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kendsleyauthor · 3 months

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GODLIKE

Godlike Universe (Brielle, Cameron, Nikolas)

~2000 words

New characters?? 👀 Nikolas is a size-shifting deity--the Lord of Autumn (AKA Lord Taranis but he prefers his chosen human-like name). Brielle is an ex-princess, and Cameron is an ex-knight. How did these humans earn the favor and protection of the literal personification of autumn?? It's complicated.

But they're all in love teehee 😘

@marydublinauthor 🌸

Brielle hopped from root to root delicately while Cameron muscled down the urge to stay within catching distance, imagining her cry of pain if she slipped. Old habits died hard.

Flashes of the grand Autumn manor were visible in the distance as they trekked back toward the property. Although the Rite had occurred just that day, signs of spring were swiftly taking hold. The snow had melted a couple of weeks ago, and the harsh sting in the air had all but dissipated. Before long, the forest would be saturated with fresh color.

“Could we start dinner when we get back?” Brielle asked.

“Don’t be coy. You mean to ask if I will start dinner when we get back,” Cameron said.

“I’m starving!”

“You poor thing,” he crooned.

A dramatic exaggeration if there ever was one. Nikolas ensured they never went hungry. But although they were living in a far grander place than ever, they were dressed more simply. Cameron had little need for armor, choosing light tunics instead. Brielle’s boots were already worn from months of exploring the woods. The hem of her dress was speckled with dirt. Her leggings were comfortable for climbing places she ought not to.

Nerve-wracking as her decisions could be, Cameron had to admire how flushed with life she was these days.

“Wait.” He hurried to Briell’s side and put an arm out to stop her from striding to the next thick root. “Do you hear that?”

He swore he could hear wind, but the pine needles weren’t rustling. Squinting through the sparse foliage, Cameron caught a glimpse of fabric that lay across their path like a wall. All at once, he realized it wasn’t the wind he was hearing.

“Nikolas?” Brielle whispered. “Could he be hurt?”

“Doubtful.” Cameron seized Brielle’s hand and hurried her forward nonetheless.

The Lord of Autumn lay on his back, head turned to face them. His eyes were shut. One hand rested on his chest, while the other sat palm-up on the ground by his face. Late afternoon sunlight dappled through the branches overhead, spilling across his skin. His breathing was steady, chest rising and falling peacefully. The ground, though thawed, shouldn’t have been a comfortable place to nap, but he made it seem so.

Cameron relaxed when all appeared to be well. “I didn’t expect he’d be back already.”

“He must’ve fallen asleep waiting for us,” Brielle said, utterly endeared. “Do you think the ceremony went well?”

“As well as a gathering of childish deities can go, I suppose.”

“Shh!” Brielle glanced up at the branches. “You never know what could be listening.”

“It’s the day of the Rite,” Cameron said back in a mocking stage whisper. “They have more important things to do than listen in on us lowly mortals.” Nonetheless, his gaze briefly wandered in search of the odd snowy owl or rabbit.

Then his attention was inevitably drawn to Nikolas’ relaxed expression. Although Nikolas had nothing to do with the shift of winter to spring, he had still attended the Rite to hold council with his siblings. He had been glum the past few weeks, claiming that he was at his weakest during the spring, given that he was as far from his autumnal power as he could be.

And yet, he was still intimidating. At his full size, there was hardly anything else he could be.

Brielle almost shared the same sentiment. “He looks breathtaking in his sleep, doesn’t he?” she asked, still hushed like she couldn’t bear to wake something so precious.

“Godlike, one might say.” Cameron hummed thoughtfully. “Menacing, another might say. Alarming—”

She elbowed Cameron’s ribs. “Look at him! He’s so sweet.”

“If I recall,” Cameron said sourly, “you would fling acorns at my head and call me lazy when you caught me napping in the Queenswoods.”

Brielle grabbed an acorn from the ground and raised it threateningly. “You had barely lifted a sword on those days. Nikolas has every right to be exhausted after spending the day with his… charming relatives.”

