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robthegoodfellow · 5 months

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May I Find You One December RENAMED Here I Go Again

1: Don't Know Where I'm Going, Sure Know Where I've Been

for @fizzigigsimmer

(caligator, referenced past harringrove, age difference, referenced character death, references to neofascism/evangelicalism)

Billy’d been warned against stopping in Stark County, but when you had to go, you had to go—and anyway, he was running low on gas. And snacks.

And, since he wasn’t a spring chicken anymore, it’d be wise to get out, work the rust from his joints a bit.

Glancing around as he filled the tank, the town looked normal enough; your average main drag in Middle of Nowhere, North Dakota. Couple sleepy shops, general store, dinky diner—one of those blue lives matter flags hanging limp by the door, vivid polyester garish against all the beige.

Basic shit.

No obvious signs of a place under the iron thumb of a white nationalist evangelical militia, and he was just about to roll the dice on that diner, maybe snag a coffee and a slice of pie, when a police cruiser ambled into view, pulled into the fueling station opposite.

Just his fucking luck.

Billy studied the pump, face schooled a pleasant bland. Marveled at how, even after all these years, his days of tussling with fascist pigs long behind him, the same wolves were stirring in his head. One baring its teeth on a low growl, ready and willing to tear the fucker to shreds, the other poised, still as stone, itching to turn tail and run at the first sign of trouble.

At fifty years old—fifty plus, but who was counting—he preferred neither option. The meter clicked off, and he watched his hands replace the nozzle, screw on the gas cap.

Even his hands were fucking old. Thicker—blocky knuckles. Veins starting to bulge. Grandpa hands.

Sense memory flashed, suppressed so quick and smooth it left barely a ripple. Wouldn’t do to indulge in fond longing for those gay glory days, for the hands he still missed like phantom limbs, some nights, this aching absence. Not within spitting distance of a patrol car.

Because why test the thought police, right? He could reminisce on youthful love lost when he was back on the highway, heading west.

Good boy, he heard, like Billy had a tin can cupped to his ear, the string trailing off into the fog of time.

So strange what stayed sharp, he mused, rounding the hood, gripping his keys. Behind him, the cruiser door swung open with a creak. Like—despite the photos, it was hard to really conjure the face, hold it steady in his mind. A face through a window in the rain, and more so as the years slid by. But that voice still whispered clear as day—sometimes a Jiminy Cricket, keeping Billy out of trouble, sometimes a little prankster demon, pure trickster.

And the hands. The feel of those hands had never left him, touch embedded in the skin.

He sniffed, ducking his chin, scolding himself. So much for smothering his inner queer.

The door was open, sanctuary of the driver’s seat calling his name, when something drew his attention across the way—some movement, maybe, or shift in the air. Pulling his gaze, against his better judgment, to meet the bored stare of the emerging cop.

His chest—seized, breath caught in tight lungs by a tighter throat. Distantly wondered if this was what a heart attack felt like—crushed in a cold fist.

Because the eyes staring back at him were Steve’s. The furrowed brow above lips pinched in a frown. The lines of his jaw, his nose. Like the rain had stopped and he could see him clear through the pane. Then the lips twisted, a sudden sneer, straight out of senior year.

“Got a problem, pal?”

Billy blinked rapid, took in the flak jacket and badge announcing him as the Sheriff’s stooge, the douchey camo hoodie layered underneath, dark hair slicked back, sides shaved like he’d stepped off the cover of Nazi Vogue.

What the fuck.

“Asked you a question, old man.”

Billy coughed, half a laugh, half choke, and shook his head. Same voice—his voice. Steve’s. Only the tone was all wrong—mean and self-important—more like… like Billy, once upon a time.

Like if his old bratty attitude and Steve’s voice had a baby. That’s what he was hearing right now. Like—

Wrenching his brain back on track, Billy rebooted. Cut him off before the brat could launch another volley.

“Sorry, officer,” he said, and couldn’t help it—the amusement thrumming beneath the words, or more accurately, the unhinged hysteria. “Must be going senile.”

The eyes narrowed—assuming that if he wasn’t in on the joke, he must be the butt of it.

“In fact,” Billy went on, blindly following some instinct, he knew not where. “Think I might be having some heart trouble.”

The cop did not spring to the aid of a needy citizen, but eyed him skeptically. “You smell burnt toast?”

“That’s for a stroke,” Billy corrected, and he’d gone and done it again—only this time a fondness threading the wry mockery. “Heart attack is pain in your arm and whatnot.”

The brat didn’t shoot him dead for perceived disrespect, which was something. Really he just seemed—confused. Baffled. And boy, Billy was right there with him.

This wasn’t Steve, he reminded himself. Wasn’t him. Just a random dead ringer in Middle of Nowhere, North Dakota, a likely foot soldier in the brutal local militia.

And Billy should just leave him to it, obviously. Because this wasn’t Steve.

So—bid the doppelganger adieu, get the hell out of dodge. Billy cleared his throat.

“Don’t suppose protect and serve extends to helping some geezer find a place to eat while he rests awhile?”

Now the perplexed indignation was out in force, head tilted so far to the side it was liable to roll off his neck.

Hand to God, Billy thought he’d kicked the death wish long ago—his Y2K resolution—and yet here he was. Still talking, coaxing the neofascist to come closer, chucking all caution to the wind for a pair of pretty, over-familiar eyes.

“C’mon,” he said, and made the smirk self-deprecating. “I make it across the street without keeling over, I’ll buy ya a coffee.”

The brat straightened, something like tolerant intrigue settled in the quirk of his brow. “All right, then, old timer.” As they stepped off the sidewalk: “Don’t expect me to hold your elbow or nothing.”

“Oh, nah,” Billy replied, waving him off. “Dignity won’t allow it.” And then—he winked. Winked at the boogaloo boy. He’d lost his mind. Farewell, sanity. “Name’s Billy.”

No response from the boy in blue until they reached the diner steps. “I’m Gator,” he said, hauling the door open, gruffness at odds with the tinkling bell.

To his credit, Billy didn’t break down into gibbering laughter.

Gator. This asshat wearing Steve’s face, this Duck Dynasty heir apparent—was named Gator.

Way off in Indiana, Steve must’ve been rolling in his grave.

#idk where this came from #idea swamped me in the car this morning #caligator #but also make it angsty harringrove #billy hargrove #gator tillman #more to come?? who knows

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inannasdream · 11 days

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i think the reason why i gravitate towards belos on a deeper level a lot more than any of the other characters in toh is bc my preference in characters and stories is in how they are affected by institutions and the messiness that results from understandable character flaws exacerbated by those institutions, whether they are the oppressed or are enabled to become the oppressor. belos is a mix of both in a way that i like — it's possible to read him as nd & left handed (both heavily stigmatized in his day and society) yet both are possible to hide. in the demon realm he yet again had a trait that made him a possible outcast, as he was a lowly human, yet he transformed himself into a magic user through painful mutilation of his skin all so that he could conform to that society, even when it was one he couldn't stand. his conformity in the demon realm supports the idea of him having to conform in the human realm. but because he was enabled for being a white man in the human realm and could reasonably hide anything that made him a nail to be hammered down, he clung to that power and dominion over others that it gave him for the rest of his life like a security blanket, represented literally with him lording his magical prowess over other witches and demons. it's a lot of layers that i think are very fun and i'm 90% sure are unintentional when put together into this cohesive of a picture for reasons i will state later.

compare that against almost every other character in toh (w maybe the exception of darius??) — every good guy has flaws that can reasonably be blamed on other people as a freudian excuse or that are downplayed by the narrative (eg. amity going from an active bully in her debut to a passive enabler of bullying in understanding willow). there's a dire lack of messiness in them all, from their appearance (all the witch kids could easily be mistaken for humans, fairly good looking ones at that, if it weren't for the ears), to how they deal with pain, etc. it gave me the impression that they really wanted only the villain to be allowed to be messy and ugly because those are traits for villains, when i think it's a lot nicer to see stigmatized traits (ugliness, childishness, hallucinations, mental illness, etc) in everyone. i really wanted the heroes to get in on that kind of action too.

another thing that drew me away from connecting with and trying to deeply understand most of the characters in toh is the lack of meaningful bigotry on the isles. i'm not criticizing the race-, queer-, and gender-blindness of the demon realm on an objective level bc the writers wanted to accomplish a v specific thing w that bit of world building and that's ok and it's a wonderful aspiration for usamerica. it's ok if it's not for Me and the world can't have a million yasuda sayos (i say with difficulty through tears). but because there is a lack of bigotry in what's supposed to be an oppressive society and there's no highlighted underclass in its place (covenless witches should theoretically be the underclass, but the show tends to undermine this aspect of its society, eg. letting wild witches like eda and luz roam perfectly free and having the government-funded school allow witches to study multiple covens without pushback from said government funding them), it becomes just another part of the show that makes it so much more squeaky clean and made me disinterested in a lot of the characters — i connect so much better with characters when i feel their pain and struggle against a world that can't find it in itself to care about them, witnessing all the ways they try to fight for their right to be happy frantically and imperfectly, and that is what makes their happiness so meaningful to me and makes me care abt them deeply.

contrast that w belos: i really love that he came from a society infamous for its conservatism and religious extremism grounded in the real world, and it's so thought provoking for me to think abt the layers of that society and how he interacted with it. which parts he rejected, conformed to, wanted to conform to, etc. that's a challenging character to understand (and then, after having fully understood them, condemn with so much more feeling) and i adore the idea of that being intentional if it wasn't for the fact that almost every other character in toh is boringly easy to understand because they lack enough material in the layers that can make them feel like real, messy people to challenge the viewer in a meaningful way. (side note: a lot of the layers created simply by belos being from colonial connecticut also disappear if you're solely looking at his background based on the text in the show, bc you're expected to fill in the gaps with, like, wikipedia basically lol. similar thing w luz where they show very little of her being bullied/outcasted bc of her adhd and you're mostly supposed to fill that in w your own experience & irl knowledge of adhd.) it results in the show being weirdly liberal about the bigotry/lack of bigotry certain characters have and only being able to halfheartedly say "idk some people are just evil i guess", instead of examining the material conditions that shape people to act the way they do. Bigot Phil vs Weirdgirl Luz could've been "these characters are shaped by their circumstances and have been encouraged to respectively become their worst/best selves through ideals instilled in them" but instead it's "some people are bad and we won't attempt to look at what made them 'bad' in the first place" and then pretending this is a groundbreaking message and not the laziest takeaway they could've possibly written.

basically i like my characters messy with hearts that you have to go out of your way to understand and sympathize with who come from understandable circumstances and i think all girls should be allowed to kill freely. i hope you can understand my position.

#chirp chirp!#this post got away from me. i swear at some point it was only two small paragraphs #what can i say i love mentally ill orphans (collection of ryukishi07 girls in basement)#anyway im going to pull my final trick and reveal my favorite character is actually eda #the characters i analyse and think about every day are usually top five but my favorite character is ALWAYS the wildin girl #(looks at sonozaki mion and shion. like im always thinking abt shion but mion is my number 1 freaking GIRL)#toh critical #bc i think i went a lil too hard in the later paragraphs. sry for blending together opinion and critique here #this was just meant to be a personal post don't come for me pls ajdkwjkfjc

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mauesartetc · 1 year

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Faux-compositing Hazbin Hotel for more visual clarity

A while back I recolored a screenshot from the Hazbin Hotel pilot to make the overall palette look more cohesive. Here’s the original:

And here’s the result.

And I figure, hey, that was fun, and folks (myself included) seemed to learn from it. Why not make some more? If you subscribe to the “every frame a painting” philosophy, this is the post for you.

I’ve always had two criticisms regarding Hazbin’s colors:

1. There’s entirely too much red in the environment. I know it’s Hell, but this is really overbearing. There are ways to make the setting feel oppressive other than bombarding viewers’ eyes, y’know?

2. The background characters have so many disparate palettes that they don’t feel like they belong in the setting. This could’ve been avoided by giving the fans who designed the characters a master palette to use as a guideline. Here’s the one I used for my hellhound designs:

It contains colors derived from canon Helluva Boss characters, which makes the new ones feel like they fit in the same world rather than hailing from completely different shows. For the faux-composite above, I sampled colors from Charlie and the background, and used them to rework the surrounding characters. For other shots, though, I may use the hellhound palette as needed since Helluva Boss is set in the same universe.

Let’s get to it!

To start with, there’s a lot going on in this scene. We have a detailed foreground character, a detailed background, and a middle ground character caught between them. In the left side of the frame, it’s hard to read the wolfman’s silhouette against the background elements since their values are so similar. Meanwhile, the cowboy stands out fine for the most part, though his hat brim gets a bit lost in the trim of the building behind him. So basically I needed a way to make all three layers look distinct from one another.

I settled on cloaking most of the background in shadow and doing the same for the cowboy, except for rim lighting and a glow from his cigarette to highlight his face. The wolfman and cart full of bodies have minimal shading; enough to give them some dimension but not so much that they blend in with everything behind them.

We then have more background characters to deal with at the news station:

In these cases, I simply painted over the crowd with purple on a couple Multiply layers (same as my initial recolor of these folks), erasing bits here and there to suggest rim lighting and glowing eyes. Charlie’s silhouette stands out much more clearly now that the heightened value contrast has cemented her as the focus.

I tried a similar approach with the demons outside the TV store:

While there was never any doubt that Alastor was the focal point here, I felt the ancillary characters’ color schemes could be more unified, and that their shading could reflect the light sources surrounding them (mainly the TVs in front of them, and the fire surrounding the horned skull demon). I also felt the wall on the right was blending in too much with the background, so I threw on some shading to make it pop.

Now we get to Charlie’s phone call:

I found it odd that the stained glass in the doors was illuminated from the inside when the previous scenes showed us that the hotel was dark. We did see a check-in desk with functional lights, but it was located waaaay down the hall from these doors. Thus, the glass is now in shadow, with some added texture on the edges to suggest its thickness.

