LIAM DUNBAR — PEACE

(theo's version.)

Yeah it pisses me off just how people even talk about Ashley, like it’s her fault for even existing, like it’s a crime that she needs someone to take care of her or love her, they honestly sound like an in world npc instead of an audience member who can see the characters fully. Most of these people also talk about it like they’re making some well rounded analysis but it’s just a shallow shit take that miss characterizes everything, even the obvious details they get right they interpret the wrong way, I guess that’s the price to pay for complex characters who have a range of feelings and expressions

Exactly!!!

I think it’s interesting the way even people who are more sympathetic to Ashley still default to seeing her the way the characters within the story view her - as a burden for ever committing the crime of being born. That’s what it comes down to & that’s exactly part of the horror of the game. Of course it’s fantasy & there’s demons & it gets crazy but ultimately - the Graves family feel real because they’re relatable in the darkest ways & THATS good horror. Who hasn’t felt like maybe their parents resent them for being born? Who hasn’t felt like they’re becoming the worst parts of their parents? It’s a horribly sad story about unbreakable cycles of abuse & you just simply cannot analyze it without getting that. (Disclaimer: I have a wonderful family myself but I find stories of messed up families relatable in a human way & just fascinating to delve into).

I’m forever fascinated by characters who never had any chance but to be exactly what they are - who might just be impossible to save because of their actions but they never had any chance to make different choices.

Ashley might not be a good person but what chance did she have to be one? Her mother resented her the moment she realized not all kids are quiet & do as they’re told all the time like Andrew & her brother tried his best but of course he resented her - he was told to always give her whatever she wanted & basically live to raise her because her parents didn’t want to.

I actually liked the essay I was referencing overall & I will share it now (just not from the OP who shared it on Tumblr where I found it lol)

Here it is X. I do like the part especially about how Ashley loves Andrew like a brother, like a friend, & like a parent. That really sums it up, doesn’t it? He is everything to her because she never had anyone else.

Ashley Graves is such a complicated & sad character. She’s so tragic, doomed from the moment she’s born. I can’t for the life of me relate to people who talk about her like she’s a monster, missing the point entirely & like you said talking just like the characters within the game!

Anyway thanks for the ask 🖤

死鬼祭 | Shiki Matsuri

fandom: tokyo revengers

characters: kurokawa izana, kakucho, haitani ran, haitani rindou, madarame shion, kokonoi hajime

pairings: tenjiku x female reader

cw: blood, violence, major character death, supernatural elements, mass murder, angst with happy ending, kinda, she/her pronouns used for reader

tags: @akemiixx01​

—✧ SUMMARY ✧—

The villagers say that you cursed them all. You believe that they were the ones who cursed you. (Or, in which the circumstances of your unfortunate birth woke a forgotten, slumbering god.)

Very vague depictions of the supernatural here, and a few cameos of specific yokai if you can spot them! Title is based off of a song by KODOKULOVE! More characters may be added as the story progresses.

Read on AO3 Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six

CHAPTER 柒 SEVEN (FINAL)

“Welcome back,” Izana said as you settled back into your own body again. “Are you with me?”

You nodded, staring straight ahead.

“Good. How do you feel?”

“Awful,” you replied bluntly. Then, “Was that really me?”

Izana hummed. “Who knows… but I like to think that it was. Some way or another, you came back—and I believe that somehow, I was given the chance to make things right.” When he looked at you, you were transported centuries back to those same amethyst eyes: divine and ethereal in its majesty, but shedding tears like a heartbroken human man.

“It hurt,” you told him honestly. “It hurt more than the day I was bashed over the head and burned with a torch. I should hate you for making me go through that. Yet…” You trailed off. “Yet, I can’t. I can’t hate you because now, I understand.”

The you who grew up with nothing would have never been able to comprehend the pain of losing absolutely everything.

“The Sano household still stands, even to this day,” you said. “But my family’s old home has long since been built over. They erased both you and us from history and replaced it with the legend of a cunning fox, who tried to disguise itself as a human woman so it could kill the village lord. Not even my mother knew the truth, as it died along with me that night.” You met his piercing gaze. “But you knew, didn’t you? You knew the second you saw me and the blood that came out from between my legs. And the guilt of it followed you forever.”

Izana said nothing.

“I’m sorry,” you said. “I’m sorry for deceiving you. I’m sorry for leaving you all alone.” You smiled at him, eyes dry and free from tears. “But I’m here now, so let me help you.”

This time, when Izana smiled back, you found that he had never looked more lovely.

—✧—

The remaining walk to the village did not take very long, and when you both arrived, you could not even be shocked anymore at the sight that awaited you.

It was as if the entire village, from the rooftops to the streets, had been doused with foul, oozing tar. The malevolent spirits clung onto the sides of buildings, adhered themselves to the weary, zombie-like villagers who appeared to have lost all will to live. None even seemed to notice me as I peered out from behind the trees near the village entrance. Farther into the distance, I recognised the looming presence of the painfully familiar Sano household and its demons, sitting at the very top of the sloping hill.

“How unfair,” you said, “that one man’s sin would be enough to doom an entire civilization.”

“Such is the nature of man,” Izana replied, voice carried by the breeze.

Perhaps the long dream had broken something deep inside of you, because when your gaze came to rest on a crumpled heap along the side of an alley, surrounded by bloodied sticks and stones and with a cloud of both flies and demons hovering overhead, you did not even blink. Probably because the body reminded you a bit of yours, all those centuries ago… and you could no longer find within yourself any remaining ounce of sympathy left for the villagers who had shunned you and your bloodline, tortured you throughout your entire life, for a crime you had never even committed.

You did not feel human when you turned to Izana and said with a smile, “Burn them all.”

—✧—

It was the night of a full moon when you and Izana led an army of a hundred yokai to descend upon the village—but the only person the villagers saw was you. As if in a trance, they watched silently as you walked through the center of all the buildings, eyes set straight ahead, ignoring the chattering monsters that began to crawl close behind. When you reached the foot of the hill leading up to the Sano household, you finally turned around.

Behind you, Izana was already waiting, invisible to the eyes of the mortal men. All he had to do was raise one hand—and then, the massacre began.

Screams blended together with the laughter of Izana’s contracted spirits as one-by-one, the houses burst into flame. Wooden rafters creaked and groaned, snapping and smoldering while people desperately scrambled for safety—only to run headfirst into the jaws of the eagerly awaiting yokai, who devoured their souls and left only empty husks behind. The demonic entities that clung to the village were swept up into the chaos, latching onto and attacking both humans and yokai alike—but they were nothing more than fodder for Izana’s army, who quickly consumed them as well.

You caught glimpses of your shrine’s men in the crowd; Ran and Rindou were all too happy to stomp the demons flat, not caring if any humans were in the way. Shion killed any creature who crossed his path, human or demon, occasionally having to be yanked aside before he could attack an ally by accident. Kokonoi mostly stayed on the sidelines, away from the violence, but did not hesitate to crush any victims who strayed too far from the center of the battle. And you watched as Kakucho, whose eyes once swam with guilt and remorse, guarded the village border—catching whoever made it far enough in their attempt to escape and ripping their hearts from their chests. When he raised his head and briefly caught your gaze, you saw that he wore an expression of nothing but cold dedication to his duty.

As buildings and villagers collapsed and burned alike, you stood at the center of it all. Dying people cried out and begged for their lives like you were a god. How ironic, you thought to yourself as they perished like ants beneath a merciless heel; you had once died here, too, like nothing but a wounded animal, without even the chance to plead to your own beloved god for salvation. You wondered, if you could have chosen how you died, which you would pick: burning together with your people, or bleeding out alone in front of an entire village’s scrutiny.

The sudden touch against the back of your hand dragged you from your thoughts and you found yourself blinking up at Izana, who slipped your hand into his. As he interlaced your fingers together, he leaned in and rested his forehead against yours—mirroring the night of your death. You closed your eyes, letting the sounds of destruction fade into the back of your mind as he spoke.

“This is not the end,” he said, his voice a gentle caress. “This is only the beginning. Let this be the day of our rebirth.”

“Our rebirth,” you echoed, and closed the gap between your lips. In that moment, encircled by death and fire, you had never felt happier.

—✧—

The Sano manor was the only building still standing after the rest of the village was reduced to piles of smoldering ash. You stood before it, matchstick in hand, facing the same doors you had once been thrown out of.

“You tried to erase our bloodline,” you told the house, lifting the match into the air. “How funny that instead, mine will be the only one that remains.”

The match sailed through the air, flame dancing to a familiar melody. When the manor began to burn, instead of the crackling of flames, you heard the humming of your mother while she brushed your hair, woven together with the whimsical laughter of your little brother and sister.

You sat and watched until the house was no more, until all that was left of the fire was the curling of smoke into the air. Until you could no longer hear your family’s song.

“Goodbye,” you said, and cried.

—✧—

“Go sit down,” Rindou snapped at you as you tried to help sweep up some of the debris. “You shouldn’t be here anyway! You should be resting back at home.”

“She’s not a doll, Rin Let her do what she wants,” Ran piped up, standing so that he could stretch from where he had been moving rubble off to the side. “Ugh, some of this stuff is getting into my hair…”

You rolled your eyes at the two of them and huffed. “You guys are absolutely useless at cleaning. Especially Ran. That’s why I’m here, because the mess should have been cleared by now so we can actually start rebuilding everything!”

“Oh, come now,” Kokonoi laughed, sticking out his tongue at your bickering. “Why not pay for some more help? Not that I’m offering to spare some of my own money, though.”

“You’re useless too,” you grumbled right back. “I can’t believe you have the audacity to ask us to pay you to help! Why does Izana still keep you around? Also, where the hell did Shion go?”

As if on cue, a bloodcurdling screech erupted from a rubble pile a short distance away, before Shion popped into view with a disgruntled tanuki dangling by the tail from his clenched fist.

“Ever since we destroyed everything, this place has been crawlin’,” Shion said, eyeing the wriggling creature. “Might as well eat some of ‘em, right?”

You dropped your broom. “Shion! Let it go!”

“It’s lively here, but somehow, it seems that even less work is being done,” came Kakucho’s smooth, deep voice from behind you, right as Shion begrudgingly dropped the poor tanuki. It scampered back into the forest.

