#i dunno if this even counts as a creature at this point. is this even a body?

[front-facing-pokemon]

#munna #i dunno if this even counts as a creature at this point. is this even a body? #this is just an amoeba i think. this is some deep-sea two-celled organism with a thousand-year lifespan #and also the british motherfucker who tried to end the world with kyurem #me when i don't have any friends and i'm a little sad sometimes [TRIES TO END THE WORLD] #i might be skewing the story of gti a bit. i really do need to replay it #is that what my tags are becoming nowadays? me repeatedly saying “i need to replay [x pmd game]” over and over

[lis-likes-fics]

The Sound of His Voice

Pairings: Spencer Reid x agent!Reader Word Count: 3k words Warnings: Descriptions of crime scenes/vague gore, mentions of death and murder, standard Criminal Minds stuff, fluff otherwise... A/N: I started watching CM a while ago and now I can't stop so enjoy this. There will be more, I dunno when. (Should I be working on my months-in-progress-wips? Yes, I absolutely should. Am I? Mostly. I'm trying my best)

Morgan rubs his temple, digging his fingers into the side of his forehead as he shakes his head. Tapping his pen on the desk, he tosses down his file. “But here's what I don't get,” he says, drawing the attention of the rest of the team. “If the unsub thinks of his victims as prey, even going as far as to torture the victim, why go through all the trouble of tucking them into bed?”

Hotch looks back at the picture in his own hands, where he had been analyzing the scene for the hundredth time in search of something he missed the first hundred. He shrugs, “Tucking them in can usually indicate signs of remorse.”

JJ motions to the pictures. “Yeah, but look at this guy. Does this look remorseful to you?”

You lift a shoulder, leaning back in your seat and crossing your arms. “Could be a second unsub.”

You are a relatively new addition to the team. It was your fifth case with them, but they already treated you like part of the team, like family. It was easy to sink into the ebb and flow of everything, especially when they trust your skills and instincts and let you know when you're doing something wrong so you know not to do it again.

But this case was difficult. Your unsub had a strange profile: an organized, white male, with surgical experience and the MO reminiscent of a cat. He kills men and women alike, and the only connection between his victims have been their smaller statures.

The age range itself was too wide, though there was a slight reoccurrence of ages between 25 and 35. But it was still too wide, either way, not enough to work with.

He ties up and tortures them before finally ending their lives with strangulation. He uses his bare hands to get the job done, which makes him a sexual sadist. As if that wasn't enough, he carves out the victim’s heart after death and takes it as a trophy.

He shows plenty of psychopathic characteristics, but he also fits the profile of a sociopath, so it's hard to make anything stick. His MO suggests a lack of empathy and guilt, but the bed-tucking… You always lose him with the bed-tucking…

Morgan shakes his head a little, humming. “But we already ruled out multiple unsubs,” he says. You nod gently. “Besides, if this guy is mimicking the hunting habits of a cat, he would hunt alone, wouldn't he?”

Reid’s head perks up. He points a pen in Morgan's direction as he shakes his head. “Actually, no.” He licks his lips, and he's grabbed your attention like a siren to a sailor. “It's a very common misconception that cats are loners, but it's untrue. Cats prefer the companionship of others just as much as a human being would.”

You lean toward him a bit across the table, watching him as he speaks, his hands moving to illustrate his words as he does. “People often think, because of their aloof nature, that they like to be left alone or actually despise the presence of other people, including their owners or other cats—which is why people believe them to be low maintenance creatures. But they are just as social as, say, a dog. Actually, it's interesting, big cats like lions, or sometimes even cheetahs, hunt in packs to take down larger prey. Domestic cats–”

“Reid,” Morgan interrupts, making a cutting motion with his hand to his neck.

Your eyes turn back to Spencer, who seems to retreat in on himself a bit as he gives an apologetic smile and a small nod. “Sorry,” he says, pulling his lips in a wide smile.

You set a hand on the table, shaking your head. “No, keep going. That was interesting.”

Spencer looks at you with these eyes that seem to shine. Your heart feels fonder, warmer, at the sight of him.

“We really don't have time to go through all of this,” Hotch says, his tone final.

“I mean,” you continue. Since joining the team, you've grown a certain affinity toward Spencer and his genius mind. Every time he's gone on his tangents, you've become enchanted by the words coming out of his mouth like he's put some sort of spell over you. You lift a shoulder, gesturing toward him. “If this guy is basing his MO off the hunting patterns of cats, we should…know everything we need to know about them, right?”

Hotch looks at you, his face hard and unreadable. You're unsure if he's considering your proposal or just trying to intimidate you. But then he sighs, his crossed arms loosening a little as he turns to Spencer.

“Reid?”

Spencer looks between you and Hotch, relenting hesitantly as he starts off slow. “Well…I was going to say domestic cats are solitary hunters but sociable creatures.” He picks up his normal speed once more, “They can be very affectionate, especially toward their owners and other cats within their households. They're also one of the only types of cats who play with their prey before killing them, which could be a reason this unsub tortures his victims so extensively in his murders.”

“Wait…” Prentiss says, catching all of your attentions. “You said ‘affectionate toward their owners’.”

“Yeah,” Spencer nods.

She waves her hands gently, “How do cats show affection for their owners?”

Spencer shrugs, “Um, bunting, purring, some scratch, sometimes they leave offerings, like dead rodents, around the house–”

“Right there!” Prentiss exclaims. “They leave offerings.”

You sit up, “The hearts.”

Hotch’s dark brows furrow. “You're saying this unsub is taking the hearts as an offering to someone else?”

Spencer thinks over that, nodding. “It's possible.”

JJ sighs. “But that still doesn't explain why we wouldn't have identified a second unsub earlier.”

Spencer holds out a hand, pointing with his pen. “Actually, it could. You see, cats also have the tendency to mimic the people they hold affection for. We might not have noticed a second MO because the submissive unsub may be mimicking the dominant one.”

“Or learning from him,” Morgan says.

“Learning?” Hotch asks.

Morgan glances around, “Well, if we're sticking so close to this cat thing, older cats often nurture the young and teach them to hunt.” He shrugs, “We could be looking at…brothers? Older and younger?”

“Or lovers,” JJ suggests. She points to a picture, the image of a chest carefully carved open to reveal a missing heart. “If the hearts are offerings, it could be a Valentine.”

“And the bed-tucking?” you ask.

Hotch picks up the picture of one of the victims, “safely” and securely tucked into bed…put to sleep. “Well, if the hearts are offerings for a lover, this unsub is sentimental. He could feel some type of sympathy or guilt for the victim and want to ‘put them to sleep’ after the torture.” He studies the image, a flash of unease behind his eyes that you know all too well. He sets it down.

“Okay, so how do we find them?” Prentiss asks, clicking her pen before setting it down to begin a definitive course of action.

Spencer points to yet another picture. “Look at these injuries. These incisions are surgical,” he clarifies. “So the dominant is a doctor or a—a veterinarian, which can be implied through his intimate knowledge of cats’ behaviors.”

“And the submissive might work under him as a nurse or an assistant,” you continue, adding on to his clever insight. He glances over at you, smiling almost giddily at your understanding.

Hotch turns to Morgan. “Do you think that's enough to work with?”

Morgan thinks for a moment, his shrug melding into a nod as he turns back to Hotch. “To fit in with the rest of the profile,” he hums, “I'd say so.”

“Okay.” Hotch nods firmly. “We'll present the profile ASAP. Morgan, get Garcia to search for any vets in the area with any records of assault charges.” He says this all while taking long strides toward the door, his red tie bouncing slightly with his movements.

Prentiss follows him with her gaze as he exits. “You think the unsub is aggressive?”

He turns briefly. “Look at the bruising on the neck. The torture alone is an indicator of anger and frustration, but the way the victim was strangled suggests force. Much more than necessary just to crush a windpipe. He's an organized killer with a lot of rage. If he moves more along the lines of a sociopath, our best guess is he's had some kind of trouble with the law at some point in his life,” he concludes. Glancing aside, he speaks again, a little more firmly. “Morgan.”

“On it,” he says, his phone already ready to contact Garcia on speed dial.

“And Reid,” Hotch says, focusing his hard stare on the younger agent.

He stiffens, straightening his back and awaiting his response. “Yes?”

There's a pause as Hotch examines him silently. With a single nod, he says, “Good work.”

He glances at you. A nod.

You nod back.

Hotch leaves in a hurry, and your gaze immediately and instinctively flicks to Spencer. He smiles at you, turning away as though he was shyly hiding that same smile.

~

There were two unsubs: a surgical veterinarian and his nurse. You caught them just in time, just as that knife was gleaming in the golden light of the lamps swinging above the three bodies down in the basement of the submissive unsub’s house.

And now you soared 40,000 feet above the ground with another killer put away for good.

Everyone's in their own spirit, placing you across the aisle from JJ and Spencer in their own booths, a crochet set in your lap as you continue one of your projects. Emily's eyes linger on JJ, watching the crease of her brow as she studies case files.

“What are you thinking about?” she asks, setting her book to the side to shift her attention. Derek darts his eyes up from his own book, lifting his brow as he does it.

JJ looks up, breathing in and lifting her shoulder in a half shrug. “I don't know about you,” she says, “but I know that if I got an actual human heart on Valentine's Day, me and my alleged partner would have some serious issues.”

Snorts and chuckles lift from multiple places among the seats, heads shaking and attentions shifting back to their own activities.

But as soon as you hear the first lilt of Spencer's voice, like clockwork, you're a fish on a hook.

“Actually,” he begins, “if we were set back thousands of years, that would not be a very unusual occurrence.” He licks his lips quickly, “You see, Valentine's Day’s origins actually go back to a festival called Lupercal, or Lupercalia. The festival was in itself a very violent and sexually charged affair that lasted roughly three days—from the 13th to the 15th—set in Rome. Its traditions were carried out in two separate locations, firstly–”

“Alright,” JJ rises to her feet, her eyes wide in annoyance as she closes her case file in a large announcement to Spencer. “I'm getting coffee. Do you want anything?”

Spencer purses his lips, that same wide, apologetic grin covering his face as he leans back in his seat and shakes his head. “Uh, no. All good here.”

She nods, turning to walk away, “Great.”

You watch JJ leave, your eyes fall back upon Spencer, who's pulling his book back into his palms to turn his focus back on the pages. His eyes flit over the words at lightning speed, absorbing the information and moving to the next.

Taking your crochet set in your hands, you stand and plop down in JJ’s old spot. Spencer's eyes darts up to you, glancing between you and his book as you set your stuff down and readjust your yarn.

Beginning again, you nod toward him. “You were saying?”

Spencer, his eyes wide and confused and his lips parted in wonder and his cheeks a little pink, stares at you. After remembering he had to respond, he sputters in an attempt to.

“Uh, it's-it's really not that…interesting,” he mumbles, trailing off at the end as he sets his book down, his fingertips pressing against the edge of the desk between the both of you.

“Well,” you look up at him, setting your elbow on the table and tucking your first underneath your chin, “I was very interested.”

His Adam's apple bobs when he swallows. His lips form the word before it comes out of his mouth. “You were?”

You nod, “Mhm.”

Looking at him for a moment—just looking at him for a moment—you take in the pretty sight of his bewildered expression, fascination and confusion and excitement crossing his face in a flurry of emotion.

You move your elbow from the table and pick up your hook, nodding toward him before training your eyes on your work again as you await his words. “Firstly?” you prompt.

Scrambling to organize his thoughts, Spencer nods. As the words form in his brain, he smiles as he thrusts himself into another rant, speaking a little softer so as not to aggravate the rest of the team.

“Well, firstly, the uh— The-the first location was in a cave called Lupercus—named after the Roman fertility god that the celebration was dedicated to—and the second is a public meeting place called the Comitium.”

You tilt your head toward him, smiling a little. “Like the word ‘committee’.”

“Exactly like the word ‘committee’,” he beams.

Your attention, as hard as you tried to split it, becomes entirely caught up in Spencer as you forget about your project and focus your gaze entirely on him. You set your arms on the table separating you and watch as he speaks, your smile definitely too love-sick to be a hint anymore. He seems to lean in closer.

“So how did Lupercalia become Valentine's Day?” you wonder aloud.

“Well,” he starts, prompting a larger grin from you, “in the late 5th century A.D., Pope Gelasius I eliminated it and declared February 14th a day to celebrate the martyrdom of Saint Valentine instead—although it's highly unlikely he intended the day to commemorate love and passion as it is celebrated now. In fact, some modern biblical scholars warn Christians not to celebrate Valentine's Day at all, due to its Pagan roots and rituals.”

You hum, your eyes taking glances at the stretch of his skin over his fingers and the way they move when he speaks.

“Do you celebrate Valentine's Day?” you ask gently, speaking slowly.

His hands fall back down to his lap, and he shakes his head as he straightens his posture a bit. “Well…I don't usually have anyone to celebrate it with, so… No, not really.”

Feeling the shyness slipping into your veins, you set your hands on the table and let your fingers slowly inch toward him, staring at them inside of his eyes. You don't want to see the rejection if it lives there, in his eyes.

You speak slowly, emphasizing every syllable. “Would you like to have someone to celebrate it with?”

He swallows thickly, letting one hand lift onto the table, still close to him but building up courage to maybe meet you in the middle. “Like…” he clears his throat quietly. “Like you?”

You offer a right smile, finally flicking your eyes up to meet his and feeling giddy at the light blush on his cheeks, the nervous wideness of his gaze. “I promise no actual hearts.”

You watch him, and again…his eyes, his Adam's apple, his cheeks, his lips. “Uh…yeah,” he stutters. “Yeah, sure. I'll be your…your Valentine.”

You smile, a wide smile that splits your face in two. Spencer's own grin follows suit. Looking past you, he catches the eyes of Derek, who smirks and offers a cheesy thumbs up, proud of him for securing you as he did.

His gaze falls back to you when you begin to speak, your voice just as song-ish to him as his is to you. You're both equally as infatuated as the other. “You know,” you trail off slowly, “supposedly, Saint Valentine might be so commonly associated with our day of love because there are rumors that he used to perform secret weddings against the wishes of the authorities in the third century.”

He nods slowly, his brows furrowed slightly. “Yes, that's right…” Licking his bottom lip, he speaks again. “You already knew all that stuff about Lupercalia, didn't you?”

You smile, your face squished a bit as you raise your hands and close your thumb and forefinger close together. “Maybe a little,” you whisper. But then you shrug and just keep looking at him. “But I like listening to you talk.”

Spencer suddenly doesn't think you're real, but he isn't about to question it if you aren't. There's someone who enjoys his tangents. He isn't going to jeopardize that.

“Oh,” is all he says.

With your crocheting long forgotten, you lean forward on the table and give him every ounce of attention in your mind. With a fond smile on your lips and a twinkle in your eye, you rest your chin on your folded hands. “You should tell me about…” you pause, thinking, before you smile curls even more, “bees.”

His brows lift as he nods. “Okay, well,” he starts, “did you know the first civilization to practice widespread, organized beekeeping was the Ancient Egyptians, who began beekeeping around 2,500 BCE?”

Your brows lift in fascination. You shake your head, “No, I didn't.”

His smile grows. “Well…”

For the remainder of the flight, Spencer talks and talks and talks, his voice quiet and meant solely for you as he talks about whatever you want: bees and wine and marbles and Halloween. He keeps smiling at you, as you keep smiling at him. Somewhere along the way, he officially asks you on a date, and you both get off the jet together to get a cup of coffee.

You love the way he talks.

Criminal Minds taglist: ... Tag yourself here...

#spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid fluff #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfic #criminal minds fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #reader insert #female reader

[iamjacksragingboner]

Gross Childhood Best Friend Soap

Word Count: 1.6K

Alternate Endings Here

Warnings: The tiniest smidgen of angst but it ends nice so you better not complain, not super proofread

A/N: Yeah I dunno, came up with this last night and just crammed it out today in a sort of word diarrhea in which I blacked out and woke up naked and alone in the middle of the bush with this on my laptop screen. Make of that what you will

Contrary to his callsign, Soap is, and always has been, a gross little goober of a man

He’s been gross since you were kids, going digging for worms, collecting hermit crabs to take home from the beach in his pockets, rolling around in the dirt and coming home tracking mud on the carpet. Of course, it wasn’t all bad. He’d always offer to kiss your scrapes and bruises better, even if they were bloody or muddy. He’d always find pretty seashells to give you amidst his hunt for the largest hermit crab. He was gross within reason.

You had many a fond memory of going off to the creek at the back of your neighbouring houses with him. You'd climb up to what felt like perilous heights in your child minds, to sit on the highest point of the creek. From there, you would watch as Johnny dug for the perfect stones for you both to skim, watch him build dams and change the currents of the water. Watch as he would lunge at bugs, fish, tadpoles, lizards, and present them up to you from below, the squirming creatures clutched in his mud covered hands.

At the end of the day, just before your parents would call you back home for dinner, Johnny would climb up on the rock with you, just to sit and hold your hand. If he was feeling particularly bold, he would plant a kiss on your hand, and tell you he was going to marry you one day. You called him gross for that too, but latched onto the idea all the same.

Your early teen years, where puberty had begun for the both of you, was plagued with a myriad of varying smells and odours. Forget sweating like a pig, Johnny sweat like a boar; walking home from school with him after P.E. was a nightmare for your nasal cavities. You didn't mind though, he made good enough conversation that you ended up getting used to the stink.

For the amount of afternoons you spent in his room, you'd think you would eventually get used to the sight of his dirty clothes and mugs littering his floor and desk. You never did, always scolding him for not keeping his room clean knowing he had a lady coming over. He would always laugh, even as you threw his pillow at him, copping it square in the face.

So many nights were spent laying side by side in his bed, talking late into the night, curious hands too scared to do more than brush pinkies with the other laying inches away. You always felt as though you could feel him staring at you in the quieter moments of those nights, but you never caught him.

You spent your later teen years feeling bitterly towards him. You went from thinking you'd be best friends forever, to being an afterthought for Johnny. You did try, of course, to keep close to him.

In his late teen years, Johnny was gross in the sense that he’d go off to parties just to see how many people he could make out with. Would have sex with anyone who offered, just for the hell of it. Accompanying him to parties was a nightmare.

"You promise you won't abandon me this time?" You found yourself asking this more than once, each time slightly less optimistic than the last, but never losing your faith in him.

"Of course not, lass," he would always say. "Yer ma' girl! I'll stick right by yer side this time, lass. I promise."

What shallow promises they were. You were always demoted to the third wheel, the one who held the drinks while he went off to flirt with someone new he hadn't fucked yet. You found yourself leaving early and alone most nights, walking home and hugging your sides to keep yourself from falling apart, kicking stones imagining they were Johnny's face. Cursing yourself for thinking this time would be different, and that maybe he'd look at you for once. Going to bed cold and bitter, knowing just next door, Johnny would be waking up with someone else next to him in his bed. You just hoped he remembered to keep his room clean for them.

You both graduated, with Johnny leaving to join the military and you leaving to go to university. You kept in scarce contact over the years, occasionally calling to catch up, Johnny telling you where he was stationed, you telling him what you were working on at uni, apologising for missing birthdays, missing holidays, promises to call again soon, promising to catch up when he's home, all shallow. At least, that's what it felt like to you.

Until one night, when you were out at a bar with you friends, celebrating your recent graduation. You were all discussing with great vigour what you would all get up to with your newfound freedom from studies, when you felt the familiar feeling of eyes boring holes into the back of your skull. A little unsettled, you took a look around the bar, trying to see who could possibly be staring at you so intensely, but you couldn't quite catch their eye. You sipped at your drink, a frown furrowing your brows for a moment, before you brushed the feeling off altogether.

An hour passed and you'd forgotten the feeling in the haze of the alcohol. You were ordering yourself another drink, and as you reached into your wallet to grab out your card, another hand swooped in front of you to pay for your drink. You looked up, startled, before you met his gaze. Johnny. Staring down at you with a smile that could melt glaciers.

"Johnny, you didn't tell me you were in town," you murmured, eyes greedily taking in as much of him as you could in this moment of reunion. Scars on his chin covering the one he got from splitting his chin riding a bike for the first time. Stubble covering his jaw. The corniest mohawk that he had always talked about getting, sitting on top of his head. Your face flushed beet red when your eyes dragged over his built form; apparently that childhood crush you'd had on him all those years ago hadn't quite faded as much as you'd thought it had.

"You didn't tell me you'd graduated university, lass," he replied, the sound of his voice—finally in person again and not over the phone—sending shivers down your spine. "Had to find out myself from yer mum."

You hid your guilt behind the drink you tipped back into your mouth, averting your gaze as he watched you with dark eyes. "Thanks for the drink," you breathed, and he laughed.

"Don't even mention it, 's the least I can do. Why don't we go sit down somewhere 'n catch up, aye? Come on, lass."

You found yourself being guided over to a booth, Johnny's hand on the small of your back, sending ripples of warmth through you and into places the alcohol couldn't quite reach. You sat down first, with Johnny shuffling in close beside you, your shoulders brushing, electricity coursing through your veins.

As you sat and spoke, catching up on what you've missed in each other's lives, you found yourself noticing something. Johnny was using all the moves he used to use on people he fancied in high school, the ones he used to get them all flustered, to get in their pants.

You had to admit, you could see why so many people slept with him; he was charismatic as all hell, that boyish charm spawning those all too familiar butterflies in your gut, and he was quite literally always in contact with you. Whether it be the arm resting behind you on the seat of the booth, his knee gently nudging yours beneath the table, or a hand tucking a hair behind your ear, it seemed Johnny had turned the charm up to the max.

It was nice to be on the receiving end of it for once, but there was a certain bitterness that still lingered behind like a foul taste in the back of your throat. Was this just meaningless flirting to him, were you just another girl on his list to fuck and be done with? With all the alcohol in your system, you were well and truly past the point of caring, but you knew that if you woke up tomorrow morning in an empty bed you'd not only be cursing him, but yourself as well.

You let him lean in closer, tracing a finger down your cheek, and you let yourself be giddy, blushing like a schoolgirl when he winked at you. You let yourself swoon when he kissed you, cradling your face in his calloused palms. You let him take you back to his parent's place, nestled just next to your own home. You let him take you upstairs and into his room, holding your hand and shushing you when you both laughed a little too loud.

You let yourself feel like teens once more as you stumbled into that all too familiar room, hit with the smell of Johnny, the smell of home. You felt guilty, ashamed, as you let yourself savour the taste of him, the feeling of his naked body pressed against yours, his hands raking along your body as if you'd disappear if he let go. You let yourself fall asleep in his arms, smiling as he carded his fingers through your hair and pressed kisses to your scalp, whispering incoherent things into your skin.

You awoke the next morning, expecting to find Johnny's bed empty. But it wasn't. And neither was it the next morning, or the morning after that. In fact, the pair of you spent a lot of time waking up together.

This is where you find yourself now, lying in the early morning light in Johnny's bed, the man in question sprawled out next to you, snoring with his mouth wide open, drool leaking on his pillow.

"Gross," you murmur to yourself with a fond smile, tucking yourself into his side and closing your eyes once more.

#john soap mactavish #john soap mctavish x reader #soap call of duty #soap cod #soap x reader #johnny soap mactavish #john mactavish x reader #soap mactavish x reader #johnny mactavish x reader #childhood best friend x reader

[flowersandbigteeth]

Meeting your gargoyle boyfriend

Gargoyle (Sven) x female reader

General Plot: You need a plumber to fix your pipes and your fiancé comes home

Some context: This is a world where fantasy creatures walk among us pretty casually

I dunno if I'm going to come back to this, it was just a thought I had in my head <3 so I hope u enjoy

Word Count: 1k

W: mostly sfw monster fluff, kidnapping, yandere behavior, breakup, despite the description there is no cheating in this

“Are you here to look at my pipes?” you asked. 

You were a vision. Standing in the doorway in scarlett lingerie, your hair tossed carelessly to the side, and your hand on your hip. Sven had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. His mouth fell open and he might have drooled a little bit. 

The seductive look on your face immediately turned to horror as your eyes focused on the gargoyle standing in front of you. 

“You’re…not my fiance…” you murmured, mortified. 

You scrambled to grab anything from the coat rack to cover yourself and ended up in a puffer coat that came mid thigh. 

Sven gulped. 

“I’m the plumber you called,” he said, holding up the tool box in his hand as evidence. 

Your face was fiery red and you looked at your feet. 

“My fiance called…apparently,” you squeaked, “the sink…is broken…”

You both stood there awkwardly for a moment in complete silence. Of course, to make it that much more humiliating, he had to be handsome, with a broad jaw and piercing black eyes. His skin was a smokey gray and his muscles were practically popping the buttons off of his work shirt. His tail swished behind him nervously.

“So…the sink,” he prompted, finally. 

“Right!” you squealed, “it’s this way, follow me.” 

Sven couldn’t help but peek at your panties as you bent over to open the cabinet under the sink. 

“I don’t know what could be wrong with it…” you said nervously, taking a step back. 

He quickly jerked his eyes away from your ass and examined the problem. 

“It…looks like someone went at it with a hammer,” he said.

You turned even darker pink. 

Your scheme to get your fiance’s attention with a seductive roleplay was so far going terribly. Why you thought you had to go so far as to smash the sink, you had no idea, but it made sense at the time and you were desperate. 

Johnny and you were going to be married in theory only. He talked about the wedding constantly, asking you if you’d made preparations and tracking your progress, but never showed up to anything. He never came to a cake tasting, never came to tour a venue. You hardly saw him at all.

Of course, he was very important at his political job, but you felt like you hardly knew him. You were doing everything you could to throw yourself at him only for him to look at you with ambivalence.

“I have no idea who could have done that,” you said quickly. 

He glanced at you and looked back down. 

“Eh…I just have to replace the pipes,” he said, “It’ll take me a couple of hours, but it's not too big of a deal.” 

You heard the front door open and Johnny came ambling in, of course, at the exact worst possible moment. His eyes narrowed on your jacket and exposed ass as you bent over immediately. 

“Where are your clothes?” he asked, then they drifted to the plumber, “who are you?” 

Your mouth opened and closed like a fish as you searched for words. 

“I’m with Stone plumbing,” the gargoyle said, standing and pointing to the label on his shirt, “I surprised your fiance during her bath. You should have told her you were calling me. We like to avoid these sorts of misunderstandings if we can.” 

Johnny snorted and walked over to you, done with the conversation. 

“Keep working,” he said, tossing him a dismissive wave. 

“Where have you been?” you pouted at Johnny, giving him your best doe eyes. It was pretty pathetic but you were trying to make this work. Doing everything you could to get his attention. You wanted this to be a happy ending, for him to fall for you.

“Working, ” he said blandly, “I just came by to grab some suits. I’ve got to catch a plane in an hour.” 

You frowned, tears in your eyes. You’d already been humiliated once today, now your fiance was brushing you off with an audience. Thankfully the plumber seemed occupied, his head under the sink. Your eyes narrowed and you sniffed. 

“You smell like perfume,” you growled. 

Johnny chuckled nervously.

“Do I?” he asked, “interesting. I’ve got to run.” 

He tried to pull away from you, but you jerked his blonde head down by his ear. There was a red smudge on his collar that looked suspiciously like lipstick. The tears that had been hovering spilled over. 

“Are you fucking around on me Johnny?” you demanded, shoving him into the wall. 

“Of course not, doll,” he said smiling, “something must have just rubbed off on me.”

“Yeah! Lipstick!” you snapped, “how could you, you bastard?” 

You yanked the diamond ring he’d given you off of your finger and threw it at him. 

“We’re done you snake!” you hissed. 

This was a long time coming. Johnny had humiliated you for the last time. It wasn’t the first time you’d found him hovering over some woman in a dark corner at a gala or sending sneaky texts in the middle of the night. You’d be stupid not to get that he was cheating on you.

You were saving yourself for him like an idiot and he was sticking his cock into anything and everything else that moved! You'd thought if you at least had sex he would show more interest in you, but apparently he wouldn't even use you for that!

His face dropped from a pleasant mask to anger.

“Who's going to tell your daddy that, princess?” he growled, “you know we have an agreement. Your fertile womb and all the money that comes along with it for my family’s political support. Are you going to be the one to tell him he has to move his operation to another city or we’ll expose him?” 

“He won’t make me marry you,” you spat, raising your hand to slap him.

He caught it midair and jerked it painfully to his chest. 

“You sure about that, doll?” he asked. 

You weren’t sure at all. Your father wasn’t a kind man and he’d arranged this marriage himself. He wasn’t going to let you just get out of it because you weren't happy. He'd never cared about your happiness before. 

What Johnny didn’t catch was the fist that came ploughing into his face. You watch his flesh contort into a mockery of itself as a tooth flew out and rattled against the floor. He hit the ground with a dull thud. 

You and the gargoyle looked at each other, both in stunned silence, before he snatched you up in his arms and made for the door. 

“What…what are you doing?” you sputtered as you bounced in his arms.

You passed a startled looking woman sitting in the passenger seat of Johnny's Mercedes before the gargoyle tossed you into the backseat of his truck and peeled out of your driveway. 

“I think I’m kidnapping you, sweetheart,” he said, pushing the pedal to the floor and checking his rearview to make sure he wasn't being followed. 

“What?!” you gasped.

“Do you want to go back?” he asked. 

You thought about it for a moment and slowly shook your head. A smile grew on his lips, exposing his large, shiny teeth.

“Good, because I don’t think I could give you back if you wanted me to.” 

#monster x girl #monster fluff #fluff #romance #sfw romance #monster x reader #monster x human #yandere fluff #yandere romance #male yandere #oneshot

[snakxreader]

How about Floofty enduring shenanigans of the journalist whose oddly open to dangerous experiments?

A/N: First request, and ofc it’s a Floofty one/j

Honestly, OP? I don’t think I wrote Floofty well here at all, but I tried. This was a really interesting ting prompt!

Floofty and Journalist (Platonic)

There were limits to everything, as frustrating as it was.

It was one of the unfortunate realities of the world, and one Floofty had grown entirely used to. Limits in their field. Limits in familial love, despite how close you used to be, and of course ethical limits. The media was honestly overrreacting, they had given multiple consent forms, had debriefed the entire thing before and after, yet they still got treated like a monster by people who thought with their hearts rather than their huts. Media sways opinions and as such, swayed the public into not trusting them. This reputation even followed them to Snaktooth. The horrific Floofty Fizzlebean. They’d find the fear almost funny if it wasn't so humiliating.

So they started to experiment on themselves. Empiricism was the only way they saw fit and it worked them well, no matter the pain. They were their own best test subject, and that was almost to be proud of.

Key word being were.

And then that moronic journalist arrived and somehow they were met with someone more headstrong than them.

No, headstrong was not the word here. This had to be some sort of suicidal ideation because nobody in their right mind would do some of the things Floofty attempted.

Exhibit A; offhandedly mentioning one of their old experiences and then asking if it could be replicated.

Floofty blinked. “Why would you possibly want to know that.”

They shrugged. “Oh, I dunno…sounds fun!” The reporter laughed a little while responding.

“…..You cannot be serious.”

“I dunno, if you need a test subject, I’m willing.” The journalist replied, grinning like a maniac. Floofty’s eye twitched at their apparent humor at the situation.

“This is not a joke. My experiments are incredibly dangerous, and as such, I do them only to myself.”

“Can’t be that bad.”

“Throwing yourself against Bungers to see how far they can throw you?”

“Oh a few feet.” The journalist calmly replied. “They can do some serious damage.”

Floofty sputtered. “A-alright, fine! Remove Bugsnax from the equation. If you were my test subject, I’d have you…stay in exposed contact with lava to detail the Bugsnax near the volcano.”

“Fun! I’m always a bit cold most places I go.”

“Th-Then I’ll do the same thing with the mountain!”

“Always wanted to go camping in the winter!”

“I’ll-I’ll force you to eat Bugsnax and watch how your allergy affects you!”

“Ooooh, so a crytpid?” Their eyes gleamed as excitement laced their voice. “Do you think I’d, like, turn into a creature of unimaginable horrors?”

For a faint minute, they wondered if this was what Snorpington had dealt with, having to convince them not to do the things they did on a daily basis, which they always took in a stride of dark humor.

“Are you afraid of anything…?” They asked feebly.

The journalist winked, finger gun pointed at Floofty. “Paying taxes.”

“W-wha….?”

“But seriously though, those do sound really fun!” They contained, mindlessly rolling their hand about. “Even with the whole ‘danger’ thing, have you considered-hey!”

The journalist tilted their head, eyebrows burrowed. “Floofty, come back!”

Floofty paid the protesting journalist no mind as they walked towards Cromdo’s stand. Even if they’d get most likely scammed, that entire exchange counted for an extreme need of alcoholic beverages.

#bugsnax #floofty fizzlebean #the journalist bugsnax #bugsnax journalist #fic request #(?) #i can’t tell if this counts as x-reader #so I kept the Journalist extremely vague #this sucks ASS. but shrugs. #I hope someone enjoys it ^^’

[dr-veritas-ratio]

Good Morning/Evening Dr Ratio,

I would like to have one of your rubber duckies. Why? I dunno but heres reasons why you should give me one of your rubber duckies

• Sharing is caring: You literally have so many you cant count them

• Adding to my collection: I collect rubber duckies from my friends as a souvenir (I steal them)

• Freedom: As a rubber duckie enthusiast, I think rubber duckies should be able to float around freely and I have a whole ass pool that I dont use

• It's just a rubber duckie: You're not losing anything. Just give me one.

- ✨️

Well, good evening to you.

It seems you are quite the enthusiast fellow, and your question couldn't be asked at a better moment, since I am currently enjoying a very relaxing bath.

As such, I currently have in front of me one of these curious creatures floating and bouncing each time I move my legs or readjust my sitting position.

They are very much entertaining to observe, and you are also right. I tend to buy a little bit of these artificial ducks, and as such, I might have a bit too much of them right now.

I am also quite delighted to hear that you collect them, and I think I am in capacity to help with that.

I could forfeit one of them to you, given that you provide your full name and address, as well as your nearest IPC delivery point's identification code. Just be sure to pay the delivery when receiving the package.

I hope you will also come to partake in the joys of a relaxing bath at the end of the day.

~Dr Veritas Ratio.

