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beybaldes · 5 months

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one single thread of gold tied me to you

sejanus plinth x gn!reader

masterlist

summary: Sejanus Plinth sits on the steps of the academy with you by his side. Things may be bad, but there are worse places you could be

warnings: NO relation between reader and snow I might die if I see another fic where reader is his twin (not that they aren’t good fics, they are so good!!! I just don’t look like him at all 😭😭😭 free me), little angst but mostly fluff, ONE use of y/n, hehehehehe i posses evil powers

an: okay I know Ive not posted in like forever but I saw BOSBAS and fell in LOVE 🥲 technically spoilers and won’t be 100% book/movie accurate im going with straight vibes for this one :D enjoy!!

Sejanus Plinth was never meant to cross your path, let alone take violent root in your heart. In every other universe he never left district two and you never bumped into him on the playground at 8 years old, wondering where on earth he must have come from. There wasn’t such a thing as a ‘new kid’ in the capital, and yet, you had found one.

Or rather, he’d found you. You’d been chasing Arachne Crane around the playground in a game of tag, too focused on trying to catch her and not focused enough on the tree root that stuck out of the ground in front of you. There’d been no time to react, but sweet, gentle, wonderful Sejanus Plinth had caught you by the arm, his grip so firm you’d had his fingerprints bruised into your skin for weeks after. But he’d saved you from scraping your knee against the ground, and he held you up until you’d steadied yourself, and then he’d walked away without a word. Arachne had disappeared from your sight and you were suddenly infatuated with the mass of brown curls that were walking to the far side of the playground; you felt as though you had no choice but to chase after him instead.

Shivering at the thought that in another life you’d befriended the likes of Felix Ravenstill or Festus Creed instead, you reached out for Sejanus’s hand between the tables the mentors were made to sit at to watch the games. Surprisingly, he was receptive to your touch, tightly interlocking your fingers and hoping it would provide him with more comfort then you both knew it ever could.

As Lucretius "Lucky" Flickerman, the capitals weatherman, began to introduce the game to viewers watching from the comfort of their homes, Sejanus’s grip on your hand only got tighter, his hands beginning to tremble slightly as the screen at the front of the grand room began to show the tributes entering the area. As images of the tributes being pushed, dragged and shoved into their starting places crossed the screen, your thumb ran across the back of his hand, hoping you could make the shaking of his clammy palm against yours stop.

Slowly the cameras in the arena moved their focus from the tributes waiting for the games to start, and instead zoomed in on Marcus, hung by his bloodied hands on the fallen debris caused by the rebel attack.

“Oh my God.” Gasping the words out, you couldn’t tear your eyes from the sight, and you would’ve held onto Sejanus’s hand tighter if you were still holding it. Instead his hand was torn from yours as he stood among the other mentors, flinging his desk and device across the room with a rage you’d never seen in him before.

“You’re monsters!” He cried, hands scrunched into fists by his side, tears filling his eyes as he addressed the room before him. Peers, Sejanus didn’t dare call them friends, and teachers alike stood in silence, refusing to feed into his outrage and refusing to speak against the regime they had been raised in. Though some of them had never known anything different then a life with the hunger games, it didn’t take anything more then a heart in your chest to know how wrong it was. Even if Sejanus hadn’t known Marcus from his time in district 2, he was the same age as him, he had a family and friends back home hoping he would return to them, he was a living, breathing person who shouldn’t have had to fight for his life because his name was drawn from a hat. “All of you!”

Sejanus stormed out of the room, and you would’ve been hot on his heels if Coriolanus hadn’t grabbed you, holding you to your seat. “Just wait.” You didn’t understand at first, furious that Coriolanus would try and stop you from going after Sejanus to see if he was okay, but as he silently pointed at Mr Flickerman, you understood. Following Sejanus should wait ten seconds while Lucky counted down to the official beginning of the Hunger games and you could sneak away unnoticed. While you were never particularly fond of Coriolanus Snow, you could appreciate his brain and how it ticked.

When the ten long seconds were finally up, you sprung from your seat, a whispered thank you to Coriolanus as you snuck around the outside of the seated mentors, all of whom were enamoured with the screen. As you left the building in search of Sejanus, you briefly worried he’d be nowhere to be found, having run far away from the academy in hope he could escape everything. However, he’d been quite easy to find, hunched over himself on the steps of the academy, his arms wrapped around his knees and curled into himself as his shoulders jumped with strained breaths. A part of you prayed you’d never have to see him like this again.

“Sejanus?” His head snapped to face you, furiously wiping away the frustrated tears that had rolled down his cheeks and forcing something that tried to be a smile on his face. A frown pulled on your lips as your met his eyes, quickly crossing the steps until you were beside him. “Oh, Sejanus.”

“Did you see what they did to him?” His voice trembled as he spoke, hiccuping in breathes as he tried to tell you what he was thinking, tried to nullify the crippling ache in his chest. With the escape of a whimper from the back of his throat, your hands came to cup his face, caressing his cheeks and simultaneously wiping away any tears that crossed your path. “What they’re doing to all of them?”

“I know, I know.” You cooed, knowing there was nothing you could do to change things. All you could do right now was make your Sejanus feel better, though you worried even your best wouldn’t be enough. “It is wrong and cruel, so, so cruel, and one day people will see just how right you are.”

“They won’t.” He scoffed, his eyes turning to stare at where his shoes met the ground, avoiding your gaze. “They think that this is life, that this is how things are. And no one else sees an issue with that, at least not here in the Capital.”

One of your hands turned Sejanus to face you, not allowing him to look away as you spoke, while the other fervently soothed his curls away from his face, hoping a combination of the two could begin to make him feel better.

“Thousands of people will have seen your outrage at the games tonight, and if even one of them has been affected by it, then you will have made a change.” Sejanus’s features softened as you spoke, and while you knew his boiling rage was only reducing to a simmer, and that at the end of the day it would still be inside of him, you knew that he was allowing himself to get through this moment with your help. “Rome was not built in one night. Change will come, it just takes time.”

Silence didn’t have the chance to settle. “Why are you so nice to me?” That surprised you. It didn’t seem like a question that needed answering and it didn’t seem like something Sejanus would ever ask you. It felt too obvious. “No one in the capital has ever accepted me as one of them, and yet, my own district won’t recognise me as theirs either. Most of the people at the academy don’t even acknowledge me, and sometimes I feel like Coryo only tolerates me, but you? You are nice to me, like now. You didn’t have to come out here, you chose to. Why?”

Strangely, you’d never been so scared. You couldn’t help but think that you’d said or done something to make Sejanus think that your friendship towards him was fake or conditional, but it couldn’t be further from it. How did you put into words how much you loved him for him, without saying it just like that? Plain and simple?

“You are kind, Sejanus. You don’t see a lot of that around here. From the very first day I met you you have been nothing but kind - not only to me but everyone around you, even when they didn’t deserve it.” Your hand against his hair had moved back down to his cheek, the gentle caress of your thumb against the apple of his cheek turning more and more loving with every word you spoke. “You bring your Ma’s sweets to share, even when they’re the ones you really like, you recite your favourite books to me just because you want to talk and you know I’ll listen, you stop me from going home with scrapped knees and grazed hands everyday, and-“

It was like you’d suddenly become dangerously aware of how close the two of you had got, not only physically on the steps of the academy, but in your friendship over the years. Maybe more then a friendship if either of you were brave enough to say it. You couldn’t breathe and you couldn’t think about anything but his lips against yours. Removing your hands from his face and placing them neatly in your lap, you tore your gaze from his face and looked to the sunsetting sky. “Sejanus plinth, it seems I have grown quite fond of you.”

Sejanus placed two fingers beneath your chin, turning your face to make you look at him, like you had done just minutes ago. “I have grown irreversibly fond of you, y/n y/l/n.”

As Sejanus leaned closer to you, and you tilted you head so your nose would slot perfectly against his, a crowd of mentors came out of the academy, causing the two of you to jump apart. Sejanus looked more disappointed than you think you’d be able to get him to admit, and he stood from the steps almost instantly. “I have to go.”

If you’d been any less dazed by the almost kiss shared between the two of you, you’d have chased after him once more, but you found yourself frozen on the steps of the academy. Sejanus was going to kiss you. Maybe, if you were lucky, you’d find the two of you in such a position once again and maybe that time your lips would actually meet.

A part of you is certain you don’t even know the boy exists in any other universe. And yet, you find that you would plead before the Gods themselves to have the fortune of knowing him in every one.

An: thank you for reading!! Would anyone want a part 2 about Sejanus going in to the arena and reader and Coriolanus teaming up to get him out? I might write it anyway lol but please give me feed back and let me know what you thought!! Mwah <333

part 2: I swam a lake of fire, I’d have walked across the floor of any sea out now!!

#beybaldes wrote a fic ??#beybaldes wrote a fic!!#sejanus plinth x reader #sejanus plinth oneshot #sejanus plinth imagine #tbosbas x reader

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yurimother · 9 months

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The 2023 Yuri Guide - Anime

Your ultimate guide to the best Yuri content with over 200 curated titles from every genre and medium.

Adachi and Shimamura

• School • Slice of Life • Romance • Friends to Lovers • Slow burn

Adachi and Shimamura's days of skipping school offer a new world to explore. But as these delinquents bond, unexpected emotions begin to blossom. Now if they could just admit how they feel…

Streaming on Crunchyroll (Sub/Dub)

BIRDIE WING -Golf Girls' Story-

• Sports • Comedy • Drama

Eve is an underground golfer who supports poor street orphans with the money she makes from illegal golfing matches. But her life is about to change forever when she meets a young golfer who's just arrived from Japan...

Streaming on Crunchyroll (Sub)

The Executioner and Her Way of Life

• Action • Fantasy • Isekai • Enemies to Lovers

When Menou, an Executioner of deadly interdimensional “Lost Ones,” encounters a Lost One named Akari who can cheat death, she sets out on a mission to kill the unkillable girl — but her newly stirring feelings might get in the way of her blade.

Streaming on HIDIVE (Sub/Dub)

Flip Flappers

• Fantasy • Action • Magical Girl • Love at First Sight

Cocona’s world is turned upside down with the appearance of Papika. They set off on an adventure in “Pure Illusion.” In the pursuit of the “Shards of Mimi,” obstacles arise, and the shards enable them to transform.

Streaming on HIDIVE (Sub/Dub)

If My Favorite Pop Idol Made it to the Budokan, I Would Die

• Comedy • Music • Multiple Couples • Love at First Sight

Two years ago, super-fan Eripiyo was hypnotized by Maina Ichii and her pop group ChamJam. Now Eri dreams of seeing her favorite group make it big, to the Budokan arena! Her passionate desire consumes money and time—but no cost is too high. This is fandom!

Streaming on Crunchyroll (Sub/Dub)

Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san

• School • Slice of Life • Comedy • Multiple Couples

A mutual friend introduces Yachiyo Inugami, a dog-like girl who loves cats, and Suzu Nekoyama, a cat-like girl who loves dogs. The girls find themselves drawn in by their opposite traits and the most outlandish relationship starts to take form in this wild comedy that will have you barking (and meowing?) with laughter.

Streaming on Crunchyroll (Sub)

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady

• Fantasy • Romance • Comedy • Isekai

When noblewoman Euphyllia is unjustly stripped of her title as the kingdom’s next monarch, the buffoonish Princess Anisphia takes it upon herself to right this wrong. Despite being taken for a fool ’cause of her silly antics, Anisphia is a magic genius, and she has a plan to help Euphyllia regain her good name. But little do they know—their encounter will alter the kingdom and the entire world! Streaming on Crunchyroll (Sub)

Maria Watches Over Us

• School • Slice of Life • Senpai/Kouhai • Multiple Couples

Students at Lillian Girls’ Academy become “soeurs” to support each other during their time at school. Shy Yumi Fukuzawa never thought she’d attract a soeur like the beautiful Sachiko Ogasawara, but Sachiko has unexpectedly set her sights on Yumi!

Streaming on HIDIVE (sub)

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

• Sci-Fi • Mecha • Action • School • Drama • Marriage

A.S. (Ad Stella) 122― An era when a multitude of corporations have entered space and built a huge economic system. A lone girl from the remote planet Mercury transfers to the Asticassia School of Technology, run by the Beneritt Group which dominates the mobile suit industry. Her name is Suletta Mercury. With a scarlet light burning in her pure heart, this girl walks step by step through a new world.

Streaming on Crunchyroll (sub/dub)

Otherside Picnic

• Action • Sci-FI • Horror • Slow Burn

Moments from death, Sorawo is saved by the mysterious Toriko in the world of the Otherside. Entranced by its beauty, she discovers that this dimension is inhabited by monsters once thought imaginary. Joining with Toriko in her search for a missing friend, they set out to explore this nightmare realm and maybe make a little money. What they encounter could bring enlightenment—or drive them mad!

Streaming on Crunchyroll (Sub/Dub)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

• Fantasy • Magical Girl • Horror • Tragedy • Fated Lovers • Multiple Couples

Madoka Kaname is an average 14-year-old girl who loves her family and friends. One fateful day, this all changes when she has a very magical encounter with a strange creature called a Kyubey. Kyubey have the power to grant one wish to chosen girls. However, in exchange, those chosen must become magical girls and use their powers to fight against witches, evil creatures born from darkness and catalysts of despair. Was this encounter by chance or fate? No matter the circumstance, this will surely change her destiny.

