#survivor storybook

[thatdiabolicalfeminist]

I really think we need to be having conversations more often about how to figure out if you're being abusive, and how to address it if you are.

Abuse isn't just done by one demographic, or in one specific way. Most abusers justify their actions to themselves and do not think of what is happening as abuse.

It's dangerous to just assume that you don't have the ability to abuse someone due to your Pureness of Heart, oppressed status, or status as an abuse survivor. Thinking this way can make you more likely to harm someone.

I have known people who know a lot about abuse, have read a lot about it, and have been abused themselves, who become abusers and don't notice because it doesn't occur to them that they could ever be an abuser. They assume that if abuse is happening, they must always be the victim, because they were in the past.

This perception can make reasonable boundaries feel "controlling" and respectful conversations about harm feel like attacks. In trying to avoid painful feelings, it's possible to become controlling without even realizing that's what's happening.

You can abuse people. I can abuse people. Abusers are human beings who choose to harm and/or exert control over others. Not storybook monsters you have nothing in common with.

Let's talk about how to make sure we keep our friends, loved ones, and other community members safe from harmful behavior, not just from Total Irredeemable Obvious Monsters.

#abuse #abuse culture #thatdiabolicalfeminist

[snorklingfae]

Shades of Deception- Prologue

Dark!Joel Miller x naive!Fem reader

Synopsis: Amidst the ruins of a broken world, one survivor stands out from the rest - Joel Miller. With his sharp wit and unmatched ability to deceive, Joel has always managed to outmaneuver those around him. But when he meets y/n, an unsuspecting and trusting survivor, Joel sees an opportunity to take his game to the next level. As their relationship progresses, y/n unwittingly becomes entangled in Joel's web of lies and deceit, utterly unaware of the true extent of his cunning and manipulation. Will y/n break free from Joel's grasp before it's too late?

Notes: thinking of instead using the term y/n as it can get tedious to write but use Bambi instead as a nickname Joel uses.

Warnings: none yet more will be added in each chapter

Joel trudged wearily through the overgrown remnants of what was once a thriving city. The air hung heavy with the scent of decay, and the dilapidated buildings echoed his every footstep, reminding him of the world that had crumbled around him.

His senses were on high alert, scanning the shadows for any sign of danger. Survival had become his second nature in this unforgiving landscape.

One day, fate intervened as Joel was patrolling the area, and he saw a movement amidst the rubble of an abandoned storefront.

He slowly approached, weapon at the ready, prepared for any threat. But as he drew closer, he realized it wasn't a runner or clicker. It was a survivor, like himself, but far more vulnerable than he could have imagined.

She looked up at him with wide, trusting eyes, and her face was illuminated by a faint glimmer of hope that still flickered within her.

Despite the grim reality of their world, she radiated an aura of innocence and purity that Joel found both unsettling and strangely captivating.

As Joel observed her, a comparison sprang to mind, one that surprised even him. She reminded him of a character from a storybook, a creature from a world untouched by the darkness that now enveloped them—a fawn, fragile and trusting, with wide eyes that held a spark of curiosity and wonder.

Bambi, he thought to himself, though he doubted she would understand the reference in this harsh new reality.

"Are you bit?" Joel's gruff voice betrayed his concern as he approached cautiously.

"No, I swear," she replied, her voice trembling.

After a few seconds of debating, Joel sighed, "Are you alright?"

She nodded, offering him a tentative smile that tugged at something deep within Joel's hardened heart.

“I'm fine," she replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just... scared."

Joel crouched beside her, his expression unreadable as he studied her carefully. He could see the fear in her eyes, and the uncertainty mirrored his inner turmoil.

Despite the danger that lurked around every corner, there was something about this girl that drew him in, a flicker of humanity amidst the chaos that consumed their world.

Without a word, Joel extended a hand to her, offering her comfort in a world devoid of kindness.

“Come on," he said gruffly, his tone softened by a hint of warmth that surprised even him. "You'll be safer with me."

And with that simple gesture, Joel's solitary journey took an unexpected turn, leading him down a path he never could have anticipated—a path that would intertwine his fate with hers in ways neither of them could have imagined.

As they set out together into the unknown, they would discover that sometimes, in the darkest of times, it was the tiniest glimmer of hope that could light the way forward.

Shades of deception tags

@orcasoul @paanchusblog

#joel miller x reader #joel miller x fem reader #dark joel miller #joel miller series #joel miller x you #joel miller fanfiction #joel tlou #pedro pascal joel miller #joel miller imagine #joel miller smut #joel miller fic #the last of us fanfiction #tlou fic #joel hbo #joel miller x y/n #pedro pascal fanfiction #joel miller tlou #pedro pascal

[ouatsqincorrect]

What's the biggest regret of each character?

i’ve been staring at this ask for like a week, anon, because it’s actually such a good question?? i can think of like a thousand different regrets for at least 90% of these guys so this is actually gonna be hard to narrow down, BUT i shall give it my best shot

regina: she says it in the show—making henry feel like he was crazy when he found out about the storybook

snow: probably taking lily from maleficent and giving all of emma’s potential darkness to her

zelena: not taking the time to actually think about whether or not regina’s life as queen was really as glamorous as she thought it was

henry: treating regina so horribly when he was a kid (regina assured him that she doesn’t hold it against him. he was a kid, she was messed up. he’s ok)

david: it used to be putting emma in the wardrobe. now it’s not telling her to follow her heart years ago (when it comes to regina)

emma: believing for so long that being the savior meant she couldn’t be happy herself

rumple: probably still what he did to bae

belle: i wanna say her mother’s death. like she has survivor’s guilt even though it wasn’t her fault

#the whole fam #headcanons

[lazodiac]

There seemingly won't be a Planeswalker's Guide to Thunder Junction, sad to say, so it's time to stop delaying this.

Outlaws of Thunder Junction is the most recent Magic the Gathering set to release, taking place on a "fresh" plane- a place that has no sentient, sapient life. Initially populated by the Atiin people, nomads from another plane that moved here when the Omenpaths opened up the multiverse, everyone who decided to come on down to the Junction and make a new life for themselves has given themselves a bit of that old west flare.

But the question is; where are all our new friends from? In a burst of intellectual curiosity and bad decision making, lets actually do our best to figure that out, starting with... (some ground rules: only the subject matter of the card art matters. Instants and Sorceries will try to divine where the spell and cast are from to the best of my abilities. Please note this is mostly arbitrary.)

WHITE

... cool way to start. Based on the artistry of the Eversaloon's entryway I'm calling Kaladesh, it has the appropriate spirals.

The original printing of this card is Innistrad so you might be tempted to say this lovely lady is from there, but the style of wings, the way she is channeling Thunder through her gun, and the general vibe of the art tells me this is Dominaria.

This delightful feller is endemic to Thunder Junction! The armor has an Esperite flare but I'm counting this as not from another plane.

Aven Interrupter is our first one that's like, actually obvious. Owl aven have only been seen on Arcavios so until told otherwise, this friend is from there!

While we're seemingly not getting a Planeswalker's Guide for Thunder Junction, it was mentioned on twitter that Felidar are native to the plane. The particular design of the cat and horns suggest creatures native to the American West as well.

This abomination (Affectionate) of a pun features a local oxen and a Thunderous wind whipper. As much as a magical spell can be, this is from Thunder Junction proper.

Another native creature to the plane. I love the fluffy beards on these critters.

Now look at this bad boy! There's absolutely no known place in Magic the Gathering that a rabbit person like this could exist... yet anyway! I'm thinking this guy is from Bloomburrow (as is the Mole person from Murders at Karlov Manor, incidentally).

While this is noted as a spirit, the fact that it's an animus suggests to me this is more of a living mirage than an actual person. Native to Thunder Junction.

Eriette is the weirdly sympathetic wicked witch of the Wilds of Eldraine storyline, so this stunningly beautiful piece of artwork is from that storybook plane.

There's no real defining characteristics on this card to really peg where it's from... except! IT was mentioned on Twitter that Spree cards were meant to evoke big Western films, and this one is The Magnificent Seven... which means this lone survivor's from Kamigawa, because it'd be funny (and the spooky aura radiating out of these guys feels like a Reckoner thing). Hey, I did say these would be arbitrary sometimes.

The incredibly cool horse(?) of Annie "Haseya" Flash, one of the main stars of the story. Fortune comes and goes as she pleases, but Annie always finds her when the chips are down. I love this creature, and love Annie. I choose to believe Fortune's from the Atiin homeplane and came with her.

There are not a lot of places Dwarves can be from in Magic the Gathering... this doesn't have the exact sort of filigree you'd expect from Kaladesh, but consider the fine work and the tools being employed, this lovely fellow is likely from there.

The Sterling Company, our villainous lawmen for the plane! I'll talk about their leader later, but based on him, his style, and the impeccable fashion of his men, I'm saying they're from New Capenna.

Goddest boy in the multiverse Kellan Okoson is here to lasso an entire train to safety with his fey-natured vines. While I'd love to say this is from Eldraine because Kellan is from there, this is the natural fey-gifts he inherited from his shitty father, so they're from Oko's Plane.

This polite kidnapper is pretty clearly from Eldraine. I wonder what she left in the cacti's place though...

This is a tricky one. The way Thunder works on the ol' Junction is that it needs a loop to radiate through- thus the horsehoe on the blade. But that, plus the inner tang also being a loop, suggests this is a former Zendikari sword, modified from climbing equipment to chaos-channeling shock-sword.

Annie Flash digs up her past for one final job, and looks sweet as hell doing it. This is from the Atiin's plane, I'd reckon.

This guy could really be from anywhere, which is kind of the point of Thunder Junction- to give up your old life for a spell and see if a new you will work out. But the fact that his potions are so classical Fantasy Potions I'm saying he's from Dominaria.

This delightful little critter is native to Thunder Junction, and what a cutie he is. Did you know Prairie Dogs were a type of squirrel before seeing this card, because I didn't!

Fundamentally I have no real indication of where this guy could be from... but he's from Prosperity, the Sterling Company's roost, and his suit's got a bit of an armoured look to it... so I'm gonna say Kamigawa.

Look some of these just flatly aren't actually doable. The drones bouncing around suggests it could be from one of the planes that got those, but ultimately I think I'm going to have to put this as "yeah I got nothing".

I could have swore there was somewhere in the Wilds of Eldraine story that said these particular blue and white bovines belonged to the giants of the sky... and while I can't find it, I wanna say they're from Eldraine anyway. So I will, it just fits dangit!

This is definitely native to Thunder Junction. It's just got the vibe, you know?

Choke this one up to New Capenna- and if you think that's wrong, blame the Sterlings for having such fine coats.

Ditto for this one- though I'll note that the carriage and the train from the above card absolutely have that Kaladeshi vibe.

It' always fun to see what exactly gets turned into an instant or sorcery spell in flavor-first sets like this. This friend is from Thunder Junction, positive.

Another Sterling, another New Capenna ex-pat looking to make a name for herself. If it helps one of the city's of the plane, Omenport, leads directly to New Capenna, making it one of the most likely planes for people to naturally come from.

I will stop calling Sterling Company mooks New Capennan's when they stop looking like people from New Capenna. This is a sort of Aven you'd find there design wise.

Cute, designing a shield like a deputy star. This has no real markers signifying the people using it, but the subject of the art is clearly the shield itself, and this bad boy was made on Thunder Junction baby.

Only 30 images are allowed per port so check in soon for PART 2.

#Outlaws of Thunder Junction #Magic the Gathering #OTJ #planeswalker #white mana #nerd stuff

[lexiklecksi]

Enya Arati, the vengeful dragon girl

WTW Relationships Week: Protagonist/ Antagonist

Artwork in the middle by @tpiola-blog (found on DeviantArt)

Enya Arati: (etym. Irish: Eithne (fire), Hindi: Arati, the fire ritual)

The half-dragon, half-human Enya Arati is the protagonist of my story. She is the only survivor of the massacre of her family and fled from her hometown Trevena when she turned 18. Due to her strong-willed and resilient personality, she learned to fight back and take her place in the world. Most beings she meets think of her as antisocial, but she is kind towards fellow outcasts. In her daydreams, she seeks revenge by setting her hometown on fire to punish those who murdered her parents. She’s also the antagonist of her own story.

Read her full oc intro here

WIP only tag list (comment + if you want to be added or - to be removed): @matcha-chai @callmepippin @zettelkaestchen @silversynthesis @ladywithoringes @stargazingandpoetry @scaevolawrites @lyra-brie @constellationapex @eos109 @azriel-alexander-holmes @charlies-storybook @margotbardot @captain-kraken @thesorcererspen @poetinprose @writernopal @fantasyizzy-1 @hippiewrites @wheres-all-the-tea-gone

#mc: enya arati #wtwevent #wip: drachenbrut #writing fantasy #protagonist #dragon girl #writeblrcafe #oc #my ocs #writeblr #writing community

[poisonousscribe]

ONE SEAT LEFT

Now is your chance to play a TTRPG campaign inspired by : 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘴 𝘔𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦, 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘦'𝘴 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯, 𝘋𝘳.𝘞𝘩𝘰 and 𝘎𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘩.

