#like yes its just him but his colors are inverted but also | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sparrow-ceiling · 3 months

Text

OK SO CAN WE TALK ABOUT CHARLIE'S WEAPONS AND HER FINAL BATTLE DESIGN

ik i already made a whole post abt everyone's final battle designs (if you want to see it check under my hazbinposting tag, its literally just me gushing), BUT I wanted to make a new one for Charlie because UGH

OK. So her costume stays fairly the same throughout the battle, the cute little dress with the heart on the front, which is so real of her. I mentioned this in the other post also but I thought it was really cute how Charlie usually wears pants, and Vaggie usually wears a skirt, but it switches for the battle. Idk if that has any like. Metaphorical meaning but i think it's cute.

For the weapons, we start out the battle and we see Charlie with her shield. Which yes is a very Charlie thing to have: she's a very protective character, all she wants to do is keep her people safe.

But if you LOOK AT THE shield. GOD, look at the shield. First of all, it's so pretty. Everything in this show is so aesthetically pleasing guys. BUT. There are literally FOUR visual motifs on this shield, plus colors (which are mostly just the normal color palette, but also relate to her and her father). SHIELD MOTIFS. It has (1), the wings. She's angelic & she's powerful (since Angels are kind of a symbol of power and heirarchy.) She has angelic blood from her dad, it doesn't seem like she has actual wings, but she definitely does hav the power that is associated with those wings. The wings also might be a nod to Vaggie's wings.

The shield also (2), looks like an apple. It has the little leaf in the back, and the core in the middle. Lucifer DEFINITELY also has a lot of apple imagery, so that's something she gets from her dad, to, another nod to where her power comes from. We also have (3), the snake. This might be a bit of a stretch but I'm pretty sure that part around the core of the apple that goes down into a point is a snake, which is also associated with Lucifer. Most of the motifs on the shield are a nod to her dad, to her power and where she gets it from. Also beyond physical power, she gets emotional power from her dad. She looks up to him, idolizes him, and she gets confidence from her connection with him.

The fourth and probably-not-final thing that the sheild has is its shape. This was honestly the fist thing I noticed about the shield, and you can really see it well in the above image: the shield is in the shape of a heart. As a Stranger Things fan, of course I am partial to heart shields. Just like Mike, Charlie is the heart of her party. She's the strength, she's where the love and the joy and the connection comes from. Sir Pentious, for example, only gets heart motifs in his design once he gets his heaven redesign, but Charlie has heart motifs in her design from the minute she steps on the battlefield. Look at her dress. That heart, that love, is a part of her. Love is so intrinsic to her personality and to her character that she can defy hell which honestly. She's so real for that (Also can we talk about how she looks at Vaggie in these pictures. I would die for her.)

So Charlie's heart/wings/apple/snake shield is not only a show of power because of her connection with Lucifer (with snake and apple) and her angelic blood (with the wings), but it's also an expression of her personality (with the heart and the fact that it is a shield in the first place). Her character development kind of comes to a peak here: she's learned to be confident in herself while still being that kind, loving, wonderful, dreamy Charlie, and the shield emphasizes that so well.

BUT WAIT. This isn't just a Charlie's-shield-appreciation-post (although it could be.) She literally gets THREE outfits in one episode (standard, the one with the shield, and the post-magical-girl-transformation one)

After Pentious dies and she tranforms, her appearance and her weapon change. Her physical changes are her horns, the inverted, glowing eyes, the tail (with the little heart on it!!), and her hair coming untied (so magical girl of her, but also look at the shape language! She becomes angrier more violent, and instead of that typical, soft, round bubble ponytail, her let-down hair is full of angles, especially in the picture below). We've seen her demon form a couple of times previously in the series I believe, and it happens when she experiences severe emotion and/or wants to show her power, both of which are happening right now (Honestly I love how it shows how much she loves Pentious. She's so sweet and I love her. He means so much to her.) HOWEVER, her physical appareance isn't the only thing that changes after her magical girl transformation. She also has (surprise, surprise), a new weapon!!!!

The trident doesn't have as many strong motifs in it as the shield did, but it's still fuckin. Crazy. So first and second of all we have the apple and the snake, which repeat from the shield, and still represent Charlie's power that she gets from her dad. The third thing about the trident is color scheme: The shield was red, gold, and white, will the trident introduces another color to the mix: black. I dunno what to say about this, but it's interesting to note. Something something her emotions get darker? There's probably a way to read into it but idk. lmk if anyone has thoughts on it.

Although there is the addition of the heart on Charlie's tail, this stage of her design also loses the heart on her weapon. Similar to the addition of black, this probably represents the darker turn in her design and emotion, and the darker turn in the battle. She's not completely out for love (haha see what I did there) anymore, she's also out for revenge (as an extension of love, but what she's really feeling and fighting from right now is anger, as opposed to the joy/hope/love from the start of the battle).

Anyway, the fifth and final thing about the trident is that it's no longer a defense weapon, like the shield was, it's now an attack weapon (also a very similar on to Vaggie's, which could be another nod to her). We also notice this in her demeanor! As opposed to the repeated sorries from before her tranformation, Charlie is now unapologetically violent. She charges right into the battle with Adam. She's no longer just trying to defend to protect (shield) her people, now she's going with the whole best-defense-is-a-good-offense ideology. She's on the offense in order to protect her people.

That's why I enjoy Charlie's character design and weapons in this episode so much. There are so many layers to it and UGH. THANK YOU for listening to me ramble, and lmk if you have any more thoughts on this because I would LOVE to hear them! As you can see I am totally normal about this show.

#hazbinposting #hazbin hotel #charlie morningstar #oh my god

44 notes · View notes

saunne · 2 months

Note

You know what I'm gonna ask, I know what I'm gonna ask, it was never going to be anything else, give me xingren. There is an agenda to spread!

I just did my nails so you can't believe how careful I am while typing this in order to not smudge anything lmao. ALSO I KNEW IT ! It was obvious that you were going to ask XingRen but still, thanks to do so 😌. There is indeed an agenda to spread.

Let's face the fact, this ship being a selfcest, it doesn't make ANY FUCKING SENSE. However, I'm good at living in my little dream bubble and my first job as a writer was to erase the word "impossible" from my dictionary. If I want it, it will happen one way or another. And happily for me, there is a LOT OF WAYS to fuck around in HSR that I can use to make sense lmao.

First of, it's actually the first time I ship a selfcest so hard. But beside Yingxing making me feral in a way almost no other character made me (and my big bro @kanraandchrome can attest, I did have some really loose screw with some of my blorbos and he had to listen to me yap about it), the thing that really sold me to this ship is the whole work around their dynamics that I can do.

I like XingRen where Yingxing sees Ren, this shadow of himself, this broken Blade who thinks of himself as a tool for Elio's goal before thinking of himself as a person. I like the idea of Yingxing, a Furnace Master, a craftsman going like "well, look at me try and succeed fixing him". For this type of dynamic, as you know, I like to dehumanize Blade, make a separation between a it/its Blade seiing itself only as a weapon, where the coping mechanism and trauma became the mask, the personality in its entirety.... and a he/his or they/them Ren, softer, clinging to shreds of humanity, still hopeful for salvation, still aching because of feelings letft to rot on themselves.

I like RenXing where Ren goes back in time or jump through dimensions and is so feral to protect Yingxing's humanity, to be sure Yingxing never ever becomes like Blade. Where Blade is all "I will see you die", but not in a threatening way but in a caring, a "you were born a short life specie and I will ASSURE you'll die as one and never become me". Where Ren is the strange stalker, the interested customer, the shadow knight until revealing himself or Yingxing giving the chase.

I love XingRen in the more crackside of the dynamic (I have WIPs about that), where Yingxing was recognize in the HCQ as "the person who would fuck his clone if given the opportunity" to the point there were bets on it (and Baiheng won when Yingxing introduced him his new boyfriend looking like a carbon copy of himself with inverted colors and a scowl bad enough to put Yinyue's Preceptors to shame). Where Ren existence and "how the fuck did this happen" is burried under the "I KNEW IT YOU WOULD FUCK YOU, AH ! PAY UP MORONS" global reaction and Ren would be just 🤨.

I love RenXing where Ren hates, despise, loathes Yingxing. Where Ren's memories are fragmentary and if he has the general idea, he doesn't possess the whole picture. I love RenXing where Ren's idea of salvation is turning back time to go murder Yingxing before the Sedition in order to erase himself... only to be unable to do so in the end, faced with the whole truth of what it was, of what happened.

I love all the philosophical bullshit this ship imposed on me, all the reflections about identity, permanence of identity, identity crisis and trauma, permanence of memory. All the angst I can produce, all the fluff I can produce, all the crack I can produce.

Also, I'm sorry, but you saw @aratribow XingRen art she made for me (Unne is so well fed, Unne is a happy writer) and I'M SORRY, THEY'RE REALLY AESTHETICALLY PLEASING TO THE EYE. I'm looking everything but respectfully and none of my thought belong anywhere near any type of divine scripture and there must be a special place like a super-horny hell somewhere in the afterlife with my name on it at this point lmao.

But anygays, XingRen is a 100% YES ABSOLUTELY YES PLEASE DEAR LORDS YES- from me.

#unnanswer #hydrachea #hsr #honkai star rail #hsr xingren #hsr renxing #selfcest #yingxing x blade #xingren propaganda

10 notes · View notes

gloopdimension · 1 month

Note

spill the tea on hasbin ☕

okay.

The characters themselves

angel - ill be honest hes one of the best in the cast For Me Personally hes very fun. butthe scene where he talkd abt why he gets drunk to escape his issues is just so ... it didnt Feel good. like its leaving jothing up to yhe audience to figure out Humm Why Does He Do This? also the song right after where its all about how hes a loser for it(????) was a bit shit concept wise. how is he a loser. unless if the menaing of thr song is Literal like hes Lost a Lot then i will stand corrected. but the song still kind of pisses me off sjfjsjndd

nifty - pisses me off. shes irritating. naught more but comic relief

husk - I like his voice but the way he reads everyones issues out loud Also leaving nothing up to the aufience to figure out is so boring. Gee thanks bro(DONT LET ME FORGET TO BE MAD ABT THE USAGE OF "DADDY ISSUES)

charlie - pisses me off. shes irritating. I look like a misogynist but the way shes written pisses me off. shes so Infuriatingly merciful even as angels are reigning down on the hotel actively endangering Her People Which She Cares About Soo Much. (DONT LET ME FORGET TO BE MAD ABT THE FIGHT SCENE)

vaggie - shouldve named her maggie. way too easy to say faggie. She doesnt really piss me off shes the most tolerable really aside frm angel and someone else ill get to. I wish she was more emotional about GETTING HER WINGS BACK. like THATS A PRETTY BIG THING DUDE. viv sacrifices super important things like this for either comedic relief or to make things Cool. also she has the most unfitting singing voice ive ever fucking heard. oh my god please get someone else to sing for her PLEASE we dont need mirabel de encanto to sing for VAGGIE. also airs out her issues levaing no abiguity.

charlie- Oh my god. She pisseI WAS ABOUT TO WRITE ANOTHER CHARLIE SECTION BC I COMPLETELY FORGOT I ALREADY DID. She makes me so mad i was abt to write two parts.

pentious - hes cute. most consistent out of everyone. Comedic relief. Hate how his death was handled that pissed me off.

Who else... idk ill get to the writing and pacing

alasto4r- He pisses me off. i hate his deisgn i hate how red he is i hate how hes supposed to be black but hes the whitest son of a bitch ive ever seen. hes inconsistent hes out of xharacter (that little feud with lucifer, he wouldnt say Fuck You he'd top it off with a quirky quip so that he IN HIS OWN WORDS "ALWAYS IN CONTROL") he PISSES ME OFF

emily- shes cute. because shes just charlie.shes literally just charlie with her colors inverted.

sera- very original namecertaintly not derived from Seraphim. shes fine.wish she had locs instead of shirley temple curls

fat nuggets- i cheer in joy at hlthe very sight of him.

the fight against the angels was so anticlimactic. it was so boring. sr pentious being killed sucked yes but did the characters rly have to cease all operation in a VERY HIGH INTENSITY ENVIRONMENT to mourn? they all should have been killed then and there for their inattention. rookie mistake. i wish charlie did way more than just shoot fucking fireworks.

The pacing is ALL OVER THE PLACE. the way the show depicts the passage of time is incredibly unclear.

#asks #ill get to the daddy issues in another rb. hold on.#gloop thots

7 notes · View notes

iturbide · 2 years

Note

Here just to fuel the AU, but we can even use Hopes!Claude design as evidence for him being fake: not only the color scheme is completely different (clear, yellow adjacent colors with a dash of green compared to the dark, red adjacent colors) but also the silhouette! Compared to Dimitri's and Edelgard's designs who shared features with House's, Claude's is completely different!