You sighed. “It’s like wrangling with children. I don’t know how you and Izana manage it.”

Kakucho laughed, and you were once again struck by the raw beauty of his happy face. “Well, when you’ve been together with these guys for hundreds of years, what’s just a few minutes more in comparison?” He patted your shoulder. “Take a break. I know you’re excited to get things finished, but there’s no real rush. There are no people left aside from you now, after all. And, well, except for…”

A loud yell and crash interrupted him mid-sentence, the two of you looking up just in time to see Izana cheerfully kicking Shion into a mountain of splintered wood. Ran and Rindou guffawed while Kokonoi snickered into one of his fluffy tails. Kakucho rolled his eyes and set off to help Shion up, who was now loudly complaining about splinters, leaving you to watch the scene with a little shake of your head—but unable to wipe the affectionate smile from your face. You were still smiling when Izana made his way over to your side.

“You look happy,” he murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear before wrapping his arms around you with a sigh of contentment.

“That’s because I am,” you replied, laughing softly. “I never thought someone like me could ever be happy in this lifetime… but thanks to all of you, I’ve been proven wrong. Even though it took a lot of pain and heartache to get here.” And human sacrifices, your mind added helpfully, though you chose to ignore it.

Izana rested his chin on your shoulder with a pleased hum. “If anyone deserves happiness, it’s you.”

You closed your eyes and smiled. “If you say so. And what about you? Are you happy?”

You felt the curve of his lips against your neck as he responded without hesitation. “Of course I am. And so are the others. We’ve waited centuries to find our happiness again—and now that we found it, we don’t plan on letting you go.”

“I’m… your happiness?” Your words came out in a shaky whisper.

“…Always have been, from the very start.”

The tears of joy rolling down your cheeks became glistening sparkles underneath the warmth of the noontime sun. “Then, don’t. Don’t let me go. Let me stay by your side for the rest of my life—and for the rest of yours.”

“You’ve gotten better with your words since becoming one with me,” Izana said. “Do you feel any different, now that you’ve joined me in becoming a god?”

“Not really,” you said, after some thought. “I feel exactly the same. Who knows, maybe I was actually god all this time! After all, gods are formed from the power of belief, right?”

Izana hummed. “Indeed. This world works in mysterious ways—but that’s the beauty of it, isn’t it?”

“At the very least, I do feel like I’ve been reborn, like you said.” One of your hands found its way atop of Izana’s, where it rested over the slight swell of your stomach. “So I hope that it’s a sign of this village’s eventual rebirth, as well.”

“I’m sure it is,” he replied, closing his eyes. His long eyelashes brushed against your skin in a fluttering kiss. “We’ll rebuild it together, piece by piece.”

—✧—

a/n: Sorry if the ending was rather abrupt kdasjlsl I ACTUALLY HAVE ANOTHER FIC I PLAN ON DROPPING SOON SO I JUST WANTED TO FINISH THIS UP QUICKLY SO I CAN GET TO IT!! also, what do you guys think of an epilogue?and btw, before anyone asks about the logistics of how they're gonna rebuild an entire village with just y/n and the boyz, there are neighbouring villages and travelers who will eventually move in and settle permanently! as for how repopulating the village with humans as a god is gonna work, idk just go with it LMAO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR READING THIS WAS A WILD RIDE AND BY FAR THE LONGEST FIC I HAVE EVER WRITTEN I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT!!! NOW ONTO MY NEXT ONE!!!

Hiya! Hope you're all having a great day!! Do any of you know fics where someone is impersonating azi or crowley and the other one figures it out because they know eachother really well?

Hello and thanks! Here are some fics in which Aziraphale and Crowley figure out the other isn’t who they say they are...

(Probably Something That Shouldn't Be) Said Out Loud by his_infinitevariety (T)

Crowley hasn’t been sleeping well since the world didn’t end, but when he falls asleep on the bookshop sofa he’s not the only one who has to deal with his nightmare.

This Is Not My Aziraphale by Lurlur (T)

“Crowley,” Aziraphale says softly, sitting forward in his armchair and leaning towards Crowley, “I have something rather important to talk to you about.” Here it comes. Crowley drags himself up from his artful sprawl into a mere slouch. Aziraphale appears encouraged judging by his smile. “Well,” Aziraphale continues, his hands on his knees and still managing to tremble. Crowley wishes he hadn’t noticed that. “It has come to my attention- no, no, that’s not how it is. Crowley, these past years have been- bother! I practised this and now I can’t find any of the words I wanted!

“I love you, Crowley."

And it only gets worse from there

Shadowed Life by fractalgeometry (T)

Heaven is most displeased with their erring Earth agent, Aziraphale. His little act with the Hellfire was all well and good, but after the flames died down, the archangels had to wonder just how he'd done it. It's not the sort of skill one likes to leave with only Aziraphale. They have to find out how he did it. The only problem is that there's no way he'll tell them. He won't tell anyone.

Except, perhaps...one particular demon.

Wednesday by Raphaela_Crowley (T)

After a bizarre confrontation with Hastur and one really bad cup of tea, Crowley finds himself in an alternate universe wherein he's back to being the archangel Raphael, there's no Arrangement, and Aziraphale is actively trying to discorporate him.

The worst part?

Every time Aziraphale succeeds in offing him, and "Raphael" is returned to earth with a new body, the day resets. It's always the same doomed Wednesday, over and over and over again.

Getting into this time-loop was an accident; getting out and back home again (if Crowley ever manages it) will have to be something entirely else.

Face Value by EdosianOrchids901 (E)

After two years, Gabriel takes revenge on the traitors who stopped the Apocalypse. His plan: to disguise himself as Aziraphale, hurt Crowley, and make sure that Crowley never trusts his angel again.

Can Crowley and Aziraphale deal with Gabriel and work through the trauma together, or will this drive them apart forever?

Mind the tags and warnings on that last one!

i can’t believe i managed to write a fic. feels like forever. anyway, if you remember my cracky excerpt from sleep-med drugged escapades, this is the finished product

The Martyrdom of Adrien Agreste

summary: In which Marinette is in trouble, and Adrien chooses to make a very stupid noble sacrifice. 

(read on ao3)

-

Whoever said time slows down when facing a life and death situation were idiots. Time doesn’t slow down. It speeds up, up, up, and then Boom! You’re on the spaceship of doom, probably strapped in with people you don’t like, and zooming off to the Land of AKLHDAHGFHAHVAJ. (Translation: a lot of distress.)

So, yes, time did not slow for Adrien. The moment he saw a girl from class 2 approach Marinette and Alya with a container of red velvet cupcakes, he shoved his bag into Nathaniel’s bewildered arms, leaped over a bench, and sprinted over to the group faster than Kim’s attempts to outrun a panther. There was no time to think. No time to do anything except run, run, run.  

“I hope you enjoy them,” the girl said with a nervous smile as she gave Alya and Marinette a cupcake.

Adrien’s heart tattooed an erratic beat against his ribs. His gaze zeroed on the cupcake that now rested so innocently on Marinette’s hand, even as he urged his legs to move faster. Target locked. All he had to do was close the last bit of distance and—

“Yes!” he yelled, snatching the cupcake out of her hand just as she was about to take a bite. Then he crammed the cupcake into his mouth, making his cheeks balloon like a hamster saving snacks for later.

Alya gaped at him. “What the heck, Adrien?”

Marinette simply blinked, one hand still raised near her mouth. It was like watching a person buffering in real time. No Marinette reactions can be streamed at this time. Wifi Sucks. Wait five more seconds.

Or at least that was the thought that drifted through his mind before his mouth was plunged into the burning flames of hell. Consuming. Choking. Little demons stabbed his tastebuds with searing hot pitchforks and poured fire down his throat. His eyes stung. His brain sizzled into a malfunctioning scream of HOT, HOT, HOT!

Damn it, Chloé. This was all her doing. By chance, he’d overheard her big revenge plan to feed chilli paste filled cupcakes to Marinette and Alya. It had been his intention to warn them in advance, but time, as has been established, was not on Adrien’s side. So here he was, eating a chilli paste monstrosity like a seagull gulping down an abandoned chip, determined not to let those pesky pigeons steal his prize. Except, you know, his prize was more like a torture punishment worthy of a Greek tragedy.

But Adrien couldn’t regret his choice. This was all in the name of protecting a friend. He would be the sacrifice, the one to take on the mantle of suffering, so that Marinette could be saved from—

“Wait,” Alya said, scrunching her nose. “Are you crying?”

Marinette immediately stopped buffering. She lurched forward, her hands hovering about him like some weird Jazz Hands interpretation of concern. “Adrien! What’s wrong?”

He coughed for answer. It seemed he was not strong enough to withstand cupcake hell. Fat tears rolled down his cheeks, exposing his no-spice tolerance white boy weakness. But he still managed to swallow the cupcake.

“I’m sorry!” Nervous Girl exclaimed. “Chloé made me do it!”

She scuttled away like a frightened crab.

“Chloé?” Alya said, raising her eyebrows.

“The cupcakes,” Adrien wheezed. “She had them filled with chilli paste.”

Marinette’s eyebrows snapped together. She clenched her fists, her jaw tightening with all the grit of a knight about to go duel-slap a loathed one into battle. It was kinda hot, if he did say so himself. Uh, respectfully hot. Yes. Because friends can find their friends hot. It’s a natural thing. Eyes are there to notice hotness. So yes, he appreciated the feisty sparkle in Marinette’s eyes and the way she looked as if she could stomp even the biggest akuma into submission under her pink ballet flat. It was hot. He was allowed to think of her as hot.

Anyway. His mouth was still burning.

Adrien fanned his tongue, and probably looked ridiculous with tears streaming down his face. “Sorry. I really need water.”

He turned to leave, but Marinette caught his arm.

“Wait,” she said. “Have this.” She handed him her bottle of strawberry milk. “This’ll work better than water.”

“Thanks.”

She smiled. “It’s the least I can do. You saved me from having to eat that cupcake.”

He inwardly preened as he drank the strawberry milk. Yes, he had been a good friend today. Ten points to him.

