#They playing into the whole identical twins with opposite personalities

[dcxdpdabbles]

So I've seen a couple of Demon twin prompts that have Danny and Damien knowing and keeping in touch with each other over the years with the Batfam none the wiser (The funniest being that Damien had Danny go and replace him for a week then the two played it off like it had been happening since Damien was brought to the manor. Another good one had Danny quickly dropping off Ellie with Damien leaving him to introduce Bruce to his granddaughter). How would this play out for you? Would Danny have run with Damien faking killing him, would he have just disappeared from the compound (?) One day?

Their mother had given birth to identical twins. Damien was born three whole minutes before Danny, which shouldn't have mattered much but to the Ra's it meant the world of difference.

Ra's did not want to raise more than one hire. He did not believe in spares or succession struggles. He gave Talia the ultimatum,- pick one twin to raise in their ways and give the other up to a civilian family or lose them both and her status.

Talia will never claim to be an angel. She knew that her heart was cold and wrenched as needed to cleanse the world. She was far too selfish to even consider becoming a civilian away from the league.

It wasn't a bad life, in the end, to become a regular civilian but it was not for her. Ra's had many children who were never deemed worthy of being part of his greater plans. He never mistreated them, but ultimately he ignored them and they grew up not knowing the blood that ran through their veins.

Talia herself knew of six siblings- all different ages and races- that she had seen from a distance. Her father would take her sometimes to see them, to be reminded that unlike them, she was destined for greatness.

They were nicknamed as the Lost by one of Father's past heirs. He had died fifty years before Talia's time but he was known for his surprisingly humorous outlook on life. How Ra could stand it, she will never know.

Sometimes Talia pitted her Lost siblings. They would be outlived by their father- as all of his children thus far have been- but they would never know the waste their lives had become. They would never know the glory of battle, the rush of leading an army, or the satisfaction of successful missions.

They lived in a rose-colored world inside a small fish bowl. Her Lost siblings would never know the vast wonder of the world.

Sometimes Talia envied her Lost siblings. Even though they had no real impact on the world, no real importance, they lived peaceful lives. They grew, made friends, and fell in love without fear of being betrayed. A foolish belief but one that seemed almost blissful.

How light would their shoulders be to not have to carry the weight that Talia has known all her life? Weight to be the best, to be the killer her father required, to allow her son to head to a possible death day after day.

None of them had to worry about their children never returning from a mission like she did. That's why she trained Damian so harshly, why she pushed and pushed until he reached perfection. If she didn't, then Damian would be bested in the field and his death would shatter what little humanity she still held.

She had taken Danny- her sweet youngest boy- to America to entrust him to her Beloved. It was only as she arrived on American soil did she realized that Bruce would not be satisfied with only one twin.

He would do everything in his power to get them both. Despite the years he trained with them, after learning their ways and their mission, Bruce did not approve of the League.

He was powerful enough to succeed in taking Damian as well if she gave him the chance.

Talia chooses to not do so. She instead stopped at the closest city that was miles and miles away from Bruce Wayne. She found Amity Park, a small sleepy town that would never gather much attention let alone Bruce's, and located a couple struggling for a second child.

After her men screened them and after making sure that they were harmless despite their eccentric research into ghosts, she gave the Fentons her Danny in adoption.

When she signed the adoption forms, Danny offically became a Lost sibling. She flew home, and held Damian just a tad bit tighter and longer, allowing only a few tears to fall before shutting away her heart.

She visited him through the years, but never within sight. Danny was unaware of her presence, as he stumbled his way with his life. He was unpopular with his peers, uncoordinated in basically everything, and the idea of him harming anything was laughable.

He had too much of his Father's heart but none of his will.

Talia made the right choose in getting him out. He would not have survived long within her lifestyle.

When her sons turned six, Talia had chosen to take Damian to see his Lost brother. She had two motives for doing so. The first was to show Damian what became of those deemed unworthy. To let him see that he had been given the honor of being the twin to inherit all that the Al Ghuls could offer.

The second was so that Damian could see his brother still lived, even as worthless and meaningless as he did so, he was still alive. He would know nothing of their world but he would still be able to walk through a different one.

She hoped but never voiced that he would find comfort in this and maybe even affection for her foolish Lost brother.

_________________________________________________________

What she was not aware of, was that Damian Al Ghul was just as selfish as she was. Once he saw what he deemed as his there was little in this world that would stop him from owning it.

He believed he was entitled to having a connection with his blood brother so underneath Talia's and the League of Assassins' noses, Damian did just that. He officially introduced himself to Danny when he was eight and told him the truth about their heritage.

Danny welcomed him with open arms. Despite being polar opposites in personality the identical twins were the best of friends. Damian always looked forward to seeing his brother for a short visit whenever the opportunity arose.

Danny was always pleased to host him for a weekend and the Fentons were more than happy to have him over. They may not have been able to adopt Damian but he was just as much their son as Danny was.

Damian just wishes he could return the gesture but if he ever had the Fentons over at Nanda Parbat they would all be dead within the first thirty minutes.

It was best to go to Danny.

Then Damian went to live with Father. It was a rough adjustment and he is not proud of his less-than-optimal reaction to Father's adoptive siblings seeing as the Fentons had proved blood is not required to love a child. It took months of getting used to living there before he was comfortable enough to go visit Danny again.

They spoke every night on the phone, however, since he no longer had to worry about traitorous warriors reporting his contact with a Lost sibling. He told Danny everything about the Waynes, just as Danny told him everything about being Phantom.

They just forgot to tell any of the Waynes about him.

Damian offered to have him over now that he knew Father would never harm his brother, and that the other Wayne children wouldn't kill him either. Danny, ever the most mischievous of the two, had a better idea.

"We could prank the family instead." Danny chirps floating above his bed, headphones in his ear as tries to play videogames upside down. He grins at the screen where Damian stares back at him.

Facetiming Danny can be a bit difficult when his brother has a hard time sitting still.

Damian wasn't strong enough to say no to him.

____________________________________________________________

"Master Bruce" Alfred didn't shout exactly but it was a near darn thing that had everyone in the cave tensing up. They all turned to an older man who was nervously gesturing to a screen. "We seem to have a guest"

They gather around the older man, watching as a teenage boy wearing baggy oversized sleepwear rampages through the kitchen in an ill-fated attempt to make...a sandwitch?

"How did he get in?" Bruce demands at once watching the boy pour himself a large cup of milk. His face was turned away so they couldn't see him clearly but-

"What are you all babbling about? That's not a guest." Damian scoffs after pushing his way to the front of the computers. He waves a hand at the stranger and it is conveniently at that exact moment that he turns around gulping down his milk.

It's an exact replica of his youngest. What in the world?

"Demon Brat" Jason starts slowly, hand reaching for his gun. Bruce would be angry by that, except he's not exactly sure that his son is standing with them now "Who is that?

"Obviously it's Daniel."

"Who?" Dick asks

Here Damian actually pauses looking around at everyone in as close to alarm as Bruce has ever seen him. "Daniel. My brother. Do you all not remember him?"

"Master Damian, this is the first time I have heard of your brother," Alfred stressed, the tone just a tad bit off from being upset. Damian's eyes widen behind his mask suddenly looking rather small.

He stares at the butler like he has never seen him properly nodding his head to the Batcomputer. "Check for yourself."

"I'll do it." Tim offers strolling over. With Babs on vacation with her father, he is the best with computers. He will know if something has been altered. A few clicks on the keyboard was the only sound within the cave as everyone stood around in unease.

A quick hiss between his teeth has Tim announcing. "Demon Brat isn't lying."

There on the multiple screens is proof that for the past four years- since Damian came to live with them- there was Danny. The brother with a medical condition that made being a Bat impossible.

Tim even had a personal folder- one he made but couldn't remember making based on his wonderous expression- titled "Angel Brat". Apparently, he and Danny got on like a house on fire. At least according to the files.

"Are you all quite sure you have no recollection of Daniel?" Damian questioned. His stance is protective, tense in a way Bruce has come to know as his son being nervous.

None of this makes sense. The last time Damian was this nervous was the last large Justice Leauge mission when all hands were on deck to fix the timeline-

Oh No.

"Damian, on the last rank 10 mission of the league you were the only one on the Watchtower when Flash shifted us back. Even Alfred was commanding a tank that day." He states waiting until his son nods in agreement. Around him, everyone was equally tense likely realizing the same thing.

"I was not alone Father. Daniel was with me. I couldn't possibly control all those stations alone."

Of course.

"Damian, I'm afraid the last mission erased Daniel from our timeline. I do not remember him."

His son's eyes practically bug out of his head. He swings around in small circles looking towards the rest of the family. His jaw clenched at their blank expressions.

None of them remembered Daniel either.

"We must inform Daniel at once-"

"No!" Dick shouts, cutting him off. There was a slump in his shoulders as he spoke much less sharply now. "If we do that, there is a chance that Time will try to force his existence out. It could.... erase Daniel completely."

"So what? We just pretend to know the kid? Lie to him?" Steph scoffs,

"Yeah as much as it sucks. I've worked with Bart long enough to know that there is a real danger in telling Daniel the truth." Tim sighs running his hands over his face.

"That's fucking great." Jason sneers, kicking a chair. Duke's hands are curled into tight fists, while Cass is looking at Damian with a sad frown.

Damian sneers at them, fleeing into the showers. Cass is one step behind him. Likely for the best, his eldest daughter has always been the best one to confine into. If anyone can get Damian talking about his feelings without being too pushy, it's her.

Alfred remains silent but his posture is stiff and straight. He is equally as displeased as his more explosive children. Not that Bruce couldn't blame him.

His heart has already shattered a dozen times over once Daniel's files have been brought up. He has forgotten his son. Has lost him in a way as close to death.

He flickers through them with the family. Everyone wants to remember as much as possible. There is so much. Daniel has a heart condition that has him attached to a heart pump, his consistently cold and is rarely strong enough to wander too far away from the manor.

In fact, he seems to collapse a lot like his legs just become intangible. Talia isn't aware he is still alive- Damian broke the rules to get him out of the league before his plan execution due to his condition.

Despite all of this, Danny had the biggest heart out of them. He seemed to be the kind of person with an easy smile, and happy pun waiting. He is so gentle that Tim's nickname "Angel Brat" is not just a mirror of Damian's

And Bruce forgot him.

To make matters worse the cave's elevator dings on, and down it comes Daniel himself. He looks exhausted, likely not used to being up so late but he smiles at them all warmly anyway

"Hey guys! Welcome home!" He greets. He rushes forward, hugging everyone with ease that not even Dick has been able to do. His movements are done so naturally that this must be how he greets them every night.

Everyone lets him and he doesn't seem surprised by the fact they return the hugs.

Bruce feels like vomiting as his youngest- Damian is older- smiles up at him. "Welcome home Dad! Love you."

"I..." His words catch in his throat. Daniel tilts his head confused but Bruce pushes through wrapping his arms around him just as tightly. "I love you too son."

"Tell the others you love them too" Daniel whispers in his ear. "Don't forget that they need to be shown through words and gestures too Dad!"

Bruce stiffens, unsure if he should but he doesn't have enough information to deny Daniel anything. If he suspects something is wrong he may zap himself out of existence. He can't let that happen.

He pulls back from Daniel after a moment, and then without giving the others warning, he reaches for the child closest to him. Jason yelps as he is dragged into Bruce's warm embrace. "I love you, Jason."

"Ugh what?" Jason sounds confused from above him- when did his little boy get so tall?- but he wraps his arms around him too, giving the beaming Daniel a quick glance before he mutters. "Love you too old man."

Bruce turns to Dick who is practically bouncing on his heels, arms held out. He steps into them easily, grunting as Dick squeezes him with all his might. "I love you, Dick"

"I love you too!"

Tim is staring with wide longing eyes over Dick's shoulder and Bruce knows he will have to hug him next. Behind him, Daniel has moved to embrace both Jason and Steph, which triggered a group-wide personal hug.

Even Alfred is there affording hugs and I love yous.

It's.....nice.

_____________________________________________________________

None of the Bats are good enough to read the body launage as Cass is. She saw the mischievous glee her new brother was hiding as he went around hugging everyone.

Damian taps her wrist. "Will you keep quiet of Daniel's harmless jest?"

She smiles. "Funny. They think they can't say no to him. "

"Oh, Dad! Now that you're back can I paint your nails?" Daniel asks loudly. "I have the best black nail polish!"

"....I suppose that is fine."

Damian cracks a smile. "My brother is a menace."