#dr ratio #veritas ratio #hsr dr ratio #honkai star rail #dr veritas ratio #stelle #are you perhaps one of the Stelles? #ratio in his bathtub

[thera-daydreams]

ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛ ᴏʟᴅ ʟᴀᴅʏ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴡɪᴛᴄʜ

ᗢ jujutsu kaisen x scarletwitch!reader ᗢ

13. madness

Chapter Index & Synopsis

warning: will contain spoilers from the jjk manga and the latest mcu movies/comics/shows (particularly wandavision, loki, spiderman: nwh, as well as content from doctor strange in the multiverse of madness). once again, this will contain heavy spoilers—you have been warned. angst, cussing, cursing, murder, disturbing themes, & swear words will be here, too. trigger warning as well for wanda's depression and suicidal behavior. so... hi, all! it's been what, 6 months? before i say anything more, here's an ultra-mega-super-duper-long-almost-25k-words chapter—practically a whole story in itself—to make up for my long absence and silence here on tumblr. this was weeeeeks in the making and i'm brain fried as i publish this. honestly, i may never edit or beta this because of how ridiculously long it is, lol. anyways, enjoy! 🥰

(word count: 24,958)

(previous chapter)

The rumbling and shaking continued in the darkness the eight jujutsu sorcerers were in, throwing them off balance. Before they knew it, the darkness ripped open into a... well, it looked like they were somewhere in outer space? But there were pillars and pieces of debris floating around, some objects defying the laws of gravity.

Suddenly, a roar resounded from behind them. Their heads snapped to the direction of the sound, where they found... a ribbon-like monster chasing a young girl wearing a denim jacket and... Dr. Strange in a ponytail?

Just like before, when they were watching and then got sucked into the TV (particularly into the last two episodes of WandaVision), everything felt real. Like a 3D—no, a 4D film. Maybe 6D, even. Yet it was only a glimpse into the past, thus they were still physically unaffected by the events despite them being able to feel and experience it realistically with their five senses.

It was different from the holograms they watched with Loki and Dr. Strange with Spiderman—other pivotal events of your universe that didn't include you.

"Strange looks... strange... doesn't he?" Geto blinked, confused as the duo got closer to their point of view. The Ribboned Creature was destroying everything in its path as it attempted to attack weird-looking Strange and the girl with him. The two individuals being chased went through them like they were ghosts, and so did the angry Ribboned Creature.

"And who's the new kid?" Toji raised one fine, curious eyebrow. The others shrugged.

"Dunno, Toji-san," Yuuji replied. "But that ribbon monster seems to want to get her."

"We should probably follow them," Nanami logically suggested as the Ribboned Creature, Strange-with-a-ponytail, and New Girl got farther away in the distance.

The other seven males nodded, running after the monster and the duo it was chasing (albeit, with some difficulty due to the lack of gravity, the floating debris, and the mess of space-time in the Gap Junction). They jumped and ran, momentarily stopping when Ponytail Strange and New Girl stopped.

"Hey, are they speaking Spanish?" Yuuji asked out loud, overhearing the conversation between them. Choso, beside him, had question marks all over his head.

"... What is... Spanish...?" the cursed spirit thought to himself quietly.

"Uh-huh," Megumi muttered to Yuuji, looking back-and-forth warily between the relentless Ribboned Creature and its victims.

"Well, anyone of you know what they're talking about!?" Toji huffed out, crossing his arms. "'Cause I don't."

"Hehe. Sorry. The only Spanish I know are pick-up lines for the ladies!" Gojo nervously laughed, scratching the back of his head. Geto mimicked the exact same action with a guilty look and a grin.

"... Yeaaaaaah, uhhhh, I didn't really listen during second-year Spanish class with Yaga either. Oops," the long-haired male admitted.

Megumi and Yuuji sighed loudly at that. Best friends, indeed. Gojo and Geto were probably slacking off together that time in their highschool days.

Eventually, all heads turned towards the only reliable person in the room (... or space, since they weren't exactly in a room).

A vein popped on Nanami's temple as all eyes slowly turned to him hopefully (Gojo's and Yuuji's eyes were practically sparkling). The blonde exhaled loudly in exasperation as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "You expect me to know Spanish?"

"We knooooow you do, Nanaaaamin," Gojo stated in a sing-song voice.

Another vein popped up on the blonde's temple. "Stop calling me that."

"You know, you were the only one who got perfect marks under Yaga's Spanish class when you were in second year," Geto chuckled, feeling nostalgic for a second. "You were a damn miracle. That man couldn't teach Spanish for his life."

Relenting, he sighed, "... Fine. I'll translate."

Ah, Nanami Kento. Always so reliable and competent. "Thank you, Nanamin!" Yuuji danced around beside him.

Boom!

They watched (while simultaneously continuing to run and follow the duo) as Ponytail Strange's powers glowed an icy blue as he fired shots at the Ribboned Creature.

"Weren't his powers, like, orange...? Or am I colorblind now?" Gojo yelled, beginning to doubt his Six Eyes after everything he's seen about your Multiverse.

"This guy must be like those other versions of Spiderman. Like that Sivan—Syra—the hell was her name again... the other self that Loki smooched..." Toji muttered to himself.

"Sylvie. The blonde female variant of that Loki guy," Megumi finished for him. "You're getting old with all those memory lapses, old man." Toji rolled his eyes at his son, pinching the boy's ear as they ran.

"So this Ponytail Strange is a variant of the Dr. Strange we've seen before?" Yuuji tilted his head in question.

"Probably," Geto and Gojo chorused.

"What are they saying now?" Choso curiously asked as Ponytail Strange and New Girl conversed in rapid-fire Spanish. Ponytail Strange pointed at something far ahead.

"He's saying that it's that book that will kill the monster," Kento translated from Spanish to Japanese for the other men. Multilingual King.

"Book?" the others questioned.

"The Book of Vishanti!" New Girl shouted, as if answering the spectators watching them, when she recognized the mystical item from afar.

"Jump!" Ponytail Strange shouted as they encountered a gap in the floating concrete. With that, the eight jujutsu sorcerers also jumped high, too, roughly landing on the sloped piece of floating concrete. "Hold on!" Ponytail Strange told his female companion.

"Shit, this feels like a fight but we're not technically a part of it?" Geto muttered to himself as he slid and landed on solid ground. Ponytail Strange and New Girl did the same, too. Unfortunately, seconds after, the Ribboned Creature caught up to them, roaring in anger as it pierced the new Strange's thigh with its sharpened ribbons. Ponytail Strange was able to encapsulate it and restrict it with some concrete and magic, yet only for mere moments as his injury spread further through his leg.

"Sheesh. That looks nasty," Gojo cringed, taking a glimpse of the Sorcerer Supreme's wound.

"Real nasty," Yuuji followed with a disgusted face. "Must hurt a lot. Poor guy."

Megumi's eyes were stuck to the Ribboned Creature. "It's gonna get out," he mumbled, a foreboding feeling running through his veins. "They can't win this, can they?"

"... Unlikely," Nanami answered back, not very optimistic. Just as he said that, Ponytail Strange yelped out. His wound was getting infected by dark magic.

"It's too strong! I can't hold it!" Strange yelled, shaking as he attempted to keep the monster in the magical circular cage he made. All of them gazed in horror as the monster began breaking its way out.

As he came to this realization, Sorcerer Supreme Strange slowly turned to the new girl—whose name was America Chavez. The gazes of the eight jujutsu sorcerers watching them skimmed over to America, too.

"What's this dude planning?" Toji raised a brow.

"... I don't think it's gonna be anything good," Choso's lips pursed. Indeed, the Cursed Spirit was right.

"I'm so sorry," Sorcerer Supreme Strange began, hesitant. "But this is the only way." With that, the man began extracting the young girl's power for himself. The jujutsu sorcerers were surprised.

"Oh no, why... why would he..." Yuuji felt sympathetic for the girl. She looked to be just around his age. Maybe even younger. Megumi felt the same, too.

"Wh—What are you doing!?" America shrieked as she was lifted up into the air. Slowly, her powers were siphoned out of her.

"I can't let that thing take your power. You can't control it," Stephen told her, trembling as he took the girl's abilities while simultaneously holding the monster back. "But I can."

"But we're friends!" America cried out. "You're killing me!"

"I know." Stephen shut his eyes tight. "But in the grand calculus of the Multiverse, your sacrifice is worth more than your—"

Stab!

One of the creature's ribbons went through Ponytail Strange's heart.

"Damn," Toji commented, arms crossed. "I guess he kind of deserves that, though?"

Ponytail Strange fell to the ground, almosr lifeless. America, now free, set her eyes on the Book of Vishanti. She quickly ran towards it, hopping over multiple pieces of floating debris to get to her destination. Behind her, the jujutsu sorcerers followed. Right before she could obtain it, however, the Ribboned Creature got a hold of her four limbs. The jujutsu sorcerers stopped in their tracks.

"Crap," Yuuji's eyes looked frantically around them. "Is there really nothing we can do to help her!?" Beside him, Megumi was thinking the same, but didn't let his nervousness surface visibly to his face.

Nanami shook his head, "... Unfortunately, no. Like everything we've witnessed, this is the past, remember?"

"It's already happened and we can do nothing to stop it," Geto added. Before he could say anything else, the creature roared, scaring America. Out of instinct, her powers activated. Eyes glowing bright blue, a star-shaped portal appeared around her, acting like a vaccuum—sucking everything around them into it. With his dying breath and remaining magic, Ponytail Strange sent out four spinning blasts to cut away America's restrictions. America (and the monster) were thrown into the portal. Ponytail Strange was sucked into it, too.

And as much as they hated it and tried to avoid it, the jujutsu sorcerers watching were thrown into the portal as well—spinning and spinning as they fell.

"Oh shiiiiiiii—" Gojo shouted, voice echoing through the portal.

Before they knew it, they all awoke on the floor of... a bedroom in the New York Sanctum? And they were in a pile on the ground, too (with Toji, unfortunately, on the very bottom with Gojo being on the top, squishing everyone else in-between).

A tick mark appeared on Toji's jaw at the weight on his back, "Get. Off. Now." The men scrambled to their feet. Then they heard wheezing and huffing from the bed in the room. Their eyes widened.

"Whoa. That's the Strange we know... right?" Megumi pointed out. His eye then twitched as he turned away. "He sleeps naked?"

"Who doesn't?" Gojo, Geto, and Toji chorused.

"... I did not need those images in my head," Nanami rubbed his temples, disgusted at the visuals involuntarily implanted into his brain.

"Perhaps he just does not sleep with a shirt on," Choso offered, head tilted. "But were we... watching his dream?"

"Uh-huh, looks like it," Yuuji deduced. He then whistled. "You know, I never realized Dr. Strange was that fit and built." The pink-haired boy glanced at his teacher. "He could give you a run for your money with those biceps, Gojo-sensei."

The Strongest looked offended. "I look much better than this guy, excuse you!"

"Heh. Dunno, Satoru. With those grey streaks in his hair and that awesome beard? Kinda gives me silver fox vibes," Suguru teased his best friend.

"Have you seen my hair!? It's all practically white—" Gojo protested, running his hands through his hair wildly. "I am the epitome of a silver fox!"

"Nah, without a good beard, you're not," Toji scoffed in the corner. Suddenly, a mouth popped out on Yuuji's cheek as they all watched Strange grab his broken watch and get dressed for a wedding.

"Where the hell is Granny." It was a statement, not a question from the King of Curses.

"Dunno. We haven't really seen mom since... that scene of her in her isolated cabin in the woods..." Yuuji frowned. "I wonder how she's doing here in her past. And in the real world. I've almost forgotten what she was doing since we last saw her in our world."

"Getting groceries," his older brother reminded him.

"In the middle of an incoming snowstorm," Kento sighed out heavily.

It was silent as they waited for Strange do to whatever he needed to do. The Master of the Mystic Arts walked for a few blocks, constantly fidgeting with his cufflinks. It was only when they were inside the chapel, familiar names scrawled on a fancy calligraphy canvas outside the large wooden doors of the entrance, that they realized what exactly Strange was there for.

"Oh my god, is he attending his ex-girlfriend's wedding!?" Gojo exclaimed dramatically.

"Well, this ought to be a sight," the Zenin clan deserter snorted. "What was that woman's name again?"

"Christine...?" Megumi answered his dad, unsure. "Forgot her last name though."

"Oof, this is gonna be awkward," Geto cringed beside his best friend. "Brilliant neurosurgeon and awesome superhero but doesn't get a love life."

"He did have to make sacrifices for his... lifestyle," Nanami quietly commented. Of course, as a jujutsu sorcerer, he could relate. At the blonde's remark, everyone else—at least, the adults of the group—sobered. The life of a jujutsu sorcerer was not forgiving. Time would be spent either fighting, recovering, teaching, exorcising, and the like. Romance? You were lucky if you had a partner that knew, believed, and accepted the life of having a jujutsu sorcerer as their lover. You were even luckier if you were able to sustain a long-term relationship, get married, have kids, and grow old.

Normally, that was not in the books of being a jujutsu sorcerer. Death rates and chances of injury were always high. It was always a gamble as you could die at any moment.

They watched the entire wedding silently.

ᗢ▪︎ᗢ

"Look. Truly, I'm just glad that you're happy," Stephen finished, congratulating Christine on her wedding day.

"I am. I really, really am," Christine brightly smiled at him, looking angelic in her simple yet classic, white wedding dress.

"Good," Stepehen nodded, doing his best to hold back his own tears. Right person, wrong time, indeed. Perhaps in another life... in another universe, it would have worked out between them.

"Are you?" Christine asked.

"I'm happy."

"Good. You deserve it."

With that, Christine left Stephen to his own devices.

"... What a load of bullshit." It was Toji who spoke and it was the first time any of them spoke since the wedding proper an hour earlier. His arms were, again, folded against his chest.

"Tell me about it," Geto snorted. "Clearly, he is not happy."

"He's heartbroken as hell. Anyone can see that," Gojo snickered.

Before more jabs at the ex-neurosurgeon could be made, screams and crashes were suddenly heard from outside the building they were in. Strange, plus the jujutsu sorcerers, ran out to the open balcony on... whatever floor they were... to see cars and street poles being thrown everywhere by... whatever invisible threat there was.

"Finally, some action," Sukuna popped up on Yuuji's cheek once more as Strange flew down. The rest of them jumped down the building, too. Thankfully, despite not having their cursed energy, they landed without a hitch.

"Yo... isn't that the girl from Strange's dream earlier?" Yuuji pointed out as Strange used a spell to make the invisible monster... well, visible.

"It was invisible to the naked eye...?" Choso thought out loud. "A cursed spirit?"

"Perhaps," Nanami observed. It was a huge, slimy, tentacled monster bigger than any cursed spirit he's ever encountered, though (well, maybe except for that one giant cursed spirit Aoi Todo fought during the Night Parade of Demons). It had one big eye, too, scanning its surroundings for its target. The girl.

America Chavez.

Strange—and Wong, later on—finished off the monster by stabbing out its single, huge eyeball from on top of one of New York's buildings.

"Giant monsters, I can clearly handle," Strange stared at Chavez closely. "But what bothers me is that last night, you were in my dream."

"That... wasn't a dream," America explained. "It was another universe."

The eight jujutsu sorcerers spectating stilled at her answer. They followed Wong, Strange, and America into a nearby pizza place, wanting to hear more of this girl's explanation.

Stephen huffed, tired of all the questions being directed to him and the lack of answers he was getting. "Now why was that octopus trying to eat you?"

"That thing was trying to kidnap me," America cut in. At their questioning looks, she let out a deep exhale. "It's like a henchman who works for a demon. All we knew is that they wanted to take my power for themselves."

"What power?" Strange's brows furrowed.

America paused, "I can... travel the Multiverse."

"Prove it," Strange challenged.

"That's neat," Geto nodded to himself. All of a sudden, the scene shifted to all of them being on a rooftop. America, Wong, and Strange knelt down, with America uncovering a dead body.

Strange's dead body. Or at least, the variant of him who was Sorcerer Supreme and had a ponytail. The one who died before their very eyes.

"It wasn't a dream," Wong breathed out in shock at seeing the decaying corpse. "That means..."

"Dreams are windows into the lives of our multiversal selves," Strange concluded, wide-eyed.

"Holy shit," Gojo blinked at the declaration. "Does that... apply to our universe, too?"

"... Maybe. Probably?" Geto's eyes were wide, as well. "But that's... it's outrageous. Crazy."

"That was his theory," America gestured to the dead Ponytail Strange.

"So that recurring nightmare where I'm running naked from a clown..." Wong trailed off.

America shrugged, "Somewhere out there, it's real."

"That's sick," Yuuji gaped, both awed and terrified. "I had a dream I got married to Jennifer Lawrence on a beach a few years ago. Megan Thee Stallion was the Maid of Honor! That's true in another universe?" He ran a hand down his face. "Man, that me is living the life, sheesh!"

The rest of them were speechless.

"There could be more creatures coming after her," Wong whispered to Strange.

"The power is dangerous enough in the hands of a kid," Strange replied in a hushed tone. "Imagine if a real threat acquired it."

At their words, the young girl with them became nervous, beginning to back away. Noticing this, Wong assured her. "It occurs to me, young one, that we don't know your name."

"... America Chavez," she answered reluctantly.

"Miss Chavez, will you come with us to Kamar-Taj? You'll be safe there," Wong formally offered as the reigning Sorcerer Supreme.

The jujutsu sorcerers watched as Strange buried the dead Strange with a ponytail... under a bunch of rocks and bricks on the rooftop apartment.

"Won't that, like, smell?" Megumi's face was contorted in disgust.

"Or attract some cursed spirits or something...?" Yuuji scratched his head. "But then again, they don't have cursed spirits in their world..."

"They have terrifying monsters which could be considered as curses, though," Toji remarked. "A ribboned monster? An octopus with one giant eyeball? Hm."

"The creature that killed him," Wong asked, referring to Strange's alternate self. "Did it have the same markings as the octopus?"

"Runes," Stephen stated. At the familiar term, the jujutsu sorcerers' ears perked up.

"Like what Mom and Agatha used?" Yuuji clarified to the other older men, who all nodded.

At Strange's reply, Wong exhaled. "This isn't sorcery."

Stephen's eyes widened slightly in realization. "It's witchcraft."

"Do we know anyone who's faced such a thing?" Wong inquired to his friend.

Stephen paused. One familiar person came to his mind. One he'd fought alongside long ago in the battle against Thanos along with other notable superheroes. "... I think I might."

The jujutsu sorcerers stilled. It was so very faint, but they swore they heard a chime mimicking the theme song of WandaVision in their minds.

Right as Strange finished saying his sentence, they felt the scene before them shift. Suddenly, they saw a familiar-looking woman whose back was turned to them. She was softly humming a song, mixing up ingredients in the metal bowl with a large, wooden spoon.

"Mom...?" Yuuji gasped out first.

You turned around with a smile as you grabbed some baking soda from a nearby cabinet, but did not hear them. You were dressed in a simple outfit—a plain, long-sleeved white top, some faded jeans, and a navy blue cardigan with some flour smudges here and there.

"Y/N..." the older jujutsu sorcerers (ahem, Geto, Gojo, Nanami, Toji, and Choso) breathed out, as if in relief at finally seeing you once more.

"Finally!" Sukuna exclaimed loudly, making Yuuji wince at the volume of his voice. "It's been too damn long!"

You looked you, but...

"She looks a bit different, don't ya think?" Gojo tilted his head, rubbing his chin as he tried to pinpoint what exactly was different.

"Maybe it's the hair color?" Geto pointed out.

"... Happier." It was Nanami who spoke out loud. All eyes glanced at the ex-salaryman. "She's happier. You can see it in her eyes."

They, again, grew silent as they watched you smoothly glide around the kitchen with experienced movements—similar to how you would in their world. In the bakery-café you owned.

"You're right," Toji hmphed. "I wonder why."

They got their answer in the form of two young boys running into the kitchen and dipping their hands in the chocolate mixture you were stirring.

"Chocolate!" Billy yelled happily.

"Hey! What did I say?" you teasingly scolded.

Tommy pouted, "But we couldn't wait."

You raised a playful brow at your children, "Buuuut, what did I say?" At your reply, your twins rebelliously ate the chocolate mix that they managed to sneak on their fingers. Your eyes widened as you laughed, "Oh?" With a loving pinch of their naughty faces, you ushered your kids to the sink. "Go wash your hands!"

"Aren't those two... dead?" Choso asked out loud, referring to Billy and Tommy.

"Supposedly," Nanami answered him. He looked around closely. "And supposedly, this place is gone. Vision Residence disappeared when the Hex disappeared."

They all blinked.

"You're right, Nanamin!" Yuuji blinked. "Whoa, you're so observant!"

"It's part of my job. And my Cursed Technique," Nanami bluntly replied, adjusting his glasses (just like any cool and badass anime character).

"But he's right... this is the Vision Residence... exactly like it, except for a few extra knick-knacks here and there," Geto murmured, touching the kitchen counter.

The scene before them slowly changed to night time, with the twins dressed in their pajamas and getting into bed. It was an extremely familiar scene, making them feel déjà vu as they watched it.

"A family is forever," you spoke to Billy and Tommy gently. "We could never truly leave each other even if we tried." You stroked their heads.

"Hasn't this happened already?" Yuuji scratched his head in confusion, hearing the dialogue and your conversation with your kids. "Like, in WandaVision? I feel like I've watched this already in the finale."

"Hm," Gojo hummed, his head tilted as he watched you tuck the boys in snugly. "Except that Y/N's in her single mom era here. For some reason."

"Where the hell is that robot?" Sukuna asked, very loudly.

"No idea," Choso answered his fellow curse being.

You sweetly give your children a goodnight kiss on their foreheads, whispering, "Love you." They giggled at the sensation, making you smile. The sorcerers smiled, too, seeing you happy. You were about to say something else when the scene cut abruptly. So abruptly.

ᗢ▪︎ᗢ

Your eyes snapped open, the smile on your face slowly fading as you realized that it was just a dream. Again. The jujutsu sorcerers, too, realized that you had been dreaming. You slowly sat up from your bed, the silence in your new home almost deafening except for the soft chirping of birds outside. In your bedroom, you were alone. Somehow, despite the warm sunlight filtering through the curtains on your windows, the air was chillier. The colors around them seemed a little greyer... duller than it was in that vibrant, joyful dream. You tightened your flannel robe along your torso, adjusting a stray strand of your hair behind your ears.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Oh, you were still alive. And awake. You placed a hand over your beating heart, exhaling.

The jujutsu sorcerers realized that this woman—the lonely woman who woke up from the dream and not the happy mother in that dream—was you. The one they knew. The version that they had watched over the past couple of... hours? Days? Weeks? How long has it been? They didn't know.

"Mom..." Yuuji sadly whispered. "So it wasn't real? Mom was just dreaming about Billy and Tommy?"

"So it seems," Megumi replied, feeling pity for you (for what probably felt like the hundredth time). You didn't deserve this pain at all. "It's never gotten easier for Y/N-san, huh?"

Now, they were transported to a lovely apple orchard, with countless, fragrant trees spaced out almost evenly. Not so far away was the new humble home you'd made for yourself after self-isolating, with a dozen or so sheep running past the jujutsu sorcerers.

"Sheep...?" Gojo blinked, seeing you quietly herd them away to some wooden fences. "Neat... I guess? Didn't think she'd be the type who's into sheperding."

"She's taken up gardening, too. So this is where it began," Toji observed as you diligently snipped away at some overgrown tree branches. He and the others were aware that gardening was one of your hobbies (and why Charmed Coffee & Confectionaries had such a gorgeous display of healthy plants all over the area and outside the shop—heck, the mini-garden you had on the rooftop of your building was a tourist spot itself; Geto could recall Mimiko and Nanako taking a lot of selfies there during that time they first came looking for him after you saved him).

"Apples?" You—and the jujutsu sorcerers—turned around at hearing Strange's voice. Hands in his tailored trouser pockets and a friendly smile on his handsome face, he almost looked like he was about to ask you for a date at the park in this very place.

"... Eventually," you replied, straightening yourself. The jujutsu sorcerers watched as you handed him the small branch you'd snipped off. He sniffed it, nodding and impressed.

"It smells—" He began, only for you to subtly cut in.

"Sweet?"

"I was gonna say real," Stephen chuckled. Your lips curved at his remark as you took the branch from him and tossed it away to the pile of branches on a picket box on the grass.

"Oh, it's all very real. Thanks." Then your smile disappeared, replaced by a sad and remorseful look. "I knew sooner or later you'd show up, wanting to talk about..." You paused. "Westview." It was a word you hadn't said in so long. The spectators also felt like it's been forever since then after they'd seen the other things that happened in your universe—Loki, Spiderman, and more. You breathed out deeply, pocketing your hands in your jacket. "I made mistakes. And people were hurt—"

"But you put things right in the end, and that was never in doubt," he assured. "I'm not here to talk about Westview," Strange informed you. This alarmed some of the jujutsu sorcerers.

"Hey. Wait, wait. Hold up." Geto crossed his arms, glowering at the Master of the Mystic Arts. "You mean to tell me this guy knew about Y/N and what happened to Westview? And didn't bother to show up or do anything about it? Like, help her? Against that nosy Salem witch with the crazy get-up?"

"Same thoughts," Gojo huffed. "The nerve of this guy! The audacity!"

"Then what are you here for?" you inquired, appearing confused.

"We need your help," Stephen quickly answered. You gave it a few moments of thought, walking to make your decision. Strange followed behind you, hands pocketed from the air, as well.

"Oh, so now he asks for her help?" Gojo and Geto chorused, rolling their eyes in annoyance with Strange.

"... No one was there for her when she needed them the most," Choso quietly added.

"Yeah," Yuuji frowned in disapproval.

"With what?" you finally responded, strolling along your orchard with Strange beside you.

"What do know about the Multiverse?"

Your eyes slightly widened as you shared to Stephen what you knew, "The Multiverse... Viz had his theories." Ah, finally a mention of your late synthezoid husband. "He believed it was real. And dangerous."

"Well, he was right about both," Strange disclosed. "We found a girl who can somehow travel across it. But she's being pursued."

Your head turned to him seriously, worriedly, "Pursued by who?"

"Some kind of demon. One that covets her power for itself," Strange answered in a grave tone. "We've taken her to Kamar-Taj, and we've got our defenses. But we could use an Avenger."

Avenger. Huh. That was a title you weren't called ever since... what, the Lagos Incident? The fight against Thanos? Both good and bad memories were associated with it. "There are other Avengers," you reminded him, raising a skeptical brow.

"Yeah, but given the choice of the archer with the mohawk and several bug-themed crime fighters..." You chuckled, amused at his joke. "Or, one of the most powerful magic-wielders on the planet, it's an easy call. Come to Kamar-Taj." His eyes gave such a pleading look. Strange then smirked, "We'll get you back on the lunchbox."

"He's using aaaaaall his mystical silver fox charms to sway her, isn't he?" Gojo pouted, like a child stomping his feet because his mother didn't give him candy.

"You forget that he was a very respected genius neurosurgeon who was probably extremely wealthy and, for the record, attractive," Nanami deadpanned, also inwardly irked at the fact that Strange knew about Westview all along. "I get the feel that this perhaps isn't the first time he's persuading a woman to get what he wants from her. He's got an ego that rivals Stark."

"Not gonna lie, used to do that to women, too," Toji commented, making Megumi quietly groan.

However, it was your next remark that made all of them—except Yuuji, who didn't catch on, at first—that made them freeze in their tracks.

"What if you brought America here?"

The jujutsu sorcerers saw that Strange had noticed your words, too. He was almost rendered speechless. But he played along with it, "... Here?"

"Yeah," you shrugged. "I know what's it's like... to be on your own... hunted for abilities you never wanted," you suggested, continuing to stride forward. You really did relate to the girl. The question was...

"How does she know so much about... America?" Megumi's eyes were wide. The rest of the guys had the same expression. Their hearts pumped blood faster through their bodies, adrenaline rushing in their veins.

They couldn't believe it. No. It wasn't possible.

"She could have just read his mind... right?" Gojo murmured, refusing to believe it. "... Right?"

"But she said she put the magic behind her already," Nanami cut in, hazel eyes narrowing at you as you didn't face them or Strange. He continued to reason out, "And I'm pretty sure the Master of the Mystic Arts wouldn't appreciate anyone prodding around his mind and reading it. It's likely he has defenses for that in place."

Toji, Geto, Choso, and Sukuna (the only deranged one who was getting excited about the whole ordeal) chose to be silent, just watching.

"What? Huh? What's happening?" Yuuji's gaze frantically moved from person to person. He didn't understand. But the rest of the jujutsu sorcerers had no words to say as they stared at the scene unfolding before them. "What's wrong?"

Strange stopped walking.

"I can protect her," you promised, only to notice that Strange was no longer beside you and that he had the most disappointed and regretful expression on his face.

Ah, you realized.

You made a slip of the tongue. Oh well. At least you tried. It would've been too easy if Strange was just able to hand you America right then and there. The predator got too excited there, losing the chance to seize their prey in a one-shot kill. Now, the thrilling chase was just starting.

"... You never told me her name, did y—"

"—No."

"Mm."

His voice was far colder now, and he answered instantaneously. Harshly. "No, I didn't." He was about to leave, only for you to speak again, back turned towards him (and the viewers). Antsy and nervous, the jujutsu sorcerers waited for what was going to happen next.

There was an ominous feeling in their gut, something they usually felt when they were dealing with extremely difficult cursed spirits or powerful enemies. The fact that you were the reason why they were feeling like this was... unnerving.

They didn't realize that unintentionally, they were holding their breaths.

"You know, the Hex was the easy part," you divulged quietly, slowly lifting your right hand from your pocket. "The lying... not so much."

With a small wave of your hand, the peaceful illusion of the apple orchard dissolved as the reddish-black fog of your Chaos Magic seeped through your fingertips once more, revealing a desolate wasteland with lifeless trees and scarlet skies. No traces of life were present—not one sheep, not one bird, not even a single ant was alive. In just a blink of an eye, everything down to the molecular level had been altered.

Then, Stephen Strange and the jujutsu sorcerers turned around to see you. Their gaze moved from head to toe, your once-regal and superhero-like Scarlet Witch robes visibly darkened—now a gradient alternating from black to red—and corroded... corrupted, glass-like cracks on the tight bodice originating from where your heart was located, like a metaphor for all the heartbreak you'd been through in this lifetime. Your tiara, too, looked different from the last time they saw it—its two tips pointier and its composition much more hollow. Your half-arm gloves from before had turned into full-on, darkened sleeves which extended to your fingers, which they noted had been stained an inky black. Just like Agatha's before.

The Darkhold floating beside you explained everything.

Even the way you physically appeared had changed. Your hair was longer than when they last saw you, your eyes and cheekbones sharper, lips and lids painted darker, and even the way you held yourself in poise and manner oozed confidence.

You looked downright evil, yet also hypnotizingly and irresistibly a hundred times more attractive.

"Oh, fuck yeah!" Sukuna suddenly cackled, ogling you shamelessly through eyes and a mouth on Yuuji's cheek. On the other hand, Yuuji had the opposite reaction, his face the epitome of horrified and betrayed.

"N-No... it can't be," the pink-haired boy stammered in realization. "Mom's... the demon chasing America? She's the one w-who... killed that other Strange?"

"Yuuji," Nanami placed a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "... Don't... overthink it. Remember, this already happened in the past." However, the blonde was unable to take his gaze off of you. Like the others, his eyes were trained on you. Even he couldn't believe what was happening.

"The Darkhold," Strange's eyes widened at seeing the book.

"You're familiar with the Darkhold?" you asked curiously.

"I know it's the Book of the Damned," Strange coldly replied. "And that it corrupts everything and everyone that it touches." He gestured with his head to your surroundings. Your territory and domain. "I wonder what it's done to you."

"The Darkhold only showed me the truth," you countered as if nothing was wrong. "Everything that I lost can be mine again." You sounded like you truly believed what you were saying.

"What do you want with America?" Stephen's brows furrowed. "What do you want with the Multiverse?"

"I'm going to leave this reality... and go to one where I can be with my children," you announced calmly.

"Wanda, your children aren't real!" Strange attempted to convince you but to no avail. "You created them using magic."

"... That was a fucking awesome way to say it," Toji scoffed sarcastically, still stunned at what was occuring. "Like she's gonna change her mind at this point."

You knowingly and coyly smiled at him, intentionally twisting his words, a sly glint in your eye, "That's what every mother does."

Were they frightened or aroused hearing and seeing you act like such an enchantress? They had no idea.

"By magic, does she mean that episode in WandaVision with the bed and her and Vision having s—" Gojo began, only to be interrupted by his best friend.

"Yes. Yes, she does, Satoru," Geto sighed out. But he wouldn't lie, he could see himself in this darker side of you. It was jarring him. The déjà vu was real.

You clasped your hands together, beginning to circle Strange, "If you knew there was a universe where you were happy, wouldn't you want to go there?" You stared up at him, almost tempting him. But Strange was a man of steel will.

"I am happy," he said, making you raise a fine brow in bemusement. Strange was a man of steel will, but like in Toji's words, he often said a load of bullshit. Obvious lies, duh.

"I know better than most what self-deception looks like," you hummed playfully, aware that he was lying to not only you, but himself. The way you were looking at him had Strange sweating and nervous (so were the jujutsu sorcerers who had a big fat crush on you).

"... Honestly, I would've folded if she looked at me like that," Satoru tilted his head towards you as he addressed his fellow sorcerers. "And I'd instantly marry her. We'd be a hot couple, eh?"

"No thanks," the others replied, instantly shutting him down. Yuuji was a bit kinder, though, but still savage.

"I really admire you, sensei, but I don't want you to be my stepdad," the pink-haired boy awkwardly grinned out, scratching his head.

"I'd be the awesomest stepdad, excuse you!" Gojo cried out, only for Strange to speak again.

"Wanda, what you're doing is a flagrant violation of every natural law and if you take that child's power, she won't survive!" Strange nearly shouted to you in anger.

Instantly, the smile on your face vanished. "I don't relish hurting anyone, Stephen." Then suddenly, you shrugged. "But she's not a child!" you scoffed without a care in the world, both eyebrows high on your forehead as you gave your excuses to Strange. "She's a supernatural being! Such raw power could wreak havoc on this and other worlds! Her sacrifice would be for the... better good." You shrugged offhandedly.

Your words made the jujutsu sorcerers somewhat... sick. They realized that they'd heard this conversation before, with Stark and Cap after the Lagos Incident and during the Sokovia Accords dispute all those years ago. And in America's place, it was you, instead.

To Cap, you were a kid.

To Stark, you were a so-called weapon of mass destruction.

Maybe Iron Man had a point. Not a hundred percent on the dot and definitely not in how he chose to go about it—confining you and putting you in solitary internment—but he knew what you were capable of.

You were dangerous.

