#Dante's Peak AU

[cheerfulripley]

2023 Sabriel Big Bang Posting Day!

Dante's Peak

Rated E for steamy romance and natural disaster shenanigans

Gabriel/Sam Winchester and Dean Winchester/Castiel

Sam is a Volcanologist and Gabriel is the mayor of the town who's idyllic little home changes from heaven to hell overnight when the dormant Volcano next door wakes up!

My wonderful artist @rezal-art knocked the assignment out of the ballpark!!

#cheerfulripley #cheerful shinigami #spn fanfic #Dean/Cas #Sabriel #spn sabriel big bang #Gabriel/Sam #Sam/Gabriel #Dante's Peak AU

[sil3ntm0thart]

#digital art #marvel #spiderman #spidersona #artists on tumblr #oc art #marvel au #spiderman au #princus doodles #2022 art #2023 art #oliver holt #slater spider #ark holt #reptricity #comet #caiside narra #dante hei #alison peak #alix oretensia #snake seastorm #mikhael valley #matilda seren

[changbunnies]

Crave, Part 2 (18+)

♡ Pairing: Romantic Demon!Hyunjin x Human Fem!Reader

♡ Genre: supernatural au, demon au, age gap relationship typical in monster fucker fics, coworkers to lovers and love triangle vibes :')

♡ Word Count: 6.5k

♡ Summary: "The more a thing is perfect, the more it feels pleasure and pain." - Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy. In which Hyunjin, a demon from the nine circles of hell, finds himself impossibly infatuated with the very human he once set upon himself to destroy.

♡ Warnings: this is a part 2! read part 1 here, more immoral behavior and thoughts + ideas from hyunjin ofc, supernatural abilities, themes of possesiveness and jealousy, more talks of sinful acts / feelings from the perspective of a demon, reader's age is not specified but it is implied to be at least mid twenties.

♡ Notes: sorry ya'll it took longer for this to come out than i intended, i wasn't feeling well so i was resting ;v; and tbh i still don't feel well but i really wanted to keep writing so i powered thru to get this done!! this part is story focused but dw, explicit smut is coming next <3 the focus here is building up their relationship so that the smut feels like a natural development and they aren't just instantly in love lol i hope you enjoy it!

♡ Disclaimer: please read responsibly, and remember that this work is fiction and meant strictly for imaginative fun. the idols used in fics are more accurately faceclaims and personality outlines for imaginary characters, and should not be interpreted as factual representations of existing people.

How do you make a human fall in love? A question that is perhaps simple in theory, but Hyunjin hasn't wooed a human in centuries, and much has changed since he last blended in with society. In the modern age of technology, sin is at the most rampant it's ever been. The common man can access all manner of sin from the palm of his hand with a single device, and it has made the act of integrating into human society an unnecessary practice for demons. 

There's a plethora of human sin to feed from at any given moment, and obsolete is the need for a demon to blend in with the humans that walk the earth, no longer required to be a snake in the community garden just waiting for their moment to strike and consume. Though an outdated method to obtain their wants, integration with humans can still be done, if only the demon in question wishes to do so- and as Hyunjin has come to realize, he does if he wants to win over the object of his desire. 

Despite how long it's been since Hyunjin walked among them, he wasn't ignorant of modern human culture; he still had to be well-informed if he wanted to be effective and efficient in sowing the seeds of sin in feeble minds, after all- his work in the second circle required such knowledge, and it was also a benefit when it came to deciding which soul he would drink from to sustain himself. 

He knew perfectly well how to use most modern technology, knew how to dress in a manner that was unique to his own tastes but suited the trends of the era, and whatever "pop culture" knowledge he lacked, as it was called by humans, he could blame it on things such as "preferring to stay off social media," or "not watching much tv or playing much games," and most would take it as a fair, reasonable enough excuse, even if the person asking questions of him could not relate to his answer. 

In the last century especially, most of Hyunjin's public outings were limited to a few hours at most, spending that entire time scoping out who'd sustain his cravings the most. Nightclubs in particular were an easy place for Hyunjin to get a quick fix of the lust he needed, sustaining him well enough when his preferred love-drenched lust was still being built to its peak. 

Despite all his experience in human matters, there was something that posed a problem for him initially. Since moving into your lavish suite, you worked from home- a luxury Hyunjin assumes you have from a high ranking position within whatever company you work for (especially if this is the kind of place you can afford to live in on a single salary.) But if you only ever left the house long enough to run errands, how was he supposed to meet you organically? And further still, how does he meet you in such a way that makes contact with you consistent, that makes you want to talk with him and be in his presence? 

He could, theoretically, stage a meeting, pretend to be a neighbor entering the building at the same time or "accidentally" bump into you while shopping for something he has absolutely no use for, only to then charm you the moment your eyes lock with his. The problem with that approach is that charming you defeats the purpose of what he wants; for you to have genuine, real love for him, and only him. And asking you out after meeting you just once, in a situation where you have no reason to connect with him further, could be uncomfortable or off-putting in the eyes of women. What woman likes to be hit on by a stranger while she's grocery shopping? 

Hyunjin's human form is attractive, sure, but looks can only carry him so far when it comes to making a woman fall for him. His appearance is useful for one night stands, but he needs to show you more substance than that if he wants you to desire him beyond the physical- and he was sure based on his observations of your character that you weren't vain or superficial enough to fall for him based on looks alone. 

Thankfully, he didn't have to ponder on these questions for much longer, because only a few short days after you finished all your unpacking and decorated your apartment to your liking, you returned to work. He could tell easily enough what your destination was when your routine suddenly deviated; for the first time since moving in, you had turned on a repeating alarm for 6 A.M, and your choice of business casual clothing and subtle, office appropriate makeup told him all he needed to know. 

Hyunjin followed you there, naturally; presence hidden, lingering in the shadows with the intent to best establish how to infiltrate your work environment. As he expected, you held a high ranking position inside a corporate office- head of human resources for one of the many subsidiaries of some conglomerate Hyunjin had never heard of, as typically there is no need or reason for him to be well versed in human's business dealings. 

Becoming someone you work with directly would be the best route, he was sure. Whether on equal ground or as someone answering to you on a team, it was the option that gave him the most opportunity to create a connection with you, and maybe be the start of one of those sappy office romances that humans seem to enjoy in their media. 

It was fine if there were no employment openings- it'd be simple for Hyunjin to create one by exerting his influence over a human's mind. He'd pick out whomever you liked the least, someone who bothered you either overtly or simply by being an inefficient worker, and he'd take their place. He could plant the idea of a career change, a desire to move across the country, or simply get them fired should the gentler, subtle approach be deemed too time consuming for Hyunjin's taste. 

Of course, Hyunjin knew jack fucking shit about how your job truly works or what would be required of him if he was on your team, but that was fine too- it would be easy for him to fake his performance when necessary, and charm any who questioned his work abilities. He wouldn't enjoy lying to you directly if there was ever a need for it but, well.. The ends justify the means, don't they? And while he wouldn't charm you for love, certainly it wouldn't hurt to do so to make him appear a better worker than what he would be in reality, right? 

No matter what his hypocritical justifications were, he’d do anything necessary to make you his, even if it meant having to lie at times. It was a foreign feeling, being conflicted about lying when typically lying came second nature to a demon, but he supposed his infatuation for you is what makes it feel different. Is that why truth was considered a godly virtue? It was the first time in his life that just the thought of lying, before it could even be an act done in the first place, felt.. wrong.