She tossed the acorn, which Cameron nimbly plucked out of the air. He thought she might grab another, but she lost interest in landing a hit. Instead, she turned back to Nikolas and began to approach his sleeping form. Cameron hurried to catch up, taking her arm.

“You were just going on about how sweet he looks—why would you want to wake him?” Cameron asked.

Brielle gave him an impish smile that typically accompanied her worse ideas. “I don’t mean to wake him, silly. How often will this opportunity come around?”

“Opportunity?”

“To simply… admire him. Besides, even if he wakes, it’s not as though he’d be opposed to the attention.” She slipped her hand into Cameron’s and tugged him with her.

Protests bubbled up, but they never reached his lips. She was going to do what she wanted, so he may as well stay by her side to keep her from doing anything too foolish. Besides, he had to admit there was something enticing about exploring Nikolas up close without that intense stare following their every move.

Naturally, they were drawn to his face first. His gentle breathing stirred the air like a faint autumn wind. Brielle reached out first, gingerly brushing a hand over the stubble along his cheek. Her fingers traced the edge of his top lip. She looked at Cameron, eyes sparkling.

“So soft,” she whispered to him. “Feel.”

Cameron was perfectly familiar with Nikolas’ lips, but he reached out anyway. His heart stammered. Gods, it was just like Nikolas to be irresistible even in his sleep.

There was a slight shudder in Nikolas’ breath, and the two of them pulled away swiftly to rid him of the disturbance. Brielle sidestepped and leaned up to push the hair out of his eyes. She pressed a kiss to his forehead, soothing him back into his deep slumber. To Cameron’s surprise, his breathing evened out again.

“He may not sleep for much longer,” Brielle said, stepping away from his face and toward the open-palmed hand behind her.

Cameron bit back a groan. “Meaning?”

She served him another grin. “I want to feel his heartbeat before he wakes. Come on.”

He dragged a hand down his face. “You’ll be the—”

“The death of you. I’m well aware.” She climbed onto Nikolas’ palm, throwing her arms out for balance. “Now, help a lady up?”

He had half a mind to leave her to it—to use a giant deity as her personal playground, and see where that got her. But he trudged toward her, grumbling. The moment he stepped aboard Nikolas’ hand, his heart gave another lurch. There was something to this little adventure, and he couldn’t keep it off his face. Brielle beamed at him like she could read his mind.

Before proceeding, Cameron couldn’t help but kneel down to briefly run his hand over the palm that held them. How many times had he been held in this hand? And yet it felt like the first time all over again. He traced one of the lines, eliciting a small twitch in the fingers curled loosely beside him and Brielle. They needed to move on.

“I swear I can already feel his pulse,” Brielle said in wonderment as Cameron helped her onto Nikolas’ shoulder.

Together, they made their careful way to his chest. His shirt was soft, practically begging for them to curl up in its folds. The warm surface beneath them rose and fell at a steady pace as Nikolas continued to snooze, peacefully oblivious to their presence. When the two of them finally came to a stop, there was something almost meditative about his breathing. Cameron could feel his eyelids growing heavy.

“How beautiful,” Brielle said quietly, dropping down slowly to place a hand over Nikolas’ chest. “To think that someone like him has a heart beating right here. Just like we do.”

Cameron wasn’t sure whether to tease her or agree with her. He didn’t get a chance to decide—at that moment, Nikolas decided he had napped long enough.

The world shifted, and Cameron found himself plunging downward. A cry caught in his throat, while Brielle, who was situated farther above him, screamed for help. Cameron, trying fruitlessly to take hold of the fabric of the shirt, looked up in time to see a massive hand swoop up and catch Brielle.

Cameron’s descent came to a sudden pause when he landed on Nikolas’ lap—too close to the edge. He slipped, briefly catching hold of the inseam of his trousers before falling to the ground between his legs.

“Should I ask what you two were doing?” Nikolas spoke around a yawn, sounding faintly amused.