And he was absolutely right.

"Well, you can kiss the lunchbox goodbye because that's exactly the kind of justification our enemies use!" Strange argued, making you inwardly snort. Intimidatingly, you stepped closer to him, staring him straight in the eye—daring him to make the first move.

"Is it the one that you used? When you gave Thanos the Time Stone?" you calmly yet bitterly challenged back at his remark. You knew that he knew what he did to you. What he did to Vision. The memory was painfully fresh in your mind, Thanos ripping out the Mind Stone from the head of the person you loved the most after he used the Time Stone to easily reverse your sacrifice.

"Oh shit," Geto muttered, shocked. "Didn't expect that from her."

Clearly, Strange's face showed his guilt, "... That was a war. And I did what I had to do."

You were not convinced by his reasoning. Actually, you were unimpressed. "You break the rules and become the hero," you mocked, knowing about what happened with him and Spiderman, erasing memories and all with the Runes of Kof-Kol he was told not to use. You were merely rubbing salt in the wound; he was oh-so self-righteous wasn't he? "I do it and I become the enemy. That doesn't seem fair."

"Mom's... she's... she's gone psycho," Yuuji whispered, wide-eyed at your attitude and demeanor. "But... Dr. Strange did break a hella lot of rules... especially with erasing people's memories of Peter Parker... but Mom..." Yuuji's eyes became downcast. "I never thought she'd say something like that."

The others looked at the boy with pity. After all, he had always seen you as his strong, powerful, yet kind mother. For that image of you to be crushed... it must have definitely hurt a lot.

"What happens now?"

"Return to Kamar-Taj and prepare to hand over America Chavez by sundown. Peacefully," you stated your terms firmly. You then gave him a tiny smile. It didn't give them any reassurance, though. This smile of yours was darkly mischievous and triumphant, not the smile they loved to see. "After that, you will never see me again." You turned to leave, using your magic to store the Darkhold safely away from view, only for Strange to speak again.

"And if we don't?"

You stopped in your tracks, looking back at him one more time. "Then it won't be Wanda who comes for her. It will be the Scarlet Witch." It was not a threat. It was a promise.

"Hohoho, this is getting interesting," Sukuna almost giggled. Giggled. Out of excitement. If the King of Curses was this happy, it was an omen that bad things were to come.

ᗢ▪︎ᗢ

The scene morphed to all of them being in Kamar-Taj, with Wong—the current presiding Sorcerer Supreme—pacing the room quickly as an urgent meeting was held between various master sorcerers.

"The Scarlet Witch..." Wong murmured to himself anxiously, before declaring to the others. "The Scarlet Witch is a being of unfathomable magic. She can rewrite reality as she chooses, and is prophesized to either rule or annihilate the cosmos."

"Wait, what?" Yuuji exclaimed.

"Rule or annihilate, hm?" Sukuna chuckled darkly. "Interesting. Very interesting. More... more! I want to see mo—" Itadori slapped the noisy mouth on his cheek.

"Now is not the freaking time, Sukuna!" he huffed.

"Then what Agatha said before was true," Nanami pointed out, tense. "That her power exceeds the Sorcerer Supreme and that—"

"—It's her destiny to destroy the world," Toji finished grimly. "Well, goddamn."

"Suspend all teaching at once!" Wong ordered. "Kamar-Taj must now become a fortress!"

The jujutsu sorcerers then watched in surprise as the entirety of the temple and its dozens of residents swiftly prepared for battle, gathering weapons and artillery, even summoning the masters from the other two sanctums of the world: Hong Kong and London.

"... That's... an entire army," Megumi spoke out, breathless.

"Isn't an army of fifty or more wizards, like, too much for one person?" Choso wondered, scratching his head. "Overkill, that's the word, right?"

"We've seen what she did to Hayward's soldiers before," Toji reminded the other man. His green eyes narrowed, though. "But they are sorcerers, too, so we could give 'em some credit, at least. Maybe Strange can talk his way outta this and Y/N will agree. Maybe. And that Chavez girl will be fine."

Gojo rubbed his face with his hand tiredly, "God, you know what? This is reminding me of that time when your smartass declared war on all of us, trying to get Yuuta for Rika." The silver-haired sorcerer glared at his best friend, who only scowled at the memory of the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons. Geto didn't verbally reply, inwardly still trying to... not be so hateful of... monkeys... damn, he really should stop calling non-sorcerers monkeys.

When all preparations and precautions had been made, the small army of Eldritch magic sorcerers the stood guard on Kamar-Taj. No space was left unprotected outside. The jujutsu sorcerers were also waiting for your appearance.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock!

Exactly at sunset, just as you had vowed, dark, billowing clouds appeared from the distance, slowly engulfing the entirety of Kamar-Taj and hushing the surroundings into silence. It was as if the sun had been dimmed and the area had been separated from the rest of the world. It was eerily silent, yet it felt like they were hearing ghostly whispers around them, too.

Yuuji shivered, even in his hoodie. "This is... kinda creepy."

"Reminds me of Coppola's film when Dracula signaled his arrival to London in a ship," Nanami murmured, eyes scanning the clouds to check for any sign of you. The others were doing the same, too.

"You mean the one with Winona Ryder? You always did like her in highschool, you emo," Gojo turned to him, momentarily distracted by his remark. Nanami only quietly sighed, mentally calming himself down and choosing to ignore the older man.

Suddenly, a red light appeared from the foggy clouds, making way to show you floating. Waiting. But surely you didn't think they'd so easily hand over America, right?

"Choose you words wisely," Wong whispered to Strange. "The fate of the Multiverse might depend on it."

Strange, beside him, felt like his shoulders became a ton heavier. "Right." He nodded. "But no pressure, right?" Wong only gave a nod.

As Stephen used the Cloak of Levitation to move towards you, the jujutsu sorcerers felt a pull to him, too. Soon enough, they found themselves floating nearby you and Strange in the sky, too. For Gojo, it wasn't weird since it felt similar to when he used his Infinity. For the others? It was startling to be in the air.

"Bruh, I'm flying?" Yuuji was in awe, then he grew solemn again, seeing your serious face. "This would've been fun if Mom was... Mom."

"All this for a child you met yesterday?" you thundered, glaring at Stephen.

"Wanda, you are justifiably angry," Strange began, trying to calm you. "You had to make terrible sacrifices—"

"I blew a hole through the head of the man I loved," you sharply interrupted, a hint of your past pains showing through. Your tone nearly made the jujutsu sorcerers wince as the image of your crying visage destroying the Mind Stone reappeared in their heads. "And it meant... nothing. Do not speak to me of sacrifice, Stephen Strange," you criticized spitefully. Then, your gaze grew softer as you moved towards Strange, leaning... closer, closer, and closer, until you both were face-to-face like that time in the apple orchard.

It was a fuming Satoru who immediately made a childish comment. "Are they gonna kiss or something? Why's she standing—er, floating so close to him!?"

"Shhh," Geto elbowed him. "Just listen, Satoru." But even the long-haired man (and a few others) was a teeny bit envious of how comfortable you seemed being so close to the Master of the Mystic Arts. That tiny green monster of jealousy in them grew even more when your gaze at Strange became tempting. Seductive, almost. Just like how Agatha had attempted to entice you to voluntarily surrender to her your powers back in Westview.

"If you give me the girl," you purred to Strange much like a beguiling siren would. The man visibly became much more still as he retained his composure. Whatever the Darkhold had done to you, your entire being and behavior were the epitome of alluring and captivating. Right before their very eyes, you were literally bewitching a man (... or six men, specifically, whose Adam's apples were bobbing as they swallowed at the sight of you). "I'll send you to a world where you can be with Christine," you offered, knowing exactly which buttons to press.

"... She's giving iconic Disney villains a run for their money," Gojo cleared his throat, pulling his collar and trying to cool himself down. "Or better yet, Satan himself, making deals like this and everything."

"Intelligent and beautiful, yet also powerful and manipulative," Geto thought to himself, running a hand through his hair in an attempt to distract himself from the memory of you being so... villainous and obsessed with your motives. The passion you exhibited was quite exhilarating, especially to that side of him who used to want to change the world. Perhaps you two weren't that different, after all. Was he terrified of you? Yes, quite. Was he also attracted? Very much, yes. As strange a combination that was. (Ryomen Sukuna, inside Yuuji, was fully embracing that feeling the five other grown jujutsu sorcerers were silently experiencing).

"... Kinda hot, can't lie," Toji hummed out making Megumi beside him cringe.

"Ew, Dad," the younger Fushiguro almost gagged.

Strange did not falter, though, declaring, "The full might of Kamar-Taj stands against you. Do not dare to enter these sacred grounds!" The jujutsu sorcerers had to give it to Dr. Strange, mentally applauding them for being able to resist you. If it were them in his place... well, that would be another story.

"Defensive positions!" the Sorcerer Supreme had commanded to his army from below.

At his defiant words, your shortened temper flared. "You have no idea just how reasonable I've been," you gritted out, all traces of your enchanting persona gone.

Stephen scoffed, retorting, "Book of the Damned, calling yourself a witch, conjuring up creatures to abduct a kid, I don't exactly call that being reasonable!"

"Sending those creatures after her instead of myself was mercy," you reproached, the glowing red balls of energy keeping you in flight flashing brighter with your aggravation. "And in spite of your... hypocrisies and insults," you condemned him harshly. "I have begged you to safely... Get. Out. Of. My. Way." Strange had a bad feeling about where this was about to go.

He definitely did not choose his words wisely, did he?

Geto was really getting déjà vu of himself at hearing you. Sukuna was even more thrilled. Toji, honestly, was impressed. Gojo was just stunned. Nanami and Choso, too, were simply speechless. Megumi and Yuuji only looked horrified. This was the same woman that gave them free food and dessert in her cute little shop? The same woman who would draw cute squiggles and chibi characters on cookies? The same woman who would patch them up when they were wounded? The same woman who gave almost all of them a second chance at life?

They couldn't believe it.

You continued your monologue, anger simmering as your voice turned lower in volume," You have exhausted my patience. But I do hope you understand that even now, what's about to happen...." You gave Strange a hateful, you-made-me-do-this-stare. "This is me being... reasonable."

Your words sent chills down their spines.

With that, you fired a blast of Chaos Magic at him, only for it to be blocked by a now-visible protective magic barrier spanning the area of Kamar-Taj. As Strange flew back down, the jujutsu sorcerers landed on solid ground once more. They stared back up at you outside the barrier.

And even in the distance, they saw that you had become very, very, very pissed off. Seething through your teeth.

"Uh-oh," Gojo exhaled out anxiously as he stared up into the sky. "She's angry."

"No shit, Sherlock," Geto scoffed beside him. "She's fucking livid." Despite not being in the actual battle itself, they could practically feel everything else, including the terror in their hearts as you charged towards Kamar-Taj once more, blasting the shield in different areas with multiple hexes simultaneously (something new they had noticed).

"Reinforce the shield!" Wong yelled out. Even as more sorcerers came to strengthen the barrier, the jujutsu sorcerers could still feel the quaking of the fortress at your blasts. The impacts had grown to be that powerful.

"Whoa, whoa," Yuuji balanced himself with the help of Nanami. The foundation of the building continued to shake.

Realizing that physical attacks were useless, you stopped, instead changing your strategy. Strange immediately noticed this as he saw you scanning the army of sorcerers.

"She's trying to get into their heads," Stephen told Wong, who grumbled.

"Sorcerers, fortify your minds!" he shouted. Honestly, the jujutsu sorcerers felt like they were also being reminded, too. They were getting a bit too distracted by your... change in demeanor. Still, you continued to look for an unfortunate victim. Surely, there had to be one newbie, right?

And you were right.

There was one, indeed, still so apprehensive and vulnerable. There he was. And he knew you were looking at him. You were locking eyes with your helpless target.

Bullseye.

Wide-eyed, the jujutsu sorcerers watched as your astral form appeared right behind one of the younger sorcerers, like the Devil tempting to consume the Forbidden Fruit from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. Your physical body, effortlessly awake, floated outside the shield, smirking wide. You astral form only had to whisper one thing for everything to crumble down into pieces.

"Run."

Goosebumps arose on their skins as your prey grew rattled, sprinting away in fear and creating a hole sufficient enough for you to breach in. He had bumped into multiple other sorcerers on the way, too, further weakening the shield. That was when you started channeling more of your Chaos Magic to create another blast.

"Oh fuck, should we run, too?" Gojo asked, yet his legs were already beginning to move. After all, he didn't have his Infinity or his Limitless with him. Right now. And even if this was the past, this was literally, like, a 6D experience.

The blast you shot hit the ground beside them before they could react, knocking them off their feet like the many Eldritch magic sorcerers nearby.

"Oh shit, shit, shit! Get up, Satoru!" Geto grabbed his best friend's shirt as he himself got up from the ground. Toji had Megumi tossed over his shoulder, with Choso doing the same for Yuuji (who had somehow lost his left shoe). Nanami was holding said missing left shoe as he urged the others to run behind Strange near the entrance of Kamar-Taj.

Their reflexes and battle instinct from all their years living in the world of jujutsu had kicked in. But this time, the enemy was you. At least, it felt like it. When they were all near Strange, they took a glimpse of you.

Mercilessly shooting down sorcerers as you charged towards Kamar-Taj, swatting them away like flies with your psionic energy, toppling structures and towers, tossing stone and huge debris everywhere—all while simultaneously defending yourself with an energy shield. You were multitasking offense and defense like it was nothing, reducing Kamar-Taj to ruins in no less than five minutes since the shield was down.

It was chaos.

"Magic on autopilot," Yuuji's eyes were wide.

Right at the entrance, their memory of you as they ran with Wong and Strange was you landing down onto the ground, creating a pulsating wave of energy that decimated any remaining survivors. There was one—screaming and bawling as he crawled on the ground. Without even batting an eye, you waved your hand—literally erasing him from existence with Chaos Magic.

"Holy crap," Yuuji was terrorized. Utterly terrorized. "Did she just... delete that guy out of existence...?"

The others were stunned, as well. But Sukuna? Sukuna was having the time of his life watching you being so cruel and heartless. They didn't even bother telling him off as he openly roared with laughter. It seemed fitting that the King of Curses would laugh so jubilantly, with several fires raging around them, burning bodies into ash and crisp, nothing but sheer blood and destruction at the hands of the Scarlet Witch.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THIS IS IT! THIS IS WHAT I WANTED! THE STENCH OF BLOOD! DEATH! RAGE! FEAR!" Sukuna nearly split his sides in delight. "THE SCARLET WITCH SHALL BE MINE! MINE, MINE, MINE!"

However, much to your surprise, ten Masters of the Mystic Arts bravely... or foolishly... appeared before you through their signature yellow-orange ring portals, poised with their swords; ready to fight. Ah, yes. These were probably the best of the best they had aside from Stephen Strange.

But their best would never be a match for you.

"You dare go against me, sorcerers?" you declared in a booming voice, one fine brow raised and one hand glowing red.

Already highly perturbed at the slaughter you had just executed, the other jujutsu sorcerers could say nothing. As you spoke to the Masters of the Mystic Arts, it felt like you were addressing them, too.

What had become of the sweet woman they knew?

"You are a threat to this world, Scarlet Witch," one of the Masters answered spitefully. "Therefore, we must eliminate you!"

For a few seconds, you were silent. They—including the jujutsu sorcerers—anticipated your reply. Suddenly, you chuckled. Darkly. With it, a matching smirk.

"You are more than welcome to try." It wasn't a threat. It was a taunt. A promise, even.

With that, the Masters of the Mystic Arts charged at you with their swords and magic, only for you to forcefully toss them into the air and slam their bodies into the broken ground. This time, instead of using pure magic to kill them, you even incorporated your magic into skillful hand-to-hand combat, something they hadn't fully seen since what, that time you fought Proxima Midnight in Scotland?

In even more shock and horror, the jujutsu sorcerers watched you move swiftly and fiercely, slicing the Masters with their own swords. With one, you even mind-controlled to slice his own head with his own weapon. The red psionics wrapped around the decapitated body—with you using it as a shield against the other Masters. It was an... effective technique, as grotesque as it was. The corpse had two swords in its abdomen, puppeteering it to kill the other Masters even as it was spurting out fresh blood from its severed neck. As you discarded the body, you expertly dodged and evaded the other Masters charging towards you, snapping their necks or manipulating their bodies to destroy one another.

"Holy mother of..." Gojo gulped, flinching as you crushed a man's skull with your magic. The blood splattered on your face, yet you were unfazed. Behind you, the last Master attempted to inflict some damage, only for him to die the most gruesome death of them all with Chaos Magic as you snapped your gaze to him.

Bones and limbs twisted and broken, screaming in agony, until he was nothing but a mangled mess that exploded into nothing but blood.

"Shit, that's..." Geto's eyes were wide open. Now he was really wondering what would have happened if you got involved with the jujutsu world before Yuuji came along. If you... no, if the Scarlet Witch interfered when he was alive... with you siding with Yuuta and Rika, the Queen of Curses...

He would have been fucked. Kenjaku wouldn't have even had the chance to steal his body because after all this, he realized that you could just delete him out of existence. On a whim. That was how great your power was and you weren't even a jujutsu sorcerer.

You were so unassuming and "normal" on the outside that he would have deemed you a monkey. He would've deemed you a scum of the earth... if he had met you before you met him in that fateful day in your shop. And he would've been so stupid because of that because even without cursed energy, you possessed and mastered something that the Multiverse itself was in danger from.

Chaos Magic.

Yeah. It dawned onto Geto that he would have been really doomed.

And despite all of Masters you sent to their deaths, you looked remorseless. Your eyes lacked the soul and warmth and shine that the jujutsu sorcerers adored. Instead, you were a mindless killing machine with only one mission in mind: to make your children yours again.

"Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful," Sukuna nearly purred and groaned as you mindlessly magicked away the blood splatters on your face. "Fit to be my queen, to rule the world alongside me..."

The others couldn't look more disturbed at what you had just done. Was this how... bad the Darkhold's influence on you was?

As if nothing had happened, you stepped towards the main entrance of Kamar-Taj, using the witch's eye to locate your target. America Chavez. The jujutsu sorcerers momentarily found themselves with the girl, and with her, they could hear unearthly whispers—in Sokovian—as you taunted her. Scaring her. You knew exactly where she was. And you were going to get her.

Hide-and-seek was over. It was time for the chase.

Then your intimidation tactics abruptly stopped as you opened your eyes, and the jujutsu sorcerers were now darting their gaze between you and Strange. You gave them man an unamused look, questioning him silently. Daring him.

"You want the girl, you'll have to go through me," he boldly declared.

You accepted his challenge. "Fine."

What you didn't expect was for you to be lured into a trap. Right as you stepped on a button on the floor, your surroundings morphed into kaleidoscopes and countless distorted reflections of space. The jujutsu sorcerers had also become trapped with you, watching as you stared at the infinite reflections of yourself in the Mirror Dimension.

".... Why is a creepy lullaby playing in the background?" Yuuji frowned. "Horror vibes."

"Yo, this is... well, this is reminding me of my time in the Prison Realm," Gojo gasped out. "But this is pretty spacious, isn't it? Prison Realm's pretty cramped."

All of a sudden, gigantic glass spikes shot out from around you, making you raise your arms to instinctively cover your body. Around them, too, but it was nowhere near the size of the shards trapping you.

"Shit, that scared me," Gojo exhaled, a hand over his rapidly beating heart. "And I stand corrected. It's very cramped in here now."

"And sharp," Geto added. "Watch out."

"Ya know, I'm kinda torn between rooting for Strange or Y/N," Toji commented, crossing his arms as he exaimined the glass. "Maybe I'm biased."

"All of us are," Choso pointed out. "It's Y/N, after all. And mind you, a lot of us aren't blameless either." By that, he was referring to himself, Toji, Geto, and Sukuna, specifically. "Technically, aren't we all killers here?"

"... He's got a point," Nanami replied coolly. "None of us are blameless." With that, it was silent amongst them, with only your slightly labored breathing to be heard as you tried to figure out how to get out.

You attempted to break free by firing a bolt of energy at the glass, only for it to continuously ricochet and nearly hit you. Changing your strategy, they watched as you stared at the broken reflection of your face and reached in-between.

Escaping just needed a bit of creativity and imagination.

And, of course, magic.

The scene cut to Strange trying to teleport America with a Sling Ring, only for it to break off and vanish into thin air. The jujutsu sorcerers flinched as they felt an unseen malevolent presence appear in the room, slamming doors shut like a vengeful spirit out for blood. Then suddenly, the guards protecting America were dragged down into puddles of water by a pair of very familiar arms.

"... The fuck?" Toji blinked, baffled.

"Reflections," Strange deduced, warning Wong and Chavez. "She's using the reflections! Cover them!"

The trio proceeded to grab blankets and cloths from around them, quickly covering puddles that remained from an earlier rain last night.

"Makes sense," Geto murmured, deep in thought. "Like in our world, reflections... or mirrors... can be portals to other dimensions. To domains."

They watched as America was about to cover another tiny puddle of water, but as she stared at it too long, an eye appeared.

"Ahhhhhhh!" America and Yuuji screamed at the same time.

Then, a bent arm with crooked, broken fingers suddenly shot out from behind her, like a zombie who had risen from the dead and from its rotten grave underground. This time, it wasn't only America and Yuuji who had screamed (or at the very least, yelped).

You emerged from the golden gong like something out of The Ring, indisputably twisted and deformed, skin split open in multiple places, limbs and neck snapped the wrong directions, and crawling on-fours and on your back as your disfigured bones popped back into place through the Chaos Magic running through your veins like blood.

It was at that very moment that the several jujutsu sorcerers present realized that the Scarlet Witch was a thousand times more terrorizing than any cursed spirit that they would ever face in their lifetime.

"Oh my God!" Yuuji exclaimed. "Ohhhhhhh my God!"

"The fuck is that?" Sukuna and Toji chorused out, watching your body be literally put back together again hideously.

"... I think... I think I'm gonna be sick," a pale, severely-disturbed Megumi unwillingly blurted out as he retched.

"That is... I have no words," Gojo stuttered. Was he disgusted at seeing the insides of your body all jagged up from breaking the shards of the Mirror Dimension? Was he terrified at seeing you come out of the gong like you were that girl from The Grudge? Was he shocked at seeing you reassemble your entire body so repulsively? Yes, yes, and yes. All of them were.

"Never really liked Pennywise anyway," Geto mumbled. He would definitely not be able to erase that image from his head. And he's seen his fair share of revolting curses. "What the actual fuck did Y/N just do to herself?"

"Well shit," Toji was unable to remove his eyes from you as you regenerated. He didn't exactly know what to feel.

The rest were too stunned to speak.

"You gave all those lives just to keep my from my children," you mocked Dr. Strange, walking towards him and his allies like you didn't just break all the bones in your body and fix it. You would've preferred to emerge out of one of the puddles so that you wouldn't come out so distorted, but they'd covered them all or weren't big enough for you to get out. So, the gong was the only option you had—even with how imperfect its reflection was.

"You took those lives!" Stephen yelled back, protectively putting America behind him. "You cannot be allowed to cross into the Multiverse."

"I'm not a monster, Stephen," you defended yourself.

"... Uh, wouldn't be so sure about that," Gojo scratched his head at your remark.

"I'm a mother," you added, stopping a few meters in front of America, Wong, and Stephen.

"Wanda, you have no children!" Strange argued, frustrated by your useless quest for your kids. "They don't exist!"

"Oh, but they do. In every other universe," you enunciated firmly. "I know they do. Because I dream of them. Every. Night." With that, you made a series of hypnotizing hand motions that summoned the Darkhold in front of you. From the Book of the Damned emerged a red mist of your Chaos Magic, and it showed everyone the multiple universes—countless—all containing you and your happy, peaceful family. "I dream of my boys," you whispered, eyes glazing with tears as you watched them grow up with you. "Of our... life together."

The jujutsu sorcerers gazed sadly, suddenly feeling sorry for you as they saw all the other universes that had you and your loved ones as a complete family. The highlights of the alternate universes were mostly Billy and Tommy.

In one universe, they saw you holding the newborn twins in your arms, singing softly a Sokovian lullaby as you rocked them to sleep. In another universe, they saw you clapping happily as you taught the twins how to walk, with them taking their wobbly first steps towards you. There was even another universe where you were simply helping the preschool-aged kids do some arts-and-crafts activities. There was one when they were in the last age they remembered, still kids, almost teens, but you three were running in the field and playing catch with them. In another, you were with the older, teenaged twins as they embraced you, telling you they loved you.

It felt like watching WandaVision all over again, but this time, a version of if it had kept playing until you and Vision grew old with Billy and Tommy. They also noted that in these alternate universes, sometimes Vision was there, sometimes other men were the twins' father, or you were a single mom. Either way, the you of every other universe was far more content and happy with her life. None of them had hurt and experienced so much pain that they were forged into the Scarlet Witch.

None of them. Only you. And God, wasn't that unfair?

"Mom..." Yuuji whispered, seeing tears form in your eyes. "So, all the other variants of her except... her... are happy?"

"Fate really is cruel, huh?" Geto remarked with a tone of pity for you. He frowned.

"If we were in her place, wouldn't we go crazy, too?" Toji muttered. He knew he would go crazy if he found out that in all the infinite universes, it was only in his universe that his life sucked before his first wife saved him and made him truly happy. What if... in other lives, he got to grow old with the love of his life?

Choso silently agreed. What if it was only in his universe that his brothers met their end? That he wouldn't be able to be with them? He'd be pissed, too. But that was a what-if he would never be able to answer.

Nanami was thinking how it would be if he found out that it was only himself that lost Haibara. What if all the other Nanami in other universes had a different destiny? What if Haibara survived? What if... what if...

"Every night, the same dream," you breathed. Then, right as you shut the Darkhold, a single tear dropped down you cheek. It was dark again, with no glowing red magic to illuminate the room. "And every morning, the same... nightmare."

America's eyes showed sympathy; she knew what it felt like to yearn for her family. Her mothers, specifically. Even Strange felt pity for you after seeing what you had just shown him. It truly was unfair. And he felt like he needed to apologize for you for his insensitive comment about you having no children because, it turns out, you did. Just not in this universe. But that didn't change the massacre you had just committed minutes ago. "... What if you reach them? What happens to the other you? What happens to their mother?" he asked, an ominous feeling in his gut for your answer.

Your expression darkened. Slowly, a miniscule yet sinister smirk curved your lip up, only implying one thing. Immediately, they knew your answer through your silence.

The next few minutes were but a blur, with a short-lived fight between you and Wong. The jujutsu sorcerers watched, once more in horror, as you restricted America and began siphoning her powers from her. In her fear, portals to the Multiverse were involuntarily opened.

Strange, in an attempt to save Chavez, flew towards her. You shot a single blast at him to deter him, however, something else happened.

He aimed wrong, still dragging America with him, but this time, into the multiple portals across the Multiverse.

And this time, the jujutsu sorcerers had been dragged along with them.

"Ooooohhhhh, shiiiiii—" Gojo's, Toji's, Geto's, and Yuuji's voices echoed as they got the full experience of travelling the Multiverse. From Kamar-Taj, they were literally flying into worlds with the Living Tribunal, outer space, an icy planet, quantum particles, an underwater space, a world where Stark Technology was prominent, hell itself, a jungle full of dinosaurs, a planet ruled by bees, a place where everything was cartoons and comics, another dimension where they were literally turned into blocks, then another were they became splashes of color, then a world where HYDRA succeeded, and a whole lot more they couldn't process in a blink of an eye because suddenly, they were on a rooftop in a random universe where a lot of things seemed more advanced in New York.

While Strange and Chavez conversed, the others were not too happy.

"Holy. Fucking. Shit." Geto held his aching, spinning head. The others also landed face first into the floor.

"We just travelled the Multiverse," Gojo gawked, then pointed to himself in realization, bewildered and shaken to the core. "I just travelled the Multiverse. Oh God, that felt like being in my own Infinite Void but worse somehow. Much worse."

"Ow," Choso groaned, rubbing the bump on his head (he had been protecting Yuuji's head, in turn, preventing him from holding his own head from the impact).

A grimacing Toji had done the same for Megumi's head, but his son was already in a corner puking his guts out in whatever pail he could find, just like Strange who was also retching from the motion sickness. Nanami, whose glasses were still miraculously on his face, was patting Megumi's back. Still, Kento himself seemed as if he was in a daze after the entire ordeal.

Yuuji was laid flat on the ground, eyes staring into the sky tiredly. "... I wanna go home really bad," he mumbled, dizzy from Multiverse hopping. "I want Mom back. The nice one. The one that gives me rice bowls and dessert out of nowhere and hugs me. I don't wanna be in her past. I just want the present... her. I don't care. I just want my mom."

"Me, too, kiddo," Satoru pulled him up, frowning. "Oi! Megumi-chan! You good? We gotta follow the girl and Strange!"

Nanami offered Megumi a yellow-and-black-dotted handkerchief from his pocket, which the spiky-haired boy gratefully accepted to wipe his mouth. "Y-Yeah. I'm good. I think. Blegh," he cringed at the taste of acid and vomit in his mouth.

The jujutsu sorcerers tagged along with Strange and America as they searched for the variant of Dr. Strange who guarded this universe's New York Sanctum, stopping by for some stolen pizza balls, crossing the road on a red light (also weird for the jujutsu sorcerers), and stumbling upon a Memory Lane free trial—which felt really meta with how they were practically experiencing your Memory Lane—only for all of them to stop in front of a huge statue made in memory of that universe's Dr. Strange. America asked the question they all had in their heads.

"If other you's dead, who's master of the Sanctum?"

With the way things were going, it appeared that the Karl Mordo of this universe was about to fight them, only for him to introduce himself and laugh, hugging Strange. "My brother! Come in! And tell me about your universe!"

Stunned, Strange awkwardly laughed, ushering America to follow the man into the Sanctum. After some quick pleasantries, Strange got straight to the point, mentioning you as they discussed current events through tea. Instantly, the jujutsu sorcerers' ears perked up.

"Our Wanda has the ability to conjure demons and monsters to attack America in other universes," Strange warned Mordo.

"So she has the Darkhold?" Mordo inquired, slightly leaning towards Stephen in question.

"You know of the Darkhold?" Strange asked.

"Oh yes. We have a Darkhold in this universe, too. I guard it here in this Sanctum," Mordo disclosed. "We would never risk a weapon that dangerous falling into the wrong hands."

"Damn right," Strange muttered.

"But if your Darkhold is anything like ours, I'm afraid she can do far worse than just summon monsters to come after you here," Mordo advised.

"Far worse? Hasn't she done the worst already in Kamar-Taj?" Nanami wondered out loud, the chilling memory of you crawling out of that gong sending shivers down his spine, like insects crawling on his skin. It was... extremely... disturbing.

"Who knows? If Y/N did some IT and The Grudge kind of shit, maybe she's gonna go The Exorcist this time. Or The Conjuring," Toji huffed out. "Maybe even Final Destination or something."

Funnily enough, the infamous Sorcerer Killer had no idea how right he was with his offhanded comment.

"What do you mean?" America nervously asked.

"There is a... spell contained within those pages," Mordo revealed in a hushed tone. "Corrosive to the soul. A desecration of reality itself." Whether it was for effect or if it was forbidden to speak about, the multiple candles in the room were suddenly blown out by a wind that came out of nowhere.

"Uh-oh..." Yuuji's eyes darted around. "I've got a bad, bad feeling about this."

"Dreamwalking," Mordo spoke out. "A dreamwalking sorcerer projects their own consciousness from their universe into another, possessing the body of an alternate self."

The jujutsu sorcerers froze at his statement. Gojo spoke out first, pointing at his ear with a befuddled expression, "Wait, wait, did I just hear this guy right? Possessing the body of an alternate self?"

"Dreamwalking...?" Geto quietly repeated to himself in shock. Nanami, who was beside Toji, sighed out.

"Turns out you were pretty accurate with your prediction," the blonde spoke to the ex-assassin, whose eyes were as wide as saucers.

Mordo continued, "They may puppeteer this unholy doppelganger and pursue their enemies from afar."

"That's scary," Yuuji exhaled, running a hand through his pink locks. "So what, Mom's really gonna go even batshit crazier?"

"Sounds like it," Choso answered back, listening intently.

"The possession is not a permanent link between realities. But in the fleeting time they dreamwalk, they can do irreparable damage to the universe they invade," Mordo divulged. "So it may not be a demon you face. It may be the Scarlet Witch."

"Why didn't she do that in the first place?" America asked, confused.

"Because that was her being reasonable," Stephen replied tensely, turning to Mordo as your warnings echoed in his ear. "What do you know about the Book of Vishanti?"

"The Darkhold's antithesis?" Mordo seemed unsurprised and calm. "It can give a sorcerer whatever power they need to vanquish their enemy."

"I need your help to get me to it," Strange requested, only to start feeling queasy. Very, very queasy. His brows furrowed as his vision spun, blurring.

Meanwhile, the jujutsu sorcerers grew bewildered as the scene in front of them began flickering back and forth. Now, they were seeing you restrain Wong with your magic in bits and pieces. Yet, at the same time, they were seeing America and Strange, as well.

"I'm sorry, Stephen." Mordo stood up, walking towards the staggering Strange, "But I hope you, of all people, understand that it is not Wanda Maximoff who threatens our reality. It's the two of you."

"Oh, God," Chavez whispered, losing consciousness.

"What was in that tea?" Strange stumbled, falling to the floor and dropping his teacup. "You son of a—" He tried standing up, but to no avail, seeing the teapot on the floor which glowed green. "The Sands of Nisanti..." he realized. No wonder he was so drowsy.

"What's happening? We didn't even have any of his tea!" Yuuji exclaimed, the scene still flickering between you with an unconscious Wong in Kamar-Taj and Strange with Chavez in the unknown universe.

"Please don't let us be thrown in the Multiverse again," Megumi prayed to whatever gods were there, knowing he might puke again. "Please, please, please."

"I'm only acting as you would," Mordo said, leaving. Strange closed his eyes, whispering one last thing.

"She's coming."

Before they knew it, the flitting scene fully morphed to you in Kamar-Taj, standing in the middle of multiple, brightly-lit candles forming a circle. You were performing some sort of witchy ritual, your hands gracefully executing a series of hand gestures which brought forth the Book of the Damned. Your hands glowed the misty, reddish-black fog of your Chaos Magic. All of them were mesmerized—like they were in a trance—as they observed such a... blaphemous ceremony.

