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heliads · 2 years

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What They Say

Everyone has been warning you away from Peter Hayes from the second you stepped foot in Dauntless, especially after you started dating him. It would be a shame if something were to happen to make you finally understand what they all see in him.

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It’s a dangerous game that you’re playing, and yet you are not remotely interested in giving it up. You’ve been warned away countless times by friends and your own feeble conscience, but even those words of wisdom won’t be enough to convince you to lay down your winning hand for good.

After all, why would you ever leave this behind? Why would you ever leave him, Peter Hayes, when you still have the opportunity to keep it all? No one at Dauntless would ever pass up an advantage when it comes your way, and you subscribe to that belief in every regard.

Even when it comes to Peter. Especially when it comes to Peter. Peter Hayes is the worst of you and the best, what everyone sees when they want to believe Dauntless is made of monsters and also everyone’s best example of fearlessness. Peter may be cruel, but aren’t you all? Isn’t that why you’re here in the first place?

Maybe people try to convince you to leave Peter because they’re afraid you’ll become him. In a way, the only reason you were able to get so close to him is that you’ve already undergone such a transformation. You became your own demon the second you dashed your blood into Dauntless’ vessel during your Choosing Ceremony. Everything that happens after that is merely a consequence of your favorite action.

Still, that doesn’t stop Tris and Christina from trying to talk you out of it. They’re horrified by the fact that you would ever even think of dating him. Peter is a terrible person, they claim, sick and cruel whenever he gets the chance. They’re not entirely wrong, but then again, if either of them were to pass up the chance at winning this whole initiation over kindness, you’d laugh at them as well.

You’re stuck in another one of these interventions now. You’re trying to finish your breakfast in peace, but with Tris and Christina on either side of you, both alternating the attack on Peter, you’ve kind of lost your appetite.

“You have to see it,” Tris says, “surely you have to see it. Peter’s a complete nightmare. What could you possibly see in him that would make dating him worthwhile?”

“What do you see in Four that makes you stare at him all the time?” You counter.

Tris chokes on the water she’s drinking and has to fade into a blushing silence to regain her composure. After a concerned look her way, Christina takes up the charge.

“Look, all we’re saying is that we think you’re making a mistake. Peter is bad news and you know it. If you’re not careful, you’re going to end up hurt.”

You bite back a laugh. “What could possibly happen, Christina? I already watch my back enough that he couldn’t kill me if he tried. The worst thing he could do is break my heart, and that would just give me motivation to do better in the rankings.”

Christina snorts. “You’re so optimistic. If the thought of Peter breaking your heart isn’t enough to scare you, do you even love him at all? I mean, what do you even do to live with that?”

“Easy,” you say decisively, “I make sure I break his heart first.”

With that, you flash an exasperating grin at both of your friends in turn and stand up, heading towards the exit. There’s somebody waiting for you at the door, and although there’s no way Peter could have heard anything the three of you were saying over the din of everyone talking, he can still guess at the gist of it.

“Are they complaining about me again?” He asks, slinging an arm around your shoulder.

You grin. “Yeah, but I’m not too bothered. Tell you what, I’ll listen all they want once they beat me in a fight.”

Peter snorts. “At that rate, they’ll never be able to do so much as come near you.”

“That’s the point,” you laugh, and the two of you walk out, ready for the day’s training to begin.

In all honesty, you’re not sure that Tris and Christina are wrong to be worried. You’re not blind, you know what Peter is capable of when it comes to getting his way. If he had a chance to secure that final ranking once and for all, even if it came with the cost of screwing you over, he’d do it in a heartbeat. And if you faced the same dilemma, you’d make the exact same choice. No love lost.

Needless to say, it’s not the best foundation for a strong relationship. Then again, neither of you are really anchoring for marriage at this point. All you want is someone to retreat to at the end of the day, someone who can say your name with a smile and make you forget about every one of your worries for the blessed time you have with him. At the moment, Peter fits that description to a T, so you stay with him. Maybe it will last, maybe it won’t. Regardless, it’s good right now, and that’s all you need to convince yourself to stay with him.

You’re in the mood for some of that good later that night. You end up staying late after practice, trying to get your punches into the best form you can, but it takes a lot out of you. You’ve heard rumors of some parties going on in one corner of the Dauntless complex, and, desperate for some sort of fun, you head that way after a quick shower.

The festivities have been going on for quite some time when you finally arrive, but that doesn’t stop you from melting into the crowd immediately. Here, you can lose yourself on a tidal wave of people and laughter and liquor. Nothing more needed.

At one point, you’re searching for another drink when your gaze is caught by a room leading off from a nearby hall. It’s just outside the reach of the party, but close enough that anyone could dash there for a brief respite if need be.

It’s also close enough that you can hear the faint trails of voices coming from the half open door. You’re about to brush the whole thing off as just some bored Dauntless looking for a way to spend their evening until you hear one voice more clearly, and know it instantly.

Your blood goes cold. You’d know that voice anywhere— it’s Peter, obviously, who else could it be? Peter, who told you he’d be going to bed early tonight, that you shouldn’t wait up for him. Peter, who is clearly lying to you now.

You head directly for the room. You already know what you’re going to see, you think, but it isn’t until you stand over the threshold and catch a glimpse of the interior that you know for certain.

It is indeed Peter, and the girl he’s with is not you. It strikes you suddenly, how much this hurts. Hadn’t you just been telling Tris about how you wouldn’t care if Peter broke your heart? Yes, they had been your glib words, spoken without a care in the world. How wrong you were.

You suppose you had always harbored this secret belief that you knew Peter better than anyone else, and that’s why you knew enough to trust him. There was the Peter Hayes that everyone saw, the bloodthirsty boy who always had something to prove, and then there was the Peter you knew. He wouldn’t treat you like the rest, because you were naive and assumed that if you thought the world of him, he surely had to follow suit.

Don’t you get it now? There is no ‘your Peter.’ There is no more ‘your Peter,’ who walked with you and seemed to speak like all of his words were meant for you and you alone. There is no ‘your Peter,’ who made you think that he would have traded it all away for you.

And why would he? There was never a ‘your Peter.’ There is only Peter now, the Peter who’s been here forever, the one who tricked you with every word and made you fall for him so he could see what would happen. Tris warned you that this would happen, that Peter could never be trusted. You should have listened to her, but you didn’t. It seems that despite all your misguided confidence, you still have a lot to learn.

You hover there for a moment longer, just standing there like if you blink one last time it’ll all go away and you’ll be fine again. Then everything comes crashing down around you and even as you swear you can hear the sound of glass breaking echoing in your ears, you turn and leave at last.

An endless spiral of doors and halls pass by as you go. Haven’t you always been like this, always running? Running from your former faction. Running from your family, your home. Now, you’re running from Peter. Will you ever be able to stop? Will anything ever be yours again, or just one last dream to sight your sets on and leave within the span of a year?

Peter comes back late that night. You can hear him in a group of two or three others who stop by the initiates’ dorms closer to dawn than nightfall. He slows by your bunk, you think, but you keep your eyes firmly shut and after a while he leaves your side.

You try to avoid him after that. Obviously, there’s not a whole lot you can do to keep your path clear of Peter entirely— you’re still in initiation together, after all, and both of you have high enough rankings that you’re often in the same vicinity during training. Still, you can try to make sure the two of you aren’t side by side, and although that absence cuts to the bone, it’s better than the knowing.

Knowing that you’re not worth to him what he’s worth to you, that is. Knowing that if Peter lied to you about where he was and who he was with one night, he could have easily done it a dozen other times.

That’s what you repeat in your head again and again, a litany to keep you from going back to him. It works well at first, but the problem is that your thoughts only exist on your end. Peter doesn’t know that you know, and to him you’re just disappearing out of nowhere, transient as a storm-tossed sea and half as comprehensible.

It should come as no surprise, then, that Peter tracks you down within a matter of days. Peter is used to getting what he wants– high rankings, victorious fights, all that and more. Although he’d never go so far as to name you as one of his triumphs out loud, he still considers your relationship proof that he’s won something, so of course he’ll check in to make sure what you have is still functional and thus worth saving.

You’re staying late in the training room again when he finds you. You suppose you didn’t make it all that hard for him to locate you. When are you not staying after initiation, trying to scrape past another level in your skills so you can jump up another ranking? Still, it’s not like you’re willing to give up all your habits just to avoid Peter. The only practice you’re removing is him.

You hear the door open and know it’s Peter instantly; the pattern of his footsteps echoing through the wide room, always proud and never wavering, could never belong to anyone else. You’re throwing knives at the targets and keeping your back straight, not looking at him for a second. Your fingers close around a blade, you throw it. You pin your hopes to the target with the weapon in the hopes of keeping them far away from you.

Peter comes to a stop beside you. Out of your peripheral vision, you can say that he’s not looking at you either. The target will be a good subject of focus for both of you right now.

“I haven’t seen you in a while,” he says dryly, “I was almost getting worried that you were avoiding me.”

The words are carefully chosen, a warning. You suppose this is where you could backtrack and apologize, promise that you’ll do better about spending more time with him. That being said, both of you want a fight, and you’re not about to disappoint right now.

When you remain silent, Peter makes a bitter scoffing noise in the back of his throat. “You’re not even going to deny it? I thought we had something, Y/N. Are you going to tell me that I’m wrong?”

You can’t tell him this, so you settle for something else. “I was there, you know. That night at the party.”

You don’t have to specify which night or which party for Peter to know what you’re talking about. He may claim to be jaded and utterly without conscience all he wants, but the guilt still lives inside him, and right now it’s beginning to consume him whole.

“You–” He can’t finish, can’t even get started.

You do the job that he cannot. “I saw you with that girl, yes. So I suppose I should be the one asking you if we had something. Was it worth throwing away everything we had for that one night? Or were there more, to sweeten the deal?”

Peter starts. “I wasn’t throwing it away–”

You stare at him at last, and he almost flinches away from the fury in your gaze. “Of course you were, Peter. What else would possibly happen? Did you think you could keep something like this from me? That you could have her and me at the same time? Not a chance.”

“I know,” Peter pleads, “I know. But it was just that one night, I swear. One mistake. You have to believe me.”

You could have believed him once, perhaps, but Peter left his trustworthiness behind when he transferred from Candor to Dauntless. When he once spoke truths, he clings to lies now, and so you cannot give him even this bit of relief that he demands.

“I don’t,” you whisper, “and all I can think about is that I should have listened when they told me you were trouble.”

Peter sees what you’re getting at now, and his eyes widen. “Don’t do this, Y/N. What we had is good. What we have is good. We can make this work.”

“No,” you counter, “I can make this work. Without you, that is.”

Peter freezes in place, you can all but see the ice creeping up over his veins. “So what, that’s it? It’s all over now forever?”

You lift a shoulder. “I never said forever.”

It’s all the hope you’ll give him for the time being. Truth be told, you did like being with Peter, but you cannot focus on him right now, not when he won’t give you the same place in his heart that you reserved so carefully for him. Perhaps there will be a time after this when both of you graduate initiation with superb rankings that you’re able to forgive him more completely, when this doesn’t feel like an attack against both your character and your future.

That time is not now, though, and so you force yourself to hold still while Peter nods his head jerkily, manages to grind out an apology through clenched teeth, and leaves. It still hurts, this goodbye, even though it was your idea.

It’s what is best for you, though, and in a lion’s den like this, you have to do everything you can to put yourself first. It’s what Peter did, and so it makes sense that you would follow suit. You have always been connected to him in some way ever since you got here, maybe the forced silence is your last tie to Peter.

The thought makes you smile in a bitter, wounded sort of way, and gives you enough motivation to turn back to the target one more time. If you choose yourself, you start now, and that means winning at everything else except the boy you still love. That still may come too, though. Only time will tell.

divergent tag list: @rogueanschel, @with-inked-solace, @gods-fools-heroes, @23victoria

#peter hayes #peter hayes imagines #peter hayes x reader #peter hayes oneshot #divergent #divergent imagines #divergent x reader #divergent oneshot #divergent peter #divergent peter imagines #divergent peter x reader #divergent peter oneshot #insurgent #allegiant

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papastarion · 6 months

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Durge Character Sheet (Updated Ver.)

Because Thea’s undergone quite the change over the past couple months. And because this blog wouldn’t exist if not for her, so it’s only fair to give her an updated post.

Legal Name: Francesca Neverember of Neverwinter.

Chosen Name: Theapheles (Thea) Never.

⭐️Fun Facts About Her Names:

—Francesca was inspired by the Hozier song of the same name, which heavily inspired aspects of her story.

—Theapheles is a portmanteau that means “lucky goddess.” She chose a new name for herself out of necessity. After divorcing her husband (a noble and member of Neverwinter’s Many-Starred Cloak), she needed a new name to protect her identity.

—The surname Never comes from her mother, Hala, a descendent of Halueth Never. While she and her mother are estranged (Thea has met her once), she took her family name out of spite, knowing it would infuriate Hala.

Race: High half-elf (with some sun elf mixed in), as well as Bhaalspawn (doing her best to fight her Urge…most of the time.)

Class: Wizard, School of Necromancy.

—Multiclassed as a Gloomstalker Ranger, as well.

Alignment (For Fun): Chaotic Neutral (post-Orin lobotomy.)

Age: 40-something years old.

Eye Color: Obsidian. However, her right pupil is completely blown out, making the eye appear black.

Favorite Spell: Counterspell.

Preferred Weapon(s): Daggers! She prefers the handle be made of tempered glass, and then she has the pommel hollowed out and fitted with an opening so she can store dried herbs and medicinal plants in to be used if needs be to treat wounds in the field. She’s about practicality as much as she is aesthetics.

Langauge(s): Common, Infernal, Elvish, Thieves’ Cant.

Romantic Partner(s):

—Hector H. Ravenscroft. (Ex-husband, human.)

—Enver Gortash. (Ex-boytoy, unfortunately.)

—Multiple one night stands that became sacrifices to her Father.

—Almost Lae’zel. (It’s a long story.)

—Dammon. (Very brief fling, ended mutually, still very much friends.)

—Astarion. (The husband supreme! It was love at first knifepoint. She and Astarion met almost 20 years prior to the events of BG3. For obvious reasons, Thea doesn’t remember him, but he remembers her. Just like Astarion would do to her in the aftermath of the nautiloid crash, Thea held him at knifepoint when they first met, mistaking him for a sellsword sent by her ex-husband.)

Backstory of a Bhaalspawn (Abridged)

Diversity win! Bhaal’s special murder princess has 2 dads! And a mom!

Hala, a devout follower of Bhaal’s tenants, sought out the Temple of Bhaal in Baldur’s Gate, and intreated the Lord of Murder to choose a vessel/avatar in order to create a final Bhaalspawn, born to slaughter all of their siblings and bring about Bhaal’s will. Enticed by Hala’s persuasive nature, Bhaal chose the sitting ruler of Neverwinter, Dagult Neverember, deeming it best to inhabit someone of power in order to allow his child access to more prolific targets. Their first child, a boy named Frederick (later known as Tav) by Dagult, would never awaken as Bhaal’s Chosen. Instead, Frederick would be devoted to and protected by Selûne, a popular deity in Neverwinter. Selûne took special interest in Frederick, who was named Dagult’s heir, and used her blessings to keep Bhaal’s influence at bay.

Hala was given one more chance to produce a final champion for Bhaal, who again used old Dagger as his vessel for the act. Francesca, as Dagult named the girl, was born two years after her brother. To excuse her existence, she was passed off as the orphan of a cadet branch of the Neverember family that he had simply taken in out of goodwill.

Each party kept their true intentions to themselves, while obscuring some facts from others. Hala hid Bhaal’s involvement in the children’s existence from Dagult, Dagult hid the truth of their half-elven nature from the public and the children, as well as the true mother of the two children who now shared his name. Hala also hid her desires to reclaim Neverwinter in the name of her ancestor, Halueth Never, from Dagult.

And so Fredrick and Francesca were raised as cousins, unaware of the truth of their lives.

The strange occurrences and even deaths that seemed to follow Francesca as she grew would be covered up by Dagult whenever they arose, though he couldn’t help but wonder what it was that possessed his “niece” to kill in her sleep. He decided to name a guard to stay at her side at all times, training them go cover up her actions and prevent them when possible. To avoid suspicion, a young paladin (and daughter of Thea’s magus mentor), Pax Kestrel, was simply waved off as extra care for the sake of the only unwed daughter of the Neverember family. Francesca herself would simply know Pax as her dearest and only friend aside from Frederick and their (in truth) younger half-brother, Renaer.

Francesca would grow up to find herself in the study of arcane arts. Ever an avid reader, she soon became interested in the studious path of a wizard, specifically finding herself drawn to necromancy. Rather than allow her to attend Neverwinter Academy, Dagult insisted on a private tutor. This tutor came in the form of Corvella Do’t’tar, a rare and shining example of a lady of a drow household becoming a wizard. The stately woman would become Francesca’s confidante, in spite of harsh exterior, and saw Thea as much her daughter as her biological daughter, Pax.

At seventeen years old, Francesca was married to 24 year old Hector Ravenscroft, an esteemed young member of the Many-Starred Cloak, solidifying an alliance with the noble family he hailed from. Francesca tried to make the most of her marriage, but quickly found out she was seen as nothing more than a vessel for heirs to her domineering husband. The two would never have children, thanks to Francesca’s medical knowledge. Near the end their marriage, however, Francesca did find herself pregnant. She miscarried sometime after fleeeing Neverwinter, before Hector ever became aware of her condition.