Before Cameron could orient himself, a hand descended and plucked him from the ground. He found himself reunited with Brielle, who was catching her breath in Nikolas’ other hand. His stare, though groggy, was quickly sharpening with alertness as he regarded the two mortals in his cupped hands.

“Her idea,” Cameron said at once, sitting back against Nikolas’ fingers with a huff.

“No, really?” Nikolas raised his eyebrows, feigning shock.

Brielle scoffed as though she had any right to be offended. But her expression quickly sweetened. “We wanted to be right here with you when you awoke,” she said. “How was the Rite?”

The brightness in Nikolas’ face dimmed somewhat. “Well, Aldwin is certainly pleased to be back in power. He created a whole field of wildflowers outside the sanctum. The show-off.”

Brielle swooned. “I remember I would peek out the window when Lord Aldwin passed by the castle on the first day of spring,” she said. “The trees and flowers flourished along his path—it was all very magical. I was so taken with him as a girl.”

Cameron laughed. “As a girl? You were doing this last year.”

She shrugged. “He’s dashing.”

“You wound me,” Nikolas said, looking thoroughly disappointed. The glint in his eye was unmistakable, though. “That settles it… Cam is my favorite now.”

Cameron wasted no time in beaming smugly at Brielle while she stammered indignantly. She moved to hands and knees, crawling closer to Nikolas’ face. “You said you didn’t have a favorite!” she exclaimed.

“Well.” Nikolas leaned closer, those perfect lips pulling into a smirk. “If you’re allowed to have a favorite season…”

“I didn’t say spring was my favorite!” She threw her arms around Cameron suddenly and snuggled against him. “And besides, Cam can’t be your favorite because he was mine first!”

“Oh, Bri…” Cameron gave her an innocent look and leaned his forehead against hers. He tipped forward as if to kiss her, then stopped short. “But what if Nikolas is my favorite?”

Brielle shoved him back. “You two are insufferable!” She crossed her arms, pointedly turning away from them both as they chortled.

“Come now, you can’t stay mad,” Nikolas said. He brought his hands closer to his face. “If I forgive you for fawning over my brother, can we agree there are no favorites?” He nudged her back with the tip of his nose.

She turned to face him, still pretending to pout. Nikolas moved swiftly, brushing his lips against her cheek with tender grace. She clearly couldn’t continue her dramatics any longer; a smile spread across her face, which only grew wider as Cameron kissed her other cheek. Before long, she was squirming and giggling, telling them that’s enough.

Giving them both a look of overwhelming affection, Nikolas brushed his lips one last time over the pair of them before settling back down on the ground.

“I could use five more minutes,” he said with a yawn, depositing them back onto his chest.

“Not a minute more,” Cameron said, pulling Brielle into his arms and lying down with her. “She says she’s starving. If we don’t have dinner soon, she may resort to devouring me.”

A chuckle rumbled beneath them. “Lucky you.”

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antianakin · 9 months

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Just so everyone knows, it is ALWAYS fair to blame Anakin Skywalker and his stupid family drama for the galaxy's problems.

Always.

Because it's made VERY explicit that Palpatine would have lost if Anakin hadn't chosen to side with him in Revenge of the Sith. Anakin is a Child of Prophecy, but in that moment in Palpatine's office, he defies his own fate out of selfishness and greed and sides with Palpatine over the Jedi. If Anakin had just chosen differently or not shown up at all, Palpatine would've lost. Bada bing bada boom, no Palpatine, no Emperor, no Empire, no Death Stars. The Clone Wars end on the side of the Republic, the Sith lord running the Republic Senate is gone, the Sith lord running the Separatist government is gone, so there's an opportunity for the galaxy to find some way to end the conflict peacefully and regain a certain amount of balance going forward. Unfortunately, Anakin is the dictionary definition of a colossal failure and instead he throws the entire galaxy into a fascist dictatorship.

Sure, Palpatine was building an Empire without Anakin and if Anakin had just not existed at all, you could MAYBE question whether he would've been able to succeed. But there's just as much of an argument that he wouldn't have, that Mace would have killed him in his office anyway like he was well on his way to doing before Anakin decided to be a selfish greedy little bitch.