"Hmm. This is quite entertaining," Sukuna finally spoke out once more, chuckling to himself as he watched you cross your legs, floating in mid-air with you eyes closed and your blackened fingers resting on your lap.

"Oh God, she really is a witch," Geto breathed out at the sight.

Countless glowing balls of reddish-black energy materialized behind you, connecting you to the entire Multiverse as you searched your variants one by one, trying to see which matched America's whereabouts. When you finally found it, you projected your soul to your target variant, traversing the Multiverse. The jujutsu sorcerers, too, watched with their very eyes as your soul traveled the neuron-like network of universes. They were transported inside the house—the Vision Residence—of your variant, arriving with a faint, echoing scream in the background. Now, they were right behind your variant, who was cleaning up for the night.

"Boys, it's time for bed," the variant of you reminded her kids as she took away the dishes.

"Can we have a little more ice cream? Please, please, please?" the twins begged. "A little more, please?" Alternate you shook her head.

"Hey, don't make Mom out to be the bad guy," other you gently chastised, making them pout.

"Awww, okay, Mom." Thankfully, Billy and Tommy were easily distracted by a game, allowing you to clean up in peace.

Or so you thought.

Alternate you stopped in her tracks around the same time the jujutsu sorcerers' heads snapped towards the empty staircase in her residence. It felt like somebody was watching them. Her. As jujutsu sorcerers and trained killers, they knew better than to underestimate the invisible.

"... Y/N is here, isn't she?" Nanami murmured, eyes trained on the staircase. Nothing appeared to there, but the air... it was unsettling. Like a silent monster hiding under the bed. Or in the closet.

"Even without my Six Eyes, she is seriously giving off crazy cursed spirit behavior," Gojo muttered with a shiver, then turned to one of the men with him. "No offense, Choso."

The cursed spirit just blinked at him, then shrugged wordlessly, as if telling the other man, "None taken."

They observed as alternate you mulled over the sudden, nerve-wracking atmosphere. She knew something was wrong. There was an unseen, foreboding presence with her. She hasn't used her powers in a while, yet even then, something primal in her was telling her she was being watched. Deciding not to think much of it—perhaps it was just an owl outside—she hesitantly stepped towards the kitchen.

As she did it, the sound of crickets outside faded away. The warm lights in the room started flickering strangely.

On. Off. On. Off.

She took a glance at her kids, who seemed to be unaware of what was happening. Dread filled her entire being. Was she going insane? Was she seeing things? As she headed to the sink, the lampshade installed above the dining table began swinging wildly by itself as it kept flickering on and off, its creaks and screeches amplified like nails on a chalkboard. Its angry flickers were making other you feel quite lightheaded, too.

Creaaaaaaaak!

Behind her, the jujutsu sorcerers were seeing and feeling—experiencing the whole thing—unable to describe what they were going through. What alternate you was going through.

When she turned to the other direction to try and ground herself, she saw herself in her own picture frame move. No, it didn't just move. Its head turned and the smile on its face vanished as it glared directly at her.

"What... the fuck...?" Toji said what everyone was thinking, bewildered.

"I've seen a hella lot of cursed spirits but this is just plain creepy," Gojo muttered, feeling cold.

"Damn right," Geto replied, covering his ears in irritation at the scratching sound of the lampshade creaking. "Ugh. That makes me want to claw my ears out."

Breathe. Breathe.

Alternate you was starting to hyperventilate in panic, a random burst of wind making Billy's and Tommy's bowls fall... sideways? Not vertically to the ground due to normal gravity, but horizontally to the counter, defying the laws of physics. She was hearing haunting, evanescent whispers in Sokovian, too.

All of which she understood fully.

As her vision began to tilt, she ran towards the sink to hold herself—to stabilize herself before she fell. However, her eyes caught movement on one of the dirty plates beside the sink. The peas on Tommy's used plate were rolling around on their own, sounding awfully like hard mables on stone.

Rrrrrrrrrr. Rrrrrrrrr. Rrrrrrrrr.

Her head whipped to the right, hearing... ocean waves? In the unfinished cup of tea, she was seeing... roaring tides crashing against each other? Terror froze the blood in her veins.

Shhhhhhhhh. Shhhhhhhh. Shhhhhh.

Something was very wrong.

When she lifted her head, instead of seeing her normal reflection, she was met with you—her evil, deranged doppelganger. Your glowing, scarlet irises stared daggers into her entire being. Not even giving her another second to react, you entered her body—stealing its place and locking her soul away. She struggled against the invasion of her own body, writhing and screaming, eyes widened and limbs taut, but you were the stronger soul.

You'll take her place from inside her.

The jujutsu sorcerers could only watch in muted horror as the depraved, demonic-like spiritual possession took place. Finishing up the possession, your eyes glowed a brighter red before dimming back to its regular shade. You let out a small breath of relief, subtly wiggling your shoulders—as if testing out your new body. Strangely enough, it felt comfortable. Snug and fit—except for the wails of your alternate self in her own mind.

You'd shut her up soon enough.

Suddenly, your eyes met theirs for the first time, making the spectators watching the whole scene visibly flinch and hold their breaths unconsciously. A tiny smirk appeared on your lips as you turned away.

"Oh?" Sukuna, as a mouth on his vessel's face, sounded out in interest. He was the only one finding a sick sense of enjoyment in all of this.

"Did... Did she just... see us?" Yuuji cowered in fear, hiding behind Nanami and Choso. The other men couldn't answer him, also stunned.

"This... is very different... from her interview from that one Modern Family-themed WandaVision episode..." Gojo swallowed, traumatized at you breaking the fourth wall of whatever spell or illusion they were thrown into.

They may exorcise cursed spirits for a living, but the Scarlet Witch introduced to them a sense of dread that was unmatched. You were the stuff nightmares were made out of.

"Mom?"

You halted in your steps, hearing the two voices you've longed to hear for so long. But now was not the time. You couldn't face them now, could you? You had to look for America first. Still, your heart couldn't resist. "... Yes, sweetheart?" you shakily replied, unable to keep the emotion out of your voice. Suddenly, the fear in the jujutsu sorcerers' hearts turned into pity. In this moment, they suddenly wanted to give their condolences to you, now fully knowing how much you'd lost.

You were going to meet your children once again.

"Where are you going?"

Your heart clenched. "Just... to take out the trash," you lied, stammering. However, as they rushed and urge you to come to them, saying they'd show you something. You slowly turned on your heels as the boys asked you to hurry up, your eyes welling with tears as you finally saw them again.

Billy and Tommy.

Your twins. Your babies. The two beings whom you loved more than life itself aside from your late husband. The very beings which were perfectly half you and half the love of your life.

The began arguing on who would start, only for you to cut in, voice trembling with emotion, "Why... don't you both... start... it... whatever it is... together?"

"Okay!" your kids chirped, counting down.

"I wonder what they're gonna do," Yuuji asked, only to sweatdrop at what happened next.

"We like ice cream, like every child should!" the twins sang, off-key. You didn't mind (but some of the jujutsu sorcerers did). "And if you give us ice cream, we promise to be good!"

"Ugh," Sukuna and Toji groaned simultaneously in irritation.

"Definitely not singers," Gojo snorted, trying to push the horrifying memory of you possessing your alternate self into the back of his mind, only for Geto to elbow him.

"I think it's cute, so don't be rude," his best friend chided, his soft dad side coming out. "Mimiko and Nanako did something similar when they wanted candy."

"... Mom's crying," Yuuji suddenly pointed out sadly. Tears were flowing down your cheeks as you cupped the twins' faces gently, like you were touching them as newborns again.

Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to stay here with them. Just for a little while. You'd give them ice cream and talk with them. Yeah. That seemed like a good plan. Everything else could wait.

Then, the scene changed once more as they were brought back to the original universe you were in, where your original body was floating in the middle of the circle of candles. They saw Wong's limbs restrained by your magic. However, one of the survivors, Sara, came up to him.

"You're alive," Wong breathed out. Sara nodded solemnly.

"Yes. But so many others were lost," Sara murmured regretfully. Wong then turned to your dreamwalking, vulnerable form.

"Set me free. I need to destroy the book," he stated, only for the woman beside him to shake her head, placing a reassuring hand on his cheek.

"No. It cannot be you." With that, Sara took out a dagger from her robes, tackling the Darkhold and stabbing it.

"Sara! No!" Wong cried out.

The jujutsu sorcerers watched, for the nth time, in horror as destroying the Darkhold burned Sara into ash, a sole tear the only evidence of her life. From the other universe, the scene before them flickered once more, between your possessed alternate self and your dreamwalking state. With the Darkhold destroyed, the connection severed and the spell reversed.

Flicker.

You roughly fell to the floor, dropping the porcelain plates and utensils you were going to use for Billy's and Tommy's ice cream. At the same time, they saw your once-dreamwalking body get blasted down to the ground in your original universe.

Flicker.

Hearing the crash from the kitchen, the twins came running to you. "Mom!"

Flicker.

"What happened!?"

Flicker.

Still, they saw you frantically get up, kneeling in front of the twins, flickering from one universe to another and attempting to sustain the possession... trying to stay with your boys.

Flicker. Flicker.

"Are you okay!?" they asked worriedly, helping you get up.

Flicker... Flicker... Flicker... Nothing.

"Billy... Tommy..." you panted, their concerned faces disappearing from your field of vision as you unwillingly returned back to your original universe.

"Y/N..." the sorcerers murmured, again sympathetic of your situation, no matter how twisted and fucked up it was. In a frenzy, you scampered towards the remains of the Darkhold, whimpering at its sorry state.

"No, no, no, no," you whispered miserably, holding the book up. It was gone. Dismayed, your lips wobbled as you became hopeless. The jujutsu sorcerers thought that this would be it. Your corruption would stop. The ink on your fingers grew fainter already, only tinges and traces of it left.

Suddenly, you glowered darkly.

And they stilled in fear once again as you slowly swivelled around to Wong. Before they could react, you had already thrown him to the ruins of Kamar-Taj, striding menacingly towards him.

"I need the Darkhold's spells," you demanded impatiently, playing no games and getting straight to the point. "You are the Sorcerer Supreme. Tell me what you know!"

"You'll have to kill me first, witch," Wong spat out spitefully.

Your eyes narrowed as his defiance, something Sukuna was very much liking. He chuckled once more before Yuuji slapped a hand over him again. The others were watching the scene anxiously, not knowing what you'd do next (because honestly, you were being unbelievably unpredictable in this obsessed state of yours). "Not you," you spoke out, raising one hand. "Them."

From behind Wong, four survivors were swept into the air, your Chaos Magic physically tormenting them and twisting their bodies painfully. Even their cries and wails of pain weren't enough to deter you. You would get what you want. No matter what it takes. You didn't care.

"Wanda, stop!" Wong pleaded, unable to see his students tortured. You didn't stop, cracking and popping your fingers even more to strengthen the pain they were feeling. "Wanda, please!"

"Goddamn, she's crueler here than with Kenjaku," Toji stated. He wouldn't be messing with you anytime soon after this. Not that he would. Ever.

"The Darkhold's clouded her reason so much," Nanami frowned. This wasn't you. You were taking out your pain and rage on these innocent wizards.

"... The Darkhold was a copy!" Wong relented. Instantly, with a wave of your hand, the torture and screams stopped.

"A copy?"

"Legend speaks of a mountain with the wretched spells you seek carved into its walls," Wong shut his eyes. He shouldn't he telling you this, but he had to. The guilt of so many lives lost were already weighing down on him. "It's there the Darkhold was transcribed. Mount Wundagore."

You paused. It was a vaguely familiar place to you. It was near Sokovia, and briefly, you could remember old folktales and legends there from your childhood. "Mount Wundagore?" you repeated to confirm.

"No one has survived the journey," Wong disclosed as you set the four survivors down—astonishingly, in a gentler manner—to the ground. But, from one of the corpses, you used your magic to throw an extra Sling Ring to Wong.

Mount Wundagore was your next destination.

"Perhaps we will be the exception," you stated darkly, accent thicker as you set your goal to the mountain.

Suddenly, the jujutsu sorcerers were teleported to where Strange and America were contained in an advanced research facility. They met 838-Christine... who consequently told Strange that he was 616-Strange... which led to them to wonder.

"What number is our universe?" Choso questioned out loud.

"I wonder that, too..." Yuuji eeplied, scratching his head. "All this Multiverse stuff is making my head hurt."

"Someone from my universe wants that girl," Strange warned 838-Christine, who refused to let him and America go. "And she's going to rip this place apart atom-by-atom until she gets what she wants."

"... That's one way to describe Y/N," Toji shrugged, turning to Yuuji... or the curse inside him. "She did beat ya up in your domain that time ya ripped Itadori's heart, didn't ya?"

"Tch!" Sukuna snarled, but didn't deny it. The other sorcerers and Yuuji himself were surprised, not knowing about the event.

"She beat Sukuna up in his domain?" Gojo questioned, hearing the juicy gossip. "Heeeey, when did that happen?"

"Sometime after ya told her that Sukuna ripped this kid's heart before he got resurrected," Toji shared, smirking at the memory, glancing at Geto and Choso. "Ya two weren't there yet, so it was just the two of us. But I'll tell ya what, seeing an old woman in a dark room with glowing red eyes and floating knives is something ya wouldn't wanna see. No wonder she came back in a good mood after beating the shit outta ya."

"She did not beat shit outta me, bastard!" Sukuna protested, growling. He refused to be humiliated by a man who didn't even use jujutsu!

Funnily enough, after everything that's happened, they could vividly imagine what Toji was describing.

They heard Strange continue talking, "So I don't care if you're from the Avengers or SHIELD—"

"We're neither," a voice interrupted from behind Christine. It was 838-Mordo, with...

"Are those a bunch of Ultron bots behind him?" Nanami recognized. "Like those Stark created when we saw the younger Y/N and Pietro."

"Seems like it," Megumi agreed.

"Well, what then? HYDRA?" Strange shouted. That was a word the jujutsu sorcerers hadn't heard since what? Civil War? WandaVision? They were getting really familiar with the history of your universe... or Earth-616, specifically.

"The Illuminati will see you now," Mordo announced.

"The Illumi-what-y?" Strange (and hilariously, Gojo and Yuuji) said out loud in confusion.

Before more explanations could be made, they were suddenly on top of a freezing, snowy mountain. Unfortunately for them, despite the upcoming snowstorm—actually, beknownst to them, ongoing snowstorm—in their world, they had removed their jackets, coats, scarves, and layers back in your home. Now, they were left helpless to the powers of nature, the icyness nipping at their skin.

"W-W-W-Where a-are w-we?" Yuuji chattered, hands by his shoulders. The other sorcerers were chattering, too, in the middle of the frosty temperature.

"I-I-I t-t-think this i-is M-Mount W-Wundag-gore?" Gojo replied, unsure and shaking. "F-Fuck, i-it's f-f-freezing o-out h-h-here!"

"W-W-We r-r-really sh-shouldn't h-have re-removed o-o-o-our c-c-c-coats," Geto sputtered, visible puffs of air coming from his mouth. No matter what they did, the strong winds were throwing snow in their faces.

That was when a golden-orange portal appeared before them, with you and Wong emerging from it, trekking the mountain shortly. When you arrived, you squinted, spotting a structure hidden by the fog up ahead. God, it was cold.

"You couldn't portal us up there!?" you exclaimed, skin flushing from how frosty it was. Still, the jujutsu sorcerers were surprised by the fact that your teeth weren't chattering like theirs.

"My magic can only take us so far," Wong huffed. "Masters of the Mystic Arts weren't meant to tread upon the forbidden grounds of Wundagore." You had no idea if he was just stalling or telling the truth, but you made up your mind. With a determined gaze, you used your magic to fly to the entrance of ruined castle, dragging Wong (and the jujutsu sorcerers) behind you.

"Aaaaaaand, we're flying again," Megumi muttered to himself, not looking at the steep height below them.

"Weeeee!" Gojo exclaimed. Damn. He really missed flying with his powers, too.

"That's one huge-ass castle," Toji commented as they flew closer to the decrepit stronghold.

"Seriously giving me Coppola's Dracula vibes," Geto remarked, staring up at the impressively foreboding Darkhold Castle.

You landed on the entrance of the former fortress, examining the many broken stone pillars and dust and snow that had accumulated.

"Eons ago, the first demon, Chthon, carved his Dark Magic into this tomb," Wong explained, swallowing nervously. You (and the jujutsu sorcerers) stared at the Satanic inscriptions glowing red on the walls—very similar to your Chaos Magic, which you were currently using as an alternative torch.

Crack!

You lightly gasped in surprise. Their heads quickly snapped behind them, seeing some rocks fall down from above. Nothing was there. False alarm. You all continued to roam the area as Wong spoke.

"There's no telling what soulless monstrosities lie within." He was looking up at a dark, hooded skeleton which had its arms and talons crossed like a mummy. Using your magic, you lit up four large cauldrons, which surrounded what appeared to be a...

"Is that... a sacrificial altar?" Geto asked out loud. "Whoa. Damn." Even his former cult didn't have anything as nefarious as that.

All of a sudden, roars resounded from behind them. From the shadows emerged monstrous, red-eyed, demonic creatures, the Knights of Wundagore. Prepared to defend yourselves, you flew on top of the altar for battle whereas Wong's Eldritch magic circles appeared on his hands.

"The fuck are those things?" Toji asked.

"No idea," the others chorused.

That was when each of the knights formed their claws into fists, resting it on their chests as they respectfully knelt down before you—pledging their allegiance to the prophesized Scarlet Witch.

"They've been waiting for me," you exhaled out, stunned.

"Look," Nanami pointed behind you in awe. The jujustu sorcerers turned around. At the same time, you did, too. And you came to a startling realization.

The chapter devoted to you in the Darkhold was real. The prophecy of the Scarlet Witch. There was a magnificent statue... of you. Old and ancient, but true. Made by worshippers of the Elder God, Chthon.

"This isn't a tomb," you concluded, chin raised higher this time at the demons kneeling in front of you. "It's a throne."

"... A throne?" Sukuna intoned, mind clouded with hunger and passion. Second by second, he was getting even antsier to meet you again. To claim you as his. For you to become his Queen. After a thousand years, he's finally found someone worthy enough to become his partner.

You.

But he knew he had competition. The five other men with him, although he saw them as insignificant sow, held affections for you as well. Gojo Satoru. Nanami Kento. Fushiguro Toji. Geto Suguru. Kamo Choso.

Ryomen Sukuna was eager to win among all of them.

The scene changed from the Darkhold Castle back to where Strange was. He was being escorted by Ultron sentient bots to in front of what looked to be a council.

838-Mordo decreed, "Stephen Strange. You are now called before the Illuminati. I, Baron Karl Mordo, the Sorcerer Supreme, do hereby—"

"Wait, wait. Karl?" Stephen laughed at his enemy, only for a vibranium shield to be thrown beside him. It boomeranged back to a woman. A very, very familiar looking woman. Peggy Carter?

"Isn't that Cap's ex?" Gojo whispered to the others. "Why's she Captain America?"

"She did sound pretty badass when Cap talked about her with Mom back then," Yuuji said, remembering the events right after the Lagos Incident.

"Captain Carter. The First Avenger," Mordo introduced.

"Blackagar Boltagon. Keeper of the Terrigen Mists. The Inhuman King."

"Blackagar Boltagard?" Strange repeated as a jab. "Hidigy hidithere!"

"Pshh. What is this, Game of Thrones?" Geto snickered. Even he found it amusing.

"Captain Marvel. Defender of the Cosmos." Instead of it being Carol Danvers, it was Maria Rambeau, Monica's mother.

"And the smartest man alive, Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four," Mordo finished.

"Fantastic Four?" Strange was incredulous. "Didn't you guys chart in the sixties?"

"... Wasn't that the Beatles?" Megumi thought to himself.

"I'm sorry, is this a joke to you?" Maria asked, insulted.

"Well, there's a guy over there with a fork on his head," Strange pointedly looked at Black Bolt. "So, yeah, a little bit." Said man raised a finger over his lips, signalling Stephen to basically zip his mouth.

"Be grateful Black Bolt doesn't engage you in conversation," Peggy advised.

"Why, does he have bad breath?" Strange taunted.

"Huh. Sounds like something you and I would say," Gojo turned to Geto, who was impressed with Strange.

"Definitely. How... strange," Geto replied, making himself and Gojo laugh at their own jokes.

"You two are corny as hell," Toji shook his head. But he wouldn't lie. If he were in Strange's position, he'd say the same things, too. Heck, he used to do that with the Zenin Clan elders when he was younger.

They all listened as Reed explained to Strange the dangers of him in the Multiverse, telling him what incursions were and what their consequences were. Strange, however, had another priority.

"If it's incursions you're worried about, do you seriously think I'm a bigger threat than the Scarlet Witch?!" Strange asked quizzically, trying to convince them of the threat you posed.

"Oh, we can handle your little witch if she decides to dreamwalk," Maria arrogantly countered.

Gojo clicked his tongue disapprovingly, "Wouldn't be so sure about that, Captain Marvel."

"No. No, you cannot," Strange responded. "Not unless you give me the Book of Vishanti."

However, the members of the Illuminati disclosed that it wasn't the Scarlet Witch who was the greatest threat to their reality—or so they thought. That was when a man in a fancy wheelchair entered the room.

"Our final member. Professor Charles Xavier. One of the greatest telepaths alive."

Then, they were in the Darkhold Castle again. You were looking at a statue of a boy, touching it nostalgically. Somehow, it looked like one of your boys. Billy. But older.

"All these scene changes are seriously making me nauseous," Megumi quietly complained. He still hadn't recovered from being thrown across the Multiverse.

"You're wondering what happens now," you addressed Wong.

"No. That, I've already accepted," the Sorcerer Supreme replied. "But I do wonder, when you could force America to send you to any universe you want, why take her power for your own? You know it will kill her."

"For Billy and Tommy. To protect them," you instantly answered, as if it were that simple. You walked towards them. "In the infinite Multiverse, there's a cure for every illness. A solution to every problem," you justified. "I won't lose them again."

"The Darkhold's really clouded her reason," Nanami sighed. "There's no turning back."

"Why's Mom so... good in our world, then?" Yuuji inquired, not understanding.

"I don't know. But more things will happen for sure," Kento replied.

"Try as you might, Wanda, you cannot control everything!" Wong stated. Despite what you've done, perhaps there was a way for you to still see reason. To realize what you were doing was wrong.

"But I can!" you shot back, gesturing to the castle. "Look around you! It's carved. In stone. I was meant to rule everything." You eyed the grandiose statue that imitated your likeness. You were praised and adored even before you were born into this world.

"... Rule everything, huh?" Geto mumbled. "Interesting, indeed." He recalled wanting to do that once by eliminating all the monke—non-sorcerers.

"We can rule everything together," Sukuna cut in. Everyone else rolled their eyes.

"Not gonna happen, sicko," Gojo answered back, making the King of Curses scoff at him.

You shook your head dejectedly, "But that's not what I want. I just want my boys."

"At the cost of a child's life!?" Wong argued, voice raising. "Is there no peace in knowing that even though you can't be with the ones you love, there are worlds where you are together?!"

His remark hit the jujutsu sorcerers right on the nail. After all, in their field, they'd lost so many. But it was comforting to think that maybe in another universe, they were alive and well. You, however, grew enraged at his remark.

"Is that not enough!?" he shouted.

You lifted your hand and raised him in the air, whispering angrily, "No." You then proceeded to throw him off the castle without a second thought, startling the sorcerers.

You were gonna do it your way.

"Oh shit," Toji, Geto, and Gojo cussed.

"She threw him off," Choso gawped.

The next thing they knew, you were repeating the dreamwalking ritual once more and commencing the spell. This time, you had four loyal Knights of Wundagore to stand guard around you should something happen.

Now they were back in Earth-838's Vision Residence. They watched in terror as you possessed you other self again. You kissed your sleeping twins' foreheads and this time, you wasted no time, using your powers to fly off to where America Chavez was.

Meanwhile, Strange and the Illuminati were still speaking. Xavier showed Strange, and consequently the jujutsu sorcerers with them, a memory of 838-Strange's fate. They were on planet Titan, Thanos's home planet and where the original battle also took place in Universe-616. However, this time, a dead Thanos was in the corner, his own sword through his chest. Kneeling before the Illuminati was a repetant 838-Strange, his fingers stained black with the repeated use of the Darkhold.

"I shall miss you, my friend," Xavier bid him goodbye goodheartedly.

838-Strange nodded, forlorn yet ultimately accepting his fate. "... I'm ready."

It was how he died that surprised the jujutsu sorcerers.

A regretful-looking Black Bolt stepped forward, saying two words which eliminated Strange on the spot, "... I'm sorry." It echoed and echoed until the man was gone.

"Cursed Speech?" Megumi said out loud, stunned. "Like Inumaki-senpai?"

Gojo had already removed his blindfold, studying closely how 838-Strange had just... disintegrated. He shook his head at Megumi's comment, "It's similar to Toge-kun's ability, but also very different. Both are extremely powerful in their own rights, but Toge-kun's Cursed Speech... it also relies on the ability to command. This guy?" He pointed a thumb at Black Bolt. "This guy's voice is just plain destruction no matter what he says, it seems."

"Yeah. Even making a sound or grunting looks dangerous," Geto scrutinized, his eyes squinting.

"Thankfully, Inumaki-senpai can still speak in sushi ingredients, at least," Yuuji realized.

That was when multiple alarms began blaring outside. Loudly.

"The building's been breached," Reed stated the obvious, making Strange roll his eyes. All this useless talk made them lose precious time.

Now? You were coming.

"No shit, genius," the former neurosurgeon replied snarkily.

"Uh-oh," Yuuji felt shivers creep up his spine. "Mom... she must be here already."

"Status report on sentries!" Peggy ordered. Before them, several holograms displayed security footage at multiple angles of you, in your other self's body, breaking into the secure headquarters—practically multitasking with how many Ultron bots you were fighting and destroying in all directions. Oil covered you from head to toe, looking an awful lot like blood at first sight. The fact that it was only oil splattered across your face and clothes didn't make you any less terrifying.

"Stop where you are! Stop where you—"

Crash!

The Ultron bot was smashed.

"That is... wow," Gojo blinked, blindfold permanently removed and hanging on his neck now. He was gonna enjoy the feeling of not having oversensitive eyes since he didn't have his powers in this... memory realm of yours. "That is absolutely fucking terrifying and giving me Carrie vibes."

"Uh-huh. She's got Dracula, The Grudge, The Possession, and Carrie crossed off her list," Toji snorted, muscular arms crossed against his built chest. "Up next is what, Final Destination? The Conjuring? Evil Dead? I bet ya five thousand yen it's one of those and that a whole buncha' people are gonna die."

"... I bet you fifteen thousand yen it's all of those." It was Nanami, surprisingly, who made the remark. Everyone stared at the blonde ex-salaryman in shock. A huge grin appeared on the Sorcerer Killer's lips.

"Heh," Toji smirked. "Deal."

Gambling was always one of his vices no matter how unlucky he was.

Again, the jujutsu sorcerers got a good look at how well you actually incorporated physical combat with your magic. Hell, you even destroyed multiple bots in one go. Their last sight of you on footage was you with your arm outstretched with psionics, staring warningly into the eyes of an Ultron bot before crushing its head—losing all contact and sight of you once it did. The fact that they were Ultron bots, of all people, made you even more bitter. You only had terrible memories associated with the name. Terrible, terrible memories.

Perhaps it was why you were so vicious in tearing them apart.

Which was, ironically, what Ultron himself said that you would do to the Avengers of Earth-616. Look who's talking now.

"She's heading for the child," Maria said.

"Watch him. We'll vote on our return," Carter declared, she and the others immediately running out of the council room to give you a greeting. Only Mordo and Xavier were left with an exasperated Strange. He knew the Illuminati would be no match for you. Not without the Book of Vishanti.

"Stephen, should you manage to escape this chamber, you must guide America Chavez," Xavier suddenly declared when his fellow councilmen left. Hearing this, Mordo beside him was stunned.

"What the hell are you saying?"

"Save the girl and get to the Book of Vishanti," Professor X spoke.

"What? You have the book here?" Strange clarified.

"Yes, you built a waypoint," Charles answered kindly.

"Charles, we cannot trust him!" he exclaimed.

"I believe we can," Xavier smiled. Strange appreciated it. "Just because someone stumbles and loses their way doesn't mean they're lost forever."

At his statement, Gojo took a glance at the three men who exactly embodied what Professor X was describing.

Fushiguro Toji.

Geto Suguru.

Kamo Choso.

... You.

They didn't know how all this madness of yours was going to end, but they knew that whatever happened, it had consequently rippled down into a domino effect of you saving their lives and saving their world from the Culling Game.

"We will see what kind of Dr. Strange you are," Charles smiled, making Stephen nod appreciatively.

"Thank you."

Now the jujutsu sorcerers were looking at America and 838-Christine. Countless alarms were blaring in their ears, with more Ultron bots racing towards your location as explosions shook the building.

"Perimeter breakdown. All sentries engage. Intruder approaching," the bots repeated.

"Everybody out! Now!" Christine ordered to her colleagues and workers.

"It's Wanda," America realized in terror. You weren't gonna stop until you got her, huh? Immediately, Christine ran over to manually override America's biochamber restrictions. However, you seemed to already sense this, using your psionic energy to disrupt the communication technologies in the entire building.

"Ultron commands you to halt! Ultron commands you to halt!"

In the distance, they saw an Ultron sentry running into the explosion, only for its head to roll down the floor right after. You emerged from between two pillars, pulverizing the head with your powers without even looking at it.

"Shit, that one was personal against Ultron himself," Gojo whistled.

"Wait, has Mom been... barefoot all this time?" Yuuji blinked as you calmly marched your way into where America was.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! She's coming!" America cried out, utterly scared for her life as she slammed her hands on the bulletproof glass. Your face was emotionless—you were here for one thing only and nothing was going to stop you.

Even if these people tried to.

A woman landed in front of you with her jetpack and... vibranium shield? They saw your head tilt slightly in curiosity and slight familiarity. Instead of the typical white star on it, it was the Union Flag on it... and the woman wielding it... she was that woman on Cap's compass... Steve's first love. What was her name again? Ah, yes. Peggy. Peggy Carter.

After her was a man in a black suit and... was that a fork on his head? You didn't have a clue who he was but you were pretty sure he would be a hindrance to your plans.

The next one who flew down from the ground. She was very much like that woman you fought alongside with against Thanos, based on her uniform and powers. Captain Marvel. But... she looked familiar, too. Somehow. She resembled... what was her name? The last woman you spoke to in Westview and helped you... Geraldine. No, Monica. Your briefly wondered who exactly the Captain Marvel in front of you was before pushing the thought to the back of your head.

You didn't care. All you needed were your boys.

The last man was a man dressed in tight, blue and black suit and a number four emblem on his chest. He appeared to be the leader, based on how he was positioned in front of everyone—looking like he was about to negotiate with you. Impatiently, you kept glaring at all of them.

"Wanda, stop," Reed appealed, voice level—calming and nice. "You've possessed an innocent woman but you can still do the right thing. Let her go." He stepped forward slowly, a hand subtly raising up. Suddenly, you felt like a dog or a bull that was to be tamed by its owner. It annoyed you. "Please. I have children of my own. I can understand your pain," he pled, not wishing for a fight.

The jujutsu sorcerers observed you, who seemed to be in deep thought. Your face was blank, void of any emotion that signaled what you were about to do. Then, you spoke words that made the blood freeze in their veins. "Is their mother still alive?" you asked in a hushed, low volume.

"... Yes," Reed replied. He felt that he was finally getting you to reason. That you would stop this madness.

He was wrong.

"Good. There will be someone left to raise them," you added chillingly, the neutral expression on your face making you even scarier.

"... Oh, shit," Suguru cursed, hearing your statement. He briefly wondered if it was him in Reed's place, telling you about his own daughters, then you just brushing off his condolences like that.

Reed sighed, then turned to his teammate. "Wanda. Black Bolt can destroy you with one whisper from his mouth." Right as he said it, the Inhuman King opened his mouth—no sounds, just a warning.

You only stared at him, unfazed. "... What mouth?"

And just like that, it was gone.

Like his mouth had never existed in the first place, only plain skin replacing where it used to be. They didn't even blink once—there were no mind tricks here. His mouth had vanished at your will. They gasped.

"Mmmph!" Panicking, Black Bolt touched his face, trying to feel his mouth—the greatest weapon he's ever possessed. He screamed, only for it to be muffled within him and consequently, explode his brains inside out. His head grotesquely deflated. Blood dripped from his nostrils as he crashed to the floor.

The jujutsu sorcerers who had seen the entire ordeal were frozen to their feet, flabbergasted and frightened. They couldn't understand it. Their brains couldn't even comprehend it.

"Wha—" Gojo's mouth was agape. So were the others. "She just—"

"She... She..." Geto pinched himself. Was he dreaming? No? What?

"... The actual fuck?" Toji cussed in disbelief.

You just made someone's mouth disappear, on a whim, right before their very eyes. Even in the jujutsu world, no one—or not anyone they knew of—could just... do that unless it was an illusion.

This was real. This was your reality-warping in action once again.

Next was Reed, who tried to attack you. But you ripped Mister Fantastic into shreds, using his stretchy abilities against him and tearing him apart until his head ballooned and popped. You didn't even look affected as you killed two of this Earth's so-called mightiest heroes in less than ten seconds. Without breaking so much of a sweat.

"Y/N just turned him into string cheese!" Gojo exclaimed. "What the hell?!"

"... I now wonder if this is even her true potential," Nanami murmured. The other sorcerers looked at him in question.

"What do you mean?" Geto asked.

"Since she's only dreamwalking and she's not in her own body," Kento explained his thought process. "It would make sense if there's some sort of restriction on her. A limitation."

"You mean to say that she's not at her full power yet? After doing all that?" Toji's eyes widened.

"Maybe. Just maybe," Nanami replied, turning back to your fight against the female members of thr Illuminati. "It's just my thoughts."

Your eyes flared red as Captain Marvel and Captain Carter engaged you ina 2v1 battle. One was throwing energy blasts at you while the other was throwing a vibranium shield. Debris and concrete were flying everywhere as you tossed statues at your opponents. However, as a result, dust had flown up into the air around you, obstructing your vision. Peggy used this as a window to tackle you down.

But you had also been trained by two of your world's fighters. Black Widow and Captain America—with your late best friend slash sister being much more ruthless than the latter, practically handing over the training she got from the Red Room to you.

(Perhaps you could be an honorary Black Widow at this point. Hell, technically, you were already a widow after Viz died, weren't you?)