Movies Beginnings and Eternal retell this legendary and dark fantasy story with new and retouched animation and voice acting. The sequel film Rebellion follows Homura, unable to let her memories die, the magical girl continues to fight alone in the world that Madoka left behind, dreaming of meeting that nostalgic smiling face one more time...

TV - Streaming on Crunchyroll/Hulu (Sub) Films licensed by Aniplex of America

Revue Starlight

• School • Action • Drama • Weak Yuri

Childhood friends Karen and Hikari promised that they would one day become the next theatrical stars. Years later, the two finally have their chance during a mysterious audition, but they are not the only ones who have trained for this moment.

Streaming on HIDIVE (Sub/Dub)

Riddle Story of Devil (Akuma no Riddle)

• School • Action • Enemies to Lovers • Multiple Couples • Love at First Sight

Twelve female assassins are sent to a prestigious boarding school to compete against each other in a secret killing game. The winner will be granted anything her heart desires, but only one girl can come out on top. The mission is simple: send fellow student Haru Ichinose to an early grave. The task should be easy for heartless assassin, Toukaku Azuma – but everything changes when she finds herself strangely drawn to her naive target. Her decision to use her lethal skills to keep her new friend alive will raise the stakes of the game and push the girls closer together as the other beauties threaten to tear them apart.

Streaming on Funimation (Sub/dub)

Sakura Trick

• School • Slice of Life • Comedy • Friends to Lovers • Multiple Couples

Best friends Haruka and Yu are about to take their relationship from friendship to something more when they share a kiss! But when one kiss becomes two and three, how will their relationship change?

Streaming on HIDIVE (Sub)

Strawberry Panic

• School • Drama • Romance • Senpai/Kouhai • Multiple Couples • Love at First Sight

Nagisa has just transferred to a prestigious all-girls school that happens to share a campus with two other elite academies for young women. The new surroundings are overwhelming but Nagisa quickly adapts to life in Strawberry Hall with the help of her new friends. However, when Nagisa catches the eye of the mysterious Shizuma, the respected representative of all three schools, both their lives are forever changed. A bond beyond mere friendship develops between the two ladies amidst a chaotic school year full of heated conflicts, petty jealousies, and crossed boundaries.

Streaming on Crunchyroll/RetroCrush (Sub)

Sweet Blue Flowers

• School • Romance • Drama • Friends to Lovers

Fumi Manjoume enters Kamakura's accelerated high school - Matsuoka All-Girls High School. While waiting at the Kamakura station on the day of her entrance ceremony, she runs into an old childhood friend whom she had not seen in 10 years: Akira Okudaira. As their friendship is rekindled and they start falling back into the rhythm of friends again, it starts a delicate love story...

Streaming on Crunchyroll (Sub)

Volicia of Pluto

• Action • Indie • Sci-Fi • Mecha

In 2006, Akiko Hoshigami’s dreams of track-and-field stardom are dashed after a leg injury. She enters high school with her best friend, Ayano Umisoe, and between club activites and meeting new friends, the empty Akio begins to resember her former self. Until one day, Ayano suddenly dissapears.

Streaming on YouTube (Sub)

Yurikuma Arashi

• School • Drama • Sci-Fi • Enemies to Lovers • Multiple Couples

In a world divided between humans and hyper-intelligent, man-eating bears, Kureha attends an all-girls school and holds onto a simple wish—to spend the rest of her life with her classmate and soul mate, Sumika. But after a secret rendezvous ends in tragedy, Kureha vows to never back down on her love and put a bullet in any bear she meets.

Streaming on Funimation (Sub/Dub)

YuruYuri

• School • Slice of Life • Comedy • Multiple Couples

Four students decide to occupy the room of the defunct tea ceremony club, dubbing it the ‘Amusement Club.’ While the Student Council does its best to eliminate this club, their endless energy, happiness, and comedy will keep audiences smiling all season long!

Streaming on Crunchyroll (Sub)

Read More of the 2023 Yuri Guide

⚪ Must See ⚪ Light Novel ⚪ Manga ⚪ Visual Novels ⚪ Webtoons

Official releases help support creators and publishers. YuriMother may make a small commission from sales to help fund future content.

Support YuriMother on Patreon for early access and to read exclusive in-depth articles on Yuri and LGBTQ media.

#lesbian #yuri #girls love #lgbt #gay #lgbtq #gl #queer #anime #manga #sapphic #wlw

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celebtf · 1 month

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Peeta and the berries

It was day 3 in the Arena, the 75th hunger games was going on, with only 5 Contestants left. The day was hot and the sun shined bright on the people left, with the same goal, to win, to survive all this and return home to their lifes.

Today was the forth day since Peeta entered the arena for a second time, he couldn't understand why he had to do all this again, he had already won before and now they all wanted to kill him again. Was all of this a game for them?

Peeta knew his biggest compition was Finnick, the long, blond, handsome guy with big strong arms and a cute butt. With thighs so thick they could smash a watermelon if he had money for a watermelon back home. Peeta was So jealous of Finnick, he was charming and strong, if it wasn't for Peeta and Finnick's pact, Finnick would probably strike at Peeta any second now.

It was late on day 4, the rain had just passed and thr Thunder was over. Peeta seaked shellter under a tree when he saw a drone fly around from afar. Peeta started running after the drone, even if it was his own sponsor that had send the package, he still needed to get it very fast before anybody else could.

He had run after the Drone when he finally got the package, the drone had dropped it on a field and Peeta had run so far, so nobody else would be first.

The package was only to things, some red berries and a mirror, what was he supposed to do with this? Watch himself eat or.. peeta could only really laugh at this point. Peeta picked up a Berry and start thinking about Finnick and wondering what he did right now.

Peeta thought about finnick running around in the tight uniform, hugging his legs and arms tight. Peeta didn't notice at first but his legs started to gain more muscles and his arms got bigger. Peeta thought about about Finnick's big hands and peeta started to notice his hands started grow stronger and got more hair on them. Peetas stomach started to hurt, he zipped his uniform up a little, he could see a strong eight-pack abs starting to form and his pecs grew more even his shoulders got stronger.

Peeta took the mirror up right in time to see his hair grow longer, a messy spiky hairstyle started to style itself, in the mirror peeta could see his jaw changing, his nose and eyebrows, his cheekbones started cracking. Peeta felt lighter sitting down, his ass had gotten bubblier and he felt his dick grew a few inches, it was hard hiding it in his tight uniform.

" Damn Finnick, you hide this monster all along? " peeta laughed and looked in the mirror, there was no peeta left... starring back was his friend Finnick.

The new Finnick walked on the beach, seeing the world in his new eyes, He let out a small laugher, he wish he could thank his sponsor for this. On his walk he saw something.. or somebody.

" Hey Peeta, how are you doing? " he laughed at the new confused Peeta sitting on the beach.

#celebrity tf #body swap #celebtf #transformation #gay #male body suit #malebody swap #male shapeshift #body switch #character art #peeta mellark #finnick odair #the hunger games

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atelierlili · 3 days

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It's time take you back to the past

to play the shitty games that suck ass.

Some besties wanted a list of Everlark fics recs where Katniss and/or Peeta are blasted to the past/alternate universe to relive the events of the games to fix it, so here we are!

Time Is Never Found Again...Or Is It? (113,000 + words) by blahblahblah1703

Katniss, after talking to Snow in his rose garden, finds herself somehow back in her childhood home. She has seven months until she enters the arena for the 74th annual Hunger Games, along with the love of her life, who when she last saw him, was still struggling not to kill her, just perfect.

The pre-game everlark that happens here is 🤌. This is part one of a larger series. The sequel (which is wonderful as well) can be found here. This is the series that got me into this rabbit hole.

Afterburn ( 104,000+ words) by BlueMaple

Katniss Everdeen-Mellark goes to the woods surrounding New Appalachia, a.k.a the former District Twelve, on the morning of the fiftieth anniversary of the final Reaping of the Hunger Games. There, she is literally waylaid by her own past, and wakes in the past, six weeks before Primrose was first Reaped. Alone, grieving, terrified, and without a clue on how she got there (and then), she realizes that it will be impossible for her- on every level- to simply live through events as they transpired in her personal future. With no way to return her to that future, she is nevertheless determined to get back to her own party - hopefully with a lot less damage and fewer crucial casualties along the way.

This is apart of the All Sorrows Less series, which is still being updated. It's filled with wonderful side characters, mindblowing twists, a baby I will kill people for and GILF Katniss, what more can I say?

Second Burn ( 127,000+ words) by carnationhes

Katniss wonders if things could be different if she got a second chance. And then she gets one. This morning she wakes up back in District 12 after Peeta's warning of the bombing on Thirteen.

Have you read Second burn? Why haven't you read it yet? You should read it. It's amazing. Literally makes my brain chemistry tingle. I think this is most accurate depiction of a Katniss being blasted to the past with no meta explanation why. It's sooo soo soo good. I'm on my knees please read it and please read the sequel Ignite as well. This series is so underated please.

over and over (lost again) (13,000+ words) by TeaBrigadier

I died in the Hunger Games. It isn’t even the first time it’s happened. I’ve died in the Hunger Games five times now

This is a very self contained time loop where Katniss continuously relieves the first games until she gets it right. I know it doesn't really fit the theme, but this one makes my feel happy feelings and i wanted to recommend something that's isn't so long so I'm adding it anyway. Deathloops are fun!

Ongoing:

Catching sparks (19k words) (Last update 26 Feb 2024) by Silver_Cleo

The time when 23 year old Katniss and Peeta get transported from their home in what had once been Victor's Village of District 12, and into the bodies of their much younger selves, who have just woken up from exiting the arena of the 74th Hunger Games.

Here Katniss and Peeta get traveled to the past to the point where they just win their games. It's a great WIP. I love Everlark working together and being cute + humanizing the 74th tributes and their family <3

I'm probably missing a few, but these are my favourite ones so far. As much as I love the trope, I know it's a monster to take on from a writing standpoint so props to the writers!

I hope you enjoy them <3 There's nothing I love more than shining a light on amazing fics new and old. If you have recs of your own, please send them my way. I love this trope so much haha

@bbrooklynbabe @nightlocked-in @waywardangel-wilds

#everlark #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #thg #the hunger games #everlark fanfiction #fanfiction recommendation

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probablyspooky · 1 year

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Message Received (Predator X Fem!Reader Guardians Of the Galaxy) Pt. 3

Tag list : @the-official-slasher-fucker

Last Next

Groot and Rocket began their descent into the night, Rocket grumbling about how tired he is. Walking sneakily down the halls into the bowels of the arena, they came across the large iron gate, behind it presumably the cells where they keep their prisoners, if you can even call them prisoners, they were really beginning to doubt The Grandmasters word. Before they approached the door, they stopped to take recon of it, as there were two large guards currently chatting about the next gladiator battle.

“Did you hear about the sold out show?” one asked the other,

“It’s terrible we have to work, I would have killed to see this fight, at night no less, the grandmaster may be a monster, but he’s honestly a business genius”

“Yeah a sold out night show. free snacks to the first 100 guests”

Groaning at this new info, Rocket pulled out his communicator and typed the info to Gamora and the others, as Groot innocently walked towards the gate and two guards.

“Oh what the hell”

Without missing a beat, Groot sprung out two vines, grabbing the legs of both guards and slamming them unconscious onto the ground.

“Groot?! What am i gonna do with you huh?” Rocket, groaned, grabbing the keys off one of the guards and unlocking the gate.

“I am Groot” said Groot

Entering the cell area, Rocket’s ears were greeting by the shouting and commotion that was coming from the male cells to the left. Striding over with a grin, as Rocket enjoys a good fight, he peered into the cell, watching a large figure beat the hell out of a much smaller fish looking alien.

The little creature begged for mercy, the large figure threw his body down on the ground and roared to the rest of the audience watching this display of dominance.

Rocket interrupted this show of brawns beating brains, taking his blaster and running it along the edges of the bars, causing the sound of metal to vibrate off the walls, gathering everyone's attention.

“Hey freaks! It’s one of you guys lucky day! I'm here to bust you out of here-”

Poor choice of words as almost everyone rushed to the front of the bars, grasping at the air in in front of rocket, begging to be let out.

“Woah woah woah! I’m only here for one of you rodeo clowns, so stand forward if you’re one of these guys” Rocket announced, showing his hologram of the clowns.

Like moths to a flame, an insect, a Yautja, a Xandarian, a Kronan, and a Kree walked to the front of the cell, the other four moving away from the beast that was causing a ruckus earlier.

“There you are xandar!” Rocket chuckled, unlocking the gate pointing his blaster at the rest to keep the back, “Your wife (y/n) called for us to come find you”

Once your name was spoken the yautja charged at the gate, pushing past Rocket down the hall.

“Not my problem right now”, he groaned, dragging the xandarian along with him filling him in on what’s going to happen to you soon if they don’t get you both off planet soon.

“My-my wife?” the xandarian whos name is Toto asked, following far, but close enough behind

“Yeah yeah, you’ll see your wife soon, let just-”, but before he could finish Gamora sent him a message to hurry back immediately.