Not only that, by their designs, we can discern that Fake!Claude didn't know about Claude's relationship with Almyra: as his design doesn't share the elements we associate with Almyra in Houses!Claude's design. Comparing Hopes and Houses' Claude's sashes, Hopes' looks more like someone picked a scarf and tied it around his waist rather than an actual sash 🤔🤔🤔

You know I've been trying to figure out whether or not the two-year outfit had any clearly Almyran aspects to it I'm glad other people have had trouble spotting any, too, it makes me feel less crazy.

On the one hand, I'm not too surprised? It's only been two years, and even assuming he wasn't bodyswapped which he was, given Shahid's invasion threat in the prologue it's probably not safe for him to be showcasing the other half of his heritage, especially while he's heading up the Alliance in the lead-up to all-out war in Fodlan. If he wants to maintain his cover, he probably has to keep that more on the down-low.

On the other hand, just looking at the three lords together in their Three Hopes art...Claude is sporting a lot of dark colors compared to the other two Lords decked out in their silver armor. Previously the most black he sported was in the Academy Phase, where they had school uniforms, and in Three Houses his palette was very light, primarily tan and yellow/gold with black accents and spots of green, white, and red. Even his Brave alt in Heroes keeps the yellow/gold front and center with black seemingly used to make the brighter base and red accents stand out. In Three Hopes, the colors appear inverted, with black as the base color and yellow/gold for accents.

Sadly, I don't think we can take the sash itself as evidence, since Brave Claude in Heroes bears something that's somewhat similar -- longer, maybe, but also fringed and with a distinct lack of the ornaments from his War Phase outfit. The biggest difference is really in the color -- that pink is weird, since it's never been part of his accent tones before. Red, yes, several times -- but pink?

Also I'm not sure I follow on the silhouette, though. It's kind of hard to evoke 'deer' in silhouette without antlers the way you could 'eagle' using feather patterns or 'lion' with big furs, and Claude's Three Houses look didn't exactly scream 'deer' at me, either. His Three Hopes outfit definitely has antlers in its iconography with this pattern, though:

Plus he has a whole stylized deer head on the back of his cape:

The brown are very clearly antlers, and while the yellow is highly stylized, the general shape and orientation compared to the antlers imply a deer head and thus evoke the Golden Deer of the Leicester Alliance.

Not saying that something doesn't feel weird about his Three Hopes look. Just that certain aspects are still in keeping with what we know about him.

#answered #homeless-because-of-thanos #fire emblem warriors: three hopes #fewth spoilers #claude got bodyswapped by an agarthan #speaking of silhouettes #edelgard's three houses one is definitely not eagle-like #the flame emperor has the feather pauldrons #edelgard's war phase look is sporting dragon horns #that's a whole other level of symbolism there

11 notes · View notes

radiosguts · 2 years

Note

Alastor! 🥰 Hi hi! Um! So... Which... No. Can you... Tell me a story? I like to read your cadence 🥰 - @lacrimosus 💙

A story... Let me see, my dear...

Once upon a time, in a land... Mostly unknown! There lived a boy.

This boy was not like other boys. He was small. Petit. His skin was that of porcelain; pale and just as breakable, with little balljoints at his conjunctions. His blood was not like the blood of his human counterparts. It was a sugary sweet pink syrup that would occasionally heat up in the throws of his passion and drive him wild!

But that wasn't all that was different, oh no. He had little lamb ears! Yes! So sweet! And when he moved, regardless of whether or not he was wearing a bell, he would make little jingling noises! Little sounds of wind chimes!

He was a little black sheep of a boy - literally! And he was considered strange by many, even ignoring the ears and tail!

Still, he was beloved by plenty. A small army that each also resembled funny little animals. Two deer, a rabbit, and a dragon, of all things, found him to be the very air of which they breathed. Their light in darkness, their syrup when sick.

Together, they sat around a table. A little round table, with a lacey white tablecloth that hung far over the edges. A small teapot, with catlike features, is held in delicate black claws, with matching cups at each seat.

A little blue deer boy with big silver glasses sits eagerly at one cup, shifting in his seat, eager for tea to accompany the little shortbread cookies he brought to the occasion.

"Anthony!" He insists to the boy pouring tea, "Anthony you must sit down already! The sun is setting! You're going to miss it!"

"Calm down, Damie," the lamb assures, "I'm not gonna miss it. The sun will set long enough for me to participate."

The dragon, a boy of jade green with black rectangular glasses, readjusts his eyewear. He quietly thanks the lamb for his cup, then looks to the position of the sun.

"You have nothing to worry about, Damien," the dragon assures, "we still have approximately 4.75 minutes until the sun truly begins to set in the way we will need it to."

The rabbit, with this being their first event, feels their nose twitch in curiosity. They look between their companions. Everyone has been served and the lamb takes his seat.

The sun has turned the sky a milky pink. Clouds shine in hues of gold and violet. The leaves of the garden reflect the bits of sunlight they can catch, and the morning glories that drape over the gazebo have long closed.

"We welcome our newest member," the other deer, who is much more of a reddish brown color, toasts. It holds its cup towards the others. They return the sentiment, little glass cups clinking together in unity.

"Thank you," the rabbit nods, bowing their head, "I'm happy to be here."

The sun has truly begun to set now.

The group looks to the sky. The rabbit takes a deep breath.

Veterans around the table hold hands. Damien nudges the rabbit, who takes his hand as well as the dragon's. They can feel their heart pounding.

The sky drips into a blood red. The breeze picks up. Everyone closes their eyes.

There's chanting. Practiced chanting from most. Night bleeds, the flowers invert, the tea glows.

Claws once delicate dig into the hands they grasp, each person drawing dribbles of blood from every palm. It drips to the white wood of the gazebo floor, one messied with multicolored drips from previous incantations.

When the group opens their eyes again, they're each glowing a different color. One to match their blood. Their chants become distorted as shadows crawl through the drapes of the morning glories.

They feel rejuvenated! How refreshed! How electrified! Their power grew exponentially with the help of new blood!

When the moon rises, and shadows take hold of our beloved cultists, they find their way inside and take hold of their hosts! They nestle deep into their organs! Wrap around their brains! Latch onto them like a parasite! In exchange for our occultists recharging them each full moon, they will be granted immense power!

And our boy from the beginning. Why, he's the sacrifice. He does not get to become a host to power, but rather a feast for these monsters to thrive upon before they're bound for another month to a master.

They trive off of sugar, and this candyfloss lamb has only sugar to offer.

The ritual ends.

Blood is smeared over the tablecloth and ground.

Bright pink.

Our occultists release hands. Their hearts pound out irregular rhythms. Their breaths are haggard as their bodies adjust - or readjust - to their newly fed parasites.

The crickets begin to sing again. Between the breaths of the sinners, life continues.

The lamb is taken from his seat, slumped and unconscious from bloodloss.

He'll be fine, I assure you! But for now, he needs to rest ✨😌✨!

That's my story! I hope you enjoyed, my dear!

@lacrimosus

#ON THE AIR!#Lacrimosus #Cult tw #Blood tw #Sacrifice tw #Alastor's stories!

5 notes · View notes

five-rivers · 3 years

Text

Ruins

I don't think this needs any warnings.

Many places in the Ghost Zone appeared crowded and ruined. Buildings built on buildings built on buildings, all at odd angles, in dozens of different styles from dozens of ages, all in various states of decay or construction. Stairways went up and down, twisted, turned, and inverted, only rarely leading anywhere. Doors floated free or attached like barnacles to buildings that would have groaned under the extra weight if gravity had a greater presence here.

Usually, Danny avoided the hulking behemoths, preferring free-floating planet-like islands and Realms, or the lairs of his allies. These places seemed somehow both more intimate and more impersonal. More doomed, as if they had long ago been condemned. More dead, for all that this was the Ghost Zone.

But for the sake of science? Of exploration?

Yeah. He’d do a few things of questionable wisdom.

(More than a few, if he were being honest.)

“Which one looks good to you?” Danny asked his parents as he slowly rotated. None of them, after all, looked good to him.

“How about that Greek revival one?” asked Jack.

Danny oriented himself so the camera pointed directly at it. “That one?”

“Yeah! I’ve always liked buildings like that.”

The building in question was less ‘Greek revival’ and more ‘cancerous growth of bloated brick tenement bulging from within crumbling Greek ruin.’ But since Danny had understood the description, he really couldn’t complain.

“Okay, I’ve just got to find a way in,” he said, half to himself. He avoided lair doors. He didn’t want to be rude.

“Danny?” said Maddie. “What about all the doors you’re passing?”

“Hm? They’re lair doors? They don’t actually go into the building.”

“Really? How can you tell?”

“They’re a different color,” said Danny, baffled. “All lair doors are the same color.”

“Danny, the doors you’re passing are all different colors,” said Maddie.

“If all different colors are green and purple,” added Jack.

“I- Yes? They’re green and purple, but they’re also a different color.”

“Are you referring to trim colors?” asked Maddie.

“No,” said Danny, pausing. “The door itself. Like, that one, there, it’s purple, but it’s also the color that lair doors are.”

“At the same time?”

“Yeah,” said Danny.

“What does that color look like?” asked Maddie.

“Well,” said Danny, “not green or purple. I mean, you might as well ask me to describe the color blue. It’s just… it’s the color lair doors are. I can’t explain it any more than that.”

“Fascinating,” said Maddie. “You must be processing information received by your ghost half through your visual cortex.”

“If you say so,” said Danny. “I always thought it was just giving off a wavelength of light humans can’t see, but…” he shrugged.

“Danny,” said Maddie, “you know you could have told us that at the beginning.”

“I was kind of focusing on finding a door that goes in. Ah, there’s a proper one.”

He flitted forward, twisting around a cluster of lair doors, and put his hand on the knob. “You guys ready?”

“Anytime you are, kiddo!” said Jack.

“Great,” said Danny. He pulled the door open and stepped in, for some reason feeling the need to settle, rather than fly. He shuddered as all his small hairs stood on end and his ears popped.

There was a lot of pressure here, but not in the same way as the deeps. Lights and ghost flies buzzed overhead. Mold and other foul, stale scents hung in the still, oppressive air. The pattern on the carpet and wallpaper was faded and incomprehensible, yet inescapable. Drawing the eye but refusing to give up its secrets.

Danny took a step forward and the floor groaned beneath him. It almost seemed to spin.

(He was always going to live here, things were never going to get better, the rent was going up, they hated it here, condemned and where else would they go, better than a fire, they had no where else to go, the gas and electricity was cut last week, landlord didn’t fix the pipes, mind the ratcatcher, she didn’t want to do this anymore but what else was there, no one could fix this.)

Danny flared his aura, driving off memories of thoughts that weren’t his. It wasn’t strong, this ghost of a building, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t disturbing.

“Okay,” he said, into the microphone, “where to?”

#danny phantom #ectoberhaunt treat #ectober #ectober 2021 #ectoberhaunt 2021

132 notes · View notes

mintwithchoco · 3 years

Text

beaux rêves: Ep 4 - Adrenaline

ITZY Yeji x Male Reader

Word Count: 2882 words

Categories: smut, oral, femdom, mommy kink, light bdsm, agent! yeji

aff link

“Stop!”

Avoiding each and every obstacle, the three agents chased down their target who was running through the top of a building, a person simply named “Killer Queen”. The chase was going on for five minutes - countless bullets directed towards each other missing their mark. The agents were running out of ammunition and their stamina wasn’t going to hold up any further.

“Does this guy have any lungs or what?! We’ve been chasing him for hours!” Ryujin shouts towards the others.

“Keep the pace! Eventually he’ll get tired too!” Yeji replied.

“Captain, permission to use Hierophant Green!” You asked Yeji while getting ready to press the button on your watch to summon the weapon mentioned.

“Permission granted!”

As soon as you press the button, your hands turn into a robotic state with green and white color schemes. You then put them close together, causing it to glow bright green and a water-like material is produced on your palms.

“Take this Killer Queen! Emerald Splash!” You shouted.

A giant energy blast was released from your palms which then takes on the form of emeralds, targeted and locked onto Killer Queen at a crazy speed. The agents were confident - Killer Queen had no way of escaping and they were gonna put an end to his crimes by giving him the punishment that he deserves.

But suddenly, Killer Queen flashes his jacket towards the blast and deflects them away, making the agents flinch away from him. They were shocked at the act and realized that this was not an easy enemy.

“What? There’s no way! No one can just deflect the Emerald Splash!” You said, shocked at the fact that The Mafia has overthrown your best attack.

"Hah! You utter fool! Your attacks are weak against me!" Killer Queen then throws a type of bomb towards you.

"Agent Mint!" Ryujin and Yeji shouted before watching you get sent flying in the air by the explosion from the bomb.

Both of them stopped chasing Killer Queen and ran towards your weak body that just fell to the ground. The explosion burned your suit and a little bit of your skin and your head was feeling super dizzy because of you hitting it on the cement roof. Blood started to pour out from a cut on your head, your vision was also starting to get blurry.

Before Yeji and Ryujin could reach you, you fainted because of your injuries. You hear their cries for you as your vision slowly turns black, your mind hoping that there's a chance help would arrive soon.

