#until he also eventually succumbs to his inevitable death

[nevvaraven]

.

#You guys don’t even get it I want to climb James Potter Tarzan style and wrap myself around him #like he’s a traffic sign pole and I’m a bad driver who couldn’t find the break pedal #and then I want to shove his entire first all the way down my throat #and then shove his other fist so far up my ass so that he can fist bump himself in my stomach #and then I want to wear a collar that he uses as an ankle bracelet just so I can be dragged around the floor whenever he goes anywhere #and then I want to be tucked into his bed and squished so tightly that I die from suffocation #and my rotting corpse can be frozen and turned into wall art just so I can watch him go about his day to day business #until he also eventually succumbs to his inevitable death

[briluvspnk]

🌠 » The Prophecy : xiao x reader oneshot

— synopsis : xiao is immortal while you... aren't. he gets desperate.

— tags : angst, mentions of death, no one actually dies dw, gender neutral reader

— a/n : inspired by The Prophecy by Taylor Swift. this is my pathetic attempt at writing angst (do let me know if i managed to make you sad/cry /hj) likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated!<3

Xiao is a great man; a great man who endured many hardships in his long life. A great man who is one of the mighty and illuminated adepti, a devotee of Rex Lapis, protector of Liyue, the Vigilant Yaksha, the Conqueror of Demons. He was a great man who did not care for what he believed to be trivial, childish, and pointless human customs. A great man who accepted that he was to be alone, pushing away others to protect them from his karmic debt. A great man who accepted that it was for the better to be left solitude. That is, until he met you.

Amidst through all the darkness and loneliness he drowned himself in, you chose to delve in it. You chose to walk through the fog relentlessly pushing you out, pushing you away from the monster he would inevitably become. You willingly let out your hand, pulling him into a world he never knew he could be a part of. You pulled him into a warm embrace, welcomed him into a world where he isn't just reduced to be a man suffering from endless battles, enduring his curse of karmic debt. When he’s with you, he is Xiao. Just Xiao, his own person. A person with hope and a purpose other than just to endure and suffer, fight and survive.

And then it dawned on him— he is in love.

Yet with that revelation, a certain unfortunate fact came with it, and perhaps that was the real curse that even you couldn’t stop from flooding and rotting his mind. The fact that one day, you would leave him and join death. The thought of your existence purged by your mortality haunts him. The thought of you succumbing to death, your love you claimed is undying simply turning into fragile memories that eventually only he will remember. The thought of him, despite all his strength and power, not able to do anything to protect you from your unchangeable fate is something he simply can not accept. Not when he loves you this much. How can he look at you in the eyes now, knowing the eventual end of your journey?

His thoughts escalated and came to a realization. What if, along with the loneliness and darkness haunting his heart and mind, it was filled with greed, too? What if it was filled with the burning selfish desire for you to stay? What if he can't sit still with the fact that he will no longer meet your eyes, hear your voice, touch your skin, or feel your warm embrace? What if no one will ever make him feel like him again?

When he’s with you, he is Xiao. Just Xiao, his own person. A person with hope and purpose. But along with that, you also turned him into a man on his knees.

You turned him into a man begging desperately to the Archons above to please, please, please let you stay. To please, let him love you. To please, realign the stars, rewrite your destiny, carve out what is set in stone, redo the prophecy. He doesn’t want to have to painfully reminisce bittersweet memories of you, helplessly hoping to be able to grasp even just a speck of your true existence. He wants to bask in your presence like its the very sun giving him life, the air he needs to breathe. He wants to stand with you hand in hand, surviving— living in this world. You turned him into a man crumbling in fear, like a once great statue crumbling and caving in into the passage of time, the root of all despair.

If he was the greater man he once was, he would've lost hope and accepted his unfortunate faith with grace. He would’ve never begged in front of the gods for what he deemed a selfish purpose. Hell, he would’ve never even let himself love you in the first place.

But he is no longer that man. Now, he is a wretched, miserable man helplessly looking up at the sky, screaming his prayers. What else could he do? Who else could he talk to to give him what he wants? The man never wished for money or fame. The man never prayed for anything grand. Xiao only hopes for one thing— for you to stay. And he is a fool to think the gods will listen to him despite his sins, but he rather be a fool than a coward who didn't beg for you. He rather be seen a manic howling at the moon, shrieking his hopeless demands. He rather be seen an idiot defying the order of Celestia, wasting his voice to an ear that won't listen, or to a greater power that won't grace him with their blessing. Because he loves you too much not to be a pleading vulnerable man, eyes streaming with tears, fingers digging into the dirt in desperation and anger. He loves you too much to spend so little time with. He loves you too much not to attempt to change the course of faith, not to attempt to escape death himself, just so he can love you more.

#genshin impact x reader #xiao x reader #genshin x reader #genshin angst #genshin xiao #briluvswriting #astronetwrk

[allmyocsarebritish]

Kiss, Maime, Kill: Chapter 6 - the fall

Pairing: Alastor X killer! F Reader

Warnings!!!: Lots of description of grieving and briefly dying itself, drug use, probably more but if you've read this far -thank you- and it should be alr :)

Word count: 0.8k

1935

Louisiana, New Orleans

Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. The so called stages of grief. A process, one which you were expected to overcome as time passed, because, of course 'time heals everything'. Spoiler alert: it didn't. How could it? Alastor was your everything, and now he was gone. Nothing you could do would change that, so, logically nothing mattered.

You hadn't touched a single butcher's knife in the past two years, though you continued to spend a lot of time in the woods initially. Maybe it was the denial stage, or maybe you couldn't bear to let go of all normality, but eventually all trips did cease. Resulting in you barricading yourself into the constraints of the life you were always supposed to lead. The boring, mundane, soulless, lonely existence you couldn't escape. The drunken hunter that mistook your darling husband for a fucking deer wound up facing penalty for all the murders you and your partner in crime enacted. Not even close to a justice in your eyes, but, on paper your freedom remained despite your crimes, and Alastor's death became the tragic homicide in which a charming radio host lost his life, and his widow lost her sanity. But at least his reputation was not tarnished as a killer.

Your biggest fear was remembering Al longer than you had known him, resorting to drinking to forget. It surely numbed the edges of your pain, but the raw sorrow remained unmasked. Ancient habits broke to new addictions, detrimental to already-faultering health. Not that you cared, anyway. Fuzziness clouded your vision as you felt yourself succumb. [Really trying not to make this too graphic 😀]

Death wasn't something that you feared or dreaded. It was something that inevitably came to everyone eventually, and wasn't something you could change. Obviously, it could be hastened, you had of course acted as a catalyst for this yourself in many cases. However, you couldn't truthfully say whether or not it were intentional this time - not that it didn't matter, because there was nothing you could do. Where had your newfound compliance with the events of life sprung from?

"Regrets won't change anything, you need to find your peace in the present, no matter how imperfect it may be or how much you wish you could change."

Of course.

Despite having played as though you were in control for long enough, deep down you always knew you weren't. But that opened an existential can of worms you didn't ever feel like diving into. So you didn't, and it remained repressed and helped no-one.

You hadn't even realised you were floating (mostly literally but also figuratively) until you suddenly weren't. Falling and remaining stationary simultaneously was odd to say the least. The ambiguous motion brought a sense of queasiness and dizziness, rushing yet agonisingly slow and still. You closed your eyes tightly, willing the awful experience to come to an end.

It didn't take a genius to work out where you were headed. Killing people was obviously always going to end in eternal damnation. You took a deep breath, preparing for a torture to last longer than you could fathom, though really, you knew your own personal hell began two years prior.

Pitch darkness faded to vibrant crimson, the hues of blood, fury and agony. Despite your eyelids being squeezed shut, you still felt the dramatic change in hues, and the brightness was scalding. You winced , shielding your closed eyes with an arm. Though, before you even had the chance to begin to acclimate to the brightness, all weird, oxymoronic motion ceased, as you landed on your ass with a very painful thud.

Groaning in pain at the impact, your eyes shot open, and your senses were immediately bombarded with the extremity of this place. The scent of rot and decay, mixed with blood and metal ambushed your sinuses, causing a sharp pain in your nose. The air was so putrid you could taste it, and it was revolting. The heat was excruciating, boiling and painful; unpleasant by all accounts. Screams of the damned assaulted your ears, reminding you of your own, both on that night and every one since. The ground felt scalding, like bubbling tarmac on a boiling summer day, just on steroids. And oh, so much red. It flooded your ticking mind, leaving you with an unshakeable clarity. Yes, this was definitely hell.

Demons from every angle appeared to be going about their day, varying in radicality. Whilst some appeared troubled in a much more quiet sense, others opted to literally bomb eachother, and a deafening artillery bombardment exploding in the distance shook you to your core. All you wanted was Alastor and the comfort he brought you.

Alastor.

If this was hell then surely he was here too? Right? You just needed to find him. Of course, that was easier said than done considering the clear extensive nature of this place. But, if you knew Al, which you did, you knew that he'd find a way to thrive.

Until you met again.

#hazbin hotel #alastor #alastor imagine #alastor x reader #hazbin #hazbin alastor #hazbin alastor x you #hazbin hotel alastor

[dulciechi]

Hello! I don't know if you're still interested in your COTL Witness AU, but I hope you don't mind me asking something. In one of your art piece of Witness AU, why was Narinder crying in the one depicting Apollyn offering him a flower crown? Was he reminiscing of some heavy past sorrow or frustration? Also, your "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" is very fascinating! I hope both of your fics still interest you enough to keep writing for them without weighing you down, they're just wonderful to read!

Have a good sleep and meal!

The sermon ends just a bit past noon; rays of sunlight streaming through the cathedral windows until everything in the temple is drenched in blood. Narinder remains behind the pulpit hours after the last of his worshippers have left– unwilling to return to the Veil just yet.

He doesn’t remember what he said. It doesn’t matter. Sermons are a necessary part of mass and he has performed enough of them that it’s become muscle memory. Even if his belief falters, he will never show it.

Besides, what else could be said of Death that he hasn’t said before? What else could he offer them other than a promise of a calm afterlife?

Death is inevitable.

‘…It must be inevitable, or the foundation of our Faith will weaken. Everything else may change, but not Death.’

‘Never you.’

He should be grateful. Of all his siblings’ domains, his is the one that cannot be destroyed. Even gods eventually succumb to Death.

‘What more can you want? Our followers? Our Crowns?’

‘Don’t you have enough power?’

‘If you continue to pursue this path, know that we cannot accompany you through it.’

‘You will chase your destruction alone.’

He doesn’t know how long he stays there, echoes of his siblings’ and his words tossing and turning in his mind, unable to rest. Time is easy for gods to forget, so easy to ignore when neither hunger nor sleep are there to remind them of its passing.

In the end, a familiar voice is what rouses him from his trance.

“My love?”