At 27, lifelong suspicions became impossible to ignore. With Corvella’s help, she sought out the truth, whatever that could be. It wasn’t long before they found it. All of it. The truth of Francesca and Frederick’s births. About Bhaal. About Hala. Unable to remain in the lie she has lived, Francesca made plans to escape.

Without a child to legitimize their marriage, she was able to divorce Hector. As her father’s will began to take hold within her, Francesca allowed her family to believe she was a victim of herself, leaving a misleading note next to her divorce papers from Hector. With Francesca Neverember dead, Theapheles Never came to life.

Pax would spend the next 20 years searching for her friend, refusing to believe her dead until she had proof.

Corvella would keep her eyes on Frederick, a promising cleric of Selûne, but ever with Bhaal’s words whispering in his mind. Per Francesca’s request, she would not divulge the learned truth unless Frederick asked for it.

Thea then traveled to Baldur’s Gate, soon taking her place as leader of the Cult of Bhaal. She would spend her days and nights cavorting and sleeping with and then slaying the city’s greats and leasts under multiple false names. One of these would include the name Ancunín, a dead man’s name that saw her safely through a strange encounter with a certain Pale Elf at an even stranger soirée—irrevocably entranced by a strange man who would escape her blades.

She would eventually develop a bond with her slaughter kin, Orin. Over the years, Thea and Orin would meet the other two Chosen of the Death Three, Ketheric Thorm and Enver Gortash, the latter of whom would help Thea enact plans to unite the Dead Three, and ultimately to claim the world in the name of the father who had embraced her, Bhaal.

Plans that may have worked if she were not betrayed, brutalized until her memory abandoned her, and she handed over to the mind flayers…

#here she is! in all her glory!#I adore her she’s my personal brain worm 💕#please don’t argue canon lore with me I know the canon implications and I selected to ignore it on purpose #Thea #Durge #bg3 #not necessarily a reblog/like kinda post just a guide to my girlie

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saltymongoose · 2 years

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GAHAHAHAHHGAHGDHA WAIT WAIT WIAT IMAGINE PHOBOS TREATING CHRISTOFF BEING YOUR NEXT VESSEL AS A THOSE MOVIE BREAK UPS

suddently theres multiple orders of ice cream buckets(is that how you call them?) and milk to his room and every one is super confused

And while he seems fine in public, maybe a lot harsher to Christoff but still fine mostly, then gets to his room and has a tantrum

"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ME! HOW DARE THAT LOW LIFE, SCUMMY, CRUSTY ASS OLD MAN BE MY PLAYER'S NEW VESSEL!!" throwing shit around and eventually just, sitting down on his bed and fucking DOWNING a buckets and milk gallons a night and honestly crying from frustration and anger and a bit of sadness

Fucking- sad music blasting when he showers and just stays there all sad, leaning on the wall like

".... Am I not interesting enough to them?..."

And r e f u s e s to leave his room for hours after he's meant to already be in his office doing important stuff

-Plague Anon [|87

You are so right lmao. When Phobos was confronted with the fact that Christoff, the one grunt who was always staunchly in opposition to him and his ideas, was the one who'd been blessed by having his God's influence he was beyond distraught. The swirling mixture of anger, confusion, and hurt would form a pit in his stomach, causing him to lash out more than usual that day as he tried to process it. On the outside he just might seem more irritable than normal, but mentally, he's on the verge of completely falling apart. Phobos didn't believe that he had the ability to feel "self-doubt", but your indirect "rejection" of him would shake him to the core. It puts him in the position of questioning his own worth, which he's never done before. Seeing you with Christoff makes him feel sick in every sense of the word.

And this feeling only festers, dampening into genuine despair when he finally has to retire for the night, forced to do something other than ignoring most of his feelings through his work. This is where the tantrums come in, with all of his conflicting emotions boiling over into anguish over what'd happened. He'll pace around his suit and mutter incessantly to himself, sometimes breaking out in yells about how unfair it is that Jeb of all people would have your attention. I mean, Christoff couldn't even begin to understand you; he wasn't nearly as acquainted with the wants of Gods as Phobos was, nor did he put in the work to worship you at all times of the day.

Honestly it really is like one of those dramatic breakup scenes in a movie, with him gorging himself on sweets, ice cream and milk while sobbing, listening to (cliched) sad songs (i.e. "lucid dreams", "baby come back", anything that's even mildly depressing-it's that bad). Honestly, he probably ends up just laying in his shower with his clothes still on, not caring enough to do anything to fix himself up as he wallows in his own depression about what this means. That his efforts and the countless hours, days, and months spent all for you weren't enough. That his motivations weren't good enough. That he wasn't powerful enough. That you didn't find him as interesting as that low-life scientist. That maybe he hadn't presented himself as well as you would've liked, and that all of his worship and reverence towards you wasn't adequate.

He falls asleep on the floor that night right next to the shrine he's procured for you, the last real connection he knows he must have with his God. His last conscious thoughts and words are of desperate prayer, begging and pleading you to come back and choose him. He doesn't know what mistakes he's made, but he's willing to completely remake himself if it'd make you like him. He was the proud God Emperor of Nevada and the Director of the Nexus Core, but it meant nothing if he couldn't be yours too.

(Phobos decided to do all of his work from his room for the next few days after this. His men didn't need to see him disheveled over this, especially not Christoff. He didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing just how badly his act of stealing you had affected him. But even then, he did noticeably little, often just obsessively rereading his journals to find anything that could've been a clue as to why you decided to choose someone else.)

#tw: yandere #jeb @ phobos during this entire ordeal: (emotionally) injured? good.#plague anon [|87 #also can i just say that i love your emoticon lol #ask #i ❤️anons

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dorn-queen-of-thorns · 10 months

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2nd chapter of " The power in me"

The catastrophe takes its course

3 years and six months before

In a panic, Sasuke runs through a devastated Konoha. Up until this morning everything was still relatively in order, if you can put it that way. Boruto has been brought to the Science Institute with a new mark on his chest, which Kawaki was responsible for this. Boruto explained to Sasuke that he himself asked Kawaki to do this.

Sasuke suspected a deep desperation between the two boys that compelled them to do this. According to the records, Momoshiki tried again to gain the upper hand over Boruto's body.

Also, there has been an incident at the Institute involving Code that ended with Code kidnapping Amado and being taken out of Konoha, whether the suspected scientist was still alive was uncertain at this time.

A few hours later, pure chaos raged in Konoha involving the Uzomaki boy. In recent times, the cases where Konoha is on the brink and Boruto has always been the focus. A huge dimensional gate gaped in the sky, sucking in everything and everyone who couldn't escape or were too weak.

Well, Sasuke doesn't blame the boy for that, he didn't choose to become Momoshiki's vessel and this incident must have something to do with the Otsukis, he's sure of it. He and his father should have taken care of him much sooner, which unfortunately meant Boruto's death. The boy was aware of his fate. Everything that was important to him that his family and friends could live in safety. He and Kawaki have been able to face the consequences where he and Naruto have failed.

The last thing he saw of the boy was disappearing through the gate with the young novice scientist Sumire in his arms and then closing it behind him.

But it's not Boruto that's causing him to lose his composure now and isn't part of his concern now.

The reason is different and lies in his arms.

In his arms lies his daughter Sarada, who is badly injured and has lost consciousness. She hasn't woken up once since he's been with her.

There is now a gaping hole where her right eye should be. The bleeding has stopped on its own, which he takes as a good sign, but it would calm him down even more if she were awake. Any sign, maybe questions what happened to her, or cries of pain, even a helpless whimper, would calm him down a bit.

But her silence is frightening for him and unbearable.

Little Peanut! Please wake up!!! he begs silently and thinks back to better old days.

Sarada hated that nickname so much and was so embarrassed whenever Sasuke called her that.

Sometimes in the past he made fun of calling her by that name.

Papa, you are so embarrassing!, were her words then, but then she had to grin herself that he called her that and only he was allowed to call her by this silly name.

Sasuke thinks of a time when he made the mistake of teasing Sarada with peanuts in front of her three teammates.

Well the situation ended with Sarada and Boruto immediately getting in a fight after Boruto called her by her hated pet name. Sasuke then had to separate the two brawlers.

Mitsuki observed the situation like he always does and Kawaki….

He watched the boy staring at the scene in fascination and Sasuke clearly saw color in Kawaki's face of the otherwise rather pale boy.

Sasuke distrusted Kawaki in one respect and the reason was Sarada.

Not that malicious distrust between enemies or a dangerous situation.

No, that suspicion was the kind of suspicion that existed among fathers when their daughters started to become interesting to boys or, in some cases, girls.

And Kawaki was clearly showing signs of interest that Sarada has yet to ignore or keep well hidden from her father.

The boy had always been close to her on missions or, judging from a report by Naruto, worked closely with her.

That damn Naruto! Not only that, he recommended Kawaki to Sarada's team.

To top it all off, he must have gotten Kawaki and Sarada together, judging from a girlfriend chat between Ino and Sakura. Sakura was amused that Sarada found a boyfriend and addressed him as "Kawaki kun" in the hospital, like she used to do to her love. A circumstance that Sasuke painfully reminds that at some point in the future he will no longer be the most important male reference person for his daughter.

Ultimately, the boy acts just like Sasuke did around Sakura when they were genin. He clearly sees parallels to his relationship with Sakura and his daughter with Kawaki.

On top of that, there was almost a fight just now.

Sasuke found the boy holding Sarada protectively in his arms and a disjointed Delta, a cyborg created by Amado. Judging by his eyes, there must have been a fight and he must have cried for her.

Sasuke knew this was a dangerous situation for him and Sarada . He had to somehow get Kawaki to let go of Sarada.

First, Sasuke tried to calmly persuade Kawaki that Sarada needed medical attention as soon as possible and that she needed to see her mother immediately.

The boy didn't react to Sasuke's words and still clutched Sarada.

Memories well up in Sasuke as he saw the sight. Sakura also reacted to protect him from harm.

Sasuke slowly got closer to the two and Sarada doesn't make a sound, when he stood almost a few centimeters in front of the two, everything happened very quickly.

Sasuke noticed that in seconds, Kawaki's horn grew rapidly, similar to Boruto's when he lost control of himself.

Within seconds, Kawaki attacks his opponent with his blade Sasuke, which he in turn fends off with his katana.

The strength and hardness of the ninja tool blade that grows from Kawaki's right arm has increased in strength and hardness many times over. Unlike the last time the boy attacked the scientist Amado, Sasuke was able to easily destroy this blade.

Sasuke is well aware of the emotional and desperate state Boruto's foster brother must be in.

Their faces are a few centimeters apart and Sasuke sees the young Uzomaki crying silently incessantly.

This is the moment that Sasuke takes advantage of and traps his opponent in a genjutsu.

Sasuke didn't expect it to be that easy. He has the feeling that his opponent willingly indulged in the genjutsu in order to be able to forget the sorrow and pain.

However, Sasuke can't worry too much about Kawaki and leaves him to his own devices.

He quickly takes his daughter from the arms of her teammate and friend.

Unnoticed, Sarada's body drops something...

But Sasuke doesn’t have time to react and he quickly makes his way to Sakura, Sarada's mother.

Where is she? Sasuke asks himself desperately, she must be around here somewhere...

He made his way straight to the hospital. But where the Konoha Hospital was supposed to be, there is a ruin that looks like any other. Rubble and destruction everywhere, which Sasuke is only realizing now. In the streets and alleys of the once beautiful Konoha with all the small achievements and attractions of the 6th and 7th Hokage there are only mountains of rubble, dead and injured.

Konoha has never been particularly lucky in its history. Again and again it became a theater of war or destructiveness of powerful opponents like Pain, or Nagato as he was really called.

And every time Konoha has risen like the phoenix from the ashes.

Unconsciously, Sasuke looks at the rest of his hometown's landmark, the well-known Hokage Mountain.

Where the well-known landmark of the city was once recognizable, only destroyed grimaces are left.

The face of the 7th is even half gone. Startled, Sasuke realizes what it might mean.

If his own daughter's situation weren't so tragic, he would be worried about his best friend.

Desperately he looks for his wife and the otherwise calm person screams anxiously for his wife, like a small child for its mother. "SAKURAAAAA!!!"

Otherwise he would scold himself pathetically for it.

But his daughter's situation is anything but pathetic, it is life-threatening.

When he seems to have given up all hope, hear her familiar and beloved voice.

"Sasuke kun?" She emerges from behind the rubble. Despite all the dust and dirt on her face, hair and clothes, she's still unmistakably his Sakura. Anywhere he would recognize her beautiful, bright green eyes.

Reassured that her husband and daughter have returned to her, she holds her hand to her heart. Now that both are standing in front of her, everything will be fine again…. Won’t be?

Strange she has never seen her Sasuke so distraught, even the horrors of the 4th Ninja World War had left him cold on the outside back then.

She quickly recognizes the reason for this, she is shocked to see her daughter's pale skin color, which is already graying.

Sasuke looks at her with all the hope in his one eye.

Sakura sees the hole from Sarada's empty right eye level, blood starts to clot in places. Asking what happened is obvious.

"Where did you find her? How long has she been like this?” she asks professionally.

She's trying to hide her fucking fear. If she loses her composure, how will her husband fare?

Otherwise he is always the strong, composed one of the two and always gives her support.

This time she has to be the one who has to be strong for both of them.

PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, SAKURA!!!! , she thinks.

Sakura notices Sasuke fighting back tears as she performs the field inspection and examines her daughter with her hands after a chakra flow is still active. Where countless chakras should flow, she only feels cold...

"Her bleeding stopped 15 minutes ago and I found her with the boy Kawaki..." he says in a cracked, hoarse voice.

"Is he responsible for this?" Sakura's hands clench in anger.

Sasuke shook his head in reassurance, "I don't think so. He tried to defend her from me and also has defended her against of one of the institutes cyborgs. I had to lock a genjutsu on him to make him let go of her. He showed no hint of guilt, much more sadness and..."

Sakura realizes what her husband is getting at, and she has also noticed that Sarada is becoming more popular with the boys, especially Naruto's foster son, Kawaki. Without any reason she will not have given him the lavender flowers almost a year ago, as Ino told her. Also, Naruto had already asked her, if Kawaki could watch Sasuke and Sarada's training session. Sakura wanted to ask her husband and convince her to let the boy watch as well.

Sakura never wanted to see the day that Sarada had to die before her parents.

After all her exertion, her tears are now flowing.

Sasuke senses that there is no hope for their daughter when he sees Sakura's tears falling down Sarada's forehead. Both hold each other in grief over their common daughter and cry the pain out of their souls. After what feels like an eternity, Sasuke finds the words back first.

" Would it have helped if I had been with her faster?... I shouldn't have focused too much on Boruto... It's my fault... I ignored Sarada….” Sakura feels her husband's pain.

Sakura shakes her head reassuringly, "Please don't blame yourself for this. We all knew how dangerous Boruto's condition was and that he had to be kept under surveillance... Besides, her death probably occurred in a few seconds to minutes, you couldn't have reacted that fast....and self-blame isn't helping her at this moment...."

Sasuke looks at his wife doubtfully and thinks about what he said, ".... What do you mean by that?... Is there anything else you can do for her?... You're not thinking about the Tensei no Jutsu, are you??? "

Sakura is silent for a moment and shakes her head resolutely, " No, I can bring corpses to life with the Tensei no Jutsu. But at the end of the day, they're corpses that either succumb to the natural process of decomposition or the jutsu ends up being broken…” Sakura dries her tears and doesn't want her to look so tearful at what she's now planning to perform.

Before all his hopes are gone, Sakura takes his hands in hers. What lies ahead is for everyone here an end and a new beginning at the same time...

Sakura has been looking at her companion with love since childhood, wishing they had spent more time together with Sarada. Large green eyes, as pure as jade stones meet a coal-black, with the strongest emotions it changes to blood to fiery red eye.

"I know of another way to help her..." Sakura says calmly.

Sakura sees new hope glimmering in her husband's remaining eye, "How am I supposed to help you?" Sasuke is aware that he is not of much help to Sakura in her specialty and yet he wants to do everything in his power to help their girl.

"Keep an eye on her. No matter what. Your job is to monitor her breathing and please hold my hands..." Sakura says seriously.

Sasuke nods to his wife and gives her all his hopes and trust.

Sakura takes a last deep breath for what is to come.

She saw this jutsu once in practice and actively experienced it. Gaara, the Kage of Sunagakure bequeathed all of the user's information to Naruto during his tenure as Hokage.

Important and valuable documents that Naruto doesn't know how to handle and he was smart enough to pass them on to the right hands so that no one messes with them.

This jutsu is as simple as it is explosive, as can be seen from the secret notes of the user Chiyo. With this jutsu you could really bring the dead to life with the fact that the user lets the dead live. A price Sakura is willing to pay if her daughter can live for it.

Sasuke does what Sakura asked him to do and watches Sarada closely. First, Sakura breaks her Byakugou no Jutsu seal. Black tattoos in the form of lines travel across her body, visible on her arms and legs. Nothing to worry about, he's seen it on her quite a few times and he knows that Sakura will use up a lot of chakra for this action.

She slowly begins the procedure and Sasuke feels his hands getting warm, this must be Sakura's medicine jutsu.