Charlie is now also covered in shadow to fit the gloomy mood of the scene, though the rim lighting and her unshaded eyes keep her separate from the background.

Finally, the skyscraper windows in the second screenshot were way too bright, which gave them a contrast that drew attention away from Charlie. It’s never a good sign when animation backgrounds upstage the characters. So I slapped some color on them and shaded that front row of buildings to boost the overall gloom factor.

Then, Alastor arrives:

Given the darkness of the previous scene in the same location, I figured it’d make sense to kill the lights in the awning for this one. And now that most of the hotel is in shadow, Charlie and Alastor stand out a lot more (especially Alastor’s hand, which was practically invisible against the red wall). It really helps that the saturated yellow of the awning is toned down so it won’t be such an eye trap any longer.

Alastor makes himself at home:

...And the hyper-detailed background threatens to swallow him up.

Look, guys- I get that you’re proud of your rendering skills and all, and it’s admirable that you put so much love and care into these layouts. But, y’know, we don’t have to see the whole thing, especially not at the cost of the final frame. The portraits and wallpaper are especially distracting, battling Alastor for visual dominance. A little shading ensures Alastor is the focus without obscuring the portraits completely. Let ‘em be fun Easter eggs fans can study when they pause the video, not the stars of the show.

Alastor then regards the two grumps on the couch:

There was a noticeable lack of shading in this scene (except the default shadows on what I’m guessing were 3D models), making everything look flat. With the help of my good friend the Multiply layer, I gave the background some dimension and brought the characters forward.

Vaggie warns Charlie that Alastor is bad news, and Charlie takes it into consideration:

Again, we have the issue of background portraits attempting to steal the characters’ thunder. In the second screenshot, look at how much those bright greens and cyans stick out like a sore thumb against the dusky pink of everything else. Was it really necessary to keep all the colors of that illustration exactly how they were for the final product?

To remedy this, I desaturated the portrait’s colors and skewed them towards red so the image would better fit the context of the scene. And parts of the picture frame next to it were blending into the wall, so I added some shading there to make it stand out more.

Sometimes, changes made to a confined area can make a world of difference:

I muted the bright greens of the balloon and the flag so their saturation wouldn’t dominate everything else in the scene (again, eye traps), and shaded the stuff behind Alastor so his side of the frame wouldn’t look so busy.

I used similar tactics for when Niffty enters the picture:

For the first screenshot, I plunged the left side of the background into darkness, shaded the center with mainly lighter colors, and left the right side alone since that’s where the light emanated from. This resulted in a sort of gradient effect in the shading, which let Alastor and Niffty pop out a lot more.

In the second screenshot, the vase on the right was a bit distracting in how detailed it was compared to its surroundings, and it was the only pink thing in the frame besides Niffty. I shaded it so it wouldn’t steal the spotlight without disappearing completely. There was also the matter of adding shadows to the rest of the environment, particularly the stretch of hearth the firelight doesn’t touch, and the skeletons on either side of the furnace’s opening. Just some little touches to help the world feel more solid.

Then we meet Husk, and things get tricky.

Husk’s bar was a challenge due to its plethora of light sources. The green rim lights on Husk and Alastor suggest the light’s coming from the green blackjack table, but then we also have light coming through the window, lights in the sockets of the skulls above the bar, a yellow glow from the top of the bar itself, and a faint green glow from the top edges of the wooden wall. And in the third screenshot, the window grabs a lot of attention since it’s almost smack in the center of the frame and it sports some pretty saturated colors.

I did my best to shade things in a believable manner without using too much of a single color. I’m happy with how the purple worked to tone down the window, though I might change the brightness of the blackjack table. It’s still pretty saturated and a bit distracting from Husk and Alastor, though at least they stand out from the wall a bit better.

Now for the part where things get PINK:

Like wow, SO much pink. Holy hell.

I layered some yellow over Charlie and Alastor’s faces, bodies, and limbs so they’d be more discernible from the background, with extra emphasis on their faces to show just how enraptured they are during this musical number. I even left some glow in the negative space between them, representing how connected they are in this moment. Two auras become one. Or something. (Look, I am by NO means a Charlastor shipper; I just think a little more creativity in the visuals of a dance scene could convey more energy and chemistry between the partners. Especially when everything on screen is this monochromatic, like damn.)

Anyway, Sir Pent is here.

That blue in the tunnel of his airship was WAY saturated, and while the reds and yellows barely managed to pop out against it, I thought I’d give them more of a fighting chance. The body of the ship is also more consistently shaded to make it feel 3D, and I added some rim lights to the tips of Pent’s hood so they’d stand out against the dark tunnel.

But Alastor’s eldritch horrors dispose of Pent in pretty short order:

The extremely light glow on the left side of this screenshot caused the hotel to compete with the tentacles for dominance. And once again, there was the matter of the skyscraper windows being so bright they drew too much attention to themselves. I colored these windows with the same orange as the sky behind them, cloaked the hotel in shadow, kept a yellowish glow around the characters, and darkened the evil spirits to make them pop out.

Finally, we get the characters’ reactions to what just occurred:

Figured I’d handle both the normal lighting and the “horror” lighting for this scene. The normal version’s pretty simple: Color in more skyscraper windows, eliminate that weird ray of light that seems to come from nowhere, darken the top of the sky for more contrast with the characters, add some rim lights to Alastor to make his form more clearly defined, and remove the pentagram planet-thingy that looked like it was awkwardly resting on Husk’s hat.

The horror lighting involved some of the same steps, but with more addition than subtraction. The glow from the tentacle demons now hits our characters, lending them a greater sense of volume. Light purple shadows on the gang in the back offset the yellow glow, and Alastor now sports reflections in his shaded areas. There’s no character animation in the transition between the terror and the levity, so if a person wanted to paint this stuff in After Effects, then fade out its opacity to reach the regular lighting, they easily could. Hell, you know what?

Do with this information what you will.

So what’s the takeaway here? I guess, in a nutshell: Don’t let your animation backgrounds upstage the characters. Don’t make them so intricate or busy or saturated that they hog the spotlight. They don’t need to wow the audience with how impressive they are; they just need to serve the story.

Will the Hazbin series learn from past mistakes (including those made in Helluva Boss)? Fingers crossed. As always, I hope y’all found this post insightful or enlightening in some way. See you in the next one!

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel critical #color theory #critique #criticism #long post

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shinjisdone · 3 months

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Two Humans in the Demon Realm - Fantasy And Nightmare

What if by the time Luz Noceda the human emerged into the demon realm...some other human did, too? However, instead of being joyful of being surrounded by all they love and taken in by a kind and openhearted witch...they are terrified of this place, taken in by the ruler of the realm?

[Basically I watched TOH again and dammit HUNTER SHALL HAVE A FRIEND I SAY NOT UNTIL S2 but NOW I SAY NOW]

BECOMING THE GOLDEN GUARD'S/HUNTER'S HUMAN FRIEND BECAUSE I SAID SO

Part 2 of this

Things seemed to become okayish.

The visits were more frequent and the Golden Guard would come in with different, hopefully tastier dishes to you. "Your little drawings of human food aren't the best, you know." He said as he returned with a plate of hot...moving...algae? When all you drew for him was bacon.

They don't even have bread here *crying*.

Alongside the questionable food he also brought writing utensils, something akin to a magical board and the like. You were unsure and so let him use the majority when teaching him about glyphs.

The Golden Guard would nod and hum before grabbing everything under his arm and excusing himself off until the next time he visits you. At times he seemed to be in a good mood so you assumed he made progress - yet he mostly returned tired and grumpy so you did not try your luck to ask how much progress he was doing and how much of it was actually successful.

You did not even know what he's doing with the knowledge or why he needs it.

Still...being kept in a room out of everyone's sight can be boring...and overwhelming.

You've asked your guard a couple of times if there isn't any other new places to be. Just for fresh air. Or to feel the sunlight directly and not through the window you weren't even allowed to touch.

However, one day after requesting it a couple of times, the Golden Guard halted with you almost bumping into him, spun around and agreed.

Under one condition: You'd go outside of the castle's barriers and into the wild to practice wild magic.

Learning about it by theory was no problem but the Guard couldnt risk practicing any of it on Belos' territory. The punishment would be too severe.

Besides...he won't ever tell you but he's scared of using it. Wild magic is dangerous.

Not that he wants to endanger your life but you have far more experiences with it, so he likes to believe that things will turn out fine if you practice them out. He can stay back with the theories on paper and you can actually cast them.

So clad once again with the humble scout uniform, you made your way - though you feel like you instant traveled or zapped - to an abandoned shore. The sea and cliffs would shield you from unwanted attention.

The Golden Guard is very much aware of what a risk he's taking - but it could lead to an solution, to healing.

He is still doing his job. Looking after you and making sure you don't kill yourself through careless spellcasting of wild magic. Thats what he tells himself at least.

The hours pass by and the two of you were engrossed in the many glyphs and the possibilities they offer. You so effortlessly draw them into the sand, it leaves him a bit impressed.

You finish drawing each glyph that you know. "I'm sure there are many more but the majority are like...basic ones from nature, you know? Light, fire, plants...they seem like any other magic spell of your Emperor's Coven, I don't know what else they could do."

He trotted over with his staff, inspecting the glyphs further. "They can be. I've read about it." He passed you by, letting the end of his staff draw along the sand and connecting your drawings with his own lines. "Magic has layers even when the core is the same. Light is more than just able to see in the dark, it filters through the atmosphere we exist in and can cast shadows - thats already another path that light glyph opens up for you!" You noted how much lighter and higher his tone gets as he jogs around the shore, drawing more circles. "Back then before the Savage Times witches were able to create more spells with their imagination and willpower alone just through understanding each core-!"

His figure froze mid-drawing as his gaze met your quizzical one. Straightening his posture, he cleared his throat and intentionally spoke sternly. "I, uh, read that. It's history 101 here on the Boiling Isles, nothing...crazy. You wouldn't know that."

You can't help but crack a smile. "You sure know a lot about magic even if it can be scary. You must be a master by now, is that what it means to be the Golden Guard?" You smiled and meant it as a compliment but your companion just seemed to shrink, looking away from you. "Magic isn't scary, well, wild magic doesn't have to be. There's an immense, just...pool of unlimited possibilities, its what this entire isle is made of. Magic at the very beginning was just like this, wild, and kind of endless," Halting, he continued in a low tone, "...but it can get out of control, thats why its wild in the first place. If you're not careful, if you don't know what you are doing, people might get hurt and-"

He hit a rock when shifitng his weight. A part of the circle had been cut by his foot and he gazed down at the grande symbol you two created. It seemed like art but he knew it couldn't ever be.

Taking a deep breath he called out louder with his hand shooting out. "Thats why I am the Golden Guard, yes, I'll take care of this, of everything. So stay back, human-!"

One shift of his foot too much and he came in contact with a glyph. The lines glowed a bright green and before he knew it, the Guard let out a yelp as his staff went flying up to the cliffs, getting stuck in the rocks.

"No! No, no, no!" His hands clutched his head. You jogged over to him and offered the lightest of condolences. "We can get it back. Should be easy with, yeah, magic-" Your shoulders jumped up, retracting your finger that was playfully drawing circles in the air when your companion started clinging up the cliff, only to slide and fall down again and again. You called out to him in assurance but had to snap when he didnt stop even when his uniform got ripped.

"Hey, hey, you're gonna get hurt! Just wait a moment!"

"I can't! This staff was given to me by Belos!"

"Just focus and cast a spell to get it back!"

His sudden silence surprised you. The Golden Guard shrunk in himself and avoided your gaze. He stood still for a few more awkward minutes - until you took a deep and loud breath.

"...Can't you...cast a magic spell? Like something with the wind, maybe?"

Once again, he stayed quiet and you took your book in your hands before drawing a circle in the sand. "Here, I'll go get it. I'll stand right here and jump on the vine, you'll just have to activate the glyph for me." Once again, he looked away before you urged him more with a trying smile. "You can do it, Golden Guard."

Without another exchange you took your position. The Guard hesitated as he kneled down. "I..."

Gingerly he grazed the outline with one finger and a small sprout grew - before he snapped his hand back and it died instantly.

Looking up to you - and somehow you could tell that he asked you on the 'how'. "You just touch it," you smiled, "I need it to be big and strong...you said that witches used to do that with willpower and imagination, right? Maybe...we could try that." You could feel his gaze, could tell how his chest heaved but with a deep breath he slammed his hand onto the sand. At the contact the glyph glowed bright, a sprout emmitted and you were quick to jump on the growing vine.

In an blink of an eye, the staff was retreated and the guard slowly imagined the vine becoming smaller and reshaping into a flower - which it did the moment you landed on your feet.

"Here." You returned the weapon that you so awkwardly held, "...That thing seems more unstable than my glyphs - from holding it at least."

You tried to smile for him but he remained silent. Throwing sand over the drawn glyphs, the both of you returned to the castle without another word.

Back in the discreet room, you took off the mask of the scout uniform with a frown. "Hey...I won't question anything of that...instance if you don't want me to."

He snapped his head back at you before slowly letting it fall. All you got were mumbles under his breath.

With yet another awkward smile that you could muster, you pointed towards his scraped skin. "I found some bandages here the other day...we'd best patch that up before it gets infected...if that uh, happens around here." This time however, he shook his head. "I can take care of myself. I don't need...your help..."

Underneath his mask he scowled as his words trailed off. What a lie.

He's pathetic.

Still, you tried to urge him to let you tend to him with sticking plaster in hand. Begrudgingly he let you - a bit unsure still. Even the act of sitting on that bed - which is your bed now (has been for a while...he wonders how long you'll stay) - has him thrown off. The confident aura of the Golden Guard leaving him and letting him down.

You talk about what you still were able to learn today, how in your world, water is connected to healing or seen as healing - after all, magic was fiction in your realm that you saw in "movies"...whatever illusions those might be - so maybe magic including a water glyph might ease his pain (which no, that's not how it works. However...he does not interrupt you).