“Yeah,” Alya said, tossing her cupcake in the bin. “About that. If you knew the cupcakes were filled with chilli paste, why’d you eat it? You could have just told us not to eat them.”

Adrien choked mid-swallow and spat out a spray of strawberry milk. He coughed and coughed, bits of milk trickling out of his nose just to add icing to his shame. This was quite possibly the most humiliating moment of his life. (Even worse than that time Nathalie had caught him hugging and talking to his Ladybug body pillow.) Because Alya was right. There had been no need for him to eat the cupcake. No need to have stolen the cupcake either.

He wasn’t a noble martyr trying to save a friend. He was just an idiot.

“Oh no!” Marinette said, and suddenly she was wiping the milk off his face with a wad of tissues.

Adrien froze. Now he was the one trapped in buffering mode. A wax statue could not have been more still. (And he should know, as he’d once pretended to be one. Of course, then Marinette had said some pretty random things, stolen a strand of his hair, and kissed him, and—)

Pink bloomed on his cheeks in rosy blossoms of warmth. Right. They’d kissed once, albeit the most lightning swift of pecks. Also, she was now patting down his shirt.

He cleared his throat. “Uh, Marinette?”

She jumped. Her gaze darted from his face to her hand, which was touching his chest. Red slapped onto her cheeks.

“Sorry!” she said, leaping back from him like a startled cat. “I midn’t deen to—I mean didn’t mean to do that! I just—it’s just you got milk all over you, and I was the one who gave you the bottle, and your shirt looks expensive, and I knew I had tissues in my purse. But I guess it was weird of me to clean it myself, right?” She laughed loudly. “I mean it’s not like you have no hands. Not that it would be bad if you had no hands! I’m not saying that! I just—”

“Girl, I think he gets the point,” Alya said, much to Adrien’s relief. He hadn’t known how to stop the bullet-rapid flow of words.

“Anyway, I’m sorry!” Marinette said, and shoved the soggy tissues into his hands. “I won’t do it again!”

“It’s fine. I didn’t mind it since it’s you.” His eyes widened. “I mean because you’re my friend!”

“Right. Of course.”

They both gave strained smiles, which was better than continuing to converse their way into deeper holes of awkwardness. Glad she was in agreement with him. Now if only he could stop blushing. He didn’t like the smile that Alya was wearing either. It reminded him of the way Nino looked when watching his favourite comedy show.

“You know,” Alya said, sidling closer and nudging him with her elbow. “You didn’t answer my question. Why’d you eat the cupcake when you knew it was going to be gross?”

Dang it. He thought they’d moved on from this.

He tugged at his collar, his face so warm that he was sure he looked sunburnt. “Um. I guess I panicked.”

Alya snorted. “Seems like it. The way you came running over so valiantly and snatched it right out of her hands. You must have been really, really worried.”

“Well, uh—”

“Funny you only went for Marinette’s cupcake, though. Don’t tell me you were just going to let me eat mine.”

His blush spread to the tips of his ears, and he once more tugged at his collar. Truth be told, he had indeed only been thinking about Marinette in that moment. Alya might as well have been part of the background.

Wow. Now that he thought about it, that was pretty awful. Maybe he wasn’t such a good friend. Minus five points to him.

Alya shook her head, pursing her lips. “I see how it is. Thanks, Adrien. Nice to see how much our friendship means to you.”

“No! I didn’t mean it like that! It’s just—”

“I’m kidding,” she said with a laugh. “Marinette is just extra special to you, right?”

Marinette let out a squeak. Adrien, on the other hand, was just thankful he wasn’t drinking strawberry milk, as he was pretty sure it would have come shooting out of his nose again. Trust Alya to hit him with a curve ball. Not that Alya was wrong. Marinette was a special friend to him, but for some reason he couldn’t say the words aloud now. Not with Marinette standing right there. Just the thought made his heart beat extra fast.

He cleared his throat. “Um—”

“Oh, look at the time!” Marinette said, glancing at her wrist (even though there was no watch). “We’d better hurry, Alya! Thanks for saving us from the cupcakes, Adrien!”

Then she whisked Alya away like a pink and black whirlwind, despite Alya’s protests. He couldn’t say whether he was relieved or not that he’d been spared giving an answer. All he knew was that he had been given a lot to think about. (Also, that red velvet cupcakes should never be filled with super spicy chilli paste.)

Till the End of the Moon - Episode 35

So last episode everything turned sour and Dimian added oil to the fire by revealing that Cang Jiumin is the demon god fetus. I think we are all dying to know what is going to happen next so let’s not waste anymore time.

Zhaoyou is still helping Cang Jiuming to remain himself. He gets yelled at by Chen leader for protecting him still and suggests that if not him, then the one who hurt all those people is Li Susu. To protect Susu and her secret of having sealed the evil bone inside of her, since he was already doomed to a life of suffering, he admits to it. He says he thought he could control himself and chose his own destiny, but it turned out that he overestimated himself. So he asks them to kill him. Chen leader is ready to do so, but Dimian stops him because if they do without removing the weapon and the evil bone to seal them away, it will cause the demon god to actually come back by boosting the energy of the evil bone. The three sect leaders unite to extract the weapon from Cang Jiumin’s body.

Susu’s awaken by the voice of her mother. She needs to ward off demon energy. She’s shown what’s happening and that Cang Jiumin’s identity has been exposed. She gets a red phœnix feather. She rushes to stop them from trying to extract the evil bone from his body. She angers a few by protecting him. She tells them about him being the king og Jing country Tantai Jin and assures them that he can’t become the demon god. She reveals, even though he tells her not to, that she extracted the evil bone from his body herself. She asks to use an artifact from Chen’s sect to show her memories and prove that what she said is true. She says that she destroyed the evil bone with the lighting punishment. They check that he indeed doesn’t have the evil bone inside of him anymore. Chen leader still wants him dead for the death of his son, but Susu reveals that he was killed by Siying and that Cang Jiumin forced himself to use the demonic weapon to rescue the civilians. Qu leader offers to have Cang Jiumin under house arrest.

Dimian, nor Siying and Jingmie (who are spying) believes that the evil bone was destroyed. Zhaoyou and Susu’s father ask Dimian how to seal away the demonic weapons and entrust the crossbow to angry Chixiao leader who wants to use it to avenge his son.

Cang Jiumin asks Susu about the evil bone. He’s afraid for her, but she reassures him that she won’t be contaminated because she’s a pure spirit body. She promises to remain alive as long as possible and that there’s plenty of spiritual energy here for them to face any situation together. He thanks her for taking care of him. And kisses her forehead after putting her back to sleep and rest. So does that mean that they are getting back together?

Gongye Jiwu is tormented by what he saw in Susu’s memory, so Susu’s father tells him about his origins and how he came into life. He goes to see Monü. When she sees him, she rushes to him with teary. eyes and asks him to stay with her.

Dimian tells the two other leaders that he’s worried that sealing the weapons won’t be enough. So they come up with the idea of guarding it with a barrier. They want to use the dragon scale, it was brought back by Buxu. But I wonder how he got it since it was given to Tantai Jin. Anyways, they say it’s broken and needs to be mended. It’s probably broken from protecting Tantai Jin from the last three nails. Susu asks that they let Jiumin repair it because he has a deep connection to that artifact. So they entrust him with the task. Doing so, he realizes that he shouldn’t be afraid of who he is. They entrust the scale with him. Then they ask him wether the evil bone is under Susu’s care. They guessed that he was trying to protect her by admitting things he didn’t do. Then they ask him if he’s willing to stay with her forever. Of course the answer is yes, even more than ever. Seems like they’re back together. I’m not so sure why all of a sudden she doesn’t want to avoid him anymore to practice the heartless way. Anyways, she puts a mark on him while they kiss.

It would have been a beautiful ending, because she hides the scars of the nails on his chest, but unfortunately we still have Jingmie, Siying and Monü to deal with. I’m glad though that poor Cang Jiumin finally has a little bit of happiness. That was a very nice episode for the feels. But it probably means a lot of aching incoming, especially now that we are nearing the end.

