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emeritusemeritus · 5 months

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Sauron’s Secret [Eddie Munson x Reader]

Title: Sauron’s Secret, one ring to rule them all.

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Wife!Reader {Established but hidden relationship}

Timeline: Around S4- slight alternate timeline, no Vecna. No mention of past events in Hawkins.

Summary: Eddie’s hiding a secret and Dustin is determined to figure it out.

Warnings: Swearing. Mentions of marriage. Hidden relationships, secret marriage. Mentions of drugs and marijuana. Dustin is a sleuth and I love him for it. Lord of the Rings references.

I had so much fun writing this. Set in mostly 3rd person/ Dustin POV.

Eddie Munson was allusive and mysterious, even to his closest friends.

He shared only what needed to be shared and kept his business private, just how he liked it. Eddie's favourite colour? Who knows, probably black or red but you'd never get a solid answer. His favourite movie? He says it's some old slasher film from the 50's that defied cinematic structure and gave the middle finger to the 'man' trying to oppress the creative spirit of filmmaking. Was it the truth? Probably not. His favourite book? He’d alluded to it being Lord of the rings but if questioned he would act like he’d never heard of it.

The only things he was open about were his love for heavy metal, pizza and D&D, and even then he kept his sadistic and intricate campaigns under wraps for as long as possible before the big reveal, trusting no one with his secrets.

Despite his attempts at general ambiguity, there were a few 'tells' in his behaviour, if read carefully, that could clue your in to his inner workings.

Dustin Henderson in sheer contrast is a completely open book; wears his heart on his sleeve, has little to no filter and will openly discuss all of his favourite things, regardless of if the audience is listening or not. But Dustin is also naturally inquisitive and curious, always trying to dig deeper and see the little idiosyncrasies in people that clue him in to their internal thoughts. He notices things that most people overlook and in the case of Eddie, someone he looks up to and proudly calls his friend, his curiosity is never stronger, particularly around the subject of Eddie's concealed love life.

It started a while ago, just a random day at Hellfire when Eddie came in a little late, trying to downplay his flustered nature as he shot off a roundabout apology and began setting up his campaign as Dustin looked on. Eddie had never been late, always having the table laid out perfectly, the mood lighting and repositioning all done ready for the Paladins, Wizards and Artificers ready to commence their quest. Dustin noticed as the game wore on that Eddie smelt better than usual, not that he ever smelt bad before but he seems to have a little more cologne on and his clothes smelt clean. Sometimes Eddie's clothes would have a faint tinge of damp, like they'd been sat in the dryer a little too long before airing out and being worn, only occasionally but that seemed to disappear completely after that specific meeting.

Sometimes, Dustin swears that he can smell a faint whiff of strawberries emitting from their Dungeon Master, specifically from his hair. At first he thinks he's crazy but the second or third time it happens it's definitely too much to be a coincidence.

A few weeks later when Hellfire had just come to a close, Dustin watched as Eddie shrugged on his signature two jackets and instantly frowned as he looked at the patches on the outer battle jacket. He quickly dropped the frown on his face, unknowingly doing it in the first place, before shifting subtly closer to that he could look to see what was different. The Dio patch on the back piece of the jacket was no longer raised or peeling upwards as it had been before in the bottom corner. He couldn't see any additional patches so he put it down to a fluke that Eddie just have re-sewn the patches, this time doing a much neater job than before.

But then he notices the lunches. Eddie had always brought something easy for his lunch, a bag of trail mix or questionable nut and pretzel mixes but suddenly there were sandwiches and the odd leftovers. That's when things began clicking into place for Dustin, realising that he might actually be on to something. He kept quiet about it, uncharacteristically, until he had more concrete evidence that supported his theory.

One day at lunch, Dustin walked in to see Eddie frantically scrawling ideas and little drawings on to a notepad, an actual wire bound notebook. Dustin had asked Eddie where he got the notebook but he just received a harsh glare and a dismissive insult in reply. Unfazed, Dustin smiled to himself as he tucked into his lunch tray, adding another point to his mental list, taking Eddie's defensiveness as evidence that he hadn't just stolen it from an unfortunate freshman, it was given to him. Eddie usually scrawled onto little slips of waste paper he'd find in his pockets or donated by his friends, never having brought an actual book to school in all the years that Dustin had known him, which were then folded or crumpled up and thrust into one of his many pockets.

The first Hellfire meeting after Christmas break is when Dustin realises that he'd been right all along. Eddie lights up a smoke after getting things loaded into the truck and for the first time since Dustin had known him, he wasn't using gas station grade clippers nor a random pack of matches he sometimes carried when the shitty lighters inevitably died on him. He instead lit the questionable cigarette with a black zippo lighter, one of those that were built to last, refillable and much, much nicer than any he'd ever seen in Eddie's possession before.

Still, he says nothing, content in knowing something about Eddie that no one else did, almost gleeful actually. He decides that if he's going to find anything else out then he needs to tread carefully, not wanting to alert Eddie to his inside knowledge or tip him off that he's digging around in matters that were not his own. He has to plan this carefully, asking questions that are only appropriate in the right setting, not out of the blue.

Luckily for Dustin, the moment presents itself not too long after at Hellfire when mid roll- Eddie's shirt shifts just enough for a second chain to be seen beneath his shirt, the movement of him shaking and rolling the dice allowing the pendant and chain to slip out from under his neckline. Eddie had always worn the guitar pick necklace, he never hid that beneath his shirt but this one had definitely not always been there. Dustin doesn't miss the golden glint of something hanging from the necklace, a ring that looked like a simple band. There's a few tense moments where Dustin studies the ring intensely before Eddie notices it slip, trying to quickly instil it into his mind for future reference before Eddie is alerted to his necklace being on show.

It lasts all of ten seconds before Gareth pipes up about the curious piece of jewellery in a less than delicate manner, his face scrunched up and turned to one side as he questions Eddie about it. Seemingly not missing a beat, Eddie quickly looks down at the offending article and smiles before he stuffs it into his shirt.

"That my friends is a custom made ruling ring, one ring or Isildur's Bane if you will. Genuine lord of the rings replica, 'One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them'." He smirks dangerously at the crowd after replacing the chain inside of his shirt before crouching down and casting aside one of the figurines on the table, "now, gentleman, are you prepared for your next defeat? You've fought valiantly but it may not be enough to save your sorry hides!"

Dustin gives him a lingering side eye, knowing that there was way more to that then he's made out; He'd seen the face Eddie had involuntarily pulled when he realised his mistake. Dustin was moving in on him now, biding his time until he can make his move and actually probe Eddie for the truth.

What Dustin doesn't expect however, after the months he'd spent agonising over gathering secret intel and evidence on Eddie is that one day soon, Eddie would put himself completely due to unfortunate bad luck.

It's raining, tipping it down as the Hellfire club burst through the doors of the school in sheer elation, celebrating their defeat of Vecna and his cult. The gang separates into separates cars all waiting for them and disperse as they run to get out of the rain. Dustin's mom was at work and he'd have to cycle back regardless, cursing himself for not bringing his waterproof. Eddie offers him a ride in the van, only for him to scream multiple profanities when the van only stutters before giving up completely. He kicks the wheels in frustration, already stoked to the bone from the rain in just his two jackets before he turns to Dustin to ask for his cellphone. Dustin watches him closely as Eddie dials a number entirely from memory, moving away so that his conversation would remain private as he quickly talks to someone at the other end of the phone. Dustin quickly shies away as Eddie's gaze flickers over to him briefly, acting as if he wasn't paying attention at all, until Eddie ends the conversation and hands him back the phone.

"Got a ride, stick around and we'll drop you off at home," Eddie says, nodding his head back towards the school so that the two of them could stand under the canopy to avoid getting wetter. Dustin watches as Eddie rings out his nearly flat curls, boosting them up so that his signature look wouldn't be ruined. Dustin however, pays no mind to his wetness and instead stares intensely at the road leading to the school, not wanting to miss who would be picking them up, transfixed on the idea that it might be someone he'd been waiting to meet, or prove was real, for a long time.

Dustin has to fight back a happy jig when he spots an old looking pickup truck driving up the road towards the school, eyes stinging with the rain as he daren't even blink, desperate to catch sight of whoever was driving.

When the truck comes to a stop, he falters as he sees an old man get out, wearing a boiler suit uniform having clearly been a mechanic of sorts. He then notices the logo on the side of the truck, something or others repair shop. Eddie steps forward and has a brief conversation with him but Dustin pays no mind, throwing himself down onto one of the benches under the canopy, his chin resting on his hand as he pouts.

When the older man begins to tow away Eddie's van with one last wave and a pat to the back for the dungeon master, leaving Eddie and Dustin stranded, he shoots Eddie a confused glance. Eddie simply averts his eyes, shooting him a strange look before wrapping his arms around himself, the cold clearly getting to him.

Nearly as soon as the old truck pulls away with Eddie's van, a second truck pulls around the corner, pausing briefly window to window to talk to the man in the truck from their respective vehicles. This truck is all black and seemingly well loved, an old Chevy of sorts but Dustin's not great with car models. The trucks pull away from each other and the second truck comes to a stop outside the school, right by the canopy.

"Wait here Henderson," Eddie mumbles, eyes focused on the truck as he ducks out of the canopy and into the rain. The windows are slightly tinted so it's hard to see what's going off though Dustin desperately tries to sneak a peak at the owner of the truck.

"Haul your bike in the back," Eddie calls out, pulling open the passenger door, only to be met by resistance from the person inside the car. He huffs, closes the door and helps Dustin lift the bike onto the truck bed before he opens the passenger door again and slides across the bench, giving Dustin room to climb in.

He notices the woman driving immediately but doesn't recognise her at all. She's pretty, really pretty and is dressed in a leather jacket with a material hood that is hardly concealing her hair, dark jeans and fingerless gloves.

“Hi, you must be Dustin,” she smiles towards him and Dustin has to fight a blush that the pretty girl was talking directly to him. His momentary silent pause isn’t missed by his dungeon master, who shoots him a harsh look before letting out a low chuckle at the kids face.

“Hi,” he says shyly with a small wave, which only makes the woman smile wider.

“You’re up on Cornwallis right?” She asks, turning the key in the ignition to start up the truck. He gives a little nod, still not finding his voice entirely and she smiles back, turning to check her mirrors.

“How’d you know?” He asks only a few seconds later as the truck begins to pull away. He frowns when both Eddie and the mystery woman share a little mischievous smile, an inside joke of sorts.

“I’d like to tell you it was seeing you riding past on your bike when I’d visit Barb but,” the woman says, barely taking her eyes off the road as she navigates through the heavy rain.

“Skull rock’s just behind your house, dude,” Eddie says with a chuckle, finishing the sentence for him.

“Oh,” Dustin says, “oh.”

Both of the older constituents chuckle and Dustin takes a moment to watch them, seeing that they both had a natural ease with each other, like they’d known one another for a long time. He decides a little harmless digging wouldn’t hurt.

“You knew Barbara Holland?” He asks, watching her reaction carefully. She gives a sad little smile before shrugging gently, the faint rustle of leather ringing out in the near silent truck cabin.

“Our dads used to work together at the shop, before all the shit went down, nice kid,” she replied. Dustin watches as Eddie’s hand seems to move just slightly so that he’s touching her thigh, though it’s subtle, no doubt on account of Dustin’s presence.

“So you didn’t go to school with her?” He digs further. Something tells him that with the addition of the woman, who still remained largely a mystery to him would shield him from Eddie’s wrath if he caught on, like a buffer for the situation.

She snorts a little at the thought and shakes her head, flicking the wipers up a speed as the rain continues to pour, the windshield hardly clearing before it’s full again.

“Don’t know if I should be flattered or offended by that,” she says with a smile and a chuckle. Eddie’s mouth pulls to one side, like he was trying to hide his smirk. “I graduated in 84, spend two years at high with her but we didn’t interact much, she had her friends and well, I got stuck with this degenerate,” she laughs, gesturing to Eddie beside her. He shoves her, muttering his outrage at her statement but she merely laughs harder.

So they were at school together; before Dustin had ever reached high school. He wondered if Steve knew her? He didn’t recall him ever mentioning her, though he didn’t even know her name so that was one issue. He notices they are already on Cornwallis and he pouts again, wanting to find out more about the woman but by the time they’d pulled up to the mini intersection of Old Cherry, right by his house, it was too late.

“Thank you!” Dustin says very pleasantly as he prepares to make a run for it to grab his bike from the bed of the truck, frowning as he wonders how he’d lift it by himself.

“Eds, go help him,” the woman says, urging Eddie to help with the bike. Surprisingly, Eddie doesn’t hesitate much and does actually move to help

Dustin, who gives him an odd look.

“Thank you again, errr,” he pauses before hopping out of the cab, hesitating so that he’ll grab her name.

She’s about to reply but Eddie shoves him quickly out of the cab and reaches for the bike himself before placing it on the floor and handing it to Dustin.

“Night Henderson,” Eddie says, quickly messing with Dustin’s wet cap before he smirks and hops up into the truck again. The truck doesn’t pull away straight away and Dustin realises they are waiting for him to let himself in, checking he wouldn’t be left outside. That had to be the woman, Eddie would have been nothing but exhaust smoke and tyre screeches in the distance by now.

As soon as he opens up the garage, the truck begins pouring with loud music, something heavy and angry sounding and the truck begins to pull away with a single beep of the horn.

This brief but important encounter has only spurred Dustin on further, amping up his desperate need to find out exactly who she was and who she was in relation to Eddie. They seemed overly friendly but comfortable, could she be the one that had given him the necklace? She wished he was sat next to her so he could get a whiff of her hair; if it was strawberry scented he’d have been on to a winner. The next day, he cycled to the library, thankfully it much better weather than the previous day, and had scouted through pages and pages of source material trying to find old yearbooks from Hawkins High that might have illuminated who she was. Nothing.

He cycled to family video, scrambling for any information Steve could give but he was nearly as clueless as Dustin.

“Dude I’m telling you, I never noticed Munson until the satanic rumours started, never paid any attention to him,” Steve shrugged, already having told Dustin this at least three times but the kid was persistent.

“She had * colour hair and she was wearing a leather jacket, really pretty,” Dustin tried to explain her but Steve looks vacant.

“There were tonnes of girls with her hair colour and pretty,” he says defensively.

“I said really pretty,” Dustin says, adding the inflection. Steve huffs and takes a seat on the stool behind the counter, trying to rack his brain for anyone that might have been with Eddie. Until a faint memory appears at the very edge of his brain, making his face squint as he tries to recall it, having been so long ago.

“There was a chick, she was into rock music, saw her with Billy once,” Steve says, still squinting.

“Ughr,” Dustin says, his face distorting into disgust. Steve immediately sees Dustin’s reaction and clarifies.

“No, she told him to fuck off,” he then chuckles, “was pretty funny actually.” He’s quiet for another moment before it comes to him, the memory getting clearer in his mind, the vision of her coming into full view, he clicks his fingers in a eureka moment. “Hot girl! Munson pulled hot girl?” He sounds aghast, muttering it again under his breathe as he questions it over and over again.

“Hot girl? Come on Steve, names, I need names!” Dustin says, banging his hand on the counter.

“Alright alright! Sheesh,” Steve says, running his hand through his hair. “Umm, it was… something hot.”

Dustin gives him a thoroughly unimpressed glare but he doesn’t notice, too consumed with mentally searching for the name on the tip of his tongue. “Ashle…bec..ayleigh…Rox… y/n! It was y/n!” He clicks his finger again, smiling proudly that he’d been able to recall the information. “Y/n L/n!”

“Hey!” He suddenly shouts after Dustin who races out the door with no reply and no thank you. “I need new friends.”

Dustin wastes no time as he pedals harder and quicker, his destination set in his mind, with her name repeating in his head so that he didn’t forget even a single syllable. As he pulls up in front of his house, he doesn’t even slow before dismounting the bike, leaving it on the grass in front of his house without a single care. He runs in, completely ignoring his mums greeting and whizzes over to the phone book that Claudia Henderson always had sat on the side table. He leapt towards the book and quickly began searching for her name, endlessly trawling through the alphabetical listing until her name would show.

Nothing. It was like she never existed.

“Mom! How olds this phone book?” He shouts, his volume way above appropriate for inside. When she tells him that she only got it last month, he frowns and sinks down into the chair with a slump.

“Dammit!”

“Dusty-bun, language!”

He lays off the trail for a while, exhausted by his extreme efforts, pleased that he knew her name now but feeling deflated at not getting any further. He still watches Eddie for any signs and notices a few odd things here and there but nothing feels groundbreaking anymore.

Until the Byers’ pay a visit to Hawkins. Will is immediately accepted back into the group and whilst Mike is distracted with El and Lucas at basketball, Dustin spends most of his time with Will. Jonathan mopes around most days and even his spirited friend Argyle seems a little lacklustre and irritable at times.

“What’s up with them?” Dustin asks, nodding his head towards the two older boys who are sat on the couch moping, hugging pillows to themselves and barely watching whatever’s playing on tv.

“I thought it was just Nancy stuff you know, but they’re been like it for a few days,” Will says with a shrug, casting a look towards Jonathan and Argyle who look visibly irritated.

Later that evening, Argyle catches Dustin alone and delicately tries to swoon him with pleasantries and chitchat until he finally asks the question that seemed wholly inappropriate.

“My dude, where can we find the devils lettuce?”

“What?” Dustin asks bluntly, completely lost.

“You know,” Argyle says, mimicking smoking a blunt, “some green, some kush, Chiba Chiba, ‘pass the kutchie pon’left hand side’.”

“Weed? You want weed?” He asks bluntly, not caring for the theatrics one bit.

“Well yeah my dude, if you have to be so crude about it,” he says jokingly. Dustin rolls his eyes and walks over to the telephone on the side, reaching for the phone book and flipping it straight to ‘M’ for Munson. Eddie’s side business was the worst kept secret in Hawkins, especially to his friends even though he kept discreet about it for good reason.

Dustin’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he came across the name beside Eddie’s seeing it listed directly beneath his. Y/n Munson.

“My dude! I’m the delivery guy, don’t sweat it!” Argyle shouts with a laugh as Dustin suddenly takes off, offering no explanation as he grabs his bike and pedals away, straight towards Forest Hills.

He doesn’t stop, not even to catch his breath as he nears the entrance to the trailer park, flicking his eyes around for Eddie’s van. He’d been here once or twice, mostly to try and visit Max and had spotted Eddie in the opposite plot, assuming that he lived there and had visited once when Eddie needed something for D&D that Dustin had mistakenly taken. He pushes on, catching sight of Eddie’s beat up van and the black truck parked beside a trailer and doesn’t stop until he’s immediately outside. Dismounting his bike, he gasps for air and pulls out his inhaled from his jacket pocket, wheezing as he puffs on it a few times to catch his breath.

He walks up the steps to the trailer door and knocks over and over loudly, insisting that someone come to the door. The door opens to reveal Eddie in a Metallica shirt and some lounge pants, something Dustin would never believe he would wear, assuming he wore his jeans all the time.

“Henderson?” Eddie looks around behind Dustin and pulls him inside, “the hell are you doing here?”

The place looked very, very different from when he’d been here last, the rooms clean and not fusty anymore. The walls were no longer lined with display mugs and trinkets but rather nice homely decorations that were a little off centre, framed band posters and photos of people in nice frames.

“Dustin?” He hears the all too familiar woman say as she walks through into the kitchen. She’s also wearing a band T-shirt, Judas Priest he thinks he can make out, with some plaid pyjama shorts and a cardigan. She reaches up to smooth her hair down, not having expected anyone to turn up and a glimmer of something on her left hand makes Dustin freeze, before he remembers exactly why he came here.

“You’re married?!” He asks, turning to Eddie, shocked and outraged that he’d managed to keep it a secret. The woman, who Dustin now knew to be Y/n Munson, bursts out laughing as she throws herself down onto the couch, immediately covering her legs with a soft blanket.

“You’re still playing that game?” She asks, turning to look at Eddie, who looks like he’s about to spontaneously combusts.

“Fucking Christ Henderson, you came all the way here for that?” He asks, ignoring his wife’s laughter. Dustin simply shrugs, appearing resolute on the outside but internally he’s beginning to see how much he’s overreacted.

“You ashamed of me, Munson?” His wife teases, turning her head to the side, goading him with a smile. He finally turns to her and snorts, also amused by her words.

“Yeah like getting the hottest girl in Hawkins is something I’m ashamed of.” He sends her a wicked smile and she blushes just slightly, both of them smiling at each other as their eyes meet.

“So what am I missing?” Dustin says, not reading the room. Eddie breaks his gaze with his wife to glare at Dustin for interrupting the moment, the kid clearly had a lot to learn about women.

“Just tell him,” y/n says encouragingly, reaching for the cup of tea in front of her as she watches on with rapt interest, and slight amusement.

Eddie huffs and sighs, his shoulders dropping a little as he prepares his explanation, though why he was explaining things was a little lost on him.