Narinder turns from the window to find his Witness atop the pulpit, a tiny crown of flowers in their hands.

He blinks, and feels something wet slip down his cheeks. He raises a hand and touches his face, surprised to feel tears.

Ah. So that's why they hadn’t used his proper title. They knew he would’ve panicked at the thought of being seen by anyone else in this state. Incensed.

And they both knew only one creature was daring enough to refer to him so intimately.

Apollyon holds out the crown beseechingly, an ever-loving smile on their face, “Though paltry, I hope my offering pleases you. Let it be a reminder of what you have cultivated here, and of the paradise you will create in the future.”

“Should my Witness not be somewhere else of importance? I seem to recall assigning you to a mission right after the sermon.”

He should punish them for this. Gods should never appear so weak. But Apollyon is not just any follower, not just anyone at all. Even now, he can feel nothing but devotion pulsating through their soul. And Narinder is tired of shoulds.

“My duty is to serve you,” Apollyon replies, before tilting their head and giving him a mischievous smile, “My vow is to protect you… from everything that would hurt you. Even if that something is sadness itself. I won’t leave here until you smile, or else my heart would only weigh me down in battle. And that would make it harder to succeed in the mission.”

The crown is made entirely of camellias, his flower of devotion. Though the blooms are found in abundance around his temple, Apollyon had expressly forbidden anyone to use it as a gift to anyone other than him. Despite himself, Narinder feels a smile tug at the corner of his lips.

“And what an important mission it is. So I suppose I must ensure your victory,” He lifts his finger to them, pleased at the beaming grin that he knows only he can pull from his Witness, “I accept your offering, and offer you my blessing in return.”

Without further words, Apollyon slides the flowers down his finger like a ring, then places a reverent kiss on his hand. Just like every other time they’ve done this, Narinder feels a rush of warmth run through him, their vast devotion pouring through his veins like liquid gold.

He relishes the feeling, brimming with power. It’s giddying as ever, and he doesn’t resist the temptation to do what’s next.

After all, it’s greatly amusing to see his vicious little Witness turn bright red when his lips meet the top of their head.

“Go forth, my Witness, and spread our truths to Lands Beyond,” Narinder pauses, then throws caution to the wind, “--Show the heretics the glory and cruelty of Life and Death.”

If he must choose change alone, then so be it. Even without his siblings, Narinder knows that he’ll succeed.

Especially when Apollyon mirrors his bloodthirsty grin.

“As you wish.”

—————

I wrote this on a whim after seeing your message so it’s completely unedited lol. Sorry for any clunkiness. But yeah, Narinder was (subconsciously) crying from the frustration of having his siblings not recognize the ennui and imbalance his position was bringing him, and the realization that he might have to choose between them or his desires.

Apollyon ofc, supports their god’s rights and his wrongs 🤗

Tysm for the ask <3 I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying my fics. I’m trying to finish a drawing rn, but I hope to update “Wolf in Lamb’s Clothing” right after! :D

I still like “Courting Death”, but it’s more of a snippet collection so I can only update it whenever I get ideas.

Happy Lunar New Year! 🧧✨🐉

#cult of the lamb #cotl fanfic #narilamb #cotl lamb #cotl narinder #fandom #ask #reply #witness au #my fics

[tomuras]

| Damage Control |

Pairing: Shigaraki x Oc!Juliet

Warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI, Canon x Oc, This is not an x reader, Selfship Coded, Juliet goes by It/Its & She/Her pronouns, Shigaraki goes by He/Him pronouns, Graphic Violence, Murder, Blood, Toxic Relationship Dynamics, Death/Death Mention, Parent Loss, Implied Past Abuse, Stabbing, 1.6k words. 

A/n: I thought this would be a very interesting way to introduce my oc Juliet. Please heed the warnings before reading <3

Summary: When Shigaraki and the League witness a darker side to Juliet, they begin to wonder more about who exactly it is. 

Tags: @auphelia @suyacho @tighnarly

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Dabi yelled, raising a hand to burn the nameless villain which had started to run head first towards him. “Watch where you aim that thing, Shigaraki.” 

Shigaraki pays no mind to Dabi’s complaint, only making sure to stay out of his way as he disintegrates another low level villain. He launches at the villain and raises a hand which he presses fiercely against the man’s face. Shigaraki grumbles, looking around him to see where Juliet had gone. It had gone out of his sight for quite some time and knowing his girlfriend.. Well, let’s just say it would be better if he located it soon. 

“Where’s Juliet?” Shigaraki asked himself, looking around him with a scowl on his face.

The other league members are busy holding off the villains when Shigaraki turns around to see Juliet fighting off one of the villains and it isn’t until he sets his eyes on it that he lets out a sigh of relief. Although he learns very quickly that there was something unsettling about the display he saw before him. Usually he’d let Jiuliet handle itself, because it could hold its own, but things didn’t seem right. 

He finished off any remaining villains before meeting up with Juliet. Shigaraki wanted to say something, he had half a mind to pull it to the side and ask her what was wrong, but he knew better than to embarrass it like that. If he’d done that he would never hear the end of it from Juliet, nor does he want to deal with that side of it. He gives her a look, watching as it scowled at him before rolling its eyes.

“Don’t.” It spits back. “I’m fine, Tomura.” 

Although he is far from convinced, he gives it some space. Shigaraki acts as Juliet’s shield as it thinks through their next move, standing behind her as it mumbles something to itself. Then all of a sudden the man that stood in front of it grins and says something heinous. Tomura’s mouth falls open a little as the words shoot into his brain like a penetrative bullet. He can tell that Juliet is also a little taken back. A little was an understatement, though. Shigaraki watched as Juliet’s body froze. In anger? Fear? At first glance he couldn’t tell but eventually it became crystal clear that it was a mixture of both. Juliet clenched her fists at its side before lunging at the man and stabbing him in the neck. It let out a guttural scream as it sliced the man’s throat open, only getting off of him once it heard the sound of the man choking on his own blood. 

It stared down at the man writhing in his own blood until he inevitably succumbed to his injuries. Juliet clenched the bloody knife in its hand, nose flared and eyes blown wide with a feeling that Tomura could only describe as pure rage. Juliet then climbed on top of the man’s body and stabbed him repeatedly in the head. The other’s finished off the remainder of the group, leaving Tomura to watch in shock before they noticed what was going on. The League carefully walked towards Juliet and Shigaraki, most of them keeping their distance except for Dabi and Toga. Toga watched to the side close to Juliet as it continued violating the blood and maimed corpse with tears burning in its eyes. Dabi and Shigaraki exchanged a look before Shigaraki stepped forward, kneeling beside Juliet and placing a comforting hand on its shoulder.

“Juliet, he’s dead. You’re good, you can stop.” He said firmly. His voice was soft but there was clear evidence of worry laced within it. 

It ignored Tomura and continued stabbing the corpse until Shigaraki grabbed her wrist and clenched firmly it so that she would stop what she was doing. Juliet jerked her head and glared at her boyfriend, who watched with a stoic expression.

“Let go of me.” Juliet spat, not caring about the consequences of its actions. 

Shigaraki did not let go, in fact he tightened his grip, still making sure to leave a pinkie raised. “Stop it, this is overkill.” He paused. “He’s just some npc anyway.” 

He could see the swirling of conflicting emotions spinning in Juliet’s eyes. It was not itself, an entirely different person, someone Shigaraki did not recognize anymore. He had to intervene, there was no other choice, not unless he wanted to watch his girlfriend become an entirely distorted version of itself. 

“It’s over, we’re going home.” Shigaraki stated. 

Juliet looked at the ground and then back at Tomura. “Fine.” It grabbed Shigaraki’s hand and lifted itself up from the ground.

After Kurogiri managed to warp the entire League back to the hideout they all watched with uncomfortable expressions as Juliet walked into its room and shut the door behind it. The entire League except for Dabi left and went off to occupy themselves so as to not deal with that, but Dabi leaned against the bar and let out a sigh. 

“Go after it you idiot.” Dabi groans.

He looks at Shigaraki who looks at Dabi and then back at the closed door belonging to Juliet’s room. 

“What the fuck just happened?” Shigaraki asks, still unsure about what he had witnessed.

“Fuck if I know.” Dabi says,as he takes out a pack of cigarettes and smacking the top of it against the palm of his hand. 

There’s a pause before Dabi speaks again.

“What did happen back there?” Dabi asks, thinking back to the gruesome sight of Juliet stabbing the man she killed. It reminded him of a human morphing into some sort of disturbing monster, but his friend was anything but. 

“I don’t know.” Shigaraki admits.

Dabi lit his cigarette and watches as Shigaraki walks towards the door leading to Juliet’s room. Shigaraki knocks on the door as he slowly walks in and shuts the door behind him. Shigaraki couldn’t deny that he was a tad uneasy about confronting Juliet. Walking in he saw the difficult sight of it laying in bed curled up in one of her comforters. It did not move, made no noise, and didn’t even acknowledge Tomura. 

“Hey.” Tomura said, announcing his presence in its room. 

Juliet remains still, not moving a single muscle. Tomura walks over and sits on the bed beside Juliet, he places a hand on its calf and begins rubbing it gingerly. The room was silent for a while. Juliet grit her teeth as tears fell down her cheeks, all those triggered emotions finally boiling to the surface.

“Just go away, Tomura.” 

Tomura does not move and instead tightens his grip on Juliet’s leg. Juliet had half of mind to curse him out but ultimately chose against it. The last thing it needed was for it to feel guilt for something else on top of everything else. 

“Why did that guy know you?” Tomura asked gently.

No response.

“Who was he, Juliet?” He asked, just wanting to find some way to get through to his girlfriend.

Juliet hugged her body, squeezing it tightly as tears fell down its face. “Go away.”

“No.” He replied. “Stop bein’ a fuckin’ brat.”  

Still no response.

“Fine.” It snaps back. “You really wanna know, Tomu?” 

Tomura says nothing and instead waits for Juliet’s reply. He watches it with a surprisingly calm expression. Although he has his own opinion in the matter, he keeps it to himself, knowing that the man Juliet killed was indeed someone from her past. 

Juliet takes a deep, shaky breath before speaking. “That was the man that killed my mother.” She admits, looking away.

Juliet turns her head away from Tomura who was now reaching out to place a gentle hand on her face. Neither of them say anything to each other, allowing the silence to fill the room. Juliet enjoyed the silence for the most part, but it felt it had to explain itself, tell Tomura what she meant by her words. Yes, the man had killed its mother, but it was a lot more complicated than that.. Juliet’s mother was never much of a mother to it, barely even a kind person, but that didn’t take away the horror she felt when it locked eyes with the man that ended her mother’s life that night. Juliet was starting to forget the vision of her mother’s bruised and bloodied face, and while on one hand it served as a relief, it also caused her inexplicable panic and dread. For, that was the only clear memory of her mom she had left. What would Juliet do if it could no longer remember her face? How could it live with itself? 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Tomura finally asks.

