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lunaastoir · 3 years

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Hi! I really enjoy your writing so is it alright if i request xiao, diluc, childe with an idol s/o where one of their old stalkers come back or they just recently had a stalker in general but with how busy they were since they’re an idol they don’t even notice? And something bad happens (i cant think of anything</3) Thank you very much !!

hi anon!! a million apologies since this is so late but i hope you like the fic <3

there also aren’t any explicit details for anything bad happening - i briefly touched on subjects that you may not have control over, i hope that’s ok!

warning (?): struggled a bit on this prompt so i apologize in advance if this isn’t my best work LMAOO

gn! reader

tw: hints of assault, slight angst, very light abuse if you squint

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xiao

now xiao is a very observant man but he's also extremely busy keeping liyue safe

he makes it a point to always come to your shows even if you don't actively see him bc he cares a lot abt you and he enjoys listening to your music ‼️

it's normal for him to sometimes get lost between his own world of demonslaying and the world he shares w you

so one night, he's hanging on the rafters of a house with the perfect view of your singing

everything goes smoothly, he sets his spear down while lightly swaying his head to the music

the concert ends and fans disperse after you say your farewells

a night like this is rare since for once, xiao can walk home w you back to the inn sweet boy really cleared out his schedule for you huh

you're unsurprised when you see him materialize next to you, opting to flash him a smile and a hello

his cheeks are lightly flushed as he crosses his arms before talking quietly about how well you did

he relishes in the wide smile you give him as a result of his praise and he lets the corners of his lips curve upwards slightly

the quiet bustle of the harbor seemed to slow down as the night grew longer

since this was a fairly large concert, you had boxes among boxes of equipment so xiao decided to make your life easier by quickly flying them to their appropriate locations

when he got back however, he was surprised to see you talking animatedly with someone

he didn't think anything was wrong until he saw the person trap you between the stage and words filtered into his ears

your back was painfully pressed against the stage wall as you defiantly met their gaze. after xiao had left, they had immediately come over to you: first introducing themselves as a fan and making amiable conversation, before divulging in personal details of your life that made your skin crawl. you weren’t helpless, you always had your weapon on hand regardless of whether you were performing or not. the way they pushed you against the wall however, made it near impossible to summon your sword should you need it.

they leered down at you while balancing an arm against the wall next to your head. you had dealt with things like this before so you weren’t overly worried; you could defend yourself. you almost felt pity for the person in front of you as they asked for your number with a sadistic grin, disgusting words tumbling off of their lips. however, that was before you felt their cold fingers idly make their way to your stomach and you felt your breath hitch. oh no

the telltale sound of whooshing alerted you of xiao’s presence, and the press of the tip of his spear against their jugular brought you relief.

“back away” he tightly growled while his golden eyes narrowed into slits. they stared at him in shock before holding their hands up and moving to step a foot away from you.

“farther” he motioned with his spear before stepping in front of you as you attempted to collect yourself.

“ok ok, i’m far away can you put your spear down now?”

“no.”

you mentally cursed as you watched the two of them glare at each other. this was supposed to be a carefree night but this unfortunate twist made the air thick with tension. you could feel the anger radiate off of xiao in waves and in an effort to deescalate the situation, you spoke.

“i’m glad to meet such an...avid fan but i’m sorry the two of us must get going now” you hastily said before attempting to grab xiao’s hand and walk off past them.

the next words had you halt your steps as they divulged their secret.

words painted in careless arrogance with hints of violet overconfidence flew out of the person’s mouth - “judging from the weeks i’ve been following you, it didn’t seem like you had a boyfriend”

at the mere mention of prolonged stalking, xiao immediately lunged to pull you behind him. god, he didn’t kill mortals but he swore if he plunged his spear into this human being right here, no one would even blink twice considering how low of a person they were.

“if i ever see you near them again, i will not hesitate to kill you. i won’t blink twice, i already have blood on my hands.” he ground out.

at the threat, the person grudgingly turned their back to you before leaving the two of you alone in the quiet harbor.

you carefully reached a hand out to touch your boyfriend’s shoulder, but stopped after you saw the expression on his face. the mix of rage, sadness, and anguish imprinted his features as you watched his chest rapidly rise and fall - a result of his emotional battle.

“i’m sorry i didn’t notice them before. i should’ve been paying more attention to you” he whispered before silently striding away from your grasp

you knew that no matter how many reassurances you gave him about how, “it’s not your fault xiao, i didn’t notice them either” he would still blame himself.

he was supposed to protect you right? so why couldn’t he sense the danger beforehand? what would’ve happened if he wasn’t there?

it’s still a learning process for him to realize that things happen, and he inevitably couldn’t be there to save you from everything. he needs time to understand and adjust. you’re willing to wait, patiently helping him through it. why? because love is worth it.

god im sorry this ended up kinda sad whoops

diluc

i swear everytime i say i’m a childe simp diluc kinda wrecks me

ahem anyways onto the hc!

he’s kinda never around but similar to xiao he will overwork himself to clear out an hour or two just to watch your concerts

he’ll always stand off to the side too so if you tilt your head while you’re singing you can spy his red hair

you always flash him the sweetest smile and this man blushes like CRAZY before quickly lifting his hand up to give you a thumbs up

everyone watching the both of you like 😍😦

people think it’s the cutest thing i swear like c’mon the elusive “bachelor of mondstadt” being seen in public supporting you??? wow pls can we share him

he walks with you back to the winery, the entire time linking his hands with yours while gushing about your performance

1939248/10 it’s literally the sweetest thing

the next day however, adelinde brings you a pink letter addressed to you

he doesn’t pry because it’s addressed to you and it’s your business but as the letters start coming by everyday, he starts to grow curious

one day he straight up just asks you about it

“hey, you know those pink letters you keep getting? who are they from?”

you laugh slightly at his bashfulness and respond with a “just some overexcited fan” and he smiles before kissing your forehead

he loves that people are noticing your talent

loves it! until you get stalked by the same person who wrote you those letters while you were shopping!

diluc knows something’s wrong when you rush into angel’s share panicked after not returning his usual smile.