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare My rating: 3 of 5 stars I want to start this review by saying that strengthening beef tea sounds AWFUL. This is an incredibly scatterbrained review; I’m sorry. I took random notes as I read, and it’s going to make not a lick of sense but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I have some questions about werewolves in this universe. So they believe lycanthropy is some demon disease or something, and you must be bitten to become a werewolf. But it also seems like they can control their shifts and do half changes after some time. So here’s my question. What happens if a werewolf is half shifted and bites someone or claws someone like Woolsey clawed Will? Can that person get infected? Or can they only be infected on a full moon or when the werewolf is entirely shifted? Also, can werewolves have werewolf babies???? It is quite possible that this was answered back in City of Bones, but that was like six books ago. Sorry but I love that Isabelle’s demon-sensing ruby pendant was passed down through the family as a gift from Magnus to Will. And now he’s dating Alec. That’s one of the reasons I enjoy this whole universe. I think it’s cool to see how things interconnect, but I wish I would’ve kept up to date on this when I first read it because there are so MANY of them. It’s like watching the Arrowverse shows in chronological order, which is something I have done—twice. Why, you ask? Because I like to torture myself. Don’t even ask me how many times I’ve watched the MCU chronologically. OH, TESSA, YESSSSS. “I have come to realize something about novels. That they are not true.” You have no idea how much joy this brings me because it annoyed the living shit out of me when Tessa would correct people based on what she’d read out of fictional novels. I am so proud of you, girl. You’ve come so far. Woolsey Scott can get run over repeatedly by a horse-drawn carriage, that is all. He doesn’t understand the point of women…PAH. You would not exist without women, you ugly little troll. Tessa can correct him all day long; I’m not even a little bit mad about it. I’d do it too. She also ended his whole life with the sickest burn ever. I like Tessa way more in this book. MELIORN, NAME DROPPP ISABELLE. YOUR FAERIE BF WAS OLD AF GROSS. Ugh, Tessa gets kidnapped by Mrs Dark, who cannot stay dead. Forever mad about how Jessamine’s character was handled. I feel like she was just thrown to the dust and killed for no reason. The fact that she returns with her hair shorn and all weak and immediately dies is so sad. And then she becomes a ghost doomed to haunt the Institute she hated forever. Also, the fact that Will gave her the Shadowhunter farewell when she was so against being a Shadowhunter. Like I know she betrayed everyone, but I feel for her. Idk. My confusion about the mechanics of the iratze continues. It could not entirely heal Gideon’s injured leg—it’s not clear exactly how it’s injured, but it was able to heal Jace’s broken arm completely?? HUH? Also, are blood replacement runes dangerous or not? They’re mentioned as dangerous when they’re thinking of giving them to Jem, but Gideon has two of them for his injured leg? I feel like the relationship between Mortmain and Will’s family was super underutilized. Cecily barely mentions it and only brings it up when it’s prudent to the plot—when she’s telling Will he’s in Cadair Idris. I want to know precisely how Will’s family connected with Mortmain. Were they old pals? Did his dad have afternoon tea with Mortmain? Did Cecily like him? Did their mom? Gideon is a himbo. He’s an awkward little himbo, and I ship and Sophie so hard. LOL, forever that the Lake Llyn in Idris is called Lake Lake The Consul randomly shifting into this sexist shit heel is super weird and incredibly frustrating to read. I can’t remember if he dies in this book, but I sincerely hope he does. Like the fact that he won’t listen to anything, Charlotte has to say, because why? Is it just because she’s a woman who’s better at things than him? This book is supposed to be third-person limited, but sometimes I think CC forgets and tells us things that the POV shouldn’t know. Like Charlotte’s POV, somehow knowing that Sophie would have smiled if her ‘heart hadn’t been pounding with the knowledge that she might have done something dreadful’ but also like this is Charlotte’s POV, so how did she know that? There are a few more instances like this towards the end, which throws me off. Sorry, this bothers me. So Jessamine told us in CP that Tessa’s parents were a shadow hunter and a demon. Okay, we don’t know the specifics, but we know this as fact. Then when Tessa finds out her father was a demon, she’s super shocked. And when Aloysius conveniently overcomes his senile mind to tell Charlotte all the missing answers, she’s shocked that Tessa’s mom was a Shadowhunter rather than Tessa being distantly related to Aloysius. Like Charlotte, you already know that Tessa’s mom is a Shadowhunter! That’s why she doesn’t have a warlock mark, my god. These people are idiots. And then Tessa acts shocked AGAIN when Mortmain tells her. Like why can no one put things together lmao? Like when Hyacinth tells Tessa the story about changelings and then shortly after Jessamine tells her what her parents were, I immediately figured it out. All the pieces were there, dammit. Like Tessa, stop being shocked that you’re half demonnnnn. You’ve known it for three books. Be more upset that a demon raped your mother! Also, why does she show no shock at the fact that she can bear children? She acted so slighted when Will made that jab at her. What is this trend of Tessa listing things she knows about people? Like girl, why are you like this? Damn, Ithuriel has had a horrible life. First imprisoned in Tessa’s clockwork Angel and then imprisoned by valentine. Poor guy. Oooh! Okay, Mortmain says Tessa can do magic, but like, WHERE?! DO SOME MAGIC, TESSA. Like dammit, I wish she had been learning to do magic from Magnus while learning how to fight. Imagine how cool she would’ve been at the end of this. I’m angry. Also, Mortmain made Tessa specifically so she could bear his babies like GROSSSSS FOREVER. Also, forever curious about Tessa’s kids now. If they have both shadow hunter blood and her warlock blood….can their kids do magic? Can they shapeshift? Can they bear runes? I have so many questions. Hi, question. How does Tessa know that Charlotte wept over Jessamine’s death when she wasn’t even there to see Jessamine die??? So Will finds Tessa, and they cry over Jem and then bone immediately afterwards. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Also, I imagine that when the Silent Brother saves Cecily and it’s revealed to be Jem, he was like

God, Tessa gets kidnapped AGAIN. Ugly tears at Will and Jem’s reunion. JUST KISS YOU TWO. CC really does have a habit of repeating themes in books. Aloysius, Tessa’s last remaining relative, gets killed before she finds out the truth about herself. Imogen, Jace’s last remaining relative, gets killed before he finds out the truth about herself. Also, how she killed the Inquisitor in TMI disappointed me just as much as Consul Wayland was killed in this book. I wanted him to survive so he could see Charlotte was right and have to be all bitter and resentful as she replaced him as Consul. Instead, he gets his head chopped off in the middle of his misogynistic rant. I was so underwhelmed. The villain was once again turned into jelly because an Angel killed him…. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ “How could I say farewell to you?” *sobs forever* Am I wrong for thinking that Jem and Will are in love? I’m sorry, I ship them far more than anyone else in this series. THIS IS SUCH A GOOD LINE, MAN. Did Charlotte mean to change Sophie’s name to Sophia randomly? Okay, so I will admit I 100% teared up at Jem’s goodbyes to Tessa and Will, and I teared up at Will’s death. She got me in the feels there, and I don’t even like Will that much. So kudos to you there, Cassandra. Now, here’s what I’ve got to say about the ending. What is CC’s aversion to killing off people? Like she killed Max off, yes, I know, but like he was barely a character in the books. Is it like she doesn’t want to kill off any of her mains or something? Like some throwaway Silent Brothers die in the final battle. Aloysius dies, but like that, was mimicking a previous plot in her last trilogy. The Consul dies, but again it is much like the Inquisitor’s death in the City of Glass. None of the mains die or even get hurt save for Henry, but honestly, it’s probably better for him anyway because now no one can ever ask him to leave his lab. I bet he’s pumped about all the potential inventing he can get done uninterrupted. And also, everyone gets paired off in like a perfect little happy bubble. Cecily and Gabriel get married. Sophie becomes a Shadowhunter and marries Gideon. Charlotte and Henry have a baby, and she gets to be Consul and stay in the Institute. Tessa gets to marry Will, the guy she wanted the most (don’t argue, it’s true), while Jem lives forever as a Silent Brother, then gets a Deus ex machina cure in the next trilogy, and now he and Tessa get to live happily ever after. Like….I’m surprised Brigette and Cyrus didn’t also get married. Some of my favorite lines in the book, aka the lines that are CC trying way too hard to sound old-timesy. * “But…we quarreled!” * “Is it not I.” * SHE SMILED INTO HIS EYES????!?!?!?!? View all my reviews

So,

Shuswap Joe had never seen anything like it.

As Blair continued to commandeer their raft towards the slavering chaos of Hell’s Gate, the waters of the Thompson thrashing around their raft, Joe stood gaping in terror at what lay before them. Underneath his feet the lashed-together logs were beginning to buck and tremble, individual strands of twine snapping like guitar strings. It wasn’t going to hold together much longer, but that didn’t matter — the river was going to eat them either way.

“I think you’re going to have to swim to shore,” Blair said. “I’ll distract them while you get away, but you have to jump off now.”

Joe turned to face her, hearing what she wasn’t saying just as loudly as what she was saying. The look on her face was almost demonic, and suddenly he understood what was happening. This had been a suicide mission all along, and she didn’t want him along for the ride. He opened his mouth to reply over the screaming current, but right then a bullet sliced through his hat and sent it tumbling into the water. The bullet had grazed his scalp, and hot blood burbled down his forehead to mix with the river water.

“I can’t let you do this,” he yelled, holding one hand to the wound. “What about the kids?”

“A mother who isn’t willing to die for her children isn’t a mother at all. These men need to be stopped, Joe. Men like these can’t be allowed to go around killing people over hooch. You swim to shore now, and you tell my babies that I died to make their world a better place.”

Against his own volition, tears flooded into Joe’s eyes. He looked past Blair at the pursuing canoe, then back at Blair’s weather-beaten face. They only had a few minutes before they’d reach the rapid and he had to make his decision fast. Why was the world so full of pain? Why was everyone he loved doomed to die before his very eyes? He thought of what Tom told him, about how this was a different type of war than the one Canadians had just finished fighting in Europe. And every war requires a particular kind of hero. He locked eyes with Blair, fear banging away in his chest, and they nodded in understanding.

When he first hit the water with a clumsy dive, the freezing temperature struck him like a fist to the throat. He gasped and cried out as waves tumbled and surged over his head, struggling to breath. This wasn’t like swimming on the Adams River. This was more like a bar fight with a supernatural entity, like God was knocking him around a boxing ring for fun. Blair’s raft was already a stretch away, and for a flash he watched as the canoe swept past him. He was free and safe, as long as he could make it to the shore.

Looking back on what happened years later, he would wonder how exactly he found the suicidal courage to do what he did next — quickly grabbing ahold of a slimy boulder, he hurled himself on to the beach and began sprinting after the pair of water crafts even as gunshots continued to ring through the afternoon calm. He felt a blast of sunshine on his shoulders as he danced through the jagged rocks along the shoreline, trying desperately to catch up to Blair and the murderous henchmen. Could he make it in time?

Railway workers were gaping at the scene from far overhead, shouting down warnings at the boats. He had less than one minute to reach Hell’s Gate before he lost his new mother forever, and he couldn’t let that happen. Summoning up a bear-like savagery he bounded along in his sopping boots, ripping off his plaid shirt and pawing along on all fours. He was no longer capable of conscious thought — his entire attention was focused on the life and death mission at hand. And then, as if placed there by some benevolent deity, he spotted a knobby tree trunk jutting out over the water like a helping hand. It was wedged between two rocks in the current and hung about ten feet over the waves.

“Blair!” Joe yelled. “Blair, I’m coming!”

His Squilax matriarch swivelled her head towards him, and for a moment he thought she was going to ignore him. But then he motioned at the incoming log and she understood without saying anything what would happen next. While she maneuvered the raft in his direction, he clambered out on to the log and laid on his stomach, reaching down to save her.

As she approached, Blair threw down her paddle and kneeled on the raft. Joe didn’t understand what she was doing until she came up with a fist of twine, effectively detaching the logs from one another. The four logs broke apart in all directions, until she was balancing on a single log. She was as graceful as a cat, stepping back and forth as it rolled beneath her feet. Another gunshot rang out, but came nowhere near her.