//timeskip//

Your eyes slowly open. Greeted by the bright ceiling light of the room, you squint your eyes and sit up to look around. You felt your head that was wrapped in bandages and saw a few cuts on your arms.

"Where...Where am I?" You ask yourself before hearing the door of the room being opened by Chaeryeong.

"Oppa! You're awake!" Chaeryeong rushes towards you and hugs you on the bed, making you eventually realize that you were in the ward room of the JYP HQ.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I forgot that you're still injured…" Chaeryeong said as she pulled away, noticing you wince from her sudden contact.

"It's fine. How long was I asleep, Chae? Are the others okay?" You asked her as she slowly sat on one of the chairs in the room.

"You've been unconscious for almost 3 days. The others are fine oppa, but…"

"What's wrong?"

"Yeji unnie…She's been out of place after the incident, always looking so frustrated, separating herself from us except during worktimes and most of all - not joining us at lunchtime." Chaeryeong sighed and pouted.

"Killer Queen has caused a lot of trouble for us, and I think she's stressed because of it. Don't worry, I'll try to talk it out with her."

"Alright…Anyways, how are you feeling now oppa?"

"I still feel a bit nauseous, but other than that, I'm a-okay!" You said while giving her a thumbs up, making her giggle cutely.

Suddenly, a knock was heard on the door, making you both flinch. You look at Chaeryeong with a questioning face and she replies back with a shrug. The door then was opened once again, revealing the person that knocked on it was Yeji.

"Oh, you're awake. And Chaeryeong, you're here early." Yeji said while closing the door.

"Y-Yeah...Thought that I would pay oppa a visit before I work. I was lucky enough to see him first awake, hehe~" Chaeryeong said as Yeji came to her right side.

"How do you feel now?" Yeji asked you, and your answer was still the same.

“I’m glad to hear that. Don't worry about the mission, you need to heal up first." Yeji said.

"10:30?!" Chaeryeong suddenly shrieked when she was looking at her watch on her wrist.

"Oppa, I gotta go. I promised Ryujin to help her out with uhh... something, yeah. Yeji unnie, take care of him alright? See you guys later!" Chaeryeong said before quickly rushing herself out of the room, leaving you and Yeji alone.

"Take...care…" You managed to say before Chaeryeong closed the door.

You face Yeji who looked like she was lost in thought. Remembering what Chaeryeong said about her situation recently, you were hesitant to ask her about it as she was looking frustrated. Silence filled the room with ease as you just observed the injuries that you got while Yeji just stared at you with her mind full of thoughts.

"Hey, are you okay?" You ask, breaking the silence between you two.

"Chae said that you’ve been looking distressed lately, is there something wrong?”

Yeji looked at you and was greeted with your concerned expression. She looked hesitant, biting her lips and keeping the gap of her thighs closed. You purse your lips, wondering why she was acting this way.

“...You said you were okay, right?”

“Yeah...Why?”

“Then, I’ll show you what’s wrong.” Yeji stood up from her seat and took off her boots and her socks. You were confused, but then she suddenly sat on your lower region that was covered with a blanket, making you shocked.

“Yeji what the-” Yeji silenced you by bringing a finger to your lips and her head gets close to your ear.

"I'm...sexually frustrated." She whispers softly into your ear, giving you shivers.

"H-Hey now Yeji…T-This is not the best place to be saying stuff like this-" You were cut off by Yeji's lips, deeply kissing you and forcing you to lean back to the headboard.

Your eyes widened. This was a wrongful act, you thought. But upon tasting her cherry lips, you instantly got addicted to it. Yeji demands more of you by forcing her tongue into your mouth, giving her access to dance with your tongue. You both exchanged saliva to each other while your hands promptly moved to her back, gently hugging her.

Eventually, you both ran out of oxygen and pulled away from each other by the force of nature followed with strings of saliva. You stared into each other's eyes, filled with lust, knowing what to do next.

"Mommy's been dying to taste your cock, baby. You don't know how many times I've cum just thinking about it." Yeji said while throwing the blanket away from your lap.

"M-Mommy?"

"Yes, mommy. What's wrong?"

"...N-Nothing, I love it." Yeji gave you a shy smile.

Yeji then kisses your neck hungrily, leaving a few deep red marks all over it as you start to moan at how good it felt. Her right hand unbuttons your shirt to reveal your toned body. After gawking at you, she marks you with her lips all over it until she reaches your abdomen.

Your cock was begging to be released from its confines due to her lust-filled kisses earlier. Yeji smirks as she notices your prominent bulge sticking out of your pants. She cups it gently, making you flinch a little and let out a few breathy moans.

"Fuck baby, I can't wait to taste your cock."

Yeji took off her belt and opened the zipper on her coat to be left with a sleeveless blue leather top. You were glad that she helped you to discard a part of her outfit since they were confusing to your eyes.

Her face was on your crotch once again and she took off your pants and your boxers slowly, being cautious as you were still a bit injured.

Your hard cock sprang out and throbbed instantly, finally feeling the cold temperature of the room. Yeji bites her lower lip as she looks at your cock standing proud, impressed by its size. She grasps it by the base, causing you to inhale air into your lungs until she starts stroking it fully, making you exhale in relief.

Precum starts to leak from your tip, hinting to Yeji that her handjob was going well. Her thumb collects it and spreads them all over your shaft as it keeps leaking more and more, eventually covering them as a whole. Your moans fueled Yeji to continue her work but her mouth was starting to water, hungry to get a taste of you.

"Get ready, baby. Mommy's gonna give you the best blowjob ever."

Without wasting any more time, she takes your cock inside her warm, inviting mouth. Starting with a slow pace, you throw your head back on the headrest, savoring how well her mouth was wrapped around your shaft. She was telling the truth about dying for your cock, her tongue was skillfully licking the underside of your shaft and swirling around your tip.

As she bobbed her head up and down to increase the pace, you closed your eyes. The extreme pleasure was felt in an instant because of your body being unconscious these past few days. You were even more sensitive than normal as your body kept shaking with pleasure as Yeji now fondled your balls with her left hand.

"Fuck mommy…" You moaned.

Yeji's eyes formed an inverted crescent upon hearing your moan. She continues to increase her pace on your cock, her mind sets a mission of wanting to make you feel good. That mission was already completed by how much you were moaning and sweating for her because of the pleasure.

When you looked down to see Yeji, you realized that her right hand was missing from your cock. Just then, you looked harder and noticed that she was touching herself as her leather pants were dangling on her knees, allowing her to gain access to her pussy. You knew it was hard for her to keep pleasuring you and herself, so you stopped her blowjob by holding onto her head.

"Mommy...let me help you." You told Yeji and she took the hint instantly as she released your cock from her mouth and turned her body around on her knees. At the same time, you laid down on the bed and Yeji moved backwards until her crotch was right in front of your face and vice versa.

She was dripping, her pussy glistening because of her wetness. You finish the job of taking off her pants alongside her panties and grab her thighs to bring them closer to your meal. Yeji was already back to her job of sucking your cock but suddenly, she moaned loudly as you pushed your tongue onto her clit, lightly penetrating it. Then, the whole of your lips sticks onto her pussy alongside Yeji now deepthroating your cock.

The ward room was filled with both of your moans, pleasuring each other at the same time. You were surprised that no one has opened nor knocked on the door. It was like the time was letting you feel this moment with Yeji. She continues to slightly choke herself on your cock while you lapped up every part of her pussy that was covered with her juices.

You knew that you were reaching your peak fast. You would love to see Yeji's mouth filled with your cum, but the sensitiveness of your cock right now can only be felt once in a while.

"Mommy, I wanna feel your pussy now." Yeji then pulls you out of her mouth, raises her body and straddles your stomach.

"You want mommy to fuck you?" Yeji said while tracing a pattern on your chest. You nodded quickly as a reply.

"You wanna feel how tight mommy is?" You nodded again but then, you were greeted by a hard slap on your left cheek.

"Don't ever tell mommy what to do." Yeji's tone was cold and harsh, throbbing your cock in response because of how scary and hot it was.

Her hand was back to your cock once again, stroking it gently with a smirk on her face. You didn’t know what she was planning to do, but you knew that it was definitely gonna be pleasuring. She raised her hips and hovered over your crotch, teasing the tip of your shaft on her pussy lips. Your breath started to come out shallow, the friction of her rubbing was getting into nerves as you grit your teeth when you felt a certain sensation hitting your body.

“M-Mommy, p-please…” You begged her.

“What was that baby?”

“Please fuck me mommy! I wanna feel mommy’s tight pussy and fill it up with my cum! Please mommy!” You gave in to her dominance, something that you never had done before.

Without saying any words back, she suddenly left the bed and grabbed something from her little pouch on the seat which was on her arm earlier. Before going back to the bed, she comes to your side and covers your eyes with some sort of cloth, your vision now was filled with darkness.

“Arms up.” You followed her instructions and Yeji ties both of your wrists to each side of the headboard with what you feel like a silky fabric.

“Hm, better.” You heard Yeji say before feeling the bed sink down and the warmness of her pussy was back on your erection. You also heard the sound of clothes being removed and thrown onto the floor, possibly her top and her bra which were the only things that were left on her body.

“Mommy’s gonna fuck you now since you begged for it.”

You didn’t even have time to prepare yourself as Yeji lowered down on your shaft, letting you feel the tightness of her pussy. She didn’t care about adjusting to your size anymore and kept slamming down her hips at a wild pace with a few satisfying groans from her sinful lips.

“Ahh fuck, you fill me up so well.” Yeji moaned as she slowed down her movements.

“Mommy’s so tight…”

Feeling that her hand was now on your stomach, you can imagine that Yeji was riding you with her ass facing towards you. You were a little frustrated at not having the vision of her perfect butt bouncing up and down your cock, but all these props that were put onto you were definitely increasing your arousal. Your shaft was drowned with her juices as you heard the wet sound of both of your crotches slapping against each other.

You never knew that you had a submissive side, and you have to thank Yeji for unlocking this new side of you. Sweat formed on both of your bodies as the air around was getting hotter due to her constant pace of riding your length. Suddenly, your cock impales her deeply until it reaches her g-spot, earning a loud sensual moan from Yeji.

“Fuck yeah, that’s the spot…”

Yeji penetrates herself in that same position over and over again. Her legs and body shakes in response, oxytocin fills her bloodstream in a large amount as her walls strongly clenches on your shaft. It wouldn’t take much longer for the both of you to reach your peak.

“Oh yeah, mommy’s going to cum all over your cock baby.”

“M-Me too, m-mommy, please don’t stop!”

“I would never.”

A few more slams was all it needed for Yeji to orgasm, drenching your cock with an enormous amount of her juices as her walls pulsated around your cock with such intense pressure. It causes you to hit your climax quickly after hers, emptying all of your build up load and filling up the entirety of her insides. You pull on the fabric on your wrists while moaning in a loud volume, wanting to hold her close as you orgasm but you were glad enough that you were deep inside her warm pussy.

“Ahh, fill me up, fill me up….” Yeji said as you sent a few more shots of your thick seed into her womb.

As you both were a panting mess, Yeji lifts off of your shaft inch by inch, both of your mixed cum slowly drips out of her before it leaks out in a large amount and stains the bed below. You felt Yeji’s hand taking off your blindfold and once your vision was back, a sight of Yeji showing her pink splayed lips that was messy with both of your juices. She sighed in satisfaction and leaned her head close to your ear to whisper something.

“From now on, you will be mommy’s fucktoy.”

#itzy smut #yeji smut #itzy #yeji #kpop smut #kpop fanfiction #reader insert #male reader

314 notes · View notes

wield-the-mighty-pen · 3 years

Text

What I love about each ship in the love square

I just really wanted to share what things attract me to each part and dynamic. If you don’t like the love square all power to you, ship whatever you want to ship, these are just my opinions.

Adrienette

Out of the four love square ships, I have to admit that this one is my least favorite. The dynamic just involves so much cringe. Especially in season 3 **ahem ahem** the statue scene. As the show progresses from season 2, Marinette’s awkwardness only appears to get worse and her stuttering and messing up of words is a little hard to hear. This all being said, this post is what I love about this ship, and what I love about Adrinette is mostly the way Adrien reacts to Marinette. He just has so much respect and patience for her and holds her in such high esteem. Both umbrella scenes are just **chef’s kiss**. I also really like the dancing scenes, the train scene, and their overall aesthetic. The fact that Marinette’s and Adrien’s clothes are inverted colors of each other’s is amazing. All in all it's a good ship for me even with all its cringe.