"Keep eye contact with her. If she wakes up and is in pain, a familiar face will take away her fear and prevent a panic attack," says Sakura calmly, "...Do you remember when she was smal? She always adored you..."

Sasuke has to smile at the shared memories and becomes melancholic. He misses the time when Sarada was so small and always wanted to be in his arms.

"I can still remember the time well..."

"Yes, these times were good. I remember one day when she wanted to paint your nails and couldn't give up until she got her way...

But papa had granted his little peanut's every wish..."

Strange somehow does Sasuke feel like Sakura's voice is getting older and weaker? Certainly caused by the stress and the effort...

"Don't remind me, Sakura. I had to go to the Hokage HQ for a meeting that same evening and I was standing there with your pink and red nail polish on my hands. Naruto and Shikamaru still tease me about the story to this day..." Sasuke laughs softly.

Nice times together, the best of his life when he thinks about it.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, his daughter's first sign of life.

With a deep breath, Sarada sees the light of day for the second time and says softly, " Papa..."

Sarada looks at him faintly from her remaining eye. Black circles under her eye adorn her eye, a small price for the worries and fears of the last 2 hours about his daughter,

" Please rest, Sarada, you have to divide your strength. Think about your chakra control..."

His daughter nods weakly in confirmation and falls asleep again...

The happiness of having Sarada alive again comes at a high price, as he now learns. Shortly after Sarada regains consciousness, Sakura's seal dissolves and so does all contact with the living world.

Sasuke feels the skin contact between him and Sakura breaking down. He immediately looks over at his wife. But is it really still Sakura?

In front of him is a woman aged 90 years or more. The once gorgeous pink hair has now turned gray and dull. Deep wrinkles line her face. Age spots have appeared on all sorts of places on her body and dull eyes that were so bright green until a few minutes ago look at him tiredly.

Stunned and almost in tears in shock, he wants to yell at her and ask why she did it.

The reason for this is obvious and lies in his arm. Before Sasuke can say anything else and wake Sarada up, Sakura grabs her husband's face. Sasuke wants to say so much more to her, but he knows that these are the last words of his love and he doesn't dare interrupt her.

"Please take Sarada away from here. You know who can help her and please don't blame yourself... Because I... don't regret anything... I love you both infinitely..." she says with a raspy voice and gives Sasuke one last goodbye kiss before all life leaves her.

Sasuke knows that Sarada's reserves will not last long and so he sets out with a heavy heart to bring their daughter to a safe place.

But he will return to give his wife a proper burial and to have a place for himself and Sarada to share thoughts with Sakura.

#kawasara #kawaki x sarada #sarada uchiha #sasuke x sakura

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solkimcowell · 6 months

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Resolution

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a demon sitting in my belly, making me hungry hungry hungry. He would curl up beneath my bellybutton and growl — first, he was hungry for love, for affection, for a mother’s soft touch. Then, he was hungry for pain, for the bite of a blade and the sweet taste of blood. When he had enough of that, he was just hungry to befilled. Anything that could fit down his great black gullet, I gave, and each new year was simply another year of feeding the beast.

I’ve been serving this creature, this monster within me, since I’ve been old enough to recognise my reflection. We’re playing a game, him and I, to see who will break first, and I’ve already broken. Time and time again, I give in to his demands, until I am little more but a shell, a marionette dancing on his tongue. Sing for me, my vessel! Cry for me! Bleed for me!

It’s 11:58PM on the 31st of December. I feel him settling within me, curling up with tail over nose. I’ve been bending to his whims for over nineteen years, and when the clock strikes twelve, it’ll be on its way to twenty.

I don’t want to feed the beast next year. He’s still hungry, but I’m hungrier. I’m hungry for hopes, for the fleeting prayers, for the dreams of the young and the memories of the old. I’m hungry for friendship, for the warmth of a hand in mine. I’m hungry for comfort, for the familiar embrace of a dearly loved one, for the twinkle in a mother’s eye.

Most of all, though, I’m hungry for words. I long for conversation, for repartee, for murmured confirmations through a crack in a wall. For telegrams, marked neatly with an address and ending in a STOP. For poems, straight from the heart and tender-soft-lovely with admirations. For songs, strummed softly on a banjo by a campfire, a family joining in harmony. For promises, made by one man to another, melting in indigo moonlight.

I have two minutes to make my decision. He’s sleeping fitfully now, his wyrmly body entangled with my intestines and tugging most uncomfortably. It’s as though he knows I’m moments away from pulling the plug and watching his wretched form swirl down the drain, off to the mysterious maze of pipes and screws. His thin, bony fingers grip my ribs tightly, squeezing to the point where I’m almost afraid I could snap; he’s not afraid to hurt me, I know, so I still my breaths until he settles once more.

And I pause. Why am I tiptoeing around this beast? Why have I allowed him to take control of my life, to set my boundaries and collar me? Fear, some part of me answers, but I still don’t understand. Fear of what? Surely of the slumbering worm, my cruel puppetmaster, but something about that conclusion doesn’t fit.

Perhaps a fear of myself? Of responsibility and autonomy, of consequences, of living? A fear of needing to make the choice on my own. A fear of choosing wrong, of making mistakes and having no one to blame for them. A fear of being different for no reason.

One minute, now. He’ll be sure to wake with the changing of the year — he always does.

I act on impulse, frantically scrambling to the medicine cabinet. I’ve kept it hidden all these years, but it has to be there, it has to be—

The bottle is dusty and unopened. I twist the cap urgently, hands trembling, and I watch the seconds tick closer. I feel him stirring, claws grating against the walls of my stomach, and I know that I need to make my decision now.

I drink.

And as the new year’s fireworks begin to crackle in the distance and thousands of people everywhere clink their champagne flutes, I stumble to the bathroom to spill my guts.

#skcwrites #i dont know how to tag this one

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finchfeelsdump · 2 years

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Informative Speech: Demonology

Demonology, or rather, the study of Daemons, finds its origins in Greece. Daemons refers to lesser deities or guiding spirits. They were often personification of abstract concepts, forces of nature, beings like ghosts, spirit guides, djinn, olden heroes, or the divinities themselves, being good (Agathodaemon, Eudaemon) or evil (Cacodaemon) by nature. At an earlier time, derived from Proto-Indo-European, Daimons were thought of as the souls of men acting as tutelary deities.

Most, if not all, ancient religions featured in their pantheon, similar kinds of spirits of binary nature, to the point where murals, paintings, statues and through other artistic mediums, these daemons have been represented.

Nonetheless, it was around the II and III centuries, when the Catholic Church had begun to gain more popularity and needed an antagonist to go against Yahweh. Pagan spirits and deities were classified as “demons” and the term Satan, meaning “adversary, accuser, enemy” was coined. Linking too, by hand of Justin Martyr, the talking snake in the Eden to a more contemporary image of Satan. Lucero, bringer of light and son of Aurora, was the metaphorical depiction of the king of Babylonia as an enlightened king, associated with Venus because of the “morning star”, a term that even Christ used on himself on Revelations 22:16. The eventual fall of the king of Babylonia, mentioned in Isaiah 14:12, was translated as Lucifer, falling from the heavens by the Vulgate of Jerome of Stridon. The Vulgate, became the official translation of the Hebrew texts into Latin for the church, and it was filled with multiple mistakes, such as interpreting Ha-alma (Hebrew for young woman) as parthenos (Greek for virgin).

A mysterious man from Cyprus rumored that the devil had previously been a devoted angel to good, but was outcast from heaven by his envy. Father Origen Adamantius of Alexandria was in charge of interpreting Satan into the context of Lucifer. This edit to the texts made its way to the prophet Muhammad, who was influenced by it and included the character of Iblis (despair, leader of the djinns) as an adversary. Now called Satan, not as a title but as a name, he was identified with other pagan gods, specifically Pan of Greece. A favorite among the Greeks, his image demonization, literally, was strategic to defame the Roman Catholic Church’s competition. It was also developed the idea that Satan had rights over humanity because of the sins of Adam and Eve, thus ensuring that Jesus’s life meant a sacrifice for forgiveness to pay for such sin.

Saint Thomas of Aquino, much later, proclaimed that angels could fall from heaven into hell because of pride and envy, and that Satan was their leader and governor. Satan, Lucifer, and the Devil had now become the same character. Previously, Hell was a concept described briefly in the Hebrew texts, but after 1320, it was depicted and developed in more detail by the mind of Dante Alighieri.

Satan is not the only demon mentioned in the Bible, however. Beelzebul, or Baal Zebub, is named multiple times throughout the New Testament, as the “prince of the devils”, alluring to the affirmation of multiple pantheons.

Following the many changes in canon, occult scientists claimed to have control of demon legions, and being able to evoke or summon a demon of their choosing. The Lesser Key of Solomon, allegedly written by King Solomon himself (even though the scripts feature discrepancies in nobility titles and Christian prayers by over 900 years) is one of the most well known books in demonology as of now, popularized by Sir Allister Crowley to the point where some editions are credited to him. It explains the directions necessary to summon and control the demons mentioned within it, as King Solomon once did with his secret seal and a vessel of brass, to direct demons into building a temple, which later broke free. It appeared anonymously in the XVII century, but much of it is taken from XVI century and late medieval texts and grimoires, including Pseudomonarchia Daemonum by Johann Weyer. Both texts feature rituals of summoning for demons; however, the Lesser Key mentions 72 demons in its hierarchy instead of 69, each one being of control of a seemingly arbitrary number of legions. Even King James IV of Scotland and I of England, who ordered the Bible edit used to this day, redacted a text on demonology in 1597; although it was a more political and theological statement to educate a misinformed population on the implications of sorcery, mentioning the methods in which demons bothered troubled men.

The most notable differences between Pseudomonarchia Daemonium and The Lesser Key are, as stated before, the total number of “chief spirits”. The Lesser Key removes Prince Pruflas, and adds Price Vassago, Prince Seere, Duke Dantalion, and Count Andromalius. These chief spirits are, as seen, accorded to rank, and each rank features a seal of a certain metal, with designs unique for each spirit. For example, the Kings, the highest rank with a seal in gold, constitute of Bael, Paimon, Beleth, Purson, Asmoday, Viné, Balam, Zagan, and Belial. Some are mentioned as having two ranks, such as Viné being both King and Earl or Count, these with seals of either copper or silver equally. The only Knight is Furcas, with a seal in lead. However, nowhere within the ranks appear Lucifer or any of his other synonym names to be evocable, but it is mentioned briefly throughout other spirits’ description, such as King Paimon, who is, and I quote, “very obedient unto Lucifer”.

Another script, called the Grand Grimoire, dated as early as the 15th century (although skeptics speculate it was written between the 17 and 18 hundreds), does mention Lucifer in their ranks. The texts, authored by some Antonio Venitiana del Rabina, derive much of its material from The Lesser Key, and organize the spirits similarly as another book called Grimorium Verum, which was allegedly written in the 18th century, by one “Alibeck the Egyptian” of Memphis who purposefully wrote the date “1517”. The Grand Grimoire mentions three greater demons: Emperor Lucifer, Prince Beelzebub, and Grand Duke Astaroth, and six lesser demons: Prime Minister Lucifugo Rofocale, Commander-In-Chief Satanachia, Commandant Agaliarept, Liutenant-General Fleuréty, Brigadier-Major Sargatanas, and Marshall and Inspector General Nebiros.

Setting aside that evocations require detailed seals, materials, and chantings, that do not guarantee the exorcists to be fruitful, one common misconception outside occultists is that summoning a demon shall bring only imminent evil and destruction. But the texts list the most spirits more as mentors, who specialize in different fields and can help the sorcerer grow academically. For example, Prince Vassago, and I quote, “This spirit is of good nature, and his office is to declare things past and to come, and to discover all things hid or lost.” The Great Marquis Samigina, “teaches all liberal sciences and giveth account of dead souls that died in sin.” Great Duke Barbatos “giveth understanding of the singing of birds and the voices of other creatures.” Mighty President Foras, “teacheth the arts of logic and ethics and maketh men invisible.” Great Duke Zepar “his office is to cause women to love men, and to bring them together.”

Even so, the writings acknowledge that dealing with demons of bad nature can be dangerous. “Obey, therefore, my power as a reasoning creature -in the name of the Lord” (TLK, p99). Their god is mentioned all throughout the chantings in different manners: Eheie, Haioth, Iehovah, Hesel, Eloha, Elohim… are just some of the many words used to call upon the protection and hearing of god, and we can be safe to assume the evocation of demons originated as naught but a tool to do god's bidding.

Sources and Bibliography:

Peterson, J. H. (2001). Legemeton Clavicula Salomonis. Weiser Books, USA.

Tyson, D. (2011). The Demonology of King James I. Llewellyn Publications, USA.

Guiley, R. E. (2009). The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology. Facts on File, USA.

Bancroft, R. (Ed.) (1611) King James Bible. England.

Badía, J. A. (April, 2021) E110: Demonología. Leyendas Legendarias, Mexico. https://leyendaslegendarias.com/episodios/110

Weyer, J. (1563). De Prastigiis Daemonum; Pseudomonarchia Daemonum. Switzerland.

Trithemius, J. (1499). Steganographia. Germany.

Dictionary.com. Multiple definitions. https://www.dictionary.com/

Unknown. (ND) Grand Grimoire.

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iamlittlelostsoul · 2 years

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Yan!TWST scenario: Delete

Hello!!

So...I've been so obsessed lately with the Twst cast being self-aware and had this really random idea pop up in my head and decided to share it sry if it's rather cringy TT <3

I'm new here so if there are some mistakes I'm really sorry TT

and if you'd like to check more of my stuff here's my masterlist! tysmm ><

Summary: reader decided to delete twisted wonderland but unexpected events happened.

Hope ya'll like it and if ever you want to make requests just go on though I might be a bit slow in accepting it since I'm just new here. Thx anyways!<3

Characters: Azul/Malleus

Yan!Azul Ashengrotto x gender neutral reader

Azul knew from the very beginning that Yuu was not a REAL person.

And that Yuu was something like a vessel, the line that connects a certain person who came from another dimension or world far more different from theirs.

At first, he was cautious with them, how can he trust someone who isn't even fully from this world and treat them like a game.

And he is definitely NOT ecstatic that he, Azul Ashengrotto was chosen to accompany them on their home screen. Never not even a tiny bit...maybe just a little.

And no he did not cheat the system to make him appear more often in the game.

And he did NOT sulk nor was disappointed whenever he/she had to log out of the twisted wonderland.

It took him quite a while to stop being in denial and accept that he truly likes him/her.

And when he did, he never stopped bragging about everything to the tweels about how the Ramshackle prefect would always compliment him and would sometimes squeal in delight whenever he appears. (Of course, the tweels were jealous).

There was never a day did Azul not think about him/her and never did he not wait. For him/her to log in to twisted wonderland, choose him when doing lessons, exams, draw his card, read his vignettes, and more.

He was so happy to be chosen and was so jealous whenever he/she would choose someone else, especially the Adeuce duo, he hates how those two had the privilege to be the ones to take most of the prefect's time.

He even memorized when you will log in and how many hours you usually spend time in twisted wonderland.

So when he noticed that you've been logging in less and logging out earlier than how you used to. Makes him wonder(panic) whether he did something wrong, was he annoying you? was he boring? Do you hate him or do you like someone else?

That can't be? You choose him first...out of all the characters on twisted wonderland, you chose him not Ace, Riddle, Deuce, or anyone else!!

Or did you find a better game than Twisted Wonderland...which is impossible! We may not be an Otome game but...but we...no I make you feel like you belong. You belong here in Twisted Wonderland at Octavinelle! You...you belong to him and he belongs to you!

So why are you about to uninstall us h̶i̶m̶?! Please, this better be a joke.

As you we about to click the uninstall button, the screen started glitching as Azul showed up in his overblot form banging the screen tears flowing down his cheeks. "Hey, you better not click that!!! Please don't...don't leave me! Don't abandon me." He doesn't give a shit about his pride anymore...just don't delete them h̶i̶m̶...

Yan!Malleus Draconia x gender mutual reader.

Upon meeting the child of man, he could already tell that this being is rather unique and special.

Coming from a different dimension or world and using a doll "Yuu" to be able to connect to their world rather amusing to him.

He was so used being ignored and forgotten that he was really surprise you choose him. He felt excited but kept a straight face.

Although the actions and lines of Yuu may be not exactly come from the mouth of real child of man from another world. He could feel the sincerity, the sweet reactions and the feelings of him/her.

It made him glad that someone although from a different and far away place you continue to choose him, for lessons, battles, and how cute you were whenever you continuously use your gems just to get his card. He loved it all especially how you would touch him, making him feel the warmth of your fingertips.

He would allow it use him as much as you want, just continue to choose him.

He felt so happy whenever you would stare at him and talk to him about you life and how you want him to be real t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶r̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶f̶i̶n̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶w̶a̶y̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶w̶i̶s̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶w̶o̶n̶d̶e̶r̶l̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶r̶e̶. ̶

Although it saddens him how far apart you were. He knew you were his and vise versa. You are his child of man, his true love and he continuously hope to meet you in person.

That's why he continue to try convey his feeling to you that he would even use his power to explore this device of yours to know you better, checking your photos to see how you really look like, your contacts and at times deleting some of the other games that he deemed as a threat.

Making you wonder why would most of your favorite dating apps would suddenly disappear and you could never install again. "Don't worry child of man this way you'll be able to spend time with me more." He whispered with a gentle but sinister smile.