#dcxdpdabbles #dc x dp crossover #Demon and Angel Brat #We are going to pretend Talia had them naturally so Danny can be a supirse #The twins prank the Bats #They playing into the whole identical twins with opposite personalities #Where Damian is serious Danny is childish #Cass knowns it's a lie #Babs did all the fake files for them in exchange for all her expenses paid on her vacation #Mulitple Povs

[astrxealis]

leveilleur twins favorite twins best twins no competition

#⋯ ꒰ა starry thoughts ໒꒱ *·˚ #i am also insanely biased but that is not the point here #as a twin myself you see i also have more uh say other what makes the best twins so LMFAOO ?? #i love them sooo much oh my god #i'm more. leaning towards alisaie personally but my twin likes alphinaud more! #it's really cute to me bcs i'm also more red she's more blue i'm younger she's older and personalities fit tbh #but aside from that. the leveilleur twins mean so much to me can you tell i obvs cried w that garlemald scene #that whole place scared me tbh i was really hoping nothing bad wld happen to them my god i was pissed af #i'm really proud of their development and love how they're both reaaally good characters #you have alphinaud struggling w ofc what happened w the crystal braves and alisaie she keeps dealing with people close to her dying #have not played 6.3 but i amfekhdiwnfis alisaie ...... my girl my love #look it's also fine for me to like alisaie that way as a fictional character bcs i am literally the same age LMFAO she is everything to me #often twins in media don't really appeal to me. like. i mean they do but personally i find the leveilleurs to be the best #i actually relate to them which is really nice? and they're actually realistic lmfao #it's funny though that they're opposite gender but identical. which should not be possible. so that implies yeah LOVE IT LMFAO #okay tht's all for now anyway i just love love love them two sooo much #⋯ ꒰ა ffxiv ໒꒱ *·˚ #alisaie leveilleur #alphinaud leveilleur

[jester-lover]

Dorm Leaders with a Goth Girlfriend

Warnings: Fluff, insecurity, mentions of past mistreatment, overuse of the ‘lipstick kiss’ trope, Author wants more people to experience goth music

A/N: I notice how often the fanfic community focuses in on the clothing/makeup (dw, this post has a lot of that too) relating to the goth subculture, I want more people to experience the music! I left a goth song recommendation I think fits each character, from gothic metal to softer new wave, I hope you enjoy my head canons, and check out some new music! No gatekeeping here.

Riddle Rosehearts

He definitely finds himself attracted to your confidence, wearing all black and leather.

“Doesn’t it get warm? Wearing all black?”

Riddle is, deep down in his heart, insecure about himself and his identity; your presence helps him explore different parts of himself.

Teenage rebellion!

He finds himself loving your more romantic gothic looks, with Victorian skirts and pirate shirts, it accents his look well, you both look so pretty next to each other

He asks you for eyeliner tips

A song that reminds me of Riddle is: Dear Prudence, Covered by Souxie and the Banshees

Leona Kingscholar

You are right up his alley! I mean, look at him, he looks like a grunge cowboy, he’s so down for the way you dress

Certified woman-respector, will personally beat the crap out of anyone who’s talking bad about you

Loves it when you get all ‘dolled up’ and show him new music

Dolled up meaning extreme goth, deathhawk, leather, piercings, the whole nine yards

Just be a little careful with gothic metal, homie has sensitive ears

“When did I get so lucky, hm?”

A song that reminds me of Leona is: Black No. 1 by type 0 Negative

Azul Ashengrotto

Flustered fishy fishman

He finds you so intriguing, a mysterious traveler from another dimension, dressed in leather lace and fishnet

You love covering him in black lipstick kisses, sometimes one of the twins will catch him wiping off the lipstick and snicker

Definitely adores goth love songs, especially from the 80s

“Y/N, I found this old song and it reminded me of you.”

A song that reminds me of Azul: Sea Swallow Me by the Cocteau Twins and Harold Budd

Kalim Al-Asim

Opposite attraction really worked this time, huh?

He’s so stoked to have a goth girlfriend, homie is bouncing off the walls everytime he sees you

He’s the type of boyfriend to always be able to figure out if you changed your look. New hair color? Cool! New piercing? Awesome! Cut all your hair off? Twinsies!!!

Literally so cute he will always listen to the music you recommend, he has a whole playlist he listens to whenever he misses you

“Oh my goodness Y/N! I adore your new piercings!”

A song that reminds me of Kalim is: Friday I’m in Love by The Cure

Vil Shoenheit

He’s a little iffy at first, giving the unconventional look and all, but when Vil falls, he falls head over heels.

He is the world’s biggest worrywart boyfriend, he’s literally stressing so hard about whatever hijinks you’re getting up to.

You’re going to a concert? Take a can of pepper spray. New piercing? Follow the proper aftercare to a T. Hair dye? Moisturizing shampoo, immediately.

His fans begin to notice a slight difference in his daily makeup, a darker tone of eyeliner or lipstick. It’s his little way of showing off his ‘taken’ status

His favorite gothic music is more repetitive gothic rock, his guilty pleasure.

“Dearest, please refrain from covering me in your lipstick, save that for when we’re alone.”

A song that reminds me of Vil is: Right Here in my Arms by H.I.M

Idia Shroud

You two share a similar yet different style, he’s a lot more laid back

On the topic of music, he really loves Synthwave, the electronic vibe is so up his alley

He probably gets super shy if you wear more revealing goth clothing, but he’ll look up to you and your confidence

He loves looking for more gothic games for you two to play together, he absolutely loves the way your eyes light up

If you give him a kiss and leave a lipstick mark on his face, he’ll love you forever

Mmmmm domesticity

“Y/N, I found this anime you would like it has this butler who’s also a demon and he’s dressed all cool and he reminds me of you and-“

A song that reminds me of Idia is: Fade to Grey by Visage

Malleus Draconia

Wowowowow matching aesthetics I see

You tend to lean into the music of the subculture, while Malleus opts to lean into a gothic royal aesthetic

(If you know anything about Jrock and the band Malice Mizer, he gives me Mana Sama energy)

He adores the goth music you share with him, especially slower romantic goth songs, those that allow him to daydream about you

“I have met my perfect match.”

A song that reminds me of Malleus is: Sacrifice by London After Midnight

Bonus! More alternative songs I think fit them

Riddle: Mutter- Rammistein

Leona: The Lion from the North- Sabaton

Azul: Dr. Feelgood- Motley Crue

Kalim: No One Lives Forever- Oingo Boingo

Vil: Ziggy Stardust, covered by Bauhaus

Idia: Gentlemen Take Polaroids- Japan

Malleus: Ma Cherie- Malice Mizer

Thank you for reading!! I would love some feedback, this is one of my first posts I’m really proud of! I would love to make more like this!

#new fanfic blog #female reader #fanfic #fanfiction #new fanfic #fandom #twisted wonderland x female reader #twisted wonderland x reader #goth reader #fem! #fem!reader #reader insert #riddle rosehearts #riddle rosehearts x reader #leona kingscholar #leona kingscholar x reader #azul ashengrotto #azul ashengrotto x reader #kalim al asim #kalim al asim x reader #vil schoenheit #vil schoenheit x reader #idia shroud #idia shroud x reader #malleus draconia #malleus draconia x reader #twst dorm leaders #twst dorm leaders x reader #twst x reader #twst

[elizadoll]

Mirror, Mirror

One day, a doll was called upstairs by its mistress. It wasn't uncommon for the witch to call for her doll, but today it seemed most unusual. The witch had been locked away in her room all day, preoccupied with something or other, and the doll had assumed she wanted to be left alone for the day. Of course, dutiful as ever, the doll rushed to its owner's side without skipping a beat.

The witch had called from inside her bedroom, and the doll knew it was never to enter unless given explicit permission. With abundant caution, the doll knocked on the door. The witch welcomed it inside, asking it to let itself in and so it did. What the doll saw when it opened the door, though, it would never have dreamed of.

Standing by the witch's side, the doll saw itself, or rather, an exact copy of itself. From its clothes, to its hair, to its size, to its eyes, even the faint remains of a crack on its cheek from a particularly bad tumblr back in April, everything had been meticulously recreated in loving detail.

And then the new doll spoke, and it even had the original's voice. As it spoke it became clear even its personality had been copied. The doll looked to its mistress uncertainly, it wondered if it were being replaced. The witch, of course, assured her doll she had no intention of replacing the doll. She wished to give it the perfect companion, and what better companion than one's self?

At first, the two dolls were not comfortable with the idea, they found it a struggle to tolerate one another's presence, the similarities were off-putting rather than endearing. It saddened the witch to see her creations at odds with one another, but she soon thought of a way to get them to cooperate.

And so, she placed both dolls in a box together, just big enough for them both to fit comfortably inside, but not big enough that they could avoid physical contact with one another. They would be kept in place for the next thirty days, so that they might learn to get along.

For the first few days, the dolls rarely spoke. They saw no need for it. One would know everything the other would say, after all, they were the same, but eventually, as all dolls do, they both grew restless, and so they entertained themselves with idle chatter.

Of course, they always knew what the other would say, but eventually, that fact became enjoyable. They completed one another's sentences and giggled about it. They admired the ball joints their witch had so carefully crafted for them, and were in awe of how perfectly identical they truly are.

Eventually, as all dolls might when kept in such close proximity, they began to feel more than kinship with the other. The doll that had come first had stopped thinking of itself as the original, and the other no longer thought of itself as a copy. They were one in the same, they were two halves of one whole.

Then, one doll felt the inclination to kiss the other, and of course, it knew the other felt the same. And so, sheepishly at first, and still with three days to go, they shared a kiss. And then another. And then another. Over and over, they lost themselves in the bliss of it, each kiss filling their clockwork hearts with warmth unlike they had experienced before.

And then the witch opened the box. She smiled to herself when she was what laid inside. Where the dolls had once curled up on opposite sides, trying not to touch one another, one doll was now sitting in the other's lap, cradling its partner's face in its hands. Even the witch could no longer tell them apart, but she supposed she might not need to.

From that day forward, the witch would never see her twins apart again. They would work together, clean together, play together, and often, she'd find them in the garden, sharing tender kisses as they watched the flowers blossom.

The witch often pondered if such love might constitute vanity or narcissism, if a doll was ever capable of such a thing, but the look in their eyes when they saw one another, the witch decided there could be nothing impure about that. Perhaps, she thought, they might love one another more than they even loved her, but perhaps that might be okay. It was her choice to give them one another after all, and they were happy, in their own special way.

#dollposting #empty spaces

[ddwcaph-game]

In celebration of Chapter Four being complete here's a question for you:

Which one of the main cast is the most difficult to write and which one is the easiest? Also, which one better represent your personality?

Can't wait to play the update when it releases!

Hello, sorry for taking super long to answer this. 😅

Of the main cast, the hardest to write is definitely Brandon/Beatrice. It's a combination of:

being the newest member of the group in terms of development (Cordelia and Cham existed way earlier than B did)

me just having a hard time writing antagonists in general (which is why B's sidequest is taking this direction very early on)

B not having much screen time yet (B would've had more screen time before the rewrite, but that's a whole can of worms)

me just taking a very long time to figure out characters (although I guess this doesn't apply to the IAC cast lol)

and I guess there's also this pressure now, considering B seems to be the most popular character despite being the least developed member of the group

For easiest, I don't think it's a surprise for most people that it's Wayne and Roselyna. Their dialogue just comes to me naturally, especially since they're part of the original trio in the original novel (along with Paddy), and because they're just so much fun to write... Which is funny, since I'm nothing like them as a child, and more like something I ideally wanna be like. I guess they're also partly the reason why MC & Twin are fairly easy to write, minus the bad relationship scenes/variations. Those are always painful and exhausting to write. I always write the positive/emotional variations first, and I have to actively repress those feelings before I can write the opposite variations.

Cham is also easy and fun to write, but also exhausting at the same time, so I don't think I can write Cham for long unlike Wayne and Rosie who's always in my head (but refuse to get into my dreams).

As for who represents me the most, I've already mentioned before that it's Paddy. But actually even more so now that Ate Paddy's an option and actively questioning their gender identity. Paddy has a lot more internal dialogue going on (which is why they're not as easy to write as Wayne or Rosie), but MC's rambly internal dialogue pretty much evolved from how I was writing Patrick before he got demoted from main character status. I'm not saying I'd act or look exactly like Paddy, but in essence, the story I'm writing is basically how Paddy would write it, if that makes sense. It's kind of like Paddy being content enough to watch over the twins (and experiencing the story through them), but would absolutely get wrecked if they went away.

Anyway, thanks for sending the ask and I hope the update was worth the wait!

#dear diary asks #late replies #me-chaaann

[koumeowkami]

🪐 no celestial ; kanallen

— chapter one

"Kanata was a poor little angel that heaven couldn't help. He'd always been a tough one, not trusting anyone but his little brother Nayuta, the only person that ever made him feel love. Growing up by themselves, he did everything in his power to protect his sick brother, things that dirtied his holy hands. "It's for a good cause though", he thought. But it wasn't enough, and Nayuta died soon after.