As much as Juliet didn’t want to forget, the thought of discussing the ins and outs of her most impactful memory did not sound like a good time. 

“No, not yet. I think.. I think I need more time.” It pauses momentarily. “Thank you, though. For everything, Tomu.”

Juliet smiles and then turns to face Tomura with a weak smile. He gives it a caring smile in return as all his worries of her return to the very forefront of his mind. Tomura would have to keep a closer eye on Juliet from now on and for the first time in a very long time, he was scared. 

#shigaraki x oc #tomura x oc #tomura shigaraki x oc #mha x oc #bnha x oc

[fairytale-poll]

SEMI-FINALS! MATCH 2 OUT OF 2

Propaganda Under the Cut:

Ylfa:

She just went through so much and so much growth and i love her very much.

She becomes a big bad wolf

She met Death and Death wanted her to live.

Great depiction of a teenager by Emily Axford. A lot of scenes get really emotional with her being a symbol of the cycle of life and death and eventually she will always become the Big Bad Wolf.

she faced off with Death and he told her to live. this Death, who was much older than the Death she was supposed to meet, stared off with Yilfa for days until she succumbed to hunger and ate him alive. other iterations of death apologized to her for the story she was forced to suffer through, for the punishment she had to endure over an unrealistic and unabidable rule she was destined to break. her corrupted story turned her into the big bad wolf, into death itself. she sacrificed the beloved memory of her grandma, her namesake, so that her friends would be able to save their world. even though she gained it back in the end, she was willing to live the rest of her life as the wolf, a harbinger of death, and when she was reminded that she was just a child, that it wasn’t her responsibility to guide the dead, she cried, and separated from the wolf. she was able to grow up normal and happy after suffering from the looming presence of death. i’m gonna make me friend also submit yilfa bc they’re smarter than me and can make better propaganda

my mutual really likes her

Her narrative arc about growing up and life and death is so beautiful and her being a werewolf is so cool. Emily Axford gets girlhood like nobody else.

she is the bravest little girl in the world she met death and death wanted her to live she split his skull and ate the innards of death himself she is just a little girl!!!!!!!

PRIMO Red Riding Hood adaptation. Ate the wolf who ate her gramma. Is a werewolf and a metaphor for puberty. Loves her friends. Can break her bones to reshape her body into various animal forms.

Not only did she have to lose her grandmother, but she also nearly dies of starvation and exhaustion until The Big Bad Wolf, aka Death, convinced her to live, by her killing him and eating his flesh, therefore making her Death

Ylfa has a snazzy orange top hat given to her by a very attractive fairy. Three Blind Mice is her favorite story. She brought her grandma lollipopcorn and threw the broth in the river halfway there. She first developed a crush on Pinocchio when she saw him use his nose as a stripper pole and didn't kiss him until they were twenty-one and having an awkward conversation about her grandma's death and Toy Island. She fought a baron with a spoon. She wants a bra. She jumped into The Terrible Dogfish’s stomach to save her friend. She has pinkeye and grandma hobbies. She fought off a shit ton of homicidal tables at once. She is pals with Little Miss Muffet. She killed her family. She sacrificed the memory of her grandmother to become Death. She was basically adopted by Mother Goose (who is a cool old gay dude). She Wildshapes by horribly contorting her body into animalistic forms. She is a Barbarian who acts as a support character. She is the bravest little girl in the whole world.

Behold, 3 minutes of the weirdest and best little girl! [Link]

Her weirdgirl swag is off the charts :) [Link]

Ylfa Propaganda: [Link]

Ylfa turns Little Red Riding Hood into a metaphor for not just puberty but grief and death and the inevitability of loss--of innocence, of childhood, of who you had and who you were. The Wolf is the End of All Things, and Ylfa met Death and Death wanted her to live. She gave up the memory of her grandmother--her namesake, her humanity--and became Death, and she was there to be the end of her grandmother's grandmother's story, because there always has been and always will be a wolf. But in the end, she is just a little girl, and she doesn't have to take this burden. There is a wolf-that-is-not-a-wolf waiting for everyone with a snazzy orange top hat, and there is a strange girl playing cards with witches and kissing a boy who used to be a puppet, and they all lived happily.

Vote Ylfa cause she pulled through when it came to the Riding Hooded Mercenary and I know a worthy opponent when I see one.

Yuyuko:

She's related to Red Riding Hood, has costumes of Red Riding Hood, and she has ten hoodies in various shades of red. She's sapphic. She's autistic. She's a dog person. She's little beepo.

Technically this might be stretching it because she was casted into this play exactly once (though she has two cards dedicated to it due to the Encore cards). Anyways she always wears around a big red hood outside of this play but that's not directly based off of Little Red Riding hood from my knowledge so it doesn't matter much. What does matter is that Yuyuko keeps up her pattern of being casted in roles where her character either dies or suffers a lot (this one being the latter) in this play, though thankfully I'm not sure that she wrote herself into this narrative this time

#decided to use another picture for yuyuko #red riding poll #semi-finals #red riding hood #little red riding hood #ylfa snorgelsson #dimension 20: neverafter #dimension 20 #neverafter #d20 #emily axford #yuyuko tanaka #shojo☆kageki revue starlight #shojo kageki revue starlight #revue starlight #poll tournament #poll bracket #character polls #polls

[robynlilyblack]

What have I done

From Remus' point of view

Dark! Killer! Remus Lupin x fem! reader

Summary: Remus has been hunting down a group of friends for revenge and his own amusement until he was down to his final victim, y/n. Who, much to his fortune, comes straight to him…

Warnings: dark fic, murder, death, serial killing, blood, violence, mentions of not eating, grief and sex, mixture between disturbing and sad, slightly naive reader

A/n: 2.7k words, Remus’ pov, it’s a lot darker than the first linked below, again I hope I did a good job, this was so interesting to write. I tagged those who said they were interested in remus' pov below

Navigation | Remus Lupin Masterlist | Read the Readers pov here

“Rem” 

Remus woke to a serene voice followed by a hand on his shoulder and gentle shake. He groans, scrunching up his face as he opens his eyes. He knew it was you from your voice, your scent, but he played pretend

“Y/n?” he adds some inflection

His eyes wander over your body, you were only in a nightdress. The colour suiting your skin perfectly, goosebumps covering your arms from the cold state of the room, not that he felt it being a wolf and all, however he did let his eyes linger on your chest briefly

“Hi” you even sounded so vulnerable and he’d be a liar if he didn’t enjoy the effect his stare had on you, the way you tugged your lip between your teeth

“What…What are you doing here?” he wonders, propping himself up

He could see the fear in your eyes, not directed at him of course but something else, something your innocent self didn’t realise was sitting right in front of you 

“Are you okay?” he asks softly, ignoring the dull ache in his chest he always had around you

You shake your head “No...I’m really scared” you half whimper, climbing over his lap and letting your head fall into the crook of his neck

“There, there” he pats the back of your head, a small smile on his face whilst he feels the tears soak his skin

Your hair was soft, freshly washed and the smell overwhelmed Remus’ senses. You always did smell amazing, but it also made him weak and conflicted…almost angry. How could someone like you, so sweet on the outside do something so horrible, the irony of course wasn’t lost on him but at least he had a reason for killing. 

You and your little friends killed a family of wolves, a small pack that Remus would go visit to make him feel less of a monster. That night he had been going to see them when he saw Regulus hugging Pandora, Barty leading the way with his wand for light and Evan dragging a shaking you. All of your reeked of their scent, their blood, and your hands as well as the front of your clothes were soaked in it

He killed Barty first, making sure he knew it was coming. Stalking was a thrill Remus didn’t expect, he knew this was his werewolf side, the side that had always craved blood, a side unlocked by the want dare say need for vengeance. He left Barty in a hallway as a warning of what was to come, it wasn’t intended, the Slytherin put up quite the fight dragging himself down the empty hallway slowly bleeding out before finally succumbing to the inevitable

Pandora was easy, he could have made it an accident, the girl was bound to kill herself eventually with those experiments of hers, but then he could smell the wolfs blood in one of her new inventions, and he was overcome with anger. Leaving her in her dorm to be found the following morning. 

Evan was a prefect and he had fun with that, every night during rounds he would steal James’ cloak to play with him. Eventually leaving his torn apart body in a classroom for you and Regulus to find the next morning 

Speaking of, Regulus was a conflicting one, his best friends’ brother. Yet, this was also a brother that shunned Sirius, made his friend feel guilty for being a good person and not conforming to their parents’ views. Perhaps he was doing his friend a favour, Regulus was doomed anyway and he was responsible for killing innocent animals, the world was better without him.

Sirius was devasted, so much he barely ate and they made special arrangements to let him go back to the Potters. Remus felt some remorse but his friend would recover eventually, realise he was better off

Finally there was you. Now how was he was going to kill you. So far he had used a knife, or his claws…once his teeth, all were gory, painful and slow, so they could feel the pain those wolves felt

“Let it out” he tells you, voice calm and soothing, a sharp contrast to his mind as he debated

“I..I…” your breathing is ragged

You pull back from his neck, wiping your eyes like a child would, or even a little bunny, he thinks...mind chuckling darkly at the idea of a naive little bunny on the big bad wolfs lap

“I think they’re coming for me next” your voice wavers and cracks to the point he almost pity’s you

He tilts his head “What makes you think that?” he tries to mask his amusement, the irony of you coming to him for comfort, yet, the ache in his chest needs a harder suppressor as your tears stream down your pretty cheeks

You ramble on and on. Remus can’t figure out what in sweet Godric you’re trying to tell him, just random words every now and again, mostly consisting of, the treehouse, the woods and his name

“Hey…hey” he cups your cheeks, thumbs gently squishing your soft skin, putting an end to your babbles

You look at him with those eyes, ones he could even convince himself you really were as innocent and sweet as he used to think they were

“I’m going to get you some water, okay?” he tells you, needing time to think about what he was going to do, how he was going to do this

“Okay” you continue to sniffle but he feels you relaxing under his touch

He moves you off of his lap with ease before heading into the bathroom. He didn’t close the door since you couldn’t see it from the bed, but he avoided looking at himself in the mirror, instead kneeling down to look into the cabinet  

Picking up a glass, he spotted a small vial in the back, draught of peace. Himself and Sirius used to make it to help them sleep, but this was a batch that went wrong, one that when ingested would send the drinker into a irreversible, almost death like sleep

He grabbed it, placing a few drops into the cup before filling it with water. That ache in his chest couldn’t be contained, out of all the victims you were going to be the hardest, but he had to brush it off, he couldn’t spend too much time in the bathroom or you may grow suspicious

Coming back into the room he gives you a small smile, handing you the glass “Here” 

You take it from him favourably “Thank you” your voice was so sweet and as he sat down he watched as you slowly sipped the contents

After a few moments of watching, you look less panicked with made sense, the potion often used to soothe agitation as well as for sleep

You turn to him with the purest look he’s ever seen “Can you hold me?” you take a breath, he can hear your heart pounding “Like…could I stay here tonight?” 