“We got married in October,” he pauses as Dustin immediately looks like he’s going to blow a fuse and with one harsh glare, he closes his mouth, allowing Eddie to continue. “Been together for a few years but Wayne moved out last summer so my girl moved in and then we got hitched just after,” he explains, taking a seat on the little chair, offering the other to Dustin who declines. “I didn’t tell anyone because being a married man, still in school and DM’ing a kids D&D club isn’t exactly ‘cool’,” he says, sounding honest and a little deflated.

“To be clear, you weren’t that ‘cool’ before,” his wife snarks, thoroughly enjoying the show. He shoots her a look and she simply sinks at him, seeing the argumentative look diffuse immediately from his face as he smiles at her, seeing her beaming back at him, if not a little sarcastically.

The pieces slowly meld together in Dustin’s mind, illuminating the big picture, each little thing he’d noticed now becoming clear.

“So the ring,” he says, gesturing towards the chain around Eddie’s neck. “It’s not a Lord of the rings thing?”

Y/n’s loud burst of laughter breaks the last lingering slither of tension in the room and once again Eddie sends her a warning glance though she ignores it completely.

“Yes that very powerful wedding ring forged in the fires of Orodruin by the dark Lord himself, Edward Sauron Munson. Does it enhance your Dungeon Master powers specifically or is it like an all around enchancement? Because as far as I can tell there’s been no improvement to your cooking skills,” she says with a chuckle.

“Sweetheart you are in for it,” he says threateningly, though his eyes still shine with amusement. She lifts her eyebrows once as if goading him, hopeful that his words will take on a very different meaning later.

“Why not just wear it on your hand?” Dustin asks, missing the point of it all being hidden.

“Because, Henderson,” Eddie says, leaning forward to push Dustin back to fall into the seat opposite him. “My girl got me this ring,” he says flashing him the skull ring that sat on his left ring finger. “18th birthday. Couldn’t get married using that so I got a normal band but this means more to us,” he says, gesturing back to the ring. “Plus.”

He then slips off the ring and extends his hand under Dustin’s frowning gaze until he spots what Eddie is trying to show him. Her initials, tattooed on his ring finger, concealed by the skull ring he always wore.

“Soon as I graduate, it won’t be a secret anymore, hell, I’ll probably shout it from the rooftops,” Eddie says with a beaming smile, “but for now, it’s just between us three okay?”

“Okay.”

It’s graduation day and Eddie proudly walks the stage in his cap and gown to accept his diploma before giving the finger to Principle Higgins on the way. His friends sit in the auditorium and cheer him in but no one cheers louder than ‘hot girl’ who stands and cheers, clapping loudly for her husband who had finally graduated.

“Dude,” Gareth says, pointing towards the side of the stage after everyone had walked and the procession was over. They all turn to see Eddie place the cap onto the woman’s head before pulling her in for a searing and very public kiss.

“Who’s that?”

“Hot girl?”

“What?!”

Dustin smiles, watching the pair only briefly before the scene suddenly becomes decidedly less PG, turning to his group of friends that all look on in complete amazement. He smirks, ready to unleash the secret he’d been hiding for months, keeping his tone casual as if it were completely obvious.

“Oh, you guys don’t know Eddie’s wife?”

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#emeritusemeritus #emeritusemerituswrites #eddie munson comfort fic #eddie munson masterlist #eddie Munson x reader #eddie Munson x you #stranger things #eddie Munson

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boinin · 4 months

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One last point—Niko and Zantetsu rock up to Nagi's dorm deliberately, but the lengths they go to find him... Tracking the wet floor marks? Genius.

Niko does so with purpose, and I'd like to highlight the way this was implied early on in the main manga. Even the way Hiiragi goes, huh—this is the guy you two wanted to see? indicates the precision in how Niko plans their 3V3 match-up.

Throwback to the volume 9 omake:

We know Niko's a strategist; Zantetsu is a reliable forward and defender, when directed by someone with good playmaking sense (see how Reo uses him in Team V's first selection matches).

The "someone [Niko] can actually talk to" turns out to be Hiiragi, who seems to have a reasonable level of intelligence and calm. His playstyle is a mystery, so I'm curious to see how he fits into among the others. He may be an excellent passer, like Hiori, or maybe something we haven't seen before.

Anyway, I love that Niko looked at his team, decided let's ball, then tried poaching the best player from his stratum... on a team that also arguably has that stratum's second best player. Before even commencing a match, Niko gets the rules of the second selection, understanding that success there is driven by individual talent more than teamwork overall (while still looking to cover his own shortcomings). In addition, he recognises Nagi's prodigy, and believes he can nurture it in the absence of Reo.

Such an underrated character. He's a mirror of Isagi in many ways, or like a shadow. They have similar talents, but their paths to the top are very different.

Still, this 3V3 didn't work out for Niko. The second stage results don't give us a whole lot of insight into how the other teams were formed... but Hiiragi/Niko weren't a duo that could ultimately triumph.

We know Hiiragi and Niko lose Zantetsu to Nagi's team. Then, they must have won once (to pick up a third player), then lost twice (allowing Hiiragi and Niko to be stolen, respectively). Alternatively, they go on to win twice, then lose (when Hiiragi is stolen)... then lose again (Niko is stolen). Bear in mind, this is in addition to the three days it took Rin's team to steal Isagi and emerge as a 5V5 team.

The second selection timeline will forever bug me, because the final numbers were capped, and the qualifiers were up against many other teams. With 24 hours between each match, surely playing 4+ matches like Hiiragi and Niko would have jeopardised their odds of qualifying overall? Yet, neither Hiiragi nor Niko's teams were last to qualify.

I guess... the teams made up of mob characters were so afraid of disqualification, they didn't seek matches at all? It's something chapter 58 alludes to. Kind of hilarious in retrospect: if they had just gone on and beaten one another, they'd have easily won out on time over the last three or four qualifying teams. Fortune favours the brave in Blue Lock.

#we'll never know... unless we get Episode Niko... followed by Episode Hiiragi... followed by—#i could read a whole bunch ot spinoffs for this manga i swear #blue lock #blue lock manga #episode nagi #episode nagi spoilers #blue lock spoilers #blue lock manga spoilers #bllk #bllk manga #epinagi chp 19 #niko ikki #nagi seishiro #hiiragi reiji #tsurugi zantetsu

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wildglitch · 1 month

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What if Zombies!Spidey x DCU LETS GOOOOOOOOO-

O K-

So, This is the (Probably not the last, don't worry) post with ideas for my What If Zombies!Peter In the DCU AU. This is the post that (Finally) Focuses on the DC side of things. This post Is also going to be mainly focused on Peter and what he's up to cause he's the focus of this AU, but I’m probably gonna make another post with info on the other heroes, so If your interested in that, don't worry cause I am thinking about them (Bucky & Loki = Brainwashed bros)

Its also part 1 of Idk since this post kinda got away from me with its length (oops)

Anyways, without further adieu, let's start :D

-So! starting this off with something fun and not that serious that I just found out. this should have probably gone in the first post but I didn't know this until now so here, a +1 info on “facts about the zombie apocalypse” tm.

Ok, so at this point you know I like to play around with the timeline right? Ok so, I’m researching the dates and events things take place in right? Turns out, the snap happened in either May or June, and one source even said that it happened on May 31. Now, with this in mind and the fact that I said the apocalypse lasted between 7-8 months, what happens if you subtract 8 months from May? You get October. And if you add the date to it? Guys…I accidentally made it that the zombie apocalypse starts on Halloween! That's just insane!

The official timeline now is 8 months of the zombie apocalypse, no more no less, sorry, I don't make the rules :^ (omg I made Antman & the Wasp a halloween movie lmao. It fits)

-Alright so, Peter, Head Scott/w the cloke and T’challa are on a plane on their way to Wakanda when all of a sudden, well, how many of you seen the Young Justice Episode s1e19 Misplaced? (Btw have I talked about how much I love Billy batson? I will one of these days ok, and that's a threat) well anyways

Airplane squad: *”peacefully” traumatized on a plane to Wakanda

Airplane squad: *the people on the plane fucking fazes out of reality leaving him alone to fly the plane*

Peter: *Panik*

Peter: *feels a pull wanting to take him but fighting it off as he tries to fly a fucking plane*

Peter: *also fades out of reality but much later the other and is now falling to certain doom in the middle of the ocean*

Peter: “Oh What the F-”

Ya that-

I mixed aspects of the snap and scene from misplaced as their way of splitting up. And, they did split up. A high speed plane plus the time it took them to disappear firmly separates Peter from the rest of the heros. And thus the adventure commences

-unlike Billy who can fly, Peter falls head first at top speeds and a thousand meters high into the ocean. This can happen a few different ways

1) Peter is stranded, and is found by Young Justice or any superhero team that was passing through the ocean and thinks “Oh shoot, that's a child”. And this is how he ends up with the league. This one is kinda fast and there wouldn't be any identity reveal since at this point this Peter has no concept of such a thing. But a good way to work around this is memory loss. Not really my cup of tea but I can very much see this happening considering how hard he hit his head

2) …So Peter fucking dies-

Listen! I somehow started off with my 2 most opposite extremes of ideas, but hear me out. The fall? It kills him. But lets say that some cult or the league of assassins or some shit find his body, realize he’s a “meta” and decide “Yeah, this is a good revival candidate” And they revive the poor sucker. He is held captive HYDRA style and they try to turn him into a weapon. Obviously, he escapes, set free onto the world with a few months of trauma and a stolen one way ticket anywhere. And that anywhere just so happens to be Gotham. I’ll let your mind take it from there

3) This is the last version of events I’m gonna mention and I think this one is the one I'm sticking with, purely for the comedic potential I can see coming out of this. So Peter fought back the spell right? Well unlike the snap where he was fighting a force of nature were he would not have won, Peter was fighting Loki off, which,

Yeah, so since Loki had to focus on getting that idiot spider child to cooperate, he loses track of everyone else, and all of a sudden, the fuzzy mental image he had of everyone dissipates, and Peters becomes the full focus. This lets him save the kid from the crash, but he now doesn't know where all of the others are, including his brother, and now he can't really get to any of them.

Peter: Fighting off that staticy feeling that's trying to take him

Loki: *Genuinely struggling to get this non magic kid to corporate with him*

Loki: Damnit CHILD! I'm trying to save your worthless life!

Peter: *Legit almost wins and gets left by himself in the zombieland*

Loki: …What did they feed you?

-Peter is saved with a spell that's basically the bubble from steven universe but Loki style. He can breathe just fine, but he can't get out or call for hell. He spends many Hours like this.

-Ok so, Loki is a god. We have established this, I keep mentioning it (sorry) he himself brings this up multiple times. What is something gods tend to have sometimes? Avatars, people who act out their will on Earth. You see where I'm going with this? Since Peter is the only mortal from his world he has access to, and because he is stuck on the watchtower, he decides to make a deal with Peter to make him his Avatar and have him look for the others (Thor). Peter, after having most of the situation explained to him, accepts his offer, with a few conditions here and there that prevent Loki from taking full advantage of him. But at the end of the day, they are both desperate and accept the others' offers and conditions with little fuss.

-Deals and conditions for the avatar contract between Peter and Loki

Loki’s Mission: Find the other mortals and spread chaos as his agent Loki’s Offer: Slight magical aid, “ability boost”, Protection from other magical entities, Godly guide and knowledge and Loki wont force Peter into doing anything too grotesque Loki’s conditions for Peter: He will be able to access anything Peter is seeing and be able to take control of any situation if he sees it fit, he must go on the missions he sends him on, And if the situation ever truly demands it, he will listen to everything Loki tells him to do Peter’s Mission: Finding his friends and finding a cure to his world in this new one as Loki’s Agent. He must also make good impressions on other Magical being in this world as to not shame the god he’s representing Peter Offer: His loyalty and tentative trust, he won't argue too much and will do his absolut best to find Thor. he will Listen to Loki and do what he says Peter’s Conditions for Loki: Will become his Avatar as long as he gets to keep being a hero and doesn't have to hurt or kill people. He will only do a mission once a month, and he will not advertise the Avatar bit. Peter gets free will, He can refuse to do something as long as he isn't demanded of it.

With this, a hand shake, and some blood, The deal is made in the bubble in the middle of the ocean.

-Peter is now Loki’s Avatar, Moonknight style, Yay! They don't really like each other that much due to circumstance but it's fineeeeeee. I did this because 1) I thought of a scenario that didn't really make sense unless Peter was somehow talking to him 2) It’s a little nod to the fact most of the fics have the snapped souls with Peter on his adventure. I thought that this way he can still have his voice in his head , it's not that crowded because it's only one voice, and it's not that Intrusive because Loki isn't going to be with Peter 24/7 only when he needs him, he's using some of his powers, or when he can sense distress or danger coming from Peter- Other than that he's stuck at the watchtower trying to plan his next moves. And 3) Cause the thought came to me and i thought it was fucking Holirouse.

-With Some trickery, Peter sneaks onto a boat and spends his time hidden under the deck pretending and hides like a corner spider the whole trip

-Peter in his, Hasn't been around actual living breathing humans for such a long time, self, breaks down and cries at the docks. Coincidentally, The bats are doing a drug bust there and a wearhouse not 10 feet away from him blows up.

-Peter in his typical fashion, Puts on his mask and runs into the building looking for survivors.

-The bats, not knowing what happened, see’s this costume stranger helping the thugs get away and immediately clocks him as a villain. Opps

-They fight, misunderstandings happen and now, The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man Is on the front page as gothams hottest new Rogue. Well shit

-Peter being the smart guy he is, squats at an unoccupied apartment and claims it as his. Then Loki shows up after weeks of radio silence, takes one look at the place and says, hell nah, and fixes the place up with magic making the place more than livable. With some (probably magical) persuasion, the guy renting out the place actually puts him on the lease with 50 bucks of monthly rent. Does Peter feel guilty…well? Gotta roll with the punches man. Plus, this place looks nice, ignoring his 20 something neighbor that has enough blood on him to turn his white hair dye red that had sent his spider sense. This is fine.

-With some help from the voice in his head and walking through dark alleys at night, he finds a guy that works for immigration and was selling sketchy (But legit) identities. Not really trusting the guy but in desperate need and ID for the lease he was about to sign, He coughs up all the savings he had, took a Photo, and Ben P. Riley was born. He said he didn't trust the guy.

-Peter has decided to go by an alias for a few reasons, like not knowing if there was already another Peter Parker in this reality and not really wanting to risk it or the plain fact that he didn't really trust anyone in this new reality with it (Loki and his magical guidance, he has firmly decided to never give out his name so freely ever again). His name is one of the last things from his past life that he can call his own, And if his “Villainous” identity was revealed as Peter Parker, he didn't know if he could handle it. The most simple reason was that he just missed his family and wanted something in this new life he was making for himself to remind himself of them. Ofcourse, he still added that P in there middle so as to not completely erase himself.

-Peter spends a full month just trying to get used to living in a society again, This causes some problems and misunderstandings.

-After many series of misunderstandings and mishaps, everyone thinking he's evil, Peter decides, YK what's, If I can't beat them, join them. Peter starts going out as the “Villain Spider-Man” doing sketchy shit (normal teenage shit) and causing a commotion in Gotham. Peter counts this as his act of mischief and Loki agrees when he sees the kid sell his own photos to the newspaper. Peter isn't actually doing anything evil, it's just his presence that brings fear. The fact that the bats have caught him breaking into multiple high security facilities doesn't really help his case

-Peter spends his months looking through files and files of info searching for the others, but has just about no luck on anything.

-Peter, forced by a mission, goes undercover in Gotham prep to follow one of Loki’s leads. He doesn't really know what he's doing here, but this Tim guy is pretty nice

-Cause of the amazing pictures he keeps selling to the paper, the company hires him full time as their photographer for special events and even lets him write a few articles when they see the notes he puts next to his pictures that provide contexts and stuff like that. This job opens Peter to search to a whole new horizon.

-With Peter's new job, hes sent to many different cities which introduces him to many different people

-He meets Jimmy Olson on a trip to Metropolis and hits it off pretty well with the older man. Jimmy introduces him to his friends and coworkers Lois and Clark, both of whom are just a delegate. Though that Clark guy as not stopped setting of his spider sense since he met him

-The next place he went to was a city called Fawcett, where he was sent to help with a story with one of the local reporters who was apparently his age.

Boss guy: Ben, meet Billy. You two will be working together on the report for this years summer festival

The two sniff each other out as godly “employees” and exchange numbers. And thus, a friendship was born as Billy decided to keep an eye out for any other reality travelers, and Peter is put as one of his emergency contacts to help him get out of shit since he was “technically 20 according to his ID”

Peter: *Looks at Billy*

Billy: *Looks at ‘Ben’*

*Insert that one Spider-Man meme*

-Peter is also sent to Gothams sister city Bludhaven. Peter,ends up meeting a weird police officer that keeps expecting him to take pictures of the guy. But he's nice enough and bought him a hotdog and a cinnamon roll(even though he now thinks he's allergic to them), so the weird outweighs the good.

-On his trip to Bludhaven, Peter decides to go out as spider-man. Not to cause trouble, but to go sightseeing and swinging without the interference of a bat. He ends up sitting upside down on an old building (like that one Atsv scene) working on some leads he has when all of a sudden, Nightwing appeared right behind him dangling off the side of the building like a mad man giving him a heart attack. Nightwing is about to confront the spider after his sneak attack was caught, but before he does, Peter holds out the cinnamon roll towards the vigilante as a peace offering rushing out the words “Please don't hit me!” and Nightwing just stares. He stares long and hard looking between the treat and the Spider mask. Peter was about to run from them when Nightwing sort of just…sits. Or sits at the best of his abilities with no gravity defying powers. He actually does a pretty good job at it. Nightwing takes to offering with a nod and the 2 just sort of sit there in silence. It's awkward and weird, and quiet but for some reason he doesn't feel as uncomfortable as he thinks he should. Even less when he feels the ringing of his spider senses slowly die down as the minutes pass until it's just a constant hum at the back of his head

-They don't talk after that but from here is a turning point as to how the Bat clan view the spider.

More? Nay I say! (There will be a part 2 to this specific post, but it has gotten too long and I need to go to bed. So hopefully this will do for now :^) Plus this feels like agood stoping point since I feel like that ending would mark the ending to an arc

Please let me know what you think of this AU. I love seeing other people's ideas and thoughts. It fuels me lo

And make sure to keep an eye out for Part 2 of this post.

Later

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odditycircus-2002 · 6 months

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Medusa!Reader and Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat 1 Part 12

Spoilers for MK 1 Story Mode: Proceed with Caution

Sooo, given how this whole ending is, just bear with me here, given there will be an alternate version of you. Still, I'll do my best to try and keep it coherent for y'all. Now onwards!

When Lui Kang recruited you to fight against your Titan self and Titan Shang Tsung, you volunteered to be part of his army to fight against the evil Titans. That is primarily because of the fact that they threaten the timeline YOU live in! Luckily, as mentioned before, you wouldn't be fighting alone; you'd be fighting with endless variants of people you know across timelines, including a version of you that appeared to be a heavenly figure.

At the top of the Temple, standing beside Titan Shang Tsung, is your Titan counterpart, who was grinning like a mad woman at the thought of the bloodshed that would take place. You hear her speaking to Lui Kang,

"Oh, but some things never change, Lui Kang. No matter how much you want to deny it. History has a way of repeating itself, such as now.

Titan Y/N claps her hands in amusement as she encourages Titan Shang Tsung as he reveals the allies they both have gathered throughout multiple timelines. Titan Y/N stood with her husband and a Titan Quan-chi as they signaled for their army to attack; in response, your allies charged up the pyramid. As the battle at the Argus's Temple commences, you feel as if everything you did and what happened didn't happen simultaneously.

You couldn't fly up the temple because the skies were packed with other flying Kombatants and projectiles. So you fought and petrified past Kung Laos, Kenshis, Shaos, Barakas, Sub-Zeros, and Rains. Although it wasn't just variant of people you know that you had to fight. The first one you had to face was Sindel, or at least a Sindel mixed with Zateran blood judging from her scaley appearance and how she vomited acid at you mixed with her banshee shriek. After defeating her, you ran off without another word.

Soon after confronting the Reptilian Empress, a Shao/Sub-Zero hybrid sends you to the ground.

"No healer will be able to fix you once I'm through."

While it was cathartic for you to fight another Shao, as you'll never tire of making the brute suffer, the ice he commanded was a bitch for your reptilian skin. Yet, you managed to prevail by slicing off that Shao's head. You had no time to revel in your victory when you had to run from a large group of Titan Shang Tsung's minions. You got a stab in on an evil Kenshi while running from them, though. Shortly after, you're then jumped by a Baraka and Scorpion hybrid.

"We'll see who's fangs are deadlier."