🜔 - Explore the storybook world of the Apothecary Demiplane & experience the contrasted 1920s Steampunk world in the Material Plane.

🜠 - Manage the Shop, plan the route for the mobile city to follow and solve crisis as they may arise within the 7 Districts

🝊 - Carefully move between the Shadow Realm and the Material to avoid detection while traveling.

🜲 - Uncover the mystery that surrounds the life raft that hosted the survivors of a forgotten era. ──────────────────

You are a Scion of one of the 7 Principle Houses of the Apothecary. Just a week ago you were sent to the Observatory to assist Dr.Locke in the operation of the storefront that serves as a public face for the hidden city as they move from town to town.

It should have been an easy job, after all, The Apothecary is one of the most peaceful places to exist, the last remnants of a magical world still living on.

But, as the Scions’ you are trusted with a secret upon your arrival to the Observatory. The Demiplane had been collapsing for a long time, as magic leaves the Material plane the tie that keeps your city intact is slowly coming undone. Doctor Locke expects that between all of you and herself a solution to the problem will present itself. And while that might be true, time is starting to grow more finite by the moment and decisions will have to be made. ──────────────────

#dungeons and dragons #dnd #fantasy #pathfinder #ttrpg campaign #writing #howls moving castle #whimsical #whimsicore #queer ttrpg #dnd campaign #dnd lfg

[lunartearrose]

Oc kiss week 2024 day 4: Lost

Ocs: Vel (left) Xavier (right)

Series: cursebourne (ttrpg)

Drabble below! Tw: character death

What a terrible, terrible night to remember.

Vel and Xavier had settled down together with some tea, as they always did after a long day.

Something was wrong with it, from the moment it passed Vel's lips, they knew - but they couldn't warn Xavier in time not to drink it.

The assassins Vel once called their family descended on him like wolves. They pinned Vel down, forcing them to watch.

All in the sake of teaching Vel to “stay loyal”.

Loyal to what? The blood of the slain on their lips? The curse they were raised to strengthen until it was almost impossible to control?

Look at what it earned them. They wanted a monster so badly, and a monster they got.

Vel was forced to watch Xavier die. And his killers would be torn apart by the very beast they were so desperate to keep.

When the beast that was their curse was filled with the blood that had raised them, the world slowly began to filter back in. Their hand, still a claw, was clenched tightly. Something was in their grasp. Something small and roundish, that they felt the intense urge to hold as gently as they could, but still could not free from their grasp.

At times like this, Xavier would console them after a transformation - promise them it was okay, that he was there for them. And always in the bags he liked to carry, there was a fresh set of clothes in their size. They were a person to him - much more than a weapon.

But now… he lay dead, in the middle of the room. Torn apart. His sweet voice would never be heard again.

It was not the first time Vel had seen things this gutted. But this time, the first in a long, long time, Vel couldn't stop crying. They tore the sheets from his bed nearby, hurriedly wrapping his gaping, bloodied wounds, doing their best to slow the bleeding.

“Please… please wake up.” Vel knows their wish won't be granted.

But they so dearly, dearly wanted it.

“Please. I'll be so lost without you. Please…”

Xavier wouldn't speak. He wouldn't breathe.

Once upon a time, Xavier took some time to teach them to read. Letters and Storybooks at first, in whatever language he could scrounge from tattered stores and lucky finds. The one they remembered finding funny were the two that ended in princesses being awoken by kisses. They both made crude jokes about it, laughing together back then.

And in this painful, desperate moment, Vel wished this could be true. They scooped him up in their shaking, bloody hands, one still closed in an aching fist.

In this dying world of curses, and strange magic… maybe it could be.

Despite the part of them that never wanted to taste his blood again, Vel leaned in.

Any warmth had been lost to the frigid night air.

Nothing happened.

Again.

Nothing.

Again…

Vel doesn't know how long it's been. Time was lost on them. Someone opened the door. A maid squealed in shock. There was no thud, so they didn't faint. Vel hadn't looked up.

“Do you know who ordered the contract on him?” Vel asked quietly.

“I-i! No! Gods, no…” the maid exclaimed, “oh dear gods, poor Xavier… Velvet, dear, did you…?”

The piercing glare Vel gave scared her to silence. “I would never do this to him.” Vel replied.

At this, they stood, wrapping the blanket around Xavier.

“As the soul survivor and heir of Burning Dark, the funds of the fallen belong to me.” Vel explained to her. “You and your other workers. You take care of their rooms in this place, correct?”

“Y-yes- sir- ma'am- um…”

Vel finally pried open their hand. Pristine and beautiful, Xavier's left eye rested in their palm.

“Good. Clean them out. Any riches and objects of value are yours. I don't want them. All I ask in return is a good place to lay Xavier to rest. I want him to have as close to a king's resting place as I can get - preserved as much as possible. That's all. I will handle fixing him myself. I know how…”

The maid nodded, leaving in a hurry.

Vel got to work, sewing Xavier up and dressing him in his best clothes, the way he liked to dress. By the time they were done, he truly did look like he was just sleeping.

As taught to do with valuable kills, Vel preserved Xav's eye in a glass bottle, and hung it on a velvet rope around their neck.

Surprisingly, a different maid returned, handing them a map to an abandoned castle in the woods close by, asking if it were sufficient.

Memories blur. The last vel saw of xavier, they had gently placed him in that castle, surrounded by mourning flowers.

Despite their crusade, ever traveling and wandering aloof, bouquets from the maids would find them, haunting them for a good year.

Years pass.

Vel kills more bloodmongers. The lives of assassins are forfeit.

It's all in Xavier's name.

More time passes.

Vel prays not to forget, muttering stories of the man they loved. Telling them to bored kids looking for this strange knight's stories.

A town Vel once visited goes down in flames. Forever.

A necromancer's name on a growing lists of murderous targets.

Vel is captured by bloodmongers, chained away.

More years.

The curse craves blood. They sleep to ignore it. Their body morphs, straddling the edge of their manticore form. Large wings, spiked tail, sharp claws and features.

They lost their sense of self.

They cried, losing the memory of how Xavier looked beyond his purple eyes. They only know he had purple ones because of that charm.

A bloodmonger got too close because of the tears, despite the warnings his superiors gave.

How many years had it been since they lost him? Ten?

It's been a while since they've seen the apprentice bloodmonger that yapped to them endlessly. They hated that they missed it.

Sleep. Lose time. Eat bread. Crave blood.

Sleep. Dream.

Something is scratching at their cage.

A rat again?

A soft swear. The clink of something small and metal clattering to the floor.

No, not a rat.

Swearing, rattling now. Perhaps frustration?

Another loud bang. The smell of blood, a small, small amount. Foul blood. But something about it…

Vel woke up.

Across the way in dim light, something undead was fiddling with the locks and chains on the door. Their skin was a sickly greenish-teal, one leg was bone, and their hair was scraggly and grayed at the ends from decay, but well kept. A familiar style, if not altered slightly.

Most strikingly… they were definitely missing an eye.

The feeling of Vel moving their lips felt foreign. They almost didn't know how to speak anymore.

“What…”

The zombie glanced up, as the cell door clicked open. At last.

Staring back was a dead, but bright purple eye. Exactly like what they had with them.

And a familiar voice they thought they'd never hear again.

“Long time no see, Vel.” Xavier said, smiling nervously as he covered the hole in his face with his bangs. “I missed you.”

#ockiss24 #oc kiss week #cursebourne ocs #xavier (oc) #Vel (oc) #blood #tw blood

[proudfreakmetarusonniku]

Primetober Day 4: With Friends Like This…, with all bonus prompts (Fighting, verbal abuse, and destruction of property.)

Dragon AU. In an act of defiance, Tommy tries to damage other parts of the “hoard” Dream keeps him trapped in. Dream, coldly furious, makes Tommy regret it without even lifting a finger. Warnings for self harm, suicidal thoughts, kidnapping, abuse, torture, referenced mutilation, referenced child death, dehumanisation, infantilisation, possessive behaviour, and threats of violence.

ao3 link

—— Tommy’s knuckles bled.

Wood and bone and stranger material aside lay rend to nothing in the hoard of treasure, the magic inside them diffusing into the air. Shards of glass and crystal dug deep into his skin, leaving wounds Tommy could only hope would scar, marring his skin, breaking him too.

If he could not leave this gilded prison, he’d tear off the gold and refuse to play nice. He’d bite and scratch and scream and make himself no longer worthy of hoarding.

Prime knows how long he’d been in this cave. He couldn’t see the days change, and Dream’s sleeping schedule was erratic enough that he couldn’t rely on that either. He’d grown a little taller, and his hair was a lot longer, so it had to have been a while, yet the images of blood and fire and pain still felt like it was yesterday, waking him up with screaming fits the rare times he caught sleep.

He was sixteen when his home was destroyed. When the monster from the storybooks burnt everything to the ground, gutted soldiers effortlessly through their armour, tore kids hiding in the corner to shreds. Tommy was the only survivor, though trophy seemed the more appropriate word. 

If you were to ask Dream, he’d say it was because Tommy was the only person he’d met with the guys to stand against him without trying to hide behind iron shells and sharp sticks, with only his fists and a scared yet determined look in his eyes. Tommy got the impression it was more because being the great and terrible monster who destroyed villages for fun was a lonely life, and he was just the unlucky son of a bitch chosen to try and play therapist to a fucking dragon, but he knew better than to say it. He wanted at least one working arm, if nothing else.

He liked to imagine he was grown now. No longer a child under any stretch of the imagination, no matter how little Dream treated him like a “hatchling”, as he called it in his weird way of speaking. He was grown, and no one could call him a kid again without them being the childish one. He was mature now, like Tubbo was.

That thought felt like a flaw through the chest. Prime, he missed Tubbo. At least he never saw him die. He could delude himself into believing he escaped, somehow. It was a blatant lie to himself, and he knew that, but it served to cushion the blow, just a bit.

So did breaking things.

Priceless artefacts lay shattered, rare collectables and historic art pieces and ancient magic. Gone, destroyed, bloodied. They were a part of the same hoard Tommy had been trapped in, Dream seeming to view chasing him down, hurting him until he couldn’t move, and dragging him back to the literal gilded cage he spent most his time in as a game, and Tommy reckoned they’d been there longer than he’d been alive times, like, a billion. They weren’t doing anyone any good.

But even if they would, he didn’t care. He didn’t fucking care. He just wanted to hurt Dream. He wanted to show him he wasn’t a cute little pet human to coo over and torment, a jewel to keep locked up in a display case. No, he was Tommy, angry, violent, human. If Dream wanted to hold him captive, he had to know that Tommy would make it as difficult as possible.

And maybe, just maybe, Dream would kill him, and he could join Tubbo.

He breathed heavily, exhaustion overtaking him, and he dragged himself up the endless pile of useless stuff to the soft blankets and endless pillows at the top. Even if it meant locking himself back into a display, he didn’t mind. Maybe then Dream would see what he did. Maybe then Dream would fucking listen to him.

Halfway up, though, he felt a heavy tug on the back of his tunic, the only warning before claws dug into his back and he was dragged back to the ground. He landed with a thud, before something shifted and in a flash, he went from a paw holding him down to the weight of a person pinning him.

Opening his eyes, Tommy looked up at his own face.

That was one of the torturous things about Dream- his insistence on parading a parody of Tommy’s form around. Warped, a sickly pale green and with his monstrous features slapped atop, but still recognisably Tommy as of his capture, the same scratch wounds on his arms, the bruises on his face, and almost unscarred, unlike the mess of burns and cuts and injuries coating Tommy now. It was uncanny, and still, it made Tommy long for a time he’d never get back, when he felt whole in body, mind and soul, and not an empty shell.

“Tommy.”

Dreams’ voice was calm, eerily empty of any emotion. His face was blank, too, and that was scarier than anger. Dream loved being able to emote in his human form- grinning and giggling like an idiot whenever he was mildly happy, crying his eyes out when he was a little disappointed. Not even bothering with that told Tommy that whatever he felt, it was so far past bothering to even show. He wasn’t even sure if that thought made sense, but it was hard to make sense out of anything through the blind panic.

“I- I-“Tommy’s voice died in his throat.

“Quiet.”

Tommy shrunk, instinctively expecting a broken bone, another missing finger maybe, but Dream just stared down, expressionless. “I know what you’re trying to do, hatchling.” His tail wagged aggressively behind him, thumping loudly on the ground in contrast to how eerily calm he looked. “You’re trying to piss me off, so I decide you’re not worth keeping, and I’ll let you go or kill you, right?”