His heart was also racing, you were going to die, in all senses of the word, in your killers’ arms. He guessed in a way it was, poetic. Without a word he takes the glass out of your hands, calculating how long you had left. From what he read in 5th year, your heart would slow until it was a crawl…then it would almost stop completely, beating less than a couple of times an hour, leaving you in a sort of suspended animation

“Come here” he says moving down on the bed, opening his arms and letting you crawl into them

As his arms wrap around you, his heart warms and his body acts from his heart while his head remains in a growing, yet logical, turmoil. His fingers tracing the small of your back and where your nightdress ends, your pheromones filling the air around him

“So, what were you trying to tell me?” he asks

Looking down at you, his head is questioning why he feels so guilty, he never felt bad about any of his other kills, in fact he enjoyed them better than any other pleasure, so why does his chest hurt?

“I think I’m next. And I think it's to do with something my friends did last month” 

He nods along, visions of the scene flashing in his mind whilst he listens to you explain. He really didn’t know himself what happened, all he knew was it was your fault, maybe this was the closure he needed to go back to normal

“You see we were going to a Slytherin party but Evan and Barty had this idea to blow it off and go to our treehouse in the woods instead. Which was fine, I don’t really like parties…but…” 

His eyes flick to his shirt, your fingers teasing to him as they played with the fabric. He takes less than a second to think about what it was doing to him, he didn’t have long before the potion would take effect so he needed to push you, but as lightly as he could

“But?” he coaxes

“Well we were sitting and they heard some howls, you know from the pack of friendly wolfs deep in the forest?” you say but you aren’t looking at him, were you ashamed? Still scared?

These questions weren’t at the forefront of his mind though, it was the way you used the term, friendly, that created a pit in his stomach

He lets out a forced hum “Yeah, I’ve heard of them” he tries to keep his voice steady and calm, not even he knew the emotion he was feeling in that moment

“Well Evan wanted to go see them and Bart follows him everywhere so he wanted to as well, then Pans said she wanted to study them, and finally Reg was just going to go to make sure they didn’t do anything stupid” he can hear the sadness in your voice. He had been comforting you for the last month, seen your reaction after each death. 

The first he found you crying in the corridor, he knew it was dangerous to let himself get close but it also made him less likely to be a suspect, besides it was like something called him to you and he found himself holding you as you cried.

Pandora complete destroyed you, he watched as you didn’t eat or leave your bed for almost two days until he convinced you to. Evan you were upset but he could see the numbness setting in, like a pain that’s been so bad and constant for so long you just get used to it, no longer effecting you so you start to drift along with it, maybe even accept it. 

He saw your reaction to Regulus’ body and he knew, he knew that you understood what was going to happen next. The fear coating every feature of that once happy face, the lifelessness in your being around everyone, everyone but him. With him, you still had that light, a small flicker of the person you used to be, a flicker he could either reignite or blow out for good

“They left shortly after and I stayed for a few minutes, but I...I got scared up there alone so I followed them” 

Remus’ eyes drifted away from your face and into the room, heart climbing into his throat and he found himself holding you tighter

“If…if…” you struggle to get it out at first “If I had known what was going to happen I would have forced them to stay...or maybe never left” 

His heart stopped, recalling the events in his head. You were the only one with blood on you, blood on your hands. You couldn’t have killed five wolfs yourself, and from his small investigation it was most likely a spell that was used to cut them…which meant

She didn’t do it

“Remus” he hears you like a echo in his mind

She was just trying to help them

“Rem” he hears it again

She's innocent

He snaps out of it as he feels you shift, pulling his head to face youu before he feels you fall into space between his arm and chest. It was starting, you were fading away

He moves to lean on his elbow, holding him as he leaned slightly over you “Yeah?” his free hand brushes a hair from your face, he needed to see your face

“I didn’t just come here because I was scared I’m going to die” you confess and he feels confused “I wanted to tell you something...in case I never get another chance”

No

He cups your cheek, fingers smoothing the hair by your ear while his thumb caressed it. His heart thumped in his chest, a mixture of anticipation and fear flowing through him at what you were going to say next

“Rem you’ve been there for me this past month, comforting me and the time we spend together means everything to me” 

You smaller hand cups his, the smallest of smiles on your face as you speak. The pain in his chest grows, the reasons why you were the hardest victim becoming clear

Please no

“But even before I always admired you from afar…I just never knew how to approach you"

He thought he was the only one, he thought you had never noticed him until the day after Barty’s death, yet you had, and like him had wondered how to bridge that gap between your worlds 

His eyes flick down to your bitten lip then return to your eyes "I know it’s dark and twisted, but I’m happy I got to spend this time with you...even if it was these circumstances which brought us together”

He felt his heart swell with pride at that, maybe you knew deep down he was a monster, knew he was now the cause of Hogwarts fear, and maybe, just maybe, you could love him. The proud, warm feeling was fleeting as your eyes fluttered closed and your upper face looked strained for a moment. Even if you did love him, like he was sure now that he loved you, it was too late

“I know you might not feel the same…but I need you to know. I love you” 

Lycanthropy wasn’t his curse, nor was the blood lust, this was. He pulls you closer, hoping he got the dosage wrong, hoping his past self didn’t mess up the potion

“Rem I feel really tired” 

This is what dying feels like, was the thought that ran through his mind, he could hear your heart slowing down, getting weaker

He cradles you, the tears flowing down his cheeks. Karma was a funny thing, all this time he thought he was the bringer of it yet his punishment was to watch you die, watch the light fade from your eyes, knowing he was the one to put it out

“Y/n?” 

He tries to keep you awake, but it’s no use. Your eyes keep closing, a smile on your face as you look at him, eyes full of love. Your body and your life was fading but the love stayed, that was never ending

“Rem I…” love you 

He finishes in his head just as your eyes close for good. Your heart was like a tap, dripping slower and slower. He presses his forehead to yours, bodies flush. His tears hitting your cheeks as he feels your body go limp, desperately hoping you’ll come back but as he grips your fallen hand in his it’s already getting cold

“What have I done” he whispers looking at you, a smile still painted on your face, a smile that would stay for all entirety

You died loving him, died in his arms. Never knowing that he loved you back, that he wanted you, would have protected you…would have never done what he just did if he had known

“Please come back” he pleads kissing your lips “Please y/n…I love you…please don’t leave me” he pecks them again, like this was some fairytale and not a nightmare, like true love could really save you

The stages of grief are different for everyone but Remus was feeling a mixture of it all at once

Denial that you were really gone because your heart was still there, tapping every couple of seconds…but he knew those seconds were getting longer.

Anger at himself for killing the one thing he knew would have brought happiness to his life, that he just killed the love of his life.

Depression knowing you never get to live, never laugh again, that he’ll never hear your voice again…that the last name on your lips was his

Acceptance that everything has a cost, and his cost of vengeance was you.

But then there was bargaining, a way to change it, reverse it…get the potion out of your system

“I can fix this” 

Thank you for reading 💛

Taglist: @achromaticerebus, @lillypevensieorpottersworld, @mitsuriiiii, @mostycool

A/n: I feel like the ending is morbidly hopeful, I do know in my head what happens after, but this felt like a good place to end x

#remus lupin and reader #remus lupin and you #remus lupin and y/n #remus lupin x reader #remus lupin x you #remus lupin x y/n #remus x reader #remus lupin #remus lupin fanfiction #remus and reader #remus and y/n #remus and you #dark remus lupin #robyns1kcelebration

[andorerso]

I sure would like to know more about the WIP just called "Jyn leaves" because I have the feeling that ANGST is incoming.

oh there's SO MUCH angst... tons of angst. probably my most painful story if I'm being honest 😭 it's playing with one of my favorite tropes, thinking the other is dead, but with a twist

it's post-Scarif, Jyn and Cassian survive and tentatively begin a relationship, and while it's the happiest either of them have been in a long while, it's not exactly easy. they both have their own stuff to overcome and deal with, trust and abandonment issues, problems with communication etc... it's not perfect but they're trying and it's working so far.

until it isn't. Jyn ends up succumbing to her fears and insecurities (she's gonna need a catalyst that pushes her into this but I haven't figured out the exact details of that yet) and she ends up leaving the Alliance with only a brief note to explain that she's leaving and he shouldn't come looking for her. basically she just panics, and running seems like the safest, best option to spare herself the inevitable heartbreak.

except of course it doesn't, at all. because leaving is harder than she expected, and she regrets it almost immediately but coming back is really difficult as well. she agonizes over it for a long while, fearing that people (read: Cassian and the rest of the rogues) will hate for leaving like that, that they won't want her back, or perhaps worst of all, that they're happy she left and better off without her. for a while she convinces herself that it'd be better for them if she stayed gone, but deep down she knows in her heart that she made a mistake and the only way to make things right is to go back and face them and hope she can fix things. she's not sure she'll be welcomed back, but she has to at least try because not knowing what could have been would drive her mad.

so eventually, maybe like two months later, she finds her way back to the Alliance and prepares to face her family, and especially Cassian. except he's nowhere to be found. and at first, she thinks he's avoiding her which was to be expected. but when Bodhi comes to see her and she asks after Cassian, he gets really quiet and grim and somberly informs her that he was killed in action a few weeks ago. and Jyn realizes that she waited too long, missing her chance to make things okay and she'll have to live with that regret forever...

anyway, Cassian is eventually found alive ofc, but it's a difficult journey before that, and even after that. I love pain, what can I say? one of my favorite painful tropes is leaving things on a bad note with a loved one before their death, as horrible as that is, because I think the regret and guilt is fascinating to explore. but I'm also too much of a softie to make it permanent, and as I said I love the thinking the other is dead trope, AND the exes trope, so basically this is just very self-indulgent for me.

I actually have a snippet for you too (set shortly after Jyn finds out about Cassian and Kay confronts her)

“What?” Jyn spits out, clenching her fists but resisting the urge to throw herself at the droid and begin pummeling his metal chassis. The only one who would get hurt is her, but maybe that’s what's so appealing about it. “What, Kay? What could you possibly say to me that would make me feel even worse than I already do?”

There’s a pause. Kay stares at her, unaffected by her outburst.

“Cassian loved you,” the droid answers evenly. He doesn’t sound judgmental, for once, or angry or spiteful. He says it as a simple fact and that hurts more than his hatred would have. “Even after you left.”

Jyn’s face contorts in rage, and she snarls at him, a second from breaking down. “Get out.”