Maybe because on some subconscious level he recognized that love woven from lies isn’t true, no matter how much he’d wish it to be. Even if you fell sincerely in love with him, would it still satisfy him to have gotten there based on tricks and lies? When he determined that the answer to that question was a firm “no,” he vowed he would do his best to keep lies far from his lips when it came to you, even if that made his goal more difficult to achieve. Strange, how this was easily the most human he’d ever felt. 

In a way, it is almost natural to feel this way, to be met with internal conflict for the first time in ages; most demons are born directly from human sin, after all. What is he, if not the physical manifestation of a human who has fallen from perfection? More powerful than a mere human though he was, his proverbial soul still held an innate inclination towards sin, the struggle with temptation and decadence inherent to his very being, as hypocrisy and corruption went hand in hand with sin, hand in hand with the very human condition he would oft wrongfully deny he felt.

And that wasn’t the only human emotion that came to him when he watched you at work for the first time. Most of the morning was spent rather uneventfully, Hyunjin’s time dedicated entirely to scoping out the environment and determining where he’d best fit within your corporate world. He observed the people on your team, who was designated where and what their duties were, keeping track of what feelings and opinions you had for whom, looking out for who he would be able to effectively replace.

Without warning, he sensed it, felt it, tasted it- love, seeping out of your pores, heart suddenly alight and a smile that should be reserved for him lingering on your lips. Jealousy pricked Hyunjin’s skin before he could even fully process the scene before him, a deep fondness in your eyes as a man that Hyunjin could only assume was from another department approached you with a smile of his own.

Shit. It was expected that he would find out who you loved eventually, but he didn’t anticipate that it would be here, in the very environment he was setting up to be the stage for your romance with him. The man asked you questions and talked in ways you’d expect to hear between friends or coworkers- “how’d the move go?”, “are you settling in well?”, and “you should invite me over sometime!”

It was the last statement that made Hyunjin’s eye twitch with suppressed anger, not much liking the idea of the person you’re in love with being alone with you in your apartment. Every time you giggled at something he said or blushed when the man held your gaze, it nearly made him sick with envy. Fuck him, he didn’t deserve you, Hyunjin thought, I'm better than him in every conceivable way, that should be me.

This man didn’t love you the way you loved him; Hyunjin could tell, could feel the platonic affection that radiated from him. And instead of being happy about the implication that Hyunjin would have no rival for your affection when he pursued you in earnest, it almost made him more pissed off. This guy didn’t even know how fucking perfect you were, didn’t seem to notice the way your eyes sparkled with affection, how your heart raced when he hugged you, or the bashful smile that lingered when he invited you to share your lunch hour with him.

He’s a complete fucking idiot for not being head over hells for you- you, who’s only sin is lust, who is beautiful, intelligent, humble, and positively radiant in presence without even realizing just how much value she truly has. It’s okay, he has to remind himself, it’s a good thing his one-sided rival doesn’t share your sentiment; because when Hyunjin shows you how beautiful you are, treats you with the reverence you deserve, your heart would surely shift to beat for him instead. He’ll make sure of it.

You let out a sigh as you comb through the next resume that found its way to your desk, exhausted from the amount of interviews you've conducted today. This was probably your least favorite aspect of your job if you were being honest; being the head of human resources put you in charge of all recruiting efforts, scanning through countless applications to determine who was the best fit for the company, but you never enjoyed doing it. 

It always makes you feel guilty to determine someone else's worth based on a flimsy piece of paper and interview first impressions, where nerves are almost always at their peak as the person sitting across from you makes their best conscious effort to impress you. It is also not a job you can delegate to someone else on your team, unfortunately; your place at the top of the HR department made all hiring decisions entirely up to your own discretion. And apart from the guilt of knowing you couldn't hire everyone that walked through your door, it was so tiring to go over the same questions multiple times a day with a myriad of strangers. 

Hwang Hyunjin was the name of the last person you'd be interviewing today (much to your relief) and you hoped he'd be the person to wow you in the end, as you have lukewarm feelings to who you've met thus far. Despite the impressive credentials on most resumes you reviewed, none of the people you'd met seemed to be a good long term fit for the company; some of them would likely only be good as temps, needing to be let go unless they showed substantial improvement in the areas they were lacking in. 

It was a terrible thing to judge someone based on whether or not they were able to calm their nerves or had enough charisma, but when working for corporate conglomerates you can't afford to be meek. It was okay to be shy and reserved in your personal life, many people in the office were, but for the sake of professionalism you're required to have the ability to put meek tendencies aside. If the interviewee couldn't speak with confidence, then you had reason to believe they'd crack under the daily pressures of speaking with representatives of other departments or when handling sensitive negotiations. 

Unfortunately, you don't typically have the luxury of giving applicants the benefit of the doubt or the ability to give them the opportunity to change your first impression of them. You take a glance at the clock hanging above the door to your office, opposite of your desk; it's just a few short minutes until you meet your last applicant, and you pray he'll be the person you've been looking for. Despite how desperate you are to fill the hole in your team after Mina's extremely abrupt resignation and move out of the country, you still don't want to hire just to fill the gap she left- you want someone capable and confident on your team. 

You take one last passing glance at the man's resume, making sure you're familiar with his education and work history, not wanting to be mistaken on any of the details listed. A short succession of knocks are heard on your door a few moments later, and you look up from the resume you're rereading to see Nayeon opening the door just enough for her head to come into view. "M-Ma'am, H-Hwang Hyunjin, uh- he's here for his interview," she speaks in a timid voice, face flushed the brightest pink you'd ever seen on her. 

Your brows furrow ever so slightly in wonder and concern at her out of character demeanor; Nayeon is among the most confident and well spoken employees on your team, and you've never known her to stutter or appear so off kilter. "..Right, send him in," you say after a moment, wondering if her attitude shift is due to the stranger you'd be meeting shortly; if that is the case, you'll have to talk to her about it once the interview is over- you wouldn't want to hire someone the people on your team are uncomfortable around. 

She nods and opens the door further, the silhouette of the taller man coming into view just slightly behind her. "Right in here," she mutters, stepping to the side and motioning for Hyunjin to enter your office. It becomes immediately apparent what the reason for Nayeon's abnormal behavior is; Hwang Hyunjin is easily one of the most beautiful men you've ever seen in your entire life. 

Black hair that just begins to touch his shoulders tucked neatly behind his ears, a few strands left untouched to frame his face, accompanied by wide circle glasses that seem to further enhance his beauty. He's dressed well, his suit modern and sleek but not overly formal for the setting, his accessories tasteful and understated, as they should be in an office environment- just a simple, long chain necklace and small, almost dainty hoops on his pierced ears. 

The reason that a man this gorgeous would even be applying to work here when he could easily make a fortune being a model is beyond you. You're quick to correct the initial surprise on your face, hoping that the man you'll be interviewing didn't notice how struck by his beauty you were when he stepped in. And how could you even know that he did notice you had a reaction to him- and not because of any overtly obvious expression of attraction, but because he could hear the beating of your heart with his inhuman ears, its steady rhythm taking a sudden, erratic jump the very moment he first stepped through the door. 