Tommy nodded his head, unable to speak.

“You’re not as smart as you think you are, little one.” Dream let out a barking laugh, one that lacked any humour. “I don’t care about how valuable something is for you humans. Gold, silver, gems, your sticks you use to access magic and scribble papers, they only matter because they interest me. And Tommy… you’re far more valuable than any other thing here. Unlike all my other trophies, you’re fun to play with.”

Dream smiled slowly, baring sharp teeth awkwardly stuck into a human mouth. The memories of such razor-sharp blades digging into his flesh sent phantom pain through the scars left by them, agonising enough that he couldn’t help but whimper. There was no ambiguity as to what he meant by that, and it sent a chill up Tommy’s spine. He wouldn’t even be allowed to die, not while the monster from his nightmares had fun torturing him like a cat would a mouse.

“But of course, I can’t let you just get away with that, can I? I have a reputation to upkeep.” There was a faint hint of what might have been sadness in that, barely peeking through his unreadable tone, but it disappeared as soon as it broke through. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you. You’ve shown me that doesn’t work, haven’t you?”

He grinned again, and Tommy’s stomach dropped. “No, no. The second you step out of line again, Tommy, I’m going take you to show what happened to your little human lair, and I’m gonna destroy one more for each little mistake you make. And I’ll make sure you see every second of it. Maybe I’ll even bring some humans back to take my time playing with, before I get bored of them. Maybe I’ll make you hurt them too.”

Tommy felt sick. He couldn’t even bear to think about- about the outside, about his home. The image of it, picturesque and whole in his memories, still caused him to tear up, let alone the nightmares. The idea of seeing it now, ruined and shattered, seemed horrific, and even worse was the idea of anyone else going through the same thing, seeing their home burnt to the ground, dying horribly in the wreckage. Or being brought back to- to really, just be tortured, and then probably eaten once Dream got bored or hungry or whatever, without even the scattered, confused kindness Dream tried to show to him.

And the idea of doing what was done to him to others? Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. No. No, he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t live with himself, knowing that agony.

Tommy tried his best to stay calm, to be a Big Man, but like a goddamn pussy he couldn’t help himself but burst into tears.

Absently, Dream ran a claw gently across his face, curiously tracing the path of the tears, eyes widening slightly in fascination. “Don’t worry. Just be the perfect treasure, and that won’t have to happen, ’kay?”

“H-how?” Tommy’s voice was strangled, terrified. It took all he had left to even say them. “How do I- do I stop that?”

“Just don’t try stupid shit again, alright? And talk to me. It’s interesting, hatchling. I’ve never had anyone to talk to before.” It was said so casually, but even in this state, Tommy was struck by how fucking sad that was. Dream really was doing this out of loneliness, wasn’t he? Maybe… maybe it wasn’t so bad to stay here, and be friends with Dream.

“Okay.” Tommy nodded, hating how weak he sounded. “J-just, please. Don’t hurt anyone else.”

“I can’t promise that.” Dream sounded sad again. “I- I exist for a reason, y’know, Tommy. Some things are made to ruin. They don’t have a choice. Do you think I want this? This pile of useless goods? This lonely existence? There needs to be a villain for every hero.” Dream sighed. “I don’t wanna talk about this. It’s- I’m not meant to; humans and hatchlings aren’t to know.”

The idea seemed strange. That Dream was as much a prisoner as Tommy… it didn’t make sense, yet Tommy found an odd sense of kinship in it. Maybe that’s why Dream seemed so oddly fascinated that he chose to fight him. Maybe he’d fought his role already. Maybe… he could find a way to make Dream only hurt him.

Or maybe it was a lie. But Tommy would let himself believe a comforting one, if only to give him the strength to stop Dream from doing what he did to him to anyone else.

After all, no one but Tommy deserved it.

#My writing #cprimetober #c!primeboys #dream smp #self harm tw #Suicidal thoughts tw #Kidnapping tw #abuse tw #torture tw #referenced mutilation tw #referenced child death tw #Dehumanisation tw #infantilisation tw #Possessive behaviour tw #Threats of violence tw

[jackiestarsister]

OUAT rewatch: Season 5

Overall thoughts:

Season 5 is (both literally and figuratively) the darkest season of the show, and it feels the least "normal" in terms of the characters' day-to-day lives. In both halves of the season, they are stuck in a prolonged crisis. They don’t have time to relax, yet they don’t have much urgency about what they need to do. The most happy and “normal” moments are those stolen during their time in Camelot.

I think the storyline would have done much better if the Camelot storyline and Emma’s descent into darkness happened in the present day, rather than being presented as flashbacks after a time skip. Using the Dark Curse over and over again makes it feel like a cheap plot device rather than the life-changing tragedy it was at the start of the series.

One of the biggest problems I have with this season is the way they treat “darkness” as a kind of entity in itself, and the ambiguity about whether individuals struggling with darkness (Emma, Hook, Gold, and Regina) are truly in control of themselves. My other problem is that Emma’s motives and actions simply don’t match up, and so much of her behavior is out of character. It’s hard to figure out how much of her words and actions are sincere and how much are a manipulation. Is she simply pretending to be evil in order to lead them on?

With that being said, here are my thoughts on each episode:

Episode 5x01 “The Dark Swan”

~ Regina immediately reverts to her snarkiest self. I wonder if it is partly because she is so upset about what happened to Emma. Is she hurt that after she worked so hard to protect Emma from going dark, Emma took on the darkness willingly? Or does she have survivor’s guilt, since Emma saved her from becoming the Dark One?

~ Hook’s capacity for darkness is immediately on display. He hasn’t appeared this dangerously angry since season 2.

~ How is Henry suddenly there and aware of what happened? Did he see the whole thing? How does he feel about his birth mother sacrificing herself for the sake of his adoptive mother?

~ Rumplestiltskin presents himself as the Roku to Emma’s Aang. It’s an interesting move, and a way to keep Robert Carlyle in the cast while Gold is in a coma. But it’s a bit confusing with regard to Emma’s psychology.

~ Ironically, embracing one’s power is usually the goal of a protagonist, but in Emma’s case it’s what she wants to avoid at all costs.

~ Hook and Regina haven’t had such direct or intense interaction in a long time, and it’s great to see!

~ Emma’s “first taste of darkness” seems similar to when Hook regained his hand and thought it was acting outside of his control.

~ Merida’s casting is PERFECT.

~ What is the definition of a witch in this show? What makes Zelena a witch, but not other female wielders of magic like Regina and Emma?

~ Merida and Emma’s scene is great, but the turnaround from enemies to traveling companions is a bit rushed.

~ Why is Henry just leisurely reading a book at Granny’s? Shouldn’t he be poring over the storybook or something else useful in the search for Emma?

~ Hook’s reaction to Henry’s news that he broke the Author’s pen is perfect. He does not get angry with Henry, and in fact seems to understand and respect the decision, but you can tell he wishes that the members of this family weren’t always so noble.

~ They are so not subtle with the One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest allusions! Are the nurse and mopper really supposed to be from that story?

~ Regina didn’t give Hook a commodified portable spell; she enchanted his hook herself.

~ Why are Robin & Roland staying at the Charmings’ loft? Wouldn’t Regina’s house make more sense?

~ The idea of Robin Hood reading Goodnight Moon to his son is adorable! I wonder if he discovered the children’s section of the town library and set out to read Roland all of this world’s classics.

~ Who is Floyd?

~ “Secure the condiments!” might be my new favorite line!

~ Why would they bring Zelena with them? I can understand Regina and Robin wanting to keep tabs on her and the baby, but wouldn’t it be safer for their quest to leave her in jail?

~ Of course Leroy arrives announcing bad news! His speech to Mary Margaret is both endearing and hilariously self-aware about the fact that the dwarves have been missing from the action so much over the last couple seasons.

~ Rumple is just like Darth Vader and Palpatine, egging on the hero to “Use your anger.”

~ “When has that ever stopped me before?” So true: Hook has crossed worlds and time for Emma on multiple occasions!

~ Two seasons ago, Emma was the one making a motivational speech in the season premiere, convincing the heroes and villains to work together. Now Hook is presenting that to her as proof of what she’s capable of.

~ “Of course someone’s going to get a punch to the gut for putting me through this, then mercy.” That’s funny and in-character for Merida, but also a significant statement about the role of justice alongside mercy.

~ Does Emma expect Regina to kill her if she gets out of control? That would just make Regina the new Dark One. Emma wouldn’t wish that fate on her.

~ “Terrible news: no onion rings!”

~ How long does the journey to Camelot take? Geography in this world is as ambiguous as in the Galaxy Far, Far Away: distance only ever matters for plot reasons.

~ Sneezy wears a red leather jacket like Emma’s while filling in as sheriff! My only question is, who put the remaining dwarves in charge of the sheriff’s department?

Episode 5x02 “The Price”

~ Did everyone get new clothes from their hosts, or did Regina conjure them with magic like she does for herself?

~ Regina not knowing how to dance really doesn’t make sense. I’m sure Cora and Henry would have made sure she learned when she was growing up, especially before marrying her off to a king.

~ “Why can’t anyone accept that?” Maybe because you cursed and threatened them?

~ Maybe Emma’s words to Regina were a warning, not a threat. That would make more sense.

Emma wouldn’t want Regina to die.

~ Why did everyone in the present day switch back to the outfits they were wearing when they left?

~ I love seeing Belle have such great friendships with Hook and Grumpy/Leroy. She both gives and receives encouragement in this episode.

~ “It’s far easier to hate a Dark One than it is to love one.” That rings true even in real life.

~ Why is Regina’s leadership capability important now? She moved back into the mayor’s office weeks earlier and no one commented on it. Then again, how did that transition of power take place? Did they hold an election, or did Snow abdicate the role to her?

~ How much of Emma’s “new look” is involuntary? Can’t she control things like her hair, makeup, and wardrobe?

~ I don’t like that Robin has basically just become a plot device in Regina’s storylines, particularly in the role of “damsel in distress.”

~ Mary Margaret and Emma’s ballgowns are gorgeous! And even Granny has beautiful ball attire!

~ Why does Mary Margaret use that name instead of Snow White in Camelot? Why don’t she and David reveal themselves as royalty of their own kingdom? Do people there not know of them?

~ David, Henry, and Violet are like Hermes, Orpheus and Eurydice in Hadestown.

~ “Are you a knight?” “Better. I’m a writer.”

~ That ball montage is lovely! In such a dark episode and season, it’s nice to see the characters have a few moments of fun and happiness.

~ It’s nice to see David fight in Regina’s defense, but how can he just kill her assailant? What happened to “Heroes don’t kill”? They make such a big deal about it regarding enemies like Zelena and Cruella, but apparently not for random attackers?

~ Emma’s musical theme starts to play but then takes a dark turn!

~ Why did Emma choose that moment to kiss Hook? Did the idea of True Love’s Kiss only occur to her then?

~ Why/how were they able to fend off the Fury? They didn’t give a life as it demanded. Was it something about love defeating death, or love fulfilling the price?

~ How can David and Mary Margaret talk about winning or losing “this fight” when Emma hasn’t even said what she wants?

~ That montage at the end is so beautiful! Love Regina freeing Sneezy (though, why didn’t she do that earlier?) and Hook and Belle toasting to not giving up on love.

Episode 5x03 “Siege Perilous”

~ Have the dwarves been mining fairy dust regularly throughout these past few seasons? I thought it was just during Season 2 as part of the effort to bring Emma and Mary Margaret home.

~ It’s nice to have an episode focused on David as an individual, since he doesn’t have many! And this one shows the continuity of his motives and feelings. He has always done everything he could to protect/save his children, and had a lot of angst about his perceived failures and limitations in Season 3. His frustrations here are much the same.

~ Does Arthur wear his full armor all the time?

~ Arthur is out to flatter David from the very first moment he appears. He is very quick to suggest that he and David should consider themselves brothers.

~ Leroy is right that the dwarves, and the townsfolk in general, swallow a lot because of the royal family. But his threat is completely contrary to the loyalty he and the others have always shown.

~ I wonder if David’s red leather tunic is an homage to Emma’s red leather jacket!

~ “A leader does what needs to be done.” That might be Arthur’s philosophy in a nutshell.

~ Why does David feel the need—or the justification—to use deception? He did it when he made Snow think she’d pulled Excalibur, and he does it with the supposed “Chalice of Vengeance” now.

~ I don’t know what’s funnier: King Arthur driving a truck, or turning a car chase into a joust!

~ Those empty suits of armor try to drown David like the Inferi Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

~ Seeing Hook and Emma together, yet so distant and strange, is heartbreaking. Emma keeps changing tactics: since Hook didn’t go for her coy seductress act in the previous episode, she switches to the innocent look she had on their first date. They’ve basically switched places from where they began, as she is now asking him to trust her rather than the other way around.