Kanata's soul was completely spent. He became unable to feel love, and adding to his dirty dealings that soon were found out, he got cast out of heaven. Fallen on Earth with his wings blackened, he felt so lost and empty he thought he could've just died.

But a random encounter with a very annoying, persistent, stupid redhead human boy would've made him discover love again."

1082 words

genre: supernatural, hurt/comfort, angst

warnings: secondary character death

previous ✧ next

Was it really Heaven, or just Hell in disguise?

Kanata had been asking himself that many times. Everyone would think of Heaven as the place of infinite goodness, honesty and pity, but you couldn't fool a boy who lived at the border of the Celestial Kingdom, the furthest area from where God lived. To him, every angel was nothing but a people pleaser, a hypocrite, a liar. He and his twin brother Nayuta were born from a lesser angel, and on top of it, they never met their father; soon enough, their mother also abandoned them, not wanting to take that burden. "Take these" she said, "They're from your father but I have to get rid of them". A pair of snake-shaped earrings were casually set on top of the worn-out table. Snakes. The ultimate symbol of sin, definitely something angels didn't like. The two little boys were still pretty naive though, and being instantly attracted to the snake's charm, they took the earrings before being kicked out of what used to be their home.

That symbol ended up becoming part of their identity: they wore an earring each, on opposite ears, matching and showing their mutual bond as twins; but it was also that one thing that cursed their whole life. "I don't... want to play with you. You guys are... scary..." a kid backed away from the twins, absolutely terrified. No one wanted to talk to them, no one wanted to let them in their houses, no one was there to help them. Kanata swore to never trust anyone again. "This shitty world has nothing to offer us, but we'll be fine as long as we have each other" he said, hugging Nayuta while sitting on the street, "After all, together we're invincible", his brother replied, smiling tenderly at him. Kanata promised to protect Nayuta, the only person he really loved, no matter if he had to sacrifice himself for that. And so he did.

But then things got worse.

Living in the streets wasn't easy, and Nayuta, who was born weaker than his twin, eventually got sick. They couldn't afford any medicine, if not illegally, but Kanata didn't care much: a promise was a promise. He got in contact with a demon, who despite his evil nature immediately felt like wanting to protect the twins. "I can't help yer lil bro directly," the man said, feeling somewhat sad of his own statement, "but ya can work for me, though. Don't worry kid, I'll pay ya well". Since that moment, Kanata worked secretly for that demon, every night, while Nayuta was asleep.

But by the time he had his hands on that medicine, it was already too late.

One day, Kanata found his little brother in such a horrible state that it made tears prickle his eyes already. The poor kid couldn't even keep his eyes open, and whispered a soft "Thank you for living with me" before passing away with a smile on his face. Kanata felt something inside of him breaking, everything in his little world was falling apart. He screamed, so much it made his throat hurt, but no one heard him. That was the very first time he cried, more and more as he engraved that smile in his memory.

A smile he would never see again.

It was a matter of days. The guardians of Heaven, called by the death of an angel, eventually found Kanata, who hadn't even attempted to hide after the small crimes he had committed on the other side. He had no reason to: he couldn't wait for this whole thing to end. He had no meaning in this world without his brother, so he could just die. Too bad for him, he was only exiled. At least he could've finally said goodbye to that Hell in which he grew up, in one way or another.

And so, he fell.

He surprisingly took a short time to get used to being a fallen angel and he couldn't really understand why. Maybe his pitch black wings suited his dirty clothes more? Or maybe he just slightly liked being fallen. After all, he couldn't care less about his past angel self: they never made him feel like one in the first place.

What he definitely couldn't get used to was how chaotic and noisy that damn city was. All those people talking and laughing, all those weird metal carriages making an absurd amount of noise, he couldn't stand any of that. He just wanted to let himself die in peace and be alone. He wandered around the city all day, trying to leave no traces and be unnoticed: he really didn't have the time to deal with stupid humans asking him a bunch of dumb questions about angels. Night came, and the city finally became quiet. Kanata found a nice and well-kept park in which he could get some rest; it wasn't closed, but no one was around anyways, so it was fine.

Or so it was... for about half an hour.

Allen was late again. This time he really had no excuses, he'd been brainstorming on his new song for the past four hours at the studio and didn't move until he successfully finished it. He didn't even realize it was 2 AM, and he was oh so sure he would've received an earful from his two roommates as soon as he stepped into their apartment. He couldn't quite get why they were so protective of him though: after all, he was 21! A raging young man ready to conquer the world through his music! Although no matter how much he argued that, he was still a baby in his friends' eyes. His curiosity and enthusiasm truly resembled one of a kid who was discovering the world for the first time. Every new thing he found, he just couldn't help staring at it in adoration, grasping its beauty.

He passed the park a few kilometers away from his house, but something instantly caught his eye: a boy whose beauty was ethereal, almost out of this world, basking in the moonlight. His long hair, white as the moon itself. His eyes, holding a whole violet-colored galaxy in them. His soft features. The redhead simply couldn't stop looking at him. "Is he... an angel?", he said mindlessly, quiet as the soft breeze of that night. As if the boy heard him, he immediately turned to him and they locked eyes.

The snake got him enchanted.

#🪐; no celestial #ayeee i finally made it !!!!! #my first attempt to make a fanfic #i hope you guys like whatever this is :D #i liked that prompt i made a bit too much methinks #pls do let me know your thoughts with an ask! <3 #paradox live #kanallen #allenkana #allen sugasano #kanata yatonokami

[starlite-writes]

At the top of the International Galactic and Oceanic Research Administration, there is a woman.

Very few know of her at all. Most of those who do, do not know her name. They simply call her the Corvid, not only for the omen of misfortune that she is but for the birds she keeps.

The name she gives to those at the top of her hierarchy is Wren.

Wren is a figure shrouded in mystery, concealed so well that her very existence is a hotly debated topic. Some speculate she is only a corporate urban legend, while others say that she—or someone who pretends to be her—must exist.

This is exactly how she likes it.

To be perceived is to be vulnerable, and to be known is to be accountable. Wren has gotten better over the years at holding herself together in polite company, at pulling strings and weaving complex stories to hide reality, but old habits die hard, and it is troublesome to hide one's true nature all the time.

So she does not exist, and thus, she cannot be held accountable for her actions. There will always be someone below her to take the fall—someone nameless, or someone unworthy of his position. There is no greater joy than bringing misfortune upon the deserving, except perhaps bringing it upon the undeserving.

There's a thrill in the chase, in the chess game few know they're playing with her. She's never truly grown out of it—seeing just how closely she can toe the line of acceptable and not without falling over it, and how well she can manipulate her way out of trouble when she does manage to slip. In a way, she is still the same child who sickened water sources just to see if she could get away with it.

There are none who escape death, and there are none who escape bad luck and malaise as it seeps from her cupped hands like water.

---

Beneath Wren sits two scientists, so identical in appearance they could easily be mistaken for twins despite their two-year age difference.

The eldest, known now only as Dr Adaliah Silk, is the image of corporate cruelty. A skilled politician and the head of the space research institute of IGORA, she is often mistaken for the kinder of the two. Though she’s often found smiling, it is rarely warm—as icy as her blue eyes. She is the public face of the company as a whole, with a stunning record of achievement and considerable abilities. There is next to nothing she can do wrong in the eyes of the public. It’s no wonder such a woman is of great interest to many who seek to emulate her success as well as those who wish to tear her down.

Dr Caspian Tussah would make no secret of his past identity as Aurelius Soros if it weren’t for the two women above his head. As it stands, he plays his role of silent but deadly, staying out of the foreground and attending only to his beloved oceanic research institute. He is often seen as cold and callous—the opposite to his cheerful and personable sister. Under his belt are many successes, but a startling number of failures that call to question his qualifications.

Appearances are often deceiving, and many employees would tell you that about the two scientists. Where Dr Silk embraces her role as a cold scientist in a capitalistic society, it is Dr Tussah that maintains a shred of humanity. But where Dr Silk remains the more terrifying of the two, it is Dr Tussah who has the most blood on his hands.

Blood never truly comes clean, and all secrets come to light eventually.

#my writing #igora #trinity #text #series: a portrait of #oc: dr silk #oc: dr tussah #oc: the corvid

[completeoveranalysis]

[16]

Actually one tiny side thing I’m noticing is the amulets that the twins are wearing here. 

I can’t remember if I ever really looked at them in the past but I’m going to assume these are the tools they use to cross dimensions. Yuuko mentions making a trade with them for this ability in the past, so it would fit if they got this matching set from her. Though, then again, if they just have these it doesn’t really lessen the imagery behind them, especially since they’re almost identical but reverse of each other - just like they themselves! Extremely similar but with just enough differences to tell them apart, and opposite on the personality scale. The fact that the colour of the wings is reversed is just so neat, as it means that each pair of white and black wings don’t make a complete pair until they’re brought together (just as the twins don’t want to be separated). 

The black and white deal is another echo of Syaoran’s soul too now that a think about it. And if you really want to play with the idea, it also matches how Lava Lamp wasn’t whole until he could reunite with Syaoran and get his soul back - just like either of the vampire twins would be incomplete without the other.

And the fact that they’re wings too! In this series, of all things. It’s very fitting for them, very Tsubasa all the way down. 

#I love that Subaru's is smooth #and Kamui's is Sharp and Pointed #Such a tiny detail they didnt even need #but one they deliberately draw into every panel #Clamp are so good to us #*remembers three seconds ago* WAIT NO THEY'RENOT #Tsubasa Catch Up Chronicle #Catch Up Acid Tokyo #Catch Up T125 #Tsubasa

[ralucasalmostgone]

the thing about it is that I already KNOW a lot about:

how spirited males fall in love/crush biologically

the "recipe" behind falling in love in a sense, is a thing. the chemistry behind it

and then the coupling of the heroic bodies's apperance tells me more about the whole falling in love thing <- and this is what peaks my interest now

I mean, to get the bodies to fall in love, past interacting and the dynamic unfolding

And then obviously, beauty will always play a role in the whole shebang. BUT. Given that I don't ever fall in love, I find it that much more interesting, you know what I mean? That SOMEONE finally was good enough physical apperance-wise too! FOR GOD!

---

And then that's why I'm looking at her biology data here (I'm sure she knew ahead of time I would be doing this though...)

So what is the recipe of falling in love, here, in the third instance?

*speaking of which: do you have any clue how depressing it is for you to know that your physical apperance causes people to fall in love BUT they don't have the same effect on you?*

no, you don't! so shut the hell up about it: my mystery has finally been solved IN PART!

---

now, apparently, biologically-speaking

in the case of Lords, the apperance can be different BUT not too different!

see, the melanin range is the same, everything else is different!

it's weird, like siblings or brothers or mothers or fathers BUT with every feature on the face shifted to point the other way!

WHAT IS THIS?

And why does it cause love in the case of Lords that surely are not blind to physical apperance aspects?

Imagine: like a sibling colour-wise BUT nope: face-wise!

I mean...

what are you saying?

"estrogen" is telling you one thing: big eyes, small nose and full lips and "testosterone" tells you that it's opposite time? LIKE THIS?

LIKE HOW THE FUCK? [did I not think of this?]

and then averaged features obviously (not too big, not too small)

but also both young-looking because the young life, sure

but then you add OLD person hair for the other one and it's like...am I in fairy land much? do you guys just live forever and ever? like trillions of years? is this the message here?

you know, the spirit's eyes here are not as helpful given that they're meant for humans AND THEIR ANATOMY!

so I don't know, I'm just shocked that's all. it's a strange visual dynamic. what you're implying is a little bit of "racism" too. that true love between Lords involves the same skin/eye colour in a sense and then everything else shifted the other way!

like for example (colour-wise) Halsey is almost the Lamb, feature-wise. it's really awkward for me to have him find her. that's because in real life, my female friend had the Lamb pass through her too, in middle school, potentially - to be able to draw in spirits to her!

which makes her part-passed through by both the Lamb (and the spirit face)

it's annoying and kinda gay of Jonas, as usual

...

I have very different features from the Lamb. that's the only thing that's different between the 2 of us.

And it's odd...cause it's like, is this love? Identical but not really?

Like the Lamb's eyes are smaller and so masculine, mine are larger and they reach the edge of the face too (same BUT NO)

the nose is small but it's oriented the other way (same BUT NO)

the mouth corners...they're pointed the other way, mine are full lips, possibly same (same BUT NO)

WHAT?

what is this?

is it a TWIN? of the opposite gender, on first glance and then...nope, you're wrong?

---

isn't this true narcissism? the shit I was JUST talking about now: falling in love with your own reflection!

and I said I basically invented the mythology behind that, having me as inspiration!

and people don't believe me when I get weird like that?

I'm telling you, it's a thing!