Without hesitation Groot and Rocket began to run down the hall, Groot using his vines to grasp Toto's leg and drag him down the hall like a sack of flour.

A bit earlier before Rocket retrieved your ‘husband’, Gamora had tried to retrieve you herself, but discovered your cell empty. The shocking discovery made Gamora briefly panic, looking into the empty cell, she began to fear the worse and turned to return to the group, she was caught by the guards of the Grandmaster, finding herself captured and bound by cuffs.

“Where is the rest of your crew?” one of them demanded from her.

Gamora simply scoffed and refused to reply to the man who currently held her in cuffs. In a last ditch effort, the Guard called the rest of his men to return to their room, and grabbing Gamora’s communicator, messaged Rocket to come back to their room urgently. setting up an ambush for them.

But where were you currently?

Hours before Gamora could come to your rescue, the Grandmaster himself had come to your cell, and taken you to prepare for your debut.

You were dressed in a fine gown, like seafood on a platter, ready to be fed to the most hungry of beasts. You were currently chained to a large rock in the center of the grand arena, awaiting the champion to come take your life.

Once the grandmaster had Rocket, Groot, and Gamora, he had them cuffed in the viewing box. Toto was there as well, but he was not bound in chains.

“What gives?” Rocket struggled against his constraints

“Well you see my little furry monstrosity of a friend, Toto here is one of my favorite rodeo clowns, he would never betray me,” The Grandmaster chuckled, sipping on some of his expensive wine.

“Argh! What about your wife (y/n)?” Gamora shouted

“Uhm...I like men...” Toto said sheepishly, and like that the Grandmaster clapped his hands, and Toto was taken back to his cell.

“Rocket how could you get the wrong man?!” Gamora scolded, staring at Rocket and Groot with angry eyes

“Well I didn’t have much to go on...But I got a feeling her husband got a head start....”

“What does that even mean?” Gamora hissed

“I think he knows” Rocket smirked, looking at the Grandmaster

The Grandmaster groaned, knowing full well what this meant.

“Do you know how long? How long I looked for a beast like that? How hard it was to even capture him?” the Grandmaster uttered under his breath

The grandmaster recalled the events that led to your capture, it brought him a bit of joy recalling how he managed to get the both of you.

For days they tracked you two, they tracked and they tracked, unable to find you. Until one day you were tired, you were tired of running, you needed to rest. You didn't know why they kept sending men, they had lost so many already. You collapsed onto the cold ground, your husband, who you called Spike, due to the condition of his mandibles being spiked outward, turned to you, begging you to stand up, it wouldn’t be long until your ship, you could escape. His large rough hand, caressing your face gently, he could carry you if he wanted, but he was also exhausted. Standing to your feet again, you felt motivated to move, but then a grapple gun set off, encasing you in a net and dragging you away, your screaming going faint in the distance that was currently growing between you two.

Spike charged after you, finding you surrounded by the Grandmasters men, guns pinned to all sides of your body, and then the Grandmaster himself stepping out of the shadows.

“Well well well...we have a bit of a deal to make don’t me?” he said with that evil grin of his.

And here you were, trapped again, your life about to end. You began to sob.

But you weren’t gonna die, Drax and Quill were all that were left of the guardians, and perhaps your husband resented you. Hated you for getting him caught, for making a mockery of his race.

The lights came on in the arena, and they blinded your for a brief moment. Reopening your eyes, you looked up to see a full house, and that large blue hologram of the Grandmaster appear across all sides of the arena.

“Dearest Patrons! I hope you’ve stocked up on snacks and drinks, I’d like to show you my newest champion! I found him on the desert planet, and I think he’s a little hungry for blood. Our little bird (y/n) will do just nice”

With that the hologram disappeared, and the large gate across the way began to raise up, the champion slithered out with a hiss.

A large serpent like beast appeared, large fangs, at least 60 feet long, full of pure muscle. It hissed, and began to make it’s way towards you. You began to struggle against you constraints, as the beast who I will call snake for the sake of combat story writing began to coil back into a striking pose. You braced yourself for an impact that never came.

Instead you could hear the sounds of rockets, and blasters, as Quill and Drax charged from the stands into the arena, shooting blasters at snake to gather its attention away from you.

Quill took off his Star lord mask and shouted to Drax

“I’ve got this get her out of those binds!”

Drax shouted something about wanting to be in the fight as well, but grumbled and made his way over to you. Groaning about how he is so useful in combat and how it’s a waste of his time to be here.

Quill was quickly slapped back by Snakes tail, and the attention was back on the two of you, snakes end of his tail, gripping onto Drax, and slamming him back into Quill against the wall/

The monsters eyes turned back towards you, and began to coil up again to attack. He released his muscles to launch himself at you, but was blasted painfully in the face, this time purple blood was visible on the ground.

The crowd began to go rowdy as the action was kicking up, Quill throwing his mask on the ground and tuning to Drax.

“What was that?” he shouted, as there seemed to be no one else in the arena, but you knew. You began to cry happy tears, struggling against you restraints. Hearing that familiar clicking sound of your husbands mandibles, a figure began to appear through the air, as if he wasn’t there before. The Yautja stood tall, as he had run out of the cell to gather his equipment, his plasma rifle stood proud on his shoulder, still hissing the smoke that it produced from firing a single blast towards snake.

He quickly ran over to you, and using his strength, he ripped the chains off the rock wall restraining you. You pulled Spike into a hug, which he quickly reciprocated, but quickly throwing you down to the ground, as another thrust of the snakes tail tried to take a swipe at your heads. Quill now free, started firing at snake again, this time aiming at the wound upon his face. Drax quickly equipping his daggers ran up and charged at his face, using the rock wall that used to hold you as a boost, he managed to stab the side of snakes face, and using his weight he dragged the daggers down his neck, slicing a large chuck of his body off, the blood lost was too grand and snake fell to the ground dead.

The crowd began to cheer and throw things into the arena, Quill and Drax ran over to you and Spike.

“This guy huh?” Quill asked, “Any particular reason?”

“What do you mean by that?” you asked, holding onto Spikes arm, happy to have your mate back in your reach

“He mans that he is very ugly! I mean you’re very ugly as well, but he! He is a new level of hideous!” Drax laughed, and was quickly silenced by having his head driven to the ground by Spikes clawed hand.

Before anything else could happen, a loud crash could be heard from the Grandmasters viewing box, as he was thrown from the box. Gamora, Rocket and Groot, sliding down on vines.

Without a word the group and you began to make haste towards their ship. The Grandmaster was caught by one of his hologram drones, and soon enough sent drones to fire at their ship. But failed to stop you as you had managed to escape into the depths of space.

You couldn’t stop thanking Gamora for rescuing you and Spike.

“Please stop thanking me, it’s an honor to help people” she would reply, much to Quills annoyance as it was a group effort to get you out.

The trip back to the planet you called home was about a weeks time. Within that time Spike began to keep you close, as a new level of protection made itself known. On the first rest of the ship, the two of you were given your space in a guest room at the bottom of the ship.

You would sit on the edge of the bed and await to be scolded by him. Yet he never did, he would meet you at the edge and kneel down, and look up into your eyes, taking your hands into his, he would purr into your lap, content and happy that you were once his again. The second night, Drax demanded to learn some hand to hand fighting technique's from Spike, which were often met with Spike demolishing Drax, as he was over confident in his skills. The third night, the group had to make a stop at a small off course planet to fill up, the two of you caused a commotion as no one had seen a Yautja in their mists in centuries.

Returning to your shares room Spike grabbed your face, and placed his forehead against yours.

“Do you often fear my appearance?” he asked, his communicator buzzed along his chest.

“I do not, why do you ask?” you replied, cupping his face in your small hands, rubbing your thumbs across his jaws.

“You are...very appealing to me”

You smiled and placed a kiss on his forehead.

“You are very handsome to me”

#yautja x reader #yautja #predator #predator x reader

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theterribletenno · 3 months

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Warframes even Ballas was ashamed of

Vote for your favorite [here]!

Max the Monster Truck Warframe: Half machine and half beast the creature whose name need only be "Max" lived as entertainment for the Orokin. Less than human, he shall have no civil and proper weapon, no sword nor shield shall he wield. Let his iron fists be his weapon, let him show where man, machine, and monster meet. Maximum strength, maximum fury, maximum execution was served in the arenas by the monster of steel, Max! Embody the spirit of bloodsport with the armored heathen, the gravedigger, the abominable gladiator Max! Max! Max! Max! Max! Monster and machine! Soldier and entertainer! Maximum carnage! Maximum brutality! Maximum dominance! Max! Max! Max! Max! Max!

Saluuknir the Telekinetic Warframe: A brilliant mind is a terrible thing to waste. Better to send those great minds to the warframe project than to rot in a cell or a penal colony. Such was the fate of many a fallen Archimedean, whose gifts for science run from their brilliant minds through their defiled veins, pulled out by the helminth seed and woven through every fiber of their being. The warframe Saluuknir is one such warframe, born from a great and terrible mind and blessed with dominion over the laws of physics themselves. He enters battle with an enormous object, a perfect cube of gleaming metal, and with the power of his mind throws it to and fro just as easily as he does his foes, reducing them to red paste with a mere flick of his wrist. Defy the laws of nature and make physics themselves your weapon as Saluuknir the master of telekinesis!

Ariel the Duviri Beastkeeper Warframe: The stories of Ariel are not written in any tome or tablet, only spoken word can tell her story. A heroine of the past, master of beasts. With every telling her story becomes more fantastic and incredible. Is it true? Did she command every beast of the land? Did her familiar truly shapeshift from bird to ram to hound at her whim? In the gestalt egregore lands of Duviri the stray thoughts of Ariel's story give her life, a warframe and her shape-changing animal companion for the Drifter to encounter. Discover the true power of the beasts of Duviri - the Paragrimm, the Tamm, the Kexat, and the Krubie - and awaken the power of their master Ariel. Make her real, Tenno, bring Ariel the beastkeeper of Duviri to life!

Tsurugi the Greatsword Master Warframe: The Tenno love for melee combat is more than abundantly documented, and so to suit the needs of the Tenno operators warframes were made specifically to suit their bloody needs. Tsurugi, the lady of the greatsword, was tailor-made for Tenno brutality, a master of the heaviest of melee weapons. Clash and smash with greatswords, hammers, and other super-heavy weapons to unlock Tsurugi's potential and discover a new equal to the venerated Excalibur. Tsurugi advances with reckless bloodlust and crashes into the battlefield like a falling star.

Shamir the Wyrm Queen Warframe: The ravening mistress Shamir is queen of the golden maws, summoning them at her feet and commanding them to crush her foes in fang and coil. Shame of the Orokin, Shamir was kept the most hushed of secrets but nothing made of ivory and gold could be hidden forever. Though she exists in the enmity of the empire that made her she is a necessary evil, queen of the corpse-eaters and muck-rakers, keeper of the horrid worms and tamer of their gnashing golden maws. In her true form Shamir ascends from worm to wyrm, limbless dragon of the empire's final fury. Take the legend of Shamir and rise from the dirt, Tenno, the queen of worms sits upon a throne of death.

#warframe

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slavghoul · 2 years

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Interview from Nieuwe Revu #22/2022

It is twelve o'clock when Tobias Forge enters a small, concrete room at Forest National. He looks a little younger than 41, wears a black leather jacket over his Sepultura shirt and bracelets on his wrist. For a singer who has been on tour for months now and will be touring for months to come, he looks remarkably fresh.

Still, it's a strange tour, he says immediately, especially the American start of it. 'Once upon a time, when this tour was booked, it all seemed normal. But because in the United States we play in arenas where sporting events are also held, our adjusted tour schedule suddenly depended on hockey. And handball. And monster trucks. And everything you can do on ice these days. So our tour ended up looking like Stevie Wonder had planned it. But when we did play somewhere, often in a venue where many of the other bands had cancelled after all, we were often the first live band that people had seen in two years. Also now that we are in Europe. The enthusiasm that this arouses in people is really great. Despite the war, it feels like a new spring and like a time when everything is coming back to life. At the same time, I am aware that for some people it is very scary to suddenly stand in a crowd again. And I also realise that people don't just buy a ticket for a show because they have fifteen tickets left in their drawer for shows they still have to catch up on. So I'm very happy to play for the people who are now ready to be entertained.'

What struck me in Rotterdam was the enormous diversity of the audience. Especially in a time when everyone can live in their own bubble, Ghost attracts a colourful mix of old rockers, young ghotics, teenagers to fifties, from very alternative to pretty mainstream. How did you manage that?