So while Luke and Leia obviously do end up doing a lot to SAVE the galaxy, it's their parents' stupid family drama that means they HAVE to do a lot to save the galaxy that Anakin and Padme broke by being horny young people who couldn't just do their jobs and keep it in their pants at the same time. Luke and Leia inherit the damage of their parents' stupid family drama.

I think it's ENTIRELY fair to lay the blame at Anakin's feet for the problems in the galaxy. He's a Child of Prophecy, the entire galaxy's fate literally turns on Anakin's choices and whims. Anakin decides to side with the Sith, the Sith win. Anakin keeps serving the Sith, the Sith stay in power. Anakin decides to turn on the Sith, the Sith die. Anakin's choices determine EVERYTHING because of what he is, so his stupid family dramas literally cause the galaxy to implode.

#anakin #luke #leia #who but anakin could have stopped palpatine? nobody. that's the point. but he should've done it TWENTY YEARS EARLIER.#also who could have stopped palpatine? mace windu if anakin hadn't stepped in and sided with the sith.#anakin made a choice and palpatine lived because of it #that's kind-of a major point of that story in rots #anakin's choices changes everything and he chooses wrong #he chooses selfishly and everything burns for it #anakin was willing to burn the world for padme and the world burned #and then anakin made a shocked pikachu face when his personal world burned right along with it #because anakin's a fucking IDIOT with an iq in the negatives #and somehow literal godlike powers over the fate of the universe #the force picked really badly is all i'm saying

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caeified · 10 months

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original fate

#I hope I conveyed what I was trying to convey here #hey girl what if I was a guy who lost my coin flips all the time to the guy who’s a godlike figure in universe #dra #danganronpa another #dra spoilers #yuki maeda #utsuro #cae art

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eeveekitti · 2 months

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pushing my shapeshifter enot agenda /j

#rain world #that critter is FUCKED UP!!!!#they can only do that because its a weird god thing existing in like two or more universes at any given moment #enot is allowed to be really fucking unnatural as a treat #the other godlike scugs [saint and nightcat] also do their own respective Weird Shit but nightcat to a lesser degree

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gbee-writes · 3 months

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Hero winced as Mentor pulled the bandages through his fingers. She stoutly ignored his quiet hiss. A part him wanted her to tell him it would be alright, that he was doing well, but that wouldn't happen.

He hadn't gotten any kind words since the start of intensive training and he never got them from Mentor. It just wasn't how she worked.

"You're sloppy with your forms." Mentor said shortly. "I shouldn't have to teach you basics at this point."

"Yes ma'am."

"Have you been practicing them? Or have you just been goofing off with the other trainees?"

Hero chewed his lip as she finished bandaging his hands. "I...I guess I've been slacking off. I just wanted a break."

Mentor let out an aggravated snort. Her cold eyes met his and shivers ran down his spine. "You can't afford to slack off. The agency picked you as their next star hero; if you keep neglecting your training they'll drop their sponsorship with you."

"I know, but-!"

"No! No buts Hero!" He flinched back from her. "You have a duty to the people now. Every lesson you choose to ignore is the possibility of someone's death."

"Yes ma'am...but-..." Mentor stopped him with a snarl. For a few moments there was only silence. "All I do is train now."

Mentor got to her feet and went over to the weapons rack. She selected a pole-staff. "Welcome to being a Hero. Nothing you do will ever be for yourself. Everything you are is for the people you need to protect. If you don't work towards this? You are nothing. If you aren't fighting a villain you'll be here training or speaking to the public to garner their love. That's what it is to be a hero."

The cold sterility of her expression when she turned to face him made Hero feel sick. "What if that's not what I want anymore? What if I don't want to be a hero?"

"You don't want anything anymore." Mentor tossed him his own staff. "You're just a tool. Now be a good one and train."

Masterlist

Edit: this is not a prompt, it's a snippet!