"But why are your visits in my world are decreasing?" He asked to himself. Was it because he is not much of an extrovert as the others then why are you logging in less? Or is it because maintance that are occurring frequently? Or is your connection to this world slowly breaking but didn't I delete the threats are there more?

Malleus won't allow it. He finally found a friend, his thorn, his everything. You gave him love so please continue to do so.

He will do everything to satisfy you so please don't click the "uninstall button".

As you click the uninstall. You wondered why it won't? Refreshing your device and restarting yet it still is there.

The game suddenly opened to the home screen revealing an very happy Malleus whom greeted you with a very odd message...Is this supposed to happen? you asked yourself shivering slightly as you listen and read Malleus's message.

"Welcome back child of man...don't ever uninstall us m̴e̴ ever again, ok? I promise you, I'll give you everything mine and make you happy forever more just don't do such a foolish act ever again."

#twisted wonderland #twst mc #twst headcanons #malleus draconia #yandere twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #azul ashengrotto #self-aware twst #self aware au #malleus x reader #azul x reader #littlelostsoul

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icalledhimpietro · 2 years

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Civil War should have focused more on Tony's guilt in being personified in the destruction of Sokovia and the argument over whether or not Vision should exist

Let me explain.

In Civil War, The whole point of the Sokovia Accords are to illustrate Tony's guilt, but it's so easily forgotten. Tony's inventions are the reasons Sokovia suffered for so many years. I think having conversations where the audience could actually see Tony experiencing the guilt of his inventions virtually and literally destroying an entire region and its people would have really helped the development of Civil war. If Wanda were to be a sort of spokesperson for the people of Sokovia and have a bit, If not a lot, of resentment towards him that he had to work past with her. I think it would have really helped both of their characters develop as well. You could see someone learning to forgive Tony for the things that he didn't understand at the time he was creating them and then you could also see Tony seeing the error of his ways and how important it is for him to have foresight when creating new powerful things. This could have been huge character development for both characters and I feel we were really robbed of that.

Secondly, I think the argument of the Sokovia accords would have been really great if it affected any movie following Civil War but very rarely is there any mention of the Sokovia Accords in the movies to follow. I personally think that the argument should have been about whether or not Vision should exist. The group still doesn't fully understand him and all they really know is He was created to be a vessel for Ultron and Thor's lightning woke him up. I think it would have been really cool to see the teams debate whether or not Vision should continue to exist. Team cap could stay the same where that team argues for what Steve argued in the scene of Age of Ultron where they wake up Vision. Team iron Man could be arguing what Bruce and Tony were arguing in that same scene. So you have team cap fighting for the safety of everyone else in fear of Vision and his ties to Ultron and then you have Bruce and Tony fighting for the possibilities that the existence of Vision could bring.

Since Wanda didn't know Vision very well She would feel torn but ultimately would side with Cap because of Pietro. With his death so fresh in her mind, She would most likely choose the option that would not result in other people experiencing what she did. Throughout the plot, there could be still those interactions between her and vision and especially the one from Wandavision where she's mourning Pietro's death and he comes to comfort her and that could be the moment that she realizes he is no longer a threat and instead changes her mind. I feel this would have been a much more constructive subject to argue on and it would stay true to their characters.

It would also allow the characters to develop together rather than bringing outside conflict like government intervention, etc. I think letting the characters develop through each other and the struggles that they experience as a group when members are at odds would have made for much better character development. Not to mention, it still ties into the plot of protecting Bucky. Where, at first, Tony sees Bucky as a threat (possibly comparing it to him creating Ultron) he tries to turn in Bucky as a way to try and make up for his lapses in judgement in the past. He sees it more as Steve making a similar mistake as him in letting his personal feelings cloud his judgement in regard to the greater good (ie. Tony creates a killer robot when trying to protect the Earth and the people her cares about on it and Steve lets loose a known assassin because its his childhood friend)

Through the plotlines previously mentioned, Tony could find it in him to hear Steve out and the end of the movie could still stay the same. He begins to trust Bucky and hears Steve out and then (SPOILER) he finds out Bucky killed his parents and then the end battle commences. It still respects Zemo's motives throughout the movie and would better explain his mindset toward the end of the movie throughout the plot.

I just feel like this movie was a missed opportunity for some really well done character development and I just needed to get it out of my system. You're allowed to agree or disagree with it. This is just my opinion.

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thefanficmonster · 3 years

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Beyond The Darkness

Corpse Husband x Reader (Gender Neutral)

Warnings: Angst, Relationship Struggles, Self-doubt, Insecurities, Swearing

Genre: Angst with Fluff Ending, RPF (Real Person Fic)

Summary: Y/N finally expresses their worries, reluctance and suspicions regarding their relationship with Corpse who is more than surprised to be hearing such confession, thinking their relationship couldn’t be more perfect. Well, perfect on the surface.

Requested by @cinnamonbun332 Hi darling! I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to complete and post your request, but here it finally is! You asked for some heartbreaking and then heart-healing and I hope I delivered properly. Please enjoy! Love, Vy ❤

I didn’t choose to be insecure, I never wanted to be so anxious and self-conscious. No one can blame that on me for it’s something I’d get rid of within the blink of an eye if it were that easy. I didn’t choose to fall in love with Corpse either, it just happened. I was taken by storm by the feelings he awoke in me. It was terrifying and made me become a whole different person around him. I was torn between wanting him by my side at all times and never wanting to see him again for the purpose of those feelings dying down. That being said, I can’t be blamed for that either.

However, I can be blamed for one thing: accepting his offer for a date. I didn’t have to. I probably shouldn’t have accepted it just as much as he shouldn’t have brought it up. But, alas, I couldn’t help myself. That storm of emotions, that stirring lava within the volcano I was at the time was dying to seep out to the surface so it wouldn’t burn me from the inside out. Him asking me out on a date was practically the vessel for me to finally have a chance at expressing myself and how I feel and that’s something I’ve never been able to do properly or openly.

But with Corpse it has always been so easy.

Or...it was so easy.

It was easy until I started overthinking everything. Every interaction between us, between him and his friends. Between our two separate worlds.

I now have a hard time seeing us as a union, like we’re living together on the same planet of understanding and companionship. No, we’re more alike two planets in orbits near one another that are close but not close enough. Never destined to touch. Where I once saw light, I now see nothing. Almost as if I flipped the switch to my happiness myself. I wouldn’t be surprised if I did, it wouldn’t be my first time. I have a way of always finding a way to kill my happiness, put an end to my bliss. The key to doing so is what I already mentioned: overthinking, underestimating, undermining, over-worrying. In short: allowing my mind to torture me.

Sadly, it’s also forcing me to torture others.

At the moment, I’m spending day four back into my apartment, having come back with the excuse that I needed to get some piping fixed in the kitchen and needed to watch over the plumbers as they worked. I think Corpse bought that only halfway but if he didn’t believe me, he didn’t show it and I’m grateful for it. Or at least I think I am. Obviously, there was a part of me which screamed ‘See, he doesn’t care!’ at me when all he said in response to my announcement was ‘Oh, ok’. Of course, I didn’t pay that voice much mind then, but it’s starting to creep back in now and I really don’t know what to distract myself with to avoid hearing it. It’s not like I can internally deafen myself to stop it from eating away at me slowly but intently and with a scary determination that even I myself don’t have. Sadly, the pessimistic side of me does.

Truth be told, I wasn’t planning on staying home alone for four days straight, thinking I wouldn’t be able to make it that long without Corpse, thinking my loneliness would kill me. But, now that I am indeed alone, for some reason, I don’t feel really lonely, if at all. It’s refreshing and new, like a new but old perspective. Basically one I’ve missed for quite some time now without knowing that I did. Who knew going back to my empty apartment would be the cure to my messy head. Well, not a direct cure, but I have managed to map out at least a small portion of what’s going on up there, mend some of the damage I’ve done to myself.

Why do you always do that?

There’s that voice again, and some audacity it has! I’m not doing anything to myself! That voice is!

Saying that in court would easily land you in a mental facility, you know.

Fucking touché.

I think the reason why this is happening to me at the moment is because it’s been exactly four days since I last contacted Corpse. Or since he last contacted me. See what I’m going for here? See how toxic my mindset can be? Yeah, even I can hardly believe it sometimes. Like, how can something so dark be part of me - someone who used to be so cheerful and bubbly growing up. My nickname used to be ‘sunflower’ for a reason, but I might as well be a wilted willow now.

And who do you have to blame for that?

Will you fucking shut it!!!

As I’m in the midst of yet another self-argument, I near the doorbell ring, scaring me to the point I almost fall off my desk chair. I only then become aware of the blank MS Word document staring back at me. Throwing myself into work hasn’t been able to help me today. Instead of it distracting me from my struggles, it’s the other way around and I can’t fucking stand it.

Just like I’m beginning not to be able to stand myself. How Corpse and my friends do it, I have no idea. Well, they have it easy I guess, they don’t have to hear all the shit that happens in this beehive on my shoulders.

I lazily saunter over to open the door, not even thinking about looking through the peephole prior to turning the doorknob and swinging it open. That’s a mistake, considering that the mess I am is now face to face with Corpse. Let’s be honest, I’m past the point of stressing over how I look in front of him, we’ve been dating for almost a year now after all. However, this look on me right now is beyond disturbing. One that would leave him questioning if I need help or if I’m doing alright. The answer to both of those questions is no, by the way. Yes, to both.

“Corpse?“ I croak out, fighting my way out of the cloud of confusion surrounding me.

“Y/N?“ He replies, mimicking me though his confusion isn’t as much confusion as it is concern. Gotta say - rightfully so.

I shake my head as if awakening from a fever dream, basically hitting the ground head-first, “Um...yeah, uh, come in!” I finally manage to say, forcing my feet to step aside to allow him inside.

He nods and takes a step beyond the doorstep, cautious as though I’ve rigged the place with traps. I mean, ok, I’m weird, but not that weird. I’m not a complete psycho. At least not yet. Give me a few more months by myself. Or weeks.

“I haven’t been here in so long...“ he mumbles, sounding almost as if he’s talking to himself. Before I could say anything, he wanders off into the kitchen, “Where are the plumbers?“

“What plumbers?“ I blurt out, unable to contain the widening of my eyes when I realize what I’ve said.

You. Fucking. Idiot!!!

“The ones you came here to monitor...?“ His answer sounds more like a question as well, both of us just staring at each other as we await what idiocy will leave my brain and come out of my mouth next.

The silence lasts for a few seconds before he breaks it by speaking up again, “There are no plumbers, are there?”

“No, not today! I mean- not right now.“ I resist the urge to smack my forehead with the palm of my hand in embarrassment. “They’ll come back...later! They were here up until an hour ago.“

Real smooth, Y/N. This is why you never play Among Us

Corpse looks around, even taking a peek over my shoulder before making a mock-confused expression as he shrugs his shoulders, “Your kitchen looks pretty tidy for being a place of such complex fixes happening.“

I let out a hysterical gust of laughter, squeezing my thumb so hard I might rip it off my hand, “Yeah, you know me, I like my living space tidy.”

He nods slowly, “Yeah, I know you. I know you’re not.“

The air gets caught in my throat when he eyes meet mine when he says that. I feel redness creeping up my neck, spreading across my cheeks and climbing up to my forehead and ears.

Oh you’d so be ejected right now

“Y/N, what’s really going on here? Why have you been avoiding me? Did I do something wrong? If so, please just tell me. This silent treatment and avoiding is killing me. If I didn’t come here I would’ve gone insane. You would’ve found my walls with writings on them...“ He stops talking abruptly, letting out a soundless sigh as though his soul left his body, his gaze softening with sadness, “That is, of course, if you were even planning to come back. Ever...“

“Of course I was!“ I exclaim, feeling my chest tighten at the hurt I see in his eyes, “I just...I needed time. I still do.“

“Time away from what?“ He asks, desperate to hear the answer no matter how much it could hurt him.

I honestly don’t know what to tell him. I have no idea what I’m running from. I don’t even know if I’m running, hiding, contemplating, I have no idea what I’m doing. Is he the problem? Am I? Are we the problem? Our relationship as a whole?

“I don’t need time from anything, Corpse. I just...I need some time with myself. With my own thoughts. I’m really torn, have been for quite some time now. I don’t know what I’m doing or what I’m supposed to do. I don’t know if I’m doing is the right thing. I don’t know if we are the right thing. I-...“ I buffer for a second, feeling the words start getting more and more tripped up as they climb up my throat. Eventually, they end up getting caught in an invisible net which doesn’t allow them to make it to my mouth, let alone leave it. Now at a loss for words, I let out a sigh of defeat, feeling my eyes welling up with tears, “I don’t know anything, damn it! I’m a mess. Why do you tolerate me? I’m no good to myself let alone to someone else!“

I don’t know where this outburst came from, but I’d be a liar if I said it wasn’t relieving. I feel like a popped balloon, letting out what’s been straining me from the inside for a long time now. Lord knows how Corpse took it, I can’t bring myself to look up at him, but all I know is that I finally did something I can officially deem right.

Suddenly, I feel the familiar touch of Corpse’s hands on my shoulders, pulling my chest flush against his, his arms wrapping around me, enveloping me in a tight embrace. His lips plans a kiss a the top of my head before he rests his chin there, holding me tightly.

“Why haven’t you told me any of this?“ He whispers, his voice emotional to the point of almost making me regret saying all that.

Almost...

“I didn’t want to worry you.“ I let out a half-hearted chuckle, “And I didn’t want you finding out what kind of nut-job you’re dating.“

He scoffs, “Even if you were a nut-job, Y/N - which, by the way, you’re not - I wouldn’t mind. I’m a nut-job for you. Utterly and completely crazy for you, babe. I’m always here for you, always there for you to talk to me, tell me all that’s going on in that busy head of yours. All you have to do is talk, and all I’ll do is listen.”

I sniff briefly, “Now you’re making me regret not saying it earlier.”

“Then I’m doing the right thing.“ He mutters, his tone suggesting I take the wheel of the conversation and say all I’ve been keeping within me until now.

“You see, I tend to enjoy certain things a lot. Get attached to people super quickly and easily. And then, after a certain period of time, I find myself rethinking and overthinking everything about that thing or person to the point I’m not even sure I like it - or them - anymore. At least not to the same degree as previously. I slowly start become unsure of everything around me, even my own thoughts and feelings. It’s almost like where I used to see light, there’s now darkness. Worst part is, I’m the one who put that light out for myself. I always do it to myself and then hate myself for it. It’s a vicious cycle that I can’t escape - killing my joy and blaming and despising myself for it.“ I sigh, nuzzling my face into his chest, “I just wish this curse avoided our relationship. You’re too good to me, I love you too much to lose you, Corpse.“

I feel his arms tighten their hold on me even more, pulling me even closer despite it not being possible. “Y/N, you can’t lose me. Not over that, not over anything. We all have our demons, you just gotta remember to hold onto me tighter than those demons are holding onto you. You gotta let me help you when you realize you can’t help yourself.” He gently pulls away from me, his hands now coming up to cup my cheeks as he gazes into my eyes, “You gotta learn to see beyond the darkness you surround yourself with. Beyond the darkness, that’s where I’m waiting for you. I’m always gonna be there. I’m a very patient guy, you know.”

I can’t help but laugh, suddenly feeling the bubbly giggles escaping from my chest, pressed out of me by the massive wave of relief that’s washed over my sore insides. Sore from the holding back and now even more so from letting go. But damn does it feel good.

“Looks like I don’t need a plumber but an electrician to fix this light I keep turning off.“ I say, pushing up on my toes to only barely touch my forehead to his. Luckily, he sees what I’m trying to do, so he leans down. “I need him to make it un-turn-off-able.“

Corpse smiles, humming approvingly, “I can help you with that. Starting with...“ and with that he tilts his head, his lips colliding with mine.

I gotta say: damn have I missed this feeling.

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ratcandy · 3 years

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CoGR Abridged/Summarized

Hello hello! My name is Clam, otherwise known as Squeakyclam on Ao3, and this is a heavily summarized/shortened version of my HK fic Camouflage of Great Renown. For anyone somehow finding this that doesn't know what it's about, CoGR focuses on Zote and his story through the game and what preceded it. He recounts his entire life up until the end of what's known in canon, and this includes a whole lot of angst, growth, realizations, and Trauma Revelations.

Oh, and he's a nosk. Zote is a nosk. Yep.

I've had a few requests for a summary, as the work is super long and reading through 130k+ words of Zote dialogue may not be for everyone, hehehe so I've compiled all the important plot points and wrote them out here in order of his story, rather than the plotline CoGR goes through specifically (in which big events in his history are revealed later on).

If I had to recommend reading the fic for anything, it'd be the... impact, I suppose? 'Cause reading the summarized events here will NOT be anything like reading it in CoGR. Seeing as the fic is all in Zote's pov and he actually has to force himself to admit all of this aloud. But I digress!!

Here's a summary of Zote's life according to CoGR.

THIS IS A VERY, VERY LONG POST DESPITE BEING A SUMMARY. I'm sorry, CoGR just has a lot happening! T/W for mentions of death.