I really don't know. When we just had our first record out and started touring, that was one of the first things I noticed, especially in the States. In Europe it took a bit longer, because here we first played on metal festivals, so logically we were mainly in front of metal audiences. But once we played our own shows, I thought: wow, did those indie chicks here come along with those guys, or the other way around? Sometimes it seemed like there were two different bands booked that night. We were quite a hyped band in our early years, so I thought: maybe that's why, and some of all these different people are here now more or less by accident. But it didn't diminish, on the contrary, the mix became broader and broader and exactly as you describe: a big collection of all kinds of very different people from different cultures and subcultures. I think that's one of the nicest features of our audience, and it keeps surprising me in a positive way. I know that finding an audience for your music in the first place is something you can never take for granted. If you're lucky, that audience will follow you for a while, and if you're really very lucky, you manage to build up something with a part of that audience for a long time, and you have to accept that that part will always be the same. I mean, if you go to a Backstreet Boys concert now, or a New Kids On The Block concert, there are 18,000 chicks screaming, but they are the same 18,000 as in 1990. Which is fantastic, don't get me wrong, but also implies that the highest achievable thing is if you can more or less conserve that following. So I am very, very happy with the diversity of our audience.

And then something else struck me. I don't know any band, maybe only Maiden, Metallica and Kiss, where so many people come into the room and buy a shirt first, even though they already have a shirt of your band. That a band is not only music, but also a logo, a design, an identity to convey: how quickly did you realise that?

Don't forget that I am first and foremost a fan. Of a lot of bands and a lot of elements of those bands. I was born in 1981, so grew up in the 80s, with a brother who was thirteen years older. And then my mother was also very liberal and a huge culture buff. When I was a kid, she already said: "Oh, you want to see Scarface, and Betty Blue? Just keep in mind that there are some realistic scenes in there." So I grew up with a lot of music, a lot of pop culture, a lot of film. But the thing that excited me the most was extreme metal. My brother was a punk, but had many different kinds of music, and taught me the roots of metal. From my teens on I wanted to play that music: death and black metal. That's how I started my band Repugnant in 1998.

That band is still distinguished for their old school death metal sound. It seems like quite a step from that sound to that of Ghost.

That metal sound certainly had its limits, and I started experimenting with writing pop songs alongside it. For a while I was a bit lost in a musical sense, I didn't know exactly which direction I wanted to go in. It wasn't until I was in my late twenties that I started writing songs that intuitively sounded a lot more interesting, because they were a mix of that pop, the harmonies from all sorts of genres, and everything that I loved about dark, hard music. The songs I worked on between 2006 and 2010 were good, I could tell that right away, but I had no idea about their commercial potential. Those songs became Ghost's first record, and my idea was: there's definitely an audience for this. But a limited, defined audience. A show at the Roadburn Festival, that's what I was hoping for. And then to come back six months later to a theatre in Amsterdam and turn it into some kind of art installation that you could put on every now and then. But when the first Ghost record came out and one opportunity after another came my way, I knew: no, I'm not going to be some kind of John Frusciante in a pop rock band. But because Ghost is so deeply rooted in everything I listened to growing up, I always come up with the concept intuitively: it's a mix of everything that I personally like. I think that's true for our fans as well, just as many of them have some shared interests. I think a lot of our fans are record collectors, like comics, and like horror.'

In the early years, the visual aspect of Ghost included something that has now disappeared: the mystery. Nobody knew who you were. Now they do. That doesn't seem to have made any difference in the perception of Ghost. Did that surprise you?

Mostly relieved, actually. Look, it wasn't like I was totally unknown and overnight everyone knew who I was. And I've always known that all the work that went into making Ghost, well, not an instant household name, but at least a name you've seen come along with when you're into music, that all that work wasn't about me personally. It was never my intention to become as famous as Ghost, or Papa Emeritus. The young version of myself, yes, he wanted to be famous and recognised on the street, but also mainly because he thought that was the way to get the attention of nice girls. But I really like the way that I can more or less step in and out of that fame now and just be myself undisturbed. When Ricky Gervais walks into a bar, everyone knows he's this funny guy and expects him to demonstrate. In my neighbourhood in Stockholm, there are a lot of people who are often on television or in films and series, they are really famous. Everyone knows who they are and what they do. When I walk down the street in Stockholm, I sometimes meet someone who looks back and makes the horns with his finger. At home, I'm just a married guy with two kids. With a wheelie recycling bin. And there is a huge gap between the stage and home, and I am very happy with that.

You certainly don't ignore your influences on your new album: you can fill an evening with guessing direct inspirations from other songs. In hip-hop, this is done with samples and is considered an homage. In rock, often as copying.

It's funny you should say that, because my son has recently become very interested in old hip-hop. I like that too, while I often find newer hip-hop depressing. The music I listened to in the 80s and 90s was often uplifting, even if it was about heavier subjects. Anyway, what I like about older hip-hop, apart from the audible enormous attention to the rapping, is the samples. My son recently played me another one, it was by James Brown. He asked me if I knew it. I said: do I know James Brown? Fuck, man! Let me tell you about the time my mother took me to the Stockholm Jazz & Blues Festival as a child. I was the only kid there, so I could just walk into the backstage area and I met B.B. King and the whole James Brown band. He was going to play there, but he had cancelled himself, while his band was already there. So his band members killed their time by playing all day with their new mascot: me! Like that. So much for my James Brown anecdote. And that's how it is at home all day long now. My son plays me Jimi Hendrix: do I know it? I have been influenced by so much music that if I were a visual artist, I would make collages. That's why I love the old work of the Beastie Boys: they actually made that into music and spent so much time on it. Well, in another way, mine, I think I try to incorporate all my influences into my music as well. I try not to overthink it: you have notes and you have language, and the only thing that matters in the end is that you make something with it that evokes a feeling in you, and if that feeling is very strong, that it might touch others as well. And sometimes, when it is finished, but only then, do you wonder what it reminds you of. I keep coming back to the word intuitive, but I really believe in that way of working: you have to keep writing and making music, then reduce it to 45 minutes or so for an album, and only at that stage you have to worry about whether some people find some pieces too similar to others. And even then. Sometimes people hear a song in your music that you've never heard yourself, or they say it's a 'copy', but that's a term with legal implications that don't apply at all. That's why that judgement against Ed Sheeran the other day was so important: before you know it, a musician is never safe from plagiarism accusations from someone who once wrote a song that nobody has heard. So yeah, I think that hip-hop comparison is the right one: I'm trying to carry on a musical tradition and, in culinary terms, cook a fusion meal.

Talk about a hip-hop custom. You're transparent about something songwriters have long seemed ashamed of: using co-writers to write your songs. For a long time, the idea was: you're a songwriter or you're a performer. And if you're a songwriter, you write everything yourself. Has that changed?

I consider the people with whom I write as editors. When you write a book, you also have an editor who says: you have here an anecdote of 5500 words, but you add so much that it distracts me from the core. Look at that again. Look, Aerosmith at one point threatened to become a legendary nostalgia act, without any direction. They then had songwriters intervene from outside to come up with a new sound, and with success. I'm not against that at all, but it's not what I do. I'm not looking for anyone to write a song for me. The premise is already there when the other one comes in. But then it comes! The person I invite to work with me has to challenge me to go in directions I hadn't thought of yet, take me to new places that fascinate me. Sparring with me to give me new insights, editing me, telling me when I am repeating myself.

You want to avoid repeating yourself?

I want to make sure that I am constantly learning. If you practise martial arts for years in the same dojo of the same sensei, it is also a good idea to train for a while in Shanghai. In a different environment, with different sparring partners. And it's complicated, because in this equation, during the recording of an album, I actually train at the same time in six different gyms with many different sparring partners, but I want it to continue to develop. And that also means that one day I can go back to our initial sound, but then enriched with everything I learned afterwards. For some puritanical metalheads this continuous change is a bit disturbing, and I understand that, because it can make a fleeting impression. But as much as I love AC/DC and Ramones, and that's really a lot, in the end I'm most fond of Queen's approach: doing it different all the time.

In the background, the sound of his sound-checking band is already pounding through the concrete of Forest National. Tobias has to get going, into the hall. “Finally, I get to play at Forest National! Do you know how many times I've seen the name of this venue on all the tour shirts of my favourite bands?”

#the band ghost #tobias forge #interview

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satoshi-mochida · 8 months

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Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince details new battle and monster recruiting systems

Gematsu Source

Square Enix has released new information and screenshots for Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, introducing the game’s new battle and monster recruiting systems, as well as opened digital pre-orders via Nintendo eShop.

Get the details below.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is the latest installment in the Dragon Quest Monsters series where players immerse in the epic story of the dark prince Psaro, a monster wrangler, and construct a team of monsters to battle against your enemies as you progress through the adventure to becoming the Master of Monsterkind. In Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, Switch players and Dragon Quest fans worldwide will be able to:

-Scout Monsters and Send Them into Battle – Control up to eight team members, with up to four in your main party and four more in your reserves.

Issue precise orders to each individual monster during battle, or set general tactics, such as ‘Show No Mercy’ or ‘Focus on Healing’ and leave it to your monsters to decide the specifics.

Your monsters can enter into a frenzied state out of sheer desperation and inflict greater damage and gain additional opportunities to act if victory seems like a distant dream.

-Grow Your Roster Of Monsters – There are many ways to grow your roster of monsters.

After winning a battle, an enemy monster may ask to join your team afterwards.

Use the ‘Show of Force’ skill and try persuading strong-looking enemies to join your team

Meet other wranglers on your journey who are willing to combine their monsters with yours to create a brand-new creature—one they’ll even let you keep!

Use items, such as meat-based goodies and other treats, to increase the likelihood of recruiting a monster or to improve the persuasiveness of your “Show of Force.”

-Use the Power of Synthesis to Make New Monsters – Combine two parent monsters to make a new one.

The synthesis system has been overhauled for Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, and now features more intuitive combinations for returning gamers and newcomers to discover.-

-Unlock New Monster Talents – There are three broad categories of talent, and each one contains a mix of skills, magic spells, attribute boosters and more. Some provide life-saving healing spells, while others can turn a monster into an attacking powerhouse or a sponge for damage. A selection of talents are even named after some very familiar monsters…

Level up Monsters’ Talents – Unlock new sets of spells and abilities gradually by assigning talent points earned through battle experience and / or other means.

Inherit Talents through Synthesizing – When a child monster is synthesized, it comes with its own innate talent, but can also inherit skills from its parent. Understanding this is the ultimate key to creating powerful monsters. There are numerous talents to be acquired.

-Manage Your Team of Monsters’ Sizes and Ranks – Monsters come in two different sizes: small or large.

--Sizes:

Small monsters take up one slot in your team, while large monsters require two slots. Set up a party of four small monsters, or two large ones, or two small and one large.

Large monsters also have higher attributes than their small counterparts and act multiple times per round during battle.

--Ranks:

Each monster is assigned one of nine ranks based on its type: G, F, E, D, C, B, A, S or X, from lowest to highest.

Rank S monsters hold many familiar antagonists from the series, while the most fiendishly powerful monsters exclusively occupy Rank X.

-Test Your Mettle in the Battle Arenas of Two Worlds!

As Psaro’s adventure takes shape, two battle areas, where you can test your monsters’ might, will become available—the Endor Colosseum in the human world of Terrestria, and the Maulosseum in the monster realm of Nadiria.

Overcome every expert monster wrangler in each arena on Psaro’s quest to raise an army capable of toppling the Master of Monsterkind himself!

-Familiar Faces from Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age and New Friends to Find

-Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince features over 500 monsters to befriend, including:

Jasper Unbound and Krystalinda from Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age.

Greater Platypunk and brand-new monsters like Gander.

And more to uncover and synthesize…

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is now available for digital pre-orders and pre-purchase exclusively for Nintendo Switch via the Square Enix official store and at retail. Players who pre-order or pre-purchase the game will also receive the Head Start Set which includes:

Stardust Earrings (x1)

Scholar’s Specs (x1)

Bonus Ball (x5)

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is due out for Switch on December 1.

View the screenshots at the gallery.

#Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince #Dragon Quest Monsters 3 #Dragon Quest Monsters #Dragon Quest #Square Enix #RPG #Gematsu

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mirageofficial · 11 months

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— WELCOME TO THE UPSIDE ! !

with a total of 22 shows and 16 stops across eight countries, MIRAGE finally takes center stage at their very first headlining concert series: ENTER THE UPSIDE! the setlist is an attempt at performing the group’s staple hits (and solos) while feeding fans with the most beloved b-sides since debut—it also features the unreleased songs monster + shooting stars (their latest english song). the live songs will share a glimpse of MIRAGE’s lore, friendship, and lessons learned in real time. the members were able to promote their english hits at broadcasting stations and festivals throughout the many countries they visited.

tickets were in high demand before the presale period opened, especially due to the fact that the majority of booked venues were smaller-scale arenas (minus south korea, japan, united kingdom, and indonesia’s stadiums). VIP, meet & greet, and standard tickets sold out within hours overall—some instantly in certain countries— and it’s reflected MIRAGE’s overlooked global popularity beyond south korea. since the announcement of the tour, netizens have been discussing whether or not KQ ENTERTAINMENT, their small label, has the strength (and money) to continue managing/supporting MIRAGE as they continue to climb to the top of the charts… or would a different label ruin the group’s strategies?

