission...

Probably because of the experiments Judge was doing on them ever before the Heartless attack, Ichiji, Niji, Yonji and Reiju kept their memories and looks. They assumed Sanji was just too weak-willed and turned into the mindless Nobody after loosing his heart. Judge continues his experiments, now with a side of figuring out what powers lacking a heart will give you. Which includes sending Heartless into other worlds and observing the carnage...

Reiju didn't tell anyone she managed to get Sanji out of the castle, partly because she's not sure he didn't just drown and partly because she doesn't know what Judge would do if he discovered Sanji's still alive. Her worries are validated when Niji comes back with the news and Judge orders them to bring Sanji back to the 'family'.

Because she was older when she lost her heart, Reiju is better at pretending to be human than her brothers. She remembers having emotions and usually gives more appropiate responses. Ichiji, Niji and Yonji kind of suck in that regard since they barely remember what the appropiate response even is. At first Niji didn't even realize Sanji was scared of him when they met again.

[yjyt85r98r]

I feel like writing a bunch of stuff about how colour theory is used in Aikatsu and the Pretty Series' art. Mostly just random observations. This will be a pretty long post

Aikatsu

Here are the eyes of different brown-eyed characters over the years: Otome, Rin, Yume, Aine, and Rose. You can see how, in line with character design trends, the bottom part of their eyes becomes brighter over the years, going from light brown to yellow and eventually, green.

This will be relevant later.

PriMagi

Lemon seems to have a duller skin tone than Miruki – look at those hands next to each other. Those hands do NOT look the same colour.

But the base colour is actually exactly the same.

I tried to edit the hands image to be solid colour, but it was too airbrushed/gradient-y (and then my computer crashed without saving my edit), so I'll use this image instead.

Anyway, the point is, choosing different shades for highlights and shadows can make the same colour look different.

Aikatsu Planet and AiPri

Recently, it's been popular to use different colours as highlights and shadows (whereas before, people would mostly just use lighter and darker versions of the same colour). Aikatsu Planet used this technique on the hairstyles to make shiny-looking designs that pop.

For example, Hana's hair contains yellow, magenta, pink, purple, white and green, but the overall impression it gives off is just yellow and magenta.

The yellow streaks in Ruli's hair are shaded with teal to create an interesting sort of shadow effect.

The hair lighting in Aikatsu Planet looks a bit odd, but it works in its own way.

AiPri tries to imitate this effect by simply adding rainbow highlights to every character's hair, but they use a "one size fits all" approach where they use the same rainbow gradient for every character.

I was going to say "I'm not gonna accuse a character designer of not understanding colour theory, because I'm sure they must", but then I looked up the character designer and this seems to be their first time working in character design, so idk. But regardless of whether they know colour theory or not (they probably do, I'm sure anyone who works in animation knows it), I DO think they were trying to find a shortcut to the effect, for whatever reason.

I was trying to pin down one main reason that it doesn't work, but there are a lot of reasons. SO many reasons.

The first reason, and probably the easiest to understand, is that some of the highlights are nearly the same colour as the rest of the hair. The highlights are a gradient of yellow, cyan, and pastel purple. Mitsuki has yellow hair, and Chii has pastel purple hair. The character designer wisely avoided giving any of the characters cyan hair, but Airi's hair is still too close to cyan, so the cyan doesn't show up well on her. It's pretty hard to come up with three colours that will show up on every character when the characters are practically a rainbow.

Another reason is that many of the characters have hair that's lighter than the highlights, which causes the highlights to have a sort of 'inverted' appearance. This is sometimes done as a stylistic choice – several white-haired characters from the Pretty Series (e.g. Anju, Ryume) had this type of lighting on their hair. But the contrast isn't enough, especially with the small size of the highlights, so they're hard to see. On Airi and Mitauki in particular, only the purple parts show up clearly, which, at a glance, makes it look like they were only drawn with highlights on one side of their heads.

Yet another reason is that the saturation level is inconsistent among characters, which makes some characters' hair look glossier than others.

Here is a desaturated image of the AiPri characters. The darker parts (aside from the black) are parts with high saturation (brightness), whereas the lighter parts (aside from the white) are parts with low saturation.

You can see that with several characters (Himari, Mitsuki, Chii, Tamaki, Airi), the highlights are around the same level of saturation as the rest of the hair.

In comparison, here is a desaturated image of the Aikatsu Planet characters.