---

ME + ME (but no!)

is that attractive? opposite like that?

[lightcreators]

@somnium-delicata​

Circumstances  where  pure  sincerity  could  been  frontally  exposed  without  been  worried  over  the  other  party  reactions  were  rare  …  even  though,  on  main  lines,  he  supposed  treating  his  dramatic  act  of  a  role  as  something  he  would  judge  endlessly.  He  could  guess  eventually  at  some  point  inside  circumstances,  how  he  would  react,  and  could  only  with  his  current  abilities,  to  offering  an  comedy  about  the  expected  reaction  —  close  to  the  truth,  but  not  with  the  densities  of  feelings  the  other  party  should  have  received  in  return,  not  enough  emotionally  troubled,  not  enough  emotionally  attacked  by  brutality  of  his  words  and  actions.  Couple  of  things  remained  deeply  personal  and  involving  him  personally  into  corners  he  didn’t  feel  comfortable  to  touch  once  more  —  how  he  was  supposed  to  remain  indifferent  if  he  knew  some  of  his  expected  reactions  would  bring  more  digust  and  rejection  down  his  face  ?  How  he  was  supposed  to  fake  assertiveness  when  his  insecurities  mentally  generate  self-hate  ?  Back  when  he  desired  see  no  one,  pretending  he  could  seek  silence  of  mourning  inside  an  falsery  of  accepteance  of  circumstances,  distanced  himself  of  that  rotten  noblesse  sphere,  he  tried  to  self-loathing  to  play  a  role  …  without  ever  managing  to  give  honor  to  face  in  mirror.  Now  he  gauged  how  well  he  performed  by  Phantomhive’s  decomposing  face  and  how  hash  Phantomhive  try  to  orally  stop  him  —  if  he  could  touch  him  emotionally  in   sensitive  corners,  if  he  managed  to  make  him  uncomfortable,  felt  anger  in  his  eyes,  he  won  …  nevertheless  it  remained  pastime  as  good  old  days  when  he  had  spent  his  days  in  his  manor,  filling  a  boredom  he  was  trying  painfully  to  forget.  It  wasn’t  even  fun  to  research  annoyance  in  Phantomhive.  It  was  close  of  ultimate  boredom  so  much  that  flavor  was  different,  and  he  knew  he  felt  sorry  for  him,  and  sorry  for  being  incompetent  himself.

Eventually,  he  would  playfully  laugh  about  how  Phantomhive  was  trying  to  apprehend  bits  of  happiness  and  appreciation  in  his  life  through  his  own  fault,  as  he  swam  in  a  bottomless  ocean  of  gloom.  For  someone  already  destroyed  like  him,  whose  little  remaining  healthy  soul  he  had  left  was  surely  indigestible  to  any  demon,  he  was  preparing  to  destroy  himself  what  remnant  of  identity  he  had  left  …  naturally  …  eager  to  abandon  a  world  of  which  he  no  longer  saw  reason  for  his  existence  to  find  one  of  his  metaphoric  twin. Personal  quest  that  had  destroyed  walls  of  illusions,  which  were  brutally  breaking,  and  where  he  even  stopped  reacting  while  the  absurdity  of  his  existence  flashed  in  his  face.  It  was  a  nameless  comedy,  carrying  a  tragedy  without  brilliance,  where  each  piece  of  circumstance  carried  share  of  symphony.  Hence,  it  was  appreciated  how  an  unsuspected  joy  sublimated  every  feature  of  his  face.  Repayment  over  others  was  an  common  feeling,  but  rarely  the  opposite.  His  whole  life  won’t  be  enough  for  thank  Phantomhive  to  had  been  an  helpful  little  shit  at  his  side  who  protected  his  being  …  His  entire  soul  won’t  be  enough  for  infinite  return  which  could  never  eternally  be  fulfilled  over  main  concerned,  when  the  promise  between  them  was  this  unbreakable  bond  that  still  gave  him  a  reason  to  live,  that  even  Phantomhive  would  be  unable  to  replace.  He  was  almost  pained  by  it.  Phantomhive  wasn’t  enough  to  keep  him  alive  while  his  metaphorical  twin  was  the  reason  for  his  existence  …  he  was  Alois  Trancy  ;  he  was  an  impostor  bearing  that  name  …  he  was  clumsy  reflection  of  a  lost  piece  of  memory  ;  he  was  only  person  who  could  carry  his  legacy  …    he  probably  never  managed  to  mourn,  to  accept  that  despite  his  resurrection,  he  left  among  spheres  of  the  witches  …  he  would  probably  never  manage  to  recover  that  he  had  been  self-proclaimed  ‘sacrifice’  of  a  disagreement  between  great  powers  and  a  disastrous  situation  between  kings  …

He  managed  to  forget,  though  the  entire  scene  passing  in  front  of  him,  how  much,  during  so  much  times,  he  had  been  physically  troubled  by  hunger.  He  never  let  himself  feel  that  emotion  again  —  and  since  he  was  sometimes  needy  of  that  domain,  god,  did  he  had  been  annoying  with  Phantomhive  sometimes  and  fuck  rules  about  sweets  !  Even  now,  it  wasn’t  memories  he  wanted  reflecting  once  more,  especially  in  middle  of  an  manor  when  a  long  time  ago,  streets  themselves  seemed  kinder  …  streets  offered  freedom  of  stealing  or  possibility  to  find  compromise  for  fullfill  the  hunger  …  not  be  treated  as  a  mere  toy  with  no  need  …  He  always  thought  he  managed  to  overcome  the  memories  of  that  old  asshole,  nevertheless,  by  instants,  there  were  moments  when  recollections  and  remembrances  imposed  themselves.  For  a  long  time  too,  even  currently,  he  was  searching  to  erasing  the  old  asshole  existence  over  his  manor.  Deleting  every  reminder  everywhere,  when  decoration  change  was  nothing  compared  to  how  transforming  must  be  the  atmosphere  of  that  place  …  He  still  had  Hannah  for  that,  it  was  some  kind  of  reassurance  he  had,  considering  all  recollections  were  distilled  by  Claude  presence.  Regardless  how  many  brightness  exploded  naturally  inside  his  face,  he  was  fully  incompetent  concerning  management  of  such  things.  It  was  part  of  these  independant  training  things  he  needed  help  with,  and  truly  had  no  idea  how  to  do  strict  minimun.  Naturally,  he  wanted  offering  some  over  some  kids  in  the  streets,  but  preferred  stayed  away  of  the  light  of  noblesse  oblige  —  he  was  supposed  to  be  part  of  the  underground  doing  that  kind  of  things  in  an  greatest  levels.  Naturally,  he  wanted  to  think  over  an  meal  for  celebrate  it,  inviting  Phantomhive  along  since  it  was  too  much  breads  for  him  …  also  acting  as  a  reminder,  back  when  he  was  an  child,  back  before  his  takeover,  he  would  have  desired  such  things.  Would  have  kept  them  preciously  and  would  have  arranged  to  please  his  brother  in  priority  …  and  idea  that  another  brother  could  have  taken  advantage  of  it  broke  his  heart.  He  swallowed  his  distress  and  sadness  before  it  came  back  up,  keeping  a  huge  enthusiastic  and  eccentric  smile,  giving  a  physical  thank  you  in  a  sudden  hug  and  touching  their  face.    ❝  It’s  a  gift  that  I  really  appreciate,  it’s  so  nice  of  you  !    ❞  No  one  was  doing  anything  for  him,  that  was  the  description  that  usually  came  with  it.  He  didn’t  know  the  concept  of  a  'gift’  and  the  brief  experience  had  been  one  of  unparalleled  envy  with  Phantomhive  —  being  jealous  of  what  he  had  was  the  closest  feeling  he  wanted  the  same  …  even  if  at  this  moment  he  would  like  to  have  his  ability  to  take  a  step  back  while  he  let  himself  go  in  a  assumed  irresponsibility.    ❝  I’ll  take  good  care  of  it~  I  thank  you  just  for  want  repay  me  !    ❞  He  joyfully  smiled.

#somniumdelicata #ic :: alois trancy #( ♔ ) interconnected subplot #long post / #abuse mention / #( answered. ) #alois muse decided to emotionally destroy me with his reply #naivety of me to think he won't be nasty

[linkspooky]

Does this mean you’re gonna rewrite Mai’s “last words” in this squeal fic?

Because if so, then you’re doing god’s works since Mai’s last words in the manga were… pretty rubbish. Especially with the whole “I am you, and You are me”  spiel.

Hmm. I wonder if Mai in this AU would even want to tell Maki the truth about how Maki’s Heavenly Restrictions is the reason why both share curse energy, or if she would lie. I mean, if I understand Mai correctly, I feel like she won’t tell Maki due to her not wanting to make Maki feel like it was her fault and all. Ah, I guess I’ll just have to wait until the time comes.

Yes, I'm rewriting Mai's last words.

There are several things I want to change with this scene. Number one, just rewrite the rules about cursed energy treating two identical twins as the same individual.

Not only does it play into dumb stereotypes about twins, but it also is the opposite of what was set up of Maki and Mai's arc. THe whole point of Maki and Mai is that they are two different people, who have two different sides to the same conflict, that is growing up in the Zenin Household. Mai wants to live a normal life because she is terrified of cursed spirits, and also doesn't really want to prove anything to the people who abused her. Maki wants to prove that the people who abused her were wrong, by rising above that abuse and proving herself stronger.

They both react to the trauma in different ways, Mai clings to her nearest family member which is Maki, Maki pushes Mai away to remove herself of that vulnerability. Mai is too codependent, Maki is too independent. There are negative ways to the way both of them cope, it's not Mai, Maki pushes everyone away, she's pretty nasty to Yuta on sight in JJK Zero and apparently that's common behavior for her, and she also... almost gets afraid when Yuta compliments her and can't accept his compliment because the idea that someone could accept her for who she is before she's proven herself to the clan doesn't even occur to her. Maki throws up walls in front of people and Mai. Mai wants to cling to Maki, wants Maki to stay in the same place she is, and when she doesn't get those things she acts out and hurls insults at Maki to try to provoke a reaction. Which is about Mai's feelings and not about Maki's feelings.

However, Maki also completely cut Mai off and left her behind in an abusive household in the first place, without either taking her with, or telling her that she still loved her or commnicating to her what her feelings were. Maki's communication style is no communication. Maki is the one who created the distance between them in the first place.

They are both handling things badly is what I am saying, but in different ways, so this sudden insistence that they are the same person comes out of nowhere and is the opposite of the conflict that's been set up between the two of them.

This idea that Mai is to blame and Mai is why Maki is keeping her weak, is also just spitting on what came before it, because the whole point of their conflict was that there was no good victim bad victim. Mai's not wrong for wanting a normal life outside of being a jujutsu sorcerer. Number one Mai doesn't even have a choice, so of course she doesn't want to work hard at a job she is forced into doing where she can die at any moment.

Mai's allowed to want a normal life, the same way that Maki is allowed to want to get stronger, Mai's not selfish or lazy, for just wanting a different life then the one she's forced into. The insistence that Mai is what's keeping Maki weak because she doesn't want to get stronger, just kind of flies in the face of Mai's character. Also, Maki's character flaw is that she's too independent and won't rely on others, so like what prevented her from getting stronger is that she always insists on doing everything alone it had nothing to do with Mai. In fact she lost to Ogi... because she walked into the Zenin compound alone with no plan.

So, my planned fix is to correct these two big problems:

1) Change the lore surrounding twins (a pretty simple fix, there is nothing special about twins in regards to cursed energy, Maki just happened to be born with a heavenly restriction and Mai with weak cursed energy, the superstition about twins is just that a superstition). 2) Mai isn't the reason Maki doesn't get stronger, because their cursed energy isn't linked. The reason Maki and Mai both can't get stronger, is because they both refuse to work out the conflict between them and work together. Mai and Maki's cursed techniques could actually be complementary, Mai creates weapons, while Maki fights, but Maki insists on doing everything on her own and Mai doesn't even want to be a sorcerer and thinks Maki's insistence of doing everything on her own means she doesn't care about Mai.

However, I do want to keep the dream sequence in so here is essentially my intended fic. Mai dies in front of Maki (she comes back but that's spoilers), not because she decided to give up all her cursed energy to Maki but because they are both thrown in the pit, Maki's body is too helpless and she basically can't move as Mai gets killed trying to cover her sister's body.

So, Maki for all the times she tried to be strong, is completely weak and helpless the moment she needed to protect Mai the most. The cursed spirits go away and Maki's body starts slowly recovering, but in the time between she has a vivid hallucination.

In Tokyo Ghoul there's a character named "Kaneki" and in moments of weakness he imagines another character named "Rize" essentially appearing before him as some kind of spiritual guide and mentor and urging him to get stronger and more violent... but Rize isn't really there, the real Rize is heavily injured and not conscious. Kaneki is just hallucinating Rize as a tool to motivate himself.