Nayeon is quick to close the door behind Hyunjin once he has stepped fully inside your office, leaving you in privacy for what will likely be the most difficult interview you have ever conducted, and not for the reasons you would've otherwise expected. "Have a seat," you speak clearly, as if your heart wasn't stuttering just mere moments ago, motioning for Hyunjin to take one of the chairs sitting opposite of your desk. "Pleasure to meet you, Hyunjin," you say after he's taken a seat, politely holding out your hand to shake his.

"Likewise, ma'am. I'm grateful to be considered for this position," he responds with a smile so effortlessly charming that you have to once again remind yourself that this is a professional setting and you shouldn't be thinking about how handsome the potential new addition to your team is. If you were a worse woman with lesser morals, you'd hire him on appearance alone- his flawless skin, plush, soft, almost inviting lips, and the little mole that sits daintily under his left eye are all positively bewitching to look at. 

You collect yourself after a brief mental scolding, deciding to get straight into the most pertinent questions you have once he's settled in his seat, opting to waste no time in getting straight to the point. While this approach does make the interview more tense for the applicant, you find it best to go about it this way to make sure they're truly ready for the sort of discussions that will be expected of them should they get hired. You don't expect perfection, but more accurately determination- if they can maintain a confident air about them under pressure, that's typically a good indicator to you they'll be a good fit for your team. 

Equally, you don't mind if they stumble over their words a few times throughout the course of the interview as long as they show the ability to bounce back from any slip ups. Error is expected at some point, as we are all human- you just want to assess their ability to come back from a mistake when speaking, and to see if they are able to maintain their composure in situations that may not be the most ideal or comfortable. 

The ease at which Hyunjin answers your questions has you convinced that he's perfect. He speaks confidently, coming across as self-assured and charismatic, not at all stuttering or faltering when you ask him to speak candidly with his own words. You appreciate a well rehearsed answer of course, but you like to ascertain whether or not the person you're considering for the job is able to maintain confidence when not using an internal script or reciting their memorized resume. 

Some struggle to do so, losing confidence in themselves the moment they are expected to go off the cuff, while others find it to be a trick question of sorts, as if you're baiting them to say a flaw that would place them out of consideration for the position they're applying for. What you value most on your team is adaptability- it's okay to falter for a brief moment, as long as they are able to collect themselves quickly and continue where they left off. And Hyunjin's ability to do just that is utterly astounding. 

He has an almost effortless sort of confidence and charisma about him; something unique and special that you don't often see, a state of being that isn't learned, but rather is innate to who he is. Even when he briefly pauses or lets out a small "hmm" as he thinks about his answer to your question, it never feels like he's struggling to find his answer- more accurately, it seems that he already knows what his answer is, and is just pondering on the best way to phrase it before speaking. 

It seemed that even his unrehearsed, unfiltered answers were nearly perfect, his ability to speak leaving you almost in awe. Truly, in the year and a half it's been since you were promoted to head of human resources, you'd never conducted an interview where the person you were speaking to seemed this effortlessly natural and comfortable in what is otherwise a tense situation. Honestly, you'd be a fool not to hire him right on the spot- his ability speaks for itself, and you're confident that any weaknesses he has can be corrected quickly and easily with more experience in the work environment. 

So you congratulate him, smiling as you once again hold out your hand and welcome him as part of your team. And Hyunjin smiles too as he takes your hand in his, knowing that this is just the start of what is his grand plan to make you his.

In the months it’s been since you first hired Hyunjin, he’s come to learn so much more about you than he did just lingering around in your apartment, and with that has come an even deeper appreciation and desire to have you. Your good nature, which he knew you had from little interactions at shops and cafes, was now able to be fully seen by him- from the way you cared about your team, treated them like equals despite the fact that you were their superior in rank, and how you encouraged and fostered true friendships between everyone on your team. 

You held so much sincere care for everyone around you, and you lead with compassion and kindness at the forefront. If someone was sick, having an off day due to mental health, or simply felt the pressures of life weighing them down, you always met them with compassion, encouraged them to get better, and never made them feel bad about themselves for any small slip ups that occurred while they were struggling with something. 

Of course, in this line of work it’s vital that they show up always ready to do their utmost best and show others the best versions of themselves, but you weren’t some militant manager that expected people to always be at 100%. It’s unrealistic, and hypocritical to expect perfection, so instead you always did your best to accommodate them when they were low, and that consideration resulted in your coworkers and employees having a great deal of respect for you, and caused them to always put in their best effort. 

By extension, your care for your team resulted in equal care towards you, and it seemed they greatly missed you when you were absent due to your move. They had fine enough leadership while you were gone, sure, but it wasn’t the same without you- the one who made them feel comfortable, secure, and made them want to perform well at their jobs. What Hyunjin felt watching you was something akin to pride- and it was strange, as he had never felt pride for someone else before, usually not even for himself. 

He just liked seeing you succeed, if he had to guess; he liked knowing the woman he desired was not only beautiful in body but also in soul, just as he suspected her to be when he first came to put aside his anger and truly know her for who she is. What a happy accident it was, that he happened to be gone when you finalized your move to suite 13; because otherwise how would he ever have known what it was like to care about someone other than himself? To understand what it is that makes a human God’s greatest creation? 

He gets it now, he thinks- why God prioritized humanity, why he loves them despite how flawed and drenched with sin they are. And again, it occurs to Hyunjin how hypocritical he was before, and continues to be even now, how foolish it is for him, the very embodiment of sin, a being who is supposed to uphold depravity and ruin, to be infatuated with you, who is the very image of benevolence.

Hyunjin got to see so many new sides of you, sides that didn’t make themselves known within the 4 walls of your apartment, sides that made him fall for you more and more. A demon can’t experience love the way a human does, but he thinks this is the closest to love a creature like him will ever have. Obsession, longing, desire.. Isn’t that all a manifestation of love? Perhaps one does not need a true heart and soul to experience what love is, maybe all that one really requires is feeling. 

Most sins are a feeling- lust, pride, envy; all are an emotion you feel strongly within your gut, a natural reaction that cannot be prevented from pricking your skin or making your stomach twist. It’s innate, woven into the DNA of every creature with higher understanding. With all that mind, who is to say a demon can’t love? Maybe it won’t be felt in the same way a human feels it, but if love is a feeling, and sins are a feeling, then what truly prevents him from knowing love? 

As equally as he learned about you and himself, he also learned about the man you had developed feelings for- Yunho. According to Nayeon, who was apparently a wealth of information when it came to the subject, you met Yunho in college and have been friends with him since. You grew quite close in your time studying the same major, and as fate would have it, you both ended up working for the same conglomerate after college. 

While you ended up here, promoted to head of the department when the opening became available, Yunho worked for a different subsidiary within the same building; so while you technically worked for different companies, you shared the same CEO, and had ample opportunity to meet and talk during the company lunch hour and maintain the friendship you had in college. 

Well, he imagines you would’ve still been friends with Yunho regardless of where the two of you ended up in life after graduation, but still seeing him daily certainly didn’t help you get over the college crush you had on the man. And you had tried to move on- you’re not stupid, you know Yunho doesn’t feel the same way as you, but your relationships never worked out as you’d hoped, and you’d always be left still battling your unrequited love for your best friend. 

Though you are always professional, it was obvious, at least to the other women in the office, that you had deep feelings for Yunho. They could always tell in the way your face changed when he was near, displaying a timid smile that only ever showed up for him, the flush on your face subtle but recognizable to those who knew you well.  