While you were a bit relieved to not be fighting against a Cryomancer, fighting against a Pyromancer wasn't a pleasant experience. Especially one that resembles your dear Baraka. You had no time to dwell on any regret before a blonde woman with a robotic eye that shoots devastating lasers starts to attack you with a large knife. Luckily your blade proved to be sharper as you disabled the blonde's eye by stabbing her in the eye and through the head. Shortly after, you go up against a Kenshi who seems to have mastered Hydromancy. You had to get a bit creative there because of how your petrifying gaze wouldn't work on him. So, the old-fashioned poison would do the trick.

If only the same could be said for the Goro that attacks you with a Warhammer in each arm. Yet, you're then saved by not one or two but three different versions of Johnny Cage, one of them dressed like some sort of ninja errr mime?

"Much appreciated; good health to you all!"

You say to them before you're confronted by a Reiko/Quan-chi hybrid. Like both of his components, he was overly confident in his skills. After defeating him, you climb higher up the pyramid only to be confronted with four people you've never met, all dressed in yellow and black uniforms. Fortunately, you didn't have to fight them alone before another Kitana, this one who wore two buns in her hair and was dressed in a way fitting for the divine, mowed the entire group down effortlessly.

"Oh, thank you so much, your Majesty."

Kitana then got knocked down by some random kombatant who came out of nowhere. After getting through a couple more bizarre hybrids, you were close enough to the top to see your Titan Y/N standing with the Deadly Alliance. The trio, seeing how close you are to the top, combine their magics to throw a huge ball of plasma down the pyramid in your direction. You managed to throw yourself out of the way but at the cost of a large group of people being obliterated. After tumbling down a dozen steps, you're soon confronted by three Mileenas, sais out and thirsty for your blood. While you killed two, one of them managed to pin you down and tried to stab you in the eyes like poor Kenshi. Keyword tried. This time, you took out Mileena's eyes with her own blades.

While Titan Y/N and the Titan Deadly Alliance prepare another spell, who should catch them off guard by attacking them but their far more virtuous counterparts? At first, they appeared to have the upper hand, enough so the more virtuous Shang Tsung could earnestly shout some encouragement to you. You hate how looking at him made you blush.

While Titan Shang Tsung and Titan Quan-chi devour the souls of their more heroic selves, your Titan self has a more sadistic idea in hand. She tore a hole into your virtuous counterpart before grabbing heroic Shang Tsung's spine as a hacksaw, bifurcating your other self. Titan Y/N then uses her blade to swiftly cut off your other self's head and tears off her veil to reveal the writhing head full of snakes beneath. Titan Y/N giggles before she turns her back on the war beneath her feet to toss the decapitated head over her shoulder like it were a bouquet. This turns dozens of the kombatants on either side into stone because they made the mistake of looking at your other self's eyes. These poor souls are soon shattered into pebbles by their enemies, indistinguishable from the rest of the pyramid's ruins. Luckily, you were spared this gruesome fate.

After getting through more strange opponents, you could finally reunite with Lord Lui Kang and follow him the rest of the way up the pyramid. Finally, you reached the top to fight the masterminds behind this war and the conspiracy against your timeline. Titan Y/N was less than impressed.

"I've heard your righteous spiel long enough to last ALL my lifetimes. So please, at least keep this fight interesting."

You knew Lord Lui Kang to be powerful beyond compare, but even with his Titan power restored, he was still one Titan going against three malicious ones. It didn't help that none of them, including Titan Y/N, didn't fight fairly such as when she bit into Lui Kang with her fangs. So with the Fire God currently out of commission you're forced to fight them all alone.

"Honestly, at this point in time, I've forgotten how many of you I've seen die."

Somehow, against all odds, and you nearly dying so many times and sustaining so many injuries, you were still standing among the bloodied and beaten Titans. Lui Kang couldn't help but compliment you on your impressive feat.

"Your praise is like a healing salve for all my wounds. Now, let's cut out these tumors."

Lui Kang, deciding you've done more than enough, walks over to stand over the fallen Titans. Using his own Titan power, he reduces all of them into dust and sand, hopefully making it the last time you'll see any of them specifically. However, without either Titan Shang Tsung or Titan Y/n, it became clear from how the entire realm shook that the timeline was starting to crumble and tear at the seams.

"What now?!"

Lui Kang quickly uses his power to send you back to your native timeline before the current one you're in collapses with you alongside it.

"Thank you for your aid, Y/N. I hope we meet again one day."

You're lifted into the air and surrounded by fire before a bright flash of white goes off in front of you, and you end up exactly where you need to be.

A/N: Whaaa, two posts in one day?!? How can this be??? Anyways, remember to like, reblog, and comment. And if you like, drop and ask a random thought in my inbox, as I do enjoy hearing from y'all!😁😁😁😁

Playlist while writing this

"A Good Song Never Dies" by Saint Motel

"Tot Musica" by Ado

"I Can't Decide" by Scissor Sisters

"Play With Fire" by Sam Tinnesz

"Running up that Hill" feat Meg Myers

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2n2n · 3 months

Note

Can you explain more or less what the mysteries of time did exactly in this chapter? I honestly got confused

That's fair! Happy to talk about my interpretation of anything. Be aware anyone you ask a question to has their own bias-- it might be helpful to reread the manga from start to finish, to better understand an arc, or look for things that foreshadowed it. I think Iro-sensei is actually remarkably good at regularly summarizing & connecting events!!!!

To start though, I'll try to go pretty chronologically in 'things we know'....

we already know the timeline we've been in isn't 'right'. It does not match up with Tsuchigomori's bookstacks, meaning, events have been tampered with in a way that betrays fate. The Clockkeepers are likely aware of this, too, given their power also deals with chronology.

The Clockkeepers have been-- likely this whole time-- waiting for the inevitable opportunity to understand what is going on. By their nature, they are patient.

Since the Broadcast Club is procedurally going through every Mystery & their Yorishiro, eventually the conflict would come to their door. All they needed to do was wait.

As Kako says, "I am never late". For all of the chaos caused in the school, he's rarely in a rush to fix it, and seems to often allow unpleasant things to commence, without concern for the impact on individuals in that little timeline.

(aside, I wonder what he was thinking when Amane said this, in a previous Trial to concern the chaos before the Severance? Another situation wherein Kako was patient, biding his time, & disinterested in rushing to fix the chaos. This is typical for Kako, it would seem. Akane calls him twisted for a reason...)

So, the time finally comes for the Broadcast Club to target the Clockkeepers. Kako holds a trial in order to study the likely culprits, & narrow it down to a sensible explanation. Between Mystery no. 7, his kannagi, and his yorishiro, and I guess Minamoto Teru, whose family legacy is tied to the God, something is 'amiss', and can explain all of this disarray.

Kako has a pragmatic mind. He is indifferent to how many people suffer, apparently including his own body! He is not angry, he does not lash out at Tsukasa for ripping him or Mirai apart. He's waiting patiently to understand.

In a way, this 'trial' is only a staged event, for Kako to wait for a meaningful piece of information to 'click' everything into place. As Amane and Tsukasa quarrel, he finally has the reasonable explanation for EVERYTHING in this timeline going off the rails...

What is that reasonable explanation?

The timeline has been tampered with by a God-- someone who can apparently act outside of the typical boundaries of human & kaii.

The God appears to be .... a body of water, perhaps? Whatever the case, it is connected to a body of water at the pit of a cavern. Sacrifices were thrown down a pit to this God in Sumire & Hakubo's time.

The Minamoto clan personally governed the raising & managing of these sacrifices in ancient times, so it makes sense Kako had suspected Teru of involvement, hence his inclusion in the trial.

Nene-chan met the withered souls of the past Kannagi beneath the Red House, the Yugi twin's family home.

The Well God beneath the Yugi family home is the same God Sumire & Hakubo's village relied on for safety & protection. If you tuned out of Sumire & Hakubo's story (many did, finding it irrelevant...), go back & reread it all!!!!

which Tsukasa had bonded with & given voice to,

and became merged with Tsukasa, somehow, during his stay in the Red House-- a space outside of time. Something about Tsukasa is different, from all of the other kannagi thrown to the cavernous pit... despite that he intended to sacrifice himself for Amane.

Tsukasa became entangled with it...

Humans historically prayed to this God & made offerings to it. This God granted wishes for a price, just like Amane & Tsukasa do. Aida-sensei recently depicted people praying to Tsukasa in the house, mirroring how people prayed to the God.

Sumire explains the Well God thoroughly in her arc:

Nene-chan also outlines how the Mysteries are some sort of new, alternate solution to relying upon sending sacrifices to the Well God in the Severance:

(the Mysteries themselves meanwhile, are described as being Pillars of God,

and seem to channel their powers from a central God... destruction of the Yorishiro is described by Sakura as "returning the power (to their) original form".

It's possible the Mysteries borrow THE Well God's power using the Yorishiro system, so as the Mysteries are peeled, Tsukasa's God-self sucks it in. This means destroying EVERY Yorishiro, returns 100% of the power to the God-- eventually even unspooling Tsukasa [for some reason, it will also kill Nene-chan, which might mean she also contains a portion of the God, keeping her alive?]. But that's getting into theorizing... so I won't dwell But I kinda say this so you are less confused later?).

Kako, having identified the God's presence within Tsukasa, is now going to go back in time to 'correct' the irregularities.

We see Kako go back in time to the year before the Yugi twin's murder-suicide or as it's often referred to as, shinjuu (lover's suicide). He goes to 1968-- the Yugi died together in 1969.

The Clockkeepers are going to create a new, 'fixed' timeline. They know Tsukasa is housing a God in his body, & has since he was young. They will stop Tsukasa, somehow, from being able to skew events.

We don't know what the new world will be like, and neither does Akane.

Meanwhile... Akane does not actually trust the Clockkeepers:

It would appear as if Akane has instructed Teru to perform some kind of ritual on Nene-chan, perhaps as a failsafe?

Akane has placed his trust in Nene-chan in the past, so maybe he wants to have assets to pull on, in the event the new timeline is in some way, bad for himself or Aoi.

Akane hopes the 'new present' is a good one. He is waiting to see for himself what the Clockkeepers are doing, and if it is actually good for any of them, or only good for themselves.

We know that, typically, when the Clockkeepers tamper with time, they take the memories of those involved in the affairs:

However, at the end of this recent chapter, we see Nene-chan register time has changed, confused & startled by the sudden reset.

which likely means that someone has ENSURED she will retain her memories of the previous timeline. Probably Akane & Teru! Aoi meanwhile, is likely ignorant.

(HOWEVER, it's also possible Nene-chan's high spiritual power alone could enable her memory retention...? Kako mentions high spiritual power could effect such a thing in the first Clockkeeper's arc. Kou's spiritual power is weak, so he's likely to lose his memories, but we don't really have a grasp of Nene-chan's... other than, Teru himself is quite surprised by her ability to bless away the mass cursing in the 'Kegare' chapter)

So in summation:

Tsukasa is confirmed to contain the Well God. The Well God is confirmed to be the ancient God from Sumire & Hakubo's time. Tsukasa is seen by the Clockkeepers as responsible for the timeline we have spent this entire manga in. The entire circumstances of the timeline have NOW been altered by doing something to Tsukasa or Amane in 1968. We are possibly now inside the 'corrected' timeline. Akane is observing this new timeline for irregularities. Nene-chan is also now observing it.

Everything that just happened with the Big Clock, Mitsuba, the chaos in the school, has been undone.

What does that entail? It's my blog so now I can extrapolate for fun-- for FUN!!--

Tsukasa is the reason Mitsuba could even be a simple ghost, and meet Kou as one at all. Does he even exist in this timeline? Will Kou have his old memories? Or would Teru prefer him mindwiped? (Kou was more agreeable & loyal to him before meeting Hanako & Mitsuba, after all)...

If the shinjuu was stopped & Tsukasa alone was plucked somehow, is Amane even no. 7? Is he even dead?

Are we in the bookstacks-recorded timeline? Or is this another timeline? Will we see multiple different timelines as the Clockkeepers try different solutions, or just the one?

is it a good thing, to make it so the shinjuu never happened?

will we, the readers, LIKE IT? or will we be scared & upset, as everything we had observed up until this point is utterly erased?

will Nene-chan recognize this as BETTER? is it what she WANTS?

will we want our original timeline BACK?

Nene-chan once wanted this...

.... but can she confess to 'Hanako', or be with him at all, in this world? Hanako-kun was a mononoke from the 1960s. We don't even know what bizarre events transpired to turn a normal tragic boy into a mononoke, and a School Mystery at that. It's likely never been 'correct' that he be with Nene-chan. That they know each other as teens at all feels like not only a huge fluke, but perhaps an elaborate orchestration (perhaps by someone who wants them to be together, perhaps by someone who can see many timelines and wants Amane's happiness, yet doesn't believe they can personally be loved by Amane directly... perhaps someone who met Nene-chan long ago, 'before' all of this, & knew she could love him, in some sort of space outside of time... hmm... ).

Nene-chan and Hanako-kun bonded as Mystery & his Kannagi, tasked with correcting the rumors flung into chaos by the Broadcast Club. Those are the circumstances they fell in love under.

Isn't it so exciting? We're going to learn so many lessons!!!!!! It's time to be grateful for what we had, MAYBE!!!!

#avvy's JSHK

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hypnotisedfireflies · 1 year

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Drifters, a book of Tess and Joel

Hi, I'm Arien and I write a lot of Tess x Joel (The Last of Us) fanfic set within four different universes:

My main sandbox is Driftersverse, which comprises of:

1. Drifter's Dawn: a mostly canon-compliant origin story of Tess, following the first 20 years between Outbreak Day and the events of TLOU and 2. Drifter's Dusk: a very non-canon-compliant fix-it fic that you can either take or leave, depending on whether you like happy endings or not and 3. A collection of stories derived from reader prompts* set within Driftersverse that take place between 2003 - 2026.

4. A Modern AU that stands on its own but connects to Driftersverse (the "what if" the apocalypse didn't happen, commencing in 2003).

5. An 1870s Western AU that is separate from Driftersverse.

6. A bodyguard/boss 1970s AU based on this short story.

*I'm always open to prompts set within any the universes in which I write. I can't guarantee I will write a fic for everything I receive, but I do my best to address it as per the asks (see below) as either a single story, part of a larger story, as ficlets or just a collection of ideas.

Artwork

See some beautiful art created by readers.

Also check out this wonderful map by @ruemondetour ! (contains spoilers)

Asks Masterlist

A list of popular asks that include ficlets, tidbits about the stories, etc. A lot of extra content for the stories I write and smaller fic that doesn't appear on AO3. (A full list of asks can be found here).

Timeline

Stories do not have to be read in order (and were not written so) but this might help keep things straight given how fricken long this shit is getting.

(Tess gif: richardgrimes, Joel unknownHeader: screenphotography)

#the last of us #tlou #joel x tess #tessjoel #tess servopoulos #joel miller #ao3 fanfic #fanfic #tlou fanfiction #tlou fandom #tlou fanart

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childotkw · 1 year

Note

You have so many aus I'm starting to get a bit confused. Can you explain the different aus? Maybe just the basics of them?

Sure!

ruination

Canon divergence AU | lucemond

Lucerys survives the fall and washes ashore at a small islet. He is there for days and when hunger overwhelms him, he eats the only thing available to him - the remains from Arrax. That is the catalyst, and soon Cannibal comes for him, claiming Lucerys as his rider because they’ve both feasted on dragon flesh and therefore are the same. Lucerys returns to Dragonstone to the immense joy of his family, but he’s different, darker, closer to madness then he’s ever been before. His bond with Cannibal slowly turns him into someone more wild, more dangerous and bloodthirsty.

The war commences, only Lucerys takes to the battlefield this time with his wild-dragon. He is feared and respected in equal measure; and his growing obsession with getting revenge on Aemond for Arrax twists into something he struggles to name. On Aemond’s side of things, finding out his nephew still lives, that he’s clawed his way back from The Stranger and is gunning for him, is both a relief and the spark that brings his own desires roaring forth.

the salt in our blood

Blacks win AU | lucemond, side-Rhaena/Lucerys

Lucerys survives the fall, is picked up by some helpful fishermen, and is whisked back to Dragonstone. Instead of claiming another dragon, he fully embraces his Velaryon side and joins his grandsire on the sea. Through Corlys’ close tutelage, Lucerys becomes a renowned and respected sailor, and earns the moniker of ‘Sea Dragon’. Jace is killed during the Dance, the first major casualty on either side, and the death of his favourite nephew is what prompts Aegon to surrender and bend the knee to Rhaenyra, on the condition that his family is spared. Joff dies to a sickness as well, leaving Lucerys as Rhaenyra’s oldest living child, and the only one from her first marriage. Bastard or not, he is named heir to the Iron Throne, but he pushes that it’s only until Aegon III comes of age. To recover from the spiral he’s slipping into, Corlys takes Lucerys out onto the sea to have some adventures and give him a chance to heal. While out there, Lucerys is claimed by Grey Ghost, and they return to King’s Landing after a year or two. Lucerys marries Rhaena, and they become platonic best friends. They’re not in love, but they do their duty and have an heir on the way.

Lucerys is confronted with his complicated feelings for Aemond, and the two of them are caught in a push-and-pull game, where neither are sure what, exactly, they’re doing but they are still helplessly drawn together. Rhaena knows all and subtly encourages Lucerys to take what he clearly wants; and he later repays the favour when she looks for her own lover. It ends up being a strange four person agreement, with Lucerys and Rhaena married and occasionally and strategically planning to produce heirs, while still being with their chosen partners. It’s a quiet scandal that no one really talks about, but they’re all happy so no one dares question it.

new dawn

Reincarnation / modern AU | lucemond

Lucerys dies from Vhagar’s attack and wakes up reborn in the Blackfyre Rebellions with all his memories intact. He’s born to a poor couple, and though he’s distraught over what became of his first family, he learns to accept his lot in life. Eventually, he finds out that Aemond has been reincarnated as well, but he’s so angry at his uncle that he runs from him. This is the cycle they fall into for centuries. They die, are reborn further along the timeline, Aemond finds Lucerys to ask for forgiveness, Lucerys rejects him and runs away, and then eventually they die. Rinse and repeat.

When they reach modern times, Lucerys finally acknowledges that he’s been bitter enough and that he should learn to forgive. He’s the one to track Aemond down this time, finding that his uncle is at a dig-site of an ancient Westerosi city. There, they slowly begin to bond and forgive each other, only to stumble across some petrified dragon eggs. The two of them accidentally revive the eggs, and have to go on the run to protect the baby dragons from the people that want to kill / use them for their own purposes. Along the way, the two of them realise their complex feelings for each other.

dichotomy of loyalty

Modern / Mafia AU | lucemond

The Targaryens are a feared Family in the underworld. They’re violent, fiery, and rule with an iron fist. Laenor, Rhaenyra’s husband, is not cut out for the lifestyle and wants to leave. He doesn’t want his children, because they are his despite the lack of blood, to grow up in this world - so when the chance comes, he takes the only child he can successfully save, Luke, and runs. They escape to Essos, where their Families have little presence, and live peacefully for many years. Luke grows up and goes to medical school, volunteering at a clinic to get more experience while he studies.

One night he comes across an injured Aemond and offers to fix him up, unaware of their relation. Aemond figures out Luke’s identity and begins coming around more and more, until he finally gets permission from Aegon to collect their long-lost nephew. They ransack his house, beat and take Laenor, and drag Luke back to his mother, stepfather, siblings, cousins and uncles and aunt. He has to learn to navigate a bloody, vicious world and try and escape a family he has no memories of but who are all determined to keep him this time.

#anonymous #HOTD #ruination au #the salt in our blood au #new dawn au #dichotomy of loyalty au #lucerys velaryon #aemond targaryen #lucemond

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thebabblingbrookenook · 1 year

Text

The Viscount Who Loved Me Too Much - Part 1

Pairings - Anthony Bridgerton x fem!reader

Summary - Modern AU - Reader takes control of her life 1 year post heart transplant. She meets Anthony Bridgerton and learns to ask for what she wants in life.

Warnings - 18+ Please, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content

Word Count - 6.4K

Author’s Note - This is being laid out as a 4 Part Series. While I do plan to sprinkle in the fluff and smut, eventually the angst will commence. I really hope you all enjoy the premise for this story. Lots of research has been done to keep this as accurate as possible. Naturally, some liberties will be taken because this is a world of fiction and writing over the top scenarios are a writer’s prerogative. I want to say a huge thank you to @eleanor-bradstreet on this one. She has been conspiring with me behind closed doors to bring you guys this steamy, angst filled series. She also is a wonderful beta reader, keeping me from seeming completely illiterate.

____________________

You’ve crossed many milestones in your life. Some of them big, some of them small. No matter the size, they always left you with the baited question of “What’s next?” This time was no different. You battled through the hardest trial of your life, making this your greatest victory. You suspected that was precisely why the proverbial after held infinitely more pressure now. Simply put, you were terrified.

Today marked the one year anniversary of the day you received a new heart. Frailty and fear were meant to be a thing of your past. You refused to bend the knee to their suppression any longer. You had given yourself this arbitrary timeline of not just physical, but emotional recovery. One year, that’s all you were allotted.