The highlights in their hair all look white, because they are pastel shades with lower saturation. Even the pink highlight in Ruli's yellow streak of hair appears light when desaturated, despite looking darker in full colour.

The AiPri characters' hair also has darker, duller shadows, unlike Aikatsu Planet. Hana and Mitsuki both have yellow hair, but Hana's has pink shadows, whereas Mitsuki's has dull/dark yellow shadows. This makes the neon highlights look out of place. However, I think it was the intention to make the AiPri hair highlights look out of place and otherworldly, so I won't complain too much about that.

And I could go on about the inconsistent placement of the highlights, but that's barely on topic at this point. Anyway, this style of lighting is incredibly difficult to do right, and requires a bit of knowledge in order to master. It's very tempting to imitate it since it's so popular these days, but it really can't be done well without proper knowledge and careful thought.

[mistywhiskerz]

That Engel moonscorched design is fucked up, I love it. I couldn't find more info on her if I search up "Engel" on ur acc (I'm sorry if there is and I just haven't seen it ;v;), so I'm curious about her and what aspects of her you had in mind when designing her moonscorched form

Oh I’ll totally start tagging her ! Im sorry because this is gonna be LONG!! I also apologise if it doesn’t make sense, I haven’t slept 💔

She’s originally my signalis oc! So most of it translates over, so if you see her as a robot that’s why :3

(Warning because idk how to censor stuff on tumblr; for self harm, gore, nudity!!)

She’s a pilot ! I’m still making lore stuff with her but she’s originally from Rondon.

When designing her Moonscorched form, I wanted to really dig into her fears. She's terrified of the fact that she's been treated differently since childhood because she's afab, that the misogyny she's faced shaped her into being afraid to fully embrace femininity. In one piece of art, she draws a mustache on herself to appear more masculine (I’ll put a bunch of photos at the end!). I will say she doesn't identify as a man, she is comfortable with her gender identity as a woman. She just wish she could freely express herself without fears. I also just adore how she looks with a drawn on moustache jsjsjs

She's also struggles with PMDD (Pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder), which is something that I personally experience and have incorporated into the character's design. The week leading up to her period is usually painful and difficult to get through. so when her period begins it's a huge relief, knowing that the awful week she just experienced was due to PMDD and not her usual self.

Another reason periods are important to her is that she has a phobia of childbirth. So she takes comfort in the knowledge that she is safe when her period comes around. This is why in her moonscorched design her chest and stomach are a vagina, her uterus is bleeding to show period imagery and her fimbriae are holding her stomach open- the reason she has dove wings on her head might seem unrelated but it’s because in her signalis version she’s a dove ! (A type of replika) so it’s a reference to that ! (I also imagine her moonscorched name would be ‘Fallen Engel’ )

I will say, (warning for sh) the reason her stomach is opened up is due to a past injury she caused herself, she has a large scar down her stomach that she did to herself, she wanted to make herself infertile and did it to an extreme during PMDD. So in her moonscorch design her uterus actually has a hole in it, it’s just hard to see !

Basically Engel is a character that I project my gender, period issues and pmdd onto heavily, so her moonscorched design really does have a lot of meaning!

[alcoholicsxlt]

My official story for Vic x Nightmare…🤓

TW: Sa, abuse and manipulation.

After graduating high school, Victoria took a job at a run-down diner. Most of her earnings went toward food, clothes, and weed. Thankfully, her stepdad covered rent, so she didn’t have to worry about that. She wasn’t home much anyway—she never felt safe there. Eventually, she landed a modeling gig with a small company, which brought in some extra cash. She walked in runway shows and invited her mom and family, but they never showed. Only Stephanie ever came.

By the time she turned 19, Victoria had saved up enough to leave. Packing her things, she decided to head for the woods, seeking solitude to figure out where she wanted to go next. That was when she stumbled into the hole that led to the Underground.

The Underground:

After falling into the Underground, Victoria went through much of what Frisk experienced, though she stayed with Toriel for a few days before moving on. She eventually made her way to Snowdin, where she felt the most accepted. There, she found herself spending a lot of time with Sans and Papyrus.

Over time, Victoria learned about the different versions of Sans that existed. She mostly got along with Blue and Red but clashed with Stretch and Edge. Stretch accused her of walking all over Blue, which was true to some extent, and Edge thought she was just another spoiled, know-it-all teenager.