~ It is confirmed that Hook told Emma the full story of what happened between him, Milah, and Rumplestiltskin. It is satisfying to hear Hook repent of his actions and acknowledge that he was originally the villain of that situation. He can now see that he created the crocodile as much as the crocodile created Captain Hook.

~ Arthur keeps Excalibur sheathed when knighting David, so no one can see that the sword is incomplete.

~ Baby Neal crying during his father’s induction to the Knights of the Round Table is the most realistic thing he has done since he was born. Too much of the time, the writers and characters just gloss over the fact that David, Snow, and Robin are raising young children. They just get pushed to the side while their parents go on adventures and deal with drama.

~ Lancelot tells Snow to “trust your eyes,” but then says Camelot is not what it seems. Mixed messages much?

~ Arthur and Grif’s scene is so chilling, like a cult leader pressuring their disciple to become a martyr.

~ When did Robin decide to put his thieving days behind him? And when did Hook decide he was no longer a pirate?

~ Was the whole date just so Emma could get something that touched Rumple? If she knew there was something on the ship that would qualify, couldn’t she have just taken it?

~ I don’t understand why Emma fixates on making Gold into a hero. Why not just get one of the many heroes in town to draw Excalibur?

Episode 5x04: “The Broken Kingdom”

~ Young Arthur and Guinevere are very well cast!

~ Why and how did Emma start making dreamcatchers? Did she request materials from the palace staff, or were there already some available that she decided to take advantage of?

~ “You’re the Savior. Save yourself.” Was that a direct allusion to Jesus on the cross?!

~ I don’t like the use of captions for every time and place in this episode. “Five years later,” “Five years earlier,” again and again. And those years don’t add up with Lancelot being banished and meeting Snow and David roughly thirty years earlier.

~ It’s nice to see Guinevere being proactive and having an arc, but it seems to be at the expense of Lancelot being an active character. He mostly just follows her and reacts to her.

~ Hook’s facial expressions throughout the scene with Henry and Violet are priceless! He is so pleased, proud, and amused.

~ I like that Hook gives an explanation for how he was able to cope with his trauma and demons. Being near the ocean is extremely therapeutic.

~ Guinevere’s ultimatum to Arthur seems to come out of nowhere. It would mean more if we saw them struggle more in their relationship.

~ When in his life did Hook have the opportunity to learn how to ride a horse? Is it difficult with only one hand?

~ Odd to hear Rumplestiltskin allude to Milah. Even more so considering he was the reason it didn’t end well for her.

~ As good a twist as it was, David and Snow’s ruse doesn’t entirely make sense. They put their cards on the Round Table.

~ This episode shows how unnecessary the six-week timeskip was for telling the story of this half-season. The entire episode takes place in the past, jumping between two different points in time, except for the final two scenes.

Episode 5x05 “Dreamcatcher”

~ When Hook offers to give Henry dating tips, I think that may be the first time Regina realizes that he is becoming a parental figure/role model to her son, and how disastrous that could be!

~ Did Belle take the time to change outfits after discovering Gold had disappeared?

~ Finding a girl’s missing horse isn’t restoring a happy ending, it’s just doing a good deed.

~ How can Emma and Regina let Henry continue to go around unsupervised and unprotected after what happened to Snow and David?

~ You can actually see the moment when Emma gets the idea to do to Violet what Cora did to Daniel, minus the killing.

~ That is a pretty easy way to cheat a protection spell!

~ Henry trying to set up a date is soooo cute!

~ The magic stuff is weird, but visually, it’s cool to see Emma using both light and dark magic! When she’s done, Emma looks so proud of herself, tossing her head back a little.

~ Regina is a bit of a hypocrite in this episode: she just recently took Belle’s heart in order to blackmail Gold, but gets mad at Emma for taking Violet’s heart to deceive Henry. Does her anger lie in the fact that Emma did that to a young girl, or the fact that she deliberately hurt Henry?

~ Merlin’s question to Emma, about whether she is truly ready to be free of the darkness, has some real-life parallels. People may subconsciously cling to the sins, addictions, and bad habits that (they say) they want to be rid of.

~ The final shot of Emma against Regina’s house conveys more isolation and devastation than any of her other Dark One scenes. Their situation is so similar yet different to Season 1, when Emma was trying to connect with Henry and Regina wanted to keep them apart. Now Emma, not Regina, is the one hurting Henry in the name of protecting him.

~ This episode has the most mentions of Baelfire/Neal without him being a protagonist or plot device. Apparently he told Henry about how he won Emma’s heart, and Emma told Hook some things about her relationship with Neal, such as his gift of a dreamcatcher to her.

Episode 5x06 “The Bow and the Bear”

~ I don’t mind Belle having a side quest with Merida, but the way it happens is just weird. Why would Merida expect someone she kidnapped to agree to help her if she does not have any leverage over her?

~ Gold uses the same trick to escape Emma that Emma used to escape Jefferson, breaking a teacup in order to cut through their bonds.

~ Does Emma really not care whether Belle lives, or is she confident in Gold’s ability to protect her? Either way, seeing her be so callous about Belle, who has helped her family so many times, and even saved Hook’s life, feels so wrong.

~ Interesting that Emma says she doesn’t believe some things can’t be forgiven. If she truly believes that, why would she wipe everyone’s memories?

~ Interesting that even when the tables have turned, Emma and Gold are still nemeses.

Episode 5x07 “Nimue”

~ They never explain what the Holy Grail is or where it actually came from. In Athurian legend, it’s a Christian relic, and in OUAT it is decorated with crosses; but the characters talk about it as if it’s a gift from a pantheon of gods.

~ Why would Merlin expect a different outcome from touching the Grail after his companion died trying?

~ Couldn’t Merlin and Emma just teleport close to their destination?

~ Merlin and Nimue are very much like Jesse and Winnie in Tuck Everlasting. A magical drink gives immortality to one, and the other has to decide whether they also want to be immortal, or live a normal mortal life.

~ A battle plan drawn on a Granny’s Diner menu is like the epitome of this show’s style.

~ The shot of Nimue passing the Grail to Merlin in front of the fire is beautiful.

~ Emma clutches Hook’s ring when she is afraid!

~ Nimue’s hair ends up in a style like Emma’s after embracing the darkness! But why doesn’t Emma’s skin turn crocodile-like the way Rumplestiltskin and Nimue’s did?

~ Emma’s declaration about her self-worth is awesome! She used to think she was an orphan who didn’t matter and never would; now she knows better!

~ Emma passing her test would feel more meaningful if the audience didn’t know about her going dark later on.

~ How can it be that easy to “tether” someone so powerful to an object?

Episode 5x08 “Birth”

~ I wish there were more scenes of Prince Charming, Captain Hook, and Robin Hood working as a trio! They’re the romantic partners of this show’s three main protagonists, and they’re some of the best examples of healthy masculinity in the whole show.

~ How can Mary Margaret voice doubt about Emma still existing? She’s always the voice of hope and love!

~ Hook’s hair has been longer and messier throughout this season, and his facial hair more pronounced. I wonder if he’s neglected his appearance out of worry for Emma, and/or if it is a costume choice meant to make him look darker.

~ Why is Dr. Whale so weird and awful? And have there really not been any babies born in Storybrooke in the months since Neal’s birth?

~ Why couldn’t Regina use magic to free herself?

~ You can barely see the moment when Hook is injured.

~ Emma and Regina’s conversation about the allure of darkness is actually one of the better ones on the topic. It’s the first time someone talks to Emma about it with sympathy, without trying to tempt her to embrace it.

~ Hook must be so tired of Emma chaining him up! How many times has it been since they met?

~ Emma and Hook’s love literally ignites a flame!

~ If tethering Hook turned him into a Dark One, why didn’t Merlin become one?

~ Jennifer Morrison’s acting during Hook’s “death” scene is amazing!

~ The title of this episode had a double (or perhaps triple) meaning: Zelena and Robin’s baby is born, and both Emma and Hook are reborn as Dark Ones.

Episode 5x09 “The Bear King”

~ The casting for Eleanor, Fergus, and the Witch is fantastic!

~ This is another episode that switches between two timelines in the past, showing how unnecessary the six-week timeskip was.

~ Ruby says the last time she saw Philip and Aurora, at baby Neal’s coronation party they were about to have a child. But Aurora was pregnant at least a few weeks before Mary Margaret was, and Leroy implied that she had given birth before Neal’s coronation party, so presumably Aurora must have had her baby before or at the same time as Mary Margaret had Neal.

~ If Ruby and Tiny managed to produce a bean, they ought to have given others the chance to go back to the Enchanted Forest too.

~ This is the first time a full-on battle between opposing armies has taken place onscreen in this show.

~ “Your magic is never very direct, is it?” from Eleanor to the Witch is hilarious!

~ I love the Celtic-inspired music in this episode!

~ This might be the first episode in which Emma does not make a single appearance!

Episode 5x10 “Broken Heart”

~ The dark version of Hook’s musical theme!

~ Hook’s transformation into the Dark One is so painful to see onscreen. It seems like a reminder that birth in itself is a traumatizing experience. Given that, it makes sense that such a rebirth, as he refers to it, would be full of trauma.

~ Interesting that once he emerges as a Dark One, Hook changes his costume for the one he used to wear in Seasons 2 and 3, rather than the fancier one he wore in Camelot.

~ What I just cannot buy about Hook becoming the Dark One: A) that he did not sense anything different about himself after returning to Storybrooke, and B) his sudden and absolute plunge into the darkness after regaining his memories. He had grown past his desire for revenge and recognized that it would not bring him fulfillment.

~ Hook acting like Rumplestiltskin is so weird and creepy!

~ So apparently there are Dark One chronicles just readily available? Did Hook read them during the years he spent plotting his revenge?

~ Why would Gold accept Emma’s offer of protection after what she did to him? What is she thinking?

~ Weird that Emma and Henry talk about him forgiving Gold, and Henry says Gold showed that he changed. Is he talking about how Gold saved Belle and became a hero worthy of Excalibur?

~ I was wondering where Lancelot has been since his breakout! And the Lady of the Lake is his mother? Was that already known? What happens to Lancelot after this?

~ I’m glad Mary Margaret defends Emma’s decision to save Hook! Everyone seemed to gang up on Emma telling her that she ought not try it.

~ Hook is right about Emma pushing away the people she wants to protect, but wasn’t that already covered during Season 4’s Frozen arc?

~ Do Dark Ones really need to worry about things like scouting a path and finding water? Couldn’t they just teleport and conjure the things they need? And splitting up right after finding each other is pretty bad strategy, especially if Emma is afraid of what Hook might do.

~ I like that Regina and Robin are giving Zelena a chance with clear boundaries in place; but what assurance do they have that she won’t simply disappear with the baby?

~ “Operation Cobra Part 2” isn’t a very original name! Plus, their current mission doesn’t have much to do with the first. “Operation Dreamcatcher” or “Operation Dark Hook” would be more fitting.

~ For all their intensity, Emma and Hook’s flashback conversations are a bit repetitive.

~ The part of Hook’s fall that is believable is his desire to never be controlled again. As is revealed in the next episode, he grew up basically a slave; then he was manipulated into doing a corrupt king’s dirty work; and Gold controlled him by taking his heart. As a pirate and a former slave, he places an extremely high value on freedom.

~ If they are both Dark Ones, with equal amounts of power, how can Emma simply knock Hook out with a wave of her hand?

Episode 5x11 “Swan Song”

~ This is the first episode of the season whose flashbacks have nothing to do with the Camelot arc, and instead add backstory from further in the past to the context of a character’s actions in the present day.

~ The casting for Brennan and young Killian is great! Young Killian has amazingly good facial expressions as he thinks over his father’s question and decides on his answer.

~ What was the point of Rumple and Hook’s meeting on the road? Why does Hook let him keep Excalibur?

~ Why would Zelena show up and tell Regina and Robin what she plans to do? And what does Robin expect his arrows to do against the resurrected Dark Ones?

~ It’s such a reversal to see Hook having more magical prowess than Regina!

~ Why would Regina need to rendezvous with Hook outside the palace after recruiting him? And her outfit and the slinky way she comes out of her carriage are really over the top!

~ I get Mary Margaret’s point about wanting to spend her last moments well, but saying it might be a fight they can’t win is so OOC!

~ So, Belle didn’t get marked, and no one told her about the impending threat to the others? And she just blithely accepts Gold’s random offer of an opportunity to travel, while knowing that Hook and Emma are still Dark Ones? That’s insulting to her intelligence and integrity.

~ If you pause at the right moment, you can read what Emma wrote in the note she left for her family, and it’s heartbreaking!

~ There are way more Dark Ones than people who got marked.

~ You can see how guilty Hook feels as soon as he kills his father.

~ Even though her life was not in danger, seeing Emma in pain finally snaps Hook out of his fixation on revenge.