“darling? are you ok?” he asks worriedly before quickly setting down the glass he was cleaning to move towards you.

the widening of your eyes as you looked behind you at the sounds of someone else entering was all he needed to swiftly step in front of you, blocking their gaze of your face.

the slightly panicked look in your eyes before you hurriedly whispered, “they’re following me” made diluc glance at them subtly out of the corner of his eye. he watched as they walked over to find a seat next to the bar, seemingly ready to order a drink. he quietly asked if you would like to sit in the room reserved for the employees, away from their prying eyes. your hasty nod was all the confirmation he needed for him to let you access the door behind him.

the night went by fairly smoothly with kaeya’s usual teasing and venti’s usual begging for alcohol. diluc’s eyes narrowed however, when the person seemed to ask him questions regarding you. things like, “i heard you’re dating y/n... they’re amazing, how long have you been together?” and “do they live with you at dawn winery?” diluc answered these questions as short as he could, trying to convey with his body language that he truly did not want to talk to them.

everything was going well until he made the mistake of leaving the bar unattended. he had briefly forgotten about your residence in the room behind him as his mind immediately gravitated to breaking up a brawl. when he returned, the half drunk glass of liquor combined with the person’s absence from their seat, caused sparks of worry to light up inside his chest.

turning to the door, he knocked once.

“is everything alright in there love?”

the sounds of things rustling about and the occasional muffled voice had him opening the door quickly. he saw you with your arm being held tightly in their grasp, your mouth muffled with their hand, while you strained against them by pulling at your arm.

diluc immediately made his way over to you, quickly pulling your arm away before letting you enter into his embrace.

“get out.” the venomous words clawed their way out of his throat as he looked at them with eyes that screamed hatred. his blood was boiling as his mind replayed the scene; your scared expression and their greedy eyes.

diluc didn’t need to repeat himself twice as they ran out, trying not to trip over crates of wine. he made a mental note to find out who they were in order to make sure they never came near you ever again.

he quickly looked down at your form, relaxing slightly at the sight of your tentative smile. “my knight in shining armor” you joked before softly nuzzling your head into his shoulder. the anger had yet to dissipate from his veins, and although he knew you were still shaken up, he was sure you would be fine.

a pink letter placed on the table next to you caught his eye, and he made sure to quickly pocket it as he led you out, gently jesting with you about the “unnecessary amount of wine barrels in here, diluc this is a safety hazard!”

he would deal with this person later.

childe

ayo AYO ITS THE TOY SALESMAN

ok tbh he’s very rarely around so he unfortunately cannot make it to all of your shows

dw tho, he will try his hardest to be there for the ones he’s in town for bc what is he if not your number one hype king???

ok kinda creepy! alert

he’s tasked two of his subordinates to keep watch over you whenever he’s out of the harbor

it’s not anything creepy,,, he just gets extremely worried abt you and wants to make sure you’re safe

sO when he gets a ransom note??? he’s understandably confused but also very much freaked out

bc did they not know who he was??? the fact that they thought they could get away with holding you captive was quite honestly kind of funny to him

very stressed and angry tho - hides it behind a facade of smiles but he’s raging

takes him only a few hours to track you down bc he had everyone and i mean EVERYONE looking for you

the note crunched in his hand as the harbinger made his way towards windrise. his pace was erratic, long legs rushing towards the small cave his agents had found. they were bordering the perimeter of the enclosure, careful to not alert you or your captor of their presence. childe’s subordinate head had calmly stated that childe need not come out to rescue you, the situation was under control and they could do it for him. however, childe’s sharp gaze along with his sickly sweet words of “thanks but no. i’m coming out to see this sorry asshole for myself” had the agent backing away apologizing. he wanted to see the look on this person’s face before he shoved their sorry ass into the abyss himself.

as he reached the opening of the cave, he glanced over his shoulder at his head agent; a silent warning to keep the area sealed. his blue eyes glinted with a thirst for blood before making his way into the cave, sealing off the exit with his body.

“well well, playing games with the love of my life are we?”

his teasing words reached your ears as your eyes immediately found the face of your boyfriend. you weren’t horribly scared, just a little shaken up and sore from the bindings on your wrists. relief coursed through your body at the sight of him. you needn’t put in your plan of getting out of these bindings to fight your captor yourself anymore.

childe’s eyes quickly scanned over your frame, making sure you weren’t hurt. at the state of you completely unharmed, the harbinger let his heart calm down slightly. you were completely ok.

“wait a little longer, love? i promise this will be over soon”

the wink he sent you had you lightly rolling your eyes at his antics before he directed his attention back to your kidnapper. if your captor wasn’t scared before, they were certainly shaking in their boots now at the sight of childe’s twin hydro blades rotating playfully in his hands.

“listen, all i want is the money-”

“and all i want is your head”

your boyfriend smiled after cutting them off. the severity of the situation truly seemed to sink in at that moment before pleas of mercy fell from your captor’s lips, desperate to escape the bloodthirsty gaze of the harbinger. childe’s eyes flickered over to yours where you sat there, with your head ferociously shaking. a silent “no.” he sighed before swiftly bringing his arm up to hit your captor on the head, effectively knocking them out cold.

his hands worked at the ropes holding you and he gingerly rubbed at your bruised wrists. you silently thanked the archons he could never say no to you. archons forbid what would've happened if you hadn’t said anything. while you were explaining what happened, the young man quickly scooped you up in his arms before walking out of the cave.

you playfully hit his shoulder while muttering “drama queen” but you stopped when you saw his face morph into an expression of seriousness. you had informed him on the situation about your captor revealing themselves to be a recent stalker of yours, completely oblivious to the look of frustration on his face as he freed you from your bondages.

“i was scared you know.” he quietly divulged. “i knew that it wasn’t anything extremely serious but i... i was still scared”

you swore as you looked at him in that moment, he had turned ten again. the youth of his face betraying his vulnerability.

you quietly hummed before tangling your fingers in his hair. “i hope you know it wasn’t your fault. it wasn’t anyone’s fault. not even the two fatui agents who you sent to stalk me while you were away.”

he quietly laughed at that before mentally filing away a reminder for a lecture to those two agents in the near future.