Ladrien

Though not my favorite ship in the square, I happen to think that this dynamic is critically underrated. Now, I am a sucker for mutual pining, especially when the two sides don’t know that it’s mutual, and that is literally Ladrien. With rare exception Ladrien scenes are really cute and sweet. They might not have the banter and complete transparency that some of the other ships have, but are a softer, more lovey-dovey side to the love square. The benefit of this ship is that Marinette can behave in a more refined and confident way, under the persona of Ladybug. She stutters less and freaks out less around Adrien when she is Ladybug which is something I, a person who can’t handle cringe, really appreciates. My favorite scenes of this ship include; their first encounter in that form in “The Mime”, when Ladybug catches Adrien in “The Gorilla”, and oddly enough their scenes in “Oblivio” (I say this is odd because they don’t have their memories and therefore the dynamic changed). It’s a really cute ship and in my opinion, doesn’t deserve all the hate it gets.

Ladynoir

I’m gonna be honest here, I really love this ship. In fact, it is just narrowly beaten by Marichat as my favorite in the square. Yes, I am aware that there are issues in this part of the square, but I’m not here to talk about them and besides, all ships have problems. It's just a matter of the good outweighing the bad, and with Ladynoir this is certainly the case. For Adrien, a child of abuse, who has had to deal with a negligent, absentee, emotionally manipulative father (but I’m going on a tangent here) to have a person he can rely on and trust is huge. He is shown to have so much respect for her and her opinions and cares so deeply for her, even going so far as to sacrifice himself for her on numerous occasions. This also shows his trust in her, he risks himself with the firm belief that she will set things right. Alternatively, she creates plans that often depend on his reliability, she trusts in him (the NY special aside, although she trusts him again by the end) and cares deeply for him as well. This pairing has so many good scenes and episodes and it’s really hard to pick my favorite. To name just a few of them I guess I would go with that scene in “Dark Owl” (you know the one), the episode sandman, that scene in “heroes day” in the sewer, the pep talk in “Heart Hunter” and I really liked Ladybug accidentally throwing Chat Noir off of the building in “Truth”/”Lies”. There is just so much content and good qualities to this part of the love square, I just have to appreciate it.

Marichat

As is the case with I’m sure a lot of miraculous fans, my favorite dynamic in the love square is Marichat. This pairing gets very little screen time especially in comparison to Adrienette and Ladynoir. However, though this pairing gets very little attention, it has so much potential and goodness in the way its participants interact. Now, I don’t subscribe to the whole “true selves” theory, I think that both identities encompass the personalities of Marinette and Adrien. However, with Marichat, they are able to see different sides to each other, able to share different facets of their personalities that they wouldn’t be able to otherwise. Marinette can be composed around Chat Noir. She can show him the full depth of her personality, she can actually be vulnerable with him without the fear of him not being interested in her. By contrast, Chat Noir can show Marinette that he has a more vulnerable, sensitive side to him. Without his constant attempts to impress and his efforts to put up a front, Marinette can see beyond the surface and can find in Chat the qualities she most admires in Adrien (after all they are the same person). It also helps that this ship is friends-to-lovers, which is a favorite archetype of mine. I literally love every scene that these two have together, and “Glaciator” is one of my favorite episodes because of the Marichat scene. Although I was irked that it was so short, I really did enjoy the little crumb of Marichat content we got in “Sole Crusher”. I love this pairing so much, their irony, their banter, everything about them. That is all.

#mlb #miraculous #miraculous lb #miraculous ladybug #miraculous love square #love square #adrienette #ladrien #ladynoir #marichat #tales of ladybug and cat noir #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #chat noir #cat noir #ladybug #ladybug and chat noir

60 notes · View notes

beautifulterriblequeen · 3 years

Text

B2:S - Chapter 5

Much of this series will be about the differences and additions in the novel version, and how they contribute to my understanding of story canon. But there will be character appreciation, the odd theory and headcanon, and suchlike as well.

Here be lots of Viren deets, Best Boy Soren deets, some writing/continuity stuff, worldbuilding appreciation and half of a theory, Detective Rayla, Moon Temple geeking, Claudium and dark magic, and more!

Spoilers for Book Two: Sky below.

(I know for darn sure that I wrote up a post for chapter 4, but I can't find it anywhere so I guess Tumblr ate it and I'll have to redo it at some point, but today is not that day)

Viren, my evil dude, my bad guy, coming in clutch with the worldbuilding and backstory again! If you want to know decades of information, you gotta talk to Viren. Or read his scenes, at least. Here, he seems to not sleep much when he has a big problem to analyze his way through. Solutions trump pretty much everything else in this guy's life, and he's had a really hard week with a lot of new and complicated problems. Of course he's getting sleep-deprived trying to find his way through them all.

Harrow put so much trust in Viren when he made him High Mage! He just threw himself extra hard at that Lady Justice blindfold, didn't he? Didn't really want to see what Viren was doing in his magic study, so he left Viren to his devices. And Viren has a lot of devices.

Also, this is fascinating: Viren made the secret passage to his "less official study" in Katolis Castle! And he was inspired to do so by the way his own mentor kept the Puzzle House. What else could a Puzzle House be, except a place with secret passages? Yay! secret headcanon that "the Puzzle House" is just "Katolis Castle" from Kid Viren's perspective tho

So either Viren built all of those passageways, or at least the ones to his dungeon. Which means he has to have, or know where to get, a stash of those glowing blue Moonshadow crystals. Hmmm.

I can't wait to learn more about Kpp'Ar and young Viren, btw. From this description of Viren and all his literal secret ways, it feels like another parallel between Viren and Runaan, with the whole "secretive paths, members only, insider knowledge" type stuff. Only the really cool members of this cult club get to know the secrets, and guess what, kid, you're cool now but you can never tell anyone, okay? Our secret.

Yeahhh, that'll never backfire in any way for either of them.

Kpp'Ar calling puzzles and secrets "man-made magic," though. Yes sir, knowledge is indeed power.

This chapter mentions Runaan by name, from Viren's perspective. Generally that would imply that Viren knows his name, even though assassins do not share their names, and Runaan didn't seem to give his to Viren in the first book. However, there was a scene in book one where the last paragraph switched perspective from Viren to Runaan - a technique that's very common in visual media like movies and shows and gives you that "ohoho they left the room and didn't notice this, but you do!" vibe. Using Runaan's name there in book one, where Viren couldn't see it but readers could, helps them keep track of the assassin's story arc while maintaining Viren's racism.

So in book two, in which Runaan has no onscreen scenes (alas), using his name in a scene that calls back to the events in book one helps us remember what happened in that dungeon cell. It would be a bit muddier to recall the specifics if Viren kept thinking about Runaan as "Elf." So I'm cool with the perspective nudge because it serves a narrative purpose: clarity. But I'm also enjoying the angst of considering that, somehow, Viren learned Runaan's name either during or after the coining spell. Mwa ha ha haaa. (Obligatory "Keep my pretty name outta your mouth" goes here)

Okay, back to Viren's scheming! He took the mirror because it was human-sized in a dragon lair. He knew it didn't really fit there, and that made it interesting, so he stole it. But he realized it was really powerful when Runaan wouldn't tell him squat about it - the assassin's instinct to protect Xadian secrets from human hands meant that Viren was holding a very powerful Xadian secret. And that just made him want it all the more. Ah, Runaan, if only your relationship with lying was, like, the exact opposite of what it is. Nyx could've spun Viren a believable tale in 2 minutes flat.

Also of interest: Viren considers his cursed coins to be a final fate. He expects Runaan to remain in his coin forever. With the Chekhov's coins still extant in the storyline, we can assume that they'll come up again eventually, but Viren has no current plans to do anything with his elf money except carry it around.

It's worth noting that Viren admits that he got impatient when he trapped Runaan in the coin. Runaan's first fate in Katolis was supposed to be death at Soren's hands, but Claudia "saved" him from that. His next fate was to become spell components, but Viren's frustration with his stubbornness "saved" him from that fate, too. So now he's in a coin, where no one can chop him up at all. Yay? No, boo!

We get one last line about Runaan before Viren shifts gears: he makes a point of noting for us that Runaan's shackles are still locked shut. However much of Runaan made it into that coin - body, soul, hair care products - he was magicked there, pulled right out of his restraints.

The creepy black liquid that Viren pours right into his eyes is the last of a powerful potion he got from Kpp'Ar, and its recipe is ancient! Humans used it back in the age of Elarion to see through the illusions of the world. And we get a delightfully creepy bit of description about the preparation of this serum, which makes it abundantly clear that it's a Moon magic-based concoction, harvested from eyeless vipers on a moonless night, with the threat of irrevocable madness ("madness" by whose definition, though) if it's done wrong-

Hang on. Hold up. This is a Plato's Cave reference. OH MY GOD.

No no I'm fine, this is brilliant. Sorry, sorry, I couldn't figure why there was so much description for a potion prep that Viren didn't even have to perform himself. But now I get it. I see the light. HA. I should make a separate post for this, it's amazing.

Anyway, for reference, the humans who used this serum were called the Oracles of Ophidia, and Ophidia is a taxonomy group that includes all modern snakes. Can you say "creepy ancient snake rites"? I can! Woo!

Viren activates the serum with a spell, but apparently he's never done it before. He's not sure if it's supposed to be hot and bubbly, and he worries that it's been tainted by moonlight.

Oh, I do hope so.

The magic potion hurts, a lot. Viren will do just about anything, to himself or anyone, to do what he believes is necessary. He just risked madness and blindness to find out what this mirror does! Viren. Can you just. Take a nap or something. Have a Snickers.

This chapter gives us a fun clue that I don't remember from the show: when Viren's vision clears and he can see, his reflection has white pupils and the room reflected in the mirror has inverted colors. You know where else has inverted colors?

You know who else got white pupils for a hot second?

Okay, now it makes sense! Viren and Lujanne were both seeing into the realm beyond life and death. Him with his moon magic potion, and her with her moon powers on a full moon night at the Moon Nexus. Which is Very Interesting! Is it a direct hint about Aaravos's location, or just a separate cool detail? Orrr, does it look like a direct hint because Aaravos is actually trapped in the world beyond life and death, but it's actually separate and we'll see something about white pupils again later on?

Viren really does have self-esteem issues, we all picked up on it with his rant at his reflection. He throws a fit when he catches himself wondering if he's actually worthless. In the book version of his tantrum, he shoves the mirror and hurls a candelabra instead of flipping a table. He didn't need to shove the mirror to set the fire, but it's in here. Foreshadowing that perhaps, if push comes to shove, Viren will choose himself over Aaravos? Giving Aaravos time to peek through and see that the coast is clear?

Soren, my boyyyyy. He has a rough night at the Moon Nexus because two sides of him are fighting with each other. He struggles to understand Callum's friendship with Rayla, and he also fantasizes about chopping off Rayla's head. One of these is a pretty ordinary thing to do. The other is Soren's internalization of what he needs to do to gain his father's approval. If he brought his dad a chopped off elf head every week, he'd probably feel a lot more confident because Viren would praise him a lot more.

Okay, okay, omg, is it just me, or does the "Moonshadow Madness" story, as it's told in the book, seem like Soren just doesn't know what a monsterfucker is? He thinks an elf bite puts humans under a spell. But vampires are sexy, and some people want them to do more to them than just bite them. A passionate kiss under the moonlight could look very bitey, especially if one of the participants has horns and you're already culturally trained to hate them. No yeah, I'm already headcanoning an actual human-elf kiss that got misunderstood by an observer long ago.

it's Lujanne isn't it, we all know, because what is a love spell but a sweet soft illusion, I mean how else does she get supplies for her Caldera, I ask you, and also Corvus was totally sent to investigate once and he told Soren at camp what he saw

And then back to magefam angst: Soren pretending that his sister's nose-tapping is stupid, even though he actually thinks it's cool, just because their dad thinks it's stupid. Viren, istg. Let your kids like harmless things. It's so cute that Soren taps his nose back at her, though! Like they have their own sibling code. I hope we get to see the nose tap again, especially now that they've chosen different sides. It could mean so much, that they're not too far apart yet.

Rayla knows what buttery pancakes smell like. I love this. Do Moonshadow elves have butter and pancakes, does Rayla eat a stack of eight giant pancakes in the morning? Orrrr it is just illusion food? I don't care, let Rayla have pancakes! Everyone loves pancakes. Pancakes will save the world. this message brought to you by the fact that I can't eat pancakes rn, send help

I love that Rayla is both sus of the pancakes and hungry, and that combines into a very motivated "I will get to the bottom of this" attitude. She kind of goes into Poirot Mode when she inserts herself into Soren and Ellis's conversation about Ava, explaining about the wolf's illusion leg and segueing into her claim that the pancakes taste sus. Claudia confirms she used dark magic, and Rayla is furious. It's different than the show's version in that it puts Rayla in detective mode, as the only Moonshadow elf in the scene, and boy does she take that role seriously. Also, she doesn't actually swallow the dark magic pancake bite. It ends up on the ground just like Lujanne's grubs from that earlier meal. These poor kids are so nutrient-starved. You guys gotta eat!!

Rayla's determination and prejudices and the fact that she super knows Harrow is dead all dovetail to make her try repeatedly to persuade Callum that Soren and Claudia are Not To Be Trusted. It's nice that the book keeps taking the time to point out that Rayla is Well Intentioned But Flawed, just like Callum and pretty much every other character in the show. No one is Right All The Time, no one Knows More Than Everyone Else.