It came down to a matter of seconds. She had to leap at precisely the right moment or she would be sucked down to her death. Blair was a small woman, scarcely five feet tall, but she jumped with the ferocity of a fleeing doe. Her fingers intertwined with Joe’s and he reached his other hand to grab her wrist, the trunk groaning underneath him. She dangled there kicking as the canoe swept past, the men realizing too late their fatal error. Blair and Joe watched as it disappeared into the waves, the men splashing into the rapid and never resurfacing. It was over.

“Don’t worry, Blair,” he said. “I’ve got you now.”

The Literary Goon

𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬  𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑴𝑷𝑻𝑺.

↬   THE  LANGUAGE  OF  THORNS,  midnight  tales  and  dangerous  magic.   (  2017  )  by  leigh  bardugo.

sentences  taken  from  or  inspired  by  the  collection’s  dialogue  &  narration.

+   feel  free  to  change  pronouns  !

i.    AYAMA  AND  THE  THORN  WOOD.

‘  love  speaks  in  flowers.  truth  requires  thorns.  ’

‘  we  all  know  the  story  of  how  the  queen  becomes  a  queen.  ’

‘  we  should  leave  this  place.  ’

‘  no  doubt  it  will  come  and  devour  us  all.  ’

‘  the  beast  will  laugh  you  right  out  of  the  wild  lands.  ’

‘  you  know  how  the  stories  go.  interesting  things  happen  only  to  pretty  girls.  ’

‘  is  the  wood  much  worse  than  a  garden  overgrown  with  pricklers  ?  ’

‘  stupid  girl  !  do  you  wish  to  become  a  monster  ?  ’

‘  strike  me.  cleave  me  in  two.  ’

‘  you’re  as  thorny  as  the  wood.  ’  

‘  there  is  but  one  rule  in  my  wood.  speak  truth.  ’

‘  perhaps  you  might  show  mercy  freely.  ’

‘  just  eat  a  bit  of  the  sun  to  fill  the  sky,  and  you  will  feel  empty  no  longer.  ’

‘  what  nonsense  !  of  course  that’s  not  how  the  story  ends.  ’

‘  some  people  are  born  with  a  piece  of  night  inside,  and  that  hollow  place  can  never  be  filled.  ’

‘  what  do  i  care  for  winter  ?  no  season  touches  this  wood.  ’

‘  you  know  the  only  bargain  i  will  make.  ’

‘  sometimes  the  unseen  is  not  to  be  feared  and  those  that  are  meant  to  love  us  most  are  not  always  the  ones  that  do.  ’

‘  bad  fates  do  not  always  follow  those  that  deserve  them.  ’

‘  no  prince  is  worth  your  life.  ’

‘  are  you  so  eager  to  be  eaten  ?  ’

‘  they  have  told  me  to  return  with  your  heart.  ’

‘  you  think  to  love  a  monster  ?  ’

‘  a  man  like  you  is  owed  no  words.  ’

ii.    THE  TOO  CLEVER  FOX.

‘  you  are  doomed  to  a  miserable  life.  ’

‘  better  to  be  hungry  now  than  to  be  sorry  later.  ’

‘  what  will  everyone  say  when  they  see  such  a  face  ?  ’

‘  we  have  not  gone  so  soft  as  that.  ’

‘  you  think  that  we  will  let  you  live  on  foolish  promises  ?  ’

‘  you  have  bested  me.  that  much  is  clear.  ’

‘  will  you  not  free  me  ?  ’

‘  you  will  have  a  fine  time  of  it,  i  can  tell  you.  ’

‘  i  can  bear  ugliness.  i  find  the  one  thing  i  cannot  live  with  is  death.  ’

‘  if  you  will  only  cease  your  talking,  i  will  gladly  go.  ’

‘  where  he  went,  he  bled  the  woods  dry.  ’

‘  what’s  a  bit  more  blood  ?  ’

‘  you  should  leave  this  place.  you  are  not  safe  here.  ’

‘  with  such  big  eyes,  i  think  you  see  too  much.  ’

‘  will  you  not  tell  me  what  troubles  you  ?  ’

‘  why  do  you  stay  with  him  ?  you’re  pretty  enough  to  catch  a  husband.  ’

‘  just  because  you  escape  one  trap,  doesn’t  mean  you  will  escape  the  next.  ’

‘  first  i  must  find  my  courage.  ’

‘  few  can  resist  the  sight  of  a  pretty  girl  crying.  ’

‘  the  trap  is  loneliness,  and  no  one  escapes  it.  not  even  me.  ’

‘  in  the  wood,  even  songbirds  must  be  survivors.  ’

iii.    THE  WITCH  OF  DUVA.

‘  there  was  a  time  when  the  wood  ate  girls.  ’

‘  be  back  before  dark.  the  trees  are  hungry  tonight.  ’

‘  who  can  say  what  shapes  an  appetite  ?  ’

‘  this  is  my  home,  you  can’t  just  send  me  away.  ’ 

‘  don’t  be  foolish.  there’s  plenty  of  light.  ’

‘  well  then,  come  help  me  stir  the  pot.  ’

‘  i  will  warn  you  just  this  once.  go.  ’ 

‘  you  cannot  come  and  go  from  this  place  like  you’re  fetching  water  from  a  well.  ’  

‘  hope  made  me  stubborn.  ’

‘  stay  there  and  keep  quiet.  i  don’t  need  rumors  that  i’ve  been  taking  girls.  ’

‘  i  will  not  have  you  bring  a  monster  to  my  door.  ’

‘  you  know  that  you  are  welcome  to  remain  here  with  me.  ’

‘  i  will  follow  her.  i  will  peck  out  her  eyes.  ’

‘  believe  me.  say  you  believe  me.  ’

‘  dark  things  have  a  way  of  slipping  through  narrow  spaces.  ’

iv.    LITTLE  KNIFE.

‘  it  is  dangerous  to  travel  the  northern  road  with  a  troubled  heart.  ’

‘  if  you  are  lost  in  your  own  thoughts,  you  may  find  yourself  stepping  off  the  path  and  into  the  dark  woods.  ’

‘  she  was  beautiful  from  the  moment  of  her  birth.  ’

‘  why  must  i  be  the  one  to  hide  ?  ’

‘  do  you  think  i  am  so  foolish  or  so  cruel  ?  ’

‘  water  only  wants  direction.  it  wants  to  be  told  what  to  do.  ’

‘  always  you  have  done  my  bidding,  but  what  good  are  you  to  me  now  ?  ’

‘  soon  i  will  be  very  rich,  but  will  i  have  a  good  man  ?  ’

‘  that  is  a  question  for  the  river.  ’

‘  your  tongue  is  not  fit  for  my  true  name.  ’

‘  will  you  come  with  me,  and  be  bride  to  nothing  but  the  shore  ?  ’

‘  she  was  terrifying  in  her  beauty,  bright  like  a  devouring  star.  ’

‘  remember  that  to  use  a  thing  is  not  to  own  it.  ’

‘  should  you  ever  take  a  bride,  listen  closely  to  her  questions.  ’

v.    THE  SOLDIER  PRINCE.

‘  this  is  the  problem  with  even  lesser  demons.  they  come  to  your  door  in  velvet  coats  and  polished  shoes.  ’

‘  you  will  find  great  love  and  more  gold  than  you  could  wish  for.  ’

‘  he’s  a  charming  fellow,  but  most  unusual,  and  peculiarities  seem  to  follow  him.  ’  

’  it  seemed  harmless  at  the  time.  ’

‘  he  needed  a  girl,  still  malleable,  one  that  he  could  make  admire  him.  ’

‘  this  is  pleasant.  this  is  enough.  ’

‘  are  you  my  soldier  ?  are  you  my  prince  ?  ’

‘  i  have  not  come  to  fight,  only  to  talk.  ’

‘  wanting  is  why  people  get  up  in  the  morning.  it  gives  them  something  to  dream  of  at  night.  ’

‘  i  am  perfectly  real.  ’

‘  she  loves  you,  though,  and  that  will  make  it  harder.  ’

‘  best  not  to  ask.  i  think  the  answer  would  please  no  one.  ’

‘  we  can  stay  forever  in  the  land  of  dreams.  ’

‘  kiss  me.  take  me  from  this  place.  ’

‘  i  sent  you  to  die  a  hundred  times.  ’

‘  i  eat  the  wonder  in  their  eyes.  ’

‘  you  were  an  idea  in  my  head.  you  were  nothing,  and  to  nothing  you  will  return  when  i  think  of  you  no  more.  ’

‘  you  wanted  only  that  i  might  live.  you  would  sacrifice  your  own  life  to  make  it  so.  ’

‘  are  you  my  darling  ?  are  you  mine  ?  ’

vi.    WHEN  WATER  SANG  FIRE.

‘  you  wish  to  strike  a  bargain.  ’

‘  make  me  someone  new.  ’

‘  this  is  the  problem  with  making  a  thing  forbidden.  it  does  nothing  but  build  an  ache  in  the  heart.  ’

‘  easy  magic  is  pretty.  great  magic  requires  that  you  trouble  the  waters.  ’

‘  no  one  expects  me  to  accomplish  anything.  ’

‘  i  can  smell  your  ambition  like  blood  in  the  water.’  

‘  i  know  that  you  should  keep  it  like  a  secret,  not  shout  it  like  a  curse.  ’

‘  yes.  i  can  imagine  it  all.  ’

‘  you  are  worth  more  than  that.  you  should  not  have  to  earn  him.  ’

‘  hope  rises  like  water  trapped  beneath  a  dam,  higher  and  higher,  in  increments  that  mean  nothing  until  you  face  the  flood.  ’

‘  there  is  no  pain  like  the  pain  of  transformation.  ’

‘  take  your  pleasures  as  you  will.  ’

‘  come,  and  i’ll  tell  you  all  you  wish  to  know.  ’

‘  he  made  me  dream  of  things  i  cannot  have.  ’

‘  i  do  not  care  for  dancing.  ’

‘  look  into  the  mirror,  and  try  to  deny  it.  ’

‘  you  have  never  been  like  the  others,  and  you  never  will  be.  ’

‘  we  were  not  made  to  please  princes.  ’

‘  i  am  not  quite  mortal  either,  and  i  have  many  lives  to  live.  ’

‘  i  wouldn’t  care  if  you  were  part  human  or  part  frog.  ’

‘  my  voice  is  not  enough.  ’

‘  you  know  i  was  never  strong.  ’

Damned Part 1

Next

content: demon carewhumper (caretaker/whumper combo), reluctant whumper, implied future pet whump, torture / past torture, itching

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Whumpee's eyes cracked open at the appearance of the demon. A new one. He felt a vague sense of relief at the fact that he'd been reassigned yet again. The last one had been especially fond of burns, one of the worst tormenters he'd had so far in his eternal damnation. Top three for sure.