“i’m just glad you’re safe. i know you can save yourself but i’ll always be here. i still wish you would let me take care of your asshole kidnapper myself though.” he pouted jokingly.

“i’m sure the millelith will lock them up for a long time.” you laughed sweetly.

his usual smile reappeared at your antics. maybe he didn’t get to beat your captor up and do...much worse. however at the end of the day, your smile was still intact regardless of what happened. that’s all he wanted.

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sage-druid · 4 years

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I miss Helena Klein

Am I the only one going through serious Helena Klein withdrawal? I couldn’t stand it anymore. I am not a professional writer, but I decided to test out some creative writing skills over at AO3 by writing a continuing series. I am a little nervous about posting this here. But, it was kinda sad that my account kept mocking me, showing how lame I was for having no posts. Thus, I have relented and here I am. Please be gentle. Seriously, let me know how bad it is so I can stop torturing the world with bad writing :)

The series is based off a different death of the Witch Queen that will ultimately lead to a different way of life for MC and Helena. Because, lets face it, a gazillion fans were really disappointed in the way she died and the final season. I have titled the series: The Love of Every Lifetime to Come. Here is my first attempt at writing. (deep breath)

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Title: Not While I Live and Breathe

MC rushed to Helena's side. "We got this this babe. I'll distract her and you take her out! This ends here and now!"

In moments like this, "Good Luck" seems like an appropriate parting phrase when embarking on the single most important task of putting an end to pure evil, once and for all. But when MC looked into the crystal blue eyes of the woman who held heart and soul, the only words that came to mind were "I love you with all of my heart". While not really appropriate for battle, they summed up all of the feelings they shared, that had gotten them to this point. MC was so proud of how far Helena had come. She now had won the respect and admiration of thousands. She saved the Retainers and armies with her magic, instead of killing races as ordered. She brought back the light of the sun which facilitates the growth of all things. For the first time in Helena's life, she had a family and a support system of friends. She even had armor that she looked really hot in. The gift of her armor that would protect her and the blades that would now end the world of destruction were given out of respect for everything she had endured to get to this point. She was no longer "General" Helena Klein, killer of a race. No longer, was she the weapon of destruction at mercy of the Witch Queen. She was "Curse Breaker". The woman who could bring peace through growth. Such a fitting power for a woman who had gone through such hell and grown so much. The fate of the world was now in her hands. MC looked deeply into Helena's eyes and said, "You are the most amazing woman in EVERY world. You can do this, babe. I am here with you. I love you so much."

"My love, you are my strength and reason for my breath. You are the love of this life and every lifetime to come", Helena whispered as she held MC's face in her hands. The parting kiss that followed was delivered with such passion and power that it left both nearly breathless. MC felt an overwhelming rush of warmth and power. The protective shield had wrapped around MC like a warm blanket that had been hanging out in the sun all day. She felt safe and empowered at the same time. They had, in that moment, given each other the power each needed to finish the deed. The power of that kiss could last a lifetime.

"Isn't this sweet, Little Light? One final tender moment between you and your pet before you return to where you belong. I suppose I can allow it, considering it will be the last time", the Witch Queen mocked as lightening pulsed from her finger tips. The charge was growing at such a rate, it appeared to surround her entirely. "Surrender to me or I will freeze her in such a state that not even Altea's magic will melt away the prison". Altea rolled her eyes and huffed as she continued to produce her counter spell, "Whatever, bitch! I killed you before and I can kill you again".

"Ya know, I have had enough of your comments", MC raced with haste to the other side of the room to create a distance between herself and Helena. ("I just need to give her time", MC thought.) "Everything from your mouth is complete and utter bullshit. She is right where she belongs. Why would she return to a woman who hurt her in every way possible and then disguised that abuse as love? Seriously, you are like the evil ex from hell. If I could, I would slap that crown right off your evil, messed up head!" MC raced forward, gave the Witch Queen a quick but powerful shove, and raced backed into the corner all in the blink of an eye before the Witch Queen could react. It wasn't enough power to really do anything, other than make her step back on one foot. Still, it got that "don't touch my girlfriend" point across. And more importantly it gave Helena the opportunity to advance.

"You think your pathetic attempt to distract me is going to work, girl? Not even slightly. And now it is time that you receive your first lesson in disobedience as Helena has learned so many times", the Witch Queen glared as she turned towards Helena and shot ice blue sparks from her fingertips. She stopped Helena right in her tracks. It was horrible. She was frozen in place. "But my Little Light, we can't have you interrupting now, can we? Wait there and watch as I show your fool of a pet how ice can burn her soul", she cackled in a deep voice.

"I hate HER. I hate her so much", thought MC. MC turned towards Altea with a "do something will ya?" look in her eyes. Altea shifted her focus from her current counter spell and started casting a new form of magic in the direction of Helena, that brought forth a pink glow from her staff. Slowly, you could see what appeared to be water droplets forming and hitting the floor like rain drops. It wasn't working fast, but it was doing the job of defrosting Helena at an agonizingly slow pace. A painfully slow pace that resembled the movement of a sloth on a summer's day. While the Witch Queen's attention was focused on Helena, August jumped to his feet and rushed towards the Witch Queen. He never quite got there. Two paces from the Witch Queen was where he was when he was pushed back with such a force that he was thrown clear across the room and knocked unconscious. Then the Witch Queen cast the ice wall spell that was previously seen at the bridge. On one side of the wall were the Retainers. On the other side was the Witch Queen, MC and Helena. The good news was, that it appeared that Altea's spell was still working. When the Witch Queen saw this she grimaced.

"Let's see if I can turn that heart of yours into a block of ice before Altea can melt her way to Helena's. After all that is the part of you that she treasures most, is it not? I think it's time us to have a true heart to heart.", smirked the Witch Queen as she faced MC.

Ya know, I think she has a point. While I am most definitely sure that there are other parts of my body that Helena has enjoyed and has proven on countless occasions that she deeply treasures, at the end of the day, I think my heart is what really sealed the deal. Now, how the hell do I stay alive long enough to distract the Witch Queen long enough to let Altea's spell work it's magic? Right! Use my mouth!