Weeks passed, and eventually, she met Dream. Though his overly positive demeanor initially put her off, Dream took an interest in her. He saw through her defensive attitude, believing that Victoria’s hostility came from the wounds of her past and her inability to trust kindness. As they spent more time together, Dream confided in her about Nightmare, a version of Sans known for his cruelty and violence. Victoria, intrigued by the idea of such a dangerous character, wanted to meet him. Dream warned her that it was a death wish—Nightmare hated humans and everything else, thriving only on negativity. But Victoria, under Dream’s protection, felt invincible.

The Dreams:

Soon, Victoria began experiencing strange nightmares—visions of her past abuse, her trauma, and her darkest fears. In the midst of these terrifying dreams, a presence manifested. Something dark, suffocating, and yet strangely comforting. Instead of recoiling, Victoria was drawn to it, unable to look away. She mentioned it to Dream, but dismissed it as nothing more than unsettling dreams. Dream, however, immediately recognized the connection to Nightmare. This happened during the chaos of the Underverse war, and as the conflict raged on, her dreams began to take on a more tangible form.

Over time, Victoria’s nightmares became more vivid. She saw Nightmare’s glowing aqua-colored right eye, the black goop covering his left eye, and his dark bones and clothing. His eerie smile, far from terrifying, seemed oddly comforting to her. It was like a drug—she knew he was a monster, a being bent on destruction, but that didn’t stop her obsession. She didn’t tell anyone, not even Dream. She lied, telling him the nightmares had stopped.

Nightmare’s Visit:

One night, as Victoria slept soundly in her room, she was suddenly awakened by the sound of her window creaking. She blinked, half-dazed, and went to investigate. To her shock, standing outside was the very creature from her dreams—Nightmare. For a long moment, she wasn’t sure if she was awake or still dreaming. She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come.

Nightmare gave his signature grin, relaxed and almost casual, his hand resting beneath his chin. He didn’t speak immediately, only watching her. “It’s quite chilly out here, isn’t it?” he said in a voice that sent shivers down her spine—demonic, yet condescending.

Victoria froze, opening her mouth to respond, but Nightmare spoke again, cutting her off. “Well, I’ll be going now, but I couldn’t leave without leaving one last lingering glance at you, my little dove.”

And just like that, he vanished.

The Growing Obsession:

In the days that followed, Victoria withdrew further into herself. Blue and Dream grew concerned, while Red pretended not to care. Dream, however, knew the truth—Victoria had lied about the nightmares. She grew distant, isolating herself from everyone. Any attempt to help was met with hostility; she didn’t want anyone’s sympathy.

At night, Nightmare began visiting her more frequently, and their conversations grew longer. Victoria sensed that he wanted to hurt her, but despite that feeling, she also felt strangely calm and safe with him. In his mind, she was just another human—someone with a damaged, broken past. To him, she was a tool, something to use against Dream and the others. But it wasn’t just manipulation. He wanted more. He wanted her for himself, not out of love, but out of a twisted obsession.

Here’s a more refined version of your text with the same tone:

The Confrontation:

Eventually, Dream couldn’t take it any longer. He could no longer bear the thought of Nightmare tormenting yet another person he cared about. Determined to put a stop to it, he confronted Victoria. He told her, firmly, that she needed to stay away from Nightmare. But, as expected, Victoria didn’t listen. She lashed out, her words sharp and biting, insulting Dream with all her might. Dream, however, knew this wasn’t truly her speaking—it was Nightmare’s influence. He had fully infiltrated her mind and was now in complete control.

Desperate, Dream confided in the others: Blue, Red, Ink, and Fresh. (At this point, Cross was still aligned with Nightmare.) Blue was horrified. He truly cared for Victoria, and the thought of her being manipulated, or worse, hurt, tore him apart. Red, however, was furious at Dream. He couldn’t believe his friend hadn’t said anything sooner. If he had, maybe they could have stopped this before it escalated. Ink and Fresh were concerned, too, but their worries stemmed more from the fact that Nightmare now had a new tool to use against them. They didn’t know much about Victoria—only that she was a runaway who bounced between AUs, staying with either Blue, Dream, or Red—but the idea that Nightmare had a claim on her terrified them.

Nightmare’s proposal:

But Victoria didn’t care. She didn’t care that Nightmare could end her life at any moment. She hated herself far too much to fear it. All she wanted was someone to fixate on her, to desire her the way she had obsessed over others.