#my writing #writeblr #hero #hero and villain universe #hero and villain #whump #whump writing #training whump #I just like the dichotomy of someone being considered near godlike but being abused by the same people that worship them #just a tool #<- title

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the-one-true-nobody · 9 months

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Lois Lane Interviews the Cat Savior

"Superman, Superman! Why do you keep pretending to save cats?! Surely a godlike figure like you is only concerned with looking angelic in the glare of the sun, feats of impossible heroic strength, and brooding at home while the media to waxes lyrical about your existential significance to the human condition!"

"Uh... excuse me, Ms. Lane...? This is my lunch break, so..."

"You heard me! We live in the 2020s! Post-Donald Trump America! The world after COVID! God is dead and aspirational goodness doesn't exist! Now! Tell me why you pretended to save that little girl's cat! And those other thirteen cats you saved over the last week! P-pretended to save, I mean! You pretended to save them! Totally staged it. Deepfake hoax."

"To tell you that, Ms. Lane, I need to take you on a trip through time. To a time that wasn't the 2020s, when this symbol on my chest stood for something... o-other than 'Superman,' I mean."

"I can show you the wooooooorld... shining, shimmering, spleeeeendid...!"

"...Where did you come from, Jimmy?"

"I was standing right behind you when you were scripting out this interview, dude! Like, right right behind you. Were you really that distracted by—"

"ANYway, to answer your questions, we need to go back to the very beginning... the beginning of time. Before the Snyderverse began... before the Flash royally screwed up and rebooted the universe (again). Look down there, Ms. Lane... what do you see?"

"I see you pretending to save a cat!"

"You see me really saving a cat."

"You can't prove that, Smallville."

"Then lets go even further back!"

"Further back than before the Snyderverse began?!"

"Time is a flat circle, Ms. Lane. You can always go further back. What do you see now?"

"I see you... p-pretending, definitely pretending, deepfake technology... to save a cat... from some real shitheel kid, jeez. You really did that? ...Why?"

"Because someone wrote to me about a case of animal cruelty. They wanted me to help."

"Y-you answer pleas for help that people send you in the mail? "H-he's too pure for this world...!"

"Well, it would probably be via 'Twitter' these days, except..."

"The Elongated Muskrat. Someone should put a stop to that dastardly villain."

"That looks like a job for... Booster Gold. I'm not touching that one."

"Yooooooo, I have a question!"

"What?"

"Have you ever broken a cat by accident, like you break all those door handles and bathroom faucets and stuff?"

"..."

"...Uh."

"...You haven't have you?"

"N-NO, OF COURSE NOT." *Ahem.*

"Anyway, Ms. Lane, the bottom line is... I'm here to help. I don't care if it's an invincible monster with bones sticking out of its... everywhere, or a construction accident or a car crash... or some little girl's cat that got stuck up a tree. I see someone who needs help, I help. Someone asks for help, I help. That's just who I am. I'm here to help."

"Yeah, but for real. Are you sure it's not some roundabout symbolic way of saying you're an Alpha Male who gets all the—?"

"Ms. Lane, please. What could a man saving cats be 'symbolic' of?"

"Oh no, you won't fool me. No man on Earth is so pure! Go to horny jail. Go directly to horny jail. Do not collect two hundred dollars."

"W-where were you keeping those handcuffs? "This wasn't in the script..."

#superman #my adventures with superman #saving cats #dc comics #dc universe #clark kent #lois lane #jimmy olsen #maws #thesis: what makes superman amazing is that he has godlike power but never sees anything as “too insignificant” send tweet

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futurewife · 10 months

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luv that I've made C.able initially meet me in the future but set my self ship in the present cause I can make future me as badass and competent and hardcore as I want cause it's an event that hasn't happened yet for/to me. i can make me sarah connor if I want to. LOL tho i guess C.able is also working to make sure I don't have to become that? But that's also the grown up woman he fell in love with. And he can still see her in me even though she hasn't happened yet + maybe he can give her a better future. time travel complications. anyway this post was mostly about how I can make a future me that is SO tough and hard and buff and cool 😎 and my arms look big as hell in my tank top. and i have a huge sci fi gun too. and i can fight.