( full setlist ! )

( opening VHS ) intro: end of the world

act i the jinx

i + opening roll the dice

ii ( mashup ) black mamba + illusion

iii bewitched

iv breathe

v addicted

vi + act i finale secret story of the swan

act ii changes

interlude ( visuals ) natural

vii interlude: illusions

viii changes

ix relapse

x the happiest girl

xi + act ii finale rainbow spectrum

act iii maknae unit + elder line's solos

xii + extended intro monster ( xepher, nako, & arin )

xiii halfway ( nari )

xiv + act iii finale queen of the night ( eunae )

act iv vivace

interlude + VHS WE ARE THE PIXIES

xv starlight

xvi greedy

xvii ( mashup ) alive + outro: vivace

xviii ( mashup ) a little different [eng. version] + not a stereotype

xix + act iv finale shootings stars ( unreleased eng. song )

act v our promise

xx wanna:be

xxi + special VHS for PROMISE domino

xxii chillin' with you

( finale ) our promise

( encore ) mago

DID YOUR FAVORITE SONG MAKE IT TO THE SETLIST?

between the first two opening nights in seoul and the first half of tour, many kpop stars came out to see MIRAGE in action! which guests do you think caused the most commotion/drama on stan twitter?

ATEEZ

TOMORROW X TOGETHER

NCT ( taeyong, mark, jungwoo )

WAYV ( winwin, kun, hendery, xiaojun )

THE ROMANTICS ( rue )

MANIA! ( byeol )

UNIVERSE-4 ( jihun, marley, sakura, AJ )

FROMIS_9 ( saerom, jiheon )

SEVENTEEN ( seungkwan, DK )

THE BOYZ ( kevin, sunwoo, new )

PENTAGON ( jinho, kino, shinwon )

NOAH ( @qtnoaly )

AESPA ( qiao @darkestlovers )

TAGLIST | @qtnoaly @neocityocs @alixnsuperstxr @darkestlovers

JOIN THE TAGLIST HERE

#mirage / the upside tour 2023 #mirage / eras / rebirth #fictional idol group #idol au #idol oc #kpop addition #kpop gg #oc girl group #fictional idol community #kpop oc #oc gg #mirage / discography

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ulircursed · 5 months

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" . . . . . . alligator monster was new, though. it had to be the toughest enemy i've ever faced yet, at least. but there was a trick to it. as soon as that was clear, the rest wasn't so bad."

she'd looked for andrei almost as soon as everything was over, second only to looking for sir— er, kent. ( and mostly out of shyness, if she's to be honest. but seeing that he hadn't run her off when she'd found him was enough to make her feel better about talking to him. her heart beats just a little quicker. )

"anyway, i just wanted to find you and tell you . . . because," voice quiets, " . . . you were there, that time. so, you know how it went."

the titanus. its greatsword, the size and heft of mountains. its crushing force, the oppressive weight of the limitless space around them. unconsciously, caeldori's fingers tighten in the fabric of her sleeve, recalling the cycles upon cycles she's been back there in her dreams, geometric, brilliant blue lines running perpedicular across her periphery. " . . . do you still remember all that? tagzig? that strange machine we fought in the caves together?" a soft, pinched laugh, though not entirely humorless — if only because there was little else to greet the memory with save that and despair. and maybe to be sure she wasn't the only one. to be sure she wasn't crazy.

"i wondered. well, this ' arena ' was gifted to the school by the elementals. but where do they get these monsters, these ones we've only met in nightmares and fairytales? i heard some of the others even encountered the cervid . . . "

"...I do remember."

Too well, sometimes. In those dark, sleepless nights where his past plays out in the darkness, he recalls their fight together within the cavern, yes, but then, inevitably...

(A pegasus and a brave knight of the sky, cut down from the air by one swing of a great, shadowed sword. An archer, powerless to save the life of the first person he had come to call a friend.)

And yet, just as he had been, she too is given a chance to overturn the hands of fate. The curse and blessing of this land, to repeat their battles again and again and again, and perhaps, given fortitude, to find a different outcome. Andrei's voice is quiet, tremulous beneath the weight of the emotion pressing upon his words as he speaks next.

"But you've now emerged victorious. You faced the same peril, and you've overcome, this time."

He's struck, then, with the mad urge to reach out, to place his hand upon hers, as though to remind her, to remind himself, that she is still here. That what had happened in the past in this strange land is capable of being overturned, that their memories were all that's left of that time. That yes, they had faced it together, and that they would continue to face what comes in the future.

Except... no. The thought recoils from his mind nearly as soon as it enters. Caeldori is not Edain, not family for him to childishly cling to when his weakness dictates it. She is not even Lady Deirdre, to whom the trappings of etiquette seem all but meaningless. Caeldori is also of noble upbringing, and the thought of such an action will always be an absurd one. Has a few short years in Fódlan stripped him even of the propriety that he'd once taken such pride in?

The other topic she brings up is much safer (and truly, why did he not stick with this to begin with?), and after an unsteady pause, he latches onto it with the haste of one struggling to find solid ground to stand upon.

"The— the enemies that we fought were all unfamiliar to me," he says, "Though it is certainly possible they were conjured from the memories of another in our team. This arena must have been powered by our minds to some extent." After all, unlike the Projectionist's version within the storybook, they'd emerged from these trials without a single physical wound to show for it, despite how real the sensation of weaponry and spells had felt in the moment.

#i was outside at an event when andrei briefly possessed my entire brain and this response sprang wholly formed into my mind #so i had to hurry and finish things up so i could come home and dump this all into the post #then *after* i finished i realize this actually could read like he's developing (completely oblivious) non-platonic feelings for her too #despite what i JUST said in my last reply in our thread #and at this point i don't even know anymorerrejrelkajaer #emphasis on completely oblivious even if so tho #this is a man with a wife and a child and zero experience having either a friend OR a crush #don't expect him to be aware of what he's doing AT ALL #venalier

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deusvervewrites · 6 months

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Non-BNHA question, feel free to disregard it if you dont want it on this blog:

You mentioned both Code Vein and God Eater in the past, and I only ever heard of those Games but never played them.

Would you recommend them (and if so, are there any must plays/holy order I should keep in mind)? Asking especially in regards to length and playtime, my free time is sadly limited, and I am not able to shove a new 200+ Hour game somewhere in there.

All of the games are closer to 60 hours, though GE 1 and 2 are listed at closer to a hundred for Completionist on How Long To Beat.

The God Eater games are all direct sequels, but playing previous games is not strictly necessary if you want to jump in at a later entry. Personally I'd recommend playing them in order, however. Though sadly the Steam version of 2 doesn't have the ability to check if you have GE1 save data like the original release, or if it does I don't know how.

(Though Steam bundles GE1 with GE2 for free)

Code Vein is a spinoff of the main series. It's actually technically a spoiler that they're connected but it was also conceived under the title God Eater Zero and I personally think knowing the connection enhances the experience. When it takes place is ambiguous (my theory is that it's simultaneous with the events of GE1) but it has subtle references to 1 and 2.

The games are not for everyone but I personally highly recommend them. The God Eater games are a sort of competitor to Monster Hunter, using a mission based structure where you enter an arena to kill monsters and scavenge materials. Code Vein is a Soulslike game, but from what I've seen of the genre, it's way more forgiving. They're also damn pretty games.

youtube

#asks

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late-to-the-magnus-archives · 13 days

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Blood and sand - Chapter Thirteen

They didn’t really talk. Every night, Hastur let him in. And every night, Hastur said the same thing: Waste your magic on me, and let us see if there is anything of a cure to this slow and painful end.

Written for the @malevolentmadnessmixup. Art by @aktrashpanda.

>>>>READ ON AO3 OR BELOW<<<<

----------

Chapter Thirteen: Drowning

Finding the door up to the stained-glass hall was easy enough. It was neither locked nor barred, and he entered it just as easily. No Dancers descended; no big, booming voice told him to leave. So Luke climbed the stairs.

Hastur let him.

Soft music filtered through this place now, hovering, gently filling the shadows. Like the scents, it was calming, soothing, stabilizing. “Hello?” Luke called.

“Little human. Why have you returned?” said the King in Yellow from the darkness.

Hastur, Luke told himself, because names were important. “To give you some relief. I can stop before going too far this time, too.”

Hastur laughed, low and frightening; it was such a wicked sound, cruel and eager for pain. “That is very foolish.”

“I want to do it,” said Luke, well-aware that wasn’t a good answer.

“I see,” said the King. “Come to me, then. Waste your magic on me, and let us see if there is anything of a cure to this slow and painful end.”

He was not, as he’d thought, able to judge when to stop, and passed out, or was made unconscious. He still sat with the king for an hour, trying, pouring his magic—blue in his mind vision—into that gold; then he woke, staggered back down, and went to bed.

He did it again the next night. And the next. And the next.

No one asked him where he’d been; he knew, or believed, that he was making a difference, and that was all the accolades he needed.

Luke believed it wasn’t a waste.

Besides, he had more magic to spend now, thanks to Oscar’s training. Dennis was still unhappy, but he trained Luke as he had been, working on the physical aspect.

Luke was just glad to have Dennis back, even if he did refuse to speak about Oscar. “Well, that’s who I wanted to bring back,” he answered just once. “But I don’t understand how he’s here. I didn’t find him. He wasn’t home.” And that was all he’d say on the matter.

It was endless. More monsters arrived by the week, and the new moon neared. Oscar would be leaving soon. Luke tried not to think about it.

In the middle of dinner one night, they were ordered to play battleships, and that’s when Luke learned the arena could be flooded.

Everyone had small boats, basic and creaking wood that slowly leaked, that tipped its occupants out with startling ease, that bobbed unsteadily on choppy water made choppy by the monsters that now swam it.

Monsters with back ridges, each fin bigger than his tiny boat, which swam just shallowly enough to disturb the water as they slid beneath his bow like a deadly tease.

“Steady,” said Oscar. “This changes things a bit. You’re going to feel people drowning. You’v got to stay strong, and focus on Arthur.”

Luke would try.

A small boat—propelled by magic and its hooting owners—sped past, splashing them. Luke gasped at the cold.

Arthur had his own boat. Every single other vessel carried a minimum of three, but not his. Dennis (back to his usual smile) had handed out the assignments.

The third wheel in Oscar and Luke’s boat was clearly not pleased by this. A large, furry beast, its features goat-like and its hands bear-claws, it hunched in the stern, scowling at them.

“Focus,” said Oscar. “Here we go.” And on cue, the trumpet rang.

Those who had the power to propel their boats did at once, at each other, completely reckless and sure. The first crash resulted in immediate casualty: four people went in the water; two grappled, bloody, atop the wreckage; and then whatever lurked below raised enormous, spiky tentacles from the water to simply take the people who fell overboard.

Luke hyperventilated, briefly overwhelmed. They were being eaten. Pain and suffering, life being chewed away.

He caught movement from the corner of his eye, and turned in time to see their boat partner lunge at him—

And then it shouted, fell to its side in the boat, and howled in pain.

Luke cataloged its injuries instinctively. The vessels in its legs had been expanded until they exploded, hemorrhaging; the tendons were taut, stretched as if cramping. The joints of its toes were suddenly scar-filled and impossible to bend.

Oscar looked down at it, frowning, a very serious face, a truly grim face, as if he hadn’t wanted to do this, but had no choice. “We are on your side, sir. We’re in this boat together, literally. I will thank you not to try that again.”

Luke saw. He looked up at Oscar with wonder in his face.

“We don’t kill unnecessarily,” said Oscar. “Keep an eye out, now.” Using paddles, they kept their boat in sight of Arthur, who had abandoned his own boat to leap into someone else’s, armed with his paddle, and proceeded to knock all of them into the water.

It churned. Blood bubbled, foaming, rising.

Arthur had taken damage. He was gasping, bleeding; one eye hid under a waterfall of blood from his scalp.

Luke looked and Oscar healed, and Luke saw how he did it, loved the precision, observed the control.

Arthur nodded his thanks, then paddled after another boat.

Someone’s rammed into theirs. Luke cried out and fell next to the fur-guy, but before the attackers could board, they shouted, all of them, and collapsed into their boat.

Oscar handed Luke his dropped paddle.

Luke rose, shaken, and paddled with him. “You’re… really fast.”

“I have to be,” said Oscar.

Arthur had changed boats again and was latched onto some enormous potato-looking thing, biting (yes, Luke, thought, biting) deep into that thing’s side.

“He knows where to strike,” murmured Oscar. “Look.”

It wasn’t random, Arthur’s attack-point: there was some organ close to the skin there, fragile, somehow involved with reproduction, and Arthur digging into that meant the potato-being would be down and out from blood loss quickly.

Yikes.

Arthur slid off; the potato-guy collapsed. And Arthur was paddling again.

Luke wanted to jump over there and heal that creature. He wanted to heal the one behind him. Wouldn’t they be grateful? Surely they would. He’d been told they’d attack, but why, when they’d just been helped?

Then he caught the look from the guy on the bottom of their boat, and was reminded the warnings had been right. The look was envy, and hate; it was venom, and heat. There was nothing in it of hope or help or pleading. No softness.

Luke swallowed.

“Steady,” said Oscar, pulling his attention back.

The goal—to bring one’s ship to the dock on the opposite side—was nearly in reach now. They’d already be there if not for Arthur.

“He’s lost his focus,” Oscar murmured, frowning. “John isn’t helping as he should.”

Luke startled. “John?” he said. “He’s real?”

“Ach, yes,” said Oscar. “He’s—”

The dark shape under the water suddenly surfaced, and everything went to hell.