One night, after everyone had drifted off to sleep, Victoria waited—nervous but anticipating the familiar visit from Nightmare. This time, though, things were different. Instead of just appearing outside her window, he materialized right in front of her. Victoria, for the first time, saw him up close.

“Shit, he’s tall,” she thought, a surge of twisted fascination coursing through her. The sight of him, towering and menacing, only served to fuel her obsession further.

Nightmare gave her his signature, unsettling grin. “So, how are the others handling the fact that I have full control over you?” he asked, his voice dripping with amusement.

Victoria tried to maintain some semblance of control. “You don’t have full control over me,” she replied, her voice trembling only slightly. “I still have my own thoughts and feelings.”

Nightmare chuckled darkly. “And that’s exactly why I obsess over you, little dove. I’ve never encountered a mortal quite like you.” His tone shifted then, more possessive, more certain. “And that’s exactly why I’m here.”

Victoria’s heart skipped a beat. The weight of his words settled into her chest, and she instinctively recoiled, though she didn’t quite understand why.

“I want you to be my wife,” he said, the words heavy and final.

Victoria was stunned. She hesitated for a moment, before speaking.

“Me? Your wife? Give me a break. Why the hell would the King of Nightmares need a wife?” she said, her voice shaking, trying to sound more confident than she felt.

Nightmare’s smile grew wider, darker. He stepped closer, his presence suffocating. “Do not be so quick to assume that because I am a monster, I am without… desires.” His voice dropped, smooth and velvety, but laced with something far more dangerous. “I want you, Victoria. I need you. I hunger for the scent of your skin, the way your pulse quickens when I draw near. The tremble that takes over you when you think of me… It stirs something in me.”

He reached into the folds of his cloak and drew out a ring—gorgeous, gleaming gold, crowned with a pink diamond that seemed to shimmer in the dim light of the room. He held it out to her slowly, almost ceremoniously, like an offering.

“You would want for nothing,” he continued, his voice low, coaxing. “You would be royalty, my queen. Do you not long for that? To stand by my side, to be adored by me, to be more than just another face in the shadows?” His gaze pierced her, unblinking, as he slowly slid the ring toward her. “What do you say, my angel?”

Before Victoria could speak. He“In return,” Nightmare’s voice was cold and commanding, his eyes glinting with dark intent, “you will submit to me. You will regard me as your superior, your master. And you will help me rid myself of those… insufferable fools.” He spoke the word “fools” with disdain, as if the mere thought of the other AUs disgusted him.

Here’s a refined version with a darker, more elegant and menacing tone for Nightmare’s dialogue:

Victoria was speechless, stunned by his words, unsure of what to do or say. She had never experienced such a confession before, but she couldn’t help but wonder—was the man of her dreams worth it, if it meant the lives of her friends would be forfeit?

Nightmare let out a soft, knowing chuckle. He could see the conflict stirring within her.

“Oh, my sweet, innocent angel,” he purred, his voice smooth as velvet but dripping with malice. “You’ve always been so… naïve.” He stepped closer, his hands resting gently on her shoulders, his fingers cold and possessive. “Think about your parents.”

Nightmare leaned in, his breath cold against her ear as he continued. “Think about how your father treated you like nothing more than a burden, as if you weren’t even his daughter. And your mother…” He paused, letting the silence linger. “She let your stepfather have his way with you while she stood idly by, doing nothing to protect you.”

Nightmare’s voice dropped to a whisper, his words like poison seeping into her mind. “Now think about Dream, Red, and Blue. Those ‘friends’ of yours. If they truly cared about you, they would’ve done something long before now. But they didn’t, did they? They sat around, talking about how tragic your life was, like it was some kind of spectacle. What kind of friends are those, Victoria?”

He took a step back, watching her with a gaze that held no warmth—only the coldness of someone who had already claimed victory. “No one loves you, Victoria. No one but me.” He smiled, a smile that was all sharp edges and darkness. “I could give you everything you’ve ever dreamed of. You’ve always wanted a life of luxury, haven’t you? I can offer you that. I can offer you everything you’ve ever craved. All you need to do is accept me.”

He held her gaze, the weight of his words hanging heavy between them. “Be mine, Victoria. Become my queen. My wife.”