#what if i learnt those skills from cable in the present and im trapped in a time loop where the world always goes to shit....#like im so well trained and skilled because i was always going to be?#cable madoka magica moment (tried to save me too many times and i became godlike. the lynchpin of the universe)

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duckapus · 10 months

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Adventures in TASbot-sitting

Someone apparently told the Gamer Girl about VR games, so she's decided to spend the day down with the rest of the characters, and for whatever reason has latched onto Floyd, which makes her the kids' problem. They try to make the most of it and include her in their usual chaos, with mixed results.

After a while she gets split up from the rest of the group and finds Cody's brother Zack, Larry Koopa, and a Pianta kid named Jim pulling pranks and decides it looks like fun. The three of them aren't sure that someone who they've seen hanging out with the main kid squad has what it takes to join them, but are convinced when she uses her modding powers to make a plate of spaghetti teleport whenever Mario tries to grab it.

From there the episode is a montage of GG and Zack's crew pulling pranks on various characters while the kids try to find GG before something bad happens.

Unfortunately, the prank squad picks the wrong target when they mistake Mr. L for Luigi, and he captures GG using his anti-Admin tech so he can study her. So the two kid groups unite to save her...and possibly also save Mr. L from her.

#smg4 #smg4 ocs #episode idea #the gamer girl #floyd floyener #cody #smg4 zack #larry koopa #jim the pianta #mario #mr l #anyone remember that the three of karen's kids we saw in her focus episode had names?#and that zack was being a jerk #well in this he's still a jerk but at least he cares about his friends #this will not be the end of mr l #he does get beat up a bit though #the kirby universe characters are used to gamer girl so floyd just sees her as an annoying little sister who happens to have godlike powers #mario spends the entire episode trying to catch that damn spaghetti #he knows he could just get a normal spaghetti but it's the PRINCIPAL OF THE THING DAMNIT!

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sailoreuterpe · 6 months

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While I personally believe that iseki and "shifting" are usually just the mundane results of loneliness, neurodivergence, and/or trauma, I also think that all of that is relatively harmless. It doesn't hurt me if some young kid thinks that they're shifting to another reality and it might well be the saving of them. I had my own intense fantasies of escaping my pain, well before we had terms for that. Fantasizing about being neighbors with the March girls or being a sailor soldier helped keep me sane through my own extreme trauma. As long as the experiences don't cause people to harm themselves or others, who gives a fuck? Besides, maybe there are infinite universes. I'd rather keep some whimsy, even if it is cringe.

#otherkin #shifting #fuck #maybe I AM a godlike being with phenomenal powers #in another arm of the multiverse #it doesn't hurt anyone to imagine #reality shift #kinda wish this universe included a lottery win #or perhaps no capitalism at all #iseki #Notes by Nikki #shiftblr #shifters #reality shifting #reality shifters

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indigos-dreamscape · 2 years

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I grew up believing that god was over me. That i must be a good little girl, stay righteous, stay quiet, stay away. All in order to be loved and good. I grew up believing that god created all. That he was the mastermind. The puppeteer. I grew up being told I was nothing. In the eyes of god i would never be anything but the scum he created so long ago. Begging on my knees to be worthy of him once again.

I grew up believing. And for a while I struggled. Because religion is strict. God is better than you. And you are nothing.

But soon I realized I have become god. God is my heartbeat. God is the way my body crafted bones out of nothingness. God is the unseen cells in my body that are dying every day yet somehow i never noticed. Gods is my hair, dead and still growing. Every part of me is god.

And I found my religion in the mirror. In the wind and again my heartbeat. I found my religion in books and my worship in poetry. I found that religion is every breath I take because I am fueling a big god machine. With veins and cells and membranes that are all working at a constant rate, doing their part to keep me together and stop me from slipping to mush. I found god in my eyes and the way one will never know the other is there.