All the boats clustered near that far dock flipped, dumping occupants. Tentacles rose, ready for the smorgasbord. Everyone in the water changed target from one another to the water beasts. Suddenly, only reaching the safety of the docks mattered.

Oscar was a strong swimmer, in spite of missing an arm, and he made it there, then, one-handed, pulled Luke up. All around them, warriors climbed out of the water; all around them, others failed, and were pulled down. And Arthur—

Someone had set their sights on Arthur instead of the monsters or the docks. Someone who swam up and attacked him from behind, and they both went under.

“No!” shouted Luke, lurching forward.

Oscar pulled him back. “If you go in, you can’t reach him in time! Watch! Use your power when you see them, and watch!”

He was right. It was too far. But still, Luke shook, staring at the wild water, bloody and frothing, and watched. Stared. Looked.

Arthur surfaced, but he wasn’t moving well. His face was blue, and blood streamed from his eyes. Almost immediately, he went under again.

“Come on, Arthur,” said Oscar, focusing hard.

Luke looked harder. He couldn’t fully see. Arthur was…

In a flash, a searing blip of electric blue, Luke saw past the waves and past the froth to Arthur himself, to Arthur’s bright red body, misshapen by wounds, by black holes where something had tried to eat him.

Arthur was actively dying, and Oscar had him alive by the skin of his teeth.

The world went muffled, darkened all along its edges to highlight that one spot of bloody water, and before he could think through what he was doing, Luke jumped in.

He could swim, damn it, and he did so now.

Under the surface, the water was horrible, filthy, filled with flecks of who knew what and clouds of viscera, and Arthur hung in the water, tight like a shrimp, a cloud of blood rising from his mouth. Luke swam to him, kicked up to get a breath, and went back down.

Arthur… something had taken a chunk out of his right side. He was missing… so much.

Luke didn’t think. With everything in him, he focused on Arthur’s heart, on Arthur’s flesh, on missing things that would have to be fucking regrown.

It was overwhelming for one second. Then, it wasn’t; Oscar would keep Arthur alive, so Luke could focus on what needed to be done.

It only made sense to push as much of himself into this as possible.

Luke forgot about breathing. He forgot about the flailing, seeking tentacles in the water, and the desperate warriors, fighting to survive. He forgot everything except Arthur’s body, and Arthur’s life.

He knew organs. Knew them, as if he’d been making them all his life, and he knew how to do this. Could.

Had to.

Would.

Arthur would not be dying tonight.

Luke found himself pulled abruptly onto the dock, panting. Oscar jumped back in and returned with Arthur a moment later, and with Luke’s help, got him out of the water.

Luke had sealed him up. Luke had replaced Arthur’s organs.

Arthur moaned, miserable, clutching his side.

Oscar panted. “Nearly there. Finer… blood vessels and the lymphatic system and the like. Almost there.”

Luke wasn’t done. He was dizzy, but together, they could do this. Arthur would not die tonight! But damn, that drain was a problem, getting in his way. It just wouldn’t stop, and for whatever reason, right now that Arthur was in danger of his life, it seemed to be pulling even harder.

“Breathe,” Oscar wheezed, ordering Arthur, channeling healing.

That stupid drain. Pulling on Arthur’s lifeforce. Like a living thing.

“Fuck,” Arthur moaned.

“It was venomous. Luke, focus!” Oscar said. “Find the damage the poison is doing and counter it. You can do it.”

Looking that closely told Luke more than he’d known before. He could see the thread of that drain actively eating Arthur’s life. He could see it, find it, follow it to its source, locked somehow behind Arthur’s eyes. Arthur couldn’t afford the drain right now. Not now.

“Easy,” Oscar breathed.

All around them, chaos, shouting; there were no more boats now, but only wreckage, and all survivors huddled on the docks.

Luke could see just… where… it was. Yes; tangles. The drain had tied itself to things, threading through and around Arthur on the cellular level, but this wasn’t honestly any different than the cancer Luke had treated in Celephaïs. It slid thin threads of itself beneath every follicle, around every vein, but Luke could see them, and he knew what he had to do.

The drain was desperate. The moment he tried to untangle, it went nuts, desperate, searing. Its hunger scared him, its fear captured him, its desperation warned him, and somehow, Luke began throwing stuff into its grasping claws, filling its hands with soma, keeping it from grabbing at Arthur, or at him, because it tried, and Luke didn’t think about where he was getting the stuff, only that it was needed, more and more, and Luke kept grabbing, and kept untangling, and suddenly Arthur arched off the dock with a gasp, his eyes flying open, and he screamed, and someone else roared, and Luke! came from a deep big bass god voice, and—

Luke woke up. The silence was shocking. Both suns had risen; he lay in the soft, dry sand of the arena, staring at the sky, surrounded by adults.

“Luke?” said Arthur, whose eyes were blue, whose eyes moved erratically now, at nothing, in no direction.

“Son,” said Oscar, visibly relieved, and there were tear tracks on his cheeks.

“Fuck,” said the Butcher, Dennis Collins.

Luke looked up at grown-up number four.

Who was a monstrosity in a cloak.

Who had tentacles wriggling, reaching around, touching everything.

Who had ebon-dark hide like someone else Luke knew and saw for an hour a day. A dozen mismatched eyes peered at Luke through the gap in the hood. Its body buzzed loud, and like one Luke had heard before.

“What did you do?” Arthur said.

Luke tried to sit up, and instead had to roll over and throw up a lot of nasty water.

“Easy, lad,” said Dennis. “You’ve swallowed more water than was in this whole place, I think.”

Luke coughed. “Tastes so bad,” he said.

“I’ll bet it does,” said Dennis. “Full of literal shit, by the time everybody got gutted.”

Ugh. He’d have to do all kinds of bacterial healing on himself. And the others. And…

“What did you do?” said Arthur again.

Luke really didn’t feel like answering. “Helped,” he said.

“Fuck this,” said Arthur over his shoulder to the fourth being. “You’re out. You’re going. You’re leaving.”

“No,” said the fourth being, and Luke did a double-take. That was Hastur’s voice. That was undeniably Hastur’s voice.

“Don’t you ‘no’ me,” Arthur snapped.

“He can’t leave,” said Dennis. “The arena’s already tasted his blood, accepted him. There’s only one way out now.”

Everyone stared at him.

“You leave all the time,” Arthur accused.

“Because I’m bound to the god of this place,” said Dennis in what was almost a patient tone. “She knows I’ll come back.”

“She?” said Oscar, perking up.

“The arena. You think I’d be meaning your whore of a god?”

“Insult her again,” said Oscar, low, his one fist clenching.

“Okay, enough,” said Arthur, cutting it off before it went further. “John didn’t sign up for this. He needs to leave.”

“He can’t.” Dennis was unmoved. “And you damn well know there is only one way out. As it is, the priest can only go if he goes soon. However the hell he got here.”

Arthur wobbled. The being steadied him.

Luke looked. He inhaled. “You’re not well,” he said, sitting up and reaching for Arthur.

Arthur didn’t see it. His eyes still jittered, left and right and all over, reminding Luke of a fire hose he saw once, disconnected and flailing. “I’m fucking fine!”

“You’re fucking blind,” said the not-Hastur behind him.

Blind? Luke looked, and—

He woke up again on the sand, feeling woozy, and moaned. His head hurt.

The other men were shouting. Arthur was shouting, the not-Hastur was shouting, Dennis kept declaring, “You know the rule! There’s one way out! One! You win! That’s it!”

“I won’t fight him!” Arthur bellowed.

“You think I’d kill Arthur?” snarled not-Hastur.

Luke reached for that blindness again and winced. He’d definitely over-extended himself. “His eyes…”

“I already tried, son,” Oscar said softly. “Whatever that is, it’s above our paygrade.”

“He’s cursed?” Luke said.

“I think so, yes,” said Oscar.

Luke couldn’t fix curses. Sometimes, he could counter the results of them, but he couldn’t fix curses. His own eyes filled. “How’s he going to fight if he can’t see?”

And that was a question they’d all clearly already been parsing.

“Next time you leave, you take him and go,” snarled the not-Hastur.

“No,” said Dennis with patience beyond patience. “It wouldn’t work. He can’t leave. You knew the risks when you signed up. Did you think no one would ever know you had a fucking whole other person inside you?”

Arthur snarled… but not quite in the right direction. He was blind. Fully blind. How could he do this? Luke gulped. “Why is he blind? Who cursed him?”

“I don’t know, son,” said Oscar.

Luke finally managed to fully sit up. He felt raw, as if he’d horked up parts of his esophagus instead of just foul water. The thought of that water turned his stomach again. “Help me stand, please?” he said, and managed to get to his feet.

And the Dancers must have been waiting for just that moment. They came across the sand in a rush, pointed feet digging divots and sending it flying behind them.

“Shit!” said the huge not-Hastur, who proceeded to pick Arthur up (“No! Stop!” cried Arthur to absolutely no effect) and lurch toward the exit, not quite rolling, not quite running, not quite moving in a way Luke could understand, as if the guy had too many limbs and didn’t know how to work them yet.

Oscar moved forward, between Luke and the oncoming golden horde. Dennis stood back, grim, looking like he’d been asked to eat something unpleasant.

Come, the Dancers said, circling, moving in, all of their pointed limbs sweeping in Luke’s direction and leaving little golden trails behind them. Come.

“He’s not going anywhere,” said Oscar grimly.

“Like we can stop him,” said Dennis. “Go on, lad.”

“He’s not had a chance to recover!” Oscar snapped.

“I’ll go,” said Luke. “It’ll be all right.”

“After what you did down here, I’m not so sure,” said Oscar.

“It’s okay,” said Luke, because he was sure he hadn’t done anything wrong. “I’ll go.”

Oscar gave him a look as if Luke had volunteered to walk into fire.

Luke patted his arm. “I’ll be okay. I promise.”

Dennis chuckled darkly. “Now, that’s faith, innit, priest?’

“What is your problem?” Oscar snapped, turning from Luke to scowl at Dennis.

“You can’t be here. I didn’t bring you. Whoever let you in used my blood, somehow. I’ve got a lot of problems with all of it,” said Dennis.

The Dancers moved closer, their voices no longer in sync. Come… come… come…

Luke sighed. He couldn’t fix their argument, and lacked the words to explain the fake-Butcher thing. “Lead on,” he said, and followed as they drifted away, fully graceful now that their purpose had been fulfilled.

Meanwhile, Arthur and that other guy were long out of sight.

That other guy.

John. It had to be John. The drain, the voice in Arthur’s head, which meant Arthur had not been crazy, after all.

John, who sounded like Hastur.

Couldn’t be. Could it? Could John be the missing piece?

Luke coughed a little, his lungs still angry from aquatic assault, and followed the Dancers up a new set of stairs (of course they felt steeper) and to the hall of many colors.

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[chapter fourteen] [masterpost]

#malevolent #malevolent au #malevolent fic #arthur lester #john doe #dennis collins #luke yang #kiy malevolent #malevolent madness mixup #blood and sand fic #kayne malevolent #oscar malevolent

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coffee-n-bagels-comic-universe · 1 month

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Lucifarians: A Family Forged (1980):

Chapter 1 January Twelfth

Taglist: @spacelizardtrashboys @natsadkid @schizoauthoress @piratewithvigorr @stupidbluegirl @thedollmaker16 @the--blackdahlia

Warnings: violence, smoking, Roddy being Roddy, my weird universe alterations

2200+ words

The Kayfabe Post

Casey's P.O.V:

Thursday, the first day of being at work for the WWF, Saturday the twelfth of January 1980. Part of me still can’t believe that Driskoll got us into the WWF, himself being here alone was explainable, even if he brought his sons it would have been expected, but us, seven women all entering the WWF at the same time, the head office must’ve been smoking something when signing the contracts. Driskoll has already given us an order to get to know the men of the company better, and if I’m honest, I don’t know anyone, and due to my status as a ‘cannibalistic, carnivorous, monster heel’ I don’t think many people are willing to approach me.

I’m not here because I earned it, I’m here because I’m a necessity for the team, or at least, that’s how I view it. That’s how I’ve always viewed it. Ven needed someone to humiliate and, as a natural outcast, I’m the easiest choice. Dirty blonde hair in a masculine style, half dyed copper, thick eyebrows over eyes that can’t decide if they want to be blue or green, multiple scars over my jaw covered by a thick mask which curls under my chin. Heavier than Ven, but much more slender than any male giant, except maybe Baba, and then there’s my tatt-

BAM

“Oh dear lord, sorry, are you okay?”

In my absent-minded walking I had knocked myself and another person to the floor, and not just anybody.

Four inches taller than me,

Wild afro hair,

At least double my weight,

André.

André the giant.

Knocked to the floor, by me… Shit.

“Are you okay, Mademoiselle?”

I went as stiff as a statue, and pale like Michelangelo’s David, staring at the floor and awaiting punishment for my carelessness.

“Mademoiselle?” His shadow shifted with his movements as he got closer.

His tone worried, “Mademoiselle?” He lifted me to my feet, I had just enough composure to thank him in his native tongue.

“Who are you, Mademoiselle?” André smiles softly.

“Cas Lucifarian, I’m new here.” I return the soft smile.

André wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer before taking a good look at me and cocking an eyebrow, !Are you, uh…” He snaps his fingers as he tries to find the right words.

“A giant, yeah, well actually I’m a giantess.”

André walks with me, showing me around the arena’s backstage areas, talking about everything and nothing whilst roaming the shockingly empty arena. I say everything and nothing, and I mean it, from the best shops for tailored suits to what places along the road had the best coffee. For the first time I had a friend who I can talk to and know he knows what being a giant is like.

By the time André’s tour ended, Venka had come searching for me so I could be part of the interview with Driskoll and Gene, I managed to get out a quick ‘Goodbye’ to my fellow giant before leaving.

Playing my usual role, the enforcer, the intimidation device, it is my role to scare anyone who I’m told to. Before joining the group, me and my brother Kane worked as a tag team, the Lloyd siblings better known as The Celtic Warriors. From winning tag belts to being a damn human scare tactic.

Focusing back into reality I heard Howard ask Skull how we were doing as a team so far.

I stood behind Skull and Ven, puffing out my chest and crossing my arms to look bigger and scarier.

“You know something,” Skull’s silken voice the mark of a snake, “Howard, my girls have yet to have a match, but we are doing absolutely fine. In shape and ready to rock and roll, every single one of my girls is doing fine.”

“Just look at us,” Ven adds with a smirk, gesturing to her body, “Don’t we just look marvellous, Mr Finkel?”

Finkel smirks, “You could say that again, Miss?”

“Ven, although you can call me Pride.”

Skull glares at Finkel, almost daring the smaller man to try and flirt with his daughter.

Howard readjusts and focuses on the main point of new women in the WWF, “Uh, well, how soon do you girls think you’ll be seeing in-ring action?”

Skull looks at me to answer.

“Soon. Very very soon.” I growl as we leave the interview.

The rest of the day went by rather normally and quickly, Driskoll and Venka taking Helah and Everest with them back to the hotel, while myself, Bellona, Petra and Sydney stay behind to look at the other competitors as they leave.

Bel takes her cigarettes and a lighter from her bag, lighting up as she strides up to me and leans against the wall, puffing out clouds of smoke as she speaks, “Wassup, tall-ass.”

“I’m thinkin’.”

“Dangerous pastime hermana.”

“I know, Bell, I know. Hermana.”

“You addin’ to your phrasebook, Cassie?”

“Only the ones I deem handy to have.”

“Gym, tomorrow, me and you?”

“Gotta train, so yeah, gotta settle in somehow, right?”

“I’ll see you there, alright?”

“Adios, Bell.”

Bellona waves as she goes to grab a ride with the other two.

Bel is the only person who sees me as more of a sister than just a teammate. I look over at the door to the men’s locker room, soon one of those men will face me, now where is he. Putski, no. Rodz, no. Duggan, no. Zbyszko, yeah, he’ll do fine.

“Woah, watch where ya walkin’ lady.” A gravelly voice interrupts my thoughts as I turn to leave.

Lou Albano, oh geez.

Skull had warned me to avoid Lou, although with my gimmick being Gluttony I’m certain he’d jump at the chance to manage me.

“Sorry, Mr Albano.”

“It’s okay kid, you didn’t mean to do any harm, see ya around giantess.” Albano pats my arm as he leaves the arena.

I was still watching Albano, trying to figure out why he had acted so kindly towards me before feeling the hand on my shoulder and turning to be face to face with André.

“Hello Cas,” his soft smile returns, “It’s dark out tonight, maybe you would like to get a ride back to the hotel, I really don’t think a young lady like you should run the risk of meeting any unkind people out there.” In a strange way his voice calms me, the faint Ws replacing Rs and faint Hs of the French accent, almost like a father or older brother.

“I’m okay, André, thank you for the offer though, it’s very kind of you.”

He nods in response, saddened but curious, probably weighing the options of what I could do as much as I am, if I get a taxi my back will hurt tomorrow, but if I walk, I run the risk of getting followed or worse, I was already stabbed once in the past back in Carrickfergus. André pats my shoulder before sauntering off and leaving me all alone once again.

I don’t mind being alone, or rather I didn’t mind back when I worked with my brother, I was outcasted by everyone but him my entire life, our father working in a coal mine in Wales and our mother practically a single mother to two very active children, the only way she got us to stop wrecking the house was to make us train with David Finlay, a god of Irish wrestling.

I put my bag over my shoulder and started on my way back to the hotel, stopping to cover myself up with the shirt I keep wrapped around my waist, the sleeves long enough to hide my tattoos on my wrists, almost all of my sixteen tattoos are on my legs, except the two on my wrists, which I usually hide with tape when working.

It took around an hour to reach the hotel, walking through Philadelphia, a place I have never been before and am starting to hope I will never come back to, reaching the hotel and going straight to my hotel room, locking the door and getting ready to train.

I took off my shirt, shoes, everything except my underwear, starting with warmups and progressing into practising punches, kicks, knees, anything to tire myself, finishing up at just before midnight, showering and doing my nightly routine before falling asleep the moment I lay in bed.

On the morning of January 13th, Sunday, I woke up at six, turning off the radio alarm and stretching as I head to the bathroom, doing my morning routine and getting dressed in a short-sleeved orange shirt and black shorts, my mask for today is an orange and black chequered pattern heavy duty mask which I made sure goes down to the middle of my neck, I head to the local gym, taking my gym bag with me.

You meet all sorts of people in a gym, or so David had told me, back in Carrickfergus I would just train at his house, or at the club in Greenisland with his son or my brother. This gym felt like a whole new world, men from Georgia Championship Wrestling, The World Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance. I scanned for faces I had seen last night, I waved to Volkoff, he smiled and waved back before focusing on his workout.

I headed to one of the heavy bags, ending up between Muraco and Valentine, two men André had told me about the day before. Muraco stops, whispering to a guy standing next to him.

As Valentine walks past he whispers to me, “Careful around Piper, he’s a wild man.”

“Hey, Cas, right? The girl André’s been talking about.” Muraco smirks as he continues his workout.

“Yeah, I’m Cas, André said that you’re Don Muraco.” I reply between punches, keeping my breathing composed.

“Yes miss, although you can call me Don, the giant’s been talking to the boys about his new friend and how you’re a ‘lady giant’ as he put it.”

The mystery guy, probably ‘Piper’, smirks at Muraco before clearing his throat and looking more serious as he looks at me.

“Yeah, I’m a giantess, it’s good to meet you guys, but, uh, who’s your friend, Don?”

Don wraps his arm around the slightly smaller man’s shoulders, “This is Rowdy Roddy Piper, he’s a bit like you, Celtic, Irish are Celts right?”

“Yeah, though I don’t think your friend is Irish, he’s too broad-shouldered to be Irish.”

“I’m Scottish, originally from Glasgow. Can’t speak Gaelic, but I can play the bagpipes.” Piper’s eyes light up, a sort of mad Scottish fire behind blue eyes.

“I’ll see you boys around, I’ve got some more training to do.” I walked off to the treadmills, trying to block out Valentine’s comment. Piper didn’t seem all too wild, or rowdy, but a man like him, muscular, proud enough to wear a kilt, he could spell trouble for me.

I finished up, sitting on the floor and wiping my face with my towel, looking up when the noise of footsteps stops in front of me.

“Yes?” I murmur while staring at Piper’s stupid grin.

“Show me how you fight,” He bent over to be eye-to-eye with me, “you’re new here, I wanna know how ya fight.”

“Now?”

“Yeah, c’mon.” He leads me to a boxing ring being used by other wrestlers.

Piper enters through the ropes, I test the top rope’s slack, tight enough for my purposes, I lean back and front flip over the rope into the ring.

“That’s new, no girls have ever done that around me before.”

“I’m twenty-six and a giantess with a gymnastics background.”

Piper scoffs and we lock up, hand to hand, a test of strength, he goes for a knee to the stomach and I counter with a stiff Irish whip into the ring post, a little too stiff.

“You’re gonna pay for that, lass.” Piper snarls, and suddenly I can’t tell if he’s actually angry or if this is just for show.

I size him up, calculating in my mind how high I need to jump, he comes at me for a high knee strike and I dropkick him, both of us crashing to the mat below, my head bouncing off the near rock-solid boxing ring, making my mask hit my throat and almost trigger my gag-reflex, my breathing gets heavier and I try to hide the impact from the rowdy Scot.

Piper’s up quickly and at my side in an instant, “Cas, you okay?”

I don’t answer, rolling onto my back and struggling to slow my breath. Roddy pulls me up, letting me lean against the ring post and goes to unbuckle my mask.

I push his hands away and unbuckle it myself, before I can stop him, he grabs the mask away and checks my face and neck, he winces and my heartbeat doubles at the idea of him wincing at the mess of scars.

“It’s okay, the cut isn't deep enough to cause much damage, you’ve just bruised up your neck if anythin’.”

“Gimme back my mask.” I whisper, my voice hoarse.

“No, I ain’t finished lookin’ at you just yet,” He smirks, “can I train with ya, whenever we see each other again?”

“Sure, if we see each other again.” I nod as I put my mask back in its place.

#L.A.F.F #Lucifarians: A Family Forged #Lucifarians #Lucifarian #wrestling fic #wrestling fanfiction #vintage wrestling #old school wrestling #rowdy roddy piper #roddy piper #andre the giant #cas lucifarian #kilt boi

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theapprenticeofthanatos · 1 year

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TAoT: Chapter 19: An Unpleasant Visitor

Starting the next day, Danny was thrown into the hustle and bustle of life at Camp Half-Blood. He was glad for the distraction from the events of his first full day at camp. He hadn’t contacted Thanatos since his solo trip to the Underworld; Danny didn’t want to cause the god any more trouble than he already had. So, he was grateful that his schedule kept him busy.

Camp quickly began to feel like a second home. He even got used to the strange feeling in the attic. It reminded him of the Ghost Zone, in an especially eerie sort of way. He had even gone in once, just to see what was up there.

As soon as Danny crossed the threshold, he immediately got the feeling that he was not welcome. Usually, Danny didn't listen to such promptings, but he listened to this one. There was something about the attic that set his core on edge.

Danny left before anything could happen.

As the week progressed, Danny was thrown into a fun new routine. There were all sorts of classes offered at the camp, and Danny got to try lots of different things. Everyday in the mornings at about 9 AM, either Annabeth or Chiron taught him Ancient Greek, and half an hour before lunch they taught him Greek Mythology.

One day, while Annabeth was teaching him Greek Mythology, a thought crossed Danny’s mind. “Hey, Annabeth, I’ve got a question.”

She looked at him, curious. “Yeah?”

“What does it mean to promise something on the River Styx?” He remembered back when he had first met Thanatos, the god had made a promise to him on the River Styx. Danny hadn’t really thought anything of it at the time, but now…

Annabeth’s eyes widened. “You shouldn’t promise anything on the River Styx, Danny.” She said gravely. “Not unless it’s something that is very important to you. As in, willing-to-risk-your-life-for-it important.”

Danny felt a hint of dread begin to grow in his stomach. “… why’s that?”

“A promise made on the River Styx is binding.” Annabeth explained. “If it’s broken, there are serious repercussions for all parties involved.”

Danny gulped nervously. “Like… what? Death?”

“Worse than death.” Annabeth stressed.

Danny nodded and looked down at his hands. Thanatos had made a promise to Danny on the River Styx. Why would he do that? Was he really willing to face punishment if it was broken? Would Danny face consequences as well?

Danny decided not to dwell on it, at least for the time being.

On Monday, after his Ancient Greek lessons, Danny worked with Aurora on fighting with a sword and other bladed weapons. Danny quickly learned that he was not meant to wield a sword, so they mainly worked with daggers. After his weapons lesson came his private combat lesson with Chiron, since he couldn’t take pegasus-riding lessons (on the bright side, Danny didn’t have to clean the stables.)

“Where’s Mr. D?” Danny asked as he and Chiron entered the arena.

“Mr. D has been called to Olympus on official business.” Chiron explained. “He will be gone for the foreseeable future.”

“Oh, cool.” Danny was absolutely okay with not seeing the wine dude for the rest of spring break, and he didn’t think about it again as the lesson began.

During their first private combat lesson, Danny showed Chiron two of his powers: intangibility and invisibility (he wasn’t very comfortable with showing off his ecto-rays and other powers just yet.) Chiron seemed slightly disturbed by Danny’s abilities, but he took the news in stride, and helped Danny to incorporate those skills into their training.

After lunch, there was a tracking class. It was mostly for tracking animals and monsters, but Danny figured it could also be useful for ghost hunting. After that was cabin clean-up, but since Danny was not officially in the Hermes cabin (or any cabin, for that matter), he didn’t have to help with it. So, he had more free time than the other campers.

During his free time, Danny would go into the woods and explore (invisibly. He didn’t need the nymphs telling Mr. D anything else.) He also hung out with Annabeth when she had free time. They talked more about Amity Park and life at camp, but they also did other activities. They did some more sparring, and they also spent some time in the rec room (with a bit of help from his telekinesis, Danny was a master at ping pong, much to Annabeth’s chagrin.)