#replies #mosylu #rebelcaptain #jyn leaves #she's going through it in this one rip #hope that was sufficient angst for you

[supernovaa-remnant]

I’m just thinking abt c!stagedduo again

/dsmp /rp

To use a drowning metaphor that’s been used in many other people’s posts as well as briefly mentioned in one of my posts, I’d imagine that the plan is some far away island. It’s a paradise, a utopia, the treasure at the end of the rainbow; it’s whatever you want to name it, but it’s not real—it’s unattainable. 

This island is where Dream is going. The island represents the plan, the goal that Dream has been working towards all this time. It’s a thought up place where everyone can live together forever and be friends and be happy, where no one will ever have to be alone. So, leaving everyone behind, he begins swimming out into the open ocean in search of this place. 

Punz is with Dream, but Punz is also enabling Dream. In this scenario, Punz is the one keeping Dream’s head above the water, preventing him from completely drowning, but they’re swimming to deeper waters. Really, all they’re doing is delaying the inevitable because there is no location to be reached: in the end, as long as Dream is on this path he will eventually succumb to the waves and drown. 

But Punz is keeping him on this path. And it’s not malicious—in fact, Punz doesn’t want Dream to die, but for any number of reasons (Punz also wants to reach this island, or Punz, whilst not being able to save Dream, is able to at least prolong his life a bit more even as it leads to his inevitable death), keeps going to the open ocean, when all Dream ever needed was for someone to tell him that it wasn’t too late to swim to shore. 

And Punz couldn’t do that. Punz wasn’t the person to provide that, but at the very least, they were able to give Dream unwavering loyalty, swimming with them until the land falls behind the horizon and keeping their head above the water. 

#c!stagedduo #c!punz #c!dream #dsmp #dreblr #stella rambles #this is v messy bc I can't fully articulate my thoughts #but it's something

[what-youd-expect]

The alphabet requests are still going right? Can I request G, I,O, and W for the 2012 turtle bois?

Your prayers have been answered my guy

Here ya go! Since you requested all of the boys why not make this an extensive read

Enjoy! ~(

G for Gentle!~

Leonardo:

Leo is the only one out of his brother's who CAN👏NOT👏STAND👏 light and gentle tickles.

He really doesn't know why but it's just not possible for him. The best way for him to describe it is that it feels like the suspense is building up until HE gets his inevitable shit wrecked.

Donnetello:

Donnie is the complete opposite of Leonardo.

He finds gentle tickles relaxing and even after a long vigorous day in the lab, he'll ask one of the bros to "scratch an itch" for him .

he draws the line at anyone lightly tickling his knees though.

Raphael:

Raph hates any kind of tickling whether or not it be the rough kind OR the soft kind. Since its common knowledge that raph hates cockroaches, it can sometimes feel like one is crawling on him. Which will then set off his anxiety REAL quickly and he'll start swinging because of it.

Michelangelo:

Mikey loves any kind of tickling or affection. So much so that he will blatantly ask for gentle tickles anytime any where if hes feeling sad enough. He'll start giggling and squeaking as soon you even lay a finger on him.

Next up is..

I for Interrogation!~

Leonardo:

He'd keep his mouth shut no matter what you'd do. He may be ticklish as hell but he DEFINITELY wouldn't reveal any information. That is until he physically passes out or his brother come to save him. But there is a way to get him to talk. Have multiple lers at the ready and maybe you'll get something out of it.

Donnetello:

It's gonna be hard to break Donnie. He's know to have tight lips and will not say a single thing unless someone's life is in danger. But there's a catch, He's feather sensitive! Swirl a feather near the front or back of his knees and he'll start singing a whole different tune.

Raphael:

Raph uses intimidation to try and get out of a mess like being interagateted, but just like the others he'll quickly succumb to tickles very easily. That's only IF you can find his hidden death spot. (Hint: it's his inner thighs (-v-)~✨️). Once you find it he'll turn into a begging mess far different from his tough guy persona and eventually crack from the pressure.

Michelangelo:

You don't even have to try anything with Mikey, he'll just immediately crumble from pressure. You don't even have to touch him before you are able to write down a grotesque list of what your looking for. He will try to brave it out but sadly won't be able to go on for long. After that you can basically let him go or keep him there as "Entertainment~"

Next is..

O for online!~

To be completely honest...the only one I can think of for this is Mikey!

Mikey would definitely be like you and I dear reader, stalking the world wide web and indulging in Sfw tickle fantasies. He'd probably make friends with alot of people and talk about teases alot.

Maybe he's reading this right now? Who knows? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But if he is...let's just say that I can't wait to tickle him to bits (I'm coming for you~)

(Sorry self indulging out of the way)

Also quick thing I thought of is that Leo would sometimes sneak Donnie's laptop and look up ways to not be as ticklish. But he'd somehow in someway always be caught and then teased by the others.

Now onto the last one for the asks..

W for Word!~

Leonardo:

Leo will have a silly reaction when you whisper it into his non existent ears. But only if you say it lightly. His face will implode into deep redish pink and he'll start to cover up it immediately after the word is spoken.

Donnetello:

Donnie does really have a set reaction. All it does is make him laugh a little bit harder than usual. But sometimes he'll start squirming around to try and get the ler to stop.

Raphael:

Raph will repeatedly tell the Ler to "SHUT UP!" and try everything he can to block out your voice. He ABSOLUTELY HATES having someone say it or even having to say it himself. He can't even mouth the word without getting flustered and embarrassed.

Michelangelo:

He ADORES the word I tell you! He'll use it anytime anywhere. Even as a Lee or Ler in the scenerio! He can't help it if it's a silly word that you can use to fluster your older brother Raph, even if he gets beat up after.

Thanks for the ask! \(>0<)/ @kumi-writes1

#TMNTtickles!🐢

[zombiejesus]

The Undying Ember

Inspired by the Flame of Frenzy in Elden Ring.

"is that really what they believe up there? that we worship the flame of chaos? that's bleak. they've forgottent their own history so fast, it hasn't even been a generation. listen, that it's our god and we brought devastation on the peninsula, is bald revision. we were banished down here to this watchtower and the attendant fields.

"a quarter century ago after the death of the last church elder, we were a land without a Lord, a port nation of our own devices. but the empire couldn't abide that. so, when we were devastated fighting their great war, we coalesced into one tribe and started peddling traded goods to the mainland, only our caravans could safely make the climbs up the incline of the green cliffs and back to the peninsula, before the grand lift at the sharptooth.

"we were merchants and manned most imperial ships. we were officially a protectorate and overseen by a governor but that perverse bastard was just as bad as the kings we shed. he hated us. we had never been obligated to produce more grain than we needed before. we had paid our tithes in garum and salt, silks and steel. we also moved things, and people, from the far north to here, from here to the south. this peninsula was a bustling center of trade, but he started calling us bandits. privateers. pirates, finally. when the grand inquisitor came, we were accused of heresy and blasphemy against the church, of worshipping demons and the old gods. so we were decimated, rounded up, and sealed away. forced onto this village sized plot of land and the catacombs below, cut off from the rest of the empire.

"we withered and struggled, forced underground to survive on the fungi and molluscs living in the depths. our cries of desperation, despair, repentance, grief, rage…. it all echoed in the cold darkness. then the echoes became routine and we delved deeper and deeper until we found the audience chamber. the massive stone dome you saw down there. a relic of the ancient past. the chamber was large enough for all of us, heavily protected and had only one entrance, hidden close to the base of the main lift. it became our home. but we didn't have any scholars or priests left. our poor scribe couldn't see well enough to have been able to warn us.

"after a few years, our desperation called the flame. it came to us slowly and gradually then all at once. like a wildfire. it took most of us right away, turning the weakest minds into wandering husks. the strongest of them held out some sense but succumbed to the inner madness. the rest of us. those of us, above ground, like me. we can't get down there. the flame won't allow unworthy subjects in its domain, and the binding spell cast on this prison prevents anything entering or leaving the catacombs.

"sorry. I got carried away. me and my mates here, we were abroad and acting in an unofficial capacity when the shunning and selling took place. we'd each received a hawk telling us to forestall return home for some time. we abided our instructions but eventually we all found each other and couldn't bear the silence. so we came back. and now we're stuck here. we could leave if we could pass back up the incline, but with the watch and the miners, it's not possible.

"our people were sent down there to die a lonely slow death because we made a mad lord upset that he couldn't twist an unbroken land to his will. and the flame… the flame found them. I spoke to one of them, through the barrier. one of the ones who tried to get me to push through. the chaos flame isn't a god the way we know them, it's a thing, a concept. a force of nature. the destructive aspect of the cycle of creation and destruction. it is inevitable according to them.

"he said, the witch told them, "the flame will come. you cannot outrun it. it burns away every world in turn. you can only hope to make it smoulder and not consume." I have no idea who the witch was but before he returned to the depths, he said he heard him calling. calling them all back…"

[tomorrow-and-tomorrows]

JJK 149. Mai Zen'in

It’s fascinating for a battle shounen manga to have a character like Mai who is diametrically opposed to the ideals of strength and self-improvement that are usually valourized in this genre. Mai doesn't die because she can’t get stronger, but because she doesn’t want to. And although that attitude is evidently incompatible with an existence within the world and situation she found herself in, there is no negative value judgment imposed by the narrative itself condemning her unwillingness to unlock her "full potential".

JJK has always foregrounded competing worldviews and how individuals’ different perspectives and values can either coexist or conflict with others. Maki's ambition to transform the Zen'in clan vs. the Zen'ins' regressive conservatism; Gojou's vision for the jujutsu world vs. the higher ups' ; Yuji's "I want to save everyone" vs. Megumi's "I choose who I save" ; Mei Mei's "I'm on the side of money" vs. Nanami leaving a lucrative job to save people out of compassion, and so on.

So it's particularly impressive that, while operating within the shounen genre, the story continues to maintain its respect for this ideological diversity by preserving Mai’s belief in her own worldview to the very end. Simply put, not everyone wants to become powerful even if they may have the potential to. Not everyone wants to live a life of violence, and not everyone wants to be a saviour for others at the direct expense of their own sanity.

It would be perhaps the more optimistic yet potentially oppressive narrative move to demand for Mai's character to undergo a transformation from a character who resists the shounen ideals to one who accepts them. This type of transformation would by no means be inherently negative; I'm definitely not saying that going down this path would have been bad for Mai's character or for the story. But it would succumb to a temptation to move towards a kind of 'sameness' rather than difference in its depiction of ways of acting in the world. I think Mai's ending is all the more striking because it resists this temptation.

Because I think that the more typical - and optimistic - development arc for Mai would have been for her to learn how to be willing to become stronger as a sorcerer and eventually fight alongside Maki.