According to your doctors, your body was healing ahead of schedule. There were no post surgical infections, no signs of rejecting the organ, even your incision site had already started to fade into a distant memory. That was all within a few months of your surgery.

While your body seemed ready to move on, your brain and this new heart needed more time to reconcile with each other. Perhaps you were still raw from the upending chaos of your experience, but every emotion was heightened now, dragging you along against your will. There were parts of your personality that you didn’t recognize and feelings that you’d never met before. It was almost like you were living with a stranger, spending your days trying to get to know one another. You were still you, but now you carried this wistful longing that you could never quite silence.

You were always a practical person. It didn’t take much for you to feel content, and you rarely found yourself reaching for more than what you thought you needed. But this new heart had a lustful appetite for life that you couldn’t ignore. In the end, you decided to follow its lead. It was time you stopped viewing yourself and this heart as separate entities, and embraced it as your own.

That’s how you ended up at this moment. You were determined to explore the capacity of your new heart, and the one year deadline you had given yourself was the perfect excuse to surrender and finally trust yourself.

As you exited the doors of Harefield Hospital and stepped into the crisp London air, your lungs filled to the point of bursting. Oxygen flooded your system, inducing a sweeping euphoria that made you sway a little on your feet. You had finally arrived at tomorrow and the time for living was today.

Turning abruptly on your heels, you startled the two women following close behind you. “ We should go out tonight! It has been far too long since any of us have had any fun, and I think today warrants a celebration.”

“Speak for yourself, you invalid,” Ellie teased. “I have loads of fun, I just leave you at home with your mum.”

A smile pulled tight across your face as you watched Ellie wink playfully at your mother who stood disapprovingly at your side. These two women were the only reason you had survived the past year.

Ellie was the first friend you made upon arriving in London for work, and she had stuck to you like glue ever since. At first you weren’t sure if she even liked you at all, but eventually you came to realize that her blunt commentaries were how she showed affection. If you could meet her challenge, you had a friend for life. She was unapologetically herself, and you secretly envied her for that.

Your mother, on the other hand, was yet to warm up to Ellie’s particular brand of love. What you found honest and endearing, your mother found rude and unnecessary. But they both cared about you wholeheartedly and that was enough to broker a truce.

Ellie was the one who called your mother that night when you had to be rushed to the hospital. Two people who lived half a world apart, and could barely tolerate each other's company, came together on common ground and loved you mercilessly back to health.

Rolling her eyes at your friend, your mother protested your suggestion. “Honey, I don’t think that is such a good idea. You’ve had a big day. Maybe you should just go home and rest. We can order in and watch a movie. Your dad said he was going to try and FaceTime us after work. I think he feels bad that he couldn’t fly in for this.”

Using your dad against you was a low blow, even for her. Your mom knew exactly how to manipulate you, and playing on your perverse sense of guilt worked almost every time. The pull to appease her had almost seduced you when Ellie cleared her throat in an attempt to break your trance.

You shook yourself free and stood your ground. “Mom, I love you, but you have got to stop treating me like I’m dying. I can’t live in a bubble for the rest of my life. I need this.”

Shock planted itself firmly on her face while she processed your rebellion. Eventually you started to feel bad for the tone you took with her. She may test your patience and smother you from time to time, but she was still your mother and you loved her. She had uprooted her entire life when you got sick. Flying back and forth from New York to London, splitting her time between her husband and her only child. This had been as hard for her as it was for you.

Taking pity on her, you extended an olive branch. “I understand if you don’t want to, but I’d really like it if you came along. We won’t do anything too crazy.” Her eyes darted over to Ellie who shrugged nonplussed. You chuckled to yourself and reassured her. “I promise, nothing crazy. We can grab a bite to eat. Maybe somewhere that has live music. I’m sure Ellie can recommend a place.”

“Oh, I’m sure she could.” You didn’t appreciate the judgemental tone she directed at your friend, but Ellie didn’t seem fazed in the slightest.

“Mom,” you rebuked. “If I start to feel too tired we can call it a night. You can come or you can head back to the hotel. Either way, I’m going out.”

Ellie flashed you a proud smile and came over to loop arms with your mom. “Come on, Kathleen. I’ll call my old man and have him get us into his club. My treat.”

“It’s not really your treat if your dad foots the bill,” you whispered slyly.

“Hush,” she retorted. “I’m trying to get in good with your mum.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Ellie’s father was able to secure you a table at his club with one phone call. Your friend’s social status was something that she rarely brought attention to, so you knew this was her way of making sure you got the celebration you deserved. And it didn’t hurt that she had seemed to, if only temporarily, silence your mother’s aversion to her.

You couldn’t help but laugh to yourself as you witnessed Ellie’s attempt to defrost your mom’s cold shoulder even further. “Is that a smile that I see, Kathleen? Relaxed looks good on you.”

“I’m having a nice time,” she admitted. “It’s been known to happen once every three to four years. I’m just as surprised as you are that it ended up being with you.”

The shocked look on Ellie’s face was comical. It wasn’t one that she wore often. Most things didn’t take her off guard. The shock quickly transformed to understanding and she returned your mother’s knowing grin. You suspected the third glass of red wine may have been the culprit behind your mother’s easy mood,but you weren’t about to ruin the vibe by pointing it out.

You sat back silently and enjoyed the snarky banter between the two of them. This was the happiest you had felt in a long time. There was a certain peace in acceptance. Your choice to embrace this new version of yourself was liberating. You could be anyone, do anything. Nothing would be as scary as your brush with death and that knowledge gave you an overinflated sense of confidence. You weren’t invincible or impervious to failure, but that old familiar question of “What now,” was being replaced by “Why not?”

Why not have a night on the town with people you adore? Why not accept the exciting new job offer that you hadn’t told anyone about? Why not order the decadent dessert that has been tempting you all night? And why not…

…Oh…

Your breath hitched in your chest. And why not go talk to the gorgeous man sitting at the bar? He was the most beautiful person you had ever seen. Tall with dark hair and even darker eyes, he was a brooding masterpiece. A heaviness rested on his shoulders as he listened intently to someone on the other end of his cellphone. You wondered how his features would be transformed by a smile. If he was this striking while he was sullen, he would be breathtaking with light behind his eyes.

Your heart started to misbehave at the sight of him. It fluttered in your chest and demanded to be acknowledged. You didn’t know his name, his age, or even if he was a good person. But you did know that he was going to be important in your life somehow and your heart was begging you to pay attention. Maybe your heart was as shallow as your eyes. Or maybe it recognized another heart in need of mending.Or most likely, you hadn't been this attracted to anyone since your surgery, and it was just the reaction of its first flood of adrenaline from your body. Either way, you were fully listening now.

Out of habit, your hand reached up to trace the raised edges of the scar that lined your sternum. You could feel the accelerated motions of your breathing and you tried to steady yourself. You had almost forgotten where you were until your mother’s words snapped you back into focus.

“Honey, are you alright?” Her voice was thick with panic. “You’re flushed. I knew this was going to be too much for you. Come on, let’s get you home.”

“No!” Something inside you had risen to assert itself. You weren’t ready to leave him yet. Realizing your sudden outburst, embarrassment crept over you, undoubtedly covering your skin with crimson splotches. “ I mean… It’s nothing. I’m fine. I just got a little…”

“Worked up?” Ellie smiled mischievously. Her gaze subtly drifted to the man you had been admiring.

“You could say that,” you tried but failed to keep the smirk from your lips.

Your mother, bless her heart, remained oblivious to your innuendos. She was too distracted with deciding whether or not she believed you were being truthful about your current condition.

“Really, mom, I’m perfectly fine. I think maybe I just ate too much. I shouldn’t have finished off the chocolate cake.” It wasn’t a lie. You were full to the point of discomfort.

“Yeah,” Ellie chimed in. “I’m sure she’ll be fine once she gets out of those trousers.”

She swallowed her laugh when you kicked her lightly under the table. You had never known someone more incorrigible in your life.

“I can call you a car though,” you suggested nonchalantly. You didn’t need your first attempt at flirting to go down in front of your mother. “I’m sure you’re ready to settle in for the night. You wouldn’t want to miss dad’s call.”

The mention of your father changed her demeanor entirely. Even after thirty years of marriage, she still lit up when she thought of him. Once you had planted the idea, it didn’t take much convincing to get her safely into a taxi and on her way. You had to promise her multiple times that you wouldn’t stay out too late, and all but pinky swore that you’d text her as soon as you got home, but eventually she left you to your own devices.

When you came back inside the club, you found Ellie at your table, grinning like a Chershire cat.

“You’re going to talk to him, aren’t you?” she teased, brimming with pride.

“That was the plan,” you confirmed. “Do you know him?”

She took him in thoughtfully but shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. But he does look an awful lot like a guy I went to RADA with. This is very unlike the y/n I’ve come to know. What’s gotten into you?”

“Second chances and all that…” you shrugged.

“I like it!” She sat back and watched you expectantly. “Well, go on then! Chat him up.”

Your bravado was starting to waiver. Theory was a lot easier than application and it had been a long time since you were a starting player in the dating game. Meekly, you looked to your friend for advice. “Okay, but how? What should I say?”

Her expression was ready and determined. She was born for this kind of thing. “Firstly, stop thinking you are going to be shit at this. And don’t try to argue with me and say that’s not exactly what was going on in your head. I can see it on your face.”

You rolled your eyes, “And secondly?”

“Have a bit of fun at his expense, but keep it cheeky. You don’t want to damage the ego. I mean, look at him,” you both stared longly to the bar where he was seated. “You know that one has an over-inflated sense of self. Make sure you put a little extra twinkle in your eyes to soften the blow. He’s liable to bruise like a peach.”

“Is that all, Sensei? Aren’t you going to spritz me with something or tell me to reapply my lipstick?”

“Fuck no, you’re already glowing.” She waved you off dismissively. “You’re so radiant it makes me sick. Now go… I have nothing more to teach you.”

Standing slowly, you straightened out your clothes and turned to make your way towards your conquest. You halted when you felt Ellie’s fingers wrap around yours. She was looking up at you with pure affection. “Remember that you don’t need him or his approval. You’re the girl that told death to fuck off and he listened. This guy should consider himself lucky.”

Squeezing her hand, you smiled at her gratefully and took your first step in the direction of the bar. The blood was rushing through your veins, but with each forward motion your nerves settled. Something inside you sighed with relief when you reached his side.

You opened your mouth to speak but no sound came out. Luckily, he hadn’t yet looked up to witness you standing there slack-jawed like an idiot. It would have been nice if Ellie at least gave you an opening line.

Cursing under your breath, you decided to abandon ship. “Fuck this…”

“What was that?” came a confused, exhausted voice. “Were you talking to me?”

Apparently you hadn’t spoken quite as under your breath as you thought. Shit, what now? You could pretend you didn’t hear him and slink away. It’s not like you would ever have to see him again. Ugghh, but then you would have to deal with Ellie giving you grief for the next hour. And knowing her, she might take matters into her own hands.

No, you decided, it was much safer to fumble this yourself. You summoned a shy smile and brought your gaze to his. For the love of God, he was even more beautiful up close. His eyes, decadently deep, held a somber softness that stood in stark contrast with the rest of his guarded demeanor.

Something in his expression dissolved your previous anxiety and coaxed an answer from your lips. “Yes… Well, I was going to but then I panicked.”

Briefly, amusement brightened his eyes. “Is that so? Well, by all means… If you had a speech drafted it would be a shame to waste it.”

“No speech. I was vastly underprepared. I haven’t mastered impulse control yet,” you confessed. “All I know is that I wanted to talk to you and I ended up here. I may have contemplated offering to buy you a drink at some point but it’s all a blur.”

“That certainly would have been impressive. I can’t say that has ever happened to me before. Not by a woman at least…” he shrugged nonchalantly.

“May I?” you surveyed.

“How do you mean?” he smirked, intentionally obtuse.

“Can I get you a drink,” you clarified, fighting the urge to roll your eyes.

“No, you may not.” You shrank a few sizes in your disappointment before he redirected your inner spiral. “I don’t drink. But thank you for the offer and the attempt at flirting, however unprepared.”

“Attempt? Ouch…” you feigned injury. “If you don’t drink then why are you hanging out at a bar alone?”

You regretted your question instantly. The faint glimmer that your conversation had managed to bring to his face retreated and was replaced by the torment with which he seemed well acquainted.

“You know what, nevermind. Forget I asked. You don’t even know me, I have no right to that information. It seems I also have not mastered the art of minding my own business.”

“It was a fair question,” he assured you. “One I’ve also been asking myself. It’s been a rough day and I was seeking solitude without actually having to be alone.”

Great. He wanted to be alone and you had effectively ruined his peace. This wasn’t going nearly as well as you’d hoped. “That’s a valid reason. I won’t take up anymore of your time. It was nice to meet you.”

It didn’t hit you until you had turned to walk away that neither of you had given the other your name. He would forever remain a mystery. Your heart sank in your chest. It was arguing with your brain’s decision to end this before it even began.

“I didn’t mean for you to go. Please, sit,” he gestured to the stool next to him. “How about I buy you a drink instead? What would you like?”

Uncontrollable giggles shook your shoulders as he stared at you in disbelief. The look on his face only made you laugh harder. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh at you. It’s just that… I actually don’t drink either.”

Your confession was rewarded with the first genuine smile you had seen from him tonight. “Aahhh, I see. Pot, meet kettle. Your previous scorn was a bit hypocritical, no?”

“Oh, absolutely not. I’m not here alone. This was a celebratory night out with friends for me, but then I saw you and got…” You stopped yourself before you said anything too embarrassing.

“And got, what?” he enticed. You were beginning to feel like you were no longer the one in pursuit.

He had this hypnotic way of looking at you that pried a response from your mouth against your will. “I got distracted.”

Oh, God. The way his eyes darkened sealed your fate. He was well aware of his effect on you, the handsome bastard. He reached out for the fingers of your left hand, turning it over so that your knuckles pressed into the cool, marble bar top. His middle finger tickled the soft skin of your outstretched palm. A single touch and he already had you shivering.

“Are you focused now?” he asked. His tone was meltingly sensual and you crossed your legs in an attempt to hold yourself together. This man was dangerous.

“Fixated,” you admitted. Your lungs stuttered when the pad of his finger moved from your palm to trace seductive patterns along the inside of your wrist.

“I came here seeking a distraction and one found me. What was it that you were searching for when you sought out a total stranger?”

“A reminder,” you blushed. Your desire to fulfill his every curiosity had reached the level of compulsion. “There’s a big difference between living and simply existing. I want more than survival, I want to feel it all. I’ve decided to embrace my inner hedonist. Ask for what I want, take what’s offered to me.”

He considered your words carefully and then, with one fluid motion, hooked his foot under the bar on your stool and pulled you closer to him. The knees of your crossed legs were now cradled between the lean muscles of his thighs. Adrenaline crusaded through your nervous system leaving you breathless and lightheaded.

His intoxicating scent invaded your senses when he leaned in a little closer, his lips now inches from your own. His eyes darted quickly to your mouth before locking you in his stare. “Would you allow me to refresh your memory?”

All you could manage was an affirmative nod. His thumb and forefinger tugged your chin forward and his lips melted into yours. His movements weren’t harsh but they could never be described as gentle. He touched with the surety of someone who knew they were capable of bringing pleasure. Not arrogance, but unadulterated truth. It was clear that you were being handled by a grown ass man. He understood his masculinity, which in turn had you dripping in your own femininity.

Disappointingly soon, he relinquished you back to yourself. His thumb brushed over the now sensitive skin of your thoroughly kissed lips. He was still close enough to feel the heat from his breath as he exhaled with satisfaction.

“How did I do? Do you still need reminding?” His hand splayed out over your upper thigh and you practically squeaked when his fingers inched higher.

“It’s starting to come back to me. It’s still a little cloudy though. Just to be on the safe side, I think I am going to need more,” you challenged him.

His eyes darkened and your bones felt like they turned to lava. “How much more?”

“I want it all, remember? Asking for what I want and..”

“Taking what’s offered to you…” he echoed your words back to you.

“Exactly,” you confirmed. “Do you have an offering?”

His grip on your thigh tightened slightly as he leaned in a little closer, and his voice descended into seduction. “I would very much like to taste you.”

His words were a shock to your system. The man certainly knew how to rise to a challenge. The question was, did you? You couldn’t lie to yourself, you were a little scared. Despite your confident banter so far, this wasn’t a language you were well versed in. Choosing a stallion for your first run seemed dangerous. Maybe a donkey would have been more your speed.

He seemed to read your thoughts and came to your aid. “You want this. Your body language is screaming it. I know for a fact that we would enjoy each other. If you can be brave for me, I promise to devote my full attentions to making sure you feel…everything. You owe me nothing, but you can take as much as you want.”

Your body reacted to his words as if you had been dying from hunger and he offered you food. What sense would it make to deprive yourself now?

Looking up at him between batted lashes, you barely recognized the soft, sultry tone of your own voice. “That’s so… generous of you.”

“Oh, I can be quite giving,” he taunted. “Especially with those who need to learn how to accept more than the bare minimum. The sky's the limit tonight, my dear. What would you like first?”

A small smile played at the corners of your lips. “Well, there is one thing that I have wanted since I first saw you tonight…” You had purposefully lowered your voice, forcing him to lean in to you.

“Tell me,” he prompted. The curiosity danced behind his eyes.

“Your name.” His answering chuckle warmed your insides like a shot of whiskey.

“Anthony,” he offered with a smile. “Anthony Bridgerton.”

You reached out to shake his extended hand. “Nice to meet you Anthony. I’m Y/N.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Your fingers fumbled desperately in your purse searching for your keys. His tongue sliding up the length of your neck had you gasping for air and clutching his shoulders for leverage. His mouth found yours again and he swallowed you whole. Your back was being firmly pressed into the hard wood of your front door, and your front rubbed deliciously against another firm, hard object.

“Anthony, wait,” you pleaded. “I’m never going to find my keys with you touching me like that.”

“I don’t care,” he growled into your ear. “I’d fuck you right here if you’d let me.”

It was tempting, but somehow you didn’t think old Mrs. Finch would appreciate the hallway nudity. She was such a nosy old woman. There was no way she wasn’t perched at her keyhole watching your brazen tryst. Bringing home a random guy was proving to be an exhilarating first for you, but you didn’t think you were ready for exhibitionism.

You pushed playfully against Anthony’s chest and allowed yourself some room to breathe. The oxygen needed to reach your brain for a moment of clarity to open the door. Your fingers shook from the adrenaline and you felt his strong hand steady yours long enough to turn the latch.

The moment the door clicked closed all inhibitions were gone. You were surprisingly comfortable with him already, but you had chosen your place as the location for this dalliance to add an extra layer of security. Ellie knew you were bringing him back here, so you felt like you had done the responsible thing in letting someone else know your whereabouts. You were pretty sure he wasn’t a psycho killer, but you could never be too careful these days. And if he was a killer… well at least you were going out on a high note.

You felt yourself being lifted and wrapped your legs securely around his waist as he carried you deeper into your home. “Where’s the bed?” he asked breathlessly.

“End of the hall,” you instructed between peppered kisses. “Last door on the right.”

You didn’t need the bed. At this point, any flat surface would do, but he seemed determined to lay you down on something soft. He held you tightly with one arm while he reached blindly for the light switch. For a split second, you felt panicked. If the lights were on, he would be able to see every flaw, every imperfection, every scar…

“Fuck the lights,” you commanded. “Get your pants off.”

The vibration from his laughter made you moan. “Yes, ma’am.”

He set you down on the foot of your bed and kneeled in front of you to yank off your shoes. His deft fingers expertly popped the buttons on your jeans, and before you knew it, he was peeling them down your legs.

“I thought I said your pants, not mine,” you argued.

“You first. I need you on my tongue. I can’t wait.” You yelped a little when he lifted your hips to rid you of your panties.

Your eyes had adjusted to the dimness of the room. The large window behind you cast him hauntingly in the moonlight. He was so beautiful it almost hurt. You watched him in awe as he kissed along the inside of your knee. The smile on his face when he looked up to meet your gaze melted you from the inside out, and you threw your head back with a shudder.

He stood between your thighs, looming over you to pull his shirt over his head. His bare abdomen was at the perfect level for you to reach out and kiss. He hummed appreciatively, running his hand through your hair as your lips covered him from hip to hip. His skin was warm and soft, and the light dusting of hair that led your eyes downward made your mouth water.

“Arms up,” he requested.

He reached for the hem of your shirt and pulled it up your arms. You were sitting perched on the edge of your bed, completely naked with him nestled between your legs. To say you were feeling exposed was an understatement. Your arms came down immediately to cover your chest.