He used the image of Rize to believe that someone was basically acting as his cheerleader, and encouraging him to get stronger, because he needs to imagine himself as someone special and someone important otherwise the tragedy in his life will break him. He adds a narrative to his pain to give it meaning, because otherwise bad things keep happening to him and he can't be stronger than them. Maki also, is following a narrative that she can somehow, if she gets stronger, if she trains hard, she can win against her trauma. If she is strong enough she will no longer feel worthless and that will prove everyone wrong about her.

Maki is following the same kind of narrative, she is made to feel worthless so obviously she's someone worth something, she is made to feel unimportant, so obviously she is someone chosen and special. She has to be these things because she knows no other way to motivate herself to fight in the face of all of the trauma she's carrying around.

So basically, Mai's body is dead on the ground and Maki has experienced total helplessness. Everything she fought to gain the strength to be able to help others, it's all gone, she feels like she's going to die in this pit alone never having accomplished anything, so Maki just starts to hallucinate.

In this sequence, Maki sees Mai appear before her again, and bids her to destroy everything. It's not really Mai though, it's just Maki's hallucination. SHe is imagining that this is what Mai wants her to do, and that Mai is still there cheering her on to give herself motivation. When actually, Mai is dead on the floor and Maki just wants revenge.

Then, Maki snaps and kills the clan.

And at that point Mai comes back from the dead (but that's spoilers) and we learn this is not what Mai wanted, and Mai is terribly worried because Maki has become a mass murderer to avenge Mai, and is on an extremely dangerous path, and literally that's not what Mai wants, Mai wants for them to be sisters and now Mai has to fight to have that with Maki again and try to save Maki from herself.

#askspookies #maki zenin #mai zenin #fanfic asks #nobody dies au

[a-libra-writes]

hello!! Would you write Oberyn Martell with a reader wife who is giving birth to twin boys?

I honestly think she would be excited to have 2 sons after having 8 daughters ;)

haha this is a very cute thing to think about!

He's delighted when you're pregnant because he's a guy who loves kids, and the idea you'd want to carry his kiddos and you're happy too pleases him. You probably already spent time with his daughters, maybe even acted as a sister or mother to them. Naturally they (and Arianne) are going to tease their father endlessly about having yet another daughter, but they're looking forward to it, too. Arianne and Tyene are already getting baby clothes and helping pick names. The younger ones join in, helping you where they can. You probably spend a lot of time relaxing in the Water Gardens.

Twins were expected, given your size, but when it actually happened... Oberyn would want to stay in the birthing chamber, against tradition, because he was so worried. He didn't show it because he wanted to put a brave front for your sake, but Oberyn knew births went sideways, especially for twins. He actually gave a prayer to the Mother once it was all over and done with.

And two boys were certainly a shock. His daughters shrieked and laughed when they found out. Oberyn is certainly good humored about it. He's already taught some of his daughters to fight, and they certainly had willful personalities. What difference would two boys make?

Childcare is much easier because you have Oberyn, the older Sand Snakes and any servants to help. Oberyn loves being hands on, though. He laughs as they climb all over him while he has dinner with you, or lets the boys cling to his legs while he walks around, pretending they aren't there. If they're high energy, he adapts to them well, plus they have the whole Water Gardens and several half-sisters to play with.

Though, sometimes Oberyn has trouble telling them apart if they're identical. He dresses them very distinctly as such, or makes sure one has longer hair than the other. Naturally, Arianne and Tyene dress them identically or make them pretend to be opposites when they visit, just to annoy their uncle. The younger Sand Snakes like to dress them up like girls to make them "honorary members"; the boys just think it's fun to smear make-up on their faces. The boys end up very spoiled by all the sisters because they're the youngest by ~5 years, and the novelty of being boys.

Oberyn just melts when he finds you playing with the boys, reading to them, taking a nap with them. It's just adorable how they curl up with you; they're real momma's boys, and he won't get between that. Oberyn will just observe quietly, not making his presence known, noting all the similarities they have with you. Your smile, your nose, your eyes. Though they probably have his silly widow's peak, like their half-sisters.

The girls in court love carrying the boys around, showing them off. Even Doran isn't immune to their energy and charms. When they're a little older, his favorite thing is to have the boys come in and read to him while he rests outside. They start becoming very fond of their Uncle Doran and like to bring him fruit they've gathered or a new story to read.

Overall it makes Sunspear and especially the Water Gardens even livelier and louder!

#oberyn can GET IT also i love the sand snakes <3 #oberyn martell x reader #libra headcanons

[writingquestionsanswered]

So I’m writing a kind of enemies/lovers story, and I showed one of my friends for advice.

They told me that the characters felt too similar to each other and that it was very wordy.

I can deal with the wordiness myself but making characters stand out from each other is another story.

Im not sure where to start trying to discern differences, and what to add without making them TOO over the top.

They’re not complete opposites, if they were it would be a lot easier, but they’re not.

I can change many things easily enough since I didn’t write a whole lot yet. So don’t worry about that part.

How to Fix Characters Who Are Too Similar

Characters don't need to be "polar opposites" in order to sound or feel different. In fact, you can have two characters who are identical on the surface yet are completely discernible as individual characters. How? It's all up to personality, voice, and internal world.

Let's say your two characters have a lot of inherent things in common that are necessary to the story: they're both 16, they're both cheerleaders, they both go to the same high school, they both have a crush on the same person, they're both good students, they both have lots of friends, and also, they look alike because they're twins. It might sound impossible to make these two characters discernible from one another without making major changes, but it's not.

Giving Your Character a Unique Personality

These characters can have all of these things in common but can have very different personalities. Maybe Character A is smart, quick-witted, a little acerbic, a bit of an introvert outside of cheerleading, and loves to command a room but would rather be curled up at home with a good book. Character B is book smart but a bit slow on the uptake, they're bubbly and fun, upbeat and positive, they love to laugh and make people laugh with them, they're a full-on extrovert who loves to be the center of attention, and there's no place they'd rather be than hanging out with their friends.

And that's just personality. Give them each a unique voice and those differences will shine.

Giving Your Character a Unique Voice

Character voice is your character's verbal personality... it's the way their actual personality comes out in the things they say and the way they say them. It can include things like accent and vocal tone, but it's really more about how their personality affects what they say and how they say it.

Maybe Character A is very choosy about when and how they speak--they're not quiet, exactly, but her mouth isn't flapping non-stop like their sibling, so their dialogue is shorter and less frequent. Maybe they choose their words carefully, saying a lot with fewer words. Maybe they don't use slang often, so when they do, they make it count. A lot of what they say is bitter and sarcastic remarks, and they're more likely to say something deservingly critical than trivial or complimentary.

Character B, on the other hand, talks a lot and is very wordy, so they'll have more frequent, wordy dialogue. They tend to say whatever's on their mind and wears their heart on their sleeve, so everyone around them always knows what they're thinking and feeling. They love slang and use it well, and they have a couple of catch phrases, like saying, "Aww-booo-daaang," when something goes wrong. Their upbeat and positive personality means they say a lot of optimistic, encouraging, and enthusiastic things. Also, when they speak, they use a lot of hand gestures, body language, and dramatic facial expressions, whereas their sibling uses these sparingly but to greater effect.

Giving Your Character a Unique Internal World

Every story is about someone who wants something. In a character-driven story, their goal is connected to solving their internal conflict. In a plot-driven story, their goal is connected to solving the external conflict, but their internal conflict can play a role in how they navigate story events. In a story that is both plot-driven and character-driven, their goal is largely external, but how they navigate the story events and the choices they make in reaching the goal are all affected by their internal conflict.

Whichever one you choose, what's going on inside their heart and mind matters. Maybe Character A's internal conflict is feeling trapped in their small town, big family life, so their goal is to get into their dream school on the other side of the planet. Character B's internal conflict is feeling like they'll never measure up to their sibling, so in addition to their goal of being chosen as senior prom royalty, they also want to graduate with high honors, proving they're as smart as they are popular.

How these internal conflicts and goals color what these characters think and do will go a long way in discerning them from one another.

Further more, every character should have a few positive traits and a few negative traits. These positive traits and flaws will add further depth to your characters and how they both impact and are impacted by the events of the story.

Two Very Similar but Drastically Different Characters...

And just like that, without changing a single physical or life detail, you're always going to know which character you're dealing with even out of context. They could have the same hair and eye color, same general build, be wearing the exact same outfit, and gazing at satisfaction with the math quiz they just aced--but if one rolls their eyes and makes a biting remark about a classmate who didn't study but still aced the test because he's the teacher's pet, and then they turn their thoughts toward daydreaming about college life away from the suffocating denizens of their small town and big family, we can guess this is Character A. If one is grinning at their test score, giggling about the student who didn't study but did well, does a little finger wiggle wave at another classmate, then immediately begins strategizing about how to spend a few hours prom dress shopping without cutting into studying time--we know it's Character B.

Here are some links that go further into personality, voice, and internal world:

Important Points of Character Personality Giving Your Characters a Unique Voice Fleshing Out Characters Character Arc Tips Character Flaws the Right Way

Have fun with your story!

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[softinkshadows]

Shingeki no Kyojin Astrology: sun-moon-rising combinations

I was looking around tumblr for detailed astrology speculations of my fave anime characters, but there aren't that many! Being q well-versed in astro myself, i thought why not do my own version (very spoiler-free, don’t worry)! I followed the birth dates given by isayama:

Eren Jaeger - Aries sun, Scorpio moon, Cancer rising Aside from the fact that he can be hotheaded and impulsive, Eren's feelings of vengeance run deep and explosive. Remember that time he was chained to the bed after the attack on trost, and his eyes were wild with the need to violently eradicate all titans? He's so tenacious and emotionally stubborn too (a Scorp moon trait) to the point of being closed off from everyone else, especially towards the end where he seems to take the weight of the world's burden on his own shoulders. And all for the sake of protecting his community and ensuring the safety of his friends for the rest of their lives. His comrades and family are his motivation. This is his Cancer rising steering his life.

Mikasa Ackerman - Aries sun, Aquarius moon, Aries rising "Look that moody brat is running off on her own again." Mikasa is similar to Eren in her impulsiveness and determination, but different in two ways- what they aim to protect and their extent of fearlessness. Eren is aware of his own weaknesses and helplessness, but Mikasa's amazing physical prowess makes her act without any hesitation at all. She's hella fierce and driven to keep herself in shape too, doing all those sit-ups and chopping firewood post-injury. I think she deserves a double Aries! An Aries rising means a Libra descendant too, which is reflected her whole-hearted devotion in her close partnerships (Eren and Armin). Her aquarius moon really shines thru with her stoic independence, focus and perseverance.

Armin Arlet - Scorpio sun, Virgo moon, Pisces rising He's the brain of the 104th cadet corps, and is second to Erwin in terms of strategy! An intelligent planner with low self-esteem often found second guessing his own analytical abilities, Armin is a true blue Virgo moon. His emotional self stands out the most from the main three protagonists - Eren & Mikasa mostly express anger and desperation, whereas Armin is usually shrouded in fear and worry. He's a very soft bb, hence the Pisces rising, not to mention he gets so dreamy imagining the sea, the vast plains, and the magical world beyond the walled universe he knows. A spiritually-attuned and curious explorer :")

Levi Ackerman - Capricorn sun, Scorpio moon, Virgo rising Levi is such a complex person, thanks to Isayama's brilliance. Like many Cap suns, Levi is authoritative, cold and incredibly savage. That's not to say he doesn't feel anything either. Levi is an evolved Scorp moon (maybe even moon in 11th house) because his feelings are never for himself, but he hurts so much for others - you can tell every death hits him so hard, but he doesn't show this to anyone else. He also exudes this quietly intimidating aura of natural competence, a common characteristic of this sun-moon combo. He can take things personally as well (re: height issues) but it never snowballs into more than passing irritation. The turbulence of his emotions and habit for violence is balanced out by his earthy Virgo rising, which is emotionally subdued, quite thin and delicate in physique, and super neurotic and nitpicky when it comes to cleanliness and health. Cap, Virgo and Scorp are some of the most guarded signs, and a combi of all 3 are hellish. You can tell this poor beautiful man is always caught between feeling and thinking, between maintaining his humanity and forsaking it.