But instead, Mai never ends up conforming to those dominant values of strength and ambition. Neither is she subjected to the kind of development traditionally favoured by the genre that are along the lines of, 'you just need to believe in yourself and work hard' -- because if we really think about it, often times a lot of feats in shounen are accomplished by sheer willpower and self-conviction. (JJK is not always an exception to that trope, nor is it necessarily a bad thing!). Mai had previously firmly stated her opposing point of view, and this essential attitude never changes even when we perhaps most expect it to.

In this situation, rather than working to improve her technique to create stronger objects without it costing her life, Mai passively accepts that her weakness will require self-sacrifice.

It’s a fatalistic attitude resulting from having never wanted to partake in a life of violence and hardship.

On the one hand, inflexibility and the inability to adapt are not exactly commendable traits; Mai is certainly fixed in her resignation and refusal to work towards her full potential as a sorcerer. On the other hand, to use Nanami's words, being a sorcerer is shit. All the suffering and regret in the story so far has only continued to reaffirm that sentiment. So we also can't fully condemn Mai for rejecting that way of life to the extent that she would rather sacrifice herself than to push forward to have her own "shounen power-up" moment. Because the aftermath of that would be a path likely filled with death, brutality, and suffering.

The wish to live a normal life is a legitimate and valid one. In an ideal world, her clan would not punish her for it. In an ideal world, opposing perspectives, especially ordinarily pacifist ones like Mai's, would be allowed to exist. Mai having to die because she was unable to escape or adapt to the ruthlessness of the jujutsu world exemplifies how cruel that world is. Mai's persistence in her wish for a normal life, and her "failure" as a sorcerer is not her failure at all; her death reflects a failure of the violently rigid jujutsu clan culture.

In this light, it is all the more tragic that Mai's death was entirely preventable, and fated not by the inevitability of actual "fate", but rather entirely by a radically traditionalist clan system.

At the same time, as I mentioned earlier, I find it impressive for Gege to have allowed Mai to hold onto her values. Just as Maki has always stayed true to her dreams of overturning the Zen'in clan by becoming a powerful sorcerer, Mai has always stayed true to her resistance to that dark and difficult path. From a writing perspective, I think it's interestingly respectful to Mai's character in that way. It's also for this reason that I consider this chapter to be a worthy good-bye to Mai, as she is faithful to her own way of being in the world until the end. It may not conform to the demands of the optimistic self-improvement narrative generally preferred by shounen, but it is a valid perspective, and it is never depicted to be 'lesser than' or 'inferior to' the shounen narrative.

I'm always interested in stories in which there is a genuine dialogue of a diversity of voices, each with their own perspectives and viewpoints even as they conflict with each other - or in other words stories that prioritize 'difference' over 'sameness' in ways of being, thinking, and acting. It's not necessarily uncommon - most if not all stories will feature different character motivations within a given cast. But I think JJK does this particularly well in a particularly convincing way, and 149 is further confirmation of this for me.

Finally, it is notable that Mai herself seems to acknowledge this sentiment. She may have been unwilling to imagine a stronger future version of herself, which is opposite to the advice Gojou had given Megumi if he wanted to reach his full potential. But she died for the sake of believing in the stronger future version of Maki, and this is how she is victorious even in death. All the way to the end, Mai had her way of viewing and acting in the world in her individual way, and Maki had hers; importantly, Mai ends up encourages this difference. Right after she states that "You are me, and I am you", that sameness is undercut when Mai immediately after points to their contrasting motivations:

Mai ultimately encourages Maki to live in the way that Maki wants to live - to the fullest potential of her power and the fullest potential for her capacity to force change upon a corrupt system. Before, Mai had resented Maki for moving on without her ("why didn't you fall down the hole with me?") - she resented how Maki couldn't be the same as her in how she viewed the world. In her final chapter, Mai conversely acknowledged that she herself could never see the world exactly the same as Maki.

Therein lies the cornerstone of her character development; before, she resented that difference between them for those twofold reasons. In the last moments of her life, she no longer resents Maki for moving on without her; she encourages her to move forward into the future. It is of course undeniably tragic, as it must be a future without Mai. And no amount of power gained from such a loss could ever be consolation for that tragedy.

It is fitting, then, that Mai's final message to Maki is full of despair -- yet it is also not without hope. In the interplay between 'construction' and 'destruction', it is ironic yet poetic that Mai wished for her object-construction technique's final and greatest creation to be used to destroy - indeed, to "destroy everything". There is undoubtedly despair both in that command, and in Maki's drive to destruction when she emerges from that room. But somewhere, somehow, there must also be the hope that that destruction will be in the service of "construction", of creating a better future for others, even if it is too late for it to be a future in which they can live in together.

#jjk meta #jjk 149 #mai zenin #maki zenin #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #jjk manga #jjk theory #zenin maki #zenin mai #jjk manga spoilers #jjk spoilers

[husbandohunter]

What they love about you (part 2)[Genshin Impact]

Synopsis: It was as if the universe had changed when they saw you.

Characters: Zhongli, Childe, Albedo, Kazuha. Part 1 here

Genre: fluff

"Poetry for my hopeless romantic heart 🥺 and Kazuha, he was the perfect candidate for this. I decided to put Zhongli first of course, he deserves it after saving my ass in Baal's fight."

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

Spirit flows through the Immovable rock (Zhongli)

Nations fall, truths be told, iron rusts and earth erode

Through six centuries these were stories he watched unfold.

He sees you and the archon knew that you shall too grow old

But despite it all, he loves you for your existence, as nothing can compare to your intransient soul.

The purpose of contracts were made to ensure there had been a fair trade between two parties. Like merchants striking business deals for a favourable outcome, like mother nature maintaing the balance between life and death, like how you and your beloved said your vows and whispered promises to one another as evening bids farewell by the warm welcome of the moon's gentle glow. Those days were the most treasured that you couldn't help remisicing them-- when Zhongli appeared in your life. Your mortal life. How time can fly so fast.

Perhaps this had been a common notion among human standards. That to be connected, both sides must share the same factors in order to proceed the contract. Clearly your placement proved to be mismatched. Unlike Zhongli there could be a day when your legs gave up and you can no longer walk. He will go on without you, continuing to drift in places where you cannot reach, where time was out of the question, further and further away until the mist begins to seize your field of vision and soon your eyes were too old to see.

The difference in age can truly make someone feel alone and Zhongli knew it well. Thus he smiled softly like he always does and held you close, speaking with so much kindness:

My dearest.

Your soul existed like an evergreen tree blooming through all four seasons, unwithered and everlasting, even against the cold storm of white. And it could be as soft as the sunbeam cascading through the mountain peaks while they dust the land with their ethereal hues and emitting the warmth that breaths absolute serenity. If artifacts were a piece of what someone left behind then maybe everything you made was considered an artifact-- a treasure. A piece of you in those handwritten letters, the beauty in your fingertips after knitting him a scarf which caused scars to mar them, and because of how heavy your spirit weighs through everything you did, it became evident that the one he had fallen for was not your skin nor your body but the person who resides in it.

And sometimes he wonders if he had met you once upon a dream. What else could explain the mysterious feeling that made you seem so familiar, even when he only saw you for the first time? Or perhaps you were an old friend from the long long past, someone he stargazed with upon the infinite mounds of grass and glaze lilies, someone whom he shared the taste of osmanthus wine, someone he came to cherished just like how he cherished his own nation. Regardless, whether you were that someone or not, he wouldn't hesitate to relive those times all over again.

If there was a day when the world around you decided to cave in, where time inevitably caught up and you succumbed to change, he would still be yours. After all, the immovable stone was meant to be the symbol of constancy. He already sworn to you that his devotion and affection will never waver, they were solely held towards your essence for you had touched him through the things he could not touch, and left a mark that would last longer than his ancient self can last. Zhongli may have lived through many lifetimes but meeting you was the beginning of everything. You were a mortal immortalized in the world his heart, etched so deep that it stirs him apart, there was no room for anyone else.

~xx~

Drowning in the ocean flames (Tartaglia)

There was a man who fell deeply in love with war

They raged inside of him like the spontaneous battlefields he came to adore.

Consumed by desire, pain became an addiciton

And he eventually surrenders to the heat of your passion.

While many fear death, Childe learned to dance with it.

He revels in the way his heart pounds endlessly, as if new life had been born from the inside and then bursted like thunder, sending trembling sensations through his veins, bringing him to the peak of euphoria. The feeling was a drug in which Childe hesitates no more when he confronts it, rather he deliberately seeks it. He seeks thrill in the most dangerous situations since they were the moments that made him feel so alive.

Henceforth the Harbinger sought you out. He inches closer and ever so close, those deep cerulean eyes trapped in your hypnotizing ones. Childe loves how you look at him like you were about to devour him, consume him as the flames in hell would, perhaps destroy him completely to the point there was no turning back and yet...he would not mind.

Childe had been so drawn to you like a moth to a light. No. Rather, Adam and the devil, tempting him to sin because the things he would do for you were undeniably impetuous. It was too late. It was too late when you told him you wanted to stay. Too late when you pulled him down, with arms around his neck, stealing away his breath in one swift manner as well as a kiss. Curse you for having so much power over him, from then and there he was no longer the mighty harbinger everyone knew but a man foolish in love. Take him higher. Higher. Take him far. To say you were alluring would be an understatement. The scent of you brings all his senses to disarray and the taste of you-- by the archons-- had never made him feel so starved. All he thought of was mindlessly running his hands over your small back, reveling in the shape of you, exploring every inch and curve in attempt to make you completely his.

This was the reason why he grew accustomed to dancing with death. Because it was you. You were going to be the cause of his downfall and you were the cause of this insanity. Even though you constantly reminded him how risky the situation was due to being a wanted criminal in his homeland's eyes, Childe pays no mind. Didn't he already tell you to trust him? Anyone who threatens you would be an enemy of his, much to their misfortune. Whether it'd be conquering the world and laying it beneath your feet or walking through the depths of the abyss all over again, he'll make sure to have it all and no one can say otherwise.

~xx~

Shelter (Albedo)

Your warmth was his hearth

Like stars falling onto the earth

Gracing the plains in an empereal bliss

As they trembled under the touch of heaven's kiss

Closing his eyes, you are the first person he sees.

The sound of snow chasing the wind fills the silent night once again while it's whispered blows continued to echo just by the cave's entrance. Albedo had planned to take you back to Monstadt that day but Dragonspine was not the place to be merciful with the weather. No one else except the two of you occupied the abandoned space and a singular camp fire to serve as a source of warmth. You place your hand on your lover's forehead, brushing away his ash coloured strands while he seeps into slumber. Albedo sighs contentedly. Despite the world being engulfed in sheer cold, here he felt safe and sound.

Before meeting you Albedo never really had that. People regularly held him on a high regard and had a hard time matching his pace. He was a born genius to the point that he practically stood out like a swan out of the ducklings' crowd as they admired his brilliance. Truly Albedo was a perfect human being. But when turns around to see the rest he noticed how distant everything seemed. He was so focused on his pursuit towards the universal truth that he hadn't given the time to consider; where is he going with this? And what for? Everyone else looked so happy living in their mundane routines and Albedo soon grew curious about such thoughts. Out of all the places in Monstadt, exactly where does he belong?