On Tuesday, Danny had archery with Sunny, javelin throwing with one of the Ares’ campers, and something the water nymphs taught called Ride the Rapids. On Wednesday, Danny helped Annabeth check inventory at the camp store (How did I not know this was here before?) and picked strawberries with some of the Demeter kids before lunch.

After lunch, Danny found himself in the camp forge, learning the basics of blacksmithing. It was fun, but Danny was glad to get out of the workshop later that day to go chop wood for that night’s campfire; it was far too hot in the forge for his liking.

After dinner each day was a campwide activity: on Monday, it was volleyball; Tuesday, it was unarmed combat; and Wednesday was Archery Knockout. Danny did not participate in any of the events. Even though Danny and Annabeth were on good terms (he would even say they were friends), he didn’t want to make her any more suspicious of him if he accidentally used his powers during one of the events again.

At the campfire after Archery Knockout, Annabeth asked him why he hadn't participated in any of the activities. Danny told her that he wasn't very good at volleyball and that he had pretty poor aim (okay, that one was a bold-faced lie; his aim was as good as his mom's.)

“Then why didn't you enter the unarmed combat tournament?” Annabeth countered.

Danny shrugged with a smirk. “Didn't want to embarrass anyone.”

Annabeth shook her head with a grin. “Careful. I might just tell Clarisse you said that.”

“Please don't.”

If Danny was being honest, he kind of enjoyed the break from his ghostly hero duties. So, of course, something had to happen while he was at camp.

On Thursday afternoon, Danny had wrestling class with Clarisse and her cabin. He was surprisingly good at the class, though that was likely because he had plenty of experience with hand-to-hand combat from ghost fighting. Clarisse was demonstrating a chokehold on one of her siblings when they suddenly heard a loud conch horn echo across the valley.

Clarisse’s expression turned serious and she stood to address the class. “Alright, training’s over!” She shouted. “Camp is under attack, go to our cabin and await orders!” She then turned to Danny. “You, stay here and stay outta the way.”

Danny was surprised to see everyone hurry out of the arena and towards the cabins. They act like the camp being attacked is a normal thing. Though, I wonder what’s out there? Danny had seen some strange monsters during his trips into the forest, such as giant ants and another cat-snake chimera (Danny made sure to stay far away from it.) His curiosity got the better of him, and he hurried outside to see what was happening.

Campers were running around frantically; some were suiting up at the armory, while others were sharpening swords at the forge. As he wondered what to do, Danny noticed a group of campers forming on the beach; some stood at the ready with weapons while others aimed readied bows at something floating above the water. He ran towards the group to see what was going on.

As soon as Danny’s feet hit the sand, his ghost sense went off. Oh, great.

“Ghost child! Come out and face me!” Skulker floated above the water. He fired a few ecto-blasts towards the group, but they seemed to bounce off of the air; was there some invisible force-field or something?

Danny would have to look into that later. At the moment, though, he needed to deal with the annoying hunter ghost (really, the correct term would be ‘ghost hunter,’ but that quickly got confusing with his parents’ line of work, so he referred to Skulker as ‘the hunter ghost.’)

About twenty feet from the group was a dock, with a canoe rack loaded with boats.

I can transform over there. Danny thought. He slipped away from the group and ran down to the dock. After ducking behind the rack and making sure he was alone, he transformed and went invisible. As a last minute thought, Danny flew to the Big House to grab his thermos before flying back to the group.

Skulker was still yelling and firing at the invisible force field. A few more campers had gathered as well, all armed and ready to fight.

Danny flew straight at the ghost, ramming into him. He grabbed Skulker and pulled him down into the ocean before he could react.

When they were about fifty feet from the shore and deep underwater, Skulker kicked Danny in the chest, knocking him back. “Ghost child! How nice of you to finally show up.” Skulker sneered.

Danny was not in the mood for this. “How did you find me, Skulker?” He snapped angrily.

“You are my prey, ghost child. I will always find you, and I will never stop hunting you until your pelt is at the foot of my bed!” Skulker extended his arm and fired a glowing white capture net at Danny.

“Yikes, dude.” Danny cringed as he dodged out of the way. “You need a new hobby.”

“And it seems that you have found one.” Skulker fired at Danny again. “Why are you so far from Amity Park?”

“I could ask you the same question!” Danny fired a few ecto-blasts at Skulker, who dodged most of them and growled in frustration at the ones he didn’t.

“Plasmius paid me handsomely to find where you ran off to, ghost child.” Skulker fired off a few ecto-blasts in Danny’s direction as he spoke. “Of course, I don’t need to be paid to hunt you down. It’s one of my favorite pastimes.”

“Like I said, find a new hobby!” Danny fired a double-handed ecto-blast that sent Skulker reeling backwards. He unclipped the Fenton Thermos from his belt. “And tell Plasmius to leave me alone when you see him in, oh, about a week!”

“What? NOOO!” Skulker wailed as he was sucked into the thermos. “IT’S SO CRAMPED IN HERE!”

Danny capped the thermos with a sigh. At least I thought to bring this. He then went invisible and returned to camp.

Upon returning to the beach, Danny saw that the group of maybe fifteen campers had positioned themselves in a loose phalanx formation, weapons bristling over their shields. Chiron was pacing behind the campers with his bow in his hands, tail flicking back and forth. Annabeth walked with him, and she was talking to him about something.

Crap, they’re gonna be on high alert for who knows how long because of Skulker. I-I’ve gotta do something. Danny needed to let the campers know the danger had passed, so he thought for a moment before coming up with what was, admittedly, a pretty stupid idea.

Danny moved to where Skulker’s shots had hit the invisible force-field and became visible.

The campers shouted in alarm and pointed their weapons at him; a few even shot arrows in his direction, but he easily dodged.

“Wait, I’m not the one that attacked you!” Danny hurriedly called out, holding his hands up in surrender.

Chiron ordered the campers to stand by and moved in front of the formation. “Who are you, and what are you doing here?” He demanded.

“I’m Phantom, and I was just passing by when I saw Skulker attacking you guys and decided to help.” Danny answered, noticing how Annabeth’s eyes lit up when he said his name.

“How do we know you didn’t order that thing to attack us?” Clarisse called out, pushing her way to the front of the formation.

Danny glared at her, offended that she would suggest such a thing. “I didn’t tell him to attack anyone! Skulker just tries to hunt me down so he can mount my ‘pelt’ on his wall,” He paused. “Or was it to make it into a rug?”

Several of the campers looked disgusted. Even Chiron looked disturbed. “Well, thank you for the help, Phantom.” The centaur acknowledged cautiously.

“You’re welcome.” Danny bowed nervously. “Now, I’d, uhh, better get going!” With that, Danny went invisible and flew back to the Big House, ignoring Chiron calling after him.

Danny fell to his knees as soon as his feet touched the floor of his room, breathing heavily. What the heck was I thinking? He thought as he transformed back to human form. They’re gonna find out, I shouldn’t have done that… Danny’s heart hammered in his chest as he pulled himself into a seated position and leaned against the bed, trying to control his breathing. Danny brought his knees to his chest and rested his head against them in an attempt to ground himself.

In, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four. Danny silently repeated a breathing exercise Jazz had taught him years ago for when his anxiety flared up.

After several minutes, Danny had managed to calm down and steady his breathing. He stood up just as someone knocked on his door. Taking one more deep breath, Danny opened the door to find Annabeth still in her armor. She pulled him into a hug before Danny could say anything.

“Whoa, Annabeth. You okay?” Danny asked, awkwardly hugging her back.

“You disappeared when that ghost showed up. No one knew where you went and I thought that…” Annabeth trailed off.

“Hey, I’m fine.” Danny said, pulling out of Annabeth’s hug to look her in the eye.

“Then why did you disappear?” Annabeth questioned.

Danny chuckled mirthlessly. “I’ve seen what Skulker is willing to do to get to his prey.”

Annabeth frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I live in Amity Park, remember?” Danny reminded her. “Skulker chasing Phantom is a common occurrence. I told you about him on Sunday.”

Annabeth nodded, but she still looked confused. “Why were both of them even here? They’ve never been recorded leaving Amity Park before.”

“Not true. Phantom’s been seen in Colorado, Wisconsin, and Maine.” Danny corrected, remembering his run-ins with Vlad and when he saved Nico and Bianca back in November. “And Skulker's also been seen in Wisconsin.”

“But why would they be here? On the shore of Camp Half-Blood?” She countered. “And why did Skulker mention a ‘ghost child’?”

Crap. Annabeth, why do you have to be so dang smart? Danny thought in frustration. “I… dunno, Annabeth. I can’t read ghosts’ minds.”

“Hmm.” Annabeth thought for a moment. “Was Skulker talking to you? ‘Cuz he only said it when you showed up.”

… Well, then.

Skulker is so gonna pay for this later. “Uhh, maybe? I mean, my parents are ghost hunters, so, uhh, ghosts tend to come after me and my sister a lot.” Danny said, rather lamely.

“I… guess that makes sense.” Annabeth said slowly. “You should probably go and see Chiron before he sends another search party for you.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I probably should.”

Annabeth smiled good-naturedly before heading back downstairs.

What am I even going to say to Chiron? Danny fretted, ruffling his hair in frustration. He paced around his room, trying to decide what to do. He could tell Chiron that he was Phantom, but that would open a whole other can of worms that Danny was not currently willing to deal with; would Chiron think that Danny was a monster or something? Would he make him leave the camp, or would he… would he just kill him? With how everyone had reacted to Phantom… Danny wasn’t sure if telling Chiron was the best idea.

He could also just tell Chiron nothing, but Danny had a feeling that that wouldn’t work, either. Just about everyone heard Skulker say ‘ghost child’, and it was likely that more than a few people knew that the ghost was referring to Danny after he had stepped onto the beach.

After several minutes of contemplation, Danny came to a decision: partial truths. He would tell Chiron the bare minimum. He really didn’t want to give the centaur any indication that he was Phantom or that he knew more than he was letting on, but he still needed to let him know that the camp was safe.

After taking a moment to mentally prepare himself, Danny walked down to the first floor. There he found Chiron, in his wheelchair, staring into the lit fireplace.

“Uh, hey, Chiron.” Danny greeted as he entered the parlor.

“Hello, Danny. I was wondering where you had gone.” Chiron turned to face him, a welcoming yet thoughtful look on his face. “Annabeth tells me that you have seen our… ‘visitors’ before in your hometown.”

Danny rubbed his neck. “Yeah, sorry about disappearing. I’ve, uhh, learned that whenever one of Phantom’s enemies shows up, it’s best to get out of the way.”

Chiron raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And why is that?”

“Well, when one of his enemies shows up, he’s often not far behind, and there’s usually a lot of mess and destruction afterwards.” Danny explained.

“I see.” Chiron nodded in understanding. “Luckily, despite that creature’s intentions, there was not any damage done here today.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask, what’s up with that?” Danny questioned. “Is there, like, a magic force-field or something around the camp?”

Chiron smiled in amusement. “Why, yes, I suppose that’s one way to put it. There is a magical barrier around the valley that protects us from outside forces.” Chiron’s smile faded as he changed the subject. “Danny, do you have any idea why those two showed up at this camp in the first place?”

Danny looked away guiltily. It’s my fault… my being here put the camp in danger. “Nope… no idea.”

Chiron watched him carefully. “What do you know about these ‘ghosts’?”

“Well, my parents are ghost hunters,” Danny answered more easily. “So I guess I know more than most people. These specific ghosts come from a place called the Ghost Zone. Tha- I mean, my mentor said that it used to be part of the Underworld.”

“Hmm,” Chiron leaned back in his wheelchair. “Well, those two were certainly not like any ghosts I’ve ever encountered. They seemed to have corporeal bodies, unlike most shades. And the mechanical one…”

“Skulker.” Danny supplied.

Chiron raised an eyebrow. “Skulker?”

Danny nodded. “That’s what he calls himself.”

Chiron looked unimpressed, but he continued. “Alright, then. ‘Skulker’ was able to physically attack the barrier, which makes me think he isn’t so much a ghost, as he is a monster. That in and of itself wouldn’t normally be too much of a problem, since monsters often try to enter the camp. What’s concerning is that he seems to be sentient. He was able to communicate with us, and where most monsters would be scared off, he chose to continue his assault. At least until the other one showed up.”

“Yeah, but it’s fine now, isn’t it?” Danny tried to assure him. “I-Phantom took care of Skulker, so the camp’s safe.”

Chiron didn’t look convinced. “I don’t know…” He trailed off as he watched the smoke crawl its way up into the chimney, before turning his attention back to Danny. “Speaking of your mentor, I think you should mention this to him.” Chiron said seriously. “Although Phantom helped us today, I don’t trust him. Ghosts never have good intentions, and spirits running loose in the mortal realm is dangerous. That’s why your mentor captures them and takes them back to the Underworld where they belong.”

Danny tried not to wince at the centaur’s words; he knew that Chiron didn’t know he was Phantom, but… it still hurt. “Yeah,” Danny mumbled. “I’ll talk to him tonight.”

First: Prologue

Previous: Chapter 18

Next: Chapter 20

#danny phantom #chiron #annabeth chase #clarisse la rue #skulker #taot #the apprentice of thanatos #lotu #legacy of the underworld #fanfiction #crossover fanfiction #percy jackson #percy jackson and the olympians

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