And by extension, it became increasingly obvious to the rest of the office that Hyunjin was down bad for you, and hated seeing you with Yunho. His face too always changed when Yunho arrived, though in an entirely different way from you- Hyunjin would be positively seething with jealousy, always failing to mask the frown of disapproval when Yunho stepped into your office to talk and invite you out for lunch outside the building. 

And Hyunjin, who was always a gentleman anyways, was even more so when it came to you- holding open doors for you when walking somewhere together, carrying stacks upon stacks of heavy paperwork so you wouldn’t have to do it, memorizing the way you liked your coffee so he could get it for you and you could focus instead on your work. The only time Hyunjin ever wasn’t smiling, it was when you were giving your affection to Yunho, and it was painfully obvious how bad he wanted you. 

If Hyunjin was trying to keep his feelings a secret, well.. He failed to do so at every turn. Everyone in the office could tell how he felt, and while they would never admit it, most were just waiting for the day he’d ask you out, as it seemed to be more and more inevitable that he would. Some who had been your coworkers since long before you were even promoted and knew of your unrequited feelings, hoped that Hyunjin could be the person to finally give you the happiness you deserve. 

Even you yourself began to suspect that Hyunjin liked you as more than a friend or coworker, because why else would he go so out of his way for you? Why else would his face change whenever he saw Yunho? You can still remember the way his smile dropped when Yunho stepped into the room when you were having lunch with your team, how Hyunjin subtly clenched his teeth and tightened his fists, how he’d practically glare at the man before replacing his expression with the most forced smile you’d ever seen him have for the sake of professionalism. 

Were you being delusional? To say Hyunjin is fucking gorgeous is an understatement- he’s practically ethereal. And while you wanted to move on from your stupid school girl crush on Yunho that continued to grip you all these years later, wasn’t it too much to fantasize about Hyunjin being the person to finally make you happy? He could have anyone, and you couldn’t understand why he’d want you of all people when he could easily bag someone more impressive than you. 

You did well for yourself, but you didn’t consider yourself particularly desirable.. Maybe years of unrequited love and failed relationships made your confidence tank more than you realized, at least when it came to love and romance. And while there were other couples in the office, you worried it’d be unprofessional of you to date someone who you are technically the boss of.. Shouldn’t you be more concerned about the power dynamic instead of worrying about whether or not you were desirable enough for Hyunjin to want you? 

God, you really needed to get your priorities straight before you did something stupid; and certainly you were just reading too far into things. But still, while your feelings for Yunho didn’t go away, you still couldn’t deny that your heart would race whenever Hyunjin smiled at you, couldn’t ignore how goosebumps would erupt on your skin when his hand lingered on yours as he handed you a perfectly made cup of coffee, couldn’t help but linger on the the thought of what a perfect lover he must be.

As if sensing you were thinking of him, you hear a knock on your door, breaking you out of your thoughts and seeing Hyunjin crack open the door. “May I?” he asks, and you smile politely with a nod, motioning for him to enter your office. “Hey Hyunjin, what’s up? Need something?” you ask and he shakes his head, sitting on the chair in front of you. “Nothing work related, though I do want to ask you something,” he replies, and immediately your mind wanders to delusional territory again, though you quickly try to shut it down. 

“What is it?” you ask, trying your best not to fill your brain with the thought of Hyunjin making a move on you. Be professional for God’s sake. “I was wondering,” he starts, looking at you with that charming smile that is so natural to him and you always have to stop yourself from folding over, “If you don’t have any prior obligations today, would you like to have lunch with me?” 

Oh no. He’s adding fuel to your delusional fire. “Just us?” you ask, trying to mask your hope or the way your heart is picking up speed. You really want to be chill about the invite, but you really can’t help but hope the invitation means something more. He’s perfect, how could you not? You’re only human, after all. Isn’t it natural to want someone this fucking beautiful to want you? 

“Yes, just us. You don’t have to consider it a date, but.. I would be happy if you did,” he smiles, head tilting to the side in an almost playful display, and your heart jolts. He’s not just playing with you, right? He wouldn’t, would he? But you have to ask, “You make it sound as if you want me to consider it a date. Are you saying you like me?” 

“That’s exactly what I’m saying, ma’am,” he replies without hesitation, confidence fully on display. It’s as if the possibility of you saying “no” has never crossed his mind. Well, you’d probably be confident too if you looked anything like him; you don’t imagine he’s been rejected often. And well, you certainly won’t be the person to hit him with his first rejection either; you’ll have to ask a third party to handle the necessary paperwork if things go well between you and Hyunjin, as the head of the department can’t approve and oversee her own consensual relationship agreement, but it’ll be worth it, you think. 

After all, if someone this beautiful and seemingly perfect wants you, why deny yourself the opportunity? Even if it doesn’t work out, maybe he’ll be the person to finally help you get over your stupid crush on your best friend that’s been going nowhere for years. Apart from his beauty, he’s always been chivalrous and attentive towards you, a true gentleman in every sense of the word. And even if it's only for a brief time, you think he can make you feel happy, desired, truly cared for.

You’re about to tell him you’d love to, when your door unexpectedly clicks open, your eyes moving past Hyunjin to see Yunho standing in the doorway. Hyunjin immediately scowls, having half a mind to rip him apart once the day is over, though he does his best to temper his aggravation. Can’t let himself lose face in front of the one he loves after all; he’s not sure you’d still be up for a date with him if he displayed his jealous, possessive tendencies this early on (not that he did a very good job of hiding them to begin with.)

“Shit, sorry- am I interrupting a meeting?” Yunho asks, and Hyunjin rolls his eyes, turning his gaze back to you instead. “No, nothing like that,” you answer, shifting your gaze back to Hyunjin, who for the first time looks concerned that you’ll turn him down. It’s subtle, but his eyes are softer, nearly pleading, though he tries his best to not display the desperation that lies underneath- the desperation for you to affirm that you like him too, that you want to go on a date with him, that you want to give him a chance. 

“Oh, good,” Yunho sighs in relief, knowing that sometimes your work bleeds over into the lunch hour. He glances at Hyunjin, a slight frown forming on his face. He’s never spoken to the guy, but Yunho would have to blind to not notice that Hyunjin hates him for seemingly no reason. “Well, uh- I’ll let you get back to whatever talk you’re having. I’ll see you for lunch when it's over?” Yunho asks, and you can see Hyunjin swallow, hands tensing as he waits for your reply. 

Please don’t reject me, his body practically screams, and you almost can’t believe that the confident man that you know is looking this nervous over potential rejection because of you. “Thanks, but I’m actually having lunch with Hyunjin today. Maybe next time?” you answer, smiling at Hyunjin to reassure him that yes, you are going on a date. No, you won’t be picking Yunho over him, despite the history that lies there.  

Relief instantly spreads through Hyunjin, and he returns your smile, his confidence returning as if it’d never left in the first place. “Oh,” Yunho blinks in surprise; that’s.. unexpected. You’ve never prioritized someone else over him before. Huh. He feels.. strange. Jealous..? No, that can’t be right. Why would he be jealous? Hyunjin stands, offering his hand to you, which you accept before you stand yourself. 