A lot more heavy stuff happens in CoGR, but in this summary I do my best to step around those subjects. If you think more T/Ws should be added, let me know, and I'll put them here

Nosks were a species that inhabited Deepnest, specifically living in a den towards the nest's depths. It split off into lots of tunnels and caverns that each nosk lived in. "Society" there was very hostile and unwelcoming, as nosks valued brute strength over just about anything else. Caring for another nosk - be it kin or otherwise - was considered weak. "Burdens" to the den, such as nosks that were badly wounded, would/could not hunt, or were simply getting too old would be killed off. Death in and of itself was very common and hardly anyone would bat an eye at it.

Think the Mantis Tribe but largely feral and without a shred of decency of morals.

Runt donning mask of citizen was born into the nosk den alongside his brother, who would become hunter donning hide of tiktik.

(Before anyone asks, these are just the naming conventions that nosks have. No one but the nosk superiors - the leaders of the den - are granted actual names.)

A third egg was among them, but the brother broke it open and ate the younger sibling not long after hatching.

The two were born under a superior (their mother) and her chosen mate (their father). They were expected to grow up strong and eventually overtake their mother and become superiors. Or, one of them would, maybe.

The runt (Zote) was immediately scorned by the mother, as he was extremely frail and useless, and she just about killed him off right after he hatched - but his father stepped in, and the runt was left alive.

Zote grew up to be a weak nosk who could barely defend himself in a den full of beasts that would gladly kill him if doing so wouldn't be a direct offense to a superior. His brother was cruel to him, his father berated him constantly, and his mother was hardly in the picture at all. Only ever watching him distastefully from afar.

His father did, however, train him, if only sparingly. The least he could do to keep Zote alive. (Doing so would be a death wish were any other nosks to find out about it...)

However, an elder in the den - hunter donning mask of weaver - gained Zote's attention as she told him fantastical stories from outside the den. This elder had spent a good portion of her life among the Weavers, initially being sent to learn about them (to make them easier to hunt) but growing interested in their culture and choosing to stay. Until she did something to get her chased out.

At any rate, she told the stories from the Weavers to Zote, alongside news of what was happening outside of Deepnest. This caused the runt to become obsessed with the idea of being a knight, as the stories just sounded!! So amazing and heroic and awesome and!!! :D Yea!! He wanted to be just like that!

To the point where he even carved a sword out of the shellwood... with the den elder's help. He named it Life-Ender eventually.

At some point, however, his father found out about all this. His father figured that the only way to eliminate this problem - as wishing to be something heroic that saved lives or whatever was SO unnosk-like (and would get him killed) - was to kill the den elder.

Before she died, the elder told Zote to run away from the den, and not to return no matter what. The idiot did not run, and because of this, he witnessed the Den Elder's death at the hands of his father and some other nosks.

Man! this does, however, cause Zote to be more... "open" about his ideas. By this I mean he begins carrying Life-Ender around instead of hiding it in his nest. what do you mean it's a comfort item what! no he's just rebelliously showing off how much he wants to be a knight. totally. 100% /s

well, anyway, not long after this, the idiot's father dies at the claws of his mother. Zote unfortunately witnesses this as well. When he tries to run, his mother catches him, nearly killing him as well. Luckily(?), this attempt is thwarted by Zote's brother, who was very distraught over their father's death. The brother swears to kill the mother before storming off. Zote runs into hiding (still in the nosk den), and begins devising his plan so to get the hell out of there.

Of the few times that Zote leaves his nest after his father's death, 90% of them ended with him getting pummeled by his brother. The latter was livid, blaming the father's death on Zote and frequently bursting into fits of emotional rage. Rage is great for nosks, other emotions not so much.

On one occasion in particular, the brother goes too far, nearly killing Zote. In the scuffle, Life-Ender is shattered, and that sends Zote into a blind anger (mixed with survival instinct as he's About to Die). Zote then kills his brother.

A crowd had gathered around them during the fight. In that crowd was Zote's mother, who looked to him approvingly after he'd killed off his brother. This terrified Zote, so he gathered the pieces of Life-Ender and fled the den forever.

Stopping at the hot spring in Deepnest, he made a disguise for himself based on the vessels that nosks would often capture. He made a new name for himself, took on an entirely new identity, and decided to abandon the idea that he was ever a nosk. He would just go to the City, be knighted by the King (who he'd heard of from the stories the Den Elder would tell him), and live out his life as a knight. Just like he always wanted. Not as a nosk. because he's not that.

The events that follow now are just very short summaries of things that happen throughout cogr.

- He breaks a statue in the Queen's station on accident after a bug finds him there. as a nosk. oops

- He obliterates the entire uoma population /j and burns himself in the process

- He repairs Life-Ender originally using mushrooms in the Fungal Wastes. Fungal adhesion is real I checked I swear

- He makes it to the City of Tears! and while there, he

Gets caught by Hegemol who mistakes him as a vessel

Drowns in the City's gutters

Purchases a cloth to wrap around Life-Ender

Hears the Pale King talk one (1) time and immediately decides he hates him

- While leaving the City, he finds a grub. That grub never really gets named, but as he frequented calling the little thing "Fiend," and the grub eventually began responding to that title, he just considers it a name for them now.

- Zote travels with the grub throughout the Crossroads until he drops them off with the Grubfather, being rewarded for reuniting them but overall feelings pretty :( about it.

- He then goes to the. So you know the houses that are underneath the Gruzz Mother's lil arena? Yea that place. he goes there and "guards" it, becoming that place's self-proclaimed knight.

- then he starts being paranoid about the grub and returns to the grubfather only to see all the grubs have been stolen. he presumes Fiend is dead from this point on (and dodges around ever using the word).

- Then he goes back to the lil town place only to see everyone's infected :(

- We then spend TEN CHAPTERS!! in Greenpath. In which he

eats a plant and dies

Stands in No Eyes's tomb.

Visits the Lake of Unn (and nothing bad happens)

Sees a nosk at the entrance to Fog Canyon and proceeds to have a panic attack

Kills everything

Gets caught by the Vengefly king

Gets saved!

has a breakdown

Yells at Ghost and then Leaves

- Canon starts!

- He stops in Dirtmouth, listens to Elderbug talk, gets told the Myth of the Great old Nosks who are now all Extinct. The news that nosks are now extinct freaks Zote out a little, but he absolutely refuses to return to Deepnest. He doesn't need to make sure. It's fine.

- In an effort to convince himself not to go to Deepnest, he goes to the City again, thinking it can't possibly be all that ba-- oh no everyone's dead!

- he inadvertently steals a map marker from Ghost and decides to use that as a pin for his cloak

- Zote returns to Deepnest. He's very upset with himself for this, but he just has to know if all the nosks are actually extinct now.

The answer is yes

but before that he gets caught by dirtcarvers and put in a web and has to be saved. this makes him angry

Upon seeing all the dead nosks once he gets to the den, and noticing that the last nosk was mimicking Ghost (evidenced by the mask left behind) before it died, he decides that he's gotta Kill Everything again

- more specifically we're going to the Colosseum now.

- Zote's fear of water evaporates as he goes through the secret passage in the King's Station to get to Kingdom's Edge. He only found it because he saw Ghost go that way

- While at the Kingdom's Edge, he gets caught by the Fools, who he stupidly challenges and then immediately gets caught by.

- sits in dumb baby jail for a while. mean to tiso

- Then the colosseum battle happens! He does not win he then gets dropped down into kingdom's edge with little regard toward whether he's dead or alive

- He grabs a Fool's helmet before leaving, going back to Dirtmouth, and intending to bury that thing

- this goes wrong as he bumps into Bretta. He then sits and talks with her for God Only Knows how Long, spacing out while doing so, and not even noticing when she eventually gets up and leaves him.

- He buries the helmet, shuts himself away in his house, and gets stuck repeating his precepts to himself. At the end of CoGR it is revealed that he hasn't been talking to anyone, and is instead talking to himself endlessly as no one is left to listen to him

and that's it! that's cogr. yeah

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aspoonofsugar · 3 years

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What is your opinion about the Maidens in RWBY and their importance?

Hello anon!

I like the Maidens and especially how they explore two main ideas:

1) The concept of cycles and generations.

2) The trope of the chosen one.

THE CYCLE OF SEASONS

I think it is clear Ozpin created the Maidens partly because he wanted guardians and partly as a way to grieve his four daughters. He has symbolically dragged them into the cycle with him and Salem.

In a sense, the story keeps repeating. Salem kills Ozpin, he is reborn and his daughters are victims of the conflict between them.

Because of this, the four Maidens have become one of the many symbols of this endless cycle, which is clealry breaking its protagonists more and more.

This is well conveyed by the Maidens having a season theme. Seasons are in fact linked to the repetition of time aka one of Ozpin’s motifs:

At the same time, the idea of an older woman passing the torch to a younger one can be easily read as a metaphor for a mother-daughter dynamic. This is not always the case, but so far this interpretation is important for two of our four Maidens:

Penny receiving the Maiden’s powers from Fria is important on multiple levels and it plays on Penny alluding to Pinocchio. Fria (The Blue Fairy) recognizes Penny as a real girl, something she has been struggling with since the beginning:

Penny: Ruby... I'm not a real girl.

And is still struggling with:

Cinder: I don’t serve anyone. And you wouldn’t either, if you were built that way.

That said, Penny is not only struggling with enemies that consider her a robot, but also with the (understandable) overprotectiveness of people who love her:

Pietro: I lost you before. Are you asking me to go through that again? No. No. I want the chance to watch you live your life.

Penny: But dad… I am trying to.

She is not only a robot, who wants to prove she is a real girl, but also a daughter, who wants to grow into her own person.

This idea is made even stronger by Penny having been “created” through Pietro’s aura. She is a part of Pietro becoming someone completely different and independent from him. Still, isn’t it what all children are?

Raven is instead Penny’s opposite since she is not a daughter, but a mother. Not only that, but she is a mother, who fails three times.

She fails her biological daughter Yang by abandoning her and putting her in danger.

She fails Vernal, who dies for her.

She fails the previous Spring Maiden, who clearly looked up to her and was betrayed:

Cinder: Vernal was a decoy the whole time. The last Spring Maiden must've trusted you a great deal before she died. I bet that was a mistake...

This is well conveyed by Raven’s case being the opposite of what should ideally happen. Normally an older Maiden should pass her power to a younger girl, so that the cycle keeps going and that a new generation can keep fighting for good. However, Raven steals the powers of the Maiden for herself, just like she uses her shape-shifting ability for selfish objectives:

Ozpin: Everyone has a choice. The Branwens chose to accept their powers and the responsibilities that came with them. And later, one of them chose to abandon her duties in favor of her own self-interest.

She presents herself as a mentor for young women, but in the end she is a failure because she is too self-centered.

In conclusion, Rwby is both a coming of age story and a story that deals with cycles. Let’s think about the many abusive cycles in the story or the damaging cycles present in society, for example. All these cycles need to be broken and I would not be surprised if this will be the case for the cycle of the Maidens as well.

THE CHOSEN ONES

Up until now, the person who should be a Maiden never becomes one.

a) Pyrrha was destined to be the Fall Maiden, but Cinder stole the power.

b) Vernal is foreshadowed to be the Spring Maiden, but Raven turns out to be the real one.

c) Winter has been preparing herself to inherit the Winter’s Maiden’s role, but Penny is the one chosen by Fria.

Why is that so?

The story is clearly playing with the idea of the “chosen one” and asking some questions.

Are people chosen by destiny:

Cinder: It’s unfortunate you were promised a power that was never truly yours.

Or do they choose it?

Red-Haired Woman: She understood that she had a responsibility… to try. I don’t think she would regret her choice, because a Huntress would understand that there really wasn’t a choice to make. And a Huntress is what she always wanted to be.

What if the chosen person is the wrong one?

Lionheart: She was determined, at first, when she inherited her powers, but the weight of responsibility proved to be too much for the child. She... ran. Abandoned her training, everyone. That was over a decade ago. There's no telling where she could be now.

Finally, is it even right to choose a person?

Weiss: Doesn't it bother you? He practically groomed your entire military career.

Winter: It did at first, when the General first proposed it to me. But the more I thought about it, the more I saw it as a privilege, a chance to do some real good for Atlas. For Remnant.

Weiss: But your destiny was chosen for you, without your input.

So far each Maiden has explored this concept in a different way. Moreover, the story has highlighted many problems with the method used by Ozpin and his allies to select their guardians.

First of all there is the machine used to transmit aura:

Ironwood: We've made... significant strides. And we believe we've found a way to capture it.

Qrow: Capture it and cram it into something else. (gestures to Pyrrha as she takes a second to realize what that means) Or in your case ...

Pyrrha: (to Ironwood) That's...

Ironwood: Classified.

Pyrrha: ... wrong!

This method has been presented in-universe as sketchy and unethical both for the person who is having her aura taken and for the person receiving it.

It is also interesting that this machine is basically the technological equivalent of the Grimm used by Salem and Cinder to steal the powers in the first place:

One is the product of destruction (The Brother’s Grimms), while the other is the result of creation (in-universe technology is linked to creation). However, they both do essentially the same thing. They steal another person’s aura and change the one absorbing it:

Raven: You turned yourself into a monster just for power.

Secondly, there is the fact that so far several Maidens have died or have been targeted in horrible ways.

Some of them were specifically attacked because young and less experienced than others, like Amber. Some others made their choice without truly understanding it, like the Spring Maiden. And some of them. like Pyrrha, were not even given all the elements to make an informed choice.

In short:

Hazel: You send children to their deaths for a cause that you know has no victory, no end!

It is true that Hazel is a hypocrite that feels anger for Ozpin sending students to their deaths only to be the one killing them. It is also true that he does not respect his sister’s choice:

Oscar: Did she know the risk of being a Huntress?

Hazel: She was only a child! She wasn't ready!!

Oscar: She made a choice! A choice to put others before herself! So do I.

However, the narrative harshly criticizes Ozpin for not giving people all the information, “the knowledge”, they need to make that choice:

Yang: There was so much you hadn't told us! How could you think that was okay?!

Finally, we arrive at the current volumes where we see how Ironwood has tried to control Penny, Winter and Fria aka all the three people involved in the passage of the Maidens powers...only to fail miserably.

And in this failure probably lies the true mistake which has been made over and over again. The whole point is that probably the whole cycle (thematically) can’t and should not be controlled to this extent:

Goodwitch: At first, the only thing that was certain was that the powers were specifically passed on to young women. But as time went on, it was discovered that the selection process was much more... intimate.

Pyrrha: ... Intimate?

Goodwitch: As we understand it now, when a Maiden dies, the one who is in her final thoughts is the first candidate to inherit her power.

The powers are passed from a person to another through emotions. It is not by chance that the last person in a Maiden’s mind is the one who gets the power. It is because the power is linked to emotions and to ties and you should not try to weaponize them.

MAIDENS AND RELICS

Finally each Maiden is clearly linked to the theme represented by her respective relic.

Pyrrha and Cinder are both linked to the idea of destiny and choosing. I have shared some thoughts on them here.

I would say that Cinder wants to be chosen. She wants to be special and to be given value. This is probably why she is serving Salem. It is because Salem has chosen her for an important role:

Salem: When I chose you as my vessel for the Maidens, I put my trust in you.

This is not positive. It is dehumanizing:

Salem: This game is not yours to win, Cinder, it’s mine. Just because you’re more valuable to me than a pawn, does not make you a player.

But Cinder sees this as a chance.

Pyrrha is instead a person, who chooses her own destiny:

Pyrrha: When I think of destiny, I don’t think of a predetermined fate you can’t escape. But rather… some sort of final goal, something you work towards your entire life.

In other words, Pyrrha has an active role in her own destiny, while Cinder so far has accepted it passively.

This might seem ironic because all in all Cinder has been a pretty active character. She was born as nothing and fought to free herself and to become more powerful. However, she is still leaving her own life in the hands of another person, who is specifically coded as an abusive mother-figure. It is probable that her arc will be about taking back the agency Salem is clearly stealing from her.

This might very well be why she is the Maiden of choice. It is because in the end she’ll make an active choice to get her own freedom back.

At the same time, Pyrrha being active in her choices still leads to her demise. This is because she represents a choice without knowledge, as I have stated in the meta linked above:

She had been explained only a fragment of the truth, while the whole point is that one should learn, meet creation and destruction and then make a choice. This is why we have yet to meet the relic of choice.

As a matter of fact it is clear that knowledge and choice are complementary, just like destruction and creation.

This is highlighted also by their respective relics. On one hand the Lamp offers knowledge of the past. On the other hand the Crown gives its user a vision of a future choice.

This is because one has to know the past to change the future:

Bartholomew Oobleck : History is important, gentlemen! If you can't learn from it... you're destined to repeat it.

In a sense, knowledge is the passive condition of choice, while choice is the active goal of knowledge.

This is why one needs both to contribute to the world in the most effective way possible. If one acts without knowledge they might make the wrong choice. At the same time, knowledge without choice is just passiveness, as shown in The Indecisive King fairy tale.

Too much knowledge might lead to indeciveness or even cynism. This is why Raven is the Spring Maiden. It is because she is Pyrrha’s opposite aka knowledge without choice:

Yang: Which is it, mom? Are you merciful, or are you a survivor? Did you let me walk into that trap because you knew I could handle it, or because it meant you could get what you wanted?!

Raven keeps making decisions only to run away from them immediately after. Knowledge did not make her braver, but just a coward.

Finally we arrive to Penny and the idea of creation.