Erwin Smith - Libra sun, Capricorn moon, Leo rising In another life, Erwin Smith would be the damn CEO of a global conglomerate because he oozes so much charisma. Hell if charisma were energy Erwin Smith would be its prime, eternally renewable source. His stature alone is so commanding, and I find some strong Leonine traits in his thickset physique, strong eyebrows, beautiful hair, and that way he shouted in full glory atop wall Rose in that one episode to the cheering masses below. He might be a Libra sun, diplomatic in political affairs, but his Capricorn moon is what drives his decisions. Cap moon has a rep for being cold and unemotional, but i believe they are way more than that! Cap moons rarely boast about their long list of achievements, instead looking forward to the next goal. They struggle with emotional expression, and are super driven and disciplined. Erwin is capable of making the hardest decisions, putting aside emotions to strive for an abstract ideal, and this is to be expected of the commander who takes on the role of the devil.

Hange Zoe - Virgo sun, Sagittarius moon, Gemini rising All hail our favourite mad scientist!! Hange is such a breath of fresh air in the Survey Corps, balancing out the heaviness of missions with their wacky tales of titan research and experimentation. Their penchant for study and higher knowledge is typical of a Sagittarius moon, who is drawn to advanced academic study and spiritual truths. It's also a lighthearted and optimistic sign, true to Hange's upbeat personality. The Virgo in them contributes to their sheer intelligence and obsessiveness with research subjects. We also know they LOVE to talk, and once Eren asks Hange about experiments, they cannot stop (Gemini governs communication). Virgo, Sag and Gemini are the most intellectual signs, and because they are mutuable Hange tends to follow orders rather than give them, making it difficult to adapt to their new role towards the end of the series. Mutable signs also means rapidly-changing emotional states, and a whole lot of chaos, which suits our beloved squad leader.

Jean Kirstein - Aries sun, Virgo moon, Taurus rising Our third Aries on the list ohmygod. The snk universe is full of feisty hotheads. Jean is always seen clashing with Eren, fuelled by Eren's closeness with Mikasa and his own adorable jealousy. I mean, they had a full on fist fight right after dinner in the mess hall, although everything went downhill after the first few punches. Our first impression of Jean during his cadet days is coloured by his desire to work in the interior, and this favour for material safety and wealth is perhaps common to a Taurus rising. Also, Taurus is ruled by Venus, planet of beauty and harmony, and thus often figures in the charts of artists. If you've seen Jean's drawing skills in that special episode, you'll know that his artistic abilities are the finest we have seen, exceeding even that of isayama himself. Jean's strong principles such as being averse to killing people and oftentimes cynical nature, is also characteristic of the moral and cautious Virgo moon.

Sasha Braus - Leo sun, Gemini moon, Taurus rising Not all Leos are showmans. Sasha is the type of Leo who displays more of the quirky, unabrashed personality suited to her opposite sister sign Aquarius. Authority doesn't exist when food comes into play, as we see when she breaks potato with Shadis and later steals a slab of meat from the officer's warehouse. Unlike the visual artistry that Jean possesses with his Taurus rising, Sasha's Taurus centers around her love for food, and hell she can have fiery determination for it (rmb the wild night she mistook Jean's hand for meat?). I love that both of them were pitted with each other in that cooking special episode. I considered placing her as a Taurus moon, but Taurus moons are usually steadier and classier in emotion, whereas Sasha is often breezy, gets nervous and chaotic, with stellar intuition, making her likely a Gemini moon.

Connie Springer - Taurus sun, Cancer moon, Gemini rising Although not much attention is paid to Connie's growth, his character development reminds me a lot of Aang from ATLA. Cheery and happy-go-lucky at first, before the incident with his mother made him more prone to feelings of anger and vengeance, especially near the later chapters. His strong protective bond with his mother is what compels me to say he is a Cancer moon, which is a moon sign that is very homebody and drawn to family and traditions. His goofy self and him referring to Sasha as "his twin" puts him as the spunky Gemini rising, another sign he shares with her.

Reiner Braun - Leo sun, Pisces moon, Capricorn rising Aside from his natural leader personality (Leonine), Reiner likes to take on the persona of the big brother of the group. His outward stoicism, decisiveness and task-oriented nature is typical of a Cap rising, who is often serious and solemn in appearance. He reminds me of that Cap rising workaholic who does his best in a corporate organization, working 9 to 5 plus overtime as it fulfills his sense of purpose. Beyond his stoic facade reveals a more troubled personality. Like a Pisces moon, Reiner is impressionable, and it's difficult to tell if his emotions and personalities are his own, wavering and absorbing traits from those around him. His internal war with his identity and the ensuing fatigue characterises him during the second half of the series.

Annie Leonhart - Aries sun, Aquarius moon, Virgo rising Annie is the kind of Aries that is so motivated to achieve her goals that everything else is sidelined, including her own emotions. She's quite ruthless in chasing her objectives, and her composure, focus and endurance is highlighted with an Aquarius moon. I'm guessing she has a 4th house influence somewhere because of her motivations to go home to her father and lead a normal life. I find the daintiness and delicateness of her features similar to Levi, who is also a Virgo rising. The Virgo effect also registers as a brutal, unfiltered honesty (also seen in Levi), and Annie doesn't hesitate to speak the truth about her own or her opponent's capabilities.

Other characters which I won't go into much detail about:

Bertholdt Hoover - Capricorn sun, Virgo moon, Pisces rising Bertholdt is quiet with an unobtrusive personality. His lack of supposed iniative and aggression can perhaps be attributed to the mutuability of Virgo and Pisces, which goes with the flow instead of charging forward. He keeps his feelings to himself, but reacts when the people he wants to protect are threatened.

Historia Reiss - Capricorn sun, Libra moon, Cancer rising Historia initially lives for the sake of others (esp Ymir), and is more co-dependent than many of her other squadmates. She also tends to put up a front of pleasantness, afraid of disappointing or offending people. She has a strong tie to family, and a profound sense of duty.

Ymir - Aquarius sun, Pisces moon, Aries rising Ymir is extremely astute when it comes to evaluating human behaviour. The religiosity of her background is also usually found in this sun-moon combination, which tends to attract paths of strong spirituality. She also has a bold and noble sacrificial streak for the sake of her companions.

Zeke Jaeger - Leo sun, Capricorn moon, Scorpio rising A headstrong, intelligent and radical character. In a way similar to Erwin in his ruthlessness, but emotionally darker and much more sinisterly private.

Kenny Ackerman - Aquarius sun, Sagittarius moon

Rod Reiss - Virgo sun, Libra moon

Dot Pixis - Virgo sun, Sagittarius moon

Hannes - Capricorn sun, Taurus moon

#snk astrology #snk #aot astrology #shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan #anime astrology #eren jaeger #mikasa ackerman #armin arlet #levi ackerman #erwin smith #hange zoe #jean kirstein #sasha braus #connie springer #reiner braun #annie leonhart #bertholdt hoover #historia reiss

[lumina-rose]

Tear You Apart

Chapter 3/4

AO3 Link:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32168824/chapters/80048179

Pairing:

Laszlo x Reader

Summary:

Mere months after the conclusion of the Beecham case, Dr.Kreizler and his associates are asked once again to solve a new series of murders that plague the streets of New York. They are joined by the alienist’s new assistant, who’s presence soon unravels startling revelations. Not only within the case, but also within the mind of one of their own.

(This story is set between the events of Season 1 and Season 2)

Warnings:

Murder Mystery, Graphic Description of Corpses, slight dark!Laszlo (kinda. Think Will “This is my design” Graham), Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut (MINORS DNI), Minor Violence, Friends to Lovers,Assistant, Boss/Employee Relationship,Tension, Sexual Tension, Mutual Pining, Kidnapping, Sexual Assault, Implied/Referenced Abuse

(More Future Warnings TBD)

Notes: 

Adding an extra warning for this chapter, just in case.

This chapter deals with themes of violence, kidnapping, captivity, non-consensual touching, non-consensual groping, and implied abuse.

Chapter 3: Lily

Dr. Kreizler was not a man who considered himself superstitious.

Ever since he was a boy, he clung to his curiosity, searching for answers through science rather than religion in order to understand the world around him, even if it left his reputation tarnished to the more traditionally-raised, God-fearing socialites of New York. Yet, even as a child, there had always been a darkness that surrounded him, drawing in trouble wherever he went. No, Laszlo was not superstitious, but there seemed no other term to describe himself other than cursed.

You had been missing for two days, and even logic and reason could not explain why history seemed destined to repeat itself.

Following your night at the opera, Kreizler had thought it odd that you had not appeared at the Institute the following day. You had not seemed unwell, during your outing- quite the opposite, actually- and yet the fact remained that your presence was notably absent. At first, the alienist pushed his worry aside. After all, you had spent what was supposed to be a night of rest by his side. He reasoned that perhaps you had simply drained yourself, driving yourself to exhaustion with both the investigation and the concern you had displayed for him. But what truthfully unsettled him was the lack of warning of your absence. It was unlike you.

Regardless, even with your absence, Kreizler quickly worked through the day's sessions and duties, leaving most of the day free to continue working on the investigation. Your theory the day before had intrigued him, and gave valuable insight into what the killer's motives and background could be. With a newfound momentum, Laszlo called for Stevie, sending the ward to gather his colleagues here at the Institute, in order to follow this new train of thought. He also instructed Stevie to find you, deciding that it would be best to check on you, if only to calm his own anxieties. With that, all that was left to do was wait.

Marcus and Lucius were the first to arrive, punctual as always.  Not wishing to waste any time, the twins immediately went to discuss their new findings with the doctor, picking out bits of information that may be relevant to figuring out the killer's identity. Kreizler listened, drawing connections to their findings with the theory you had created. John was the next to arrive, quickly followed by Sara. The two had not had much to work with, in terms of narrowing down who the killer may be, but found a couple police reports and articles that had spoken about similar incidents. Laszlo nodded, giving his own opinions and comments occasionally, but his mind continued to drift elsewhere. He had pulled out his pocket watch, when he heard a new set of footsteps. Quickly, he looked up, only to see Stevie once again. Ushering the boy inside, he asked if he had found you.

"I tried, Dr. Kreizler, but I couldn't find her anywhere." Stevie explained. "Even went by the house a few times, but no one ever answered. Her door was locked, so I thought maybe she came back here."

Laszlo sighed, audibly upset by the news. "Right, thank you Stevie."

This caught the attention of everyone in the room. After the boy left the room, Sara turned to Laszlo.

"Has something happened?" She asked, sensing Laszlo's growing worry. "How long has she been missing?"

The alienist simply shook his head. "Since this morning. At first I thought I was simply overreacting, but now I'm not so sure..."

Saying his admission aloud, Laszlo realized how troubling the whole situation had seemed. He explained where you had been last night, and how Kreizler had made sure to get you home safely after the opera, only to find that you had not come to the Institute today. John stood up from his seat, sending a glance to Sara and the brothers. They stayed silent, throwing silent glances back and forth, as if talking through looks alone. Finally, Sara stepped forward.

"I believe we should go to her home, ourselves. If we find that she is safe, then we can continue our investigation."

"What're you saying?" Lucius interjected, stunned by Sara's proposal. "What would you have us do? Having the five of us show up unannounced to (y/n)'s home might be an overreaction, considering it hasn't even been a day."

"You may be right," Sara starts. "but I'd like to make sure nothing has happened to her. I won't be able to shed the guilt if the worst has come."

Laszlo's heart sank at her words, reminding him of the very same doubts and worries he had told you of the night before.

Moving quickly, Laszlo went to grab his jacket, placing it on as he spoke. "I'm going-"

Once more, Lucius was wary. "Dr. Kreizler-"

"-stay here if you must, Lucius." He turned, leaving no room for argument as he walked towards the exit.

Reluctantly, Lucius followed after Laszlo, with Marcus's hand on his shoulder. Sara and John were already standing, ready to leave with the doctor, the same memory of the Beecham case fresh in their mind. With that, it didn't take long for them to reach your home, a mere few blocks away from the Institute. It was a relatively small building, not like the towering apartments that surrounded it on either side. It was as though someone had taken a cottage from the countryside and placed it right on the streets of New York.

There were no lights on, by the windows. A fact that shouldn't have been strange, considering it was now late into the day. Even so, it caused a sense of looming dread to enter Laszlo's mind. It felt so similar when he had returned to his own home all those months ago, as though time was repeating itself. First with Mary, now with you. As the group called and knocked on your door, drawing the scrutinizing and curious stares of the people passing by, Laszlo concluded that he must have been cursed. How else could he explain the events unfolding? Truly, everyone that was drawn towards him seemed destined to either leave or be taken from him.

There had been one thing that gave him hope that it would be different.

With Mary, she had been a constant, comforting presence. What he felt towards her had not always been there, not until much later after their first interactions, but it had been a source of happiness and warmth. The feeling of being known so completely, without needing so much as a word being spoken. Mary had brought out a kindness in him that even he had feared he did not possess. It had been sweet and somewhat innocent love, regardless of the rather unusual dynamic.