“Are you ready, ma’am? I know this cafe you’ll just love, but we have to hurry if we wan’t to make it back before the hour is over,” Hyunjin smiles, turning away to face the door, and subsequently, an almost bewildered looking Yunho. You miss the way Hyunjin shoots your best friend a smug, almost triumphant smirk; a smirk that says I’ve won, she’s mine. And even as Yunho watches the pair of you walk towards the elevator, hears you tell Hyunjin he can call you by your name when it’s “just the two of us,” suddenly he feels incredibly stupid. 

Even as he’s left standing there, watching the elevator doors close with just the two of you inside, he can feel his gut twist as Hyunjin shoots him one last smirk, one that affirms something Yunho is just now realizing- there was a reason Hyunjin hated him. All this time, Yunho was a rival for love, and he just lost the race without ever having actually participated. 

He scoffs, laughing at himself in near disbelief. What an idiot he’s been, and what a moment to realize it. He knew you had a crush on him, but what did he expect? That you’ll always be there, just waiting for the day he’d finally miraculously return your feelings after all these years? Of course you’d move on eventually; and maybe Yunho didn’t want to admit he found your infatuation with him to be a comfortable ego boost, now hit with the epiphany that his newfound jealousy over the loss of your affection is ugly and twisted. 

And truly, Hyunjin had him beat. Somehow, he knew that this was the end of your feelings for him. How ironic it is to lose due to his own complacency, his expectation that you’d always be there no matter what relationships you found yourselves in. How arrogant and selfish he’d been, assured that no matter whom he slept with or pursued, you’d be there just waiting for the day he’d finally ask you out. And now Hyunjin has you, and he’s certain he’ll never let you go.

#skz x reader #hyunjin x reader #skz smut #hyunjin smut #skz imagines #skz scenarios #mdni + divider graphic credit: @cafekitsune

[quirklessidiot]

title: hell's favorite secretary [sneak peak] pairing : Devil!Ryomen Sukuna x F!Lost soul!reader [based on the webtoon 'the devil is a handsome man', DC Comics "Lucifer", and the book and video game 'Dante's inferno'] Genre: Alternate Universe-Hell, angst, mystery/thriller, mild horror, romance, slow burn, hell au, dark comedy, lost soul x devil au

Summary: The faceless man shrouded in mystery tends to be a subject of rumors and false pretenses, but you'd think otherwise when you accidentally caught sight of those grueling red eyes.

General warning for the story: graphic depictions of heavy gore (manslaughter, mayhem, and torture), and explicit sexual scenes, more will be added per chapter. this will be exclusively released in ao3 in december <3 Notes: after reading a couple of pages of dante's inferno, reading lucifer (the comic book), and the devil is a handsome man, it sort of struck my interest to write this story! this is a pretty long series and im actually so excitied to write this lol.

if you're a person heavily practicing the catholic faith, i won't recommend reading this series as this talks and leans on the devil (i'm not a satanist pls), he's not glorified here in anyways but I do recall people who lean heavily on the faith are not fond of reading any media depictions of the devil.

i hope you enjoy! rb's are always appreciated.

There are possibly hundreds of artworks about the devil. 

The most famous one is that snake hanging off the forbidden tree or, better yet, a half-animal and half-human. Others would be an ugly babe falling down from the heavens. The most popular modern one would be the one in red with horns on his head, yet your boss did not resemble any of those impressions. Instead, he wore a three-piece suit and had a hole right in the middle of his face.

Yes, you heard that right.

A hole. 

All you could see was an empty void of black nothingness. Nobara had said that Sukuna – yes, the devil went by that name — would never show his face to lost souls like you because, as an angel before, seeing him in his proper form would result in instantaneous combustion. 

Despite that good reason, talking to him was still disconcerting. The whole situation remained to be anomalous.

The ringing thoughts about your previous conversation with your workmate replay in your head like a broken record, your eyes trickling on the piles of paperwork across the window that revealed your boss leaning against the table with his usual outfit and pink tufts of hair neatly styled away.

You recalled meeting him for the first time and wondering why he seemed somewhat familiar. You had overtly eyed him up and down. Despite the hole in his face, he had caught on quickly and asked what exactly you were doing. Until now, you couldn’t understand the physics behind how he could even see you and talk.

You purse your lips in deep thought as lines form in the middle of your head. You don’t even feel your boss walking up to you on your desk, “Seems like someone’s head is up in the clouds this morning.” he points out.

You immediately sat up straight, your shoulders squared, “Sukuna, Sir…” you jumped, eyeing him somewhat warily. 

Despite how he made you feel, the devil was not exactly a strict boss. 

He’s rather lax and did not mind procrastination and passing your work at the last minute as long as you did it well. He works on proper hours, gives vacation and leaves, and an appropriate timetable for lunch breaks. 

He’s hard to hate for a being who's been blamed for man’s misfortune since time immemorial.

“Was the long weekend still not enough?”

“I’m not exactly a sloth, Sir,” you mumble to yourself, but he catches onto your words and remains unphased. It's uncharacteristic for you to say anything more to him, but you needed a good starter for this conversation to get on,  “...Although, I-uh…I do have a question…You remembered our contract, sir?”

One thing that humans were able to grasp correctly about hell and its king is the contract signing and how the devil gives out favors in exchange for something you truly hold dear. For you, since you’re a lost soul, in exchange for changing your status, you’d give proper work hours and help him capture at least eight hundred itinerants.

You’re running on two hundred and fifty so far.

“Oh?” he leans in closer, “That’s not something we talk about every day.” his body language remains fluid and guileless as if he wanted you to speak your mind more, and it only made your palms sweaty despite the coldness of the room, “Would you like to change some conditions? I am, after all, a fair man.” His voice is crisp and light, a charm that made up for his empty face.

“I- well, I’m going to be frank with you, Sir…” you blink, “I- um,” you start to stammer, and it only makes your stomach do different kinds of flips as your mind conjures up different types of worst-case scenarios. It’s not like you couldn’t become a soul after this, right? You’d only have to wait for a century and try to retain your sanity along with it.

He cocks his head to the side, and if you could paint a face on that void of nothingness, you’d wish it would be kind eyes looking down on you, but this was the devil, the man who was struck down from the heavens for being too ‘arrogant and malicious’. You need to be careful with your words, “I…I need information…” you swallowed, your words tumbling out clumsily.

“Information?” your boss remained relaxed, and you knew it was rather diabolic to even pray for God when you were literally in hell, but you had little to no way of reading him. There’s another round of stifling silence; you only want to melt into a puddle of goo this time.