"Talk, Talk, Talk. Blah, blah, blah. Everything out of your mouth is boring the shit out of everyone in this room. Will you please shut the hell up. I have a headache already", mocked MC. "Let's have that woman to woman talk. Because there's quite a few things I want to say as well you miserable, pathetic excuse for a queen. The queens in my world, either do great and meaningful things for the their people or provide endless hours of entertainment on RuPaul's Drag Race".

Ishara and Reiner glanced at each other while exchanging very puzzled looks. "What's a drag race?", Iseul asked Saerys with raised eyebrows. "I am sure that I have no idea.", replied Saerys as he shrugged his shoulders. "Guys, really? It is impossible to focus with you two going on like that.", huffed Altea. "I am doing something important over here. Now shut up and help. Focus your energy on Helena so she can help me get her out of there!"

"Do you know how many times I have dreamed of ripping your face off?" continued MC. "How many nights I have pictured myself beating you until you were half dead, so exhausted that you barely had enough strength to breathe? Sounds familiar right? Oh yeah, to you it was a means to an end. To get and keep control so that you could use her to inflict destruction with a power that you will never have. She has more power in her little finger, than you have in your entire body. Without Helena, you are NOTHING!" MC was building herself into a state of rage. Her face was as red as a cherry. She could feel the heat coming from her face.

But all of this was no longer necessary, for with the help of the Retainers focus for her to pull energy from, Helena had finally broken free from the ice. This was the last time that the Witch Queen would control her. She lunged forward. Amazingly, not towards the Witch Queen, but towards MC. She had given up the advantage to be beside the woman who was the reason why she lived. She tackled MC and kissed her deeply, just as she had done when this started. But for Helena’s part, there was a clear and deliberate reason for making this choice.

"Du bist die Liebe jedes Lebens. Ich würde für dein Herz sterben.", Helena said with tears in her eyes. She grabbed her swords, stood and faced the Witch Queen one last time. (Translation: You are the love of every life. I would die for your heart.)

"ENOUGH!", howled the Witch Queen. "I will not be denied! You will give yourself to me, either alive or dead. The choice is yours."

"I will NEVER give myself to you ever again!", Helena retorted as she stared the Witch Queen in the eyes.

"FINE! Dead it is then!". The Witch Queen erupted in a electric ball of sparks, stepped forward and threw all that cosmic force into Helena's chest. She flew through the air with such a force that when she was pushed into the ice wall, it shattered. She fell to the ground while still clutching her swords. Everyone was now in the room with the Witch Queen. Static electricity filled the air so much that everyone's hair stood on end as if they were all waiting simultaneously to be struck by lightening.

"NOOOOO!" screamed MC as she flashed by the Witch Queen, still filled with haste spell that her fallen beloved had bestowed upon her. The scream echoed through the room.

MC dropped to her knees at the body her broken betrothed. Helena's eyes were still open, but there was no movement. Crimson red had shrouded her body. Both ice and armor were completely covered in a sticky substance, known by any untrained eye as blood. But it was not anyone's blood. It was the blood of her soulmate. Her reason for being. The woman who had worked so hard to overcome the atrocities of a woman who left her so damaged. She was now laying broken and bloody on the floor. Again. Her once golden hair, now saturated with her own blood, smelled greatly of iron. The smell was so overwhelming that it drowned out any hint of lavender, normally present in the air. MC bent down to take hold of her love. There was no breath. There was no subtle pounding in her throat. The Witch Queen had claimed her finally. She had possessed her totally, once and for all. MC opened her mouth and let out a primal scream that was never heard.

"Well, that's not quite what I intended. But I guess it serves it purpose.", chuckled the Witch Queen. "I told you, Little Light, if I can't have you, then no one will. I am your Queen and you will always belong to me."

Now, at this time I am sure there were a million things that could have come into MC's mind. But her state was a mix of desperation and a deep seething rage that was beginning to possess her. It was the most primal of emotions that allowed only two things to surface. One was a vision of Helena laying naked on the floor, with arms and legs chained to four separate post. She was bloody. Covered in sweat, tears, and vomit and crying out in pain. The other, was far more disturbing for MC than the visual, as bad as it was. The other was auditory. "I promise you this, babe. She will never hurt you again." It was this, that would haunt MC for the rest of her life. And this broken promise had pushed her to the point that she decided then and there, that she could not continue to live, having failed so terribly. And there was one woman responsible for this gut wrenching pain and she would never live long enough to enjoy this victory. MC would not allow the Witch Queen to touch her love again. MC bent down and kissed Helena's cold lips one last time and removed Helena's swords from her hands and took them within her own. "With my last breath, sweetheart, this final oath I will keep. Our love shall be eternal.", whispered MC. She stood, looked up at the the tall ceiling and said while not even looking at the Witch Queen, "NOT WHILE THERE IS BREATH IN MY BODY WILL YOU EVER TOUCH HER AGAIN!"

Still empowered with haste, MC ran straight towards the Witch Queen and leaped into the air. As she flew through the air several feet, she drew the swords back. In one carefully calculated moment, she brought both blades together in a sweeping scissor motion and severed the head of the Witch Queen, thus removing it entirely from her body. She dropped to the floor, covered in both the blood of the Witch Queen and her beloved, and let out a gut wrenching primal scream that shook the walls of the room. She bent down and removed the crown from the decapitated head and walked over to Helena's body. Lifting Helena gently, she cradled her in her arms. Then she placed the crown on Helena's head and said, "This always belonged to you, sweetheart. May it serve you well where ever you are now. I shall see you soon. Wait for me."

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Should I post the next episode?

#lovestruck #women of lovestruck #helena klein #helena x mc #lovestruck helena #love and legends helena

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happymetalgirl · 5 years

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Cattle Decapitation - Death Atlas

No vocalist this decade has been more innovative for extreme metal as Travis Ryan has with his diversity of snarls, growls, and screams stretching into uncharted melodic territory on the past few Cattle Decapitation albums, and no other band has been more vital and consistently creative for deathgrind as Cattle Decapitation has been for a long time now. The band have always taken a particularly uncomfortably gnarly and confrontational approach to the dicey topics of human mistreatment of animals in the food industry and the many despicable facets of species exceptionalism that humankind has operated under since the advent of mass industrialization, and their gratuitously grotesque and brutal musical and lyrical approach to such disgusting topics honestly couldn’t be more fitting for each other. I just recently picked up a physical copy of the band’s third LP, Humanure, and, looking at the lyrics, holy shit do they fit all too disgustingly well with the now-iconic cover art.