Callum loving the sound of Claudia's unique voice is so wholesome. When you like someone, it only makes sense that you like all the things about them that they can't change - like the sound of Claudia's voice. Her choices with dark magic, not so much!

Claudia seems to have the same concerns Soren does about Callum's relationship with Rayla, but she comes out and asks him. The inherent possession implied in "your elf" is interesting, though. Elves are not people to Claudia. They're enemies who can be disassembled for the magic inside them. So maybe more like robots than living beings, if she knew what a robot was. Maybe she heard Soren's "Moonshadow Madness" story and realized he totally missed the kissing implications - but she didn't, and now she's genuinely worried that Rayla could kiss Callum under a full moon and enchant him to do her will. Good thing it's only a half moon, then!

Okay, Callum nervously making a puppet hand and then not knowing what to do with his hands and freaking out about itching and moving and pointy elbows is such a ND mood. The sudden stress of knowing that someone else is noticing your existence and maybe you're Not Existing Right, amirite? Ugh, poor Callum.

The Moon Temple! Omg it's so pretty in the description! Made to be beautiful and useful, full of knowledge but also allowing light and life inside (butterflies and vines). Lujanne, when can I move in, please? Also, it's all the more angsty because Lujanne is the only one who gets to see this beautiful place, but it has lots of chairs and shelves and tables, and it was meant to be used by lots of people. :(((

Claudia knows some of the runes on the walls. She isn't in a hurry to copy the rest of them down or anything, either. Her spellwriting is very precise, and she's a skilled mage. Her father would have made sure she was aware of the dangers of drawing sloppy runes, as much as he made her aware of the dangers of doing dark magic wrong. And the whole point of dark magic is that it's easier to learn than primal magic. Claudia supports her dad and their shared knowledge and life path. She's not gonna go nuts over an elf library she can't translate.

Side note: Between Claudia knowing some Moon runes and Viren building a secret passageway and a dungeon and lighting it with the same blue crystals that Lujanne and Ethari use for light--and Claudia exclaiming that she loves ruins--I wonder once more if there are really Moonshadow ruins somewhere in Katolis, which Viren has found and looted. Father-daughter relic hunting trip, maybe while Soren is away at camp? Omgsh that would be so wild!

Callum out here having a Viren moment with his "I feel powerless unless I've got magic that lets me help" vibes. God. I love their complicated mirroring. One of the hard differences between them is that Callum is very sure dark magic is bad because you have to kill stuff and take its power to cast spells, and he doesn't want to be a person who kills and takes like that. The line he walks to be nice to Claudia on their tour of the Cursed Caldera because he likes her, while telling her that he doesn't want to do her magic, like, ever, is so fine that it might as well be a shifting shadow on the ground. It's a very fitting conversation to be having during the half moon, with its tricks and little white lies.

Callum being out of the castle and his comfort zone, having to deal with the fact that the Claudia he loves is not quite the Claudia who's chasing him down across the kingdom, but of the two of them, he's the only one with a problem with this.

They say that if you really want to get to know someone, you should spend time with them outside their comfort zone - in heavy traffic, with a small baby, taking care of a new pet, trying a new skill, following unfamiliar directions, etc. While the castle is familiar territory for them both, Callum's never really found his comfort zone yet, while Claudia is pretty comfortable with her growing skill set. The creepy part starts to kick in when Callum begins to realize that Claudia's comfort zone encompasses a whole bunch of stuff that seems like it should make her uncomfortable... but it doesn't. But that'll be for a future chapter!

#book two: sky spoilers #book two: sky #b2:s #tdp spoilers #viren #harrow #rayla #runaan #callum #claudia #soren #lujanne #moonshadow elves #aaravos

26 notes · View notes

chatonyant · 4 years

Photo

Do yall ever just Make an AU Redesign the characters Write 11+ pages of pure notes on random ass ideas

Some character notes under the read-more!

So Couple things on the reasonings behind the different changes

Naruto:

his hair reflects more Uzumaki, because I’ve always resented the lack of similarity between him and Kushina. Let him have bits from his mom too!! So the idea was that his hair lightens as it grows, because if pink hair is possible, this is too, dammit

I inverted the colors of his jacket and changed his pants to black because, yknow, he’s supposed to be a ninja. He shouldn’t be running around in kill-me orange. I wanted it to maintain that childish but iconic orange but make it more lowkey

It isn’t very clear on the image, but i was trying to make his clothes really baggy and loose. I was thinking that if he has problems buying things due to the cruelty of the shop owners and other civilians, he wouldn’t have been able to really buy clothes as often as a growing child would need to. So he has these massive clothes that he just rolls up and run around in

jesus the more i write the more ideas i have

i want to make his hair longer and shaggier cause he’s a kid. He doesn’t know how to cut his own hair and cutting short hair is much harder than cutting long hair

Moving on from the clothes

I have a bit of a headcannon that the children of jinchuriki possess certain traits from the bijuu of their parent, esp if the bijuu chakra surrrounds the baby in the womb sO Naruto looks a tad more foxy. Even more foxy cause he is both a jinchuriki’s child AND a jinchuriki since a couple hours after birth

Thus his more oval pupils and slight purple coloring in the center

he also has yaeba! Endearingly crooked teef

Sakura:

There’s honestly not that much? that i could have changed with her?

it’s a more attitude and focus change that reflects a bit into her clothing

Instead of being infatuated with Sasuke and losing her friendship with Ino bc wtf , she holed away in the library and absorbed all the knowledge. She’s lonely, and she’s not really a people person like how Ino is, so she begins to read theories and history and anything else that catches her attention (which is a lot)

Reading all this made her more determined in her goal as a ninja and casts aside the civilian style vanity. She’ll look dangerous AND pretty, thank you very much

Her clothes are a tad darker because bright red is only marginally better than neon orange, and though not very visible, the skirt is a bit shorter

she has fingerless gloves and the bandages, mimicking different ninjas she sees around the village

Shorter hair because i think she would’ve tried putting her hair in a bun or a ponytail but then realized that weight and care of long hair just isn’t for her. Besides, she rocks the short haircut

i have no real reason for the belt other than i like the split between top and bottom

Sasuke:

I changed him the most (obviously)

Mmm while with the other two I had a more set reason for the different changes, I don’t quite have that for Sasuke

Similar to Sakura, I did want to change bits of his story in order to change certain story aspects HOWEVER I’m not entirely sure how i want to change things

The first couple ideas I had were to make Itachi more redeemable? I guess? Im not sure how I would word this but I wanted to make it easier for him to be forgiven by sasuke and the others. Make Sasuke question Itachi’s motives for killing the clan

and those ideas included the entire clan NOT being killed. Most of them, yes, but not all. Like killing most of the clan but a couple civilian Uchiha surviving. Stuff like that

And going off of that branch of thought, i was thinking a surviving Uchiha would take Sasuke in? Or maybe not but he still has Uchiha taking care of him in a certain way

building up on his own pride in the clan, kind of a “we survived this” grim pride? idk? anyways his clothes are more traditional inspired to kinda reflect that. Cause Uchiha always seemed the most traditional Japanese based group

he’s also the brother of a shinobi prodigy, born into a family of ninja (Mikoto was a JONIN), so he knows how to dress like a ninja. more pouches for extra supplies and a mesh undershirt as a bit of armor

and can’t forget those protective arm guards lmAOO

Honestly I’ve got like- so many ideas but my thought process is very much Not Linear so i’ve been screaming in this here pile of bees I need to think more on the middle instead of jumping straight to the end but yKNOW its a work in progress

#naruto #uchiha sasuke #haruno sakura #uzumaki naruto #redesign #fanart #au #alp art #this has honestly been a grEAT practice on drawing children #still a work in progress but im getting there #and also i made the uchiha dark dark red cause sharingan hehe #this took me too long to write because i kept getting distracted #and also its kinda long #oops #naruto fanart #honestly what are tags #team seven #nart art #nart au

1K notes · View notes

humanlighthouse · 3 years

Note

I did not know you were specializing in Poe?!!?!

🌫💀🕯🫀🗡🧱🚪🍷🏰🪦🌫

*very irritated rn that my phone has no appropriate corvid emoji*

As an american i'm familiar with like, The Raven (i am a sucker for a rhyme scheme ok?) and his most well-known short stories, etc. so i am super-curious: pray tell, what is your favorite Poe fact and/or work?

it's coming up on the spooky season, so i for one would love some Poe stuffs to reblog in October

*thinking really hard about a liu sang/tell tale heart fusion* ... *also thinking about how dmbj has so many horror elements you could easily situate a poe story into the dmbj universe*

Hi honey 🥰 I sure am! I'm gonna try to keep my nerd rant to an acceptable length, but just know that you brought this upon yourself 🤭

So first: rhyme scheme: have you read The Bells? When you read the poem, you can literally hear the different types of bells ringing! My dude was very good at sounds. He wrote essays on rhythm in poetry, it wasn't my favorite part so I'm not as well versed in that but it sure shows in the rest of his writing!

> I should have prefaced this by saying that everything he wrote can be found online! Either on wikisource or on the amazing, the wonderful website eapoe.org that has ANYTHING you might look for about him!

Okay back to writing. My favorite is a toss-up between William Wilson (guy haunted by a physical manifestation of his conscience) and The Masque of the Red Death (also about a guy haunted by a physical manifestation of his failures hm i have a type yes 🤔) Both stories are short yet pack an impressive emotional gut punch, they're very visual, full of symbolism, and just so damn well written?? I am currently writing an article about Masque and the fact that it uses the symptoms of Ebola 130 years before the disease was found 😗 and how that choice of disease (instead of say, the black plague or cholera that he also uses elsewhere) has to do with said failure of the prince, Color Theory Red, etc etc with some Shakespeare refs thrown in for good measure. It's fun!

My general area of knowledge is about religion and spirituality in Poe, which I am.... basically the only one to study? (yay for lack of competition, big fish tiny puddle!!) At the end of his life (at...39, but that's another can of worms), he wrote a long long loooooong essay (for Poe, so like, 100 pages, but it's so DENSE and dull at times it feels like twice that at least - the ending is really good though!) about cosmogony, that is, the creation of the universe, how and more important WHY it came to be, called Eureka. I did my masters on it, and my doctoral thesis was about how it's kind of a ... crystallization of ideas he wrote about previously?

Fun fact, did you know that Poe wrote the first (Western) Sherlock Holmes? Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Mystery of Marie Roget and The Purloined Letter all have Auguste C. Dupin (his Sherlock) solve crime by sitting down and thinking lol and he was the first! He also makes a few asides about, well, life in general, and a few of these are copied verbatim in Eureka, for example. Poe has very unique ideas about cosmogony, and it's lucky he wasn't more successful in spreading them around or he would probably have ended up on a stake somewhere :) but there are So Good! I can rant more about those at a later date lol

So while Eureka itself isn't my favorite work, its impact (retroactive impact? can that be a thing? I once wrote about "the inverted echo" of it and my thesis advisor was like What lmao) on the rest of Poe's work IS my main area of nerdiness. But Poe is amazing!! Almost everything he wrote is amazing!! He was also bitchy and petty and so goddamn nerdy. Also probably ace!! and definitely bi lol I HAVE ARGUMENTS FOR THIS

Lastly, I have a Poe side-blog, which hasn't been updated in AGES but still exists! And where I put up a list of Poe recs :) here

But don't.... don't get me started about Poe/DMBJ crossovers? I have work to do! articles to write! I HAVE A FAMILY PLEASE-

That's it for now, shutting up :p Thanks for the ask!!!

#poe

15 notes · View notes

emilia3546 · 3 years

Text

Shadowsinger Part 24 - Gwynriel

ACOSF Spoilers! Do Not read this unless you have finished ACOSF and the Azriel bonus chapter*

Masterlist with all previous chapters

*****

Gwyn had hoped to keep moving, but the distorted corset was keeping her from fully filling her lungs, leaving her panting for breath at the slightest hill. Surely they were far enough to be able to rest now, for a few minutes at least,

"Az! Stop, I can't keep going in this dress," she panted, and he nodded,

"Let me find your leathers," he gestured towards his still-unconscious brother, "If he wakes up, whack him," Gwyn snorted, but nodded, taking the chance to check on Laylah. The young female had walked without complaint for the past few hours, but she had to be tired, and her shoes were ridiculous, Gwyn would have to see if any of hers would fit.

"Laylah," Gwyn gestured for her to sit down beside her, "How are you doing?" She murmured, then laughed at herself, "I'm sorry, I understand what it is to have your whole life turned upside down. I don’t know what you need right now but we're not going to let anything happen to you,"

"I don’t know what I need either. It's not like I'll miss my father, but he is my only family, it'll take some getting used to,"

"We're here if you want us, or we can help getting you set up somewhere, Rhys is always willing to throw some money around, especially to help someone,"

"Really? He always seemed, I don't know, not cruel exactly, but detached, completely disinterested in individuals," Gwyn chuckled,

"He'll be glad to hear that, but it is an act, mostly to ensure the Camp Lords remember who he is, so they don't do anything stupid, obviously it wasn't enough to put them off this time, but also to protect the Night Court, it puts off potential invaders as well," she explained, and smiled at the glimmer of understanding in Laylah's eyes, thanking the Cauldron for her intelligence. "And Laylah, what you did, coming to find us to warn us, that was really brave, thank you," she glanced over to where Azriel was waiting, giving them a moment to talk just out of earshot, "You might have saved his life, and another of my friends, so thank you,"

"You guys are actually together then?"