It makes him realizes he doesn't know much about your realm despite keeping you here so that Belos can learn more about it. But what he does realize that in your strange human way, you were trying to comfort him.

He thinks. He never has been comforted before, not like this. Belos never comforted him like this.

After all was patched up, he was quick to collect his staff and leave yet stopped before reaching the door. "...Thanks..." You heard him hesitate and could almost not believe what he was saying, "...for today. And...for the other time where you helped me...with your wild magic."

A smile graced your face and your eyes lit up in a way that the Golden Guard did not know what to think of it. "You're welcome." Quickly he avoided your gaze. "But don't go overboard. Wild magic is dangerous, you could get hurt. So don't do anything without my supervision."

His attempt at sounding stern didn't go unnoticed but as he left, you couldn't find it in yourself to take it personal.

Things have become...challenging. For him.

He stood there with food in his hand right in front of your door, the illusion spell gone for a moment. In his pocket were a few bandages.

He can return your used ones - then again they aren't yours, they belong to the Emperor as everything does here on the Boiling Isles. Well, you could still have some in stock in case you get hurt with wild magic - which isn't something HE can allow to happen as the Golden Guard!

He groans and just goes in.

In time you appreaciated his visits. The extra bandages weren't...neccessary but welcomed. The dishes he brought resembled your doodles more and were *gasp* actually tasty! You asked him if he spend time in the kitchen and he answers embarrassingly (but at least you cannot see the cuts on his hands).

The Golden Guard liked taking his time with wild magic lessons this time though. The outings aren't this far away anymore but each one was at a different place that you appreciated.

You were more open to tell him of your human world. Of quiet nights, of animals like wolves and how the rain is soothing and not boiling. How humans liked to go swim in the ocean as a pass time! (insanity to him).

You mentioned that he'd get it if he would see it...you hoped you'd be able to see it too.

It was interesting...if not fantastical in his mind.

Even with your frequent meetings with Belos who grew more and more impatient, he always stood by your side. Protecting you even with excuses when the emperor chose harsh words. Nevertheless, the man always tried to be a delight in your presence but you could never truly believe him. He did not make ultimatums or threatened or hurt you...did he pity you because you were human?

You always made sure to thank your guard in situations like these even when he had trouble accepting your gratitude or showing any of his own. You assumed he was never upset by it though.

However, when it came to him he was more than reserved. Any questions of his day, interests, well-being, age or even his name he never really answered. It felt all too compelling to just give up on asking him.

The day started off normal enough. What you learned was normal around here.

The Golden Guard announced that he'd go on a mission right before bidding goodbye after his visits. It will be on the airship...not known to Belos but he will be happy with that he'd bring back. No, you cannot come.

"It's top secret, so just between you and me. I won't be back after bringing in victory so don't try to leave this room - okay, byyyeeee!"

There he was again zapping away and leaving you to kill off your boredom all by yourself. It wasnt until the late evening when crashing and guards stomping by your room was heard. In a panic you rushed towards the wall to eavesdrop.

'Airship' and 'Golden Guard' was all you could hear out by a small, high-pitched voice...squealing over the possibility of his death and taking his place.

Your heart skipped a beat and your throat felt dry. Death? What did they mean with him dying? Taking his place? This - This has to be a joke!

But the demon realm taught you quick that nothing was a joke here. Many things could have taken your life and you were sure members of the Emperor's Coven would be more than willing to be the most dangerous things on the isles.

There was no time to think. Your heart was pounding so hard leaving you with a headache yet you did not stop when putting on the scout uniform nor did you falter when stealing from the Healing Coven's closet. It was terrifying but you did not think about it nor about the consequences that could follow if Belos found out. You could imagine that he wouldn't be pleased when the human got out of his castle.

You refused to think about it or else you might shake in your boots with no power to continue to help him.

Sneaking out you were met with rubble and it confirmed your suspicions. You didn't know how to really find him if other witches were already after him. Making sure you stayed out of anyone's sight, you tightly held onto the bag filled with healing potions. You stumbled through the dark and the debris, falling hard enough to lose your mask - but secured the bottles from shattering.

It's alright, you tell yourself and took a deep breath, you can still hide your ears with the cape.

Other scouts searched the area and suddenly you had a bad feeling about dressing as one yourself. Though beyond the orders shouted out, you heard a high voice not belonging to any of the Emperor's Coven and followed it. Without realizing whats in front of you, you collapsed with another person.

You shrieked but caught the bottles just in time. Whipping your head up, you came face to face with another witch - a boy your age with hair pale blonde, scars on his face and ear and heavy eyebags just under his ruby red eyes.

His jaw hung open with a tooth gap peeking from his lips. He looked at you as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

Before he could speak you interrupted him: "Have you seen the Golden Guard?!"

Jumping, he recoiled.

You only stared at him with white panic. "He was steering the airship that crashed here I heard! I, I've got to find him - Emperor's orders!" You hoped he'd take the bait - but only kept staring at you in shock.

In turn you shook your head with a scoff and passed by him yet still stopped and gazed at him over your shoulder. "...You look hurt," Your hand fished out a few potions, "I got these for him but you look like you could use them, too." Without another word you shoved a few potions into his arms and made a run deeper into the debris.

After your figure dissapeared, he still stood there. Beyond the smoke another person emerged through. "Who was that?" Her brown eyes looked worriedly over to him as she adjusted the cape around her round ears.

The blonde frowned before quickly packing the potions out of her sight. "No one. Let's go."

The moment he got back, he barged into your room.

It was long nighttime. You did not sleep, refused to rest your eyes as you skimmed around your book for some kind of glyph that lets you track people. Find their belongings, their status. Anything.

He should've expected it but it still startled him when you rushed over, yelling at him with panicked eyes on where he had been.

The Golden Guard told you the truth - part of it at least and sprinkled a bit of fantasy on it. How he was found and brought back to the castle.

"And what about 'taking your place'?! I saw members of the Coven trying to track you down and..." Your eyes softened, your face grim, "...they talked about getting rid of you."

He looked briefly away from your sullen gaze. "They weren't able to."

"So thats just, a thing that happens here? Scouts and generals wanting to get rid of others for their position?! Thats not normal! Thats something that happened in kingdoms and dynasties and..."

You halt and deflate. Your arms that were wildly gesturing just a moment ago slowly fell to your sides. "...empires."

The Golden Guard assured you while shaking his head. "Listen, I don't know what these are but! I'm fine! I'm fine. You don't have...to worry about someone like me."

"Your airship crashed, thats enough reason to worry - and after hearing the members of your own Coven want you dead, of course I'd come looking for you!"

You saw his shoulders jump. He tilted his head up in surprise and even though you couldn't see it, you were sure he was stunned. It only made you frown more.

"...Of course I'd look for you."

The way you looked at him was the final resolution he believed he needed. A sigh escaped and hit his mask as he avoided your gaze. "...Yeah, you did. You saved me. Thanks..." He saw you straightening your back as your head rose and your face grimaced with a puzzled expression. He bet you must be so confused, maybe hurt - of course you are, you just said it yourself. But still, he put the empty bottles into your hands.

"Human, I have to tell you something..." His voice shook as his hands went up to remove his mask. A gasp escaped you as the same bad but sad boy was looking at you. His blonde hair tussled and unruly as his red eyes seemed to beg you not to he angry. They were bandages on his face which somewhat eased your worries. He was hurt and roughed up but not as much as you feared.

"Why didn't you tell me that was you?" You approached him unsurely and he seemed to back away. He twiddled with his fingers and couldnt meet your eyes. "...No one was supposed to see me. I barely take off my mask anyway, only to Belos. And..." He scowled slightly, "I didn't know what to do. I didn't expect you, you weren't even supposed to be there!"

"I was worried they'd kill you! That was true what I heard, wasnt it? Or is that also a lie?" "I'm not lying to you!" He snapped back with a bit more bite in him, "Kikimora constantly tries to take my place! Thats why it was so weird to see you there with healing potions looking for me! And...I should thank you. I wanna thank you." As quick as his fierce glare came, it was gone again as the blonde shrunk meekly, begrudgingly admitting his fault in a soft voice. "...No one's done that for me before. Not even...Belos..."

You frown was filled with pity. "I figured as much." You softly let out and motioned towards your bed. With hesitancy, he sat down at the edge and you followed to do the same. Now sitting next to him, you hesitated yourself. "Is there anything more I should know?" "What do you want to know?" Looking back up, he saw you glaring slightly at him. "Your name for example. Or are you just known as the Golden Guard?"

"No!"

Your anger was nothing compared to the way he snapped.

But as fast as it came, he slowly shrunk again, turning away and fiddling with his hands.

His voice softened once again.

"...My name is Hunter."

You repeated his name and it left a shiver down his spine. Hearing you out of all people say it is weird, it is all so weird. No one adresses him by his name but you just did as if it were normal.

"Well...it's nice to meet you properly, Hunter." Again, you are acting weird, smiling at him ever so slightly and even if it was forced, it seemed genuine to him. That you'd even say something like that. You even repeated your name as if it really is the first time you two met.

He awkwardly shook your offering hand.

"It's...nice to meet you, too."

"But why are you telling me all this, Hunter?"

His red eyes flickered to the side before a more serious expression graced his face. He took a deep breath before staring into your eyes. "There's something you need to know." He began dryly, "When I was out there, running away from Kiki...I was with someone else. It...was another human, just like you."

Your eyes widened.

"If I'm right, she comes from the same place that you do. I believe she appeared later on the Boiling Isles than you did and she might have the means to return. She is not...a friend, but I can bring you to her."

"There is a way back home?!" Jumping up from the bed, you barely could believe your luck. But it still left you confused. "But...can you tell me even this? I-is that something I'm supposed to know? What about Belos?"

Hunter looked back up to you, his hands tightly gripping his knees. "You deserve to know. You...are the nicest, weirdest person I've ever met. And you want to go back home, to somewhere you belong..." Sadness briefly glimmered in his eyes and they glance back at you, "Human, I - no," Hunter corrected himself by saying your name, "I have to pay you back for all the...things you've done for me. Even if I am just a powerless witch...I want to help you get back to your realm."

You were speechless. Taking a step towards him, you opened your mouth but the next words that were heard were not yours but chirping.

On the window behind Hunter, was a red bird watching you two.

#the owl house hunter #the owl house #the owl house x reader #hunter the golden guard #toh hunter x reader #platonic #the golden guard x reader #BE HIS FRIEND FOREVER

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misc-obeyme · 10 months

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i would read the barbatos essay ‼️

Anon, you have made my entire day lol. I'm always worried about answering asks with lengthy posts because I can really ramble on and on. But since you asked for the Barbatos essay, well...

Buckle up 'cause this turned out quite long! I'm putting it under a cut just so people don't have to scroll.

There's only one section of spoilers, which I indicate so you can skip it if you like!

Here it is, my Why I Love Barbatos essay:

Okay, first we have his design and the color scheme. That teal is just so pretty. And the way his hair has that one streak of brighter teal? Perfection. I very much think Barb would look amazing with long hair, too.

The way his uniform is altered to look more like a butler. The way he's always wearing those white gloves. When he actually does take off the gloves?? Though I do wish they had given him a casual outfit, they kinda do this with all the side characters - all of them are missing at least one outfit that the bros have. BUT it's funny to think that Barb just wears his uniform all the time instead AND sometimes he does take off the jacket when he's about to get into something. Such as in the Dust-Fighting Demon SSR and the Face Paint Charm SSR.

And then there's his human world outfit?! It's perfect for him. Elegant and unique and just visually interesting. And if iirc it's like a tea merchant outfit? I mean. Of course it is.

Demon form? Perfection. THAT TAIL. I wanna touch it so bad. And his horns are just so different from everybody else's. They're so unique. And the outfit? It's like butler uniform but upgraded. The patterns and the colors and the frills that come out of the wrists I just love it so much.

Needless to say, I very much love Barbatos's design. Visually he's just so pretty and I think that is part of what initially drew me to him. But in the end, what it really comes down to for me is personality, too.

I think there are a couple of things about Barbatos that I really love that just made him become my absolute favorite.

He's not instantly in love with MC. People have talked about this before. It takes basically all four seasons for Barbatos to say or do anything that indicates he might have feelings for MC. A lot of his more romantic interactions happen in his Devilgrams and the events, which are outside of the main story line. (A Party Just For Two UR card is one of my all time faves when it comes to romance with Barb and most of it happens in the kitchen lol.)

The thing about this that was always interesting to me was that he didn't act like he was NOT interested or that he disliked MC or anything. In fact, he always seemed to be curiously intrigued by MC. While most of the other characters usually develop a kind of crush on MC before they're just straight up in love with them, Barb is just kind of like, oh you are interesting. But that's it until much later in the story. And even THEN we don't get a straight confession out of him.

I have always been a fan of the slow burn. The little moments that just steadily increase the character's feelings, the build up, the anticipation... it's so good.

And then there's just how mysterious he is in general. We know very little about him. In the beginning I was like okay so who is this guy? He's just a butler? I don't get it. And yeah, he's a butler, but then you find out he's also got time powers and portal powers and suddenly he's a lot more than just a butler.

NB spoilers here for his Tea Time With You UR+ Devilgram:

The story in this Devilgram really hints to there being so much more about WHY Barbatos is Diavolo's butler. He talks a lot about atonement and how something he did had a profound impact on both Diavolo and Solomon. He won't tell us what it was because he's not ready to reveal it, which is not surprising, but also indicates that it still weighs on him pretty heavily. At least it does in the NB timeline. To me, this added a whole new layer to his air of mystery. We don't know why he stays as Diavolo's butler except that he says he likes it and that's what he wants to do. But there is clearly another piece to that involving some self imposed penalty for whatever he did.

End spoilers.