As the band’s sound has become grander since then, more stylistically unique, more polished, yet no less brutal than the goregrind on which they built their foundations, Cattle Decapitation have shifted their lyrical focus to the grander scope of self-driven environmental catastrophe and the worst case scenario of human extinction as a result of humankind’s own ecological carelessness. The band took a tremendous leap forward from the already tight and deathly goregrind of The Harvest Floor on 2012’s Monolith of Inhumanity, with Travis Ryan’s expansion of his harsh melodic range being a huge factor in that growth. But the rest of the band grew tighter and more capable of dishing out extremely intricate and technical agression at frightening speeds, and both Monolith of Inhumanity and the band’s 2015 follow-up, The Anthropocene Extinction, showed just how unbelievably versatile Cattle Decapitation could be with this style of music. I don’t want to get too hung up on reminiscing on the quality of old work with more of that quality packed into the band’s longest album to date to discuss at hand, but I don’t want to simply brush over and understate how immense the band’s past two albums have been for them and for extreme metal in general.

With Monolith of Inhumanity, Cattle Decapitation put on an absolutely baffling exhibition of a wide array of compositional protocols and instrumental and vocal techniques that broadened not only their horizons, but the horizons of deathgrind as a genre, of melody without compromising on brutality, especially on the vocal front. The band took their sickening brand of goregrind to its classically brutal extreme on the increasingly slow churn of “Forced Gender Reassignment” and the nasty grinding of “Projectile Ovulation”, but the band really pushed the boundaries of melodic terror on the vocal front on songs like “A Living, Breathing Piece of Defecating Meat”, “Your Disposal”, and “Kingdom of Tyrants”. The song with which the band really shattered the genre’s ceiling on melody was the strangely, astonishingly beautiful “Lifestalker”, on which Travis Ryan harnesses his filthy blackened snarl into a melody so emotive it’s hard to believe a band so focused on powerfully merciless brutality penned it. The album was a huge progression for Cattle Decapitation and for deathgrind, undoubtedly my favorite of the genre.

The band sought to refine their frenzied and newly dynamic grind on The Anthropocene Extinction with generally longer and more grandiose compositions like the monumental “Manufactured Extinct” and the gloriously grinding “Plagueborne” and “Pacific Grim”, while staying true to their gory roots all throughout and making sure to deliver more directly deadly blackened grinders like “The Prophets of Loss” and “Mutual Assured Destruction”. And the band did indeed give their already impressive and elevated sound an even more magnificent and grandious edge that generally isn’t associated with Cattle Decapitation or grindcore. As its title suggests, The Anthropocene Extinction marked an increase in the band’s urgency about the consequences of humanity’s careless abuse of resources and destruction of crucial ecosystems through industrial overconsumption. The band on their most recent past album sounded at least panicked and eager to call for whatever possible to mitigate the disastrous effects of humankind’s mistakes. Four years later, however, Cattle Decapitation are far less optimistic about the outcome of mankind’s abuse of its planetary home and certainly not any more sympathetic towards our species’ continued heedlessness in the face of scientific consensus on the forthcoming destruction and collapse of civilization as we know it.

As grim and forthrightly convicting as Cattle Decapitation have been in the past about how much needs to change to avoid disaster, the band sound more pessimistic than ever on Death Atlas, forecasting more than forewarning of the impending deathly consequences of our species’ prolonged malignant negligence. They play with a distinguishable air of numbness to sorrow as though the long foreseen end has already begun and that humanity is too late. Travis Ryan dips into melodic harshness more on this album than he did on even Monolith of Inhumanity, offering up eulogy after merciless eulogy for a dying species and a slowly (but not so slowly) burning world.

Indeed, Travis Ryan meditates harshly on the inevitability of the universe’s snuffing out of life grown out of control on the blackened melodic doomsday prophetics of “The Geocide” on which he ominously sings “The universe it always find a way to purge / the sustainably inappropriate numbers that once surged”, and he is even more hopeless on the following track, “Be Still Our Bleeding Hearts”, which he opens with the line, “Every new life is a tragedy in waiting” and on which he breaks out another nastily sung/snarled melodic chorus of apocalyptic embrace over blackened deathgrind that reaches for the upper echelons of the band’s widely encompassing sound. Ryan had stated before the album’s release in a promotional interview that he wasn’t going to focus so much on overpopulation as much on this album being that he has said his piece thoroughly on albums past and that the valid ecological problem is being misdirected by modern eugenicists, yet here he calls (probably in defeated exaggeration) for mass human death, stating “Every new death is a step toward preservation”. He once again concludes in dismal defeat that “Human life is simply not sustainable”.

Ryan continues on his frustrated raging over humanity’s exponentiating population on the following song, “Vulturous”, on which it becomes clearer that he is not taking the warped, racist approach to this topic and is rather eulogizing the willful and self-inflicted destruction of so-called advanced cultures by their short-sighted capitalist urges, as evidenced by the lines “A horrible ghastly proclamation / That profits dominate what’s right” and the painfully and intentionally ironic “Living for ourselves / Anything at any time / as of tomorrow we will die”. Clearly these lines are not pinning the blame for catastrophic climate change on the usual, lower-consuming scapegoats of fascist eugenics, but rather the capitalism that exploits them and those doing the scapegoating and those who keep it in place because they have something to gain from it. Musically, the track is one of the more demonically sinister cuts on the album, with Ryan giving a particularly eerie, menacing, death-summoning vocal performance.