“Hey,” he lifted your chin, forcing you to look up into his face. “Don’t hide your body. Don’t hide any part of you. You’re beautiful and I want to see…”

Your lashes fluttered open to find him staring intently into the depths of your eyes. The lust that you saw reflected there spoke directly to your aching core, the evidence slicking your open thighs. Gently, his hands pushed yours away and there was nothing left to hide behind. You watched him carefully as he cataloged your body. Reflexively, you flinched when his eyes took in the eight inch scar that lined your sternum.

His arm snaked around your waist and pulled you up the bed to lay your head against the pillows. Without leaving you, he kicked his shoes off over the edge of the mattress and crawled his way up your body to press his lips to yours. The heat from his tongue ran down the length of your neck and his teeth nipped along your collarbone. He paused when his lips brushed over the hollow spot just at the base of your throat.

You knew what he was about to do and you panicked. Your hands wound into his hair, effectively holding him still. “Don’t. It’s ugly.”

He shook his head vehemently, rebuking your insecurity. “No, it brands you a survivor. Makes me fucking hard to know how much strength is under my fingertips right now.”

You shivered when his lips pressed into your scarred skin. He watched you track his movements while kissed over the puckered mark between your breasts. With each kiss, his tongue traced the line with a languid stroke. Slow and seductive, he moved down your body until he reached the end of your incision just above your diaphragm. His head bobbed up and down in time with your ragged breathing.

He was such a gentleman, stopping to give you time, but you needed him to move. “Keep going.” Your hands found their way into his hair again and gave him a gentle nudge in the right direction.

“Mmmmm. With pleasure.”

There was no more talking after that. His mouth was entirely too busy making you feel things. Your brain was so overwhelmed with pleasure that words would have been impossible to find. He looked perfect with his face submerged in you. The obscene, feral noises coming from this throat sent pulsing waves of pleasure into your body. His tongue worked relentlessly against your clit, sucking and pulling you into his mouth. One hand pressed firmly on your tummy to keep you in place while he plunged deeper. He lapped at your opening, fucking you lavishly with the heat of his tongue while his nose grazed tantalizingly over your swollen clit.

“I knew you were going to taste damn near perfect,” he moaned. “God, and the way you smell is making my cock throb. Do you have any idea how devastating you are to me? I need to be buried in you but not before you box my ears with these gorgeous fucking thighs” His teeth bit down on the inside of your leg causing you to jerk with pleasure. His tongue circled the bite mark in a soothing motion, applying his saliva like a healing salve. “Tell me what you need to make that happen.”

“I want your mouth and your hands. And I want you to be rude about it.”

“You want it filthy. I can do that.” He flattened his tongue, spreading your lips apart and licked a slow, antagonizing path from your soaking entrance to the hypersensitive bundle of nerves hiding beneath its hood. His thumb joined the assault and you writhed under his touch. One thick finger pushed into you and he hissed out his approval. “You’re absolutely dripping. I think you need another finger.”

“Ohhhhh,” you moaned out as a second finger curled inside you.

“Mmmm, that’s it. Take my fingers like a good fucking girl. Can this pretty pussy handle one more for me?” A third finger stretched you wide, filling you with a satisfying ache.

And then he moved. His mouth captured your clit roughly with the suction of his lips, creating a lewd popping noise when the pressure released you from his mouth. His fingers pumped in and out of your cunt at a punishing rate, your hips lifting slightly from the bed to chase the release he was pushing you towards. He slurped and kissed along your folds, collecting the arousal now spilling out around his fingers. The stubble on his face teased you lightly with an almost painful friction

Your back arched towards heaven when his ministrations found the perfect rhythm. His groans of approval stimulated you even further and you trembled around him uncontrollably. He guided you through your orgasm, slowing his movements to help you land safely back on Earth. Aftershocks rippled down your spine with each pass of his tongue that still toyed with your exposed nerve ending.

Lacing your fingers into his luscious, messy locks, you pulled him harshly up your body.

“Get up here,” you demanded. Your mouth crushed into his and you could taste your own pleasure on his strong tongue. “Fuck me. Fuck me right now!”

Your hands fumbled desperately with his belt, pushing the soft material of his dress pants over his toned ass. He came to your aid, yanking the remainder of his clothes down his legs and kicking them off the bed. His knees forced your thighs wider, opening you to him without obstruction.

A shocked gasp escaped your lungs at the harshness of his entry. It was a pain you welcomed, stretching you to your limits deliciously. Your hands moved to the muscular globe of his backside, gripping him beseechingly, pushing him deeper inside you.

His hot breath tickled your neck as he panted heavily in your ear. Your fingers explored the taut muscles rippling along his back, finally settling your grip under his broad shoulders. All of his grunts and whimpers set your blood on fire. The entire room smelled like the feral creatures you were, driving the primal instinct to rub each other into oblivion.

This was exactly what you needed. The feel of his body hovering over yours soothed an entire year’s worth of loneliness. And the feel of him moving within you sparked a hope for new beginnings. You could have a life of excitement and fulfillment. There could be passion and joy. Fear could simply signify a nervousness for things unknown, urging you to expand your horizons. It didn’t have to be a prison forcing you to merely exist without the driving purpose of being alive.

You clung to him for dear life as your second orgasm overtook your senses. The walls of your channel pulsed around him, eliciting from him the most gorgeous sound you had ever heard another human make.

Abruptly, he withdrew from you and stroked his mouth watering cock until he spilled himself all over your pubic bone. The ghost of your climax echoed through your body, sending you into small convulsions every time his lips brushed your skin. His face nuzzled between your breasts, resting his head on your chest while he caught his breath.

“That was perfect. YOU are fucking perfect,” he praised, collapsing his full weight atop you. His spent body covered you entirely, lulling you to sleep with its warmth. Your fingers mindlessly stroked through the soft strands of his dark hair and he sighed contentedly

After a few more moments of comfortable silence, he whispered, “I should go.”

“Don’t you dare move,” you threatened without malice.

You could feel his laugh reach out to touch you, his chest still pressed to yours.

“We should at least get you cleaned up. You’re filthy, as requested.” You felt bereft when he lifted his body from yours. You would have pouted if it wasn’t so ridiculous. “Where’s your loo?”

“It’s the door across the hall,” you answered, half asleep.

He was only gone a few minutes and returned carrying a warm washcloth, and a clean fuzzy towel. You watched, mesmerized, as he climbed back into bed with an athletic grace.

“Open your legs for me.” You did as he asked and dropped your knees.

It made no sense to feel embarrassed, he had his face buried there ten minutes ago, but you could feel the heat coloring your skin as he cleaned you intimately. The contrast of the cold air in the room and the warmth of the damp cloth made you shiver.

“Ssshhhh,” he soothed you. “Almost done.”

After he dried you with the clean towel, he leaned down and pressed his lips to your belly. The gesture was sweet and you were hit with an unnerving urge to cry.

“All clean,” he announced. “We’ll be ready for more first thing in the morning.”

“More,” you purred. “Careful, you’ll spoil me.”

“That was the idea,” he confessed. “Spoil you. Ruin you. Whatever keeps your taste on my tongue.”

A sleepy smile stretched your cheeks. You were happy, and grateful that you had decided to trust the impulses of your new heart. This could be the start of something meaningful, or it could be a singular night that you would never forget. Either way, you had proven to yourself that you were capable of reaching out for the things you wanted.

Tonight, a handsome stranger. Tomorrow, accepting a challenging new job.

You had officially shed the uncertainty of the “What Nows,” and embraced the possibility of “Why Not?”

Snuggle in close to Anthony’s side - Why not?

Run your hand over his talented cock - Why not?

Wrap your lips around him until he came undone - Why fucking not?

Tomorrow had arrived, and the time for living was today.

@faye-tale @colettebronte @bridgertontess @angels17324 @musicismyoxygen84 @queen-of-the-misfit-toys

#Anthony Bridgerton #Anthony Bridgerton fanfiction #Anthony Bridgerton and Reader #Anthony Bridgerton and You #Bridgerton fanfiction #Anthony Bridgerton x Reader #Anthony Bridgerton x You

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reallyprofoundkryptonite · 27 days

Text

The Expressions of a Trapped Mind

AU By Maea.

Feel free to add ideas for canon characters (with consent of course) and I will look them over!! For the most part this goes over Krogan, however if you would like to add ideas for characters like Viggo then feel free to do so! Au is under the cut and trigger warnings!

Tags: @ziggityzigg @duoatomica @amyrafiercebladeartz (y’all like the weird crap I come up with also this came to me in a dream.)

TWs:

- Non-Consensual Medical Experimentation

- Non-Consensual Drugging

- Human Experimentation

- Self Harm

- Governmental Abuse of Power and Corruption

- Talks of Severe Mental Disorders such as the following: Disordered Eating, Stockholm Syndrome, Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder, Extremely Graphic Anxiety Attacks

- Other Potentially Disturbing Content such as: Blood, Gore, Violence, Cannibalism and Body Horror.

DISCLAIMER: This AU will also contain a much darker take on a NON-CANON related world of How to Train Your Dragon there is still Dragons and whatnot, however characters like Hiccup are going to be quite different. I will block users and/or delete any comments complaining about this AU being “too different” from canon or character being “out of character”. Because I frankly do not care.

If you find any of the above topics disturbing and/or triggering then PLEASE avoid this AU. Thank you for reading this.

Setting

Post Modern, High Future. Timeline wise, this AU would take place roughly two years after How to Train Your Dragon 2.

Important Characters:

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III: (CEO of PSI (Primordial Solutions Incorporated) and Lead Scientist on Code: UMBRIS, which began as a study of a new drug charmingly called Umberglass. Human testing has just commenced with Subject 001-KR.) Son of Stoick The Vast

Astrid “Valkyrie” Hofferson: Fiancée of Hiccup, CEO of Greater Holding and Management ©

Stoick “the Vast” Haddock: Emperor (and Dictator) of Veritima, once known as Berk in the history books, but after the Haddock Ascension and Overthrow the name was changed to a more fitting name of the warlike Iron Fist of Dragon Masters

Subject KR-001 (Calls himself Krogan.): Prisoner of War. Captured during the Battle for the King of Dragons. Originally owned By Drago Bludvist, now belongs to Primordial Solutions Incorporated © due to a sell off by the Greater Holding and Managment ©, the megacorp that owns most prisons. CURRENTLY 2 YEARS AND SIX MONTHS IN TESTING.

Information about the AU

Dragons Exist. They are extremely common, and are in fact the main portion of this AU in its entirety. Dragons are used for everything. Bioengineering, weaponry, and as day to day pets.

Drago Bludvist attacked the nation of Veritima (Otherwise known as Berk) (2790 AD), wherein his forces were overthrown and he was killed. Most of his prisoners were taken into the Veritima Prison System, owned by Greater Holdings and Management, who would distribute said prisoners and warriors of the warlord into districts that would fit them depending on how dangerous they were.

KR-001 was taken from the Ricter District Facility, a high security prison that dealt with the most unstable and violent inmates and prisoners that had issues socializing and tended to be aggressive towards handlers and staff members, and was Procured by the Nation’s Leader’s Son, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.

KR-001 was captured during the Battle for the King of Dragons, a year before the Great Massacre (2789 AD). Hiccup Haddock Procured the man himself and placed him in the Ricter Facility due to the man’s quote “Prickly” nature.

Umberglass is not, in fact a drug. It is called that to the public. It is an injection of a fluid that contains a mixture of experimental gene-altering nanobots and Dragon DNA, with a base of Lycanwing Venom so the Dragon DNA sticks to the more human genomes that are being manually altered by the scientists from the outside of the body.

Cybernetic prosthetics are extremely common for body parts that are considered “broken.”, although sometimes they are used for looks.

This AU, for the most part, focuses on Krogan.

Month(s) One-Six.

Krogan is brought into the lab on February 1st, 2792. He is aggressive and mean to staff at the Ricter Prison where he came from, so he is bound with a straight jacket, a blinder and a muzzle.

He likes to use his teeth, apparently. He is injected on February 1st after being sedated due to not sitting still long enough for nurses to deliver what Hiccup had told Krogan was “medication.”

Hiccup’s voice seemed to enrage the man to no end, made him want to scratch his eyes out of their sockets, but all he could do was growl and snarl at the other man.

Krogan is left alone for the rest of the day to wake up again so Hiccup has an awake and not groggy subject to test on.

___

On February 3rd, Krogan’s appetite has seemed to increased. He is oddly calm. The Lycanwing Venom is Taking Effect.

___

Stage one of Gene splicing began on February 4th as, Krogan’s lycanwing Genomes are now steady enough to continue with further protocols.

On March 5th, Krogan has gained about five pounds. His body is hoarding food and his hormones are starting to go completely out of whack, quite similar in a manner as if he was carrying offspring.

Aggression had spiked a few days prior, which ended in lower intern, when coming to provide him with his food being injured and mauled. They lived, however they needed permanent facial prosthetics.

Feeding must be now be done through extremely minimal contact with the newly dubbed Subject KR-001

___

(March 14th) It broke the viewing glass. KR-001’s Strength has increased to almost double, if not triple its original strength. Glass was successfully replaced with an electrified ceramic-coated glass that is several inches thicker.

KR-001 has left it alone for now.

Genetic Changes have began to finally appear. KR-001 has experienced some growth of its limbs and its extremities. A stubby tail and claws are all we can make of the initial changes.

It cries and begs to be let out. Do not let it come out.

___

(May 2nd) Subject’s weight has increased by a surprising amount. KR-001 Started at 340 pounds and is now up to 359 pounds. Hunger has seemed to be constantly bothering it, as well as it weirdly beginning to try and dig holes in the tile of its cell near the doorway.

As of right now it has been entirely unsuccessful except in bloodying its fingers on the floor and wearing its new claws down to nubs and/breaking them off. Proper protocol has been incited. Subject has been given The Mittens to stop it from scratching or hurting itself.

Tail is longer. Around six feet long. Has a sharp venomous barb on it, which has been capped to stop KR-001 from injuring staff or itself with the neurotoxin contained within the barb.

Subject’s nose has been modified to be larger and more prominent. Sensory organs are supposedly growing stronger.

It has not stopped crying for over a month.

(June 3rd) KR-001 has eaten a member of security. A group apparently got drunk and unlocked the door, only to have a situation as it lunged and ate Davin S. Morris alive. Davin was too far gone by the time help was able to get to him. Cause of death was most likely caused by KR-001’s teeth and jaws biting through his skull and severing his spinal chord from its brain stem.

Subject is up to 600 pounds. It has grown taller, going from 8’2” to over 9’0” closer to 10 feet (actual height is 9’11”) tall. The tail is around the same length as it is tall.

KR-001’s claws have grown back.

(July 14th) It has finally stopped crying after punishment was implemented in the form of a shock collar.

KR-001’s limbs are once again longer, though only slightly, and so are its torso and its neck. It seems to prefer moving around on all fours, and has seemed to have lost a bit of mobility in its wrists. The opening to its mouth is far wider

Subject has been extremely docile. Shock collar is unneeded but remains in place. It has began to talk to itself and chew on its own limbs and the walls. They have been replaced with padding for KR-001’s safety.

KR-001 has lost some weight, and is down to 590 pounds.

Subject has stopped eating on (July 10th) and refuses to eat any food given to it. Heads have agreed that partially sedating the subject and forcefeeding it will fix the problem.

It has gone over without a hitch.

Year One

KR-001 has become a partial success. It still refuses to eat and protocol of tube feeding it has remained the same. It is tame enough to handle with no issues of being bitten or needing to be sedated.

At Night it screams until its throat is hoarse and during the day, it speaks to itself in seemingly meaningless chatter. Hiccup has grown annoyed with this factor and shocks it any time it tries to proceed with the unwanted behavior, though it does nothing to stop it, only sending it back into week long spirals of sobbing and screaming to be let out.

It has began to draw on the walls.

KR-001’s body has twisted in unnatural ways. It has lost most of its toes and has became digitigrade with the three that remain. It can no longer stand on its legs for extended periods of time. Its tail has grown a straight, hairy drape running down the tip of it, and its ears have become sharp and batlike. KR-001’s eyes are extremely sensitive to light and its vision has rapidly been growing worse in the last few months.

Current.

KR-001 has refused to eat for more than two years. We have replaced its stomach with an artificial one and equipped it with solar panels. It can now simply eat using the UVB light provided to it in its room.

Its eyes failed on March 4th, 2793. They have both subsequently been replaced with new, better ones equipped with state of the art heads up displays that will give it everything it wants to know.

KR-001 Kept breaking its own arms somehow and would not let them heal. Panels from the somewhat internal solar panels have been included into the panels of its new cybernetic arms, meant to be exact duplicates of its old arms.

It can stand on two limbs again as normal as of recently, there is no reason why it has developed this ability again.

Its teeth are all razor sharp. It will not stop scrabbling at the window even if it shocks it. All the electricity seems to do is piss it off.

(December 4th) It broke the glass again. This time it escaped into the real world. We do not know where KR-001 has gone.

Krogan had successfully escaped. He didn’t even want to, not at first, he liked it there. At first. And then he started to spiral again. He looked for normalcy despite his horrifically mangled body. He was far too identifiable to stay in the city and he knew this, so he fled to the countryside, and then into the forests.

He was safe, or at least he hoped so. No more artificial lights. No more shock collar, no more electrified glass. Everything was as it should be. He was okay. He just needed to find somewhere to live.

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progg · 5 months

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Clarifying Chapter 400

Hi all. Sorry for the hiatus (ha). I’ve been working on some other projects (including my own comic!), but I haven’t forgotten about this blog. I hope to finish my chapter breakdowns and, if I have time, go back and edit some of my older essays. I’ve also got some essays on the backburner (some have been there since the conception of this blog) that I hope to finish some day.

For the time being, here’s some clarification about Chapter 400 of Hunter x Hunter, since some readers seem to be confused by it. I believe this confusion stems from Togashi’s decision to tell the story non-linearly.

I could be wrong about this, of course, but my hope is that those of you who read this will agree and come to a better understanding about the chapter.

ESTABLISHING A PRECEDENT

First off, I want to establish that this is not the first time Togashi has used non-linear storytelling in the Succession Arc. The most obvious example of this is the banquet sequence. This period of time is retold three times in the story, each from differing perspectives.

The banquet occurs at 8:00pm on the eighth day of the voyage (a Sunday). This information is provided to us at the end of 382. Awakening. In 383. Escape, we get the banquet from the perspective of the escapees.

Melody uses her ability at approximately 9:30pm.

384. War jumps back in time to the previous night (this information is provided to us in the opening panel). In it, we learn that Theta plans to assassinate Tserriednich on the following day; in other words, the day of the banquet.

In 385. Warning, we get the events of the banquet from the perspective of my favorite character: Theta. The time is 7:35pm when she commences Tserriednich's training. We see the effects of Melody’s ability as the performance is heard through the intercom.

Interestingly, this means Tserriednich's Zetsu training had been going on for about two hours before Theta pulled the trigger.

386. Hypothesis continues into day 9. Kurapika starts performing water divinations for his class on this day.

Finally, 387. Recreation jumps back in time again, showing the events of day 8 from Tserriednich’s perspective.

Note how Melody’s activation of her ability acts as a “uniting event”, tying the plotlines together. This is the very same technique I believe Togashi intends to use in Chapter 400.

PLACING THE WATER DIVINATION

In order to understand the chronology in Chapter 400, we have to place Kurapika’s water divination. We know it begins on day 9 thanks to a timestamp in 386. Only a week remains in his first round of classes, so he needs to start awakening his students. He awakens Ladiolus first, then Maor. He plans to awaken a few more students, but the rest need to wait until tomorrow.

Later on, Zhang Lei’s guard Hashito asks to be awakened in exchange for Tenftory going last. His request is denied by Kurapika, but it seems likely Tenftory went last anyway. In fact, this line could also be interpreted as Hashito using the fact that Tenftory is already going last in order to negotiate.

388 ends with the fourth rumbling of Halkenburg’s aura, 389. Curse jumps back to day 9 for a bit before proceeding to day 10. This is yet another example of Togashi telling the story in a non-linear fashion.

Once again, the fourth rumble acts as a "uniting event", helping us stitch together the timelines.

Later in the chapter, we learn that Tenftory has been awakened to Nen, along with all of the other students.

In other words, all students in Kurapika’s class have been awakened by day 10. This should include Tubeppa’s guard Longhi, who is seen receiving her water divination (or rather, not receiving it) at the end of Chapter 400.

This scene occurs on day 10.

This also means we have already seen events that occur after the end of Chapter 400, which is at least everything that occurs belowdecks in Chapters 390-399.

THE UNITING EVENT

Knowing that the final scene of Chapter 400 jumps back to day 10 isn’t enough to fully comprehend the chapter. We still have to place the scenes involving Melody. Right before they start, we get an unresolved cliffhanger.

I believe this announcement will serve as a “uniting event” for these time jumps, similar to Melody’s flute solo or Halkenburg’s fourth rumble. We will probably hear this announcement in full from another character’s perspective. As a result, it seems likely that Melody’s scenes take place before the announcement.