~ Hook is basically doing the same thing Ingrid the Snow Queen did last season, sacrificing themselves to save everyone from the very threat that they created.

~ Even after she’s no longer the Dark One, Emma still talks with the same strange accent/cadence she adopted when she was.

~ “How does one get to the Underworld?” There’s a whole song about it in Hadestown!

~ The weirdest thing about the Underworld arc is that there is no conversation about who will and won’t go. The parents leave their babies behind, and Regina lets Henry make the dangerous journey, without any argument or explanation. There is no stirring moment of everyone deciding that Hook is worth it and that they want to help Emma.

Season 5x12 “Souls of the Departed”

~ This is one of the biggest episodes about Regina. I’m pleased that they did something they rarely do, filling in a gap in the characters’ larger story—in this case, how Henry Senior ended up Cora’s miniature prisoner.

~ I’m guessing Emma’s dream/vision takes place in the amusement park that she and Neal broke into. I wonder if the name of the ride, The Revelation, is symbolic!

~ The idea of the Underworld looking identical to Storybrooke … really seems like they’re just looking for any way to keep using the same sets and locations, even when the characters go to different worlds.

~ Regina’s father’s words are true, but should have been spoken to her years earlier, before she ascended to Evil Queen!

~ I don’t like how childish Regina is in the flashbacks.

~ While I love that the two Henrys got to meet, I find it hard to believe Regina would bring Henry along for a confrontation with Cora.

~ The clock beginning to move the same way it did in the pilot episode is a fantastic callback—and interestingly, Regina’s reaction is the precise opposite of what it was then!

~ The revelation of Hades feels a little predictable, with all of this show’s homages to the Disney versions of classic tales. Personally I find the actor underwhelming for the God of the Dead, and the blue fire hair just doesn’t work; it’s enough of an homage to have blue flames when he teleports.

Episode 5x13 “Labor of Love”

~ That is one intense teaser, and shows so much of Hook’s character. Even after being tortured, he refuses to give up, at least when Emma is involved. He insists on helping his fellow prisoner escape, and holds off Cerberus so she can do so, trusting her with the task of finding Emma.

~ David using the name “Bandit Snow” feels a little too much like an awareness of the fandom’s nicknames for characters.

~ Young Snow running through the woods and falling into a pit feels like the scene in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves when she gets lost in the woods.

~ Hercules’ casting is great: he’s young, as most demigod heroes probably were; he’s handsome, making him a believable first love interest for teenage Snow; and he has a strong physique to go with his godlike strength.

~ I wish there were more scenes with Henry and Robin Hood! Henry is already the son of two former thieves, he would probably get along really well with Robin!

~ Hercules and young Snow basically have the same storyline as Anna and David last season, with the newcomer giving the future hero a one-day crash course in fighting so they can defeat their extorting enemy. Anna and Hercules impart practically the same lesson about trying what seems impossible. While the premise is repetitive and a little flimsy, what I find interesting in this case is that Hercules does not offer himself as the hero to solve Snow’s problems; instead he offers to teach her so that she can solve her problems.

~ The music when Hercules talks about his labors seems reminiscent of “Go the Distance”!

~ It must warm Hercules’ heart to see Snow carrying a bow and arrow when they reunite!

~ How does Robin Hood known about air ventilation ducts? Has he learned how to carry out heists in the Land Without Magic?

~ Regina calls Herc “Wonder Boy”!

~ Young Snow basically experiences the humiliation that Hercules experienced in the movie when he first came to Thebes.

~ It’s interesting and quite plausible that Regina worked behind the scenes to undermine Snow even before killing her father and trying to kill her.

~ Cruella says “We hear it all down here.” Just how much do the Underworld residents know about what happens in the land(s) of the living?

~ Regina being the one to give Snow White a pep talk really does seem like a “when Hell freezes over” kind of moment!

~ Why didn’t young Snow change into that more practical outfit before confronting the bandits?

~ Did David and Hercules ever get a proper introduction? That would have been great to see!

~ Meg does not seem at all like her Disney movie counterpart. But, I like that Hercules does the same for her as he did for Snow by equipping her to defeat her fearsome enemy.

~ There are still many unanswered questions: Why/how did Meg end up in Cerberus’ path in the first place? And why did Hades imprison her? And why did he torture Hook?

~ As weird as it is to see Snow have a romantic interest other than David, her relationship with Hercules is pretty believable for the kind of people they are and the stage of life they were in when they met.

~ What Snow/Mary Margaret says about forgetting who she was, and reclaiming her identity as Snow White, is interesting for character, but seems like the kind of thing she should have said earlier in the show. It would have made more sense in Season 2, when the curse had just broken and everyone in Storybrooke had to reconcile their two identities. It would have been great to see Snow struggle to return to her old self, instead of immediately bouncing back.

~ Who are the guards working for Hades? Are they supposed to be Pain and Panic?

~ Hook seems a lot like Westley in The Princess Bride during his final scene, in terms of both the torture he endures and the nature of his threat against Hades (basically “to the pain,” since he can’t kill him).

~ This episode’s title is excellent, as it refers to Emma’s quest, Hercules’ labors, Snow’s efforts to protect her people, and the fact that Hercules finds love with young Snow and Meg.

Episode 5x14 “Devil’s Due”

~ Is the eye an homage to the three Fates/Gorgons who shared an eye?

~ Looks like Belle is hanging out with Grumpy/Leroy at Granny’s!

~ Milah kills a snake to save her son, like Mother Mary stepping on the serpent to save her children!

~ Milah seems at least somewhat aware of who Emma is, but still has to ask for clarification about her relationships. I appreciate that she doesn’t give Emma a hard time about either Hook or Neal; she simply asks to make sure she understands.

~ Putting Emma’s nursery furniture in her house is creepy as … well, Hell!

~ Why does Milah insist that Rumple be the one to kill Fendrake and steal the cure? Why not do it herself, since she’s braver and has the use of both legs?

~ Young Killian knocks out Milah’s assailant with his left hand!

~ Milah and Killian’s first meeting explains so much about them and their relationship. He is a foil to pre-Dark One Rumple. He stands up for Milah, showing bravery and physical strength, even though she is a stranger to him. Meanwhile her husband is reluctant to fight for her and her son.

~ It’s kind of amazing that Snow is the one to accompany Regina to find Daniel’s grave, since she was the one Regina blamed for his death.

~ Milah and Rumple’s relationship is wonderfully complex. Neither of them is completely innocent, yet neither is entirely to blame for how things turned out. They each caused each other to change for the worse.

~ Gold didn’t need to kill Milah; surely he could have just used a memory charm to make her forget that she had seen Hades appear. Or would that not work because she is dead?

~ I’ll never forgive the writers for deciding that Milah couldn’t be reunited with Hook or Neal. Rumple, at least, seems to feel a little guilty for betraying her, but believes it necessary to save his child.

~ Regina healing an injured horse is interesting, and fitting since she used to love them so much. I totally thought it was going to be a horse that belonged to her.

~ How does Robin know that the friend was a “her,” and that she meant something to Gold? Did he tell them all that Milah was the one they were going to enlist for help?

~ “She made me who I am” is true, and sounds like a compliment, but I doubt Gold means it that way.

~ It’s so heartbreakingly ironic that after all the times Gold has pressed people into bad deals and even threatened to take away their children, he is now at the bad end of a deal that could cost him his child.

~ Hades chose the three central characters to stay in the Underworld. Emma, Regina, and Snow have been the main foci of the show since its beginning.

~ The characters seem to use idioms with the word “hell” in them more than ever now that they are in the Underworld!

Episode 5x15 “The Brothers Jones”

~ I’m glad that Henry acknowledges how hard it was for him to see Hook die.

~ I like that Hook is dealing with the weight of what he did, and is not immediately on board with Emma’s plan/desire to bring him back to life.

~ It’s sad to think of Liam waiting for Killian to die so they could be reunited, only for Killian’s life to continue for centuries.

~ The flashbacks seem to indicate that Killian always had doubts about his self-worth.

~ “If you served an honorable king, it would change you.” This seems to have come true, as Hook changed while serving the Charmings!

~ They totally robbed us of an emotional reunion hug between Killian and Liam! Why’d they have to cut from their first look to when they’ve settled down with drinks and apparently caught up a bit already?

~ This episode adds a bit more nuance to Hook’s relationship with rum. Apparently young Killian used it as a coping mechanism while working as a deckhand, and it cost him his opportunity to escape from slavery. When he then enters the king’s navy, he scolds a sailor under his command for possession of alcohol, saying it leads to bad form; now we know he was speaking from experience!

~ I like the wording of Liam’s declaration, but the delivery comes off kind of wooden, like he’s making a show of nobility rather than acting on real conviction.

~ Apparently the mayor and the sheriff having an affair is something Storybrooke and “Underbrooke” have in common.

~ I’m curious when exactly Regina forgave herself for her wrongdoings. In Season 2, she asserts that she might actually be good, and that the title “evil” was given to her by her enemies. In Season 3, she says that she has no regrets about the horrible things she did because they all led to her adopting Henry. At what point did she come to understand that what she did was wrong? And once she repented, when did she forgive herself?

~ Regina says she tore out the pages of Henry’s storybook about herself so he wouldn’t figure out she was the Evil Queen, but I don’t remember that, and he did figure it out. Emma was the one who tore about the pages about herself.

~ Hades really plays the part of the devil, with limited power in this world, but enough promises of worldly power to tempt people to evil.

~ What would the point of a mutiny be if the new captain maintained the exact same course as the old captain?

~ With Emma being so protective of Hook and afraid to lose him, how could he be abducted from right under her nose?

~ So much of the dialogue in this episode comes across cheesy, but Hook’s line about the bar being so high he could only fail is great. That dynamic between the two brothers makes sense.

Episode 5x16 “Our Decay”

~ Dorothy has grown up a lot since the last time Zelena saw her! The scared little girl is now a powerful woman … but no explanation is given of how that happened.

~ They give Dorothy basically the same dynamic with Zelena as Snow did with Regina, a rogue heroine beloved by the people.

~ How does the Scarecrow have a brain now, if he didn’t go on that quest with Dorothy to get one from the wizard?

~ It’s cool that they lean into Hades’ jealousy of Zeus, but to bring out the parallels with Zelena, it would make more sense to stick with Zeus being the younger brother, not older.

~ How can Hades steer the bike with Zelena’s hat blocking his vision?

~ I’m surprised that Gold, who has spent so long hiding secrets from Belle, comes clean to her as soon as he sees her.

~ Gold’s little speech to Belle sounds like a conversation they should have had earlier in the show, perhaps in Season 2.

~ Zelena has never been as emotionally or psychologically complex as she in this episode. It’s refreshing to see!

~ If Hades’ heart was stopped, how can he claim to love?

Episode 5x17 “Her Handsome Hero”

~ Hades finding a flower in the Underworld and recognizing it as a sign of hope … should be a nod to Persephone, but of course they wouldn’t let her be his love interest in this story.

~ “I don’t have any issues.” The looks that the others give her = Emma is so in denial!

~ It’s good that they explore what is going on with Emma, since she has not been the focus for the last several episodes; but it feels like more telling than showing.

~ The toxicity of Belle and Rumple/Gold’s relationship is on full display in this episode. They both betray each other.

~ How did Belle get the dagger? Why would Gold part with it after saying how much he loves it?

Episode 5x18 “Ruby Slippers”

~ “It’s hard to be a Savior when no one wants you to save them.” That’s actually a good line, but it would have meant a lot more at some other point in the series, when Emma is in the midst of playing that role for her people.

~ I love that Hook and David talked, and that they work together to help Snow! They acknowledge the fact that everyone came to the Underworld to save Hook, and that it wasn’t just for Emma’s sake. And the one thing they have most in common is that they’ll do whatever it takes to help/protect the women they love. It’s great to see Hook help David to help his wife and son.

~ Ruby and Snow’s conversation about love has a lot of wisdom in it. I wish Snow had given that kind of encouragement to Emma when she was trying to figure out her feelings and relationship with Hook. Aside from the first season when everyone was cursed, they’ve never really talked about dating!

~ The way Hades kills Auntie Em demonstrates one of the biggest and most frequently recurring plot holes in fantasy fiction: if the villain is powerful enough to kill people so easily, why doesn’t he just kill the protagonists, instead of drawing out the conflict for so long?

Episode 5x19 “Sisters”

~ The song choice at the beginning of the episode and the wording of Hades’ proposal make me think of Loki. I wonder if those writers took inspiration from OUAT, or if there were any writers in common between the two shows.

~ “Because he’s a villain” really doesn’t make sense coming from Regina, of all people.

~ Interesting to have Hook and Cora reunite! I was not expecting that, and it went pretty well for both of them, considering that the last time they saw each other, they were getting in the way of each other’s plans.

~ The parallels between Zelena & Regina and David & James!!!