She gritted her teeth as she clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms. Nightmare’s words had struck too close to the truth. The rage, long simmering beneath the surface, finally erupted within her. She was tired—tired of being ignored, tired of being a pawn in everyone else’s game. She was done being treated like a toy, discarded when it suited others.

With a determined breath, she turned to face Nightmare, her gaze sharp and unwavering. Slowly, she extended her hand toward him.

Nightmare’s lips curled into a slow, knowing smile, a dark chuckle escaping his throat. Without hesitation, he slid the ring onto her finger, the cold metal pressing against her skin.

“Excellent choice, little angel,” he whispered, his voice dripping with satisfaction.

And just like that, they both vanished—poof—into the air, as if they had never been there at all.

[puffyducks]

DCRC Week #20 (Part 1)

Guys how has it already been 20 whole weeks time isn't real. Anyways speaking of, we're reading PKNA #16: Extraordinary Repairs which is a huge deal cause it means that after waiting 20 whole weeks I CAN FINALLY DOXX CAMERA 9'S FULL LEGAL NAME AND ADDRESS!!! IT'S S-

Okay FINE I guess I'll wait to say his name until we actually get to the right part in this post. And idk why I've even prevented myself from saying his real name in front of my friends that are going through this series for the first time cause it's not even like a secret or revelation, they literally tell you his name at the end of Day of the Cold Sun in his character sheet, but nobody reading the English fan translations would know that because nobody has uploaded translated versions of the character sheets (yet...) ANYWAYS

Just as a heads up to anyone who is reading this comic for the first time, the English translating here is a little scuffed (I assume whoever translated this chapter wasn't a native English speaker) so there are occasional grammatical mistakes but nothing too severe that it limits the effect of the story!

Angus I can PROMISE you do not want to start doing research into Everett Ducklair, do you know how many fuckin doomsday weapons he kept "accidentally" making??? You don't want the smoke.

What kind of fucking idiot steps into an elevator shaft without stopping to see if the elevator is ACTUALLY THERE omfg I hope he hits the bottom and dies

GUYS HE SAID THE- HE SAID THE TITLE OF THE CHAPTER!!!

ALSO HDL MENTION 🔥🔥🔥

guys.... there he is.... the man of the hour

shoutout to the way the other guy is drawn in this panel btw (his ears fell off I guess)

OHOHOHO TRENCHCOAT REVEAL!!! GUYS I AM GIDDY AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY I JUST THINK HE'S NEAT

HE SAID THE THING

why he ourple

OHHH YEAHHH IT'S YA BOI STEFAN MOTHAFUCKIN VLADUCK!!! Who appears to be constantly having a series of PTSD-related war flashbacks but ummm let's not worry about that right now

It's really interesting to me that Donald is a fan of Stefan's work. I mean media was obviously different in the 90s but still, when's the last time you heard someone bring up their favorite photographer? Either Stefan is FAMOUS famous or Donald is one of like 10 people that like to read the credits under newspaper photos.

This panel makes me laugh cause out of context it looks like Stefan is running away from PK (on account of his huge torn up fucking evil looking cape) bro is literally FNAF 2 jumpscaring at him

I FUCKING TOLD YOU

Coolest character design of all time (literally just a duck in a trenchcoat)

What have you seen WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN. 200 page comic docuseries covering all of Stefan's horrifying past experiences NOW!!!!!

You're telling me Ducklair was in his basement building fuckin DINOSAURS??.... ok I can't lie that's cool as fuck good for him

So close except actually not close at all. Granted PK does hang out in Ducklair Tower all the time, but it's not like Angus knows that 😭

Love how much this laser gun just looks like a regular pistol

Me reading poorly written analysis posts of DT17 sorry

I love evil fucked up PK can we keep him like this actually

PAPERINIK MURDERS ANGUS FANGUS IN COLD BLOOD (REAL)

Nvm we just gave him a concussion. also hi Stefan 👋

Also we drugged him. Y'know just for good measure!

NO FUCKING WAY YOU GUYS EYEBALL REVEAL 🔥🔥🔥 HE HAS GREEN EYES. or at least one green eye... I guess he could have heterochromia or something whatever

btw this is the most we'll ever see of his face so SOAK IT IN FOLKS (at least, the most we'll see in PKNA, there's like one singular comic from 2016 that shows his entire face if you're curious. You can just google his name and the photos will come up.)

SHOUTOUT TO THE LITTLE CAMERA 9 END HERE IT'S SO SILLY.