You were able to swiftly roll back from being tackled, glaring at Captain Carter.

"Haven't you had enough?" you grit out to the woman.

"Oh, I could do this all day," Peggy replied confidently, spitting out blood from her mouth. Her reply made you recall the blonde friend you once had. Wherever he was now.

But right now you couldn't care less about them. None of them mattered. Only Billy and Tommy. With that, the jujutsu sorcerers watched you imbue your magic and psionics in your hand-to-hand combat, reminding them of that time you fought Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight. Yet this time, you weren't on the defensive.

This time, you were very much on the offensive.

"... Damn," Toji nodded, impressed as he observed your movements as you threw Captain Carter across the room. You had astounding reflexes and agility. "That was pretty badass."

Whirr!

Captain Carter threw her vibranium shield to you. With your psionics, you easily caught it and prevented its impact, instead swinging it back to her with much more force than she did.

Whirr—

It sliced her cleanly in half, exactly where her midsection was. She could only let out one small gasp of shock, her upper body and lower body falling to the floor—blood and organs spilling out. The light in her eyes instantly dimmed, crimson gurgling from her dead mouth. Her bloody, stained shield implanted itself to the wall behind her. You? You only stared at the body, eyebrows ever so slightly furrowed—the only mixed reaction you've given to all the slaughter you caused.

For a moment, you thought about Steve. Just for a moment. It disappeared very quickly, the Darkhold's whispers of encouragement in your ear. You were very close to getting your children. Just a little more.

"... Holy shit," Gojo stared at the bifurcated cadaver in front of them, still so fresh. "She cut this lady in half with her own shield. Half! Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit."

"Fucking brutal," Toji muttered. "But I'm not one to judge." Sure, he's an assassin, but that was one real clean cut there and admittedly, one of the most savage methods to murder someone. Very... Final Destination.

"... I'd rather not stare at it," Nanami inwardly shuddered, turning to look at your thinking face, instead. He was already hiding a sick-looking Megumi behind him and a frightened Yuuji, too.

Your other enemy, Captain Marvel, emerged from the wall you'd tossed her in, blasting extremely concentrated energy at you. For a moment, they saw you in your original body, hair flying around and your face scrunched up in concentration as you released even more of your power in your alternate self's body. As a result, you began sucking in Captain Marvel's energy blast and her power, too, her uniform breaking and fading away.

"Raaaagh!" you yelled as you overpowered her, blowing her away to a large statue. You quickly used your psionics to wrap around the statue, pulling it down until it crashed onto Captain Marvel, appearing to kill her. You'd taken a lot of her power, after all. Maybe you'd rendered her useless, just like a normal human. Again, you didn't care. Not your priority.

"She's just slaughtering everyone who comes in her way," Choso spoke out, more and more shocked at getting to know the seemingly sweet woman he's known.

Meanwhile, Strange was purposefully riling up 838-Mordo, cunningly using the latter's anger to fight and get out of his restraints. (Honestly, it reminded them of how Gojo would piss enemies off, too. What was it with smartass genius sorcerers and their overly huge ego?)

Finally, you had arrived right behind where America was contained. She had punched a small hole into it, amazing Christine, but it wasn't enough to set her free. They gazed at you—barefoot, limping, bruised, bloodied, and covered in oil—in horror for what you were about to do next.

"Enough!" a voice called out.

You snarled, your hand glowing red once more at the person who dared interrupt your goals again. It was a bald man in a wheelchair. He raised his right hand to his temple and his left hand towards you.

Suddenly, it transported all of them—including the jujutsu sorcerers—into the mind of 838-Wanda. 838-You. They winced, seeing glimpses of you, the original one. You were screaming in pain, for the first time since Agatha, getting your mind forcefully invaded and broken in. It was shaking the dreamwalking connection, making you feel nauseous. Like a huge migraine or headache pummeling your head.

"Aaaaagh!" you wailed, eyes still shut.

"Mom! She's—" Yuuji gulped, looking at you in concern. The others had the same look, too. "She's in pain." Despite what he'd just seen you do, seeing your pained, crying face still hurt him. A lot. It always would.

Then, your original self vanished from view. And they found themselves in... somewhere. It was all white everywhere, except for a broken concrete structure and a single, standing door in the middle. It was completely silent, except for Charles's footsteps. The door creaked open. He entered it, the jujutsu sorcerers following curiously behind him. In front of them were a bunch of fallen debris, with some random knick-knacks here and there. On the bottom center was a pitch black hole.

"... Is that WandaVision playing on that TV over there?" Nanami asked, pointing.

"Oh. You're right. It is WandaVision," Gojo answered in wonder. "That 1950s-themed one in black and white, yeah? Where she was in a wedding dress?"

"Uh-huh," Megumi said, frowning. "I don't like this place. Really damn creepy."

"Creepier than any of your missions?" Geto asked.

"Yup."

Right as he answered, a hand shot out from the pitch black hole, making all of them flinch along with Charles.

"Shit. Thought it was going to be the Grudge Mirror Dimension all over again," Geto placed a hand over his beating heart.

"This is not good for my blood pressure," Toji scowled, cracking his neck.

"... Never knew you were such an old man," Gojo snickered, only for the black-haired middle-aged man to give him the finger in response.

"Help me. Please," 838-You whispered, trying to reach her hand out more from where she was stuck.

"Wanda Maximoff. Your mind is being held hostage by your alternate self," Professor X explained. At that moment, the debris over her began to teeter over, trapping 838-Wanda even further below.

"Uh-oh... again..." Yuuji said, concerned as sirens began ringing in the background.

"Grab my hand!" Charles ordered. "Perhaps, if I can pull you from under the rubble, the spell will break!" Panting, your other self was able to slightly squeeze her head out, but only until her shoulders. The rest of her body was still trapped.

"Hey... look," Megumi pointed behind them with wide eyes. They all pivoted backwards, seeing an ill-boding, crimson fog approaching them. Professor X froze. The blaring sirens turned into hushed, feminine whispers in Sokovian, chanting, echoing in their ears.

They saw a flash of your original body back in the Darkhold Castle, cold sweat on your forehead, with you looking... less lively than before while you regained control over your other self's mind.

838-You was terrifyingly pulled back into the darkness, like she was being dragged down to the pits of hell once more.

Scream!

Then, they all flinched as a pair of elongated, sharp talons with blackened tips wrapped around Charles's entire face. A monster with cracked, chalky skin, bloody red eyes and decayed, pointed teeth throughly ripped it open in two different directions.

Back in the research facility, Professor X's actual body slumped down lifelessly, blood dripping from his eyes. Your eyes dimmed down into their normal color as you stared coldly at the man's corpse. However, you then saw that Chavez and 838-Christine were gone. As they reunited with Dr. Strange, the jujutsu sorcerers stared at one another. Sukuna was the only one chuckling in amusement.

"Heh. This oughta be the best thing I've ever seen," the mouth on Yuuji's face grinned wide. "Heh!" It was confirmed in his head now. Ryomen Sukuna, King of Curses, saw you as his partner. His equal.

"... That... monster... was Mom, wasn't she?" Yuuji quietly asked, spooked as his eyes darted around skittishly.

"Yeah," Nanami answered somberly. This time, you did look like an actual cursed spirit—eyes, skin, teeth and claws. It only happened for what, five seconds? But the appalling image was imprinted in their heads.

"She snapped his neck?" Megumi clarified. His father shook his head, eyes narrowed.

"No. It looked like she did, but she didn't." He glanced at Megumi. "She ripped it open with her bare hands."

"Damn," Choso muttered.

Funnily enough, they were only speed-walking behind America, Stephen, and Christine as they searched for the waypoint to the Book of Vishanti. But when you—looking like a zombie—forcefully opened the metal doors that the trio had closed, angry red eyes staring into them, something inside them told them to run, too, even if this was the past.

It was a 6D experience, after all.

So when you blasted the storage room with your powers and a stray computer screen knocked Gojo over the head, they were shocked. They were lucky enough to not be harmed during the Battle of Kamar-Taj, but that was proof that anything happening here—in spite of it being in the past—could physically affect them.

"Oh shit! Satoru!" Geto cussed, dragging his best friend out of the way.

"What—" Gojo was shocked. Yes, he didn't have his powers, but he was affected.

"Sensei! Did it actually hit you!?" Yuuji exclaimed.

"Y-Yeah, holy crap..." Gojo blinked, rubbing his head as he processed what was happening. "Ow? That hurt. A lot." A rapidly-forming bruise on his skin was evidence that he had been hit.

"Then I think we should all run, too! Now!" Nanami shouted—for once, raising his voice in alarm as they stared at your terrifying form in the doorway. Right as he said that, Strange was warning America and Christine.

"Go! Go, go, go, go!" Stephen urgently yelled. The jujutsu sorcerers followed after them, running as fast as they could from you—even overtaking Chavez, Strange, and Christine.

When they looked behind their shoulders, you were there—bloodied, limping on one leg, stepping on broken glass shards and debris with no shoes, blasting away doors and blockages.

"I feel like I'm in a horror movie!" Yuuji cried out as he ran. "You know, being chased by a crazy killer in a stinky tunnel! I love Mom but crap, I really wanna pee right now!"

"Me too! Holy shit!" Gojo yelled. "I've seen too many fucking jumpscares today from Y/N!"

Christine was able to close a door before you could pass, though. They staggered to a stop, hearing only the drops of water from the river above them.

Drop. Drop. Drop.

"Why the fuck did we stop?" Toji whispered harshly. "Shouldn't we continue running?"

"Same thoughts," Geto muttered, listening intently for any sign of you.

"She's here. Somewhere. Probably gonna pop out of nowhere," Gojo said with a nervous frown. "So just keep your eyes peeled. She won't lose America so easily."

Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop.

"Where did she go?" America whispered, scared.

Snarl!

You came out out of the shadows, the dim, flickering lights of the tunnel blinking over your red eyes.

"I swear, for a fucking moment, I saw that monster in her face," Gojo rubbed his eyes. "Not kidding. She looked a hella lot like Valak just now."

"... I saw it, too," Megumi swallowed quietly. "Her face... it was all cracked and decayed... and her teeth..."

"It was pointy. All of them," Choso murmured, watching you approach America.

"... So her appearance right now, it might be an illusion, too," Nanami deduced, moving back slowly with the others. "Her face might not be... well, as nice as we know it to be."

"The Darkhold's taken Y/N's pretty face, too? Well, shit," Geto snorted. However, when they looked at you now, it looks like you'd "fixed" your face to be normal again. "Thank God she destroyed the last one last time."

No wonder you were so good at fooling them you were an old woman when they first knew you. You could fix up your face, body, and surroundings any way you wanted.

"I warned you," you told Strange lowly.

"Other Wanda, if you're in there," Strange's hands lit up orange. "Hold your breath." He then proceeded to make river waters crash down on you, giving them time to run to the waypoint.

Fortunately, 616-Strange was able to open it. And it took them back to where Supreme Strange and America were first running from the Ribboned Creature. In the center was the shining Book of Vishanti. They all jumped down into the Gap Junction, the Space Between Universes.

"Really shiny up close, isn't it?" Gojo whispered in awe.

"Yeah," Geto and the others exhaled.

"Give me what I need," Strange murmured, taking the Book of Vishanti carefully from its seat.

"I think we're forgetting something," Yuuji scratched his head.

Their eyes widened. "They didn't close the damn door!" Nanami yelled and turned around, only for America to be literally dragged by the hair with red magic.

"It wouldn't have made much of a difference!" Gojo argued, eyes wide. "She can blast it open anyway!"

You were extremely pissed from being drenched in river water. This had to end now.

Christine cried out, running to America, only for Strange to stop her and protectively place a hand in front of her. Strange fired a blast of Eldritch magic at you, only for you to absorb it with your free hand and deflect it back to him and Christine, sweeping them off their feets. Tragically, the backlash also hit the Book of Vishanti, burning it to ash.

"Shit!" the jujutsu sorcerers cussed, ducking to avoid the violent blast.

You lifted America's struggling form from the ground with one hand, annoyed. Instantly, you took over her mind—as evidenced by her eyes glowing blue and her going limp. You manipulated it to open a random dimension in the Multiverse, using your magic to restrict Christine and Strange then toss them into the portal.

Wasting no time, you once more controlled America's mind to open a portal to your original universe. And there it was. Your own body, sitting cross-legged in the air, surrounded by sanguine wisps allowing you to dreamwalk. With a dark smile on your face—now that you were finally getting what you wanted—you tossed America into the portal. Then, in your original body, you opened your eyes—ceasing the dreamwalking spell.

As the portal slowly closed, the jujutsu sorcerers ran to the other side where original you was. And their last vision was 838-Wanda falling to her knees tiredly, finally in control of her own body, no matter how battered you caused it to be.

"My boys..." 838-You mumbled worriedly, levitating back to the entrance of the waypoint to the Gap Junction.

Behind the terrified America, the anxious jujutsu sorcerers watched as you wordlessly stared at the girl as you stepped closer, like you were wondering what to do next.

"... She looks different," Megumi pointed out, squinting. "The same, but really different?"

"Mom looks... sick," Yuuji frowned. He's frowned probably more than a hundred times today, seeing how your life played out.

"Yeah. It's the crazy look in her eyes," Gojo answered quietly, noticing the darkened bags around your eyes and that your skin tone had become ashier—like the Darkhold was physically (and mentally) making you ill. Your hair was wilder, messier.

You truly did look insane. Even the way you were staring at America, like she was some sort of prey; it wasn't like the normal you.

"The isn't what your children would want!" America weakly told you, only for you to ruthlessly throw her onto the sacrificial altar of the Darkhold Castle and pin her down. You circled her like a predator, the jujutsu sorcerers watching uneasily. You stopped right behind America's head, your blackened fingers mindlessly stroking the cool stone of the altar. You gave America an emotionless smile.

"They'll never know," you replied offhandedly, sending chills down their spines.

"Maybe not," America shot back. "But you will."

For a few seconds, you appeared to contemplate your whole decision. Like a glimpse of your kinder, uncorrupted self had shone through. Then, the scene rapidly changed to Strange and Christine, who had become stuck in a bleak universe where an Incursion had happened. They met... other, other Strange... who seemed a lot more sinister than all the other Strange variants they'd met. He had a longer beard, and his skin—ashy and pale, almost lifeless, like yours. This... Sinister Strange possessed a Darkhold.

"Careful. The Darkhold exacts a heavy toll," Sinister Strange declared, refusing to give 616-Strange the Book of the Damned. His words resonated through the jujutsu sorcerers, remembering how much you had changed. "Not just on its reality, but on its reader."

Eventually, the whole conversation took a dark turn, with a third eye ominously appearing on Sinister Strange's forehead.

"Ew. Reminds me of that damned Prison Realm," Gojo cringed as the two Stephens broke out into a fight made out of musical notes. It ended with Sinister Strange falling off the Sanctum, dying when he fell through the pointed entrance gates.

Then, they were momentarily back at the Darkhold Castle, seeing Wong suprisingly alive and trying to climb up. On the other hand, you had spread your arms to the side, beginning to siphon America's powers from her body. She screamed in agony as your hands and the sacrificial altar below her glowed crimson.

Strange, now holding the Darkhold, was attempting to execute the dreamwalking spell with the help of Christine.

"While I'm under, I need you to protect my body in case they attack me for trespassing," Stephen disclosed.

"Who's they?" Christine and the jujutsu sorcerers chorused.

"The souls of the damned." With that, Stephen summoned multiple candles from around the Sanctum, beginning to dreamwalk.

"Okay...? But doesn't a version of you have to live in that universe so that you can dreamwalk into them?" 838-Christine asked, confused.

Stephen peeked an eye open, "Who said they had to be living?"

That was when the jujutsu sorcerers found themselves where Supreme Strange was buried. Thunder rumbled from around them. His hand shot out as he rose from the ground, bones cracking as he opened a portal to Mount Wundagore. This time, it was Geto who was severely disturbed.

"I don't... like this," he muttered, looking away instead as he briefly recalled what Kenjaku had done to him. Up to this day, he still felt violated. Possessing a dead man's body? Yeah. He didn't have the greatest experience with that.

And the jujutsu sorcerers were back in Mount Wundagore, shivering in the icy cold. However, from Supreme Strange's corpse emerged dark, skeleton-like spirits.

"Stephen Strange!" they snarled, attacking him. "Possessing a dead body is forbidden!"

"Forbidden!"

"Trespasser! Trespasser! Trespasser!"

"Cease your dreamwalk, or face the eternal consequences!"

Weirdly enough, three of the spirits turned to them, making the hairs on their skins rise. The three approached them, hissing. "Trespassers! Trespassers!"

"Into the wretched memories of the Scarlet Witch!"

"How shameful!"

"How deplorable!"

"Sinners, sinners, sinners! All of you, who destroy the cursed!"

They were stunned. No beings in your memories had ever interacted with them. Yes, they experienced everything with their senses, but this? This was new. And were they... talking about cursed spirits? Were the souls of the damned cursed spirits, too? Vengeful ones?

Thankfully, before the souls of the damned could do any harm, Stephen was able to overpower them with Christine's help, using them as makeshift wings. They were all transported to the Darkhold Castle. Your head snapped towards Strange, stopping the ritual to get America's power.

"Dreamwalking, you hypocrite!" you screamed. Scornfully, you threw a blast of Chaos Magic at him, only for the souls of the damned to eat it up like dinner. You threw another blast at him, but he dodged it, directing the souls to you. They swarmed at you like bees, chanting and cackling. And for once, it was you who was frightened and wide-eyed, caught like a deer in headlights.

"Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!"

"Those things are scary," Yuuji winced, seeing as Wong restricted you in another magical ball along with the souls of the damned. "Kinda feel sorry for Mom."

Strange set America free, encouraging her that there was only one way to defeat you. At that same moment, you released a powerful blast of energy, escaping the souls and the magic restriction you were in. You paced towards Strange, throwing a ball of Chaos Magic at him, which dissolved his dead body like acid.

Well, at least until a roaring America Chavez landed a solid punch at you, creating shockwaves all over Mount Wundagore.

"Damn, that kid packs a punch," Gojo and the others were impressed.

"I'm even more shocked Y/N's still standing after that," Toji added. "Her durability's out of this world."

America stared at her fist in shock, then looked up at you confidently, "Uh-huh."

You were cradling your jaw, mania in your eyes as you madly smiled back, panting, "Mmmhmm—agh!"

America landed three more punches and a kick to your stomach, opening a portal that nearly made you fall into the boiling, lava-filled pits of Hel. Yes, Hel.

"I'm amazed by how durable she is but now Y/N really looks like she escaped from a mental asylum," Geto commented, arms crossed. "She looks insane! And not in a good way!"

"... Huh. It looks like Vecna's lair behind her," Yuuji pointed to the portal, shrugging. "Just saying."

Balancing yourself once more, you slowly—terrifyingly—turned back to America, a murderous glare in your eyes as you stopped being the punching bag. If looks could kill, America would've been dead long ago. You overpowered the girl, blocking her punch with your magic. The portal to Hel closed.

"I can't beat you," America realized, then closing her hand into a fist. "So I'll give you what you want." With that, she landed another strong punch at you, opening a portal. The jujutsu sorcerers watched, aghast as you lifted America by the neck with one hand, strangling her.

Just like what Agatha did to your Billy and Tommy.

Just like what Thanos did to Vision.

Unbeknowst to you, you had become the very thing you hated. The very person you despised.

The jujutsu sorcerers, on the other hand, witnessed your downfall. All of it.

"What was the saying?" Gojo murmured, remembering how you faded into dust during The Snap. "You either die a hero..."

"... Or live long enough to become the villain," Geto finished, looking at his surroundings. At the same time, you realized where you were. And you saw your boys, sitting on the couch, watching TV and eating popcorn peacefully.

"Billy... Tommy..." you breathed, only for them to scream in fear at the sight of you.

"Mommy! It's the witch!" the twins screamed, dropping their bowl of popcorn and running over the sofa.

"What. Have. You. Done," you hissed to America, tightening your hold on her neck as your hair flew wildly around your head.

"Damn, Y/N, this isn't you," Gojo muttered, shaking his head.

"Mom!" the twins shouted as your other self came running down the stairs, all washed up and changed into new clothes, but still scratched and bruised. She moved in front of the twins protectively, one hand glowing red, but it was clear she hadn't mastered her powers and didn't use them very much, judging by the terror and apprehension painted on her face. Her powers were primitive in comparison to yours.

"Wait! Boys!" you cried out desperately.

"It's okay, it's okay," 838-You assured them.

"I'M YOUR MOTHER!" you asserted viciously, chucking the couch to the wall. "Get away from them!" You then proceeded to fling your other self to the corner, making the jujutsu sorcerers wince at your cruelty. Other you screamed as she was thrown into a cabinet of books. She fell roughly to the floor.

"... That's how delusional she's become from the Darkhold?" Choso blinked, feeling pity for your variant. She's been through much over the past day.

Seeing what you did to their mom, 838-Billy and 838-Tommy ran down the stairs, hurling toys and multiple items at you. "Mommy! Get away from our mom!"

You blocked their throws with your arms, trying to appease and calm them with a gentler tone, "Hey—boys—stop!"

"You're not our real mom!"

"Please—please—"

"Get out of our house!"

"Wait, boys, stop it—"

"You're not our mom! Get out! Go away!"

It was when they threw a whole scooter at you that your patience snapped.

"STOP IT!" you screeched in a shrill, earsplitting volume, eyes hysterical. They all flinched in fear. Even the jujutsu sorcerers grew silent. They'd never seen you scream like that before.

Afraid, the twins retreated to the opposite side of the staircase. Slowly, with a joyful smile, you approached them, reaching out to touch their faces with your very hands after so, so long.

"Please don't hurt us," Tommy begged.

"Please," Billy sniffled, scared for himself and his brother.

Their words made you freeze in your spot. "... I would never hurt you," you assured them in a whisper, shaking your head. "Never." A single tear dropped to your cheek. "I would never hurt anyone. I'm not a monster."

Slowly, their young, terrified eyes peeked behind you, looking at their beaten, whimpering mother. Their eyes turned back to you, telling you it was a lie.

It was all a lie.

And everything came crashing down to you in realization, their gazes harsh as you slowly detached yourself from the influence of the Darkhold.

Murderer. That was what the souls of the damned labeled you as.

Monster. That was what these children saw you as.

And they were right.

"I'm—" you stammered, stepping back from Billy and Tommy. The jujutsu sorcerers watched as your pale, chapped lips began to tremble, more tears falling down your cheeks.

Oh, God. What have you done?

"... I-I'm sorry," you barely choked out, shaking as you placed a hand over your mouth. Other you tried to get up, only for her to stumble down helplessly. She was too injured and exhausted.

"Mom!" Billy and Tommy ran to her. Not you. "Are you okay!?"

"Hi! Hi!" she breathed out, touching their faces. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

Those were the exact same words you told your Billy and Tommy when they were running to you when you closed the hole in Westview during the fight against Agatha. To save them. And their father.

Seeing this, you sobbed, a hand over your stomach. Empty. Void of your children. Your twins. Your babies. To everyone else, it wasn't real. But to you? It was real. It was real to you.

The jujutsu sorcerers watched as you fell to your knees, crying at the familiar yet different sight.

"How long has it been since WandaVision?" Geto asked the others, crestfallen seeing you.

"A few months, perhaps? Maybe a year?" Nanami answered mournfully.

"You think... you think that maybe, Y/N had postpartum depression?" Suguru murmured.

"... Yeah. Likely," Toji replied, gazing at your kneeling form, clutching your stomach.

"Then she's no different to all the mothers in Japan who've lost a child," Nanami said. "And out of grief, brought to life cursed spirits." It wasn't uncommon. They'd exorcised many cursed spirits like that. Miscarriages, stillbirths... a mother's pain and suffering was unlike any other.

"... What is grief, if not love persevering?" Choso repeated to himself the words your late husband said to you.

"Unfortunately, love is the most twisted curse of them all, neh, Gojo-sensei?" Yuuji wiped his tears, sniffing at seeing you cry.

Gojo was quiet for a few moments, "... Yeah. It is."

All this madness and chaos, born out of your love. You had so much of it to share and spare, yet received none because all your loved ones were gone. The Scarlet Witch, born and forged, was just like a cursed spirit.

And your curse? It was love.

Your alternate self stood up, cautiously approaching you. The twins tried to stop her, but she assured them it was fine. You couldn't find it in yourself to look at her out of guilt and shame. You'd wrecked her world, her home, and her own body. It was unforgivable.

Then, she reached out to you, touching your cheek. Who else was there to comfort you... but you?

"It's okay," the jujutsu sorcerers heard from around them. It was your voice—no, it was your variant speaking to you. Telepathically. "I've had nightmares... over past few weeks... but they're not nightmares, are they?"

You slowly opened your teary eyes to look at your other self, so same, yet so different.

"They were your life. What you'd lived. What you've gone through," she told you mentally. Mirthlessly. "And while I was having those nightmares, you were having dreams. Dreams of my life. What I've lived. And all the happiness that was unfairly stolen from you. While you were possessing me, I also saw what you've seen from our other alternate selves. Their happy lives, too. I can't imagine how much pain you're in, being the only one who's gone through so much. The only one who's been deprived of a loving life."

You were silent, staring at her sadly.

"I'm sorry. For everything you've had to endure alone—" she murmured in your mind, her warm hand calming you. "Mother. Father. Pietro. Vision. Billy. Tommy."

You pursed your lips, tears welling in your eyes once more.

"I forgive you," she whispered. You stared at her—so good and kind. Capable of forgiveness. What you once were before you became... this. Then, finally, she spoke out loud as she removed her hand from your cheek. "Know that they'll be loved," she announced, reading your mind. Your only question to her. Your only wish—telling her to take care of them.

From the sidelines, listening and watching, some of them had silent tears fall down their faces. It was a painful goodbye, just like the one you had with Vision and your children. This time, you had to let go. Again. America closed the portal, bringing you back to the Darkhold Castle. You cried, knowing what you had to do next. You levitated towarda the sacrificial altar, kneeling down, hands glowing a misty, reddish-black. This time, you would be the sacrifice. Then, they saw in your face, the same exact expression you had when Thanos snapped his fingers.

Staring up at the sky hopelessly, waiting for death to come and take you once and for more. But as much as you wanted to, your Chaos Magic wouldn't allow you to die.

Not when you were the Scarlet Witch.

The Darkhold Castle began shaking. You allowed America and Wong to return to Kamar-Taj, leaving you alone with Stephen, who was still dreamwalking in his other self's corpse. They saw you slowly turn to him, repentant. This time, it was sincere, unlike that time in the apple orchard.

"I opened the Darkhold," you whispered regretfully. "I have to close it. No one will ever be tempted by the Darkhold again."

Strange slowly nodded at you. And inwardly, he was right about you. He knew that deep inside, you were a good person. Just hurt and lonely. He knew that as always, you would set things right in the end. And he never doubted that. Just because one has stumbled and lost his way doesn't mean that they're lost forever. Professor X told him that. And it looks like you were able to read his mind.

With your powers, you made the Darkhold fall, taking it down with you in it. Before they could be hit, the jujutsu sorcerers were suddenly teleported afar to a cliff overlooking the crumbling castle, their last sight of you being a blast of red.

"Mom—" Yuuji whispered worriedly. Suddenly, they were with 838-Christine and Strange. The former neurosurgeon woke the unconscious woman up.

"... Is it over?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah," he answered.

"Is America okay?"

"She's on her way to get us."

Christine swallowed, "... Wanda?"

The jujutsu sorcerers' ears perked up. Strange, sadly, shook his head. "No." At that moment, though, the Darkhold beside them burned into ash from red flames.

"So she destroyed the Darkhold in every universe," Strange realized.

"She did the right thing," Christine smiled.

"Yes. She did." Strange smiled back.

The consequent scenes they were seeing now all seemed glitchy, but then they saw you—in another universe—destroy the knowledge and contents of the Darkhold. You absorbed the entity chained in the main Darkhold: Chthon, the primordial god of chaos. Somewhat like Cthulhu. A Lovecraftian beast.

"You do not possess me, Chthon," they heard your voice declare as you absorbed the god. "I possess you."

None of them knew that something was chained and sealed within you—something that that ancient and dangerous. It was almost ironic: like mother, like son. Chthon was sealed within you while Sukuna was stuck inside Yuuji.

Then they saw snippets of you with Agatha... then Loki... and other individuals. The glitchy flashbacks with you ended when a hole appeared in the now-empty space they were in... and a feminine hand dragged them out one by one.

Thankfully, it didn't have talons or crooked fingers. They knew it was you who'd come to save them.

The sorcerers were back in their world; in your living room, specifically. You—the present you they knew as Y/N L/N—were staring at them with an unreadable expression. Were you angry? Were you pissed? Were you sad?

"... I'm not angry," you told them all quietly, reading their thoughts and everything they'd seen. "You've seen it all. What I've done." You chewed your lips, suddenly averting your gaze. "But what matters is that you're all okay and in one piece. Whatever... spell Agatha put in that flash drive had gone bonkers and dragged you all into it." They were silent as they stared at you, still processing those last few scenes of you they were able to see. "I'm sorry—"

Ding dong!

Your doorbell rang. Sighing, you walked away from the jujutsu sorcerers and opened the doors (thankfully, you'd magicked up the heater and everything else in the house before dragging the boys out of the television screen). You blinked at the person at the door, wrapped in lots of thick layers but still shivering from the blizzard outside. Did he... travel all the way from the grocery shop to here?

"You... uh... d-dropped y-y-your keys," Higuruma stammered from how freezing it was outside. He handed you your keys. Wide-eyed, you immediately let him in, worried about how long he's been in the cold.

That was when he saw the guys in your living room, all scrutinizing him and wondering who he was and how he knew you.

"Who the hell are you?" It was Sukuna who spoke... as a mouth... on Yuuji's cheek. He wasn't supposed to hear or see anything since he wasn't a sorcerer, but the jujutsu sorcerers were only shocked when he tilted his head at Yuuji in question.

"Attorney Higuruma Hiromi," he introduced himself, unintimidated by all these men glaring at him. He's had worse, facing criminals and all. And right, he also sees those weird spirit thingies. He always has since he was a kid. In the corner, you sighed, leading Higuruma to the kitchen to offer him something warm to drink. You popped your head back into the living room, eyes boring into the speechless jujutsu sorcerers.

"I'll talk to you boys later."

At least they were back home again...?

(to be continued)

Author's Note: Hi, everyone! It's been a while! Sorry for being gone for so long and being inactive, even in answering my asks. Thank you also for your patience. After my very draining and somewhat hectic slash traumatic semester last June, my body basically took a break. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. All I did was rest, do nothing, and catch up on sleep for a month or so. I also went home to visit my dad, spending time with my family and looking for other ways to earn extra income from other gigs because I need to save up on allowance. Then... after that and currently, I'm working on my thesis because dang, I'm halfway through college now! Wow! Still, I tried my best to really write the entire DSMOM2 accurately inbetween my short breaks—so that was almost 2 hours of dialogue plus brainstorming for the JJK men's reactions. I hope you understand! And thank you all so much for your overwhelming support! I can't promise when the next updates will be, because time flies so fast and I'll have to move away from home, into a dorm, in less than a month since my 3rd year of uni begins again. It's hella stressful, but I'm 2 years away from graduating as a speech-language therapist! 🙏🥰

[TL ; DR: Got burnt out from school, took a vacation and mental health break + social media detox, gonna become a junior college student soon, could really use some extra money from writing these fics. I love writing and it's emotionally fulfilling, but physically and time-wise, really exhausting. 😅]

If you can and wish to, please support me on my Ko-Fi here! Thank you so much to whoever would like to help me out more even if writing is just my hobby! I'd appreciate it a lot. ☕️

Reblogs, comments, hearts, constructive criticism, and any kind of interaction are much welcome! Thank you for 1100+ notes on this fic. I've never imagined it would get so far. I'm hoping to publish it on AO3 if I find time. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts about this chapter and even just the DSMOM2 film! See you next time! And please don't spam my inbox about when the next chapter will come out. You can ask, but a reminder to please ask nicely and don't be demanding! 🤨‼️

(For the taglist, I'll try to keep up with all the requests to be added but I've kinda lost track, hehe. Just comment in this chapter if I forgot to add you or you would want to be added or if you've updated your name/URL. 💗)

taglist: @vampireindistress @sparklingmallow @gummy-dummy @haleypearce @artemishunter18 @torasshu-sama @thewordfae @nanamin-pointo @whoreuc @simpinsimpleton @sache41 @osiris1rhi @crzyinluve @dame-sunflowers @thirstyfangirl @yuh-tears @vespertio @butyfigers @fiona782 @t-misaki @jihaegguk @revenge-of-the-bucket-demon @beeframon @simpforporcoandlevi @unkn0wn2024 @dibhachu @todaywasafairytale07 @vishousmate @tangoogle @lyralibra @fleurwritesitsblossom @deviljoonie @pearlstiare @moss-murin @surhii @senjuasuna @njisano @marbleii @sheitsme @kiyosato @moonchild-artemisdaughter @shadowyknightbeargoth @yuki-chan23 @akuri-shinsou @tellatoast @nako-ley @depresso-404error @siriusblackrunmeover17 @lovely-maryj

@tojidilfs @ikisstoga @sleepydang @fall-myriad @friedtyrantthing @bl6o6dy @fandomfangirl006 @lovely-maryj @marycarabell @bealiz13 @lowilaufeyson @eva-616

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #nanami kento #gojo satoru #fushiguro toji #ryomen sukuna #geto suguru #kamo choso #higuruma hiromi #nanami x reader #gojo x reader #toji x reader #sukuna x reader #geto x reader #choso x reader #higuruma x reader #scarlet witch #x reader #thera.writes

[sanjoongie]

What doesn’t kill you, makes you stone

🐍my submission for the spring event Idols over Flowers held by @kvanity-main

🐍My Bouquet~ Main flower: Marigold x hurt comfort, Roses x romance, Freesia x supernatural  Supporting Flower: wax flower x tattoo parlor  Greenery: lily grass x s2l Ribbon: band of cord x magical creatures

🐍Pairing: Tattoo Artist! Jongho x Medusa! Reader (f) 🐍Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff 🐍Au: Tattoo Artist au, Modern Mythological au 🐍Warning: mentions of mental abuse, depression, toxic ex, oral (f receiving), fingering, breast play, marking, penetrative sex practicing safe sex with a condom, public sex in a private spot, f and m orgasm 🐍Rating: +18 MDNI 🐍Word Count: 4,399 🐍Dedication: @mejuii & @downtoamagicalland the best beta readers a gal could have

You met Jongho on the worst day of your life. It was raining, you were alone and heartbroken. Why did you even try to hope for happiness at this point? You were pretty sure you were born to suffer. 