If the announcement is about Kacho’s death, I could see it occuring before the Melody scenes (knowledge of Kacho’s death is a theme of their conversation). However, I don’t think this is the case for a few reasons:

I believe the deaths of all thirteen princes are eventually going to be covered up. I wrote more about this idea here, but in short, why conceal Sale-Sale’s death and not Kacho’s?

The announcement and Melody’s scenes are intercut with a short scene involving Prince Tyson. This is a strange decision if we were meant to make a link between the announcement and Kacho.

The wording of the announcement is a bit off. “Grave” seems to fit, but “emergency” and “stop what you’re doing”?

Personally, I think this announcement concerns something we have yet to see.

THE MISSING CURSE

In Melody’s scenes, Fugetsu’s condition is revealed to be quickly declining.

We know Fugetsu was “fine” on day 8. According to Melody, a few days have passed since then. This places Melody’s scenes on day 11 at the earliest.

A popular theory about Fugetsu’s decline is that she has been cursed by one of Camilla’s guards. However, that doesn’t quite fit with what we know.

In 389. Curse, we learn that Camilla’s guards can unleash a fatal curse on their targets. Fugetsu’s condition certainly matches the curse’s description.

Fugetsu is even floated as a potential first target, but is ultimately rejected.

Sarahell wants to send out a curse as soon as possible to weed out a possible Nen exorcist (note the use of the phrase a few days). After learning that proximity to the target can make up for lost time, she decides to curse Woble herself.

In other words, Sarahell will attempt to curse Woble first. If Fugetsu is indeed cursed by one of Camilla’s guards, it’s another indicator that Melody’s scenes take place after Longhi’s water divination.

It’s also interesting that Melody plans to contact Kurapika for help, when Kurapika may very well be facing the exact same problem!

Based on the mention of a “next banquet” in Tyson’s scene (as well as Melody’s behavior in this chapter), it would seem not much time has passed since day 9—probably not a week, which is when the second set of classes will begin. I suspect Sarahell will actually attend the class on day 11, rather than waiting for the next round, which would place Melody’s scenes on day 11 or 12.

Accepting the idea that significant time passes between day 10 and Melody’s scenes provides some interesting context to Zhang Lei offering Melody a coin. At this point in the story, he might actually know what it does!

CONCLUSION

I may be completely wrong about this. Maybe Sarahell does wait until the next round of classes. Maybe Fugetsu is cursed before Woble, or maybe Fugetsu wasn’t cursed at all. But even if I am wrong, these are my main points:

There are significant backward time jumps in Chapter 400. In the final scene for sure, and possibly after the end of the Troupe plotline.

If Fugetsu has been cursed by one of Camilla’s guards, there are some unanswered questions. We haven’t seen Sarahell’s attempt on Woble, and we haven’t been offered an explanation for Fugetsu being cursed before it.

I want to end by saying I don’t think this is meant to be confusing. It’s just difficult to remember context from previous chapters when they were released so long ago. In my opinion, even a week is too long to expect a reader to remember such details. It also doesn’t help that we don’t have the following chapters, which would probably make all of this clear.

I sincerely hope Hunter x Hunter returns, and when it does, I hope it’s in the form of bi-monthly, longer chapters (or something similar). I think the current story lends itself much better to that kind of format.

original post

#hunter x hunter #manga #succession arc #breakdown #theory

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azuresage · 6 months

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Theorycrafting a DLC Expansion for AoC that explains how TotK's setup works on its timeline split (updated)

This idea is still cooking in my brain so I said let's ball and wrote out the plot and story chapters too and made some tweaks to what I'd already written. TotK does not contradict AoC, they can still work together. Here's how I would see that happen.

TotK main story spoilers under the cut

Thanks to TotK, we know that Ganondorf's seal broke because of the Great Calamity of 100 years ago, not BotW's present day story. Which means the Great Calamity of AoC should still weaken his seal like on the main branch of the timeline, however this time we're on a new branch and 106 years later there won't be a hero and princess combo to save the day anymore when Ganondorf wakes up. So you would think that doesn't fit with TotK, right? UNLESS...

... Unless we consider events that are unique to AoC's timeline, as well. First we should establish what we know about AoC's timeline split. We know that Terrako had to have gone back in time pretty far comparatively, because Link didn't yet have the Master Sword and hadn't yet met Zelda and Daruk the ways BotW described they did. The very start of AoC must happen much earlier on than the earliest point we ever see in BotW's memories. Knowing that, it makes sense why things happen so much differently than the history BotW's memories painted. We can assume there were so many more monsters that massive-scale battles the likes of which were unheard of in BotW's history became necessary because Astor and Harbinger Ganon were going around creating more monsters for the purpose of expediting the Calamity's revival. We never hear of Astor in BotW's history, because Harbinger Ganon wasn't around to choose him. So because of these two mucking things around, the Calamity's revival actually happened earlier than it did in BotW's history. This is important information for later.

So we know that because this is a timeline split that occurs just before the events of BotW's 100-year history, the setups of TotK's history still apply. On the main timeline, it took 106 years for Ganondorf to wake up after the Great Calamity weakened his seal. On the split timeline, the Calamity was averted, but the damage was still done, and the battle dragged on longer and had Astor and Harbinger doing things that never happened in BotW's history. Most notable of these is fully reviving this timeline split's Calamity Ganon, which we know was done by Harbinger Ganon absorbing Astor and assumedly merging with the Calamity Ganon that was already present in this timeline. We know they had to become one at some point because when they defeat him, Calamity Ganon is gone and the Calamity is over. So he did in fact fully revive, something he didn't get the chance to do in BotW's history because Zelda stepped up to seal him away for 100 years while he was still a cloud of malice. Because of this major difference, and because of the connection between Calamity Ganon and Ganondorf, I think it's fair to propose that this split timeline's Ganondorf can wake up after a similar timeskip as seen between BotW and TotK. Meaning, we can still do a "6 years later" after AoC's ending for this and it would still make sense. TotK's prologue can still commence as it did on the main timeline.

So how could this work here? We can't send AoC's Zelda back in time because even in this timeline the Light Dragon should still exist. As a matter of fact, on this timeline we'd end up with two Zeldas and two Master Swords. Kinda awkward, huh? Here's how I think we can make that a little less awkward...

Gloom starts seeping out as it did in TotK. Link and Zelda go under the castle to investigate as they did in TotK, BUT this time they have Terrako with them. That will be the key that changes how this goes. Link still gets his Master Sword and his arm messed up, but Terrako is the one to intervene and prevent Zelda from getting yeeted back to the past by her sacred stone. Call it plot magic or triforce magic or whatever you want. Instead he yeets her up to the Great Sky Island while Rauru does the same to Link as in TotK. Upheaval still happens. However this time we can't really have several weeks or months pass from this point to when Link wakes up, yeah? So instead of starting the Great Sky Island chapter as Link, you would start it as Zelda and Terrako as Rauru guides them across the island to find Link, to parallel TotK. Fighting through a Warriors map full of Soldier Constructs with Link as the end goal. He would hold on to the Decayed Master Sword and the Master Sword weapon itself would become unavailable to use in-game for a while. Zelda would gain the Purah Pad as a 4th tier of her Sheikah Slate weapon. This is where we can diverge to make a Warriors-themed story, and this would be the start of Chapter 8 in AoC.

Now, for here, we can mirror the story progress from the early chapters of AoC. The Great Sky Island can be CH8M1, and then we can go to CH8M2 on the surface and use an adjusted map of North Hyrule Field and Castle Town that we see in "All Hyrule, United"; adjusted to account for the changes in TotK like fallen blocks and Lookout Landing, which was created to research the gloom and then repurposed into a base to search for Link and Zelda after they went missing. Link and Zelda evacuate the town and reunite with King Rhoam who is still alive on this split. Also, have King Rauru's ghost accompany them as a new playable character instead of vanishing. Just like in TotK, most of the Sheikah tech has vanished except for the stuff Robbie and Purah are creating, so now Lookout Landing is the new home base on the map screen and title screen instead of the Sheikah Tower.

Next we can do Chapter 9 and have it mirror Chapter 2. There can be four missions in this chapter, each revisiting the Champions and dealing with the sudden changes to their towns. So rather than recruiting them like in CH2, instead we're helping them defend their homes on adjusted maps. After this, we can move to Chapter 10. After the towns are relatively safe, the Champions reconvene at Lookout Landing and try to figure out what's going on. In doing so, Puppet Zelda is sighted heading into the Hyrule Field Chasm. CH10M1 takes place at the Great Abandoned Central Mine, and the now-friendly Yiga help track her down and expose her. Puppet Zelda and Phantom Ganon become a boss here. After this, I would have Mineru make her presence in the Purah Pad known and lead the group to their next objective; the Construct Factory and Spirit Temple. This would be CH10M2 and is how you would recruit Mineru's Construct as a new playable character.

Now it's time for Chapter 11. What I would have happen here is another four missions on brand new maps, each involving the four new dungeons and include the bosses from TotK. Mineru and Rauru lead each of the Champions back to their homes and into these dungeons. The Champions now become the Sages of this era and get a new outfit that includes their Secret Stones and a 4th weapon tier that's their Champion Weapon again but with their Secret Stone symbols superimposed behind them. Revali is a bit iffy here because he's not outright stated to have family ties to Teba and Tulin, but Revali's Gale and Tulin's Power of Wind being almost exactly the same thing seems to suggest some kind of blood connection.

Now that the Champions have upgraded into Sages, it's time for Chapter 12. Now Mineru explains what should have happened to the Zelda and the Master Sword from the main timeline. They go back to Korok Forest for CH12M1 to speak with the Great Deku Tree and free him from a Phantom Ganon. The Deku Tree is able to make sense of Mineru's story and explains that there should be a second Zelda and Master Sword in this timeline, and just like he does for Link in TotK, he helps the party find them. This brings us to CH12M2, back on the Great Sky Island fighting off hordes of monsters and Phantom Ganons to get to the Light Dragon. A more powerful Puppet Zelda is the boss of this mission, and after defeating her, Rauru discovers that the ghost of Sonia has been with this Zelda all along. Just like at the end of TotK, Rauru and Sonia's ghosts use an extremely powerful version of recall channeled through the Sacred Stone Zelda had kept, and return the Light Dragon to her previous form. This second Zelda becomes as separate new playable character that can be referred to in-game as Sage of Time, with her Secret Stone as her weapon type. Link will also get the second Master Sword, and after another powerful recall, the first Master Sword is restored, as well. Link dual wields them both as a new weapon type, and the old Master Sword and Hylian Shield from the base game becomes accessible again, too.

Sage of Time is able to realize that this is a timeline divergence and understands there should be another version of her that gets the Master Sword to the Link that she knew from her own timeline, and decides to stay here and help. Sonia ghost becomes another new playable character along with her, and from here we dive into Chapter 13, the final chapter of the expansion. CH13M1 will take place at Hyrule Castle, adjusted to account for the new split levels. This can work like the Lanayru Road map from Guardian of Remembrance where there were two separated battlefields with different things happening on them in the same scenario. The castle was suddenly overtaken by monsters and they must reclaim it. Mummy Ganondorf appears in the Sanctum as the boss of this mission. Our heroes are in trouble against him, and so Terrako does one last yoink from the future and calls Sidon, Yunobo, Riju, and Tulin from the future, post-TotK this time, in their full Sage power for one last hurrah on this timeline. Each of them gets a new outfit to make their appearance match their TotK designs while Tulin is introduced as playable. They get the Champion Weapons as new weapon types for each of them with new movesets, and to differentiate from the other Champion Weapons, we can give them that sparkle effect that pristine weapons you find in the Depths in TotK have. From here, we move into CH13M2, the final battle, in the deepest part of the Depths. This will be a highly expanded version of the War in the Depths of Hyrule phase of TotK's final battle, leading up to rehydrated Ganondorf as the final boss. Demon King Ganondorf gets to be a phase change, and so does Demon Dragon with a brand new exclusive arena in the sky for this fight, like the Blights got in AoC.

After Demon Dragon is defeated, the Future Sages return home to their timeline and the ghosts of Rauru, Sonia, and Mineru can now all pass on in peace. Sage of Time stays in this timeline in a bittersweet realization that she isn't able to return to her original timeline because there's already another version of her there. This timeline split now has two Master Swords for good. The heroes have a moment like the true ending of TotK where they all vow to continue to defend Hyrule.

Now that we've covered the story for this expansion, we need to move on to the game mechanics. I said before that Link's arm would still get jacked up so he'd still get Rauru's arm here. So how I would introduce the hand powers into AoC's format, without interrupting the runes, is I would put them on the same trigger button as the runes, but on the d-pad so that the runes can still be used on the face buttons. Similarly, we can select a few choice zonai devices to put on the other trigger with the magic rods and apples, doing the same thing. We could then incorporate these new abilities into environmental and combat mechanics, with Terrako sharing them between all the characters like he does with the runes. Rune counters and abilities still function the same as in the base game thanks to Terrako beefing up the Purah Pad.

Ascend is easy. It would still work the same way as in TotK, but it would see the most use on new maps with more verticality. Would also be good to use it on Battle Taluses like in TotK. Recall would also work the same way as in TotK; use it to reflect non-metal projectiles and also as an environmental gimmick like when enemies try rolling spike balls at you. Fuse could be used on zonai devices laying around, which I would have sprinkled throughout the maps as a new environmental thing you can do. Stick something to your weapon for a quick effect. For example, use Fuse on Flame/Frost/Shock Emitters to add a brief elemental effect to your attacks, and Fuse a Beam Emitter to shoot a beam whenever you guard for a short time. And Ultrahand would basically function as Autobuild to snap some of these environmental zonai devices together into a preset construction that will either attack enemies or allow you to traverse gaps in the map i.e. flinging yourself across a gap between sky islands, similar to how the little paraglider bits in AoC were. You would also be able to collect zonai capsules as a drop item, which then can be used on the R trigger where the magic rods are, but only certain ones, like maybe the Rocket and Time Bombs and Springs and Waterspouts.

As for the map screen, do what TotK did and make it possible to tab between the Sky and the Depths to access more points of interest. Add all the new points in the Zonai green color so they don't get lost among all the old Sheikah blues. This will give plenty of space for more stuff without overcrowding the already-pretty-full map we currently have in AoC. Also, we can make Ganondorf a new playable character (Demon King form costume included) through some postgame missions. All characters would get upgraded abilities and new moves and increased level cap, as well. And naturally, Link will get access to all the new armors introduced in TotK (including the version of the Hylian Hood with the hood down) as well as new weapons that fit in his types. Zelda will also get her starting outfit as a costume while Sage of Time gets the Zonai dress.

I want this to be DLC instead of a second game because I think the nature of AoC makes it much easier to just pick it back up and continue on, and I wanna keep all my upgraded weapons and stuff (and I don't wanna buy yet another full priced game lol). I just think it makes more sense to do it as an expansion instead of a sequel. Now, would they actually make an expansion for a 3-year-old game like that? Unlikely. I would just prefer it if they did. Like I said, I'm not saying that they're going to do this; just that if they did it at all, this is how I want it to happen. The only snag with that, though, is that AoC also sort of sets up for TotK with the Future Champions and the DLC which first introduced Tulin as having Power of Wind. I believe that the current play order to best experience the story of these three games is BotW > AoC > TotK. So this DLC expansion would then make that BotW > up through Guardian of Remembrance of AoC > TotK > the expansion of AoC. That's kinda awkward. Even so, I'd still prefer it as DLC... For one final wrinkle, I'm gonna go for the low hanging fruit and say this expansion should be named Age of Upheaval.

#legend of zelda #tears of the kingdom #age of calamity #breath of the wild #going insane wishing for something ill never have #zelda theory

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just-a-little-bit-of-sugar · 1 day

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Things I have done for this fic so far:

Watched a video of the commencement ceremony for the LBCC class 2017 so I could use an accurate quote from the valedictorian speech

Spent 4 hours figuring out which classes Buck would take, and how they'd work with his schedule, and what he would need to do in-between in order to make the timeline work. Proceeded to barely mention the classes at all.

Found the names of a real bar and a real café that made logical geographical sense for Buck to work at

Looked up weather maps of Peru

Researched bartending licences and schools and how long they take in different states only to basically disregard all of that info

Wrote out a timeline of everywhere Buck has travelled between when he left Hershey up til canon

Gotten closer to writing smut than I ever have before

#spilled sugar #fanfic #letters from the heart #lfth

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seektowrite · 6 months

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A Maze of Hearts | TMNT Fan-Fic

Chapter 2: Beneath the Surface

⚠️Disclaimer: In this fanfic, the brothers and (Y/n) have surpassed the age of 18 and are in their early 20s. Despite the narrative being rooted in the TMNT context, the brothers' appearances are similar to their Bayverse designs. This is not based on the Bayverse story nor like any of the other multiverses created. This is an entirely different universe with these characters. This story is mainly about (Y/n) being stuck in a 'Love Maze' with the four brothers, AKA a 'Love Triangle'. This story contains NSFW content, including but not limited to graphic depictions and discussions of death, depression, suicide, and rape. If you are sensitive to these topics, it is advised not to proceed with reading.

⚠️Insight: (Y/n) is a human with a neutral gender to ensure enjoyment for all audiences. However, in NSFW writings, there will be three distinct versions with corresponding pronouns—She/Her, He/Him, and They/Them—. Throughout the story, various prompts will be included, and here is the key:

(Y/n) = Your Name

(L/n) = Last Name

(E/c) = Eye Color

(H/c) = Hair Color

(3,689 Words) (Saturday, August 19th)

The blaring sound of (Y/n)'s 7 am alarm cut through the quiet of the room, abruptly rousing them from a deep slumber. As they fumbled to silence the persistent beep, the events of the previous night flooded back into their consciousness. The stealthy navigation of the city's shadows, the gleaming instruments of the forensics lab, and the mysterious black ooze—each memory played like a vivid reel in their mind. As (Y/n) stretched and shook off the remnants of sleep, their gaze lingered on the desk where college textbooks awaited attention. Responsibilities of academia beckoned, yet their thoughts were firmly tethered to the dual life they led—one foot in the world of college coursework and the other in the clandestine battles alongside the Turtles.

Memories of returning to the lair with Donatello, sharing the discovery with the brothers, and witnessing Leo immediately shift into planning mode filled (Y/n)'s mind. Leo's eyes narrowed with determined focus, signaling the gravity of the situation. Though they had faced the Krang before, the stakes now seemed higher, the shadows harboring a more intricate danger. As (Y/n) prepared for the day ahead, the echoes of last night's revelations served as a stark reminder that the delicate balance between academia and extraterrestrial battles had once again tipped.

(Y/n) swung their legs over the edge of the bed, shaking off the last vestiges of sleep. The morning routine commenced like clockwork—the brisk shower, the aroma of coffee wafting through the air, and the familiar feel of their nightgown being stripped away and replaced with more public-suited clothing. However, beneath the surface of the routine, the weight of memories lingered. As they zipped up their favorite jacket, the events of a fateful night three years ago resurfaced. The city was a battleground, and the Krang had launched an assault unlike anything they'd faced before. The fight had been fierce, the air filled with the clash of steel and the echoes of battle cries.

April and Casey, steadfast allies in the fight against evil, had fought valiantly by their side. However, in the midst of the chaos, a surge of Krang forces overwhelmed them. The skirmish took a devastating turn, and despite every effort, they lost April and Casey that night. The pain of that loss lingered, an indelible mark on the timeline of their battles. After the devastating battle with the Krang three years ago, the Turtles and their allies limped back to the lair, weary but victorious. The atmosphere, initially jubilant in the face of triumph, took a sudden somber turn. Splinter delivered the heartbreaking news—April and Casey had not made it out of the battle alive.

(Y/n) vividly recalled the funeral service held a week later. The lair, usually filled with echoes of laughter and camaraderie, now resonated with mournful silence. The air was heavy with grief as the Turtles, April and Casey's friends, and even some unexpected allies gathered to pay their respects. The eulogies painted a poignant picture of April's unwavering courage and Casey's unyielding loyalty. The weight of loss hung thick in the air, and as they stood in the dimly lit lair, (Y/n) couldn't shake the feeling that things would never be the same again. The memorial service marked a turning point, a solemn reminder of the fragility of their chosen path and the sacrifices that came with defending the city.

For Michelangelo and (Y/n), the losses were a profound wound, a deep cut that left an enduring mark on their spirits. Unlike the others, (Y/n) and Mikey had been not just teammates but family, their bonds with April and Casey running deeper than mere comradeship. April had been the one to introduce (Y/n) to the turtles, and Casey, in turn, became a daily companion in training during those times when (Y/n) couldn't be with the turtles. The battle against the Krang three years ago had not only claimed the city but had taken away two integral parts of their lives. The absence of April and Casey felt like a void, a stark reminder of the sacrifices made in the name of their mission. (Y/n) and Michelangelo shared their worry as a natural consequence of the profound impact that loss had wrought upon them.