This new one could always be worse, though. And even if they weren't, they were still going to hurt him. He looked up fearfully, awaiting the inevitable. More pain. Always more pain.

"Heya. I'd say nice to meet you, but I'm sure the pleasure's all mine." The demon cracked their knuckles. "Alright, let's see what we're working with." With a flick of their wrist, what appeared to be an indecipherable block of symbols appeared in front of them. Whumpee had seen it a couple times, and from context determined it must essentially be his "file". Only a couple of demons assigned to him had bothered to even glance at it.

The demon frowned. Whumpee shivered in fear, that couldn't be good.

"This can't be right." the demon muttered. They swiped at the symbols and they changed into to different ones. The demon's eyebrows shot up. "Three appeal denials? What the hell is going on here?"

The demon stopped muttering to themself and turned to Whumpee. He flinched under their scrutinizing gaze.

"You shouldn't be here." they said matter-of-factly.

"I'm... sorry?" Whumpee replied. He was no stranger to the words, often screaming them while begging for mercy, but he wasn't even sure what he was apologizing for.

"No, it's not your fault. Ha, never thought I'd say that to a damned soul." They laughed like they'd said something incredibly funny. "You killed one guy, in self defense. You shouldn't be down here. I'm submitting a motion to have your damnation appealed."

Whumpee could cry. Did this mean it wouldn't be forever after all? It would be over? "Thank you, thank you!"

"Don't thank me yet. Honestly, it'll probably just get denied again. Seems like someone with some sway really doesn't like you. Or maybe they like you a little too much."

Whumpee deflated. He should have known better than to get his hopes up at this point. He hadn't even been aware that three appeals had already been attempted for him until now, but it seemed he was just doomed.

"Hey, if it does, I'll still try and get you sorted. I've got a few favors I can pull, I'll work something better out for you even if it isn't going upstairs." the demon promised.

Whumpee wouldn't count on it. He didn't want to keep hoping for an end to the torment that would never come. But...

"Does that mean you're... not gonna torture me?" Whumpee asked hopefully. He would do anything to be able to just rest.

Much to his disappointment, the demon shook their head. "No, I still gotta torture you until I can get this sorted out. It's the job." Their voice softened. "I'll go easy, alright? I'll pick something that doesn't hurt, and you can have breaks every few hours. How's that sound, huh?"

Whumpee nodded enthusiastically. "Thank you." he repeated. He wasn't sure how to reconcile the concepts of torture and doesn't hurt, but he could definitely latch onto breaks. Not many demons were merciful enough to allow such a thing.

Suddenly, his whole body erupted in, for once not pain, but itching. He vaguely remembered something from his life, so long ago that it felt more like a dream than a memory. Poison ivy. It was like that, but a million times worse and everywhere.

Whumpee immediately tried to scratch, of course, but found himself unable to. Every attempt seemed halted by some sort of mental block that caused his hands to still just before he could reach his skin. He writhed on the ground, desperate to relieve the feeling.

"Come on now, this is about the mildest thing I could pull from the catalog and still call torture. This is better than hurting, right?" the demon chided.

"Yes, s-sir." Whumpee squeaked out, on the verge of tears. As much agonizing discomfort as he was in right now, it was still better than the pain. Anything was better than the pain.

The demon sighed. With a flourish of their hand, a bench grew out of the ground, and they sat down. "C'mere." They patted the spot next to them.

With some effort, Whumpee managed to crawl over. The demon helped him up onto the bench, placed his head in their lap, and started gently scratching him. Relief. It was barely anything, his whole body felt like it was on fire, but he was grateful for any scrap of mercy.

"Just a couple hours until your first break, yeah?" the demon assured.

Whumpee whimpered pitifully, leaning into their touch desperately. He just wanted the horrible feeling to go away.

The demon smiled. "Aww, you're cute. If they deny the appeal again, I'll try and see if I can get you reassigned as my pet. That way you'd just stay with me, forever. You'd like that, huh?" they asked, scratching at his scalp affectionately.

"Yes, sir." Whumpee breathed. He wasn't sure what that meant and was too afraid to ask. Being a demon's pet truthfully sounded terrifying, but could it really be worse than his current situation, eternal damnation? Could anything possibly be worse?

-

if you want some much more intense no-mercy hell whump then i highly recommend whumpshaped's new Devil Hot series!

drabble taglist:

@whump-for-all-and-all-for-whump

Well I’m not really sure how to put this.

But if you could do some comforting hcs for Ace where his s/o feels super insecure about her vitiliginous skin that she uses a load of makeup to cover up the spots on her body cause ppl keep asking her about her condition

Thank you<3

slams fists on the table no more half-assed "they don't mind your x", in this house of Basilisa we prefer the approach of "they are so fucking in love with your body that go bonkers whenever you're around". This being said, hope you will enjoy your supportive himbo in love :)

I know you requested female reader, but I didn't really find a way to make it more specific gender-wise :c

His S/O Feels Insecure Because of Their Vitiliginous Skin

Character: Ace Reader: gender neutral CW: insecurity regarding skin condition (vitiligo)

For Ace your vitiliginous skin is…fascinating. There’s some magnetism beaming from it, kind of a beauty he can’t describe and attraction he can’t explain. There are simply no words meaningful enough to grasp the tapestry of feelings tearing his soul every time he sees you. He’s crazy for you.

From the day he saw you for the first time without any makeup or cover, his eyes are doomed to follow the labyrinth of your marks. He loves them so much. If he could—and he does so, if you feel comfortable enough to let him—he would cover each inch of your skin with kisses whenever he would get you into his himbo hands.

The fact you feel insecure about your skin condition makes Ace’s heart break. Why do you feel so bad about something so beautiful, so unique? Why are you trying to cover it? He hates seeing you in pain, especially if your insecurity gets in between the two of you. Please, let him love you!

Ace is as enthusiastic as patient in the way he tries to get you to love yourself as much as he adores you. He likes to joke he has enough love for you both to share, but he knows well from experience it doesn’t work like that. Step by step, with patient compliments, affection, with that beaming, loving, encouraging stupid smile, he slowly crushes the shell of your insecurity. He wants you to feel yourself in your body, yourself and loved.

He’s fast to discover the core of the problem. People. Of course it’s always the people, isn’t it? There’s a bitter aftertaste of his childhood trauma lingering in the darkness of his eyes whenever another person bothers you about your skin, either in a rude or curious but just stupid way. Ace can be a demon if he wants—and oh, he wants so much to shoo that intruder away. You’re not an exotic animal on display or a subject of medical experiment. Your skin is not their business.

Ace encourages you to look around, if only to pay attention to his body. He wants you to see you’re not “the only one”, “weird”, “not normal” or whatever negative thought coming from your insecurity might bother you at that time. His own skin is not perfect: aside from freckles making him resemble a turkey egg, there are scars, stretch marks (he’s a tall boy, major & fast growth will give it to you), places more or less hairy than they “should”, irregular tan forever imprinted on his skin, burnt with sun and winds of the sea. With some he was born, some he got as a gift from the life he lives. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, everything is a part of who he is.

Do you love him any less because of them? Of course not. So why would he love you less and find you less attractive because of vitiligo? Please, try to look at yourself through his eyes.

Whenever you feel down because insecurity is too strong for you to bear, Ace does his best to distract you from negative thoughts. Warm hugs, fooling around, taking you for a ride on the Striker, spontaneous date, a surprising but passionate kiss stolen from your lips… He has plenty of methods to pull your attention away from unwanted direction. The worst you can do is to delve into negativity and complexes, so he does his best to stop you as soon as he sees you struggling.

He truly hopes one day you’ll be confident enough to control the negative thoughts. He knows it’s not easy to get rid of trauma, but he believes you can learn how to live a satisfying, happy life despite everything. He’s here to help you. And to remind you how beautiful and loved you are in times you need him the most.

Soft Nero headcanons please😩🤚🏼

It's 2am so, therefore, it's soft hours

Gets embarrassed very easily. Especially by PDA though he won't really reject you if it's not anything too heavy. Always try to play it off but you can see right through him when he scratches at his nose.

I think his main love languages would be acts of service and quality time. If you're not a hunter yourself, you're probably going to be spending a lot of time apart. He will outright refuse to take you on a hunt with him if you're not thoroughly trained. So what time he does get to spend with you, he really cherishes regardless of the amount. When he's home with you, he'll help out a lot around the house, insisting that you sit down and relax while he does the work.

On the other hand, I think he'd really enjoy receiving words of affirmation (praise kink, anyone?) and acts of service/gift-giving. Other than Kyrie and Credo, I don't imagine he's had many kind people in his life given his heritage. Having a kind heart would likely be the easiest way to get under his tough exterior.

He's not super touchy-feely most days, I think. He probably gets overwhelmed pretty quickly by it a lot of the time. Though he does have his days. A lot of the time, just existing in your presence is enough for him. Though if you are a very physical person, he'll try his best to tolerate it and reciprocate, but he'll stand by his boundaries. I think he'd be into hand-holding the most. Gives really good hugs though.

Really appreciates if you make things for him rather than outright buy him things. He gets kinda embarrassed or on occasion, just outright upset if you buy a lot of things for him. He doesn't have a lot of money, just enough to get by, really. I think that would be a point of insecurity for him. So he'd really appreciate hand-made gifts a lot more, even if that's not really something you're all that good at. He'll keep anything you give/make him forever. If it's jewelry, he'll wear it until it falls apart. If it's something he can't wear, you'll usually find it on a shelf in his house.

Really likes playing video games, though he didn't really get into them until later on. Likes Halo, Doom, Resident Evil especially. Has no true preference though and will get into anything you might be playing. Loves to play with you if you're into that.