You sat there on a stone bench in the park you used to love, letting the rain and your tears fall. You thought, ironically so, perhaps you might live like this; like a statue in the park. You wondered if moss would grow over you, or were you that despicable of a creature that even moss would reject you?

"What are you doing?"

Your eyes raised slowly, unsure why anyone would see you and think to ask what you were doing. "I'm contemplating my existence. Do I look like something moss would grow on?"

The man in front of you stares at you, blinking droplets of the rain off his eyelashes and then bursts into laughter. "What kind of question is that?"

You felt something stir in your chest and you hissed at it rearing it's head. The brunet in front of you cocked his head curiously. "I'm sorry to laugh at you, I just truly didn't expect you to say that."

Your eyes dropped back to the ground. "Thanks."

You expected the stranger to leave but instead he sat down beside you. The rain ran down his leather jacket like it had a destination. "I like to sit in the rain too. Kinda washes everything from you, doesn't it? Not literally, you know. But metaphorically."

Your throat tightened and you found that you couldn't speak, but you had to warn this kind-intentions man that you were dangerous. "It's not good to be around me when I'm emotional. That's why I'm here in the park. You should go."

The man leaned back on the stone bench, his palms bracing himself. "I've been cut by words before; I think I'll be safe."

You shook your head. You felt the wrap around your hair slip and you yanked it back into place, making sure the bobby pins were securely in place. "Not words."

"Well," The stranger said with amusement coating his voice, "I dunno if you've checked me out or not, but I'm not sure you'd be able to hit me or hurt me."

This time you couldn't help but laugh at the man. The laughter pulled from your throat in a bitter bark. "I'm a Gorgon," You admitted.

You waited for the silence to swallow you whole but the pitter-patter of the rain around you was reassuring, in an odd way. And then the man said, "Have you ever turned someone to stone?"

The question took all the air from your lungs and you could feel your pulse in your mouth. No one had ever… asked you that before. They always assumed you had. "No."

You turned to this stranger, bewildered. He was sporting a curious look himself towards you. "Then why would you assume you would hurt me?"

"I…" Your words died in your mouth. Everything felt like ash in there. "It's what I'm born to do? I can turn people to stone. Aren't you afraid of me?"

This man stared at you like with a miniscule smile tugging at the corners of his lips. His eyes were solid and challenging. "Do you know how sad you look here, on this bench, letting the rain drench you? Believe you me, I'm not afraid of you."

Your walls threw themselves up out of pure instinct to protect your self that was about to become vulnerable. "Well, you should be. You just don't know any better."

The stranger sighed and stood up. Finally! He got the message and was leaving. You slowly let yourself sink back into the stupor you were in before you were interrupted. Then you felt something warm sit on your shoulders and your head yanked upwards.

"I'm Jongho, the guy that's adopting you. My shop isn't far down the road. Come to work with me. I hear the buzzing from a tattoo shop is pretty soothing. Come get warm and dry and drink some water. I'm sure you'll feel better after a bit."

Jongho held out his hand and when you didn't take it, he wiggled his fingers invitingly. He had put his leather jacket over your head and shoulders and it was so fucking warm that you thought perhaps it was melting your cold heart as well in this moment. 

Somehow you managed to take Jongho's hand and he took you back to his shop. You were actually slightly disappointed when he took his hand back. He walked with his hands shoved in his front pockets, chattering about a design he was working on and a difficult client. Before you realized what was happening, you were in front of the shop. 

You were given the chance to flee. All you had to do was give Jongho his jacket and make your way back to your empty apartment. But you were clinging to this warm feeling that this well-worn leather jacket was giving to you; you really didn't want to leave it behind.

Jongho pushed open the door and held it open, still inviting you inside. "I've got coffee. It's not amazing but it's hot. Let me guess, you like it black, like your soul?"

You scoffed at his sarcasm. Clearly Jongho didn't believe that you were bad at all and was mocking you now. "Lots of sugar please, and cream."

You ducked under his arm and entered the tattoo shop. It wasn't large and it certainly wasn't modern. It sported a lot of dark wood and only two chairs. But it had greenery and felt like the person who owned this shop loved it. So immediately you felt your shoulders ease and your hands unclench. 

You had sat primly in one of the waiting chairs but when Jongho came back from making coffee for you both, he rolled his eyes. "Come sit on a chair back here. Unless you plan on turning me to stone. Then I'd rather you let me get settled at least. I don't want to be known as the statue that eternally holds coffee cups."

You stayed where you were but not because of what Jongho said. You felt that if you took the steps to go behind the counter, you could never truly come back to this other side. If you took that cup from Jongho, you would be accepting his comfort. You really shouldn't be doing anything of the sort, with the remnants of your heart on the floor. But you decided to be selfish, for once. Jongho's shop gave you the inner strength to do that.

Since that day in the park, you became a regular at Jongho's shop. You weren't the type of regular that got tattoos, but Jongho had been right, the buzzing of the tattoo guns was quite soothing. Jongho rarely had two customers, so that second seat became a second home. You talked to Jongho about everything under the sun and then some of the things hidden at the bottom of the ocean. It didn't matter if Jongho was tattooing, if he was cleaning up, or if he was working on a sketch, he always seemed to be thoughtful in his words. You grew used to his lilting voice breaking up the dullness of your day. 

A few weeks later and you still avoided your apartment but that was because you wanted to spend all the time at Jongho's shop. You started little habits of taking care of his plants, adjusting them to make sure they sat in the right amount of sun. Jongho had been overwatering them but soon you were able to coax them back to life. 

It was surprisingly much later when Jongho approached you about you getting a tattoo yourself. He was closing shop up one night, the keys still jingling in the door, when he turned and dropped the question.

"So, when are you going to let me tattoo you?" He asked, those calm of his neither demanding nor intrusive. He simply wanted to know.

"Jongho," You started hesitantly.

"--don't feed me that bullshit about me being in danger again," Jongho made sure to cut you off firmly.

"Jongho, please, I'm dead serious. I don't know how I'll react? These aren't silly superstitions. I don't want to--"

You cut yourself off this time. You didn't want to risk Jongho. He was the only good thing in your life right now.

Jongho ran a frustrated hand through his hair, sighing loudly, making sure you knew how unhappy he was. "I don't believe you. You'd never hurt me."

You find that you can't breathe and your eyes burn insanely. You turn quickly, again, instinct to shy away from harming someone with your emotions. "Jongho, don't. My snakes might really turn this time."

Jongho laughed, disappointment bobbing like bubbles in the air. "Fine. But for the record, I think it would help you heal."

"Inflicting pain on myself would help me heal?" You burst out in disbelief, without thought of where the verbal daggers would land.

Jongho visibly flinched and you regretted your words immediately. "I'm sorry I said anything," He mumbled and then left.

That night you tossed and turned and your heart was heavy with the wounds that you had created with your careless thoughts. You had lived and loved someone who had done the same to you for years. And when they left you in the fear that the intense emotions they elicited out of you would kill them, you thought that was the end of you. You swore you would never make someone feel that way. And yet here you were.

The next morning, you arrived at Jongho's shop with two iced americanos and a solid feeling of determination in your chest. "I want a tattoo, Jongho," You announced.

Jongho pushed aside the curtain that separated the shop and the backroom, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "But yesterday you said…"

"I know what I said," You admitted softly. You put down the glasses on his front counter and moved behind them. "I was wrong. Let's try your way. My way isn't working. I want a tattoo."

Jongho's smile was slow to push his cheeks to the side. "Okay, well, I've got some sketches started, let me find my book."

"No," You insisted gently, "I know what I want."

You grabbed a pen and wrote down your future tattoo on Jongho’s sketchbook: What doesn’t kill you, makes you stone.

Jongho read the text and then stared at you, blinking profusely. "Hey--"

You shook your head. "No Jongho, I'm reminding myself that I am strong now. I'm not weak. I'm the stone. I'm not going to turn anyone into stone. You taught me that."

A hesitant smile bloomed on Jongho's face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," You agreed, his smile infectious.

"Then will you listen to me some more?" Jongho pushed.

"About what?"

"You should let me kiss you."

You waited for people to pop out of the doors and yell "Got Ya!" but it never happened. 

"You want to kiss me?"

Jongho fidgeted with his fingers. "For a while now."

"Define a while."

"Since the bench. I just had the urge to kiss that sad look off your face. Obviously I'd never kiss a stranger but--"

Your skin began to tingle. It traveled from your sides up your neck and into your scalp. You worried about the big emotion causing your hair to transition and your hands flew to your wrap instinctively. 

"Hey, hey." Jongho's hands went over your own and he leveled his head so that your gaze went straight to his. "You're okay. I'm sorry. I didn't want to overwhelm you."

Your eyes dropped to the floor as well. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to worry when you just want to tell me you liked me."

"I'm not worried about me!" Jongho admonished you, "I'm worried about you!"

Your lip began to tremble and you allowed your eyes to meet Jongho's. "Why do you worry about me so much Jongho?"

"I--"

The bells Jongho tied to the door of his shop rang merrily and interrupted Jongho immediately. He gave you a gentle smile and then went to deal with his next appointment. You moved to the back of the tattoo shop, finding toilet paper in the bathroom and started to mop up the tears that had formed at the corners of your eyes. You managed to calm yourself and helped clean up the shop a little bit. You made sure Jongho had his supplies ready for his next appointment. You settled into a safe conversation about house plants with Jongho's client and all was back to normal. 

When the client left, Jongho gathered up his sketch book. "Can I… do you trust me to choose the font for you?"

Your eyebrows shot up on your brow in surprise. "You want to do that?"

Jongho shot you a gummy smile that made your heart flop again. "You're letting me do your first tattoo. I'm so excited. I have something in my head and I want to give it a try. And you can say no even after I draft it. But I promise you, you'll love it."

You mulled over it. Your first tattoo were your words and they meant a lot to you but to know that Jongho's art was on your skin… that made it feel even more special than its original intentions. Yes, you wanted to heal, but you also wanted to move on. This felt like a good step, right?

"I wanna try Jongho," You agreed shyly.

Jongho cupped your face so tenderly you felt like you were going to break in his hands. "Please, say you'll let me kiss you now. I had to do that whole session thinking of how I missed my opportunity."

Your skin began to tingle again but you whispered. "Kiss me, Jongho."

Jongho carefully but eagerly pressed his lips to yours. When you didn't jolt out of his grasp, he sucked your bottom lip between his own and you almost moaned into his mouth. A small smile pulled at the corner of his lips but still he kissed you, tenderly but with hunger. You could feel Jongho's muscles strain as he held himself back, your hands running slowly up his chest. Jongho released your lips, forehead pressed to yours. "If you keep doing that I'm going to have to shut down the shop."

You're so touch-starved. The feeling of Jongho's soft lips against yours, the way his thumb continued to stroke your cheek, were measured wacks like an ax to the tree that was your defenses. "Shut the shop down then," You said bravely. It was time to be kind to yourself, for once.

Jongho's hands slid up your thighs, cupped them and hauled you up his body. With one hand firmly under your bottom, he walked to the door, locked it and turned his open sign off. He then propped you up against the chair in which he typically saw clients and kissed you some more. 

While your lips met again and again, it was Jongho's turn to explore your body. His hands ran up and down your arms, murmuring that you were so very soft. Then the back of his fingers admired your collarbones and he decided that his lips needed to kiss those parts as well. While he sucked and bit down on your collarbones, his fingers braved your sides. His hands halted just below your breasts, hands cupping your ribs and thumb oh-so-close to your breast.

You moaned for Jongho. "Please, please."

It took no further prompting from Jongho to unbutton your blouse, push the cups of your bra upwards and soon he had two reverent handfuls of your breasts. His eyes flickered upwards to check on you and when he saw your pupils blown and your lips parted slightly to keep up with your heavy breathing, he then curled his tongue around one of your nipples and sucked it into his mouth. He did the same to the other and you practically melted in his hands. 

"Jong-jongho," You panted.

He hummed knowingly, eyes swinging back up to look at you as he gently kissed the mound of one of your breasts. A thumb passed over your other nipple and you had to gasp at the sudden feeling. "So sensitive for me, angel, huh?"

"So good," You couldn't help but whimper.

"I've got to taste you," Jongho swore to himself. He began to kiss down the valley of your breasts and over your stomach. 

"Wait, Jongho," You boldly put a hand on his fingers before he undid your pants.

"What's wrong?" Jongho shot up a concerned looked to you.

You had to stare at one of the potted plants in the shop instead of at Jongho. "This is so embarrassing," you muttered, "I didn't shave."

Jongho let out a throaty chuckle. "If you think that's going to scare me off, you're sorely mistaken."

You bit down on your lip when you gave him a sharp nod to tell him he could continue. Jongho eagerly unbuttoned your pants and soon had you shimmying out of them. He groaned at the black lace underwear you had on. But soon he had those peeled off as well and settled both of your legs over his shoulders. 

The only way you would be able to describe Jongho's pussy-eating technique would be as if he was making out with your cunt. The way he played with you with his lips and tongue and teeth was like nothing you had ever experienced. He didn't hold himself back with careful, measured strokes with his tongue but rather, he delved and teased and made your body hot with lust. Soon your hands were diving into his hair and your hips were thrusting in the air ardently. 

Jongho chuckled deeply in your cunt again, causing nice vibrations against your clit and that made your hips jerk upwards. He pulled his face from your cunt, the bottom half of his face smeared with your slick and said, "Someone's looking for their climax."

"I-it's been a while," You admitted.

Jongho growled when you told him that. "Well, we have to remedy that, don't we angel? Better double up, huh?"

"Double?" You asked in disbelief.

"Double," Jongho confirmed.

He went to work, licking your clit with careful flicks of his tongue and he began to introduce one finger into your hole. You moaned at the intrusion, spreading your legs and throwing your head back. The dual sensation was amazing. Then when you felt a second finger enter you, your head snapped back up. Jongho's strong stare met your own. He was devouring the way your chest heaved and your eyebrows furrowed for him. 

His gaze never broke as he coaxed you through one of your two promised orgasms. He lazily pumped his fingers in and out of you, careful not to overstimulate your clit and simply let you ride the wave of pleasure. "That's it, angel, enjoy it all."

You whined through it all, a layer of sweat clearly coating your body now. "Jongho?"

"Mmm, angel?" Jongho had been running his hands up and down your thighs in reassurance.

"Do you have a condom?"

You watched with slitted eyes as Jongho reached into his back pocket and brandished a purple shiny packet.

Your eyebrows shot up your forehead. "Have you fucked clients before?"

Jongho smiled slightly and didn't answer but instead warmed up the condom in his hand before rolling it down his length, having pushed his pants and underwear past his balls already. You were pretty sure you had never seen something so hot before: his muscled and tattooed arms framing his body as he practiced safe sex. 

His lower half came flush with your body. Jongho pushed down his dick so that it laid against your wet cunt. A hand went around your hip and adjusted the angle of your leg around his waist. "I'm gonna make you come so hard around my cock, I'm not even going to apologize, angel. Gonna make you feel so damn good."

Jongho finally pushed inside of you and your walls automatically clenched around his length, making him bite down on his bottom lip. "Shit, angel, you're so tight. Fuck."

You tossed your head back again, arms behind you to support you. "So…so full," you moaned.

"Yeah, do I fill you up?" Jongho prompted.

"Jongho," You cried out when he was inside of you full hilt. 

Jongho watched as he pulled back his hips and made tentative body rolls between your thighs. You choked on air and had to dig your nails into his shoulders. You were whimpering, watching his dick move in and out of you. He just felt so good; so solid and present and radiating good vibes. You felt your skin truly settle and for a moment, you believed that your snakes would never come out as long as you had Jongho on your side.

"Okay still?" Jongho checked in on you, your comfortability first and foremost on his mind.

"So good," You groaned.

Jongho kicked it up a notch, fucking you with a firmer pace, making his balls slapped against you. Your breath caught in the back of your throat and you started to chant "yeah, yeah, yeah", feeling your nipples pucker as lust curled in your stomach.

"Come on, angel, come for me. Fall apart for me, hmm, do it for me. Wanna see you come undone in my chair, yeah? Fuck, this pussy, it's mine now, do you hear me? Only I can do this for you. All for you."

You came with a desperate cry and your muscles froze as your nerves were painted with pleasure once again. "Jongho!"

"That's right, angel, that's me fucking you good," Jongho murmured into the air.

It wasn't long before Jongho came as your pussy fluttered around his cock. He buried himself deeply inside of you and unloaded into the condom. He grunted, scrunching up his nose and sighing happily, riding out his own orgasm.

"Jongho?" You called tentatively for him.

His eyes snapped to yours. "Are you okay?"

"Jongho…" You felt your lips tremble and tears begin to prick your eyes. "I don't think anyone has fucked me like that. I…" You let out a shuddering breath, "I think I might love you?"

Jongho laughed, a happy noise. "Well that's good. I thought I was going to have to hold off telling you that for a while."

"Huh?" You said, suddenly feeling very gobsmacked.

"Oh I love you with every fiber of my being, angel," Jongho admitted.

And there went your tears. "You love me?"

"I love you so much I'd shut down my tattoo shop if that meant I could spend every day in between these legs of yours," Jongho grinned and you smacked his chest. "What? Just saying. It kills me when we have to separate when I close down shop."

"Should I…" You licked your lips nervously, "Should I move out?"

Now it was Jongho's turn to be shocked. "And leave behind the toxic apartment that only reminds you of your ex? Yes please?"

After the sex, things shifted between you and Jongho. It was like it was the final red tape taken down around the crime scene that was your broken heart. Sex shouldn't have healed it, but if anything proved to you that Jongho was in love with you, it was his willingness to get close to you and to touch you. 

You spent the next week planning your tattoo. You had decided to get it where you could always see it. You needed to be able to read them and be reminded of what you had gone through and what you were capable of moving forward. One half of Jongho's beautiful calligraphy on one inner forearm and the other adjacent from it. 

The day your first appointment came, it felt odd to be the one in the chair who Jongho was working on. You had always watched on as Jongho tattooed someone, the dull buzz of the tattoo gun always making you feel comfortable. But now, Jongho in his nitrile black gloves and needle poised to press to your skin, it made you feel different.

"Nervous?" Jongho asked as he set the stencil against your skin.

"Actually, I think I might be excited," You admitted.

Jongho laughed, a gummy smile appearing and brightening up your day. "I love that."

The two of you chattered back and forth as Jongho started on your tattoo. The pain was manageable and eventually faded in the background as you talked to Jongho about cereal flavors and the preferred method of cuddling. The time passed by in measurements of Jongho's soft, comforting voice and his hands inching down your arm, holding it aloft to tattoo you. 

True to Jongho's words, you did feel healed after getting your tattoo. Although Jongho had a heavy hand in your healing, the words that you had chosen etched in your skin meant everything to you. Whatever scars you had from your ex had long healed and were replaced with the curling words that represented your life. 

You may turn others into stone if you were agitating enough, or maybe that was just a tale passed onto other humans because being threatened to have your head cut off might have come off as 'agitated' to them, but you felt like the one turned into stone. Not of the sad and neglected statue type of stone that you had hoped would grow moss like that fateful day you had met Jongho, but of bedrock. Bedrock that was a foundation for you to build your true life up. For the life you had with your ex, who flinched at your stare and jolted out of your touch, was not a life.

Jongho winked at you while working on a pokemon sleeve, old japanese art style. Since you had moved in, he had got one of his tattoo artist friends to give him a tattoo of a snake intertwining his collarbones. He said that you were so intertwined with his life that it felt good to have the same represented on his skin. 

You no longer believed you were born to suffer; you now believed in happiness.

Tag list: @hijirikaww @flowerboykun @kitten4sannie @starillusion13 @flurrys-creativity @stardragongalaxy @a-soft-hornytiny

tagged by special request: @yoonguurt @anyamaris tagged bc jongho biased: @ssaboala

#kvanity #kidolflowers #cultofdionysusnet #kwritersworldnet #thekpopuniverse #pirateeznet #ateez angst #choi jongho angst #ateez smut #choi jongho smut #topaz's work #ღatz

[maniculum]

So, this one is from Cambridge's MS Kk.4.25, which Cambridge's digital library describes as a "didactic miscellany". There's actually quite a lot of information on this manuscript accompanying their digitization... I'm putting a cut here before I start throwing in the links and images and stuff.

All right, link:

The manuscript is from England circa 1230, and is apparently from the same tradition as another of their bestiaries (Fitzwilliam MS 254). One of the major differences between the two is that this contains a couple extra chapters, including one enigmatically titled "The Four Ways it is Sinful". (The four ways what is sinful? You know. It.)

The description also tells us this is "a masterpiece of bestiary imagery, often overlooked in discussions of the most beautiful examples," which is not the vibe I was getting from the Flat Crocodile at the top of this post, so hold on a bit while I flip through the digitization.

Okay, so Flat Crocodile is not representative, this is really good. The section on sea creatures is quite charming also. I recommend everyone go follow that link above and flip through it a bit -- there's a table of contents you can use to skip straight to the bestiary.

Anyway, to the point of this whole thing. This critter is supposedly a scorpion, and in fact appears in the "worms / vermin" section of the bestiary. If I'm reading the Latin correctly, it comes between the leech:

and the caterpillar:

Despite that context -- i.e., it being in the correct section and surrounded by other things that fall into the medieval category of "worm" (remember, that's a broad category for them, it includes insects and arachnids like scorpions just fine), our artist has drawn what is clearly the only reptile in the chapter:

It even says "Scorpio vermis" right under the image, jfc.

Also, the lumps around the base of the tail can't be credited to Pliny's "knots" as mentioned before; I counted at least three other lizards with those same lumps when I was looking through the digitization, so it's just part of the artist's style.

Speaking of the artist's style, this one should be exempt from the "identifiably a different animal" penalty because it has little ears and a generally mammalian head... except that's, again, how this artist draws all their lizards. In fact, this "scorpion" is basically identical to the Botrax/Botruca a few pages earlier:

I'm making the executive decision than this penalty applies when the artist is just re-using the design of another critter in the same bestiary, even if technically that's not a real animal.

All right, points:

Small Scuttling Beaſtie? ✓, sure, in context we can assume such

Pincers? ✘

Exoskeleton or Shell? ✘

Visible Stinger? ✘

Limbs? 4

Vibes... I dunno. It's fine. It's a lizard, which is nice enough, but we've had much better lizards. And it's kind of losing out in comparison to the other illustrations in this manuscript. I went back and forth between a 2 and a 3, and eventually decided to just settle at 2.5 / 10.

As previously mentioned, -1 for copying. Which... oh dear. Makes this officially the Third Worst Scorpion, sorry Flat Croc fans.

Final points:

2.9 / 10

Eyes on your own work.

#medieval scorpions

[iepurasdepraf]

Hhhhhi~ Um... this was supposed to be short, but uh...it's not. Part 2 soon. I hope you like it! Feed back is appreciated. I will likely rewrite this before part 2 or before it goes up on a03. Anyway! Here you go.

Acrid smoke stung your eyes until the oscillating fan made another pass giving you respite until the cigarette between your teeth burned down a little more. You needed it. That hit of nicotine to keep your eyes open even if it made it hard to at the same time. You were at the tail end of an eight hour shift, tired. Bone tired. It was day four of five and you had to come back tomorrow at 7pm. It was 4:47am. You just wanted to go home.To sleep. Thirteen more minutes and you were free. Just thirteen more. Thinking about it made your arms feel heavier, even counting your tips felt like a chore at this point. “Hey! You got a guy!” 

You were too tired to groan. You ripped the cigarette out of your mouth and asked as nicely as you could manage “Table or VIP?” “I dunno,” The other girl said, waddling past you with one of her heels off already. “Just asked for you on my way back and I said I’d get you for him.” You snuff your smoke out a little too aggressively, but she doesn’t notice. You weren’t mad at her and didn’t want her to think that so you take a deep breath and check yourself. Whatever this guy wanted would end with a big fat tip for your efforts. Not a bad way to end the night and so you pop a stick of peppermint gum in your mouth out of the tray on the table and put on your best smile while shuffling your money and zipping it up in your bag to take home. 

“Wish me luck.” You say tossing your bag back in your locker and shrugging on your ripped up black tank top on over your bra. It was enough. You weren’t going to pull out all the stops this early in the morning and you were wearing most of your layers anyway. “Good luck!” She called after you. You nearly jump out of your skin when you straight up run into the guy making him take a few staggered steps back after opening the door. He’d been waiting so close to it you were shocked you didn’t hit him right in schnoz. At least you knew who’d asked for you right away.

“Well hey there, handsome!” He was, in fact, not handsome. He was- God, he was really sweaty. Why was he so sweaty? You’d barely touched him and you felt like someone hit you with a toad straight out of a parking lot puddle.

“Hh-ih-hhh-hi.” Oh no, he was a weird one. Like really weird. He stood there in all his buck toothed glory wringing his hands, out of his element entirely in a dorky little suit with a terrible comb over and glasses that magnified his eyes to the point of comedy. Shaking. Trembling. In absolute shambles and for no reason you could see. Existing was this creature’s enemy.

Those big brown eyes blinked up at you and he said…absolutely nothing. He only got out that squeaky hi. He’d been hard to hear over the music, but you weren’t worried about Mr. Mumbles. You’d be back in the VIP soon enough by your estimation and be able to hear him just fine. You put that winning smile back on and his shivering intensified. You didn’t think his eyes could get bigger, but he responded like you’d taken your top off in front of him for the second time tonight. 

He was just your type. Those sweet old nerds that never peaked fell head over heels for you and the 80’s goth aesthetic you so carefully cultivated for work. You triggered that nostalgia for that youth they missed out on, the prime they could have had. The hot girl in their comp-sci class they could never work up the courage to even wave at in the hall and for a couple of thin easily earned, for them at least, measly dollars you could be theirs for just a few minutes. To look at and, for the right price, you’d touch them and they could pretend they hadn’t been such losers.

“What can the Banshee do for you?” “Mmm…” You glanced at the clock then back at him. There was no such thing as overtime here, little man. You couldn’t say that, but you certainly thought it at least twice before he said “I-I-I was hoping wh-” He had some kind of a tic. It looked like he flinched. Maybe he had. It made your shaved eyebrow arch.

 4’10, mousey brown hair. Greasy. Eyes watery and dark. The job came with it’s hazards and it looked like this guy might be one of them. You memorized his features, there weren’t any identifying marks you could see, just in case. Just like your boss had taught you. “I was hoping for a private, uh, show?” Oh, he was English. Now that he was actually managing some words you could hear the accent. That was weird. This wasn’t exactly a tourist destination. He must work in the city? “Yeah?” You say sounding more interested in it than you actually were. 

Your faux enthusiasm made him perk up. “I-I-I brought money! A lot of money!” He reached into his coat and pulled out the biggest wad of cash you’d ever seen with both hands, it had to be at least ten thousand dollars. You grabbed his hands and held them down between the two of you so no one else could see. “Woah! Easy there, killer!” Was he insane?! This was Oldtown Gotham! He’d have jumped for a couple of fives down here if they knew he had them. 

All he did in response was gasp when you touched him then stare down at where your hands had met his sweaty actively vibrating ones. “Let’s take this to the back, alright? You gotta be more careful.” He didn’t move at all until you moved him. Taking that huge brick of cash in one hand and his wrist in the other, you marched him to the first empty VIP lounge like he was a downright naughty boy being taken to his room.

Once the door was locked you turned to him “You could have been killed for this if anyone saw you with it.” You chastised bringing his hand up to set the cash in it. He didn’t answer, still staring at your hand on his wrist so you let him go. To his credit, he seemed to function better in the back. Maybe it had been the lights and loud music that had put him over the edge on top of whatever else he was dealing with? You didn’t know, but after a long quiet reboot he looked a little more human and a lot less like a rat that had touched the third rail. At least he was speaking up now or in the quiet room you could at least hear him better. You couldn’t tell. “I didn’t…think about it, I apologize.” He said in an awfully shrill voice making you question why was he apologizing to you? “I, ah… Well,” He held the money up again “I didn’t know how much to bring, you see, so I…well, I brought what seemed reasonable?” He poised it as a question more than an answer. Like he was asking if it was reasonable rather than explaining that it was. You squinted at him. THAT was a reasonable amount of money to him? How disconnected from reality was he? 

“VIP packages start at three fifty.” You informed with good humor after crossing your arms and he gasped like this was breaking news he couldn’t have googled before coming at all. “Well,” The man counted out a few of the hundreds then fidgeted “What’s the biggest package?” He was nearly cute. “Do you have friends waiting outside or something?” “No! Why no! No, mam, just me!” You felt your hand touch your cheek as you stared at the little weirdo in absolute awed confusion. What on earth? 

“You don’t need the biggest package then, sweetheart.” You were too nice. You should have just taken the money. He wanted to spend it and here you were talking him down like an idiot. “But I want the most time!” He said a little too loudly. God, he was desperate. Your manicured finger tapped against your cheek “We can work that out, but…what do you want?” Please don’t say sex. You weren’t even sure if security was even still in the building. “I-I need to give a presentation.” 

What?

The look you must have given him prompted him to explain “I need to give a presentation! At work! A w-work presentation and, well, I-” He melted into nervous giggles before he finished, but managed to suppress them enough to finish after a moment “I need to practice. An audience so to speak and-” Oh, he looked miserable suddenly. “I don’t…” His voice lowered to a whisper “have any friends.” Your heart felt a little pang for him. Same, man. Well, sort of. You had work friends, but it wasn’t hard to believe this guy had no one at all. “Truly, I do need this!” He added quickly “My research depends on this! I promise I don’t mean to insult you or waste your time! I could lose funding and and and-” “I’m happy to work something out with you, but let's get you a drink first, alright?” “Alright.” He parroted back while taking quick half breaths on the verge of hyperventilating. 

With peace and love, he didn’t look like a man who could hold his liquor. Nor did he seem like the type that would handle it well if he managed to so. He needed to relax. You were the complete package, you knew how to make more than a quick few cocktails. It was a part of the image. Thumbing through the Rolodex of recipes in your head you stopped on the first one that wouldn’t kill him on impact. A Friar Tuck, of course. Chocolate milk for big boys. You glanced back at him on your way to the fully stocked minibar. Big enough boys. Hazelnut liqueur, dark crème de cacao, and frangelico with, in this case, some nice cold half n’ half shaken with ice then strained in a glass.

“Sip.” You say handing the glass to… hang on a second. “Now,” You sat him down in a chair with some gentle ushering “Let’s try this again. Hello, handsome.” He giggled nervously at you and smiled a sort of odd suppressed smile over being called handsome. You realized he was trying to hide his teeth now that he as thinking about it. There was no hiding those buck teeth. “What’s your name?” 

“Jervis. Jervis Tetch.”

#jervis tetch x reader #//.mywriting.// #jervis tetch x you #jervis tetch fanfic

[huffle-dork]

Swap Across the CrystalVerse Chapter 10: Shadow City

Read Swapboys | Crystal’s AUs

Read SITCV | SATCV Masterpost | AO3 Link

“—so it's not just ghosts," Jack says. He's spent the past few minutes explaining the state of this universe to Bro, about the vampires and werewolves and witches in the city. "But don't worry, it's usually pretty safe in Scuabyrg. There's this group called the Night Council—well, there's one in most major cities, but the point is they're basically the government for all these secret creatures. They make sure people don't get hurt. Everydays, as they call the normal humans. I dunno if you'd count as one in their eyes. I do, even though I have a 'special power' or whatever." 

The car is driving steadily down the near-empty city streets, keeping after one of the magic trails. Said trail is getting steadily more blue. 

Bro nods along and hums, “I dunno- my brother is always telling me my powers are like magic. So- don’t really know if I’d count as an everyday, I guess.”

Chase leans in from the backseat. "I'm pretty new to all this magic stuff, but personally, I think you're a special case. Witches here have, like... rules to follow to get and use magic, so you're not one of them. And you're clearly not a vampire or anything." 

"Hmm." Jack nods. "Yeah, Chase is right. You'd probably be something special. Your friends might be, too. Maybe. Do they use magic? I don't remember if you've told me." 

"Alt does!" Bro says with a smile, "He's all about magic. It's become like one of his favorite things- but I think he's pretty good at it. Jackie is human. Fucking great lad though- he's a parkourist! And like the best dad i know~ .... but that doesn't really have anything to do with being special magic." He laughs.

"Ah, parkour?! Hell yeah, fucking great." Jack grins. 

"I did parkour when I was in uni," Chase says. "I mean... sort of. We didn't really know any parkour moves, we really just jumped around. I'm honestly surprised I didn't die, looking back on it. I did fuck up my ribs, though." 

"Whoa, hey!" Jack raises his eyebrows. The magic trail they're following is joined by a second one. "Your trails are merging together, other Chase." 

"Does that mean that Alt and Jackie have met up?" Chase asks.

Bro leans up to look better and then grins, "Huh! I guess so! Well- that makes things way easier!"

“Do you think they found some of our friends, too?” Chase wonders. 

“Maybe,” Jack says. “I hope they weren’t too scared.”

"My friends? Nah- they're tough lads. ...well Jackie maybe but- I'm sure he's fine." Bro snickers. "I'm assuming your friends are also like- supernatural things too?" 

Jack grins. “If he’s as tough as our Jackie, you’re probably right.” Then he nods. “Yeah. Jackie’s a werewolf, Schneep and JJ are vampires, and Marvin is… well, sort of a creature. He’s a witch.” 

“He’s been helping with the whole… how did I die thing,” Chase says.

"Oh! Dude- that's wicked." Bro grins. "We don't have things like that at home! I mean, besides magic- I'm guessing witches are pretty similar to magicians-"

"Probably!" Jack agrees. "We have different types of witches here, depending on where they draw their power from. Plants or earth magic are probably the most common sources, but with practice, people can learn to draw power from anything. Death, breathing, the fucking... concept of chaos itself. And then there are spells and rituals to do their magic." 

"It's pretty interesting," Chase says. "But sometimes a bit hard to follow. I'm not good with all this magic stuff, I think." 

"Oh neither am I- Alt's the one that gets it the most. I'm just there to support him- even if I don't understand a lick of it sometimes." Bro laughs.

"I'm with you guys, too," Jack says. "All I know is magic is the sparkly stuff. Usually. Unless it's darkness magic." He chuckles. 

The car turns a street corner, and the headlights shine on an unusual sight. A large brown wolf is running down the street. 