"Yes, that at least was real." She couldn't help the smile when she looked towards him, "I'm sorry we had to lie to you, we didn't have much choice I'm afraid, there was always a risk that you might inadvertently betray us,"

"I know, it's okay," Laylah smiled,

"Gwyneth?"

"Just Gwyn, that's what my friends call me," Laylah swallowed, but smiled,

"Can you teach me to fight? Like you did, and Azriel, maybe I can be helpful, I'd like to be if I can,"

"I'm nowhere near experienced enough to teach you, but," she added before Laylah's disappointment could settle in, "We do have daily sessions for females wishing to learn, Azriel and Cassian teach them, I could get you involved if you like?"

"Thank you, that would be brilliant," she glanced towards Azriel, "I think he's got your stuff, you'd better go change, that can't be comfortable," she chuckled, wincing at the sight of the corset, the boning inverted where the arrow had struck.

"You have no idea," Gwyn laughed, but did slip away to change, freezing at the realization that there were no trees to hide behind, not even a rock, they were still stuck on that open plain. She glanced around for some long grass, treading back towards where they'd left Laylah, and her head snapped sideways at a sound. Quiet, barely there, but she narrowed her eyes at Azriel's brother, who fell still, but she was no fool, he’d moved, so she nudged him, encouraging him to try to get up, pretending she hadn't noticed. When he moved, she grabbed hold of one of the bags, swinging it as hard as she could into the side of his head, and winced at the crash when he crumpled to the floor, eyes rolling back in his head as he fell.

Azriel was there in moments, laughing quietly as he took the bag, swinging it once,

"Quite a weapon,"

"You said to whack him, I did,"

"Oh it's not a criticism, marvelous improvisation actually," she snorted, but he stepped behind her, between her and Laylah, "I'll cover you," Gwyn glanced up gratefully as he spread his wings out, giving her a chance to change in privacy. She barely felt his gaze on her as she loosened the corset as far as it would go,

"Can you help? It's the wrong shape, I can't get it off,"

"Oh, okay," She didn't miss the hint of pink starting to stain Azriel's cheeks, and couldn't resist the chance to tease him a bit,

"You can undress me properly some other time, we don't have time now," she grinned to herself when his breathing hitched, just for a moment, but Gwyn, of course, noticed.

"What?" Gwyn giggled to herself, turning to whisper,

"We're not alone here, we’ll continue this later," and stepped out of the dress as the corset finally shifted with Azriel's help. Azriel swore quietly under his breath, and Gwyn smiled, she never thought she'd find someone to tease, someone she actually wanted the time to sneak off with, alone, but here she was. She raised herself onto her tiptoes to brush a kiss against Azriel's cheek once she was dressed again, back in her leathers, re-armed, ready to fight.

It was another hard few hours until they found a suitable camp site, a small grove of trees, but it was enough,

“We should be in range for me to call Rhys soon, he can winnow further than I can,” Azriel whispered, keeping his voice low for that his brother wouldn’t hear,

“What about him?” Gwyn glanced back, mentally checking that the ropes around his hands were secure, and that he wasn’t able to get free from the tree he’d been tied to,

“We’ll have to take him with us, he might be useful, and at least it’ll take one enemy commander out of the war.” Still, there was a sense of unease that she’d been unable to shake, an annoying feeling that she’d missed something, that something was in motion, but she had no idea what. They’d just have to be prepared for something to go wrong, she supposed, but it was still bothering her when she curled up to go to sleep.

The moon was already starting its descent when Azriel finally woke her to take the next watch,

“You should have woken me two hours ago,” she hissed,

“You needed to sleep,”

“So do you! Bed. Now.” She pointed towards his bedroll, but softened at his hesitation, “I’ll be fine, I’ll wake you if anything seems amiss, okay, now go to sleep,” she raised an eyebrow and he finally relented, falling asleep within moments.

Once she’d ascertained that he really was asleep, she slipped back into the trees, setting herself slightly away from the campsite so that she could see it all and the area around. She’d be out of view here, especially shrouded in shadow as she was. She wasn’t foolish enough to believe that it was all natural shadow, but she could let it go, at least Azriel was sleeping, even if his shadows weren’t. Gwyn wasn’t sure that they even needed sleep, but then again, she had no idea what they really were.

Back amongst the trees, she could easily keep casting her gaze around the camp site, flicking back to the spot she’d just checked in case someone was hiding there. Nothing moved for hours, but three hours in, just when the moon’s light was fading she saw something.

Beyond the trees, out on the plain that they’d crossed, something moved again. And again. Slowly it was moving closer, keeping to the shadows, making no sound as it moved. Gwyn fell still, hardly daring to breathe, if something was wrong she’d have the advantage of being unseen, and she could send the shadows to wake Azriel if necessary. The thing moved closer, keeping below the waist high grass so that she never actually saw it, just where it had been, a soft rustle alerting her to the movement.

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she mentally checked for her weapons as it drew nearer. Every instinct told her to run, to wake Azriel, to strike first, but she forced herself to remain still, silent. It was nearing the edge of the trees now, the grass rustled once more, so close to her sleeping companions.

She slowly, silently drew a knife, balanced for throwing, it had a wide blade that tapered to a sharp point and thinned near the hilt. The hilt itself was heavy to help drive the blade home as it struck its target. She hadn’t thrown it in a while, and she just hoped that she could remember her training, she’d only get one shot at this.

She drew her arm back to throw, and stopped. Right before she released the grass ruffled again to reveal a plains cat. Large, not quite waist height, with thick sand-colored fur. It had surprised her, but it wasn’t a threat, there was no way it would attack anything bigger than a small deer. She sighed, and sheathed the knife, but the movement drew the plains cat’s attention, and it hissed in her direction. Gwyn stepped out, and cooed softly,

“It’s only me, come on, I won’t hurt you, but I can’t let you eat our supplies I’m afraid,” the cat narrowed its eyes, but didn’t hiss or make any more aggressive moves. Instead, it blinked once at her and purred, allowing her to gently fondle its ears before turning to bound away into the grass, the soft light of dawn sending streaks of red and orange through the sky. Gwyn settle back into her spot to wait another hour or so before waking the others.

Azriel loosened his brother’s bonds for a moment, allowing the blood to flow back into his hands before tightening them again. He glanced up at the sun,

“Another few hours maybe, we should be home by lunch if we’re lucky,” he announced, then crossed to where Gwyn was hunting through her bag, searching for her spare pair of boots. Laylah had refused to slow them down yesterday by letting Gwyn look for them, but she could at least wear them for today, if they fit. “How’s Laylah doing with walking?” Gwyn almost leapt out of her skin, she’d been so concentrated that she hasn’t heard him approach,

“Cauldron, Az! A warning!” She narrowed her eyes at his soft chuckle, “Now is not the time to be testing me, idiot,”

“It is always the time to be testing you,” he countered, “Don’t drop your guard out here,” he was right, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of winning so she just huffed,

“Laylah seems fine, a little tired, but not too bad, I think she’ll need to winnow soon though,”

“That’s what I was hoping to avoid, I have no guarantee that those males who attacked us didn’t already put a tracking spell on me if I use magic, it was a risk winnowing to our spare kit, and it’s one I’d rather avoid,” he kept his voice low, keeping an eye on his brother without turning his head, “Do you think she can manage another half day?”

“Not in those shoes,” Gwyn held up her spare boots, “In these, yes,”

*****

It was just after lunch that Azriel received a response to his mental shout,

Rhys,

Az, is everything okay?

We need you to come and fetch us, I can’t risk winnowing, I might be being tracked.

Where are you? I’m on my way.

Azriel showed Rhys their location, and signalled to the group to stop. Laylah sank to the floor gratefully, shaking her tired feet to try to regain the feeling where they’d gone numb from walking, but didn’t complain. Gwyn raised an eyebrow, and he offered her an almost imperceptible nod, but she smiled and understood. He gave no warning to his brother, waiting until Rhys materialized to show any sign of the plan at all. Even then, Azriel merely hauled him to his feet and warned him not to try anything stupid. Even with the warning, Azriel kept a hold of him, letting Gwyn and Laylah hold on tighter to Rhys. Still, the urge to glare at his brother and demand he back off from Gwyn was almost unbearable. He had no idea where it had come from, but perhaps what could have happened at the palace simply had him on edge, that was all.

The wind roared in Azriel’s ears and it took all of his training and balance not to stumble when his feet hit solid ground. Laylah, however, wasn’t so lucky, and it was only Rhys’ quick reactions that kept her from breaking her nose on the stones under their feet. She shyly mumbled a thank you, and Azriel turned his eyes to the heavens when Rhys offered a grin, tactfully choosing to ignore the flush of color across Laylah’s cheeks.

For now, they could leave his brother here, the Hewn City had never been breached this far and Azriel could come and get him if necessary. Whilst he opened a cell he heard Rhys quietly explaining to Laylah what was happening and that they weren’t going to stay there. He unbound his brother’s hands before closing the door, telling himself that he didn’t care but a part of him still screamed in agony at the hatred in his glare, the memories of this male.

“Just going to leave me are you?” He jeered, trying to sound calm, but his flickering gaze betrayed his fear,

“You’ll get food, someone will bring down a blanket, I’ll be back when we need to speak to you,”

“Sure you don’t want to tie me up?”

“I’m not you.” Azriel snapped, losing the mask he’d so carefully maintained for just a moment but it was enough for the male’s eyes to shine gleefully with that small victory. Azriel couldn’t hide his disgust when he returned to where the others were waiting, but a part of him, small as it was, screamed at him to fix it, to go and fetch him, conveniently forgetting the first eleven years of his life. He shook his head, ignoring the urge, and was met by another, this time, one he more than happy to oblige. He grasped Gwyn’s hand in his, and held on to his arm with and almost crushing grip, only relaxing when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders,

“Let’s go home,” she whispered.

#fanfiction #fanfic #acotar #acosf #a court of thorns and roses #a court of silver flames #gwynriel #azwyn #azriel #Azriel shadowsinger #gwyn #gwyneth berdara #gwyn acosf

24 notes · View notes

moons-and-stars-and-shit · 3 years

Note

Good morning, afternoon or night to you! May I request a matchup please?

My name is Ximena, I am an upperclassman in highschool. Pronouns are she/her. I am Mexican-American, fluent in Spanish and English. I am the oldest of my siblings. My zodiac is a Pisces. am 5,2 with an inverted triangle body shape. I'm pale, with natural rosy cheeks. People say I have doe eyes, dark brown. Hair color is the same color and it goes down a few centimeters off the shoulders, but I usually wear it in a ponytail. I am toned, not like a fitness influencer lol.

I am an INFJ. Socializing makes me pretty nervous, but I'll do it if I have to work on a school project or my friends are uncomfortable speaking. I am the "mom" friend of the group, always reminding them to do their work and to take care of themselves. People say I'm sweet and kind for helping them. I do my best to be open-minded and provide realistic advice. My humor is word play, puns and sarcasm. I am a perfectionist, I try my best in everything. I am pretty insecure of myself, very worried about the future and what others think of me. I get irritated if things don't go as planned.

I am dancer, I love every aspect of it. My favorite style would be ballet and my dream would be going professional. I like to read, my favorite genres being fantasy or adventure. In general, I like being active so I enjoy playing sports, mostly tennis though. I like hiking with my dog and nature in general. I treasure deep conversations with my loved ones. I dislike people who are ignorant (any kind of oppression towards minorities), or who complain about work yet they procrastinate. I would rather not publicly speak and despise anything unhygienic. I hate feeling useless or having no motivation.

I hope I didn't overwhelm you with this request. I really enjoy your writing, it's the first blog that caught my eye! Also your layout is lovely and soothing. I hope you are having a great day/night and are doing well 🥰

@magicaldancer5678

A/N- Another matchup that took 500 years to come out 🥲. I’m sorry this took so long! Enjoy ❤️

Asahi Azumane

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐘𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐭

oooookkkaaayyyy

So you and Asahi shared some classes together

and you and him got partnered for a project

This kinda made you two HAVE to spend time together and get to know each other

every day you would go over to his house to work on the project

and then you would just hang out with him as friends for a bit before you went home

And when the time came to present your project

Asahi was very impressed with how you could take the lead in the presentation

he just knew that you could be a little shy at times

so he was NOT expecting you to just go up there and present so confidently

but he was a little relieved cuz he do be a shy boi 444

and even after you, two didn't have to work with each other anymore

you both found yourselves hanging out with each other

you and Asahi ended up building a very strong friendship in the time you two spent together

And after some time Asahi started to realize that he had feelings for you

Luckily for him, there was a perfect opportunity to confess to you...