And even though there's a lot we don't know about him and especially his past (which to be fair, there are probably a billion years of past there so we'll never know all of it lol), he just has this comforting way about him. Once he accepts someone as sort of being in his charge, he takes care of them without being overbearing. He sort of does this thing where he gives each person in his life as much as they need from him.

Diavolo is the obvious example and he needs the most from Barb. So Barbatos does a lot for him and Dia is always his priority. But then we've also got characters like Luke and Solomon. With Luke, Barbatos is always ready to teach him how to bake or give him advice when he asks for it. But he also doesn't smother him or anything. He knows that Luke has Simeon and Solomon that help him, too. And with Solomon, Barbatos only really helps him when Solomon asks. In the OG, it's pretty clear that by that point, Solomon is incredibly independent. He doesn't need a lot of attention from Barbatos anymore, so Barb just lets him do his thing for the most part. But if Solomon does need him, Barbatos has no problem helping. (I am assuming, of course, that the only time that Sol forced Barb to do something he didn't want to do was in the labyrinth in NB.)

And I think this tendency to care for people extends to MC as well, but he knows that MC has everyone else looking out for them, too. So he's willing to sort of stay in the background, but you know that he's paying attention to MC. He will sometimes ask MC to come help him with something in daily chats or he'll invite them over for tea and he always says something about being happy to see them.

Another thing I love about his personality is his tendency to be subtly teasing. He's always so super formal and restrained that sometimes it's hard to tell when he's teasing because he does it the way he does everything else. But we all know that one demon sticker he sometimes uses, the one that's covering its mouth 'cause it's laughing slyly. Yeah, that one. It's kind of similar to the way he always smiles even when he's angry. He never breaks his butler persona, but those who know him can tell when he's being playful and when he's actually angry. (Unless he's really angry, which we have seen in the way he interacts with Solomon in Nightbringer.)

And then there are his interests. He loves tea, as we know, and he likes to cook and to bake. For me personally, these are big reasons why I love him, too. I drink both coffee and tea, but when it comes to tea I'm really picky. I only drink loose leaf tea that I buy by the ounce and I know about the different kinds and what my favorites are and how to make them correctly. I sometimes cold brew loose leaf tea to make iced tea and I have a very particular way of making it. So like... I get all that, you know? I think I would love to experience the way Barbatos makes tea. I also enjoy cooking and baking, but I don't get to do it very often. However, I absolutely have a sweet tooth. So again, I'm just imagining tea parties with Barbatos in the garden with some tasty dessert he made and that sounds like absolute heaven to me lol.

He's also just a little less boisterous than most of the other characters. He's calm and collected. I have some anxiety issues and I'm an introvert, but I just get the feeling that spending time with him would be so nice and relaxing. There's just something about him that makes me feel peaceful and contented.

And all of that is why I'm in love with Barbatos.

If he turns out to be Nightbringer, I don't know how I'll feel about it. I'm just hoping they don't change his character too much because I love him just as he is now.

#thank you for this ask #and giving me the chance to talk about how much I love Barbatos #barbatos my true love #obey me #obey me nightbringer #obey me barbatos #misc talks about characters #anon asks #misc answers

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elcheese · 3 months

Text

Woah omg it's Demon Slayer Oc time

I actually drew her, yippee

This took like 5 fucking hours but I am so happy. Y'all ain't getting a katana reveal, I'm too lazy and couldn't be bothered to lmao.

Buuuttt, I am going to tell you stuff about her, since I won't shut up about KnY for a while.

Probably long text under the cut.

Name: Hannei Datai

Her first name, Hannei (反映) means reflection while his last name, Datai (堕胎) means abortion.

(It should be noted that I am not Japanese, barely knowledgeable about the language and this may be inaccurate. I tried my best to find if it's actually the meaning or not, so if it's wrong, I apologize.)

Current Age:

Birthday:

August 28th

Gender + Pronouns:

Female, but doesn't mind being referred to as a male or somewhere between. (She/Her, He/Him, They/Them)

Species:

Human.

Rank:

Hashira. To be more specific, the Mirror Hashira. They were a tsuguko for almost all of the Hashira for a short time, but he stayed with Obanai Iguro the longest.

Breathing Style: Breath of Reflection/Mirror Breathing

The name of this breathing style is pretty self explanatory. It focuses on mimicking other breathing styles and only has one form (but Hannei is currently making a 2nd form, shhh.) Hannei couldn't perfect any breathing style, only able to master one form of each. So she decided to compile them and make small changes to better fit her fighting style. Even after mastering one form, it still doesn't quite match up with the real deal. Hannei would either lack the strength, the speed, flexibility, etc.

Relationship status + Sexuality:

Single. And forever will be lol (Aroace go brr)

Weapons:

Of course, the nichirin sword. It's a baby blue color and isn't very different from any other sword.

Kunais. Hannei gets them from Tengen mostly and asks Shinobu to coat them in a thin layer of wisteria posion.

Personality:

They're closed off and often keep to themselves. She's more open with people she's comfortable with, which is the majority of the Hashira and the Ubayashiki family. He's a bit of a people pleaser, depending on who he's with, it can vary. But that doesn't mean their principles and morals change, just the way they act.

Negative aspects of them is that they have little to almost no self-preservation, being indecisive over the smallest of things, often not thinking about having or even forming an opinion of their own. She thinks she isn't needed and isn't worthy of being a Hashira, since she mostly just copies a form from each style. He takes a while to decide things on his own when it comes to small things (food, clothing, children bickering over something, etc.). They got used to just following someone else's lead and/or someone ordering them around that it's difficult to voice certain things out.

Positive aspects of them though is their neutrality, understanding, and patience. Often overshadowed by her need to please the people around her, she's actually pretty neutral about a majority of things! She found it taboo that Tanjirou was traveling with a demon, but the fact that it was his sister made her a bit sad and thought about the pain and confusion he must've had going through his head. (She only voted to kill Nezuko because everyone else did lol). Patience and understanding is her specialty, since that's what it took for her to at least master one form from each breathing style she's seen. She took the time to understand other people's point of views before forming any sort of opinion on them. That task alone could take a long time as well, hence the patience.

But fuck around too much and you'll see why he stayed with Obanai the longest lmao.

Backstory:

Hannei was the result of adultery. She only inherited her appearance from the man her mother cheated on her father with. The almost pitch black eyes unnerved them. The couple had a reputation for being the most perfect couple in the small town, so this was an issue. They never let her go out into the town during the day, but they did let her during the night. During the day, they'd desperately just try to keep them busy inside the house, ordering them around the house, teaching them how to act a certain way, etc.

Hannei was told to be quiet. To never speak. To always avoid people. So he did, being unusually quiet on his feet, sneaking from left to right while observing the remaining people that roamed the streets. One day, they saw a demon attacking someone. They did nothing. Just watched.

It was almost like a cycle, the same demon, different victim, same ending. She has tried to bring this up with her parents, only to be met with panicked shushes, telling her to be quiet while trying to hide their disdain towards her.

Until it was finally their turn, when Hannei was 14. What did they do? Sold Hannei off to the demon so save their own skins. Hannei loved them with their whole heart, yet they didn't want to return that, only seeing them as a manifestation of a mistake that they made. She wanted to hate them so badly, but she couldn't find it in her heart to do so for some reason, instead blaming the demon and it's entire kind. He tried to put up a fight, only being able to slice the demon with glass shards. It was futile.

But he was saved by the Serpent Hashira. Before he could leave, Hannei expressed that they wanted to do the same thing. Slay demons. End the suffering of many. He agreed and brought him back to the demon slayer corps. Obanai didn't train him just yet though, he let Hannei choose. Hannei started off from Water Breathing, then to Fire, Stone, all the way until they circled back to Obanai. (Hannei apologized so much to Obanai and all the others who trained him for not being able to do their styles)

It took a few years, but Hannei was finally a Hashira. She's the most recent, maybe raised to that rank after Tanjiro passed the final selection. (I am bad with time lol)

Extras:

Their favorite food is tonkatsu (I fucking love tonkatsu)

The mask they wear is meant to mock demons. She only wears it on the job.

He found out about Obanai's dislike towards women, so in an attempt to make him more comfortable, he decided to keep his appearance more androgynous.

The moment she got her 'official' uniform, she buried it somewhere and lied, saying she lost it, asking for a different design.

They really like turtles.

He tries no to keep eye contact with people for too long. He knows it's rude but has been told many times by people (ahem, the parents) that his eyes are unsettling.

She has some strong eyesight... When it comes to things farther away. Extremely farsighted.

They like making silly impressions of the other Hashiras to Nezuko whenever they're bored.

Loves staying out in the sun since he was only allowed to be out at night.

Welp, that's all. I think. I'll add more when I think of more lol.

#art #digital art #oc #oc art #demon slayer #kny #kny oc art #kny oc #demon slayer oc #kimetsu no yaiba oc #kimetsu no yaiba

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angelofthepage · 1 year

Text

BATDR Speculation: Who is Bendy?

So the internet is currently freaking out over little Baby Benders (rightfully so, he’s ADORABLE), and we all have a lot of questions about him. Is he as cute and innocent as he seems? Is he going to betray us? Is he the lighter half of an ink demon split into pieces? Does he have a soul? If so, is it someone we know? I have a lot of thoughts on this, and none of them are concrete, but today I want to talk about one of my favorite musings so far: How Joey and Henry might be involved in this. I wanna talk about The Illusion of Living.

https://twitter.com/LaurenSynger/status/1587778374038069249?s=20&t=b-DLbISPVNI584xRm5ALAg

Warning: if you haven’t read the Illusion of Living by Adrienne Kress, HIGHLY recommend it, as there are spoilers ahead. This book is delightful, and it’s not what I expected. When I picked it up, I thought we were getting a narrative about Joey’s life, and we did to an extent. But the real treasure of this book is that it’s a character study of Joey Drew. It gives us so much to think about in terms of who he is as a person. Because he’s Joey, you’d expect him to bend the truth (pun absolutely intended), and there are moments where it feels like some details aren’t entirely true. But there are some scenes that are written in such a way that feel all too earnest, and one of them is the scene in Joey’s apartment: the birth of Bendy.

The way Joey tells it, he’s the one who had the concept for Bendy, then his friend Abby Lambert attempted to draw it, but nothing was looking right. Abby brought Henry on board to help without consulting Joey first. Then they all sat on the floor of Joey’s apartment while Henry sketched out what would become the signature Bendy design (with critiques from Joey along the way). It’s made out to be this magical moment, and it’s believable. What reason would Joey have to lie about this? He may have a lot of feelings about Henry, mostly negative from what we’ve seen in DCTL, but he gave Henry credit here. He didn’t downplay Henry’s importance in all of this, which surprised me, and I like that a lot.

Joey comes off as being so deeply in love with his creation that it doesn’t matter who did what, the fact remains that Bendy is still his in the ways that count the most. He was made with love, dreams, and wonder at his core, Joey’s ideas and writing, Henry’s artistic execution. He belongs to both of them. I get the sense that a lot of people are going to jump into debating whether this little Bendy is somehow made using Henry’s soul or Joey’s. But I’d like to propose this: what if he’s made with both? His creation isn’t credited to a single person, but two, and who better to give Bendy a soul than both of his creators, two halves of a whole?

It gives another layer to why Joey would send Henry into the studio in the first place. Like why Henry? Henry’s just a guy who supposedly worked with Joey as an animator and business partner for one year before vanishing forever, why send him in? Is he a last resort where others failed (maybe Tom was sent in first and couldn’t fix things), or is it because he’s so integral to Bendy’s creation? Surely he has something grand to offer in that regard, by Joey’s logic. Send Henry in, sure, if anyone can stop this twisted version of Bendy, it’s his creator, right? No, this story isn’t one that you can solve by making Henry the protagonist, it’s one that needs both of them. It’s a story that needs Joey to acknowledge a lot of things in order for it to change. That could be why it’s a loop, the story can’t end without Joey playing his part, but he’s too busy blaming everyone else for the trouble he’s caused, not taking responsibility for his actions.

One of the theories I’ve seen that I really love from the first game came from @dreamfisher-nux which I’ll link here: https://www.tumblr.com/dreamfisher-nux/184575733862/that-child-at-the-end-might-not-have-been-human?source=share The idea that the child we hear say “tell me another one Uncle Joey” might not be human based on the milk carton texture’s inky handprints gives me a lot to think on. I have to wonder if that child might have been his last attempt to make Bendy. Yes, I know, five fingers is too many, but that’s exactly why I say “attempt,” not success. I mean he has the studio full of his previous employees, souls he’s claimed he owns, and now Henry is in there too. Is it possible this was all a plan to get Henry’s soul to make into his creation? I’ll admit, while I was around for the emergence of the “Henry is a perfect Bendy” theory, I’m not 100% sold on it for canon (though I do love it in fandom works), but an imperfect Bendy, or something close to Allison or Twisted Alice in nature? That I would buy. Henry alone may not be enough to give Joey what he wants. So what if, before the end of his lifetime, Joey gave himself up? Bendy is in part his creation, a part of him, just as Alice is a part of Susie, there is something they give to that character that no one else has. And much like Susie, Joey would do anything for the character he loves. He went to great lengths to try and see it through, sacrificed so much (much of which was never his to sacrifice).

When I first heard Joey’s tape about cheating death itself, I assumed his goal was immortality for the longest time. But TIOL has me thinking that that’s only half the story. You’re never dead if your legacy is still alive, and Bendy is Joey’s legacy. Making Bendy real and innovating beyond what any artist or engineer has done before is at the core of what he wants, to make dreams into reality. And if he’s gone, but Bendy is here and real and perfect? I think, that’s a sacrifice Joey would be willing to make, his dream would be achieved and that’s what matters. Throw on the machine machine one more time, take the child, his child, that was so close and take one more chance, add his piece to the puzzle, his soul to the mix. Become part of your creation. It’s an act of love, “but love requires sacrifice.”