#jjk x reader #jjk imagines #jujutsu kaisen x reader #sukuna x reader #ryomen sukuna #jjk sukuna #📝📝.hell's favorite secretary series

[forsythefucker]

Operation: SWEETHEART!! - An Aphmau Dating Simulator

hello everyone!! so following my recent post i wanted to do i guess an official announcement for the project ive been working on....APHMAU DATING SIM!!! I just wanna talk about what it will be and stuff

So this is my second time ever making any sort of video game and its also a one man project so its NOT gonna be super good but...im trying my best LOL. The game will be taking place in the Mystreet universe! No specific time frame but generally around mystreet s1? Its kind of an AU where certain things are canon and certain things arent, also the characters act a little different since theyre all kind of following my personal interpretations of everyone. The game is kinda like 70% genuine 30% irony, so expect lots of humour

quick disclaimer: the game will include some mentions/depictions of death (out of humour, just silly game-overs and such) (no gore tho!!). things are still subject to change since im very VERY early in development so the final game will include a warning list just so everyone is aware of what theyre getting into! but there wont be anything super explicit besides swearing/light sexual humour

if i had to guess when this game will come out, i wanna say sometime around mid-late september? Again its a one-man project and i have other things going on so it may take a while but! progress is going pretty steady! so definitely pretty soon!

the dateable characters include: Aphmau, Aaron, Katelyn, Kawaii-chan, Lucinda, Laurence, Garroth, Travis, Zane, and Dante (pretty much all of the main characters)

this game is mainly just a passion project for me to learn some code and have an excuse to draw tons of aphmau fanart, so again, i apologize in advance if the game is kinda bad...just...let me live

i'll try to post updates/sneak peaks occassionally just to keep u guys hyped but we'll see

anyway i just wanted to talk a bit abt the game!! since some ppl were shocked lol. peace out !!!!

#aphmau #aphmau mystreet #mystreet #aphblr #please be patient with me guys #how do i even tag this #also can people comment on this idk i still dont really know how to use tumblr #if u can comment leave any questions u have!! #if not. um. sorry

[hider-cray]

Part 1 of drawing Devil May Cry weapons as failed angels (from my dmc au) today : Dante’s Rebellion, first sketch - final also sneak peak of what Yamato is gonna look like on the last image|| I’ll make a post going into detail of the failed angels and what they looked like before||

#original drawing #original art #digital sketch #art #devil may cry #dmc dante #dmc fanart #yamato #dmc5 #vergil #traditional drawing #traditional art #lineart

[silent-neutral]

I barely slept last night due to the reveal of this wonderful creature haunting my mind but-- Ughnn, the in-game shots are just...his face is perfect..So razor sharp. He ages like fine wine. even though I'm pretty sure he's only, what, a year older lmao;; But I love that they made him more intense and scowly, how I try to envision him; that's totally a thing I'm always guilty of drawing hahahh;; Btw, I love his new fit. The casual look suits his description and it makes sense. He's on break, somewhere cold, his rage art is heavily ice themed; His outfit makes me wonder if he isn't into hunting, especially with that fang necklace. Best believe his T8 ending is going to be something related to that ''difficult goal'' he wants to achieve on vacation, I'm calling it x'D Because it's Namco, it'll probably be something lulzy and random, bonus points if he says a word though. But anyway, ugh, gotta love it. I can't get over his faceeee, I'm so happy with how he turned out. They took the peak design of T6 and TTT2 (totally unbiased here lol) and created this stern, vampiric beauty ugh. UGH. Small gripe; I just wish his lips were a tiny bit fuller :3 but I'll gladly take him like this. And the description has me even more amused! I mentioned in a previous post how I associate his blue and black coats with Vergil's style, and now his pants and skull motif remind me of Dante aahh would have went with something more desaturated rather than purple or the red accents but i'll live but ARGH an old vintage bound notebook too <3?! Oh c'mon.. it's just screaming at me to draw crossover art (another thing that has me written all over it haaaa)

And, well.. I've drawn Dra in Sergei Vladimir's outfit that sparked stupid RE au ideas in my head of an Umbrella soldier Dragunov with Sergei Vladimir as his uncle/senior commanding officer, so why not a DMC one, too?? lmao. Crossovers are a great way to incorporate all my fandoms simultanously since it evens out my time and attention to them, but also I just love them! I always find similarities between my favourite characters and it's hard to ignore as a fan. Anyway, that's me gushing done. My mind flatlined upon seeing this shot in particular for a good 12 hours. I just fucking love how his face is sculptured.. God he better have another aristocratic alt costume haha

#sergei dragunov #tekken #tekken character reveal #non art #...for now

[afoundling]

Wip game

Thanks @anaclastic-azurite for the tag! (Shocker I remembered to do it!)

Rules: Make a 24 hour poll of your WIPs, let it run, then write one sentence for every bite the winner receives.

Tagging (with no pressure attached) @foreverchangingfandomsao3 @legobenkenobi and anyone else who fancies torturing themselves

#my writing #codywan

[xerith-42]

MCD Heathers AU

I didn't ask for this, I had a passing teehee funny thought and then it stopped being funny and actually turned out to be a brain worm that took over all my neurons. I do not know what the fuck happened to make this AU but here we are.

Main thing to know before I come up here and elaborate in a later draft, this AU is imagining a production of Heathers featuring the cast and crew of mcd. It's an AU that's largely non magical other than the furry stuff, and it's distinctly the mcd characters and how I characterize them, not the MyStreet version of these characters. I think I've made my... thoughts on the matter of MyStreet characterization well known.

Anyways, the real actual main thing I meant to write was that this AU is also two productions. One is the main cast, and then there's the Understudy Cast! I might put that in a separate post because holy fuck this is already going to be a lot and I have to pull the entire cast of Heathers out of the pits of my memories.

"Couldn't you just look it up?"

This is way cooler. My source for all of the things I will ever say about this AU come mainly from the fact that I was in a production of it. Also I found the entire original libretto and read it all in a single night.

Main Cast Lead Characters

Veronica Sawyer-Katelyn

Jason Dean-Aaron

Heather Chandler-Dante

Heather McNamara-Garroth

Heather Duke-Laurance

Martha Dunstock-Lucinda

Kurt Kelly-Ivan

Ram Sweeny-Melissa (okay hear me out on this one--)

Ms. Fleming-Nana

Ensemble Members (yes these are all real ensemble members in Heathers)

2 Important Ensemble Disclaimers:

*If I don't give them a student character they're playing, that because there's an unspecified number of student characters to fill out the backing vocals that aren't necessarily listed in the original script. The fill ins I use come from when I was in the ensemble of this show

Ensemble is mostly the same across both casts.

Stoner Chick/Veronica's Mom-Sasha

New Wave Kid*/Kurt's Dad-Zenix

Metal Head*/Ram's Dad-Gene

Hipster Dork-Dottie

Preppy Stud/Big Bud Dean-Jeffory

Beleaguered Geek-Kenmur

Fuck it, Understudy cast

If they aren't performing as an understudy, they are another unnamed student in the ensemble, except for Nana and Sasha because they had to be fuckin different.

Veronica Sawyer-Aphmau

Jason Dean-Ein

Heather Chandler-Nicole

Heather McNamara-Nana

Heather Duke-Vylad

Martha Dunstock-Emmalyn

Kurt Kelly-Janus

Ram Sweeny-Blaze

Ms Fleming- Sasha

(the understudy cast is... insane. All of them. Collectively and individually)

This is just the cast. I haven't even got into the crew, how some of the ensemble are also crew members, the backstage drama, the showmances, the absolute chaos those dressing rooms would be. How they would be organized in the most logical yet perfectly chaotic way. This AU is peak chaos.

#okay wait wait wait wait #at one point me n someone in the big bang discord talked about a Glee AU... #Glee did multiple musical episodes... #Like the characters doing a musical #c-could... could these be the same AU? #oh god I dont want to entertain that thought #fuck I have to tag this #minecraft diaries #aphblr #text post #au idea #heathers au #im not. going to tag all the characters mentioned here #that sounds exhausting #theres a lot of them #I'll tag a few #all the ones with last names ig #laurance zvahl #garroth ro'meave #aaron lycan #travis valkrum #melissa lycan #zane ro'meave #vylad ro'meave #nicole von ronsenburg #nana ashida #there thats all you get

[gendervoid-zane]

MyStreamer AU:

Biomes/areas where everyone builds their main bases in the Season 1-3 SMP.