With you, it was a similar feeling, but not entirely the same. Where his feelings for Mary were more subtle, there had always been an underlying want in his relationship with you. At first, it had simply been a need to understand you. How you could be so similar to him, sharing that same curiosity for the human mind, yet still be able to catch him by surprise with your insights. He wanted to know about you, every little detail. Learning what made you tick, what made you happy, and what parts of your mind you had not shown to anyone else. Yet, even that wasn't enough. It wasn't until much recently, had Laszlo deduced the source of this incessant need for you. Where his feelings for Mary had made him recognize the lighter side of him, you made him realize that perhaps the darkness there was deeper than he knew. But he welcomed that new feeling just as enthusiastically, after the events of the opera.

What he felt for Mary and for you were very different, but just as intense. He had hoped, foolishly, that those differences would change something. And yet it seemed as if history was playing out again, as it had before.

"Unlock the door."

Laszlo's words were met with hesitation by the group, before they noticed the clear distress in his expression. Marcus nodded, placing the bag he held down in front of the door, before crouching down to pick the lock. Once unlocked, Sara opened the door, leaning in through the frame to look inside. From what she could tell, the study and kitchen were empty, and she could hear no sounds of movement, even after she called your name. Slowly, one-by-one, the five of them entered your home.

"Marcus and I will check upstairs," Sara decided, earning a nod from the Isaacson brother. "I believe there are a few rooms further back."

As they split up inside the house, Laszlo found himself at a loss. Although he had stopped by a couple of times, he had never truly taken the time to examine the home. Outside of the paintings that decorated the walls and the furniture provided to you, the home was extremely bare. Only a handful of personal items were scattered about, as well as a couple of books he had given you to read. For each and every room the doctor passed, it dawned on him that you had not been exaggerating when you had told him you dropped everything to move to New York. He wondered just how much you had left behind.

"Dr. Kreizler!"

Marcus's voice called out, clearly alarmed, causing the air to still throughout the house. Rushing upstairs,  John, Lucius, and Laszlo all went to join Marcus and Sara, only stopping once they saw the man exit what appeared to be your bedroom. A small bouquet of roses in his hands.

You awoke with your eyes closed. The only thing grounding you to reality was the steady, throbbing pulse in the back of your head, causing a dull ache to pass over you with every beat. With a low groan, you blinked, as you thought about how rough work at the Institute was going to be, if this headache was going to plague you. As you shot up from the bed, letting out a painful cry, you went to raise your hand to you head. Only for them to be pulled back harshly, by a binding pressure against your wrists.

You blinked, and suddenly the pain in your head was in the back of your mind. Your eyes shot to your hands, ignoring the sting of the sudden action. A bundle of knots bound you, as a rope dug into your skin, leashing you to the unfamiliar bed frame behind you.

No. no. no no no. You thought in a panic, realizing the gravity of your current situation.

You took in your surroundings, seated on a small bed in the center of a room. There were no windows, and only a small lamp by the door lit the small space. The walls were bare, save for the portrait of a young woman. The only exit was a wooden door, with cracks forming from the bottom. Your heart racing, you tried to recall your memory of the events last night. What had happened to you? Where were you? Who brought you here?

You remembered the opera, and your pleasant time with Laszlo there, and how he had escorted you back to your home. So why couldn't you remember falling asleep there? Why were you still wearing the same dress you had spent hours deciding on? You had watched the carriage ride far out of sight, Stevie at the reins. You had opened the door to your home, without the use of your key, as it had been unlocked already.

Unlocked. Despite having purposefully locked it before leaving for the night.

"Stupid." Your breath hitched, as you cursed yourself for not noticing such a mistake. You hadn't even realized. Too giddy and tired from the emotional events of the opera.

Your heart raced, as you grew more and more frustrated, causing you to tug at your bindings. But no luck came. You thought back to what you did after entering your home. You had placed a few things down, before retiring to your bedroom, in order to change into your night clothes and sleep. But you never made it that far. In a sudden moment of clarity, a memory returned to you. You had sat down in front of your vanity mirror, before noticing a flash of red in the mirror. A bouquet of roses. Perhaps it was the fear and shock of the realization that the killer they’d been hunting had been in your home that caused you to lose consciousness. However, the pain in your head suggested otherwise.

Whatever the case was, you were now trapped in a room, after being taken from your home by the very person you had spent months trying to find. But aside from the distressing predicament of your kidnapping, what unsettled you most was the sudden deviation in behavior. If you truly had been taken by the killer you were searching for, why were you still alive? Why did he take you? What did he plan to do to you?

You didn't want to wait to find out, but found that you had little choice in the matter. No matter how many times you tugged and pulled at your bindings, the restraint never weakened. You had tried untying the knots on the bed frame, in hopes that you may be able to escape, even if your hands were tied together. The knots however, were tight and overlapping each other, and no amount of strength that you possessed could undo them. In desperation, you looked at the wooden door, knowing that it was all that stood between you and freedom. If you only could unbind your hands. But even if you had escaped, you didn't know where you were, or who's home you were in.

The answer didn't come till what felt like hours later. You had sat yourself up into a more comfortable position on the bed, where the rope would not pull at your now-aching wrists, and jumped as the wooden door suddenly opened.

Your heart leapt to your throat, and all you could seem to do was stare at the figure in the doorway. You were shocked. Your were speechless. You wanted to deny it, to try and lie to yourself by saying that he couldn't be the one who took you. That his presence here was merely some miraculous coincidence. But you weren't that naive. Still, never had you thought the same man who would regularly stop by your house could potentially be a murderer.

"Mr. Arnett." You breathed out, finally.

"Good evening, my dear." He greeted, his tone just as casual as any other time you had spoken. As though it was normal, to have you tied up in a room against your will.

As he stepped into the room, you found yourself growing more and more anxious with each of his steps. He had asked you something, a question you couldn't recall. You couldn't even find it within you to respond, knowing that anything you said might make your situation worse. If Arnett truly was the same man who’d been killing the women of New York, then it’s likely he’d have no issue using that same violence against you. Although, he had already changed his behavior, choosing to attack you in your own home, rather than on the street. That alone revealed that he was unpredictable.

"What..what am I doing here?" You asked, fearfully. You wanted your tone to come off as more questioning, rather than upset. You knew that if Laszlo’s theory was correct, the only reason you weren’t dead yet was because the fantasy behind the murders relied on your acceptance of the man. Still unsure of his intentions with you, you shuddered at the thought of letting the man do whatever he wanted.

"I'm taking care of you."

The vagueness of the answer, and the emptiness in his tone, as he spoke sent a wave of fear over you. The man took a step towards you, right next to the bed you were tied to. You sat up, moving away from him, by instinct. You had hardly noticed the tray Arnett had been carrying, until he placed it down on the foot of the bed. A wide assortment of fruits, breads, and foods were placed onto the tray, along with a single red rose. Taking a seat next to you, he lifted something off of the item.

"A strawberry, from my garden." He explained, as though that was the cause of your nervous behavior.

You didn’t feel hungry, but felt a sense of relief at the act. Only because that meant he didn’t plan on harming you…yet. Once more, he placed the strawberry up to your lips.

Arnett's jaw tensed, as he spoke again. This time he sounded as though he were trying to restrain himself. "You don't need to be afraid of me."

Afraid to anger him, you took a bite, before attempting to distance yourself from him further, if that were even possible at this point. He praised you for the action, as an owner would praise a pet. Bitterness rose from your chest, creating a bad taste in your mouth. Whether it was the fruit he gave you, or the reaction you had to his words, you weren't sure.

"See, I knew you'd be good," He spoke, condescendingly. "just like my Lily."

You swallowed back a grimace. "Lily?"

Arnett blinked, as if confused for a moment, before giving a forced chuckle. His eyes turned to the portrait in the room, of the young woman. "I must apologize, it's rather rude of me to compare you to my wife- ex-wife. "

He quickly corrected himself, before looking back at you, his eyes falling to your wrists. More specifically, the red burns on them, from your previous attempts at escape. He reached out, without warning, before scolding you profusely. He spoke only about how should be more careful, as to not harm yourself further. In your upset state, you didn't even think before instinctively ripping your hands from his hold, not wanting him to so much as touch you.

Arnett's almost-caring expression fell in an instant, before revealing an angered scowl. He grabbed your arms again, only now his grip was harsh and painful. There was no doubt in your mind that you would have bruises later.

"Don't do that." He hissed. "Don't you ever do that!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" You gasped, shaking as you quickly apologized in an attempt to calm his sudden temper. Blinking, you searched for any excuse that might help you. "I'm sorry.. I.. It's inappropriate, I wasn't expecting you to.."

Once more, you cursed yourself for coming up with such a weak excuse. However, even as you closed your eyes, you felt the grip on your hand lose its hold. When you looked back at Arnett, his scowl had disappeared. He thought for a moment, before a slight smile crept over his lips.

"You don't need to worry about such things anymore, my dear." He sighed. "Now that you're here with me, you won't have to feign innocence for the sake of appearances. We can speak freely now."

As you stared into his eyes, you came to understand that in some twisted way, his mind had made up a lie: making him believe you held some form of silent connection with him. Twisting your interactions into subtle advances, when they had merely been polite conversations. Every small talk in the study of your home, he had taken it as a sign of reciprocated affections. Rather than what they were. And he truly believed that lie, which was what frightened you the most.

You were silent, as he ran a thumb over your injured hand. It was meant to be a comforting gesture, but you viewed it more as a threat. You knew that if you pulled your hands way, as you wanted to, you'd be met with more aggression. Eventually, his focus returned to the tray he had brought in, handing you the rose as he placed another fruit to your mouth. You were fighting back a mixture of emotions, as you attempted to process the situation. You wanted to snap, and tell him that he didn't need to feed you himself. You wanted kick and fight, if only to save your pride. But you knew that none of these actions would help you, and would more likely cause Arnett to harm you.

Instead, you tried to refocus your frustrations into questioning Arnett's plan for you.

"Mr. Arnett, I..I find myself at..at a loss as to why you've brought me here." You muttered, weakly. "Surely, it's not simply to 'speak freely', as you put it? I can't help but think there is another reason.."

The older man scoffed, as if surprised you even had to ask.

"Well, I've been left with no other choice, haven't I? You're forced to spend every day and night fretting over the little problems of a half-crazed alienist, who insists on keeping you by his side." He grit his teeth, looking  around the room for a moment. "But that no longer matters. You won’t need to worry anymore about Kreizler taking his liberties with you, my dear."

The bruising grasp on your hand returned. His voice and expression reflected anger, though it didn't seem directed at you this time. His eyes were still staring off at nothing in particular, and it seemed as though he wasn't even aware of the venom in his tone. Ignoring your pain for a moment, you feared what he meant, upon mentioning Laszlo. Was he merely speaking his suspicions out of a jealous delusion? Or had he known- had he seen- your actions with Laszlo at the opera last night?

You let out another pained gasp, causing Arnett to release his hold on you. This time, he stood up, staring down at you with regret and fear. Almost dejectedly, he grabbed the tray once more, and made his way back towards the wooden door. But not without looking back at the portrait once more.

"Lily was as delicate as you."

A time passed before the door opened again.

You had fought to stay awake, in order to try and defend yourself against Arnett, even though you were essentially at his mercy. But the reality was that you were exhausted. Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. The stress of the case, Laszlo, and your own current situation had left you utterly broken. As sleep came for you, your eyes fogged with tears, as you thought back to the happiness you felt just a night before.

When you finally awoke, you heard a loud thud, as though something had fallen somewhere in the building you were being kept in. Your heart pounded, half hopeful and half afraid. The wooden door to the dim room opened, your heart sinking as you faced Arnett once more, his face red with anger as he began yelling out, seething with every breath.

"He comes to my place of work, accusing me!"

Arnett raves, red in the face, as he circles around the room. His sentences slur together, his words coming out faster than you can understand them. You sit up quickly, bracing yourself, as it's all you can do in the moment. The man's eyes were wide and his gaze flicked from place to place, as if searching for something as he continued to ramble on. You noticed how his hands were clenched, his fingernails digging into his palms and his knuckles becoming a white color. Fearing what he may do, you kept your mouth shut, hoping in vain that he might forget that you're there.

"-Slandering my name and reputation!” He heaved out a heavy breath, before his stare finally finds its destination on you.

Whatever pleasant facade the man placed on for you before was gone now, overcome by his anger. He rushed forwards, pushing you back against the headboard of the bed, placing a hand on your face, pressing hard on your cheeks and jaw. Startled, you froze, unable to even move, except for the trembling throughout your body.

"Who is he to you?" He demanded, an accusatory glare cutting through you.

You choked out a reply, asking who or what he was talking about. That only made his grip stronger, squeezing against your bones enough to make them ache.

“That damned Kreizler!” He spat. “Is he truly so dependent on you, that he cannot go a single day without you?! Is your company so enjoyable that he cannot help himself?”