"Whoa!" Jack slams on the brakes, causing him and Bro to lurch forward. Chase stays where he is. "Okay, there they are!" 

Behind the wolf are several other people. 

Bro catches himself on the dashboard and shakes out of his head. His eyes widen as he sees the wolf. "Oh- that's a biggg wolf!" 

Then, he sees the familiar spark of Alt's magic and he grins. "Hey!" He gets out of the car and then uses some of his super speed and flying to grab Alt and scoops him off the ground into a hug. "Alt!" 

Alt yelps and then squirms in the hug. "Chase! Jesus- why do you always tackle me??" 

"Cuz what if you were in danger and just really needed a hug?" Bro says defensively but with a teasing edge. "Can't a big bro be worried for his lil brotherrr~?" 

Alt rolls his eyes and pushes Bro's face away as he glitches out of his grip. 

The wolf skids to a halt, looking at Bro flying in comical shock. 

"Whoa!" Marvin jumps. "Wow. Jeez." He takes a moment to get his breath back. "Was not expecting... the flying." 

Alt, you didn't mention that, JJ says. 

"Or the speed," Schneep says. Unlike Marvin, he and JJ are not breathing heavily. 

Alt blinks, "I swore we said he was a superhero-" 

"Yeah but I only mentioned he could fly with Schneep and other me." Jackieboy pants, also out of breath. 

"I'm full of surprises!" Bro says cheerfully. "Hi everyone! I'm Chase- but you guys can call me Bro so other me doesn't get confused!" 

Jack opens the car door. "Hey guys." 

"Hello, Jack," Schneep says cheerfully. "I see you found someone!" 

"Yeah, he showed up in our house. He freaked Chase out, and then Chase freaked him out. Oh, Chase came with, by the way." 

And yet, Chase is not visible in the backseat. 

Bro laughs as Jack tells the others of their encounters, "Oh yeah he scared the beejesus out of me! But, he's pretty cool!" He then blinks and looks around, "Oh uh- where did he go??" 

"What is he like- invisible or something?" Jackieboy jokes. 

Jackie shifts back from wolf form slowly. He winces, pressing a hand to the worst of his burns. "I know you're kidding, but yeah, Chase can do that. He disappears. Actually, more accurate to say he appears, because invisible is the default state for--" 

"Ohhhh," Schneep says slowly. "Chase, you do not want to shock them, do you?" 

A voice comes from just outside the car. "Yeah, I think you guys should explain, first." 

"Right, yeah, we never mentioned that, did we?" Marvin says. "Uh... Chase is a ghost."

Alt and Jackie exchange looks and then look back at the others. 

"Like... because he...?" Alt asks quietly, afraid to say the whole sentence. 

"Y-Yes but- not in the way you two must be thinking. They're actually trying to find out why it happened cuz other me doesn't remember! But, he's really chill!" Bro explains with a shaky smile. 

"Oh... well-" Jackieboy says, "at least we know. It's okay, Chase, you don't need to hide."

"Are you sure?" Chase asks. "People get really freaked out." 

"Better to just rip the plaster off, I think," Jackie says, shrugging. 

"Real quick explanation," Jack says. "Ghosts still have the sign of their death on them, especially if they were killed. So you're going to see some blood. And sometimes parts of them don't appear, they just fade away." 

Come on, Chase, I'm sure it's fine, JJ says. 

"...okay." And then Chase appears, slowly fading in. He looks just like he did when Bro first saw him. 

"Oh, fucking hell!" Marvin jumps. "Eyes, Chase, the eyes!" 

"God damn it. Sorry." Chase blinks, and his eyes appear as well.

Alt and Jackie do jump a bit at seeing the eyes. But, they try their best to calm down. Though, they look at Chase's wound with trepidation. Not as much as Bro had when he first saw though. 

"T-Thanks for the warning guys," Jackie says. "Nice to meet you, other Chase." 

"Yeah- for sure," Alt says, looking a bit spooked still but trying to hide it. It's just- hard seeing the splitting image of your brother... dead.

Chase smiles shakily. "Nice to meet you, too. Weird to see a shorter version of Jackie." 

"...Am I that much shorter??" Jackieboy asks, looking at his other self. 

"Yeah, sorry." Jackie is about half a head taller than his counterpart. "Don't feel bad about it, you get a growth spurt when you turn into a werewolf, I'm pretty sure I was your height before that." 

"Fucking! Magic bullshit!" Jackieboy cries, throwing his hands up in the air. Bro and Alt laugh. 

Then Chase looks at Alt. "So... you're my brother in another universe? That probably explains your expression. Don't worry, I'm used to people freaking out." 

"You get used to it," Jack says, leaning back against the car seat. "I've seen ghosts all my life, they're freaky, but mostly harmless." 

"Gee, thanks," Chase says.

Alt flushes a bit and gives him a weak smile. "Uh... yeah sorry- just... hard to see. But, not your fault." 

"He's not freaky! He's cool!" Bro says, putting his hands on his hips.

Chase laughs, the sound strange and echoey. "Thanks, Bro. That does make me feel better." 

"So." Marvin folds his arms. "Now that we're all together, we have to find that Magnificent guy." 

"How bad is this guy, anyway?" Jack asks. 

"He almost burned down the Harvest Moon," Schneep states. 

"...he's pretty fucking bad," Alt mutters, "Now that he knows there's magic around... he's gonna be looking for a source of it."

Marvin bragged earlier that he's the most powerful witch in the city, JJ says, Marvin smiling behind him as he signs it. And that means Magnificent might go after him? 

"There are a lot of witches around, though, right?" Chase says. 

"I know there are quite a few in the hospital," Schneep says. "To help with magical injuries." 

"The most magic in the city would probably be at City Hall or the library," Jack says. "City Hall is where the Night Council meets, so there's sure to be a lot of witches there. And the library has a secret stock supply of magical texts."

"He'd go to a place with more magicians... he drains people of their magic to use for himself," Alt says darkly. "He doesn't care who he has to hurt to get it." 

"Maybe... he got pretty beat up by those wolves in the pub though," Jackie points out. 

"Oh really? Fuck yeah!" Bro grins.

"Hell yeah!" Jackie punches the air. "We're great, aren't we? That's my pack! Heartwoods 7 for the win!" 

Bro and Jackieboy laugh at Jackie's enthusiasm.

Schneep rolls his eyes and looks at the visitors from the other world. "Heartwoods is the name of an apartment complex. Floor 7 is all werewolves, it's one big pack that Jackie's a part of. He's really excited about it." 

"Of course I am, they're like, my best friends," Jackie says. 

"Should I be offended?" Jack mutters. 

"Besides you guys." 

"Aaaanyway," Marvin says. "I say we check out the library first. City Hall has witches, but it has wolves and vamps, too. The library is pretty much only witches. Or, I mean, the secret section is. Anyone can go to the library itself." 

Much easier to get into the library, too, JJ adds.

Alt nods to Marvin and JJ, "Yeah... that's a good place to start at least. ...I'll know when we find him."

"Alright... everyone who can't teleport, get in, then," Jack says, indicating the car. "We'll meet the rest of you there."

"Yay! No more running!" Jackieboy cheers, happily heading towards the car. 

Bro pouts, remembering he shouldn't be flying. "Okayyy back to the car-" 

Alt can't help but snicker- knowing Bro hated how slow cars were too. "Don't worry bro, I'm sure the time will just fly by~" 

"Yer so mean to me!"

"It's gonna be a tight fit," Jackie says. "That comes out to... other me, Schneep, other Chase, Chase, and me." 

"Well I'm not really there," Chase says, passing his hand through the car as an example. 

"Yeah, but you do make things cold where you float." 

"It is not the cold I mind, it is the static electricity," Schneep mutters. 

"Chase, if you're okay with it, I can just summon you to the location," Marvin offers. 

Chase shrugs. "Fine by me. I can explore the city some more." 

Great, that means there's just enough seats for the rest of you, then, JJ says. 

"I call front," Jackie says, climbing into the passenger seat before anyone can object. 

"We're keeping the window rolled up," Jack says jokingly.

Bro and Jackieboy laugh and get inside the car. But, Bro makes sure to knock Alt in the shoulder playfully and give him a soft smile. "Don't do anything reckless until we get there, alright?" 

Alt chuckles and nods, "I'll try my best. See you guys soon."

"Everyone buckle up," Jack says. Then he puts the car in gear and drives off. 

Marvin looks at Alt. "Let's go, then." He holds out his hand for the teleportation. 

I'll see you there, JJ says, and walks into a shadow and disappears. 

Alt nods and takes Marvin's hand, glitching them towards the library. 

---------- 

Magnificent appears on a city street with tall buildings all around. Offices, it looks like. Some of their windows are lit up in whites and yellows as the late shift works, but many are dark. Street lights shine circles of white light on the sidewalk and road.

Magnificent staggers and leans up against the closest surface he can, biting back curses and he grips at his bitten arm. Fucking mutt...! He needs a power source... fast. He's running dangerously low... and he's ravenous. His eyes search around the area, trying to find the biggest source of magic around.

There are pockets of magic all over the city, all varied in the way they feel. There are a couple distant sources of powerful magic, but the closest source nearby seems to be on the street corner. Coming from what looks like a small restaurant or convenience store.

Magnificent is past the point of thinking rationally right now- he's in pain and starving. He stumbles into the store.

At first glance, it looks like a normal corner store, with various items on sale and rows of aisles with snacks and small items for sale. But it's an illusion. Magnificent can see the wares ripple, their images briefly falling away to show more fantastical things beneath them. Strange plants and bottles of glowing liquids and lots of crystals. Behind the counter is an older woman with red hair, a few white strands mixed in. She's a witch, and the magic in her burns as fiery as her hair does. 

"Oh, uh, welcome!" she says. "Um... can I help you?"

Magnificent chuckles deliriously and bares his fangs at the woman. "Why... yes, my dear. You can." He then teleports behind her and tries to grab her from behind, aiming to drain as much magic from her as possible.

The older woman gasps. She reaches into her pocket for something and her skin suddenly gets really hot, to the point of burning Magnificent. But--he still drains her. And she soon slumps over the counter unconscious. 

Magnificent hisses at the burn but- no consequence. He has magic flowing through him again. But- its still not enough.

"Ella, was that someone?" A man with black hair and a beard comes from a door behind the counter. He's magic too, this one feeling cloudy and electric. He sees the sight and gasps, pulling a wooden wand off a display hanging on the wall.

Like a vicious animal Magnificent turns towards the man, grinning wide as the light catches his unnatural eyes. In a flash he teleports so he's in front of the man, lashing out to grab his face and drain him too.

The man cries out, trying to aim the wand at Magnificent. A bolt of lightning fires from the tip but misses Mag by a hair, and soon he slumps as well.

Magnificent lets the man drop to the floor and then throws his head back with laughter. He studies his veins as they glow with stolen power- and he starts to feel more full. He giggles and feels more like himself. There was always room for more but for now, he's satiated. He hums as he now takes in the tiny store, lookin over the trinkets- searching for anything else of use. 

"Damn. Who pissed in your cornflakes this morning?" 

What the hell? The store had been empty before, but now, there's a man in the corner, lurking in the spot where a large shelf casts a shadow on the wall. He's dressed in all black, from the overlarge black leather jacket, to the black tank top with "Bite Me" written on it in red, to the black ripped skinny jeans, to the tall black boots whose soles lend him at least an inch of height. His hair is brown and messy, and his eyes are blue with a ring of green around the pupil. Silver rings cover his fingers, and his pale skin has a gray tint to it.

Magnificent freezes and then whips around, lighting his hands on fire as he growls towards the voice. He glares at the man, then stops, finding himself momentarily confused. "...Alt?" But he gets over his confusion quickly. His cub wouldn't dress like that. 

He stands up and regards the man coolly, but keeps magic at his fingertips. "...You look like someone I know, Who might you be?"

"I've gone by a lot of names," the man says, walking towards Magnificent. "These days I like Anti. Short and to the point. But now that you know me, I gotta know you. Who are you?" His eyes flick up and down, scanning Magnificent. "You look like a witch, even a witch I know, but there's no fucking way a witch can do that fucking shit." He gestures at the unconscious witches. 

Magnificent chuckles, "Of course you are." He shakes his head then holds himself taller, "I am Magnificent. I'm more than a mere witch. I'm a sorcerer from another universe."

Anti's eyebrows raise into the air. "Ohhhh. Okay, so you're either one of those crazy cult witches, or you're telling the truth and those crazy cult witches are right. But honestly, I'm gonna guess the second one. Cause again. What the fuck was that." He walks around Magnificent and starts checking out the unconscious witches.

Magnificent laughs, shaking his head. "Even simpleton mortals can guess true things, it seems." He glances at the bodies of the witches and grins wickedly. "I siphoned their power to use as my own. It's a crude method- I have a more elegant ritual back in my own world but... too little time to do that here." He grips at his injured arm again and growls, "Plus... the beasts made me waste power... I was too hungry. Fucking hate that feeling..."

Anti glances back at Magnificent, looking down at the injury on his arm. "Werewolves? Yeah, they fucking suck." He pointed at one of the shelves. "The bottles with green stuff inside are healing potions. You're lucky it's not a full moon, I doubt even sorcerers from other worlds are immune to lycanthropy."

Mag's eyes widen at this and he hurriedly teleports to the shelves and grabs the potions, downing them quickly.

They taste like lemonade with a weird plant-like taste mixed in. His arm starts to tingle around the injury, and his skin slowly starts knitting together. 

"Don't drink too many," Anti calls. "You'll get sick." He crouches down by the unconscious man, leaning in close to his neck. When he pulls away, he looks a little less pale than he did before, and there's a red substance on the inside of his lips that he licks off. He then stands up and watches Magnificent, curious.

Magnificent stops once he feels the wound close altogether and he flexes his arm to make sure its healed. He sighs in relief and then glances back at Anti. He tilts his head curiously, studying him back. "...You're a vampire." He then looks back down at Anti and snorts, "That would explain the fashion sense."

"Heh. Catch on quick." Anti smiles, flashing the fangs. "Most people think the fashion thing is just a gimmick I'm doing. Even if I was to tell them, they'd just be like 'yeah, sure kid, that's cute,' and not realize that I'm older than them and not joking." He leans back against the counter. "So. What're you doing here, then? If you're from a whole 'nother world?"

Magnificent laughs. He leans up against one of the walls, "Well... that's the thing. Usually when my annoyances prance into other universes I try to tag along but... this time I had no idea. And I still ended up in one. And now well... I won't look a gift horse in the mouth." He grins sinisterly, "So many worlds to see... magic to steal, copycats to kill. It's all too much fun to pass up~"

Anti nods. "Cool. So... annoyances? Lemme guess, there are other people from other worlds here too, and they hate you."

"Yes. A bunch of dirty do-gooders who thwart my plans constantly. A duo of brothers. And... well. The human they cart around. The brothers pose a significant threat but the human is useless."

"They always are," Anti agrees. "Alright. I know all that now. Are you gonna go try to find these guys and stop them? Maybe kill them?"

"Mmm... mayhaps. Usually I go to find my other self and drain them- especially since most have unique magic. And knowing my cub... he's probably already found him." Magnificent grins, "But of course- if there's a bigger source to steal or even control then... that will also do nicely~"

"Yeah, I think I know your other self. He's... an 'annoyance.'" Anti snickers. "So. Can I come?"

Magnificent blinks and then grins, "... I don't see why not. It might prove useful to have an ally so versed in this world~" He laughs.

"Hell yeah." Anti grins wide, stretching his arms above his head. "I was so bored. So where are we gonna go, Mag? You want a big source of magic? I know a couple." 

“Ideally yes.” Magnificent giggles. “And a bigger source means common knowledge.. meaning we’ll lead all our annoyances to one spot~!”

"Alright. In that case, we could go to City Hall, or to the library," Anti says. "Those are the two biggest spots. Tons of magical shit, a lot of witches go there. Library might be better, if we break into City Hall the whole Night Council is gonna show up, and I don't think we should start with something that fucking big."

“Hm… no. I already caused quite the scene in a pub earlier. As fun as it would be to take down something called the Night Council- I think subtly is best at first.” Magnificent chuckles. He then gestures at Anti. “Well then, Anti. Care to lead the way?”

"Fucking 'course, Mag." Anti flashed another fanged smile. "Hope you're fast." And with that, he ran out of the shop. 

Magnificent is not expecting him to just- run. But he does laugh and teleport after him.

------------- 

The public library is a big box of a building, with a pair of stone statues out in front. One depicts a woman with bird wings--an angelic figure--and the other depicts a creature with large bat wings--some sort of gargoyle. There are benches out front, too, and it's here where Marvin, JJ, and Alt wait for the others. 

"Hang on a moment," Marvin says, tracing a circle on the ground with a stick and drawing some weird squiggly lines inside. The ground isn't soft, and the end of the stick isn't marked, but his movements still leave behind black lines. "I gotta summon Chase."

Alt glitches closer and watches curiosity, tilting his head. “…never seen a ghost summoning before.”

"It might be different in your world, if a way exists at all," Marvin says. "But here it's pretty simple if you're a witch. You just gotta draw these runes along the edges and the radiuses...radia? Radi? I dunno. And then in the center you write down the runes symbolizing who you're calling. It's easier for stronger spirits, and Chase is probably the strongest spirit I've ever seen. Weirdly so. That's why I think some necromancy bullshit went down with his death." 

Alt blinks in surprise, “Really? That strong huh? Hm… yeah that’s… hm.” 

Marvin pulls his mask down over his face and taps the circle three times. On the third, the black lines light up. Marvin chants something in Irish. "An dtiocfaidh spiorad Chase Brody amach." A beam of light shoots up from the center of the circle, and ghost Chase slowly fades into existence.

Alt glitches a bit at the beam of light and then smiles as Chase appears.

Chase steps out of the beam of light--though maybe it's more like 'drifts' out--and looks around. "Been a while since I've been here," he says. "Y'know, libraries are great. I never really thought about it before." 

Alt looks back at the library and smiles, “Libraries are great. Good place to go if you need someplace warm too.”

Marvin swipes his foot across the edge of the circle. "Hey, Chase." 

"Hey." Chase leaves the circle through the bit Marvin cleared--it must have been working as a barrier. "Hi Alt. Hi JJ." 

Alt grins and waves too, “Yo~!”

JJ smiles and waves. Good to see you. We still have some time until the others reach here. 

"Oooo, y'know what we could do, then?" Marvin pulls out a deck of cards in a clear plastic case.

Alt blinks at Marvin and then grins excitedly and glitches to be next to him on the bench. “Tarot reading!!”

“Exactly!” Marvin says excitedly. 

“Oooo,” Chase says, sounding very much like a stereotypical ghost. “I’ve never seen you do one.” 

I suppose we did have some downtime after all, JJ says. 

“Mm-hmm.” Marvin smiles at Alt. “So, what do you want to try? I can do a three card or five card fortune telling, a love reading, a personality assessment—a whole bunch of stuff.”

“Hmmm…” Alt puts his fingers on his chin to think. “…I dunno man. Whatever you wanna give me I guess! I’m curious just in general!”

“Alright. Hmm, I like doing personality assessments for new people.” 

You did that with me, I remember, JJ says. 

“Yep.” Marvin spreads the cards out on the bench between him and Alt. The backs of them are blue, with silver designs that look like crystals around the edges and an eye on the center. “You’ll need to pick five cards for this. For this first one, think about how other people think of you. Especially your friends and family.”

Alt nods and tries to think of that. Hmmm Chase calls him prickly. Which is accurate. He’s a bit cautious about new people and being touched sometimes. But he also knows his friends see him as kind- even if he felt he didn’t deserve that sometimes. He goes to draw a card.

When he flips it over, the card has an illustration of a man in medieval-type clothing with a hood pulled over his head, holding a bow and arrow towards the sky. The card is upside down, but Alt can read the words "The Hood." 

"Ah, the Hood, a rebellious figure," Marvin says. "When it's reversed like that, it often means someone who's tough on the outside but has a heart of gold. Others see you as sometimes difficult to approach, but worth the trouble."

Alt chuckles and nods, “Yeah that sounds spot on.” Huh… the illustration reminds him of something… something fuzzy from another adventure. Why is it so hard to recall?

"For the next one, think of what you do," Marivn says. "You know, like hobbies and your job and such."

Alt thinks- is magic a hobby? Probably. But also he likes to tinker with things- he wants to learn how to build stuff with magic in them. And his shows- his illusions. Guess his life did kinda revolve around magic now. He draws the second card.

This one has an illustration of a man wearing a cat-like mask, one hand pointing up towards the sky and one pointing down to the ground. At his feet is a white cat with gray patches. It's titled "The Magician." 

"Hey, same hat!" Marvin says, delighted. "The Magician is a force of will power and ambition. Someone who takes potential and makes it powerful. Your 'role', so to say, is often someone who likes making things happen, perhaps taking on big projects." 

Alt beams and glitches slightly in place. “Yeah I like making things! Magic- art sometimes- I wanna figure out how to do like… I dunno- magic machines or something.” He shrugs.

"That guy in the picture has a mask like yours, Marvin," Chase says. 

And that cat sort of looks like Higgins, JJ adds. 

"Yeah, I've noticed. That's one of the reasons I bought this deck." 

Alt looks at the cards closer and blinks, “oh yeah huh… I see it. That mask gets used a lot by other Marvins too.”

"Must be a universal constant," Marvin says. "Do you have a mask?" 

Maybe that bandanna functions as one? JJ guesses.

Alt smiles timidly and fiddles with his mask. “Uh… yeah I guess mine in this one… not nearly as cool though. Dunno if I could get away with wearing a cat mask though.” He chuckles. 

 "Oh yeah. Well, anyway. For this next one, think of... it's hard to describe. Your power, your capabilities, things you can do. Sort of similar to the last one, but more like... like if you were pushed to a limit, what would that be like?" Marvin says.

Alt blinks and thinks of this new prompt. Pushed to his limit huh…? Brief flashes of his Phoenix form comes to mind- raging electricity and bright light. He feels like that fits more than well enough- so he draws another card.

The illustration of the card is bright and vivid, showing a silhouette that's breaking apart into pixels. Two green eyes shine in the dark face, and a long scarf winds around the figure's neck. The title is "The Glitch." 

"Oooo, one of the last cards in the sequence," Marvin says. "Interesting, interesting. The Glitch--or the Error--is a figure who breaks the rules. Not intentionally like the rebellious Hood, it is just in its nature as a mistake. Either you don't think very highly of your abilities, or your abilities exist outside an established system, and are therefore very powerful."

Alt blinks in surprise. That looks like Anti from the IV universe. Scarf and all. Guess if Alt had to think of “glitch” he’d be the first one he’d think of. He laughs, “I think it’s a little bit of both?”

"You seem pretty capable to me," Chase says, giving Alt a small smile. 

"Don't worry about yourself, Alt, I'm sure you can take care of yourself." Marvin nods, agreeing with Chase's statement. 

Alt’s face turns a little red as he smiles shyly. “Heh.. thanks.” 

"Alright. Second to last one. Think of your past. Who you used to be, how different you are now, and how it's all shaped you." 

Alt’s smile fades a bit as he thinks about his past. Honestly? He doesn’t like thinking of it now… his present is so much better. His past was filled with so much hurt and hate… being Impulse, being lost on the streets… lonely and just so so angry. The him from back then felt like a completely different person now. With this in mind, he draws the card.

The card is a very simple illustration of a small child sitting cross-legged on the ground, a light shining down on them and protecting them from the darkness around. In their arms is a beat-up plushie of some sort of pink animal in a paper crown. The title is "The Orphan." 

"I never liked that title," Marvin mutters. "The Orphan is someone who is lost, often without guidance and looking for a sense of safety or home. You probably spent a lot of time on your own, not sure what to do. I'm... sorry."

Alt stares at the card with a heavy feeling in his chest. He slowly nods. “…yeah…” He then looks up and tries to smile at Marvin, “I-it’s okay now though… I’m not alone anymore.”

You have your brother and your friends, right? JJ says. He smiles gently. You're very lucky. They seem great. 

"I'm glad it's better now," Marvin says quietly. Then he clears his throat. "Alright. Last card. Think of the opposite of yourself. Something you don't want to be, with a personality composed of the worst qualities to you." 

Alt’s eyes burn with hatred as one name comes to mind: Magnificent. Power hungry and obsessive, vindictive and hurting innocents. He also thinks of the King, even if it sends shivers down his spine. He would never be like them… controlling the weak and believing themselves to be like gods. With this in mind he draws the final card.

The card that he draws then depicts a man sitting at a banquet table filled with food, and yet his face is thin and sunken. There's something familiar about the static, tattered cape he's wearing. And the title? "Hunger." 

"Ah." Marvin nods. "Hunger, a never-ending want for something, often coming with the ambition or arrogance to harm others to fulfill the want. So, you don't want to be the sort of person who reaches for power no matter the cost. That's a good thing to not want to be."

Alt feels his breath leave him as he sees the card. He’s- he’s seen this one before. Where? Where… It hits him like a ton of bricks. 

He’s in a beautiful glowing forest, a tunic on and chainmail weighing on his arms and chest. He’s.. on the ground, playing a game with two fair folk. What were their names,..? Lasta and Caba. They call Mag and mu Rith the King the name of the card… Hunger. 

Alt gasps slightly and grips at his head, his mind suddenly aching. He… He forgot so much from that journey. Seeing the card again brought some of it back.

Marvin blinks. "Are you alright, Alt?" he asks with surprising gentleness. He reaches out to touch him supportively--and in the process knocks some of the cards onto the ground. He glances down at them, frowning. 

"Alt?" Chase asks. "Do you have a headache?" 

Anything we can do? JJ asks, leaning a bit closer.

Alt snaps out of his thoughts as Marvin reaches out and he looks out at the others, glitching slightly. “Oh s-sorry I just…” He grips at his wrist and adds quietly. “…I’ve seen that card before but only once and… I didn’t… remember where until just now.” He laughs bitterly. “It… wasn’t a great experience. M-More dark magic shit so…” He smiles at the others, “But I’m okay. Really.”

JJ and Chase exchange glances. "Okay... if you're sure," Chase says. "Let us know if we can help." 

"Yeah, we're happy to," Marvin says. He bends over and picks up the cards that fell. "But, um. Also... this is strange, but... the cards fell down in a rough row, that's not... how cards usually fall..." 

JJ glances at him. Is this really the time for something like that? 

"I'm just saying. If Alt's okay... I want to talk about it." 

Alt blinks and then tilts his head at Marvin. “…a rough row? Huh… well-yeah sure. Go ahead.” Honestly, he could use the distraction.

Marvin nods. "Here. They were laid out like this." He lays them out in front of Alt, recreating it for him. 

The Hero: A man in a red hoodie and black mask, standing atop a modern building. 

Flood: A body of water, with rain falling from the sky into it. Beneath the surface are humanoid creatures with tails instead of legs. 

The Doctor: A man in a white coat and glasses, sitting at a desk and looking thoughtful. 

The Moon: A path leading from a body of water across a field, with a full moon looming large in the night sky. 

The Hierophant: A man with dark hair and black eyes--though one is half green--sitting on an ornate chair. 

The Shadow: Someone dressed in white standing against a wall, a black shadow cast behind them in mirror image. 

Fracture: A colorful background broken by a black, branching crack. 

Remembrance: A coffin, half black and half white, surrounded by monochrome roses. 

"I... don't know what it means," Marvin says slowly. "Do they mean anything to you? I think... I think that this sequence is supposed to be significant."

Alt knits his eyebrows together in confusion, looking at the sequence. He tries not to shudder as he sees another card he remembers. “I’m… not sure actually… I mean… the first one kinda looks like a hero I know. And we did meet some mermen earlier… huh…”

"Mermen? Oooo, cooool," Chase says. "Hey, are merpeople real in this universe?" 

"If they are, they don't interact with us at all," Marvin says. He stares at the sequence, tilitng his head. "...huh. If the first two seem familiar, maybe... maybe this is like a fortune telling for your journey. Probably more literal than most readings are. So, first was a world where you met a hero, then was a world of water, then was a world where... a doctor played a key part? Or maybe logic and science? And the moon is here." 

That makes sense, JJ says. We're sometimes called people of the night, us witches and vampires and ghosts and such. The moon, the night, it fits. 

"So these four will be your future," Marvin says. "Somewhere... traditional, or with strict rules. Somewhere with a... pairing? Or a rivalry? Somewhere broken, and somewhere connected to death, but not too connected to death, otherwise the Death card would've shown up."

Alt’s eyes widen. “The last world was very… doctor-y… that means… 4 out of 8… that’s like 50% right.” He pales slightly, looking at what is supposedly his future. “…so we’re not gonna get home for a while… huh…?” He doesn’t like the look of the future cards.

You never know, JJ says. You could go really fast through these worlds. 

“Fortune telling isn’t an exact art, this could all be one big coincidence,” Marvin adds, putting the cards back into the deck. “A hell of a coincidence, but it’s possible. Readings have come out as bullshit before.” 

“Even if it’s not, isn’t it nice to know what’s going to happen?” Chase asks. “To have a deadline, in some ways? Heh. Deadline. Cause… cause I’m a ghost.” He pauses. 

Marvin and JJ stare at him. 

“If I can’t make jokes about it, what can I do?” he says defensively.

Alt snorts at Chase's joke. "Yeah... I guess. Maybe we can be a bit more prepared. Guess we'll just have to see."

Marvin nods. “Always good to be prepared. Like I said, if I’m interpreting it right… somewhere with strict rules, somewhere with a rivalry or duality, somewhere all broken and probably not fun to be, and somewhere connected to death, or maybe memory. I dunno. Remembrance is a funny card, it usually means some sort of moment of clarity after a big change.”

Alt nods and tries to put that all into memory. "Sounds like it's gonna be a real fun time... goddamnit it Mag- I swear this is all his fault." He leans back and sighs but then laughs, "Then again... Visiting other worlds isn't always bad. We usually end up meeting really cool people." He smiles at the others.

Marvin smiles back. “Yeah. Maybe if you could find some way to come back without him, you could. I’d love to learn more about other worlds.” 

You also love to prove that you’re right, JJ says. Especially to people who call you a crazy cult witch for believing in other worlds. 

“I’ve never heard anyone in my life call me a crazy cult witch.” Marvin shuffles the cards absentmindedly. 

Alt beams, "Oh I'm definitely saving this place to visit again! This is one of the coolest places yet! I wanna come back and learn so many things- and look around at your shop some more! Maybe you can even teach me to read the crystaleye cards!" 

“Hell yeah, I’m up for talking cards any time,” Marvin grins. 

Chase perks his head up, looking down the street. “Wait a minute. Is that…” 

There’s a car barreling down the road. That does not look like a safe speed, JJ says. 

“You think anything faster than ten miles an hour is an unsafe speed,” Marvin says. “Jack is just going a bit over the limit, it’s fine.” 

“Bro, he just got his license, are you sure?” Chase says. 

“It’s fiiiiine.”

Alt blinks and looks back where Chase is looking and then laughs. "Oh- Jackie is gonna be clinging on for dear life. He's a dad so- he's alll about safe driving."

Chase blinks. “Your Jackie is a dad? I am too! I mean, I was? I mean, kind of hard to be a dad as a ghost, but I still see Stace and Dec around—oh uh, Stacy my wife and Declan my son. I-I hope I can introduce them to all this someday. Or at least to this new me.” 

Alt smiles, “Yeah- Jackie has 3 kids. Sweetest things. Though I swear Penny is gonna grow up to be a punk- she has that air to her.” He laughs. He smiles more gently at Chase, “I’m sure you’ll find a way, Chase. They’ll probably be happy to see you.” 

The car pulls to a sudden halt outside of the library. Jackie—the Jackie from this world—is the first to get out. “Whoo!” he shouts. “That was so cool!” 

Jackieboy tumbles out of the car, looking sick and pale. “N-Next time I’m driving- ohhh my god that was dangerous.” 

Seems our Jackies are quite different in ways, JJ comments. 

Alt laughs, looking at Jj, “For real.”

Bro hurries out of the car and grins. “Man what a rush!”

Schneep practically falls out of the car after Jackieboy does. “I am going to be sick,” he mutters. “You do not want a vampire to be sick, you will never get the bloodstain out.” 

Bro helps Jackie get over, patting his back. "You're okay, buddy!" Jackieboy groans.

“Heheh… sorry,” Jack says, looking embarrassed. “I didn’t want the guys to be waiting too long. Not to mention how dangerous this guy sounds.” 

“We’re all here now and that’s what matters!” Jackie says cheerfully. “Now we need to break into the library.” 

“No, we don’t need to break into the library,” Marvin says, standing up. “There’s a secret way in.” He points at the gargoyle statue. “That’s enchanted. See?” He walk up to it and puts his hand on the side of the plinth the statue is on. And his hand sinks right through. “It’s an illusion.” 

Alt perks up and glitches to be right by Marvin, seeing the illusion and grinning wide. "Oh cool!"

“I always wondered why there was a big hole in the side of the statue,” Jack says. 

Marvin chuckles. “Right. You can see through them. It’s also enchanted that only people with magic can pass through the barrier. But I know a way to make an allowance for Jack and other Jackie.”

"I thought the library was public..." 

"Probably not the magic part-" Bro comments. 

Well even public libraries close at night, JJ says. But you’re right, the secret part is obviously not public. 

Marvin runs a finger along the edge of the plinth, muttering some vaguely Gaelic sounding words, the eye tattoo on his hand glowing, and the whole illusion part of the plinth wavers and turns slightly green. “There, now everydays can get in for a short period of time.” 

“You guys go on ahead,” Jack says. “I won’t be much use fighting an evil witch. I think it’s better if someone stays out here and keeps watch. I’ll text you if I see anything.”

Alt nods, "If you're sure." 

Bro drags Jackie along. Jackie looks apprehensive but also curious. Alt grins and then leads his friends inside. 

As soon as the group steps into the illusion, they suddenly find themselves stepping out of a door next to the library’s AV section. Some of the lights are off, casting the shelves of DVDs in shadow, but some of them are still on so everyone can see. 

“There.” Marvin points down an aisle towards a set of elevator doors on the wall. “We need to get there. There’s a secret sixth floor.” 

“Will the elevators even work at night?” Schneep asks, frowning. 

“Of course. With maaaagic.”

"Do elevators ever turn off? Feel like that'd be a waste of electrcity," Jackieboy comments quietly. 

"..huh- I never thought of that. Yeah why would an elevator need to shut off?" Bro thinks outloud. 