Says he likes horror movies but will shit himself if you watch anything scarier than Hereditary or Midsommar. Really just prefers psychological horror because there's fewer jumpscares. Will watch them all with you though if you're into that, but will deny being scared if you ever bring it up.

He tries to at least learn about all your interests if he doesn't get into them himself. He wants to be able to actually carry on those kinds of conversations with you, so he'll go out of his way to do some research when he has spare time.

While he's usually more apt to use softer petnames (sweetheart, for example), he often calls you shithead. Especially if you're goofing around or if you did something relatively harmless that got on his nerves.

LOVES anime. Though he probably would never really talk about this unless you brought it up first. I think he'd like Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, etc. Would love to trade manga with you. 

While he's a very irritable person, he'd rarely ever direct that anger at a s/o. Unless you specifically did something to piss him off, but even then he's not nearly as volatile with you as he is with Dante, for example. He'll take a moment to calm himself before trying to have a discussion with you.

HP FESTS: DramioneFanfictionWriters (Part 4)

DFW's Deal or No Deal: Famous Shakespeare Lines, February 2021:

Short Life For A Daffodil by KrysKrossZee - T, one-shot - Hermione and Draco have a wild daughter who likes to pull up daffodils and frustrate her parents, but the duo wouldn't be without their children.

Friends Dont by Lostinthenightrain - T, one-shot - "You don’t choose who you fall for!” “No, because I sure as hell wouldn’t be standing here now would I?” Hermione mourns the loss of a relationship.

The Malfoy Mistress by ThebeMoon - M, one-shot - Unable to bear the sight of Bellatrix carving into Hermione Granger at Malfoy Manor, Draco Malfoy whisks his hated former schoolmate to safety. He should have known better.

Rules of Engagement by Art3misiA - T, one-shot - Lucius just had to be difficult about the idea of Draco and Hermione getting married. Will Draco and Hermione allow him to throw his weight around, or will they bring him to heel?

DFW's Deal or No Deal: Popular 90's TV Shows, March 2021:

The Death of Theo Nott by Lostinthenightrain - T, one-shot - “Hermione.” Her head whipped up to see the broken expression in Draco’s eyes. “He wouldn’t kill himself.”

The Night of the Rats by rennaissance_woman - not rated, one-shot - What happens when a prank war goes too far?

Perfect Harmony by Talonwillow (TalonWillow) - T, one-shot -Professor Slughorn's star Potions pupil Hermione was tired of being the ugly duckling, so she created a potion that would transform her into a beautiful swan. Everyone seemed to like the shiny new version of her... Well, except for herself and maybe one other. Would Draco Malfoy convince her that what everyone else was seeing was what he saw every day, and would Hermione finally be able to live in Perfect Harmony?

Dramione Go Star Trekking by KrysKrossZee - T, one-shot - Riker has made a pass at Hermione and she doesn't quite know how to deal with it.

Bloody Colonials by Maira - T, one-shot - Hermione Granger has had a long week, and the last thing she wants to do is leave the comfort of her home. But when her best friend asks for her help in dealing with a possible cursed object, what can she do but help? Brownies, Potion-making robe etiquette, and a cursed Nigerian mask all add up to a typical night at Hogwarts. Written for the DFW's Deal or No Deal challenge.

The Latest Teenage Drama by Art3misiA - T, one-shot - Teenagers. Gotta love em. Teenage dramas? Not so much. Draco and Hermione navigate the perils of unwanted teenage behaviour - 90s family sitcom style.

DFW's Deal or No Deal: Around the World, April 2021:

The Assignment by Art3misiA - G, one-shot - Hermione and Draco, Aurors, have been sent to Cape Town on a top secret assignment - to track down a former Death Eater.

Finding Them by KrysKrossZee - T, WIP - After not finding her parents in Austrailia, Hermione enlists Draco's help and the two make their way to Vancouver when they have a new lead.

DFW's Deal or No Deal: The Language of Flowers, May 2021:

Spilled Ink by Maira - M, one-shot - It's nearly Christmas, and things aren't great. Draco Malfoy is still on house arrest due to the Wizengamot being a bag of dicks. Hermione Granger is out of the country on a job, which means he won't see her for a few weeks. And to top it all off, Hermione has sent Draco a plant. A green, spiky plant, for no reason that he can fathom. Oh, and a spelled journal that he's now supposed to write in. Because nothing could possibly go wrong with that plan. Written for the DFW Deal or No Deal Challenge!

Forever by Art3misiA - M, one-shot - Though they may be gone, our memories of them remain forever.

The Little Things by KrysKrossZee - T, one-shot - When Hermione buys Draco a cup of coffee and leaves it on his desk, it throws Draco through a loop and he wonders what he should get her in exchange.

The Climbing Vine by rennaissance_woman - not rated, one-shot - After receiving some startling news, Draco runs out of the house. He receives some advice from a surprising source.

Changing of the Seasons by Lostinthenightrain - M, one-shot - Hermione & Draco find a local park and two unlikely faces to greet them.

DFW's Deal or No Deal: Draco's Birthday Soundtrack, June 2021:

Straight to the Heart by AdAsttra - T, one-shot - Draco's ready to tell Hermione how he feels, but Cupid has other ideas.

Stick Around by KrysKrossZee - T, one-shot - Hermione doesn't know why Draco is the only one who makes her feel safe, but she is glad that she is able to get some reprieve from her brain.

Wild and Wired by Maira - M, one-shot - Need your lovin' here beside me, Need it close enough to guide me, I've been hopin' you would find me, You're the biggest part of me. - Hermione was expecting a fun night out with her boyfriend and her friends. She was not expecting ice cubes, sick ponies, and a serenade beautiful enough to melt her heart. Written for the DFW's Deal or No Deal challenge.

Let's Get Serious (Please, for the Love of Merlin!) by Art3misiA - G, one-shot - Draco wants to get serious, but Hermione isn't so sure. Will their opposing views make or break them?

DFW's Deal or No Deal: Magical Monsters, July 2021:

There's A Zouwu In My Basement by KrysKrossZee - T, one-shot - When a creature has broken into the Malfoy Manor dungeon, Draco has to call for help.

Miseria by crochetaway - T, one-shot - Hermione tames a Dementor.

Aegis by Maira - M, one-shot - Their world is in ruins, and their only protection against creatures wanting to kill them is about to fall. They make a plan to trek across the country to Hogwarts, where others have gathered to make a new home within the castle. There, they will be safe. One problem - before they go, there's a queen to kill. Written for the DFW's Deal or No Deal Challenge.

Fear & Desire by myladymay - T, one-shot - Draco Malfoy wants to change his life. He returns to Hogwarts for Eighth Year and finds himself confronted with both his biggest fear and greatest desire, all wrapped up in a Gryffindor tie.

Innocent Monsters by itscometothis - T, 12 chapters - Draco Malfoy thought he had reasonable expectations for his mandatory Eighth Year at Hogwarts, where he would be confined to the grounds as part of his probation. Isolation, hatred, and passing his NEWTs were really all he had in mind. What he wasn't anticipating: 1) Having a small firstie latch onto him like a bloody koala 2) Said firstie adopting an erkling as if they didn’t feed on children. To protect his little nuisance, he’ll have to seek help from uncomfortable places, including the Swottiest Witch of Her Age. Joy of all joys.

Transformed by Art3misiA - T, one-shot - Draco and Charlie have a dragon to catch, and time is running out. Meanwhile, Hermione is missing, adding to Draco's woes.

DFW's Deal or No Deal: Legendary Duos, August 2021:

Three's a crowd, four's trouble by AnnaRitaLi - M, WIP - p>My sister is right. My life did change that evening. I just don't think Rosalind meant for me to steal her boyfriend, or I don't think I stole him, Draco, not precisely. You cannot steal something that doesn't want to be whisked away. That's my experience, at least, and I've stolen quite a few things over the years. So I can say this with confidence. You can't lose something you never had. But you’ll have to read it in the book, dear. While the Crown doesn’t wish for me to speak out in public, I have been silent for too long. You see, There were three of us in this marriage. And people, the press, have assumed many things over the years about Draco and me. So this book, as you’ll see, it’s my attempt to set the record straight. Yes, there were three of us in this marriage, but there were also much more going on than that. -- This is the story the Crown never wanted to get out. In other words, I bring you the x-rated version of the book ‘Diana - her true story - in her own words’.’ It’s the Dramione as Charles & Diana AU you didn't know you needed.

The Marquess and the Kitchen Girl by Art3misiA - E, 8 chapters - Draco Malfoy is the son of the most powerful Duke in Wiltshire. One day, he will be the ruler of a large duchy. Hermione Granger lives happily with her parents - that is, until tragedy strikes. Two children will become friends, and gradually discover a forbidden love that seems as if it might one day defy the odds. Alas, this is a tale of doomed lovers.

In Her Arms by KrysKrossZee - M, one-shot - Draco's worked his way up through Voldemort's ranks but it would seem that all of his work has been for nothing when Dolohov captures a new prisoner.

The Happiness I Seek by Maira - M, one-shot - To those without a soulmate, the world is devoid of colour. They say that if you are lucky enough to meet your soulmate, everything changes. The world is brighter, food is richer, and you find a love you never knew you needed. Draco Malfoy has never been lucky. Written for the DFW's Deal or No Deal challenge.

darling! by itscometothis - M, one-shot - When Draco and Hermione are invited to help demonstrate a path forward for Wizarding Britain and its reconciliation, neither really feel like they can refuse - Hermione for moral reasons and Draco for practical ones (read: Azkaban sounds bad). But they have very different ideas on how to play up this fake relationship. Written for DFW's Deal or No Deal: Legendary Duos - Kermit and Ms. Piggy. It's as ridiculous as you expect.

A Thousand Ships by floorcoaster - M, WIP - Draco Malfoy knows what he wants, and he's not afraid to reach out and take it.

Quiet My Demons by Lostinthenightrain - M, one-shot - “Unhappy, darling?” He murmured, his cigar placed on its resting dish, dashed out - a little puff of smoke rising into the air between them before disappearing. “Yes, completely.”