Indeed, while I am talking a lot about Travis Ryan’s lyrical contributions and one-of-a-kind vocal performances, I would hate to overlook the solid and vibrant instrumental foundation the rest of the band continue to provide him and Cattle Decapitation. Longtime drummer David McGraw’s jaw-droppingly lightning-injected performances continue to shine as one of the band’s major instrumental attractions as he absolutely punishes his kit at ungodly speeds with awe-inspiring technicality. Similarly fast-paced and technical strong-work continues to flow like a gushing torrent of hail from storied lead guitarist Josh Elmore and newly arrived rhythm guitar supporter Belisario Dimuzio, who together drive the album’s (and the band’s) likely under-appreciated emotional dynamic through their interplay between colossal eruptions of infernal guitar distortion and ashen atmospheric dissonance with cleaner tones when the time is right. And new bassist Olivier Pinard provides the essential foundational accents to meticulously track and support the maddeningly technical rhythms above him in the mix, and even surging up to the forefront of the mix when the rest of the band is at a lower instance of acceleration to provide his own moments of spotlighted technical brilliance as well. Together the band have continued to hone the already highly perfected form of epic deathgrind that they and no one else can channel.

Backed by particularly vicious grinding instrumentation, Travis Ryan continues to count down to calamity on “One Day Closer to the End of the World”, at first seemingly welcoming with open arms “the end of all life of this fucking planet” in a storm of hardcore-influenced guitar work, but clearly lamenting, as the song progresses, mankind’s seeming “Lust for dying” and the terrible, suffering-filled end it has set up for itself, as he closes the thundering instrumental chaos by characterizing humanity as “Out of breath, out of time - a species out of its mind”. This bend toward self-destruction is further examined throughout the more direct, technical blackened death metal of “Absolute Destitute”, which is mostly spare of the previous tracks’ melodic niceties and summed up nicely and poetically by the lines “A life in love with despair / in a world beyond repair / A global consensus that the powers that be are against us”, and Ryan essentially calls time on humanity’s soured reign over planet Earth on the fittingly apocalyptic-sounding melodic vocal and guitar dissonance and rhythmic crashing of “Time’s Cruel Curtain”, whose tragically cathartic and enigmatically beautiful sonic hideousness as a result of is truly a tough thing to describe, probably best likened to a fire-scarred martyr desperately sacrificing themselves one last time to no avail.

Travis Ryan shifts his mournful tone to a more critical one on the ruthlessly rapid-fire “Finish Them” as he concludes that “Now we see that the true evil has a face / Now we know the devil is the human race” as David McGraw’s dynamic playing shines at the track’s particularly fast pace, and Ryan subsequently imparts, furthermore, a stern warning to the opulent elites that those whose world they’ve ruined will be coming for their hides on the similarly high-octane percussive hurricane and roller coaster riff-fest of “With All Disrespect”.

Ryan does return to his more usual classically colorful beckoning of death on the surprisingly infectiously hook-laced, old-school (for the band), and darkly comedic “Bring Back the Plague”, which is an exaggerated call at wits end for exactly what the title implies, but musically one of the band’s most unique songs and a certain standout on an album filled with impressive tracks.

The band also includes a few shorter interludes to break up the relentless deathgrind, “The Great Dying”, “The Great Dying II”, and “The Unerasable Past”, which are strung with excerpts detailing the sequences of events that have led to humanity’s current predicament, including “55 Languages of Planet Earth” from NASA’s Voyager Space Probe on the intro track, “Anthropogenic: End Transmission”.

On the titular closing track, Travis Ryan offers his last sorrowless dirge for humanity as he screams “We deserve everything that’s coming” across the epic nine-minute firestorm of crunchy guitar riffage, furiously firing double-bass, and biblically monolithic death howls that wrap the album up in cinematically grand fashion without sacrificing any of the brutality of the band’s grind. And while the song’s second half isn’t quite the dizzying crush the first half is, the gradual fade out into an operatic lamentation for a biosphere’s graceless end is a fitting one for the image of the Earth humanity’s last days careening away into the void of space in abject meaninglessness to the rest of the universe and whatever may fill humankind’s empty place at square one of rebuilding a new civilization.

Given how greatly I still admire Monolith of Inhumanity and the Anthropocene Extinction obviously my expectations for death Atlas were pretty high. Yet Cattle decapitation still managed to surprise and around me with melodicism greater than even that which characterized Monolith of Inhumanity, incredibly surprisingly infectious hooks, and gripping, terrifyingly bleak prophetic lyricism amid consistently thrilling instrumental performances that continue to prove what a tremendous force to be reckoned with and what an important band Cattle Decapitation is and has been. While Cattle Decapitation are far from the only band addressing the huge, overbearing impending doom of environmental Armageddon, and while the novelty of the melodicism of the band’s terrifying assault and nauseating goring has worn off since Monolith of Inhumanity, Cattle Decapitation has expanded it to further elevate the grandiosity they cultivated on The Anthropocene Extinction to produce a swan song for the planet unlike any other. Truly, there are few bands more important today for metal than Cattle Decapitation is, and there is no situation more dire than humanity’s arrogant and self-assured loitering on the brink of civilizational downfall. And while a deathgrind album probably isn’t the kind of art piece that will pull humankind back from the edge, the uncompromisingly ugly and truly hellish portrayal of the world’s collapse on it makes Death Atlas the album the world needs and humanity deserves for its compounded failures. And I also suppose it’s quite fitting that the band releases this album on America’s frustratingly ironically times national holiday of celebrating capitalist consumerism after a day of supposed giving thanks whose tradition is warped to hide its ugly genocidal historical origin. Undoubtedly one of the most crucial albums of its time, one of the year’s, one of the decade’s, and Cattle Decapitation’s best.

And I count the days ‘til we expire for always/10

#Cattle Decapitation #Death Atlas #deathgrind #death metal #technical death metal #grindcore #metal #heavy metal #new album #new music #album review #great music #great album #Monilith of Inhumanity #The Anthropocene Extinction #climate change #global warming #capitalism

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bux-blurbs · 5 years

Photo

I joined the LoL Community during my first year at the university and stop playing few months before final exams, since then I have not played.