Opening his eyes, you are the first person he looks for.

"Welcome home, Albedo!"

The answer was obvious. Home was the sound of his name on your lips. When you were side by side with him while he sketched the landscape from the far distance. In places where the lights were on as he entered the room, knowing you were inside. This feeling couldn't be describe with just a word. Home was not a nation nor was it a destination. Home was in your touch where he felt the most protected.

I'm home.

A sky filled with stars and he only saw one; his Starlight. Your warmth held the emotion similar to the kind where there had only been one cande lit amidst an infinite stretch of darkness. But it also brought the joy of flowers blossoming into the vivid future of new spring. There was no place he'd rather be than the shelter of your arms because with you, Albedo believed he truly found where he belonged.

~xx~

Pirr against the Scarlet Leaves (Kazuha)

Silencing the world

My heart begins to find peace

Soothed by your presence

- For my beloved, (Y/n)

I remember how the first petal of spring drifted by as it had flown into the crossroads of our path. Subconciously my entire being began to still. This particular flower... it must have come far and wide for the wind to carry such a pleasant scent. Although I had intended to continue my venture onwards but the air ceased to sound and I knew that this way was true. And so nature beckons me to the shore where the waves lulled back and forth under the moonlight's entrance, only then I began to sharpen my vision to see what was before me. You stood there on a rock with your face looking into the sparkling sky, singing a tune that drew me near. Just the mere sight was enough to stir my heart alone.

My beloved, do you know why I named this poem 'Pirr against the Scarlet Leaves?'

Watching you was like witnessing the ephmereal birth of a flower sprouting amongst the slums of an abandoned nation. A fleeting miracle where snow falls from the summer sky. I am compelled to capture these feelings in this poem yet there are moments where my thoughts scatter as if the autumn wind had whisked them away and out of my grasp until a singular leaf is only what was left. Perhaps it wouldn't be necessary for me to keep a notebook of ways I can describe your presence, instead a few simple sentences would suffice. Nevertheless, I only wish to express my feelings for you.

When you're with me it seems I have nothing to think about. The aura around you can silence the world alone, speaking louder than thunder cries, weighing heavily to those around you in ways it would feel empty if you're not here. Yet I could breath as if alleviated from the burdens of my past. This had me realize that this must have been the will of the wind. You were the greatest gift to have ever bestowed upon me and I confess, sometimes my chest aches because of how much I cherish you, it pierces me like a sharp blade but even if my heart bleeds it will continue to bleed only for your sake.

So wherever you are, wherever you may be, I can feel you in the breeze. Return soon my beloved, I'll be here, waiting.

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #childe x reader #albedo x reader #kazuha x reader #zhongli #childe #albedo #kazuha #kazuha kaedehara #genshin #tartaglia x reader #genshin impact imagines #genshin x reader #zhongli x reader #genshin impact albedo #genshin impact zhongli #genshin impact childe #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact scenarios #genshin imagines #genshin headcanons #genshin scenarios #nya writes

[vicar-dei]

So now we’re talking about Dead Cells

It’s so good to be back here, doing a piece for you all! Been a bit busy with some life stuff, but now I’m back and better than ever!

For this post, I’m finally going over Dead Cells, giving a brief overview of the story. There seemed to be quite a bit of attention on the last post, so that let me know that A LOT of people were also as confused about this story as I was. Without further ado, let’s dive into it!

The true origin of the Malaise is still a mystery to this day. The Alchemist, the trusted researcher of The King, guessed that the sap from the Slumbering Sanctuary could have contaminated the prison sewer system. 

What we know for certain is that the Malaise is bad news, leading to certain death for anyone who contracts it. This illness doesn’t stop there, however, causing the corpses to come back as big scary monsters. Needless to say, this was some really bad stuff. 

Citizens! Anyone behaving strangely or manifesting signs of illness must be reported to the local patrol promptly and without exception.

As time went on, The King grew frightened of the Malaise, that it would breach his castle walls. He had the sick and suspicious thrown into prison and bribed the guards to ensure that no one was ever released. 

Castaing, this is a direct order that must remain between you and me. Stop checking the prison entrances until further notice.

Anybody who spoke up against The King was swiftly executed. Anyone at all… even The King’s guard. The Giant, a towering man that stood watch over the gates of the castle, condemned The King’s methods of controlling the Malaise. He told The King that this path would lead the island to ruin. The King rewarded his insight with a spear to the chest and had his corpse imprisoned in the Prisoner’s Quarters.

While The Alchemist went off to find the cause of the Malaise, and The Hand of the King stayed by his Majesty’s side, The Timekeeper devised a way to keep out the infection. With the support of The King and his many “volunteers”(slaves, this man had slaves), The Timekeeper created the Clock Tower. This building was not only impressive in its design but also its function; The Timekeeper could use this tower to completely manipulate time. So she got to work, constantly turning back time to prevent the Malaise from completely overtaking the island they all inhabited. 

But even turning back time couldn’t stop the inevitable. The infection spread throughout the entire island, finally breaching High Peak Castle. All of The King’s men succumbed to the illness before finally even The King himself fell victim to the Malaise. 

Now in the present, you walk around as The Beheaded, trying to get to High Peak Castle to figure out what’s going on. Along the way, you’ll discover more lore, get new blueprints for cool shit, and be accompanied by a mysterious man known as The Collector. He’s kind of weird, but he provides you with new weapons and powers in exchange for cells. Best to just let him stick around.

 So, you go all the way up to High Peak, defeat The Hand of the King, then kill The King… AND THEN THAT FUCKER BLOWS UP IN YOUR FACE!

Luckily, you survive! At least, your small jelly form survives. You crawl into the Castle sewer system through a faucet, and the pipe leads you right back to the Prisoner’s Quarters where you first started.

Worry not though, for some interesting changes have occurred. The biggest change is the edition of Boss Stem Cells, a mechanic that I explained in my last post. The other big change that I didn’t mention was the absence of The Giant’s big-ass skeleton. The Giant is now an NPC and boss fight that you can access by going down an alternate route through the game. Going to this guy and talking to him reveals a pretty big revelation; you’re The King, the one who was a massive dick to his people and eventually got infected by the Malaise. HOW you ended up in this form is pretty much unknown, but what IS known is that you have no memory of ever doing any of those things while you were The King. You fight and beat The Giant, he calls you an asshole, and you make your way back to the Throne Room.

From here, the game has a very straightforward formula; progress to the Throne Room using your newly acquired boss cell, beat The Hand of the King, get a new boss cell. Rinse and repeat until you get your fourth boss cell. Once you acquire this, you want to make sure that you go and fight The Giant again.

After you fight and beat him this time, however, he will say that you fought him fairly and award you with the fifth and final boss cell. Why was this fight any different from the previous ones? Because fuck you, that’s why.

From this point, progression is more of the same. You’ll beat The Hand of the King with both the fourth and fifth boss stem cells, or you won’t because boss cell 5 (BC5) difficulty is ridiculously challenging. If you do beat him, you’ll be rewarded with…. nothing. At least, nothing immediately noticeable. If you walk a bit past the faucet that you would go into to start a new run, you’ll notice a door with 5 marks on it.

Each of these marks represents a boss cell, and to open the door you need the corresponding amount of boss cells that are shown. So, if you didn’t already notice that before on the various doors scattered around Dead Cells, then congratulations on finding out now! These doors usually reward you with extra money, cells, and sometimes even weapons. This door, however, leads you down the conclusion to the story of Dead Cells.

Okay so this isn’t intentional, but I’m going to end things off here just because this post is getting waaaaay too long. I’ll be back soon with the conclusion though, I would hate to keep you all waiting. Until next time!

Update: Part 2 is up now, check it out here!

#dead cells #beheaded #hand of the king #the alchemist #the timekeeper #the giant #lore bits

[strrawberrii]

love loop {one} myg

that pesky little thing called fate really is a bitch. 

pairing: min yoongi x reader

tag / warnings: some cursing

author note: sorry for being gone for so long! life happened. but i’m back with our favorite mint haired boy, min yoongi. this chapter really is an opener for the oc and her life. watch out for a certain mint haired boy. i hope you enjoy <3

The red string of fate. That pesky little thing called destiny that was tied to another person and locked in an eternal circle; a love loop. The very thing that changed the trajectory of my life, that blossomed chance and coincidence, that pushed me onto a different path and had me headed towards an individual that was about to make my life a living hell.

It was like the world had become suffocating and the days seemed to stretch endlessly and blur together in a way that made me anxious. It was times like these that made my head spin as I tried my hardest to look past the haze and fog that somehow became a permanent resident in my head to think of the last time I had even eaten anything. The listless weeks that stretched on seemed to always end like this; questions bogging down my body and mind until I just couldn’t take it anymore and would eventually let myself fall into a restless slumber. Life had become one long spin cycle and I was starting to feel like there was really no exit sign to the monotony of it all.

But, in all reality, it really was all my fault.

I’d lost the only thing I’d ever really cared about when the company I’d started to work for after college got bought out by a larger one. They dissolved my department and thus all the workers in it. I’d been surviving on endless cup noodles and cold tea ever since as I bounced around from one part time job to another just to make the bills on time. If it hadn’t been for some of the leftovers from my cafe job as the owner took pity on me, I think I would have at one point or another completely starved to death.

As if, I thought bitterly as I wiped down the last table of my shift, I’d ever be so lucky.

The sound of the clock was alarming as it ticked...ticked...ticked...ever so slowly and it was all my mind could process as I tried too hard to let the time pass without obsession. This night needed to be done and over with. This month was the coldest of the year so far and the dreary sky outside did nothing to help with the depressive mood that succumbed me. As much as I tried endlessly to think of anything else, it was futile. The gurgle in my stomach proved as much as I sighed as realization hit that I’d more than likely have to walk all the way home to afford a hot meal or sacrifice dinner for some fleeting warmth. As much as the owners of the small cafe let me have my fair share of meals, it was by no means a solution to the issues I found plaguing me at the end of every day and I would by no means take advantage of their kind hospitality. It was, after all, all my fault I found myself in this mess.

I couldn’t help but sigh a long and aggravated breath. Art and design, I thought sourly again. Who was I to think that I could pull that off? That I would actually have a life and a career out of something like that? It was thoughts like these that occupied my mind a lot these days as the clock continued to tick...tick...tick and I continued to berate myself so much that I felt hot tears forming at the corner of my eyelids. The department I had worked in had been so small that it was only made up of a handful of people and I had been so elated when I got that job, thinking that life was actually starting to look up from everything I’d been through before, only to realize a beat too late that a happy ending just wasn't in the cards for me it seemed. At least, I thought as I tossed the rag I had been holding down, not in something I loved.