~ How is Robin able to take care of a baby by himself in the woods? I know it’s not his first time caring for a child, but logistically, how is that working out? Where/how is he getting milk for her?

~ Cora, Zelena, and Regina’s reconciliation is amazing! Barbara Hersey is one of the best actors on this entire show, and she knocks it out of the park; as melodramatic as they are, none of her scenes are cheesy or saccharine. And Cora being redeemed at the end was beautiful; I seriously wondered if she would go on to the worse place, after harming and destroying so many lives, but instead of consuming her, the fire seemed to purify her, like purgatory, before allowing her to move on to the better place.

~ David throwing his brother into the River of Souls just doesn’t sit right. It’s dissonant with both David’s character and the show’s theme of redemption.

Episode 5x20 “Firebird”

~ This is the first episode in quite a while that focuses on Emma in both past and present, and explores her relationship with Hook.

~ If Emma went looking for answers about her past in Maine, at the diner where she was found, she must have realized how close she was when Henry brought her to Storybrooke.

~ Emma was on the receiving end of a bail bondsperson! And learned her tricks from her!

~ So apparently Emma only worked as a bail bondsperson for a year or so before Henry found her. What did she do during the decade after her imprisonment? Did she live as a thief all that time?

~ It seems weird that Emma continued to look for her parents even after placing her own son for adoption.

~ Hades’ explanation for why Emma and Hook’s heart split wouldn’t work makes sense. Emma’s plan always had that flaw: she would not have been sharing her heart with Hook’s physical body, only with his Underworld counterpart.

~ It makes sense for Peter Pan of Neverland to be one of the few people to say “tick tock,” the others being Rumple and Hook.

~ Robin has good reason to be suspicious of Regina trusting Zelena: there could be any number of magical deceptions at work, such as controlling her heart.

~ Emma and Hook’s first adventure was ascending a beanstalk into the sky; now, on what seems to be their final adventure, they have to descend to the deepest place underground.

~ STEALTHY! I hope he and Snow had a reunion at some point!

~ Emma looks back as she leaves the Underworld, just like Orpheus in the myth!

Episode 5x21 “Last Rites”

~ Hades kind of causes his own downfall by killing Arthur, giving him the opportunity to help Hook.

~ Hook knows the names of the stages of grief! That’s pretty funny, considering how long it took for him to move on from losing Liam and Milah.

~ Like when they first met, Robin and Regina are once again in a secret tunnel breaking into her own seat of power!

~ I would expect Hook, a pirate, to know well enough where someone would hide their treasure.

~ Even in death, Hook does everything he can to help Emma!

~ It’s cool to see Hook and Arthur both having moments when they decide to do the heroic thing.

~ It’s nice that Zelena reaches out to comfort Regina, but Regina should have tried to comfort Zelena as soon as she killed Hades, not turned to Robin’s dead body.

~ Emma, Regina, and Zelena all lose the men they love in roughly the same day.

~ Someone finally pronounced “prophesied” correctly! I wonder if King Arthur’s actor pointed out that characters had been saying it wrong.

~ Zeus is totally miscast. He looks completely unimpressive and underwhelming, not like a god or a king. They could have at least given him a decent haircut.

~ The fact that Hook already has a grave in the Storybrooke cemetery raises many questions: Who buried him? Was he buried with his hook, or did someone save it and give it to Emma? Did he leave behind a will and testament? Did ownership of the Jolly Roger pass on to Emma?

~ Everyone putting arrows on Robin Hood’s coffin is a beautiful, fitting tribute.

~ I have mixed feelings about Hook coming back. On the one hand, it’s fitting that he was only able to return after he and Emma were willing to let him move on; that kind of paradox makes sense. But for him to come back when Robin cannot is just weird, and it undermines the character growth Emma has been struggling with, learning to love despite the fear of loss and let go of those who cannot stay with her.

~ I would expect Regina to get rid of Hades’ ashes as quickly as possible, not let them lie in her office.

Episode 5x22 “Only You”

~ Roland joins the Merry Men’s toast with what looks like chocolate milk!

~ If Gold wanted to obtain all of Storybrooke’s magic, wouldn’t the well be the better place? That was where he brought magic to Storybrooke in the first place.

~ Emma uses the same arguments on Regina that the others were using on Emma in the previous episode, saying that she should take a break to deal with her grief.

~ This is not the first time Henry expresses the idea that all magic is bad and should be destroyed. But he has also expressed wistfulness about Emma and Regina’s magic, which has the capacity for good. And he himself uses magic for good as the Author. There could have been more, better buildup to him coming to the decision to destroy magic.

~ Why would Gold appear to the heroes and tell them what Henry is doing? The only plausible reason would be if he wants them to find Henry for him. They should realize that!

~ I’m guessing Guinevere returns to Camelot with the other inhabitants, but does anyone console her about Arthur’s death or tell her about the role he played in defeating Hades?

~ Roland’s final scene is sweet, but it’s strange to see Little John so at ease with the witch who turned him into a flying monkey. And Roland’s relationship with Zelena is so weird at this point: they lived together for several weeks, so they must have bonded while she was pretending to be his mother, but she killed his actual mother, and Regina and Robin made him forget about the period of time when they lived together.

~ The scene of Emma and Regina in the apartment (which has now been inhabited by both of their dead lovers) is unusually long, and amazingly deep. Regina finally talks about the tension between good and evil inside her, and what motivates her from moment to moment. I only wish this had been explored or explained earlier in the series; but maybe she did not have the words to explain it, or enough trust in Emma to be vulnerable about it with her.

~ Henry is acting more like his father than ever, breaking the library’s exhibit and stealing an artifact.

~ I knew Gold would be behind the doors!

~ Gold choosing to save the Olympian Crystal rather than Belle from the portal is almost predictable at this point. Did he learn nothing from his centuries of regret over not choosing Baelfire over his magic?

~ I have mixed feelings about the new context they give to Baelfire/Neal. On the one hand, I’m glad they gave some explanation for what he did during those years apart from Emma, and his apparent hatred of magic resonates with the attitude he expressed to Hook and the Darlings. On the other hand, doing research to destroy magic goes against what he said about trying to forget about the Enchanted Forest.

Episode 5x23 “An Untold Story”

~ Overall, I don't like that this show treats works of science fiction like Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as if they were fairy tales, because they're categorically different. That being said, the steampunk-like landscape of the Land of Untold Stories is quite interesting!

~ Gold seems to change his tune to Regina throughout this episode: in one scene he tells her that she’s gone soft, in the next he tells her that the Evil Queen is who she truly is.

~ Henry seems to both teach and learn a lesson about the “willing suspension of disbelief.”

~ I’m a little disappointed that Emma and Hook did not get more screentime during this finale, after everything they went through this season in their struggle to be together. But I’m glad they finally had a moment and professed their love when they were not in danger.

#Once Upon a Time #ABC's Once Upon a Time #reactions #Captain Swan #Dark Swan #Underworld #Camelot

[jj-lives]

Jaune naming the Paper people after his friends comes of, initially, as super creepy. It is the first indication team RWBY gets that Jaune isn't the survivor and hero from the storybook. He isn't "The Rusted Knight"

He's just Jaune, a lonely and disturbed individual.

Naming these creatures what he does, shows the depth of his regret. These are simple folk, with simple problems. They are accident prone and if all he has to do to keep his friends safe here is to stop a dam from flooding or a lantern from setting the place ablaze, that's something he can do. It gives Jaune structure; if he sticks to the plan, people survive. Do this first thing in the morning, be here at this time, stop this catastrophe before bed.

Simple. Predictable. Safe.

He can protect Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Ren, Nora... He can save them in this world, even if he can't in the other.

He relies on the predictability of the Ever After, but life isn't predictable. Life is full of twists and turns and throws things at you unexpectedly. Team RWBY and Neo are the largest curve ball Jaune has seen since the arrival of Alyx and Lewis.

It's kind of self sabotaging, or a self-fulfilling prophecy that he chooses these people to represent the friends he needs to save. He chooses one of the simplest creatures in the Ever After and their purpose and entire world is built to literally be destroyed so that it can be built back up again. more times than not the Paper people cause the issues that would destroy their world because they want to ascend, that's their purpose.

In a way Jaune has become what he is against, he is an Ever Afterian. He has a purpose: Keep them alive, but his heart isn't strong enough to let go when he needs to.

#jaune arc #rwby #rwby9 #rwby analysis

[heliads]

Hello 👋 This is the anon from the Au request! I'm so glad u write for them because I wasn't sure if I could send in my request 😅

I wanted to request a peter pan x reader where the reader is from the maze runner au and the reader is from the glade and when they all left the maze they got taken by w.i.c.k.e.d which was then infiltrated and taken over by Peter and the lost boys and they brought the reader and maybe a few other gladers to Neverland to test them and see what was so special about them and Peter ends up liking the reader. But a glader gets jealous (preferably maybe newt or minho, because I adore them) and tries to convince the reader to leave neverland, to start a new life somewhere without all these magic and nonsense and just be like how close they were in the glade. But then Peter overhears this and tries to tell the reader stay in neverland because its all they ever wanted. And in the end the reader will have to make a big choice between staying in neverland or leaving to go somewhere else to restart with the gladers. (Peter gives her a choice) and then the reader is all stressed and stuff because of all the pressure but in the end the reader does realise, that they have actually come to love Peter and so the reader stays with Peter and lives life in neverland and hopefully some other gladers who were the readers best friends stay too.

Sorry for the long request!! 😅 But thank u so much if u write this. I love your stories. ❤️❤️❤️If you liked the request i can send in more AU requests 😂

this reminds me of those peter pan and maze runner imagines, my beloved, and thus i will give you 3.7k words for the nostalgia alone

masterlist

Even from where you stand, you can tell that the odds aren’t great. 

The unfairness of it strikes you now. This should work, it has to, but just because a cause is right doesn’t mean it will succeed. The world is unfair like that sometimes, blessing its heroes with the chance of escape only to kill them where they stand. 

Then again, you’re no hero, just a survivor. You’ve never claimed to be anything else. No one here is the stuff of storybooks. No one in the Maze will ever be born of anything but spilled blood, and that means none of you truly have a fighting chance of getting out of here.

This is your world, after all, and it’s not pretty. No one said trying to break out of the Glade would be, but you were hoping to lose a few less friends than you have. Already, you look around and see far too many bodies on the ground. Some are Grievers, yes, getting you that much closer to escape, but many more are those of your friends. 

One of the spiked monsters lunges at you now, but a spear erupts out of its fleshy middle before it can reach you. You turn to see your protector as he retrieves the spear from the fallen Griever. 

“Thanks,” you manage to gasp out through uneven breaths. 

Minho nods grimly at you. “No problem. Keep your head up, Y/N, we’re almost out.”

Neither of you are entirely convinced of that fact, but that’s Minho for you. The guy would sell his soul to keep his friends’ intact. If anyone deserves to make it out, it’s the Runner himself. 

The only way he’ll be alright, however, is if you get him to safety. So, you keep your chin up, and return the favor, pushing Minho to safety out of the reach of a Griever’s lunging claws. It may take some effort to get through this, but you’ll be damned if you’re going to give up so easily.

Your mentality is rewarded when you eventually manage to get Thomas, Teresa, and Chuck into a small room to shut down the Grievers. Using the codes from the daily maps of the Maze, they’re able to put a stop to the creatures once and for all. The surviving Gladers collapse in shaky heaps, most clutching wounds or fallen friends.

The cost of making it to the other side is high, far higher than anyone anticipated. Still, you’re out, and that’s what matters most. Thomas leads your group through a series of inner rooms, including one in which your losses take another hit. This time, it’s Chuck who falls, and it rips the last shred of hope for a happy ending from everyone. Chuck was just a kid, you should have protected him. He should have made it out, but he didn’t.

Still, the best thing you can do to honor the kid is to escape, once and for all. After stumbling through a wrecked room holding the last vestiges of the WICKED Creators, you and the Gladers learn that the project was created to find a cure for the Flare, and that the rest of the world has been ravaged by solar flares.

It’s not great, to say the least. It looks like your dream of finding a quiet place to rest for the remainder of your days may be put on hold for a while. However, you are able to make it out at last, and a group of armed guards appears out of nowhere to guide you through the surrounding desert and into a clean if austere facility.

Despite the comforts of having good food and a roof over your heads, you can’t shake the feeling that something about this place is off. Minho, Thomas, and Newt share your concerns, especially when the lead director, a man named Janson, is eerily fixated on the rest of you getting your memories back, even if he has to force you to get the procedure done.

That’s why you and some friends are running for your lives at the moment. You don’t know how long you have until Janson’s men come for you, but you have to find a way out, and find it now. Thomas met up with some kid named Aris who claims that Janson’s secrets are even worse than you’d imagined, something along the lines of human experimentation. In all likelihood, the inhabitants of this complex are probably WICKED themselves, not your saviors but a new form of captors.