I have mentioned Penny in the meta linked above:

Penny is an artificial human, a creation who was given life because her father loved her so much that he sacrificed a part of his aura for her… twice. She is at the centre of the theme of creation and it represents the good sides of it. She is a creation with a soul, a child, the fruit of parental love. It is because of the love she received that she is willing to protect creation.

Penny is at the centre of the theme of creation in two ways.

a) She is a child, who wants independence.

b) She is a good declination of technology.

On one hand children are new lives that join the world. They are the embodyment of creation.

On the other hand technology is an expression of human creation and a way humans have to change and influence reality.

Penny is both. She is Pietro’s girl and a robot with a soul:

Pietro: When the General first challenged us to find the next breakthrough in defense technology, most of my colleagues pursued more obvious choices. I was one of the few who believed in looking inward for inspiration.

Ruby: You wanted a protector with a soul.

Pietro: I did. And when General Ironwood saw her, he did too. Much to my surprise, the Penny Project was chosen over all the other proposals.

Ironwood choosing Pietro’s project over others is very interesting and ambiguous. Did he choose this project because at the time he understood the importance of “a protector with a soul”?

Probably consciously yes, but the way he has treated Penny since volume 2 suggests also something different. It suggests a desire of domination. The idea that putting a soul into a metallic body would make it easier to control it.

After all:

Ironwood: For the past few years, Atlas has been studying Aura from a more scientific standpoint; how it works, what's it made of, how it can be used. We've made... significant strides. And we believe we've found a way to capture it.

Each one of humanity’s gift has another side of itself. Knowledge can lead to fear and choice is linked to passivity/agency. When it comes to creation, this gift brings with itself the temptation of control.

Why shouldn’t a creator “own” theis creation? Why shouldn’t they be entitled to it? Why should they share it with the rest of the world?

If one looks at Ironwood, at Atlas and at the other protagonists of this volume this way, a lot of things resonate.

Atlas is the most technological advanced kingdom, but instead of sharing its resources it closes off. Ironwood’s embargo is just another declination of this same idea of losing control.

Similarly the Ace Ops and Winter are all repressing their emotions. They want perfect control over themselves. They are taught they should be like drones.

Technology itself is often misused by the characters. Technolofy should be like Penny. It should have humanity and a soul, but Ironwood likes it because he sees it as something logical that can be controlled (and of course he keeps losing control over it). Ironwood wants to become like he thinks Penny is aka a controllable soul. He fails to understand that Penny is special because she has her own free will.

Finally, this same desire of control is present also in familial relationship. It is not by chance that the Schnee Family is in Atlas. Weiss’s story has always been about exploring this specific idea of a family. A family, which is cold and controlling, just like ice. Weiss’s arc is about melting this ice, in herself first and now in others as well.

Technological control and the control of people. In short, the control over two aspects of creation. This is the the idea Atlas represents and this is why it is currently falling.

In short, the creation must be free and it is not by chance the world is in its current predicament because the Gods tried to control their creations with disastrous results.

CONCLUSION

These are my main thoughts on the Maidens so far. That said, they might chance since the story is far from over as the arcs of all the maidens we have met so far.

As a final note, I find interesting that so far none of our four protagonists is a Maiden. It is an interesting choice and I think that it lets the series make a good use of its ensemble cast.

That said, I wonder if our four protagonists will end up calling back the original Four Maidens instead.

The fairy tale is interesting on multiple levels.

In-universe, it is interesting because it tells us something about how Ozpin was probably inspired by the original Four Maidens to try to save the world again. Ozpin is inspired by four normal people, who are just trying their best to help others.

This is a recurring idea in Rwby and this might be why none of the four protagonists has been selected to be a Maiden yet.

If read as a stand-alone, the story is an interesting tale on how to overcome depression.

The story starts with the old man closed in his house and it shows how he progressively opens up until he himself is able to help others.

Winter is the one who teaches him how to work on his own interiority even when the world is cold.

Springs prepares the terrain for him to come out. It makes the garden more welcoming. It is like when a person has to find the right environment to open herself up.

Summer is the one who finally drags the man out and gives him energy.

Finally Fall is the one who makes the man realize he can now share his new found energy with others.

Theirs is a virtuous cycle and I would say it is very different of the tragic cycle that sees the current Maidens as protagonists. Who knows? Maybe it is about going back to that virtuosity.

Thank you for the ask!

#rwby #rwby meta #maidens #cinder fall #raven branwen #penny polendina #pyrrha nikos #asksfullofsugar #anonymous

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sevenmikento · 3 years

Note

ANOTHER JJK WRITER??!?! I'M SO HAPPYYYY!! And you're accepting requests right now! I---I feel so cniwjebfiamxksownfjjw but 'nough said...

Idk what type of format is suitable for this request so it will be fine if you chose to write it using hcs or a oneshot.

Can I request where fem!reader is the Sukuna's vessel meets a civilian!Yuuji??

A/N: hello!!!!! this was sent in over a week ago but i’ve been so busy with streaming, art and work AAAAAAAAAA anyways imma do headcanons so i can cover more ground since i like this idea hehe :D

ALSO I FINISHED WATCHING HAIKYUU S4 AND I CRIED LIKE 4 TIMES PLS SEND IN MORE HQ REQUESTS OF THE CHARACTERS I LISTED THANK, I CAN’T WAIT TO GET TO THEM ;—;

fem!vessel!Reader meets civilian!Itadori Yuuji headcanons

as a born and bred Jujutsu Sorcerer, you honestly should’ve known better than to eat Sukuna’s goddamn finger. but in your defence, it was a stressful moment and the only other option was to die, let the cursed spirit eat the finger and inevitably kill Fushiguro Megumi—your only friend and someone who could probably keep the cursed spirit at bay long enough to escape

essentially it was: get killed and greatly inconvenience your friend or eat the finger and die and only somewhat inconvenience your friend

the only thing you did not anticipate was survive eating the finger, killing the cursed spirit in one hit and verbally abusing Sukuna until you regained control of your body

well… shit

life hasn’t changed that much if you were being honest, except now as the vessel of the King of Curses, the threat of being exterminated by the wise old elders was greater than before; but you don’t let that bother you too much since—

“So, if I eat all the fingers and Sukuna doesn’t take over my body… they’ll let me live?”

“That’s what they claim but we both know they’ll actually do,” your mentor and guardian Gojou Satoru said after returning from an emergency meeting with the people he despised the most. you could tell how pissed he was just by the slight inflection of his voice

“But I won’t let them lay a single finger on you,” he ruffled your hair, “got it?”

“Him.” Sukuna’s voice echoes in your head on one of your off days. hiding your mouth behind the bun you’re munching on, you ask him what he means

“The table across from you. That boy. He could have been my vessel.”

“… and?”

“… he’s interesting. Befriend him.”

“What? No, you absolute menace!” you don’t realise you’ve raised your voice until you notice a pair of wide brown eyes stare back at you. feeling your face heat up, you quickly stand and leave the cafe, tragically abandoning the super delicious chocolate bun half-eaten on the plate

“You’re attracted to him. Befriend him and it’ll benefit the both of us, you fool.”

“How exactly will it benefit you? And it’s too late. I’m not going back, not for the boy and not for my poor, poor choc bun :(”

you make it like, a few hundred metres before you feel a tap on your shoulder. when you turn around, it’s the boy holding your bun in a takeaway bag. he smiles like an idiot and though it feels like a huge mistake, you allow yourself the luxury of his company

shortly after you mean, during one of your many late night texting sessions, you learn that he had to move to Tokyo with his grandfather to seek better medical treatment

[11:43PM] Yuuji: so basically… what i’m saying is… i have no friends here :D be my friend?

[11:45PM] (Y/N): okay :)

“EXCELLENT”

“Sukuna… touch him and I will kill myself and you.”

when Gojou learns of your new friend, he gets super annoying (even more so than usual, basically) and makes a habit of spending more time with Megumi, claiming that you “don’t need both of them anymore ;—;” because you’ve “moved on to greener pastures”

but in all seriousness, he’s glad you’re making more friends. he’s done research on Itadori Yuuji and concludes that you’ll be alright

the first time you go out together, Yuuji sheepishly tells you he needs to drop by the hospital to give his grandfather some sliced fruits

“It’s okay if you don’t wanna follow, though—”

it takes you, like, ten whole minutes to convince him that you’ll be happy to meet his grandpa, though you have no choice but to withhold another big reason for wanting to tag along

as suspected, Yuuji’s grandfather’s being weighed down by a couple of small fry cursed spirits which you swiftly eliminate when they both have their backs turned to you—or so you think

unbeknownst to you, Yuuji saw the way you glared at the corner of the room, noticed how you did some odd hand gestures and how—almost instantly—his grandfather said: “is your girlfriend a lucky charm? my chest feels so light all of a sudden.”

[12:33PM] Yuuji: thanks for coming with me to the hospital today. my grandfather seems to really like you :) sorry he kept calling you my girlfriend

[12:34PM] (Y/N): no problem, i like him as well :D and it’s alright

[12:45PM] Yuuji: by the way, i have something i want to ask you

[12:50PM] (Y/N): … yes?

[01:03PM] (Y/N): Itadori?

[01:16PM] (Y/N): you there?

“A cursed spirit is after him.”

“You choose to tell me just now?!”

Sukuna doesn’t say it but he has no idea why he told you what he did. it doesn’t matter to him what happens to Itadori Yuuji and yet his gut tells him he needs to be kept alive. so, in a strange turn of events, he tells you where to go

sure enough, you find him fighting off a grade 1 cursed spirit in an alleyway, still alive and kicking despite being seemingly beaten within an inch of his life

although you’re a grade 2 Sorcerer, with Sukuna telling you what to do in your head, you win the battle with only severe bruises and maybe a hairline fracture somewhere

“Where do you live?” you ask and he points at a small house just across the alleyway. “Get your things, you’re coming with me tonight.”

he listens and walks quietly beside you as you make your way back to school

“Are you okay?” you ask once the adrenaline of it all has somewhat subsided

you can’t help but feel responsible for it all, knowing the cursed spirit must’ve hunted him down believing he’d lead him to you—the Sorcerer with Sukuna’s scent written all over you

before Yuuji can lie and say yes, he trips over his own feet but you catch him before he hits the ground

you decide to carry him the rest of the way, giving him a piggyback, his feet just barely off the ground due to your height difference

“What are you?” he asks softly, arms wrapped around your neck as the side of his head rests against your own

“I’ll tell you later. I don’t know if you’ll believe me, though.”

“I will,” he says without missing a beat, “I trust you.”

“It was most likely my fault you got hurt, you know?” you admit dryly, aware that you wouldn’t be able to forgive yourself if you kept it a secret him him

“Yeah…” Yuuji sighs and it stings, not gonna lie, but then he continues: “but you’re carrying me right now… and you helped my grandfather, didn’t you?”

“… yeah.”

he hums softly, feeling his eyelids grow heavy, “that’s enough for me… Thank you.”

you feel him press his lips to your neck before his head lolls forward. your heart nearly stops before an overwhelming sense of relief washes over you when you feel his chest rise and fall steadily

your knees feel like they’re on the verge of giving out but his body is so warm and his kiss made your heart flutter like never before, so, you carry him the rest of the way knowing that you’ll gladly do the same in the future with no hesitation

#jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu sorcerer #jujutsu kaisen x reader #itadori yuuji x reader #yuuji x reader #itadori yuuji #headcanons #fluff #slight angst #vessel!au

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ninjas-and-coffee · 3 years

Text

WU SUCKS but not the reason you think

I'd like to preface by saying Wu has made a lot of mistakes and should be held accountable. But like the main arguments against Wu be like.

1: Morro

2: Traumatizing kids

3: Keeping secrets

4: Mot treating his nephew like is damn nephew.

5: Flirting with his brothers wife.

And the thing about that needs talked about. 1:Morro. First off getting kids hopes is not cool. It can be detrimental to development depending on the age of the child. BUT. Not a single soul told Morro to train tirelessly for 60+ years after his death to take revenge and be the green ninja. Absolutly no one. Wu had compassion for his failings and wanted to show Morro he could still he great without being the green ninja. But the little brat ran tf off and got trapped and died. And he got cursed, how- we dont know. But its implied that it's either intentional entrapment or you have to be a terrible person, guess which category he probably falls into. Mind you Wu also told our OGs that they could also be the green ninja and none of them went off the rails to settle some invisible score. Morro made his choices and he made shit ones. Wu was an influence but not the problem. Morro is unstable, dramatic, and holds grudges Wu didnt cause that.

2: the traumatic experiences the nina go through are also not exactly his fault. He didnt just pick them off the streets. THERE WAS A PROPHECY. Ok? Yall with me. Fate isnt uncontrolled by anyone the ninja needed to be trained to help Lloyd fight the Overlord. That wasnt his decision. And yall act like the ninja couldn't leave whenever they wanted to. He didnt gaslight them or belittle them in anyway that wasnt for teaching. Please bring me receipts if you think otherwise. I do admit he could help a little more, be more clear, but when has a old magic teacher character ever been straightforward. With that logic fuck Dumbledore, and Gandalf, and any wise old teacher that goes to find chosen one who once again are chosen by fate not the master himself. Yall literally cant blame Wu for Child's Play and you cant blame Wu for their experience with Nadakhan either. The enemies that go out of there way to attack the ninja are not a direct cause if Wu himself. Usually. It be like blaming Garmadon for Chen. Yes they had history but it's still not his fault

3: Secrets. I will admit there is next to no reason for keeping secrets from the ninja. Considering history always has kind of score to settle. But considering his age and the apparent imprisonment or death of his past enemies there no way to predict every problem that comes back to screw him over. The Time Twins for example. Yes they came back for Wu. But he did remove their powers and separated them over 20+ years ago. They were not exactly threats to his new students now were they? Again with Aspheera, who was literally locked in a tomb why take the time to educate the ninja on a problem he had no idea was going to come back for him. Same with Morro to a more confusing degree. MORRO DIED. How was he to prepare the ninja for that? Yes please tell me how they were supposed to prepare for a dead guy. I'll wait.........k. he should be more forthcoming with the ninja, about things he knows could harm them, like the Serpentine after Lloyds released them, Chen, the Overlord, the effects of Travelers Tea, Tomorrow's Tea, Oni, Etc. But most of the time the ninja go and do it first then wonder why Wu didn't warn them.

4: His nephew. Wow his parenting sucks. Morro is not his damn child let's start there. Comparing their relationship is unfair. Wu cared for Morro the way he cares for Kai and Nya. He never accentuates a paternal relationship with then. Cause they are students, students he has to train with he intent to send them out onto dangerous battle fields and mind games. He was alone so yes it looks different but it's also a leap to just assume that Wu viewed Morro as his own despite treating him the exact same way as his 6 other students. Now back to Lloyd. Why didnt he get his nephew from Darkleys where it was known he ran away from multiple times? I DONT KNOW. No one does. That is a bad move I can only theorize about. Maybe Misako said something about staying away, maybe he wasnt kept in the loop about his nephews whereabouts due to idk KICKING HIS FATHER INTO HELL. C'mon yall. Now in the later seasons my best guess is that he doesnt know how to differentiate his nephew from the chosen one side and the goofy child side. Hes never had a child and his early relations with Lloyd were scarce and when Lloyd came to live with him. It's not due to some familial obligation, destiny literally called for it. Putting some definite strain on their relationship. I'm not excusing it he should try better, but he'd have to build a relationship from nothing and most people know their immediate family upon birth or during childhood which is not the case here. Wu treats his nephew more like a vessel of power than a person which isnt cool but knowing that the kid might not come back after every fight is a good damper on happy relationships is it not?

5: Misako. Good lord I don't have to explain this one. No excuse. It shouldn't be happening. BUT. After Garmadons death she was a free woman as gross as it is. It's more a flaw on her than it is him she chose to have a baby with one brother and still try to get with the other. And I know it takes two to tango but dont get mad at the idiot that the cheater is cheating with. Be mad at the cheater. The thing people really dont get about love triangles. The "other guy" brings on the questions/options but the person who cant choose or screws with both parties is the one in the wrong. Lloyd seems ok with it. Because Tommy said so. I dont particular give two shits about his take on the show half the time. If Lloyd were actively against it the Wu would probably stop. If the Fsm family acted like a normal ass family we probably wouldnt be here. But their priorities are a little screwy compared to typical nuclear families. Not an excuse just some perspective

NOW, why he is a bad character despite all of those arguments. he chooses to train soldiers rather than care for impressionable teens. Yes the situation called for it but the pressure could he alleviated if he decided to actually help before the world was on fire. He chooses to teach by experience than be upfront. Which works sometimes but not when actual lives are at stake. His trial by fire teaching works but the possiblity it could go wrong is to big to be brushed aside. His seemingly unreachable vault of empathy is hard to swallow. He rarely actually feels things for other people, his lack of enthusiasm when they pull through something hurts to watch. His lack of empathy about raising his nephew to attempt to kill his father is frightening. The pride he demonstrates by choosing not to disclose his past until it's too late is dangerous. He doesnt directly put down the ninja unless he has to and its more implied than anything and is on his students and this fandom for taking it so harshly. He trusts them a lot because he doesnt see them as kids anymore. They are warriors and it was necesary. He should have more compassion. He should be more straight forward, he should try to act like a person and not some ethereal being of elsewhere that doesn't have time to appease feelings or care about people until after hes wronged them. His values are off kilter sometimes which is whatever until it starts to hurt people

But yall need to stop blaming him for other people actions. Morro was a mess to begin with. His problems are in the past because he took care of them already. Misako came onto him. (He should have resisted but he didnt start shit she did). He needs to try to be an uncle alongside being a teacher. He needs to act like a fucking person more than the infinite cache of wisdom and unforeseen unused power that he acts like. And also it's a kids show. How many children think the way yall do?, we're teens/YAs we're reading into things. A LOT which makes everything more complicated. Comments rebuttals open. There's a collection of little mistakes hes made along the way that dont fit into these categories but these are the main reasons I know people hate him and the little things add fuel to the fire. I will legit talk about anything Except for the morro thing I am so tired of seeing it Morro made his choices hes a fucking Villain Wu didnt make him that way being a bitter asshole did that. Thanks for reading!! :3

#ninjago #coffee speaks #lloyd garmadon #fuckin misako #Wu ninjago #discourse #ranting #tw: negative #replies will be on my second account of there are any #trust me i hate him too #morro #tw: aldultery #not art

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falcor-thee-luck-dragon · 3 years

Text

Of Monsters and Men

Chapter 10- Before A Fall

Summary: With your heart torn from the troublesome events on the mountain, your mind in swirling with mixed emotions for your Witcher and the violet eyed witch you’re bound to. Now where will you choose to go as a war begins brewing on the horizon?