Arnett’s words were spiteful and insulting. Not only towards Laszlo, but yourself as well. It seemed that while Arnett did not seem to know the extent of your relationship to the alienist, the suspicion was enough to drive him over the edge. You only feared what would happen, should he learn what occurred at the opera. As your mind raced with your thoughts, you hadn't noticed how your captor now moved over you, trapping you under him. His spare hand trailed over you, his glare burning holes into you as he grabbed at your form. Your mind went blank, and all you could hear was the heartbeat that now pulsed in your ears. You twisted and turned, biting into your cheek as your body moved on its own, trying to do anything to get him off of you. A quick slap stunned you, causing you to recoil from the force.

Still, Arnett seemed lost to his ramblings. “He claims himself a gentleman! Tell me, do you enjoy the attention he gives you? Perhaps I’ve been mistreating you, perhaps you enjoy the way he takes advantage of you-“

Mistreatment was an understatement, but you dared not speak your mind in this moment. The feeling of his spare hand pushing a trail up your leg sent a wave of disgust and fear through you. Desperately, you spoke, saying anything that came to mind, hoping to calm the clearly unhinged man.

“No, no Mr. Arnett, please!”

You cried, gasping as your throat seemed to close off on its own.

“You’re- you’re right! He’s- He’s not a gentlemen, not like you. Louis-“

You barely registered what you were saying, only focusing on pleading for your life. You continued, speaking whatever you thought the man would want to hear. As soon as they left your mouth, you hated every lie you spoke about Laszlo. How you were catering to Mr. Arnett’s sick fantasy. It seemed to work, however, as the man paused his assault on you. His grip on your chin lifted your gaze up to him, making you stare through tears to look him in the eye.

Your voice shook as you spoke, going on and on about how you were being mistreated and how Arnett was a gentlemen, as much as it pained you to do so. You empathized the phrase, hoping it might somehow make him stop. His actions were abhorrent, yet he seemed to pride himself on being the gentleman he had tricked you into believing he was. You played into Arnett's fantasy, making yourself appear as some damsel in need of saving and that Arnett was the man who would do it. All you could do was hope your words satisfied him.

His hand released its hold on your leg, but you did not allow yourself to sigh in relief. The hold on your chin disappeared, as he gently placed his palm against your cheek. A soft smile met his lips, yet his eyes remained vacant and cold. His voice was distant once more, as if remembering something.

“You truly are just like my Lily.” He pressed his lips against you, holding you there. You didn’t move. When he finally parted, he gave a reassuring smile, something meant to comfort you, before saying: “He won’t mistreat you anymore, my dear. I’ll make sure of it.”

The older man stood up, smoothing a hand over his suit, before turning from you. Your heart sank at his words, leaving you in despair even as he left the room. Pulling your legs up to your chest, you cried into the wrinkled fabric of your dress, muffling the sound in order to keep Arnett from hearing you.

It felt like years, as another day passed. Your heart ached along with your shoulders and wrists, as you stared blankly at the wooden door. There were moments when you asked yourself if this barren room would be the last thing you saw. If the painted, empty eyes of Lily Arnett would be staring down at you, as you joined her in death. But there was hope.

Arnett’s outburst had been sudden and terrifying. But in his state, he’d given you the knowledge that Laszlo and the others were close, already questioning the man. Already suspecting the truth. You just needed to keep him satisfied, until your friends could figure out how to find you. If they found you.

When the wooden door opened once more, Arnett was bringing in another tray of food and water for you. As he came into the light of the lamp, your attention was drawn to the cut along the man's temple. Given your situation, this shouldn't have surprised you, but in all the time you've known the man you’d never seen the man with even a scratch on him, despite the violent attacks he had carried out. Before your abduction, you knew the man to be of good standing in the eyes of society. Someone obsessed with his reputation as a proper gentleman. Someone who’d never be caught up in a fight, not one that would cause such a wound.

You ask what happened, less out of concern and more out of curiosity, desperately wanting to learn what you could about the events playing out in the world outside of the small room. Your words seemed to fall on deaf ears however, as Arnett silently approached, not answering you. Instead, he lifted the food for you to eat. Slowly, you took a bite, not wanting to upset him further. After finishing the bits fruit and bread he initially offered, you found yourself growing more and more restless, due to his unsettling silence. As he lifted another fruit to you, you turned your head slowly, until eventually you found yourself looking up at the woman in the portrait.

Twice now he had mentioned his late wife…Lily. Some deep-rooted part of you felt as though her death had not been some random accident or illness, given how Arnett had consistently been comparing the two of you. No… By now, you suspected that perhaps the poor woman had shared your fate, falling victim to her husband's erratic behavior.

You opened your mouth, your throat dry as you carefully said: “I…I realize I never asked about your wife, before. If it is not too upsetting, tell me, how… how did she pass?”

Arnett blinked, as if snapped from his silence. A vacant expression crossed over his face, sending a frightening chill through you. It was identical to the one Laszlo had at the morgue, as the alienist was trying to gain insight into the killer’s mind. You had trusted Laszlo, but it was different now. Now you looked that very killer in the eye.

“I believe I told you. She was delicate." He paused, staring you down, before glancing away quickly. "Now eat.”

A horrible pit in your stomach grew, as your mind raced to create images of what you suspected befell the late Mrs. Arnett.  If his lack of hesitation of using force against you was any indication…It was slowly becoming evident that perhaps she may have been the first. The catalyst that created the man you faced now. You swallow back the lump in your throat, speechless. In your shock, you had forgotten what Arnett had ordered you to do. It was too late to fix your mistake, as the man quickly took your silence as refusal. In an instant, the tray was shoved aside, slammed to the floor, as his form climbed over you.

"You ungrateful bitch!" His hands clamped down on your throat, using a strength that felt as though it would snap your life away at any second. You hands pulled down on the ropes, having enough length to allow you to claw at his grasp. “Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused me?"

You struggled for breath, your heartbeat becoming the only sound in your ears before a slam at the door snapped you from your panicked state. A voice- no, voices- spoke loudly. You didn’t process what was said, only that the weight of Arnett shifted. You found yourself placed between Arnett and the unknown parties, a sharp pressure against your neck. As you gathered your senses, you realized the pressure was a knife, one Arnett had kept hidden away. You weren't sure if he had it before, or if he had planned to use it against you before being interrupted.

John and Sara stood before you, the woman aiming a gun towards Arnett. Though, with you placed in between them, the weapon was also directed towards you. You wanted to scream. You wanted to cry. If you weren’t so focused on the knife’s weight against you, your heart surely would have leapt with happiness. They had found you! But the confrontation was not over.

"You have no right, breaking in here!” Arnett seethed. “I’ll have you arrested!”

Sara was quick to respond, not even flinching from his words. “Call them if you like, but I doubt the police would be interested with us, upon finding a woman unwillingly locked up on your property.”

Arnett shook his head, his breath coming out in heavy exhales. His voice was shaking. Out of anger, fear, and confusion. “No, you’re wrong! She..she wants to be here! Tell them!”

The knife pressed harder against you, as Arnett whispered unintelligible words against your ear. You gasped, closing your eyes, as if everything would disappear if you didn't watch. Another sound of footsteps grabbed your attention, forcing you to look up once more. A third figure emerged through the door, joining John and Sara. He stopped dead in his tracks, however, upon seeing the tense stand-off between them and Arnett. With you at the center.

“Laszlo!” You called, the name falling from your mouth before you could stop it.

A vice grip found the back of your neck, making you gasp in pain. His whisper was erratic but you could just make out: "How dare you say his name in front of me-"

The knife pressed harder, a small sting followed by a warm trickling feeling. His cheek pressed against your ear, speaking lowly. “Tell them you want to be here. With me.”Another pause of silence made him seethe. "Answer me, Lily!”

Arnett’s grip on reality, whatever remained, was slipping as the scene played out before you. Still, you refused. Laszlo was here, They were all here! You were so close to freedom that you couldn't bare the thought of him taking it away. Tears reached your eyes, as you glanced at the faces you've grown to know.

“There’s no where to go, Mr. Arnett.” Sara said, regaining your attention. She looked back at you, rather than your captor. She looked unsure, as she aimed her gun toward the two of you, in contrast to her confident words. “If you truly care for her, as I suspect you do, then let her go.”

“No, nonono..” Arnett’s breaths became erratic. “She belongs with me! Tell them, my dear, now.”

Still you remain silent, biting back a cry.

Arnett snapped, cursing you, as the knife lifted for a moment, before turning fully towards you, intended to pierce your throat. In that split moment, you heard the loud blast of gunfire, followed by the metallic smell of gunpowder. A ringing overtook your senses, followed closely by a burning in your shoulder.

Then...

thud

thud

thud

Your heartbeat signaled to you that you were alive, but you couldn't help yourself but think it was a trick. One last cruel joke for the entertainment of a higher power.

Your mind and vision seemed to blur, as each passing moment came by in flashes. You no longer felt Arnetts breath against your ear, yet the intense pain in your shoulder remained. You felt a pair of arms reach around you, as the restraining pull of ropes on your wrists disappeared. The cool breeze of air hit your face at some point, before the rest faded away to darkness.

#The Alienist #laszlo kreizler x reader #laszlo x reader #laszlo x you #Daniel Bruhl

[aspoonofsugar]

Hello! I have followed you because I like your theories about Monster. I would like to ask you this: After learning the truth about the mansion of pink roses, Johan is going to kill his henchman, but he constantly repeats "I woke up from the dream. I have a I remember it's only mine. "After killing him, he walks away saying" I have a place to go. "What do you think he is referring to?

Hello, I do not know if you have answered my previous question but there I will ask you a different one.If you don't have read Another Monster ,the questions will be a spoiler.

What do you think of the ending? Was really the author of the books that appeared at the end? What does mean the story book by saying that the name of the monster is the same as that of the protagonist of the story?

Hello anon!

Sorry I took a while!

First of all, I am sorry, but I have not read Another Monster, so I can't answer your second ask.

When it comes to the first one, you are referring to this, right?

I think the context is ambiguous, but there are at least two candidates.

1)

Aka the memory of Franz Bonaparta to whom Johan is going. In other words, Franz Bonaparts is Johan's "place to go".

Let's add some thoughts to this.

Firstly, the whole chapter builds a contrast between Johan and Nina:

The twins have both "awakened from the dream". This means that now they both have realized the horrible truth. Johan was not the one brought to the Red Roses Mansion, but Nina was. Johan has been building his own identity on his sister's memories, while Nina has been escaping and repressing a part of herself.

The result is that they are both losing grasp of their already frail identities and are suicidal. However, Tenma encourages Nina not to give up and to keep on walking. The place where they both need to go is "happiness" and "life". Johan instead is choosing the path of "the perfect suicide". This is where he is going. He wants to kill Franz Bonaparta and himself.

Not only that, but the two opposite approaches are linked to identity and also memories. After all, our memories are at the root of our identity:

Johan is trying to erase himself, so that he can erase all the memories. Nina instead chooses to remember even if it is painful. She chooses so because all her memories both painful and good are a part of who she is. Even Johan is a part of who she is and this is why she can’t just let him die.

Secondly, the irony of all of this is that the truth behind the memory Nina is repressing is this:

This is the last fragment Nina remembers and it turns out that the memory she was mostly scared of was actually a positive memory. However, when she was a kid she was too scared and ended up relating it to Johan twisting it.

Johan understood that the point was that he and Nina were supposed to be monsters and started acting like one.

This is highly tragic. Let’s also highlight how after Nina told Johan the truth he is still clinging to the last one of Nina’s memories. He has built his whole identity on those memories, so he keeps defining himself by them even after he discovers the truth. He is shaping his own individuality on Nina.

2) After a reread I think this is the most plausible candidate tbh and what the story is implying:

It is the memory of their mother giving up one of them.

This is what Nina really does not want to remember:

And what she unlocks once she reaches the house in the woods:

Nina is remembering when she gets back from the Red Roses Mansions and the conversation she has with Johan. Johan (I think) ends up mentioning their mom in that conversation and this brings back to Nina the memory of the choice.

I think the following lines are Johan crying at the memory of their mother choosing him over Nina and him apologizing. Nina’s reaction is to tell him not to cry (the title of the chapter) which ties with her choice to save him in the same chapter.

It is possible that unlocking this final memory ends up unlocking all the others or at least Nina is able to remember them all more clearly. This means she also remembers the Bonaparta’s one above and its meaning.

It all ties to the main theme of Nina’s arc, which is the importance of remembering even the bad things because only in this way one can become complete and a full person.

I am sorry if this answer is a little confused. Monster is an incredibly rich story that definately plays with ambiguity.

Thank you for the asks!

#monster #naoki urasawa's monster #monster meta #naoki urasawa's monster meta #asksfullofsugar #anonymous #nina fortner #johan liebert