“You’re free to go, dear.” Kyung-Hu, the owner of the cafe, patted the top of my head to gain my attention and snap me out of my sulk fest. He was a greying old man who had taken pity upon me when he found me sleeping at the bus stop a street over from the cafe front. He’d been letting me work crazy hours to try and afford to be a human ever since. “Try not to fall asleep this time, yeah?” Despite my foul mood, I could never ever deny that Kyung-Hu and his wife, Ji-hyun, had saved me in a time when I was at my lowest. I felt a smile willingly break out on my chapped lips as his eyes crinkled when he did the same.

“Are you sure? You don’t need me to close with you tonight?” I watched as he sighed, shaking his head as he patted mine again. In most cases it felt that Kyung-Hu and Ji-hyun treated me like I was one of their children. Something that, although I would stubbornly never admit to, made being alone in this big city not so bad. Thinking that I also thought of my own parents and how, the last time we’d spoken, things didn’t go so well.

“Go home. Get some rest, okay? This old man will be fine to close alone.”

“If you’re sure.” I couldn’t help but smile again despite my disappointment that he was sending me home. Even though I wanted the night to be over with, that didn’t mean that I wanted to leave the free heat or leave the old man by himself. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Gramps.” He laughed at the nickname as the bell over the door signaled that we had a customer as I turned around to walk towards the back room; thoughts wholly preoccupied with the dilemma that faced me and no longer any concerns for customers since the old man had freed me of my duty to care.

Food or warmth? I wracked my brain, going back and forth. Food or warmth? Would I rather walk an hour in the slushy cold or have a full belly? Sighing, I picked up my belongings and walked back out onto the floor, no closer towards an outcome of food or warmth or, really, anything to solve any problem in my life as the list was vastly long and overwhelming. The only thing I could be thankful for in that moment was the warmth the cafe was gifting me as I was currently trying my hardest to remain inside the slower and slower I walked towards the bitter air outside.

The cafe, Fleur de Seoul, was small and tucked away in an endless row of buildings that housed everything from karaoke bars to office spaces. It was in a good neighborhood and was very popular amongst the twenty-somethings and young business crowd for it’s endless layers of nostalgia for a fairytale-like space - walls covered in art, a book exchange tucked in the corner underneath a news clipping of their opening that, no matter how many times you tried, would never hang on the wall straight. Dried flowers hung from the ceiling so the whole place was coated in a field of beauty and smelt like heaven with the notes of coffee and flowers wafting every which way. It was nice, nestled underneath ivy and baby's breath that Kyung-Hu liked to freshen every other week and it was by all means my second home. I had started to sit inside on days where I had nothing else to do but bum the heat off the old man when I couldn’t afford to get mine turned back on, get a cup of hot tea and sketch for hours until I had to walk back to my cold ass hole in the wall.

I couldn’t help but curse as my thoughts were stuck, dreading the thought of what I was going back to. So lost in thought, in fact, that I didn’t notice the mint haired boy narrowly miss me as I passed through the cafe unaware that despite not really believing in coincidences, the red string of fate was tugging at my pinky as I tried my best to drown myself in layers of clothing to bite off the nipping and inevitable cold. I needed to be reminded that, while fully unaware that my trajectory of life was about to completely change, fate was in fact a cruel bitch who was out to get me.

#min yoongi #bts min yoongi #min yoongi x reader #mint yoongi #love loop #strrawberrii #bts yoongi #yoongi #yoongi x reader

[stardustincarnate]

CONTROL // Light Yagami x Reader

word count : 1498

⚠️WARNINGS : self-harm, suicide attempt (1st half)

-

"𝕯𝖔 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖚𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖎𝖙 𝖒𝖊𝖆𝖓𝖘 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖆𝖇𝖘𝖔𝖑𝖚𝖙𝖊𝖑𝖞 𝖓𝖔𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖓?

...𝕱𝖔𝖗 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖞 𝖒𝖆𝖓 𝖒𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖓."

In your mind, he wouldn't be happy seeing you like this. But what else could you do? You had nowhere to turn. Nowhere—or in fact, no one, whom you could call your haven anymore.

And what happens when one has nowhere to turn?

They drown into the fathomless darkness. Unable to escape, unable to swim back to where the light shines. Drowning all alone in an undescribable bitter agony.. All alone suffering due to the loss and grief they knew would never end.

You didn't just lose a boyfriend. You lost your bestfriend, your family, your haven, and more importantly, your future. The only one who was able to understand and love you for who you were. The only one you had wanted to spend the rest of your life with. A very important person to you. Your other half. You didn't just lose a boyfriend, you lost a huge piece of yourself, dying as well as he did.

Death is inevitable, something that is obvious.. But why must death come so soon, so early? Why must he come so soon to end the joy that was merely beginning?

It hurt. It hurt like hell. No—it was worse than hell itself. It hurt to have the one you love taken away by death, and we all know that they can never come back to life. Even as we weep endlessly, beg for the heavens, spend so many nights wailing in agony, unable to sleep.. No matter how many times we do that, the pain won't end. It won't bring them back to life.

They can never be brought back to life.

"R-Ry..uzaki..."

You choked, your eyes brimming with tears which obscured your vision that you were barely able to see the object in your hand.

A knife.

With trembling hands you sliced open your wrist, blood hastily gushing out from it. It ran from your wrist, down to your elbows, and to the ground as you lift your arm up. You cursed your quivering hands as it had intercepted you from successfully hitting that certain arterial pulse, preventing you from reuniting your dearest Ryuzaki in heaven.

You thought was your only option to escape the dark. To end it all.

But no.

Unexpectedly, the light had appeared in front of your very eyes. The light which struck you as your salvation from this darkness.

The light that offered you another escape.

"[Y/N] no!"

"S-Shut up, shut up, shut up! Leave me alone!!"

Of course it was futile to say that to the adamant that was Light Yagami. He rushed to you, but halted seeing you firmly pressing the knife harder on your wrist.

"Come any closer and I'll—"

"[Y/N], please don't do this. It's not worth it! Look at me, [Y/N]. Think about the life that you're gonna waste if you do that!"

"Everything's worth it for Ryuzaki!"

You cried, your anger fueled to the brim seeing the suspected Kira. The Kira who killed the love of your life. Why, you thought, on earth would Kira stop you, L's girlfriend, someone who was standing in his way?

You disliked Light with a fiery passion. Mainly because you believed he was Kira. That's what your past lover always said. And you knew he was never wrong.

Right?

If you had other plans you could've plunged the knife into the chest of the man you so loathed. But you would be the evil one then. You would be killing an innocent man because there was no proof that he was Kira.

"Ryuzaki is dead! He won't be coming back! Do you think he'll be happy seeing you like this?!"

Light looked at you straight in the eye. You sought for that veiled malice in his gaze, but found none to your surprise.

He looked so sincere with his worried gaze for you.. He looked so innocent, angel-like.. like an instrument God had sent to you to save you from your woe.

"I—I don't care what you say! I-If y—"

"You have to accept the fact that he's never coming back! You think killing yourself will bring him back to life?! Why aren't you thinking of the people who're alive and actually care for you? Did you even think about how they'd feel if you leave them?! You have a future! Don't waste it on following someone who's never coming back!"

You lost yourself in those honest hazel irides that you barely noticed him taking the knife from your grip, throwing it away and hugging you tightly. Unable to move, you only continued to let the tears fall in silence.

"I've already lost Ryuzaki. I can't afford to lose another friend."

You squeezed your eyes shut and gave up, succumbing to his warm embrace. You cried your heart out, clinging desperately to the only one you could cling to, utterly blind to the venom coated in his words, completely unbeknownst to the smirk forming on his lips as that gentle hand caressed your back.

"You have me, [Y/N]. You always will."

⋆ฺ｡*:･

He wanted to exploit your weakness to fulfill his ego, to satisfy himself even further. And in this game, he was winning. It had been so easy to lure you closer to his side that he couldn't even believe it himself! Getting you attached to him was almost like tricking a toddler. He was so amused at how fate was bending to his will.

He knew you hated him. He knew you knew he was Kira. But where's the proof? Without it he knew he could twist your beliefs. With him being so tender with you, you started doubting your late boyfriend's belief. Of course, you had also considered the fact he'd been tricking you. But you couldn't see it. Anywhere you looked, there was no flaw.

Absolutely none.

There was no flaw on the act of his blooming love for you. And you...

You were falling for him.

No, you couldn't. You couldn't fall for Kira! The one who murdered your beloved! There was no way!

But how could the man possessing those precious sincere eyes be Kira? How could the light that guided you back to a safe, warm surface, be Kira?

Light couldn't be Kira. Ryuzaki had it all wrong!

You were suddenly torn in between.

It was like tug of war. And in the end you knew Light had caught you. But you refused to admit it. You refused to acknowledge it.

But it was hard. Each day, Light was always by your side, determined to catch the real perpetrator who killed your beloved. He was always there to remind you of how important you were, always there to give you comfort and warmth, always there to make you feel at home... back to your haven.

And so you began to let go of the emotions trying to control you. You had set yourself free.

Free to adore him.

⋆ฺ｡*:･

Sunset approached, and Light couldn't stop smiling malignantly to himself the closer he got to L's grave. When he did, he looked down on it with superiority, a chuckle rumbling from his throat.

He had never felt so much pleasure before. His satisfaction was immeasurable.

"What now, L? You tried to stop me, and not only did you lose your life... You lost the love of your life to me. Me!"

He laughed, and laughed, and laughed, until he couldn't anymore.

He stared at the nameless tomb gravely, the menace in his eyes growing darker. He stood there doing nothing but to stare at his dead nemesis' grave for quite some time, until he was satiated. When he was done and about to leave, he saw a familiar figure walking in the distance. His lips automatically curved to a smirk which he soon hid.

"[Y/N]!" He called out gently, and there came you, looking somehow crestfallen, running into his arms.

You looked up to him with your heart pommeling your sternum. You bit the insides of your cheeks, flushing, and called out his name—but then... he kissed you.

Right in front of Ryuzaki's grave.

He kissed you harder as your body eventually gave in. Kissing you harder and harder with his thoughts taking over him. Harder and harder to the point of almost biting your lip as the pleasure inside him throbbed uncontrollably. He was having a hard time controlling and reminding himself that it wasn't time for that part. At least, not yet.

Look at you, body already going limp with just a kiss.. He could sense it, and he could've laughed at how you tried to deny him during the first seconds of it.

Of course, there was no use to when you no longer had control over your thoughts and actions.

You had completely succumbed to him. 

#death note x reader #death note #light yagami x reader #yagami light #light yagami #this has become dramatic i swear #lime at the end #angst #light being his usual dickhead self #anime x reader #reader insert #happens after L's death #L is reader's ex.. sorta #x reader