Joey is believed to be dead in 1972, and this is where Arch Gate comes in. They have control of the Bendy brand, they own the rights and assets to it. Nathan was someone that was believed to be Joey’s friend, even though he’s done things a friend wouldn’t do. What does Nathan Arch know of Joey’s marvelous machine, of his dreams? While I don’t know if I buy Nathan as a benevolent character given what he’s said in the books, I do believe he would carry out some of Joey’s final wishes, though maybe not exactly the way Joey would want him to. And handing Bendy over to him, his most precious creation, to be taken care of? Well, that would be an interesting thing, wouldn’t it? You don’t leave your child in the hands of just anyone. It’s as Tom says in TLO, you don’t give up on a miracle.

Or course, take this all with a grain of salt. I think this would be an intriguing story to follow, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I expect it to be canon. Canon or not though, it’s an interesting thought, isn’t it?

#Bendy and the dark revival #batdr #batdr trailer #batdr trailer spoilers #bendy #batim #bendy and the ink machine #bendy theory #joey drew #henry stein #baby benders #tiol #the illustion of living

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det2x-fanfic-dump · 13 days

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YUU-SONA/ YUKI-SONA SKETCH DUMP 02

MORE OBEY ME x TWST FeMC CONCEPT ART. FeMC 's name is Yuki.

I like to draw the uniforms for some reason.I colored the clothes nicely but not the hair and eyes cuz coloring with layers and shadows is tedious for me.

Disclaimer: I tend to lose motivation doing full bodies, complex poses and full on shading.

A. NRC Uniform: 1. Grim's Ribbon Without an official band and badge like the rest of the seven dorms, Yuki made a ribbon similar to Grim to classify themselves as part of Ramshackle House. She bought or asked Sam the fabric pattern that is closely similar to Grim's. Having been enrolled in an all boys school, Yuki was given a uniform that is very big for her. Crowley must have forgotten to alter the right size using magic.

2. Hints of Royal Academy of Diavolo She was wearing RAD's uniform at the time when she woke up in the floating coffin during the orientation so she improvised, wearing RAD's undershirt and belt to at least look decent. If you asked, why not sew or clip it on the back to make it look fitted or asked someone to magically alter it for her... her defense...upon seeing Vil's black undershirt and Ruggie's rolled up sleeves and pants or Jamil's jacket under his school coat and etc. she realized maybe... the school isn't that strict with uniforms. B. RAD's Uniform:

Horn Accessory

Being a human representative at RAD, every demon probably wants to have her as a meal. Hence, she always have those croissant-shaped horns as disguise to make herself look like a demon.

The horns also have some magic essence to fend off hungry demons.

2. White Ribbon

A magical item given by Lucifer along with her DDD upon arriving at the Devildom. It changes color if she ever wanted to call one of her pact demons. Multiple colors can appear depending on which demon she called in her DDD or in general.

3. Bell Pin

Yuki have two bells in possession. One from Lucifer when she arrived at the Devildom as an exchange student for the first time and the other one is from Satan when he and Yuki reunite in Twisted Wonderland after Riddle's overblot.

Satan gave it to her so that Yuki can still use summoning magic in times of need since she lost her magic abilities when she arrived at Twisted Wonderland.

Janitor Arc Prologue

What's underneath that thick leather RAD coat lolol...I swear seeing the uniform looks so hot (in terms of heat lol)) to wear.

Yuki has no extra casual clothes when she arrived in Twisted Wonderland and being in a world with an actual sun and the fact she was hired as the janitor by Crowley, she got no choice but to roll up her sleeves and clean.

She had that red scar thingie from RAD's uniform to be used to tie her hair since she be cleaning.

This can be her casual clothes at her first few days in NRC.

CASUAL CLOTHES IN THE DEVILDOM

The Devildom is a cold place so she always wear long sleeves and skirt. Didn't draw it but she also had her boots and black leggings

Witch Hat

Yuki owns a blue witch hat when she took a part time job in Akuber.

Solomon's Coat //gasp

Solomon gave one of his extra coats and insisted that it's a uniform to symbolize that they're student and mentor even though they're both exchange students in the Devildom.

Yuki would wear the coat during their study sessions and going outside. She doesn't mind matching clothes with Solomon despite the brothers' protests at first.

I also drew this cuz sheep mc is so cute and I'm surprised Grim is like 2'2... I wanted to draw Grim but I can't make him cute so need more practice behind the scenes lol

#concept art #obey me headcanon #obey me mc #twst yuu #twst oc

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danosrosegarden · 1 year

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Take Me Somewhere Nice - Alex Jones x GN!Reader (platonic)

Contains: descriptions of past trauma (nothing in specific) with comfort.

Note: for @puzzlekinq and everybody else who knows Alex deserved a good ending.

You didn't know much about your newest client, but the air seemed to be weighed down with bruised, aching hurt as he shuffled into your office. After years of being a therapist, there were some clients who you could simply tell had been stepped on and broken. You wondered what ghosts were flossing themselves in and out of the wrinkles of his brain, what demons were lurking in the shadows of his beating heart. What brought him here to you?

"Hello, Alex," you spoke softly as he sat down on the couch across from you. The soft swish of wind blew from outside the window. "How are you?"

He looked at you for a moment before his eyes bounced away. He nodded carefully. "I'm okay," he whispered, barely audible.

You'd looked over the files before he came in. You knew he wasn't a big talker. Would that make therapy difficult? There must be other ways to reach him.

"That's good," you nodded. "Do you know why you're here?"

He retracted back into the multiple layers of his clothing, shaking his head. You leaned forward and spoke with gentle warmness.

"We have to talk about bad, scary things before they can get better."

You heard him take a shaking, labored breath before he lifted a pale finger up and pointed over your shoulder.

"Is that chalk?" he asked meekly.

You turned around and looked at your table housing all your trinkets. "Yes, that's chalk. I got a big pack with a bunch of fancy colors. Sometimes clients and I will go draw on the sidewalk when it's sunny out."

He gulped once and rubbed the pads of his fingers together. "Can we?"

You stood from your chair and went to grab the bucket. "Let's go," you said with a grin.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

The sun beat down on your faces as you decorated the sidewalk. You watched Alex draw with a quiet concentration. He drew a field of blue flowers, a big ladybug, a cotton candy pink butterfly...but you were drawn to one design in particular. A maze, it looked like.

"Alex? What's this, right here?"

He looked up from his piece of chalk. His face seemed to drain of color as he toyed with an arm of his glasses anxiously.

"It's...it..." he stuttered for a moment before you stopped him.

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me."

He nodded. Maybe it was the sparkling sunlight blurring your vision, but you swore you saw the faintest smile cross his lips.

No, you didn't know much about Alex Jones. But you knew he could create gorgeous pieces of sidewalk art. You knew he would open up on his own terms, and you knew, in the midst of the glistening sunshine and the easy breeze whispering in the thin air, he could live safely and warmly once again. You imagined it for him: taking ahold of all the old, molding blood. Taking ahold of the withering rot and washing it away gently until his skin sparkled and squeaked, until his soul sighed and rested its eyes.

"One day at a time," you whispered aloud as you watched the sun bubble in the sky.

#Eli’s writing #Danonation #Paul Dano #Alex Jones #Prisoners #Alex Jones x reader #Alex Jones x you #Alex Jones x Y/N

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sleepy-achilles · 4 months

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Leon's Nightmare 2- Chapter 5- I Hate You.

Typical violence tws, demons and all that. Children involved this time tho.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Drew can't stop pacing. He doesn't know what to do, what to say. Who to call? "Drew, please." Taker sighs. "Dont. My daughter is out there with some demon and I have no idea where Leon is or if he's even okay!" Drew barks. "Leon is fine." Kane grunts out. Everyone but shawn looks at him shocked. "You can talk?" John asks confused. "No. Just projecting a voice so drew can understand." Kane states. Taker squints. "Thats what you've been working on? A fake voice so people can understand you?" Taker asks. "Damn right." Kane huffs.

"Focus people please!" Shawn barks. "I can't sense Leon." Taker admits. "I can. Try going a layer down." Kane tells him. "A protection hex? But why would he put one of those on? Especially if he is possessed" Taker asks. "He didn't." A new voice states. They all look to see val stood in the doorway. "Valentina?" Drew asks. "Wheres athena?" She asks walking in, Matthew close behind her. "Shes been taken." Drew admits.

Valentina looks straight at taker. "You bastard" she hisses moving towards him. "Stand down" a weak voice grumbles. Drew looks as Leon leans heavily against the doorframe. A baggy hoodie on, pale as a ghost, holding his ribs. "Leon.." Drew sighs. "You did what you could." Leon cuts in, using Matthew to move forward.

He leans against the table, eyes locked with taker. "Whats going on dad?" Leon asks. Taker sighs. "Why is athena being targeted? What was that thing? Are the other kids in danger?" Leon asks. Taker runs a hand over his head, avoiding Leon's eyes. "Dad? Dad answer me!" Leon barks, slamming his hand on the table. "No! Athena is the only one they could take." Taker snaps. Shawns eyes widen in realisation.

Leon straightens slightly. "What did you do?" Leon asks quietly, his eyes beginning to water. "You came to me..before athena was born..asking for advice...praying for change.." Taker begins quietly. Leon's breathing picks up.

---

"Whats wrong Lee?" Taker huffs sitting on the sofa. Leon lowers himself onto the coffee table, eyes full of tears. "I don't know what to do dad..." he whispers. Taker watches him. "What? Whats wrong?" "Drew really wants kids but...but with my history...they ain't allowing it. Any method..and I.. I don't know how to tell drew its nothing to do with us...its me..all my fault." Leon explains, his voice breaking. "Lee.." Taker sighs. "He deserves kids dad..he deserves the world." Leon whimpers. Taker sighs and pulls his son into a hug. Determination filling him. "And he'll get them. I promise." Taker whispers.

---

"What did you do?" Leon asks quietly. Taker shakes his head. "WHAT DID YOU DO!" Leon yells. "Leon, I did it out of the kindness of my heart-" "kindness of your heart? I do everything for you, everything you tell me to! I could of gone anywhere! I could of done anything! But I stayed here for you! I stayed here for pa!" Leon begins as Taker stands and starts to walk past him. "I can't do this. I thought I could but I can't." Taker sighs. Leon grabs his arm and pulls him back. Ignoring the burn it causes himself and taker.

"Thought you could do what? Huh? What are you trying to tell me dad?" Leon pushes. John and cassie stand, watching the pair. Leon examines his face. "Are you trying to blame me for the way this family is? the accident? You wanna blame me for that now? The day after my daughter goes missing?! YOU'RE GOING TO BLAME ME FOR THAT?!" Leon yells. "YES! Yes, because it all started with you. It always links back to god damn you" Taker growls pushing Leon back against the table. Leon's eyes widen. "Taker!" Shawn gasps.

"Everything is you" Taker snarls. "You wanna know how you got your perfect family? Me. I prayed and when that didn't work I turned to the books. The things I know best. And all you had to do was chose a pure soul and what did you do? You picked Valentina god damn Addams!" Taker yells. "Val.." Leon trails off as he looks at her.

"Shes not born to the valley" Leon states. "You think that makes you pure?" Taker asks. Leon thinks back.

"Easy cowboy" val huffs. Her hands covered in something dark. The same dark as the hex on his chest.

"It wasn't Matthew.. " Leon whispers. "You're a witch" Leon gasps. "Got me..my mama was raised with black magic..these things don't stop in the valley Lee." Valentina whispers. "The other kids have drew. Drew and shawn? The purest souls I've ever met. All you had to do was make sure they were born from a pure soul. A pure soul will always cancel out the evil. And you didn't." Taker snarls. "How was I supposed to know?!" Leon snaps. "You destined my kids to a fate of hell and now you want to blame me?!" Leon yells standing back up.

"I hate you. I hate you so damn much." Leon spits. Drews eyes widen. Taker takes a stunned step back. "I didnt destined them to anything. You. You cursed this family. Not me." Taker whispers. "Fuck you." Leon's voice cracks. "They died for you. We all will die for you. And you don't even have the heart to feel a damn thing." Taker snaps. "Fuck you" Leon's voice is weak, broken as he pushes past his father. "Ill get her back myself. My baby, that YOU damned. Not me" Leon hisses as he walks out. "Lee.." Shawn sighs. "Leave him." Drew suddenly speaks, shocking everyone. "How do we get athena back?" Drew asks.

"I have a way."

------------------------------------------------------------------

Leon closes the motel door as just stands there. His head is racing. So damn bad.

He thinks about it. How did taker hide it from them all?

"The cross is special. It doesn't burn us"

"He put a hex on the cross..." he whispers. "Thats why she started seeing things...that's why she could cross over.. because she wasn't wearing it.." Leon gasps. A sudden rage fills him as he thinks about what just happened.

His father blames him for something he wasn't even born for.

His father blames him for everything.

Deep down, Leon thought it was the case. But to hear it? No kid wants that.

He moves to the bathroom, straight to the sink to splash water on his face. This is when he spots the stain on his hand from the hex. He begins scrubbing at the skin, even when the stain is gone, he continues scrubbing.

They all see you as a monster now.

You took their lives and ruined it.

You are the problem.

If you were gone, athena would still be here.

You monster.

SMASH, CRACK.

Leon's fist connects with the mirror before he punches the phone off the wall and begins to destroy the motel.

He doesn't stop until his knees give out. He falls down in the middle of the room, blood pooling on his fingers. His vision begins to blur as his breathing becomes heavy. His eyes fill with water. "Why? What did I do to deserve this?" Leon chokes out as he hunches over.

"Dont I deserve love? Don't I deserve a happy ending?!" He cries out as his hand grasps the dirty carpet.

"Can't I be free?"

"I can help with that." A new voice speaks.

------------------------------------------------------------------

John frowns as his hands start to hurt. "You alright?" Cassie asks quietly. He gasps as the pain shoots through his arms, hunching forward slightly. "Ah" cassie looks at me, the author, "you suddenly remembered our abilities? Forgot about them didn't you?" She asks. I smirk and nod at John. Cassie frowns and looks at John. "Hes not possessed anymore. I can never feel him when he's possessed" John hisses. Cassie side eyes me. "John?" Cassie asks as John closes his eyes and holds his head.