Your upcoming ballet concert

He always showed up to all of your performances

as all good supportive friend should

But he was going to make this one VERY special

He went all out

After your performance (which you rocked by the way)

He gave you a GIANT bouquet of flowers along with a cute little plushy

And he asked you if you would be interested in going on a date with him

oml he just about fainted when you said yes

Ya'll have been a happy couple ever since then

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮

He loves low you look out for him

Now Asahi is very good at taking care of himself

But we all have our days

And when he has his little off days your always there to take care of him

Whether that be reminding him to drink water or to eat food

Or it be making him take "mental health days"

And since you do all this for him

He makes sure to do his best to take care of you as well :)

He also loves the advice you are able to give him

He doesn't really like to bother anyone with his problems

So it took him a while to start asking you for help with anything

But now whenever he finds himself in a sticky situation

He comes to you for advice

And you always seem to have the perfect solution for him

So he's very grateful for that

And just a quick cheesy one real quick

He loves your eyes

He thinks you can truly see all of your emotions through them

And the way they sparkle in the sun just makes him go 444

𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐓𝐨 𝐃𝐨 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫

He loves to read with you

Idk I just got a feeling that he's a really big reader

So just cuddling with you and reading you a book

Bam heaven on earth right there

Omg he LOVES LOVES LOVES to go on hikes with you

Or just walks

He also really likes nature so hiking is super fun for him

Especially if it's with you 444

Finally

You have been trying to teach him Spanish lately

So he really likes spending time with you while learning a new language

And he thinks it's cool that you guys have almost a secret language

Cause not a lot of people at Karasano can speak Spanish

𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐜

If your wondering you guys got an A on that project

He loves your dog 444

He'll always ask if your dog can come on hikes or walks with you two

Once he learns a little Spanish his new pet name for you is Mi Amor

He's tried playing tennis with you

But he just could not hit the damn ball

He blames it on the ball being too small

He supports your dream about becoming a professional dancer 100%

The entire team always says you too suit each other

𝐀𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

When Capricorn and Pisces join together in a love match, on the surface, it may appear to be opposites attracting.

Capricorn is down-to-earth and regimented, with a very strong work ethic

while Pisces tends to be more emotional and dreamy, and takes on the needs of those around them.

This couple is honest, and can be devoted to one another.

They admire one another

Capricorn appreciates Pisces’s kind nature, and Pisces is drawn in by Capricorn’s quick wit and tenacity.

This relationship may develop slowly, the two not necessarily recognizing its progression.

But it will get stronger over time.

The Capricorn-Pisces duo can really put their heads together and can be fulfilled by their partner.

Difficulties can arise if Capricorn is too dominating for Pisces’s sensitive side.

Pisces needs to understand that this is Capricorn’s style and not a personal attack.

Pisces might not take too well to Capricorn’s stubbornness, but can deal with it through patience and understanding.

Pisces enjoys indulging Capricorn through their desire for domestic bliss, which combines well with Capricorn’s need for a neat, tidy home and material goods.

It’s their unique blend of temperaments.

Both partners enjoy sharing their lives with someone else, and both like to help the other achieve their goals.

Their difference in temperaments makes theirs a highly compatible relationship.

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜

Aphrodite 💖

#haikyuu!!#haikyuu fandom #haikyuu x y/n #haikyuu hcs #haikyuu fluff #haikyuu headcanons #haikyuu x reader #haikyu x reader #haikyuu matchups #asahi #asahi azumane #asahi x you #asahi x y/n #asahi x reader

22 notes · View notes

ieattaperecorders · 4 years

Text

Trapdoor

Inb4 we get a good description of the post-apocalyptic world, wrote a little monster encounter for these boys. It’s also here on Ao3.

- - -

“Where are you going?”

Martin turned to Jon who stood a few paces back, looking quizzical. “Towards the hills? You just said it would be safer there.”

“I absolutely did not say that.” Jon replied. “I said we ought to go this way,” he gestured in the direction he’d been turning. “Stick to the lower places, where there’s less room for things to sneak up.”

The rolling, rocky countryside had been suspiciously innocuous lately. Unsettlingly normal. For the last few kilometers, nothing had leaped out at them or tried to lure them towards apparent safety. No part of the world had suddenly twisted or inverted around them. In fact, for some time the terrain they’d been walking across had done an impressive job of resembling ordinary Scottish land on a gray and drizzly morning. It was leaving both of them tense, anxious, waiting for the hammer to fall.

“. . .I’m pretty sure I heard you.” Martin looked back at the hills. “And it feels safer to go that way? I dunno, higher ground? Doesn’t that seem right?”

“Martin.” Jon put his hands on Martin’s arms, speaking slowly and carefully. “You might want to consider the possibility that something is making you feel that way.”

“That doesn’t sound ri - - ah.” Martin caught himself. “Maybe. Er,” he lifted his arms. “Have I got any spiders on me?”

Jon peered over him nervously. “I mean. I don’t see any, but it’s not likely going to be that simple.”

“How do we know which way is safe, then?” Martin asked. “If we’re possibly dealing with mind control, it could be tricking you as well.”

“It’s wise to be skeptical where these things are concerned.” Jon said, “But I was able to see in the Unknowing, and I think this may be similar. Besides that, you seem a little . . . dazed, to me?”

“Yeah. . .” Now that he was focusing on it, he had to admit that his head felt off somehow. “I guess I am feeling a little . . . dazed.”

“I think that my connection to the Eye is the only thing keeping keep me safe. We ought to move as quickly as we can.” Jon looked at him intently. “If this place is affecting your mind, you might not be able to trust everything you see and hear. So stay close to me, try to ignore anything strange. I’ll guide you.”

There was something moving in Martin’s peripheral vision. Tiny ripples formed in the dirt, as if something was shifting underground. He swore he could hear a muffled noise, like a shuffling or hissing, coming from nearby.

“Don’t focus on it.” Jon’s hand came up to tilt Martin’s face towards his own. “Whatever you’re seeing, I’m pretty sure looking at it is a mistake. Just look at me. Focus on my voice. You can trust me.”

“Right.” That noise was getting louder, and Martin tried to ignore it. “Looking is probably a mistake. . . .”

Even out of the corner of his eye, though, Martin could tell that thing was moving closer. He was relieved when Jon turned, hand clasping his, and started leading him away from it.

“This way,” Jon said, pulling gently but quickly at him. “Try to keep your eyes on me.”

But it was really hard not to look down when the mud started to swirl around at their heels. The sound coming from below was just loud enough for Martin to make out a word.

Stop--

And he was pretty sure he did not want to listen to the ground telling him to stop moving, so he decided to quicken his pace a little. But he hadn't gotten far before the soil opened up behind him and a hand, black with mud, reached out and gripped his ankle.

Martin yelped and pulled away, but the hand’s grip was tight, and he only succeeded in yanking half an arm out of the ground with it.

“Don’t look down!” Jon’s voice came from behind him, hand still gripping his. “That’s how it pulls you in. Just keep moving!”

And Martin would have done as he said, except at that moment the soil shifted and a pair of shoulders joined the arm, as did the rough shape of a human head. There were more arms surrounding it, bent and twisted ones with joints like the legs of an insect and long, grasping hands. They reached out and wrapped around the muddy figure to pull it back down, but it was quickly struggling free. Choking, gasping and spitting mud, Jon’s face emerged from below.

“S-stop--” he gasped, looking wild-eyed at Martin “Stop listening to it!”

“Oh my God . . . Jon!?” Martin stared at the half-buried figure.

“Let him go!” Jon’s voice growled from behind him, directed at the muddy silhouette. “He’s not for you!”

The Jon that was covered in mud coughed and spat out a gobbet of earth, its hand still gripping Martin’s leg . He was pulling him towards the mud, he realized, and the grasping hands. Or, no, was he pulling himself out? Or was he just pulling Martin towards himself, away from the one who was holding him?

The one who was - - there was still a hand gripping his hand. Whose...whose hand was on him . . . .?

“Martin. Look at it.” The Jon clinging to his ankle fixed a penetrating gaze on him. Martin felt something . . . a painful moment of light piercing the haze in his mind. “Look at what you’ve been talking to.”

Martin looked back at the thing holding his hand. It was definitely not Jon. It had too many limbs, and not enough eyes, and when it smiled there was a hissing sound like that of a chittering insect.

He screamed, pulling his hand back and trying back away. Unfortunately the real Jon still held his ankle, so he didn’t back away so much as stumble and fall flat onto the ground. The monster loomed. It no longer looked like Jon, but it retained just enough detail - his scarred right hand, the color of his shirt, the lower half of his face now split with a too wide grin - to make everything else seem worse.

“Get away - -” Jon’s voice was hoarse, rough with the soil he’d been trapped in, but there was fire in it. “Get - - away from him.”

The creature froze in place as Jon pulled himself up beside Martin. Martin assumed that Jon’s gaze was keeping it still, but he wasn’t going to rely on the Watcher if he could help it. He took the moment of distraction as a chance to sweep the creature’s legs. Having a dozen, spindly, twisting limbs might be good for frightening people who wander into your terrible pit trap. But they didn’t provide much in terms of stability. The creature went down, landing half on top of Martin.

In a panic, he kicked it towards the hole that Jon had crawled out of. A new arm shot out of the ground just as the monster began to rise. A hand wrapped around one if its gangly legs, and was joined by another. Then another, and another, and many more, until it was looked more like a tangle of chitinous wire than anything remotely humanoid.

Martin and Jon scrabbled back from the pits’ edge as the thing was dragged down and swallowed, screaming inhumanly. The ground went quiet again, and the two of them stopped and breathed.

“Are you all right?” Jon asked.

Martin nodded. “I think so. What about you?”

“I think so.” Jon cleared his throat, voice still raw. “I wasn’t down there long. If, ah, if suffocation were lethal here I’d probably be in more trouble.”

“Here, hang on. . . .” Martin shrugged off his backpack. He was glad he’d had the foresight to bring some bottles of water, despite neither of them feeling thirst anymore. He’d known they’d have some practical use -- or, if he was being honest with himself, tea-related use. But this seemed the more immediate concern.

Jon took the water gratefully, swishing his mouth out and spitting a few times, then attempted to clean himself off. His clothes weren’t going to be pristine again, that was for certain, but he managed to get from ‘dirt monster’ to ‘man who’s been tramping through the muddy woods.’ Which wasn't far from where they’d both been to begin with, and would have to do.

“Stepped in the wrong spot.” Jon muttered as he scrubbed at his hair. “I was underground in an instant.”

“I didn’t even see. I’m sorry.” Martin said.

“It’s not your fault.” Jon replied. “That thing was toying with your mind. I could see it even from down there, but I couldn’t reach you. . . .”

“We should get moving again.” Martin said, getting to his feet. “That thing might be able to crawl out too.”

“Yes. You’re right.” Jon pulled himself up, brushing off what remaining soil he could, and took Martin’s hand. “Towards the hills?”

Martin nodded, slinging the bag back over his shoulder.

“Jon. . .” a startlingly familiar voice came from behind them. “What’s going on?”

Martin turned and found himself facing a figure that looked only vaguely like him. Actually, it would be more right to say it looked exactly like he would look if a number of long, twisted monster arms burst from his back and wrapped themselves around his head and body. It was covered in black mud and one of those long hands obscured the top corner of its face. It stood a few meters away, but Martin could still make out its expression, which was a mocking mimicry of concern.

The Martin-thing held out a hand. “Jon, listen, that’s not me,” it said. Its voice sounded off, though that much might just be because Martin was used to hearing his own voice resonate in his head. “I don’t know what it is, but that isn’t me.”

If the image hadn’t been so unsettling, Martin might have laughed at it. “Nice try? But I don't think he's going to buy it.”

Martin looked over at Jon, who was staring in shock at the Martin-thing. He turned back to Martin and his eyes narrowed with suspicion and concern. Martin groaned inwardly.

“Seriously?” He said. “You’re not really fooled by that thing, are you? It’s covered in weird spider-arms and dripping with mud.”

“Is that what you see?” Jon asked, brow knit.

“I mean, yes?”

“Because he looks entirely normal to me. And--” Jon tensed and Martin felt static at the edges of his perception. A quiet, pained grunt came from between Jon’s teeth. “He looks. . .authentic. Real,” he glanced back at Martin, looking intently at him. “So do you, incidentally.”

“Well thanks very much.” Martin said.

“I, ah.” Jon frowned. “I’m not sure. . .what to do with this?”

There was silence for a while as the three of them stared at each other, not moving. Jon was still holding Martin’s arm, but his grip had tightened a little. Martin suddenly wasn’t sure if Jon was clinging to him, or keeping him in place.