It all started with wanting a passionate hobby just to get out of boredom and sulky dull life. At the same time I came across friends in the anime group talking about this game. Days after hearing and seeing this on the social media, I finally google about it and fell in love with the the kawaii, sugoii champions. I instantly click on the download buttom and started my first training match to eventually tried ranked games one year later. It was my first time playing a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) game, so I was utterly newbiie. Though, I did have a damn lot of fun playing with friends and without a doubt there were moments of raging as well.

What I’ve learned while playing this type of game: TEAMWORK.

“ Help out your teammates because this is a team game and you win as a team. If that doesn't scream, "Work as team god damn it" I honestly don't know what will. I understand it's called solo queue but you are playing with 9 people, 4 of which want the same thing as you do. No game is winnable if you don't help the people that you are playing with. You can get 10 creeps per minute, be fed out of your mind but if you are not helping your team to win then you won't win. It's literally simple.Yeah, your team doesn't matter because you will be playing with new people every game anyway. What is important is your attitude towards these people. Even if you don't have all the kills in the game you can still do your part and help the people that you are playing with through wards and moral support. Mechanical skill will only take you so far; working with other people will take you even farther. Furthermore, playing safe will mean that you won't die but someone who's just 2/0/0 in a 20 kill game is definitely not being a good team player. No, this doesn't make you any better than someone who's feeding enough to cure world hunger because we all make different mistakes in different ways. Learning what these mistakes are and fixing them is how you become a good player - not telling yourself that you're better than the guy who was trying to make plays and dying. After some time playing it becomes painfully apparent that some people get worked up too much during this game. Yes, winning is the fun part and winning is something you want to be doing a lot of, but rarely will you find people actively trying to make a game unwinnable for you. Most of you play will want the same thing that you do and sure, some games do seem completely lost after a certain point, but for the love of God there is no need to make someone feel bad for playing a game. It's easy to just jump the gun and say that it was their fault that you lost but you can also, just easily ask yourself what you could have done to make this game winnable for your team. Make the right choice and ask the right questions, too.”

“Assists are worth a lot. Choose teams that like to team-fight rather than split-push.” -NightBlue

My Favorite Champions:

TEEMO:- Hated by many, but loved by a few including myself, it is an adorably cute and badass. The Swift Scout is a legend among all other yordles. It is the first champion I have as main. I’ve even played it for my first ranked games and after the 10 matches, surprisingly I got Silver V. *Never underestimate the power of the Scout's code* *Size doesn't mean everything*

He is so damn trolly and i've even played him in a few ranked games :> *Hut,two,three,four*That little guy got his own fighting style : like he's not gonna overpower you - he's gonna be fast *swiftly* , *Armed and Ready* use his blowgun to blind you (put you into sleep for a duration), *That's gotta sting* and wear you down. See! he's a real bugger ^^ He got more mischievous when his ult is ready which are his dang toxic mushrooms that could lock down whole areas and pissed off the entire enemy team :) That's Teemo at his best <3

CAITLIN: I love Cait' as it is easy and smooth to play with. She's actually my main ADC ^.^ I can easily win my lane in terms of CS and her basic attacks generate 1 stack of Headshot (doubled when attacking from bush) . She's one of the strongest laners due to her range and simply using Headshot to harass enemy champs instead of using Piltover Peacemaker yet easier to hit with 'Q' when in bush. All of her abilities are fun to use especially the Ult one xD According to me, 'E', 'Q', 'R' looks like a perfect combo where the 90 Caliber Net slows down the enemy while Q'ing quickly and finally Ace in the Hole along with regularHeadshots. The Yordle Snap Trap is so damn fun esp. when it is placed in bushes revealing the enemy as well as trapped for a few sec. while you make a few shots on them xD "A Sniper's greatest tool is precision... and good equipment" ~Sheriff of Piltover

#games #pc games #league of legends #teemo

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kenzieam · 7 years

Text

The Right Wrong Choice - Chapter 2 (Eric X OC)

Rating: M (swearing, violence, smut - everything you’ve come to expect from me :* )

Genre: General/Humour/Drama/Eventual Angst

Thanks everyone for the re-blogs and support!!! IT IS SO AWESOME!!!

@emmysrandomthoughts @beautifulramblingbrains @iammarylastar @tigpooh67 @bookwarm85 @frecklefaceb @mom2reesie @elaacreditava @badassbaker @captstefanbrandt @jaihardy @treeleaf @pathybo @beltz2016 @lilu46 @equalstrashflavoredtrash @girlwith100names @gaia25 @readsalot73 @bookgirlthings @slayer0507 @stone-met @lostinthebeans @lauraaan182 @queenara4 @letmagichappen @girlslovestorys @tonyt1995 @sterek-foreverandever @lacy-love @littlesouthernrebel @fuckthatfeeling @micolegg @sparklemichele @vitaevandal @shaunarcanine

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The next day is hell. I thought things were bad when Eric showed us our cots and communal bathroom, but life really gets special the next morning. Two Erudite transfers are late to training and Eric’s laser beam focus hit them.

“Five laps!” He barks.

The initiates stand there, either defiant or confused, I couldn’t tell which and a nasty smile turns his lips.

“Ten! Better get moving!”

The low growl that rumbles from his chest finally spurs these slow-learners into action and, after watching them shrewdly for a minute, he yells “faster!” and turns back to the rest of us.

“Alright, warm up! Five laps, get going!”

After two I’m nearly dying and I’m not the only one. I’m grabbing my side and panting, only my fear of being singled out and given more laps keeping me from collapsing to the ground. There’s a stitch in my side and I taste copper in my mouth and I’m just about to say ‘fuck it’ and stop when a shadow falls over me.

“Giving up already?” Lurch sneers as he jogs easily beside me. Fucker, he hasn’t even broken a sweat.

I grit my teeth and dig deeper, some unknown part of me is loath to give in and let this arrogant bastard win. Part of me wants to show him I can do this, I can run his stupid laps. I don’t answer and push myself harder, pretending I don’t hear his soft chuckle behind me. Bastard.

After laps he barely gives us time to grab a drink before we start to practise fight moves, punching and kicking at heavy bags. At first I feel like a complete fool, I can’t duplicate the moves Eric is demonstrating, but I force myself to break down his movements in my mind and they start to make sense. After a while I even start to enjoy it, even though I still can’t make the bag swing like most of the others; I eye the bag and run through Eric’s instructions in my head.