The five of you, plus Frypan, Winston, and a few other Gladers who’d refused to take their memories back are plotting ways to escape right now. Thomas has managed to lead your merry group to find Teresa, who despite recent experimentation is looking as alert as ever. Perhaps it’s the fear of getting caught, making all of you run on enough adrenaline to kill.

You’re all in the medical wing now, but you don’t have much longer. A faint noise catches your attention, and you lean against the door of the lab, trying to listen more closely. What had been a small insignificance turns into a larger disturbance, the sound of many footsteps hurrying towards you.

You turn back to your friends with a start. “We have to get out now. I can hear them coming.”

Newt swears under his breath. “How? There’s only one door.”

Thomas nods grimly. “One door, yes, but also one window.”

You follow his gaze towards a large rectangle of glass on the far side. “You can’t be serious.”

Thomas almost grins. “I’m very serious.”

He picks up a stool from a nearby row of tables and starts beating the window with it. The glass is resistant, and it takes Newt joining in on the fun for the pane to actually shatter. Just as the window finally gives way, though, the door swings open in a cloud of bright green light, revealing not Janson and a horde of angry soldiers but a group of boys about your age.

Newt and Thomas freeze in confusion. “Who are you?” Minho asks, suspicious.

One of the boys is plainly the leader, and as he steps forward, you realize that he’s wearing strange clothes. They’re rough, clearly handmade, like the relics of a time that has long since passed him by. You can see similar garments on the other boys, as well as leather belts that hold all kinds of knives and weapons.

“My name is Peter Pan,” says the lead boy with a deceptively sharp grin, “although I suppose the better question is, who are you?”

Minho squints at him. “I don’t know, man, you guys are the ones who are glowing. I’d say that’s fairly–”

You cut him off before he can get up too much energy. You do have some faint traces of self-preservation, and that includes not wanting to anger the group of boys with knives.

“I think what Minho means to say is that we’re not sure who you are. We thought all of the Maze groups had already arrived, so where did you guys come from? Are you WICKED?”

Peter laughs. “Only in personality. We have no ties to this organization.”

By your side, Thomas frowns. “Then what the hell are you doing here? If you try to stop us from leaving, I’d like to see you try.”

Peter raises a tired hand. “Please put down the stool, we’re trying to have a nice conversation, aren’t we? And no, we have no intention of keeping you here. Far from it, actually. We’d like to offer you a chance to escape to a place where WICKED could never possibly hope to find you.”

Newt straightens. “What does that mean? WICKED has always been able to find us. They have enough resources to fund a small army.”

Peter spreads his hands. “And that’s exactly why I’m here. I heard that there was a virus more deadly than any before it; also, that there was a cure in the form of a particularly fascinating group of people. Now that I’ve come to study it, I don’t care much for the disease, but I could still use the rest of you. If you want it, I can take you to our home, where WICKED will never find you. It’s your choice.”

You fold your arms across your chest. “And how would we get to your secret hideaway?”

Peter smiles slightly. “We’d use a magic bean, of course.”

Minho snorts. “Yeah, and where’d you get it, Jack and his shucking beanstalk? You don’t happen to have any giants around, do you?”

Peter’s grin just broadens. “Of course Jack isn’t around, I stole it from him a long time ago. Don’t be absurd.”

Before the rest of you can ask just what that means, Peter pulls something small from a pouch on his belt and tosses it into an empty portion of the lab. Instantly, a hole seems to tear itself in the air, revealing instead a glimpse of a world on the other side of a shimmering circle of light. You don’t know where it is, only that it is far, far away from here.

The Gladers flinch back. “What is that?” Teresa asks, eyes wide, “How did you do that?”

Peter chuckles. “Like I said, magic bean. Now, are you coming or staying? The portal won’t last forever, you know.”

There clearly isn’t enough time for a legitimate discussion, but one look around at your friends and you can tell that you’re all in agreement. Remaining at WICKED’s headquarters is certain death, and although you have no guarantees that going to Peter’s world won’t be any less dangerous, at least he’s offering you a choice in the matter.

You step forward first. “We’ll go.”

You may just be making it up, but you swear that Peter looks pleased. “After you,” he says, extending a hand towards the glowing circle of light. Before you can stop yourself, you step through.

No sooner have you walked through the portal than the other Gladers rush around you. You mentally tally off each one as they arrive, making sure that they’re all accounted for. You were in a small group as is, but it wouldn’t do to leave anyone behind now.

Soon enough, you’re all on the other side, and then Peter and his entourage step through as well. Seconds later, the portal closes, leaving the lot of you with your choice. Now that the immediate rush is over, you and your friends start to look around you and gasp with shock at what you see.

It’s not just that Peter has taken you to a different place, he’s dropped you off in a world like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Towering trees stretch up to the sky, laden with leaves of a green so bright you can’t believe it. The crisp scent of fresh air weaves in between you, carried by a brisk breeze, and you swear you can even detect the salt of a sea.

By your side, Peter glances over at you, frowning. “Why are all of you so surprised? Did you really not believe me about the portal?”

You shake your head, still unable to tear your gaze away from the beauty surrounding you. “No, not that. It’s just– before this, we were stuck in this small area in the middle of a Maze, and before that, our memories were wiped. The rest of our world is nothing but desert. No one has ever seen a place like this before. I didn’t know it could even exist.”

Peter’s gaze softens. “Of course it exists,” he says quietly, “it’s Neverland. It will continue existing until no one is left to believe in it.”

There’s a wistfulness in his voice that tears your attention from the surrounding forests at last, but Peter is already moving through your group of friends to stand at the very front.

“This place is now your home,” he announces proudly, “stay where you like, do what you like. We’re all free here. No harm will come to you other than what you choose to indulge in.”

It’s an odd statement, and, coupled with the sudden spark of glee that enters Peter’s eyes, you get the feeling that Peter and his boys are far more dangerous than they’ve initially let on. Then again, you and your friends have just escaped a massive Maze populated with monsters. You are all far more dangerous than you seem as well.

Newt announces that the Gladers should concern themselves with the immediate needs, and soon enough you’re all foraging throughout the forest for a good place to sleep, supplies to build a shelter, all the things you would have built yourselves back in the Glade. Sleeping on a hammock isn’t such a far cry from life back then, but it feels different somehow, like this time, choosing to stay here makes it all that much better.

You can't help but be reminded of the Glade again and again as the night progresses. Peter insists on throwing a celebration for the newcomers, something that is uncannily similar to your favored Bonfire Nights, and the Lost Boys laugh and horse around just like your friends.

A contented feeling takes root in your chest, and you realize that this could be everything you’ve ever hoped for. There’s no way WICKED could possibly track you down, and you’re left with all the best parts of the Glade– your friends, your freedom, all of it. This is perfect. Only your lingering exhaustion from the run from WICKED allows you to fall asleep. Otherwise you’d probably stay up until dawn from the sheer thrill of it all.

Even so, you wake up early, quietly extricating yourself from your hammock to pad silently out of the Gladers’ camp. You’re not intermingled with the Lost Boys quite yet, due to the last vestiges of suspicion about people who are not your own, but you have no doubt that even that last bit of paranoia will drop off soon enough.

Already, you’re starting to memorize the twisting pathways through the forests of Neverland. Eventually, you clear the brush and find yourself on a rocky cliffside facing the water. The ocean stretches off as far as the eye can see, promising you safety until the end of time and perhaps even longer than that.

You carefully take a seat, hugging one leg to your chest and stretching out the other past the edge of the cliff. From there, you’re content to sit quietly and watch the sun rise, tinting the neverending waves a faint lavender, then rose pink, and a pirate’s gold and floral orange at last.

A sound of footsteps from behind you makes you startle, and when you turn around to see who’s found you, you discover not Minho or Newt or one of the other Gladers, but Peter Pan himself.

“Sorry to disturb you,” he says, but you wave a hand dismissively and offer for him to join you, which he accepts.

Peter sits next to you, eyes trained on the horizon. “You meant what you said earlier, didn’t you? About not expecting a world like this?”

You nod. “Ours has already been ruined, I doubt there are many places left like this across the entire planet. It’s like we started our story at the very end.”

“That’s the difference with Neverland,” Peter notes, “it doesn’t have to follow the story. It’s so far removed from everything else that it isn’t disturbed by the end of the world.”

You laugh. “That sounds nice. To be safe by yourself while everything else goes to hell.”

It’s a cynical take, sure, but you’ve learned it from the Maze. Nothing lasts forever, although it’s starting to seem like Neverland might break that rule for you.

Peter sighs. “You seem to be taking the change well, but others of your friends aren’t. A few in particular seem eager to leave already.”

You grimace. “You’re talking about Minho, right?”

You don’t need to see Peter’s nod to know that he’s talking about the Runner. You’ve noticed it, too– Minho paced uneasily at the edge of camp the entire previous night, not engaging in much conversation, not wanting to commit to anything that might force him to stay.

“Minho is used to trying to escape,” you acknowledge, “this place is no different. He doesn’t see the island, he sees the ocean cutting us off and nothing else. He can never be happy knowing that there might be something out there, something he didn’t find on his own.”

Peter inclines his head. “I’m going to give everyone a chance to leave in a few days. It’ll be your choice, obviously, but this island is for the lost, and if they’re not lost, why would I waste my time in trying to convince them otherwise?”

He shoots a look at you as he says this, but stands before you can confirm whether or not you think yourself truly lost. “Enjoy the sunrise,” he says simply, “it is your choice whether you wish to see more of them.”

With that, he’s gone, leaving you alone with the endless sea.

True to his word, Peter gathers the Gladers around noon to present them with the opportunity to leave. He claims that he could drop you off anywhere, still not within WICKED’s reach but full of plenty of other opportunities.

He gives you time to discuss the matter with your friends, and the clearing quickly erupts in a raucous choir of questions. What surprises you is how many of the other Gladers clearly seem delighted by the idea of leaving. Are you the only one who likes this place?

Minho seems to pick up on your hesitation soon enough, and he pulls you aside. “So,” he asks cautiously, “what are you thinking?”

You exhale slowly. “Honestly, I was kind of wanting to stay. Hear me out,” you say hurriedly, as you see Minho’s eyebrows raise in shock, “I know everyone else wants to go, but Neverland isn’t that bad, either. We’re safe here.”

“We’d be safe anywhere else,” Minho counters, “Pan promised us that. We could go anywhere we want, Y/N. Paradise itself. Beaches or more forests or places with actual houses that we wouldn’t have to build. Shuck, maybe we could all live in a palace. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Despite his obvious enthusiasm for the idea, you still can’t convince yourself to get excited about leaving. “We have beaches here, and forests too. Plus, we have more people to befriend.”

“Please, Y/N,” Minho says beseechingly, “go with us. We can leave all of this magic klunk behind. You like this place because it reminds you of the best parts of the Glade, I get it. We can have it there too, a fresh start. It’ll be just us, right? Just us, as close as we were back then.”

You can feel yourself wavering on the edge of a very difficult choice. You want to believe in Minho more than anything, that everything will be better if you just go with him, but you can still hear Peter’s voice this morning, how it had felt to picture a life there with endless sunrises and the sort of freedom that comes with leaving everything else behind.

Across the clearing, you look up and catch Peter’s eye. He’s very deliberately giving everyone time to talk, but when he notices you staring, he mouths two words:

Your choice.

The pit in your stomach looms, but you think you’ve made a decision at last. Thomas calls for everyone to come over and make their choices, no judgment, and you listen as one Glader after another announces that they’ll be leaving the island. Minho says that he’ll be going, and then it’s your turn.

You hesitate again, and Newt frowns at you. “What’ll it be, Y/N?”

The Gladers have been your family for a very long time, quite literally as long as you remember. Still, Neverland feels like home more than any other place, even some paradise of your own design. You know that if you were to choose a world in which to spend the rest of your days, you’d pick something like this over and over again.

So, you square your shoulders, and make your choice. “I’m staying in Neverland.”

You’re greeted with shocked looks, but you don’t regret it. Instead, it feels more right than anything you’ve done before. Your friends express sorrow that you won’t be joining them, and you do sincerely wish that they would stay, but you know as well as they do that your paths were simply meant to go in different directions. You have loved the time you’ve had together, but it’s time now for your goodbyes, and they can fault you for that no more than you can fault them for not staying.

Minho says farewell the last of everyone. “You’re sure you want to do this?” He asks one last time. His voice, however, is soft, as if he can finally tell that your mind is made up.

You nod, and he pulls you close in a quick hug around the shoulders before rejoining the rest of the Gladers in the clearing. Peter pulls another magic bean from his belt and conjures up a portal to the world of their choice. From where you’re standing, you can’t fully see where it is that they’re going, but you think it’s somewhere beautiful, full of calling birds and sparkling shores.