I think each and everyone one of us is a tiny living god. And I think that makes me a very deeply religious person.

-indigo.

#god #religion #religious poem #religious poetry #obscure #obscure poetry #obscure religion #i am god #we are all god #theology #the universe #origonal poetry #poetry #god poetry #godlike

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angeltannis · 1 year

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Thinking about how Anu had all the makings of a game-changing character, huge Main Character vibes, how she could have shaken up the entire Borderlands universe both with her philosophies and possibly with her powers, finally tipping the balance a bit away from sirens being The all-powerful forces of the galaxy…but she’s determinant so now we’ll never see her again

#ntftbl #borderlands #Anu dhar #ntftbl spoilers #borderlands spoilers #hot take but the BL universe is in desperate need of some power creep #if anything the sirens are only getting MORE powerful and unstoppable #I think introducing an immortal and true neutral godlike alien entity could have been great for rebalancing universal power #I know the entity isn’t technically Gone but it merging with a human vessel that’s super gentle and compassionate could’ve made for a GREAT-#-force in future games #sort of like what Pokémon did with Arceus - it’s mysterious and can seem callous cruel at times #but underneath at its core is a heart filled with an unfathomably deep love for the world

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kendsleyauthor · 3 months

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I really like your new ocs- 5 for Godlike?

RELUCTANT GIANT

Godlike Universe (Brielle, Cameron, Nikolas)

~1200 words

G/t dialogue prompt list

Thank you for the prompt!! This is a continuation of DEITY OF IDIOTS 🍂

Brielle struggles to calm down a newly-giant Cameron. Their predicament escalates when Nikolas crosses their path.

@marydublinauthor 🌸

Brielle tried to give Cameron some grace and not compare his handling skills to those of Nikolas. After all, Nikolas had hundreds—if not thousands—of years to be accustomed to his towering height. Cameron had less than ten minutes of experience being a giant, and the fact that he hadn’t dropped her was success enough.

How can this not be a dream? she wondered.

Whenever she peeked up, she fully expected to find that she was actually in Nikolas’ hands, and that she had dozed off on his palm with Cameron by her side. But alas, it was Cameron’s face that hung overhead each time she looked. Not that she particularly minded the view.

“Are you in pain at all?” she asked, noticing that the pinch in his brow hadn’t eased. “From the transformation?”

“Not at all.” And she believed him. The anxiety of the situation was more than enough to keep a frown in place.

“I’m sure it’ll be alright,” she said, though her own thudding heart hadn’t relaxed.

“What if this is permanent? What’ll I do, Bri? I don’t…”

His steps in the direction of the Autumn Manor slowed to a stop, which was a relief seeing as his hurried pace made her stomach churn. He lifted her a bit higher, his impossibly large gaze rife with worry. His rapid pulse pounded against her legs, and she wanted nothing more than to draw him close and comfort him.

There was no time to coax him into bringing her closer.

Nikolas’ stunned voice came somewhere from behind them. “Who—”

Cameron turned abruptly to the side, making Brielle squeal in terror as she was tossed onto her side in his palm, half-falling. As she kicked her legs to heave herself back to safety, Nikolas’ eyes landed on her—presumably not getting a good look at Cameron, given his reaction. She spotted the precise moment that a fire entered Nikolas’ gaze.

“Bri!” Nikolas lunged toward them with horrific speed, and the world became dark and cramped before Brielle could see him close the distance.

A pained cry flew past her lips as the confines of Cameron’s grasp tightened—any further, and he would surely break something. Raised voices rumbled outside of her prison, but she couldn’t focus on the words as she struggled to move, struggled to breathe. She could so much as open her mouth or thrash a single limb to get Cameron’s attention.

Nikolas’ voice became clearer. “—hurting her!”