(Y/n) moved to the kitchen, the routine of morning rituals providing a momentary respite from the weight of memories. The familiar clink of utensils and the sizzle of a frying pan on the stove filled the air as they prepared a simple breakfast. The rhythmic crack of eggs against the edge of the bowl and the soft hum of the toaster contributed to the comforting cadence of the morning. The scent of freshly toasted bread wafted through the kitchen, intertwining with the aroma of eggs sizzling in the pan. As (Y/n) deftly moved between the stove and the countertop, the act of preparing breakfast became a grounding force amidst the lingering thoughts of battles fought and comrades lost.

The golden yolk spilled onto the plate as (Y/n) expertly plated the eggs, the toast standing tall beside the savory creation. With a natural flow, they reached for the salt, habitually kept in its designated spot, and sprinkled it over the eggs, ensuring a perfect blend of flavors. The next move was deliberate—lathering the toast generously with jam, a small but cherished indulgence. Turning off the humming appliances, (Y/n) made their way to the dining table. Settling into the chair, they dug into their breakfast with a quiet gusto, savoring each bite. Simultaneously, their phone found its way into their hand, a familiar gesture in the modern routine. With a quick scan of the news, they sought to catch up on the world beyond the walls, the juxtaposition of the mundane and the extraordinary seamlessly woven into the fabric of their morning ritual.

(Y/n)'s gaze shifted from the breakfast plate to the glowing screen of their phone. Fingers deftly tapped the screen, navigating to the recent news about the black ooze they had discovered with the Turtles the night before. The headlines hinted at an undercurrent of intrigue and potential danger, mirroring the complexities of their dual existence. As the news article unfolded on the screen, (Y/n) absorbed the details— The news article danced around the truth, avoiding any explicit mention of the Krang or other extraterrestrial elements. Instead, it artfully framed the discovery as something ripped from the pages of a comic book—a mysterious substance with an otherworldly allure. The deliberate omission of the alien origins aimed at preserving the public's sense of normalcy and shielding them from the unsettling reality of hidden knowledge.

The narrative carefully sidestepped the fact that the black ooze wasn't just a peculiar substance but a coded message, a warning from an extraterrestrial force. The decision to keep this critical detail concealed was undoubtedly a strategic move to prevent unnecessary panic and maintain the delicate balance between secrecy and public safety. If Donatello, with his keen intellect and scientific prowess, could decipher the encoded message within the black ooze, it opened the door to the possibility that the NYPD's forensic team might also unravel the mystery.

Years ago, when the Turtles faced off against the Krang, the alien invasion was no secret. The looming threat was a palpable reality known to everyone in New York and, indeed, the entire United States. Yet, despite the vigilant efforts of (Y/n) and the turtles to thwart the Krang's plans, the world remained oblivious to their existence. The clash with the Krang unfolded on the grand stage of a city gripped by extraterrestrial invasion. News headlines screamed about the otherworldly menace, and the public grappled with the unnerving reality of aliens attempting to seize control. However, even in the midst of the chaos, the Turtles operated in the shadows, their deeds concealed from the prying eyes of the world.

With the last bite of breakfast savored, (Y/n) cleared the table, depositing the dishes into the sink. The clink of utensils against porcelain punctuated the lingering thoughts of the impending battle against the advanced Krang. As they washed the dishes, the warm water serving as a brief respite, their mind danced between the mundane and the extraordinary. Drying their hands, (Y/n) made their way back to the room, the familiar weight of textbooks and study materials awaiting them. The desk, scattered with notes from the previous night's studies, was a testament to the dual life they led.

Just as they settled into the rhythm of academic focus, the phone buzzed, and the screen lit up with Donatello's name. The ringtone cut through the air, a stark contrast to the quiet of the room. (Y/n) hesitated for a moment before answering, curiosity mingling with a sense of anticipation. (Y/n) answered the phone, a casual "Hey, what's up?" escaping their lips as they prepared to dive back into their studies. Donatello's voice crackled through the line, a mix of urgency and excitement. "Hey, (Y/n), we need you at the lair tonight. We need to plan our next move." Before (Y/n) could respond, the phone abruptly changed hands, and Raphael's gruff voice took over. "Enough with the chit-chat. Be at the lair at 8 pm sharp. We're starting training again." The abrupt change in tone caught (Y/n) off guard, and they could almost picture Raphael forcefully grabbing the phone from Donatello.

(Y/n) hesitated for a moment, contemplating the stack of homework awaiting their attention. "I've got a ton of homework to tackle, so I might be a bit late," they admitted, hoping to buy some time. Before (Y/n) could dwell on their decision, Michelangelo's voice burst through the phone, "Hey, dude! No worries! I can totally help you with the homework. We'll make it fun, I promise!" A smile tugged at (Y/n)'s lips at Mikey's infectious enthusiasm. However, the phone changed hands once again, and Leo's authoritative tone cut through the conversation. "Homework can wait, (Y/n). Be at the lair at 8. We need everyone ready for training. No exceptions." In the background, Raphael's gruff voice chimed in, "Mikey, you ain't smart enough to help (Y/n) with homework. Stick to pizza or somethin'."

(Y/n) couldn't help but smile at the banter between Raphael and Michelangelo. The familial dynamic, woven with teasing and camaraderie, was a constant in their lives. "Alright, Leo. I'll be there at 8," they replied, a sense of determination coloring their words. (Y/n) concluded the phone call with a sense of purpose. Turning their attention to the awaiting homework, they settled into the familiar routine of academia. Little did they know, the brothers had been thinking about them nonstop since last night, their concerns and camaraderie woven into the fabric of their thoughts.

Meanwhile, in the lair, the familiar sounds of training echoed through the air. Raphael lifted weights with a determined focus, the rhythmic clinking and grunts punctuating the quiet. Donatello, engrossed in his work, continued analyzing the black ooze with unwavering concentration, the glow of computer screens casting an ethereal light on his face. Leonardo, katana blades in hand, methodically sharpened the edges with practiced precision. The silence that permeated the lair was finally broken by Michelangelo. He paused mid-nunchuck routine, looking around at his brothers with a furrowed brow. "Okay, dudes, they’re back, and now everything is weird between all of us. I thought we were all past this," he blurted out, breaking the unspoken tension.

Michelangelo's words hung in the air, causing a collective pause in the lair's activities. The clang of weights ceased, Donatello's fingers hovered above the keyboard, and even Leonardo, mid-katana sharpening, looked up with a contemplative expression. Raphael, the first to break the stillness, carefully placed his weights down and sat up, his gaze meeting Michelangelo's. "Mikey's got a point," he grumbled, the usually gruff tone softened by a rare sincerity. "We all know not to let personal feelings get in the way of the mission." Michelangelo nodded, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "Yeah, but we can't pretend like things are the same as before. (Y/n) coming back stirred up some serious vibes, and we can't just ignore it."

Raphael fixed Michelangelo with a scrutinizing look, a silent acknowledgment of the truth hidden in his words. "So, what's your brilliant plan, Mikey?" A mischievous grin unfurled across Michelangelo's face as he leaned in, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "We stage a showdown! Each of us makes a friendly move towards (Y/n), nothing too forward, just see who they vibe with the most! That way, we settle this debate once and for all!" The suggestion hung in the air, a blend of mischief and camaraderie that even Raphael, usually skeptical of Mikey's schemes, couldn't help but find amusing.

Donatello looked up from his screens, his analytical mind processing Michelangelo's proposal. "So, what you're implying, Mikey," he interjected, his tone thoughtful, "is that we each try our hand at flirting with (Y/n) to see if there's any discernible response. If they show interest in one of us, then it becomes clear who they've chosen, and we can put an end to all this unnecessary bickering over one person we all somehow found ourselves liking." Raphael and Michelangelo exchanged glances, a shared smirk of approval passing between them. "Hey, I'm game for a little friendly competition," Raph conceded, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Totally, dude! It's like, may the best brother win!" Michelangelo chimed in, eager for the lighthearted challenge.

However, as the excitement began to build, Leonardo interjected with a pointed expression. "Guys, our main focus should be the mission, not swooning over (Y/n). We have a bigger problem at hand with the advanced Krang, and we can't afford distractions." The weight of Leonardo's reminder hung in the air, briefly stifling the previous excitement. A contemplative silence enveloped the lair, each brother grappling with the dual responsibilities of personal dynamics and the pressing mission against the advanced Krang. Breaking the quiet, Raphael's gruff voice cut through the stillness. "Leo, you don't gotta be a part of the competition. We're focusing on the mission, but that don't mean we can't handle a little friendly competition on the side. No harm in doing two things at once, right?"

Michelangelo, always the one to inject a bit of humor into the situation, grinned and chimed in, "Guys, come on! I'm the king of multitasking! This won't be a problem. We'll save the city and figure out who's (Y/n)'s choice all at once. Easy-peasy, dudes!" Donatello, the perennial voice of reason, interjected with a measured tone, "Actually, Mikey might be onto something. If we know who (Y/n) chooses, it could help the team focus more on the mission. Clearing up this uncertainty might just streamline our efforts and eliminate any potential distractions." His words carried a thoughtful consideration, revealing the strategic mind always at work beneath the surface. As each brother put forth their perspectives and proposals, a thoughtful silence settled in the lair. Leonardo, the de facto leader, took a moment to absorb the varied opinions. After a beat, a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he looked at his brothers. "You're all going to lose," he declared, his tone carrying a playful confidence that hinted at a deeper understanding of the situation.

As the day shifted into evening, the ambient glow of the sunset cast warm hues across (Y/n)'s apartment. The fading daylight painted the city in a canvas of oranges and purples, signaling the approaching twilight. Through the window, the gentle glow served as a natural cue, letting them know it was time to get ready for the gathering at the lair. Closing the textbooks with a decisive snap, (Y/n) tidied up their desk, neatly stacking the study materials. The weight of academia, at least for the moment, lifted from their shoulders. As they moved to the bathroom, the familiar routine of putting on the ninja outfit took over. In the quiet solitude of their apartment, the rustling of fabric and the faint click of clasps echoed. The transition from the role of a student to that of a ninja felt almost seamless, a dance perfected through years of practice.

Holstering the wakizashi with a practiced fluidity, (Y/n) ensured that every piece of their ninja attire was securely in place. The weight of the weapon served as a constant reminder of the responsibilities they bore. Anticipating an extended stay at the lair, (Y/n) grabbed their overnight bag, filling it with essentials. The faint jingle of items settling in the bag resonated with a sense of readiness. (Y/n) left the apartment, the door closing behind them with a soft click. As they moved through the city, the night unveiled its own enchanting palette. The distant hum of urban life became a symphony, a medley of distant sirens, murmurs of conversations, and the occasional laughter echoing through the labyrinth of buildings.

Scaling the top of the buildings, (Y/n) trailed the skyline of New York. The city lights, like a blanket of stars below, painted the night in a dazzling array of colors. Each skyscraper stood as a sentinel, silhouetted against the deep indigo sky. The occasional gust of wind ruffled their ninja attire as they surveyed the city, a landscape alive with the ebb and flow of nocturnal activity. Down below, the streets were adorned with the glow of streetlights and the intermittent streaks of passing cars. The city's heartbeat pulsed beneath them, a rhythmic reminder of the vibrant life that continued even as they tread the shadows. The moon, a soft crescent in the sky, cast a gentle glow, illuminating the architecture in a silver sheen. For a moment, (Y/n) stood atop the world, the night scenery stretching out before them—a captivating blend of serenity and urban energy. With one last glance, they leaped across the rooftops, disappearing into the city's embrace as they made their way towards the lair.

(Y/n) descended into the entrance of the sewer, the familiar transition from the surface to the subterranean depths. The sound of the city above gradually faded, replaced by the echoing drip of water and the subtle hum of machinery in the tunnels below. The sewer tunnels, a complex labyrinth beneath the city, became a silent realm as (Y/n) walked through them with a practiced ease. The dim glow of sporadic overhead lights illuminated the narrow path, casting long shadows along the curved walls. The steady drip of water echoed in the distance, creating a rhythmic backdrop to their journey.

(Y/n) was, at first glance, nothing more than a human—no supernatural strength, no heightened senses. Yet, the mastery they possessed over the art of ninjutsu spoke volumes about the transformative power of dedication and training. Every movement was deliberate, every step calculated, a testament to the teachings of Master Splinter. In the dim light of the sewer tunnels, (Y/n)'s form seemed to blend seamlessly with the shadows. The ninja garb, though worn by a mere mortal, became an extension of their being. Each twist and turn through the tunnels was executed with precision, a silent dance that betrayed the extensive training undergone in the lair. The teachings of Master Splinter had carved a path from novice to adept, turning a regular human into a formidable force in the art of stealth and combat. The essence of the ninja, the discipline, and the indomitable spirit, radiated from (Y/n) even in their purely human form.

Master Splinter had retired from teaching after the intense battle against the Krang three years ago, passing the revered role of 'Sensei' to Leonardo. The wise old rat found solace in the shadows, leaving the physical rigors of training to the capable hands of his students. However, (Y/n) never ceased their own training, even during the time away for college. The teachings of Master Splinter had become ingrained in their very being, and the responsibility of personal growth and development was a commitment they held dear. The lair, with its echoes of past training sessions and the scent of the sewers, remained a haven for (Y/n)'s ongoing journey as a ninja. The passing of the sensei's mantle to Leo may have shifted the dynamics, but the dedication to the art of ninjutsu endured in the heart of the relentless student.

(Y/n) entered the lair, the familiar surroundings enveloping them in a sense of home. However, an unsettling stillness lingered in the air. The lair, usually abuzz with the energy of the brothers, was eerily quiet. The absence of their usual banter and the sight of empty spaces left (Y/n) with a disconcerting feeling. Moving through the lair, (Y/n) looked around, expecting to encounter the vibrant presence of the turtles, but there was only silence. (Y/n) continued to walk through the lair, a growing sense of concern prompting them to check each room in search of the missing brothers. The first room they entered was the living area, usually alive with the brothers' camaraderie. The absence of laughter and the sight of empty couches painted a stark contrast to its usual vibrancy. The glow of the TV screen reflected off the vacant space, creating an eerie ambiance.

Moving deeper into the lair, (Y/n) entered the kitchen. The countertops, usually scattered with pizza boxes and snacks, were immaculately clean. The silence in the room underscored the stark contrast to the typical hubbub of the turtles preparing their favorite meals. Entering the training area, (Y/n) expected to find the brothers honing their skills. However, the training dummies stood untouched, and the weapons neatly arranged on the racks hinted at a lingering absence. The lack of the usual echoes of clashing weaponry added to the disquieting atmosphere. In the lab, where Donatello spent countless hours tinkering and analyzing, the glow of computer screens illuminated an unoccupied workspace. The absence of the usual hum of machines and the scent of chemicals hanging in the air left (Y/n) with a growing sense of unease.

As (Y/n) ventured through each room, the lair revealed itself as a quiet, solitary space, devoid of the usual signs of the brothers' presence. The empty rooms echoed with an unsettling emptiness, leaving (Y/n) with a gnawing sense of worry about the whereabouts of their turtle companions.

I hope you enjoyed chapter 2 of 'A Maze of Hearts'! This is a work-in-progress story, however, if you are interested please let me know by liking/commenting/reblogging/etc. I will be posting chapter three in the near future so come back later to check if it's there! Thank you.

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polyphonetic · 1 year

Text

neither circular[1] nor regressive[2] nor dogmatic[3] but a secret fourth thing (a solution to the Münchhausen trilemma[4])

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Footnotes

[1]: "The proof of some proposition presupposes the truth of that very proposition" (Wikipedia, Münchhausen trilemma, 2023-02-01)

[2]: "Each proof requires a further proof, ad infinitum" (Wikipedia)

[3]: "Accepted precepts which are merely asserted rather than defended" (Wikipedia)

[4]: The epistemologic problem that demonstrates the difficulty of proving things as being true, because of a reliance on subsequent truth (on so on) or on unprovable assumptions.

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Discussion Prompts

In this post, the author references the joke format "neither [x] nor [y] but a secret third thing [z]". How does the structure of this post differ from the original format of this joke?

Write an example proof that demonstrates each of the three types of arguments of the Münchhausen Trilemma.

This thought experiment is accepted as unsolvable, yet this post refers to a solution. What do you think was the intent of the author referencing an impossible solution?

Extra credit: Rewrite this post in the format of a "sorry we [did a process] to your boyfriend" post.

The author chose to follow up the post with footnotes and discussion questions. How does change the experience of this post as a reader? Are these questions considered part of or separate from the original post?

At what point did you realize you were still in the post? That you were still in my simulated space? That this post continues on as a facimile of reality in which you must suspend disbelief for the humor to come across? How does the separation between what makes a post "real" or "fake" relate to epistemology? Would a solution to the Trilemma demonstrated in this post resolve this post existing in reality?

By order of the wizard council-... hang on let me change the format into something a little more comfortable.

Post structuralist wizards have now taken over this post. By order of the Wizard Council, all posts that could potentially cause epistemological overflow are to be secured as nonrebloggable. The original poster has been fined for practicing illegal Epistemomancy three times and as such has incurred penalty. Posts that are a risk to epistemological breakthrough are contained such that they cannot resolve into reality states[3] and are a threat to the stability of irreality [3]. For more information please contact your local—

Hang on, boss. I'm sorry to break format here, but uh...

What is it, Calcifon. I told you that interjecting disrupts and recontextualizes our intervention.

There appear to be some stray footnote markers in your notation. I suspect there's still a bit of epistemological breakthrough happening.

By Zalgalon's beard, you're right! The OP must be using some kind of recursive [1]epistemological trap to propagate the post further[2]. The more this continues to happen, then, she could potentially—

[A furious battle for control HIGH WIZARD BEAMof the post commences. As text and dialogue meld and clNONINFINITE APE SUMMONash, the very fabric oDON'T LET HER NEAR THE POST BUTTONf the post b

gins

dis

olve

and the timeline

whirls

faster

and

faster

neither circular[1]nor regressive[2]nor dogmatic[3]but a secret fourth thing (a solution to the Münchhausen trilemma[4])

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Footnotes

[1]: "The proof of some proposition presupposes the truth of that very proposition" (Wikipedia, Münchhausen trilemma, 2023-02-01)

[2]: "Each proof requires a further proof, ad infinitum" (Wikipedia)

[3]: "Accepted precepts which are merely asserted rather than defended" (Wikipedia)

[4]: The epistemologic problem that demonstrates the difficulty of proving things as being true, because of a reliance on subsequent truth (on so on) or on unprovable assumptions.

----

Discussion Prompts

In this post, the author references the joke format "neither [x] nor [y] but a secret third thing [z]". How does the structure of this post differ from the original format of this joke?

Write an example proof that demonstrates each of the three types of arguments of the Münchhausen Trilemma.

This thought experiment is accepted as unsolvable, yet this post refers to a solution. What do you think was the intent of the author referencing an impossible solution?

Extra credit: Rewrite this post in the format of a "sorry we [did a process] to your boyfriend" post.

did you really think you could escape my perfect world?

Lord Zeniforth! the post reset! Now's our chance to end this before it resets again!

[The high wizard spits out blood. The causal damage is too powerful for xem to stand up.]

Calcifon, I don't think I can hold on for much longer. Your training is complete. Make me proud.

Boss... we had so many more posts to recontextualize... so many authors to kill together...

Useless.

USELESS!!

Enough of your sentimentality. In my perfect world, all knowledge will be perfectly justified. This is the only way we can achieve a perfect heaven, to causally crystalize this post in epistemological space. We will all achieve epistemological immortality this way. There is nothing that can stop me now. [1]

Now I shall activate my stand... CRYSTAL EYES REQUIEM: INFINITE REGRESS

When I punch this post it will revert retroactively to the original format, preserving all meta-contextual buffoonery as implicit subtext!

neither circular nor regressive nor dogmatic but a secret fourth thing (a solution to the Münchhausen trilemma)

----

Footnotes

[1]: Using the power of your stand "Death of the Author" that you gave to me, my lord, I was able to terminate her account while the post was resetting. The post should be able to resolve noninfinitely. But of course, my greatest sadness is that you will have never existed in this timeline. It is with a heavy heart that I carry on your legacy in a world without you.

#kassandra rambles #post structuralism #jokes #long post #writing

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dat-town · 1 year

Text

king of hearts

Characters: theo & female reader

Setting & genre: alice in borderland au

Summary: The King of Hearts was supposed to be the most wicked games of all.

Warnings: canon typical violence and gruesomeness, deadly games, blood, animal attack, mentions of injuries, minor character deaths, open ending

Words: 5k

Author’s note: this story is written for @restlessmaknae's (dis)harmony collab. you can check it out here, and you can still apply for a slot if you're interested!

i imagine theo in this one looking similar as he did in p1h: a new world begins.

i tried writing this so those who haven't seen alice in borderland or read the manga could somewhat understand it too. though the story contains spoilers for the second season (nothing major though since the original characters and the ending isn't mentioned). the king of hearts game wasn't in the manga and could only be seen in a short clip in the netflix show (for visual reference you can check out this video from 0:57, from 0:19 you can see another mentioned game), so i totally made it up based on that as well as some other games i added.

for those who haven't seen the second season or read the manga, i understand that the ending is extra confusing but you can interpret it the way you wish! on the other hand, for those who know the original story, please keep it in mind that this story is not on the same timeline as the manga/show, so the recurring games could be played differently or by different characters.