Alt shakes his head, "Let's focus please?" He looks around and shivers a bit, "Though... the lights being off does make it feel kinda creepy in here."

"Creepy?" Jackie says, looking around. "It does?" 

"Seems fine to me," Schneep says. 

"Well Jackie can see in the dark and you haven't been in direct sunlight in fifteen years, so your standards are a bit fucked," Marvin says. 

Alt laughs, "Yeah that does skew things a bit." 

The group hurries over to the elevator. Jackie presses the call button and the doors open right away, so they all file in. 

Once in the elevator, Alt glitches a bit anxiously. 

Once the elevator doors close, Marvin taps on a spot above the floor five button. A glowing white circle appears with the number six on it, which he then presses. The elevator moves, and they wait. 

Even magical lifts go slow, don't they? JJ comments. Unfortunate. You'd think they'd figure a way around that.

Bro laughs with JJ, "Dude yeah! If you can magical lifts why not make them like- teleport you or some shit?" 

"Maybe some people just like the novelty of it." Jackieboy shrugs.

The elevator doors open again, revealing the secret library. It looks very similar to the library downstairs, with rows of bookcases, small sitting areas, a directory, and a circulation desk. But the style is different. Instead of metal bookcases and modernized chairs and tables, there are heavy wooden bookcases and older-styled sofas and tables. The lighting here is soft yellow-orange, and everything seems to have an art noveau design to it to match the patterns on Marvin's shirt. 

The directory lists subjects like "Spellcasting" "Witch Theory" and "Biographies (200+ yr lifespans)". 

Behind the half-circle circulation desk is a big illustration of a tree with many branches, all labeled with different words. For example, a Nature branch has an Elemental branch coming from it, which has a Water branch, which has an Ocean branch. 

There are a surprising amount of people up here for a library that was so empty in the floors beneath. A man behind the circulation desk waves at them as they come in as he scans a book titled "History of Night Councils."

Alt's eyes start to sparkle as he looks around the library, his smile only getting wider. HIs shoulder buzz and pop with electricity and glitches but he tries to keep himself contained since there's so many people. "L-Look at all of this!!" 

"Uh oh- Alt's enamored," Bro snickers. 

"Shuddup I didn't give you a hard time in the hero world!"

Chase laughs. "No, I agree, it's so cool to see, isn't it? Even if I don't understand all of it. But... we need to focus. We need to warn these people about Magnificent." 

Marvin nods. "Jackie, come on, we're talking to this circulation guy." 

"What?" Jackie says. "Why me?" 

"Because you're better at talking to people than I am and also those burns will help sell how serious the situation is." 

Jackie sighs. "Okay, fine." 

Alt shakes out of his awe and goes to follow after Jackie and Marvin, "I can try to help to!"

Outside, Jack sits in his car with the power off, trying to make it look empty. He glances up from his phone to scan the area--and sees someone suddenly appear out of the shadows. And someone else suddenly appears next to them, teleporting into view. "Oh shit," he whispers, and starts writing a text. He hopes it will reach them in time. 

"This is the place," Anti says to Magnificent. "There's a secret floor on the top where all the witches and shit hang out."

Magnificent dusts himself off as he stands tall and eyes the library. Oh... he can already feel the magic brimming within and he grins wide, his eyes glowing. "Excellent. We should pay them a visit~" 

Anti grins back. "We should. I never liked these uppity fucks. They think they're greater than they actually are. I think the floor is warded against teleporting, so we'll have to go through the library the usual way. Though it's not really all that usual, actually. There's a secret passage here." He walks up to the gargoyle plinth, demonstrating the illusory side much like Marvin did for the others earlier. 

Magnificent follows after and then snorts at the magic, "Ah, so simple." He chuckles, "Let's go then~" He heads inside.

#SATCV #SATCV SC #Alt anti #swap magnificent #jackie mann #bro fantastic #godd love the worldbuilding so much #and the tarot card stuff was so fun! #and actually there's a hint to a rp we did before this that we can't publish yet cuz fm needs to get farther along but :) #if you see alt mentioning the king a lot thats why ahgvajhb #i love the crystaleye cards we use them a lot they're cry's version of tarot cards and theyre so cool!! #also? writing mag being desperate and like magic hungry was really fun ajghak

[zerodderty]

Undertale Yellow feels like, and I don’t say this lightly, the Advent Children of UT/DR

Looks really cool, *is* really cool in a lot of the ways that count, even hits home sometimes… but also nobody who touched the production ever really “got” the original, so it’s just kinda hollow

That’s not always a bad thing, fanlike reverence leads to new ideas being created usually when people try to replicate the things they like about a work while cutting back on the less important bits. But when you tie it to this worship of the original text you get all these… janky halfhearted copies.

Like, oh, we gotta kinda have a Papyrus. Here’s your robot section. Didn’t you like Undertale’s Neutral Route? There’s some quieter comparison points where you can feel the thought that went into making UTY a fun reflection of the original. But also sometimes things feel needless, like they’re there to fill a quota.

The pacing gets this the worst- the actual main cast is introduced two thirds of the way through the story, so most of the early areas are JUST old Undertale zones without the humor or charm. Pacifist in particular suffers because of how much importance it puts on characters and scenarios that a first time player will have No time to care about.

The themes here are…. Incoherent. Copying Undertale’s structure so hard means that unintentionally a lot of the same Determination, Empathy, Content Consumption stuff gets reiterated, while the new stuff about Justice and Consequences feels like its totally shoved to the ends of each route where characters will start talking as if walking around doing random encounters and occasionally stumbling into bits with characters who immediately fall in love with you and proceed to do three bits before leaving means we’ve had some Deep Meaningful Arc together that is climaxing only now.

Which is to say at some point in every route characters will start ranting about Justice and Heroism in a way that just feels really goofy since it always comes out of nowhere. I can see the narrative bones of a fun western romp, but its buried under all this Undertale flavored fluff that makes the early game feel charming but hollow, the midgame feel abrupt and slow, and the endgame feel interesting but wayyyy too fast and undercooked for whats come before it.

And then there’s the Cool parts. The character design is just fifteen levels of weird, everyone is the same sort of lanky furry creature with these big mysterious angsty backstories that mainly serve to funnel people towards the two big endgame superbosses of Pacifist and Genocide. And they certainly are big, taking the form of long, multiphase endeavors with more than a few totally unbalanced attacks that go more for flash and overwhelming density than anything else.

And hey, I can’t say the flash doesn’t work…? I think with Deltarune as a comparison now, the weird reality breaking freaks of Jevil and Spamton feel a lot more interesting of a Sans followup but sure yeah, I can’t say that these anime powerups don’t look sick even if they feel a little disconnected from everything. But it feels like they exist at the expense of everything else as these all encompassing fixation points.

And hell, UTY is probably the *most* restrained Undertale fangame here, because you can tell in the base encounter design that clearly the developers liked the idea that Undertale was a game with encounters in it, even if the bits aren’t always as funny or charming they’re at least there and well executed. I like the random monsters! They’re probably my favorite thing here because they don’t feel exaggerated or cast aside to better focus in on the Cool Stuff

I dunno, I feel weirdly conflicted that a game so technically competent at emulating Undertale and so clearly passionate in its aims feels so uneven and clumsy. I’m glad it exists, I’m glad I played it, I just wish it was more… good. Maybe it’s in part that I got into Undertale from its influences (Homestuck and weird quirked up JRPGs) that it feels so weird to have those influences diminished to better do the Cool Stuff, but I feel if UTY wanted to just do the Cool Stuff it would have been better served not being so tied down to living up to the already lofty task of Undertale 2 without feeling like a direct to dvd and home video sequel.

#undertale yellow #ut yellow

[cirusthecitrus]

20 and 3 for the fandom positivity ask please?

Thank you for the ask!

3. A character that fandom has helped you appreciate

Since I mostly only talk about spop on this blog, I'll name a character from She-Ra. And it's Adora! I never hated her but I didn't love her either. She was a fine main character, I always found her endearing and funny, but not to the point of me actually caring about her, you know? I mainly took Adora for granted and her struggles didnt touch my heart like, say, Hordak's or (pre s4) Catra's. But thank you spop fandom for all your metas and fanart and fics that helped me open my eyes and made me see her depth! I still don't really relate to Adora and her journey but now I sympathise with her and love her more than ever!

I'd also say that the fandom has helped me understand Glimmer better. Especially s4 Glimmer. Again, I didn't hate her even then, but I was still quite annoyed by her and her actions. But now I've learned to appreciate her 'becoming queen' arc (now I think it's one of the most interesting and emotionally heavy arcs in the whole show) and the overall great writing behind her character u-u

20. Your very first fandom!

I can't recall which was The first, pretty sure i've aready been a part of some fandom forums when i was, like, 10, but I remember nothing from that time so those dont count

I think the first Big Important fandom I've been a part of was for this one russian kids book series "Chasodei". It's some sort of a steampunk fantasy where the characters had fairy wings and wands, made enchanted artefact and could travel through hidden parallel worlds and meet various magical creatures, but at the same time all the magic in their universe was based around old-timey mechanisms and its parts - like clocks and cogwheels - and time manipulation and paradoxes. Great series overall, just reread all the books a few years ago and still enjoyed them quite a lot, even though their target audience is children. Dunno if the books were ever translated to english though

I remember Chasodei fandom introdused me to fanfiction and character ask blogs. Also shipping discourse. Oh boy, the shipping wars were crazy among us 12-15yo fans X)

Around that time somewhere in 2012 I also started watching My Little Pony FiM and joined its fandom right away when it was "at it's peak" so to say. This was the first time I've ever been a part of an english side of a fandom as well!

Fan fact - MLP became my main motivation to learn english. Once I caught up with all the dubbed episodes I had no patience to wait for more dub so I joined a few fan groups that made rus subs. But then I became even more impatient and couldn't even wait a few hours for the subs so I had no choice but to start watching new episodes in original dub with english subs :)

#ask memes #ramblings #spop #shera #tallysgreatestfan #sorry it took a while! it was an eventful weekend #book recs #i guess

[angelbaby-fics]

Fashion Show Friends

Word Count: 1.2k

Pairing: CG!Stucky x Little!Reader, featuring platonic Rocket & Groot

Summary: You make some new friends in the Avengers Tower!

A/N: Once again I have ignored all the half written fics in my notes app and written something spur of the moment & completely self indulgent lol. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this little fic inspired by my ♡ anon's request to write something that makes me happy. Rocket is one of my comfort characters of all time & all I want is to dress him up like a little stuffy. Enjoy 💕

The Avengers Compound where you all lived was host to many parties, some you got to attend, and some you were stuck upstairs with the babysitter for. Tonight happened to be one of the ones for both Avengers and their littles alike, and you happily skipped out of the elevator in your brand new light up shoes out into the party floor. 

This event in particular was to welcome the Guardians Of The Galaxy to the team. Familiar faces mingled with ones you’d never seen before, some that didn’t even look human. You’d never met an alien before! You scanned the room for someone to play with - Peter, or Loki, or one of the other age regressors in the tower - but something else caught your eye. It looked familiar, like an animal you recognized from one of your storybooks with its bushy tail and white snout, but it stood on its hind legs drinking from a red plastic cup like everybody else. You looked over your shoulder towards Steve and Bucky, who were already making conversation with some of the new guests (well, Steve was, meanwhile Bucky stayed close but focussed on his phone) and decided to investigate for yourself. 

“Hey,” you said, getting its attention, “are you a rangoon?” 

The creature turned around, staring up at you, and you suddenly noticed a little twig with a face perched on its shoulder. 

“Do I look like a crab puff to you, human?” It replied snarkily.

“What?” 

“A rangoon, it's like a crab wonton. You mean a raccoon, and no I’m not. The name’s Rocket, and this is Groot.” He answered, and motioned to the stick figure on his shoulder.

“I am Groot!” The stick said with a cute high pitched voice and a little wave.

“Oh. Well hello Rocket. Hello Groot. Do you guys wanna play?”

“I am Groot!” Yelled Groot with a grin, as he jumped off of Rocket and scampered up to perch on your shoulder instead.

“Come on man, what have I told you about stranger danger?” Rocket said with an exasperated sigh.

“I’m not a stranger!” You said, and introduced yourself before pointing over to Steve and Bucky. “And those are my daddies! They take care of me.”

Rocket’s face slowly changed from annoyed to intrigued. 

“You know the one with the arm?” He asked with a mischievous hint in his voice. “His name is Buggy, and he has two arms, okay? But one of them is just fancy.” You said proudly, eager to defend Bucky’s honor whenever you could.

“It sure is fancy, isn’t it kiddo.” Rocket smiled. “Say, do you think you could get that fancy arm for me?”

“Why?” You questioned.

“Uhh, it's a game!” He quickly explained. “I dunno… I don’t think Buggy would like this game very much.” “I am Groot,” Groot agreed, already taking your side. Rocket rolled his eyes.

“Alright then, what do you suggest, pea brain?” He asked the sentient plant, his mind still focussed on Bucky’s vibranium arm as an idea popped into your head. “I know! We can play fashion show!!” You exclaimed.

“I am Groot!” He nodded excitedly.

“Absolutely not!” Rocket cried.

“I am Groot!” Groot replied, his eyebrows furrowed at his friend. 

“I did not come to this planet to play dress-up.” Rocket crossed his arms, but Groot still tried to persuade him. “I am Groot.” “I don’t care what Quill said, I’m not here to make friends.”

“I am Groot.”

“You’re really not gonna let this go, are you?”

Groot shook his head.

“I am Groot!” He said with a satisfied smile. 

“Fine! But you owe me for this!” Rocket finally relented.

“Come on!” You jumped and led the way to the elevator, up to your home floor, and to your playroom with your two new friends.

A couple hours passed and the party began to wind down. Bucky decided they had stayed long enough that he could suggest leaving to Steve without the latter thinking it was too rude to dip out this early. Bucky left Steve to say goodbye to everybody while he ventured out into the party to find you. He noticed you hadn’t come over to tug on his sleeve or ask for a snack as long as you’d all been there, and he assumed you had stayed entertained in one of the rooms with your little friends, but when he counted all of the other littles playing without you, he started to panic. 

“Hey Steve? Little emergency here.” He whispered to his partner.

“What do you mean?” Steve turned to Bucky with anxiety etched into his features. “I mean I’ve looked everywhere.” Bucky replied, his voice starting to shake.

“Ok, calm down,” Steve tried to reason. “We can just ask F.R.I.D.A.Y.” 

And he did just that, to which the system replied that you were already back home in your playroom, and you weren’t alone. 

“I’m seeing two other lifeforms in there, sir. It looks like… a plant and some kind of rodent.” F.R.I.D.A.Y. answered, and Bucky was already bolting to the staircase, not trusting these two aliens in his home let alone with his baby. 

Steve reached the apartment just moments before Bucky, having kept a level head and taken the elevator. Both the men could hear you giggling in your playroom, which calmed their nerves at least a bit. 

“Try it with this hat!” Your voice carried through the hallway as Steve and Bucky approached the playroom door.

“Hey, that’s not bad actually.” A deeper voice replied.

“I am Groot!” Another voice agreed.

And there they found you, sitting on your playroom floor, all your Barbie doll and Build-A-Bear clothes out of their respective boxes and scattered all around the floor. Neither Steve nor Bucky could even comprehend the mess, due to the fact that there was a twig in a sundress and a raccoon with a baseball cap and overalls standing in the middle of it all.

“Hey pumpkin, what’s all this?” Steve asked cautiously. Bucky was too stunned to speak. 

“Oh I made friends! This is Groot and Rocket. He is not a rangoon.” You said proudly, showing off your new friends in their new fashions.

Steve let out a breath he realized he’d been holding in since he thought you were missing.

“Baby, when you make new friends, you have to introduce them to me or Baba before you invite them over. And you need to tell one of us when you leave a party. We were so worried!”

“I’m sorry!” You said, standing up to give each of your daddies a hug. “Can my friends please stay and play?”

Steve looked to Bucky, who only shrugged, before turning back to you and making a decision.

“Only for an hour. And only if they help you clean up when you’re done, okay?” “Is that okay you guys?” You asked, turning to your playmates.

Rocket was about to shake his head, but Groot spoke first. “I am Groot!” “That means yeah, we’ll clean up.” Rocket translated, rolling his little rodent eyes. 

You cheered and immediately got to work picking another outfit for each of them to try on next. 

Taglist: @babybatdani @cherryynoirr @simpingbutch @xxxqueenlaufeysonxxxxo @mogaruke @flthyhrts @mariexoxosblog @stuckysgirl27 @midnight-dreams-23 @mischiefsemimanaged @0witchtrials0 @my-river-lilly @erynnnn @tired-spider-siblings @tamzindouglas @st3rgirl ​​@rach2602 @bradfordmyworld @keirabux @teddybearsgrr @sleepybabyxo @bunnyweasley23 @simpforsebastianstan06 @angies1021

#little!reader #agere fic #stucky x little!reader #marvel agere #rocket x little!reader #groot x little!reader #steve x little! reader #bucky x little!reader #chloe's fic

[chucksfavouriteprophet]

Human Error (Part 2)

Dean Winchester x Reader (gn)

A/N: I wrote the first part of this ages ago and at the time never intended to do a part 2, but quite a few people requested and I figured maybe it was time I did. You gotta give the people what they want at the end of the day right?

Warnings: Sacrifice, alcohol, angst, upset, mentions of torture

Word count: 2,121

Dean groaned as he rolled over in bed, squashing his face into the pillow. Every moment made him nauseous, and the stale taste of whisky and beer didn't help. At some point he knew he'd have to move from the bed and clean himself up, but that meant facing a world without his brother, and he wasn't ready for that yet.

The pounding on the door that had woken him repeated itself. "Y/N, I told you to get the hell out of here. I swear to god I will murder you with my bare hands the second this hangover eases up-"

"Dean?"

The grumbled Winchester seized up mid sentence as the door cracked open and a voice he never expected to hear blew through. His breath halted and he gulped, squeezing his eyes shut tight. Sam had only been gone a day, and he was already hearing his voice. Maybe it was just the alcohol, but even so, Dean needed to relish in the moment. The realisation that he'd never hear that voice again sent a lone tear cascading down a dry cheek.

"Dean get up."

He couldn't. If he did, if he turned towards the door, he knew he'd see nothing. The illusion would be gone. He would no longer be able to pretend his brother was still alive, come to pester him about being in bed so late in the day, or scold him for getting passed-out drunk, or lure him in on a new hunt.

"DEAN!" A hand gripped his shoulder and thrust him round onto his back. With a gasp at the sudden movement, Dean's eyes sprung open wide and stayed that way as he stared in horror at the face hovering over him. With a scramble, he pulled himself up, backing into the headrest as he grappled for his gun and thrust it forward.

"What are you?" He hissed, his voice shaking slightly. Try as he might, composing himself in front of the creature taking shape as his dead baby brother was increasingly hard.

"It's me, Dean."

Sam stepped back to give Dean some space, his hands in the air in a mock surrender. He looked pale and just as shocked as his confused brother, which only made matters harder for Dean.

"Two nights ago you had a sex dream about Jennifer Lopez. You couldn't get your dick down for hours after, and you made me tell Y/N that you had stomach ache thats why you wouldn't leave your room. They didn't believe me, by the way."

At the sound of your name, Dean started to tremble with anger. His hands shook as he tightened his grip around the gun.

"Y/N killed you. I saw it with my own eyes. I held you as you bled out."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, but it was an accident. And now I'm back. Y/N-"

The younger Winchester didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before his brother leapt at him, embracing him tightly and burying his head into the wispy hair hanging against his neck.

"Fuck, Sammy," Dean breathed, finally letting the emotions overcome him. Sam chuckled.

"Christ man, you stink. You've gotta lay off the booze for a while, I'm telling ya."

Dean smirked as he pulled away, one hand still tighter on Sam's shoulder. He nodded, clearing his throat. "Yeah, well, I was mourning and all that. Look, I gotta tell you, I didn't bring you back. I dunno what, or who, did, but it wasn't me."

"I know," Sam glanced down at his shoes shamefully, shifting slightly. Dean cocked his head, sensing something was up.

"Y/N did."

Dean blinked. "What?"

Sam nodded, gulping back tears. "One minute I was bleeding out with you screaming down at me, the next I was standing in the middle of a crossroads and Y/N was behind me. With a demon."

Of course. Of course Y/N had made a deal, that much should have been obvious.

"Dammit, I'm gonna kill them," Dean mumbled as he threw himself out the door and down the corridor, tumbling through the tunnels like a tornado.

"Y/N!" He bellowed as he sped towards your room, Sam hot on his heels, trying to get him to slow down and stop for a moment. By the time he'd caught up, Dean had halted in your bedroom doorway, panting as he stared wide-eyed at the empty space.

Your bed was unmade, clothes tossed across the floor like usual. All of your things were still there - including your weapons. It was a particular one that had caught his eye; a 1950s pen knife he'd given you when you first moved into the bunker and wanted to learn how to fight properly. He'd been hesitant to give you a proper weapon, but you'd become so attached to the little item that even now, as a seasoned hunter, you never left it behind.

"Dean..." Sam hovered behind his brother, sadness in his eyes as he let him stumble in slowly towards where the knife lay on the bedside table.

"No no no no no," Dean mumbled, shaking as he approached it tentatively. He took it in his fingers, turning it slowly as though it were a fragile diamond. He gripped it tight as his other hand came up trembling towards the unmissable folded white paper that had lain beneath it. Dean knew what this was gonna be, and opening it up would make it all real. But as his eyes blurred with tears, he knew he had to.

Dean,

Please don't be mad. I can't take it if your last memory of me is filled with anger. What I did was right - after doing so much wrong, I finally did something right. And I don't regret it. I never will, because it brought your brother back, and theres nothing more right than that.

The time I have spent with you boys has been the most amazing experience, and I'm so incredibly grateful that you took me in and treated me as one of your own. I finally had a friends, and thats something I never, ever, thought would happen.

Fuck that. You're more to me than friends. Sam, he's a brother to me. Thats why I couldn't let him die, especially at my own hands. The world needs him to keep it sane, to patch up its wounds, to give it hope. He's a clear blue sky, and I'm a raging wildfire. I know which one I'd rather live alongside.

And you, Dean...god. I can't say you're like a brother, not really. Because I love you. I guess I can just come out with it now that I'm not around to feel your rejection. But I do, and I always have, and you deserve all the happiness in the world. It destroys me to know that means I can't be there in it, but I would sacrifice my own happiness over and over again if it guaranteed your own.

I'm sorry I just left without a goodbye, but lets be honest, I couldn't risk you trying to stop me. Not when there was so much on the line. I know you and Sam have both been where I'm going, and I know its horrible, but I don't want you to try and get me out of there. I'm going to make sure its a tight deal so you can't. I won't be in pain, not as long as you two are safe and together. Knowing you hate me for what I did to Sam is killing me already and I know I deserve what is to come. I can only hope that one day you can forgive me. Nothing can hurt as bad as this.

Keep fighting, Dean. And keep your brother safe. Forgive me. I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

A sniff broke Dean out of his trance as he turned round slowly to Sam, who sat perched on the end of your bed, tears rolling down his cheeks. They remained like that, frozen in time, for what felt like an eternity. You were gone, and you weren't coming back.

Dean was filled with so many emotions. Gratitude, that he had his brother, his soulmate, back by his side. Anger, that you had gone behind his back to do something so reckless. Guilt, that he had driven you to do so. Despair, that he had never said it back.

"I love you too," he whispered under his breath. "I'm so sorry Y/N. I never should have let you go, I - I should never had said those things. It was never your fault, nothing was ever your fault, how could it be? Fuck Y/N, I forgive you, of course I forgive you, I'll always forgive you...please, its me who needs to be forgiven, oh god, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." his knees buckled as Sam jumped up, his arms wrapping around his big brother and guiding him onto the bed. He held him tight as they cried together, Dean finally letting the tears fall freely and his body wracking with breathless sobs.

"They know, Dean. Deep down, Y/N knows that. I'm so sorry you never got the chance to tell each other yourselves. I'm so sorry I got in the way of that."

"No," Dean shook his head profoundly, pulling away and taking a deep gasp of air. "Dammit, they never should have gone and made a deal like that, but lets be honest, I would have done the same. I have done the same. Y/N is right; we're better together, no matter what. I can't do this life without you Sammy, and thats not breaking news."

He cleared his throat, trying to compose himself. He glanced down, still fisting the knife and stroked its tip. Your sacrifice would haunt him forever, but he understood, and he refused to let your legacy die in vain. Right then, right there, Dean swore that every monster he ever killed he would do in your name, with your knife in his pocket, and you by his side.

-

You finally let the boy down off the rack after 6 hours of torture and he slumped to the floor before two demons could scoop his collapsed form up and carry him back to the cell. As you wiped your blade of his blood, you closed your eyes to re-centre yourself. You'd stopped asking why these innocent children were thrown down to the darkest depths of Hell a long time ago. Knowing wouldn't change anything, and it certainly wouldn't make you feel any better.

"Y/N," you paused at the familiar English tone, wiping your crimson hands on your thighs before starting to rearrange your various collection of sharp objects. You'd felt this day coming for a while now; although you were now a seasoned torturer of around 5 years you'd been conscious to keep note of how slow time passed on Earth. And you knew that any day now Crowley would come knocking.

"He's back?" You refused to turn, continuing with your organising.

"A few days ago now. Went straight to see Squirrel, as you would expect. They had a lovely reunion. I didn't realise you'd left a note, either. Nice touch."

You didn't say anything, just focused on your hands as you tried to keep yourself composed. You felt Crowley take a step towards you, his breath close to your neck and brushing the hairs on end.

"You should know that they understand what you did. Even Dean. He forgives you, both for killing his brother and for sacrificing yourself. Guess he of all people understands the strange way the world works. Your act hasn't gone unnoticed, Y/N."

"But they're together again, Sam and Dean?"

"Yes, those pesky Winchester brothers are reunited and back to their troublesome ways thanks to you. All that deal making and a lifetime of torture, I really don't think it was worth it-"

You barged past Crowley, refusing to look at him. You could feel yourself about to explode; you'd waited for years for the day when you finally knew if your deal had been successful and for the confirmation that order had been restored. Knowing that Sam and Dean were back together made every last tortured soul worth it.

"Oh, and Y/N?" Crowley called out just as you reached the door. You froze, fingers brushing the handle, staring straight ahead.

"He loves you too."

Without a seconds hesitation, you continued forward, closing the door behind you defiantly. As you stormed down the hall, you couldn't help but let a soft smile grace your face for the first time since you'd been condemned.

Tagging those who interacted with part 1:

@imherefordeanandbones @ellie-andthemachine @paarthurnax59 @fanfic-n-tabulous @deanoxwinchester @georgeparisole @sweetpainterflowercalzone @sweet-evamaria2006 @shadowdancer-69 @i-teamfreewill-blog @peachescream1723 @spiesareforever13 @loki-hiddleston-81 @onlinecemetery @hopefulcomicsfunnycookie @going-to-hell-a-legend @grandstrangerphantom @ratprincessnr1 @mysticalcalzonegothherring @inlovewithfictionalcharacters666 @carry-on-wayward-girl @waywardson2020 @supernaturalenchanted @whyisnicole @missudean @luvmosstar @ellie1907 @fanfic-n-tabulous @supernaturalfansstuff @watermelon0ninja @chims-dimple @smittenkotyonok @teawrites01 @beautifulmasterpiece4 @lunalovegood2 @peacchytae95 @candy-coated-misery0731 @spidermansdeadgf @bearcoon1666 @allonsy-yesiwill @insanityperhaps @dunnsmargera @justanordinarychair @hayleigh-elizabeth24 @bicowboywuvhugz @baby-bloos @leila22rogers @sirensong04 @altairanox @erijonarexhepis-blog @blank-artistry

#supernatural #spn #spn fic #supernatural fic #supernatural fanfiction #supernatural dean #spn fanfiction #dean winchester #sam winchester #dean winchester x y/n #dean winchester fanfic #dean x y/n #dean x reader #dean x you #sam winchester x y/n #sam winchester x reader #sam winchester fic #sam and dean #spn x reader #spn x you

[ayiexer]

𝙾𝚗𝚎 𝙿𝚒𝚎𝚌𝚎 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚇 𝙶𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚝! 𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍! 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 -

6 year old [Name] was killed and was stuck as they couldn't enter the after life. Having no where to go, they lived as a ghost, floating from place to place, sea to sea, ship to ship. The child had no idea how long they have been a ghost, they have nothing to fear anyways, being immortal gave them the chance to do everything they want, either walking in people showering, walking in a navy meeting like it was normal, greeting scary pirates and so much more.

✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖

"One fish, uhm...six..three...eleve.." [Name] counted the fish, as they were under water, pointing at the creatures under the rocks. A big shadow covered the sun, making it difficult to see the fish. The child sighed and looked up to see a massive ship, they smiled, excited to explore the ship.

On the deck, they were many pirates chatting, drinking and smiling. [Name] switched their gaze, their eyes landing on a large man, his arms crossed and had many scars on his chest. The tall man also had a huge white beard, he looked stern and serious. The Child's eyes shined staring at the man.

"Yo." A voice greeted. [Name] faced him, It was a young man with curly black hair, on top of it was an orange hat. The man was had no top, showing of his tattoos, he had freckles on his cheeks and a grin on his face.

"Hello!" The child smiled "I'm Ace." "I'm [Name]!" Ace's grin grew wider, "Hm, you're weird looking.." he held his hand up to touch [Name]'s face but his hand passed through their body.

"Woah." "I'm a ghost! Please don't be afraid of me! I..i just want to be friends." The child spoke looking at the raven haired man. "A ghost huh? Didn't know they existed." He chuckled.

The child smiled, Ace looked at them. "Why would i be afraid anyways?" "Uhm... I'm not sure. People are always afraid whenever they see me..i also get scared when they yell at me to go away." [Name] explained, a sad look on their face.

"Well I'm not. Listen, whenever you're afraid or need help, just yell my name and I'll be with you, dead or alive." Ace smiled widely, ear to ear.

"But..how are you going to help me if you're dead?" "I dunno, I'll just figure it out." Ace scratched his neck, "But.. I'm a ghost. No one can hurt me." "Sure, but even if you're a ghost, or strong physically, you need to be strong mentally." [Name] blinked in confusion, He grinned. "Mentally, i mean here." Ace tapped his chest, where his heart rests.

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Floating above the sea, [Name] looked around, once they've spotted a small island (which was on fire), despite that, they smiled and floated to the archipelago.

Once the child arrived, there we're a lot of screaming, explosions, children crying, people pushing eachother to ride the boats and escape.

But even with the explosions, loud laughter can be heard, [Name] turned to look and there was a very large man, his mouth wide, laughing and was also missing teeth. He had a hairy chest and a scruffy beard, his laugh was also weird.

"ZEHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" He laughed as other people laughed beside him. 'Oh.. he's a pirate too.' He then stopped laughing when he looked down, looking at [Name] "Huh? What's a child doing here?" He looked at the child, confused, for a second. Then continued laughing.

"What's so fun-?" The child asked, but then was cut off by a man beside the big pirate pointed his rifle at them and shooted. Of course, that didn't do anything, the child stared at them. "That's was very rude.." tears weld up in their eyes and began to sob into their hands.

"Now, now, calm down will ya? The little shit didn't even get to continue their question! ZEHAHAHAHHA!!" The big pirate slapped the man behind him on the back, causing him to stumble a bit with an annoyed look.

A woman beside the big pirate, who looked like a witch, spoke. "How did they even survive?" She said, an eyebrow raised. [Name] raised their arms up and smiled, causing a man (who looked like he had been sick since the moment he came out of his mother's womb) beside a horse to flinch and grip the animal for protection.

"I'm a ghost!" A pale, slim, tall man crouched down to pick up a pebble and threw it at [Name], which again didn't hurt them. "Hm." He exclaimed.

"Can i sell this kid? How much would they be?" The big pirate asked. "I don't want to be sold." The child floated up, crossing their arms. "Hm, I can't do anything about it anyways. Let's go, find burgess." The man simply said, walking away.

"Good bye! Be safe.." [Name] waved good bye. The big pirate turn around and smiled widely, then laughing loudly, making his way to his pirate ship.

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"Ooh! Big navy house!" [Name] stared at the Marineford in 'awe' and smiled. They peeked inside a window, to see a large, muscular, old man eating rice cakes.

They quietly floated near him, peeking at the cute Den Den Mushi. "Want one?" The old man spoke suddenly, they faced him. "...No thank you." "Okay, your loss." He continued to eat but then fell asleep, snoring loudly.

"... Goodnight." [Name] giggled as they floated, room to room. They stopped at a room where they saw a man, with his eyes closed, sipping tea. He also had large scars on his face.

"..Hello." The child spoke. "Hello. What's a child like you doing here?" "Uhm... I'm lost." The man smiled, placing down his cup, he stood up. "Would you like me to help you exit? I am certain that a hothead will get angry when he sees you." He chuckles softly.

"...Okay, thank you mister...?" "Issho is fine, little one." He held his cane, and exited the room, with [Name] following close by. Issho seemed to be good with directions, for someone who is blind.

"What is your name, little one?" "Oh! My name is [Name]!" "..[Name], i like it." He hummed in response. "Are you a navy soldier too, Issho?" "Why of course. I'm an admiral." He smiled.

"Woah! Cool! Do you need to be strong to be an admiral?" "...yes. But you also need to be strong here." He pointed to his chest, where his heart should be. A spark of nostalgia hit the child like a train. Ace.

[Name] knew that Ace had died, a few years ago. They were there when it happened, Ace looked so sad, leaning on his brother. Everything was a mess, a bloody, explosive mess.

Though, The child didn't cry, instead, [Name] hoped that Ace is finally happy and at peace in the after life with his brother, Sabo and his mother. Like he'd always talk about.

[Name] was happy that Ace didn't get stuck like them here on earth, having to witness the lonely pain they go through.

"...i know. But i wish my friend knew that like he said we all should." The child sighed. The admiral turned to look at [Name] from where he heard the child, which was oddly speaking from above. "I wish i could see you, little one."

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"...oh." The child found themselves stuck in a cave. [Name] panicked, even if nothing can hurt them, darkness is something that is definitely not the best. They covered their eyes, hyperventilating. The cave echoed with sounds of [Name] sobbing.

"....A-ace...please help..me." they whispered. A small light appeared, in a form of a small fire. It floated in circles, around [Name]. They sniffled and laughed a bit, "You..came...I miss you."

#one piece #admiral fujitora #portgas d. ace #child reader #marshall d. teach #one piece strawhats #Spotify