Warning: some angst, more reader backstory

Masterlist

You had let yourself wallow in your sadness and anger for some time now upon another far off peak of the mountains. You couldn't look back, you couldn't even bare to turn around and fly yourself into the arms of Geralt after what he had done.

It hurt.

But you couldn't forgive so easily as you'd like to, he had made a promise almost fifty years ago to never let magic manipulate your lives in anyway. To never use dark powers against you, no spells, no enchantments, no sorcerers, nothing that could alter your reality or bend your will. Nothing to bind your very vessel to in any way, shape, or form.

He promised.

He knew your hate for how magic can ruin and destroy with simple words and rash actions. But alas, Geralt made his wish and now it can never be broken. Although you had to admit, the intended sentiment was heartfelt after all. His wish was to keep you bound to Yennefer for as long as you two are alive, his intentions were so that you'd never feel alone when he's gone and dead.

Considering you'll most likely outlive him, unless someone was to slice you open with silver and set your corpse on fire, or better yet. Get yourself mauled to death by a goddamn werewolf, what a way to go, either option not really settling well with you. But perhaps you'd never given it much thought, what would you do after Geralt left this world? You couldn't say, nor did you care to think about it, nor did you want to think about it.

But now, you're forever linked to Yennefer until the end of her days or maybe yours. You could almost laugh, how clever of destiny to bind your cares and concerns with a mage, and forever at that. She's half elf and you're a dhampir, neither of you are aging much anytime soon or even at all for that matter. You may have kept your time in Aretuza and your old friendship with Yennefer a thing of the past, but now you must accept your fate.

Maybe this is destiny?

Hate should not seep its inky talons into your soul, nor should lasting anger burn like dragon fire in your heart. You did once have a good friendship with the lavender eyed sorceress for many years, but your paths had gone separate ways when she was called to court and the mages of Aretuza began to drive you mad with their constant bickering and pettiness with one another.

Your time in the great academy transpired into a violent end when one bold admirer had attempted to charm you with his admittedly strong love potion, you had left those halls half naked and covered in his blood once you'd found the strength to break through the spell. Not one mage had dared make an effort to stop you, they understood their fellow enchanters deathly mistake and for that they let you leave without so much as a word.

You felt disgusted for letting yourself get sweet talked and manipulated by his charming aurora and false heartfelt words. You didn't even notice when he handed you a sweet smelling mystery liquid, it tasted fine going down and within seconds did you feel lust take over your body for the alluring man. But another part of you didn't want how you felt, it wasn't right, it didn't feel right. But he looked so good, and you wanted him, but did you?

In the end you had snapped out of it as half your clothing was littering the floor, he was smiling a triumphant grin from beneath your clothed legs as your fuzzy mind cleared, your heart fuming with rage as he kept oblivious to your realization. A second later did you enjoy hearing his screams of agony as you sunk your sharp pearly white fangs deep into his naked jugular, it all happened so fast. He scratched at your body as you pinned him down and ripped open his stomach, making certain to crush his prized jewels as your last final act of revenge, leaving him bruised and bleeding out upon his bed when you fled the room.

He had taken nothing but your pride. Yet he payed for it with his life.

You could hear his ragged final breaths as you flew down the enchanted hallways of Aretuza, collecting your belongings and fleeing the giant castle before you took it upon yourself to end anymore despicable lives residing in that academy.

You didn't bother telling Tissaia, she would figure it out eventually.

And as for Yennefer, she was living as a mage in luxury.

But as you stand upon this rocky ledge it all seems like a bad dream, perhaps it was just all constructed in a past life? Feels like it, but alas, it is far behind you and Yennefer was gone from the academy when it all happened. It was not her fault, you truly have no right to hate her.

So you won't. Is this still destiny?

Taking a deep breath you slowly let all your troubles and resentments out and into the dusty breeze as you stand high upon the jagged shelf of the mountainside. It's been three days since the taxing events after the dragon hunt, when all truths had been revealed and you had left Geralt in your rage. You'll find him again without a doubt in your mind, when the time is right and your infuriation has subsided. Then you will seek him out and make amends, but for now, as you brood into the sunset you can't help but feel torn to go and speak with Yennefer, you must.

Something just doesn't feel right in the air, you're pinning it on the grand mass of marching Nilfgaardian soldiers you had spotted to the west only yesterday. A great enemy of Cintra, and an impending threat to the innocent lives of nearby villagers. You close your eyes as a soft breeze caresses your face, you've made up your mind, it's time to find your old friend.

No more anger.

-meanwhile in the underkeeps of Cintra-

Geralt leans against a stone wall, listening for the footsteps of Mousesack, doing his best to keep you out of his thoughts for the time being so he can focus on the task at hand. He may not have you in his mind at the moment, but his heart has not stopped feeling dreary with heavy regret and anguish for how you had left him so suddenly.

It's been a week, still too long, he thinks.

He truly did not mean to upset you so, but when he made that wish, his mind was only concerned with keeping you happy for the next thousand years when he rots in the earth and your body flows with life. Though now he feels quite foolish for such a burdensome wish upon yourself, binding a part of your soul to Yennefer and hers with your own. So no matter wherever you two will travel, a strange call to one another will always remain in the back of your minds.

Like a shadow.

Geralt's ears prick with the sounds of rushed footfalls against the stony ground as the mage quickly approaches him from down the long shadowy hallway, "Out of nowhere, you send word to meet you. All this time, I thought you were dead." Exclaims Mousesack as Geralt turns to face him from around the corner.

"I told you last time I was in Cintra that I wasn't coming back."

Mousesack eyes him suspiciously, "Yet here you are." The Witcher hums in reply as Mousesack asks for an answer to Geralt's random appearance, a telling smirk upon his face as he walks closer, "You've come for your Child of Surprise, haven't you?"

"The opposite. I want you to tell me that he's safe and healthy so I can keep on riding."

Geralt turns from Mousesack and begins walking down the hallway as the mage smiles, "He....is a girl." Geralt abruptly turns around at the surprising news, "Princess Cirilla has been raised by Calanthe since her parents died."

"What?" Whispers Geralt, shocked by the news.

"Pavetta and Duny's ship was lost at sea. Have you been hiding your head in the sand?" The greying mage pauses for a moment, brow furrowing, "Why now? Why do you think she's not safe?"

"I saw an army making camp at the Amell Pass. A sea of black and gold." Replies Geralt.

Mousesack nods, "Nilfgaard is set on sweeping the Continent. But since that night at Pavetta's banquet, the Queen's done everything she can to keep her family safe from threats. Shut the walls. Fortified the gates." A shadow flashes against the walls as rushed footsteps befall upon the ground, grabbing Geralt's attention as he leans in closer to the mage, eyes dark.

"Sent assassins!" He growls.

"What?"

"Were you followed?"

"No." Answers Mousesack honestly.

Geralt sneers at the grey bearded man before turning and walking towards the sound of the hidden killers, Mousesack's brow furrows in confusion, "Why don't you just have your lady dhampir Y/N slay them for you and avoid such a wasteful chase? She can't be far now can she, never one to linger from your side for very long."

Geralt halts in his tracks, his mind reeling before he turns an eye to the wondering mage, "She was summoned back to her homeland. Something important, she couldn't say....so I didn't ask. I'm on my own." His voice is gravely as he lies, shifting his attention back to the opening entrance of another hallway to continue his hunt for the assassins. Mousesack left speculating if this tale has any truth to it or not, wisely deciding not to press the subject any further.

——

It hadn't been very difficult to find her, all you had to do was concentrate and let the magic given unto you by the djinn lead yourself into the direction of Yennefer like a compass. When you let it work, it seemed a rather simple task to begin your hunt for the notorious mage.

It took about a week or so to find her, you had decided to travel like a civilized person and ride to her whereabouts on the back of a silver steed. Your horse bringing you to a huge excavation site where a part of the Nilfgaard army is currently stationed, directing their workers and no doubt captured slaves to dig and scrape away at the rocky hillside for whatever the fuck type of obsidian looking rock. You could honestly care less for their troubles, the problems of these people of little concern to you.

After riding down a dirt covered road and past the tired faces of burnt-out workers you stopped by a wooden cart, tying your horse next to another. You finish the knot and step into the road, catching the scent of your friend who's aroma is still fresh, she's close, her trail leading into a nearby makeshift tavern.

"Where are you coming from, my lady?"

You stop in your tracks as a dirty faced Nilfgaardian soldier keeps you from your search, handing him a fake smile you catch his light brown eyes, "Nowhere too interesting I'm afraid."

He nods, thinking hard for a moment, his heartbeat picking up with nervousness, "W-well, if you're here to seek aid from a mage, the, uh...tavern is that way. Good day then." He stumbles quickly in reply, no doubt unnerved by your scarlet eyes and friendly sharp grin.

What a man he is.

And just like that he's gone, smiling contently with yourself and this odd bit of luck, you make for the titular gathering house with cheap ale or perhaps the tavern as it's called. Once you reach about ten feet from the opened wooden door do you stop, the familiar voices of Yennefer and Istredd, her first lover from Aretuza, fill your ears as they speak about their past dealings and Yenn's thirst for power over most things, including their relationship.

More things are said before he stands up to leave, but before he's able to catch you in his sights do you turn around and narrowly miss being found out, he'd definitely remember you. Istredd trudges past, oblivious as you listen to the whispered voice of a new man joining Yennefer at her table. He claims himself to be Vilgefortz of Roggeveen, another mage, of fucking course.

Folding your arms in annoyance you walk over to lean your back against the side of the tavern and listen as he tells Yennefer how Nilfgaard is seeking out mages for their conquests, quietly noting that they should return to Aretuza before any soldiers start asking for their assistance. She sounds doubtful until he lets known that Tissaia and himself need her nonetheless, apparently shits important, who would have thought. You can't help but roll your eyes as Vilgefortz practically sweet talks her, explaining that Tissaia said that Yennefer is the best student she's ever taught.

And that's it, Yennefer's sold.

You could never ignore getting yourself buttered up, huh Yenn.

The friendly mage abruptly stands up, telling Yennefer to meet him in half an hour by the north gate before he says his goodbyes and exits through the opened door, right past you. You watch in curiosity as he walks off before turning yourself towards the entrance and stepping into the doorway, you look down to your right. Making quick eye contact with Yennefer's violet irises, she immediately frowns as you sit across from her, though she is quite taken aback at your random intrusion.

A smirk plays at your lips, "Well aren't you just having the time of your life. Quite popular today aren't we now?"

Yennefer rolls her eyes in annoyance, "What the fuck are you doing here?" She says dryly, you lean back in your chair as a fangy grin breaks out upon your face.

"I could ask you the same thing but....I'm not an idiot. You came back to rekindle that old flame with Istredd, how sweet, honestly. Who would've thought."

"Oh fuck off Y/N."

A light chuckle escapes you, "Don't be so dramatic Yenn, I didn't leave Geralt's ass and travel all this way for nothing...."

"You left him?" She wonders, her brows furrowing, honestly quite surprised.

A telling sigh falls from your lips, "For the time being, I'm still pissed over the whole djinn and his last wish. So here I am, sitting in a shit tavern with an old acquaintance, also...I wanted to make sure you don't hate me. Believe it or not, I do care about you Yennefer, and that's not the magic speaking. So with that in mind, I've witnessed what Nilfgaard has been doing lately and it doesn't look good." You shrug, "Guess I wanted to make sure you where fine."

She glances down at her hands before finding your scarlet eyes, "I can't tell if that's the Aretuza Y/N, or the magic talking." Her voice almost playful.

"Maybe it's both? But can I not give a shit for once about anyone other than myself? I mean look around us." You glance at the tired out workers and Nilfgaardian soldiers before leaning in closer to Yennefer, "Things are changing, soon these valleys will be covered in blood, people fighting for survival, the land ablaze and destroyed from war. I've lived enough lifetimes to have seen it happen over and over again."

She nods slowly, taking in what you're saying, "Yes, so it seems. But last I'd remembered, you've never really cared much for the troubles of other kingdoms. Even your own for that matter."

"I don't." Your reply blunt and to the point, "But this is Nilfgaard, and though I could care less about the reasoning behind their conquests. I know who they seek to bring their wrath upon."

"Cintra." She whispers.

"Yes." You pause for a moment as three soldiers clad in black armor walk past your table and towards the bar, your wary eyes trail them before turning your attention back to Yennefer, "And I'd rather not have innocent lives taken by the hands of filthy soldiers, I could live without smelling blood in the air and the rotting of children's corpses." You let out a breath before leaning in and keeping your voice to that of a whisper, "Geralt's Child of Surprise resides in that kingdom, within the walls of Cintra. I do not care for the little shit in the slightest, but by law this child will be in our care soon enough. Whether I want to meet him or not."

She nods, understanding your concerns for the invading forces of Nilfgaard, "That's quite the predicament Y/N."

"Yes." You lean back once again, folding your arms as you tilt your head to the side, "Almost as intriguing as your own one." You add with a smirk.

"What did you hear?"

"The mage, Vilgefortz of Roggeveen seems to have caught you in his sights. And how interesting, it appears our old friend Tissaia is in need of you after all these long years." You study her face, her lavender eyes downcast as she thinks, "You're going aren't you?"

"I need answers Y/N." Her eyes are on yours once again, "It doesn't make much sense I'll admit, but it's been a long while and I have nothing keeping me here anyways." She confesses honestly, you tap the hilt of your dagger, thinking hard.

"Do as you wish, I will not stop you. Have fun with those self entitled idiots." You sneer, she simply smiles at your usual disgust for the mages of Aretuza. You stare at her, your face falling as you shake your head.

"Yennefer don't."

She leans herself closer to you, her eyes almost pleading, you haven't heard the words but just looking at her can you tell exactly what she's about to ask, "Y/N. Against my better judgment...I'm asking, I guess....would you join me. Please?"

Pursing your lips together you stare at the table before finding her gaze once more, every ounce of your entire vessel screaming for you to say no, though you can't help but feel drawn to follow, "God I hate magic." You mutter, shaking your head.

"You were the one who came to find me after all, remember? Make sure I'm fine and not dead." She muses with a mischievous spark in her eye.

"Well aren't you lucky that I have no solid plans for the next week but brood in the woods and think of all by problems." You deadpan before an apprehensive half smile pulls at the corners of your lips, "Why the fuck not? Lets pay Tissaia a visit shall we."

——

After the debacle of mysterious assassins in the underkeeps of the Cintran castle, Mousesack had saved Geralt from a possible demise when he teleported them elsewhere amongst the grounds. Now the Witcher follows him to find Queen Calanthe and hopefully greet this Child of Surprise he's been promised no matter how much he'd rather not be here. How he wishes you where by his side to lighten the mood, things would undoubtedly run smoother.

He passes under a stone archway leading into a courtyard where the Queen has her back turned to them, she's speaking to her loyal guardsmen while eyeing up the weaponry before her. She moves down the tabled lined with swords, "I want reports from the Amell Pass every hour.." Her head moves right at the sounds of Geralt and Mousesack approaching, her dark eyes lock with Geralt's golden ones. She looks stoic and loathsome to see him again, even after all these years.

Swords unsheathe behind her, "I warned you about coming back. I've been away 12 years and I planned on staying that way till you sent eight men to kill me."

She takes a couple threatening steps forward, "Well, I'm asking you now. Do not do this."

"If you treated me more as a friend then a threat...Do you know the difference anymore?" He pauses as she says nothing, "I'm here to protect the girl."

"Who I've raised as my own." Counters Calanthe, "Why would I give my only heir to someone who never cared enough to come back to her? Move along, Witcher. I'll pay whatever you want." She turns her back to leave.

"I cannot be bought." She trains her irritated gaze back to Geralt, "You should remember."

"Money can't undo the Law of Surprise." Says Mousesack, "Kings who've tried to outbid destiny end up on pikes."

"And if I win the war but lose Ciri, what victory is that?" Challenges the Queen as Geralt takes a step forward, her men showing their weapons as they stand ready to guard her.

"Maybe that army won't come, and if they do, maybe you'll be ready. But if you have any doubt in your mind that she's safe here, give her to me. Call it destiny, insecurity, what larger forces at work, I don't care. I will take her, protect her, and bring her back unharmed, I promise you that."