I swing my leg to kick and suddenly large hands grip my waist, my kick goes off centre and I squeak.

“Move your right leg further ahead,” Eric murmurs in my ear, his breath warm on my neck. His knee bumps the back of mine, pushing it further ahead and his hands pull at my waist, turning me slightly away from the bag. His right hand moves down from my hip and stops high up on the curve of my outer thigh. I try to ignore the heat his hand generates. “Now kick out and follow through.”

I do and the bag swings a little. I turn to smile my thanks but the Neanderthal has already stepped away, ignoring me as he moves to the next initiate. I feel stupid as he corrects her stance the same way, bumping her knee and turning her waist the same way and the small hint of inclusion, of friendliness I thought he was extending me withers away.

I’m starving when we break for lunch and find a seat next to Raye to tiredly eat my sandwich. Tris and Christina sit across from us and offer smiles.

“How’s training going?” Tris asks kindly.

“Eric’s a sadistic bastard.” I grumble and Raye snorts into her water.

“He’s tough yes, but come to us if he’s unfair.” Tris instructs and I nod, relieved someone is looking out for us.

“I’m not even supposed to be here,” I confess, emboldened by their concern.

The leaders trade a glance then Christina says, “what do you mean, initiate?”

I explain what happened in a low voice, skipping the part where Eric called my ass ‘sweet’ and the leader’s foreheads furrow.

“And you told Eric it was a mistake, that you meant Erudite?” Tris clarifies.

I nod emphatically, “yes, I got Erudite as my result; I’ve always loved learning and reading.”

Christina leans over, murmurs into Tris’ ear. After a moment she sits back up and says, “we’ll talk to Eric, see what can be done.”

A wave of relief washes over me and I feel the stirrings of hope, maybe I can still get out of here. Raye elbows me.

“We should get going or we’ll be late.”

Not ready to run more laps I leap to my feet, but Tris and Christina smile at us.

“You have the two of us next, weapons training; you still have a few minutes.”

I smile in thanks and walk, rather than run from the mess hall.

The afternoon is much more relaxed. Christina and Tris, although professional and firm manage not to be assholes at the same time and I find myself really listening to their instructions, wanting to shoot well and please them. My arms are killing me, and my eyes are scratchy and sore from focusing on the targets, but I enjoyed the afternoon’s lesson way more than the morning; I’m almost skipping to the mess hall. Tris and Christina promised to talk to Eric about my situation at supper, and I hope that by tomorrow morning I’m on my way to the right faction. I’ll miss Raye and Tris and Christina for that matter, but I’d much rather be in Erudite and away from Lurch and his scowls.

Maddox the second jumper and another Dauntless born named Pax sit with us at supper and I can’t help but notice how handsome Pax is, with thick brown hair and killer green eyes, but I shouldn’t pay too much attention, not if I’m leaving tomorrow. I see Tris and Christina come in and my stomach drops at their expressions. They move to sit at our table but before they can say a word to me Eric comes into the mess hall and beelines towards us. He fixes his glare at me and crooks his finger. You come here, now, his eyes burn.

Oh fuck.

Christina turns and speaks to him and they get involved in a heated but rapid muttered exchange before Christina huffs and steps back, shooting me an apologetic look as she sits down beside Tris. Eric watches her sit then turns his glare back to me, his pierced brow raising in question. You’re still fucking sitting there? Get up and get over here initiate, NOW.

Stumbling, I rise to my feet and clasp my hands together to hide their shaking as I follow him out of the mess hall. He storms down a deserted corridor and I jog to keep up, wondering if he’s planning on throwing me into the Chasm. He stops and whirls back towards me so abruptly that I crash full tilt boogie into him. I’d have fallen right onto my ass if he didn’t reach out instantly and grab my arm; instead of just keeping me from falling however, he pulls me to the side and I crash painfully into the stone wall. His hands hit the stone on either side of my head and he leans down, caging me with his body. He doesn’t say anything for a long moment and I reluctantly raise my head to meet his eyes.

Immediately I drop my gaze, wishing I hadn’t looked, he’s furious.

“What. The. Fuck. Are. You. Trying. To. Do?” His voice is low and deadly and a shiver runs down my spine.

I decide the best answer right now is none at all and I concentrate on staring at my toes. His fist hits the stone again and I flinch but keep my silence. Finally he exhales hard and grips my chin, lifting my head; his fingers are hard and they hurt, but the deadly rage I sensed before is dissipating. Reluctantly I raise my eyes to his.

His steel grey eyes are narrowed and although he’s not raging anymore, he’s still pissed; his jaw is clenched tightly as he growls, “well?”

I swallow painfully. “I told you. I picked the wrong faction, I meant to choose Erudite, but my hand moved and my blood fell on Dauntless instead. My aptitude is for Erudite.”

“So?”

I frown in confusion, what the fuck does he mean, so? “Well, you should let me go to the right faction-”

Eric throws back his head and laughs. Sudden anger courses through me and I push sharply against his chest. Eric stumbles back a half-step but instantly lunges forward again, his hands gripping my upper arms hard enough to bruise, my skull thumping painfully against the wall again.

“Careful, initiate.” He growls, his face inches from mine.

I’m smart enough to know when to back down, and right now is a bright, shining example. I swallow and nod. This seems to appease him somewhat and he releases my arms, moving back one step. I dart sideways to put more distance between us but he moves with me and I freeze again.

“I have made my decision. Whether you meant to or not, your blood dripped onto Dauntless coals. Running to Trissy and Chrissy isn’t going to change that. Do not try to go behind my back again.”

I nod humbly and turn to leave but he growls again, “I’m not done yet.”

Shit, I turn back to him and wait.

He smiles sadistically. “Report to the training room in a half-hour.”

“Why?” I blurt.

His smile grows even more evil, if that was even possible. “Your punishment.”

He turns and storms away, leaving me to stand there, wondering what the hell he’s going to make me do.

#eric coulter #jai courtney #eric coulter fanfiction #eric divergent fanfiction #divergent #fanfiction #eric and fox

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