-Dante and Travis -> Plains Biome. Don’t live together but are neighbors and technically their bases are connected (think Techno’s and Phil’s cabins from DSMP). They do share farms and a storage system.

-Gene, Sasha, and Zenix -> Ancient City. They share a base.

-Vylad and Lucinda -> Dark Oak Forest. Same biome, but they aren’t technically neighbors. And technically speaking Vylad has another “main” base and a secret base.

-Laurance -> Mangrove Swamp. Vylad’s other “main” base is also here.

-Garroth, Cadenza, and Aphmau -> Cherry Blossom Forest. Same biome and the three of them are neighbors.

-Zane -> Stoney Peaks.

-Nana -> Flower Forest.

-Aaron -> Snowy Taiga.

-Katelyn -> Ocean Monument.

-Vylad (secret base) -> Lush Cave.

#Aphblr #Mystreet #MyStreamer AU

[artsofmetamoor]

Welcome ❤️

This is an art blog for Chronicles Of Metamoor a fan-project collab I do for fun with @katerinaaqu , a collection of stories, drawings and comics exploring the world and realm of Meridian/Metamoor and its characters, based on the series W.I.T.C.H. tho we do stray quite a bit from it's original canon and themes, mixing and matching everything up with our own original ideas.

⚠️+18|| This blog is for the most part SFW, but contains some mature and dark topics as part of stories. Mature content will be tagged as "chronicles of metamoor mature". All characters depicted as couples in mature content posts are adults.

--------

Tags:

(I will be updating and adding to this list as I post more stuff)

Art/Posts by Characters:

Caleb Dilla* Ballard* Cornelia- Most of what I draw includes these 4! CalebxDilla and CorneliaxBallard ❤️

Kai* Jaoral* Akule*

Diego* Drake Aldarn Vathek

Danra* Yanangule*

Elyon Dante* Phobos Cybele*

Assara* Luma* Gallaria*

*our original characters.

Art/Posts by lore:

Tribes of metamoor- (our original concept) race of galhot people that lives in hunting\gathering communities and villages. Their domains stretch across the wild forests and jungles of the realm of Metamoor.

Escanors and Meridianites- Inhabitants of the city of Meridian, including the Escanor royal family.

Other Metamoor Inhabitants- All others that inhabit the world of Metamoor, different kingdoms or other comunities of people, like the Naga empire, the Shifters e.t.c.

Fauna, Flora and Environments- Ecosystems, biodiversity and geography of the planet of Metamoor.

The Rebellion- The times of the great revolution against Prince Phobos Escanor, leaded previously by Julian and then by his successor Caleb.

AU Art/Posts:

Mafia AU

Mermaid AU

Centaur AU

Genderbend AU

Different Timelines - basically a bunch of "what if" different scenarios for the main story (like characters making different choices that lead to different situations e.t.c )

___________

Written work by @katerinaaqu:

The First Perfume

A Beautiful Illness

Confrontatio

What is Past is prologue

The Peak of Madness -Mature warning, mentions of depression, mental disorders and suicide.

Uneasy Lies The Head -Mature warning, mentions of depression, mental disorders and suicide.

Avatar AU

[cheerfulripley]

For the 2023 Sabriel Big Bang!

Dante's Peak is a SPN AU of the disaster movie by the same name. Sam is a Volcanologist and Gabriel is the mayor of the picturesque little town that turns to hell overnight as their dormant mountain suddenly wakes up!

Rated E for disaster related descriptions, steamy romance!

Posting July 1st!!

Art by @rezal-art !

UPDATE IT'S LIVE

#cheerfulripley #cheerful shinigami #spn fanfic #fanfic writers #spn #spn sabriel big bang #sabriel #dante's peak sabriel au #sabriel big bang 2023 #destiel fanfic #destiel #deancas #sam and gabriel

[sil3ntm0thart]

"actors" au

#digital art #sketches #original art #oc art #original character #artists on tumblr #2022 art #static wonder #actors au #caiside narra #alison peak #dante hei #alix ortensia #snake seastorm #jessie conliffe #alicia murray #mel glama

[put-me-out-of-my-destiny]

I'm thinking back to that AU where Kyrie gets familiars not unlike V's, and I think I've finally figured out exactly how that would happen

It seems that two ingredients are required to create demons such as the Griffon, Shadow, and Nightmare we meet in DMC5:

At the very least, severe psychological trauma, but the physical effects of being an Angelo is quite possibly a requirement

A weapon that can "separate man from devil", which presumably can only mean Yamato, right?

Kyrie's Trauma:

While Kyrie's endured no shortage of trauma - her religion turning out to be an evil organization bent on world domination, getting kidnapped by said organization and used as bait, her brother getting murdered by the pope, and her boyfriend getting his arm torn off by his dad - you might think this would rule out the possibility of Kyrie getting familiars, because she's never been in an Angelo...

Except she has been in an Angelo

Okay, the Savior isn't an Angelo exactly, but you can't deny it has some similar properties, being an automaton that requires at least one humanoid host to function, who's to say it couldn't have similar long-term complications to Nelo Angelo's armor?

But if that's the case, it raises a question: if Kyrie began to experience those kinds of symptoms, why wouldn't Nero?

You could chalk it up to Kyrie being a normal human without demonic power, but I actually have a more satisfying suggestion, and one that even solves the second ingredient we need to make this hypothetical storyline plausible

The Devil Bringer:

While Nero is Vergil's son, his demonic power functions a whole lot differently than his father's or his uncle's. They both seem to require Devil Arms to operate at their peak, but during DMC4, Nero displayed the ability to absorb demonic power from objects like the Evil Legacy, the Rusalka Corpse, the Sephirothic Fruit, and the Aegis shield.

I find this similar to how Vergil created a Devil Arm from Beowulf's remains, but even he lost that power once he lost the physical weapon, and Dante was able to use it once he picked it up. Furthermore, I find this similar to Yamato's ability to "separate man from devil", draining power from demons and objects for personal use

There is one notable exception in DMC4, however, that being Yamato itself. Nero does physically keep Yamato, and it is taken from him at one point during the story, so Nero didn't just drain it like everything else

Now, Nero seemingly lost all of that power when Vergil took the Devil Bringer along with Yamato, but curiously, Nero was able to regenerate all of it by the end of the story - including the ability to Devil Trigger

What I mean to say is that Yamato isn't unique - Nero can literally recreate it's power, at least to some degree

I put this forth not only as an explanation for how Nero wouldn't suffer any long-term effects from being bonded the Savior - the Devil Bringer basically purged all of the Angelo gunk from his body preemptively - but also as the catalyst for this whole plot

There is another question to consider - if being inside the Savior had a long-term effect on Kyrie, why didn't it come up for so long?