"Ciri is all I have left of my daughter." Whispers the Queen, eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"If Ciri survives, then Pavetta lives on too." Geralt leaves it at that, remaining silent as Calanthe's mind reels with what to do next. He can tell just how terrified she is to possibly lose Ciri, however she must make a choice. No matter how difficult it is to make.

"Law of Surprise has been called!" Announces the Queen to her guardsmen and subjects in the snow covered courtyard, voice more softer and solemn now as she faces Geralt, "I'll tell Cirilla myself."

With that said, Geralt was escorted to a separate section of the castle as he awaits the meeting between himself and princess Cirilla. He paces back and forth down the hallway for a good long while until a guard was sent for him. Now here he is, walking towards the door where the Child of Surprise awaits him with her Queen grandmother. Two armored men simultaneously open the large wooden door, Geralt walks into the cavernous room where Mousesack looks up at him while the doors close. They do not say a word to each other.

Calanthe sits, consoling a frightened Ciri who's back is turned to Geralt, she holds the girls hands, "I need you to be brave now, because who are you?"

"The Lion Cub of Cintra." Replies the blonde girl, voice small and fragile.

She then stands, turning around to finally face him. He walks further into the room, golden eyes studying the face of princess Cirilla. She is short and thin, eyes wide and fearful, face pale as a flushed nervousness pulls to the surface, "Pleased to meet you, Princess." Greets the Witcher.

She speaks not once to him, she then abruptly turns to face the Queen by her side, "Can I say goodbye to my friends now?"

"Of course." Nods Calanthe as Cirilla leaves with haste out the side door. Geralt remains quiet as she glares at him, "I'll summon you when she's ready."

Geralt exits through the same doors he came through, he walks down the hallway, pausing a moment as he thinks on the brief interaction. Something just doesn't sit right with him about that girl, she just didn't look how he'd imagined her to be. She can't be Pavetta's child, can she? He shakes off those thoughts and decides to wander down a long torch lit hallway leading out into an opened yard where people are wandering about.

Suddenly the princess runs into view, she races over to a gathering of market kids playing some kind of game, one boy jumps up and immediate pulls her into a hug. "Take care." He whispers as the princess releases him to face a young teen with a cap on their head. She then gifts a small bow, "Your Highness." Before turning around and racing off the same way she came in.

Now Geralt knows the truth.

He leaves the doorway in search of the lying Queen, it takes not long before he's found her walking past some large windows with her ladies by her side. "First, you try and kill me, then you lie to me. I'm just trying to keep Cirilla safe."

"Ciri is safe, with me, until the day she takes over my throne." Queen Calanthe takes a couple steps forward but is halted by Geralt who stands his ground in front of her.

"Listen to me." He advises, voice low and gravely.

"I did listen once." Says Calanthe unbothered, "Let a hedgehog into my court. It got me Pavetta dead. I won't lose Ciri too. So you and destiny can both fuck right off. Because if Nilfgaard comes, will destiny carry a banner into battle? No. We have an army, a navy...and me." Speaks the Queen slyly, starting to walk around Geralt who halts her with a hand to her arm.

"A dynasty can't survive on arrogance alone."

"Says a Witcher. She needs family. You no nothing about that. Your own mother cared so little, she discarded you." Smartly speaks the Queen, "Where is your vampiric lover, hm? She's not even here, gone to see her actual family so I've been told." Calanthe swaggers past Geralt who feels a pang of heartache in his chest for that low blow.

"You lecture me on a mother's love yet you offer up someone else's daughter."

Calanthe stops, "Queen to all of Cintra, grandmother to one." She looks at him over her shoulder, "I won't orphan that girl."

Geralt watches as she begins walking down the hallway towards another opened door, "You're sentencing her to death."

"What I miss?" Asks the intrigued face of Lord Eick.

"Nothing." Replies the Queen as she keeps walking, "Get him out of my sight."

Sir Eick walks down a small flight of stone steps with Geralt by his side, they follow a brick path leading down from the castle doors now behind them. Two guards stand at their posts to either side of the wooden entrance as the two men walk across the layed bricks. "I remember when you honored the Law of Surprise. What changed?"

"I had a granddaughter."

"So protect her. What if Calanthe's wrong? What if they come and Ciri is trapped?"

"I fight side by side with my Queen."

"You put too much faith in that woman."

Lord Eick stops walking to look at Geralt, "Well, you weren't there. After Pavetta died, Calanthe would wake up howling in the night. The Lioness, nearly broken. Someone who's able to pull themselves out of that, they'll have my confidence till my final day."

Geralt says not a word, he knows this Lord cannot be reasoned with so instead does the Witcher walk under a small keep, he stops when Lord Eick calls to him, "I need your promise you won't come back."

Geralt slowly turns around to face him, "If I hear Ciri's in danger, you know I can't do that." A second later does two iron cage slates fall into place, locking Geralt into his new little prison.

"I know." Replies the man, giving him one last glance before returning back to the main castle.

Now Geralt really wishes you where here with him.

——

With the aid of Yennefer's ever convenient ability to create portals going from one realm to the next, you, Vilgefortz, and herself made it into the enchanted halls of Aretuza in no time. Though to Yennefer's utter disappointment and your own unsurprised one. It turned out that Tissaia didn't actually ask for Yennefer after all, in fact she doesn't even know that you're both here.

In a fit of anger did Yennefer turn away in search of Tissaia before finding herself down one of the many hallways in this ginormous academy. "I can't fucking believe this. Of course this is how they get me here, I should have known."

"Too bad you can't see into the future, that could have saved us some time."

"Very funny, Y/N." Mutters Yennefer.

"Now come on, you're certainly not the only one between the two of us who'd rather not be here at all." She raises a brow at that.

"You didn't have to join me."

"No, but maybe my curiosity had taken the better of me, and anyways, this place does not hold all terrible memories for me to begin with. This was my home for some time even before you showed up, I did like it here once."

"Well you weren't bought and taken from your family one day without a choice, forced to live here as the lowest of the low. Ridiculed, spoken down upon, lied to."

"No I wasn't, that was saved for you and your magical sisters." She furrows her brows as you chuckle.

"You find humor in our misery?"

"I don't. I find your temperament about the ordeal a tad humorous yes."

"And why is that?"

"Because you had what you needed here to become someone great, and you've survived well by yourself, becoming a powerful mage at that." You add as her frown dissipates, "I remember the first time we met, granted you were unconscious and bleeding on the floor, but after that. When we actually met. I knew you were special then, as I know you are now."

"And how would you know that?"

You playfully bump into her shoulder, "I am a wise and very old woman, I know my looks are deceiving, however I can see through people better then most. I understand them, I can just tell."

"And how could you tell with me?"

"For one, your eyes are purple which is already a huge giveaway. Secondly, you had a prominent physical deformity paired with a rare talent for portal making. I could practically smell your elven blood coursing through those veins before I knew what you looked like. It wasn't hard to tell you were going to be someone."

She stops walking in the middle of the long hallway, a conflicted expression flashing across her features, "You really thought all that?"

"I always did. I always knew when certain mages would ascend, if I figured you weren't going to make it. I would have told you." Your eyes dart from the ground then back up to her again, "Maybe, and I say just maybe, I've always had a little soft spot for you. Contrary to what you may believe, there is someone who is proud of you...and that's still not the djinn's wish talking. I mean it."

Yennefer breaks out into a small smile, "You're such a sap."

"I can be when I want to." You state half defensibly, "I'm not all just a pretty face and two scary looking eyes."

"Clearly."

Your head turns to the sounds of giggling coming from one of the novice mage's sleeping quarters, "I think your old room is occupied. Hm, I can't say I really care much to meet them. I'm going to see if my old room is still covered in cobwebs or not, see you around."

She gives you a nod, "I'll let you know when I find Tissaia."

Leaving Yennefer to most likely scare the young mages, you begin wandering around the stony pathways until you reach your old room. Stopping at the door, you can hear the sounds of a thudding heartbeat, someone has made themselves a place here. You smile and walk elsewhere, glad that someone could find a nice room to call their own since your absence so long ago.

Finding your way near the room of ascension where many a mage has been turned into an eel to further fuel the place with magic. You can hear the stern voice of Tissaia and the whispering of the novice girls, soon the sounds of their rushed footsteps are heard racing up the steps towards the entranceway. You stand a short distance from the doorway, watching in curiosity as the three young mages meet your gaze while they file out of the hallway.

The pale one with reddish blonde hair halts abruptly in her tracks as her two friends do the same, blue eyes wide in nervous bewilderment at your figure in the room. Your clothing a vast contrast to their usual dark blue uniform, a dagger sheathed at your side, and eyes the color of shimmering rubies staring back at them. They smell of herbs, salt, and magic; heartbeats quickening the longer they stay frozen looking at you.

You gift them a fangy grin and a small bow of your head in greeting, "Are my two acquaintances down there?" You already know the answer, just something said to break their trance.

The one with the healed burns scarred on the side of her face swallows before speaking, "They are. Good day miss." She bows her head respectfully before leading her two friends down the hallway as quickly as they can without running. Apparently you still have that affect on young witches and wizards no matter how long you've been gone from here.

Knowing that the infamous mage had not seen you yet, you decide to keep hidden round the corner to elicit a childish plan that will be worth the trouble getting here. When her footsteps grew louder as she made haste up the steps does a telling smirk come to your lips. Once her red dress caught your eye did you pop out of the shadows, instantly frightening her in your mischievousness. She drew back against the closest wall. Her blue eyes wide as she stared at you in shock, Yennefer appearing in the doorway entrance piecing together what just took place.

Tissaia's heart thuds rapidly in her chest as you take a step forward, eyeing her like a wolf to its prey, "I never wanted to come back here, but just listening to the sweet rush of blood coursing through your veins has made this trip that much better."

Touching her chest she pulls herself from the wall as Yennefer's face breaks in amusement, "Y/N." Replies the heiress bluntly, not an ounce of emotion lacing her words. You simply smirk, tilting your head up as you study her stoic face, those are quite the cheek bones she has.

You feel a brush of air as Yennefer steps closer, "Believe me it wasn't our intention to come back here, most of all mine."

Her eyes of judgment turn to Yennefer, "Then you failed at that, too."

"Look at this place. It's a joke." Scoffs Yennefer.

You laugh, "Letting in girls that can't even do magic, I couldn't smell it all of them...And I already thought this place was pathetic enough. It's really gone down the gutter since I left."

Tissaia remains unfazed, "Sometimes, you have to compromise in order to survive."

"You say I never took responsibility for the way my life turned out. What about you?" Challenges Yennefer, her question left unanswered as multiple mages of all kinds begin walking from one opened doorway to the next, Tissaia abruptly turning around to look as you and Yennefer watch on in confusion.

The fuck?

"It's happening." Whispers Tissaia knowingly before quickly joining the assembly into the desired room, you both have no time to ask what is truly going on before Triss walks into view. Her shimmery peach colored dress flowing as she walks by.

"Triss!" Calls out Yennefer, the familiar mage halts her footing as she turns towards the two of you, a surprised expression crossing her features.

"Yennefer. I tried finding you for years. And Y/N, wow, this is quit a surprise."

"Why are you all here?" You wonder, getting straight to the point.

Her brows furrow in worry, "An emergency conclave of the Northern Mages. Nilfgaard took Marnadal."

"What?" Whispers Yennefer in disbelief.

Triss looks to you sadly, "They're attacking Cintra." Your heart practically catches in your throat, you hadn't expected the Nilfgaardian army to lay siege so soon. It has only been a couple weeks since last you've seen Geralt but your innermost feelings can sense that he's gone to the city to claim that damned Child of Surprise. You had talked about it before the dragon hunt and before you'd made plans to visit the ocean, now it appears like a far off memory when soldiers weren't marching across the land and things were fine.

That idiot better be alive.

Triss quickly departs to join the gathering mages, you can feel Yennefer's conflict within herself to either join them or abandon her duty. She turns to you, her face deep in thought, "Yenn just go. I'll be out here when all is over and done, I can't stand the smell of some of them, it's absolutely appalling."

"Alright then. I'll meet you by the east wing balcony when it's over."

She quickly turns and disappears behind the grand wooden doors, you stop for a moment in the large empty hallway before making your way to the balcony where you can get some fresh air away from all those mages and wizards, their enchanted auroras is almost suffocating at times.

You stand brooding in the light of the half moon as it sits contently from her place high up in the sky. It's been about thirty minutes since you'd left Yennefer to fend for herself among the liars, murders, and tricksters claiming themselves as noble mages of the court.

But you will not let your hate consume you, there are good hiding within their numbers and that may just be enough to keep you from slaughtering every single one of them if given the chance. Gods you have such mixed feelings for this place it's starting to give you a headache.

Drifting away from your more sinister and heavily conflicting thoughts, your ears prick up to the sound of approaching footsteps, Yennefer's no doubt. Leaning yourself against the stone wall, your face turned towards the shimmering ocean, she walks up to your side. Resting her hands atop the stony balcony as a frustrated sigh leaves her lips when she turns her head to you, "You're probably right."

"About what?"

"Coming here, to Aretuza. I should have told everyone to fuck off and then left for a more peaceful part of the Continent."

You chuckle, "You'd get bored, eventually."

An amused huff of air escapes from her nostrils, a small smile upon her tired face, "I hate you sometimes."

"Yeah." You sigh, "Me too."

She side eyes you for a moment, her sights set over the glistening waves, "Well, you're going to really laugh when you hear this."

You raise a brow, "Alright jester, tell me a joke."

"It would appear that Vilgefortz and Tissaia are going with a secret band of mages to fight against the forces of Nilfgaard." She freely lets slip, you turn your head to her when she quickly catches your intrigued gaze.

"Now that. Is hilarious, what are they going to do? Hmm? Create illusions of naked women in hopes that the soldiers will become distracted enough that they can, oh I don't know. Conjure an army of scarecrows to fight for them." You jest with a small chuckle, "These mages are not warriors, most of them have never even welded anything hard besides a kings fucking cock. They don't use fire magic and they find destructive sorcery to be something worth banishing and deeply frowned upon. Again, not much for fighters."

She slowly nods, "I know. That's why I'm asking, would you join us?"

"I have no reason to help them."

"Y/N." She pleads, "Think of what Nilfgaard has already done and what they will do. You even told me that you did, in fact, give a shit because of your tie with Cintra."

"Cintra's fucked."

"What about the Child of Surprise? Geralt even? You told me he's probably there right now. Do you not care for his safety?" Presses Yennefer much to your great annoyance, she's got you there.

"Of course I care that his heart is still beating, he's a fucking Witcher, he'll be fine." You pause for a moment, your crimson eyes glowing like two glistening rubies in the moonlight, "Queen Calanthe has brought this hellfire upon herself and the whole Continent due to her pride and arrogance. Cintra can and will fall in fire and blood, I've seen it all before and I'll watch it happen again."

Yennefer shakes her head, "Sometimes I forget that you're four-hundred something years old, but Y/N listen. I understand that you don't care much for royalty and the conflicts of kingdoms. But the Brotherhood must prevail..."

"That's Tissaia speaking. Why do you actually give enough of a shit to fight?" You challenge.

She looks out upon the vast ocean, a light salty breeze brushing past her face, "What else do I have in this world?" She whispers, her voice almost on the verge of breaking.

You suddenly feel a bit terrible, her words hanging over you heavily, "You want to save your only real home? Dare I ask why, but I don't need to, I already know the answer."

"Tissaia and you have been my only family, this place may be full of shit and lies, but it is a place for people like me who need guidance. And I'd rather not have it fall into the wrong hands, or be reduced to crumbling rocks and ash. Enough death was caused by it's construction already."

You rest your forearms against the smooth stone of the balcony, a huff leaving your lips, "When do we leave then?" Yennefer snaps her full attention over to your casual aurora, wholeheartedly surprised that you've decided to join her.

"Uh, tomorrow, at dawn. We'll travel for a day before boats take us across a bit of ocean. From the shore we'll walk by foot to the Elven keep at Sodden's Hill. Before Nilfgaard can claim it."

This is not how you'd intended to visit the sea shore.

"Right. That would be most unfortunate, well, can't wait to tear the throats out of some Nilfgaardian soldiers. I bet they taste divine." You add slyly, a tinge of playfulness surrounding your words.

"Thought blood wasn't part of your diet?" Retorts Yennefer, nudging your shoulder in a friendly manner.

"I can consume both food and blood to survive, you already know this, I just so happen to eat normal meals because it terrifies people if I were to just suck the life out of a beggar at the table. Tavern goers are not very fond of that behavior if you needed to know."

"Of course." She chuckles, "Well, if we're lucky Nilfgaard will ignore the pass and leave us all be. Though I doubt it will come to that, we're never that blessed."

"No. I guess not. But they will suffer as we have, I'll make sure of it, those unlucky bastards will pay for their kingdom's sins." You say defiantly, "We'll defend Aretuza and this part of the north with our lives...I guess..it's about time I should do something good in the world."

Tagged: @notahappytree @ashleyforeverareject @sokkasdarling @kmuir1@haleypearce @diegos-butt (@auds24 sorry idk why ur name won’t work) @a-girl-who-loves-disney

#the witcher #the witcher x reader #the witcher x you #geralt of rivia #geralt x reader #geralt x you #geralt of rivia x reader #geralt of rivia x you #of monsters and men fic #falcor the luck dragon stories

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