Relief flooded through her when Cameron’s fingers sprang open. She gasped for breath in his palm. The light seemed harsh compared to the darkness of his hands, but as her vision adjusted, she was greeted by two massive faces staring down at her in alarm. Camer looked beside himself.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he breathed. “I-I was startled, and I was trying to…” He lifted her higher, staring hard in search of injury. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not hurt,” she assured, though she doubted her breathless voice was convincing. She suspected she’d awaken with soreness tomorrow morning, but she certainly wasn’t going to inform him of that. She frowned at Nikolas, smoothing her skirt. “Well, it’s enlightening to see that your penchant for slightly overreacting hasn’t abandoned us.”

Nikolas looked thoroughly offended. “You were in distress in the hands of a person I had never seen before. I reacted appropriately, thank you very much.” His eyes slid up from her to regard Cameron, a little smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. “You ate the fruit. Are mortals ever not predictable.”

Cameron’s fingers twitched closer to Brielle in frustration. “You knew there were such things out there? And you didn’t think to warn us—”

“Cam!” Brielle pushed at his index fingertip. “You’re shaking again.”

Remorse swiftly replaced Cameron’s annoyance. “I’m sorry. I’ll try—”

“Here, I’ll take her.” Nikolas raised a hand and offered it beside Cameron’s.

She worried for a second that Cameron might flinch at the approach or try to hide her again, but clearly he was willing to say goodbye to the stress of holding her life in his hands. Nonetheless, the conflict on his face was plain to see—her knight, handing her off willingly. Her heart melted slightly at the realization of how much he had come to trust Nikolas, exasperated with him as he was at the moment.

Carefully, Brielle moved from one palm to the other. The difference was immediate—the steadiness, the surety. She tried not to make her relief too obvious, lest Cameron see it. Falling to a seat, she willed her heart to stop fluttering as she looked up between the two giant men.

“The fruit?” she prompted.

“Ah, yes. You see, I didn’t think there were any more left in the forest. They take hundreds of years to grow, and I stopped cultivating them long ago. The fruit is produced from plant life that has absorbed my blood.”

Cameron pulled a face, as though this information added a new flavor to the fruit he’d readily eaten. “How delightful,” he deadpanned.

“I try not to bleed in the forest these days,” Nikolas said with a shrug. “But for the fruit to exist now, it must have occurred centuries ago.”

“And you say you used to cultivate them,” Brielle asked. “Whyever would you do that?”

“A different era,” he said with a dismissive wave of his free hand. “Mortals who gained favor with my siblings or myself would occasionally be gifted such a fruit. We eventually agreed it was far more trouble than it was worth.”

Brielle’s blood ran cold with the thought of what a person would want with the gift of being deity-sized. At least Cameron was a reluctant giant rather than an arrogant or vengeful one—even if he did decide that snatching her up was the wisest course of action upon waking up at this size.

“So, it must be temporary,” Cameron said a little desperately. “A temporary gift?”

“Of course.” Nikolas seemed to latch to Cameron’s tone, stepping closer with intrigue. Brielle found herself having to crane her neck more to keep either of them in view. Nikolas brushed a curious hand against Cameron’s cheek. “By morning, you’ll be back to your adorably petite self.”

Though he scowled, he didn’t push away Nikolas’ touch. “You realize I am taller than you?” They already knew that from all the time Nikolas spent at human height, but Brielle was certain they could all agree that this situation was… different.

Nikolas’ fingers trailed lower to take Cameron’s chin and turn his face this way and that at his leisure. “You can pout all you want,” Nikolas said, his voice dropping lower. “Deep down, part of you must be enjoying this.” With that, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to Cameron’s lips, holding Brielle in perfect view.

The tension in Cameron’s face eased immediately as he kissed Nikolas back. Brielle found her perch wobbling dangerously as Cameron leaned in with more fervor. She clutched Nikolas’ thumb, but didn’t speak a word of protest.

When they stopped and pulled away, faces still a breath from each other, Brielle let out a pent-up shudder of a breath. Both giants turned to her—Nikolas enthralled and Cameron flushing. She stared, slack-jawed and almost lightheaded with giddiness. “Might you do that again?” she all but whispered.

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