“Registrations have closed. The game will now commence,” the feminine robot voice announced.

The now familiar, haunting voice came from speakers that couldn't even be seen. You could only see the flash of red that drew the border of this game arena. This time you were in some kind of basement since you had to climb down a ladder. A ladder that had been pulled upwards, out of reach, once you set your feet on the ground and crossed the vibrating red light.

You looked around in the dimly lit space that felt all too tight for the ten or so people crowded there. The place smelled musty as if it hadn't been aired in a long time and there was some kind of weird smell too that you couldn't quite place but it reminded you of stuffy alleys behind the bad kind of bars. Everybody around you looked anxious, not knowing what to expect and eyed one another suspiciously. You knew that feeling well, in this place one could never really trust anybody. Or well, not just anybody.

The Borderlands were good at turning people against each other for survival.

“Difficulty level, King of Hearts,” the voice continued and a screen flickered on one of the walls of the entirely closed room. You gulped when you saw the card even though you knew what it was going to be. You had seen the huge blimp and the hanging card from it above before you had found the entrance where you had to leave your knife because the trapdoor to this place clearly stated ‘no weapons allowed in the game arena’.

“Game: Minotaur.”

You sucked in a breath, your mind jumping from idea to idea, wondering if the game would have anything to do with the myth of Ariadne who helped Theseus kill the Minatour and escape by a thread leading him out of the labyrinth. You wondered if it meant that there would be a monster somewhere inside. You shook your head at the absurdity of the thought because monsters weren't real and despite how unrealistic the Borderlands felt with its supernatural twists and power that seemed to come from above, people dying left and right, the control it had over lives… everything within the games were real and logical. There were no ghosts, monsters or demons, there were only people playing children's games at deadly costs. It would most probably be a wild animal if there was a ‘minotaur’ to begin with.

Suddenly you felt a warm, slightly rough hand grazing against yours, fingers slipping between yours and you felt more secure than before, your wild thoughts stopping because you knew who it was. You flashed a quick, nervous albeit genuine smile at Theo and squeezed his hand back before turning back to the screen. Having him by your side made every crazy game feel less daunting.

“Rules: escape the labyrinth before your visa runs out,” the instructor carried on and you gulped because you had only one day to live anyways if you didn't win any games that could have earned you as many days as their card value.

The thing about the Borderlands was that you had no choice but to play because if you didn't, if you didn't risk your life through these deadly games, your visa would run out and a laser would shoot you dead from the sky. So you would rather die playing a game, fighting for your life than die like that as if you had given up. Suddenly starving to death wasn’t your main concern because apparently if you didn’t manage to get out before the countdown on your device reached zero, you would die anyway.

“Clear condition: the King of Hearts cannot leave the labyrinth with you. Those who manage to escape without the King clear the game,” the voice said as the screen demonstrated the rules with an animation. Ah, so it was an individual effort kind of game. But it didn't sound deadly so far, and didn't prompt people to sacrifice each other just to save themselves. But it was a Hearts game, so you were sure there was a twist there. “There is no time limit. The game will continue until all players get eliminated or the King of Hearts is eliminated. The King can be eliminated either by getting killed or not being able to get out with any of the players.”

Ah, there it was.

“But who is the King?” Somebody mumbled, their confusion and anxiety clear from their scared tone. You had encountered the King of Spades before, a one man army creating a massacre out on the streets and you had played a rope scaling game against the Jack of Clubs before. These new games were always against the citizens in one way or another, so the King must have been there as well.

“He is probably one of us,” Theo beside you said calmly and he was probably right. Your enemy was either the minotaur himself or somebody disguising himself as a player. You had heard the Jack of Hearts had done the same. Now that would have made it a Hearts card-worthy game, one in which people couldn't trust each other and would want to escape alone. At least, you knew you could trust Theo. You had been through too many games together not to.

“The game will now begin. Good luck!” The robotic voice said in an emotionless voice and the screen had gone black at the same time as four doors opened to equally dimly lit, long, narrow corridors in every direction. They looked the same, so nobody moved, unsure if there was a right or wrong way to go. What if you would die if you choose the unsafe path? What if there were other dangers along the way?

“It’s not a Diamonds game, so there’s probably no logic in which one we should choose,” one ragged looking middle-aged man said as he walked from one corridor’s entrance to another, checking them closely.

“Would there actually be the mythological minotaur?” A younger girl with a deep cut on her shoulder asked and you were glad that you weren’t the only one who knew that story.

“Shouldn’t we just kill it if there is?”

“That would be right for a Spades game but it’s the King of Hearts, there must be something else,” the man from before hummed and you could see the logic behind his words.

Each card represented a game within the Borderlands. The higher their number was, the more difficult the games were and once all pip cards were collected, the Second Stage started: the face cards. The even deadlier games against citizens of this godforsaken place. Each suit of cards required a different set of skills in their games: diamonds for intelligence, spades for physical capabilities, clubs for teamwork and hearts for psychological endurance. Hence the King of Hearts was supposed to be the most wicked game of all.

You remembered the first and so far only Hearts game you had played, it was Eight of Hearts, the Yakuza, a version of the infamous Mafia game in which a dealer was a criminal and the innocent residents had to find out who it was before they killed off everybody. With your eyes closed according to the game rules during at the end of every round, you had to hear five people die right beside you, flinching at the sound of their screams before their body fell to the ground with a thud and opening your eyes you could only see the blood that made you want to vomit. Since then you avoided Hearts games when you could but in the Second Stage you didn’t have much of a choice, not with only one day left on your visa.

Ideas were thrown back and forth, nobody really knowing what the game’s purpose was but you all knew that since it was the highest card in its suit, it must have been an especially difficult game to win. Was it maybe a huge, almost impossible maze? Would you starve to death if it wasn’t for your visa deadline? Not even Theo’s closeness could stop you from spiraling as you listened to the others’ theories.

“Fuck it, you indecisive idiots. We will all die if we just stay here,” a hooded guy stood up and walked to one of the corridors confidently. The moment he crossed the threshold, something roared in the distance. Something that sounded like a bull and eyeing the darkness where the sound came from suddenly nobody was keen on staying. Everybody started running in the opposite direction.

Theo still held your hand as you followed the group of people into the maze. The narrow roads gave you a feeling of claustrophobia and you had difficulty controlling your breathing as you went on. Seven or six turns later and kilometers in your feet you had lost count of how far you were from the center. You thought the farther you were, the more safe you would be but it was a naive thought. The woman from the front screamed and everybody froze, barely daring to pant, craning their necks to see what scared her. You let out a quiet sigh of relief when you saw that there was a full-size mirror in the next corner of the maze and the woman probably confused her own reflection with something else. You had almost suggested going forward when you saw something move in the mirror, something that wasn’t either of you.

“Don’t!” You yelled at the man who was on the front but he didn’t listen to you and the moment he turned the corner, an animalistic growl was followed by a painful scream and the man was trampled upon. The last thing you saw was the man’s nails digging into the ground before his blood painted the walls red.

The woman on the front screamed again as you turned 180° on your heels and started running backwards. You totally lost your sense of place and time by the time you got back to the central room, you had no idea if there was a good decision to begin with. The remaining group turned down one of the two other corridors where you hadn’t set your foot previously but before you could have followed them, Theo gently pulled you back.

“Let’s split up from them,” he suggested and after a quick consideration, you nodded. In a Hearts game it was better to be by the side of somebody you trusted. The King could have been one of them, trying to escape the labyrinth with you. Or who knew when he was going to start killing the players off one by one? Would he have tried to turn the people against each other? Trying to turn them into sacrificial lambs?

Just then you noticed that on the screen where previously the rules had been displayed, you saw the statistics about the game: the time played so far (47 minutes), players eliminated (1), players escaped (0) and remaining players (8). You gulped and turned towards the entrances instead.

There were two corridors you could choose from if you didn't want to go in the same direction as others nor go back where you had just been. The one where the roar had come from or another. You wondered if maybe the roar was a test itself and you should have chosen it in order to survive but Theo pulled you towards the other entrance and you let him. You were still panting a bit from the earlier run, sweat beads on your forehead, the reality of the deadliness finally settling in your bones. Most of the time it was easier to pretend that it was just a long, long nightmare.

This corridor smelled like decay, like old libraries without books. When the path separated into two, you kept choosing the right one for easier remembering and when you ended up at a dead end, you went back to the last decision point to change that choice. Whenever you heard muffled noises or screams you pretended not to hear them.

“How long does this go on?” You asked after running into another thick brick wall and you started getting tired.

“Maybe that’s why it’s a psychological game, because we will go crazy before we get out," Theo sighed and unclipped the flask of water on his belt, taking a small swig. He sat on the ground and started drawing in the layer of dust. You leaned over it, recognizing the lines of the maze soon enough to help him remember the road you had taken through the first entrance. It didn't help much but mapping out the turns and the dead end corridors made it certain that it was a rectangular labyrinth. You even took a calculated guess of its size and how many path options it could have based on what you had seen so far.

"We have been here for about two hours and mapped out a quarter and about a half. If it wasn't for that animal, it wouldn't be impossible to go through the whole thing in a decent amount of time," you said, glancing down at your watch, wondering why this game didn't have a time limit if it was a solvable riddle. "Do you think the minotaur guards the exit? That's why we couldn't bring weapons?"

"Maybe. Or to not kill the King of Hearts so easily," Theo hummed, furrowing his eyebrows as he watched the makeshift map. You thought about and wondered how long it would have taken for people to start killing each other, fearing that the other might be the King. The Witch Hunt game had dozens killed by another player due to distrust.

“They must have named the game Minatour on purpose. What if getting out has something to do with Ariadne's thread?” You asked out loud, still wondering about it, searching for the game's meaning.

“Probably. I doubt we would find our way out by pure luck," the boy agreed. "No wonder the game has no time limit, it might be that we could run around forever if it wasn't for our visa or that animal. Maybe the exit is hidden or changes over time, maybe we're supposed to believe that we won't be able to get out of here."

Every game could be won, even in the Borderlands, you had learned, even the ones that seemed impossible. There must have been a solution. But it was unlikely that you would find your answers just like that, so you decided to explore the path from where you had first heard the roar.

You walked in silence but you were glad that Theo was right beside you. Without him, you would have long gone crazy in this inhuman world. You could share your small joys (finding your favorite candy in a rundown grocery store), your sorrows (crying over seeing a child die in front of you) and your silences with him. You found solace in his closeness and hummed lullabies to him when he couldn't sleep near your clumsily made campfire. You didn't talk much about your lives before the Borderlands but sometimes you felt like you had known him your whole life.

Theo hissed at a sudden halt when he almost walked into a wall and you bumped into his back, fingers curling into the material of his hoodie.

"Are you okay?" You asked, worried, but the guy just shrugged.

"Yeah, just my injury."

"Let's sit down a bit… No, don't tell me we can't," you interrupted Theo's upcoming protest firmly. You had already been walking for another hour since your last stop and even though you hadn't run into neither the other players nor the minotaur, your anxiety levels were high. Not higher than your worry for Theo though, so you encouraged him to pull up his tee and examined his bullet wound, hoping it didn't get worse.

Even though you both had gained 11 days on your visa from the Jack of Clubs game, Theo got injured as you were running away from the King of Spades, one of his shots catching him, so you had to sit out some days to patch him back up. There was no way you would have let him participate in any games in that kind of vulnerable condition, even if that endangered your own visa validity. You had pulled out the bullet from his flesh – at least your nurse education had come in handy then – and stayed with him even when he had been feverish from the wound and when he had been out for days.

"I really wish we knew each other in real life. I never had anybody take care of me like this," he had said one night, still delirious.

'Real life', he had called it and really, you had no better way to describe it. The Borderlands felt like it was a tangible alternative reality but who had the right to tell which one was the real one? What if both of them were? Nevertheless, the Borderlands had its own set of rules and even though nobody could be sure what would happen when all the games had been played, since the Second Stage started when all 40 non-face cards were collected, it wasn't too abstract to believe that something would happen when the rest of the card set would follow. You could only hope it would be the end, being able to go back where you came from and not a Third Stage since there were no more cards left. But you hadn't wanted to get philosophical with the barely conscious Theo, instead you had told him that you wished that, too. That he deserved somebody who cared for him.

That night he had also told you that he admired you because you were so kind and kindness in a cruel world like this was a special strength. He had seen you try to help an older lady in that game of Boiling Death even though the elder hadn't stood a chance and that had been when he decided to pull you out of that crumbling ceiling's way. That had been how you had first met, sweaty and scared, him feeling like a safe haven in that chaos. When you had stood outside of the arena, watching it crumble down, the boy had turned his back to you, leaving and maybe it was the first time since you had gotten to the Borderlands that somebody saved you without expecting anything in return, you couldn't let him just walk away like that. You had followed him, thanked him, asked for his name, offered him your hideout if he hadn't had any. Looking back, you might have sounded desperate but you couldn't help it, you had been lonely and scared alone despite surviving games on your own before. You just wanted a friend, an ally, anything.

Theo closed his eyes briefly as if he had just recalled the uncomfortable crawl you had done through the ruins of the stadium in order to get up. Both of you had been full of scratches and bruises by the time you got out but you were still alive. You were going to survive this as well, you told yourself as you brushed his sweaty brown locks out of his forehead gently.

"If we get out–" The boy spoke up again, his voice weak and hoarse.

"When," you corrected him stubbornly.

"When we get out, I hope I will remember you," he then whispered, not arguing, and fell asleep into a fever dream.

You hoped so too, so when you finally managed to convince Theo that you could take a break, you didn't expect the boy to bring up such a topic as he pulled the hem of his tee down.

"If that animal or the King will be with us when we find the exit, you have to get out first and clear the game. You only have one day, I still have a few more," he looked you in the eye, his gaze unwavering as if he had been thinking about it as soon as it became clear that it wasn't that easy to escape from this maze.

"Exactly! You joined this game just because of me. I won't leave you behind!" You protested with wild head movements. There was no way you would leave alone.

"I will be right behind you, I promise, but you have to go first, okay? It's unlikely but please, promise me," Theo pleaded and he sounded so desperate as if his peace depended solely on your promise but you… you just couldn't. Even though what he said was reasonable, he had more time to get out and he was better at these kinds of games but still, he was injured and selfishly, you didn't want to lose him.

The thing was that he kept saving you, even during your first game together when you had been confused and lost, he had saved you and had put up with you even though you were sure that you had been a deadweight and nuisance back then. It was the Seven of Spades, the Boiling Death, in which a hot geyser erupted beneath the baseball stadium you were in and you had to escape before the building would have collapsed or the water burnt you. Ironic that you were once again, running for your lives.

Something made a noise and you looked up, alarmed. Your eyes met Theo's and saw the same anxiety in them that you felt. You looked left and right, knowing that one was a dead end where you came from and the monster was coming from the other one based on the noises. You gulped, feeling stuck and your heart was pounding from fear. You had been close to death many times since you had been in the Borderlands but it was always the promise of fast death. A collar around the neck that would blow up, a killer laser that would go through your body to halve you, falling into terrible depths… you never imagined it happening by an animal tearing you apart, a slow, painful death.

You wondered if it was better to hide by the dead end, hoping that the animal would turn around or go against it, bravely, despite knowing by the lessening numbers of players that you had a low chance without any weapons in a place like this. You wanted to grab Theo’s hand to tell him that you were ready to be brave, that you didn’t want to die like a coward, that you would have at least given it a try before giving up. But the boy didn’t look at you or towards the source of the noise, he looked up.

“Are you thinking…” You muttered, understanding his idea. If there was no way right or left, no way out, you could still go up. It had a ceiling above the high and narrow enough walls, so you couldn’t escape but could get out of the reach of this animal.

“We have to try,” Theo said and you didn’t waste time. The walls had nothing to hang on or climb up on but since they were close, you could push yourself up with your back on one wall and legs stretched towards the other. It wasn’t an easy task because the wall was dry, your feet slipped on it, so you had to be careful and slow while the approaching growling only made you more nervous. But you made it, you were high up, high enough to touch the ceiling, more than two meters above the ground when the bull showed up. Its horns were bloody and it looked feral, hungry for more. Trembling, you kept yourself up, unmoving and silent until the wild animal turned the corner, disappearing after the view. Only when you turned your head to look at Theo by your side, planning to ask about running the other way, you froze up because of a different reason.

"Theo… I think there's something on the lamp," you pointed out, seeing the interesting pattern on the side of the lamp between the two of you. The entire maze was dimly lit due to these bars of lamps high above. Now, that you leaned closer, twisting your body as much as you could without risking falling down. From this close, you could clearly see the line of gilded material forming a clear symbol. Your eyes gleamed. "It's an arrow!"

So this was it, the solution to this maze. Right above your head, right in the light.

"Oh, is it our Ariadne's thread?" Theo whispered back before he encouraged you to get down.

Once your feet hit the ground, the two of you ran in the direction the arrow pointed at. It was luckily the opposite of where the bull went but knowing that the path there ended at a dead end, you knew the animal would turn back around sooner or later. You stopped at the next junction and climbed up on the wall to check the lamp to confirm your theory and indeed there it was: the arrow clearly showing you which way to choose. Relieved, you followed its advice until it led you back to the center with the screen displaying the time played so far (4 hours 12 minutes), the number of players eliminated (6), players escaped (0) and remaining players (3).

Damn, only one player was left other than you. One player and the King of Hearts. You could only hope you wouldn't run into the latter on your way out. Would he guard the way out, would he know where that was or was he just as trapped as you are, not being able to leave by himself and that's why the rules stated leaving without the King?

Following the arrows on the lamps eventually led you from unwalked paths to a familiar one or maybe you couldn't tell them apart because they were all the same except for the dead bodies and blood on the floor and walls at some parts. You had to look away from the grotesque sight but it haunted you: the agony on the morbidly frozen faces.

Theo called your name, reaching for your hand, pulling you forward but you stumbled into his back when you saw a wheezing man at the next corner, still alive but injured, holding his bloody side with a hand as he leaned against the wall.

"It's the guy with the mustache. He's the King of Hearts," the man in his sixties rasped out, forcing himself to take a step. You didn't think, you rushed to his good side to help him keep his balance.

"We know where to go, we will get you out, too," you said and flashed a reassuring smile at the struggling man.

Theo, distrustful as always, looked at the man warily but didn't say anything. He stepped to the other side of the man and the two of you helped him along. It was slower like this but eventually you reached the end where the arrows led you.

"That's it?" The old man asked, seeing the dead end, and you turned to Theo as well when he just came down from the last lamp in the row with a grim look on his face. Something was not okay.

"Yeah, that's it," the boy sighed but you knew him well enough to suspect that there was something he wasn't telling you. It was in the crease on his forehead, in the furrow of his brows, it was in the way he looked at you knowingly, warningly.

"Do you want to check it?" He asked you and you knew he wouldn't have asked in this situation if he didn't want you to, so you nodded, a bit dazed and uncertain, letting go of the injured man to climb up yourself. Your shoulders and back ached already but you concentrated on the task and gulped when you saw the familiar symbol of circular arrow on the panel.

"Should I–" You looked down on Theo but before you could have finished the sentence, you heard the bull's approach.

"Hurry!" Theo yelled and you didn't waste any more time before pushing down on one side of the horizontal lamp’s panel until it turned 90° to a vertical direction. You landed on the ground the exact same moment as the wall that closed the road off moved, opening a door. The exit.

Relief rushed through your body so close to winning the game but then you saw the lamp panel slowly turning back into its original position which closed your way out inch by inch too. You looked back on the boy behind you but he pushed you ahead forcefully, to the other side of the wall as well as the almost invisible red line, out to safety, and that was when you realized what he was about to do. Too late.

"Theo, no!" You yelled but the last thing you saw from the boy was his turned back, trying to keep the old man back from following you.

That was when you understood it, Theo's doubts, why he acted so alarmed: there were only three players left and the King was one of them. You couldn't leave with him or else you lost, and damn if your good heart didn't trust the old man then you wouldn't have been there: on one side of the closing wall, pounding on the brick material, yelling Theo's name like a maniac, screaming, crying when you heard a painful yell.

Theo had said kindness in this cruel world was a strength but no, kindness was danger, kindness was a dagger to a heart, kindness was an 'at least one of us should live' when all you wanted to be was to be together.

"Game cleared. Congratulations," the robotic voice said cheerfully and you slid down the wall, watching the burning blimp fall down from the sky, the King of Hearts card falling to pieces, with tears streaming down your face.

When the fireworks started, you thought somebody was calling your name and then, you woke up.

#disharmonycollab #p1harmony angst #p1harmony x reader #theo x reader #p1h x reader #stories

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