I Love Draco by crochetaway - G, one-shot - A few slice of life scenes with Hermione, Draco, and Scorpius ala I Love Lucy style!

DFW's Deal or No Deal: The Final Word, September 2021:

Crime & Punishment by itscometothis - T, 12 chapters - TRIAL TRANSCRIPT OF DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY IS FORMALLY CHARGED WITH THE FOLLOWING: CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT MURDER AIDING AND ABETTING A MURDER USE OF UNFORGIVABLE CURSES: IMPERIUS (2 COUNTS) USE OF UNFORGIVABLE CURSES: CRUCIATUS (47 COUNTS) PARTICIPATING IN A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION -- I don’t regret hoping. I thought I might, at the beginning, do you remember? But I don’t. I regret nothing about you, my love. Eternally yours, Draco -- A story of hope, punishment, and the nature of justice told in trial transcripts, visits in an interrogation room, and letters.

Boats Against the Current by AlannaTCooper - T, one-shot - Draco Malfoy is trying to escape his past by running as far away as he can. But the past - and his nightmares - keep pulling him backwards.

By His Side by KrysKrossZee - T, one-shot - Hermione is lonely but there's at least one person who can break through her loneliness.

Trying To Live by IzzieStellar - T, one-shot - After her husband dies, Hermione can’t seem to remember how to live and her friends vow to help her.

In the Dead of Night by AdAsttra - G, one-shot - Hermione and Draco are some of the last people to leave Hogwarts under the veil of a cold, dark night.

This fest is ongoing.

Mystic Messenger, but it’s actually C!Quackity on the DSMP

 …C!Quackity treating the DSMP like a dating sim joke, except I take it literally and tell you all the datable characters and Good, Bad, and Neutral Ends like this Mystic Messenger. (Disclaimer Note: This is all based on C!Quackity’s lore. This is also all based around their characters, NOT the CC’s. I am also NOT encouraging you to ship any of these characters -- especially bc some DO NOT feel comfortable with that. Also, no Minors are included because NO. This has just been a running Quackity joke for a while, and the concept of C!Quackity trying to flirt with all of these characters to speedrun the server like a legit dating sim sounds just so funny to me. Please do not attack me.)

Main Character Routes:

Sapnap (Good End: “Burning Love”, Neutral End: “I Love You, But Not Like That”, Bad End: “Twice Burned”) — can be connected to Karl’s Route

Karl Jacobs (Good End: ”Forever and Always”, Neutral End: “Friendzoned”, Bad End: “When Time Runs Out”) — can be connected to Sapnap’s Route 

Schlatt (Good End: “Alone, but Better”, Neutral End: “As the World Caves In”, Bad End: “Yes, Mr. President”)

Advanced Character Routes (only accessible after all Main Routes are completed):

Wilbur Soot (Good End: ”Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust”, Neutral End: “Two Sides of the Same Coin”, Bad End: “Enemies to Enemies”)

Technoblade (Good End: ”Tame the Blade”, Neutral End: “Enemies to... Allies?”, Bad End: “Dental Appointment”)

Karlnapity (Advanced Version): (Good End: “It’s About Time!”, Neutral End: “Only Time Will Tell”, Bad End: “...Who?”)

Secret Character Routes (only accessible after all routes above are completed):

Eret (Good End: “Flirt with the Traitor”, Neutral End: “You Need Friends, I Need Therapy”, Bad End: “Never Meant to Be”)

BadBoyHalo (Good End: “Dance with the Demon”, Neutral End: “...Sapnap’s Your What?”, Bad End: “An Eggsellent Ending, but a New Beginning”)

Bonus Route (only accessible when reaching halfway through Advanced Routes; technically a Bad End):

Philza Minecraft (??? End: Dilf Hunter Achievement: Become a Stepdad)

These are just the routes I’ve come up with for fun, and you can kind of see how a lot of them turn out by the names asjhdgksaj. (I don’t mind explaining what happens in any of them if you wanna know.) ** For anyone that doesn’t know Mystic Messenger by the way, there are 3 Main Endings (Good, Neutral, Bad) for Every Character, a True Neutral End, a True Bad End, and some other Bad Ends along the way if you start Good, then turn Bad towards a Character you’re pursuing.

But also, since this is Quackity… Him balancing out affection towards Karl and Sapnap, gets the Karlnapity Route, which is technically also a Main Route.

I will say though… Karl would probably have secret bonus options in the Advanced Routes that become available that involve Quackity finding out Karl’s a Time Traveler (something he discovers vaguely in Karl’s Main Route), but it leads to Quackity finding out more about Karl’s Time Travelling— the way Karl dies each time, the Dopplegangers, the Inbetween, etc.

Upon discovering all these things and finishing Karl’s Route in Advanced as a Good End, Secret Endings become Available to him. (This is where we’re gonna get SERIOUS, just so you know. We’re living like the Dream Daddy Simulator and there’s more lore than you realize.) More about the Secret Endings under the cut with the actual hidden lore because this post is about to be LONG.

These Secret Endings actually include Quackity witnessing Karl’s Time Traveling firsthand… Also, potentially Quackity traveling WITH Karl through time and into the Inbetween.

Upon him finishing this Secret Ending (which ends with him calming Karl through everything and a hopeful ending of him promising to help Karl to learn more about Karl’s abilities and save Karl’s memories), another route is open.

There’s Three Secret Endings that reveal themselves in total. That was only the first. The final two are connected, but the third being revealed depends on Quackity getting all the Main Bad Ends.

The Second Secret End is directly tied to Karl’s Bad End and the Fiancés’ Bad End in Advanced where in both, Karl forgets Quackity and Quackity lives alone in Las Nevadas.

In the OG Good Ending with Karl, they get married and stay El Rapids with Sapnap (romantic or platonically). In the Good Advanced with Karl, Quackity builds Las Nevadas and Karl almost forgets him, but Quackity comes home and finds out what happened.

The Second Secret Ending is what happens after Karl’s Advanced Bad Ending where he forgets Quackity. This Quackity, who’s chosen not to find out why he wasn’t invited to Kinoko, finds Sapnap struggling enough between helping Karl, managing Kinoko, and everything with Dream. Karl is gone again. Quackity, though still angry with the two, decides to help find Karl.

What ends up happening though is Quackity and Sapnap discover The Library (something Quackity discovers only in the Good Advanced End). They search around and find The Books. Obviously, the two start freaking out until Karl appears. This Karl isn’t their Karl. He looks the same, but there’s a noticeable white streak in his hair. Another thing is that he remembers Quackity.

It’s discovered in that moment that this “Dating Sim” situation with Quackity being able to restart through every path (though he fully never remembers any of them once the paths end) is the work of Time Travel. It’s Karl sending him back in time to make things right. The Karl in their timeline will only continue to get worse and lose all his memories. He NEEDS his memories, otherwise Karl can’t fix the timeline. There’s a huge threat that is going to be showing itself. Everyone WILL be doomed if Karl can’t repair the timeline, however, this Karl can’t fix it for him. Whatever threat that is going to come after them in the near future is following this Karl’s trail too closely. If this Karl tried to do it, he’d be leading the threat back in time with him and things would be doomed even sooner. He can only send back one, which is how Quackity gets chosen. Even though Quackity protests, Sapnap insists that it be Quackity to go. Sapnap can’t leave. If he did, he would be abandoning their timeline’s Karl, along with George and Kinoko. There’s a small argument between Quackity and Sapnap over this, but Sapnap admits he just Can’t. The timeline might change, but he couldn’t live with himself imagining Karl coming home without someone there to remind him that it is Home. Or George finally waking up and Sapnap not being able to be there. Quackity might have Las Nevadas to worry about, but Sapnap has the weight of two of the most important people in their lives on his shoulders. He can’t do it. Future Karl assures Quackity that he’d be good for this, too. That past Karl NEEDS him. His Fiancé NEEDS him. And this way, Quackity can help Sapnap! In the end, Quackity agrees. He reluctantly agrees to go. Future Karl just grins at him and hands him a pocket watch that in future runs, Quackity will be more aware of having because he’s actually had it in every route that wasn’t Karl’s Advanced Route. Right as Future Karl is teaching Quackity how to use it, the portal behind Karl turns a sickly neon green and yellow. Karl looks panicked at the sight. He quickly starts ushering Quackity to leave. NOW. Right as Quackity does, he just manages to see a glimpse of a hooded being stepping through the portal. He’s gone before he can see who it is. The Final Secret Ending becomes available.

The Final Secret Ending is ENTIRELY based on Quackity getting to all the Bad Endings for the Mains and all Karl’s Endings. That’s because the Final Secret Ending is, of course, about Dream. Up until this point, Dream has been doing his typical Dream things. In the Main Routes, he’s more of an idle character for Quackity because Quackity’s not directly involved with him yet. In the Advanced, Dream has reached the point of being imprisoned, thus Quackity is incredibly aware of everything Dream’s done. Somehow, this Dream eventually finds a way to escape the prison. He becomes more powerful upon getting released and somehow finds out about Karl’s powers, leading him down the road of wanting to understand him so that he himself can “fix the server”. Karl can’t allow Dream to tamper with the timeline because it’ll ruin everything. Dream, of course, finds a way into getting into Karl’s library and trying to find the necessary information to do it himself. Insert more plot leading to Dream eventually chasing Karl through the portals to stop Karl from reaching a timeline where they can change the story, and thus enters Quackity. In this Final Secret Ending, Quackity discovers everything that happening because Dream appears before Karl in The Library and reveals everything. Karl arrives late, just as this version of Dream is about to actually kill Quackity because, you know, personal reasons, but also Dream’s figured out Karl’s plan. Right as Dream’s about to kill Quackity though, Karl manages at the last second to shove Quackity the pocket watch, but Karl ends up getting killed in the process. Quackity has no time to mourn before he wakes back up in the past. And that’s all the Karl routes (which technically along with Sapnap) make for the True Endings! So there’s all of that story! ^u^ Definitely way more than I considered plotting out... But ya know,,, I fucking love Mystic Messenger and I love C!Quackity lore, along with C!Karl... So this started as a joke, but now you get lore to it! So please enjoy this brainrot! I put WAYYYY too much thought into it ajsgalkdjghlkd