Well, it could be that Kyrie's affliction was simply a slow burn, manifesting at first as more conventional symptoms like fatigue, but becoming more dramatic over time. This is further compounded by Kyrie feeling like she has to be strong for Nero and the kids, who's needs are supposedly more urgent and serious

I like this explanation okay, but if it's too abstract, then there is another option

The Inciting Incident:

Obviously, Nero wouldn't absorb demonic energy from Kyrie's body without good reason

For the above explanation, it's totally possible he would do so in an attempt to purge all of the Angelo gunk from Kyrie's body, just like Vergil does to himself in DMC5

You could read this as a metaphor for Nero, with the best intentions, putting Kyrie on a pedestal and dehumanizing her by ignoring her flaws, but the situation being life-and-death would kind of undercut that

But, there's also the possibility of Kyrie either succumbing to some other demonic illness, or even being possessed by some sort of demon, which has some kind of reaction to the Angelo gunk in her body. In this event, he'd be all the more likely to do whatever's necessary to save Kyrie, including literally tearing the infection/demon from her body

TL;DR:

Kyrie endures long-term side effects from being bonded with the Savior, not unlike those Vergil endured after being freed from the Nelo Angelo armor

This affliction grows slowly, not causing alarm for years, or perhaps even remaining dormant until she either succumbs to a demonic infection or possession

In either case, Nero does what he does best and saves Kyrie, using the power the inherited from his father to tear the demonic energy from Kyrie's body

This spawns Kyrie's familiars, based on Berial, Bael, Echidna, and The Savior from DMC4 (and maybe some doppelgangers of other unfriendly faces from that game)

Now there's only one question left: is this a good plot, or the dumbest thing you've ever heard?

#devil may cry #au #kyrie dmc #nero dmc #quen speaking

[ramsaybaggins]

Tagged by @appleteeth

Rules: Go to your published works on AO3 and list the first fic you ever published there, the last fic you published, any fic that you wrote for a fandom/ship only once, your favourite fic you wrote in the fandom/ship that has the most works, the fic you wish more people read, the fic you agonized over the most, the fic that sprang fully formed from your mind without any effort, and a work you are proud of—for whatever reason. <3

First fic: Family Ties, a Firefly fic I wrote in maybe 2010? I think? Pretty much my first writing after childhood

Last fic: Pulled Apart, a short Our Flag Means Death speculative fic about how season 2 might end

Only once: Toss A Coin To Your Fake Fiancé, a Witcher fake engagement wedding fair fic I co-wrote with some pals in the days after we attended a real wedding fair. It is mad, more of it happened IRL than you'd think, and it's very funny. I love it

Favorite fic from the fandom I've written in most: The Grey Lighthouse, for OFMD my Reverse Big Bang inspired by art from @feriowind. It's a bit of a mystery feeling and I'm very proud of it!

Fic I wish more people read: Edward Bonnet-Teach, Reborn On A Beach, my first Big Bang fic with incredible art by @catmilks and Aria. Features a desert island vacation, the first smut I ever wrote, and a wedding!

Fic I agonized over: My Dante's Peak AU for OFMD. I really wanted to make sure I got the tone right without sacrificing characterisation/making it a word for word recreation of the movie. I think I did pretty well!

Fic that sprang fully formed: The Turn Of A Page for OFMD. My first 'true' longer fic! I sorta went into a fugue state as I wrote it and it just poured out of me over the course of a few days. I learnt a lot and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Work(s) I'm proud of: Honestly? All of them! All of them have been part of my writing and learning journey <3

I tag anyone who wants to join in!

#Ao3 tagging game #Ao3 #fanfic #my fanfic #ofmd #ofmd fanfic

[impossiblycolorfulpanda]

Hi. I see you're really keen on the idea of an Azula redemption arc and I was wondering if you were willing to help me.

You see, I'm writing my own Zutara au and I wanted to give Azulas a simple but well meaning redemption arc but I don't know where to start. She is a complex character so I don't wanna go "and now she is good". Because that's also the point, I don't want to turn her into a goody-goody two-shoes, picture perfect princess. I want to keep that snarky and sarcastic side of her, mixed in with a little bit of tsundere. I want to make her an aunt to my two Zutara babies so she'll keep her caring side but more on the down low.

Anyway... Do you think you can give me some ideas? I also don't know who I want to ship her with so Azulaang ideas are welcome but not a must (nothing against the ship, i just haven't decided between Taang or Azulaang)

Thank you!!

How about this?

Due to Azula and Aang being a descendant of Aang's past life Roku. The two become spiritually connected, linked, and bonded with each other. This bond came to be right after Aang let go of Katara and embrace his last chakra, which instantly caused Aang to lose any romantic feelings he had for Katara. They can use this bond to slowly create another, more emotional and intimate bond. We don't give Aang enough credit of being sassy, sarcastic and mischievous in his own right. I'd kill to see Aang and Azula throw sass and comebacks at each other, it'll be peak entertainment.

I picture Azula's redemption being like Dante's divine comedy trilogy but it's metaphorical and psychological. She'd go through 9 circles of the burning hells, 9 earthly terraces of purgatory and 9 spheres of the high heavens. That's a total of 27 episodes.

You want an example of what a redeemed Azula looks like? Look no further than Diablo 3 reaper of souls, the female wizard: A deadpan snarker? check. Has fire and lightning powers? check. Is a prodigy? check. Her characteristics, design and clothing based on East Asia? check. Insufferable genius but can back it up? check. A one woman army? check. Is voiced by Grey DeLisle herself? check check check.

I've read a few Azulaang AUs where Aang teaches Azula how open and master her chakras. Each has there own interpretation on what's blocking each of her chakras. Here's what I have in mind.

Azula's fear is abandonment and being seen as monster, as evidence with the beach and the mirror scene.

As for her guilt, it's possible she may have some guilt over how Zuko was treated given how quick she was to overturn his banishment, she just couldn't bring herself to admit it and apologize. I than imagine Azula going through the same stuff Zuko went through in Zuko alone. Azula sees the damage her war has wrought, befriends some earth commoners but later turn against her either by finding out who she is or when she does something maniacal and unhinged which. Azula takes their rejection WAY harder than Zuko and angrily lashes out and wounds an innocent, which increases her guilt further.

Shame. Her failure to fulfil Ozai's promise to be fire lord and her humiliating defeat by Katara's hands is pretty self explanatory.

Greif. Contrary to popular belief, I think Azula loved Lu Ten and the two had close relationship. Why else would she only have her sights on Ba sing se and is dead set on bring it down? What comes in the form of new love, Azula sees Zuko and starts bawling her eyes out.

The lies she was told all came from Ozai. I picture Ozai and Azula having a similar dynamic between Anaken and Palpatine. You oughta explore more of the relationship between Ozai and Azula.

It's obvious by now she fell prey to the illusion of separation, but she also seems to be chasing after the illusion of perfection.

Her earthly attachment? It's Ozai. Hands down.

I hope any of this helps.

Btw, I'm currently trying to write a book 4: air. But the second half of season 2 of legend of korra will be shown in Aang's saga. Particularly book 4: air. Ozai is the dark avatar and he’s the most powerful firebender, earthbender, waterbender, airbender and energybender in existence after slaying the last lion turtle and absorbing its soul during Sozin's comet. But instead of Ozai fusing with Vaatu, Ozai IS Vaatu, and he was directly but secretly behind the starting of the 100-year-war. It's Aang that goes through the destruction of the original avatar cycle and heralds a new spiritual/avatar era, but this time, Raava becomes the spirit of light/peace and darkness/chaos at the same time, aka, the spirit of balance, she also embodies and controls all sources of bending.

#zutara #azulaang #spirit bond #au