“Okaaay.” The Other Martin said. “So, uh. . . Jon, when you were still working in research, I picked your name for the yearly White Elephant. I barely knew you at that point, so I made the mistake of asking Tim what he thought you’d want. I probably should have realized the ‘it’s wine o’clock somewhere’ t-shirt wasn’t actually your style, but I thought maybe you and Tim had a similar sense of humor and you dressed differently when you weren’t at work.”

“Oh, we’re doing that, are we?” Martin said, annoyed. “Fine. I didn’t let you eat lunch alone for two weeks after you were stabbed. You didn’t want to talk about any of the things you were obsessed with at the time, so I started chatting about anything I could think of to fill the silence. Somehow I got onto cartoons we grew up with and that’s how I found out you’ve never played a Pokemon game but you know a really suspicious amount about the anime.”

The Martin-Thing? Other Martin? Martin was just going to think of it as the other one. It frowned through the tangle of its limbs at Martin’s response.

“The first time you told me that you loved me was on the train to Scotland,” it said, and hearing it talk about that made Martin’s teeth clench. “I was so startled to hear it that I froze and didn’t respond at all, and you started apologizing, worrying you’d made a mistake.”

“Our first night in the safehouse--” Martin said. “You were stroking my hair because you thought I was asleep. I thought you might stop if I opened my eyes, so I just kept pretending. I didn’t tell you about it for a week.”

“Two weeks after we met--” the other one began.

“Stop, stop!” Jon shouted, waved his free hand in the air. “None of that proves anything. There are creatures in this world quite capable of stealing memories, of replacing or re-writing them. You should both know that,” he added with a glare, “regardless of whether you’re real or not.”

The other one frowned. “Jon, it’s me . . . .”

The thing took a step closer and Martin started to back away. Jon kept his grip on him, though that only meant he was pulled along a step or two before he dug his heels into the soft earth.

“Don’t!” he snapped, and Martin stopped moving. Jon released his arm, pose tense, his gaze shooting wildly between them. “Don’t move. Just- - both of you stay where I can see you.”

“Okay. Okay . . .” Martin held up his hands. He could see Jon was starting to panic, and tried to sound calm. “I’m not moving.”

The other one mirrored Martin's pose and Jon nodded, frowning. He backed a step or two away, positioning himself more evenly between the two Martins. His arms were a little out from his sides, as if making ready to grab or push away either one.

“Maybe don’t get too close to it, though?” Martin said, an edge of worry in his voice. “Just in case? Okay?”

“Yeah,” the other one shot back, audibly offended. “Don’t get too close to it, Jon.”

Jon pressed a hand to his forehead, sighing. “Just - just let me think, all right?”

“Right. Take all the time you need.” the other one said, its tone unpleasantly familiar.

Jon paced back and forth with agitation, always keeping his eyes on one of them. Martin watched the other one, in case it made a move for Jon or for him. He couldn’t help but notice It was looking back at him with what he assumed was an identical, watchful expression. Mimics were absolutely the worst.

“Either somehow both of you are really Martin,” Jon muttered, still pacing “or my perception’s being altered in a way I can’t break through. But if it’s the latter I don’t know how we’d proceed. If they both look real, maybe it means neither of them is? But if that’s the case the real Martin could be anywhere, and how am I supposed to find him if I can’t trust what I see. . . .”

“I mean - -” Martin couldn’t help but feel a little hurt hearing Jon talk about him as if he was both not there and in fact, not real. It wasn’t his fault, but it did sting a bit. “How could we both be real?”

“Does that seem impossible at this point?” Jon threw his arms in the air. “That something could split a person in two? Or double them? That would feed into something, surely. The -- the existential fear of it all. Not to mention the fear of being deceived, of unreality, paranoia. . . .”

Martin considered this. “Well. . . that’s fair. But we both saw that other Jon. After that, it seems more likely that one of us is a trick,” he sighed, glaring at the other one. “And I mean. I know which one’s real, but I don’t know how I can prove it to you.”

“You didn’t say you were real.” The other one said triumphantly. “You said ‘I know which one,’ that’s probably a tell, Jon.”

“I meant me, I’m real, I was just trying not to be rude.”

“All right, all right. If nothing else either one of you could be a . . . a replacement.” Jon sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “But unless I know, I can’t take the risk of leaving the real Martin behind. So I think we’re all just going to have to stick together until one of you tries to, I don’t know, enslave my will or turn me inside out or something.”

“That’s a bad plan, Jon.” The other one said.

“Yeah, I kind of have to agree with the other one?” Martin said. “I mean, you’re talking about definitely letting an evil doppleganger tag along, I can’t see that ending well.”

“Well unless one of you wants to tear off a Martin skin and get this over with, I don’t see any other options!” Jon snapped, frustrated.

There was a pause, then the other one spoke up.

“What if you asked us who we are?” it suggested. “I mean. . .nothing’s been able to lie to you so far, right?”

Jon considered. He looked at Martin for permission, and he nodded.

“Yeah, all right.” he said. “Do it.”

“Who are you?” Jon’s voice reverberated, reaching into him. The words came out with no resistance.

“I’m Martin Blackwood,” he said.

Jon looked guarded but a measure of relief showed in him, and Martin smiled at that.

“And who are you?” Jon asked the other.

“I’m Martin Blackwood,” it said, “I'm someone who loves you.”

“I mean, I love you too.” Martin said, frowning. Hearing that thing say those words in particular made his stomach twist a little. “I just didn’t think that was what you were asking.”

Jon was quiet for a moment, considering, then he looked at the other one. “Who were you an hour ago?”

“I was Martin Blackwood,” it said. “I’ve always been.”

“And you?” Jon turned back to Martin. “Who were you an hour ago?”

“I was mud.” Martin said. “Eternally grasping, flowing ever downwards. I was hands, many and needful, aching to grip and wrench and pull. I was the thought of hands, hands that grip the mind. Ones you cannot pull away from without ripping out the most vulnerable parts of yourself. And now, I am Martin Blackwood.”

Martin blinked, hand halfway to his throat. The words had poured out of him, he hadn’t even needed to think. Where had they come from?

“I. . .I don’t. I don’t know why I said that?” He laughed nervously. “Why would I say that?”

Jon’s eyes were wide with fear and he backed towards the other one, arm out as if to separate Martin from it. And that wasn’t fair. Why was he trusting that thing over him? It didn’t even look like him.

“Keep away from it.” Jon said.

“Yeah, I got that.” The thing behind him replied.

“Wait- I, I know how this must sound,” Martin tried to explain, “but it’s got to be some kind of trick. I don’t know where those words came from. It’s me. It’s the real me, I promise.”

“I very much doubt that.” Jon said, his voice cold. He was looking at Martin with such hatred, and it stirred something raw and panicky in him.

“Ask me again!” Martin pleaded, voice trembling. “I’ll get it right this time, just ask again!”

“The answer will be the same.” Jon said firmly.

“Jon.” The thing standing behind him put a hand on Jon’s shoulder, speaking softly. “We should probably run. It feels like this is going to get worse really, really soon.”

“Don’t!” Martin resisted the urge to step closer, afraid that if he did Jon would just do as the other one said and start running. “I’m me. I’m Martin Blackwood. You heard me say it, you know it’s true. I��m Martin.”

“But you’re also a trap.” Jon said. When he opened his mouth again, his voice pierced through Martin’s entire being. “Aren’t you?”

This time he did resist, tried to close his mouth as he the words welled up in him. But it was no use.

“Yes,” tears gathered in Martin’s eyes as the truth forced its way through his lips. “A trap for you.”

“No different than the other half of it.” Jon nodded solemnly. “Just a little bit crueler.”

Martin was dizzy. Everything felt like it was falling away. His own words reverberated in his head, taunting him, and he wanted to scream. Then Jon turned and began to walk away, and Martin did panic.

“Wait! Please, just let me come with you,” he begged. “I’m not - I won’t cause trouble. I won’t even complain about the other one, I promise. I - -” he swallowed. “I don’t want to be alone.”

He saw Jon hesitate, gripping the other one a little more tightly, and it held him tightly back. It hurt. That thing didn’t look or feel remotely right, but it was holding Jon. Holding and being held by him while Martin was left outside. Only a few meters away, but it may as well have been the full length of the earth.

“I feel like myself. I feel like . . .like him,” admitting to being something other than Martin was almost physically painful, but he pressed on. “Like Martin. Maybe I didn’t used to be, but I am now.”

“A hand that can conceive of itself,” Jon said darkly. “Clenched by an unseen mind.”

Fairchild’s words now echoed by Jon rang in his memory. The old man had been right. It was horrid. Martin didn’t want to think about any of it. He just wanted to run to Jon, pull him into his arms, hold him close and be held. Couldn’t he just have that? Couldn’t it be that simple?

“I love you.” Martin said. “You can ask me, I’ll say it a thousand times, because it’s true.”

“. . . But you’ll still hurt him,” the other one said. Its voice was as gentle as its words were cruel. “Even if you don’t want to, it’s what you were made to do. The trap is going to close eventually.”

Martin shook his head violently. It wasn’t true. Whatever he might be, he wouldn’t hurt Jon. He just wanted to stay with him. He wanted to wrap his arms around Jon and never let go. He wanted to bury Jon’s face in his chest and hold him close and promise he was safe with him and be believed. Even if they weren’t his, he had memories of a thousand loving embraces. A thousand more gentle touches, kisses, tender looks. They felt no less real than this moment did.

At the same time, he knew Jon would never hold him again. Not willingly. Not anymore.

Something was moving under the earth, snaking closer to the three of them. Something that also wanted to hold them very, very close. Based on the uneasy way they were starting to look at the ground, Martin suspected they felt it rumbling.

“If you love him,” the other one spoke quickly, his voice wavering as the soil shook. “If you’re really me enough to love him, then I think you want him to be safe. And I’m sorry, but he’s not going to be safe with you.”

The heaviness of his words settled on Martin like the weight of all creation. He felt a thousand grasping hands reach out, fingers just breaking the surface of the soil. The two men holding tightly to one another jumped as the earth shifted around them. Then all at once the hands lost their will, and dissolved back into mud.

Martin sat on the ground. He held himself and looked down at the dirt, which was where he truly belonged. He’d keep his gaze fixed there until he heard them leave, then he’d look up and he’d be alone. A hand that could conceive of itself, with nothing to hold.

“. . . Martin?”

Jon’s voice was soft, and Martin assumed he was talking to the other one, the real one, the one who deserved him. But he repeated the name closer this time, and Martin looked up.

Jon stood just a little more than an arm’s length away. The other one was behind him, a hand held protectively on his shoulder. Jon leaned forward, face soft and sad, and Martin took a shallow breath.

“Maybe. . .” Jon said, gently “you should go back to being mud. I think it would be easier than being human. It wouldn’t . . . hurt as much.”

Slowly, Martin nodded. He didn’t remember being mud, but he was pretty damn sure it hurt a lot less than this.

“I don’t know if I can, though,” he said, an ache in his voice. “I don’t. . . I don’t know how to stop being Martin.”

“I can help you, I think.” Jon said. “If you’d let me.”

“But what if. . .” Martin frowned. “If- if I’m mud again. I won’t . . . I mean. . .what if I try to--”

“Then we’ll run.” Jon sounded confident, calm. “We’ve gotten away from worse before. You remember, don’t you?”

He did remember, in fact. Dozens of panicked escapes since the day they left the cabin. Memories of fear, of adrenaline, and of the fierce, mad victory of knowing you’ve reached the other side. They had dealt with worse. He looked questioningly at the other one, who nodded.

“Y-yes.” Martin said softly. “Yes. I’d . . . I’d like to be mud again. Please.”

He felt a vast and painful awareness reach into him, and it pulled out the story of a kind, nervous man who was always underestimated.

The mud slid away from the curves and angles of Martin Blackwood. Details fell back one by one - a quiet night working late, a hand gripping desperately at another, a sweater worn threadbare. For a moment, the mud felt the softest sensation of loss. Then a comfortable hunger returned to it and that feeling dissolved. Filled with relief and clarity once more it reached eagerly, gratefully, to grasp its nearby prey.

The two men staggered back, making the sounds that creatures make when they’re afraid, and their short clumsy limbs scrabbled around them. More of the mud came to join it. Dozens upon dozens of limbs, eternally grasping with an ache to wrench and pull, slid up from the ground to encircle the pair.

But this prey was quick. It was armed, and though the simple weapons could not do the mud any real damage, they were enough to knock limbs aside and open gaps in the tangle, clearing a path for escape. The mud stretched so many limbs to their limit, but its prey reached higher ground and soon it could not follow. Instead it watched eyelessly as they ran towards the hills where the ground would be too dry and too solid for mud to form.

There were countless dangers ahead of them, but this one, they’d escaped. They would not be wrapped in a thousand clutching arms, would not feel the grasping fingers twist in their hearts, would not be pulled into the endless down.

As the tangle of its limbs swirled in frustrated hunger, the mud laughed. It laughed, and laughed, in joy and in relief, as the two figures vanished into the distance.

#fanfic #tma #jonmartin #the magnus archives #tma fanfic

349 notes · View notes