I love this issue, Camera 9/Stefan is probably one of my favorite characters. He's just fuckin cool man idk what to tell you. He's fairly inconsequential in the grand scheme of things but I like having him around, he's a fun character to add as a little bit of flavor to a series with so many ongoing narratives. I do wanna highlight this bit of text from the bottom of his Paperpedia page (which has been auto-translated from Italian and might be a bit off):

I'm so incredibly intrigued by the analysis here because, if true, I wanna know whose idea it was to start referencing classical Luigi Pirandello literature in a Donald Duck comic. I'm not saying I don't want my duck comics to have commentary on media sensationalism and alienation, but I am saying that it's certainly unexpected. Still a welcome topic!

I used most of my image limit covering the main comic so I won't be able to add a lot about the bonus comic but I will say: WAHHH WAHHHH THIS IS THE LAST TRIP COMIC 😭😭😭 at least for a while anyways. There are the Trip's Strip comics but I haven't seen anyone translate those into English and they also start at like chapter 40 so

Is the Raider just fucking allergic to dressing normally like what's going on here. Also HAHA TRIP THOUGHT HIS DAD DIDN'T COME TO THE GAME BUT HE WAS ACTUALLY WATCHING THE WHOLE TIME, EVERYONE POINT AND LAUGH 🫵 YOUR DAD LOVES YOU HAHAHA LOSER

Goodbye Trip, my sweet summer child... my child who sucks so fucking bad. He's the worst I'm gonna miss him. And ummm see you later with more spooky Carl Barks!

[despazito]

Idk in my idyllic world the use of ai could improve animation workflow and catapult junior level artists into creative leads roles faster if there's less menial work to be done.

We could have artists still in charge of creative decisions and drawing vis dev while the computer assists with the most labour intensive steps of making shows or movies.

For simpler shows for instance it would be neat I think if you could run your storyboard through a script and have the machine import all relevant assets staged to the best of its abilities instead of manually having to drag props and rigs into your shot and scaling everything before you can even begin to animate (does that tech exist already? Probably).

Like nowadays we already have animation programs where you can set deformer limitations.

i could imagine a possible future where software includes or does subscription services to ai trained on work by artists who got paid to draw or animate template motions or anatomy references. something like generating smart bones could become an automated feature. i can maybe even foresee tech that can look at a character model or design sheet you've drawn and generate a rig for it. in all these scenarios you would have to correct stuff and tune things to your liking, but it gives a considerable head start to the work.

More dynamic shots could be made on smaller budgets if we gave ai props or backgrounds and said "give me this but rotated a little" instead of drawing the same damn chair from 10 angles as a prop artist, I refuse to believe anyone's passion in life is to make prop turnarounds or clean up inbetweens.

what if you had an ai that was trained on drawings of heads at every angle, animals in every angle, a slew of expressions and mouth shapes, then gave it a character ref drawn from a few angles and bam it makes the vtuber rig for you.

this still leaves space for original art and would still require a skilled creative to make something look it's best, that could be a gig. more animators could potentially begin their own smaller studios if cartoons are way easier to make. if anyone could potentially make their own movie in the future, charge people to do it right! no computer can replace a human knowledgeable in film or drawing to guide it in the right direction. without creative people at a production's core, i think the future of ai film is just a very, very, sophisticated version of goanimate than can also do art theft.

this could become the weird futuristic version of "i wrote this children's book can you illustrate it for me?" but instead your mom's friend wants to commission a show pilot they wrote a screenplay for.

When animation was drawn on cels we had entire painting departments whose job it was to paint each individual frame by literal numbers, and it was tedious!! Now we have the paint bucket tool for digital coloring, and software like Toonboom lets you color in one frame then generate the coloring for the proceeding frames. We still have a colour and painting department, it's just different work now. but now we also have people making full color cartoons from their basements because Flash was released for personal computers with said digital tech along with computer generated motion tweening for animation!!

Junior animator and junior bg painter or prop artist roles will probably face an overhaul where more work can be done with less people. But the utopian outcome would be these junior artists can sooner take up lead or supervisor positions where they get to execute their own ideas instead of someone else's. more shows or movies could be produced with less crew for less money, slashing costs when deciding what to greenlight or to take a risk on new talent. The problem is capitalism would make it suck because it only cares about exploiting workers for those cheapest costs possible and forego the necessary human crew required to make the difference between machine-assisted productions and pure ai generated slop