John grits his teeth at the pain. "Lee" he growls. He opens his eyes back and gasps at the dark room surrounding him and his brother. "You need to let me go" Leon whispers. "Wha...what?" John asks confused. "Let...me go.." Leon repeats before disappearing.

John looks around the dark area. "Lee? Leon!" He calls. "LET ME IN!" John gasps as he's shoved forward from behind.

The Manor forms around him, except...its different. Strange. Old. That's when his eyes land on her. Firey red curly hair, bright green eyes, pale doll like skin. Beautiful.

She's stood in the middle of the dining room, a item held in her hands, holding her attention. "Hello?" John tries. Nothing. Both their eyes move to the man who enters. Dark hair, bright blue eyes. "Athena darling, Its getting late." John's eyes widen. Athena? That makes him-"i know that Thomas but look. Look what my mirror is showing me" athena turns the mirror. John moves and pauses in confusion.

Leon.

Old Leon at that.

"A man?" Thomas asks. "Hes our grandson." Athena states. "Okay, athena...What's going on?" Thomas sighs, moving closer. "Hes damaged....traumatised and I know who's behind it. We can change this, we can stop him getting that scar!" Athena tells him. "Athena, even if we could, we shouldn't mess with the future." Thomas reminds her. "Its Paul. I keep having these nightmares...visions...he hurts our boys. He hurts our grandchildren. Their children." Athena tries. "Athena, I know you've had issues with Paul lately but this is too far. I'm going to work with him tomorrow and then ask him to keep some distance for awhile. And right now, we are going to go upstairs, kiss our youngest good night before going to bed. Then tomorrow, we will feed both our boys and send them off to school." Thomas tells her. "Yes..yes of course..w..where is-" "hes out with friends. Now cmon" Thomas grunts leaving the room.

John looks back at athena. Athena looks back down at the mirror. That's when John sees it. Him. John watches the fat man rush past the back window. "Paul?" John whispers rushing towards the window. He watches Paul rush towards the back. "No no..th.." John figures the house layout is the same, and he isn't wrong as he reaches the back door. He watches in horror as kane climbs out of bedroom window. How Paul opens the basement doors and starts the fire. "Nobody stands in the way of my plans athena. Nobody." Paul smirks as the fire builds. "Paul?" Kane whispers, scared and confused. "Im taking you to your brother." Paul tells him. "And mama..papa?" "They are with him. They asked me to do this" Paul lies.

John's heart breaks. Shatters.

"You maybe a witch Athena, but you will not be able to save you or them." He mutters.

"The fire...how does take-" John gets cut off as the world around him fades. It fades to the valleys graveyard. John looks to see taker knelt infront of the family gravesite. His head bowed low, Latin leaking from his lips. That's when John spots the demon. "You see...that baby? That baby is what opened hells gates. He destroyed your family. And he will do it again." The demon explains. "How can I trust you?" Taker grits out. "Have I ever lied to you? I told you about kane. I told you about Paul. Hell, I opened your eyes too Shawn. That sweet little soul" the demon purs. Takers head snaps up. "I told you-" "yeah yeah, keep his name out of my mouth." The demon huffs.

"Look, believe me or don't, I will be coming to collect what's ours. With or without Paul's hand in things. The Prince, will need to become king." The demon tells him. "No..please" Taker whispers. "Ill do anything" Taker pleads. "Oh I know. I'll be sure to cash in on this later, for now, I'm needed elsewhere. Go home." The demon mutters. That's when John realises he's staring right at him. The demon smirks and waves at him before disappearing.

John's eyes shoot open to see Shawn knelt over him. "Baby? Are you okay?" Shawn asks cupping his face. John sits up, his eyes landing on Taker. "It wasn't his fault. You know that and you still blame him?" John asks. "John?" Cassie asks. Then it hits John.

"Ill be sure to cash in on this later."

His eyes land on Leon's painting, drew took a picture of it planning to show taker. They printed it for those with not so good eyes.

John looks at taker with knowing eyes. "Why? Why would you?" John whispers. "I explained myself. I do not need to explain anymore." Taker tells him. "You know, selling your sons child does need some sort of explanation" Matthew comments. Taker glares at him. "And what do you know mutt?" Taker spits. Matthew growls at him, eyes flashing red. "As a mutt, I know damn well how important family is you do not sell them out to a damnd demon" matt snaps. Taker turns fully to him.

"This isnt helping." Valentina snaps. "All this fighting is not helping at all!" She barks. "Taker didn't sell athena. Taker made a deal to protect us all and me and Leon? We fucked that up. I didn't realise athena would be wholeblood." Valentina sighs. "Wholeblood?" Drew asks. "Leon is wholeblood, cassie is half-blood. Beau, Ophelia and cas are half-blood. Athena is wholeblood. H is just like you and shawn. Humans cursed with gifts from the valley. That nightmare you had wasn't a nightmare drew." Taker explains. "The valley accepts us in and the longer we stay, the stronger we get" Shawn states.

"Athena was never supposed to be wholeblood." Val whispers. "If anything Beau shoulda been, right?" Drew asks. "No. Because beau is yours. Drew, we did it because they weren't allowing Leon to give you the kid you wanted. And then I was told they suddenly had a change of heart and I.. I still wanted a child. Leon helped. So, beau was the gift from the demon, but athena was the only thing he could dig his claws into" valentine tries to explain. (In other words adding beau as the oldest actually fucked up this entire storyline but I put my whole heart into taker and Leon's fight and don't want to rewrite it and ruin it)

"Where would he be keeping her?" Matthew asks. "Somewhere Leon can't go." Taker states. "So purgatory..." Matthew sighs. Valentina looks at him. "We need to find Leon." She whispers.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Athena sits by the water, watching the fish as they follow the stream down. The world is cold, bleak looking. The monster left her here, explaining he couldn't stay but he'd be back. And well, she couldn't exactly leave.

But she was quick to learn the only safe space was near the water. The monsters lurking here seemed to shy away from it. Even if they wanted to kill her.

She hugs her knees to her chest as tears leak. She misses his siblings. She didn't get to see Beau before she was taken. She misses her dad's. Her mama.

She can already tell they are all split because of it.

She tenses at a soft snarling noise behind her.

She couldn't sit here doing nothing. Not now.

#wwe #shawn michaels #the undertaker #wwf #hbtaker #undertaker x shawn michaels #shawn x undertaker #leon michaels #drew mcintyre #oc character #leons nightmare #cassidy michaels #john cena #kane #paul bearer

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fantastic-rambles · 1 year

Text

Fandom: Sk8 the Infinity

Characters: Tadashi Kikuchi, Ainosuke Shindo (ADAM)

Warnings: Minor Violence, Snake Physiology (Shedding)

Word Count: 1k

Summary: It's the first time that Naga!Tadashi is shedding in the company of Demon Lord!Adam. Adam is determined to help him, with mixed results.

It itched.

Tadashi slowly emerged from the shallow bath, eyes straining past shadowy shapes as he slithered over to the wall to rub his back against it. Faintly, he could sense the warmth of another creature, but it was far enough away that he could ignore it as he kept trying to find relief from the unending discomfort. From head to tail, his skin prickled uncomfortably, making him twist and writhe. It was enough to drive anyone mad.

But then he heard a faint crack, and the restraining presence around him eased. He continued to scratch himself against the rough stone, shivering as it scraped over new, sensitive skin.

Stretching and twisting his torso, he felt more of the brittle covering shatter. Then his fingers scrabbled over his back, trying to find an edge. They slipped on dry skin, unable to find purchase, until he finally felt them scratch the soft, tender skin beneath. In one smooth motion, he pulled off his molt, discarding it as he would a shirt before settling down atop his coils with a relieved sigh.

He could see again, finally, the milkiness that covered his eyes gone. The air that surrounded him, cool and thick with humidity, was a balm on his new skin, even as the remaining layer on his tail continued to scratch it. He twisted a little, trying to find a more comfortable position as he rested.

However, the presence from earlier drew closer, and Tadashi raised his head, fangs bared in a warning hiss.

"It's alright, Tadashi. It's just me. I have some water for you."

The soothing voice was familiar, but Tadashi was irritable from hunger and his long period of discomfort, so he lashed out with his tail, knocking Adam into the wall. The goblet he held fell to the floor with a clang, splashing everywhere, and Tadashi found himself even more annoyed. He was thirsty. So he just watched as Adam bent over to pick up the cup, which filled itself with crystal-clear water again before the man took another step forward.

"It's water," Adam crooned, approaching with deliberate slowness. "You know I won't hurt you. It's just us. You're safe here."

Tadashi knew that, but he still couldn't help but tense up instinctively in his vulnerable state. His tail twitched, ready to strike again. It always felt nice to shed, but he hated being defenseless. Trapped inside his own skin, he didn't know what was happening outside of it. And afterward, his fresh scales were too soft and sensitive to protect him from any real threats. Which was why Adam was staying with him. Watching him. Protecting him. But the demon could be dangerous, too.

So Tadashi stared at Adam unblinkingly until he stopped in front of the naga, offering the goblet in both hands. Tadashi accepted it, but he didn't raise it to his lips until his companion had stepped back. Then he drained it in one go before letting Adam approach to fill it again. They repeated it over and over until Tadashi was satisfied, letting the vessel drop from his fingers before he stretched again. He was still tired, but he'd feel better when this was all done and he could feel the air against his scales again.

So he caught at the skin bunched up at his waist, beginning the tedious process of inching out of it. His husk slowly inverted as he pulled himself out of it, the texture of the inside even rougher on his palms. He was so intent on his task that he didn't notice the other hands reaching out until they burned against tender flesh. His tail snapped like a whip again, driving Adam back.

"No," he hissed, sliding along the floor and feeling it tug against his dead skin. He slipped back into the water, submerging himself into it until only his head remained above the surface, staring at Adam.

"I'm sorry. I was just trying to help."

"No," Tadashi repeated, his eyes narrowed. The water was nice, even more soothing than the air as he stretched out in it, letting it support the weight of his body. He wriggled his tail as he settled into the water, making waves that splashed some out of the pool. It still itched, and he wanted to take a blade to it, slicing his molt open and tearing it off. But forcing it had never ended well, so he just had to wait and gradually free himself.

"Perhaps some food, then?" Adam suggested, and Tadashi considered it before nodding. Adam disappeared for only a moment before returning with a roast chicken, and Tadashi’s mouth watered as he rolled over onto his stomach, resting his arms on the edge of the bath. He wanted to swallow it whole, bones and all, but Adam was already carving it swiftly before offering him a slice of the breast. Tadashi snapped it out of his fingers, swallowing the cold meat without hesitation, and Adam continued to feed him until the chicken was gone. Then, the demon disappeared again before returning with another one—warmer, this time—and feeding that one to him, too.

Three chickens later, Tadashi was finally starting to feel satiated and more like himself, and he lowered himself back into the water. He was starting to get sleepy as he digested his meal: maybe he ought to just take a nap and let the water help loosen up the rest so it was easier to remove. Even with that, it would probably take at least a few more days for him to finish his shed.

Still, this was better than all the ones he'd had to do before. Finding a secluded corner, jumping at shadows, alone. If he tried to leave his nest to find water, he'd had to worry about slipping and being swept away. He'd never had the space to stretch out. And as he twisted around to rest his back against the edge of the pool, something soft slipped under his neck.

Turning his head, he watched Adam kneel beside him, his hands withdrawing from placing the pillow.

"Is that okay? What else can I do for you?" the demon asked. Tadashi sighed, long and slow as his eyes drifted closed.

"Stay."

"Of course," Adam promised. Nodding half to himself, Tadashi dozed.

#sk8 #sk8 the infinity #skate the infinity #fan fic #fanfic #sk8 adam #ainosuke shindo #shindo ainosuke #sk8 tadashi #sk8 snake #kikuchi tadashi #tadashi kikuchi #mine

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sstvar · 1 year

Text

da da daa it’s finally here 10 months later my mostly fleshed out batim/batdr AU

Introducing: Crimson Rites

what if i told you most of this came to me in a dream i had this morning as i was going in and out of consciousness.

after this is posted i will slowly start posting the character references for everyone in my AU and i can start answering asks with art of characters then, but regardless please feel free to send asks anyways, just keep it PG 16

depending on the ask i might respond in character, but i won’t be role playing

pspspspspsps hello other batim/batdr fans wanna be mutuals pspspspsppssp i’ll post regularly now i swear PSPSPSPSPSSPS

details are under the cut, they were just kinda long lol. they establish a lot of important things so i do recommend you read them if you’re interested

Synopsis

It’s the year 1920, and Western society has peaked in fashion, music, wealth, technological advancement and, oddly enough, the paranormal.

Since their early college years, Joey Drew and Henry Stein have harboured an insatiable curiosity for all that is supernatural amongst the ordinary world. Due to The Collision, the world has been anything BUT ordinary, yet many layers of it still remain undiscovered, unscathed.

Together, Joey, Henry and their own band of bizarre paranormal ‘experts’ (use that term sparingly) will unearth the many wonders and secrets of all that is eerie.

After biting off a bit more than they can chew, the group drags themselves into the middle of an active murder investigation. In order to get out of it, the team needs to find answers; only problem is that those answers lay waiting in the afterlife. This admittedly amateur team is gonna need all the help they can get in order to make their way out of this mess, and luckily, their boss knows just the guy.

Important Details

Setting

So first off, this AU takes place in Queens, New York on what I can only describe as a whole other planet earth, not really multiverse style, but I’ll explain. This earth is basically the result of several different dimensions merging into one. As a result, many mythical beings live among humanity (ex; angels, ghouls, demons, sirens, werewolves, fauns). The area this AU takes place in is populated mostly by demons, humans, angels and ghouls. The event that caused this is widely regarded as “The Collision.” The main focus isn’t this event itself, but it’s why this world is what it is. These beings have come into contact with humanity on several occasions throughout history through little blips in the lines between dimensions, this just gave them more permanence on earth. Throughout the world, different landscapes/environments from these overlapping dimensions can be found. The Collision also left three moons in its wake.