You wish them the best, and watch them leave. Even after the last of them disappears through the glowing ring and the portal closes behind them, you still stand there, watching the last place you’d seen your friends.

Peter walks up, stopping by your side. “Well?” He asks in his best attempt at a casual tone, “Regretting your choice yet?”

You tilt your head up, and realize that you’re in the same place you were when you first came through the portal and ended up here. The sky is a perfect blue, visible in patches and fragments through that thick shock of leaves. You don’t know that you’ll ever fully get used to the sight of it, but you think you’d like to try your hand at it anyway.

“Not in the slightest,” you respond, and Peter smiles for real.

He extends a hand to you. “Let’s go home,” he says, and you follow him back to the Lost Boys’ camp. Now your welcome to Neverland begins in earnest, now it is well and truly your home. You couldn’t be happier to see it.

ouat tag list: @lovesanimals0000, @amortensie, @lost-ender

#peter pan #peter pan imagines #peter pan x reader #peter pan oneshot #ouat #ouat imagines #ouat x reader #ouat oneshot #once upon a time #once upon a time x reader #once upon a time oneshot #ouat peter pan #ouat peter pan imagines #ouat peter pan x reader #ouat peter pan oneshot #tmr #tmr crossover #maze runner #maze runner crossover #once upon a time peter pan #once upon a time peter pan imagines #once upon a time peter pan x reader #once upon a time peter pan oneshot

[princesssarisa]

Character ask: The seven dwarfs (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

Favorite thing about them: In all versions of the fairy tale, I love their kindness in accepting Snow White into their home and how devotedly they come to love her. As for Disney's iconic dwarfs, I also love their comedy and their endearing individual personalities: especially adorable Dopey, and Grumpy with all his funny lines and his arc of gradually warming up to Snow White. I love the fact that despite being silly cartoon characters, they're still such warm, engaging figures that back in 1937, they moved an audience full of tough Hollywood moguls and stars to tears with their grief at Snow White's apparent death.

I also enjoy seeing the creative ways that different adaptations portray them. Their names and personalities vary, of course, as does whether they're gnomelike creatures or humans with dwarfism, and exactly how comically or seriously they're portrayed varies too. They've also been portrayed as a brotherhood of priests, as a band of thieves, as the last survivors of a noble Tolkien-esque race, as rainbow gnomes who control the weather, as magical craftsmen who made the Queen's magic mirror, as seven average-sized human siblings whose surname happens to be Dwarf, and as seven formerly-handsome princes transformed into green dwarfs as a punishment. I love the variety!

Least favorite thing about them: That some people with dwarfism, like Peter Dinklage, view them as ableist, dehumanizing figures.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I like gold and gemstones.

*Like Disney's dwarfs, I can be messy.

*If a person fleeing from danger were to arrive at my door, I would also take them in and try my best to protect them.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I've never worked as a miner.

*I'm of average height.

*I live in a condo, not a cottage, and I thankfully don't share it with seven other people.

Favorite line:

From the original tale, after Snow White "dies":

"We cannot bury her in the black earth."

And when the Prince offers to give them anything in exchange for the glass coffin:

"We will not sell it for all the gold in the world."

From the Disney version:

When they discover the sleeping Snow White and Bashful compares her to an angel:

Grumpy: Angel, ha! She's a female! All females is poison! They're full of wicked wiles!

Bashful: What are wicked wiles?

Grumpy: I don't know. But I'm agin' 'em!

When Snow White asks "How do you do?":

Grumpy: How do you do what?

When Snow White offers to cook for them:

Doc: Uh, can you make dapple lumplings? Er, lumple dapplings?

Grumpy and Sleepy: Apple dumplings!

Doc: Yes! Crapple dumpkins.

(Sneaking a little toilet humor past the Hays Code on that last line, eh Disney?)

When the other dwarfs are washing:

Grumpy: Next thing you know she'll be tyin' your beards up in pink ribbons and smellin' ya up with that stuff called, uh... perfoom!

brOTP: Each other and Snow White.

OTP: None.

nOTP: Snow White, unless it's a retelling where one of them is portrayed as her love interest.

Random headcanon: I firmly ascribe to the belief that Disney's dwarfs are gnome-like beings, not humans with dwarfism. They have a magical connection to the earth, which explains why the gems they mine appear cut and polished. They're also immortal, and already several hundred years old when they meet Snow White – some of the movie storybooks and earlier drafts of the script make this explicit.

Unpopular opinion: While I love Grumpy's character arc of resisting Snow White's presence at first but ultimately learning to love her, I don't have any desire to ship them the way some do. I'd rather view his love for her as more fatherly; he's an old man and she's a young girl, after all. I'd sooner ship him with Doc (assuming they're not brothers – whether the dwarfs are related to each other or not is another thing that varies between adaptations), because their blend of closeness and bickering gives off an "old married couple" vibe.

Song I associate with them:

"Heigh-Ho."

"The Washing Song (Bluddle-Uddle-Um-Dum)."

"The Silly Song."

Favorite pictures of them:

This illustration by Anastassija Archipowa.

This illustration by Warwick Goble.

This one by Angela Barrett.

This one by Trina Schart Hyman (who allegedly modeled all her dwarfs after people she knew, including herself – the young-looking one with black hair is a self-portrait).

This one by Arthur Rackham, showing them trying to revive the poisoned Snow White.

This one by Charles Santore, showing them crying tears of joy at Snow White's resurrection.

This picture on a Lindt chocolate bar.

And these pictures from the Disney version.

#character ask #snow white #snow white and the seven dwarfs #fairy tale #the seven dwarfs #disney #the brothers grimm #ask game #fictional characters

[glyphreader]

Toil to Renown (Shadowmoor No. 130, Illus. Larry McDougall)

The Great Aurora and the transformation of Lorwyn into Shadowmoor caused almost all of its denizens to warp into darker, more sinister versions of themselves. The plane's elves were the only instance of the reverse happening: Formerly a group of ruthless beauty fascists that swore to eradicate everything they considered ugly on sunlit Lorwyn, they turned into protectors that fought to preserve the last bits of hope and beauty in the gloom of Shadowmoor. The flavor text of Toil to Renown shows us this new side of the elven society:

The last survivor of her patrol, the warrior returned expecting disappointment and scorn. Instead she found gratitude. “You are alive. That is reason to celebrate.”

The illustration seems to show the warrior from the flavor text being welcomed back and recognized as some kind of hero in a ritual similar to a knighting ceremony. She might not have wanted to be a renowned figure, but the toils she went through made her into one regardless.

Another interesting thing that I only noticed once I looked at the illustration for a bit longer is the lighting. The forest the two elves are standing in is very bright here, despite Shadowmoor being wrapped in an almost perpetual sunless gloom. If we assume this is daylight, then the scene shown here must take place at the brightest part of the day - which feels quite fitting for a society for elves who seek for hope and beauty in a dark world.

Larry McDougall again knocks it out of the part here with his storybook-like illustration style. Cards like this make we wish for Lorwyn/Shadowmoor lore and story material that encompasses more than what we got back in 2007-2009.

#mtg #magic the gathering #shadowmoor #eventide #vorthos

[frogwaterthegame]

Hello everyone! We are a small team looking for a couple of 3D animators who would like to join us for our next project "Frogwater"; a 3D action platformer in a world  defined by the bounds of a storybook. The current story, though it's being ideated as we speak, goes as such:  "One day, a young boy performs a ritual that kills the world; replacing  the world that once existed with that of a storybook they were reading.  Almost all the people around the globe get teleported to a pocket realm  while the rest perished, as the earth that once existed winks out of  existence. The survivors find themselves in a strange new world, one  that is written by the rules of a children's book."

Some of the game mechanics we are looking to implement are:

3rd person platformer movement (jumping, sprinting, climbing, horse-riding etc.);

combat mechanics based around a bow and arrow (different arrow types, free-aim, lock-on projectiles etc.);

exploration mechanics (distinctive features and landmarks, as well as signposts, other in-game exploratory tools).  

Please keep in mind that this is a passion project; it  is unpaid and the developers are expected to work in their own time with  weekly meetings with the whole team. All communications go through  Discord, as all of our staff work remotely - most of them based in  Europe.  Education in the field is not required as your fit for the project is decided based on your portfolio. We encourage anyone interested in this project to get in contact with us via Discord at Scythe#4396 before the beginning of March, which is when the project will begin.  

#indie #indie game #platformer #indie platformer #passion project #3d animation #videogames #animation #adventure #indie adventure

[kopivie]

Albedo shows you another memory. This one is a storybook, illustrated elegantly but undoubtedly for children.

“Was this yours?”

He shakes his head. “No. My sister’s.”

He turns a page. A young girl’s face smiles up at you from the paper. She looks kind. You glance between her and Albedo; you can see the resemblance.

“You loved her?” you ask.

“Very much. She was the brightest thing this world ever knew.” He combs through the storybook, talking about his sister and the lost memories he can only ever brush against here; the games they played, the smiles they shared, and the fondness he has never lost for her, even now.

The look in his eyes is faraway. He’s lost, you notice. Lost in a different time and in some ways a different place. His attention is completely elsewhere. He’s wandering away from you and into what was with that hint of a wistful smile on his face which doesn’t quite mind being there. Honestly, you think he’s telling himself all of this more than he is you.

And, for now, you let him.

-🎻 anon

i wonder how heartbreaking it would be if, when you asked if he loved his sister, he paused...

"did you love her?"

and albedo's little smile fades into nothingness. there's a slight draw to his brows when he replies, "i don't know." he seems confused. "perhaps i did, once upon a time. it was so long ago." his smile returns but with a bitterness that is palpable. "time is not kind to survivors."

#[ 📬 — inbox. ] #🎻 anon #i'm trying to utilize a technique that i picked up from my creative non-fiction class #where we were tasked with writing scenes without adverbs #and godDAMN its putting my writing skills to the test #THIS is how i get better at showing and not telling #i need to broaden my vocabulary so bad and i basically can't read fanfiction too closely if i want help w that #but these little prompts keep my brain fresh and im having fun #so thank you !

[algebra-of-infinite-night]

(@glyphsinthefog ) One would expect a survivor to avoid killers. That after a near-death experience and a rough trial they would take some days (or what counted as days) to recover.

Dwight wasn't doing that.

He returned to the fire, bandaged up, slept briefly, and then did his best to slip away from the familiar comfort of the group and off into the trees. It was always nervous going off away from the safety of the fire, but with Philip's mark still on his wrist, the risk of being found by another killer was less than the curiosity to get to know THIS one...

The symbol of protection on the survivor’s wrist was of a simple design. A spiraling circle, with a pair of swooping lines extending from the middle to guard it, vaguely resembling a stylized pair of wings. It was a steady, grounding presence.

The woods were deep and dark, as if The Entity had pulled them right from a children’s storybook, anachronistic mockeries of nature. Gnarled boughs that stretched far into the sky, blocking out all light as their skeletal branches reached out into the darkness of twilight whilst thick fog below blocked any means of navigation.

It was all overcast with a deafening silence, and in turn, every small noise rang out in a thunderous cacophony by comparison. Leaves and twigs snapped underfoot like fireworks. Each breath a swirling gale. The sounds all reverberated between twisting trunks, swiftly distorting into monstrous echoes.

The shadows cast by the moonlit trees above seemed to dance merrily, flitting from place to place like mischievous sprites.

Through it all, the protective symbol seemed to slowly burn a calming and grounding warmth. Soon the trees and landscape began to change with each passing moment, thinning out into a claustrophobic birch forest. Dark markings in the bark were shaped like eyes, and left an ominous feeling of surveillance.

The symbol cooled in temperature, no longer emitting that strange energy as the ground underfoot changed to a rough mixture of dirt, gravel, weeds, and varying bits of old scrap. Up ahead, shone a soft light beyond the treeline, and soon enough the familiar buildings showed up within view. A giant neon sign hung above the scrapyard like a halo, with the words Gas Heaven glowing in saturated hues.

Autohaven Wreckers.

—

When the disastrous trial had ended, Philip awoke sometime later. Sprawled out on the concrete floor of the makeshift home he’d made of Autohaven’s garage. The vignette pain of a headache dragged him to reality, and Philip stood up with a jolt as consciousness returned, holding his head in his hands as the events of the trial came back to him in a rush.

He remembered the trial.

The lucky unhook, the vision, everything.

The only issue was that, whatever had happened after Dwight left, it was all blocked by a horrible darkness in his memory. He couldn’t help but feel that this was on purpose, that The Entity had given him a fragment of choice for her own entertainment. Released like a laboratory rodent, into a maze with promises of free will but no escape.

He shuddered, sinking back into a dark corner of his home and curling into himself. He knew he wouldn’t get another trial for a while after this. The Entity wanted him to think over the past events. She was going to drain every last bit of hope and despair from him, and leaving him to mull over his own fate was an efficient way of doing so.

#rp reply #glyph dwight