Characters

Joey and Henry were high school friends and basically made the “let’s be roomies and start a business together” pact. This friendship was maintained throughout their college years, and with Joey’s already intense interest in the paranormal and a degree in parapsychology, the dream of forming a paranormal business was born. With that, they founded Quantam Paradox Inc. (Joey’s name is 1.5x bigger on the front sign).

The team itself consists of Thomas “Tom” Connor, Allison Pendle, Ruth Felten, Wally Franks, Anya Morozov and Shawn Flynn.

Allison Pendle is a well-practiced psychic

Tom specializes in sound engineering and develops a lot of the team’s recording equipment

Ruth mainly works to analyze all of the evidence that makes its way back to base using forensics

Anya’s main responsibility is to perform research on haunting sites pre-investigation and interview eye witnesses/ individuals involved with said investigation

Both Shawn and Wally work to develop experimental technology for the team to use during investigations

On an actual investigation, Allison, Tom, Ruth and Anya are typically the ones who are on site the others got told to wait in the car ☹️

The phrase “make a deal with the devil” takes on a whole new and more absolute meaning here. Many humans and members of other species make contracts and pacts with members of the demon species. It is possible to form these agreements with angels as well, they’re just much more picky in regards to stipulations; contracts with demons are more popular for this reason. Demons still make rules surrounding their contracts, they just tend to be a little more lenient. Many still fear for their souls, so the majority of these deals are more calm/domestic in nature. However, it would be a lie to say that nobody has used or would use one of these deals for malicious purposes. Most of these deals, malevolent or not, are made in what’s called “The Underworld of New York” (commonly just called the Underworld by citizens and is an area of Queens) in a place known as the Bottle Eater. Just pray that your name doesn’t come up there outside of your awareness.

Now there is one demon that is especially popular when it comes to contract-making, the one they call “The Boogeyman.” Really, it’s the Ink Demon, who goes by Bendy in business affairs. He basically runs the Bottle Eater and resides in the hotel it’s attached to along with many of his other companions. As for the reason why he’s so popular, well, when you hear “ink demon,” you’re not expecting something too scary, right? Most people enter a deal with him because of this; they think he’s less intimidating. Well they sure are wrong. One of these misguided souls is Joey Drew, who was seeking a better understanding of the underworld, a kind of ‘insider’ if you will (because really, his little ghost hunting team were amateurs at most and he needed the upper hand). He got just that, but at what cost? Nobody knows, it’s one of the Ink Demon’s consistent rules: the terms of contracts aren’t to be discussed with anyone outside the contract. Regardless, after the contract was made, Quantum Paradox Inc. became a long-term associate of his. Yes, this is the “guy” that Joey enlists the help of.

Alice resides in the Underworld as well with her two sisters, Nyx and Calliope. All were the result of an angel father and demon mother. These coven members siblings are some of the Underworld’s most prominent entertainment figures. They make for a killer trio, quite literally sometimes.

note: there may be very minor changes to this as the story develops further. ALSO, the ink demon isn’t the antagonist or villain in this AU so sorry if i maybe made it sound like that. he’s more of an anti-hero yk? yeah.

i really hope you guys like this as much as i do and again i am holding out a little cup with “asks please” on it

#clashing my two interests together like i’m playing with toy cars #batim au #batim oc #batdr #bendy and the dark revival #bendy and the ink machine #ink demon #joey drew #henry stein #alice angel #allison pendle #thomas connor #wally franks #shawn flynn #batim #crimson rites

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glamphantasm · 10 months

Text

Prompt 8

Mammon and Asmo have brought/dragged MC out to the Fall for a huge party! What’s MC doing? Are they having fun?

(8 & 7 are reversed in order, because I read the list wrong. Oops?)

Kai didn't know why he was surprised when the sleek maroon and silver limousine had pulled up outside the House of Lamentation.

"What, did you think we were going to walk?", was the amused reply. "Or that I'd let myself be nearly killed by letting Mammon drive?-"

"OI! Y'ain't one to talk y'know! You tried drivin' ONCE and decided it was too much."

The human couldn't hide his grin as they piled in to the back, listening to the two argue good-naturedly. It had been a relaxed few hours, exhausting in its own way as Asmodeus emptied out his seemingly endless closet to find Kai something suitable to be seen in.

"This IS the biggest event of the month you know~ You're just lucky we're the same height, but I really hate that everything's a little too big for you."

Kai ignored the comment. He couldn't see any reason to respond, instead reapplying a bit of gloss which had smudged off, gazing into the mirror at the peacock and gold paint that hugged his features. He had of course known Asmodeus was brilliant with a palette, but they'd truly outdone themself this time. The effect was somehow stark and baroque at once, vaguely unsettling.

As the car drew closer to downtown, Kai leaned his head against the window, looking out at the skyline with its mix of familiar and unknown buildings. The Devildom was still small in comparison to what he was used to, and it was always a shock to realize it anew. He gazed past his reflection in the window, as Mammon spoke, "What's this party tonight for again? Who's gonna be around?"

Asmodeus sighed, light from passing street lamps catching on exquisitely jeweled liner as he rolled his eyes. "I told you twice already, it's a release party that FabSnap put together - multiple labels! Everyone will be there~ That's why it's so important to be seen~" the demon was buzzing with energy as the car drew ever-closer to the club, a line of similar vehicles pulled to one side as they made the final turn, twin spotlights flanking the edges of the club's property, and a fairly impressive crowed gathered along each side of the walkway.

"Asmo... is that a fucking carpet? And paparazzi?!"

The human's outburst was met with a manic giggle and nod. Kai and Mammon's eyes met as they shared a look that spoke volumes. The two raised glasses in a silent toast, downing the contents in a synchronized swallow.

(you should have known - four, five hours getting ready? seemed excessive)

Their outfits were of course, coordinated.

Asmodeus looked as though he had stepped out of a renaissance painting by way of a fetish ball.

(The sort of look Galliano wishes he could have come up with for that one line)

A floor length vest was held closed at the throat with a soft black leather collar, frothy layers of iridescent pink fabric creating a gradient of tones that spilled like sea foam at sunrise over the ground, silvery brocade embroidered throughout, speckled with minuscule golden beads to catch the light with matching, barely there shorts beneath. Long, matte black leather boots and gloves with the scorpion's tail wrapped from right shoulder to hand, stinger curving around their index finger to form one of the most dangerous rings in the three realms.

The demon flowed down the carpet with a dangerous androgynous grace, flanked by silent sentinels clad in black leather, cropped jackets a swirling mosaic of silver and gold crystals and gemstones, flashing sunbursts with each photo taken as all three made their way towards the door, pausing for pictures at the marks.

As the three made their way through check-in, impressively heavy gift bags being pushed towards each individual passing by; there was a vibration like thunder, the club's lighting becoming an ever-shifting lurid red.

The Fall was not yet what it would become, but was still the largest club the Devildom knew. A makeshift VIP section was cordoned off, each booth bearing an ornately scrolling plaque with an invitees name. Asmo let out a squeal that was mostly hidden by the music throbbing through the area, and darted ahead.

(this is his first event. less than a month ago the brothers were being shunned as angels still)

Kai paused to snap a picture of the nameplate, knowing they would want this memorialized.

A text. Simple. Three words. "Where are you?"

The reply was quickly thumbed, before the DDD was muted. "Out."

Kai adjusted the three bags he was holding with a vague bit of annoyance. He placed a hand on Asmodeus' lower back, leaning close. "Taking these to the car." A gloved hand caressed his jaw, and he couldn't help but lean in to the touch. "Such a good Attendant, hurry back~!" Kai nodded, preening at the scrap of praise.

Taking a service corridor he knew led to the parking lot, Kai shivered, the sticky heat of the club quickly dissipating into the cold night.

A quick glance of the lot was enough to see that their car had not yet made it in. Following the side of the building, he hummed quietly, blinking as he emerged from the glorified alley into the street proper, momentarily blinded by lights and flashes after the dark. He felt a hand on his shoulder and pulled away instantly on the defense, a spell crackling at his fingertips.

"Hey, calm down. You nearly ran straight into the line", came a smooth voice as the hand dropped.

Kai blinked a few more times, silently cursing inferior human vision. As the flashes cleared, a smiling face came into view. Kai looked the demon up and down, taking in the short horns jutting up straight from his temples, and a mane of shaggy red hair that cascaded past his shoulders.

(holy shit he's hot, if this were any other night...)

The human smiled, "Shit. Sorry about that."

"No problem. You need to get in? I'd be thrilled to have you on my arm for awhile."

Kai shook his head, gesturing with one of the bags. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm just putting these in the car."

"Your car?"

"No. No. The family I... work for."

That earned a long look from the demon, forked tongue flicking over his lips. "Fancy boy, huh? Hope he treats you good, humans are rare in these parts...", a slow, lazy grin sent a spike of arousal straight through him.

(another night, you were going to behave, remember?)

Kai smirked. "I'm here kinda often, one of the perks of the job."

The demon shrugged, arching a pierced eyebrow. "Maybe I'll see you around again, fancy boy.", he turned as the line moved, dismissive.

Kai nodded, smirking as he found the car half a block later, mind still occupied and turning over the short conversation.

As Kai he made his way back to the table, Asmodeus leaned to speak into the human's ear while they entered the VIP area once more. "Darling, I had no idea you knew how to work a camera like that ♡"

Kai laughed, eyes dancing with mischief. "It was a change to be clothed."

"You're joking.", the tone was halfway between disbelief and hope.

"Hundreds of them in the human world. Good luck with the search."

The appraising look was its own reward.

Mammon caught up as Kai slid into the curved booth. "Trying to lose the Great Mammon already! Whisperin' like that, like you two have enormous secrets."

Grinning, the human leaned past Asmodeus to address Mammon. "No secrets. I was just telling Asmo about some modeling I did back in the human world."

Greed leaned closer, intrigued. "No shit? I've thought about it, seems like easy grimm."

"Tons if you're willing to do it wearing nothing but body glitter and cum.", Kai was honestly proud of the deadpan delivery, even more so as Mammon choked on his drink.

"What the hell!", he managed to choke out, red to the tips of his ears. "You can't just say that!"

"Seems I did, though."

Asmodeus cackled, biting his lower lip. "You sure you don't have any of those handy?"

"Afraid you'll have to hunt them down yourself. So much for maintaining mystery."

Mammon eventually caught his breath, and the conversations continued, though he could no longer meet the human's eyes.

Kai sipped at his drink, listening to the banter, and watching as the event progressed.

(take it easy tonight. that's the plan. two, maybe three drinks tops. don't embarrass anyone. best behavior. don't be a disappointment)

Inhaling deeply, air heavy with smoke, sweat, and the lingering scent of alcohol spilled long ago, Kai chatted up demons who stopped by to mingle, smiling, charming, deflecting those who overstayed their welcomes. An easy night really. Marketing events weren't all that different than any other events, and he'd done similar often enough back

(five years ago)

in the human world.

Shaking his head a bit, Kai leaned over, offering the club equivalent of "be right back", complete with hand motions. A questioning look was offered, and Kai tipped his nearly empty glass in response.

Finishing the first drink as he crossed to the bar, he paused, taking a minute to look around. The dance floor was only a single level, and it was likely no one had even thought of the eventual balconies from which those lucky (or devious) enough to be considered VIPs could stare down on the masses of writhing bodies.

(how could it be five years? it didn't make sense.)

Gesturing for another drink, Kai leaned against the bar, breathing a deep sigh. As he waited, he turned, to look out over those gathered, the dance floor crowded with bodies packed together tightly, small clusters of demons around various tables and seating areas.

Spinning back to grab his drink, a familiar face came into view. "Fancy boy. Didn't think you'd come looking for me so quick."

Shaking his head, Kai picked up the clear drink. "Figured I wouldn't have to."

"Quick. I like that."

Taking a slow sip, Kai met the demon's obsidian eyes., "Not tonight, I'm afraid."

"No? That's too bad. Vyleon, by the way."

Kai smiled, licking the rim of the glass. "A shame. But I'm on the clock, and should be getting back."

Vyleon leaned in close, resting a hand on Kai's hip. The human felt the same spike of lust run through him again.

"What's the rush, Kai? One drink, we'll stay right here. The Angels are even in view."

Kai pulled back, mustering all the contempt he could manage.

"Shit way to talk about the demon that embodies your sin."

Vyleon smirked. "Told him you'd figure it out fast. You're smarter than Solomon gives you credit for."

Kai turned to walk away.

"Sorcerer says you should come home tonight. He misses you."

Kai stood still, empty hand clenching into a tight fist. "Tell him I'll be back when I'm done with the brothers. He doesn't hold my leash."

The incubus clicked his tongue. "Too bad. Someone should."

Kai walked back to the VIP area with measured steps, head held high. He only let his hands shake after he put his drink down on the table.

Asmodeus was mingling nearby, turning up the charm to maximum. Mammon flopped down in the booth breathlessly, grabbing Kai by the shoulders with a wide grin. "Whassa matter, 'tendant," he slurred. "Sposed to be fun, remember?"

Kai drained the new drink in a single pull, throat working smoothly. "Mammon, promise me you won't drop me back at Cocytus Hall tonight, please?"

Mammon blinked several times, trying to clear the fuzz from his mind, before shrugging. "S'ok with me.", he leaned half out of the booth to call to his brother, "Asmo! Hey! The Attendant wants a sleepover!"

Asmodeus paused his conversation with an elegantly raised hand, glancing at Mammon with a shrug and a nod before turning his attentions back to networking.

Kai looked down at his glass, stomach knotting dangerously.

(fuck it. disaster averted for another few hours.)

He looked at Mammon, pouting as he showed an empty glass. "Get me another? Please? We can dance once you get back."

The demon began to draw in an indignant breath before shrugging as the deal sunk in. "Okay, Attendant. Just this once, and don't forget it! The Great Mammon ain't handing out favors every time!"

Kai closed his eyes for a few moments, trying to push away everything except the moment.

(maybe two more. four isn't that many...)

The music pulsed louder as the night went on, and the event wrapped up.

The lights blurred. Sweat transferred between bodies as the floor became tightly packed.

Kai closed his eyes as he danced, smiled, laughed, forgot.

#obey me nightbringer #obey me #obey me oc #obey me mc #obey me asmodeus #obey me mammon #this one took awhile.

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raxistaicho · 1 year

Text

Are we not Engaged? Part 9.

Up to chapter 16!

Spoilers under the cut.

I just realized a picket fence is all that protects against the edge of the Somniel at the orchard. This place wouldn’t pass OSHA, lol.

Oh no somebody let a psychic into the Somniel.

Oh it’s Seadall. That’s neat.

Farm in concept: Adopt cute animals

Farm in my playthrough: Raxis runs a dog kennel as part of a smithing material producing racket.

Dogs are broken.

Alear Celine A: Celine tracked down the bandits from the B support and had ordered them eliminated. Despite them being Firenese, she feels no anguish for having ordered it. In fact, she’s more bothered that she doesn’t feel satisfied and she fears it’s a mark of weakness. Alear assures her it’s a sign of Celine’s kindness, which is reflected in the character of Fierene Dayum, I didn’t expect this from miss layer-cake dress.

Alear Alcryst B: Alcryst wants to be ready in advice to apologize for something, lol. Alear stresses that her life isn’t worth more than Alcryst’s, or anybody’s. She says he should do things his own way until he’s ready to be more confident.

Alear Merrin C: Merrin likes rare critters. She wants Alear to help her understand what Divine Dragons are like. She’s writing a taxonomical book about Alear, lol. Cute support.

Chloe Seadall C: He wants to eat some meat but he’s concerned for his figure. When his divination cards tell him not to eat, Chloe devours it instead, roflmao. She promises to repay him later.

Timerra Seadall C: Timerra was making meat and he’s upset about the good smell. As mentioned before he’s concerned for his figure XD

I think the fortune thing is mostly for fun. It suggested Ivy was honorable while also saying she stole fruit from the orchard.

Focus on the story for now, these paralogues are getting rough lol.

There’s no more rings in the wild, 5 on our side, 7 on Sombron’s, most of them the stolen 6 and also Eirika. At this point we have to go on the attack. The party however is concerned that they’d be at a disadvantage. Turns out Elusia is attacking Firene for some reason, so the issue is gonna be forced, it seems.

Oh no it’s fucking Marni again. And also Mauvier. Zephia’s ordered them to go on a rampage. Rosado and Goldmary managed to steal Eirika’s ring, go them! :D

The villains have a severe issue with leaving living loose ends running loose and suffering for it.

“If you’re being held against your will, blink three times” Okay I like him, lol.

Hello, Eirika! Now it’s an even 6 v 6. Rosado gets Eirika it seems.

Oh sweet fancy jesus they’re both strong.

Oh that monster’s actually pretty big lol. Makes Demonic Beasts look like chumps.

Lol “Also Ephraim’s here.”

This mission’s getting way more complex. It has a way less annoying version of the disappearaing walkways gimmick from Night of Farewells.

https://twitter.com/Raxistaicho2/status/1618466719609286656

Ahahah, but you libertine swine thought I’d be forsaking Goddess Dance to give Celine Thyrsus? No, for I am brilliant and I have also played Tellius so I know how to abuse a 4-way dance.

(Mauvier silenced Ivy or I wouldn’t have had to bother lol)

That’s twice I beat up Marni and Mauvier.

Poor Good!Veyle. Griss and Zephia are tricking her into thinking they’ll help her reunite with us and clear up the “misunderstanding”. She’s painfully naive though.

Oh shit, that red stone Veyle had is a dragonstone! It must be Alear’s! But wait, does Veyle have one of her own?

Evidently Sombron once had more kids who died in the last war. Oh snap, they’re gonna do something at Firene to make Evil!Veyle permanent.

I keep getting Relay Tickets but the online tower is ass. Shame.

Holy shit I pulled an S rank Ryoma.

Rosado Hortensia C: He drew a picture of her, but she’s upset it’s not cute enough. Rosado insists the first looks cuter though. Curious to see why he said that.

Alear Ivy B: Turns out Ivy’s religious enamored with Alear. It’s actually really sweet, Ivy’s got a cute bit of, I don’t know if shyness is the right word, but it’s something.

Alear Rosado C: Rosado sketched a really nice picture of a flower at the bottom of a well, which Alear loved. Rosado’s super happy that Alear was able to appreciate his artistic intent behind it. Rosado apparently hikes out to look for pretty things to sketch. Really nice support! Rosado’s a kind-hearted man and it turns out Alear’s got a knack for artistic interpretation :)

Alear Goldmary C: Goldmary seems very very vain and wants Alear’s attention.

Ivy Louis B: Louis’s still trying to get Ivy happy without success, but his doggedness actually coaxes a smile out.

Hortensia Goldmary C: Hortensia’s jealous of all the attention Goldmary gets from men and wants Goldmary to teach her how to be like her.

On with the story!

Four hounds sacked a port in Firene :(

The windmills aren’t fucking moving, lol.

Hounds and Veyle appear.

So it fucking turns out Zephie is FUCKING WITH VEYLE’S MIND and is responsible for the creation of Veyle’s evil half, as I predicted. Keep in mind that Veyle is an incredibly gentle person who doesn’t want to hurt people, and Zephia is fucking with her mind to turn her into a callous murderer. Jesus christ, I swear to god if she’s recruitable in any capacity I’m ramming her into the first thing capable of killing her. She’s one of the most abhorrent characters I’ve seen in this series. That does at least explain why Evil!Veyle was so fucked up.

Oh no, Veyle has Marth, nobody cares lol.

Hyacinth is back. He’s mostly intact as he was before he died. Seems Veyle can make better Corrupted than Sombron, that’s interesting. Poor Ivy :(

Turn one I baited Griss into using Celica’s warp and then just dogpiled him, lol.

Marni and Mauvier were annoying to kill. It might legit be worth having 3 mages just for Marni. I continue to be very happy I have Byleth on Celine.

Aggroing the dragon aggros Veyle, Hyacinth, and all their mooks lol.

I need a plan :p

Okay so my plan is to let Hyacinth constantly ram into Yunaka to stack poison on him while Hortensia leaves ice walls a step behind him to slow Veyle down.

Ivy has a heatfelt final goodbye with Hyacinth T_T

But it worked! Veyle is surprisingly easy to kill because she stuck to Marth’s rapier which she doesn’t do much damage with instead of her kickass tome.

Killing Zephia was still annoying since she can approach from a million miles away, hit at 2 range, fly, and then canto back 3 spaces. Not even surrounding her would necessarily work since she has Sigurd’s Emblem attack.

Really good map! Put on the pressure, made me plan and use my resources.

All the fucking Hounds escaped lol, but at least Hyacinth dropped Leif when he died again.

Veyle asking Zephia for Sigurd? OH, IT’S GOOD VEYLE ACTING LIKE EVIL VEYLE! Nicely done, Veyle :) So we got Sigurd and Leif back.

Zaphia hit Veyle :’(

#fire emblem engage #spoilers

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badmusejail · 10 months

Text

Sasakibe Tadaoki Chojiro

INTRODUCTION

This has probably been the longest muse I’ve had, and revisiting and revising everything for him is taking a while.

I was fascinated by Sasakibe pretty much since he appeared; intrigued by how of all the lieutenants, we knew pretty much nothing about him, feeling that the lieutenant of the First Division had to be interesting in some way, right?

The lack of information also gave me a perfect opportunity to do whatever the hell I wanted.

I had so many questions about him. Why didn’t he fight in the biggest event in recent history? The Kido Squad could have certainly maintained the barrier. Yet, I couldn’t imagine Yamamoto condoning having someone weak as his second-in-command.

How I answered these questions varied. Like I said, Kubo’s world was one that held limitless potential for exploration. I wanted to try different things. I wanted to see how the world changed when you tweaked small details.

One of the ideas I repeatedly came back to was the idea of him being a Quincy. After all, a great deal of Kubo’s work had involved the idea of hybrids–what would happen if there was a Quincy/Soul Reaper hybrid? I did a lot with this idea. I toyed with it; I played with it, I adapted it to fit Kubo’s canon as it came out. It’s a concept I’m still fascinated with; still amazed that we never got a Quincy/Soul Reaper hybrid.

And this is the result of that work. Years upon years of writing, finally revisited and presented to a wider audience. I do hope you like what I’ve come up with, but if for some reason you’d prefer to write with canon Sasakibe, just let me know.

I also encourage you to take a look at the introduction / headcanon page for BLEACH in general!

Name: [REDACTED] Sasakibe Tadaoki Chojiro Age: 2239 Birthdate: November 4 Residence: First Division HQ, Seireitei Job: Lieutenant Gender: Cis Male Sexuality: Abstaining [Heterosexual] Height: 5’10” Weight: 146 lbs. Species: Human (Quincy/Soul Reaper)

APPEARANCE

An utterly mundane individual. Most people would say that Sasakibe is especially plain compared to some of the more elaborate individuals in Soul Society. He stands at about average height, with tan skin, and meticulously groomed gray hair and mustache. He wears a jinbaori over the standard shihakusho, along with a white turtleneck and armguards.

As a Quincy, Sasakibe wears a black suit that clings close to his form, with white robes on top of it. The robes have blue fur on the edges, and the top most layer drapes over his shoulders like a cloak, before tapering down into two strands that resemble the jinbaori he wears. The cloak is held together by two silver, circular clasps.

HISTORY

There are those that know history. Then there are those that have seen history.

The man now known as Lieutenant Sasakibe was born in a drastically different time, in a drastically different place, with drastically different people.

A holy people–wielding holy powers to defend humanity from the scum of Hell. This duty bestowed upon him was one he took seriously–to protect and defend was in his blood, and protect and defend he did.

Oaths sworn in blood to serve, to strike down with holy light the scourge of the world, the demons that yearned to prey upon people.

Young and naïve; perhaps–he did not understand why those strange entities, the SOUL REAPERS hated them so much. They had the same goal, after all–they wanted peace, they wanted to protect the world. Why did these people look down on them, shun them?

The decision to leave his people was not one he took lightly; but his duty, his vows drew him to a higher cause, to pursue peace even when it seemed impossible.

The idea was simple, as things so often were in youth. Find the Soul Reapers. Befriend them. And it would prove that their people were one and the same, that they need not quarrel.

So he studied them. He learned their culture, their ways–he learned what divided a Quincy from a Soul Reaper, and learned how to breach that divide, to be one of them. He learned their techniques and strengths. He learned the way of the blade, of the Kido, of the Shunpo.

He approached Eijisai-dono with a smile on his face, he rose to every challenge, he proved that blood aside, a Quincy was no different than a Soul Reaper–they could work together, they could live in peace.

And now, all he had to do was tell him.

…

He did not.

After all, when he returned home to his kingdom to find it in ash, destroyed by a demon wreathed in flames, how could he?

The Quincy had disappeared, along with his home and family.

Where else did he have to go?

And so, he stayed by Shigekuni Yamamoto's side. He's there when Seireitei is established; he's there when Central 46 is established, he's there when Soul Reapers join together to fight off the demon spawn of Hell and reenforces the chain; and he's there when the Quincy reappear, hellbent on taking over the World of the Living and the Soul Society.

And he made a choice.

King or not, he would not condone the warmongering ways of Yhwach. If that was what it meant to be a Quincy, then he would be one no longer.

And so he strikes Yhwach from behind, giving Yamamoto just enough time to turn the tide of battle. Yhwach defeated, the remaining Quincy disappear, and Sasakibe remained beside Shigekuni Yamamoto.

He's there when Yamamoto describes the Quincy as the scum of earth that need to be wiped out. He's there when the Gotei 13 is founded, he's there when the Quincy resurge again and refuse to listen to reason, and he's there when Soul Society gives the order to eliminate them.

He's there to witness the rise of Ichigo, he's there to witness the betrayal of Aizen Sosuke. He's there for the loss of Ichigo's powers, and he's there for the defeat of Aizen.

Maybe there are some things that he regrets. Maybe there are some things that weighs on him. But in a life as long as his own, that's inevitable. But in general, he's happy with who he is, with what he's done.

Even if he has some secrets.

PERSONALITY

Loyal and with a strong moral compass, Sasakibe is a man who prefers to act rather than speak. It’s not about the glory or the conquest, it’s about doing the right thing and most of his time is spent in the background, making sure things run smoothly and taking care of problems before they become a problem.

His reputation is beyond his concern; though he’s well aware that people think him any number of unsavory things–demur, a pushover, a weakling. In fact, it’s quite amusing when people finally realize that he’s anything but; that his silence does not mean cowardice, that he’s one of the few who will tell Yamamoto off and one of the even fewer who can get away with it.

Sasakibe is a master of finesse, of being unnoticed, of knowing how to manipulate the system to get away with certain things; of covering his tracks and disappearing without a trace, avoiding notice unless he wants to be noticed–and also knowing his limits, what lines not to cross, and when certain actions are appropriate.

The previously mentioned interaction with Yamamoto is a clear example–Sasakibe absolutely will bicker and disagree with him, but in private because he understands how important Yamamoto’s pride and the image of unity and strength is.

Although Sasakibe does have a sense of pride, both as a Quincy and as a warrior, he puts the fate of the world first, and he has no qualms fighting dirty or fleeing to live another day, especially in his older age.

Chivalrous and polite, Sasakibe does everything he can do be what he considers a good person. He does not like to fight and would prefer any alternatives if possible, but he knows how to fight and he knows how to kill.